Apparently, thieving is in the air today. Lisa stole from me, I stole from Suz...it's all good.
This is the group of us who were in Kauai together. I never managed to get a shot of us all, but Matt did. Now if I can only get him to send it to me...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Should She Be Doing That?
I noticed on Saturday that Kate can sort objects. Specifically, she was sorting cereal. I had given her star puffs and cheerios on her stroller tray. She carefully picked all the stars out and put them in the cup of the tray.
Genius? Probably not. Just particular.
Genius? Probably not. Just particular.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
New Things That Are Coming Out of Her Mouth on a Daily Basis
At nap time when we are reading a book:
Padyn: Mommy, lie down over here.
Mommy: OK, then move over a little.
Mommy proceeds to lie down next to Padyn on her bed to read a story.
Padyn: Mommy, you are a BIG person!
When something happens that Padyn doesn't like: DANG-IT!
(now really, where did she hear that?)
To her sister in a very sing-songy voice: Good job, Katie! Good job, sweet girl! Come on, sweet girl. You can do it!
In the bathroom: I have to go poopy, Momma. Leave me alone.
When she doesn't hear or understand what you have said, she'll cup her hand around her ear and say: What? What did you say? I didn't hear you. What?
When she is trying to get you to give her something: Yes or no, Momma. Yes?
Every time she wakes up or is bored: I want to watch something.
Every other time when she isn't asking to watch something: Where are we going today, Mommy?
When she's asked me for something and I say no: I'll ask my Daddy for __________.
Because she's the sweetest thing in the universe: You're my most favorite Mommy ever!
Padyn: Mommy, lie down over here.
Mommy: OK, then move over a little.
Mommy proceeds to lie down next to Padyn on her bed to read a story.
Padyn: Mommy, you are a BIG person!
When something happens that Padyn doesn't like: DANG-IT!
(now really, where did she hear that?)
To her sister in a very sing-songy voice: Good job, Katie! Good job, sweet girl! Come on, sweet girl. You can do it!
In the bathroom: I have to go poopy, Momma. Leave me alone.
When she doesn't hear or understand what you have said, she'll cup her hand around her ear and say: What? What did you say? I didn't hear you. What?
When she is trying to get you to give her something: Yes or no, Momma. Yes?
Every time she wakes up or is bored: I want to watch something.
Every other time when she isn't asking to watch something: Where are we going today, Mommy?
When she's asked me for something and I say no: I'll ask my Daddy for __________.
Because she's the sweetest thing in the universe: You're my most favorite Mommy ever!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Photo Friday-The New Padyn
Here's a few shots I got of Padyn yesterday showing off her new haircut. Too bad I didn't wipe the crumbs off her face first in these bottom ones. Oh well. You can't do everything as a mom perfectly.
How grown-up is she?
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Other Signs that She's a Big Girl Now
Two other incidents (besides the haircut) transpired today that are evidence of the fact that Padyn is growing up. Both happened at naptime. First, today is the first day that Padyn did not ask for her pacifier at nap time. Back at the beginning of the month we decided to take her pacifier away during her naps. It was the first step on our long road to completely weaning her of it. (She still is choosing it at night, but I think that will occur for a while yet.) So everyday at naptime, she asks for her paci. And everyday I don't give it to her (except for those few days last week when she was sick and I really needed her to nap). And everyday she cries and moans and lets me know what a rotten mother I am. Some days she refuses to sleep and just sits in her room lamenting the absence of her beloved paci. Other days she's awake for an hour and just as I'm about to go free her, she falls asleep. But basically, she has not forgotten that she'd rather nap with her pacifier than without it and she has not forgotten to let me know about it. Until today. No mention. Not a word. There is hope for the nighttime yet. Oh, and of course I didn't remind her that she had forgotten about it. I'm not that stupid.
Secondly, she decided she wanted to nap wearing her underwear instead of her pull-up. Her pull-up is usually dry after her nap, but I just haven't been willing to risk it yet. I hate changing sheets. But what can you do when your little girl tells you she's ready to sleep like a big girl? You say a little prayer of thanks and a little prayer for dryness.
And dry she was. Growing up way too fast, I tell you. Way to fast.
Secondly, she decided she wanted to nap wearing her underwear instead of her pull-up. Her pull-up is usually dry after her nap, but I just haven't been willing to risk it yet. I hate changing sheets. But what can you do when your little girl tells you she's ready to sleep like a big girl? You say a little prayer of thanks and a little prayer for dryness.
And dry she was. Growing up way too fast, I tell you. Way to fast.
I Left the House with a Baby and Came Home with a Big Girl
Today we had the first ever real haircut for Miss Padyn. Real salon (for kids, of course), real hairstylist, real hair falling to the ground in clumps. Big big deal. Initially she was very excited about it. She told every one we saw this morning that she was going to the Big Girl Haircutting Place to get her hair cut. I took this as a good sign. If she's excited, it's going to go well, right?Not so right. What I didn't count on was the 8 year old spoiled brat of a boy who was in there getting his hair cut before us. This child was screaming, throwing things, crying like a 3 year old, and generally making everyone around him want to give him a big ole' smack. Everyone except his mother, of course. She just talked to him like he was 2. Clearly, he runs his household. Anyway, needless to say, Padyn was not happy by the time it was her turn to get into the Wiggles chair. She cried and pulled on me and refused to get in the chair. Once in the chair, she refused to put on the smock. Then she refused to let go of my hands. Finally...FINALLY, I got her to stop by threatening to take away the promised lollipop and jelly bean. Oh, and Sesame Street came on the TV right in front of her. She still wanted me to hold her hands, but slowly, she relaxed enough that I could get a few shots of the momentous occasion.
Here's what her hair looked like before the cut...thin, scraggly, lifeless...
Getting smocked up and watered down.
And let the cutting begin.
All done! What a gorgeous head of hair this child has. It only took chopping off 2-3 inches.
Look at the wave! Look at that body! Look at how short her hair is! I love it. But I think I'm gonna miss my baby.
Future WWF Contenders
Padyn and Katelyn were playing at Gan's house one day last month while I was off doing something. Here's some shots Gan's Mommy captured of her son practicing his future wrestling moves on my daughter. 
