20 Months Old!

Jordan got to celebrate her 20 month old birthday by meeting a brand new baby. Her name is Charley and Jordan was skeptical of the experience. She patted her very gently, but was more interested in babbling and talking to Charley's family. Either way, it was so awesome to hold a little baby in my arms. No... I'm not interested in having another. I swear. Little Charley was exactly the same weight Jordan was when she was born. But she felt hearty and sweet. What fun. I like to dabble in the experience of being around new babies, but I'm content in the experience of visiting newborns, not creating ones.

Jordan had OT today. We had time for me to see her ability to turn pages of books with her prosthetic. Of course it's the cardboard books... But she's getting pretty dang good at it. It makes me proud. Maybe we'll get around to getting some video of that. By the way, prosthetic or no prosthetic, she's getting sturdier on her feet. Jordan is running, regaining balance faster and trying to jump. Now THAT I have to get video of! Development is so sweet.

Jordan went to a big-deal meeting with me tonight. I found out she's very good at saying "apple." More like "app-pull." Very sweet. The words are flowing. As the words grow, her needs grow. She's starting to learn how to try and delay bed time. I'll sit down and read her a bedtime story. And right before I'm done with the story, she's already grabbing for another book and begging for me to read it: "Boh! Boh!" (That's how she says book) The good news is when I stand firm and wrap up the book reading, she melts into my shoulder when I turn off the light and start singing a lullaby. That little melt makes being a mommy so sweet.

In the last month, Jordan turned into a little girl. She's independent (especially when she wants to walk into the parking lot on her own... I swear she'll hold my hand ANYWHERE except in a parking lot). She still grabs onto my leg and desperately wants to be with me no matter what. Independent when she wants to be. And a spark. My gosh she is such a spark. I think that little picture tells it all. She is SO alive.

Teeth talk

Miss Jordan had her first dentist appointment today. Very exciting stuff. She did a pretty good job and the dentist said Jordan's teeth are getting closer to coming in. She's 20 months old tomorrow! 20 months! It's due time she gets those teeth don't you think?

She was exhausted when we got to school... But she only slept for 40 minutes.

So by the time we got home, she was a wreck and I still had to cook dinner. She was in FULL meltdown. I held as strong as I could to not run out of the house screaming. But I kept it together.

That picture is officially my first photo to post from my new phone. I finally got the iPhone. I'm LOVING it. I'm also more connected to my world than ever before. It's so damned easy to read email, respond to voicemail, text messages... All of it. It's nerdy. But it's awesome.

BTW, I noticed blogger is offering the chance to upload video directly into blogs. So I had to give it a try. Here's Jordan being a monkey during our vacation.

Busy couple of months

Jordan is about to spend a lot of time in Texas. Next month she and I are going to the Dallas area to spend time with my aunt and uncle. I'm SUPER excited about that. And now it's pretty clear that we need to plan a new trip to Houston for Jordan to upgrade her prosthetic.

We're looking for a way to get Jordan to purposefully trigger her hand to open and close. Hopefully we can move the sensor somewhere that will work. I look forward to seeing if we can get her to use it even more. Her teachers say they've seen Jordan use her arm more to steady herself and do little things here and there. I love watching her try to turn the pages of books. It's all pretty cool.

Look what Jordan just did!

She's finding new and cool ways to use her prosthetic!

Didn't I used to have little babies?

I'm kind of missing babies... Jordan is very much a little girl. Cameron is a Kindergartener. How did this happen?

Wow. What a mess

My sweet sandy girl
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom

Yeah. We played in the water this weekend. Jordan is still wary of our water sprinkler... But she got wet enough to let the sand REALY stick to her hair and skin.

I fell on the ground laughing and then ran inside to find the camera.

SO funny.

Now getting all of this sand off was absolutely no fun. But you know, it was worth it. She was happy and messy.

Little developments every day

We're moving into a stage where milestones creep up very organically. It's natural and slow and amazing when you realize she just did something "grown up."

As we walked into school the last three days, Jordan grabbed the railing and walked up the stairs all by herself. Cam and I were so excited. She's getting braver by the moment. The steps at school are a little smaller than the normal kind... Which I am so happy she has easier steps to practice on. I was a little nostalgic about not being able to grab her other hand to help just in case she needed it. I'll get over it.

So the whole family went to school yesterday to meet Cam's new teacher. Jordan LOVED walking up and down the hallway of the school. She LOVED saying hi to people. She LOVED upsetting her brother by no going where he told her to go. She LOVED checking out the classroom and trying to grab paper that she should grab. It drove her brother nutty. Randy and I just tried to make sure she didn't grab something that would cause danger to herself of the classroom.

I'm kind of looking forward to taking the kids on the walk to school every morning. It's a little exercise, a little family (except Daddy will have to go to work before we head out to school) time, a little outside time. It will take work time out of my morning, but I think that's probably a good thing.

Next step for the girl's feet

So we're moving forward with helping Jordan's foot issues. We met with Jordan's physical therapist this evening. She's pretty sure an orthotic device called a UCBL will help. It's a shoe insert that may help keep Jordan from curling her feet and help her hold them on the ground properly. The hard part: She thinks Jordan may have to wear it for quite a long time. The good news: We can start wearing different types of shoes -- probably wide, but I'm not too worried about that.

Jordan is babbling to me as if I know what she's talking about. I have a gut feeling that we're not far off from all out sentences with her demands. I'm certain her first sentence will be asking/demanding me to do something -- probably involving food or her brother.

Back home

There's nothing like the hug you can get from a child when you've been away. Jordan was so happy to see me when I got home. Her hugs are strong. Her smooches are sweet. The down side of returning is watching her cry as I dropped her off at school. It's the first time she's done that in months.

But it's good to be home and I don't see myself leaving town for a while. That's kind of nice (except for the nasty wind storm that rolled through our town last night and we still don't have power in the 100 degree weather).

Fat Bat Cat Sat

I'm still out of town but for consecutive days... When I talk to Jordan she starts babbling in a very Dr. Seuss-like way.

"Hi Jordan. I miss you."

"Fat Bat Cat Sat Bat Fah."

"Wow. That's great. Then what happened?"

"Fat Cat Sat Mat Bat Fah."

"That's amazing. I can't wait to see you."

It's killer. She's going to be HUGE by the time I get home tomorrow.

Off again

I'm on my way out of town again... This time I'm leaving the rest of the family at home. Well, I'm leaving the girl and Randy. Cam is off on vacation at his grandparents' house. I'm trying to get ready to leave in the morning... For some reason I got all mopey when I put the baby to bed tonight. I'll miss her a bunch.

