B is for...

Today was the first peak of sunshine in weeks, so Baby and I bolted outside to soak up some rays.  We took her new shoes for a walk around the neighborhood, pausing to say hello to the houses and the trees.  She picked up acorns and stepped on leaves.  She threw her head back and smiled when the wind gusted.  She looked at me and said, "Whoa..." when a group of birds noisy flew by.

Later that afternoon, we were in the backyard enjoying some time in her swing while the dogs ran around playing.  Baby casually pointed across the yard and said, "Ball."

What!  I looked over to see a blue foam ball sitting by the fence, courtesy of the neighborhood kids.  I looked at her and said, "Do you see that ball waaay over there?"
She pointed again, "Ball."

I walked over and brought the ball to her.  She grinned and said it again.  Whoa, indeed.

But, the day kept going.  One the way from the grocery store while I'm buckling her into her car seat, she points next to her and says, "Book."  Why yes, my dear Baby, that IS a book.  And you are amazing.

Water Break

Staying hydrated while breastfeeding is difficult.  That difficulty only multiplies when you factor in napping with baby, especially when she frequently ends up sleeping directly on your bladder.  The balance between drinking enough water to avoid shriveling up, but not too much water so as to suffer hours of being a water-bed to the sleeping baby, is one that I am still struggling to find after 13 months.

One of my flimsy attempts at keeping up my water intake is to drop by the dining room as soon as we get up from a nap and drink a glass of water.  Today, Baby followed me into the dining room.  I picked up my glass and took a drink.  She picked up her glass and took a drink.  I smiled and sat my glass down on the bookshelf.  She finished her drink and gently lowered it into the trash can.

Girl's got her own style.

What Does the Dog Say?

photo credit

One of our dogs is a real barker.  When he gets going you're sure to be in for a good half hour of barking unless you shut him down.  Usually, I would accomplish this with a loud, stern "no barking!"  It worked at least half the time.  But, last week, I noticed Baby going over to the dog and doing this short, burst style, yell thing.  It was unbelievably cute.  But, I realized I was going to have to start watching my behavior more closely.

A few days ago when Hubby got home from work, the dog really went nuts.  We had just gotten up from a nap, and for some reason, I sent a loud "SSSHHH!" his direction.  It didn't really work, but I tried again.  Eventually, he calmed down.  The next morning, when the dog started barking at Waste Management, Baby rushed over with a "Sshh! Sshh! Sshh!"  The dog had no idea what to think of this.  He stopped barking and looked at me.

Baby is now quick to keep him in line.  The novelty has worn off for the dog, so he rarely stops whatever ruckus he is causing, but it sure is cute.

Today, Baby handed me a bib with two cartoon dogs on it. I said, "Dog. Ruff! Ruff!"

Baby replied, "Sshh! Sshh! Sshh!"

Touche.