I'm calling it. First official (non greeting) word!

Miss Alice has a (second) word:  Book!  Grandma called it last week while we were on vacation (apparently I'd forgotten my usual please-don't-tell-me-if-she-does-anything-for-the-first-time-while-I'm-away request), and yes -- sure enough, Alice says "buh, buh" everything she picks up a book.  (Which is quite often, I should add -- the kid loves flipping through board books right now.)   Let's just hope this doesn't mean she's going to be in the humanities...  (Kidding!  Sheesh, lighten up...)  ;)  For the record, Alice has been saying "hi" for quite a while, though opinions vary on when it morphed from a happy-to-see-you coo to official first word.

The developmental blur

Alice is changing so fast, and every day her personality comes out more. She is very curious and inquisitive. She tries to figure out how things work, and is always willing to try new things. While not always successful, she has tried to put on her own shoes, tried to help build a block tower, and tried switching the balls from two separate ball toys. I get the feeling that she is always thinking "what happens if I try this," and "that didn't work, I'll try it a different way." Quite a little problem solver.

Of course, this all comes with some frustration...and a few mini-tantrums. When things really aren't going her way Alice will cry inconsolably, rejecting toy after toy that is offered to cheer up. Occasionally she will toss or slam toys parents bring to try and cheer her up.

It is probably fair to say her first word is "hi". It sounds more like "aye", but she responds when you say hi, and will offer an "aye" when you come to get her from her crib after a nap or when you enter a room.

She has a new way of showing excitement -- quickly stomping here feet up and down. When she is really excited or happy, she will add her usual "tssss" sound.

She and her big sister have a new game. It amounts to Lizzie sitting in the push-wagon and calling Alice until Alice pushes her down the hallway. Then Liz gets out, turns the wagon around, gets back in, and calls Alice to push her back down the hallway. It is quite a sight.

Have you ever pooped a barette?

'Nuff said.

Happy Birthday, Alice... I'm Sorry!

Alice turned one on September 24th.  We celebrated with family party at our house;  Alice celebrated by coming down with a terrible cold and feeling miserable for the subsequent week.  Poor dear.  But she was a trooper for her party.  Didn't eat cake, but nibbled some ice cream and loved playing outside with her cousins and big sister (who happily "helped" her open and play with her presents).

But as any parent knows, the real marker of baby's first birthday is a trip to the pediatrician for shots.   We went today -- just returned in fact.  The highlights, starting with the good:  Alice and Lizzie's new doctor seems great.  She's young, smart, friendly, and has a 15 month old of her own.  So that's good.  Alice got a gold star for baby-wellness.  She's now at the 60th percentile for height and weight (up from 50th), and quite strong, expressive, mellow, and mobile.  Nothing we didn't know, but it's always nice to get the nod.     Her recurring rash is almost certainly from diaper irritation (we've switched brands and it seems to have abated), and almost certainly NOT from food allergy.  So yay!  It's fine if Alice doesn't eat much these days -- also good, because she doesn't -- it's just a phase and the doc says not to worry about it one bit.  (We weren't particularly concerned, but again -- it's nice to hear that we're not simply neglectful.)

Now the bad:  FOUR shots (MMR, c'pox, pneumococcal, and flu).  Alice turned the most awful shot of crimson before finally letting out a horrific wail (again and again and again).  Those shots clearly hurt.  Then we were sent downstairs for a "quick finger prick" to test her iron levels and for lead (apparently standard here at 1 year).  We waited nearly 30 minutes to get in for the lab, before Alice's finger was pricked and "milked" for enough blood -- must have been at least 3 minutes of screaming baby and flustered lab tech spilling blood all over...  I was unimpressed.

Alice fell to sleep for her nap almost instantly, poor dear.  Knowing her, she'll wake up right as rain, happy and delightful, in a few hours.  What an amazing little baby she is.  Or rather *sniff* _toddler_.