I guess I am giving up on trying to wean Heidi again. She is 17-months-old and breastfeeds whenever she wants. She usually says "No, wa-wa (meaning water)" if I put cow's milk in her sippy cup... or gets mad and throws a fit if I try to get her to drink cow's milk instead of breastfeeding her.
She also does not drink any juices. She just makes a yucky face if I sneak some into her sippy cup for her to drink, and then won't drink anymore. Actually, she does like orange juice. I just don't usually buy it. She won't drink apple or white grape juice. She does eat fruit everyday, though, so I think she is getting plenty of vitamin C. Plus, juices do have a lot of sugar.
Brian is getting ready to come home & when he leaves again two weeks later, I am sure that all of my efforts would be wasted in trying to get her to drink cow's milk because she will probably revert back to wanting to be breastfed again when he leaves to go back.
Maybe she will eventually wean herself. I would definitely like to have her weaned before or by the time she is two. I guess I can keep feeding her until next November if she wants. Heidi is winning this battle.
I wonder if she will remember (when she is older) telling me "other side... other side" when she is ready to switch sides. My mom was telling the the other night on the phone that my Grandma Exley remembered telling her mom "other side" too, from when she was being breastfed.
Heidi has been saying "other side" for a while now. At least for the past month or two. It is not especially clear when she says it, but I know what she is saying. I guess it sounds more like "su (short u sound)-er side."
Sometimes Heidi thinks that her baby dolls need milk too, so after she drinks for about a minute or so, she sometimes wants to give whatever babydoll she has in her hands at the time a few sips too. I guess it is nice of her to share and try to feed her baby too. I wonder why she doesn't just try to feed her babies herself. I think I remember my youngest sister, Blair, trying to nurse her babies when she was little.
Today, Brian called. He got to hear Heidi say a few words while I was talking to him. I put him on speaker phone for her to hear when he called, and after he said "Hi Heidi," she either said "Hi" or "Heidi" back to him. She can say "hi" and she can say her name "Hi-ee," but it was hard to tell which she was saying back to him... maybe it was a combination of both.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Another Sunday
It is Sunday, so we went to church today. Heidi wore her pretty navy blue and white gingham dress with strawberry pockets on the front & white sandals today. We went to the nursery today and Heidi is doing pretty well in the nursery. She mostly played with a doll house and an Elmo doll that laughs when you squeeze him.
After church, we came home and after Heidi had a snack, I put her down for a nap. Then, I went online to see if Brian was online. He was, so we talked online (while I also put some cookies in to bake) for maybe a little over an hour.
Finally, at about 4:30pm, I woke Heidi up and changed her diaper/clothes and we went over to the Pritchard's to eat with them again. They have been inviting us over to eat with them on Sundays. We brought the oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies that I was baking while talking to Brian. I actually burned some because I lost track of time and didn't hear the timer going off. Brian will be coming home for R&R pretty soon. It will be nice to have him home for my birthday.
While we were at the Pritchard's tonight, Heidi played with the kids over there and really enjoyed visiting with the dogs. She calls all dogs "puppies," even if they aren't puppies anymore. She can say "dog" and "doggies," but I guess she prefers to call them "puppies." She did pretty well using their sit-n-spin too. I guess I should get her sit-n-spin out that I bought at a garage sale a while back for her to play with.
On the way home tonight, Heidi kept asking me where Paw Paw was. I am not sure if she was asking about Brian's dad (who we were visiting in San Antonio recently) or my dad (who she talked to on the phone this past week). She kept saying Paw Paw and doing the "where is it" sign. She does that saying "Daddy" sometimes too. I guess she wonders where her Paw Paws and Daddy are sometimes.
When we were in Alabama at Christmas, she really attached herself to my dad. When she woke up in the mornings, the first thing she would do is walk into the living room looking for her Paw Paw (Grandpa Big George). If he wasn't in there, she would look in the computer room and all over the house for him. Finally, she would stop looking when I told her that he went bye-bye. When he came home from work at the end of the day, she used get really excited to run up to him saying Paw Paw with her arms reaching up for him to pick her up. She wasn't so nice to my mom, though. She usually only wanted my mom to give her things, and sometimes she would go to her for things that I wouldn't give her. She knew that Maw Maw (Grandma Holly) would give her what she wanted (like a cookie).
Heidi also seemed to attach herself to her Grandpa Bob some while he was down visiting in San Antonio recently. He usually gave her bananas when she wanted them.
Tonight, she seemed to really like Brett and even went to Frank Pritchard and asked him to pick her up. I think she may prefer being around men. Maybe she thought Frank Pritchard was another Paw Paw... Maybe that's why she was asking where Paw Paw was on our way home tonight. I guess since she knows she has Paw Paw Big George & Grandpa Bob... Frank Pritchard might look like he could be another Paw Paw. Or maybe she is just wondering why these men keep coming into her life and then disappearing... like her Daddy and her Grandpas. Who knows. Hopefully she won't be too confused.
