Today is the first day of school. JJ starts the 8th grade.. yes 8. The last year of middle school. Next year is going to be very exciting.
Abby has moved up as well. Across the hall, to a new classroom. The older toddler class. They've created this year because there is a small group that just don't seem to fit in anywhere. There are 5 kids in her class (including her). The four girls are all within 2 weeks of each other (three of them have been together since they were babies), and the one boy is just two months older. Her teachers Ms Missy, and Ms Kelly, are coming across the hall with them.
I am very excited for this year. It seems like there is more structured activities. They will do "work".
Abby is very eager to learn and it excites me that they are accommodating that. I know many centers that would just continue to bunch the toddlers together and let them just play all day. There is such a big difference in development throughout the toddler years, I'm glad its being recognized, and she being rewarded!
Her new classroom has a farm theme. Abby loves farm animals (am-mals). Today she wore her John Deere Tractor smock dress. I found it fitting. Its a little much for school wear, or at least this time of year when they are still on the playground. But, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to make her look cute on her first day. I'm probably making too big of a deal out of it, but I'm only going to do this once, so I might as well go all out!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Mine
Abby is in a very single minded state right now. Everything is "mine".
Woody's toy--- Mine
That chair--- mine
That thing you are eating---mine
The cutest so far is yesterday morning, she was laying in the bed with me and Gene. She was between us and he put his around across and was holding my hand. She grabbed his hand and threw it off of mine and said "No Daddy, my Mommy". Then she took my hand and held it close to her with both hers.
I know this is a temporary thing. Like all the other things she does, it will be a phase and she will grow out of it. (We hope.) It takes patience from us all to help her understand that not all things are hers. She gets very upset when Woody plays with his toys, and then he gets very upset with her when she takes the toy from him. She gets upset if you take away her plate, even when she said she was all done.
Its very hard sometimes, deciding what to do and how to soothe her. I don't always want to give in, even though most of the time I know I can calm down the crying instantly by giving in to her. But I don't always want to leave her stranded and confused. I feel like there is a very delicate line and I often feel like I'm swerving too far to one side and then the other.
I don't really know the correct balance. It doesn't appear that there is a correct balance. Just trial and error. Which is all parenting is right?!?!
Woody's toy--- Mine
That chair--- mine
That thing you are eating---mine
The cutest so far is yesterday morning, she was laying in the bed with me and Gene. She was between us and he put his around across and was holding my hand. She grabbed his hand and threw it off of mine and said "No Daddy, my Mommy". Then she took my hand and held it close to her with both hers.
I know this is a temporary thing. Like all the other things she does, it will be a phase and she will grow out of it. (We hope.) It takes patience from us all to help her understand that not all things are hers. She gets very upset when Woody plays with his toys, and then he gets very upset with her when she takes the toy from him. She gets upset if you take away her plate, even when she said she was all done.
Its very hard sometimes, deciding what to do and how to soothe her. I don't always want to give in, even though most of the time I know I can calm down the crying instantly by giving in to her. But I don't always want to leave her stranded and confused. I feel like there is a very delicate line and I often feel like I'm swerving too far to one side and then the other.
I don't really know the correct balance. It doesn't appear that there is a correct balance. Just trial and error. Which is all parenting is right?!?!
Table for Zero
Going out to eat has become a hassle. Its not enjoyable, mostly for me.
Abby doesn't want to sit in the high chair. Abby doesn't want to wait for food. Abby wants to drink your drink. Abby wants to play with the knife. Abby wants to eat the napkin. Abby wants to watch Barney. Abby wants to.....
Its just so stressful. And embarrassing. She isn't loud, but its constant. And I feel like I don't get a break. And when its with friends, its even more exhausting. I don't feel like I get to talk to them at all. I feel embarrassed that they have to deal with her too. And they don't often mind, or even notice. And when we don't bring her along, they want to know where she is and they say they miss her.
Gene does his best to help out, but Abby is so clingy to me that is efforts usually don't last long.
Its just not fun anymore. We don't go out much now, but I see that going down to never really soon. Or at least trying to make it as avoidable as possible.
Abby doesn't want to sit in the high chair. Abby doesn't want to wait for food. Abby wants to drink your drink. Abby wants to play with the knife. Abby wants to eat the napkin. Abby wants to watch Barney. Abby wants to.....
