That's how it feels, anyhow. We're seriously hoping that this baby waits until after Christmas to make his appearance. Last week I was a frenzy of activity, making sure everything was ready for him, convinced he'd come any moment. Now that we're so close to the holiday I've been laying around trying to explain to him that his birthday will be tons more fun for him if it isn't the same day as the biggest gift-giving holiday of the year.
I am absolutely the largest pregnant woman on the planet. I was telling Joe this morning - when I was pregnant with Jaynie I could still fit into my non-maternity oversized sweatshirts. They were sung where once they were loose, yes, but they covered me. I tried to put one on today - it covered my arms and boobs and that was it. There was no pulling that waist-band down over my belly. I suspect I'm carrying the Hulk in here.
I've been telling Jaynie the story of her brother's birth. She knows he's in Mommy's belly, she knows that one day she'll get to go "play with Alex at Miss Stacey's house" while Mommy and Daddy go to the doctor. And then Daddy will come get her and bring her to see Mommy and the Baby Brother OUTSIDE of Mommy's belly. And then he'll come home and sit in the "baby chair" (a bouncy seat I have out in the living room), and he'll use a "little tiny binky" and he'll probably go "wah wah wah" because he's just a baby. She has it all figured out. Ha. You notice I left out the parts about him pooping 12 times a day and waking her up at night.
She annouced today that there were only 2 days until "Aunty Suz comes hoooome". Who knew she was counting down the days! "Aunty Suz comes home, and Santa brings Jaynie LOTS OF PRESENTS!" Should be a good day. (If I'm not in the hospital. STAY PUT, BABY!!!)
Right, then. I hear some Cocoa Pebbles calling my name. As Jaynie says - "Feliz Latidad" to you all.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Dear Future Jaynie...
Hi Honey, it's Mom. If you have been looking through photo albums or the saved version of the website or watching home movies lately, and are wondering why there was a serious drop in the number of pictures taken of you right around the time your brother was born, don't blame him. Don't blame your Dad or me, either. You know why we hardly get any pics of you anymore?
BECAUSE YOU'RE A PAIN IN THE BUTT!!!
Every time I get the camera out you rush me, trying to get it. "JAYNIE TAKE THE PICTURE! JAYNIE TAKE THE PICTURE! JAYNIE HOOOOOLD CAMERA!"
Today you looked so cute in your little Christmas shirt and pants. I got a few pictures of the floor, and one of the ceiling while wrestling over the camera with you.
Then you wanted to put on your Nemo costume. I did get a couple of the back or side of you, but once you turned my way? All I have is one of you screaming at me (which is actually pretty cute and will be making an appearance on the website.)
When you insisted on trying on my maternity pj's and wandering around, lost in all the fabric? More ceiling and floor shots.
I give up.
BECAUSE YOU'RE A PAIN IN THE BUTT!!!
Every time I get the camera out you rush me, trying to get it. "JAYNIE TAKE THE PICTURE! JAYNIE TAKE THE PICTURE! JAYNIE HOOOOOLD CAMERA!"
Today you looked so cute in your little Christmas shirt and pants. I got a few pictures of the floor, and one of the ceiling while wrestling over the camera with you.
Then you wanted to put on your Nemo costume. I did get a couple of the back or side of you, but once you turned my way? All I have is one of you screaming at me (which is actually pretty cute and will be making an appearance on the website.)
When you insisted on trying on my maternity pj's and wandering around, lost in all the fabric? More ceiling and floor shots.
I give up.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Jaynie-isms
Tonight after dinner Jaynie picked up my phone, pulled out the antennae, pushed several buttons, held it to her ear, and said - "Hello? Blah blah blah. I'd like a cheeseburger, pleeeaaase."
This event was obviously blog- worthy, as it had both Joe and I near tears (well, I was near tears - Joe was too busy asking me "How often do you take this kid through the drive through?!?!) It also made me realize it's been a while, and she says all kinds of cute things that need to be recorded for posterity. Of the top of my head...
Sleeping Bloofy
On Comet and Q-tip and Donner and Litzen
Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin (ok, she pronouces this correctly, but it's cute enough to include here.)
She can sing the 12 days of Christmas. Seriously - starting from about 10 down she's got it. "10 Lords a leaping, 9 ladies dancing.... an a porridge in a pear-eeey"
Jaynie's version of counting to ten - "One, two, three, four, five, eight, nine, ten. (pause) six and seven. (pause) ELEVEN!"
She's big on throwing around the words "also" and "too". "Mommy has brown hair, toooooo." She's learning her letters and will look at her ABC book and say something like "C is for cow, also car tooooooo."
There are more. There are hundreds of thousands of cute things she says, but that's all I've got for now. I'd promise to do better keeping up with this, but considering I'm going to have twice the trouble around here any day now, I don't want to make promises I can't keep. Seriously, folks, have you ever tried to chase around an almost-two-year-old while weighing approximately 400lbs? It's not easy. When she runs up to hug my leg I totally lose sight of her. And losing sight of this kid for a second is bad news. She can destroy a room in under 20 seconds if left unattended. (Joe is saying she can destroy it in half the time with my help. He claims he can leave a perfectly clean room and come back less than a minute later to find the two of us playing surrounded by toys and crushed Cheerios. I have no idea what he's talking about.)
This event was obviously blog- worthy, as it had both Joe and I near tears (well, I was near tears - Joe was too busy asking me "How often do you take this kid through the drive through?!?!) It also made me realize it's been a while, and she says all kinds of cute things that need to be recorded for posterity. Of the top of my head...
Sleeping Bloofy
On Comet and Q-tip and Donner and Litzen
Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin (ok, she pronouces this correctly, but it's cute enough to include here.)
She can sing the 12 days of Christmas. Seriously - starting from about 10 down she's got it. "10 Lords a leaping, 9 ladies dancing.... an a porridge in a pear-eeey"
Jaynie's version of counting to ten - "One, two, three, four, five, eight, nine, ten. (pause) six and seven. (pause) ELEVEN!"
She's big on throwing around the words "also" and "too". "Mommy has brown hair, toooooo." She's learning her letters and will look at her ABC book and say something like "C is for cow, also car tooooooo."
There are more. There are hundreds of thousands of cute things she says, but that's all I've got for now. I'd promise to do better keeping up with this, but considering I'm going to have twice the trouble around here any day now, I don't want to make promises I can't keep. Seriously, folks, have you ever tried to chase around an almost-two-year-old while weighing approximately 400lbs? It's not easy. When she runs up to hug my leg I totally lose sight of her. And losing sight of this kid for a second is bad news. She can destroy a room in under 20 seconds if left unattended. (Joe is saying she can destroy it in half the time with my help. He claims he can leave a perfectly clean room and come back less than a minute later to find the two of us playing surrounded by toys and crushed Cheerios. I have no idea what he's talking about.)
Sunday, November 27, 2005
She's too cute for her own good.
Tonight after she was lotioned and pj'd, she didn't quite seem ready for bed, so we read some stories.
First she brought "Home for a Bunny" to Joe and had him read it to her.
Then she brought "The Runaway Bunny" to me. (Theme night?)
Then she got out "Goodnight Moon" (which, btw, has bunnies in it), sat down, said "Jaynie read Moon book!", and "read" the whole thing to us. She has it totally memorized. I could tell that she was using the illustrations to help her remember what came next in some places - it was really impressive. Not to mention SO CUTE! When it was over she said "The End!", put it back on the shelf, and was ready for bed.
(I forgot the part of the evening when I said to her "Go tell Daddy you need your binky" and she ran off, found him, and yelled "BINKY, PLEEEEAAASE!")
Now she's in bed, but she's not quite asleep. She's saying something over and over. Joe and I snuck up to listen at the door, and he finally identified it as "Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins. What we kept hearing was "SNAP! The job's a game!" She's also saying "He knows, a song, will move the job aloooooong." She's killing me tonight.
First she brought "Home for a Bunny" to Joe and had him read it to her.
Then she brought "The Runaway Bunny" to me. (Theme night?)
Then she got out "Goodnight Moon" (which, btw, has bunnies in it), sat down, said "Jaynie read Moon book!", and "read" the whole thing to us. She has it totally memorized. I could tell that she was using the illustrations to help her remember what came next in some places - it was really impressive. Not to mention SO CUTE! When it was over she said "The End!", put it back on the shelf, and was ready for bed.
(I forgot the part of the evening when I said to her "Go tell Daddy you need your binky" and she ran off, found him, and yelled "BINKY, PLEEEEAAASE!")
Now she's in bed, but she's not quite asleep. She's saying something over and over. Joe and I snuck up to listen at the door, and he finally identified it as "Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins. What we kept hearing was "SNAP! The job's a game!" She's also saying "He knows, a song, will move the job aloooooong." She's killing me tonight.
Not exactly Miss Manners....
Last night during dinner Jaynie burped, then excused herself. It was the cutest freaking thing. "Excuuuse me!", then goes right back to eating. Joe and I were trying not to hurt ourselves laughing at it. And what made me especially pleased with us was that neither of us has taught her that. We never said "When you burp, you say excuse me." We must just both be very polite people and she's learning from example. Good to know.
Of course, later when Joe was putting her pj's on she farted. This was a serious fart. This was no lady-like "passing of gas", this was Blazing Saddles quality. Did she excuse herself?
No. She giggled like a maniac, said "Farts!", then laughed out loud. Seems we have some more work to do.
Of course, later when Joe was putting her pj's on she farted. This was a serious fart. This was no lady-like "passing of gas", this was Blazing Saddles quality. Did she excuse herself?
No. She giggled like a maniac, said "Farts!", then laughed out loud. Seems we have some more work to do.
Monday, November 21, 2005
I've always suspected....
Today over breakfast....
Me: Jaynie, use your spoon, please.
Joe: Like a big girl!
Jaynie: Mommy use a spoon like a big girl! (I was, in fact, eating my Cheerios with a spoon.)
Us: That's right!
Jaynie: Jaynie a big girl, too! (As she takes a bite w/ the spoon.)
Us: That's right!
Jaynie: Daddy a big girl, too! (He was not using a spoon - just standing there looking like a girl, I guess.)
Me: That's right!
Hee hee hee.
Me: Jaynie, use your spoon, please.
Joe: Like a big girl!
Jaynie: Mommy use a spoon like a big girl! (I was, in fact, eating my Cheerios with a spoon.)
Us: That's right!
Jaynie: Jaynie a big girl, too! (As she takes a bite w/ the spoon.)
Us: That's right!
Jaynie: Daddy a big girl, too! (He was not using a spoon - just standing there looking like a girl, I guess.)
Me: That's right!
Hee hee hee.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
She talks in her sleep...
I've heard some pretty funny stuff come out of her room at 2am, but being that I was asleep too... well, it's hard to remember in the morning. Sue me.
Luckily for this blog, she also talks while she naps. She generally naps for about 2 hours. 45 minutes in, she wakes up just enough to cry a little, maybe say a few ridiculous things, then lay back down. Last week after a trip to the zoo she woke up saying "Monkeys! Monkeys! More monkeys! Jaynie wants the monkeys!" (Apparently we headed for the elephants prematurely.)
Yesterday's is the all-time winner, though. She was in her room and I suddenly hear "ALL DONE!" and I'm thinking "Crap. That was a short nap." (assuming that the "all done" meant "I'm all done with this nap, thanks.")
Then I hear "ALL DONE GEORGE!" and I briefly entertain thoughts of smacking that cat around... till I notice he's on the couch next to me. Not, you know, in her room harassing her.
But the part where I finally figured out she was dreaming? "All done George blow bubbles! Jaynie want the bubbles!"
I'll let you ponder that image for a minute. Apparently, in her dreams, George is a bubble-hog.
Luckily for this blog, she also talks while she naps. She generally naps for about 2 hours. 45 minutes in, she wakes up just enough to cry a little, maybe say a few ridiculous things, then lay back down. Last week after a trip to the zoo she woke up saying "Monkeys! Monkeys! More monkeys! Jaynie wants the monkeys!" (Apparently we headed for the elephants prematurely.)
Yesterday's is the all-time winner, though. She was in her room and I suddenly hear "ALL DONE!" and I'm thinking "Crap. That was a short nap." (assuming that the "all done" meant "I'm all done with this nap, thanks.")
