Disneyland

We had a terrific (albeit demanding) time in California!

We first spent some time in Hollywood with Nicole and her very wonderful dog Diggy. Abigail didn't quite get the whole time change thing and woke up the first few mornings at 2 or 3:30--she was just excited to start her vacation. Begrudgingly-bleary-eyed, we did too.

Though we did have a wonderful time exploring all the sights and sounds that Disneyland had to offer, it was watching Abigail walk back into our home that made it all worth it. She was in awe of seeing a monkey that hangs on our wall still there, she was thrilled to see all her old toys and took a stroll around the house saying, "da, do, da" pointing at everything with such glee.

Yay for vacations, double yay for the familiar.

Oh, something really cute: both of us heard Abigail saying, "buffalo," again and again. We couldn't figure out why this was now in her vocabulary. She saw a buffalo in books and possibly at the Bronx Zoo but, really, why would she be saying it again and again. Then Jonathan realized: she saying "babbaloo." (which we mentioned in a past post she loves to do on her belly, drum or anywhere else she can pound!)

Coney Island

Aunt Judie's birthday gift to Abigail was a trip to Coney Island!
And boy did we experience it. We ate hot dogs, fries, fried shrimp (some of us) and strolled the boardwalk. Abigail loved meandering between all the people, all the sounds, dancing along the way and saying, "hello!" We have no pictures of the time spent schmoozing on the boardwalk because it was just too busy and exciting but we got a few good ones of before and after none the less. It was hot as blazes so we were there for a short time, but a memorable one for sure.

So much to do

We looked at a picture we took of Abigail a year ago, when she had just begun to smile and now, she's nothing but smiles. We have one happy girl:


We visit the Botanic Garden probably two times a week, which such a wonderful place for her to really begin her life as a walker. She loves to walk through the garden, pushing her stroller and admire all the beauftiful flowers around her.

While we read Barnyard Dance, she loves to clap her hands just like they say in the book to do. She sits on our rocking chair, using the armrests as her desk, to read books on her own.

And she LOVES banging on a drum or anything else really, while someone says "BABALOO!" Hysterical.

We visited the Van Saun Park zoo in NJ--the same zoo Papa went to when he was a boy!

It's fun being one!

TODDLER!

We have a full time walker now. Or, should we say, a full fledged ToDdLeR. She's all over the place. She meanders in her step and gait, in her direction and her outlook on life. She could walk straight but why would she?! It's fantastic to watch. Particularly because she looks so pleased with herself.

She loves flowers. Loves them. We are so lucky to live a place where anywhere you look, you're going to find them. Plus we live by the Botanic Garden which we just visited today (we do at least once a week) and her interest turned to the big boulders and rocks around the garden. We turned them into drums and she had the biggest giggle while doing so. The water fountain in the Discovery Garden was pretty hysterical too. She thought it was so funny to drink from the stream.

She's growing into one terrific little girl.

Blackberry to Ball, our girl is talking!

Blackberry! Abigail's first three syllable word. She loves seeing it, she loves squishing it in her hand, she loves eating it. Why wouldn't she learn to say it?!

Turtle--another fantastic word to say.

We took her to the Prospect Park Zoo a few weeks back. She stood before a massive black cow and what was her exclamation upon being in front of this animal? BALL!! Check it out:
See that big silver ball? Abigail sure did.

We took her to the Bronx Zoo a couple of days later. The fauna and flora were her favorite things to see there:But not only is she talking up a storm, she's walking. She still likes to hold onto a hand every now and then, but more and more she wants to walk (and dance) independently:

Papa, Mama, blue, spoon, flower, yellow...what do all these things have in common? Words now in Abigail's lexicon!

She recognizes a flower on her shirt and then in her book!

Plus she gives lots of hugs to her stuffed animals. And sure enough when we read the book, Hug, by Jez Alborough, in the middle of the story she took the book and hugged it. So adorable.

As someone in our building told us, "Abigail Rose sure is growing."

Hummmmmmmmmm

Abigail likes to hum to herself. While she's walking around (with or without assistance) or eating (though Jonathan was delighted to hear her say "yum" while she was eating something he cooked for her) or really just any part of the day she is content. The sound just makes the world seem right.

When she stands on her own to challenge herself to walk one step forward and then go down to the floor for safety she has a very proud look that she's done such a daring feat.

She tried scallops and mussels--eh! She still loves her carbs and especially her fruit. Plums now are a big hit.

In other words, she's having a grand ol' time being one:


And congratulations to Papa for a terrific gala last night!