May 7, 2012
Happy birthday beautiful angel.
Happy birthday beautiful angel.
May 8, 2012
For the last week or so, you can tell Elizabeth "give me a hug", and she will come running toward you with arms outstretched.
She's also started smelling flowers, and going "Mmmmm".
This baby is so beautiful. So smart. So perfect. She completes our lives.
May 10, 2012
For the last week or so, you can tell Elizabeth "give me a hug", and she will come running toward you with arms outstretched.
She's also started smelling flowers, and going "Mmmmm".
This baby is so beautiful. So smart. So perfect. She completes our lives.
May 10, 2012
A few new words today - "Bella" and "Yeah".
Liz LOVES to have books read to her. A favorite for a few weeks now is an ABC book. She will hand the book to Ed and say "A", so he will read it to her.
I taught Lizzy how to give her Daddy tickles tonight. :o)
On Tuesday, I had dinner with my best friend, who gave Lizzy a hippo puppet for her birthday gift. We briefly played with this on Wednesday. By Thursday, she had figured out how to put the puppet on her own hand.
Also, today I caught her walking backwards for the first time, a 15-month skill.
Also, she can now put a spoon into a tub of food, such as applesauce, and get her own bite out. She can help put her toys away, turn the pages in a book (which is so sweet when she crawls into your lap to read a book with you!), talk on the telephone, and so many other fun things. Toilet training is going great, with some days only needing one or two diaper changes, and that's mostly our fault for not remembering to take her to the potty fast enough.
May 11, 2012
Liz has a toy that has letters on it, and when you press the letter, it says the name of the letter. My dad can ask her to press "O", and she gets it right every time.
One letter down, twenty five to go!
She continued to give Daddy tickles tonight, without needing to be shown how again. I just said "Give Daddy tickles", she grinned widely, and proceeded to tickle Daddy's sides.
May 12, 2012
Our little genius figured out how to turn the bathtub on. This is funny, as last week Gay had mentioned that "soon she'll be drawing her own baths." Indeed.
We attended a family wedding in the evening, and our little beauty won hearts and was SO GOOD, as always. She smiled at everyone throughout the ceremony, and then munched on watermelon and cheese that her Great-Granddad kept bringing her. We had some family pictures taken at the wedding, so once I get them I will add them here!
May 13, 2012
Last week, Gay had mentioned that Lizzy had said "Gay, here" when she was trying to hand her something (she has started calling her "Gay" instead of Yaya, now). I hadn't heard this for myself, until today. She wanted Gay to hold her hand out, so she said "Gay, here" and placed an object in her hand. This isn't the first time she's strung 2 words together into a tiny sentence, but it's still amazing.
She also figured out how to operate the throttle on the lawnmower. Previously, it had just run a nice, quiet idle when Ed would take her for lawnmower rides. Now that she knows how to turn the throttle up, we may have to stop the rides, as it's too loud for little baby ears at full throttle :o)
May 14, 2012
Miss Baby loves watermelon. Ed and Gay keep watermelon on the bottom shelf of the fridge, with plastic wrap over it.
The fridge door was open. She was carrying around a spoon. Opportunist that she is, she removed the plastic wrap and used the spoon to start getting bites of the watermelon, straight from the shelf.
I had told Gay it was okay to paint Lizzy's toenails, since she so likes looking at nail polish on others. Check out the result:
May 15, 2012
Today's new word: "Butt".
May 16, 2012
Lizzy, me, Ed and Gay went to have dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. Lizzy let us know that she needed to use the potty. So, I took her into the bathroom and, for the first time other than at one of her normal homes, she used the potty out in public (poopie AND pee pee!).
Another lady was in there and was amazed that our 1 year old baby is going potty like that.
I'm still amazed too.
She has been pointing at things she wants for months now. Today she started pointing and saying "that".
When we stay at Ed and Gay's (like we have been this week), we always say "bye" to them before bed. Tonight she went to the bedroom door and started saying "bye" - she was sleepy and ready for bed! Once we both were in bed, she was asleep within seconds :o)
May 19, 2012
Today was our last Level 3 class at Gymboree. Her teacher agreed that she is ready to move up to the Level 4 class, which is for 16 - 22 month olds. Considering the focus in Level 3 is "Effective 2 Way Communication" and Lizzy can speak in 2-word sentences, there's not much left for her to learn at that level. Level 4 focuses on problem solving skills, which is a better fit for her cognitive development.
Currently, she can put lids back on water bottles and other containers, open zippers, open lids on boxes, feed herself with a spoon, use the "snack trap" we have for her, and she LOVES to see how things work, especially mechanical things. I can't wait to see what Level 4 has in store for her. She's already a very good problem solver (as evidenced by the watermelon incident earlier in the week!), so I hope this will challenge her more. As far as challenging her with other things, we're going to continue working on her letters. She's VERY interested in letters and reading. Mommy was reading completely independently at 3. I'd love to see her doing the same, if possible. Although as advanced as she has been thus far, perhaps she can do so even earlier. Time will tell.
First thing in the morning when we get up, we always go pee pee in the potty (since that's when she always needs to go, having not gone in her diaper all night). This morning, when she was done going pee pee, I asked her if she was done. Normally, she will get off of the toilet at that point. Yet, she continued to sit there because she wasn't done - she had to make a poopie still. I love that I can ask her if she's done, and she will answer by continuing to sit still until she's complete. In other words, toilet training is going exceptionally well. Yesterday we only had 2 diaper changes all day (both my fault for not getting her to the potty fast enough). I'm waiting for the day when we have no diaper changes at all! I have a feeling it might be soon.
In the afternoon, we went to her Great-Gooy's surprise retirement party. Lizzy provided everyone with 90 minutes of wonderful entertainment. She was a giggly, funny, center-of-attention baby.
Her personality sparkles. That is the best way to describe it. Which begs the question: Does she sparkle because she feels so loved, or is she so loved because of her sparkle? It's a vicious circle of love and joy :o)
May 20, 2012
New trick: Shaking hands.
May 22, 2012
We had Chinese food for dinner, and Lizzy wouldn't stop grabbing for my chopsticks. She's become quite good at other utensils, so I decided to let her have a try. She did amazingly well! The first few times she didn't get anything, but on her fourth try she scooped up some noodles. Granted, she's holding them together and using them like a spoon (not in their intended way of being used), but still, not too bad!
May 23, 2012
After her long morning nap, Lizzy told Ed and Gay it was time for "bites", as she was hungry. It's so easy to take care of her when she tells us so clearly what she wants.
Another new word, spoken clear as day: "Baby". She also learned to say "Night night" at bedtime tonight.
She was saying "Night night, bye bye", knowing that sleepy time is time for a kind of "bye bye". Sweet girl.
Every day we play hide and seek, where she is the finder and one of us hides. We decided to give her a turn at hiding. She (with my help) would "hide" while Daddy looked for us. Obviously, we weren't hiding well, because we wanted her to see him looking for us. After he'd look in a few spots, she couldn't resist anymore and would yell "Dada!" to get his attention. She understands the game in theory, but lacks something in practice :o)
May 24, 2012
Lizzy's bottle warmer has a little "test tube" to help you measure the water. It makes a popping sound when you remove the cap. Today's new word is "Pop!"
She is entranced with making phone calls. I had called her Daddy's phone while we were all in the living room, to let her talk to me on the phone across the room. Afterwards, I handed her my phone (which was locked). She managed to unlock the phone and redial her Daddy's phone. Imagine the surprised look on her face when she realized what she had done!
May 25, 2012
I know I've mentioned how much we love to play hide and seek, where she is the seeker and I hide. This morning, she went to her normal "waiting" place, where she will wait until I hide. I went into the bathroom downstairs, one of my normal hiding spots, and waited for her to come and find me, like she normally does.
However, after a few seconds, I (strangely) heard her little feet running across the kitchen floor. This is totally out of the ordinary! So, I peeked around the corner to see what was going on.
She had waited until I was out of sight, and SHE WENT AND HID FROM ME! Behind the island in our kitchen, she patiently waited until I found her. Oh, the giggles that ensued!
We had our 1 year doctor's visit today. She is 98% in height, which is still baffling as I'm not exactly tall. Her Daddy is tall for an Asian, but she's not on a "half white half Asian" growth chart. She's flat out TALL period, and I just don't know where it's coming from. And skinny! Only 66% in weight.
Then the conversation turned to her cognitive development.
