ABC's of Lily

When Lily was wee I wrote in her baby book daily. Yes, daily. Every sputter, every gurgle, every flinch of the eyebrow is meticulously detailed in a darling polka-dot book given to me at a baby shower. The other day I had a panic attack. It has been MONTHS since I have written anything in her book and she can actually do stuff now! Then I calmed down when I remembered that I had (dun dun dun DUUUUUNNNNNN) THE BLOG! I don't know why I didn't think about it before. I do document! I can remember! The polka-dots are cute, yes, but highly impractical. I can type much faster!! Either way, it is high time I updated about my Lily Love. I do have to say that there is something very intimate and special about handwritten memoirs or letters. It is a lost art, I am afraid. Because of this I will continue to write in her book, and the 'mother's journal' I have. I think it is special to have something written in your mothers, or other loved one's hand. I think, though, I will be more consistent if I allow myself the freedom of both mediums. Today, it is electronic.

Lily is 22 and half months old.
In the recent past she would answer in the affirmative by a resounding 'yes' or 'yes, mama'. Lately, however, she has become more casual. "would you like to go to the park, Lily?" "Yep!"
Lily's favorite color is yellow. She knows all of her colors and loves to shout them out at the store, the park, the library and at church. She may choose, for example, to identify the color of shirt that everyone in a room is wearing. She will shout each color with enthusiasm to the result of much praise by her mother. If, however, someone is wearing a yellow shirt, she will say "ME yellow. ME yellow", as if that shirt (or shoe or flower or car, whatever) is hers, because it is yellow, and that person is merely borrowing it.
Speaking of borrowing: Lily does not understand borrowing. Never was a toddler, to my knowledge, as astute to ownership. When my sister's were here, or when I was in Utah, if either Alyssa or Tori wore an article of my clothing they would be met with much disapproval from Lily. "NO! MAMA SHIRT!" "MAMA HAT!! NOOOOOO!" This was particularly inconvenient at church when Tori wore my shirt. With no consolation (besides the removal of my shirt) adequate, Tori was forced to sit directly behind Lily both in route to and during church services. Out of sight, out of mind. Alyssa, while she was here, borrowed some pajama bottoms from me. After Alyssa left, I wore them and was met with similar rebuttal: NO! SAA-SAA's! Saa-Saa = Alyssa.
And while we are on the note of Lily-isms, here are a few choice ones:

Papa/Mimi (Grandpa and Grammie)

Numa-num (Kitty) She can say cat, kitty, and meow but has retained this name from her early pronunciation of 'meow'

Bok-bok (Chicken)

Masiday (Medicine)

Basiday (Vitamin)

Sabiday (Strawberry)

Das Elmo Weeeee! (That's Elmo's world. . .said/sung/screamed at all times, often in her sleep)

Mama get it (Mama get it)

Sub-a-dub (I have no idea, but she says this all the time)

Here go (here you go)

Nack! (snack)

Class (nursery)

Sody Wa-Wa (Perrier)

Ow-wah (That hurt!)

Yidy Tee (Lily's turn)

I Loda You (I love you)

Bar Bar (Barbie)

Doh-dee (donut)

Dippy (diaper)

Mama (Mama or Lamby. . .context counts!)

Of course she says many other things, she is talking quite a bit, and many things are more clear than the above, but those silly mixed up words are the ones that make me laugh!


Lily loves to sing songs. Her favorites are ABC's, Barney's I love you song, Elmo's song (it sounds like she watches a lot of TV but she doesn't, we just sing the songs a lot!), wheels on the bus, running around in circles (thank you, Janine Brady), and popcorn popping. She loves to do the actions and is actually quite coordinated. While my sister, Tori, was here she was choreographing a dance to teach my Young Women and Lily would copy the moves, it was hilarious. The other night I was watching women's gymnastics (can I tell you how much I am loving the Olympics, and hating how tired I am from watching them!) and Lily was trying very hard to mimic the moves. She was considerably better at the pirouette than the arabian double front.

Lily is learning to count. She can count to 11 but usually starts at 6 unless you start her off. She can often be heard saying to herself: "6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 yeah! 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 yeah!" why she starts at 6 and ends at 11 is beyond me.

Lily know many letters and loves pointing them out at the store and telling me what name starts with that letter. I think my favorite is when she brought me the 'K' magnet a few weeks ago and said "Numa-num". Refer to the Lily-isms to see if you can figure out why.

Lily is very interested in doctors. This all started around the time I had the mysterious mass. I went to the dr. a lot and I often took her. When we pulled off the ferry into Honolulu and were driving downtown Lily said "mama doctor?" and kept repeating it. I couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me. My doctor is in one of three high-rise buildings on Maui, in Wailuku (the other two are across the street). In Honolulu, there were hundreds. I really think she thought Big Building=Mama's Doctor. I thought that was a clever deduction!
Lily is also very into doctor books. She has several and we read them OFTEN. If you ever want me to recite, from memory, any of these books, I can. I used to be able to synthesize banana oil from common household items but now? Now, I can recite "Elmo Goes to the Doctor" in its entirety.
Lily will conform to ANYTHING if it is what the doctor said. Example: no food/milk after brush teeth. This used to be a HUGE problem, mostly exacerbated by my lack of consistency. One day, after a recent doctor visit, I said "no, honey, doctor said no milk at night" that was it. Water was fine. She will even ask for a cup of water now instead of milk and say "doctor no-no milk". Same with being the car seat, crossing the street or several others cases in which I have used the good doctor's authority at will. She will even refer to her doctor by name. "Doctor Baum" it is pretty cute.
She loves bandaids, so long as they are positioned symmetrically on her limbs. Lily LOVES medicine. She loves the idea of medicine, it doesn't even have to be her taking it. She loves to watch me swallow pills. I am going to take this as her having a predisposition to the medical field and not the other thing that comes to mind.

Lily loves friends.

Lily does not like:

mashed potatoes, applesauce, leaving her friends' house, mommy leaving her at nursery, wearing shoes, soup, anything pureed, going to time-out.

I cannot believe that she is almost two. I really can't. She even told me today that she was 'a big girl'. I think she learned that from Kalena! She really is a big girl. Now if can just get her out of dippies.