Sixteen months

...and totally nailing it.  On our trip back to Michigan at the beginning of the month, Jane asked to go to the potty, and she's been basically potty-training herself ever since.

We've been sitting her on the potty since she was nine days old (but who's counting?) so she's definitely familiar with the concept.  She's been doing a better and better job of letting us know what she needs, so she's been wearing underwear at home for the past few weeks.  She's still having accidents, but she's really doing a great job.

She's saying a bunch more words lately, and responding to questions, usually with "Mm-hmm" or "Nope."

We lost power on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, which also meant losing heat and water.  I've never lived anywhere where losing power meant losing water too, so we didn't think to fill our pitcher or water glasses or anything.  Thursday during the day we went to the lab, knowing that they'd have power, and then we went to the Leckies for the holiday meal as planned.  We hoped that we'd return to a warm and powered house, but we did not.  We called a few places to find a pet-friendly place with a vacancy, so we loaded everyone up and went to the Days Inn.  Jane went down for bed relatively easily, but was up around midnight and then thrashed in my bed with me for the next five hours.  We were relieved to get our power back around noon on Friday.

We took Jane out for a walk yesterday (once we knew we'd have a warm house to go back into) and then I made some hot chocolate for us all.  Really, it was warmed slightly-cream-colored sweetened milk that might have resembled a chocolate flavor.  But she seemed to enjoy it.

 In her hat that Grandma Mary Lynn made

 Actually keeping her slippers on!

 Relaxing on the stairs

 Awaiting her hot chocolate

 She looks kind of unimpressed, don't you think?

I tried to get a picture of them holding hands, but when Jane heard the camera, she let go.

Riding in the office chair at the lab

 Out for a walk in the snow

Andy giving Jane a ride on the spinny office chairs

Halloween and Pan de Muerto

First of all, I need to announce my fame.  I was on the radio last Friday, winning the "Spanish word of the week" on 93.9.  The word (phrase) was "Pan de muerto," which means Bread of the Dead, somehow related to the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead.  But the important thing about winning that is that I got a certificate for two free burritos.  Which we ate and enjoyed a few nights ago.

On to pictures.

I take Jane trick-or-treating in at businesses in a nearby town.  Andy couldn't make it, so we recreated it at home for him.  Her favorite part was dropping candy into her bag.  And, once we got home, putting a bowl on her head.

 Our little jack o'lantern!

 Crinkly-nosed girl

 Pick one...

 Now put it in the bag...

 Mismatched PJs and shades

 Grab...

 Mom and Jane

 Jane's foot

 Daddy

Stylin' Jane

Jane has the coolest clothes out of all of us.

 Cute belted sweater on a nice fall day (looking artistically off into the distance...)

 Smiling for Daddy

 Daddy and Jane

 Getting squirmy

 Speaking of sweater-weather, here's a sweater that Grandma Mary Lynn made.  It fits pretty well.

 Jane, where's Uncle Matt?

 There he is!

Our Autumn

A lot has changed since the last post.  I started a new job shortly after that, working for a woman named Lea as her personal assistant.  Part of what we spend our days doing is maintaining and updating her Etsy store, so, shameless plug: The Domestic Darling on Etsy

Lea sells vintage items on her store.  I was a model of one outfit (pictured on the site).  Other than that, I help prep meals, do dishes, sweep, vacuum, make phone calls, whatever needs doing.  She's fun and we're getting into a good swing, I think.  It's only three days a week, so that means more time at home with Jane.  (And less money, but if anyone's figured out how to have it both ways, let me know.)

The job is north of us, which meant that I had to drive Andy and Jane to their destinations (south) and then backtrack, wave to the dog as I passed by our place, and then keep going until I got to work.  It simply would not do.  So we bought a cheap car.  It has really simplified the days for me.  And there are pictures of it!

There are lots of pictures in general, so let's get to it!

Me in a vintage power suit at work

 Cat came to visit!  She trimmed Jane's bangs, which desperately needed it.

 Hold still...  (She did great!)

 Cat lives in California.  Can you tell?  She and Jane had some awesome playtime together.

 Cat being awesome.  On this trip, she signed my 7th grade yearbook.  From 1997.

 OK, OK, enough pictures that aren't of the baby.  Sleeping Jane!

 Andy went to get her up after an especially long nap.  She didn't wake up, so he kept taking pictures.

 And then she did.

 Here's our new car, named Doris.  She is a 1991 Chrysler New Yorker, Fifth Avenue.  She's kind of a beast.  It is SO nice to be able to take this to work, and then to have Andy take it (and leave me the baby-safe car) when he goes to work on my off-days.  Jane and I have run around a few times with the Subaru, just because we could.  When I'm home for four days in a row with her, this makes a huge difference!

 Since this car doesn't have a carseat, Jane doesn't actually get to ride in here.  But I thought it only fair to let her check it out.

 On the move

 I'm sure my dad is wondering if it has the retractable seatbelts that tuck you in.  It does not.  But the headlights go up and down.

Hmm, what else is new?  Jane's had a pretty bad diaper rash so we've been fighting that.  She had a doctor's appointment last week (and another one scheduled for Thursday) and is on some meds for that.  We've also switched out of the cloth diapers for now.  We washed them in bleach and won't go back to them until she's completely healed.  And hope that the cloth diapers aren't the problem.  She's due for another round of shots at this next appointment, including her flu shot.

She's taking more steps, though she still prefers to crawl.  She loves to crawl up the stairs, and is just starting to get curious about how the heck she might get down them.  So far, she's only gone from about two steps up, and tried to lower her leg back down, which was much more acceptable to me than if she tried it from the top-most step.

Oh, how could I forget?  She said "Dino" today!  :-D