Use Your Words

The words are starting to flow now (or maybe I'm just getting better at understanding Annabelle's slang). I mean, really, these little guys should learn to speak clearer so that adults can understand what they are saying. If you want a cookie, then say "cookie please."

This afternoon, Annabelle pointed at her Teddy Bear, and she said, "Teddy." She said it clear as day, and Grandmama heard her say it too! Of course, she probably won't use that word again for another month or two as that seems to be how she's operated in the past. I was very quick to praise her though (as I always do when she does something new). So, maybe, just maybe, she'll start talking more and more. Of course, after she does, I am probably going to start wishing that she'd be quiet for just a minute.

So far, I think I have recognized the following words since she started "talking." And, I think they've been in this order. I am sure that I have the order a little off on some words, but this is the best I recall.

1. "Tank to" or thank you
2. "Da da" or Daddy and apparently Mommy now. She's just started calling me "Da da" for some odd reason. Just the other day she was pointing at a picture of me in a little photo book, and she then smiled, turned to me, and pointed at me and said "Da da." Lovely!
3. "Ma ma" or Mommy. I thought she had said Mommy once upon a time, but apparently, I was wrong based on my comment above on "Da da." She does say "Ma ma." I'm just not so sure what it means. And, I am still confused over whether she said "Da da" or "Ma ma" first. Not that it really matters. But, based on the fact that I am also "Da da," it sounds like "Ma ma" was her just babbling.
4. "Gan ma ma" or Grandmama
5. "Gan da da" or Granddaddy - However, now, she refers to her Granddaddy as just "Da da." I think that every person is now "Da da" except for Grandmama. However, I haven't heard her say "Gan ma ma" or "Ma ma", for that matter, in awhile.
6. "Ju" or juice
7. "Nana" or banana - I had forgotten that she had used this word a long time ago until I searched my blog for "words." Apparently, I had documented some of her first words better than I thought I had.
8. "Ba ba" or baby
9. "Ba ba" or bottle - She refers to her sippy cup as a bottle.
10. "D" or dog
11. "I wuv wu" or I love you - I'm not positive if she has really said this or not, and the pronunciation looks better on paper than it really sounds in person, but I really think I've heard her say "I wuv wu" too. Maybe it is just wishful thinking?
12. "Sadow" or Shadow (our cat) - Again, she probably doesn't pronouce this as clearly as it looks on paper, but I really don't have a clue how to write out how she sounds it out.
13. "Bye Bye" or bye bye - She speaks this very, very clearly, and she has been using it appropriately since we went to Vogel State Park on December 27th, 2007.
14. "rwelcom" or Your welcome - Again, the pronunciation I have written probably is nothing like she really sounds on this one. Grandmama, can you help with the pronunciation? But, I think I've understood her to say this as well.
15. "Yes" or yes - I just noticed her starting to say "yes" within the last week. At first, I wasn't sure if she was really saying "yes," but I am fairly certain she is as she'll nod her little head up and down as she says it. I like the up and down nodding much better than the nodding side to side that she had started doing back in November or December. We've tried to limit our "nos" to more important issues so that she'll know we mean business. As a result, the side to side head shaking has reduced dramatically. She's much more positive now!
16. "Teddy" or Teddy - Yea! This has been the clearest word spoken so far! I actually started noticing earlier this week that she was trying to say "Teddy" by saying "T" as she's starting to say the first few letters of more and more words.

Wow! That is really a lot of words once they are written on paper. And, I was getting worried about her lack of vocabulary. It looks like she's right on target, so that makes me feel so much better as a Mommy! And, the best part, she seems to understand almost everything I tell her and/or ask her to do, and I am not kidding! There is very little that she does not understand, and we have been spelling "p-a-c-i" and "c-o-o-k-i-e" and "t-e-d-d-y" and "j-u-i-c-e" in front of her for awhile now (probably long before I even first documented her saying "Ju" or juice which was back on December 5). Kind of think of it...I think she's been understanding everything (for the most part) since her 12 month birthday.

And, last, but certainly not least...why isn't my spellcheck through google working? I'll apologize in advance for any misspelled words. I am normally pretty good at spelling, but sometimes I type too fast and fail to catch the misspellings (especially without my ABC spellcheck through google).

Elmo wants to be a chicken

Elmo wants to be a duck. Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack!

This is the phrase that the Elmo, dressed as a chicken, uses when Annabelle pushes the button on his foot. She got this Elmo as a Christmas present from Santa Claus. And, she loves him!

The best part of all, she has started imitating Elmo flapping his arms like a chicken within the last week. I was able to snap some photos on Sunday of her trying to flap her arms like a chicken, and they are absolutely hilarious! I will try to get some of these pictures posted to this blog entry tomorrow (in my spare time). Ha! Ha!

She will cock her little head to the side and then hold her little arms up in the air and then she'll balance on one foot and then switch to balancing on the other foot as she dances and flaps her arms like a chicken. She hasn't quite figured out that she needs to tuck her hands under her arms, so she looks like Frankenstein when she tries to flap her arms like a chicken. Too cute!

Queen of the Dining Room Chairs

Yep, it is official! My 15 month old dare devil is now an official mastery climber! On Tuesday, January 28th, 2008, she mastered climbing up onto the dining room chair. I was busy in the kitchen drying off one dish, and she had (literally, seconds before) wandered into the dining room to "play." She was mighty quiet, so instinct told me to check on my little girl. And where did I find her? You guessed it! Not only had she succeeded on climbing up onto the dining room chair, but she was standing on the chair and just grinning ear to ear as if she had conquered the world! She was now, officially, Queen of the Dining Room Chairs!

I only wish I had the camera in my hand at that very moment to capture that smile. Instead, I was busy diving for my daughter to prevent a dreadful fall to the wood floors (okay, maybe I didn't dive, but I quickly moved her to a sitting position). She was so very proud of her accomplishment. And, as a result, we spent the majority of the day at the exact same dining room chair she had climbed originally just so she could climb up onto the dining room chair only to climb back down again. Over and over and over!

Mommy, on the other hand, is not as much excited about her "baby" mastering climbing as Annabelle. I thought walking was a huge milestone because "your world will change forever." Of course, doesn't everyone who is supposedly more experienced than you as a mother (even if only by one minute) use that phrase for every new milestone and year and second child. I mean, really, yes, I know, my world changed the minute Annabelle was conceived, but I wouldn't change it for the world! Well, I wouldn't change it on most days! Only kidding!

Okay, I'm off topic, but it is just another pet peave of mine that I try so hard to not fall into the same boat as everyone else. EVERY minute, step, and milestone as a mother (and father for that matter) is not always easy. Fortunately, God gives it to us in strides so we can handle the steps ahead. Everyone should always remember their first days home from the hospital as a new mom...you all remember them, right? You know, the sleepless nights, emotional roller coaster, engorgement and the sore nipples from nursing? But, we all managed to get through the "hard" times and move on to the "fun" times, right?

So, as I mentioned, I am not as much excited about the climbing accomplishment as my sweet baby girl. But, the ultimate goal is independence in the very end, so she is gradually proving that she can and will (one day) become her own, independent young woman. Each new accomplishment is just another step towards independence.

