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Willa rides her bike

Willa got some practice today riding her bike around the courtyard!

Willa goes pee!

Big news - Willa peed on the potty tonight!

It's been a long several months and I don't mention it much on here, but she's known when she has to pee and poop for a long time. She just wouldn't sit on the potty to do it. Tonight, she willingly sat down and after a drop came out, she wanted to get up. I cajoled her into sitting back down and sure enough, she peed on the potty!

She was excited, I was so proud, we did high fives, fist bumps, hugs, kisses, and stickers all over her little body. Willa put the Sesame Street stickers in a circle around her hemangioma, which I thought was funny. Then she transferred them to her wrist and made a bracelet. She loves making circles...I was so excited, I didn't care how many stickers she wanted to have.

Let's hope this pee pee on the potty thing continues. Way to go Willa!

Late August/September update

1. Willa's school closed for one week before the new school year started. Willa and I stayed at Didi and Pop-Pop's house and had a visit with her Grammy, Aunt Krista, and cousin Emma while in town. Willa stayed all week, I stayed until Wednesday (see #2). Willa had a great time and I suspect the family did, too.

2. Markus and I went to Montreal - alone! - for a long weekend to celebrate 5 years of marriage. We had a wonderful time - shopped, ate, rode bikes (on the road - quite a milestone for Christie given her fear of bike riding...hmm, breaking bones as a child couldn't have anything to do with that?...), ate, walked, drank our favorite beer brewed in the outskirts of the city, and soaked up the nice weather and culture there. Markus wants to move there. Seriously.

3. Willa had pneumonia. Seriously. We came home and a cough from 3 weeks prior had re-surfaced. Since I was on vacation the day after Labor Day, I figured what else could be better than a doctor's visit? They diagnosed pneumonia and wheezing, which resulted in 2 more hours at the radiology lab waiting for a chest Xray to confirm no "structural" problems in the lungs. No structural problems found, azithromycin started, problem solved within days.

4. Christie found out she has a deviated septum and "stiff" eardrums. Years of allergy suffering finally taking their toll, apparently, since there have been more sinus and ear pains this year than in my entire life. Started a course of heavy-duty antibiotics and steroids to reduce inflammation and get rid of any possible infection. Must return in 5 weeks to see if the problem was due to infection-related inflammation, or if I'm still having problems, must get imaging to look for "structural" problems. What is it with structural problems? Here's hoping the pills do the trick. Otherwise, surgery (eww, nose surgery) is how they correct this problem...oh, and the ENT told me I could get tubes for my ears if they remain problematic. I thought tubes were for 2-year-olds?! What the heck?

5. As a result of the septum issues, I am returning to the care of an allergist after a 10 year hiatus. I'm sad about this...thought I could manage with my regimen of pills, nasal sprays, and eye drops. Allergy shots are probably likely to be part of my life again (I got them for 15 years, then took my 10 year break). I'm so excited. Not.

6. Christie turned 33! Hooray for old age! Well, I'm not old, but I'm no spring chicken either. But I'm not as old as my Dad either - he turned 50 on September 15!!! Ha ha! I have crow's nests around my eyes (or eagle's nests as I originally called them when I forgot the name - Markus corrected me, thankfully - but some days I feel like they look as big as eagle's nests!), well, that's enough. I'm pretty healthy (save the nose/ears/throat/allergy stuff), I have a family I love, I'm employed, we have a nice home and food, so what's their to complain about? I could come up with stuff, but I'll save it. Markus took me out for a nice dinner and his brother, Luke, baby-sat Willa. What a stand-up 25 year-old-guy, huh? Baby-sitting his 2-year-old niece who adores him. How lucky are we?!

7. Markus got braces today. 18 months of hell, as he said. On a conversation about an hour ago, he wondered if he should have done it. I told him he'll be very pleased with the results in 18 months. In the meantime, I've roasted squash to make him some delicious homemade curried squash soup for his dinner and jello for dessert. I remember the post-orthodontist visit tooth/mouth pain. I'm sure after a few days, it will get better.

Next up - travel. Lots of travel. Between Markus and I, one or both of us is travelling each week between now and the last week in October (one week together for a family vacation to Florida, though Markus is going to Seattle for a conference, taking a redeye and meeting us at the Philly airport to head directly to Florida - exhausting!). Blog updates may be sporadic given our schedules. We're still here, mostly healthy, and Willa is awesome (as usual).

Happy Fall and stay tuned for more updates and pictures!

Hemangioma, part 2

Willa, pointing to her hemangioma : "Mommy, whatssat?"

