I Not a Baby, I a Yittle Girl

I don't know when it happened, but when I looked at Maggie Saturday, I realized that she wasn't my little baby anymore.

Not that she's been a baby baby for some time now (as she often points out), but she's not even a toddler anymore.

Her legs are longer. Her face has slimmed up and lost some of its babyness. She talks like a grown-up.

Seriously, she talks like a grown-up. (She used the word 'hardly' correctly last night and I was astonished. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I was.)

My baby girl turned into a kid, and Mommy isn't sure how she feels about that.

I eskew all sorts of things I "should" do to spend time with Maggie. As a mom who works outside the home, my time after work belongs to my girl - I don't want to miss more of her growning up than I have to - so you would think I would have seen this coming. But no. Just wham-o, all of a sudden I saw a kid where my baby girl used to be.

*sigh* There are going to be lots of moments like this, aren't there?

We Got Our Dirt

So, today was Ash Wednesday, and our little family did as it always has ... Jorde played Masses at church, I went to the service that fits best in my work day, and Maggie attended Mass with my parents. A bit disjointed and un-together, but it's the best way we know how to observe this day right now.

This was the first year that Maggie was old enough to ask questions, of which there were surprisingly few because all she cared about was getting ashes on her forehead.

Let's just say, the girl was less than thrilled.

My mom said that when it was their turn, she received her ashes first, and when the gentleman went to give Maggie's, Maggie leaned way back in my mom's arms in an attempt to avoid them.

Maggie did get her ashes, but walking back to their pew she was, apparently, a bit indignant.

"Nana, dey put duut on my head!"

To say she didn't like the dirt may be the understatement of the year. After Mass, she and my parents went out to breakfast, and while at the restaurant Maggie asked my mom for a wipey (wet wipe), so my mom asked her why she needed it. Maggie told her that she wanted to cwean the duut.

When Maggie and I got home last night, I was getting her out of her car seat and she pointed to my forehead saying, "Mama, you got duut on you head." I acknowledged that yes, I did, and they were called ashes, and gave a simple little sentence about Ash Wednesday and why we wear ashes.

My sweet girl thought a moment, then replied: "I don't yike da duut."

Nappy Time for the Babies

Maggie put Baby Emma and Baby Gabriel to bed before heading upstairs for her nap today, and when I glanced at them as I passed by, I was ever so thankful they are dolls.

You can't tell, but she really does love her 'babies' :)

Sweet Lil' Mommy

My Maggie is (mostly) a good little mommy to her babies. She especially cares for Baby Emma. She and I are often found on the sofa, me holding Baby Emma and Maggie administering all manner of necessities, like medicine, taking her temperature, giving her a bath, changing her diaper, and, of course, feeding her.

She worries me a bit with the shots she gives Baby Emma in her forehead.

And how *ahem* gently she puts Baby Emma to bed. (Can you say 'bonk'?)

And that she has on occasion held Baby Emma by the leg while trying to unbuckle her baby stroller.

And has tossed Baby Emma when said buckle proved too difficult for the one hand of little fingers Maggie was using to undo the strap.

But hey, it's not like she will be babysitting for real any time soon. Thankfully J

I snapped the picture below with my cell phone so the quality isn't the best, but I just love how mommy-ish she looks. Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and feeding her Baby Emma - so sweet. Too cute for words!



Maggie Words

These are some of my girl's most frequent conversations. She still refers to herself often in the third person which cracks me up. And yes, I realize it is February, but Christmas is still being sung in our home J

I go ta Aunt Ashwee's weddin'. Aunt Ashwee get maow'ded. I dance wif Mommy and Daddy. I dance wif Nina Maowy. Santa Cwaus dance, too! (I go to Aunt Ashli's wedding. Aunt Ashli get married. I dance with Mommy and Daddy. I dance with Nina Mary. Santa Claus dance, too!)

I go on a woadtwip! (I go on a roadtrip!)

I p'yay wif Jack. I jump ona twampo'yine! I go bouncth! (I play with Jack. I jump on the trampoline! I go bounce!)

I get sick. I fwo'wed up. (I get sick. I throwed up. Incidentally, it was all over her Nana.)

Mommy, Mo-mo baw'eefed on the steers. (Mommy, Mo-mo barfed on the stairs.)

I wanna watch Pwep n Yandin'. (I want to watch Prep & Landing.)

Mommy, I wan' some hhiman-hims (Mommy, I want some M&Ms. We don't keep these in the house but Maggie loves them and will randomly ask for them, in the hopes they appear. I think Christmas spoiled her J)

Way-ya my tickas? I need a make a val'yen'tine. (Where are my stickers? I need to make a valentine.)

Mommy, you wanna pay wif my ki'schen? (Mommy, you want to play with my kitchen?)

I nee my tool! (I need my stool! - usually hollered when I'm in the kitchen and she wants to 'help')

When singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town": Need ta watsh out. Better not cwy. I tell you why. Santa Cwaus is comin' to town!

When singing "Frosty the Snowman": Fwosty a No'man, a ha'wee ja'wee souldt. Wif da corn in da pipe and a but-tin nose and two eyes made out a coaldt.

Maggie loves to request Dashin' ina 'No (Jingle Bells) and Deckin' ina Haws (Deck the Halls). Woo-doff (Rudolph) is also a favorite.

When singing "Jingle Bells": Jinga be'wls, Jinga be'wls, Jinga be'wls all da waaay! Wha' fun a wide ina horse swaaay!
We have this conversation frequently, with regards to her birthday:
Me: Maggie, what do you want for your birthday?
Maggie: I haf a Fwosty buff'dee pawty. I haf 8 bee'yoons at my pawtee.
Me: You want 8 balloons for your birthday party?
Maggie: Yeeaah.
Me: What else do you want?
Maggie: A gif.
Me: What kind of gift?
Maggie: A yittle one.
Me: What do you want in your little gift?
Maggie: Toys!
Me: What kind of toys?
Maggie: Yots of toys!

That's about as far as we get. She never comes up with specifics - although she asked my mom last week for an iPod. The thing is that Maggie totally knows what it is and how to use it, so it's not so far-fetched a request. She uses my mom's iPad by herself better than I do. Crazy!