And, on the climbing note, my parents babysat for Annabelle on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008, and she apparently mastered climbing their dining room chairs by the end of the day too.

I should also mention that on Monday whenever I tried to close Annabelle off from the dining room and lock her in the office or the back of the house with me, she screamed and pitched a fit because she wanted to climb onto those chairs. I don't think I am ever going to get anything done around the house ever again! I am sure that she will succeed on climbing onto the dining room table next (especially if I turn my head for only a second again).

Mommy, will you kiss it and make it better?

On Tuesday, January 22, 2008, Annabelle stubbed her toe on her Sesame Street Elmo/Cookie Monster vacuum cleaner while playing in her bedroom. She sat down on the floor, cried and held her big toe. Poor baby!

I looked at her, and I said, "Are you alright, sweetheart? Do you want Mommy to kiss it and make it better?" She looked at me, and then she immediately lifted her bare, stubbed, left, big toe off of the ground and moved it up towards my lips (while sitting) for me to "kiss it and make it better." Priceless! She looked absolutely adorable! And, my husband was there to see it too!

And, either the night before or that same night, Annabelle had hurt her little finger, and my husband asked her "Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" And, sure enough, she held out her little finger for him to kiss it and make it better.

I asked Grandmama the next day if she had been teaching her that we "kiss" things to make them better. Of course, Grandmama said "yes." Big surprise! My daughter is constantly learning from her Grandmama. I think maybe Grandmama needs to raise her instead.

I mentioned to my husband that Grandmama had taught Annabelle that we "kiss" things to make them better, and he did make me feel better by saying, "You've been doing that with her for awhile now." I thought about it, and I guess I have. I guess Grandmama just leaves more of a lasting impression, huh?

Little Miss Independent

On Wednesday, January 16, 2008, the day before Annabelle's 15 month checkup, she woke up with her second cold ever! This is the second time she has ever been sick, period! And, the first time was actually on her 12 month birthday!!!

So, we go about life as usual. I had some last minute grocery shopping to do, so we ran to both Kroger and Publix around 10:30 a.m., and we got home around 12:30 p.m. By then, Annabelle was pretty fussy (and hungry). So, I tried to strap her into her high chair, and she screamed. And, she continued to scream even after I gave her some lunch. Since she wasn't feeling well from that nasty cold, I unbuckled her and decided to give her a whole banana.

But, first, I had to peel the banana (or at least get it started). She took a bite of the banana, and then she proceeded to take the banana away from me. She wanted to hold it herself! Well, okay, that's fine, whatever. But, the only problem with that was when it came time for her to take another bite, the banana peel was in the way, so I reached down and tried to help her peel the banana.

She was not happy with me at all! She jerked her arm with the banana in her hand away from me and screamed at me. She did not want my help. She wanted to peel that banana herself. And, honestly, she tried to peel it, and she did a pretty darn good job considering she has never peeled a banana all by herself before.

So, there you have it, Little Miss Independent is showing her wings again!

New Toother - Molar # 1

Hallelujah! Miss Annabelle finally has a molar, and her Mommy is wishing that the other three are going to make their grand entrance any day now so that these sleepless nights are over for awhile! And, please tell me that she is ONLY going to get four molars in her second year! That is all, right?

We (scratch that, I mean, Annabelle and her Mommy) have had many sleepless nights since Thursday, December 27th when Annabelle decided that she needed her Mommy within nursing distance all night long while we were at Vogel State Park for much needed rest and relaxation. Ha! Can you call that rest and relaxation?

I must tell you that Annabelle screamed bloody murder that night whenever her Daddy held her and tried to rock her to sleep. It broke my heart, and I rescued her both times. She instantly settled down. Before this episode, her Daddy had turned into quite the pro at getting Annabelle to sleep in 10 minutes or less while it took her Mommy anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or more. After this lovely episode, she has NOT allowed her Daddy to rock her to sleep period. She will not allow the lights to go off with her in his arms without a screaming fit. And, sometimes, when she wakes in the middle of the night, I have to have him hold her for just a minute so I can at least go potty myself. She wants nothing to do with it though!

I am sure that 10-12 years from now, she is going to want nothing to do with her Mommy though! Does that seem unfair to anyone else? I get to deal with the sleepless child now and the raging hormonal daughter 10-12 years from now while Daddy gets his sleep now and he gets to see the sweet side of the raging hormonal daughter 10-12 years from now. I repeat, does that seem unfair to anyone else?

Okay, so all that being said, Annabelle spent the day with Grandmama and Granddaddy on Monday, January 21st while I went to the office to get a little work done. That evening, my mom said, "Mommy, I have another tooth" speaking for Annabelle. Sure enough! That little booger's bottom right molar is starting to protrude. If you are looking at Annabelle, it is the bottom left molar, but it is her bottom right molar. I had noticed not too long ago that her gum in that exact spot looked really white. I guess that was why.

And let me tell you, I cannot blame the poor child for screaming bloody murder! That tooth looks mighty painful to me too!

But, I am really hoping that each tooth is not going to protrude slowly, one at a time. I do not think I can stand a month of sleepless nights per tooth!

You are already three months overdue

Those are the words Annabelle's pediatrician used on January 17, 2008 to let me know that he thought I should get rid of the paci now (or apparently three months ago). He said he could tell she was still using a paci because her teeth were pushed forward (or backward). I am not sure of the exact words. I, personally, am not so sure I believe that he really could tell that her teeth had been displaced. Nor do I agree with taking away one of my daughter's most prized and precious objects at such a crucial time in her development.

The conversation went as follows, "Is she still taking a paci? Or is she sucking her thumb?" I said, "Yes, she is still using a paci." He said, "Well, you need to get rid of that now. You are already three months overdue on that one." Excuse me!!! For one, you NEVER told me on my last visit that I needed to dump the paci! Why are you all of the sudden realizing that she is now using a paci? Then I say, "Well, how do you suggest I do that?" He says, "Just start cutting the end off every day a little at a time. She will eventually pick it up and not want it any more because there will be no suction." Yeah! She will not want the paci, but clearly, she is going to want something else...all night long (when she cannot sleep)! I don't think so!!! I said, "That is mean." He said, "It is already going to be harder than it would have been three months ago." Again, excuse me!!!

And, on that note, I have a hard time understanding why he thinks I should wean her from the paci when he has specifically told me that if I am able and willing, then I should nurse her as long as I feel comfortable. He even told me that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing one year as a minimum, but they encourage mothers to nurse the first two years of life.

I, honestly, think he could "tell" she was still using a paci because the nurse specifically asked me if she was still using a bottle or a paci, and she checked off yes to both in Annabelle's 15 month checkup medical record sheet. I really don't even know why she checked off yes to bottle as I specifically told her that she's been using a sippy cup since 12 months, but I've tried to give her whole milk out of a bottle just to get her used to cow's milk because she is still nursing, and I am trying to slowly wean her (over her second year). She pretty much refuses any cow's milk from a sippy cup. I don't even know why I shared that little bit of life story with the nurse anyway, but I guess I know for next time to just keep my mouth shut! Oddly enough, he didn't even mention anything to me about her still using the bottle (according to the 15 month checklist of questions). See the excerpt below from "The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers." Unfortunately, I read that section after Annabelle's 15 month checkup.