Apparently Gan thought Kate was easy prey and she clearly didn't seem troubled by the encounter. At first, it looks like she's trying to get her toy and ignore the 1 1/2 year old on her back. Then, when he came back for another body blow, she decided she'd had enough. It was time to cobbler him right back. Go Kate, go! That's my boy...I mean... girl.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Making Some Changes
I'm slowly updating my blog with the features that "New Blogger" has to offer. Hopefully all will work smoothly. If you have any suggestions or ideas for the sidebar, let me know. I like to keep my fans happy.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Photo Friday is Here Again
Last weekend, we spent time at our friends' house in Davis while Daddy flew airplanes. Corinne and Padyn are best buds and love being together. They get along amazingly well. Of all Padyn's friends (with possibly the except of Coley and Cana), Corinne is about the only one she is hardly ever whiny around and rarely fights with. She loves going to Corinne's house. In the days leading up to visiting her, she talks constantly about Corinne, Corinne's toys, and Corrine's brother and baby sister. She was very disappointed that she only got to spend one night there this weekend.
Mr. E showing off his stuff for all the girlies
Kate also loves being there because there are so many cool toys to play with. So many, many toys. This weekend she discovered Tinker Toys and a drum. Long plastic sticks. A new favorite. She also loved followed the big kids around, whether that was Corinne, Padyn or Elliot. Oh, and I can't forget that she discovered her new best friend, Anya. Anya is 5 1/2 months old and has just developed her army crawl. Now she can squirm after Kate and try to grab her eyes. Of course, Kate does not take this lying down. She grabs back. So fun.
As we were driving away Sunday evening, the first thing Padyn asks is, "When do we get to go back to Corinne's house?"
Two peas in a pod (do you see their matching hairstyles?)
Kate's new founded talent
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy...oh, Never Mind
I would have posted some fun Valentine's Day thing, but we had not much fun today. Padyn woke up at midnight last night to throw up and proceeded to throw up about every hour until 6am. Our day was not spent trading Valentines at the park with our friends as originally planned, but at home, on our couch, watching too much TV. Just when I thought we might be in the clear, she threw up again tonight. I can tell it's not going to be a fun few days.
Just wait until Kate gets it.
And Daddy. And me.
I hope your day was more fun than ours.
Just wait until Kate gets it.
And Daddy. And me.
I hope your day was more fun than ours.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
10 Month Update
Last month when I posted Kate's 9th Month Update, I made a few predictions:
I'm assuming that this month she will start "cruising:" walking around while holding onto something like a table edge. I'm hoping that we hear "Momma" sometime soon, but I won't be surprised if she tries to say her sister's name first. I know we'll see more self-inflicted injuries. She pulls drawers open, which also means she shuts them on her hand. She hasn't figured out not to do that yet. And, as she learns how to get back to the ground after pulling herself to standing, I'm sure we'll have some bruising from just letting go and hoping for a soft landing. Also new this month...she was diagnosed with her first ear infection today. Hopefully that will be cleared by her 10 month update.
Well, I'm happy to say that she is saying Momma now, but not Padyn (or PayPay or some variation of the sort). She is absolutely cruising. So much so that nothing seems to be out of her reach unless it's 5 feet off the ground. And no, she hasn't figured out that shutting the drawer while her hand is in it does not produce happy results. She has mostly mastered getting down from standing, though not terribly quickly. It's more of a slow maneuver into the splits until her hands and knees are low enough to reach the ground. And the ear infection? The first one cleared up and a second one moved right into its place.
Her new favorite playthings are Padyn's markers. Yes, yes...markers. She doesn't actually color with them. She just pulls them off Padyn's art table and puts them in her mouth. Repeatedly. She also seems to love pulling Padyn's hair whenever she gets the chance. Interestingly, she doesn't really pull my hair much. She more plays with it. There must be something inherent in that sister relationship that makes hair pulling instinctive.
The waving has taken on new levels of hilarity. Kate waves at anyone and anything-the TV, the car, people walking past that don't see her-anything that is not waving at her. If someone does actually wave at her she does one of two things. She may become super shy and serious and stare at the person as if trying to figure out what type of life form they are. Or, she goes to the opposite extreme and waves with both hands frantically as if her life depends on it until they acknowledge her again.
Daddy may now be beating out Mommy as Kate's second favorite person. Whenever he comes home her entire body starts jumping and she can't even contain her happiness. About half the time she greets him with, "Dada!" accompanied by a big, fat grin.
Speaking of jumping, she loves jumping. I guess it's more bouncing, really. She bounces in her crib, while standing up at the coffee table, and while on her hands and knees. When she's doing it on her hands and knees, it's almost as if she is trying to bounce herself up into a downward facing dog position. This is usually accompanied by vocal narration. "Aha, aha, aha, aha..." repeated over and over rather rhythmically in time with the bouncing.
She's still not eating much of a variety of foods, but I am making a bigger effort with the table foods. She is still gagging and vomiting, but not with as much regularity as past months. She'd be happy to eat only baby food banana and yogurt if I let her, but I'm trying to consistently introduce her to new table foods-tofu, pasta, spinach nuggets, green beans. So far the only thing she'll eat with regularity is bread. But at least she puts the tofu in her mouth. It just doesn't stay there. It's a start, anyway.
She has turned into an easy baby to put down for naps and bedtime. Sleeping at night is altogether a different story, but I think now that her ears and teeth are settling, things will get back to normal. Last night she slept from 7:30 until Padyn woke her up at 6:30, only waking up once at 4:30 to cry for 5 minutes then go back to sleep. That's a new record. I'm pushing for that 11 hour sleeping, no eating in between thing. We'll see if she likes it as much as I do.
Oh, another thing she's figured out this month? She likes the taste of paper. I don't quite get that one and I'm hoping she outgrows it quickly.
I'm assuming that this month she will start "cruising:" walking around while holding onto something like a table edge. I'm hoping that we hear "Momma" sometime soon, but I won't be surprised if she tries to say her sister's name first. I know we'll see more self-inflicted injuries. She pulls drawers open, which also means she shuts them on her hand. She hasn't figured out not to do that yet. And, as she learns how to get back to the ground after pulling herself to standing, I'm sure we'll have some bruising from just letting go and hoping for a soft landing. Also new this month...she was diagnosed with her first ear infection today. Hopefully that will be cleared by her 10 month update.
