Top of the Pyramid

This will be the last post on the "Baby Blog" for 2012, and I imagine there will be only a few fill-ins for 2013.  I find it hard to post anything these days.  I should be posting more often over at HOK Life; I sometimes jot down some things over at StephySite; and have severely minimized anything I do here.  It's not that I don't want to, I just have little time and what time I do have is relegated to writing engineering related things, sewing, or reading.  I had to set a few priorities, constant blogging didn't make the cut.  But, rest assured, there will be thing here on random occasions!

I never updated you on Dani's last doctor visit.  She had her two year wellness exam the day after her birthday.  I purposely chose not to write about it.   It was a fiasco.  A f*#$ing fiasco.  It went much like her 21 month exam where we ended up doing more blood tests.  All those other tests before that came back fine, all the exams we did at the 2 year exam, fine.  She's small, she's just that small.  As my Aunt put it, she's just a top of the pyramid type girl (cheer leading reference).  Anyway, here are the stats:

Date: 2012-Nov-9 
Height: 32.5 inches [25th percentile]
Weight: 18 pounds, 15 ounces [Less than third percentile]
Head Circumference: 17.75 inches

I'm leaving out the head lice story.  The doctor said she had head lice, which caused a frenzy and it turns out, she never had it.  It's a much longer story than that, I have no desire to tell it.

I made a few things for Dano; those things can be seen over at Flickr.

Favorite Show: Max and Ruby
Favorite Food: French Fries/Sausage/Eggs/Candy/Cheese
Favorite Phrase: "I got it", "Go Away", "I'll do it", "Stupid" (she says sweet things too, just not as often)

2012 Christmas Eve -Grandpa's

Melting Hearts

If hearts could physically melt, mine would have when little bit, for the very first time, (without prompting at least) reciprocated the "I love you" part of tucking her in bed.  It was slurred, but it was there.

Happy 2nd Birthday

To my beautiful and fun (and often very crazy) little bit...I hope your second birthday is fun!

 

I was thinking this morning of all the things she does on her own; like opening doors, climbing in and out of mommy and daddy's bed, brushing teeth, getting dressed, and buckling herself into seats.  She's grown up fast...

Some of the things she says: "hammer dow" for "Farmer in the Dell", "whips" for "zips", "hide" for "slide", and "hucker" for "sucker".

Some of her phrases: "go away", "I don't wanna", "no no no", "please, more, hucker", "daddy truck".

Her favorite things to play with: babies (and all their accessories and diapers), kitchen and play food, choo choo trains, and blocks.

Party Time

Today we celebrated Dani's 2nd birthday with a few friends and family at Alfonzo's Pizza.  I highly recommend it.

I have to send a huge thanks to all that attended and gave gifts.  She had an amazing time, has played with all of her toys, and loves each of them.

To see her reaction to each gift made my day.  It was better to see and experience that over any gift I've ever recieved. 

Some of her gifts were trains and a wooden train track set; babies and baby accessories; dress up clothes; rocking horse and boots; a kitchen; Little People; and pajamas.

It was a real joy!

Now a story to remember...grandma came over to help mommy make cookies and decorate cakes.  Dani is helping Grandma and is holding a Wilton food coloring cup.  Grandma has no idea that Dani can open containers.  Next thing I know, I(m diving to keep Dani's freshly colored pink hands out of her hair and off her face.  I ended up with pink from my finger tips to elbow! Should have taken a photo!

Post 21 Months

Normally I try to post Dani's stats and skills on some significant date (the 8th of the month, her doctor's visits, etc.), but her 21 month check-up threw us for a curve.  The check-up, which could have gone un-visited if she weren't so small, was only a weigh to check her size.  Here are here stats:

• Weight: 18 pounds 1/2 ounce
• Height: 2'-7" (or 31")

As you can tell from her 18 month check up, she grew very little...so her growth chart appears stunted.  This led us to tests (despite my desire to say no, I went ahead and had them done to prove to myself that everything was just fine).  The tests consisted of common eating related disorders like Celiac's disease as well as organ function.  Everything came back just fine.  So the verdict is that Dani really is a small child. 

Aside from that, she's been great.  She's talking up a storm, playing as hard as she can as often as she can, and working on cool skills like the ABC's and 123's.  Her new favorite things to do are color, play with hair accessories, and fake kitchen items (and real one's she can get her grubby hands onto).  Her newest accomplishment is using the potty.  While not quite filling 'er up, she did use the potty once yesterday, and I had to refrain from taking a photo!