After church, we came home and after Heidi had a snack, I put her down for a nap. Then, I went online to see if Brian was online. He was, so we talked online (while I also put some cookies in to bake) for maybe a little over an hour.
Finally, at about 4:30pm, I woke Heidi up and changed her diaper/clothes and we went over to the Pritchard's to eat with them again. They have been inviting us over to eat with them on Sundays. We brought the oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies that I was baking while talking to Brian. I actually burned some because I lost track of time and didn't hear the timer going off. Brian will be coming home for R&R pretty soon. It will be nice to have him home for my birthday.
While we were at the Pritchard's tonight, Heidi played with the kids over there and really enjoyed visiting with the dogs. She calls all dogs "puppies," even if they aren't puppies anymore. She can say "dog" and "doggies," but I guess she prefers to call them "puppies." She did pretty well using their sit-n-spin too. I guess I should get her sit-n-spin out that I bought at a garage sale a while back for her to play with.
On the way home tonight, Heidi kept asking me where Paw Paw was. I am not sure if she was asking about Brian's dad (who we were visiting in San Antonio recently) or my dad (who she talked to on the phone this past week). She kept saying Paw Paw and doing the "where is it" sign. She does that saying "Daddy" sometimes too. I guess she wonders where her Paw Paws and Daddy are sometimes.
When we were in Alabama at Christmas, she really attached herself to my dad. When she woke up in the mornings, the first thing she would do is walk into the living room looking for her Paw Paw (Grandpa Big George). If he wasn't in there, she would look in the computer room and all over the house for him. Finally, she would stop looking when I told her that he went bye-bye. When he came home from work at the end of the day, she used get really excited to run up to him saying Paw Paw with her arms reaching up for him to pick her up. She wasn't so nice to my mom, though. She usually only wanted my mom to give her things, and sometimes she would go to her for things that I wouldn't give her. She knew that Maw Maw (Grandma Holly) would give her what she wanted (like a cookie).
Heidi also seemed to attach herself to her Grandpa Bob some while he was down visiting in San Antonio recently. He usually gave her bananas when she wanted them.
Tonight, she seemed to really like Brett and even went to Frank Pritchard and asked him to pick her up. I think she may prefer being around men. Maybe she thought Frank Pritchard was another Paw Paw... Maybe that's why she was asking where Paw Paw was on our way home tonight. I guess since she knows she has Paw Paw Big George & Grandpa Bob... Frank Pritchard might look like he could be another Paw Paw. Or maybe she is just wondering why these men keep coming into her life and then disappearing... like her Daddy and her Grandpas. Who knows. Hopefully she won't be too confused.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
IKEA Day
Well, today I only breastfed Heidi in the morning when she woke up (at about 8:30am) and then again tonight when she went to bed (at about 8:30pm). She didn't have ANY breastmilk all day in between those two feedings. YAY! Maybe if we can keep this up, she will eventually be weaned, or at least I hope! I would like to have her weaned by 18 months.
Today, we got in the car and drove about 40 minutes to go to IKEA in Round Rock. I LOVE IKEA! It is one of my favorite stores. Brian and I used to go a lot when we lived in Germany. We have a lot of IKEA furniture and gadgets in our house. I mainly wanted to exchange a wooden baby doll bed that I got for Heidi to play with a while back. The wood was not in very good condition. When we got home with the new bed, Heidi had fun playing with it. It came with it's own pillow and bedding. Heidi put her baby dolls in it and also tried to climb in and lay down on it herself, even though she didn't really fit very well.
I also got a couple of other little things while we were there, like: something to cut the core out of apples, some cheap kitchen scissors, a set of cheap plastic containers (since I have had some disappear recently), some cheap flexible cutting mats, a little 99-cent baby pillow that Heidi just HAD to have when we were in the store. She rested her head on the front of the cart with this pillow, so I thought I should buy it for her. She got a little tired and grumpy while we were there. Heidi wore her little pink t-shirt that says Patience Tester in sparkly white letters on the front with her army green shorts... and she Did test my patience today! She was usually either wanting me to carry her or she wanted down so she could run around and look at things, until we found the little 99-cent pillow... and then she was content resting on it for a while. She slept most of the way home.
Today, we got in the car and drove about 40 minutes to go to IKEA in Round Rock. I LOVE IKEA! It is one of my favorite stores. Brian and I used to go a lot when we lived in Germany. We have a lot of IKEA furniture and gadgets in our house. I mainly wanted to exchange a wooden baby doll bed that I got for Heidi to play with a while back. The wood was not in very good condition. When we got home with the new bed, Heidi had fun playing with it. It came with it's own pillow and bedding. Heidi put her baby dolls in it and also tried to climb in and lay down on it herself, even though she didn't really fit very well.
