Meet my new friends, Snap, Crackle & Pop!

I didn't want to say anything, in case I might jinx it but you have been eating. Like someone who needs food to survive. The most amazing is that you had breakfast - twice! Not since you began eating solid foods have you eaten anything before mid-morning snack time but the last couple mornings you had a bowl of cereal within minutes of waking. Sugar Crisp on Monday and Rice Krispies today.

Update: It's two days later than when I started writing this. Two more days of breakfast. So anyway, it's true. Yesterday morning you amazed your father. He was sitting on the kitchen floor with your bowl of cereal and he's says to me, "Lily keeps coming up to me because I'm holding the food and she actually wants to eat it." And you do. You even ate a whole piece of lasagna at supper last night - after the supper you eat at 4:30 with Nana. You also licked the remnants out of the salad dressing bottle, but that was more for your entertainment than your nourishment. So we're proud of you.

*Note: Snap, Crackle and Pop are paid endorsers of Rice Krispies with Real Strawberries. We cannot vouch for it as we only have the regular kind.

Stricken with a cold bug

Within minutes of waking up this morning you sneezed three times, expelling large amounts of mucous each time. What an awful way to start the day. And it just got worse from there. By the time your dad and I came home after work, your eyes were puffy, you were grouchy and wanted nothing to do out of my arms. After your bath, I had never seen you look so weak, ill and blotchy. We loaded you up with Advil and put you to bed. This is by far the worst cold you've had, your sixth I believe. Little did I know that babies could take cold medication, but your dad picked some up tonight to get you over the rough patches tomorrow - when he'll be staying home with you. I suppose it will be a very quiet weekend. I'll have to find a new recipe and make some more play dough to keep us entertained. That last batch turned out to be a real dud after the first day...

Family Day

I smile when I think about you and your dad walking through Wal-Mart tonight. He said it makes him really happy to hold your hand, for you to want him to hold your hand. You've become so much more fond of your dad over the last little while and he really appreciates it. There are still lots of things you don't want to do - not with your dad but not without your mama - but it's getting better. You just get better and better.

We had a really good day. It kinda reminded me of when we were home all last winter together. You wore an adorable top that said "I *heart* cupcakes" and its pink and red colour scheme somehow made you seem so much bigger, so much cuter. We played and snuggled all morning after Grandma and Grandpa left, I took a couple hundred pictures of you, we made lunch for dad when he came home at noon, we napped in the blazing hot sun that heats up the bedroom, and the best part - we went outside! It is Family Day today, the first one ever here in Saskatchewan. I got the day off work but your dad didn't...something about being federal.

Anyway, we had so much fun outside. I was hoping the snow would be wet enough to make a snowman in the backyard but it wasn't so we made a mini snowman that was maybe a foot high. Maybe. So we went to the park instead. Once we got into the schoolyard, you didn't know which way to go. There were kids sledding down the hill AND kids playing on the equipment, but you opted to go to the swings. We were quickly joined by a couple girls, 7 and 9, who were playing fast and furiously, running all around and sliding down the slide head-first. They introduced themselves by saying how cute you were and said that you could play with them if you wanted. Of course you did. You followed them all around, but were happiest going down the twin slides with the younger girl, Amy, over and over again. She held your hand and went down beside you on my ready, set, GO. I only had to stand at the bottom to catch you. Even just watching the girls play you glowed. You'd point and clap when they did something amazing. They liked your attention and had lots of questions like, could you talk, what could you say, did you come to the park alot, do you have brothers or sisters. Then they told us about their family and what fun things there are to do in the neighbourhood in the summertime. I'm always surprised how friendly the kids are we run into, but it was nice that they took such an interest in you. I wish you got to see other kids more often...

It's a nice, short week. Dad has Friday off. Maybe I'll send you guys to Tot's Cafe in the morning. Anyway, here are a some pictures, a small sampling of just how cute you were today. Awwww.

Okay, let's talk

Hey munchmallow. You have exploded with speech this past week. After celebrating your 18 month birthday - and you putting out some really good candle-blowing effort - you have been talking. In addition to your uhm hmmm, you verbalize your affirmations with okay, kay, and an occasional yup. You know all the animal sounds we have taught you, including our latest one, the hissssssss of a snake.

We went to your 18 month check-up on Tuesday and you screamed everytime the doctor went to touch you. He did give you a sucker when it was done and you appreciated that, but not as much as you appreciated him leaving the room. You weighed 9.9 kg and are 72 cm tall. It's bigger than last time for sure so that's good. You're recent interest in eating - sometimes - helps.

