Sunday, April 12, 2009

All About Anslie

At 18 Months
Favorite Foods: Fish sticks, Peas and Carrots, Freeze-dried apples, Chicken Nuggets, Asparagus, French Fries, Yogurt, Strawberries, and anything Chocolate.

Favorite Things to Do: Stack things inside of each other, climb on everything, walk on her own in public like a big girl, push her stroller and shopping carts, talk, dance, climb in her toy box, draw on her mini pad of paper with a mini pencil, walk around the house with a play cell phone attached to her ear, climb all over her mom and dad, hang out with Tess (the dog) and give her hugs, (occasionally) watch Blue's Clues, take everything out of drawers and off shelves and put them back again, and sit in her "big girl" chair at her "big girl" table.

Words: Mommy, Daddy, Tess, Sit, Go, No, Bye-bye, Eyes, Nose, Uh-oh, Wee!, More, Done, Please, Fish, Woof.

Cute Stuff: Anslie can blow kisses, kiss on the mouth (and even make the kissey noise), wave bye-bye, give big hugs, point to her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, run to her mommy and daddy when told to go get them, put things in the trash when told (and even when she isn't supposed to), show you her tummy by lifting up her shirt, play very nicely with other girls and boys, go down a little slide mostly by herself, blow bubbles with her bubble wand, color and draw for a short period of time, sit in her chair when asked to, and help put socks away while I am folding laundry.
Not So Cute Stuff: Anslie does not like to sit still for a single minute. She doesn't tolerate a stroller or high chair for very long and will usually go the opposite direction we want her to when we let her walk around in public. If she feels pressured to eat, she won't do it and will not only refuse to open her mouth, she swats at your hand, the spoon, or anything else coming toward her face. If she gets really upset, she makes sure whatever is within arms reach ends up on the floor or tossed across the room. Temper tantrums are frequent, as with all one and half year olds. But she throws some great big ones where she arches her back and throws herself head first into the ground. That, of course, makes her cry even harder. Not cute at all.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Mornings. Every morning when I get Anslie out of bed, we cuddle on the couch for a few minutes until she is ready to face the day. Hugs and kisses. I love how she will run across the room kissing at me until we make contact, and then keeps kissing over and over until she is finished. She runs off and then a few minutes later is back with more kisses. And the best feeling in the world is when she wraps her little arms around my neck and holds on tight. Bath time. Because I think it's her favorite time of day. She loves it when I scoop water up into a cup and then let it pour out into one long stream. She holds her hands under the water and watches in amazment, and then calls for more when the water runs out. Chit-Chatting. Anslie is a chatterbox and makes sure she is heard. She will walk over to you and squatt or bend over so that you are face to face, chatter, and then move on with life. And her inflection is incredible, especially for her age. She says something new almost every week, too. Watching her learn and grow. It is so amazing how quickly a child learns a new skill. Since last Friday I have made a point to take her to the park by our house for at least one hour every day and she is already sliding down the baby slide all by herself. Copy-catting. It is very endearing when I brush my teeth and Anslie wants to brush her's, when I eat a particular food and Anslie wants it too, even if it isn't kid friendly, and when I vaccuum and Anslie comes along behind me with her popper. The greatest form of flattery is imitation. Sleep. I love to sleep and I surely don't get enough, but it's the best when Anslie is soundly sleeping. Not only does she look so angelic, she also stays in one place, is quiet, out from under my feet, and I get some "me" time. Homecoming. Any time Kevin or I reunite with Anslie, even if we have only been gone for a few mintues, she shreaks with joy, dances, and covers her face in excitement when we return. It always makes me want to come home.

Happy Easter!


We had the nicest Easter weekend! On Saturday, the three of us headed up to Presidio Park in Mission Valley for an impromptu family photo shoot/Easter pics/Anslie's 18 month portraits. The weather was amazing; just perfect for pictures! It had been sprinkling off and on all morning so there was droplets of water decorating the plants and the sky was still overcast so it filtered out the sunlight. Anslie, of course, loved the extra room to run around in and all of the new things to look at (and mud to fall into). It was great!

We made a quick dash to Target for a new pair of pants for Anslie (see remark above) before heading to Chipotle for lunch. Now, anyone who has had a meal out with Anslie, or anyone who has an 18 month old, knows how hard that can be. She never wants to sit in her high chair, will eat very little, and generally delights in ripping apart anything she comes into contact with. There is always at least one temper tantrum and the meal usually ends up with one parent walking Anslie around the restaurant while the other stuffs their face as fast as they can. Miserable. But, yesterday was completely different! Anslie ate everything we put in front of her, stayed in her high chair the entire meal, and never once fought with us. Amazing!

After such a pleasant lunch, we were feeling brave and decided to head to Fashion Valley Mall. Shopping is another feat we struggle to accomplish with a one and a half year old in tow. Again, she refuses to sit so Kevin and I take turns holding Anslie and pushing an empty stroller. She wants to run...usually in the opposite direction of the way we want to go, and Anslie is on a mission to search and destroy every display that is at her level.

Again, something had come over Anslie yesterday and it was probably one of the easiest shopping experiences I have had with her. Not only did she sit in her stroller (almost) the entire trip, at one point she even fell asleep in it!!! She has only fallen asleep in her stroller MAYBE one or two other times in her entire life! On top of that, she even stayed put while we fed her "linner" - three quarters of a fillet o' fish patty and a whole snack size fruit and yogurt parfait from McDonald's. She never eats a full meal when we are in public (or at home for that matter)!

When we got home from our outing, we took Anslie and Tess on a walk, and then came home for some relaxation. Kevin got a little nap, I was able to check my email, and Anslie happily played by herself. When it came time for our real dinner, Anslie actually ate that too! A whole chicken nugget, part of her dad's hamburger and some french fries -- without throwing anything on the floor! I know this sounds normal to most of you, but you have to understand how frustrating meal times can be for our family.

A quick bath followed and then the munchkin was soundly sleeping and Kev and I decorated her Easter eggs before he headed off to work. Overall, such a wonderful day. No fights. No temper tanrums. No screaming or throwing food. Full tummies and no tears. Quite possibly the BEST Easter weekend I have ever had!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Lazy Beach Days

I know that it still feels like winter in most parts of the country. That's definitely one of the benefits of living in San Diego - we have already had "beach weather" for several weeks. These pics are from a stroll on the beach that Kevin, Anslie, and I took in early March. Paradise.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

A Silly Request

I definitely blog for my own enjoyment...but I also blog to make sure that I keep family and friends well informed on what is going on with our family so that no one feels left out and so that we can stay in touch with all of our loved ones. I would really love to know if anyone even reads this stuff! Don't worry...I will continue blogging even if nobody does. I would just like to know if what I am putting out there is being received. Leave a comment every once it a while. It lets me know you are still interested!