Autumn Makes Me Sing: climbing

Showing posts with label climbing. Show all posts

Sunday, September 20, 2009

20 Months

Dear Autumn,

Twenty months means 4 months away from turning 2! It really does seem far off because it is next year, but 4 months goes quick in AutumnLand. Things seem to be going pretty well overall. Happy, happy girl!

You have 16 teeth! That is a lot of teeth! The latest on top have poked through rather nicely and the bottom two have both just started poking out. You have your fingers in your mouth a lot more lately so I can tell they are bothering you.

Over the past 2-3 months or so there has been a change in your morning routine. For the longest time you were happy to be brought into our bed after you woke up to play. We'd play and laugh and just have a ton of fun until you started getting hungry. Daddy would get you up, change you and then we'd just have fun. Now when Daddy brings you into the bedroom and tries to put you on the bed you throw a fit! Clinging to him and telling him to "Walka walka" out of the room. I don't think it is that you are really hungry, I think you just don't want Daddy to put you down and leave. So if Daddy has to run back upstairs for a conference call I have to do some heavy coercing to get you to stay in the room.

You are still enjoying Mother's Day Out but drop offs have still been a bit hard. I know you stop crying within seconds of me leaving, but you still cling to me as soon as we enter the classroom. The last time I dropped you off one of the teachers was out so there was a substitute and the other teacher, but they were both busy so no one could take you. You did cling to me for a bit, but I was able to set you down in a chair, hand you an Ernie doll, give you a kiss and leave. Since no one was paying attention to you I didn't want to leave. I figured out that there is another window that I could peak in. Fortunately you were sitting in exactly the right spot so I could see you. You looked around for a little bit, but then I saw you handing the doll to someone. That meant that someone had acknowledged you and so I left! When I came to pick you up the teacher told me that you were "happy all day and well adjusted". I think that is great! I'm happy with "well adjusted".

Eating is still bad, but we're going to a feeding evaluation on the 23rd and we should find out more on that.

Naps are still the same. Usually about 3 hours. They still interfere with your lunch because you're tired and all you talk about is a nap. "Autumn sleep?" You make snoring noises and rub your eyes and there is very little eating. It doesn't matter when we start lunch because you have equated lunch with "almost nap time".

Here are my monthly notes:

August 24
Rubber Duck!
I cook?
I fall
I jump

August 31
You went to your very first Meet the Teacher this morning. You walked holding my hand across the parking lot, down the hall, around the corner, down another hall and then you put the breaks on at the door to the room. Miss Diana came out to meet you, but you wouldn't go in, even when you saw the butterfly curtains. I had to pick you up and bring you into the classroom. You sat on my lap while I filled out paperwork. Eventually you did get down and start playing. We met the music teacher, Miss Kitty and the bible teacher, Miss Vogt. You even went to the director willingly when she mentioned she would take you outside! You did very well today, and so did Momma!

September 2
You had your first day of Mother's Day Out. And you did very well!

Hand
Dirt
Nah (nothing - as in, what's in your hand? Nah)

September 3
I fall down

Autumn has discovered what her voice sounds like when she plugs her ears with her little fingers. She'll be walking around saying, "Hi hi hi hi hi hi" over and over and then she'll walk into view and that is when I finally realize she's not talking to me...

Sept 10
Big truck. big truck, come? come?
Yellow ghool buh (yellow school bus)
Watcha George?

Sept 18
Polka
Dot (She doesn't say Polka and dot together)
Ping-gone (penguin)

Retrospective Perspective:

September 21, 2008
Eating watermelon

September 22, 2007
#5

September 23, 2006
Moving out of the apartment!

September 22, 2005
Leaving for Hurricane Rita. Lucas is in the back there...

Love,

Momma and Daddy

Thursday, May 21, 2009

16 Months

Dear Autumn,

This month is a bit late. Momma has been focused on getting the house ready to sell. Sort of overwhelming! We went up to Gram and Grandpa's house for Memorial Day weekend again this year. You turned 16 months on the Friday we drove up there.

