Growin' Like a Weed!

Aslynn is 11 months old today! She's getting so big! Sometimes I look at her and wonder "Where is my little baby?" She's turning into a little person with her own personality, quirks, habits and prefrences. I thought that I would share a little about her and what she's been up to over the past couple of months.

*4 days shy of a month old*

*4 days shy of ten months old. Same outfit, only it fits better in this picture.*

Aslynn's recently discovered toy (and her new favorite) is her car seat. She loves to climb in, stand up and rock back and forth. Sometimes she falls out; when that happens, most of the time, she just picks herself up and climbs back into the seat. On very rare occasions, when trying to climb in, she gets stuck and does her velociraptor scream for one of us to come rescue her. Instead, we take pictures and laugh...then we save her from her "stuckness."

Z started to wean herself at 9 1/2 months and was done by 10 1/2. She LOVES to eat big girl food! For breakfast she eats 2 or 3 GoGurts - she LOVES yogurt!

She's also started to ask for what she wants. When she is hungry or thirsty, she smacks her lips (she came up with that one by herself). She will find what she wants to eat and bring it to you so that you can open it for her or she will point at it and squeal.

She sits down (because she needs to be sitting when she eats) and tells you "more" in sign-language when she wants more. One day she found dirt (I really don't know where it came from!) in the apartment and decided to eat it. We found her like this.

When she was 9 1/2 months she started taking walking short distances (to and from difference pieces of furniture in the living room) instead of just a few short steps. On Thanksgiving day she REALLY took off. She started walking EVERYWHERE! WE spent the holiday at my parents' house - the grandparents, uncles and aunt got to witness the excitement which was great!


*I get the "Mother of the Year" award at the end of this one. NOT!*

Aslynn is so smart! She amazes me every day with what she knows and understands.

She knows her different toys, her bink, her books, her snacks; if you ask her to go get a specific thing, she will! She will go look for it (for a short period of time - I mean, she's still has a short attention span - she gets distracted) find it, and bring it to you.

She stacks things - especially if she is holding them, in a specific way and order.

Z moves things to EXACTLY where she wants them - or moves them from EXACTLY where she doesn't want them, in some cases.

She hoards things; a couple of days ago Luke and I were cleaning out underneath the kitchen sink (her favorite spot in the whole house) and we found fruit snacks that she had hidden away in there.

She started whistling when she started walking. She only does it when she's walking though. I don't think that she knows she is doing it - still, a baby whistling is pretty impressive.

She shakes her head "No!" and most of the time it is because she really is saying "No!" There are times when she does it randomly - for example: She was flirting with Matt, and he said "You're a little young for me." She shook her head. Then again, maybe she does know what it means. WINK!

We are working on learning "please" in sign. I love how she is picking up on things and imitating us. If we say "please" in sign, she will start to copy.

She tries to put on her socks or her shoes and when she can't figure it out, she brings them to us for help.

If there is music, Z will dance.

She gets she cutest, biggest grin on her face when she does something she's proud of herself for doing.

She talks and talks and talks about everything and anything - if only we knew what she was talking about!

She's got almost four teeth now - the two middle bottom ones and the two that are on the sides of the two middle ones on the top (complicated wordage there...sorry) are just starting to poke through. She's going to look like a hillbilly who got their two top front teeth kicked out.

She gives hugs and kisses - especially to other little kids! I don't know what it is but she LOVES to give "loves" to any other kid she can grab.

*Too cute!*

Sorry this post is all about Z. We think that she is what makes our life interesting; we are pretty boring otherwise. We will report about our holidays after they all get done happening.

Wishing You & Yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Toddler Contract

I found this article in the July 2009 Parents magazine. It came from a book titled Sleep is for the Weak by Alice Bradley. (Now that I've adequatley cited where I got this article, I'm not as nervous about posting it; I could be breaking a copyright rule or something, you never know!)

I could see Z writing this...


"Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for your interest in remaining my parents. Below is a list of my demands.

The Toddler Contract

I Food

1. For breakfast, there will be only milk from my sippy cup while I'm watching television (see section II).

2. From Breakfast until what you probably call lunch, I will be provided with an unending supply of cookies. No arguments.

3. For lunch I will eat yogurt. Anything containing fruit on the bottom will make me pick out the fruit and throw it on the ground or else throw it up on your carpet.

a. So no fruit on the bottom.

4. From lunch until dinner I will enjoy having something to lick. Why not a lollipop? Why not seven?

a. Between licks, I may place the lollipop on your grandmother's Turkish rug. This will be okay with you.

5. For dinner I will have macaroni and cheese. Any attempts to give me vegetables in addition to the macaroni and cheese will result in tears.

a. And don't you dare hide anything in the cheese sauce, because, my God, how you will rue the day.

6. After dinner, you may provide me with ice cream.

a. No frozen yogurt. Trust me, I know the difference.

II Television

1. The TV will be on all the time, unless I say differently. You are to sit by my side, quietly, hands folded in lap, while I watch my shows.

a. You may arise to fetch me a snack.

2. No diaper changing or pleas to engage in physical activity will be tolerated during watching of television.

3. Turning off the television will result in much kicking and screaming.

III Toys

1. There will be many.

a. They will always be strewn about the house so that I may simply reach down and pick up a toy, no matter where I am.

b. They will be loud, complicated, and contain many small pieces. I enjoy shooting noises that go w-shoooop! or zim zim zim.

c. Nothing that results in any type of learning, please.

IV Friends

1. They should be available whenever I'm in the mood to use someone else's toys or ingest someone else's cookies.

a. These friends may not ever so much as look at my toys or cookie supply.

b. Ever, ever, ever.

V Sleep

1. Is when I say, where I say, and how I say. If I want to sleep upside down with my legs wrapped around your neck, then that's how it will be.

a. And you will enjoy it.

VI Affection

1. Occasionally I enjoy being hugged and kissed. I stress occasionally.

2. I will not be pelted with wet-mouthed assaults on an hourly basis. Should you feel the need to hug or kiss, you must provide me with a written request.

a. And then wait for me to offer my pudgy cheeks.

Signed (Cheerio)."