Trick or Treat

Ummmm, definitely treats! We can't say your candy-deprived. Tonight was your first trick-or-treating experience. Dad took you out for about 25 minutes after our traditional Halloween perogy supper. Traditional because that's what I had every October 31 as a kid...and rekindled as an adult with your dad. Nana said it was to fill us up so we couldn't eat too much chocolate, but I don't know if it worked. Anyway, you apparently weren't too sure about going from house to house, but didn't complain in the somewhat bitter cold. When you, our little ladybug, got home with a tiny basket overflowing with treats, you were so excited that they were all for you. You immediately started going through it until you came to a full-size box of Smarties that you insisted I open. I had no idea what you would think of these hard little candied chocolates. They spilled on the floor and you bent over and picked one up, popped it in your mouth, then another and another and another until there were four in your mouth. Then the chocolatey green/blue drool started pouring out as you hobbled toward me to grab the box for more. All I can say is that you were very happy, so that lessens my guilt about feeding you all that junk. And the fact that I don't think chocolate has killed anyone... But it may be responsible for giving you a sugar rush and making it hard to stay sleeping tonight. Oh well. Lesson learned. Feed the baby chocolate, as long as it's before mid-afternoon snack...

What do we do now?

Well, you experienced your first power outage - while you were awake. And I wouldn't want to entertain you like that very often. It went out around 5:30 and didn't come back on until close to 7. While we killed the first ten minutes finding and lighting candles, you just wanted to watch Elmo and incessantly pointed to the t.v., then when we 'wouldn't' appease you, you reached longingly for the CD player to at least play you a familiar song... Books were out because we could barely see, so after some good flashlight-pointing time, we decided to hit the tub. You know, in case the power stayed out for a long time, we could use the hot water before the tank cooled off. While not exactly the romantic bath by candlelight you would expect, it sure passed the time. Well, only because I eventually got in the tub with you since just having me taking up most of the bathtub room seems to keep you interested. It's like swimming in a very small pool with a dolphin and a goldfish.

All the wonderful things

You are just a barrel of laughs these days. Quite an interesting week it's been. You've been saying ma ma ma when you whine to me and it's so sweet because you really mean me! You learned how to scream in a high-pitched, blood-curdling kind of way and it's out of pure glee, so it's not annoying - yet! And you learned how to stick out your tongue on command, leading us to see some white spots on the very back of your tongue and having to take you to the doctor to get that thrush treated. Not that it seems to be bothering you and not that we have any idea how long you've had it... And you've been so affectionate. Since learning to make the smoochy sound, you gave Creeson a birthday kiss this morning when we dropped off his gift and then when Uncle Nigel came over this afternoon, you gave him a kiss without anyone even asking you to!

Have I told you how cute it is when you are defiant, when I ask you to do something and you shake your head 'no' at me. And when you eat (macaroni or pudding) boxes and completely freak out when we take them away. Or when you kick the dog when you're laying down to go to bed or when she gets too close to your legs at the table when we're eating. You've really been power tripping over poor little Skye. You tease the poor dog all the time. Like when you are finished eating, I put you on the floor to run around and give you a piece of meat to specifically feed to Skye, you hold it tightly in your hand, hold it to the dog's mouth to let her try and bite it before taking in away and putting it in your mouth! Not nice, but amusing to watch. And you're so smart. The other night you were holding the heavy flashlight in one hand, a CD in the other so I told you to hold it with both hands. Obviously you knew exactly what I said because you put the CD on the floor and held the flashlight with two hands...but I don't remember teaching you those words!

You learned about clouds today and can point to them when asked, just like the moon and stars. A few mornings this week, we stood at the window and checked out the moon and stars to your great delight. It sure is dark at 6 a.m. I was hoping the darkness in the evenings might help you to fall asleep easier or maybe quicker, but no. I think your extensive naps with Nana during the day might be cutting into your bedtime. (You've been sleeping over three hours most days -even until 4:50 p.m. yesterday...I thought a girl your age could go for longer between sleeps.) Anyway, you've also been eating better than ever before and it makes your dad and I so happy. You ate five perogy insides and one whole one, along with Ukrainian sausage - after your baby food supper at 4:30. And you ate linguine with mushroom sauce for almost half an hour on Tuesday. You were still eating when the rest of us had even finished our Cheerio cake dessert. That's something new.

