tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60911567918639952812024-03-05T19:52:00.009-05:00no news isn't always good newsB.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-23261761546129970142015-02-05T03:26:00.000-05:002015-02-05T03:26:06.704-05:00still flying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
New year, same life. The girls are getting older- Maggie will be 3 next week, and Charlotte will turn five a month after that. Our house is full of their songs and stories, laughter and occasional sibling spats. And toys. Holy mackerel, those toys! We've decided that when both girls are in full-day school (when Maggie enters first grade), we'll move their beds into one room and convert the other into a play room. It's three years away, but I'm looking forward to reclaiming the living room... and all the other rooms on the ground floor of the house, as hallways and door frames can't stop the toys from taking over.</div>
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The girls are everything pink and girly and princess-y. And they love to run and play and get dirty and build things. I am amazed on a daily basis. I try to say "Be careful," only when absolutely necessary. For every "You're beautiful," I try to offer at least one "I love watching you create things." I am not a perfect mom- I yell and get frustrated. But we're managing and I believe I have not screwed up the natural amazing-ness of my daughters. So far, so good. And just tonight, Charlotte called to me from her bed just so she could tell me, in a bit of sleep-talking, that she loves me. My heart is full.</div>
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-7142476802942462392014-07-18T02:17:00.001-04:002014-07-18T02:23:41.765-04:00FastThe girls have adjusted frighteningly well to the loss of the only grandfather they remember. My father passed away while the girls and I were at a playground on the afternoon of June 2nd. I called Mom at 3:00 while Charlotte batted a whiffle ball with a new friend and Maggie played on the swings, and my brother answered by saying he couldn't talk- Dad was gone and he needed to find the phone number to call to have his body removed from the house. He hoped to have the body out of the house (Dad died at home) before my sister and her kids arrived, and they had just left the airport in a rental car... ETA about an hour, maybe two since traffic was bad that day. My sister had come as soon as she could upon hearing that Dad was not going to last much longer, and she missed him by just a couple of hours.<br />
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It was a blur then, but I remember every detail of that afternoon now. Charlotte and Maggie seemed unaffected by the news, but kept giving me hugs and saying, "I'm so sorry that your Daddy died." We had visited the day before, and when it was time for us to leave, we each told my father that we loved him as he slept on a hospital bed in the living room. It seems surreal now. I feel kind of guilty for having children so late in life that my girls have only one surviving grandparent now.<br />
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It's a strange thing, standing at a funeral and being told what a saint someone was, of whom you have countless unsaintly memories. His public and private personas were polar opposites sometimes. He was a good man, but not without flaws. And it was enlightening to hear how some of my siblings felt about him (and about each other). I can't believe I hadn't known just how damaged some of my family's relationships are/were.<br />
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The girls are wonderful. Our mortgage has been modified to much more manageable terms. C still has not received a paycheck, but claims to be optimistic that regular income will commence within this month. I was promoted at my part-time retail gig, so now my measly income covers a little more than just groceries. We have much to be grateful for.<br />
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B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-19073705221820468982014-05-29T01:43:00.001-04:002014-05-29T01:48:38.100-04:00Rough patch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nothing new on the parenting front. The girls are 98% awesome 2% challenge. They're best friends and love playing together. They're obsessed with Frozen and can recite portions of the dialog verbatim, complete with gestures and inflections copied directly from the movie.<br />
That's not where our difficulty lies. The kids are fantastic.<br />
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Financially, we're struggling. C hasn't had a real paycheck since December and my 3 1/2 year old layoff has caught up with us. We've fallen behind on the mortgage and have been preliminarily denied modification due to our current lack of income. C has been working for a couple of months, but hasn't been paid. Sob story about the new company needing to complete certain milestones before they get paid and have the money to pay employees. I wouldn't be heartbroken if we short sale the house. We're so underwater that it doesn't make financial sense to pay it off. My credit score has already plummeted, and won't start to improve until we somehow catch up on the mortgage. Luckily, everything is in my name, so C's credit is great.<br />
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Even our financial woes pale in comparison with some family health issues. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer last July and it had spread before it was caught. Now, tumors on his liver have not responded to treatment. The doctors have given up and it seems my father has too. We have weeks, maybe a month or two if we're lucky. It's not looking good. My siblings and I will meet with a hospice nurse tomorrow. We don't know how to deal with this. We don't know what to expect. I have no idea how to tell the girls that their grandfather is dying. How do I explain death to them? How much time do we have left?B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-32705820722824380352014-02-10T00:59:00.001-05:002014-02-10T00:59:25.208-05:00still here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Blogging just doesn't cross my mind often lately. These lovely girls fill my days, happily for the most part. No time for details now, but here are a few photos to show how they've grown. </div>
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Playing in the snow...</div>
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Charlotte's second movie (Frozen. We loved it.)</div>
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Maggie's big girl car seat. We finally surrendered the baby bucket.<br />
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-86167130152905022302013-08-14T04:11:00.005-04:002013-08-14T04:11:47.907-04:00too much, too little, and not enoughTwo months since my last post? It feels like a week. Or forever. Time is not consistent these days and I can't keep track of anything any more.<br />
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So much happening with my girls. It's been an event-full summer. We took a vacation, but our 6-day retreat turned into a 9-day marathon when my father ended up in the hospital an hour away from the rented cottage. We tried to squeeze in some vacation-y things, but spent every afternoon driving, visiting, and driving back again. Maggie's afternoon naps were all in the car. Oh, and the rain. I'd never seen it rain so hard or so often- major thunderstorms every afternoon. Usually twice each afternoon, and for more than a week straight. We had one day without rain while we were away, but nothing ever truly dried out because of the humidity. I'm glad we were there, though, since otherwise my mom would have been dealing with dad's health scare alone. Dad has some extended treatment to go through, and underwent surgery before returning home a week after we did, but he's doing well now.<br />
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We dropped Maggie's morning nap. I don't remember when that happened; maybe before my June post. She falls asleep in the car whenever we go somewhere before lunch, but she never gets cranky. She loves her afternoon nap and usually goes down around 1:00 for 2-3 hours. Both girls sleep like champs at night- Maggie from 7 to 6:30; Charlotte from 7:30 until 6:30. We lucked out on the sleep front as we almost never do battle over bedtime. In fact, the girls and I shared a room on "vacation," and no one had any trouble going to sleep and staying there. Except me.<br />
