My good friend recently showed me a little note book where she writes down all those important "kid" memories and milestones. What a very good idea, I thought to myself.
Just a second, that's what my blog used to be! I used to keep track of all those special memories right here. What happened?
As my kids get older (they are five and seven now), I've struggled with how much I should be sharing of their personal lives. We're getting close to the age where their school chums will have access to the Internet and will be able to Google anything and everything. I used to let it rip here, but if I get into our messy family business...that means anyone can read it. We're beyond the baby and toddler years and there's something about sharing our elementary school-level stories that makes me kind of unsettled.
That said, I think I'd like to explore where that fine line is. I've proven to myself that I'm pretty lame at tracking special kid memories anywhere other than this blog. I'm also realizing I have no ability to retain all this info on my own. That means I better step it up if my husband and I are ever going to have a general sense of what happened during our life as a young family. When did my kids start walking? Hmmmmm...good question. When did they lose their first tooth? Well hopefully that info is somewhere on this blog (although the little guy hasn't actually lost any teeth so I haven't screwed that memory up yet).
As I was reading the kids a bed time story tonight, my daughter managed to pull out our very loved (like there's missing wedges from gnawing gums kinda loved) copy of "Hush Little Baby" from my son's bookshelf. Both kids wanted me to read/sing it and were equally attentive and seemingly touched as I went through the pages. I told them I used to sing it to them every night. They both told me they remembered and both gave me this sweet hug. And while I'm focusing on the awesomeness and love, and not on the other (negative) child-induced baloney which has occurred in the past week, I'm blown away by how big and amazing these kids of mine have become. It seems like only yesterday that "Hush Little Baby" was a nightly staple.
These little people are my biggest challenge and my greatest joy. And I'm trying to stop and smell the coffee a bit more these days. I'm trying to be mindful. I'm trying not to lose my temper as easily because being a mad mama is super unhealthy. I'm trying not to yell because it makes us all feel like crap. I'm trying to remember that my children's frontal lobes are not yet developed and mine is (i.e. I'm the grown up). I'm trying to model the behavior I want to see in them (which is super hard). I'm going to yoga once a week because it makes me feel awesome, which makes me a better mama. And I really want to enjoy my kids while they are kids, so I'm trying to be more present. In a few years, they're probably not going to want to have much to do with me. If they're anything like I was as a teenager, I better be savoring the time I have now.
Starting this September, my kids will be on the same schedule at the same school for the first time ever. As you may have guessed, I'm starting to realize that everything is going by really fast (like I'm turning 40 next year. What is that all about?). I better pick up the pace and start keeping track of it all...right here at 24-7 Mommy.
Showing posts with label milestones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label milestones. Show all posts
Monday, March 31, 2014
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The Tooth Fairy
I've always had a special place in my heart for the tooth fairy. There's just nothing bad about her. She is magic and she makes kids happy. I may have trouble lying about Santa, but a big part of me still believes in the good 'oll tooth fairy.
And last night she paid my family a visit for the very first time.
The babe has been playing with her first lose tooth for the past three months. She has asked me countless times when it will come out. I have replied that I can't really tell her when it will happen because it's up to her body. I did, however, offer to tie a piece of string to her tooth, attach the string to a door knob and slam the door for her, but for some reason she wasn't down with that.
Last night as she watched a pre-bath episode of Max and Ruby, she managed to yank the cute little tooth out. She ran into the kitchen bursting with excitement and waving her tooth around in a state of shock. She was sporting a noticeable gap in the front lower section of her sweet smile. I picked her up and twirled her around for a few minutes sharing in her absolute joy. It was really cool to be a part of the experience and I was so glad I was with her when her first tooth came out.
I have kept my childhood tooth fairy pillow all these years. I had it stowed away safely for my first born child. But a few months ago I took it out to show the babe and after that it was swallowed into the abyss of our home. Guess what we couldn't find last night? That's right; the pillow I have safely kept for over 20 years.
No worries. We set out the babe's original hand knit (by my Mom) baby blanket and placed the tooth in a little plastic container for safe keeping. We set everything up neatly on her bed side table. My husband, who was working late, packed up his stuff and came home as soon as we called him with the good news. He made it back in time to share in the excitement of our daughter's first lost tooth. Good Papa.
In the end, the tooth fairy left out a US dollar bill, a US quarter, a US dime, a US nickel, a US penny AND a Canadian (CDN) loonie, a CDN quarter, a CDN dime, a CDN nickel and a CDN penny.
I awoke to the sound of the babe dumping out her tooth fairy stash on our bed. The kid was seriously thrilled. For a moment, I believed right along with her that the tooth fairy had dropped by while we were all sleeping.
