Well, we have a lot to catch up on, don't we?

I look back on the last blog and Caroline looks so different now than she did in February! It’s been an amazingly busy three months of development, travel, and exciting experiences in Caroline’s world. Let’s catch up.

Caroline’s ability to communication has exploded. There’s really no other word for it! This spring she’s gone from single words that label people and objects (Mama, Dad, milk) to a full gamut of communication skills she uses to manage the world around her. She can tell us about:

• things she sees and hears -- airplane, milk, bird, choo-choo, woof woof (for dog), car
• what she sees in books – elephant, giraffe, bike
• what she wants to do – wash, brush, lotion, teeth, march, diaper
• what she wants us to do – whattsit? Up, wipe
• who she wants around her – Jeff-son, Elmo, George (as in Curious George)
• she even has her magic words – please (peez!) and thank you

The words seem to come in batches – one day, its one new word. Then a few days go by … and BOOM, five new words. Sometimes we have to practice the words together over and over – like blueberry, dress, pants. Sometimes the words arise somewhat spontaneously – like wagon, which I first heard her say when she pointed out a picture of one in a book we were reading.

Somewhat surprisingly, she hasn’t yet firmed up the difference between “no” and “yes”. Generally, she defaults to “no.” Imagine!

She’s working on her articulation – some words are clearer than others, and some I think only the three of us would understand. But the sum total is this -- now, Caroline can tell us what she wants. And that makes life great for everyone involved. She gets frustrated less easily, and we can ask her what she needs. It really is amazing to see and participate in her language learning.



Caroline’s growing ability to use abstract thought has shown itself in exciting ways beyond just communication, though. She’s become FUN. She’ll play and play and play – one night after dinner, she and her boys played hide and go seek in the living room. Caroline knew enough to hide and say “BOO” when someone found her – but she’s still working on being quiet while hiding. She wrestles and rough houses with her brother and dad, rolling around on the floor, laughing and laughing. She’s a daredevil – climbing up on the couch, chair, and even bunk bed (!).

She works hard to amuse us, now, too. One warm afternoon, Eric and I sat outside in the backyard. Caroline came to the back door, and from the inside, pressed her face up against the glass in a funny expression. We laughed – naturally – and this encouraged our little ham to try all the windows, making different faces at each one. The laughs we all got were well, well worth the time I spent with the Windex afterwards, cleaning toddler slobber off the glass!



She mugs for the camera now, sticking out her head and looking up coquettishly at us when we say “smile”.



She plays on her own for longer stretches. She’ll often go out and explore the backyard, diligently moving golf balls or baseballs into different piles and different containers. She’ll sit and put together wooden puzzles over and over again. And she loves, loves, loves, her books. She sits on the couch, in the car, at the table with a pile of books, flipping through the pages and talking quietly to herself in her own private Caroline language, occasionally pointing out a picture to us and saying “whattsit?

She loves and looks for her routines. Hampertime involves putting her dirty clothes or PJs into the laundry, replete with dancing and singing “Hampertime” (sung to the tune of the 80’s classic Hammer Time by MC Hammer, of course). Bed time involves toothbrushing, a shower, stories, putting George and Elmo to bed, a cuddle in the big chair, and kisses. She loves washing her hands (water! soap!) and would probably stand at the sink for hours if we let her.

Against a background of all this development, this spring has also held much travel and many exciting experiences for us.



On April 6, Caroline turned 18 months old. We celebrated the milestone during spring break, camping in the mountains of Alabama at DeSoto State Park. The weather was lovely (after the near tornado that we arrived in cleared out) and we played and goofed and had a great time.

At the end of April, we spent Easter weekend in Western New York. We saw all the family at the Golf Dome for some pizza-and-chicken-wing-eating, Easter-eve-celebrating, mini-golf playing, big-news-sharing kind of fun. Caroline spent some one-on-one time with Nonna and Big Pop while Eric, Jefferson, and I went to Niagara Falls. It was Jefferson’s first international trip, and the first time in a long while that I had some time alone with my two favorite boys.

