Big Night for Verbal Skills

Before tonight, Andrina spoke 30+ words and has said one three-word phrase, "I love you". Her saying that phrase has everything to do with me encouraging her to say it for over a month now. It was not something she said completely on her own.

Well, tonight during her story-time, she hit a few more verbal milestones. When she saw a picture of a baby in one of her books, instead of just saying, "baby" like she usually does, she uttered her first spontaneous two-word phrase. Andrina said, "hi baby" and waved at the baby too!

Then when we were reading the word "horse" (which she can read because she points at her ride-on-toy horse when she sees the word), she pointed at the horse and I said "horse" and asked her to say it too. Which she did! Add another word to her 30+ list!

Last one for the night: when I turned off her lights and turned on her stars that are projected onto the ceiling and walls and showed them to her (like I do every night because she likes looking at her stars), she repeated the word "stars" for me when I asked her to! Yea! Two new words added to the list!

"I Love You"

Tonight I was reading to Andrina before bed, just like I do every night. And tonight, I was reading to her one of our favorite books titled "I Love You Through and Through". I've read her this book at least 50 times since she recieved it as a gift in June for her Christening. And for weeks now I've been trying to get her to say "I love you". Well, tonight right after I read her the first page of the book, which is the same as the title, she turned to me, took her fingers out of her mouth, and said, "I love you"!!!!!!!
I love you too, Andrina!

Another Dose of Christmas!

Today was a much better day for us than yesterday. It's too bad that yesterday was officially Christmas because Andrina had a fever yesterday and was cranky all day. My poor baby woke up crying on Christmas day and I felt so bad for her. Because she wasa not feeling good, it took us literally all day long yesterday to get Andrina to open her presents. Today was much better, her fever is gone and she is back to her happy little self. So here's more pictures of her playing with more Christmas presents from this morning...

I got her a toy shopping cart because she loves to push things!

I apparantly made a good choice!

Andrina is pointing to the doll and verbally telling me that it's Ernie
On her new pink pony ride-on

Playing with her new mega-blocks. She has spent a lot of time playing with these blocks. I knew she'd really like them when I bought them!

And from tonight at Doreen's for our Christmas get-together:

Andrina and Grandpa

Opening more presents!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2008

Here's some pictures from our Christmas today. They are mainly of Andrina with her gifts:

Long Time Coming

I recently started a list of the words that Andrina can read. It's not done yet due to her cold, my cold and sinus infection and being busy from the holidays. So I'll have to blog that when it's done. However, here for my own memories is a list of (most) of all the words that Andrina now speaks:

Momma
Dadda
Elmo
ball
baby
bear
Ernie
Bird (as in Big Bird)
Abby (as in Abby Cadabby)
block
book
duck
dog
cat
head
hair
coat
hat
shoes
car
up
keys
kick
camel
chick
apple
juice
all gone
piano
hi
bye

"Upside Down Baby"...

... is one of Andrina's favorite games. We've been playing it for at least 8 months now. Here's some pictures from it from today. I don't have much in the way of blogging lately as I am just now starting to feel better from a bad sinus infection. There will be more blogging to come!

Upside down!

and right side up again!

Welcome Aydan!

Congratulations Becca and Eric! I am so happy to hear that little Aydan made a safe entrance into the world today! Becca Hon, please have a very speedy recovery. I can't wait until I'm completely better so I can meet your new little boy and see you. Hugs and kisses!

Happy 17 Months Old!

I love you!

Getting Better

I have not blogged much this week. That is mostly because Andrina came down with a case of pink eye and a bad cold. I took her to the pediatrician Monday and she got eye drops to fight off the pink eye. The bad news is, she really hates it when I put the eye drops in, the good news is her eyes have cleared up and her cold is a lot better now. Now Tom and I have her cold! But that's ok, I'd rater be the one sick then my baby. She was pretty cranky this week but she's back to her usual happy little baby self. As for the rest of what's going on, we got the tree up and decorated and wrapped many Christmas gifts.

