Always to My Surprise

"Doj?", she asks standing by the garage door. I open it and stand in the entry way, half expecting her to head toward the glass recycling so she can explore those bottles as potential throwing materials. Surprisingly, she heads straight to the Honda and tries lifting the back door handle. "You want to go in the car?" I open the door and she pats the back seat repeatedly. "Upupupupup?" When she really wants something, it's one word repeated in quick succession. But, this is totally bizarro! Wanting to get IN the car? I lift her up on the seat and watch, stunned, as she crawls into her car seat. Does she want to go somewhere? Did she forget something in there? Does she want to dig for the long lost cheerios that have creeped beneath the buckle holes? None of the above. She makes herself comfortable with her phone at ear. "Ho? Ooze dis. Okay. Yeah? Okay. Soooon, bye".

I guessed we could be there for a little while, so I give cousin Cim a call to catch up. Sof and I spend the next fifteen minutes enjoying our separate conversations. When Cim and I hang up, she finally accepts my offer to go back in the house.

I so love the surprises she gives me!

Magnetic

Magnets were a hit for two days. I bought a cup full of colorful dots at Target - small to large. Why did I think she'd play nicely at the fridge with them? Waaaaay more fun throwing them from the fridge in all directions, then gathering them to put them into a cup, then taking them out to throw them on the floor again, then running away. I finally gathered them up and several were chipped. Poor magnets. They were so cheery, really. I moved them out of reach for a bit. Maybe I'll move them back down when I need another 20 minutes of dinner prep time.

Bath Time Minus Water

Last week, she asked me to put her in the empty bathtub. I think she saw the shampoo bottles and was tempted to throw them around. "In?" she says, looking at me. I decided she was pretty safe in the tub and she didn't seem to care about my presence, so I left and did some stuff in the kitchen, keeping an ear out. Maybe ten minutes, I come back just when she was getting bored with her new play pen. "Uppy?" Later that night, I noticed one of the shampoo bottles on its side, with a river of goo slowly pouring into the drain. arrrrrgh.

Words and Phrases, Dude

8/23/11

The past two days, she's learned to say "Where are you, _____?" Except she forgets the first word and walks around the house asking after her favorite toy, "Awe you, phooonne?" Then it's, "Awe you, Eena?" Elina is her best bud. More include, "Awe you, baby?" "Awe you, shoes?" "Awe you, Mommy?" She regularly strings 2-4 words together now. Genius! Dude, we're expecting a call from Harvard any day. They'll ask if she can be included in a study of brilliant babies. Sof will answer and be like, "Wassup, Harvard? Dude, awesooomme. I'll dooeeeeet."

Other genius-ness coming out of her mouth:

"shoes on?"

"papers" - when she wants some toilet paper.

"I see you, Poppa"

"I uh you" - I love you

"shoesies"

"raw ree" - the word for both "strawberry" and "library".

"mummit" - oven mit. She really likes wearing it on her hand and pretending to open the oven.

Poo Tales

August 1, 2011

Yesterday, she pooped in three different spots on the bathroom floor. I was in the shower and witnessed all three. I could tell the first one was coming. When it did, I went dripping over to the poo to wipe it up and asked her to get in the shower with me. Well, she wasn't having that. So, I went back in. Then she squatted again a foot away and I see another turdlet. Dammit. I got out again and wiped up the turd, throwing it in the toilet. I ran back into the shower too soon, obviously. She copped a squat on the bath rug and another two turds creeped out. Oh man, not the rug! She stood up and took a step back, resulting in a poo foot. I finally picked her up and plopped her on the shower floor, watching the poo wash down the drain. Eeeww.

Today we were in the UPS store. I was at the counter and Sof was playing with a stuffed puppy they had laying around. She creeped behind a stand-up sign and nearly sat down. “Whatcha doin’?” I asked her.
“Poo poo?” She says as if she’s asking. I didn’t turn around to see how many eyes we had on us, I just responded matter of fact-like, “Okay”. Good to know. And she did.

Hiding Places, Naps, Travels

July 1, 2011

Yesterday I found avocado slices in the pots n’ pans cupboard. Part of me wants to teach her that’s not where avocado goes, but most of me smiles and loves how she’s exploring new places to put old things. Though, I'd hate to find a piece of chicken in a cranny somewhere, left for the flies and... my most feared pest - maggots. Cockroaches are nothing compared to maggots.

Two days ago, she walked to the back of the hall toward her room and gestured toward it, crying. I was in the kitchen and asked, “What’s wrong, Sof?” What is it?” More crying.. then in the middle of sobs, “nap?” First time she asked to nap, I was so blown away! Self diagnosing AND communicating it to me? Big step!

We’re planning our trip back home to OR and Sof’s gonna go to the beach for the first time! And ride in a boat for the first time! And go on a nature walk! All the stuff we read about together and the illustrations she sees, she'll get to see in real life! I'm really excited about all those "clicks" that will happen in her little brain.

Hungry? Tired?

June 27, 2011

I couldn’t get her to eat lunch at all. She had a nibble of some grapes and two molecules of pork and a small cracker. I feel like we’re having a power struggle around food sometimes, which is so not what I want. I'm practicing letting go of that primal instinct to feed her and moving toward trusting her to eat when she’s hungry. If I offer something and she says, “no”, I let it go.

Her eyes were getting droopy when I was nursing her today. I asked if she was tired. No response. Then I asked if she wanted a nap. While still latched on, she so clearly and steadily shook her head side to side. I laughed out how perfectly she communicated herself. We understood each other more clearly than ever in that moment.

Slow it Down!

June 26, 2011

She’s growing too fast, I can't stand it. Her life is flashing before my eyes, I want to slow it down so I can take a picture every millisecond and record every new word and every new action she does. Everyone says these moments are numbered. I've heard stuff like, "You can't shut them up once they start talking." Really?? I mean maybe, but I see that as such an awesome milestone - being able to hold a conversation or just talk to themselves in coherent sentences instead of babble? Their imagination is on fire!

Sofie can swim three feet underwater by herself. We still need video, it’s so incredible how fast she's progressed. It's been less than a month since our first swim lesson. She’s a little over confident in the water, though - jumping toward us from the first step, not waiting for us to be ready to catch her. I fear a face plant onto the second stair-step, so I hope and pray she learns soon and safely.

She’s starting to imitate me in things I wear or accessorize with. My hair ties, for example. She grabs them off my wrist so she can wear them on hers. Then, walking over to my shoes, she asks, "Shoes?". as she tries to step in. She picks up my tanktop from the floor, looks at it, and puts a strap around her neck. Now, she's sporting a cumbersome necklace around the house for 20 minutes.

I hope I never forget these little events. Hell, I know I will. That's what the blog is for!