Also - I entered a picture of Abby into a contest on one of my Flickr groups, and it won! The theme was "Trick or Treat" and here is the shot:
Here is a new top-five picture from last weekend. I called it "Eyes Piercing the Fog"
Friday, November 07, 2008
Teething - Again
We think Abby is breaking in her two year molars. She's running a fairly constant fever, she's cranky and she's not sleeping well. Hoepfully this means that we will not have too many more teeth to break through for a while....right?
Also - I entered a picture of Abby into a contest on one of my Flickr groups, and it won! The theme was "Trick or Treat" and here is the shot:
Here is a new top-five picture from last weekend. I called it "Eyes Piercing the Fog"
Also - I entered a picture of Abby into a contest on one of my Flickr groups, and it won! The theme was "Trick or Treat" and here is the shot:
Here is a new top-five picture from last weekend. I called it "Eyes Piercing the Fog"
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Happy Halloween!
(Click on any photo to see a larger version)
At Abby's school yesterday they had a costume parade, and played with bubbles:
Here she is leading the charge for more fun!
I made a flower to go with the costume at dinner. It did not last long once she figured out people were giving her food!
We only visited five or six houses, all of folks that we wanted to say "hi" to anyway. In spite of that, she got a bag FULL of food! Here she is checking out her haul!
Upon closer investigation, she dumped the bag and picked out a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup (my favorite, too). We did NOT let her eat it right before bed time, I promise. (And for the record, I didn't eat it either!)
Here is my favorite shot from the night. I like it for several reasons, but mostly because she was just so blissfully happy to dig into a big container of sugar. I'm sure she would have, if we let her.
Now the big question is whether or not to let her have some candy. She's had a few pieces of candy over her short life (Thanks Amy!) but typically chocolate winds her up. We'll probably have some with breakfast and keep it at that!
Happy Halloween!
(Or, at this point, All Saints Day!)
At Abby's school yesterday they had a costume parade, and played with bubbles:
Here she is leading the charge for more fun!
I made a flower to go with the costume at dinner. It did not last long once she figured out people were giving her food!
We only visited five or six houses, all of folks that we wanted to say "hi" to anyway. In spite of that, she got a bag FULL of food! Here she is checking out her haul!
Upon closer investigation, she dumped the bag and picked out a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup (my favorite, too). We did NOT let her eat it right before bed time, I promise. (And for the record, I didn't eat it either!)
Here is my favorite shot from the night. I like it for several reasons, but mostly because she was just so blissfully happy to dig into a big container of sugar. I'm sure she would have, if we let her.
Now the big question is whether or not to let her have some candy. She's had a few pieces of candy over her short life (Thanks Amy!) but typically chocolate winds her up. We'll probably have some with breakfast and keep it at that!
Happy Halloween!
(Or, at this point, All Saints Day!)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Me and My Shadow
Last week Abby noticed something on the wall. I assumed that she found a dirty spot from a spill or a dog toy or something. Instead, it was her own shadow!
She "followed" the shadow along the wall, and got a little concerned when she walked toward the hallway and it disappeared. It was adorable! I tried to get video of it, but as usual she stopped doing it when I was prepared for it!
Instead of posting such a cute video, here is a cute picture of both Abby and her shadow.
She "followed" the shadow along the wall, and got a little concerned when she walked toward the hallway and it disappeared. It was adorable! I tried to get video of it, but as usual she stopped doing it when I was prepared for it!
Instead of posting such a cute video, here is a cute picture of both Abby and her shadow.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Abby's Big Bump
(a gentle nudge from Carol reminded me that I haven't updated Abby's blog in weeks - sorry! Remember that you can keep up with a picture a day at http://www.flickr.com/photos/armonroe)
For example about the wonder of posting a picture-a-day is that you would have seen this "pretty" bump over the weekend instead of waiting for today:
To start - she's fine. She was almost immediately fine. But here's what happened:
We went up to Clark's Elliok Farm which is a petting zoo, Enchanted Forest, playground and working farm. I think they even had a corn maze, but Abby's too young to enjoy such a treat.
