Tatiana is sick! 
When I got home last night, she was wearing one of the pretty pretty dresses I bought at the consignment sale.  She was in Scotland's arms, but she ran to greet me.  Then she wanted to rest on my shoulder.  We went to the backyard, and I swung on the big people's swing while she was on my shoulder.  We stayed out there for a long time.  Then I brought her inside because I was hungry.  The rest of the evening, she cuddles with either Scotland or I.  Eventually Scotland noticed that she had a fever.  We tried to take her temperature, but even using the underarm method, she eventually wiggled too much.  We could tell she was over 100, and under 101.  Later we got a good reading at 100.8.  She wasn't really interested in eating.  She liked to hold her bottle and take sips here and there.  We looked up what to do, and basically we were supposed to keep her hydrated. 
...
Scotland just called, she already has a normal temperature.  I am sooooo happy.  I had looked in on her before I left for work.  She was breathing normally.

We had a good weekend.  Last night, the three of us went to Home Depot.  Scotland had modified a design he found online for a sandbox.  It will have a sunshield and a tarp cover for the sand.  It will also have a box for storing her sand digging toys.  Just as we got into the store, Scotland forgot something in the car.  As soon as Tatiana saw the carts, she knew we needed one, and she knew she was going to push it.  Boy, was she on a mission!  I knew we needed lumber, and that was where she was going so I didn't fight it.  While we were wandering around looking for the right stuff, we parked the cart and both held her hand.  That was really great.
 
When she was in the mancave after PJ's, she wanted something that wasn't there.  She wandered off, then came back and grabbed Scotland's hand and led him to a pillow that she couldn't get herself.  Scotland thought it was so neat he had to tell me right then.

Sunday morning, Tatiana and I were in the big people swing.  We often do that on weekend mornings, just sit and cuddle on the swing.  She gave me a big smile, and I saw that she had three canine teeth!  I think the fourth is coming in now.  I sure will be glad when that is done. 
She is saying so many words now.  She said elephant this weekend.  It is often so light it is hard to hear.  At one point she brought me a photo from the fridge of her Grandpa, Ty and me.  I pointed to me and asked, "Who is that?"  She said "Mommy".  I pointed to Grandpa, and she said something, I couldn't quite catch what it was.  I pointed to Ty, and she said something then too. 

I came home, and she ran to greet me.  I just love that.  She looked amazing.  She was wearing a black velvet dress with a red ribbon around her waist, and the skirt was this neat white and black fabric with tulle underneath.  Scotland said she'd looked even cuter during the day because she was wearing black and white cowprint diapers, and she lifted her skirt to show them off. 
Scotland and Tatiana went to Yoga class to find out it was cancelled.  They'd left a message on the home answering machine.  They walked around, and went up and down the stairs.  They still had time to kill, so Scotland went with Tatiana for the first time to the indoor playground at the mall.  She had fun.  There was a 2.5 year old that wondered why Tatiana didn't want to play with her.  But, Tatiana doesn't often play with other kids yet.  She loves to be nearby. 
At lunch, she walked backward to the bathroom.  She got lots of attention.  About 2pm she got cranky, so they went home and she got a good nap.
When I got home, she wanted to spend lots of time in my arms.  That was OK with mommy.  She also brought out several clean diapers and were using them as blankets for her dolls.
She asked for the doggy music box to be played.  I started it twice while we cuddled.  I tortured Scotland with my made-up lyrics. 
"How much is that doggy in the window
I would really like to know" (repeat) 

Wednesday night I put Tatiana to bed. In the evening, she took a bath. I just love watching her in the bath. Every other time I have been able to slip a little bit of hair combing here and there, so that it is done by the time she is done. Not this time. I think it was because I was having such fun watching her, that I started late. Near the end, she wanted the shower curtain pulled out. Then she started to shovel her bath toys in between the curtain and the wall of the bathtub. I think she was cleaning up her toys. When she was done, she lifted her arms to tell me she was done. I hadn't been prepared for her to be done. Normally I get the towel ready and then open the drain. I let her play until the water is mostly gone, by which time she is ready to be held. Since she started it, the towel was still hanging on the rod. She reached over and started to pull on the towel. She knew bathtime, then mommy holds you with towel. Then I always lay her down on the bed, and make sure she is dry. Then I give her lots of belly kisses. Then I put her PJ's on. I let her pick out which PJ she wants. She was pretty mellow when we went to the mancave. She watched Star Trek in the cruck of my arm. In fact, I thought she was asleep and I put her in the crib. But, no. Then we both laid down on the mancave floor and she fell asleep.
Earlier in the evening, we'd had a great time playing hide and seek in the backyard.

