Just moments ago, 14-month old Megan slid her way down the single step into the office/sunroom/playroom. She's still clad in her footy-pajamas and the corduroy jacket she's been insisting on the last few days. She padded over to the bookshelf we keep art supplies and toys on. She rifled through.
CRASH!
"Oh no," says the little sprite in a soft voice.
I turn my head to find her seated on the floor putting pre-cut foam stickers back into their bucket one at a time. It's as if she hopes I won't notice if she can get them back in there. Of course, she'd be making more progress with her clean up if she didn't stop to examine each one carefully and try to pull back the white paper covering the sticky side before putting in the bucket. And of course, removing each piece to check it out a second time isn't helping matters either.
She caught me watching her. She smiled as she held a foam sticker shaped like a dump truck.
"Mess," she said and returned to her clean-up.
Well, at least she's honest.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Friday, November 04, 2005
A bit of Meg
Megan has been memorizing her favorite book. It's a boardbook of common nursery rhymes. She'll plop herself on your lap, flip a few pages and point to the picture saying "Row, Row, Bow" - as in Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Or she'll flip to the "This Little Piggy" rhyme and tell me "Toe!" She knows most of the book now.
----
She loves to dance. And not just bop up and down in a sort of squat and pop dance move her brother used to do when he was just over a year. No, Megan really dances. She sways. She twirls. She gets her shoulders and her head invovled. Most any music will do it, but she seems a fan of classic rock and oldies.
---
Logan likes to ask "How's your day?" a lot. It started when various adults in his young world would ask him several times during his waking hours. He'd reply and then ask. Grandma started asking Meg this summer. Logan asks Meg. Megan now answers.
"So Megan, how's your day?"
"How day?"
-----
----
She loves to dance. And not just bop up and down in a sort of squat and pop dance move her brother used to do when he was just over a year. No, Megan really dances. She sways. She twirls. She gets her shoulders and her head invovled. Most any music will do it, but she seems a fan of classic rock and oldies.
---
Logan likes to ask "How's your day?" a lot. It started when various adults in his young world would ask him several times during his waking hours. He'd reply and then ask. Grandma started asking Meg this summer. Logan asks Meg. Megan now answers.
"So Megan, how's your day?"
"How day?"
-----
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Silly Meg
Our still relatively new computer has Windows XP Media edition. One of our fancy little extras that accompanies this verison of windows is the "Dancer" program. We can select a number of 3-D dancers that will come on and perform while you play music. I thought the kids might find it amusing so I put in Logan's favorite CD (a mix of 60s music) and pulled up the dancer. I selected the paperclip dressed as ghost, although he occasionally switches out costumes for other gear.
Right now the ghost is dancing to Sam Cooke's "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha." That's 13-month old Meg's favorite song. She's laughing and shaking her body to the music. She sings along, adding her own lyrics, when she's not giggling at the dancer:
"Cha cha cha BOO!"
Right now the ghost is dancing to Sam Cooke's "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha." That's 13-month old Meg's favorite song. She's laughing and shaking her body to the music. She sings along, adding her own lyrics, when she's not giggling at the dancer:
"Cha cha cha BOO!"
Monday, October 10, 2005
Climb Every Mountain
Apparently in one of her many story books, Megan read that if one wishes to climb the highest mountains, one must train hard. She's begun practicing.
First, Megan begins her initial assent:
And then she considers just how high up she must go. She pauses and contemplates whether or not to continue: 
But fear not! She has a mean, lean cheering machine on her side. "You can do it Megan! YOU CAN DO IT!"
He cheers some more. She climbs some more. Mom takes one last photo of their adventure and then rushes over to hold Megan's hand for the rest of her hike up the mountain top.
First, Megan begins her initial assent:
And then she considers just how high up she must go. She pauses and contemplates whether or not to continue: 
But fear not! She has a mean, lean cheering machine on her side. "You can do it Megan! YOU CAN DO IT!"
He cheers some more. She climbs some more. Mom takes one last photo of their adventure and then rushes over to hold Megan's hand for the rest of her hike up the mountain top.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Girls night
Logan is at his monthly sleepover with Grandma and Papa and Daddy is away on a business trip. It's just Meg and Mommy. We left Logan around 4pm yesterday afternoon and had the evening into this morning together. Being able to focus just on Megan really highlights all she does.
Megan has been a long-time snuggler, now instead of just doing it, she asks for it. She puts her head down on my shoulder and nestles in. "Ahhh, mama. Nugg," she says. Nugg, being the way she attempts to say snuggle.