This was our first organized trip of the year for our Church's Parents of Young Children group and we were meeting three other families. We made a decision to arrive a bit early just in case one of the families got there early. After killing time in the car and having some animal crackers, we made our way inside to play on their big playground.
They have an awesome pirate ship with a plank, fire pole, and a really fun, really fast slide. She went down the slide a few times with no problems. I put her up on the other side of the ship to let her have a little more fun, and while she was trying to get to Anny on the other side she tripped over her own feet and landed face first into a corner of the wood. Not good.
I have never seen a bruise swell that much that fast! I sent Anny over to get ice while Abby wimpered a little in my arms. To be honest, it pained Abby more to be pinned down and have ice applied than it did to get such a bump! We probably would have taken her to the hospital had it not been for the voice of experience around us saying that they had seen the same thing. I'm glad we decided to stay.
She was fine within a few minutes and we made our way around the farm to see a lot of animals and attractions. It was a perfect fall day - warm in the sun but still a nice bit of chill in the air. Everyone had a great time and we got to hear about a couple of other petting-farm type of places that are a little closer to home. We might get to another one before it get's too cold!
Abby even tried to pick her own pumpkin!
For example about the wonder of posting a picture-a-day is that you would have seen this "pretty" bump over the weekend instead of waiting for today:
To start - she's fine. She was almost immediately fine. But here's what happened:
We went up to Clark's Elliok Farm which is a petting zoo, Enchanted Forest, playground and working farm. I think they even had a corn maze, but Abby's too young to enjoy such a treat.
This was our first organized trip of the year for our Church's Parents of Young Children group and we were meeting three other families. We made a decision to arrive a bit early just in case one of the families got there early. After killing time in the car and having some animal crackers, we made our way inside to play on their big playground.
They have an awesome pirate ship with a plank, fire pole, and a really fun, really fast slide. She went down the slide a few times with no problems. I put her up on the other side of the ship to let her have a little more fun, and while she was trying to get to Anny on the other side she tripped over her own feet and landed face first into a corner of the wood. Not good.
I have never seen a bruise swell that much that fast! I sent Anny over to get ice while Abby wimpered a little in my arms. To be honest, it pained Abby more to be pinned down and have ice applied than it did to get such a bump! We probably would have taken her to the hospital had it not been for the voice of experience around us saying that they had seen the same thing. I'm glad we decided to stay.
She was fine within a few minutes and we made our way around the farm to see a lot of animals and attractions. It was a perfect fall day - warm in the sun but still a nice bit of chill in the air. Everyone had a great time and we got to hear about a couple of other petting-farm type of places that are a little closer to home. We might get to another one before it get's too cold!
Abby even tried to pick her own pumpkin!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Back to the Teething
We had a few nights of peaceful slumber - but then we discovered two more molars coming in on the bottom. Bad sign. Abby does not do well with teething. It's hard for us because when she does not sleep, we do not sleep. Often when she wakes up, she's in such pain that she wakes up screaming. Very few things will soothe her, so she get's a lot of extra cuddle time.
When she's awake enough to provide some real relief she has two things that work - and neither are teethers approved by any company. We've discovered that she has no use for the teething rings that you can buy in the store. What works for us is frozen banana spears and frozen blueberries. The real key for us is to balance the two because of what each does to Abby's digestion. (I'll let you take that and run with it)
The real problem with the timing is that we had finally gotten into a good routine for sleeping overnight. That's not to say that she didn't wake up at all, but when she woke up it was momentary and she got herself back to sleep. There were literally two nights where all three of us slept through the night. It was bliss. We know that this too shall pass, but it's hard to keep that in mind at 2:30 in the morning!
So - if you see us around and we look like we're dead tired and dragging one foot behind the other - know that all is well in our house, but we're just a bit tired.
