A Little Abby Update

We are preparing to welcome another little girl into our family. But I thought I'd take some time to talk about our big girl. In my opinion, we're well overdue for an Abby update!

What can I say about our sweet girl? Her dimpled smile brightens my day. Her care of her little brother and excitement over the arrival of her baby sister warm my heart. Her love of learning and excitement about school make me proud. God certainly blessed our family when He decided to gift us this wonderful little girl.

Of course, as with any child, life does have its challenges. We often depend on Abby to be more patient and understanding simply because Zachary is still learning these skills. We have been seeing glimpses of attitude, especially when she's tired. She also tends to get frustrated easily, sometimes by small things, like not being able to fit crayons back in the box. So, we are working on these areas, of course. But the blessings of daily life with this precious girl outweigh these challenges by miles and miles.

All smiles while watching the Holiday Light & Music Show
at the Shops at Columbus Circle, NYC.
December 21, 2013

Playing with her new Play-Doh bakery set from Santa.
December 25, 2013

Helping cousin Dan remove the seeds from a pomegranate.
(I love how Dan is smiling, even though Abby was hitting
his knuckles as often as she was hitting the pomegranate!)
December 27, 2013

Making bracelets with her new Rainbow Loom from
Grandpa Al and Grandma Dee.
December 31, 2013

Helping Zachy down the slide at McDonald's Play Place.
January 1, 2014

A sweet daughter. A warm, caring big sister. A blessing to our family. Abigail - Mommy, Daddy, and Zachary love you so much. We thank God each day for the blessing of you!

Abby's 4-Year Check-Up

Okay, so things have been insane at the Ng house lately, some good, some bad, and some very bad. But, we're muddling our way through and we're doing fine.

On Monday, Miss Abigail had her 4-year check-up. After so many visits to the pediatrician's office for Zachary, I think Abby was happy to have the focus on herself for a bit, until the time came for shots. Then, uh, not so much...

The birthday girl, with her birthday balloon and her birthday tiara.

 

The doctor didn't tell me anything that I didn't know already. Namely, Abby is tall (42 inches - 90th percentile), healthy (37 pounds - 75th percentile), and amazing.

Enjoying a free ice cream cone at Carvel's Customer Appreciation Day.

She pointed out her colors, recited her alphabet, counted until I had to ask her to stop, and was able to jump and balance on one foot and do all sorts of fun things for Dr. Caravella.

Hanging out on an antique fire truck at the Northport Fire Station.

Her vision tested at 20-30, which is apparently normal for this age, and the nurse mentioned that she'd never had a 4-year old child answer the test questions so quickly!

Blowing our her candle and
celebrating her birthday with Ma Ma and Ye Ye (Carey's parents).

 

All in all, the doctor couldn't tell me anything that I didn't know already: my not-so-little girl is healthy and smart and adorable and amazing. Thanks, doc. I knew that already, but it's great to have independent confirmation.

Abby Update - 31 Months

A quick update and some photos of my adorable little chatterbox seems long overdue, so here is what's going on with our beautiful little girl. :-)

As I said above, Abigail is a chatterbox. She is constantly talking and asking questions. Her vocabulary is expanding daily, and her sentences/thoughts are getting longer and more in-depth. She is (normally) very polite, but we are continuing to work with her on her manners - "May I please..." (instead of simply saying "please") is our current project. She now has our nightly prayers memorized. She will recite the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary" by herself, and she sings our special goodnight song with me every night. In addition to singing at night, she has begun singing songs, some that she has learned at Tot Music or daycare, and others that she has made up herself. (My favorite is an Abby-original "I Love You This Much" - I'm still trying to get it on film...) Abby also loves to read, with Dr. Seuss as one of her current favorites. Can I tell you how proud I was the first time I could read Fox in Socks without stumbling over the line by Mr. Knox at the end of the story:

When a fox is in the bottle where the tweetle beetles battle with their paddles in a puddle on a noodle-eating poodle, THIS is what they call...

...a tweetle beetle noodle poodle bottled paddled muddled duddled fuddled wuddled fox in socks, sir!

Thankfully, many of Abby's other books are not such tongue twisters, and she has heard many of them so often that she will recite them to me as I turn the pages. I never tire of her saying "We forgot to by the oatmeal!" when Bert remembers what the string on his finger meant. Plus, I love that many of the books that Abby is reading now are books that Kate and I read when we were little girls. :-)

Abby is still a good eater. She loves cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, and we can get her to eat almost anything for dinner. Chicken, pasta and veggies (especially carrots, peas, and broccoli) are still her favorites, but we can get her to try almost anything, as long as she can have bites off mommy and daddy's plates.

We have been encountering some sleep issues recently. Normally, Abby will go to bed right at 9:00 pm and will sleep until 7:00 - 7:30 am. Lately, she's been needing some extra cuddles and songs before bed, and she's been falling asleep later and later, even when we try to put her to bed earlier to account for this longer bedtime routine. Unfortunately, the end of day finds my energy level flagging, so Abby's bedtime difficulties are not made any easier by my own fatigue. Coupled with the fact that naps are sometimes part of the daily routine and other days they are not, we're dealing with some sleep issues. We have been through rough patches concerning Abby's sleep before, so I'm hopeful that if we "stay the course" that she'll eventually settle back into a good bedtime routine.

