margaretyagan

I woke up at 6:00 today and again both Mom and Dad got up and came downstairs with me.  (I hope I don’t have Mom’s allergies!)  We all played together until breakfast.  I ate pretty quickly and then we headed out to Target.  Mom and Dad let me run around the store a bit, which is always fun.  We bought several things for me: a swimsuit, sunglasses, two sippy cups, a bath mat, and a pair of shorts.

We got back just in time for my nap, which was pretty long again.  I got up and ate lunch and then a few minutes later, Mom’s and Dad’s friends Sean and Monica came over with their kids Finn and Mage.  Finn is 20 months old and Mave is 6 months old.  It was so fun to have friends to play with!  We ate snacks together, read together, and played together.  I was actually pretty good at sharing my toys and books, too.

Enjoy today’s videos:

By the time they left I was exhausted and more than ready for my nap.  When I got up Mom came to get me and we went to the garage, where Dad was turning my car seat around to face forward — I’m officially a big girl now!  Technically I could have ridden facing forward two and  a half months ago, but it wasn’t until the trip to preschool (sun in my eyes both ways!) that facing backward became a big deal.

After Dad got the seat installed (and passed Mom’s inspection!) we all went for a walk to the park.  I really love the slides and watching the birds and other kids.  We got back at 6:30, which seemed pretty late for dinner, but little did I know that Mom and Dad pushed my bedtime back to 8:00 — further proof that I’m a big girl!

Last year I went to sleep at 8:00, too!

I woke up really, really early today — before 5:00 am!  Surprisingly, both Mom & Dad got up with me and we all went downstairs together.  I was expecting to have some kind of family outing, but apparently Mom was up because she had allergies and Dad was up because he can’t go back to sleep once he gets up.

Dad and I made our trip to Dominick’s even earlier than usual.  Since the store was so empty, Dad let me roam outside of the cart for about two-thirds of the trip.  We had a big debacle – he handed me a bad of chopped pecans to amuse myself.  Apparently I don’t realize how strong I am, because I tore the bag open and sent pecans flying all over the floor up and down the aisle!  Dad hurried out of the aisle, but there was evidence of pecans all over my seat in the cart!

We got home in time for breakfast, which I devoured.  Mom still wasn’t feeling well, so she went downstairs (escaping the allergens upstairs!) to take a nap.  Dad and I played, but I was a bit fussier than usual.  I went to sleep at 9:15 and slept for a really, really long time — until about 11:45.  As soon as I got up, Mom and Dad whisked me into the car and we took off for brunch at the Old Oak Tap with Mom’s and Dad’s friends Chris and Monica.

We ate, but I got restless and Mom and Dad had to take turns chasing me around the restaurant.  Mom, Monica, and I left early and went to a park (the Commercial Club Playground).   Dad finally picked us up and we headed home to see Mom’s and Dad’s friend named…Chris! I showed him a bunch of my new tricks (I hadn’t seen him since his super bowl party).  After a while, Dad and Chris left for a walk and I hung out with Mom.

Mom gave me my snack earlier than usual, which I ate really well.  We played for a while but I was pooped, so I got in bed around 3:00 — about half an hour earlier than usual.  I didn’t sleep that long (about an hour) and when I got up, Mom had an awesome adventure planned for us!

We got in the stoller and headed toward the park, like we usually do.  But instead of stopping, we kept right on going and made a left at the Starbucks, which we almost never do.  A couple blocks later, we were at the library!  Mom and I hung out in the children’s area, where there was a whole wall of board books.  A couple of the other kids came up to me and told me how cute I was — that was nice!

I picked random books off the shelf and Mom read them to me!  Then the coolest thing happened — we took four books home with us!  I couldn’t even believe it!  I can’t wait to go back and get more.  We ran a few errands on the way home (the bank, Blockbuster) and when we got home Dad was there waiting for us.

I played with Mom until dinner time, which I devoured all of.  Then I played with Dad until bath time. He started doing this thing where he “eats my face” and I laugh really really hard.  It’s kind of like a really big, wet, slobbery, ticklish kiss! Dad took me up for my bath and then Mom took over for the real work — cutting my finger nails and reading me my bedtime book.  What an awesome day!

A year ago Mom and Dad made my first photo album!

I woke up with Mom, but like last Friday there was an awful lot of action upstairs as Dad got ready while Mom played with me.  The three of us went downstairs and pretty much went straight into the car.  Mom built a contraption in the back of the car to keep the sun from shining in my eyes and she even came and sat in the back to entertain me along the ride to Oak Brook.

We dropped Mom off at work and then Dad pulled over at a soccer field and held me in the fresh air for a while to help me get settled before heading to preschool.  We walked in behind another family (good security!) and went straight for the toddler room.  I think I’m going to be one of the first kids in school, which will give me a chance to play with whatever toys I want and get the first crack at breakfast.

My visit to preschool went a lot better than last week.  Dad shot way too much video, so I won’t bother to say too much. (If you’re worried about my safety outdoors, check out the video called “Conquering the scary stairs!)

