Jump Shake Your Bootie!

Apparently, this is another week full of constant discoveries for Annabelle.

I'm continuing to read "James and the Giant Peach" to Annabelle on a daily basis. I try to read 1-3 chapters a day to her (one in the morning, one before one of her nap times and then another before bedtime). She seems to really like the cover of the book as she will point at all of the characters on the cover until I tell her the name. "That is James Henry Trotter." "That is Miss Spider." "That is Ladybug." We are just now getting to the chapter in the book where the sharks are starting to attack the giant peach.

Well, anyhow, since I now read "James and the Giant Peach" to Annabelle about three times a day, she seems to be very aware that this is a popular book for us right now. This evening, my husband and I were sitting on the floor with her in the living room, and she decided to trail off to her bedroom. We heard her knock something down in the bedroom, and then "pitter patter," and there she was...Miss Annabelle was back in the living room with us again holding the "James and the Giant Peach" book. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think that she really understands that this book has been a focal point for us over the past few weeks. I don't know that she brought the book in the living room with her because she wanted me to read it to her, but I think she can relate to the book. Her three books of choice right now include her "100 First Words" and another picture book and "James and the Giant Peach."

I am thinking I'd like to read "Superfudge" to her next because I remember loving that book. There were two of those books, weren't there? Was Superfudge the 1st or 2nd one? I remember that I liked the 1st one. I also loved the Beverly Cleary books, Amelia Bedelia books and Little House on the Prairie books. I have the set of the Little House on the Prairie books, so maybe I should pull those out to read them to her.

So, as for the title of my blog. You are probably wondering where the title came from? Well, this evening as my husband and I were studying one of Annabelle's picture books with her, we pointed to a picture of a lady jumping, and we said, "That is a lady jumping." The word description under the picture literally says, "Jump." Strange, if you ask me, because most of the pictures in the book are of animals, objects, etc., but not actions. Well, it was the cutest thing I have seen so far...she started jumping! Every time we said, "That is a lady jumping," Annabelle would start jumping up and down on the floor (as she was standing up next to the glider stool while we read the book to her).

I am amazed at how fast she learned the word "jump." On Monday evening, I had just started using the word with her to show her the action (besides pointing it out in the book as I've already been doing for a few weeks). And when I started using the word with her on Monday, I didn't even have the book in sight. Instead, I just started jumping like a bunny rabbit towards her, and I'd say, "Jump!" I cannot believe that it clicked that quickly!

Of course, when I realized that Annabelle understood the word "jump," I had to stand up with my rear end facing her to sing "Jump shake your bootie! Jump, jump, shake your bootie!" We actually would sing this to her when she was probably about 3-6 months old. We would bounce her up and down and shake her little bootie as we sang the song to her, and she would just smile and laugh. She thought it was so funny. My nephew actually starting referring to the song as "Annabelle's song," and now my niece, my nephew's sister, refers to it as "Annabelle's song" as well.

When I showed Annabelle how to jump and shake her bootie though, my husband turned to Annabelle and said, "Annabelle, we don't do that out in public though." I laughed and said, "Why not? I think it would be kind of cute." He said, "You think it would be cute for Annabelle to go to church and then jump and shake her bootie for everyone there?" Well, maybe not at church!

And some more words that seemed to click with Annabelle today...I pointed to a picture in her "100 First Words" book, and I said, "Crib." Then, I pointed and touched her crib. She understood the connection because she would then look at the picture book and then at her crib as if she understood. On another word, I would point at a teddy bear in the book and say, "Teddy Bear." Then, I would point at her own Teddy Bear that she was holding. After that, she'd look in the book at the teddy bear picture, and then she'd point at her own teddy bear.

Also, there was a picture of a "Queen" in the book. When my husband pointed out the picture to Annabelle, he said, "Queen. Mommy is a queen." As soon as he said, "Mommy," she looked at me, and then she pointed at me. It was sort of funny though because of the context of the conversation with him saying, "Mommy is a queen."

I also asked Annabelle, "Where is your Daddy's nose?" this evening, and she went to his face to find his nose. She was very close as I think she pointed right below his nose.