On May 6, Caroline turned 19 months old. In the week leading up to her big day, she spent time one-on-one with Nonna while Eric and I took a momentous trip to Vegas. As I hear it, the two of them painted Atlanta red, with some raucous outings to the Waffle House, playground and Target. Nonna also taught Caroline some new songs – Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row your Boat, and the Wheels on the Bus are now in steady rotation in our house (and in my head – thanks mom!)

At the end of May we travelled to New England to see family. Caroline met her Grammy Twombly, Auntie Carolyn, and Uncle David in New Hampshire, and saw my side of the family in Quincy, including some very fun time with her cousins at the beach! We even squeezed in a quick arcade visit.








Much of the spring was a whirlwind of T-ball. Jefferson played and Eric coached. I was team parent, in charge of juice boxes, scorekeeping, and player wrangling. And it’s safe to say that Caroline was the Fighting Orioles’ number one fan. She spent every game and practice in her stroller next to the bench with a sippy cup in one hand and puffs in her tray table. She cheered, sometimes complained, tried to get the boys’ attention and mostly succeeded, and generally soaked it all in. She was wonderfully patient and a very good girl. I know she had a blast – and so did we. Can’t wait for fall ball!

In mid-May, Caroline also rose to the Toddler I-B class, with the exalted Miss Gail for her teacher. Jefferson still talks about Miss Gail who was his teacher too, way back when. Miss Gail has big plans for Caroline including potty training in July or August!

It is now full-on summer in Georgia, and we have an exciting docket of things planned for June and July (building up to the twins’ arrival in August). I feel like these past three months have flown by, and my little girl is growing up in dramatic ways right before my eyes. While I desperately want time to slow down so that I can soak it all in, I also can’t wait to see what comes next. And THAT, I have learned, is the paradox of parenthood.

February: short month, big developments!

February started out with an awesome treat – Nonna came to visit and watch Caroline for ten great days! We had a very big deadline at work, and asked Nonna if she’d come and care for Caroline so we could get some concerted work done. Nonna quickly agreed – and then we did the bait and switch and asked if she could stay just a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit longer so we could tack on a business trip to that deadline. Nonna, good sport that she is, kindly agreed and embarked on ten days in Caroline’s world and our wacky busy house.



It was so fun for me to watch them together. Caroline and Nonna played and played, read books, ate lunch, explored Target, and generally had a good time. I know Caroline loved their time together and trust me – if we could have convinced Big Pop not to miss Nonna, I think we could have convinced Nonna to stay!

Nonna discovered that Caroline could sing songs – Row, Row, Row your Boat and the Itsy Bitsy Spider are favorites. Caroline will sing “row, row, row…” and expect you to keep on going with the rest of the words. And when you sing about the spider, she’ll make the hand motions!

Caroline also loves her books – she will sit quietly through two or three at bed time, listening and turning the pages for the reader. She also “reads” every morning on our drive into school, flipping pages, pointing and naming things in her own special language, and tossing the book aside when she’s ready for a new one. Her two favorite books? In “I am a Bunny” (thanks G-Aunt Barb!) Caroline can find and point out Nicolas on every page. And in “What’s wrong Little Pookie?” she finds the shoes, Pookie’s mama, and the socks and yells out the word as she points to the right picture.

It’s very fun to read with her and we’re introducing longer and longer books – and more things for her to find and point out on the pages!




We play another fun game at bath and diaper time, where Caroline points out her body parts as I ask her where they are. She’s got nose, bum, belly, mouth, feet, fingers, and toes DOWN. Eyes and ears sometimes get confused. And she loves to point out my parts – especially my TEETH – when we switch from Caroline to Mama. What is more, she’ll now take a handful of lotion at bath time, rub it into herself – and then ask for more to rub some on my face. It’s the sweetest thing ever.

