My mother-in-law and father-in-law have come up for a visit. They arrived yesterday afternoon. They are very wonderful, and I'm a lucky daughter-in-law to get along so well with my in laws.
In fact, my MIL is so wonderful that she practically begged Londo and I to let her take the night shift with the Pumpkin. Seriously, she wanted to get up with the Pumpkin, not only to give us parents a break but also because she wanted to cuddle in the middle of the night with her granddaughter. She even wanted to co-sleep with her in the nursery! Who am I to say no to that??
So my wonderful MIL took the monitor all night. Londo and I slept the whole night through without even worrying about noises from the monitor. I do know that if she cries in her room, even with her door shut (our door stays open), I would have heard her. We've had monitor malfunction before, and we still heard her cry. So when I woke up this morning after 6:00 (wooo hooo!!!), I said to Londo that I didn't hear the Pumpkin at all last night. He said he thought his mom was in the nursery with her. We went to check.
Guess what?
On our one night off from night time baby duty, the Pumpkin slept through the night!!!!
Of course I'm glad she slept through the night, and I hope this continues a trend. I miss the nights when she was sleeping through regularly. But really? She couldn't have done that the night before? Or any time last week? Really? The night when we are going to get relief and have someone actually look forward to getting up with her, she sleeps through the night!
Luckily, MIL wants to be on duty again tonight. I actually do hope she sleeps through again, because I want her to sleep through every night. And it's nice to not even be worried about the monitor. If only they were staying with us longer than two nights...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
Yesterday evening, Londo called me up right as I was leaving work. The babysitter had left and he was watching the Pumpkin. And he told me the following story:
The Pumpkin walked over to the TV in the family room. She turned it on. Then, she turned on the DVD player. (The way the DVD player is set up, if you turn it off without stopping the DVD, it will start back up when you turn the DVD player back on, however you have to have the TV channel on the right "input.") Next, she started changing the channels until she got to the right input. In fact, Londo said she initially went past the right input but went back when she saw Baby Signing Times playing. Once she had it on the right channel, she stood back and watched her favorite DVD.
Isn't that amazing? I'm very impressed with my Supergenius's ability to figure all this out. Londo said she did it all very deliberately, and I believe it. There are a lot of specific steps you have to do to get the DVD to play, especially finding the right input channel. In fact, I'm not sure if my mom or my MIL could do it! But my 15 month old? No problem. Anything for Baby Signing Times.
But that's the part that scares me. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with her ability to put on the TV and her DVD any time she wants. That way lies addiction! Trust me, I know. We have really limited her TV so far, which has been easy because until recently she wouldn't sit still and watch anything for more than 5-10 minutes. But now she will sit there like a fidgety zombie and watch the whole DVD. Then want to watch it again.
I'm not against some TV. But I'm concerned about the amount and the programs she will be watching, especially at this young age. To be honest, I'm especially worried about the example that Londo and I set. I don't want the Pumpkin to feel the need to constantly have on the TV just to be background noise or a slight distraction (yes, Londo, that's your example). I don't want the Pumpkin to zone out when she's watching something so that she doesn't hear a word of what real life humans are saying to her (yes, that's totally me).
TV is a useful tool, both for teaching kids (with the right programs) and for giving Mama and Daddy a little (and much needed) break. But I want the ability to limit my child's use of the TV. I want to be (and want Londo to be) a good role model for my child's future TV-watching habits. I want TV to be a treat or a reward, not something that is always on and considered a prerogative.
At 15 months old, she already has the ability to turn the TV on, she's starting to tune in... I just worry about the third item in the Timothy Leary quote. Because it's never too soon to get that mommy guilt working!
Maybe instead I should be concentrating on how amazing she is with her ability to follow steps she sees and figure things out. She's really quite brillant, isn't she? She gets that from her parents, too. hehe.
The Pumpkin walked over to the TV in the family room. She turned it on. Then, she turned on the DVD player. (The way the DVD player is set up, if you turn it off without stopping the DVD, it will start back up when you turn the DVD player back on, however you have to have the TV channel on the right "input.") Next, she started changing the channels until she got to the right input. In fact, Londo said she initially went past the right input but went back when she saw Baby Signing Times playing. Once she had it on the right channel, she stood back and watched her favorite DVD.
Isn't that amazing? I'm very impressed with my Supergenius's ability to figure all this out. Londo said she did it all very deliberately, and I believe it. There are a lot of specific steps you have to do to get the DVD to play, especially finding the right input channel. In fact, I'm not sure if my mom or my MIL could do it! But my 15 month old? No problem. Anything for Baby Signing Times.
