Leaving her mark with Ole Purple
Queen of the Mountain
"Arrrr...I be seein' ye wit me telescope....arrrr...."
Just a few finishing touches...
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Found Items Still Reign Supreme
The big hit today was the BOX containing Anna Claire's new table and chairs - a late gift from Santa. She was so excited to see the box, and had such a good time climbing on top of it, and leaving her mark with her infamous purple crayon, that we said to heck with putting the set together. We just let her enjoy her new "climber". :)
Leaving her mark with Ole Purple
Queen of the Mountain
"Arrrr...I be seein' ye wit me telescope....arrrr...."
Just a few finishing touches...
Leaving her mark with Ole Purple
Queen of the Mountain
"Arrrr...I be seein' ye wit me telescope....arrrr...."
Just a few finishing touches...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
18 Month Checkup
The one milestone I was praying Anna Claire would reach prior to this doctor visit, was obviously that she would be walking. I was SO proud to answer that question in the affirmative when asked by the doc!
She was SO well-behaved during our 15 minute pitstop in the waiting room, and Great while the nurse and doctor were asking us questions. We still melted down on the scale and when they have to measure her. I don't get why she dislikes it so much. I will say that on the one occasion we took her to the Gov. Square location, they gave her a Yo Gabba Gabba sticker and that seemed to thwart the freak-out. I told the nurses about the sticker method our past 2 visits, but I guess they apparently did not think it was as ingenious as I did, as we still did not receive a sticker.
We were surprised to learn that Anna Claire has and ear infection in both ears, as she has been showing no signs of discomfort and has been extremely happy and energetic. Dr. Roads prescribed her "the pink stuff" which we refer to as "milkshake" and Anna Claire absolutely loves. He also wrote us a script for when she has a runny nose. I was so excited about this and was unaware there was anything prescribed or not that we could give her for this.
Dr. Roads also noticed that Anna Claire has ALL of the teeth that we can expect to come in until the age of 2. Hurray! Six months of relief for my girl, and for Mommy and Daddy! Anna Claire had to have a flu shot this go round. By the time she actually received the shot, we had been there an hour, and she was expiring anyway. I think it made it easier for me that she was already fretful and crying to leave when they gave her the shot. I still can't watch, and literally FEEL her pain.
Otherwise, I think I can speak for both Larry and myself when I say we were elated to hear HOW advanced Anna Claire is, cognitively, compared to other children her age. We, her doting parents, naturally think Anna Claire is special, and sharp, and PERFECT! It is just oh so extremely satisfying to hear it from someone who has seen it all and knows what is "normal" for this age range.
I am including (finally) a couple of Flip videos I managed to get of her reading some words as I was writing them on paper. I hope to get more here in the next few days and post, and should have an easier time doing so now that we have the tripod. :)
She was SO well-behaved during our 15 minute pitstop in the waiting room, and Great while the nurse and doctor were asking us questions. We still melted down on the scale and when they have to measure her. I don't get why she dislikes it so much. I will say that on the one occasion we took her to the Gov. Square location, they gave her a Yo Gabba Gabba sticker and that seemed to thwart the freak-out. I told the nurses about the sticker method our past 2 visits, but I guess they apparently did not think it was as ingenious as I did, as we still did not receive a sticker.
We were surprised to learn that Anna Claire has and ear infection in both ears, as she has been showing no signs of discomfort and has been extremely happy and energetic. Dr. Roads prescribed her "the pink stuff" which we refer to as "milkshake" and Anna Claire absolutely loves. He also wrote us a script for when she has a runny nose. I was so excited about this and was unaware there was anything prescribed or not that we could give her for this.
Dr. Roads also noticed that Anna Claire has ALL of the teeth that we can expect to come in until the age of 2. Hurray! Six months of relief for my girl, and for Mommy and Daddy! Anna Claire had to have a flu shot this go round. By the time she actually received the shot, we had been there an hour, and she was expiring anyway. I think it made it easier for me that she was already fretful and crying to leave when they gave her the shot. I still can't watch, and literally FEEL her pain.
