Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Spinning...
RC has added spinning to her list of dance moves. Apparently swaying, bobbing the head, all-out headbanging and now, spinning - until she falls over. She quickly tries to get up to spin some more, only to bob about, slamming into things. Eventually she regains her balance and will spin some more. Great age...I tell you!
So much to say
Ryanne is becoming quite the little 'human' lately. It's so much fun to watch her interact with her environment and people around her. The personality that is emerging is quite entertaining, and she seems to know it.
Her favorite thing right now is beeping noses. She and I have a nose beeping session at least once a day. It's especially fun to try when she's not wanting to go to sleep. Unfortunately, it seems that the beeper sleeps before she does. That doesn't seem to stop her from trying, though.
She's also developed a new nickname that just cracks her up. "Bonkers" will get her giggling and ready to immediately head-butt you, preferably on your head. She'll settle for knees or walls or even floor, though.
Other favorite new activities that we're not too fond of are biting and pinching. The pinching seems to have calmed down the last day or two, but it was rampant for a while. The biting comes and goes - favorite locations are toes, fingers and arms with the occasional chop while nursing - OW!
She's also learned to hug and kiss. These are great. She'll do everything from throw herself on my shoulders with her arms spread to actually grab around my head and getting her little hands in my hair to give me a hug. Kisses are still open mouthed and a little messy, but still worthwhile.
She also loves to give her bears hugs and kisses. We started picking one "stuffy" per day to play with and that always gets a hug and kiss sometimd during the day. Winnie the Pooh seems to be a favorite - mama's happy. She is also entranced by the Mickey puppet that Uncle M gave her. She's still not quite sure how he knows her name, but he gets lots of hugs if he asks right.
The fascination with board books continues. She has numerous shelves on the bookcase and loves to go get books and bring them to me to 'read' to her. Usually she just sits in my lap and turns pages and I have to try to catch whatever goes by as she flips (quickly). She still seems to prefer single images on a page and having me identify them. There's not much interest in anything that tells a story. When I try to read stories (or recite Wynken Blynken and Nod, which I bought her for sentimental reasons), she quickly gets bored and wanders off. I guess there's too much to see still.
She has taken to playing with her shape sorters and blocks with renewed vigor. She even seems interested in learning how to play with them as shape sorters and blocks instead of just things to carry. She's trying to stack and is very adept at putting all of the circle objects into round holes. She gets VERY mad when the triangle won't go in the round hole, though. I love sitting on the floor and watching her play and she seems to like having me there more often. She'll frequently sit on my lap and bring me toys to help her with.
We're also working more on animal sounds and names. She's decided that the cats say "maaaa" and keeps trying to tell Max that it's "maaa maaa" which never fails to crack me up. She will tell you, when prompted that a cat says either "maaaa" or "maaaa maaa". I think this comes from hearing the cats really meow. She gets very close to the right noise. With less frequency, she can tell you that a dog says "aaaaf aaaf" in a really high pitched voice - there's a yippy dog that lives in the neighborhood and she spent lots of time with Kity's dog, both of whom sound about like that.
She's had two phone conversations. The first was with Auntie Jennifer and the other was with Gamma Ree on her birthday. She actually talked more to Gamma Ree, but I think that's because she understood better what was expected. She loved to listen to each of them say her name and tell her anything, though. I guess it made all of those hours playing with the toy phones worthwhile.
The potty fascination continues. She still takes me to help her a potty a few times each day. She doesn't stay dry, but still seems to love going on the potty. I hope this means she'll be easy to train when the time comes.
Also, her language seems to be coming back. We went through a very frustrating period shortly after arriving where everything was "da" and temper tantrums ensued when we didn't understand. She seems to be more interested in identifying words now and I encourage her to try to stay calm and not get frustrated when trying to tell me something. It's not easy for either of us.
She did say her first two word phrase on 11/19. She kept standing up in the little plastic chair I got for her. I would always tell her that "Chairs are for sitting" and put her down. After about a dozen instances of me telling her this, she stood again and I sighed and opened my mouth. She promptly looked at me, proclaimed "chay-uh siddy" and sat down. She hasn't repeated it since and we're not 100% sure that she really understands them as two distinct words. I think she was just mimicing my sounds. She does understand both "sit" and "chair", though, so only time will tell.
Lastly, she cut her 5th tooth - upper right front - on 11/17. It took forever to actually make it through. She chewed on anything she could find trying to help it along. It spent days swollen and with hunks of gum hanging from it, but eventually made it on through.
Her favorite thing right now is beeping noses. She and I have a nose beeping session at least once a day. It's especially fun to try when she's not wanting to go to sleep. Unfortunately, it seems that the beeper sleeps before she does. That doesn't seem to stop her from trying, though.
