Keeping Track of Carolyn

Oh Carolyn, Mommy loves you so much yet it seems impossible to offer up adorable anecdote and notes of love like I did when Johanna was a baby. I definitely think them all the time and make mental notes of such stories to share, but alas, the time speeds away as I spin through the tunnel of motherhood.

Here you are almost 14 months old and I have been wanting to write a sweet little blog entry about your development since your 1st birthday two months ago. Oh well, I have tried to make up for it in more frequent video updates.

Carolyn is just blossoming into the sweetest little cutie pie. She makes me laugh all the time and her personality is so much different from Johanna’s when she was a baby. It is no wonder that Carolyn was born with a little sourpuss forehead wrinkle because she loves to affix a somber expression on her face most of the day. But don’t let that fool you, she still loves to dance, snuggle, and make mischief. She just does it in a more tentative way.

This morning I was holding her fast against my chest giving her a tender squeeze and feeling a twinge of sadness knowing that she’ll soon be big. I think I must have an abnormal excess of emotions because I easily feel sad about my growing girls. Johanna is so grown up know and is almost a young lady. I still am having so much fun with every developmental stage, but it is just amazing that she was a little toddler just a few years ago. Oh well, just goes to show that we must all cherish every day.

Now, back to Carolyn. This kid runs the gamut of extremes when it comes to reactions. She can be SO laid back that I sometimes feel like I neglect her. She can play by herself and has an attention for detail. She will study a book for a very long time in terms of baby standards, and can self-entertain longer than Johanna could at that age. I bet that is pretty normal from a first child to a second child. However, I think I almost suffocate Carolyn because I want to make sure she has as much mommy and baby time as Johanna did.

Now, other times this kid can be CRAZY! She has the worst temper at times and loves to throw her head back and scream. I remember the first night we brought her home from the hospital. She started screaming and was making noises that didn’t even sound human like. Her voice is deeper and a little scratchier than Johanna’s and is so cute. But her screams – yowza, the kid has some lungs! She loves to crawl or toddle into the kitchen, throw herself down and roll around on the ground.

But…Carolyn is also a little jokester. I taught her to start dancing and put her hands up in the air when I sing “If you’re a crazy baby, put your hands up in the air.” It is SO cute! She also knows a few words and signs. She can say “Mama, Dada, and Dog.” She also says, “Sheesh?” a lot like she is asking a question. She loves to point at things and very recently has been pointing out dogs on our walks and saying, “dg”. She rubs her belly when she wants more and can make the “eat” sign.

I know this for a fact because last Saturday I went into her room in the morning and she was pointing to her mouth. I said, “Do you want to eat Carolyn” and then as I proceeded to get her out of her crib, I noticed there was some black stuff on the blankets. I then shockingly discovered that some poop had fallen out of her diaper. She has obviously played with it and had even **gasp** put some in her mouth. There was some on her left hand and a little brown streak on her mouth. **another gasp.** My baby had eaten POOP!

Ok – sorry to spring that gross story on you, but it happened and I am still recovering. We’ll end on a positive note and then I must dash. Carolyn is starting to give me kisses, loves to play with Johanna, laughs when she knocks down blocks, is walking SO fast, and is getting little curls on the back of her head. She also loves to walk around with a little play stock pot and ladle and “makes soup” for me and then holds the ladle up to her mouth to “taste” it while smacking her lips to make the appropriate noise.

She is very bright and knows a lot more than I think she does. The next chapter in the blog will be all about Miss Johanna. She is almost four years old and has been making so many strides in terms of learning and hobbies. Signing off for now! Shelley