I did get some cute pictures, though. I think these are the first that I've managed to take of him in the bath, somehow...
But on to Abigail, for I really intended this post to be about her, tonight.
She's growing and changing so fast. I know that's true of all children, but she seems to be in a particularly unique stage at the moment, and I can literally say that almost every day there is something new to report. Like today, when she indicated to me that she's begun to understand consequence.
To my great dismay, she loves to stand and jump on furniture, and tonight was no exception. She understands "no," but doesn't conceptually get what it really means in the grand scheme of things. So, telling her "no" generally produces squeals of laughter, and more maddening, exuberant chants of "sit down!" as she continues on with her deviant behavior.
The particular circumstances, tonight, though, involved me just having put on some music for her, which it occurred to me in the spur of the moment to threaten withdrawal of. I told her that if she did not stop, I would turn the music off. She didn't, I did. She immediately sat down and began to cry, at which point I turned it back on, and she was well-behaved for about three minutes. That is, until a song that she didn't particularly like came on.
She has learned to indicate her boredom or displeasure with particular selections of music and videos (we rely entirely too much on YouTube, at times, unfortunately) by saying "off," which really means, "next, please." So, when this unpopular song began, she started chanting, "off," but I was busy with Michael and not particularly inclined to encourage her tendency towards switching gears in the middle of something new instead of seeing it through. I get nervous that I'm helping her develop a tiny attention span.
Her response to my lack of action was to get back up on the chair and begin to jump again, this time with a twinkle in her eye and a challenge to her look. The little stinker figured that I would definitely turn it off if she tried that, since I was very clear in telling her the reason why I turned it off earlier. Well, as impressed as I was, I wasn't going to play that game. I walked over and physically removed her from the chair, and that was the end of that, thankfully.
Long story short, I've been meaning to do a list of her current favorites for days, so I can get it all down before they change (and/or I just plain forget what they are), and this little incident reminded me that I don't have a lot of time to be stalling, since tomorrow may already be different than today.
So here goes-
Abby's Favorites
Songs- William Tell Overture, If You're Happy and You Know ItFood- Strawberries
Books- Good Night Gorilla (by Peggy Rathmann), Sesame Street Musical Treasury Good Night Stories Book
Toys- Two cloth dolls, one blond and one brunette, both in pink dresses (I'll have to get some pictures of them, because I have no idea what they are called)
Color- Purple
Sayings- "Sit down!" and "No screaming!"*
Characters- Elmo (even though she has never actually seen Sesame Street), Biscuit
Video- Baby Einstein World of Rhythm
Activities- Reading with Mommy/Daddy, walks in the stroller, bath time
Clothing items- Socks**, Purple Tutu
Miscellaneous- Butterflies, stars, the moon
*When she says it, it actually sounds like "no sheemin," and for the longest time I couldn't figure it out. Even though I'm generally the one who has to translate for Tom, I've got to give him credit for deciphering that one.
**This evening, I had to put socks on her little feet before she would allow me to pull her pajamas on, even though tonight this included a brand-new Elmo shirt.
Oh! And big news of the day- Michael's clogged tear duct has finally cleared. I noticed it yesterday, but was afraid it might be a fluke. Nope. Still looking good today.
And to celebrate the fact that I've been working on this post for an hour now and Michael is still sleeping, I'll throw in a few pictures I took of Abby and her "fort" earlier today. They came out a bit grainy, unfortunately, but they're all I've got.
That's Michael's playmat. Back when it used to be hers, but she had essentially grown out of it, she used to use it this way quite frequently. She hadn't done it in a long while, so I was amused to see her at it tonight. Maybe one of these days I'll dig up the older pictures of her and do a side-by-side comparison.
The little orange thing she's sitting in is the insert to the Summer Infant Superseat that I bought for Michael, but, like nearly everything we've tried with him, he never really tolerated well. Now, the seat is being used (without the insert) as a booster for Abby, who has turned up her nose at her high chair, and has not sat in it for almost a month now.
I keep forgetting what a big girl she's become. She even took a nap in her toddler bed today- without me in the room. Where did her baby-hood go?
