20 comments on my 20 month old

1.) I packed Belle's Frosty the Snowman movie away with the rest of our Christmas stuff. She had just about stopped asking for him until she saw a picture of her cousin Eli with "Frosssy" and started begging for him again. I caved to her sweet little "Frossy" dance last week, so Christmas is still lingering around our house...

2.)I am amazed at how cute the hot pink Hello Kitty polish looked on Belle's little nails, and how HIDEOUS it looked on mommys! Hamilton even commented on how "attractive" it was, but I wore it proudly because my little girl really wanted her mommy to paint her nails too :)

3.)Every time I see Belle model something I didn't specifically teach her, like putting her "contacts" in, I am reminded of how careful I really need to be in word & deed...

4.) Hamilton was cleaning his guns when I left for the store. When I returned, it didn't appear he had made much progress. In answer to my questioning look, he replied, "Belle woke up." I think he can sympathize with the fact that chores do take a little longer with a toddler underfoot! :)

5.) Socks-Shoes! Socks-Shoes! Socks-Shoes! Socks-Shoes! (Belle is at the repeating phrases over & over & over stage. What makes me laugh most though is seeing my husband's expression about the 50th time she repeats something, and yes we do answer her)

6.) Love hearing my baby laugh over silly faces with mommy or chasing Nina with daddy!

7.) Belle: "Ho-Ho. Pa-no. Daddy. Notes!" Interpretation: "Yes, Belle. Santa brought you a piano because daddy asked him to. Here are your music notes, honey." She is so quirky sometimes, she insists she needs "notes" to play the piano. Also, when she asks me to play with her, she only wants me to play one specific key. She says, "That one, mommy." Funny thing, it is the only key that sticks and sounds differently than the rest.

8.) Hamilton says I hold Belle too much, but in the blink of an eye, I know my baby will outgrow standing on my feet with arms raised pleading "hold you, mommy!"

9.) When I told Belle we were going to church, she exclaimed "BIBLE! BANANA! BIBLE! BANANA! BIBLE! BANANA!" Coincidentally, I had packed a banana for her church snack the last few Sundays, so now she thinks it is a church essential too.

10.) Belle really enjoys hide-n-seek, and her daddy likes picking incredibly hard places to hide. I had to laugh, when we found daddy and his long legs curled up in our door less cabinets "hiding."

11.) To test Belle's familiarity with her books, I started letting her complete certain sentences in each one. I would say she is more than familiar. My favorite is hearing her say, "GO DOG! GO!"

12.) Belle is way more cooperative letting daddy brush her teeth and cut her nails than she is with me. I think she already has it figured out that daddy is the gentle and patient one. :)

13.) Biblical instruction is always the way to go. Proverbs 29:15. By far the quickest way to curb Belle's sassy behavior is with a paddle pop on the bum. I thought it was kind of odd that she likes to climb up and hold her "pa-pull," until I caught her quietly trying to shove it out the dog door.

14.) Belle loves her cousins. She talks about "T-T, E-I & Ra-rah" all the time. One of her favorite questions is "T-T come?" She talks about E-I every time she puts on her Turtle PJ's "Pam" gave her and when she sees any picture of herself as a baby :)

15.) I like playing with "pa-ough" (play-dough) more than Belle. She is fascinated with the play dough scissors. The whole time we have it out, she says, "I CUT" I CUT!" while I roll it out. Play dough really is quite therapeutic.

16.) I have always heard children thrive on routine, so I do my best, but thankfully, I have Belle who is always quick to remind her old forgetful mother how we did it last time! :)

17.)Maybe it is just disorganized me, but I have the hardest time keeping up with a matching pair of those little things! I really think the washing machine eats them...

18.) Belle's most hyper time of day is right after dinner and before her bedtime routine. Hamilton calls her her "after-dinner energy." She does get really wound up, especially when daddy is home.

19.) After a few nights of midnight wake-ups, I explained to Belle that if it was still dark outside she needed to lay her head on her pillow and go back to sleep. Now, I ask her what to do if she wakes up and it is still dark, and she yells "SLEEP!!!" Believe it or not, this method has worked for the last couple weeks. She is still waking up, but she seems to be quickly going back to sleep on her own!

