About Our Katie » December 2006 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

< > December 2006

Sun, Dec 31, 2006 10:00 PM
I finally uploaded all the photos from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Murphys and our Fanelli visits in the days after.

Even though the holidays have come and gone, Katie is still requesting that Mariah Carey "bay-bet dong" (we've repeatedly told her it's gone till next year). After weeks of saying she'd visit with Santa "later," she's now saying "I sit Ho Ho lap" (yeah, sure; we'll believe it when we see it!). And every day she's still asking for multiple readings of "The Night Before Christmas"--which she has started to memorize. When you read it aloud to her, she will fill in some pretty impressive (to us, anyway) words, including "kerchief," "clatter," and "shutters." All things considered, she actually has the first parts down pretty well. In fact, she recites that as her request for one or both of us to read her the whole book:

"Night 'fore Kit-mutz, Daddy, all true houtz, not kee-ter e'en MOUTZ! Tocking hung chimney care... hope... NICK... Read it, Daddy! Read it!"

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Sun, Dec 24, 2006 2:30 PM
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I know I've been lax about updating, but we've been busy with all of our houseguests and general Christmas preparations.

To put it mildly, Katie is excited about both. She's quite literally bouncing off of everything; one night she wouldn't go to sleep until a record-breaking 10:30 (ugh!) and she's skipped more than one afternoon nap. However, she's having a blast with "Gan," Paw-Paw, Uncle "Merp," and "Nepf" (Steph) around. (Until this visit, she hadn't seen Stephanie since Thanksgiving 2004. You'd never know it, though; Katie took to her immediately and will hardly give Steph a moment's peace!)

Among other things, Katie is enjoying playing "hockey" (Yahtzee) with her uncle and soon-to-be aunt, conducting class on a ladybug blanket "mat" ("Dit DERE, Daddy!"), and instructing us to do "Ring Ro-dey," which ends with everyone falling down and tickling her ("Moh Katie tickle!").

I have photos on various cameras that I need to download and upload. I'll try to do a thorough photo update tomorrow.

* * * *

About three weeks ago, we (well, I) misplaced our spare Toyota key and remote. I had halfheartedly looked for it but wasn't too concerned, despite Steve's usual doomsday grousing and grumbling ("We're going to be in BIG trouble when we need that key, and we are NOT just ordering a new one, NO WAY..."). Of course, secretly, I figured I would just order a new one. And so, when my car was in for routine maintenance on Wednesday, I inquired about the cost. The bottom line for equipment and programming: $210.

Hell-o.

Suddenly I launched a full-scale search--following up with The Little Gym and the bagel shop we'd visited the day the key went missing. I also enlisted my mother to inspect my car and our coat closets. Anyway, after we turned up nothing, my mom asked if I'd asked KATIE about the key.

I pooh-poohed the idea, but as it turns out, she was right on. A few days later, while putting away a puzzle, my mom found the lost key and remote. They were on a shelf in the kitchen china cabinet--which is where we store our keys. But since we keep them in a drawer that Katie can't reach, she just "put it away" on a shelf she can!

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Thu, Dec 14, 2006 10:23 PM
Katie's favorite Christmas-song lyrics: "Dabbing buddha know." It's a line you might know better as "Dashing through the snow." Even though I've now heard her version about 100 times, it always takes me a minute to "get" her song request. Also, I must say that her pronunciation of "Jingle Bells" sounds a lot like "Take a bow." And, oddly enough, she is adamant that "Dashing through the snow" and "Jingle Bells" are two different songs. (I get in trouble anytime the former morphs into the latter: "No, Mommy! Dabbing buddha know!")

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Wed, Dec 13, 2006 2:00 PM
I just returned from my first official parent-teacher conference.

The short summary is this:

Katie is quick and tenacious and often demonstrates leadership qualities among her peers. Her speech is taking off and her ability to respond to verbal cues is improving, as well. Her potty training is on track, too. Her only issue is that she "wants to be the teacher." Sometimes, her peers aren't happy about her corrective measures and push or bite her to keep her away.

