Fantastic b-day party

We celebrated Victoria turning 2 on Saturday afternoon. The party was phenomenal from my perspective. Tony BBQ'd chicken and hot dogs, I made potato salad, and we bought a tuxedo Dora birthday cake. All of it was delicious and Victoria even ate her chicken! Shocking since the kid rarely eats meat! We had 5 little girls over to the house of various ages and I am happy to say that they all played really nicely with one another. Victoria shared her toys and was really just such an awesome kid that day......and she didn't even take a nap before her party! Crazy. All in all, it was a great time and I couldn't be happier to have a 2 year old. One of her favorite gifts that she got was a red wagon from her babysitter Dominique...

She's Two!!!!!

So, we sang her happy birthday this morning while Tony climbed into her bed. She was less than thrilled about that, how dare he take up space in HER bed! LOL. She told Tony on Tuesday that "On my birthday, I'm gonna be 2!" So excited that she is so verbal, it makes things run a lot smoother in our household. Except she does this strange reverting thing every once in a while where she talks like a baby or grunts and whines for things. Needless to say we are working on that because neither Tony nor I tolerate that very well! Other than that, we have oodles of gifts in FedEx, UPS, birthday wrap and Christmas wrap lying all over our house! Thank you all of you for the tons of gifts! I guess this is what happens when you have a kid born around Christmas time!

The Slide

Victoria has proven herself to be quite the adventursome almost-two-year-old:

Sister Love

The CUTEST thing this week:
Victoria is a pro at "pointing out where her baby sister is." This wouldn't be so alarming if she didn't feel the need to remove whatever clothing is covering her baby sister in my belly to show others where she is. Imagine not only showing my bare belly which isn't horribly offensive....but now imagine that i'm wearing a dress! HA! Anyhoo....that's not the cutest thing, the cutest thing is what she did last night. I'm laying in bed and playing the "where's your sister game" with Vic. She then decides that she wants to hug and kiss her sister -- too cute, but she's done this before fairly regularly. The kicker is when she decides to zurburt my belly. Of course I begin uncontrolable laughter which eggs her on even more. For literally about 15 minutes, Victoria is zurburting my belly while all of us laugh hysterically and of course a good amount of gooey spit is dripping off my belly. I'm wondering what Alexandria was thinking? She was moving around a lot while Vic was doing this. Perhaps these are the first signs of sisterly love. Awwww......tear in mama's eye!

Deeeee-lightful!

I have no explanation for this phenomena, but Victoria has become the most deeeee-lightful child! I will of course provide some examples so you can share in the delightfulness of my toddler. Who said the twos were terrible?

1. Happy, happy, happy every morning. It is just sheer and utter joy that oozes out of her when I wake her up from slumber. She lets me change her diaper without fighting; she lets me brush her teeth -- and in fact will brush her own after i'm finished....oh and brushes her teddy bear pinky's teeth as well; she lets me comb and style her hair while chattering away and sometimes singing; she thanks me for everything I do for her (styling her hair, putting her socks on, giving her milk....etc...), she follows me around and talks to me in her adorable voice, she never fusses about going to daycare and happily allows me to turn off the tv so she can get into her car seat and go there. (this is a night and day difference from about 2 months ago)

2. She plays so well with other kids! We take her to the playground and the mall play areas regularly. She has just blossomed and become quite the social butterfly. She isn't fearful of bigger kids nor crowds and will just push her way through to get what she wants. She delicately balances that with politeness for other children and encourages other kids to try new things and take turns!

3. I haven't seen a tantrum in months! We rarely have to tell her "no" anymore.....she understands the ground rules in the house and abides by them pretty darn consistently!

4. Last but not least, she is such a little tomboy. I cherish this because I know that I was forced into tomboyhood via three bratty little boys (BG, Zeke & Garrett :)). I am now convinced that perhaps it was genetic code, not the bratty boys that caused this. Seeing Victoria's fearlessness and athleticism makes me wonder if it is nature, not nurture, that causes this! I have to say that though most parents stress out because of this fearlessness....I find comfort in knowing that I have a strong-headed and strong-willed little girl that will NOT backdown. That's my girl!!!! And the funniest part about it is that she does all of this while decked out in pink with ribbons in her hair!

