All Things Elina

In no particular order and updated often:

  • She still loves to dance just before nighttime!
  • She loves to take long showers, sometimes two big people like ones – I take one with her then daddy takes one, and to get her out we just gotta turn off the shower
  • Then she runs upstairs for bunny
  • She loves a hot shower – really a hot hot shower
  • She picks which tooth brush she’d like to brush with nightly – the Tigger one or the Flinstone one – most often, its Fred Flintstone!
  • She’s got a big heart
  • She’s empathetic – feels what you feel!
  • She likes to take the same route to daycare
  • She loves the city transit
  • She loves broccoli stems (sometimes asks me to eat off the top and give her the tree part)
  • She’s got wild hair
  • When did we stop having to burp her?
  • According to Elina …. All trains go to Oshawa
  • According to Elina …. All planes go to Thunder Bay
  • She keeps on asking to return to St. Lucia
  • She then says, why don’t we go to Cuba?!
  • When did she start to like icecream?
  • When did she start to like and eat chocolate?
  • Where did she learn about lolipops?
  • Daddy’s doing a great job teaching Elina some Norwegian – she knows about 40+ words!!
  • She still loves toast with peanut butter or some waffle/french toast for breakfast
  • With daddy she eats cheese and bread, actually, she’ll eat anything daddy eats!
  • She loves Dora
  • She knows a few words in spanish- thanks to Dora – who, did I mention she really loves
  • She’s going on a vacation after Christmas – someplace hot like “Cuba”
  • Her best friends are Dean and Connor, she has a few best friends at daycare, Madison and Ronan, and mostly has boy friends.
  • Daddy picks her up and they take a bus home together, mommy drops her off at daycare.
  • She doesn’t like to talk on the phone
  • She walks to daycare now – no stroller
  • She moved from her toddler bed to a big bed, a daybed from Ikea.
  • Colors…hmmm…I think she’s yanking our chains…she goes through all colors of the rainbow sometimes, and 75% of the time gets the right color…yes, she’s yanking my chain
  • She wears some size 4
  • She no longer fits size 24 months :(
  • She loves Japanese food – well sort of – not the sushi in particular – but the edamame beans (soy beans), miso soup, teryaki chicken, rice, veggies, etc.
  • Oh my gosh, she’s detail oriented, likes to have things in a specific way – i.e. take off bottle lid at bedtime and place it in a quite specific spot on her bedside table!
  • She still hasn’t got her colors down packed.
  • I asked her the other day as we were getting ready to go out “what’s that noise?”, (and the funice just kicked in – turned on ) to which she replied .. “its the furnace…” – like Hello!!!
  • Fine tunes into sounds and her surrounding – looking at birds and spiders and towers and such!
  • Straightened my hair the other day, she asked if she could touch it, which she did, and then said I like it – amazing eh? The processes in her little developing brain!!
  • If the old wives tale of…measuring at 2 years of age and doubling that to be an approximate height at her peak, Elina will be 6 feet tall (186 cm) The myth says a bit more for boys and a little less for girls! Wowzie!!
  • She’s finally getting two more teeth, bringing her entire total to 14 teeth!!
  • Her red wagon is been wonderful to transport her back and forth to daycare
  • Her cousins in Norway sent her a watch, a cow watch which she lllllllllloves
  • She’s got long bangs, and only occasionally lets me put ponies or barrets in her hair
  • At 2 years old she still has only 12 visible teeth – she’s got a 13th poking through the top, one of those eye teeth – Ped. says not to worry as it could only indicate that they will only fall out later and for us, only 12 teeth to try to brush!!
  • She calls a muffin a “fuffin”
  • She calls her daddy – Herman sometimes, and I quickly correct her
  • She loves icecubes!(broken small enough for her to eat them safely)
  • She still walks on her tippy-toes
  • Her first complete sentence – “Mommy I need a pooooon” (spoon).
  • She makes circles in the elevator when we’re going up or down
  • She wiggles when she walks and runs
  • She head butts the cats to say hello – just like cats do to humans
  • She says oi!!
  • She signs the “change diaper” sign – helpful!! (taps diaper area)
  • She repeats daddy’s “yea yea yea”
  • She puts hands on cheeks and say “Oh Nooooo!!”
  • She still helps setting the table
  • She still takes 3 bottles a day am, at nap at daycare and to bed! – hey…milk, isnt’ it good for you.
  • She loves to brush her teeth, calls the toothbrush – “bee” “bush”
  • She loves to hug trees
  • She stops to smell the flowers
  • She loves Dean
  • She loves Raffi!! – Baby Beluga, Banana Phone and “I’ll always come up with I love you…yaya ya yaya yaya yayaya”
  • When she hears a song she likes, she’ll listen to it again and again and again!!
  • Sleeping wonderfully!
  • Hard to hear at difference between – please, cheese and juice
  • She loves her Dadddeeee – even calls me (her mommy, Dadddeeee!
