We are back from vacation to the popular summer destination of Pittsburgh, PA. An all-inclusive resort at Casa de Uncle Vince poolside. We had a great time with the family but are also happy to be back home getting back into our routine. As much as I absolutely loved spending an entire week with Maggie, calling a week long trip with a toddler a vacation is a bit of a stretch.
Maggie was a little overwhelmed by all of the new faces (19 to be exact) and was a bit clingy all week. Her 4 year old cousins were fascinated by her and made sure to follow her around with various toys every minute she was awake. Which is probably the reason why she slept AMAZINGLY the entire week. Solid naps, full night sleeps, NO COUGHING...it was heaven. And I'm sure she was happy for the peace and quiet too.
Over the past week she has progressed so much with her walking and talking and makes us laugh constantly. She basically repeats any word you ask her to (when she is in the mood) and last week said "burp", "cough" and "Jason" with perfect enunciation. That's my girl.
When we arrived home you could see the relief of familiarity in her face and how happy she was when she saw her room. It's amazing at whatever age how no matter how nice it is to get away, it's even nicer to return home.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Be Careful What You Blah Blah Blah
Yep, everyone told me - don't rush Maggie walking, all she'll want to do is walk away from you. Enjoy the now, they grow up too fast...blah blah blah.
Of course I didn't listen. Not that it would have mattered if I did.
Maggie is a walking machine and she is wearing me out! We went to Herndon Live last weekend and rather than walk around our little picnic area we set up each week as she usually does, all she wanted to do was leave our little safe haven for bigger pastures. She's down the sidewalk before you can say funnel cake and is not looking back.
She discovered the stairs recently and as of last night that is all she wants to do - climb the stairs and squeal when she thinks you're chasing her up them. There is nothing cuter than watching those little legs climb stairs but when she reaches the top she'll just turn around as if she can walk right down them. And no matter how much I demonstrate the crawl down on your tummy technique she would much rather you grab her hands and help her jump down each step as she laughs hysterically. I guess I found my new workout.
Apparently last night she thought we just put her down for a nap at 7 PM because at 8 she's banging on her crib (her signal that she's awake from a nap) incessantly. We go in to check on her and she's "reading" her book and looks up at us like "hi guys, what's up?". So we give in and let her walk around upstairs until she wore herself out.
And was she reading this blog or what? She is now thoroughly attached to the biggest, heaviest blanket we own. Why was I obsessed with her becoming attached to something? Maybe because I thought it would be something reasonably sized like a stuffed animal or small blanket. But no, Maggie now tries walking around the house with a blanket that weighs as much as she does and is twice her size so she trips and can't fit through doorways which of course ends up in frustration. The only way to distract her from it when we left for daycare the other day was to give her my Blackberry which then resulted in prying it from her tiny little hands as I left her there...crying.
I am going off to bed now (crazy, I know, it's 9:40) because I am t-i-r-e-d...did I mention I got home at 6 and she went to bed at 7? 1 hour and I'm exhausted.
Of course I didn't listen. Not that it would have mattered if I did.
Maggie is a walking machine and she is wearing me out! We went to Herndon Live last weekend and rather than walk around our little picnic area we set up each week as she usually does, all she wanted to do was leave our little safe haven for bigger pastures. She's down the sidewalk before you can say funnel cake and is not looking back.
She discovered the stairs recently and as of last night that is all she wants to do - climb the stairs and squeal when she thinks you're chasing her up them. There is nothing cuter than watching those little legs climb stairs but when she reaches the top she'll just turn around as if she can walk right down them. And no matter how much I demonstrate the crawl down on your tummy technique she would much rather you grab her hands and help her jump down each step as she laughs hysterically. I guess I found my new workout.
Apparently last night she thought we just put her down for a nap at 7 PM because at 8 she's banging on her crib (her signal that she's awake from a nap) incessantly. We go in to check on her and she's "reading" her book and looks up at us like "hi guys, what's up?". So we give in and let her walk around upstairs until she wore herself out.
And was she reading this blog or what? She is now thoroughly attached to the biggest, heaviest blanket we own. Why was I obsessed with her becoming attached to something? Maybe because I thought it would be something reasonably sized like a stuffed animal or small blanket. But no, Maggie now tries walking around the house with a blanket that weighs as much as she does and is twice her size so she trips and can't fit through doorways which of course ends up in frustration. The only way to distract her from it when we left for daycare the other day was to give her my Blackberry which then resulted in prying it from her tiny little hands as I left her there...crying.
I am going off to bed now (crazy, I know, it's 9:40) because I am t-i-r-e-d...did I mention I got home at 6 and she went to bed at 7? 1 hour and I'm exhausted.