She's getting stronger willed by the day. Today it took us 20 minutes to leave school... She just didn't want to walk into the parking lot. I'm trying to give her the independence to go to the car on her own (until the parking lot -- she has to hold my hand there -- usually against her will). It's a slow process.

I also made a big move... Jordan moved out of the high chair and into a Svan chair. It's a cool adjustable chair that will grow with Jordan (who is stuck at 23 pounds 4 ounces by the way).

Okay... One more thing. I was reading BethGo's recent post and it reminded me of something that happened today and I didn't know how to handle it. A little girl (who I say hi to and I'm very polite to her little sister and parents at our school) walked by Jordan and told her dad: "She's scary. Just like Grandma." He walks by and just keeps talking about Jordan without acknowledging our existence or even stopping and working with me to show this little girl why Jordan isn't scary. Jordan was wearing her prosthetic at the time and was being particularly cute at the moment in my opinion. But it made me so mad... Stop, take the time to show your child that my daughter isn't scary. She's sweet and that prosthetic HELPS her. It gives her balance, it offers stability. It's also clunky at times and a challenge. But it's offering Jordan strength and options and helps her solve problems in ways that this little girl has never encountered. And DANG it. When she's in the area, don't ignore us. Talk to us. DANG it. I should have just interrupted the conversation, but I had Jordan on a short flight of stairs and I was trying to convince her to come down so we could get to the car. Should I stop everything just so this little girl will learn something about my daughter? I just don't know. But walking by us and continuing the conversation without our involvement just seemed strange.

Okay. Rant is over.

Torn between little girl and baby

When we were at the summer Helping Hands event near Boston, we met a really cool family I've talked to a number of times online. Their daughter is a month older than Jordan and missing her right arm below the elbow... She seems SO much older than Jordan physically. And I thought about it and I've been thinking about it since then. Jordan is so small and cute and a bit delayed physically -- But emotionally, she's right on track. And to me, that's a little confusing. She's so certain about her abilities and opinions... It makes me wonder if I'm getting in the way at all in her development. I watch her at school - she follows commands and does a lot of great things on her own: gets her chair to the table on her own, puts cups and plates in the bin after she's done. She follows directions from me at home, but I have to stop and think and make sure I'm not doing anything for her that might be causing any delays.

Since we got home, I'm making sure she goes up and down the stairs on her own. I'm trying not to carry Jordan around. She's a fantastic communicator so I know when she wants something. She's emotional and demanding. It's all very typical 2 year old stuff (and she just turned 19 months old). SO I'm not concerned. But I hope I'm not delaying her in her physical growth. I'm not hearing any concerns from the therapists, but it's still something that's been on my mind lately.

Kids Jordan's age can run... Jordan's getting there. She can walk fast. Kids Jordan's age can jump. When I bounce Jordan like jumping, she LOVES it... But she doesn't have the balance to jump yet. Here's my big crazy mommy concern. If she's missing things physically at a young age, does that hurt her cognitive development? I know it's nutty, but Cam had even more words and knew colors at this age. I know that wasn't normal. But is all of the extra effort to meet physical milestones going to delay Jordan's potential cognitively? Is there anything I can do to prevent that? Once again. I don't want to be a crazy mommy, but the crazy mommy in my gut worries.

I'm silly. I know it. But I guess this is why I have a blog - I can throw these thoughts out there instead of leaving them in my brain.

Home again

After two and a half weeks, it's good to be home. Our dogs are acting shell shocked... Like we'd never come home again.

I got the kids unpacked, the refrigerator is cleaned out and I even got to the grocery store to restock. Heck, I saw a student there and gave him a pep talk. Now I'm just trying to get my bearings. Back to life, back to prosthetics on a more regular basis, back to therapy... And in three weeks, Cam heads off to elementary school! It's mind bending. Jordan will get to really settle into her new room -- the 18-24 month old room. I think all of the playing and chattering that she's developed over our vacation is a HUGE deal. She's going to have a ball.

Reading on the road

We had a rough start to the day... Probably because we drove WAY too long yesterday. There's some kind of motorycle event north of Columbus so we drove further than expected for a hotel. But we got one, slept in and got breakfast. We probably have 8 more hours and many movies to watch. I'm glad I convinced the kids to start the day reading. Once you turn on the movies, the reading stops. Until Jordan can self-entertain better, I'm not going to let that worry me.

Pennsylvania doesn't end

We're trying tomake it all the way across Pennsylvania. It's taking a while but the kids are keeping busy. Jordan keeps putting herself to "bed" by covering herself up with her blanket saying "night night." Cam is high on PB&J and Twizlers. I let him buy a package during our last bathroom stop. Silly permissive Mommy. We plan to stop in Ohio tonight.

On the road!

We've made it through a very strong rainstorm in Connecticut. We said our big goodbyes to my parents and the beautiful coast of Maine. Jordan already took one nap. We're talking Cam into taking one right now. Only six to eight more hours of driving to go for the day!

I guess it's time to go home

We are mostly packed up and ready to go... We have two days of 12 hour driving to make it back in time for work on Monday. I kind of feel like the stars and moon aligned properly to send us off the right way -- look at that picture. The moon came out with all its glory to glow onto the cove tonight. It's a peaceful view from our porch.

I hope things will be peaceful in the van as we drive home!

One moment to note from today. Jordan is starting to figure out this jealousy thing. She can't STAND it when I am cuddling with Cam. But it goes deeper than that. Cam was coming out from his room while Jordan was sitting next to me on the couch. When she noticed him coming down the stairs, she immediately climbed up on top of me and cuddled into my chest. She was laying there just staring at her brother. She wanted to get his goat. Oh man. Let the mind games begin. Or they've been going on and I've just started catching on.

Pie, lobster and the beach

We've continued this non-stop vacation with non-stop trips. After visiting the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens yesterday, we took the kids to eat at one of the best diners in the country: Moody's Diner. We got their famous 4-berry pie. We even bought a slice for Jordan She'll eat it ONLY if disguised in vanilla ice cream. It was strange, but I was happy to see her try it no matter what. Cam opted for the standard slice of chocolate cake. Oh well. I cooked up my famous scallop dinner. Cam wasn't interested at all, but Jordan took a few bites before throwing it to the floor. She's really into throwing food lately. She mainly throws because she only wants to eat one food type at a time. So if she's eating a hot dog, she'll throw the bun so she can eat the bread. If she eats the bread first, she'll throw the hot dog. If I catch the food first, she'll probably eat what I salvaged, but not until she's done with the first food. You just never know. After a while, she just throws everthing. She throws before she says "all done." By the way, Jordan's "all done" is "no no" in a sing songy "all done" manner.