20.) Breaks my heart when Belle asks me "Daddy home?" and I have to tell her no. She then asks, "Daddy work?" "Yes, honey. Daddy wouldn't miss giving you "good hugs night-night" for any other reason...

PS- The video is more than a month old, but it shows her obsession Frosty, so I thought I would add it. (Don't mind my voice) The Frosty dance still lacks rhythm at 20 months too...sadly neither of her parents have any dancing skills to model :)

Talk using only 100 words

At Belle's 18 month checkup a couple weeks ago, the doctor asked me how many words my daughter was using. Caught off guard, I guessed at least 25 or so. Well, I decided to actually record exactly what I heard her say repeatedly for a one-week span. Turns out, I sold her short. She has about a 100 word vocabulary. I would say about 60% is very clear, and the rest you may have to know her to figure out what she is saying. I thought it was interesting to categorize her first words. It seems she likes people & food the most! A true southern woman already! :)

Names: Variations of Momma- (Momm-A, Mom-EEE & AmEEE & ME-ME mostly) DadEEE, Hamilton (comes out Ha-he-ton) TJ (comes out DJ), Sarah, Eli, SUUzie (her doll), Granny, Grandma (comes out MAA-MAW), Granpa, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Noah, Georgia, Kyla, Josh, Belle, Nina, Nana, Alana

Colors/Shapes: Blue, Hexagon (really funny to hear), Oval & circle

Numbers: One & Two are very clear & she attempts three, but it doesn't really sound anything like it.

Food/Beverage: Eat, Milk, Water, Apple, Apple-SSSSS (This is her version of AppleSauce---exaggerated SSS at the end of Apple), HighChair, Blueberry, CH-CH-Cheese (I find it interesting that some words she sounds out a few times before saying it) Cracker, cookie, cheerio, bowl, hot, cold, OOOrange, Banana, Coffee, IIIIce, bread, Yogurt, Ketchup

Animals: Animal, Cat, Dog Kitty-Cat, Owl, Turtle, Duck, Bone, Horse, Alligator & a lot more animal sounds.

Answers to questions: I don't know, NO-NO-Uh-Uh, (She never stops at just no, she says it at least twice & adds an uh-uh) YeSS, Yeah, Sure

Places we go: Every time we pass, Belle points out the window and excitedly yells "church" or "BI-Lo"

Clothing/Accessories/Body Parts & functions: Shoes, Stick (She is actually requesting Lipstick, but she shortens it to stick & rubs her lips), Piggies, Poop, Heart, Hat, Socks, head, diaper & ...(unmentionables)

Around the house: Bible, Stool, Book, Bed, Car, Tree, Lights, Scissors, Mess, babies, Medicine (she would be an addict if I let her...)

Commands: GO, Sit (She insists TJ and Nina need to sit all the time), Stop, Help, MMM-MM-MORE, Out, UP, Outside, Sing (Yes, she now instructs me to sing)

Manners: Please, Thankyou, Yes-Mam (Still working on consistent politeness, but she can say them)

Feelings: Happy, OWWWWW,

Other: Choo-Choo (Train), Ho-Ho (Santa), Amen, Tinkle-Tinkle-Tinkle (Twinkle-Twinkle)

Two-word & Three word sentences: "I NEED _____" I need shoes was the first thing I heard her say, but she has also added cheese, cookies, and a chair to her list of "needs" (as if this child lacks much in life, right?) She also says, "I know" "Hold you" "I did" "One more" (This is a favorite because she always wants to read one more book)

Overall, Belle & I converse well. At least I know she understands EVERYTHING I say, and she is fairly predictable even when she occasionally rambles on about who knows what. Her dramatic body language and gestures say it all even when she can't find the right words. I am sure talking with such a limited vocabularly must be frustrating at times, but I keep reminding her the Bible does say "be slow to speak & quick to hear" (something her mother doesn't model well)

I promise this will be my last post about Belle-speak because she is adding too many words each day to keep up with. Poor Hamilton. He is on his way to NEVER having any peace & quiet in his house with two chatty women bending his ear...He loves us though :)

