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| Our amazing 9 month old |
Each day, we have a routine. Right now, I am staying at home
with her for most of the day, and then she goes to daycare for about 2-3 hours
each day. So for most of the day, I am the one in charge of teaching her
things. My current project is teaching her baby sign language, but I’m not
being the best teacher. But, every day, I show her different numbers and
shapes. We talk about colors and animals. I read books about Jesus and family.
I get so wrapped up in being the teacher that I forget sometimes that our roles
are reversed and I am the student. So, here are a few things that I have
learned from my daughter:
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The world is an amazing place
o
Olivia has taught me to always look around. She
is constantly looking around when we go walking or when we’re just standing
somewhere. There is always something to see or something to do. As an adult, I
get so caught up in doing my task and moving on to the next thing. Olivia
reminds me that it’s okay to stop and smell the roses. You never know when God
is going to place a rainbow in the sky if you’re always looking down.
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| Olivia at the pumpkin patch |
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A smile goes a long way
o
Seriously, who doesn’t love a baby’s smile? And yes, Olivia has one that can light up the
room. She can be just sitting there and then all of a sudden look up and smile
and it still catches me off guard and just warms my hear. When she has a little
meltdown, she can go from full out crying to smiling and giggling. I typically drop off Olivia at daycare on my
way to swim practice and Phil typically picks her up when he gets off at 5. He
says the best part of his day is walking into daycare and having Olivia smile
at him when she sees him enter the room. Seriously people, smiles are the best.
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If you want something different, let someone
know
o
While our house isn’t completely overtaken with
toys, it is well on its way. I have a basket in the living room that we put
some of her toys in, so at night, I pick them up and put them away. The next
morning, Olivia is back to pick out each toy, play with it and then move on to
the next one. There are definitely some that she enjoys more than others, but
she loves playing with each one of them. She has made it known on some days
that the toy that I give her is not the one that she wants. Or if I’m holding
her and she wants to face the other way, she makes that decision known. And if she's not happy with what she hears or who she sees, yep, she'll let you know. I have
the habit of holding things in and feeling like I can change things. But she
has taught me that it is okay to let someone know. If it’s not right, someone
can help.
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| Olivia letting me know she doesn't like the sound of the horn on the fire truck that daddy was driving. |
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Take time to enjoy new experiences
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| Enjoying the new experience of eating mashed potatoes! |
o
As I mentioned, sometimes I just get caught in
the monotony of things and don’t really look around. To Olivia, almost
everything is new. I try to introduce new textures and sights whenever I can.
She loves doing things that I used to find boring or not really pay attention
to. Staring out the window is one of her favorite things. If it’s windy when we
go outside, she opens her mouth and almost tries to eat the wind. She closes
her eyes and just sits and it’s almost like she’s trying to take in every sense
that she can. I need to remember to love the small things about life.
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Sometimes a hug is all you need
o
Again, who doesn’t love hugs? Especially from an
adorable 16 pound little girl. While she hasn’t mastered a hug, we can tell that
she is showing her love. We hug every time we drop her off somewhere. We hug
every time we pick her up. We hug before bed. And we hug whenever we can. I’ve
heard something about the power of a hug, but I can’t remember the specifics.
But I know that hugs are magical. After Olivia gets shots or anything painful
done, we immediately hug her. I think the first 24 hours after she got home
from the NICU was one long and extended hug.
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| Olivia giving my Uncle Thom a big hug when she met him |
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| Olivia and one of her favorite dolls |
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It’s okay to get lost in the world of fun
o
Like I said earlier, she has a basket of toys. She
also has a little play area in our basement. She can sit independently and I can
be a few feet away and she can just play. She shakes all of her toys to hear if
they make noise. She puts everything in her mouth. She tries to hit some of the
plastic balls with her hands to see if they go forward. And she can do this for
a long time. When I sit with her and play and make noises for each of the
animals, it still amazes me how much time can pass.
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Simple things make the best things
o
Phil and I have discussed what we should get
Olivia for Christmas. We know that she won’t be spoiled at all by her
grandparents (J),
so we have been tossing around different ideas. The other night, she got a card
in the mail and she played with that thing for quite a bit. Who knew that
flapping a card up and down could be so much fun?!? She also loves seeing water
move in a plastic water bottle. And the sound that a cardboard box makes when
you bang on it, and how mommy looks funny when she puts it on her head… well,
that’s just pure fun. So, for this first year, we’re not worried about buying
the most expensive things. Olivia has reminded us that simple gifts are the
best.
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Every day is a new adventure
o
Each morning brings a new light. I may plan out
a day of playing, eating, sleeping and continuing with our routine, but she may
decide to change the direction of things. I have learned that that’s okay. I
can laugh about the morning that I finally got to shower after three days only
to have her throw up on me and the kitchen floor. While I was putting her in
the tub, I told Phil not to walk in that area. As I was getting new clothes for
her, she had a blowout in the tub. So, I’m cleaning her, myself and the tub. Phil comes downstairs and avoids the wet area,
grabs her clothes to put in the wash and forgets about the area and steps in
it. So here we are, at 7:30am, with a rocking start to our day. And honestly, I
think that is one of my happiest memories. So, who knows what tomorrow may
bring. But, I can’t wait for that new adventure with my favorite little girl.
