Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey

Ok, so I've been hearing some complaints about my pacifier use, so I'm here to clear some things up:

1. I love my Monkey and my Hootie (my pacifier and owl puppet)
2. They've been with me through thick & thin since I was just a little peanut.  Lets be real here, Hootie  has been my rock, my shoulder to cry on (literally), and Monkey, well, he's there when life just plain sucks (pun intended).
  But most important of all..
3. If I give them up then that means the parents have won the battle!! And I'm not ready for that to happen just yet..

There was an intervention, and I can tell that Mama and Daddy are really working hard to stick to their guns on this one.  I've been bribed, I've been reasoned with, I've been threatened (I can hear them plotting to cut off the paci part! Don't think I haven't!)  - oh yeah, they're pulling out all the stops! But it ain't workin'.  I've perfected the art of getting my way (especially with Dad)!

Here's the thing, I'm 19 months old and I still have a 'paci', 'bink', 'wubby' or whatever you want to call it (and chances are you did too at some point in your life!).  It's not like I have a problem or anything. There's no monkey on my back here.  I mean, I could stop anytime I wanted to..
What? No, I'm not sweating just thinking about it...I can..get by without them...You know..I, uh...I just don't feel like it right now...yeah..yeah, that's it..

Oh jeez!  Who am I kidding?!  I CANT SURVIVE WITHOUT THEM!!!!!
Whoo, okay..breath...uh, hold on a minute..I gotta go find Hootie and Monkey...
       

       

Here are a few shots of us just hanging, looking at the trucks and hugging                                       

Okay, so I guess you'll just have to stay tuned on my progress with this situation..

In Other News:

• I had my first real big cold and it was the pits, except for the night that Mama and I watched Ratatouille at 3 in the morning (she didn't think that was so much fun)
• I started walking up a storm last month and I haven't looked back!  I walk everywhere, including trying to walk down our cement front 2 steps.  I made it past the 1st one, but that 2nd one got me.  I got a big scrape by my eye and a bump on my head - again, not so much fun!
• I love to say, "1,2,3 - GO!" and run across the kitchen
• I love to count and the number 8 is my very favorite (I even find it in books and on signs!)
• I am very polite and have been saying 'thank you' for a while, but now I say, "thank you, welcome!"
• On the flip side, I've also learned to say, "stop!" when someone is doing something I don't like (such as wiping off my face or doing anything that interferes with my playing)
• I am learning to go potty and I like to sit on my Elmo potty - fully clothed..I guess I am not really ready yet..
• I am now such a busy girl that I don't have time to use people's full names.  Mama and Daddy are now just Mom and Dad.  Papa and Nana are Pop (sometimes Pops) and Nan.
• It was Daddy's birthday recently and I was in charge of decorations.  So, naturally, I got Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck! I mean, you really can't go wrong with those two.  Let me just say, it was the best decorated birthday for a grown man ever!  
• My MI cousins came to visit me at my new house earlier this month and we had so much fun! I can't wait to see them again soon.
• Next week I will see my Kansas City cousins and then we get to go on a trip to OH to spend Thanksgiving there with family.  It's going to be so much fun!
• My Grammy is going to come visit me in December!
• I love the holidays!  I can't wait for Christmas music and decorating and snow and the Thanksgiving Day parade.  Oh, it's all going to be so magical!  Mom and Dad have been telling me about this guy Santa who brings me presents - I just can't wait for that dude to show up! 

Also, I'm happy to say that I've been helping The OIF with their 50,000 Lives, One Unbreakable Spirit Campaign.  The goal is to raise $10M in 4 years to help 50,000 people living with OI and fund 40,000 hours of research to one day find a cure.  If you're looking to give a charitable donation to a very worthy cause please consider this one.
Have you checked out The OIF's website lately?  If you would like to be added to their eNews listserv just go to www.oif.org and click subscribe on the left.  They have tons of great information and OI news each month.  

You can also subscribe to my blog by entering your email in the upper right hand corner, that way you'll never miss a post.  And feel free to forward on to anyone who would be interested in hearing from a witty little gal who seems to always greet life with a smile. 

Well, another month behind us and so much fun stuff to come!  I'm wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving and many new adventures to you!

xoxo, 
Maggie Shae  

18 Month Update

I'm 18 months old now!!

Me enjoying life in my little pink car 
(with some balloons and bubbles!)

Well, August and September just flew by!  This little gal has been so very busy that I just haven't had time to sit and share everything.  I apologize and hope you didn't think I forgot about you!  It was the complete opposite actually.
Here is a run-down of all of the adventures I've been having (more about them later):

• We moved to a new house!
• I sent Mommy and Daddy on an adventure of their own (to Germany) so I could have some one-on-one time with Gramma and Nana & Papa - what fun!
• I started walking! (sort of..)

