Tinkah in the Tub.

My Dad, lovingly known now as G-Pop, loves to see videos of Teagan being a "Tinker". Or with his strong, British accent, a "Tinkah." Meaning he gets a kick out of seeing her mess with things and generally being cheeky. Well, given that she's almost 14 months and beginning to get around on two feet, mischief and cheekiness are not difficult to come by. So I thought he'd enjoy the following footage of Teagan being a Tinkah in the Tub. I hope a few of you get a kick out of it as well.

Blinky Blinkerson

Twenty years down the road, some lucky man will be on the receiving end of one of her 'winks'. And maybe by then she'll actually learn to wink and not just blink in a super creepy way...

Heaven Bless the Wiggles

Generally speaking, I'm not (yet) the kind of mum that plants their child in front of the TV to keep them quiet and entertained. But as we were packing up to move, I needed a few minutes here and there and checked out some videos from the library to find out what Teagan likes and responds to best. Turns out she loves The Wiggles. So consequently, I love the Wiggles. After borrowing both copies back to back for weeks, I bit the bullet and found their Best Of DVD on sale. Now, I'm ashamed to admit, one of the signs Teagan knows and makes on a regular basis is Hot Potato, the first dance on the DVD. Some may say her brain is turning to mush, but she's certainly being cute while it happens. Judge for yourselves.

Any Resemblance?

The more I look at Teagan (incidentally, when you're a Stay-at-Home-Mum it happens a lot) the more I see little bits of Brandon and I looking back at me. And depending on who you talk to, she's either a Mini-Me or exactly like her father. Interesting that she can be both to different people, but I feel like a have a pretty generic face (I've been confused for other people many a time, leading to many an awkward situation) and with us both having blonde hair and blue eyes and both being so tall ;) I think it makes sense that she looks like both of us. That and we're all goofier than your average person (see Exhibits A-D below). Your thoughts?

 

Hard to Keep a Straight Face in the Face of Her Squeeze Face

For months now, Teagan's been making a face that never fails to make me laugh. She's picked up on that fact and will do it over and over again when she knows she's in trouble. That's at least one thing she gets from her Dad. I'm sure it's a face that most babies make, but that doesn't make it any less hilarious when my baby does it.

See if you can keep a straight face when she makes her squeeze face. I dare you. (Also, enjoy the little surprise at the end of the first one. Didn't see it coming, did you?)

Walkie AND Talkie

So she isn't walking yet, but she's taking baby steps. HA! The physical therapist in Brandon forces him to want to have her walking soon, so he practices with her every day. Her personal best is 14 steps, but we haven't been able to catch that on camera - 4 steps is all we have been able to document. She isn't all that interested in walking since she can get around just fine crawling. We're in no hurry and aren't worried at all, but thought we'd show you her progress.

And for her next trick, she's started to say "Hi!" Cute when it's at home, less so when we're in line at the Post Office for half an hour and she won't relent until each person in line has said hi and waved back.

Loving all of her new tricks and feeling like I don't have a baby anymore! Hope you enjoyed them too.

ONE! Singular Sensation.

She's one. If you can believe it - I certainly can't. I've come to realize that cliches are cliches for a reason. Everyone says that the first year flies by, and that's because it's true! In some ways it feels like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms for the first time. Holding her now is getting increasingly difficult. But on the flip side (blame it on all those brain cells I lost) it seems as though it's been forever. I'm not one of those people who claim not to remember a time before she was born (I remember fondly how easy those days were) but it does feel as though she's always been a part of our little family.

This was a big year for us, and by year I mean week. We got the keys to the house on Sunday and threw a "party" on Tuesday. I'm using the term "party" incredibly loosely here. The couple I ran into at Wal-Mart can attest to that fact. They were shopping for their twin girls just younger than Teagan. I told them her first birthday was coming up and they asked what the theme was. Thinking they hadn't heard me, I repeated "She's 1." Based on my life experience and the experience of others, it seems like birthday parties have to get bigger and better every year. So why not start with something small for the first one?

We invited The Armstrongs, The Dennises and The Grundys, our three closest friends in the ward, and incidentally my friends who visited me the day after I had Teagan. I thought it bookended her first year nicely, don't you?

Friends throw you a baby shower. Good friends visit you in the hospital. Great friends come to your baby's first birthday party knowing they'll end up sitting on the floor and bring presents even though you told them not to. I'm a lucky lady. We kept it really casual - no furniture will do that for you. Just cake, ice cream and presents. It was so much fun. Teagan loved opening all her new toys and just being the center of attention.

