How Long?

We have a house under contract (more on that at a later time). Today was the inspection, so we made a visit to the house to check on the progress. While there, Mommy measured walls, windows, fireplaces, furniture, rugs...and I wanted to help. At home this evening, I found the tape measure and wanted to measure, measure, measure...I got really good at holding the end of the tape measure at the edge of an item. Next time I am bored, Mommy says she pulling out the tape measure.

Thirty-Four Months Old

Dearest Victoria Pearl,

You are upstairs asleep in your tiara and purple tutu. You reluctantly took off your dress-up shoes and handed me your fairy wand before going down for your nap. You couldn't be more girly and precious. Babies continue to be your central focus, and if there isn't a real baby or doll around, you still manage to find a "baby": pebble=baby rock, postcard=baby letter, etc...you watched a Barbie video for the first time and were completely enamored with her. You have started protesting bath time, which has us puzzled since you have always loved that time. Your eating habits haven't improved (it's 3:30 and all you have had is one cup of milk - that's ALL!). We continue to put good food on your plate and model eating fruits and vegetables and hope that you will gain healthy eating habits one day (soon, please???). You are growing and the doctor is not concerned, so I just have to (try to) let go of the worry over that... We just wrapped up what was your third Aggie football season. You loved going to the games and would squeal with delight when we drove up to Kyle Field. It's been wonderful to share something we enjoy so much and to have you enjoy it, too. You still think everything is yours and can't be convinced otherwise. You have been waking up in the middle of the night, which is unusual. I bring you to bed with us because that's what I have done in the past, and it's never been more than a couple of nights here and there. However, we are going on several nights in a row, so a habit may be forming...uh-oh! We know that we all sleep better when you are in your own bed, but there's nothing sweeter than rolling over to your smiling face in the morning.

On to the serious stuff...as I have mentioned in previous letters, talking has been a challenge for you. You have been diagnosed with something called Apraxia. It's a motor planning issue. You understand everything being said to you (although sometimes you act like you don't...like when it's time to clean up!) and you know what you want to say, but your mouth has problems forming all the combinations to make the words come out intelligibly. It will likely mean lots of speech therapy, which we have started will full gusto. You are working soooo very hard and although progress has been slow, it's definitely there! I know that we will continue to see you make strides. We will be by your side every step of this journey advocating for you, helping you and, most importantly, loving you. While this Apraxia has become a big deal in our lives, you won't be reading much about it in the blog. I think it's easy for a diagnosis to become the definition of who a person is, and you are so much more than an apraxic child. You are Victoria Pearl Veselka, and this blog is a place to focus on all the other aspects of who you are.

I love you,
Mommy

Rainbow

When you mix the purple, blue, green and red Pay-Doh, which container do you put it in when you are finished???

Pony, Please

Yesterday in the mail was a kids' clothing catalogue. I am always attracted to photos of kids, so I grabbed it and started thumbing through the pages. In one of the photos is a pony. I immediately took it to Daddy, pointed at that pony and said, "Please???". It was the first, but no doubt not the last, time I asked for a pony. Mommy and Daddy wondered how I just KNEW little girls should want ponies...

Hanging Around

I am usually more of a spectator/social butterfly on the playground, so it's neat when I try something new, am able to do it, enjoy doing it and do it over and over again.

A Taste of My Own Medicine

On the playground recently, I walked up to a boy who was playing with a stick. When I approached, he clutched his stick and yelled, "Mine!" As you can see, it hurt my feelings. Mommy hoped it would help me understand how others feel when I don't want to share. So far, it hasn't helped. As I see it, everything (well, other than that one stick) is still MINE!

Fall Art Project

Max's mom invited us over for another art project - this time we made a handprint turkey and used stickers and other embelishments to make a fall placemat. We were most interested in using the scissors. They ended up being taken away when the idea of playing barber shop came into play.

One Tired Girl

It Doesn't Get Any Sweeter Than This!

For those of you with little ones, you probably are aware of Richard Ferber's book about getting children to sleep through the night. His method (which, yes, does involve some crying - by everyone) has been nicknamed "Ferberizing". When I was about six months old, I was "Ferberized". It took only two nights before I was sleeping though the night! Mommy was soooo excited about this, she mailed Dr. Ferber some candy and a t-shirt that read "Someone in Texas Loves Me!". He responded with a personal e-mail thank-you which is in my baby book. Anyway, since then, I have been a great sleeper. When I crawl in bed, I go to sleep. I sleep all night and take naps almost every day...which means I am well-rested and raring to go the rest of the time. Do you ever see kids asleep in their strollers? That wouldn't be me. Do you ever see kids sacked out on the shoulder of one of their parents? That wouldn't be me. I just never seem tired or sleep anywhere but my bed...except for yesterday. I slept really late (10:15) and then fell asleep on the sofa as Mommy read me a book in the early evening...with only a hot pink tutu on. I slept through having my jammies put on and contined to sleep until my usual time this morning. I must be growing or something!

Blog Book

When we started this blog we thought it would be a great way for our friends and family to keep up with my antics. Most importantly, we thought it would be a great way to record my childhood. While it is nice to have the postings on-line, it is even nicer to have them in a hard-bound book. Victoria Pearl's Daily Adventures Volume One just arrived in the mail, and it is, well, GREAT!

First Cough

I have always been a remarkably well little girl. I never have a runny nose and have had only two ear infections. I have never thrown-up (Mommy says I should knock on wood) and, until this week, never had a cough. It lasts about five minutes, twice-a-day. Mommy called the doctor and felt like a nutty mom.

Nurse: Is it keeping her up at night?
Mommy: No

Nurse: Is she running fever?
Mommy: No

Nurse: Does she seem irritable?
Mommy: Yes, but her usual amount

Nurse: We don't need to see her.
Mommy: Thanks for your time...sorry to bother you...

Sewing 101

Mommy has sewn since she was a little girl. She doesn't sew anything too complicated (although she did make some window treatments that she is super proud of!), and lately it's mainly hems and such. She usually saves this activity for my nap time, so yesterday she put me down and got out all her gear. I decided not to take a nap, and when I got up, I wanted to explore all the thread, pincushions and the machine. It went from Mommy showing me how things work to her letting me sew a straight line on a piece of old fabric to the two of us making a skirt for my doll. If this is how much fun I can have during nap time, I just may not take another nap!

Race for the Cure 2009

Today Mommy, joined by Aunts Cindy and Elizabeth, walked in the Komen Race for the Cure. This was their third time, and they added some spice this year with some pink tutu's. The race will always be especially meaningful for Mommy since her first one was the day before her surgery. Then, she walked in a hazy fog, but today she walked with a smile on her face. The race raised almost $2 million!