Alyssa Zongker

Growing Pains	09/09/2008
Alyssa is just such a silly, happy little girl! It’s hard to get on to her when she does something she shouldn’t, but she’s beginning to learn more & more what those things are, and for the most part, how to listen to her Mommy & Daddy, when we tell her, “no”. She just keeps picking up different expressions & it’s fun to watch her personality develop. Recently, Jeremy & I both were awakened to a habit that we share, viewing it through Aly’s eyes, anyway. She has begun to grunt when she picks things up, even if they are not heavy at all! We realized that she started this the other day, after one of us leaned over to get something that was just out of reach. I don’t remember if it was Jeremy or I, but naturally, you tend to say, “Ugh”, or something of the sort, when doing that. I know I typically make some kind of grunt-like noise when I lift something heavy, so I imagine she’s seen/heard me do this recently, as well. In any case, it’s just so cute & funny to hear out of her little mouth, especially when all she’s picking up is a plastic toy that will fit in only one of her hands!
Little Eyes	09/02/2008
Although Alyssa’s not even 2 years old yet, Katrina’s eye doctor wanted to go ahead & check her eyes & make sure that she does not share the same condition Kat has, because it can be hereditary. So, this past Wednesday, both girls had an appointment. Aly did surprisingly well, for someone her age, anyway. She sat still on her Mommy & Daddy’s laps, as the doctor looked in her eyeballs. The only part she didn’t like was having eye drops put in, so that her pupils could be dilated. She laid down on the table, but I had to hold her hands, hugged around her, so that she wouldn’t rub her eyes. She fussed a bit, but once they were done, I was able to hold & comfort her. She enjoyed the wait to see the doctor, since they have some good toys in the waiting room. It turns out that she might be slightly nearsighted, but there are no signs of Amblyopia, so we are remaining hopeful that her vision will stay that way, or even improve, with time. The doctor wants to see her again in a year. It will be easier to explain to her what’s going on by then, at least… :)
Too Big for Her Britches	08/26/2008
Alyssa just thinks she’s so big, it’s cute! She got in trouble a little, just recently for something she didn’t realize she was too young for, though… It’s kinda’ funny, so I thought I’d share… Katrina has a small, kid-size table that she typically sits at, to eat her meals & to do art projects, & things like that. Since Aly’s not quite old enough for that sort of thing, just yet, she still eats in her high chair. But, just a few days ago, when her Big Sis was in school, Alyssa decided she was going to climb into Kat’s chair & sit there for a minute. It was sooo sweet & funny, she didn’t really get into trouble then. It was the next day, when she decided she was going to get out her Sister’s markers, crayons & other art materials that she was told, “No-no!” about. Thankfully, she only dumped them out, onto the floor, rather than trying to use them, but still… I think we’re going to have to put them up, out of her reach, pretty soon, until she understands a bit better that those are Sissy’s things, not Aly’s. ;)
Ready for Her Close-Up	08/19/2008
Alyssa’s getting to be such a little ham, lately! She cracks us up! But, it’s extremely cute, too. It doesn’t matter where we are, or what we are trying to take a picture of, she grins her best, looks at the camera & says, “Cheese”! And, of course when we giggle at her, it just causes her to do the same! We love that she is becoming such a bright, happy toddler & that she enjoys posing for pictures. Her Sister acted the same at that age (and still does, at times), so it must run in the family... ;) It will be especially fun at her Birthday party in a couple of months, to see & hear her, all ready for those action shots!
Our Little Shadow	08/12/2008
Our sweet baby girl is such a little copycat lately! Of course at this age, it’s to be expected, and it’s one of the best learning tools. Aly loves to repeat words, even though she may or may not use them again, on her own, later. She also enjoys mimicking our actions. She’s really developing her personality & we love watching her pick up on these skills, as well. She has been eating with a spoon for some time, but just recently, we’ve started giving her things that could potentially be really messy, such as cereal with milk & letting her eat them on her own. She does really well, it’s just funny the things that she has picked up on, having been fed by us – for example, when a piece of food falls on her tray, she now tries to pick it up & throw it back on the spoon or in the bowl she’s eating from really quickly, so that she doesn’t waste it! We’re proud of her for trying, though & can’t wait to see what new words & actions she will learn in the near future, as well!
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