Saturday, January 26, 2013

When it's cold outside...



Dear Maya,

As we enter the final stretch before our big trip, mommy and daddy are happy to report that you have been much more agreeable! It has been super super cold outside for much of the week so we've had to figure out ways to entertain you indoors in between our preparations. Here are a few moments from our week:

  • A side trip to Warren Street when we were shopping in Hudson...so many passersby complimented you on the beautiful cape from your grandparents in Japan!






  • Making pizza with daddy...you saw him put his apron on and asked for help with your own, then you took it upon yourself to flip the dough!






  • A play date with Wyatt and Emma at a children's museum...some favorites were the fire station, instrument corner, radio station, fossil dig sand pit and a locally-found mastodon skeleton!


 


Well, mommy's got to go empty all our memory cards so I can take lots of pictures of our trip! Love you!





Saturday, January 19, 2013

Big girl, big news!


Dear Maya,

We've been rolling with the punches (i.e. your moods) better this week now that we've figured out your new nap schedule. It's also helped to work in a couple of fun outings between our errands and continued trip preparations. Plus, we've been more careful to be attentive to you when you need us to play or just listen.




On Monday, mommy had an errand the next town over so we took advantage of the spring-like weather and explored a new park. You were so brave going down larger and larger slides without hesitation! Your pants were soaked by the end of it, but you had so much fun. We even met a new feline friend there.




On Wednesday we had an appointment to go get your blood drawn for your 2-year checkup. When the same nurse from last week's head-measuring fiasco walked in, we were doubly worried about how you'd react to her pricking your finger and squeezing out your blood. Boy, did you have us fooled! You sat still and quietly watched her do it! You! Still! Quiet! Daddy and mommy couldn't believe it and we were so, so proud of you. Plus, all the results came back perfectly fine. Awesome.

Tea party with mommy
Check out that raised pinky!
Tea party with bunny and octopus
Grocery shopping :)
Chatting with daddy
This morning, despite the chilly temperatures and wind, we decided to go out for a family hike. We paused here and there to take pictures, look at airplanes, and watch a cross-country skier and some dog-walkers, but otherwise you walked the entire hour and a half up and downhill by yourself. And napped well for it!

 

pic by daddy
pic by daddy

Two updates before mommy signs off for the night:
One is that your alphabet and numbers are getting more accurate and clearer every day! You've also added other songs to your repertoire such as our special naptime/bedtime song, the Clean Up song, "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Old Macdonald." Another cool thing you've started to do is 'read' books with mommy before naps and bedtime. They're the same books I've been reading for ages, so you know some of the words and most of the intonations I use when reading them, so you just plug along with me. It's really amazing!

You FINALLY tried on these adorable boots Grandpa got you...
granted it was over your footie PJs, but you made it work! 
And, you FINALLY started wearing this adorable apron mommy had made for you.
It is so fun to see you 'cooking' away in your little kitchen!
Aren't these felt veggies from our friends in Maryland adorable???
The second update is about our trip--we're going to Japan! In a week and a half we'll be flying to Tokyo, where we'll stay a couple days and see some family members. Then we'll fly down to Nagasaki where you'll meet your grandparents for the first time! We'll spend about three weeks with them, then spend a couple days in Osaka to see a few other family members before flying home. Mommy and daddy are nervous about travelling with you, but we're so excited to introduce you to everyone and everything!

Your hysterical birthday present mashup idea:
rolling your shopping cart back and forth across your giant floor piano mat!
 It doesn't sound as awful as you'd think...
Army crawling across the piano
Dramatically reclining on the piano
Well, mommy is pretty tired so it's time to sign off. Love you!



Sunday, January 13, 2013

Cute, Clever, Moody, Two


Dear Maya,

It's been a bit of a trying week around here and we're only just beginning your terrible terrific twos.

First on Monday we went for your two-year checkup. You were in a great mood until we left the crayons and toys of the waiting room and headed for the scale and the examination room. You screamed and arched your back so much when the nurse tried to measure you that she thought you shrunk an inch. We had to reweigh and remeasure you and it turns out you're a VERY healthy weight and height--maybe too much so. Luckily you like the doctor much more than the nurses as you calmed right down as soon as she came in.





A lot of this week we've all been in a funk. Mommy and daddy have been a bit stressed planning a big upcoming trip (more details soon) and haven't paid you as much attention as you'd like. In typical toddler fashion, you've been acting out your frustration by throwing toys, yelling and crying. We played in the snow on Tuesday and that cheered you up a bit, but your moodiness came right back. Yesterday mommy was going to take you to the park for a while, but just as we left the post office it started to rain.




Instead, we headed to a nice local diner for an impromptu mommy/daughter date. You sat in a booster seat instead of a high chair, you drank from a lidded cup since we forgot your sippy cup at home, and you enjoyed coloring on the big menu and eating sweet potato fries. I can't say your good mood continued for much more than a few hours after we got home, but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe we can make this a little tradition, at least for these cold winter months when park trips are harder to plan.




Well, mommy is pretty run down today with a bit of a cold and dealing with your moods again. Here's hoping for an upswing on the Maya roller coaster soon!

Love you!


P.S. The GOOD NEWS in this post is that all of the sudden, out of nowhere, you can sing a lot of the alphabet! And "Jingle Bells"! And you can say most of your numbers up to 13! And today when daddy jokingly said "uno" you bowled us over by saying "dos"! That last one is no doubt thanks to Dora the Explorer and/or Sesame Street, but the rest I guess you've just been storing in your head whenever we've sung/counted with you and suddenly decided to produce on your own. We are amazed and proud of you!
Check out the video below--it's dark and you're being a little silly, but you get the gist...