Big Girl Room!

Alas, we have finally put together Vic's big kid room. Complete with an easel for coloring, a table for whatever, storage bins for dumping all the toys out of and a toddler bed. I am happy to announce that not only did Victoria act like we gave her a vat of Mountain Dew when the room was unveiled, she also slept the entire night in her new bed. Wow. If that's not something to be proud of. Honestly, nothing could make me happier.....I'm already nervous enough about being a mama of two, this is just one worry to check off the list. Transfer from crib to bed -- CHECK!

Ban on pants

Victoria has worn a dress every day this week. This is not by my choice, as I typically choose to put her in something rough and rugged for daycare playing. Beginning Monday, while dressing Victoria, I discovered that she didn't want me to put anything on her legs. I tried a skirt and i tried shorts, but both tries, Vic kicked them off. So I tried a dress. It worked! I am a little worried that this now begins her attempt to have a fashion opinion every morning.

It's a .....

GIRL! we kind of figured as much, but it was confirmed yesterday. So, now i am spending my time combing through Victoria's old clothes to determine which ones will work for #2 and which ones are just not fit. So the good news is we get to save a slew of money on clothes and bedding! Already got all that! Yeah! The other good news is hopefully they will have the same interests in life and we can go in the same direction when taking them to dance, fastpitch, piano....etc..... Victoria attended the ultrasound appointment and was extremely excited to see the "baby" on the screen. She kept screaming "baby!" and pointing at the screen and my stomach. It was cute. I hope she's that excited when it comes out and permanently stays with us! As for names, we are still trying to decide. We'll let you know when we decide!

Shhhhhhhh

Victoria had a pretty bad habit of saying "shut up" for a couple weeks. It was pretty hysterical. She would tell me and Tony "shut up" if we were speaking while she was trying to listen to music, if we sang along to a song, and if we said something that she didn't like. She would even tell Grayson to "shut up" if he meowed! This week she is showing a softer side and is now telling us to "shhhh" instead of shut up. I would have to say the new choice of "wording" is a bit nicer, but annoying nonetheless. Victoria just keeps us on our toes. Wonder what this next one is going to be like!

Rumination of the day

In connection with my last post....Victoria has stopped biting kids at daycare. This, however, does not mean that she's stopped being bossy and dictator-like. She still lectures kids when they do something bad, tells on them when they are out-of-line, and gives 'em a good whack when necessary. I'm glad she's stopped biting at daycare, but can't always say the same for her at-home-behavior. The most interesting thing about this is that her eye teeth on the top are coming in. This makes me wonder if she'll have eye teeth like her mama. All of you know that I have fangs...it would be interesting if Victoria had them as well...especially with her affinity for biting. Perhaps this makes her Halloween costume an easy choice this year! Vic the Vampire! Has a nice ring to it...don't ya think?

She's a biter!

Well, last post, I was happy to announce that Vic's vocab was expansive. Such a great thing because she can communicate her needs better. However, if I don't do what she wants.....she bites me! I know my father will chuckle when he reads that....he thinks it's payback for my behavior when I was a teenager. Though, when she bites me, I'm not very pleased...the thing that freaks me out the most is that she's also biting kids at daycare. Apparently she's getting a couple of the kids pretty good too! YIKES! Yesterday I was really nervous for Tony to arrive home with Vic because I was just sure that she would be kicked out of daycare. Thank goodness she didn't bite anyone yesterday! I am keeping my fingers crossed for the report tonight!