Some of Abby's favorites right now, aside from the books and foods mentioned above, are:

• her giraffe blanket - she won't go to sleep without it
• coloring, whether with crayons in a coloring books or with a pen on scrap paper, the kid loves to draw (even if her recent "super submarine" looked more like an egg to me...)
• play-doh - I sometimes feel like I will never get the smell of play-doh off my hands. But, she loves it when we make play-doh bracelets, so how can I say no?
• reading - this kid would look at books for hours (if she wasn't such a ball of energy and needed to run around so much!) I love that she looks forward to reading books, and I can't help but smile when she sees the pictures on a page and is able to "read" me the words.
• taking walks - put this kid in a stroller with a snack, and we could cruise the neighborhood for hours. She loves watching cars, looking for animals, and picking out yellow houses. Despite the fact that we have several yellow houses in our immediate vicinity, Abby will always say "I hope we see a yellow house, mommy. I've never seen one of those before." Then, she gets so excited when we do see one, it just makes me laugh.
• playing outside in general - whether it's blowing bubbles, riding her tricycle, drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk, or simply smelling the flowers in our flower beds, Abby loves to be outside.

Some of the challenges that we're dealing with at 31 months, in addition to our recent sleep troubles, include:

• Abby is still very much a "mommy's girl." If Carey and I are both around, mommy has to do it. Whether it is wiping her hands after dinner, opening her box of crayons, or changing her into her pajamas, "No, mommy do it!" is the common phrase. Carey is an amazing dad, and Abby loves him very much, so it's frustrating that she behaves this way. We're trying very hard to work in more Abby and daddy time, but I have the feeling that August will be a difficult time of adjustment for Abby when she realizes that she will have to share mommy's attention with her little brother...
• Potty training has stalled. She will pee on the potty when we put her on it, but she does not like to go #2 on the potty (except at daycare - go figure), and the few times that we have tried underwear (Dora the Explorer and Yo Gabba Gabba underwear, no less!), she has had accidents. I don't want to push her too hard for fear that she will completely revert and not use the potty at all, but I'm starting to feel the pressure to get my almost-3-year-old out of diapers before the little guy shows up.
• No. This word is becoming a larger part of Abby's vocabulary, and it is causing mommy and daddy quite a bit of stress. I understand that asserting her independence is important, and I don't want to stifle her. But at the same time, she had an absolute meltdown with Carey this morning, causing him to miss his train into work and starting off Monday on the wrong foot for both daddy and daughter. We're experimenting with timeouts and taking away toys/privileges when she misbehaves like this, but only time will tell if this method works or if we have to move to Plan B (whatever that is...).

I do want to end on a positive note, because Abby is such a joy to us so much of the time - I don't want to make it seem like every moment of every day is a struggle. Abby is excited that she's getting a baby brother. As soon as we found out that the baby was a boy, she was telling everyone who would listen that mommy is having a baby brother. One day a few weeks ago, Abby and I were out running some errands. From the backseat, I heard her talking to herself and singing along with her music CD. Out of nowhere, I heard: "I love mommy. I love daddy. I love baby brother." On another night, when I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub drying her off after her bath, she leaned over, kissed my belly, and said "I love you, baby brother." These moments are even more precious because no one prompted her to do them - she did it all on her own. On another night, I was sitting on the couch while Abby was coloring on the floor with daddy, and Little Man started kicking me. When I announced to Carey and Abby that the baby was kicking me, Abby looked concerned and asked: "Is my baby brother hurting you, mommy? Cause kicking is not nice and I'll tell him to stop." After explaining to her that brother is still very small, so his kicks are soft enough that they don't really hurt mommy, she told me to tell her if that changes and she'll tell baby brother to be careful. I truly love seeing the love that Abigail has for her little brother already, and I pray that it will continue to grow stronger over the next few months, increasing even more after his birth.

And now, what everyone has been looking for, some photos of our beautiful little girl. In the midst of the challenges and joys and precious moments that Abigail brings to us every day, Carey and I continue to be so grateful that we are her parents, and we thank the Lord for her each and every day.

Playing at the Long Island Children's Museum with daddy
April 2, 2011



Someone did not want to get off the carousel at the Children's Museum, even though daddy had already ridden it with her four times...
April 2, 2011



Eating a "cheesy omelet." Cheese omelets are one thing that I often seem to crave during this pregnancy, and whenever Abby sees me make one for myself, she wants one, too!
April 8, 2011



Riding the "big kid slide" at the park with daddy
April 9, 2011



Playing in the box that our new hamper came in. She kept jumping up and yelling "Surprise!"
April 14, 2011



Helping mommy fold laundry. Perhaps not surprisingly, the laundry that Abby folds looks a lot like the laundry that Carey folds... (hee hee)
April 17, 2011

Abby Update - 27 Months Old

I couldn't let the end of the year pass by without writing one last "Abby Update" for the blog. So, here we go - our beautiful little girl in a nutshell...

