This is going to get interesting...

Yesterday Larry and I took Anna Claire to the public library. She immediately dove toward the board books and began handing me some to read. I opened a book and began reading the story outloud to her: "I see with my _____" (I began to leave out words I knew she could read, just like I do at home.) Only I forgot I wasn't at home. There was a lady behind me looking at me like, "Lady you are crazy. She's a baby!" Of course it would have been perfect timing for Anna Claire to chime in with the word "eyes", but nothing from her. So I am just sitting there looking like a weirdo. People just don't see babies the way we do. This is going to get interesting.

My Baby Can Read

I'm afraid I am not as diligent as I'd hoped at keeping track of Anna Claire's first words. After the affirmation of the first four or five, she gained great confidence and is now in just one week's time, talking up a storm, attempting most words I ask her to say. Today, new words were "bib", "blue", "uh oh" and I'm sure there were more. Oh yeah, "fish".

She can READ and say: hat, eyes, green, moon, no, banana, diaper, book, keys. These are all YBCR words, with the exception of "banana" and I believe that is due to exposure to it in two of her favorite books.

If you show her lion or bee or car, she will make the sound for those, and if you show her clap she will clap her hands.

I am no longer skeptical about this program. As she learns to say words, she is confirming for us that she can also read them. I am confident now that she knows all the words, and that it is just a matter of time before she provides us with that proof!

Talking up a STORM!

It's so much fun watching Anna Claire learn how to talk. She is now saying and reading several words plainly: ball, hat, eyes.

And she's attempting to say many others, but isn't quite pronouncing the entire word: nana (banana), nunya (onion), bk (book).

For some words, she makes sounds that represent the word: brrrmmm (car), grrr (lion or tiger), bzzzz (bee). This is true when she sees the word, the object, or a picture of it.

My baby can read, which is just so freakin cool. I can't tell you how proud we are to see all of her work and our work pay off. So fun!

A cute video for your enjoyment.

Walkin' or Talkin' - Which Will Come First?

Larry and I think TALKING! She is attempting difficult words like butterfly which sounds so cute coming from her, "Buddabye." She can clearly say "map" and "ball" and "bear" and knows she is saying these words (Dora's Map is on TV when she says "map", she is holding her ball or bear when she says those words). I love it! It is so exciting and is absolutely the highlight of my day to watch her progress.

Your Baby Can Read officially rocks. I have been skeptical myself throughout the process, but we committed to it and have been true to it since Anna Claire was 4 months. She KNOWS these words. I can give her two, three or four words cards, say a word, and she will select the correct card. When watching the videso, she now does the action for the word before the announcer says them. I am trying to get this on video to share with you, but everytime I think to video it seems she would rather cruise and be on the go. Getting an aspiring walker to sit still and look at notecards is a challenge!

I just keep thinking, what an advantage this skill will be to her, and what confidence she will have to have already mastered phonics and letter recognition at such a young age. I can show her any two letters, name one, and she will choose the correct one. Amazing. This is true for colors, shapes, fruits and vegetables as well.



Here is a recent video of her. What's she eating? A clover.

It just keeps getting better...

It has been a difficult transition for Anna Claire - going from staying home with Mommy and Daddy full-time to the Red Barn. For the first two weeks, my child was doing good to get 11 1/2 hours of sleep, including naps. She was hardly eating - at daycare or at home. Larry and I were so worried about her. On top of that she caught the cold virus that was going around and began to cut two molars. It's also hard passing off your baby and to leave her kicking and screaming. Harder still is hearing anecdotes and about milestones, and wishing you were there for them.

Here's where it gets better: after two weeks, I am VERY pleased to say that I have one happy baby. In fact, I have never seen her happier. She is eating most/all of her snacks and meals, and sometimes wants seconds. She is sleeping an additional half hour each night. She is so tired from her day, she is easily bedding down 30 minutes earlier. She is napping an hour or more - an improvement from the 30-40 minutes she was clocking in on week one.

When Anna Claire wakes up in the morning, she is all smiles...lots of "talking". I am so glad she is a morning person.

When I drop her off, she is a big girl. She goes to Miss Keisha or Miss Johnna without crying. I worried about leaving her so early because her main teachers are not at the Barn yet, but she likes Keisha and Johnna a lot. I like them too.

When I pick her up, she is usually finishing up snack. All of the teachers are so eager to run up to me and tell me about her day and how good she was. I can tell they really like her, and that makes me happy and reassured.

When we get home, Anna Claire is just fun. She wants to cruise, talk, give me hugs, and have me read her books. She is such a little book worm, it's great.

The periodic fussiness that Larry and I saw over the summer has dissipated. We just have this wonderful child who seems to enjoy life. And we enjoy her!

Milestones...

Anna Claire is learning so much, so fast. She can do signs for Itsy Bitsy Spider ("out comes the sun" and she does a pretty decent spider going up the spout). Of course, she loves to clap, give high-fives, and play peekaboo. She can now moo like a cow and meow like a cat, which are both consistently pronounced "Mmmmmmmm". Two arms up in the air means multiple things: arms up, look up, and point. She will touch her feet and head when asked; IF SHE WANTS TO, she will open her mouth and show you her tongue if asked. She is still saying "Did it, did it, did it" for Dora's "We Did It" song. It's funny how you learn what babies mean.

What I think is neat is she already is thinking outside of herself. She LOVES to feed Mommy. If I say I love anything she is eating for snack or mealtime, it will be put in my mouth. If anyone asks her for something she does not hesitate to give it to them. I am so pleased about this!

I love being a mom more than anything and I am so blessed to have this amazing little girl in my life!

Starting Daycare

Anna Claire is acclimating to her new class, teachers and little friends, and being away from Mommy. I can tell she likes The Red Barn and has lots of fun. Just ask her, and she'll tell you (insert Anna Claire's enthusiastic head nod and hand clap here.)

Here is a video her teacher took for me on Friday for their Wet and Wild Water Day: