Monday, January 30, 2012

Visiting with Titi and Baby E

We headed to a little bit south this weekend to visit with Titi and new baby E. Big girl E was very excited or the visit, she's been waiting to see Titi for a long time, and was very excited to meet baby E. I was curious to see how she reacted to a baby, but she loved every minute of it. She liked checking out baby E's toes, and commented that "Baby E tiny toes, E big toes" and that baby E was tiny. At day care and when we have friends over E is always very concerned that they have what they need. She made sure to bring baby E her nook whenever she found it.

She also kept getting up from the dinner table to check on baby E, she saw baby E having some milk, and didn't react badly. I was concerned that the sight of a baby nursing might upset her.

After meeting baby E, we headed to our hotel for some swimming. It was a bit late in the night for Titi and E to swim, but both girls had a great time swimming with their dads. They both liked jumping in the water, and splashing.

After all the excitement of the day, E didn't sleep well at all. She woke up for the day at 2:30 AM. She was calm for a little while, but after a short calm period, she was raring to go. Titi gave E two sesame street characters, and E had to sleep with them in her bed. Then, for awhile, she was calm if she laid on me and held the characters, but every time she'd relax, she'd drop one, which set her off screaming.

So, E and I were the first customers at the continental breakfast, where she got a rare treat, Froot Loops. We wandered the hotel for awhile, and then E and dada wandered. E got to play with some of Titi's toys, and then visit with baby E again. Finally, Titi and E went swimming with their mommas and had a great time playing with Titi's dolls. Their favorite activity was dipping the doll's hair into the water, and then "painting" with it.

E took her nap shortly after swimming, and went home with dada. She was exhausted for the night, at yoga class she was content to sit on my lap or be held for most of it. Only at the end did she start running around. Fortunately for everyone it was an early bed time.

This is what E looked like for most of the evening:

Sunday, January 29, 2012

A couple minutes

Lately whenever E is trying to get her way on something, usually another story before bed time, or stalling when it comes to dinner, she says "a couple minutes." She puts her index finger up in front of her mouth, almost like a sushing motion, and says it. I find this one very funny because she has no actual idea what a couple of minutes actually is, or how long it might be.

We've also been practicing manners with E, and the concept that seems to have stuck is "excuse me." She uses it all the time, just no to people, the other day she was trying to walk past a dog and said "excuse me puppy" and got upset when he didn't move. Tonight, she wanted one of her toys to move and said "excuse me Zoey."

Monday, January 23, 2012

Mommy, Help! Stuck!


This was our conversation on the ride from daycare today. We were riding along, and all of a sudden E yelled “mommy, help! Stuck!” Of course, since she was in her car seat, she was supposed to be stuck. We went back and forth this way for most of the car ride. E couldn’t understand why she was stuck and why I wouldn’t help her.

On Sunday, E and I went to our first parent child yoga class. She wasn’t too interested in doing any of the yoga poses. She liked looking at herself in the mirrored classroom wall, and she liked story time. We did have an issue because our class was at Hoyt, which is where E, Ama, and Grandpa Ada play on Thursdays. E was pretty sure we should be going into the gym to play, and was a little concerned that we headed another direction.

 Although despite her apparent lack of interest, she talked about yoga all evening. E refused to go to sleep tonight. We put her to bed just like always, and she was quiet for a while. About an hour later she started talking and jumping (she told dada she was doing “gymnastics with Maddy”). Dada settled her down, and about an hour later I went in to check on her before bed, I was shocked to find her awake! She came to rest in momma’s bed for a little while, but got wild. After hopping between her bed and ours for a while, she had to cry it out a little. I finally got her rocked to sleep at 12:30!


This weekend a new toy was added to E’s collection, this baby bottle, which makes baby noises and looks like the milk is disappearing. E loves to feed her baby, and she even feeds babies in books.


E has also been getting more interested in the potty lately, we’ve been playing in the kitchen without a diaper, and her favorite thing to do in the kitchen is play with her puff balls. Today, she put the brown puff balls in the potty and called them “poop,” at least she’s getting the idea!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

First Haircut

January 17- Today was E's first haircut! I've been putting it off because I just couldn't bear the thought of cutting her hair, but her bangs were getting pretty out of control. So, it was time. We headed to the salon, and E was a trooper. She didn't mind getting her hair cut at all. She got to hold two combs during the process, which helped. I think she looks so much older now!

Martin Luther King weekend

We had a great Martin Luther King Day weekend, we had lots of family time and got to play with lots of E's friends. I finally got E out in the snow! It was a major tantrum to get the snowsuit on, but she loved being outside. She liked walking in the snow and her favorite thing was tasting it.

We also went to Legacy Academy which is a giant indoor playground. E had a good time, even though their were lots of big kids running around, and not watching for a little girl. E's favorite part was playing ski ball and riding in a little plastic car.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Vacation and PJs

January 13- Before E was born, I had many ideas of what having a child would be like, and all the great things we'd do together. Then, as a working mom, I found out that I see my kiddo so little out of each day, it can be hard to do all those things you'd like to do. Today was an exception. Daycare was closed, so we got a whole day together, and it was perfect.

