Katharine Lange: Arwyn Week 45: She Said "MaMa"!

Arwyn had a pretty big week of developments. Turns out we have a little climber! She started climbing up the carpeted steps at Nana and Poppy's this week, and she did it with such speed and authority, it was like she'd done it a million times before even though she had not! She's also started climbing up the step stool in our kitchen, which is quite amazing to watch. Also very exciting was when she said "MaMa" to me for the first time this week! She said it on a couple different occasions, so definitely not a fluke! Arwyn also successfully ate her first peanut butter. She totally loved it, and didn't have any reactions. While this may not seem so monumental to some people, it is for me because it means I can go back to eating nuts and peanut butter myself, which is such great thing. I have really been missing my PB&J sandwiches for the last 10 months of breast feeding!

Leia has been genuinely sweet and very thankful for stuff all week. Out of the blue she'll just decide to thank me for all the nice stuff I do for her, even in circumstances where I wouldn't normally expect her to do it. Like the other day, she pulled out her favorite dress that I had washed (several days earlier, mind you) and she says, "Thanks for washing my dress, Mommy." So sweet. Her favorite trick this week is putting stuff behind her back and saying to us, "I have a present for you. Guess which hand!" She does it over and over, and loves how tricky she thinks she's being. We've been talking a lot about making good decisions, and pointing out when she's made a bad one (like bringing stuff in my car in the morning that she then won't have when Daddy picks her up, causing her to be sad), so now she talks about it all the time, "I want to make a good decision." She's making many more of them, but of course temptation wins out sometimes, so it's not a perfect record by any means. Related to making decisions is whether Mommy and Daddy will be happy or not, which has become quite a concern for Leia. When she makes a bad decision or gets upset about something, the first thing she asks is, "Are you happy Mommy?" She knows I'm not, but has figured out that if I am happy, then whatever she's done wrong is actually ok. She also is right in tune to when I get upset about other things (like a dead car battery), and loves to console me: "It's ok Mommy. It was an accident. Are you happy?" Clearly she's seen the link between my happiness and a smooth and happy existence for herself. Like they say, "A happy wife means a happy life!" Leia has also gone back to lying in bed longer in the morning, while talking and laughing to herself and her bedmates. It's always entertaining to hear what she says. She's eating better too. In the last few weeks she's eating chicken legs, pulled pork, and rice. Plus, she's been a regular with bacon for awhile now, which really made her dad happy.

Arwyn watching in awe as Leia tries on her daddy's shoes, literally and figuratively, for awhile! (Lounge chair, TV, action hero shirt, crocks...)

Arwyn has decided she's ready to try out the trampoline!

Always busy, always happy!

Failed at my duty of helping her hang in an attempt at a cool photo...missed the shot, got the fall...ooops!

First play day at the Chammy Bullwheel...Marco Rocks Retirement Party!

Maybe we'll get our lesbian golfer/tom boy yet...Arwyn loves driving her cars and trains!

Password = Arwyn (below)

Arwyn Loves Cars! from Katharine Transue on Vimeo.

Leia loves reading her books to us. Of course it's mostly being made up or by memory, so take notice of the title of this particular book as it is very apropos.

Password = Leia (below)