10/19

We went to the Count's Spectacular Countdown to Halloween at Sesame Place today. We took Lucas and met up with Uncle Jamie, Dylan, and Nicky to run around the park riding on rides, taking pictures with characters, and trick-or-treating.
It was a great time, though Lorelai is still not excited to meet or be near the monsters. We sat down to watch a show while we were there and she held tight to her Daddy, trying to duck and hide from the singing and dancing Sesame people up on stage (far away).
Her favorite part was the Rubber Duckie Dance Party. Lorelai loves to dance.

10/18

Another day of learning! First thing in the morning, Lorelai collected all of her Guys and played pretend with them-- Superman even flew around the room with a sound effect/song! Later on, Lorelai learned how to blow a whistle to make noise while playing with Daddy. AND when picking up Dylan at school, Lorelai discovered that she really enjoyed running thru leaves and making a crunching noise.

Lorelai is very proud of her new discoveries.

10/17

What a day! While playing, Lorelai picked up her Wonder Woman, held her in front of Batman and made Wonder Woman say "Hi Batman!". Later on, Daddy came to find that Lorelai had taken the two pineapple juice cans that she has been playing with yesterday in Lorelai's toy box. Some time yesterday, Lorelai decided the cans were toys and put them away with her favorite toys.

While Mama was at work, Lorelai declared "potty!" so Daddy sat her on the toliet for a little bit. Nothing happened but we are steps in the right direction for potty training!

10/16

Daddy dozed off tonight and Lorelai felt the need to crawl up upon him to cuddle. Someone is a Daddy's girl.

10/15

Lorelai pulled out one of her books tonight and was perusing the pages. Mama started singing the song "The More We Get Together" (which is the topic of the book) for Lorelai. When we got to the center of the song, Mama paused. Lorelai immediately chimed in with "CAUUUSSEEEE" right on time-- perfect and brilliant. Perfect. And. Brilliant.

The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together the happier we'll be
Cause your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together the happier we'll be

10/14

Apparently, one should eat pumpkin cookies against the wall with one's friends.
We went to Sonja's tonight for games and wanted to hug her fiercely. Sonja wasn't in the mood to be hugged and started crying... which only caused Lorelai to hug more vigorously to make her feel better. We had a cycle on our hands. After that blew over, the Super Friends had a great time together.

10/13

Lorelai spent most of the day trying to acquire tissues from Daddy. Lorelai is very serious about making sure her nose is clean but as an independent girl, she needs to be the one to do the wiping.

10/12

Lorelai's first ice cream cone! And she made it herself!!
We went out to dinner with Grandpop Boop tonight. Gigi took Lorelai to the dessert bar and made an ice cream in a cup, then noticed that there were cones and picked up a dry one to sample. Lorelai ate some of her ice cream cup and some of her cone... then considered her options. She dipped her dry cone into the cream, hard, and came back up with a cone full of ice cream. Brilliant!
She loved the ice cream and the cone, just like her Mama.

10/11

Lorelai's favorite part of the bedtime route has quickly become brushing her teeth. We started it a few weeks ago and sometimes even during the day she exclaims "teeth!" and tries to make a beeline for the bathroom to brush them. It isn't so much an interest in cleanliness as much as wanting to suck the tutti fruiti fluoride-free paste off from the bristles. Now, she also moves the brush around in there while she is sucking on the brush so we are slowly getting there!

10/10

Daddy has a head cold. Daddy blows his nose alot when he has a head cold. Lorelai loves to imitate her Daddy and also wants to blow her nose alot today. Daddy intentionally dried out a wipe to make a tissue that would last longer. Lorelai realized that and tried to put the wipe back into the case. She is one smart cookie.

10/9

Lorelai is a fashionista. Tonight, she collected 4 bags (3 of which were Hello Kitty and all of which were pink) to use, all the while singing to herself. Our little girl has style.

10/8

Mama had the day off today so we went to the park. Lorelai went from slide to swing then slide to swing again. When on the slides, she didn't seem to agree with going up stairs to start the slide again. Every time she'd come down, Lorelai would try to climb back up the slippery slope to go again-- not the easiest task. But that is okay because it turns out that she is a great swing enthusiast and preferred to play on them primarily today.

