Our Mini Winnie: 12 1/2 Months Old & 38 Weeks Pregnant

Since Delaney's 1st birthday, she has really picked up on her cruising skills. She can pull herself up on just about anything and swiftly walk alongside it to move across a room. She hasn't tried letting go and taking steps on her own yet. She's also tall enough to climb onto the couch by herself, although she doesn't mind using Cash as a stepping stool if he's in her way.

She loves saying "Hi!" and will put words together to say "Hi dada!" or "Hi Cat!" (Cash). She doesn't say mama much, but I don't take it personally. It's so cute when I walk into her room to take her out of her crib and she says "Hi!" with a big grin, or when I open the car door to get her out of her car seat and she says "Hi!" and waves at me.

Laney had her first dentist appointment right after she turned 1. It might seem silly, considering she only has 8 teeth, but there were a few good reasons to bring her in. 1) It's a very informal appointment to get her comfortable with the dentist's office. We took a ride up and down in the big chair, and she was able to pick out a toy as a prize for being such a good patient (all the toy options were choking hazards for a 1-year-old, so I didn't actually give it to her…but still…). 2) The dentist was able to look at the teeth that have already come in to make sure they were developing properly, and we talked about helping Laney develop proper tooth brushing habits. 3) She's now established as a dental patient, so if she has an accident involving her mouth, we'll be able to reach a dentist at that office or bring her in at any time, day or night. Now that she's cruising everywhere and about to walk, accidents are bound to happen and it's reassuring to have a dentist on call, just in case.

She loves books. Looooooooooves them. Brad is especially good at reading them to her because he uses the best silly voices, and he's very engaging. Laney will lie down next to him, snuggle in, and help turn the pages. She points at the pictures and makes monkey sounds ("ooh ooh ooh ah ah") whenever she sees a monkey. Brad absolutely loves story time because it's the only time he can get Laney to lie down and snuggle with him - she's usually too eager to crawl, play, and explore and has very little patience for lying down and snuggling.

Last week, we celebrated Laney's first official 4th of July in Minocqua with her cousin James, Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Danny, and Noni and Grandpa. The two kids had so much fun playing together, but their playtime was limited each day. They're 4 1/2 months apart, and they're on completely different nap schedules right now. Laney takes two naps, usually around 9am-11am and 3pm-5pm. James takes one nap, around 12pm-3pm. When they were both awake, it was loud, crazy, party time at the cabin! Both babies were able to make it to the 4th of July parade in Tomahawk. James took it all in from the sidewalk, and Laney was a little less excited about it. She was tired, crying, and ready for nap #2, but she calmed down once I sat her on my lap and let her sip on ice water from a straw sippy cup. Since that was all that kept her calm, we didn't move for the entire parade. Brad would have stepped in to help, but he was too busy entertaining the crowd. He debuted his Ernie the Eagle costume this year, and I don't think the 4th of July parade will ever be the same. People were getting such a kick out of him, and everyone was getting their picture taken with him. He actually walked in the parade a few times and pulled some pretty hilarious antics. In a way, he made himself the mascot for the Tomahawk Parade. I'm eager to see what Ernie the Eagle does next year...

I am 38 weeks along with Baby Boy Winchester, and it's quite difficult to move around. I'm waddling nonstop. I'm eager to find out how big he is, because he feels huge! I think my tummy is stretched out as far as it can go. If he moves around while I'm walking, sometimes he hits a nerve or something because it feels like my thighs cramp up like a charley horse. It always catches me off guard and it feels like my legs are going to give out. He's very strong when he moves around, and I can see his little arms and legs protruding all over the place. I can't wait to meet him! My c-section is scheduled for next Sunday, July 20th, so our countdown is finally in the single digits. This pregnancy has felt like it has taken so long and it has gone so slowly, but now that we're a week away, these last few days seem to be going too quickly. We're soaking up as much time as we can with Laney while she's an only child, but we're so, so excited to make her a big sister.

Her first trip to the dentist! She doesn't look thrilled, but she actually had a great time.

Spending time with cousins Cora and Liesl. She also met her newborn cousin, Jane, who was busy eating during this picture. :)

With Noni, watching her papa play at a charity hockey game. She loved it! She smiled, screamed, and bounced when she saw her papa take his helmet off and wave at her during warmups!

Playing with James at Great-Nona's 90th Birthday Party

The kiddie pool at the cabin was much warmer than the lake!

Ernie the Eagle

Ernie with Uncle Danny

Sitting with mama in an air conditioned sandwich shop during the Tomahawk 4th of July Parade. Laney was happy with her ice water sippy cup, and I certainly wasn't complaining about sitting down in air conditioning.