Its just so stressful. And embarrassing. She isn't loud, but its constant. And I feel like I don't get a break. And when its with friends, its even more exhausting. I don't feel like I get to talk to them at all. I feel embarrassed that they have to deal with her too. And they don't often mind, or even notice. And when we don't bring her along, they want to know where she is and they say they miss her.
Gene does his best to help out, but Abby is so clingy to me that is efforts usually don't last long.
Its just not fun anymore. We don't go out much now, but I see that going down to never really soon. Or at least trying to make it as avoidable as possible.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Stretching out
Abby is outgrowing all of her clothes. Which is a good thing! But, its also a bad thing. Most of the next size up is fall/winter things. And, its too hot to wear those right now.
This morning, I put on a cute top and skirt on her. Her belly was hanging out of the shirt. Nope, can't wear this anymore!
So I put on a little dress. Its a wee bit short on the backside, but it will have to do.
I don't know what I'm going to do for the next few weeks. It won't cool off till at least the end of September.
And I'm also worried that she won't make it through the winter on the things we have bought.
She's just crossing over to fit into 18 month size things (at 21 months!). But she's pushing the edge of that height limitation already. I don't want her to be wearing high waters come February, but there is no way 24 months or 2t things will stay around her waist. One of the 18 month pairs we recently bought I had to cinch the tabs all the way in, just to hold it up on her waist!
I have no idea what I'm going to do. I just want my baby to stop growing up so fast!
(To which she would say... "No Mommy!)
This morning, I put on a cute top and skirt on her. Her belly was hanging out of the shirt. Nope, can't wear this anymore!
So I put on a little dress. Its a wee bit short on the backside, but it will have to do.
I don't know what I'm going to do for the next few weeks. It won't cool off till at least the end of September.
And I'm also worried that she won't make it through the winter on the things we have bought.
She's just crossing over to fit into 18 month size things (at 21 months!). But she's pushing the edge of that height limitation already. I don't want her to be wearing high waters come February, but there is no way 24 months or 2t things will stay around her waist. One of the 18 month pairs we recently bought I had to cinch the tabs all the way in, just to hold it up on her waist!
I have no idea what I'm going to do. I just want my baby to stop growing up so fast!
(To which she would say... "No Mommy!)
Monday, August 4, 2014
Beak
Abby has discovered that Woody has his own treat jar. And that he will do things to get treats.
So she has started begging to give him treats.
We will take a few out of the jar. She will look at him and say "beak". Which is Speak in Abby talk. He kinda stares at her until I flick my finger and then he barks. But, by this time, she has already shoved the treat in his mouth.
She giggles with delight when he does it. And we repeat. And then we repeat again. And then the tears and screams come when I say we are all done. Too many treats make Woody sick, and Abby just doesn't understand. (But mom, there are lots there in that jar!)
Its so amazing to see her connect two things. She did this all on her own. She saw me do it once, and then she's all over it.
She's smart. We need to watch out!
So she has started begging to give him treats.
We will take a few out of the jar. She will look at him and say "beak". Which is Speak in Abby talk. He kinda stares at her until I flick my finger and then he barks. But, by this time, she has already shoved the treat in his mouth.
She giggles with delight when he does it. And we repeat. And then we repeat again. And then the tears and screams come when I say we are all done. Too many treats make Woody sick, and Abby just doesn't understand. (But mom, there are lots there in that jar!)
Its so amazing to see her connect two things. She did this all on her own. She saw me do it once, and then she's all over it.
She's smart. We need to watch out!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Sit Back, Fatback
This year we decided to take our summer vacation in Washington, DC. Its something we've always told JJ we would do, and now seemed like the right time.
The thought of trying to keep up with Abby on a beach just seemed exhausting, and we beached earlier this year and thought we were beached out.
Day one of DC vacation, I was second guessing my reasons. But, I made the best of it and had a great time despite the lack of relaxation.
We saw as many things as one could see in a week, hitting all the major spots. And, Abby hung in there like a champ. She did not get one formal nap for a week. She often napped in the stroller, only after finally succumbing to exhaustion. It was usually on a transition from one place to another and the scenery wasn't much to look at.
