Jillian's Blankie

Jillian sleeps with the same blanket every night, it has become her favorite. She carries this blanket all around the house and sniffs the fleecy material. Its pretty cute. The blanket stays at home and there is no need to bring it on errands - thank God for small favors. I do like to bring the blanket on the long car trip to and from Cooper Landing (2 hours one way) when we go down to pick up my sister Allison. Car rides are not a favorite, but the blanket helps in a small way. I'm hoping her new car seat will help in a big way! She is still in her infant seat, but we ordered the new one and it should be in tomorrow. And Jillian is almost 20 pounds, once we hit that mark, we can turn her around facing front! Yeah!

Miss Jillian is starting to be a bit defiant! Her new favorite cookies are raspberry fig newtons, yummy! Not too long ago, Jillian was eating a yummy newton and Jeremy started snacking on tortilla chips and salsa. Another snack favorite. Jeremy told Jillian she needed to finish the cookie before eating chips. So, she threw the cookie down on the floor. I don't remember what Jeremy said then - something like, you should not have done that. So, Jillian stomped and ground the cookie into the carpet. We were astounded, I can't remember our reactions and I can only hope that we didn't laugh. She catches us off guard with these curve balls - we wonder, did she intentionally stomp that cookie?

Jillian is having a rough time with her teeth right now. She only has 4, 2 on top and 2 on bottom. Her teeth have been slow coming in. Right now she has 2 on top working their way in, plus a molar and 6 more swollen bumps. We also think she is growing. All she does is sleep and eat. Poor baby! :)

Cookie Police, Stop this baby!

There is a new game in the Withrow home: feed Athena as many cookies (dog bones) as possible. Jillian has discovered where the dog biscuits are kept and is having fun spoiling Athena - and Athena thinks this is pretty cool. Athena is gentle and always takes the bone nicely from Jillian, and everyone else for that matter. (Unless she is trying to steal food - like that chicken wing! - then she gets a little excited!) In the beginning Jillian would give the bone to Athena and then try to take it back mid-chomp. Athena has learned to eat quickly! And Jillian is learning to leave Athena alone. Now, Jillian has figured out that if she takes the dog bone and runs around the house, Athena will chase her. Great fun! Especially because Athena normally gives Jillian a wide berth. We think this is Jillian's way of forcing Athena to play.

Big Dress

In my free time, which has been in short supply ever since 3-11-05 (imagine that), I like to sew. :) I started making a dress for Jillian while I was still pregnant and finally finished it last month. Its HUGE! She'll be able to wear it next summer....maybe. I had her try it on one day to see how it looked. The dress got left on a chair in the dining room and later that night she brought it to me to put it on again. It must have felt fun - like wearing a tent or something. :)

I took some pictures of her playing and here she is doing the sign for "drink", she also does the same sign for "eat". We are teaching Jillian sign language and she is doing great. She adapts some of the signs to a version all her own.....which is pretty cute. For example, the sign for "dog" is to pant with your tongue hanging out of your mouth. Jillian wiggles her tongue back and forth. We LOVE that Jillian can sign a few things because she is able to communicate with us without talking. She says a few things, but right now prefers signing. Jeremy and I can't take all the credit for teaching her, she has taught herself many of the signs on her own. We have sign books that have a baby on each page demonstrating a different sign. She sits and looks at each page and copies what the baby in the picture is doing. If you are at the house long enough, she will bring one of the books to you and will perform her signs.

So, come on over - we'd love the visit! :)