Spoon Fork Meow Quack

Dear Maya,

Just a quick update tonight. Everyone in the house has taken turns with a cold over the last couple weeks so we all need some sleep to make sure it doesn't make a second trip around!

You have a couple new skills to report. The first is helping to put away clean silverware. Mommy doesn't even know when you got tall enough to see inside the silverware drawer, but now you can and you know to put the forks, knives and spoons in the right sections. Wow! Now if you'd only stop taking them back out...

You've also learned a bunch of animal sounds all of the sudden. We can ask you what a cat, dog, bird, duck, and lion say and you give us the right calls. In the process of remembering all of those you seem to have forgotten what a pig says and answer "moo" more than "oink" but your overall progress is amazing!

these three photos by daddy!

Other words you've added to your vocabulary include snow, potato, spoon, heavy and car. In Japanese you've said strawberry and when we Skyped with your grandfather you called him 'ji-chan' to all of our delights. Best of all, you've said sentences such as "I see bubble," "I see moon," and "We're home." Swoon!

Okay, mommy is going to rest now. Love you and looking forward to a magical December with you!

Thankful for so much!

Dear Maya,

Just a quick post today about our lovely beginning to the holiday season.

Thankful we had a few more days of nice weather and mommy made sure to get you outside to enjoy them...

Thankful for some relaxing time indoors, too, especially with daddy having a few extra days off this week...

Thankful for Thanksgiving at your great-grandparents' house. The food was great as was the company...

Thankful you were good when taking pictures for your first passport. Some outtakes are hysterical, though!

This last one cracks me up!

Well, time for mommy to get some sleep. Love you!

P.S. You're gaining several words a day now, it seems. Some recent additions: moo (when asked what a cow says and sometimes what a pig says!), oink oink (sounds similar to honk honk), tortilla, kiwi, turkey, happy, Nanny, Poppy, this, 'bless you' (mostly after you sneeze yourself), 'you're welcome' (mostly when you should be saying 'thank you' instead) and you now say the Japanese words for apple, salt and tomato when watching your language DVDs!

Sweet and spunky Maya

Dear Maya,

You continue to surprise us daily with your sweet and spunky personality. This past Monday mommy took you to the park. You insisted on wearing this green headband that kept slipping off your head until mommy added the pigtails. You love hats, scarves, shoes and other accessories these days.

Previously at the park you had always been too afraid to go down the slide by yourself. This time there were lots of other kids there who were doing it, so you finally got up the nerve after several trips down with mommy. It did take a few minutes sitting at the top, working up the courage, and then...

Yesterday was also kind of a momentous day for you. After successfully putting you to bed the night before with no pacifier, mommy and daddy decided it was time. We took you to the dumpster and you threw in your binky and waved goodbye to it. We weren't sure you really understood, but then you said "All gone" and smiled and even did a little dance when we cheered for you. You did get a bit of a serious look on your face afterwards, but once we were inside you had already moved on to the next thing--snack time!

Finally, I have to share what a sweet little girl you are turning into. When mommy and daddy put you to bed at night, you initiate a group hug every single time! It melts our hearts! And now that you can say all the family's names you can be heard reciting them all the time, even in bed first thing in the morning. Each name has it's own special inflection--'mama' and 'baba' (daddy) rise, 'Matt' is said very quickly and strongly, 'Rhi' sounds much like "Whee!" and starts very high-pitched before falling, etc. It's so, so cute!

You love to go get pillows for everyone and
make them play sleep next to you, even in the kitchen!

 Well, mommy's going to get ready for bed now. Love you!

P.S. Your new words this week include: toe, soup, egg, fish (fishy), onion, sit, meow (your word for cat, and you sound just like a cat saying it!), rapido (thanks, Dora the Explorer!) and Foofa (your favorite character from Yo Gabba Gabba)... Looks like we've been watching too much TV! Your recognition has also greatly expanded thanks to sea creature bath toys and fruit and vegetable refrigerator magnets. Go, Maya!

It's Dancey Dance Time!

Dear Maya,

What a week we've had!

First, of course, was Aunt Kelsie's wedding last Saturday. You walked up the aisle with mommy and daddy since we were part of the bridal party, then you wandered around a bit. Daddy took you to sit with grandma and Papa Stan but after a bit I could see that you wanted mommy. To make sure you didn't completely disrupt the ceremony, I took you to the back of the church where you played quietly with a cousin's little girl. It was a lovely wedding and your antics were the perfect distraction so mommy didn't get too tearful!

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

I've never seen you so social as you were at the reception! It started off with you running circles around the dance floor and the flower girls chasing after you because they wanted to play. Eventually you warmed up to them and spent the rest of the night running circles around the dance floor with them. No one could believe how much energy you had and, the only couple times you stopped, how much you could eat! The best part for mommy and daddy was that you had a gaggle of little babysitters so we could relax and enjoy ourselves.

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

 photo courtesy of Jean Wheeler Photography

Don't worry Grammy--it's not champagne!

For a few days after the wedding we had some very necessary down time. Pajamas were worn long into the day. Naps were taken by all. Meals were simple. Errands and housekeeping were ignored. You really needed this time, too, since you had been so overstimulated for a while there.

The other day mommy found your books all lined up like this--
I guess you've got my organization genes!

Tuesday you joined mommy when she went to vote. You were very shy while I was registering, but when I went to write on my voting form you seemed to think it was time to color. It's a good thing mommy has quick reflexes or I might have voted for everyone!

Yesterday we took a little detour on our way to go grocery shopping and went to a nature conservation area. It was very cold but the views of the fields, mountains and river were beautiful. You had so much fun running around on the trails and playing with sticks that you didn't want to leave.

Well, mommy's got some errands to run today so I'd better get going. Love you!

P.S. Mommy forgot to include an update on your new words last week, so here's a list of what I can remember you've said lately: cupcake, hot, hat, shoe, honk honk (when 'honking' our noses), I did it, Where'd it go?, Matt, Rhi, Kelsie, Bobbie...