Otherwise, I think I can speak for both Larry and myself when I say we were elated to hear HOW advanced Anna Claire is, cognitively, compared to other children her age. We, her doting parents, naturally think Anna Claire is special, and sharp, and PERFECT! It is just oh so extremely satisfying to hear it from someone who has seen it all and knows what is "normal" for this age range.
I am including (finally) a couple of Flip videos I managed to get of her reading some words as I was writing them on paper. I hope to get more here in the next few days and post, and should have an easier time doing so now that we have the tripod. :)
Walk, walk, walk. It's fun, fun, fun.
We are SO getting there! Anna Claire is just as excited I think as we are.
Yesterday she took eight unassisted steps at school, and a couple here and there with them today. At home tonight she kept knee-walking over to wherever I was sitting, grab one of my fingers, pull, and say "up!" She wanted me to walk everywhere with her, but just one finger. She wanted the other hand free! Up until tonight she has wanted to hold on to both of my hands, and if I let go of either one she would get so mad at me. So this is really a turning point!
I have to admit I will miss her little patches on the knees of her jeans. But people who say not to wish time away and that I will miss her knee-walking, honestly aggravate the heck out of me, because yes it is so cute to see her walk on her knees - very entertaining. However, it is painful for her. Her knees stay bruised. The outdoor area at school is paved. It is I will not miss her homeless-looking, hole-in-the-toe shoes. No, back pain, I will not miss you (toting a 25-pounder everywhere I go is not really helping out with my pinched nerve and sciatica).
Oh, I can't wait to see her in dresses, skirts, leggings, tights, boots! Cute, cute, cute! This cutie is going to be even cuter!
Yesterday she took eight unassisted steps at school, and a couple here and there with them today. At home tonight she kept knee-walking over to wherever I was sitting, grab one of my fingers, pull, and say "up!" She wanted me to walk everywhere with her, but just one finger. She wanted the other hand free! Up until tonight she has wanted to hold on to both of my hands, and if I let go of either one she would get so mad at me. So this is really a turning point!
I have to admit I will miss her little patches on the knees of her jeans. But people who say not to wish time away and that I will miss her knee-walking, honestly aggravate the heck out of me, because yes it is so cute to see her walk on her knees - very entertaining. However, it is painful for her. Her knees stay bruised. The outdoor area at school is paved. It is I will not miss her homeless-looking, hole-in-the-toe shoes. No, back pain, I will not miss you (toting a 25-pounder everywhere I go is not really helping out with my pinched nerve and sciatica).
Oh, I can't wait to see her in dresses, skirts, leggings, tights, boots! Cute, cute, cute! This cutie is going to be even cuter!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
She's WALKING!!
Anna Claire IS walking!
One of her daycare teachers commented that it's like someone just flipped a switch and she took off. She is walking EVERYWHERE. Sometimes she wants you to hold her hand, but rarely. Anna Claire can stand in the middle of the room by herself for long periods of time without holding on to anything for support. You can tell she has a confidence now and is so proud of herself, and we are, of course, proud of her too!
You know, I had a family member comment awhile back that I should be concerned that AC was not walking and that physical therapy may eventually be necessary. It shouldn't have, but the comment really did affect me. I honestly would look at my clock at school, and think, "Anna Claire is probably outside right now. On the pavement. On her knees. Dear Lord, please let her walk soon." But my child IS fine. She has had the ABILITY to do this for a LONG time, but had to have the DESIRE. Nothing wrong with my girl!
I'm including pics in this post of a walking Anna Claire, and video too if I can find a good one. :)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
A New Year
It's hard to think about a new year without thinking of how the changes I hope to make will impact Anna Claire. In fact, most of the changes I intend to make are BECAUSE of her.