She has another lose tooth, so we may be having some more chats about fairies and international currency soon.
And last night she paid my family a visit for the very first time.
The babe has been playing with her first lose tooth for the past three months. She has asked me countless times when it will come out. I have replied that I can't really tell her when it will happen because it's up to her body. I did, however, offer to tie a piece of string to her tooth, attach the string to a door knob and slam the door for her, but for some reason she wasn't down with that.
Last night as she watched a pre-bath episode of Max and Ruby, she managed to yank the cute little tooth out. She ran into the kitchen bursting with excitement and waving her tooth around in a state of shock. She was sporting a noticeable gap in the front lower section of her sweet smile. I picked her up and twirled her around for a few minutes sharing in her absolute joy. It was really cool to be a part of the experience and I was so glad I was with her when her first tooth came out.
I have kept my childhood tooth fairy pillow all these years. I had it stowed away safely for my first born child. But a few months ago I took it out to show the babe and after that it was swallowed into the abyss of our home. Guess what we couldn't find last night? That's right; the pillow I have safely kept for over 20 years.
No worries. We set out the babe's original hand knit (by my Mom) baby blanket and placed the tooth in a little plastic container for safe keeping. We set everything up neatly on her bed side table. My husband, who was working late, packed up his stuff and came home as soon as we called him with the good news. He made it back in time to share in the excitement of our daughter's first lost tooth. Good Papa.
In the end, the tooth fairy left out a US dollar bill, a US quarter, a US dime, a US nickel, a US penny AND a Canadian (CDN) loonie, a CDN quarter, a CDN dime, a CDN nickel and a CDN penny.
I awoke to the sound of the babe dumping out her tooth fairy stash on our bed. The kid was seriously thrilled. For a moment, I believed right along with her that the tooth fairy had dropped by while we were all sleeping.
She has another lose tooth, so we may be having some more chats about fairies and international currency soon.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
14 Days and Other Things
It's official. We have made it to the other side. This side is a beautiful place to be. This side includes no diapers, only underwear. After 5.5 years of diapers, we are done. I can say this because it's been 14 days since the little guy wore a day time diaper and 2 nights since he wore a night time diaper. The freedom is setting in.
Some of the awesome benefits of having NO kids in diapers:
It is safe to say my little man has grown up a lot this summer. First he was the "ring boy" at my brother's amazing wedding at the end of May (an awesome responsibility for any 3-year-old). Next he moved from his toddler bed into a big boy twin bed (we now preface everything with "big boy"). More recently he quit his pacifier cold turkey. And as of 2 weeks ago, the little man is diaper-free. Wow! I hate to say it, but my kid is growing up fast!
Sometimes I just want to document the amazing progress of my offspring on this blog because I'm afraid I will forget when all these milestones happened. I am amazed at how much child-rearing related information I have already managed to blank out on, but I take a certain amount of comfort from the fact that I will always have this blog to look back on and remember the crazy ride that has been raising my children.
So that's it, consider all the little guy's "summer 2012" progress officially documented.
Some of the awesome benefits of having NO kids in diapers:
- We will have more money
- I will not need to carry as much stuff around (back-up underwear is lighter and smaller)
- I will not have to clean stinky, mushy, poopy diapers anymore
- I will no longer be polluting mother earth with my kids disgusting diapers (I was really feeling guilty about that)
- My son's garbage can/room won't stink like stale pee diapers
- I can finally get rid of those nasty Diaper Genies
- We will have more closet space as I will no longer be buying boxes of diapers at Costco
Question:
- Can I still carry around a diaper bag? They fit a lot of stuff and come in really handy. I have a secret obsession with diaper bags and don't think I'm ready to move on.
It is safe to say my little man has grown up a lot this summer. First he was the "ring boy" at my brother's amazing wedding at the end of May (an awesome responsibility for any 3-year-old). Next he moved from his toddler bed into a big boy twin bed (we now preface everything with "big boy"). More recently he quit his pacifier cold turkey. And as of 2 weeks ago, the little man is diaper-free. Wow! I hate to say it, but my kid is growing up fast!
Sometimes I just want to document the amazing progress of my offspring on this blog because I'm afraid I will forget when all these milestones happened. I am amazed at how much child-rearing related information I have already managed to blank out on, but I take a certain amount of comfort from the fact that I will always have this blog to look back on and remember the crazy ride that has been raising my children.
So that's it, consider all the little guy's "summer 2012" progress officially documented.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Enablers
According to our friends over at Merriam Webster Dictionary, an "Enabler" is "one that enables another to achieve an end; especially
: one who enables another to persist in self-destructive
behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to
avoid the consequences of such behavior."