Now, here's the long, anecdotal version for you die-hard readers:

* The teacher said most of the students love to be first in line. Katie is no exception. Recently she shoved her way to the front and then turned to face her "subjects" with a big, self-satisfied grin. In response, one of her classmates staged a coup, which Katie thwarted with a shove and a proclamation of, "NO! I first!" When the teacher reminded Katie that it wasn't nice to push a friend, Katie rubbed the friend's back and said, "I dorry" with great caring and compassion. She then resumed her place at the head of the line and reiterated, "I first." (There's a potential corporate executive if I ever saw one...)

* The teacher remarked on Katie's "tunnel vision" (which she demonstrates at home all the time, too): "She locks in on something, and buddy, she's goin' through the DESERT 'till she meets her goal."

* The teacher said she's slowly cracking the code on how to get Katie to respond. She said two hot-button words are "favor" and "nice." She said if she tells Katie, "I need you to do me a favor! Can you XYZ?" she gets a MUCH better response than when she simply says, "Katie, can you please do XYZ?" She said Katie also reacts positively to suggestions that involve her being nice.

* Back in November, there was a case of head lice in the school. The teacher asked me if we have been checking her at home a lot, and I told her no, not at all. Apparently, they only checked the kids once, maybe twice, in front of each other. But ever since, Katie has been conducting her own inspections of her peers using plastic magnifying glasses.

* The teacher said Katie often alerts her when classmates are breaking the rules--for instance, throwing sand in the sandbox. She said that Katie seems to have the best of intentions, and is often helpful in preventing bad situations, but that the classmates sometimes get fed up. The teacher said she is concerned when Katie is pushed or bitten over these incidents (we didn't really identify a plan of action for changing the behavior, though).

* At the end, I told the teacher that Katie seems to really love school, talks about her friends often, and gleefully announces "MY gooo!" whenever we ride by at night. I said I think Katie would be bored being home alone, and her teacher gave me a "no-duh" look and said, "Yeah, her wheels are ALWAYS spinning." Nothing wrong with that--and definitely better than the alternative!

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Tue, Dec 12, 2006 10:16 PM
Steve is away on business again tonight, so Katie and I had dinner at Moe's (it's quickly becoming our tradition, since he doesn't love it as much as we do). At any rate, Katie is now much better in restaurants. For the most part, she sat in the booth and ate her "kay-tuh-dee-ya" and "dow-keem." When another child would enter, she'd say earnestly, "Mommy, I 'hi' lil' girl, kaaaay?" She's a self-appointed welcoming committee, it seems.

After dinner, we headed to Doylestown to visit with my friend Susan and her husband, son, and Corgi. Since Katie hadn't seen them in quite some time, I thought she might take awhile to warm up. HA! Instead, she dove right in and had a ball interacting with the dog and the people--who graciously played along with numerous Katie-style "games" involving hiding, throwing dog toys, moving ottomans, and opening and closing doors...

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Sun, Dec 10, 2006 9:30 PM
Tonight Katie was giving Steve yet another haircut and style. When she was finished, he said, "What do I owe you?" Her reply: "Two monies."

* * *

Katie's eye for detail continues. While having our customary Saturday-morning bagels, she spotted a woman wearing a plaid scarf similar to mine. She giggled, pointed, and announced, "Mommy!"

Tonight, as we walked into the "pee-duh" parlor, she spotted the nail salon where Danielle and I went last Sunday. (Katie and Steve stopped in for a brief visit before her naptime.) A week later, and even though the salon was dark, she pointed and announced, "Mommy nail done!"

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Thu, Dec 7, 2006 8:45 AM
We kept Katie home from school yesterday following two days of a low-grade fever, two nights of crying at 2:30 a.m., and some very out-of-character lethargy. On top of that, yesterday morning, she kept tugging at her right ear and saying, "Eee-uh hurt."

So Steve took her to the doctor and, sure enough, she has an early-stage infection in the right ear. The doctor said to get her started on a course of amoxicillin right away and she'd be fine to go back to school this morning. Steve claims she was "a little lady" at the pediatrician's office.

Well, that lethargic little lady had completely disappeared by the time she and I went to Wegmans to drop off the prescription and do some light shopping. We also dropped off some prescriptions that Steve needs for his oral surgery tomorrow. And that's where our trouble began: A mistake on one of his prescriptions caused a major delay, which resulted in us being stuck in Wegmans for an hour and a half. If you're alone in that store for that long, it could actually be enjoyable--dare I say RELAXING. But Katie was all jacked up on I-don't-know-what, and it was literally my worst and most embarrassing parental experience to date.

