My Fat Tree

I haven't had a chance to post as often as I would like lately, and I feel like I've missed sharing some of Allison's moments. I don't necessarily share them for your enjoyment, but more to help me remember. You forget the little things among the big ones, and I want to capture as much as I can.

One of the things that Frank and I laugh about the most regarding Allison is how much she hates being cuddled. She has to be REALLY tired to lay her head down on your shoulder or allow you to cradle and rock her. I want her to crawl into my arms and just let me love her so bad, but that's just not going to happen. Frank loves the irony here because I'm even more anti-mushy than she is, yet I want the one thing from her that I refuse to give.

Before we had Allison, Frank and I were talking on IM while we were at work. Somehow we got on the subject of my "anti-mushiness" and Frank told me to "put my quills down". I knew he was trying to call me a porcupine, but I didn't know how to spell it so I used my phonics and got "porkypine" - as in a "fat tree." lol. Anyway, that term stuck and I've been a fat tree (instead of porcupine) ever since.

Now I've got my own fat tree, and it's not so much fun. It's not as easy to be on this side of the quills! I really hope she'll grow out of this stage, but I'm not so sure. My mom says I had the same temperament as a child and Frank will tell you that it stuck.

Other things about Allison.

I've mentioned before that she loves music, but she now dances to it! We were watching American Idol this week and she had pulled herself up to get a better look at the tv and was standing at the couch watching with us, and anytime someone sang she started bouncing up and down and making noise as though she were trying to sing along. She does that with any toys that have music too.

She understands the phrase "show me how you bounce". When you tell her that she'll start kicking her legs at the same time very quickly. It's so cute!

She can say 'da da' and 'mama', but we don't think either mean anything to her. Mama usually comes out while she's eating as in "Mmmmmm-aaaa Ma". Although at other times she'll crawl in my direction, look right at me and say it very clearly. We're pretty sure she's behind linguistically. That's ok, though. Frank's Dad jokes that he thought Frank was retarded as a baby, and look how he turned out. LOL.

Books are her favorite toys. She loves to sit alone and turn pages while "reading" to herself. I've read them to her so often that I have a few of them memorized. I know she recognizes the words in the book because I can say "Hello, sheep in the pen. Hello, Duck. Hello, Hen." and she will go get THAT book. I'm not at all exaggerating. She's a genius.

She's not that interested in walking. When I try and stand her up and get her to come to me she implements her "noodle legs" and then crawls to me. I think she realizes that she has some good speed at crawling and sees learning to walk as a hindrance to her exploring. She has a push toy that she can kind of walk behind. She leans on it heavily so I have to hold it to keep her from falling on her face.

That's all for now because she just woke up from her nap! The pictures are of her at the park last week! Daddy got to go with us for the first time! She loves that swing! Check out her Keds!! (Thanks Grandma!)