Having a reputation for being a pig in both the amounts and method in which she eats, I have to admit I was surprised (and a little disappointed) that she didn't attack the cake like some kids do. But once we helped her a little, she warmed up to the idea and delicately smeared her face. I'm sure next year will bring more mess.

And because I couldn't believe it myself, I went back to October 25th of last year's pictures to confirm that she is, indeed, already a whole year old. My favourite one year old in the world.

 

Teagan,

You're my favourite. You're cute, you're sweet and you're hilarious. Just like your father, when I'm frustrated with you or having a rough day, you can always make me laugh and that is such a blessing. Your funny faces and constant smile brighten my days. I know most babies are funny, but you have a unique sense of humour and I hope you'll keep that throughout your life. Laughing makes life so much more enjoyable.

You made me a mother and there's no sweeter calling. Thanks for taking it easy on me so far. You've been a good eater from day one - breastfeeding came so easily for us and I know it's a struggle for a lot of women, so I'm very grateful. You love to eat anything I throw at you now, which is so nice. I'd be struck by lightning if I complained about your sleep habits. Resting is another one of your talents and it's given me the opportunity to rest myself and I'm a better mother to you for it. So thanks for snoozing! No wonder you're so tall :) Thanks for easing me into motherhood, T...let's keep it that way with every new stage.

It boggles my mind to think about how much you've changed and all the new things you've learned. I have a lot to learn and you have a lot to teach me and I'm looking forward to it all. I love you to the moon and back..

Love,
Mummy

11-12 Months

• Mimics words
• “Wow” 10.4.2011
• Stands for a few seconds on her own of her own accord

 

I found a DVD at the library called “Singing Babies” and thought since Teagan loves other babies so much she might enjoy it. Turns out, it’s babies in front of green screens with adults’ mouths superimposed on their baby faces singing nursery rhymes. It’s probably the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. But sure enough, Teagan loved it. She isn’t one to sit still, but she sat, unblinking, for a good 5 minutes. I think “BINGO” was her favourite, imitating the babies clapping in place of the missing letters. While I can’t bring myself to purchase something so frightening, I may have to continue borrowing them from the library. Teagan loves her babies!

Can't believe she's 1!

Due Date Due Diligence

One year ago today, I was eating spicy food and going for a long walk, thinking that any second now my water must surely break and I will go into labour. Because after all, it was my due date!

At that very first doctor's appointment you're given the much anticipated due date. The day is circled on your calendar, brought up in nearly every conversation as your belly (and in my case face) expands, and becomes the subject of a myriad of countdowns and tickers.

And then your baby gets comfortable and the due date comes and goes without event. So when your baby eventually makes her appearance two days later, the date you've looked forward to for months becomes nearly meaningless and falls into oblivion. I'm sure with the passing of time I'll forget that Teagan was intended for the 23rd of October, but not quite yet!

She may not be 'So You Think You Can Dance' material...

...but Teagan sure does love bustin' a move these days. She loves music (wonder where that comes from?) and can be seen "dancing" all the time. Here she is working on her abs at the same time to the Singing Babies' BINGO. (Borrowed this video from the library, knowing she loves babies and music, thinking a combo of the two would be perfect. Didn't realize they were costumed babies with adults' mouths superimposed on their tiny faces. Teagan loved it but I'll have nightmares for weeks.)

Desperate for something less creepy to buy me 5 minutes of peace, I turned to The Wiggles. Teagan's in love. (And truth be told, I think the original Yellow Wiggle is quite dashing - I know, we've watched it a bit too much.) She loves the music and tries to do the actions, which means more than waving her hands in the air. It proved a little difficult when we tried singing outside, since she had to focus on allowing only one limb to come in contact with grass at a time. (BONUS: Although I know she didn't actually say it, at :22 it sounds a whole lot like "All Done". Enjoy!

A Real Stand Up Comedian

I was lucky enough to go away for a weekend with some of my best girlfriends (and lucky enough to have a husband willing to take care of the baby) and I came back to a regular stand up comedian. She'd only got to standing twice on my watch, and apparently had been doing in constantly, all weekend. 

I know some people have babies walking and talking by now, but she's oh-so-proud of her accomplishment (as you'll see in the video) so we are oh-so-proud parents who see no need for concern - especially since I didn't walk until I was well over a year.

A few disclaimers before you feast your eyes on our stand up gal:

1. Should you receive random phone calls from me, consisting of shallow breathing or high-pitched squealing, you'll see why. 

