Who Knew?

Daddy came home from his trip. Among other things, he had a lei from a Hawaiian luau-themed reception (and he said he didn't have fun. yeah. right.). Amelia looked so cute wearing it I started thinking I'd have to find her a little grass skirt and let her wear that with the lei and her bathing suit top. Well, apparently that's not going to happen ... who knew this is what a lei looks like once it is played with by a usually non-destructive toddler?!?!? (And she only had it less than an afternoon!)

[picture dated 6/30/07]

Playful Amelia

Here is a picture of Amelia playing with Larry the Cucumber (from Veggie Tales). Rather than dropping him on the floor, she has figured out he will "talk" to her if she hits him on his bottom. Turns out, there's nothing more fun than wacking Larry the Cucumber on his bottom side to hear, "I'm a cucumber, not a pickle!" "Where is my hairbrush", etc.

I am mildly concerned about what this is teaching her, but the picture sure is cute!

We went to Liza's pool party last night. It was at the park and when we got there, Amelia was so excited to see the playground equipment she sounded like she was hyperventilating as she ran towards it while holding my hand. I did put her in the toddler pool which she enjoyed until she tried to touch the bottom. She was insulted that her face got wet - where did that water come from?!?

Tonight when I got home from work, Nana was watching Amelia for me. Amelia yelled, "Mama!" and then started saying, "Bye-bye" to Nana, complete with her little hand waves. Apparently Nana wasn't getting the hint and so she promptly took Nana's hand and, in no uncertain terms, led her to the front door. It was hilarious!

[picture dated 6/26/07]

Healing Face + Favorite Toys

When I took the band-aid off yesterday her boo-boo looked a lot better, much more superficial. When I first take the band-aid off the skin where the adhesive was gets really angry looking, so I wait until it's normal again before putting a band-aid back on. She HATES having one put on or taken off, but she's fine once it's on.

A "first surgery" has taken place, just not on Amelia. We've had the first "toy that's been loved too much" and in this case it was a small bunny that plays "Easter Parade" when you press the tummy. Amelia got this for Easter from a family friend and just loves it. I noticed the arm was dangling and meant, on several occasions, to mend it, but didn't manage to do so until one day she brings me a pink bunny arm. Oops. I am reminded of the phrase a stitch in time saves nine. So I set to work re-attaching the arm and I think I did pretty good. It's the right arm and it sticks out a little more than the left, but I doubt Amelia will notice. So far, she still loves him the same as before. Perhaps if he ever stops singing to her, that will be when she loves him less. (The girls loves her music!!!

A favorite new book that came in Daddy's Father's Day bag (from his baby girl) is in Spanish (I am hoping that she can pick up some Spanish at an early age since it's good for the brain - and in general - to be able to speak and understand another language). She really loves the colors in this book. This page makes me think of my middle school days when I flirted with the idea of being a Gator fan.





[pictures dated 6/25/07]

Friday Amelia was 21 months old

... and I didn't get a chance to post because we took her to the ER. Maynard, our cat, sunk a claw into her cheek and of course I couldn't get across the room in time to prevent it. He was laying on the arm chair and she approached him with all her toddling enthusiasm and he panicked rather than leaving. I still feel so very guilty and wish I could take it all away.

After four hours in the ER we learned that since it's a cat-caused puncture wound they won't close it up with either dermabond or stitches due to fear of infection, and that scarring would likely be very minimal. I still took her the next day to her regular doctor where I learned that (a) they would have said the same thing and (b), had she needed stitches they would have called ahead for the plastic surgeon on-call and saved me time and grief in ER. This happened at 7 pm and her regular doctor is open until 8 pm and is just five minutes away. But I just assumed that the gaping I saw needed stitches and went straight to the hospital which is 35 minutes away (not counting parking since Daddy dropped us off).

The worst part was getting reported to the social worker who starts out by saying, "So I understand your daughter has been repeatedly scratched by your cat." She came up with this, I guess, because I had pointed to a spot on Amelia's wrist where Maynard had scratched her a month ago and there is a small scar. I was trying to make the point that while they may think her face laceration is small, I believed it could still leave a noticeable scar based on the one she has now on her wrist.