My little Cinderella

In my last post, I joked about teaching Belle how to do laundry. I didn't realize it until now, but in the three months since that blog, my little Cinderella has picked up a lot of responsibilities around the house, including some in the laundry room. In addition to putting her dirty clothes in the laundry basket, she enjoys putting the wet clothes I hand her from the washer into the dryer. Not only does she "put her books & toys where they belong," but she also helps me put away the Tupperware from the dishwasher she is fascinated with. I also let her shut the dishwasher door when I am finished loading it. Belle is quick to let me know when the recycle bin needs to be emptied, as it is her job to bring the small blue can to the door so I can dump it. She loves to throw trash away, and can spot a trash can wherever we are. Funny though, I asked her to throw away an old shirt for me the other day, and she kept shaking her head no with an odd expression on her face because she couldn't reconcile throwing clothes in the trash. Once I showed her all the stains and holes and explained it was dirty and needed to be thrown away, she obliged me. She faithfully feeds Nina each night, and also helps bathe the dog. Belle is an excellent shopper. She can march into Bi-Lo, and show me right where the milk is. Belle occupies herself at the checkout line by standing in the back of the buggy loading groceries onto the conveyor belt. I don't mind the looks I get because I would much rather have her happily standing in the back of a buggy helping than strapped in the front fussing. We live in the Mossy Oaks subdivision, so naturally our yard is covered in leaves. When I get around to raking/bagging leaves, Belle loves to add her little fistfuls of leaves to the bag. Belle really enjoys having tasks, and I am always suprised how capable she actually is. She is well on her way to being a productive member of the Wilson household. Some may think I am crazy, but I don't believe it is ever to early to teach responsibility. Now, I have been warned she will outgrow the "it is fun to help" stage, but for now, I will enjoy her eagerness to be my little aid even if she makes an even bigger mess while helping...Hey, we all have a learning curve, right?

Can you fold yet, Belle?

The laundry basket of clothes is waiting to be folded, but I thought I would procrastinate a few more minutes and write a few quick blurbs about my 14 month old before she moves onto bigger and better things.

*Belle loves to sing. She can do the hand motions to "This little light of mine," "Deep & Wide," and the "Wheels on the Bus." She lights up like a Christmas tree when her grandaddy sings her "Grandaddy's girl," and her little voice is never sweeter than we she attempts to sing "Jesus loves Belle."

*Belle had her first real date with daddy this past Saturday. They went on an outing to the Pet Store. I missed them, but certainly did not miss the smells of a Pet Store. Those two were in heaven, I am sure, but of course daddy took no photos or videos of their day to prove it. With or without the pictures though, I could tell they had fun, and I hope they will be able to enjoy many future little dates together!

*When I lay Belle in her crib each night, I usually rub her back for a few minutes. One night, I went to walk away and she stood up as fast as she could. I thought she wanted a kiss goodnight, but by the time I got back over to her, she threw herself back down on the matress and hiked her little bottom up in the air indicating she wanted the massage to continue. This drama quickly became a norm in her bedtime routine mainly because she always wants one little extra "rub," and it always makes me smile.

*For the past two weeks, Belle is never alone. She drags her doll Suzie everywhere. Suzie was my favorite doll as a child, so I think it is really neat that Belle is attached to her right now.

*Belle robotically demonstrates where her body parts are, but she really enjoys rolling her tongue and knocking on her knee. She points to heaven when you ask her where God is. She likes putting together puzzles. She colors a little, but her real interest is in taking the cap off and on the marker. Lids simply fascinate Belle, she will spend an easy half hour playing with a water bottle. Looking at pictures and reading are a couple of her favorite activities aside from going "outside."

*My daughter thinks she is clever. She is under the impression if she simply brings me my shoes & her shoes, then we will go "outside." We do spend a lot of time outdoors. She loves playing in her bubble car, picking up pears, going up the steps, looking up at the "tall trees," playing with the water hose, and walking around the cars to count all the tires.

*Yes, Belle is a busy bee. I never understood why everyone who has a toddler seemed to use the same expression "He/she is into everything." Well, it is because they ARE. The age is so much fun though. I also love that we communicate and understand one another so well now. Maybe I will teach her how to fold clothes soon....LOL :)

Little horns

Belle's hair barely touches her ears and flips out over them. Hamliton says it looks like she has two little horns. With her mischievousness on the rise, I tend to agree that they might actually BE horns :)

I frequently hear Belle stomp down the hall into her room and slam the door. She knows she is allowed to play with anything in her room, yet when I opened the door to check on her, she always has a look on her face like the cat who caught the canary. At these times, if I say her name, she gives me a quick glance over her shoulder and scurries away as fast as she can, even though she has done nothing wrong (as far as I know, anyways).