10/7

It's Monday night so we are off to the Englebach's to play games! Lorelai alternates between calling out "Dice" and "Ice" all evening while the adults roll saving throws in D&D. Her need for ice is seemingly never ending.

10/6

Book! Book! Book!
Lorelai loves to play with electronic books and tries to borrow every one that she sees. Aunt Mo has some very fun books on her Nook that Lorelai loves to play. One of them is even a recording of her cousin Chris reading a Monster's Inc. book! That is definitely a favorite.

10/5

Slumber party at Nana's house! Mama and Daddy are going to uncle Andrew and aunt Allison's wedding today and Lorelai is spending the evening with Nana, Pop-pop, Chris, and aunt Momo. Lorelai demands to see the babies, kids, and family that Nana keeps in the glass on her desk every time she visits. Certainly, this happened several times during her visit but Nana always is more than happy to move all of her books, keyboards, and papers to satisfy Lorelai's need to point out the people she loves.

10/4

Lorelai loves to take care of her baby. Baby gets her hair brushed, her diaper checked... Sometimes Lorelai will read books to the baby and bounce on the zebra with her. Baby is always showered with hugs and kisses. Lorelai is a wonderful Mama.

10/3

Daddy gave Lorelai a great surprise today. When Lorelai came down this morning, the living room was filled with balloons! Lorelai loves balloons. She loves throwing them, running thru them, and watching them in videos. Thank you, Daddy!

10/2

Tonight was the Flyer's Season Opener. Lorelai had a chance to wear her little Flyer's cheerleading uniform before it was too small too! It's 12 months so it is a little short but Lorelai looks adorable in it.
Look at her concentration on the game. A true fan-- she recognizes the Flyer's symbol as "Hockey!"
Yes, princess. There is only one team out there that you need to know. And you already know them.

10/1

Just a lazy day with Daddy, hanging out on the floor.

9/30

Lorelai has been talking about wanting to see Sonja for many of the last couple days. Tonight, Mama and Daddy went over to Sonja's house to play table top games so Lorelai had a chance to pal around with her new friend.
Now Mama and Daddy know that we need to work a little more on helping Lorelai be less bossy (she kept trying to convince Sonja to sit down when she was playing), keep our hands to ourselves, and to share (if Sonja has a play phone, you cannot steal it from her hand). To be fair, they are both one year old so this is to be expected. Lorelai just gets so excited to play with her friends!

9/29

Today, Lorelai learned the word "cousins". We met our cousins at the mall for a super hero photoshoot. Lorelai wasn't excited to take pictures there but when we got back to Nana and Pop-pop's all of the cousins donned their Superman (or Supergirl) gear for a snapshot of the growing family. We managed to grab a few pictures before their concentration fell apart.

Later on, we had Happy Cake for Nana. Lorelai was very enthusiastic-- she insisted on sharing Mama and Daddy's pieces too. Nana's birthday is later this week. Happy birthday, Nana!!

9/28

What a busy day! Lorelai went on a n umber of adventures today-- we watched Chris play Soccer with his team at The Y, we went to a fall fair and a park, and we had a BBQ at Uncle Spike's house!

Aside from playing with Chris, Spike's kitty, and Sunshine at the BBQ, Lorelai's favorite moment was when she discovered the see-saw. The see-saw was so much fun! Daddy tried to give Lorelai a kiss every time she was saw'ed upwards which made her giggle with glee. She is quite the Daddy's girl. We will have to come back to this park again soon.

9/27

Lorelai went adventuring today. She wanted to explore the bunny's condo against Daddy's recommendation. Dylan and Lorelai were looking at bunnies and she noticed the building. Once inside, Lorelai did not want to leave. She climbed up on the higher shelves and made herself comfortable. Maybe Lorelai should be a bunny for Halloween.

9/26

Check out that cool Star trek fan... drinking her milk, living the dream. She's so boss.

9/25

"Arm..." Lorelai came bounding around the corner from behind the couch and here she had removed her arm from her shirt, much like Daddy would when getting her ready for bed. Amazing.

