Here's some of Elodie's developments that I've remembered to jot down over the past month.
12/27/08:
L ate bowls of corn tonight...impressive enough that it was like 4 bowls but she ate it all herself w/her fork. I did see her put the last couple bites of each bowl in her mouth with her hands, but still, she's getting pretty good with her utensils.
She also signed "fish" tonight for her goldfish crackers. Once she started signing "fish," she didn't stop.
She said "kix" today. We decided today when we realized that she had started calling kix, cheerios, and goldfish all "Os" that we needed to rectify that so I told her they were kix and made her repeat it.
12/24/08:
L ate a bowl of yogurt with no spills. She answers my Q with "no, no, no...no, no, no...no"
12/23/08:
She can sign "apple" on her face and mine. Says "apple" all day long. She loves apples.
She can eat a bowl of oatmeal with a spoon by herself; but it's much faster to have two spoons...one for her and one for me to help her along.
She wants to call daddy on the cellphone all day long.
Every time I'm out of sight, I hear her say "bye-bye."
12/19/08:
She was standing watching a dvd song of the "Duke of York" and she would go up and down with the song. She also did the wipers on the bus during the "Wheels on the Bus go round and round" song.
If she can't get a puzzle piece in its slot or a shape through the whole, she gets really frustrated and throws all the pieces or shapes.
Today she played peek-a-boo herself with her blanket.
12/18/08:
I asked her if she wanted to touch the Christmas tree and she tentatively reached her hand out, touched the prickly tree, and said, "no."
Today she said "wa wa" for water.
She'll point to the toilet and say "poop."
12/16/08:
She's starting to feed herself oatmeal well. Says "oatmeal" better...now it's more like "ah-meal."
She says "brown bear."
12/15/08:
She can get onto one section of our couch herself. She says "mine" and "daddy" all day long. She also does the sign for "drink" to indicate water.
12/14/08:
She signs "horse" after her aunt and uncle give her a rocking horse for Christmas.
12/13/08:
She can open our child safety locks on the kitchen and bathroom cupboards. She learned how to open my mom's cupboards in California, which are easier than ours, but apparently that was the gateway b/c now she can do ours as well.
She says "ow-ma" for oatmeal.
CA trip (11/24-12/8):
She can get up onto my mom's couch by herself sometimes. She starts to repeat words; she can now say, "oatmeal" ("boat-meal"), "eat," "poop" (her Grammie taught her that one)
11/19/08:
While I was in surgery, Elodie's uncle Dale & aunt Candy watched her. Uncle Dale said that his glasses were "mine" and Elodie said "mine." Dale said "ut-oh" and so the "mine" saga began.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Our 18-month-old: Week 2...
Your 18-month-old's social and emotional development: Making friends
New this month: Making friends
Now that your child is walking and talking, you can also expect him to be more interested in establishing relationships with other people, especially children his age. But though he wants to interact with peers, he still regards them more as curiosities than as playmates. If your child pushes, pokes, or hits his playmates, don't worry that he's anti-social, just be patient and willing to expose him to a variety of situations — the more chances your toddler has to interact in group settings, the sooner he'll develop social skills.
What you can do
Try to connect with parents of two or three other children who are about the same age as yours and make plans to meet on a regular basis. Fun outings at this age include trips to "hands-on" children's museums, playgrounds, petting zoos, or anywhere your toddlers can run around freely. Just remember that for at least the next few months, even when your 18-month-old does have playdates, he's more likely to engage in "parallel" play than to play cooperatively with his friends.
Other developments: New challenges, saving the worst for you
An 18-month-old's top priority is to succeed at various tasks. So he constantly tests himself — and you. His failure to succeed, either because he's incapable of, say, putting on his own shoes, or because you stop him — as when you forbid him from climbing onto a chair near the stove so he can help you — is frustrating for him. This is a phase when "no" seems to be the word that you both use more than any other.
As his confidence in his own abilities increases, so does his willfulness. Your job is to gauge when you must prevent him from trying to reach a goal — for instance, because it's not safe for him to be near a hot stove — and when you should let him go ahead and try. So what if it takes you a few extra minutes in the morning while he tries to put on his sneakers? Discouraging him from trying many of the things he attempts will only make him unwilling to try new things in the future.
If you and your spouse both work outside the home, your toddler is probably used to saying goodbye to you in the morning: He rarely protests your departure the way he did a few months ago. But when you arrive to pick him up at the end of the day, you may be greeted with a screaming "throw-down" tantrum. On the other hand, this age begins a phase when many toddlers begin to behave in both cooperative and caring ways.
New this month: Making friends
Now that your child is walking and talking, you can also expect him to be more interested in establishing relationships with other people, especially children his age. But though he wants to interact with peers, he still regards them more as curiosities than as playmates. If your child pushes, pokes, or hits his playmates, don't worry that he's anti-social, just be patient and willing to expose him to a variety of situations — the more chances your toddler has to interact in group settings, the sooner he'll develop social skills.
What you can do
Try to connect with parents of two or three other children who are about the same age as yours and make plans to meet on a regular basis. Fun outings at this age include trips to "hands-on" children's museums, playgrounds, petting zoos, or anywhere your toddlers can run around freely. Just remember that for at least the next few months, even when your 18-month-old does have playdates, he's more likely to engage in "parallel" play than to play cooperatively with his friends.
Other developments: New challenges, saving the worst for you
An 18-month-old's top priority is to succeed at various tasks. So he constantly tests himself — and you. His failure to succeed, either because he's incapable of, say, putting on his own shoes, or because you stop him — as when you forbid him from climbing onto a chair near the stove so he can help you — is frustrating for him. This is a phase when "no" seems to be the word that you both use more than any other.
As his confidence in his own abilities increases, so does his willfulness. Your job is to gauge when you must prevent him from trying to reach a goal — for instance, because it's not safe for him to be near a hot stove — and when you should let him go ahead and try. So what if it takes you a few extra minutes in the morning while he tries to put on his sneakers? Discouraging him from trying many of the things he attempts will only make him unwilling to try new things in the future.
If you and your spouse both work outside the home, your toddler is probably used to saying goodbye to you in the morning: He rarely protests your departure the way he did a few months ago. But when you arrive to pick him up at the end of the day, you may be greeted with a screaming "throw-down" tantrum. On the other hand, this age begins a phase when many toddlers begin to behave in both cooperative and caring ways.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Friday, 12/26/08...one of her new toys...
Here's a video of L playing with one of her new toys...a microphone.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, 12/24/08...Christmas Eve...
Today I straightened up the house while L followed me around. Snapped some pics of her being cute in front of the tree. Also got some pics before we left for the Christmas Eve service at church. It was great to go celebrate Jesus' birth and praise Him.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tuesday, 12/23/08...photos in front of the tree in nonChristmas attire...
"CHEESE"
not exactly sure what that face is. notice the christmas socks leftover from yesterday's outfit.
this is after we turned the lights on the tree on. i like how her little hairs in the back curl in this one.
eating a Harry & Davids' apple that her great-grandpa Noah sent us. She's learned how to sign apple. She signed it on her face and mine this morning.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
12/18/08...Our 18-month-old
One tangible sign that your child has left babyhood behind is that she's beginning to be able to hold in urine or bowel movements. Starting about now, keep a potty seat around so your child can gradually get used to the idea of using it. Don't push it, though — while some toddlers may be showing signs that they're ready to try, many others won't be ready until they're 24 months old or even older. **this is funny b/c elodie has started to point to the toliet and say "poop" and she'll point to her diaper and say "poop." She learned the word "poop" first (thanks mom!) and always says it first...then you'll say you didn't poop...did you peepee? and she'll repeat "peepee."**
How your toddler's growing:
You may observe a spurt in physical development this month. Your toddler is surer on her feet, loves to climb all over your furniture, and can connect with a kick ball if she concentrates hard enough. She can also hold in her mind a clear memory of an object well after you remove it from her vision. Take advantage of this new capability by playing hide-and-seek with her favorite toy.
There may be days when all that physical energy is more than you can handle. Rather than fight it — after all, you can't do anything to change it — flip on some music, grab your little one, and invent some new dance steps together.
How your life's changing:
As your child's "no's" come more frequently, so will your questions about how to discipline her. Set clear limits by telling her what is and is not acceptable behavior. She won't always remember what you've said, but with repetition she'll start getting the idea. And do your best to set a good example; model the kindness, respect, and good manners you'd like to see her demonstrate.
Your 18-month-old's physical development: Ready for toilet training?
Many experts say that 18 months is too young to start toilet training; many grandparents say, "We potty trained you at 1!" Who's right? Of course it depends on the child, and some are in fact ready to begin the process now. But before you start trying to make this enormous transition, look for some signs of readiness. The sensory awareness that allows a toddler to recognize the need to empty his bladder and bowels and then "hold it" until he gets to the bathroom is sophisticated. And the concept that everything has its place — including pee and poop — and the desire for orderliness usually begins around age 2 (though some children don't potty train until much later).
What you can do
At this age, a low-key approach is best. Toddlers learn by imitation, so start by letting your child copy what you do in the bathroom. Let him sit fully clothed on an adult or toddler toilet seat so he can get used to the idea of sitting on the potty. If your toddler has a favorite doll or stuffed animal, you can pretend that it's going the bathroom, too, a tactic that may entice your child to try it out for himself. Keep your expectations in check, however. It may be another year before he's ready to get down to business.
Other developments: Solving puzzles, increasing dexterity
Your toddler wants to know what is behind, under, and inside of everything. But unlike a few months ago, he doesn't want to just empty closets and cupboards of their contents. Now after he clears out your kitchen cabinets, your toddler will probably try to put everything back to see how it fits (though it won't look like it did before).
For now, gross motor development outpaces fine-motor development, but that's only because a typical 18-month-old doesn't want to sit still long enough to do many activities that require significant dexterity. There are, however, a few that will hold his interest: scribbling with crayons or finger painting, stacking blocks, turning knobs on doors and cupboards, and pushing buttons on telephones, televisions, and stereo equipment.
A toy telephone, or a real one with cords removed, will keep his fingers engaged (but you'll probably want to keep him away from your pricey audio-video gear!). He may also enjoy trying to slide large wooden beads onto a length of string. An 18-month-old is very interested in fitting things inside of other things. Shape sorters, nesting boxes, and even some simple wooden puzzles (puzzles where a whole object fits inside a matching slot, not jigsaw puzzles) will absorb him. One sign of his increasing dexterity is the ability to hold a cup and drink from it without spilling.
Keep a few toys handy in the back of your car to make trips to the park even more fun. An extra-large beach ball (or an ever bigger ball, like those used in exercise classes) is fun to roll across grass, and roll on. (At this stage, toddlers can't quite kick balls. They attempt to, but they don't have the coordination to do it and end up sort of walking into the ball.) He may also have the skills to push or pull a small wagon or similar toy, and to pedal a tricycle or "big wheel." If it's winter, channel some energy by stomping in puddles, or have a snowball fight, throwing the snowballs at trees or telephones poles instead of each other.
Your 18-month-old's physical development: Ready for toilet training?
Now that your child is walking and talking, you can also expect him to be more interested in establishing relationships with other people, especially children his age. But though he wants to interact with peers, he still regards them more as curiosities than as playmates. If your child pushes, pokes, or hits his playmates, don't worry that he's anti-social, just be patient and willing to expose him to a variety of situations — the more chances your toddler has to interact in group settings, the sooner he'll develop social skills. **L can carry her own...she'll take down her cousins, who are 6 months older...not that I'm encouraging that or anything!**
What you can do
Try to connect with parents of two or three other children who are about the same age as yours and make plans to meet on a regular basis. Fun outings at this age include trips to "hands-on" children's museums, playgrounds, petting zoos, or anywhere your toddlers can run around freely. Just remember that for at least the next few months, even when your 18-month-old does have playdates, he's more likely to engage in "parallel" play than to play cooperatively with his friends.
