Alexandria will grow up to be strong. Younger siblings probably always do. The occasional spoon to the head, poke, push, pinch and just being sat on makes her pleasantly tolerant to little pains. Having said that?
Anna Laura doesn?t always intend to hurt Alexandria, but sometimes accidents happen. I have started to notice Alexandria catching on to our responses. She will feel the small smack, look to me and if I am looking, she cries. She?s strategic; poor Anna Laura.
I can remember when Anna Laura surprised me by switching the toy in one hand to the other hand when I was putting on her shirt. It was an impressive application of a memorized routine. I noticed Alexandria do that for the first time this morning.
Anna Laura can, with a fork or spoon, eat a whole meal all alone.
Today I actually heard Alexandria switch from ?d? to ?b? to ?m? in the correct order while I was referencing dad, bottle and mom. She wasn?t talking, but she seems to have some control over her constantans.
Alexandria breaths heavy when she is excited, ?pant pant pant.? It?s a funny quirk, but lately we?re finding Anna Laura going ?pant pant pant? in a shameless attempt to redirect some of the ?oh, it?s a baby? attention from the people around her.
Kyndall has taught Anna Laura to answer a few fun questions. They include, ?What?s your name?? ?Where are you from?? ?How old are you?? and the crowd pleasing ?What?s one plus one?? 3 out of 4 times, she gets them right, and it?s a real treat.
Alexandria flung herself off the bed (our bed) this morning ? I caught her. She?s fearless.
Anna Laura is really starting to sing. Sometimes, when she is in a particularly choral mood, I will ask her what she wants to sing and she will pull from her limited repertoire, such as ?Twinkle Twinkle,? ?The Itsy Bitsy Spider,? and her eternal favorite ?ABCD.? She can easily say each and every letter in the alphabet ? as long as she is singing.
Speaking of singing, Anna Laura also enjoys the repetitious game of b-i-n-g-o, you know, there was a farmer who had a dog? Anyway she can, now unprompted, insert the appropriate ?n-g-o? or whatever is needed to fit into the song all the way up to the entire word. It?s fair to say it is the first word she learned to spell.
I have no doubt that when we actually write it down, Kyndall and I will agree Alexandria?s first word was indeed ?hi.? She is greeted by the word from the moment she wakes up by her sister, and I even catch myself saying it to her. I swear I have heard her say it back ? she definitely waves back.
Alexandria can go to sleep with a single song at night. Anna Laura needs about four books and three songs, but I love to read to her.
I forgot about the time when, with Anna Laura, a primary way of communicating was by smiling. She still smiles, of course, but Alexandria is in that time now and it is very rewarding to interact with her. ?She?s a very happy baby.? We hear that a lot.
Anna Laura interrupted tonight?s dinner prayer to remind me to pray for the meat.
Anna Laura can now navigate stairs without a second thought. In the time I can get a drink of water and she has disappeared to another floor. On the promise of a cartoon, she shattered my previous assumption that she was fastest going up. Without question, she is down-the-stairs proficient.
Time Out is nothing fun, at least it isn?t supposed to be, but it?s something Anna Laura is getting to know very well. She?s past 18 months, the time we were waiting to spank, but we have never gotten to that yet. Time Out, to Anna Laura, is mostly daddy saying ?Don?t talk? ?Don?t turn around? ?Don?t lay down? ?Don?t slide backwards? ?Don?t kick the wall? ?Sit down? ?Sit up? and a litany of other seemingly impotent commands.
This is a great time in their lives.
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