Still Getting Caught Up on the Fun Stuff...

...like blogging, writing in Abigail's journal, working on Shutterfly books, and spending time with my favorite photo editor site.  Right now I have one kiddo who is napping and one husband who is baking bread (that isn't a euphemism for anything) so I am going to squeeze as much out of this hour as humanly possible!

Near the end of July, Abigail started to babble in some mixed English/ toddler language and for the first time in a long time we didn't always understand what she was saying.  We didn't know if it was the impending move to Virginia or if (as many of our more experienced parent friends had told us) she was about to have another breakthrough in her language development.  As it turned out, it was the latter; her nonsensical babbling segued into more developed sentences and advanced ideas.  Suddenly 12-15 word sentences full of feelings, ideas, empathy, and curiosity about the world started pouring out of her mouth.  For example

• She noticed a Band-Aid on my thumb and I told her that I wasn't being careful and had cut myself with a knife.  She patted my back and said "Mama I am sorry you cut yourself with a knife by accident." (12 words)
• I was tucking her into bed one evening and she was thinking about animals. She said "Do Lion Kings live so far away you have to ride an airplane to get there?" (16 words, and Lion Kings are just lions)
• We have also been hearing a lot of "Mama/ Baba, I have a great idea...." and "Mama/ Baba, can I ask you a question..." and "Mama/ Baba, I want to say something important..."  although all 3 of these have been followed up with a giant "roar!!" when she realized she, in fact, didn't have an idea or question.

There are other new things for Abigail since we have moved.  She has watched her first full-length movie without interruptions or breaking it into parts.  The movie was Shrek and on a particularly hot day we did let her watch it two times through without feeling too guilty.  She would watch it every day if we allowed her.  

Abigail also has become pretty adept with chopsticks.  We taught her how to eat raisins first and she was pretty proud of herself.  

Abigail showing off her raising eating skills with her chopsticks

For a few weeks, Abigail decided that she did not like going to school.  I don't know if she simply preferred to lie on the couch and watch Shrek while Lar and I worked on the house, or if she just really wanted to keep us in her sight because she was still freaked out from the move.  At any rate, after having my crying child pulled from my leg by a daycare teacher while she screamed bloody murder "I WANT MY MAMA", I went to the library for books on separation anxiety in tots.  We hit on Llama Llama Misses Mama and it was a winner.  We read it 5-6 times the first afternoon and she loved it and really related to the story.  The next day before school we read it a few more times and when I dropped her off I said "What does Mama always do?"  and she said "Mama always COMES BACK!!" and that was pretty much it.  We repeat that mantra every morning, but she is okay with getting dropped off.  I love when I pick her up and she yells "Mama!  You came back!"  Now we just need suggestions for a book to help her with her new sleeping anxiety because sleeping in our bed can't be the best solution.  (Leave a comment if you have a good book to recommend!)

Abigail making use of my pillows.

Then there is the little obsession Abigail has with horses.  It has been growing steadily all summer.  My parents' farm is next to a man who boards horses and has his own Belgian draft horse, Dutchess.  The man is a wonderful guy who lets Abigail feed Dutchess all the apples and carrots she wants and sometimes she gets to ride her.  (One day she had a snack bag of apple sticks that she refused to eat because "they are for Dutchess.")  Sometimes Abigail will be sad and we'll ask why, thinking she is worried about global poverty or something, only to hear "I miss my Dutchess".  When we see horses in fields driving around NoVA (which is common), she screams with happiness.  There were 6 or 8 toy horses at Michaels and we told her she could have one; she selected the Belgian draft horse.  