Annabelle mostly uses her paci at naptime and bedtime. It is part of her bedtime routine, and she needs it to sleep. She doesn't throw it out of her crib in the middle of the night just to get our attention. Most mornings, when I go to get her up, there she is with paci in mouth and teddy in hand (or teddy on floor).

And for goodness sakes, her molars are starting to protrude through those sweet, little gums! Why on earth would I take her paci away now when she needs it the most for comfort?

Can you tell that I am pretty irritated with my pediatrician regarding this issue? These pediatricians are always quick to tell you how to raise your kids, but how many of their own kids have they really raised? And, even if they have kids, (I'll ask the question again), how many of their own kids have they really raised?

Unfortunately, my husband has struggled a bit with me on this one. I think only because I mentioned to him the comment regarding her teeth being pushed forward (or backward). However, we have discussed (calmly) since Annabelle's 15 month checkup, and he doesn't seem so against me on this issue now. Of course, I did ask him, "Are you going to rock her and hold her all night while she screams (because she wants her paci) just so we can wean her from her paci." He was quick to answer "no"to that one.

However, I am thankful that he cares enough about his daughter to challenge me on some things. He is a wonderful father, and we aren't always going to agree. But, I hope that we'll both always compromise enough so that Annabelle is always clear on her direction related to discipline and child rearing.

Here are some quotes from a few books I have been reading regarding this very issue.

From "Touchpoints" by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. on page 143 in the "One Year" section, "If a pacifier has become a habit, now is not the time to take it away. Nor would I talk about it. Any attention parents pay to it will heighten its use as a teasing issue. In the second year, a child deserves to have a crutch she can use to help her soften the struggle of being a toddler."

Also from "Touchpoints" by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. on page 65, "Sometimes parents see a thumb as dirty; others worry that a pacifier will ruin a child's teeth. To calm this latter worry, I am able to tell parents of a study done by dentists at Children's Hospital on children who suck their thumbs or pacifiers and those who don't. There was little difference in their need for braces. Apparently, it is tongue thrust that deforms upper teeth. In any case, the most important reason for the need to straighten teeth is likely to be a genetic tendency. The exception may be children who are withdrawn and who suck most of the time, or children who go on sucking intensely after age five or six. But the problems of such children are in the area of socialization rather than in the area of sucking."

From "The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers" by Vicki Iovine on page 60, "My Girlfriend Melanie took her two-year-old to the pediatrician for a checkup several years ago and mentioned that her daughter, Mariah, still drank from a bottle. Having read all the literature about the sugar in juice and milk, Mel didn't allow anything except water in the bottles, but was otherwise unconcerned. Well, let's just say she was as unconcerned as any first-time mother is when her child doesn't seem to be following the Rules, no matter how asinine those Rules are. Take it from me, if you're a truly unconcerned mother (as in barely conscious, like me), you don't even mention those things to a pediatrician unless you are prepared to deal with them. Anyway, Melanie was told that she should stop giving Mariah bottles now that she had hit the ripe old age of two. When bold Melanie asked why it was important for her darling, well-adjusted daughter to give up something she clearly loved and needed, the doctor told her that "it was time." That's all; "it was time." Talk about your lame responses. As if Melanie were willing to endure a temper tantrum every time she refused to give her daughter a bottle AND watch her beloved child feeling insecure and bereft, just because "it was time."

Google Analytics

For all of you new bloggers out there...you can go to http://www.google.com/analytics/ and add a script to your blog to track visitors. It is really neat as it shows you the city, state and country for your blog visitors. I do not think the "city" is the exact city where the visitors live, but it gives you an idea of their location. And, it shows if you are receiving visitors because you are set up in someone else's blogroll. If you are new to this "internet junkie" world (as my husband likes to call it), my blogroll is the blogs and websites listed below "My Favorite Blogs."

Homemaking 101 Spring Semester: F

I should receive an "F" in Homemaking 101 for Spring Semester (if there ever was such a course). I have failed miserably during this past week (being 7 days). Oddly enough, I just mentioned to my mom over the phone last week (probably Monday or Tuesday) that I was so proud of myself for actually keeping the house straight on a daily basis. Now, keep in mind, I did not say "clean." I said, "straight." And, yes, I am proud when I can keep a "straight" house.

We live "in town" as some people like to call it, and as a result, we pay (and I don't mean pay as in with hard earned cash) dearly when it comes to space for our living quarters. If you leave one magazine on a table or in a chair or a pair of shoes by the front door, the house looks cluttered and disorderly. So, naturally, you have to understand that my house probably always looks cluttered since there are almost always toys lying around everywhere in every single room of the house. I love our house though, and I am very thankful that I don't have more house to clean or more house to pay higher utility bills on or more rooms for the toys to scatter. And believe me, I still think the toys would scatter into every room in the house no matter how big the house or how many rooms in the house. Fortunately, with a smaller house, I have less rooms to "clean."

So, every night, probably since the beginning of the New Year and frankly, probably right after Christmas as well, I have tried to do a very good job of picking up after myself and my daughter every evening after she's down for the night. I've made a point to put all of the toys and books away AND make sure the kitchen is clean and the dishes are put away BEFORE going to bed. It is amazing how much better I feel when I wake up to a clean kitchen and orderly house.

Well, last week was a very bad week for Miss Annabelle, and, as a result, it was a horrible week for Homemaking 101! On Wednesday of last week, Annabelle woke up with a cold. I heard her coughing that morning before she actually woke up, so I was certain that we had been blessed with her second ever cold or illness (for that matter)! Fortunately, she didn't run a fever with this cold though.

So, on Thursday, she had her 15 month wellness checkup. The pediatrician said that she was fine to go ahead and get her shots though (3 shots) since she had not been running a fever. So, she got her vaccinations, and we headed home around 10:30 a.m. By 11:00 a.m., she was not happy, and she was very needy for me. She would not stop crying (even when I held her), and she kept touching her little leg as if it were hurting. By 11:06 a.m., I gave her a dose of Tylenol. It seemed to take forever for it to kick in though. By 3:00 p.m. (after her nap), she was ready for another dose, and according to the instructions from the doctor, you should wait 4-6 hours between doses of the Tylenol. I gave her the last dose of Tylenol at bedtime around 8:00 p.m.

Please note that my poor child has to be really uncomfortable for me to give her any medicine at all. I am not real big into dosing out the medicine for any small ache or pain, so I'll only administer the medicine when I find it absolutely necessary. I am preparing her for natural childbirth! I really cannot understand these mothers that say, "just give them some Benadryl if they cannot sleep through the night." If you are one of those mothers, please don't be insulted, but right now, it just isn't for me! I don't think medicine solves every problem. Unfortunately, I think medicine is a temporary fix and can often cause more problems down the road.

But, I will say that I did not say "I'll never give her Benadryl to get her to sleep through the night." Motherhood has taught me the most important lesson of all: Never say never!!!