We picked up Mom and I napped in the car on the way back.  When I got home I was happy to see Nana.  We played, read, ate and went to the park.  Nana left after just a few hours when Mom got home.  All I wanted to do with Mom was to read books, which she was more than happy to oblige.  I got kind of fussy around 2:30, so Mom gave me my snack early (including my prunes, which I don’t get for breakfast at preschool).  We played with the alphabet blocks and then I went for my nap a bit earlier than usual (2:45).

I woke up around 4:45 and Mom and I went to visit Dad down in the office.  Then we went to the park (Dad joined us after a while) and then I ate a great dinner.  AND I FINISHED THE  PARSNIPS!  I played with Mom & Dad (actually, mostly just read with Mom while Dad tried to distract us) and then Dad put me to bed at 7:30.

Last year I wasn’t having nearly this much fun!

As usual, I woke up in a great mood and was happy to play with Mom while she got ready to go to work and excited to see Nana when I got downstairs.  I wasn’t  nearly as tired as I was yesterday morning, so I didn’t take my nap until 10.  Nana and I read a lot of books and she was really impressed with my attention span.

The afternoon was shorter than usual due my long morning nap, but I still had plenty of fun.  I devoured my lunch (Nana’s zucchini again) and then we went out to the yard to play.  I’m definitely getting less scared of the emergency sirens that seem to go by several times a day.

Instead of going to the park, Nana and I took a walk down Division, making sure to admire the blooming flowers in the planters along the street.

Mom got home and we had a good dinner together and we read a ton of books.  I was very excited and enthusiastic (some may say hyper) until bed time.

Last year Mom and Dad shot one of the first videos of me!

It was a rainy day today, but we made the best of it and had a great time.  Nana was here when Mom brought me downstairs and took off for work.  We spent a lot of time in the morning reading books.  My current favorite is The Mitten. (Dad absolutely hates it!)

I was more tired that usual (maybe because of the cloudy day?) and so I went for my nap at 9:00.  I played in the crib for about half an hour (Nana was sitting in the hall way to make sure I was ok!).

When I got up I had a huge diaper that got my clothes and sheets all “uck.”  Nana congratulated me on my success and cleaned everything up.  I got to have Nana’s zucchini for breakfast and I think she got a special kick out of my enjoyment of her food.

We didn’t get to outside in the afternoon, either, but I had a lot of fun with Mom, especially letting out huge “ahhhhhh”s after each gulp of milk with dinner.

Last year was much fussier.

Mom got me out of  my crib and brought me down to see…Aunt Claire!  I was so excited that she was hanging around to play with me today.  She fed me a great breakfast and then took off for the train station when Nana got here.   To make things even crazier, when I woke uo from my nap, Dad was home because his flight was canceled.

I ate a good lunch (Nana made the lentil burger really good by immersing it the yogurt sauce!) and then we spent more than an hour in the park.  We would have stayed longer, but I had a poopy diaper and walked around the park saying “cuck” and pointing to my behind!

After we got home and changed, Nana read me a lot of books, fed me a snack, and then put me down for my nap.  I was exhausted from all the running around and slept for almost two hours!  Mom got home soon after I got up and I was excited to see her — and to see zucchini on my dinner menu!

A crazy thing happened when Mom was getting ready for bed: she flossed my teeth!  She’s so weird!

Last year I took a subway ride!

I woke up this morning and  totally forgot that it was Memorial Day!  That meant that Mom and Dad were home all day to have fun with me.  Mom got up with me and we read in my room before I was screaming too  loud that Mom was afraid that I would wake up Dad.  Mom and I went downstairs and played before having breakfast.  Around 8:00, Dad came down looking very refreshed and grateful to Mom for letting him sleep in!

Dad took over and Mom went up to take a nap.  Dad and I played down in the office (so that my screams wouldn’t wake up Mom!) until nap time.  Dad put me to bed and when I got up I was so excited to see that Aunt Claire was visiting!  She was so excited to see me and I didn’t even give her the  cold shoulder!  We played together and then we went to Feast for brunch to celebrate  A/C’s being a senior in college!

There was a long wait to get a table, so I walked up and down the street, hung out with other kids I saw, and had quality time with Mom and A/C.  I had a great meal because I got to eat Nana’s zucchini!  What more could I ask for?

As we walked home it started raining, so Dad and I (in my stroller, of course) ran ahead to beat the rain “falling on our heads” (in Mom’s words).  Where else would rain fall, I wonder?

We all played together until my snack and nap.  I shrieked when I got up and Dad got me out of my crib.  Mom and A/C had run out to get a movie and — shocker — Starbucks.  There were almost home, so Dad and I  sat at the front door and watched for them to get home.

I mostly played with Mom and A/C until dinner, which was a disaster of sorts.   I didn’t like the lentil burger (that I loved at my birthday party) and wouldn’t even eat the succotash, which is usually automatic.  I did like the mint yogurt sauce (that was supposed to go with the lentil burger!).

