The Facets of February

BLOWING A KISS

I blew Mommy's friend, Alexis, a kiss at Dinner on Wednesday night when I found out she was carrying a tiny baby. I hadn't blown any kisses before and haven't blown any since. My kiss was meant to provide good wishes for the growing baby.

POINTING

I pointed a couple of critters out to Mommy in my books yesterday. I pointed at an illustration of a teddy bear (Teddy Bear's Picnic) and a Tea Kettle (I'm a Little Teapot) in the Nursery Rhymes book. This morning I pointed to a real life chair.

CLIMBING STAIRS

I may not be able to crawl yet, but I can make it up quite a few stairs if Mommy or Daddy is behind me to make sure I don't fall back down. Mommy and Daddy are going to put a gait at the bottom of the steps so I won't be able to climb stairs unsupervised. It sure is fun!

DIVING OFF THE BED

I love the idea of diving off of the edge of the bed onto the floor, head first. But when I scoot over to the edge and start making a move, my parents intervene. Sometimes, they give me an assist towards the floor and it's just so much fun!

BA.... BA...

So many things beging with Ba... ball, bottle, boppy, box, block. Sometimes, I try to say 'ball' and Mommy and Daddy just aren't sure if that just might be my first word (aside from MaMa and DaDa and BaBa and let's not forget I-yii-yiii-yii-yiii). I can't get the 'l's out very well, but sure, I know how to say 'ball'!

I-YII-YIII-YII-YIII

My real first word! Mommy calls me on the phone sometimes and all she has to do is say this and then, I repeat it and we have a great conversation this way. She even did this on Valentine's Day in front of Nana and Papa and we got to show off how well we communicate! I am on my way to being a master of words!

PACIFIER PILFERER

I didn't use a pacifier when I was wee-little. Mommy offered it to me a couple of times at five - six weeks, but I spit it out. I didn't really like it. But I can often be found in Daycare with a pacifier in my mouth, usually one that I have pulled out of the mouths of my friends. I don't know why I love them, but I do. Mommy and Daddy say I don't know how to use one and it's probably true. They call me the pacifier pilferer because I take them from others. I was found with a pacifier in each hand this past Thursday when Mommy picked me up.

KIDZU

Kidzu is an alright place! It's located in Chapel Hill next to the new Pepper's Pizaa, across from Top of the Hill where Daddy made the Targoyles. Mommy took me there today and I played with Charlotte, Aunt Liz, and a bunch of toys! It doesn't usually matter where I am - as long as I am with the ones I love, I am happy!

DANCING WITH MOMMY

When dancing with Mommy, I learn how to move to the music and feel the emotion behind songs. We still dance to My Little Moonboat (an Asian lullaby that Mommy still doesn't know the words to) and a few weeks ago, we danced to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue! She spins me around and around and throws me up and swings me around - usually I am either smiling and laughing or my mouth is agape as I take in the motions and the music! When I get heavier, I'll be dancing with Daddy!

THE HIGHEST NOTE

No one else can produce a higher note in the house! I have heard Balthezar the Cat yowell impressively in an effort to say "Uncle" to the other cats, George and Ivan, but his isn't any higher than mine! Mommy and I were comparing notes the other day and her voice cracked as she tried to take her voice up a notch. It made me giggle watching her try!

PLAYING WITH BOXES, CUPS and CONTAINERS

• I like to put things in containers and then, take them back out again. It can be a challenge just figuring out how to open and close them.
• I am beginning to push shaped objects through appropriate holes in my "cookie jar". Mommy puts the object halfway through the hole and I give it the extra push.
• Sometimes, Mommy puts a big box on her head and I get to remove it so she can see again. When she puts a box over my head, I can remove it all by myself.
• I made a "rattle" Tuesday night by putting an object in a cup and shaking the cup around right side up.

GRANDPA'S CRIB

Mommy and Daddy are trying to assist me in my independence by encouraging me to sleep in the crib. I've spent quite a few hours in it the last few days and I may even sleep better than when I do in between Mommy and Daddy. I like my crib because I can pull up in it and when I fall down, it doesn't hurt because there is so much cushioning inside.