Abby keeps showing us that she is a big girl. Over Thanksgiving, we moved her out of her crib and into a "big girl bed." The transition went smoothly, and Abby continues to do very well sleeping and napping in her twin bed. Abby's vocabulary expands by the day. She recognizes her letters and numbers - there's a constant stream of "There's A, mommy!" and "I see number 3!" whenever we're out driving around. I love that we can now have conversations together. Potty training is going okay. Abby is good about going pee on the toilet, as long as you remind her that it is time to go. (Most days at daycare, her diaper/pull-up is dry when they take her to the potty!) Despite the fact that Abby used to go #2 on the potty (in fact, she started going #2 on the potty before she went #1 on the potty!), she has recently begun refusing to do so. I'm trying to convince her that big girls go pee-pee and poop on the potty, and that she needs to go poop on the potty if she wants to start wearing her big girl Dora panties. I'm hoping that Dora underwear and continuously reading Once Upon A Potty will convince her to use the potty for everything. Oh how fabulous it would be to be done with diapers!

Abby is an active little girl who loves to play. She likes to spend time outside - playing with sidewalk chalk and riding her tricycle are her two favorite outdoor activities. She also loves to grab a broom and sweep the driveway. (Carey and I are both praying that she continues to love cleaning as she grows up!) Abby also loves to do anything crafty. She loves to color, paint, cut paper with safety scissors, and play with play-doh. In terms of toys, Abby enjoys playing with puzzles and cuddling her baby dolls and stuffed animals. (I think I sing "Rock A Bye Baby" more now, to baby dolls, than I did to Abby when she was a baby!) Books are also one of Abby's favorites things. She has a few simple books that she has heard so many times that she can "read" them to us. We've also started taking books out of the children's section of the library. Abby loves walking down the stairs to the children's book room to pick out a book to take home. She feels so grown up, walking out of the library with her own book. :-)

Abby continues to be enthralled by Yo Gabba Gabba (as you can see from this post). We have Gabba books, Gabba dolls, Gabba DVDs - Gabba, Gabba, Gabba! Abby also enjoys watching Sesame Street on the weekends, and Fresh Beat Band and Backyardigans are two other shows that she enjoys. We do try to limit the amount of time Abby spends in front of the television, and we do our best to make sure that the shows that she watches have education value. The shows that are listed here, especially the three shows that are on Nick, Jr., are very music-related - Abby is always up and dancing around, which is cute to watch! In addition to these shows, Abby likes pretty much anything involving the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba, Abby Cadabby and Elmo, and the Disney princesses.

Abby is a good eater. No, wait, she's a Ng - Abby is a GREAT eater! She loves pretty much any kind of pasta - ravioli (rollies), macaroni and cheese (mac cheese), and spaghetti (speggy) are her favorites. She loves chicken, pork, sausage, and meatballs/meatloaf. The only meat she's not a huge fan of is beef, like in the form of steaks. Even if we cut them up super small for her, I think they're just a bit too chewy for her. She eats most vegetables, but tomatoes, peas, carrots, corn, broccoli, and sweet potatoes are her favorites. She's not a huge fan of lima beans, green beans, or white potatoes, though. For breakfast, she likes waffles or cereal, and she loves pretzels and fruit snacks for her afternoon snack. When eating at the table, she uses a regular cup for her milk or juice, but we still use sippy cups or cups with straws when we're traveling.

Abby continues to be a mommy's girl. Big time. Abby loves her daddy, but if mommy is around, mommy has to do it. Mommy has to change Abby's diaper. Mommy has to wipe Abby's hands. Mommy has to put on Abby's shoes. There are times when I truly feel badly for Carey. He takes it like a champ, but I can't imagine that it is easy when your child wants the other parent so much. But, Carey is a loving, caring father, and I know that it is only a matter of time until Abby outgrows this phase.

So, that's Abby at 27 months old. She is a fun, kind, loving little girl who reminds us each and every day of how blessed we are. During this Christmas season, when we purchase and wrap gifts to give to others, I realize that, in my husband and my daughter, I have been given the most precious gifts of all.

Two Year Check-Up!

Last Thursday, I took Abby to the doctor for her two year check-up. Since Abby's birthday falls so close to the start of school, and this was a well-child visit, they asked us to wait until October. I guess the office was filled with kiddos needing physicals for school!

Abby did great! This time we saw Dr. Meltzer, who was so impressed with how much Abby has grown. My "little" munchkin is 36 inches tall (95th percentile) and 26 pounds, 12 ounces (50th percentile). She has been growing along this curve pretty much since she was born, so the doctor is very pleased. Dr. Meltzer asked me all sorts of questions, and she was happy with all the answers. Yes, Abby is a good eater. Yes, Abby loves dairy. Yes, Abby is a good sleeper. Yes, Abby knows at least 50 words. (Which 50 would you like, doc?) Yes, Abby can follow simple directions. Yes, Abby can go up and down stairs on her own.

Everything checked out well physically, too. Her heart and lungs sounded good, and her ears and chest were clear. Sitting on my lap, she had no problem letting the doctor look her over.

Dr, Meltzer also asked if I had any concerns or questions. I did mention that Abby is not always great at sharing, especially with other kids. We're working on it, but there are still those moments when a toy that she'd pushed aside 20 minutes ago starts looking really good as soon as her cousin picks it up. Dr. Meltzer said that it's not uncommon for kids at Abby's age to be a bit selfish. She gave me some reading on encouraging sharing, but we're doing most of the things that the article suggests, so I'm hoping that Abby will outgrow this phase.