It's always so hard to remember everything, but I know there are so many more wonderful things about you from this week alone. Like how you've been colouring, how watching Elmo when we go to work distracts you so you don't howl and cry, how you run at full-tilt, how you lead us up to bed when you are tired...

Then and now

Oh my goodness. When we dressed you in your polar bear shirt and yellow pants on Saturday, you bore a little resemblance to the 6 month old baby on the left. But can it even be possible that you could go from a wee, chunky baby (who was practically bald on the sides) to become a little and very adorable girl (with pigtails) in the past 8 months - more than half your life ago? I can't even begin to imagine what another eight months will bring...

The quickest long week

Since getting home from Winnipeg last Sunday night, I can't believe how quickly last week has gone...all five work days of it. I even missed one evening because I layed down when you went to bed then woke up in the morning still wearing my jeans! This weekend, while always too short, was good and filled with groceries and a trip to the swimming pool and tonight to DQ for ice cream.

Our Winnipeg trip was good. That was definitely the longest you've spent sitting EVER. And you did awesome! It was a little dodgy at first. You wanted to sleep, but couldn't bring yourself to relax. We bought some new DVDs for the trip to fill time between colouring and reading books, but you got hooked on Elmo's World, one of the ones we bought when we went down to Minot in June. Anyway, 6 and a half hours after we left home, we arrived in Winnipeg at cousin Kim's house where we finally met cousin baby Isabella. What a sweet baby. And solid. You currently only weigh just over a pound more than her! We all got acquainted while you had no problem getting into all of their things. After a good meal of Chinese food, everyone relaxed and got ready to go out to Trevor's CD release party. Well, everyone but mom and you and Isabella. You had a bath and read books before falling asleep within a couple minutes of laying down.

Saturday was a lovely day. We got up nice and early and took it pretty easy in the morning. You kissed and nuzzled Isabella once in a while as you played. Dad took pictures of you running around with only your diaper. You and Isabella got some pictures taken. (You and Isabella will have A LOT of pictures, just like cousin Kim and I have since we were born.) It was a nice, easygoing morning. Since it was so nice out, we decided to spend the afternoon at the Forks. We walked around a bit and ended up down by the water. You were walking around when you approached the edge of the water, got down on your knees and proceeded to turn around to climb into the river! Huh? Whatever made you think that that was a good idea is so beyond me. We quickly scooped you up and found a grassy area about 30 stairs above water level where you could run around with less imminent danger. You, me, Dad, Kim, Mario, Isabella and Skokey enjoyed hot chocolate on the steps under the white, bright sun. You were getting a little owly from lack of a nap, so we thought it was time to go over to Uncle Terry and Auntie Brenda's house for a ghoulish supper. Nana and Auntie Brenda spent the afternoon decorating for Halloween and it really paid off. There were singing and dancing creatures everywhere and rubber bugs that you tried to amputate. Between handfuls of bugles and caramel kisses, you waved at Uncle Terry and Trevor through the window to the kitchen. You were actually very secure and comfortable with all the relatives all weekend which was nice that you didn't feel the need to cling to me. So being sleep-deprived all day, you fell asleep in my arms just after supper - at 6:15. When we went back to Kim and Mario's a couple hours later, you had a harder time falling asleep so I layed down with you and never got back up.

Of course, we paid the price for you going to bed so early by waking up at 5 a.m. Luckily it was 6 their time and cousin Kim was up, so we went upstairs and visited. Isabella got up shortly thereafter and we all hung out. Auntie Brenda and Uncle Terry brought Nana over so that they could send us off with a big breakfast, but you couldn't make it to breakfast and passed out in my arms and slept on the couch for a whopping 40 minutes before Auntie Brenda let out a loud holler, signalling that it was time for us to go. So we went on the long ride home, making it back at 5:30. All in all it was good, just too much car time. Next time, the Pereiras will have to visit us.