Today we let Jordan take a good morning nap before we drove off to one of our favorite sandy beaches along the Maine Coast: Reid State Park. I was pretty surprised by Jordan's reaction to it all. After I put her into the water where a little surf was lapping our legs, she screamed. Randy thinks she freaked because the water was so cold. I'm just not sure if she trusts water that moves like that. Either way, we didn't really get into the water very deep. She did enjoy a bit of time in the water jetty nearby. Her brother had a BLAST jumping and running through the frigid cold waves. He's getting braver by the moment. When Cam invited Jordan to join him in the water. She gave him a solid: "No." I almost fell onto the sand from laughing so hard.

Tonight we had our annual home cooked lobster meal. Jordan and Cam got to see the lobsters before they went into the big cooking pot. Cam is still very scared of the hard shelled guys. Jordan wasn't phased at all. She just checked out those guys until she got annoyed with just sitting there.

Speaking of annoyed. The brother/sister dynamic is becoming a lot clearer in this time away from home. Jordan is growing so fast right now. She even said "lobster!" These cool developments in her personality has us zeroing in on her... It's exciting to see her become her own person. But Cam is seriously jealous. He admited to me that he feels left out sometimes. It's one of the hardest parts of growing up. Jordan deserves the attention... Cam deserves attention. Figuring out the right way to give each what they deserve and need is the hard part. I think it doesn't help with the way my girl clings to me. Even after this many days with our whole family, she's still desperate to be in my arms. It's great for my arm muscle growth... Terrible for the overall peace between my son and I. We'll figure this out just like we have all kinds of other things to figure out. I do know that long-term vacationing is wonderful and we've been so damned lucky to do it.

Sweating with plants

We're at the new Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, ME. Beautful stuff for such a new place.

Shopping at LL Bean!

Of course I had to catch a moment with Jordan and shoes. We both love shoes. Jordan is also getting pretty demanding in clothing stores. When she sees something she likes, she demands the opportunity the touch and admire the outfit. She is fine with putting it back but only after she has time to enjoy it. I think my girl is girlier than me.

A new doll

It was an overcast and eventually rainy day today... So after we enjoyed a lazy morning, the girls went shopping. Lucky for Jordan, she got her first real doll. You know: the kind that has a bottle and a pacifier. This one even makes a few sounds. All of it brings total and complete joy to Jordan.

So I spent a ton of time this evening grinning from ear to ear watching Jordan busily carry the baby from here to there. But with all of the watching and paying attention to Jordan, Cam was jealous. He's never said it outloud, but I think he's feeling really left out.

I tried to talk to him about how I totally understand how hard it is to be the older sibling. I've been there and lost out on all kinds of cool stuff. I tried to explain how I was able to give Cam all of my attention when he started doing cool things for the first time... But Jordan has to share my attention. I asked him to let me enjoy Jordan's growth... And to make sure I find time that is JUST Cam and Mommy time.

We can only hope it helps. Most of the day was peppered with Cameron yelling: "Mommy!" "Mommy" "Mommy!" I can only tolerate that with patience for a short amount of time.

Maine vacation is good for my girl

Jordan is so happy outside... And she LOVES the water. It's been clear since we started camping that she just loves to be outside. She doesn't want to be constrained, she wants to go. And the best thing to do: Dip her feet into the water. I've let her get soaking wet in a New Hampshire river and in the ocean in Maine. I just can't help it. She's so happy. And wet. Jordan learned how to throw rocks into the cove yesterday by watching her brother. I tried to get Jordan's official picture out on the rock today -- same spot every year. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to get my flash to work even though it the camera didn't think it needed the flash. I'm not confident enough to use all of the manual settings for such an important shot. I'm a wimp. I'll admit it. This was the sixth year we've plopped Cam onto the same rock -- Jordan's second year.

An amazing thing happened today while we were hanging out at the house on a beautiful day. We heard a knock on the door and there was my cousin Dave! His wife, one of her co-workers and her co-worker's son were on their way to Bar Harbor. They decided to stop by the house just for the heck of it. How cool is that? We got to go down to the water during low tide and skip rocks. We got to take a few family pictures. It was a random cool family moment! They had to run off to register for some kind of conference. Can you imagine getting to attend a conference in Bar Harbor? It's such a cool place!

Jordan is quickly developing more and more into a two year old. Her sleep has been off since we had a rough night sleeping on our last night on the campgrounds. So she's still trying to catch up on her rest. We're making it through 2 naps and an early bed time. But sleep or no sleep, she's getting more and more able to tell us what she wants and when she wants it. Most of the time she just wants to be in my arms or in my presence. I don't want to deny my love to her... But it's exhausting. I don't really want to complain much because it's just so special to be able to spend so much time with her and Cam.

I took notes while we were camping since we weren't able to have cell or computer access. I have daily stories of our experiences... And MAN did we have adventures. The lessons learned: Jordan will sleep while Mommy takes her up a steep mountain. Jordan will play in any type of water if she can get to it. Jordan is happy to chase after animals: dogs, cats, chipmunks, squirrels.... It just doesn't matter. And Jordan will scream anytime her brother takes a toy away. New to the mix: She will cry like she got a shot at the doctor's office. It hurts the ears!! Maybe tomorrow night I'll type all of the entries out. I took more than 600 pictures over our four day camping experience. I have a ton from the last two days in Maine as well. I have all kinds of Flickr work to do! But I'll worry about that tomorrow. I'm tired!

We made it!

So much to say... But we're cleaning up and unpacking in Maine. Much more to come.

All this excitement

My phone is running out of power... This is probably my last camping post. The kids are exhausted after exploring Crawford Notch. Beautiful sights and ducks to feed! We're headed to ride a local old-school train to wrap up the day. Hopefully these naps will help!

It may be rainy...

But it is beautiful here. We took a 3.2 mile hike yesterday to an incredible lake. Pictures? I didn't carry one... I carried the baby in the backpack. I kind of felt like Supermom. A sore Supermom.

I shouldn't have read the forecast

The drive is beautiful... But I'm getting nervous. The online forecast for the next four days:
Today: beautiful
Wednesday: rain
Thursday: rain
Friday: rain
Oh my gosh... I can only hope that's not true. My kidsl first camping trip could be very, very wet.