Then I hear "ALL DONE GEORGE!" and I briefly entertain thoughts of smacking that cat around... till I notice he's on the couch next to me. Not, you know, in her room harassing her.
But the part where I finally figured out she was dreaming? "All done George blow bubbles! Jaynie want the bubbles!"
I'll let you ponder that image for a minute. Apparently, in her dreams, George is a bubble-hog.
Friday, November 11, 2005
And for her next trick...
This happened a while ago but I forgot to post about it...
I was attempting to pee in private, which I usually have about a 50/50 shot at. Suddenly there is the THUMPTHUMPTHUMP of little feet running down the hall towards the bathroom (not so much a pitter-patter around here - more like a herd of elephants.) She slams open the door, rushes in, throws her arms up over her head, yells "TA DAAAA!".... then runs back out.
I can't make this stuff up, folks. I'm just not that creative.
I was attempting to pee in private, which I usually have about a 50/50 shot at. Suddenly there is the THUMPTHUMPTHUMP of little feet running down the hall towards the bathroom (not so much a pitter-patter around here - more like a herd of elephants.) She slams open the door, rushes in, throws her arms up over her head, yells "TA DAAAA!".... then runs back out.
I can't make this stuff up, folks. I'm just not that creative.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Time for those parental controls...
Jaynie naps in her crib now. I finally have got her to the point where I can just lay her down, tell her to go to sleep, leave the room, and she does. It takes usually like 15 minutes of singing/talking/playing with her stuffed animals - but eventually she dozes off.
Problem? On Thursdays I babysit another toddler and she gets the crib. So I've been bringing Madam to my bed on those days, and snuggling her till she passes out. This usually takes considerably longer than if she was alone - like 30 minutes of me laying there with my eyes closed waiting for her to stop playing with my hair, changing position, offering me the binky, giving me kisses, saying "Hi Mommy!" over and over, etc.
Today I decided to see if the drop her off and walk away technique would work in my bed, too. So first we said "Night night" to Riley, and left her in the crib. Then we walked across the hall and I put her in my bed. Gave her a kiss. Gave her a stuffed animal to snuggle. Told her to go to sleep. Left the room.
All was quiet for about 10 minutes. I was out here doing a victory dance when I heard a suspicious noise. Sounded like.... music?
I go down the hall to find my not-even-two-year-old laying in bed, watching The Wiggles on tv - remote by her hand. When I managed to squeak out "What is this?" she casually pointed to the screen and said "Wiggles!" then went back to watching.
I'm going to assume that was the last channel we had on, and that she only managed to A) find the correct remote and B) hit the power button. I refuse to accept that she has mastered channel surfing to find a show she likes.
BTW - I realize I've been slacking on this thing. Jaynie has done and said many, many cute and hysterical things in the past weeks. Bottom line? When you are ginormously pregnant and have no husband around to help out you tend to crash and burn in the evenings right about the time the kiddo does. Blogging takes a backseat to basics like making sure there are clean sippy cups for the next day. I'll try to be better. Promise.
Problem? On Thursdays I babysit another toddler and she gets the crib. So I've been bringing Madam to my bed on those days, and snuggling her till she passes out. This usually takes considerably longer than if she was alone - like 30 minutes of me laying there with my eyes closed waiting for her to stop playing with my hair, changing position, offering me the binky, giving me kisses, saying "Hi Mommy!" over and over, etc.
Today I decided to see if the drop her off and walk away technique would work in my bed, too. So first we said "Night night" to Riley, and left her in the crib. Then we walked across the hall and I put her in my bed. Gave her a kiss. Gave her a stuffed animal to snuggle. Told her to go to sleep. Left the room.
All was quiet for about 10 minutes. I was out here doing a victory dance when I heard a suspicious noise. Sounded like.... music?
I go down the hall to find my not-even-two-year-old laying in bed, watching The Wiggles on tv - remote by her hand. When I managed to squeak out "What is this?" she casually pointed to the screen and said "Wiggles!" then went back to watching.
I'm going to assume that was the last channel we had on, and that she only managed to A) find the correct remote and B) hit the power button. I refuse to accept that she has mastered channel surfing to find a show she likes.
BTW - I realize I've been slacking on this thing. Jaynie has done and said many, many cute and hysterical things in the past weeks. Bottom line? When you are ginormously pregnant and have no husband around to help out you tend to crash and burn in the evenings right about the time the kiddo does. Blogging takes a backseat to basics like making sure there are clean sippy cups for the next day. I'll try to be better. Promise.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Update on the update
Since posting that 18 month update, Madam has mastered the ABC's. She sings them all the time. My favorite part is "L M N O P", because when she does it it sounds like "Elmo P". So cute. "Now I sing my A B Ceeeeeeeeee's, next time sing with meeeeeee!" She also recognizes letters as "ABC's". She'll point to big text on signs and say "A, B, C, D...." like she's reading it.
She knows her left from her right. She's officially smarter than me.
She knows her left from her right. She's officially smarter than me.
Jaynie do it!
We have officially entered the phase of "Jaynie do it!" Isn't it early for this crap? Shouldn't I have a few more months of cute baby before she turns into a holy terror?
Last week she would say "Jaynie do it!" about getting dressed, but what she meant was "Mommy - you hold out the shirt the correct way, I'll put my arms in the holes." This week she yells JAYNIE DO IT! and means "Mommy - get your HANDS OFF my shirt! I'm putting it on! So what if I'm trying to put it on backwards and upside-down! Didn't you hear me? JAYNIE DO IT!" and on and on and on. She wants to bathe herself, dress herself, climb in the car by herself, climb in her carseat, buckle herself in, mix her own chocolate milk (Yes - I give her chocolate milk. It's Instant Breakfast so I figure it's almost like it's good for her.), clean up her own milk mess, undress herself, turn on the tv, turn off the tv, lotion herself, brush her own teeth.... I'm sure there's more. Those are just the situations in which I heard JAYNIE DO IT today. Thank God it hasn't occurred to her yet to want to change her own diaper. Any day now she's gonna reach for a wipe and I'm going to have a problem.
Last week she would say "Jaynie do it!" about getting dressed, but what she meant was "Mommy - you hold out the shirt the correct way, I'll put my arms in the holes." This week she yells JAYNIE DO IT! and means "Mommy - get your HANDS OFF my shirt! I'm putting it on! So what if I'm trying to put it on backwards and upside-down! Didn't you hear me? JAYNIE DO IT!" and on and on and on. She wants to bathe herself, dress herself, climb in the car by herself, climb in her carseat, buckle herself in, mix her own chocolate milk (Yes - I give her chocolate milk. It's Instant Breakfast so I figure it's almost like it's good for her.), clean up her own milk mess, undress herself, turn on the tv, turn off the tv, lotion herself, brush her own teeth.... I'm sure there's more. Those are just the situations in which I heard JAYNIE DO IT today. Thank God it hasn't occurred to her yet to want to change her own diaper. Any day now she's gonna reach for a wipe and I'm going to have a problem.
So much cuteness!
Joe left last week for a two-week TDY, and Jaynie has been trying to break some kind of record for cuteness since he left.
Monday night -
I put Jaynie down for bed and shut her door. She was babbling and singing to herself in the crib, and I was wandering around the house tidying up (I do do that, sometimes.) When I was right outside her door I sneezed. Whoops.
There was a break in her song, and then I heard "Bless you, Mommy!" Then right back to the ABC's. Cutest. Thing. Ever.
Tuesday night -
Instead of giving her a bath, I brought her in the shower with me. While in there she A) washed her own hair, B) washed her own body, and C) washed me from the knee down (which was really appreciated - I can't see my feet anymore, much less reach them. The only parts she needed help with were her back and her right arm (she couldn't figure out that she needed to switch hands with the sponge - she was trying to reach her right arm with her right hand.)
When we got out she toweled herself dry. How did this happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that she was in the ducky tub?
Thursday evening -
While I'm elbow deep in dinner prep (not really, but I was cutting up raw chicken and had yucky germy hands), Jaynie casually walks past me from the living room to the den. She climbs up on the computer chair, stands up (!!!) and reaches up onto shelves that supposedly she can't reach. She gets the cat clippers, gets down, and strolls back into the living room while telling me "Kitty cat clip nails. Jaynie do it!"
You can imagine how quickly I was trying to wash my hands. Especially when I heard "meOOOWW!" from the living room, followed by "SIT DOWN, GEORGE!"
Now, I ask you - what on earth happened out there that made her think to give the cat a manicure? He was napping, she was watching a video and playing with blocks. At what point did she think to herself "Ya know, I don't believe this cat has had his nails clipped recently..." And how did she come up with, then carry out a detailed plan like that? SHE'S JUST A BABY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
Last night -
As I drove up to the pick-up window at Little Ceaser's, Jaynie yelled out "PIZZA!!!". She recognized the outside of the building, people! I guess I'll have to start making dinner, instead of just getting dinner.
Monday night -
I put Jaynie down for bed and shut her door. She was babbling and singing to herself in the crib, and I was wandering around the house tidying up (I do do that, sometimes.) When I was right outside her door I sneezed. Whoops.
There was a break in her song, and then I heard "Bless you, Mommy!" Then right back to the ABC's. Cutest. Thing. Ever.
Tuesday night -
Instead of giving her a bath, I brought her in the shower with me. While in there she A) washed her own hair, B) washed her own body, and C) washed me from the knee down (which was really appreciated - I can't see my feet anymore, much less reach them. The only parts she needed help with were her back and her right arm (she couldn't figure out that she needed to switch hands with the sponge - she was trying to reach her right arm with her right hand.)
When we got out she toweled herself dry. How did this happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that she was in the ducky tub?
Thursday evening -
While I'm elbow deep in dinner prep (not really, but I was cutting up raw chicken and had yucky germy hands), Jaynie casually walks past me from the living room to the den. She climbs up on the computer chair, stands up (!!!) and reaches up onto shelves that supposedly she can't reach. She gets the cat clippers, gets down, and strolls back into the living room while telling me "Kitty cat clip nails. Jaynie do it!"
You can imagine how quickly I was trying to wash my hands. Especially when I heard "meOOOWW!" from the living room, followed by "SIT DOWN, GEORGE!"
Now, I ask you - what on earth happened out there that made her think to give the cat a manicure? He was napping, she was watching a video and playing with blocks. At what point did she think to herself "Ya know, I don't believe this cat has had his nails clipped recently..." And how did she come up with, then carry out a detailed plan like that? SHE'S JUST A BABY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
Last night -
As I drove up to the pick-up window at Little Ceaser's, Jaynie yelled out "PIZZA!!!". She recognized the outside of the building, people! I guess I'll have to start making dinner, instead of just getting dinner.
Monday, September 05, 2005
18 Month Update
First, the stats....
Weight - 26lbs, 12oz (this would explain the burning arm and sore back when she forces me to lug her around)
Height - 32 1/2 inches
Now the update. This is what Jaynie can do now....
Colors -
She knows red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, and pink. She's amazing. She constantly points stuff out to me. "Red car! Pink shirt! Purple binky!" It's incredible. The Doctor was very impressed when, during our visit, Jaynie started walking around the room and naming the colors she saw. When I asked if that was normal, she said "No, that's not normal." and gave me a look like "Wow - you're really in for it, now."
Left and Right -
Joe is teaching her Left VS Right. It was decided that he should be in charge, since I still don't know mine. It hasn't clicked for her yet that one entire side of her body is the left and the other is the right, but she's starting to memorize which is her left foot, which is her right hand, etc. So if you ask for one or the other, she'll get it right about 85% of the time. I figure she'll have this nailed by next week. (At which point, Joe informs me, she'll officially be smarter than me.)
Numbers -
Jaynie can count to ten. She can also count to three, and to five. This is important - at first she'd just rattle off onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten every time. Now she's starting to be able to stop at whatever number you ask for. She's also starting to actually count things. I see her all the the time, lining up toys in a row, counting. "Ooooone. Twooooo. Threeeeeee."
Letters -
Jaynie will ask for "ABC's!", and can recite them up to G. If you sing, she'll sing along at odd places - like she knows "Y and Z!" She's also starting to be able to recognize A, B, and C written out.