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I am still having sleep issues (posting at 3:30am after falling asleep on the couch for 4 hours; dreading going to bed because it makes my back ache). I think I'm functioning well on 4-5 hours per night. Others in my life may beg to differ.<br />
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I've been trying to DO a lot with the girls this summer. For the last 4 years, I've been either pregnant or caring for a newborn, so it's been fun to experience a lot of local attractions and see what my children get excited about.<br />
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Interactive art exhibit at a local museum/garden. The metal rods are meant to resemble giant blades of grass. Charlotte loved dancing through them.<br />
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Blackberry season was sweet, but way too short as the heat dried out the last of the berries before we could eat them. Charlotte and Maggie made a valiant effort, though. Not a single picked berry went to waste, but they didn't leave me any for baking.<br />
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Maggie has discovered carousels and LOVES them. Here she is on her first solo ride on a real, up-and-down carousel horse at a local carnival.<br />
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And now it's mid-August. We went to the Boston Children's Museum Monday, and they both loved it. To add to the adventure, we took the train into the city. No mishaps (aside from leaving the museum pass in the car and missing the first of our intended trains into town), no meltdowns, no 'accidents.' The girls amazed me by staying awake for the hour-long train ride home. They got a little antsy, but their restlessness manifested in a most adorable hug-fest.<br />
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Charlotte spent much of the early part of the summer having several potty accidents every day. She owns 14 pairs of "big girl underwear," and I had to do laundry at least every other day to keep clean ones available. It was horribly frustrating, and I was almost ready to put her in diapers again (I did for occasional outings when an accident would have been a really serious problem), but suddenly, two weeks ago, she righted herself and has had just one accident since. And that accident was only because she was way overtired and forgot to put the seat up on the potty we almost never use. I had mentioned to her that she couldn't go to school this fall if she was still having lots of accidents, so now she tells me every night that she's ready for school. Plus, she gets a lollipop and watches something on TV while I put Maggie to bed if she's stayed dry all day. <br />
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Maggie has begun telling me just before she poops in her diaper- "Potty! Poop. Diaper." She absolutely refuses to sit on a potty, but loves to watch Charlotte do it. She's Charlotte's little cheerleader, clapping and singing "Yay, Charlotte!" It was around 19 months that Charlotte first seemed interested in using the potty, so maybe Maggie will have a similar interest in a month or so. Meanwhile, I appreciate the warning. It allows me to adjust our schedule so she never has to sit in a soiled diaper for more than a couple of minutes.<br />
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Maggie talks and signs magnificently now. She is obviously proud of making herself understood. She attempts new words fearlessly, and has come out with a lot of expertly pronounced doozies- spaghetti, sandwich, zipper, towel, and blankie are in her usual repertoire. She mastered all the Baby Signing Time signs quite a while ago, and now requests ("Sign Time! Please.") Signing Time almost every day. We bought just about the complete set last Christmas and have been unwrapping a new one every month or so. Charlotte watches too, but doesn't seem quite as interested. Maggie soaks them up, and shows me new signs almost every day. She's discovered opposites and loves "arguing" with me- I say yes, so she says no. I say hot, so she says cold. Up, down. In, out. Repeat, repeat, repeat until we're both laughing hard.<br />
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Charlotte wrote her name. Somewhat legibly. I had to coach her through the letters and remind her that they needed to be in a row, not scattered all over the page, but she drew each letter herself.<br />
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I think I'll try to nap a little before the kids get up.</div>
B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-29985420087345201662013-06-08T01:38:00.001-04:002013-06-08T01:38:49.365-04:00peace at lastI'm reluctant to admit it, but it seems that Charlotte <strong><em><u>can</u></em></strong> survive without a nap. I was becoming less and less successful at getting her to lay still and close her eyes long enough to fall asleep. We were both miserable, and poor Maggie wasn't getting a decent nap because all the ruckus woke her almost every day. So, I gave in and tried a few days sans nap. We survived, and Charlotte wasn't a sourpuss like I thought she'd be. Instead of sleeping, Charlotte spends an hour or so doing something quiet. We read together awhile, then she plays while I do some housework or read something for myself. We're working our way through the Disney princess movies, too, and our play time has been centered on reenacting princess stories. Sometimes, Charlotte likes to be the princess. Sometimes, she's the prince or the villain or the mother or the father. Anyhow, without a nap, the God-awful threes are a whole lot easier to deal with. She still fights me on everything, and seems to need a threat of some sort before she'll cooperate ("If you don't go potty now, we won't go to the playground at all."). She demands that I count before she'll do what I ask of her, which I really hate because my parents used to do that to me... often without the request, skipping directly to the "1.. 2... 3!" We're getting along a lot better though. It's been more than a week since she last told me, "Mommy, I love you, but I don't like you very much."<br />
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And some days, she does take a nap...<br />
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Then there's Maggie. She is the most laid-back, easy-going child I could imagine. She asks to nap when she's tired, and if no one pays attention, she just falls asleep wherever she happens to be.</div>
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Maggie is speaking more and more words every day. She tests them out, then once she can say something well enough to be consistently understood, she just keeps repeating it over and over and over again. Today's word was "sleep," which comes out as "seep." When I told her it was time to get ready for bed, she essentially sang it to me the entire time I was changing her diaper and putting her jammies on her. She likes to "argue" with me, repeating "no, no, no" to which I reply, "Yes, yes, yes." Charlotte has started telling knock-knock jokes, so Maggie likes to yell, "Knock, knock!" while pantomiming knocking on a door. Both the arguing and the knocking make her laugh. Maggie has started running, which makes her extraordinarily happy. She wants to jump, too, but hasn't yet figured out how.<br />
