The weather in STL has been strangely warm, with highs 20 degrees above normal into the 70's. Unfortunately, the unexpected weather will soon be replaced by a huge winter storm right on the day Bella and I are scheduled to fly home. When my mother heard this on the weather report, she jumped on the chance to try to convince us to stay a few days later to avoid the inclement weather. With a few short phone calls and $100 later, Bella and I were booked on a later flight a few days after the storm.
Grandpa and Grandma have loved every moment of Bella's presence. They relish in all her newfound talents, her many quirks, and are astonished by how much she has progressed since their last visit with her in Hawaii. Thinking back at just 3 months earlier, I, too am amazed at how far she has come.
Motor Skills: Bella is now a full-fledged toddler, filled with boundless energy and insatiable curiousity. She digs into anything she gets her mits on, only now, if something is dangerous, she obediently backs off if we tell her, "danger! danger!" Her hands are quite agile; she is able to remove and replace water bottle caps (something she has be persistently practicing for several months), she pulls up her sleeves when I tell her we're washing our hands, she turns on/off all types of light switches (even the dimmer lights that require turning). Simple tasks like these that we as adults take for granted are huge achievements for her quickly developing hands.
Language Development: Not only is Bella's comprehension of language growing exponentially, but her vocabulary grows daily. I haven't kept close tabs, but she probably says nearly 10 single-syllable words like, fish, water ("wah"), giraffe ("raffe"), hi, bye, hot, and lights. Recently she's learned the word balloon - her latest obsession. Somehow she's also developed a keen radar for spotting them, shrieking in delight and pointing to them even if they're obscured by large objects. She nods her head yes or no when we ask whether she wants to do things like, watch Sesame Street, take a bath, or go outside. It's true that she's really starting to develop her own sense of autonomy and is able to express her individual wants and needs.
Social/Emotional Development: Speaking of needs, our time together in STL has given me the opportunity to spend a lot of quality one-on-one time with Bella. This time together is precious, but as our bond grows tighter, Bella becomes more needy of me. She increasingly fears that I will leave her alone with Grandpa, which she doesn't mind as much, or with Grandma who eagerly tries to feed her so she follows my every step - even into the bathroom where my privacy is a thing of the past. When I sit to watch TV, she saunters over and sits in my lap as if to assure that I won't leave without her knowing.
During our time in STL, my friend Lydia came to visit with her husband and two daughters. Bella had a blast with her new friends, Faith and Naomi! Here are some pictures of their visit:
Bella holds tightly to her baby seal but then decides to share him with Naomi.
Faith and Naomi jam on the organ (one of the many old relics left in my parents circa 1980's home)
Bella shows Naomi the fish tank and then stops to pose with mommy
The girls sit nicely for the camera for a split second before scattering in separate directions
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