I also got a couple of other little things while we were there, like: something to cut the core out of apples, some cheap kitchen scissors, a set of cheap plastic containers (since I have had some disappear recently), some cheap flexible cutting mats, a little 99-cent baby pillow that Heidi just HAD to have when we were in the store. She rested her head on the front of the cart with this pillow, so I thought I should buy it for her. She got a little tired and grumpy while we were there. Heidi wore her little pink t-shirt that says Patience Tester in sparkly white letters on the front with her army green shorts... and she Did test my patience today! She was usually either wanting me to carry her or she wanted down so she could run around and look at things, until we found the little 99-cent pillow... and then she was content resting on it for a while. She slept most of the way home.
I have been trying to get her to eat yogurt a couple of times a day since she has been taking an antibiotic (to prevent/combat the bad diarrhea and diaper rash that she normally gets as a result). She has been getting a lot better with using a spoon to feed herself... still not perfect, but using it pretty well. Sometimes she will ask for help and she says "help" pretty clearly.
Tonight, after her bath, we brushed Heidi's teeth and read a couple of books. We first read a touchy-feely book called The Touch Me Book several times. She has fun touching and feeling the different textures in the book. There is a soft dog, a piece of real wood on a picture of a table, some sandpaper for sand, a string that you can pull that is attatched to a ball, and some other things. She likes to try to name some of the objects in the book, like the feather on the bird... the fork, spoon, plate, and cup... and the bathtub.
The second book that we looked at was a Little Golden Book of Disney's Lady and the Tramp. She really likes the movie, so she enjoyed this book. I didn't really read all of the pages to her. We mainly just talked about the pictures. She kept wanting to go back and look at the baby That Jim Dear and Darling had in the story. We also talked about how Lady (the dog) was sad because she had a tear coming out of her eye. I made a sad face and kept telling her that the puppy was sad. She smiled and put her hand on my face. I am trying to work on teaching her to understand that other people have feelings too. Lately, I have tried fake crying when she does something that could hurt my feelings, like knock my tower of blocks down or refuse to give me a kiss. I think she is starting to understand. Sometimes she gets a concerned look on her face like she knows that how I am feeling.
Finally, she went to bed in her crib with her babys, her puppies, and her caterpillar (as usual). We also had to turn on her birds (as usual) that hang on the side of her crib. Her bird thing has little birds that move to soft, lullaby music. It also plays a kind of light show on the ceiling with birds in the sky. She even gave me a kiss tonight when I put her to bed! She usually doesn't want to give me a kiss goodnight. I usually just kiss her and tell her "Night night Heidi. I love you," and she usually says "Night night" back.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Dress-up Day
Heidi is still taking medicine for pink eye, sinus infection, and ear infections... but seems to be feeling a lot better than she was a couple of days ago.
Today, she kept getting clothes out to dress-up in. She first put on a pink dress (upside-down & inside-out). Then, she added some pink shorts to match. Finally, she took a little yellow blanket and wrapped it around herself like a dress and then more like a shawl... and walked around the living room showing off how beautiful she was. She tried a few other things on today too. Today she had fun dressing up.
I think she thinks my backpack/diaper bag is a purse. She handed it to me this afternoon when I was getting ready for us to go to the store and said "purse." She actually has a couple of little purses of her own that she plays with sometimes. One that my parents gave her for Christmas and one that Rael Lessard (a friend from church) gave her for her birthday.
She has also been saying "okay" a lot this past week. I have started to notice that I use that lot too. She also says "Oh wow" and "Oh no" a lot.
We watched Cinerella twice today. She calls it a Barbie Show (Baw-bie Show, without the "r" sound). She thinks Cinderella is a Barbie. I guess they do kind of look alike.
Today, she kept getting clothes out to dress-up in. She first put on a pink dress (upside-down & inside-out). Then, she added some pink shorts to match. Finally, she took a little yellow blanket and wrapped it around herself like a dress and then more like a shawl... and walked around the living room showing off how beautiful she was. She tried a few other things on today too. Today she had fun dressing up.
I think she thinks my backpack/diaper bag is a purse. She handed it to me this afternoon when I was getting ready for us to go to the store and said "purse." She actually has a couple of little purses of her own that she plays with sometimes. One that my parents gave her for Christmas and one that Rael Lessard (a friend from church) gave her for her birthday.
She has also been saying "okay" a lot this past week. I have started to notice that I use that lot too. She also says "Oh wow" and "Oh no" a lot.
We watched Cinerella twice today. She calls it a Barbie Show (Baw-bie Show, without the "r" sound). She thinks Cinderella is a Barbie. I guess they do kind of look alike.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Sick Day for Heidi
I don't feel like I have accomplished very much today. Heidi kept waking up crying last night through the night. This morning, she had a fever, so I gave her some motrin... and I have also given her some tylenol today. I think she may have pink eye too. She has been having gobs of mucus coming out of the inside corners of her eyes. Poor baby! I am going to try to make her an appointment tomorrow. I think they start making appointments at 7am.
We did watch The Lady and the Tramp today (she really likes this "puppy show," as she calls it)... and we read books... and she helped me empty and fill the dishwasher. She can take plates out and hand them to me one by one... and then (not so neatly) put plates and silverware into the dishwasher one by one. I could tell that she felt pretty good about herself because she was smiling and looked so happy with what she was able to do when we had finished. I congratulated her on doing such a good job loading the dishwasher.
