Holiday weekend

I've had a busy holiday weekend. Yesterday, I attended my friend Jaiden's birthday party. I had fun playing with the big kids. I didn't care much for cake and ice cream though. Aunt KaKa entertained me a bit at the party. She always makes me laugh.

Afterward, we visited with Pawpaw a bit and started watching the Coal Bowl. Then Mommy and I drove home to join Daddy and finish watching the Mountaineers whoop up on The Herd. Course, any intelligent person knew The Herd didn't stand a chance. I snuggled with Daddy a bit while we watched the game.

Tuesday, I join a Kindermusik class so I can make some friends my own age and Mommy's hoping -- burn off some energy. I think I'm tiring her out. We only have about a month before my little sister gets here. Mommy says I have no idea how much my world is going to change.

Strumming along....

Daddy is learning how to play the guitar. I'm helping him pick along the notes to "Old McDonald."

We had a nice visit with Grandma & Grandpa this weekend. They came down to help get my little sister's room ready. It's painted now. I love the bright yellow and am fascinated with the open space. Course, now it means all the good stuff for me to get into is down in the living room. Daddy moved his "West Virginia" room into the living room.

Now we're just waiting for my sister to get here. We weren't able to attend my cousin Jaymeson's birthday party last weekend because Mommy can't travel. Granny and Pawpaw went to the party and I hear Jaymeson had a great birthday.

Hanging out with Mommy

I sure have enjoyed hanging out with Mommy the past couple of weeks. It was tough today when she started a new job. We both were upset to not be hanging out together.

Mommy hasn't been feeling too well because my little sister is causing problems already! The doctor told her to stay close to home and is going to closely monitor her in the next few weeks. I could have a sister before we konw it! (And no, I don't know the name!)

I'm doing pretty well. I'm giving everyone a hard time because I won't drink my milk and I, somehow, have come down with a yeast infection. It probably started off as a diaper rash, but now it's worse. So we're treating that. Meantime, I'm just enjoying the new design in our living room and watching Mommy and Daddy get the house ready for my little sister.

My vocabulary expands daily. I can say, "turtle," "amem," "pretty," "balloon," "ball" and more. I can also answer questions like "What does the kitty say?" or "What does the cow say?"

Daredevil

Granny keeps getting me cool stuff for my room, like this rocking chair. I didn't care for it much at first, but then I realized I can drive Mommy mad by standing on it (rather than sitting) and rocking back and forth. I had a good time Saturday with this. Mommy and Granny picked out some more decorative pieces for my room this week. One of them is the dragonfly pictured above. I also have some butterflies hanging from my ceiling. Daddy said I have the coolest room on the block and definitely have enough now. It's time to start thinking about my little sister, he said. We're going to share the "play area" in my room, though.

Mini-vacation to Snowshoe

Mommy has some time off from work, so we went with Granny to visit PawPaw at Snowshoe Mountain (where he was staying for a work conference). Even though it was a short trip, we had a great time. There was a cool pool for little kids like me. Pawpaw took me down the big water slide several times. I put my face under water a couple of times and we played in the waterfalls and fountains. Pawpaw tried to keep close tabs on me, but I kept shoving his hands away.

Granny bought me some cute shirts, including the one I'm sporting in the photo with Granny and Pawpaw. We had s'mores (well I had it with no chocolate) at the Foxfire restaurant and I ate some more lemons.

I'm learning new words every day like "pretty," "turtle" and now I'm saying "amem (amen)." Granny and Pawpaw took me to church last week because Mommy and Daddy were sick. But they're both better now.

We're all just trying to enjoy this time together and getting ready for the arrival of my new sister. Nope, I don't even know her name yet!

Nice surprise

As a follow up to today's post about our sad news... We had a wonderful surprise waiting for us when we returned Sunday night. Great Uncle Richie painted my room while we were away. He's not finished, but it's wonderful. See the tree growing over the closet. You can't even tell that Daddy put a hole in the wall, can you? He's going to come in and paint flowers and a picket fence so it looks like an English garden. Wonderful, huh? It's a very cool room and I was excited to see it when we got home late Sunday night. Thank you Uncle Richie. Thank you, Granny too, for looking after the house and buying us groceries so I could have milk in the morning. We appreciate all the love, support and prayers in this busy and sad time.

