Mio carino figlio,
My darling little boy, you are growing so much. You are over 13 months and just as adorable as can be. You have your own personality and your own way and time table for doing things. I love to watch you develop and learn. I’m constantly amazed and delighted by the things you do.
One of my favorite things lately is how you talk to me, especially in the mornings after you are done nursing. You look up at me, your head still in the crook of my arm, and with your round eyes wide, you say, “ah do an doh na dah.” I respond, “Oh, is that right? What else?”
You continue to babble with the most earnest expression on your face! I continue to chat back with you until, inevitably, one of us breaks out into a smiling, causing the other one to smile and laugh back. Then, we usually start right back into the conversation.
Your teachers tell me that you talk with them and with the other kids, too. Your face serious and intent, your language (other than a few words) not yet understandable, you work hard to express yourself to those around you. We all love it when you talk to us, and we can’t wait to hear more.
Ti amo,
Mama
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Participate in a Breastfeeding Study
Calling all current and past breastfeeding moms! An online friend of mine, Stacy, is working on a study of the cultural differences in breastfeeding. Would you be willing to share some anecdotal stories? Go here for more information. If you are willing to participate, you can contact Stacy at stacyibclc@gmail.com.
That's all I've got for today. The Pumpkin and I are both home sick. Her fever is gone, but mine is still hanging around. How silly I am for thinking sicknesses would be confined to the wintertime. Why did no one warn me about "summer viruses"?
That's all I've got for today. The Pumpkin and I are both home sick. Her fever is gone, but mine is still hanging around. How silly I am for thinking sicknesses would be confined to the wintertime. Why did no one warn me about "summer viruses"?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Underwear at Night
At the risk of jinxing it, I'm going to post now about our recent nighttime potty training/learning. I'm going to skip the going-to-bed part of my nighttime stories, cause I'm not quite ready to write about what we are doing about bedtime yet. But there is more the nights than just bedtime...
The Pumpkin has been wearing pull-ups to bed for a long while now. The two weeks prior to this week, she was waking up with a dry diaper. Not only that, but she was actually using the potty and changing into underwear once she got up, instead of getting up and refusing the potty to just pee in her diaper as had happened previously.
Two weeks of not peeing in the pull-up seemed pretty consistent. So last weekend, we finally pulled the trigger, and she got to wear her underpants to bed! How exciting! What a big girl she is! You see how we talked it up. We'd even been telling her for months that at some point she would get to wear underpants to bed.
The weekend went great. She woke up dry, and we quickly took her to the potty once she came in our room. It was a smooth transition... which we of course did not expect to last forever. We knew that there would be middle-of-the-night bed wettings. It was just a matter of when.
Our first was Monday night. Remember, this was only the fourth night of underwear at night, so we didn't really have a middle-of-the-night plan of action. Or brain power.
The Pumpkin comes in our room just after 3 (3:04, for those who care), but stands in the doorway, upset but not really fussing. None of this is unusual, although she normally comes right in and into our bed. So Londo tells her to come on in to bed. She hesitates, but still doesn't speak. Again, not completely unusual. Londo encourages her to come on.
She climbs in bed, but just as she is lying down, I smell pee. As soon as I smell it, I realize the implication and grab her up, practically yelling, "I smell pee!"
Now she starts wailing and flailing, cause I was so smooth with pulling her out of our bed before she got pee on it and notifying Londo of the pee smell. Londo jumps out of bed, and we both remind her that she's wearing underwear and explain to her that she peed and we have to clean it up and get her in new underwear and PJs. She starts to calm down as I clean her up, and Londo gets the bed sheets off her bed and new undies and PJs.
As clean as I can get her with wet wipes and dry, Londo takes her back into bed while I run the peed on stuff down to the washing machine. There was a huge puddle of pee in her bed (thank goodness for waterproof mattress pads, am I right???) and all over her underwear and nightgown. She just peed it all out, as she would have in the diaper.
No harm done. Just disturbed sleep. (Oh, but I couldn't back to sleep for another 30 minutes, and then the Pookie woke up and I was up with him until 5:30!!! URG!) What's new in our house.
We talked about it on Tuesday, reminding her of what she should do in the middle of the night.
Tuesday night, she came into our room about 3:30. Londo and I now had a plan. If she wanted to come in our bed, she now has to use the potty before she does. So when she came in, Londo didn't think she was wet and told her she had to use the potty first. A little arguing, but she ended up going to the potty. But Londo realized that there was actually some pee in her underpants, though not on her nightgown. When I checked, there was also some pee in her bed too.
The good news was that it wasn't nearly as much as the night before. And she did go on the potty and had plenty to go. So she must have felt herself start to pee, stopped herself and then came into our room. I was taking that as a good sign!
Once changed into new undies and PJs, she went to bed with Londo. I put the sheets in the wash, and was able to get back to sleep pretty easily.