9/24

Lorelai picked out her shirt today. Daddy was standing at her dresser and she exclaimed "happy cake" and selected the shirt with a cup cake emblazoned on the center in rainbow colors. Of course she would.

9/23

Lorelai learned how to use the zipper on her purse tonight. She had a look of complete pride on her face when she opened and closed the bag all by herself.

9/22

Happy 4th birthday, Christopher! Chris had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles party today to celebrate with all of his cousins. There was turtle cup cakes, masks, and a pinata! Mama loves a good theme and dressed Lorelai up in turtle clothes so she would fit right in. Turtle Power!

9/21

It is Johnny Appleseed Festival at Linvilla Orchards this weekend. We met the Englebach's, Aunt Maureen, Uncle Frank, and Chris there to play on the playground and snack on a few apples. There was a drum band that played by the picnic area that really caught Lorelai's ears. She wanted to stare at the musicians and dance for the better part of the day. No surprises there-- our baby loves music!

9/20

Lorelai had her18 month old doctor's appointment. She passed with flying colors, of course. Lorelai had a good time playing in the doctor's room (kids! mouse!) but was not a fan of interacting with the actual medical staff at all. Two shots. She took them like a champ.

Weight: 25 pounds
Height: 31.5 inches

9/19

Happy half birthday, baby girl! Today you are 18 months old (or 1.5 years). It is incredible to see you grow and learn every day. You make your parents so proud.

9/18

Lorelai had a great time playing with the beads she found in her toy box today. She would hold up the necklaces and exclaim "neck" to indicate that Daddy and Mama should be wearing the one in her fist.

9/17

Daddy is trying to teach Lorelai to sit on the couch when she wants to play with the "book". This is a rule at Gigi's house and it is one that would make sense everywhere. iPads are so fun to play with-- we need to make sure we are making safe decisions when we use them. Lorelai snuggles under a blankie, will lounge and sprawl across the cushion and Mama's lap, or lay on her tummy and kick her feet in the air while playing with the iPad. It is amazing how independently she uses it sometimes. Lorelai can unlock the pad, find her preferred Apps, open to play them, close them, and scroll to something new. She cannot help herself and must change her activity constantly. It worries Mama a little thinking that Lorelai is going to develop attention and concentration problems with all the switching she does.

9/16

Lorelai, Daddy, and Mama went to play at the Oasis Family Fun Center today! We had a blast playing on the slides. Daddy took Lorelai into a ball pit that shoots balls all over using vacumns. As soon as Lorelai heard the unexpected noise, she was frightened, was frozen in panic, and no longer wanted to play. Next time we go, we'll make sure Lorelai is ready for the loud noise and has plenty of her cousins there to protect her.

9/15

We made S'mores at Nana's house tonight! It was a lot of fun playing soccer with Lorelai's cousins. It was even more fun running around with a sticky, half-eaten giant marshmallow in our hand! The way to Lorelai's heart is thru her stomach, no doubt.

9/14

Gigi and Pop-pop took Lorelai to the York County Fair today! She had a great time playing with other kids, watching amusement park rides, playing in a dried corn sandbox, and dancing around everywhere. Gigi said that Lorelai never stopped dancing all day. She even got to see a piglet race and a weiner dog race while she was there. Puppies and pigs!

9/13

Lorelai got dressed in her best princess kitty cat shirt for her sleep over at Gigi's house tonight. Mama and Daddy are going to the Hayden's wedding in the mountains so Lorelai gets to spend two nights there... and maybe will get to see the kitty at Uncle Spike's house too! In preparation for her weekend with her Grandparents, Lorelai wanted to ride the elephant rocker Pop-pop made for her Daddy. She can climb on and off of it now herself and can even make it rock a little. The wood is very heavy so she does still need some help to make it go with any speed.

9/12

At dinner, Lorelai sat in a big kid seat at Lucas's table and ate her pizza. First time without a highchair and she did wonderfully. Lorelai isn't about to let something distract her from food!
Afterwards, Lorelai and Lucas were all set to go to the Fair tonight but instead it rained. Making the most of it, they went for a pony ride in the D'Orazio's living room instead. When you're a Gallagher, you can make a fair happen anywhere you want at a moment's notice.