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Summer paid us a visit, then disappeared again but left us with an itch that can only be scratched with trips to the beach. I plan to introduce Charlotte to backyard camping the next weekend without rain; full-blown away-from-home camping is on the agenda later this summer. The girls and I will be vacationing with my parents at a house they rented on a lake later this month, then I'll have my knee tune-up a couple of weeks later. Summer is filling up already.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-72489352177078678672013-05-31T01:26:00.000-04:002013-05-31T01:28:48.806-04:00the longest timeI think this is the longest I've gone between posts since I started blogging. There's just so much going on, and so few hours in each day. The girls are wonderful, almost all of the time. Maggie is going through a verbal explosion right now- clearly speaking new words daily. One of my favorites is "Daddy." For a while, she would run through the house yelling, "Die! Die! Die!," and I wasn't sure what she was really saying since no 15-month-old in my life knows the word "die." One day, it evolved into "Da-eee," and the next it became "Daddy!" Needless to say, C is much happier now to see Maggie running to him when he gets home from work than he was a week ago, when it sounded like she was cursing him. She also clearly says, "I want that," "Orange (understanding both the color and the fruit)," [enough with the quotation marks] up, down, more, thanks, yes, yeah, hi, bye, Momma, Grampa, and Gamma (for Grandma). She meows like a pro and seems to enjoy pretending to BE a cat. She has moved on to the "big kid" Signing Time videos and asks to watch them by signing "signing time." I can't count the number of signs she uses regularly, her current favorite being "picnic." She has an infectious laugh, extremely ticklish armpits, and a love for putting things in the trash (we have to inspect daily to make sure we don't take anything to the dump that shouldn't go there).<br />
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Charlotte goes from angel to demon and back again in the blink of an eye. She's easy-going and fun to be around for about 22 hours a day, but those other two hours test my patience and sometimes leave me wondering why I ever wanted to become a mom. We're still working out the best way to handle her tantrums, which generally center on either nap/bedtime or she and I disagreeing on what needs to be done at a given time. Sometimes, I think we've made it past a situation that could have triggered an outburst, only to see her blow up at something trivial. Leaving her alone to cool off usually works, but sometimes her fits involve pushing or hitting Maggie- I need to discipline her and attend to Maggie, but I really don't know how to discipline a child her age so I simply hug Maggie in my lap and tell Charlotte that I don't want to be near her when she's being mean. I have told her on several occasions that, even though I will always love her with all my heart, I sometimes don't like her very much. She understands, and when we're getting along she likes to tell me that she loves me and likes me. Three is challenging, but she's becoming such an amazing little girl. She's incredibly articulate and likes to tell knock-knock jokes. She's been in a tap/ballet class since September and will have a recital in 2 weeks. She grew nearly an inch in the last two months; more than 2 inches since Thanksgiving.<br />
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The bottom line is that I love my girls more than I ever imagined possible, and I'm amazed at how quickly they learn and grow and change.<br />
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As for me, I twisted my knee a month ago while brushing my teeth. Dramatic, no? I had to turn abruptly when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Charlotte shove Maggie. My knee is already unstable because what was left of my ACL was removed in October 2010, so my quick pivoting tore some cartilage. An arthroscopy to clean up my torn meniscus should alleviate the pain and stiffness, allowing me to walk without a limp again. My orthopedist would also remove two screws that were installed in a 1991 ACL reconstruction so that another reconstruction effort would not have to work around old hardware. Then, if my knee continues to be too unstable to run on, he'll reconstruct the ACL in a separate procedure. I hope to have the first procedure within the next couple of weeks. I currently can't walk without a dramatic limp, and I'm in near-constant pain. I know from experience that the arthroscopy will take care of my immediate issues. I guess my soccer "career" is over, but I think I'd be happy to simply run again. I don't know how we'll pay for it, but I can't imagine continuing in this state for any longer than absolutely necessary. I am so lucky to have my parents nearby, and in good health, to help out with caring for my girls.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-50222006406365306872013-04-30T23:05:00.001-04:002013-04-30T23:05:32.839-04:00losing track of timeI'm not going to say it. How is it possible that tomorrow will be May already? I'm glad to see the warmer weather of spring, especially after that last big storm knocked out the power for two days. But where did March and April go?<br />
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Charlotte shows Maggie how it's done.<br />
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Maggie's first ride.<br />
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Hurray for Spring and playgrounds with swings!<br />
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I really have nothing big to say. Maggie signs 50+ words and almost daily shows me at least one new one that I missed. Today was picnic- we decided to eat lunch outside, under our beach tent. When I asked Maggie if she wanted to have a picnic, she said, "Yes," and signed "picnic." Maggie babbles a lot, with serious gesturing and intonation. She loves to "talk" on the phone, and uses just about anything as a phone- remotes, keys, bananas, sticks, rocks, and actual phones. She walks like a pro and has begun trying to jump, but doesn't come close to getting either foot off the floor. We've dropped the morning nap (had I mentioned that before?)- having to work around one made essentially the entire day useless. Now, we can be out and about until 11am. After 11, we're booked... 11:15 lunch; 12:00 potty (Charlotte); 12:15 story time; 12:45 Maggie goes down for a nap; 1:00 Charlotte goes down for a nap. And they both sleep until around 3:00. Then we play a little, make and eat dinner, play or bathe, and go to bed at 7 and 7:30. Sometimes. Sometimes, getting them down is a struggle and naps start closer to 2 or 2:30. On those days, I end up waking them at 4 so the bedtime won't be affected.<br />
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Charlotte has been trying to drive me insane lately. She'll shove Maggie to get my attention. She often refuses to nap and ends up losing all sorts of privileges (i.e. we're NOT going out to lunch with Grampa tomorrow after music class). She giggles maniacally in my face when I try to discipline her or explain what she did wrong. She intentionally wakes Maggie up. She wakes up almost every night, some time between 12am and 3am, and comes to ask me to put her blankets back on her. She refuses to sleep in the dark, but a nightlight isn't enough for her so she has a table lamp on all night with the dimmest bulb I could find. But her moods turn on a dime and she'll go from complete freak-out to lovey-dovey "Mommy, I promise to cooperate now" in just seconds. She's wonderful most of the time. I just don't know what to do with her when she's misbehaving. It would be easier without Maggie, but I can't just leave Maggie to her own devices every time Charlotte pitches a fit. We put a doorknob cover on the inside of her bedroom door for a while to keep her contained at nap time, but then she figured out how to open the door in spite of it. Parenting really is a challenge with a 3-year-old.<br />
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Oh, we do have news. There's a public preschool here that's geared primarily toward children with developmental challenges. They take a limited number of "peer" students without such challenges, and those spots are doled out by lottery. I applied. I don't think Charlotte "needs" preschool, but I wasn't sure she'd get in, and if she goes at 3 she's guaranteed a spot at 4. We won the lottery. Big time. She was accepted for the 4-mornings-a-week program. FOUR days! I didn't ask for that one, but if I turn it down, we get nothing. So, we'll try it. My only real objection is that the commitment will make it next-to-impossible to go anywhere on weekdays because we'll have just one weekday per week available, and what are the odds that weather will cooperate? It's a big commitment, giving up our freedom, but I'm sure Charlotte will love it. And it'll give me a little time every day to spend with Maggie, one-on-one.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-17043092148248221692013-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:002013-03-06T00:00:15.198-05:00and that's thatThings happen pretty abruptly in our house. Or so it seems lately. Transitions are not gradual, although they can be anticipated for quite a long time before actually happening. Take walking... Maggie just suddenly stopped crawling. She was about 60/40 on the crawling/walking ratio until one day (2/13/13), the balance flipped and she decided not to crawl any more. Boom. Done. She's a walker now, and that's that.<br />
