Playmates

Sammy came over tonight for dinner. She and RC were playing out in the backyard. T was out there with them on and off just to make sure that they were ok.

Suddenly all were ushered inside. T reports that RC has been dragging a piece of plastic through one of the resident fire ant hills. Royally ticked ants do not make for a pleasant play space and our yard, unfortunately, is mostly ants right now.

Later he tells me what he witnessed:
Slow dragging across the hills. "I make ants walk."
Faster dragging. *giggle* "I make ants run."
Frantic swishing of the plastic through the ants. *borderline maniacal laugh* "Ants HAPPY!!!!"

Yeah...happy...especially when they manage to find your feet. So much for my lessons to fear the ants.

It's official

We're parents of a little girl.

This morning, Ryanne found some stickers while I was doing dishes. In the past, this wasn't a big deal. She'd usually stick them to interesting places on herself or on a bag or something.

Today, I asked her where they were. She proudly told me she'd stuck them to the trash can.

Yup...little animal stickers all over our new trash can. I couldn't help but laugh.

Glue

Ryanne has used lots of glue sticks at the various story times. She has seen, on rare occasion, me use a tube of lip gloss. Maybe Grandma A has used lipstick in her presence when we're staying there.

One day I went into my bathroom and she had her rubber duckie and one of my tubes of mini-lipstick (like the sample size ones). She proceeded to tell me that she had glued the duck's lips. I was confused.

Then I looked at the duck. Its mouth and neck were covered in lipstick. She was SO proud.

Abby normal

Tonight, Ryanne shunned her tater tots in favor of "more small spinach leafs".

As a parent, I am incredibly proud that she has a taste for veggies and seems to like them.

As a human being struggling with weight, I have to say, "WHAT?!?!?!"

Hopefully her tastes will keep her from ever falling into the second set. This is her first time actually showing an interest in cold, leafy veggies. We keep serving them, hoping she'd give them a chance one day since they're really nice sides in the hot Texas summers. I read that you may have to serve something 7 times before most toddlers will eat it. I think we're way beyond that, but I'm glad we didn't give up.

Ready for her sibling

Yeah, she's got the bipolar reactions to her little brother down pat.

Some days, she's sitting in my lap and she'll feel him moving. I just describe this as kicking. More often that not, after she's been kicked for a while, she'll swing around in my lap (no small feat given how small it's getting) and kick him back. Usually this comes with some announcement like, "He kick me. I kick him back." It's all I can do not to laugh.

Tonight, though, I went upstairs to say goodnight after her bath. I got my usual hugs and kisses and put her down. She lifts my shirt and starts tugging on my waistband saying, "Good night, baby brudder." I helped her get my shorts below the belly and she gave the belly a kiss. Then came the usual nightly pronouncements, "I love you, baby brudder. Have sweet dreams." I melted.

I guess we have her prepared. I don't know that she really knows what she's getting in to, but she acknowledges him as a person, even in utero.