Abigail on 'her' horse, Dutchess

One last story that I love, so stick with me.  One morning, Abigail woke up at 5:something o'clock so Larry took her downstairs and gave her some hot milk (she lives for hot milk- even on 100 degree days, but we have to limit her to 35 oz per day so she will eat other types of calories because it is crack to her).  A little while later I hung out with Monster so Lar could go back to bed (it was still before 7 in the morning).  She and I had this conversation:

• A:  "Can I have some hot milk?"
• me: "Did you already have some with Baba?"
• A:  "Yes."  (and snuggles up against me for a minute)
• A:  "Mama?  Can I please have some hot milk pleeeeease?"
• me:  "Not if you already had some.  Thank you for telling me the truth, but I will only give you cold milk now."
• A:  "But I want hot milk."
• me:  "I am very sorry.  I will give you cold milk."  (She sighs heavily and throws herself back into the couch against me.  A few minutes pass and she is very quiet.)
• A:  "Mama?  Can I have cold milk, please?"
• me:  "Yes.  Let's go into the kitchen."  (We went into the kitchen, she sits on a stool, and I pour a cup of cold milk and give it to her.)
• A:  "Thank you."  She takes the cold milk, waits a beat, and slides the cup back across the table to me saying "Can you please put this in the microwave for me, please?" 

I was SO proud of her problem solving skills and creativity in that exchange!!  Imagine what she will be like at 12 or 16 if she is like this at 2!!

Still Getting Caught Up on the Fun Stuff...

...like blogging, writing in Abigail's journal, working on Shutterfly books, and spending time with my favorite photo editor site.  Right now I have one kiddo who is napping and one husband who is baking bread (that isn't a euphemism for anything) so I am going to squeeze as much out of this hour as humanly possible!

Near the end of July, Abigail started to babble in some mixed English/ toddler language and for the first time in a long time we didn't always understand what she was saying.  We didn't know if it was the impending move to Virginia or if (as many of our more experienced parent friends had told us) she was about to have another breakthrough in her language development.  As it turned out, it was the latter; her nonsensical babbling segued into more developed sentences and advanced ideas.  Suddenly 12-15 word sentences full of feelings, ideas, empathy, and curiosity about the world started pouring out of her mouth.  For example

• She noticed a Band-Aid on my thumb and I told her that I wasn't being careful and had cut myself with a knife.  She patted my back and said "Mama I am sorry you cut yourself with a knife by accident." (12 words)
• I was tucking her into bed one evening and she was thinking about animals. She said "Do Lion Kings live so far away you have to ride an airplane to get there?" (16 words, and Lion Kings are just lions)
• We have also been hearing a lot of "Mama/ Baba, I have a great idea...." and "Mama/ Baba, can I ask you a question..." and "Mama/ Baba, I want to say something important..."  although all 3 of these have been followed up with a giant "roar!!" when she realized she, in fact, didn't have an idea or question.

There are other new things for Abigail since we have moved.  She has watched her first full-length movie without interruptions or breaking it into parts.  The movie was Shrek and on a particularly hot day we did let her watch it two times through without feeling too guilty.  She would watch it every day if we allowed her.  

Abigail also has become pretty adept with chopsticks.  We taught her how to eat raisins first and she was pretty proud of herself.  

Abigail showing off her raising eating skills with her chopsticks

For a few weeks, Abigail decided that she did not like going to school.  I don't know if she simply preferred to lie on the couch and watch Shrek while Lar and I worked on the house, or if she just really wanted to keep us in her sight because she was still freaked out from the move.  At any rate, after having my crying child pulled from my leg by a daycare teacher while she screamed bloody murder "I WANT MY MAMA", I went to the library for books on separation anxiety in tots.  We hit on Llama Llama Misses Mama and it was a winner.  We read it 5-6 times the first afternoon and she loved it and really related to the story.  The next day before school we read it a few more times and when I dropped her off I said "What does Mama always do?"  and she said "Mama always COMES BACK!!" and that was pretty much it.  We repeat that mantra every morning, but she is okay with getting dropped off.  I love when I pick her up and she yells "Mama!  You came back!"  Now we just need suggestions for a book to help her with her new sleeping anxiety because sleeping in our bed can't be the best solution.  (Leave a comment if you have a good book to recommend!)

Abigail making use of my pillows.

