She's Talking the Talk AND Walking the Walk

Friday, October 4, 2013

I now understand what people mean when they say, “It happens all of the sudden” when talking about babies mastering the ability to walk and/or crawl. I have heard this from so many other people, but have always thought they were wrong. My little Maddie’s journey on her way to proficiency in the gross motor skills-area has not been easy. I watched every millimeter of progress occur and it took a long time.  Now, I understand that it’s not the lead-up to the actual event that is instantaneous, but the improvement in the skill thereafter.  Maddie started walking earlier this week (YAY!!!!!) and in no time at all, she is a pro! She wants nothing to do with her toys or anything else we have to offer her, but would rather circle her exersaucer and walk back and forth between the couch and coffee table repeatedly. 

 

It's blurry because she's moving so fast! :)

If that weren’t enough progress for one little girl in a week’s time, she has been a little Chatty-Cathy, too.  I am always shocked when I hear her say new words, so I felt like I lived with my jaw permanently dropped to the floor for the past 7 days.

 

"Help! Somebody get me outta here!"  

Her new favorite word is “tickle-tickle” and she even walked towards me one time, rubbing her belly and repeating the word as though she were tickling herself.  I just about died. 

Another time, I was telling her not to take my phone and she made a sound and looked at me as though asking, “why?” So, I responded, as any mom would, “because I said.” The next thing I know, Maddie is repeating over and over the word, “said, said, said.” If she didn’t understand my reasoning, at least she was distracted from trying to play with my phone by reciting a new word.

 

"Mama, you're hilarious!" (My little one cracking up after a particularly unrestful night)

Finally, we came home one day from the store, and Maddie reached out her hands to the dogs that were circling near our legs and said. “dog.” Later, she was trying to pet Luka while he was lying on the couch and repeated, “dog” again. This is so exciting to me because, not only is she able to say the words, but she seemingly understands what some of them mean, too.

 

We started using a blanket at night and Maddie accepted it better than I thought she would. 

Oh, and Maddie’s moving and grooving to music now.  She loves to dance and I love to watch her.  It is so so so so so so cute to see her tiny little body bouncing around.

 

Our weekly trip together to the grocery store. 

In other news, Phil and I had a big day yesterday; we celebrated our 15-year dating anniversary. Every year we say we aren’t going to celebrate; it’s not our wedding anniversary, after all (we’ve been married for 8 years).  But Phil said that he thought 15 years was significant and surprised me with a beautiful gift. He truly is a romantic and knows exactly what I like!

 

My new pandora bracelet: personal, meaningful and special.
1.  green bead, because it's my favorite color and the purple because green and purple were the theme-colors for Maddie's first birthday.
2. The shoe for my running.
3. The cupcake for my love of baking. 

There are so many more updates to report, but I’m going to cut this post short. But, just know that I am sewing a lot and loving it, I have a race (half marathon) coming up in a few weeks in WI with my friend Erica (I can’t wait for our girl’s weekend getaway) and I am continually working on memorizing Matthew 6 (the second of three chapters of the sermon on the mount). More on all of these things later. Ciao!