Abigail's expanding vocabulary

Abigail's vocabulary has been growing. As most babies who are raised in a bilingual setting (in her case multilingual), Abigail gets bombarded with different words and sounds that signify the same thing and refer to the same objects. She's picking up a lot of different words, and is able to make general associations between words and objects (in each language), but has been perhaps a little slower in pronouncing the words that she knows, though she is indeed very chatty.

As of late, these are Abbie's favorite and most used words, just as she pronounces them in her own special way.

Arbo (Arbol - tree in Spanish)
BaBoo (belly button)
Babby/Abbie (for, well, Abbie)
Ball
Beby (baby)
Boo-Boo (one of the characters in her Gossie books)
Boo-k (book)
Bye/Bye-Bye
Da-dee (Daddy)
Dee (that - a.k.a. "I want that")
Ea (ear)
Go (and she means it, too!)
Ki-ki (kitty)
Kye (sky)
Mammy (Mamy)
Mamma (Mom)
Mano (hand in Italian and Spanish)
Math/Moth (Mouth)
Nana (Grandma)
Nose
Oh-oh! (ops!)
Shay/Sheby (Shelby)
Twee (tree)

Her Da-dee and I are amazed at how much she is understanding, and I am not talking about the most common used phrases, like "come here" or "please don't do that". I never had any real experience with babies, and I guess I thought that they didn't understand a word until they turn three, or something. Instead, Abbie proves to me every day how much young toddlers do indeed know and understand, even if they are unable to communicate clearly... Thank goodness I'm learning something, too! Anyway, we were bathing her with her new Aqua Baby. Abbie was trying to get out of the tub, and Christopher said to her: "Abbie, wash your baby". Abigail got her floating doll, picked up her own washcloth, and started wiping the doll with it. Twice she was told to "wash her baby", and twice she did. I was rather amazed at this, because I didn't expect that she would understand that command.

She knows the meaning of many phrases, for example "put it away", which we often use to enlist her help in getting her own chaos under control. She knows what I mean when I tell her to come here, to bring me (or someone else) something, to change her diaper or wash her bum-bum, change her clothes, put her shoes on, go outside, give me a kiss, go take a nap, pet Shelby gently or when it's time to eat.

I think about Abigail a year ago, and I marvel at how fast things have changed... I know I will be saying this a year from now, too!

Merry Xmas to all... And to all a Goodnight!

Abigail had a great Christmas this year. Last year's was fun too, mainly for Christopher and I, because at only 4 months I doubt that Abbie had any concept that something special was going on! I could be wrong, but I am willing to bet on it...

This year, with all the flurried animation and activity going on, Abbie had a definite sense that something out of the ordinary was taking place. When she thought we weren't looking, she furtively kept on going over to the Xmas tree to check it out... She got ornaments off of it, inspecting them closely while blabbing on, and then stealthily put them back on the branches... I found several Santas laying upside down between the branches of the tree, and other ornaments stuffed inside its lower offshoots. There is also a snowman who is now missing a leg (*sigh*), while others have gone AWOL... We hope to find them some time next year. Abbie was also curious about the colorful gifts underneath, and approached them with circumspection and a question mark hanging over her head in the imaginary cloud of her inner thoughts. Some of the wrapping paper had Santa Clause on it, and she'd go "Ho, ho, ho!" every time she'd see him.

Well, it all finally revealed itself to her! We gave Abbie her gifts: the curly, shiny strings came undone, and the brightly colored paper was torn off to reveal a new world of toys, books, and clothes! Abbie had blast unwrapping her gifts once she got the hint that it was ok to do so. Oh, the possibilities!!! The happy and surprised look in her eyes, her squeals of joy and delight, her sweeping laughter, made this the most wonderful Xmas of all. She was the cutest, happiest little girl in the world to us, and, just as much, we felt as the happiest and luckiest of parents. She kept on going from one toy to the other, unsure about which one she wanted to play with first. She danced and she jumped up excitedly. She made us laugh so much!

Here are several pictures of Abigail's Christmas :)

Here she is opening her first gift:



Goodness me! It's a book, her favorite gifts of all!!



With her Da-dee and her new book:



Checking out the Doll that her friend William gave her!



With another book:



With her new soft PJs!



Tearing open her Aquadoodle...



... and trying it out!