Other developments: New challenges, saving the worst for you
An 18-month-old's top priority is to succeed at various tasks. So he constantly tests himself — and you. His failure to succeed, either because he's incapable of, say, putting on his own shoes, or because you stop him — as when you forbid him from climbing onto a chair near the stove so he can help you — is frustrating for him. This is a phase when "no" seems to be the word that you both use more than any other.
As his confidence in his own abilities increases, so does his willfulness. Your job is to gauge when you must prevent him from trying to reach a goal — for instance, because it's not safe for him to be near a hot stove — and when you should let him go ahead and try. So what if it takes you a few extra minutes in the morning while he tries to put on his sneakers? Discouraging him from trying many of the things he attempts will only make him unwilling to try new things in the future.
If you and your spouse both work outside the home, your toddler is probably used to saying goodbye to you in the morning: He rarely protests your departure the way he did a few months ago. But when you arrive to pick him up at the end of the day, you may be greeted with a screaming "throw-down" tantrum. On the other hand, this age begins a phase when many toddlers begin to behave in both cooperative and caring ways.
How your toddler's growing:
You may observe a spurt in physical development this month. Your toddler is surer on her feet, loves to climb all over your furniture, and can connect with a kick ball if she concentrates hard enough. She can also hold in her mind a clear memory of an object well after you remove it from her vision. Take advantage of this new capability by playing hide-and-seek with her favorite toy.
There may be days when all that physical energy is more than you can handle. Rather than fight it — after all, you can't do anything to change it — flip on some music, grab your little one, and invent some new dance steps together.
How your life's changing:
As your child's "no's" come more frequently, so will your questions about how to discipline her. Set clear limits by telling her what is and is not acceptable behavior. She won't always remember what you've said, but with repetition she'll start getting the idea. And do your best to set a good example; model the kindness, respect, and good manners you'd like to see her demonstrate.
Your 18-month-old's physical development: Ready for toilet training?
Many experts say that 18 months is too young to start toilet training; many grandparents say, "We potty trained you at 1!" Who's right? Of course it depends on the child, and some are in fact ready to begin the process now. But before you start trying to make this enormous transition, look for some signs of readiness. The sensory awareness that allows a toddler to recognize the need to empty his bladder and bowels and then "hold it" until he gets to the bathroom is sophisticated. And the concept that everything has its place — including pee and poop — and the desire for orderliness usually begins around age 2 (though some children don't potty train until much later).
What you can do
At this age, a low-key approach is best. Toddlers learn by imitation, so start by letting your child copy what you do in the bathroom. Let him sit fully clothed on an adult or toddler toilet seat so he can get used to the idea of sitting on the potty. If your toddler has a favorite doll or stuffed animal, you can pretend that it's going the bathroom, too, a tactic that may entice your child to try it out for himself. Keep your expectations in check, however. It may be another year before he's ready to get down to business.
Other developments: Solving puzzles, increasing dexterity
Your toddler wants to know what is behind, under, and inside of everything. But unlike a few months ago, he doesn't want to just empty closets and cupboards of their contents. Now after he clears out your kitchen cabinets, your toddler will probably try to put everything back to see how it fits (though it won't look like it did before).
For now, gross motor development outpaces fine-motor development, but that's only because a typical 18-month-old doesn't want to sit still long enough to do many activities that require significant dexterity. There are, however, a few that will hold his interest: scribbling with crayons or finger painting, stacking blocks, turning knobs on doors and cupboards, and pushing buttons on telephones, televisions, and stereo equipment.
A toy telephone, or a real one with cords removed, will keep his fingers engaged (but you'll probably want to keep him away from your pricey audio-video gear!). He may also enjoy trying to slide large wooden beads onto a length of string. An 18-month-old is very interested in fitting things inside of other things. Shape sorters, nesting boxes, and even some simple wooden puzzles (puzzles where a whole object fits inside a matching slot, not jigsaw puzzles) will absorb him. One sign of his increasing dexterity is the ability to hold a cup and drink from it without spilling.
Keep a few toys handy in the back of your car to make trips to the park even more fun. An extra-large beach ball (or an ever bigger ball, like those used in exercise classes) is fun to roll across grass, and roll on. (At this stage, toddlers can't quite kick balls. They attempt to, but they don't have the coordination to do it and end up sort of walking into the ball.) He may also have the skills to push or pull a small wagon or similar toy, and to pedal a tricycle or "big wheel." If it's winter, channel some energy by stomping in puddles, or have a snowball fight, throwing the snowballs at trees or telephones poles instead of each other.
Your 18-month-old's physical development: Ready for toilet training?
Now that your child is walking and talking, you can also expect him to be more interested in establishing relationships with other people, especially children his age. But though he wants to interact with peers, he still regards them more as curiosities than as playmates. If your child pushes, pokes, or hits his playmates, don't worry that he's anti-social, just be patient and willing to expose him to a variety of situations — the more chances your toddler has to interact in group settings, the sooner he'll develop social skills. **L can carry her own...she'll take down her cousins, who are 6 months older...not that I'm encouraging that or anything!**
What you can do
Try to connect with parents of two or three other children who are about the same age as yours and make plans to meet on a regular basis. Fun outings at this age include trips to "hands-on" children's museums, playgrounds, petting zoos, or anywhere your toddlers can run around freely. Just remember that for at least the next few months, even when your 18-month-old does have playdates, he's more likely to engage in "parallel" play than to play cooperatively with his friends.
Other developments: New challenges, saving the worst for you
An 18-month-old's top priority is to succeed at various tasks. So he constantly tests himself — and you. His failure to succeed, either because he's incapable of, say, putting on his own shoes, or because you stop him — as when you forbid him from climbing onto a chair near the stove so he can help you — is frustrating for him. This is a phase when "no" seems to be the word that you both use more than any other.
As his confidence in his own abilities increases, so does his willfulness. Your job is to gauge when you must prevent him from trying to reach a goal — for instance, because it's not safe for him to be near a hot stove — and when you should let him go ahead and try. So what if it takes you a few extra minutes in the morning while he tries to put on his sneakers? Discouraging him from trying many of the things he attempts will only make him unwilling to try new things in the future.
If you and your spouse both work outside the home, your toddler is probably used to saying goodbye to you in the morning: He rarely protests your departure the way he did a few months ago. But when you arrive to pick him up at the end of the day, you may be greeted with a screaming "throw-down" tantrum. On the other hand, this age begins a phase when many toddlers begin to behave in both cooperative and caring ways.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
more prayer needed
L apparently wasn't on the mend and didn't feel well today. She even had to episodes of cramping/gas where she cried for 20 minutes each and didn't want to be held or touched. So heartbreaking. Plus, I caught the bug so I feel achy and energyless...overall difficult to take care of sick toddler when sick myself.
Please pray for miraculous recovery and for D to stay healthy!!! Can't afford for him to get sick too!
Please pray for miraculous recovery and for D to stay healthy!!! Can't afford for him to get sick too!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
L's on the mend...
L hasn't thrown up since lunchtime yesterday so it's been over 24 hours. Yea! We're praying that lasts for good and that we stay healthy! She's still not eating a ton even though she had a decent breakfast but she likes her cheerios and goldfish crackers. We also are still withholding her milk and plan on reintroducing that after 48 hours or even on Thursday, depending on what her ped says since we're seeing the dr. tomorrow for her 18 month old visit.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Prayers for sick L
Please keep L and us in your prayers over the next few days. L has the stomach flu which is way not fun for mommy or daddy although she seems to be just fine other than the whole puking & making work for mommy thing. I called the doctor and they said that this is like week 3 of this virus going around our town and that it seems to last for FOUR or FIVE days (they seem to get better and then relapse). So we changed many outfits (including mine) and done lots of laundry. Please pray she gets better miraculously fast and that D & I stay healthy and that I don't loose my patience (b/c I know it's not her fault). Oh and for disciplining L b/c she's still her same toddler self that doesn't obey "no."
Thanks!
xoxo
Thanks!
xoxo
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Wednesday, 12/10/08...home...
notice the sticker she's wearing...it's D's dental appt notice :)
she wanted to put this hat on after her nap.
reacquainting herself with all her toys!
"CHEESE!"
She's so cute when she lays on the floor like this.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Our 17-month-old: Week 4
It will be a year or two before your toddler leaves most of his tantrums behind. Until then, expect to deal with outbursts of anger and frustration on a regular basis. You can cut down on the frequency of tantrums by making sure your child gets enough sleep and eats well during the day. It's probably unrealistic to expect your energetic toddler to sit still for three square meals a day, so try giving your child a variety of foods throughout the day. Remember, a hungry, sleep-deprived toddler is a meltdown waiting to happen.
New this month: Self-control — or lack thereof
What would the world be like if we all acted on every impulse? If adults had no self-control? Observe a couple of 17-month-olds and in no time you'll have some idea: chaos. Children aren't born with self-control, so when your toddler is hungry, he wants to eat ... immediately. When he wants the toy his friend is playing with, he wants it ... right now! He doesn't understand that screaming won't make the food come any sooner (even though this method worked when he was a newborn), or that forcefully grabbing a toy is going to upset his playmate.
What you can do
Since toddlers want what they want when they want it (passionately!), explaining the consequences of their actions won't give you immediate results. But go ahead and try. Explaining things in a reassuring voice is good practice for the future and if you do it with lots of affection and physical contact, you'll make it easier for your toddler to stay calm when he needs to wait a little bit or cooperate with you.
Though it may seem impossible at times, if you are warm and patient when your toddler is most trying, you may find that he's more willing to settle down. Try to show your happiness when your toddler cooperates and complies with your requests, but be prepared to remove him from the situation if he won't.
Other developments: Taming temper tantrums
Quick! What's the quickest way to stop a tantrum? Cave in to your toddler's demands, right? Now, what's the best way to guarantee that the tantrums will continue? Same thing. If you reward your child for "stopping" his tantrum, he'll figure it out pretty quickly. And he'll have tantrums just so he can get what he wants. But if you simply ignore the tantrum, which may be difficult to do sometimes, he'll learn just as quickly that this behavior doesn't move you and he'll likely stop. If you're in a public place such as a restaurant or store, your best bet may be to leave with him until he calms down.
It may help you to deal with your toddler's tantrums if you understand what's behind them, at least in part. At 17 months a child may want to master stacking five blocks on top of one another. Or he's determined to put his own shoes on, to ride his older sister's bike, or to eat with a fork. When he can't, he may get frustrated. Tantrums are more likely to occur when your child is hungry, tired, or over-stimulated. Sometimes a tantrum is a plea for your attention: a reassuring hug and your undivided attention can make the storm clouds go away.
Tantrums aren't easy for parents. It can be hard to listen to a lot of crying, or to have your child be angry at you. But tantrums are a completely normal part of toddler development.
New this month: Self-control — or lack thereof
What would the world be like if we all acted on every impulse? If adults had no self-control? Observe a couple of 17-month-olds and in no time you'll have some idea: chaos. Children aren't born with self-control, so when your toddler is hungry, he wants to eat ... immediately. When he wants the toy his friend is playing with, he wants it ... right now! He doesn't understand that screaming won't make the food come any sooner (even though this method worked when he was a newborn), or that forcefully grabbing a toy is going to upset his playmate.