Here's just an adorable pic of Andrina with an Elmo doll from yesterday. OMG my baby is such a cutie! Look at how sweet she is! I love those curls and her big hazel eyes!

KICK

Andrina can definatley read the word "kick". Yippee!

I Forgot...

...to blog that Andrina is now really enjoying school! There are no more tears when I drop her off in the mornings (and it's only 2 days a week). She goes and plays with the other kids and toys and I tell her that I'm going, I'll be back later, and can I have a hug? She comes and hugs me then goes back to playing. She eats her lunch, takes a nap, and has fun! I am so happy that it is working out. It is good for her and now that I have the holiday madness to deal with, it's been easier to do all that "stuff" and not have to worry about her. It really helps to get more done. But I still can't wait to see her at the end of the day!

A Letter From Shellie

Dear Santa,
I've been a very good girl this year. I am a very good mom and wife who is pressed for time, very busy, and quite stressed out. For Christmas this year I'd like to have
1. More hours in the day
2. Need less sleep
3. Have more time to study
4. Have more time to exercise
5. Have more time to blog
6. And most important of all, I'd like to have more time to spend with my baby. Actually, could you keep her just the way she is, right now, for longer? I am so loving this stage of her development and I want to enjoy it forever.

Ok, I understand that these are unreasonable requests. If I can't get any of the above for Christmas, could I please have a new computer?

My current computer is 3 years old and its age is showing. Its processor is not capable of handeling all of my applications for long. It takes quite awhile to upload to blogger, myspace, facebook and to do my emailing, online shopping (I'm buying many presents this way) and access my word files and photos while having my iTunes playing too.

Please send me a new computer for Christmas. One with a extremely fast processor and huge memory capabilities. A faster computer would mean I would spend less time on the computer and have more time for my baby, my friends and family, and myself. Thank you.

Love, Shellie

Too Busy

Life is too busy. And now that the holidays are upon me, I am ever more busy than ever. I still don't have my tree up. I still don't have a tree! Our tree got ruined when our basement flooded and Tom and I need to buy a new one. That's a whole day's project to get the tree and up and decorated. And that's without taking care of a baby. And I am having a lot of trouble keeping up with blogging. And I now have a myspace and facebook pages for networking. Because I need to get liscensed (and I have to study) because I have to go back to work at some point. Because my baby won't be a baby forever and before I know it she'll be in school full-time. And she's the most important part of my life. I want to spend all of my time with her. But there are too many other demands on me. I'm getting pretty stressed out. I need a time out!

Christmas Portraits with a Toddler

I am so glad my morning was a success and is over with! I had an appointment at Penny's for Andrina's Christmas portraits today. All in all, it was a success but the experience was really difficult to deal with. For starters, toddlers generally don't do well sitting for portraits. Andrina certainly didn't when it was time for her 1 year old ones. In fact, it was so bad for those that she cried and was cranky the entire time so we had to do those twice. So I was not looking forward to today's Christmas ones.

Andrina did not want to cooperate with her portrait sitting. She was walking all over, trying to walk out the door. When I'd sit her down, she'd either get up and refuse to sit back down, or she'd start crying. As if me asking her to sit and be still for 5 seconds was taking away from her freedom. Well, yes techincally it is but it's only for a little while! There were a few quiet moments when she was standing up and looking at the Christmas tree there. And she did turn to the camera and kind of smiled so the photographer got a good shot with those (and that pose is her "official" Christmas one for this year). She did sit quietly with a Christmas book so we got some good shots of that. The worst of it was when she was crying and reaching for me when I stepped about 4 feet away from her, out of the shot. She really was acting like I was going to abandon her. Towards the end of the session, I literally was singing and dancing behind the photographer to get her to be happy and smile. Thankfully, it worked! I had to sing the "Elmo's World" theme for her and I danced for her too. But it worked and there were about 6 different "poses" of her that I bought portraits of. I also had our Christmas cards made from those and all will be ready to be picked up next Wednesday. But they gave me the envelopes today so I can address them by next week.