Might as well taste the pen, too. Thank goodness it's only water!



Feeding her new Baby (we were surprised: she never had a toy bottle, but as soon as I gave her her new Aqua Baby and the Bottle, she started feeding the doll!)



As any good mother would do, she's checking to see if the product is still good... After all, who knows how long it's been sitting on the shelves...



The funniest thing of all: after we opened all her gifts, Abbie started to put her books and most of her new toys away, in one of the xmas bags...! She's such a tidy baby :)



It was a great, heartwarming day. We are forever grateful that we are able to provide these special moments for our little girl. We know that not everyone is as fortunate... As always, we keep a prayer in our hearts for our families and friends, for those who are no longer here with us, for everyone. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Goodnight.

Ho, ho, ho!

This is Abbie's latest thing, which I find soooo cute:

Mom or Dad: "Abbie, what does Santa say?"

Abbie: "Ho, ho, ho!"

Monkey Abbie

A few days ago I had the opportunity to admire the primate in Abigail. I took her to At Play Cafe for one of our play dates, and while there -- after a few minutes of shyness -- she let her wild side shine through.

She climbed, she jumped, she run, she hopped, she grabbed, she explored, she built, she destroyed, she flirted, she talked and laughed, and she just plain wore herself out with so much fun! I got a little winded, too, due to my constant running behind her to ensure she wouldn't crack her skull. It was tough to keep up with the little monkey! Beware: she's is always lively and on-the-go. I've had to practically re-arrange the whole house and get rid of some of our furniture because she was climbing all over it, tipping it, crawling under it, and pushing it around with all her might. The kid is a dynamo, and can effortlessly wear out an entire platoon.

Also, while at At Play, Abigail apparently decided that anyone could hold her and she'd be totally fine with it. At one point, my friend Christine picked her up (no doubt because she was causing a ruckus), and once back down, Abigail kept on going back to her and lifting her arms as if saying: "Here I am! Up, up!" I don't mind my friends holding Abbie, but I noticed that she went up to a couple of strangers (other moms and dads with their kids), and after engaging them in an animated preliminary conversation, hug their legs and raised her arms to them. I'm so proud of my little girl: at least she introduces herself to strangers before soliciting their services.

Abbie looooves William, Christine's gorgeous little boy. Their reciprocal love story is the cutest thing to witness. Wee-yam (as she calls him -- though not to his face) was always a step behind her, she a step behind him. It makes me smile. She also played with her little buddies, Charlotte, Arnav, Camilla, and other random kids.

On our way home, stuck in traffic, I peeked at Abbie, quietly slumped in her car-seat, looking ahead with a worn out stare, mouth slightly parted. I turned to her, and she immediately responded with the sweetest of all weary smiles. One that said: "I'm so happily exhausted". I was too. Happy.

Quiet Reading Time

It's funny how time-tested, tried-and-true routines can still evolve, especially with Abbie.

For a long time, our evening routine after Abbie's bath was for me to change her into her "night-night" clothes while she lay on her comfy changing pillow on the floor. In order to distract her and give her something to do, I'd give her a book or two (usually small board books from her Dick and Jane Collection - she loves the Daddy book!) After dressing her, I'd sidle up next to her and read to her whichever book she was looking at. As most parents know, especially with a child's favorite book, you can almost recite word-for-word each page.

Well, last week, this little routine turned into "Abbie and Daddy's Quiet Time of Reading and Reflection." I lay down next to her as usual, getting ready to read to her, when I noticed how engrossed in "Spot" from the Dick and Jane Collection she was. She was studying each picture and "tapping" the occasional object on the page, just to emphasise a point known only to her.

Not wanting to interrupt this internal intellectual discovery of hers, I decided to grab another book, and read to myself. Now most times, if I had a book, she'd put down hers and look at or grab mine. Or, she'd shove her's in my direction, indicating "read this one to me!" But this time, and each night since, she continued studying her book - slowly turning the pages and "tapping" the seemingly random objects. Occasionally, she'd mumble something to her herself.

So now, the new routine is to just let her keep reading her own book. I'll pick up another and read quietly myself - occasionally tapping an object, or mumbling something about what is happening in the picture. Abbie will sometimes turn my way, glance at the item of interest, then look at me in a show of approval or modest acknowledgement, then return to her own study. Occasionally we'll swap books - after all we both want to be well-rounded!