We did watch The Lady and the Tramp today (she really likes this "puppy show," as she calls it)... and we read books... and she helped me empty and fill the dishwasher. She can take plates out and hand them to me one by one... and then (not so neatly) put plates and silverware into the dishwasher one by one. I could tell that she felt pretty good about herself because she was smiling and looked so happy with what she was able to do when we had finished. I congratulated her on doing such a good job loading the dishwasher.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Ugly, Naked Barbie with the red, drawn-on bikini
Heidi and I spent the past week in San Antonio visiting Brian's dad (who was visiting from Washington), and Brian's brother (Jared) & his wife (Rachel).
We got there last Sunday and celebrated Genevieve's 1st birthday that day after we got in. We gave her a really pretty Little Mommies baby doll. I wanted to get her one like the one Heidi has. Heidi is sooooo attatched to hers. I got it for her right after Brian deployed. They were out of them, though, so I got her an older version of the same doll that actually has a little hair.
While we were visiting in San Antonio, we: went to story time at the library, went shopping at the mall, went to Costco, watched a movie, went garage sailing, and just visited with each other.
I got Heidi some books and a few pretty new-looking Barbie dolls (that had clothes and nice, neat hair) when we went garage sailing. Heidi had picked up a naked, messy-haired Barbie that had a red bikini drawn onto her body and was NOT about to let go of it. I did not want to get that one for her because it looked SO BAD, so I yanked it out of her hands and let her cry for a while. She eventually stopped and saw the three prettier, newer-looking ones that I had picked out of the box of 72 Barbies the seller was getting rid of. They were $1 a piece, which I thought was a pretty good deal.
While we were there, we also drove about an hour away to Fredericksburg (a supposedly German kind of town). We went to the museum in town and then to lunch. Instead of going to one of the town's German restaurants, we went to a Chinese buffet. It was Brian's dad's pick. He loves Chinese and he loves buffets. We also found a pretty patch of Texas blue bonnet flowers while we were driving around Fredericksburg, so we took some pictures of the girls in the flower patch. Overall, it was a pretty nice week with Brian's dad and my sister & brother-in-law.
Today after I did some grocery shopping at the commissary, I had to cut our grass... so I went out and did that this evening. I watched Heidi playing in the yard while I cut the grass. She was playing with her popcorn popper and following me around trying to get my attention. I couldn't get the back yard done, though, because Heidi was getting too grumpy. It was about her bed time anyway, so I put away the lawn mower and brought her inside to gave her a bath... and then put her to bed.
She is getting better at saying boogers now. Now instead of "boo-bas," it sounds a little more like "boogers" when she says it. Whenever she picks her nose, she always has to give me her boogers by wiping them onto my hand. I know it sounds gross... but it I think it is kind of funny when she does it.
Well, I guess that is all for now. I know these aren't the most interesting blogs in the world. They are just about our daily happenings.
We got there last Sunday and celebrated Genevieve's 1st birthday that day after we got in. We gave her a really pretty Little Mommies baby doll. I wanted to get her one like the one Heidi has. Heidi is sooooo attatched to hers. I got it for her right after Brian deployed. They were out of them, though, so I got her an older version of the same doll that actually has a little hair.
While we were visiting in San Antonio, we: went to story time at the library, went shopping at the mall, went to Costco, watched a movie, went garage sailing, and just visited with each other.
I got Heidi some books and a few pretty new-looking Barbie dolls (that had clothes and nice, neat hair) when we went garage sailing. Heidi had picked up a naked, messy-haired Barbie that had a red bikini drawn onto her body and was NOT about to let go of it. I did not want to get that one for her because it looked SO BAD, so I yanked it out of her hands and let her cry for a while. She eventually stopped and saw the three prettier, newer-looking ones that I had picked out of the box of 72 Barbies the seller was getting rid of. They were $1 a piece, which I thought was a pretty good deal.
While we were there, we also drove about an hour away to Fredericksburg (a supposedly German kind of town). We went to the museum in town and then to lunch. Instead of going to one of the town's German restaurants, we went to a Chinese buffet. It was Brian's dad's pick. He loves Chinese and he loves buffets. We also found a pretty patch of Texas blue bonnet flowers while we were driving around Fredericksburg, so we took some pictures of the girls in the flower patch. Overall, it was a pretty nice week with Brian's dad and my sister & brother-in-law.
Today after I did some grocery shopping at the commissary, I had to cut our grass... so I went out and did that this evening. I watched Heidi playing in the yard while I cut the grass. She was playing with her popcorn popper and following me around trying to get my attention. I couldn't get the back yard done, though, because Heidi was getting too grumpy. It was about her bed time anyway, so I put away the lawn mower and brought her inside to gave her a bath... and then put her to bed.
She is getting better at saying boogers now. Now instead of "boo-bas," it sounds a little more like "boogers" when she says it. Whenever she picks her nose, she always has to give me her boogers by wiping them onto my hand. I know it sounds gross... but it I think it is kind of funny when she does it.