Then there is the little obsession Abigail has with horses.  It has been growing steadily all summer.  My parents' farm is next to a man who boards horses and has his own Belgian draft horse, Dutchess.  The man is a wonderful guy who lets Abigail feed Dutchess all the apples and carrots she wants and sometimes she gets to ride her.  (One day she had a snack bag of apple sticks that she refused to eat because "they are for Dutchess.")  Sometimes Abigail will be sad and we'll ask why, thinking she is worried about global poverty or something, only to hear "I miss my Dutchess".  When we see horses in fields driving around NoVA (which is common), she screams with happiness.  There were 6 or 8 toy horses at Michaels and we told her she could have one; she selected the Belgian draft horse.  

Abigail on 'her' horse, Dutchess

One last story that I love, so stick with me.  One morning, Abigail woke up at 5:something o'clock so Larry took her downstairs and gave her some hot milk (she lives for hot milk- even on 100 degree days, but we have to limit her to 35 oz per day so she will eat other types of calories because it is crack to her).  A little while later I hung out with Monster so Lar could go back to bed (it was still before 7 in the morning).  She and I had this conversation:

• A:  "Can I have some hot milk?"
• me: "Did you already have some with Baba?"
• A:  "Yes."  (and snuggles up against me for a minute)
• A:  "Mama?  Can I please have some hot milk pleeeeease?"
• me:  "Not if you already had some.  Thank you for telling me the truth, but I will only give you cold milk now."
• A:  "But I want hot milk."
• me:  "I am very sorry.  I will give you cold milk."  (She sighs heavily and throws herself back into the couch against me.  A few minutes pass and she is very quiet.)
• A:  "Mama?  Can I have cold milk, please?"
• me:  "Yes.  Let's go into the kitchen."  (We went into the kitchen, she sits on a stool, and I pour a cup of cold milk and give it to her.)
• A:  "Thank you."  She takes the cold milk, waits a beat, and slides the cup back across the table to me saying "Can you please put this in the microwave for me, please?" 

I was SO proud of her problem solving skills and creativity in that exchange!!  Imagine what she will be like at 12 or 16 if she is like this at 2!!

Polka Dot Dress, 32 Years Apart

I found this dress in the attic when I was visiting my parents last weekend.  
Abigail obliged in exchange for 2 fun-sized candy bars.

I was 2 and Abigail is 2 and 3/4.

Polka Dot Dress, 32 Years Apart

I found this dress in the attic when I was visiting my parents last weekend.  
Abigail obliged in exchange for 2 fun-sized candy bars.

I was 2 and Abigail is 2 and 3/4.

Matching

Abigail thinks it is fun to be "matching."  

I know that she won't think this is fun for

very long, so I am enjoying it while it lasts!

Matching

Abigail thinks it is fun to be "matching."  

I know that she won't think this is fun for

very long, so I am enjoying it while it lasts!

Riding A Tricycle, Yinski would be so proud

On Sunday and on Monday, I took Abigail to the 700+ acre county park right by our house and I brought her tricycle.  We parked.  She rode from the parking lot to the kayak launch.  I estimate 300 yards.  She ran up and down the dock a while, alternately retrieving rocks and throwing them in the water.  Then she rode her tricycle back past the car (600 total yards, if you are keeping track) and to a look-out tower and play-structure (300 yards in the other direction, for a total of 900 yards).  She climbed on the play structure for 20 or 30 minutes.  (We left because a Mt. P mom in heels with $200 highlights was on the phone while her misbehaving son - age 8 or so - rough-housed Abigail right off the top of a 15 foot slide while she didn't say a damn thing.)  Then Abigail rode back almost the entire way to the car, stopping only 40 or 50 yards short and walking.  

 

That means my intrepid little girl rode nearly 7/10 of a mile on her tricycle.  

Riding A Tricycle, Yinski would be so proud

On Sunday and on Monday, I took Abigail to the 700+ acre county park right by our house and I brought her tricycle.  We parked.  She rode from the parking lot to the kayak launch.  I estimate 300 yards.  She ran up and down the dock a while, alternately retrieving rocks and throwing them in the water.  Then she rode her tricycle back past the car (600 total yards, if you are keeping track) and to a look-out tower and play-structure (300 yards in the other direction, for a total of 900 yards).  She climbed on the play structure for 20 or 30 minutes.  (We left because a Mt. P mom in heels with $200 highlights was on the phone while her misbehaving son - age 8 or so - rough-housed Abigail right off the top of a 15 foot slide while she didn't say a damn thing.)  Then Abigail rode back almost the entire way to the car, stopping only 40 or 50 yards short and walking.  