9/11

Lorelai has a Star Trek Book of Opposites that the Caramanicos gave to her when she was first born. Today while she was reading the book, Lorelai suprised her Daddy with some of her interpretations of the pictures. There is a "suprised" picture of Kirk that Lorelai says "Peek-a-boo" to. Even more adorable, the "together" and "apart" images of Kirk and Uhura in Plato's Stepchildren for that historic inter-racial kiss is simply called "kiss!" after which Lorelia holds her face towards ours and asks for a kiss of her own.

9/10

Without any prompting from anyone, Lorelai started to try out handstands today. She has gotten as far as her head and hands on the floor with her butt in the air. We are still working on picking up her feet on her own but her Daddy was more than happy to accommodate her while she learns.

We are raising a tiny daredevil.

9/9

Lorelai and Daddy matched today! Lorelai has changed to the 18-24 month clothing size so we are working thru a whole new set of super hero shirts and tributes to Daddy's youth. This size has some pretty exciting outfits so get ready for that!
We went to play D&D at the Englebach's tonight. It was a good time. Lorelai was excited to get to play with her cup of dice again. You can see her feverishly shaking the cup of dice here in the picture with Daddy as well. Always in motion; that's our Lorelai.

9/8

Aunt Momo pulled out her Nook tonight to read a story to the cousins. Lorelai was especially excited as she loves electronic tables. She cannot help herself-- she kept scrolling before the page was done, frustrating Chris and Lucas whom wanted to hear the Car's story that was being told. When Lorelai sees a touch screen, it is game over. Oh! And buttons. She loves to press buttons-- caution to the wind!

9/7

This is something of a testament to today. Lorelai rediscovered her infant bouncer and loves to climb into it on her own. Once she gets in there, she almost immediately cries out for "halp!" to get back out. Playing with Baby doll, she thought that Baby would want to go jumping too. You can see the baby's legs hanging out the bottom of the seat. Lorelai is a very sincere Mama to her Baby. She always makes sure Baby is happy.

9/6

Ahhhh pretty girl. Lorelai spent the day playing Mama with her baby doll. She wraps the baby in her blankie and pats her back, sing songs, rocks. It is too adorable.
In pictures, Lorelai recognizes herself as "baby" and points to herself in conversation as "baby". Daddy and Mama are teaching her the concept of "Lorelai" and "me". She has always identified herself as "Daddy's little princess" as well, just for the record.

9/5

We just started this. Let's say Mama or Daddy is sitting on the couch or a chair. Lorelai will come over and sit on your foot, arms wrapped around your leg, and a big smile with beautiful, mischievous blue eyes looking up at you. "Bounce!" she exclaims. When Daddy's leg gets tired, it is time for Mama's leg. Over and over and over. She loves to bounce, the higher and wilder the better.
Our Little Daredevil.

9/4

Lorelai insisted that she wear with Hello Kitty shirt today regardless of the fact that it is in the next size. Daddy was trying to get clothes in her room, Lorelai came across the shirt, and that was that.
After dinner, Lorelai found her Hello Kitty headband and purse too to complete the ensemble. Whenever Lorelai finds a purse, she always picks it up, waves, and announces "bye-bye!" while walking towards the door. Lorelai is a girl on the go.

9/3

We went to the Philadelphia Zoo today and had a great time. Now, Lorelai is more familiar different animals from her books and the iPad so she was more interested in some of the animals we saw.

When we got to the flamingos, Lorelai took off at a run. She was desperately trying to climb the fences, yelling "Tub!" and "Mingos!" like she wanted to get in there and swim with them. She was trying to fit thru the holes in the fencing too... anything to go for a swim! We spent a good amount of time with the flamingos. Lorelai's enthusiasm was not to be missed.

9/2

Lorelai DEMANDED we call Nana this afternoon so she could chat on the phone. Lorelai showed off her dancing skills (over the phone), sang a little, and modeled some of the pretty clothes Nana bought her. Lorelai is a tiny diva.

9/1

Sundays we spend at Nana's house with family. Lorelai loves to climb all over, keeping up with the boys and surprising relatives. Peek-a-boo, Nana!!
Check out those beautiful baby thighs!