Well, I'm happy to say that she is saying Momma now, but not Padyn (or PayPay or some variation of the sort). She is absolutely cruising. So much so that nothing seems to be out of her reach unless it's 5 feet off the ground. And no, she hasn't figured out that shutting the drawer while her hand is in it does not produce happy results. She has mostly mastered getting down from standing, though not terribly quickly. It's more of a slow maneuver into the splits until her hands and knees are low enough to reach the ground. And the ear infection? The first one cleared up and a second one moved right into its place.
Her new favorite playthings are Padyn's markers. Yes, yes...markers. She doesn't actually color with them. She just pulls them off Padyn's art table and puts them in her mouth. Repeatedly. She also seems to love pulling Padyn's hair whenever she gets the chance. Interestingly, she doesn't really pull my hair much. She more plays with it. There must be something inherent in that sister relationship that makes hair pulling instinctive.
The waving has taken on new levels of hilarity. Kate waves at anyone and anything-the TV, the car, people walking past that don't see her-anything that is not waving at her. If someone does actually wave at her she does one of two things. She may become super shy and serious and stare at the person as if trying to figure out what type of life form they are. Or, she goes to the opposite extreme and waves with both hands frantically as if her life depends on it until they acknowledge her again.
Daddy may now be beating out Mommy as Kate's second favorite person. Whenever he comes home her entire body starts jumping and she can't even contain her happiness. About half the time she greets him with, "Dada!" accompanied by a big, fat grin.
Speaking of jumping, she loves jumping. I guess it's more bouncing, really. She bounces in her crib, while standing up at the coffee table, and while on her hands and knees. When she's doing it on her hands and knees, it's almost as if she is trying to bounce herself up into a downward facing dog position. This is usually accompanied by vocal narration. "Aha, aha, aha, aha..." repeated over and over rather rhythmically in time with the bouncing.
She's still not eating much of a variety of foods, but I am making a bigger effort with the table foods. She is still gagging and vomiting, but not with as much regularity as past months. She'd be happy to eat only baby food banana and yogurt if I let her, but I'm trying to consistently introduce her to new table foods-tofu, pasta, spinach nuggets, green beans. So far the only thing she'll eat with regularity is bread. But at least she puts the tofu in her mouth. It just doesn't stay there. It's a start, anyway.
She has turned into an easy baby to put down for naps and bedtime. Sleeping at night is altogether a different story, but I think now that her ears and teeth are settling, things will get back to normal. Last night she slept from 7:30 until Padyn woke her up at 6:30, only waking up once at 4:30 to cry for 5 minutes then go back to sleep. That's a new record. I'm pushing for that 11 hour sleeping, no eating in between thing. We'll see if she likes it as much as I do.
Oh, another thing she's figured out this month? She likes the taste of paper. I don't quite get that one and I'm hoping she outgrows it quickly.
Comparison at Ten Months
(a week and a half late...)
Lately people have been telling me how much the girls look alike. Some are friends who have known both girls since birth and others have been strangers or casual aquaintences who have no knowledge of what Padyn used to look like. They are seeing a likeness now with the 2 1/2 year difference. I find this interesting because I myself have been struck in recent weeks by Padyn and Katelyn's similarities. Kate will have a certain look on her face, or turn her head a certain way, and I swear she could be her sister at this age. I don't think these pictures capture their particular similarities. In fact, I think they highlight their differences at this age...the hair, the cheeks, the smile. But there is something the same there. It's not even something I can put words to. I'm not sure if it's the shape of their smile, or a new fullness that Kate's cheeks seem to have. Is it the way they both tipped their head to the side and smiled at you coyly under their eyelids? I'm not sure. All I know is for how remarkably different they are, I'm seeing more of a resemblance every day.
Padyn at 10 months, 1 week
Kate at 9 months, 3 weeks
Padyn at 10 months, 2 weeks
Kate at 10 months, 3 days
Padyn at 9 months, 2 weeks
Kate at 9 months, 2 weeks
Lately people have been telling me how much the girls look alike. Some are friends who have known both girls since birth and others have been strangers or casual aquaintences who have no knowledge of what Padyn used to look like. They are seeing a likeness now with the 2 1/2 year difference. I find this interesting because I myself have been struck in recent weeks by Padyn and Katelyn's similarities. Kate will have a certain look on her face, or turn her head a certain way, and I swear she could be her sister at this age. I don't think these pictures capture their particular similarities. In fact, I think they highlight their differences at this age...the hair, the cheeks, the smile. But there is something the same there. It's not even something I can put words to. I'm not sure if it's the shape of their smile, or a new fullness that Kate's cheeks seem to have. Is it the way they both tipped their head to the side and smiled at you coyly under their eyelids? I'm not sure. All I know is for how remarkably different they are, I'm seeing more of a resemblance every day.
Padyn at 10 months, 1 week
Kate at 9 months, 3 weeks
Padyn at 10 months, 2 weeksKate at 10 months, 3 daysPadyn at 9 months, 2 weeksKate at 9 months, 2 weeks
Two New for Miss Kate
*Kate has finally broken her third tooth. I have been expecting one to come in on the top any day for the last 2 weeks. She keeps running her tongue over her top gum, her nose is a gross fountain of snot and she's been unexplicably grumpy when she shouldn't. But no. A surprise third bottom tooth cut yesterday after much unhappiness and not-so-fun diaper changes. Thank goodness it's done. It's been a rough week. Not just for Kate, but for all the toys she's been shoving into her mouth. Now we'll have to wait and see what transpires with that top one. Maybe the toys won't get a break.
*I caught a glimpse of how much more interesting life in our house is about to get this morning. Katelyn managed to climb up onto Padyn's bed. By herself. True, Padyn's bed is very close to the ground. However, this child hasn't even tried to climb up the stairs that she crawls past 93 times a day. The stairs are lower! And easier! But clearly not as exciting as being on the bed with big sister. She loves crawling around and throwing herself into Padyn's blankets and pillows. She isn't going to love it so much when she rolls herself back onto the ground.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Photo Friday
Here are my girlies doing what they do best...making me laugh.
