It's been over 19 months. 19 months of putting the Pumpkin to bed. 19 months of rocking and pacing and rocking and pacing--and from birth to 17 months, it was almost always me and there was also a lot of nursing. Over the last few weeks, Londo and I take turns putting her to bed (and then the other one is on night shift, which almost always lately includes getting up with her, rocking her back to sleep, and cosleeping with her till morning).
As I've said many many MANY times, the Pumpkin is not a good sleeper. She is not good at self soothing, falling asleep or falling back asleep. Sometimes, she goes through phases where she falls right asleep nursing or with a bottle. Sometimes she is exceptionally easy to put down to sleep. Sometimes, she is near impossible to put down, waking up from even a deep sleep every time we lean over to put her in her crib, clinging to us and cry for us to pick her up. It doesn't matter if it's Londo or me putting her down, some nights she just doesn't. want. down.
Generally, it takes us an hour or so to put her down to sleep. And she must be COMPLETELY asleep, or she will just stand up immediately and start crying for us, which leads to the screaming and sobbing, from which she just does not settle down. During that hour, we give her a bottle while rocking her (and I sing our lullaby), then we keep rocking her or pace the floor while holding her until she falls into a deep enough sleep that we can put her down.
19 months of this or similar. It's been a long time, and Londo and I are so tired of it. I know that she won't always need us to rock her to sleep, but for right now, she can't seem to go to sleep any other way, although we really have tried many other ways. I know that this is a short time period in the grand scheme of things, but it's just getting really old. I love her and I'll do what she needs, I just wish she didn't need it.
Ah, my internet friend. You were great about sharing in my toddler tantrum misery. Now I need to ask...
How do you get your child to sleep?
Please include their age, too. I'm looking for hope for the future, co-miseration of the present, and complete jealousy of those of you have it pretty easy. Like my IRL good friend who told me yesterday after dinner about how she puts her Monkey to sleep. I'm so jealous! And happy for her, of course.
How about you? Is it hard or easy? How old are they? And when does it get easier?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Cara Figlia - Toddler Tantrums
Cara figlia,
I love you so much, and you are wonderful, smart, creative and cuddly. But what is with the toddler tantrums? You are giving us a nice mix of the following:
-You want to do it yourself and don't want help, but you can't quite do it yourself so you freak out.
-You aren't comfortable but you are really tired and you don't know what is wrong but you are going to scream about it (we had this again last night).
-You want Mama or Daddy and only that person, but the other person is the one who comes to get you so you flip out. (In fact, you are downstairs yelling for me right now, but I really really need a break!)
-And my latest favorite, you want only the few things that your Daddy and I don't want you to have our do, and when we won't let you have it/do it, you throw a tantrum.
I knew this was coming and had lots of warning about the tough toddler years. But yeowza, this is hard! You are hard! I know it's a phase that you will get through. But then you will be in another phase (probably the terrible twos, oh joy), and then another.
Just remember, I'm only joking when I say we are going to sell you to the gypsies. I hear we can get a much better deal on eBay!
Ti amo,
Mama
I love you so much, and you are wonderful, smart, creative and cuddly. But what is with the toddler tantrums? You are giving us a nice mix of the following:
-You want to do it yourself and don't want help, but you can't quite do it yourself so you freak out.
-You aren't comfortable but you are really tired and you don't know what is wrong but you are going to scream about it (we had this again last night).
-You want Mama or Daddy and only that person, but the other person is the one who comes to get you so you flip out. (In fact, you are downstairs yelling for me right now, but I really really need a break!)
-And my latest favorite, you want only the few things that your Daddy and I don't want you to have our do, and when we won't let you have it/do it, you throw a tantrum.
I knew this was coming and had lots of warning about the tough toddler years. But yeowza, this is hard! You are hard! I know it's a phase that you will get through. But then you will be in another phase (probably the terrible twos, oh joy), and then another.
Just remember, I'm only joking when I say we are going to sell you to the gypsies. I hear we can get a much better deal on eBay!