She pleasantly slept through the nights while sharing our room. (Only because JJ refused to share the living room space with her). She also slept in every day, allowing for us to catch up on our exhaustion.
She playfully enjoyed all the exhibits in the museums, but her favorite was riding the carousel outside of the Smithsonian Castle. The minute we got our tickets and stood in line, she was in awe. She gladly sat on a horse, got strapped on, and held on. Once it started moving, I thought she would panic, but she didn't. Her face lit up. She smiled bigger and bigger, the more it went round and round. And then it started to slow, and I could anticipate what was going to happen. Finally the ride stopped and we had to get off.
And she cried.
And she cried.
And she cried.
Oh my, it broke my heart. She did not understand we couldn't ride it forever. But the video we have of her riding it will always be a good back up.
I was anxious about how well she would travel. She's done distance before, but nothing of this magnitude in a while. She doesn't sleep as much in the car as she use to. Heading up, we split the trip in half so it wasn't too bad on anyone. But coming home, it was a straight 9 hours. She did really well. She slept a lot. And looked out the window a lot. She liked riding in Gene's truck because she can see out better. She would wake when we stopped for gas or lunch. She got a little fussy asking to play the ipad.
She only likes to press the home button on the ipad, so its not very fun for anyone else who has to keep taking it from her in order to keep her from messing it up. I tried using Guided Access, but it managed to get locked on a barney movie, and then not work at all.
Overall, it turned out much better than I thought it would. Everyone had fun, everyone learned something. It certainly wasn't just rest and relaxation, but there are plenty of other days for that.
The thought of trying to keep up with Abby on a beach just seemed exhausting, and we beached earlier this year and thought we were beached out.
Day one of DC vacation, I was second guessing my reasons. But, I made the best of it and had a great time despite the lack of relaxation.
We saw as many things as one could see in a week, hitting all the major spots. And, Abby hung in there like a champ. She did not get one formal nap for a week. She often napped in the stroller, only after finally succumbing to exhaustion. It was usually on a transition from one place to another and the scenery wasn't much to look at.
She pleasantly slept through the nights while sharing our room. (Only because JJ refused to share the living room space with her). She also slept in every day, allowing for us to catch up on our exhaustion.
She playfully enjoyed all the exhibits in the museums, but her favorite was riding the carousel outside of the Smithsonian Castle. The minute we got our tickets and stood in line, she was in awe. She gladly sat on a horse, got strapped on, and held on. Once it started moving, I thought she would panic, but she didn't. Her face lit up. She smiled bigger and bigger, the more it went round and round. And then it started to slow, and I could anticipate what was going to happen. Finally the ride stopped and we had to get off.
And she cried.
And she cried.
And she cried.
Oh my, it broke my heart. She did not understand we couldn't ride it forever. But the video we have of her riding it will always be a good back up.
I was anxious about how well she would travel. She's done distance before, but nothing of this magnitude in a while. She doesn't sleep as much in the car as she use to. Heading up, we split the trip in half so it wasn't too bad on anyone. But coming home, it was a straight 9 hours. She did really well. She slept a lot. And looked out the window a lot. She liked riding in Gene's truck because she can see out better. She would wake when we stopped for gas or lunch. She got a little fussy asking to play the ipad.
She only likes to press the home button on the ipad, so its not very fun for anyone else who has to keep taking it from her in order to keep her from messing it up. I tried using Guided Access, but it managed to get locked on a barney movie, and then not work at all.
Overall, it turned out much better than I thought it would. Everyone had fun, everyone learned something. It certainly wasn't just rest and relaxation, but there are plenty of other days for that.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Blow Out
It's been a tough few days. The stomach bug has gotten Abby.
It started Wednesday. I got a text that she threw up during nap time and needed to get picked up. Gene went and got her and took her home. She seemed fine and dandy. She played outside, we went to dinner. All was good.
Thursday they came to visit me (since she couldn't go back to daycare). Again, feeling fine and dandy.
Friday, she has an epic blowout in the night. Both sets of sheets on the bed are a mess. She didn't make a peep about it. I found it when I went to check on her in the morning.
The rest of the day she was fine. She played. We went to a cookout. I closely monitored her. But she had fun with all the other kids.
