But Daddy P and I keep stealing glances at each other and smiling because Kate seems to be a new person. Or more correctly, her (very) old self. The baby we lost sometime in January. She wakes up smiling (and has slept through the night 80% of the nights this past week), is HAPPY when I get off of work, and goes to bed without a struggle.
Her language seemed to explode overnight. She's using (or trying to use) words constantly and stopped grunting as much to get her needs.
We had been really worried about choosing to sleep with her in her room for three weeks. I anticipated a huge blowback when it was time to stop this. But she seemed to take it all in stride. The first few nights we would put her down, go in and check after 2 then 4 then 6... minutes. Now we go in, tell her we'll come back to check on her, she says "yeah", and when we pop in randomly some time later she's out cold.
To our credit, we did put some effort into the whole transition. Although I credit probiotics (the cause of good sleep and well-formed poops -- and yeah, absorption of food) and pediasure for these remarkable changes, we did make some strategic changes. We put her back on a regular nighttime routine, involving both of us when possible. I stopped scheduling clients for before naptime, so we have lunch the three of us and then I put her down for nap before going to work. And, we are making a big effort to have more family time in our free time whereas before both Daddy P and I tended to want "me" time to get errands and chores done. I think all this family time and routine has helped her feel secure enough to relax, enjoy, and sleep!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Ramifications
My sister and I were talking the other day about my car accident. She was asking how I was reacting to driving since she had the experience of getting nervous driving after her accident. "I'm fine," I thought. "No problem-o," I thought.
Granted, getting behind the wheel is no problem for me. In fact, since the accident I haven't even had a blip in the anxiety realm when getting in the car. Maybe it's because we were fine. Even in our relatively tiny car we were totally fine.
But since that conversation I have been realizing that it isn't that I was unaffected, but merely that I was affected differently.
When Kate was a baby I was pretty laid back. I wasn't the parent who would hold a mirror under her nose, or go check on her frequently, or whatever. I figured she'd be fine and if she wasn't going to be there was only so much I could humanly do to make any difference.
Lately though, I'm paranoid about everything. At the park I freak out if Daddy P lets her climb to high on her own, or isn't behind her at the steps. At home I'm a little freakishly nervous in the bathroom at bathtime. I was thinking about how my birthday present was supposed to be a bike carrier so we could go on family rides -- a thought I'd had many times before -- but this time I immediately decided there was absolutely NO WAY I was driving with her in the road in a bike carrier and cars around. I get nervous if she doesn't wake up crying at least once a night (because she has been doing that EVERY night for three months now).
This kid's going to be an anxious mess if I don't get past this freak-out about her mortality.
Judging from my parents' behavior, though, there is no getting past this freak-out about your child's mortality.
Granted, getting behind the wheel is no problem for me. In fact, since the accident I haven't even had a blip in the anxiety realm when getting in the car. Maybe it's because we were fine. Even in our relatively tiny car we were totally fine.
But since that conversation I have been realizing that it isn't that I was unaffected, but merely that I was affected differently.
When Kate was a baby I was pretty laid back. I wasn't the parent who would hold a mirror under her nose, or go check on her frequently, or whatever. I figured she'd be fine and if she wasn't going to be there was only so much I could humanly do to make any difference.
Lately though, I'm paranoid about everything. At the park I freak out if Daddy P lets her climb to high on her own, or isn't behind her at the steps. At home I'm a little freakishly nervous in the bathroom at bathtime. I was thinking about how my birthday present was supposed to be a bike carrier so we could go on family rides -- a thought I'd had many times before -- but this time I immediately decided there was absolutely NO WAY I was driving with her in the road in a bike carrier and cars around. I get nervous if she doesn't wake up crying at least once a night (because she has been doing that EVERY night for three months now).
This kid's going to be an anxious mess if I don't get past this freak-out about her mortality.
Judging from my parents' behavior, though, there is no getting past this freak-out about your child's mortality.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
OCD
OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
When Kate starts heightening her senstitivity to things, I know she is getting sick. This morning she was fixated on getting her hands perfectly clean. And then a little later her shirt couldn't get adjusted quite right.
And I thought, "she isn't feeling well."
Fast forward to bedtime when poor little Kate throw up all over herself, the floor and Daddy P. Her first time throwing up. Poor baby. So yeah, OCD=feeling crappy.
When Kate starts heightening her senstitivity to things, I know she is getting sick. This morning she was fixated on getting her hands perfectly clean. And then a little later her shirt couldn't get adjusted quite right.
And I thought, "she isn't feeling well."
Fast forward to bedtime when poor little Kate throw up all over herself, the floor and Daddy P. Her first time throwing up. Poor baby. So yeah, OCD=feeling crappy.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mother's Day
Some of you have picked up on the fact that Mother's Day morning was spent in a tent.
True.
But, I got breakfast in bed! AND, had the very best wake up ever. It went something like this:
(Excited squeal)
A toddler flopping across Daddy P and saying, "cuddle!"
It was too cute. We were both just in love with her giddiness at getting to cuddle with Mom and Dad first thing in the morning.
Oh, and then there is this whole thing about Daddy P being convinced that Kate can count. Kate knew I had brought a couple balls with us on the camping trip, but had only given her one. So at one point in the trip she walks over to the van, points to the back of it where our luggage was and says, "Two."
To me, this is still a stretch. She didn't say "two balls" but she was totally satisfied when I got the second ball out of the van.
For the record, she still doesn't say "one" or "three" so I don't know if this is so much "counting" as just a new way to demand more.
True.
But, I got breakfast in bed! AND, had the very best wake up ever. It went something like this:
(Excited squeal)
A toddler flopping across Daddy P and saying, "cuddle!"