One: FAMILY. I want Anna Claire to know and love mine and Larry's extended families and for them to know her. I have done a lousy job of putting forth the effort to make this happen, but I fully plan to improve this. I think it's just so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget what's REALLY important. This change will be good for Larry, myself, and our parents too!
Two: ORGANIZATION and CLEANING. I am doing some MAJOR reorganization and cleaning around here. I figure if I spend less time finding things we need on a daily basis, I'll have more quality time to spend with Anna Claire! I will also be less stressed and a better Mommy. One of my favorite quotes I used to share with my eighth graders: A cluttered environment creates a cluttered mind. A clean, orderly environment allows for a clear mind. Oh, I am still a nerd. And proud of it.
Three: BUDGET. We are going to really look at spending and where we can pare down. That way we can look ahead at things we will need for Anna Claire as she continues to transition to toddlerhood. Gear for kiddos is expensive!
I believe in setting clear intentions every new year, but with Anna Claire, I know I will be more inclined to keep them. I am very optimistic about the year ahead and that it is sure to be the best one yet. My life does keep getting better all the time.
One: FAMILY. I want Anna Claire to know and love mine and Larry's extended families and for them to know her. I have done a lousy job of putting forth the effort to make this happen, but I fully plan to improve this. I think it's just so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget what's REALLY important. This change will be good for Larry, myself, and our parents too!
Two: ORGANIZATION and CLEANING. I am doing some MAJOR reorganization and cleaning around here. I figure if I spend less time finding things we need on a daily basis, I'll have more quality time to spend with Anna Claire! I will also be less stressed and a better Mommy. One of my favorite quotes I used to share with my eighth graders: A cluttered environment creates a cluttered mind. A clean, orderly environment allows for a clear mind. Oh, I am still a nerd. And proud of it.
Three: BUDGET. We are going to really look at spending and where we can pare down. That way we can look ahead at things we will need for Anna Claire as she continues to transition to toddlerhood. Gear for kiddos is expensive!
I believe in setting clear intentions every new year, but with Anna Claire, I know I will be more inclined to keep them. I am very optimistic about the year ahead and that it is sure to be the best one yet. My life does keep getting better all the time.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas 2010
We have had such a special Christmas this year, DESPITE pink eye!! There are some good things that come from being confined, like enjoying our time as a threesome and having nothing to do and nowhere to be except in the moment with each other.
On Christmas Eve, we started out by following same tradition as last year: she gets to open a book, a pair of pajamas, and a toy. (Anna Claire was not able to open the gifts herself. I had to undo the tape, then she would rip off the paper.)
This year the book was her favorite library book, Max's Bedtime (I always try out books first at the public library before buying!) She also opened her snowman pajamas, and a set of toy cupcakes. She absolutely went nuts for the cupcakes.
We knew she'd like them, but if we'd known how much, we'd have got them sooner. I was actually all done Christmas shopping for her last Sunday, but spending the week with her out of school, I noticed whenever I asked her what she was making in her kitchen, she'd say "cu-cakes!" I told Larry Friday morning, that we needed to try to find cu-cakes for this child while we were out if at all possible. Toys R Us had one set left, and they are awesome. They have interchangable frosting and come in a muffin pan. She loves dumping them out and putting them back in - and they just BARELY fit in her oven.
Oh, I made actual chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips for her too, of course. This was to offset the possible meltdown that would insue after discovering that toy cupcakes are not edible. :)
Christmas morning, We loved waking up to see a beautiful blanket of snow out our window and large fluffy snow still falling. So nice to spend the entire morning in PJs.
When Anna Claire first woke up, I wondered if she'd want breakfast or presents first, and I guess the best answer is BOTH. She had a hurried breakfast, then wanted "uh" (up). She went straight for the tree at this point...she was happy to see the presents under the tree.
