A couple of weeks ago we had the Smiley family reunion in Holland, MI. It was so much fun! The kids had limitless attention and got to play in the sand and the lake. Eden did a pretty good job with the potty, although she did have a couple of accidents (sorry, Heidi!). She really loved being held while jumping in the waves. She also enjoyed a long boat ride. She still talks about “Boat, Rywie, boat”. Andy was a trooper and napped on the go and in a pack-n-play on the beach. He had his own special shaded resort built by Uncle Billy. It was so nice that even perfect strangers came over to check out Andy’s accommodations. We’ve posted several pictures from the trip and will post more as others send their pictures to us.

Today we ventured to the Indiana State Fair. We got there a little before 4 and it was pretty empty. We zipped through a few kiddie rides and then headed on to the food. We ate an early dinner and then checked out the pigs. Eden was able to pet one of the little piglets that wasn’t scrambling for food (watching those piglets rush to their mother to eat kind of reminded me of Andy…) and then cried when we left. Fortunately, we were able to quickly find an open horse barn where she visited with several horses. THEN she got to go on a pony ride. It was really cute and she was very excited, but cried and screamed when Ben took her off of the pony. For $5 per ride she wasn’t getting endulged. However, just around the corner from the pony ride was the ELEPHANT RIDE!! Eden and I both rode the elephant, which is 36 years old. She also wanted more rides on the elephant, but at $12 per ride I’m not sure she should even have had a first!

After that Eden and Ben played on a swing set and watched the parade while Andy and I visited the Lactation Station. It was the highlight of Andy’s trip to the fair. Eden ate half of a bowl of baked ziti and part of an elephant ear, ice cream, applesauce, and some apple dumpling. Then we headed back to the car which took forever because the place was packed! It was sort of a cranky ending to the fair. Can anyone explain why people think it is acceptable to stop directly in the middle of the walkway to talk? It makes me crazy! I had to fight the urge to just run the double stroller right into them. Anyway, we got home and put both kids to bed. They were so tired that it didn’t take long.

Those are both great things but the most exciting thing that happened recently occurred yesterday. Andy rolled over for the first time! We were outside and he was very interested in the grass. I scooted him away from the grass so that he wouldn’t eat it and then ZOOM! He rolled right over onto his belly in the grass. We’ll post the video soon.

Eden turned 20 months old on Thursday. She is constantly learning new things and it is hard to even keep up with her developing language. She learned three new words just today and is using them appropriately AND she learned how to fist bump (thanks, Matt!). She is very helpful right now; emptying her dishes from the dishwasher and helping me move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. She also likes to throw things into the trash. Eden is doing great with the potty although she has figured out what a weapon her pee is. When she gets mad at us she pees on the floor. On Friday she saw a cake on tv and had a fit because she couldn’t have cake. She came into the kitchen where I was doing dishes and peed on my foot. We had a VERY long and stern discussion about using our words when we are upset instead of using our pee. (She learned the word ‘mad’ that day. :-))

Eden’s Sunday school teacher came to me while I was working in the nursery today to ask me what I think about bumping her up to the 2’s class. They said that she is much more advanced than the kids in her class and they feel like she would enjoy the 2’s class more. Plus, there is a potty in the 2’s classroom and there isn’t one in her current room. It was nice to hear but the best part of her Sunday school time today was that even though Eden could see Ben in the nursery, she stayed in her class and did the things her teacher asked her to do instead of crying and trying to crawl over the gate to Ben. It’s nice to see her growing up, even if it’s also a little bit sad.

The summer continues to pass quickly for us!  We have been busy with play dates and Ben recently traveled to Brazil for a conference while the kids and I spent that time in West Lafayette.

Eden is now completely potty trained during the day.  She tells us when she needs to go and has only had one accident so far.  She has been wearing diapers during her naps and at bedtime but that’s changing tonight!  This afternoon during her nap time she discovered that she can climb out of her crib.  I think she was quite surprised to find herself on the floor, but not nearly as surprised as I was.  She then spent the afternoon begging to be put back in her crib wanting to try it again.  Ben and I had been debating when to move her to a big girl bed and I was hoping to hold out until she turned 2, but tonight is the night.  She is in a toddler bed and she’s going without a diaper.  We’re probably crazy, but she has been waking up very early in the morning to go to the bathroom and we just decided that we would give it a try tonight.  Her potty is in her room so if she needs to go, we hope she will get up and go by herself.

Andy is sleeping through the night now without waking for his pacifier.  He has figured out how to put it back into his mouth so he doesn’t need us during the night.  Last week he officially moved into 9 month clothes (at only 5 months old!).  It’s hard to believe how quickly he is growing and learning.  He still hasn’t rolled over but gets very frustrated when he’s on the floor attempting to roll.

The kids got a little swing set for the back yard.  Andy likes the swing and Eden likes the slide and Mommy and Daddy like them being contained and entertained so everyone is happy!  We went to the zoo today and Eden was able to feed the twigas!  She loved it!  We also saw the dolphin show and both kids were completely fascinated.  There are new pictures and a video up for your viewing pleasure!

Eden turned 19 months old this weekend. She is becoming such a little grown up. Our most recent accomplishment is potty training! She is very good at going potty all by herself when she is at the house. She just runs around naked and when she needs to go she runs to her potty and goes. She’s not as successful when we are out of the house or when she is clothed, but it’s a work in progress. 🙂

Eden is also getting much better at playing with others. She has been playing with her friend Clara and also Emery and Colton and loves being with other kids! She loves the water and has no fear of it. She will jump in, put her face under water and blows bubbles. She even went off the diving board at the Cook’s house.

To see how Eden is growing and changing, check out the videos! We hope you enjoy them!

Wow! Where has the time gone. Obviously I am late writing this, but better late than never. Ben and I were talking the other day and realized that now Eden has spent half of her life with us! HOORAY!!

It is unbelievable how much she is changing. Though she hasn’t changed much in size (she is an inch taller and one pound heavier than she was 3 months ago!) she is getting so much more independent, verbal and expressive. She still loves to dance and has recently started singing. She gets the tune and sings a mixture of jibber-jabber and words. Her favorite is “asjah, asjah, ugha du DOWN!” (ashes, ashes, we all fall down!) She even started singing in Swahili. They sang a very simple song at the Sally Test Center that goes, “Lala, toto, lala” which means “sleep, baby, sleep”. She now sings along with me when I sing it to Andy in the car.

In addition to singing, she is also stringing words together. We turned Eden’s car seat around before the DC trip and she can see everything much better now, especially Andy. We often hear her yelling from the back, “Oh no! Baby, paci!” which means that Andy’s pacifier has fallen out.

Another new thing, which is not as pleasant as the others, is that Eden is now very afraid of thunder. The recent storms have put her on edge and she flies into my lap practically shaking every time she hears a loud noise. We hope that the summer is going well for you and that the recent storms have been less traumatic at your home than at ours. 🙂