Summer lovin'...had me a blast! - June 2011

We have had a busy summer and I am just now getting around to blogging about it! Pitiful.  My whole life I have been told I talk too much...but apparently that doesn't translate into blogging.  I need to find a way to have this blog read my mind an just automatically post.  Wait...that probably would not be a great idea.  Lots of crazy talk goes through this noggin all day long.  Best to keep that under wraps.  So while I can still remember what we did this summer I will give a quick recap:

Say and Daddy took advantage of the beautiful weather and flew a kite in the backyard (Daddy continued to fly the Princess kite all by himself LONG after Say lost interest! Ha!)

Oh how I love those chubber legs running all around!

Nana and Papa bought Sayler a cool new sandbox and she was way into "mess" as she called it.  She could not believe we were letting her dig in the "mess" with no repercussions.

My Midwest girl in all her corn-on-the-cob eatin' glory.

We took our first family vacation to visit the Beckman's in Indianapolis and Sayler had so much fun with her cousins.  She still walks around the house talking about Ayba (Ava), Nick, and Nenny (Jenny).

Sayler and Ava playing in the sand table. 2 diva's for sure!

Is this not the most precious picture ever? The 3 Musketeers!!!  Sayler loved riding on the boat! 

Like mother like daughter...we both LOVE going fast.  Sayler kept saying "mo ayah" (more air) she loved the wind in her face!

This is what happens when Uncle Jim let's us take the boat out by ourselves, Captain Ava!!!

Sayler loved standing at the very front of the boat...until, she figured out that gate could open.  Then she wanted to sit on the seat with Mommy.

All the girl cousins enjoying the boat ride.

Daddy caught lots of fish and was pretty proud of himself.

We went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum which is the largest children's museum in the world and Sayler had so much fun.  She just jumped right in and loved all of the cool activities.

Looking at Daddy through the tunnel debating whether or not to crawl through.

Sayler and Ava playing in the garden.

Sayler refused to put on the rain coat that was required for the water table area...so we didn't last long at this station :)

We took our first trip to Deanna Rosa Children's Farm one afternoon and it was so much fun.  It is this awesome place in Overland Park that is designed to depict a turn of the century farmstead.  Sayler loved all of the animals and was very interested in a cow that was mooing very loudly out in her pen.  She kept mooing right back at her!

Feeding the hungry goat some grass.

Sayler liked the goats as long as they were stationary.  The minute one of them started moving she was not a fan.

Say sneaking into the fridge and taste testing the strawberry cream pie I made.

Yummy pie mommy!

June was so fun and the Summer just got busier after that.  Will update with our July tomorrow!

18 months

My sweet Say Say...it kind of hurts to write this tonight.  A good hurt.  A hurt because you are mine and you are growing up right before my eyes and it is wonderful and painful and exhilarating and scary and hilarious and miraculous and humbling and frustrating and blessed all at once like a beautiful tornado that is you.

You my sweet, sassy, careful, curious, smart, shy, kind, stubborn, precious baby girl.  The one who God chose to make me a Mama.  You blow my mind girl. You teach me something new every day. You have changed me. And I cannot express to you how much you mean to me.  Your life is the miracle of mine. And if someday when you're 14 and hating me because I won't let you have a boyfriend for 2 more years and you feel like I just don't understand you or care about your feelings I want you to read this and know that I love you with a love that can handle the fact that you will hate me sometimes...and that's ok. Because I love you enough to get us through the times when you feel like I don't. 

Oh, and 14 year old Sayler? 

Don't even think about wearing that skirt you have hidden in the back of your closet.

I found it.  

And burnt it.

Mama loves you baby!  Mwah!!!

Now let's get back to the present so Mama doesn't have to start drinking her special "medicine" thinking about you dating.

Here are some things about you at 18 months old...

You LOVE:

• Playing outside "ow wide"

• Birdies "bir-bees"
• Your new slide "side"

• Swinging "wing-wing" (you would swing in the middle of a blizzard if we let you...you can't get enough)

• Elmo...major love affair going on here.  You ask to watch Elmo 10 times a day and if you are watching it on t.v. you also ask to watch it on our phones.  You will bring Mama or Daddy the phone and say "Ay, dee, cees" or "La, la, la" as you love the Elmo video's where he sings ABC's and Elmo's Song.
• Going to Ms. Dana's.  For this I am so grateful and you will never understand how grateful until you are a Mama and you have to trust someone to love on your baby when you can't.  You run to the door in the morning and say "Nay-Na?"  Even on the weekends you will ask to go see "Nay-Na" and I think you are bummed when we tell you that you aren't going that day :)
• Cookies - Oreo's are your new favorite.  You are no fool...you pull the 2 halves apart and give me the side with no icing! Ha!