My goal is to get all 50something envelopes addressed by the weekend. I did want to do a family portrait for our cards this year, but I can't go through that again! One Christmas photo session for Andrina is enough. Hopefully she's be better able to deal with it at Easter time.

Last of Fall Fun

We had beautiful fall weather today. I had to make sure that Andrina and I got to enjoy being outside. This probably is the last time we'll get outside together before typical Chicago freezing cold and snow comes. It'll be her soon, I'm sure. Andrina loves being outside so much. I'm afraid that she's going to really miss the nice weather like I will. Until spring comes once again...

Sentimental and Thankful

I am a sentimental person. I cherish memories and momentos. I keep them close to me. I came across this picture in my camera from about a week ago. It's Andrina's footprints from after a bath. I was picking up in the bathroom after putting her down for the night when I saw her little footprints in the bath mat. It was so cute and they were so small that I had to take a picture of them. I am so very thankful for my baby girl. I love her so much.

Happy Thanksgiving

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year. Tom and I were super busy cooking all day long. I'm surprised that I remember to take any pictures at all I was so busy. But here's some from dinner this year. I have much to be thankful for and I am aware of that every day.

Something Different

I made some different foods to go with Thanksgiving dinner tonight-Native American foods, how appropriate. I made a honey bread and corn pudding and this-the prettiest dish at the table tonight-a stuffed sugar pumpkin. It has bison meat and wild rice as well as other yummy foods in it. It turned out great. It tastes great and it looks beautiful too. What do you think?

Wonderful Baby

Andrina had a great time at school today, the only problem was she refused to take a nap. But when we got home, we spent even more time playing together and cuddling than usual. And we spend A LOT of time doing those things! When it was time to watch her "baby DVD" (the reading one), I held her and we cuddled up and watched it together. And she was content to sit still and watch it for almost the entire way through. Just lots of cudding and us playing together. She's wonderful.

Children's Museum

Andrina and I met April and Anne at the children's museum again today. The cousins enjoyed themselves and they even played together some too. Not a small feat for a 2 1/2 year old and a 16 month old. Here's some pictures:

Memories

I just finished reading April's post about how she is so anticipating the birth of her new baby. It brought tears to my eyes because her description fits my own pregnancy with Andrina perfectly. It bought back so many memories.

I remember wanting Andrina so badly. I remember waiting and waiting to get pregnant. Waiting until I accomplished my own goal of finishing school so I would never resent my child. So if I didn't finish, there was no way I could blame him/her for it. Waiting until I was married and had a home so my baby would have a home and a mommy and a daddy. I remember being absolutely astounded that I got pregnant the very first time we tried. I was actually dumbfounded by it, thinking that I was over 30, so how did I get pregnant the first time we tried...

I remember wanting to hold my baby so badly and that I had to settle for holding and rubbing my growing belly. And at the same time being terrified that she would come too early and I would cry, hating that she might be one of those too tiny, too underdeveloped babies that was born too soon and might not make it. I would hold and rub my belly, telling her that I wanted to hold her in my arms but she had to stay inside of me so she could be born strong and healthy.

How I wanted to hold my baby so badly. When she was born I just held of for about an hour, gazing at her, until the nurse reminded me that I should nurse her. I was so busy just holding her and watching her that I forgot that I was supposed to nurse her within an hour after birth. And when she slept that night, I couldn't sleep. I brought her to my hospital bed and laid her next to me, one arm around her, the other touching her. And now she's this happy, healthy toddler and I am so in love with her. Everyday when I wake up I look forward to being with her. How I love cuddling her and playing with her. She is the center of my universe and I don't think I could go on if I ever lost her. I think I came alive when I gave birth to her.

School Update

I haven't blogged in over a week. Andrina is still getting used to school. She's doing much better but she is still not used to it yet. Last Wednesday she did pretty good, she was even able to take a nap there and slept for an hour and fifteen minutes, which is excellent for her as she is at the stage where she won't sleep if she's not at home. Last week Friday was a little harder. I checked on Andrina after their lunch and she didn't eat much. She was upset and wanted to be held. So I took her home for her nap and then I stayed at school with her during the afternoon. She did great, but then she knew I was there with her. So we'll have to see how she does this week. It may take her awhile to get used to school, but if she is going to cry everyday and just be miserable and not able to enjoy herself at all, then I'm going to take her out and wait a little longer. But she does seem to do better every day and she does seem to enjoy herself a little more each time, so maybe being there twice a week will work out for us. We'll have to wait and see.