Funny new phrases and words

So, Victoria is a "talker." Apparently she talks more than any kid at daycare.....The owner and her daughter always report this with a smile. I wonder if it's funny or annoying to them. The great thing about her being a talker now is that she is a pretty good communicator of her needs. She use to "baby babble," but now she clearly let's us know what she needs/wants. Here are a few of her phrases/words:

1. I wan pool (wants to swim)
2. I wan ball (when she wants to play t-ball, b-ball, soccer or throw her tennis ball)
3. I wan outside (when she wants to play in the backyard)
4. I wan food (when she's hungry or wants french fries from McD's)
5. I wan fry (specifically wants french fries)
6. I wan mama (awwww....she loves me -- she said this to Tony when I was in Princeton last week)
8. I wan color (she's a regular picasso)

She says a whole slew of other words, but her knew phrase is "I wan." She also likes to tell us what's "hot." In Arizona this time of year, EVERYTHING is hot. She looks at the stove and says "hot"...her car seat and says "hot"....her french fry and says "hot", etc.... It's so exciting to be able to understand her. I must say that her tantrums have really been few and far between because of this. Yeah!!!! We have also taught her to point at my belly and say "baby." Cute!

New mama worries

Anyone that has been a parent of a child/toddler understands the worrying you go through on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. The reason that I am thinking about this right now is because I never really stop worrying. So in other words, it's not just a fleeting thought that passes through my mind, my new mama worries consume me day and night and sometimes into my dreams.

Is this REALLY diaper rash, or some rare skin disease that will eat away her butt cheeks? Is she not eating because she's teething, or is her throat swelling up and will soon close off oxygen to her little lungs? Is she throwing a tantrum because I'm a terrible parent...am I too mean to her?
The list goes on and on. And to think that I signed up to do this again! I really must be insane. In the back of my mind, I always know that I can handle anything that's put in front of me. I may worry incessantly about it...and drive Tony batty in the process, but we handle it together. Victoria is such a happy and healthy kid, I can't wait to have a sibling for her (and double my worry times two). She is going to be such a good big sister and I hope she has as good of a relationship with him/her as Brandon and I have. Nothing would make me happier!

Single Mom-hood

So I got a tasting of what being a single mother would be like this past weekend. Tony was out of town from Thursday through Sunday. Boy-o-boy is that a hard job! No one to pass Victoria off to when you've just had enough! All-in-all, she's a fantastic kid, just sooooo full of energy. She likes to be moving during all her awake hours. I was extremely lucky that it got up to 100 degrees this weekend, so our pool is now up to swim temperature -- so you bet we were in the pool for the majority of the afternoons. Victoria LOVES the outdoors. In fact, she just loves to be outside. Even when we aren't in the pool, she likes to run around on the patio, sit in her lawn chair, poke at plants, kick her feet in the water, etc.... Good thing we live in AZ, as WA wouldn't allow her to be outdoors as much!

Exciting News!

Never thought that I'd get excited about something like this.....but, Vic used the toilet for the first time today! Number 1 and 2! Changing diapers isn't the funnest job, so imagining the possibility of Victoria using the toilet full time is a fantasy! I am also hoping that she'll be potty trained by 2 so she can go to my college's daycare. It's cheaper, and it's obviously on our college campus!

Reflux

So, the doc called with the results of Vic's upper GI endoscopy. Apparently it's reflux. Well, we knew Vic had reflux as a baby, but she gained weight and they weren't really concerned about it. Though her obvious symptoms of spitting up went away at about 5 months, the internal issues did not. She is on Prevacid and we'll see if it gets her gaining weight! She has significantly grown in the past couple months and her pediatrician is less concerned about her.

Ball O' Mush

Victoria has turned me into a big ball o' mush. So, I'll tell you the shortened version of the story....

Tony works "late nights" on Tuesday, therefore takes Vic to daycare at 10am instead of 8am. Given that, I let Victoria sleep in a little bit and leave the house prior to her waking up. Sad for me cuz I don't get to see her smile in the morning. However, this morning, Tony calls me while changing Vic's diaper and let's Vic talk to me for a bit. She chatters away, and says her regular "E-F-G" and other baby jargon while I try to chat back. The coolest thing is that I've taught her to say "love you"....her newest baby trick :). So during our conversation she told me "love you," several times. NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT!

