Miss Personality

John and I were just commenting to one another a couple of days ago at how much Carson's little personality has started to bloom.  This conversation took place in our bedroom as we were watching Carson "bou bou!" (= bounce bounce!) on our bed and squeal with delight.  Her giggles are the most precious and infectious I've ever heard!  She continues to sparkle every single day with something new, adding to the little person she is becoming.

Here are (some) of her current skills/tricks...There is no way I could list them all!  Since my last post, she has obviously changed DRAMATICALLY, but I'll list anyway for the sake of completeness :)

• Carson is not only walking (since 13 months old), but running all out.  She thinks she is superwoman, I think.  She also tries to "fly" like Abby on Sesame Street but I think this skill is one she'll be working on for a while!  She runs without fear, which quickly puts fear in her mama!  She has had many tumbles but is usually completely unphased and even laughs at most of them before getting up.
• We have had several well visits with the pediatrician and Carson continues to remain right on track.  Allergies are our only enemy...we are going to see an allergist next month (our first try got postponed by me getting sick).  Other than that, not so much as a degree of temperature or even a cold since I last posted.  We are super lucky and blessed!
• Carson talks from the moment she wakes up (even if they are grumpy mutterings, since she takes after mama and dada and is NOT a morning person) to the moment she closes her eyes to go to bed.  She will repeat anything we say or that she overhears from others.  She understands more language than I can wrap my head around.  Her list of words that are consistent and can be understood grows hourly. 
• Carson's Favorite People Vocab:
• Mama (My Fav)
• DaDa (Daddy)
• SaSa (Aunt Sarah)
• Nana (My Mom)
• PaPa (My Dad)
• JuJu (John's Mom, Judy)
• PopPop (This is what she calls PaPaw, John's Dad)
• ABBY!!!!  (Sesame Street)  She frequently calls for Abby at random throughout the day.  She needs to know where Abby is at all times.
• ELMO!!!  Not as frequently as Abby, but still definitely a favorite.
• She takes inventory of all of these people in her little life several times a day.  She will run through the list so you can tell her where everyone is at that given moment.  She ALWAYS asks for DaDa right after telling me, "Hi!" in the mornings.  It's a pat on Mama to acknowledge me...a sweet little "Hi!"...then... "DaDa???"  Soooo sweet.
• Carson's Animal Sounds Vocab...
• Cow (Moooo!)
• Sheep (Baaaa!)
• Monkey (Ooo oooo!)
• Dog (Uuuufff)
• Cat (Meow...This one is very clear!)
• Lion (Arrrrr!)
• Birdie (Eeep Eeeep!)
• Bunny & Froggy (Hop Hop)
• Piggie (Oi Oi)
• Horsey (Hmmmmm!)
• Owl (Hoooo Hoooo)
• Rooster (This one cannot be typed into words...It must be heard to be appreciated!)
• Chicken (Boc Boc Boc...This is our recent addition.)
• Goose (Honk Honk...Another recent one.)
• Duck (This sound does not sound like "quack".  I can't describe it, but it is the same everytime.)
• Animal sounds are a favorite game in the Kennon household :)
• Carson's Regular Vocab (at least the ones I can think of at 1 a.m.)...
• Up/Down
• Yes/No
• Happy!!!
• Thank You
• Please
• Love Ya (a new one we are working on)
• Chips
• Juice/Water/Milk
• Cup
• More
• Hat
• Shoes
• Sorry
• Green Bean ("Be Bean")
• Phone ("Tone")
• Kitty/Dog
• ICE!!!  (This is her word for normal ice as well as snowcones...and she is in LOVEEEE with snowcones.)
• Cheese
• Eat
• Again
• Tee Tee & Poo Poo
• Potty
• Duck
• Go!
• Two
• Home
• Ball
• Baby
• Tea
• Pop Pop (One of her toys that pops when you push it.)
• Apple/Banana
• Meat
• Night Night
• Pillow
• Nose/Eyes/Ear/Toes/Belly/Hiney/Neck (Those are the body parts she SAYS regularly...she knows most all of her body parts and will show them to you over and over on request.)
• Bow
• Brush
• Ride
• Hot/Cold
• Hi/Hello/Bye Bye
• Swing (= 'Wing)
• Broccoli (= Broc)
• Blue!!!  (Usually in a pleading or demanding tone of voice.  She will bring us the remote if we don't oblige her request.)
• Dance
• Hop/Bounce
• Read Me! (I count this as a sentence :) )
• Of course, these are all spoken in some variation of the correct pronunciation, but they are all the same everytime and pretty clear.  It makes it so much easier when she can tell us what she wants/needs.  She is signing less and less, which makes me sad...but hopefully she'll pick it back up again when she realizes what signs actually are.
• In other news...Carson loves the outdoors and would spend all day outside if we could.  She still LOVESSSSS to read anything and everything.  In fact, just today we went to Wal-Mart and I bought her a new CD of children's songs (I am sick to death of the ones we have now!) and she thought it was a book.  All through Wal-Mart, "Read me!  Read me!"  Poor thing...how do you explain to a toddler that something that looks kind of like a book is not actually a book.  I even tried reading the words on the cover.  No go.  She wanted to open the pages like a book.  Precious :)
• What else??? ... The ladies in the church nursery say she is very friendly and is sweet to her little friends.  Awwwww!  She loves the nursery at church and it makes worship so much more enjoyable knowing she is happy.
• We are officially down to one nap a day...Hmmmmmm.
• She LOVES her big girl bed!
• We are showing a LOT of interest in the potty, tee tee and poo poo.  Potty training is on the summer agenda.
• Her favorite foods are apple juice, apples, broccoli, and spaghetti.  She refuses to drink milk.  Meal times are touch and go for us...some days she eats great and others she will barely touch a morsel.  But she is growing and Dr. Procell says she is doing fine and that's just toddlers...worries me, but I'm trying to chill :)
• She is very into riding things lately...she will try to ride anything she thinks will go.  Very cute.
• Mostly, Carson is just blossoming into a SWEET and loving little girl.  She is so very compassionate and empathetic.  She hears a baby crying or sees another person upset and she mimics their emotion and needs hugs, kisses and consoling to calm down.  She loves to give hugs and kisses and does so on request AND out of the blue which I love love LOVE!  She will pat on the shoulder or back, just because.  And aside from not being a morning person like her parents, she is pretty much happy, energetic, smiling and laughing all day.

Here are a few recent pictures.  More to follow as we get started with our summer vacation!!!  Enjoy :)

This is from our SFA Barnyard Day last weekend...Just a Carson and Mommy Day!  It was FABULOUS! :)

Our little picnic after Barnyard Day...McDonalds and a juice box :)  Sweetness.

And swinging at the park.  My, how she loves to "wing"!!!

And my absolute FAVORITE pic of the day...my precious angel girl...