I really wish the social worker had a gentler approach because her opening statement to a mother who has been at the hospital for 4 hours, and it's past everyone's bed time, and she thinks they're about to get to go home, and she's not encouraged by what the doctor won't do for her daughter, it's just too much. I managed to get through the interview with her before bursting into tears. She really could have handled it a lot better by saying, "So, tell me what happened? Has your cat scratched her before?" But the way she started the conversation made me think of a local toddler who was bitten over 100 times in his crib by rats and that she was inferring that I was being just as neglectful as that mother. Amelia has one spot on her cheek - does a neglectful, abusive mother spend her Friday night at the hospital for that, where she has pay the expensive ER co-pay? I think not. I did not sleep well at all when we did get home.

Amelia's doctor yesterday said that it looked like it was healing well and recommended keeping it covered. Thankfully Amelia doesn't mind having one of those small circle band-aids on her face. It also keeps me from having to see it and obsess over it, and it will be easy to keep sun off her face with the band-aid, too, as it heals all summer long. The doctor also recommended putting Vitamin E oil on it twice a day once we hit the 6-week mark to minimize any scarring. And Daddy and I have pledged to try even harder to keep her and Maynard apart.

I really didn't know that trying to keep your child safe and sound was this hard emotionally, and that keeping them safe and sound would be so hard.

Mommy's Little Helper

Amelia loves to hand me the silverware when I'm emptying the dishwasher. I have to take it from her as she gives it or she gets impatient and starts putting it on the floor. Luckily I can reach the silverware tray and her outstretched hand without moving too much and we get that silverware put away lickety-split. Then when everything is out of th dishwasher, she likes to push the bottom drawer back in and close the door.

I am saving these pictures for when she is older (6, 8, 12?) and refuses to help in the kitchen. I'll say, you used to think it was so much fun! See?!?!?

[pictures dated 6/17/07]

Pouting

... as an art form:

She wanted to watch a video after supper last night and, since we never do that, I told her "no". (Her TV/video watching is generally limited to one video in the morning while I shower and then Thomas on PBS Sunday mornings.)

In other news, she is now saying "8" when she sees that number. It's really "eyes" with a "t" at the end instead of the "s", so she sounds kind of British.

[pictures dated 6/18/07]

New Game, New Words + Funny Rain Story

Ever since Amelia started saying "Mama", she doesn't say Dada anymore. Daddy pointed this out.

Amelia's newest game is to point at me and say "Mama", point at Daddy and say "E!" (so maybe she's got the last syllable down and is working on the first part?), then me again, but waits for me to say "Mama", then to Daddy and waits for me to say "Daddy", then she points at herself. When I say "Amelia", she cracks up. She LOVES it and it's just hilarious!! This will go on for a few rounds and she just can't get enough.

Prior to this game she would do the body parts or things game where she pointed at stuff. She discovered her elbow this way and I think she likes the word because she will randomly start pointing at her elbow and looking at me expectantly. I, of course, think this is adorable, too. (I think just about everything that she does is adorable, except for the biting and scratching which Grandpa says will only be cured if I bite her back. I'm not ready for that yet.)

Grandma bought her a book recently that is all about basketball and Amelia loves it. She'll point to the ball on each page and announce, "Ball!", and then point at the net and wait for one of us to say it. The book has a small storyline about a basketball game. Yesterday we left the neighbor's house and she pointed to their basketball goal and said "Shoot the ball!". It sounded more like "Shoo da ball", but she said it twice while pointing emphatically. She is really catching on!!

She recognizes when we are going to Nana's and just as we turn up her gravel drive she starts yelling "Nana Nana Nana" and kicking her legs. Too cute! Today when I picked her up Nana said Amelia went to her chair and said "My chair," then went to the arm chair and said "Nana's chair".

Saturday we stopped for lunch at a Chinese place and on the way out I let her play in the fountain a little - not noticing the "Do Not Touch" sign (oh well). When we got outside we were surprised to find that it was pouring down rain. Since it appeared to be a cloudburst with plenty of blue sky up above, we decided to wait a few minutes on the covered sidewalk. I put Amelia back down so she could walk around a little since the sidewalk is pretty long. It never occurred to me she would walk out in the rain, but that's exactly what she did. She turned around with a look of complete shock and insult on her face. I quickly grabbed her out of the rain while laughing my head off. She recovered her composure almost immediately, turned to face the rain and began wagging her finger at it while yelling non-stop in Amelia-ese, she was so mad! Daddy and I could not stop laughing, it was SO funny!!!

