Layla's 2 Year Stats

Layla turned 2 on June 4! It's amazing how much she has changed in the past 2 years! She has been such a blessing to us and it's been so much fun to watch her grow and develop into a little girl. She's overall a happy little girl, but she definitely has her moments of being stubborn:).

She loves girly things like jewelry, make up, having her hair curled and pedis, but she also can play rough and just recently tried driving Gavin's little Jeep and loved it! I think she'll need her own car soon! She isn't as timid as she was with stuff last summer which is nice. Last year she was scared of big pools/lakes, but this summer really likes them. She has yet to learn to love running through the sprinklers though:). She is super shy when she first meets people and will often just stare and not even say 'hello', but after about 10 minutes she warms up and is her normal chatty self. Last night we were eating at Red Lobster with the kids and a waitress came over to tell us how she couldn't believe how both our kids were so well behaved (Gibs was awake the entire time but just chilled in his car seat--thankfully he's at the age where he's entertained just looking at everything and Layla likes eating and coloring so she enjoys going out to eat too) and then she was talking to Layla about lobsters and asked Layla if she wanted to go see the lobsters. Layla said she did so the waitress picked her up and took her over to the lobster tank. We were very surprised that Layla went so happily with the waitress--she must have really liked her! She wasn't into touching the lobster though:). Although I don't blame her! It didn't surprise us that didn't want to touch the lobster--she doesn't even like to touch cats or certain dogs:). She LOVES to play outside--as do most kids I think. She always wants to play outside so she has been getting her use out of her outdoor toys! Although she is also normally pretty patient about understanding that she can't always play outside--sometime we need to feed Gibson first or something:). I love watching her interact with Gibson. She has been a really good big sister. She gets confused when Gibson isn't with us and wonders where he is. I don't think she even remembers life without him now:). For the most part she is nice to him, although there have been instances where she's hit him if she's mad or where she's accidentally hurt him. Good thing he's tough:). I also love that she's been really good about saying 'please' and 'thank-you' on her own--hopefully that continues:). It's nice when she's a nice polite little girl since at two that is not always the case:).

She had her 2 year check up last week and her doctor said she's doing well. She seems to be caught up with her peers and at this point doesn't show any signs of having any issues with being born premature. She is still tiny, but that wasn't a big shock:). The doctor said that she can start drinking regular milk (skim or whatever) so he must not be too concerned with her weight. Here are her stats:

Height: 34 1/2 inches (right in the middle of the 50-75% so somewhere around 62.5%:D)
Head: 49.4cm (90th%)
Weight: 22 lbs 12 oz (5th%--yay, on the chart!)

I looked at my baby book and I was 33" and 22 pounds at age 2. I was short! I've heard b/f that if you double their height at age two it will tell you how tall they'll be as an adult, but that would make me 5'6" and I'm 5'3" so apparently that's not always true:). It'll be interesting though to see if she does end up taller than me! I think everyone in my family is taller than me, so there's probably a good chance:).

We just love her to pieces and are so thankful for the 2 years we've had with her and can't wait to see her grow for MANY more years ahead. She definitely can test my patience, but I wouldn't change a thing about her:). Speaking of patience, I decided to buy her a potty a couple of weeks ago since she's been interested in the whole potty thing for awhile. She was excited about and the day we got it she went in it a few times (both), but then the next day she just wanted to sit on it and move it around the bathroom and then the next day she had no interest at all in it. So I decided to not push it and we'll just wait until she's ready and then try a different approach to it.

We love our big girl and can't believe our baby is 2 years old already!! Happy two years baby girl:).

Outdoor Fun

Here are some pics from our summer thus far...

Enjoying her first ice cream cone at the ice cream place by our house...

Yum!

Someone while we were there said "your little boy is cute!'...Giboson's face was totally covered up! Maybe they thought Layla was a boy:).

Ready for a stroller ride at Em's!

It didn't take too long and he was out!

Layla and Gavin relaxin' by the pool...

Gibs and Mommy...

Elv trying to get some shade!

Playing in the pool...

She kept squirting herself in the face accidentally:)...

In motion pic...

