Let’s Potty!

I’m so proud of my little man right now I could BURST.  They say it only takes ONE DAY to potty train, you just have to pick the right day.  And when I say “they,” I mean the pediatrician and the parenting expert who wrote this amazing parenting book Toddler 411.  It is my toddler bible.  Baby 411 is my baby bible.   I love both books so much because they are simple and to the point. They cover every topic from breastfeeding and milestones to medical issues and potty training. 

Well, we definitely picked the right day to potty train.  It’s been two weeks since we started and, as of right now,  Bean’s bathroom potty chart looks like this:

So far it’s been an unbelievably easy and seamless transition. (KNOCK ON WOOD.)  I’m one proud (super lucky, super blessed, and, hopefully, NOT jinxed) Mama.

Happy 35th Birthday Baby!

My hubbie is 35 years old young today! 

He is truly the best husband a woman could ever ask for.  He is an amazing Daddy. He is also the person I want sitting next to me on that porch swing 35 years from now.  He is my best friend, my soul mate, and my partner in crime.  Happy Birthday Baby!  You rock! 

(And thank you for telling me the birthday cake I made was DELICIOUS, even though your face says otherwise. )

 

And, YES, that is a brand new Lacoste polo shirt I bought him for his birthday.  Special shout out to Jeff Lewis from Bravo TV’s Flipping Out. Every time we watch the show together, hubbie says, “I want to look like Jeff Lewis! I want that shirt!” So, there you go.  I think I just outed my husband for wanting to look like Jeff Lewis.

20 months

Annabel is 20 months old today.  We’ve been calling her “Tummy Girl” because of this book we checked out of the library.  It really describes her perfectly.  She is a tummy full of smiles and laughter.  She is a social butterfly who loves to run up to another child playing in the park.  She is going to force me to break out of my introverted shell and and I love that about her.  She overflows with curiosity and excitement for life.  She gets frustrated, but it doesn’t last long.  She’ll feel better once she is picked up, hugged, and cuddled.  I can’t wait until she can really talk and express her feelings.  Right now she loves to say “No!”  (Even when she means “Yes!”) It’s the cutest, sweetest, high-pitched “No.”  Even her “No’s” are happy.   We love you “Tummy Girl.”

Pink Umbrella

Bean loves to play with my little pink umbrella when it’s raining outside.  And it rains A LOT here. 

But the amazing thing about this little pink umbrella….

… is that it was with me during a summer vacation in Venice, Italy.  That was when my little Bean was still just a *twinkle* in my eye.

Where does the time go?

Mama’s Boy

Daniel has turned into a full on ”Mama’s Boy.”  I love it.  I’m frustrated by it. It’s definitely making me a little…crazy.

I love to oblige all his requests for hugs and pick-me-ups. He’s an awesome snuggler.  He always wants to be by my side and go where I go. I really can’t resist it when he says “I want Maaamaaa” in that little baby voice.  It’s super cute and I love to feel needed, to feel WANTED. He’s the most awesome kid ever.

But all this wonderful, over-the-top Mama Love is starting to morph into something else.  The new form is called the I DON’T EVER WANT TO BE AWAY FROM MAMA…EVER! form. DO YOU HEAR ME??  NEVER EVER!!  MAMA, DON’T LEAVE ME OR I WILL SCREAM LIKE YOU HAVE JUST DROPPED ME OFF ON THE STREET CORNER TO FEND FOR MYSELF.  I WILL CLAW AND GRAB YOU AND WEIGH YOU DOWN UNTIL YOU DIE FROM EMBARRASSMENT OR FROM BEING CRUSHED BY MY LOVE FOR YOU.

I exaggerate.  A little.

I decided to enroll Bean in the Gymboree Sports class for preschoolers.  It’s for 3 to 5 year olds and since he JUST turned 3, he is one of the younger kids enrolled in the class.  I had explained the class to him for weeks, always reminding him that it was a drop-off class and Mama would not stay in the room.  I would be waiting right outside the door and when he was done with the class we would hug and go and get chocolate milk.  I thought this would work.  He seemed fine with it all.  He really did.  He actually seemed EXCITED.

On the first day of class I introduced him to the teacher and he waltzed right in and sat on the mat.  Then the teacher closed the door.  It was fine for about 20 minutes.  Then I heard him crying.  Ugh.  My husband who was with me at the time peeked in the window and saw Bean holding the teacher’s hand and wailing.  Then Bean saw my husband and that was it.  He ran to the door and screamed to get out.  THEN, he saw me.  He climbed up on me and grabbed me so tight.  He refused go back in the classroom. I think he just panicked when he finally realized he was in that room without a parent.  Without his Mama.

I tried again the next week and this time Bean would not even go in the room.  He cried and screamed every time I tried to walk him through the doorway.  The awesome teachers kept trying to help me out but Bean just wanted “Mama.”  He wanted “Mama” and he wanted to go home.