Body Parts -
She knows head, hair, face, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, eyebrows, tongue, teeth, cheeks, chin, neck, shoulders, back, chest, belly/tummy, arms, elbows, hands, fingers, butt, legs, knees, feet, and toes. Yesterday she came up to me and did "Heeeeaaad.... knees and toes". She totally skips shoulders, but it's pretty impressive nonetheless. She also has started saying "Mommy's BIG belly!" instead of just "Mommy's belly". Everyone's a critic.
Table Manners -
Jaynie is totally capable of eating with a fork. It's just, most of the time, she chooses not to. She's slowly figuring out the spoon (For a long time she'd just try to spear whatever it was, as if she was using a fork. Not a really effective way to eat yogurt.) I've started giving her a little bowl of ice cream a couple of times a week - I've found that this is really helping with the spoon thing. Seemed all she needed was proper motivation. She feeds herself 100% of the time, even if it is with her hands. She also drinks from a straw like a champ, and is getting better and better at drinking from a normal cup, or out of a water bottle.
Locomotion -
Jaynie can walk, run, dance, evade me by ducking and moving out of reach, spin around, climb onto anything, give hugs, kisses, "swim" in the pool, clap, kick, stomp, wave hi and bye bye, and basically get into and onto everything in the house. She hasn't mastered jumping yet - one foot always stays on the ground (which is actually really, really cute.)
Communication -
Everywhere we go, other parents say to us "Wow. She's talking really well for her age!" A normal conversation will go something like "Mommy open crackers please." (while holding out the zip-lock), or "All done Wiggles (stupid kid show). Hi-Five (other stupid kid show) please!" She's also great at memorization. She will "read" you entire books if she's heard them often enough. Moo, Baa, La La La is the best. She just kind of skips the words she doesn't know, but if you are familiar with it you can totally recognize what she's saying.
She knows animal noises for just about every animal on the planet. Even ones that don't make noise (Example - did you know that the correct answer to "What does the turtle say?" is to make kissy noises? Who knew!)
She's beyond asking to watch a movie. These days, she'll ask me for a specific movie or show, sometimes even for a specific part. The ones she watches regularly (there's a few Sesame Street videos that generally get turned on once a day around here) she knows dialogue, too. She'll be sitting there, happily chatting along with Big Bird, doing all of Grover's lines - it's a riot.
Memory -
Jaynie remembers the people we visited in Florida last month, and will call them by the correct names when she sees a picture. She will remember if I told her she can have ice cream after her nap (and wake up going "Eye Beam! Eye BEAM!") Twice now she has recognized a picture of a baby when I've only told her who that was once. Both stories are identical - she's pointing and saying a word over and over that I can't figure out. Finally she gives me another hint ("Alex pink hat!" "Dakota green bow!") and I get it. She's calling the baby by name. (It should be mentioned that while she sees Alex regularly, this is a pic from last winter and she's unrecognizable as a little muffin swamped by a hat and binky. Dakota she has never actually met, just seen a picture and (apparently!) remembered the name.)
Musical Talents -
One day she started singing and she really hasn't stopped yet. We tend to listen to the same few kid cd's in the car and in her room over and over. A couple of weeks ago she started singing along. Turns out she's really been paying attention, because she knows all the songs. She may not get every word right, but she nails the number of syllables, and she's actually usually in tune. Now she's starting to sing on her own, without the background music. Favorites include Twinkle Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Three Blind Mice. You have not lived until you've heard this kid say "Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!" So freaking cute. She also dances like a fiend when the mood strikes her. Sometimes, there is no music playing. I guess she hears it in her head.
Vehicle Recognition -
Jaynie can spot "Mommy's car" or "Daddy's car" from a block away. In fact, there was one day a couple of weeks ago that we were pulling into a restaurant parking lot when she yelled "DADDY'S CAR!!!" Turns out Joe was eating lunch there, too. Good thing she spotted it, we might have missed him! When asked, she'll let you know that Daddy's car goes "hoot hoot" and Mommy's car goes "VROOM VROOM!" Joe says "Well - it does have those two extra cylinders."
She also loves to "drive" either car, while they're parked in the driveway. She'll turn the wheel, push all the buttons on the dash, turn all the dials, demand that the radio be playing and then mess with the volume... it's a good time.
Sense of Humor -
This kid cracks herself up. Sometimes, when you ask her for a purple block, she'll bring you a yellow one... then just watch you like "Do you notice anything strange about that block, Mommy?" Then crack up and give me the right one. Also, she laughs at all the appropriate places during her movies. Unfortunately, she also thinks it's hysterical when she either passes gas or burps. She'll laugh then try and do it again. Great.
Fashion Sense -
Jaynie has definite ideas about what she wants to wear every day. If I flat out ask "What do you want to wear today?", a lot of times she'll have an answer. ("Flower dress! Turtle shirt! Dorable outfit!") If I give her choices, she'll really give it some thought before picking. In fact, she likes to hold a shirt or dress up to herself and look in the mirror. I am not making this up. She'll kind of tuck it under her chin and wander off to admire herself.
If I'm folding laundry, or going through some new clothes, or in any way flaunting cute stuff in front of her she'll demand to be changed into the new outfit. She grabs at what she's wearing and announces "ALL DONE!", while simultaniously trying to put the new item on.
She likes to pick out her own shoes. Some days, this spells fashion disaster. Some days, she surprises me. (Last week she was wearing a dress and pink sandals. She saw a purple outfit that she simply HAD to be changed into. A few minutes later I find her in her room, pink sandals off, attempting to put on her new purple ones. Holy cow - she's better at coordinating a look than her father.)
One last thing should be mentioned here - the kid now owns five pairs of sunglasses. (I only have two! What is wrong with this picture?) Every day she lets me know which ones she wants to wear. Sometimes, what she wants are "Daddy's orange glasses!" (big wrap-around shades) that look absolutely ridiculously cute on her. She's a glasses hog - five pairs just aren't enough for a fashionista like her.
I think that's it. And now, I'll leave you with a nice story....
The other day Jaynie heard someone pass gas. She got all excited, looked around, and shouted at the top of her lungs.... "DADDY!!!!!" That's my girl.
Weight - 26lbs, 12oz (this would explain the burning arm and sore back when she forces me to lug her around)
Height - 32 1/2 inches
Now the update. This is what Jaynie can do now....
Colors -
She knows red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, and pink. She's amazing. She constantly points stuff out to me. "Red car! Pink shirt! Purple binky!" It's incredible. The Doctor was very impressed when, during our visit, Jaynie started walking around the room and naming the colors she saw. When I asked if that was normal, she said "No, that's not normal." and gave me a look like "Wow - you're really in for it, now."
Left and Right -
Joe is teaching her Left VS Right. It was decided that he should be in charge, since I still don't know mine. It hasn't clicked for her yet that one entire side of her body is the left and the other is the right, but she's starting to memorize which is her left foot, which is her right hand, etc. So if you ask for one or the other, she'll get it right about 85% of the time. I figure she'll have this nailed by next week. (At which point, Joe informs me, she'll officially be smarter than me.)
Numbers -
Jaynie can count to ten. She can also count to three, and to five. This is important - at first she'd just rattle off onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten every time. Now she's starting to be able to stop at whatever number you ask for. She's also starting to actually count things. I see her all the the time, lining up toys in a row, counting. "Ooooone. Twooooo. Threeeeeee."
Letters -
Jaynie will ask for "ABC's!", and can recite them up to G. If you sing, she'll sing along at odd places - like she knows "Y and Z!" She's also starting to be able to recognize A, B, and C written out.
Body Parts -
She knows head, hair, face, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, eyebrows, tongue, teeth, cheeks, chin, neck, shoulders, back, chest, belly/tummy, arms, elbows, hands, fingers, butt, legs, knees, feet, and toes. Yesterday she came up to me and did "Heeeeaaad.... knees and toes". She totally skips shoulders, but it's pretty impressive nonetheless. She also has started saying "Mommy's BIG belly!" instead of just "Mommy's belly". Everyone's a critic.
Table Manners -
Jaynie is totally capable of eating with a fork. It's just, most of the time, she chooses not to. She's slowly figuring out the spoon (For a long time she'd just try to spear whatever it was, as if she was using a fork. Not a really effective way to eat yogurt.) I've started giving her a little bowl of ice cream a couple of times a week - I've found that this is really helping with the spoon thing. Seemed all she needed was proper motivation. She feeds herself 100% of the time, even if it is with her hands. She also drinks from a straw like a champ, and is getting better and better at drinking from a normal cup, or out of a water bottle.
Locomotion -
Jaynie can walk, run, dance, evade me by ducking and moving out of reach, spin around, climb onto anything, give hugs, kisses, "swim" in the pool, clap, kick, stomp, wave hi and bye bye, and basically get into and onto everything in the house. She hasn't mastered jumping yet - one foot always stays on the ground (which is actually really, really cute.)
Communication -
Everywhere we go, other parents say to us "Wow. She's talking really well for her age!" A normal conversation will go something like "Mommy open crackers please." (while holding out the zip-lock), or "All done Wiggles (stupid kid show). Hi-Five (other stupid kid show) please!" She's also great at memorization. She will "read" you entire books if she's heard them often enough. Moo, Baa, La La La is the best. She just kind of skips the words she doesn't know, but if you are familiar with it you can totally recognize what she's saying.
She knows animal noises for just about every animal on the planet. Even ones that don't make noise (Example - did you know that the correct answer to "What does the turtle say?" is to make kissy noises? Who knew!)
She's beyond asking to watch a movie. These days, she'll ask me for a specific movie or show, sometimes even for a specific part. The ones she watches regularly (there's a few Sesame Street videos that generally get turned on once a day around here) she knows dialogue, too. She'll be sitting there, happily chatting along with Big Bird, doing all of Grover's lines - it's a riot.
Memory -
Jaynie remembers the people we visited in Florida last month, and will call them by the correct names when she sees a picture. She will remember if I told her she can have ice cream after her nap (and wake up going "Eye Beam! Eye BEAM!") Twice now she has recognized a picture of a baby when I've only told her who that was once. Both stories are identical - she's pointing and saying a word over and over that I can't figure out. Finally she gives me another hint ("Alex pink hat!" "Dakota green bow!") and I get it. She's calling the baby by name. (It should be mentioned that while she sees Alex regularly, this is a pic from last winter and she's unrecognizable as a little muffin swamped by a hat and binky. Dakota she has never actually met, just seen a picture and (apparently!) remembered the name.)
Musical Talents -
One day she started singing and she really hasn't stopped yet. We tend to listen to the same few kid cd's in the car and in her room over and over. A couple of weeks ago she started singing along. Turns out she's really been paying attention, because she knows all the songs. She may not get every word right, but she nails the number of syllables, and she's actually usually in tune. Now she's starting to sing on her own, without the background music. Favorites include Twinkle Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Three Blind Mice. You have not lived until you've heard this kid say "Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!" So freaking cute. She also dances like a fiend when the mood strikes her. Sometimes, there is no music playing. I guess she hears it in her head.
Vehicle Recognition -
Jaynie can spot "Mommy's car" or "Daddy's car" from a block away. In fact, there was one day a couple of weeks ago that we were pulling into a restaurant parking lot when she yelled "DADDY'S CAR!!!" Turns out Joe was eating lunch there, too. Good thing she spotted it, we might have missed him! When asked, she'll let you know that Daddy's car goes "hoot hoot" and Mommy's car goes "VROOM VROOM!" Joe says "Well - it does have those two extra cylinders."
She also loves to "drive" either car, while they're parked in the driveway. She'll turn the wheel, push all the buttons on the dash, turn all the dials, demand that the radio be playing and then mess with the volume... it's a good time.
Sense of Humor -
This kid cracks herself up. Sometimes, when you ask her for a purple block, she'll bring you a yellow one... then just watch you like "Do you notice anything strange about that block, Mommy?" Then crack up and give me the right one. Also, she laughs at all the appropriate places during her movies. Unfortunately, she also thinks it's hysterical when she either passes gas or burps. She'll laugh then try and do it again. Great.