Well, I guess that is all for now. I know these aren't the most interesting blogs in the world. They are just about our daily happenings.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
My Mom's Tattoo
My mom has been visiting my sister in Colorado this past week. When I was talking to her on the phone today, she said that she had been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while, and just decided to get one today. My 51-year-old mom supposedly got a yellow-orange sunshine with my dad's initials (GWB) tattooed above it. I guess she doesn't want to be the only old lady in her nursing home who doesn't have one (when she eventually ends up in one). I think she is also thinking about getting a small, diamond stud nose ring. I think she is having a mid-life crisis. She told me that she called my dad and told him that she got one today... and he said that was hot.
Anyway, about my day... I started off the day by going to a Fort Hood-wide garage sale/bazaar. It started at 8am... I was there by 8:15am. Some people were still setting up their areas in the Community Center parking lot where it was going on when I got there. I found about 6 or 7 books for Heidi and a brand new, never-been-opened easel for children. It has a chalk board on one side and the other side is for dry erasing. I guess you could also hang things and paint or draw on it. I thought it was a pretty neat find. It was So Cold this morning while we were there, but I had fun shopping.
Tonight, when I put Heidi to bed, I fed her some milk and then she just wanted to rock for a little while before I put her in her crib. While I rocked her, she had her head resting on my chest with her arms around me and she kept saying "Rock rock baby... Rock rock baby." I wasn't sure if she was just saying it because I was rocking her or if she was singing Rock-a-bye baby to me. It was very cute. She is such a sweet baby.
I think she has started to say "I love you" too. The other day, I told her that I loved her, and it sounded like she said, in her own, slurred, baby-talk way, "love you" back to me... but it was not very clear. She has done this a few times now.
She is also pretty good at saying please and thank-you now. Today, she wanted me to get her another puzzle down from on top of her dresser, and she said "puzzle please," while she pointed up to what she was wanting. Her "please" sounds more like "peese." She is using please more frequently now when she is telling me about something she wants. For instance, she says "cookies please" or "Barbie show please" pretty often. Today, she wanted to watch the Elmo/Sesame Street deployment video. She had gotten it out from under the tv and brought it to me, saying "Emo.. Emo." If she forgets to say please, sometimes I remind her to say please when she wants something. Oh, and "thank-you" sounds more like "tan-too" when she says it.
Oh, by the way, I think my mom and my sister are kidding about the tattoo that my mom supposedly got today. I don't think they are telling me the truth. I think they just wanted to see what I would say. I don't see my mom ever getting a tattoo or a nose ring... or anything that wild anytime in the near future.
Anyway, about my day... I started off the day by going to a Fort Hood-wide garage sale/bazaar. It started at 8am... I was there by 8:15am. Some people were still setting up their areas in the Community Center parking lot where it was going on when I got there. I found about 6 or 7 books for Heidi and a brand new, never-been-opened easel for children. It has a chalk board on one side and the other side is for dry erasing. I guess you could also hang things and paint or draw on it. I thought it was a pretty neat find. It was So Cold this morning while we were there, but I had fun shopping.
Tonight, when I put Heidi to bed, I fed her some milk and then she just wanted to rock for a little while before I put her in her crib. While I rocked her, she had her head resting on my chest with her arms around me and she kept saying "Rock rock baby... Rock rock baby." I wasn't sure if she was just saying it because I was rocking her or if she was singing Rock-a-bye baby to me. It was very cute. She is such a sweet baby.
I think she has started to say "I love you" too. The other day, I told her that I loved her, and it sounded like she said, in her own, slurred, baby-talk way, "love you" back to me... but it was not very clear. She has done this a few times now.
She is also pretty good at saying please and thank-you now. Today, she wanted me to get her another puzzle down from on top of her dresser, and she said "puzzle please," while she pointed up to what she was wanting. Her "please" sounds more like "peese." She is using please more frequently now when she is telling me about something she wants. For instance, she says "cookies please" or "Barbie show please" pretty often. Today, she wanted to watch the Elmo/Sesame Street deployment video. She had gotten it out from under the tv and brought it to me, saying "Emo.. Emo." If she forgets to say please, sometimes I remind her to say please when she wants something. Oh, and "thank-you" sounds more like "tan-too" when she says it.
Oh, by the way, I think my mom and my sister are kidding about the tattoo that my mom supposedly got today. I don't think they are telling me the truth. I think they just wanted to see what I would say. I don't see my mom ever getting a tattoo or a nose ring... or anything that wild anytime in the near future.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Yard Work
Today after I got Heidi put down for a nap, I went out to cut the grass. It has to be cut every week... and it is something that I dread doing every week! Our yard is SO Big! Front and Back! Heidi usually naps at the hottest part of the day too. After I got the grass cut, I decided I would work on my edging. The front edges of the yard have been driving me Crazy! Since Brian has been gone, it has not been edged. We have an edger. I went into the shed to get it out a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would give it a try, but it kind of scared me and I thought I might cut my leg off with it while using it, so didn't get any edging done. It is so big, and it has this string looking thing at the bottom, that I guess twirls around to cut. It just scares me. Anyway, it has really been bothering me, so I took some heavy duty scissors and I started cutting into the roots where the grass was growing up onto the curb in front of our house. I actually think it looks pretty good, now that I am finished. It was hard work, but it is done (at least for a while). Then, I had a huge mess to sweep up in front of our house. After Heidi woke up, I brought her outside and I worked on weeding the strawberries. I guess this might be kind of a boring blog for the day, but this was my main accomplishment of the day... working on the yard.
