Snow came a little early this year, so Carmela decided to go outside to see what all the excitement was about. She thought it was pretty interesting that the world looked different, and she noticed that the ground was covered in something, but she wasn't exactly sure what. Cautious child that she is, she erred on the side of caution and pronounced it, "Icky." She was a little bit delighted by snowflakes falling from the sky, and reached out to touch them, but she wasn't thrilled about how cold it made her hand when she felt it on the ground. She asked Mom to take her inside before too long, and she was much more in favor of matzoh ball soup and hot cocoa that she and Mom shared while the snow fell during the afternoon.
Carmela is becoming an amazingly verbal and physically capable little girl. She's up to about 35 words now, but she tries out a new one or two just about every day. The sense of satisfaction is so clear when Mom or Dad asks her a question and she can answer in a way that makes sense — this usually results in Carmela getting something she wanted or not having to get something she didn't want, and this is a positive outcome for everyone. She's beginning to make the leaps from basic words that are the names of objects ("bear," "feet," "ball") to words that identify concepts ("mine," "almost," "more"). It's been great fun watching this explosion of cognitive development, and Daddy and Mama spend significantly more time trying to figure out what "bay-oo" means ("bear," by the way).
As for physical capabilities, Carmela is able to help more and more with putting on and taking off her clothes, she can pull her zipper up or down, she can wipe her own nose (and prefers to, saying "Nose," and reaching for a Kleenex), and she absolutely adores eating at the table, pulled up in her booster seat, of course, but without the tray. She also recently started drinking from a cup by herself, using both hands to steady it, hold it to her mouth, and set it back down on the table. She also loves to slide by herself at the playground, and bravely goes up the stairs to the top of the Big Toy and slides down to her Daddy, who lets her land on the soft wood chips. These little accomplishments are a really big deal to Carmela, and Mom and Dad both can see how happy she is with herself to be able to do more things that Mom and Dad do on a daily basis.
Carmela also is a great helper. She absolutely loves to sweep, and insists on getting to run the broom around the kitchen after Mom's done. She surprised Mom the other day by grabbing the dust pan after Mom was done sweeping and holding it down on the floor. Of course, she didn't understand that Mom was going to sweep the debris into it, and so she ran off with it before Mom could finish, but the intent was there, and Mom is very proud of the way she jumped in to help! She also loves to help vacuum and use the hand mixer by holding on and "steering." She's a big help to Mom during laundry, too, as she takes small items and tosses them into the dryer. Carmela also has learned the word "mess," and she knows that she makes them, and she seems to get that they need to be cleaned up. Today, after spilling a little milk on the floor, she toddled over to a towel, picked it up, and proceeded to sop up her little mess.
Of course, Carmela continues to be a wonderfully affectionate, communicative child, and she seems to love playing funny little games with Mama and Daddy. The latest is a game in which she pushes Mama or Daddy, who would sitting on the floor, onto her or his back, then "lifts" them up all by herself, only to push them over again. This game goes on and on, punctuated by peals of laughter. Mom and Daddy are riddling over why this is so much fun, but we're both happy to accommodate her because she loves it so much. She also loves chasing games — either Mom or Daddy chasing her or vice versa — and she loves pony rides, except now she likes them piggy-backed instead of in the front. She also really enjoys climbing on and over things, going up steps, digging her way to the back of a crowded closet — anything that involves lots of physical grappling and maneuvering. This results in her usually getting lots of exercise, which makes Mom and Daddy happy. It's great to see her growing so big and strong, and enjoying things so much.
Carmela continues to be a phenomenal eater, and will heartily eat just about anything Mom and Daddy put in front of her. Lately, she loves scrambled eggs and bagels with cream cheese, she still adores almost all fruits (except oranges, which she loves to squeeze in her hands, but not eat), and she gobbles up just about every vegetable Mom and Dad have given her. Her favorite thing is noodles, though, and Mom and Dad like to make them just to hear her say "noodle," which comes out like "new-doe." Too funny!
