This volume of "Eliza says" is a little more up to date. She is speaking in two and three word sentences, about anything and everything. She has a LOT to say, and she's finally becoming less shy about speaking to other people. I just love seeing how much she appreciates it when I understand what she says. It's fun being her translator. And, if I don't know a new word she is saying, she will say it over and over until I say it back and her little face melts into a satisfied smile.
So, here are just a few things she has been saying lately...
Eliza says:
at the party- Eliza loves her friends, and she talks about them all day. She even especially loves talking about her friends' moms. So, sometimes we play this game where I ask her, "Eliza who is coming to the party?" She usually answers by calling off all of her friends and family- "Ook, Megan, Sage, Gama, Dadad, Yucy, Dasi, Ilson, Dani." My favorite was when she went through a phase where "Anna and Elsa" were included at the party, quite often.
"mama come" "mama too" "matchy mama"- Eliza is a mama's girl, for now at least. She always wants me to be right with her, and she LOVES it when we match. If I put a skirt on- "Too Eziza, matchy tutu!"
"baby shhhh"- Eliza's baby is not usually allowed to leave the house, so that it doesn't get destroyed. Also, because I feel like some times should feel special and be treated with more respect. So, when we leave we usually put her baby down for a "nap." So, when we are out and about if she suddenly remembers her baby, she goes "baby shhhh." Which then turned into the logical conclusion that if anyone is at their home, when we are out, they are probably napping. "Luke, shhhh" or "Papa, shhhh."
"that?" (what's that?)- She is such a curious thing. She constantly points out everything she sees, calling it by name. And, if she doesn't know what something is, she asks "That?" and then repeats everything I say.
"annie" (another or other)- I don't know where this word came from, and took me a long time to figure out what it meant. But, it's one of the few made up words that she uses very specifically. If she is putting on her shoes and she can't find the other, she asks "annie, annie?"
snaps- Eliza started copying me one day while snapping my fingers- she would pinch her little thumb and forefinger, and then click her tongue really loudly. Clever girl.
"tood!" (attitude)- Eliza is finally loving to dance! She loves her tutus and Ella Bella book. And sometimes we have dance parties in our living room, where she spins around in circles and kicks her legs, and jumps up and down. She used to lean on the coffee table and kick her leg back in a perfect "attitude." So, I taught her what it was called and she would kick and yell "Tood!"
"pop"- When something breaks it "pop"s. I think she picked this up from balloons popping. But, it's so cute to hear her concerned little voice yell, "pop! pop!" when her favorite, pink crayon breaks in half.
"keen" (clean)- Eliza is very intense when it comes to her cleanliness. Sometimes I worry about it. She gets very concerned when she spills something on herself (which is funny because her dress is soaked in these pictures). She also constantly needs to wipe down her highchair as she is eating. She loves playing with wipes, and walking around the house to clean off surfaces. I'm not complaining!
"apples"- I hesitate to share this one, but it's too funny not to mention. The other day we were sitting in church and Eliza pats my chest and says, "apples!" I mean, we know they aren't melons, that's for sure. But, give me a little credit, E! After all, I'm going to have to blame Eliza for that. But, let's not go into details about the state of my post-breastfeeding boobs...
"nipple" - Ok, since we are already talking anatomy here- Eliza just discovered her nipples the other day. And, it was hilarious. She was stripped down for dinner, because we were having spaghetti. She took a napkin and tried to clean off some sauce, while trying very hard to clean off her nipples. Then, she tried to pull it off. Then, she stopped and looked at me with a perplexed face and asked "That??" When I explained to her that it was her nipples, you could see the wheels start turning as she suddenly realized that we all have nipples! (HA!) So, now a favorite topic of conversation at the dinner table goes, "Nipple, nipple, nipple. Mama. Papa. Eziza!"
My friend, Sara, and I threw a shower recently for this beautiful, amazing lady. Anna is expecting a boy in just a couple of weeks, which is a bit of a miracle. I am so happy for her. She was one of the first friends I made when we moved to Berkeley. She would go on walks with me when I was hugely pregnant. And for some reason, still came to keep me company with a screaming newborn in my lap. She is a kind and strong woman, in every sense of the words. That little boy is lucky to have this mama!
Anna is one of the healthiest people I know. She is not necessarily a vegetarian, but pretty much all of her diet consists of fresh produce. So, Sara and I had the idea to throw a garden-themed shower. We asked friends to bring fresh salads, and were blown away by the selection. Although, I shouldn't be surprised. The produce out here is pretty much amazing, and these woman know how to work magic with it. We had a variety of green and grain salads, fresh fruit, homemade sourdough bread, and a selection of cheeses. Christyn made a beautiful chocolate, "naked" cake, and Erika made the cutest chocolate mint pots.
One of the other great things about living in Berkeley is that it's spring year-round. As in, perfect weather and perfect blooms all. year. round. Ok, ok I'll stop bragging. But, for real. I never spend money on florals here, because I can forage in empty lots and ditches on the side of the road. I mean, sure, one day it would be really nice to be able to afford any selection of florals I want. But, these aren't a bad alternative, right?
We wanted to have some way for Anna's friends to show support for her. So, Sara and I made these bracelets with stones that represent things like, "strength" or "heart." Each guest wrote a note attached to her bracelets, so that she could have a little extra strength with her over the next fee weeks.
Sara and I also put together some seed packets so guests could plant their own gardens at home. I've always wanted to do something similar to this seed reveal that Sam did at Rapt Studio a couple of years back. So, I painted this board I found with a floral "thank you" that would appear as guests left with their seed packets.