I spent almost the entire day on Thursday holding and rocking my baby. I even had to hold her and rock her during her nap time because whenever I tried to lay her down, she would cry and stand back up in her crib. I was not about to even think about letting her cry it out today. Not that I ever do! Well, maybe I've thought about it, but I'm such a sucker, and I cannot stand to listen to her cry. So, every day at nap time and at bedtime, I rock her to sleep. It works for us. Of course, I don't know what I am going to do when a second child comes along. If I spend this much time rocking the second child to sleep, Annabelle will never get any attention or one on one time.

And, on top of Annabelle being very needy during the day (because of her shots), she also has been keeping me up at night, during the past week, waking at different intervals such as 1:00 a.m., 3:30 a.m. and then again at 5:30 a.m. The odd thing is that some nights she doesn't wake at all. What am I doing right on those nights and wrong on the others?

So, all of that being said, I am way behind on all of my housekeeping because I've been busy comforting a toddler, and frankly, too tired during the day to do much more than hold and play with Annabelle. And, you know what, it really doesn't matter. It does drive me crazy sometimes to live in such a disorderly home, but no one is going to die because I don't have all of the dishes washed or the clothes washed or the rugs vacuumed.

I will say, though, catch up is "h e double hockey sticks"! I spent pretty much all day today washing clothes (and they were mostly all Annabelle's clothes). It was about time since the poor child has been sleeping in clothes that completely do not match because all of her pajamas have been dirty. For example, last night she slept in a red Christmas shirt and blue pants with flowers on it with pink socks to match. Lovely! And, I've been digging through the hamper trying to find the "cleanest" socks the past few mornings because all of her socks are dirty. How terrible is that? I shouldn't mention that I probably haven't washed clothes for Annabelle since we left for Vogel State Park back on December 27th. But, this little 15 month old girl has more clothes for one season than I do for all four seasons!

So, I am going to bed now with a fairly "straight" house and clean clothes! I only have one more load left to wash for Annabelle tomorrow (the whites, and there are not many whites to wash). And, then, she should be good (with clean clothes) for another 3 weeks.

Here is to me keeping a "straight" house for another 3-4 weeks! Wish me luck!

The Days Revolve Around Food

Does anyone else think that everything about a baby and a toddler revolves around food? I feel like Annabelle is constantly having to eat, and I am just talking about the three meals a day. I am not real big into giving her "snacks" during the day as I've read that toddlers don't really need "snacks" until they truly understand that we eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Apparently, according to this pediatrician (Dr. Brazelton), if you feed them snacks during the day while they are still learning to try new foods, then they won't even really bother eating what you're trying to get them to eat (like the green beans, broccoli and carrots). And, yes, Mother, I know you probably don't agree with me on this one, but the pediatrician you loved so much is the one who wrote this little bit of advice. It sort of makes sense to me. And, she doesn't seem hungry for the snacks unless she just happens to venture into the kitchen when I open up the kitchen cabinet where I store her Goldfish and Animal Crackers. Then, if she doesn't get her Goldfish or Animal Cracker right then, she goes into "Meltdown Mode."

So, you think I'm a mean mom...I'm really not (well, not when it comes to the good old junk food). Actually, my theory (right now) is that as Annabelle gets older, we will have junk food available for her if she wants it. If she wants a cookie before dinner, she can have it. If she wants tea or Coke with dinner (instead of water), she can have it. I personally believe that children will eat less junk food if they aren't kept from the junk food all of the time. I think they need to learn the difference between the empty calories and the healthy calories, however.

I had a friend in elementary school whose mom told her she was allergic to chocolate. However, she quickly learned that she was not, and whenever she got a chance to devour a piece of chocolate, she went nuts!

So, that's my theory! I guess we'll soon see whether or not I follow it a few years from now. I am hoping that allowing Annabelle to have whatever she wants whenever she wants it will prevent her from craving junk food all of the time. And, my goal is to teach her the proper foods to eat for a healthy diet.

So, anyhow, back to my original question...Does anyone else think that everything about a baby and a toddler revolves around food? I feel like the majority of my day is spent in the kitchen preparing the food and then cleaning up after the meals or in the dining room sitting with a toddler waiting for her to finish her breakfast, lunch or dinner. And, I am not even counting the time spent in the morning, afternoon and evening nursing her. Everything is all about food!

And, it wasn't any easier when she was an infant as she still needed to nurse every three hours (and sometimes less). Crazy! How much nourishment do these little things really need?

That's a Jack-O-Lantern, That's an egg

That's a Jack-O-Lantern, that's an egg. That's a Jack-O-Lantern, that's an egg. That's a Jack-O-Lantern, that's an egg. That's an egg, that's a Jack-O-Lantern. That's a Jack-O-Lantern, that's an egg. That's an egg, that's a Jack-O-Lantern.

This is the conversation that my husband had with Annabelle this evening as he read her one of Richard Scarry's many words books. I couldn't stop laughing as Annabelle kept pointing at the same pictures over and over and over again, and it reminded me of what she had done to me (with the same book) just a few days earlier.

It was hilarious! And, I tried to grab the video camera to get it on video because it was so humorous to hear my husband repeat the same words over and over again. But, naturally, by the time the video camera was in hand and turned on, Annabelle stopped pointing to the same two objects. Of course, I still had him play it out for the video camera, but you know, it is never the same!

Snowing in the ATL

Yes, it snowed today in Hot 'Lanta! And, it was a beautiful sight. It has been an unusually warm winter here, so it was a pleasant surprise to have TWO snowstorms in one week. It first snowed earlier this week on Wednesday, January 16th. And, Wednesday was the first day (in Annabelle's lifetime) that she was introduced to snow. The last time I recall us having snow in the ATL was back in December 2001 or January 2002 (it was that particular winter though).

Annabelle woke up Wednesday morning with a cold, but when the snow started falling Wednesday afternoon, I could not resist bundling her up into her winter coat, hat and mittens to play in the snow. Of course, by the first time I got her bundled up in her winter attire, the snow stopped falling, and it had not accumulated on the ground at that point. But, after I had undressed her from her winter attire (naturally), the snow started falling again, so we went through the bundling routine once again to finally go and play in the snow that was finally accumulating on the ground. She really seemed to enjoy herself, but I'm not sure she thought too much about the snow. She enjoyed watching the snow more from the inside of the house.

Then today, Annabelle's Daddy and I took her outside to play in the snow after she woke up from her afternoon nap. Since this 15 month old little girl does not have any snow boots (for obvious reasons), we put her little feet into Zip lock Freezer Bags (quart size) and then fastened the bags to her little legs with some of my hair bands. The Zip lock Freezer Bags served as socks on top of her socks because we put her shoes on over the bags. We used socks as mittens with her real mittens on top of the socks too. However, we learned shortly (after she had played in the snow for a little while) that we should have also used plastic bags as mittens on top of the socks and under the real mittens. I eventually ran inside and grabbed some sandwich bags to go on top of the socks on her hands (and under the mittens) as her little hands were getting wet and cold.

Well, as I start to run towards the front door to drop the video camera back into the video camera bag, Annabelle stumbles by the little slide we have in the front yard, and she starts crying, so I run over to her, pick her up and comfort her. She seems fine, so I run back towards the house, video camera in hand, and I drop the video camera back into the camera bag right at the door. My husband is there with her the whole time taking pictures.