  • She loves her gramma!!!
  • She doesn’t like candy!
  • She travelled well, added Cuba to her passport (already contains Norway)
  • She’s a little chatterbox, saying the cutest things!
  • She’s still a very picky eater!
  • She loves her green veggies – broccoli, spinich, beans, and asperagus
  • She loves mommy’s supper juice – organge and grapefruit mixed
  • She loves broccoli – its the stem first then the tree part
  • She loves a bit teaspoon of peanutbutter
  • She’s growing up tooooo fast!!!
  • Her mommy fell last week and twisted her ankle – right after dropping her off – thank goodness!
  • She’s fully recovered from the gastro thing..
  • When we pack (on backpack) from daycare to subway station – she likes to touch all the “trees” (honestly…she says and makes the sign for trees then wants to actually touch them.
  • She said a 3 word sentence the other week – “Mama, more cracker”
  • Her staple diet – crackers
  • She still doesn’t like meat
  • I have tricked her into eating small pieces of ham and liver paté if you could believe
  • She eats with a spoon and a fork.
  • She alternates between showing us animals in books by making the appropriate sound or actually naming the animal – One day, Ruff Ruff, one day Dog!
  • She still goes to bed quite easily, eat, video, play, tubby, bottle, dance, lights out!!
  • She’s a fantastic subway rider
  • She sings and finishes the ends of songs. Mom – “Twinkle Twinkle Little…” – Elina “STAAR!”
  • She’s a year and a half – 18 months!
  • She says “aash” for something yukky (norwegian phrase)
  • She sometimes says “nei” to any question
  • She says “no” to any question
  • She says 3 word phrases, i.e. “mama more cracker”
  • She finishes the following…Old McDonald had a farm, with E,I,E,I,O
  • She put out her own light when its time to go to sleep – putters in her bed, in the dark for about 15-20 minutes before falling to sleep
  • She’s eating alot better
  • She’s ticklish on her belly
  • She sleeps now consistently from 7:30 to 7:30, give or take an hour or so at the end
  • She still is a climber
  • She knows when she’s not supposed to be doing something
  • She knows cat, cow, sheep, dog, fish sound
  • She talks – babbles her own little language
  • During tubby, she doesn’t mind the water, blows bubbles in the water and lies on her belly and back occasionally!
  • I measured her at 82 cm today (she grew 6 cm since her 12 month appointment)
  • She said “nei nei nei” (Norwegian for no no no!!)
  • She takes directions easily – “go give this to Pappa” and she does
  • She’s sleeping through the night better and better – had a little adjustment with the daylight savings time fall back in time
  • She lost little tickle bunny – it was left on the subway this week
  • She walks down the stairs (holding onto railing) but in the standing position (not crawling down the stairs)
  • She still has only 6 teeth
  • She’s doing a few more baby signs – “thank you” (hand from under chin and opening towards you), “bird” – (kind of like making a little beak with your thumb, index and middle fingers at your mouth), “cat” (outlining whiskers) to name a few
  • She llllllllllllloves her Ticklebunny (she’s got both – the little one travels!)
  • Her favorite funny sign is “crazy in the head” – it should have been “hat” in sign (tapping the head”) but she says it sometimes at the oddest times -it just fits!
  • She’s said many many words, numerous to mention – she’s a little copycat!
  • She did the motions to “You Do the Hokie-Pokie”
  • She’s Ojibway and Norwegian, guess that makes her “Ojiborwegian”
  • She’s beginning the “jiggerish” talk
  • She threw her first temper tantrum in the mall today!!
  • She liked the sound of fallen leaves under her feet
  • She’s got 8 teeth – in varying degrees of growth (and that I can see)
  • She’s continuing with the jibberish talk
  • She uses sign language
  • She loves dogs – which she calls puppies
  • She loves to dance to music
  • She still loves Baby Einstein!
  • She still wakes once in the night – sleeps through the night once a week (thank goodness)
  • She’s stood for 31 seconds the other day – still not walking!
  • She’s still a bit of a picky self-eater
  • She’s not starting wholemilk yet, perhaps in a few more months!
  • She’s eaten eggs, peanutbutter, strawberries without any problems
  • She loves to make spittywet “raspberries”
  • She swam in the north sea
  • She has a passport
  • She is taking swimming lessons
  • She loves the water
  • She did the “sign” for Milk
  • She loves to dance to music
  • She loves to sing to music
  • She loves to feed herself
  • Her favorite food is cheese
  • Her other favorite food is cheese!
  • She’s hit her head so many times from her “cruising” (walking along furniture)
  • She loves to picnic – and play with her stroller
  • I’m sure she said “cat” today
  • She’s love to copy what your doing – today she was clucking her mouth
  • She gives the cutest kisses
  • She’s understanding “No” – she’s been pulling at the cable and telephone cords on the wall
  • She loves to look at herself in the mirror
  • She’s learning to walk with her new walker toy!
