I had a great Mother's Day surprise this morning- I came downstairs to find a gift bag waiting for me on the kitchen table, with a bottle of yummy new perfume and a guide book for Italy! Kurt made a delicious breakfast and coffee while Anna and I read books in the living room. Then I got to go and get a pedicure and manicure all by myself while Kurt took care of Anna. What a treat! I am a lucky mommy, indeed!
Anna has me tickled with her newest game. She likes to curl up in her boppy pillow, pull a blanket over herself and say, "Go sleep." She'll lay down, change positions and take pretend naps. It's very, very, VERY cute.
Hope everyone's having as nice a Mother's Day as I am. Love to you all!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
"Bonk!"
The other day, Anna tumbled into the kitchen table leg, a very sturdy hunk of wood, knocking her head hard. As I came to see if she was okay, she looked up at me, stuck out her lip in her"I'm-about-to-completely-lose-it" expression, said in a heartbreaking whisper, "Bonk!", and then started bawling.
"Bonk" is the new "bye-bye" of Anna's vocabulary. She says it whenever she falls, no matter how lightly or even if she fell on purpose. In fact, sometimes she'll sit on her play chair, grin at me, throw herself to the ground, and then say, "Bonk!" loudly and for all the world to hear.
My mind just can't keep up with how fast she's changing and growing. This time last month she was still doing physical therapy and we were worried for her future development. From where we are standing now, it seems so silly to have been worried. In the past month, Anna has learned to stand, pull-up, take steps while holding onto furniture, crawl up the stairs, climb onto chairs and couches, and increased her vocabulary to the point that we are no longer surprised by what she can say.
Just this morning, she picked up her Dr. Seuss ABC book and was reading it to ME as she flipped through the pages. She remembered almost all the letters as she looked at the pages, which I know is more memorization and picture association than actually reading the book, but still, we were very impressed.
For Kurt and me, though, it's the physical advancement that is the most exciting. Every time she pulls herself up on a table to look at a book (or reach for something she shouldn't be touching), I feel like everyone in the room should be struck with the same awe and pride that we feel.
Look! She just climbed up into a chair! Time for a ticker tape parade!
Oops... she tumbled onto the floor... "Bonk!".
"Bonk" is the new "bye-bye" of Anna's vocabulary. She says it whenever she falls, no matter how lightly or even if she fell on purpose. In fact, sometimes she'll sit on her play chair, grin at me, throw herself to the ground, and then say, "Bonk!" loudly and for all the world to hear.
My mind just can't keep up with how fast she's changing and growing. This time last month she was still doing physical therapy and we were worried for her future development. From where we are standing now, it seems so silly to have been worried. In the past month, Anna has learned to stand, pull-up, take steps while holding onto furniture, crawl up the stairs, climb onto chairs and couches, and increased her vocabulary to the point that we are no longer surprised by what she can say.
Just this morning, she picked up her Dr. Seuss ABC book and was reading it to ME as she flipped through the pages. She remembered almost all the letters as she looked at the pages, which I know is more memorization and picture association than actually reading the book, but still, we were very impressed.
For Kurt and me, though, it's the physical advancement that is the most exciting. Every time she pulls herself up on a table to look at a book (or reach for something she shouldn't be touching), I feel like everyone in the room should be struck with the same awe and pride that we feel.
Look! She just climbed up into a chair! Time for a ticker tape parade!
Oops... she tumbled onto the floor... "Bonk!".
Thursday, May 04, 2006
18 Month Check-up
Anna received a clean bill of health at the pediatrician's this morning. She weighed in at 21 pounds, 13 ounces and has grown to 31 and a half inches. She's still slim, but her weight is much closer to the norm now.
The doctor was impressed with her new skills of pulling up, standing and stair-climbing. Of course, I felt like he should be jumping up and down with glee, but I'm a little biased. Still, in his medically-reserved fashion, he was quite proud of my girl.
She didn't need any shots today, and won't have to go back until her 2nd birthday. She's grown past the three month well-check visits! She's a real, honest-to-goodness, Big Girl now!
The doctor was impressed with her new skills of pulling up, standing and stair-climbing. Of course, I felt like he should be jumping up and down with glee, but I'm a little biased. Still, in his medically-reserved fashion, he was quite proud of my girl.
She didn't need any shots today, and won't have to go back until her 2nd birthday. She's grown past the three month well-check visits! She's a real, honest-to-goodness, Big Girl now!
Monday, May 01, 2006
Fast Track
No longer willing to be left behind, Anna is on the development fast track... and I mean FAST. Every single day she's doing something that a month ago we thought was totally beyond her. Not only can she now pull up to her knees, which a month ago was a truly difficult and upsetting activity for her, she stands up by herself and also comfortable stands and looks at books or colors for long periods of time. This morning I looked away for a moment as she was sitting on the floor. When I looked back, she had climbed up into the little kid chair at her coloring table and was standing on it, with her hands balanced on the table. After I moved her over to stand by the chair to read her book, she was angry with me and STAMPED HER FOOT! Then she took two steps, still holding onto the chair, but her first ever steps, and sat back down on the floor, saying, "Bonk!" as she plopped to the ground.
She's also become an expert at stairs, she climbs quickly up, scoots back down, the climbs back up again. We're trying to institute stair rules so she doesn't go up without adult supervision, but she's resisting. She doesn't want to wait for slow old Mama or Dada, she's got places to be and things to do!
In addition to this huge leap forward in physical development, Anna is now talking, semi-intelligibly, all the time. Her vocabulary is somewhere from 25-50 words. I can't be more specific because I really have lost track. Each day she says something new in a totally clear voice, as if she's always known what that is and how to say it. This morning I got her out of bed and she said, "Hi, Mama. Outside, tree?" Hey, if she can ask, I can deliver! We went right down and looked at some trees this morning, I was so proud!
Oh, boy. As I was typing this, and I'm a fast typer, Anna was playing with her crayons ON the floor. I look back around, and she's SITTING ON TOP OF THE TABLE, indian style, crayons in hand, digging through the box of coloring books. Oh, boy, oh, boy.
Or, in Anna's new favorite all-time phrase...
Uh-OH!
She's also become an expert at stairs, she climbs quickly up, scoots back down, the climbs back up again. We're trying to institute stair rules so she doesn't go up without adult supervision, but she's resisting. She doesn't want to wait for slow old Mama or Dada, she's got places to be and things to do!
In addition to this huge leap forward in physical development, Anna is now talking, semi-intelligibly, all the time. Her vocabulary is somewhere from 25-50 words. I can't be more specific because I really have lost track. Each day she says something new in a totally clear voice, as if she's always known what that is and how to say it. This morning I got her out of bed and she said, "Hi, Mama. Outside, tree?" Hey, if she can ask, I can deliver! We went right down and looked at some trees this morning, I was so proud!
Oh, boy. As I was typing this, and I'm a fast typer, Anna was playing with her crayons ON the floor. I look back around, and she's SITTING ON TOP OF THE TABLE, indian style, crayons in hand, digging through the box of coloring books. Oh, boy, oh, boy.
Or, in Anna's new favorite all-time phrase...
Uh-OH!
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