Status Updates

Abigail has done some mighty cute things this past week, but since I've been splitting my time between here and the hospital where my dad just had his last round of surgery (went home on Wednesday!  Praise God for all His blessings!), I have only been able to post them as status updates on Facebook.  But, since they are so darn cute, I want to make sure that I include them in the blog, too.

Update #1:  Tonight was the first night that, as I sang Abigail her lullabies and tucked her in, she sang with me! I didn't think my heart could grow any more - guess I was wrong! My daughter amazes me every day!

As I lay her down to sleep, I sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and she sang along with me as she drifted off to dreamland!  It was the cutest thing ever.  She has been doing this a lot lately - singing songs she hears often.  She will sing along (although not clearly - more in toddlereese than in English) to the ABC's, Itsy Bitsy Spider, the Backpack song on Dora the Explorer and the Wonder Pets theme song. 

Update #2:  You know you're raising a girly-girl when your one year old tries to put jewelry on the dog.
 
Abigail loves jewelry, make-up (she has her own brush set), and all things "pretty."  She calls them all "Pretty!" when she wants one of them.  I guess that's what we get for always telling her she looks pretty when she puts on jewelry, carries a purse, wants to be like Mommy and wear make-up, puts bows in her hair, etc.  She'll do just about anything if you call it "pretty."

The story about this update though, can best be explained by a follow up comment I made on this status after a few replies.
Someone asked "Clip ons or studs?" and I replied:  Haha, actually, a (plastic) pearl necklace, and when he kept shaking it off, she was trying to put a big ol' ring on his paw! She kept trying to separate his toes saying, "Pretty!". She was completely unsuccessful, but I guess it was good practice for dressing up her soon to be little sister! Baby #2 is in for it!  It was very cute seeing her try to separate his toes to put a ring on, I must say!

Update #3:  When I turned on the radio in the living room, Abby came running in from the other room, screaming with her hands waving, and started DANCING! She's too funny!

She looked like a true party girl in this situation - literally running in from the kitchen, her hands in the air, squealing with delight at the music on the radio.  She walked up to the speaker, then started dancing to the beat.  Actually, every time she dances (which is frequent), I think she gets better and better.  Now, she can follow a sort of choreography - raise hands when I do, spin around, get low to the ground, clap, etc.  I'm getting very excited at the thought of 3 year old dance class!!

With all that dancing and laughing going on, Robby came in to see what was going on and I grabbed him and we took a few twirls around the living room.  Not to be outdone, Abigail grabbed herself a partner - her bunny Bunnie.  She mimicked us and twirled her partner 'round and 'round.  It was adorable!

First Kicks

Robby felt baby girl #2 move for the first time last night!  I was very excited that he could actually feel her.  Up until now, every time I'd say, "She's moving!" and he'd rush over, it was too late; she stopped moving or her kicks where gentle again where only I could feel them.  What I really liked, is that when he actually confirmed that he could feel her, his eyes sort of lit up!  I don't remember his expression that clearly the first time he felt Abigail move, but this time, he got that little twinkle and his eyes crinkled up (my favorite look!) and I swear his expression changed from excitement to...well, love.  Xoxo - he is the BEST! 

Thanks to little baby girl for kicking up a storm and not letting Daddy just feel one movement, but several all in a row, and all over my belly.  It started on the right side, then flipped to the left, and Robby just thought that was craaaazy.

On another note, Robby and I are pretty sure that no matter what, her initials will be HKR.  Either Hannah or Hailey (although he likes the spelling Haley), middle name Kate or Kay.  We have an ARR and the RR is for Robby, so we thought we could have a _KR after me!  Picking a name is tough business!

22 Weeks

From the information I gather from various websites and books, the baby is now about (or a little less than) ONE POUND!  Wow, she's getting big!  She kicks and squirms and likes to tap dance on my bladder - oh, the joy!

We still don't have a name for her, although we have contenders:  Hannah, Hailey, and Robby just yesterday told me he likes the names Brooklyn & McKenna.  I like Brooklyn, but I think it is too trendy.  I like the name Brooke and I like Lynn, but I think Brooklyn is just a fad.  McKenna is cute, though.  I also like Kinley.

Agh, there is still so much to do to get ready for her, and I only have a few weeks until school starts again.  I thought I was going to go with Coco Dots for her nursery, but Robby says it's not girly enough (there we go again!) and pretty much vetoed it.  I guess, since I expect him to help with the care of the baby, that I can allow him to get involved in the preparation of the baby, too.  Ha, what a thought!  He is a very involved daddy, and I just love that about him!  Now it looks like I may go with the Sophie nursery bedding from Pottery Barn Kids.

We have made a little progress in getting her room ready to paint:  we took out the full bed and moved it to Abby's room, and we moved the glider, changing table, and crib (in pieces) into the new baby room.  I still need to get the closet cleared out before we can really begin!

There's a lot to be done, but it's all very exciting!

21 Weeks

Whew, more than halfway there!  I feel like my belly has grown tremendously in the last two weeks! 