Saying Goodbye

We cut our vacation to Nags Head, N.C., short because Pap wasn't feeling well. So we returned to Morgantown so Grandma & Grandpa, Mommy & Daddy and Aunt Sara could say goodbye to Pap. I really wasn't aware of what happened, but I know there were a lot of sad people. I did my best to entertain them in the waiting room with games of Peek-a-Boo and asking for "bapple" (apple). Pap went home to be with Jesus Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon, I visited with relatives and met some new friends (a puppy named Jersey). That's me with Jersey, my second cousin Hannah and cousin-in-law Jamie. The other photo is from my birthday when Pap and Mamaw came to visit. We return to Morgantown on Wednesday so Mommy can go to his funeral. I'll be visiting with The Bott family then. We don't see much of Great Grandpa Bott so this will be a treat.

More adventures

Yesterday, we visited the North Carolina Aquariums on Roanoke Island. It was a lot of fun. I met a lot of new friends, including sharks, turtles, sea fish and all kinds of tropical fish. I also made a friend named, Elijah. He's 2. He actually talked to me in the aquarium and we kept running into each other at the exhibits.

Later we went to eat at Tortugas Lie and I ate a lot of new veggies, including zucchini. I also ate corn on the cob -- right off the cob! I just picked it up off the plate and started eating it. We decided to wait to visit the beach until after dinner because it was so hot yesterday. Someone carved out a large hole on the beach and I played in it for awhile and then ran into the ocean. I have discovered the ocean is salty so I like to suck on my fingers after I've played in the water. Course, I also thought the sand tasted salty and kept picking it up to put in my mouth, but Aunt Sara and Grandma wouldn't let me eat it.

Making friends

There are a lot of people at the beach to make friends with. So far, I've met a couple of little people around my age. The girl, Marley, is just three months older than me. She doesn't talk much. I don't really care what age young people are. I just want to hang out with them. I know no strangers and will approach anyone who I see around us. Grandma & Grandpa have a hard time keeping up with me as I run down the beach to see a new friend. Today, it's supposed to be 98 degrees so we're going to the place where there are a lot of fish on Roanoke Island. Mommy said it would be too hot for her and me at the beach during the day. So we're going to play in the sand in the evening after dinner tonight. I think we're going out to eat tonight, but Dr. Skaff said I'm not allowed to have seafood.

Fearless of the ocean!

We're staying at Kill Devil Hills, NC., for the week. I am enthralled with the ocean. I love it. No fears here. In fact, the family has to keep a close eye on me so I don't go running in on my own. I like walking along the beach on my own. You know me, Miss Independent. More updates later.

Streaker

I'm starting to take after my great Aunt Jane. I prefer to be "au naturel." Any time Mommy dresses me in an outfit that has straps of any kind, I figure out a way to get it off (as you can see in the photograph). I hear that Grandpa Bott could track his little sister, great Aunt Jane, when they were outside playing because there would be a trail of clothes.

She tried on my new bathing suit, which features fun fish on it, to make sure it fits before we head to the beach. Before she realized it, I had both of my arms out of the straps and the bathing suit was hanging around my waist.

I'm not sure what this place called the "beach" is, but Mommy & Daddy sure are looking forward to going there. Daddy said he can't wait to take me into the water. Great Aunt Barb gave me a life jacket to wear. And I they keep talking about something called sand. I'm sure wherever it is, it will be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I hear we have a long trip in the car to get there. I can only sit in that car seat for a couple of hours before I start getting ansy. I overheard Daddy saying something to Mommy about giving me Benedryll before we go. They said I need to sleep because I've been keeping them up too much lately. I woke at 3 a.m. today and kept Mommy up until 5 a.m.

I believe we'll have access to a computer at the beach so we'll try to keep you posted on our daily adventures. If not, we'll have lots to share when we return.

Holiday weekend

What fun we've had over the holiday. Since it was a national holiday, I got to hang out with Mommy during the middle of the week. That was a special treat.

On Monday, we visited with Uncle Richie, Aunt Grace and Johan and Ethan. We celebrated Jonah's birthday and hung out with family (Aunt KaKa entertained me quite a bit.) We waited until real late to see something called fireworks, but the whole lights we saw were from the storm that poured down on us as we traveled home.

Tuesday after Daddy got home from work we drove to Ripley to the Arts & Crafts fair. Daddy and I fed some geese. It rained again for a bit so we had to hang out in a tent.

I even helped Mommy with some cleaning around the house. That Swiffer is like pushing my lawn mower!