Fashion Sense -
Jaynie has definite ideas about what she wants to wear every day. If I flat out ask "What do you want to wear today?", a lot of times she'll have an answer. ("Flower dress! Turtle shirt! Dorable outfit!") If I give her choices, she'll really give it some thought before picking. In fact, she likes to hold a shirt or dress up to herself and look in the mirror. I am not making this up. She'll kind of tuck it under her chin and wander off to admire herself.
If I'm folding laundry, or going through some new clothes, or in any way flaunting cute stuff in front of her she'll demand to be changed into the new outfit. She grabs at what she's wearing and announces "ALL DONE!", while simultaniously trying to put the new item on.
She likes to pick out her own shoes. Some days, this spells fashion disaster. Some days, she surprises me. (Last week she was wearing a dress and pink sandals. She saw a purple outfit that she simply HAD to be changed into. A few minutes later I find her in her room, pink sandals off, attempting to put on her new purple ones. Holy cow - she's better at coordinating a look than her father.)
One last thing should be mentioned here - the kid now owns five pairs of sunglasses. (I only have two! What is wrong with this picture?) Every day she lets me know which ones she wants to wear. Sometimes, what she wants are "Daddy's orange glasses!" (big wrap-around shades) that look absolutely ridiculously cute on her. She's a glasses hog - five pairs just aren't enough for a fashionista like her.
I think that's it. And now, I'll leave you with a nice story....
The other day Jaynie heard someone pass gas. She got all excited, looked around, and shouted at the top of her lungs.... "DADDY!!!!!" That's my girl.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Busted by a one-year-old
Last weekend, we went out for a late lunch at Olive Garden and stuffed our faces. I knew that Jaynie would not be particularly hungry 2 hours later for dinner. For Joe and I it was easy - we just waited till we got hungry later. But for Madam, who needs to be in bed before 7pm or she turns into a pumpkin? No late dinner for her.
So, I tried to get her to eat, and to supplement her tiny meal I gave her one of my Ensure Healthy Mom shakes instead of plain milk. It's made for pregnant women with tons of calcium and iron etc, so I figured it would at least be something.
I gave it to her in a cup with a straw, and said "Here honey - try this! It's yummy! A chocolate shake!" She looked pretty suspicious, but took a few sips anyway (she trusts me!)
One sip... puzzled face. Two sips.... happy face. Three sips.... and out it comes...
"DADDY'S MILK!"
(Later that day)
Me: Joe, have you been giving the Twinkie chocolate milk?
Joe: Noooooooo....
Me: Really? Because when I gave her a chocolate shake today, she called it "Daddy's milk".
Joe: Uhhhh.....
(He's still denying this, but it seems pretty incriminating to me. He's claiming that Jaynie, the toddler, is "framing" him.)
On that same note... (lots of ..... dot dot dots...... in this post)
Today Madam is on the changing table, bitching and moaning about getting her diaper changed. I ask her to show me her foot, and we're off. She shows me her eyes, her nose, her ears, her cheek, her mouth.... then she sticks her finger WAAAAAAAAAY up her nose (I think the second knuckle disappeared for a second) and says...
... wait for it....
"DADDY'S NOSE!"
He really needs to watch himself. She is paying attention to EVERYTHING.
So, I tried to get her to eat, and to supplement her tiny meal I gave her one of my Ensure Healthy Mom shakes instead of plain milk. It's made for pregnant women with tons of calcium and iron etc, so I figured it would at least be something.
I gave it to her in a cup with a straw, and said "Here honey - try this! It's yummy! A chocolate shake!" She looked pretty suspicious, but took a few sips anyway (she trusts me!)
One sip... puzzled face. Two sips.... happy face. Three sips.... and out it comes...
"DADDY'S MILK!"
(Later that day)
Me: Joe, have you been giving the Twinkie chocolate milk?
Joe: Noooooooo....
Me: Really? Because when I gave her a chocolate shake today, she called it "Daddy's milk".
Joe: Uhhhh.....
(He's still denying this, but it seems pretty incriminating to me. He's claiming that Jaynie, the toddler, is "framing" him.)
On that same note... (lots of ..... dot dot dots...... in this post)
Today Madam is on the changing table, bitching and moaning about getting her diaper changed. I ask her to show me her foot, and we're off. She shows me her eyes, her nose, her ears, her cheek, her mouth.... then she sticks her finger WAAAAAAAAAY up her nose (I think the second knuckle disappeared for a second) and says...
... wait for it....
"DADDY'S NOSE!"
He really needs to watch himself. She is paying attention to EVERYTHING.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Leavin' on a jet plane....
Here is a good thing to know - when you are traveling alone with a toddler, and you look like you are having the least little bit of difficulty, 4,200 people will stop to help you. It probably helps if you look approx. 16 months pregnant. Seriously - I thought it would be a nightmare (just trying to carry my diaper bag, the carseat, and Jaynie through an airport... oy), but I never had to struggle. There was always someone taking the carseat away from me, helping me get it strapped down, helping me stow my bags, etc. The airline people moved us to the very front of the plane so I wouldn't have to fight my way down the aisle. Everything went a lot smoother and easier than I ever could've hoped or imagined.
Also - I was seriously resenting spending $200 on a ticket for Madam, but it was sooooooooooo worth it. Her having her own seat, strapped down, not in my lap, not squirming around trying to be free.... ahhhh. Heaven. She actually napped for her full 2 hours because she was in the seat and not being held down. dheygtzsdz (Sorry - walked away from the computer for a minute and Jaynie took the opportunity to add a little something to this entry. )
We had many adventures in Florida - she did many cute and wonderful things. As soon as she stops yelling at me, riding the cat, and making long distance calls on my phone I'll sit down and try to write some down.
Also - I was seriously resenting spending $200 on a ticket for Madam, but it was sooooooooooo worth it. Her having her own seat, strapped down, not in my lap, not squirming around trying to be free.... ahhhh. Heaven. She actually napped for her full 2 hours because she was in the seat and not being held down. dheygtzsdz (Sorry - walked away from the computer for a minute and Jaynie took the opportunity to add a little something to this entry. )
We had many adventures in Florida - she did many cute and wonderful things. As soon as she stops yelling at me, riding the cat, and making long distance calls on my phone I'll sit down and try to write some down.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
This is me. This is me having a heart attack.
So, I'm sitting here trying to update the website (Let this story be a lesson to all of you who have been harrassing me about it. Suz. ), and Jaynie is running around the house. She comes by, gives me a brief "tickle tickle tickle", then runs away laughing. I know how this game works. I chase her down, (very gently, of course) throw her to the ground, and start tickling/kissing her. I notice she has her romper unsnapped, and when I go to chomp a thigh I make a very alarming discovery.
She is not wearing a diaper.
You read that right. The kid is running around naked from the waist down. When I could breathe again, I asked her "Jaynie? Where is your diaper?" and she said, and I quote, "Poop."
This was where I nearly had a heart attack.
I got a new diaper on her, snapped her up, went and got Joe, and we began the search. After about 10 min. he found a very wet, but thankfully poop-free, diaper. She had thrown it over the baby gate we have up that keeps her away from the kitchen trash. Holy cow. If she wanted a dry diaper, all she had to do was ask for it. Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to duct-tape her outfit closed, and finish updating the site.
She is not wearing a diaper.
You read that right. The kid is running around naked from the waist down. When I could breathe again, I asked her "Jaynie? Where is your diaper?" and she said, and I quote, "Poop."
This was where I nearly had a heart attack.
I got a new diaper on her, snapped her up, went and got Joe, and we began the search. After about 10 min. he found a very wet, but thankfully poop-free, diaper. She had thrown it over the baby gate we have up that keeps her away from the kitchen trash. Holy cow. If she wanted a dry diaper, all she had to do was ask for it. Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to duct-tape her outfit closed, and finish updating the site.
Miss Sympathy
Last night Jaynie and I went to WalMart (an adventure in itself). While we were walking up and down the aisles we kept hearing a kid having an absolute nightmare of a fit. Every time he'd let out a yell Jaynie would look at me, and look around. We finally turn a corner and there they are - a very tired looking Mom with a screaming kid in the cart.
Screaming kid: "Waaaaaaaaaaah!"
Jaynie: (looking right into his face) "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Now - if you think I'm saying that she started crying, too, you are wrong. What she was doing was mocking him. I know this because immediately after the "wah" she looked at me and cracked up. This one is never going to be a peer counselor.
Screaming kid: "Waaaaaaaaaaah!"
Jaynie: (looking right into his face) "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Now - if you think I'm saying that she started crying, too, you are wrong. What she was doing was mocking him. I know this because immediately after the "wah" she looked at me and cracked up. This one is never going to be a peer counselor.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Monkey Girl
I've been calling the kid a monkey, but it occurs to me that she's really more like a baby Spiderman.
We had this house Jaynie-proofed. It was safe to leave her unattended in just about any room. Not that we left her alone a lot, but it was nice to occasionally go to the bathroom without an audience and not have to worry about what she was doing.
All that has changed, ever since she started moving around the house VERTICALLY.
She climbs anything and everything. She climbs the chairs to get on the dining room table. She climbs the bar stools to get on the kitchen counter. She climbs the futon to (attempt to) get on the windowsill where George is napping. Her greatest climbing feat, however, had to be the changing table.
She's in her room, Joe and I are in the dining room. I'm showing him the broken pieces of some cute little ceramic pots that she climbed up and destroyed earlier that day. I say to him "You should probably go see what she's up to right now - it's awfully quiet in there." and he says (naively) "She's in her room - she can't destroy anything."
A few minutes later he goes in and I hear "Jennifer? Why is her lotion on the floor?" Apparently, he found her squirting lotion onto her belly and rubbing it in (all the while, chanting "lotion! lotion!"), and assumed I had left it where she could reach. Well - I hadn't.
Me: "Ummmm... did she climb the changing table to get it?" (We keep lotions, ointments, wipes, etc on a little shelf that is mounted to the wall ABOVE the changing table. Seriously - it's got to be almost 6 feet off the ground - I have to reach up for stuff.)
Joe: (Makes some kind of disbelieving snort. He's so sure that I left it out and just forgot.)
So, we put the lotion back where it belongs, sit back, and watch. We watch our little monkey climb the freaking table like it's a ladder, then stand on the pad, reach up, get the lotion, and start to climb back down.
Nothing is safe. Nothing.
We had this house Jaynie-proofed. It was safe to leave her unattended in just about any room. Not that we left her alone a lot, but it was nice to occasionally go to the bathroom without an audience and not have to worry about what she was doing.
All that has changed, ever since she started moving around the house VERTICALLY.
She climbs anything and everything. She climbs the chairs to get on the dining room table. She climbs the bar stools to get on the kitchen counter. She climbs the futon to (attempt to) get on the windowsill where George is napping. Her greatest climbing feat, however, had to be the changing table.
She's in her room, Joe and I are in the dining room. I'm showing him the broken pieces of some cute little ceramic pots that she climbed up and destroyed earlier that day. I say to him "You should probably go see what she's up to right now - it's awfully quiet in there." and he says (naively) "She's in her room - she can't destroy anything."
A few minutes later he goes in and I hear "Jennifer? Why is her lotion on the floor?" Apparently, he found her squirting lotion onto her belly and rubbing it in (all the while, chanting "lotion! lotion!"), and assumed I had left it where she could reach. Well - I hadn't.
Me: "Ummmm... did she climb the changing table to get it?" (We keep lotions, ointments, wipes, etc on a little shelf that is mounted to the wall ABOVE the changing table. Seriously - it's got to be almost 6 feet off the ground - I have to reach up for stuff.)
Joe: (Makes some kind of disbelieving snort. He's so sure that I left it out and just forgot.)
So, we put the lotion back where it belongs, sit back, and watch. We watch our little monkey climb the freaking table like it's a ladder, then stand on the pad, reach up, get the lotion, and start to climb back down.
Nothing is safe. Nothing.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Belly Post
As those of you lucky enough to have seen my most recent pics know, I am ginormous for a woman who is only about 3 months pregnant. Seriously huge. Noticably pregnant. I already have people asking me "Is it a boy or a girl?", touching my belly, and letting me cut the bathroom line. At 15 weeks pg. Amazing.
