"Signs" of Language

Man, how time flies when you don't have any!! :)
Learning to be a teacher and a mother and a wife all at the same time is a difficult process. I don't feel like I'm juggling that very well yet, but I'm a work in progress. I (usually) sleep well at night, knowing that I'm trying as hard as I can to give all that I have to everything I do. There, got that out of the way...back to Siena.
Siena has been signing like crazy!! It makes things so much easier when we can understand what she wants! It cuts down both of our frustrations...how nice!
We really didn't use a book or a product, just thought of words that we thought she would probably use often, found the sign for it, and taught them to her. It has been one of the best things we have done so far.
We started out when she was really young. Every time we put her to bed, we showed her the sign while we said it's time for bed. Every time we gave her food, we showed her the sign. Every time it was time to nurse, I showed her the sign for milk. Every time we gave her something, we told her to say please and showed her the sign. The more she saw it and the more we did it, the more she picked up on it. She was picking up way more than we even thought!
The first time she did a sign on her own, we were sitting in the living room playing. It was getting close to her bedtime, but we hadn't said anything about it. She looked at us both and put her hand up to her ear and cocked her head to the side. Surely that wasn't what we thought it was...was it? We asked her if she wanted to go to bed...and she showed us the sign again. So, we got her ready for bed and put her down...and she went right to sleep! It seriously was amazing!! Since then, she has become very used to showing us signs for what she wants.
It's the coolest feeling to have a little one that you can communicate with. Even though she can't talk yet (that we can understand), we are still able to communicate and figure out what she wants. Not being frustrated, and not having Siena crying and upset because she's not getting what she wants is such a treat. These are all the "words" Siena knows: milk, more, please, book, food, drink, all done, sleep, blow kisses, hat, and bye. We're currently working on "thank you".
I would recommend teaching sign language to everyone. It's not hard at all...all it takes is a little repetition and consistency. Before you know it, the communication lines are open!! Here is my attempt to capture some of her signs on camera. We have it on video, and that obviously shows much better, but here's the "still" version:

"Food." - bring all her fingers to her mouth.

"Hat."

"Please." - rubbing her hand up and down on her tummy.

"More." - she uses this one ALL the time...I think for a while she also thought it meant "I want that" because she would do that to anything she wanted...and she got "more"! :)

"Milk."

Watermelon Obsession

So, little Miss Independent is showing her true colors these days! Boy, does she have a personality on her! Watch out! :)

Food is the big thing now. Food out of a jar rarely cuts it anymore. Every once in a while I can get a little breakfast fruit/cereal to go in, but other than that, it has to be stuff she can feed herself. Breakfast time is bananas, Cheerios, "adult" oatmeal (that she can spoon in herself), yogurt, and toast. (If we get lucky and have a breakfast at a restaurant, it's a treat for all of us - and she eats everything we get!) Lunch is string cheese (that she carries around with her like she's grown), lunch meat, bread, fruits (grapes, strawberries, melon, tangerines, apples, etc.), applesauce, grilled cheese, and eggs. Dinner is just about anything. She loves spaghetti, mac and cheese, chicken, other pastas, baby ravioli, corn, beans, peas...or if we're eating something that interests her, she'll go for that too. For dessert, we've hit the jackpot. Watermelon.
The other day, I bought a few pieces of pre-cut watermelon (on the rind) to give to Siena. The first time I gave her a slice, I held it while she took bites off the piece. That started out being fine. The juice ran down her chin and tummy, right into her diaper. But it didn't seem to bother her at all. Then, I gave her the watermelon to hold herself, and you would have thought it was $100. She thought she was the coolest kid on the block. She put her whole face down into the watermelon and came up with a huge bite in her mouth, juice everywhere, and a smile from ear to ear. I cut the pieces in half, thinking half a slice would be plenty for a tiny little person - boy, was I wrong. She signed to me and made it VERY clear that she wanted more. So, a whole big slice of watermelon later, she was on top of the world. I think she would have eaten more if she could find it. After all the pink watermelon parts were gone, she went on to the green rind. She quickly found out (by choking on it) that it doesn't taste near as good and it doesn't go down very easy either. Long story short, she LOVES watermelon...and loves feeding it to herself even more. What a big girl.
Take a look at some of these pictures. I wish the pictures would show the sounds that she was making. She is funny to watch! Note to self: the key to Siena's heart (right now) is through watermelon. :)

Work...and Play...