The Things She Says

Yesterday we went to dinner to celebrate Kim E's birthday.  The last time we went to dinner with them at Fazzi's we also took Dani, and I can't believe how much she has matured since the last time we ate there, which could have only been a few months.  Last time she wanted to sit in my lap and not eat, this time she sat in her high chair, ate well, chatted up the neighbors, had conversations (that no one understood), made faces at Nick, and just all around enjoyed toe company.  In no time, my baby girl has grown up.

With that said, she did puke in the car yesterday (the first time she has puked since being in her "big girl seat".  That was not fun.  Milk puke.  On top of the lack of cleaning I was able to do, I had to park my car in 105 degree heat, so the car smells bad.  Even after getting home and cleaning it out (as well as the seat), is still stinks.  Oh well, a story for the books!

It's been ages since I've written anything about what Dani has been up to these days.  It's a lot really.  She's very active, and talks all the time (again, unknown conversations).  But I was thinking about her upcoming visit to the doctor and what skills she has learned or perhaps not learned.  Her vocabulary sticks out to me, she knows a lot of words!  Here is a small list of words she says often (aside from names)...

Ball
Dog
Out
Go
Cup
Bowl
Blue
Blueberries
Bath
Towel
Shoes (a favorite!)
Purse
Ice
Cheese
Tea
Pool
Duck
Truck
Car
Plane

Most kids her age have a spoken vocabulary of 12-15 words, though I can't seem to believe that statistic.  She knows many more words too, I can ask her to get her pajamas and she knows what I am asking for.  She can point out body parts that I ask her about.

Anyway, things are going well...she's still my ticklish little turkey, and a cute one at that!

Kisses

It's really the greatest thing ever now that Dani can give kisses.  I asked her this morning for kisses before leaving her for the day with Grandma and Grandpa while I went to work.  Normally she ignores me, fights me, or waits until I pick her up to give her kisses with nothing really in return.  She kisses her babies, Mr. Snuggles her blankie, and on rare occasions will return kisses.  She really prefers blowing kisses more than anything.  But this morning, I sat on the sofa and asked her to give me kisses before I left and she stopped what she was doing to walk over giving me the kissy face the whole way and actually gave me a kiss this morning.

It was really sweet, and frankly, doesn't get a whole lot better than that!!

18 Months!

Hooray Hooray, Dani is 18 Months Old Today!

She is however the size of a 6 month old perhaps!  It's okay, she's sweet and little just they way we love her!

Today's stats:

• Weight: 17 pounds 6.5 ounces (17.4 lbs)
• Height: 29 1/2" tall
• Head Circumference: 17 1/4"

I will say that the doctor noticed how many teeth she had and told me that this means Dani will just be small (as if I didn't know that).  Essentially, the teeth grow in as the bones grow, so if she had few teeth, it may have been a sign that she was growing slow.  But, since she has lots of teeth (well more than was expected), she's growing, and so her size just means she's small.  When the doctor asked about women in my family and I noted that all of my mom's sisters, my mom and maternal grandmother were right at 5 feet plus or minus a few inches either way, she decided to be resigned to the fact that Dani would just be small.  Again, as if I didn't know?! 

We talked about the things she could do and was interested in, such as the toilet.  She has all sorts of words and expressions, like "Oh Boy", "pow", "shoes", "cup", "cereal", "cheerio", "blue", "baby", "uh-oh", among others.
Either way, here's a little anticdote for your amusement.  The doctor normally comes into the room and she clings to me crying. This time the doctor came in and (in her diaper and holding her shoes) proceeds to dance, and when she sees the doctor is amused by this, she turns and shakes her butt.  That's my baby for ya!

Little Miss Cool

You would think, with Dani learning new words everyday, new skills, and a canny ability to mimic, that I would be blogging here much more often than I have been.  Part of the lack of writing is time, but also, how can I keep up? 

We also had an tragic incident in April that has just put me in the dumps.  But, of course, life continues moving even when we feel like it should sit around with us for a bit until we're on our feet.

With that said, I shall move on to tell you how the other day I was pacing the house on the phone to turn around and catch Dani pacing right behind me "talking" on her "phone", which means she was jabbering into her camera.  When I walked, she walked, when I put my hand on my hip, she did.  I know that all children begin this about her age, but I never realized how adorable it is.  Of course that whole mimicing thing can have some negatives too!

As I mentioned, she learns new words everyday (she may not say them all the time, nor is it possible for everyone to understand her).  Pow, blue, shoes, chin...just this past week. 

