Daizy Dayz

Villains

2011-02-05T09:43:00.003-07:00

"Rainy Sog"

2011-01-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Dayna is four-years-old today. She's been writing story books and wants to share one with everyone on the computer. She was worried, at first, that when we scanned the pictures, they would physically be sent to the computer and we wouldn't have them to read the story at home. "Oh, Dayna," she says now.

So here's book number one: "Rainy Sog." Illustrated in watercolor. She tells me what words to write on them.

Little Monkey

2008-03-16T19:15:00.001-06:00

Next week we go to San Diego! Woot! It's gonna be so fun watching Dayna try to take it all in. Disneyland Adventures, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo are all on the list of stuff to do. Plus the beach, of course. So ready for Spring Break!!! So sick of this snow...

Dayna says a whole lot of words now. And animal sounds. Fish, Duck, appleju (apple juice), kiss, snacks, kick... those are the only new ones I can really think of off the top of my head, but really, she talks all day. Her and I communicate pretty well but other people don't usually know what we're talking about.

She says mooo, nay, cock-a-doo (missing the doodle-do), arf (or ruff, whatever a dog says), mow (meow), qack (quack). Yesterday we went and saw the baby cows, chickens and rooster, barn cats, and today she saw baby chickens and some ducks. She loves them all.

The zoo is gonna be sooo much fun. She makes monkey noises and sticks her tongue out for giraffees (we watched a youtube video of one sticking his long tongue out, so she thinks they'll all do that.)

Dayna's been climbing on the furniture. She gets up on her little Dora couch then climbs up onto the regular furniture. She's only fallen twice the past couple days and only cried for about 30 seconds, so I guess it's not too bad. This does mean though that we had to lower her crib completely. I don't know how long it will be before she's climbing out of it. Not looking forward to that.

For the trip, and because we've wanted one for a long time, we got a video camera. The battery only lasts about an hour and a half, but I cannot wait to use it. Videos of Dayna to come soon!

Books and a Growing Vocabulary

2008-02-23T11:09:00.002-07:00

Dayna is full of new words. I don't remember all the ones I put up here before... but in addition she can say:

shoes
Poppy (what she calls her grandpa)
Bo (for book)
Ba (for bottle or sippy)
Night Night
Trooper (the dog)
Daisy (the kitty)
Mommy
Daddy
Kitty
Stop
No
Don't
Yes
Tickle
Easy (what we tell the dog instead of "gentle")
That
This
Baby

We probably read at least 20 books a day. But most of those are the same book over and over. She has a new favorite almost every day.

Next month the whole family is going to San Diego for a week. We're getting her a new umbrella stroller and already got her a swimsuit. Any tips on traveling with a toddler? We'll be flying but the flight is only two hours, luckily. And it's a direct one. We're doing to Disney Adventure Park, San Diego Zoo, and Universal Studios Hollywood. And of course the beach and some shopping.

Dayna currently likes headbutting -- aka "bonks".

She's anxious to do more playing outside, and frankly, so am I. We are SO ready for spring.

Pre-spring musings

2008-01-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Dayna is finally napping! The last two days saw very little of the parents' miracle otherwise known as "the nap," but she was tired enough today to go down before lunch. I hope she'll feel like another one later this afternoon too, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

After my last post, I've been working harder to let her explore more. Now in the afternoon while I'm cleaning up the kitchen and getting dinner ready, I block off half the house, and then shut the doors for the bathroom and Auntie C's room. Then Dayna can wander around down the hallway (through piles of laundry which she likes to "sort"), into her room, in the dining room, and the kitchen. In the kitchen she has one cabinet that is "hers" filled with tupperware stuff, wooden spoon, metal ice cream maker can, odds and ends. She carries them around and "plays." I know this is very fun stuff, 'cause I used to do it too, and remember how cool it was to be able to play in the kitchen.

We're really looking forward to spring now, and I know she'll love playing outside. Even when she was very little she was a nature baby. Always happy as long as she was outdoors. But spring does not come early here. There's still lots of snow and ice on the ground and will be for awhile. Once it does start to warm up though, we can walk to the park again, and she has a huge backyard to run around in.

Her hair is getting pretty long. I'm thinking I'm going to have to start trying to find her some conditioner. Her hair is curly and just needs a little more moisturizer in it, I think. It's very cute though, and I love how it curls up so prettily after it's combed after a bath.

Didn't really have a main point to this post. Was just feeling the love for my precious SLEEPING baby.

Still January

2008-01-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'm almost afraid to say this in case I jinx it, but, I think the horribleness that started the day after Dayna's birthday, and continued for DAYS, is finally subsiding. I hope.

Yesterday was pretty good. Long naps, she did eat some, and was generally angelic all day. Today has been good so far too.

Of course.... tomorrow she has to get shots. So it's going to be completely up in the air again. She gets vaccinated for chicken pox, and MMR. Fun. Two shots that she hasn't had before, so I don't know what to expect from her.

I really want to take more pictures of her walking because it is absolutely adorable. She is getting so big.

