Terrified...

yes Annie was terrified today. We were invited to visit a nursing home where a friend of mine is the program director. Annie's buddy Jack came along and thankfully he was there because he wooed all the ladies and made the fellows laugh. He really is one cute little guy. Annie on the other hand "shut down" as soon as we arrived and then wouldn't let me put her down for almost the entire visit. I don't know if she was having flashbacks to an institutional setting or what was happening but Annie certainly didn't have a good experience at first. After about an hour though, she was able to function and walk around on her own. The residents were kind and gentle which was great so I think we will try again. We went out for lunch afterwards and Annie was jumping with happiness. She linked her arm with mine as we ate and I took her to her favorite grocery store for her favorite chew afterwards. It was really hard to see Annie like that. It has been quite a while since we have witnessed a total shut down and it just reminds me how different Annie's first year was from Jack's.

Milestones...

Annie is now able to put her pants on and her shirt. She says "I do" and "by self" for most things these days. I have no trouble giving her age appropriate tasks to do and she LOVES to complete them. She runs up after finishing saying "Annie do it self, Annie do it self". Her language is exploding and she repeats sentences that we say. Have to watch what we say now for sure!!! As well, Annie has started using her kitchen to "cook" things in the oven. Today she was feeding me cookies, sausages and cheese that she had prepared in her "oven". Annie is a pro at "pretend" play. We are doing the "I stole your nose" game and she likes to steal my nose and wear it for a hat. This child has such a great sense of humour and she makes her Mommie laugh every day. I make her laugh too. She has a wonderful array of facial expressions that friends tell me are reflections of mine, that just crack me up and then we both laugh. Her Daddy says that we are crazy kids who run around, make faces and generally cause mayhem in his "quiet" house. Isn't that normal?
Yesterday, Annie showed up by my bed with her princess outfit on, including the shoes. Sooo cute. We then HAD to sing Bibbitybobbityboo!!! Poor Shawn. Today Annie climbed up to the top of the playgroup apparatus by herself and went down the twisty slide by herself!!!! "Self, Mommie, self!!!!". She was sooo proud and with each climbing step she said "Annie by self". At the top of the slide she said "sit down, bum, then weeeeeeee!!!!!" which means, that after sitting down on her bum she could go down the slide having a blast!!!!! Annie was actually talking to herself and not me.
Oh and at playgroup today, she played with another little girl and one of the teachers in the kitchen area for quite a while. I was able to veg out on the big comfy couch and chat with other Mom's. It was GREAT!!!!! Not that I don't adore playing with my little girl but I had dental surgery last week and I am still on meds and sore so it is hard to deal with many of a two year old's demands!!!
So these are Annie's latest milestones. She eats, drinks, dresses herself and loves to do everything on her own. Annie is also quite tall and seems to be growing taller every day. She still loves her fruits, beans and vegis along with the other healthy choices we offer. Yesterday we had my homemade flax pizza crust with arugula (from our garden) pesto (made with roasted walnuts that Annie and I roasted), tomatoes, black olives and cheese. Annie LOVED it and gobbled it up. I can't imagine a child of mine not enjoying the taste of different types of food. One of our favorite things to do on a rainy day, is to organize the herb and spice drawer, smelling each one and tasting a few. I hope that we can keep Annie interested in slow, home cooking with healthy choices. Our girl also likes to sleep and asks for naps - just like her Dad. Love it and love her so very, very much!!!!!!