She does a lot of things. Recently, Megan had found my diaper bag, dug around in it until she found what she wanted. She came over to me. Threw a diaper my way as she said "Diap!" Then she laid herself down on the floor on her back and held her legs up in the air staring at me expectantly. She does it on a regular basis now, althoug typically the question "Megan, should we get a new diaper for you?" triggers her action. Getting her own diaper, laying down and waiting.
She's feeding herself with a fork. She stabs at her food repeatedly until she gets several pieces up on the fork. She puts the fork in her mouth and pulls off just what she can handle. I hadn't quite noticed her do it the first time and she knew it. She threw the fork down on the tray and clapped loudly until she caught my eye. Then she did it again.
She plays a mean game of hide-and-seek. Last night after we ate we set about to play. I hid on her in her room. She sought me out yelling "BOO!" when she found me. When she finds did, she held up her arms and started to climb up my leg. As soon as she was in my arms she snuggled in. I put her down and told her I was hiding again.
When she entered the room I had selected, she scanned the room with a very serious look on her face. I knew she had found me by the smile that started with her eyes and captured her whole face. She again climbed up on my lap and cuddled. I put her down yet again.
"I'm going to hide again!" I told her. Then I thought about it, we play hide-and-seek often with Logan. This game is how Logan learned to count to 10 before he hit 18 months. I ought to be counting when it's just Meg and I too. "Megan, you stay here and count and then find me! I'll say the numbers for you."
I watched her as I walked briskly from the room. She stood still next to the chair I had hidden behind moments before. "1 - 2 - 3..." I said. When I got to ten Meg let out a big squeal and she started to run towards me. I picked up my pace and jetted down to Logan's room. I sat in the dark out in the middle of the room where I knew she could find me despite lack of light.
First she went to her room. "Nope, I'm not in your room, come find me!" I called to her. She stopped moving. She focused on my voice. I figured she'd placed it when I heard her erupt in laughter. She came running right into her brother's room and to me. "BOO MAMA!" she said and she climbed up once more for a great big, celebratory hug.
She can identify several of her own body parts now. Ask her where her ears are and she covers them both saying something like "air." She can find her head/hair, nose, mouth, teeth, fingers, belly (she beats on like drum chanting bell-lay, bell-lay, ball-lay) and toes. Sometimes she can remember where her eyes are. She knows her hands, which she'll clap gleefully if asked to locate.
She loves to play blocks. She digs deep into the box of MegaBlocks and connects the pieces she gathers. Then she puts on her proverbial destory hat and wrecks her creation. She can sit on a ride-on toy and scoot herself quite a distance. She climbs up and in and out and off of nearly everything in sight.
She's become a true toddler in every sense of the word. The fun has begun.
Megan has been a long-time snuggler, now instead of just doing it, she asks for it. She puts her head down on my shoulder and nestles in. "Ahhh, mama. Nugg," she says. Nugg, being the way she attempts to say snuggle.
She does a lot of things. Recently, Megan had found my diaper bag, dug around in it until she found what she wanted. She came over to me. Threw a diaper my way as she said "Diap!" Then she laid herself down on the floor on her back and held her legs up in the air staring at me expectantly. She does it on a regular basis now, althoug typically the question "Megan, should we get a new diaper for you?" triggers her action. Getting her own diaper, laying down and waiting.
She's feeding herself with a fork. She stabs at her food repeatedly until she gets several pieces up on the fork. She puts the fork in her mouth and pulls off just what she can handle. I hadn't quite noticed her do it the first time and she knew it. She threw the fork down on the tray and clapped loudly until she caught my eye. Then she did it again.
She plays a mean game of hide-and-seek. Last night after we ate we set about to play. I hid on her in her room. She sought me out yelling "BOO!" when she found me. When she finds did, she held up her arms and started to climb up my leg. As soon as she was in my arms she snuggled in. I put her down and told her I was hiding again.
When she entered the room I had selected, she scanned the room with a very serious look on her face. I knew she had found me by the smile that started with her eyes and captured her whole face. She again climbed up on my lap and cuddled. I put her down yet again.
"I'm going to hide again!" I told her. Then I thought about it, we play hide-and-seek often with Logan. This game is how Logan learned to count to 10 before he hit 18 months. I ought to be counting when it's just Meg and I too. "Megan, you stay here and count and then find me! I'll say the numbers for you."
I watched her as I walked briskly from the room. She stood still next to the chair I had hidden behind moments before. "1 - 2 - 3..." I said. When I got to ten Meg let out a big squeal and she started to run towards me. I picked up my pace and jetted down to Logan's room. I sat in the dark out in the middle of the room where I knew she could find me despite lack of light.
