More of the same cute Maleah

So, yesterday I was working on wrapping gifts for the Allen's Camera Christmas party and Maleah chased Murphy, the cat, upstairs. Usually sweet Murph will jump on my bed to escape the sometimes torturous loving of my Maleah. Maleah is now big and brave enough to scale the mattresses and get to him, but not quite confident enough to get herself back down (she has done it before, but 9 times out of 10, will demand help from Mom or Dad). Well, a few minutes later Mr. Murph came downstairs. No Maleah, no sound from Maleah, so I decided to go check on her. When I came upstairs, she didn't see me, so I just watched quietly from the hallway. She was lying on her back, holding a Cabela's ad - seemingly scrutinizing every item. Since, she didn't see me and seemed content, I went back downstairs.
Fast forward 10 minutes: I get a call from my mom. We talk for a couple of minutes. I hear sounds that tell me someone is using another of our cordless phones, but no voice, just a few phonish sounds that let me know someone else is there. When my mom hangs up, I say, "Maleah, are you there?"
"Yep"
"Are you okay?"
"Yep"
"Are you still upstairs?"
"Yep, I want to get down"
"Okay, do you want me to come up and help you?"
"Yes"
"Okay, hit the red button on the phone and I will be right up!"
When I got upstairs, she was still holding the phone. She ran to me at the foot of the bed and said, "You were on the phone. I talked to you on the phone." She sounded almost amazed by it.
Another quick one:
I took our comforter to the laundromat. There was another mom and daughter there waiting for their laundry. The other little girl was probably around 3. Maleah asked if she could play with the little girl. I said of course. She walked up to the little girl with her little fingers tucked in the waist band of her pants, head cocked to one side and just looked at the other girl. The little girl wasn't sure what to do. I prompted Maleah to say, "Would you like to play with me?" The little girl said sure and they began chasing each other around the laudromat. It is so fun to see her make friends and play. About half-way into their playing Maleah came running over to me and said, "Mom, I am being a friend." She was thrilled that she had offered to play with someone and they accepted. I absolutely adore her.
Okay, one more:
Maleah loves to be chased (most children do, right?). Anyway, her new favorite chase is to have me carry her and we run away from Dad (Rex). It started one night when he chased us at bedtime and reached through the banister on the stairs to tickle Maleah. Squeals and giggles galore :) Well, tonight she and I were upstairs after getting ready for bed and saying prayers with Rex. She really wanted to be chased, so we snuck downstairs to tickle Rex and then he chased us around the dining table, around the first floor and finally upstairs. Her little squeal and giggle make me soooo happy. I love to hear her laugh and see her really smile. Wow! I am so blessed to get to be her mommy.

Vocabulary

Just a quick story before I forget it (I am horrible about writing things down, if I can just do when it happens, I could have a lot more stories to tell)
I went in to get Maleah this morning (she still stays in bed until we come to get her - her choice, not ours, we have told her she can get out whenever she wants) :)
and she very excitedly said, "I am wrapped like a burrito!" She was indeed wrapped up in her favorite, pink, soft blankey. She proceeded to say, "I did it by myself! There were no people here to help me, so I helped myself!"
I know parent stories are more important to the parent, than anyone else, but I hope you get a kick out of it, too.
I just love to she her gain more independence (She usually asks US to wrap her up like a burrito, and if I ask her to do it herself, she says she can't!)

Just quote for today :)

Regret for things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.
--Sydney J. Harris
Just what I needed to read today!

Maleah's New Discovery

Last week Maleah started going in her closet while she was playing. I think initially she liked the hiding factor, but also she seems to like the hanging clothes brushing her head as she walks under them. Next she started saying, "Mom, come in here with me." I showed her how the doors worked and she explored standing in the partially closed space of the door. She is very cautious about her fingers and making sure she can still get out. Now, the closet is her playhouse. She can close 1 door or both or open them wide. She pretends with her toys in there, she asks me (on the outside) if there are any toys I would like and then hands them through the crack between the doors. She invites me in and we sit in the dark or peek through the cracks.
It just thrills me to see her pretend playing. I don't why I get a kick out of it, but I love it! I love to see her face when she discovers something that she thinks is absolutely, fantastic. And the closet is one of those somethings :)

I made you laugh!

So today on the way upstairs for a nap, I was kissing Maleah - she is so ticklish when you kiss her ears/neck/head, it is fun to get her giggling. Well, today, she was wiping off any kisses I gave her, because she knows I will give her 5 more kisses to make up for it :) I set her on the rocking chair in her room and kissed her one last time. She put on this serious face, looking at me through her eye brows and said, "You need to stop kissing, we need to read books now." I started laughing and so did she. Then she said, "I make you laugh". I love it when she makes me laugh!

Some pics for Brooke

No fun stories coming to mind, I am sure there are some, just not coming to mind. Here a few pictures to appease Brooke for a while ;)

Rex was testing our new camera and Maleah was being shy.

Here, she is saying "cheese" to appease Rex :)

Calling All Angels!

What a way to come back to blogging, I know. But of all the worthwhile things to talk/blog/pray/discuss, this is a good/bad one.
That is why I am asking all of my devoted followers (okay, so after 6 months of no new stories, I am sure everyone has given up, but if there is just one soul left, that might be just what I need) One of my heroes, an amazing lady from our "home ward" (4 years moved, I probably only know 1/8 of the current ward, but it is still home) has a biopsy scheduled this month for possible breast cancer. This woman is phenomenal. She is the most eloquent, well written, thoughtful, willing to do anything for anyone, person I know. She and her husband have been married for almost 20 years. They have not been able to have children (though they had endured numerous miscarriages), but continue to be optimistic. They run an "old-fashioned" printing press from their garage (absolutely gorgeous, by the way). (We have a print they did for our ward for Christmas one year. There is a picture of the nativity with the scriptures from Luke.) Anyway, I wish I could in some way endear her to you as she is to me.

So, if you have stuck this out with me so far, could I ask you to Fast for her this Sunday. Her requests would be for 1) Miracle :) 2) Benign or 3) Malignant, but contained and operable with complete recovery.

It is crazy how some Fast Sundays come and go without much thought or direction, and others that seem so important. Thanks for hearing me out, I promise to get back on the blogging wagon, no promises as to how often, but definitely without breaks as long as the last :)

Big Day!

So this morning started as most mornings start. Maleah happily talking to herself in her bed until I drag myself out of bed to get her. She was very happy this morning - hugging her sheep (from Aunt Meggie) and telling the sheep some terribly interesting story. Anyway, we went downstairs for breakfast and she ate a bowl of cream of wheat and an entire banana and some milky from her sippy. Time for a diaper change and getting dressed for the day. When I asked her to lay down, so I could change her diaper, she said a very sweet, "Nooo". Then in her sweet, shy, turn the head to her shoulder, face, she said, "potty, no diaper, potty Maeea (Maleah)". I said, "Okay, let's take your diaper off and you can run to the potty." (Note: She has asked to go potty plenty of times before - mostly to get a few extra minutes awake before nap or bedtime - but never actually produced anything in the potty.) So she ran, "naked baby" (thank you daddy for the term she loves) style to the potty. After a few standing ups and walkings around, adjusting the potty seat, showing daddy the potty, etc. She settled in. I thought I heard a little something, but didn't want to get my hopes up. She said, "Uh-oh!" then put her hand down there. Sure enough, she had gone pee pee in her potty!!!!!!! :0) She was excited that Rex and I were excited. What a big day!!! She is only 21 months old. I hope she keeps it up and wants to do it herself. She is such an angel!