There's so much different stuff happening around here. So much has changed. Where do I even begin?

Now an active, one-napping toddler girl, Emma is trying out and mastering new abilities around our home and on our outings. Matching animals, building blocks, climbing into windows to name a few favorites. And watch out because she's RUNNING now. It's a very rough and lumbering gate but she can really move, complete with shouting "UhhUhhUhhUhhUhh!" at each step. 

We have a few favorite books here: Big Red Barn, The Farm Book and Alphabet which goes through the 26 letters listing an animal name for each one. Emma knows the furry Lion, bumpy green Frogs, and velvety tall Giraffe. She thinks I am saying short scruffy HUG and will hug herself if I tell her about hogs, but in the farm books she knows the pigs. She knows horses, donkey (heehaw!) and geese. She knows chickens especially well because we have taken a few trips to local farms to visit the animals and plucky, happy hens really steal the show. She is also growing very interested in fish. 

Emma is a good block tower deconstructed. Patrick and I build them up, Emma knocks them down- until recently. At Patrick's request Emma has been helping stack the blocks up, getting involved with the creation process. While I was making dinner yesterday she even helped herself to her shape sorting cube and began to attempt stacking them on her own! It was touching to see her pull this toy down from the shelf and use it in the same way we have together. 

We have new flash cards, hand-overs from Patrick's mom (MiMi) that Emma loves going through. They have the word and a photograph of each thing against a white background. Sometimes she'll try repeating a word back or sign it in her own way. She puts her hand to her mouth for Cup, points to her Ear, taps her head for Hat. Goes bananas for Cat. Yesterday Patrick and Emma went through the deck as I was cleaning up the kitchen and she even helped stack each card in a pile when she was through with it. Thanks for the help, Emma! High five.

Emma isn't properly saying any words but has her way of saying a few and many ways of getting an idea across to us. She has a name for Catrick (it is two-syllable and nothing like "Catrick" and I don't remember exactly what it is) and says hello and goodbye in baby. Hello is more like Bedo and goodbye is di-di. She signs for more and when finished when we eat and usually is finished before we'd like her to be, but she's got books to flip through and plans to tote Beary around so we abide.

Other stuff I'm going to spout out as it comes to me:

Emma's current favorite toys are her stuffed bear, fox and BlaBla pony doll, and her basket of animal figurines. She loves balloons, things that go, heavy machinery, and viewing dogs as art (doesn't want to touch them!) loves puddles and if we come across one on a walk down the sidewalk I accept early on that we will make it no farther than that. Loves bathtime but ask again in a week- she has flipped between loving and loathing it a few times. Things in the sky are very fascinating; birds, helicopters, the moon all catch her attention. Likes to make noises with harmonicas, the guitar, and humming. Dancing like crazy lately, always moving to music and usually any time you use "Dance" in a sentence, as if she says "Oh yeah, dancing! That's a great idea!" Follows simple instructions. Practices with a spoon and fork. Can drink from a cup but would rather spill out its contents and draw in the puddle with her finger, or add bits of food to it. Will offer us her food but may not let the food go once putting it in your mouth. Eats anything we give her, eats lots! Favorites are banana, berries especially strawberry, pasta, and sandwiches. Helps wipe herself up and wipes our mouths. Still nurses at least three times in a 24/hr period sometimes more. Has nights that are easy on us and some not so easy nights but she always seems rested in the morning and always cheerful. She goes to sleep around 830 and wakes at 6. She's a big sweetie, always easy and mild mannered. Still likes to stay close to me when people come to meet her but otherwise in new places she is exploring all about. Must climb everything. Must go in and on everything. Things must go in other things. Likes pushing, pulling, carrying big things around and likes to grunt when lifting or anticipating lifting.