Christmas throughout September

The mailman stays busy delivering to Skyler Short. I can not count how many times packages found their way to our door step over these past 17 weeks. Because of my daughter's popularity and through the generosity of many, Skyler and I have quickly become friends with Bill, a.k.a Mr. Mailman.

Bill was extremely busy during the month of September as he delivered packages to Skyler from Post Falls, Idaho. That's 4 miles east of the Washington border, 2829 miles from Lakeland and home to her Auntie Nicola and Uncle Bogie. At least twice a week, Tom & I were helping Skyler open her gifts. Inside each box of love, were beautiful clothes, adorable shoes and oh-so cute trinkets. The best part was reading the lovely, personalized cards. I save each letter and add them to that special bundle tied with a pink bow. I look forward to re-reading each note to Skyler as she gets older. Definitely a true treasure!

Here are a few pictures of Little Miss Spoiled with many of her goodies, thanks to Auntie Nicola & Uncle Bogie! Tom enjoys anything with a bear on it, since it's his favorite animal. It's also very hard to find bear & moose outfits in a Palm Tree/Sunshine State, so he gets just as excited as Skyler! Thanks Auntie Nicola & Uncle Bogie. We love you both!

Skyler's shirt from Seattle reads she'll be as charming and sophisticated as her Auntie Nicola!

Skyler & her cuddly bears.

Fun wear from the West, plus a license plate from Montana!

Just some of her beautiful dresses.

Sleeping beauty in her ballerina sleeper.

Halloween night light...too cute not to share!

2753 Miles Later.....

.....Cousin Nikki meets Skyler for the first time!

Our niece, Nikki, flew all the way from Lemoore, California and finally got to meet her youngest cousin, Skyler, yesterday. Skyler enjoyed all the lovin' from Nikki and also the adorable Lakeland High School home made football outfits. I can't wait for her to wear one at this Friday's Homecoming game vs Plantation. Nikki even brought her a princess hat from Disney World! (Below are 2 more pictures of Nikki & Skyler. )

Also visting with Nikki was Cousin Jodi (Nikki's sister), Auntie Kevie, Uncle Larry, Jordan and Dustin. Skyler was all smiles and felt like a big girl while hanging out with her two cousins and although she recently saw her Auntie Kevie & Uncle Larry and Jordan over the Labor Day weekend, they could not believe how much she had grown in the past 3 weeks!

(Big smiles from Jodi, Skyler & Nikki)

Skyler with Uncle Larry & Auntie Kevie

Jordan & Skyler love to play together

It was such a great Sunday and Skyler soaked up all the attention......again!!!! We hated to say goodbye, but Tom & I are excited to take Skyler to see the family this coming Saturday for Auntie Kevie's birthday!

Until October 3rd, bye-bye for now!

Big Girl!

Skyler started her sweet sixteenth week with organic carrots. It was quite an amusing event and she really enjoyed it! Most definitely an inexpensive night of entertainment for Tom & I....lol

It was also her first time in a high chair (see above) and Tom and I came prepared! Skyler had her "cutie" bib on and brought a curious appetite. We had plenty of wet wipes on hand, plus a fully charged video & digital camera to capture all her funny faces. **Boy-oh-boy, there were some animated faces!!!** We're still trying to figure out if more went on her bib or in her tummy! I hope you enjoy the pictures. Such a hoot and another first for the Short Family!

Yum-Yum.....What's next on the menu!!

Friday Night Lights

Skyler found herself at Bryant Stadium again last night watching Lakeland High School Football. Our evening started off with a visit from my good friend, Rebecca Knowles and her son, Clayton. We went to the game together (see pic below) and had a wonderful night. Clayton and Skyler also get to see each other every Thursday morning at Kiwanis.

I really don't know what Skyler enjoys more.............the action on the field or all the attention from our friends! She got to wear her new orange stripe dress that came all the way from Idaho, thanks to her Auntie Nicola and Uncle Bogie. (trying to find orange dresses can be quite challenging) Here is Miss Skyler with my dear friend Helen Nelson, Tom's buddy and retired LHS Athletic Director, Sid Kimbrall, and another friend Barbara Cutrell.

At half time, Tom got to retire from the coaching booth and watch the rest of the game with us, because Lakeland had a large lead. It definitely was a special treat. Football is such a fun family event for us. We all had big smiles as the Dreadnaughts destroyed the Teneroc Titians 60-0.

Foot Fetish

Skyler discovered her feet yesterday. She now has the ability to pull them to her mouth and check out her tiny toes. Seems like she's using her feet in the same way she uses her hands, picking up toys and exploring the floor. I captured these shots within seconds of each other. I had to share.....they are just too darn cute!

I've also noticed Skyler becoming more attached to certain stuffed animals/blankets. In the picture below, she's holding her bear tag blanket. She just loves the different textures of the tags that surround it. This soothing fleece provides her sensory and tactile activities. I think it also offers her opportunities for fun and fine motor skill development. Now, just for kicks, I took a picture of the two of us......her eyes are still sparkling blue!