Katelyn has discovered the pantry. All her food and some of Padyn's snacks are on the bottom shelf. She must have some weird baby radar that informs her when I leave the pantry door open. She crawls just as fast as her little tushie can go and proceeds to pull whatever she can off the shelf. Of course, she stops occasionally to hold up snacks to show me. Without fail, she will always find and pull out her Biter Biscuits, hold them up, and grunt as if to say, "This, Mommy. This right here. This is what I want. Now. Right now." Then she sticks it in her mouth, wrapper and all. I love that kid.
Happy Friday!
Padyn's been all up in the playdoh this week. On Saturday, she decided that it would be best to do playdoh while wearing her fairy costume. I guess she's the Playdoh Fairy now. This was also the day that she wanted to wear all pink. She picked out all her clothes, then when she was dressed, she said, "Mommy, I look like a girl!" She has learned somewhere that girls wear pink and boys wear blue. Later in the week I dressed Kate in baby blue pjs for bed. When Padyn saw her she said, "Kate looks like a boy!" Where do they learn all this stuff from?
Concentrate...steady now...and CUT!
Happy Friday!Thursday, February 08, 2007
All These Girls...
Another Future Blogger was born this past weekend. Liam Mc. became a big brother as his baby sister, Emery Anne, came into the world on Sunday the 4th. She was a bit eager, seeing as how she decided 34 1/2 weeks was long enough to stay inside her mommy. But, thankfully, even 5 1/2 weeks early, her lungs were fully developed and she seems to be doing well. You can pray for her and the McReynolds as they wait to be able to take her home.
In the meantime, you can go check out her cool video at their blog.
Padyn says congratulations on being a big brother, Liam! She misses you!
In the meantime, you can go check out her cool video at their blog.
Padyn says congratulations on being a big brother, Liam! She misses you!
Padyn's Update
I think I promised to write an update concerning Padyn a month or so ago and just never got around to it. It's not that I like Kate more or that she has more things happening. I think it's the fact that Padyn's accomplishments, idiosyncrasies and progressions are more subtle and less noticeable than say, a new tooth or sleeping 10 versus 7 hours. But she is growing, changing, and maturing on a regular basis. It's just not always as noticeable as Kate's. Here's some things I've noticed lately...
*Le Toilet
I realized the other day that Padyn is almost completely potty trained. Almost a year ago we made the switch to underwear versus diapers during the day and haven't looked back since. She still wears a pull-up during her nap and a diaper at night, but otherwise she's totally on her own now. After her nap, her diaper is usually dry. She doesn't usually tell me anymore when she has to go potty. She just tells me that she's pooped so I can help her wipe. Oh, and she usually remembers to ask me to turn the water on to wash her hands. She still gets an M&M every time she poops on the potty, but I know one day soon she won't need that anymore, either.
But there is a downside to this mastering the potty thing. She wants to go potty every time we are out. Every.Time. Not necessarily because she has to go. No, no. Because she wants to check out the bathroom. Apparently bathrooms are very interesting. Oh, and she is totally concerned/fascinated with automatically flushing toilets. She always asks when we go into a public restroom if the toilet is automatic. For a while, she wouldn't even get on it if it flushed itself. (There was this one traumatic experience with an automatic flushing toilet early on in our potty training days that she was scarred from.) Now she'll get on it, but I have to cover up the sensor while she's peeing so it won't flush when she's on there. I wonder when she'll understand that no matter how loud it is (she covers her ears when the toilet flushes) or how wet her butt gets, that she will not be sucked into the vortex of water if she still happens to be sitting on the seat when the toilet flushes.
*TV Viewing
Padyn only watches a small small handful of TV shows these days. "Curious George," "Clifford," and "Dragon Tales." All are on PBS in the morning and correspond well to our getting-ready-to-get-out-of-the-house time. She can watch the same episodes again and again. And again. (Which is good because those PBS shows are constantly repeated). She also uses them as bargaining tools. "Mommy, I get to watch one more George and then I eat breakfast." I, too, use them as bargaining tools. "If you don't _________ (probably something that I've asked her to do 3 times already), you will not get to watch George this afternoon." It works.
And now, her favorite video is the old, animated "Charlotte's Web." (Thanks so much M&M. She hasn't stopped watching it since you left.) She asks to watch it morning, noon and night, but she can't say Charlotte. It comes out sounding a bit like "Arlette's Eb." I do enjoy that movie, but not every day. I remember watching it when I was young, but I always get upset when Charlotte dies. We had to talk for a long time about Charlotte dying...not a subject I was ready to tackle with my 3 year old. She seems somewhat ok with it. When she asked me why Charlotte died I told her she had grown old and it was her time to go. But yesterday morning she told me she didn't want her or me or Daddy to die. This is what I was afraid of. I tried to reassure her that that wouldn't happen for a long long long time and she didn't need to worry about it. Maybe not the best thing, but she's only 3.
*Fine Motor Skills
Padyn loves her some scissors. She pulls her chair over to the counter to climb up and open the drawer I keep them in. This, of course, is a big no-no, but it doesn't usually stop her. She wants to CUT HER LINES! She takes binder paper and cuts amazingly straight lines with it. Then she sticks them to her table with stickers. She gets very upset when they rip and demands that they be repaired.
I discovered recently that she can trace things on paper. Not well, mind you, but draw a continuous line around an object nonetheless. This must be a skill practiced at school because I never have her trace anything.
*Gross Motor Skills
All of a sudden, Padyn can jump. And jump well. I'm not sure when or how this happened. Maybe she's been talking to this girl. All I know is one day she could just jump on the bed and the next she could jump over a line on the ground and land with two feet together. She can also walk assisted on those parking birms as if they are balance beams. There are a series of them on the playground outside her classroom at school. Every time we walk to the car after I pick her up she must walk on them. She finally tried it today by herself. She didn't get very far before she fell off, but I'm impressed that she tried it without holding my hand.
