Wednesday, August 15, 2012

First Haircut

Yes, it may be hard to believe, but Emily just got her first haircut this past weekend! I have been holding off for awhile, but it got to a point where the cute little blonde curls were getting a little scraggly looking. Unlike some kids who scream and carry on, Emily was really excited to get her hair cut. She has seen Abbie get haircuts before and likely considers it a "big kid" thing. We always go to one of those places that specializes in kids cuts and has TVs for them to watch. The incredibly serious look above is because she is just fixated on the TV, which she rarely gets to watch.
On the way to the salon, Abbie and I were talking about the TVs that they have and Emily asked, "Watch TB, Mama?" (Yes, she calls it TB.) I told her that, yes, she could watch TV at the salon because it is a special occasion. She replied, "Bad for my brain?" I cracked up. Apparently she was actually listening on all those occasions when I have told one or both kids that TV is bad for their brains. What I find kind of funny about this is the fact that she probably doesn't even know what her brain is or what it does. She just knows that TV isn't good for it. :)

Speaking of things that are bad for your brain, another recent first for Emily (although not a fun one) was her trip to the ER last week. Sitting in her booster seat, which is strapped to a chair, she used her foot to push off the table and managed to send the chair flying backwards. She, and the chair, and the booster all landed on their backs on the tile floor and she got a nice bump to her head. Kind of normal kid stuff (falls and bumps), but then 20 minutes later she began vomiting, getting groggy, and looking pale. Clearly a concussion - not good. Anyway, we decided that a little trip to the ER was in order.
Fortunately, she started getting better, not worse, and I think actually ended up enjoying the ride with the EMTs and the attention that she got in the ER at the children's hospital. Of course, it was a slow day at the ER and most of the time she was the only kid in the pod. She looked at all the empty beds and asked us where all the other kids were - as if she was hoping for a playdate or something. Ultimately, we just hung out and kept her under observation for awhile. As we got ready to leave, she decided that she liked all the party favors she received - the tiny gown, the ankle bracelets, and toe thingy that measured her pulse. Most of it was hers to keep, but we had to coax her into trading the gown for a Dora sticker.

I'm sure it seems a bit perverse to whip out the iPhone and photograph your kid in the ER, but clearly this was long after it was clear that she was OK. As for the chair with the booster seat strapped to it, she hasn't been real keen on using it since the fall and neither have we! We have resurrected the high chair for the time being. Many 2-year-olds are fine without any booster, but she is just such a tiny little thing, and we really don't need any more trips to the ER, so I think that all of us are happy with the high chair for now!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Always Observant

Ever since the day she was born, Emily has been the most observant child that I have ever known (OK, admittedly I have really only known her and Abbie, but she just seems really observant). In the photo above, you can see those keen eyes watching the fish in the fish tank at the doctor's office. I just love this picture because I took it from the other side of the tank, so you can see both her and the fish at the same time, which is kind of fun. Also, I love the fact that Emily happens to be wearing a dress with fish on it.

This doctor visit was for her 2-year old check-up. She is doing great and her percentiles are holding steady. She is 31.5 inches (10th percentile) and 23.4 pounds (10th - 25th percentile). So, she's growing steadily, but she is clearly taking after me. Right now the doctor is projecting her to be about 5'1" when she grows up. By contrast, Abbie is projected to be 5'4".
Although the picture above is from one of those stupid rides at the mall, we have actually been doing other stuff with the kids that is more interesting. Last weekend, we took both girls to the Dallas World Aquarium, which was really cool. These big blue eyes soaked in everything from manatees and octopuses to sharks and crocodiles. She just loved it.

Around the house we are working on all the usual 2-year-old things - we can't grab, we need to share, we need to be gentle with our books, etc. One of the more interesting things that Emily has started doing is blaming everything bad that happens to her on Abbie. So, for example, if I accidentally scratch her, she'll declare "Abbie hurt me!" When we point out that Abbie is nowhere in sight, she'll just stick to her story, "Abbie hurt me! Abbie scratched me!" Or if she falls, its "Abbie pushed me! Abbie knocked me down!" It is really kind of perplexing to watch - in a way its funny, in that she tries to blame her big sister; in a way its baffling, in that she seems to believe things that are so far from reality. We try to correct her, but sometime I think that just makes her blame Abbie more. Goofy girl!