August in review

I'm still here everyone, although it's after ten and once again I'm not in bed.

We're having a great summer.  Here are some of the things we've been up to since SR's surgery at the beginning of August:

SR got a hand-me-down bike.  She is learning how to steer on her own so we don't run off the sidewalk when we go for a walk  (Those are my dad's legs you see behind her - I store all outdoor things at my parents' house around the corner from my condo - my dad literally freaks out every time I get something new for her...he hates clutter).

A great garage sale find was this small slide (those are my mother's legs, and yes it is housed in my parents' backyard).  SR's new favourite thing is to go up onto the first step of the slide ladder, and then step down and fall to her bum (on purpose) so she can say "oh no!!!" and then get back up again.  What an actress!

Midnight tea parties have been a huge hit around here...okay 8:30 but it feels like midnight to me.  When SR isn't tired at her usual bedtime (usually b/c I let her nap too long during the day), she calls to me from her room after she throws everything out of her crib... "Mommy, Kaiya on the floor (her doll).  Mommy, tea party."  These are SRs figurines having a tea party.  She is IN LOVE with Ernie.  I don't see the appeal!  As for her tea party treats, the "circle" is her preference.  Circle is definitely her favourite shape and is always the first shape she chooses for tea parties, picnics, and shape sorting.  Also, walking in the halls towards the elevators, there are different shapes that she has to "touch" each time.  I think rectangle is starting to take on a close second - it's novelty...most baby toys don't come in rectangle and it's a treat for her to see and "touch" a rectangle!  I know, imagine if seeing a rectangle was a treat!  Life of a 19 month old!

 SR is finally getting to know Buddy.  For the past several months - since SR started to crawl - she has been desperate to "make nice" to Buddy (at my parents' house).  He is an old and sick dog and really could care less about the baby who has stolen all of the attention from him (except she wants to dote on him).  We taught SR how to feed buddy his food and now she feels he owes her the right to touch him.  Although, he is lingering near her more often now and allowing SR the opportunity to try to touch him.

SR LOVES leaves.  She finds them in the backyard, and then goes over to the patio chair and squeezes them through the slots.  But watch out if you are sitting in that chair.  You will receive a very firm "OFF!" from SR.  If you try to use logic and just move your legs away from the slots, you will receive a louder scolding of "OFF!  OFF!"  And then the leaves fall to the ground and she forgets all about them, off to pick up another leaf.

SR loves to play ball.  I'm hoping to register her for an intro to Sportball for the winter once she turns two.  It's a program for ages 2-3.  She hates throwing the ball on the grass and will walk over to the patio stones to throw the ball - I think she likes the noise of the bounce.  Speaking of noise, SR can actually hear the noise of the bounce.  AND, she can HEAR when an airplane is flying overhead and will tell me it's there.  SR could not hear an airplane before her surgery.

 Another new backyard toy (from a yard sale for $3) is her little house.  It's basically a door and a little yard.  Beside the door is a mailbox (pictured here) and inside is a flower garden, and a bird house.  SR really enjoys playing outside in the backyard...almost more than going to the park and playing in the sand.

I just love this photo.  My little baby looks all grown up here...almost like a young punk teenager going for a walk in her cool comfy clothes.  SR is just doing her thing, walking along, thinking her thoughts, not a care in the world.  If you could hear me calling to her (be careful, don't fall on the pavement, come to mommy) you would see a different image :)

 Our second visit this summer to Lionel's Farm and petting zoo.  SR loves the farm...but I am starting to feel badly for the caged animals who just wait for the guests to stick old lettuce and carrots and bread to them.  All they do is eat all day.  It seems cruel.  And yet I take SR to visit for the experience.  Not sure how I feel about this...but not so set in my thoughts yet that I would stop taking her.  She's just so happy walking around and talking and looking at the animals.

SR never tires of playing peek-a-boo, or hiding, or "Where is _____ (fill in any name).  She plays it with her figurines...she'll hide one somewhere and then sing, "where is Ernie, where is Ernie?"  Then she'll "find" him and sing "here he is".  She will do it with her towel after a bath and either put her name or mommy in the blank and then remove the towel.  She loves when I turn my back and then she "sneaks up" on me and I quickly turn around surprised.  The laughter and the "again, again" is just the best.

As dinner guests at a friend's place one night, I had forgotten the booster seat at home (was a last minute invite while we were already there).  They kindly had their son sit on their lap and gave SR the seat.  They also introduced SR to the wonderful world of corn-on-the-cob.  We haven't looked back since.  August has been a month of SR devouring her corn until every last kernel is gone.  Yummy!  Tonight while cooking dinner, the timer on the oven went off.  SR calls out, "corn's ready!"  I didn't even know that she was aware that corn was for dinner!

For the first time ever (and still only the one time) SR sat in the grocery cart.  It was a struggle getting her in.  She did not want to, but once in there, she had a blast.  I just usually do my shopping with the stroller and grocery bags hanging off the handles and my shoulders.












Another first was the first bath wearing ear plugs.  The Dr. said I did not have to worry about them until she is dunking her head.  I decided it's better to just do it all the time, then try to fight with her as she gets older.  SR is a great ear plug helper.  She opens and closes the case.  She hands me the ear plugs and tells me to "roll it in a ball" and she puts the plugs back in the case when we are done.  I have also taken SR swimming two times.  She hasn't been swimming since before her first birthday.  Going back to work for me was hectic, and then SR kept getting sick and multiple ear infections so I stopped taking her.  We went last Monday and Friday to a VERY WARM therapeutic pool for parent and tot swim.  Monday was a disaster.  She was terrified and only wanted to sit in the very shallow area by a circular water drain and play with some toys.  Friday was a lot better.  She let me take her into the deeper water and even sat on the edge while I held her and "jumped" her into the water (head up).  I reminded her that it was like what Dora, Diego, and Boots do in her bath - we always put them on the bathtub ledge and count to 3 for them to jump into the bath.  But most of the time she sat by the circle to play.  Hopefully we can get there again this week before SR returns to daycare (transitioning this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for a few hours) and I go back to work.

Wow, we have really done a lot in just a few weeks.

Some cute SR moments:

"Foot."  "Foot?"  "No, Foooot!"  "Foot?  Your foot?"  "Nooooo!  Faaaahhhht!"  "Fart?"  "Yes, Fart!  Poopie!"  (SR telling me she farted and then pooed.  We're getting closer to potty training.)

"Burpie, ex-cuuuuuuuse me."

When she falls or hurts herself, she comes over to me to tell me which body part she hurt, asks for a kiss and then says "all better."

Any time a baby or child is heard crying, SR says, "Don't cry, baby.  It's okay."


Okay, now it's almost 11 and I'm still writing.  SR makes me lose myself.  I'm not sure how I will keep up with blogging and reading when I go back to work...I could barely keep up this summer (although I rarely turned on my computer and relied on my iPhone instead).

Good night.