When she's awake enough to provide some real relief she has two things that work - and neither are teethers approved by any company. We've discovered that she has no use for the teething rings that you can buy in the store. What works for us is frozen banana spears and frozen blueberries. The real key for us is to balance the two because of what each does to Abby's digestion. (I'll let you take that and run with it)
The real problem with the timing is that we had finally gotten into a good routine for sleeping overnight. That's not to say that she didn't wake up at all, but when she woke up it was momentary and she got herself back to sleep. There were literally two nights where all three of us slept through the night. It was bliss. We know that this too shall pass, but it's hard to keep that in mind at 2:30 in the morning!
So - if you see us around and we look like we're dead tired and dragging one foot behind the other - know that all is well in our house, but we're just a bit tired.
Monday, September 22, 2008
More on Communication
We had dinner with friends last night whose son is two month younger than Abby. He's a cutie and has a great smile. What struck me is that he's doing the exact same things as Abby was - learning to walk, reverting a little in speech - but Anny and I have completely forgotten about that stage. It's a bit weird, really, since it was not long ago.
We got to talking about signing. They are actively trying to increase his vocabulary through signing, while we are kind of letting it plateau at where we have gotten, with a hope that soon enough she will begin to use her speech. I am not so sure that we should be pulling back now!
One morning last week I discovered Signing Time on our local PBS station. It's a well done, very informative half-hour of sign language learning. Each episode has a theme. So far Abby and I have watched Colors and Rooms of the House. Very cool. It's easier for ME to learn through seeing it in action than it is to figure out what the still images in a book are trying to say.
The third reason that I think we should really keep on teaching Abby signs is that she is coming up with them on her own, and often they're the ASL standard signs! In addition to the signs I told you last week that she knows, over the last week or two she has shown us:
Open - as in - I know my teacake is in here, please open it
Sunscreen - rubbing her arms before we go outside
Hat - thanks to school, Abby knows she needs a hat to go outside
Peanut Butter - okay, this one is a bit out of the norm. She grabs a spoon, points to the cabinet and licks her lips. It's adorable.
I'm sure that there are others she has done that we are totally missing. It's adorable and we're glad that we have done this since we can ask her why she's crying or upset and she can tell us if she's hungry or thirsty, rather than just scream on the floor.
We got to talking about signing. They are actively trying to increase his vocabulary through signing, while we are kind of letting it plateau at where we have gotten, with a hope that soon enough she will begin to use her speech. I am not so sure that we should be pulling back now!
One morning last week I discovered Signing Time on our local PBS station. It's a well done, very informative half-hour of sign language learning. Each episode has a theme. So far Abby and I have watched Colors and Rooms of the House. Very cool. It's easier for ME to learn through seeing it in action than it is to figure out what the still images in a book are trying to say.
The third reason that I think we should really keep on teaching Abby signs is that she is coming up with them on her own, and often they're the ASL standard signs! In addition to the signs I told you last week that she knows, over the last week or two she has shown us:
Open - as in - I know my teacake is in here, please open it
Sunscreen - rubbing her arms before we go outside
Hat - thanks to school, Abby knows she needs a hat to go outside
Peanut Butter - okay, this one is a bit out of the norm. She grabs a spoon, points to the cabinet and licks her lips. It's adorable.
I'm sure that there are others she has done that we are totally missing. It's adorable and we're glad that we have done this since we can ask her why she's crying or upset and she can tell us if she's hungry or thirsty, rather than just scream on the floor.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Our Little Big Girl
15 Month Checkup Stats:
24 pounds
31.5 inches
Thist means that her height is in about the 76th percentile and her weight is in the 50th percentil. She's getting taller and thinner!
