Words We Haven't Mastered

In our house, there are some words that really need some pronunciation work. And until we get around to that, we're just going to have to try our best not to say them:

1. Posies (As in "Ring Around the Rosie")
2. Ashes (As in "Ring Around the Rosie")
3. Frog

I'll leave it at that. If you can't figure out why these words are not a good idea for a toddler with some pronunciation issues, you don't want to know ;)

Love Letter #4

Dear Anna -

It's been a while since I've written one of these letters, but that doesn't change the fact that my love for you grows every day - so much that sometimes I think my heart is going to burst.In the last few months, your speech has really exploded, and you're getting really good at communicating to us things that you want or need.

Here are some of your favorite things to tell us right now:

• "I Play" - Let's play tea party!
• "I Eat" - Feed me!
• "I Potty" - I probably just wet or dirtied my diaper, but let's go sit on the potty anyway. Maybe I'll get to play with the toilet paper or flush. It's fun!
• "I Slide" - Let's go outside to play on my new swingset and collect rocks.
• "Puppy?" - I love Bailey and I want to see her. But don't let her touch me, or I'll freak out.
• "Homey" - Hold me. Now. Or I'll keep saying it over and over until somebody picks me up!

And you're so smart already, with such a great little memory! I read to you every night before you go to sleep, and we read lots of different books. But no matter what, "Brown Bear" is always on the lineup. You say the words with me ("what do you SEE...looking at ME"), and you always know which animal is next, even before I turn the page. I ask you what sound each animal makes and you're always happy to oblige, which absolutely delights me.

You love to sing and dance. Sometimes, we'll be trying to wind down in the evening by watching Elmo with you while you drink your milk. A song will come on, and you'll look at us and say "dance? dance?" as if you're asking permission to get up. And boy do we love to watch you dance with your cute little bouncing, clapping, enormous grin and booty-shakes!You bring so much light and life into our lives every second that we spend with you; sometimes Daddy and I just lie in bed at night talking about new things you did that day and how much we love you. (It's A LOT!) It's definitely a nice last thought before closing our eyes at the end of the day!

Until next time, baby girl...

Love, Mommy

Identity

Anna started to learn her full name tonight, and started saying it for the first time. It sounds a little bit like this. . .

Ann-ya.

Gayce.

Nan-dez.

Couldn't say it any better myself :)

What Did She Say?

We've all been there. Some kid is talking mile a minute, and all you can do is look at their parents helplessly, praying that they can translate. I may never speak another language in my life, but I do speak "Anna". lol.

Here are some new ones to add to the Anna-English Dictionary:

1. I Git-chu! - "I'm gonna get you!" Most frequently heard with hands cocked and ready in the tickle position.
2. Oppy Oppy Oppy - "Open this now!" And no, the fact that an object is not capable of being opened does not save it from this request.
3. Ply-eee - "I would like to play tea party"
4. Jews - "Any kind of drink" Milk, Juice, Water, Capri Sun. Even Daddy's beer on occasion. You name it, she calls it "jews".
5. Lellow - "Crayons" Which I guess isn't way off since yellow is a color, and crayons are sometimes called "colors".
6. Peas - "Please" Typically accompanied by her version of the sign for please as well.
7. Tain-Chu - "Thank You" Cute when prompted, but heart-melting when spontaneous.
8. Owwww - "You're doing something I don't like" Not to be confused with "You're hurting me". No pain needs to be involved to elicit an "Owwwww". Things that frequently get this response are diaper changes, hair brushing, and leaving a playground.
9. Pusssch - "Push" Usually referring to the doorbell as we're coming or going.
10. Ah-Sai - "Outside" Bring me there. Now. Preferably with some bubbles.

Time Flies

I can't believe it's now been over a month since my last post. We just get so busy, and time flies.

Anna has been doing and saying so many new things lately.

• Words: Puppy, Paci, Please, More, Bite, Drive, Bubbles, Bath, Outside, Cheese
• Animal Sounds: Puppy (Woof!), Cow (Mooooo!), Monkey (Ooooo, Ooooo, Oooooo!)
• Songs: ABC's, Baby Bumblebee, If You're Happy and You Know It, Itsy Bitsy Spider

She'll say (or at least *try* to say) just about anything we ask her to, and she's usually pretty close if not right on. She's even starting to pick up on some of the sound effects I do when I read to her at bedtime. Particularly with our favorite: "I Love You Through and Through". Now, she does them before I do. It's so amazing seeing how sharp her little mind is.