Well, let's see: She uses the potty (1 & 2), answers the phone, uses utensils, has been walking and running for months, is starting to identify letters, follows along with her finger in books when you're reading to her, has a 20 - 30 word vocabulary, speaks in 2 word sentences, identifies her ears/mouth/nose/toes/tummy, tries to jump, points to pictures in books correctly, follows commands, draws with chalk on her chalkboard, PLAYS HIDE AND FREAKIN' GO SEEK, tells us when she's ready for bed, etc. etc. etc.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_milestone-chart-19-to-24-months_1496591.bc
Her cognitive development level is on par with a 2 year old, per the medical professionals we met with today.
We seriously have a highly advanced baby on our hands. And I'm so very proud of her.
Smart, tall, healthy, beautiful - what more can I ask for?
She is perfection, and she is love.
Friday evening she stayed with Ed and Gay while we had a Mommy Daddy date night. This sweet girl is always smiling (with those two teeth!)
May 26, 2012
This morning she said "Hot dog!" during the Hot Dog Song on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
We had her first Level 4 Gymboree class this morning. SO MUCH BETTER for her! We worked on "in" and "out", and had much more fun that boring old Level 3.
After afternoon naps, we went and had Mexican for dinner (she loves tortilla chips!) and to the grocery. I love what a good girl she is, that we can take her everywhere and she is always so well behaved. She really wants to please.
May 27, 2012
We headed to the pool and splash pad at the YMCA today. Elizabeth, obviously, has a perfectly fun-filled life. However, she has NEVER had as much fun as she did at the splash pad. It was so intense that when we were in the swimming pool, she wanted back out to return to the splash pad. She held her feet and hands over the jets of water, ran from one station to the other, laughed, giggled, and yelled for Mama or Daddy to come back and play with her, if the other of us was taking a break on the lawn chairs. I guess I know where we will be most weekends this summer!
This morning she said "Hot dog!" during the Hot Dog Song on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
We had her first Level 4 Gymboree class this morning. SO MUCH BETTER for her! We worked on "in" and "out", and had much more fun that boring old Level 3.
After afternoon naps, we went and had Mexican for dinner (she loves tortilla chips!) and to the grocery. I love what a good girl she is, that we can take her everywhere and she is always so well behaved. She really wants to please.
May 27, 2012
We headed to the pool and splash pad at the YMCA today. Elizabeth, obviously, has a perfectly fun-filled life. However, she has NEVER had as much fun as she did at the splash pad. It was so intense that when we were in the swimming pool, she wanted back out to return to the splash pad. She held her feet and hands over the jets of water, ran from one station to the other, laughed, giggled, and yelled for Mama or Daddy to come back and play with her, if the other of us was taking a break on the lawn chairs. I guess I know where we will be most weekends this summer!
In the photo above, you see Lizzy patting her chest. She's started doing this to indicate "I" or "me". As in "Who is having fun? I am!"
May 28, 2012
This morning we were nursing, and she reached up, grabbed my face with both hands, and gave me the sweetest kiss ever.
Last weekend, Cousin Kendra gave Lizzy a big bag full of fun outfits she had purchased for her. This is one of my favorites:
This morning we were nursing, and she reached up, grabbed my face with both hands, and gave me the sweetest kiss ever.
Last weekend, Cousin Kendra gave Lizzy a big bag full of fun outfits she had purchased for her. This is one of my favorites:
For some reason, Lizzy doesn't like bananas. But, she likes saying it - "Nana."
In the afternoon, we headed to the new "beach" that has opened up by our house. We didn't stay long, since we didn't wear our swimsuits (we weren't sure if it was open yet or not!), but she played in the sand a bit and we stuck her toes in the water. Hooray for a beach within walking distance! We will be spending a lot of time there this summer.
After we got home, we played outside in the sprinklers a bit. Daddy was using the hose to do some watering, so Lizzy proceeded to play in the hose.
After a bit of playing, he started to gently spray her a bit more directly. This made her yell at him, in a scolding tone, "Dada!". You could feel the chastisement behind it!
May 29, 2012
As kiddos will do, Lizzy had fallen at the splash park and skinned her knee a little bit. It was over so quickly, and she was right back to playing, that I didn't give it a second thought.
Today, Gay asked her what happened to her knee. Lizzy proceeded to pantomime falling down, to show Gay what had happened.
Again - this isn't normal 1 year old behavior. Wow.
She has started attempting to wipe her own bottom. She knows after she goes to the toilet to get some TP off of the roll, but she's not very good yet at wiping. That doesn't stop her from trying!
Once I got home from work, she showed me a new hand motion that means "come here". It's almost as if she's screwing in a light bulb in front of her. Come here!
May 30, 2012
As we were sleeping early this morning, Lizzy started saying "Dada" and laughing in her sleep. She has sweet dreams about Daddy!
Ed drew "Mama" and "Dada" on the chalkboard. She immediately recognized Dada, and proceeded to give the chalk image kisses all day long.
She has such a sweet heart.
May 31, 2012
At 4:00 am this morning, I was awoken by Lizzy, who was still asleep, softly saying "Mama" in her dreams. Last night, dreaming of Dada. Today, dreaming of Mama.
June 1, 2012
Since it was Ed and Gay's 33rd wedding anniversary, I stayed home with Lizzy so they could have the day off to celebrate. She and I went to Gymboree, where she was making the whole class laugh with her antics. She has so much charisma.
We have been working hard on learning the color yellow. I have a large paint chip wheel, which displays hundreds of colors. As a test, I splayed them all out and asked Lizzy to show me yellow. She got it right on her first try. Next up - blue.
June 2, 2012
Today she told me she needed to go pee and poo, so she got rewarded with an hour without a diaper on. To say she loved it was an understatement!
We've been letting her have small bites of freezie pops, which she really enjoys. She had taken a larger than normal bite, and I thought she had finished it. She then wanted to nurse.
She still had the frozen, icy bite in her mouth when she started nursing. That was a cold surprise!
June 4, 2012
She has finally learned how to say "love." It's so beautiful.
June 6, 2012
I rushed home so we could head to her first June Jamboree. She was so happy - we couldn't keep the smile off of her face!
Today she told me she needed to go pee and poo, so she got rewarded with an hour without a diaper on. To say she loved it was an understatement!
We've been letting her have small bites of freezie pops, which she really enjoys. She had taken a larger than normal bite, and I thought she had finished it. She then wanted to nurse.
She still had the frozen, icy bite in her mouth when she started nursing. That was a cold surprise!
June 4, 2012
She has finally learned how to say "love." It's so beautiful.
June 6, 2012
I rushed home so we could head to her first June Jamboree. She was so happy - we couldn't keep the smile off of her face!
We played the "duck" game, and she won a stuffed duck. Then we shared an ice cream.
She and I rode two rides. She especially liked the ride that you could make spin around. Once she figured out how I was doing that, she wanted me to keep spinning it. Oh, the laughing!
On our way out, we found a nice rock to sit on to have a pretty picture made.
On our way out, we found a nice rock to sit on to have a pretty picture made.
Once we got home, she (and her balloon) tried to get some quarters out of the slot machine trays. Look at this tall girl on her tippy-toes.
June 7, 2012
This morning, as we were waking up in bed, Lizzy still had her eyes closed. Often, when she undoes the tab on her nappy, I'll jokingly tell her "no no no no no!" which always gets a big laugh out of her.
She was laying still, with her eyes still closed. She was sleeping in the nightgown you see in the photo above, so she could easily reach her nappy. She reached down (eyes closed), and undid the tab on her nappy. I quietly said "no no no no no!", and she smiled the biggest grin. She was a little faker! Totally awake, but with her eyes closed, undoing her nappy!
She is so funny, and joyful. It's hard to catch her without a smile. Here she is as I was pulling out of the driveway this morning. I love this face!
This morning, as we were waking up in bed, Lizzy still had her eyes closed. Often, when she undoes the tab on her nappy, I'll jokingly tell her "no no no no no!" which always gets a big laugh out of her.
She was laying still, with her eyes still closed. She was sleeping in the nightgown you see in the photo above, so she could easily reach her nappy. She reached down (eyes closed), and undid the tab on her nappy. I quietly said "no no no no no!", and she smiled the biggest grin. She was a little faker! Totally awake, but with her eyes closed, undoing her nappy!
She is so funny, and joyful. It's hard to catch her without a smile. Here she is as I was pulling out of the driveway this morning. I love this face!
