At home with Hope, Vol XIII

We've been blessed with some sunny days here the last couple weeks, and Hope and I have been enjoying walking in the sunshine whenever it's warm enough. She is fascinated with my sunglasses, and was playing with them before our walk one day.
"Hmmm..... do they go like this?"
This was Remembrance Day. Thought I'd at least dress her in something with red on it, like the poppies.
We were getting ready for a weekend visit from Auntie Lydia, who was coming up to spend her birthday with us, so Hope was doing the artwork on a poster for her. Hooray for washable crayons! Josh could have used some of those when he was a little tot!
Hope was delighted and fascinated with Lydia's silver bangles. :o)
Uhm, I think Hope kinda missed the "smile" part of the picture.
Saturday morning we had a nice little birthday breakfast, and then Hope helped Auntie open a present. I thought it was cute how they both have similar expressions in this shot. :o)
Saturday was also Grandma Lorrie's (Josh's Mom's) birthday, and Hope made a poster for her too. Hope didn't really get the part about holding it up to show the camera... she was more interested in re-arranging the ladybug stickers she had put on it.
I thought maybe Lydia could help Hope hold it, but Hope was quite set on playing with the stickers, hence the signing "please" you see in this picture.
Josh took us out for supper that evening. Nov 13th was also the 3rd anniversary of when Josh and I got engaged, so it was a double-date... or whatever. Again, looks like Hope missed the "smile" part. :o) Beautiful smile from my beautiful sister, though. It was sooo special to have her here for a quiet weekend with us, even though baby Thumper didn't come on her birthday like we'd hoped. :o)
After eating the supper I'd brought for her from home, Hope had fun eating and playing with soda crackers. The tall glass of water with a straw also kept her occupied for quite a while too.
Sunday afternoon, Auntie Lydia had to leave. She put Hope down for her nap, and then left while Hope was still sleeping. When Hope got up she really made like she wanted the blanket from the couch spread out on the floor. So... we put it down there for her and it didn't take long for her to fill it with the toys she wanted to play with, and sit down in her own little world of imagination.
Very busy with her baby doll...
Making sure the dolly has a blanket to keep warm...
And showing the dolly her Spot book. Hope is getting to be quite talkative these days, or perhaps I should say "jabber-tive." It's so cute to hear her talk to herself and her toys and to us throughout the day. :o) Her jabber often sounds like she's yodeling. Must be music in her veins.
Look who's shoes she found! ... and got them on herself and walking around in them by herself this time too.
Focused or what!

This is a short clip of a new expression Hope started saying all on her own. Josh and I looked at each other one mealtime, wondering if we'd actually heard her say what we thought. Yep. We did. Here it is. :o)

At home with Hope, Vol XII

Hopey and her little friend playing in the kitchen. :o) I think she was teaching the dolly how to dance.
It's so sweet to see how she likes to show the dolly new things. She'll be a great big sister.
Uhmm.... we won't let her do this with the real baby though. :o)
With winter setting in, my hands have been cracking easily from washes dishes or whatever, so I took out the rubber gloves to see if that would help.
After finishing in the sink one day, I gave the gloves to Hope, because she seemed interested in them.
It was great entertainment for her trying to get them on herself, and for me watching her try to get them on!
In the end, I helped her put the second one on, as she kept getting frustrated with it. Big grins!
Hope and a little friend reading a new John Deere tractor book together. We went to bed Friday night, and when we got up Saturday morning Auntie Chloe was here! She came up for a quick weekend to help me with some things in the house and be here in case the baby decided to come. :o)
After Saturday brunch, Hope showed Chloe the ipad. :o) Once Chloe figured it out, they were away.
Playing with "the pond" on the ipad, and walking across it with their fingers.
Chloe helped me clean out the kitchen cupboards, (which were badly in need, not having been done since we moved in a year ago...) and of course, Hope helped us too!
All ready for bed Sunday night, but time for laughs first!
And this was last night - Monday night. Josh and I were doing a quick little project in the living room, and Hope amused herself on the couch. (gotta teach her and Josh that the couch isn't for bouncing and pouncing!)
Now just watch....
She knew right where she wanted that dolly afghan and what she wanted to do with it.
And this is what Josh and I were doing - assembling a small rocking chair for Hope, a special gift from my Grandma. Now Hope will have a rocking chair of her own when the baby comes, and Mommy and Hope can rock their "babies" at the same time.
For now, though, this is how Hope enjoys the rocking chair most - putting her dollies in it and rocking them. :o)
And... yesterday.... my sweet hubby picked up some beautiful flowers for me on his way home from work "just because."
They were a timely thing of beauty in a day that held it's share of challenges and frustrations. The blessings to count include that baby inside me is still kicking, the house is still standing, the mold is getting taken out of the closet and ceiling, and all the water that leaked onto the bathroom floor and basement carpet from the downstairs tub is now cleaned up!
"He makes all things beautiful in its time." We are so thankful for that promise as we wait for our baby to be born. :o)

