Baby's bath time

It is so much fun to watch the imagination at work. Ally and I had been playing. I was bouncing her on my knee and after a while I told her we had to stop because my leg was tired. She said tired, I said yes, and she told me to go to sleep. I asked for a pillow and blanket so she brought me both! I then asked her to get a pillow and blanket for herself - she did and we both slept for about 45 seconds. Then she stood up and got her baby doll, because we had to get baby ready for bed. Mama came home and mama helped with baby's bath time.

Washing baby's face.



having fun washing baby

washing face

soaping up her hand with shampoo to wash baby's hair

washing feet

bath is done time to kiss baby

Diapering baby

after bath its lotion time, Ally is rubbing lotion on baby's feet.

Bath time is all done now its time for a ride on my "bike". Yes Ally calls this her bike, she's still too petite for an actual tricycle so this is her mode of transport for the moment.

I certainly think she is loveable what about you?

Ornaments

I just need to brag about Becky for a minute. She is SUPER talented with crafty things.

In the picture below, are Ally's three favorite ornaments on our Christmas tree and each one has a special story.


The mouse in the raisin box was made by Becky's maternal grandmother. Dolores never got to meet Ally, but we know she and Grandad are watching with a smile and chuckle. Every year for her church bizarre Dolores would make a mouse themed ornament - well she would make a ton of the same ornament, and when she passed away Becky received the mouse in the raisin box as a memory. Ally loves to point to the mouse and say "raisin...mouse...squeak..squeak". Thanks Dolores.


The Big Bird ornament is part of my ornament collection. Every year from the time I was born until I was 18 my parents bought me an ornament. Each one had something to do with what I was into that year, so the year I took a computer class I got a computer ornament, the first year I played softball I got a softball player ornament, my first clarinet you get the idea... in 1974 I was into Big Bird, so they bought me a Big Bird ornament. Ally likes to point it out on the tree and say in her toddler speak "Beeeeg Buuurd". Thanks mom and dad.


The ornament in the middle was made by Becky, on Saturday in about 3 hours. Yes she created the ornament, from scratch without a pattern. If you can't tell, its a gorilla, and its modeled after the Goodnight Gorilla. We decided to continue my family tradition of an ornament every year for Ally. You all know how much she likes gorillas, so I started looking for a gorilla ornament, and the only ones I could find were breakable, and not really our style. So I casually mentioned to Becky that maybe she could make one. (That is my craft role in our relationship - to suggest, support, cajole and act as gopher when needed.) I think its an awesome gorilla and I know Ally will treasure it as much as I do my childhood ornaments. Thank-you Becky/mama.

She's growing up!

There are two remarkable things for me about this photo. The first thing is that Ally is wearing 2 pairs of pants...because she pulled on a pair herself! There was a teeny teeny bit of help from Mommy, but really she did it on her own! She was very determined. Her first attempt at putting on pants had both legs in one pant leg, which led to a fall and some tears. But a few minutes later she did it!

The second remarkable thing is that, at the time of the photo, Ally was desperate to see "more pictures" on the camera. I told her "there are no more pictures, would you stand by the tree so I can take a picture of you and then you can see it?" She understood, stood by the tree, smiled and said cheese! I think my jaw dropped to the floor when an overtired little girl did all that.

The age of two can be very frustrating as a parent sometimes, but it also is really really amazing.

Christmas and Climbing

We spent yesterday morning Christmas shopping. Well actually it was returning some things and purchasing others. We got a super steal on the sweater Ally is wearing in the pictures below. But the best deal was that Ally was a happy shopper - 2 malls and a trip to K.ohls and she was well behaved and in good spirits every where!

Ally has discovered that she likes to climb. Today she went up...

Over the chair

Turned around

Down and then back up again.

On a different note, the Ernie doll she is holding in the first climbing picture is her new best friend. Ally does not have a "lovey" and we're wondering if Ernie will be it. Today he ate, when she did, he sat next to her in her high chair and her car seat, if Ally washed her hands so did Ernie. Gosh 2 is such a cute age. Its days like this that make me completely forget that there is any terrible part of 2!

Ally received an early gift from some friends. After she opened it she kept asking for more gifts.
That is our cat Nali under the tree. Inevitably one of our 3 is always under the tree. It was a difficult decision last year to make the switch to artificial, but it is so much easier.

Tunnel

We were visiting friends a while back and they had a tunnel. Ally liked it a lot, and we thought with all the cold weather here in Boston, that the tunnel might make a nice indoor active play thing.

Of course the cats try out all of Ally's toys before she does. I sometimes think the only reason she goes in the tunnel is because one of them does it first.

She did it!

Then we got it out another time:

And of course the bus has to go thru the tunnel too!

Gotta run around and do it again.

Oh wait

Carl is here and so I can pull on his tail and have fun that way too.

Friends & Adventure

We try and get together with Alice and her family once a week. With sick toddlers and crazy schedules its more like twice a month, but the girls are getting to be friends, and so are the 4 parents! These pictures are from a couple weeks ago - we went to Alice's local park and played together there. Alice is about 6 weeks older than Ally and she was born in Guatemala as well. Alice is sporting the green coat, and Ally is wearing pink.

I think the angle here is neat - and its like they are talking and challenging each other to a race up the slides, the way they are looking at each other.

Then Ally discovered a new pirce of equipment. Our local parks don't have this contraption on the jungle gym. I was worried she would slip and fall.

But she did not, she made it up to the top!

It was a cold evening - but the girls had fun.

We took the photo above when Alice came over to play.

One of many

In case you did not know I am a bit of a shopaholic. I'll shop for anything at any time and pretty much with anyone, or with no one (yes I shop alone). You'll see in the next few weeks that Ally has a variety of Christmas outfits; dresses, pajamas, etc. Several of which we purchased before she was even officially our daughter. I stalked the after Christmas sales in 2007 and bought what I thought her size would be. Turns out she is so petite nothing I bought fit her last year, but Grandma Debbie and my NC relatives came thru with cute Christmas outfits. But this year it all fits! Below is the most special outfit of all, its another dress my mom saved from when I was a child. It is marked 18 months on the tag, so I must have worn it for Christmas 1974. Add a pair of black velour leggings and I think Ally is styling in another hand me down from her mommy!