June 8, 2012
It has been so warm and beautiful, that after I picked up Lizzy after work, we rushed home to unload my car from the week, change our clothes, and headed to the "beach" by our house.
It has been so warm and beautiful, that after I picked up Lizzy after work, we rushed home to unload my car from the week, change our clothes, and headed to the "beach" by our house.
It was pretty intense fun. Running from the dry sand, to the wet sand, into the water, back to the sand...for 40 minutes. We were both beat after this! However, she did not want to leave, and cried as we were walking away. It's so nice that it is only 2 minutes from our door!
Before bed that night, we learned a new body part, and word. She can now point to, and say, "knee". These are the body parts she can currently identify, either on herself, or on someone else: Head, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, tummy, belly button (a favorite!), legs, knee, butt, toes. She can say "ear", "butt", and "knee". I love my little doctor-in-training!
June 9, 2012
We woke up this morning and turned on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while still in bed. The last few weeks, her attention span has grown immensely, to the point she will sit and watch nearly an entire episode. After the opening theme song, she plopped down on a pillow on the bed, and settled in to watch.
Before bed that night, we learned a new body part, and word. She can now point to, and say, "knee". These are the body parts she can currently identify, either on herself, or on someone else: Head, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, tummy, belly button (a favorite!), legs, knee, butt, toes. She can say "ear", "butt", and "knee". I love my little doctor-in-training!
June 9, 2012
We woke up this morning and turned on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while still in bed. The last few weeks, her attention span has grown immensely, to the point she will sit and watch nearly an entire episode. After the opening theme song, she plopped down on a pillow on the bed, and settled in to watch.
After Gymboree, we came home, ate a yummy lunch, and then enjoyed a 2.5 hour family nap. Afterwards, we spent a lot of time playing in the sprinklers. We had two set up that overlapped just slightly. She figured out that if she stood in the area with the overlap, she could run back and forth between the two sprinklers, and time getting sprayed by each just right. She LOVES getting sprayed by the sprinklers (what kid doesn't?), and it's so cute to see her little shoulders come up by her ears when she runs away from the water.
We took a bath together tonight. After I was done washing her, she held her hand under the soap dispenser. I put some soap in her hand to see what she'd do. Since I had just finished washing her, apparently it was time for her to wash me. She proceeded to wash my legs and tummy. :o)
June 10, 2012
She slept in until 8:30 am, so by the time we were up and had eaten breakfast, it was time to get packed up to go to the splash pad by our house. It opened at 10:00, so we were there pretty much as soon as it opened. Trouble was, that water was COLD! So, we only stayed there about 25 minutes before we decided to head over to the YMCA pool instead, where the splash pad water isn't arctic.
We took a bath together tonight. After I was done washing her, she held her hand under the soap dispenser. I put some soap in her hand to see what she'd do. Since I had just finished washing her, apparently it was time for her to wash me. She proceeded to wash my legs and tummy. :o)
June 10, 2012
She slept in until 8:30 am, so by the time we were up and had eaten breakfast, it was time to get packed up to go to the splash pad by our house. It opened at 10:00, so we were there pretty much as soon as it opened. Trouble was, that water was COLD! So, we only stayed there about 25 minutes before we decided to head over to the YMCA pool instead, where the splash pad water isn't arctic.
We headed over to the YMCA, and waited a few minutes for them to open. Then we played on that splash pad (warmer water!) and in the very warm pool until noon-ish, when her little sleepy eyes got the better of her.
We came home, ate lunch, and had another lovely 2 hour nap together.
She loves to brush her hair with my hairbrush. She also discovered if she bangs my brush against different objects, they make very different noises. A favorite was the metal torch lamp - that got a big smile and laugh when it went "clang!"
She is getting so good at telling us when she's ready for bed. She'll stand at the base of the stairs, point up, and say "bye bye". It's so nice for her to tell us when it's bed time, when she needs to go potty, etc. If she's doing so well with the 30 or so words in her vocabulary now, how well will she communicate when that number doubles or triples?
June 11, 2012
Lizzy has a play kitchen, complete with pots and pans, plates and spoons. Today she grabbed one of her little spoons, went into the real kitchen, and stood and pointed at the refrigerator door.
She was hungry, and this was her way of telling Grandpa.
They caught her trying to get soap out of the baby soap dispenser that sits next to the bathtub. Guess she wanted to wash up!
For several weeks now, if you put lotion in her hands after the bath, she'll apply the lotion to her tummy. It's so cute to watch her rub the lotion in to her skin.
She has a couple of Minnie Mouse shirts, which she adores. Ed and Gay put one on her in their bedroom, at one end of the house. She was so excited that she ran, full speed, throughout the house into the office, where she rang the bell they have hung on the wall, and then ran back, full speed, into the bedroom again.
Ed had made me this dress when I was 3. As Lizzy is so tall, they decided to put it on her now to see if it would fit her.
We came home, ate lunch, and had another lovely 2 hour nap together.
She loves to brush her hair with my hairbrush. She also discovered if she bangs my brush against different objects, they make very different noises. A favorite was the metal torch lamp - that got a big smile and laugh when it went "clang!"
She is getting so good at telling us when she's ready for bed. She'll stand at the base of the stairs, point up, and say "bye bye". It's so nice for her to tell us when it's bed time, when she needs to go potty, etc. If she's doing so well with the 30 or so words in her vocabulary now, how well will she communicate when that number doubles or triples?
June 11, 2012
Lizzy has a play kitchen, complete with pots and pans, plates and spoons. Today she grabbed one of her little spoons, went into the real kitchen, and stood and pointed at the refrigerator door.
She was hungry, and this was her way of telling Grandpa.
They caught her trying to get soap out of the baby soap dispenser that sits next to the bathtub. Guess she wanted to wash up!
For several weeks now, if you put lotion in her hands after the bath, she'll apply the lotion to her tummy. It's so cute to watch her rub the lotion in to her skin.
She has a couple of Minnie Mouse shirts, which she adores. Ed and Gay put one on her in their bedroom, at one end of the house. She was so excited that she ran, full speed, throughout the house into the office, where she rang the bell they have hung on the wall, and then ran back, full speed, into the bedroom again.
Ed had made me this dress when I was 3. As Lizzy is so tall, they decided to put it on her now to see if it would fit her.
Since Lizzy was going to try to spend the night at Ed and Gay's while we went to a concert, I went over there after work to nurse her. While we were nursing and playing, she took the dress off herself (undoing the little shoulder ties and everything!), and then proceeded to show me her belly and say, clear as day, "belly." What I love is that not only does her vocabulary grow by several words each week, but she enunciates so clearly that it's very easy to understand what she's saying!
We headed to the concert, and assumed everything was okay, as Gay had called at 7:00 pm to say Lizzy had gone to sleep. However, she woke up 20 minutes later. Poor little pumpkin had developed a stuffy nose, and couldn't get comfortable. She also was walking around their house, looking for and asking for Mama. This broke my heart :o(
Gay got her back to sleep at 11:00 pm, so we went on home. However, at 1:00 am they called that she was awake, crying so terribly hard, that we had to come get her. We picked her up, and she was so happy to see us. This just tells me that she's not ready to spend the night away from Mommy yet. And that's a-okay with me. I think her stuffy nose and not being able to sleep well was 50% of it, and missing Mommy was the other 50%.
June 12, 2012
After the events of the evening prior, I knew she was happy to see me in the morning when she grabbed my face with both of her little hands and said, so lovingly, "Mama."
She was a happy, back-to-normal girl, being a little comedian doing jumps for her Daddy (she can finally get off the ground, ever so slightly!). She did continue to have a slightly stuffy nose throughout the day, but otherwise was fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGo3qiKgsXA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
She and I shared a freezie, and I wiped her mouth off. She grabbed the paper towel and proceeded to then wipe both her mouth and my mouth off with it.
In the evening, we went and had dinner at Red Robin and, as always, she was a perfectly well-behaved angel. Afterwards, we went to Gymboree to get some pretty new clothes for our upcoming trip to Italy.
The night was rough, as her stuffy nose really worsens at night, making it so difficult to nurse and breathe at the same time. She didn't sleep well, and was crying in frustration every time she couldn't get comfortable or nurse. Hurry up and get better, sweet girl
My mom found this picture of me at about the same age Lizzy is now (maybe a little older - there are Christmas presents in the back, so I may have been about 15 months old). Look at this hair, compared to Lizzy's! It's growing in EXACTLY the same pattern. Except hers is already longer, and is slightly lighter in color (which is so odd to me!)