But I've realized that I probably do not let her explore enough. I still keep her basically fenced in the living room even though she can climb over the barrier if she wants to. And when we're upstairs, after lunch or cleaning up, she's always in her walker. I barrier off the hallway and the stairs and just let her go. The walker keeps her from being able to get into stuff like cabinets and bookshelves.

Discovery is such an important thing for babies her age, I know, but the prospect of really making very large spaces "baby proof" is really daunting. If it were up to me, everything would basically be cleared out. But it's not really my house, and that kinda takes away the whole "discovery" part, doesn't it?

So ideas and encouragement are welcome.

Where's the Line?

2008-01-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Dayna has been testing limits and boundaries. She'll throw food on the floor, wait for me to tell her "no," then take a bite, then throw it on the floor again. Repeatedly. But I know that she knows where the line actually is. Let me give you an example.

Today I was finishing up my lunch and she was wheeling around in her walker. (She had already let me know that she was done by first throwing all her food on the floor, and then standing up in her high chair.) I was in the next room and heard her saying "No no no no no." And then she brought me a phone charger. She knew she wasn't supposed to have it. So she told herself "No," then brought it to me.

Or yesterday we all went out to eat. She would throw food on the floor, look at me to see if I was watching, and if not, she would correct herself. "No no no."

Obviously I've been hearing this word a lot lately.

One Year Old. Day Two.

2008-01-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. God.

I can tell already that this year is going to be crazy insane with Dayna full of lots of adventures. Today, I was sleeping in. Head hurt. Back hurt.

Max offered to go change her diaper for me while I stumbled out of bed. A minute later he's at the top of the stairs yelling about something about a bath. I guess he didn't actually have to change her diaper. She'd already taken it off. Then later pooped all over her and her crib. And threw it around her room. In hindsight, I think I should have taken a picture. But it was pretty bad.

So we started the morning with a bath. And a major room cleaning. I called to tell my mom and while I was on the phone with her, I looked at Dayna and noticed she had a piece of banana up her nose.

Yep, this is gonna be a fun year!

One Year

2008-01-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dayna:

- Is one year old today

- Can walk (starting the day after Christmas)

- Is really funny

- Has completely changed my life -- for the better

- Is SO smart

- Can say several words (Yesterday: No, no, no oopa -- oopa=Trooper, the dog)

- Loves toys and books

- Takes three naps a day

- Has lots of blonde hair with curls

- Has the most beautiful, big, blue eyes

- Loves any kind of berry, and lots of vegetables (especially green ones)

- Covers her ears with both hands to be cute and funny ("I can't hear you")

- Loves her family and animals

- Is growing up WAY TOO FAST

Happy birthday baby girl.

Slacker Update

2007-10-28T18:29:00.000-06:00

Two months between posts isn't bad, right? Right?

Yeah, you're right. It's horrible. Especially when Dayna's been doing sooo much growing! She is really getting a strong personality these days.

Words she can say:
Mama
Dada
Kitty
Gog (dog)
Good
Grandadada?

The last word is a little iffy. That's what it SOUNDED like, but we're not too sure. And those last words have just been in the past couple of days.

She crawls really well now, pulls herself up on stuff, walks around as long as she has something to hold on to, and has started refusing to eat baby food. She only wants REAL food. Finger food.

I have lots and lots of pictures I'd love to share, but those I will hopefully post later.

Dayna is hilarious. She points, and laughs, and is so silly.

We've been practicing naps. And her putting herself to sleep without relying on being held or rocked or bounced. It's hard, but she's starting to get the hang of it. Of course, as I type this she's supposed to be in bed for the night, but is still chattering and fussing. Hopefully in the next 15 minutes she'll be out. It's been a big day full of being busy.

I just wanted to make a quick post for now. I am so full of love for my little girl and wish you could all see her too.

Tooth-hurty

2007-08-28T10:20:00.001-06:00

There have been no posts the past few days because mommy has been exhausted. That's not to say I'm rested now, but I did have a large mocha so that kinda helps.

Dayna has been... I really don't know how to say it accurately but still nicely. Cranky? Whiney? Adorable devil-spawn? Maybe all those put together plus some. You see, she's teething. And she has been teething for months now, but there's this one tooth on the bottom that is trying really hard and so far unsuccessfully to push through. So she's had a little fever, and is very clingy, very impatient, and crying all the time. To make it worse, she also has a little cold that stuffs her up. The cold alone wouldn't be anything to her though if it wasn't for the other stuff. It mostly just keeps her from sleeping on her back. She's more comfortable on her tummy with her legs tucked up under her anyway.

And the very worst part of all this for me, mommy, is that I am the only one she wants at night. Which means that daddy, who normally takes the entire night shift, must resort to handing her off to already exhausted mommy even though mommy has clearly had her fill of cranky baby throughout the extremely long day. But what can ya do?

I have a rare quiet moment right now -- morning nap. Yesterday's was two hours which is amazing for her, but I'm not silly enough to wish for this two days in a row. It's been a half an hour already and I expect her to wake any moment now, be happy for 30 minutes, then get back to her crankiness.