What you can do
Since toddlers want what they want when they want it (passionately!), explaining the consequences of their actions won't give you immediate results. But go ahead and try. Explaining things in a reassuring voice is good practice for the future and if you do it with lots of affection and physical contact, you'll make it easier for your toddler to stay calm when he needs to wait a little bit or cooperate with you.
Though it may seem impossible at times, if you are warm and patient when your toddler is most trying, you may find that he's more willing to settle down. Try to show your happiness when your toddler cooperates and complies with your requests, but be prepared to remove him from the situation if he won't.
Other developments: Taming temper tantrums
Quick! What's the quickest way to stop a tantrum? Cave in to your toddler's demands, right? Now, what's the best way to guarantee that the tantrums will continue? Same thing. If you reward your child for "stopping" his tantrum, he'll figure it out pretty quickly. And he'll have tantrums just so he can get what he wants. But if you simply ignore the tantrum, which may be difficult to do sometimes, he'll learn just as quickly that this behavior doesn't move you and he'll likely stop. If you're in a public place such as a restaurant or store, your best bet may be to leave with him until he calms down.
It may help you to deal with your toddler's tantrums if you understand what's behind them, at least in part. At 17 months a child may want to master stacking five blocks on top of one another. Or he's determined to put his own shoes on, to ride his older sister's bike, or to eat with a fork. When he can't, he may get frustrated. Tantrums are more likely to occur when your child is hungry, tired, or over-stimulated. Sometimes a tantrum is a plea for your attention: a reassuring hug and your undivided attention can make the storm clouds go away.
Tantrums aren't easy for parents. It can be hard to listen to a lot of crying, or to have your child be angry at you. But tantrums are a completely normal part of toddler development.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Our 17-month-old: Week 3
this is a little late (like almost a week!) but better late than never!
You're probably spending a lot of time trying to figure out what your toddler says, but does she understand everything you say? Speak in clear, simple sentences to make sure you're getting your point across. Hearing and language development are inextricably linked, which is why you may want to have your child's hearing tested if you find that she's not talking as much or as well as her peers or can't follow simple instructions from you.
New this month: All talk
Observing a child as she learns to talk is one of the most fascinating experiences of parenthood. Some children babble with an occasional recognizable word mixed in. Others learn to say one word clearly and then add another, slowly building up a vocabulary. Others may use one word for days or weeks and then suddenly drop it. Which is normal? Actually, each is.
Labeling objects will help your child learn words. You can label sensations, as in, "The sidewalk feels hot," or objects: "See the airplane?" When you push your child in a stroller or walk with her in a backpack, take time to point out the things you see. You don't have to go on and on — just make her aware of what's around. Try to use normal speech instead of baby talk. Soon she'll take the lead and point out familiar objects without your prompting.
What you can do
When you're cooking dinner, take three measuring cups out of a drawer and show her: "This is the big cup, here's the medium-sized cup ... and the little cup." You can turn any daily activity into a language lesson.
If your child isn't saying much, try to speak in short sentences whenever possible, especially if your child seems confused when you ask her questions or are giving her directions. Just eliminating a word or two might help her understand. For example, say "Eat your toast" instead of "Aren't you hungry? Why don't you eat your toast?" It's possible that too many words are overwhelming her and the basic message is getting lost. Try to use positive instructions ("Eat your toast") instead of negative instructions ("Don't throw your toast on the floor"). Remember that listening is an essential part of language acquisition. (A hearing problem can cause language delays. Talk to your pediatrician if you suspect a problem.)
Other developments: Playing to learn, fascination with textures
For you, play is a way of relaxing — whether that means playing tennis or playing chess. But for children, play is learning. Through play children learn about their senses, and they fine-tune a variety of gross- and fine-motor skills. Whether she's stacking blocks and banging on pots, or digging in sand and throwing balls, a toddler is learning what her body can do, what various objects feel like, and how they smell and taste.
Creating art is one of a toddler's favorite pastimes. Remember when you first showed your child how to use a crayon, and she colored back and forth, making wavy lines willy-nilly all over the page? Now she is capable of controlling the pencil or crayon a little bit, and may start to draw in circles. A few months ago she covered a piece of paper with scribbles; now she will draw more deliberately, decorating different parts of a page with separate blocks of artwork. Your job is to give her plenty of opportunities to do it.
Set your child up with big sheets of thick paper; tape it to the table so it stays put. Offer her a few thick crayons (she'll likely snap the little ones in half) or washable markers. If she's not interested in drawing on paper, see if she'd like to draw outside with sidewalk chalk. Finger painting, or making handprints and footprints with paint, is usually a popular activity with toddlers (who doesn't like having permission to make a huge mess?). Or, next time you go for a walk, encourage her to collect some leaves, pebbles, acorns, and the like. When you get home, make a collage that commemorates your outing, gluing the items to a piece of cardboard that she can then decorate with paint or markers.
Now that your toddler can chew and eat a wide variety of foods — from meat to pasta to spinach — expect her to express strong opinions about her likes and dislikes. Experts say that at this age texture, rather than smell or taste, is the key factor in food preferences. Strawberries, pudding, Jell-O, a banana that is just past its prime — these are all foods that a toddler may turn away from, even if she ate them willingly a few months ago.
Toddlers are becoming aware of other sensations as well. Some balk at walking barefoot on sand, cement, or grass for the same reason they refuse some foods: They don't like the texture. Others don't want to have their hair combed or brushed.
If your child balks at having her teeth brushed, try buying her a special toothbrush with a favorite character on it (i.e., Barney or a Teletubby). If your toddler battles over hair brushing, resist the urge to restrain her, which will just frighten her more. You might try to comb or brush her hair while she's distracted, even offering a snack. A commercial de-tangler may help, even with straight hair. Or take turns with her: Let her comb or brush your hair, and then you comb hers.
You're probably spending a lot of time trying to figure out what your toddler says, but does she understand everything you say? Speak in clear, simple sentences to make sure you're getting your point across. Hearing and language development are inextricably linked, which is why you may want to have your child's hearing tested if you find that she's not talking as much or as well as her peers or can't follow simple instructions from you.
New this month: All talk
Observing a child as she learns to talk is one of the most fascinating experiences of parenthood. Some children babble with an occasional recognizable word mixed in. Others learn to say one word clearly and then add another, slowly building up a vocabulary. Others may use one word for days or weeks and then suddenly drop it. Which is normal? Actually, each is.
Labeling objects will help your child learn words. You can label sensations, as in, "The sidewalk feels hot," or objects: "See the airplane?" When you push your child in a stroller or walk with her in a backpack, take time to point out the things you see. You don't have to go on and on — just make her aware of what's around. Try to use normal speech instead of baby talk. Soon she'll take the lead and point out familiar objects without your prompting.
What you can do
When you're cooking dinner, take three measuring cups out of a drawer and show her: "This is the big cup, here's the medium-sized cup ... and the little cup." You can turn any daily activity into a language lesson.
If your child isn't saying much, try to speak in short sentences whenever possible, especially if your child seems confused when you ask her questions or are giving her directions. Just eliminating a word or two might help her understand. For example, say "Eat your toast" instead of "Aren't you hungry? Why don't you eat your toast?" It's possible that too many words are overwhelming her and the basic message is getting lost. Try to use positive instructions ("Eat your toast") instead of negative instructions ("Don't throw your toast on the floor"). Remember that listening is an essential part of language acquisition. (A hearing problem can cause language delays. Talk to your pediatrician if you suspect a problem.)
Other developments: Playing to learn, fascination with textures
For you, play is a way of relaxing — whether that means playing tennis or playing chess. But for children, play is learning. Through play children learn about their senses, and they fine-tune a variety of gross- and fine-motor skills. Whether she's stacking blocks and banging on pots, or digging in sand and throwing balls, a toddler is learning what her body can do, what various objects feel like, and how they smell and taste.
Creating art is one of a toddler's favorite pastimes. Remember when you first showed your child how to use a crayon, and she colored back and forth, making wavy lines willy-nilly all over the page? Now she is capable of controlling the pencil or crayon a little bit, and may start to draw in circles. A few months ago she covered a piece of paper with scribbles; now she will draw more deliberately, decorating different parts of a page with separate blocks of artwork. Your job is to give her plenty of opportunities to do it.
Set your child up with big sheets of thick paper; tape it to the table so it stays put. Offer her a few thick crayons (she'll likely snap the little ones in half) or washable markers. If she's not interested in drawing on paper, see if she'd like to draw outside with sidewalk chalk. Finger painting, or making handprints and footprints with paint, is usually a popular activity with toddlers (who doesn't like having permission to make a huge mess?). Or, next time you go for a walk, encourage her to collect some leaves, pebbles, acorns, and the like. When you get home, make a collage that commemorates your outing, gluing the items to a piece of cardboard that she can then decorate with paint or markers.
Now that your toddler can chew and eat a wide variety of foods — from meat to pasta to spinach — expect her to express strong opinions about her likes and dislikes. Experts say that at this age texture, rather than smell or taste, is the key factor in food preferences. Strawberries, pudding, Jell-O, a banana that is just past its prime — these are all foods that a toddler may turn away from, even if she ate them willingly a few months ago.
Toddlers are becoming aware of other sensations as well. Some balk at walking barefoot on sand, cement, or grass for the same reason they refuse some foods: They don't like the texture. Others don't want to have their hair combed or brushed.
If your child balks at having her teeth brushed, try buying her a special toothbrush with a favorite character on it (i.e., Barney or a Teletubby). If your toddler battles over hair brushing, resist the urge to restrain her, which will just frighten her more. You might try to comb or brush her hair while she's distracted, even offering a snack. A commercial de-tangler may help, even with straight hair. Or take turns with her: Let her comb or brush your hair, and then you comb hers.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Saturday, 12/06/08...Niece C1 & daughter L
crappy pic b/c no tripod or long exposure but it captures the great view and sunset from my dad's house
cousins hugging (before grabbing, scratching, & tackling)
attempt #1 at cousins pic
attempt #2 at cousins pic
one of the many expressions of L
attempt #?? at cousins pic
attempt #?? at cousins pic
"CHEESE!!!"
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
BOOM!!!
So, I have been told that I tend to make noises... a lot (this is D by the way). I don't know why, I guess you could say "well you are a boy" but I just like making noise :) So why should you care that I make noises; because I taught L something. It is usually my duty to get L ready for bed which means that I do her bath. She has these foam letters as some of her toys and sometimes she likes to put them on the edge of the tub so that I can flick them across the tub. Every time I do that I say "Boom" when they hit the back of the tub. Our lovely child has now picked up on that word and uses it all the time when she chucks stuff in the tub... or off the high chair... or in the car... or in the store... "boom!" goes the milk cup on the floor, "boom!" goes the kix all over the place, "boom!" goes the cell phone. Sometimes she just chucks stuff so she can say boom... I don't know if E is as excited as I am that I have officially taught her a word :)
Oh, I also inadvertently taught her "doh" (like Homer Simpson). So now if you drop something and say "doh" she will repeat it. I don't know why she likes boom instead of doh but that's kids for you.
Oh, I also inadvertently taught her "doh" (like Homer Simpson). So now if you drop something and say "doh" she will repeat it. I don't know why she likes boom instead of doh but that's kids for you.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Your 17-month-old's social and emotional development: Feeling negative
Does your child deliberately ignore you when you ask him not to do something? Try not to lose your temper if he does. At this age, making a big deal over little transgressions like pulling petals off a flower or spreading newspapers around the house may inspire him to test your limits even more. Ignore the minor infractions and save your lectures for really big no-nos like biting a playmate or pulling the dog's tail.
