Sunday, January 30, 2011

Pictures Galore!

After months and months of saving (and a little begging dad!) mom finally got the new camera she's been wanting, which means.... She's like the paparazzi and I'm her famous target:)
SO....here are a few highlights from our week. Enjoy!

Time to Wake Up! Good Morning:)

 "Mom, I'm unfolding the laundry...go away!"

 "Really mom?!?! Don't you see I'm crying? Enough already!"

"Okay, I'm a little better now, but I'm still not giving you my best smile!"

 "It's hard for me to stay grumpy! Especially when daddy is making funny faces at me!"

"I LOVE my Ritz crackers!" 

"I LOVE to be naked! (And yes, that is a noodle on my belly!:)" 

...And alfredo sauce in my hair!

"But wait...I"m not done yet! I can shove another mouthful in!" 

Have I mentioned yet my obsession with glasses and mugs? Anything that makes me a big-kid and Ms. independent, I'm all over it! 

I'm getting so big! I hang on to most things with just 1 hand and I walk along EVERYTHING! But I'm still not too sure about going no handed.

My favorite bathroom hobby when mom and dad have to get ready is to empty out mom's special box of 'paper'. Probably not the best choice, but it keeps me entertained and I love the sound of the special paper:) 

My granny came down and went to church with my great grams and then they invited us to Culver's for lunch with them...YUM-MY! Then, we went back to great grams house and the grown-ups played a game while I played with all kinds of fun new things!

I mixed and mashed and whipped up all kinds of fun with gram's pots and pans! I even discovered that I can see myself in the bowl if I get it close enough to my face:) 

Have a great week...Only 2 more weeks until I'm the big O-N-E!
Love, Danika

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Happy Sunday!

Here it is, Sunday again already! Where do the weeks go? It was a fun, busy, typical week here at the Dummer household. Wake up, play, daycare, play, eat, bath, and bedtime- pretty typical days!

I have been such a good player lately...I'm so content to play on my own most of the time. When mom and dad are making supper I play all around the kitchen with my favorite tupperware, and I stop for a snack once in a while too!

I do my part and help with the dishes too!

And of course, I help with the laundry...or I think I'm helping! As soon as mom gets it folded, I unfold it just as quick!

"But look how cute I am!!!"

 I went to visit my grandma Chris on Saturday and we did what we girls do best...we went shopping! I also got to play at Grandma's house for a little while and I had fun playing with cousin Collin's pretend food and shopping cart- (hint, hint mom and dad...I think I might want something like that!) 


 For the NFC championship game Auntie Lori, Uncle Mike, and our Friends Josh & Audrey and baby Evelyn came over to watch the game. Evelyn got to try out a few of my old toys and I was really interested and curious about her tonight!
Oh, and GO PACK GO!!! Can't wait for Super Bowl Sunday:) 


As I mentioned a few weeks ago, our basement is finally finished (minus the bathroom) and I have a nice big area to play. Mom and dad have pretty much realized that it's never going to be a neat or organized space...and they are learning to live with it:) That's the perk of a basement I guess! I LOVE to play down there and that's all that matters! 

...but, the perks of my new play space, also have new dangers! I've decided that I love the stairs and for the first time, I climbed all the way to the top! I did it all by myself, but I'm still a little clumsy so mom and dad stayed close behind (with the camera of course;)
Now the tricky part of learning how to go down the stairs! Any suggestions for mom and dad?
Well, I better get to bed and let mom visit with Auntie Lori and Uncle Mike and dad...have a good week:)
Love, Danika

Sunday, January 16, 2011

11 Months Old!

Happy Sunday!
Hate to say, but this is going to be short and sweet. My mom and dad have been bit by the flu bug (or a horrible case of food poisoning) and have been down and out since last night! They are finally on the upswing and are able to keep liquids and foods in, but they are still pretty weak and dizzy and achy....SO, they shipped me off with my granny today! She was coming from the cities to visit me and go to church anyway, but because mom and dad are sick she took me with her to great grandma Val's. I'm having fun with her and I hope my mom and dad are feeling better... I think they'll come get me this evening!
So what's new with this 11 month old you ask?!?! Well, same old same old... play, eat, sleep, go to daycare, etc... So hard to believe I'm going to be 1 in no time at all! These days I love to please my parents- I help mom with the dishes and I love to play basketball with dad:)


Cousin Christian's 3rd grade class is reading the book Flat Stanley and they made flat snowflakes to send to people all over the country and we were lucky enough to get Christian's. We are supposed to take pictures of it with us doing things, and then write back to the class about our adventures and how far away we are from their school. I had fun showing the flat snowflake all my toys (A few times I wanted to eat it, but I think we will be able to send it back in tact!)

Mom is having a little trouble controlling herself when it comes to buying clothes for me, her little Valentine! There are just way too many cute girl clothes for this time of year! And why not show of my birthday holiday?!?!
(Here I am in one my outfits doing what I do best, snacking!)

