Just you and me, kid

Your dad is in Nova Scotia. He only left yesterday and will be home late tomorrow night but wow, is it tiring being your exclusive caregiver - and that's only after Nana goes home, after supper until bedtime. Actually, it's not you that is draining me this time. It's just everything else. Like taking out the garbage and cleaning the kitchen...and making a scrumptious carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Anyway, you did a couple cute/funny things in the last couple days. I came home yesterday for lunch and when I walked in the door your were standing there looking up at me, pointing at yourself in the chest. When I asked what you did, you kinda grunted and kept pointing to yourself. When I asked Nana what was going on, she said you were a bad girl. So I asked you what you did to which you pointed at the wall. I couldn't not smile when you showed me. Beside the front door, between it and the picture window you had taken a pencil and scribbled up and down and up and down, up and down. Well, a picture might better describe this (below). So I had you point to what you did while I took your picture. What's the point in being upset when it's already been done? And you were much too cute to get mad at.


Then tonight, you were downstairs playing after your bath (so you were naked) and I had to run upstairs and take the carrot cake out of the oven. On my way back down, you were standing at the bottom of the stairs looking for me, holding out your hand. I looked and immediately pieced together what had happened. Apparently you pooped a giant log which fell to the floor after bouncing off your calf, picked it up but didn't like the mushiness that appeared on your hand, dropped it back to the floor and came looking for me to clean off your hand. (While you may be horrified that I am writing about poop, know that it is completely acceptable once you have a baby or small child. I guess we'll find out when it's not acceptable any longer...) For a kid who poops maybe once a week - if we're lucky - all of that sure happened quickly. And of course when you were diaperless!

It's almost my bedtime. I've discovered tonight that if I don't tend you everytime you cry, you will eventually go back to sleep. And this is what most people discover when their babies are much, much younger...

A short movie by Mama

What's a puppy say? Ruff! on Vimeo

I'm going to have to start putting forth a bit more effort when it comes to posting your videos. (Most are long, boring movies of you doing something ordinary that only you parents think is extraordinary like "Lily discovers the egg" http://www.vimeo.com/clip:133085 ) Today I took the first step by taking a small clip of a movie of you from Friday, adding some credits and messing with the sound so all we hear is YOU. It's tacky and odd, but at least it's short. And it kinda shows off your brand new big girl bangs! Awwww...

And we should be uploading more video as Vimeo, the site where we put all our video, has increased our limit from 30MB a week to 250MB. That's unreal. What a great excuse to do more, and more interesting, movies.

Impulse control

My darling sniffly daughter. Oh, how affectionate you are when you're sick. You caught Nana's cold yesterday and tossed and turned and cried every twenty minutes last night, but today you were really sweet. (Even to your Dad!) You hugged us - one parent in each arm - kissed me on the forehead, pressed your cheek against mine. Ahh, somedays I still can't believe that you are ours and we get to keep you. (I felt like that for months after you were born.)

Lately we've been measuring how good your day is going based on whether or not you've hit anyone yet. When you get angry (because you are tired or hungry and won't eat) you lash out, get your pouty face on and hit. Usually it's me or Nana that you slap hard in the face. Or you just hit Skye because she's so passive. And you know you shouldn't, but then it's too late. Sometimes I can see you fighting with all your might to suppress the urge to strike - and sometimes it works but not as often as not. I know all young kids have problems with impulse control; I know I even do sometimes. We're just not sure how to discourage it. I take your hand, say NO in a low, stern voice while looking disapprovingly at you. This gets another angry reaction and you hit again or sulk away. Nana had tapped you back which always gets you to change the subject; you act like nothing happened and go on to do something different. (While I know this is an awful way to deal with this, I am surprised that it gets a very desired result.) And then there's what I usually do. I put my hand to my face where it stings and I let out a really great fake cry so you know you hurt mommy. That's what I did tonight when we were hanging out in bed before bedtime. Of course, my eyes were closed so I couldn't see your bottom lip start to quiver before you burst out into the saddest, loudest, most hurt cry in the world. I felt so bad. So back to square one. Not that you'll magically start listening when we say no...or stop...or ouch.

Something else you started doing in the last few days is make many animal sounds. Most notable are your cow, owl, bird, kitty and puppy sounds. Actually, you were pretending to be a pretty realistic dog the other day, crawling around on your knees yipping "ruf."