I hate to say it, but for many, many years, my husband and I have been guilty of enabling our children's secret addiction...the pacifier. I am talking about one bedtime pacifier in the mouth, and one in each hand. Minimum.
My 5.5 year old and 3.5 year old have been in love with their pacifiers (or "baas" as they call them) since birth. To say the pacifier has played a VERY important role in our lives would be an understatement. My kids would "need" pacifiers to fall asleep, run to their rooms to take a "hit" off them when they were upset, and tried daily to sneak them out of their rooms so they could enjoy more frequent use. The babe would suck on one pacifier, switch to another and suck on that one, switch to another and suck on that one, and so on and so on. I found it disturbing, to say the least.
It became evident our offspring were not going to give up the pacifier on their own, as my husband and I had hoped. We repeatedly encouraged the kids to stop "using," but for years our words fell on deaf ears. And frankly, we didn't have the guts to do anything about it. They say to pick your battles and we already had a long list.
More recently, however, the babe started to clue in that other kids her age do not use pacifiers and have not used pacifiers for some time. She was at the point where she was embarrassed by her pacifier use and was openly talking about wanting to quit. Whenever she would boldly state that she was going to sleep without them, she would break down and give in to her desire to be soothed by her baas. It hurt (for numerous reasons) to watch her battle with what had become a true addiction.
The little guy was at the point where he would run to his room countless times a day just to suck on his pacifiers. He would wail for his baas whenever he was upset and frequently agreed to nap because he would get to use his sweet plastic pacifier.
Our amazing pediatric dentist had indicated that the extended pacifier use was altering their tooth and jaw development and needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later. She suggested poking holes in all the pacifiers so the kids would not enjoy the same sucking sensation and would quit on their own. We tried. It didn't work.
It was evident the problem was not going to handle itself. After researching different "methods," we came to the conclusion that we had to go cold turkey. We didn't make a big deal out of it. We didn't psyche the kids out. We didn't bury the baas in the garden or give them to a baby in need. My husband simply collected all of the pacifiers, "threw them away" (i.e. hid them in his sock drawer), and told the kids they didn't need them anymore. The process of breaking up with the pacifier had begun.
Long story short, the kids have now made it 10 nights. It is now safe to say they've kicked the ugly habit. The babe, who has relied on her pacifier for two more years than her brother, had a tougher time with it. There were some very sad withdrawal moments which were tough to deal with, but ultimately, both our kids have proven to themselves that they can self soothe and fall asleep without those nasty little things.
My kids aren't relying on a crutch anymore. My husband and I are no longer enablers. We are a better family because of it. We have achieved a new level of freedom, and it feels good. Really good.
I hate to say it, but for many, many years, my husband and I have been guilty of enabling our children's secret addiction...the pacifier. I am talking about one bedtime pacifier in the mouth, and one in each hand. Minimum.
My 5.5 year old and 3.5 year old have been in love with their pacifiers (or "baas" as they call them) since birth. To say the pacifier has played a VERY important role in our lives would be an understatement. My kids would "need" pacifiers to fall asleep, run to their rooms to take a "hit" off them when they were upset, and tried daily to sneak them out of their rooms so they could enjoy more frequent use. The babe would suck on one pacifier, switch to another and suck on that one, switch to another and suck on that one, and so on and so on. I found it disturbing, to say the least.
It became evident our offspring were not going to give up the pacifier on their own, as my husband and I had hoped. We repeatedly encouraged the kids to stop "using," but for years our words fell on deaf ears. And frankly, we didn't have the guts to do anything about it. They say to pick your battles and we already had a long list.
More recently, however, the babe started to clue in that other kids her age do not use pacifiers and have not used pacifiers for some time. She was at the point where she was embarrassed by her pacifier use and was openly talking about wanting to quit. Whenever she would boldly state that she was going to sleep without them, she would break down and give in to her desire to be soothed by her baas. It hurt (for numerous reasons) to watch her battle with what had become a true addiction.
The little guy was at the point where he would run to his room countless times a day just to suck on his pacifiers. He would wail for his baas whenever he was upset and frequently agreed to nap because he would get to use his sweet plastic pacifier.
Our amazing pediatric dentist had indicated that the extended pacifier use was altering their tooth and jaw development and needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later. She suggested poking holes in all the pacifiers so the kids would not enjoy the same sucking sensation and would quit on their own. We tried. It didn't work.
It was evident the problem was not going to handle itself. After researching different "methods," we came to the conclusion that we had to go cold turkey. We didn't make a big deal out of it. We didn't psyche the kids out. We didn't bury the baas in the garden or give them to a baby in need. My husband simply collected all of the pacifiers, "threw them away" (i.e. hid them in his sock drawer), and told the kids they didn't need them anymore. The process of breaking up with the pacifier had begun.
