Ups and downs.

This morning, I stayed home with Number One while wife went to a doctor's appointment.  We took a walk to the coffee shop.  It was one of those beautiful winter mornings in Houston - sunny, about 75 degrees.

Watching Number One watching the world made me jealous of parents who get to spend each day with their kids.

We came home, shared a blueberry muffin.  She laid down on her blanket.  She took a nap. 

Sweetest thing you've ever seen.

Tonight, I came home and sat down with her at dinner.  She looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

After dinner, into the bathtub.  Total meltdown.  No apparent reason.  Only option was to get her into her pajamas and into to bed as fast as possible.

She's sleeping now.

Sweetest thing you've ever seen.

Two Words

Number One has begun putting together two-word combos.

So far we've had:

No mo.

Mo gee bee.   (More green beans)

and 

All done.

My little wordsmith.

Teeth!

We thought she'd be toothless forever, but Number One finally has some chompers coming in on both the top and the bottom.  She's nearly 16 months now, and every other baby on the block got teeth long ago.  We're so proud our little girl is growing up.

Last weekend Number One wanted some of Papa's coffee, so I gave her some.  Mom was not amused.  Number One, though, couldn't get enough.  (Don't worry, I only gave her a couple of sips, and she's not got any since.)

Her newest fetish is pushing things.  Wagons.  Strollers.  Other kids' toys.  If it's got wheels, she'll push it.  She can also walk backward now, which doesn't seem like a big thing until you see your kid do it for the first time.

New words:   Down!  Said to the cat who shouldn't be on the table.

A-ya, A-ya, A-ya, A-ya!  "Sang" to the tune of "Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, I cleaned out my trailer for you."

The Inaugural Address.

Hey, America,

For the last 16 years, you've acted like a spoiled, petulant schoolyard bully with no self control.  You've been coddled by your touch-feely parents and full of "he started it" recriminations.

It's time to starting acting like an adult now.

Happy Inauguration Day.

Number One doesn't know we have a new president.  She does, however, say some random words like, "eyebrow."  She loves "eyebrows."

Other favorite words: "painting," "clean," and "brown bear."

Also anything warmer than cold is "hot."

Baby talk.

I used to be amazed when I would talk to a kid that couldn't really talk yet, and their parents would know what they were saying.  It would go something like this:

Me: "Hey, buddy, what's going on?"

Kid: "Da!" (points).

Me: "Uhh, I don't really understand.  What do you want?"

Kid: "Da!" (points again).

Me: "Um, I still don't know what you're saying."

Kid: "Da!" (growing irritated).

Kid's Parent: "He wants you to go over there and pick up the red ball and throw it to the dog."

It was always a mystery to me how so much could be divined from so little.  

Now, though, Number One is saying quite a few words, all of them some variation of "Ba!" or "Da!" or "Ca!" and I'm starting to understand.

For example, "Ba!" when said when she's done eating dinner means, "I'm ready to go take my bath. Now!"

By contrast "Bo!" (with a short "o" like in "dog") almost always  means "I'm going to go get a book, and then you're going to read it to me. Now!"

"Ca!" usually just means "Cat!"

Bring me the book.

Number One can now understand and follow directions with amazing specificity. 

Say, "Bring me Who Says Quack."

She looks around, finds the right book, and brings it to you.

Say, "Put your bib in the drawer."

She takes her bib, walks to the right drawer and puts her bib in it.

She is also starting to properly use a fork and spoon.

Un-fucking-believable.

Four thousand words.

Mmmm. Cupcake.

Walking at the park.

Number One and Boy Cousin.

Hangin' with Auntie A and Girl Cousin.

Happy Birthday!

Wow.  It's hard to believe it's been a whole year.

Well, actually, a year and a day.  A day late and a dollar short.  That's how I roll as a Dad.  Pretty awesome, right?

This time last year, I was trying to sleep with Number One balanced on my chest.  Mom was afraid I'd drop her.  I didn't.  No way.

Now she walks.  Has her own shoes.  Follows me from room to room saying, "Da...da...da" over and over.   She knows what I'm saying.  Tries to tell me things.  Is pretty fucking awesome.

She had one birthday party already with Boy Cousin.  Tomorrow she's rocking her own party.  A good time shall be had by all.

Poopy, poopity.

So, most people probably think that we're crazy for trying to teach Number One how to use the potty on her own when she's less than one year old.

Still it's a total victory when I catch both a pee and a potty in the morning, like I did today.  Boo-motherfuckin'-ya.

Cleaning up a potty bum is about 1000 times easier than the same bum if the potty had occurred in the nappy.  

Even if she does end up anal retentive - it's worth it.