I just love it when she gets all excited when I come home.  Scotland said she was all ready to get her nails clipped when I got home.  She was even willing and was holding out her foot.  Then I come home, and that was all that mattered.  Lately, when you are holding her and she is happy, she wants to bounce up and down.  Scotland said she was very happy today, but she only got a 45 minute nap.  During that time he got the backyard mowed and sprayed with nasty chemicals.  Tatiana really wanted to go out back to play, so we went to the playground.  She had lots of fun.  As we arrived there were some preteens hanging out on the equipment, talking.  The black girl said to Tatiana as we walked up, "Ohhhh, she is so cute!"   Then she said to the white girl, "She looks like you did at that age".  The white girl said, "No, my hair was never that blonde and I was never that cute."

Later in the evening, we were in the living room.  Her new black shoes are too big and my favorite black shoes are too small.  So, her new black shoes were on the floor in the living room because she walked out of them.  She put them on ALL BY HER SELF.  Scotland kept saying they were on the wrong foot.  I said they were so big, it didn't matter. 

"Not Baby"

Scotland said Tatiana was talking to an older girl (not the same girl as the other conversation).  He didn't hear what the other girl said, but Tatiana clearly replied, "Not baby!"  She gets that from other kids even her own age because she is so small.  The other kids say, "Oh, what a cute baby!" and want to pet her.  I don't think she likes it. 

I am worried about her lack of words.  I hope I will be able to look back and laugh at how silly my worry is.  But, I looked up when they do early intervention for lack of language progress.  According to them, her progress so far is in the normal range.  Plus, I try to remind myself that she lost a couple of months to that ear infection.  But, there is a huge time range between "your child might start doing this now" to "worry if she isn't doing this now".  Two word combinations is a milestone that is encouraging for her to do now.  She really seems to be trying to figure out books, so I don't think she is dumb.  Sometimes I worry that her hearing isn't good.  Then I call her name and she looks at me.  I guess I was just hoping to be having conversations with her by now. 

I opened the Birthday/Easter box from Terri.  It had a box of thin mints on the top.  I do love that smell.  I called Terri right away.  Tatiana saw me eating a mint and she wanted some.  She didn't used to like chocolate, but she loved the thin mints.  I started out breaking off little pieces with my teeth, then I gave her her own.  They were very good. 

That was Sunday evening.  On Sunday afternoon when she woke up from her nap I asked her where she wanted to go.  She didn't say anything but she walked to the garage door and looked at me expectantly.  I guess she knew she wanted to go somewhere in the car.  We were going to the library, but they had closed for the day.  So we went to the mall.  There were too many kids at the playground.  She was really happy to walk around, but she got very upset when I wouldn't let her climb up the escalator. 

Thursday

I had to work late, so I got home after 7pm.  Tatiana came running down the hallway making happy talking noises.  She wasn't really saying words, but she was telling me how happy she was to see me.  It was so nice to hold her and play with her. 
At PJ time, when she was done with coo-coo time, she started to point to her books.  She wanted to pick out a book.  I let her pick out a book, and I told her I would read it to her when we got her PJ's on.  I think I will add that to the PJ time.  I should probably put the too-old books away.  She picks out the books without pictures, and then doesn't like them.