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Potty use. We've been embarrassingly casual about it, and I was starting to dread having a 3-year-old in diapers. I was proud of Charlotte for dropping bottles by the time she turned one and for never needing a paci (I'm not judging parents or kids who use a paci. I tried on several occasions to get Charlotte and Maggie to suck on one when I couldn't figure out how to console them. Neither of them showed any interest, so we never had that habit and the need to decide when to beak it.). I didn't want to deal with potty training, though, and kept putting it off thinking that "next week" might be better... less on the calendar, fewer stresses in our lives, etc. But next week was likely never to come. Charlotte finally took charge and told me one morning that she was not going to wear diapers any more. She's had two extremely minor accidents (her underwear was slightly damp, but her pants were dry) in the five days since and has even gone entirely by herself on a few occasions (at home). She has not had an accident during her naps, ever. She wants to go to bed at night in her big girl underwear, but I'm not ready for sheet-changing at 2am so that's where I draw the line for now. So here we are, a little over two weeks from her third birthday and Charlotte is done with daytime diapers, and that's that.<br />
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I've been toying with the idea of weaning Maggie. We were down to two real nursing sessions each day- one first-thing in the morning, in the peaceful predawn before Charlotte woke each day, and again at bedtime. The rest of the day, she'd nurse five or six times for 2-5 minutes and be on her way. I was feeling like the glass of water I leave on the kitchen counter and sip from all day. On Sunday, Charlotte woke at the same time as Maggie and was dancing around the room while I tried to nurse. Maggie was on and off the boob, more interested in watching Charlotte than anything else. She was kind of nipping at me each time she disengaged, and now that she has three teeth (two below, one on top), it hurt. So, when she popped off for the fifth time, I decided that enough was enough. We were done with nursing. I think I have enough frozen breast milk to last about a week. I'm mixing in a little cow milk to get her used to it, upping the proportion each day until we run out of the frozen stuff. So that's that... she's weaned. My breasts have hardly noticed.<br />
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In other news, I did not get the promotion. I'm a little relieved since I wasn't really ready to give up the time I spend with my girls. To celebrate, I rejoined my gym. Childcare is included in the membership and Maggie is showing a bit of separation anxiety (she's fine being left with my Mom when I go to work). I want to lose about 30 pounds to get back to my pre-IVF weight, and I'd like both girls to socialize and get used to being in a daycare environment. It's good for all of us.<br />
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B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-78996954349752589312013-02-17T03:40:00.002-05:002013-02-17T03:40:29.838-05:00A year alreadyI'm not sure how it happened so quickly, but Maggie had her first birthday this week. To celebrate, she started walking. She's been cruising and taking as many as 12 steps at a time for several weeks now, but the day before her birthday, she started toddling around without looking for her next handhold. It was as if a switch had been flipped. No more crawling here. We had to break out Charlotte's smallest snow boots, which are a size-and-a-half too big, so we could all play in the snow.<br />
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Being our second child, poor Maggie lost out on a big celebration. I had to work on her birthday, which fell on a Thursday. We hung a banner and sang "Happy Birthday" to her about a dozen times throughout the day, but there was no big party with a guest list to rival our wedding. I plan to make her a cake on Monday (we have a baby shower to attend tomorrow)- apple-banana-cherry, per Charlotte's request. C and I haven't settled on a perfect gift for her, so we haven't even given Maggie a birthday present. I feel awful about all that, but she's happy and doesn't need anything. I want to make her a tutu, like I did for Charlotte, and may still do that.<br />
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Speaking of tutus... Charlotte does a series of "dance moves" every time she goes to bed. Maggie has seen this a few times when Charlotte goes down for a nap before Maggie does. Maggie has started doing arabesques when Charlotte does now, and she often taps her toe on the floor while saying, "tap, tap, tap." It's adorable. I'll try to catch a photo of the two of them in their tutus, dancing, when I make one for Maggie.<br />
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Maggie is still our easy baby- eats anything we put in front of her, sleeps when we put her in her bed, almost never cries, and is wonderfully healthy. She'll have her 12-month ped visit at the end of March, on the same day as Charlotte's 3-year. She has three teeth now, with the first having surfaced on 1/21, so both girls will also go to the dentist at the end of March too.<br />
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I have been having some issues with sleep, which is why I am still awake at 3:30am. I seem to function fine on almost no sleep, but then I fall asleep at the drop of a hat all day long. Then I fall asleep on the couch after the girls go to bed, when I enjoy my only alone time of the day, and have to clean the house when I wake up or else the messes will linger until the next night. It's a vicious cycle that I manage to break out of a few nights a week, but I haven't been consistent since Maggie was born. My back aches when I sleep on my back. My shoulders and hips ache, and my hand falls asleep, when I sleep on my side. Sleep just isn't the bliss it used to be and I don't sleep for more than three hours at a stretch. I'm hoping the efforts of my new chiropractor will have an effect on my sleep. We'll see. I think my next post might be more about life with two kids and less focused on what my darlings are up to. Now, I'm going to grab some shut-eye before the girls wake up.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-44987852754777779302013-02-02T23:33:00.000-05:002013-02-02T23:33:11.546-05:00It's been a whileJust chugging along here. The girls are fantastic, especially when their nap schedule is respected. When it isn't, look out! Maggie is always mellow, but an overtired Charlotte is not a pleasant sight. She argues, debates, attempts to negotiate, or completely ignores me. After lengthy protestations, she finally passes out in her bed (she always makes it to her bed before falling asleep- I've never seen her sleep on the floor or in a chair), then wakes up her usual cheery and amazing self. That would be fine if she didn't have a little sister, but her shenanigans usually wake up Maggie, who both needs her sleep and hates when it is interrupted.<br />
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Maggie finally dropped her twice-a-week midnight snacks and consistently sleeps from 7 until around 6:15. She naps easily twice each day, usually 90 minutes at 9am and then another hour or two at 1:30. She has preferences- favorite books, favorite toys, preferred foods (bananas!)- and is very good at voicing them. Maggie signs sleep, frog, clean, shoes, banana, book, baby, hat, cold, bird, and perhaps a few other words that I either forgot or failed to recognize. She has taken as many as 12 steps independently, and walks confidently holding just one finger on an accomplice's hand. We're still nursing- new territory as I'd stopped nursing Charlotte by this age. Maggie eats, and enjoys, pretty much any food we're willing to give her. I think she eats more than Charlotte does. She'll have her 12-month ped appointment at the end of March, when Charlotte goes in for her 3-year visit Both will visit the dentist that day too, now that Maggie has a tooth (broke through on 1/21). She wears 12-month clothing, size 3 diapers, size 3.5 shoes, and she has a lot to say. Maggie loves to give hugs and kisses (she presses her face against whatever or whomever she's "kissing"), especially to her big sister and to the sleeping babies in her favorite book.<br />