As usual, I had to help clean up for going to bed:

A year ago, I was playing with A/C, too!

Well, I  slept really well and got up in a great mood.  I  was so hungry (perhaps because I didn’t eat  yesterday!) and even had (my first of three for the day!) poopy diaper.

I ate my entire breakfast and then Dad and I went to Lowe’s to order four new screens that have been broken for a few months (especially the two in my room!).  Lowe’s was fun because it has a really fun shopping cart shaped like a truck!  It took us longer than expected there and I ended up falling asleep in the car on the way home.  Dad managed to relocate me to my crib without really waking me up.

As soon as I got up, we took for Nana’s and Grandpa’s.  I had so much fun there.  The highlight of my day was eating Nana’s zucchini.  It was so good — definitely my favorite entree (I don’t know if anything can beat strawberries!).  The rest of my time was spent running around, rolling around, and just having a blast with Nana and Grandpa.

We got home in time for a snack and then a nap.  When I woke up we took off for the park and I had a blast, even getting to down the big kids’ slide (on my belly!).  I really, really liked it.

I ate all of my dinner and then had a really long and fun bath.  Dad  let me stay up past my bedtime because Mom was racing home from the airport.  She got in around 7:40 and was so hapy to see me.  She read me my bedtime story and put me to sleep!

Last year was a fun day at the park!

Today was rough.  Mom was in NYC for a friend’s wedding, so it was me and Dad holding down the fort at home.  The morning was pretty good.  I was up early-ish (around 6:00) and Dad showered before coming to get me out of my crib.

I got dressed and played upstairs before we went on our weekly grocery run.  I had a really good breakfast and then, coming up the stairs, was Dad’s friend Al!  I haven’t seen him in a few months and I got to impress him with all my new tricks.

Al hadn’t eaten (obviously!) so we went to Milk & Honey for brunch.  Mom and Dad almost never take me there for meals because it’s so crowded, but at 8:30 am I can go anywhere!  Al was great.  He invented a game called “hide the straw wrapper” and I had to guess which hand it was in.  I could play this game forever!

When we got home, Al took off with a friend and I went to bed.  A couple hours into my “nap” Dad came in to my room and found me just sitting in my crib.  From here, the day went down hill.

I completely rejected lunch, throwing pretty much everything on the floor.  Dad, who’s usually low-key about disciplining me, was really upset.  He turned my high-chair into the corner and let me sit there, crying.  After lunch we went to the park and I was in a decent mood, but I wasn’t thrilled.  When we got back I was really clingy with Dad, insisting on going “up, up!”  To make matters worse, I still hadn’t pooped all day!

I didn’t really snack well and fought going up for my nap.  Just as this morning, I got up at some point and didn’t make a sound, so Dad had no way to know when to come and get me.  I was in an even worse mood for the rest of the day and I could tell I was testing Dad’s patience.  We went on a quick run to the park before I totally rejected dinner.  As soon as it was time for bed, he rushed me up and rushed through my bed-time book as quickly as possible.  I heard take a deep breath as he closed the door to my room…

Last year I checked out the Indian consulate!

There was an awful lot of commotion in the morning.  Mom was up as usual, but Dad was also up and getting ready early in the morning.  Mom got me dressed and the three of us took off in the car — this is unprecedented!  So, I don’t know much about directions, but it’s no fun to face backward  in a car driving West first thing in the morning.  The sun was in my eyes the entire way to wherever we were going.

We dropped Mom off at work, which I recognized from the one time I visited the office a long time ago.  I was pretty upset by this point, so Dad pulled over to the side of the road and we stood on a soccer field and got reset.  I was happy to see 5 huge ducks fly over my head and really loud dog run around the field.

We got back into the car and drove a few seconds to the school I’m going to start going to in a couple weeks.  We rang the doorbell and went inside.  I was  one of the first kids there, so I got to explore one of the classrooms all by myself.  Dad stayed with my throughout our 2-hour visit, which was just supposed to get my acclimated to everything.

One of the first activities was breakfast.  It was totally different from any meal I’ve ever had.  First, my school has really, really short table with little tiny miniature chairs that I got to sit in.  Second, no one wore bibs.  Third, the food was totally new: french toast with syrup and mandarin oranges!  Dad would never let me have french toast — I couldn’t even believe it.

After breakfast, we had play time, which was especially fun for me because I could explore all the new toys.  I made a bunch of new friends, too.  Except Porter — that guy kicked a girl in the face and shoved another girl to the floor.  I gotta watch that guy.

We went outside and it was like going to the park.  The slide and stairs are a bit too high for me and I would have fallen on my head except that Dad was there to catch me.  Before I knew it, the kids were going inside and it was time for me and Dad to go home.  I was exhausted and fell asleep on the car ride home.  Dad managed to carry me out of the car and into my crib without waking me up.

When I got home Nana was here and we had a great afternoon, including more time outside.  Mom got home early (summer Friday hours!) and after my nap we went to the park, where we went down a big slide together!

A year ago I had another big day: my two-month checkup!