First she went to her room. "Nope, I'm not in your room, come find me!" I called to her. She stopped moving. She focused on my voice. I figured she'd placed it when I heard her erupt in laughter. She came running right into her brother's room and to me. "BOO MAMA!" she said and she climbed up once more for a great big, celebratory hug.
She can identify several of her own body parts now. Ask her where her ears are and she covers them both saying something like "air." She can find her head/hair, nose, mouth, teeth, fingers, belly (she beats on like drum chanting bell-lay, bell-lay, ball-lay) and toes. Sometimes she can remember where her eyes are. She knows her hands, which she'll clap gleefully if asked to locate.
She loves to play blocks. She digs deep into the box of MegaBlocks and connects the pieces she gathers. Then she puts on her proverbial destory hat and wrecks her creation. She can sit on a ride-on toy and scoot herself quite a distance. She climbs up and in and out and off of nearly everything in sight.
She's become a true toddler in every sense of the word. The fun has begun.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Miss Mountain Goat
The little one is not without the ability to grey my head. She is barely over the 12-month mark. She's been walking since 9 months old. She's been attempting to climb shortly there after. On Friday, she began to succeed.
I put her down on the ground in our back yard to help Logan locate his baseball. Normally this is a non-issue. Megan will wander behind or she'll find herself something to play with. But Friday was to be different. I heard her giggle. I turned around to see what it was amusing her and I nearly spit my heart out.
Megan Rose was half-way up the big slide of the new swing set.
Not even the ladder (rope ladder actually). Nope, the actual slide.
She did it again today. She's hellbent on making her way up there. She'll decide she needs a hand after repeated attempts to escape up the stand at the bottom of the slide (ON IT!) waiting for you to hold her arm so she can walk herself to the top. She giggles as she goes. Turns herself gracefully at the top, sits and then holds her hand so she can slide down -- only to hop to her feet, get up again on the bottom of the slide and repeat her newest trick. This time I took a picture or two.
She can also get part way up the rock wall of the swing set. Gone are the days poor Logan could have attention and focus in the yard with only one adult home. Give Meg a little bit of slack and she's embracing her inner mountain-goat. Now the only way we can do more than spot Megan's exploits is to get both kids on their respective swings at once, convice Megan that her littel red Coupe is worth riding around in or tricking her into trying to climb the infant slide on the old set -- something she actually can't do right now. Too steep.
I put her down on the ground in our back yard to help Logan locate his baseball. Normally this is a non-issue. Megan will wander behind or she'll find herself something to play with. But Friday was to be different. I heard her giggle. I turned around to see what it was amusing her and I nearly spit my heart out.
Megan Rose was half-way up the big slide of the new swing set.
Not even the ladder (rope ladder actually). Nope, the actual slide.
She did it again today. She's hellbent on making her way up there. She'll decide she needs a hand after repeated attempts to escape up the stand at the bottom of the slide (ON IT!) waiting for you to hold her arm so she can walk herself to the top. She giggles as she goes. Turns herself gracefully at the top, sits and then holds her hand so she can slide down -- only to hop to her feet, get up again on the bottom of the slide and repeat her newest trick. This time I took a picture or two.
She can also get part way up the rock wall of the swing set. Gone are the days poor Logan could have attention and focus in the yard with only one adult home. Give Meg a little bit of slack and she's embracing her inner mountain-goat. Now the only way we can do more than spot Megan's exploits is to get both kids on their respective swings at once, convice Megan that her littel red Coupe is worth riding around in or tricking her into trying to climb the infant slide on the old set -- something she actually can't do right now. Too steep.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Verbality
I guess we can almost call it a sentence -- a 12-month old's sentence.
Megan had a teething biscuit. Tasha wanted it. Megan pushed Tasha's nose away from her yelling "No! No dog! Mine. Mine. Mine!"
Of course since that moment, Megan has handed Tasha the food in question and has placed herself in the small motorized lime green VW Beatle Logan got one Christmas from his aunts. She figured out the gas pedal this morning but can't reach it with enough force to make the car move. Instead she throws her weight back and forth to make it inch forward. She chants "Vava! VavaooommM!" as she does it. Vroom, vroom!
She then calls me to take her out of the car by singing "Maaaaama! Maaaaaaaaa MAAAA!" I lift her up. She hugs me. She sticks her face close to mine and says softly "nose, nose" which is her way to say "Rub noses." Then she points through the large windows at the back of the room that face our yard. Her finger settles in the direction of her new swing.
