Month 13 - Recap

Sound the alarms!  Roll out the red carpet!  SOMEbody got their top two teeth in this month.  And SOMEbody's been a drooly, fussy, snotty mess because of it.  And I couldn't be happier.  Now your mouth looks like the mouth of a seven-month-old.  Hooray!  I'm hoping your other teeth will succumb to peer pressure and make their debut soon.  Because seriously, there's food I think you'd really like if only you had the proper chompers to chew it (namely apples and bell peppers).

Your whininess got fairly extreme this month.  I know your mouth hurt so it's not as if I was frantically searching for the answer as to WHY you drove me batty this month.  But it was still tough trying to make you feel better when all you had the urge to do was fuss.  And screech.  And throw food.  Ahhh yes, throwing food.  If something doesn't suit your fancy, you have the lovely habit of throwing the aforementioned food.  If I see you about to do it, I look at you and sternly say "No sir.  We don't throw food.  Put it back down on your tray."  And seriously, about 99% of the time, you put the food back on your tray.  When I DON'T see you, however, THAT'S when my floor and counters get covered in rejected food.  You seem to have an orange food aversion.  Which is lunacy, because some of the best food EVER is orange.  I take that back - you don't hate everything orange.  You'll throw down on some clementines (scratch 'scurvy' off the list of things I'm worried you'll come down with).  But pretty much everything else (sweet potatoes, carrots, cheddar cheese, Cheesy Cheesy Explosion [my favorite comfort food that Bob made when Aunt KK and I were younger - Daddy renamed it to Cheesy Cheesy Explosion]) gets the big ol' heave ho.  On to my floor.  Where I then step on it.  And then am grossed out by the ooziness on my foot.

I love how snuggly you are.  You're not overly so, such that I can't get a thing done around the house because I'm too busy snuggling (which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world at ALL).  But pretty often during the day, you'll crawl over to me and either flop down in my lap or stand up in my lap and put your head on my shoulder.  You don't stay long; it's like you need just a quick little Mommy Recharge and you're good to go for a while.  It's delightful.  You also do it with Natalie.  You'll flop down in her lap throughout the day, too.  And she just gushes about how cute you are and how sweet it is for you to snuggle with her.  She'll rub your pack and (not always) gently pat your head.  And if Natalie happens to be in my lap when you need your Mommy Recharge, you crawl over to me, stop in front of my now-occupied lap and squawk like an angry parrot.  I'll scoop you up, give you the hug you need, set you back down, and you scoot off again.  I love it.  It could be jealousy or it could be she's in a more cuddly stage, but ever since Natalie noticed how cuddly you are, she's been more cuddly too.  I love, love, love it.

Speaking of Natalie, you are her biggest cheering section.  When she stands up and announces "Mommy and Charlie, watch THIS", you indeed do.  Your eyes are glued to her, and she absolutely notices it.  She'll do her trick (a song, a dance, a ballet move, a gymnastic move, eat a cracker ... anything really) and then end with a flourish and a 'taa-daaaaaaaaa'.  You immediately start clapping and giggling. and Natalie just looks so darn proud when she sees you cheer for her.  I hope you both will always be each other's biggest fans.  After Daddy and me of course.  Cuz we've got the top spot on your list of fans.

You're saying Momma and Dada a lot.  I'm not 100% sure that you're using them in relation to me and Daddy, but we'll take it.  You also say "na-na".  A lot.  Like, a LOT lot.  Sometimes I think you're taking about a baNAna.  Then I think you're trying to say 'NAp'.  Natalie thinks you're trying to say 'NAtalie' (of course).  Maybe you have us all fooled and you're actually saying "Will you buy me a CaNAdian goose?".  Or "Let's go to a NAscar race."  Or "I sure would like a sweet pair of boots from LANd's End."  Who knows.  As long "na-na" also means "You're the best, prettiest, funniest, and most caring Mommy in the world, you deserve a long NAp, and I thank my lucky stars for you", you're doing just fine.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for November 9, 2012:

