My resolution for the new year...to gain weight.

At my year check-up, I had officially overcome the barrier of 17 pounds...yea for me (I had been working on it for quite a while). I am still underneath the growth curve for my age, but have been doing much better since I stopped puking up 50% of my intake. Once I hit a year, the puking-up suddenly stopped, though I do like to keep mom and dad on their toes and let them have a little reminder of what I am capable of once in a while (I got  dad's suit pants in church two weeks ago with an amazing puke hit mwhaha).

My doctor told my mom to feed me as many fattening foods as possible. Geez, as if I haven't been trying to convince her to do that from day one. Mom wants to lose weight, and I am supposed to gain it. Mom has officially lost more than a 'Paisley' and is determined to keep losing more. Meanwhile, my stomach is starting to pudge out in a very cute way and my face has filled out a little. Example:up above.

Mom and dad think that I am getting smarter everyday and I couldn't agree more. The other night mom said it was time for prayer and I folded my arms right when she said 'prayer.' Yeah, I know how to make their hearts melt. I love it when people chase me, tickle me, and make animal sounds. I also love to 'help' mom in the kitchen when she cooks by taking all the tupperware and cooking utensils out of the drawers I can reach and spreading them all over the house, just to make mom's life more exciting. Here's proof of my handiwork...

In December, Mom's sister, Natalie, came out to visit for 3 weeks from their home in Washington D.C. This also meant that Uncle Joe and my cousin, Taycen, came along. And boy did I let Taycen have it. When they left in June, he was moving more than me and would sometimes pick on me in the way that all babies do because they're curious about one another. I was affectionately nicknamed his "squeker toy." Well, this time around, I was the one moving more and I'm pretty sure I left a very good impression on him in an intimidating sort of way. When he would try to stand up and walk, I would grab the back of his pants and pull him down. I would also try to give him very loving kisses and hugs to which he would return with cries (not of delight) and a frantic search for his mom or dad. At one point during their visit, I had scared him so badly that when he saw me coming, he tried to get as low to the ground as possible so that I hopefully wouldn't see him and attack with love. Here are some pictures of us. Don't worry Taycen, I'm sure we'll be best friends someday, when I don't scare the poo out of you (literally).

In this picture, the only reason Taycen is smiling is because there is an obstacle between him and me that I will not be able to overcome on my own.

                                                           

Taycen: If you would've told me you had toys Paisley, we could've gotten along much easier from the beginning...

  Oh good, she's locked in there securely...

 I think we might finally be able to be    

  friends now...I love you cousin.         

We loved having Taycen and his family stay at our house and are greatly missing them now. Hopefully we'll be able to grow up living right next to each other in a few years though. We also love our cousin, McCade, who is the same age as us. Our parents tried to get a picture of the three of us sitting nicely, but it was not going to happen. Here is a picture of the three of us around 5 months or so of age...so cute and so easy to take a picture of. But come on guys, did you seriously think we were going to sit still now that we can move? ha..ha The thought makes me laugh at my parent's innocence.

My birthday was on December 17th and everyone learned that I am definitely my daddy's girl. Once I tasted the sugar, I attacked the cake like no other one year old had attacked their cake before. I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty...if it means something delicious is about to enter my mouth.

The before picture..dun dun dun.

                           Watch and learn...

 

First, you make sure the cake is not poisoned         

with fake sugar or anything like that.  

            Then, you stuff yourself as fully as you can.

 Don't look at me like that Taycen.      

Just because I eat cake like this        

does not mean that I am not a princess...

Uh oh...... I learned how to laugh!!!!!!!

My New Truck

 

A Time for Cousins

These past few weeks have been a blast. I've been able to meet people in my family I hadn't met yet and do all sorts of fun things with them. Mommy finally finished up all the requirements for her degree, which means that I've got to be with her a lot more throughout the week. Now she's only gone for 2 days when she has to go to work. Daddy is, well, Daddy is my absolute favorite. Whenever I see him in the morning after we both wake up, I kick and scream with delight and go in for a big, sloppy kiss on his face...usually I get his nose.