We just put half of the gifts under Christmas morning, because Meme (Nene) funded a great deal of what Santa brought this year and we wanted her to see them get opened. I also think we did a good job of not overwhelming Anna Claire by letting her open things at her own pace. She would open a toy and immediately want to play with it, then we'd wait until she came back over to give her the next. I think Larry and I had as much fun as she did. It helped that I took a friend's advice and wrapped all toys removed from their packaging with batteries already in them so she could play with something as soon as she opened it. What great advice!
Round one: She opened her stocking containing her Biscuit Christmas book, Ni Hao Kai Lan Bubbles (non-spill!), butterfly mirrors for dress-up center, holiday stickers, and a candy cane full of chocolates.
Next, Melissa and Doug Vehicles puzzle that makes the vehicles' sounds when you place the pieces, Once Upon a Potty book, 2 pairs of pajamas, two pairs of pants, and a wooden book caddy for her board books (surprised how much she liked this! Maybe they make her books feel even more special?)
Then, the finale for round one...a giant purple crayon!! SHE LOVED IT! She did exactly as we suspected and went straight to her coloring table to see if it really colored. So darn cute.
Later on, we took walks outside in the snow and came in to warm up with yummy hot chocolate(her first time trying hot(warm for Anna Claire) chocolate.)
Round two: (Meme arrives) Anna Claire got the most amazing Nursery Rhymes pop-up book. It is so cool, I'm including pictures in this blog for you later when I get the chance (yes, it is THAT cool).
We called Step2 and they were willing and able to sell us ALL of the accessories that came with the kitchen Gan gave us. We are fully up and running. What she loves best is the burner that really lights up and bubbles when you place their special pots/pans on top. Anna Claire also got the Step2 Food Bundle which is freakin' awesome. I never had toy food so cool when I was a kid. The only complaint that the three of us have is that the hot dog CANNOT be removed from the bun - seriously? She keeps handing it to us, saying "Out! Out!" Poor baby. Finally, she got Potsy the Pot, which I already love. It is so cute, sings to her, and fits in well with her kitchen.
Round three: Grandma's house! Anna Claire once again opened gifts in phases, playing with cat toys, Papoo's cast iron stove, and Larry and Clint's old toy train and elephant in between. :) One of my favorite things that she got from Grandma was the Crayola Color Me a Song. It's the thing that plays music faster as she colors faster. Best part is it comes with washable crayons. The crayons are triangular-shaped so that made them a novelty to AC. Good thinking, Grandma!! <3
Grandma also got Anna Claire two Christmas tree shaped books (one Dora, one Spongebob) which she loved! Both books have flaps throughout that reveal hidden pictures. So cool.
She got clothes many other fun things like holiday hacky sacks, a puzzle, and a teddy bear.
She got her first doll! Baby Stella. I blogged about Stella a few weeks back - she is neat because she comes with a magnetic paci, bottle, diapers, a pack of "wipes", teddy bear, pajamas...basically anything a baby would have, you can get for Stella. I love her already. I wonder if Anna Claire sees Stella's paci and thinks "I want my paci." We are in the process of breaking her of paci, so I'm thinking maybe about the time the paci fairy comes to get Anna Claire's paci, she gets Stella's too, and they both get lots of goodies when they wake up in the morning, sort of like the tooth fairy. I so stole this idea from Supernanny.
One final note: I have enjoyed reading Christmas books with Anna Claire, so much so, I am sort of sad to pack them up for next year, as I will be when we take down decorations. Thanks to the books, school, Nick Jr, and a set of plastic holiday cookie cutters we got her first of December, she recognizes and can name Santa, sleigh, reindeer, elves, snowman, sled, Christmas tree, and candy cane.
On Christmas Eve, we started out by following same tradition as last year: she gets to open a book, a pair of pajamas, and a toy. (Anna Claire was not able to open the gifts herself. I had to undo the tape, then she would rip off the paper.)