Not much has changed since last week, other than the fact that I can now feel baby kicks on the outside of my stomach, as well as the inside!  The first time the baby kicked strong enough to feel on my stomach was Saturday, July 17.  Unfortunately, Robby has been umpiring a lot lately, so he hasn't felt her kick yet.  Last night we lay in bed with his hands on my belly for nearly 20 minutes while he waited very patiently for the baby to wake up, but no luck!  I even told her these next few months is her only chance to hit/punch/kick Daddy to her heart's desire.  I'm encouraging her to get out her teenage angst a little early, but my peaceful little baby didn't want to partake in all the violence.  Haha.  Oh well.  It won't be long until she gives him a few love taps!

I'm pretty sure that I want to do her nursery in Coco Dots by Pottery Barn Kids, but I haven't ordered it yet.  I don't know what my hold up is, but I don't feel ready to commit just yet.

Lately I've been feeling more nauseous again.  I'm hoping, hoping, hoping that it won't come back in full force.  Robby said that he doesn't think my "morning" sickness ever really went away - just went into hiding.  I've still been sick about once a week, but it's gotten worse this past week.  I'm back to where I was two months ago in some respects.  I've started gagging every time I open the refrigerator.  Gagging I can handle - feeling sick all the time, I can't.  I hope it goes away for good sometime soon!

Grocery Store = Food

Last night, Abigail was holding the phone to her head saying, "'Ello?  ELLO?" and when I asked her who she was calling she said, "Mammy."  (That's how she says Nani.)  I called my mom on speakerphone and when she answered, Abigail struck up a conversation.  I couldn't understand much of her conversation, but she was talking up a storm.  (I secretly think that my mom loves getting calls from Abby more than she likes them from me.  Abby called her *by herself and unbeknownst to me* three times in one day last week.  I guess she knows her speed dial button.  She's also text messaged my mom a non-decipherable message!  She is too funny.) 

My mom asked, "What did you do today?" and I yelled out, "Went to the grocery store!"  My mom then asked Abigail, "Did you go to the grocery store?" and Abigail said, "Uh-HUH!"  So my mom asked, "What did you get there?"  Abby said, "To eat." 

Oh my goodness!  I was completely floored that Abigail knew you get food to eat at the grocery store!  It seems like common sense, but she followed the conversation and gave a real, rational answer.  I was so impressed with my little 20 month old!

Playtime

Lately, Abigail has fascinated me during playtime!

Pat-a-cake
Abby was sitting in the floor playing with her baby doll when I heard her sing the pat-a-cake song.  When I leaned over to check on her, she had her baby's hands and was making them clap while she (sort of) sang the song!  It was so cute!  A few times, she has grabbed my hands and made me do pat-a-cake!

Quite the cook
Abigail has turned into chef extraordinaire!  She loves ransacking my kitchen to find plastic containers and will stir up invisible food in no time!  She also likes to bring a spoon and then "feed" Daddy or me her creation.  It's the best tasting invisible food ever!  If Daddy and I are busy, she'll feed the food to her baby dolls.  (I wrote a little letter to Santa Clause telling him about this, and he said he might, just maybe, bring her a kitchen for Christmas.  If she's a good girl, that is!)

Little People
Abby's Little People doll house has never been so fun!  She likes to sit and play with her Little People dolls and will actually move them about the house and talk for them/to them (in toddlereese, so I have no idea what she's saying).  She gets intensely focused and will play for up to 20 minutes by herself!  Hallelujah! 

A few days ago, she wanted Robby to play with her, and he got down there and played doll house.  He's such a good daddy to her!  I taught him how to talk "for" the dolls (he was just moving them with no sound!), and he and Abby's doll had quite the conversation.  It's funny to me how Abby already knew to talk for the dolls, but Robby didn't.  I guess girls really are girls, and boys really are boys.  (Well isn't that insightful? Ha.)

Good Night
Last night, Robby was exhausted after umpiring in the hot July heat.  He took a shower, then crashed on the couch for a little snooze.  I brought him a pillow and a blanket, then Abby walked over and said, "Nigh-nigh" and gave him kisses (every night she gives Daddy night-night kisses before bed), then she ran to get her baby doll and tucked her doll in with him.  She also kissed her doll night-night.  So sweet to tuck Daddy in with her baby! 

She also likes to tuck in Chance if he is asleep.  She'll cover him with her blanket or, like yesterday, bring him a pillow!  He gets the royal treatment!  The funny thing is, with Chance, she'll say "Shhh!" but when Daddy is sleeping, she keeps going over there to check on him.  She'll get right next to his face and then yell:  "DA-DA!" and he'll grumble, "Mmm?" and she'll say, "Nigh-nigh."  I guess she just likes to see if he's still sleeping.  Hahaha.  It never fails to make me laugh!

Calling Papa

Abby plays with my cell phone all the time.  Today, I called Papa on speakerphone.  He answered, and Abigail said, "Hi, Papa!" in her sing-song voice.  Then she blew him a kiss "Mmmmm-wuah!" and said, "Bye-bye."  I said, "Well, I guess that's all she wanted."  So we said goodbye and hung up. 

As short as the conversation was, I know it made his day!