I've been compiling random pictures of Sally, thinking I'd do a Sally update post. Well, it's been months, so some of these are really old, but here they are.
A few months ago, Sal started insisting on dressing herself. I like to encourage a certain amount of independence, so most days I let her go for it. She had many frustrating mornings when she couldn't get things right, but still wouldn't let me help. Funny girl. (You can see from the first picture that Elaine also dresses herself.)
Sal still walks around in these little doll boots. She has to walk/run on her toes, but she still likes it.
More fancy shoes, and curly post-nap hair.
She's often very particular about how she wants her hair done. She picks out all the rubberbands, bows, clips, etc., and she's not just randomly picking or insisting on everything. She knows just what she wants.
The kitchen counter is one of her favorite spots. She sits there or in the backpack (still) while I work. Many days, she'll bring the backpack to me and ask to get in. I'm glad she only weighs 21 lbs.
She hasn't done it for a while, but she went through a stage where part of her fancyness included wearing socks on her hands. She'd wear them for hours, and they didn't seem to hamper her activity much. She even insisted on wearing them in public. Not sure what the other Walmart customers thought of us. (Of course, depending on the day, the socks were the least of my worries.)
Another favorite spot. A couple months ago, I pulled her out of here and found a tick trying to burrow into her head! Nasty and scary! I don't think it came from the laundry; I think she picked it up in the backyard (which is also nasty and scary). We now do tick checks when the girls come inside.
Playing in a fort.
Sal loves to get her toe jam. She calls it "nuh-muh-nuh."
She is my goofiest little lady by far. She loves to clown and make people laugh.
Sal has a very tender heart, and she loves to pretend. One day she was "reading" Three Little Pigs, and she told me the pigs were scared and needed a bottle of water to help them feel better. She set them up in her highchair. She also gets very concerned whenever she hears a baby cry. No matter where we are, she says she needs to go see and help the baby. When I tell her I'm sure the baby's mama is helping him, she says, "Oh," with a funny little relieved laugh and smile.
Just a few days ago, she decided she needed to pay a visit to the Sesame Street house. She tried to step in through the door.
Sal loves to do yoga and/or Egoscue exercises with me. One of her favorites is the wall sit. (It's my least favorite!)
She loves trucks, tractors, and cars and often transports her snack this way. She yells about all trucks, big trucks, and school buses when we're out and about.
I'll try to think of some more milestones and fun things about my little Sal:
- She's almost always cheerful.
- She has started calling me mom instead of mama, with a lot of emphasis on the last m, especially when she's trying to get my attention. She yells, "Mommm!"
- She still doesn't talk much. Or, maybe I should clarify: she talks a ton, but not with words. She copies everything the older girls say, but just talks jiberish using the same inflection and tries to have the same number of syllables. She often way over estimates the syllable count; it's pretty funny. She'll do entire paragraphs this way. She'll repeat whatever she's saying until I acknowledge and repeat it. I always know I just need to repeat whatever Mariah or Elaine said last. I'm in trouble when I haven't been paying attention.
- Until the last few days, she never said the final consonant on words. She has figured out it's pretty cool; her favorite sounds are sh and ch. She'll say, "Mom, watch-ch-ch-sh-sh-sh!"or "Washshshshsh hands-s-s-s-s-s."or "Yes-s-s-s." At dinner tonight, we decided she sounds a lot like Sthssid the Sthssloth.
- Her favorite songs are "Popcorn" and "Sunbeam."
- She loves to do anything and everything Mariah and Elaine are doing.
- She loves her daddy and often insists that he do things for her instead of mom.
- She still nurses morning and night. She says, "nurse-sh-s-sh-s-s."
- Sal loves loves loves to dance. She really has rhythm and has since she was tiny. Today in her carseat she was drumming away with her arms to the beat of the radio.
- She's the only one who responds quickly when I call. I practice and practice with the other girls; they're supposed to say, "What, Mom," and come a runnin'. When I call any or all of them (doesn't have to be her), she runs and says, "Wha? wha? wha? wha?" over and over again. Obviously my instructions are clear; not sure why the other 2 don't catch on.
- She still sleeps in the Phil&Ted red bed in our closet. If it aint broke, don't fix it?
- Anytime she finds something she's been looking for, she says, "Deh-dey-ahhhh" ("There they are") really fast. When I take the girls shopping at Sunflower Markets, I often park them somewhere and then get everything within a certain radius of the cart and stroller. A few times I've been out of her sight for a few seconds. When she finds me again, she yells, "deh-dey-ahhhh!"
- She loves chapstick.
- She loves doing the laundry. She'll switch a whole load from the washer to the dryer, close the dryer, and push start. I love having a job for her that's actually helpful.
- Sally has a keen sense of direction and knowledge of her whereabouts. A long time ago, as we passed one of the hospitals (about 15 minutes from our house) I mentioned that Daddy was doing rotations there that day. Now, anytime we pass that hospital, she says, "Dada?"
- She still has no fear. She loves to be tossed. She loves climbing and big slides. We went to the park today, and she was as independent as the older 2, going down all the big slides right behind them. She loves slides so much she yells "szi-ziiiide!" anytime we see one anywhere. Her favorite ones to point out are the "wawa sziiide!" (water slides) we can see from the freeway.
- She also loves to see the temple, and for a long time called all churches temples. She still loves to point out every church we pass (pretty much every corner here in Oklahoma).
- Sal's usually very good natured about taking correction. If she wants something, and I say no, she'll say, "Oh," and laugh: "Zieside?" ("Outside?") "No, not right now. We need to clean up first." "Ohhh."
- She does her best to keep us in line. She's our best little reminder for prayer at meal time. She'll clasp her hands or fold her arms and say, "Pay!" over and over until we catch on. She also kindly reminds me to "'bey Je-je" ("Obey Jesus") anytime I lose my patience and raise my voice.
- She winks. A lot.
That's all for now. I love my Sally!