I had to take one more pic

We just said goodbye to my "Uncle" Steve... I don't think I've really spent time with him since I was on my way to college! It was great to share the kids, share some beers and just chat. I'm ready for the next adventure! Wish us luck.

On our way

Yesterday was an awesome day... We played at an amusement area and then we got to take part in a soccer clinic with the Revolution -- the top ranked Major League Soccer team in the country! Cam and Jordan had a blast. I've had a little time to upload some pictures to Flickr. We're about to head out to our big four day camping adventure.

What an adventure

So we spent the day with all kinds of families of kids with limb differences... My favorite quote of the day from Cam: "There's all kinds of kids here with little arms!" Probably since we didn't make a big deal about today's event except that we told him we were going to something that was going to be REALLY FUN.

And it was REALLY FUN.

We took part in the Helping Hands Summer Outing. We got to spend the day eating, making crafts, playing in a bounce house (well, Cam did), swimming, winning things in a raffle (we got a bocce ball/horseshoe set that weighs a TON), getting toys and even getting anything we want from an ice cream truck!! Jordan passed out on me while we lined up for the last treat of the day, but I really think both kids had a good time.

What I think was the coolest part was having the kids hang out with other kids like Jordan. It was also interesting to talk to the few parents with younger kids (I'd have to say most kids were in elementary school with the limb differences) was finding out the various different challenges they've all dealt with. Jordan's low muscle tone isn't what one kids has... But he's had a lot of speech issues. Other kids had a tough time walking like Jordan. But all of the kids are happy and that was what was most important. It was nice to just walk up to people and know they understand the extra challenges and successes we have in our lives. I also met a few families I've met online. That's pretty exciting to meet people face to face!

Today's great day is just one of many since we've been on our long trek across the country. The kids have been really good on the trip. I'll admit, they've sustained through many, many DVDs. Jordan's favorite is a wild animals DVD with Elmo. What's great is Cam laughs along with it. Sweet stuff.

Before we got to Massachusetts, we spent time in Pennsylvania. Jordan got to meet new friends and also learned to love time with baby dolls. She was wrapping a doll up in a blanked and placing it in a "bed." She was also feeing it with a bottle and giving it a pacifier. ADORABLE. There's a lot of girl in my girl! She's hugging and loving the dolls I packed more since her time in PA. Sweet stuff.

Jordn also got to meet a family friend who she took a quick liking to (and that doesn't happen every day). My Uncle Steve just won her heart. She let him take her outside and read books to her. It was just great to watch. We get to go back to his house tomorrow after an exciting day with a Major League Soccer team. Fun! I wish I could be on vacation more often. I'm really enjoying the family time... Although I have gotten a bit stressed periodically -- But I think that's just in my character.

Did I mention?

She suddenly loves dolls. It is so dang sweet. She's playing with dolls... Cam's taking a nap. It's good stuff.

On the road again

We had a blast with Jordan and Cam's new friends. Now we're headed to see an old family friend. Two things are making this travel work: cheese puffs and a thing called a Snak Trap. It has made feeding the girl snacks go relatively easy. It's especially funny when she sticks the cup on her little arm.

Having all kinds of fun in PA

I had no idea we could find a 5 year old who is SO much like my boy. Cam had a ton of fun playing with a new friend. We are enjoying a day off from travel and hanging out with new friends.

Not bad at this travel thing

Jordan is taking her second nap of the day in a very long multi-state drive. She's come across two challenges: not getting every toy she wants and not being able to pick up things she dropped to her left. Gross moment of the day: I gave her a chocolate chip granola bar. I look over and she had spit out the half chewed food and smeared it all over her. That was fun. I'm sticking to cheerios for snacks now.

Our adventure has begun

Cam and I went to the Lion King lqst night. It was an amazing show. Cam did a really good job, enjoyed the show and usually asked questions quietly. It's all he's talking about today... Along with asking what state are we in. Not quite "are we there yet" but close.

Fried

Why oh why oh why do I wait to pack until the last minute?

Why?

To make matters more interesting, I took the kids to a birthday party tonight after work. Jordan was already ready for bed when we get there. She was doing pretty well once she noticed there was pizza to eat.

So I've noticed something... And I wonder if I'm a bad parent. I go out of my way to encourage Jordan to move on her own. She walks into and out of school on her own most days. When we are walking in public, I try to get her to walk as much as possible. But she falls down sometimes... And when she falls in the wrong way, she could fall on her face if she isn't wearing her prosthetic. When she falls, I don't gasp, I don't flinch, I may not even spend a lot of time watching her fall. I encourage her to stand up... But I rarely pick her up and cuddle her. It's not that I'm a hard ass, I just want her to be able to get up and go. But it made me think when she took at tumble at the movie theater and a woman gasped. She gasped. Jordan fell and didn't even cry, but she did tumble onto her face. It happens. Maybe I'm just used to it and I don't feel the need to make a big deal.

I'm just not sure.

I do know that I'm blogging instead of packing up a BILLION DVDs to help make our road trip doable.

Drumroll please.....

No allergies!

Jordan's doctor emailed me and let me know that after the girl's blood was tested for many, many allergens it appears that she doesn't have any allergies. We can go back to feeding her normally again.

But that still leaves the question: What is going on?

Another good piece of news -- The poop factor isn't as gross at the point. Hopefully we can keep it this way and hope this was just some strange phase... Put it into our past.

Who knows.

Maybe popcorn is the answer

I watched an amazing thing happen yesterday. My daughter gorged on popcorn. She's didn't just eat a lot... She ate so much that I had to leave the movie to refill the popcorn tub. We took the family to see Ratatouille. It's a really sweet movie... But I don't really think it's the kind of movie that would have engaged Jordan that much. It has a real story line, there isn't that much super-silly stuff in it. It's just a really great story. Fantastic animation. And apparently, AWESOME popcorn.

So after Jordan ate and ate and ate... This morning, the diaper was the most normal I've seen in more than a month. A month! So apparently she needed an obsessive amount of fiber to help clear things up.

I don't really want to jinx things... But I was going to write how it looks like her intestinal issues were improving. After the popcorn incident, I think I'm comfortable to say that she might be okay. I'm still skeptical about returning to dairy products. I'll put that in the wait-and-see category for when her blood test comes back.

Anyway. Along with going to a movie, Jordan got to go to a pool party where she started getting comfortable in the pool with me. She also got to test out her new bike chariot. It will be a fun addition to our outdoor time during our vacation. I did learn that her bike helmet wasn't put on tight enough. Woops. Lesson learned.

Last day

Today is Jordan's last day in the baby side of her school... It has a separate entrance, key pad code... You have to take your shoes off to help keep the floors clean for the crawlers.