As I walk back towards her, I notice that she has blood dripping from her nose. And, yes, you guessed it! She has her very first nosebleed! Poor baby! I run over towards her because I am instantly concerned, but I realize quickly that her nose is not bleeding profusely. I left my husband to watch over her, and I ran inside the house to get some toilet paper to use as a tissue to wipe her little nose. She seemed fine, but I suspect she must have hit her nose pretty hard on the slide to cause a nosebleed. She didn't cry very much or for very long though.

We don't think she really liked the snow too much today. I think her little hands got too cold, and that was after I had even run back inside the house to get sandwich bags to put over the sock mittens and under the real mittens to protect her from the wet and cold snow.

Annabelle's Daddy tried to show her the snow by holding it in one of his hands for her to see, and she proceeded very quickly to sweep it off of his hand onto the ground every single time. She had such attitude about it too as if she were saying, "How dare you hold that stuff up to me!"

11:46 p.m. on Friday, January 18th, 2008

That is the time that I finally got Annabelle down for the evening! Yes, so far, this may go down in history as one of our worst nights yet (as for bedtime). And, I know, believe me, I know, I am sure to have one far worse!

Grandmama and Granddaddy came over this afternoon around 11:45 to babysit Annabelle while I went to the office for another continuing professional education session. I actually left the house to head for the office at 1:18 p.m. (to be exact), and I didn't arrive back home again until closer to 7:15 or 7:30 p.m.

So, when I got home, I ate my Chick-fil-A that I had stopped and got on the way home, and then visited with my parents for awhile. Annabelle seemed to be in a fairly pleasant mood, and by the time 8:00 and then 8:30 rolled around, she still didn't seem very tired. So, at 9:00 p.m., I decided to start getting her ready for bed, and we said our goodbyes to Grandmama and Granddaddy. I probably started nursing her around 9:15 p.m., but as soon as she was finished eating, she decided it was time to read a book again, and she honestly pitched a fit when I told her we would do no such thing. She did not like that one bit, and she proceeded to throw her little temper tantrum until she finally got her way. I have got to stop giving in to these temper tantrums. She has not felt well since Wednesday though, so I hated to hold her down to rock her to sleep if something else was bothering her.

So, shortly after her little temper tantrum, I hear her Daddy close a door, so we know that he is home from his day trip and day flight to Raleigh, North Carolina. I suppose he should say hello to his little girl, so they bond for a little while, and she gets more play time before her Mommy finally decides it is time for bed again. In the mean time, I sent Daddy to get me a milkshake from the newly opened Steak 'N' Shake right up the road. And, no, I am not pregnant!

Well, once again, she's having nothing to do with sleeping. Before Daddy had left, we even tried to give her a little bit of Target brand Tylenol. Maybe her teeth are really hurting her. She opened her mouth and took the liquid Tylenol without a problem. She is definitely her Daddy's child when it comes to medicine! Where did she learn to actually like medicine? I rarely give her any medicine at all. That stuff really should not taste so good to them. Does anyone else think that is a little scary that it taste so good?

Well, the Tylenol didn't work, and Annabelle is once again screaming at the top of her lungs, and I mean, SCREAMING! So, I stand up and rock Annabelle in my arms, back and forth, back and forth. She proceeds to babble and pat me on my back to "love me" back. Then, she realizes my motive, and she starts screaming and arching her back to get down again. Finally, after I let her down (my patience is running thin), she continues to stand still and scream.

Is anyone feeling sorry for me yet? Ha! I know what you are all thinking right now...Poor Annabelle! Oh, poor, sweet Annabelle! What could possibly be wrong with her? Poor child! Please don't be so sympathetic with her. She is just very, very stubborn.

So, I am tired...it has been a long week as my husband was really only home one day this past weekend (Sunday), and he's been working very late nights all week, and he has not gotten home until after Annabelle's bedtime 3 out of the 5 nights. And, the other two nights he got home very close to bedtime (or in one case, Friday night (tonight), he got home before bedtime only because someone wouldn't go to sleep).

I call Annabelle's Daddy on the cell phone around 10:15 p.m. to find out where he is. He is just leaving Steak 'N' Shake, and they are closed! What?!?! They're closed? Isn't Steak 'N' Shake supposed to be open 24 hours? Bummer! Big, huge bummer!

Well, I tell him that I am planning to take Annabelle for a car ride to get her to fall asleep. He said he'd be home in just a minute. He gets home, we pack up the troops, and we're off. Well, that sure sounded easy, didn't it? I should mention that Annabelle was all excited about the car ride until she realized that I was going to strap her into her car seat, and she then, once again, realized my motive...to get her to go to sleep.

Okay, the SUV is cranked, and Annabelle leans her head to one side with Teddy Bear clutched in her arms. We haven't even pulled out of the driveway, and I think she is going to fall asleep! But, oh wait, Daddy pops in a cassette tape with soft music to help quiet her down. Big mistake! She woke up, and she stayed awake for a good 20 minutes. Her Daddy decided he needed to run by his office for just a minute, so we travel that way. She was still awake, and she was laughing and looking at all of the cars and lights. Go to sleep child! But, nope, she's not going to do it. We get to her Daddy's office, and I really didn't feel comfortable sitting in the car, so we all trot in to Daddy's office at 11:00 p.m. for him to send himself an e-mail. Don't ask!

Okay, she is exhausted at this point, and I can tell! So, we get in the car, buckle her in, and we're off again. I tell her Daddy to take the interstate North instead of South so that she'll have more time to ride to fall asleep. Low and behold, she finally falls asleep. In the mean time, I see the Varsity in my future, and I decide that I want an Orange Freeze from the Varsity. Come to find out...they close at 10:00 p.m. Aargghh!!! And, I'll reiterate once again, I am NOT pregnant!

So, we turn around, go home, and she's still asleep. Hallelujah! So, we get home, pull in the driveway...she's still asleep...I get out and slowly start to unbuckle her...she's still asleep...I start to lift her from the car seat...she's still asleep...and then as I lift her up into my arms, she starts screaming! Here we go again! This isn't the "I am going to cry until you give me my paci back" scream. This is the "I am not going to sleep" scream. Great!

So, I take her into the house, I nurse her, maybe for 15 minutes...she screams again when I try to give her the pacifier, so we switch sides instead. And, finally, finally (cross your fingers), she finally fell asleep, and I laid her down.

How much longer do you think I have until she awakens again? It is now 12:42 a.m.

I think the poor baby is miserable for one, with a cold, and for two, with teething (I think her molars are cutting through). She's never had problems with teething before, but this time, unlike any other time, she is drooling a lot more. And, I wonder if this "cold" and runny nose has anything to do with her teething. Well, I am thinking she still has a cold since both my husband and I aren't feeling so great as we are about to call it a night. I definitely feel a cold coming on! Lovely!

