Our little girl...

...was once a baby. I was scrolling through our digital photo album tonight and marveled at how little hair she used to have and how tiny she used to be! Even from just a year ago, she looks so grown up!

I remarked upon this to Drew. "Remember how she used to spit up?" I said.

"Yeah. Now she farts in the bathtub," he replied.

"Really? was it loud?"

"It was noticebale," he said.

As he put her to sleep tonight I heard him urge her not to put her finger in her nose. "Ick!" he yelled. "That's YUCKY."

Seems as if she's right not track to discovering the gross side of toddlerhood.

"Oh my gosh!'

That's what Rachel said this morning when we were walking to the park and she discovered a small pebble in the back of Rachey car. Drew and I looked at each other, absolutely dumbfounded. Where does she pick this stuff up??

Later today, as Drew and Rachel were headed outside for their afternoon walk and I prepared to take a bike ride (thanks much to Drew for pumping up my bike tires, but I think I need a bike store to adjust the bike; it felt really out of whack for my height. Maybe that's because I've taken too many spin classes?), Rachel accidentally dribbled some sunscreen onto the floor. Drew pulled off a piece of paper towel to wipe it up, when Rachel said, "No, Rachey do it!" AND SHE WIPED UP THE SPILL ALL BY HERSELF!

Then she went to the shoe box near the front door and brought Drew his heavy, clunky black shoes. And brought me my sneakers.

I am not making this up, folks.

Kissy, caring little girl

Tonight we had a picnic in a park across the street from synagogue. I had mistakenly thought that services would be outside tonight and arranged to meet Drew and Rachel there. Turns out I was wrong but we ended up eating on a blanket anyway.

Rachel LOVES feeding us. She made sure Drew and I got some of her challah and sips of her water. She does that at home, too, and after daycare if she feels that I need some of her water to drink!

And every time I ask for a kiss goodnight or a hug, she obliges. Sometimes she wants more. "More hugs!" she'll say, and of course I'll hug her to me, start laughing, and cover her face with kisses.

"More hugs!" she'll say, and the routine continues. I hope it lasts, in some version, forever.

Sad, sweet moment

We were out for a walk last night. Our new nighttime routine is to take Rachel for a ride in Rachey car AFTER she helps us clear the table. Then we quickly wash up the dishes, get our shoes on and head outside.

Rachel had urged us to run: "Mommy run. Daddy run" and pointed us in the directions she wanted us to head. Then SHE started running away from us. She so looked so cute in her red pants with pink polka dots (too big, so Drew folded over the waist) and her yellow sweater that is also too big (Drew bought it at a consignment store with the idea that she will grow into it this fall and winter).

"There she goes, running off into the future," Drew remarked, as her back was turned to us and she did her funny run toward the end of the block.

"Yes," I sighed. "Eventually she'll run away from us."

"Yeah, but if we play our cards right, she'll come back," he said.

"I hope so," I said, near tears.

Rachel the tumbler!

Tonight Rachel kept bending down and placing her hands on the floor and keeping her knees straight in a perfect downward dog yoga position that her mommy could barely do even when she was going to a yoga studio every Sunday morning to try to become more flexible. I've noticed that Rachel seems to have amazing stretchability, or maybe it's just because her bones are all jello at this age.

Anyway, I was in the kitchen when Drew cried out, "hey Lisa! Come quick!" He was in her room reading books before bedtime.

Turns out she had done the downward dog thing, put her head on the floor...and just continued forward! Yes, folks, it's Rachel's first somersault!! Yay!!! Before we know it I'll be yelling at her not to do gymnastics in the house.

When we can afford it again, I plan to enroll her in a tumbling class. I think she'd have a lot of fun.

Making friends

Last night, Tuesday, we went walking before dinner with Rachey car. As we got near the Madeline Parish's playground we saw two boys, 4 and 1 1/2, who instantly became entranced with Rachey car and practially pushed Rachel aside to get into it (she had taken a rest and was walking beside it). She started sobbing until we asked to trade toys. So they got to ride in the car while rachel tried out their tricyle with the handy handle behind the seat.

As we chatted with the boys' mom, other kids started streaming out of their houses, attracted to the car like bees to honey, and decided to take rides in Rachey car (Rachel and Drew were at the playground by this time, playing around on the tricycle and going down the slide). Then other parents joined us and it ended up being a nice neighborhood scene, with the kids turning cartwheels on one of the lawns and all of us idly talking.

This is what I will miss about Portland if economic circumstances force us to leave.

New nighttime routine?

Now that the weather looks as if it will be warm and sunny for at least the rest of the week, we started a nice tradition: A walk outside in Rachey car. That is, Rachel gets to ride in the plastic car that Molly gave her for her 1st birthday last year, and Drew and I walk beside her, pushing the car from the back. Of course, Rachel now tends to want to get OUT of the car every half-block or so and push the car herself, and since she's not that big, the car ends up veering off course and we have to rescue it before she pushes it into the street.

