Zia: her tenth month

Eleven months!  She's gone from just experiencing life, tasting it and touching it, to really trying to figure it out.  Everything is a puzzle these days.  Something she wants to conquer, to understand.  P is still in this phase, trying to understand everything around him, and its fun seeing it happen on two different levels.  Its especially fun watching her watch him to figure things out :)  Talk about monkey see, monkey do...

Speaking of.  I grabbed a jar and then a lid (two different cabinets), put something up and left the kitchen.  When I came back in, she had raided the cabinets, grabbing jars and lids and was trying to match them.  Everything, apparently, is a lesson in life.  I'm trying to be mindful about how very watched I am :)

She's kinda obsessed with being outside.  Cooking and cleaning, however (unfortunately;), take place indoors.  She's found that if she climbs the chaise and then digs her little toes into the back, like a ladder, she can peer out the window and watch the world.  Unfortunately, she's still learning to pay attention to the (occasionally empty) space behind her.  Ouch.  This also necessitates a dismount.  Running down the lounge seems to be the preference.  Yes, this scares me.  (Sidenote:  the tutu?  P insisted;)

Ok, the outdoors and food :)  Double obsessions.  Forgettabout opening the fridge without a helper.  She wants to try Everything she sees.  And she wants to do it Herself.  This is just unbelievably messy.  She's also discovered the great joy of going pttttbt with a mouthful.  On an up note, she is getting pretty good with a spoon and fork (comparably speaking ;)

The nesting instinct is still there, small spaces are still a favorite.  She gets into everything, everywhere.  Built-ins, boxes, bags, she checks them all out.

And like with the jars and caps, she watched E and P drink out of the hose last week (major garden work!) and attempted it herself the next day.  With a little help from Aunt Alicia, she managed to drink about a gallon.

She still hates diapers.  Hates.  And I'm still failing at ECing.  Seriously, we were nailing it until she was mobil.  Now she will cue herself as she poops.  Yay that she is definitely in tune with what is going on with her body!  Not so yay that she doesn't cue Before she starts pooping so I can put her on the potty.  Not that it would really help, though, since that seems to piss her off lately....

At any rate, she hates diapers so much that she has figured out how to take almost all of them off.  Prefold with a belt?  Ha.  Velcro all in one?  Not a chance.  The snap all in one can still foil her unless she's really determined.  But, long story short, this means she has a naked butt, a LOT.  Which means she pees on the floor... on occasion ;)  Which means I wipe up the floor, not only after every messy meal, but every whizz.  Lots to mimic there.  She has started grabbing rags and towels and "scrubbing' the floor (never the dirty spots ;).  Cracks me up.  On hands and knees and moving forward while she does it and everything.

Last weekend and this weekend, when the fam was at Crater Lake, and now the Olympic National Park, Zia and I had some (very rare) time alone to hang.  P and E might take off for a bit on occasion, but then I'm usually doing laundry while she tags along or something.  But with a whole weekend to spare, twice, I took the time to just enjoy watching her.  I think she's bored with just me (compared to the whirlwind that is having P around;) but I've been delighted :)

And surprised.  I can't believe how much she understands.  Like today.  She was getting grumpy (she wants Everything she sees, but a lot of it just can't go in her mouth, so there are damn "no's" freaking everywhere.  Sigh.  I try to distract, but she's onto me these days and would rather pitch a fit than play with an old stand-by).  I thought a change of scenery would help, so I suggested we go to the park.  "Want to go to the park, Zia?  Wanna go outside?"  She stopped shrieking (this time;) and pointed to the front door.  Then she signed "want."  I needed to get a diaper on her though (sigh) so I said "Go get your new ball and we'll take it to the park." I didn't figure she'd have a clue, but I like to talk to her when P isn't around and I thought she might not see the diaper coming if I ran my mouth :)  She ran right into the kitchen and grabbed the ball we'd just brought up from the basement and took it towards the door.  Color me shocked.  Cuz when I tell her (for the millionth time) that the pea gravel isn't for mouths, she sure as hell acts like she doesn't understand me.  That, or she looks right at me, smiles, pops a piece in her mouth and then... runs.  oy ;)

I guess its three obsessions right now.  She seems as obsessed with language these days as she is food or the outdoors.  She says "Ooo, what is that?"  Allllll day long, pointing at everything, waiting for its name.  And she is in Love with P's old board books.  She comes up to me, holding one up, signing want, and then climbs into my lap when I sit down.  It is so sweet and cuddly, I just Love it.  She loves to turn the pages, point at the pics and say "What's dat?"  She says the same thing every time she closes the book - but it doesn't sound like "the end."  Not sure what she's saying there ;)

I'm sure there are other new perks, but I'm all out for tonight ;)  I reeeeeally like this age.  Except for the all night nursing teething bit.  But its such a damn sweet age, and so fleeting.