She is always happy outside. So we've been spending lots of time there. And tomorrow or the next day we'll go to the State Fair. Hopefully after that the tooth will be through and we'll be done with this business. Until the next tooth.

And she's awake!

Is that baby crawling yet?

2007-08-23T21:26:00.000-06:00

Today, while Dayna was playing with her toys on the floor, she leaned forward and stretched, trying to reach a toy just a little too far away. Both hands were planted firmly on the ground, her left leg ready in the crawl position, and her right leg tucked under and in front of her. She lurched forward once, twice, three time, and then fell over.

Nope, she's not crawling yet. But she does do that little trick every day now. She's very close, I think, but she just hasn't quite figured out how to kick that one leg out to get moving. Other people seem to be in a big hurry for this milestone, but I'm sure not. I know that once she's fully mobile I'll spend my days running after her and working harder to keep her out of trouble. No thanks, I'll just keep my non-toddling baby. For now. I know it won't last.

I've added a few more pictures to flickr but I'm done for the night. I definitely want to go to bed earlier tonight. Dayna wakes up way too early for me to be staying up just because "I don't have to work tomorrow." Actually, work didn't take as much energy as staying home with Dayna does.

But look at the adorable face I get to wake up to! The picture posted today looks like she's winking, huh? She actually does this fairly often I guess, although I haven't really noticed it. Auntie A. pointed it out and I have no idea why she sometimes "blinks with only one eye." Some people have a hard time winking, for her, it comes naturally I guess. Along with growling like a dragon, curling an Elvis lip, and rolling her tongue up like a taco.

Hello delicious cherry puffs!

2007-08-22T21:43:00.000-06:00

Mommy is now officially full-time mommy. No more "wake-up, hurry up breakfast, maybe clothes today -- out the door" mommy. Nope. Now it's more like "roll around in bed, play with food, roll around playing on floor, never leave baby" mommy. And things are much more fun this way.

All the mommy-baby time means that I don't miss out on anything. However, it also means that some of the cute little things I'd normally be so impressed about and want to record here for all times are more normal and become things I might forget to write down. But I want to! Because I don't want to forget any of this. And I want all of you to share it too.

I'm slowly catching up on pictures from the past month or so. It takes a lot of time to go through them, do corrections, organize them, and finally upload them to flickr and then add titles, descriptions, and maybe add them to the neat map thing they have there. I think I've done about 25-30% of the pictures so far. The one posted to the left here is one of my favorites, from when we went to the zoo a few weeks ago. Although it looks like she's waving, that was an accident. She's actually just starting to figure out waving purposefully for "hello."

Dayna's also been eating more finger foods. We got her these star-shaped puff things, cherry-flavored, and she loves them. Also, freeze-dried apples that kinda melt in her mouth. And peas, and corn, and whatever else is around for her to pick up herself. She's getting her grasper-pincher reflex/fine motor skills and it's really neat to watch her figure it all out. Even if she drops a lot of it before it actually gets into her mouth.

On tomorrow's agenda: play!

Will Sit for Pickles

2007-08-10T21:19:00.001-06:00

We've been having a hard time getting this blog off the ground. And I take full responsibility of that. I only have about a week left of work before full-time mommy kicks in and hopefully I'll be more inspired to write daily posts. Also, Grammy hasn't really gotten set up here yet either. Also my fault.

In the meantime.... Dayna has been hitting milestones all the time! About a week and a half or two weeks ago she decided all the sudden that she could sit up on her own. Aunt C is actually the one that discovered it. She took her to the park, sat her on the ground, and that was it. Now Dayna sits for most of the day. She's usually content just to sit and play with her toys. Which she has tons of.

She's also been trying out some finger foods but probably not as much as she should. Again, my fault. Foodtime is just so messy so I mostly leave the self-feeding to dinner time right before her bath. Yesterday she flung the supposedly unmovable suction-cupped bowl half full of sweet potatoes across the dining room and all over the floor.

Although I didn't hear her laugh at her new trick, she is starting to be quite the funny little kid. She laughs at everything and even has this funny laugh ala Muttley. It's like an old man "huh huh huh" laugh and is so contagious that sometimes we'll laugh at her laugh and then she'll laugh back, and it just keeps going. She's so fun.

I'm pretty sure Grandpa gives her all kinds of food babies "shouldn't" have, but her favorite is definately pickles. And whatever you do, do NOT take away her pickle in public. She will scream bloody murder within seconds and will not accept substitutes. Lemons are also delicious.

Welcome to Daizy Dayz!

2007-07-29T15:07:00.001-06:00

Glad you found us! This blog is our attempt to keep all our friends and family "in the know" about Dayna. We wanted a way to record and remember all the wonderful milestones that she reaches and then share them with everyone else.

For now, anyone can leave comments on posts. As long as there's no problems with this, we'll keep it that way. Just make sure you tell us who you are so we know!

Between Grammy and I (and hey, maybe we can get Daddy and Grampa to join in too!), we hope to have fairly regular posts. And lots of pictures! So check in here often and if you have any requests or questions or anything, just let me know!