Before we walked tonight, though, I insisted she help clear the table while Drew and I cleaned up to convey the lesson that first we work and THEN we play. She took it pretty well and cleared everything -- baby food jars, cups of milk and water (which she held delicately, like flowers), her plate with some pieces of tortellini and her placemat, as well as Mommy's and Daddy's. Then we all got our shoes on and took a 45-minute walk. It was a gorgeous evening and we're looking forward to more nights like this!

A disconcerting habit

Molly and the kids just left -- they stayed here Saturday and Sunday nights on their way out of Oregon, back to Minnesota, away from all the heartache that their time in Oregon has caused. I hate the thought that Molly will despise this state forever, but hopeful that our presence here was soothing. I actually was a little encouraged when she said, "oh, I don't want to go back to winter." Never thought that a North Dakota native would say that!!

Anyway, during their visit Rachel started calling me "Lisa" for no reason. Molly thinks it's because she and her kids call me Lisa, but I'm not sure. I was really taken aback the first two times, and then the third time I said sternly, "I'm MOMMY to you, Rachel." I'm hoping that takes effect.

Rachel also has begun repeating phrases that Drew and I say all the time: "come ON!" "Be right back!" etc. We looked at each other the other night and said, "she's really a little PERSON!" She plays little tricks on us (offering food then snatching it back at the last minute, which we have NEVER done with her), and making up chase games: "Mommy run. Daddy run." "Daddy run. Mommy run" that we are compelled to follow. And she was so sweet with Camilla, Molly's daughter, who Rachel calls, "Camaya." Both of them kissed each other constantly; Rachel loved playing with Camilla and her sister, Marigold, and when we said goodbye and I took Rachel to daycare, she screamed and sobbed for a good part of the drive.

I'm dreading her calling out for "Camaya" after we get home tonight and being quite distressed to find she's not around!

Bedtime blues

Rachel has begun testing us at bedtime, probably because it's so light out when we put her down to sleep (even though we have blackout curtains that we bought with this very thought in mind). She always asks for more songs, more rubber duckies, her blankie, etc. Then she cries loudly for about two minutes and falls asleep.

She says the most interesting things: Today her hair was bound up in a little ponytail (she finally has enough of it for there to actually BE a ponytail) and she pointed to it and called it "pony." Then she said, "Ruby pony!" "Oh," I said, "that means that RUBY has a ponytail, right?" (Ruby is one of her little friends from daycare). She's always happy when I can interpret what she said!

Also tonight she tried to put her sippy cup on my head and then said, "pretty cool." "WHERE did you learn to SAY that??" I asked. It's amazing what she picks up!

23 months!

We are one month away from 2 years old and I've been so distracted that I barely noticed it until I happened to look at my watch just now. Here are highlights:

--Rachel speaks in little sentences now. A sampling:
"Mommy sit down!"
"Daddy sit down!"
"Mama eat!"
"Mommy yogurt."
"Hi Daddy car!"
"Bye-bye truck!"

--She also, as my friend David Jones likes to say, speaks on command. If I put the phone up to her ear and say, "Say hello to xx": "Say 'I love you'" she'll obey instantly. It's pretty cool and enchants everyone who hears her.

--She has definite preferences when it comes to clothes. She likes wearing her pink shoes (gorgeous hand-me-downs from our friends Chuck and Catherine), and green coat (another hand-me-down from our friends Anna and Judy; it's a "Dora the Explorer" windbreaker) and whatever tickles her fancy every morning.

--Loves eating Cheerios and "flakes" -- Raisin Bran flakes without the raisins -- for breakfast along with yogurt, milk and water.

--Her nickname definitely is "Rachey," so I guess we're stuck with it for a while. It's actually kinda growing on me.

--As Drew says, she's about 75 percent delightful and 25 percent a pain in the a--. But that's 2. Remember, folks, she got the manual a little early.

--She's mastered the art of what we call "Rachel fake-outs." For instance, she'll make like she's going to feed me granola and then snatch it away and gobble it herself, laughing as she does so.

--Which means that she is fast developing a little-girl sense of humor. She really enjoys playing tricks and jokes on us. So far it's benign. We hope it won't translate to short-sheeing the bed when she gets older and wants to see a boy we don't approve of.

--She loves playing on "rocks" near her daycare -- really, two slabs of concrete across the street from St. James's. She likes walking up and down one of them, which is slightly slanted, and rolling around on the flat one, which usually is covered with chalk drawings and letters.

--At night she'll take a large picture book, wiggle herself into her little red plastic chair, and "read" to herself while insisting that I read a book aloud.

--She's started giving kisses spontaneously! Last night as Drew was about to read her books and give her a bath, she came up to me, unbidden, and planted a wet one on my lips. "THANK YOU, RACHEL!" I said, very touched.

--She's become my magic 8-ball. "Is it going to get better or worse?" I ask. "Better," she'll say, immediately followed by, "woose." "Do you want to live in Portland, Seattle or New York?" I ask. "York," she answers. It's silly to rely on a 2-year-old to predict the future -- just as silly as presuming I'd work for the Oregonian until I died.

