Making Progress

I love watching Olivia grow up. Every day she understands more and can express her thoughts and feelings to me easier. Her vocabulary is enriching and her eyes are bright as she focuses on what profound thing is next to flow from her lips.

Lately she has been interested in watching Ava get her diaper changed. It is an interactive time for all of us. Ava, the prime target, spends her time wrestling around trying to flee from my grip while she squeals in delight that she has managed to break free of the poopy diaper. In the meantime Liv has gotten a new diaper, the bag of wipes (which she has so graciously opened and pulled apart while she strung them across the living room floor), and the butt cream. She let's me know the baby has a stinky bummy and that it is nasty. She repeats 'stinky bummy' quite a few times to make sure I know what a tragedy this is and maybe I could just clean her up a little bit faster thank you. Then she hands me the butt cream 'medicine' she calls it and together we slather it on Ava. We then make our way outside to drop off our funky mess into the trash can and come back inside to wash our hands.

When Dave comes home from work he gets the pleasure of yet another ill smelling diaper. He wrangles Ava to the floor and Olivia brings him the butt cream. Then this conversation transpired:
O: My help daddy?
D: Ok bring me a diaper and the cream.
O: Daddy lotion? Hand?
D: No Olivia. This is Ava's medicine.
O: Me medicine my bummy daddy? Finger?
D: Yes, Olivia I am putting it on with my finger.
O: My help? Finger daddy? Put my bummy daddy?
D: No Olivia, this is just for Ava's rash.

Then Ava thrashes around and grabs hold of the diaper tabs and rips off one side.

D: Oh no baby broke diapie.
O: Uh oh. Baby take off diapie daddy. (Dave goes for a new diaper)
O: BABY TAKE OFF DIAPIE!!! BABY TAKE OFF DIAPIE DADDY!! (Ava takes off running naked).

It's amazing to watch something so ordinary to me become so fascinating to Olivia and now she can talk to me and Dave and tell us that she's hungry, tired, happy, wants to nuggie (snuggle in bed), wants to go outside to the park in her waygon (wagon), or she simply wants me to read her a few stories. Sometimes I do think she never stops talking. Ok a lot of times I think man can she still be talking, isn't her throat sore yet? I guess not. It has helped me to stop watching daytime TV (because I can't hear it) and helped me to be more motivated for craft projects, cooking eggs, toast, and muffins with her, planting a garden in the backyard, and just enjoying stuff that I once overlooked because I was hooked on the box. Everyday we talk about colors and I associate a color to an object. I know she knows what most colors are but she refuses to tell me the correct colors. Now if I ask her to find me letters, she will point them out or use the refrigerator magnets to show the appropriate one. She also knows all of her body parts, the alphabet song, can count to 15, loves planes and helicopters, can identify numerous animals, and can carry on a few sentences in conversation.
We take a trip to the park usually every morning to swing and slide and when we are through we take a side street to visit the neighbors cows. We stand outside the gate and moo at them for a few minutes and then head back for a snack.
I noticed recently she understands her cartoons now. At the end of one of her favorites she chants the song, "We did it... we did it... hooray" Now when she poops she yells, "Look mommy I did it I did it Yea!!" We clap and Ava comes by to see all of the excitement so she begins to clap. It's a great family event.

You're probably wondering right now why I haven't talked about all of Ava's achievements and it's really very simple. I just started writing this blog and have so much back history to put down just to get up to date so I began with Liv because she's the first born. I have so much good stuff to write about Ava too. She my little Ava cakes or as Dave calls her his 'avacakearoonies'. So look forward to reading about her expeditions soon.