Being Mummy to a little girl

I find being a Mummy to my little girl so much fun.
Not to say I wouldn't feel the same if she had been a boy - it would have been very different - but still fun I've no doubt.
I love dressing her up - I love the fact that although she is sporty - she's still a girly girl. I love doing her hair and I love seeing her at play. It's wonderful.
We are starting to get lots of 'love......'. Lots and lots of 'I love Daddy' - for no reason in the middle of the day when he's not even around. I get an 'I love Mummy' from time to time and I love it when I get it! I'm there all the time - that's why it's infrequent. She also 'loves' Gabi her doll - the man down the street - the car - the balloon - the puzzle - Nana - you name it!
I'm getting THE most beautiful hugs these days - they are 'real' hugs.
Eb is still a bit reserved when it comes to hugs or kisses for anyone else - even Daddy. She seems to have a strong sense of her 'own space'. I feel a bit sad at times because I would love her to be affectionate but I know that this is her reality - not mine.
She is starting to say lots more sentences - even though at times you need to work through where her mind has been to work out what she is trying to say!

As I said - I love being a Mummy to my little girl - here's how her room looks now that I've been able to set it all up properly! It's still a bit of work in progress, but I'll get there in time :)

Growing Up

It's time for a bit of an update on some of my darling girls 'Ebonyisms' as we call them.

She is now totally out of nappies - she hasn't had a wet nappy since the 14th Jan and even then it was only the odd day every few weeks. She's been free of nappies since Sunday 15th Feb. Hasn't had an accident since early November and has never had an accident in her cot or bed. (Phew!)

We saw the Maternal Health Nurse yesterday for her 3.5yr check up. Ebony is 3.5 today.
She is 99cm tall
and weighs 15.3kgs
Sadly, the appointment was very hard for me - although Eb is doing very well in many areas - she's definitely behind in others. The Maternal Health Nurse wants her to see an Occupational Therapist. I feel the best thing is to go along with her and just see what happens. I feel she is coming ahead in leaps and bounds. She is being compared to a 3.5 year old that grew up in a totally normal environment. She didn't. I know she'll get there - I'll feel better about it all in a few days I'm sure.

Her speech is coming along really well - but she still has some very funny little sayings....
She is starting to say 'i luff.....' things (and people) now (finally :)
Look is still 'wook'
Any word with the second letter 'l' like...play, flock, cloud, please ... she fully pronounces the 'l' and draws it out. It sounds so funny, but I just can't write it how it sounds!
Mummy and Daddy are 'Mum' and 'Dad' at the moment
She picks up her play phone and says 'hello'.....'good' .... how you doing?..... :)
She says 'no home' when she knows we're heading that way (not at all sure why!)
Whenever she comes to work with me she says 'no puppy' 'cause she's not at all sure of the puppy there
When she wants something like cheese she'll look at me as say cheese? and then she'll nod her head and say 'yes'? to make sure I know what she wants and that she'll get it....and she doesn't let up until I say the word yes!
There are so many more, but now many I can't write because they are just so out there...she's trying so many words. She WILL get there I know.

She is extremely good with her please/thankyou/sorry. She will often say sorry when I've accidentally bumped her or she's bumped herself. Too cute.

When I go into her after a sleep (as long as she's in a good frame of mind) she'll hide under the blankets giggling....what a girl!

She loves her big bed.

She has to get in and out of the car and car seat on her own (when I let her!).

She has to hold my hand no matter where we're going. (I LOVE it!)

She's quite coy around people...I couldn't say she's shy though.

She is very much like me in that she will bring whatever she's doing to wherever I am. Today I was ironing in the laundry and she brought most of her toy box in so she could play beside me. That's so like me wanting to be around others.

She loves....
Balloons
Friends
Playgroup
Still warms to men before women
Ming Poynton! (her little friend who was adopted from China and happens to be a boy!)
Beetroot
Cucumber
Meat
Cheese
Completely plain popcorn
Grapes
Playing outside when I'm gardening

She doesn't sleep well in the car at all (still) but generally travels better than she used to.

She still has sleep terrors sadly.

She is struggling with colours but doing very well with shapes.

She confuses warm/cold and she says she's hungry as soon as she's eaten (at times). She will often say she's tired....but only because she wants her 'snugly' which she is now (mostly) only allowed when she's in bed.

She recognises when it's windy and will often say it - I don't think she likes the wind.

She's quite my little buddy now - I miss her SO much when she's not around (which is rare of course). She is still - totally - the sunshine in my life.

A first

This morning Ebony was talking to daddy about a little plastic puppy she has got as part of a dolls house we were given.
I'm not sure what daddy said to her but the next thing I heard from Ebby was
"....it's name is button"
That's a first. Giving a name to something like that hasn't happened before. How cute?

A photo I want to revisit

I look at this photo and I feel a kind of melancholy feeling....my little girl is growing up so quickly. I sat quietly before I took this photo and thought about how she was feeling. She obviously wanted to go and play with the other children..but didn't quite have the confidence. She was a bit in awe and probably feeling a bit uncertain. I had to grab the camera because of the feelings that welled up inside me. I know another journey of letting go is fast approaching as I look at this photo and another journey I'm not ready for yet. My sweetheart is growing and starting to realize what is out there in the big wide world. I'm glad I'm aware of these 'lasts'. I can only hang onto the moment I'm living in - I can't hang onto the future...or the past.

Mummy loves you sweetheart and I hope I'm here for the many years to come when you feel a bit uncertain like you look in this photo.

Time for an update

I thought it was time to update some of Eb's 'antics'.