I spoke to another Mom who has a son in the same class.  She told me it took about 5-6 weeks before her son would go in the class without screaming and crying.    YIKES.  That is a long time to go through all this.  She said I just have to keep coming and trying and finally one day it will just click and he will go in.  The Gymboree teachers said the exact same thing.  I get it, I do, but it just seems like a long, frustrating road to take. 

I know ALL MOMS go through this.  Whether it’s the first time you take your child to daycare, a new class, or a new school.  I just never thought of the NEGATIVES of being a stay-at-home-mom.  I think one negative is that I’m creating a child who is super attached to me.  And maybe I’m making it HARDER for him to be socialized and comfortable in a setting where I’m not there.

I guess I’m being a little dramatic.  This too shall pass. Just like EVERY OTHER WORRY I had about my son.  When will he sleep through the night? When will he give up the bottle? When will he walk?  When will he talk? 

When will he go into the world and not look back or want me there?

WOW. 

Maybe I should just hold onto my amazing baby boy a little longer and not worry so much.

Hairdo

Annabel actually let me put a barrette in her hair today!  I had to mark the date.  I hope she lets me do it again. 

It just looks so cute with her curls

Three Years Old

My baby boy is THREE years old.  The time went so fast. When he turned two, I still felt like he was a little baby.  Now, he is a little BOY.  An amazing, super smart, super cute, fast moving, fast talking, awesomely funny little boy.

Daniel is such a fun little person to be around.  I was so nervous when he was only saying the minimal textbook “10-20 words” by age two.  But now, he speaks sentences.  He is such a deep thinker and observer.  There are times when he is quiet.  Not shy, just introspective.  He sometimes gets overwhelmed with thoughts that I can honestly see the words twirling around deep in his eyes before they escape his mouth. He will narrate the entire drive to the store by telling you about the cars, the clouds, the stop lights, and the overpasses.  He will wake up each morning and begin to talk about what he wants for breakfast or the entire plan for the day.  He will notice if I have a new shirt on by declaring, “Mama, cute shirt!” which, of course, I love.  Everyday he surprises me with his language and I love having regular conversations with him.

Bean loves books.  He will sit and “read” on the floor of his room alone.  He also adores story time with his Daddy.  He can sing the entire alphabet.  He recognizes all the “big letters” and is working on the “little letters.”  He can count to 20 (with a little help) and he knows all his colors, including grey.  He knows all the shapes and often requests for his PB&J to be cut in triangles or squares.

Speaking of food, BOY, can Daniel eat.  He just loves everything.  He is not the typical toddler who is picky or only eats “beige” foods.  Daniel will try any new food.  He requested crab and corn on the cob for his birthday dinner.  He loves all fish, chicken and beef, every fruit, and every vegetable.  He loves soup.  He loves chili. He loves every breakfast food. He asks for ketchup or mustard or salt and pepper.  He is such a little foodie.  He also loves to cook and bake and always asks to help.  He is just like his Daddy. I often wonder if I’ll see him on Top Chef one day.

Daniel is as curious as a monkey.  He will sometimes find himself in “time out” because he wants to test the boundaries.  He loves to play with his little sister.  He is so sweet when he shares, but of course there are times he wants to go it alone.  He loves to build with blocks.  He loves to play kitchen. But his passion is all things that move: his cars, his trains, and his brand new bike. 

And he is a looker.  He has big blue eyes, a great smile, and he looks oh so cute in his little polo shirts.  I know we pick out his clothes, but he wears them so well.  He actually just picked out his latest pair of sneakers all by himself.  He waltzed right up to the shelf at Stride Rite and said, “I want THESE shoes, Mama.”  And we bought them.  And they are perfect.  Just like him.

Back to School

It’s “back to school” time.  It’s that time of year when kids say goodbye to their carefree days of summer and say hello to schedules and homework.  I see all the kids in my neighborhood standing at the bus stop again.  My sister sends her little girl to kindergarten tomorrow.  My brother sends his oldest daughter to middle school. Yep, it’s “back to school” time. 

But, not for me.  Not yet.

Nothing really changes in my world.  I still have the kiddies home with me all day.  I don’t have to look at the clock when we eat our oatmeal with bananas and chocolate chips.  I don’t have to rush around to get them dressed, comb their hair, or match their socks. I can brush their teeth when I remember to brush their teeth.  Sure, there are some schedules we like to follow like going to story time at the library or a walk around the block in the wagon.  But that’s about it. 

I think about the future when both of my little ones are in school full time.  I find myself smiling with the thought that the days will be ALL MINE again.  I will have some ALONE time.  I will have ME time.  I can go back to an office job where I can interact with ADULTS all day or I can work from home without interruption.  I can drink a cup of coffee without it going cold.  I can eat lunch without someone asking for something off my plate.