Mommy: "What did I tell you it is? Do you remember?"

Willa: "Eee billy (pause) joba"

Mommy: "That's right, hemangioma."

Willa: "Ee billy (shorter pause) joba"

Hemangioma

Willa, pointing to the strawberry hemangioma on her chest: "Mommy, whatssat?"

Mommy: "It's your hemangioma."

Willa: "Ihman (pause) joba"

Questions and Answers

So the other night, I put Willa to bed and went downstairs. I turned on the monitor and could hear her drifting off to sleep as she drank her sippy cup of water, or so I thought. After about 15 minutes, I hear:

"Hi, how are you, Lookaaas (Luke, who is Markus' brother)? I'm fine. Yeaaaahhhh. Loookaaaas. Loooooookaaaaaas. Loookaaaas."

And on she went. I think she sang happy birthday in there, too. She went on for at least 5 minutes, talking to herself and calling for her uncle Luke.

We've been teaching her questions and answers, or ways to respond. Please/Thank you/You're welcome. How are you/I'm fine. Why/Because. I love you, Willa/I love you, Mommy. See you later/see ya lada. She's apparently figured out the concept, based on the exchange I heard the other night. Sometimes she'll ask "why XXX" and then immediately say, "Because". Saves me some time!

She loves talking on the phone and often can't wait for the how are you part so she can answer.

Markus' dad arrived for a visit on Friday, so Willa's been enjoying her visit with "Ireland Pop-Pop". Tonight, she followed him around saying "Eyelin Pop-Pop, what doing?" Oh, "what doing" is her new question. We hear that so much more than why. I'm changing her diaper - "what doooing?" "Changing your diaper." "Why?" "Because you peed in it." "Yeaaah." Then I start putting Butt Paste on. "What doooing?" "Putting Butt Paste on." "Bu Pees."

Markus started telling Willa she's nosy since she's always asking questions, so now she walks around saying she's "noazee".

Today, we went to the Please Touch Museum. Luke works there and was on-duty today so he arranged for tickets for us. How nice! We rode the carousel and Willa said the whole time, "I don't like it. Git off Mommy." Then when it was over and we got off, she cried because she wanted to go back on. Indecisive like her mother.

She started combining sentences in the last few days.

"I don't like it Mommy. Take it."
"Grape fell. Git it Mommy. Pick it up Mommy."
"Climb up Willa's new bed. Lay down."
"No this music, Daddy. Pretty singing, please." Pretty singing = opera to Willa. She calls opera "opalawa". Then she claps if it's a live version of a song and the applause is heard on the air. It's funny.

And so many more I can't think of at the moment.

Oh, she's up to 18 or 19 with the counting, and can go to 20 in French (with some help)! She's got red, orange, green, blue, pink, and yellow down pat. Sometimes knows purple. The fact that we buy obnoxiously bright colored shoes for her (i.e., bright orange) has helped her learn her colors (go get your ORANGE shoes, Willa). She knows circles, and loves to draw them. She makes circle after circle after circle when she draws at her easel. Tonight, I wrote her name (and of course, I drew a circle around it). Then she started making all these lines with the marker (she had temporarily forgotten about circles) and said W-i-j-k-l-l-l and then I don't remember, but a bunch more letters and straight lines on the paper. And then, "I did it!" She was so proud that she, ahem, wrote her name.

I know this may not be as fascinating to our faithful blog readers (Mom...um, Aunt Sue, do you still check?), but I wanted to try to capture more of what Willa's saying and doing. Now that she repeats almost any word, it's impossible to keep track. So, no pictures tonight. Just words. Trying to make sure we don't forget the things that make us smile.

W for Willa

Yay!

/O.CAN.KPHI.SV.W.0188.000000T0000Z-090809T2330Z/ DELAWARE PA-PHILADELPHIA PA-CHESTER PA-MONTGOMERY PA-

659 PM EDT SUN AUG 9 2009...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY...EAST CENTRAL CHESTER...PHILADELPHIA AND DELAWARE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS MOVED INTO NEW JERSEY.A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE AND NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND NEW JERSEY AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR

SOUTHERN DELAWARE AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND.LAT...LON 3953 7521 3955 7524 3946 7538 3946 7541 3943 7542 3942 7548 3946 7555 3950 7557 3952 7554 3957 7553 3962 7558 3982 7540 3983 7521 3991 7496 3980 7492 3977 7488 TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 334DEG 35KT 3980 7515 3956 7549

Family dinner!

Willa's new bed!