New this month: Feeling negative
You may be surprised by the force of your child's likes and dislikes. Even at 17 months, toddlers can be very clear — loud and clear — about what they do and don't want to do, to eat, to wear. **L says no to the food as soon as you pull it out of the fridge, while it's still in the container.**
Some children surprise with another kind of force — hitting, especially when they're frustrated. The most likely target: you. It's counter-intuitive, but this is actually a sign of trust. A 17-month-old child knows that you're a safe person to show just how upset and frustrated he can get. **When L gets frustrated, she hits & scratches...very annoying. Also, if you tell her no while she has food in her mouth or try to take away food so she'll swallow the food in her mouth before she puts more in (b/c it's already too full), she'll spit all the food that she had in her mouth out...also annoying.**
What you can do
You may also notice that your child occasionally but very deliberately disobeys your orders. You say, "Please stay away from that vase," and your toddler looks right at you, reaches out, and touches the vase, or plucks a flower from it. You know he got your message, so rather than let the defiance become a big deal, experts say to simply ignore it whenever possible. In fact, it's important to try to avoid a confrontation with every little issue.
Other developments: Comforting routines, growing trust of other people
The first time you forget to read your toddler a bedtime story, don't be surprised if he reminds you. Toddlers thrive on routine, and they may remember each step of a particular ritual. If your child's end-of-day routine features bathing, drying hair, brushing teeth, picking out books, and then reading together in bed, there's a good chance that if you try to skip one or more of these steps, your 17-month-old will protest.
Even at this young age, toddlers can be quite adamant about following rituals, some of which may make no sense to you. For instance, when you tuck your child into bed at night, he may insist that you cover his favorite doll or stuffed animal with a certain blanket — and only that blanket. Or he may want to drink his milk from one particular cup, or insist on oatmeal for breakfast every single day for a month. Though these demands may puzzle or even annoy you, they serve an important purpose: Routines help to make your child's world more predictable.
At 17 months, most children are becoming less wary of strangers. At the grocery store your child may say hello to every person you pass in the aisles — something he never did before. **L does this ALL the time. Every person in the airport yesterday and EVERY person in Trader Joes today.** Or when you go to music or tumbling class, he will suddenly want to be near the instructor. Mom and Dad are still the most important people in his life, but he is starting to develop special relationships with other people, too. He may even associate extended family, caregivers, and neighbors with certain activities. When you visit his grandparents, for instance, your toddler may pull his "Papa" out into the garden to investigate the roses he showed him on his last visit.
New this month: Feeling negative
You may be surprised by the force of your child's likes and dislikes. Even at 17 months, toddlers can be very clear — loud and clear — about what they do and don't want to do, to eat, to wear. **L says no to the food as soon as you pull it out of the fridge, while it's still in the container.**
Some children surprise with another kind of force — hitting, especially when they're frustrated. The most likely target: you. It's counter-intuitive, but this is actually a sign of trust. A 17-month-old child knows that you're a safe person to show just how upset and frustrated he can get. **When L gets frustrated, she hits & scratches...very annoying. Also, if you tell her no while she has food in her mouth or try to take away food so she'll swallow the food in her mouth before she puts more in (b/c it's already too full), she'll spit all the food that she had in her mouth out...also annoying.**
What you can do
You may also notice that your child occasionally but very deliberately disobeys your orders. You say, "Please stay away from that vase," and your toddler looks right at you, reaches out, and touches the vase, or plucks a flower from it. You know he got your message, so rather than let the defiance become a big deal, experts say to simply ignore it whenever possible. In fact, it's important to try to avoid a confrontation with every little issue.
Other developments: Comforting routines, growing trust of other people
The first time you forget to read your toddler a bedtime story, don't be surprised if he reminds you. Toddlers thrive on routine, and they may remember each step of a particular ritual. If your child's end-of-day routine features bathing, drying hair, brushing teeth, picking out books, and then reading together in bed, there's a good chance that if you try to skip one or more of these steps, your 17-month-old will protest.
Even at this young age, toddlers can be quite adamant about following rituals, some of which may make no sense to you. For instance, when you tuck your child into bed at night, he may insist that you cover his favorite doll or stuffed animal with a certain blanket — and only that blanket. Or he may want to drink his milk from one particular cup, or insist on oatmeal for breakfast every single day for a month. Though these demands may puzzle or even annoy you, they serve an important purpose: Routines help to make your child's world more predictable.
At 17 months, most children are becoming less wary of strangers. At the grocery store your child may say hello to every person you pass in the aisles — something he never did before. **L does this ALL the time. Every person in the airport yesterday and EVERY person in Trader Joes today.** Or when you go to music or tumbling class, he will suddenly want to be near the instructor. Mom and Dad are still the most important people in his life, but he is starting to develop special relationships with other people, too. He may even associate extended family, caregivers, and neighbors with certain activities. When you visit his grandparents, for instance, your toddler may pull his "Papa" out into the garden to investigate the roses he showed him on his last visit.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday, 11/23/08...visit from D's Grandparents...
Having fun in the jumperoo!
The cousins
Can you see the family resemblance?? :)
4 Generations
Our beautiful blessing :)
To see more highlights from today Click here.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
How we're surviving...
I think that's just it. We're surviving. We're trying to live the best we know how for the sake of L. We feel compelled not to mope around b/c she needs us. She's bringing joy to our lives that we desperately need right now. She brings us out of our despair even if it's just during the hours we're with her. The hardest time for me is when I'm left alone with my own thoughts. I would love to just sleep and sleep and sleep, yet I'm finding it extremely difficult to fall asleep...all I think about is our baby who is no more. I want to move on...to move past the overwhelming sadness and all the tears, but we're just not sure that anything other than time is going to help. It's weird to know in your head that it was for the best and it's all in God's plan, and yet your heart feels such grieving and sadness. I know many have travelled this road before us, but it doesn't make our pain any less. Having our baby die will probably be with me every day of my life. Please continue to pray for our comfort and how to live on without her as part of our family.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, 11/18/08...Our 17-month-old
By now your toddler may be able to climb up a set of stairs, turn around at the top and sit, then scoot her way back down. Some more cautious toddlers may like climbing up the stairs but will call for help to get back down. Sign your child up for a toddler gymnastics class at the local Y or community center where she can climb and tumble over soft play structures without getting hurt. Or make your own play area at home by stacking pillows on top of a mattress or futon on the floor to make a pint-size climbing course.
How your toddler's growing: She's becoming much easier to understand now that she often combines pointing with a word or two. And her growing independence is asserting itself in numerous ways: She can undress herself (dressing herself will come much later), brush her teeth without your help and feed her dolly. But you should continue to brush her teeth for her, until she truly masters the job.
She can sort things by color, shape, and type, which makes toys that encourage sorting particularly popular now. If "no" hasn't already become her favorite word, she'll begin using it with a vengeance. She's gradually easing toward one nap each day, which means this is a transition period that's potentially hard on both of you. If she's having trouble sleeping, try cuddling up with her for a few minutes to make it extra cozy.
How your life's changing: Toddlers are known for being finicky eaters, so save yourself some time and heartache by keeping meal preparation simple. But try to present a fairly good mix of foods on her plate at every meal. If you offer a variety of healthy options, chances are she'll get all the nutrition she needs — though it may mean she's eating her vegetables at one end of the day and grains at the other.
How your toddler's growing: She's becoming much easier to understand now that she often combines pointing with a word or two. And her growing independence is asserting itself in numerous ways: She can undress herself (dressing herself will come much later), brush her teeth without your help and feed her dolly. But you should continue to brush her teeth for her, until she truly masters the job.
She can sort things by color, shape, and type, which makes toys that encourage sorting particularly popular now. If "no" hasn't already become her favorite word, she'll begin using it with a vengeance. She's gradually easing toward one nap each day, which means this is a transition period that's potentially hard on both of you. If she's having trouble sleeping, try cuddling up with her for a few minutes to make it extra cozy.
How your life's changing: Toddlers are known for being finicky eaters, so save yourself some time and heartache by keeping meal preparation simple. But try to present a fairly good mix of foods on her plate at every meal. If you offer a variety of healthy options, chances are she'll get all the nutrition she needs — though it may mean she's eating her vegetables at one end of the day and grains at the other.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, 11/19/08 update
I just wanted to thank everyone for your love and support. We really appreciate all the prayers. The surgery today went really well, according to the doctor; there was hardly any bleeding and everything went smoothly. E was really tired afterword so she came home (by the time we got home it was 6:30) and went straight to bed. My aunt and uncle were able to watch L so that was a big help. It was really sad yesterday but now that the surgery happened it was like things were really final so both E and I had a good cry. Its amazing how much love you can have for someone you haven't even met. I will paraphrase what one of our friends told us: we will meet her some day, it will just be longer than 9 months. Please continue to pray for comfort and peace. Thanks again for all your support and we send our love out to all of you.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
SAD NEWS
Today, E and I had a doctor's appointment to look at the new baby. When we were seen by the doctor she had a hard time finding the heart beat with the sonigram so we had a full ultrasound. During the ultrasound she was unable to find the heartbeat and she confirmed that the baby died about 2 weeks ago. Needless to say E and I are very crushed but are comforted by the knowledge that our child is home with God right now. E will be having a D&C tomorrow at around 3:30. We ask for your prayers that the procedure goes well tomorrow and that the recovery also goes well. We also ask for prayers of comfort and peace.
L's Christmas Wish List...
I've been asked by several relatives for L's Christmas wish list so today I'm working on updating her amazon list. You can find the link on the left-hand side of the blog. On her list, you can look at what priority it is (ie: low, medium, etc.) and if I've made any comments (ie: this is available elsewhere for cheaper, etc.). I didn't put this on her list but I've heard that toy kitchens go over well so if that's something you'd like to get and you can find one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, go for it.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, 11/14/08...D & astronauts...down the stairs...
I think L signed "horse" today...not exactly correctly but she waved her hands behind her head so close enough although I haven't been able to get her to repeat it.
She can very clearly say "nose" and point to her nose. It's so cute. For the longest time I thought L was saying "ma" but I finally realized this week that she's saying "more." I finally put it together when I saw her saying it and signing it at the same time.
She's VERY interested in animals. I have to keep looking up more and more animals signs online so I can tell her what they are when she asks. She goes through all her books pointed at all the animals asking "what's that?" I love her thirst for knowledge but it does get really old after repeating yourself hundreds of times per day. :)
For awhile now L's been able to go up the stairs but not down. We have tried to get her to go backwards down the stairs but she's always cried. Well I decided to try again yesterday and she whined her way down. Then today she whined her way down the first time and I had to pull her legs down to make her keep going. Then the second time, she went down the (carpeted basement) stairs all by herself. Then she did it again on the main stairs which are hardwood. And the final time, she actually got down on all fours to start at the top by herself. Yay!
On to the astronaut part...
At D's work, they held a lottery to see who could go see the astronauts from the Hubble repair mission give a talk. Well, D won a ticket and is off to go see them talk now. He was quite excited since these guys are the ones taking up the equipment that he worked on to repair the Hubble space telescope. Their visit to Ball even made the 6pm news on nbc (I just saw it). Here's the link to the written story. They have video of it too.
She can very clearly say "nose" and point to her nose. It's so cute. For the longest time I thought L was saying "ma" but I finally realized this week that she's saying "more." I finally put it together when I saw her saying it and signing it at the same time.
She's VERY interested in animals. I have to keep looking up more and more animals signs online so I can tell her what they are when she asks. She goes through all her books pointed at all the animals asking "what's that?" I love her thirst for knowledge but it does get really old after repeating yourself hundreds of times per day. :)
For awhile now L's been able to go up the stairs but not down. We have tried to get her to go backwards down the stairs but she's always cried. Well I decided to try again yesterday and she whined her way down. Then today she whined her way down the first time and I had to pull her legs down to make her keep going. Then the second time, she went down the (carpeted basement) stairs all by herself. Then she did it again on the main stairs which are hardwood. And the final time, she actually got down on all fours to start at the top by herself. Yay!