Happy Valentine's Day!

MY 10-MONTH BIRTHDAY

Today is my 10-month birthday! It's been a fine day! I got to play all morning at home and then, I went off to Butterfly Kisses Academy to finish out the day. Mommy wrote a short poem called Ode to the Chrysanthemum!

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I like Chrysanthemums!

How about you?

VALENTINE'S DAY

I hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day! Believe it or not, I don't have any crushes yet, but I do love my friends and family, so for me, Valentine's Day is just one big exclamation of love! I'm sending out Valentine's Day Greeting Cards tonight in hopes they will arrive on time, but I kinda think some will be a day or so late. If I miss you in my haste, please email me and tell me and I'll forward one along!

NEW CLASS AT BUTTERFLY KISSES ACADEMY

I moved up to the older infant room at Butterfly Kisses last week because I am more mobile than younger infants. I was really tired after the first two days, but now, I'm getting used to it. My new playmates are so active, I can hardly keep up. But I do like being able to crawl around more so I don't spend as much time in high chairs, bouncy seats, and jumparoos!

COUSIN HARRISON'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Cousin Harrison celebrated his second birthday this Saturday! I really enjoyed visiting Harrison's home in Newton, NC. I got to spend time with Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Jon, "Crazy Aunt Lizzy", Granny, and Grandpa! Cousin Harrison shared his toys with me and before I left, he rocked me in my carseat carrier and then, kissed me on the cheek several times. It really tickled me!

FUN TIMES SPENDING MY TOYS-R-US GIFT CARD

For Christmas, Granny and Grandpa bought me a $100 gift card to Toys-R-Us. Well, jeepers! I can't speak yet and I have no idea what toys are off-limits or on, so I let Mommy and Daddy pick some toys out for me. They bought me a baby swing for the swing set, two balls (both pink; one soccer and one basketball), a jumbo leggo set, and a pinata for my first birthday in two months. I'm gathering Cousin Charlotte will probably bust it open. It looks like a castle and will be filled with lots of yummy candy!

BEDTIME BLUES

Mommy and Daddy are planning to put me in my crib soon! I usually sleep in between them in their bed, but lately, I guess I squirm around so much in the middle of the night that I wake myself up and then, they wake up and have to feed me. They think that if I am in my own bed, I will probably not wake up as often and I will learn to console myself.

FOLLOW THE LEADER

My new favorite game is Follow the Leader! When Mommy and Daddy walk or crawl into the next room, they invite me to come along and I do! It's so much fun! Sometimes, I get to be the leader and I crawl deep into the kitchen towards the cat bowl and they scoop me up before I can explore its contents. They have begun putting gates up to keep me out of those areas, but sometimes, after sweeping, the gates come down and that's when these opportunities present. So far, I haven't even tried one scrap of cat food!

KITTY CAT PLAY

There are three cats that wander around! One of them, Ivan, likes to nuzzle against me when I'm sleeping. He rubs his fuzzy head all over my scalp and purrs like crazy! Sometimes, I like to grab Ivan by the fur and tug on him. He doesn't seem to mind at all. He even lets me yank his tail every now and then! George and Balthezar are not so much fun. They don't tend to stick around when I crawl over.

The Jewels of January

MOOSEMONT

I went to Moosemont in early January and it was great fun! I got to see Granny, Grandpa, Aunt Lizzy, Uncle Chris, and Aunt Andrea and her brother Mark! Happy, Tember, and Max (the Moosemont canines) also seemed thrilled to see me. I can't wait to give their tails a wag someday! I even went to the Rough and Rowdy on Saturday night for about five minutes.


SNOW

It snowed on Sunday in Moosemont. It was really pretty. Too bad we didn't get pictures.
It even snowed in North Carolina, but I wasn't allowed to go out in it since I was in bed with a bug. Not a insect-like bug, but the invisible kind that make you real sick.


