Wednesday, December 18, 2013

"This Little Light of Mine" {22 Months}

Carly is just two months away from her second birthday.  I've caught myself saying she's almost 2 recently...but I wish I wouldn't do that.  She's still very much 1 and I'm enjoying every second of having a blissful and very happy one-year-old running around my house.  I can't even think about her being 2 yet...there's too much that will happen before February 18th!  Here's the last synopsis I'll write of our little first born as a one-year-old:

There are two things I think are most notable.  One is her continued language development.  Just two months ago I was writing down each word she could say...and now I couldn't possibly do that.  She pulls words out of the air we had no idea she even knew these days! She can repeat almost anything we say and she speaks all day long.  We've noticed a bit of dyslexia at times when trying to pronounce words, and the letter "f" seems to be the most difficult for her, but other than that she's doing a pretty good job.  Our favorite dyslexic word is "Dida."  This is in part our fault, because once she started calling her daddy, dida, we couldn't help but join in! She also calls lotion, "shappa" and the act of brushing her teeth, "yaya." What's funny about "yaya" is that she can say "teeth" and "toothbrush" just fine...but it's the act of brushing that gets the, "more yaya!" Where she comes up with this stuff I really don't know! I have done very little research on toddler speech, but I can say with confidence that she certainly isn't behind.  Not sure if she's necessarily ahead, but could very well be.  Here are her favorite phrases:
  • Oh no, where Mickey go? (or insert any name of the person she's looking for)
  • There's a car coming!
  • I wana ride a ride!
  • I run around 
  • Go, mommy, go! (this occurs when she hears me huffing and puffing on my runs)
  • More _______ (usually in that line is "ceh" which means candy)!!!!
  • Up please, Mommy (insert other names there as well...one time she said, "up please, pizza...")
The other item of note I'd like to share is her recent showing of a very sensitive heart.  We've known from day 1 that she took after me when it came to personality type, but I think she's more sensitive than I was at her age.  She will almost always cry if she hears another young person crying and is frequently in tears because of embarrassment and fear over pain (like when she falls down..she doesn't care that she's hurt...she cares that others witnessed it. If no one is around to see her fall...she gets right back up and keeps going).  Brian and I don't do a whole lot of punishment...I have my philosophies on why but I essentially toss that up to very good communication and...a sensitive heart. She desires to please us, desires to be a "good girl" and knows that goes hand in hand with "obeying" us (words in quotes are ones she says).  She is not compliant by any means...she will push us until we get a firm voice on and begin our count to 5...but generally speaking by the end of 5, if we ask her to make a good decision, she will. 
  • What really effects my little sensitive heart is when I get truly upset over something that was an accident.  An example this week is when I had a plate of nachos I stupidly decided to eat in the living room.  She came up quickly and grabbed at the center, getting her hands all up in my beef, cheese & sour cream.  It was still hot so she reacted quickly, shaking all the food elements off her hand and all over the living room.  I went into reactive mode and sternly voiced, "Carly Ann Weiss!! Why did you do that?!"  She lost it...just melted.  She was crying so hard I had to pick her up and comfort her before I could even get her hand cleaned up.  I realized in that instant that I was in the wrong, not her.  I apologized immediately and explained that I never should have brought something so messy into the living room, and acknowledged that she didn't purposely throw my food all over the living room.  A precious interaction really, and a good learning moment for a learning mama. 
  •  What doesn't effect my strong-willed little girl is when I get truly upset over something she darn well knows is wrong...when she deliberately disobeys.  The example I can think of was earlier this week when she accidentally spilled her real water in her kitchen-play cup.  When I asked her not to spill it again she looked me straight in the eye and dumped her water on the floor.  I can "Carly Ann Weiss" her and swat her booty all I want and she just looks the other way.  She knows what's coming and the only form of discipline that works at that moment is loss of privileges.  
I really do enjoy parenting!  Brian and I have such different ways of handling things that we rarely parent side-by-side.  We agree in most circumstances, but how we get there is often times very different.  Anyway, whichever parent chooses to fight a battle with her, that parent has to finish it.  There have been times where I've disagreed with Brian's choice to fight a battle that I just have to leave the room as I would never want to undermine him, and he has done the same with me.  It remains true that in my opinion he's too strict and in his opinion I'm to lenient.  I think any couple could validate that dual-parenting is a learning journey...and with each new stage we have to have continual communication about it!  We believe a mutual trust and respect is most important...and we most certainly have that! :)

Awe...so the title of this blog reflects Carly's love for the song, "This Little Light of Mine."  Her Bapa taught the song to her last summer, and each time he is around her love for the song intensifies.  The CD we always play in the car also has an arrangement of that song on it, and we can't even barely get the car on without her yelling "Mine!" from the back seat with her little finger swinging round and round.  She is quickly learning other songs so I can't say she only sings that one, but it was certainly the first song she attached herself to.

And...a few more fun facts about Carly:
  • Can identify the letters A & C ("A for Apple" she will say, and "C for Caca"), the colors blue, green, yellow & red, the shapes circle, triangle, heart & square and the numbers 1 & 2.
  • Can count to 10 minus the number 7
  • Knows Solfeggio...way more important that her ABCs, right?! ;)
  • Loves to brush her teeth and requests to do so 3-5 times/day
  • LOVES candy...her favorite being gummy bears with chocolate chips a close second
  • Each morning asks where her daddy is shortly followed by a request for her vitamin (in gummy bear form...oops)
  • Is showing great strides in imaginative play...I could go into many details about her interactions with her stuffed animals, baby dolls & play kitchen
  • Is completely in love with each and every one of her stuffed animals and for the most part gives them all equal love & attention
  • Has been sleeping in a big-girl bed for 10 days, accompanied by every stuffed animal on the planet (more on that transition another time)
  • Asks to go to the park every time we are outside (she claims the swings are her favorite but spends the bulk of her time climbing up and sliding down the slide)
  • Doesn't barely eat a thing...she will try anything but has very little desire to eat...unless it's candy
  • Is easily bribed with said paci or Mickey & Minnie.
  • Darts for the door if we say we are going to the parks to see Mickey & Minnie and when she sees a castle will shout, "Mickey!"
  • Requests to watch TV ("TT") quite frequently but can be easily distracted by another play suggestion
  • Shouts, "More play!" each time we leave the church nursery...she just loves it in there!
  • Sleeps 10 hours at night and often 2 hours during the day
  • Enjoys looking at photographs of her family
  • Has a very secure attachment with both of us...generally showing no signs of distress when we leave but racing into our arms when we return home
  • Loves her nanny Jen
  • Loves to pray at the dinner table and will remind us if we forget.  She is patient about waiting to until we all sit down and will hold out her hands and bow her head as soon as our behinds hit the chairs.  Her prayer consists of:  "Dear Jesus, I love you, thank you for our yummy yummy food, amen."  The most hysterical prayer she's ever said was when we brought home a box of pizza to eat: "Dear Jesus......Pizza pizza, AMEN!!"
I'm loving this journey through life we get to take with someone who is so eager to learn, sensitive at heart, strong-willed and determined, one who tells Jesus she loves him everyday, a great kisser and an even better hugger.  Parenting a one-year-old has had its share of struggles...but an overwhelming amount of giggles, enjoyment and satisfaction.  I can't wait to see what the 2's will bring!

I grouped her 22 month photos with Christmas...enjoy...




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