You officially have 12 teeth, 6 on top, 6 on bottom, all in mirror placements. You've skipped the eye teeth on each side, top and bottom. Your first four molars weren't too terrible for you. Or us!

Eating is still a problem, but we're not as concerned as we were before. You still have a very limited list of foods you will eat. At the top of the list is still the batter off a corn dog. Not the dog, just the batter. And yogurt, or "doburt" as you call it. We still struggle with what to feed you. Especially when we go out to dinner. You are still slightly underweight for your age, according to the doctor, but you look perfect to us!

Tantrums have become more frequent. Lots more time spent walking away and letting you crumple to the floor than last month. You like to climb up on the coffee table and sit for awhile. Then you look at me and stand up. You know what I am going to say, "Sit down, or get down", but you do it anyway. And we go over it again. I tell you to put your tuchus down. Sometimes you will and sometimes you won't. And it is things like that that we go through all day.

You've gone down to one nap a day, and that time fluctuates day to day. You used to be so regular, but now I am at your mercy! 10:30? 11:45? 12:25? All fair game. They usually last a bit more than 2 hours, at least that is predictable.

Your latest words are: helicopter (elicopt), delicate (delicah), and Phoebe (feevee).

I've realized that your desire for something can increase your range for something by about 5 inches. Things have had to be put out of this new reach and climbing levels.

May 4, 2009

May 6, 2009

May 7, 2009

May 18, 2009

Retrospective Perspective:

May 24, 2006 - Sego palm "Frank" growing

May 22, 2007 - Your room "before"

May 22, 2008 - At Gram and Grandpa's house

Love,

Momma and Daddy

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Fourteen Months

Dear Autumn,

This past month has just flown by. It really seems like a blur. You did see your cousins, Jacob and Sophia for the second time. You really enjoyed running around with them and being a little kid. When we were putting you in the car to go home you were sweaty, sticky and dirty and your Momma sort of fell in love with you all over again. All of a sudden you were a Little Girl, and not a baby or a toddler. You kept up with the older kids, held your own, and charmed the adults. There are many moments when the Little Girl appears and I can see into the future as to how I think you might act in a few years. Then there are times when you are all toddler. Getting into everything that you know you shouldn't. And I know you know because when you see me looking at you you immediately shake your head "no". After months of leaving the cat food alone and pointing to it and shaking your head "no" you have suddenly become unable to resist those little nuggets (or worse yet, Phoebe's plate of moist cat food). Most of the time you bring the piece to me, but sometimes I'll catch you picking one up and I shout, "Autumn, NO!". If I catch you off guard you throw the piece down and shake your head. But sometimes there is a stubborn streak in you and you will start to walk away with the piece in hand, usually still shaking your head. I know you know, but you do it anyway.

You have at least 2 more teeth, bringing your total to 10. The two new ones are on the top, and there are spaces skipped on each side. I can see at least 4 new places that look like bumps are starting to rise. The two new teeth came in when you were sick with lots and lots and lots of snot. The sickness lasted on and off for about 3 weeks. It would go away and then come back with a vengeance. We missed our playgroup and a gym class.

We managed to get rid of the bottle right at the end of February. We realized that you were having some bowel issues only having one bottle of formula at night. We'd bathe you, put you in your nighttime diaper, get your pajamas on, give you a formula bottle and then you'd POOP! Thereby undoing all our relaxing bedtime routine. So one day we just gave you another cup of milk at bedtime and that was it! You now drink 4 6oz cups of milk a day, sometimes 5, but that is rare. You still call it "bach" and when you notice the cup of milk you say, "bach! bach! bach!" all the while pointing frantically. You say "chee" if you want a crunchie, which is different from "cheeeeze" for cheese. You have a word for cracker (craw-kerr) and cookie (cook-cook) which is also the same for Cookie Monster on your diaper.

You now bark like a dog whenever you hear a dog:

Barking Like a Dog from Deb on Vimeo.

You love bananas:

Crazy Banana Baby from Deb on Vimeo.

You know body parts:

Anatomy Lesson from Deb on Vimeo.

The cats still aren't sure exactly what you are:

Phoebe from Deb on Vimeo.