Last night, guess what? She came into our room about 2:30 and said, "Daddy! Daddy! I have got to go potty!" Londo took her to the potty, while I checked her bed.
DRY! Underwear, nightgown, sheets, everything! DRY!
And get this: After she used the potty and washed her hands, Londo said, "Okay, time to go back to bed." AND she went into HER room! She layed down in her bed and went back to sleep without anyone with her!
I'm really really hoping that things continue in this trend. I figure there will likely be more middle-of-the-night accidents, but she definitely does not seem to want to lie in it and is listening to her body! Huge wins, in my book! And at night in our house? I will take any win I can get!
The Pumpkin has been wearing pull-ups to bed for a long while now. The two weeks prior to this week, she was waking up with a dry diaper. Not only that, but she was actually using the potty and changing into underwear once she got up, instead of getting up and refusing the potty to just pee in her diaper as had happened previously.
Two weeks of not peeing in the pull-up seemed pretty consistent. So last weekend, we finally pulled the trigger, and she got to wear her underpants to bed! How exciting! What a big girl she is! You see how we talked it up. We'd even been telling her for months that at some point she would get to wear underpants to bed.
The weekend went great. She woke up dry, and we quickly took her to the potty once she came in our room. It was a smooth transition... which we of course did not expect to last forever. We knew that there would be middle-of-the-night bed wettings. It was just a matter of when.
Our first was Monday night. Remember, this was only the fourth night of underwear at night, so we didn't really have a middle-of-the-night plan of action. Or brain power.
The Pumpkin comes in our room just after 3 (3:04, for those who care), but stands in the doorway, upset but not really fussing. None of this is unusual, although she normally comes right in and into our bed. So Londo tells her to come on in to bed. She hesitates, but still doesn't speak. Again, not completely unusual. Londo encourages her to come on.
She climbs in bed, but just as she is lying down, I smell pee. As soon as I smell it, I realize the implication and grab her up, practically yelling, "I smell pee!"
Now she starts wailing and flailing, cause I was so smooth with pulling her out of our bed before she got pee on it and notifying Londo of the pee smell. Londo jumps out of bed, and we both remind her that she's wearing underwear and explain to her that she peed and we have to clean it up and get her in new underwear and PJs. She starts to calm down as I clean her up, and Londo gets the bed sheets off her bed and new undies and PJs.
As clean as I can get her with wet wipes and dry, Londo takes her back into bed while I run the peed on stuff down to the washing machine. There was a huge puddle of pee in her bed (thank goodness for waterproof mattress pads, am I right???) and all over her underwear and nightgown. She just peed it all out, as she would have in the diaper.
No harm done. Just disturbed sleep. (Oh, but I couldn't back to sleep for another 30 minutes, and then the Pookie woke up and I was up with him until 5:30!!! URG!) What's new in our house.
We talked about it on Tuesday, reminding her of what she should do in the middle of the night.
Tuesday night, she came into our room about 3:30. Londo and I now had a plan. If she wanted to come in our bed, she now has to use the potty before she does. So when she came in, Londo didn't think she was wet and told her she had to use the potty first. A little arguing, but she ended up going to the potty. But Londo realized that there was actually some pee in her underpants, though not on her nightgown. When I checked, there was also some pee in her bed too.
The good news was that it wasn't nearly as much as the night before. And she did go on the potty and had plenty to go. So she must have felt herself start to pee, stopped herself and then came into our room. I was taking that as a good sign!
Once changed into new undies and PJs, she went to bed with Londo. I put the sheets in the wash, and was able to get back to sleep pretty easily.
Last night, guess what? She came into our room about 2:30 and said, "Daddy! Daddy! I have got to go potty!" Londo took her to the potty, while I checked her bed.
DRY! Underwear, nightgown, sheets, everything! DRY!
And get this: After she used the potty and washed her hands, Londo said, "Okay, time to go back to bed." AND she went into HER room! She layed down in her bed and went back to sleep without anyone with her!
I'm really really hoping that things continue in this trend. I figure there will likely be more middle-of-the-night accidents, but she definitely does not seem to want to lie in it and is listening to her body! Huge wins, in my book! And at night in our house? I will take any win I can get!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
That Is One Mean Mommy
Sunday night, the Pumpkin and I were playing in her room with her dolls and dollhouse before bed. I was trying to get her to put the dolls to bed in the dollhouse and then go to bed herself. She was insisting the dolls weren't tired, and she wasn't either.
I had the "big sister" doll, and she had the "mommy" doll. This was the conversation the dolls had:
caramama as Big Sister Doll: Oh, Mommy. I'm so tired. I'm going to go up and go to bed now.
Pumpkin as Mommy Doll: No, you do not go to bed now.
caramama as Big Sister Doll: But I'm so tired. Can't I please go up and go to sleep?
