Blashes of Frilliance

Conversations & Imagination with Our Lil Girl

I had one of those - Holy Crap! - moments today.  After a pretty grueling day of chasing after both of our wee ones, I was exhausted by the time I got ChickPea ready for bed.  She was being good and was already reading books in her room while I put Lil Man to sleep.  I got into her room and she had her Bert & Ernie's New Kitten book out.  Here's our conversation:

Me - Do you want to read Bert & Ernie's Kitten tonight?
CP - Yes!
Me - OK.  What does the kitten say?
CP - Meow...  Baby Jaguar.
Me - Does Baby Jaguar (a character in a cartoon she likes) say meow?
CP - Yes!  Baby Jaguar.  Help!  Stuck Tree!
Me - Baby Jaguar needs help?  He's stuck in the tree?
CP - Yes! Oh no... Falling down.  Tree.  Ahh...... (and she crashes to the floor scrunching up her nose to her mouth and talking like Willis, saying "Oh no")

Now, this is weird for me on many levels.  One, that it is becoming so clearly evident that we're having conversations like this all the time now and that they just came out of nowhere.  And they happen without as much clarification and "I don't know what you're saying, sweetie" 's.  The conversations come more quickly now, more like adult conversations rather than baby babble. I mean, yesterday she was saying "ba ba" for ball, right?

She also surprised me with some weird pattern-seeking talent this morning.  I usually give her a piece of my toast in the morning - I just rip a piece off since she eats so little of it.  Well, today she just studied it and turned it this way and that as though something was wrong with it.  I asked her if her toast was ok.  She said "Ephant" (which means elephant).  I clarified - "An elephant?"  She says "Yes, elephant".  I say, "Where?"  She says "In toast.  See?" and holds it up to my face.  I about lost it.  I then asked her "Well, where is the head?"  and she quickly responded "Here".  It really did resemble the shape of an elephant. 

And then I hold my Lil Man who just sits and smiles and watches and I can't help but wonder how he'll make me smile when he's older.  For today, I tell him a bazillion times a day that "You're too freakin' cute" and I never put him down and how wonderful it is that he is so quiet and just happy.  I guess I can learn a thing or two from him, too.  =)

Potty Training Here We Come!

So, I go in to wake up my darling little daughter from her nap which was running a bit long.  I quietly open the door and walk up to her crib so I can sneak a peek of her napping while she's still so little - or to marvel at how big she's gitting and how much of her crib she now fills up.  Anyway, I don't make it as far as the crib before I notice a diaper on the railing of the crib.  It's not neatly rolled up as you would expect a diaper that is just laying about to be - not that I would ever expect to see a diaper out like this.  Oh no, it's face up and wide open just flopped over the rail like a wet towel.  And it's POOOPY! 

Now, my mind is going... Hmmm?  What's this?  Maybe B got distracted while changing her diaper and had to go manage the other baby?  Well, if that were the case wouldn't he have at least come back and put a diaper on her and not left her bare naked butt up in the air to sleep?  And not left a poopy diaper draped over the rail?  So, I pick it up and walk it (the diaper, that is) downstairs and ask my husband about the offending article.  He has no clue.  At this point, we start cracking up.

It appears our little baby girl didn't like being in a poopy diaper before naptime and took it upon herself to remove her diaper (which she's never done before) and carefully lay it on the rail as if to shame us as soon as we walk in for having left her in such a state for her nap.  I'm just impressed that she got the diaper off without getting a speck of poo anywhere in her crib or even the rail!  And then somehow managed to carefully lay it on the rail so it wouldn't fall in or out of the crib.  And then, fall asleep with her tiny little butt up in the air for 2.5 hours so as to not touch anything with her dirty butt.  Poor baby....

So, with this and a few other "little" hints our baby girl has been giving us, I think we are ready to commence the potty training games.  Oh joy..... :)

Our Lil' Chickpea is growin' up

Yes, she's eating sand. 

But then she smiles like this.....

And then takes after her Attie in her fascination of jumping "froggies" named Fred and demands that they come "here right now".   Wonder where she got that phrase.... ?  hmm....

And then properly celebrates the Cinco de Mayo like we all should!

And I won't even show you the photo of her opening the CHILD PROOF-LOCKED cabinets.  Oh yes,  she's doing it so often now I was able to get it on film!  Ughh...

Family Visit

Well, the family descended upon our humble abode to share in the delight of family-related things.  We had a great uncle, a great aunt, a grandma (or Nana as she likes to be called), a great grandma, a great Papa (or BabaBurt as ChickPea called him), a great-great Aunt, an Attie (auntie to those who don't know who Chick Pea's favorite person in the whole world is right now, me, B, ChickPea and Lil Man.  Phew... 