Saturday morning I was alarmed that her overnight diaper wasn't wet. And I couldn't recall a lot of wet ones on Friday. As I was waiting for the pediatricians office to open, I heard it. I heard Abby's poor bottom fall out.
She looked so pitiful. I peeked in her diaper and it was a soupy mess. I took her outside and stripped her down. Got her cleaned up. 30 minutes later, she did it again. 30 minutes later, she did it again. Then things quieted down. But the out of now where, she threw up.
Argh!
I got her cleaned up. And we settled down on the couch. She eventually took a nap. She didn't feel like eating anything, but she would drink pedialite. She continued through the afternoon with diarrhea and vomiting.
Sunday she was lethargic. We both sat in the chair and watched TV for most of the day. Then somewhere around 2:00, she perked up. She went over to her high chair and asked to eat. So we had some toast. Then she wanted to get down and play. She seemed to be pepping back up. But the explosions were still coming.
So, she stayed home Monday from daycare. The events were now not as frequent, but she was still having loose stools. She was more and more interested in eating and drinking. She cried for milk. I tried to resist, but she begged, so I gave her some. It seemed like the vomiting had stopped, so maybe dairy was ok.
Then, in the middle of the night Monday, she woke up crying. I went down to comfort her and noticed she had pooped. Finally, it was firming up. It was still messy, but firming! I've never been so happy to see poop! But she was still out of daycare for the day.
It turns out that she has passed the bug on to her MaeMae. I feel really bad that she has it. And I can hope it passes quickly. Poppie thought he had it yesterday, so I took him some Gatorade and Pepto. Hopefully he has shared those with her.
I'm just trying to keep the rest of us from getting it. The house cleaner comes today, so everything will get a good disinfecting. I think Abby is over it, so its good to get it all clean. We leave for vacation on Friday and I would hate to be stuck in the car for hours with an upset stomach!
It started Wednesday. I got a text that she threw up during nap time and needed to get picked up. Gene went and got her and took her home. She seemed fine and dandy. She played outside, we went to dinner. All was good.
Thursday they came to visit me (since she couldn't go back to daycare). Again, feeling fine and dandy.
Friday, she has an epic blowout in the night. Both sets of sheets on the bed are a mess. She didn't make a peep about it. I found it when I went to check on her in the morning.
The rest of the day she was fine. She played. We went to a cookout. I closely monitored her. But she had fun with all the other kids.
Saturday morning I was alarmed that her overnight diaper wasn't wet. And I couldn't recall a lot of wet ones on Friday. As I was waiting for the pediatricians office to open, I heard it. I heard Abby's poor bottom fall out.
She looked so pitiful. I peeked in her diaper and it was a soupy mess. I took her outside and stripped her down. Got her cleaned up. 30 minutes later, she did it again. 30 minutes later, she did it again. Then things quieted down. But the out of now where, she threw up.
Argh!
I got her cleaned up. And we settled down on the couch. She eventually took a nap. She didn't feel like eating anything, but she would drink pedialite. She continued through the afternoon with diarrhea and vomiting.
Sunday she was lethargic. We both sat in the chair and watched TV for most of the day. Then somewhere around 2:00, she perked up. She went over to her high chair and asked to eat. So we had some toast. Then she wanted to get down and play. She seemed to be pepping back up. But the explosions were still coming.
So, she stayed home Monday from daycare. The events were now not as frequent, but she was still having loose stools. She was more and more interested in eating and drinking. She cried for milk. I tried to resist, but she begged, so I gave her some. It seemed like the vomiting had stopped, so maybe dairy was ok.
Then, in the middle of the night Monday, she woke up crying. I went down to comfort her and noticed she had pooped. Finally, it was firming up. It was still messy, but firming! I've never been so happy to see poop! But she was still out of daycare for the day.
It turns out that she has passed the bug on to her MaeMae. I feel really bad that she has it. And I can hope it passes quickly. Poppie thought he had it yesterday, so I took him some Gatorade and Pepto. Hopefully he has shared those with her.
I'm just trying to keep the rest of us from getting it. The house cleaner comes today, so everything will get a good disinfecting. I think Abby is over it, so its good to get it all clean. We leave for vacation on Friday and I would hate to be stuck in the car for hours with an upset stomach!
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