2/12/09 - Family Time

My mom and brother Caleb came up for a visit this week. Eva and Amanda really enjoyed playing with their Grandma and Uncle, and Amanda especially warmed up to Grandma much more than in the past. Before she kept a pretty cautious distance, but now she kept wanting to sit on Grandma’s lap and bring her toys to play with. Knowing how sensitive my tummy and sense of smell are, Grandma and Caleb cleaned the house so I wouldn’t have to smell the cleaners, and then cooked a couple of meals to freeze for those days when I just can’t handle food. It was such a blessing.

Toddlerhood

Amanda is a busy little person, and bright as a button. She says "Yeah" and "No", and her own adorable versions of "thank you" and "you’re welcome" that are nearly impossible to duplicate (sounds sort of like "hmm, hmm" for "thank you" and "kell-come" for "you’re welcome". She imitates pretty much any word she hears now, so her vocabulary is growing almost daily. She likes to help put away clothes by trying to hang her little shirts on hangers. Dave recently installed a dishwasher we bought off Craigslist, and Amanda likes to help put away the silverware. She knows exactly where it goes; she’ll grab one piece at a time and drop it into the top drawer, so we can sort it.

 

Amanda also has a knack for getting into things she shouldn’t. She can climb up onto the kitchen table, and has managed to get away with opening a banana or stealing a cookie before we caught her. She knows which drawer I keep the chocolate chips and baking sprinkles in, and more than once I’ve found her calmly eating her prize, sprinkled all over the floor. She’s figured out how to undo the safety latch and open the cabinet under the sink, so we’re going to have to install a better childproof lock. She’ll turn anything from a book to a laundry basket into leverage that she can use to climb up where she shouldn’t be. The other day she pulled the fishbowl down on herself while trying to get a closer look. It gave her quite a scare. Her hair and clothes were soaked, and the carpet was littered with colorful pebbles, but the fish survived in the couple of inches of water left in the bowl. A few days later, I caught her sitting on top of the desk with a pair of scissors in each hand, trying to reach the chair so she could climb back down. Never a dull moment!

Sickness and Health

Dave came down with the flu a couple of days ago, and Eva got it a day later. I was glad my mom was here to help out, and just hope she doesn’t come down with it, too. Dave recovered enough to take me out for dinner on my birthday last night, settling for a soothing bowl of soup. Eva’s tummy is still too sensitive to eat anything but crackers. Thankfully Amanda and I seem to have escaped it so far. I really don’t need another reason to be nauseated right now!

Right now I never know from one day to the next whether I’ll be sick or not. Some days it’s just annoying queasiness, manageable with ginger ale, peppermint and constant nibbling. Other days I can’t seem to get off the couch, and any little trigger can send me running to the bathroom. Several people from our small group at church have arranged to drop off frozen meals twice a week, which I can heat up on the days when cooking isn’t an option. I’m so thankful to have such wonderful, supportive friends!

Quick Pix

My computer crashed and I haven't been able to access the blog entries I had all typed up and ready in Word, but I promise I'll post them as soon as we get everything fixed.  In the meantime, here are a few new pics to enjoy:

Eva and Amanda playing in their tent

Daddy pulling the girls on the sled with got with Grandma's Xmas gift card.  Thank you!