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is an inevitable evil. However, I really try to make it a positive experience for both my daughter and myself. I just recently read on one of the blogs that I try to read daily, http://lalakme.blogspot.com/, that this mom is trying to simplify her life as her New Year's Resolution (instead of listing 8 or 10 New Year's Resolutions). This is such a great concept (to use one word instead)! This is the entry from her blog, and I really like the idea as New Year's Resolutions often times end up in failure because people stray from the resolutions for a day or two or week and then decide that they have failed and result to their old bad habits (until the next January 1st). We should all constantly strive to better ourselves, whether it is January 1st or July 1st.

Excerpt from http://lalakme.blogspot.com/ (Lara, I hope you don't mind me posting this here).

Last year, I decided that I wasn't going to make a ton of specific resolutions at the New Year. Mainly because I always feel that I can only ever really focus on just one of the eight or ten goals I was in the habit of making, and that didn't help me feel very successful. So, last year, I decided to focus on one word, and let that govern the way I lived.

The word I chose for 2007 was care.

The word that Lara chose for 2008 is simplify. After reading her blogs (since she chose this word) about how she is trying to simplify her life, I found that she also struggles with the grocery shopping on a weekly basis. Of course, she has three kids, and I only have one, but I've still found that the weekly grocery shopping trip is just a nuisance! Fortunately, I have found some ways to improve myself. However, suggestions are always welcome! As Lara mentions, I also hit 4 stores on a weekly basis for my grocery shopping including Wal-Mart (for the staples), Kroger (for the produce), Publix (for the meat) and Sam's (for everything that is cheaper in bulk such as diapers, diaper wipes, toilet paper, etc. And, I always buy my milk (not Annabelle's milk) and cottage cheese from Sam's as it is cheaper at Sam's). I buy Annabelle the Horizon Farms Organic milk from Wal-Mart for $3 for a half gallon because the nurses in NICU pretty much scared me enough to think that the cow's milk is causing these young girls to go into puberty early. But, keep in mind that I'm still nursing, and Annabelle isn't really drinking much "cow's milk" right now. I am just trying to get her used to the idea and taste every once in awhile.

This past August, we took a beach trip with the in-laws (my mother-in-law, brother-in-law (my husband's brother), sister-in-law, niece and nephew and grandmother-in-law) to the beach (Blue Mountain Beach, FL near Destin, FL). While we were there, I saw a nifty spreadsheet that I assume my sister-in-law had prepared to aid with her own grocery shopping. She had her recipe for the week written on the back of it (we all cooked a meal one night), and I noticed it as I was looking at the recipe. So, I created my own spreadsheet (very similar to hers). Thanks to my sister-in-law for sharing her spreadsheet (even though she didn't know she shared it). :)

So, this spreadsheet breaks down almost everything we buy into categories based on where they are located in the grocery store as well as provides room to the right to jot down your weekly menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since then though, I have purchased a handy journal from the Dollar Tree to use as my "household journal" where I write down my weekly menu and goals for the next day such as "Mail Rebate" or "Bath Time for Bonzo." Bonzo is another nickname for Annabelle! Poor child! My husband blessed her with that nickname as well.

So, I hope that you'll find this spreadsheet helpful to you as well. I included almost everything we buy on at least a monthly (or even quarterly) basis, and this way, I can just scan the list before I hit the local Wal-Mart, and it helps to ensure that I don't forget something such as the shampoo (etc.) my husband would always say he needed (the day after I had already done my grocery shopping for the week). Does anyone else have that problem? It helps to save time on making another trip out for that shampoo that is suddenly completely empty. Of course, unfortunately, something ALWAYS seems to slip through the cracks, but it doesn't happen as often as it used to.

And, if you're frugal like me, and you love coupons, check out the following website: http://thecouponmom.com/. This website has been featured on Good Morning America, and it is great because it helps you use your coupons wisely every week along with the current sales ads to get the best bang for your buck, AND you can print out a nifty grocery shopping list from the website after clicking which coupons you plan to use.

So good luck, and good shopping! And, always remember that everything is a learning experience for your children! This is how I stay positive on grocery shopping day because this gives Annabelle another opportunity to learn!

Dinner Party

We had some friends over this evening for dinner, and as the couple left for the evening, the young man said, "J is quite the chef." That cracks me up! Little does he know that if they come over for another meal, they'll probably be served with the same entree as I don't know too many "company" recipes. Not to mention, I am far from being "quite the chef."

The wife has actually been on a diet since we saw them last at my husband's Christmas party (the husband actually works with my husband), and my husband is also on his diet for life as well. So, earlier in the week, I decided to find a recipe from "The Best Life Diet" by Bob Greene. I found a recipe for Mexican Tortilla Soup, and it was delicious! And, it is only 264 calories per serving! The total fat is 14 grams, with 3 grams being saturated, but I am sure that the total fat is probably less if you use white meat chicken (instead of the recommended roasted chicken).

So far, I have been really impressed with the recipes in this book. Normally, the meals that are healthy are never very tasty, but all of the ones I have tried so far have been great. And, unfortunately, there were absolutely no leftovers as I had actually planned in my weekly menu to have leftover soup on Saturday for dinner. Oh well, better than the alternative of having to eat elsewhere for dinner (after tasting a horrible meal).

By the way, this recipe does have a little kick to it though (with the cilantro).

And, on another note, before I share the recipe, Annabelle absolutely adored the wife. It normally takes Annabelle a little while to open up to new people, but she warmed up to her within just a few minutes. She had more interest in playing with her than she did with me. She wanted to show her all of her toys, and when it was time for bed, Annabelle sat in her lap and just hugged her around the neck. She really fell in love with this young lady! It was really sweet to see her respond so well to her. And, the best part to me, is that the couple is actually of a different race, and Annabelle hasn't been around many other people besides the typical albinos (like ourselves). It really was so nice to see her warm up to her so fast and so well. May she always express the same love and affection towards everyone as she did tonight! She saw no difference at all, and that is wonderful!

This young lady (and young man) are going to make wonderful parents one day. I was amazed at how well she handled and played with Annabelle. Much better than I ever did before I had kids! And, probably much better than I even do now! She pointed to the pictures and then showed Annabelle the real life object as well so that Annabelle could make the association. She sang songs to her (which I never would have done around other people because I wouldn't have wanted them to hear my awful singing voice). Of course, her voice was beautiful. She actually sat down on the floor (dirty floor I might add) with Annabelle and played. I just pray that one day this awesome couple will be able to have children of their own since they do seem so perfect for the position (assuming they even want to take on that challenge).

So, anyhow, the recipe is as follows:

Mexican Tortilla Soup (Serves 4 and no more)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, such as Healthy Valley fat-free chicken broth or Pacific Foods low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 small roasted chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded (I actually just used 5 large chicken breasts that I buy at Sam's as a bag of frozen chicken. I used my beloved pressure cooker, and since I assumed it was probably about 1.5 lbs of meat, I cooked it in the pressure cooker for about 4 minutes, and it seemed to be cooked just right).
One 14 1/2 ounce can Muir Glen organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (If fire-roasted tomatoes are unavailable, use regular diced tomatoes. Also, this can be found in the Natural/Organic Foods section of your grocery store. I had a hard time finding it at first until I learned that Kroger actually has a separate section for Natural/Organic foods).
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I think that "fresh" is probably the key here).
6 small (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut in half, then into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 ripe avocado, cubed (I used a whole avocado which is, obviously, more fattening).
1/4 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese

In a large stockpot over a medium-low flame, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onions and saute them until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper, and saute the mixture another minute.