MY BOUT WITH THE BUG

I caught the bug in January and it gave me high fevers for a few days. Mommy and Daddy helped me fight the fever by sponging me down from time to time and by giving me lots of Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Not a big fan. I don't like being poked with a thermometer or a syringe. Being sick is no fun! Nonetheless, my doctor told them I could receive both medications if they alternated them every four hours. That trick really helped keep the fevers below 102 degrees F, but it wasn't easy. I even threw up and had a mild case of diarrhea, but fortunately didn't get dehydrated. After a few days of antibiotics, I was feeling like my usual happy and healthy self.

Mommy had to stop feeding me from the breast for a few days when I was vomiting and that made her milk supply drop a bit. Mommy and Daddy also had to take lots of time off work since I stayed out of Daycare for a whole week.


DOORS, DRAWERS, AND CABINETS

I love doors, drawers, and cabinets. I love playing with door stops, too! These are some of the most fun objects to manipulate! Mommy and Daddy have been talking about "childproofing" things and that means they are going to lock the drawers and put up safety gaits and cabinet locks. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. At least I can still play with doors and door stops. I also like going into the library and pulling things off of shelves. I have a bunch of books that I like to pull down and boxes that I like to rearrange so there is most always something fun I can play with that doesn't have to resemble a colorful plastic toy.


TOY CONNECTION

My friends Kate and Philip Patillo gave me bunches of their toys. They are older than I and outgrew their interest in a variety of objects in their toychest so they handed some over to me. I'm thrilled to say the least because I always love new things and the more interesting things I'm exposed to while, the more neurons I program my brain to build.


CRAWLING

I can crawl now, everyone! I had been doing a military crawl through December and began doing a modified crawl in mid-January where I didn't quite move my right knee forward, it's hard to explain, and a little humiliating, so I'll just say, I've mastered the skill now and am crawling all over the place. My palms smack the kitchen floor and my excitement comes in squeals as I chase after the heels of my parents.


PULLING UP

Now I can pull up on furniture. I play all sorts of fun games with Daddy when I am standing in front of the couch. He likes to come up behind me and bang on the couch cushions. It starts a gigglefest between us and we both see who can bang on the couch the loudest.


TEETHING

So my first teeth started coming in in mid-November. I've had my bottom two for some time, but now, I have all four of my top front teeth coming in. I think it's kind of fun biting Mommy when I am feeding. She looks at me real funny and it makes me laugh. Then, when I laugh, she sometimes laughs. It's a fun game we enjoy playing together. But she doesn't play for very long as I've notice the meals end as soon as the game starts. Mommy has had to go to the doctor recently because she developed mastitis and now, her supply is drastically down. I really hope she gets it back because I like being on Mommy's lap but I guess it's not much different from when she feeds me from a bottle.


SOLIDS

I am now eating Gerber Graduates (little puffy stars that taste like sweet potatos or fruit), pasta, corn dogs bits, yogurt, and a variety of other delectable delights. I still drink plenty of milk and formula, but I am enjoying the variety of calories that I am now able to consume.


GIGGLES, SQUEALS, AND SQUEAKS and other BABYSPEAK

I really love to laugh. But I also love to squeak and squeal. Inasmuch as I am skilled at these orations, I probably am just as articulate when I say baaah, raahh, raaah, raaaah, raaah! This type of chatter is best initiated by me and continues without end if my Mommy or Daddy partakes in the conversation. We love to talk about profoundly interesting things!


MY 9-MONTH CHECK-UP

As of the 28th of January, my weight was 20 pounds, one ounce and I am about 28 inches long. My head measured 46 cm around. The doctor told us that I am in the 80th percentile, but didn't specify in which areas. At my three month visit, I was in the 97th percentile for height, the 95th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for head circumferance. With both Mommy and Daddy being so tall, my guess is that I'll be tall, too. But the doctor said that the 18-month checkup is really the most indicative of long-term outcomes.

Little Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Little girls like me just wanna have fun! I love grabbing my parent's toes! They erupt in peals of giggles when I do. I figure they have ticklish toes just as I! It's almost like Mommy and Daddy have little levers on their feet that I can control to make them laugh. It's great fun!