This year the book was her favorite library book, Max's Bedtime (I always try out books first at the public library before buying!) She also opened her snowman pajamas, and a set of toy cupcakes. She absolutely went nuts for the cupcakes.
We knew she'd like them, but if we'd known how much, we'd have got them sooner. I was actually all done Christmas shopping for her last Sunday, but spending the week with her out of school, I noticed whenever I asked her what she was making in her kitchen, she'd say "cu-cakes!" I told Larry Friday morning, that we needed to try to find cu-cakes for this child while we were out if at all possible. Toys R Us had one set left, and they are awesome. They have interchangable frosting and come in a muffin pan. She loves dumping them out and putting them back in - and they just BARELY fit in her oven.
Oh, I made actual chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips for her too, of course. This was to offset the possible meltdown that would insue after discovering that toy cupcakes are not edible. :)
Christmas morning, We loved waking up to see a beautiful blanket of snow out our window and large fluffy snow still falling. So nice to spend the entire morning in PJs.
When Anna Claire first woke up, I wondered if she'd want breakfast or presents first, and I guess the best answer is BOTH. She had a hurried breakfast, then wanted "uh" (up). She went straight for the tree at this point...she was happy to see the presents under the tree.
We just put half of the gifts under Christmas morning, because Meme (Nene) funded a great deal of what Santa brought this year and we wanted her to see them get opened. I also think we did a good job of not overwhelming Anna Claire by letting her open things at her own pace. She would open a toy and immediately want to play with it, then we'd wait until she came back over to give her the next. I think Larry and I had as much fun as she did. It helped that I took a friend's advice and wrapped all toys removed from their packaging with batteries already in them so she could play with something as soon as she opened it. What great advice!
Round one: She opened her stocking containing her Biscuit Christmas book, Ni Hao Kai Lan Bubbles (non-spill!), butterfly mirrors for dress-up center, holiday stickers, and a candy cane full of chocolates.
Next, Melissa and Doug Vehicles puzzle that makes the vehicles' sounds when you place the pieces, Once Upon a Potty book, 2 pairs of pajamas, two pairs of pants, and a wooden book caddy for her board books (surprised how much she liked this! Maybe they make her books feel even more special?)
Then, the finale for round one...a giant purple crayon!! SHE LOVED IT! She did exactly as we suspected and went straight to her coloring table to see if it really colored. So darn cute.
Later on, we took walks outside in the snow and came in to warm up with yummy hot chocolate(her first time trying hot(warm for Anna Claire) chocolate.)
Round two: (Meme arrives) Anna Claire got the most amazing Nursery Rhymes pop-up book. It is so cool, I'm including pictures in this blog for you later when I get the chance (yes, it is THAT cool).
We called Step2 and they were willing and able to sell us ALL of the accessories that came with the kitchen Gan gave us. We are fully up and running. What she loves best is the burner that really lights up and bubbles when you place their special pots/pans on top. Anna Claire also got the Step2 Food Bundle which is freakin' awesome. I never had toy food so cool when I was a kid. The only complaint that the three of us have is that the hot dog CANNOT be removed from the bun - seriously? She keeps handing it to us, saying "Out! Out!" Poor baby. Finally, she got Potsy the Pot, which I already love. It is so cute, sings to her, and fits in well with her kitchen.
Round three: Grandma's house! Anna Claire once again opened gifts in phases, playing with cat toys, Papoo's cast iron stove, and Larry and Clint's old toy train and elephant in between. :) One of my favorite things that she got from Grandma was the Crayola Color Me a Song. It's the thing that plays music faster as she colors faster. Best part is it comes with washable crayons. The crayons are triangular-shaped so that made them a novelty to AC. Good thinking, Grandma!! <3
Grandma also got Anna Claire two Christmas tree shaped books (one Dora, one Spongebob) which she loved! Both books have flaps throughout that reveal hidden pictures. So cool.