*Reading
She can recognize her name as well as Kate, Mommy and Daddy. She can't spell anything but her name, but she can usually tell you what letter starts those names, as well as some other words. She recognizes all the letters of the alphabet and can mostly tell you all the sounds they make.
*Making Connections
Finally, I'll leave you with a story that demonstrates just how well the wheels are turning in that little blond head of hers.
Last week Kate had to go to the doctor to follow-up about her first ear infection. Dr. A had been sick for a few days that week and I had to call the office in the morning on our way to school before our appointment to make sure she was going to be in that day. Padyn, as usual, asked me who I was calling and why. I told her I was calling to she if Dr. A was still sick. She was silent back there in her car seat for a few minutes then she said,"Did Dr. A go see a doctor? Doctors make you feel better."
"I don't know. Maybe. And you're right. Doctors can help us feel better when we are sick."
A few more seconds of contemplation...
"Did Dr. A see her friends who are doctors? In her office?"
"I don't know, honey."
"Dr. A is a doctor."
"Yup."
A few more seconds of pondering...
"Dr. A could make herself feel better!"
"Yes, she probably could."
*Le Toilet
I realized the other day that Padyn is almost completely potty trained. Almost a year ago we made the switch to underwear versus diapers during the day and haven't looked back since. She still wears a pull-up during her nap and a diaper at night, but otherwise she's totally on her own now. After her nap, her diaper is usually dry. She doesn't usually tell me anymore when she has to go potty. She just tells me that she's pooped so I can help her wipe. Oh, and she usually remembers to ask me to turn the water on to wash her hands. She still gets an M&M every time she poops on the potty, but I know one day soon she won't need that anymore, either.
But there is a downside to this mastering the potty thing. She wants to go potty every time we are out. Every.Time. Not necessarily because she has to go. No, no. Because she wants to check out the bathroom. Apparently bathrooms are very interesting. Oh, and she is totally concerned/fascinated with automatically flushing toilets. She always asks when we go into a public restroom if the toilet is automatic. For a while, she wouldn't even get on it if it flushed itself. (There was this one traumatic experience with an automatic flushing toilet early on in our potty training days that she was scarred from.) Now she'll get on it, but I have to cover up the sensor while she's peeing so it won't flush when she's on there. I wonder when she'll understand that no matter how loud it is (she covers her ears when the toilet flushes) or how wet her butt gets, that she will not be sucked into the vortex of water if she still happens to be sitting on the seat when the toilet flushes.
*TV Viewing
Padyn only watches a small small handful of TV shows these days. "Curious George," "Clifford," and "Dragon Tales." All are on PBS in the morning and correspond well to our getting-ready-to-get-out-of-the-house time. She can watch the same episodes again and again. And again. (Which is good because those PBS shows are constantly repeated). She also uses them as bargaining tools. "Mommy, I get to watch one more George and then I eat breakfast." I, too, use them as bargaining tools. "If you don't _________ (probably something that I've asked her to do 3 times already), you will not get to watch George this afternoon." It works.
And now, her favorite video is the old, animated "Charlotte's Web." (Thanks so much M&M. She hasn't stopped watching it since you left.) She asks to watch it morning, noon and night, but she can't say Charlotte. It comes out sounding a bit like "Arlette's Eb." I do enjoy that movie, but not every day. I remember watching it when I was young, but I always get upset when Charlotte dies. We had to talk for a long time about Charlotte dying...not a subject I was ready to tackle with my 3 year old. She seems somewhat ok with it. When she asked me why Charlotte died I told her she had grown old and it was her time to go. But yesterday morning she told me she didn't want her or me or Daddy to die. This is what I was afraid of. I tried to reassure her that that wouldn't happen for a long long long time and she didn't need to worry about it. Maybe not the best thing, but she's only 3.
*Fine Motor Skills
Padyn loves her some scissors. She pulls her chair over to the counter to climb up and open the drawer I keep them in. This, of course, is a big no-no, but it doesn't usually stop her. She wants to CUT HER LINES! She takes binder paper and cuts amazingly straight lines with it. Then she sticks them to her table with stickers. She gets very upset when they rip and demands that they be repaired.
I discovered recently that she can trace things on paper. Not well, mind you, but draw a continuous line around an object nonetheless. This must be a skill practiced at school because I never have her trace anything.
*Gross Motor Skills
All of a sudden, Padyn can jump. And jump well. I'm not sure when or how this happened. Maybe she's been talking to this girl. All I know is one day she could just jump on the bed and the next she could jump over a line on the ground and land with two feet together. She can also walk assisted on those parking birms as if they are balance beams. There are a series of them on the playground outside her classroom at school. Every time we walk to the car after I pick her up she must walk on them. She finally tried it today by herself. She didn't get very far before she fell off, but I'm impressed that she tried it without holding my hand.
*Reading
She can recognize her name as well as Kate, Mommy and Daddy. She can't spell anything but her name, but she can usually tell you what letter starts those names, as well as some other words. She recognizes all the letters of the alphabet and can mostly tell you all the sounds they make.
*Making Connections
Finally, I'll leave you with a story that demonstrates just how well the wheels are turning in that little blond head of hers.
Last week Kate had to go to the doctor to follow-up about her first ear infection. Dr. A had been sick for a few days that week and I had to call the office in the morning on our way to school before our appointment to make sure she was going to be in that day. Padyn, as usual, asked me who I was calling and why. I told her I was calling to she if Dr. A was still sick. She was silent back there in her car seat for a few minutes then she said,"Did Dr. A go see a doctor? Doctors make you feel better."
"I don't know. Maybe. And you're right. Doctors can help us feel better when we are sick."
A few more seconds of contemplation...
"Did Dr. A see her friends who are doctors? In her office?"
"I don't know, honey."
"Dr. A is a doctor."
"Yup."
A few more seconds of pondering...
"Dr. A could make herself feel better!"
"Yes, she probably could."
10 Month Birthday
Kate turned 10 months last Saturday. I remembered it, but just couldn't do anything about it but take some pictures of her. Here's two from last Saturday. I love how you can see her teeth in the top shot. And, of course, there's the food on her face in the bottom one. I'm such a good mom like that. 