The weather is finally not so extreme. It even got above zero once. To celebrate, we bundled you in your snowsuit and walked over to the park one night. You were thrilled to bits to go on the slide and swings with dad, but those little pebbles that you loved all summer and fall were still your favourite playthings...even if they were hard to pick up with the stumps of your snowsuit. We ended up walking around the block but had to get home after not very long because the chill after the sun went down is so much colder.

Dad stayed home sick on Friday so we all took it pretty easy and hung out in our pajamas. You and dad had a three hour nap while I went shopping, so a good time was had by all. Then on Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit. They are here right now and you are again napping with Dad. I'm thinking of waking you soon so we can maybe go see a movie. Happy Feet, the movie about penguins is on at the cheap theatre. Oh, and last night we all went for supper to Montana's and you were very good. You stayed in your spot for almost the whole time, played peek with some kids at another table, you ate good and you were very impressed by the animals hanging on the walls. It was a very successful outing. It's nice that you like to impress everyone. Well, everyone who isn't your mom and dad.

Happy Valentine's Day, love Lily

Awwww... Nana said, "Those are Lily's eyes. How did you do that?" My answer - as always - is, "Pure talent." Actually I told her that it's all your face, I just had to make your eyes and mouth a bit bigger to give it that illustrative/caricature appearance so it looked like it belonged on the sweet little body. You are pretty lucky to have a mommy who commemorates all your holidays with goofy photos. All me and your dad have are normal baby pictures...boo hoo.

Sucks, okay

Tonight you were sitting on my knee at the computer because I wanted to show you the Nick Jr site, full of Wonder Pets!, Dora, Max & Ruby and the Backyardigans that I found so amusing at work today. Unfortunately, a warning came up saying something about them not supporting Macintosh computers. Disappointed, I said "well that sucks." Your chimed in, "sucks." Little parrot you are.

You've been clingy and kinda grouchy the last few days. I think you're trying to pop another molar through. Yesterday I couldn't detatch you from me for even two minutes at a time. The night previous, you bolted awake a couple times. The first time you were excited to say, "Da da, kay okay?" Your dad taught you to say o-kay instead of the plain kay you've been saying for three days now. Another time, you stood straight up and jumped before laying down and going back to sleep.

On Saturday we went to the Home Depot in the morning, followed by a quick trip to Superstore. Feeling courageous, we decided to try and go out for lunch. You were all right, though I would have preferred it if you would have sit still and ate something besides the ice in our water glasses. Anyway, here's a video of you and your other fave no-calorie snack - snow! I've uploaded a bunch of new videos so check them out following the Vimeo link in the right sidebar.


A tasty wintertime treat on Vimeo

Tomorrow you will be 18 months old. That is a year and a half, a landmark age for a little girl. I think we will celebrate. Maybe I will put a candle in the Valentine brownies I made for you to blow out. I think you would appreciate it.

An outing - to the liquor store, uhm hmm

Your dad and I ran out of wine and had to take you out in the very frigid evening last night so that we could replenish our supply and get through the cold weekend. You always like to go out, doesn't usually matter where as long as you can have a bit of freedom. Well, after supper we packed you into the van, returned last weekend's overdue movies and to the liquor store we went. The freedom you desire is pretty limited in the Australian wine section which backs the vodka - the big glass bottles that are very shiny and yearning for your touch, I'm sure. So we headed to the back where the beer is, a relatively safe area for you to do some exploring. While your dad and I perused the import beer, you were enthralled by a flat of Alexander Keith's cans. When I came to check on you, you had crawled up onto the first row and were just sitting there smiling. Adorable. And you looked so proud of yourself. Dad ended up having to haul you away under his arm to the checkout. When we were about to head outside, I said "ready, set" and you blurted out GO - having never practiced that before. You are a sponge...

You've been saying bye-bye to everything lately. From the water in the tub when we pull the plug to the credits on all t.v. shows. We say bye to the toys at the store when we go to leave, bye to anything in the toilet, bye to cashiers in stores, bye to your toys when it's time to go eat, bye to books when we're done reading them. So far that's how we deal with separating you from anything you're loving. I fear the day when this won't be enough and you throw those endearing tantrums I love so much.


Also, your vocabularly is expanding exponentially lately. I can't keep up. You repeat everything we ask you to say - or at least you try. The words you can't say sound like "shy" or "sup." You surprised me the other day when we were reading a book and you pointed at the sheep and said, "baaa" because I didn't know you knew that one. When I tell you the doll or dad or an animal is sleeping, you put your finger up to your mouth and say "shhhhh." But our favorite thing you've picked up is your ability to answer yes. And it's not just nodding when we ask you if you can say yes. You say a closed-mouth "uhm hmmm." Not until you started doing this did your dad and I realize how often we respond positively to something with an "uh huh." Whoops. Anyway, you are truly delightful.