I am back at work.
After taking a year off to be with our sweet Siena, I have started working again. I am a third grade teacher at Thomas Ultican Elementary in Blue Springs. I am thrilled with the opportunity and privilege of being a teacher and am excited to be back in the classroom.
I would not trade the past year for anything. It is a period of time I will never forget. To be able to stay home with Siena is a treasure I will always hold dear. I felt like her and I were able to bond and spend some really great moments together. That being said, I think it's a good thing for me to get back in the "real world" and get back to doing what I love. The opportunity is perfect - a new environment, and new group of kids, a new start...just what I need. In the first couple of weeks, I have been reminded of why I love being a teacher...and also that I need to regain my teacher stamina! I am exhausted when I leave school. But I am thrilled to see Siena at the end of the day and she gives me energy to play and spend time with her.
Robert and Sharon are watching Siena this year, which is more of a blessing than I even realize. To not have to worry about Siena at all during the day is such a relief. When I'm at school, I can focus on my "other kids" and be a part of TUE. When I leave school, I get to be Mom, pick up Siena, and spend the rest of the day with her. It's definitely an adjustment to go from being with her every day, all day, to seeing her for only a few short waking hours. But it's been a good transition...one I think Siena is getting used to faster than I am! She loves to play at Grandma and Grandpa's house and they take wonderful care of her. I couldn't ask for anything more. It makes me cherish the moments I do have with her in the afternoon...and not look at the clock, waiting till bedtime, like I did at times in the past year. We're all getting the hang of this working-mom thing!
It's been the perfect situation. Siena is safe, I am happy at work, Matt is loving football season...all is well! We are so blessed.

Speaking of blessed...Matt turned 30 this month! What a great milestone. It's hard to believe that I have only known him for just a fraction of those years...but they are certainly the best years of my life. He is such a wonderful husband, father, coach, teacher, mentor, friend, and person. I am blessed to have him in my life. He really is pretty great.
I wanted to do something fun for his birthday. So, I set up a surprise adventure for him. I created a list of "Matt's 30 Favorite Things" that he had to discover. I gave him clues to help him along the way, but ultimately, her went all over Blue Springs to see friends, places, and things that he would consider to be his favorite things. It did take some planning, but it was SO worth it. We had such an awesome day together. He started out at his aunt's house, eating his favorite cookies and ended the day at Fogo de Chao, his favorite restaurant down on the Plaza...with everything else in between.
Happy Birthday, Love! You mean the world to me and I love you dearly. Congratulations on 30 years...cheers to twice that many together! :)



Of course, Siena made the list! She was waiting for her daddy at Grandma and Grandpa's house (also on the Top 30 list) with a shirt that said, "My daddy means the world to me!" shirt...so true! She even made a pretty picture for him!


Another stop was to the Blue Springs Football field - of course! It occupies a huge spot in his heart and I love to see his passion for coaching. An extra little surprise was a photo collection that Siena made for him. A couple months ago, I had some professional photos of Siena taken in "football gear". They turned out amazing! The photos are darling and Matt was so surprised!
(To see the photos, go to www.jessicahortonphotography.com, click on proofs, then scroll down to 'Siena...1 year' from the drop-down menu. They are precious - and Jes did a fantastic job!!)


Another fun little surprise along the way was when he went to see one of his football mentors, Coach Dade. Not only did he get to see him (a favorite), but Matt also found his college football jersey mounted and framed. That was my way to show another favorite - college football.


There were a lot of other stops and fun surprises along the way, but it ended at Fogo, an amazing Brazilian steakhouse that I was just as excited to go to. We both got all dressed up and headed downtown. We had some great drinks, wine, food and conversation during dinner - such a treat! It was such a great day!

P.S.

