March 22, 2015

The end of Winter - family update

As we enter into spring, I wanted to write a family update on the last 3 months. 
I am so glad this winter went out with a bang. I was hoping we would have some snow and this year did not disappoint. We loved our days of snow, hated our days of ice, and then craved the warm sun. Although I am so happy that spring has arrived, these last months of winter have been full of memories and growth.
My little girl is growing leaps and bounds. 
January 11th - she stood unassisted for the first time
January 22nd - she took her first steps
By February 13th (15 months) she was walking all over the place and nothing is stopping her now. 
At the zoo recently she was running around the toddler play area and interacting with other children. I was just sitting back watching her and had a moment in which I realized that she is her own person. She has so much personality and is an individual, not just mine and Michael's daughter, but someone with likes and dislikes and her own unique attributes. Watching her face full of joy was so amazing for me. The high highs of parenting definitely help when you go through the lows - like all day crying, throwing food, toddler tantrums in the store, and fighting naps. But those sweet moments of joy make everything worth it. So as my little girl is becoming not so little, we want to remember all the funny things she does. This is what makes Genevieve her own person:

15 Facts about Genevieve
  1. She loves to take anything with thin straps (Like my tank tops) from the laundry basket and drape it over her nape like a necklace. This is a daily activity, with sometimes four or more garments on her neck at a time. 
  2. She loves pointing to all her body parts - nose, ears, eyes, hair, and belly button.
  3. All 4 legged animals are 'doggies' and monkeys say "ah ah".
  4. Anything round is a ball. When we go to Target she gets really excited by the big, red balls at the entrance. She just yells "ball, ball, ball". And she's really good at throwing a ball, too.
  5. Stuffed animals became toys she loves and we have officially named them all. Oscar, Lulu, Bugs, Gus, Butterscotch, Poppy, Marcy, and King Louie. And she's started to nurse her doll, Poppy, which is so sweet. 
  6. Her favorite book is "Hop on Pop". She requests it at night by saying 'Ba pa pop".
  7. She thinks giving high fives are funny and when we tell her to 'snurkle,' she crunches up her nose and purses her lips. It makes me laugh so much. And she combines that with a funny way of putting her arms behind her back like she's flying (picture below). Never a dull moment!
  8. When she's being sweet she says, "aww" and tilts her head to the side. Adorable. And it has become the new bedtime routine. Michael will grab a pillow and lay his head on it and say "aww" and Genevieve gets jealous so she lays her head on the pillow. Then we put her in the crib with the pillow and she goes to sleep. 
  9. Nora (my niece) is definitely Genevieve's best friend. They both get so excited to see each other. Their relationship warms my heart so much. I still pinch myself when I think about how me and my twin sister have daughters that are so close. It truly is a dream and the most precious thing you will see. I am so excited to see their relationship evolve as they get older. And I know that if Genevieve never has a sister, she will always have Nora and that makes me very happy. 
  10. Food has become our biggest battle. She likes throwing everything off the table. And refuses most food. We just take it one day at a time. 
  11. The only TV show she has seen is "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and goodness does she love it. She asks for "Tigey" daily. At the zoo she saw a picture of a tiger and yelled out, "Tigey." It's definitely her favorite. 
  12. When she sees my phone she says, "Gee" because she loves watching videos and seeing pictures of herself. That and looking at herself in the mirror are her main hobbies ;)
  13. She poops in the tub on the regular. We actually have a routine for handling it because it really does happen all the time.... Michael will yell, "Poop in the tub" and we go into action. Oh the joys of parenting :)
  14. Car rides are not her favorite and she gets really whining. That is until I turn on Taylor Swift's 1989 and magically no more tears. It's the only CD she will listen to and I know every single word now...
  15. The outdoors turn her into the happiest toddler I've ever seen. She loves just toddling around and picking up leaves and sticks. The arrival of spring has changed everything. 
My Sweet Genevieve, 
We love you more than you'll ever know!