"Ow Baa" she commands.
I shake my head no. "Megan Rose, it's too cold and too early to go out back. Logan is still sleeping. And you, miss, still have your footy pajamas on."
She giggles. "Brabah ni-ni." (Brother night-night or Brother is sleeping.) She wiggles around to let me know she wants me to put her down. She toddles around the playroom looking for something to amuse herself with. She settles on pulling colored paper from the art box and then working hard to get Logan's toy tools from their plastic case.
I'm thinking being the little sister to a chatterbox preschooler isn't impeding her language development after all. In fact, it seems to help. Logan had a large vocabulary for his age at a year old, but he was still sticking mostly to single word communiques. Megan easily uses as many words but has been combining them into phrases for some time now. Granted the average stranger would not understand much of what she's trying to say, but those of us that spend time with her pick it up easily.
Megan had a teething biscuit. Tasha wanted it. Megan pushed Tasha's nose away from her yelling "No! No dog! Mine. Mine. Mine!"
Of course since that moment, Megan has handed Tasha the food in question and has placed herself in the small motorized lime green VW Beatle Logan got one Christmas from his aunts. She figured out the gas pedal this morning but can't reach it with enough force to make the car move. Instead she throws her weight back and forth to make it inch forward. She chants "Vava! VavaooommM!" as she does it. Vroom, vroom!
She then calls me to take her out of the car by singing "Maaaaama! Maaaaaaaaa MAAAA!" I lift her up. She hugs me. She sticks her face close to mine and says softly "nose, nose" which is her way to say "Rub noses." Then she points through the large windows at the back of the room that face our yard. Her finger settles in the direction of her new swing.
"Ow Baa" she commands.
I shake my head no. "Megan Rose, it's too cold and too early to go out back. Logan is still sleeping. And you, miss, still have your footy pajamas on."
She giggles. "Brabah ni-ni." (Brother night-night or Brother is sleeping.) She wiggles around to let me know she wants me to put her down. She toddles around the playroom looking for something to amuse herself with. She settles on pulling colored paper from the art box and then working hard to get Logan's toy tools from their plastic case.
I'm thinking being the little sister to a chatterbox preschooler isn't impeding her language development after all. In fact, it seems to help. Logan had a large vocabulary for his age at a year old, but he was still sticking mostly to single word communiques. Megan easily uses as many words but has been combining them into phrases for some time now. Granted the average stranger would not understand much of what she's trying to say, but those of us that spend time with her pick it up easily.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Scenes from a drop-off
Daddy stayed home today to bring Logan to preschool. The four of us went over together because Logan decreed it a family experience. We were getting ready to leave and I attempted to pry Megan from the Dora books in the corner.
"Go tell Logan good-bye!" I urged her. She toddled over to where Logan was busy playing with a few trucks. She patted his head a few times and smiled at us. Mrs S and Mrs R both said, "Awe, how cute."
Then Megan giggled. She leaned over her brother who was seriously ignoring her attempts at cuteness. She grabbed hold of his head in both arms and bear hugged it. She kissed him and said "Bye-bye brabah!"
And then she ran back to the table covered in a Dora table cloth.
Mrs S commented on Megan's farewell and said to Logan, "Wow, you must be the very best big brother for your sister to want to hug you like that!"
And Logan said "Yup, I am."
"Go tell Logan good-bye!" I urged her. She toddled over to where Logan was busy playing with a few trucks. She patted his head a few times and smiled at us. Mrs S and Mrs R both said, "Awe, how cute."
Then Megan giggled. She leaned over her brother who was seriously ignoring her attempts at cuteness. She grabbed hold of his head in both arms and bear hugged it. She kissed him and said "Bye-bye brabah!"
And then she ran back to the table covered in a Dora table cloth.
Mrs S commented on Megan's farewell and said to Logan, "Wow, you must be the very best big brother for your sister to want to hug you like that!"
And Logan said "Yup, I am."
Monday, September 12, 2005
Meg is one
Today was Megan's birthday. I referred to Megan, out of habit perhaps, as "baby girl" this morning. Logan stopped me and reprimanded me, telling me she wasn't a baby any more she was a toddler.
And he's right. She is clearly very much into toddlerhood. She's abandoned the hestitate steps of the early walker for the confidence of a runner. She's starting to work on her climing.
