Cutie patootie...

At least we think she is!!!! Annie is growing and changing every day. Today I showed her something that I was doing and I said "would you like to know why" and she said "Why" and then I explained why. Then Annie said "Oh, ok". She is just so very sweet and is really liking the fact that we have conversations. I don't know how much she really gets but she seems to understand.
The other skill Annie is learning is how to say "no, stop" when other kids push her. She just isn't used to being pushed around and when kids give her a push or shout "mine" at playgroup, she doesn't know how to respond. We are stepping in where needed but we want Annie to have the words and gestures to express herself. Annie already knows when to leave when things are getting rough. The other day we were in a toy area of a store and an older boy basically told her where to go when she ventured to touch his toy. I had a little chat with the boy about speaking to other children in that way - there wasn't another parent in sight. Later, he came near Annie while she was playing with a toy so she abandoned it and went to find another. Self preservation - the toy wasn't worth the confrontation.
The potty training is going well but yesterday Annie asked to wear a diaper for most of the day. We are trying not to make it stressful so she ran around in her diaper. This is a long process and we work at it together every day. Can't wait until Annie is diaper free!!!!!!!

The art of the potty...

There will be no pictures in this post because it just isn't right to post photos of Annie on her potty - I didn't say we haven't taken photos though!!! She is just SOOO cute on her duckie. We actually bought a ducky potty in China and Annie has used it since we came home. Not regularly or on her own mind you, but she has used it. For a while, she preferred to sit on her toilette insert on the "big" seat but mainly for number two!!!
So all this being said, Annie has now started to seriously potty train. We have an Ik.ea red potty in our en suite, we have ducky in the living room and both toilets have inserts. Last week we spent two days at home and Annie went from wearing her diapers to her Dora pa.nties. We were so proud and so was she. Actually most of the time she is just running around in the buff and using her ducky. There are times that she asks for her diaper but lots of times she asks for her "pa.nties" which are usually her pull ups and Mommy has one rule - you must wear pa.nties to the table!!! She hasn't worn her Dora's this week because we have been out and about. Most times Annie waits until she gets home but not always. Oh and I have a portable fold up potty seat that Annie used for the first time at playgroup last week. I was AMAZED!!!
People tell me that she is too young to do this at 22 months but she is so ready. Yesterday, she took off her pull up, sat on her potty and put her pull up back on ALL BY HERSELF - no prompting from Mommy. We are just going to keep plugging away - I don't expect this to happen over night and we have only had one accident in Dora's P's which let Annie know that when you wear pa.nties, you can't just go pee pee in them!! She only did it once!!!!!
Anyway, just wanted to document our darling's progress. She is such a happy little girl and this morning woke me up with the usual Mommy UP UP and then started singing the ABC song - she only does the A B C part but sings it to the tune all the way through. What a kitten.

A few more milestones...

Annie has started to climb in and out of her car seat. She likes to do things on her own now and is very insistent that things are done her way. Sometimes they can be but sometimes they can't and when they can't well, she does get a little bit cranky!!! Not too bad though. We are working on "listening" to Mommy and Daddy. Today we were in the book store and she wanted to climb the stairs while I had the stroller and I needed to use the ramp. I explained the situation, Annie said "No" and started to climb the stairs. I just stood and waited quietly. She went up two then said "No" again but this time to herself and climbed back down. Oh, it is all just so fun!!!!!
On Sunday we did a speaking engagement for our adoption agency and Annie was wonderful. She introduced us as "Mommie" and "Daddy" to the crowd and won their hearts immediately. We spoke for about a half an hour and in that time, Annie played with her toys. Everyone commented on how happy and "good" she is. I think that Annie is just very good natured and she has the best sense of humour which is great because her Mommy sure has a crazy one!!!!!
Oh and today we took Annie to a food court in a mall. She was joyfully overwhelmed with all of the smells of food and kept saying "sup-per", "sup-per" in her sing song happy voice. Being a celiac, I don't usually go near these places. The one place I can actually eat is N.E.W. York Fr.ies. We bought some of these and when we spread them out on a napkin Annie almost jumped for joy!! It was so funny. She then needed "chup" for dip. Shawn put a white shirt on Annie today and we were a little worried but our darling was able to eat fries and dip without spilling a teaspoon. They were yummy and such a special treat. We felt like terrible parents for feeding our child french fries with chili for lunch but what can you do!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Here are a very few photos of our first Christmas together:

Annie opening her Elmo gift of a stuffy and book from Shirley and Terry!! She LOVED it. You can see the paper all over, well it got MUCH worse!!!

This little chef's outfit was a gift that Daddy bought Annie and she loved wearing it around. It is still a little too big but she is a hoot in it!! The second photo is on Christmas Eve after Church. We were getting ready to sit down to a quiet meal.

This photo with the stockings and hat were also taken on Christmas Eve while we put our Santa stockings out. Annie was putting on the stockings and looked so very cute!!!! This last photo was taken by Daddy. Annie is "caught in the act"!!! This box of goodies from Saltspring had tins full of cookies and gingerbread men. We had tucked it away in a corner in the kitchen that we "thought" was safe. Not so much. We heard some shuffling around and then tins being opened so Daddy went to investigate. Needless to say, here she was, little Miss Adventure with her hands in the cookie tins!!!!

We had a lovely Christmas with family and friends. There are lots more photos of course and some video but they have other people in them so I don't feel as though I can post them here. Our New Year's Eve was spectacular and that is with many thanks to Norm and Dorothy for staying with the kids. Annie was asleep before we left which seems to work.

Happy New Year to all!!! All the best in 2010.

A few notes:

-Annie is saying "scuseme" when she tries to get around things and people

-Annie loves to have the candles lit so we have our evening meal by candlelight every night.

-Annie has learned how to open and close her toy box without hurting herself!! Yippee!!!

-Annie is giving us tons of hugs and kisses, running up into my arms and snuggling (want to remember this time when she is a distant teenager!!!!)

- it took me all day to write this because Annie doesn't like me on the "puter