NAPS

Naps
I guess naps were never discussed in the "So you want to have a baby" classes Jeff and I took when I was pregnant. If they were, I may not have so many questions about naps. Do we skip the morning nap, do I force the afternoon nap, should I drive 50 miles out of my way so the baby can sleep - this question is usually asked about 10 minutes from out destination.

Arwen has friends her age that don't take a morning nap. And it would seem that we'll never see them as long as we stay on this current schedule. Arwen likes to wake up at 6am. Her friends sleep until 8am or longer. By the time they are getting ready for the day, Arwen is waving to everything in the house. She does this wave thing to let me know that she's ready to sleep. This way neither of us has to actually say the word nap or the word sleep.

I thought at first that maybe I needed to work on getting her some new friends that she would stay awake to see. But everyday I watch her stare out the dining room window and say these words "Jack, Joe, Jack, Jackie!!", as she look at Jackson and Joseph's house. So I am now sure that her friends fall far above the acceptable line, and I have decided that she just wakes up too early to keep up with her friends.

Which in the end is good, because who has time to get new friends!

She did it!

I left Arwen naked for about an hour and a half tonight and put her on the potty every 20 minuted or so. Just when I was doing the last potty trip and about to put her in her diaper and PJs. she peed on the potty!

She got so excited, I was so happy and excited for her - then she cried. She skipped a nap today and was ready for bed at 7pm, but I kept her going. I think once she knew we were putting on jammies, she was ready to show just how worn out she was.

I hope I can keep going. I know peeing on the potty the first time isn't a big deal, and I know after 1.5 hours, she was ready and would have done it on the floor or wherever she was at the moment, but I am excited for her!

Arwen potty training day 1

Potty Time Day 1
Arwen has been talking about her poop for quite some time now, so back in December I decided to buy her a Royal Potty. As soon as I sat her on it she cried. Santa was on his way, so we decided to give her a break with the potty and wait until after the new year to introduce it to her. For a few weeks I asked her about her potty, she'd get real excited and run over to it, put one foot in the bowl and stand in it. This isn't going to be easy, is it?

Time for another try. I start by telling her when I am going to the potty. I sang songs, I did the potty dance and get her attention enough to come into the bathroom with me when I went. Once she was in the bathroom, it became a different story. Suddenly, the cat food or the tower of toilet paper was more exciting than watching Mommy pee.

So I decided I would wake up bright and early today, get showered before she woke up and the moment I heard her awake, I would begin Operation Potty. I bought a training seat to go over the toilet in her room since the Royal Potty is only good for standing. Promptly at 6am, my alarm clock went off and then again at 6:07am...like clockwork. And like a woman that hasn't depended on an alarm clock in almost 2 years, I rolled over again telling myself five more minutes never hurt anyone. Somewhere around 6:30am, I heard Arwen playing. I had two options. Get up, shower and just let her pee in her diaper, or get her up, and sit her on the potty with both of us only half awake. I opted to wait until I had at least one cup of coffee and she was a bit happier.

Somewhere around 9am, I was feeling a bit awake and had to pee a bit myself, so we came up stairs and talked about the potty. I asked her if she had to pee in the potty. And she emphatically said "YES!"

Well, this is going to be easier than I thought. So I brought her favorite potty book into the bathroom, took her sleeper and diaper off and sat her on the potty. She didn't try to put her foot in it and stand up, but she did want "Down-da" a few times before she got really comfortable. I read "The New Potty" to her about five times and then asked if she needed to pee in the potty. Again a very
enthusiastic "Yes!"

Now she was reading the book and I was telling a story about a little girl names Arwen that relaxed, read a book and then peed on the potty. A couple of minutes later, she was ready to get down. When I asked if she needed to pee on the potty, she said "no"

I'm not going to push it and at this point I was hoping for a bit more coffee. Note to self, bring more than one book into the bathroom with you next time.

So she goes down for a nap. And when she wakes up, I rush into her room, thinking I will strip her down, put her on the potty and she will pee!
As soon as I picked her up, I felt the warmth spreading across her diaper. Too late. Off to lunch.

In the afternoon, I reintroduced her to the Royal Potty. Every time she stepped in it and stood there like king of the throne, I picked her up and played a game called let's sit on the potty. I kept her naked for about an hour and decided that it might be best to go back upstairs where the potty is on the toilet. She can't climb that and seems to enjoy sitting on it.

Upstairs, she sat on the potty, we read a book, played with a duck and she told me YES a few times when I asked if she needed to pee and then she wanted her milk. Immediately thoughts of liquid producing pee ran through my head. "Let's go get your milk," I said; and off we went. I was going to give her about ten minutes of holding her milk cup, drinking it and playing before I asked the question again. A few more sips and the question would be flying out of my mouth.

That's when Arwen said "Pee pee potty!" and peed on my bedroom floor!

We got dressed and went on a few errands. There will be a day two!

Words should be taught by children
Why bother teaching children the proper way of saying a word. Personally, I'd prefer to wake up in the morning and have a big cup of "fawkey" to wake me up before I start the day. Arwen is starting to put real words into sentences now, but I miss the days, you know last month, when potatoes were "Toe Pees" and coffee was "fawkey".