Oh, I got an email about all of the troops that are currently in Iraq being extended from 12 months to 15 months today. The Air Cav Brigade is not sure yet whether that affects them or not yet, but I am assuming that it does. I am not getting my hopes up. Brian was extended to 15 months the last time he was there too. That will make three Christmases in a row that this company has not gotten to spend with their families.
Heidi and I ended our day with a walk around the neighborhood and came back inside to share a naval orange. Then, I had to fight with her to get her teeth brushed... rocked her... put her list usual things into her crib (which since nap time today, she has added a little rubber duckie to)... and then finally got her put into bed. Now, I am relaxing for a few minutes. I need to do some work around the house tonight.
Oh, I got an email about all of the troops that are currently in Iraq being extended from 12 months to 15 months today. The Air Cav Brigade is not sure yet whether that affects them or not yet, but I am assuming that it does. I am not getting my hopes up. Brian was extended to 15 months the last time he was there too. That will make three Christmases in a row that this company has not gotten to spend with their families.
Heidi and I ended our day with a walk around the neighborhood and came back inside to share a naval orange. Then, I had to fight with her to get her teeth brushed... rocked her... put her list usual things into her crib (which since nap time today, she has added a little rubber duckie to)... and then finally got her put into bed. Now, I am relaxing for a few minutes. I need to do some work around the house tonight.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
White Easter
When I woke up today, it looked especially bright outside because of all of the snow that we got yesterday. I think it is definitely unusual for this area to have snow in the spring. I put some eggs outside in the snow for Heidi to find and put in her basket, but she did not like the snow. She did not move from the spot where I carried her over to in the yard.
Today at church, Heidi and I went into the nursery. She isn't really old enough for the nursery yet (they have to be 18-months-old), but they don't mind if we come in anyway. Heidi did really well in the nursery and seemed to have fun playing and eating her snack at the table with all of the other kids.
This evening, we went over and ate with the Pritchard's. It was nice to get out of the house and I think Heidi had fun playing with the kids there. They had strawberry shortcake for dessert and it was delicious! Heidi disappeared for a little while with Maddie (Chad's little girl, who is about 4-years-old) and I guess they were making themselves pretty (combing their hair, etc). Maddie is a really cute little girl with very blonde hair and chubby cheeks. They had been in the guest room and had poured water on their heads from a sippy cup. I am glad that Heidi is getting older and can play on her own or with others now.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Spring Snow in Texas
It snowed throughout most of the day today. At about 10:30am this morning, I looked outside and saw it. I was a little shocked to see it. It has already been up in the 80's this spring here in Texas. It started getting really cold yesterday. It snowed all day and was coming down pretty heavily at times. It is really pretty right now. It looks like everything is covered in a blanket of white. I hope the raspberry bushes do okay. They had just started growing some green leaves, finally.
After I first noticed it earlier today, I took Heidi to the back door and showed her. I pointed and said "snow." She repeated "-no."
Later on, we drove to the video store and rented The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith and his little boy (which I didn't spell wrong, it is just spelled that way). I think Heidi was a little unsure of what to think about the snow. I think she was actually a little afraid of it when I went to get her out of her car seat and my hair was covered in white snowflakes.
After we got home, she kept going back to the back door (which is glass, so she can easily see outside) and she kept pointing and saying "bubbles... bubbles." I guess all of the white everywhere did look a little like the frothy bubbles that sometimes form in the bath when I pour some of her babywash into running bathwater. I guess she thought bubbles were falling out of the sky and filling our yard like they do in the bathtub.
I went outside a while ago and stuck a measuring tape in the snow to see how deep it was. It is between 5 1/4 - 5 1/2 inches deep (measuring straight down to the ground from the top of the snow). It was about 4 inches deep on the top of my car... and about 2 inches deep on the back patio (that was the last place for it to start sticking). I had fun measuring the snow after I put Heidi to bed tonight.
Oh, tonight when I put Heidi to bed, I am pretty sure she said "thank-you" to me when I gave her a tissue to go to sleep with (as I usually do every night). I think I have heard her say thank-you a few other times too. I have never made her say thank-you. I usually say thank-you whenever she brings me things. I guess she just picked it up. She is a pretty smart girl!
Oh, tonight when I put Heidi to bed, I am pretty sure she said "thank-you" to me when I gave her a tissue to go to sleep with (as I usually do every night). I think I have heard her say thank-you a few other times too. I have never made her say thank-you. I usually say thank-you whenever she brings me things. I guess she just picked it up. She is a pretty smart girl!