And, last, but certainly not least, Annabelle sat down this evening on the floor on her own with such grace, and she didn't even use her hands. She had two toys, one in each hand, but she lowered her little body to the ground to sit, and it was without a bump and without her hands as support.

My baby is no longer a baby! It is still so bitter sweet!

Hot Water!

Annabelle discovered yesterday, Sunday, November 25th, how to turn on the hot water faucet in the tub! Yet another danger lurks in our home!

Now I have to worry about Annabelle burning herself with the hot water AND about Annabelle running a tub full of water to try to "swim." Of course, I hope I am watchful enough that I'll catch her before she runs even the slightest drip of water. You know, we are suffering the worst drought that I can remember in my lifetime. All we need are babies learning to waste more water by running faucets and flushing toilets (which she learned to do the week after Labor Day weekend). Thank goodness though, she doesn't try to flush the toilet very often.

Of course, dummy me showed her how to turn the faucet on yesterday, but I didn't think she'd do it all by herself right away! I was just trying to teach her something new.

To Work, or Not To Work: That is the Question.

Okay, I am going to try and make this post short and sweet as I am very tired, and it is 10:17 p.m. as I am just starting this post, and I am pretty sure that Annabelle will be awake by 7:15 a.m. tomorrow morning.

So, today was the longest amount of time that I have actually spent away from my daughter since she was born. In order to keep my license active, I am required to obtain so much Continuing Education every year, and 8 hours of this "CPE" has to be in Accounting & Auditing, also known as A&A. Well, the firm that I work for part-time hosts this annually, and everyone in the firm attends so that everyone can knock out their 8 hours of A&A in one day.

The subject matter is absolutely torturous and very, very boring! And, this time, the speaker pretty much read from his PowerPoint presentation the entire time.

Well, every time I go to a work event, no matter how boring (obviously), I really start to miss my previous life BA (before Annabelle). The firm is growing so fast that there are so many new faces, and then when I meet some of the new people, they will ask which department I work in. Of course, I am always stumped for an answer because I feel the need to explain that I only work from home and this is why they've never even met me even though I've been working with the firm for 8+ years (minus the 1.5 years we were in TN, so that makes 6.5+ years).

I feel like a pee-on once again, and I am actually somewhat envious of some of the people in my department who are moving up in the ranks and making great impressions on the partners. I am jealous because it isn't me, and I am no longer an integral piece of what is making the firm so successful. I used to be the "Superstar," but I am no longer privy to that title as I only work 10-20 hours per month!

But, I, instead, am staying home with my daughter and, as a result, putting my career on complete hold. I never thought this would bother me (before Annabelle was born and even before I got pregnant), but it truly does leave a pit in my stomach.

I often wonder... Am I making the right decision staying home with Annabelle? Would I not be as good of a mother if I worked more than I do now? Would I maybe be a better mother if I worked full-time or even more part-time?

Sometimes I feel that some of the other women are looking at me and thinking, "Well, that must be nice. She gets to work when she feels like it." And, don't get me wrong, I do have the ideal situation. I can work my own schedule around my toddler's schedule and still pull in a little extra income to help us take those much enjoyed vacations. Little do they know that staying at home is really a very demanding and exhausting job. Finding the time to actually "work" for pay is very difficult. And when I do find the time in the evenings after Annabelle has gone to sleep, I am exhausted, and instead, I'd rather use my time either blogging, reading a good book or scrapping (well, hopefully one day I'll scrap). Of course, I am pretty exhausted right now after being at work for the seminar and firm meeting after the seminar (all lasting from 8:15 this morning until 7:10 this evening). And, then, I didn't get home until 7:30 p.m. or so.

So, "To Work, or Not To Work: That is the Question." I need some encouraging words as I am being selfish again, and I feel that I am missing out on my own personal career growth.

My husband told me (after I mentioned to him that I no longer felt like the "Superstar"): "Did you see Annabelle's eyes light up when you got home this evening? You are a Superstar to her." Of course, my response was that he works full-time, and her eyes light up when he gets home from work. He couldn't argue with me on that one.

I guess all I really need is to be a "Superstar" in her eyes though, but I know that 10 or 11 years from now, she is not going to see me as a "Superstar" and she probably won't see me as a "Superstar" again from that age until she has a child of her own.