Monday, June 23, 2008
It's On
This weekend I saw the beginning of mini-tantrums from my angelic daughter. She's testing me, I just know it and I'm afraid she might win!
It all started on Saturday when we were in her playroom and there are 2 things she knows she cannot touch in there...the ipod docking station and the wall outlet which are right next to each other. So I turn around to find her with one hand on the wall outlet and the other on the ipod just smiling at me. Don't laugh I tell myself, try distraction to diffuse the situation. This time it works...but this little girl knows what she's doing.
At Gramma's house on Sunday she is a handful. Going through Gramma's cabinets and taking out glass jars, soda cans, etc., banging my keys against the glass door, trying to walk down steps that she doesn't know how to walk down and on and on and on. And each time I remove her from the situation she had a mini-meltdown.
I guess this is good preparation for the dreaded terrible two year(s) I keep telling myself. But isn't it a little early? Doesn't she know I haven't gotten to that chapter in the book yet? Or maybe she does and she's just that smart. Typical Maggie, always waiting for the moment you're not paying attention...
It all started on Saturday when we were in her playroom and there are 2 things she knows she cannot touch in there...the ipod docking station and the wall outlet which are right next to each other. So I turn around to find her with one hand on the wall outlet and the other on the ipod just smiling at me. Don't laugh I tell myself, try distraction to diffuse the situation. This time it works...but this little girl knows what she's doing.
At Gramma's house on Sunday she is a handful. Going through Gramma's cabinets and taking out glass jars, soda cans, etc., banging my keys against the glass door, trying to walk down steps that she doesn't know how to walk down and on and on and on. And each time I remove her from the situation she had a mini-meltdown.
I guess this is good preparation for the dreaded terrible two year(s) I keep telling myself. But isn't it a little early? Doesn't she know I haven't gotten to that chapter in the book yet? Or maybe she does and she's just that smart. Typical Maggie, always waiting for the moment you're not paying attention...
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Walking Girl
The other night we took a walk to the ice cream store. OK, it was really to McDonald's to get ice cream, but it sounds so much more quaint that we walked to the ice cream store. Maggie dutifully rode in her stroller on the way there with her play fork in one hand and spoon in the other.
We sat outside at said ice cream store, ate our ice cream and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It all of a sudden occurred to Maggie "hey, I can walk now" and she walked down the sidewalk and turned the corner as if she was going home. We followed her...and followed her...and followed her and she in fact did walk all the way home. She was on a mission. She would not hold my hand, would not go in her stroller, would not let me carry her. She was determined to walk as far as her little legs would take her. All the while with her fork in one hand and spoon in the other.
I love the little Frankenstein walk. I'm always amazed when she gets somewhere without falling. I love the fact that she is my little shadow now. I will get up to bring something to the kitchen and turn around to find her at my feet. She doesn't want to be picked up, just wants to follow you where you are going. And I love the fact that she knows what she wants when she wants it. Last night, she started walking upstairs around 6:30 looking for me obviously trying to tell me it was time for her to go to bed. She walked to her books in her room, picked out the one she wanted, we sat down and read it, I sang to her and put her to bed with her fork and spoon.
Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if she has let go of the fork and spoon. When she woke up this morning she was still holding them and she carried them all the way to daycare. We'll have to see if they made it home.
We sat outside at said ice cream store, ate our ice cream and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It all of a sudden occurred to Maggie "hey, I can walk now" and she walked down the sidewalk and turned the corner as if she was going home. We followed her...and followed her...and followed her and she in fact did walk all the way home. She was on a mission. She would not hold my hand, would not go in her stroller, would not let me carry her. She was determined to walk as far as her little legs would take her. All the while with her fork in one hand and spoon in the other.
I love the little Frankenstein walk. I'm always amazed when she gets somewhere without falling. I love the fact that she is my little shadow now. I will get up to bring something to the kitchen and turn around to find her at my feet. She doesn't want to be picked up, just wants to follow you where you are going. And I love the fact that she knows what she wants when she wants it. Last night, she started walking upstairs around 6:30 looking for me obviously trying to tell me it was time for her to go to bed. She walked to her books in her room, picked out the one she wanted, we sat down and read it, I sang to her and put her to bed with her fork and spoon.
Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if she has let go of the fork and spoon. When she woke up this morning she was still holding them and she carried them all the way to daycare. We'll have to see if they made it home.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Post Da Da Day Wrap Up
Maggie and I had a tough time this year coming up with a Father's Day gift for Erik. What do you get a Dad who doesn't want anything? (Worth noting - in sharp contrast, she has a Mom who wants everything - example...I want to plan a trip to Capri, Italy just so I can get some handmade sandals like Giada De Laurentiis').