She is saying a few things that are quite hysterical to us.....

'Wilk' is look - we have no idea how that has happened but it is SO funny - especially as it seems to be her most used word at the moment!

'Seatbelk' - another really funny one - and one she says everytime we get in the car. She will actually say 'Seatbelk peese, peese Daddy/Mummy'.

The 'peese, peese' is very cute too - she often says it twice - not always, but when she does it sounds so cute!

'Happy' is VERY pronounced.

'It's a nice day'

'Yappies' which is her version of Nappies!....not that they are very necessary these days!

Sadly she's been saying 'Mummy tired' a lot too! that says something!

Today when I got in the car she said 'I'm hot'! - now that's a first too!

Some words she is finding it a bit difficult to get her tongue around and it's quite obvious. I have just cried laughing as I've watching the following video. Everything she is saying isn't as I've written above....of course that doesn't happen when you want it to...but it's hysterical anyway!

Some other facts....Ebony is now 98cm's...that's 3cm's since she turned 3 (only 3 months ago!). No wonder people are saying she's grown so much. I honestly thought it was only because she was no longer wearing nappies.

Talking of nappies - we've now had 10 nights of which only 2 have been wet! Can you believe it? I can barely. I haven't pushed it at all....it's just happened. Mind you I wouldn't even attempt to put her to bed without a nappy! (or in the cot should I say! yep! still in the cot!)

Well - here's a funny video.....of course when you want them to say their 'funny' words - they don't!!!!!

What's been happening?

Sorry! it's been a while since my last 'real' update. I'm going to add a few together!

This was taken on 12th Oct and is very special because the outfit Eb has on belonged to Autumn-Grace. Autumn-Grace is the daughter of our dear friends who have moved to Cambodia as Missionaries and are doing an awesome job over there. We miss them terribly.




This was taken when my darling husband called me and said 'wanna go for a walk around the lake?' when he was on his way home - I was so happy that he called - we need times just like these. He has been so busy trying to keep us 'afloat' and I've been so sad that he's just not had time to enjoy our family.....times like these are more precious than words can express....








This was taken on 'Daddy's birthday'. I was cleaning (again) and found that the place I clean has the most amazingly beautiful back garden - so I decided to make the most of it and do a photo shoot. If only Daddy could have been in the photo's!


These were also taken on Gra's birthday....a fun little girl playing. I surprised Gra with a BBQ down at the local playground and some lovely friends joined us for the evening. The weather has been so beautiful - but this night was...FREEZING!



23rd October .... cleaning teeth Ebby style!

My sleeping beauty asleep on the 23rd October...

and then her waking up happy as ever!


Another gorgeous photo shoot in the beautiful backyard where I clean (taken 24/10)

And finally a special visit from a wonderful Uncle! Eb's Uncle Tez (my brother) came for the weekend and Eb and Tez further cemented their relationship. Eb went for days after he left 'looking' for Uncle Tez at our home to play with! It was a quick weekend - but it was wonderful...thanks for taking the time Tez!

My little sponge

Gosh things are changing fast!

How is this conversation we had?....(I've just finished doing some ironing)....
Ebony: 'no-more Mummy' Mummy: 'that's right honey - all finished' Ebony: 'bye-bye....see you yater'

Eb was given this beautiful Fisher Price Little People house for her birthday. She's enjoyed it, but not really played as much as I thought she would....until I started to play with it and show her the movement of the "Mummy, Daddy, Baby, Pussycat" around the house.
This morning she was playing with it and I said that Mummy needed to do some washing - Ebony came back to me and said 'no.......Mummy on computer' and she proceeded to move Mummy up into the office.....I think there's a message there!

Then there's McDonalds Farm!
Ebby: "Ee Ii Ee Ii Ho' " - getting old McDonald and Santa mixed up!

She also says Motor Bike and Motor Mower very clearly - but it's not uncommon for her to say Mower Bike when she sees either of them :)

In the mornings when it's time for Daddy to go to work it often goes like this....
Mummy: Daddy's going to work - time to say bye bye to Daddy
Ebby: No!
Mummy: You must say bye bye to Daddy
Ebby: No bye bye .......
By this stage Daddy will have gone and snuck a kiss (or given up!)
Then Ebby's looking out the window wistfully saying.....'poor Daddy'
....this conversation can be about dolls/snugli/books anything. She obviously detects in my voice that someone/thing will be sad about her treatment of them/it and then she brings in the 'poor whatever'.

She also had two pieces of toast in her hands - next thing she was saying 'cuddle' and then 'beautiful'....I'm obviously teaching her something right!....even if it is toast.

She loves playing this game where I pretend I'm asleep and she has to kiss me to wake me - which she does readily now. As soon as I pretend I'm asleep I get a kiss....great way of getting a kiss - Daddy's learning too.

She isn't waking well from her afternoon sleeps still. It's just a bit of a bizarre time - IF she wakes of her own accord she's kinda ok - if I have to wake her (which I've been doing because it's harder to get her down on time at nights) she really struggles. Now when I say struggles, she's very, very happy to just sit on my lap, so I'm not really complaining. We have been blessed with the best sleeper I know that's for sure!

Well, I'm sure there's more. She's now 14.7kg and still 95cm tall.
We're having a urine test done to see if she has been effected by the Melamine issues in China - but all seems well at this point - she's fit as a Malley bull as the saying goes!

She absolutely loves being outside - she plays in the stones or with the outside tea set we've got - or she helps me move mulch - doesn't matter what it is - she just loves outdoors.....oh! and Dora and Bindy too :)