Long story short, the kids have now made it 10 nights. It is now safe to say they've kicked the ugly habit. The babe, who has relied on her pacifier for two more years than her brother, had a tougher time with it. There were some very sad withdrawal moments which were tough to deal with, but ultimately, both our kids have proven to themselves that they can self soothe and fall asleep without those nasty little things.
My kids aren't relying on a crutch anymore. My husband and I are no longer enablers. We are a better family because of it. We have achieved a new level of freedom, and it feels good. Really good.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Happy New Year!
I meant to say that a few weeks ago; Happy New Year!
I have been thinking of you every day, and when I noticed that there are actually folks who check on this site daily, I felt a huge pang of guilt.
I rapidly progressed from being over run with guilt to feeling plain old overwhelmed. How am I going to update you on the past month and a half of chaos?
So I have decided I am just going to do a brief recap of all the things which would have been worthy of their own posts. That is the only way I can free myself and start blogging 2012 style.
My first born child, the one who made me a Mama, turned 5 years old on December 7th. We hosted a lovely pottery painting party for her. I think it all turned out pretty well, considering the insane amount of time I spent obsessing over how to handle the politics of a 5 year old girls birthday party (in the end I decided small is sweet and big is just too much to handle, emotionally and financially!). She seemed pretty thrilled with the whole experience but was bummed to learn that she would have to wait 12 months to experience the joys of another birthday.
We were honored to attend Art Night with the babe at her school the day after her birthday. Parents and children get dressed in their finest, bring in a pot luck dinner contribution, and experience a gallery type soiree. The collection of Mattisse inspired art was stunning, but really, what was stunning was my daughter's amazing piece. As I can't truly explain it, I have decided to share it here with you.
The day after the babe's birthday party, I cut off my son's long hair. I sat him at the dining room table, brushed his locks one last time, and hacked of a huge chunk with my trusty little scissors. That beautiful head of hair had been 3 years in the making and I had decided I was done. I was done picking out food after every meal. I was done having to wash it so much because of the blobs of dirt and soy nut butter I would discover at bath time every night. I was done explaining that my son is actually a boy, not a girl (I do not exaggerate when I tell you that I did this every single day).
Don't get me wrong, I loved his hair. I thought he was absolutely stunning with his long hair flowing behind him when he ran. But frankly, his behavior has become a tad undesirable of late, and I was beginning to associate his long hair with his newly developing rep as a ruffian trouble making punk. So I chopped it off, put the hair in a Ziploc baggie, and packed my family off to the barber shop where my husband and son both had a hair cut. A new father-son barber shop tradition was born that day (December 11th) and my son has not been called a girl since.
But wait, there's more. That Ziploc baggie with my son's beautiful hair has been sent to India with my Mother in Law. The hair will be scattered into the river where my husband's hair was placed after he had his first hair cut (actually head shave) as part of the (Hindu) Mundan ceremony. I feel good the little guy's hair wasn't just swept up off the barber shop floor. And while I miss his hair, I love that my little boy went from baby to boy in one simple act. It's hard to explain, but something changed the day we cut his hair, and I don't regret our decision.
The kids and I then flew to Canada where we had a 2.5 week long adventure visiting family and friends in Ottawa and Montreal. During the visit my husband celebrated a birthday, and my son, the little guy, turned 3. He is a Christmas Eve baby and hasn't really had a true birthday party yet. Luckily he hasn't seemed to notice and was happy to get a chocolate cupcake with a candle so he could make a wish (although I am not so sure he understands the "wish"concept). We brought the kids to Christmas Mass with my folks and sister which ended in total disaster but managed to rescue the evening and have our Happy Birthday celebration and cupcake eating together as a family. I think we may have to step it up for the little guy next year, though.
We concluded our relaxed visit in Montreal with a smashing New Year's Eve party at my Mother in Law's place. We welcomed 2012 by packing up our car (my husband had driven up to Ottawa closer to Christmas) and hitting the road. Yes, we did the unthinkable. We drove from Montreal to Washington in just under 11 hours. We made 3 stops and powered through Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. And ya know what? The kids were awesome. I have no idea how we all pulled it off, but we did. Now that we know it is doable, my family may become an international road tripping kinda family. Because we certainly aren't going to be able to keep paying the ever increasing prices for plane tickets!
I think I may have overwhelmed you with all this in one post. But I had to get it out of my system. Tackling this update was hanging over my head and while it may not be pretty, at least I have made it official. I hope you had a great holiday season and I hope you have recovered from all the craziness. All the best to you and your loved ones for an awesome, healthy and happy 2012!
I have been thinking of you every day, and when I noticed that there are actually folks who check on this site daily, I felt a huge pang of guilt.
