Check-up

It’s been a long winter. So much snow. So many delays. So many days of snow covered roads and treacherous driving. So many cars in the ditch. And today our black Hyundai Sonata became one of them. Nothing serious. I wasn’t hurt. The car wasn’t hurt. The snow pile we hit was probably hurt but for all I care, it deserves it after the winter we’ve had. I’m not bitter or anything. Just ready for spring!!!

I was driving into town to pick up MVP early from daycare so we could head up to the doctor’s office for her 18-month check-up. The back highway into town was covered in snow. Kinda weird seeing how it was not snowing and hadn’t for several days. The sun was actually out and skies were blue. But the winds were fierce causing snow to drift onto the roadway. Lots and lots of snow. And that said snow, caught my wheels wrong and sent me circling into the wrong side of the road and finally landing deep into a snow bank. Again, no one was hurt and it really wasn’t that big of a deal but did take a while before the car was dug out and ready to ride again. So we didn’t make it to the doctor’s and had to reschedule MVP’s appointment. I was bummed. I like her well-child appointments. Minus the screaming that ensues after the shots, it’s always fun to get her updated stats and nice to hear that she’s in good health (praise God, that so far all our check-ups have been positive!).

So since we missed the check-up, I wanted to take a few minutes to have my own little check-in on our 18-month old.

• Been walking since 14/15 months and now can add running to your list of activities even though in general you are still pretty klutzy. Sometimes get going too fast and don’t watch where you are going. You also have a unique walking/running style. In times when you’e really wanting to get somewhere fast, you swing your left arm like crazy. It must help you work up some momentum and looks pretty darn funny too.

• Still in size 3 diapers (but probably not for long).

• Wear size 12-18 month clothes. Some 18-month outfits are still really big.

• Size 5 shoe

• Some of the most commonly heard words coming from your mouth are: Mom, Dad, Tata (Tuffy), Nenna (Kenna), co....at (coat & hat), cracker, cookie, bar, Isaac, pass (paci), peas (please), Gigi, bye, wawa (water), bebees (babies), Ella, nyny, Elmo, elbow (these last two words sound similar to each other), baa (bath), bubbles, teeth (when you want to brush your teeth), whose (shoes), ahkey (yukey), Guke (Luke) and Abbie (for your buddy Abbie Keitges and this is probably your clearest word to date, surprised both dad and me how clearly you said it after just hearing us say Abbie’s name a couple times.)

• You do sign language for the words eat, drink, all done, please, thank you and potty. We see the sign for eat A LOT. You like to eat!

• You make happy, sad and surprised faces on command.

• See NBC commentators Brian Williams and Chris Collinsworth on TV and think they are Poppi.

• Have had one haircut from Grandpa Beek but still not enough hair for any barrettes or pigtails. Hair is light, light blond and grows longer in the back than on top. You have a nice mullet! You like baths and like to brush you hair but aren’t too fond of the hair dryer whenever Mom points it at you.

• Dad has taught you foot fire and how to get into defensive stance.

• You also do ballerina twirls and kicks.

• Love jumping on the couch cushions.

• Go to bed around 7:30/8:00 p.m. and usually wake up around 6:30/7:00 a.m. We say nighttime prayers before bed and you fold your hands, sometimes close your eyes and say “Amen” when we are done.

• Are pretty possessive of your blanky, paci and sippy cups.

• When you get upset you’ll hit – either something around you, someone or even your own head – we’re working on this : )

• You can identify several body parts including nose, eyes, head, hair, ears, fingers, toes, belly button, back, elbow and knees.

• You like to play “Ring-Around-The-Rosy” and have recently started joining in singing when it comes to the “Ashes, Ashes” part however you usually forget to “fall down.” You also usually like to include your baby doll when we play.

• Hate having your face washed or your nose wiped but man do you need it. For a little girl, you sure do have some big boogers! : )

• Say “cheese” and give a really cheesy smile whenever you see a camera.

• You love Tuffy and usually speak to him in a extra high voice and always pat your legs and say "Mirror" (Come Here) to get him to come sit by you. He never does - he's a little scared of you yet!

We’ve rescheduled your doctor’s appointment and will be going next week. It will be interesting to see how much you’ve grown since the last appointment and we’ll pray that once again you have a healthy check-up so the above list of milestones and memories can just keep growing and growing along with you. But time could slow down a little – 18 months gone by already – where does the time go?

Turning the tables on timeout

When MVP hit twelve months or so, Coach and I started introducing the land of timeout. A little corner next to our console table in the living room turns into the corner of crying whenever MVP decides to show her sassy side. Yes, she’s cute and sweet and adorable (most of the time) but she has taken many a trips to this land. Food spit out of mouth, swatting at parent, repeated defiance have all been her ticket to the corner on countless occasions. I’ve found that timeout is effected about 50% of the time. She is usually pretty good about going to timeout once told she has to. But only about half the time does she really realize why she is there. These times usually result in a very sad, sobbing and sorry MVP. A MVP longing to be obedient of her mom and dad so that she never disappoints or has to sit in timeout again. Below is evidence of one of those times.


The other 50% of the time, timeout might as well be a little mini party. She actually seems to enjoy it. Have I mentioned before that she’s a bit sassy?

When we started instilling timeouts, we would keep her in it until we counted to ten. Well, one of MVP’s favorite things to do now is count so instead of a time of punishment, timeout became playtime with the counting. Not good. Needless to say, we’ve stopped counting and now there are times she stays much longer than 10 seconds.

Apparently MVP has made few too many visits to the naughty corner. She has the routine down. So well, in fact, that last night she even but her baby doll in timeout and proceeded to start the count down with her. “Uuuuuuuun, tuuuuuuuu.” Unfortunately for the baby, MVP can never get past two and kept starting back over at “Uuuuuun.”

I so wish I could have known what she was saying to that little baby doll. She had her finger out and was pointing at her and was sure telling her something. Whatever that baby doll did, it must have been really bad because she stayed in timeout until the next morning.
Either that, or MVP and her toddler brain moved on to play with the blocks before she remembered to release her captive from the corner.

The drawer of drawers

Right now MVP seems to really enjoy getting her hat and coat on and going "Bye, bye." But in times when Team Grier is all settled in for the night going no where and when her hat and coat are stored on the coat rack out of reach she resorts to other items that are in a location more convenient for a 30 inch tall, 18-month old. Enter my underwear that are stored in the drawers of my nightstand.


In MVP's mind, the underwear quickly become make believe sweatshirts, coats and hats. She usually manages to get three or four around her neck or atop her head and then once "all bundled" up, she'll walk away from the nightstand and say "Bye" like she's already to go somewhere. Little does she know the looks she'd get. Yes my drawers are adored with pretty stylish graphic patterns and I prefer bright colors, but I don’t think the public needs or wants to see them.