November already!

Lauren will be 17 months old next week! She is doing great. She is still not walking. But she is taking a few steps here and there from person to person, so we think it will be soon. She is cruising a lot and it doesn't take much for her to walk around, she can walk and push her baby stroller which isn't very sturdy. She loves to climb up stairs and does that without problem, she hasn't tried to come back down the stairs yet. She cries when we put the baby gate on the bottom of the stairs. She has been going up the stairs with ease for about two weeks now, she started climbing up one or two maybe a month ago. She had her first bang trim a couple of weeks ago. I made them too short but I think she looks very cute. I miss her long bangs because now there is nothing to clip back with a barrette. But she can see better. I think she said her first word yesterday. She was pointing to her sippy and was saying malk, malk. I am assuming she was saying milk, but I can't get her to repeat it, hopefully she will say it again. She does say mama and has since last December but she doesn't say it too often. She says Daa for dad and for dog, there is a difference in how she says it for Dad and for dog, but I can't type the difference but we hear it. Lauren eats very well with a spoon or fork and we think she prefers that to her hands. She is better with a fork when there is food to "stab". The spoon is a little messier. She continues to sleep like a champ and always through the night. Some mornings we are skipping the morning nap, depending on the day and her mood. She still takes a nice long afternoon nap. She is very chatty and likes to talk with people in her own language. She loves bags, it is so cute. She has a favorite old camera bag that she puts around her neck. Or she will find a paper bag with handles that she can loop through her arm, I have also given her a basket purse that Granny had given me. She slips the bags over her arm and carries it with her, very cute and very girlie. She also loves necklaces, we have a few strands of old Mardi Gras beads that she finds puts over head and likes to wear. Fun to see the differences in her vs the boys. Her next check up will be at 18 months, I weighed her at home a week ago and she was just about 23 1/2 pounds, almost 2 pounds heavier then at her 15 month check up, our little peanut. Lauren also really enjoys books, her favorite is Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb. She likes it over and over again. She also like the few "girlie" books we have. We were given a couple of fairy books with pretty colors and shiny fairies.

We measured the boys not too long ago, they both grew about 2-3 inches since their last measurement in the spring. But Drew is about 2-3 inches taller at 4 1/2 then Calvin at 5 1/2. Calvin is still taller by quite a bit but Drew is gaining, he is over 54 pounds now. Our little beast.

The boys start their hockey skating lessons this Sunday. Friday we are going to pick up their ski equipment for the year.

Thanksgiving is three weeks away! We ordered the bird on Monday.