On to the astronaut part...
At D's work, they held a lottery to see who could go see the astronauts from the Hubble repair mission give a talk. Well, D won a ticket and is off to go see them talk now. He was quite excited since these guys are the ones taking up the equipment that he worked on to repair the Hubble space telescope. Their visit to Ball even made the 6pm news on nbc (I just saw it). Here's the link to the written story. They have video of it too.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, 11/13/08...Bear & dinner w/Anthony
L signed "bear" and said it too for the first time today. :) She's so cute. Here's the video.
Our friend Anthony was in town on business so we got the chance to have him over for dinner and visit a bit. It's always nice to see Anthony :) I'm so jealous...he's going to Paris in December so I got to dig out my restaurant recommendation for him.
Our friend Anthony was in town on business so we got the chance to have him over for dinner and visit a bit. It's always nice to see Anthony :) I'm so jealous...he's going to Paris in December so I got to dig out my restaurant recommendation for him.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
CHANGES TO BLOG
I've been having MAJOR problems trying to upl0ad photos lately and apparently it's a problem that lots of people on blogger have been having. When I upload the photos, about half the photo is cut off b/c the photo is so big and trying to resize the photo makes no difference.
SO, I've widened my blog in an attempt to accommodate the larger photos; HOWEVER, I couldn't get the background to widen with the typing so you'll just have to deal with that for now until I can find someone who knows how to fix it.
Thanks!
SO, I've widened my blog in an attempt to accommodate the larger photos; HOWEVER, I couldn't get the background to widen with the typing so you'll just have to deal with that for now until I can find someone who knows how to fix it.
Thanks!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday, 11/11/08...Veteran's Day & L updates
Today is the day to take a little time out to remember our veterans and say thank you to them for all they've done for our country and all the freedoms we enjoy here.
I think L can officially say "more," although I'm not sure everyone would understand it, but she says it at the same time that she signs "more." I think she can also say "squirrel" but that's way less clear and I only think that b/c she's pointing outside at one. She's been able to say "baby" for probably 4 months now, but I need to learn the sign for kid b/c she thinks any non-adult is a baby. :) Oh, and about two months ago she started saying "bye" when she waves good-bye to someone.
She definitely understands more commands and questions now but of course only obeys what she wants to and never any of the "do not do that" commands. She's getting to be quite defiant. You tell her no and she smiles at you. One thing she likes to do the last couple weeks is unzip the couch cushions and pillows and take the stuffing out. I've finally gotten just as patient as she has so the crying war ensues. She can however open the pantry door and put something in the trash if you ask her to. She actually tried to throw away a tupperware container last night b/c she was done with it. Thankfully, D caught her and took it out of the trash.
She also likes goldfish (the crackers). She used to whine and point to the counter for more, before I finally put them in the pantry. So now she'll open the pantry door and say "more, more" and point to the goldfish. It's pretty funny.
She's also getting better at playing with things. She pulls a dog on a string around the house, as well as a helicopter on a string...both presents from Uncle Dale & Aunt Candy. She can also play with cars now and make them roll, along with a train. She walks a push airplane around and can sit on it and scoot around. She can open all the doors in the house and loves to open and close, open and close, open and close...you get the idea. She LOVES big stuffed animals. She's got a monkey from the Riccis, an elephant from Aunt Jenny, and a bear from Aunt Candy & Uncle Dale that she likes to carry around the house. She can't sleep without a little monkey from my mom, which she now likes to take out of the crib so now we always have to find it again before bedtime and nap time.
She LOVES books...just can't get enough of them. She'd have me read books to her all morning long...like 4 hours in a row if I was willing to do it. And I'm willing to read each book like ten times each before I've had enough and think we should move on to something else...besides, she doesn't always like to read a book start to finish...she'll read page 1, 2, 3, then 10, 8, 2, 5, 7, etc. I try to go with the flow but there's only so much this control and order freak can handle! So needless to say, after reading books for a couple hours this morning, I'm happy that she's actually playing by herself and not screaming at my feet while I type, which is the norm, which is why this blog isn't updated nearly as regularly as it used to be...b/c I hardly get in any computer time while she's awake and when she's napping, I'm napping b/c pregnancy has zapped all my energy. I even wake up from my nap feeling more tired than when I began but then I'm tired again before 7pm. :) I can't wait to my first trimester to be over!
We've also had quite a few colds since September when Bible study/playgroup/everyone else's school started. She got really bad colds twice, which she of course gave both of us. Out of 6 weeks, we were sick for like 5 of them. L had a cough that wouldn't go away and she finally got diagnosed with walking pneumonia, got on antibiotics and got better. I think she's caught another cold, from playgroup no doubt, so hopefully this time we don't get it and it doesn't turn into pneumonia again, since they said she might be susceptible to that again if she got sick again quickly. I just want everyone to be healthy for our trip to CA for Thanksgiving!
Okay, I gotta run...L's whining at my feet again for more attention.
I think L can officially say "more," although I'm not sure everyone would understand it, but she says it at the same time that she signs "more." I think she can also say "squirrel" but that's way less clear and I only think that b/c she's pointing outside at one. She's been able to say "baby" for probably 4 months now, but I need to learn the sign for kid b/c she thinks any non-adult is a baby. :) Oh, and about two months ago she started saying "bye" when she waves good-bye to someone.
She definitely understands more commands and questions now but of course only obeys what she wants to and never any of the "do not do that" commands. She's getting to be quite defiant. You tell her no and she smiles at you. One thing she likes to do the last couple weeks is unzip the couch cushions and pillows and take the stuffing out. I've finally gotten just as patient as she has so the crying war ensues. She can however open the pantry door and put something in the trash if you ask her to. She actually tried to throw away a tupperware container last night b/c she was done with it. Thankfully, D caught her and took it out of the trash.
She also likes goldfish (the crackers). She used to whine and point to the counter for more, before I finally put them in the pantry. So now she'll open the pantry door and say "more, more" and point to the goldfish. It's pretty funny.
She's also getting better at playing with things. She pulls a dog on a string around the house, as well as a helicopter on a string...both presents from Uncle Dale & Aunt Candy. She can also play with cars now and make them roll, along with a train. She walks a push airplane around and can sit on it and scoot around. She can open all the doors in the house and loves to open and close, open and close, open and close...you get the idea. She LOVES big stuffed animals. She's got a monkey from the Riccis, an elephant from Aunt Jenny, and a bear from Aunt Candy & Uncle Dale that she likes to carry around the house. She can't sleep without a little monkey from my mom, which she now likes to take out of the crib so now we always have to find it again before bedtime and nap time.
She LOVES books...just can't get enough of them. She'd have me read books to her all morning long...like 4 hours in a row if I was willing to do it. And I'm willing to read each book like ten times each before I've had enough and think we should move on to something else...besides, she doesn't always like to read a book start to finish...she'll read page 1, 2, 3, then 10, 8, 2, 5, 7, etc. I try to go with the flow but there's only so much this control and order freak can handle! So needless to say, after reading books for a couple hours this morning, I'm happy that she's actually playing by herself and not screaming at my feet while I type, which is the norm, which is why this blog isn't updated nearly as regularly as it used to be...b/c I hardly get in any computer time while she's awake and when she's napping, I'm napping b/c pregnancy has zapped all my energy. I even wake up from my nap feeling more tired than when I began but then I'm tired again before 7pm. :) I can't wait to my first trimester to be over!
We've also had quite a few colds since September when Bible study/playgroup/everyone else's school started. She got really bad colds twice, which she of course gave both of us. Out of 6 weeks, we were sick for like 5 of them. L had a cough that wouldn't go away and she finally got diagnosed with walking pneumonia, got on antibiotics and got better. I think she's caught another cold, from playgroup no doubt, so hopefully this time we don't get it and it doesn't turn into pneumonia again, since they said she might be susceptible to that again if she got sick again quickly. I just want everyone to be healthy for our trip to CA for Thanksgiving!
Okay, I gotta run...L's whining at my feet again for more attention.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Our 16-month-old: Week 4
Toddlers live large, play hard, and love big. When they get upset, they can start acting irrationally, just like adults do. And they often use emotional outbursts to clear out the bad feelings — which may feel good to them but isn't always easy for you. Before losing your cool, remember that your child's lack of self-control is normal and that he'll eventually learn what's socially acceptable by the way you and others react to his antics. Try to respond calmly and enforce the limits you've set so things don't escalate. **easier said than done! I'm really getting sick of her whining and crying when she doesn't get what she wants!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Thursday, 11/6/08: Our pregnancy: 9 weeks
Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Elections...
I am sorely disappointed with a majority of this nation. People just don't get it (or at least most don't...i do have friends that want a socialist which at least they know what they are voting for). I also totally don't understand why Boulder County has to keep voting to increase taxes...3 ballot measures...all passes...all increase taxes. At least liberal Californians have the good sense not to increase taxes!!! arrr.... Well at least I put my hope and faith in God, not a government, and I've read Revelations so I know it's all going down hill at some point.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Tuesday 11/6/08...L signs "cat" and "frog"
Today L started signing "kitty cat" and "froggy" for the first time. It's so cute.
Video of "kitty cat" sign.
Video of more signs.
I'll try to get a better video of it at some point. :)
Video of "kitty cat" sign.
Video of more signs.
I'll try to get a better video of it at some point. :)
Vote For God's Heart On Tuesday
this letter is from my pastor. I've voted for God's heart and I hope you will/did too.
Dear Cornerstone Family & Friends,
Tomorrow’s election is extremely important because there are so many critical issues at stake. Many of these issues are a matter of personal convictions and preference, but some fall into the category of the sacred. Sacred issues are those that are close to God’s heart. They are issues that leave no room for personal convictions or preferences.
No candidate is a perfect candidate, but I believe we should always vote for the ones who best support God’s heart.
Here are what I believe are the top three sacred issues to consider before heading off to the polling booths tomorrow:
1. LIFE
Life is precious to God. He laid down his life so that we could live. We need leaders, therefore, who have a compassionate view of life from conception to death. From the unborn to the elderly, we need leaders who will fight for all those who are sick, oppressed, or underprivileged. We can’t pick and choose which lives are more important because all life is precious to God. Every life deserves to be loved, cared, respected, and valued. Vote for the candidates who have the broadest definition of what constitutes a life.
2. FAMILY
Human life began with the marital union between Adam and Eve- a man and a woman. God charged them with building the family of man. God wasn’t just after building numbers, but building a home where each member of the household would be loved, nurtured, protected and valued in radical ways. We need leaders, therefore, who support values and legislation designed to strengthen marriages between men and women and that protect the family.
3. ISRAEL
God loves all the people of this word, but Israel is unquestionably a unique people and land from a Biblical perspective. It is the place of God’s eternal affection and the epicenter of Biblical events throughout history and beyond. We need leaders, therefore, who understand Israel’s Biblical significance and who will support her protection as God’s chosen people and chosen land. To be chosen by God is to be targeted by Satan, and no people and land has paid a higher price than Israel. Evil spiritual forces will continue to target Israel for extermination and we need leaders who understand this battle on a spiritual level.
Be informed! Take some time today to investigate the candidates. Leave your personal convictions and preferences out of the equation and make sure you vote for ones who best support God’s heart in these three sacred issues. Make your vote count.