--She loves what she calls "beads," a pile of costume jewelry we inherited from Drew's grandma Dana. Rachel usually drapes me in green and purple beads and then piles a couple on herself. I always exclaim how beautiful she looks.

--Her hands seem really big to me, with really long fingers. I hope we can afford piano lessons someday!

--She has a strong sense of possession. "MY mommy!" she said a couple of days ago. "RACHEY diaper," she says at night. "RACHEY medseen (medicine)" she says, pointing to the infant Tylenol, and so on.

--She runs a little wobbly, almost as if she's still trying to get the hang of it. Amazingly enough, both of us can still keep up with her!

--She doesn't sob much if she falls down or hits her head, but she definitely wants her "owie" kissed. And always by me, Drew says.

--She has started whining for "Daddy" even when Drew's not around. When he's here, she constantly wants him to do everything -- feed her, cuddle her, read to her, give her a bath, etc.

--She is almost off the binkies, except at night. So when she cries because something doesn't go her way, she tends to stick her fingers in her mouth. We have made a concerted effort to wean her from her pacifier but don't want to do that at night because of her propensity to wake up sobbing, probably because of nightmares.

--She likes wrapping up dolls at daycare and playing with pretend food, which tells me we really should try to get her a play kitchen. Wonder if I can find one on Craigslist or at a consignment store?

--Speaking of consignment stores, it seems as though she is rapidly outgrowing the selection at Babies R Us. We have a beautiful set of hand-me-downs for sizes 3T, 4T and beyond. We're a little skimpy on 2T options but I think we'll be able to make it through the summer. As Drew says, I somehow timed her birth perfectly -- she lives in hand-me-downs!

--She doesn't much like the teeter-totter or the swings anymore, but still loves slides. And trying to balance herself on skinny ledges. And trying to use the monkey bars (with Daddy's help, of course).

--So far she is quite compliant when it's time to go "nie-nie." She can show you where Rachel goes nie-nie, Mommy goes ni-nie and Daddy goes nie-nie.

Rachel the butler

I've written before about how Rachel puts her shoes away every night and then walks into my bedroom and gives me my slippers. Now she has taken it to a whole new level -- she takes MY shoes and then walks into my closet, carefully places my shoes into my shoe tree, then pads over to my bed and hands me my slippers.

It's like having a pint-sized butler. I half-expect her to hand me a smoking jacket and a stogie before dinner.

At bedtime tonight, she wanted to sit on her red plastic chair and read by herself. She made sure mommy had a book, though, which I read aloud while she took her own book and flipped through the pages. The day is fast approaching where we'll sit in companionable silence, each with a book on our lap, and I'll look up occasionally and say, "I love you, honey." Hopefully that will be her cue to come over and give me a soft little hug.

Rachel develops a sense of humor

Last night as Drew and I were putting together dinner, Rachel hopped off her chair, walked over to Drew's chair, and sat down.

"Funny!" she said, giggling.

"Did she just say FUNNY?" I asked Drew, laughing. Apparently she did; she had a big, goofy-looking grin on her face!

She's also mischievous. Sometimes if I ask her what color her shirt or pants are, she'll yell "YE-YOW!" even if she's perfectly aware that the shirt is red and her pants are brown. She'll do the same thing with letters, although that's usually accompanied by her hurling her small body against my chest when we're cuddled in the glider, reading. Then, of course, I tickle her.

It's all about Rachel

After Dad and my cousin David both gently reminded me that I haven't posted to this blog in quite a while, I thought it would be a good idea to come out of my shell and remind myself that, really, it's all about Rachel. Meaning: I may have lost my job and a career I love in the most humiliating way possible, but I still have an adorable almost-23-month-old daughter and that's what counts, right?

Rachel truly is developing by leaps and bounds these days. She loves looking at her belly button (and asking to see Mommy and Daddy's belly button as well), running through the house yelling, "agghhh!!!" and last night she began an incredibly cute habit: As we were finishing up dinner, she'd say, "be right back" and toddle into the living room and bring back some treasure (usually beads, to hang around our necks), then say, "be right back" and do the same thing again and again. Toward the end of the evening she pointed her finger at Drew and added, "Daddy." So the whole sentence is: "Be right back. Daddy" (one foot planted behind and the index finger on her opposite hand pointed toward Drew, for effect).

Today she discovered a pink headband in her sock drawer and immediately wanted me to put it on her (she couldn't stand headbands when she was younger). Then we went upstairs to play and while the rain drummed on the roof she insisted I wear the headband myself. It actually fit!

Another adorable habit: When we're about to do something or go somewhere and need her help, we tell her. Then she usually complies with a quick, "Okay" and does it.

Lastly, she has decided that when it comes to eating, she is a BIG GIRL and no longer needs her booster seat. She sits in the "big chair" between Drew and me and eats like a little lady. So...it seems as if we are done with high chairs and booster seats although I will keep the booster seat when we visit other people for dinner.