She is quick to insult lately, a prelude to the 2's I imagine. Here she is yesterday after Daddy took away the new bag of Tostitos that he had gotten in his bag of Father's Day loot. She liked the sound it made, he was afraid she'd wind up crushing them.

I love her expression!



[picture dated 6/17/07]

Happy Father's Day

Last night we went out to a play and a teenager that goes to church with us babysat her. Although Nana and the neighbors (including a teenager) have babysat her before, it's always been a pretty informal arrangement and this was the first time we had to really find someone and then also take her home (well Daddy did that). It reminded me of my days of babysitting as a teen and it was the first time I've been on the opposite end, so I felt so grown up (okay, old).

This morning I left a card for "daddy" on the table and of course he thought it was from Amelia, but it was actually from the cat! After breaksfast I helped Amelia drag out a bag of goodies for her daddy, including two children's books - one about a kitten (gatito) and one about I Love My Daddy Because .... These were new to her, too, and she was immediately smitten with the kitten book. This was after being smitten with the card that she had given Daddy which she took from him and wouldn't let him read. She loved the kitty princess on the front with her little heart wand and little pink nose.

[picture dated 6/17/07]

Brass Band Festival

We went to the Brass Band Festival this past weekend and we all had a great time outdoors. Amelia got to run and play and enjoy lots of fresh air (and music). Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from the weekend.

She entertained herself for a while Sunday morning by (1) inserting the straw all the way into the cup, (2) taking the top off, (3) removing the straw, (4) smiling broadly, (5) whining when she couldn't get the top back on, (6) getting Mommy to do it for her, then repeating with step (1).

It was really funny when she adopted this blanket. I had no idea she would have so much fun with one or I would have brought one. She played for over 20 minutes on this blanket. Earlier in the day the lady who was sitting on it said she didn't mind, so after Amelia woke up from her nap, I let her play on it to her heart's content.

[pictures dated June 9, 2007]

"Mama"

FINALLY!!! She has said, "Mama". And she definitely knew what she was saying, too! She woke up from her nap this afternoon and I went in to get her. She saw me and clearly said, "Mama!" Later, we went to the deli for supper and I got her out of the car. As I was closing the door, she pointed at my shoulder and said, "Mama!" It is SO wonderful.

Here she is playing with her huge Thomas balloon which she calls "Choo Choo!".

[picture dated 6/4/07]

Day Out with Thomas

We spent the Day Out with Thomas yesterday and Amelia had a ball. Of course we had to get her a balloon in the shape of Thomas that is as wide as she is tall. She LOVES it and will point to it and say "Choo!". While we were there she also rode in her very first amusement park ride all by herself. Perhaps it's appropriate that a little girl named Amelia would ride in a plane? I didn't think of that at the time, it just happened to be the ride with the shortest line for a tired girl who would soon be taking her nap.

This morning I made waffles like I do almost every Sunday and when we all sat down Amelia grabbed my hand and then reached for Daddy's. We always say grace before lunch or dinner when we eat at home and apparently Amelia thought we needed to say grace over breakfast this morning. So cute!

After church she said "bib" for the first time when I was getting ready to feed her lunch. It was a little more abstract than some of her words but it was clear what she was trying to say.

Yesterday she said "eaf!!" when Daddy stopped at a tree on the way to the car. She repeated her version of the word this morning during her Baby Shakespeare video. Smart girl!

Oh, and about Baby Einstein - those have been a godsend since her days of colic. Even as young as two months, she really calmed down and was soothed by Baby Mozart. Once she became mobile, I would put one in while I took my shower so that I knew she was safe (as she stood mesmerized by the sights and sounds of the video). Now when I ask her if she's ready to watch her video (it's the only time during the day she watches TV), she will take my hand and lead me to the TV, but I think she's ready for something more enticing to a toddler because she has taken to wandering into the bathroom and thinks it's much more fun to visit mommy. I wouldn't mind - because it's kind of funny to watch her go from one end of the shower curtain to the other, peeking in at each end with her huge smile and twinkling eyes before laughing as she goes to the other end - except that she gets wet and she's usually already dressed for her day by the time I get ready. I have a Barney video in there that I guess we'll have to try, oh horrors.

[pictures dated 6/2/07]

Teaching Pat-A-Cake

Amelia was teaching pat-a-cake to her new doll this morning. She was doing the "roll 'em up, roll 'em up, throw 'em in the pan!" with the doll's arms. Daddy noticed and pointed it out to me. It was super cute!