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Future Bloggers of America
In the last two weeks, two very special little girls entered the world. Neither of their mommies have a blog, so I've taken it upon myself to announce their arrival. Both were born to amazing women who I am blessed to call my friends.
Abigail Julia was born on Monday, January 22nd, to proud parents, Shauna and Aaron, and especially proud big brother, CJ. She was a petite 6 pounds 11 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. She's the most adorable little string bean ever. I wish I had a picture, but I forgot to bring my camera last week when I went to meet her. I'll be sure to bring it with me next time I go.
Coming into the world a week later was Naia Rose. Proud first time parents, Kelly and Jason, eagerly greeted her at 7:30am after a scheduled C-section. Naia is also a petite little girl. She tipped the scale at 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches long. Look how tiny she looks! I hope I get to meet her before she heads back to the other side of the globe.
Congratulations to all. These two little girls are very blessed to be born to with such loving and genuine parents and families.
Abigail Julia was born on Monday, January 22nd, to proud parents, Shauna and Aaron, and especially proud big brother, CJ. She was a petite 6 pounds 11 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. She's the most adorable little string bean ever. I wish I had a picture, but I forgot to bring my camera last week when I went to meet her. I'll be sure to bring it with me next time I go.
Coming into the world a week later was Naia Rose. Proud first time parents, Kelly and Jason, eagerly greeted her at 7:30am after a scheduled C-section. Naia is also a petite little girl. She tipped the scale at 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches long. Look how tiny she looks! I hope I get to meet her before she heads back to the other side of the globe.
Congratulations to all. These two little girls are very blessed to be born to with such loving and genuine parents and families.
I have two new rooms in my house.
And no remodeling or knocking down walls to do it.
The first is a picture of the girls' new room. It's hard not to call it Kate's room anymore and I thought Padyn would have a hard time adjusting. But 4 out of 5 times I tell her to get something from her room, she goes to the right place.
Padyn's old room is now the playroom. Thanks to some shelves from Ikea, almost everything has a place to hide. I haven't finished organized it yet and Padyn's clothes are still in the closet, but the girls are smitten by it. Padyn loves the change. She loves telling me she's going to the playroom. She loves her toys all being in one place. Kate loves having a large floor area to crawl around in and toys at her level to put in her mouth. I love that everything will now have a place. And that's it can all be hidden behind a closed door.
The first is a picture of the girls' new room. It's hard not to call it Kate's room anymore and I thought Padyn would have a hard time adjusting. But 4 out of 5 times I tell her to get something from her room, she goes to the right place.
Padyn's old room is now the playroom. Thanks to some shelves from Ikea, almost everything has a place to hide. I haven't finished organized it yet and Padyn's clothes are still in the closet, but the girls are smitten by it. Padyn loves the change. She loves telling me she's going to the playroom. She loves her toys all being in one place. Kate loves having a large floor area to crawl around in and toys at her level to put in her mouth. I love that everything will now have a place. And that's it can all be hidden behind a closed door.
Catching Up
There's been a few things I haven't had the chance to share with you all this week. I could blame busyness, but it could just be laziness, so I wouldn't give excuses. I will say that I missed Photo Friday yesterday because I never ever had a chance to sit down at the computer long enough to find a great picture, let alone post it. There's always next week. For now, here's the latest news from the P & K household...
Paci Wars 2007
It's time. It really is. Padyn is 3 years and 3 months and it is time for her to sleep on her own without her pacifier. At least, that's how I feel. Joel doesn't care as much. But I just keep thinking if she doesn't give it up now, it's never going to happen. I decided that I would tag along with The Girls' Moma as she attempted the same with Coley Rose this month. February 1st. That was the date.
Amazingly, without prompting, on Tuesday, January 30th, Padyn decided she wanted to sleep without her pacifier for her nap and get her Magical Dora Carriage. I took this as a good sign and told her that if she took a nap without her paci, we could go out to the store immediately after her nap and buy it. I'm not sure she actually slept without the paci that afternoon. I left it on her desk and when I came in after her nap it was still on her desk, but she's becoming a bit more devious these days (more on that later) so she could have been lying to me when she said she hadn't slept with it. I chose to believe her and off we went to Toys R Us.
She is madly in love with her Dora Carriage. I let her play with it that afternoon. It was never out of her reach. When bedtime came, I knew the whole paci verses Dora Carriage battle would begin and I had already decided that I wasn't going to push it. After 10 minutes of being in bed, she just couldn't do without it, so I gave her the paci and said I was going to hold onto the carriage until she could sleep without the paci.
Wednesday afternoon, she took a nap without her pacifier. A real nap. A good, long nap. And I know she did because it because the paci was in my pocket the whole time. I think it helped that I gave her the Dora and Horse to sleep with as an incentive. But I was adamant that she could not have the carriage until she slept a night without her beloved paci. That night, she chose the Dora and Horse over her paci. Joel put her down and we didn't hear from her at all. We were patting ourselves on the back for how easy it all was. Then, when we went to bed, we decided to get the paci just in case we needed it that night. We went into her room to get it off her desk and it wasn't there. We were a bit confused and went into Kate's room to she if we had left it in there (Padyn was sleeping in Kate's room.) And there it was. In Padyn's mouth. She had gotten up after we put her to bed, went into her old room and got it herself. Hmmm....Interesting.
Now it's Thursday, February 1st. The day of reckoning. Naptime? No paci and no nap. She didn't want her paci, but she refused to go sleep. Flash to Thursday night. She went around and around as to whether she wanted her paci or the Dora Carriage. I tried to persuade her to chose the Dora Carriage by leaving the actual carriage in her room on her dresser where she could see it. I told her she was not allowed to play with it, but it would be there for to look at. In the meantime, she had Dora and the Horse in bed with her. She finally chose Dora and out we went. After about 5 minutes, we heard the door of her room open. Joel and I looked incredulously at one another. It's hard to believe your child is sneaky until you catch them in the act. We crept upstairs and found her in her old room searching around her desk. I couldn't contain my laughter. When she saw us, she immediately burst into tears. She knew she was caught. She tried to cover it up by picking up some random toy on her desk and claiming that she really needed that to sleep with. She refused to answer us when we asked her what she was doing, but finally, through her tears, she said she wanted her paci and we gave it to her while removing all semblance of the Dora Carriage from her bedroom.