On Monday, she moves to the other side of the building with the "big kids."

I'm thrilled for her... But it's a little bittersweet because the women on the "other side" have been so wonderful to Jordan. She's been there since April of last year -- that's a lot of growth and struggle and joy. I've spent so much time with all of them.

I'm extra sad because when they change the key pad code, I won't be able to stop by and say hi. Wah. Growing up is hard to do.

UPDATE: She actually spent most of today in her new room... And she ROCKED it in there! She slept 2 hours and ten minutes during nap, she ate a ton of food during lunch and her teachers said she joined in the fun immediately. There's a view of the big kid playground outside the window -- She had to show that to me. The teachers seem to be really nice and attentive. I know one of them from time she spent teaching dance to Cam's preschool classes. They seem VERY attentive and thrilled to have Jordan there. That's really all I could ask for. Already I can tell how the environment is MUCH more like preschool and less like simple daycare. They have circle time, centers for playtime... A book reading area. It's all very exciting.

Also... Tonight we played in the backyard and she body flopped into the sand box AGAIN. But this time she also tried taking a bite out of the sand... And discovered it doesn't taste really good. I also let her run around the house naked for a while after her bath. She was so happy. She is SO lucky to be the second kid. I would have never allowed Cam a quick visit in a sandbox just due to the mess it comes with... And let him run around naked? Are you kidding me? He could have peed on the floor.

My attitude now: She has to take a bath anyway - why not play in the sand? If she pees on the floor? Oh well, hopefully it won't happen on an area rug.

Quick update

I took Jordan to have her blood drawn to get us closer to finding out if she has a food allergy (or some kind of allergy). No fun. We had to have three people to make it happen. I held her body. Another woman held her arm while another woman too Jordan's blood. Miss Jordan was pretty darn upset. Amazingly, she wasn't bruised... There's just a little mark.

It was a little strange though. I opened Jordan's arm and the lab technician started poking at her arm looking for a vein... And I said: "You only have one arm to work with. Good luck!" I don't know why, but I thought that was kind of funny.

Then it made me think... How does the blood flow through Jordan's arm. How does it work? I'm dying to know what's inside her little arm. Does she have a malformed elbow? What kind of muscle structure is at the base of her arm? I would LOVE to know more.

Happy 4th of July

Not much to say... But I watched Jordan help make this little holiday hat at school yesterday. It helped her look even more festive in her outfit.

Highlight of the day: Plopping my festively dressed girl in the sandbox... shoes and all. Then I watched her take a head dive into the sand and come up with the BIGGEST smile. If only she was happy when I had to get the sand out of her hair in the bath tub!

Sleepy

Here's a sweet sleepy moment I captured in the car last Sunday after the big zoo trip. I sat in the parking lot while the rest of the family got custard. I caught this shot on my cellphone.

Ick

The girl's intestinal issues aren't improving.

GROSS.

So we're going to start allergies tests on Thursday to figure out what's going on. We're close to a month of icky poops.

I have no experience in this kind of ongoing health problem. I'd like to say it's just teeth, but I don't know!

Here is a slideshow of our big zoo trip over the weekend:

As usual, if you can't see these pictures, you're welcome to join in on the fun at Flickr.

It may be the fourth of July tomorrow, but Jordan's PT is kindly coming over to help fit lifts for her newest non-sandal shoes. I'm still pretty bummed she can't wear her favorite shoes. Maybe I'll sneak them on our vacation so she can wear them a couple of times.

We're working in the newsroom tomorrow... Not a full day, so hopefully we'll have a fun holiday at some point in the day. We're thinking about calling it a "hol" or "iday" since it won't be a full holiday.

Zoo fun!

Jordan got to go to the zoo today!! She went when she was WAY too young to really understand where she was. This was the first time Jordan could enjoy it. Not only did she get to enjoy it, she also got to spend more time with her Uncle Barry. We also learned some interesting thing about Jordan.

She likes animals... She loves animals. She's not a huge fan of animals when they're really up close. But giraffes, monkeys and hippos from a far distance are awesome. She was exhausted after today's adventure. I'm going to upload a TON of pictures. There one that I think is really cool. She's walking in a crowd with her Dad. Just walking. Very simple. But it's beautiful to me. Just beautiful.

Trying this out

So we're planning a vacation... A big one. It's bigger than ever. So I'm seeing how possible it is to blog from my phone. You never know when you need to speak your mind from inside a minivan full of food, clothes, camping gear and two strong-willed children. But I did discover the Google Maps downloadable map program for my Treo. It even has traffic maps! I am excited by the littlest things.

18 Months Old!!

It's Jordan's half birthday!! It's just amazing to think about what a big girl she is turning into. We had Jordan's 6 month IFSP meeting this morning: Individualized Family Service Plan as part of the state's First Steps program. We are going to cut down on our PT time (we were approved for 2-3 appointments a week) and we're going to continue the two OT appointments a week.

Another big deal event happened today. Jordan started making the transition to her new classroom. It's full of 18 to 24 month olds. All of the kids walk and play at a level that Jordan needs to reach. She knows a few of the kids really well so I think she'll be excited about that. I will miss the wonderful teachers she's had in the 12-18 month old room. They have been so incredible with my girl. But I'm glad she's making the move just so she can be around older kids who can challenge her physically.

Jordan isn't screaming as much as she did last month. She's finding words and using a few more signs. She is still very clingy in a loving, but challenging way. For some reason, when I gear up to cook, Jordan turns up around a leg demanding I pick her up. I actually cooked an entire meal with her in the hiking backpack just so she'd stop begging! She is still a Mama's girl... But she's also getting much more excited about her Daddy. In the past week, she's been much more interested in him. As we drive home, she starts giggling and yelling "Dada!" She squeals when she sees him. She kisses him on demand more often. She also smooches her brother more often. As we drop him off at school, Jordan always walks over to him and gives him a kiss. She seems to be pretty proud of that. I think Cam is proud of it too.

Jordan is talking so much. She's very interested in making dog noises. Her favorites are monkey and dog noises. But she can make all kinds of other animal noises on demand. She can also copy a bunch more. You should hear her say 'moo.' I should try to get some audio of it. Classic stuff. Colors aren't that exciting to her yet... But she is starting to get excited over Dr. Seuss's book on colors.

My girl is becoming more self-reliant... But she's still trying to ask me to carry her around. I'm doing my best to help her but also encourage her to give it a try on her own. She's trying very hard to play just like her brother. Any toy he has is better than the one she has... Standard younger sibling stuff. She knows what she wants: His stuff. We're hearing the world "MINE" more. It will make our future road trip very loud.