Ti amo,
Mama
Friday, October 17, 2008
No Halloween Partying This Year
Unfortunately, we have had to cancel our Halloween party this year. Londo and I have an annual Halloween party that we've been having since 2000. I don't think we've missed a year... until now.
But I've just been so busy with one deadline after another at work, with the Pumpkin going through her toddler phase plus being sick, many rough nights (when will it end???), and of course all the fertility stuff. I simply haven't been able to do anything for the party, and Londo can do only so much. It's usually just starting to get tough this time of year for me, with the onset of fall affecting my Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I'm usually able to get some basic party planning done. I just wasn't this year.
So Londo and I talked about it, and then when my mom said she couldn't babysit for the Pumpkin, we just decided to scrap it. One year off due to too many factors taking our time.
For those of you who usually come, I'm sorry. For me, I'm sorry because Halloween is my favorite holiday and I LOVE our annual party!
Next year, I will do better and we'll have everything lined up and ready to go! I'm sure of it!
But I've just been so busy with one deadline after another at work, with the Pumpkin going through her toddler phase plus being sick, many rough nights (when will it end???), and of course all the fertility stuff. I simply haven't been able to do anything for the party, and Londo can do only so much. It's usually just starting to get tough this time of year for me, with the onset of fall affecting my Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I'm usually able to get some basic party planning done. I just wasn't this year.
So Londo and I talked about it, and then when my mom said she couldn't babysit for the Pumpkin, we just decided to scrap it. One year off due to too many factors taking our time.
For those of you who usually come, I'm sorry. For me, I'm sorry because Halloween is my favorite holiday and I LOVE our annual party!
Next year, I will do better and we'll have everything lined up and ready to go! I'm sure of it!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Fun at DC BlogHer!
I'm so excited that BlogHer did their Reach Out Tour and came to DC. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet other bloggers and sit in on seminars about blogging. Networking and learning. What more could a blogger geek want?
At the networking breakfast, I met up with Colleen. Shortly after, she introduced me to ClumberKim, who'd I'd seen comment on other blogs I read so it was nice to meet her. I also saw another blogger who I went to high school with and other bloggers who I had met at a bloggers cocktail a month or two ago. Throughout the day, I met many new bloggers, including a brief conversation with Goon Squad Sarah, who was really nice and funny.
As for the sessions, they had two tracks, one for Blogging Basics and the other was all about online community building. You can read the summaries of the sessions by clicking here and clicking the one you are interested in. I went to Online community building as natural promotional tool, Online community building for a cause, and Blogging Basics: Managing information overload.
My only issue with the whole Reach Out Tour in DC--and this is MY issue, not an issue with BlogHer at all--is that there could be only two tracks, and since we are in DC, the track not about Blogging Basics really focused on causes and political action. This makes total sense for the DC area. I just happen to be one of the few people in this area that does not blog for a cause and does not get into politics. And yet, I wasn't really in need of most of the basic blogging tips. But again, this was my very small issue and I knew it when I signed up.
I still learned a lot, discovered some interesting new bloggers, mommybloggers, and blogs for causes I care about. I got some cool swag, good food and great converstations. I got some great tips for dealing with all the information that is coming in to me, and that I am seeking out. I also have some great new ideas for updating my blog. If only I can implement some tips in order to find the time to do it...
All in all, I had a great time and am only sorry that I got to tired to stay to the bitter end of the cocktail hour(s). I am really looking forward to going to another BlogHer conference. But like Colleen says, next time I do anything blogger related, I need to make business cards with my blogs on them so I can hand them out. I think I was one of the few without a card.
At the networking breakfast, I met up with Colleen. Shortly after, she introduced me to ClumberKim, who'd I'd seen comment on other blogs I read so it was nice to meet her. I also saw another blogger who I went to high school with and other bloggers who I had met at a bloggers cocktail a month or two ago. Throughout the day, I met many new bloggers, including a brief conversation with Goon Squad Sarah, who was really nice and funny.
As for the sessions, they had two tracks, one for Blogging Basics and the other was all about online community building. You can read the summaries of the sessions by clicking here and clicking the one you are interested in. I went to Online community building as natural promotional tool, Online community building for a cause, and Blogging Basics: Managing information overload.