Last night I went out with my friend Stacey, and her friend Stacey who is visiting from Florida. Stacey sees me walking out to the car and says "My God, you are SO PREGNANT" and I'm like "I know, I know" and she's like "Look at that BELLY!" and I'm like "Yes, yes, I know" and Florida Stacey says "How far along are you... like 6 months?" and Stacey cracks up and I say "Ummm... 3 months." and Florida Stacey (looking absolutely stunned, I might add) says "Wow. I was being polite. I figured she was ready to drop.
Oh. My. God.
Last night I went out with my friend Stacey, and her friend Stacey who is visiting from Florida. Stacey sees me walking out to the car and says "My God, you are SO PREGNANT" and I'm like "I know, I know" and she's like "Look at that BELLY!" and I'm like "Yes, yes, I know" and Florida Stacey says "How far along are you... like 6 months?" and Stacey cracks up and I say "Ummm... 3 months." and Florida Stacey (looking absolutely stunned, I might add) says "Wow. I was being polite. I figured she was ready to drop.
Oh. My. God.
Me!
When Joe gives Jaynie her bath, he uses the opportunity to teach her useful things like new signs, animal noises, how to count to ten, etc. When I give her the bath, I teach her that the correct answer to "Who's the prettiest girl?" is... "Me!"
Who can argue with that?
Who can argue with that?
My Daughter, The Genius
Joe was home for a four day weekend last week, thanks to the 4th of July. During these four days he changed every single poopy diaper we had the misfortune to encounter. (My nausea has gotten SO MUCH WORSE in the second trimester. I'm pretty sure that's not the way it's supposed to work. Blegh.)
Tuesday rolls around, and my secret weapon against stinky diapers has to go back to work. Approximately 5 minutes after he leaves, Jaynie comes up to me and says "Poop!" (which was really unnessasary, as my eyes started watering when she got within 3 feet of me). She then looks around (here comes the genius part!) and says "Daddy?"
That's right, folks. Daddy is officially in charge of poop around here. When he's home she'll go right to him. "Poop! Daddy!" Sometimes she'll bring him a clean diaper, to help him understand exactly what she's trying to communicate (again - like the smell isn't enough to alert us).
How wonderful is this kid? Pretty freaking wonderful. =)
Tuesday rolls around, and my secret weapon against stinky diapers has to go back to work. Approximately 5 minutes after he leaves, Jaynie comes up to me and says "Poop!" (which was really unnessasary, as my eyes started watering when she got within 3 feet of me). She then looks around (here comes the genius part!) and says "Daddy?"
That's right, folks. Daddy is officially in charge of poop around here. When he's home she'll go right to him. "Poop! Daddy!" Sometimes she'll bring him a clean diaper, to help him understand exactly what she's trying to communicate (again - like the smell isn't enough to alert us).
How wonderful is this kid? Pretty freaking wonderful. =)
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Product Endorsement
I know this blog is usually all Jaynie, all the time, but I want to take a moment and tell you all about some fab new products I have recently started using.
1st - the Mr. Clean MagicReach. It's wonderful. I can scrub every inch of my shower without actually being in it (I hate being trapped in there with the cleanser smell - although, I have to admit that this one has a nice orangey smell - so maybe it wouldn't be that bad.) I can scrub the floor without bending over (nice now, a must in a few months). My only beef is that the little scrubby pads you have to buy actually have the cleanser inside them. Doesn't sound so bad, but I thought this was just a tool and I'd be able to continue to buy whatever I had a coupon for or was on sale. Now I'm trapped getting these overpriced pads. Whatever - small price to pay if it means I actually clean my shower.
2nd - Barilla's new Pasta Plus. It's not made from your normal pasta ingredients. It's got ground up chickpeas and flaxseed and all kinds of stuff in it, so it has protein and fiber and omega-3's and all kinds of good things. I was hesitant to serve pasta made from ground legumes to the fam, but I just didn't mention it was any different and they both ate it no problem. I felt like those sneaky guys in the Foldger's commercials. "We've traded Joe's normal spaghetti for one made of beans! Let's see if he can tell the difference!"
That's all for now. As always, I'm a huge fan of Clorox wipes (a Mom's best friend!), but I was trying to focus on the new and innovative. Now, I'm off to take a shower in my sparkly, orange-scented stall. G'night!
1st - the Mr. Clean MagicReach. It's wonderful. I can scrub every inch of my shower without actually being in it (I hate being trapped in there with the cleanser smell - although, I have to admit that this one has a nice orangey smell - so maybe it wouldn't be that bad.) I can scrub the floor without bending over (nice now, a must in a few months). My only beef is that the little scrubby pads you have to buy actually have the cleanser inside them. Doesn't sound so bad, but I thought this was just a tool and I'd be able to continue to buy whatever I had a coupon for or was on sale. Now I'm trapped getting these overpriced pads. Whatever - small price to pay if it means I actually clean my shower.
2nd - Barilla's new Pasta Plus. It's not made from your normal pasta ingredients. It's got ground up chickpeas and flaxseed and all kinds of stuff in it, so it has protein and fiber and omega-3's and all kinds of good things. I was hesitant to serve pasta made from ground legumes to the fam, but I just didn't mention it was any different and they both ate it no problem. I felt like those sneaky guys in the Foldger's commercials. "We've traded Joe's normal spaghetti for one made of beans! Let's see if he can tell the difference!"
That's all for now. As always, I'm a huge fan of Clorox wipes (a Mom's best friend!), but I was trying to focus on the new and innovative. Now, I'm off to take a shower in my sparkly, orange-scented stall. G'night!
Good Times
Jaynie is working on two molars, and at least one canine. This makes her very cranky.
I am almost, but not quite, in my second trimester. The hormones are making me very cranky.
Joe is painting the outside of the house. He hates to paint. You guessed it - cranky. (This gets extra bonus cranky points because when he gets home from work he goes straight outside and paints until dark. Soooooo, after I've been wrestling with Miss Crankypants all freaking day, trying not to start crying or yelling myself, I get no help before dinner (so I can actually cook it), no help during dinner (so I can actually eat it), no help after dinner with the bath (so I can clean up after it), no help no help no help with the little monster. Whoops - I mean with the little love of my life. The one that spends all day yelling at me and throwing food and sitting on the cats. That one.
Life in the Moore house is nothing but fun right now! Everyone should come for a visit! You know you want to!
I am almost, but not quite, in my second trimester. The hormones are making me very cranky.
Joe is painting the outside of the house. He hates to paint. You guessed it - cranky. (This gets extra bonus cranky points because when he gets home from work he goes straight outside and paints until dark. Soooooo, after I've been wrestling with Miss Crankypants all freaking day, trying not to start crying or yelling myself, I get no help before dinner (so I can actually cook it), no help during dinner (so I can actually eat it), no help after dinner with the bath (so I can clean up after it), no help no help no help with the little monster. Whoops - I mean with the little love of my life. The one that spends all day yelling at me and throwing food and sitting on the cats. That one.
Life in the Moore house is nothing but fun right now! Everyone should come for a visit! You know you want to!
The Trouble With Toothbrushes
First, I have to say that the word "toothbrushes" doesn't look right. Seems like it should be "teethbrush", or "toothbreesh", or something.
Anyway, here is the trouble with them - Jaynie is obsessed. Specifically, she is obsessed with mine. "Mommy Teef! Mommy Teef!" She wants my toothbrush, and she wants to run around and brush her teeth, and her ducks' teeth, and her dolls' teeth, and George's teeth, and her toes.... you get the picture.
The last time I got a new one, I joked with Joe that I would have to be careful and not let her see me use it. That way she'd still be happy with the old one. Wouldn't you know that I easily conned her into using "Mommy's toothbrush" for about a week until she saw me use the new one... then the old was no good. She'll push it away with the back of her hand and yell "ALL DONE!" if you try and give her any other than my (current!) brush.
Well - yesterday I got a new one. There was no joking this time - I planned to not get caught using it. Period.
So far I've used it once. Late last night after she was already asleep.
This morning she rejected my old one, and desperately pointed to the new. "Mommy Teef! Mommy Teef!" How does she do that?
Anyway, here is the trouble with them - Jaynie is obsessed. Specifically, she is obsessed with mine. "Mommy Teef! Mommy Teef!" She wants my toothbrush, and she wants to run around and brush her teeth, and her ducks' teeth, and her dolls' teeth, and George's teeth, and her toes.... you get the picture.
The last time I got a new one, I joked with Joe that I would have to be careful and not let her see me use it. That way she'd still be happy with the old one. Wouldn't you know that I easily conned her into using "Mommy's toothbrush" for about a week until she saw me use the new one... then the old was no good. She'll push it away with the back of her hand and yell "ALL DONE!" if you try and give her any other than my (current!) brush.
Well - yesterday I got a new one. There was no joking this time - I planned to not get caught using it. Period.
So far I've used it once. Late last night after she was already asleep.
This morning she rejected my old one, and desperately pointed to the new. "Mommy Teef! Mommy Teef!" How does she do that?
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Duh, Mom.
A few minutes ago, I was walking behind Jaynie and I put my hand on the back of her head. My fingers came back sticky and covered with goo. *
Me: Jaynie! What is in your hair?!
Jaynie: (reaching up to touch her hair elastic) Bow. ** (In the most "no DUH" voice imaginable)
This one's going to be soooo much fun as a teenager.
*Jaynie gets a little carried away with her cereal in the morning. She digs in and eats for the first few minutes, but after she takes the edge off she likes to wear some of it.
** Anything that goes in the hair is a "bow". Whether it be an actual bow, a tiny rubber band, a baby "scrunchie", whatever. Similarly - anything that goes on her head is a "hat". Hats, headbands, underpants... the list goes on and on.
Me: Jaynie! What is in your hair?!
Jaynie: (reaching up to touch her hair elastic) Bow. ** (In the most "no DUH" voice imaginable)
This one's going to be soooo much fun as a teenager.
*Jaynie gets a little carried away with her cereal in the morning. She digs in and eats for the first few minutes, but after she takes the edge off she likes to wear some of it.
** Anything that goes in the hair is a "bow". Whether it be an actual bow, a tiny rubber band, a baby "scrunchie", whatever. Similarly - anything that goes on her head is a "hat". Hats, headbands, underpants... the list goes on and on.
Disaster Averted
Yesterday we went to a picnic. It was held in a pavillion, which means metal picnic tables on a concrete floor. (Funny - I never noticed how unsafe the world can be before I had a kid.)
Jaynie was climbing the bench of one of the tables (because that's what she does - she's a climber), and Joe and I were sitting there watching her like - "This can't be safe." So he moves over to sit right next to her, hands out in case she loses her balance.
The next thing I know my baby is falling the (what? 2 1/2 feet? seemed like at least 10 feet at the time) towards the concrete. She's falling straight back - she would've landed on her back and head. The look on her face is awful - such shock and fear. I am too far away (only a few feet, but it was happening so fast) to do anything.
Seriously - less than an inch away from the ground - her Dad catches her. I'm surprised he didn't scrape the back of his hand on the concrete - it was that close. Everyone around us broke into applause. I almost broke into tears. Jaynie started wailing and we could see that she bit her tongue (Joe swears she smacked her face on the bench on the way down, and that's when the bite happened. I didn't see a hit, and no red marks ever appeared - I think it was when he caught her. The world may never know.) A little ice and she was running around again.
If Grown-up-Jaynie is reading this, I just want you to know that no matter how difficult your Dad made your life as a teen (right now he seems to seriously believe he can keep you from dating till you're 30), he totally saved your bacon yesterday. So cut him some slack.
Jaynie was climbing the bench of one of the tables (because that's what she does - she's a climber), and Joe and I were sitting there watching her like - "This can't be safe." So he moves over to sit right next to her, hands out in case she loses her balance.
The next thing I know my baby is falling the (what? 2 1/2 feet? seemed like at least 10 feet at the time) towards the concrete. She's falling straight back - she would've landed on her back and head. The look on her face is awful - such shock and fear. I am too far away (only a few feet, but it was happening so fast) to do anything.
Seriously - less than an inch away from the ground - her Dad catches her. I'm surprised he didn't scrape the back of his hand on the concrete - it was that close. Everyone around us broke into applause. I almost broke into tears. Jaynie started wailing and we could see that she bit her tongue (Joe swears she smacked her face on the bench on the way down, and that's when the bite happened. I didn't see a hit, and no red marks ever appeared - I think it was when he caught her. The world may never know.) A little ice and she was running around again.