Man, I feel like I am falling into my old ways and becoming a bit of a slacker with the postings. My apologies to the one or two people that read this. :)
Since Siena's birthday earlier this month, lots has happened! I was thinking that I didn't really post much about her and the things she's doing - just the partying we were doing! At her appointment, she "passed" with flying colors. She weighed 21.6 pounds (56%) and was 30.5 inches long (89%). She had lots to show off to the doctor and was super wiggly. Obviously not a fan of the shots, but after a couple good cries, she was good to go. We had the doctor check a little "boo boo" she got on her birthday. She was playing with some little friends and accidentally broke the frenulum in her mouth (the little piece of skin that attaches your upper lip to your gums). She had a little fat lip and shed a few tears, but it didn't seem to bother her. And apparently, your mouth heals super fast and just repairs itself...which it has!
We also noticed that at Siena's birthday party, she must have noticed her older little friends running around all over the place. She wanted in on the action. Since her birthday party, she has been toddling all over the place. In the past few weeks, she has dropped the crawling all together and only walks. We are just amazed at how quickly she has picked up this new "lifelong habit". She throws her hands up in the air, sticks out her chest, and waddles all over the place.
She also loves to get into things and put things in containers. She pulls out all the stuff she can (get away with) from the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and makes great big messes. But she loves it!
Just the other day, I bought her a t-shirt that says, "Little Miss Chatterbox". If that doesn't define her, I don't know what does. She talks almost constantly. She has so much to say - all in Chinese! We can't understand hardly anything she says, but she sure acts like we're supposed to and it doesn't stop her from jabbering. It's hilarious! There are some things we do understand. She loves balloons and calls them "ba-ba" and points to them. She can say "buh-buh" to us when we leave while she waves. She can recognize a ball, point to it, and say "ba". Obviously she's got the "ba" sound down! :) She uses lots of signs to let us know what she wants too. Milk, more, please, drink, all done...those keep us both much less frustrated! It's wonderful! I would recommend that to every parent!!
I also have to document her absolute obsession with toothbrushes. I don't know where that came from or why those, but I had to buy new brushes for Matt and I because she stole both of ours and has carried them everywhere with her. She does some brushing of her own teeth (all 6 of them) but mostly she just loves to carry them everywhere! It really is funny. She also brushes Yah-Yah's (her best friend, the monkey) teeth. She tries to put those nasty brushes in my mouth, but that crosses my line...no way. :)





She's eating lots of food now too. She started drinking whole milk from a sippy cup and no longer uses any bottles! Yeah - sippy cups are so much easier to clean. :) She still nurses before bed, but soon will be finished with that too. She doesn't seem to be very picky with the food she eats. As long as SHE can put it in her mouth, and SHE can take her own bites, she's happy to eat whatever. And if she's lucky enough to get a treat off someone else's plate, she thrilled!
She is a happy, very sweet little girl with a lot of personality. She enjoys playing with her toys in the living room and jabbering about everything to anyone who will listen. She is such a joy and a breath of fresh air in a world that can be so negative and serious sometimes.

Happy Birthday, Siena!

As cliche as it is to say, I truly can't believe our little one is ONE YEAR OLD! How time flies. This past year has been one of the best years yet, and it is much in part to our sweet Siena. She has been a blessing beyond measure and we are so greatful to be able to celebrate her life.
We started out the celebration with a music-themed birthday party on Saturday. Because Siena doesn't have a ton of friends of her own yet, we invited our closest friends and family and we all celebrated together. Preparing for the party was no big deal...in comparison to the cake. Matt and I had this "brilliant" idea that we would make and decorate Siena's cake. We thought it out and had it all figured out in our heads. Making it happen was another story. We took the better part of Friday to create an "eighth note" cake out of sheet cake and decorate the entire thing with little "puffs" of icing. There were times I wanted to throw the cake out the window, against the wall, and/or in my face...but the end result wasn't half bad. I'm not going to quit my day job, but it was an adventure, none the less. The rest of the party planning was relatively low stress and it all came together.