Nana joked that Belle has more hands than an octapus. My daughter really can empty the contents of a purse or cabinet in record speed. Cleaning up after Belle isn't so bad, but when she gives her latest treasure to her partner in crime (our dog Nina) then I really have a mess. I have found chewed up spice bottles, toilet paper and tea bags scattered all over the backyard. I really do have to watch Belle carefully because she is so quick on the draw I don't even see her sticky fingers sometimes. On more than one occassion now, I have had to return into a store to give back a small item I didn't realize she had grabbed until I was buckling her in the car seat.

I am trying to find creative ways to let her explore and exert her independence without destroying everything. For instance, since she is still obsessed with Nina's dog food, I turned it into her chore. Twice a day, I now tell Belle, "lets go feed Nina!" No matter where we are in the house, she runs into the laundry room, scoops up Nina's dog bowl and hands it to me. I fill it and hand it back to her to give to Nina. This activity seems to satisfy her urge to touch Nina's food, and she is so proud of her accomplishment that she always claps for herself.

Belle is certainly not shy about making her wishes known. She is quite expressive, with her latest face being a scowl. In case you can't read her expression or the eager shake of her head to know what she wants, Belle also provides an interesting array of loud noises, which Hamilton calls "squawking." The doctor warned us that Belle may soon enter the hitting and/or bitting stage. Thankfully, she hasn't done either (yet), but I have heard her give a few verbal lashings. I just wish I had an interpreter.

Although we can't speak her language, we know she understands ours, so Hamilton and I are trying our best to tame our little monster. It really does take a concerted effort to be consitent with the discpline at this stage because sometimes the things she does are just so cute! I have to stifle my laughter and correct her each time I see the look of intense concentration on her face and her little foot hiked up trying to climb on something. I know when she exhibits willful disobedience, however, that her behavior has to be checked on the spot. I also understand now why parents say that disciplining hurts them more than the child. It does hurt to see your baby's sweet lips pucker up and eyes well up with tears. Of course I would much rather see a smile on her face, but the Bible tells me I must train her to honor her parents. Right now, I am only dealing with seemingly trival matters, like jumping in the crib or crying because she doesn't want to stop playing with her new bubble car to eat dinner, but soon enough, Belle will be facing all the carnal temptations this world has to offer...Oh, I pray those little horns can be reached early by the saving and CHANGING power of the Holy Spirit...

On my one year old...

God has blessed us with a beatiful one year old baby girl!

ON TALKING:
Belle babbles quite alot. I catch new words she attempts almost each day, but some of the ones she repeats quite regularly are: "Maaaaaaa-ma, Daaaaaaa-da, Grannnnnn-dad-dy, DDDDDD-J (TJ), Niiii-Da (Nina), O-kay, Yoooooogurt, Milk, Crack-er, Bottle, Gooooooo, Dank-you, Book, Got it, & All done." She has a word for "outside" too, but it doesn't sound remotely close to the correct pronunciation. Belle-speak is adorable, but you don't get the whole effect unless you see her little head shaking the entire time she talks...

ON LAUGHING
Belle finds random things very amusing now, but her favorite comedian is herself. The other day, she was beside herself with laughter after discovering Nina's tail. Actually, anything involving Nina is funny to Belle. She chuckles at her reflection in the mirror and when she is pleased with herself for an accomplishment. I think the sound of her own cackle tickles her goat, resulting in more laughter.

ON EATING
At mealtime, she is usually happy to eat whatever we do. Given her healthy appetite, I wasn't too concerned about weaning her, and thankfully, the process proved painless for both of us. Two weeks before her birthday, we substituted one feeding for a glass of milk until we had completely stopped nursing. On her first full day as a one year old, she had fully transitioned to whole milk and has thus far has had no adverse reactions.

