Stella has a new name. She still refers to herself as "La La." But when asked what her name actually is, she responds with "Big Kid Scout." And no, we didn't coach her on this one. This is a Big Kid Scout original.
Stella seems to be quickly grasping the notion of age and growing. She's been telling us she's "growin' strong" for ages now, but she's now suddenly aware that she's not a baby anymore. In fact, she's a big kid, and she's diggin' it.
She also now occasionally refers to Papa and I by our names. It's pretty darn amusing to hear my almost two-year old call me "Kaffin" and Brian "Byann." Too funny.
We lazed around this weekend and spent Saturday night watching Stella run around the backyard in the buff. She was in blissful heaven "weeding" the grass - pulling every blade by hand; the girl has an eye for detail - and showing off how speedy she is. And we were in blissful heaven watching her feel so comfortable and empowered in her beautiful skin.
We head to Cannon Beach at the end of this week, so I imagine this will be our last post for Stella as a one year old. It's been a ridiculously good year, and we feel like pinching ourselves every time with consider how lucky we are.
Stella seems to be quickly grasping the notion of age and growing. She's been telling us she's "growin' strong" for ages now, but she's now suddenly aware that she's not a baby anymore. In fact, she's a big kid, and she's diggin' it.
She also now occasionally refers to Papa and I by our names. It's pretty darn amusing to hear my almost two-year old call me "Kaffin" and Brian "Byann." Too funny.
We lazed around this weekend and spent Saturday night watching Stella run around the backyard in the buff. She was in blissful heaven "weeding" the grass - pulling every blade by hand; the girl has an eye for detail - and showing off how speedy she is. And we were in blissful heaven watching her feel so comfortable and empowered in her beautiful skin.
We head to Cannon Beach at the end of this week, so I imagine this will be our last post for Stella as a one year old. It's been a ridiculously good year, and we feel like pinching ourselves every time with consider how lucky we are.
Stella and I spent this morning with a dear old friend, Nancy, and her family. Nancy, Chris and their boys (Kirk is the cute wee one on the top, and Luke is the sweetie down below) are in town for a few days visiting Chris's family out on his sister's farm in the county. And while I've never thought of myself as a country mouse, the Walker property (and hospitality!) was pretty darn amazing. Stella loved looking at the goats, roosters and horses, and she and Luke sorta-kinda played together for a short spell. All in all, it was a lovely morning, and it was beyond nice to catch up with such a good friend. Despite distance and the passing of time, Nancy is someone who just knows who I am and was and will probably be. And really, it's always refreshing to touch base with someone who's seen you at your "Oh my god, I can't believe I cut my bangs so short" worst. Thanks for ringing us, Nan. We love you guys!
We've been enjoying a fabulous summer so far (hence the lack of posts lately!), spending tons of time with friends and family and soaking up as much as we can at local parks and our beloved coastline. Stella loves the beach, she loves her pals and she loves her grandparents. So any combination thereof makes for a happy kid. 