The shower had been moved at the last minute, because of the threat of rain. But, it ended up being a beautiful morning, and a really great location. I feel so grateful to have amazing and talented friends who love to create with me. And, even more grateful to have beautiful friends who have babies!
Anna, you are positively glowing. We can't wait to see that little boy!
This girl is obsessed with pink. I have nothing against the color pink, although I've noticed that I've never really bought her a ton of clothes with pink on them. But, this little pink monster has blossomed and I love it. I love that she has a favorite something, and I love that she has opinions.
She has been pretty insistent on dressing herself for the past few weeks. The outfit usually needs to involve pink. She wears that pink cardigan almost every day. This particular ensemble involves all pink, because she still assumes that red is pink. Also, this outfit is pretty tame for Eliza.
(Also it's a miracle I got a few pictures, since she usually turns sour-faced and yells at me when I take the camera out. In this instance, photos were allowed only because she could take pictures, as well.)
I wish I could get better pictures of her outfits, because they are pretty stellar. She loves skirts and tights, and leans very heavily on her accessories. Bows, bracelets, and necklaces are a staple. And, she is not above wearing socks with sandals. Tutus can be layered, and patterns are a favorite, And the shoes are always the crowning piece. Surprisingly, her outfits tend to match pretty well.
She also loves for me to match her. So, while we get dressed, I usually let her pick out parts and pieces of my outfit. When we are all dressed, she points to me and says, "Mama pitty" and then she might stop and sway in the mirror a little and say, "Eziza pitty."
I've found it really difficult lately to try and decide how I am going to record this girl's ever changing life. She is talking about a storm, and doing the funniest things. But, I just don't know how to write it down in a way that I will appreciate in the future. So, I started writing down some of the things that she says. This post was written a couple of months ago, so it's pretty outdated. I forgot to publish it for awhile because I couldn't decide if it was very interesting at all. But, I decided that it was important for me to remember these little words, so it was important enough to get down on "paper."
So, here is Miss Eliza, about a couple of months ago. She will not let me take her picture. Whenever I take out a camera, she screws up her face all funny and then whines at me to put it away. It used to make me mad. But, I guess this is a real life snapshot of this girl right now, right? I love her.
Eliza says (originally written in January):
"Da Mama" and "Da Papa" - She went through this phase where she added a "the" in front of our names, for some reason. I think it gave us some street creds. She also occasionally refers to Sam as "Sham," which Sam is is very quick to correct. (Although, I think it's hilarious.)
"Mama," "Papa" and "Eziza" (Eliza)- These are the most used words throughout her day. Sometimes, to get our attention, but mostly to make sure that things are in order. For example, if Sam is wearing glasses, then Mama needs to be wearing glasses, as well as "Eziza"- like, immediately. And, we can't continue our day until all three of us are wearing glasses. If we are sitting on the couch, all three of us needs to have a blanket. If we are eating an apple, all three of need an apple. And, once everything is in order- she gets this huge squishy, smile on her face and let's out this overjoyed sound of relief. Oh, and I think the cutest thing she has every uttered is her own name- "Eziza!"
"Nope" - Lately, she has replaced "No" with "Nope!" Which is really cute, especially when she is mad. Like, when we want her to eat something and she doesn't want to, she will angrily yell, "Nope! Nope!" Or, when I am smothering her with kisses and she is squirming to get away, she will yell "Nope, pees! Nope, peeees!" Which leads me to...
"Pees" (Please) - I have raised the most polite toddler ever. Not really. The word is usually used in a long string for the purpose of demanding. Like, if she wants some sort of food on the counter you will hear "Pees, pees, pees, pees, pees..." until you hand her what she wants. But, I guess there are worst words she could use!
"pick" (pink) - Eliza loves pink. Which is sort of funny, because she doesn't even own that many pink things.
"bow" "tights" "eckas" (necklace) "too too" (tutu) "shoos" (shoes), etc. - Eliza loves to dress up. So, I hear these words all day long. Lately, she loves getting ready when I do. She likes to pick out her own clothes, put them on (what she can get on), and accessorize. She almost always wears a necklace and a bow, and carries a purse every where she goes.
"it" (eat) and tongue clicking - Even before she could talk, Eliza started clicking her tongue when she was hungry. I love it. Partly, because it was one of the first times when my baby was able to communicate something to me and I could fulfill her needs. But, partly because it's just so Eliza. I especially loves that she still does it, clicking her tongue between saying "It! It!"
"pitty" (pretty) - She loves to point out things that are pretty- people, flowers, dresses. I love this about her.
"oot" or"ook" (book) - We read so. many. books. She loves reading them to herself, and you can often find us curled up on a chair barreling through a stack of 20 books. She loves all kinds of books, but lately she's really in to the longer books with actual stories. I think it's great, obviously. But, there are some times when I skip pages because I'm tired and need a nap, too. (whoops)
"out" - This word has many uses. When she wants to go outside, when she wants out of her seat, when she wants off of something. The most pathetic one is when we attempt to force morning cuddles in bed, and she wraps her arms around our bodies and tries to roll us out of bed, yelling "out, out, ouuuuutttt!" She is also currently learning how to distinguish between up, down, out, off, etc.
"Ook" (Luke) "Mack" (Max) "Jay" "Sa- ee" (Sally) "Sage" "E-ika" (Erika) "Si" - These are some of Eliza's friends and teachers. She asks for them all day long. She has developed the sweetest friendships, and truly loves them so much. Luckily, we live in a place that has beautiful weather all year long, many parks and beaches, and plenty of young families. So, we see our friends almost every day of the week. We are lucky to have them!