I'll still read to her, surely. But little Miss Independent Study is certainly excelling in her newfound Intellectuality. I hope she continues it for a long time to come.

Abbie's new play buddy

Sometimes I have the impression that Christopher and I are not enough for Abigail... When it comes to playing, that is!

Sunday she grabbed "Babby", her big doll, and took him with her to read her big puzzle book. She sat him right next to her, put an arm around him, and showed him the pieces of the puzzle and where they went. She talked and babbled to him while waving the pieces in front of his face. It was such a cute scene! At the end of the long playing session, she plopped a sloppy kiss on his forehead, put him across from her before laying him down. Finally, she walked away.

Long gone are the days when Abbie abused her dolls. She loves them now! She takes them for walks, and dances with them before throwing them on the floor and walking away. She pets them, kisses them, hugs them.. she's definitely changed her tune!!

Ms. Abigail, The Intellectual

My little girl is an obstinate intellectual. Nothing will keep her away from reading. And, as many adults do when they go potty, Abbie likes to read when her diaper's being changed. That's her private time to catch up on her important reading, though not the *only* time she devotes to it, by all means!

When I tell her, "Come on. Let's refresh your diapey", that's her cue: she goes to her bookshelf and picks up the books that she intends to peruse while I perform my duties. Or, she will go to my basket and find an interesting gossip magazine to read, she's not completely stuffy! She knows the latest tittle-tattles and scandals, as well as who's who in Hollywood better than I do. She also knows the content of each of her books: after all, her diapers get changed often throughout the day! At times, when everything has gotten old and trite, Abigail considers other alternatives, such as my and Christopher's books. The other day she got changed to the tune of "My War" by Andy Rooney... to each its own, as I like to say.

Selecting what to read is no easy task, and it's even tougher when there are so many options! It does take a few minutes, during which Abbie usually deliberates out loud over each book expressing acceptance or rejection. After picking up her reading of choice for the moment, she goes to her changing pad, and, in her own time -- eventually --, she'll lay on it and immerse herself in the wonderful world of erudition. At times she will laugh to herself about something funny she's reading; or she will read out loud (definitely hooked-on-phonics).

I often tease her by not telling her that "I am done". She continues her reading until my silence and the fact that I'm just sitting there idle, awakens her back to reality. At that point she says something to me like, "Oh, so you are done?", gets up, and gets on with life.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes... knees and toes!

Abbie loves to dance, she really does! She goes absolutely crazy for a few minutes nearly every day, prancing about and dancing to whatever music is playing: classical, pop, rock, opera, muzak and, of course, her favorite toy, Learning Puppy (a.k.a Elliot). If there is no music, she will go and get Elliot, and start pressing its buttons to her favorite tunes, lately "Head Shoulder Knees and Toes" and "One Two Three Four - Count to ten"...

I love to look at her do "her thing" and get her groove on, and she gets to burn a lot of her pent-up energy this way! It's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it :)

Anyway, here she is in some videos I took today, unfortunately the last one is very short because my camera's memory card was full.

Head. Shoulders. Knees. Toes... 'Nough said!!

Kissy-Monster

Abigail loves to give kisses, and... finally loves getting them too! I have showered her with kisses from the very first moment I saw her: I would probably have tried to kiss her while in the belly, if I could have. Though when I was pregnant I would kiss the palm of my hands and place a little kiss on her that way.

Anyway, up until a few months ago, she didn't seem to care about being smooched all the time (I wonder why...). She seems to have changed her tune since she has learned to kiss back, and to blow kisses with her little soft hand. So now Abigail will pucker her lips, emit a loud "mwah!!", and laugh joyously to top it all off. Sometimes she will also suck in her cheeks to give it an extra something special.

I have been trying to film her blowing kisses, but she gets shy (??). Sooner or later I will catch her at it and post the video! In the meantime, here are a couple of kisses caught on camera :)

Swapping clothes... Wait! Already?!?

Abigail loves wearing my stuff. She tries to wear my coat, my sweaters, my socks, and though she has never been able to actually put them on correctly, she has succeeded at wearing my house slippers! In fact, I have not been able to wear them at all in the last few days: no matter what she is engaged in, as soon as she sees me wearing them she drops everything and makes a beeline to come get them off my feet. She'll pull and push and grunt, and finally (I indulge her!) she takes them off my feet and runs aways with them. The fact that I am left barefoot doesn't seem to bother her in the least.




