Old habits die hard

Ami: I am two months old and I still like to sleep with one eye open to keep an eye on the world. I have been doing this since I was born. (Not every time I'm asleep, but once in awhile.)



When I'm in the bath I always hold onto Mommy's shirt for dear life. If I go down, she's going down with me!



Eliana: I still throw things (usually food) when I'm upset (usually because it's not exactly how I wanted it or because I wanted to serve myself). Then I say "want it!" and Mommy asks me if I'm really going to eat it and I say yes, and she asks if I'm going to throw it again and I say yes so she doesn't give it back to me. But now, when I have calmed down, I say "sowwy" and she knows she can give it back to me and I won't throw it again. That's progress!

Playmates

Ami: My Doda Rella (Mommy's friend Ariela) had a baby girl yesterday. Mommy and I went to the hospital to visit them. Everyone was very impressed with how alert I am. Mommy says I suddenly look like a big boy and seem very interested in the world and people around me. (I especially like to look at her while I'm nursing.) I am only 2 pounds heavier than Baby Cornfeld but lengthwise I barely fit into the hospital bassinet!

Here I am with my new girlfriend.





Eliana: I am showing more of an interest in Ami lately. I like to show him things (especially things he can't have) and rock him in his chair.



When I make on the potty I show my treat to Ami and when I get new clothes I like to show him, too. Tonight Mommy polished my nails. I went with her to get the nail polish and said "take - red - ho-kay! one, two, free." (We have three bottles.) Mommy got the first bottle and I said "and.." and she got the second one and I said "and..." Then I showed all three to Ami. (He didn't seem too interested. I think he even rolled his eyes.)



Then I showed him my nails after they were done. (Again, he wasn't too impressed.)



I ask to hold Ami ("lap") a little less frequently than I used to (probably because Mommy says "not now" so often). But I am also willing to let Mommy hold both of us at the same time ("gether") more often. When I wake up, though, I say "No Ami! Ami Daddy." I want Mommy to myself when I first wake up!

Too cute

Eliana: A very cute video of me getting ready for bed last night:




When it was time for my nap this afternoon I headed toward my room and said "cashewm." Mommy claimed it was the bedroom but I insisted it was the classroom.

Ami: I have a little scratch on my head (from my fingernails, probably - I try not to let Mommy cut them). When Eliana sees me she says "booboo" and gives it a kiss.

Thoughtful and caring. And just plain talkative.

Eliana: Mommy has noticed over the last few days that I am using more two-word sentences and less word. stop. then. another. word.

For example, yesterday when we want out I told her I wanted "big stroller" (my big-girl seat in the new double stroller) and when we got to the pool I pointed and said "pool there."

I have also started using some expressions I must have learned from my teachers, such as "oh boy," "oh my" and "geejob" (good job), which I learned from Mommy and said when Coby ate the cereal I spilled on the floor this morning. I also spilled some juice on myself and said "ceam." Mommy didn't understand because "ceam" is usually "cream" so I clarified by telling her "ceamup" - "clean up."

When I want something I say "want it!" And there is one three-word phrase that I like to use. "No want it!"

When we were leaving for my swimming lesson yesterday Mommy told me I couldn't bring my beh-beh (blankie, which I now sometimes call "bankie"). She gave me some choices - I could put it in my crib, on the couch or on a chair. I decided to give it to Ami so he would have something to snuggle while I was gone. Mommy said I'm a thoughtful and caring sister.

After my lesson I took a shower with Mommy. When I was all clean and she was ready to get out, I told her to "go!" I was enjoying the hot shower so much I wanted her to leave me there. That's becoming a trend, actually. Mommy sometimes tells me it's time to go and she's going to leave if I don't come with her. I call her bluff; I smile, wave, and say "bye bye."

There are a few new expressions I like to use. If Mommy or Daddy ask me to do something and I don't feel like it, I tell them I'm "busy." Hey, if it's a good enough excuse when they can't do what I ask them to do, then it's good enough to use on them too!