I rapidly progressed from being over run with guilt to feeling plain old overwhelmed. How am I going to update you on the past month and a half of chaos?
So I have decided I am just going to do a brief recap of all the things which would have been worthy of their own posts. That is the only way I can free myself and start blogging 2012 style.
My first born child, the one who made me a Mama, turned 5 years old on December 7th. We hosted a lovely pottery painting party for her. I think it all turned out pretty well, considering the insane amount of time I spent obsessing over how to handle the politics of a 5 year old girls birthday party (in the end I decided small is sweet and big is just too much to handle, emotionally and financially!). She seemed pretty thrilled with the whole experience but was bummed to learn that she would have to wait 12 months to experience the joys of another birthday.
We were honored to attend Art Night with the babe at her school the day after her birthday. Parents and children get dressed in their finest, bring in a pot luck dinner contribution, and experience a gallery type soiree. The collection of Mattisse inspired art was stunning, but really, what was stunning was my daughter's amazing piece. As I can't truly explain it, I have decided to share it here with you.
The day after the babe's birthday party, I cut off my son's long hair. I sat him at the dining room table, brushed his locks one last time, and hacked of a huge chunk with my trusty little scissors. That beautiful head of hair had been 3 years in the making and I had decided I was done. I was done picking out food after every meal. I was done having to wash it so much because of the blobs of dirt and soy nut butter I would discover at bath time every night. I was done explaining that my son is actually a boy, not a girl (I do not exaggerate when I tell you that I did this every single day).
Don't get me wrong, I loved his hair. I thought he was absolutely stunning with his long hair flowing behind him when he ran. But frankly, his behavior has become a tad undesirable of late, and I was beginning to associate his long hair with his newly developing rep as a ruffian trouble making punk. So I chopped it off, put the hair in a Ziploc baggie, and packed my family off to the barber shop where my husband and son both had a hair cut. A new father-son barber shop tradition was born that day (December 11th) and my son has not been called a girl since.
But wait, there's more. That Ziploc baggie with my son's beautiful hair has been sent to India with my Mother in Law. The hair will be scattered into the river where my husband's hair was placed after he had his first hair cut (actually head shave) as part of the (Hindu) Mundan ceremony. I feel good the little guy's hair wasn't just swept up off the barber shop floor. And while I miss his hair, I love that my little boy went from baby to boy in one simple act. It's hard to explain, but something changed the day we cut his hair, and I don't regret our decision.
The kids and I then flew to Canada where we had a 2.5 week long adventure visiting family and friends in Ottawa and Montreal. During the visit my husband celebrated a birthday, and my son, the little guy, turned 3. He is a Christmas Eve baby and hasn't really had a true birthday party yet. Luckily he hasn't seemed to notice and was happy to get a chocolate cupcake with a candle so he could make a wish (although I am not so sure he understands the "wish"concept). We brought the kids to Christmas Mass with my folks and sister which ended in total disaster but managed to rescue the evening and have our Happy Birthday celebration and cupcake eating together as a family. I think we may have to step it up for the little guy next year, though.
We concluded our relaxed visit in Montreal with a smashing New Year's Eve party at my Mother in Law's place. We welcomed 2012 by packing up our car (my husband had driven up to Ottawa closer to Christmas) and hitting the road. Yes, we did the unthinkable. We drove from Montreal to Washington in just under 11 hours. We made 3 stops and powered through Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. And ya know what? The kids were awesome. I have no idea how we all pulled it off, but we did. Now that we know it is doable, my family may become an international road tripping kinda family. Because we certainly aren't going to be able to keep paying the ever increasing prices for plane tickets!
I think I may have overwhelmed you with all this in one post. But I had to get it out of my system. Tackling this update was hanging over my head and while it may not be pretty, at least I have made it official. I hope you had a great holiday season and I hope you have recovered from all the craziness. All the best to you and your loved ones for an awesome, healthy and happy 2012!
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Big Bed
It's been 7 days. Last Friday night the babe moved into a "big girl bed" with a twin size mattress and her Aunt's old teak bed frame. Getting the frame here from Canada was a bit of a "to do" as they say, but I now realize how special it is that the babe is sleeping in the bed her Aunt once slept in as a girl.
My daughter was just seeming rather large for her toddler bed. She was slightly crammed in there, and while she might have felt a sense of security, she has shown no sadness in passing along her bed to her little brother. The babe is now perched remarkably high from the ground as I seemed to have bought a massive mattress, but she is confident when she climbs in and hasn't fallen out once (so far). Just in case, I have a few big pillows placed strategically around the bed. Every day my babe continues to become a "big" girl. I am relieved she embraces these changes wholeheartedly. I try to do the same.