Katie seemed to be channeling her Paw-Paw who, as a tot, was so hyper that a doctor once offered to put HIM on tranquilizers so my grandmother could get some rest. Little Paw-Paw also had a penchant for purposely evading his mother in public places--a skill that Katie has already mastered.

Other "skills" she exhibited--usually while I was stuck standing in a long line or signing for merchandise--include:

* Jumping, skipping, and galloping in the frozen food aisles while proclaiming, "I dump! I gip! I gilly-up!"

* Running in circles through the health and beauty section while the pharmacist was attempting to talk with me about Steve's problematic prescription.

* Knocking over a display easel.

* Opening every freezer door, placing her nose on the glass, and then slamming them closed.

* Spending an inordinate amount of time in the restroom area repeatedly touching the doors and explaining how Daddy uses the "men ba-toom."

* Walking alone to the opposite end of the (very large) store and inviting all sorts of "tsk-tsk-tsk-what-kind-of-mother...?" expressions from middle-aged women peering over their reading glasses (little did they know that by that point, I was half hoping someone would nab her).

Needless to say, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. And even THAT was a debacle, as she stiffened up and refused to sit in the shopping cart.

Now, about those tranquilizers...

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Tue, Dec 5, 2006 3:00 PM
This time last year, Katie really enjoyed listening to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You"--especially since Steve would always bang on the dashboard as the beat accelerated.

When we broke out the disc this year, we were eager to see how Katie would respond to the song. Her initial reaction was, well, underwhelming--until Steve reminded her that it was her favorite song last year and commenced with the dashboard-banging (any sort of roughhousing is always met with great enthusiasm).

Anyway, now we've created a complete monster! As soon as she's buckled into her car seat, she demands, "My bay-bet dong!" After it's played once, she again proclaims, "Mo' bay-bet dong!" And she's not easily persuaded that other people should have a turn to hear THEIR favorite songs. Her stock response: "NO! MY bay-bet dong!" Sigh.

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Mon, Dec 4, 2006 4:35 PM
At this moment, Danielle, Katie, and Angel are in the powder room. Danielle is on the big toilet. Katie is on the training potty. Angel is in the middle.

If only I could take a picture...

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Mon, Dec 4, 2006 10:30 AM
On Friday evening, Steve, Katie, and I went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner. Our server was, of course, Danielle. Shortly after we sat down, I showed Katie the drawings on the kids' menu and gave her three choices: grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, or pasta with tomato sauce. She pointed to the mac and cheese and then carried on with her coloring book and "dickers."

When Danielle came to take our order, Steve placed his first. Before I could say a word, Katie (who was sitting in the middle) piped up and ordered for herself: "Mat-a-oni teez!" Maybe it was just because her sister was the server, but we were still pleasantly surprised at her initiative.

Later in the meal, I discovered that Steve has been teaching Katie how to use a fork and steak knife. She gets the concept, but she can't quite do it yet; she keeps putting the fork in her right hand and the knife in her left. At any rate, he was letting her cut some bread on his plate. He glanced away for a moment and then saw a layer of red all over Katie's hands. I thought he was going to have a heart attack before he realized she had merely knocked over his tiny bowl of ketchup! (Mimi, where are those aspirins?! :-D)

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates
Fri, Dec 1, 2006 9:30 AM
A couple of quick ones:

* Steve, Katie, and I grabbed a quick dinner at Wegmans last night. As always, we took the elevator upstairs. While in there, an elderly woman said to Katie, "Are you three, or are you two?" Katie didn't say anything in response--she just pointed to the "2" button in the elevator.

* Whenever I am putting Katie's hair into a ponytail, I hold the hair band in my mouth. Lately, she's been grabbing it out of my mouth while saying "Toke! Toke!" in a very concerned tone. I'm not sure how to convince her that I won't choke, but it's good she knows not to stick things in HER mouth.

Comments:

Add a comment:

Name: Email:
Comment:

Notify me of scrapbook updates