The Children, an update. Part 1: Odell

There are just so many things that my children do everyday that I don't want to forget, so it is time for my semi-annual individual updates, starting with the baby.

Ohhhhhhh-dell. What a treasure she is. She has grown up a lot in the last six months or so, it makes me so sad. She's not quite to the terrible twos yet (although I would definitely say she's in the "pre" stage, we've seen a few moments that I'm sure will give a good indication of the storm to come) and I finally have a baby that loves to cuddle while she's still little. My older kids love to cuddle now, but they didn't care much for it when they were little, always too busy with the rest of the world around them. Not Odell. She loves to walk up to me like she wants a hug, I squat down to give her one, then she pulls away, points down at the ground and demands "WAP!", which is her way of saying, "No, Mom, sit down and let me sit in your lap. Right now." She would sit there all day if I let her. She follows me around all day just waiting for me to sit down so she can crawl up and snuggle with me. She still makes that obnoxiously loud clicking sound with her tongue when she is happy and content. I'm surprised it's hung on this long, and sometimes you look at her and go, "Wow. That's really loud, how does she do that?" I don't know. But it's sort of her trademark now. One time she was doing it in the back of the car and I was chewing a piece of gum, so I started popping it really loud in my mouth to match her and she stopped, then stared at me for a minute as if to say, "Whoa, Mom. I'm impressed!"
She's talking a lot more now. I know everyone does this, but I love looking back when my kids are older and looking at all the funny ways they used to say words, so bear with me. Here is a list of words she is working on right now:
Wap: Let me sit in your lap, or time for prayer
Hadadell??: Where's Odell??
HeeKAboo!: Peekaboo!
Aiyayoo!: I love you!
'Too: I love you too
Eye, no', mow, shinnn, eeeow, heeeks, had, han, e'bow, bee-awee, shoe: Eyes, nose, mouth, chin, ears, cheeks, head, hand, elbow, belly, feet.
No: No or Yes
Yesh: just repeats it, but doesn't know what it means
Gum: Okay, yes, sure, whatever. She says this for pretty much everything.
Wha-yer: Water
Peees: Please (with hand sign)
K'you: Thank you (with sign)
Moh: More (with sign)
Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh!: PICK ME UP PA-LEEEEEEEASE!!!!!
Hish: Fish
RUFFRUFF!: Dog
Eeeeeow: Cat
Hewp?: Can I help set the table?
Mmmmaahh!: Kiss
Nana: Banana
Oh-meeoh: Oatmeal
Kacker: Cracker
Huck: Hug
Ssssssshhhhat!: I'm not sure what this means yet, but I've gotten a few looks in public when she says it so I should probably try to determine what it is she's saying.
Poh-Pee!: I pooped my diaper, change me now!
Poh-Pee!: I peed my diaper, change me now! Looks like I'm going to need to get out the potty soon...
Na-Naieee: Goodnight

Her favorite conversations with me go something like this:
Odell: MAM! MAM! MAM! MAM!
Me: ODELLODELLODELLODELL!
Odell: *laughing* Whattt-uh?!
Me: Hi Odell
Odell: Hi Mommeeee....MAM! MAM! MAM!
Me: Yes, Odell?
Odell: Hi Mommeeee
Me: Hi Odell
Odell: HEE-UH!
She says that last word a lot too, sort of like a end of conversation word, or a "good" or "okay" or "yes" or "okay now I have your attention and I just need to say something" kind of word.
She loves to laugh. She loves mac and cheese, grapes, bananas, will eat heaping bowls of oatmeal mixed with applesauce for breakfast every morning and scarfs it down before either of her siblings, will eat vegetables only when I sneak them in with other food, unless it's Grandma's snow peas out in the garden, loves my bread, but won't eat many other rolls or other kinds of bread, loves pasta with any kind of sauce on it, cheese sticks, and juice, of course.

I've walked into a room where she's in to find her rolling on the floor on her back like a dog in a mud puddle, she does this on any kind of floor surface and seems to genuinely enjoy it. She doesn't get into many things or make huge messes around the house, the only toy she really seems to like to play with is a bag full of plates and cups and utensils for play food that Chloe got for her birthday. Or she likes her baby doll or the stroller. I can take her pretty much anywhere, she loves it when it's just us at the grocery store and she doesn't have to battle for my attention with the other two kids. She loves naptime and goes down without a fit everyday. She will certainly let you know if you are doing something she doesn't like by shrieking loudly (defense mechanism with Linus) OR grabbing your glasses off your face (defense mechanism with Chloe). It seems to have worked with Chloe because she doesn't ask to sit next to her in the car anymore (which put her in reaching distance). Linus just thinks it's funny and rebuttals with a louder shriek like it's a game. That's always fun. She lets her siblings give her a hug and a kiss before bed every night, though, and loves to be silly with them when they goof off at the dinner table by shaking her arms and shoulders around and yelling gobbledy-gook at the top of her lungs when her siblings' focus is no longer on her. That usually sets them off laughing hysterically. They think she's a hoot.
I'm so grateful we have her in our family and it's so fun to see her personality come bursting out amidst all the chaos of our day to day lives. We love our little Odell.