Friday I didn't even give her the option of sleeping without the paci. She napped at a friend's house and we had overnight guests, so I wasn't into dealing with the paci war. But tonight? I have some other thoughts for tonight. Joel's gone and we have no guests, so I'm willing to go to battle for a bit longer. We'll see. I can tell you this-I know she can nap without it, so that is now how it's going to be at naptime. No more paci. Night might take a bit longer, and I do still feel very strongly that it needs to be her choice to give it up. I had visions of snipping the thing, but I'm not going to do that. Not yet anyway.
And the Dora Carriage? Dora and the Horse now decorate the ledge in the kitchen. There will be no playing with them until after naptime. The carriage? That will remain hidden under my sweaters until we have a night without the paci.
The Girls' Room
It's official. Padyn and Katelyn now share a room. After a few nights in the Dora Inflatable Bed to test the waters, we moved Padyn's real bed and dresser into the room Thursday night. It's been going really well. Well, that is for Padyn. Kate's had a tough week, but I'll get to that in a sec. But Padyn really hasn't been waking up in the night or calling out, even in the morning, since we moved her in there. She is so very happy to be sharing a room with Katelyn. I thought Kate's crying in the night would bother her, but she doesn't even seem to wake up.
Her old room is now the playroom. All their toys are in there and both girls love hanging out in there together during the day. We keep the Dora bed in there for naps and emergencies. We haven't had to use it for emergencies yet, but I do separate them during naptime. I'm not willing to sacrifice the naptime for the sake of togetherness.
The only drawback of them being in the same room? Kate wakes up much earlier than she used to. But at least she wakes up happy. Padyn is definitely the first thing she wants to she in the morning. Until she sees me, that is.
It's Tough to be Katelyn Right Now
I've been thinking that Kate was teething for the last two weeks. Her nose has been fountain of snot and she just hasn't been herself. She started waking up 2 and 3 times a night Monday and hasn't returned to normal yet. Monday night she stopped wanting to eat. She wouldn't even nurse when I put her to bed. Tuesday the diarrhea started. It lasted until Wednesday night. Thursday morning we went to the pediatrician for a follow-up to her ear infection a few weeks ago. Guess what? She's got another infection. This time in both ears. Back on antibiotics she went. New antibiotics that can produce? You guessed it...diarrhea. Oh joy. Just when the first round had cleared up. And really. The first round? Who knows what caused that. Could be she was sick, could be something I ate or it could be teething. Whatever it is, I was so happy to see it pass and so disappointed to know it was probably going to return
After a few days on the medicine she seems to be feeling better. Her appetite is slowly coming back, but she is still waking up and wanting to eat multiple times during the night. And she still has episodes of uncharacteristic fussiness during the day. Hard to know if it's the teeth, the ears, the tiredness, hungriness, or all the above. All I know is I'm tired and I'm almost ready to let her cry it out again. The guests are gone, Padyn doesn't seem to mind the crying and after feeding, Tylenol, and antibiotics, there really isn't much more I can do for her. Joel's flying this weekend. It could be a long two days.
Paci Wars 2007
It's time. It really is. Padyn is 3 years and 3 months and it is time for her to sleep on her own without her pacifier. At least, that's how I feel. Joel doesn't care as much. But I just keep thinking if she doesn't give it up now, it's never going to happen. I decided that I would tag along with The Girls' Moma as she attempted the same with Coley Rose this month. February 1st. That was the date.
Amazingly, without prompting, on Tuesday, January 30th, Padyn decided she wanted to sleep without her pacifier for her nap and get her Magical Dora Carriage. I took this as a good sign and told her that if she took a nap without her paci, we could go out to the store immediately after her nap and buy it. I'm not sure she actually slept without the paci that afternoon. I left it on her desk and when I came in after her nap it was still on her desk, but she's becoming a bit more devious these days (more on that later) so she could have been lying to me when she said she hadn't slept with it. I chose to believe her and off we went to Toys R Us.
She is madly in love with her Dora Carriage. I let her play with it that afternoon. It was never out of her reach. When bedtime came, I knew the whole paci verses Dora Carriage battle would begin and I had already decided that I wasn't going to push it. After 10 minutes of being in bed, she just couldn't do without it, so I gave her the paci and said I was going to hold onto the carriage until she could sleep without the paci.
Wednesday afternoon, she took a nap without her pacifier. A real nap. A good, long nap. And I know she did because it because the paci was in my pocket the whole time. I think it helped that I gave her the Dora and Horse to sleep with as an incentive. But I was adamant that she could not have the carriage until she slept a night without her beloved paci. That night, she chose the Dora and Horse over her paci. Joel put her down and we didn't hear from her at all. We were patting ourselves on the back for how easy it all was. Then, when we went to bed, we decided to get the paci just in case we needed it that night. We went into her room to get it off her desk and it wasn't there. We were a bit confused and went into Kate's room to she if we had left it in there (Padyn was sleeping in Kate's room.) And there it was. In Padyn's mouth. She had gotten up after we put her to bed, went into her old room and got it herself. Hmmm....Interesting.
Now it's Thursday, February 1st. The day of reckoning. Naptime? No paci and no nap. She didn't want her paci, but she refused to go sleep. Flash to Thursday night. She went around and around as to whether she wanted her paci or the Dora Carriage. I tried to persuade her to chose the Dora Carriage by leaving the actual carriage in her room on her dresser where she could see it. I told her she was not allowed to play with it, but it would be there for to look at. In the meantime, she had Dora and the Horse in bed with her. She finally chose Dora and out we went. After about 5 minutes, we heard the door of her room open. Joel and I looked incredulously at one another. It's hard to believe your child is sneaky until you catch them in the act. We crept upstairs and found her in her old room searching around her desk. I couldn't contain my laughter. When she saw us, she immediately burst into tears. She knew she was caught. She tried to cover it up by picking up some random toy on her desk and claiming that she really needed that to sleep with. She refused to answer us when we asked her what she was doing, but finally, through her tears, she said she wanted her paci and we gave it to her while removing all semblance of the Dora Carriage from her bedroom.