July pictures

Scroll down - I posted earlier tonight. This post is pictures-only! The albums aren't edited so you'll see lots of pics.



July 4 - we went to a ceremony at Independence Hall then hosted a big bash for our neighbors and friends. Lots of random photos of people you may not know. We were graced with the presence of local celeb Fergie (long, white hair), a former block resident who now live 2 blocks away and owns 3 very cool bars in the city.


July 29 - Willa's one teacher is a pro at toddler hairstyling. On this day, she French braided little pigtails! Willa smiled and then broke out the ham.


August 1 - we decided to get some "nice" pictures of Willa. Her face is changing and her legs suddenly look so long in these pictures I think.


August 5 - hot off the presses, pictures from Willa's bedtime tonight in her new bed!

Willa-speak, sentence style

We're onto full-blown sentences now, along with advanced words (helicopter, anyone?).

Some of our favorite Willa sentences:

"I do pickup" = I have the hiccups.

"I someone" = I hear someone (we say this each night when Daddy walks in the door and she gets so excited)

"Willa do" = I will do it myself, thank you very much.

"Wrap up" = Cover up [object - could be baby, fork, water bottle, little horse] with a napkin, dish towel, wash cloth. Leads to frustration on Willa's part, so Mommy or Daddy must help. Such a mother hen, trying to swaddle her things.

"Good minning, Mommy" = Good morning

"My come up" = I want to come up into your bed and snuggle with you and Daddy.

"Amanee sunnle" = Family snuggle!

"Amanee walk" = Family walk - she loves these!

"Amanee trip in Willa's caa" = Time for a trip in the car. She loves "Willa's caa" and looks for it each morning on our walk to school.

"My go potty" = I have to pee/poop. She's not going in the potty yet, but knows when she has to go. A step in the right direction.

"Rockabye baby Willa. Mommy sing." = I want Mommy to sing Rockabye Baby to me and personalize it with "down will come Willa, cradle and all". We do this at least 10 times each night before bed (and I pray Markus isn't listening on the monitor); Willa likes to switch up the name - sometimes we rockabye baby Stella, or Daddy, or our neighbor, "Kaffryn"

"Hap berday dear Kaffryn" = Happy Birthday Kathryn! Our friend, Kathryn's, birthday was July 3. At least once each day, Willa breaks out in song to wish Kathryn another happy birthday. Still, even though it was a month ago.

I can't think of any others right now, but she makes us laugh with her new statements. Many of her sentences have progressed to 5 or 6 words. She's also counting to 14 by herself in English and French. She loves to count. I guess most kids do. And the alphabet is coming along; we watch Elmo and India Arie on YouTube almost everyday singing the ABCs. She moves her mouth along with them and can recite most letters by herself. She misses E - J sometimes, but with prompting can get through the whole thing. It's so amazing to just listen to her (and any other toddler, she's just the one I see everyday) and hear how much they already know.

Finally, big family news: Willa's sleeping in her "big girl bed" for the first time tonight! I'm away this week, but Markus tells me she was so excited when the mattress was delivered Monday. They set it up tonight without the bedframe, so it's nice and close to the floor, and she loved it. Markus said she went to bed without a problem. What a good girl. I can't wait to see it when I get home. Markus took some pictures tonight and uploaded some older ones, so I'll load them to the site in a separate post.

-Christie

Sunday

Morning: walked to Old City and home via Headhouse Square Farmer's Market

Afternoon: Puma store, Kmart, NY and Company

Beautiful day!

Listening to Black Eyed Peas now!

June catch-up

I think if we aim to post monthly, we might be able to achieve it! June was a busy month for us. I was back to my old job and things were going full swing. I had 3 business trips and Markus had 1; finally we had some family time together in the third week in June. I'll start my normal travel schedule now, which is every three weeks. I've been home for three weeks and it's been pleasant. I think this interval will be manageable for all of us.

Willa is wow. I don't know how else to say it. She surprises us each day with something new. We're not always pleased (i.e. when tantrums became more frequent) but most developments are good ones and we enjoy watching our little girl grow. Luckily for us, the tantrum/sharing problems lasted all of 3-5 days and haven't resurfaced since then. I know they'll likely return at some point, but we're enjoying the lack of them right now.