Oh, and we took you to the art gallery on Saturday afternoon. There was a fabulous exhibit on Canadian art with a bunch of Group of Seven work and that stunning painting of the horse on the train track in the moonlight by Alex Colville. (The painting was much darker than pictured. He and Christopher Pratt are very similar painters and among my favourites. Oh, and I can't forget about Mary Pratt's stunning realism.) You just like walking around the big gallery and clapping or yelling to hear the echo. And everyone always thinks you are so cute. I don't know why it's always childless people walking around there. The exhibits always fascinate you as does the lobby of the T.C. Douglas building with its live trees and glass elevator.

Then on Sunday we went to the central library to play with their toys and meet some kids. There was this little girl there that was just adorable. She was maybe four and you liked her right away - well, after you stole her toys and her mom had to tell her you didn't know any better. You started talking to her in your babbling way and when you would stop, she would say, "Okay, do you want to play with this?" And she thought you were pretty sweet as well. She patted you on the head and for some reason she found you so cute she wanted to kiss you. She leaned down and you saw the kiss coming so you reached up with your pucker. I almost cried it was such a sight. We'll have to go back more often. We hadn't been there in awhile because of our overdue fees...

Tomorrow is Friday and I took the day off to stay home with you. I already look forward to our nap.

Five very, very long years

Well Lily, today is your mom and dad's fifth wedding anniversary - the even scarier part is that we started "dating" in 1997 when we were going to school in Medicine Hat. And look at us now. I think we actually look better than we did ten years ago, but we'll see what I think in another ten years when I can compare pictures from 1997 to pictures from 2007. The best part about your mom and dad getting together is of course, you. So cheers to us, our family.

I learned it from watching you

There was this commercial from when I was younger about this young teen getting caught by his dad with a box o' drugs when he yells out, "I learned it from watching you." The dad was quite obviously busted and lost all of his authority right then and there. While this is nothing like that, the title was just a direct quote from that.

Anyway, what you did learn from your mom and dad is blatant consumerism. We were at Wal-Mart tonight getting diapers, a compost bin, socks, undershirts and gotch for your dad, some jarred baby food, a rubber spatula (because ours broke in two mixing the cookie dough the other night) and some tupperware-type containers. While dad and I were spying up the food storage, you unstacked a bunch of brightly coloured plastic plates, bowls and cups all over the floor in the aisle. Content to let you continue, I was shocked and surprised to see you pick out the nicest, pinkest plate out of all the ones there, rise up on your tippy toes and put the plate into the cart. Awwww. You learned how to shop! You just put all the stuff you want into the cart and it ends up coming home with us. Of course we bought it (and the matching cup you picked out next).

One other thing. Picture this - you crouch down on the floor and motion Nana to join you. Then you point me down to the floor. Apparently you invented a new game where you and Nana crawl across the living room into the kitchen. You walk across the kitchen and then crawl again once you hit the hardwood. After Nana and I did this with you twice, your dad got to join us so all four of us were crawling across the floor like a pack of...humans. What a sight that must have been.

Some of This

I can't believe we didn't note that yesterday you turned 17 months old. That's one month away from the big year and a half. (I know what it's like to be on the cusp of a milestone, turning 30 myself in four months.) Anyway, I only noticed the date when I was uploading pictures from the camera to the computer. And I remember when we used to count your age in weeks...

Today you were pretty grouchy. You woke up at a normal time, but when I got up at ten (yes, lucky mama) and went downstairs I saw that you had really torn the place apart. You have this need to destroy when your mood is anything but glowing. While we can usually distract you when things are looking bleak, sometimes it just draws you into something else that needs messing with. Poor Skye on those days...she sure takes your teasing and kicking without much complaint. But sometimes some really fun stuff comes when we're just trying to get through a rough patch. We've spent much time running at full tilt through the kitchen and living room around and around and around. You hold my hand and sometimes dad's hand, too, and all three of us run. Sometimes we pretend that Skye is chasing us when really she's just part of the team who is magnetically drawn to me and must be touching me or at least within a foot at all times. (You're the other team member in case you couldn't guess...)