She's also developed a new nickname that just cracks her up. "Bonkers" will get her giggling and ready to immediately head-butt you, preferably on your head. She'll settle for knees or walls or even floor, though.
Other favorite new activities that we're not too fond of are biting and pinching. The pinching seems to have calmed down the last day or two, but it was rampant for a while. The biting comes and goes - favorite locations are toes, fingers and arms with the occasional chop while nursing - OW!
She's also learned to hug and kiss. These are great. She'll do everything from throw herself on my shoulders with her arms spread to actually grab around my head and getting her little hands in my hair to give me a hug. Kisses are still open mouthed and a little messy, but still worthwhile.
She also loves to give her bears hugs and kisses. We started picking one "stuffy" per day to play with and that always gets a hug and kiss sometimd during the day. Winnie the Pooh seems to be a favorite - mama's happy. She is also entranced by the Mickey puppet that Uncle M gave her. She's still not quite sure how he knows her name, but he gets lots of hugs if he asks right.
The fascination with board books continues. She has numerous shelves on the bookcase and loves to go get books and bring them to me to 'read' to her. Usually she just sits in my lap and turns pages and I have to try to catch whatever goes by as she flips (quickly). She still seems to prefer single images on a page and having me identify them. There's not much interest in anything that tells a story. When I try to read stories (or recite Wynken Blynken and Nod, which I bought her for sentimental reasons), she quickly gets bored and wanders off. I guess there's too much to see still.
She has taken to playing with her shape sorters and blocks with renewed vigor. She even seems interested in learning how to play with them as shape sorters and blocks instead of just things to carry. She's trying to stack and is very adept at putting all of the circle objects into round holes. She gets VERY mad when the triangle won't go in the round hole, though. I love sitting on the floor and watching her play and she seems to like having me there more often. She'll frequently sit on my lap and bring me toys to help her with.
We're also working more on animal sounds and names. She's decided that the cats say "maaaa" and keeps trying to tell Max that it's "maaa maaa" which never fails to crack me up. She will tell you, when prompted that a cat says either "maaaa" or "maaaa maaa". I think this comes from hearing the cats really meow. She gets very close to the right noise. With less frequency, she can tell you that a dog says "aaaaf aaaf" in a really high pitched voice - there's a yippy dog that lives in the neighborhood and she spent lots of time with Kity's dog, both of whom sound about like that.
She's had two phone conversations. The first was with Auntie Jennifer and the other was with Gamma Ree on her birthday. She actually talked more to Gamma Ree, but I think that's because she understood better what was expected. She loved to listen to each of them say her name and tell her anything, though. I guess it made all of those hours playing with the toy phones worthwhile.
The potty fascination continues. She still takes me to help her a potty a few times each day. She doesn't stay dry, but still seems to love going on the potty. I hope this means she'll be easy to train when the time comes.
Also, her language seems to be coming back. We went through a very frustrating period shortly after arriving where everything was "da" and temper tantrums ensued when we didn't understand. She seems to be more interested in identifying words now and I encourage her to try to stay calm and not get frustrated when trying to tell me something. It's not easy for either of us.
She did say her first two word phrase on 11/19. She kept standing up in the little plastic chair I got for her. I would always tell her that "Chairs are for sitting" and put her down. After about a dozen instances of me telling her this, she stood again and I sighed and opened my mouth. She promptly looked at me, proclaimed "chay-uh siddy" and sat down. She hasn't repeated it since and we're not 100% sure that she really understands them as two distinct words. I think she was just mimicing my sounds. She does understand both "sit" and "chair", though, so only time will tell.
Lastly, she cut her 5th tooth - upper right front - on 11/17. It took forever to actually make it through. She chewed on anything she could find trying to help it along. It spent days swollen and with hunks of gum hanging from it, but eventually made it on through.
Monday, November 08, 2004
L'il bro's name
While the movers put our stuff in on Sunday, RC and I were locked in our bedroom with the cats. She moved from cat to cat saying "gentle" and petting them very carefully. Then she'd grin and reach down and give the cat a hug, try to pick him/her up and eventually settle on putting her head down on the cat's side and trying to rest. This would last all of 2 seconds and then the cat would move to get away and she'd move on to the next cat.
I think she's also figure out l'il bro's name. He's been pushing my buttons lately so I've been yelling his full name a lot. The other day after I had yelled at him, she turned around with as stern a look as a one year old can muster and yelled "MyToe". I just about died laughing, despite my frustration with him. Now she says it a lot and seems to even realize that it can be used to communicate with or call him as well as express one's frustration with just about anything.