The little guy hasn't had such a smooth transition. We thought he was ready to move beyond the crib. He was easily unzipping himself from his sleep sack in the morning so we thought it was just a matter of time before he was climbing over the edge like his sister had once done. It hadn't happened yet, but it was just a matter of time. So we decided that the little guy would get his "new" bed the same day his sister got hers. A natural progression of sorts.
We got both beds set up simultaneously and did a big presentation of the new sleeping arrangements with both kids. I think the little guy was more excited about the babe's bed and kept screaming and crying saying it was his bed. Not the most positive reaction.
Things have gone OK with night time sleeps, with a few bumps and tears along the way. But our nap time has been a bit of a drama. The babe is usually at school when the little guy naps. He has always been a great day time napper and never made an issue of me tucking him in for a nap in his old crib. Apparently tucking him into a toddler bed is a very different thing in his head. I have spent hours this week walking up the stairs and delivering him back to his new bed. He proceeds to get back up and cry at the gate at the top of the stairs. I knew we were losing the control the crib had brought us, but I guess I didn't realize how determined he would be. I am proud that I have generally kept my cool with the situation as I know he is having a tough time with this transition, but I am hoping within a few more days things will go back to the way they used to be. Nap time is a precious time for me as well.
Now on to my feelings (because you want to know, right?). I took pictures as we moved beds, set up new beds and took apart the crib. We have had just one crib in use since the babe was born almost 4.5 years ago. I am extremely attached to the crib and am sad to see it go up to the attic. I am not so sad that I want to have another baby, but I am sad enough that I had to make a note of it here. My babies are growing up and that is what I wanted. It still tugs on my heart strings to say good bye to a piece of furniture that has played such a big role in our lives for the past few years. To watch my children go from looking so itty bitty and helpless in the crib to so big that I think they are going to climb over the edge has been quite a journey. Saying good bye to the co-sleeper was hard. Saying good bye to the crib is harder. Perhaps I am more sentimental than I thought.
My daughter was just seeming rather large for her toddler bed. She was slightly crammed in there, and while she might have felt a sense of security, she has shown no sadness in passing along her bed to her little brother. The babe is now perched remarkably high from the ground as I seemed to have bought a massive mattress, but she is confident when she climbs in and hasn't fallen out once (so far). Just in case, I have a few big pillows placed strategically around the bed. Every day my babe continues to become a "big" girl. I am relieved she embraces these changes wholeheartedly. I try to do the same.
The little guy hasn't had such a smooth transition. We thought he was ready to move beyond the crib. He was easily unzipping himself from his sleep sack in the morning so we thought it was just a matter of time before he was climbing over the edge like his sister had once done. It hadn't happened yet, but it was just a matter of time. So we decided that the little guy would get his "new" bed the same day his sister got hers. A natural progression of sorts.
We got both beds set up simultaneously and did a big presentation of the new sleeping arrangements with both kids. I think the little guy was more excited about the babe's bed and kept screaming and crying saying it was his bed. Not the most positive reaction.
Things have gone OK with night time sleeps, with a few bumps and tears along the way. But our nap time has been a bit of a drama. The babe is usually at school when the little guy naps. He has always been a great day time napper and never made an issue of me tucking him in for a nap in his old crib. Apparently tucking him into a toddler bed is a very different thing in his head. I have spent hours this week walking up the stairs and delivering him back to his new bed. He proceeds to get back up and cry at the gate at the top of the stairs. I knew we were losing the control the crib had brought us, but I guess I didn't realize how determined he would be. I am proud that I have generally kept my cool with the situation as I know he is having a tough time with this transition, but I am hoping within a few more days things will go back to the way they used to be. Nap time is a precious time for me as well.
Now on to my feelings (because you want to know, right?). I took pictures as we moved beds, set up new beds and took apart the crib. We have had just one crib in use since the babe was born almost 4.5 years ago. I am extremely attached to the crib and am sad to see it go up to the attic. I am not so sad that I want to have another baby, but I am sad enough that I had to make a note of it here. My babies are growing up and that is what I wanted. It still tugs on my heart strings to say good bye to a piece of furniture that has played such a big role in our lives for the past few years. To watch my children go from looking so itty bitty and helpless in the crib to so big that I think they are going to climb over the edge has been quite a journey. Saying good bye to the co-sleeper was hard. Saying good bye to the crib is harder. Perhaps I am more sentimental than I thought.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
18 Months
The little guy had his 18 month doctors appointment/check up today. I am pleased to announce that it went very well and I have a healthy and thriving son.
He is:
Regardless, I will sleep well tonight. And once again, I count my blessings.