We headed to the concert, and assumed everything was okay, as Gay had called at 7:00 pm to say Lizzy had gone to sleep. However, she woke up 20 minutes later. Poor little pumpkin had developed a stuffy nose, and couldn't get comfortable. She also was walking around their house, looking for and asking for Mama. This broke my heart :o(
Gay got her back to sleep at 11:00 pm, so we went on home. However, at 1:00 am they called that she was awake, crying so terribly hard, that we had to come get her. We picked her up, and she was so happy to see us. This just tells me that she's not ready to spend the night away from Mommy yet. And that's a-okay with me. I think her stuffy nose and not being able to sleep well was 50% of it, and missing Mommy was the other 50%.
June 12, 2012
After the events of the evening prior, I knew she was happy to see me in the morning when she grabbed my face with both of her little hands and said, so lovingly, "Mama."
She was a happy, back-to-normal girl, being a little comedian doing jumps for her Daddy (she can finally get off the ground, ever so slightly!). She did continue to have a slightly stuffy nose throughout the day, but otherwise was fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGo3qiKgsXA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
She and I shared a freezie, and I wiped her mouth off. She grabbed the paper towel and proceeded to then wipe both her mouth and my mouth off with it.
In the evening, we went and had dinner at Red Robin and, as always, she was a perfectly well-behaved angel. Afterwards, we went to Gymboree to get some pretty new clothes for our upcoming trip to Italy.
The night was rough, as her stuffy nose really worsens at night, making it so difficult to nurse and breathe at the same time. She didn't sleep well, and was crying in frustration every time she couldn't get comfortable or nurse. Hurry up and get better, sweet girl
My mom found this picture of me at about the same age Lizzy is now (maybe a little older - there are Christmas presents in the back, so I may have been about 15 months old). Look at this hair, compared to Lizzy's! It's growing in EXACTLY the same pattern. Except hers is already longer, and is slightly lighter in color (which is so odd to me!)
June 13, 2012
Lizzy took her spoon from her play kitchen again, but today she went into the kitchen and opened the pot and pan drawer. She pretended to stir some imaginary eggs in a pan, and then took the spoon to Gay so she could have pretend bites. Her imagination is in overdrive!
June 15, 2012
Miss Baby thinks it's just SO FUNNY to take her diaper off. Keeping it on her is a futile effort these days. Good thing potty training is going so well!
Lizzy took her spoon from her play kitchen again, but today she went into the kitchen and opened the pot and pan drawer. She pretended to stir some imaginary eggs in a pan, and then took the spoon to Gay so she could have pretend bites. Her imagination is in overdrive!
June 15, 2012
Miss Baby thinks it's just SO FUNNY to take her diaper off. Keeping it on her is a futile effort these days. Good thing potty training is going so well!
Once we got home, we headed for the beach. We stayed about an hour, and, as usual, Lizzy had a great time playing in the sand. The Terrys were able to join us too, so it was fun to see them.
Liz has been battling with a bit of a stuffy nose this week, so it was a huge help on Friday when she was finally able to blow her nose for the first time! It's not very forceful, but it does help. Kudos to her Daddy for teaching her.
After the beach, we had a bath. One of her bath toys is an old Coors Light pitcher (appropriate baby toy, no?). I asked her to show me the letter "O", and of course, she got it right. Then she pointed out the "O" on a can of soda later on. Little miss smarty pants.
Her attention span has increased dramatically. Before bed, she and I lay together and watched a full hour of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. No squirming, no distractions. Just intense watching and learning.
Being silly before bedtime.
June 16, 2012
Days don't get much more perfect than this. We woke up and headed to Gymboree. After class, Ed and Gay came over for his Father's Day gifts. As soon as they showed up, Elizabeth went into show-off mode, running around, jumping, showing all of her toys. We headed to have a nice meal of Mexican food. Lizzy LOVES tortilla chips, and was dipping them in the queso and salsa. Another favorite of hers is guacamole (she seriously loves guacamole (and bleu cheese, but that's another matter)), so she left with a full tummy too.
Once we left, she conked out in her car seats without a peep. We unloaded her and all lay down for a nice nap. Once we woke up, it was still sunny and beautiful, so we headed to the pool. After about 45 minutes, she started saying "bye bye" and pointing at the exit - she was done and ready to leave. We stopped at Wendy's on the way home for a baked potato, which she proceeded to eat half of before bed.
We had to move up to size 4 diapers. She's getting so big, so fast.
June 17, 2012
Happy Father's Day! Look at how happy this baby is to be with her Daddy. She simply adores him. Most mornings, "Dada" is the first word out of her mouth.
Liz has been battling with a bit of a stuffy nose this week, so it was a huge help on Friday when she was finally able to blow her nose for the first time! It's not very forceful, but it does help. Kudos to her Daddy for teaching her.
After the beach, we had a bath. One of her bath toys is an old Coors Light pitcher (appropriate baby toy, no?). I asked her to show me the letter "O", and of course, she got it right. Then she pointed out the "O" on a can of soda later on. Little miss smarty pants.
Her attention span has increased dramatically. Before bed, she and I lay together and watched a full hour of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. No squirming, no distractions. Just intense watching and learning.
Being silly before bedtime.
June 16, 2012
Days don't get much more perfect than this. We woke up and headed to Gymboree. After class, Ed and Gay came over for his Father's Day gifts. As soon as they showed up, Elizabeth went into show-off mode, running around, jumping, showing all of her toys. We headed to have a nice meal of Mexican food. Lizzy LOVES tortilla chips, and was dipping them in the queso and salsa. Another favorite of hers is guacamole (she seriously loves guacamole (and bleu cheese, but that's another matter)), so she left with a full tummy too.
Once we left, she conked out in her car seats without a peep. We unloaded her and all lay down for a nice nap. Once we woke up, it was still sunny and beautiful, so we headed to the pool. After about 45 minutes, she started saying "bye bye" and pointing at the exit - she was done and ready to leave. We stopped at Wendy's on the way home for a baked potato, which she proceeded to eat half of before bed.
We had to move up to size 4 diapers. She's getting so big, so fast.
June 17, 2012
Happy Father's Day! Look at how happy this baby is to be with her Daddy. She simply adores him. Most mornings, "Dada" is the first word out of her mouth.
She had a lovely nap and then we headed to the Mall for lunch and some shopping. After another baked potato and some tortilla chips at McAlister's, we went to Penney's to get some clothes for our upcoming Italy trip. We shopped for about an hour, and she was a perfect angel. Afterwards, we went to get some frozen yogurt, which she helped us eat. We headed back home for a beautiful afternoon of play and love.
I know I posted a comparison shot a few days ago of my hair and Lizzy's. Daddy took this photo of her, which I couldn't resist comparing to my 15 month photo again. Do we look related?
I know I posted a comparison shot a few days ago of my hair and Lizzy's. Daddy took this photo of her, which I couldn't resist comparing to my 15 month photo again. Do we look related?
By now you know that Lizzy likes to say "bye bye" whenever she's done with something. Be it time for bed, or being done at the pool, it's how she lets us know she's ready to move on.
We were nursing. She was done. She grabbed "me" in her hand, shook it, and said "bye bye". We could not stop laughing.
June 18, 2012
Miss Baby loves to put on necklaces, like Mommy. She walks around putting this necklace on and, when Gay asks if she wants to see herself, she runs over the mirror so she can be lifted up to see herself. She likes looking at her pretty self. Who wouldn't, if you were as beautiful as this?!
We were nursing. She was done. She grabbed "me" in her hand, shook it, and said "bye bye". We could not stop laughing.
June 18, 2012
Miss Baby loves to put on necklaces, like Mommy. She walks around putting this necklace on and, when Gay asks if she wants to see herself, she runs over the mirror so she can be lifted up to see herself. She likes looking at her pretty self. Who wouldn't, if you were as beautiful as this?!
When she was napping at Ed and Gay's, she was asleep on their futon. While still asleep, she got down to the floor and tried to walk, saying "Mama" all the while. We already have a sleep-talker on our hands. Will she be a sleep-walker too?
She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in a serious way. We were watching an episode together and she tried to sing along with the theme song. Cuteness overload!
When she was ready for bed tonight, she told her musical play table "bye bye."
June 19, 2012
Will she be a lefty like her Daddy and Grandpa Ed?
She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in a serious way. We were watching an episode together and she tried to sing along with the theme song. Cuteness overload!
When she was ready for bed tonight, she told her musical play table "bye bye."