I still LOVE my Sophie-dog, but I've gotten better about giving her space too. I like to play by her and around her, but I don't try to climb on her like I used to (I think she appreciates that!) 
Well, time for me to get back to playing with granny (and for mom to lay back down!) Another typical week ahead for me- daycare, playing, eating, and sleeping:) I hope it's a good, healthy, week for everyone! (Including me!)
Love, Danika


Sunday, January 9, 2011

Favorites!

 Hello Again! This week was pretty low key...I took some time to recoop after all the crazy holidays! I also went back to daycare. Mom had hopes that she would be missed when she dropped me off, but as soon as I got there I went right to Amy and started babbling to her all about my Christmas! I forgot my mom was even still there! (I guess that's a good thing!)
I have definitely started to have some favorites, whether it's food, toys, or things to get into around the house that I shouldn't!
My favorite place to crawl to and explore is Sophie's food and water dishes. If mom and dad aren't fast enough, you can find me splashing in Sophie's water bowl! I also can take the food bowl out when it's empty and I like to go BANG, BANG with it on the floor!

Another favorite (that's much more appropriate for me) is books! I've always enjoyed looking at books, but in the last few weeks I have really started exploring them on my own. Mom left me in my room to empty my bath water and when she came back, instead of causing trouble, I always go right over to my crate of books. I could sit there for a long time and 'read'!  



This is no new surprise, but one of my favorite things to do it EAT! I've gotten very good at my pincher grasp so I pick up all my own food, and I even use a spoon sometimes! I LOVE blackberries and you can tell they love me too...I get them everywhere, from head to toe!


Another favorite pastime is to play! I love my new play area downstairs- I crawl all around and go from one thing to another. If it weren't for my curiosity in the stairs, mom and dad could probably leave me down there an hour and I'm be totally content! (Of course they wouldn't:)
This weekend we had a sleepover and Auntie Lori and Uncle Mike's house. I had my first experience with the pool table. I enjoyed rolling the balls around and crawling on the table!
 Thanks for all the fun Lori and Mike:)

I also love to play with my few fridge farm that I got for Christmas. Most of my toys are downstairs so when mom and dad are getting ready in the morning or when we're cooking in the kitchen, I love to toss teh animals around. I don't totally understand how to put the animals in it yet, but I definitely know how to push them to make the noises and take them out! 

Developmental Changes:
I'm walking along all of our furniture these days, often with only one hand. I'm still unsure about the no handed thing though?!?! I'm-+ not quite ready for walkin'. I make lots of new sounds and I am putting many sounds together...sometimes it sounds like I'm trying to tell a whole story! I clap, wave, kiss, and hug. I can use sign language to signal that I want to eat, but when it comes to 'more' and 'milk' I just wiggle my hands around in a very demanding way!  I'm definitely not a fan of the word "no" and I can pout my pretty little bottom lip out to let mom and dad know it!
Well, time to go watch the Packer game with dad. Go Pack Go! Have a great week:)
Love, Danika

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

And what a great Christmas it was! I had lots of fun with all my family at my many Christmas celebrations and I got so many great presents!

Here I am in the new jacket Granny got me

With my 'Dummer' cousins Connor, Chloe and Madeline
With 2 of my cousins on mom's side of the family; Cameron and Collin

I got a Leap Frog Fridge Farm from mom and dad...


My 1st wooden puzzle...

A ladybug pillow pet from Grandma and Grandpa Dummer...

And TONS of other things that I love. It's so much fun to get new things...I was getting kind of tired of the same old boring stuff at home:) I've really enjoyed my 11 days out of daycare spending time at home with mom and dad...(don't tell them, but I'm actually really looking forward to going back and playing with Amy and my friends too, though!)
Aside from the many Christmas festivities we spent some days just hanging out at home, a few other days shopping, visiting, and playing.
Right before Christmas our basement was officially finished (except the bathroom) so I've been loving playing down there and having the freedom to roam around without being told NO!
Here's the main living room area...
And the other side where all my toys are now!
There are also 2 bedrooms, our laundry/storage area, and the bathroom.
It's nice not to be cramped upstairs anymore! I love my new space:)


Other than recooperating from the holidays, there isn't a whole lot of new stuff to report on about me! I'm growing and changing every day and I continue to expand my babbling vocabulary with new sounds. I give kisses, wave bye-bye, and I'm starting to give hugs (kind of). I can pretty much pull up or crawl on or around anything. I'm getting brave standing with just one hand holding onto something and I've even transfered from one thing to another, as well as walk along the side of something. I'm still not too sure about standing completely on my own though- my legs aren't quite ready to handle that! I eat pretty much anything and everything and I seem to enjoy it....except for some reason, I'm not a fan of bananas!

Back to our routine tomorrow- Mom to work and me to daycare! Dad gets one more day off, then he's back at it too. I've been spoiled spending so much time with my family, but the routine will be good again.
I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and have a wonderful 2011!
Love, Danika