Pee pee on the potty!

Dear Catalina,

You have now successfully gone pee pee on your little potty 3 times!  You have yet to successfully poopy on the potty--although you did take a large poopy on the kitchen floor last Thursday--but I'm sure it will come in time.  You are growing up so fast.  This is such an awesome age, though.  You learn words by the hour it seems.  Tonight we went out to a restaurant to eat.  You were very well behaved (in our view anyway--although our waitress did bring us our check awfully quickly!).  As we were leaving you were holding the little plastic cup that they had given you for water.  You wanted to hold it and hold daddy's hand at the same time.  This proved to be difficult as the cup was just a little too big for you to get your little hand around it.  So you were sort of hugging it.  Every few steps or so, the cup would slip down and you would stop and readjust.  When we finally got to the car, you didn't want to stop walking.  Daddy stopped, so you just took your little cup and continued on.  You were getting a little agitated at the thought of getting in the car.  Finally, you dropped the cup and just exploded into tears.  You stormed off in the direction of the restaurant as if you were going to march right in and get yourself another cup! 

The picture (a bad one, sorry) is of you playing with some of your favorite toys--the spices--along with your little baby.  You have been enjoying playing with the dolls and stuffed animals a lot more lately.  As with everything else--you are ridiculously adorable.

I love you sweetheart,
Mommy

A few firsts

Hi Sweetie,
Today you surprised me with two firsts, or near firsts.  You successfully used a spoon to eat (you've done this is small amounts before, but today was significant due to the amount of food you consumed).  For some reason you flip the spoon upside down right before it enters your mouth, so your success is somewhat limited, but the important thing is that you are interested and trying.  The other thing you did today was intentionally walk backwards.  This might sound silly, but it was actually kind of cool.  I'd seen you do this one before, too, but this time seemed more intentional.  You would take a few steps backward smiling at your daddy and i, then you would charge forward laughing and grinning.  Then repeat.  Gosh you are cute!

That's all sweetie pie.
As always,
Mommy

The tooth fairy

Dearest Catalina,

A word about dental hygiene:  your mommy never paid too much attention to her teeth, as a result i have a mouth full of silver and a less than bright white smile.  It is because of this that i am determined that you have good dental hygiene.  I noticed a few weeks ago that your teeth were starting too look a little brown.  Www gave you a tooth brush at an early age and thought it was cute how you would brush your teeth with mommy.  Of course you weren't really brushing your teeth, but rather just biting on the brush.  I began to get worried and made it a point to start giving your teeth a good brushing myself.

Holy cow i had no idea what a fuss you would make about this!  I'm seriously afraid our neighbors are going to call the cops!  You scream bloody murder and wriggle and toss around like I'm torturing you!  Your poor daddy can't stand it.  I hate that this is so traumatic for you, but i hope someday you understand that it is really for the best.  I'm learning that being a parent isn't all hugs and kisses (although you give plenty of those, too!)  I'm really enjoying this stage in your life (apart from the holy terror screaming!)

I love you, baby.
Forever your mommy.

Travel and growing up

Dear Catalina,
I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post. You haven't been a great sleeper lately, so I haven't had a lot of time in the evening. Earlier this month (er make that last month!) we took you for your first international trip. You were fabulous. We went to visit family in Scotland. You met lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles. Everyone was charmed by you. Hopefully I'll summarize our trip for you somewhere, but for now we have more serious matters. I am very concerned about 1) your fear of people and 2) your temper. You are so insecure around new people. If someone is standing between you and your father or I, you wail. It is quite disturbing. Your poor grandparents tried to babysit you one night while we were in Scotland. You did ok, for a while, but once you got tired and realized mommy and daddy were no where to be found--the fireworks started! You would only let your Poppa hold you--and the poor guy was hurt from a fall he'd taken earlier in the week! They actually had to break down and call me to come home--which I know killed them because they have always been telling me that you'd be fine if I just left you with them. I know we're to blame for not exposing you to more people, but you're not making it any easier to do so! Today, you hit me constantly--once so hard that i might have a bruise! I know you are changing by the day--maybe by the hour--and its hard for your little brain to keep up--but jeez!

Ok so I started that post quite a while ago (maybe a month). You still don't like strangers, but its gotten a tad bit better. The hitting has subsided. You also seem to have decided that mommy is ok after all. You used to only ask for daddy at night--and now, much to mommy's joy, you seem to prefer me sometimes (although Daddy still gets his fair share of attention). You still hit some, but only when I make you really mad by doing unbelievable things like changing your diaper or not giving you milk!

A few weeks ago, you actually pee-peed in the potty for daddy--well almost. You missed the potty and pee-peed on the bathroom floor--but it was close. You seem to be more mindful of the fact that the potty exists and that we would like you to use it. You've decided that you really hate diapers and put up quite a fuss whenever we try to put you in one. You become more of a little person every day. It is crazy to watch.

Last week we took our first long road trip with you. We went to San Diego so I could attend a conference. The drive was 8 hours long. On the way there, we spent the night at grandma's in Parker--breaking up the drive in two 5 hour stints or thereabouts. On the way back, we drove the entire way in one day (stopping briefly at grandma's to check out her kittens!). You did remarkably well. We only had to stop for you twice. You're growing up little munchkin! Soon maybe mommy and daddy can both ride in the front of the car!

Aww sweetheart, I need to try to post more often. Its hard to remember everything. Some cute things you do right now: we have a neighbor named Dave who has ALS. This means he is losing the ability to move his extremities and can no longer talk. He looks like a walking skeleton--and is really quite frightening. You agree because every time he tries to speak to you, you say, "no no no" and hug tightly to daddy or I. However, when you are in the house, you constantly say "Hi... (long pause), Dave" and point to his house. It is really funny. You say it all the time. Its kind of like your default way to say Hi or "I want to go outside". You also say "hi nana and poppa" a lot. You make some hilarious faces these days. You give great kisses--and try to give fishy kisses, but you end up showing your front teeth. I'll have to try to get a picture. One of my favorite things is you winking. Here is a video--its awesome!

Have I told you how gorgeous you are lately?  The answer is yes, I tell you several times a day.  It's so true though, darling, so true!

I'll try to post more often,
Loving you as always,
Mommy