June 19, 2012
Will she be a lefty like her Daddy and Grandpa Ed?
June 20, 2012
Lizzy loves to help me check the mailbox when we get home. I always let her open the door. Today, once we opened the mailbox door, she said "mail!"
We were then looking at her photos from her birthday party, in which she was wearing her purple hippo shirt. I had put her in that same shirt after her bath. She realized she was wearing the same shirt as in the photos, and would point at the shirt in the photo on the screen, and then look down and point at the shirt on her.
All night long, she kept saying "bye bye" in her sleep. So cute to hear her talk in her sleep!
June 21, 2012
This joyful girl loves life. It is nearly impossible to catch her not smiling (with those two teeth!). She was playing out in the sunshine, playing hide and seek under the willow trees, and loving everything in the world. Her joy is infectious. Her beauty is captivating. How did I create such perfection?
Lizzy loves to help me check the mailbox when we get home. I always let her open the door. Today, once we opened the mailbox door, she said "mail!"
We were then looking at her photos from her birthday party, in which she was wearing her purple hippo shirt. I had put her in that same shirt after her bath. She realized she was wearing the same shirt as in the photos, and would point at the shirt in the photo on the screen, and then look down and point at the shirt on her.
All night long, she kept saying "bye bye" in her sleep. So cute to hear her talk in her sleep!
June 21, 2012
This joyful girl loves life. It is nearly impossible to catch her not smiling (with those two teeth!). She was playing out in the sunshine, playing hide and seek under the willow trees, and loving everything in the world. Her joy is infectious. Her beauty is captivating. How did I create such perfection?
June 23, 2012
Lizzy has a "Animal Peek-A-Boo" book, where different animals are hiding behind the flaps of the pages. For months, of course, she has been able to recognize the "dog" and "duck". She recently learned the word "bear" (which she also uses for Big Bear, her giant stuffed bear which has become a favorite toy in the last few weeks - she says "Big Bear" so clearly!), so when she finds the bear in the book, she says "bear".
Today she learned to say "Meow" when the kitten is found under the flap. I love watching her learn so much, so quickly.
Daddy took this video of Lizzy sitting on Big Bear, watching Mickey Mouse. She gets SO EXCITED when Mickey comes on that she bounces up and down on Big Bear's neck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5uvqbjY57s_
June 24, 2012
Another magical day together, where I was sorry to see it end. She and I started the day by going to Daylight Donuts for some breakfast treats. Surprisingly, while she loved the sausage roll, she wasn't crazy about the doughnut holes I let her try.
Once Daddy was up, and Lizzy was up from her nap, we headed to the pool. Listen to our little chatterbox on the car ride there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IachTwEyYs_
We were there for nearly 2 hours of fun. Here's Lizzy playing in the splash pad:
Splash pad!
Once we headed home, she took ANOTHER 2 hour nap. Then we got dressed and headed to The Journey seafood buffet for dinner. We were there for over an hour, and she was (as always) so good. Eating great (loved coconut shrimp!) and then content to entertain herself with coloring and toys while we had a nice meal ourselves. Look at this happy girl (sorry it's a little blurry):
Lizzy has a "Animal Peek-A-Boo" book, where different animals are hiding behind the flaps of the pages. For months, of course, she has been able to recognize the "dog" and "duck". She recently learned the word "bear" (which she also uses for Big Bear, her giant stuffed bear which has become a favorite toy in the last few weeks - she says "Big Bear" so clearly!), so when she finds the bear in the book, she says "bear".
Today she learned to say "Meow" when the kitten is found under the flap. I love watching her learn so much, so quickly.
Daddy took this video of Lizzy sitting on Big Bear, watching Mickey Mouse. She gets SO EXCITED when Mickey comes on that she bounces up and down on Big Bear's neck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5uvqbjY57s_
June 24, 2012
Another magical day together, where I was sorry to see it end. She and I started the day by going to Daylight Donuts for some breakfast treats. Surprisingly, while she loved the sausage roll, she wasn't crazy about the doughnut holes I let her try.
Once Daddy was up, and Lizzy was up from her nap, we headed to the pool. Listen to our little chatterbox on the car ride there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IachTwEyYs_
We were there for nearly 2 hours of fun. Here's Lizzy playing in the splash pad:
Splash pad!
Once we headed home, she took ANOTHER 2 hour nap. Then we got dressed and headed to The Journey seafood buffet for dinner. We were there for over an hour, and she was (as always) so good. Eating great (loved coconut shrimp!) and then content to entertain herself with coloring and toys while we had a nice meal ourselves. Look at this happy girl (sorry it's a little blurry):
She is such a delight when we take her anywhere. Well behaved, and an absolute charmer. Waving at everyone, smiling at people in line and then pretending to be shy, telling everyone "bye bye" when we're leaving. I love that she is so easy and perfect.
Once we came home, we helped Daddy move the sprinklers around. I just happened to snap this amazing photo of her, just standing there being beautiful.
Once we came home, we helped Daddy move the sprinklers around. I just happened to snap this amazing photo of her, just standing there being beautiful.
When she finally went to sleep around 9:30, I was so sad to see another perfect weekend come to an end. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there aren't enough hours in the day to spend with this perfect girl. She completes our lives.
June 28, 2012
Just time for a quick update on Lizzy's skills. Rather than try to write them all, I grabbed the 19 - 24 month chart from Baby Center (of course, remember she's 13 1/2 months old!)
June 28, 2012
Just time for a quick update on Lizzy's skills. Rather than try to write them all, I grabbed the 19 - 24 month chart from Baby Center (of course, remember she's 13 1/2 months old!)
She LOVES to be helpful, putting things in the trash (especially dirty diapers, which is really nice to have help with that!). She has been "feeding" her doll for months. Of course toilet training is going very well, although we still haven't made it through an entire day without 1 diaper change (mostly our fault for not getting her to the toilet in time).
She doesn't yet walk up stairs, but likes to climb up them like a doggie, on all fours. She's getting quite fast at this, too. She can point to a dog or a bird in a book and name it, and point correctly to other animals if you name it for her. The 22-month skill of following two-step requests makes me laugh, as she's been doing that since before she was a year old.
She's getting VERY close to opening doors on her own. She knows how they work, she just can't quite reach the knobs yet. She has also figured out how to open the safety gate at the top of the stairs but, as she's never out of our eyesight, it's not a real safety hazard, and she minds SO well that when we tell her "no", she stops messing with it.
She can still point out the letter "O" and the color yellow, although we haven't been working with her on her other letters and colors as much as we should. I'll have to work on red and blue with her this weekend.
For the 24-month skill, I'd say 75% of her speech is understandable. She has very clear enunciation, which makes understanding her a breeze (thankfully, as I've never been good at translating Toddler to English). Jumping has evolved to the point where she can now get off the ground!
EVENING UPDATE: Funny enough, this morning I had written how she was getting close to opening doors on her own. She managed to (twice) open the door to the pantry by herself. We're in trouble now! :o)
June 29, 2012
Someone played so hard at Ed and Gay's today, that she conked out on the floor at 5:45 pm, and slept until 6:15 the next morning.
She doesn't yet walk up stairs, but likes to climb up them like a doggie, on all fours. She's getting quite fast at this, too. She can point to a dog or a bird in a book and name it, and point correctly to other animals if you name it for her. The 22-month skill of following two-step requests makes me laugh, as she's been doing that since before she was a year old.
She's getting VERY close to opening doors on her own. She knows how they work, she just can't quite reach the knobs yet. She has also figured out how to open the safety gate at the top of the stairs but, as she's never out of our eyesight, it's not a real safety hazard, and she minds SO well that when we tell her "no", she stops messing with it.
She can still point out the letter "O" and the color yellow, although we haven't been working with her on her other letters and colors as much as we should. I'll have to work on red and blue with her this weekend.
For the 24-month skill, I'd say 75% of her speech is understandable. She has very clear enunciation, which makes understanding her a breeze (thankfully, as I've never been good at translating Toddler to English). Jumping has evolved to the point where she can now get off the ground!
EVENING UPDATE: Funny enough, this morning I had written how she was getting close to opening doors on her own. She managed to (twice) open the door to the pantry by herself. We're in trouble now! :o)
June 29, 2012
Someone played so hard at Ed and Gay's today, that she conked out on the floor at 5:45 pm, and slept until 6:15 the next morning.