Good, got that out. Not too much else to say. Just that you are so sweet. We lounged on your Dora couch this afternoon, holding hands and watching new Elmo's World episodes that you and your dad bought on Friday when he stayed home with you. It's cold out now so we don't get out much these days. Today looked beautiful and sunny but barely teetered above 0. It doesn't help that you hate putting on your winter coat and mitts. You missed swimming lessons on Thursday because you and Nana layed down and slept for two hours in the morning and then another 1.5 hours in the afternoon. You slept good for your dad on Friday too. Cutting out your morning nap isn't working. You get so tired by 10:30 or 11 that you usually just pass out, so we'll hold off a while until you're more ready. You're still eating pretty good. You had trout and rice last night and again for lunch today and then we had stew tonight which was mostly exciting because it had carrots in it. It's still hit and miss though with most foods. One day if you devour yogurt, you will not even look at it again for more than a month. Needless to say, we have a lot of different food in the cupboard and the freezer with only a bit of it eaten. Oh well. Halloween is coming up and your dad has been sharing his chocolate bars with you. Okay, so have I. (This will be one of the many things you will be highly critical of us when you get older...just like I do with my mom!) It'll be fun to dress you up and maybe take you trick or treating to a few houses. Until then...

Lily - now with more giggles!

We just got home from Winnipeg tonight where we went to finally meet cousin Isabella. She's 4.5 months old and you turned 14 months old on Friday. While I'll get some pictures and a story up here later, this video I took on the way home of your dad tickling you is just awesome. (Have I mentioned you say tickle, tickle, tickle now?)


Giggles in the car ride home from Winnipeg on Vimeo

Giving thanks for cute babies

It is Thanksgiving weekend and obviously the thing your dad and I are most thankful for is you! It's the third day of my 4-day weekend; I took Friday off so we could hang out. We went to Superstore to look at toys and buy peanuts to lure the squirrels into our yard. The toy part was pretty exciting. There was a Wiggle and Giggle Elmo chair - a vibrating chair that cackles - and you were so into it, sitting there in the middle of the aisle with a big grin on. Pablo, the Backyardigan penguin, was a close second in popularity (first for me), as he sang their very catchy theme song. We ended up taking home a cookie monster doll (which was a 1/10 the price) that you seemed to like. Before lunch and after we took the recycling out, we spent about 1/2 hour playing with the ladybugs out on the boulevard. You did a good job of catching them, even though they got a little out of hand and there were five on you by the end. Too many bugs for me. Naptime was pretty short - about 35 minutes just after lunch, so we had to keep busy. There was a lot of playing and basking in the sun. It was really a gorgeous day, about 21, perfect for all the crazy Rolling Stones concert-goers. (I hope by the time you are old enough to read this, the Rolling Stones have stopped touring and perhaps have died.) Anyway, when your dad came home from work we ate supper then went for ice cream at Dairy Queen. That's always a great way to make your little tummy stick way out!