• Royal hoax DJs 'heartbroken' over nurse's death
• As fiscal cliff looms, DC wrangles over entitlements
• SEAL Team Six Member Killed in Raid to Free Doctor
• POLICE: Boys, 7 and 11, Attempt Robbery
• UK Police Unable to Identify Man Who Fell From Sky
• Another TSA Agent Accused of iPad Theft

November 2012 - Recap

My dear peach,

Well MY goodness.  SOMEbody has had on her extra-tight big ol' Sassy Pants on this month.  And accordingly, I've had to hike on my Don't-Sell-Your-Daughter-on-eBay-Unless-She-Tones-The-Sass-Down Pants.  I'm just gonna chalk it up to losing an hour of sleep (the time change was obviously instituted by someone who didn't have children and didn't understand the ramifications of the loss of those precious 60 minutes.)  If you would, be a doll and remove your Sassy Pants and put back on your Obedient Pants.

I've started to accept the fact that you may be coming out of the (beautiful) phase where you need an afternoon nap.  It took a few weeks of you refusing to take a nap during Nap Time and constantly coming in to the living room and whining that you weren't sleepy for me to realize it's time to change my tactic (yes, perhaps a brighter mother would have picked up on this sooner than I did.  Them's the breaks).  So even though you don't nap, you (read: I) still need to have Quiet Time in the afternoon.  I made it clear to you that you do NOT have to sleep but you DO have to stay in your room.  You can play with your dolls, read books, jump on your bed, sing, somersault across your floor, build a Lego tower, anything you want - just as long as you stay in your room.  And you know what's funny?  80% of the time you go to your room for Quiet Time, you put yourself down for a nap after an hour or so of playing.  It's fabulous.  You feel in control of how you spend your time, and as long as the nap is YOUR idea (ie: not mine), you're more likely to do it.  Of course there are definitely days where you still come out of your room and whine that you don't LIKE Quiet Time and that's it no FUN playing by yourself and that it's not FAIR that you have to have Quiet Time and that you've decided that Quiet Time is now over (I'll give you zero guesses as to how that last statement goes over with me).

Speaking of things not being fair, I didn't expect for you to throw that line at me for at LEAST two or three more years.  You having to put your clothes in your hamper isn't FAIR?  You having to brush your teeth isn't FAIR?  You having to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom isn't FAIR?  Seriously?!!  I hate giving you such a blanket response, but I've totally busted out with "I know.  Life's not fair.  Get used to it."

As maddening as it is, I think it's neat how predictably unpredictable you are.  Things that I think would bother you, don't (neat).  Things that I think you'll love, you don't (maddening).  Let's take a rope bridge, for instance.  We went to Houston for Thanksgiving to visit Daddy's friend from college and his family.  While Daddy was visiting his friend, Daddy's friend's wife and their two kids, Charlie, you, and me all went to a nature trail.  We came to a rope bridge - one rope that you walk across with two higher ropes on either side that you use to help you across.  I was convinced that you wouldn't want to try it.  But when you saw the older girls try it, you were super jazzed about it.  You only needed help for the first three or four steps and then you wanted to do it by yourself.  You fell off the rope several times (a grand total of about 10" to the ground) and you got back up with a smile on your face each time.  I was super proud.  I love how brave you are.  (You're not scared of a wobbly rope bridge, but you know what you say you ARE afraid of?  Brushing your teeth. [facepalm]).

When you get up in the morning, you've started bringing out to the living room your beloved teddy bear for the expressed purpose of giving her to Charlie for him to hug.  To me, it's the epitome of kindness.  And Charlie just couldn't be happier.  He loves your teddy bear almost as much as you do.  And when you hand her to him, he buries his head into her and just smiles and smiles.  I thank God often for your sweet heart.  You're incredibly kind and sensitive, and even on your most sassiest of Sassy Pants days, I am humbled to be your Momma.  Humbled enough to where I'd never really sell you on eBay.  Promise.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for December 1, 2012:

• Fla. Men Charged in Alleged Terror Plot
• Obama Warns Of 'Scrooge Christmas' Without Deal
• Missouri introduces Powerball jackpot winners
• North Korea vows to test long-range rocket
• Underwood to play Maria in 'Sound of Music'
• Kids eat better than mom or dad, study suggests