Mule Day Parade

Wet Dress

Little Miss Independent

This picture just about sums up Josephine when she's happy.

The online newsletters say that Josephine is "asserting her independence". I call it throwing, hitting, and a negative disposition. Whew! Most of the time she's still the sweet baby girl we've always known and loved, but then sometimes . . . . If she's sleepy, hungry, or frustrated--watch out, she's going to come at you swinging, literally. She hasn't had a meltdown in public yet, but I know it's coming. She's become very particular about her juice. I water it way down because of all the sugar (like 1:4 or 1:8oz). Nathan tends to put more juice in it than I do and she has figured it out. If it doesn't have enough juice in it, she throws her head and arms back and starts screaming. If Nathan is home, she automatically take her bottle to him instead of me when she wants more to drink. He'll tell her to take it to me and she'll shake her head no. : ) The other night I had to change her diaper, which she strongly disagreed with. She doesn't usually hold a grudge . . . . Once the diaper change was over she would run from me screaming and crying. She wouldn't even take the bottle from me, she just hid behind Nathan's legs. It was actually pretty funny. I went to get the video camera but Nathan had her calmed down by the time I got it ready.

We went to Columbia, TN again last weekend for Mule Day. We went to the parade Saturday morning and saw lots and lots of mules. They're alot bigger than I realized. I guess it's donkeys that are small. Josephine and Naomi sat in the wagon on the way there and Josephine stayed in it the whole time. (If anyone has pictures, could you send them to me?) I took the video camera instead of the digital camera. When I get the video uploaded I will try to put it on the site. It takes awhile, though, with no guarantee that it will work. Anyway, Josephine loved seeing all the animals.

This is an example of the effects of Mule Day on a toddler.

We got Josephine the Baby Einstein Sign Language video last week. She loves it!!!!! She smiles the whole time and even learned a new sign the first time through (ball). She already knew several of the signs, though. I highly recommend it to anyone with (or will have) babies and toddlers. We've only watched it once, so we'll see how she reacts the next time.

I was so proud of Josephine last night at the Little Gym. (I should have a "Little Gym Update" every week, shouldn't I? : ) She was full of herself! She has become so comfortable there and become more physically mature that she just --I can't think of the right word -- blossoms?, holds nothing back?, is really really happy?-- when we're there. She can shake the parachute (alot of kids can't), but her favorite parts are getting to ride on or walk under the parachute. The kids play with bells when we start and Josephine kept seeing bells on the floor that other kids had dropped or left and she'd go get them and put them in the bell box. (Just like with her Easter eggs.) All she wanted to do during the "free time" was walk on the balance beam and hold onto the bars. She's always enjoyed walking on the balance beam (with help). Grannie and Papaw came to watch last night and she was showing off for them like I've never seen before. For the first time last night she walked on the beam using the bars beside it to keep her balance with no help from me! She was very proud of herself. Josephine wanted to hang on the bars, which was a change for her. She usually won't hang by herself. (I think this was part of her showing off for her grandparents.) My arms were tired from picking her up so she could reach the bar. She really enjoyed it and made sure that her grandparents were watching when she held on by herself. At the end of the class the kids get to play with balls, which Josephine loves. She also enjoys putting them away. Most of the time, anyway. Last night she didn't put any balls away, which was strange, because she usually finds as many as she can to put away. Someone offered her a ball, but she wouldn't take it. I think she wouldn't take it because she wanted to find one on the ground and put it away. Apparently it doesn't count if someone gives it to her. Toddler quirks can be funny.

It's time to get ready for swim class. I will try to get a video up soon.

Also, I'm sorry about the spacing lately, I don't know why it won't put spaces between the paragraphs and pictures.

Easter Egg Hunts 2007

Josephine will sometimes let me put her hair in "sprouts".

Easter weekend was a big event for Josephine. She got to go on two different Easter Egg hunts! Sunday morning after church the Grannie, Papaw, and Uncle Terry came over for lunch. After lunch and a nap, we went over to Granna's for dinner. Josephine went on an Easter egg hunt with her cousin Blair. She really got into it. She got excited seeing the different colored eggs in the grass. Once she found all the eggs, she would go up to different clumps of grass looking for more. : ) On Monday, Grannie hosted an Easter eggs hunt party for Josephine and her friends. It was so cold outside the she hid the eggs downstairs, but the kids didn't mind. There were eggs "hidden" all over the room. Leave it to Josephine, she ignored all of the normal eggs and went straight for the soccer-ball-print egg first, passing all the others by. She took it back to her basket then found the second soccer-ball-print eggs. There weren't any more of those left so she sought out the baseball-print egg. Silly girl. Once there were no more sports-themed eggs she got "normal eggs". All the kids had a good time.

Josephine and me in Granna's yard searching for Easter eggs.

Josephine has been a Mother Hen with her eggs. She loves dumping them out and putting them back in the basket one at a time, then dumping them out again, etc. She pitched a fit one night when it was time for bed and she couldn't play with them anymore. It was pitiful.

Josephine is getting 4 teeth right now. I think. She's definitely getting two of her lower molars. I think she's also getting the last of her front eight teeth. She's been teething for a couple months straight now. She's handled it well. Although she has been biting more lately.

Josephine knows the signs for (or at least has her own signs for) please, more, help, and eat/hungry. She will say "Mom" and "more", but they come out sounding the same. She uses "Mom" as a curse word when she's upset and "more" when she wants something.

Swimming is going well now. Josephine enjoys the water and is more comfortable with her surroundings. She loves "jumping" off the side (she sits down and falls into my arms). We're having trouble getting her to blow bubbles in the water. She just drinks it.