She's got a clear aptitude for mischief. Her latest great joy is shoving things in unsuspecting toilets. We try to keep bathroom doors closed but the child has a sixth sense. No matter where she is in the house, she knows when the door has been opened and she can appear in the bathroom before you can shut her out of it. Today she attmpted to toss Logan's sneaker in the toilet...while he was peeing.
She also has a great sense of when someone needs a pick me up. Somehow she knows when a well placed cuddle or big sloppy wet kiss is most needed. If it's her brother needing to feel the love, she'll throw herself on him as she attempts to yell "tackle!" only it never quite sounds like that. "Ta-ul!" is more like it. Then she raises her head and moves herself so that they are practically nose to nose before she busts out into giggles and pets his head. It brings a smile to his lips every time. She clearly knows this.
The active, always on the go child, has developed a real joy for reading. She pads over to her bookshelf and pulls out whatever strikes her fancy. She'll often plop down with her find and flip through pages herself. When she's through admiring the pictures she'll come over to the nearest adult, hand them the chosen story and then lift up her arms in a gesture that says "pick me up now!" She snuggles into the crook of your arm and mummur 'book' until you begin to read. Some of her books now have names - namely the ones of her favorite characters. There is the "Elmah book" (a book on the letter B featuring Sesame Street characters including Elmo.) And of course the now very clearly enunciated "Dora Book." (She actually over enunciates it - Door-rah).
She loves to be silly and to tease. She tries hard to wink on her own for some reason which always results in two eyes scrunched up really tight. She adores her new toddler swing. She loves her dolls - she drops them in the new toy stroller and takes them for walks. She cuddles them and loves them. She drags them around by their arm or hair.
She's typically moving and/or talking. She's got a fairly large vocabulary for someone just very newly 12 months old. But not knowing a word never stops her for 'talking.' She babbles incessantly. She yells and points. She shrieks. She makes a load of sounds.
And then, when she's mad she really lets loose. She'll yell. She'll scream. She'll get red in the face and scrunch up her fist. She turns on the tears. If she's overtired and just beside herself, she'll throw her body around too. Try holding an overtired tantruming toddler! Today as we rushed off the boardwalk she was crying as loud as she could with her head buried in my shoulder. She suddenly threw herself backwards, flinging her arms out wide as I supported her head in my hand. The melodrama has already set in.
She is a girlie girl. She loves her feather boa. She loves dressing up - give her access to hats, sunglasses and/or animal ears on a headband and she's all over it. She puts them herself. Sometimes she gets them on right. Sometimes she does not. She loves having her hair brushed and her feet rubbed. She loves to dance. She loves to feed the dog her lunch.
Megan is a little girl who strongly exhibits a very clear passion at a very young age. She loves life it seems. She's generally a happy child that loves to make others happy too.
I held her as she drifted off to sleep this afternoon - freshly off her mid-day meltdown. Kids tend to look so angelic when they sleep. She's no different. She smiles when she sleeps. A faint grin never leaving her face. It traced it with my finger and I thought of how it wasn't that long ago that I sat in a hospital bed holding a 7 pound baby doing the very same thing.
And he's right. She is clearly very much into toddlerhood. She's abandoned the hestitate steps of the early walker for the confidence of a runner. She's starting to work on her climing.
She's got a clear aptitude for mischief. Her latest great joy is shoving things in unsuspecting toilets. We try to keep bathroom doors closed but the child has a sixth sense. No matter where she is in the house, she knows when the door has been opened and she can appear in the bathroom before you can shut her out of it. Today she attmpted to toss Logan's sneaker in the toilet...while he was peeing.
She also has a great sense of when someone needs a pick me up. Somehow she knows when a well placed cuddle or big sloppy wet kiss is most needed. If it's her brother needing to feel the love, she'll throw herself on him as she attempts to yell "tackle!" only it never quite sounds like that. "Ta-ul!" is more like it. Then she raises her head and moves herself so that they are practically nose to nose before she busts out into giggles and pets his head. It brings a smile to his lips every time. She clearly knows this.
The active, always on the go child, has developed a real joy for reading. She pads over to her bookshelf and pulls out whatever strikes her fancy. She'll often plop down with her find and flip through pages herself. When she's through admiring the pictures she'll come over to the nearest adult, hand them the chosen story and then lift up her arms in a gesture that says "pick me up now!" She snuggles into the crook of your arm and mummur 'book' until you begin to read. Some of her books now have names - namely the ones of her favorite characters. There is the "Elmah book" (a book on the letter B featuring Sesame Street characters including Elmo.) And of course the now very clearly enunciated "Dora Book." (She actually over enunciates it - Door-rah).