Caroline has mastered zippers and socks, which results in me finding her some mornings with her zip up blanket half off and her socks tossed behind the crib. This also means she loves to try to pull off other people’s socks – her brothers, mine, and her dad’s. She is an equal opportunity sock stealer, and she hoots with delight when she liberates one.

In February, the weather turned nice and we gratefully started spending more time outside. We goof in the backyard almost every night before dinner, and have been on some spectacular hikes and other outdoor adventures. Knowing how cold and wintery it is in most other places makes us all very appreciative of the mild Georgia weather.




As Caroline’s brain, vocabulary, and body continue to grow and develop, so does her sense of independence. Caroline’s strong will is as sharp as ever, and she wants to do things on her own – especially, it seems, those things that make her parents worry about injury like going down steps or running across concrete. But it’s wonderful to see her sense of confidence and pride when she masters a new skill or catches us giving each other the “where/when did she learn THAT” look? I have a feeling that there’s more – much more – of that coming.

January, or month fifteen

January was all about SNOW IN DIXIE! Late on Sunday night January 9th it started snowing – big wet heavy flakes careening down from the sky. Now this was serious snow for the south – Buffalo or New England would barely have blinked -- and we were impressed. By Monday morning, nearly six inches of snow was on the ground, and school (and work!) was definitively cancelled. We spent a wonderful day outside playing in the neighborhood. Caroline made her first snowball, learned that walking is a little more treacherous when there’s white stuff on the ground, and did her first “face plant” in the snow. Best of all, she watched the bigger kids – including her brother and dad – do some serious sledding down driveways and streets on all sorts of unlikely contraptions, including pizza trays and laundry baskets. I KNOW she wishes she was bigger so she could have gotten in on the act!

By Tuesday morning, the six inches of snow turned to rock solid glare ice, and the rest of the week was history. Without plows, salt, or sand, Atlanta relied only on Mother Nature to remove the snow. We spent the rest of the week housebound, waiting for a thaw and hoping our groceries (and sanity!) held out. Luckily, Mother Nature came through, five lost work days later.

On MLK weekend, with the snow receding, we celebrated “January Missmas” with Nonna and Big Pop. A giant box full of presents preceded their arrival – thank you all for thinking of us at Christmas time! We had a blast opening presents, eating good food, going out to dinner, goofing around, and even doing some bowling. We missed Christmas at home greatly, but Missmas was an awfully fun substitute.

With all the Christmas festivities and the impromptu snow breaks behind us, Caroline settled down to the serious business of transitioning classrooms at her school. She left the infant room behind and “graduated” to Toddler 1A – a bigger room with bigger kids. She was wary at first, and there were some tough morning goodbyes, but she quickly realized that there were better toys and more fun to be had in this new setting. She’s doing great now, and I love what she does when I pick her up in the afternoons. She drops what she’s doing, runs to get her coat from her cubby (often swerving around my attempted hug and kiss to get there), and heads straight for the door, waving and saying “bye” all the while. Clearly, she’s ready to go!




Caroline’s language development is surging forward. She narrates the world now, talking nearly all the time. The tone, cadence, turn taking, and rhythm of speech are all in place – the only thing missing is the words! Instead of crying in the morning right when she wakes up, she lies in bed and practices talking (and sometimes singing) to herself. It’s lovely to listen to on the monitor. She’s got some words – bye and hi, mama, dad, ball, sock – and more are clearly coming.

She is a big and strong toddler. She visited the pediatrician at 15 months and got three shots. She weighs 30 pounds and is 34 inches long. I should disclose, though, that those are approximations –she took great exception at the weighing and measuring process and fought like a crazy woman! Caroline also went back to the neurologist for a final skull xray and examination. She was cleared completely – the doctor said that it was like her skull fracture never happened. Thank goodness!