The day of the party, there has to be something that goes wrong, right? Well, ours was no exception. It has been blistering hot the past couple weeks. Saturday morning, our air conditioning decided not to work. While I prepared for the party in the hot house, Matt and his dad worked to fix the air. They managed to get it fixed, but not quite fast enough for our air to make up for lost time. It couldn't get the entire house cooled down before 40+ people came into our house. Our house was REALLY hot and everyone was rather warm, to put it mildly. It's too bad, but the birthday girl didn't seem to care, and we all survived. What do you do...
We had some fun balloon decorations up, lots of food and drinks displayed, music playing, and the "birthday throne". As much as possible, people sat around in different rooms and mingled, ate, and watched Siena WALK around from plate to plate, asking for food.



The time finally came for Siena to dig into her very own cake. She had a ball. I think she had more fun playing in the mess than actually eating it, but that's what it's all about, right?! She shared bites with us and even showed us how old she was. She loved being the center of attention (scary!) and was quite entertained. Just the way it should be for her very first taste of cake!







After cake, we moved right to presents. Siena had LOTS to open! She found great joy in ripping at the packages and pulling at the paper. That may have been more of a highlight than the actual gift. But she got some really sweet, thoughtful gifts that she will really enjoy. She got so many, I'm considering putting them away and taking a new toy out every couple weeks...I think that would get us to Christmas! :)


Siena's birthday party was a great success - a HOT success, but a fun time none the less. We are so thankful for her and for our friends and family who came to share in the festivities. All great things to celebrate!
Today, Siena's actual birthday, was another chance for us to celebrate. The birthday girl decided to sleep in a little, and I couldn't resist. Does it get much cuter?

Matt had football practice in the morning, so Siena and I got to go out and about a little in the morning. We met the "girls" for breakfast first thing in the morning. I ordered Siena a blueberry muffin, stuck a candle in it, and it was her first treat of the day. She loved that muffin! (She made a huge mess - but again, isn't that what it's all about?) Tara even painted the birthday girl's toes, which was no easy task. Gotta look cute with pink toes for your birthday! The girls made her feel very special...we ALWAYS look forward to our dates with the girls.



After Matt got home from practice, it was time for us to celebrate Siena as a family. Matt and I took our little angel to Build-A-Bear, where she got to pick out and create a stuffed animal. Matt took her along the wall to let her pick out her very own. She gave them all hugs, but seemed to gravitate towards a cute little monkey. Siena helped stuff the monkey, pick out a heart, kiss the heart, and put the heart in the monkey. Matt and I recorded a little message for the monkey to hold in his arm that Siena can play whenever she likes. After the monkey was stuffed, she gave the monkey a bath. In creating the birth certificate, we asked Siena what she wanted to name the monkey. Her very own words were, "Yah-Yah". So, that is how Yah-Yah came to be. And trust me when I say, there were instant friends. She seriously loves that monkey. It's just about as big as she is and she takes it everywhere. Sometimes it creates a challenge for Siena when she tries to walk with the monkey, but she grabs it by the neck or the tail and drags it along with her! It makes me laugh. So cute.






After we created Yah-Yah, we went down to Crown Center to look at shops and eat. Little did we know the shops all closed at 6:00. So, arriving at 5:45 changed our plans just a little. No shops - just food! We ate at Fritz's, a really cute little hamburger joint that brings out the food on a little train that circles around the ceiling of the restaurant. That was right up Siena's alley! She loved watching the train come out to bring people their food. Lots to look at for sure! I don't think she minded the birthday milkshake that she got sips of either. :)



It was getting late, so we headed home. Of course, Yah-Yah was there to great Siena when we got back to the car. We opened a couple more presents when we got home, and then the birthday girl went to bed to get her beauty sleep. In my opinion, it was the perfect day. We had a lot of fun spending time together - and the smiles that Siena gave all day were an indication that she enjoyed it too. Momma loves you, Siena! And so does Daddy...very much!!!


To cap off the night, Matt and I opened a very special bottle of "Siena" wine. My family gave it to us when Siena was born. We promised to wait a year and enjoy it on her first birthday. So, cheers to a wonderful, richly-blessed year. Lord willing, we anticipate many more celebrations in the future.