July

Tickle- Tickle

Yesterday marked a year to the day we first brought Cairo up north... and boy how things have changed. At this time last year Erik and I were sleep deprived, I was recovering from two operations, and we were trying to get Cairo to put on some weight. This year, Cairo is sleeping for 13-14 hours straight each night. That means that I get to sleep my 8 plus hours with no interruption. Cairo is getting big and more and more independent. She still only have two teeth and isn't walking yet, but she has a new tooth just waiting to poke through and she is getting more and more steady on her feet.

Lately, Cairo has been mimicking many of the things I do and she wants to help me. For example, when I sneeze, Cairo has to sneeze, too (though her sneeze if actually a forced cough). Then, she has to rub her nose with a kleenex or sock or napkin. The other day I rubbed my eye with the inside of my shirt, then Cairo had to use my shirt to rub my eye for me, too. If I am wiping down something (like her highchair tray), she has to help me wipe it as well. These are just a few of the many, many things that Cairo is doing... not to mention the sounds and voice inflections she mimics. My favorites are when she says "poo-poo" or when she barks at the dog (or the cat across the street).

Cairo is getting new words here and there, like "bue" (blue without the L). She says this when she wants a blueberry. I also think that she is trying to say Sienna (my dog's name)and it comes out like Ne-na. Though Cairo is getting a few new words and sounds, she still doesn't quite grasp the meaning of everything. A dog-dog is any and all animals. Cairo is very adamant about this. A typical interaction with Cairo goes something like this:

Mom/Dad: "Look, Cairo, there's a cat! Say Cat."

Cairo: "Dog-dog."

Mom/Dad: "No, Caaa-aaat, caaa-aaat."

Cairo: "Dooo-ooog, dooo-ooog."

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Mom/Dad: "Cairo, are you playing with your duck?"

Cairo: "Dog-dog."

Mom/Dad: "It's a duck. Duuuckkkk, duuuckkk."

Cairo: "Dog-dog" or the occasional "dog-ck, dog-ck"
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We see a cow.

Cairo: "Dog-dog"

Mom/Dad: "That is a cow."

Cairo: "DOG-DOG."
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She just doesn't get it. I hope that by the time she gets into kindergarten that she figures it out. I am sure that she will.

One last things I would like to mention is Cairo's tantrums. I tell my mom about this and she just laughs at me and gives me no sympathy at all. Karma. Cairo sure did wear me out the other day. By the time she went to bed I was exhausted. How someone has six kids is beyond me!

Most of the time Cairo is very sweet natured and she is a pretty good girl. However, if you plan to set limits that she doesn't agree with, Lord help you. Cairo will throw her head back, hit the floor, and scream. Too bad it doesn't work for her. I am sure that she will realize sometime soon that I am meaner and more stubborn than she will ever be (I hope)... and I don't give in. It's also too bad for Cairo that her Daddy is just as steadfast as I am. When she does this, I normally just walk away. It is no fun to have a fit is there is no one to watch.

Okay, I am going to stop with the rambling. I am sure that Cairo will enjoy reading this when she is older...