One more thing to consider. I truly believe that it is critical to exercise our privilege to vote tomorrow. However, when the election results are in, it is also important to know that the candidates who are elected will be the ones God appointed for this hour in His-story.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1
Please vote for the men and women who will best represent God’s heart, but please don’t stress out if those candidates aren’t elected. God is in control and we should find peace and comfort in that truth. Whoever gets elected on Tuesday deserves our respect and support on Wednesday, for this too, is sacred to God.
Feel free to pass this email on to your friends and family.
Rabbi Gene
Cornerstone Church
Boulder, Colorado
Dear Cornerstone Family & Friends,
Tomorrow’s election is extremely important because there are so many critical issues at stake. Many of these issues are a matter of personal convictions and preference, but some fall into the category of the sacred. Sacred issues are those that are close to God’s heart. They are issues that leave no room for personal convictions or preferences.
No candidate is a perfect candidate, but I believe we should always vote for the ones who best support God’s heart.
Here are what I believe are the top three sacred issues to consider before heading off to the polling booths tomorrow:
1. LIFE
Life is precious to God. He laid down his life so that we could live. We need leaders, therefore, who have a compassionate view of life from conception to death. From the unborn to the elderly, we need leaders who will fight for all those who are sick, oppressed, or underprivileged. We can’t pick and choose which lives are more important because all life is precious to God. Every life deserves to be loved, cared, respected, and valued. Vote for the candidates who have the broadest definition of what constitutes a life.
2. FAMILY
Human life began with the marital union between Adam and Eve- a man and a woman. God charged them with building the family of man. God wasn’t just after building numbers, but building a home where each member of the household would be loved, nurtured, protected and valued in radical ways. We need leaders, therefore, who support values and legislation designed to strengthen marriages between men and women and that protect the family.
3. ISRAEL
God loves all the people of this word, but Israel is unquestionably a unique people and land from a Biblical perspective. It is the place of God’s eternal affection and the epicenter of Biblical events throughout history and beyond. We need leaders, therefore, who understand Israel’s Biblical significance and who will support her protection as God’s chosen people and chosen land. To be chosen by God is to be targeted by Satan, and no people and land has paid a higher price than Israel. Evil spiritual forces will continue to target Israel for extermination and we need leaders who understand this battle on a spiritual level.
Be informed! Take some time today to investigate the candidates. Leave your personal convictions and preferences out of the equation and make sure you vote for ones who best support God’s heart in these three sacred issues. Make your vote count.
One more thing to consider. I truly believe that it is critical to exercise our privilege to vote tomorrow. However, when the election results are in, it is also important to know that the candidates who are elected will be the ones God appointed for this hour in His-story.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1
Please vote for the men and women who will best represent God’s heart, but please don’t stress out if those candidates aren’t elected. God is in control and we should find peace and comfort in that truth. Whoever gets elected on Tuesday deserves our respect and support on Wednesday, for this too, is sacred to God.
Feel free to pass this email on to your friends and family.
Rabbi Gene
Cornerstone Church
Boulder, Colorado
Friday, October 31, 2008
Bragging about my hubby's spot bonus award...
Here's what his boss had to say about him:
D has been a key player for the HST Program for over 2 years, but this year he really stepped up. In early '08 Wide Field Camera 3 shipped a detector that developed a short and a second detector was against the schedule wire. The customer broke the calibration assembly and needed another one. D jumped to action. The WAFC3 CSE [his boss] split the tasks so that D could lead and coordinate some while she concentrated on the others. No task was too mundane or too complex for him to tackle. He rewrote test procedures, supported 24/7 testing, ran TRRs and supported MRBs, and put together the pre-ship reviews and verifications for the customer. As an Engineer 2, he has earned the respect of the CSE [his boss] well enough to be "second in command," complete with signature authority. D again came to the rescue in late August '08 when GSFC sent additional unplanned work to Ball. Five astronaut tools had to be assembled (and modified in some cases), tested and shipped to support astronaut crew training in only 3 weeks. The team worked extended hours and tested during the weekends in order to not interfere with other programs using the facility. D supported the testing by writing procedures, interfacing with the on-site customer and making sure the hardware flow continued to move. Without his support, we would not have delivered the units in time for the astronauts' evaluations which earned BATC many kudos from both astronaut office and Hubble program offices.
Yay hubby!
D has been a key player for the HST Program for over 2 years, but this year he really stepped up. In early '08 Wide Field Camera 3 shipped a detector that developed a short and a second detector was against the schedule wire. The customer broke the calibration assembly and needed another one. D jumped to action. The WAFC3 CSE [his boss] split the tasks so that D could lead and coordinate some while she concentrated on the others. No task was too mundane or too complex for him to tackle. He rewrote test procedures, supported 24/7 testing, ran TRRs and supported MRBs, and put together the pre-ship reviews and verifications for the customer. As an Engineer 2, he has earned the respect of the CSE [his boss] well enough to be "second in command," complete with signature authority. D again came to the rescue in late August '08 when GSFC sent additional unplanned work to Ball. Five astronaut tools had to be assembled (and modified in some cases), tested and shipped to support astronaut crew training in only 3 weeks. The team worked extended hours and tested during the weekends in order to not interfere with other programs using the facility. D supported the testing by writing procedures, interfacing with the on-site customer and making sure the hardware flow continued to move. Without his support, we would not have delivered the units in time for the astronauts' evaluations which earned BATC many kudos from both astronaut office and Hubble program offices.
Yay hubby!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, 10/30/08...Dr.'s appt. w/ 1st ultrasound...
We got the first look at our baby today. Our due date is June 11, 2009, exactly two years after L's due date.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
our 16-month-old: week 2....
Your toddler is learning which of his tricks get a laugh out of you, and which bring your disapproval. He's studying your reactions, so now's a good time to start teaching right from wrong by cheering on "good" behavior (picking up a toy and putting it in the toy box) and frowning on "bad" (throwing the toy across the room). And don't forget to watch what you say and do around your child: Imitation is one of the ways toddlers learn socially acceptable behavior.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday, 10/25/08...Anderson Farms family fun
Today we met up with D's family & a friend at Anderson Farm for their Fall Harvest Festival. We looked at animals, did the corn maze, ate good food (snocones and nachos!!), and the kiddos went on barrel and tractor rides.
Here's a couple teaser pics from the day.
I can't get the pics to embed, so use the links below:
L at pumpkin patch
Family pic
Here's a couple teaser pics from the day.
I can't get the pics to embed, so use the links below:
L at pumpkin patch
Family pic
Friday, October 24, 2008
our 16-month-old
Where, oh where, has your baby gone? You have a full-fledged toddler living with you now. Walking and running still top the agenda, but take note of how complex your child's movements have become. When she crosses a room, she'll squat to pick up an interesting toy or stop to stack some blocks. If she's particularly ambitious, she'll figure out how to push a stool or chair over to the kitchen counter so she can climb up for a better look — all the more reason to make sure your house is as childproof as it can be.
How your toddler's changing: Your child's understanding of the world is growing rapidly. For instance, he no longer thinks crayons are something to eat. He can now grab them and create glorious scribble pictures just for you. He gets simple games, and can while away long moments playing peekaboo or name the body part (where's baby's nose? Where's Mama's chin?).
He's still got a ways to go before he's completely sure on his feet, however. It's easy for him to misjudge the depth of a stair or to trip over his own feet when running toward you for a hug — so give him a big one.
How your life is changing: You're learning that 2-year-olds aren't the only ones to go through "terrible" phases. Your toddler may be easily overwhelmed by life's challenges and respond to them by dissolving into tears and screams. Don't ask him to stop — he probably can't. Instead be patient, available, and willing to offer him comfort or just your presence, whatever he seems to need at the moment. He'll get over it and be good as new if you just let him storm.
How your toddler's changing: Your child's understanding of the world is growing rapidly. For instance, he no longer thinks crayons are something to eat. He can now grab them and create glorious scribble pictures just for you. He gets simple games, and can while away long moments playing peekaboo or name the body part (where's baby's nose? Where's Mama's chin?).
He's still got a ways to go before he's completely sure on his feet, however. It's easy for him to misjudge the depth of a stair or to trip over his own feet when running toward you for a hug — so give him a big one.
How your life is changing: You're learning that 2-year-olds aren't the only ones to go through "terrible" phases. Your toddler may be easily overwhelmed by life's challenges and respond to them by dissolving into tears and screams. Don't ask him to stop — he probably can't. Instead be patient, available, and willing to offer him comfort or just your presence, whatever he seems to need at the moment. He'll get over it and be good as new if you just let him storm.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, 10/19/08...Sukkot...and words...
Yesterday, L was saying "no, no, no, no, no" at dinner. I think I have her cousin Sara to thank for that since Sara says no before every other word she says. L also started saying "ut oh." She also likes to call D "mommy" until I tell her that's daddy and then she calls him daddy but like a minute later she's calling him mommy again and this goes on all day long. D's not very happy about it.
This morning our church met at different peoples' houses to celebrate Sukkot (the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles or the last of the 7 feasts given to the Israelites to observe in Lev. 23). Sukkot celebrates two things: the end of the harvest and a reminder of how God provided shelter for Israel as they wandered in the desert. It was a little distracting to have kids wander in and out of the house but I took home the handout and got to read it at home.
Dave's been great taking care of L and entertaining her while I feel so crappy, although I still have to do my share while he's making dinner or taking care of something else...and obviously I have to do it all when he's at work. :( Praying for a miracle!
This morning our church met at different peoples' houses to celebrate Sukkot (the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles or the last of the 7 feasts given to the Israelites to observe in Lev. 23). Sukkot celebrates two things: the end of the harvest and a reminder of how God provided shelter for Israel as they wandered in the desert. It was a little distracting to have kids wander in and out of the house but I took home the handout and got to read it at home.
Dave's been great taking care of L and entertaining her while I feel so crappy, although I still have to do my share while he's making dinner or taking care of something else...and obviously I have to do it all when he's at work. :( Praying for a miracle!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday, 10/18/08...16 mos & the zoo...
Today L is 16 months old! :)
We went to the zoo today with an old CA friend, Todd Rys & his wife & daughter who is a whole 3 days older than L. It was the free day (i'm cheap) and we were all glad that we got there fairly early b/c it got really crowded around lunch. We saw sea lions, zebras, lions, tigers, sea horses, fish, dragons, lizards, snakes, camels, bison, birds, monkeys, baboons, gorillas, and elephants. L loved the elephants. She was so excited...she jumped up and down and tried to climb through the fence. We had to drag her away. ;) I'm glad I went with D though b/c L was up and down the whole time and I just don't have that kind of energy when I'm feeling so lousy. With the zoo being a zoo, it took us about an half hour to get out of the parking garage at the end!
Click here for pics of us at the zoo today and of L in her Opa's alma mater.
Video of L walking in mama's tee shirt.
We went to the zoo today with an old CA friend, Todd Rys & his wife & daughter who is a whole 3 days older than L. It was the free day (i'm cheap) and we were all glad that we got there fairly early b/c it got really crowded around lunch. We saw sea lions, zebras, lions, tigers, sea horses, fish, dragons, lizards, snakes, camels, bison, birds, monkeys, baboons, gorillas, and elephants. L loved the elephants. She was so excited...she jumped up and down and tried to climb through the fence. We had to drag her away. ;) I'm glad I went with D though b/c L was up and down the whole time and I just don't have that kind of energy when I'm feeling so lousy. With the zoo being a zoo, it took us about an half hour to get out of the parking garage at the end!
Click here for pics of us at the zoo today and of L in her Opa's alma mater.
Video of L walking in mama's tee shirt.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
discovered new molars...
