Category: D

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Say ahh…

Della had her first trip to the dentist yesterday. It was so cute! Both the hygienist and dentist are incredible women and made her whole experience fun, so she loved it.

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They said her teeth look great, and we’re doing a good job brushing twice a day. We’ll start using her little flossers nightly, too, because her lower molars are touching in the back, which I hadn’t even realized.

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Doesn’t she look ridiculously adorable in these shades?? They had her wear them to keep the light and water splashes out of her eyes, even though she didn’t really want to at first.

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We made her next appointment for 6 months out when we left, so she’s all set. Lana gets to go to that one, too, they said. Good thing, because it was all I could do to keep her on my lap, she wanted up in that chair so badly. So of course she had to get a toothbrush to chew on, too. Calming the dragon, always a good strategy.

 

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A heart of gold

I just can’t help but be more and more amazed by Della every day. She is, hands down, one of the kindest, gentlest, sweetest, most wonderful people I have ever known.

She is so conscientious, not just for a 3-year-old, but more so than most 30-year-olds.

I have been complimented on her excellent manners numerous times.

She gets quiet and a little upset when others around her get mad or sad.

She leaves the room when watching a show when a part comes on she doesn’t like – usually when someone is doing something against the rules and she knows they’re going to get in trouble.

She loves to help in the kitchen. “Mixa, mixa, mixa” is one of her favorite phrases while helping stir. I just realized today that this comes from Daniel Tiger, as I heard it when he was helping his parents make strawberry pancakes.

She comes running when Lana is getting into trouble and she hasn’t been able to stop her.

She loves curling up in a ball in my arms to be carried into bed after making all of our different faces in the mirror.

She lays her little head in the palm of my hand and strokes my arm, my hair, my back as I sing her naptime and bedtime songs.

She asks if we’re still happy when she knows she’s done something wrong and thinks we’re going to get upset. I tell her that even when I’m not happy about something she’s done, I will always be happy about her.

On our way home from the gym after she’s been playing in the kids room all morning, I always ask if she was happy that day and if anyone made her sad or mad about anything. So far so good on all yeses for happy things and nos for sad or mad ones.

She likes to play by herself as much as with her friends.

She loves playing outside, especially in the snow to make snow angels and catch flakes on her tongue.

She always tells me she loves me and to have sweet dreams, too, when I put her to bed.

I just can’t get enough of her. Every time I look at or think about her I just hope and pray that she always stays so beautiful on the inside like she is out. May nothing ever corrupt the goodness that overflows her heart.

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Her first BFF

Della has a little troupe of girls with whom she likes to play the most in the kids care room at the gym, and I just love it. I simply cannot get enough of seeing these tiny little girls running around together, laughing, playing, singing, being silly, and just embodying the true spirit of children.

There is one little girl in particular who Della absolutely adores, Josie, and the feeling is 100% mutual. It’s so cute, I just can’t get over it. Josie’s mom is an instructor at the gym and only teaches a class there 1 morning a week, so it’s not even like they’re playing together constantly. But there is just a friendship there that has grown so strong that they both talk about each other nonstop.

Josie’s mom told me last week that every time Josie makes up a story, Della is the main character with her on her adventures. And with Della, it’s the exact same way. Josie always makes the top of the list of friends whenever we’re talking about other people. And both Josie’s mom and I are amazed at how much they love each other, since they only see one another for such a short amount of time each week.

Della has started her first little dance class at the gym on Monday mornings, and today was bring a friend day. So when I saw Josie’s mom leaving the gym last week, I asked if they would be around today and would Josie like to come to dance class as Della’s friend. She thought it sounded like a great idea and said she hoped their schedule was free so Josie could make it. I said great! No need to let me know for sure, just come on in if it works, and if it doesn’t, no big deal at all.

Yesterday I told Della that Josie might be coming to the gym 2 times this week so she could go to dance class with her, and she was so excited. So you can only imagine how thrilled I was when I saw Josie and her mom walk in this morning that Della and Josie were going to get to play together all morning in the kids room, as well as overload the dance studio with their cuteness for the class. We even brought a special extra bag of fruit snacks for Josie just in case she showed up, since she always brings one to give to Della.

Josie’s mom and I peeked in the studio door once the class started, and I just about died they were so incredibly adorable. Just picture 2 tiny little bodies (Josie doesn’t turn 3 until November, so she’s smaller than D), hopping around, swinging in circles, trying to imitate their teacher. Josie even had on a little ballet outfit complete with pink skirt, and I could barely stand how fun it was to see them in there together.

Josie’s mom said Josie was so excited to come this morning and dance with Della that she was literally jumping up and down at home beforehand. My mama heart nearly exploded when I heard that. Knowing that a little friend cares about Della so much and is so genuine just makes me smile to no end. So much better than that stupid little troll at the family holiday party this past winter. Oh, did I just say that out loud? Sorry.

Unfortunately they live in a different school district than we do, because I was really hoping D and Josie would get to grow up in school together. Guess we’ll just have to keep getting these little ones together to play outside of their future school days, so they really can grow into full-fledged BFFs.

 

 

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36 month stats

Della turned 3 years old last Thursday. It’s funny, because everyone says oh my gosh, I can’t believe she’s 3, but I can. It honestly feels like it has been 3 years – hasn’t gone too fast; hasn’t gone too slow. Just right. Which is perfect for enjoying every day with this amazing little girl.

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I was waiting to write this post until we got her official 3 year stats from her checkup, so here they are:

  • Height:  39″ (85%. i was actually surprised this wasn’t a higher %)
  • Weight:  29.8 lbs. (50%. and i thought this one was going to be a lower %)
  • Blood pressure:  93/68 (i think. they didn’t write this one down for me, but i’m pretty sure that’s what the machine read)

I really have no idea where to begin for her 3rd birthday post, because there is so much that goes on with this one. She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s beautiful, she’s crazy, she’s extremely well-behaved (usually), she’s our first.

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She loves to dance around and make up her own songs now, which is absolute music to my ears. Even when I have no clue what the words are.

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She has definitely inherited my somewhat of a perfectionist streak. For example, her dishes and silverware have to match in color. Everything has its place, and she knows exactly where that is. Fortunately, this also makes her an excellent cleaner-upper, which comes in very handy when her little sister is constantly crawling around the house like a whirling dervish.

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She knows her ABCs, can count to 10 (the numbers between 11-20 are getting there, but they’re rarely in order. and the other day she threw a “twelve-teen” in there. we’ll work on those), knows how to spell Della (and i think knows how to spell Lana too), and has a whole repertoire of actual songs that she loves to sing – the ABC song, Wheels on the Bus, Row Row Row Your Boat, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Ring Around the Rosy, On Top of Spaghetti, and on and on.

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Her coloring skills are becoming masterful. A few months ago she surprised us by drawing great circles out of the blue one day. And recently we’ve noticed how well she can stay in the lines now.

She absolutely adores playing at the park still and just being outside in general. I take the 2 of them for runs in the stroller all the time, and she just loves it. Afterwards we usually walk around the neighborhood for a bit so I can cool down, and she always requests a walk to the fire station to see if the trucks are outside, then by the library, and then by the fountain across the street from the library to make hand and footprints around it if it’s not too green from algae.

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My best garbage pick yet came just the other week, all for her. I returned from a long walk with them and saw a perfectly good Little Tykes slide and an adjustable basketball hoop sitting by the curb just a few blocks down from us. You’d have thought it was Christmas by how excited she was for that slide. I was thrilled, since I have been looking for an inexpensive backyard something for her forever. Can’t beat free!

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She loves purple, all the Sesame Street characters, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Team Umizoomi, Dora, and reading. Her favorite foods include chicken nuggets, pb&j, bananas, Cuties (those little tiny oranges), fruit snacks, Kix cereal, french fries, string cheese, applesauce, yogurt, and pasta. She is on her 2nd round of swim lessons and can’t get enough.

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She’s already into size 4T pants, as long as they have an adjustable waist to cinch around her tiny belly. Her shoes are about 8-9, and she just got some new pairs that she loves to pieces.

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She is so helpful, and such a fantastic big sister. You’d think it’s always the younger one who’d want to follow the big one around, but often times that order is reversed in our home. Della loves to follow Lana around the house, imitating her little sounds and motions as they go. I’m so happy we were able to give her a sister.

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I really can’t describe how much I love this little girl. She is an absolute dream, and we could not have been luckier when she came into our family. This past year spent at home with her has been better than I ever expected, and I’ll never be able to thank her enough for making me so wonderfully happy.

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Happy 3rd birthday, Della Jolee! We love you so much!

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Back in an instant

Tonight I was the chosen one to read Della’s bedtime stories, so we had the obligatory rocking session afterward before she got into bed. She had a really full day today, with 2 trips to the park, more outside play at home, and barely an hour nap when she’s usually out for a solid 2 or more. Plus there was a little “in trouble” episode between lunch and her nap, so that added some stress in there.

Long way to say I knew she was very sleepy. Unfortunately she didn’t get to bed as early as I had wanted her to, but maybe she’ll sleep in a little in the morning to make up for it.

As she was settling into her positions while rocking, it happened. She rolled onto her back in my left arm with her right hand on her cheek, and she put her left hand up on my left shoulder. Exactly like she did years ago when I wrote this post.

I was immediately transported back in time to that night. It was even warm then just as it was tonight, because I was wearing a tank top in both episodes. Thinking back it seemed like eons ago, because she still took a bedtime bottle, and little Lana was not even a thought. I watched her face tonight as my mind undertook its time travel, and I was just struck by how utterly amazing children are.

When they’re born it’s impossible to envision who they’re going to be, how they’re going to grow, what path their lives will take, and you become 100% enveloped in their survival. Then one day you get caught at just the right moment and that very first day of their life seems so incredibly far away. And you wonder how in the world did we get here so fast?

That’s why I was so grateful for that one little moment tonight. It was like I was sitting there with both Dellas at exactly the same time – the baby one who inspired me to write that post and the big girl one who is with us now. So beautifully the same and different.

She’s getting so big, it’s unbelievable. At the park today I was astonished at how much she’s grown just since the last time we were there last fall. I glanced over at her at one point and she had scampered all the way up the curved jungle gym bars that used to be way too dangerous for her to tackle alone. I still worry that her foot will slip through and that precious little face will be smashed, but I just stood back and let her go with some words of encouragement. Once she knew she could, she just kept climbing and climbing and climbing.

Della Jolee. She astounds me constantly with her mind – she’s so smart, and her memory is like a steel trap. Granted she only has 2.5 years of crap in there compared to my almost 34, but she remembers things to which I would never even give half a thought. We’ll be reading a book and all of a sudden she has to turn back a few pages or turn back to the cover or title page. And just as I’m about to ask what she’s doing, she’ll say, “see, match”, and she’s totally right. The page we were reading will have the same picture that’s shown on the page to which she turned. I would never in a million years put little things like that together. She pays so much attention.

Now that Lana’s here, I find myself constantly trying to remember what Della was like at each of these baby stages. What she looked like, what she did, how she acted, and for some reason it’s so hard to remember. It wasn’t even that long ago, but I’m just so used to the girl she is today that picturing her in her own baby stages is embarrassingly difficult.

She’s become a fan of saying “I get so big” lately, and she’s so very right. My big girl. 33 months old tomorrow. But still my baby girl in an instant. I don’t think that will ever change.

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That’s much better

Remember the family Christmas party last month where poor Della was ostracized by those annoying little 6 year old girls? Here, I’ll give you a sec to refresh your memory…

Well we went to one of our nephew’s birthday party this past weekend, and things were SO much better. All the cousins who I had hoped were going to be at the Christmas party were at this birthday party, and none of the part of the family from which those other girls came was present. It made for a fantastic time for D.

These cousins seriously love her, and she had an absolute blast palling around with the youngest girl, who’s 4. They played with toys, ate lunch together, ran around in the snow together, and were just all around best buds the whole afternoon. My heart was very happy.

Fortunately this is the immediate part of our family and those Christmas party brats are more distant relatives, so we don’t see them often at all. So hopefully Della will enjoy many more instances like this weekend’s fun and merriment than times like the Christmas party. If you can’t tell, that still riles me when I think about it. Sigh.

But just look at this. How marvelous can you possibly get? I do wish we all lived closer together so this love could be shared so much more often.

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30 month stats

You’re 2 and a half years old today. That means that every second from here on out you’ll be closer to 3 years old than to 2. Wow!

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 official 30 month pics. unfortunately half of them came out blurry, so i apologize for the sub-par quality. i am not a dslr master.

There’s no way words can even begin to describe all that you are and who you are becoming every day. Being home and watching you grow more than ever these past couple months has been simply amazing, and it is so fun to watch you turning into a real little person. Here is an attempt to encapsulate just a little of your essence:

  • Full sentences forming
  • Potty trained by 28 months (thank you!!)
  • Almost 2″ taller than you were on your 2nd birthday
  • Head and shoulders above the table tops now
  • Reaching up to the counters and sink
  • Eyes shining brightly
  • Crooked little “oh well” face
  • Mischievous grin
  • Cheeeeese! as you set up your tripod and take actual pictures with your little orange camera
  • 8, 9, 10 fast! as you race back and forth from the kitchen to living room
  • Singing A, B, Cs
  • The wheels on the bus
  • Hiding under blankets in Daddy’s spot on the couch and bed
  • Playing in your playhouse outside and in your kitchen inside
  • Coloring
  • Being outdoors
  • Swings and slides at the park
  • Helping Mama put the dishes away from the dishwasher
  • Helping make ice with the ice cube trays
  • Giving Baby Lana sweet little hugs and kisses on her head
  • Pointing out all of Lana’s “leetle tiny” features and parts
  • In your own words – “Don’t cry, Baby Lana, it’s ok. I’m your big sister. I’m right here.”
  • Watching up on the changing dresser as I change Lana’s diapers
  • Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby, & Dora still being your favorites
  • “Hmm, nek on now?” a.k.a “Hmm, what’s on next?” when watching PBS shows (we know the whole morning lineup. a good thing or bad?)
  • Knowing fully how to turn on and manipulate our iPhones and tablet computers (which completely blows my mind)
  • “Hmm, do day?” a.k.a. “Hmm, what did we do today?” as we get ready for sleep
  • Your cute little words that I sometimes wish would never change:
    • mee-mees = mittens
    • bapas = vitamins & diapers (those 2 sound extremely similar)
    • moke = smoke
    • no = snow (and no, obviously)
    • roo-roos, said while making a zipper motion on your shirt = cars (it’s your version of vroom-vroom)
    • roar = lion, tiger, bear… anything that roars
    • hop = frog & rabbit
    • neigh = horse
    • bas = sheep
    • pee-pees = piggies, a.k.a. pigtails
    • toi-toi = toilet
    • mee-meeze = excuse me (because you seriously fart like a man. thanks, daddy)
    • di-dos = dinosaurs
    • oppeepees = octopus
    • ameemees = ambulance
    • dupples = buckles
    • i’m sure there are more that need to be added here…
  • Some words come out perfectly, which is always incredible
  • Stickers
  • Robot dance & your monster walk
  • Toy Story, The Lorax, & Monsters, Inc.
  • A day back in daycare here and there, so you can keep playing with your best mates Hemingway and Nathyn (a.k.a Hemmy and Nay-Nay)
  • Doing your exercises
  • Memory like a steel trap

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I could probably go on for all eternity here, but it really is just astounding watching you, my first child, grow in such a profound way. You have transformed from a tiny, helpless, immobile newborn into a beautiful, (usually) polite, charismatic toddler going on full-blown kid running through this world.

You certainly have your days, as we all do, but you nearly constantly make us so utterly proud and thankful that you are our child. We’re all learning here as we go, but hopefully you’d say Daddy and I are doing a pretty good job, if you knew what any of this meant. We love you so very, very much, my sweet Della Jolee, and that is one thing that will never ever change.

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