...All in the name of love

I'm sure everyone has done this at least once in their lifetime......you know, doing something extra sweet only because you love that certain person sooooo very much! Well, that's what I did Sunday, when I put little Miss Skyler in a Buccaneer onesie. Yeap, I made that small sacrifice all in the name of love. She looked a bit confused when I was chatting with her about the pewter & red football outfit, but after our "girl talk", I think she realized we were just making Daddy very happy by supporting his team. (she'll be back in her black-n-gold come next Sunday)

Skyler helping out Daddy

Miss Independent

I just wanted to share some exciting news with you all. This morning, Tom was feeding Skyler her favorite rice cereal breakfast and all of a sudden she decided she wanted to feed herself. So with those cute little hands, she just gripped the bottle and Tom let go & watched her eat.

Pretty exciting! Skyler is 15 weeks old now. Her motor skills are developing so very quickly. She kicks her legs wildly and moves them around in the air as if she's riding a bicycle. Amazing to watch how fast she is growing and how her skills are expanding. Looks like I'll soon be buying sippy cups then sending her off to school in no time! lol....

Well, I better get her ready for the Buccaneers vs Cowboys football game. I'll be sure to post pictures of her & Daddy watching the game together. In the meantime, here's a photo of Jamie giving Skyler a kiss after breakfast! The dogs just adore her.

Steelers Newest Fan!

Dressed in a Steeler onesie and holding her terrible "toddler" towel, Skyler was introduced to Pittsburgh Steeler football last night and boy was she ready! I was telling her all about the winning tradition (6 super bowl trophies & countless AFC division titles) and that it was okay to say Sixburgh instead of Pittsburgh.

She chose the right night to tune in! First NFL game of the 2009-2010 season. Steelers vs Titians, playing in front of a national televised audience and also in front of the largest record setting crowd at Heinz Field! Skyler started the evening off with a pregame nap followed by a warm bottle of rice cereal and with a quick whip of the terrible towel and a tug on her football, my girl was hooked, contrary to what Daddy believes.......lol!

It was a nail biting, or in Skyler's case, a hand sucking game. The Steelers won 13-10 in an overtime thriller. Below are two pictures of Steeler Skyler during the game.

GO STEELERS!

She really likes football! It was a fun night & Tom was such a good sport. Guess I'll have to pacify him and dress her up in a Buccaneer outfit this Sunday so she can watch the game with Daddy. No problem.....Skyler knows where her loyalty lies.......(hehe)

Labor Day Recap

***Warning***

Tons of Skyler Shots....lol...

Bright blue skies and burgers on the grill are reasons enough to celebrate Labor Day outdoors, but for the relatives and friends of the Shorts', it's an annual weekend event at Lake Roy in Winter Haven, Florida. This tradition was started way before I joined the family. It's a weekend filled with water sports, tons of eating, much laughter, shared stories, gobs of love and just plain relaxation in the sun! (Cousin Nikki was greatly missed)

Little Miss Skyler experienced her first taste of this four day, family gathering and I can honestly attest, she was not only spoiled, but she was the center of attention and seemed to crave every ounce of it! Tom and I had at least 12 babysitters at any part of the day, who were all ready to jump in and smother her with affection.

Skyler started each morning enjoying breakfast with her cousin Jodi. (see above) Shortly after eating, Jordan, (cousin Jared's girlfriend) would change her and usually get her dressed for the day. Before venturing outside, Auntie Kevie would put Skyler on her knees and sing her songs. The two pictures (below) show how much she loved Auntie Kevie's singing......thumbs up, all smiles!

Then came the pool......As many of you know, Skyler loves water and she quickly wasted no time finding fun in the pool with her Auntie Kevie, cousin Jodi, Jordan, and long time family friend, Jamie. (Tom and I were blessed to have Jamie sing at our wedding. Her beautiful voice brought tears to everyone in the church.) Here are a few pool pictures taken that Saturday. The very last photo is Auntie Kevie's dear friend, Debi VanderBaan, who is also Jamie's mother. I told you I wasn't kidding about Skyler discovering all the attention..........

After playing in the pool, Tom and I took Skyler to the shore of Lake Roy. She got to feel soft, wet sand between her toes for the very first time. She made fun, silly sounds as we shared family time in the fresh water. These pictures below capture those fond memories.

Now, what's a lake without a little boat action?? Another first happened that weekend. Skyler went on a boat ride with her Auntie Kevie, Uncle Larry and, of course, us! She loved the wind in her face as her Auntie Kevie held her. I have so many great pictures of that morning. Below are a few:

After each fun filled day, we would all gather under the Pavilion to feast on delicious food. Each person would bring a dish, creating a large variety for our anxious taste buds to enjoy! It was just like being at a grand buffet, but even better. We even got food hot of the grill. On Sunday afternoon, Skyler had a very special surprise by getting a visit from her Glammey and Papa! Yeap, my parents drove over and spent the day with us....too awesome! Here's Skyler soaking up more lovin'.....this time from her grandparents.

In between eating, boating, games & pool time, there was also nap time. I'd like to call this Skyler crash time and boy-oh-boy could she sleep! Skyler stayed so busy during the day she would often pass out for a few hours, only to join us later that day. After all, being loved on takes out a lot of energy! Check out her zzzzzz's, both outside and inside. Once she awoke, she was back cuddling in her cousin Jodi's arms and her Auntie Kevie's and Uncle Larry's!

It was definitely a fabulous weekend filled with much sunshine. I'm blessed to be apart of a wonderful family and it's such a sweet feeling knowing Skyler is loved by so many! I hope you enjoyed our Labor Day festivities. Check back with us to catch Skyler watching her very first Steeler game tomorrow night. She'll be dressed in her black & gold, toting her terrible "toddler" towel!