 

That means my intrepid little girl rode nearly 7/10 of a mile on her tricycle.  

The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

If you are unfamiliar with the study mentioned in the title of this entry, basically it worked like this:

• a 4-year-old would be seated at a table and given a marshmallow and no other distractions
• the child was told that s/he could have 2 marshmallows when the adult returned if s/he did not eat that one
• researchers watched from behind a 1 way mirror and timed how long it was before kids broke down and ate their marshmallow
• some kids (about a third) ate it as soon as the adult left; other third were able to wait as long as 15 or twenty minutes- just staring down their marshmallow, waiting for the promised bonus marshmallow when the adult returned
• this was a longitudinal study; when the kids were examined in several 10 year follow ups, the kids who had the ability to delay their gratification as a kid had higher SAT scores, were described by their parents more often as "competent", and had more successful marriages and fulfilling careers while the kids who could not delay their gratification were not as successful in all measures of their lives

Larry and I have noticed that Abigail, while only 2 years old, is able to delay her gratification.  I am not sure why, but this is not something we taught her.  (I don't think you can teach this.)

For example, recently I stopped by Dunkin' Donuts while running some Saturday morning errands.  (I love the iced coffee, no sugar.)  I bought Abigail 1 doughnut Munchkin and she received it an a tiny brown bag.  When I bucked her into her car seat I did not take the bag from her but as we drove home, she opened the bag.  I said to her "Abigail, please wait and eat that doughnut at home."  She said okay.  When I looked in the mirror, I saw her sitting patiently, cupping her Munchkin in her hands, just looking at it and waiting.  She made it all the way home (about 8 - 10 minutes).

Another example is when she eats a candy or treat, she eats it very slowly.  She likes a certain coconut cookie.  When she gets one, she walks around holding it to her nose and sniffing it for ages before she will eat it.  She can make 1 cookie last an hour.  She can also suck on a tic tac until it just dissolves and disappears.  Her Aunt Steph and Uncle Jim gave her an Easter basket and she also can do the same thing to a jelly bean.  It took her an hour to eat 3 Jelly- Bellies today.

 

I don't know if this means that Abigail has the personality and demeanor to be a "work hard and achieve success" kind of person.  (It certainly runs in the family- all HWPK's reading, this if for you!) I don't know if all of this is technically delayed gratification (although I do think the doughnut thing was for sure).  She does continue to amaze us all the time and we love her and are so proud of her!

 

The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

If you are unfamiliar with the study mentioned in the title of this entry, basically it worked like this:

• a 4-year-old would be seated at a table and given a marshmallow and no other distractions
• the child was told that s/he could have 2 marshmallows when the adult returned if s/he did not eat that one
• researchers watched from behind a 1 way mirror and timed how long it was before kids broke down and ate their marshmallow
• some kids (about a third) ate it as soon as the adult left; other third were able to wait as long as 15 or twenty minutes- just staring down their marshmallow, waiting for the promised bonus marshmallow when the adult returned
• this was a longitudinal study; when the kids were examined in several 10 year follow ups, the kids who had the ability to delay their gratification as a kid had higher SAT scores, were described by their parents more often as "competent", and had more successful marriages and fulfilling careers while the kids who could not delay their gratification were not as successful in all measures of their lives

Larry and I have noticed that Abigail, while only 2 years old, is able to delay her gratification.  I am not sure why, but this is not something we taught her.  (I don't think you can teach this.)

For example, recently I stopped by Dunkin' Donuts while running some Saturday morning errands.  (I love the iced coffee, no sugar.)  I bought Abigail 1 doughnut Munchkin and she received it an a tiny brown bag.  When I bucked her into her car seat I did not take the bag from her but as we drove home, she opened the bag.  I said to her "Abigail, please wait and eat that doughnut at home."  She said okay.  When I looked in the mirror, I saw her sitting patiently, cupping her Munchkin in her hands, just looking at it and waiting.  She made it all the way home (about 8 - 10 minutes).