Five Fun Facts

I know, it's been a while. What can I say, I've been busy working...and being a mom. So here are five fun new facts about Ms. V.
1. She hung out with Grandma & Grandpa Stock for a few days while Tony & I escaped to Sedona. This was a lot of fun, but Tony and I both agree that we can't be away from Vic. During our hiatus, Victoria learned how to say bye-bye. Though she often times says it belated (well after someone has left), it's sooooo cute.
2. Vic carries a (Coach) handbag. I guess she takes after her mother.....Whenever she finds a handbag on the floor, she delights in putting it on her shoulder and walking around. She oftentimes says "bye-bye" ....apparently she thinks she's going on a shopping trip of sorts.
3. Though she seems to be growing pretty well (almost 19 lbs and 29 inches long), the GI doctor we visited has decided to do an endoscopy of her upper GI system to determine why she's not obese like the rest of America's children. FUN TIMES! Luckily she won't feel any pain -- I'm trying to figure out how the doc knows this? Has he asked other 15-months-old if this procedure hurt? And if he did, did they understand what he was asking them? We'll keep you updated as to what the findings are. Like Tony, my mom and me think....it's probably nothing!
4. She has learned to drop things from the second floor of the house down to the first floor...typically she is aiming it at someone or something down below. Like today she found our passports in a drawer and was trying to drop them on my head as I walked from the family room to the kitchen. I would think this was merely a coincidence, however, she did it twice (and squealed with joy each time).
5. She feverishly reads books......all day and night long. She carries her books all around the house and reads and re-reads them to me, Tony, and the cats. Though she's always loved books, this has become quite a phenomenon since our trip to Sedona....I can't help but to believe this happened with a little bit of encouragement from Grandma Stock.
That's all for now....time for me to go grade papers!!!! I have two courses that started last Monday in addition to the course I was already teaching. I'm buried with papers....

Quick N' Dirty Update

Victoria likes to clean! She dusts our media rack in the living room, wipes off our ottoman and her high chair and often times cleans the floor. This is fantastic news for me...I rarely have time to clean! Along the same lines of cleaning, she also picks up her room and will throw things in the garbage can if we tell her to "go put it in the trash." Another neat-o surprise is that she can count! Apparently at daycare, she'll count up to 8, but we've only heard her count to 4.

Reading

3 More reasons....

...Why Vic is the coolest kid.  I've decided to continually update you on why Victoria is the coolest kid.  Each week, the reasons change, so I thought I'd update you monthly -- or as often as I can.

1.  She runs EVERYWHERE.  I mean EVERYWHERE.  If she is simply going 2 - 3 steps, she runs.  The greatest thing about it is how high her legs go and how loud her feet stomp on the ground...and how her arms stick out to the side.  (For those of you who watch Friends, it's somewhat reminiscent of Phoebe running with Rachel in the park).

2.  She can give the cats treats!!!  Yeah!  Tony is most happiest about this because it means that Grayson leaves him alone.  We have finally gotten her to not eat their treats when we hand them to her.  Though often times she throws them at Grayson instead of setting them on the ground in front of him.   Rodger even sticks around to get a treat or two from her.  It's amazing.

2.5  This item is linked to the second item in that it refers to animals and food.  Victoria can feed the ducks now!  She no longer tries to eat the stale bread.  In fact, she's got quite an arm and often times pelts a duck or two with some crust!

3. This crazy little clenched tooth grin she does with a wrinkled up nose.  Not sure what she's doing, but it's sure funny as heck and cute!  She does it all the time....she even has a funny sound effect she makes by blowing through her clenched teeth.  Funny, funny, funny.