L finally (with crying) let me in her mouth tonight and I discovered she's cutting two more molars :)
Wednesday, 10/15/08 update
So I haven't blogged in a week but that's b/c my sister Katie & her daughter Sara arrived a week ago Monday and we all got colds. So basically we haven't done much but wipe lots of little noses and big ones too.
We thought we were going to get our first snow of the season (& Sara's first snow ever) over the weekend but it never came...just lots of freezing rain. It was still quite cold when I took them to the airport this morning...44F.
On Saturday, we did drag our sick selves up to Loveland to meet Dave's sister, nephew, & niece at Build-A-Bear for his niece's 7th birthday. We had lunch with them before we headed home and put the girls down for a late nap.
Other than that, we spent a lot of time researching and helping pick out a new fridge, washer & dryer for Katie's new house, (D even watched the girls for almost 4 hours by himself) and we went to a dealership to check out a car. I watched the two little ones while Katie test drove the car, but in the end we couldn't get them down to the price they wanted so they'll try again in OK.
L's walking pretty well. She started walking last week and hasn't looked back. She always wants to walk now and is walking all over the place for really long periods of time.
I think she's glad to be an only child again though. She's been so great by herself today. The girls were constantly fighting (physically and for my attention). It's nice to have my little one back to herself...hopefully she'll stay nice for tonight while D's at class since I'm still under the weather. These were the colds from hell....they are just lasting forever!
I took many photos of the girls and video clips too so I hope to be able to sort through them all and get some up at some point.
All in all, it was great to see Katie and spend more time with Sara (she's getting so big and has so many words...great smile too!), but I wish we had been able to hang out more and do more things instead of being sick.
We thought we were going to get our first snow of the season (& Sara's first snow ever) over the weekend but it never came...just lots of freezing rain. It was still quite cold when I took them to the airport this morning...44F.
On Saturday, we did drag our sick selves up to Loveland to meet Dave's sister, nephew, & niece at Build-A-Bear for his niece's 7th birthday. We had lunch with them before we headed home and put the girls down for a late nap.
Other than that, we spent a lot of time researching and helping pick out a new fridge, washer & dryer for Katie's new house, (D even watched the girls for almost 4 hours by himself) and we went to a dealership to check out a car. I watched the two little ones while Katie test drove the car, but in the end we couldn't get them down to the price they wanted so they'll try again in OK.
L's walking pretty well. She started walking last week and hasn't looked back. She always wants to walk now and is walking all over the place for really long periods of time.
I think she's glad to be an only child again though. She's been so great by herself today. The girls were constantly fighting (physically and for my attention). It's nice to have my little one back to herself...hopefully she'll stay nice for tonight while D's at class since I'm still under the weather. These were the colds from hell....they are just lasting forever!
I took many photos of the girls and video clips too so I hope to be able to sort through them all and get some up at some point.
All in all, it was great to see Katie and spend more time with Sara (she's getting so big and has so many words...great smile too!), but I wish we had been able to hang out more and do more things instead of being sick.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Our 15-month-old: Week 4
It may be embarrassing when your toddler throws a full-blown screaming fit in the middle of the produce section, but rest assured that other parents feel your pain. The most useful response is to take your child out of the store (even if it means leaving a cart full of food behind) and sit with him in the car or on a bench until he finishes crying. When the storm is over, your child will feel close to you and happy again. And you can take some comfort in knowing that eventually your child will outgrow this behavior.
Your 15-month-old's behavior: More meltdowns
New this month: More meltdowns
First the bad news: Your toddler's temper is easily aroused. Now the good: His displays of anger or frustration are generally short-lived. Of course it may seem like your child picks the absolute worst times to throw fits — in the middle of the grocery store, at the airport in front of your mother-in-law — and it's up to you to experiment with ways to handle the flare-ups. One reason that children seem to fall apart in public is simply that they're overstimulated: Unfamiliar people, bright lights, and loud noises all at one time can be too much for your child to handle. When you're out and about trying to run errands, your toddler knows he doesn't have your full attention, which is what he wants more than anything else — and will do just about anything to get.
What you can do
You can often head off meltdowns during errands by staying emotionally connected to your child as best you can, despite all you have to do — which will make errands more fun for both of you. Making up a game like "I see corn flakes, I see ... you!" and then giving him a big nuzzle as you put the box in the shopping cart will head off his frantic feeling that you're putting your attention everywhere but on him. But tantrums are inevitable — every child has to blow off steam sometime. And children struggling through the peaks and valleys of physical and emotional development may need to blow it off every day.
You may have to try several tactics until you find a way of dealing with tantrums that works for you. Try picking up your child and holding him quietly until he settles down — don't yell at him or try to pin his arms down, which will only make him more frustrated. Pick him up and move him to a spot where he can safely have his fit on the ground or in the car, while you sit warmly by, reassuring him that you love him. If you're at home and it's too hard for you to stay and listen to him cry, simply leave the room.
If your toddler's fit attracts attention from other adults in the vicinity, you're likely to be embarrassed, but your child will pick up on that, too and he may increase the intensity of his tantrum. Your best bet in a public setting is to grit your teeth and smile while you take your child away from the scene.
Other developments: Looking for limits, testing you
One of your most important jobs as a parent is setting limits for your child. At times you may feel like a broken record, but the next time you see your toddler starting to do something you've asked him not to, watch the process. For instance, he'll start to climb onto the dishwasher, which you've asked him not to do several times, but will keep an eye on you the whole time. While you may think he's simply being defiant, he's actually testing you, and waiting for you to step in and say, "Stop, that's far enough."
Try to remember that many of your 15-month-old's seemingly defiant and destructive behaviors are related to his overall development. When he uses a crayon to scribble on the coffee table, he doesn't know that he's ruining a piece of furniture, he's just enjoying his budding fine-motor skills. And when he refuses to go to bed, he's simply aware that being with you is so exciting that he doesn't want to sleep in case he misses something. Establishing routines, like a bath and book before bed, and giving him ample opportunities to test out skills like "drawing," will help make this period less frustrating for you.
Your 15-month-old's behavior: More meltdowns
New this month: More meltdowns
First the bad news: Your toddler's temper is easily aroused. Now the good: His displays of anger or frustration are generally short-lived. Of course it may seem like your child picks the absolute worst times to throw fits — in the middle of the grocery store, at the airport in front of your mother-in-law — and it's up to you to experiment with ways to handle the flare-ups. One reason that children seem to fall apart in public is simply that they're overstimulated: Unfamiliar people, bright lights, and loud noises all at one time can be too much for your child to handle. When you're out and about trying to run errands, your toddler knows he doesn't have your full attention, which is what he wants more than anything else — and will do just about anything to get.
What you can do
You can often head off meltdowns during errands by staying emotionally connected to your child as best you can, despite all you have to do — which will make errands more fun for both of you. Making up a game like "I see corn flakes, I see ... you!" and then giving him a big nuzzle as you put the box in the shopping cart will head off his frantic feeling that you're putting your attention everywhere but on him. But tantrums are inevitable — every child has to blow off steam sometime. And children struggling through the peaks and valleys of physical and emotional development may need to blow it off every day.
You may have to try several tactics until you find a way of dealing with tantrums that works for you. Try picking up your child and holding him quietly until he settles down — don't yell at him or try to pin his arms down, which will only make him more frustrated. Pick him up and move him to a spot where he can safely have his fit on the ground or in the car, while you sit warmly by, reassuring him that you love him. If you're at home and it's too hard for you to stay and listen to him cry, simply leave the room.
If your toddler's fit attracts attention from other adults in the vicinity, you're likely to be embarrassed, but your child will pick up on that, too and he may increase the intensity of his tantrum. Your best bet in a public setting is to grit your teeth and smile while you take your child away from the scene.
Other developments: Looking for limits, testing you
One of your most important jobs as a parent is setting limits for your child. At times you may feel like a broken record, but the next time you see your toddler starting to do something you've asked him not to, watch the process. For instance, he'll start to climb onto the dishwasher, which you've asked him not to do several times, but will keep an eye on you the whole time. While you may think he's simply being defiant, he's actually testing you, and waiting for you to step in and say, "Stop, that's far enough."
Try to remember that many of your 15-month-old's seemingly defiant and destructive behaviors are related to his overall development. When he uses a crayon to scribble on the coffee table, he doesn't know that he's ruining a piece of furniture, he's just enjoying his budding fine-motor skills. And when he refuses to go to bed, he's simply aware that being with you is so exciting that he doesn't want to sleep in case he misses something. Establishing routines, like a bath and book before bed, and giving him ample opportunities to test out skills like "drawing," will help make this period less frustrating for you.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
L is finally walking!!!
So yesterday (Tuesday 10/7/08), L took a couple steps. She was holding onto the bar stool and then walked to me (I was sitting on the couch). Then later, she was standing next to D in the kitchen holding onto the cabinets and she wanted a toy Sara had so she took a couple unassisted steps toward the toy.
Then this evening, I was down in the basement doing laundry and Katie was in the kitchen with L. Katie made L stand up and walked with her around the counter and then L walked the rest of the way all the way into the family room by herself! Then I came upstairs and caught some walking on video for D. She's still walking on her knees but she was definitely walking tonight!!!
Video clip 1 of her walking
Video clip 2 of her walking
Then this evening, I was down in the basement doing laundry and Katie was in the kitchen with L. Katie made L stand up and walked with her around the counter and then L walked the rest of the way all the way into the family room by herself! Then I came upstairs and caught some walking on video for D. She's still walking on her knees but she was definitely walking tonight!!!
Video clip 1 of her walking
Video clip 2 of her walking
Friday, October 03, 2008
Our 15-month-old: Week 3
Being little is tough, especially when someone bigger than you dictates what you'll wear, and when you'll take a bath, go to bed, and eat meals. One of the only ways your 15-month-old has to assert herself is to say "no" or refuse to cooperate. To cut down on the number of no's you hear, try to limit your own use of the word — toddlers are great mimics, after all. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Your 15-month-old's language and cognitive development: Speaking volumes
By 15 months, the majority (about 75 percent) of children have a vocabulary that consists of "Mama" and "Dada" plus at least three other words, usually nouns, such as "cookie," "ball," and "dog." <**L's are: baby, hi, hot, peas.**> "More," and of course the all-time toddler favorite, "No!" are also common early words. <**She can sign "more".**> A typical 15-month-old can also follow simple commands, such as "Bring me your shoes," or "Put the book down." <**It's absolutely amazing what she can understand!**> She also understands the meanings of phrases such as "No," "Come here," "Show me," and "Look."
What you can do
One of the best ways you can encourage your chatterbox to keep on talking is to listen. Even if you don't understand all of what she's saying or asking, make eye contact when she's trying to communicate with you, and acknowledge or respond to her comments and questions whenever possible, which will motivate her to keep on trying.
If your child is taking her time learning to talk, spend a lot of time together reading. Even looking at picture books and pointing out familiar objects will help her store the information for future use. Try to avoid using baby talk, since it can be confusing. If your little one says "goggy" rather than doggy, simply say, "Yes, that's a doggy," rather than repeating her version of the word.
