Almost 2

I can’t believe that in less than a week, I will have a two year old. When we were in the emergency room and a nurse took Fiona’s heart rate and oxygen level readings, I started having flashbacks. Her O2 was fine, 98-99%, but her heart rate was 170 beats per minute. I half expected them to come and take her away, put her in an isolette with a bunch of wires and tubes, and tell me I would have to go home without her. Just the smell of the detergent they use on the sheets took me back to the days of having to wash my hands for three minutes with horrible soap that my hands still have not recovered from, and the chairs that were so uncomfortable, but that I spent hours sitting in. I wondered where the monitors were and why I wasn’t hearing any beeping noises. It was a little disconcerting.

Anyway, I have a bunch of gifts to give Fiona this year. More than I ever have or probably ever will. I’ve been collecting them for the last six months or so, as sales occur or as the mood fits me.

Art supplies:

  

A storage box that has a chalkboard on one side and a dry erase board on the other:

A set of brushes:

All of these will be nice complements to the easel we bought her at IKEA, that is currently sitting behind her rocking chair. It comes with a roll of paper that can be draped over the front. This photo is from the internet:

New cooking toys: 

 

She still plays with her kitchen quite a bit, but lately is more interested in my cooking “toys” so I bought her some that look like mine, but are Fiona-sized. Sometimes she will begin to “cook” something in her kitchen, then decide I need to also, and will drag me to kitchen, point at the stove, and say “Mommy cook-y” which means “Go cook something Mommy.”

We also have a mystery gift from Aunt Cathy. It arrived a few weeks ago, but I am waiting until Fiona’s actual birthday to let her open it.

We also bought her an American Doll baby doll. It was really expensive. I am bowing to pressure from John and my friend. Fiona plays with one at Nicole’s house and also she played with one at Jenny and Lyla’s house when Jenny watched her (when my mom broke her elbow). Fiona just loves these dolls. John thinks it is because they are more lifelike than her current dolls, that either stuffed animals or hand sewn by my grandmother or other relatives. I didn’t have lifelike dolls and I turned out ok (stop snickering Mommy and John) but I guess Fiona will have a dolls with fingers and toes and eyes that open and close. The doll will have similar features as Fiona – brown hair and blue eyes with light skin. It is almost as big as she was when she was born.

All that said, I draw the line at Betsy Wetsy dolls, and have no intention of getting her anything that wets or poops. I hope she plays with it a lot.

Have a good week and Happy Memorial Day to all those who served or are currently serving their countries!