Pumpkin as Mommy Doll: No, you cannot. If you go up, then a monster is going to get you and hurt you and eat you up! And you will be very sad!
caramama as herself, trying to stifle laughter: Oh, Pumpkin. Mommy's don't say that. Mommy's never say that to their kids!
Pumpkin as Mommy Doll: Yes I do! And the monster is big and scary and it will get you! So you better stay here with me.
I was really amused, and kind of horrified. So I quickly maneuvered the conversation down a different path. I don't even remember what exactly I said to get her off of that, but we soon were having the Big Sister Doll wash up for bed and the Mommy Doll read her books in bed, while I took over as Daddy Doll to put the Twin Babies Dolls to bed.
The next morning, she told the Pookie that he had to stay somewhere or a crocodile would get him. Yikes! Thankfully, he doesn't yet understand those words.
I had the "big sister" doll, and she had the "mommy" doll. This was the conversation the dolls had:
caramama as Big Sister Doll: Oh, Mommy. I'm so tired. I'm going to go up and go to bed now.
Pumpkin as Mommy Doll: No, you do not go to bed now.
caramama as Big Sister Doll: But I'm so tired. Can't I please go up and go to sleep?
Pumpkin as Mommy Doll: No, you cannot. If you go up, then a monster is going to get you and hurt you and eat you up! And you will be very sad!
caramama as herself, trying to stifle laughter: Oh, Pumpkin. Mommy's don't say that. Mommy's never say that to their kids!
Pumpkin as Mommy Doll: Yes I do! And the monster is big and scary and it will get you! So you better stay here with me.
I was really amused, and kind of horrified. So I quickly maneuvered the conversation down a different path. I don't even remember what exactly I said to get her off of that, but we soon were having the Big Sister Doll wash up for bed and the Mommy Doll read her books in bed, while I took over as Daddy Doll to put the Twin Babies Dolls to bed.
The next morning, she told the Pookie that he had to stay somewhere or a crocodile would get him. Yikes! Thankfully, he doesn't yet understand those words.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Oceans of Time
I watch my daughter run
in the surf, the waves
chasing her up the gentle
slope, wet sand clinging
to her legs, curls bouncing
behind her head, laughing
with every step. I watch
her, I see myself.
I look out at the ocean
stretched over the edge
of the horizon. The sun
sparkles on the water,
reflects its light and heat.
I hold my son against my hip,
I feel his weight and warmth.
I recall holding my daughter
on the same beach, in the same
sling. In another year,
he will be running along
side his sister, building
sand castles, searching for
seashells, discovering the
rhythms of the sea.
My mother held me on her hip
as a babe, looking out at
the endless expanse of ocean,
sand hot beneath her feet. I
ran with wet legs, sandy feet,
bouncing curls through the surf,
away from the waves. I played
on the beach and in the waves
with my sister and brother.
When I got older, I laid out
on towels, tanning in the sun,
chatting with friends and family.
Time stretches forward and
backward. My past mingles with
my present, with my future,
with my children's futures.
Like the tides, we will recede
from the beach and advance
again later. Like the ocean,
we are always changing,
continuously aging, yet
remaining overall the same.
The ebb and flow continues
in the timeline of my mind.
I watch my mother, I see
myself. One day I will be
relaxing in a beach chair,
reading a novel, helping
my children with their children,
participating in the vacation
as the grandma. I hold the past
and future in my mind like
snapshots in seashell-edged frames.
in the surf, the waves
chasing her up the gentle
slope, wet sand clinging
to her legs, curls bouncing
behind her head, laughing
with every step. I watch
her, I see myself.
I look out at the ocean
stretched over the edge
of the horizon. The sun
sparkles on the water,
reflects its light and heat.
I hold my son against my hip,
I feel his weight and warmth.
I recall holding my daughter
on the same beach, in the same
sling. In another year,
he will be running along
side his sister, building
sand castles, searching for
seashells, discovering the
rhythms of the sea.
My mother held me on her hip
as a babe, looking out at
the endless expanse of ocean,
sand hot beneath her feet. I
ran with wet legs, sandy feet,
bouncing curls through the surf,
away from the waves. I played
on the beach and in the waves
with my sister and brother.
When I got older, I laid out
on towels, tanning in the sun,
chatting with friends and family.
Time stretches forward and
backward. My past mingles with
my present, with my future,
with my children's futures.
Like the tides, we will recede
from the beach and advance
again later. Like the ocean,
we are always changing,
continuously aging, yet
remaining overall the same.
The ebb and flow continues
in the timeline of my mind.
I watch my mother, I see
myself. One day I will be
relaxing in a beach chair,
reading a novel, helping
my children with their children,
participating in the vacation
as the grandma. I hold the past
and future in my mind like
snapshots in seashell-edged frames.
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