Feeling better

After nearly of a week of battling a virus of sorts, I'm finally feeling better. I was much more "myself" today, Granny and Mommy said. I hugged Granny as she came to watch me today. And then later, when Granddaddy and Lois came back into town, we all went out to eat. I had a BIG appetite tonight. Daddy fed me some of his corn; Granny fed me some of her cooked apples. And I drank water out of a straw (with Daddy pouring it into my mouth.) The secret to getting me to eat from the table? Give me the good stuff. Daddy tried feeding me this stuff called cous-cous with vegan soup in it the night before and I didn't like it. If it has flavor and you'll eat it, then I'll eat I say.

After dinner, Paw-Paw took some pictures of me playing in the neighbor's flowers. Granny & Mommy couldn't resist getting me all dolled up in this dress.

I'm drinking whole milk now -- flavored with PediaSure -- and able to climb stairs. Every day, I find something new to explore and to keep Mommy & Daddy guessing. :-)

Summer time fun

It's summer time. That means fun in the sun. Grandma Bott introduced me to the hammock over the weekend. I liked swinging in it. Then Mommy tried on my new swimsuit from cousins Sherry & Lisa tonight and I got to play with my water wheel tower. Daddy eventually stuck me in the wheel and I sat down to play splash the water. It's a good trial run for the beach next month. I keep hearing about something called sand -- that sounds interesting! Wonder how it tastes?

First haircut

We made an unplanned trip to Morgantown this weekend because Pap (Grandma Bott's father) is in the hospital. The trip was sure a lot more fun with the new DVD player that Granny got us for the car. I liked watching Grover as we traveled along I-79.

Mommy called her old hairdresser Cheryl to get my bangs trimmed. As you can see, I wasn't too happy about it. I don't really like people messing with me -- especially my head.

I had my one-year-old check-up with Dr. Skaff on Friday. He told Mommy that I was the tallest 1-year-old he's ever had in his office. I'm 33 inches tall and 22.12 lbs. He wants me to put on some more weight since I'm only in the 75th percentile for weight. I'm now drinking whole milk and eating more food that Mommy & Daddy eat. I also have to see a dentist soon because my two new bottom teeth are either stained from food or I could have some tooth decay.

I met my second cousins from Ohio for the first time this weekend. They were in to visit Pap too. It is a stressful and sad time for the Chase family since Pap isn't feeling well, but I managed to keep everyone entertained and laughing a little in the ICU waiting room. Please pray for Pap. We'll be up to visit again next weekend.

First birthday party

Whew! What a weekend. As you can see from the last photo, I'm worn out from all the activities on Saturday. We had a great time at Kanawha State Forest. The weather held off just long enough for us to celebrate me turning 1!

I enjoyed my first taste of icing and making a mess of my personal birthday cake. My family and friends gave me a lot of nice presents, including clothes, a toy lawn mower, a doll, a bear, a walking Pooh Bear and more. I enjoyed playing with my new toys on Sunday, especially my new water tower.

Thank you to everyone who made the trip to celebrate with us. We appreciate it. We enjoyed your company and hope you had a great time.

Happy Birthday to me!

Daddy & Mommy took me to this place called Chuck E. Cheese tonight. I've never seen anything like it! There were kids of all sizes there (including other Daddies.) It was amazing to see all the lights, hear all the noises from games and kids screaming. I didn't know where to turn my attention. I rode a few rides that were appropriate for 1-year-olds and took a few trips down the slide (as you can see from the photo). Mommy tried to show me how to play skee ball, but it wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention. We only stayed for an hour because Mommy got tired. It sure was fun for my first birthday. I hear we're actually going to have something called cake on Saturday.

I'm One!

I turn one today! Mommy & Daddy said they're going to take me somewhere special to celebrate and then we'll celebrate with our families on Saturday.

Mommy discovered the reason why I'm probably waking in the middle of the night -- a front tooth! My first tooth is beginning to pop through on top.

Caught with my hand in the cookie jar (sort of)!

This morning I baffled Granny by licking my palm as I came into the living room. She couldn't understand why I was licking my palm. After some investigating, she discovered my secret. The sugar canister!

Mommy later caught me on camera sneaking to taste the sweetness of the few granules of sugar that Daddy so carelessly left behind on the spoon. (It pays to be neat!) I quickly learned that if I lick my fingers and then touch the spoon, that some of that goodness would stick to my hand and I could taste the forbidden treat! So much for keeping sweets out of my little hands!