• Books...you LOVE to read books and it is amazing to me how much you can identify when we play the "what's this?" game.  You learn and grow every single day and it blows.my.mind!

• Cheese - you love you some shredded cheese girl!  You would eat it all day every day if I let you.  You make a HUGE mess whenever you eat it and I find myself finding pieces of cheese all over the house for days...but I give it to you whenever you ask for it cuz you're my baby!
• Your blankie/beek/bee bee. It is the wind beneath your wings.  You go nowhere without it and it comforts you like no one else can.  I am a huge fan of the beek...and eternally indebted to it for stopping a fit in it's tracks on many occasions.

 

Things you DON'T love:

• Getting dressed/undressed/diaper changed/hair brushed/teeth brushed/face wiped...basically anything related in any way to grooming.  You are not a fan and avoid me like the plague when you see me coming with a diaper and wipes!
• Getting strapped in your car seat.
• Bath - at least you are consistent.  You have hated it since the day you were born.  Now you are petrified of getting water or soap in your eyes as I think one night a few months back you did get some soap bubbles in your eyes that stung a little bit (just bubbles mind you...not acutal soap) but no matter...you are not having any of it and the minute your toes hit the water you start trying to find a way out of the tub yelling "eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes!" the entire time.  At first I felt awful about you getting soap bubbles in your eyes.  Not so much anymore :)  We just try to get through it any way we can with a smile on our face...but I may start wearing ear plugs at bath time because baby girlllll...you've got a set of lungs on you!!!  I'm hoping someday soon you will start to like your bath...but if not no biggie!

(notice the fudgecicle in your hands in the tub...the only reason you have a half grin on your sweet face)

• Coming inside...(disaster).  I know people thing we must be poking you with hot pokers as we drag you in the door kicking and screaming every night.  We never have to wonder what you are feeling that is for sure!

Your STAT's

• You weigh about 25 lbs
• You are about 33 inches tall
• You wear 18 month clothes and a size 6 shoe
• You wear a size 4 diaper
• You have a mouth full of teeth and are currently cutting all 4 of your "I" teeth...ouch :(
• Your hair is getting so long.  When it is wet it goes way past your shoulder blades.  From the top of your head it is probably 6-7 inches long root to end.

Funny things you do:

• You are so polite and say thank-you "dat doo" about 100 times a day.  You will always find anything that is lying around and will bring it to me and say "dat doo Mama."  I love it so much.  You are also saying please "peeees." I love me some manners and it makes me so proud when you use them.
• You are curious about Mama's "boobies" and will pull open my shirt and look down it and say, "boobies?" and I will respond, "yes those are Mommy's boobies."  You will then look up at me and say, "ooooohhhhhhhhh."  Hilarious.  The other night when I was rocking you at bedtime you looked down my shirt and said, "Nigh, nigh boobies."  I almost fell out of the chair laughing!
• Whenever we get the camera out and point it at you you will automatically say "chhheeeeeessssseeee!"

• You love to give Mama and Daddy a pound and whenever Daddy says "pound clown" you throw up your fist.

Sayler Jaye...I am just smitten with you.  I always find myself watching you and listening to you and thinking what an individual you are.  You are not a "mini me" you are not your Daddy either...you are you 100%.  I love that about you and I hope that I honor your spirit and your unique personality every day of your life and make sure you feel safe, secure and proud to be just you all of the time.

Every minute of every day...loving you and proud to be your Mama.

Love you,

Mama

AMEN!!!

Jesus would be proud.

Untitled from Stephanie Doss on Vimeo.

Single White Female

Have you ever come across someone and thought, "I could so go all SWF on this girl."  No?  It's just me?  Now I've made it awkward.  

Anywhooo....

It happened to me tonight when I was referred to this blog.  More specifically this post.  STOP.TRAFFIC.RIGHT?  How fabulous is she???  And now I have to sign off so I can go move Sayler's crib into our storage space in the basement so I can convert her room into this.  I kid, I kid...the storage space is way to big, a closet will suit her just fine.

She is listening...

Just a short post today mostly for me so I don't forget these sweet moments with my tiny.  I have been noticing lately that Say has been saying things and doing things that I don't recognize as things we have shown or taught her.  Initially it is frustrating because I don't know what she is saying or doing so I can't respond appropriately.  But now when these "light bulb moments" happen I have learned that it must be something she has learned at daycare.

