Watermelon

Amelie is a big fan of watermelon.

It is a little bit messy, though.

More Sandbox Fun

Amelie demonstrates why you might want to have a sandbox shaped like a tugboat:

This girl is really good about making lemonade.

Running

What is this dress that Mom put me in?

Oh, well! It doesn't matter! I'm running!

Running!

Nana Jana Visits

Nana Jana was able to come up to Columbia to visit last weekend for Amelie's birthday. We did all kinds of fun things while she was here: eating at the vegetarian restaurant downtown, going to water aerobics and the farmers market, making blueberry waffles, and super-importantly, getting ready for Amelie's second birthday party!

Nana Jana was also a good sport about the "Sand Box!"

Sam doesn't understand why the sandbox would be shaped like a tugboat.

Moving this sand around is very serious business.

Look who fits in the play house:

This club is very exclusive.

"Come!"

Doctor's Visit

Amelie had her 2-year well-child checkup today.

Here are those vital statistics:
Weight ~ 26.6 pounds (51st percentile!)
Height ~ 32 inches (12th percentile)
Head Circumference ~ 48 centimeters (65th percentile)

So it looks like Amelie's picked up again in weight gain, but is still on the shorter end with a giant, genius-sized head.

Here are some things she can do:
* Kicks, bounces, and throws a ball
* Jumps
* Runs (and races)
* Stands on tiptoe
* Builds a tower of blocks
* Does easy puzzles
* Figures out the shape-sorter toy
* Says sentences of 4 words
* Understands "mine" and "yours" (but mostly "mine!")
* Says -ing forms of verbs ("I coming!")
* Says some prepositions
* Knows 1 and 2
* Knows some colors
* Knows some shapes
* Says A,B,C,Q,R,S
* Plays pretend
* Tries to dress and undress herself
* Uses the toilet (with no accidents all week long!)
* Copies Mama & Dada

And, since it's hardly a blog post without a picture, here's one I took in the waiting room. Amelie was fascinated as always with the fish tank. She really liked the "baby fish!" (though I'm pretty sure they were just smaller fish).

Amelie Is 2 Now!

Amelie turned two years old today! Yay!

We celebrated her birthday with a party on Saturday. Nana Jana got to come up for the weekend, and Aunt Holly, Cousin Ellie, Aunt Barb, Uncle Luke, and Grandma & Grandpa all were in attendance.

There were party hats.

And hotdogs and hamburgers (and portobello mushrooms, and hummus, and guacamole, and salsa, and chips, and veggies, and watermelon)

Amelie got a sandbox and a playhouse (and even more toddler-sized chairs). When we opened gifts inside, Nana Jana gave her a purse, and Sam's folks got her a cow -- and Amelie promptly stowed her cow in her purse and walked around toting her "cow purse."

Ellie was a fan of moving sand from place to place. Spoons and cups and the Easter basket from Grandma Pat worked out pretty well. Also, thank you to Ellie for the Sparky's gift certificate :)

There were cupcakes and candles (and homemade vegan banana/strawberry ice cream -- it's practically a health food!) Dada did let her lick the frosting off of two cupcakes, though. When Mama asked why, he said "It's her birthday!"

Amelie really liked it when we sang "Happy Birthday" to her, but she was a bit suspicious when it came to blowing out her candles. Paw-paw was a big help in demonstrating how.

What a big girl!

And finally, another big thank you to Great-Grandma Doris & (the other) Paw-Paw and the Kohlers and Aunt Tara, who all sent money for Amelie's college fund!

Cows!

So, Amelie has this thing for cows. Cows (and apparently one very docile bull) live in the pasture behind Grandma & Grandpa Buffaloe's house. Papa Buffaloe is willing to indulge Amelie's tyrannical unreasonable persistent demands to see "Cows! More cows!" This makes him her favorite person.

More Carseat Couture

Wearing new duds from Grandma Mary Beth:

Monster Chairs

Another blog post courtesy of Aunt Holly:

These were supposed to be a birthday present, but we caved and set them out all ready. Amelie is a big fan of a toddler-sized chair. Sam's been calling them "monster chairs," but I'm pretty sure what we have here is a hippo and an alligator. Oh yeah -- and an Amelie and a monkey.

Notice that she has two skinned knees in the picture. I'm pretty sure that's going to be a familiar refrain this summer.

Ice Cream Cone

This blog post comes courtesy of our friend Shauna, who took this picture ages ago (well, back when it was still cool enough to need a jacket).

Did you know that Andy's Custard just gives away free baby-sized cones if you're as cute as this button?

Ultrasounds

The new Baby Buffaloe hasn't had many blog posts, but we got some big news yesterday!

First, here is the very early, very blobby ultrasound picture we had done way back in February. The baby's about an inch long at this point:

Here is the ultrasound we just had done yesterday(I'm about 4 months along):

And ... drumroll please ... It's a boy!

I think the 3-D imaging is a little bit strange, but they did a couple of these, too. You can see a profile of a face and nose. Look how chubby his right arm is.

The ultrasound technician said that he weighed over a pound and is currently in an incomplete breech position, but still has all kinds of time and space to move head-down in the next 20 weeks.

I told my friend Shauna on the phone yesterday that I thought we'd have a boy, and I told Sam in the elevator on the way to the appointment. I've got a pretty good track record in guessing -- 2 for 2!

Play Kitchen

Amelie loves the play kitchen at the library. She pretended to fill up a cup of water from the sink (putting it under the faucet and turning the knob) and then pretended to drink some, and wanted me to drink some, and then gave it to a stuffed fox, who she then pretended bit her and she said "OW!"

Our friends Parker and Liz came to the library, too. Amelie looks like she's afraid Parker's going to run off with all of the play kitchen supplies.

Making a delicious meal of (plastic) pizza, eggs, and ravioli.

There's Liz!

Having a whale of a time.

I don't think any actual books were read this visit, and I didn't even manage to check any out for myself.

Basketball Fan

This post comes courtesy of Aunt Holly, who watched Amelie yesterday in the overlap of when I leave to teach my night class and when Sam gets home from work:

"I couldn't make this up... The slide and swings are 15 feet away and what does Amelie do? Stops and watches the boys play basket ball for 10 minutes - ha!"

Modern Art

Amelie's discovered a new technique by which she bangs the marker down so hard on the paper that it makes a satisfying "splat" pattern.