Add the chicken broth, raise the flame to high, and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken, tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove the stockpot from the heat and cover.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over a medium flame, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the tortilla strips and allow them to brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle them with salt.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, top with cubed avocado, shredded cheese, and a handful of tortilla strips.

The Many Meanings of Waving

Annabelle understands waving to mean the following things: Bye-bye, Night Night, Hello and I Love You. This evening, I started nursing Annabelle and her Daddy put the CD in the CD player and turned on the noise maker (our usual routine). After he finished with his part of the routine, he leaned down to tell Annabelle goodnight and give her a kiss. I told her, "Say we love you, Daddy." She didn't even turn her head as she was too busy nursing, but she lifted her little hand in the air towards him, and she waved to him as if to say "I love you" by waving. We both just laughed, and her Daddy said, "I'm a little busy, Dad!" (as if to imitate what she was saying). I am constantly amazed at how much she understands!

Pressure Cooker Roast and Gravy

My parents bought me a pressure cooker for Christmas! I was very excited to get one, and I was also very anxious to start using it. My mom has used one for years to make some of my favorite meals including pole beans cooked with potatoes, onions and squash. And, she makes her collard greens or turnip greens in them for New Year's Day. I kind of like her collard greens now, but I could not stand them until I acquired a taste for them since we've been married.

Of course, I needed my mom to show me how to use it (like I cannot read directions or something, but she's always insisted to show me how to use a pressure cooker before I tried to use it on my own because I think she's afraid I'll burn myself or something), so she showed me on New Year's Day (as she made butter beans for dinner). It works great, and I have already made sweet potatoes, roast and carrots in it, and I thought everything turned out great.

I cooked a Beef Round Bottom Round Roast as follows in the pressure cooker:

Rinsed roast and then floured on all sides.
Browned all sides of roast in pressure cooker pot in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Poured 2 cups of water into pressure cooker with roast and remaining olive oil.
Cooked roast in pressure cooker on the high setting (setting 2) for 40 minutes after the pressure cooker started steaming and after the stove temperature was reduced from high to medium.
After the 40 minutes is up, pull the pressure cooker off of the stove and let the steam reduce itself naturally. With meat, you typically do not run cold water over the top of the pressure cooker to reduce the pressure.
This cooked the roast to be well done, so if you like it a little pink, you will want to reduce the cooking time a little bit.

As for the gravy to go with the roast, I made this after the roast was finished (per directions from my mom). The flavor of the gravy was very good (probably a little salty), but the consistency wasn't the best (especially after it sat for just a few minutes). Directions are as follows for the roast gravy (brown gravy).

Pour juice remaining in pressure cooker after roast is removed into separate saucepan. I used my non-stick pan, and it seemed to work pretty well as the gravy did not burn.
Boil juice until water is completely boiled out and only the goody (grease) remains.
Add 2 tablespoons of flour to grease and continue to boil.
I continued to boil and tried to get rid of the lumps of flour (that would not go away) until I finally had my husband call my mom to find out which part of the directions I had not followed correctly. Apparently, I forgot to add 2 cups of water to the mixture after adding the 2 tbs of flour. So, add 2 cups of water next. I still don't understand why you add 2 cups of water to the mixture after you've waited for all of the water to boil out originally.
And, I forgot to add 1 tsp of salt. My mom said to add between 1-2 tsp of salt, but I think that the 1 tsp was already too much, so next time I think I'd cut that back to 1/2 tsp of salt. As a side note, I just learned from a comment from my mom to my blog that it was supposed to be 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of salt. So, I was on the high end of the salt measurement, so this is why it tasted a little salty! Sounds like it was lost in translation from my mom to my husband over the phone and then to me as I cooked it.
And, finally, boil, boil and boil until the mixture is thick like gravy and a darker brown.
The floured lumps in my gravy never disappeared, so I think maybe next time I will sift the flour before mixing with the "goody." Well, is it true that good gravy is supposed to have lumps just like good homemade mashed potatoes? Which, by the way, we also had for dinner with the roast, gravy and carrots. I should note that the gravy probably took me about 30 minutes to make. Is that normal?!?! I started cooking dinner around 5:00 p.m., and we didn't eat until closer to 7:30 p.m. Hopefully next time I cook this I'll be able to speed up the process a little bit, and I won't have to worry with feeding a 15 month old dinner in between slicing the potatoes.

My husband and I both actually liked the roast better cooked in the pressure cooker versus our normal cooking option of the slow cooker. Also, my husband tasted the gravy with his fork, and he said, "That doesn't taste bad," and he does not normally like brown gravy for some reason. He loves the white gravy that you serve over biscuits, but he has never liked brown gravy. He claims to be born and raised in the South too! Blasphemy!

Pea Soup

I LOVE the pea soup that my mom used to make for us when we were younger, and she treated me to pea soup again since Annabelle has been born. I decided for lunch today that I wanted to treat Annabelle to the infamous pea soup as well. I thought maybe this would help her eat her veggies a little better. And, it did! She seemed to like it, and she ate about 2-3 tablespoons full. Here is the recipe. I need to write it down before I forget how to make it. Every time I want to make something that my mom used to fix, I call her up for the recipe over the phone (this is assuming I cannot already find it in the massive cookbook she gave to me when my husband and I got married). I wonder how many recipes are lost because generations failed to record and pass down those much loved favorite recipes.

Pea Soup

15 oz can Le Sueur Brand Early Peas (I normally will venture into name brands for groceries, but I have personally found that nothing beats the Le Sueur Brand).

15 oz can of Milk (Use the Le Sueur can after you empty the peas and juice into a separate bowl to measure your milk. This is normal cow's milk, not canned milk).

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour (I used all-purpose White Lily flour).

Salt and pepper to taste

Saltine crackers

According to my mom, you can up the amount of butter and flour you use as needed, but these two should be equivalent.

Melt the 2 tbs of butter in a saucepan and then add the flour and mix with the butter. After these two are mixed together, pour the 15 oz of milk into the saucepan. Be sure to stir constantly to keep the flour from sticking and burning to the saucepan. Boil the mixture of milk, butter and flour until the mixture is thick and soup like. Once the mixture comes to a nice thick consistency, pour the Le Sueur early peas into the saucepan. The juice from the early peas is only needed if you get your mixture too thick. Otherwise, you can toss it. Add salt and pepper to taste, and if you have the Saltines on hand, crumble a few into the mixture and stir.

That is it! It is very easy, and very yummy, and even my almost 15 month old enjoyed it!

Spin, Spin, Spin

I just noticed today that Annabelle has started to spin in circles. She spinned around several times before she made herself dizzy and tumbled to the ground. Then, she stood up and tried it again. Her Daddy witnessed it this evening as well. She's a mess!

She's a Flirt!

So, on Monday, December 31st, Annabelle and I visited the Dollar Tree so I could find a cute notebook to use as a Housekeeping and To-Do Journal. Thanks to Annabelle's Mommy for the suggestion. Instead of posting my daily top 2 to-do's on my blog as "Daily Goals," I have decided to start this journal to track my to-do's, grocery lists, etc., that is small enough to throw into Annabelle's diaper bag (my purse is too small for much of anything).