For some reason, we were all ready to go for breakfast by 7:30 on Saturday, then outta there by 8:30 and off to the grocery store. We got all our groceries and showed dad the toys in just under 2 hours! Yikes! You still ride in the carrier with mom and it's supposed to be good to 25 lbs. so I may keep you in there a while... Anyway, in the afternoon after a 1.5 hour nap (not good but not awful, I suppose...), you grabbed my hand to get out of bed, led me downstairs and got your coat, all ready to go outside. Unfortunately I had to explain that it was raining pretty hard so we couldn't go outside. You didn't look like you really understood so we decided to go to the pool instead. Oh, how you loved it! Even though Nana takes you to swimming lessons every week, I forgot how fun it was to go to the pool. I think you love it more than the park; you would have never taken the first step to leave. You were so brave, walking alone (because you wouldn't let me hold your hand) into the deeper water, making friends with a little 8 year old girl who really seemed to like you, pointing to the big pool to play in the falling water, going down the little yellow slide and the big frog slide with dad, sitting on the red ball that shoots water out your crotch, jumping into our arms from the side of the pool, sitting on the steps, climbing the steps and even going down the steps standing and holding the rail. Then we came home, Nana came over with pizza, we made perogies and turkey and ate our mish-mash of a meal. Mmmm...perogies. You've been loving anything with sour cream. Dad thinks we should just make perogy filling for you and maybe we will with our garden potatoes. So, you skipped your bath last night in favour of playing, but at exactly 7 p.m. you took my hand to go upstairs to bed. How predicable is that?

Today will be our Thanksgiving supper. The turkey is in the oven, complete with stuffing. You helped eat the celery so I'm guessing you'll like the stuffing with both celery and breadly goodness. I barely remember last year at Thanksgiving. You were so little. Even then you were very unimpressed to be put down so I held you all through the meal. You didn't smear food in my hair then, but you're much cuter now so it's very easy to forgive. Really, this cute thing is pretty overwhelming at times. I look at you and just fill with happiness. You're so happy, chasing dad around the living room and kitchen, yelling 'ahhhhh' when you find him. I really don't know what we did before you, how we made it through the day without so much laughter and smiles and love. It's really that wonderful. Thanks for being such a good girl.

Goldfish

While it seems so logical to us now, your dad and I were very impressed when we found Goldfish crackers floating in Skye's water dish...

Peek-a-boo

Well, you're getting to be a little talker. You've been imitating a lot of words we say to you, like cheese and hello but yesterday you said dek-a-boo (obviously while playing peek-a-boo) to Grandma and Dad. Quite impressive, little girl. Grandma and Grandpa came for a short visit, but you packed a lot of park action into that time. Me and your dad even went out for supper - for sushi, alone, not rushed - while your grandparents played with you, bathed you and put you to bed! How nice is that? Then today, they took you to the park (where else?) while we dug up thes rest of the carrots and potatoes from the garden. Oh, and lucky you - Grandma and Grandpa brought you Elmo TMX. Oh. my. goodness. He's insane. I can't imagine the engineering that went into making him do what he does... You were pretty leery of the little red spaz at first, but warmed up fairly quickly. Now he's good for a hug and lugging around, even though he's very heavy.

Again this weekend (today) we got some really nice pictures of you. Some in the tub after you peed on the kitchen floor - twice, then later downstairs on the carpet, then again at supper on your booster seat - some neat ones of you while you were napping this afternoon and a bunch in the park at the end of the street towards the university. Speaking of your naps, we skipped the morning nap the last three days and you seem to have done really well with a 2 - 2.75 hour nap in the afternoons.

The rest of the weekend was good, too. Friday after supper we went to Dairy Queen for ice cream. You shared my sundae and Dad's pumpkin pie blizzard - and we still had time to hit the park before bathtime! Saturday morning we were up early and at Smitty's by 8. You shared my ham, but that's about all you ate. Then we headed to the Farmer's Market and bought three purple carrots (which left a purple drool trail down your chin when you ate them today). Then we went to Cornwall Centre just before the stores opened so you could walk around. You love walking around stores and places like that. You sat on the stairs by Sears/SaskTel and just stood UP then DOWN and all over again and again and were very proud. When the stores did open, we went to Claire's or the other one that's like it and you tried on hats and sunglasses and looked at barettes. You liked HMV, especially the Pooh calendar and picking up CDs and bringing them to us and us not being able to find where to put them back... And you (and Dad) must have looked so cute that the Telus lady gave you bunny and parrot sticker sheets to bring home while I was buying a belt. It's really fun bumming around with you. Dad and I haven't done that in ages. Mostly since you wouldn't put up with it before. Luckily, we get to do all sorts of fun things with you now.