Another example is when she eats a candy or treat, she eats it very slowly.  She likes a certain coconut cookie.  When she gets one, she walks around holding it to her nose and sniffing it for ages before she will eat it.  She can make 1 cookie last an hour.  She can also suck on a tic tac until it just dissolves and disappears.  Her Aunt Steph and Uncle Jim gave her an Easter basket and she also can do the same thing to a jelly bean.  It took her an hour to eat 3 Jelly- Bellies today.

 

I don't know if this means that Abigail has the personality and demeanor to be a "work hard and achieve success" kind of person.  (It certainly runs in the family- all HWPK's reading, this if for you!) I don't know if all of this is technically delayed gratification (although I do think the doughnut thing was for sure).  She does continue to amaze us all the time and we love her and are so proud of her!

 

Sunday Snapshot, with stories

This weekend Lar, Abigail and I were visiting my brother Jim and his awesome wife Steph at their home in Virginia while we took care of some rather exciting business.


My parents were also there to babysit Abigail while Lar and I were getting some professional things done.  My dad loved "taking my wife and granddaughter out to breakfast" he boasted all day long.  His favorite part was when the waitress cleared my dad's finished plate, Abigail gave her the stink eye, wrapped her arms around her plate and pulled it away from the waitress's reach.  That is the orphan coming out in her I guess.

This is Abigail being dragged around the house on
a beanbag.  Steph was dragging her.

Abigail then spent most of the weekend getting loved on by her grandmother and her Aunt Steph.  (Lar and I were delighted to essentially have a weekend off, which is rare since we live 500 miles from loving relatives who could care of Abigail so we could have adult conversation and catch up on sleep.  It was quite a treat for us.  A vacation, really!)

I love her dimples when she is trying not to smile.
She is so gorgeous.  

Abigail weighs about as much as a typical American kid half of her age, but she is tall and lanky.  Since she is so light, we hadn't turned her car seat around yet, but she spent the 8 hour drive up to NoVA with her knees up to her chin and was clearly uncomfortable.  So for the drive home, we graduated her to a forward-facing car seat.  She LOVED it.  She spent the first hour just looking out the front window and pointing out stuff she saw.  

The big smile on the proud girl finally came out!

Sunday Snapshot, with stories

This weekend Lar, Abigail and I were visiting my brother Jim and his awesome wife Steph at their home in Virginia while we took care of some rather exciting business.


My parents were also there to babysit Abigail while Lar and I were getting some professional things done.  My dad loved "taking my wife and granddaughter out to breakfast" he boasted all day long.  His favorite part was when the waitress cleared my dad's finished plate, Abigail gave her the stink eye, wrapped her arms around her plate and pulled it away from the waitress's reach.  That is the orphan coming out in her I guess.

This is Abigail being dragged around the house on
a beanbag.  Steph was dragging her.

Abigail then spent most of the weekend getting loved on by her grandmother and her Aunt Steph.  (Lar and I were delighted to essentially have a weekend off, which is rare since we live 500 miles from loving relatives who could care of Abigail so we could have adult conversation and catch up on sleep.  It was quite a treat for us.  A vacation, really!)

I love her dimples when she is trying not to smile.
She is so gorgeous.  

Abigail weighs about as much as a typical American kid half of her age, but she is tall and lanky.  Since she is so light, we hadn't turned her car seat around yet, but she spent the 8 hour drive up to NoVA with her knees up to her chin and was clearly uncomfortable.  So for the drive home, we graduated her to a forward-facing car seat.  She LOVED it.  She spent the first hour just looking out the front window and pointing out stuff she saw.  

The big smile on the proud girl finally came out!

1 Year Ago, The Day After Christmas

Yesterday was our first Christmas with Abigail.

Because one year ago today (American time), we met Abigail for the first time.

1 Year Ago, The Day After Christmas

Yesterday was our first Christmas with Abigail.

Because one year ago today (American time), we met Abigail for the first time.