June 30, 2012
Our Saturday started with Gymboree in the morning, followed by a nice nap then a couple hours of play time. For dinner, we went and had Indian food. Lizzy LOVES paneer (who doesn't?!) and then proceeded to pick every single pea out of the rice that came with our entrees. She didn't want us to feed them to her, she didn't want to use her spoon. She insisted on picking them out with her fingers.
July 1, 2012
Ed came and had breakfast with us this morning. Lizzy was very surprised when he rang the doorbell at 7:10, and there was her Ed! We went and got doughnuts and sausage rolls. It was a little sad when he left and she was still yelling "Ed!" for him to come back, though.
He told me a story that one day last week, he was blocking her entry into one of the rooms in their house. She was pushing on his legs and saying "Move! Move!". Another word that no one taught her to say.
She also said "Mine" for the first time today. Thanks to Ed for teaching her that one ;o)
After our morning nap, we went to a BBQ at a friend's house. For the day, we decided to let Lizzy wear the gold bracelet her GrandMa had bought her when she was a newborn. SHE LOVED IT. I fear I may have a girly-girl on my hands, as much as she loves to wear necklaces and now bracelets. Liz had a great time at the BBQ, playing with bubbles, eating freezies and watermelon, and playing ball with the much older kids. I love that she's such a good little girl that we can do everything with!
One of the funniest things she will do is say the opposite of what I want her to say. We love to sing "If you're happy and you know it,..." and then put in any number of things for the end of that line in the song (clap your hands, show your tongue, stomp your feet, etc.) One of my favorites is "If you're happy and you know it, say Mama!", to which she will reply "Mama." Except lately, when I say "If you're happy and you know it, say Mama", she will look right at me with the biggest grin and say "DADA!" instead, just because she knows I want her to say Mama. She is so funny.
July 2, 2012
Her hair is getting so long that it's in her eyes, but I can't bring myself to cut it. Normally we just sweep it off to the side. Gay put a barrette in her hair today.
Our Saturday started with Gymboree in the morning, followed by a nice nap then a couple hours of play time. For dinner, we went and had Indian food. Lizzy LOVES paneer (who doesn't?!) and then proceeded to pick every single pea out of the rice that came with our entrees. She didn't want us to feed them to her, she didn't want to use her spoon. She insisted on picking them out with her fingers.
July 1, 2012
Ed came and had breakfast with us this morning. Lizzy was very surprised when he rang the doorbell at 7:10, and there was her Ed! We went and got doughnuts and sausage rolls. It was a little sad when he left and she was still yelling "Ed!" for him to come back, though.
He told me a story that one day last week, he was blocking her entry into one of the rooms in their house. She was pushing on his legs and saying "Move! Move!". Another word that no one taught her to say.
She also said "Mine" for the first time today. Thanks to Ed for teaching her that one ;o)
After our morning nap, we went to a BBQ at a friend's house. For the day, we decided to let Lizzy wear the gold bracelet her GrandMa had bought her when she was a newborn. SHE LOVED IT. I fear I may have a girly-girl on my hands, as much as she loves to wear necklaces and now bracelets. Liz had a great time at the BBQ, playing with bubbles, eating freezies and watermelon, and playing ball with the much older kids. I love that she's such a good little girl that we can do everything with!
One of the funniest things she will do is say the opposite of what I want her to say. We love to sing "If you're happy and you know it,..." and then put in any number of things for the end of that line in the song (clap your hands, show your tongue, stomp your feet, etc.) One of my favorites is "If you're happy and you know it, say Mama!", to which she will reply "Mama." Except lately, when I say "If you're happy and you know it, say Mama", she will look right at me with the biggest grin and say "DADA!" instead, just because she knows I want her to say Mama. She is so funny.
July 2, 2012
Her hair is getting so long that it's in her eyes, but I can't bring myself to cut it. Normally we just sweep it off to the side. Gay put a barrette in her hair today.
July 4, 2012
Because of the sweltering temperatures, our original plan to spend Independence Day at the pool was scuppered. So, we spent the day playing at home.
Look at the difference 1 year makes.
Because of the sweltering temperatures, our original plan to spend Independence Day at the pool was scuppered. So, we spent the day playing at home.
Look at the difference 1 year makes.
When Lizzy is deep in thought, her tongue makes an appearance. Here she is, intently turning all of the light switches in the bathroom on and off.
July 6, 2012
Lizzy LOVES birds. She says "bird", and says "hoo hoo" (like an owl) when she sees them. Ed has a shirt with colorful parrots on it. Gay put it on her...
Lizzy LOVES birds. She says "bird", and says "hoo hoo" (like an owl) when she sees them. Ed has a shirt with colorful parrots on it. Gay put it on her...
When Gay showed Lizzy this photo of her in the bird shirt, Liz proceeded to carry the camera around, looking at the photo of herself in the shirt.
July 7, 2012
Today is Lizzy's 14 month birthday. She still only has her 2 bottom teeth. So advanced on everything else, so behind on teeth!
1 year ago today, during her 2 month photo shoot, I took one of my favorite photos ever of her. She was so beautiful, even then. It warrants reposting.
Today is Lizzy's 14 month birthday. She still only has her 2 bottom teeth. So advanced on everything else, so behind on teeth!
1 year ago today, during her 2 month photo shoot, I took one of my favorite photos ever of her. She was so beautiful, even then. It warrants reposting.
July 8, 2012
What an amazingly perfect day. After Lizzy's post-breakfast nap, we headed to the pool. On the way there, we stopped to get me a new bike so we can finally start family bike rides with Lizzy in her Burley Buggy.
Upon pulling up at the Y, she started giggling because she knew where we were. I love that she has anticipation about all the fun things she gets to do, and that excitement makes her laugh. Once we actually got to the pool there was more laughter. She LOVES to swim! After an hour and a half, we headed home for a post-swimming nap.
What an amazingly perfect day. After Lizzy's post-breakfast nap, we headed to the pool. On the way there, we stopped to get me a new bike so we can finally start family bike rides with Lizzy in her Burley Buggy.
Upon pulling up at the Y, she started giggling because she knew where we were. I love that she has anticipation about all the fun things she gets to do, and that excitement makes her laugh. Once we actually got to the pool there was more laughter. She LOVES to swim! After an hour and a half, we headed home for a post-swimming nap.
Once she woke up, we got ready for our first bike ride. We went down to our local pizzeria for a lovely pizza (Lizzy LOVES proscuitto and fresh mozzarella - guess she'll be in for a big treat in 46 more days!) and then Yogi for dessert. She really liked the ride. Any excuse for her to be outside makes her happy.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This life is so much fun with her in it. She makes even daily, mundane tasks more fun. Life is 1000x better with her in it. She is an amazing source of joy, light, laughter and love. She absolutely sparkles, and I can't imagine life without her.
July 9, 2012
Her dad and I had been talking on Sunday about how beautiful she is. That reminded me of the theory that the most beautiful people are those with the most symmetrical faces. This inspired me to take a photo of Lizzy, split it down the middle, flip it, and compare to the original to see how symmetrical she really is. Check out the result. She's perfectly beautiful, right down to the dimple in her chin.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This life is so much fun with her in it. She makes even daily, mundane tasks more fun. Life is 1000x better with her in it. She is an amazing source of joy, light, laughter and love. She absolutely sparkles, and I can't imagine life without her.
July 9, 2012
Her dad and I had been talking on Sunday about how beautiful she is. That reminded me of the theory that the most beautiful people are those with the most symmetrical faces. This inspired me to take a photo of Lizzy, split it down the middle, flip it, and compare to the original to see how symmetrical she really is. Check out the result. She's perfectly beautiful, right down to the dimple in her chin.
When we got unloaded from the car after work, she pointed at her Daddy's bike on the wall, and said "Dada." She then turned to her Burley Buggy, hanging on the other wall, pointed, and said "Ooooooo." I think she wanted to go for another bike ride. Unfortunately, she was so sleepy after dinner that she went to sleep instead.
July 10, 2012
Look at this happy girl.
July 10, 2012
Look at this happy girl.
Little Miss Baby only had a 20 minute nap today, so when she went to bed at 6:00 pm, I figured she was out for the night. 70 minutes later she woke up, looked at her Dad with a big smile, and said "Dada!" Since she was up, we went ahead and got the bikes out and rode down to the park to play. What a fun night it ended up being!
July 11, 2012
Elizabeth was helping Ed pick tomatoes off of his tomato plant, and was popping little cherry tomatoes into her mouth as they went along. "Mmmmm!"