Ya'll I can't tell you how much this little girl LOVES her daycare.  In the morning when she is being a total stinker and running from me as I try to get her diaper and clothes on all I have to say is, "Say do you want to go see Ms. Dana?"  She immediately shapes up and starts saying, "NayNa, NayNa, NayNa!!!"  She loves her some Ms. Dana.

So I kept noticing her doing the same thing over and over the other day when I would tell her no, or tell her to be nice, etc., etc. (she has become a fan of hitting and throwing things when she doesn't get her way...I'll be honest here, I too would love to be able to hit or throw something at someone in frustration...so I get it...I don't allow it...but I get it :).  When I was disciplining her she kept rubbing her head and saying "waw wee Mama.  Waw wee Mama."  I had absolutely no idea what she was doing so the next day when I picket her up at daycare I asked Dana if she had the kids do something if they were in trouble to acting rowdy.  She said, "Oh yeah, if the kids accidentally hurt one another or are not sharing or acting naughty I make them walk over to the other child and rub their head or pat them on the back and say sorry."  So I told her what Sayler had been doing and she said, "I have never made Sayler do that...she has never been disciplined here."

Well the girl is paying attention.  Isn't that amazing?  Her mind is just working all the time.  She also came home the other day singing "Ashes, ashes, ashes."  They had been singing "Ring Around the Rosie," all day.  The other day Daddy was watching TV and something happened on the screen causing him to say, "Wow!"  Sayler immediately looked at the TV and said, "Wow!"  Now whenever she looks up at the screen she says, "Wow!" or "Elmo?"  (Channing responded to this by saying..."I really need to start watching my language."  Ya think?)

I just all happens so fast.  I feel like not even 3 or 4 months ago she could only say a few things.  Now I feel like we can really communicate with one another.  It is awesome and scary at the same time.  We are responsible for shaping her, molding her little brain that is doing big things right now.  I am just so proud of her and proud to be her Mom. Remember that Aerosmith song, "Don't Want To Miss A Thing."  That's how I feel about her.  I don't want to fall asleep at night sometimes because I miss her.  Cheesy and a little obsessive/stalker status?  Yes.  I own it...but I'll be a billy goat if I don't love the stuffing out of that girl.

Getting to know you...getting to know all about you

Mornings are not my favorite time of day...never have been. Just ask my poor mother.  So I am getting a big ol' honkin' dose of my own medicine with my little bundle of joy.  Sayler is the queen of the morning stink eye.  She gets out of bed pretty sweet...but it is all down hill from there.  If she sees me coming with her clothes and diaper she maintains a perimeter of at least 6 feet so I can't reach out and grab her to get her little booty dressed. She kills me this one.

One morning a few weeks ago I had finally captured her long enough to get her changed and dressed and she was tooling around the house doing her morning rounds.  Pull all Tupperware out of the drawer. Check. Pull all clean folded laundry out of the laundry basket that has been sitting on our bedroom floor for 2 weeks waiting for Daddy to put it away. Check. Find Goldfish Cracker remnant on the kitchen floor and promptly shoves it in her mouth. Check.  SO this particular morning she was in monitoring her Dad's shower when I hear him yell "BABE COME HERE!!!"

I felt my heart jump into my throat and ran into our bathroom.  I thought Say had slipped on the tile and split her head open or knocked her teeth out. So I run into the bathroom and Sayler is standing there perfectly fine.  I looked at Channing and he is standing there dripping wet and he looks like he has just seen a ghost.  The following conversation follows:

Me:  "What?  What happened? Is Say OK?"

Channing:  "Ummmm....she's fine. I'm not."

Me:  "What?  What's wrong?"

Channing:  "I was drying off and had the towel over my face and your daughter..."

Me:  "What????"

Channing:  "She....she flicked my junk!"

Me:  "Oh my God what?  What does she flicked my junk mean...specifically."

Channing:  "I was drying my face and she just walked right up to me and flicked my junk and says "Bell Butt???" (she is obsessed with people's belly buttons right now and demands to see them upon command) And then.  And then... she started laughing!!!"

Me:  "(Dying laughing) I have no words.  Let's just act like this never happened.  Denial is our friend right now OK?"

Channing:  "(Not dying laughing) Perfect.  I'm totally on board with that.  Except for the fact that I am totally scarred for life."

What can I say?  We put the "fun" back in dysfunctional.

I think I'll leave this story out of the baby book.