2. Teagan only wears clothes when she isn't eating, so the majority of our pictures and videos feature a nearly naked baby. She's constantly snacking, so I'm sure there's a pile of Cheerios somewhere just out of frame. And it's still pretty hot here, so please don't judge me. Just enjoy the cuteness.

Teagan's Kryptonite

The girl is a desert baby, born and bred. Upon venturing to our favourite park with the best kept grass we've ever seen in Vegas, we discovered that Teagan has a weakness: Grass. She must have at least one limb not touching the scary green stuff at all times.

 She got herself sitting up and realized that she didn't love the feeling of the grass on her legs.

 Once she realized how to minimize the amount of touching occurring between legs and grass, she seemed to do okay.

 Apparently that wore her out a little, and she figured out an easier way to alleviate the problem.

 Apparently grass touching her head is okay. Just the legs, then?

Since I've realized that grass causes her to stay in one place for longer than 10 seconds at a time, paralyzed by the crippling fear of feeling grass on her legs, I selfishly have been taking her to the grassy area in our complex for a little quiet time. It takes about 10 minutes for the effect to wear off and she musters the courage to crawl around. One steaming pile of dog poo later and we're back in the stroller, moving on with life. Dog poo is Mummy's kryptonite.

*Just realized that all the pictures from the previous post were also taken on this particular park adventure. She does have more than one outfit :)*

10-11 Months

• Stands in crib, grins from ear to ear when she sees that you’re there to rescue her
• Signs “all done” when you ask her if she’s finished eating
• “All done, Teagan?” waves both her hands to indicate she’s done
• Takes to strangers really well, provided she isn’t tired, hungry or sick
• Loves my family even after not seeing them for 6 months
• Mimics putting hand over mouth and making noise on and off – Grandad started doing it and she imitated him – after a week, she does it upon seeing him…every time!
• Stands for a few seconds on her own, when we make her stand
• Scrunches her nose when she smiles and breathes in & out of her nose really fast
• Understands to sit down when I say “on your bum” when she stands up in the bathtub

Teagan became sick suddenly after waking up from a nap while we were in Canada, two days before my sister Kristina’s wedding. She couldn’t catch her breath after coughing her breathing became very labored. Luckily her Grandma Gay went into nurse mode and remained very calm – not her Mum! We were on the verge of taking her to the Emergency Room – with no insurance in Canada – and I was in tears. Kristina came home and also went into nurse mode and we called a hotline to find out more about her symptoms. We decided it was croup and got her some fresh air interspersed with sitting in the bathroom with the shower on, steaming. It was absolutely heartbreaking for me to see her so helpless and sick. She was sick for several days afterward, including the day of Kristina’s wedding. It was a long day to be sure, but she handled it like a champ. On the dot, every morning at 2:00 she would cry to the point of being inconsolable, so I would bring her into bed with us for the rest of the night. This continued for the remainder of our trip and I have to admit to getting tired of it. But part of me really did love her snuggling with me in bed for a while. She hasn’t been cuddly at all lately, so selfishly I (and Grandma Gay) enjoyed the opportunity to console her.

Raising a Narcissist - A Memoir by Michelle Richards

I keep telling myself that she thinks it's another baby and she isn't just completely and utterly vain.

But I think she's beginning to catch on that the baby in the mirror is always around and doing whatever she does.

Yep, I think we're in trouble.

Sadly, my ridiculous video of Teagan so excited to see that her friend in the mirror was there AGAIN won't upload. You'll just have to take my word for it that we have no self-esteem issues here.

9-10 Months

• Stands in crib
• Pulls herself up on couches
• Falls flat on her bum and bounces
• Finally says “Mama!”
• Picky with food minute to minute – she’ll eat some, then refuse, then eat it again later. Usually if I eat something, she’ll eat it too
• Mimics clapping
• Makes hilarious face when your clench your fists at her – grits “teeth” (gums) and clenches one fist, spreads other hand’s fingers
• Loves patty cake

Spent first night without Teagan on August 13^th to celebrate our anniversary by seeing Blue Man Group at the Palazzo. The show started late, so our friend Hilary offered to keep her overnight so we didn’t have to transfer her in the middle of the night. Teagan slept in a Pack-n-Play in her closet and went to sleep almost immediately! She woke up happy and had fun with Avery, Hilary & Parker. Apparently she had an easier time with it than I did!

Flew at almost 10 months and was an angel. I received compliments about how great she was. She fell asleep the first hour and besides needing to be entertained, was very well behaved. It didn’t seem like her ear bothered her and she was very sweet with the people sitting next to us.