Hallie's 14 and 15 Month Update!

Well this is looong overdue as Hallie will be 16 months! This summer has been flying by and Hallie has been loving exploring outdoors and running around, finding all the things to taste or throw. She will go get her shoes and point to the door saying "go go". If Riley and Brynn go outside she wants to follow! She loves going for walks and will climb right into the Chariot. The Chariot Thule stroller has been so well used with all of the kids! Right now Brynn and Hallie ride in it while Riley rides his bike. There is also a seat on top of it for an infant carseat so once the baby comes we will be able to have all 3 girls in it!

Firsts

Hallie saw her first bear while on a walk with me. We came around a corner and I froze because this bear was literally right in front of me. Hallie was so quiet and I turned the stroller quickly around and ran back. Not exactly how I pictured our morning walk going, but she wasn't phased by it at all!

We have been going to the lake on weekends and Hallie loves to play in the sand. She is not a huge fan of the water though. She went for her first little "swim" but cried, so for now she just dips her toes in from a safe distance. She did enjoy her first hot tub and was definitely more relaxed in the warm water. (I can't blame her!)

We took Hallie strawberry picking for the first time. It was just myself and the kids which was a bit daunting but it worked out great! Hallie sat in the stroller and the kids kept feeding her strawberries. Then she wanted to run down the rows of strawberries while we finished filling up our baskets. Riley is fantastic with her and will lead her back to me if she wanders too far. Hallie calls him "Ry Ry". She will let him pick her up, but refuses to let Brynn pick her up. It's so sweet to see her trust her older brother.

Another first for this past month was taking Hallie fishing with us, which was an adventure with a busy toddler! We took her ride-on toy, as well as a lot of snack and toys/books which kept her occupied for a couple hours!

Sleep

We had a couple rough nights this past month with her molars coming in and running a fever. She is usually a great sleeper and sleeps from 7pm-6:30am. She was down to 1 nap a day, but with the intense heat we had in Winnipeg, and just being on the go she has usually been having 2 naps, otherwise she won't make it to suppertime!

Personality

Hallie is so funny! The kids are constantly laughing at her and making her laugh! She is goofy and oh so busy! She copies everything we do, and will run around chatting up a storm.

She says a lot of words, but the word we hear most is MOM, MOMMY and MOOOOM! Scott thinks it's hilarious how many times she calls me during the day. She is very much a mommy's girl, and makes sure I'm always nearby. Since Scott speaks German, we have taught her basic words to say such as bitte, danke, mehr, vasser and a few others. She hasn't been signing words as much since she can say so many new words now!

Hallie used to be afraid of animals when she was very little, but now has a love for them, especially puppies. She gives them hugs and kisses and chases them around saying "puppy"! She also calls most animals puppies which Riley and Brynn think is so funny.

Hallie gets cranky when she's tired, and has begun to say "no" quite a lot. She gets upset when she can't have something, but is easily distracted so will bounce back really quickly!

Hallie has started to call other little kids "baby" and she also points to her tummy and says "baby" and then points to mine.

It is so amazing to watch her grow and learn, sing and dance, give kisses and hugs. When we were away last month I missed hearing the little pitter patter of her feet carrying her as fast as they would take her across the room. These little sounds that we take for granted everyday that I'm so thankful for!

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