I Miss My Baby

Andrina went to school for the second time today and she had an incredibly hard time. I dropped her off at 8:30 and came back a little before 11:30 to check on her. When I got there, she was crying. Her little face was red and there were many tears. How she clung to me when she saw me. I had to sit on the floor and hold her right then and there. Her teachers said that she had been crying on and off this morning. I was able to calm Andrina down except she started crying again when she thought I was leaving. I got there right before lunch so I helped Andrina to her chair at the table and she was still clinging to me. I ended up having to sit next to her at the table with 8 other toddlers while they ate their lunches. Andrina was ok to eat provided that I was there with her. She ate all of her food and drank most of her milk. Towards the end I tried to leave but that brought on more tears! So I decided that I would take her home for her nap and bring her back after it.

So I brought her back at 3:00, when nap time is definitely over with for the kiddos in her class at school so as not to wake them up. Andrina did not want to go into her classroom but her teacher took her and held her and that helped. I decided to leave otherwise there would be more tears. When I picked her up at 5:00 her teachers let me know that she did so much better in the afternoon. So much that she was not clinging on to her bear the entire time, so that is progress. However, when she saw me she called me and held her arms out to me. How could I have ever thought the other day that she was rejecting me? Andrina still really needs me. She is still a baby at heart and needs her momma.

The truth is, I need her. I missed her so much when she was at school today and Wednesday. Everywhere I went in our house, I pictured Andrina there with me. Playing with her toys in the family room, taking cans out of the pantry, taking my shoes out of the closet in my bedroom, playing with toys by my computer, looking at all of her books in her bedroom. I've come to the conclusion that I simply don't know how I lived so much of my life without her. She is the center of my universe and I am completely in love with her. Taking care of her everyday does not even seem like work. Realistically it can be difficult to manage errands and household stuff with meals, naps, and her play. But I love being with her. Whether we're at home or at a park or the children's museum or whatever outing we're on. I guess today I'm questioning whether or not she should have started part-time school just yet. Maybe I should have waited until she was 18 months or 2 years old? I know it's good for her development and now I know I need it for my own development. I can't be with her 24/7 forever but the two days she's been at school I've missed her terribly. I'm hoping that it will get easier for both of us as we get more used to it. That Andrina will enjoy it like she did the first day and I will remember that I had a full life before I became a mom. That there is so much I can do by myself that is important for me to do again. Like studying. Like going to the gym more frequently. Like reading more. And I sure deserve a trip to a day spa too. Maybe this will get easier for me as Andrina acclimates more to school. I hope so because as much as I would love to stay like this with her forever, just the way she is now, I can't have that.

Name That Body Part

I'm bragging more. Here's a list of all the body parts Andrina now knows:
1) nose
2) mouth
3) toes
4) arms
5) ears
6) head
7) tongue
8) eyes
9) belly
10)fingers

And she's not even 16 months old yet!!!!

1st Day of School

Andrina had her first day of school today. Overall, it was a success and she did great! I took her in at 8am and hung around for a little while. I wasn't sure if I'd need to stay or not but it turns out that I didn't. I took some pictures and then came back a little before 10:30 to check on Andrina right before their outside playtime. Andrina was more interested in running and playing outside than saying "hi" to Mommy. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I feel good that she is so secure and resilient but a part of me feels a tiny bit rejected so I felt sad.

I learned that about 20 minutes after I dropped her off, she started crying and needed to be held but one of her teachers was able to soothe her. But after that she did really well, she must have gotten hungry with all of the activity because she ate her entire lunch: chicken quesidillas, corn, oranges, and milk. Andrina did have a difficult time with her nap. She only slept 35 minutes and her bear didn't help much unfortunately. But she did finally fall asleep while away from home so that's good. Hopefully she will get more used to her school routine and be able to take longer naps there.