She is face forward in dad's truck, and when we went camping for the first time this season, it was quite the trip for her.  "Car", "Car", "Car", at every vehicle we passed.  Seeing things from a different view seemed to really please her...well and there is the fact that she loves cars!

Yesterday Miss Dani learned how to wear sunglasses (after mimicing me)...so this morning, we wore shades to Auntie's!  Now, if I can just get her to learn to use a straw...

Adore

A couple of pictures I adore...

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Chair

Some little girl can get up into her chair all by herself!

Zoo

First trip to the zoo...
March 23, 2012

16 Months Old

Miss Dani is 16 months old today.  I was just looking at some photos from her 6 month set and she is so tiny, and then it occurred to me, she is still so tiny!!  While her 6-9 month pants are too short for her (shirt sleeves the same) everything drapes off of her if I go any larger.  Yesterday she was walking around the house and her pants slid down, so there she is, shuffling her feet along the floor with her pants down around her ankles!  It was truly adorable!

Her latest things to eat are Cheez-its.  We call them crackers and she can actually communicate that she wants one by saying "cah-cuh".  This is different than wanting a cookie, which is "cuh-ck".

So far all is well, she's starting to run, she's been healthy, eating well, sleeping well, and only throwing the regular "no nap", "no sleep" tantrums.  I consider this the calm before the storm!

Another Setback

Poor Dani is sick again, this time with a stomach bug. So far no fever, but good luck keeping anything in her!

Bigger Undies and Kissy Faces

This past week, Dani went from size two diapers to size three in disposables. 

This week she started telling me what a snake says, hissssss.  This is among saying kitties meow, puppies arf, tractors bumbumbummm (along with a bounce), and cars vroom.

She also recently started making kissy faces.  For a few weeks she has been "giving kisses" by bringing her dolls to her mouth. Then she did that and made a smacking noise with her lips.  Now she's starting to make kissy faces.

I went back looking for a blog that announced Dani's molars and couldn't find it, but just around the time she got a virus at Christmas, she had two upper molars and two lower molars come in, and boy can she use them!  She also brushes her own teeth!

1 1/4 Year (or 15 month) Stats

My little walking, talking, cookie monster had her 15 month check up today.  Despite not liking the doctor, or being weighed, or the vaccine, she did extremely well.  The following are her stats:

• Height 29"
• Head Circumference 17 1/4"
• Weight 16.2 pounds (or 16 pounds 3 ounces)

Stairs

This past weekend (the 28th and 29th of January), little Miss Dani "mastered" climbing the stairs alone.  It is true that I stood just behind her in case she fell, and a few times when I could see her little legs weary with the new task, I would just support her butt until she made the climb.  With that said though, I do believe she's figured it all out.  NOW I just need to teach her to scoot on her butt down the stairs to prevent any falls.

It was only the week before that she started walking unassisted.   I often watch her standing in a somewhat squatted position trying to decide if she should stand and walk quickly to where she needs to go or if she should go into default "crawl mode". 

Walker

Dani walked down the hall yesterday at Aunties, so last night, Chris and I took turns having her walk to us down the hall.  I love her face when she's "walking", something that looks a bit more like running.  She grins from ear to ear! 

She's just so amazing!

Wild One

I knew as soon as I got Dani out of bed that I'd be making a post today.  I've thought about it over the last couple of weeks to write about how my darling has turned into a demon.  But today, after pulling her out of bed and her hair was sticking up, I felt like I HAD to post about the Wild One.



Now, I've always know my daughter had a wild streak, her halo is only held up by her horns.  But, I've also always thought my baby girl was a sweet heart, a real true sweet baby, until the last couple of weeks.  Now don't get me wrong, she's the sweetest little thing to me, until she scratches my face or slaps me.  She's the sweetest little thing eating by herself until she throws the food at me.  She has a banshee scream like you cannot imagine and a mean streak as wide as a 6 lane Interstate.  I have no idea how to deal with her either.  She doesn't get the point of timeouts or toys being taken away; scolding assertively just makes her laugh (or kick more) and this whole positive reinforcement bit seems to be going no where.  What to do, I have no idea, but I know I'm not the only one who has dealt with this.  I hope to continue what I'm doing, hoping this is a phase and her testing me fades away.  Until then, I'll just keep laughing about it as I pull all my hair out!

On a side note, I was going through my phone to get the "Wild One" picture and saw these others that I just adore.  Some may be posted here and others may not...but they are always worth looking at!