Granddaddy's visit

Granddaddy and Lois are in WV to visit with family members -- including me. We had a nice visit Sunday afternoon. Granddaddy sang to me and let me grab his glasses. Aunt KaKa kept me entertained by letting me pull her hair and making me laugh with stuffed animals. We just spent the day relaxing and hanging out with family.

Love the outdoors!

I just love the outdoors, but not my hat. It's a challenge for Mommy & Daddy to get me to wear it. I did wear it while we strolled briefly downtown in Lewisburg Sunday on our way home.

It's fun playing outside in the dirt and getting some sun. I don't like it when Granny,Mommy or Daddy makes me come in from playing. Mommy said the good thing about me playing outside during the days is I get worn out easily and by 8 p.m. I'm ready for bed. I have a tendancy to wake around 3 a.m. though. I just like to call for Mommy to come into the room so I can have some cuddle time with her. The other night, I grabbed both sides of her belly, leaned in and said hello to my baby sister. She kicked in return. Then Mommy and I cuddled while she rocked me for a few minutes before putting me back to bed. It's our nice mid-night ritual.

I'm learning new words every day. The past two days it's "cookie." As in "Cookie Monster." Aunt Sara reinforced the word all weekend when she kept showing Cookie Monster to me on the Sesame Street toy I have. Then I got home Monday and played with the stuffed Cookie Monster and told Mommy it was "Cookie."

I love dirt!

There's nothing better than playing in the dirt. After we spent the weekend in the woods, I helped Mommy & Daddy around the house on Monday and Tuesday. We went to Capital Market and bought some plants for the garden and flowers for our planters. After a long nap in the afternoon, I helped Mommy place her flowers in the planters. Well, I mostly just grabbed the dirt. Later, Mommy made me get cleaned up with a nice long bath before bedtime.

Weekend in the mountains

We had a short, but adventurous trip to Pocahontas County, where the Bott family cabin is located. Saturday we took a train ride at Cass Scenic Railroad to Whittaker Station. I made a friend on the trip. He was two months older than me, but didn't talk nearly as much. We played in the dirt and with rocks this weekend. And Daddy gave me a salamander to hold (first photo). you can't see the salamander very well. Unfortunately, he had an untimely death because I didn't realize how fragile he was and squeezed too hard!

Everyone we met couldn't believe I wasn't a year old yet and of course mentioned how cute I am. We saw Chris Legg from church at Meck's Bakery, but his son Benjamin (who I like to talk to in church) wasn't with him.

Exploring my world

Now that I'm walking all the time, it's so much easier to explore my world. For instance, I quickly discovered the wipe warmer. I like to pull all the wipes out. So Mommy locked it so I can't get into it.

I overheard Daddy saying something about child-proofing the house. I think that means he's going to take all the fun stuff away from me. Daddy and I had a good time hanging out last night. We played and giggled just before bedtime.

Can I have a bite?

When I'm not busy walking across the floor, then I'm sharing my food with Daddy or anyone who asks. Daddy, Granny or Pawpaw ask me for a bite and I gladly oblige. Pawpaw and I have a new game we play. I say "Daddee" and he says "Pawpaw." We keep going back and forth. Today, Daddy played the same game with me but he said my name instead and I said it back.

Baby sister

Belle's getting a baby sister!

First steps

I took my first steps on my own today! We were hanging out in Grandma & Grandpa Bott's living room Sunday afternoon. Daddy went outside to pack the car and I tried to follow him. I took about four steps before I fell. Grandma and Mommy cheered and laughed. Then Daddy and Grandpa came in and I was a walking fool. I walked several times, 6 steps, then 8 and then four. They all laughed and cheered, but I wasn't sure why. I just knew I was entertaining so I kept it up!

We had a good visit in Morgantown this weekend. Mommy had an event in town this weekend. I "walked" along the rail-trial with Aunt Dee, Grandpa & Grandma and some of their friends. We saw ducks, dogs and the Subway Sandwich guy.

I had a great time chasing the cats around Grandma & Grandpa Bott's house. We had a cookout on Saturday after the walk and I got to see Great Grandpa Bott and Aunt Barb and Jenny. Cousin Kevin was there too! It was a fun, but exhausting weekend. I was wiped. As you can see from the first photo. Mommy said I fell asleep before we hit the Interstate.

We'll try to do a better job updating the blog. I know everyone likes to know what we're up to. We've just had a busy schedule lately. Tuesday we find out whether I'm getting a brother or sister, so we'll definitely update Tuesday afternoon.