She loves to be silly and to tease. She tries hard to wink on her own for some reason which always results in two eyes scrunched up really tight. She adores her new toddler swing. She loves her dolls - she drops them in the new toy stroller and takes them for walks. She cuddles them and loves them. She drags them around by their arm or hair.
She's typically moving and/or talking. She's got a fairly large vocabulary for someone just very newly 12 months old. But not knowing a word never stops her for 'talking.' She babbles incessantly. She yells and points. She shrieks. She makes a load of sounds.
And then, when she's mad she really lets loose. She'll yell. She'll scream. She'll get red in the face and scrunch up her fist. She turns on the tears. If she's overtired and just beside herself, she'll throw her body around too. Try holding an overtired tantruming toddler! Today as we rushed off the boardwalk she was crying as loud as she could with her head buried in my shoulder. She suddenly threw herself backwards, flinging her arms out wide as I supported her head in my hand. The melodrama has already set in.
She is a girlie girl. She loves her feather boa. She loves dressing up - give her access to hats, sunglasses and/or animal ears on a headband and she's all over it. She puts them herself. Sometimes she gets them on right. Sometimes she does not. She loves having her hair brushed and her feet rubbed. She loves to dance. She loves to feed the dog her lunch.
Megan is a little girl who strongly exhibits a very clear passion at a very young age. She loves life it seems. She's generally a happy child that loves to make others happy too.
I held her as she drifted off to sleep this afternoon - freshly off her mid-day meltdown. Kids tend to look so angelic when they sleep. She's no different. She smiles when she sleeps. A faint grin never leaving her face. It traced it with my finger and I thought of how it wasn't that long ago that I sat in a hospital bed holding a 7 pound baby doing the very same thing.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Saturday, September 10, 2005
one year ago today
We were packing bags and making prepartions. The very next evening I'd be checking into the hospital to begin induction. Megan Rose would arrive less than a day later on September 12th.
To mark the occasion we threw her birthday party today. A few kids of assorted ages and their assorted adults. Lots of gifts. Loads of food for a delighted nearly 1-year old to smush with hands and mash with gums.
She is understandably exhausted.
To mark the occasion we threw her birthday party today. A few kids of assorted ages and their assorted adults. Lots of gifts. Loads of food for a delighted nearly 1-year old to smush with hands and mash with gums.
She is understandably exhausted.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Girlie Girl
Megan sits still long enough to get her little bits of hair up in two pigtails. The hair sticks straight out to either side when you do this, but its adorable just the same. The moment she was decked out in her new do, she located her white feather boa and draped it around herself. Then she located her maracas and started to play. Hmm...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Mwah!
Today as I pulled out of the driveway to leave for work, I waved to Megan and she yelled "Buh-buh!" as she flapped her arm. Then I blew her a kiss.
And she blew me one right back. She touched her finger tips to her lips and then she pulled her hand away until her palm was flat out before her. Yeah, that made my day.
And she blew me one right back. She touched her finger tips to her lips and then she pulled her hand away until her palm was flat out before her. Yeah, that made my day.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
A First. . .
Grandma, Mommy and the kids headed over to Pt. Pleasant to use up the rest of last seasons ride tickets. Of course we picked a day in the middle of a heatwave but who is counting. The afternoon gave Megan a chance to experience another milestone -- her first boardwalk ride. She got excited as soon as she saw the Merry-go-round. We tried the stationary bench first, but she pulled and cried out "Dat!" as she pointed to the horse nearest her. So we sat her up on one, strapped her in and held on tight. She loved every minute of it!
Elmo's world
Last week, while at Target running errands, Megan and Logan were amusing themselves in the toy aisle. Megan latched on to a wide array of items - most of which were over the $5 limit I had set when I agreed to let them each pick out something. She finally settled on a small, four-sound option See-and-Say featuring Elmo. She hugged the hard plastic image of her hero monster. She kissed it. She chanted his name over and over "Elmah! Elmah! Elmah!"
Logan pushed the arrow button for her. The thing sings. Its Elmo La-la-la-laing his way through his theme song. The arrow points to four different sounds that complete the song, the "Elmo's World" part. We've got bubbles for the underwater part, cell phone for that electronic ring, trumpet for brass sections, and crayon for nails on chalkboard...er, squeaking.
She played with it the entire way home in the car. Megan had just figured out how to turn the arrow and liked the trumpet sounds apparently. I was working on tunin gout the droaning on of that music when Logan's laughter pulled me back into the middle of Elmo's World. Meg was singing it. She was really singing it. My little 11 month old child, was actually "Da, da, da" singing IN TUNE the moment Elmo finished his la-la-la'ing. I thought maybe it was a fluke. But no. She's done it every time she gets that toy in her hand.