But that time will come.  It will come FAST.  So today, I will choose to live in the moment.  I will choose to enjoy it all.  I will remember why I wanted to be a stay-at-home mommy. I can be home with both of my amazing kids.  My kids who are NOT at school.  Not yet.

They are home with me - playing in the morning sunshine.

Things I Learned at My Pediatrician’s Office Yesterday

I took Annabel to her 18 month “well” check-up yesterday and here is a short list of what I learned:

1.  Annabel is in the 98th percentile for her height and weight.  She is basically the size of a  30 month old.  Or a “2 and 1/2 year old” the pediatrician explained after she saw me quizzically trying to do the math in my head.

2. Always bring my personal notebook that has the records from every office visit JUST IN CASE the nurse tries to argue that my daughter is “about 6 months behind in her shots” only to find out later that “Yes, Ma’am,  You were right.  She is all caught up.  Thank goodness you had a copy of her records.”  (What???)

3. Yes, my daughter will MOVE HER LEG when you try and jab her with a vaccination shot.

4. Do not put daughter in a brand new WHITE Gymboree shirt when you take her to the pediatrician’s office. (She might MOVE HER LEG during the vaccinations and BLEED on said shirt.)

5. After the series of vaccination shots, the nurse will give you a strange look when you turn down a CANDY BAR that she wants to give your 18 MONTH OLD.

6. I can amuse Annabel for about 25 minutes in a small isolated room with the following items:  

• This purse
• A Ziploc bag of snack food which includes baby goldfish crackers, Cheerios and Gerber yogurt drops
• Her sandals
• My blackberry
• The crinkly white paper on the exam table

7. Bring cash just in case the one credit card machine in the office is acting up and my check out process “will just take a few more minutes.”

8. Bring additional Ziploc bag of snack food to entertain daughter (See #7).

9. Annabel ROCKS at the pediatrician’s office.  She was happy, cooperative, and amazing.

10.  See #9

18 Months

My baby girl is 18 months old today. 

I feel like just yesterday she learned to walk and now she is running and dancing.  Annabel is so full of life and passion.  A simple game of peekaboo will turn into a million giggles.  Her laughter is infectious.  She loves to be chased around the house and will run away because she knows you will catch her from behind and tickle her.  She litterally SCREAMS with glee over everyday occurrences: When you greet her after a nap, when someone she knows walks in the door, when she watches a Baby Einstein video (for the millionth time) and that elephant puppet appears, when dinner is served. 

Her passion and “over the top dramatic flair” could win her an Oscar.  She loves to tease her big brother, but when he won’t play along she runs for the corner and collapses into a tantrum of tears.  She is feisty and head strong.  She won’t give up a toy for anything and she is still learning not to always grab for what she wants. 

Her world is full of contradictions.   She cries over the presentation of her meal but then she eats the entire thing.  She pushes away a book I give her but then she brings it to me five minutes later to read.  She runs for the door when we arrive at Gymboree class but then she laughs with delight when I carry her to the rocking horse. 

Her favorite things include: Pinky, corn on the cob, Sesame Street, the musical shakers at the library, club crackers, pigs, purses, cars, and ANYTHING her brother is doing at the time.  She is IN LOVE with her big brother.

She has an unbelievable head of curls.  I am so amazed with her hair that I always find myself just staring at her sea of corkscrews.  She looks like a doll with those curls, porcelain skin, big blue eyes, and cupid mouth.  She is a gorgeous little girl.

AND a super smart girl too.  She can already say Mama, Daddy, Bye bye, Hi, quack, car, cracker, cookie, juice, again, ball, bum bum, baby, teeth, and chocolate.  She also understands everything we say and I sometimes forget that.  When I tell Daniel it’s time for dinner, she runs to the table too.  When I tell Daniel to pick up the blocks, she runs over with one for the bucket. 

She is an awesome night sleeper and napper. She will sometimes yawn and rub her eyes as if to remind me to keep her on schedule. 

Just as her brother was “Mr. Mischief,” she has been anointed “Miss Mischief.”  She loves to grab magnets and hide them inside the refrigerator doors and walk away.  She will throw her straw cup on the kitchen floor knowing you will pick it up so she can do it again. She will try to stand up on any box or toy and then look to make sure I am watching before she tumbles over.

One of the best things about Annabel is her willingness to snuggle and hug.  She loves to extend her arms and be picked up.  She loves to hold my hands while I sing to her in the rocking chair.  She loves to be wrapped in her bath towel and carried around.  She loves to lay her head on your shoulder when she is frustrated or upset. 

I can’t believe it’s already been a year and a half since you entered our world, Annabel Marie. 

What a true gift you are.

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