15 Months

15 Months Old

Sayler -
It has really hit me over the last few weeks how much you have grown and changed.  I was looking back at pictures of you from just a few short months ago and you are a different baby.  In fact you don't seem much like a baby anymore (though you will ALWAYS be my baby) you really do seem like a toddler.  I miss your babyness...but I am just smitten with the little girl you are becoming.  Here are some things about you at 15 months old:

Your Stats

• You weigh about 23 pounds...you haven't gained a lot of weight in the last few months but it is not for lack of eating. Ha!  I think it is because you go, go, go...all day long.
• I'm not sure how tall you are as you will not stand still long enough for us to measure you, but when you got vaccinated in January you were 30 3/4".  You no longer fit under the dining room table and that has caused you to bonk your little noggin more than once!
• You got your one year molars in (all 4) over the last month or so.  You seem to be cutting 2 more teeth on the bottom now too.  So in total you have 12 teeth with 2 more on the way.

Your Day

• You wake up between 7:30-7:45am every day.  You are always happy when Mommy or Daddy open your door and the first thing you do is make sure we get your "beeks" (blankies) out of your crib.
• You usually have oatmeal, yogurt, banana, or a cereal bar for breakfast.  You also have your "wawa" (water).  You sit with Mommy on the couch and snuggle while you have your breakfast.  I love starting my morning with you every day.
• Getting you dresses/undressed is like wrestling a greased piglet. You HATE it...always have.  Whenever you see me coming with your clothes you run in the other direction.  I am always so relieved to have you dressed/face washed/hair brushed and still in one piece!
• Mommy loads you in the car and Daddy drives you to daycare.  You usually get there about 9:00am and go right to Ms. Dana...you love her.  You then have to go check on "your babies" Gavin and Jack. You love the baby boys at daycare and always "pet" their little heads and say "niiiicccceee."  You are so good and gentle with them.  Ms. Dana says that means you want a sibling ASAP. Ha!
• You always get a good report from daycare, good eater, good sleeper, and Ms. Dana's shadow.  You don't let her get very far out of your sight and make sure the other kids know that you are her main priority :)
• Mommy picks you up from daycare at about 4:30pm.  You squeal at the top of your lungs and then run all over the place.  At some point in your excitement you find your way over to me and give me a kiss and hug.
• We come home and the minute you hit the door you start saying "bah bah bah???"  Which is Sayler speak for popcicle.  It's like toddler happy hour up in here.  You LOVE your popcicles.  Thank the Lord for sugar free popcicles!!!  You and Daddy always share a popcicle and then we play and hang out until dinner time.
• You are usually pretty tired in the evening time so we start getting your dinner ready at about 5:45pm.  Lately you have been eating a few bites of dinner and then say "all done" and do the sign language for all done too.  I try and get you to eat a few more bites and it usually works.
• Then I strip you down and let you run around naked all over the house for 5-10 minutes.  You can't get enough of it!  You love running into Mommy and Daddy's room and throw yourself on the pillows from our bed that are normally on the floor...whoops!  When naked time is over you usually throw a huge fit with tears and the whole 9 which makes bath time not so much fun.
• You STILL do not like to take a bath.  You usually whine/cry through the whole thing and I try and have it wrapped up in 5 minutes.  We have tried all different kinds of toys and fun things for you to play with in the bath...but no luck.  But from the day you were born you have not liked taking a bath and 15 months later, you feel the same way.
• Daddy wraps you up in a towel and takes you in to Mommy and Daddy's bed to get your jammies on, lotion, diaper, hair brushed, medicine etc.  Most nights we give you a bedtime bottle with milk (which you will only drink from a bottle and not a sippy cup...don't ask me why) to try and get through jammy time without to much resistance.  You can be crying and fussing up a storm but as soon as you see your Dad walk in with your bottle you exclaim "Ba Baa?!?" 
• Bedtime is usually between 6:30-7:00pm.  We carry you into your room and you give kisses to your 2 special music boxes. One for Aunt Johna and one for Nana Doss.  Then we have our family prayer time during which you interrupt about 15 times to show Mommy or Daddy where our eyes, nose, ears are, or give us kisses etc.   We try to be patient with you and know that Jesus understands :)  Then Daddy kisses you good night and Mommy rocks with you in the chair while you finish your bottle.  I used to rock you and pat you to sleep but now we just sit and sing and talk.  It is my most absolute favorite time of the day.  You are so sweet and snuggly and you smell so good from your bath.  You love to give me a million kisses and my heart just melts every night.  Then I lay you down in bed and cover you up and blow you a kiss.  Lately you have been saying "bye bye mama," as I walk out of the room...sweetest thing ever.  You usually lay and talk to your self for 15-20 minutes and then fall asleep for the next 13 hours.  You are the best.sleeper.EVER!!!

