Eggshell Green

Abby Update at 13.5 months

Our little baby is a real little madam at the moment. She knows what she wants and she throws a tantie when she doesn’t get it – stomping feet, screaming, collapsing on the ground, that sort of thing.

She should learn that dirt is not food

Whenever someone opens then closes the front door, she throws a wobbly. She loves going outside and acts like we’re the meanest people in the world when someone leaves and she can’t go too, or even if we’re just coming back inside! She acts the same way when we end her backyard explorations.

Anything in there I can eat?

She’s decided that the coffee table and her chair make a great jungle gym to practice climbing on. It’s harmless (except if she were to fall off onto the hard floor), but it’s not a habit we want to form – thus, another reason to scream and shout at her mean parents.

Just fiddling, mum

Another reason for her behaviour might be because she’s not feeling the best lately. Her temperature has been lingering around 37.5-38 so she’s a little warmer than usual. We’ve also noticed those omnious spots collectively labelled a “viral rash” by GPs that pretty much equate to a cold of some sort. On top of that she’s dribbling lots and it looks like she’s teething yet again.

It’s great that the husband still has a week of leave left. I really appreciate the extra pair of hands and eyes, especially now that I’m getting big and heavy, making most everyday things a bit of an effort. And dealing with a grumpy, tantrum-throwing baby at the moment is hard work!

This should be easy, right?

Abby’s starting to learn more words. When we tell her it’s “teeth time” she says “tee, tee”. She can also say “nahnah” to mean banana – she even pointed to them at the supermarket and said “nahnah” without any prompting. Super impressed mum. She still knows “shoe” or “ball” too.

Walking to find more trouble

She’s getting really confident with herself. Her walking is coming along nicely. She can crawl down the deck steps backwards. She rocks on her horse Neigh-neigh without help. She loves her paddling pool and climbs in and out to take “exploration” breaks on the deck. She pushes her wagon and gets on her car by herself. She drinks from straws, sipper bottles and cups, and the dog bowl when we’re not paying attention.

Abby is turning into a little girl, a Terrible-Two perhaps – argh! In saying that, I hope she grows up a bit faster before her brother comes along, maybe drop the tantrums for starters?

I promise to be a good girl - promise.

Tags: baby, summer, walking

Happy Tiring New Year

Welcome to 2011. Wow, another year gone huh. And I’m tired. Are you tired? It’s funny how all this holidaying and doing nothing makes you tired. The weather probably has something to do with that too.

Hands up everyone! Abby and her cousins.

We spent our Christmas in Palmerston North this year visiting the husband’s family there. It was a busy day, leaving Wellington in the morning, arriving in Palmie two hours later for a Christmas lunch at the mother-in-law’s, then over to the father-in-law’s for dinner. I ate way too much food and suffered indigestion so didn’t get much sleep that night (I should’ve learnt from my last pregnancy) . And then Abby decided to wake up with the sunrise at 5am the next day. That’s what happens when you don’t have curtains!

Fez after too many festivities

We then spent several nights with the sister-in-law, and ate and ate some more. Fez had a great time playing with the other dogs, and his mum Floss.

Abby had fun meeting lots of different animals. She got to touch alpacas, horses, some new cats and dogs, and met a budgie. She even got to sit on a miniature horse but didn’t like that at all!

Meeting some miniature horses

Oh hai

During the week we were away, Abby decided that it was time to walk more on her own. It’s still a bit strange seeing my baby walking whenever she pleases. She still needs to pull herself up on something to get on her feet, but it won’t be long before she’s completely independent with her walking. And it won’t be long before there’s two of them to run after! Good lord, she’s already wearing me out and I’ve even had lots of sleep-ins lately. I better enjoy the two weeks the hubby has left off work before I won’t have the time to!

Tags: animals, baby, Christmas, farm, fez

Abby Update at 13 Months

So this post is a couple of days early but I am not intending to do anything online for a few days while we are celebrating Christmas and the summer with our extended family.

I can’t believe this is Abby’s second Christmas! At least this year she’s not a newborn so will be able to actually enjoy the presents, food and company like everyone else (unlike her first Christmas where she just slept).

Abby on Neigh-neigh and her mini sock monkey in a stocking

Abby got to open some of her Chrissie presents early, one of them being a paddling pool gifted from a friend. It was so nice last Saturday that I thought she might like a paddle on the deck. And she did – lots.

She lurrrves water, playing and drinking it too (at least it was just plain tap water and not chlorinated public pool water).

Mum and dad got Abby a play oven for Christmas, which she was allowed to open last week also. She’s not quite figured out how to turn the hob dials though, but can press the “timer” button for the oven so it ticks and dings.

The random stuff in my oven are done!

Then she spends the rest of the time putting things in and taking things out of the oven. She also pretends to fry up what I like to think is bacon and eggs for mum’s breakfast.

Breakfast in bed for mum please

She’s such a clever cookie. She’s walking more by herself now. She can climb on, and backwards to get off, the sofa/bed or out the back door (another thing I have to watch out for!)

She’s learnt to say “ball” and “shoe” but they come out as “brr” and “shuhr”. (In the video below, at 1:04 I ask her “What is that?” and she starts to say “ball” but I correct her – I then notice that Fez had dropped his ball at her feet. Way to confuse the poor child.)

She’s starting to repeat what we say so I have to watch my potty mouth around her just in case!

Have a merry Christmas and a great break from the norm everyone!

Tags: baby, Christmas, horse, summer, water

Abby Update at 12.5 months

For some reason since turning one, Abby is waking up in the middle of the night. It’s not every night, but it’s not usual for her. We think it might be either she’s too hot/cold (this weather is just crazy a the moment), or she’s hungry, or she’s got wind from her new formula. We are now on to cow’s milk as her main drink, and although we can just give her everday milk, we are currenlty using formula because it’s cheaper and more convenient to just take unmixed milk when going out.

We just did our Christmas shopping today – ouch to the bank account. It’s fun shopping for toys. I’d much rather shop for kids than adults. Abby’s got a few goodies that she’s going to love (well she better!). I’m quite excited about opening these presents with her because I’m keen to play with the toys too!

Abby is getting quite good at solo-walking. She tends to lunge towards you at the last few steps, fingers pointed dangerously at your face.

Abby has started using her walker, finally. We got this several weeks ago hoping it would help her to learn to walk, but every time we got her to hold on she would sit down again. So we abandoned it and just held her hand instead. She now pushes it around, sometimes even getting herself up on it without our help.

We are now in possession of Neigh-neigh – a rocking horse which was handed down from my fabulous sister-in-law. It’s such a cute toy despite missing its tail, but it has a nice opening there which I’m sure I’ll find biscuits or Lego shoved into it at some stage.

Tags: baby, walking