Life with a Preschooler!

Life with a preschooler has been fun, rewarding, and an interesting experience all wrapped into one! We thought we would go stir crazy this winter but actually it has been great. Abbie has grown up so much in the past several months. She loves to play games - Candy Land, The Ladybug Game, and Don't Break the Ice - are her favorites.

Abbie has also been taking swimming lessons and we just signed up for her first Tumbling class!

Ready or not, here I come!

Since Ed has been taking so many pictures with his new lenses, we thought we'd turn the tables around and gave Abbie her first camera for Christmas. Thankfully, this little gem is virtually break/waterproof. Abbie has been taking pictures regularly for a few months now and I will post a "Life According to Abbie" picture post shortly! This should be interesting!

Abbie loves that she can take her camera anywhere, even the Bloomington Nature Center!

Abbie has also been exploring the world of dress up! As you can tell, playing "Doctor" is one of her favorite activities! instead of using fake instruments, we decided to give in and purchase a dress up set including a stethoscope, otoscope, and many others thingys that have very long/complicated names!

Let me listen you your heart, please.

Looking forward to this spring where Abbie is bound to love the great outdoors, just like her Papa!

Happy 3rd Birthday Abbie!

3 Years of Abbie. on PhotoPeach

Summer Car Rides

For the last, oh seven months or so, Abbie has decided that she doesn't like to sleep in the car when we go on long car rides. This includes driving in the evening/night when she would normally be asleep. Because of this, we have had some seriously interesting conversations which often turn educational. Here is just an example:

Abbie: What's that papa?
Ed: What?
Abbie: That!
Ed: I don't know what that is, describe it for me.
Abbie: That big thing in the sky above the trees, over THERE!
Ed: Oh, that's a water tower.
Abbie: A water tower, what's that for?
Ed: It holds water.
Abbie: For what?
Ed: For people to use.
Abbie: What do they use it for.
Ed: For everything.
Abbie: Why can't I see the water?
Ed: Because the water is in the tower.
Abbie: But I don't see the water.
Ed: It's in there, trust me.
Abbie: How do you know if you can't see it?
Ed: ...*silence*

Needless to say, we have seen a lot of water towers on our travels this summer.

It's August Already?

I cannot believe that it is August already. Where did the summer go?! So much has changed in the past three months since our last post. Not only is Abbie not a baby any more but she isn't even a toddler any more! She has grown THREE inches since May, is 100% toilet trained (no idea when her last accident was - during the day or at night), she is in a big girl bed, given up the pacifier - finally, and is a HUGE giggle monster and dare devil!

We have been exceptionally busy this summer. Abbie spent a whole week in Duluth with Granny and Grandpa Mike. They had a blast! They went to the Children's Museum, the Depot, the Aquarium, and the Lake Superior Zoo. Ed and I went to the Pacific Northwest to visit Ed's brother Shelby, his wife Kate, and their almost one year old Judah. We spent a few days in Portland, OR and then headed up to Washington's Olympic Peninsula. We enjoyed our trip but missed Abbie and realized that a week is TOO long to be away.

Since we didn't have the greatest weather this summer, we had to learn to be creative with our time indoors. Here are a few pictures of Abbie building a 'cave' in our living room.

ROAR! Did I scare you?

Ha ha!

I want to ride in the VAN! and other toddler quotes

When Ed decided, about 2 years ago, that he thought a the Honda Odyssey Mini Van was his dream car, I thought he was kidding. Unfortunately he wasn't and for months on end he razzed me about it - whispering ODYSSEY in the baby monitor, leaving magazine or newspapers open to Honda/Mini Van advertisements, and commenting on every single Odyssey we would pass on the road. Just when I though this craziness was behind us, Abbie gets her first ride in a minivan and for a week straight all she wanted to do was 'ride in Tiffany's VAN!'. Oh goodness. I guess I am now officially outnumbered and it looks like our next vehicle will probably be a van, oh joy.

We also learned over the past few weekends that Abbie loves to dig in the dirt, watch bugs, and pick up worms. I honestly didn't think she would be a girly-girl, but I had no idea she would have such a desire to get dirty every day. (seeing as I would just sit on the grass and not move when I was her age, this whole playing in the dirt is a new concept for me).

What, I'm not dirty!

Not only does Abbie love to get dirty, but she is also become a bit of a dare devil. We live near a park and go their frequently and for a long time Abbie would only go down the smaller slides on the small kids side of the playground, however Papa took her down the covered twisty slide on the BIG KID side of the playground ONCE and she was hooked. Now she goes down that big twisty covered slide all by her self, climbs up the faux rock climbing wall, and is becoming more ambitious every day.