I've become a lot more active. When mom and dad try to leave the room, I try to follow them. I roll across rooms, push up on my hands and tippy toes and then lunge very fast, and sometimes I can get to them. The only problem is that I don't always look where I'm going and so have learned the hard way that I am not the biggest thing in the world at the moment. The piano, for example, is a lot bigger than me and my poor head has come to realize that from the few times I have said hello to the piano with a head thump.

I went camping for my first time this past week. We went up to Willow Flats in Idaho with Grandma & Grandpa Ashcroft, Devin & Nicole (Bennett & Tyler), and Jeff and Steph (Eli) even joined us one evening. Mom and Dad said that I behaved very well. I slept in my pack n' play in the tent and didn't even get scared when a huge rain/hail storm hit right after we set up our tent...I just slept right on through it. While we were there we went on a very nice hike, had some really good camping food, and just relaxed (mommy and daddy couldn't really relax with me around though).

Yesterday was my mommy and daddy's 2 year anniversary. Devin and Nicole, with the help of Bennett and Tyler of course, babysat me while they went out for dinner and a movie. I stuck a lot of Bennett's toy cars in my mouth so that they could go to the 'car wash' and be properly cleaned, and tried to show off to Tyler that I could roll around, but I don't think he really cared. Bennett lovingly said that, "Paisley is my little brother." Once again, I am discriminated against just because I don't have any hair.

 Here's the night of the family pictures...

The person who took these pictures at the Ashcroft's home was the same photographer who took mommy and daddy's wedding pictures. Her name is Elizabeth Haroldsen and you can look her and her work up on facebook if you'd like. She is really good at what she does. Here is some of me being me...

I was wearing the sweater that Taycen gave to me right before he left for Washington D.C. He is such a sweetheart. As you can probably tell though, I was being a stinker and trying not to look at the camera and do my usual smiles...

Here's the last ones from the night, of my mommy and me:

Psst, don't tell anyone, but I'm actually a big time daddy's girl.

This other picture of my mommy and me was taken by my Uncle Trevor who pretends to be all hardcore, but is a softy underneath it all:

Moving on from the family pictures onto more important things...here are some pictures of what I usually do with my life nowadays.

This is what happens when I laugh too hard...I close my eyes. I must've gotten that curse from my mom.

Don't judge...I bet you got even more stuff on your face when you were a baby.

I got my legs stuck in the crib. And instead of saving me straight away, mom ran and got the camera to get this picture and then came to the rescue. You guys better be thankful.

Where's the Pazer?

There she is!!!

 First time on a slide and not quite sure what to think of it.

I like to stick my bum in the air.

I wonder which toy will annoy mom and dad the most.

For some reason, people just seem to eat my smile up.

I will get you and I will gum you to death.

My flexibility is increasing by the day.

Practice makes perfect.

New outfit:  before I got it with my spit-up powers.

I'm not very good at sharing yet Bennett...sorry.

Paisley the Explorer...

We went to Mirror Lake during the day with some of the Ashcroft family. It was my first experience being outdoors for that long and was a test to see how I could handle it before the big camping trip.

It was then that I learned that Daddy's hat was the most perfect chew toy. I can't believe no one has told me that before. 

Here are the pictures from Willow Flats...the 3 day camping adventure. It was very cold at night so mommy put me in 4 layers of clothing and then had blankets on top. I am blowing raspberries at the camera in the picture to the right.

See what I'm talking about? My face was ready for the sun to come out. The raspberries only seemed to make it colder somehow.

But at least I was still happy throughout it all...

I would like a nice warm cup of hot coco and go easy on the marshmallows please.

I can be quite the aggressive baby at times.

When mom finally removed 2 of the layers in the mornings, I could move about freely. Right here, I am deciding what the best way to wake up daddy might be.

That food belongs in my mouth...now. Oh how I love sweet potatoes.

We hiked up to the spring the second day. I thought the water was cold and was really hoping that mommy wouldn't be a clutz and drop me in.

My, what big chompers you have! (I am in the process of getting my first tooth, but was amazed at how many teeth daddy has. It could be quite deadly).

I liked camping, but was so excited to be home and start rolling around once again.

Next post will bring videos of me as I continue to grow up at a very rapid pace. Until then-I will give you pretend kisses. Love you all!