Video and Abi Update time

Our little girl is growing up and getting pretty smart! She seems to understand most of what we say to her, and is talking all day long. Not using real words most of the time, but she tries! She is getting lots better at not crying for what she wants, at least once we remind her. We are doing a thankful tree, and so everyday we ask her what she is thankful for, and she look at us and says "Dap." I sure wish I knew what that meant. :) It may just be a response just because she knows she should say something, but I wish I knew more of what she was thinking, rather than just  the obvious things she can communicate to us:"I want more food", "I'm tired," "I want that toy that the other kid has in their hand right now". She has graduated from our old ugly nasty highchair to a booster chair (that we also got for free), and she still makes quite a mess, but is starting to get more independent, and we love having her right up at the table with us. She is a great eater, and sure does love her sweets, but that's just like all of us, I suppose. We've been making a lot of soups, and she loves soup. Butternut squash soup, potato and broccoli soup, black bean soup, pumpkin soup. She seems to like the taste and texture of soup. She likes to sit in things and on things, and climb up things, and put things in and take thing out. That is how I entertain her while I try to make dinner. I let her climb up on a chair and watch me and then when that runs out I fill a boullon cube jar with fun things, and let  her take them in and out and put the lid on and off, and when that is no longer fun, I take out a tray of ice cubes, and let her explore. She loves taking the ice out, and tasting the ice, and feeling it melt, and then when that is no longer fun, I really hope that I have dinner done! :)

Some of the real words she can say (By the way, her one year old list is wrong now, b/c once she started walking she regressed with her speech.... is this normal?... a lot of the words she used to say she no longer does, but the words that have come back seem to have more meaning to her and she uses them without being prompted):
Giraffe: sounds like "Jeff"
please: sounds like "p....sss" and is said in an ascending pitch, like a question. :)
more:
out:
hi: sounds like Ha, and she says it with a wave whenever she walks into a room now, or when she sees me. So cute.
So a lot less words than she used to have, but they seem to be coming back. She is also gaining animal sounds at a surprising rate. she knows cow, sheep, dog, bear, elephant, horse, snake. And is learning them quickly. Another change from her 1 year post is that she no longer sits for books. Once she started walking she is always on the move, and won't sit for more than a page. But we work with it, and it seems like it's starting to come back, especially when she's tired and has her giraffe to snuggle.

Some other cute things:
She waves at every car that goes by when we go on a walk.
She is getting really good and going down slides at play places and parks. She will go down the slide, and then look at me for attention. then she will squeal and smile really big, and stamp her feet fast and run and do it again.
If Jeff kneels down and put his arms out she will always run into his arms and give him a big hug. She doesn't always do this for me.
She laughs the best for me. I know how to get her laughing and squealing so hard, better than anyone.
Sometimes at night when we are winding down in her room, I'll lay down on the floor and she come lay on top of my head. Then a laughing squealing fit ensues.
She loves any form of peek a boo or hide and seek.
She has the coolest dance move. When she hears music she really likes she lifts her arm up backwards and spins around in a circle with a smug look on her face! So funny.
When we ask her to give other kids hugs, so goes and sits in their lap! haha.
A new, and maybe not so cute thing she has started to do is get annoyed with us. Sometimes when we are holding her, she'll get this nasty mean (but somehow still cute) look on her face and start clawing at our face. It is interesting to see this come out.
She is so serious sometimes and so funny other times. She can sit so still and snuggle and then be so wild and wiggly at others. She is so fun to be with and is our sweet and tentative girl.