Up until now your child may have had difficulty sitting still to look at books, unless it was just before bedtime. But starting at about 15 months, children become interested in looking at picture books, either with Mom or Dad or alone. You may see your toddler pat the pictures in books, and books with different textures, like the classic Pat the Bunny, are often favorites at this age. And your toddler doesn't have to be sitting in your lap to enjoy a story; you can read to her while she's playing on the floor, too. <**We do this often b/c L always wants you to read her a book but she doesn't always sit with you but if you stop reading she comes back over to you and signs "book" again for you to continue reading.**>
Other developments: Using tools and imaginary play
A 12- or 13-month-old will finger and then chew on a spoon or use it to bang on the floor or a pan. But a 15-month-old understands that a spoon is for stirring or eating and will try to use it for its intended purpose, stirring her oatmeal at mealtime. Rather than just drag a broom behind her, she'll try to sweep the floor with it. And when you hand your toddler a hairbrush, she'll attempt to brush her own hair, or a doll's or stuffed animal's. Understanding how objects are used correlates with a child's ability to both use words and express ideas. She is starting to be able to think ahead about how things work, and what the result of her actions will be. **L's starting to get this more and more. She knows she's supposed to use a spoon for food but she will also play with it, banging it on things. She knows that a papertowel or a rag is used to wipe the floor and she'll do that. She'll also take my comb and try to use it.**
By playing out a familiar scenario, such as mealtime, you will encourage your toddler to use her imagination. Let your child be the chef, and give her a plastic mixing bowl, a manual eggbeater, spoon, and strainer. When she's finished "cooking" something yummy for you, have her help you set a pretend table so you can enjoy a pretend meal together.
As soon as children begin to use language — that is, they both understand words and start to use them — they also have the ability to pretend. Most of your 15-month-old's imaginative play will revolve around her own behaviors. She'll pick up a spoon and pretend to eat from it. Or she'll put her head on your lap and feign sleep. She's using symbols to express her ideas, but at this stage, "pretending" closely mirrors real behavior. In the coming months and years you'll notice your child making leaps in her ability to think outside reality. She'll pick up a stick and wave it before you, saying it's an airplane flying in the clouds, or pretend to be something that she isn't, such as a firefighter.
While it may not be until after her second birthday that your child can actually pretend to be someone else, you can still experiment with role-play. For instance, you pretend to be a dog and suggest that your toddler is a cat. You bark, she meows, and you both have a great laugh. For even more fun, she pretends to be a big dog and you pretend to be a little kitten. Children derive a lot of satisfaction and confidence from this sort of role-reversal, where they get to be the big strong one for a change and an adult plays small and helpless.
Your 15-month-old's language and cognitive development: Speaking volumes
By 15 months, the majority (about 75 percent) of children have a vocabulary that consists of "Mama" and "Dada" plus at least three other words, usually nouns, such as "cookie," "ball," and "dog." <**L's are: baby, hi, hot, peas.**> "More," and of course the all-time toddler favorite, "No!" are also common early words. <**She can sign "more".**> A typical 15-month-old can also follow simple commands, such as "Bring me your shoes," or "Put the book down." <**It's absolutely amazing what she can understand!**> She also understands the meanings of phrases such as "No," "Come here," "Show me," and "Look."
What you can do
One of the best ways you can encourage your chatterbox to keep on talking is to listen. Even if you don't understand all of what she's saying or asking, make eye contact when she's trying to communicate with you, and acknowledge or respond to her comments and questions whenever possible, which will motivate her to keep on trying.
If your child is taking her time learning to talk, spend a lot of time together reading. Even looking at picture books and pointing out familiar objects will help her store the information for future use. Try to avoid using baby talk, since it can be confusing. If your little one says "goggy" rather than doggy, simply say, "Yes, that's a doggy," rather than repeating her version of the word.
Up until now your child may have had difficulty sitting still to look at books, unless it was just before bedtime. But starting at about 15 months, children become interested in looking at picture books, either with Mom or Dad or alone. You may see your toddler pat the pictures in books, and books with different textures, like the classic Pat the Bunny, are often favorites at this age. And your toddler doesn't have to be sitting in your lap to enjoy a story; you can read to her while she's playing on the floor, too. <**We do this often b/c L always wants you to read her a book but she doesn't always sit with you but if you stop reading she comes back over to you and signs "book" again for you to continue reading.**>
Other developments: Using tools and imaginary play
A 12- or 13-month-old will finger and then chew on a spoon or use it to bang on the floor or a pan. But a 15-month-old understands that a spoon is for stirring or eating and will try to use it for its intended purpose, stirring her oatmeal at mealtime. Rather than just drag a broom behind her, she'll try to sweep the floor with it. And when you hand your toddler a hairbrush, she'll attempt to brush her own hair, or a doll's or stuffed animal's. Understanding how objects are used correlates with a child's ability to both use words and express ideas. She is starting to be able to think ahead about how things work, and what the result of her actions will be. **L's starting to get this more and more. She knows she's supposed to use a spoon for food but she will also play with it, banging it on things. She knows that a papertowel or a rag is used to wipe the floor and she'll do that. She'll also take my comb and try to use it.**
By playing out a familiar scenario, such as mealtime, you will encourage your toddler to use her imagination. Let your child be the chef, and give her a plastic mixing bowl, a manual eggbeater, spoon, and strainer. When she's finished "cooking" something yummy for you, have her help you set a pretend table so you can enjoy a pretend meal together.
As soon as children begin to use language — that is, they both understand words and start to use them — they also have the ability to pretend. Most of your 15-month-old's imaginative play will revolve around her own behaviors. She'll pick up a spoon and pretend to eat from it. Or she'll put her head on your lap and feign sleep. She's using symbols to express her ideas, but at this stage, "pretending" closely mirrors real behavior. In the coming months and years you'll notice your child making leaps in her ability to think outside reality. She'll pick up a stick and wave it before you, saying it's an airplane flying in the clouds, or pretend to be something that she isn't, such as a firefighter.
While it may not be until after her second birthday that your child can actually pretend to be someone else, you can still experiment with role-play. For instance, you pretend to be a dog and suggest that your toddler is a cat. You bark, she meows, and you both have a great laugh. For even more fun, she pretends to be a big dog and you pretend to be a little kitten. Children derive a lot of satisfaction and confidence from this sort of role-reversal, where they get to be the big strong one for a change and an adult plays small and helpless.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, 9/30/08
I think L is officially weaned. :*( My baby is no longer a baby...she's a toddler...if she'd only walk!! She'd been down to just morning feedings for awhile now and I decided that it was time. She still occasionally asks for milk and I think she wants to be nursed, not have whole milk, but it's not like she makes a big fuss so I just give her a sippy cup. I guess that means that I can finally have peanut butter again, but I'm a little afraid of how my body will react after two years being off it (it's not like it didn't already give me rashes to start with!).
Today we went to Bible study. We're doing Beth Moore's Daniel study and I'm really liking it the second time round. I really thought it was my saving grace this morning since L was SO cranky, she practically cried the whole hour before study (except when she ate breakfast) so I was in some desperate need of relief!
Well, as you can see, I'm behind on the whole blogging thing. Maybe it's b/c L is taking up so much more of my time! She does not easily self entertain anymore and she constantly wants to be played with or read a book and she whines...a lot.
Let's see how far back I can remember!
Friday, 9/26/08
Saturday, 9/27/08
Sunday, 9/28/08
Monday, 9/29/08
Pics to come later. I have to run to class now...going to be late!!
Today we went to Bible study. We're doing Beth Moore's Daniel study and I'm really liking it the second time round. I really thought it was my saving grace this morning since L was SO cranky, she practically cried the whole hour before study (except when she ate breakfast) so I was in some desperate need of relief!
Well, as you can see, I'm behind on the whole blogging thing. Maybe it's b/c L is taking up so much more of my time! She does not easily self entertain anymore and she constantly wants to be played with or read a book and she whines...a lot.
Let's see how far back I can remember!
Friday, 9/26/08
Saturday, 9/27/08
Sunday, 9/28/08
Monday, 9/29/08
Pics to come later. I have to run to class now...going to be late!!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, 9/29/08...skunk!!
We had the realtor's staging person come to the house to give us her laundry list of things that we need to change about our house before we could sell it. There's nothing like having someone pick apart your house! Most of the stuff I already knew, but you know how it's like okay for you to say stuff about your mom, but no one else can?!! Well, I think it's kind of like that. Even though you know all this stuff, you still feel a little slighted or offended.
After that, L was super cranky so in an effort to break things up a bit, I took her on errands to pick up some yogurt and run by Home Depot to look at lighting that the stager wanted us to do. Anyhow, on my way to Home Depot, I apparently drove a little too closely to some road kill, which I immediately determined to be skunk b/c it smelled so bad. Anyhow, after I got out at HD, I noticed that it looked like there was something slightly shiny on one of my tires and boy did it smell. When we came out of HD, I was about 200 yards away from my car and I could smell it! So we were in desperate need of an emergency car wash! I stopped by home to pick up a coupon and to get L's lunch, and then we were off to the car wash. I paid extra to have them do the tires since I thought that was the source. After the car wash, it was better, but I still thought it smelled a little so I parked the car in the driveway as not to stink up the garage. By that evening, it seemed fine. To add to the story, D on his way home from Target passed by the same skunk and also hit it with his car! His was no where near as bad as mine but I did make him park his car in the driveway for a few hours and it too was fine later that night.
After that, L was super cranky so in an effort to break things up a bit, I took her on errands to pick up some yogurt and run by Home Depot to look at lighting that the stager wanted us to do. Anyhow, on my way to Home Depot, I apparently drove a little too closely to some road kill, which I immediately determined to be skunk b/c it smelled so bad. Anyhow, after I got out at HD, I noticed that it looked like there was something slightly shiny on one of my tires and boy did it smell. When we came out of HD, I was about 200 yards away from my car and I could smell it! So we were in desperate need of an emergency car wash! I stopped by home to pick up a coupon and to get L's lunch, and then we were off to the car wash. I paid extra to have them do the tires since I thought that was the source. After the car wash, it was better, but I still thought it smelled a little so I parked the car in the driveway as not to stink up the garage. By that evening, it seemed fine. To add to the story, D on his way home from Target passed by the same skunk and also hit it with his car! His was no where near as bad as mine but I did make him park his car in the driveway for a few hours and it too was fine later that night.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, 9/28/08...cleaning
We missed church (I know, I know!) in an effort to get some things done around the house that needed some serious attention. We basically worked on checking things off a very long list and I'm not sure we made any noticable progress, but, oh well, we tried.
Glascoe family photos by Lovejoy Photography
This one's one of my favs
Last beach pic before they move to Oklahoma!
A sampling of their shoot can be found at http://lovejoyphotographer.blogspot.com/
Last beach pic before they move to Oklahoma!
A sampling of their shoot can be found at http://lovejoyphotographer.blogspot.com/
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday, 9/27/08...RNNP and playgroup dinner
the happy family :)
We headed up to RMNP for our annual trip. We always go the last weekend in September. L did fairly well on the drive up and around, but D was done trying to entertain her by the time we got home. I made us stop in several locations in the park to take pictures. I brought my tripod and took some family pictures with the occasional scenic one...after all the point was to see the changing colors of the aspens. When all was said and done, I had taken just over 400 photos! Needless to say, I have to spend some time going through them and figure out which ones are post-worthy, although I will post one that I already picked out. We got home just after 3pm so that L could get a nap before we had to leave again for our playgroup dinner. We had a great time hanging out with everyone and having L entertained by new toys and other kiddos.
testing out the new memory card before we are too far from home!
Pics from the playgroup dinner:
Alberto, D & me :)
L with the Alabama cheerleading squad
Miss Mya :)
L wasn't as cooperative with the photo taking as mya was
"gentile"
Off!
Now!
wearing Carey's sunglasses
Carey with her daughter Mya (18.5mos) and L (15.5mos)
Alabama fans watching the game: Dominic, Ben & his son John, Erynn, Shannon & L, Tyler & Aubrey
Emma w/ L "reading" a "real" book
Shannon trying to read to the girls as L turns the pages every which way :)
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