We had dinner with Amelia and her family on Friday and Meredith FLIRTED with a boy waiter who paid lots of attention to her.  She smiled so big and gave him these eyes - and she melted when he talked to her.  Ben and I agree - we're in trouble.  Especially since she squeals and stares when she sees our neighbor Andrew  (who's 6) as well. 

Meredith got lots of practice walking - she's still not doing it on her own, except from point A to point B for a short distance (like from Daddy to Mommy or table to chair).  She learned to say "Go go go!" this weekend - she likes to run with her push toy hippo.  We read lots of books and went to the pool and spent time outside.

Tonight Meredith played a new game with us.  Ben and I were both sitting on the floor across from each other.  Meredith gave Ben a big hug, and then he turned her around to me and said "Walk to Mommy!" And she did - she took several steps to me - and then she gave me a huge hug.  Then I turned her around and said "Walk to Daddy!" and she did.  This is the first time we've been able to coax her to walk, really - before when she's stepped it has been all on her own.  So this is exciting!  She's still not terribly steady, but she was enthusiastc and she gave the best hugs ever.

I sing "Sweet Caroline" to Meredith (with "Meredith" instead of "Caroline"), have her whole life.  This week she started "singing" the "Boh-boh-boh" part (not on cue, obviously, but while I'm singing the song) with some semblance of high middle low notes.  She absolutely loves music - she's always pressing the buttons on her toys that play music - so we'll wait and see if her budding talent grows!

We were so glad that Aunt Cynthia made a trip from Columbus, OH to visit us!  Meredith and Aunt Cynthia had  good time Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning while Ben and I went to a wedding.  Meredith showed off all the words she knows, how well she plays with toys, is getting good at putting the puzzle pieces back in the puzzles, and even demonstrated some understanding of color (she said blue for 2 different things that were blue and green for 2 different things that were green!!)  We went swimming this afternoon and had a blast.

I'm trying to keep track of all the words she knows:

Da-da

Uh-oh!

Ma-ma

Gam

Am-pa

Hot Dog

Yogurt

Na-na-na-nas

Outside

Up

Down

Hat

Hot

Ball

Ba-ba (bottle)

Baby

Doll

Green

Blue

Moo (as in what a cow says)

She will bark, imitating a dog

Melon

And today she said Andrew, the name of a boy down the street who was in the pool

One of Meredith's many toys is a set of 10 multi-colored nesting cups.  They are all different sizes, and the cups closest in size to each other snap together to make a ball.  She has known how to snap 2 of the cups together and take them apart for a while.  When we clean them up, Ben and I nest the smallest ball inside of the next larger one and so on until there is just a single ball.

So Meredith pulled out this single ball and gestured for me to take it apart so that she could play.  I lay out all of the cups in no particular order.  Meredith started work - with the first cup, she systematically figured out which cup went with it (does this one fit?  No.  Does this one fit?  No.  Does this one fit?  Yes!).  Then I watched in amazement as she put together all the rest of the cups that fit together, each on the first try, and created the 5 balls.

She continues to amaze me every day :-)

Meredith will graduate to the Toddler 1 class next week after a few weeks of transition.  She loves hanging with the "big kids" and her new teachers, Ms. Moore and Ms. Mosely.  Apparently she does pretty well taking a nap on a cot, listening attentively at circle time, and we've always known that she is a good eater!

From her dad this morning:

Meredith was good this morning.  She kept pointing to my Cheerios, so I took my spoon and showed her they were the same as hers.  Then she opened her mouth.  So I got one of her spoons and put some Cheerios and milk from my bowl on it.  Turns out Meredith does not like soggy Cheerios.  But she kept wanting the spoon anyway.

 On the way out the door she pointed to the alarm, so I helped her push that button.  Then in the garage she pointed to the door opener, so I helped her push that button.  She knows the routine!

This afternoon we went outside.  She stood for a longer time than I've seen before - and she's doing this consistently now - and took one step, or a step and a half on a number of occasions.  She liked touching the flowers.  She got from sitting to standing on her own, which I've never seen her do before.

Way to go, Meredith!

On several occasions, Meredith has taken a few steps, unsupported, on her own.  Earlier last week she went from a kitchen chair to a different kitchen chair in a few steps, and Saturday she on a couple of occasions went from mom or dad's hand to furniture or vice versa.  When prodded she is not at all interested in trying . . . but when she's not thinking about it, she walks fine.  She is standing unsupported a lot more often now, even when she has things in her hand (like her sippy cup).  She certainly is talking a lot and wants to learn new things. We're excited about all the changes in Meredith's life!  

Meredith seems to be concentrating on her words and fine motor skills.  She said "bye-bye" and waved to her crocodile when she threw him out of the bathtub last night, and she continues to try outnew words.  "Duck" is one of her favorites - she says it a lot in the bathtub when she's playing with her rubber ducky, and when she plays with her farm animal puzzle.  She will "moo" for the cow and has been known to say "ba-ba" to the sheep.  She LOVES hats or anything that you put on your head, and she likes to put things on her head, so we call headbands and toys that we put on her head hat.  She likes to say that word a lot, "ha-tuh."  When you ask her to give a kiss she blows kisses (she hasn't given me a slobbery one yet).

Meredith actually walked 2 steps last night, but she was sneaky about it and has no desire to try it out on her own.  She was going from one chair to another and it was the fastest route.  She walks great pushing a toy or holding your hand.  I don't think I'll put the sticker in the baby calendar just yet :-)