Alright, I betcha you wondered why I didn't post on the 17th. Well, to tell you the truth, I spaced. But, I did update right before the 17th so hopefully that held you over until now. For those playing along at home, Izzy is now 20 months old! That means in four months she will be two years old and officially not a baby anymore *sniffle*. But she's growing up, happy and healthy and we're so blessed to have such an awesome kiddo! She's been learning so many new words and starting to put them into sentences such as, "Hi Mommy"; "Hi Daddy"; "Read that";"Shoes on" (when we're getting ready to go outside); "Bye-bye shoes on" (when we come back home and put away her shoes); "Bye-Bye kit cat" (saying good-bye to the neighbor's cat whether she's there or not.) She can also list all of her favorite foods (some spelled phonetically): tee-tah (tortilla); milky; cheese; teet toes (Cheerios.) She also loves watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries (any fruit, really) and lumps all fruit under the label: "apple." She's beginning to test her boundaries and has forced us to use our MOM or DAD voice on occasion. Whenever this happens, Izzy immediately comes to our comfort as if we were hurt by whatever she did--she hugs us and says, "Ohhhhhh..." So, yeah, she pretty much runs the show around here...

As the seemingly endless Austin heat persists we often seek the cool comfort of book stores. Izzy loves books and is an avid reader at home but paradoxically would rather play at the book store than read any of the books they have to offer. Hmm, go figure. The next several pictures are from our many trips to various bookstores around Austin.

Sometimes she reads...

Playing with a book...

On the way home from a bookstore in Bee Cave (a small town outside of Austin.) This isn't a very good pic as we were in a moving vehicle at the time I took this, but when you turn onto the freeway back to Austin, there is this garden center where they have displayed 100's of lawn flamingos. It's a sight to see!

On our way to, you've guessed it, another bookstore we stopped at Anthropologie to say "hi" to the wooden horse sculpture. Oh, and another word Izzy can say is, "Horsey." Unfortunately, I was too slow in fumbling for my camera to take a pic of her actually hugging the horse, but here are the ones of her posing with him afterward.

Whenever it cools down enough for us to venture outside we take advantage. That day it was a chilly 97 degrees. We went to the playground.

Um, okay Daddy, just what are we doing here? I dunno about this...

Oh! Okay! I get it now! This is fun! Wheeeeeee!

We recently got Izzy a little potty for her very own. We haven't really started potty training her or anything but she knows it's there in the bathroom for her and we encourage her to sit on it whenever we think about it. But this potty doesn't stay in the bathroom. Turns out it's a fun way to store and transport small toys...

...and to stand in.

Toothy grin :)

The heat wave continues... we have received little respite from this insane heat that consistently hits the triple digits, breaking 11 records so far this season. Today it is supposed to be 105! The heat makes it difficult for us to get out and about, since it takes a brave soul to venture out into this inferno, voluntarily. In fact, on the 4th of July we didn't see any fireworks--we were just too content on relishing the sweet, delicious a/c in our apartment that the only outing we managed that day was a climate controlled trip to the book store. Sigh.

Rockin' out at the "Domain" (an outdoor mall, and yes, it is actually called the Domain.)

Sitting pretty at the downtown book store.

Behold the mighty Viking: Izzy the Cute!

Um, 'scuse me but I'm trying to multi-task here... can you give me some privacy?

Thankfully, during this crazy heat wave, we have a couple of nearby pools we can go to! This one is the main pool--it's a "resort-style" pool with an area for water volleyball, a waterfall fountain you can swim in and lots of lounge chairs in case you want to perfect your sun burn, I mean, sun tan.

We played mainly in the waterfall area that day. It's only two feet deep so we can manage Izzy more easily who is becoming quite the little daredevil! You can't tell in the pictures but there is water pouring down these steps into the main part of the pool.

Hi!

An incredibly rare picture of a baby Sasquatch walking through it's native forest habitat. Why are these pictures always so darn blurry? Doesn't seem quite right... hmm, let me see if I can put it into focus... wait, that looks like a chair in the background, not a tree... just a few more adjustments...

...oh, whoops! That's just an incredibly cute baby Izzy in her native dining room habitat. My bad. Hee hee :)

The fifth Beatle.

Izzy literally immersed in a book on our 4th of July outing to the bookstore.

On 4th of July weekend, we went to the Austin Children's Museum. It was crazy-packed with like minded, a/c seeking people such as ourselves.

Izzy, you're supposed to slide down the slide, hence the name!

Two girl band

Daddy and I tending to the cows. Those tiny udders are sure hard to milk! We only yielded a thimble-full that day.

Lost in the woods and left to rely on her survival instincts, Izzy befriends a bear family and they adopt her as one of their own. Boy, is Goldilocks going to be surprised when she visits their house!

Izzy falling in love with this ridiculously large rubber ducky. She even kissed him on his nose, er, bill, whatever.

America's Got Talent audition. She didn't do so well with her drumming skills but certainly won over the judges with her cuteness.

Further proof I can not leave my meat-eating husband with my vegetarian daughter alone near a BBQ. I must say, though, she got pretty good at flipping those steaks!

Good thing she's wearing her asbestos-lined shoes!

Congress St., the main street in downtown Austin.

The building Chris works in.

BUSTED! Oh, you're just reading a book. Carry on, then.

I know I can walk but crawling reminds me of when I was little.

Extreme close-up!!!