I love talking with my daughter. Yes, I said talking with her, not to her. At 20 months, she actually talks back! (In a good way!) It just cracks me up to listen to her chatter away…and to hear some of the things that come out of her mouth!Â
Over the last few months, I’ve been thinking that I really need to be writing these down in her baby book, but since I am way behind on that little project (her baby book currently consists of several post-it notes with accomplishments and dates stuck to the appropriate pages of her book…or if I am in a real rush, just stuck on the cover!), I figure this is the perfect forum to record some of these little gems…besides, many of you may never peruse the pages of her baby book…That is, if I ever finish it!! For now, you can enjoy these:
“Mmm, delicious!†– This usually comes after we’ve asked her to please finish part of her meal. She will take a “bite†(the kind that is only visible through the lens of a microscope!), close her eyes, smile, and proclaim, “Mmm, delicious!!â€Â (We think this one came from Grandma.)
“Oh boy!†– I think this one may have come from Grandma too…  Whenever she is excited about something, this is her catch phrase. It doesn’t take much, a trip to the grocery store, a bunch of hangers on the floor, or a “tea party†with mommy usually brings this response.
“Hi guys!†– When daddy comes home from work, he usually finds us playing on the floor, and says “Hi guys!â€Â Hannah now says it in return (we haven’t quite grasped the singular and plural concept), or whenever she enters a room. She likes to make an entrance.
“Whoa! Cool!†– Now, you may think that this is Mommy’s influence, being that I am the native Californian, but no. This one came from her Texan Daddy! If something doesn’t get and “oh boy!†it is pronounced “cool!â€Â I’m always amazed at what my one-year-old deems “cool!â€Â I thought that parents weren’t supposed to be out of touch with the trends until the teen years…I guess it starts much earlier than I thought!
“Rock the baby!†– This has become Hannah’s equivalent to most kids’ “I need a drink of water†when it comes to bedtime stalling techniques. And, by “the baby†she means herself! I have never rocked Hannah to sleep on a regular basis. I decided early on that, I would rock her during her bottles, or just for fun, but I wanted her to learn to fall asleep by herself, in her bed. But, two nights a month my mom watches Hannah so that I can go to my Bible study. And, when Grandma baby-sits, she and Hannah have their own special bedtime routine, which includes time in the rocking chair. Because my parents live so close, they don’t get the opportunity to “spoil†their granddaughter the way that, I’m sure, they would like to. So, this is one of the ways that both Grandma and Hannah feel like they are “getting away with†something.  I like that they have this special time between them, and I have chosen to leave it as a special “Grandma thing,†and not include it in our normal bedtime routine. And, until recently, Hannah has seemed content with this arrangement as well. But, recently she has started looking up at me with those big eyes and saying “Please rock the baby?â€Â Sometimes, I have to realize that this is just a ploy to stay up a little later, and as much as I would like to give in, I have to say no. But, she’s not much of a baby anymore…and, although I am enjoying this toddler phase, I miss my baby. She’s never been much of a “cuddler†so I must admit that there are occasions that I do give in and “rock the babyâ€â€¦and I enjoy every moment!