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Charlotte... Oh, my, what a girl! She has an imagination ("Imagination is when I read a book with no pictures, but I see pictures in my mind"- her definition) and enjoys telling me all about it. She loves to talk- tells stories and makes up songs all the time. She's about 3-feet tall, wears size 3T and size 7 1/2 shoes, and dancing is her favorite thing in the world. She has dance class every Saturday and a recital scheduled for June. Everywhere we go, she looks for her "friends," anyone she can talk to or play with no matter how old they happen to be. I've seen her charm uninterested tweens into sliding down playground slides with her. We love books, and now that her collection fills all the shelves in her room, we're not buying any more so weekly trips to the library are a must. Charlotte always finds friends there who join her in lining up all the cube chairs into a train or stacking the blocks until their tower is taller than any of us. In some situations, Charlotte acts far older than her not-quite-3-years. She's compassionate and smart and confident and curious. At home, though, when she's a little overtired, she's all toddler. She can scream and rattle a door with the best of them. At night, though, she goes down without a fight at 7:45, with just a bit of creative stalling, and falls right to sleep. She's very good about staying in her room, quietly, until her clock turns yellow (it's blue when she should be sleeping) at 6:30. Charlotte is my hiking buddy, my baking partner, my craft pal. She's never been a terribly picky eater, but has been kind of reluctant to try anything new. Lately, though, she's begun trying new things willingly, sometimes pursuing something new without anyone asking her to. And most of the time, she likes what she tries. I've been a horrible slacker when it comes to potty training. Charlotte almost never poops in a diaper, and she uses the potty 3-4 times every day, but that's as far as we've gone. I still hope to have her out of diapers before her birthday in March.<br />
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I've been working a p/t retail job twice a week since June. Luckily, my parents are very willing babysitters since my paycheck would never cover any kind of childcare. I recently applied for a "supervisor" position, which may involve a small pay raise but will certainly add a shift or two each week. I held the same position with the same company 9 years ago, but I don't think I'm a shoe-in. Three other folks applied too. I think I've decided to stop pumping and just let nature take its course as far as breastfeeding goes. I have a sizable stash of b-milk in the freezer. Maggie nurses 4 times each day, but only her first morning feed lasts longer than 10 minutes. I'm more than ready to wear a normal bra and to get dressed without worrying about boob access. Maggie eats everything, so breastmilk is kind of an afterthought at this point. AF returned for the first time on 1/1/13... Hello, New Year.<br />
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B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-81648313051666804892012-12-14T02:14:00.001-05:002012-12-14T02:14:36.146-05:00Nine months, at ten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Maggie had her 9 month visit to the ped today. She is 28 inches tall now and weighs 17 pounds 1 ounce. I didn't ask for percentiles. This is coming from my phone so I won't say much, but here are some recent photos. Maggie's bihgest new talent is cruising... on everuthing and confidently. Can walking be far behind? Maybe, since it took Charlotte several months to let go and walk independantly. Maggie seems much more determined, though so walking could start any day now. She already stands, holding nothing, for 5-10 seconds at a time. And twice she has taken a step on her own from one cruisable object to another.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccanRybBM-58zNH3DeLqZa9okFQENiEN_rDs-0RFXJFTzG6SdWIFe3mRKBvKRZUR-nVEARxCS_6ZsO0LRDAAxSg1HNAgJbHLIUiy_u1LpnC57tzJJTMRuE3UrCAgLTmHn8rTeU5xZehs/s1600/20121209_094716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccanRybBM-58zNH3DeLqZa9okFQENiEN_rDs-0RFXJFTzG6SdWIFe3mRKBvKRZUR-nVEARxCS_6ZsO0LRDAAxSg1HNAgJbHLIUiy_u1LpnC57tzJJTMRuE3UrCAgLTmHn8rTeU5xZehs/s320/20121209_094716.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-50620374235945120212012-11-07T21:00:00.000-05:002012-11-07T21:00:18.006-05:00learning to add photos, finally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-34768952013887789722012-09-27T21:17:00.002-04:002012-09-27T21:17:29.093-04:00Herding catsThe terrible twos have hit with a vengeance. I thought we'd somehow sidestepped them by teaching Charlotte to sign. She's such a great talker anyhow that she could say pretty much anything she's thinking or feeling by now. I read in a few different places that the root of the terrible twos was frustration on the part of the child who isn't able to communicate, but that's not what's going on here. Nope, we have full-fledged defiance. A daily battle of wills. A constant testing of limits. And it's really really hard.<br />
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I'm slowly learning to pick my battles. If Charlotte does something I'd rather she not do, I should redirect her away from whatever it is. If I come right out and tell her NOT to do something, that's exactly what she then does, over and over, with giggles and grins the whole time. Yesterday, it was swatting at her sister while we were all brushing our teeth (picture Charlotte standing on the counter, me behind her holding Maggie in one hand and my own toothbrush in the other. It's that or I don't get to brush my teeth until after lunch.). I explained that she was scaring Maggie and might hurt her; that we don't hit people; that she would not want anyone swatting at her. It didn't matter what I said, Charlotte just kept swinging her arms at Maggie. It was too late to just redirect her attention, and I didn't want her to think her actions were acceptable. But what in the world can I do at that point? <br />
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Compounding the challenge is the fact that I have Maggie to contend with too, so I can't just drop everything and devote my full attention to Charlotte. Besides, I don't want Charlotte to misbehave as a way to GET my full attention. I try to devote at least 30 minutes each day just to Charlotte, one-on-one without computers or phones or a baby sister stealing any of my focus. It's not that I ignore her the rest of the day, but my attention is perpetually split between the two kids, the house that always needs cleaning, bills that I need to pay, meals to prepare, etc.<br />
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Is this terrible twos, or sibling jealousy? How do I discipline a 2 1/2 year old? I think it's time I started attending the "Parenting Toddlers" support group. If I learn anything earth-shattering, I'll share it with you. Until then, I just need a sympathetic ear (or eye, in this case) to listen and nod in understanding. Eventually, Charlotte won't be 2 any more. And until then, I need to remember that her "terrible-ness" fills less than 2 hours out of the whole day. She's still a complete joy the rest of the time.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-39633487723404088212012-09-20T22:05:00.000-04:002012-09-20T22:05:08.871-04:007-month statsMaggie had her "6"-month visit with the pediatrician today. She's just under 27 inches tall and weighs 16 pounds 2 ounces. She's in the 30-40th percentiles for weight and height. Her head circumference is 17.5 inches, which is some higher percentile, but I forget what. She's parallelling Charlotte's size now, I think. This is the point in Charlotte's life when the doc suggested I supplement. This time, even though Maggie has dropped a few percentiles, he declared that she looks healthy and is doing fine with whatever I'm feeding her. Good, because I wasn't going to supplement anyhow. So, all continues to be well. Both girls will get flu shots in a month- we'll see how that goes. And by falling a month behind on Maggie's appointments, we'll be able to take care of Maggie 12-month and Charlotte's 3-year visits all at once.<br />
