20 months

20 months with Buster Bear

We've emptied what used to be the guest room and had an almost completely empty room (except for this chair that was on its way to a yard sale) getting things ready to paint and move furniture to Nad's new room. But she LOVES the chair. She wants to sit in it and play in it and read in it all day. So I'm definitely not convinced, but the chair may have a longer lifespan in our family to come... we'll see. Nadia is very excited about her new room, especially about it being "pink!"

She reads or brings to us to read to her no fewer than 30 books a day. She spends HOURS everyday with books. Regular trips to the library are a must, though she still loves all of her old favorites the most.

Nadia in her teeny bikini.

My 13 year old Nadia flashed before my eyes in this moment. She looked so grown up. We definitely don't want to rush it!

Playing dress-up. She insisted on giving Daddy a fashion show of all her dress-up outfits while he was working outside.

Isn't this the perfect summer look? Boots and shorts? She was so proud because she picked out and put the boots completely by herself!

In the process of transitioning the guest room, I took down the curtains. She found them and immediately turned them into dress-up wear - a toga, a cape, a royal robe.

Uncle Jor came to visit this weekend - a few days before his birthday. Nadia helped stir, pour, ice and sprinkle this cake for him.

Some of her latest -

She knows lots of colors! She picked out 5 shades of pink crayon and identified them as "pink" from the 48 crayon box. She can point out orange flowers, purple flowers, yellow, etc.

She has some serious MOVES - from break dancing to hip hop to disco to her own creative dance steps, she loves to DANCE! She tries to copy anything she sees us do.

She has great physical coordination. She does somersaults, can balance on one foot, can stand on a domed shaped bowl without support, and can jump (high!). She climbs stairs and ladders on big playgrounds with ease.

She is talking more and more EVERY single day! She uses new words by the hour, and understands us completely. She loves ocean animals right now and can identify "shark", "whale", "clam", "lobster", "sea horse", "star fish", "crab", "turtle", "clown fish", "angel fish", and more.

She has a fantastic memory and recalls things she has only seen once before or was introduced to days prior. She makes associations and transfers them to her imaginative play - like turning a plastic french fry she stuck through the hole in a plastic donut into a "popsicle" or playing pat-a-cake with her baby dolls in the doll highchair.

Big Sister!

Nadia is going to be a Big Sister in early November! She told us before we officially found out that the baby was going to be a "GIRL!" and she was right! We're so excited she's going to have a little sister!

She wanted two chairs in the picture, so I guess she's getting ready to be sitting with her sister (note the pic in the chair with her feet!)

We have packed up her big high chair and moved her into a booster seat at the table. She loves it!

Wading in the Clemson Lake with her toes in the rocky mud

She loves to ride in the car these days as long as she can watch her favorite movie, "Cailou!" She asks for "Cailou" every day.

She loves corn on the cob and will eat an ear entirely before anything else on her plate!

Watercolor painting is a new fun fav

We went to the Georgia Aquarium on Memorial Day. The entire time she was sooooooooooo excited to see every fish ("ish"), every shark and every whale. She said no fewer than 50 times, "Oh Woah! Wow!" It was priceless!

"Oh Woah!"

These were "little ish" but mostly there were "big ish!"

This was the only picture I could get with her looking at the camera because she was so into the fish, she wouldn't turn around to smile. When we got home after our trip, before we put her to bed that night, she said over and over while emphatically signing 'more' , " No ish, peas, morrow, ish, peas, peas, no!" English Interpretation - "More fish please, tomorrow, fish please please, more!" She's been talking about the "big ish", "whales," "shark", and "turtles" ever since.

There is a great playground at Olympic Park across the street from the Aquarium where she would have been happy to stay and play for days.

On June 2, she got tubes in both ears. She did so well! She went to the nurse into the room without even crying, woke up pretty happy and was playing on the Chick-fil-A playground within 15 minutes of leaving the surgery center. She never whined, cried or had any issue thereafter.

She charmed the ENT staff in the pre-op area.

Playing in her pool - she LOVE, LOVE, LOVES the water!

Running water on her toes is the best!

She would stay outside all day every day if we'd let her! Summer fun!

19 Months, Graduation and a Dog named Louie!

19 Months with Buster Bear

So we got a DOG!!! He walks. He barks. He wags. But he doesn't poop! What a dog! When we came home with him from the store, I asked Nadia if it was a girl dog or a boy dog. After thinking for a few seconds she said, "Boy!" Then I asked, "What is his name?" Nadia said, "Louie!" (which sounds like Wouie). So with great delight, Nadia now has a dog named Louie!

She sat him down beside her and started reading him a book.

When she woke up the next morning, first she asked for juice (as she does every morning), then she said, "Louie!"

Last weekend Uncle Jor Jor graduated from Clemson. We went up the day before graduation for a celebration picnic and day on the Clemson lake. Jordan took Andy, me, Mom and Dad out on his sailboat. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for some time at the lake!

Friday was graduation. We waded through the line of graduates to find Uncle Jor. Nadia wasn't sure why all these people were wearing black dresses and hats.

Our graduate!

Nadia stayed awake the whole time until the Alma Mater was being sung. She did great at the 3 hour graduation ceremony! A couple diaper changes, walks in the hall, some fruit snacks, books and crayons later, she was a patient attendee.

Celebrating with Uncle Jor, BS in Industrial Engineering

Miss Independent!

This is the hand motion that accompanies her latest phrase, "Stay back!" She doesn't usually say it harshly, just with the meaning that she's going to do this one on her own, without my help!

Playing at the park

Driving the boat/car?

Nadia's love to dogs continues to grow. She hugged and hugged on this statue at Old Navy last week! You should see her excitement with the real thing!

Friends

Nadia with her best school buddy, Katie Mae. Katie Mae turned two a couple months ago, but she and Nad look forward to each other's company every day at school.

Today they had on such similar outfits, I had to get a picture. When I told them to stand by each other and smile, they immediately reached out and got arm in arm for the shot. It was precious!

Playing outside together

They've become such good friends, we're sad that they'll be in different classes next year since their birthdays are so many months apart.

Nadia loves to eat cereal with milk all by herself.

No help please! And she wants to drink the milk from the bowl when she's done (which must be done while still wearing pajamas because it always results in a milky dribble down her chin.

Happy Easter!

Sweet girl in her Easter dress

The family pose the year Andy was in Chile. Nadia is missing Daddy big time. She keeps looking for him and wanting to see him. When we skyped yesterday, she just cried. She's been more cuddly with me even her usual. She's been waking up in the night every night since he's been gone - she definitely knows things just aren't the same. But we're glad he has this opportunity and are so glad he's having a great time so far.

Her favorite treat - "Cone!"

The Easter Bunny came while we were at church! In her basket were beads and some tabbed laces for stringing. She couldn't have been less interested in putting the beads on the string, but she spent an hour and a half moving 12 beads from one container to the next, to an egg, to my hands, to a bowl, to an empty bubble container, and back again - an hour and a half doing nothing but moving beads! We did eventually string them for a temporary necklace, but it was much more fun to take them off and put them back in the next container.

Playing with her new sidewalk chalk

Taking up a new golfing hobby :)

Coloring eggs - Ta Da!

The final product after coloring, dying and adding stickers! The bunny also brought Bathtub crayons - why haven't I gotten these out earlier? She had so much fun drawing in the tub and then "erasing" it with water and drawing all over. If anyone with a toddler doesn't have bathtub crayons, get some for some happy times! Happy Easter everyone!