New Success

So, for over a year now we've been trying to teach Sam how to ride a bike.  It's been quite the journey. 

 1) she gives us at the slightest frustration (AHEMjeremyCOUGH)

2) she's got a sensory overload thing.  The SLIGHTEST bump/brush/scrape turns into a meltdown

Once we took off her training wheels she was upset after her first attempt.  But this spring we really pushed her to try, try again.  Whenever we gave it a shot, she wasn't allowed to stop until she had a success.  The success generally gave her such a rush that she'd continue after she was allowed to go back in.

Finally she got to the point where SHE'D ask to practice riding her bike!

I know, I know, it's WAY too small.  She has one her size from Santa..she''s just building confidence right now!  Every once in a while she wants to try "my big bike".

This is how it usually goes...GREAT start.

Goes as FAST AS SHE CAN...

loses control, forgets how to stop and falls.  Commence tears and screams.  I'm REALLY glad no one has called the police by now.  She screams a LOT.

BUT (and this is new) she GETS BACK ON TO GO AGAIN!

And falls...cries (she yelled, "GAH!  I'm such a crybaby!  I always cry!" Sorry baby, you got that from me :( )

Inspects the damage...

And goes again!  We are SO PROUD!

Water break...

Laces

It's getting harder and harder to find shoes Sam's size that are velcro.  So I got out some jump rope and Sam and I practiced on our legs.  Once she got the basics she practiced for a couple days non-stop on her new shoes!

She still wears her velcro from last year, but once her feet grow she won't have the option and will have to wear these every day!

Doodler

After doing one of our spelling pages she asks, "NOW can I draw on it?!"

She's already surpassed both my talent and Jer's combined!

Braids Blankets and Baby

This one learned to braid one day and did it the rest of the day.  And then hasn't done it since.  

"I see et?"

Biggger's faces

#'1 loves making faces, and has taught #2 to look immediately at the camera and fall into a ball of giggles.

She thought this was hilarious.

So she had to do it again.

This is her newest "trick".  She loves showing it to strangers and anyone who comes over, but they never know what she's doing.

Did you catch it?  I have to tell people- "Watch her teeth."  This trick won't be available for much longer, as the hole is already filling up quickly with some pretty crooked chompers!

The other side of the camera, hiding behind a baby.

Go Dog Go!

My favorite line "The red is light now!"  She says that every time.

Sam's Signature

Back in October or so I showed Sam how to draw a smiley face. It pretty much became her signature and we found random smiley faces on every piece of paper we left lying around. I thought I'd give her a little variety, so I showed her how to draw tears to make a sad face too. If I'm not careful, my students get papers handed back with smiley faces and crying smiling faces on them.
Luckily, they think it's pretty cool.

Signing "Cry"

Happy Tears

So much to say...

And so little time.
It takes my laptop 7 minutes to boot up, so I'm squeezing in a cute story:

While at the park I was talking to another mom about baby signing. I said, "Sam knows lots of signs too...Sam, can you sign 'Park'?"
The sign for park is to fingerspell it, but Sam just flicks her fingers around. She did so and then proceeded to sign some of the letters she has mastered announcing them as she gets her fingers in the correct position:
"R!" (her favorite)
"E!" at this point the other mother was very impressed
"F!"
I was beaming with pride. Not only did she just show off her letters, but she remembered how to sign refrigerator! (finger-spelling REF)

She finished her talent show by exclaiming,
"That spells PARK!"

"Smart Fish Swim in Schools"

That is the slogan for Swimtastic.

They are amazing!

My big fear for Samantha has always been drowning. While kidnapping, choking, running into the street are all things that I am careful of, drowning is where I step into the realm of paranoia. Mix in a child who loves water- but has no idea that she needs to hold her breath- we decided to splurge and signed her up for classes. She was the only one in her toddler swim class, so it ended up being private lessons!
She has become quite the little fish, spending more time below water than above it. Her teacher, Hannah, says she'll say, "Bye Miss Hannah!" and let go. When she pulls Samantha back up, her face will still be under water, looking at all the toys on the floor of the pool.

Bath time no longer involves toys.

All she wants are these.
I do realize that there are toys in the bathtub. They were tossed in but never played with.

Yes, they are more expensive than other places, but they are worth EVERY penny.

Stepah

Sam's "step-ah" allows her access to all chairs, couches, counters and even the sink (when a chair is pushed in the right position)

Nothing is safe...

ABC...Easy as 123..

Preschool...*sniff*

This coming fall we'll most likely be sending Samantha to preschool when I go back to work (looking at Montessori-opinions welcome!).
About a month ago I realized my baby will not only be thrilled....

but also very ready...

A- You're Adorable, B You're So Beautiful

So I was giving Sam a bath at my parents' place and threw Sam's foam letters in the tub with her (I'd forgotten I'd left some there).

And this is what I discovered my child can do.

(And I really don't know where she learned it)




Suggestions on what to do with her?

Forbidden Fruit

Sam saw the Tree.

Sam signed Tree.

Sam saw the duck.

The duck was afraid and flew to a much higher branch.