Molars and bullying

My God she's got molars! I keep teasing Victoria about not having any teeth. She's had seven teeth for the past month and a half and we haven't seen any new ones peeking through. Low and behold, last night she was being her regular goofy self after her bath....running around, dancing, laughing....and she opened her mouth up nice and big.....and.....big ol' white molars on the top on both sides. interesting. The other interesting thing about Victoria is that she continues to be the daycare bully. The other day, instead of putting her in time out, they put her in her high chair so she couldn't tackle her friends and make them cry. My mom assures me that this is her way of showing affection and that she will become more socially astute and surely stop beating up her friends! My-oh-my have we got our hands full with this one! Oh, by the way, check out Victoria's Youtube account, there are some excellent new dancing videos up -- this kid's got talent.

A new dancing machine!

As only my family member would know (and now the rest of you), as a baby, one of my many nicknames was "Laura Jean the dancin' machine." We now have a new baby to hold the title of dancin' machine! Yes, that's right, Victoria Reese the new dancin' machine. We dance all the time in the Ballard household because we love to listen to music -- heck, Victoria even has her own iPod and sound system in her room. I always forget to capture these moments on video, but the other night, I caught the dancin' machine in action -- unfortunately it was after her bath and we hadn't gotten her diaper on yet. Check it out.....

Three cool things about my daughter

I'm in awe at all the neat things Victoria is doing. It makes me realize that, if for no other reason, people have kids because they breathe life into a monotonous world! I can have a horrendously stressful day....but the moment I see this kid, all stress and yuckiness just melt away. She is like the perfect quaalude -- for lack of a better term :). So, as I sit here and lament on how fantastic my little superhero is, here are three things that make her so cool!

1. She loves running! Coming from a person that HATES running, but does it when necessary, I think this is so neat. At daycare, she runs races with the big kids. They even have her on video running....and get this.....LAUGHING hysterically! Maybe if I ran and laughed at the same time I would like it too (?????)
2. She growls at EVERYTHING that has fur, feathers, or claws. LOL....I think she thinks all animals growl -- even the ducks at the park. So, you ask Victoria, "What does the ducky say"......and she says "grrrrrrrrrr." Love it.
3. She can crack open an oreo in a millisecond. no joke, as soon as she gets it in her hand, the top is off the cookie (and usually discarded on the floor). She only likes to eat the cream at this point. Tony looks forward to teaching her how to dunk them in milk!

So, off the top of my head, those are 3 things that make Victoria the coolest kid on the block :).

At the park

Victoria is exhausting....but what's new. I finally figured out a perfect way to get through the weekend without feeling like all I do is think of crazy ways to entertain her. TAKE HER TO THE PARK! It's a perfect place for several reasons:

1. the swings....loves loves loves these. the harder i push and the higher she goes, the better!

2. dogs! Right now we can get away with not having a dog because she gets to pet other peoples' dogs at the park!

3. ducks...and geese! She, er....Tony & I feed the ducks (we try to get her to feed them, but she ends up eating the stale bread we hand to her that's really for the ducks).

4. people & kids. She is a true people watcher and kid lover.

5. Walking and pushing her stroller -- see the video clip below.

6. the crazy goose. today, we went to the park and saw a goose walking around the sidewalk honking (quaking -- what do they do?) At any rate, he was telling everyone (duck, geese, and people alike) to "stay away". But, what were we to do? We had to pass by him to get around the lake/pond. I wasn't really concerned as we approached him because i figured he would just squack at us as we walked by. NOOOOOO....the damn goose came galloping towards us. I was pushing Victoria in the stroller and I got really scared -- so I turn the stroller around and walk the other way and Tony runs up to the goose kicking his legs and throwing his arms around at him. the goose would not back down! it kept lowering its neck at him as if to say "I'm sorry, my bad" and then tony would turn his back on the goose and the goose would chase him! LOL, this was the craziest thing I'd EVER seen. Anyways, we finally got past him because tony ran at him again and made him move off the path so Vic and I ran past!

The park is the greatest....all these fun things, and a beautiful view of South Mountain to boot. Good times.