A Few Video Clips of Mary

Here are a few short clips of Mary recently. It is fun to see her personality and hear her speech development.

I love her walk in this video . . .

SPIDER!





MY GUITAR!




The bike Mary has been using was actually our neighbors. We decided to return it since her little girl is getting big enough now to use it. So Jeff went out and got Mary her own. I tell you I sure think it is cute to see your little one pedaling so fast (not so much in this video). Mary sure seems big!

TRICYCLE

Imagination

A few weeks ago, Mary and I were listening to some 80's tunes, and Mary - in just her underwear - was looking at herself in the mirror, dancing, and saying, "I'm dancing on the stage!". It reminded me of myself and I mentioned it on Facebook. My Mom commented that it is interesting that a child as young as 2 has an imagination. And I've been thinking about that and noticing that more since.

The fact that Mary does have an imagination, I'm sure doesn't make her exceptional in any way. Most kids do I think. But it is fun to hear what she comes up with.

In just the last few days, I've noticed a few things that she imagined up.

We keep her rocking horse in her room now, and the other day, she was pretending to pull the polka dots off the curtains calling them "money" and was putting them in the horse, so she could ride him (just like the horse at King Soopers).

And then also she likes to pick up pretend spiders and hold them. I ask her what color they are and she'll say brown or yellow or black. And she also likes to hold her pretend skeletens - one with green eyes and one with yellow eyes. Isn't that kind of funny? I don't know why she thinks about skeletons often. I guess Halloween really made an impression on her this year. The spider thing comes - I think - from an Itsy Bitsy Spider video that we watch on YouTube (I posted earlier on FB this week). Also Jeff is always telling her to "smash the spider" whenever we see them.

One other thing that Mary has been doing that I have mentioned here before is putting blankets on herself and saying, "I'm so married!" Again, I'm not quite sure where she picked that up. We haven't talked much about marriage in her young age : ). But she does it a lot.
Yesterday she even wanted to add flowers to the rest of her garb.

She also likes to make waffles using different objects. At meal times she'll stir her spoon in her bowl and say she is mixing the eggs and oil together or in the bathtub she'll stir her brush in a bucket of water.

Kind of going along with that . . .

A few months ago, something really cute happened, and I just never recorded it. So I thought I would now.

Jeff introduced Mary to Angelina the Ballerina on the Sprout network. One morning in November, she went to her drawer, pulled out her leg warmers, and came back into my room and did an arabesque right there by the tv cabinet. I was so proud! I couldn't get my camera fast enough. It was completely her doing. I hadn't taught her or coached her at all. I did get a picture, but in this one her leg is more bent than when she originally struck the pose.


And since she has also been caught doing a posse' from her "Peter is just a Baby" book that we got from the library (the big sister is a ballerina).


So I just thought you might enjoy that. Kids sure are a delight.

A Hymn For You

I love to sing a hymn or two (or three or four) with my scripture study. The hymns touch my heart. I enjoyed singing this one today and letting it's message sink in.

A quick definition from Webster's:
pilot - a person licensed to direct ships into or out of a harbor or through difficult waters


Jesus, Savior, pilot me Over life's tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rock and treach'rous shoal.
Chart and compass came from thee. Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boist'rous waves obey thy will When thos say'st to them, "Be Still!"
Wondrous Sov'reign of the sea, Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore, And the fearful breakers roar
'Twixt me and the peaceful rest, Then, while leaning on thy breast,
May I hear thee say to me, "Fear not: I will pilot thee."

Family Report

I thought I'd give a quick family report . . .

Jeff is well (although he was feeling not so well this afternoon - hopefully he isn't getting sick). He just got back on Friday from a business trip to Vancouver. He is glad to be home and we are glad too.

I am fine. I'm starting to feel the effects of getting big. I bought a pregnancy support belt that I've been wearing because this baby is so low, the area at the base of my belly is pretty sore. I think the belt has been helping and has also made a difference with some other unpleasant side affects I've been experiencing. So that is good. I think it has also helped my energy level. At my doctor's visit last week, she said I was measuring small - meaning the baby might be small (believe me, I've been gaining plenty of weight - already 30 pounds). She said not to worry - it was probably just because he is so low - but just because she says she is neurotic, she ordered an ultrasound for my next visit in two weeks.

I have always been an active person and usually shoot for doing something active 5 times a week. But probably since Mary's been born it has been more like 3 times a week. And since I've been pregnant - it has been sketchy. I kept up pretty well through about half of my first trimester. Then I just didn't have enough energy to get through the day - and be a good mom - if I worked out - so I cut way back. About half way through my second trimester, I tried adding it back in. But I've really only been able to get in 1-2 times a week. It still really takes a lot of energy out of me. But I'm trying to really do a little bit better lately so I can prepare my body for labor.

Mary is great. She is healthy and active and smart. She speaks so well now. It is really fun to listen to her. Tonight at dinner, she said "Bon Appetite!" - she picked it up from one of her books - I didn't teach her. She really is a joy. We also finally bit the bullet and switched her to a toddler bed. I'm still not sure if we should've yet or not. Part of me wanted to have this taken care of before the baby came and the other part of me wanted to have the ability to contain her. But we are able to keep her contained in her room even if she isn't lying in her bed. I have to say, it has gone well so far. No problems at night. Yesterday she napped. Today she didn't. She probably would have eventually fallen asleep today had she been in her crib, but this isn't too bad either. We'll be able to put her to bed earlier. A book I'm reading said that switching to a toddler bed is really best between age 3-3 1/2. But Jeff was ready this weekend and I kind of got a wild hair and I just said, "Okay! Go for it!" And here we are. She really does enjoy it. And I enjoy a few less heavy liftings in and out of the crib!


That is mostly it. In case you haven't noticed - Mary has started pulling out her pig tails, so her hair is in her face a lot of the time. Sometimes she'll let me clip it back a bit, but mostly she just likes it long. So there is a lot of this going on right now. . .


That's it for now!