What is Thanksgiving without...

my Mother's Cornbread Dressing and Pumpkin Pie? Those are both probably my two favorite must haves for Thanksgiving lunch or dinner. It is a sad Thanksgiving when I don't get my Mother's Cornbread Dressing and Pumpkin Pie. It is such a sad Thanksgiving without them that I opted to have Thanksgiving at our home (instead of opting for a much easier meal at the nearest Cracker Barrel) just so I could enjoy the Cornbread Dressing and Pumpkin Pie.

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a luncheon first at our house (around noon). My parents and my aunt (my mom's sister) and my uncle (her husband) joined us. I bought a Jennie-O turkey breast from Sam's, so the turkey was easy as I only had to heat the turkey for 1 1/2 hours (since it was already cooked).

And, I made two Pumpkin Pies (my mom's recipe) on Wednesday, and then on Thanksgiving, I got up and made my Crock pot Macaroni & Cheese and Green Bean Casserole. My Mother made and brought her famous (very yummy) Cornbread Dressing and she made a Sweet Potato Souffle as well because I told her that I really wanted to make one, but I thought it would be a lot of trouble to make with a little one holding onto my legs. Because, what is Thanksgiving without a Sweet Potato Souffle? My Aunt brought her famous Pineapple Casserole, and that was the makeup of our Thanksgiving Feast celebrated at our house for the very first time ever! Oh, and I bought a can of Cranberry Sauce too (without the whole berries).

My brother and his wife have always had Thanksgiving at their house, but they moved to New Jersey earlier this year. My brother actually moved away in October 2006, but they didn't sell their house and move the family until 2007, so we celebrated Thanksgiving with them last year. This year, they stayed home in New Jersey. We missed them, but at least I didn't have to fight my brother this year for the Pumpkin Pie! We both love the Pumpkin Pie that my mom has always made, and as siblings, we've always fought for the biggest slice. Fortunately, my mom always makes two pies (because the recipe makes two pies), so we normally have each gotten a pie of our own (after sharing with Mother and Daddy, of course).

Maybe I'll have Thanksgiving at our house again next year.

For our trip to my husband's Granny's house, I made "Puppy Chow" on Wednesday. "Puppy Chow" includes 9 cups of Crispix mixed with a small bag of milk chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter and a stick of butter. The latter ingredients are melted together before they are mixed with the Crispix. And, then, after the Crispix is tossed with the melted ingredients, you pour a box of powdered sugar over the Crispix and toss until the Crispix is covered. It was a huge hit, and it was finished off before we left his Granny's house on Saturday afternoon.

I now know that some type of finger food is the best junk to take to Granny's to get the "Oohs" and "Aahs" that I normally NEVER get. Finally, at last, I was the Martha Stewart of the Thanksgiving! Ha! Ha! I wish! Everyone really did seem to enjoy the Puppy Chow though, and they all wanted to know the recipe.

Let's Give Thanks

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment to give thanks to the many things that I am thankful for. I think we all too often take things for granted, so I am just taking this moment to blog for my own reality check.

So, this Thanksgiving I wanted to take a moment to thank God for everything he has given us!

I am thankful for:

1. God for blessing us with another breath!
2. Annabelle who brightens each and every day! I cannot see my life without her now, and I am so thankful that God blessed us with such a sweet, beautiful and upbeat little girl.
3. My husband who has ALWAYS been very supportive of me. And, for being the most intelligent and unselfish person I know.
4. My parents who have shown me how to love unconditionally by example through their own lives of loving each other as well as the love they have shown towards me.
5. My mother-in-law who raised an exemplary man!
6. My brother, sister-in-law and their three kids for teaching me a lot about love, marriage and innocence through the years. I'll never forget my 2nd nephew telling me (while I was pregnant) to be careful as I walked up and down the stairs in their house because "I was carrying a baby in my tummy." And, I won't forget (according to my mom) that my brother insisted that my Dad go home to check on me the evening that I had my first date with my husband. At the time, I was still "going steady" with someone else whom my mom claims was a "stalker," so my brother, while in the hospital after a surgery to his jaw, insisted that my Dad go home right away to check on me. He had to write this out on a paper though because he couldn't talk. And, my mom said he wrote it out with such exclamation. He apparently wasn't worried about the date with my husband, but instead about the "stalker" boyfriend showing up. And the care, concern and love that my sister-in-law showed before and after the birth of my daughter.
7. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their two kids for teaching me a lot about reaching out to others. I was amazed at the love and support they showed after the birth of our daughter.
8. My best friend who has been there for me through thick and thin all of these years despite me not always being the greatest friend in return. She has taught me the true meaning of a friendship.
9. My college friends that I have stayed connected with now since our freshmen year back in 1996. I have learned something from each of them, and I appreciate their friendship and support.
10. My part-time job that has helped me keep my foot in the door with my profession.
11. My part-time job mentors that have helped me grow both professionally and personally.
12. Our home which provides us with shelter.
13. Our health.
14. The opportunity for me to stay home with Annabelle.
15. Running water (need I say more)!
16. Clothes to protect us from the weather.
17. Beautiful days and nights. (This is the day that the Lord hath made!)
18. Food to keep our tummies full and our bodies nourished.
19. Freedom as a United States citizen.
20. Eternal life.
21. Again, my sweet Annabelle who just started crying, and I realized, as I muttered under my breath, "Why do you always start crying when your Daddy walks out of the house for a minute?," that I am thankful for those cries as I know she's alive and breathing!

Crib Climbing

Just curious, how long do I have before Annabelle will learn to climb out of her crib? Just a few days ago (within the last week), I noticed that Annabelle was actually lifting her leg up when I went to get her up one morning. I guess I wasn't moving fast enough for her, and she was trying to figure out a way to lift her leg to climb over the crib railing.

Safe Haven (or not)

So, when Annabelle has trotted to her bedroom alone, I normally do not worry as her bedroom has been pretty much child proofed (until today)! I don't leave her for an extended period of time by any means, but if I'm in the kitchen washing dishes with my hands soaked in dish water, I normally have a second to dry my hands before I trot off after her to her bedroom to find her.

I can see her go into her bedroom from the kitchen, and she normally either closes the door so she can access the books on the bookshelf behind the door (which is fastened to the wall) or she'll go to the corner of the room nearest to the bathroom and back of the house (which houses a bright pink fabric foldable box of her toys). All visible outlets are protected with those little child proofing thing-a-ma-jigs you put into the outlets with the exception of the one that has her CD player plugged into it, and the CD player is sitting on the floor. I guess she could unplug the CD player to access the outlet herself, so maybe I need to rethink that one.

So, I was actually thinking yesterday about her climbing fiascoes, and I started wondering how long it would take her to figure out that she can climb onto couches, recliners and the glider in her bedroom.

Because she often will just "get it" suddenly (about anything), I started thinking (again) that maybe I need to pull out the baby gates to lock her in the kitchen with me while I am cooking. For the most part, when I am preparing dinner, I am in a time crunch to get everything prepared by the time Annabelle's Daddy gets home so that we are all ready to eat by 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. If dinner is served much later than that, Annabelle is typically a fussy little girl during dinner.

So, Annabelle's Nonnie visited us today, and she watched Miss Annabelle while I cooked Pumpkin Pies and Puppy Chow for Thanksgiving tomorrow as well as tidied up a bit. She took Annabelle to her bedroom to read books, and when I walked in Annabelle's bedroom to say hello, Annabelle was sitting in the glider with her Teddy Bear, and she was just grinning ear to ear as she played with Nonnie's jewelry and rocked. Very cute, right? Well, yes, it was very cute at the time as she seemed to enjoy herself, and Nonnie said that she liked to rock her Teddy Bear.

Later on in the day, Annabelle went straight to her bedroom, and I followed her. She immediately went to the glider, and she proceeded to lift her right leg to try and climb onto the glider. Where on earth do they learn that they actually have to lift their legs to climb onto things? I don't lift my legs to sit in the glider.

So, I am afraid that Nonnie has introduced Annabelle to yet another new danger, and as a result, Annabelle's bedroom is no longer a safe haven!

I did get on to Nonnie for showing Annabelle this new trick (jokingly of course). She was going to learn it some day on her own anyway. I was just hoping that I had a few more weeks!