Wednesday

Tatiana was cranky during the morning swim.  It might be because the instructor is new.  Scotland does not like her as well.  But, then she had a great afternoon.  When they got home at 2:30pm, Scotland put her in the crib awake, and she fell asleep.  When she woke up they got Scotland's car from the machanic.  I was waiting for them when they got home.  Scotland had to leave right away to go to soccer, then he did some work in Ty's commercial building.  Tatiana and I had a great evening.  I just love watching her play.  Mommy had a hard night though.  Tatiana didn't want to go to sleep until Daddy came home, so she stayed awake until midnight.  Mommy was very very tired.  Fortunately Scotland said he got a lot of work done.  I think I was up in the bathroom when Scotland got home, so I told him about her wanting to wait for him.  He said that when she woke up from her nap, her first word was Mommy?   Then she walked to the bedroom.  She seems to have figured out that if I were home, and not with her, napping would be the only place I would be. 

Scotland and Tatiana showed me the Yoga positions last night.  She gets this adorable smile.  They do a version of the hocky-pocky.  She sometimes stuck the wrong hand out, but she still did it.  I clapped a bunch when they were done.  She'd had a good nap yesterday afternoon.  That always makes the evening nice.  I gave her a bath.  She played for a long time, then asked to be picked up when she was done.  One good thing about bath time is that I can give her hair a good combing.  She is so focused on playing that I can spend lots of time on it.  Scotland said that at Yoga she had a conversation with another girl.  The other girl's name is Caitlan and is about a year older.  I really look forward to having a conversation with Tatiana.

Weekend

Friday night:  Tatiana kicked the soccer ball all the way down the hall and back again.  Daddy cheered. 

Sunday afternoon, Tatiana and I went on a walk.  She started to reach for her diaper.  It was wet and poopy.  I decided to just take it off, figuring she wasn't going to do anything else before we got hiome.  We got to the end of the block and Yogi came galloping by.  I picked Tatiana up, and carried her home so I could get a leash.  She was so patient!  I got Yogi back in the house, Tatiana cleaned up and we started the walk again.  Then I had to go to the bathroom, as in right then!  So, I tucked her under my arm again, and we went home.  She didn't struggle or complain.  After that we decided to just play in the backyard.

Sunday Scotland left to play soccer and he was so focused on not forgetting to take something, he forgot to give me a good-bye kiss.  So, when he got home I demanded a kiss before anything else.  I was holding Tatiana.  She gave me three kisses on the lips to make up for it. 

Sunday evening all three of us went to the driveway and helped Scotland clean out his car.  I tried Tatiana on her tricycle.  Not tall enough yet.  Then I noticed that the seat could be moved forward.  So I did that.  It required a screwdriver and a wrench.  Tatiana wanted to hold the screwdriver.  She is such a helper!  I tried her back on the tricyle and she still wasn't tall enough, but really close.  She liked to sit on it and turn the handles and make Rhoom Rhoom noises. 

Thursday

Tatiana had a wonderful day yesterday.  She slept late, so they didn't get a chance to go to the library.  They went to lunch.  She ate well.  At one point during lunch, Scotland became aware that Tatiana's diaper was wet.  He doesn't know how he knew.  He took her for a diaper change.  On the way back, he passed the ice cream machine.  He got a ice cream cone and broke the top part off.  Then he filled it with ice cream.  Then he got out the sprinkles.  Tatiana's eyes got big and she started to make happy excited noises.  Scotland put lots of sprinkles on it.  She ate all the ice cream.  I had to laugh when Scotland told me about the sprinkles because Ty is famous for putting on lots of sprinkles. 
She had a good nap and was playing when I got home.  We went to the backyard, and I swung her.  Then we went inside and I ate while we watched Tatiana play.  Scotland said he had to pack the car because he was going to do some work for Chuck the next day.  I told Tatiana I would read her a book.  She went to the hallway and became quite upset that the gate was up.  When I opened it, she ran to the nursery and climbed on her bed and looked at her books.  Unfortunately, she has carted off the good books already.  But, there were a couple left.  She likes to pick up the book, then sit in your lap.  Then she grabs your hand and places it on the book.  She is so subtle! 
About 9pm she climbed into her daddies lap and put her head on his shoulder.  She was telling us it was time to start bedtime.  So, I put her PJ's on, and then gave her to Scotland to put to bed.