Logan pushed the arrow button for her. The thing sings. Its Elmo La-la-la-laing his way through his theme song. The arrow points to four different sounds that complete the song, the "Elmo's World" part. We've got bubbles for the underwater part, cell phone for that electronic ring, trumpet for brass sections, and crayon for nails on chalkboard...er, squeaking.
She played with it the entire way home in the car. Megan had just figured out how to turn the arrow and liked the trumpet sounds apparently. I was working on tunin gout the droaning on of that music when Logan's laughter pulled me back into the middle of Elmo's World. Meg was singing it. She was really singing it. My little 11 month old child, was actually "Da, da, da" singing IN TUNE the moment Elmo finished his la-la-la'ing. I thought maybe it was a fluke. But no. She's done it every time she gets that toy in her hand.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
11-months old
The update is just a tad late, and perhaps its because Megan's fleet footed exploration keeps me too busy to jot down much of anything. Yes, little Meg transitioned quickly from 'wobbly-tenative' walking to 'running as fast as those little pudge-legs can carry me!' She moves and she moves fast.
Megan is still pulling up most of the time. She'll crawl or scoot to the nearest support, pull herself up and then run. That said, she has been seen standing herself up in the middle of the living room floor without the help of anything at all. Doing so, however, creates a bit of forward momentum that I think unsettles her a bit, so she doesn't do it often.
Not only does Megan walk/run. She also dances. She adores music. Most anything will set her head shaking, but she seems to have a preference for the Beatles and a few good old fashioned children's classics. . .and of course, Chicken Dance Elmo.
Speaking of Elmo. Megan's got a crush on him. But her adoration of Elmo is not nearly as huge as her total and complete love of anything "doll." She LOVES dolls. She has a few in her own personal collection that she mothers over. No one showed her how to cuddle those 'babies' of hers. No one showed her how to hug and kiss them. She just does it, typically as she says "Ahhh, dah!" She carries around one doll or another on and off throughout every day. If she wakes up and a doll is not in her crib she'll yell for whichever one she can see, reaching for it, straining over the side rail until someone comes and hands it to her. Then she hugs it tight and lavishes it with kisses.
If we're talking specific characters - Megan has a thing for Dora the Explorer. She's not actually ever seen the show, but she has a Dora doll at Grandma and Papa's house. Since getting that doll Megan recognzies Dora on everything and anything. Each time she sees the image she excitedly, and very clearly, says "Dow-rah!"
Megan chatters quite a bit. Most of what she says are sounds that represent real words. A perfect stranger would not realize that "Browba!" is now 'brother' but Logan certainly does and since he's Browba, that's all that matters. Speaking of Browba, Megan refuses to call him by name. She can. We've heard her do it on rare occasion, she just won't. (She's called him Oh-win.)
At first, her instance on "brother" was a result of our manner of talking of him. "Megan where is Logan? Where is your big brother?" Now, however, I think she's just being stubborn. We'll say "Megan, can you say Logan? Logan? Can you say Logan?" and she'll stare at him. Smile wide. Then yell "BROWBA!"
Her other words include: Mama, Dada, Papa, Gamama (Grandma), Dawg (dog), Tata (tasha), Ball, Bur (Bird), Baba (bottle), Brah (brush), Doll, Meh (milk), Bay (baby), duck, ROAR! (as in "megan what does the lion say?), Dat! (That!), My, Dow-rah, Elmah, No, Ni-ni (Good night/go to sleep), Book, um (yum).
She's been know to combine 'words' into simple phrases. For example, one night, as I tried to rock her to sleep, she laughed, pushed on my face and shouted "No ni-ni!" Another favorite of hers "My Dah!"
Megan's favorite things, other than her dolls and assorted stuffed characters, are of course whatever Logan has. She's a very good little sister in that regard - not that Logan always views this as good.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
all out walker
While she can still be seen crawling - its typically just something she does in order to get to something she can pull up on. Megan is terror on two feet. Her new favorite activity is doing laps around the house. She needs not have a destination in mine nor an object of desire to seek. She just walks. And laughs. But mainly walks.
