Friday, March 30, 2007
5:54 PM
Every time I get a few minutes to update my journals, rather a few minutes TO MYSELF, the last thing I want to do is get online and talk about things. Since I spend all day with Grace (Tom takes over at 4:30pm), I immediately dive into work as soon as she goes up to his office with him. I get about two hours every evening, plus weekends, and so I spend that time working on jewelry or whatever needs to be done. I surf around online a little every morning (I get up at 6am so I can swim and get stuff like laundry done before she's up) but I'm still too tired to actually do anything but click around and read stuff here and there.
(These are photos from Gracie's first real haircut. After my mom trimming her hair [badly] every so often, I decided we needed to stop messing around and get Gracie a real, honest-to-goodness hairstyle. She was very unsure of the process at first, but once she realized she could see herself in the mirror, she was ENTHRALLED.)
Grace, closing in on 18 months, is now at the point where if I try to sneak off and do ANYTHING without her input or participation, will quietly get herself into a mess of trouble within seconds. If I get online to read the news, within seconds she's emptied a kitchen drawer (or the dishwasher) or turned over the garbage. If she doesn't do that, she chases after the cats, scaring the shit out of them (which she knows I hate and will get her my attention). If she doesn't do that, she just comes up to my knees and either looks super cute or whines until I stop looking at the computer and get back to spending time with her.
It's not terrible, though. She and I just hang out a lot and have fun together every day. It was really hard for me to focus 100% on her when she was younger and less interactive. But now I'm used to it, and I feel less "guilty" about spending an hour crashed on the couch with her, watching Sesame Street, or hanging out with her for half hour on the floor while we stack things up. When she first came, I couldn't help but think "in this hour, I could have done ____, _____, and _____." Although I knew it was very important bonding time, after being on my own for so long and having a strong "productive time" ethic, it didn't feel right. Now I just enjoy the moment, enjoy interacting with her.
This month, she'll turn 1 and a half. 18 months. She's been here almost 9 months. It's hard to believe it. I LOVE her right now, this stage. She's still really cute and little, but she's turning into a PERSON. Time with her is less about trying to get her to react to things and more about us interacting. In a lot of ways, it's harder, since she's got a strong will and has strong ideas about what she wants to be doing, but I really like being able to communicate with her.
She's not talking in words yet, which does have me concerned with all the talk lately about Autism. She says a few things- papa (for grandpa), nana (for grandma), dah-dee (for daddy), honey (for whomever she's happy with at the moment- my dad taughter her that), uh-dah ("all done", with the accompanying sign). She has a lot of phrases and terms that she says over and over that MIGHT be words, but we can't make them out. She says something that sounds like "Oh, wow, wow, WOW!" when she gets excited. She says "hi" and "bye bye" with a sound at the end that changes depending on who she's addressing. But there's is no strong sense of language yet. She signs for a lot of things, which is good, and her voice does rise when she asks a question. She's just not in any sort of rush to talk in ENGLISH. I don't care, either, but I keep reading articles in all the parenting magazines and health magazines about autism and warning signs. Autism seems to be the health predicament of the moment, and it's a little scary.
She's doing a lot of cool phsyical things- eating with a fork or spoon, walking around on her toes, dancing around, singing along to songs she knows, signing "I Love You". She gives hugs and kisses without being asked. She "reads" me books- she brings them to me, opens to a random page, follows the words with her finger, and "reads" out loud. It can go on for up to half hour sometimes, which is interesting. (Especially when you have to pee!) She's just CUTE. And funny.
Out of nowhere, she's turning into a girly girl. She carries several "purses" around on her arm (toy purses or small shopping bags), and wears a plastic ring around her wrist as a bracelet ALL THE TIME. She loves dresses and sunglasses and shoes and LOVES looking at herself in mirrors. I have NO idea where this all came from- I live in my shorts and t-shirts and studio/painting clothes (men's pajam bottoms and t-shirts), I don't wear jewelry, and I hate shoes and looking in the mirror. I have a sneaking suspicion it's from spending time with my mom.
The bath tub is my saving grace (no pun intended). When she gets to be too much, or is being a total grump, she takes a bath. She has a BALL, and I get about half an hour to rest and not worry about where she is and if she's happy. I sit on the edge of the tub and blow bubbles or daydream.
She still naps twice a day and sleeps through the night, thankfully. Besides the bath, her first nap of the day is a break for me- I get to have lunch and just rest for a bit.
She's finally out of her picky eating stage. We discovered she could eat with a fork and spoon (we use plastic displosables- the adult ones are too pointy and big, the kid ones don't pick up enough, so the plastic ones you throw out are just right) and as soon as we entrusted her to eating her own food, she started eating like a HORSE. I'm so relieved. I'm Italian, and we Italian people get very nervous when people don't eat!
Her allergies are still an issue (she has a constant sneeze), but we are trying our best to keep the things she is allergic to under control. The pediatrician said that she can't really be treated for allergies until she turns two, so I am researching natural and homeopathic options. I found BioAllers and ordered two formulas, but am nervous to start treatment. Tom thinks it's a load of crap, but I read a lot of interesting things about it and if it will help her, I am willing to try it. If you have any info on toddler allergy treatment, I'd love to hear it.
So sorry for the lack of updates. But for the first time life has provided me with more full time rather than empty time. Instead of trying to find things to do, I am now trying to find free time. It's a WHOLE new world.
By the way, when I say "work", this is what I mean. I make beads by hand, which I then make into jewelry. I've spent the last few months making thousands of beads. I took a hiatus after Gracie came, and dove back in earlier this year. I forgot how much I love doing it, and so every free minute I have, I spend in my studio, mixing clay and making beads and jewelry.
Grace is breathtakingly cute. Really, she's adorable. I especially love the super-serious look she has when she's supervising her haircut.
Oh, she's lovely.
Posted by Anna H. @ March 30, 2007 07:11 PM
I would be shocked if Grace had any degree of Autism. My nephew has autism spectrum disorder and he was definitely not saying momma/dadda and signing "I love you" or doing any of those other people-centered flirty-type things at that age.
R~s language aquisition was also a little later than my bio kids - I think it's because she heard only Cambodian for her first 7.5 months of life and so it took her a while to catch up. Just wait, soon Gracie will be talking so much you'll miss the quiet!Posted by Christina/Mrs Broccoli Guy @ March 30, 2007 07:46 PM
She sounds like a pretty norma 18 months old. I would not worry about autism one bit! She wouldn't be signing, she wouldn't be interested in looking at herself in the mirror, she wouldn't want to wear sunglasses....
Your beads are gorgious!!! Where can we buy your jewelry?
Posted by Catherine @ March 31, 2007 07:09 AM
She is just adorable - LOVE the haircut! I think she sounds very age-appropriate. she says plenty for her age and doesn't really sound at all autistic or even spectrum (of this I know a few things) based on your other descriptors of her.
Posted by Nicki @ March 31, 2007 01:04 PM
She looks terrified of the haircut. I should have such restraint. I cant ge the hair to grow cause of all of the cutting.
Cool beads.
Posted by Nicole @ April 7, 2007 11:13 AM