We spent most of the past month dealing with intestinal issues... They aren't resolved yet. I'm hoping her final 6 teeth might come in and clear things up... But Jordan's made it clear that teeth making is a slow and mysterious process for her. We're going to have to get her prosthetic fixed for her growing arm... And we're going to need to get lifts back into her shoes to help straighten out her legs and flatten out her feet. But with all of the challenges, she's growing and thriving!

Who knows what kind of amazing tales we'll tell in the next month!

Dang it

My girl
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom

So I had kind of hoped Jordan had a parasite so we had an answer to her health issues. No luck. Her kind doctor emailed the results to me tonight as I asked for more ideas on how to stop these ickies. Her diaper messes got worse today. It's just exhausting and stinky. I can only hope that this is because of her teeth and it will end when those final six pop through. She is 18 months. They should be here any day now! Shouldn't they?

Along with that, I think she's growing out of her prosthetic. She got it 8 months ago and it doesn't seem to fit right. Her arm looks a little folded when you take it out of it. I'm going to try and get a picture of that "fold" so the prosthetic company can see the challenge. They may be able to grind out some more space for the prosthetic so Jordan can feel more comfortable.

Along with that, I talked to Jordan's physical therapist today... And the sweet sandals that Jordan loves... aren't helping Jordan's legs. Apparently they're bowing out because Jordan still isn't walking with her feet flat. So she needs lifts... And it's hard to get a lift to work with sandals. Poor baby. So I have to get leather shoes that fit... and if we can get the state program to pay for it, we could get a plastic mold for Jordan's feet in the sandals. For now, I'm going to have to find size 5 leather shoes. I just bought her canvas, but I was told leather is the best way to truly hold her feet in place. Dang it. Nothing is easy. I know we should count our blessings. She's incredible and we're lucky to just deal with these kind of challenges. But dang it. Why can't my little girl who LOVES shoes just wear the shoes she loves? I know it's a bigger deal to me than to her. But the little things like that... It just sucks.

But she's walking. She's walking A LOT. And she has no fear. And I am so damned proud of her.

I promise not to drone on this topic for long

But I really, really, really, really, really want an iPhone to play with... And there's no way on earth that I can afford it. I already spent money on a Treo. I love my Treo. But I love this phone. Here's more proof:

I will not discuss the iPhone again until I miraculously own one someday.

I'm adding some nerd talk

So... I found this cool thing:

I'm a Firefox user and this is a really cool add-on. It helps create a profile and gives the parent the opportunity to design what their kids can or cannot do online. It's super user friendly and I'm very excited. Plus, I got in on the fun early enough that I was able to get usernames that were close to the kids' names. It even has a pre-reader setting. I love it. I love it and I haven't even been able to completely set it up.

Oh how I love nerdy things.

She climbs!

I looked away in the backyard for one moment... And suddenly I look up and Jordan is on the first rung of the treehouse ladder. I rush over and spotted her as she climbed all the way up on her own.

Success!! She was very proud. I'm nervous. Cam would have never climbed that ladder at 18 months old. Never. I'm not sure what kind of danger is in our future... But this girl is brave.

Watch our weekend

Here's a slideshow of our weekend. We had a blast! The slideshow should work... but if it doesn't, ask to be my Flickr friend and you'll have all kinds of photos to watch.

The pictures just make me smile... And I LOVE the new camera we bought for the station's website! I'm somehow going to find time to learn how to really use these Nikons!

Fun in the sun

Fun and exiting weekend for Miss Jordan. She got to play in water, with bubbles and we restocked the sandbox... So she went CRAZY with that.

Unfortunately, she also learned that throwing sand with her brother leads to a very unhappy bathtub experience. It may take days to be sure I actually get all of the sand out.

She had a ball though. Her grandparents were in town so she had more people to kiss and flirt with. And the words! Oh my gosh the words. I discovered this weekend that she knows the word 'bubbles' and 'MINE' and she can sing "row row row..." when you sing Row Row Row Your Boat. She rocks back and forth and sings "row row row!" It's adorable. She's never joined in on singing a song with me before. I love it. I swear she's trying to repeat sentences like "I love you" and "I'm going to get you." It's fun. The hard part: She's starting to get into little battles with her brother. As her grandparents and I said today: It's ON. The challenge of brother versus sister is ON. Heck, Jordan was telling Bubba the dog that the toy he was sniffing was "MINE!"

Yesterday I had this awesome moment. I was smiling and enjoying the day to my inner core. Suddenly I had to think about what day it was... I had this amazing and peaceful realization that it was Saturday. We had one more day to play. I was so excited that I grabbed Randy to set up our big tent in the backyard. We slept out in the backyard with Cam while Jordan and her grandparents slept inside. We'll experiment with Jordan camping when we actually get to the campgrounds. It'll be great -- Maybe not a lot of sleep, but it will be great!

Ahhhh. The weekend.

Thank goodness it's the weekend! It's been a long one for some reason.

Miss Jordan's grandparents are here to spend some time with us. Thank goodness they were here -- I needed to get Jordan into the doctor since her gross and unexplainable diaper issues continue to wreak havoc on her bottom and clothing. I was able to get time with our doctor... But it was only 50 minutes before I needed to be at a graduate student's project dissertation. My in-laws were kind enough to wait and wait and wait to see the doctor (since I had to leave before she came into our exam room). But lucky me (and I'll try not to get graphic)... I get to scoop poop into various container so they can be sure she doesn't have a parasite. Nice, huh? Everything about Jordan is totally okay... Actually great. She's 23 pounds, 3 ounces!! I just wish we could figure out why her intestines aren't doing their job properly (and we're heading into our third week of this issue).

We did enjoy some time at another t-ball game. She also enjoyed a dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants. It doesn't have a kiddie menu, so I ordered catfish and garlic mashed potatoes. I figured I'd just share. Official discovery: She LOVES garlic mashed potatoes. She grabbed a spoon and just dug in. It was awesome.

We really enjoyed another t-ball game once Cameron calmed down (he didn't get a nap and was VERY cranky). Jordan was walking all over the place, laughing, drinking water and playing with anything and everything. I really like how the entire crowd is used to Jordan and even laughed about how she was suctioning a water bottle cap onto her little arm. You can see her playing with it in that picture. She really will play with anything with the little arm... That's when I had to take the potatoes away at dinner: She took a spoonful and started smearing it into her arm. Messy. But it must have created an amazing feeling. I can't wait to have the chance to ask her what things feel like on the base of her arm compared to her hand. That will be fascinating.

