Our Third Born

It's amazing that even after already raising two children from infants to toddlers that we still marvel at this stage and Hailey's daily feats. It's like we are seeing most for the first time (and sometimes we are!).

We think her vocabulary is much more advanced than Austen and Peyton's at this age. She has so many words and is already using two or three word phrases. Among her favorites are:


- "I'm going to get you!"
- "I'm okay"
- "It's stuck!"
- "Where'd it go?"

She plays amazingly well by herself for focused periods of time (maybe 20 minutes) and she likes to play with Austen and Peyton too.

She still struggles with playing with kids she doesn't know as she really hasn't been exposed to so many different kids like the other two were at Montessori school. She did okay with her library art class camp this summer and then seeing Austen's friends' younger siblings at games. She warmed up to a lot of them but it took some time. This fall, she'll get more exposure to making friends when she starts her own Montessori school for two hours a few days a week. I think she's ready for some challenges socially and academically and I think her mind is already trained for Montessori. Can't wait to see how that changes her!

Hailey is also our little daredevil. More than the other two, she likes to climb, jump off things and even ride roller coasters. This summer we hit a local carnival, and Hailey didn't shy away from the rides!

She notices things out the window like when I'm driving - she says "mommy, cow!" I am in the middle of suburbia and there are no cows so I don't know what she's talking about but she's adamant that I am going to see the cow too so she keeps saying it with greater intensity until I look to my right and there on the roof of a store is a cow! Why, yes Hailey, there is a cow!

At 21 months, she loves hats including baseball helmets and also loves trying on my sunglasses (upside down always). I am really relishing all of her moments until she's two (which is fast approaching). Holy Cow!