When I got to the Fortville Park to pick her up, she was hopping up the step, saying "up", and then hopping down again saying "down." Learning up and down at 14 months. Have a mentioned what a little smarty pants we have on our hands?
We went to the pool after we got home, since it was still so sunny and beautiful. We swam and then headed home for dinner, with one worn out little munchkin, who fell asleep within minutes of going to bed.
July 12, 2012
On our way to Ed and Gay this morning, we were rolling the windows "up" and "down" in the car. This got major laughs, and it was so cute to hear her saying "up!" when the window was going up and "down!" when it was going down.
Lizzy has taken to the shower at Ed and Gay's house. She thinks it's fun to get in there and pretend to wash herself.
July 11, 2012
Elizabeth was helping Ed pick tomatoes off of his tomato plant, and was popping little cherry tomatoes into her mouth as they went along. "Mmmmm!"
When I got to the Fortville Park to pick her up, she was hopping up the step, saying "up", and then hopping down again saying "down." Learning up and down at 14 months. Have a mentioned what a little smarty pants we have on our hands?
We went to the pool after we got home, since it was still so sunny and beautiful. We swam and then headed home for dinner, with one worn out little munchkin, who fell asleep within minutes of going to bed.
July 12, 2012
On our way to Ed and Gay this morning, we were rolling the windows "up" and "down" in the car. This got major laughs, and it was so cute to hear her saying "up!" when the window was going up and "down!" when it was going down.
Lizzy has taken to the shower at Ed and Gay's house. She thinks it's fun to get in there and pretend to wash herself.
Elizabeth has a clear sense of what is right and what isn't. For instance, she knows that dogs do not say "meow", and will shake her head no if you try to say something silly like that. She also knows that bloomers do not go on her head, and was belly laughing for several minutes straight because Ed and Gay were being silly.
July 13, 2012
Today we had Elizabeth's 15 month check-up. Obviously, we are a little early (as she's just turned 14 months old), but we wanted to go ahead and get it done so she could get her MMR and Varicella shots taken care of, so they would have enough time to become effective before we leave for Italy (6 weeks from today!).
Once again, the health care workers were astonished at her. 40 - 50 word vocabulary, with 2 word sentences. Potty training. Pointing to her knee for them, and saying "knee."
They said we are "Poster Parents" for raising such a healthy, advanced baby. Not having her in Day Care and still nursing her are the best things we could be doing for her, and they were quite complimentary of us for doing these things. They just told us to keep doing what we're doing, because we are doing "absolutely everything right" (their words, not mine!) I was encouraged to continue nursing her until she weans naturally, a few years from now. This is what I had intended on doing anyhow, so it's nice to hear yet another support point for this.
They were amazed that in over 14 months, we have NEVER had to bring her in for any sort of illness, only pre-scheduled well-baby checks. They very rarely see that. Again, no Day Care + Breastfeeding = Amazingly Healthy Baby!
The only thing we were concerned about is that she still only has 2 teeth. We were told this is nothing to worry about whatsoever. They will come in, and be perfectly healthy.
She's still very tall and a perfect weight (24.5 pounds). We don't have to go back until November, when we will do her 18-month developmental checklist. I can't wait ;o)
July 15, 2012
I mentioned a few days ago how our little comedienne thinks it's funny to say "Dada" when I sing "If you're happy and you know it, say Mama." Here's a video of her doing it. Look at this grin - she knows she's being funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prS4IdoAgM4
July 16, 2012
Lizzy has taken to "shhhh"ing you if you're talking too loud, or singing along with something that she doesn't want you to sing with. This morning she told me "shhhhh" as we were driving to Ed and Gay. I stopped talking to her, and after a few moments turned around to see her reading her book, closing the "peek a boo" flap on the duck page, telling them "bye bye" every time she'd do that. Mommy needed to be quiet so she could talk to the ducks!
July 17, 2012
Riding in the laundry cart is fun.
Today we had Elizabeth's 15 month check-up. Obviously, we are a little early (as she's just turned 14 months old), but we wanted to go ahead and get it done so she could get her MMR and Varicella shots taken care of, so they would have enough time to become effective before we leave for Italy (6 weeks from today!).
Once again, the health care workers were astonished at her. 40 - 50 word vocabulary, with 2 word sentences. Potty training. Pointing to her knee for them, and saying "knee."
They said we are "Poster Parents" for raising such a healthy, advanced baby. Not having her in Day Care and still nursing her are the best things we could be doing for her, and they were quite complimentary of us for doing these things. They just told us to keep doing what we're doing, because we are doing "absolutely everything right" (their words, not mine!) I was encouraged to continue nursing her until she weans naturally, a few years from now. This is what I had intended on doing anyhow, so it's nice to hear yet another support point for this.
They were amazed that in over 14 months, we have NEVER had to bring her in for any sort of illness, only pre-scheduled well-baby checks. They very rarely see that. Again, no Day Care + Breastfeeding = Amazingly Healthy Baby!
The only thing we were concerned about is that she still only has 2 teeth. We were told this is nothing to worry about whatsoever. They will come in, and be perfectly healthy.
She's still very tall and a perfect weight (24.5 pounds). We don't have to go back until November, when we will do her 18-month developmental checklist. I can't wait ;o)
July 15, 2012
I mentioned a few days ago how our little comedienne thinks it's funny to say "Dada" when I sing "If you're happy and you know it, say Mama." Here's a video of her doing it. Look at this grin - she knows she's being funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prS4IdoAgM4
July 16, 2012
Lizzy has taken to "shhhh"ing you if you're talking too loud, or singing along with something that she doesn't want you to sing with. This morning she told me "shhhhh" as we were driving to Ed and Gay. I stopped talking to her, and after a few moments turned around to see her reading her book, closing the "peek a boo" flap on the duck page, telling them "bye bye" every time she'd do that. Mommy needed to be quiet so she could talk to the ducks!
July 17, 2012
Riding in the laundry cart is fun.
In addition to riding in the laundry cart, today Lizzy learned:
It was such a big day, that she fell asleep by 6:15. She must have been contemplating all of her new skills in her sleep.
- How to drink out of a straw
- How to blow a whistle
- That a sheep says "baaaa" (this is in addition to learning last weekend that monkeys say "aah aah aah"
- How to make the "Indian" noise with your hand and mouth
- That Gay's closet is a fantastic place to play, where you can sit on the shelf and put on Gay's shoes
It was such a big day, that she fell asleep by 6:15. She must have been contemplating all of her new skills in her sleep.
July 19, 2012
In case you don't know how, Elizabeth will help instruct you how to wash under your arms, or apply deodorant.
In case you don't know how, Elizabeth will help instruct you how to wash under your arms, or apply deodorant.
Here is Lizzy in my old Big Bird chair. Look at that gorgeous face!
July 20, 2012
Lizzy loves birds. She really loves her new bird shirt, although you wouldn't guess it from her face in this photo!
Lizzy loves birds. She really loves her new bird shirt, although you wouldn't guess it from her face in this photo!
We spent the weekend with Ed and Gay, since Daddy was away in Chicago. Friday night, we went to the Madison County Fair. After riding the merry-go-round with Ed, we spotted another ride that apparently she was tall enough to ride on her own. Of course, she's not ready to ride by herself, but she technically could...
After we had fun picking ducks, Lizzy got to choose her prize. She picked a big pink ball. At the fair, they also had a lovely nursing station set up, where she and I were able to nurse in a nice rocking chair, with a fan for comfort and screens for privacy. I was quite surprised to find that at the fair of all places!
Lizzy also got to pet a horse for the first time, which we neglected to capture on camera.
On the way home, Ed was playing with Lizzy's new ball. She grabbed it and, clear as day, said "My ball!"
July 22, 2012
After we had all returned home after our weekends away, Lizzy was so excited to see her Daddy. Before bed, we all shared some freezies. Her Dad brought a yellow one and blue one. We asked her which one she wanted, and she said "yellow" and grabbed that one.
We have also been playing a silly game where we pretend we are going to give kisses to each other, but we turn our heads at the last minute and say "no no no!" This makes her laugh with her whole body. After we stopped playing, she grabbed my face, and was making the "kissing" noise as she guided my head back towards her Daddy's. She wanted us to keep playing!
July 24, 2012
Always smiling, always laughing. Sweet, gentle, perfect spirit.
Lizzy also got to pet a horse for the first time, which we neglected to capture on camera.
On the way home, Ed was playing with Lizzy's new ball. She grabbed it and, clear as day, said "My ball!"