He is:
- 26 pounds (50-75th percentile)
- 35 inches (95th percentile)
- with a head circumference of 18.5 inches (50th percentile)
Regardless, I will sleep well tonight. And once again, I count my blessings.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Snowmagedon 2010
As you may have heard, we are snowed in. This has been a dumping of epic proportions and we have stuck in and close to the house since Friday night. We lost our internet and television service for 3 days and are now being hit again with a second "blizzard." But the streets have not been cleared from the first snow bonanza. This sure ain't Ottawa (as in, Ottawa would have the streets cleared!).
Being stuck in the house with 2 kids for this long has been interesting, to say the least. The rules are getting lax and the days seem to be so much longer than I thought possible. I miss preschool. I miss our routine.
The little guy is cruising all over the place and on Sunday crashed down hard onto a piece of furniture. He got a bluish bump on his head very quickly and I almost panicked...OK, I did panic. As we couldn't drive anywhere easily, my mind raced to the worst possible scenarios. After putting some ice on his forehead bump, I realized he was going to be fine and I could be grateful we were not in need of any emergency services.
The poor kid is teething and has some molar action going on in his little mouth. This has made him a tad miserable. We are also working on the weaning and both of us are finding it tough going. He is really not giving up without a fight and is proving to be quite the dedicated breastfeeder. I am having to stick to my guns and push the sippy cup of soy milk option. Weaning the babe was such a breeze compared to this.
Speaking of the babe, today she woke up with a double eye infection. Where in the world did this one come from? Luckily I had held onto the remains of our last bottle of Vigamox and was able to start her on the medicine immediately. I also was able to locate a prescription from last month which should tide us over (it was a back up in case the little guy caught his sister's last eye infection). My husband braved the metro and made his way to the office where he also was able to hit the pharmacy. Hopefully the babe's eyes will clear up soon, or else we have to find a way to get her downtown to the pediatrician which will be no easy feat as I'm not willing to drive.
Anyway...I'm too tired to get into much else. But I wanted to give you an update just in case we lose the internet again...or worse, our power. We have been blessed so far and I hope this next storm doesn't push us over the edge. DC (and our house) wasn't built for this kind of snow.
Being stuck in the house with 2 kids for this long has been interesting, to say the least. The rules are getting lax and the days seem to be so much longer than I thought possible. I miss preschool. I miss our routine.
The little guy is cruising all over the place and on Sunday crashed down hard onto a piece of furniture. He got a bluish bump on his head very quickly and I almost panicked...OK, I did panic. As we couldn't drive anywhere easily, my mind raced to the worst possible scenarios. After putting some ice on his forehead bump, I realized he was going to be fine and I could be grateful we were not in need of any emergency services.
The poor kid is teething and has some molar action going on in his little mouth. This has made him a tad miserable. We are also working on the weaning and both of us are finding it tough going. He is really not giving up without a fight and is proving to be quite the dedicated breastfeeder. I am having to stick to my guns and push the sippy cup of soy milk option. Weaning the babe was such a breeze compared to this.
Speaking of the babe, today she woke up with a double eye infection. Where in the world did this one come from? Luckily I had held onto the remains of our last bottle of Vigamox and was able to start her on the medicine immediately. I also was able to locate a prescription from last month which should tide us over (it was a back up in case the little guy caught his sister's last eye infection). My husband braved the metro and made his way to the office where he also was able to hit the pharmacy. Hopefully the babe's eyes will clear up soon, or else we have to find a way to get her downtown to the pediatrician which will be no easy feat as I'm not willing to drive.
Anyway...I'm too tired to get into much else. But I wanted to give you an update just in case we lose the internet again...or worse, our power. We have been blessed so far and I hope this next storm doesn't push us over the edge. DC (and our house) wasn't built for this kind of snow.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The First Time
This has been a week of many first times.
On Monday the little guy crawled. Not only did he crawl, but he did it on a web video call with my parents! My father got to witness his grandson crawl for the first time. Smashing!
The little guy had been scootching around and doing the commando crawl for some time but to see him up on his knees and hands moving forward was an amazing thing. Watch out, because this kid is officially on the go.
Then on Tuesday night the little guy only woke once during the whole night to eat (in addition to a few pacifier plugs). We have been on a two times a night schedule for a very long time. We had also been on a wake up at 3:30am and scream until around 4:30am (when I gave in and fed him) schedule for a few nights which was getting pretty exhausting. Looking back I think it was linked to his "just about to crawl" stage of development.
Another crazy thing happened Tuesday night. The babe came in and told my husband she had to pee. So off they went to the toilet at 11:30pm. Amazing. My hubby has been telling her that if she needs to pee at night she can always come and get him and they can go to the potty together. Guess it is starting to sink in!