Things you LOVE

• POPCICLES!!!  The one word that will pull you off of the floor mid-tantrum...popcicle.  We give you at least 2 a day (sugar free of course) and sometimes 3-4 on the weekends. Ha!  You would eat them all day if you could.  When Mommy or Daddy say, "Say...do you want a popcicle?"  You stop whatever it is you are doing...grin from ear to ear, and make a b-line for the freezer.  All the while saying, "bah-bah-bah?"  Which is Sayler speak for popcicle.  It is our go-to bribe to get you to do what we want!!
• Singing Baa Baa Black Sheep when we rock and cuddle at night.  If we try to sing any other song you pull your thumb out of your mouth and say, "Baa baa baa." until we start singing Baa Baa again.
• Your "Beeks" (aka blankies).  You have 2 of them, one with strawberries all over it and one with polka dots all over it. Daddy and I call the polka dot beek the step-beek.  It is definitely not in the same category as the strawberry beek, but you will ask for it to be included in most cuddling sessions if you see it lying around.  At daycare today Ms. Dana told me that she could not believe how smart you were.  I asked why and she said that a little boy Tyson, who is 3, took your strawberry beek and was holding it above his head and twirling it around.  You saw him and didn't start crying or getting upset.  Nope...instead you walked yourself right over and found his favorite car sitting at his place at the table. You picked it up and held it over your head and walked around with it like that.  Tyson of course freaked out and started crying.  Ms. Dana told him he needed to give you your beek back and say he was sorry.  He did and you tossed his car on the floor. Ha!  You knew how to play that game and play it well!!!  Nana said she is worried about your husband!  You do not mess around when it comes to your beeks.
• Playing with Mommy's cell phone.  You have "toddler dialed" several people so far.  It is just not a battle I am willing to fight...so I let you have at it.
• Running around the house naked right before bath.  You have peed on our floors several times...thankfully they are hardwood!
• Bananas
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt
• M&M's
• Any food that Mommy and Daddy might be eating
• Ice
• Water
• Milk (finally)
• Dancing to any song you hear.  You also have been known to say "uh, uh, uh, uh" while bouncing your little booty up and down!
• Playing outside and walking up and down the sidewalk chasing your shadow
• Waiting for Daddy to meet you in the garage when you and Mommy pull in from daycare.
• Kissing all of the pictures of you when you are a baby and saying "deh deh" which is how you say baby.
• Loving on the babies at daycare.
• Sharking the floors (yes you love to vacuum the floors with our Shark and I am going to document it and remind you of that fact when you are 14)!!!
• Pointing out Mommy and Daddy's nose, eyes, ears and belly buttons.

Things you DON'T love

• Taking a bath (it's day to day)
• Getting dressed/undressed/having your diaper changed
• Getting strapped into your car seat
• Mommy or Daddy to stop doing something you are having fun doing (horsey ride, airplane, peek-a-boo) etc.
• Cottage cheese
• Mandarin oranges (I think you OD'd on them for the prior 6 months and are now officially over it).
• Coming inside after playing outside.
• Being told no (but come on...who likes this?)
• Time out (you've been in time out maybe 4 times in your life)

Words you are saying

• Mama
• Dada
• Nana
• Papa
• Dana (Nay-na)
• Hi
• Bye-bye
• Nice (niiiiccccceeee)
• Baby (deh deh)
• What?
• Open (ah-buh)
• All done (aahhh duh) (sign language too)
• More (mo) (sign language too)
• Beek (dzzzzzzzzzz - not sure why you say it like that but it's cute)
• Elmo (Meh-mo)
• Nose (Nuhs) (can identify on faces)
• Eyes (ahyes) (can identify on faces)
• Ears (ehhhs) (can identify on faces)
• Belly button (Beh-butt) (can identify on yourself and others...and demand that people expose their's to you so you can see it!)
• Popcicle (buh-buh-buh?)
• Ashes (as in Ashes Ashes we all fall down)
• This (dis)
• Ice
• Water (wah-wah)
• Bottle (bah-bah)
• Baa (when asked what does a sheep say?)
• No (nuh-nuh-nuh) (sign language too...unfortunately :)
• Stop (dop)
• Uh Oh (Ahhh Ohhhh)
• Night-night (Nigh Nigh)

Sayler Jaye, you keep us in stitches all day long.  Many times when we are trying to discipline you we can't get through it with a straight face because you are so stinkin' hilarious.  We are amazed at how smart and creative and curious you are.  You have started wanting to be Mommy's helper and I love it so much.  You are the sweetest little girl and the light of our lives.  I get so excited every morning when I go into your room to start our day together.  I can never write enough words to tell you what a miracle you are to us!  Can't wait to see what the next few months have in store!

Love you baby girl,

Mommy