Lucas from Deb on Vimeo.

I'm working on teaching you "please" and "thank you". If prompted, you will say "plah". You love putting your shoes on because that means you get to go outside. You even sit and try to put them on yourself. I can ask you to "go get the other one" of something and you'll look around and find it and bring it to me. You've discovered the animated show Curious George on PBS. I used it as a distraction technique when you were sick. You'd sit on my lap and say, "Geor, geor!" and point at the screen. That was how I was able to put your hair in pig tails. I have also been known to sit you on my lap, schooch down on the couch, turn on George and take a little doze. Just closing my eyes sometimes for a much needed refresher really helps.

Car rides are fairly stress free these days. You are content to sit and just look out the windows. I sometimes give you a toy to hold, but for the most part it just stays on your lap.

Wednesday morning I was reading you a book about a gosling that forgets to take a nap. You waved your hand and said, "bye!" It took me a second to realize that you heard "take a nap". When I put you down for a nap we have a routine. I open up the gate to the bedroom so Luke can get through. We say, "Good nap, Phoebe" to the already napping Phoebe on the media center, we say "Good nap, Luke" to the already napping Luke on the guest bed. We say, "Good nap, Sully" as he guards your door. All the while you are waving and saying, "Bye!"

Here is a series of pictures from March 16. I clearly misjudged the weather of the day. When I got you dressed it was 65 outside, but sunny. The previous day it was rather cold, so I put you in long sleeves and pants. I love this photo of you walking, you seem so determined!

So when we got outside it seemed a little hot. Your pants are too long, but I figured they'd be okay.

Before we left for our errand I changed your top. Much better. Pants are still okay, but the long sleeves had to go!

When we got back home from the errand and nap I was changing your diaper and decided that the green pants were just too long, so I grabbed the pink ones laying nearby. It took a whole day to come up with the perfect outfit.

March 17, 2009 - St. Patty's Day

March 19, 2009 - Waiting for Daddy to come home

March 20, 2009 - Playing in the back yard

Retrospective Perspective:

March 18, 2006 - Looking for a house to build!

March 22, 2007 - Back when Lucas ruled the roost

March 23, 2008 - Easter

I am sure I left somethings out, but I have to end this now. You are waking up from your nap (30 min early!) and we need to get ready to go take pictures in bluebonnet fields!

Happy Spring, Autumn!

Love,

Momma and Daddy

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Thirteen Months

Dear Autumn,

The past few weeks have been a mix of easy times and hard times, but the easy times far outweigh the hard this time. We've had some sleep issues and some clingyness, but we've also seen the independent streak in you start to grow. We are able to let you roam the house more with more confidence on our part that you won't get into much. You like to go into the front room and look for the cats and pull on the fronds of the plant in there. You always stop to point at the cat food because you know that is off limits. While I'm making us lunch you like to open up cabinets and take things out. Of course you leave them all over the floor and Daddy and I have learned how to navigate the Sea of Tupperware pretty successfully. The clingy thing has shown itself in both new situations/people and when you really want something. If you decide it is time to be picked up you wedge yourself between me and the cabinet (as I am usually making lunch or a snack), push me back and wrap your arms around my knees, throw your head back and stare up at me. You are usually not upset, but it is very hard to get away from you without knocking you over and making the situation worse. You've started saying, "uppah" which makes it hard to resist, so I pick you up if I am able. If not, there have been a few times where you have thrown yourself down and whined for .05 seconds until you see something else you want. When we are out and about and a new person comes up to us or acknowledges us your immediate reaction is to put your head on my shoulder and grab my shirt. You usually warm up pretty quickly, but a few times the admirer has had to vacate the premises. This is such a switch from our very outgoing child. But then you will go and act like you did on Friday night. We went out for Mexican and we were sat right in the path of the waitstaff and every time a guy came out you said "HI!!" and pointed. And if they didn't respond you'd throw your head back and say "HI!!" again and watch them walk behind you upside down. Most of the time you could get them to react because you are persistent!

You still have 8 teeth, but I wonder sometimes what you are working on in there.