Here she is walking all over the house, with one of my slippers, having a grand ole time. I was aware that having a little girl would mean sharing clothes, jewelry, purses... But honestly, I thought I had more time!

Catching the Sun

Abbie has been fascinated by the sun, lately. Normally, she loves basking in the sun, she never seems to get enough. And in the last few days... she has been trying to catch it!

I am changing Abigail's diaper, and as she lies in her changing pad, a ray of sunshine floats above her head. She smiles, and extends a hand waiving it in the air as if to grab that sunlit gleam that kisses her soft skin. She laughs, and looks at me as if saying: "Mammy, this is rather amusing, I don't get it! Why can't I hold it?". She gracefully opens and closes her little fingers around the weightless spark of light in a calculated fashion. It's just so sweet. Inevitably, as with most things, Abbie sees the humor in it, and laughs heartedly as she clutches both hands together around the flecks of dust that dance around in the sun light.

I don't know why, but I love it. It's endearing, to me, to see my little girl bathing her hands in the winter sunshine, trying to make it her own.

Domestic Abigail

I have recently realized that I really have no cause to complain about housekeeping chores. Yes, I don't have a cleaning lady, and yes I do all the laundering, the ironing, the cleaning, the vacuuming, the sweeping, the dusting, the dishwashing, the tidying-up, you name it. But, in all honesty, when push comes to shove, I get a lot of help.

Abbie assists me in all chores, tirelessly and consistently. Of all things, she loves mopping the floor, and vacuuming the rugs. Whenever I get the Swiffer out, she grabs it and, without me even asking, starts working her magic. Here are some pictures I took a couple of months ago to prove my point...



What I like the most is that the kid doesn't cut any corners: she does a thorough job, she'll even mop under the furniture.


When I vacuum the rugs in the living room, she's definitely a big help, too: while I vacuum one of them, she'll tackle the other, with her popper... Back and forth, back and forth, under the chairs, back and forth, and once again.

Another one of her favorite chores is getting dishes in and out of the dishwasher: she'll climb onto the dishwasher's open door and start grabbing stuff and handing it to me. Then she'll climb off and close the dishwasher's door. She'll bend down, and lift that big door, pushing it in until it clicks shut.

I have to admit, I don't know what I would do without her... It's such a big relief to have a little assistant taking care of the house with me every day. So, I really am out of line when I say that "I keep up with the house".

There is no "I" in TEAM!!!

Itty Bitty Angel

We have recently found out that Abbie has a look-alike.... in the form of a drawing of an angel! Talk about coincidences, eh? :)

Some time ago I bought Abbie a bunch of Christmas books. One of them, "Deck the Halls with Holly Angels", features some really cute, caroling angels, and among them, you can totally see Abigail, check this out!




Really, I don't mean to brag or anything, but come on! Same curly hair, same little potato nose, round face, even down to the eye color... !





It's just cute, this is one of our favorite books of all time! :)

I'm Thankful for you

Dear Abbie: another Thanksgiving together!!! I just want to tell you that what I am most thankful for is you. I love you so much, and I am so proud of who you are, my little baby.

Thank you for the bear hugs; for smiling big each time you see me in the morning; for the kisses you send me and give me; for the chats that we have; for calling me "mammy"; for wanting to dance with me; for being so curious about everything I do; for asking me to read to you your favorite books; for hugging my leg; for running to me; for following me every where I go; for putting your toys and books away when I ask you to; for cooking with me; for being mine, and mostly, for loving me so.

I love you too, always and unconditionally. Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Mammy

The Terrible Twos (Eeeeeeekkk!) -- a.k.a. Monster Abbie

I've never been one to strictly tell the good stories. In fact, during the lifespan of this blog, I've spoken my mind about the good, the bad and the ugly of motherhood, of my daughter, and of myself as a mother. To me, admittedly a very complicated person, it's not about whether the glass is half full or half empty, but rather what's in the glass.

These past few days, tantrums it's been the what. And this one mom feels half empty.