In other news, I've recently decided to become a bit more independent...ok, quite a bit more.  
Mama and Daddy say that I am getting quite sassy, but I like to say that I am spirited (after all, the apple doesn't fall far from this tree!). Hey, I'm just trying to keep life more interesting, right?!
Here are some fun things I like to do:

• Growl.  Yes, I growl.  Don't judge.  I really do it for the shock value, but some people think it's funny too.   
• Everything myself!  If you try to help I may swat, scream, throw a mini-tantrum and yes, growl.  Daddy wonders if I'm already in my terrible twos...oh, he has no idea..
• I am very interested in walking, but a little hesitant to do it all by myself just yet (hey, a gal still needs her parents for some things!).  I'm a bit particular. I'll walk across the rug or on carpet and I take several steps at a time, but I'm still afraid to do it all by myself all of the time.
• I like to sit on Ellie (my giant Elephant) and read him stories.
• I get into everything, but I am also very helpful.  I know that I shouldn't play with the remote control or the computer (but I still try sometimes!).
• I love sirens, airplanes and trains, and say, "oh!" when I hear them.  I also love big trucks.
• I like to brush my hair, my teeth and wash my hands (all by myself, of course).
• I love my Daddy and scream, "DA!" all the time, especially if Daddy is with me and walks away, but sometimes even when Daddy is at work.
• I like to play the guitar, the piano and the drums - I'm still deciding which part I'll play in the band.  I guess I have some time still!
• "Uh oh!" is my favorite thing to say
• I like to dance.  I watch The Voice with Mama and Daddy and politely clap for each singer.   One of my favorite songs is "Love Somebody" by Maroon 5.  When I hear it Daddy and I like to dance around, and I like to put my hands up and rock out.
• I love to talk on the phone!  I say, "um.." and babble on (hmmm, who could I be imitating....)
• My favorite new words: 'apple', 'thank you' and 'go'

New House:
Well, in other news, we finally moved into our new house!  I don't even really know what that means yet, and when Mama says, "where's Maggie's house?" I look around very confused.  At first I thought that we were having a big box party because all of these boxes showed up, and I love boxes (what kid doesn't?), but now I only have one or two left to play with.  I guess that's alright though because here in our new house I have so much more room to play, and we live by so many other kids.  It's great!

Mama and Daddy were both very excited about our move.  After all, they tell me that they started looking when I was still in Mama's belly! Whoa, that's a long time!  But it was definitely worth the wait.
Here I am in my little red wagon:

I have to admit that I will kind of miss my very first home in the city though. It was the first house I ever knew..
Before we moved to our new house Mama and Daddy took me to some of their special places.  Here's a picture of Daddy and me at the place where he took Mama on their very first date on April 11th, 2007 (5 years and 1 day before I was born!).
Ah, amour...
                                                                      

Hmmm, I really can't imagine their lives before me, and I'm sure they can't either, it must have been pretty boring..


Vacation:
So, I took a much needed vacation a few weeks ago.  It was hard to let Mama and Daddy go, but I knew that I needed some quality time with Gramma and Nana & Papa.  I missed them (and I hate to admit this) but I hardly even noticed they were gone! Don't tell them I said that !!
I was so busy having so much fun.  I had a complete blast!  We took walks, met new neighbors, went to the park and the farmers market and played, played, played!
Here's a picture of me looking super cool on a walk with Gramma:

A girl needs her accessories 

On the Move:
I've been attempting to walk around all on my own for a few months now.  At first I needed to hold on to 2 thumbs (yes two..not one) to do it, but now I can hold one hand and I even take several steps on my own (8 steps is my record).  I am a little scared to do it all on my own, so usually I use a box to push around.  I also stand up against the wall and scoot along.  So I'm kind of walking!  I have to admit, I'm kind of resourceful and crafty..
I know I'll be walking any day now, so I can take my time and do it when I want (a Maggie motto).
To be honest, I think everyone is alright with me taking my time doing it too!


I go see my new Pediatrician next week for my 18 month check-up.  I'm going to miss Dr. Kaye (my previous pediatrician in the city), but I'm also excited to meet my new one.  Mama searched for someone that she knew would be a perfect fit for me, and I hope she did good!  My new doctor has a background in Genetics, which is probably a great fit for me and my bones.  But I also just like to be treated like any other kid too.  I just really hope my new doctor doesn't do all of those pokes....

My Grampa
This month is the anniversary of my Grampa going away.  I can't believe it's already been a year.
I really do miss him very much, and I know everyone else does too.  I know that he is watching out for us all though.  I'm very thankful that I got to know him and Mama makes sure she tells me how he made the world a better place just by being his generous, caring, loving, funny self.
I hope I am very much like him when I grow up.

Here's a great picture of my Grampa doing what he loved most - laughing with his family at The Lake

Well, I don't mean to end on a sad note, so let's talk about Halloween.  It's coming up and I am very excited for that!  So is Mama and Daddy.  We spent last weekend making our new house spooky, and I'm going to carve my very first pumpkin soon!  Mama likes to tell me silly stories that she remembers about Grampa during Halloween.  She said one time he shaved half of his beard off- that's so silly!  Another time the whole family went roller skating and dressed up as bunnies (even Gramma!) and Grampa was a hunter, and guess what?  They won the costume contest!  Also, Grampa helped Mama and Aunt Shannon and Aunt Brandy make a scary life-sized scarecrow/zombie and hang it from the front tree - yikes!  Grampa really was a kid at heart, so he loved it when everyone was just having fun and being silly - something Halloween definitely is!

There are lots of adventures coming up and I can't wait to share them with you.  I promise I won't wait so long to do so again.

Have a very happy and spooky Halloween!

Here are a few pictures, including a few of me last year at Halloween.  Apparently, Mama put me in 3 different costumes!!  Geez, lady..

Oh, but what a cute little peanut I was!

 

 

And here's a few more recent pictures...

Mini Me

 Daddy and I being really silly.  He is so funny! I love that guy..

 When I bump my head (and it happens often!) 

I just use my new monkey ice bag from Gramma

 Here I am at my new park!

 Here I am at my box party!!  Er..I mean, helping to pack up our old place..

And here I am helping to unpack at our new house!
This is what these things are for, right?!

Many happy new adventures to you too!
xoxo, Maggie Shae