It was too cute. We were both just in love with her giddiness at getting to cuddle with Mom and Dad first thing in the morning.
Oh, and then there is this whole thing about Daddy P being convinced that Kate can count. Kate knew I had brought a couple balls with us on the camping trip, but had only given her one. So at one point in the trip she walks over to the van, points to the back of it where our luggage was and says, "Two."
To me, this is still a stretch. She didn't say "two balls" but she was totally satisfied when I got the second ball out of the van.
For the record, she still doesn't say "one" or "three" so I don't know if this is so much "counting" as just a new way to demand more.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Camping!
So the question is... would we go camping again? So here's the thing... it was SO much fun. Kate LOVED it. There was a park about 100 feet from our tent, so this little girl was in heaven. Top that with the fact she had dirt and a shovel outside of her front door and she didn't want to leave.
Or... sleep... Daddy P was amazing. He went above and beyond to get her to sleep. She didn't fall asleep until 10pm, and then woke up a bunch. Two times Daddy P had to take her outside to orient her. He showed her the stars for the first time and she was fascinated by how they totally covered the entire sky. Overall, we didn't sleep. But frankly, we haven't been sleeping at home, and I have a hard time sleeping when we camp anyway, so we didn't feel like we LOST sleep, but we certainly don't have high expectations.
We got back home and Kate and Daddy P slept 2 hours and I took a three hour nap!
Overall... we'd go again! Although, with temperatures starting to soar we'll have to wait until the fall. We plan on staying for a few days next time so Kate gets to settle in to the idea of the tent and sleeping with company.
The slide at the park on-site
A water stop on our hike
Giving horsey some water
Playing in the dirt (Horsey went EVERYWHERE, and is now in the wash...)
Making sure Daddy puts his shoes on
Breakfast in bed!
Or... sleep... Daddy P was amazing. He went above and beyond to get her to sleep. She didn't fall asleep until 10pm, and then woke up a bunch. Two times Daddy P had to take her outside to orient her. He showed her the stars for the first time and she was fascinated by how they totally covered the entire sky. Overall, we didn't sleep. But frankly, we haven't been sleeping at home, and I have a hard time sleeping when we camp anyway, so we didn't feel like we LOST sleep, but we certainly don't have high expectations.
We got back home and Kate and Daddy P slept 2 hours and I took a three hour nap!
Overall... we'd go again! Although, with temperatures starting to soar we'll have to wait until the fall. We plan on staying for a few days next time so Kate gets to settle in to the idea of the tent and sleeping with company.
The slide at the park on-site
A water stop on our hike
Giving horsey some water
Playing in the dirt (Horsey went EVERYWHERE, and is now in the wash...)
Making sure Daddy puts his shoes on
Breakfast in bed!Thursday, May 6, 2010
19 month update
22 lbs, 1 oz.
Little Miss is a full on toddler. No baby left in this little girl. Her BFF has a new water splashpad in the yard so she spent all evening asking to go over there to play in the water. (Which, for those of you who speak Kate sounds like "Sssssss awaa"). At one point she walked to the door, said "car" and then when we asked where she was going she reiterated she was going to see Samantha and play in the water.
Here's the diva taking her own pictures while I take pictures of her...
Little Miss is a full on toddler. No baby left in this little girl. Her BFF has a new water splashpad in the yard so she spent all evening asking to go over there to play in the water. (Which, for those of you who speak Kate sounds like "Sssssss awaa"). At one point she walked to the door, said "car" and then when we asked where she was going she reiterated she was going to see Samantha and play in the water.
Here's the diva taking her own pictures while I take pictures of her...
We saw the GI doctor on Thursday. She said that it is normal for toddlers after a virus to have several months of diarrhea. (If this is true, why our doctor couldn't have just said that is a bit baffling.) She said that her guess was that we sped up Kate's recovery time by giving her the probiotic and that she will start gaining weight again. We've been instructed to offer food, then pediasure (apparently 3 cans of this stuff is all the nutrition she needs), and cut out all other drinks besides milk. If she doesn't gain one pound in the next month we are to come back and discuss other possible sources of the problem. She said celiac's is very unlikely since her diarrhea stopped after the probiotic, but is still a possibility.
It's been a rough week overall. This was the first week that we said goodbye to our amazing nannies. M is gone for good because of other commitments and S returns in the fall part-time. Kate is struggling a lot with the transition to a new person but is doing okay with it. It is very reminiscent of my days teaching at the preschool: toddler screams bloody murder at drop off until parent is out of sight and then is happy. The only difference is that I'm the parent this time around.
I'm trying to talk to Kate in Spanish whenever I can so that it isn't just associated with our new nanny and she gets more used to it. Daddy P and the nanny are muddling through okay with their spanglish communication. She and I seem to do fine since she's patient and lets me muddle up tenses all over the place.
Tomorrow we go camping! I'm totally excited and can't wait. I think Kate's going to LOVE it. So lots of fun pics to come...
It's been a rough week overall. This was the first week that we said goodbye to our amazing nannies. M is gone for good because of other commitments and S returns in the fall part-time. Kate is struggling a lot with the transition to a new person but is doing okay with it. It is very reminiscent of my days teaching at the preschool: toddler screams bloody murder at drop off until parent is out of sight and then is happy. The only difference is that I'm the parent this time around.
I'm trying to talk to Kate in Spanish whenever I can so that it isn't just associated with our new nanny and she gets more used to it. Daddy P and the nanny are muddling through okay with their spanglish communication. She and I seem to do fine since she's patient and lets me muddle up tenses all over the place.
Tomorrow we go camping! I'm totally excited and can't wait. I think Kate's going to LOVE it. So lots of fun pics to come...
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