Tales of ToddlerLand: Toddler Communication

ToddlerLand:  A real life state of being where toddlers rule the world.   It can be fun and exciting, hilarious and surprising, and it can also be so frustrating that you want to pull your hair out.

Ryan is 21 months old now and so we've been living in ToddlerLand for quite some time.  We are only a few months away from entering into Terrible Two Land as well, which I'm sure is going to be full of just as many ups and downs.  We'll also be joining Big Sister Land in about 4.5 months....God help us!

I've decided that kids learning to talk is just about the funniest and sometimes most frustrating thing in the world.  She always knows what she wants, however I am still figuring it out most days.  The struggle is real my friends.

But, Ryan is freakin HILARIOUS.  Her verbal skills have really increased in the last couple of months and she absolutely cracks us up.  She puts multiple words together to make little sentences.  For instance, the other day, a picture frame fell off of the ledge above where she was playing.  I have NO IDEA how that happened, but thankfully it just crashed next to her instead of actually falling on her.  I jumped up to grab her and she said over and over "its ok, its ok, its ok."  It was pretty funny.  She'll also say "where'd go?" as in "Where did so and so go?"  "I get it." "Here ya go Mom," which for whatever reason comes out as "Here ya go Bub."

She's learned that there is a baby in my belly although I'm pretty certain she now thinks belly buttons are called "baby."  So she'll go around lifting up her shirt, my shirt, Josh's shirt and pointing to our belly buttons and saying "baby, baby, baby."  I'm just waiting for her to try to do it to some stranger and have them look at me like what the hell?!?!

Ryan perfected the word "no" quite some time ago and she doesn't hesitate to use it about 795 times a day.  Ironically, I use it at least that many times if not more.  I wonder where she learned that word from? :) Cars are called "gos," I think because I always say that cars "go."  The word for horse is "neigh," the girl loves to ask for a "cookie" and every child, boy or girl is a "gurl."  She regularly says "hi" to every person at the grocery store whether they are looking at her or not and the decibel with which she says it makes her seem like she's being paid as the Stop & Shop greeter.  Of course, if you give her a cellphone, she'll answer it with "hewwoo" because obviously, Mom and Dad say "hello" on the phone and not "hi."

Her response when Josh and I say "I love you" to her has been "too," a ToddlerLand version of I love you "too."  However, she recently started saying "I wuv youuuu" and sometimes I'll catch her saying it to me without being prompted.  My heart melts into a puddle every. single. time.

When it is getting close to nap time or bedtime she will regularly grab her stuffed animals and blanket and make her way to the couch where she lies down and says "nighhhh" (night) hoping that that will mean she can sleep on the couch.  VERY occasionally I will let that work for nap time but it's pretty cute either way.

I hear her say "Oh noooo" about 27 times a day.  Usually it's in reference to a toy that's fallen or something she's done on purpose like putting random objects in the toilet or dumping a bag of pretzels on the floor, but occasionally it has to do with a movie she's watching.  Like when Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger on the spinning wheel and Ryan yells "Ohhhh NOOOO."  I die.

Speaking of movies or television shows, if she's watching one and it ends or comes to a commercial, she'll look over at me and yell "it stawp it stawp!"  Hahaha the darn show stopped and she doesn't hesitate to let me know about it!

"Up" means up.  But "up" also means down, out, in and any other means of getting into or out of something be it her high chair, bathtub, carseat, onto our bed, out of the crib, etc.

She did finally figure out that my name is not "Da" and will wander the house yelling "Ma" or "Mama" daily.  Whenever the front door is being unlocked, she lights up and yells "Dada!"  It's super cute except for when it's our neighbors unlocking THEIR front door and not ours and then it's kind of sad in an adorable sort of way.

She knows the words and locations of many body parts and so we go through the list all the time.  Eyes, ears, nose, teeth, tongue, hands, feet, hair, and so on.

She understands SO MUCH.  Kids really are little sponges soaking up everything that we as parents say and do.  And while ToddlerLand has some real challenges, it really is amazing.

The Dandelion Lane Update

I thought it was high time I did a little update on my Etsy Shop, The Dandelion Lane.  I opened it almost a year ago and have done rather well for something that I have only sometimes put a lot of time and energy in to.

I lost some major motivation in the winter months after a rather busy summer/fall season and then with morning sickness due to baby #2, I lost even more motivation.  However, I have since picked it up again and have been sewing like crazy trying to add new designs and patterns to the shop.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that I pretty much want to keep every single item I make for Ryan or her sister to wear, but alas, I try to limit myself a tad.  I am, however, definitely anxious to create some matching sister outfits in the future!

Here are some examples of my newer listings:

 I can even get Ryan to be my little model sometimes. Though it typically requires M&M's as a bribe for pictures.  A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!

I still take custom orders if there are color schemes or a specific look you are going for.  Please check out my shop and share it with your friends and family!

Easter 2015

Holidays change a lot when you have kids.  They also change a lot when you have a husband who is a resident.  And they change a lot when you live in a new state far far away from all of your family and normal traditions.  That's not to say that Easter or holidays can't be enjoyable, but they definitely take on a new "look" then they used to.  And I'll be the first to admit that I have a difficult time dealing with the new look sometimes.

So, it's necessary to forge new traditions and become at peace with a new "normal."  The things that I do now will be Ryan's and her new sister's "norm" and I'm sure they will eventually be mine too.

On Good Friday, Ryan had her second dentist appointment.  Gasp, not necessarily a good Friday right?!?!  And before you start to worry, I'm not planning to make dentist appointments an annual Good Friday tradition.  Haha!  But we made it through the appointment with only tears and no passing out episodes!  Thank the Lord!  It was a warm 60+ degrees and though the sun wasn't out, I am definitely welcoming the cloudy weather if it means I can leave the house without gloves, a down jacket, and winter boots on.  Ryan rocked some adorable bunny ears and I actually think she really likes them because I have randomly found her playing at the house the last few days while wearing them.

Josh has been on nights for the majority of the past three weeks which is always rough on everyone.  We are surviving, but it means that he could only be minimally present in today's Easter festivities.  We started out the morning with a bottle in Mom and Dad's bed followed by an exciting Easter basket surprise in the family room.  Ryan went straight for the M&M's in one of the eggs and proceeded to stuff her cheeks full of them before I decided she'd had enough candy before breakfast. :)  A girl after Dad's own heart.

Step away from my candy Mom!

I filled her basket full of some candy, jelly sandals, egg chalk, some new hair clips, a book, and my favorite, a stuffed animal unicorn that I'm sure I'm more obsessed with than she is.  But she had a really fun time taking all of the goodies out of her basket and of course, eating her candy.

I stole an idea from Pinterest and made us some festive pancakes for breakfast which were a hit with everyone.

And then we headed off to church as a family of three four.  It's always nice when that can happen because it is rare these days due to Josh's hectic schedule.

Josh slept the rest of the day in preparation for working this evening and Ryan and I spent the rest of the day like we normally do, playing, watching cartoons, and making entirely too many messes that I have yet to clean up.   There wasn't a big Easter dinner and we were out of our Easter clothes by noon, but we still had a nice day and ultimately the day is about Jesus anyway and his death and resurrection on the cross.

I hope our family and friends near and far had an enjoyable holiday as well.  Happy Easter everyone!