No Pics but Many Updates

Since we just got a new computer, all of our pictures are unaccessible, but since I had a minute and a fast computer, I thought I'd give a quick update.  SiSi is a regular talker these days.  On Friday, May 19, she said her first full sentence with intention when she said, "I want a book," while I was changing her diaper in the morning and then, she was off!  The next day, she opened up the refrigerator and pointed the the pickles and said, "I want a pickle!"  She now sings "Twinkle Twinkle", the "ABC's" and the other morning I caught her with "The Lady with the Alligator Purse" in her lap and she was saying, "In came doctor, in came nurse."  This morning she was cracking Finley (who she calls "Ninny") and I up by making her angry face.  She grits her teeth and makes fists and tenses her whole body until it shakes.  Then, she laughs.  She is one funny little stinker!

Sienna's Favorite Words

Sienna is growing up faster than ever and has started talking.  Every day, a new word or phrase surprises us and even if she doesn't quite have the phonetics down, she definitely has mastered the inflection of many words and phrases.  Among her first words and phrases were "Uh-oh," "Where'd it go?," "Tickle Tickle," and "All done/gone." Lately, she has been saying, "Up and down," from her favorite book "Elmo Loves Opposites."  Every day when Daddy and the girls get home, she points at the big evergreen and says, "Tree!"  She has loved the word "shoe" for practically as long as she has been wearing them.  She loves to tell you what a lion says ("Rarrrrr") and what sounds a monkey, doggy, rooster, horse, chicken, and lamb make.  She points at all of her facial features and makes it evident that she knows exactly what you are talking about at any given moment. 

Besides all of her communication advances, Sienna has also told us that she is no longer a baby by refusing to sit in her high chair many days so that she can sit at the table in a big chair next to her sister.  Also, before we lowered the crib a couple of weeks ago, Sienna proved to be quite the athlete when she climbed out of her crib and wandered into the living room.  She always keeps us on our toes!

Sienna's Nose-Picking

Sienna, ever the little stinker, was a nose-picker for awhile.  Thanks to the great teachers at Kids Count, she is no longer a true nose-picker, but a comedic nose-picker.  The other night, I was reading a Sandra Boynton book to her where a little hippo kept saying, "Ew!"  Throughout the book, Sienna kept picking her nose.  I thought she was up to her old antics, but then I realized she only did it when I said, "Ew!"  Turns out, she's a perfect Pavlovian and every time you say "Ew!" or "Acky!" or "Ick!", she will stick her finger in her nose... and grin at you. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2012 is here and I'm sure we are going to see big changes in SiSi throughout the course of the new year.  For now, Sienna is 16 months old and she is full of tricks!  Though she's not talking much in English, she is certainly conversing in her own unique way.  She does say, "Hi!" very enthusiastically when she comes home every day, she says "Daddy" over and over, and she "reads" her favorite books, like Snuggle Puppy, Goodnight Moon, and her Farm Animals book.  Her favorite activities involve emptying the bottom kitchen drawer of its contents multiple times a day, removing the books from all the shelves, hiding treasures in the cabinet under the tv in the kitchen, throwing whatever she can get her hands on, dancing to music, and playing with her big sis.  She still loves to eat most everything - the only thing she won't eat is macaroni and cheese.  At SiSi's last doctor's appointment, she weighed 21 pounds and she has moved out of her infant carrier into Finley's old car seat.  One of mom and dad's favorite things about SiSi is how easy she is to put to sleep.  Every night, we curl up in her rocking chair, read a couple of books, say goodnight to the things in her bedroom, turn out the light, before she reaches for her crib.  If there is any crying, it's very minimal.

Except on New Year's Eve!  After 3 big Christmas celebrations, she must have figured out what she was missing when she was sleeping because she woke up just before midnight and didn't go to sleep until 4am!  Of course, Mom and Dad LOVED this after enjoying the company of the Peterson clan all day, if you know what I mean ;)  All in all, though, the holiday season was fun and eventful with this little toddler, as anyone who knows her would expect.

SiSi's First Snow of 2011

Our first snowfall has come and gone but the image of Sienna in her new snowsuit will never melt away!  She loved it from the first time she laid eyes on it and she maneuvered herself around and grunted until we put her in it.  She couldn't move around very well in her hand-me-down boots, but she sure stayed warm as Finley showed her how to eat snow ("Not the yellow stuff") and throw snowballs.  We can't wait to take SiSi snowshoeing this winter now that we know she's game!

Happy Halloween, Si Si!

Sienna Takes Duluth

Sienna took her first Autumnal excursion to Duluth last weekend.  The weather was glorious, the sky was bright, the leaves were turning...it couldn't have been better.  SiSi was able to visit Gooseberry Falls, Grandma Julie's favorite place, and took everything in while looking fierce!  And when we came home, she found a little frog in our backyard waiting for her.  Of course, she wasn't scared of it in the least.