I've found that if I want to you be more easy going during outings it helps to let you walk around outside for awhile before putting you in the car. This will become a problem once our 12 days of Winter in Houston are over. I do not do heat! And if you don't have pants on your legs get all bumpy after being on the grass. We usually spend about an hour outside after lunch, mostly spent sitting at the sewer manhole dropping things down the holes:

Drain Fun from Deb on Vimeo.

Or sitting in the French drain:

French Drain from Deb on Vimeo.

Or pulling the neighbor's flowers off the plant and sometimes eating them:

He Loves Me... from Deb on Vimeo.

Or falling:

Hi Momma, Oops! from Deb on Vimeo.

Splat! from Deb on Vimeo.

We successfully managed to go from 4 bottles of formula a day to 3 cups of milk and one bottle of formula a day. It really wasn't as hard as I imagined it to be. The first few days of the milk introduction you weren't too interested in it. But you have warmed up to it really well. You call milk "bot" or "bach" (I can't tell which) which I think is a carryover from "bottle". Green beans are "bee", cheese is "cheeeeze", water is "waar", cereal bar is "bar", and when you point, rock back and forth, and grunt, that means you want a yogurt melt. We have to hide those out of sight lest you go crazy focusing on them.

The brace is gone! Gone! The doctor said your hip is PERFECT! Perfect! And that this is a great example of how to treat this without surgery. As I was thinking how much I never want to go to this office again he said, "When she breaks a bone, bring her here!" very cheerfully. Ugh. But we already know that your hypothetical future sibling will hypothetically have to get his/her hypothetical hip ultrasounded "just for kicks" as your pediatrician said. It does run in families, it is more common in girls, but whether she feels anything or not, it sounds like we will be taking that baby for an ultrasound and then back to the doctor for interpretation. What is funny is that I put it on a pile of things to be put away in the attic and you found it and have been carrying it around the house. I'd rather not see it, but you seem to enjoy it.

Your understanding of the world around you continues to impress us. You know so many animals (butterfly, tiger, chameleon, cockatoo, wombat, woodpecker, dog, cat, fish, duck, koala, panda, peacock, whale, alligator, the list really does go on and on). You love to say "duck" and "cat". Dog is you pursing your lips imitating Momma saying "woof woof" with her lips pursed. And then you point out the window because when you hear the dogs barking I've told you that they are "outside". And the window means outside to you. You say "hi tree", and "hi" to every passing car outside. You've started adding "daht-tum" to your ramblings, so it sounds like you are testing out your name. Lots of "z's" too. You say "butter" for butterfly, "bah" for balloon, and "ow" when you fall, even when you aren't hurt. There is a line in a book where the cat knocks over a vase and when I flip to that page and say, "Catastrophe!" you chime in with "uh oh!". You are adding to the list of books that I can ask you to go get by telling you the title or a line from it. You toddle over and get the "cockatoo book" or "George" for the Curious George book, and "twinkle", for which you provide most of the "tars".

We've had some off nap schedule days and those are rough for all three of us. It isn't very pleasant when you have missed a nap. Neither of us are in a good mood and then Daddy comes home and he gets a happy child and a grumpy wife, because by that time you are usually over the grumpiness and are on your second wind. You still need two naps, is my point!

Car rides are so much more fun now! You love to look at everything and are fairly quiet doing your own thing most of the time. When we get to where we are going and I get out and go to your door you always clench your entire body in excitement of something new!

We went to our first gym class together and you did really well! Momma did well too, but that is because she knew two other Mommas in the class already. You stuck close to Ava for the first part and we sort of just watched everyone do their thing. We didn't do all the activities we were supposed to focus on, but I wanted to let you get accustomed to this room filled with brightly colored soft surfaces. You had trouble climbing up the ramp because you haven't figure out that you knees in pants are slippery, but your feet will give you traction. I'm sure next time you'll start figuring that out. You loved walking/crawling up the ramp shaped cushions. And you also loved being in the center of the parachute and having bubbles blown towards you. You must get that from me because Momma loved the parachute when she was a kid. We're signed up to go once a week, so I'm sure next time it will be more comfortable for you earlier in the session.