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Pictures soon. Honest!B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-67351158045425430992012-09-17T21:21:00.000-04:002012-09-17T21:21:12.293-04:00Another monthSeven now. I still have those stickers that I'm supposed to put on Maggie's tummy so I can record each month in photos, but they're never in the same room as the camera. Or as Maggie and me. Maybe tomorrow. Then we'll only be 3 days late.<br />
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Anyhow, she'll have her "6" month pedi visit later this week and I'll know then how much she's grown. I can't even begin to guess. She looks a lot leaner to me, in both body and face. She doesn't have the huge cheeks that Charlotte did, although people do sometimes comment on her cheeks (which I don't understand, aside from the fact that her whole face is adorable, including her cheeks). She's pretty much completely in 9-month clothes now, although a few 6-month onesies and a whole lot of smaller pants still fit. She's long, or seems so to me. And oh so happy ALL the time. Just tonight, when she was 45 minutes late to have her dinner and we made her ride in the car for an impromptu run to a favorite burrito take-out joint, Maggie was cracking up as Charlotte tried to imitate the "words" she was saying. <br />
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Maggie fusses a little when we put her to bed now, but doesn't full-out cry, and falls asleep within a few minutes. She loves walking in the Ergo, which I have to say is the most comfortable front carrier I've worn. I haven't tried it on my back yet, nor with Charlotte. But I love having Maggie on my front where she can smile up at me whenever she wants to. Sitting is very old hat. The new skill this month is controlled falling. When she wants to get down from her seated position, she tips over, on purpose and always to her left, and catches herself before her face or head can touch the floor. It looks a little reckless, but I can tell by the complete lack of surprise that it's intentional. Once down on her belly, though, she gets a little frustrated because rocking and rolling don't always take her exactly where she wants to go.<br />
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Baby Signing Time is a big hit and has become the household pacifier when Maggie does occasionally get upset, or when I need to occupy her so I can get something done. She also loves standing- sitting on someone's lap is fun only for a couple of minutes, but standing is fun for as long as someone's willing to help her with the balance. <br />
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Sleep in general is great. She's easy to put to bed at night or for naps, wakes up cheerful almost all of the time, and sleeps through the night (7:30-5ish) about 5 times each week. She consistently wakes up at 2:30, though, those other two nights. I've kept track of all her naps and feedings since she was born, so I looked at my notes to see if, maybe, she'd only nursed 4 times during the days preceding an interrupted night's sleep. I looked for nap patterns- maybe she'd slept too much during the day. A later-than-normal bedtime? I haven't found an explanation. Maybe I'm just a big softie two nights each week and it's all me, not her. When she does wake during the night, she generally nurses for 20 minutes and goes right back to sleep. Then she wakes up at 7, same time as Charlotte.<br />
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Feeding... she is so easily distracted that it's nearly impossible to get a full feed into her during the day. I sometimes leave Charlotte in front of the TV watching Blues Clues so I can feed Maggie in her own room, but I can't do that multiple times each day. Even if Charlotte is quietly "reading" or doing puzzles, Maggie has to look at her every minute or two to make sure she's not missing anything. We're well into solids now, with two "meals" worked into our day as often as I can fit them in. I try to coordinate Maggie's solid meals with Charlotte's lunch and dinner so the three (or four) of us can sit at the table together to eat. She jams two fingers in her mouth as soon as I withdraw the spoon, and ends up smearing food all over. She likes everything except green vegetables (peas and green beans, specifically) so far. Maggie looks so proud and grown-up sitting in the highchair, and she attacks Mum Mums and puffs with great enthusiasm. She's getting pretty good at picking things up off the tray. <br />
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I've been pretty awful with my own sleep habits lately, sometimes going to bed at 2 or 3 in the morning for no good reason. I function pretty well but fall asleep every time I sit down. I am making a serious effort to get back into a real routine, so no more post tonight. I always promise photos, but rarely deliver. I finally got a smart phone and have taken a lot of pictures with it, but haven't figured out how to put them on the computer yet (not that I expect it to be hard, I just haven't tried). When I do that, I'll have lots to share.<br />
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G'night all.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-34647032933728593062012-08-28T00:38:00.000-04:002012-08-28T00:38:10.767-04:00Please help<img src="http://wearefambly.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/293381_290842504365391_747092718_n.jpg?w=300&h=300" />The family at <a href="http://reproducinggenius.wordpress.com/">reproducing genius</a> can use some help right now. Their priceless little boy, who will turn 3 very soon, was just diagnosed with an extremely rare leukemia. In addition to chemo, he needs a bone marrow transplant, and for that, a donor. If you can spare a few dollars, donations can be made via paypal from a link on their <a href="http://reproducinggenius.wordpress.com/">blog</a>. If you want to show your support with a t-shirt, they can be purchased from the talented folks at <a href="http://chroniclesofconception.wordpress.com/">chronicles of conception</a>. All the profits will go directly to Caemon's family.<br />
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Also, you can register as a potential bone marrow donor on <a href="http://marrow.org/Home.aspx">be the match</a>. <br />
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And finally, you can pray, wish, send healing thoughts, or simply hope that this little boy will be cured. Every little bit helps. We all know how precious a life is.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-102380512064659272012-08-14T23:40:00.000-04:002012-08-22T00:52:43.513-04:00Six Months!Wow.<br />
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Maggie continues to be an incredibly delightful baby. She was under the weather over the weekend. I diagnosed it as roseola and just kept her comfy, fed her whenever she wanted to eat (as briefly as she wanted), and let her nap the days away. For the first time since she was itty bitty, she woke up crying twice so it was quite obvious that she wasn't feeling well. Poor baby. It came and went rather quickly, though, and she's already back to her smiley self. I'm still waiting for her eating and sleeping habits to return to normal- she gets up around 2:30 am to nurse for 5-10 minutes, and she refuses to nurse for more than 5 minutes at any one time during the day. I suspect the nighttime feeding is necessary since she's not eating much during the day, but I'm not sure how to "fix" the situation so we can go back to sleeping through the night. I'm kind of hoping she's responding to the summer heat and will adjust once cooler weather sets in (please let that be soonish!).<br />
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The big accomplishment this month is SITTING. She first sat, relatively unsupported, on Tuesday, 8/7. We were on the floor at Charlotte's music class, with Maggie wedged between my knees but holding herself up for 3-5 minutes at a stretch, repeatedly. By the following Tuesday, she was able to sit with essentially no help at all for more than 10 minutes. With a little experimentation, I found out that when she's tired, she collapses forward after a few minutes. When she's playful and wants to get down and roll around on her own, she falls backwards or to the side/back. She looks so proud of herself when she's sitting. I have photos and will try to share them soon (I left the camera in her room and I am NOT risking waking her up to retrieve it).<br />
