Madi: 15 Months

Greetings from Gran Canaria! We're having a blast here, but it's nap time so I've got a few minutes for Madi's 15 month post. :-)

So much has happened this past month! The biggest change was that Miss Sally moved back to Australia and you started barnehage. The transition went smoothly and you are loving your new routine, but we all definitely are missing Sally! :-(

Here are some other highlights from this past month -

• You have quite a few new words this month: "mommy" (my favorite!! you've been saying mama for a long time, but this is the first mommy and it melted my heart); "moo", "meow", and "ruff ruff" (animal sounds when we ask you what the cow, cat, and dog); "hep" (help); and lastly up (when you want to be picked up or get onto chair, sofa, etc.)
• You have mastered "pease" (please) and consistently say it when you want something. You'll even say it and sometimes we have no idea what you want!
• Along with your mastering pease, you also said your first two-word phrase! You said "hep pease" when you wanted to get up onto the slide. We haven't gotten you to say it again without repeating the words in between, but you've definitely done it once!
• We aren't sure if they've been doing music or dancing at barnehage, but all of a sudden you are a dancing machine!! You spin circles and try to jump and dance every time you hear music. Here's you going crazy at the dolphin show here in Gran Canaria - 

• You are running girlfriend! You are getting so fast and we've gotten multiple comments the past couple of weeks on your amazing balance. Guess that's what happens when someone decides to walk at 10.5 months. ;-) 
• You love walking holding two people's fingers. And when you get two... oh boy, watch out! You race ahead at a fast speed and we've all learned we better hurry up!

• We've had a couple of challenges this month too though... the first is those darn canines. Your bottom two have popped through, but the top are still trying. You've been a bit grumpier as a result, bit sugglier (which we love), and chewing non-stop. Tough work baby girl!
• The other challenge we've had the past two or three weeks is at bedtime. You've always been an amazing sleeper and once you are asleep you are still rocking. However, you are not wanting to go to bed. We typically ask you "Madi, where's your bottle?" at bedtime and you race into the kitchen, find it on the counter, and get super excited. Not so much these days... now you might still run in there, but once you find it, you high-tail it outta there fast as you can. Or you just don't go in there. We have to drag you kicking and screaming into the bedroom and you have flat-out refused the bottle sometimes. You are just not wanting to go to bed missy! We extended bedtime from 7:30 to 8:00 pm and have tried a few other things (winding down before bedtime with stories, keeping our usual routine, etc.) but we have realized you just plum don't want to go to bed! If you are beyond exhausted, you don't fight it and are your usual happy self. We hope this stage quickly passes...

• My nickname of monkey woman as a child seems to have been genetically passed on to you. You are trying to climb anything and everything these days and are getting really good (like scary good...).  

•  You have started covering your own eyes for peek-a-boo! If we ask you "Where's Madi?" you cover both eyes with your hands and then pull them off and squeal with excitement as we respond "There she is!" It's precious. :-)
• You are starting to mimic everything we do and listen very well when we ask you to do something. The result of this is that you now grab your toothbrush and starting "brushing" your teeth. You've also grabbed your comb and hairbrush and run them over your head! It amazes me how smart you are! 
• We've also started leveraging on your listening skills to start teaching you to do chores. ;-) Towards the end of the day we will ask you to pick up specific toys and go put them in bins, buckets, etc. to clean up your playroom. You also love putting your clothes in the hamper and even helped me change out a load of laundry! You are such a good helper! 

I feel like you have gotten so big Miss Madi! You are running around, talking up a storm, and helping us around the house already! You are still so joyful most of the time and we feel so blessed to be your parents! Happy 15 months missy!

Love,
Mommy :-)

Read more...

Preparing for Barnehage + First Couple Weeks There

One of the things we've had to start doing over the past couple of months is get prepared for barnehage (Norwegian daycare). Similar to daycare in the States, things need to be labeled, etc. but the list of items we needed to have is a bit different than I imagine it would be in the States.

Norway has a huge emphasis on outdoors. I've seen school classes riding bikes and running laps around the lakes here. The motto in Norway is "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Suffice it to say that year-round, in all weather conditions, people of all ages are outside and being active.

This meant that we needed to buy a few special pieces of clothing for Madi to bring to barnhage due to the amount of time they spend outside. We even have the option of leaving a stroller there for Madi to take naps outside (and some barnehage only have strollers for children to nap outside). So you can imagine the clothing they need is pretty serious since Norway gets rainy and cold starting now and continuing for the next seven or eight months!

We've been acquiring Madi's rain / winter gear and testing it out the past few days as the rain has started to become a daily visitor once again. And I have to say, she's a pretty cute little puff in all of her different gear!

 

Oh and Madi is now regularly saying "pees" for "please". So. Adorable. :-)

Two weeks ago she started at barnehage - and she handled it like a champ! We never had to go get her or be called because she was crying.  There's only been one time she's cried... that was last week when Jason went to pick up in the afternoon and she didn't want to go home... She's was having too much fun playing outside!

Oh, and get this - guess who the only one sleeping in a crib is?! Madi. They even asked us to bring our stroller home today - ha!

Read more...

Weekly Wrap-up: Best Wednesday Ever

Not much can top the Wednesday that Madi had (hence the blog post title). I'm pretty sure it was her favorite day ever so far and for good reasons - animals, jumping, ice cream, and she saw her favorite band in concert! Sounds like a pretty good day, huh?!

I figured I would let her tell you all about it this week... :-)


My day started out like any other day - drop off at barnehage by Daddy, pick up that afternoon by Mommy. But when we got home, Mommy and Daddy were racing around packing up the diaper bag and all I wanted to do was be held after a long day without them. Is that so much to ask?! A pacifier got stuck in my mouth as they hurried about and next thing I know I am being strapped into that awful torture device [carseat] for who knows how long.

Then things started to go my way... they took me out of the torture device and I was free to run around. I heard them say something about Baker Hughes Family Day, but I was distracted by the pigs and goats and bunnies (which I got to feed!!).

Next they took me to the most wonderful place ever - a jumpy thing and a trampoline! I ran around with the big kids and held my own very well, if I do say so.

I was having loads of fun when I was dragged off and given the most delicious dinner ever - my first hot dog. It was amazing.

Afterwards I got to pet the sheep and goats. One almost tried to head butt me, but Daddy intervened. He should have known he was just playing around - come on Daddy. Oh well.

Then I was given my very own ice cream! And I insisted on holding it myself. So. good. But Daddy started asking for bites (even though he had already eaten his own). But I'm super nice so I let him have a couple (huge) bites of mine.

I started getting really tired so I didn't fight the torture device this time around. I drifted off to sleep and instead of being gently woken and laid down in my bed, Mommy took me out and laid me in my stroller. She thought I might go back to sleep - ha! I needed to see where I was and what was going on. Next thing I knew, I couldn't hear anymore. These pink things were put on my ears and I got the idea (after Mommy and Daddy kept swiping my hand away when I tried to take them off), that perhaps I needed to keep them on. I obliged.

Loud music started playing and lights were shining everywhere. I watched for a long time in Daddy's arms, then Mommy's arms, then Daddy's again and finally I decided I was done being passed around and only let Mommy hold me. I started to drift to sleep a couple times, but knew these crazy people had to have kept me out for a reason. Then. Out of no where. The most amazing song ever.

My favorite song in the world started playing!!!!!

Mommy and I sang and danced and I smiled through my sleepiness and then watched the loud and colorful fireworks in the harbor.

I fell asleep in the torture device immediately and this time when Mommy took me out she laid me down in my warm comfy bed and I fell back asleep right away, dreaming of the best Wednesday ever.

Read more...