Willa's language is quite good, I think. She puts 3-4 word sentences together now and repeats everything. Yes, we're watching our swear words. She repeats everything. Lots of words have "ees" on the end right now (milkie, covee for cover, coppy for helicopter, etc). It makes me (Christie) smile. I love listening to her talk. As I was leaving for my last trip to Indy, she and Markus watched me leave from the patio. I told her I loved her and she said "I love you" back. It was the first time and it was a wonderful farewell. She spent a weekend at the shore with her Grammy and Pop Pop last weekend; the funniest part was when Markus' mom called him and then Willa started saying "Maa-kees". So now she'll call him "Maa-kees" sometimes, especially if she's trying to get his attention. What can you do but laugh? Then Markus taught her to say my name, which is "Kee-see". I love toddler talk! She can count to 10, sometimes stumbling in the middle but can get to 10 with some reminders. She also surprised me with being able to recite most of the ABCs! Again, if she misses some and we start back with the right letter, she can pick it up again. When she gets to W, she says W Willa. Smart girl. :-)

She's curious about what's going on around her and likes to know who people are. She's keen to recite peoples' names so much so that at school, she's known as the shout out queen. We do early drop-off at 8 am, so she's one of the first to arrive. As each child arrives, she shouts their name and runs up to give them a hug or a point to the arm. It's been neat to see her recognize people at the park or in the neighborhood, too. Since we drop her off early, I don't know all of the kids in her class or the school but she knows her friends when we're out and doesn't hesitate to say their name and start talking to them. That little brain of hers remembers a lot - more than I realized!

Physically, she's doing the almost-run/walk-really-fast. She hasn't quite mastered jumping yet - the first time she got air under her feet, she fell on her hiny. She likes to hold onto something and jump for now (she's smart like that). Something that has become a pasttime at this point is hanging. At the park, she loves to hang on the bars. Or she'll grab onto the bottom of the swing, lift her feet and let her little body hang and swing. Her core strength must be quite good to be able to do this! Markus also taught her how to climb some of the equipment at the playground, which is great except that now she climbs to the top (which is taller than my head) and then I have to try and catch her if she falls. If only I were 6'1" like Markus! She's daring and adventurous and strong.

She's not signing nearly as much but she's saying more French words. She loves to watch Elmo's Song on You Tube...anytime we're near a computer, she says "Elmo Song". As soon as it comes on, she gets a huge grin on her face. Since she turned 2, we played a few bits of Sesame Street and she likes it okay, but isn't captivated for really long periods of time. However, we have these French books with a character named T'choupi. He's very popular with French-speaking kids. Anyway, Markus searched for him on You Tube and found videos. They're 5 minutes each and wouldn't you know, Willa loves them. We watched at least 10 or 12 different episodes last Sunday! I'm hoping that some of this French will be retained in her brain. Markus and I are going to Montreal for our fifth anniversary (!) in September and will pick up more T'choupi books to help Willa continue to learn French (or basic French, anyway). T'choupi has a little teddy bear called "Doudou" and Willa loves pointing him out in the books now, too. He squeaks in the videos and is very cute.

She had her 2-year physical in June. The pediatrician is pleased with her growth; to think she was barely on the charts when she was born! Look how far she's come:

Weight = 28 lbs, 9 oz (50-75%)
Length = 34.65 in (50-75%)
Head = 19.25 in (75%)

Those are the highlights, I think. Now that we're able to post from our Blackberries again, we should be able to post more often (and avoid super long posts like these!). We've posted some pictures in the last few days, but there were several albums from late May - late June that we skipped. Here are some photo highlights - enjoy!

Three Plates of Sloppy Joe!

Our little girl was HUNGRY tonight.

Awesome Website

timeanddate.com

Willa and her baby...

We are enjoying a nice night on the patio and having some success getting Willa to eat her pasta. Yay for progress...

Mobile

For the longest time I was unable to post to Blogger from my
Blackberry. Suddenly it looks like my problems are gone. And of
course now there are so many other places for me to share info. In
fact Facebook is arguably the best place to do this. However it does
lack some of the features that I think make Blogs relevent still;
namely tagging and the ability to easily embed rich HTML content on a
post by psot basis.

Alas I am unsure of where my time is bes spent. Facebook offers the
slickness while Blogger is more of an "archive" tool with its robust
searching and chronological indices.

I guess post everywhere...

I will try.

--
Sent from my mobile device

More artwork from earlier this year

More of Willa's artwork...

Willa's Recent Artwork, July 2009 Edition

We haven't been great about posting anything, much less Willa's artwork. Here's a glimpse of what she's been up to lately.

4 July 2009

I think we're kind of overdue for a post... Waaaay overdue. Anyway, we had a great 4th of July with friends. We started out the day at Independence Hall and then did a big BBQ with friends from the neighborhood. I think it was one of the nicest days we've had in what has become one of the nicest Summers in memory.