Well, Annabelle can be a bit shy sometimes, and whenever adults say hello to her, she just stares them down. She knows how to wave hello and goodbye, but she chooses when she is going to say hello and goodbye (and night night for that matter).

So, we are at the Dollar Tree, and Annabelle spots a little boy that is probably between 2 1/2 - 3 years of age, probably closer to 3 years. She instantly shoots him a smile, and at the same time, she waves to him. It cracked me up!

We walked away from where he was sitting in his stroller, and she continued to smile, and then she waved to him again once we were already at the other end of the aisle away from him.

So, my daughter is a flirt, and she is only 14 months (going on 20 years) old! Too bad for her that the little boy never waved back! Of course, I think she can do much better than him, but I guess she's going to be the one to choose her own husband one day. I just wish I could have more to say about it!

The Little Tikes Shopping Cart

Annabelle received the Little Tikes Shopping Cart from her Uncle, Aunt and Cousins on her Daddy's side of the family for Christmas this year. I thought maybe we would put it away in the shed and bring it back out in a few months since she got so much for Christmas already, and I thought she'd enjoy something new in a few months. It is a shame her birthday and Christmas fall so close together as all of her new toys arrive within the same time frame. Maybe next time we should plan for a May, June or July baby!

So, anyhow, I changed my mind because I knew how much Annabelle would really enjoy playing with the Little Tikes Shopping Cart because she loves to put small toys into baskets and small containers, so on Monday, December 31st (I believe), I had my husband open the box and put together the Little Tikes Shopping Cart.

Well, it was instantly a hit! I thought it would be nice to have Annabelle clean up around the house by placing her toys (that are everywhere) into the Shopping Cart and then rolling them to her bedroom to put them away. I even showed her how to place "Teddy" in the front of the shopping cart. However, she didn't like that too much. She seemed to think that "Teddy" needed to ride in the basket part of the shopping cart with his face down towards the ground. Poor Teddy! I tried to tell her that she needed to place Teddy in the front just like Mommy lets her ride up front when we go grocery shopping, but she didn't seem to care.

So, anyhow, I get her started cleaning up and "shopping" with her shopping cart, and I then head off to the kitchen to clean up a little bit. Well, she is not far behind me with the shopping cart being pulled behind her. No big deal, right? Sure, no big deal until she starts pushing and pulling the shopping cart into my kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances! These aren't just ordinary kitchen cabinets either. Back in 2005 (pre-Annabelle), my husband and I took a lot of time and energy and need I say, money, designing our "dream kitchen." And, it is just that, my dream kitchen! I love my kitchen, and I am very protective of my kitchen cabinets. And, if I can help it, I won't have a Little Tikes Shopping Cart scratching them all up.

Needless to say, this is inevitably out of my hands! Despite my love for my cabinets, I love my daughter so much more, and if she did happen to scratch and scar for life my kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances, I would refrain from yelling, screaming or crying and instead direct her into a different direction. Of course, I would probably be cringing inside, but, what are you going to do?

Well, you thought I was finished with that story, didn't you? Nope, I have to mention that Annabelle pretty much only likes to play with her Little Tikes Shopping Cart in the kitchen. This afternoon, the Shopping Cart was in the living room, and Annabelle and I were both in the living room, but she decided that she needed to pull the Shopping Cart into the kitchen. She got to the threshold between the kitchen and dining room, and just as she did, I pulled her and the Shopping Cart back into the dining room and closed the door going to the kitchen. She was NOT happy! She just pitched a little fit right then and there. I picked her up and held her, and she just cried. She wanted to play in the kitchen with her Shopping Cart. It didn't matter that I was not in the kitchen. The Shopping Cart, for some reason, is supposed to be played with in the kitchen. I think she likes the way it sounds as it bumps over the slate floors.

And, here is the cute part of the story of the Little Tikes Shopping Cart. Annabelle had found my checkbook earlier today, and she was walking around with the checkbook in the living room. I watched her to make sure that she wasn't going to rip out any checks, and she didn't. Apparently though, she found the checkbook again when I wasn't looking, and she dropped the checkbook into her Little Tikes Shopping Cart. She was going shopping! Not that I ever take a checkbook with me when I go shopping, but it was too cute to find that checkbook in her Shopping Cart. This evening, her Daddy discovered the checkbook in the Shopping Cart too, and he just laughed and said that "Annabelle really was going shopping" as he picked up the checkbook from the Shopping Cart.

New Toothers

Wow! It's been so long that I almost forgot my password to login again! Sorry for the sabbatical from blogging, but the Christmas festivities got the best of ALL of my blog time. And, I was actually ahead of the game this year too. But, somehow, we were still rushing last minute on Christmas Eve to wrap last minute gifts and clean up before Santa arrived.

And as for the title of my blog entry, does anyone else call their baby's teeth "toothers?" We typically try to stay away from all of the baby talk (besides the typical change in voice for an infant and toddler), but somehow, the word "toothers" has entered our vocabulary for "teeth." And, I am sure that "toothers" is not in the Websters Dictionary!

So, tooth #7 began protruding on Thursday, December 13th. Grandmama actually noticed it. Tooth #7 was Annabelle's bottom far left tooth from the original first bottom two (if that makes any sense). If you are looking at Annabelle, this would be the far right tooth from the original first bottom two (from her Mommy's eye of view). It didn't take long for this little tooth to make its grand appearance either as it shot up in plain view in no time.

Then, I noticed today that tooth #8 is started to protrude as well! This would explain the horrible night we had on Friday, December 28 while we were on "vacation" at Vogel State Park. Annabelle woke up shortly after we had gone down for the evening (around 1:00 a.m.), so she woke up around 2:00 a.m., and she would have nothing to do with me laying her back down in her Pack-n-Play. I even tried to get her Daddy to rock her to sleep, but she literally screamed bloody murder as soon as I handed her off to her Daddy. I couldn't take the screaming, as it was breaking my heart to hear her scream like that, so I rescued her, and I finally brought her into the bed with us to let her sleep between the two of us. She was fine as long as she was right up next to me.

And, you think that nursing her would have helped alleviate the pain long enough to lay her back down in the Pack-n-Play, but it didn't. She still screamed, and she really didn't want anything to do with nursing either. She just wanted her Mommy to hold her. And, apparently, she didn't always want that either!

I swore up and down (to my husband) that she had spotted a ghost in the cabin! Last time we stayed in that same cabin back in 2005 (and also another one we stayed at last year at Vogel State Park), my husband decided to scare me by talking about ghosts in the cabin.

I am afraid that she's becoming a "Mommy's girl" again. Today was a long day for me, so I asked my husband to rock her to sleep after I had nursed her, but once again, she screamed bloody murder as soon as I handed her off to him. I had to rescue her again as she was once again breaking my heart with that awful cry!

Maybe it is a good thing that she's becoming a "Mommy's girl" again as my husband is thinking he is going to be traveling a lot between now and March. It sounds like Annabelle and I will be spending many weeks alone between now and then. Bummer!