Life as a Leach

As I was getting Abby dressed yesterday, I went through three shirts before I found one that fit her.   The others were all too small, and I asked her what caused all that growing?!  Her answer? "*sigh* It's that darn Dr. Campbell!!" Lol!  I guess it's time to pull out the next size!

Abby was refusing to put her coat on to walk into Young Athletes the other night. Me: Abby, it's really cold.  You need a coat on! Abby: Mom. (Eye roll and dramatic pause). I'm Elsa. The cold doesn't bother me anyway!

Calebism:  (while praying before bed) "And please help there to not be a storm while I'm taking a shower so that I don't get struck by lightning."  (I have no idea where this came from.) Abbyism:  (after calling for me when she should have been taking a nap):  "I'm too busy."    Me:  "Too busy for what?"    Abby:  "I'm just too busy to take a nap today, Momma."

Caleb was singing away in the car, as usual.  He just loves to sing! Abby:  Caleb, can you please stop? Abby:  Caleb, can you please stop? Abby:  Caleb, STOP it! Caleb:  C'mon Abby, I was just praising God! Abby:  Not our  God!

It's been potty training central around here....lots of trying with very little success.  But on the rare occasion when we have had success, it's been a party!!  We cheer, we listen to "Call Me Maybe," we watch episodes of Hello Kitty...gotta pull out all the stops when candy is not a motivator! So...with all of this "potty" talk, it's only natural that Abby reciprocate it.  But it's pretty embarrassing for her to cheer me on in a public bathroom... "Mommy, did you go pee pee on the potty?  Lemme see.  Yes, you did!  Yaaaaaaaay, Mommy!!!!  You get to listen to "Call Me Maybe" and DANCE!!! " Snicker, snicker, snicker from the other stalls...who were hopefully other moms who have had this happen to them too.  

Abby's excited response to anything that makes her happy these days is, "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!" At Story Time last week, Anna was standing up in the middle of the story.  Amy had told her to sit, so Abby grabbed Anna's arm and pulled her down, saying, "Anna!  SIT DOWN!" Caleb:  Momma, I'm hungry. Me:  Ok, I'll get you a pretzel stick. Abby:  Momma, I'm hungry!!!!!!!!!! (everything she says these days is more of an excited yell...) Me:  Well, and what do you want? Abby:  Ice cream!!!!!!! (For the record, she got a pretzel stick too...although it took the fact that we didn't have any ice cream right now every ounce of parental restraint I had to say no, since we've worked so incredibly hard to get to this place!)

Abby has been at the library a lot recently!  We're trying to help her to feel more comfortable communicating in social situations, so Matt takes her to the Monday Morning Movie (which is really more story time than movie, which I like!) and I take her to Story Time on Thursdays.  She is also usually there one evening a week while I tutor. Needless to say, she recognizes the library when we drive up!  As I parked the car, she announces, "I'm HEEEEEEE -ERRRRRRE!" Then she went right up to our favorite children's librarian and told her plain as day, "I'm wearing Pull-Ups!" Not exactly the greeting I was going for, but when you have a kid that won't talk to other people, you take what you can get!

Only doctors call Abby Abigail.   Because of that, it has developed a bit of a negative stigma for her.  I think she equates Abigail  to doctors and everything that comes with it...hospitals, needles, long car rides, blood, pain, etc.  She has recently chosen to completely disregard anyone who calls her Abigail. Don't get me wrong--I love the name Abigail!  I chose it, after all!!  It was actually my intention to most often use that as her name and not call her Abby exclusively, but when she came out so tiny and frail, yet so full of spunk, Abby just fit.  She will forever be my Abby Joy! So, at a recent visit to the pulmonologist (who, out of all of her specialists, is probably the best with Abby), she came in and greeted her with a cheery, "Well, hi, Abigail!"  To which, Abby turned her head, glared at her, and stated just as clear as day, "My name is Abby !" Thankfully, our pulmonologist has a good sense of humor and just laughed, saying,...

I think I can officially post my first Abbyism! At our feeding reevaluation on Thursday, where lots of therapists and doctors observe Abby eating and make suggestions, Abby was less than cooperative.  I handed her a cup of milk and told her to take a sip. She glared at me, put the cup back on the counter, shook her pointer finger at me, and scolded, "I don't want my milk, Momma, OKAY??" It was probably the clearest sentence she has ever said, and the therapists all erupted in laughter. That's Abby!