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Do I need to mention that rolling over is old hat by now? She figured out that rolling is a form of locomotion, and covers every square inch of her crib before falling asleep. She especially loves knocking over the monitor which we leave propped on a pillow outside one end of her crib. She pokes at the glowing green light, and down it goes.<br />
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Maggie enjoys cereal on a daily basis now, and has tried carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, and winter squash. She loves everything except the peas which made her shudder and gag, reminiscent of Charlotte's reaction to them. She tries to grab everything to put it into her mouth- and I mean everything. Two fingers on her right hand are almost always between her gums these days, even more so than just a few weeks ago. I suspect we're in the very early stages of teething since she doesn't just suck on fingers. She gnaws on them. Aggressively. I'm surprised she hasn't hurt herself.<br />
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Maggie still adores Charlotte and can't take her eyes off her big sister. That, too, is likely contributing to her brief nursing sessions during the day. I don't want to sit Charlotte in front of the TV every time I need to feed Maggie, so we're stuck all being in the same room at Maggie's mealtimes. Charlotte is incapable of sitting still, or of being silent, so Maggie is perpetually distracted. I don't fault either of the girls- that's just the way it is with a toddler and her adoring baby sister.<br />
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The pediatrician is on vacation so no 6-month appointment yet. In fact, she'll be 7 months old when we finally see him again. Fine with me- she is due for some shots and I'm in no hurry to get them. I have no idea how much she weighs or how tall she is, but she has definitely grown. We can no longer squeeze her into 6-month sleep-n-plays; she's just too long for them. Separates in the 6-month size do still fit, so we're making it through the summer without having to supplement her wardrobe- hurray! Size 3 diapers still fit, but where the tabs used to meet on her belly there's now a gap of about three-quarters of an inch.<br />
<br />
Maggie has mastered the exersaucer- she stands fully upright in it (proudly, I must add), bounces, spins around, pokes at buttons that light up and make noise, and deftly maneuvers toys into her mouth. She loves dancing in the doorway jumper (when Charlotte lets her have a turn), and doesn't mind playing in the pack-n-play as long as someone is within sight of her. When Charlotte is napping and Maggie and I get some one-on-one time, I let her sit in Charlotte's highchair and bang on the tray. Apparently, that's a lot of fun. She can't pick up a Cheerio yet, but that's good because she's not ready to eat them. She does like gumming Num-Nums and teething biscuits into gooey oblivion and smearing the remains all over her face and hair. She still enjoys her sippy cup very very much, filled only with water since I plan to wait until she's about a year old before introducing watered-down juice.<br />
<br />
Maggie hasn't quite settled into a truly solid routine. Some days, she naps 3 times. Most days, twice. She sleeps through the night (now that the roseola is gone... this post was completed on 8/21) most nights, going to bed around 7 and waking up at 5-ish for a quick meal and nap before really getting up for the day. She only cries or fusses when she's very overtired, like after my parents babysit and my father refuses to put her in her crib because he wants to hold her all the time. She lets out a little whimper whenever we walk into her room, but she doesn't object to going to bed so I'm not sure what the whimper is for.<br />
<br />
When we're out and about, Maggie is content to sit in her car seat and watch everything happening around her. She does get upset if everyone exits her line of sight, especially if Charlotte and I both disappear, but as long as she can see us she's happy to watch and entertain herself with whatever toys are in her lap. She likes to play pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo, and thinks sneezes are hilarious.<br />
<br />
All in all, things are fantastic. We're busy and always falling behind on dishes and laundry, but Maggie is a happy baby, learning something new all the time, so I think we're doing OK.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-83403986632061091222012-08-07T23:34:00.003-04:002012-08-07T23:34:34.849-04:00Four years, two weeksMy blogiversary was 2 weeks ago. I can't believe it's been over 4 years since I learned that our path to parenthood would be rocky. Even more, I can't believe we are where we are now- parents to two incredible daughters who are better in every way than I could have imagined. I've said it before, but it bears repeating- THANK YOU, dear IF community, for your camaraderie and support. We would not have made it here without you.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-27939715398955329912012-08-07T23:06:00.002-04:002012-08-07T23:06:57.128-04:00notablesC, Charlotte, Maggie and I went out to dinner in a reasonably nice restaurant on Sunday evening. We went a little early, 5:30, so Charlotte could eat at her usual time and so we'd be back only slightly later than her 7:30 bedtime. I brought a jar of sweet potatoes for Maggie, along with her new sippy cup (which she LOVES), and nothing special for Charlotte, which was poor planning on my part. The girls were absolute ANGELS! I'm used to them being un-ornery, low-fuss kids, but even I was blown away by how wonderful they were for two straight hours in public where they had to "behave."<br />
<br />
Charlotte sat sweetly in her high chair, with her napkin in her lap. She reviewed the menu with me and picked her meal all by herself, then ordered it herself from the waiter (who was wonderfully patient in not rushing her, and in speaking to her like a real little person... Charlotte doesn't seem to know how to react when someone speaks to her in baby talk). Maggie smiled after every spoonful of sweet potatoes while we were waiting for our food to arrive, and then played happily with her toes, a blanket, and the sippy cup while the rest of us ate dinner. Twice, Charlotte told me she needed to go potty, so we did. And her diaper stayed dry all evening as a result. We're still not "pushing" potty training- we just encourage her to take a potty break every so often. More and more, she's telling us when she needs to go. Several other patrons even stopped by to comment on the girls. We were apparently quite obviously all enjoying each others' company. <br />
<br />
Then we went home and Charlotte had a meltdown because she was overtired and did not want to go to bed. Many hugs and a few stories later, she was asleep before 9 and woke up as her usual happy and entertaining self on Monday morning. No harm done.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Charlotte needed only 3 diapers all day today. We just kept putting the dry ones back on after each potty break (all but one initiated by Charlotte today). She apologized for waking up with a soiled diaper, and her first words to me this morning were, "I'd like to go potty now, please." She finished what she'd started in her diaper and made history the rest of the day.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Maggie sat up for more than 5 minutes straight today without falling over in any direction. Completely unsupported, that is. I couldn't focus on Charlotte's music class while Maggie performed this feat, so impressed was I.<br />
<br />
****<br />
<br />
Maggie drank about 4 ounces of water from her sippy cup entirely by herself today without dribbling half of it down her chin. Her shirt and face were dry when she finally dropped the cup. I had simply handed it to her. She got the spout into her mouth all by herself, tipped the cup, and drank. Like a thirsty kid. Like a pro.<br />
<br />
****<br />
<br />