So Father's Day gifts have to be a bit more on the creative side. And since her Dad is the creative one...this equation is not adding up. For the most part we did pretty well - if by pretty well you mean it's the thought that counts.
Since the thought of going to a place like Old Navy and buying Erik another blue and white striped button down shirt bored me to tears. SIDE NOTE: This is a running joke with us, if you look in his closet at the button down shirts, they are all variations of blues and whites in either checks, stripes or plaids - yet everytime he picks out a shirt and shows it to me for my opinion it is yet ANOTHER version of this same shirt! Each time I give him the "are you kidding me" look and he proceeds to explain how it is different than the 50 other blue and white shirts in that it is {insert pathetic explanation here}. He's worse than a woman.
So back to the topic at hand. I tried to think of what would be most meaningful to Erik without being cliche (no framed pictures, #1 Dad shirts - unless of course it had a blue and white pattern -, ties, etc.). And it occurred to me that for years he has been trying (jokingly I hope???) to get me to wear one of his high school soccer jerseys, jackets, etc. Of course I laugh hysterically at the thought of wearing one of these not only because they would actually be too SMALL for me (Erik was a 98 pound duckling) but...because...they...are...Slippery Rock High School jerseys. Let's let go of the past dear. So I thought - how cool would it be for him if Maggie wore one? So that was idea #1
Then, since he makes us dinner most nights I decided we would make him breakfast. The Norman Rockwell moment flashed before me - Daddy wakes up to Maggie and me singing "For he's a jolly good fellow" (ok - scratch that - I hate that song. Unless of course Fred and Barney are singing it then it's ok. It seems like a very popular Flintstone's song) while feeding him his breakfast like his little Greek goddesses. So that was idea #2
Card shopping for Erik is always a challenge because he hates Hallmark moments. Anything too sappy is frowned upon and I swear he even shakes the cards that I give him for money. So when I saw the 'record your own message' card that also sang "Hey Daddy-O" I thought it was the perfect mix of sentimental with a bit of a Pulp Fiction twist. Maggie would record her excited Da Da! sound and then the Daddy-O song would play. That was idea #3.
So let's recap the events of the day:
Maggie and I wake up and sneak downstairs to make breakfast. I failed to recognize at the time of planning that making breakfast with a 1 year old is like an ad for Bad Idea Jeans. You can't just put a 1 year old in her high chair with a plethora of puffs in front of her and not expect her to whine. So I ended up holding her the entire time while making breakfast. And I'm pretty sure there is not a chapter on Making Bacon While Holding Your Toddler in any child rearing book so I had to leave my crying child in the high chair while I did this. Between holding her in one arm most of the time and listening to her cry the rest, the French Toast came out burnt, the eggs were way too salty and the bacon just tasted off. Erik ate everything but the eggs...whatta guy.
STRIKE 1
After eating breakfast we go upstairs to get dressed and I put Maggie in one of Erik's old jerseys. But of course it is huge on her and it keeps falling off of her shoulders, she can't walk because she trips on it, she can't crawl because her arms get caught in it and she's just plain frustrated. So Daddy sees her for a brief second in it gives her the old "look at you" that Dad's say when they aren't really that interested, we change her and move on to the rest of the day.
STRIKE 2
The week prior to Father's Day I tried recording Maggie's message on the card over and over and over. Maggie recorded perfect DA DA's! at least 10 times but the &*$#ing card would not save the recording which required me to go BACK to the Hallmark store and exchange it for a working card. I swear, if there is a way to return something I will most certainly find it. So Sunday morning I am trying to get Maggie to record her greeting on the card without waking Daddy up. And of course each time I hit the record button she says "MA MA!"...NO Honey...say DA DA!! "MA MA?"...NO DA DA...MA MA? (you get the point). Finally I get one DA out of her after a 3 second silence and the recording is perfect (if by perfect you mean good enough). Daddy opens the card and hears silence and closes it. After I instructed him to leave it open for a while, he heard the finished product and loved it. The best part of the whole thing is Maggie's reaction to it. She'll say DA along with her recording and dance to Hey Daddy-O with the biggest smile on her face.
We nearly had a strike with this one but Maggie redeemed us with her excitement.
So we didn't strike out but we didn't have a home run either. Overall it was a nice day with a family picnic to top it all off (and somehow Maggie getting a trip to the toy store).
Happy Father's Day DA! Love, Maggie. Get used to many more fiasco-filled days ahead.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monumental Achievements
It's official...I'm calling it...time of walk: 13 months, 2 weeks.
