Eating My Words...

Last week an experienced mom was telling me, "Just wait until she learns to climb out of her carseat." I scoffed in my mind at such a notion, surely she couldn't and wouldn't. She used to be very placid back there in her little seat but in the last couple of weeks she gets tired of it after about 15 minutes and starts going through the same list of protests that she uses at bedtime..."hold you Mama", pleas for water, lights, food, hair clips, lotion, socks, another blankie, animal, etc., and finally she pulls out the big guns - "poo-poo Mama" - to which I now say, "just go in your diaper". Well she was doing all this the other night in her carseat and when we got home I turned around to see that she had gotten the chest clip down by the buckle and pulled her arms through so that her whole upper torso was free and just her legs were buckled in. I told her in no uncertain terms what would happen if she ever did that again and her eyes looked serious but her mouth was curling up a little on one side and it seemed as though she was trying to hold back a laugh. I could not believe it. What will she be trying next?
On my way to the baby proofing store for a buckle cover, which I hope will last more than the five minutes that other baby proof items have lasted.

One Year Ago Today...

On October 31, 2006 all my hopes and dreams were packed into my heart as I boarded the plane to China. My baby was waiting for me and the door was opening into the greatest joys of my life. I will never forget the awe-filled days of the trip that took me across the world and gave me my greatest treasure, Abbey Zhuozhuo.

Thank you God!

Party Girl

This child loves parties! It started on Friday with a huge bash that her "school" (early intervention) had. They went all out. At Sunday School all the kids wore their costumes, then it was off to lunch at Auntie's, and on to the FCC party for preschoolers. Between her excitement and that of my 20 first graders building to a creshendo, I am expecting a wild Wendesday and hoping for a very low key Thursday. Abbey had two licks of lollipops at the FCC party but said nothing when they disappeared. I let her try a mini-chocolate cupcake and her face broke out in red welts. The highlight for her was getting to wear a helmet and ride a scooter. We got to see our friend Tuesday in a Kitty Cat costume. We also met a gorgeous five year old cheerleader whose dad told me she was from Abbey's orphanage. I went over and told her that Abbey was from Yangdong and she said "Well I'm from China and so is she," pointing to a friend. I don't think it had registered that every girl there was from China. They were all so sweet and very cute. Abbey cried when we tried on the adorable Pumpkin Pie Fairy costume last week, but she loved the comfie new cheerleader outfit from G.G. (GranGene) so we went with that and she was happy. I'm sure we will have some princess/fairy dress-ups in the coming years.

CAKE!!!

Quinlee and Margaux, the birthday girls!

Glorious ice cream cake!
The hat that helps me accomplish my goal - CAKE!!!

CAKE!!!

For many birthday parties (including her own) I was able to dodge and deflect cake from landing in Abbey's mouth. Several months ago at her friend Oliva's party she got one bite. When she turned around the plate disappeared and for the first time she asked for it and looked around. When Tuesday's party came in July I let her have some cake because it was all made with fruit and whipped cream and sweetened only with fruit juice (yay Kimberly!). Last week at Quinlee and Margaux's party I finally let loose and let her join in on a piece of ice cream cake and I have not heard the end of it since. Abbey thinks that the pointy hat is what signifies that you are eligible for cake so she now wears it everywhere and points it out to all passersby and shouts "CAKE", hoping they will hand some over. An added benefit to wearing the hat is that people in stores and restaurants think it's her birthday and give all kinds of special treatment and attention when she wears it. BTW, today is her half birthday - two and a half! I can feel my resolve weakening as we roll into the holiday season. I may break down and let her eat a piece of trick or treat candy and the next thing you know it will probably be a gingerbread house. On the home front though we still stick to our regime - no yogurt, applesauce, cereal, etc. with added sugar. Oh, and did I mention she goes totally wild with sugar? Oh yeah, bouncing around and shouting for a couple of hours...another reason to resist.

A Taste of Things to Come

Fiddle-i-fee

Abbey loves for me to point out the goose, cow, etc. on these jammies and sing "Cat Goes Fiddle-i-fee" with all the little animal noises. She asked for a bottle for baby this week so we went out to the garage and got one of her old ones. Before long she wanted to put water in it...for baby. Next thing I knew she was laughing and drinking from the bottle again. She thinks its really fun for me to pick her up and cradle her and sing "Rock a Bye Baby". So fiercely independent, and yet still Mama's baby. Favorite word right now is "outside" and newest favorite pastime is swishing and spitting water after brushing her teeth. The other day while changing her diaper I realized we had totally forgoten about the potty over the past couple of months and I said something about it so she jumped up and ran into the bathroom got on the chair and went potty. She's ready, I'm not. Diapers are my last little symbol of babyhood and I am hanging on to them for now. Giving up the crib and the bottles were hard enough on me, and I am thrilled that she is revisiting her baby things just for fun.

Entertaining Herself

I haven't taken any pictures in the last two weeks so I thought I'd put up this one from September. She was thinking it was really funny that she had put a little cup on duck's head. We lost this duck back in August and it was awful. I was more traumatized than she was, crying and about to go overboard with the management at Target. Fortunately many hours after shopping there we returned to Target, held hands and prayed, and then walked through the store calling, "Duck, where are you?" He was up on shelf in the school supply aisle where Abbey had put him. During the interim between losing and finding him I had scoured the web only to find that he is from England and costs $50. He was a shower gift (he comes with a big book and baby duck puppets) and I had placed him high on her bookshelf, but one day Abbey pointed up and called for him and they have never parted since. We've both fallen in love with him.

Shopper's Alert

Costco has this beautiful kitchen set at a fraction of the PBK price.
Ho, ho, ho!
In other news, Abbey is singing all the time, saying "outside" and "new", signing school and God, and thoroughly enjoying all her activities. She kept yelling "light out" at me yesterday and rolling over in bed when I tried to get our morning started. I think she will enjoy the upcoming time change. She's looking forward to going to a birthday party this weekend and the pumpkin patch on Monday. I don't know how to explain it but everthing is so much fun with her. I keep thinking of the Mary Poppin's song, "Everday's a holiday with Abbey..."