Friday I didn't even give her the option of sleeping without the paci. She napped at a friend's house and we had overnight guests, so I wasn't into dealing with the paci war. But tonight? I have some other thoughts for tonight. Joel's gone and we have no guests, so I'm willing to go to battle for a bit longer. We'll see. I can tell you this-I know she can nap without it, so that is now how it's going to be at naptime. No more paci. Night might take a bit longer, and I do still feel very strongly that it needs to be her choice to give it up. I had visions of snipping the thing, but I'm not going to do that. Not yet anyway.
And the Dora Carriage? Dora and the Horse now decorate the ledge in the kitchen. There will be no playing with them until after naptime. The carriage? That will remain hidden under my sweaters until we have a night without the paci.
The Girls' Room
It's official. Padyn and Katelyn now share a room. After a few nights in the Dora Inflatable Bed to test the waters, we moved Padyn's real bed and dresser into the room Thursday night. It's been going really well. Well, that is for Padyn. Kate's had a tough week, but I'll get to that in a sec. But Padyn really hasn't been waking up in the night or calling out, even in the morning, since we moved her in there. She is so very happy to be sharing a room with Katelyn. I thought Kate's crying in the night would bother her, but she doesn't even seem to wake up.
Her old room is now the playroom. All their toys are in there and both girls love hanging out in there together during the day. We keep the Dora bed in there for naps and emergencies. We haven't had to use it for emergencies yet, but I do separate them during naptime. I'm not willing to sacrifice the naptime for the sake of togetherness.
The only drawback of them being in the same room? Kate wakes up much earlier than she used to. But at least she wakes up happy. Padyn is definitely the first thing she wants to she in the morning. Until she sees me, that is.
It's Tough to be Katelyn Right Now
I've been thinking that Kate was teething for the last two weeks. Her nose has been fountain of snot and she just hasn't been herself. She started waking up 2 and 3 times a night Monday and hasn't returned to normal yet. Monday night she stopped wanting to eat. She wouldn't even nurse when I put her to bed. Tuesday the diarrhea started. It lasted until Wednesday night. Thursday morning we went to the pediatrician for a follow-up to her ear infection a few weeks ago. Guess what? She's got another infection. This time in both ears. Back on antibiotics she went. New antibiotics that can produce? You guessed it...diarrhea. Oh joy. Just when the first round had cleared up. And really. The first round? Who knows what caused that. Could be she was sick, could be something I ate or it could be teething. Whatever it is, I was so happy to see it pass and so disappointed to know it was probably going to return
After a few days on the medicine she seems to be feeling better. Her appetite is slowly coming back, but she is still waking up and wanting to eat multiple times during the night. And she still has episodes of uncharacteristic fussiness during the day. Hard to know if it's the teeth, the ears, the tiredness, hungriness, or all the above. All I know is I'm tired and I'm almost ready to let her cry it out again. The guests are gone, Padyn doesn't seem to mind the crying and after feeding, Tylenol, and antibiotics, there really isn't much more I can do for her. Joel's flying this weekend. It could be a long two days.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Been Meaning To Do This For Days...
It finally happened. My friend, Jules, Mommy to Connor and Sean, has finally started her own blog after talking about it for months and months and months. Way to go, Jules! I'm so proud of you!
Go check it out. See what she and the boys are up to.
Go check it out. See what she and the boys are up to.
This One's for Ella's Nana
I have been procrastinating about putting up the Kauai pictures on Flickr, but I finally managed to do it this morning. But only because Ella's Nana asked me to. And since she hasn't seen a picture of her most adorable grandchild in weeks (only one blog post from Ella's Mommy while in Hawaii), I'm sure she was going through withdrawal. So, here you go, Mrs. D. Good thing there are a few pictures of little Ella. She is just the cutest thing!
So, I told you before, we were in Kauai for a week (before we went to Oahu) with 5 of my former roommates from college and their families. We stayed in a five bedroom condo just up from the beach. 10 adults and 7 children in one house. You know, it really wasn't that bad. I felt like we did pretty well with the limited space. It helped that it's, you know, Hawaii. Where it's warm. And you can spend a lot of time outside. It did rain a fair bit, though. That was irritating for the first few days. But once it stopped, it was great. You just had to time it right. One day we went down to the beach when it was beautiful and sunny. After an hour or so, we headed home. On the walk back, the clouds rolled in and it started raining. That's just sort of how it was all week.
The girls, Joel and I really didn't do much touring of the island. We were happy to hang out at the pool and the beach between naptimes and eating times. It was just really nice to be with our friends and all their kids. It was quite easy. I miss that.
I didn't manage to get a picture of everyone. Of all the kids, I somehow never got a shot of Emily. I didn't get one of her daddy, either. Nor Odessa's Daddy. I also didn't seem to get any shots of all the kids playing in the family room, which was a daily occurrence. Nor are there any of playing in the pool, which we did most days. Oh well. I guess you just can't document everything.
So, I told you before, we were in Kauai for a week (before we went to Oahu) with 5 of my former roommates from college and their families. We stayed in a five bedroom condo just up from the beach. 10 adults and 7 children in one house. You know, it really wasn't that bad. I felt like we did pretty well with the limited space. It helped that it's, you know, Hawaii. Where it's warm. And you can spend a lot of time outside. It did rain a fair bit, though. That was irritating for the first few days. But once it stopped, it was great. You just had to time it right. One day we went down to the beach when it was beautiful and sunny. After an hour or so, we headed home. On the walk back, the clouds rolled in and it started raining. That's just sort of how it was all week.
The girls, Joel and I really didn't do much touring of the island. We were happy to hang out at the pool and the beach between naptimes and eating times. It was just really nice to be with our friends and all their kids. It was quite easy. I miss that.
I didn't manage to get a picture of everyone. Of all the kids, I somehow never got a shot of Emily. I didn't get one of her daddy, either. Nor Odessa's Daddy. I also didn't seem to get any shots of all the kids playing in the family room, which was a daily occurrence. Nor are there any of playing in the pool, which we did most days. Oh well. I guess you just can't document everything.
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