Not much other than planning what to do and then the actual execution of one of our long wish-list of to-do's happened in a day, but it was great to have everyone here to visit.  ChickPea thought her Uncle Kenny was too funny since he knows all of those little tricks to get people to smile.  Every morning, she'd ask for her BabaBurt and June all strung together like they were one person.  Well, they kind of are... :)  She enjoyed playing with Auntie 'Resa and her funny hat all week.  Here are some of my favorite photos and although I'm not the professional photographer in the family (hint, hint) :) ....., I think some turned out pretty cute.

Little Man is Here!!

Our newest and final member of the Watson brood finally arrived on Feb 15th.  He came a few weeks early so he is a bit on the small side but is healthy.  Chick Pea has been spending lots of time with her Auntie while we all get adjusted. She has nicknamed her little brother "Tiny" and is obsessed with kissing him, seeing him, seeing his toes and kissing him sime more. 

Here are a few of my favorite pics from the last few weeks.......

Tis the Season

 Chick Pea was introduced again to Santa, otherwise known in our house as the "Ho Ho Man".  Guess she doesn't yet realize that she's short one Ho.  The Big Guy didn't seem to mind, though, and did a great job in making ChickPea comfortable.  She was pretty serious during the whole photo shoot - no tears and no smiles, all business. 

And then it snowed!  In the mall!  And Daddy was running and running and that's when the fun began!

Auntie Stephie decided we should bake some Christmas cookies and so we busted out the pre-made sheets of cookie dough (yes, we're that bad) and showed our girl how its done. 

Happy Halloween!

ChickPea's first real Halloween adventure was definitely a "southern" experience.  We were accosted by mosquitoes due to some freak storm that threatened to roll through but never did.  Apparently, the mosquitoes didn't get the memo and showed up for the party anyway!

But, the evening was about the lil' ones and boy were they cute.  Chick Pea's new crush, Thomas, lives next door and came appropriately disguisued as... Thomas *The Train*!!! :)

Once Thomas left for his "grown up" Halloween evening elsewhere (yes, he is an older boy and yes, we will keep an eye on them!) ;).... ChickPea decided to go see if her buddy, Isabella, was around.  There was no stopping her once she decided that was where she wanted to go.

After a brief distraction of beating our poor neighboors Halloween decorations to death, we carefully explained to ChickPea that she was supposed to knock on the door and say Trick or Treat.

And indeed she did figure out the art of the knock-knock.  Trick or Treat... well, she waited until we got back to the house and eating dinner before she said it.  But, yes... she DID say it and we were floored!  It sounded like 'tick uuuhh teee" but we both stopped what we were doing and laughed because we got it. 

Once inside, ChickPea was so excited to see her buddy that she wouldn't stop trying to give her hugs and kisses.  As you can see, Isabella was doing her best to be patient and polite.  What a trooper!!  And look how cute they are!!

Once we headed out, the girls had a good time running in the streets while the Daddy's wrangled them from house to house.  As you can see, ChickPea didn't want to stop her newfound talent of knock-knocking and once someone opened their door, she decided she must go in and have a sit-down.  Oh yes, she wanted to go hang out in each and every home! :)  All in all, it was a short but great night for her first big Halloween adventure.  I think she might remember some of it by next year as she woke up this morning and the first thing she said to me was "Boo" and gave me a big smile. 

All Time Favorite Pics

These are officially two of my all-time favorite photos now.  She really is her Daddy's little girl...

Chick Pea's late Summer

The photo journal of Miss ChickPea continues. :)  Here are some new, fun photos I am horribly late in posting. This first one of her in the chinese pot was too funny because she refused to get out of it and was playing peek-a-book with us for about an hour.  She was too pleased with herself...!

This is a new face that she's learned - not her most attractive, charming, come-hither face but still cute.   She's practicing the "Whatchu talkin' 'bout" face....

With my mom, Nana, recently having moved from Seattle to be closer to us, Chick Pea has had the joy of learning "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and enlists us to sing it over and over and over again.  If we don't, she'll give us this hand signal to ensure we know what she is wanting - or maybe she's warding off evil spirits with the charms of her favorite song.  We'll never know for sure!

As you can see, once Itsy Bitsy Spider is sung, she turns a little saucy......

Nana has been giving lessons on the virtues of looking your best, so Chick Pea has taken to loving accessories including hats.  Here she's showing off a well-worn sunhat before we head into Fall....  We also have one very cute fairy princess.  She was just chillin' at her Daddy's office Halloween party, waiting for the other munchkins to arrive.