July 22, 2012
After we had all returned home after our weekends away, Lizzy was so excited to see her Daddy. Before bed, we all shared some freezies. Her Dad brought a yellow one and blue one. We asked her which one she wanted, and she said "yellow" and grabbed that one.
We have also been playing a silly game where we pretend we are going to give kisses to each other, but we turn our heads at the last minute and say "no no no!" This makes her laugh with her whole body. After we stopped playing, she grabbed my face, and was making the "kissing" noise as she guided my head back towards her Daddy's. She wanted us to keep playing!
July 24, 2012
Always smiling, always laughing. Sweet, gentle, perfect spirit.
July 28, 2012
She's not too sure about Daddy's new phone.
July 29, 2012
Just a few new things she's been doing lately. She loves a little show on Baby TV called "Peek-A-Boo." I have it on all of our DVRs. Before, when she wants to watch Mickey, she'd hand me the remote and say "Mouse." Now, she'll hand me the remote and put her hands up to her eyes to tell me she wants to watch "Peek-A-Boo."
"Ap" means Apple, and "El" means Elephant.
She been loving a couple of videos from the Giggle Bellies DVD Ed and Gay bought for her. One is a video and song about an elephant named Peanut, so obviously she has to point at the TV and say "EL!". She also loves The Wheels on the Bus, and can do the rolling motion for the wheels, takes her arms in and out for "open and close" and, my personal favorite, hold her fingers up when the wipers on the bus go "swish swish swish."
Still only 2 bottom teeth, and we're just over a week away from being 15 months!
Here are some pictures from today, which she spent with Ed and Gay (so we could clean the house before Daddy's sister Ai Van arrives to spend 2 weeks with us. I can't wait for Lizzy to meet her Auntie!)
Lizzy in Gay's lap, watching Peanut the Elephant:
She's not too sure about Daddy's new phone.
July 29, 2012
Just a few new things she's been doing lately. She loves a little show on Baby TV called "Peek-A-Boo." I have it on all of our DVRs. Before, when she wants to watch Mickey, she'd hand me the remote and say "Mouse." Now, she'll hand me the remote and put her hands up to her eyes to tell me she wants to watch "Peek-A-Boo."
"Ap" means Apple, and "El" means Elephant.
She been loving a couple of videos from the Giggle Bellies DVD Ed and Gay bought for her. One is a video and song about an elephant named Peanut, so obviously she has to point at the TV and say "EL!". She also loves The Wheels on the Bus, and can do the rolling motion for the wheels, takes her arms in and out for "open and close" and, my personal favorite, hold her fingers up when the wipers on the bus go "swish swish swish."
Still only 2 bottom teeth, and we're just over a week away from being 15 months!
Here are some pictures from today, which she spent with Ed and Gay (so we could clean the house before Daddy's sister Ai Van arrives to spend 2 weeks with us. I can't wait for Lizzy to meet her Auntie!)
Lizzy in Gay's lap, watching Peanut the Elephant:
In her new tie dyed shirt that Ed bought for her. She loves to look at what she's wearing every day, and if she likes it, she'll pat her chest in approval.
July 30, 2012
Lizzy's aunt Ai Van was supposed to arrive tonight, but she got stuck in Chicago overnight. During all my attempts to call United Airlines and get it sorted out, Lizzy woke up around 7:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep until after 10:30. So, she and I just played for a few hours. Look at this happy smiling face!
Lizzy's aunt Ai Van was supposed to arrive tonight, but she got stuck in Chicago overnight. During all my attempts to call United Airlines and get it sorted out, Lizzy woke up around 7:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep until after 10:30. So, she and I just played for a few hours. Look at this happy smiling face!
Once Liz finally fell back to sleep, she started dreaming about Eb. I took a video of her talking in her sleep, saying "Eb!" repeatedly. She has the sweetest dreams.
July 31, 2012
Breakfast with Mommy.
July 31, 2012
Breakfast with Mommy.
In the afternoon, Ed and Gay came to watch Lizzy while I went to get Ai Van from the airport. It took Lizzy a little bit of time to warm up to her, but soon we were playing at the playground together.
When it was bedtime, Lizzy told Ai Van "Bye bye!" and closed her bedroom door.
August 1, 2012
We woke up and FINALLY found two new teeth have broken through! Her top right has just poked through, and another bottom one (to the left of the two she had). Still no one year molars, though!
Daddy came home in the late morning, and after I finished work, we went and did some shopping. At JC Penney's, Lizzy was playing hide-and-seek in the racks of dresses, having so much fun.
Then at Old Navy, she was going "up" and "down" on the shelves.
For dinner, we went to Red Robin, where she grabbed sweet potato fries with great enthusiasm, and then shared a salad with me, eating my avocado and tomatoes. Mmmmmm!
August 1, 2012
We woke up and FINALLY found two new teeth have broken through! Her top right has just poked through, and another bottom one (to the left of the two she had). Still no one year molars, though!
Daddy came home in the late morning, and after I finished work, we went and did some shopping. At JC Penney's, Lizzy was playing hide-and-seek in the racks of dresses, having so much fun.
Then at Old Navy, she was going "up" and "down" on the shelves.
For dinner, we went to Red Robin, where she grabbed sweet potato fries with great enthusiasm, and then shared a salad with me, eating my avocado and tomatoes. Mmmmmm!
August 2, 2012
Daddy and Ai Van watched Lizzy all day while I went to work. For dinner, we went to have Mexican with Ed and Gay. As soon as Liz saw the tortilla chips, she said "Mmmmmm" and grabbed one. Yum!
Daddy and Ai Van watched Lizzy all day while I went to work. For dinner, we went to have Mexican with Ed and Gay. As soon as Liz saw the tortilla chips, she said "Mmmmmm" and grabbed one. Yum!
August 3, 2012
For her 1 year birthday present, Lizzy's pediatrician had gifted us with a professional photo shoot. Today was the day we had scheduled. Lizzy was absolutely beautiful, and we can't wait to see the pictures.
The afternoon was spent poolside. She's becoming such a good swimmer (hey - she can kick and paddle!)
For her 1 year birthday present, Lizzy's pediatrician had gifted us with a professional photo shoot. Today was the day we had scheduled. Lizzy was absolutely beautiful, and we can't wait to see the pictures.
The afternoon was spent poolside. She's becoming such a good swimmer (hey - she can kick and paddle!)
We had Korean food for dinner. Lizzy LOVED the fish cakes and steamed egg they made for her. Such a good eater, always. Then, we got some Yogi and sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful evening.
August 4, 2012
Once miss sleepy-head woke up, we went to breakfast at IHOP. When the server put our plate in front of us, Lizzy shouted "Egg!" This was also her fist time in a big-girl booster seat.
Once miss sleepy-head woke up, we went to breakfast at IHOP. When the server put our plate in front of us, Lizzy shouted "Egg!" This was also her fist time in a big-girl booster seat.
After breakfast, Daddy and Ai Van went shopping, so she and I went home for a day of play (and a 3.5 hour nap!). In her Lego set, she has a man and a girl. She grabbed the man and girl and ran over to our cabinet island, where she opened the door and put the man and girl on the shelf. I guess that's where they live now.
August 5, 2012
Ed invited us over for Sunday breakfast, so we went to their house. Look at this beautiful new dress her Dada bought her.
August 5, 2012
Ed invited us over for Sunday breakfast, so we went to their house. Look at this beautiful new dress her Dada bought her.
After breakfast, we came home for lovely Sunday afternoon naps.
One funny thing Lizzy has started doing is, when she's really excited, she'll yell "Mamamadadadadamamamadadada!"
For dinner we went and had sushi, and somebody ate almost an entire kid's meal by herself of chicken katsu. She also kept trying to grab our edamame, although she can't quite eat those yet.
One funny thing Lizzy has started doing is, when she's really excited, she'll yell "Mamamadadadadamamamadadada!"
For dinner we went and had sushi, and somebody ate almost an entire kid's meal by herself of chicken katsu. She also kept trying to grab our edamame, although she can't quite eat those yet.
August 6, 2012
I had gotten tickets from work for an Indians game, so we headed over to Victory Field in the evening. Even though we had really great seats, we opted to get a beautiful spot in the outfield and enjoy the perfect summer evening.
I had gotten tickets from work for an Indians game, so we headed over to Victory Field in the evening. Even though we had really great seats, we opted to get a beautiful spot in the outfield and enjoy the perfect summer evening.