Since Sunday afternoon Abbie has been going through some sort of "phase" (according to Christopher, for whom babyhood, toddlerhood and 'lifehood' in general is an ever evolving series of "phases"). The "phase's" mechanism consists of the sudden vanishing of my little girl as I know her, and the appearance of this Abbie-look-alike who screams, cries, throws herself on the floor and misbehaves up the wazoo. We have been butting heads for almost three days, Abbie and I, and I am at my wits' end trying to impress upon the 14-month-old that I (of undisclosed age, but way older) am the boss. We don't see eye to eye on that... And while she cries tears of raw anger and disappointment, today she had me in tears of frustration and exhaustion -- and many of them. For once, and humbly, I say: I really don't know what to do.

My mother, who is here visiting since last week, is witnessing the worst "phase" Abigail's had since her entrance into the world. And she assures me that sparing the rod is spoiling the child, and that I "got my spankings when I deserved them". Looking back at my childhood and teenage years, I have to admit that I was a very good kid. I never really got in trouble, if you exclude the occasional white lies and the sporadic missed curfew... But, really. Never did drugs, cut classes only a handful of times, never went to wild parties, never drunk too much, and never went astray. So, I'm left to wonder: is "spare the rod spoil the child" really the answer? And when is a good time to start? While all the pediatricians who have seen Abbie have commented on how "advanced" and "ahead" she is is for her age (emotionally as well as cognitively), I don't think that she'd understand my spanking her. Then again, maybe she would and might benefit from some "tough love".

I absolutely hate having to wonder about things like these. But I do, oh I DO, hate Abigail's attitude as of late. It drives me up the wall, and it frustrates me to no end. It also causes me emotional pain for some odd reason. But even worse than all that is not knowing what to do. I don't want to scar my little girl for life... if you listen to some experts as well as regular joes, that's what "the rod" does. Others will tell you that "the rod", in moderation and at the right times, is an invaluable lesson.

Ok, so here is the thing, and more "whats" for my damned glass: I want her to understand the difference between what's acceptable and what is not. How do I do it? How do I handle my high-strung baby in such a way that it becomes a positive lesson learned with the least amount of trauma? I am looking forward to the "phase" to be over: to less crying, less screaming and less floor-wiping.

I think I am facing the "terrible twos" already. And my glass is full (yes, you heard me) of whats, self-doubts, fears and questions. Of course, I'm not surprised... Being "ahead" of the times comes with a price. I wish someone had told me that too.

P.S. -- It didn't help matters any that, right after I published this post I got an email from ParentCenter.com saying (and I am quoting): Why is discipline such a big dilemma? Because it feels like a tightrope act. On one side there's the peril of permissiveness — no one wants to raise a brat. On the other side there's the fear of over-control — who wants to be the hardliner raising cowed, sullen kids? 

Yeah, right?

My little Pony(-ies)

As everyone knows, all little girls want a Pony. So, on Sunday, we took Abbie to meet 'Pony', an old friend of Shelby's, in Middleburg.

When we got there, what a surprise to find the little equine, eating grass, and a friend of his: another jolly, chewing pony! Just so you know, and for the sake of simplicity, we have named them Yin and Yang: our long-time friend is an all black pony, while our new buddy, Yin, is a white one.

So, we introduced Abigail to the pair, and they just simply hit it off! It was a lovefest from the get-go! She squealed with delight, Shelby joined in with happy barks, and the ponies neighed and snorted all the way. Abbie was fearless, and she simply started petting Yang on the nose. And Yang just sat there, with those lovely languid eyes, and let our laughing Abbie have at it.




Immediately, no doubt to check out the commotion, Yin came trotting, nosing his way into Abbie's hand: apparently he loves being petted, because he followed Abbie around for a while from behind the fence. They really loved each other, Abigail talked with Yin, and Yin listened to her and stood invariably close by . At one point, Shelby joined in and the three of them shared opinions, stories and confidences. There were lots of laughters, so we can assume that the chatter was a happy one. Here are some pictures witnessing the meeting of the great minds:



Eventually, of course, Abigail wandered off, and Shelby followed her while the ponies looked on. She went all over the little park, checked everything out, and tried the swings and the slides. She was absolutely ecstatic!




As with all good things, this too came to an end, when dusk set in. We told Abbie it was time to go, and to say Bye-Bye to her new pals. Abigail threw the mother of all tantrums when we picked her up and headed towards the car... Oh well....


We are going to have to do this again :) Abbie now has her own little pony(-ies) too!