She got clothes many other fun things like holiday hacky sacks, a puzzle, and a teddy bear.
She got her first doll! Baby Stella. I blogged about Stella a few weeks back - she is neat because she comes with a magnetic paci, bottle, diapers, a pack of "wipes", teddy bear, pajamas...basically anything a baby would have, you can get for Stella. I love her already. I wonder if Anna Claire sees Stella's paci and thinks "I want my paci." We are in the process of breaking her of paci, so I'm thinking maybe about the time the paci fairy comes to get Anna Claire's paci, she gets Stella's too, and they both get lots of goodies when they wake up in the morning, sort of like the tooth fairy. I so stole this idea from Supernanny.
One final note: I have enjoyed reading Christmas books with Anna Claire, so much so, I am sort of sad to pack them up for next year, as I will be when we take down decorations. Thanks to the books, school, Nick Jr, and a set of plastic holiday cookie cutters we got her first of December, she recognizes and can name Santa, sleigh, reindeer, elves, snowman, sled, Christmas tree, and candy cane.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Nene's Christmas Tree and the China Buffet
Today we went to "Nene's" house to help put together and decorate her Christmas tree. Anna Claire loved being there. She didn't walk much on her own today, but was constantly grabbing my hand to walk around and explore Nene's house, and pulling up on the furniture a lot.
She seemed to have the most fun crawling right up to the TV. At home, she physically is not able to get too close to the TV because we have created a wall of toys to limit how close she can get. I think until today she really thought she could "skidoo" into the TV just like Steve and Blue on Blue's Clues. She looked so disappointed when she touched the TV and nothing happened. She also kept trying to give Kai Lan a kiss.
The Christmas lights were also a huge hit with her, we closely supervised and allowed her to play briefly with a strand of lights. That made her whole day. And she was sweet about giving them back when we needed them for the tree. Here is a pic!
After we left my mom's, we took Anna Claire to the New China Buffet in Oak Grove (mom lives near Gate 1, Ft. Campbell). She LOVED it. More importantly, she loved crab. Larry and I were both so stoked. We are shellfish fanatics, so we naturally want our child to be as well. Grapes and mandarin oranges came in a close second. Anna Claire also enjoyed watching all of the people, especially the waitstaff, who were stationed right behind us. They kept smiling, waving and talking to her, and she ate up the attention. One huge hurrah: NO food, I repeat, NO food under the table when we left. First time since I have had her that we've taken her to a restaurant and we haven't left embarrassed for the mess she left on the floor. What a big girl she is getting to be. Oh, and she loved getting to go in the ladies room and wash her hands. That was a really big deal for some reason!
She seemed to have the most fun crawling right up to the TV. At home, she physically is not able to get too close to the TV because we have created a wall of toys to limit how close she can get. I think until today she really thought she could "skidoo" into the TV just like Steve and Blue on Blue's Clues. She looked so disappointed when she touched the TV and nothing happened. She also kept trying to give Kai Lan a kiss.
The Christmas lights were also a huge hit with her, we closely supervised and allowed her to play briefly with a strand of lights. That made her whole day. And she was sweet about giving them back when we needed them for the tree. Here is a pic!
After we left my mom's, we took Anna Claire to the New China Buffet in Oak Grove (mom lives near Gate 1, Ft. Campbell). She LOVED it. More importantly, she loved crab. Larry and I were both so stoked. We are shellfish fanatics, so we naturally want our child to be as well. Grapes and mandarin oranges came in a close second. Anna Claire also enjoyed watching all of the people, especially the waitstaff, who were stationed right behind us. They kept smiling, waving and talking to her, and she ate up the attention. One huge hurrah: NO food, I repeat, NO food under the table when we left. First time since I have had her that we've taken her to a restaurant and we haven't left embarrassed for the mess she left on the floor. What a big girl she is getting to be. Oh, and she loved getting to go in the ladies room and wash her hands. That was a really big deal for some reason!
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