No matter what toy I am happily manipulating, it seems the introduction of Daddy's coffee mug or Mommy's camera into the room skids my play to a screeching halt. I love blowing fog on the lens or pretending to drink from a mug or a glass after tipping over its contents (usually cold).



I like to play Pass! It's a new game where I pass my toys back and forth with Mommy or Daddy. I offer the object and then, grasp tight to it so they know not to take it away. They can only take the object when I drop it into their open hands. They don't like to take objects away from me because I sometimes cry.



This morning I found a golf-ball sized jingle bell in the stack of ornaments that Mommy was putting away and I put the entire bell in my mouth. Mommy and Daddy were quite alarmed and decided to ban the bells from the tree until I am at least three or four. The rule of thumb is that any object smaller in diameter than a paper-towel tube is a choking hazard!



Earlier today, I started rolling a drum to Mommy. She rolled it back to me and then, I rolled it back to her! It was really fun but there are so many things that interest me so I can't spend all day on just one game.



I've been ambling around with assistance for the past two days. Some of my footsteps are sideways, but most are forward! I alternate my steps and am really excited about learning to walk. It will probably be some time before I can do it independently, especially since I'm still learning how to crawl.



Mommy and Daddy think my curls are beginning to show off my fabulously frivolous disposition. They say I get cuter every day and that my rosie cheeks set off my blue eyes and warm heart! Did I mention I have my first two teeth! I got them in mid-November and I just love clicking them against anything that clacks.



The cats love me, too! They snuggle up to me whenever possible and sometimes I find amusement in grabbing their tails. We sit eye to eye often and they sometimes like to tickle my face with their whiskers. I have begun trying to pet them but they aren't terribly receptive. Usually my stroke is more of a hair tugging gesture that they aren't fond of.



My exploration into the art of vocalization began several months ago. Volume is one of the main variables. I speak softly when I rise and when in public, I like to add volume. I never yell but I've been known to joyfully sing out a single syllable to the world with an eyebrow raising "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I can also combine multiple syllables, but when it comes to making my happy announcements to the world, I like to belt out one!



It's super duper fun when Mommy and Daddy play copycat with me. They love to copy me when I yell out and if I am flailing my arms, they will flail theirs, too! Mommy says I have a terrific sense of humor because I find their antics humorous and am quick to pick up on it. The sincereest form of flattery is imitation!



Another vocalization variable involves the use of my hand. I love using my knuckle or fingers to pull my lower lip down and vocalize continually as my lips buh.buh.buh.buh.bbounce back together.



If you want to see me having fun, you can check out the videos of me playing with Mommy and Daddy that follow.

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a fabulous new year celebration and that you are looking forward to 2008!

I'm very excited about the coming year! Most likely I will find occassion to walk, talk and sing and I'll likely spend some time in the snow in West Virginia! I can't wait! Also, I get to watch my new Cousin Matilda grow!

Cousin Matilda was born on the 11th of December so I got to spend some time with her over the holidays. I just love reaching out for her tiny little hands! Her fingers are smaller than my own! Pretty soon, she'll be big like me!

The holidays were certainly fun! I enjoyed every Christmas song I heard, including the ones I heard over and over again on the radio that played in the background from Thanksgiving on! Mommy and Daddy had the tree up and decorated by Thanksgiving and don't want to take it down until Little Christmas or the Epiphany (the twelth day after Christmas)! We'll keep the lights on and ornaments up until the 6th of January.

For the holidays, Mommy and Daddy put my picture in several silver snowflake framed ornaments which were given as gifts to all my aunts, uncles and grandparents. I also received baby's first Christmas ornaments form Nana and Papa, neighbor Kathy, and Mommy! I got my very first "baby's first Christmas" framed ornament from Aunt Liz and Uncle Charles in 2006 that is supposed to contain a picture of Mommy when I lived in her belly.

