A sentence??

I think I may have heard Gracie intentionally use a sentence today. I *think* she said "I want more cherries". The cherries were actually Craisins (she calls them cherries) that she was eating in the car, and she had started whining. I asked her what she wanted, and that was what she told me! This is a breakthrough in several ways. First, she actually STOPPED whining to answer my question, and second, she strung several words together to make a coherent sentence! Unfortunately for her, I didn't HAVE any more cherries. =(
She's at the age where she picks up new words almost daily. Her new favorite is "bus" and we have to look really hard when we're driving to spot buses. Of course, the UPS truck, tractor-trailers and SUVs are all "buses", so it isn't too hard. I cut out a picture of a bus from a magazine for her today, and she toted that picture throughout the Target with her. lol
She also surprised me today in pitching a fit when I dropped her off at Grandma's. She usually pays me no attention when I leave, and her Papa was even there this morning, but she still clung to me and cried "Mama! Mama!" over and over as I walked out the door. BROKE my heart.

Sprinkler

Tonight, Randy had put the sprinkler in the yard and I have been wanting to let Gracie play it in, so I thought it would be a good night to try. It has been hotter than Hades around here, and the water that comes out of the faucets is actually WARM.

Anyhoo, she LOVED it! The first time the water hit her she flinched only momentarily, and then it was on! She would run right up to it and wait for the water to hit her, then squeal with delight. She ended up covered in grass and dirt, and I stripped her down and hosed her off before we came inside. Here's a few pics of the fun:

It's about damn time

I am thrilled to report that after almost 18 months, Gracie is FINALLY saying Mama. Oh, it is music to my ears! She will even call after me now if I leave the room. She said it today when I got home (even though she didn't run to me like she does her daddy). I'm loving it.
She also continues to do well in her bed. She's fallen out (or gotten out) and gone back to sleep on the floor a couple times, but that hasn't fazed her.
She has a busy calendar this weekend- 2 birthday parties to attend! And Mama is making her first paid cake! So, it will be an interesting weekend.

2009-07-05

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Big Girl Bed

Last weekend we finally got a toybox for our living room. This enabled us to get all 8 zillion of Gracie's toys out of the pack-n-play and into a proper container. We hadn't used the PNP for its intended use for a while, and I was dying to get it out of the living room. I had been talking about converting Gracie's crib into the toddler bed because I want to get her to the point of getting out of bed and using the potty (in her room), and because I thought she would be fine with the switch. Randy agreed to give it a go, and we decided to put the PNP in her room in case she totally refused to sleep in the bed- at least we could contain her. So Sunday we converted. It was an easy switch, and the bed looks really good (it has a little half-rail). She loved climbing in and out of it. The first night she climbed in and out several times when first laid her down, and I left the room after putting her back in bed several times. We watched her on the monitor, and she got back up and disappeared off the screen, so I waited a few minutes then went to check on her. When I walked in the room she was sitting in her glider- she looked so pitiful to me! So I rocked her a bit, then laid down in the bed with her and gradually moved further from her. I ended up blocking her from getting out (she kept trying!) until I thought she was tired enough to conk out, and when I left she was asleep and stayed asleep all night! We put a gate outside her door so we could crack it and let in some light from her nightlight (which is too bright to put IN her room). Since then, she's been a big girl bed champ! Each night I lay her down, cover her up, and leave the room. She follows me to the door (which I close) and we watch her on the monitor. She goes back to the bed, climbs in and lies down. Then, she realizes that she doesn't have her blanket, so she gets out of the bed, gets the blanket, lies back down and GOES TO SLEEP! I have been so impressed!! So far, most mornings she has still been asleep when Randy has gone to get her, but this morning she was standing at the gate when he went up there. So far, she hasn't fallen out, although the other night Randy woke her up when he went to check on her and she tried to follow him to the door but didn't quite make it- she laid down halfway to the door, face first, and crashed out on the floor! lol
We've had a little bump in the potty training road. She hasn't been quite as good lately about going whenever we put her on the potty. She will still GO in the potty, just on her own schedule, and she has been having accidents some at Grandma's. We figured we kinda stopped making a big deal out of it when she did go, so we've picked that up again. She also hasn't wanted to go on public toilets lately. Not sure about that one. We're definitely getting there, though!
Clopening continues. Actually, I guess we're at opening now. I have been SO busy. I have so many tasks to complete, because I can't say no when someone asks me for help, and I have a hard time ASKING for help. I'm getting it done, though. Somehow. My room looks great (even though the cleaning crew will destroy it when they clean the carpets and floors!) and I'm gathering ideas and materials. People are donating frogs, crabs and a millipede (ew) to me, too.
I guess I need to post some Gracie pics-but I have to do that with the other computer. Maybe later...