  • Her first sign was … “more” and “together” and she reacted first to “milk”
  • She uses baby sign language using american sign language
  • She stood alone while I was at work
  • She still loves being with her friend Connor
  • She still loves Baby Einstein tapes…
  • She’s got the cutest little fake laugh
  • She’s cruising – and has bonked her bean (hit her head) several times after falling
  • She crawls up a storm
  • She still takes one bottle in the middle of the night – sigh!!
  • She crawls – on all 4’s
  • She signed “bubbles”
  • She pushes the buttons to operate our elevator (knows #4)
  • She recognizes areas now..i.e. the park, then gets all excited
  • She loves the swing
  • She loves birds, dogs, other kids
  • She babbles and sings – ALL THE TIME
  • She loves to stand in the crib
  • She crawled on Mothers Day and her 9th month date
  • She seems to like feeding herself – more chunky food
  • She’s back to not eating well again
  • She’s beginning to love cereals!
  • She still hates fruit!
  • She still loves sweet potatoes, everything I give her must be disguised in sweet potatoes
  • She loves the swing in the park
  • She likes to share her toys with other friends, but mostly like her other friends stuff!
  • She says “mama”, “dada”, “baba”, alot of gurgling and baby noise…
  • She still rolllllls, but has been tucking legs under belly but not going much further than that
  • She rollllllllls, anywhere and everywhere.
  • She’s tried peas, beans and loves pears!
  • She doesn’t like carrots anymore (always comes back up and I have stained two favorite shirts in bright orange)
  • Her favorite toys are the Luckson Cuddly Rabbit, the Lamaze Bright Friends Collection: Freddie the Firefly, and Lamaze Bright Friends Collection: Lamaze: Trotter the Pony
  • She loves to sing! Shania Twain is her favorite singer…really…I’ll show you sometimes how she reacts to her “UP” song
  • She’s gone through to squash and carrots – loved them both!
  • She started her first “solid” food – sweet potato today – Feb 26, 2004
  • She attend baby & mom yoga
  • She’s signed up for Salsa baby (& mom) dance lessons
  • She loves playing with her feet!
  • She has started eating cereal (January 31, 2004)
  • She has a new car seat (grown out of first one) – an Eddie Bauer 3-In-1 Car Sea(good till 80 pounds) (hers is blue and black)
  • A second tooth is slowly coming through her gums
  • She sits up unassisted, still a little floppy but finding her balance…slowly!
  • She has a new stroller – a Zooper Air Walk
  • She has her first tooth – Dec 26
  • She razzes (burring wet sound with lips)
  • She has and uses a Jolly Jumper
  • She almost sits up on her own
  • She sucks her thumb – it used to be all 4 fingers but she’s decided on just one thumb!
  • Her nick name is Ellie, or Snippa, or Princess Ellie or Snippa when she’s fussy!
  • Elina means…”Shining light”
  • She points with her pointer fingers – really
  • She burps like she means it
  • The nurses called her “Blueberry” in the hospital – they were in season and she was bluish (due to bruising) when born!
  • She likes her gums rubbed (early teething I suppose)
  • She laughed out loud
  • Her eyes will probably be brown
  • Her hair is brown
  • She’s bottle fed
  • She can lift her head slightly and move it from side to side! – just like the book says she could do at this time
  • She grunts when waking up or just as she’s falling to sleep
  • She squeels after eating
  • She hiccups
  • Her belly button is an “outie”
  • Her belly button turned into an “innie”
  • She needs a napkin or tissue when eating, she likes to drool a bit
  • She likes music – Mozart for Babies especially
  • She doesn’t mind noise while sleeping
  • She talks up a storm – favorite saying…”a gaa blue blug”
  • She ate every 3 hours until 10.5 weeks!
  • She sleeps in her own room
  • The walls in her room are Blue – Williamsburg Blue by Benjamin Moore
  • She likes to sleep in onesies (tshirt)
  • She doesn’t mind car rides
  • She hates car rides
  • She is getting better at liking them again
  • She likes her cats Peps and Daisy
  • She’s getting a second chin
  • She has a small third chin
  • Her daddy speaks norwegian to her
  • She already has her first boarding pass – flight from Thunder Bay to Toronto
  • She makes 100’s of faces
  • She was born 3 weeks and 4 days early
  • Tries to sit up!! – LIke she’s doing the 100’s in pilates!
  • Pulls herself into sitting postion with help of mom or dad (holding up hands)
  • Pulls herself into standing postion with lots of help of mom or dad (holding up hands), then being supported with leg or knee (not as “contorted” as it sounds)
  • Recognizes her mommy and daddy’s voice and turns toward that sound
  • She’s found her hands and finds they taste better than any stuffed animal or baby rattler available
  • She’s finally content while awake – loves to lie down and talk with us and herself
  • She easily gained the “birth weight” within the 2 weeks she was supposed to
  • She’s tripled her birth weight with four months!