Upon a Happy Tuesday

This Tuesday was a happy day. I got to spend lots of one-on-one time with Hope in the morning, taking her swimming in a pool for the first time since she was 5 months old. She preferred to be standing in the water, which meant we spent a lot of time in the shallowest parts of the kids pool, but it was fun, and the buoyancy on my tummy felt nice!We brought smoothies home for lunch with Josh, who was working from home that day, which made it an especially happy day. Before naptime, Hope was wiping of her booster seat tray, and other things, as you can see. Here she was saying "TOES" as she wiped the doll's feet. Later she said "HANDS" as she wiped the doll's hands, which was also very cute!
After a good nap for Hope and a good nap for me, I gave Hope a bath, as the shower at the pool had been pretty quick. For dessert for supper we had fresh made GF gingersnaps, which Hope loves, as you can see. :o)
Then we cleaned up supper and settled into the living room for devotions and playtime. Hope decided to try on my shoes, and did we ever have fun watching her!
I think she was saying "Hurray!"
Needs a little help from Daddy to walk in these big shoes.
Grinnin' at her Daddy.
Decided to try pushing the nearby laundry basket to steady herself with just one shoe on.
And... getting brave enough to shuffle along on her own, over to the toy basket.
Then it was time for "share the recliner," though I think Hope really just wanted the chair to herself, truth be told.
And so... Josh got off. :o)

Can't recall what Hope was saying "please" for, but that's what she was doing. :o) Josh read her stories, and put her to bed, and thus was the wonderful end of a wonderful day. :o) So many blessings to count... :o)

At home with Hope, Vol XI

As I typed the title for this post, I realized there probably won't be many more "At home with Hope" posts, because soon it'll be "At home with Hope and ____." I have reached a happy 37 weeks of pregnancy, and each of us here dearly look forward to meeting our new little one very soon. :o)

Meanwhile, I cherish these last days with "just Hope" and continue to be blessed by her contented nature, and her sweet, responsive spirit.
My Mum found these blocks for Hope through a store in Lethbridge, because I couldn't find any up here, and wanted Hope to have some. We usually keep them in a bag in a cupboard and bring them out at special times when she needs something new to do. :o)
Checking out that lettering while sitting on my pillow in the hallway outside the sewing room. I think I was washing our sheets that day, so the pillow was probably on the floor of our room where she could reach it. :o)
Concentrating very hard on getting them back in the bag.
While I was putting away the summer hats and getting out the winter stuff, Hope saw this hat and quickly toddled off with it. :o)
The PJ's added to the charm of her mood as she toddled around with a winter glove in one hand and a summer bonnet in the other.
Learning how to brush her teeth like a big girl. :o)
Of course, talking to the Tigger on her toothbrush (whom she calls "Piglet") is part of the fun too!
I was cooking up some chicken for the freezer one day, and Hope took a fancy to the foil pans. I thought there would be no harm in letting her play with them for a while, and did she ever have fun, which was a delight to me to watch. :o)
Happy with herself for getting them stacked back together, I think.
Shortly after this point I rescued the tin pans from her, as they were getting kind of banged up due to her crashing them together like cymbals. :o)
The car seat had gotten crumby enough, and sticky too, so I hauled it into the house to wash the liner and clean off the plastic parts. This was October 27, Hope's 20 month-old birthday. I gave her a bath that day/night and discovered when I weighed her that she had finally reached 20 pounds - big enough to face the front of the car in her car seat. She wanted to sit in the car seat while I had it in the living room, and I think Josh was behind me making her laugh when I took these shots.
Our little girl. She's such a blessing to us.
Still as flexible as ever, and likes to play with her feet like a baby. :o)
Good thing she doesn't have an overly loud voice!
Hope enjoys the novelty of sitting on her sponge ball, and I think she came up with it all on her own. (I certainly didn't show her how in my current state!) It's quite the balancing act to watch her get on it, but she backs up and steadies herself carefully and achieves her goal!

Just a couple videos of Hope blowing her wrapping-paper-tube-trumpet. I recall loving doing that as a kid anytime Mom had an empty roll. :o)