One weird comment from the doctor is that he said "I can tell she is a smart one by the way she follows my light." That was really cool to hear. He asked how many words she said and was happy to hear that she has about 18 "words." (In quotes because "bau" counts for book and ball")
She had an MMR vaccination and a Flu Shot. Since she didn't get one last year, she has to have another one in 4 weeks. She was a trooper and as soon as things were done (and needles out) we told her we were done and could put her shoes on. She stopped crying almost immediately and was ready to roll.
We asked about the need for vitamins, and the doctor said that it would probably be a good idea, so Anny stopped on the way home to get some. We'll start that going this evening. Hopefully giving Abby and I will take ours together, mostly so that I remember to start taking mine on a regular basis...
She's such a big little girl. We're so happy to have her in our lives. I'm looking forward to the next 15 months with such excitement about what she will do next!
24 pounds
31.5 inches
Thist means that her height is in about the 76th percentile and her weight is in the 50th percentil. She's getting taller and thinner!
One weird comment from the doctor is that he said "I can tell she is a smart one by the way she follows my light." That was really cool to hear. He asked how many words she said and was happy to hear that she has about 18 "words." (In quotes because "bau" counts for book and ball")
She had an MMR vaccination and a Flu Shot. Since she didn't get one last year, she has to have another one in 4 weeks. She was a trooper and as soon as things were done (and needles out) we told her we were done and could put her shoes on. She stopped crying almost immediately and was ready to roll.
We asked about the need for vitamins, and the doctor said that it would probably be a good idea, so Anny stopped on the way home to get some. We'll start that going this evening. Hopefully giving Abby and I will take ours together, mostly so that I remember to start taking mine on a regular basis...
She's such a big little girl. We're so happy to have her in our lives. I'm looking forward to the next 15 months with such excitement about what she will do next!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are
We were cleaning up the bedrooms downstairs for some family in town tonight, and Abby discovered the "secret hiding place" under the stairs. She did this for much longer than this video shows!
Please try to ignore the terrible sound of my voice...
Discovery of the Doors from Anny and Rob on Vimeo.
Please try to ignore the terrible sound of my voice...
Discovery of the Doors from Anny and Rob on Vimeo.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Update: Signing!
We have decided that Abby knows all of the signs she needs to know. I admit that it was hard at the beginning, and frustrating a few months in, but once signing became a daily event, she got it and we got rewarded!
Abby can sign:
More
Milk
Food
Help
Please
THAT! (self-taught, and typically relates to food)
Wash Hands (self-taught as well!)
We have decided that we can communicate with her well, and she can communicate back to us just as well, so we are not going to teach her more signs. If she creates some, we will go with them, but her speech seems to be moving along nicely and I would guess that she's one of those children that will not be quiet once she can speak!
I did get down on another one of those things she used to do but has dropped. If you recall (here) Anny was not happy when Abby would only say "mama" when it was in a tearful "mamaamamaamaa" and it was not associated with good times. Now Abby loves to use "mama" and uses it appropriately! The thing she dropped?
Dada.
Abby can sign:
More
Milk
Food
Help
Please
THAT! (self-taught, and typically relates to food)
Wash Hands (self-taught as well!)
We have decided that we can communicate with her well, and she can communicate back to us just as well, so we are not going to teach her more signs. If she creates some, we will go with them, but her speech seems to be moving along nicely and I would guess that she's one of those children that will not be quiet once she can speak!
I did get down on another one of those things she used to do but has dropped. If you recall (here) Anny was not happy when Abby would only say "mama" when it was in a tearful "mamaamamaamaa" and it was not associated with good times. Now Abby loves to use "mama" and uses it appropriately! The thing she dropped?
Dada.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
A Video for You
We took Abby to see the sun rise at the beach over Labor Day weekend. Okay, she woke up at 4:30 and we needed to get out of the house before she woke folks up. Pictures are on the photo pages (see right for links) but here is a short video of her screaming at the ocean, which was adorable:
Abby at the Ocean from Anny and Rob on Vimeo.
Abby at the Ocean from Anny and Rob on Vimeo.
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