The other concern that I shared with the doctor was some of the discipline issues that I have with Abby. Thankfully, Abby doesn't bite or hit much at all, but when she does these things, they're aimed at me. That's right folks - I apparently look absolutely delicious to my toddler. She has never bitten Carey, and she rarely hits him, if ever. Whenever she does these things, which is rare to begin with, they are always aimed at me. (The funny thing is that the few times when Abby has bitten me, it wasn't because she was angry. Rather, we were playing and she was having a fun time, laughing and smiling.) Once again, the literature that Dr. Meltzer gave me reinforced the disciplinary methods that we use in these situations, so I hope that we'll be able to nip this in the bud. Again, it's not like Abby does this all the time - we might have one episode of hitting per week, if that, and she's only bitten me four times ever. But, it was good to talk about it with the doctor.

As we walked out of the office, I asked Abby what we say to Dr. Meltzer, trying to prompt her to say thank you. Abby waved at Dr. Meltzer, and with a big smile said "Tank you, Mel-zer! Bye bye, Mel-zer!" I think everyone in the office, including Dr. Meltzer, had big smiles on their faces as my little cutie pie walked out the door!

So, at two years old, Abby is great. She's growing and reaching her developmental milestones and just being an absolute joy to be around. Every day, Carey and I thank God for bringing this precious blessing into our lives!

(I know, I know. You're thinking, "Hey Kristen! Where are the pictures?" To which I respond, "On the camera, which I will upload as soon as I find the camera cable." Hopefully tomorrow, okay?)

23 Months Old!

Look who stole mommy's spoon so she could eat with both hands...

Chatterbox. This is the word that best describes my beautiful babe at 23 months old. Abby talks. All the time. While there are times when I can't understand exactly what she is saying, most of the time, she does a great job of letting us know what she's thinking. She's likes to point out people's belongings (Abby's cup, Mommy's book, Daddy's shoes). She loves to name people - she'll walk around the house pointing at pictures and telling us who everyone is. (Which makes her a big hit at parties, because she can call everyone by name!)

My outfit says I'm cute. My face says I'm not amused by all this picture taking...

Abby also loves to read. "Read, Mommy!" is one of her favorite phrases. She especially loves books with Winnie the Pooh and friends or Sesame Street characters. There's also one book about the first Christmas that is mainly pictures, so Abby will actually flip the pages and "read" it to me. You have not been in the presence of cute until you've heard my daughter exclaim "Bay-bee Jee-shush" at the end of the story. :-)

Walking to the car with daddy after church. Ain't she cute?!

Abby is also growing like a weed. When I look at her sleeping in her crib, I cannot get over how small she was when she first started sleeping in it, and how much room she takes up now. I'm still in no rush to move her into a bed, but we have a twin bed in one of our downstairs guest rooms which will be moved upstairs into Abby's room. Just not right now. (There's something very final about taking your little one out of her crib. I always joke that Abby isn't my baby anymore because she's getting so big, but there's a part of me that loves seeing her resting in her crib. Bring in a twin bed, and it's all over, folks...)

Oh no, this lime is sour!!!

We've been noticing some issues in the sleep department. While most nights Abby is asleep before we can shut the door to her room, on some rare occasions she will cry and scream and cry and scream until we eventually go into her room. This actually happened on Monday night. She wasn't sick, hungry, thirsty, or too hot - she just didn't want to go to sleep. (Perhaps she'd had a bad dream?) Whatever it was, she sat with Carey and I until after 11 pm, when we finally laid the law and put her in her crib. After a small amount of fussing, she was out like a light. Thankfully, these nights don't happen often...

Look who likes to mix her Raisin Bran with her Cheerios. Silly girl.

So, we've had another month with Abigail. The next time I write a monthly update, it will be because Abby is turning 2. (Oh my heavens, it's a good thing I was sitting down for that one.) Carey and I continue to thank God every day for this precious gift and blessing that He has placed in our lives. Abigail continues to teach us the wonder of discovery, the joy of laughter, and the simple beauty of unconditional love. God bless you, baby girl. Mommy and daddy love you! *smooch*

22 Months Old

On July 12th, I saw lots of twos. My baby turned 22 months old. I realized that in a mere 2 months, she will be 2 years old. Yikes.

Disbelief that my baby will soon be 2 aside, this was such a fun month in Abby's development. That kid is growing like a weed! When we say our prayers every night, she wants to be cuddled like she was when she was a baby (laying with her head on my left arm, her belly against my belly, and my right arm supporting her body/legs). This was all well and good when she was a baby, but my big girl is getting a little too big for mommy to hold her like that - my left arm tends to fall asleep and she's so long that my right arm has a hard time supporting her body and her legs. After she falls asleep, I'll sneak into her room and watch her slumber, and I never cease to be amazed by how much room she takes up in her crib! Carey and I are discussing when to switch her to a big girl bed - we're definitely going to wait until she turns 2 and then play it by ear. Her pediatrician said that unless she starts trying to climb out of her crib, there's no need to rush her out of it. For now, Abby seems content, so I am content letting her stay a "baby" just a little bit longer...

