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Sunday, August 10, 2008

little girl, big changes

This past Monday our little girl turned 21 months old! Is it possible that we are going to be celebrating Miss Olivia's 2nd birthday in just three short months? Although she is not officially two we are definitely in the middle of some two year old actions and attitude. We have seen a lot of changes with Olivia recently.

With the fun changes, the challenging changes come as well. We are noticing a lot of resistance from Olivia when it comes to things that are associated with "babies"...like sitting in the stroller, car seat and high chair. I guess she thinks that being almost two qualifies as no longer being a "baby". She would prefer to get out and run than sit in a stroller. Aside from when we are taking a walk she does not want to be stuck in there. She also would prefer to sit next to the car seat in the back of the car than be strapped in. I had to tell her that it was illegal for her to sit there and she had to sit in her special seat. She looked at me funny, but agreed...thank goodness! She has also recently decided that it is much more fun to sit in the "big girl chair" at the dinner table, than to sit in her high chair. Although she does not give me much trouble about getting in her high chair when it is actually time to eat, I did allow her to eat her lunch in the "big girl chair" recently and she did great! Look at my little/big girl...how cute!

Although Olivia has been giving us some resistance lately she has also been cuter than ever lately! Her vocabulary continues to grow. She now says many short sentences. They usually contain two-three words but I can clearly understand what she is trying to say. What is amazing to me is how she figures out what words go with one another. The other day we were riding in the car and I started sneezing. As soon as I finished I heard a little voice from the backseat say, "bless you, mommy". How sweet is that? Not only is she super smart to have caught on to what you say after someone sneezes, but she is also very polite! The best thing about having such a big talker is that she can always tell me what she needs and wants. It can also be a bit annoying at times too...especially when she is begging for something she is not allowed to have. I am sure I will be at the receiving end of some back talking before long too!

We have been having some really nice weather this summer. And what better way to enjoy that weather than to spend a ton of time in Uncle VJ's pool! We bought Olivia a spiffy swim vest and we love it! It is comfortable for her and it is an excellent safety device. It has allowed her to become much more independent and comfortable in the water, which has given her much more confidence in the pool. She loves nothing more than to jump off the side, into my arms and swim to the other side of the pool. Her newest trick is to float. She says "foat" and dips her head back while I hold onto her. She only stays there for a split second, but will do it over and over. I am proud of how far she has come since we started swimming lessons in the spring and I think she is proud of herself too! We have had a great time swimming and hope to squeeze in a little more before the summer is over.

And lastly I must tell everyone that Olivia went to her very first tap class this week! Be still my heart! I have never seen anything so cute in my life! It is a pre-dance class held at the dance studio which was my second home while I was a kid...Northeast School of Dance. Every since I had my baby girl I have been itching to get a pair of tap shoes on her little feet. She is a bit young to take a class but we thought we would give it a try. If she likes it...great! If not, then we will stop and try again next year. Well after a little hesitation at first she warmed right up and had a great time! I hope to take some pictures one of these weeks, but I want her to get comfortable in the class first before I freak her out by taking pictures. I hope she continues to enjoy the class. It is a great activity for our little bundle of energy and it makes me proud to see those little toes a tappin'.

So our little girl has been changing, big time! I love watching her change! Yes, some of the changes have been challenging, but no one ever said that parenting was going to be easy. Plus, I think dealing with the challenges only makes the sweet moments more rewarding!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am happy to hear that Olivia is still a normal toddler and having good and bad days...She is still a doll and can do no wrong in my eyes.... Love Auntie Sue Sue

Anonymous said...

As Olivia's Nana, it is difficult for me to be objective, but I have never knows a toddler to have such a command of language. Her personality and her understanding of concepts amazes me.If dance class means as much to Olivia as it did to her Mommy, she will have something wonderful in her life.
Nana

Tiffany Leininger said...

Miss Olivia is doing so much! I love the pictures of her in the pool. It is hard to believe that she will be 2 soon. Enjoy all the changes, good and bad. I can wait to see tap pictures!

Tiffany

Anonymous said...

I cannot wait to see the pictures from Tap class. Way to start her young, she soon will put Savion to shame! :) Hope you all are well!

Love,
Nikki