If Grown-up-Jaynie is reading this, I just want you to know that no matter how difficult your Dad made your life as a teen (right now he seems to seriously believe he can keep you from dating till you're 30), he totally saved your bacon yesterday. So cut him some slack.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Soooo Opinionated
Yesterday I dressed Jaynie in a dress with fish on it. She was not pleased. She kept pulling it up and saying "All Done!", and I kept telling her that no, she wasn't. She wanted to put her kitty pj's back on ("meow! meOW!"), but that wasn't going to happen.
About an hour later when I finally get dressed, I put on a sundress with flowers. She goes nuts sniffing (sign for "flower") and pointing. After a few minutes of this she starts sniffing then patting her own chest. Then she's sniffing, trying to say "flower", and smacking her chest. Then she's doing these things but also throwing in a few "ALL DONE!"s while pulling at the fish dress.
So I changed her into a sundress with flowers on it. Joe thought the whole thing was hysterical.
Today I'm asking her "What do you want to wear today?", and she starts sniffing. So I'm digging through her drawer and come up with this cute, but kind of silly-babyish, pink gingham sunsuit with a big flower on the front. I hold it up and ask "Do you want to wear this? It has a flower." and she gives me the most amazing, grow-up, look of disgust. It was the funniest thing. She's looking at it like a teenager looks at her dad in socks and sandals. "You want me to wear THAT?!"
She ended up in her turtle outfit, instead. I get the feeling I'm in for a bumpy ride with this one.
About an hour later when I finally get dressed, I put on a sundress with flowers. She goes nuts sniffing (sign for "flower") and pointing. After a few minutes of this she starts sniffing then patting her own chest. Then she's sniffing, trying to say "flower", and smacking her chest. Then she's doing these things but also throwing in a few "ALL DONE!"s while pulling at the fish dress.
So I changed her into a sundress with flowers on it. Joe thought the whole thing was hysterical.
Today I'm asking her "What do you want to wear today?", and she starts sniffing. So I'm digging through her drawer and come up with this cute, but kind of silly-babyish, pink gingham sunsuit with a big flower on the front. I hold it up and ask "Do you want to wear this? It has a flower." and she gives me the most amazing, grow-up, look of disgust. It was the funniest thing. She's looking at it like a teenager looks at her dad in socks and sandals. "You want me to wear THAT?!"
She ended up in her turtle outfit, instead. I get the feeling I'm in for a bumpy ride with this one.
Fun With Water
Jaynie and I got Joe a pressure cleaner for Father's day.
I was a little worried about this gift. It didn't have anything to do with Jaynie, or with being a father. It wasn't... fun. After my fabulous spa day gift for Mother's day, I was feeling the pressure to really come up with something good.
I don't know why I was worried. Joe set it up a couple hours ago and has not turned the hose off since. He started with my car, then did the sidewalk and porch steps, then the porch - who knows what he's cleaning now. He actually turned to me and said (in a total little kid excited on his birthday voice) "How have I gone this long without one of these things?!?"
Today I finally bought Jaynie a blow-up pool. I don't know what I've been waiting for. If she had the vocabulary, she would say the same thing her Dad did ("How have I survived without this?") She looooves it. It's shaped like an elephant, and if you plug your hose into it (that is, if you can wrestle the hose away from your overzealous pressure-cleaning father), water squirts out of the tail all over you. I had her in her polka-dot bikini, in the pool, out in the front yard. She was cracking the neighbors up.
We just got back from a vacation to Fort Walton Beach, FL. She had such a blast on the beach and at the pool - I knew I had to do something around here. The lawn sprinkler just wasn't cutting it.
I was a little worried about this gift. It didn't have anything to do with Jaynie, or with being a father. It wasn't... fun. After my fabulous spa day gift for Mother's day, I was feeling the pressure to really come up with something good.
I don't know why I was worried. Joe set it up a couple hours ago and has not turned the hose off since. He started with my car, then did the sidewalk and porch steps, then the porch - who knows what he's cleaning now. He actually turned to me and said (in a total little kid excited on his birthday voice) "How have I gone this long without one of these things?!?"
Today I finally bought Jaynie a blow-up pool. I don't know what I've been waiting for. If she had the vocabulary, she would say the same thing her Dad did ("How have I survived without this?") She looooves it. It's shaped like an elephant, and if you plug your hose into it (that is, if you can wrestle the hose away from your overzealous pressure-cleaning father), water squirts out of the tail all over you. I had her in her polka-dot bikini, in the pool, out in the front yard. She was cracking the neighbors up.
We just got back from a vacation to Fort Walton Beach, FL. She had such a blast on the beach and at the pool - I knew I had to do something around here. The lawn sprinkler just wasn't cutting it.
Whoops
I just realized that the last holiday I recorded in Jaynie's baby book was Halloween. That's right - it's nearly July and I haven't put down one word about Thanksgiving, Christmas, or her birthday. Nice. I'd better get on that while I can still vaguely remember the details. Good thing Joe marked the dates on our calander when she started crawling, walking, etc. I suck at this preserving memories thing. What's she gonna have when she grows up to look at? A blog about poop.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Oh My!
My title choice reminds me of one of the cutest things Jaynie does. Joe taught it to her while giving her the bath. He says "Lions and tigers and bears!" and she says "Oh my!". It is freaking adorable.
This is not what this post is about. This is not going to be an adorable post. This is not going to be a story that makes you jealous and wish you were here with this kiddo. This is not going to make you want a little trouble-maker of your own. This will make you glad you live in another state....
This morning Jaynie woke up at about 6:20. I have a policy that strictly forbids rushing in to get her when she wakes up before 7am. I have found in the past that if I went straight in at 6:20, tomorrow she'd wake up at 6:10, the next day at 6, and so on and so forth. If I make her wait a bit, most of the time she falls back asleep. 6:20 is just too early for anyone to be getting up.
So she calls me a couple of times, then there's silence while she plays with her toys. Then she whines a little, then there's more silence. This goes on for about 30 minutes. I'm lying there thinking "Why doesn't she just go back to sleep?" Finally she starts crying a very sad, tired-sounding cry, and Joe gets up. I'm talking to her from the bed "Twinkie! Daddy's coming! Are you ready to get up?" And he's walking into the room. This is what I hear...
"Hey Twi....." GASP! "Jennifer! Get in here!"
I walk in to find a diaperless baby, and poop everywhere.
I won't go into detail here, let's just say it was hands-down the grossest thing EVER. The lack of diaper is still a mystery. She was wearing a one-piece romper to bed, and it was still snapped up, but her diaper was laying in the crib. Both tabs were still fastened,(Which was good, because the first thing Joe said was "Maybe you didn't fasten it good enough last night." Sheesh.) but one of them had come loose from the side, and I guess it just fell out the leg hole of her romper when she stood up? I don't know. All I know is that after losing the diaper she evidentally peed twice and pooped once. And then smeared it all over the freaking crib. Ooh, sorry, I said no details.
Two baths, a shower, and an entire Cloroxing of her room later, and life is back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be after seeing something like that. Eeeesh. Even though I personally scrubbed her feet with soap and water 3 times this morning, I'm having a real hard time kissing them today. Yuck yuck yuck.
Hug your already potty-trained kids extra tight today.
This is not what this post is about. This is not going to be an adorable post. This is not going to be a story that makes you jealous and wish you were here with this kiddo. This is not going to make you want a little trouble-maker of your own. This will make you glad you live in another state....
This morning Jaynie woke up at about 6:20. I have a policy that strictly forbids rushing in to get her when she wakes up before 7am. I have found in the past that if I went straight in at 6:20, tomorrow she'd wake up at 6:10, the next day at 6, and so on and so forth. If I make her wait a bit, most of the time she falls back asleep. 6:20 is just too early for anyone to be getting up.
So she calls me a couple of times, then there's silence while she plays with her toys. Then she whines a little, then there's more silence. This goes on for about 30 minutes. I'm lying there thinking "Why doesn't she just go back to sleep?" Finally she starts crying a very sad, tired-sounding cry, and Joe gets up. I'm talking to her from the bed "Twinkie! Daddy's coming! Are you ready to get up?" And he's walking into the room. This is what I hear...
"Hey Twi....." GASP! "Jennifer! Get in here!"
I walk in to find a diaperless baby, and poop everywhere.
I won't go into detail here, let's just say it was hands-down the grossest thing EVER. The lack of diaper is still a mystery. She was wearing a one-piece romper to bed, and it was still snapped up, but her diaper was laying in the crib. Both tabs were still fastened,(Which was good, because the first thing Joe said was "Maybe you didn't fasten it good enough last night." Sheesh.) but one of them had come loose from the side, and I guess it just fell out the leg hole of her romper when she stood up? I don't know. All I know is that after losing the diaper she evidentally peed twice and pooped once. And then smeared it all over the freaking crib. Ooh, sorry, I said no details.
Two baths, a shower, and an entire Cloroxing of her room later, and life is back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be after seeing something like that. Eeeesh. Even though I personally scrubbed her feet with soap and water 3 times this morning, I'm having a real hard time kissing them today. Yuck yuck yuck.
Hug your already potty-trained kids extra tight today.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Disaster averted
I've just come from changing a poopy diaper.* (Well - I threw it out and washed my hands first, but whatever - it was in the last 5 min.) I opened that sucker up and saw bright red, and almost had a heart attack. Omigod what is wrong with my baby is she bleeding something's the matter there's blood in her poop oh no what do I do what does this mean omigod omigod omigod.
Then I saw the blue and realized I was looking at the crayons she ate yesterday.
*I feel like my life didn't used to be so wrapped up in someone else's poop and pee and puke and snot, it's hard to remember clearly. Will it be like that again someday? When the only person's poop I have to worry about is my own? Hmmm. Hard to imagine.
Then I saw the blue and realized I was looking at the crayons she ate yesterday.
*I feel like my life didn't used to be so wrapped up in someone else's poop and pee and puke and snot, it's hard to remember clearly. Will it be like that again someday? When the only person's poop I have to worry about is my own? Hmmm. Hard to imagine.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Look Mom!
Jaynie is so cute, pointing things out to me. She can't let a hat go by without commenting on it. She sees flowers and fish and kitties and doggies everywhere. She knows Kermit is a frog and when he comes on TV (he does "It's not easy, being green" on her video) she signs frog and ribbits for me. She points out babies, tells me when she hears a bird, and will point to any man in uniform and go "Daddy!" (She doesn't seem to actually think other uniformed men are her Dad, it's more like she's saying "Look, Mom, he has an outfit just like Daddy's!")
She loves to color. We have a big piece of cardboard out in the sunroom that I've drawn a duck, a fish, and a turtle on. She'll bring me a crayon and announce "Duck!" and I'll say "Are you going to color the duck?" and she'll take it back and run out there to do just that. That poor duck has been colored to within an inch of it's life.
Her new favorite thing to do is take her milk out of the fridge, have a drink, then put it back in and shut the door. She'll ask for it, take two sips, then announce "All done!" just so she can put it back. (Of course, she wants it again 3 seconds later.)
Ok, it's time to put this one to bed. Or as Jaynie likes to say... "Night night! Bee-bee!"
She loves to color. We have a big piece of cardboard out in the sunroom that I've drawn a duck, a fish, and a turtle on. She'll bring me a crayon and announce "Duck!" and I'll say "Are you going to color the duck?" and she'll take it back and run out there to do just that. That poor duck has been colored to within an inch of it's life.
Her new favorite thing to do is take her milk out of the fridge, have a drink, then put it back in and shut the door. She'll ask for it, take two sips, then announce "All done!" just so she can put it back. (Of course, she wants it again 3 seconds later.)
Ok, it's time to put this one to bed. Or as Jaynie likes to say... "Night night! Bee-bee!"
What a good eater!
A couple of nights ago I roped Joe into taking us to the Golden Corral (Hey judgemental people! Shut it! I was wanting pot roast and banana pudding in the worst way, and short of turning back time to that morning and making some, the Corral was my only option.)