And earlier today you and I were laying in bed killing time after the lunch you didn't eat and before your nap that didn't last long. You occupied yourself by wrapping the sheet around you, sometimes hiding under it or under the pillows. Or I would hide with you and we would have a fort. Soon you were getting easily frustrated by one thing or another and were just about ready to lay down. By this point dad had joined us all ready for his nap, too. Anyway, like you had been doing every twenty minutes all day today, you wanted to nurse which you recently have come to call "this." Dad asked you to say "some" which you pronounced perfectly. Then he asked you to say "this." I was expecting more of a "dis" but you made the t-h sound and slowly squeezed out the entire word like you'd always known it. Unfortunately you didn't string it all together. Not yet. But we'll have to more articulate when asking if you want something, especially some of this.

Are you 'kay?

Twice now I've hurt myself - the first time on keyboard tray here on the computer desk and I can't remember what happened the second time, but I cried "owww!" and each time you threw out, "R U K?" Of course I can't get you to repeat it on command but it is what I ask you when you get hurt so it is very possible that you are saying that in the appropriate context. I shouldn't be so surprised because you are incredibly brilliant and you leave your dad and I with our jaws gaping everyday, but I'm still torn between this baby/big girl thing. You are still such a baby that mostly communicates with a series of grunts and pointing, but on the other hand you can run really fast, laugh at your own jokes and clearly make yes/no decisions and then tell us exactly what it is what you want. I heard a couple little kids talking away in the movie store last night and you are so clearly far away from that, but if talking comes as suddenly as everything else you do seems to, we could be having conversations very soon.

Happy 2007!

Happy New Year! You know what I figured out? Although you are only one-year-old, you've spanned the last four years having been around since 2004. Seems like a long time ago, huh? Well, your dad and I found out that you would be joining our family on Dec. 5, 2004 which we celebrated with a wonderful and extravagant meal at a fancy restaurant. Lucky thing we did that because we don't see those too often these days. Then of course, you grew in my tummy until August 13, 2005 when you were born. Then last year (2006), well...you grew from a cooing baby into the big girl you are right now at the beginning of 2007. I can't even begin to imagine what this year will bring.

With your dad home alone with you for three days last week, you made him very happy having eyes (and hugs) for only him. But then I came home and dad was pushed aside again. The cutest thing is when dad asks you, "Can I have a hug?" to which you reply "no, no, no." Then he asks "Can I have a kiss?" to which you again reply "no, no, no." Then sometimes he'll throw something in there to make you think twice like, "Do you want some candy?" Of course, he never produces candy so I can see why you withold your affections! You actually begin to get pretty frustrated answering our dumb questions, then look at us with a face full of disgust. We'd stop bugging you, but you are much too adorable!

You love to spin in circles until you get dizzy and fall down. I don't know where you picked it up but it sure is funny to watch. That skill comes in handy when I sing Ring Around the Rosie. You have also learned how to hold a crayon, marker or pen correctly - not with your entire fist wrapped around it. I thought you'd have to be much bigger to do that, but you draw with unbelievable control now. You are a very good singer, too. We sing a lot. We have a monsters/Big Bird CD in the van that you like, especially when Big Bird sings 'Sing', that song from Sesame Street. A lot of the words you sing with the correct sounds and hold the notes for the appropriate amount of time. Also, you've been trying to jump, but your little body doesn't get off the ground. So you bend your knees and dad and I help you jump which makes you laugh. Lots of things make you laugh which is so wonderful after you didn't laugh except that one time when you were four months old until you were about 13 months old. Fake or not, at least you love laughing.

You are very sensitive with other's feelings. Even drawings... Dad drew a crying baby and you were very concerned so we had to shhhhush and pat the baby. (Unfortunately the drawing didn't get happy.) And when your babies cry, you hug them SO tight that your fingers turn white and you bounce them and rock them. All of your plush friends are very well cared for with lots of hugs, usually there's about three or four in your arms at a time.

Well, we are going to Nana's for supper tonight. She tells us it's tradition to have ham on New Year's day even though I don't ever remember it. So that's what we are doing. After today though, it's back to normal with eating. I've been full for three weeks and you've been basking in the junk. (Actually, you ate three meatballs the other night because they had sweet and sour sauce on them. I think that is the most meat you've even consumed - in total.) You've got your mom and dad's sweet tooth - but that's okay since you are why sweets must have been invented!