But she was happy to see me and Tom when we both picked her up at 3:30 so that helps. And when we got home, Andrina was still herself. She ate her entire dinner, watched her reading baby dvd, we did the flashcards together and she followed me into her ball pit so we had a great time in there together.

Here's some pictures of her first day at school:

She was there about 1 minute and started playing with the toys!
Right before morning outside time. She took off her shoe and tried to put it back on by herself.

Can you tell she loves to play outside?

Playing with a ball and leaves the teacher brought out for "nature studies".

I thought this was a good final shot. She's in pink in the background, confident and secure enough to explore by herself.

And can you tell from the pictures how HUGE the outdoor play area is? That was actually one of the deciding factors for this school. Some of them have tiny outdoor play areas, but theirs is huge and they have two of them, both huge (like 200 x 75 feet each). One for the kids up to 3 years old with smaller play equipment and one for the 4 to 6 year olds with bigger play equipment.

Congrats on your first day at school Andrina! Daddy and I could tell you really enjoyed it and it will be so good for you to go twice a week for now.

75 Degrees on Election Day?!?!

Wow, how can it be 75 degrees in Chicago in November? Must be climate change.....

Anyways, Andrina and I took advantage of this unseasonably warm weather by going to the park twice today. Once before her lunch and nap this morning, and again after she woke up.
Tom and I both participated in early voting last Monday, so I didn't have to worry about waiting in line to vote today. I've voted in every election since I turned 18. I'm going to pass this on to my daughter and teach her the value of living in a country where we participate in choosing our elected officials and that her voice is important.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY EVERYONE!

Great Jumpy Jump, Day 2

I took Andrina back to the baby expo today and she had a blast, again in the really cool Sesame Street jumper just for toddlers. I may have to rent this one at her next birthday party...
Here's some pictures of her having fun!

The woman in blue holding Andrina was the attendant, Lacie. She was incredibly nice and played with Andrina almost the entire time she was there both days. She seemed to really favor Andrina over the other kids, saying that "she's just so cute!" Unfortunately, she was not allowed to let anyone except toddlers in, even parents so I could not go in there. I sure wish they had these when I was a kid. I'm going to have to rent this one for Andrina's second birthday party and have a Sesame Street theme. Which I was going to do anyways since she loves Elmo so much!

Busy Day, Fun Day

Andrina and I went to the Baby Expo in Schaumburg this morning. Andrina had a BLAST in the toddlers-only Sesame Street jumper that was there. It had a slide, a ball pit, and obstacle course, it had a TON of fun stuff in it! She was running around and playing in there for at least 30 minutes. I don't have any pictures of that though because I left my camera in the car. I'll get some of those pics tomorrow. I've got more free passes so we're going back so she can enjoy that again. And I can get more samples and give-aways too.

After the baby expo we headed to my cousin Jamie's son's first birthday party. The timing was great. Andrina wore herself out in the jumper so she slept the entire drive to Jackson's party. There she got to play with her cousins, got her face painted with an Elmo pic and got balloons too. My kid loves balloons. Here's some pictures:

Mommy with a butterfly on my face and Andrina with Elmo on hers.

Playing with Grandma
With sweet cousin Maddie.
Maddie was great with Andrina!

Jackson (with cake!), Jamie, Maddie, Me, and Andrina.

Sorry the top of your head didn't get in the pic Maddie!

Jackson and Andrina playing with one of his new toys

Happy 1st Birthday Jackson!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Here's some pictures-mostly of Andrina. Not a surprise, huh?

Coloring a Halloween picture

The world's cutest little pumpkin-

All dressed up for trick-or-treating, with her little dog too!
Having fun with a box of milk duds

Another pic of Andrina with Puggie-as a piggy!

Needing a lift from the long walk from house to house

Wow there's a lot of candy in here!

Eating some M&Ms

The three of us with our jack-o-lanterns

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I hope everyone got lots of candy!

Until next Halloween....

BOO!