When I want something and I'm told I can have it "later" or "soon" I demand that I get it "NOW!"

I have also started saying "mine" and "gimme." Obviously things I learned at preschool. I no longer like to share my food with Mommy and Daddy. I tell them it's mine. Although I don't mind if they finish what's left after I'm done.

Here I am eating a burger and fries for dinner, which I told Mommy was "mine" and refused to share. (When I was done she ended up eating most of it, though.)



Today Mommy and I were at the fabric store and I was showing her fabrics and buttons that I liked. I chose one fabric and told her "love it." Then I tried to take it down off the shelf and said "buy it." I told her I "love" several other things too, including the t-shirt I was wearing.

Here we are at the fabric store in our new stroller.

Cheese!

Ami: On Friday I rolled over four times. Three times from back to tummy and once from tummy to back - in my sleep! Mommy only caught half of one roll on video:



Last night I smiled for the first time. Mommy had been wondering all day when I was going to smile, since I'm almost two months old already. Here are pictures AND a video. Lucky you!








On a related note, when I spit up Eliana says "CHEESE!" because that's what Zayde calls it when I spit up - cheesing. He sometimes calls me a cheese factory. When Zayde left Israel Grandma said I was producing cheese in an effort to keep Zayde from going on his business trip to Wisconsin.

Eliana: During the holidays Mommy set her breast pump on a timer so she could pump milk for Ami. Whenever it turned on I would say "PUMP!" and when it turned off I would say "SOP" (stop). I like to pump milk too, and Mommy finally caught me doing it on camera:



I can be very silly sometimes. The other night I ate my supper with both a spoon and a fork.



For the life of her Mommy couldn't figure out how I got sauce on my back. Until she saw me doing this:



And yes, I know it's almost December, but that will not stop me from being naked whenever I can.

Miss Know-It-All

My teacher told Mommy that I'm a funny girl. She said I do too many funny things for her to remember them all, but that today I was walking around with one sock on and one sock off and eventually they found the second one outside on the playground.

When I wake up in the morning or after a nap I scream if Daddy comes to me and not Mommy. But if Mommy comes to pick me up from school I hit her and tell her I want Daddy.

I picked up my toy Torah today and started singing "Torah Lanu" (Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe.) Yet another Jewish song for my repertoire!

After we spoke to Grandma on Skype tonight I said "Zayde in Mishin (Michigan). Gamma in Mishin. Sad." Mommy asked me if I was sad. I said "No, Gamma." Grandma left two weeks ago, but in the days before she left she told me she was going home to Michigan and she would be sad to leave me.

Mommy took some videos of me today. Here I am reading a story before nap time.



Here's a conversation I had with Mommy while eating my after-school snack (yogurt with two spoons).



Today Mommy wore Ami in the Baby Bjorn for the first time. It brought back memories of when I used to ride in it on walks with Daddy and Coby. I used to get so hysterically excited when I saw it that I wouldn't even let him put it on, so Mommy had to distract me so Daddy could put it on in another room!

School Days

When Daddy picked me up from school today, Morah Andrea told him that I ALWAYS put my hat on before we go outside to play, and I sometimes get my sunscreen too. I also always remember my hat when it's time to go home.

When I got home I sat down to eat with Mommy and she asked me about my day. I told her that I read books and played Yogos (Legos) with Mimi, played cars with Ezra, and sat next to Morah Hannah at lunch and ate carrots. And Morah Hannah is also the one that changes my diaper. Then I told her that when we got home Daddy and I saw our neighbors Lily and Osnat. Mommy was SO happy to hear all about my day! By the look in my eyes she could tell I was really concentrating and trying to remember things.

Here are some pictures of me on the way to school last week. Sometimes I agree to walk a little when Mommy is wearing Ami. But usually I insist on being carried, or at least riding in the stroller.