Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Carys is 22 Months & I'm 27 Weeks

Time is just flying by, and I can't believe that in the next few months we'll be celebrating our sweet girl's 2nd birthday and bringing home her baby sister!  We have been working hard on Carys's new big girl room and getting things ready for little sister.  We've also been squeezing in a lot of fun too, so blogging has taken a back burner.  

I'm finally ready to start getting caught up though!  So, first of all our 22 month old....



It's crazy to me how grown up she looks in this picture.  This is her "cheese" face.  She loves to say "cheese" for the camera and then she says "see!" because she wants me to show her the picture after I take it.  Makes it a little difficult to take a good shot because as soon as I hit the shutter she's running up to me saying "see!"


Carys has changed SO much in the last few months.  Her vocabulary expands every day and interacting with her is so much more fun.  She repeats everything she hears (including her mother saying "Oh crap!") So, we are trying to be a little more responsible with the words we choose, knowing we have a little parrot soaking everything up!


Speaking of soaking everything up, there was a short little window (right around 18 months) where I was starting to worry about Carys not talking.  She said just a handful of the same words she had been saying for months... Dada, Mumma, all done, more, ball, and a few others, even though I was really working with her trying to get her to add new ones.  She has always loved to read, and between our growing collection (thanks Grandpa H & Grandma A) and weekly visits to the library, we've never been short on new stories to keep her entertained.  Well, I can finally see the benefits of reading first hand and it's amazing.  It literally seemed like as soon as Carys decided to start adding more words, there was an explosion in the number of words she was saying (I tried writing them all down, but quickly lost track).  And the coolest part was she was not only saying the words that we were "practicing" with her, but all of the sudden she was naming things like umbrellas and walruses (more on that later) that we don't use in everyday language & had no clue she knew!  I know all this came from reading and music.  And I say music, because as soon as she started really talking, she started singing too!  Last night while I was giving Carys a bath, she started singing her own montage of the ABC's, Row Your Boat, and Oh, Happy Day.  She also makes up her own songs and these typically include some of her favorite sayings, like "no way" or words like "paci".  It's absolutely hilarious and melts our heart at the same time! 


Carys is also quite the character.  She loves to say "hi" and "bye" to people we see in the store, and when family or friends come to visit it doesn't take her long to go into entertaining mode.  She loves to do her handstands and stretches that she learned in gymnastics.  She'll run and jump all over the house all while yelling, "Yun" and "Jump".  She also likes to dance and anytime she hears music, she'll start shaking it!  Scott and I are both pretty reserved, so my mom has said she did not expect our child to be so entertaining!  
Carys does have a pretty serious side too though and when she's in new surroundings or has a new toy, she'll put on her serious face (which she totally gets from her father) and is very reserved while she investigates or observes what is going on.  It's been fun watching her transition during storytime at the library.  The first few weeks, she just hung back and watched.  Now she loves to run around and dance with the rest of the kids! 


Carys has really started playing more on her own.  Her favorite toys are her stuffed animals she loves to tell them, "Sit Down" and make them all sit in a row.  True to her firstborn nature - she can be a little bossy!  
Also like a firstborn, she has become pretty stubborn.  She likes to make decisions and can be overly dramatic when she doesn't get her way!  We are still learning how to deal with her tantrums, but thankfully for now sending her to her room seems to work the best.  It's pretty hilarious because she can be throwing a full-on fit and we'll tell her to go to her room.  She'll go, shut the door behind her, and then come out less than a minute later with a huge smile on her face and say "hi!" like nothing happened!  

In spite of our occasional meltdowns, Carys really is such a joy and it's been so much fun watching her learn and seeing her personality develop.  We feel so blessed every day to be her parents!


I'm 27 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks
Size of baby: Almost 2 pounds and about 14 1/2 inches long, about the size of a head of cauliflower
Maternity Clothes: Yes. I'm still stretching some regular shirts over the belly, but it's getting more difficult (see photo above!)
Gender: Baby girl, yet to be named.  We'll likely wait to decide until she's born.
Movement: All the time!  She is very active, especially at night and makes it hard for me to fall asleep.  
What I miss: Not gonna lie, on hot days I wouldn't mind sipping on an ice, cold beer!
Cravings: Anything peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies!  Also, American cheese.  This is really strange because I don't think I've eaten American cheese since I was a kid, but I saw some grocery shopping and had to buy it. (I also may have eaten about 3 slices on the less than 5 min drive home)
Symptoms: Okay, this is weird (and maybe TMI), but I've literally felt like someone has kicked my butt - my tail bone has been pretty sore.  Also, I feel like I have heartburn a lot of times in my left lower ribs - I think she may have something (her head?) jammed up there!
Best Moment this week: Picking up her crib and realizing how soon we will meet her!  

Well, I think I rambled enough for today, but I'll be back soon to share about our trip to Orlando, the Zoo-de-Mackinac & our adventures in home improvement! 

Have a great day!

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