We had lotsa people over for Christmas Eve, including Claire and Mike who are the parents of one of my daycare mates Jak! They brought a bottle of wine wrapped in mistletoe that they had found earlier on Christmas Eve while walking on hiking. The mistletoe hung over my head several times during the night and therefore, I got plastered with kisses.

We caroled around the neighborhood with some neighbors and it really was fun watching my parents, family, and friends scream the lyrics halfway straight through Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! I look forward to doing it again next year. Granny and Grandpa made it down with a satchel of gifts from Aunts Andrea and Elizabeth and Uncle Chris. Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Jon brought Cousin Harrison down a couple of days later to finish off the celebration!

I got lots of great goodies for Christmas so I must have been a good little girl in 2007! Santa got me all kinds of cheer and everyone else did too!

• Granny and Grandpa gave me a gift card to ToysRUs and Mommy and Daddy are going to try to save it for me so I can use it myself when I am older.


• Nana and Papa prepared a giant stocking filling with fun goodies, including some punch-balls, an elmo toy, some board books, and a fabulous 12-Days of Christmas fold-out book!


• Aunt Liz and Uncle Eric got me a Winnie-the-Pooh outfit with a hood and ears!


• Aunt Tember and Uncle Eric got me an illustrated book of Owen and Mzee, a true story about how a baby hippo and a giant tortoise befriended one another after their homes were turned upside down by an Asian Tsunami.


• Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Jon got me at least four 24-month onesies, several pair of cotton pants, tons of cute socks, dresses, and pretty full-length onsies.


• Cousin Harrison got me a push behind walker that will double as a toy car when I get older.


• Aunt Andrea and Uncle Chris got me a whole bunch of pretty clothes, including several full-length onesies and some really cute ones with embroidery "I Love Mommy"!


• Aunt Elizabeth got me all kinds of cool clothes, including these precious pink snow boots, blue genes, a pretty pink zip top, floral pants and then, all these really colorful tops! She also got me the coolest hat and matching gloves in the world that will keep me warm when I visit!

On New Years Eve, I accompanied Mommy and Daddy at the Raleigh First Night Celebration. Daddy volunteered at the Killer Filler event while Mommy and I watched. They performed fun beachy music scores that really had my eyes and ears wide. Mommy and Daddy didn't make any resolutions for me because they think I'm perfect just the way I am! Happy New Year!

Clapping, Waving, and Creeping!

I have begun clapping, waving and creeping, the first step before crawling! I don't make much noise, but Mommy does! She gets so excited that she starts cooing and clapping, too! I like waving also! I find people smile and wave back. My wrist is a little floppy but I'm getting the hang of it. Sometimes I clap and wave without even thinking. It just comes naturally. In the picture above taken of me and Cousin Charlotte, I began clapping as soon as Mommy and Aunt Elizabeth started soliciting smiles. They were so excited that I began clapping and when Cousin Charlotte noticed, she joined in!

As for crawling, well, it's a doorway to independence. I like being able to embark on my own journeys and seize my own toys! I'm not a pro but I can pull myself a few inches forward now and that is almost a major milestone! At first, the only direction I would go was backward!

Another thing, I made my very first Christmas Ornament. My hand was dipped in this black stuff and mashed against a piece of cardboard at Butterfly Kisses Daycare today. Daddy picked me up and emailed Mommy so she could post it on my blog! Isn't it pretty!?

Holiday Greeting Cards

Well, Merry Christmas, everbody! I'll be more excited about Christmas in the years to come, but Mommy and Daddy and thrilled to celebrate my first ever Christmas! They sent out two holiday greeting cards with my picture on them. The first one is of me holding a Christmas ornament and adorned in a Christmas outfit that my Aunt Lizzie purchased when she was down from West Virginia! This photograph was taken at Portrait Innovations in Durham. Mommy had just finished tickling my face with the petals of a long-stemmed artificial rose! It caught my attention and captured my curiosity!


The second set of photographs were taken at Sears in Durham by a nice gentleman named Clarence. Daddy rearranged the images to arrive at the following composite and they were both delighted to include the one of me leaning against the giant red cube as I was standing independently!