Abby has become a chatterbox - that girl will not stop talking! She repeats everything that Carey and I say - my recent favorite is "gee whiz" - and she loves saying everyone's name. I have to be careful to call Carey "daddy" when Abby is around - she actually called him Carey a few times this week! Every time we drive by Bart & Melissa's house (which is often since they only live one house away from us), Abby points emphatically at the house and says "An Misha" (Aunt Melissa), "Unca" (Uncle Bart), "Ella" (Gabriella), and "So-fee" (Sofia) live there. She also knows the names of all of her friends at daycare, so every night when I pick her up, she walks with me over to their cubbies (each has the child's name and picture on it) and proceeds to tell me who each cubby belongs to - "Di-Di" (Derrick), "Nommy" (Tommy) and "Li-la" (Lilah) are her best friends, so she has a huge smile on her face when she points out those kids.

Cousins! :-) Sofia, Gabriella, and Abby, taking a reading break in Abby's room.

Abby continues to be a good eater. She's a fan of pretty much every type of meat that we give her, but chicken, cooked pretty much any way, is definitely her favorite. She loves pasta, but doesn't like breads or rolls. She'll eat most vegetables - broccoli, peas, and corn are her favorites - but she's not a big fan of green beans. Her favorite snack is animal crackers, followed closely by Goldfish crackers and pretzels. She loves eating with a fork, even things like cereal and yogurt that would probably be better consumed with a spoon!

Who knew that they made Abby-sized bottles of water? :-)

The biggest development this month has definitely been Abby's independence. She wants to do everything by herself. It was difficult at first to walk the fine line between giving her the opportunity to do things for herself and doing them for her to ensure her safety and well being. For instance, Abby loves buckling things, including her car seat, but I don't feel comfortable letting her buckle it herself in case it isn't latched correctly. So, Abby has learned that she can help mommy, but mommy has to buckle her in to make sure that Abby is safe. Once we get home, I'll unbuckle Abby, she'll crawl out of her seat, and then I'll let her re-buckle everything before we go inside. Another case of independence versus assistance was teeth brushing. I obviously want Abby to have healthy teeth, but right now, she's more interested in eating her toothpaste than she is in brushing her teeth, so she gets a teeny tiny amount of toothpaste on her toothbrush and is allowed to brush her teeth herself. Then she gives mommy her toothbrush and then mommy brushes her teeth again, making sure to reach the back molars and behind all her teeth. So, it's definitely a learning curve for all of us, but I think Carey, Abby and I are learning how to help each other and encourage her learning and independence.

Someone wanted mommy to stop holding her on the carousel. (See her trying to take my hand off her back?) My answer: Um, no.

If Abby's independence was our biggest development this month, then our biggest challenge was posed by Abby's moods/temper. Our previously angelic little girl has now decided that there are often times when she wants to do something right now and if we don't let her, she grows upset. (We haven't really dealt with any temper tantrums yet, but I get the feeling that those are around the corner...) For now, when Abby gets upset, she furrows her eyebrows, swings her arms, and grunts. (I know, I know - it does sound pretty funny. But, I try my best not to laugh because I don't want Abby to think that these "episodes" are cute or deserving of my attention.) When this happens, I try to encourage Abby to use her words to tell me what she wants. If she wants to touch something that she shouldn't, I try to explain why she can't touch it. "The computer belongs to daddy, and if we break it then daddy will be sad." "Those are mommy's glasses - she needs those to see your pretty face." "Scissors are very sharp, and if Abby touches them than she will get a boo-boo." This approach works sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't. If explaining the situation to Abby doesn't work, I just let her have her time. (a.k.a. - I ignore it.) Obviously, I make sure that she's not doing anything that will hurt herself or anyone else, but most of the time, if I just ignore her mini-tantrums when they're happening, then she'll move on. I'll have more on discipline in a future post, but needless to say, Carey and I are muddling our way through...

Carey and I are trying to embrace this unique individual that God has blessed us to care for, and we pray every night for wisdom, patience, and compassion, so that we can raise this little angel to be someone who loves and serves the Lord. While I can't say that I necessarily enjoy every moment of Abby's mini-tantrums, I can say with complete certainty that I cherish every moment that I am able to spend with my little girl. When that beautiful little face turns towards me, and a dimpled smile accompanies the squeal of "MOMMY!", I know that I am a blessed woman. :-)

21 Months Old

As Abby's 22 month birthday quickly approaches, I decided to get my tush in gear and post a 21 month update.

What to say about my little girl?

She is sunshine and joy and smiles and laughter, all rolled up into one cute little package.

There is nothing that a hug from Abby cannot help (trust me, nothing) and no mood that cannot be improved by that little dimpled smile.These animal crackers are delicious! :-)


She is "not so little" anymore, but I still find myself cradling her as we say our nightly prayers, and I still find nothing sweeter than watching her sleep.

She is talking all the time, and very often repeats whatever Carey and I say.

She loves doing things by herself and is very independent.Here is Abby, eating two of her favorite things: yogurt and ketchup.
(Not together, thank goodness...)


She loves dancing with mommy, especially when we watch the Fresh Beat Band before dinner.

She won't go to sleep without her blankie, and we're starting to ween her off her binkie. (She's not always happy when mommy and daddy tell her that she can't have her pacifier, but she's usually a very "big girl" about it.)
Look who is big enough to go down the slide all by herself!