Joe strapped Jaynie into the highchair while I went up to the buffet to get food for the both of us. I got a plate for me, and an entire plate for her. Seriously - it was a lot of food. I didn't want to have to get back up 12 times if she wanted more or something different or whatever. I got her broccoli and carrots and beans and fish and pot roast and potatoes and cauliflower and cantelope and pinapple and cornbread. It was a grown-up's portion of food.
She ate it all.
People 4 tables away were asking us "How old is she? Wow - she's a good eater!" When Jaynie abandoned the cut-up broccoli I'd given her and grabbed a big stalk to gnaw on, I heard a little old lady half the room away start giggling.
When the banana pudding came out, I thought she was going to pass out from the sheer joy of it. Bananas! Cookies! Pudding! All in one bite? Genius!
When we got home and gave her the bath, we were both crying we were laughing so hard. Her little belly was sticking straight out like a pregnant woman's. We're talking 3rd trimester here. She was stuffed.
Joe strapped Jaynie into the highchair while I went up to the buffet to get food for the both of us. I got a plate for me, and an entire plate for her. Seriously - it was a lot of food. I didn't want to have to get back up 12 times if she wanted more or something different or whatever. I got her broccoli and carrots and beans and fish and pot roast and potatoes and cauliflower and cantelope and pinapple and cornbread. It was a grown-up's portion of food.
She ate it all.
People 4 tables away were asking us "How old is she? Wow - she's a good eater!" When Jaynie abandoned the cut-up broccoli I'd given her and grabbed a big stalk to gnaw on, I heard a little old lady half the room away start giggling.
When the banana pudding came out, I thought she was going to pass out from the sheer joy of it. Bananas! Cookies! Pudding! All in one bite? Genius!
When we got home and gave her the bath, we were both crying we were laughing so hard. Her little belly was sticking straight out like a pregnant woman's. We're talking 3rd trimester here. She was stuffed.
So opinionated
Every day when it's time to get Madam dressed, I go to the drawer and ask her "So, my darling, what do you want to wear today? A pretty dress? A t-shirt and shorts? A cute romper?" etc etc. Kind of a running commentary while we do our morning thing. Sometimes if I hold out two choices she'll pick one, but most of the time she just looks at me like "What do I have you around for? You're going to make me decide this?"
This morning when I opened the drawer and asked her, she clearly replied "Turtle!". Poor thing had to say it like 6 times before I realized she was talking to me, and that she does, in fact, own an outfit with turtles on it. I turned and said "You want the turtle outfit?" and she got all excited - "Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!" So I pull it out, and before it was even unfolded she recognized the little bows on the sleeves and went berzerk. "TURTLE! TURTLE! TURTLE!"
So she wore the turtle outfit. And all day long if you asked her "What's that on your shirt?" she'd let you know. "TURTLE!"
This morning when I opened the drawer and asked her, she clearly replied "Turtle!". Poor thing had to say it like 6 times before I realized she was talking to me, and that she does, in fact, own an outfit with turtles on it. I turned and said "You want the turtle outfit?" and she got all excited - "Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!" So I pull it out, and before it was even unfolded she recognized the little bows on the sleeves and went berzerk. "TURTLE! TURTLE! TURTLE!"
So she wore the turtle outfit. And all day long if you asked her "What's that on your shirt?" she'd let you know. "TURTLE!"
Pee-Pee in the Potty!
On Friday, May 27, 2005, my big girl peed in the potty. It was exciting. It was sad. It was pretty funny.
I bought her this fun little potty that lights up and sings when you sit on it. When you actually put a deposit in it there's the sound of a crowd cheering. It's hysterical. We have it sitting in the bathroom so when she follows me in there she can sit on her potty while I sit on mine.
Friday night I've got her in there, naked, ready for the bath and all she wants to do is sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, over and over and over. She finally gets in the tub, we have a quick bath, then she's out again and on the potty....
When I hear cheering!
She peed in there! I couldn't believe it. It was a total right place at right time type of thing, but still exciting. What a big kiddo I have here. (She did it again yesterday. You hear that cheering sound and you think "Naaaaah. Can't be!" and then you look in the little bowl - and there's pee!)
I bought her this fun little potty that lights up and sings when you sit on it. When you actually put a deposit in it there's the sound of a crowd cheering. It's hysterical. We have it sitting in the bathroom so when she follows me in there she can sit on her potty while I sit on mine.
Friday night I've got her in there, naked, ready for the bath and all she wants to do is sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, over and over and over. She finally gets in the tub, we have a quick bath, then she's out again and on the potty....
When I hear cheering!
She peed in there! I couldn't believe it. It was a total right place at right time type of thing, but still exciting. What a big kiddo I have here. (She did it again yesterday. You hear that cheering sound and you think "Naaaaah. Can't be!" and then you look in the little bowl - and there's pee!)
Monday, May 23, 2005
Hello? Can you hear me now?
Joe has been TDY for almost 2 weeks (gets back tomorrow - yay!) During that time Jaynie has perfected her phone skills. When he's not avaliable, we'll sometimes just call so she can listen to his voice on the voicemail and leave him a little message ("Hi Dad!") When he is avaliable the two of them will chat forever. He askes her stuff like "What does the cow say?" and she'll respond (wait for it...) "Moo!" So cute.
She's gotten so good at this phone thing that I can just hand it to her and she'll hold it to her ear and talk to him. A couple of nights ago I was trying to get dinner on the table, she was trying to climb me, he was trying to talk to me, so I just strapped her in the high chair, handed her the phone, and the two of them amused eachother while I made dinner.
That led us to yesterday at WalMart. I'm pushing her around in the cart, hunting for creamsicles (Why can I only find the sugarfree kind? I don't WANT the sugarfree kind! I want a CREAMSICLE!), when her Dad calls. She's immediatley reaching for the phone ("Dad! Dad! Dad!"), so I hand it to her and keep shopping. You would not believe the looks we got from other shoppers. Picture a toddler, chatting on a cell phone ("Moo. Baa. Ribbit. Meow. Ruff-Ruff."), while Mom looks for popsicles. We were quite the spectacle. Would've been better if I'd had another phone for me to talk on - then it would've looked like she had her own phone, at the tender age of one. Too cute.
She's gotten so good at this phone thing that I can just hand it to her and she'll hold it to her ear and talk to him. A couple of nights ago I was trying to get dinner on the table, she was trying to climb me, he was trying to talk to me, so I just strapped her in the high chair, handed her the phone, and the two of them amused eachother while I made dinner.
That led us to yesterday at WalMart. I'm pushing her around in the cart, hunting for creamsicles (Why can I only find the sugarfree kind? I don't WANT the sugarfree kind! I want a CREAMSICLE!), when her Dad calls. She's immediatley reaching for the phone ("Dad! Dad! Dad!"), so I hand it to her and keep shopping. You would not believe the looks we got from other shoppers. Picture a toddler, chatting on a cell phone ("Moo. Baa. Ribbit. Meow. Ruff-Ruff."), while Mom looks for popsicles. We were quite the spectacle. Would've been better if I'd had another phone for me to talk on - then it would've looked like she had her own phone, at the tender age of one. Too cute.
Friday, May 20, 2005
A note from Jaynie
Hey kids! Did you know that if your Mom is being unreasonable and mean and uncooperative, and refusing to stick a straw in the juice-box for you, it is totally possible to gnaw a hole in the side of it and drink your juice like that? It's true! All you need is a couple of opposing teeth, and you're set! The best part - it will NEVER occur to your Mom that such a thing is possible, so you can get away with wandering around, drinking juice (or better yet - squeezing the box and squirting juice all over the house!) for like 5 minutes before she notices and stops you! Yay!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Too cute for words...
I really need to start wandering around with the video camera strapped to my hand. Tonight, while Jaynie was taking a bath, George kept hanging out on the edge of the tub. This is always surprising to me considering the number of times he's fallen into the tub in the past - you'd think he'd learn. She suddenly lunges at him - it looked like she was trying to drag him into the water to me. He jumps up and runs away, and she climbs out of the tub and before you can say "naked baby!" she's out the door and chasing him around the house. At some point she picked up her glow-worm. So picture this - big fat cat running for all he's worth, being chased by wet, naked baby holding a toy under her arm (think holding the football, running for the touchdown) that's singing "Twinkle Twinkle" as she books it down the hall. Little chubs bouncing around as she runs (yes, folks, she runs now). Cutest thing ever.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Swing!
Every time we go to the park I do a sign for "swing" when she's on them. She's never done it back, or said the word. When she wants to go on the swings, she just heads towards them. (It's so cute - she'll go down the slide for the last time, then just walk away towards the swings. She doesn't bother to let me know where we're going, she doesn't even check to make sure I'm following - she just heads over there. )
It's been a few days since we went out there - we've been doing our outdoor playing in the front yard lately (we've discovered the joy of playing in a sprinkler - what fun!) Today when she woke up from her nap she looked around, zeroed in on me, took her binky out of her mouth and signed while saying, clear as day, "Swing!"
So we went. And we swinged (swung? swang?). And we blew bubbles. And we went down the slide. And we played with some other kids. And we had a blast.
And when we got home.... I had to pull a tick off of my baby. It's back to the front yard for her. Blegh.
It's been a few days since we went out there - we've been doing our outdoor playing in the front yard lately (we've discovered the joy of playing in a sprinkler - what fun!) Today when she woke up from her nap she looked around, zeroed in on me, took her binky out of her mouth and signed while saying, clear as day, "Swing!"
So we went. And we swinged (swung? swang?). And we blew bubbles. And we went down the slide. And we played with some other kids. And we had a blast.
And when we got home.... I had to pull a tick off of my baby. It's back to the front yard for her. Blegh.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
The more the merrier!
So I didn't shower last night, and this morning instead of doing it while she napped I napped with her (lazy lazy, I know). I think it through and decide that if I have her movie on the tv, and leave the door open, and the opaque shower curtain pulled up so she can see me - I should be able to take a quick one while she's up and about.
Wrooooooooooong.I'm in there for approx. 2 seconds when I hear the sound of a screaming toddler heading my way. "MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOOOOMEEEEEE!" I was standing with my face in the water, so without opening my eyes I'm already saying "It's ok, I'm right here, calm down, etc. etc." Then I feel something on my leg.
I look down and find a fully dressed kid in the shower with me, now screaming because the water is getting her. Genius.
It really just deteriorated from there. She wanted me to hold her, she didn't want to get wet, she started looking at my chest like "Heeeeey! I haven't seen you guys in a while!" - what a fiasco. Note to self - shower tonight after she goes to bed.
Wrooooooooooong.I'm in there for approx. 2 seconds when I hear the sound of a screaming toddler heading my way. "MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOOOOMEEEEEE!" I was standing with my face in the water, so without opening my eyes I'm already saying "It's ok, I'm right here, calm down, etc. etc." Then I feel something on my leg.
I look down and find a fully dressed kid in the shower with me, now screaming because the water is getting her. Genius.
It really just deteriorated from there. She wanted me to hold her, she didn't want to get wet, she started looking at my chest like "Heeeeey! I haven't seen you guys in a while!" - what a fiasco. Note to self - shower tonight after she goes to bed.
For those who worried...
She did wake up this morning at 4am, but just played with her toys for half an hour then went back to sleep. (I know this because I heard the doll that plays "Twinkle Twinkle" when you squeeze it do so approx. 47 times.) It's like she went "Hmm. I'm awake, but it's still dark out. It must not be time to get up yet!" What a sweetie.
She demanded "Mommy! Up!" right on schedule at 5:45am. If anyone has suggestions as to how to push that back by at least an hour, I'm listening. Having her go to bed later seems to have no affect on what time she gets up - she's just crankier in the morning if she gets less sleep.
Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person?
She demanded "Mommy! Up!" right on schedule at 5:45am. If anyone has suggestions as to how to push that back by at least an hour, I'm listening. Having her go to bed later seems to have no affect on what time she gets up - she's just crankier in the morning if she gets less sleep.
Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person?
Monday, May 16, 2005
Dooooomed
Last night, Jaynie went to bed at about 8:15. She woke up this morning at 5:30am.
Tonight, she went to bed at 6:30.
I'm doomed.
Tonight, she went to bed at 6:30.
I'm doomed.
A few more...
I've been thinking about the word list and have remembered a few more...
