Where is my baby?

STOP TRYING TO WALK!!!  That is what I just said to Summer.  I did not yell as the previous sentence implies. In fact, she probably did not even hear me because she is good at ignoring me...LOL.  She has taken a step a couple of times this morning.  She can stand on her on in the middle of the room if she really wants to.  I have seen her do it a couple of times.  She is also standing, no hands, for longer and longer each time.  I know it won't be long now.  I have not been encouraging her walking at all, and it seems like she does not need me to.  She will do it when she is ready regardless of whether or not I am.   

She has also been talking up a storm this morning.  I can't understand much.  But, I know she has said "Tiger" and "Bye-bye."  It sounded like she was trying to say her A, B, C's a minute ago, but not the whole thing.  She will be talking in no time it seems too.

I woke up this morning and my baby was nowhere in sight.  I heard Summer a few minutes after I woke up and went to get her. When I opened the closet (aka her bedroom) door, she had turned the light on in her bed.  She sleeps in a pack-n-play here (at the condo).  She is usually always standing by the time I get to her, no matter where we are.  But, this is the first time she had the light turned on.  Yesterday morning, she had the music turned on; today no music. 

Anyway, I am getting off the subject.  Where is my baby at?  She did take her bottle, as usual.  I am really going to miss that.  I guess I only have one more week if I am going to take it away when she turns a year old.  Which is only 7 days away! 

I can't believe it is here already.  I have the decorations for her party.  I have ordered the cakes and bought the ice cream and drinks.  I'm not sure what else to serve.  Chips & dip???  I told Clint he is in charge of video taping during the party to which he highly objected saying, "Ihate doing that.  It is boring."  So, I told him it was up to him to find someone else to do it if he doesn't want to.  I am sure that is NOT going to happen.  I will have to do it myself, as usual.  He is a little like Summer in that he hears what he wants to hear...LOL.  I guess we are all like that sometimes, myself included.

Again, off the subject.  Summer thinks she is a funny little girl, always looking at me to see if I am going to laugh when she is being silly.  I guess if I didn't always laugh, she wouldn't expect it.  It is so much fun to have such a happy little girl to play with all the time. 

The word "No" has escaped my mouth numerous times this morning.  "No, don't put those head phones in your mouth." (repeat, repeat, take away headphones)  "No," don't get in the fireplace. (it only took once--Yeah me!)  I try not to say it too much.  But, "No" means "No."  I think Summer knows that for the most part, but I can see her testing me sometimes. 

Here are the new foods Summer had this week:  Grapefruit, Plum, Apple, Tangerine, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Salmon Patty, Yams, Soft Taco, Tostoda Chips, Ham 

Here are other things she ate this week:  Peach Cobbler, Pinto Beans, Sweet Potato, Yogurt, Banana, Strawberry, Cantaloupe, Roll, Green Beans, Carrots, Squash, Spaghetti, Ravioli, Baby Food, Oatmeal, Peaches, Lettuce, Tomato, Rice, Corn, Chicken, Bread, Crackers, Cookies, Ice cream, Milk-regular, chocolate, & strawberry, Applesauce

Cute clips of Summer

Here is a short clip of Summer shutting the back door.  I'm not sure she was happy with it when she did get it shut.  You tell me.  Or, did she smush her fingers?  I don't think so, but I guess it was possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvXS5WD5__U

This clip is of Summer playing in a drawer.  She is talking to me in a language I don't understand.  But, it is cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-SeCUspAHg

Videos Coming

As soon as I figure out how to do it again....

Dinner with my baby

If you would like to have dinner with Summer, you can via the photos in this post.  This is what she typically looks like at the dinner table/counter top.  Her plate also usually ends up empty like the pictures show.  I will usually fill her plate up with whatever we are having at home.  She will eat pretty much everything on it.  She does drop some food in her lap, but it is a relatively small portion of what is on the plate.  Sometimes she even eats the food out of her bib when her plate starts looking empty.  Meal times are fun.  I have to pretty much wait to eat until after I have gotten her meal going good.  I used to have to feed her everything, but she is trying to feed herself more and more.  Sometimes she won't even eat off of the spoon I am trying to put in her mouth.  She would rather do it herself...with her hands. 

I have noticed she is becoming more independent.  I guess that is a good thing.  She will play in the floor on her own until she sees me doing something that she wants to do (or doesn't want me to do....).  The laptop is a prime baby attention getter.  When she hears my fingers hitting the keys, that is her cue to stop what she is doing and come to Mommy.  She gets to see her picture on the laptop sometimes which excites her.  Right now I have a picture of Jack (our old dog) as my background.  So, she barks whenever she see him.  She never got to meet Jack.  Both of our dogs died while I was pregnant with her (I think).  I can't remember exactly when Jack drowned in the lake, but it was a sad day. 

Did I mention that she bit me the other day?  I was on the phone with a friend and she was on my hip (as usual).  The next thing I knew, she had bitten my arm.  I didn't know what to do, so I did nothing.  I hope this is a one time thing because I definitely don't want a biter on my hands.  She still just has the three teeth.  I guess more will be coming soon.  That means more teeth brushing...fun, fun, fun.

Tonight she is with my sister and her cousins.  I know they are having a good time.  And so will I when Clint gets here!

Here is a link that I read about disciplining.  Not that I am having a problem doing it, but I thought I would share it.  Wish me luck!