First Camping Trip (of the year)

We took our first camping trip of the year (and Gibs' first camping trip ever) over Layla's birthday weekend. We went up Thursday night with Heukers and Konings joined us Friday night. We went to Sandy Pines. None of us had been there before. We kind of felt like we were camping in the middle of a retirement village as there were all permanant sites around us, but we had a great time! Sandy Pines is HUGE! We went to the beach (all of us but Joe--he stayed back with Gibs and Elv...and Mickey except Mickey is a good boy and can stay in their camper by himself and not bark unlike Elv) Saturday morning, but besides that we just hung out around our campsites so we didn't even get to see much of Sandy Pines. We were going to rent golf carts, but with the weather not being great and since our only day there all together was Saturday, it didn't really seem worth it. Friday it was just Lindsey and me and the four kiddos (Joe and Darrell went to work) and we survived--we were sure how that'd go with two 2 year olds and 2 babies:)--but it went well. Saturday night Lucas' and Throwers came to visit and we celebrated Layla's birthday--unfortunately it POURED while they were there. The kids (well the older kids that is) LOVED the rain. I don't think they cared at all that it rained for the party:).

I'm behind on blogging and am too lazy to move the pictures around, so they aren't in order...

Joe and Gibs...

Gibs in his bouncy protected by his bug/sun net...for some reason he wasn't as happy over the weekend as he normally is. He slept good at night and napped well, but when he'd wake up from naps he just wanted to be held--not sit in his bouncy.

Poor Mickey all alone:(. At least he had Elv, but they aren't the closest of friends even though they've hung out several times. I think Elv and Kaya got along better (Kaya was killed tragically prior to our camping trip. She escaped their fence and was hit by a car on 28th Street:(. And the car didn't even stop!). I know it can be really hard to lose a dog (especially at a young age) and would be devasted if anything happened to Elv so I really feel for Darrell and Lindsey (and of course Mickey and Jonathan too). RIP little buddy:(.

The babies ready for a walk! If Gibson gets grumpy, he can pretty much always become happy if he's pushed in a stroller/cart or taken on a car ride. He loves to move!

Heukers took this fold up table along and it worked great for the kids! So much easier than having to strap them in chairs all the time!

This is how we rode to the beach (it was really close by). I have no idea what Jonathan and Layla were laughing at, but they were laughing hysterically--they were probably just laughing at each other:).

Layla was intimidated last summer pools or any large body of water so I wasn't sure what she'd think this year, but she loved it! She was shaking she was so cold but didn't want to get out b/c she was having so much fun! (it wasn't really that cold)

This was the morning that we left, they were both "helping" Lindsey pack up. As you can see, they were both tired out from their big weekend!

Eating supper at her birthday party (when it wasn't raining yet)...

Joe bonding with Maddy...

Singing to Layla....I love that Alden doesn't have a shirt on:)...

All wet from playing in the rain and ready for cake!

Playing in the rain!!!

They were playing with the rain that was pouring out of a spot on the tarp that the guys put up (as you'll see in future pics)...

Drying and warming up with "Uncle" D...

Julie and Rex...

Everyone gathered under that tarp...

The guys got the idea to put up a tarp off of our canopy to shield us from the rain. It was pretty hillbilly especially in the mist of all the permanant places, but it worked! And I think they had fun putting it up:).

Brad helped by checking his phone CONSTANTLY for weather updates:). We all teased him about it so I had to post a pic of it:).

This is after I put dry clothes on her, Joe hiked her pants up and spiked her pony tail:)...not dorky at all, haha!

Play-dough was a hit with the kids...

Sharing snacks at the beach:)...

Layla doesn't even look that jealous, she looks happy for them:)...I love how Ella is trying to sneak a snack while she's distracting Jonathan with a kiss:).

Having fun on the big swing!

Having fun coloring by Koning's camper...Ella announced while camping that she's going to be a big sister early next year/late this year!! Well, her parents actually did the announcing, but she said she was excited:). This baby will be the 9th kid in our group of friends! If he/she comes in January there will be 9 kids born in 9 different months of the year! Or if he/she comes the end of December, he/she could share a birthday with Gibson:). We are so excited for the Koning fam to expand!!

It rained just a little bit on Friday so we gathered in our trailer and the kids watched some Elmo...

Gibson and Madison cozy in their bouncies under their nets...

Gibs slept in his travel bed on the table (put down). I'm not sure if he'll be able to sleep in the travel bed for future camping trips as he now likes sprawl out on his side/belly when he sleeps. Layla slept in a pack n' play so we might need to put both of them in pack n' plays (which would crowded) or have L sleep in a bed (which she isn't used to). I'd be sort of afraid of what Layla could get into in the trailer, but mainly I'd be afraid of what she'd do to Gibs' like give him all her blankets or something!

Watching Elmo b/f bed:)...

Hangin' out with our babies while the big kids napped...