Bubbles (I can't believe I forgot this one - she says it a l l t h e t i m e. It's like she figures the best way to get some bubbles is to constantly remind me that she likes them.), jacket, sit down, barn, chick, ball... I had more but I can't remember now. There may be yet another update (or, I suppose, I could just come back and edit this post and add them. Duh.)
Bubbles (I can't believe I forgot this one - she says it a l l t h e t i m e. It's like she figures the best way to get some bubbles is to constantly remind me that she likes them.), jacket, sit down, barn, chick, ball... I had more but I can't remember now. There may be yet another update (or, I suppose, I could just come back and edit this post and add them. Duh.)
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Communication 101
This isn't going to be a fun, cutesy post. This is just documentation of all the words and signs Jaynie knows. I haven't really tried to count them yet, and I'm curious as to just how many she does.
Most of them she does a sign and says a "word" at the same time - we wouldn't know what she was saying if she didn't do the sign with it. Some of them she's stopped doing the sign altogether because she says the word now instead (thank you comes to mind). So the lists will overlap, but I'm gonna list all the signs she does or did, and all the words she says that I can tell what she's saying.
Signs - hat, more, drink, milk, diaper, poop, kitty, doggie, duck, frog, giraffe, hippo, elephant, bunny, turtle, gentle, cracker, cereal, hot, cold, spider, sun, rain, train, car, horse, bird, please, thank you, hear, flower, cheese, fish, big, little, tired/nap, book, pig, eat, all done, and (the gone but not forgotton) boob.
Words - hat, more, drink, milk, diaper, poop, duck, turtle, gentle, cracker, spider, rain, train, please, thank you, cheese, fish, big, little, nap, book, hi, hello, bye-bye, Mommy, Daddy, Gramma, apple, peas, water, juice, raisens, chicken, Victoria, George, binky, bath, swing, moo, quack, ruff-ruff, baa, ribbit, meow, tweet-tweet, wah-wah, baby, tv show, movie, Elmo, Cookie, Ernie, Bert, Big Bird, trash, batty-bat, la la la, "and me" (from "Rainbow Connection"), blanket, Bob, Boom!, beans, green beans, ice cream, shoe, foot, hand, arm, nose, glasses, high-five, outside, out, up, down, all done, uh-oh, two, three, slipper....
I've been working on this for like 20 min. There might be more, but that's all I've got for now. Plenty of these "words" are only things I understand (example - "glasses" are "dat-dats"), but I *do* understand them, so I'm counting them. If she can use a sound to tell me what she wants and I get it, that counts as a word in my book.
I can't believe how many there are! Holy cow - when did my baby turn into a kid?
She also is combining them. She'll ask for "more cheese", or "Movie! Elmo!", or "book, pleeeease", or "fish cracker" etc. Tonight she asked for "cereal, milk" because she wanted a bowl of cereal, not just a handful of dry Cheerios. The most memorable thing she did was when she was having a diaper change pre-nap. I always give her a drink of water before laying her down. She was on the table, and she looked around and then signed for diaper, then drink, then nap. It was just like in Meet the Fockers - she was telling me "Right now you're changing my diaper, then I'm going to have a drink, and after that a nice nap." Amazing.
Most of them she does a sign and says a "word" at the same time - we wouldn't know what she was saying if she didn't do the sign with it. Some of them she's stopped doing the sign altogether because she says the word now instead (thank you comes to mind). So the lists will overlap, but I'm gonna list all the signs she does or did, and all the words she says that I can tell what she's saying.
Signs - hat, more, drink, milk, diaper, poop, kitty, doggie, duck, frog, giraffe, hippo, elephant, bunny, turtle, gentle, cracker, cereal, hot, cold, spider, sun, rain, train, car, horse, bird, please, thank you, hear, flower, cheese, fish, big, little, tired/nap, book, pig, eat, all done, and (the gone but not forgotton) boob.
Words - hat, more, drink, milk, diaper, poop, duck, turtle, gentle, cracker, spider, rain, train, please, thank you, cheese, fish, big, little, nap, book, hi, hello, bye-bye, Mommy, Daddy, Gramma, apple, peas, water, juice, raisens, chicken, Victoria, George, binky, bath, swing, moo, quack, ruff-ruff, baa, ribbit, meow, tweet-tweet, wah-wah, baby, tv show, movie, Elmo, Cookie, Ernie, Bert, Big Bird, trash, batty-bat, la la la, "and me" (from "Rainbow Connection"), blanket, Bob, Boom!, beans, green beans, ice cream, shoe, foot, hand, arm, nose, glasses, high-five, outside, out, up, down, all done, uh-oh, two, three, slipper....
I've been working on this for like 20 min. There might be more, but that's all I've got for now. Plenty of these "words" are only things I understand (example - "glasses" are "dat-dats"), but I *do* understand them, so I'm counting them. If she can use a sound to tell me what she wants and I get it, that counts as a word in my book.
I can't believe how many there are! Holy cow - when did my baby turn into a kid?
She also is combining them. She'll ask for "more cheese", or "Movie! Elmo!", or "book, pleeeease", or "fish cracker" etc. Tonight she asked for "cereal, milk" because she wanted a bowl of cereal, not just a handful of dry Cheerios. The most memorable thing she did was when she was having a diaper change pre-nap. I always give her a drink of water before laying her down. She was on the table, and she looked around and then signed for diaper, then drink, then nap. It was just like in Meet the Fockers - she was telling me "Right now you're changing my diaper, then I'm going to have a drink, and after that a nice nap." Amazing.
All her 2000 parts!
Ok, I realize I've posted twice already today - it's just this kiddo keeps amazing me! We were just having a game of "Where's your nose?" and she was so impressive I figured I'd better come document it. We started at the top and worked our way down - head, hair, ear, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, arms, hands, fingers, belly, legs, feet, toes. She got them all. Then I tried to challenge her - "Where's your elbow?". She patted it and said "ELMO!", then got down and went to the tv.
So she's now watching her Sesame Street video, and I'm sitting here completely amazed at how grown up and smart my baby has gotten.
Who taught that kid elbow?
So she's now watching her Sesame Street video, and I'm sitting here completely amazed at how grown up and smart my baby has gotten.
Who taught that kid elbow?
Well, that explains it...
I think I've discovered the reason for the uber-crankiness we've had going on around here. Earlier, when Jaynie was yelling at me (no respect at all in this house), I spotted a molar that had just broken through! My baby has a molar! She also has 3 giant red lumps to match - the other teeth that haven't quite made it in yet. So I guess we'll have these crankypants on for a while yet. Poor kid. I'm off to administer some Baby Tylonol and a frozen waffle.
Uh oh
I have two alarming things to report today...
1) As of this morning, Jaynie can reach the kitchen counter. No more leaving stuff close to the edge. Every time I think I've got the house Jaynie-proofed, she either learns a new skill or grows another inch. Sigh.
2) Yesterday was my one free day a month of daycare. She was there from 8am to 2pm. I did lots of exciting things like clean her room, go grocery shopping, vacuum the floors, and take a shower. The shower was the best part. Without the chorus of "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" outside the door, I was able to take my time. I actually used my body scrub, not just the soap. I deep-conditioned my hair. I used the pumice stone on my feet. I also sang a bit in the shower. What song did I sing, during my grown-up-Jaynie's-not-even-in-the-house-shower?
"Do the duck! Rubber duck, duck, rubber duck..... "
1) As of this morning, Jaynie can reach the kitchen counter. No more leaving stuff close to the edge. Every time I think I've got the house Jaynie-proofed, she either learns a new skill or grows another inch. Sigh.
2) Yesterday was my one free day a month of daycare. She was there from 8am to 2pm. I did lots of exciting things like clean her room, go grocery shopping, vacuum the floors, and take a shower. The shower was the best part. Without the chorus of "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" outside the door, I was able to take my time. I actually used my body scrub, not just the soap. I deep-conditioned my hair. I used the pumice stone on my feet. I also sang a bit in the shower. What song did I sing, during my grown-up-Jaynie's-not-even-in-the-house-shower?
"Do the duck! Rubber duck, duck, rubber duck..... "
Friday, May 13, 2005
Pretending!
Jaynie has started playing pretend games with her stuffed animals! It is the cutest thing ever. Today she was having a drink of water, and when she was done she held Bob (her lamb) like a baby and held the water up to his mouth. Later I caught her feeding apple to her frog, and then trying to brush his teeth.
She's got little plates and cups that go with her toy-kitchen-thingy (not sure what to call this - play kitchen?) and she'll take fake sips from the cups, then hold them to your mouth for you to have some. She'll use the little spoon and stir and scoop from the plates, then take fake bites - or offer them to you. It's adorable.
I'm constantly blown away by the things she can do and understand, but pretend play? So cute. So amazing. Such a big girl!
She's got little plates and cups that go with her toy-kitchen-thingy (not sure what to call this - play kitchen?) and she'll take fake sips from the cups, then hold them to your mouth for you to have some. She'll use the little spoon and stir and scoop from the plates, then take fake bites - or offer them to you. It's adorable.
I'm constantly blown away by the things she can do and understand, but pretend play? So cute. So amazing. Such a big girl!
Houston, we have a problem.
Jaynie has begun the process of dropping the 2nd nap of the day. Instead of two shorter naps, she just wants one big one right around noon.
Why is this a problem, you ask? If you are asking this, you either don't have kids or are not very smart. Or maybe a combo of the two.
By dropping the later nap, she's ready for bed (read - completely fried and starting to whine) an hour earlier in the evening. Instead of being in bed by eight, she's going down at seven. That, in turn, is causing her to wake up an hour earlier in the morning. So instead of 6am, I'm hearing "Mommy! Up! Mommy! Up! Moooommyyyyy!" while it's still dark outside. Uggghhhhhhhh.
I am so not a morning person. It's bad enough she looks exactly like her Dad, did she have to pick up all his most annoying personality traits, too?
Why is this a problem, you ask? If you are asking this, you either don't have kids or are not very smart. Or maybe a combo of the two.
By dropping the later nap, she's ready for bed (read - completely fried and starting to whine) an hour earlier in the evening. Instead of being in bed by eight, she's going down at seven. That, in turn, is causing her to wake up an hour earlier in the morning. So instead of 6am, I'm hearing "Mommy! Up! Mommy! Up! Moooommyyyyy!" while it's still dark outside. Uggghhhhhhhh.
I am so not a morning person. It's bad enough she looks exactly like her Dad, did she have to pick up all his most annoying personality traits, too?
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Boogers beware!
This morning Jaynie shoved the bulb syringe up my nose.
For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, the bulb syringe is a little turkey-baster-looking thing that you use to suck the boogers from a baby's nose when they are still too little to understand "Blow!". (We actually call it the "nose-sucker" around here, but I figured I'd be technical when telling the story.)
I was laying down in the nap arena* with my eyes closed, trying to encourage Jaynie to do the same. She decided that a much better idea than napping would be to have her revenge on me for 14 months of snot-sucking. Holy cow - my eyes are still watering. There is never a dull moment in this house.
*Nap Arena - this is a genius concept brought to us by the Foose family. Instead of fighting to get a kid who just wants to play play play into the crib for a nap, you spread out some soft blankets and pillows on the floor of her room. Then when it's nap time, just lay down there and invite said kid to come have a snuggle. After a few minutes she's in dreamland, and you can sneak off to do something really exciting and fun... like shower.
For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, the bulb syringe is a little turkey-baster-looking thing that you use to suck the boogers from a baby's nose when they are still too little to understand "Blow!". (We actually call it the "nose-sucker" around here, but I figured I'd be technical when telling the story.)
I was laying down in the nap arena* with my eyes closed, trying to encourage Jaynie to do the same. She decided that a much better idea than napping would be to have her revenge on me for 14 months of snot-sucking. Holy cow - my eyes are still watering. There is never a dull moment in this house.
*Nap Arena - this is a genius concept brought to us by the Foose family. Instead of fighting to get a kid who just wants to play play play into the crib for a nap, you spread out some soft blankets and pillows on the floor of her room. Then when it's nap time, just lay down there and invite said kid to come have a snuggle. After a few minutes she's in dreamland, and you can sneak off to do something really exciting and fun... like shower.
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