Odds and ends

I have been letting Gillian run around diaperless after baths for the past few weeks, and she has really started looking forward to it (particularly the family-romp-on-the-bed-post-bath time). Twice now, she has peed on herself and the floor. The first time was a bit traumatic, like, "what...is....HAPPENING TO ME?!?" I suppose if you have never felt the consequences of being diaperless and peeing, it would freak you out a little initially. (Sensation I usually get...but, Oh, Wait? What is this warm wetness going down my leg and pooling around my feet?!?) The idea is that if she feels what it's like to soil herself, maybe she'll start getting serious about her Potty. It seems to be working. She likes to sit on Potty before her bath now, and even though nothing usually comes out, she grunts like she's giving it a really effort. And a real effort is better than....no effort? right?

But the interesting thing is that now she is certain that any water on the floor is "tee-tee", and I can't convince her otherwise. In fact, the bath water is Tee-tee, water droplets from her sippy on her tray is tee-tee (although the liquid IN her sippy cup is water)...You get the point. So, we had a heart to heart last night. I knew I got my academic training for something. The deep and philosophical conversation went something like this:

Gilly (pointing at water): "Tee-Tee!!!"
me: "Not so much, Bug. This is WATER."
Gilly, in gleeful disagreement: "Tee-TEE!"
me: "Gilly, pee-pee comes out of Gilly (pointing out her nether region), and water comes out of the bathtub (pointing at the faucet)"
Gilly: "Tee-tee?" (consternation), "Wau-oo?" (Wauoo=water)
me: "Yes, this is water. Pee-pee goes in the potty or a diaper (pointing out both)"
Gilly: "Wau-oo, Wau-oo, Wau-oo (singing). TEE-TEE!"
me: *sigh*

Speaking of family-romp-on-the-bed-post-bath time, Gillian is VERY fond of going nite-nite (she has studied this phenomenon so much that yesterday she even began enunciating the "t" in 'night'). So, Sean and I must pretend to go night-night. over. and. over. She loves it when we jolt awake and tickle her, and then she pushes our heads back down on to the pillow and says "nite-nite" (or a not-so-subtle HEY, DO IT AGAIN!!!!). She also pretends she is asleep and requires the blanket to be pulled up over her (blanket= "det"), and even mimics the snoring/whistling of our exaggerated slumber. Why, this morning, she said her first two word sentence, whilst covering up Ball with a "det", "nite nite, ball!" When we are ready to go to bed for real, I tell her to go tell Papa nite-nite and give him a kiss, and she walks up to him, hugs him, kisses him, and waves and says, "nite-nite!", retiring to her suite for a warm bottle and a rocking chair snuggle session before bed.

Our girl is a little particular in some ways. She likes to investigate and inspect things up close, and then put them back exactly where she got them (medicine cabinet finds, for example). She likes for people (and herself) to put on their coats ("ghat?") and hats ("hatttt") when anyone mentions the word "outside", and really wants to be assured you are staying awhile by helping you out of your coat when you get home (last night, upon his arrival home, she very aggressively pushed Sean's coat off of his arms, chanting, "ghat, ghat, ghat!"). This is not always so happy...when I got home yesterday, she ran to see me ("MAMAMAMAMA!") and then turned to Silvia, waved and said "bye-bye" and got her coat for her. Like, "don't let the door hit you in the backside on your way out, lady!". I hope Silvia didn't take that too personally.

She sings all the time, which is incredibly sweet, and I can even tell which songs she is singing sometimes. She reads books, finger going along the sentences, her out-load reading sounding a lot like, "blicka-blicka-blicka-blicka" peppered with words she knows for things she sees in the pictures. She says "please" (teece?). She is like a ray of light. So, I love her (so much), obviously. But I also LIKE her. She's a groovy girl-fearless and funny, and so very very sweet (did I mention her kisses now have the characteristic lip-smack?). Anyway, lots of little things that I may or may not capture on video that I want to remember...so thanks for indulging my self-indulgence.

So, in a nutshell, I find myself thinking, "this is the BEST PHASE YET!!" as I do with every phase so far. She is such a little person these days.