Although Maggie has been taking steps here and there for weeks now, this week she has changed her primary mode of transportation to walking. She has an interesting walking style, not unlike most toddlers, where she marches and is fairly unsteady, while holding her arms up by her head, huge grin on her face and screeching the entire time. It's as if she cannot contain her happiness and all she knows how to do is screech.
She is also talking more than ever too. I can't say I get a word of it since it sounds like she's speaking Mandarin but she'll say something and look at you like she's waiting for a response and unfortunately most of the time I got nothing. I do a lot of "yeah, that's right..." and so on. So in addition to Da Da, Ball and Buh-Bye, according Erik yesterday she said "Baby" when she saw the baby on her yogurt container and lost her mind and said "Ma Ma" everytime a picture of me came up on our digital frame. OK, maybe she didn't actually lose her mind, but she did have a reaction which is more than I've gotten from her in 13 months. I never thought a 1 year old could affect my self esteem so much.
I wish I could freeze these moments, I just can't imagine it getting any better than this. Maybe I'll just run around the house and screech to release my excitement.
Although Maggie has been taking steps here and there for weeks now, this week she has changed her primary mode of transportation to walking. She has an interesting walking style, not unlike most toddlers, where she marches and is fairly unsteady, while holding her arms up by her head, huge grin on her face and screeching the entire time. It's as if she cannot contain her happiness and all she knows how to do is screech.
She is also talking more than ever too. I can't say I get a word of it since it sounds like she's speaking Mandarin but she'll say something and look at you like she's waiting for a response and unfortunately most of the time I got nothing. I do a lot of "yeah, that's right..." and so on. So in addition to Da Da, Ball and Buh-Bye, according Erik yesterday she said "Baby" when she saw the baby on her yogurt container and lost her mind and said "Ma Ma" everytime a picture of me came up on our digital frame. OK, maybe she didn't actually lose her mind, but she did have a reaction which is more than I've gotten from her in 13 months. I never thought a 1 year old could affect my self esteem so much.
I wish I could freeze these moments, I just can't imagine it getting any better than this. Maybe I'll just run around the house and screech to release my excitement.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
She's a Dancer
About a month ago we noticed Maggie had an interesting dancing style. She'll hear a song with the right beat and she'll hold onto whatever is closest to her, crouch down and shake her booty. I have to say it's about the funniest thing I have ever seen.
The first time I saw her do it I looked at Erik and didn't need to say anything. He knew what I was thinking...Chris Rock said it best in his HBO special “You got to keep her off the pole!” I have to admit, as much as it makes me laugh, it's a little disturbing to see your one year old dancing that way.
Over the past month, she has perfected her dancing skills and seems to know the right dance for the right song. We were over Aunt Jen and Uncle Bruce's one night and a certain rap song came on and she did this shake her booty dance in perfect rhythm. At dinner the other night, Van Halen's 'Panama' came on and she shook her head back and forth like a rocker, I'm pretty sure while doing the "devil horns", and she could not contain herself when "Living on a Prayer" came on later that night. Last night she was lying on her stomach on the floor and a song came on that "moved" her. Rather than stand up and dance she continued to lay there just bobbing her head up and down and wiggling her body. She invented her own version of the worm I am very proud to say.
So as happy as I am that she seems to love music, I'm trying to think of good dancer role models and I'm having a hard time...Britney Spears? Paula Abdul? Cheryl Burke? Uhhh...no... Ellen Degeneres? That works.
The first time I saw her do it I looked at Erik and didn't need to say anything. He knew what I was thinking...Chris Rock said it best in his HBO special “You got to keep her off the pole!” I have to admit, as much as it makes me laugh, it's a little disturbing to see your one year old dancing that way.
Over the past month, she has perfected her dancing skills and seems to know the right dance for the right song. We were over Aunt Jen and Uncle Bruce's one night and a certain rap song came on and she did this shake her booty dance in perfect rhythm. At dinner the other night, Van Halen's 'Panama' came on and she shook her head back and forth like a rocker, I'm pretty sure while doing the "devil horns", and she could not contain herself when "Living on a Prayer" came on later that night. Last night she was lying on her stomach on the floor and a song came on that "moved" her. Rather than stand up and dance she continued to lay there just bobbing her head up and down and wiggling her body. She invented her own version of the worm I am very proud to say.
So as happy as I am that she seems to love music, I'm trying to think of good dancer role models and I'm having a hard time...Britney Spears? Paula Abdul? Cheryl Burke? Uhhh...no... Ellen Degeneres? That works.
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