She also now clearly understands the concept of time out and the fact that she doesn't want to go in it. She'll stop in the middle of a full-out fit to answer "no" to the question, "Do you want to go into time out?" I think any parent would agree...It's a beautiful thing.

Fromage!

I took the camera out tonight because Anna looked so cute sitting at her new little table (which has yet to be painted) and cuddling with her "baby".

But then she got up and started mugging for the camera. I jokingly told her to say "cheese", and she did - clear as day! Over and over again! What a ham!

I'm convinced that there isn't much she couldn't say with the right motivation at this point.

Her Lips are NOT Sealed

Despite the fact that Anna is still very attached to her pacifier, it has certainly not delayed her speech any. (I'm sure she largely has her daddy to thank for that!)

Things Anna has said recently that have surprised and delighted us:

1. "Tay-Too" - Translation: Thank You
2. "Ny-Ny" - Translation: Night Night
3. "Hao? Hao?" (With the phone up to her ear) - Translation: Hello? Hello?
4. "Eh-Mo" - Translation: Elmo! Who Else?!

Name-Calling

Anna is very good at imitating actions or sounds, but last week for the first time, she said the name of something that we didn't say first.

Derek was holding Anna in the kitchen with his back to the window one afternoon, and Anna was looking over his shoulder. She started excitedly kicking her feet and pointing out the window, and then very clearly said the word "bird". Derek was thinking he had to have misheard her, but he turned around anyway, and sure enough! There was a black bird on the lawn right outside the kitchen window!

I wonder what she'll say next!

11 Months Old

Overdue, I know...but here is Anna's 11 month update. . .

• Stats: Anna weighs around 25 pounds. She just made the switch to size 5 Pampers Cruisers diapers, and her clothes are now ranging anywhere from size 12-24 months.
  
• Feedings: Anna has continued to try lots of new foods this past month. She rarely refuses anything completely, but she definitely shows preference for some things over others - like mandarin oranges, diced peaches, bananas, green beans & graduates raviolis. She still loves feeding herself, and she manages to shovel it in quite fast. Sometimes both hands at once. She still drinks around 24 oz. of formula every day, but we've made a lot of progress with her sippy cup. Thankfully, but by accident, her teacher at daycare found that she will not only drink from, but also HOLD this Nuby sippy cup! After buying soooo many different kinds trying to find one she liked, I of course ran out and bought a whole slew of these!
  
• Favorites: Books. Getting chauffered around the house & neighborhood in her "Annalon". Bathtime (with bubbles!). Peek-a-boo (now SHE plays it with US). Getting tickled. Sesame Street - especially Elmo. Telling EVERYONE "heeeeeeeeeeeeey" & "hiiiiiiiiiiiiii".
  Least Favorites: Having her diaper changed & getting dressed is still number one. Having Mommy do her hair is pretty high up there too - I'm sure that will just get more fun as she gets older!
  
• Issues: The separation anxiety is getting so much better for now. Most days, I leave a very happy, smiley Anna at daycare, and that makes a HUGE difference in my day.
  
• Personality: Friendly. Strong-Willed. Persistent. Cuddly. Curious. In that order :)
  Areas to Work On: Limiting the use of the pacifier. Getting on a solid schedule. Walking.
  
• New Things:

1. Holding Her Own Bottle - Not every time, but on occasion (usually for the first morning feeding) Anna will hold her own bottle for the entire feeding.
2. Sippy Cup - Now that we found the Nuby, Anna is drinking from her sippy cup like a pro, even holding it herself most of the time.
3. Hiiiiiii - Anna loves to tell everyone "heeeeeeeey" and "hiiiiiiiii". It's her new way of making sure everyone in the room is paying attention to her.
4. Sound Imitation - She's starting to imitate sounds a lot more now - like if we sing Elmo's song, she does the "lalala", etc. I guess now would be a good time to really start watching our language!
5. Monkey See, Monkey Do - Our little monkey loves to copy everything we do, like slapping her hands on the table, hitting two toys together or clapping her hands.