Then on Wednesday afternoon the babe went poop in the potty upstairs unprompted and unassisted for the first time. She had just had a "time out" and I had gone up to open the door and get back on track with her. She said she wanted to stay in her room looking at books, so I let her. I was in the living room with the little guy when the babe came down the stairs and said "I went poo poo." My heart sank as I thought about the very messy clean up job . Then she said "in the potty." My heart then lept, despite my confusion. She has never used the potty upstairs without our involvement. So up we went, and indeed there was a poop in the potty. I was thrilled. She was thrilled. It was a beautiful thing.
Fast forward to this morning. After a relatively peaceful night, I went in to get the little guy when I heard his whimpering cries in the monitor. I walked in and TA DA...he was sitting up in his crib. Wow. How did that happen? He has never sat up in his crib. I suppose we might want to move the crib down to its lowest setting now. Before I know it he will be standing in there. Then jumping. Then trying to climb out.
The firsts will continue to happen and I will continue to cherish them.
On Monday the little guy crawled. Not only did he crawl, but he did it on a web video call with my parents! My father got to witness his grandson crawl for the first time. Smashing!
The little guy had been scootching around and doing the commando crawl for some time but to see him up on his knees and hands moving forward was an amazing thing. Watch out, because this kid is officially on the go.
Then on Tuesday night the little guy only woke once during the whole night to eat (in addition to a few pacifier plugs). We have been on a two times a night schedule for a very long time. We had also been on a wake up at 3:30am and scream until around 4:30am (when I gave in and fed him) schedule for a few nights which was getting pretty exhausting. Looking back I think it was linked to his "just about to crawl" stage of development.
Another crazy thing happened Tuesday night. The babe came in and told my husband she had to pee. So off they went to the toilet at 11:30pm. Amazing. My hubby has been telling her that if she needs to pee at night she can always come and get him and they can go to the potty together. Guess it is starting to sink in!
Then on Wednesday afternoon the babe went poop in the potty upstairs unprompted and unassisted for the first time. She had just had a "time out" and I had gone up to open the door and get back on track with her. She said she wanted to stay in her room looking at books, so I let her. I was in the living room with the little guy when the babe came down the stairs and said "I went poo poo." My heart sank as I thought about the very messy clean up job . Then she said "in the potty." My heart then lept, despite my confusion. She has never used the potty upstairs without our involvement. So up we went, and indeed there was a poop in the potty. I was thrilled. She was thrilled. It was a beautiful thing.
Fast forward to this morning. After a relatively peaceful night, I went in to get the little guy when I heard his whimpering cries in the monitor. I walked in and TA DA...he was sitting up in his crib. Wow. How did that happen? He has never sat up in his crib. I suppose we might want to move the crib down to its lowest setting now. Before I know it he will be standing in there. Then jumping. Then trying to climb out.
The firsts will continue to happen and I will continue to cherish them.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Rolling
My husband has been worried as the little guy hasn't been rolling these days. He went through a phase where he would roll from his stomach to his back. Lately he has just stopped rolling when placed down for tummy time. He does a swimming kind a move where it looks like he's going to take off. I haven't been overly concerned, but I figured we'd ask at his 6 month doc appointment in a week and a half.
I am currently trying to get the little guy to take a nap. He is exhausted and needs some quality zzz's and is unfortunately up there crying (his sister is peacefully asleep in the room next door). But here's why I'm writing: it was a little quiet up there for a second so I flipped on my video monitor and the little guy was on his stomach! That means he rolled from his back to his tummy. I know this is a good thing, but now I'm freaked out about him getting stuck in the position at night when I'm asleep. I suppose he'll let me know.
Now, if only he would take his nap....I've been on the nap mission for over an hour straight and it's been quite dramatic. Perhaps we missed a sleep window and I will be waiting a long time. All I really want to do is take a cold shower and wash my hair. Although I think I may have to go another day with gross hair so I can monitor the nap meltdown which is currently underway.
I am currently trying to get the little guy to take a nap. He is exhausted and needs some quality zzz's and is unfortunately up there crying (his sister is peacefully asleep in the room next door). But here's why I'm writing: it was a little quiet up there for a second so I flipped on my video monitor and the little guy was on his stomach! That means he rolled from his back to his tummy. I know this is a good thing, but now I'm freaked out about him getting stuck in the position at night when I'm asleep. I suppose he'll let me know.
Now, if only he would take his nap....I've been on the nap mission for over an hour straight and it's been quite dramatic. Perhaps we missed a sleep window and I will be waiting a long time. All I really want to do is take a cold shower and wash my hair. Although I think I may have to go another day with gross hair so I can monitor the nap meltdown which is currently underway.
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