Also, tonight I made eggplant parmesan. I didn't put any on her plate because I didn't think she would like it. I just gave her some peas, cheese, and some cucumber pieces. Heidi ate her cucumber (first time giving that to her) and then she wanted what I had, so I thought I would give her a taste and that would be the end. I did not think she would like eggplant parmesan, but she DID! She ate it So Fast and said she wanted "more... more." So I cut off another chunk of my eggplant, and it was gone in about two seconds. After that I just decided to go get her some from the kitchen. She really seemed to enjoy her eggplant. I told Brian tonight online when I was chatting with him that she liked it. Brian doesn't like it. He says that it is from the tomato family and that it is evil. I am glad to have an eggplant partner now!
Tomorrow is Easter, it would be nice to take pictures of Heidi in her Easter dress while standing in the snow. It might be melted though by the time we are ready to go to church. Church doesn't start until 11am. I guess we will have to wait and see what the weather looks like tomorrow.
Tomorrow is Easter, it would be nice to take pictures of Heidi in her Easter dress while standing in the snow. It might be melted though by the time we are ready to go to church. Church doesn't start until 11am. I guess we will have to wait and see what the weather looks like tomorrow.
* This spacing is really driving me crazy! I hope I can soon figure out how to make the spaces stay where I put them when I hit the publish button.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Putting Heidi to Bed
Tonight, as usual, Heidi had to go to bed with her usual list of items:
- Her Favorite Little Mommie's Baby Doll (the one that I got for her right after Brian deployed)
- The Cocker Spaniel Puppy that my parents gave her for Christmas (from Toys R Us)
- An E.T. doll that used to belong to her dad when he was younger (she thinks it is another baby)
- Another little puppy stuffed animal
- A Big Caterpillar that teaches how to tie, button, velcro, zip, etc. (from Discovery Toys)
- A tissue (I guess in case she needs to wipe her nose in the middle of the night)
- A sippy cup with water
- And sometimes another baby doll that my parents gave her (The older Little Mommies doll that talks when you press on her hands)
If she doesn't have these things, it is hard to get her to lay down, so I just put them in her crib and she helps me line them up around the outer edges. Then, she usually lays down and puts her right arm around one of them and cuddles it closer to her. Lately, she has been putting her arm either around E.T. or the caterpillar. She doesn't know anything about E.T., so she calls E.T. "baby." She also says "caterpillar" (pa-pu, with a short a/short u).
Oh, we also have to turn on her birds. She has a plastic box-like thing that hangs on the side of her crib that has little birds inside that move around when you turn it on. It also plays some soft, lullaby kind of music & projects images of birds, sunshine, and clouds on the ceiling. She usually points up and says "sky" when she looks up and sees the images on the ceiling.
Tonight, after I put her in her crib, I heard her talking for about 5 minutes or so. I guess she was talking to her dolls/animals. It sounded like she was saying something like... purple, poo poo, pa pa... or something like that over and over... and maybe some other things. Maybe she was just listening to herself talk until she was tired enough to just drift off. It was kind of cute listening to her.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Heidi's Boo-ba
Tonight before I put Heidi to bed, we were playing with her play bowls and play food. I wasn't paying any attention to what she was doing, until I saw her put her hand in front of my face to show me something. She was showing me that she had a Huge Booger on the tip of her pointer finger. It was Right there about 2 inches away from my face. She had just picked her nose and got her first booger ...and it was a Big One! I said "Heidi, you just picked your first booger!" ... and she said back to me "Boo-ba." I thought it was so cute! She has tried picking her nose before, but I don't think she has ever gotten anything out. I thought it was funny that she was trying to show me what she found.
Heidi also made me put her on the toilet again today. I really should get a potty chair for her. She has been wanting to sit on the toilet a lot, and then she has to use some toilet paper and flush.
Earlier today, Heidi and I spent some time dressing and undressing ... and dressing and undressing (over and over) her baby Cabbage Patch doll. And every time, we had to change her "doop-da" too. She calls diapers "doop-das."
Yesterday, I bought a ticket to fly to Maryland in June to see Grandma Bradford. We will be going from the 25th of June to the 2nd of July. My mom and dad will be driving up from Alabama to visit too. They will be picking us up from the Baltimore airport after they get there. We have to take advantage of Heidi flying for free while we still can. She will be 19-months-old then. When she is two, we will have to buy her a ticket whenever we fly. I am looking forward to the trip. It will be nice to see Grandma again... and my parents.
This morning, I went to a meeting with a couple of other ladies from church to plan what food we will be having at an upcoming church activity. On the way home, Heidi was sitting in her car seat saying "Daddy... Daddy... Daddy." While she was doing this, she had her hands up in a "where is it" kind of a sign. I think she is wondering where Daddy is. After Brian left for Iraq, I made a little photo album for Heidi to look at. It is just a cheap little photo album with pictures of her and her Daddy. In one, Brian is giving Heidi a kiss. Heidi kept kissing that one yesterday. She also pointed at the pictures saying "Daddy... Daddy" over and over. I am pretty sure she remembers that he is her Daddy. I think she is just wondering where he is. He has been gone almost six months now. He will be coming home next month for R&R time. Even though it is only for two weeks, I am looking forward to him coming home. I think it will be good for Heidi to see her Daddy again.
