Already another month gone by! It’s been an eventful few weeks. You are growing up and changing so quickly. We’ve been busy, busy. Just got back from a trip to Big Bear with me, Daddy, Mima and Papi. It was wonderful! My next post will catch you up on what all we did and all the cool ways you entertained us while we were there.

To Talk or Not to Talk?

Well, let’s start with some developmental stuff and then we’ll move on the the fun stuff. No talking yet. You did add one word to your vocabulary this week. “Duck” of all things, hehe. And it sounds more like “duh.” You also quack now. That’s a new animal sound, all courtesy of our trip to Big Bear and all the duckies in the water. It’s really cute. More on that later. Not sure what the hold up is in terms of adding words. Honestly, I’m beginning to wonder. I wouldn’t say I’m worried, but it is starting to seem strange. You understand everything we say to you. I don’t know if it’s stubbornness, stage fright, or something else. You have no problem making all the sounds, but they’re babbling sounds. You very rarely use the same sound to describe the same thing. But I guess now that I think about it, you have done some new things this month, just not very consistently. You will repeat words after me, but almost never after somebody else. And the only way *I* can get you to do it is by kind of tricking you, making it fun, not putting you on the spot with the lead-in “Can you say…?” That question immediately makes you look down or ignore whoever asked it. Like I said… stubbornness? fear of failure? frustration at some kind of inability? I wish I knew so that I could help you. I just try not to ever pressure you in to it. I know you’ll talk when you’re ready. Some of the words you’ve repeated a couple/few times this month would include “yeah” but it almost sounds like “da”, but different than “dada” and you nod your head when you say it. You also try reeeeeally hard to say “Mima”. It sounds more like “Mehma”, close to “mama”, but definitely different. You’ve repeated “go” a couple times when you’re excited to go bye-bye. And we all swear you said “all done”, but just once and it sounded like “ah duh” once day when you were finished eating. Oh and you’ve started to say “num num num” at times when it’s pretty likely you’re actually asking for food.  So, I guess there have been pretty great strides this month, now that I sit down and think it through. You actually can say quite a few things. It’s all about whether or not you’re consciously thinking about it. It’s like you get all up in your head and sike yourself out when you think about it too hard. Silly, baby.

Vegan Baby?

Okay, how about food. (sorry this post is going to be huge) You are getting pickier. You’ll eat anything when you’re hungry, but we are starting to joke that you are going to be a vegetarian. The only meat that you will predictably eat is hot dogs. <sigh> You really just don’t care for meat that much. I’ve started purreeing more often again because sometimes you will eat it that way. Maybe it’s a texture issue? You have plenty of teeth to eat everything we give you, you just don’t care for it much. You eat lots of cheese, yogurt, lots and lots of eggs. Those are your main sources of protein. And you eat fruit and vegetables like mad. You adore tomatoes of all things. You will eat them anytime of day. You still love avocado, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, apples, pears, berries, grapes and lots and lots of other fresh produce. It’s great! I just wish you would also eat some meat, girl. Oh, some good news… you now drink MILK! Finally! Cold milk, out of a sippy cup, with no strawberry or chocolate flavor added.

Terrible (and Tenderhearted) Twos?

You grow more independent every day. There is definitely a premonition of the legendary second year on the horizon. You will defy us now. You don’t *say* no, but you tell us no all the time with a pouty face and a slap of your hand on whatever is in front of you. The first time you did it my eyebrows about went through the roof. It’s cute, but not for long. Much less cute is a new experimentation with hitting. At first it was just flailing arms in frustration. Now, it can – at times – be directed toward people who have frustrated you. Not cool. We are changing course with our discipline and foregoing all hand-slapping. We only did it a few times and not very hard. But I was never quite sure about, always felt a little bit guilty. If there’s a chance that we taught you to hit by slapping your hand, I’m willing to shamefully accept the responsibility for that. Who knows? It’s possible you would have done it anyway. But I’m not risking teaching you bad behavior. If it was a mistake (although I will say that it effectively STOPPED 6 months of food throwing in it’s tracks in ONE DAY – so it IS effective), I’m sure it’s not the last I will make as a parent. I’ve tried a couple very, very short time outs while staying with you when you sit on a “naughty chair.” Technically you’re a little young for time outs, but it seems – so far – like an effective way of removing you from a volatile situation until your head clears. We’re going to stick with that (used very sparingly because you’re still really young), and see how it goes.

