I don't like Santa, Mama

We didn't take K to get her photo with Santa last year because she pretty much wouldn't do anything but cling to Mama. This year wasn't much better. We got a couple pouty lip shots when I was sitting there holding her, but this is all there was when she got left with Santa. It was priceless. DH thinks I'm mean for finding these photos so awesome...

K's still totally a Mama's girl these days. She's fine with our nanny or with DH if I'm not around, but if Mama's in the area, Mama's got to change the diaper, or read the story, or carry her, or have her on my lap. It's flattering, but tiring. And I feel bad for DH and our nanny getting rejected all the time.

K inhales an insane amount of food at breakfast these days. She usually gets her little bowl with milk in it, and then directs us as to whether it's a Che.erios or Rice Kr.ispies kind of day. Usually a bit of both. She scoops up the first bowl quickly, and promptly asks for more. And then more. And more again. Then she'll eat some of my sandwich or her nanny's snack. It's unbelievable the amount she consumes. I hope she's going to be able to self-regulate with eating, so that she doesn't end up obese. I guess she doesn't eat as much later on in the day, so it will probably even out.

She really wants to watch things ("gucken") and help ("helfen") these days. The last two nights when I've made dinner, I've had to put her on my hip in a carrier so she can watch what's going on and I can have two hands free to cook. It's very awkward, but at least it allows her to stir the stuff in the pot with our wooden spoon, or to drop handfuls of rapini in to saute them. It'll be great if she's still like this when she's older, because I think we could have a lot of fun cooking and baking together.

Naptimes aren't as good these days. I'm not sure if it's because our nanny caves in and sits in the room with her till she falls asleep during the week, but today she cried for over 30min (calming instantly when one of us when in to see what was wrong), and finally only fell asleep after I laid down with her on our bed. I'm hoping it'll be better tomorrow.

K turned 21 months today - I can't believe how fast time is flying. She's getting so much better at communicating. She asks to read "Sleepy Time" (the book my parents say I most loved to read as a baby) at every nap and bedtime, and also wants to read "Farm" (= My fun day at the farm). Sometimes "Moo, Baa, LaLaLa" makes it on the list too. The Going to Bed Book is one of DH's and my favourites (we read it to her nightly in utero), but Sleepy Time tops her list.

She's getting more expressive about things now. She'll say when she's "kalt" (= cold), and if something's "scharf" (= spicy). She learned that one after insisting on eating some of my spicy chicken mushroom coconut milk Thai soup last week. She did fine with the pieces of chicken and mushroom, but later wanted to drink the broth out of the bowl, took a huge gulp, and promptly coughed and said "scharf" and grabbed for her water and chugged it. She keeps wanting to eat raw onion when I'm cooking, and also calls that "scharf". Tonight when I boiled water, she said "Wasser heiss, Wasser Dampf" (= water hot, water steam), which I thought was pretty clever. Her renditions of Twinkle Twinkle and Backe Backe are gettting way better now, and she sings parts of the ABC song quite well too (we sing that every time we brush her teeth). I hope I get the singing on video soon.

It'll be fun to see how she reacts to Christmas this year!