Weekend dancing

I was sitting at the dinner table with the kids on Sunday. We were listening to music off of my computer when this ROCKING song from the Bottle Rockets came on. Cam started dancing in his seat and not eating. So I told him that if he ate a couple of bites, I would stop everything and dance with him.

So we danced and Jordan joined in on the fun. It was so awesome I grabbed the camera that was closest to me: the cellphone. So here was a sweet dancing moment:

If that doesn't work, click here.

Another great moment happened at dinner tonight. We grill up corn every once and a while. The last few times I just cut the corn off for Jordan to eat. My mom convinced me to just give Jordan a hunk of corn. So I did.



She chowed down. She loved it. We giggled.

Subtle staring

When you walk by Jordan when she wears her myo, she looks a little muscular on one side -- the prosthetic is a little wider than a standard little girl's arm. Then you have to look a little closer to notice the arm is permanently bent at an almost 90-degree angle. Then you notice the hand -- it's very doll like. And since it's the summer, it's also strangely white compared to her other tan arm (I swear I use sunscreen, she just tans easily).

Now that Jordan walks most of the time, I have time to enjoy walking a bit more. I look around more to make sure there aren't any dangers for Jordan to walk into. And since Cam is attending new school for the summer, there are a lot of new faces to see and meet. So kids do double takes, adults stare just a little... Standard stuff. I just wish more people would feel comfortable to ask what's going on. It took almost half of the t-ball season for parents to feel comfortable enough to ask what happened. The funniest reaction: "I'm so glad it wasn't something like cancer!"

I guess every new stage for Jordan is a new stage for me as well. I interact with the public a little differently. I'm very comfortable talking about Jordan. I also thank children who ask what happened to her. I thank grown ups who are brave enough to ask as well. I just hate grown ups who stare. I really hate grown ups who try to get away because they don't have the nerve to ask.

I heard about a new term on a blog recently: Disablism. It's like racism, ageism, sexism. There's a growing discussion about how disabled isn't the end of the world and more people need to lighten up. My brother-in-law left this article out for me to read the last time we came to visit. Look at the lead picture. It's fantastic. Jordan's arm doesn't define who she is and I just wish the uncomfort that follows people who see her with or without her prosthetic would fade away. If I could, I'd put Jordan in her "Dude. Where's my arm?" shirt every day. It defines our attitude. Get over it folks! Look at her! She's incredible. She's beautiful. She's JUST RIGHT!!!

Finally, a little video

I know. She's been walking for 3 weeks and I haven't captured the right moment on video. So while the kids and I were sweating it out at the local gardens near our house, I shot a little video of Jordan walking. It was WAY too hot to put her into her myoelectric arm for the first time in almost a week. It seems a bit mean to remind her of the weight and then expect her to sweat it up at the same time. Anyway. Here's the video:

If you can't see it, click here.

I was a little focused on trying to get a sweet flower picture with the kids together... But it was WAY too hot even though it was 9 in the morning! Not to mention, Jordan will NOT let me pose her in any way shape or form. Cam is NOT interested in following the girl around for the possibility that I can capture a great sibling shot. AHHHHHH!

Jordan got to hang out with Daddy while I planted new plants in the front yard this afternoon (I'm a glutton for punishment in this heat). After I wrapped up my work and took a shower, Jordan cuddled with me like I had been gone for a month. It was incredibly sweet. There's no doubt, my girl loves me as much as I love her.

It's back

Jordan's prosthetic is back and she'll be able to start wearing it again tomorrow. She will be the proud owner of a prosthetic with a new glove! The "skin" is clean again!

Miss Jordan is walking better than ever. It's pretty exciting. But her tummy isn't improving. The BRAT diet only led to a really gross diaper problem... A different problem than comes from eating standard food. So I'm a bit stumped on what to do. I kind of think we're just going to have to play this out by ear until those teeth actually push through. It has to happen soon!

Battery failure

Jordan's battery on her prosthetic just flat out failed. So it should be back home by tomorrow for her using enjoyment again. She has been pretty uninterested in using the passive prosthetic. It isn't heavy and she can move it around more... But she's been pretty off balance using it.

I guess I didn't realize how she actually has come to rely on her prosthetic. It gives her a center of balance. It also gives her some substance to hold onto things. At the same time, she's really good at holding on to items with her little arm... And her chin. The chin has become a really important holding point on her body -- it helps her turn things around or temporarily hold something on its way to her little arm. It's amazing to watch. I really need to capture a bit more video of her walking and holding skills!

At the same time, Jordan is gooky. Her nose is running, she's coughing a lot. No fever and I still am pretty sure it's because she's making the many teeth she still needs to grow. Either way, all that mucus is causing a lot of really icky diaper problems. I've got her on the BRAT diet again, but I haven't seen much improvement. I might return to bland, but non-BRAT food. I can't quite decide.

Woot!

I rebuilt the page. I think it's kind of cool. I'll keep working on it... But it seemed silly that I hadn't built my own blog header. Yeehaw.

Uncle Barry time

We just got back from visiting with Uncle Barry. Jordan had a ton of fun smiling and playing and watching all of the dogs barking in the neighborhood.

A couple of funny stories during the trip:
About ten minutes into the visit, I went outside to get the diapers and bags out of the car. I heard Jordan crying in the house and figured she was just mad I wasn't there. When I get in, everyone appeared to be in crisis mode. It turns out Jordan was crying because she got into a pan of paint. She had paint on her legs and on her arms... But it hasn't made it to the face or hair before she was rescued. No harm done other than forgetting to bring the painted clothing home.

Jordan spent time on a school playground with Cam and Uncle Barry while I took pictures. She wanted to climb and climb and climb. There was also a ramp that was on an incline that challenged her. She would go up and down and up and down and up and down. By the time we left, she could walk up the incline without using the railing. She could get about halfway down before reaching for the railing. She is braver than ever before.

Jordan has one pair of shoes that keep her ankles steady when she walks. I've really wanted to get her sandals as well. So I took her to my favorite kiddie shoe store. We found a sweet pair of sandals that have a bit of ankle support. The employee handed me the sample shoe and Jordan immediately reached out to see it. She grabbed it and started trying to put it on. She loved that shoe. She hated having her feet measured. But once we put that sandal on, she was sooooo happy. It turns out she wears a size 5, but her trainer shoe that's a 4 still fits for a little while longer. So after we bought her new sandals, she kept lifting her feet up to check out her shiny new shoes. She LOVES them. She'd giggle and stare at her feet. I swear I didn't teach her to like shoes. It's just a natural love. It's amazing. It was so sweet. When we got back to Uncle Barry's house, she would lift her foot up to show off the shoe. Hilarious stuff.