I think she's also figure out l'il bro's name. He's been pushing my buttons lately so I've been yelling his full name a lot. The other day after I had yelled at him, she turned around with as stern a look as a one year old can muster and yelled "MyToe". I just about died laughing, despite my frustration with him. Now she says it a lot and seems to even realize that it can be used to communicate with or call him as well as express one's frustration with just about anything.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Birthday cake
I completely forgot! On her REAL first birthday, we managed to find something labelled as a cheesecake at the grocery store (I think that one was MValue...I'm starting to forget which have what stuff). She LOVED it. It was teeny so Chrys cut it into quarters but then cut hers in half again. After a few initial yucky faces, she picked up the halves and carried them around excitedly eating them. I told Chrys that the mutual cheesecake affection clearly labelled her as his child despite her seeming taste for fish. I'm sad that went over better than the duck I made, but I guess it's all about what makes her happy. This one was certainly less overwhelming in size and shape so maybe that was what did it.
TOYS!!!!
Our stuff arrived from Texas today. RC was playing as if she'd never seen many of these before even though she had access to all of them only 2 weeks ago. It strengthens my resolve to start a program where we circulate through her toys on a weekly (biweekly?) basis so everything old is new again more often. I think I have the perfect opportunity to initiate that here...just have to get back to the 100¥ store and get some more baskets.
With the arrival of the stuff also came her booster seat. This is an item that I am THRILLED to have since it turns out that trying to feed a toddler without something in which to restrain her is not an easy task. She's been doing more snacking than eating lately and it's been driving me a bit bonkers. Mostly because since she tracks rice everywhere, I find rice EVERYWHERE. Cold, gummy rice is not a good feeling when you just step out of a nice hot shower.
The other thing is that she's been eating a TON these past two days. I think that 12 month growth spurt is right around the corner if not already in progress. That's the other benefit to the booster - I can put her in it and give her a plate with her meal so I know how much she's actually consuming. When she's just eating off of my plate, it's a bit hard to tell. The good news is that I gave her quite a bit for lunch and dinner and she devoured all of it (minus two TINY chunks of cucumber) so the eating is not a figment of my sometimes overactive imagination.
The movers also brought her wagon. I know it's not a steel wagon, but it had seat belts so it seemed a better choice for her first birthday present from mama and dada. Turns out those seat belts are worth their weight in gold! L'il bro and I assembled it (without the use of the recommended hammer...our downstairs neighbors must HATE us by now) and took her down to the San-Ai. For the first part of the ride, she tried everything to stand up, but the belt held strong. It was a wonderful thing. As I had hoped, there was room for her on one side and room for the groceries we bought on the other, making the trip home almost as stress free as the trip there (barring the beginning grunts of boredom from my passenger and efforts necessary to keep the groceries on "their side" despite the bumpy roads). The handle is long enough that I don't have to bend over, indicating that it was a purchase made on the other side of the water. I'm in love!
Speaking of the store...today marked my first attempt at buying non-clearly labelled kids finger foods. I picked up these little white dot things that look like hard bread - spherical croutons, if you will. Yeah...it's back to expensive boxes of crackers. These things are like hardened confectioners sugar...not ideal for an afternoon snack.
With the arrival of the stuff also came her booster seat. This is an item that I am THRILLED to have since it turns out that trying to feed a toddler without something in which to restrain her is not an easy task. She's been doing more snacking than eating lately and it's been driving me a bit bonkers. Mostly because since she tracks rice everywhere, I find rice EVERYWHERE. Cold, gummy rice is not a good feeling when you just step out of a nice hot shower.
The other thing is that she's been eating a TON these past two days. I think that 12 month growth spurt is right around the corner if not already in progress. That's the other benefit to the booster - I can put her in it and give her a plate with her meal so I know how much she's actually consuming. When she's just eating off of my plate, it's a bit hard to tell. The good news is that I gave her quite a bit for lunch and dinner and she devoured all of it (minus two TINY chunks of cucumber) so the eating is not a figment of my sometimes overactive imagination.
The movers also brought her wagon. I know it's not a steel wagon, but it had seat belts so it seemed a better choice for her first birthday present from mama and dada. Turns out those seat belts are worth their weight in gold! L'il bro and I assembled it (without the use of the recommended hammer...our downstairs neighbors must HATE us by now) and took her down to the San-Ai. For the first part of the ride, she tried everything to stand up, but the belt held strong. It was a wonderful thing. As I had hoped, there was room for her on one side and room for the groceries we bought on the other, making the trip home almost as stress free as the trip there (barring the beginning grunts of boredom from my passenger and efforts necessary to keep the groceries on "their side" despite the bumpy roads). The handle is long enough that I don't have to bend over, indicating that it was a purchase made on the other side of the water. I'm in love!
Speaking of the store...today marked my first attempt at buying non-clearly labelled kids finger foods. I picked up these little white dot things that look like hard bread - spherical croutons, if you will. Yeah...it's back to expensive boxes of crackers. These things are like hardened confectioners sugar...not ideal for an afternoon snack.
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