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerbehavior/1475318.html

 

Splinters & more

Summer has officially had her first splinter and then some. I was giving her a bottle yesterday morning (the only bottle she gets a day) and looking her over as usual.  So, I glanced at her legs and noticed a lot of scratches.  After further investigation, I realized there were also a LOT of splinters.  Not just one or two either.   I would say there were at least 20 on her legs and feet yesterday morning when she got up.  I felt like complete crap for letting it happen to her.  I just did not realize that our back porch is splinter heaven.  I don't know what I am going to do this summer because she LOVES the back porch. I am sure she would also like the yard, but it is so far away....right.  I thought about having her a play area in the front yard which is far enough away from the lake that I don't have to worry about her sneaking off and falling in. 

Yesterday I realized that I love where we live.  Why are we selling our house?  We are thinking auctioning it, but I am not sure yet.  We are going to an auction tonight.  Summer has been to auctions before, but this kind will be a little different.  They are selling houses not antiques and junk.  I hope she is well behaved during the auction.  We will see.  Clint suggested we get a sitter for it, but I really think Summer will be more entertainment for me than the houses they are selling.  So, I am not wasting babysitting on an auction.  Plus, my sister is babysitting Friday night.  She is a brave woman.  She'll have 3 kids running around her house tomorrow night; I guess one more isn't a big deal.  My nieces and nephew really like to play with/torture Summer.  I am sure they will all have fun. 

I really need to get some pics of Summer loaded on the computer so I can show you all the new and exciting food she is eating.  She will eat pretty much anything.  She just got done eating some cantaloupe and part of a poptart and is playing with her Weeble bus I got her.  She is watching a Baby Einstein video - World Animals.  We have been watching Neighborhood Animals at home.  I am tryingto get her to learn the song "Old McDonald."  So far, she likes the song, but can not sing it.  She does try to sing sometimes.  I can't understand a word of what she is "singing," but she is trying.  Okay, she just made a tiger noise and it was too cute.  This is only the 2nd time she has watched (if you can call it that) this video.  So, maybe she already knew how to make a tiger sound??? 

She is learning more and more words.  I think she can understand what I tell her; Amanda disagrees.  She still doesn't think Summer is saying "Dada."  She did play with Summer (if you can call it that) for a little while Tuesday afternoon.  She doesn't really play very well...kind of a boring big sister.  But, she is competing with a really fun mommy, me, so I'm not sure she had a chance in the first place.  According to Clint, I am too loud when I play with the baby.  I guess I just get excited because I want her to laugh and smile and I will get very silly (aka loud) to make it happen.  That is what I live for - making my people happy.  It is not always easy, but I am going to be happy if I can help it.  So, cheer up or go away.  Oh yeah, this is supposed to be about Summer. 

Now she has found her way over to the many bags by the kitchen table.  I am sure she is pulling everything out of them that she can...LOL.  If I can just get her to put it all back in, I don't really care.  She does a pretty good job of entertaining herself now.  But, when she wants Mommy, she wants Mommy.  Of course she still won't say "Mommy."  That may be her only downfall. 

It sounds like she has made her way over to her car.  She thinks she is so big when she pushes it.  She has been letting go of things and standing there a lot in the past few days.  No more steps, but like I said before, I am NOT ready for that.  I know it is only a matter of time.  She is getting her balance figured out; she just needs to figure out how to work her legs.

She has not gotten into the garbage can yet.  Just as I said that, I looked over and she WAS in the garbage can.  It looks like she got an empty lemonade can.  So much for not playing in the garbage.  I guess I better go tend to her.  I will try to get Clint to bring the cord so I can put up some new pics because I have taken a ton!

The Perfect Combination: Drool & a Snotty Nose

Summer and I are playing on the back porch right now.  Well, I am writing this post and she is playing.  I figured I would go ahead and write this because she is entertaining herself.  She is pretty good about playing by herself.  At times, she does want me to play with her.  But, other times she is just in her own little world. 

Have I mentioned that she is an absolute doll lately?  Jabbering and laughing up a storm....oh yeah, and DROOLING!  The drool has never been so bad.  There is a ring around her shirt collar almost all of the time these days.  Of course, the shirt she has on now is also wet from the ice she is playing with.  I dropped my full (that's right FULL) cup of water on the couch.  Luckily, the blanket caught it and I just dumped the blanket on the back porch.  When she found it, she started picking it up and putting it in her mouth.  Of course she did!  Everything goes to her mouth right now.  I really don't understand why, but I will be happy when she outgrows that.  It is disgusting sometimes.

Playgym

I wanted to take a minute to talk about what happened this week at Playgym.  Summer signed "more" for the first time.  At the beginning of class we were talking about sign language.  I told them that Summer still did not know how to sign "more."  Well, she must have heard me and decided to prove me wrong because a few minutes later when we were bouncing on the balls she signed more.  It was so exciting.  Everyone saw her do it.  I think she did it twice, but I didn't really count.  I was just so surprised when she did it because I have done it like a million times and she has never done it back. 

She can remember the different things we do and is enjoying them more every time I think.  I think it is well worth the time to take her each week.  She is learning and having a fun at the same time.  Plus we get to play with other babies.

Babies....that word just makes me a little sad right now.  I feel like I am fixing to lose my baby.  I feel like when she starts walking she won't be a baby anymore...she will be a little girl!  NOOOOO!!!!!  I do not want to give my baby up.  So, for the time being I am not encouraging walking.  I love my baby!!!  I am not ready for a big girl.