Catch!

Shnikes. This blogging gets away from you. What really happens is we take like 100 pictures on our camera and then finally download them to the computer so we can post some blogs. I don't know if anyone remembers, but we used to just take pictures with our computer - back in the Ayla not moving days. : ) Anyway, looking through the pictures I just downloaded I realize we didn't post many from Christmas, so after this blog we'll have to do a Christmas recap of sorts cause there are some good pictures from then.

Otherwise....into the new year we have gone. Or...the joyous part of winter. Ice storms, -40 degree temps (with wind), you know what I'm talking about! : ) With the new year in some ways it's like we have a new kid. Or, perhaps the latest version - Ayla version 1.09. (January 2009?) adsaa <---that is such version typing as she just "all innocently" walked up to the computer and said with her sweet blue eyes - "Push the button?" Of course she already was as she asked, but at least she asked!

Ayla definitely is Ms talks a lot. Today she walked into the room, hiccuped and said, "dada, I have the hiccups." Not baby jabber though, exactly that! She still does have her jibber jabber of course, but we're hearing a lot more clear words and sentences lately. Instead of "dadoo" it's "downstairs" for example. She's also taking to using "I" lately. "I want to sit on dada's lap". "I put it on the table". She's also getting better at her "L's" after Mana Sue and Papa Dave were working on them with her the other day. Along with getting her to answer "dachshund" when asked what kind of puppy she wants. : )

She knows her colors pretty well now, and I think orange is an early favorite. (just like dada!). She can also count to ten pretty well. I'm not sure if she quite understands the concept of numbers, but she says them in a row up to 10 - especially when climbing stairs.

And then of course, there is singing! She literally knows most of the words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star now - the trick is just getting her to sing them instead of her trying to get you to sing them! Sorry if this just sounds like a "look what our kid can do" blog. It's not meant to be. Hopefully you enjoy hearing about all the fun new things she likes to say and do.

Besides listening to her talk a lot : ) time with her consists of opening and closing doors, drawers, etc. Cooking in her play kitchen. Having tea, building blocks, reading books, playing living room golf, dancing to music (in which she'll put her finger up to her ear and say "listen" (very cute) and of course getting too big too fast! : ) She's also taking to momma quite a bit lately, so much so that she gets upset for a minute in the mornings I have her! - saying "momma? momma? and crying a little bit. I guess I'm number 2 - just kidding for those who think I'm throwing a pity party. She'll still cuddle up on my lap for a good book reading session and I still have bedtime duties so I'm not complaining. : )

Besides taking to Ruth, she is looking like her more and more everyday. I know everyone will find that quite obvious since she looks like her anyway, but now that she's getting bigger she really is turning into a mini Ruth, although I guess it would be a mini mini Ruth since Ruth is quite mini already. Can I say mini anymore?

Oh, and I guess there was a point to the title. Today, (Ruth worked) Ayla and I played our first game of catch. She was sitting in a blue rocking type chair in our living room - me on the love seat across from her. I bounced a bouncy ball to her up in the chair where it was able to land in her lap. Then she'd take it and bounce it back to me - surprisingly well! And enough times in a row that I felt like it actually was like a game of catch!

Ok. Well, catch you later (ooh that was bad)