Friday, April 20, 2007

Cute Things

I have to say, I love this age! Natalie is very expressive in both her words and actions as she heads towards her 2nd birthday. Here are a few of the things I'm finding especially cute at the moment:

- The fact that when she sits on my lap and I'm reading to her, her hair is so big and curly it tickes my face

- When she says "You funny mama"

- When we take walks around the neighborhood and she runs from mailbox to mailbox going "lalala"

- Watching her chase the leaves that are blowing in the wind

- Floating on her back in the pool, looking for the moon, and saying "moon is hiding" when she can't find it

- Sesame Street time: when we tell her "it's time" she jumps up with glee, runs to push her little chair in place, goes to press the number 3 on the remote (which granddad taught her) and has a big smile on her face while clapping as she sits down to watch

- crazy legs

- hearing "oh boy, oh boy, oh BOY!" when she's really excited about something

- wathcing her run circles around her crib, climbing up on it and then stopping to check herself out in the mirror

- when Dean is away on business, watching her reaction when he gets home and she does the happy dance

And really, that everything she does right now, she does with complete abandon and joy. With all her might. Nothing is done half heartedly. And that she expresses all her emotions freely... why is it we lose this as we get older? It's so refreshing to watch kids before they start to edit themselves for the world around them.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The Tide is Turning

First Chocolate Batter!

Ahem, it seems like I begin a lot of my posts with "it's been awhile..." and here I am again. Much has happened since my last update, here goes:

- Dean started a new job last week and it's going well.
- We bought a house and are moving to the Tampa area - hurray!

Miss Natalie has been busy, I'm so amazed and enamoured with her these days. Her Sesame Street passion is showing itself... at not yet 2 she can count to ten and knows almost all the letters of the alphabet. Amazing! We must sing the ABC song at least 5 times daily, sometimes more. And she's just so damn cute about it all I almost can't stand it. She loves to sing, which I enjoy, but the downside of this is I am slowing losing my mind to ABCs, wheels on the bus and twinkle, twinkle. Whilst I used to hum and listen to my favorite bands, my brain these days is on a slow downward slump of kiddie music. I'm looking forward to getting into our house and having our music system set up. I need some ME back.

She's getting more teeth, curlier hair, if you can believe that and, is just a happy good natured kid. Her little cousin Alex was here last week and she was great with him... giggling and actually sharing her toys (mostly) that made me start thinking about how she'd be a great big sister. We'll see. I'd love her to have a sibling, but part of me can't imagine another child being as wonderful as Natalie. I know these feelings would evaporate as soon as we had another baby. But is it time? Are we ready for the chaos of a newborn again? Are you ever?