She's also adding more words to her growing vocabulary. Her current favorite being "that." If Meg wants something she doesn't know the word for, she simply points and says "dat." This works out well as long as you can figure out what she's pointing to. :)
Elmo has competition. . .Dora The Explorer. Not that Meg has seen the show, but she fell in love with the doll at the library. So of course Grandma had to buy it. Dora is Meg's only doll at Grandma & Papa's house. As such, Dora gets lugged around there an awful lot. Sometimes in a great big baby bear hug, other times by the hair. Megan will hug her doll tight, kiss it and say "Door-wah."
She's also adding more words to her growing vocabulary. Her current favorite being "that." If Meg wants something she doesn't know the word for, she simply points and says "dat." This works out well as long as you can figure out what she's pointing to. :)
Elmo has competition. . .Dora The Explorer. Not that Meg has seen the show, but she fell in love with the doll at the library. So of course Grandma had to buy it. Dora is Meg's only doll at Grandma & Papa's house. As such, Dora gets lugged around there an awful lot. Sometimes in a great big baby bear hug, other times by the hair. Megan will hug her doll tight, kiss it and say "Door-wah."
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
So Big!
At her 10 month appointment, Megan Rose was 28 inches tall and 21 pounds. 
Her growth, while doing the typical "almost one year old slow down" keeps her in the upper percentiles for both height and weight for girls her age. She failed to enjoy her visit with her doctor. No shots this time, yet she was still miserable. Silly doctor thinking Megan might want to lay down still on her back. Crazy lady! Ones back is only good practicing your roll to belly and then sit up move.
Followed quickly by your "find something to grap and pull up" move. Which is then followed either by "cruise around laughing" or "feel brave, let go and walk" moves.
Her growth, while doing the typical "almost one year old slow down" keeps her in the upper percentiles for both height and weight for girls her age. She failed to enjoy her visit with her doctor. No shots this time, yet she was still miserable. Silly doctor thinking Megan might want to lay down still on her back. Crazy lady! Ones back is only good practicing your roll to belly and then sit up move.Followed quickly by your "find something to grap and pull up" move. Which is then followed either by "cruise around laughing" or "feel brave, let go and walk" moves.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
More words
Megan's entering that fun phase where she tries to mimic every sound she hears. The ones that mean something she's attached to she tends to easliy incorporate into her daily use. Its not exactly something most people would recognize as a word without living with the girl, but those of us that do hear what she means. The latest additions:
Elmah - Elmo, which is currently her latest obession. Megan LOVES Elmo. She gets a hold of that red fuzzy stuffed one we have in the house and she smothers it with kisses, then hugs.
Dah - Doll
Dag - Dog
Na! - No
The nice thing is she's not only using her words to have something to say, she's using them to say something. This morning I woke up to hear "Mama! Maaaaaaama! Ma. Ma. MAAAMAAA!"
I went in to find her standing at the side of her crib. She smiled when she saw me and said "Mama. Baba." -- Or in English, "Yo, lady, get me a bottle." We walked to the kitchen. I opened the fridge, she laid on it. She clapped and whispered over and over "Baba! Baba. baba."
Elmah - Elmo, which is currently her latest obession. Megan LOVES Elmo. She gets a hold of that red fuzzy stuffed one we have in the house and she smothers it with kisses, then hugs.
Dah - Doll
Dag - Dog
Na! - No
The nice thing is she's not only using her words to have something to say, she's using them to say something. This morning I woke up to hear "Mama! Maaaaaaama! Ma. Ma. MAAAMAAA!"
I went in to find her standing at the side of her crib. She smiled when she saw me and said "Mama. Baba." -- Or in English, "Yo, lady, get me a bottle." We walked to the kitchen. I opened the fridge, she laid on it. She clapped and whispered over and over "Baba! Baba. baba."
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Ball girl
One of Megan's favorite games is a good old fashioned game of ball. She likes to throw it. She likes to roll it. She likes to try to catch it as someone rolls it to her. Any old ball will do. As soon as she sees one, she starts to get excited. And now, she can vocalize it too.
We went to the park today. Meg and I sat in the shade as Logan and Daddy played soccer on the big open field. The boys moved on to some football around the time Meg got bored of sitting. She was doing her little cruising by holding one hand thing until something caught her eye and she wanted to move faster. She grabbed for my other hand and as we got closer to her prize she started to giggle.
That's when I heard her say it, clear as day "Ball!"
We went to the park today. Meg and I sat in the shade as Logan and Daddy played soccer on the big open field. The boys moved on to some football around the time Meg got bored of sitting. She was doing her little cruising by holding one hand thing until something caught her eye and she wanted to move faster. She grabbed for my other hand and as we got closer to her prize she started to giggle.
That's when I heard her say it, clear as day "Ball!"
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