But that's the part that scares me. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with her ability to put on the TV and her DVD any time she wants. That way lies addiction! Trust me, I know. We have really limited her TV so far, which has been easy because until recently she wouldn't sit still and watch anything for more than 5-10 minutes. But now she will sit there like a fidgety zombie and watch the whole DVD. Then want to watch it again.
I'm not against some TV. But I'm concerned about the amount and the programs she will be watching, especially at this young age. To be honest, I'm especially worried about the example that Londo and I set. I don't want the Pumpkin to feel the need to constantly have on the TV just to be background noise or a slight distraction (yes, Londo, that's your example). I don't want the Pumpkin to zone out when she's watching something so that she doesn't hear a word of what real life humans are saying to her (yes, that's totally me).
TV is a useful tool, both for teaching kids (with the right programs) and for giving Mama and Daddy a little (and much needed) break. But I want the ability to limit my child's use of the TV. I want to be (and want Londo to be) a good role model for my child's future TV-watching habits. I want TV to be a treat or a reward, not something that is always on and considered a prerogative.
At 15 months old, she already has the ability to turn the TV on, she's starting to tune in... I just worry about the third item in the Timothy Leary quote. Because it's never too soon to get that mommy guilt working!
Maybe instead I should be concentrating on how amazing she is with her ability to follow steps she sees and figure things out. She's really quite brillant, isn't she? She gets that from her parents, too. hehe.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Oh No!
Heaven help me, the child has learned to say "No." Not just babble it or say in now and then, but respond with "No" for every. thing. you. tell/ask. her. She has also discovered that it is fun to run away when Mama or Daddy tells her to come. She's adorable and such a supergenius, but this defiant, indepence-asserting stage is no fun for us parents at all.
I just keep repeating to myself that it's just a phase... it's just a phase...
I just keep repeating to myself that it's just a phase... it's just a phase...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Question of the Week - I'd Rather Be...
Well, I'm back to work today. It's so hard to get back in the groove of things after being on vacation. Granted my vacation was exhausting, but it was still a break from work after two major deadlines. And it's hard to come back, wade through all the email and create a massive To Do list. But here I am, although I'd rather be elsewhere.
Which, of course, brings us to the Question of the Week:
Where would you rather be right now?
Is mine obvious? I'd rather be on a beach. But let me get a little more specific. I'd rather be laying on a Caribbean beach (second choice would be a Mediterranean beach in Italy), hot sun beating down on me with a few puffy white clouds to break up the heat, a nice salty breeze, a rum drink in my hand, palm trees nearby, husband hanging out nearby (he's not a lay-out-on-the-beach guy), with no toddler in sight. I love my toddler and love spending time with her, but right now, I'd rather be relaxing in my perfect place with no worries or cares at all.
How about you? What would your "I'd rather be..." bumper sticker say?
Which, of course, brings us to the Question of the Week:
Where would you rather be right now?
Is mine obvious? I'd rather be on a beach. But let me get a little more specific. I'd rather be laying on a Caribbean beach (second choice would be a Mediterranean beach in Italy), hot sun beating down on me with a few puffy white clouds to break up the heat, a nice salty breeze, a rum drink in my hand, palm trees nearby, husband hanging out nearby (he's not a lay-out-on-the-beach guy), with no toddler in sight. I love my toddler and love spending time with her, but right now, I'd rather be relaxing in my perfect place with no worries or cares at all.
How about you? What would your "I'd rather be..." bumper sticker say?
Sunday, June 8, 2008
My New Site!
I've been thinking about my TBR Challenge books and the reviews I've been doing for them. It seems to me that this blog isn't the place for them. So...
I've created a new blog called Cara Mama Reviews which will contain my reviews of books, recipes, TV shows, movies, and whatever else I feel like reviewing. Maybe no one will read it, but that's okay. I like doing the reviews and having a place to consolidate them.
I worked on it about a month ago, transferring over all my existing book reviews. Today, I wrote up my review for my TBR Challenge May book and I posted links to some good bread, pancake and low-sugar cake recipes. I hope you enjoy!
I've created a new blog called Cara Mama Reviews which will contain my reviews of books, recipes, TV shows, movies, and whatever else I feel like reviewing. Maybe no one will read it, but that's okay. I like doing the reviews and having a place to consolidate them.
I worked on it about a month ago, transferring over all my existing book reviews. Today, I wrote up my review for my TBR Challenge May book and I posted links to some good bread, pancake and low-sugar cake recipes. I hope you enjoy!
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