A Love Affair

As Olivia gets older she is beginning to show preference to certain things. There are particular books that she prefers to read. Out of all of her different colored blocks she likes to hold onto the orange ones...(not sure why). She has a little blanket that she likes to sleep with. And she is even starting to express displeasure with certain foods. But there are two things that Olivia seems to currently be having a love affair with...Elmo and Stuffy Bear.

She has been watching Sesame Street for quite a few months now. After watching the show for awhile she started to show some interest in Elmo. She would perk up whenever he would be on the screen. Elmo even has his own 15 minute segment at the end of each Sesame Street episode. It didn't take long before she became obsessed with Elmo. She would squeal in delight when he was on and would sit still during his whole segment. It is probably one of the few times the child sits still in the course of an entire day! After seeing how much she enjoys Elmo we went out and bought her an Elmo phone. She loves to press the buttons to hear his voice.

Better than the Elmo phone...we gave her a Tickle Me Elmo doll! Now I hate to admit it...but the doll belonged to me. Todd gave it to me many years back. I have always loved Elmo also and it was a cute gift at the time. But a 29 year old woman really does not have much use for a Tickle Me Elmo, so I saw it appropriate to pass it along to my daughter. And boy does she love it! When you press different parts of Elmo's body he talks, laughs and giggles. Press his nose and he sings a fun little song. This is Olivia's favorite part as you can see (please ignore the fact that I sound like a complete moron in the video clip)...

Her other obsession is her lovey...Stuffy Bear. I know that is a pretty lame name but it is appropriate. Stuffy is a bear that was crocheted by my Aunt Delia for Olivia before she was even born. He sat in her crib and waited for Olivia to cuddle with him. He is very soft and packed full of stuffing which is where the name Stuffy Bear came from. She has grown quite attached to Stuffy Bear and she cannot sleep without him. I know this is probably not a good thing, but it might be too late. We try to keep Stuffy in the crib and only give him to her at nap times and bedtime. But if we travel...of course Stuffy comes with us.

I have a feeling that Stuffy will one day have his arms and legs pulled off, from receiving too much love. But we will deal with that when it happens. He has already received a bath (gone through the washing machine) and he survived...thank goodness! It is sweet watching her with this bear. She truly loves him. When we ask her to give Stuffy loves she grabs him and squeezes him as hard as she can. Or sometimes she suffocates him by laying on top of him. Either way it is clear that she is attached and in love!

These past few weeks have been interesting. Things are changing around here. Olivia has become much more mobile and stubborn. Although it is amazing to watch her grown into a toddler it is also quite challenging. We are starting to witness what could be the beginning of the temper tantrums. It does not take much to for Olivia to be thrown into a frenzy. It typically involves her got getting her way...imagine that! Our job is to stay calm when she acts this way so we do not make the situation worse. She usually gets over it pretty quickly and returns to a happy place.

But don't get me wrong...she is still the sweetest little girl in the world. She is full of love and so interested in the world around her. Olivia may have a love affair with Elmo and Stuffy Bear but Todd and I are beyond in love with her!