Oh yeah, since Heidi was pretty much handing me her booger, I took it and put it on a piece of paper. I am going to mail it to Brian in Iraq. I think he will enjoy getting it in the mail!
Heidi also made me put her on the toilet again today. I really should get a potty chair for her. She has been wanting to sit on the toilet a lot, and then she has to use some toilet paper and flush.
Earlier today, Heidi and I spent some time dressing and undressing ... and dressing and undressing (over and over) her baby Cabbage Patch doll. And every time, we had to change her "doop-da" too. She calls diapers "doop-das."
Yesterday, I bought a ticket to fly to Maryland in June to see Grandma Bradford. We will be going from the 25th of June to the 2nd of July. My mom and dad will be driving up from Alabama to visit too. They will be picking us up from the Baltimore airport after they get there. We have to take advantage of Heidi flying for free while we still can. She will be 19-months-old then. When she is two, we will have to buy her a ticket whenever we fly. I am looking forward to the trip. It will be nice to see Grandma again... and my parents.
This morning, I went to a meeting with a couple of other ladies from church to plan what food we will be having at an upcoming church activity. On the way home, Heidi was sitting in her car seat saying "Daddy... Daddy... Daddy." While she was doing this, she had her hands up in a "where is it" kind of a sign. I think she is wondering where Daddy is. After Brian left for Iraq, I made a little photo album for Heidi to look at. It is just a cheap little photo album with pictures of her and her Daddy. In one, Brian is giving Heidi a kiss. Heidi kept kissing that one yesterday. She also pointed at the pictures saying "Daddy... Daddy" over and over. I am pretty sure she remembers that he is her Daddy. I think she is just wondering where he is. He has been gone almost six months now. He will be coming home next month for R&R time. Even though it is only for two weeks, I am looking forward to him coming home. I think it will be good for Heidi to see her Daddy again.
Oh yeah, since Heidi was pretty much handing me her booger, I took it and put it on a piece of paper. I am going to mail it to Brian in Iraq. I think he will enjoy getting it in the mail!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Easter Egg Hunt
Today was the day of the battalion Easter egg hunt at a park downtown. It was a perfect day for an Easter egg hunt. The sky was clear and it was nice and warm. Heidi was so pretty in her size 2T pink dress and white sandals. As soon as we got there, Heidi found some eggs on the ground. She decided she would go Easter egg hunting early and picked some up and put them in her basket. It is a good thing she did too because she might have missed out on all of the fun. When the hunt started, I was on the other side of the park handing out goodies to some of the kids that were there. So by the time we made it over to the hunting area, the baby/toddler time was up and now the big kids were hunting too and most of the eggs were gone. She did find one more blue one though. I got a few really cute pictures of her handing some eggs to a 2-year-old little boy (Colton).
After the hunt was over, we ate some of the pot luck food. This morning, I made a ham. It was a pretty big ham, I thought (8.54lbs). Well, by the time Heidi and I made it up to the food, the ham that I made was ALL Gone! We didn't get any of it! Oh well. That's not what we really came for anyway. We settled for some chicken, grapes, and cookies.
The Easter Bunny had been walking around the whole time we had been there and I wanted to get a picture of Heidi with him, so I walked over to where he was and tried to set Heidi down... but Heidi clenched onto me and said "No... No." I tried again, and figured that she just wasn't going to cooperate, so I asked someone else to take a picture of me holding her next to E. B. She doesn't look very happy in those pictures.
Then, we headed over to the playground area. Heidi was having fun with the slide. I held her as she went down. I was also taking pictures of some of the other kids from our company, so I had turned away for a few seconds... when Heidi went over to another slide. By the time I saw her, it was TOO LATE! She had jumped into a HUGE MUD PUDDLE at the end of another slide! She slid down into it and her pretty pink dress and white sandals were no longer so cute anymore. I moved her out of the mud and she just stood there for the longest time saying "Uh oh... Uh oh... Uh oh." She would look at her feet and pick one up and say "Uh oh" and sounded like she was about to cry. I don't think she likes getting dirty. She didn't want to walk. She would try to move her feet and I think she was upset because they were wet and muddy. I didn't have anything to change her into and it was almost time to go, so I just figured she would be okay and maybe it could dry a little before we got into the car to go home.
When we got home, it was kind of warm in our house (79 degrees). Our air conditioner has been broken all weekend. Someone will be coming to fix it Monday morning. This evening, it got up to 80 degrees inside of the house. It was cooler outside, so Heidi and I spend most of the rest of the day outside: going for walks, going to the neighborhood playground, blowing bubbles in the yard, and kicking her pink princess ball around the yard. It will be nice to have our air conditioner working again tomorrow!
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