Charlotte is now drinking from a "big girl cup" at home whenever her drinking can be done in the kitchen or dining room. We bought a couple of "unbreakable" cups for this purpose, and she's used them periodically since she was about a year old. But we're gradually dropping the straw cup habit at meal and snack times, saving the straws for in the car and on the couch.<br />
<br />
****<br />
<br />
We're only one week away from Maggie turning 6 months old. Huh??B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-33106663712101726032012-07-28T00:41:00.001-04:002012-07-28T00:41:55.304-04:00Potty TrainingWe're still letting Charlotte mostly take the lead when it comes to potty training. I bought her some "big girl" underwear (the really thick, absorbent kind that's completely NOT waterproof), and she likes wearing it around the house. I'm not brave enough to let her wear it out yet. She spent a whole afternoon, from 3-7, in it without an accident while we asked her every 40 minutes if she needed to use the potty. And when she said she did not need to, we insisted it was time for a potty break anyhow. Today, we were checking out at a department store when she informed me that she needed to go, so we had our first encounter with a public restroom. We rushed to the bathroom, which was as far from the register as it could be. I had her straddle the seat, facing backwards, so there was no danger of falling in. I also held on to her so we'd both feel safer. And she did it. I was so proud of her that I gushed all the way out of the store afterwards. So far, that's the only reward we've offered, and it's all she seems to need. She beams when we exclaim how wonderfully she's doing, and it's the first thing her Daddy asks about when he gets home from work each night.<br />
<br />
My only complaint about Charlotte and the potty is that she takes FOREVER to go. Even when we're getting ready to go swimming or to go some place she likes, she takes up to 30 minutes to finally believe she's finished. And she GOES the whole time... little bits here and there. We have to start the bedtime routine half an hour earlier now to accommodate nightly potty time, and getting out of the house on time is more challenging than ever.<br />
<br />
My plan is, when we have three consecutive days without anything on the calendar, to put Charlotte in her big girl undies and just take potty breaks on a schedule the first day. I'll remind her about the potty on the same schedule the second day, and on the third day I'll see what she does all by herself. She's already stayed dry through a few naps in the past week, and she hasn't done a complete poop in her diaper in two weeks (half in the diaper, other half in the potty after she realizes that she needs to go). We need to work on her undressing by herself, too, but I'll worry about that later. <br />
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-636800332657012122012-07-28T00:23:00.000-04:002012-07-28T00:23:09.396-04:00at five monthsIf I wait for the time to write a lengthy post, I'll be writing this when both girls are in college. Instead, here are some highlights from Maggie's 5th month-<br />
* She rolls over confidently and purposefully now, mostly from back to front, and is comfortable staying on her belly for extended periods of time.<br />
* Preferred sleeping positions are on her side or on her tummy. She only stays on her back when she's too tired to move after being placed in her crib.<br />
* She has a sippy cup and LOVES drinking water from it.<br />
* She's beginning to settle into a rhythm of 2 daily naps and sleeping overnight most nights from 7:30 until 5:30. She sleeps through the night 3 or 4 nights in a row, then needs a "midnight" snack once or twice before returning to STTN-mode.<br />
* She enjoys rice cereal immensely- takes her fingers (two of which are almost constantly in her mouth) out of her mouth to allow the spoon in and gums the heck out of the spoon to make sure she doesn't miss a drop. The fingers go right back in as soon as the spoon exits so she ends up with cereal-covered fingers... all the better for sucking on later?<br />
* She wears 9-month sleep-n-plays, and size 6-months in everything else. Size 3 diapers fit perfectly.<br />
* She eats 5 times a day, plus her cereal snack.<br />
* She almost never protests bedtime. And I mean very nearly never. I don't even remember the last time she cried when I put her to bed. She usually smiles at me when I sign "sleep" after laying her in her crib.<br />
* When she wakes up, Maggie usually plays quietly with her feet or a bed-toy until someone notices that she's moving around. She plays so quietly that the monitor stays off (it only turns on when she makes noise).<br />
* She's still fascinated with anything Charlotte does- just can't take her eyes off her when she's in the same room. Maggie will not nurse if Charlotte is around.<br />
* Meals by bottle are up to 6-7 ounces at a time now. My parents babysit when I work once a week, so that's when she gets a bottle. I don't bother trying to give her a bottle myself any more.<br />
* As long as she can see what we're doing, Maggie doesn't need or want to be held all the time. She loves hanging out in the doorway jumper or exersaucer. She tolerates the pack-n-play as long as Charlotte and I are playing on the floor beside it, but as soon as we wander out of her sight, she wants out.<br />
* I can't tell you the last time Maggie cried. It may have been when she got her 4-month shots at the pediatrician's office (a couple of weeks late because the power was out at her 4-mo appointment).<br />
* Maggie is so curious about what's going on around her that she will not nurse in public. If we're out and about, I have to take her to the car to get her to focus on eating.<br />
* The dark hair she was born with has turned to a very light brown, almost blonde. It still sticks up on the top of her head, but gravity is starting to tame it as it gets longer.<br />
* Maggie loves splashing in the bath. And sucking on her toes or a wet washcloth, whichever I let her grab.<br />
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-45941145478947238052012-07-11T16:20:00.000-04:002012-07-11T16:20:28.531-04:00A big dayCharlotte is suddenly very interested in potty training. For the last few days, we've asked her every couple of hours if she'd like to go potty, and almost every time she's said "yes," and then successfully used her potty chair. Hurray! That's 3 fewer poopy diapers I've had to change in the last two days, plus many wet ones avoided. I'm so proud of her. We still haven't come up with any kind of reward or incentive, aside from our endless praise. So far, that seems like enough for her. So, today is a big day because Charlotte has used the potty 4 times already and it's only 4 in the afternoon...plenty of time to use it another few times and set a new personal record of more than 5 in one day.<br />
<br />
Maggie is having a BIG day too! She rolled over. On purpose. BOTH ways. She rolled over kind of accidentally a week or so ago, but didn't repeat it until today (unless she's been doing it while I sleep, and returning to her back so I'd not find out). I set her down on the floor to help Charlotte with her big day, and returned to find Maggie playing happily on her belly. And just moments ago, I watched her roll over from back to front, play with a toy for a couple of minutes, then roll to her back to get at another toy that was dangling above her. She doesn't even get an arm stuck under her chest. It looks like she's been doing this rolling thing for a while, but as I wrote, I had not seen it happen intentionally before.<br />
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This mom thing is soooo much fun!B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-9995644507447015142012-07-07T23:40:00.003-04:002012-07-07T23:40:35.191-04:00teething? sharing. "swimming." parade. smile!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091156791863995281.post-5703329184940433642012-07-07T00:23:00.002-04:002012-07-07T00:23:52.051-04:00the fourth. And the third.Happy to report that both girls slept through all of the amateur fireworks displays that went on in our neighborhood, including some incredibly loud BOOMs that literally shook the house.<br />
<br />
I love sleep (posted at 12:30am, when I should be sleeping. Why am I not? I have no idea...)B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08006692086413417834noreply@blogger.com0