Carey and I are so blessed to be Abigail's parents. Who knew, when that little stick said "pregnant" in January 2008, that our lives would be irrevocably changed for the better for having met this little person? Thank you, God, for bringing this little person into our lives. We are so grateful that You entrusted us with the care of one of Your precious angels!

20 Months Old!

Explorer. Chatterbox. Hugger. Lover of blankies. Ray of sunshine. Precious angel. So many things pop into my head when I think of my beautiful little girl. I'm a bit late with this update, but my munchkin turned 20 months old a few weeks ago, and I couldn't let it pass unnoticed.

Playing on the swings at the playground is one of Abby's favorite things! (In this picture, her attention was focused on a school bus that was driving by...)

Abigail is amazing. In the difficult times that we have been facing the last few days/weeks, Abigail has continued to bring smiles to our faces and hope to our hearts. She reminds us every day how incredibly blessed we are by God's goodness and how fortunate we are to be her mommy and daddy.

My Mother's Day present from Abby. She made it at daycare - her little hand print is something I'll always treasure, and I love the silly face that she's making in the photo!

The biggest development over the past month (plus two weeks) has been Abby's language skills. This little girl will not stop talking! It seems like every day she says a new word (or five) and I realize that her little brain is a sponge right now. Some of Abby's favorite words:

• bus (everything bigger than a car is a bus to Abby, but she gets really excited when she sees a real bus, so we know that she knows the difference)
• whee (this is how Abby identifies the swings at the playground)
• lots of animals, including duck, moose, monkey, owl, turtle, and rabbit; she also identifies other animals by the sounds they make: woof (dog), me-ow (cat), rib-bit (frog), and moo (cow)
• most of the characters from Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh
• mo (more)
• mo-mo (tomorrow)
• hello, hi-ya, and bye-bye
• baby, book, ball, balloon
• yellow and purple
• off, on, up, and something that sounds kinda like "down"
  
• No, no, no! (Abby says this when she knows that she's not supposed to do something. Because of the computer and several breakable vases, the office is off limits to Abby. She'll stand in the doorway, wag her finger at the room, and say "Mommy, no, no, no!"

One of Abby's new friends - Eeyore. Although, she pronounces it "Aye-oh" - so cute!

This month also saw Abigail's first sentence. After her bath last week, Carey was putting on her pajamas and I was walking to the linen closet to get a Q-Tip to clean her ears. Abby started struggling to follow me and said "Mommy, don't leave!" Carey and I just looked at each other and said "Oh my goodness - did she just say her first sentence?!?!"

We're also working with Abby on her manners. She is really good about saying Please ("eez") and Thank You ("ank ooh") when asking for things like snacks and toys. Sometimes we do have to prompt her ("Abigail, what do you say?"), but most times she'll say thank you without us having to remind her. And, she'll keep saying thank you until Carey or I tell her "You're welcome." She's also starting to attempt saying "Bless You" after someone sneezes. It doesn't really sound anything like bless you - in fact, in sounds suspiciously like "thank you" - but it's so endearing to hear her try! And, every night, when we say our prayers before bed, Abby will chime in with an "Amen" - it's so adorable!

Abby is still doing really well in the eating and sleeping departments. The warm weather sometimes gets her a bit off schedule if her room is too hot, but we've finally uncovered and cleaned the air conditioner, so we're hoping to avoid any more heat-related sleep issues.

Look who loves eating with her fork and spoon! Peas and broccoli are definitely her favorite vegetables right now, and she'll pretty much eat any type of meat that we give her. (She's a meat-a-saurus, just like her daddy!)

Little munchkin is still growing like a weed. We don't have another well-child visit until her 2nd birthday, but she's already started outgrowing some of her 24 month clothes. So, we had to break out the 2T's. (Nooooooo... Stop growing so fast, Abby! Mommy wants you to stay her baby just a little bit longer...) She has also finally outgrown her first pair of Stride Rite sneakers, so we picked up a cute pair of sneakers at Target and plan to hit the Stride Rite outlet this weekend for a new pair of kicks.

Looking so beautiful in her dress from Cora's. (To read Cora's story, please go here.) All the proceeds from the sales at Cora's shop went to build a beautiful playground in Cora's memory.

Abby continues to love going to Tot Music classes with daddy every Saturday. She is getting very good about mimicking the sounds and notes that she hears in her songs, and we've noticed that she dances to pretty much any music she hears, whether its part of her favorite television show (Yo Gabba Gabba), from one of her toys, or on the radio. She does an adorable little booty shake - so, so cute!

So, that's our munchkin this month. She remains a constant source of joy to us, and her hugs and kisses have never been more welcome than they have been the last few days. Her smiles make us smile, her laughter makes us laugh, and her warm heart and sweet disposition make us feel so incredibly blessed to have this little lady in our lives. As we pray every night: Lord, we thank you especially for the gift of our beautiful baby girl, Abigail Elizabeth. May she continue to grow happy and healthy and strong and loved in Your care, and we thank You for entrusting her to our care here on earth.

19 Months Old

Holy cow - another month older?!?! I say this every month, but I still can't believe how big Abigail has gotten over the last month, and how much she has changed and developed. She is such a joy to Carey and I, and we thank God for her every single day. This being a mommy thing - it's pretty awesome. :-)

Over the past month, we've seen Abigail become much more vocal. She's still not quite putting sentences together, but she's saying so many words that I don't think sentences are too far around the corner. She still loves making animal noises: I have to get some video of Abby making her monkey sound - it includes arm motions and sound effects! Abby also enjoys watching some of the shows on Nick Jr. While we do try to limit the amount of television that she watches, we don't mind allowing the occasional Yo Gabba Gabba or Dora the Explorer.