Over Easter weekend we traveled to La Crosse, WI to visit the Sundstrom grandparents and Abbie got to see Uncle Shelby again and meet Aunt Kate and Cousin Judah for the first time. She had a blast! Of course, no visit is complete without a visit to the nearby playground. This time Abbie had a chance to go on the self-propelled twisting thingy, which she enjoyed (for about 5 seconds) and proceeded to stumble around for 5 minutes afterward. Not sure if she enjoyed the stumbling around part, but the adults we certainly amused! She asked to go back on the twisty thing later that day....we decided once was enough for one day.

Ed and Shelby helping Abbie go around the Self-Propelled Twisty Thingy

Abbie in her Easter dress complete with Easter Basket. Cheese

Goofy

Need I say more?

A much needed update....

A lot has happened in the month (or so) since I last updated this little blog. All of which is fairly unexciting or those thing we do not care to remember (crabby Abbie and illnesses).

Daylight savings has brought the Baggenstoss Household a lot of excitement, mainly because we survived today and Abbie was in a better mood than she has in weeks! The day began at a decent hour yesterday followed by bedtime at the normal hour (adjusted time even!). This morning was a little touch and go but for the most part the day was a good one. Abbie came home from school in an excellent mood and we are all glad to have this years 'spring ahead' out of the way.

We are looking forward to the weather warming up and the snow melting over the next few weeks. Abbie is too, just look at her poor snowsuit! Not only is it getting a bit small but we cannot seem to locate matching accessories which just makes her look silly!

What? I'm still cute. And I'm getting cooold!

We are all looking forward to warmer days ahead. Our options of activities will be much more...well, less dorky anyways!

Hat Day at the Baggenstoss House (pre-morning hours)

Reading during Hat Day

Our other big news is that Abbie has begun potty training! All in all it is going.........ok. Yes, just OK. Stickers, M&Ms, charts, and other glorious incentives here we come! Now if we could just get Abs to grow another 5 inches, it'd make things much easier! :-)

Just doing a little research

It seems as though Abbie's developmental milestones have been slowing in the past few months, at least those we want to talk (ok, brag) about have slowed. No one wants to hear about how Abbie pushes our buttons, whines, and throws temper tantrums in attempt to get her way. yes, she is definitely a 2 year old!

Abbie started a new daycare almost a month ago now and is finally enjoying going to the new 'school'! We can tell that she is enjoying the new school as much, if not more, than the old one because she is sleeping better at night and in the morning calls us this way "Mama, lets get up to go to schoolooo! Mama, get up!"

Abbie still loves to read and when she isn't reading Dick and Jane or Curious George, she is doing research for Papa's new motorcycle which he plans (hopes) on purchasing this summer.

"Honda or Suzuki?"

2 Year Update

Are you ready....for tickle time?


First the 2 year update -

Weight - 26 lbs
Height - 33 inches
Just below the 50th percentile for both!

Off the charts for verbal and social skills! - No surprise there!

It has been a busy couple of weeks at the Baggenstoss Household. All of the excitement has caught up with Abbie...can't you tell?

Now where are we going?

Abbie started a new school on Monday 22nd and she has been doing very well with the adjustment. The new school is much closer to our house so it will be easy for both of us to drop off/pick-up. We are really excited that she is doing so well with this transition so far as we were quite concerned.

Abbie has been handling the excitement of the holidays fairly well with the exception being this past Saturday where she had her first real temper tantrum in public which happened at our favorite local restaurant during breakfast with the Sundstrom Grandparents. Needless to say not everyone was able to finish their meal at the restaurant! Instead of going downtown to visit the old Dayton's auditorium to see the holiday exhibit, we ended up staying at our house to try to have a quieter afternoon.

This proved to be a good idea since Grandpa Sundstrom and Mama ended up putting together Abbie's kitchen! And you thought that Ikea furniture was challenging!

We are working on sending out Thank you Cards, but also wanted to say thank you to everyone for all of the great Birthday and Christmas presents. Abbie received loads of hats/mittens and clothes that was greatly needed since she is going through a growing spurt which has suddenly made her pants extremely short (both silly looking and cold in this crappy weather we are having!).

Thank you Great Aunt Amy!

Happy New Year! See you all in 2009!

A new year brings a new haircut and love of Pigtails!

I'm gonna put pigtails on this girl, too!

Abbie had a great birthday party and enjoyed spending time with all of her grandparents, Uncle Mike, Aunt Kris and Uncle Bill. She loves playing with her new toys and the doodle board is a great invention.

Yesterday we decided to ring in her new year with a new haircut. Abbie didn't cry or fuss during the entire haircut (ok, it only lasted about 6 minutes but still!) and the stylist gave Abbie her first ever set of Pigtails. Needless to say, Abbie doesn't want to wear a hat, put on a bib, or take them out at bedtime. Funny, I've been trying to get her to wear something in her hair for months!

More to come...Abbie starts a new school next week (12/22).

Feeling Better for a Much Needed Update

We are finally starting to feel a little bit better in the Baggenstoss Household.

New Developmental Milestones!