Move Over Baby Einstein

Get lost, Blues Clues

You are SO last month.

Our lives forever changed the day we introduced Signing Time.

I have a video of Sam doing all of her signs on her 18-month birthday. That same day we introduced her to Signing Time. The reason I never uploaded it here (it is on Facebook) is because it instantly became obsolete.

That list? There's at least 30 more

Signs like fish, dog and bird? Completely different, as she's changed them to what Rachel does on the video (which is real ASL anyway).

Words I've been trying to get her to say or never thought she'd do (diaper and her colors) she says on her own, without any prompting.

Getting that "zoned" look while watching TV?

Gone. The wheels are turning and she is quietly trying the signs during the video. When she feels confident enough, she turns to us and excitedly signs it.

I picked her up from bed yesterday and she said and signed "Mommy". Mommy has been in the vocabulary for a long time. This is the first time I've ever seen a sign added AFTER the verbal word is well established.

And the videos are addicting for me and Jer as well. Instead of falling asleep watching them like we did with Blues Clues and Baby Einstein, I can't fall asleep. I can't help but peek my eyes open to see how you sign "daughter" or "run" or "lizard".

Plus, Jer and I have to keep up with Sam. It's a guilty feeling to have your daughter so diligently signing something and you have no clue what she's saying.

So, even if you don't have the money, go to your local library and check it out!
That is, unless, you live in Lincoln.
'Cause we've either got them checked out or on hold.

Baby Book Entry 18-months

My baby is a year and a half. As time is going way too fast, I need to record everything I can think of so someday I can look back and...you know, read it again.



So, whether or not YOU find it interesting...


Sam is teasing me, hovering just under 20 lbs. Considering we're going to wait until she weighs 35 lbs to turn her to front facing in the car, I'm pretty sure I'll be taking her to her first day of Kindergarten with her looking out the rear window.


As far as her health goes, we have a new pediatrician and she is fantastic. She recently tested Samantha for cystic fibrosis and lead poisoning, but both came back negative. So, considering she hasn't had an episode since...forever...I honestly think it was some mold or something in the apartment.


Her sleeping habits are still leaving me frustrated and at my wits end. She takes a 60 minute nap in the middle of the day. When daddy watches her it stretches to a whopping 75 minutes- but not a minute more. It takes everything in me not to scowl at other moms who brag about their child's 4-hour daily nap or whine about how their child only napped for 2 hrs.


Gah, anyway, she goes to bed between 6:30 and 7 and sleeps for 12 hrs, so at least I get an evening break (which still includes a scream fest around 9pm, but the cuddling that ensues usually makes up for it)


Every time we have a physical therapy session, the therapist asks what my concerns for Samantha are- and every single time Samantha will do whatever it is that mention that very evening...

Ooo, that gives me an idea about nap lengths!

My mom has mentioned over the years how her favorite age is around 18 months, and I totally see why. She is such a darling little mimic! SO much fun and her personality (the side that doesn't involve screaming) is finally shining through. Note the wave at the beginning and arm crossing at the end:

We currently play the "grin and run away" game every time we call her or ask her to do something. It's cute except when she does it down the driveway. Fortunately her "running" is actually slower than her walking due to the numerous stops she has to make to catch her balance.

Her other semi-dangerous obsession is with putting things around her neck and head:

(Jer would like me to clarify that he doesn't actually wear the whitey tighties...which begs the question why keep them, but we won't go there)



Her current obsession with babies is almost...unhealthy. She still nurses them, rocks them, washes them, feeds them, lotions them, reads to them. If we decide to have a kid earlier than 'planned' it will be via begging from Samantha when she realizes that we are the ones who could give her a real baby.



One last thing- I've compiled a list of her vocabulary. A month ago it was at 50 words and now I'm pretty sure it's around 75.

Anyway, here it goes:

Verbal:
baby
ball
blues clues (booo!)
bonk (konk)
bubbles
butterfly (buhbuy)
bye (bye or buhbee)
car
cold (coah)
cracker (kah kah)
dada
ear
eye
hi (said to every stranger we pass by)
Joel (goal)
light (ie)
mama
papa
peek
poop
potty (pah-ee)
puppy (her blanket)
pumpkin (punk)
slide (sih)
swing (wing)
thank you (tey tey)
Tsss (Tess)
wait (weigh)
water (wa)
we (what she calls a swing set "Weeeee!")



Animal sounds
bird
car (ok, not an animal, but a sound)
cat
cow
dog
duck
elephant
fish
frog
horse
mouse
owl
pig

Signs
all done
apple
baby
ball
banana
bath
bib
bird
black
book
bread
bubbles
butterfly
bye
car
cat
cherrio
cold
cookie
cow
down
drink
duck
elephant
fish
flower
hammer
hat
help
hold you
horse
hot
hungry
ice cream
light
lotion
milk
more
movie
no
nurse
outside
phone
piano
pig
play
please
poop
potty
pumpkin
rabbit
red
saw
shoes
socks
stars
swing
thank you
toothbrush
wait
water
white
yes

Her 18 month appt is next week, so I'll post exact stats then.


And another scream fest has begun.

*Sigh*