Abigail loves pointing to things around her - some of her new favorites include: flower (which she pronounces "fla-wa"), waffle (which she pronounces "wav-wa") and bus. She's also started saying colors, but her favorite color to say is definitely yellow. Everything is yellow if we ask Abby what color it is. Thankfully, most things in her room, including her blankies and her ducks, actually are yellow, as well as the flowers in our yard and the buses that drive around our neighborhood. Everyone is always so impressed when they hear Abby tell us that the flowers are yellow - we don't tell them that she doesn't say many other colors!

Abigail still loves reading her books, but we have to be careful because she is also starting to enjoy ripping pages and tearing the covers. (Somehow, the little munchkin even finds ways to tear the covers of her board books!) Whenever Abby does this, I take the book away from her and she gets pretty upset, but I think she's beginning to understand that if she does not take good care of her toys and books, then mommy will take them away.

Abby absolutely loves the playground! She still enjoys the swings, but she loves running around after the other kids and going down the slides. Carey and I have even taken her on the big kid slides, and Abby loves going down the slide with mommy or daddy! Luckily, the park near our house was recently renovated, so the ground is covered with soft rubber-like material, so even if Abby falls, she usually gets right back up, no worse for the wear. Now that the weather is getting nicer, we're trying to take her on more walks around the neighborhood and more trips to the park. I'm hoping that we'll get around to cleaning up our backyard this weekend (removing fallen branches, cleaning up leaves and other debris, etc.), that way we can start taking Abby into the backyard as well.

Probably one of my very favorite developments over the past month is that Abigail has started calling me "mommy." Before, she always called me "ma-ma" and, while I loved it, the first time she pointed at me and called me "mommy," I started to cry. I can't explain why, but it just melted my heart to hear my little girl call me "mommy." (She's been calling Carey "da-dee" for months now...)

Thankfully, Abby is doing much better with regards to the coxsackievirus. The blisters on her hands and feet are almost completely gone and, while the few blisters in her mouth still look pretty bad, she is eating much better, drooling much less, and has been sleeping great without needing any Motrin or Tylenol, so I'm assuming that those aren't bothering her nearly as much. Yay! I think we've finally turned the corner on this whole awful illness, and I'll be very glad to put this behind us. (I'm sure poor Abby will be, too!)

Finally, a few photos of our little munchkin from the last month. I say this every month, but Carey and I are so blessed to have this little girl in our lives. We love her more every day and thank God constantly for entrusting her to our care. Abigail, mommy and daddy love you, baby girl! *smooch*

Playing with her dolly

Eating her blocks in the backseat :-P

That's my girl - Abby wanted some ice cream! (Unfortunately for Abby, the Thin Mint ice cream is for mommy, and not for little Abby...)

Reading with daddy!

18 Month Check-Up

Holy cow. My baby is 18 months old. I could only avoid that realization for so long - eventually, I had to take her to the pediatrician and listen to him tell me that my baby is 18 months old.

The news was (almost) all good at our appointment last week. Abigail is growing like a weed: 24 pounds, 12 ounces (50th - 60th percentile) and 33.5 inches long (90th percentile). She has been growing along this same curve since she was born, so the doctor is extremely happy that her growth is constant and consistent. Abby's heart, lungs, and ears received a "perfect" bill of health. Our only downer was a runny nose - the pediatrician held off on some immunizations, telling us to bring her back in when her nose is dry. (Although, come to think of it, Abby probably didn't mind not getting the shots...)

Dr. Cohen told me that Abby is a beautiful little girl with a pretty smile and a pretty voice. Yeah, yeah, doc, tell me something I don't know. :-) This little girl continues to bring such joy to our lives, and it makes my heart sing to know that she is growing up strong and healthy.

The doctor did, however, alert us to the fact that 18 - 24 months can be a very challenging time for parents of toddlers. He warned us that she may become a picky eater, at some points refusing to eat period. He warned us that she will test our boundaries and, no matter how many times we tell her not to do something, she's probably going to try it anyway. Again and again.

Say it ain't so, doc! Are you telling me that this adorable, kind-hearted little girl is going to become a troublemaker?
This adventurous, daring little girl is going to refuse to listen to the words of caution of her mommy and daddy?
This pretzel-munching, meat-loving, drinking milk like it's going out of style little girl might eventually go on hunger strike?
Oh, doc, say it ain't so...

Well, to be forewarned is to be prepared. So, Carey and I are ready (or as ready as we'll ever be). Abby, be a toddler. Explore. Discover. Play. But know that mommy and daddy are looking out for your best interests. So if we tell you not to touch the oven or give you broccoli for dinner, it's because we love you. You may not like it. You may get mad at us. You may cry if we put you down and cry when we pick you up. But you know what, little girl? We love you. Nothing will ever change that. So if you need to go through this phase, fine. We'll get through it together, with hugs and kisses and blankies and lots of love. Because as difficult as things may be, Carey and I could not imagine our life without this:

17 Months Old!

So, I am a few days late (okay, two weeks late) on posting about Abigail's 17 month birthday. The day did not pass by unnoticed in the Ng household, though!

