You are such a sponge! All you have to do is see us do something one time, and you're off. Repeat anything we say. Can understand pretty much most stuff - it's the choosing to do that's the issue. Just this week, you started combining words together. The first time I noticed was "Pop go?" - as in "where did Pop go?". Now it's "where going?" in the car. Your vocabulary is amazing - seems like you learn a new word everyday and will repeat just about anything. List includes: bath, baby, beh-eebutt (belly button), shoes, cheese, cracor (cracker), juice, spoon, water, nana, apple, meat, nack (snack), upaba (star - as in "up above the world so high"), puppy, bubble, car, lello (these days all colors are yellow although you can do some others sometimes), book, read, light, epant (elephant), cat, biper (diaper)... and of course all time favorite "no" - which is usually said very sweetly. We have to rephrase statements instead of question because you seem to know if NO is an appropriate response. Did we mention you are very happy just to sit and ramble to yourself? Tonight you wrapped your blankie around your shoulders and went around "da da da" over and over again - seems Memma taught you "da da dum!".
You have become obsessed with your "cucors" - you crawled up into a chair at Memma and Pop's camper and declared your need the other day. Seriously could color several times a day without boring of it. Mommy bought you a coloring book which worked well to help identify objects in the pictures and let you color. A little more exciting than blank pieces of paper. You just whipped right through that, flipping pages and adding color to every page. Continuing to bring home all your artwork from school on a regular basis. You stay on the page and not the table pretty well... but not always perfect.
You've recently discovered TV. Take that back, you've recently been allowed to have your own shows, and you sit intently and watch them. The first trial was Little Einsteins which I picked because you watch it sometimes at school. You will crawl right up next to us on the couch to sit on our laps until it's over. Sometimes you interact and do what they say on TV - definitely a lot better if Mommy or Daddy talks about the show with you and encourage it.
One of your newest things is knowing how to smile - you will do it on command... and usually it's a pretty good smile. How does that cute little girl become the little girl who got in trouble repeatedly at daycare yesterday for being bossy and pushing other little kids. They said you had sat in time out before 9:00! I would love to watch you one day and just see how they do it. I still marvel at how they get you to lie on a mat for naptime. When we pick you up from daycare, you see us and set off often running the other direction - to stall, show us all your stuff, act adorable? Who knows. You have gotten into the habit of throwing things a little too hard - books on the ground, shoes off... gonna have to nip that one real quick before baby brother gets it.
You do like to sing your songs. Kind have moved past the "row row" kick although it's still there. Memma was singing "the wheels on the bus" with you in the car tonight, and you got very excited when she knew the right verses that Mommy obviously doesn't - "babies on the bus go waa waa waa... driver says move on back..."
Getting better on your bike - won't be long until you can reach the peddles. Until then, you are content just to ram your bike into people when they stand nearby. Great Aunt Bobbie gave you the Little Tykes car your cousin had used, and you were quite the fan. PopPop bought a horn and bell to put on for you - but it hasn't happened yet. Pretty good at not getting in the street and obeying when you are outside - thank you for that! You have figured out that wearing your sunglasses in the car in the morning keeps the sun out of your eyes - you do look super cute!
Your latest treasure is your "backback". You must have seen other kids with one because you knew exactly what to do with it. Mommy's new theory to keep from having to haul around 2 diaper bags - you ask for it by name and are ready to go!
Getting you to bed is a system. Daddy is much better at limiting how many books you can line up... but you will seriously sit there and go through way too many of them. And then you have to let you know it's time to go night night, stand up for some cuddles, and you usually go down without much fight. Nap time is usually a different story. You are good though at sitting in the crib and entertaining yourself. You did it for at least an hour the other afternoon. Mommy and Daddy love that you will hang out in your crib on Saturday mornings - we got to sleep until 830 this morning! Last Saturday, you were reading Elmo to yourself and making high pitched voices - it was pretty dang cute. You definitely know what you are saying as you repeat it over and over - even if we have no idea.
Love playing on Mommy and Daddy's bed. Feel so proud of yourself for turning the radio on and off. Like cuddling... sometimes. The other night started "down!" in which case you full body fell onto the pillows (or Mommy)... didn't work so well last night when there weren't as many pillows, and you slammed into the head board. You weren't phased for long though. Pretty good at recovering from your injuries without much drama, if any at all.
Getting better at taking your clothes off and on. This day you hadn't put your diaper on yet, but you managed to pull a shirt down around your waist. Looks a little like a loin cloth I think. The latest trend involves pulling your shoes off. The other day in Pop's truck you pulled your shoes off and put the carabiner on your toes. Now, if you have his carabiner, you want to take your shoes off to put your toes through.
Trying to soak you up sweet girl - you are super precious! And such a relatively easy little girl - your brother has some big shoes to fill... Praying you don't turn into a terror when he turns your world upside down.
Two weeks ago...
I was supposed to have a surprise baby shower from the people at work - but they decided I wouldn't last and bumped it up.
Tonight... 37 weeks, 2 days.