Two different schools

I'm trying to get my brain around the concept that Jordan will be my only child in daycare. She's going to move up to the "other side" of the building in a month or two. That alone is more proof that my "baby" is growing up. Logically, I know she's a toddler. I know she has strong opinions, many words and fits pretty well in 18 month old clothing. Those are all signs about how big she is.

I actually stood in line to get into a clothing resale shop tonight to buy a few 2T outfits for the fall and winter. I figured filling a $5 bag full of resale clothes couldn't hurt. I passed up an outfit because it looked too tall. Complete denial of my child's continuing growth.

Is that a bad thing?

Other signs of growth. Jordan is trying really hard to climb stuff. Without her arm on, she tries to get up the ladder that gets you to the top of our treehouse/swingset in the backyard. She likes going down our tall and fast slide (with me guiding her down a bit slower).

Something bad happened to Jordan's prosthetic arm. It doesn't work at all and the on/off switch is kind of pushed into the arm. I'm pretty bummed since I was able to get new straps to help hold it up better onto her arm. I was hoping that would help trigger the hand to open and close more. Alas. Not yet.

Fun with pictures

I had another chance to play with the station's new Nikon D70s. So here are some pictures I took of the girl while her brother played a t-ball game:



Fun Fun FUN! I have all kinds of pictures on Flickr but you have to be my Flickr friend to see it!!

She's full of waves

The girl stayed up late tonight and went to Cam's big t-ball game. She is so happy to just play around the grass, rocks and pull all the stuff out of her diaper bag.

Her hair is growing and the longer it gets, it just gets wilder. CRAZY. I have no clue what to do with it. She hates bows and hats. So I'll just let her live it up in her happy, curly ways.

I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to actually go to bed at a normal time tonight.

A fun day at the park

We spent the day at an event called Art in the Park. We got to see cool art, eat yummy food and watch the kids play. The best part for Jordan was a huge sand area to play. She was almost swimming in it. She was a mess and I didn't care.

We had a few interesting moments while we were playing. While Cam was getting his face painted, Jordan and I chased each other around her stroller. A woman who was working with the face paint booth told me she remembered seeing Jordan at a theater event this spring and said she thought Jordan is as beautiful as ever. With any other kid I'd think they were joking about remembering a child from an event from months ago... But Miss Jordan is memorable. And honestly, it was a sweet comment about my girl.

But I had another situation with a little child that I'm a bit stumped on how to handle.. Especially since it keeps happening. A little girl who was probably around three years old walked up to Jordan from behind and started touching Jordan's arm. Jordan was tired from all of the excitement and didn't like being touched. The only thing I could say to the little girl was -- "It feels just like your arm. There's nothing different, it's just smaller." The little girl asked where Jordan's elbow was -- which I thought was kind of cute. She was more worried about the elbow than the hand. That was new. I gave her the standard "that's how she was born." Her mom said "and that makes her really special." How do I keep kids from touching Jordan's arm? How do I help Jordan react well when she is touched when she gets older enough to let kids know that she will be their friend but she doesn't want to be touched? I want Jordan to be approachable. But I don't want to her to feel violated.

Could I be leading my girl astray?

For the first time in my 17-month-old's life, I let her watch almost an entire hour of Sesame Street. She sat on my lap while the whole family gathered in our bed. She kept pointing and saying "baby!" The theme was about babies and what it's like being an older sibling. Cam was even engaged.

But here's the thing. I haven't really plopped the girl in front of the television before at home. She's watched DVDs in the car during a long car ride, but never at home. By this age, Cam was a pro. But Cam turned into one of those kids who zones out with the television on. When he was little, he'd throw such a tantrum when I turned off the tv that I just stopped turning it on. Nowadays Cam has to earn 30 minutes each day. That's pretty much it. So Jordan loses out. She watched about 50 minutes this morning and she was so engaged. She learned about the letter E and the number 17. She watched all kinds of people talk about babies. She loved pointing out the babies.

Should I Tivo Sesame Street so she can learn more some other day? Is she falling behind because she hasn't worked on colors and numbers like Cam did... Especially since we've spent so much time getting her gross motor skills up to speed? I know this is silly, but my boy knew his colors at 18 months. That's before they really teach that kind of stuff at school. It's silly for me to expect Jordan to understand colors at the same age. It isn't normal. But for some reason, I open that little baby color book every morning for her to read just in case her mind can grasp onto the concept of colors as early as her brother.

Did I mention Jordan demands to read books in her crib every morning before I can get her out and change her diaper and clothes? She loves to page through her bwa-bwas. (Yeah. She calls a book "bwa-bwa")

Did I mention that the closer Jordan comes to being a full-time walker, the more personality comes out? She's dynamic. She loves to interact with people, but she's wary of strangers at first. She'll actually hide into my legs. If she's comfortably walking, she'll drop down into scooting mode if she feels crowded by a stranger. She also loves to say hi. She is starting to talk to people on the phone! But as she grows more independent, she still loves me with all of her heart and soul. It's incredible to watch the joy in her face when I walk in. It's so great to get the hugs and cuddles when I pick her up! She is such a sweetheart.

Did I mention she'll kiss Mommy, Daddy and Cam on demand. She'll even kiss the phone when asked while we talk to family members.

Did I mention that Jordan is SO into using the word "no." It's comical. I'll tell her it's time to go upstairs. She says no. I ask her if she wants a snack. She says no. Any sentence that ends in a questioning tone leads to Jordan saying no. Most of the time, she really means it. She wants to do her own thing unless she wants me to get involved. It's FASCINATING to watch her become her own person. Cam made this transition so rapidly, I'm gobbling up the process of watching Jordan grow.

Another attempt at nerdiness

So there is a cool slideshow program I found using public Flickr pictures. I don't have many public anymore!!

Jordan walking!

Jordan walking!
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom

I finally caught an action shot of the girl walking. I'm so proud.

During Cam's pre-kindergarten graduation, I basically let Jordan run free. I trust the families who have kids at the school, we were sitting near the back and her favorite teachers were there keeping an eye on her. She wasn't disruptive, she was just enjoying this whole entire walking life.

It was AWESOME to watch. You know, it was also just special to see other Moms who were as thrilled as I was to watch her moving and grooving with such ease. They know how hard Jordan has worked. It feels nice to have support everywhere I turn.