Abigail is an absolute joy. Carey and I love her so much. As I tell her often: "Abby, mommy wants to mush you, fold you up and put you in her pocket! Can mommy mush Abby?" This is usually followed by hugs, kisses, and laughter by both of us.

This past month, it seems like Abby is becoming much more verbal. Her vocabulary is increasing by the day and, while we're not getting sentences quite yet, I get a feeling that might be right around the corner. Some of her newest words: "duh" for duck, "dur-dle" for turtle, mommy (although she stills calls me ma-ma most of the time), turkey and (oh boy, here we go) "mine." She's starting to name more of her favorite characters from her books, including Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird and Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, and Pooh and Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. She also loves making animal noises, so we'll often read books with animals in them so she can point to the animals and make their sounds. (Her horse and dog sounds are my favorite, and her fish face is just the cutest!)

Abby has been struggling with some minor health issues lately, namely ear infections. She just got her third infection of the winter season, so Carey and I were concerned that tubes in her ears might be in order. When we asked the doctor about it, Dr. Meltzer calmed our fears by pointing out that Abby tends to deal with ear issues in the winter only and she's had 3 infections this winter (one was severe, one was moderate, and one was minor). She responds well to treatment, so she's not worried. (Dr. Meltzer says we'll revisit tubes if Abby's ear infections stop responding to treatment, become "constant" (which thankfully, they have not been), or seem to be impeding her speech development.) When we stated our concern about over-use of antibiotics, she reminded us that Abby's ear infections are accompanied by high fevers (remember the time she had a fever of 104.5?), so they don't feel comfortable leaving her untreated. After our discussion with the doctor, I feel comfortable that Abby is being well-cared for and that we're treating her appropriately. (Obviously, we pray that she'll outgrow these issues with her ears, though...) Thankfully, we took Abigail into the doctor for a follow-up last weekend, and Dr. Cohen told us that Abigail was the healthiest that he has seen her in a long time. Her ears were clear, her chest was clear, and her throat was clear. She's getting in some additional teeth, so her nose is running. However, Dr. Cohen said that her "nasal secretions" (fancy doctor speak for 'snot') were clear, so he wasn't concerned at all. Hooray for healthy babies! :-)

To end with: just a few photos of my little munchkin to celebrate her 17th month of blessing our lives with her smiles and laughter.

My little munchkin takes after her mommy - she loves Hickory Farms Summer Sausage!


Our little fashion plate, wearing mommy's headband and going through mommy's drawers in the bathroom.


Yummy! Macaroni & cheese and carrots!


Uh-oh... Where's Abby???

16 Months Old!

Yesterday, our beautiful little munchkin turned 16 months old. Abigail continues to be a source of joy and laughter in our lives. I have not met anything that a hug from Abby cannot heal, and I know of no better feeling than holding my little girl in my arms. What a precious blessing she is!

This month saw one major development (among all the other little, wonderful developments): Abby loves to read. Whenever we're at home, she'll grab one of her many books and will either sit and "read" by herself, or she'll climb onto Carey's lap or my lap and read with us. She loves to turn the pages, and she's just now beginning to point out and name some of the characters in her favorite books. She knows Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster, and she loves to point out animals and make animal noises.

Abigail still loves music, and she'll frequently "dance" to music from her toys or that she hears on the radio. Carey and Abby started another offering of Tot Music this past Saturday (before the ear infection hit Abby full-force), and Carey said that she loves being there with the other kids and playing with the musical instruments.

Abby is becoming a much better eater. "Old reliable" is chicken nuggets - Abby would eat these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she could! Thankfully, she does eat other things, some of her favorites being meatballs/meatloaf, carrots, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli. The lunch menu at daycare also includes "Try Me Tuesday," which allows the kids to try new foods. Abigail was a big fan of sweet potato fries, potato pancakes, and barbecue sauce (obviously not on the same day), but she didn't really like guacamole. Abby is completely off her bottles now, but we do find it a struggle to get her to drink enough milk on some days. She gets milk with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but she doesn't always finish her dinner milk. However, the ladies at daycare have told us that she loves her milk at daycare, so I'm not too concerned. She loves to drink water, and we've found a blend of apple and carrot juices (100% juice), which we water down (40% juice, 60% water) and give to her at night with her snack. Based on the fact that Abby is growing like a weed, I'm pretty sure that she's getting the nutrition that she needs, even if some days she is being super picky.

Abby loves seeing her cousins and the rest of our family. She had a great time on January 2nd, when the whole Ng family came over to our house to celebrate Christmas and New Year's. Every Sunday, we get together with Bart and Melissa for dinner, either at their house or at our house. Abby loves playing with Sofia and Gabriella, and she always has smiles for Uncle Bart and Aunt Melissa. Once she warms up to folks, she has nothing but smiles on her face, which never fails to put a smile on my face! :-)

So, happy 16 month birthday, Abigail! Mommy and daddy love you so much, our precious little blessing!

Are those overalls cute or what???


Getting the hang of using a spoon...


Just reading my book :-)


Look at that chubby little belly - I love it!!


Riding on her new Pooh Bear plane. Thanks Ma Ma and Ya Ya!