She still says down-da when she no longer wants to be in her highchair and she says climb when she wants me to pick her up, but lately her cutest thing is saying
"Ein tine" when you draw a picture of a face with hair sticking straight up. This of course is from the Baby Einstein videos. I wonder if she will be disappointed when she discovers Einstein was not just a stick figure's face on a children's video.

So I say grab a cup of fawkey and learn a few things from your children for a change.

Mommy = Barbie

Mommy = Barbie
I am so flattered. Arwen has on three different occasions pointed to a picture of Barbie and said Mommy.

She did it one day last week when we were at Kohl's. I was looking at Hallmark ornaments and there was a box of wrapping paper sitting at her eye level. She kept pointing and saying Mommy Mommy Mommy. Not trying to get my attention, but matter of fact like. As we left I asked what she was looking at and she said Mommy again. I looked and it was Barbie wrapping paper.

Then she did it at Michaels when we were standing in line. There were stickers of Dora (who she knows) and Barbie at the counter. She pointed to the blonde Babrie and said Mommy and the brunette Babrie and said doll.

Yesterday she said it again, so I starting to feel a little flattered that my daughter thinks I am Barbie. One day she'll know the truth....for now I'll let her believe in Santa Claus too.

Stephanie

'Mommy Poopy'

Thursday, November 10, 2005
"Mommy Poopy"
I have been trying to get Arwen to nap now for about 30 minutes. We did our usual routine. We read three books, drank some milk and sang two songs.

I laid her down and she just played. I could hear her saying things like Mommy over and over and apple and flower and Bunny, but I just left her alone.

After 30 minutes, I went in to check on her and as I walked in she said "Mommy Poopy"

Sure enough, she had a poopy diaper. And now after a change and two more songs, she is sleeping.

I think that's the first time she's said poopy!

So cute
Stephanie

ABCs

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Arwen now knows the entire alphabet! She started learning in back in August and now I am so proud to say she knows the whole thing. It's become a game now to draw letters on the magna doodle and have her say what letter it is. I have to say Dubba (W) is my favorite letter to hear her repeat.

It's amazing every day there is something brand new.
Proud mom signing off...

I didn't plan to ruin your day...

You are sick. You have a little cold. You're not feeling well and you are rather clingy, but I had no idea that it would be me that would ultimately be the demise of your whole day. All I wanted to do was check my email and let you play for 15 minutes before I put you down for a nap. You said, no! So I held you in my lap at the computer and we listened to James Blunt's You're Beautiful and of course one round of Victor Vito . You grabbed a roll of smarties I had sitting on the desk. Hey, it is just after Halloween and I have candy laying around. When our songs were over, and you had rubbed your eyes for the 10 time in 30 seconds, I said let's get your milk and go read a book.

But I knew I had to get the Smarties out of your tiny little hand first. So I tried. I told you that I would open it and we could share a smartie. I took it out of your hand.

You screamed.

I opened it and bit one in half. You screamed more.

I put the other half in your open screaming mouth.

You never noticed it was there. You're hysterical by now.

I give up, what to do? We go to you room and I try to read you books.

You screamed more. I put you on the floor.

Silence. I think you are starting to taste the candy in your mouth. You took a walk to your closet, looked at your crib, said Bunny and then came back to me and lifted your little arms up.

We can read and nap now, the world has not ended just yet.

Mommy

I am NOT Daddy!

I will never be as strong as Daddy, I will never be as tall as Daddy, and I (hope) I will never have whiskers like Daddy.

Every night before bed this past week when Jeff was home, he and Arwen would lay on the floor and play. All he had to do was rub his face on her neck and she would bellow the best belly laugh I've ever heard. It was so fun to watch and hear.

Jeff left yesterday for another airplane after being home for 10 days, so I'm back to life. I laid on the floor before bedtime and tried to tickle Arwen. I got a giggle and she got the hiccups, but I don't think I am as exciting as Daddy is.

I just don't have the Daddy stuff.

Stephanie

Lessons from a parent

Lessons from a parent are priceless, so I will begin with a lesson in baby illness. Since BC is down for a while and Arwen is moaning in her crib somewhere between I am sleepy and I'm about to cry because Mommy's voice is so beautiful, I'd love another song, I am in limbo at the computer as is usual this time of night.

She picked up a cold from a friend's kids. I can't blame the kids and I can't blame the friend because she helped me when I needed it most. She took Arwen while I was in surgery on Wednesday and she told me "The boys have snotty noses" My response was something like "Oh, I need your help more than I am worried about a little cold being passed around" My mind was saying something like, Hey, she's 15 months old....That's almost 16 months....she's invincible. A little cold can't touch her! So here we are with Tylenol and Simply Stuffy and Little Colds medicine on every flat surface in the house. There may even be an empty in her crib because she likes to play doctor and distribute cold medicine to her bunnies. You should see them on Simply Stuffy. They go wild. Arwen on the other hand just moans until she's moans herself right to sleep.