We woke up late, and I woke to the sounds of E doing some imaginative play in her crib. She entertained herself for a good 10 minutes, before calling for me. When I walked into her room, she said "momma, look it!" and pointed to the animals projected on the ceiling. After an easy breakfast and some play-do and other activities, we headed to our baby group and caught up with some kids we haven't seen in a long time. The whole ride over E kept saying "other kids, other kids." We had a successful lunch out, where we split a grilled cheese, and E ate almost an entire helping of fruit salad. Once we got home, we had a successful potty time and a nap. In the afternoon, we played with the neighbors and dada. Another successful potty time, and bed.

Each night before bed, E has to "feed the piggies" meaning she wants to put coins in each of her three piggy banks. So, today when we were having lunch, she saw the tip jar on the counter, and yelled out "piggy food" it was pretty funny.

January 12- E insisted on wearing her monkey jammies all day today. When I went to get her dressed this morning, she pulled these off her changing table, and insisted. E is getting really picky about her clothes and shoes. She has a few favorite outfits, and likes to repeat them. Every day before daycare, she tries to go to school in her jammies. She  only has two pairs of shoes that she will wear. It will be the day soon where we are the family out running errands and our kid of cruising around the store in her football shirt over footie jammies!

E and dada are reading a  Zoo Book from dada's childhood. Grandma and Grandpa saved them for him. So far, E's favorite one is the one about gorillas. She says gorilla very cutely, she calls them "gollias."

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Soccer Ball Hoops

We've been rotating some of E's toys in and out, its helping our living room look less like a plastic explosion, and one thing that came back recently was E's basketball hoop. We were in the basement the other day, and she suddenly started pointing and straining and saying "soccer ball hoop." Turns out that is what she thought the hoop was.

Then, I noticed that at daycare, when we see people playing basketball, she thinks they are playing soccer. I'm not sure she's ever seen anyone play soccer, so I have no idea where the confusion is coming from!

Museums, stickers, and ABCs

January 7- Ever since we started reading Olivia E has loved the idea of museums, so today, dada took her to the Geology Museum on campus. She was a little scared of the T-Rex skull, but otherwise loved the museum. The weather was so nice that after the museum they headed to the zoo, and then had lunch with Grandpa Ada.

January 8- At long last, E got to play with "baby L" today. Although L is only three months younger, E always calls him a baby. We also got to play with a new friend G. G is three years old, so she's a "big girl." She's the daughter of a childhood friend of mine, and it was so nice to see both G and her momma.

We also got to have a nice walk with A and R, we hadn't seen them in we are loving the extra warm January we are having!

Stickers are a new favorite of E's. She loves sticking them on everything, tonight she was putting them on her face and in her hair and calling them "prettys" (the same thing she calls hair ties). If we aren't careful, she can go through an entire page of stickers in just a few minutes, I've started cutting the sheets in half to make them last longer.


ABCs, E's favorite game with this toy is having momma or dada write the alphabet on it. We do it over and over. Sometimes she'll hold the pen with us, but usually we just write and she watches.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Entertainment


E amused herself for a good 20 minutes tonight putting on and off scarves, hats, and gloves. We aren't having a typical Wisconsin winter, so this is the most bundled up she's been! She also got to have her friend A over tonight, it was the first play date since A went on a trip for Christmas. The entire time A was gone, E asked for her constantly, she kept saying "A come house" and we couldn't get her to understand that A was far away.

Aside from her baby, the Etch a Sketch has been her favorite toy. She asks for "ABCs" which means she wants dada or I to sing the alphabet song and write out the letters.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Gramma bars and milk braclets

E has a big vocabulary, and often uses words we don't expect her to know. She has reported that something "tumbled down," her orange was "juicy," or that an item of food has "crumbled." So its always interesting to us when she uses words or phrases in a certain way when there is clearly a better expression.

She's fond of saying "momma go away" when she wants to sit in your chair and she requests "pan cookies" rather then pancakes. When you are shopping and she's ready to leave the store she requests "next shopping."

When you ask E if she wants to go shopping, she always says yes. When you ask what she'd like to shop for, she always says "gramma bars." She means granola bars, which have become a favorite snack.

I've known about gramma bars for some time. But she's got a new one, it took me a little while to figure it out. Over the weekend E had mentioned "milk bracelets" once or twice and I didn't think anything of it. She occasionally likes to wear a "bracelet" made out of a hair tie. However, the other day at the mall we are walking along and she suddenly says "milk bracelet" and I figured out what milk bracelets are: bras.

E's only been weaned for a two months, and she still remembers nursing. She's constantly pointing at my chest and saying "milk coming" so its pretty clear where the idea came from. I was just surprised that she took two concepts and put them together for a name.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Hey, Andy

Last night, Andy was hanging a few pictures for me. All of a sudden, E says "Hey Andy, noisy."

We are careful not to use bad words around E, but his was a reminded that we need to be careful about all words we use with E. It seems that I say, "Hey Andy" quite a bit, and she thinks this is a good way to get dada's attention. While I don't really want to start calling Andy dada, and I don't really want him to call me momma, I guess we need to start thinking about EVERYTHING we say.

E has been very interested lately in the first names of people, and frequently calls us by our first names, she likes knowing the neighbor's names, and seems intrigued that they are also mommas and dadas. So, I'm sure she'll get back to calling us momma and dada, until she's a teenager, and will go back to calling us by our names.