Wordless Wednesday (2 Days Late, part 2)

Wordless Wednesday (2 Days Late, part 2)

Wordless Wednesday (2 Days Late)

Wordless Wednesday (2 Days Late)

Abigail Decides: Cribs Are SO Last Week

This week, for seemingly no reason at all apparent to us, Abigail has decided that she is too grown up for her crib. Abigail loves to play hard and loves to go to sleep for nap and at the end of the day. Sometimes even asks to go to sleep.

But no longer in her crib.

She informed me of this decision Sunday night. After reading together for a while, I tried to lift her and put her into her crib but she slid out of my lap, laid on the floor and said "Abigail no crib. Abigail sleep down floor." I asked her if she was sure and she nodded vigorously and said "yes" and curled up with her beloved Blankie on the floor as if to show me she was serious. I asked her if she wanted her other blankets on the floor, and she did. When I leaned over her and kissed her, she got a huge smile, obviously very proud that she was allowed to sleep on the floor.

From downstairs, I heard Abigail kick the floor a few times, an old habit of hers to put herself to sleep when she is excited. Then she slept all night on the floor. She hardly moved a muscle. (I know this because I checked on her nearly every hour all night to make sure she was okay!)

At 5:30, we heard a happy "bunny awake" yell from her room. When I went to greet her, she was grinning like the cat that caught the canary, obviously pleased with herself for sleeping on the floor all night.

We ordered a toddler bed for her, which will arrive in a few days. I told Abigail today that she was going to get her own bed and she could be all done with her crib. She was super excited at this news and said "bye bye" to her crib, although I explained again that she wouldn't get her own bed for 3 days and she helped me count to 3 for good measure.

When Larry got home tonight, he went into Abigail's room and saw her asleep on her mattress on the floor. He asked what was going on and I told him that she won't go in her crib, and after a half-hearted bid for sleeping in our "big bed", Abigail wanted her mattress on the floor.

Larry said "It is amazing that she makes decisions all on her own."

I replied "I suppose we better get used to that!"

(I only wish her desire to use the potty all the time for all purposes would happen as quickly and suddenly as this recent bid for grown up things!!)

Abigail Decides: Cribs Are SO Last Week

This week, for seemingly no reason at all apparent to us, Abigail has decided that she is too grown up for her crib. Abigail loves to play hard and loves to go to sleep for nap and at the end of the day. Sometimes even asks to go to sleep.

But no longer in her crib.

She informed me of this decision Sunday night. After reading together for a while, I tried to lift her and put her into her crib but she slid out of my lap, laid on the floor and said "Abigail no crib. Abigail sleep down floor." I asked her if she was sure and she nodded vigorously and said "yes" and curled up with her beloved Blankie on the floor as if to show me she was serious. I asked her if she wanted her other blankets on the floor, and she did. When I leaned over her and kissed her, she got a huge smile, obviously very proud that she was allowed to sleep on the floor.

From downstairs, I heard Abigail kick the floor a few times, an old habit of hers to put herself to sleep when she is excited. Then she slept all night on the floor. She hardly moved a muscle. (I know this because I checked on her nearly every hour all night to make sure she was okay!)

At 5:30, we heard a happy "bunny awake" yell from her room. When I went to greet her, she was grinning like the cat that caught the canary, obviously pleased with herself for sleeping on the floor all night.

We ordered a toddler bed for her, which will arrive in a few days. I told Abigail today that she was going to get her own bed and she could be all done with her crib. She was super excited at this news and said "bye bye" to her crib, although I explained again that she wouldn't get her own bed for 3 days and she helped me count to 3 for good measure.

When Larry got home tonight, he went into Abigail's room and saw her asleep on her mattress on the floor. He asked what was going on and I told him that she won't go in her crib, and after a half-hearted bid for sleeping in our "big bed", Abigail wanted her mattress on the floor.

Larry said "It is amazing that she makes decisions all on her own."

I replied "I suppose we better get used to that!"

(I only wish her desire to use the potty all the time for all purposes would happen as quickly and suddenly as this recent bid for grown up things!!)