Here’s a tangent. Being a parent is HARD. It’s so, so rewarding , the BEST thing I have ever done. But I rarely judge other parents now the way I used to (the way that everyone who doesn’t have kids does.) Most of us want – with all of our hearts – to do the right thing. Sometimes the right thing is really difficult to determine. There are so many variables – factors, situations, personality considerations, recommendations, conflicting advice. It’s confusing! Sometimes we just don’t know what to do! So I’m sure we’ll make mistakes, and we’ll change course when we figure out that we have. We love you. We want the best for you. We want to do the right thing. We pray for God’s guidance. We seek good advice. We do our best.

Back to it…Those attitude issues are the exception, not the rule. You are usually beyond sweet. Like sweeter than I could have imagined a child being. When you hit, you know you did something wrong – especially if our reaction is “Ouie! That hurt Momma” with a sad face. You almost always immediately offer hugs and kiss the offended location. And I mean sweet, sweet little smacks over and over again. You can’t stay upset with that. So at least your conscience is in good working order. That much is obvious. 🙂

Cuteness

Actually not sure if this fits in the cuteness category technically. It’s going to get frustrating eventually I’m sure. You’re figuring out how to help get yourself dressed…. and UNdressed. If you can get it off, you will usually try. We have a bare-chested baby running around the house quite a lot more than usual these days.

I think I mentioned your cookie monster roar in a previous post (something you do every time you hear or see Cookie Monster). You also have a “tiger” roar. That comes out when we ask you what a tiger says or when you see a variety of scary or mean looking animals or monsters. You’ll pick up random stuffed animals (from your massive Beanie Baby Zoo) and roar and me and Daddy, shaking them back and forth – just like we do to you. So cute. My little monkey-see-monkey-do. The cutest thing about it is that you scare yourself when you try to scare us, and you giggle and tense up and step back and try to hide your face from the very animal you’re trying to scare us with. Adorable.

Speaking of mimicking. You also “shave” your legs with me in the shower. Every time, you put your little foot up just like me and rub your leg, then rub mine. And you switch legs when I do. Cuteness.

Mima has taught you a couple new things this month. You now “whoosh” cars by with your hand when you see them drive by… and you make the sound. And also, you seem to believe that Mima can remove your nose (thumb between the finger trick) and put it back. It’s really cute. She “takes” it and you get this serious look on your face and wait for her to put it back, then you check to make sure it’s there.

You love rough-housing. You get some of that from Daddy, but mostly from me since he’s still hurt. I throw you around quite a bit and roll around with you on the floor at least once a day. You love it. You love being swung by your arms. Hanging by your feet terrifies and thrills you. And you love to fly around like an airplane laying over my shoulder while I hold your arms out.

You love everything make believe. I’m never buying you another electronic toy (okay, that’s probably not true). But the reality is that you love things that allow you to use your imagination. And you’re starting to play with dolls. You got a new Baby My Little Pony doll (from Aunt Steph last Christmas) and you were feeding her a bottle and carting her around one day and I asked you if she had a poopsy diaper. You got the most serious, wide-eyed look on your face and turned her over and checked. HAHA. So cute. Then you looked at me like, “she can do that, Momma?” I almost feel bad. But I guess that’s how you learn about make-believe.

I give you 2 or 3 choices regularly now. Do you want to wear your pink sandals or your twinkle toes? Do you want to bring Kai-Lan or KittyBing or Topher (2 of whom you’re giving rides to in the above photo) with us to the store? You love it. You stop, think, and point. And then smile really wide and grab your selection to your chest. Sigh. How many words for cute are there?

Your Favorite pass times is doing whatever household task I’m doing. You get very serious about helping Momma, whether it’s helping me make the bed, sweep the floor, stir the cookie dough, do the dishes. You are a great little helper and you give satisfied sighs and slap your arms down at your side when we’re finished and  I let you know it’s a job well done.

Favorite Movie? I’m going to say Tangled, but that could be because it’s my favorite right now and I put that one on for you more than any other one. I love the music and you love the HORSE. You laugh so hard when he’s chasing Flynn Rider. When I put on a show for you, you run around to find your blanky and then cuddle up next to me. Sometimes you still sit on top of me, but you’re gaining a sense of your own space and want your bottom firmly planted next to mine a lot of the time. I think it makes you feel grown up to be sitting by me instead of on me. And you still cuddle lots in other situations, especially when you’re sleepy. Your cuddles are the BEST.

There is more, but I’m going to stop now because this is ridiculously long… well, actually one more section…

First Times

How about a couple random firsts since I have the photos? There are a bunch more from this month, but I’ll save them for the Big Bear post coming up.

Your First Rocking Horse – Also, Momma’s first rocking horse. Grandpa McIntire made it for me. This is the first time you stayed on it for a few minutes and actually attempted to rock back and forth.

We made cake pops together. A first time for both of us. And then you enjoyed it out in the front yard with Tia Carmen.

More on Big Bear – at LOTS more photos – coming up…