Tonight's lesson has little or nothing to do with medicine, but more to do with food versus the care of your child. I had surgery on Wednesday and I wanted a big (Very well done) steak, a little salad and a nice salty baked potato. After surgery, all I could have was soup. So we waited until tonight to fill my desire of red meat. Arwen took a good morning nap and a nice long afternoon nap. So I thought, let's go out to eat a big fat steak. (all though I usually get the little skinny ones, especially since I like them well done. There doesn't ever seem to be much meat once you sear it all away)So we put Arwen's new fleece on her which is way too big because she doesn't like to eat like we do. We put her new little furry hat on her head, she does have a cold afterall, didn't your mother tell you to wear a hat or you'll catch a cold. Why didn't our mothers know better? Anyway, in honor of grandmothers everywhere, we put a hat on her head. And she kept it on until we took it off at the restaurant. There's a surprise around every corner with her.We waited our 10 minutes, but my watch argued that it was closer to 30 minutes.

We were seated, got Arwen's nifty booster/high chair set up and gave her goldfish to eat while we waited. Jeff, thinking ahead, brought the DVD player to keep her entertained. It's a trick that we learned from other parents. You want to sit in a restaurant and enjoy a meal, the atmosphere, wall art, company, whatever, bring something for your kids to do. This is really why Baby Einstein was created. Sure Julie may not have known that when she created it, sure she says it's a tool to help parents interact with their children and help them learn, but we all known it's really so we can get stuff done while they learn by watching things flutter across a 7 inch screen. Me, not thinking ahead, hadn't charged the DVD player since I last used it on an airplane....hhmmmm, back in July. So we break out the childrens menu and the 3 crayons they supply. Arwen must be very hungry because she keeps trying to eat them, but I tell her no and she shakes her head no. Eat goldfish instead.

Ah, the waiter. I put Arwen's order in first so it will come when it's ready and not when my meat has been butterfly and seared to it's death. Grilled cheese and mashed potatoes for the little one, please. She seems pleased at Mommy's choice until it actually arrives. The mashed potatoes are really potato flavored garlic. What kid likes that? She won't touch the grilled cheese because it has Kraft American cheese product on it and not real cheese. Plus it came with pickles on top that she just didn't know what to think of.Now is the moment for tears. I take her out of the chair, hold her while I eat my salad. Jeff takes her from me holds her while he eats his salad. He is successful at giving her little pieces of bread, but nothing else. When our meal comes, my well done steak is pink through and through, Arwen is fussing and not eating anything. I asked the waiter for the mac and cheese from the children's menu. Probably should have gone that route anyway. Sure, no problem, be right out, he says. I wonder if mac and cheese being the savior of most days will help to entice her back into her chair so Jeff and I can eat. Jeff eats while I hold her and make her angry by offering her some of my baked potato. The mac and cheese arrives. Now I know that kids of many ages eat from this childrens menu, but I also know that though Kraft cheese product is not good on bread, it is good in a powder on top if macaroni noodles with a little milk...especially if you are one the eats from a children's menu. And we're not at The Olive Garden. They bring out a huge bowl...one Arwen could have bathed in...of penne pasta with melted cheese. What kid likes that?Not Arwen.

But this is not just she doesn't like what's offered on the menu. This is that pesky little cold. When was the last time you let some one drag you out on a Saturday night to a busy restaurant and tried to force feed you when all you really wanted to do want stay home, cuddle on the couch with your bunny and a blanket and go to bed early. I've had nights like that substituting a good book or movie for bunny, and I just say no to those people that try to drag me out.So the guilt started hitting me. I told Jeff, "We can't eat. She's hot, runny nose, doesn't feel well and doesn't want to eat. We shouldn't have come, We have to go home now." I don't think I gave him a second to respond before I was up getting her coat on. Jeff is a wonderful man and a wonderful husband. He knows when to put me in my place and when to quietly pack up, ask for to go boxes and pay the bill. Arwen was crying, so I took her out to the car. Jeff got the food, and even a bonus order of coconut shrimp from someone else's plate....gross, and paid the bill, brought the highchair, diaper bag and DVD player all out to the car. He's a great husband. So why did some asshole have to ruin his evening more by saying some stupid comment to him about pissing the wife off so much the she left? I wanted to go back and kick him in the teeth. I whisked our child out of their to keep from upsetting her and the other patrons more, my husband was left with the food, the bill, the stuff...you parents know about the stuff, and asshole at the next table. Jeff helped more that I did. I took the easy road and jerkoff had to ruin it Jeff who was the cavalier left standing.

Anyway, lesson learned. You spend you entire day peeing when it's convenient for your children. Eating when they will allow you, waking when they do, showering when they're sleeping, basically living your life around them and their schedule. When they are sick, this applies even more. Now is not the time to think of yourself and what you would like to have, but it's time instead to sit on the couch with them and their bunny and blanket and repeat everything you see on a Baby Einstein video in effort to get one more learning session in before bedtime. And it's Ok to skip dinner when they don't feel well. Trying to force feed them will only make it worse. Once she wouldn't eat a cookie, I knew there would be no food in her tummy tonight. And I guess that's better than cleaning up puke in the middle of the night because she ate when she didn't want to.

Lesson learned.
Stephanie