My only issue with the whole Reach Out Tour in DC--and this is MY issue, not an issue with BlogHer at all--is that there could be only two tracks, and since we are in DC, the track not about Blogging Basics really focused on causes and political action. This makes total sense for the DC area. I just happen to be one of the few people in this area that does not blog for a cause and does not get into politics. And yet, I wasn't really in need of most of the basic blogging tips. But again, this was my very small issue and I knew it when I signed up.
I still learned a lot, discovered some interesting new bloggers, mommybloggers, and blogs for causes I care about. I got some cool swag, good food and great converstations. I got some great tips for dealing with all the information that is coming in to me, and that I am seeking out. I also have some great new ideas for updating my blog. If only I can implement some tips in order to find the time to do it...
All in all, I had a great time and am only sorry that I got to tired to stay to the bitter end of the cocktail hour(s). I am really looking forward to going to another BlogHer conference. But like Colleen says, next time I do anything blogger related, I need to make business cards with my blogs on them so I can hand them out. I think I was one of the few without a card.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Question of the Week - Learning Languages
I spent all day today at the DC BlogHer conference, which was totally awesome! I will blog all about it after I've had some time to let it sink in.
I have had the pleasure of viewing, and reviewing on my review blog, Baby Signing Time Volume 3 and Volume 4! I couldn't be more excited about these DVDs, and if you are at all interested, please check out my review and the DVDs.
Teaching babies and toddlers to sign is really teaching them another language, as well as providing them another form of communication to ease up on their (and the parents') frustrations. I think it's so important to teach kids how to communicate, especially in more than one language. If you start teaching another language at a young age, they are more likely to pick up language even as they get older. And in today's globalized world, that is an increasingly important skill.
Which is why this week's question is:
If you could teach your child to be fluent (or you yourself be fluent) in any language, what would it be?
Is it obvious from my blog that I would love for the Pumpkin to learn italian and that I wish I was still fluent in it? I have bought board books in italian, which I read to the Pumpkin so she can hear the words and I can brush up on the language I love so much. I hope to do more with her as the years go on. I think it would be especially neat to be able to talk to my child and future children in a language that not everyone around us understands... even if spanish might be more useful in this country.
A close second for me is sign language. I would love for the Pumpkin and myself to be fluent in sign language. I have such respect for the language and form of communication. We are well on our way, thanks to Baby Signing Time and other resources, such as the ASL browser.
How about you? I know a few of you already so speak other languages with your children, either because you live in other countries or are fluent in other languages. Which are they and why are you glad you are teaching your children those languages? And what about those of you who speak only english? Do you wish you and/or your children could speak other languages?
I have had the pleasure of viewing, and reviewing on my review blog, Baby Signing Time Volume 3 and Volume 4! I couldn't be more excited about these DVDs, and if you are at all interested, please check out my review and the DVDs.
Teaching babies and toddlers to sign is really teaching them another language, as well as providing them another form of communication to ease up on their (and the parents') frustrations. I think it's so important to teach kids how to communicate, especially in more than one language. If you start teaching another language at a young age, they are more likely to pick up language even as they get older. And in today's globalized world, that is an increasingly important skill.
Which is why this week's question is:
If you could teach your child to be fluent (or you yourself be fluent) in any language, what would it be?
Is it obvious from my blog that I would love for the Pumpkin to learn italian and that I wish I was still fluent in it? I have bought board books in italian, which I read to the Pumpkin so she can hear the words and I can brush up on the language I love so much. I hope to do more with her as the years go on. I think it would be especially neat to be able to talk to my child and future children in a language that not everyone around us understands... even if spanish might be more useful in this country.
A close second for me is sign language. I would love for the Pumpkin and myself to be fluent in sign language. I have such respect for the language and form of communication. We are well on our way, thanks to Baby Signing Time and other resources, such as the ASL browser.
How about you? I know a few of you already so speak other languages with your children, either because you live in other countries or are fluent in other languages. Which are they and why are you glad you are teaching your children those languages? And what about those of you who speak only english? Do you wish you and/or your children could speak other languages?
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