ON STATURE:
At one year, Belle is 18.2 lbs and 28 inches long. She has 6 teeth and is working on a couple more. Her hair has turned blonde and is starting to thicken a lot in the back, but she still doesn't have enough to hold a barrette.

ON WALKING
Belle took her first steps several weeks before she actually started walking. Just like crawling, I had seen she was fully capable, it was just a matter of her deciding she was ready to take off. After trying everything in her power to get out of the doctors office, I guess she determined it was time. She ripped the band aids off her legs from the shots and started walking across our living room between Hamilton & I. I am glad we were both there to see her take off. She hasn't stopped since. She rarely crawls now because she prefers walking.

ON PERSONALITY
Belle is one determined little girl. She knows exactly what she wants and is quite expressive in making her wishes known. Instead of pointing, Belle reaches (dramatically). When she is hungry, she goes to the pantry or fridge and reaches up. If the blinds are open, she will reach for her outside toys and grunt at the window. While we are reading, she reaches for the books she wants off her bookcase. Although TV is watched sparingly, she will go get one of her videos, hand it to me and reach for the television. At the park, she practically thrusts her entire body towards the swings (her favorite). I always have to keep a good hold on Belle in the pool so she doesn't jump out of my arms reaching for all the ducks or to try to climb out of the water. Lately, she is trying to teach herself something new each day. On her own, she picked up her sandal and tried for at least 10 minutes to get her chubby foot in it. Yesterday, she tried to put on my gown and got it wrapped around her neck.

ON LISTENING
Over the past few weeks, I realized Belle understands a lot more than I thought, so we have been working on simple instructions. She has mastered all the commands in her Pat the Bunny book, and can point to the dog's eyes in her Clifford book. Following songs like "If your happy and you know it," or "Pat-a-Cake" are no problem. She knows how to "love," "wave" (her obsession), "brush her teeth," "sit in her chair," "drink," "get her book," "dance," "pray," "push her baby in the stroller," "no," "go to the kitchen," and much, much more.

I am sure the majority of one year olds have the same "accomplishments," however, I have to record all the small fabulous details on mine because well, she is mine ;) So thankful God loaned her to us!

My Third Leg

God blessed me with two sturdy legs, but the extra one He gave me recently has helped change my pace. Once a busy businesswoman, I rushed everywhere. It is difficult to speed, however, with a little one hanging onto you for dear life. Motherhood has definitely transformed my lifestyle, but for the better! Belle is such a joy!

Last weekend, my mother-in-law asked me if I knew what a good baby I had. Since she is my only child, I don't really have a standard of comparison, but I have no complaints! I can take her anywhere, she is an excellent traveler. As long as I have a steady stream of items to satisfy her curiousity, she is perfectly content in her carseat. In fact, Belle likes to leave the house, especially to be outdoors. She seems to thoroughly enjoy exploring new surroundings and waving at strangers. During our Publix trips, people constantly tell me, "What a FRIENDLY baby HE is!" (Poor girl will grow hair one day!) After a whole weekend with a stomach bug, my sweet little baby never fussed, but continued to flash her one-dimpled grin even in her weakend state. Teething has been noticeable, but relatively mild for the 5 she has cut so far. Actually, the only time she really cries at all is when I try to leave her in the church nursery. She would much rather play quietly in the corner of Grandma's 5 year old Sunday school class than hang with kids her own age. Belle's naps are relativily short and she still wakes up at least once during her 12 hour slumber, but she is usually very easy to put down to sleep! Although the doctor was concerned about her weight at her 9 month check-up, Belle hasn't let her 15.8 lb stature stop her! Her palate is expanding daily, as is her independence. She prefers table food and feeding herself, especially meat! She enjoys playing by herself too. I can easily cook dinner while while she amuses herself with her toys, books, Nina's dog bowl, and my tupperware. (She takes a break every once in a while to pull herself up on my legs though!) Not only does she entertain herself, but I am always getting a good laugh at her too! I love to see her bounce with the music or my off-beat singing. The intruigued expression on her face when she finds a new treasure, like a post-it-note or a piece of wood, is priceless.

Yes, I have a good girl. What a blessing it is to look down and see her hugging my leg and peering up at me with her big blue eyes. She is my third leg right now, and I wouldn't trade my extra limb for all the gold in the world!