I wasn't sure up until now if I was going to be one of 'those' moms that blogs about everything their child. I have also been tempted to discuss topics other than Abbie, but decided that would probably not be a wise decision (mainly because I am not well educated in the topics and would just sound like a moron). Here are the topics that I have decided are off limits on this blog:

• politics (GO VOTE, TUESDAY, NOV 4th!!!)


• the Green movement (Method is my new favorite brand and not to mention California Baby, now if we could just find Seventh Generation and/or Nature's Babycare diapers in more stores in the Twin Cities, that'd be great)


• how much working full time and going to school full time - along with the fact that Ed is still struggling with the function of his right hand (he was in a minor motorcycle accident a few weeks ago, but is ok!) - really is the pits

But I have decided that I will discuss in detail the highlights of potty training. Abbie took her first step in that direction and went peepee (ok, urinated) in her little potty for the first time last night! :-) Ed's response was, "Oh, what a perfect topic for a new blog entry." We clapped and cheered, but all she wanted to do was clean out her little potty because it was wet! She doesn't understand the concept of 'wiping' in this context! How funny!

Here are a few pictures of some other milestones that Abbie has reached over the past week or so.....

Abbie is 'reading' on her own....

and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are?"

"Up above the world so high..."

What a cutie pie!

Fall Activities

Oh my Gosh!

Pick!

Papa, Can I eat this apple?

Hmm..yummmm!

Sunday at Como Park Zoo

Last Sunday we decided to take advantage of the gloomy weather and the first Sunday Vikings football game and go to the Como Park Zoo. We thought it would be less crowded. Well. We were wrong. The zoo was as crowded, but Abbie still had a blast.

Most of the animals were sleeping when we arrived shortly after breakfast, but the Giraffe's were wide awake and Abbie had a blast trying to imitate their long necks.

These aren't real Giraffe's

We got home just in time for Abbie to take a long nap and watch the Vikings loose.

It started to rain right after Abbie woke up so we lounged around that afternoon watching Little Bear, a little bit of football, and being entertained by a silly Abbie (our favorite cloudy day activity).

Huh, I missed the chair!

First Haircut!

As promised here is a few pictures of Abbie's first haircut. It was crowded when we arrived at Kid's Hair.

Before the haircut...definitely time to trim those bangs!

I was a bit nervous that Abbie would freak out at the sight of 6 or so other kids getting their hair done, but she sat at the table in the waiting area coloring quietly. Then her name was called. She perked up right away, but once she got in the chair...she wailed the whole time!

She cried and cried and cried the whole entire time, but as soon as she saw herself in the mirror and was out of that chair...she was fine! All giggles and smiles as usual! Thankfully there lacked kicking and flailing during her screaming, so the haircut itself lasted less then 10 minutes!

We decided to stop by the playground at Longfellow School, which Abbie had a blast!

Long day..I'm tired!

Abbie's little crop haircut - too cute!

End of Summer

Well - summer is officially coming to a close. That was evident with the chilling 52 degrees we woke up to this morning. Abbie went to school in jeans and a sweatshirt and looked cute as a button. I began thinking of what it will be like on her first 'real' day of school and how it seems so far away yet right around the corner.

Abbie has hit some pretty big milestones lately. She has been drinking from a cup - no lid with quite good results, speaking in 4-5 word sentences quite regularly (telling everyone she sees "You are so funny!"), and actually enjoying the swings and slides at the playground!

Wee!

One thing Abbie isn't getting used to is dirty hands - Oh - Kate Gosselin would be proud!

Abbie should be getting her first professional haircut soon! My attempts at bang trims are starting to look pretty pathetic. Stay tuned...I'll post pictures..I promise!

Summa Time!

We've had a busy summer full of heat, humidity, sprinkler play, travel, drama, dancing, manners, fun outings, and SWINGS!

I know I have neglected the blog a bit as of late, however we have been very busy. Abbie is now speaking in 2, 3 or 4 word sentences. One of her favorites is "I got it!" She is also learning manners and consistently says her 'please' and 'thank-yous', which is just too cute.

Abbie also has an uncanny ability to ask something in a voice that is just a little bit incomprehensible. She repeats herself until you finally repeat what she is asking - of course in a form of a question - "Do you want some yogurt?" Which Abbie replies with "OK", in such a tone that makes you believe that you actually had the idea in the first place. Pretty smart that girl!

Abbie loves to sit in her highchair and look out the window - especially when Papa is watering the lawn.

Papa wants Abbie to play the Tuba - I think she has other ideas.

Abbie is not a big fan of the sprinkler, but she doesn't mind the hose...thankfully hasn't figured out how to get others wet...yet!

Relaxing on the hammock with Papa.

Minnehaha Falls - 'Walkerfall!'

Abbie had a blast with her Sundstrom Grandparents at Minnehaha park, even in the sweltering heat. We ate at Se Salt and Abbie ate all of her fish! She definitely takes after her papa!

Catch me if you can!

Hope you are all having a great summer. Another update soon....hopefully!