January was a wonderful month full of new experiences and big transitions. Every day Caroline seems to master something new –whether it’s mimicking a new word or showing off a new physical skill (like running everywhere she goes!) I know I’m biased, but I have to say that it’s amazing watching her grow up and develop.

December 2010

December was a month filled with “ups” and sprinkled with “downs”, but overall, we had much, much, much to be thankful for this holiday season.

On January 6 (Three Kings Day!) Caroline turned 15 months old and December was filled with all sorts of new developments! In terms of motor skills, Caroline walks like a big girl now – the penguin waddle is mostly gone – and she can RUN. She does this often, and with great vigor.

Verbally, her repertoire of noises, signs, and “words” is a pretty effective way of communicating. She uses the words “up” and “hi” correctly and frequently. “Up” sometimes stands in for an all- purpose demand, much like “mamamamama” is an all-purpose complaint. She points and also uses the signs for “more” and “done.” She also communicates instrumentally – she signaled that she wanted to nap the other day by getting her blanket and a book. She handed me her plate to signal that it was time for dinner, already. And when Eric took a little too long to come upstairs for bathtime, she headed into the shower herself, water off and fully clothed, to wait for him.



Caroline has learned to color with crayons, and right now it’s her favorite thing to do. She sits with great concentration at the art table upstairs, going through the crayon box and making scribbles on the paper. We’ve worked hard to reinforce that she only uses crayons while sitting at the table, lest there’s an accidental redecorating of the walls. In addition to her brother’s matchbox cars, crayons are her favorite toys. She only eats them sometimes.

We had great fun during the build up to the holidays. On “Christmas holiday hoedown Saturday”, we bought a giant tree and decorated it like crazy. The bottom third of the tree was left bare except for lights to prevent any ornament breakage or disappearance – we called it the Caroline-line of demarcation. We made cookies and shopped for presents. We listened to WAY too much holiday music. And we enjoyed every minute of it




The kids came with us to the KDHRC holiday party – we had cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at a hotel across from the office. Caroline made the rounds of the party with her new fast walk, scamming cheese and crackers from anyone who would hand them down to her and holding her sippy cup like Dean Martin held a martini glass. Jefferson was a perfect gentleman, making conversation with the guests, sipping Coca-cola, and sampling the treats. It was a very fun night.

Our trip home to East Aurora to see family for the holiday, though, didn’t go as planned. Walking into airport security, I slipped on wet spot and took a bad fall. Caroline was in the pack on the front of me, and took the brunt of it. We rushed to the Children’s Hospital where we learned that she had a concussion and a fractured skull – but luckily, the “best” kind of fractured skull a baby can get. It was a terribly stressful and scary day, but we were seen by some excellent doctors and got to come home the same day. That same night, she was belly laughing and splashing in the bathtub – and you’d never know anything had happened now. Kids really do rebound quickly. Of course, her dad and I have been crazy vigilant – and Caroline has become adept at peeling our fingers off of her when we insist on holding her hand when she walks over any non-carpeted surface. The doctors said her skull will heal in two to three weeks, and she’ll be fully cleared after our followup appointment on January 24.

The accident prevented us from making the trip to East Aurora, though, and we missed Christmas with the family. A small trade for a safe and healthy baby, but such a disappointment – we really really missed you all!

Nonetheless, Santa visited Caroline on Festivus, when Jefferson came back to the house, and left a new big wheel and a GIANT helmet. Fortuitous timing, huh? We pondered making her wear it all the time!



And once we were cleared by the doctor to travel again, we took off for some winter weather and fun in Chicago. We went to museums, ate Greek food, saw a hockey game, and generally had a great time. Caroline wasn’t entirely convinced of the benefits of hats and mittens, though … you’ll see them missing from most pictures because she perfected tearing them off and throwing them out of the stroller when we weren’t looking.

So it was a busy month, filled with much to be thankful for. Hope your holidays were happy – can’t wait to see you soon!