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Well, Lily has been using the potty off and on for a couple of weeks now and things are looking good. Three weeks ago, I sent her to daycare in underwear and there were a couple of bad incidents. She was holding her pee in and only letting out a couple of drops on the potty (I have no idea how), then she peed from one end of the classroom to the other. Ms. Robin and the director Ms. Peggy decided for "sanitary reasons" to put her in a pull-up, which was fine with me - I felt really bad. Ms. Robin was really great about it, though, she just said Lily is learning and she will get there. Then, this past week, Lily asked to go potty and when Ms. Robin took her and pulled down the pull-up, Lily peed on Ms. Robin. Again, Ms. Robin was very nice about it.
Wednesday night Lily peed on the potty at home, but I knew she also had to poop. She refused to poop on the potty so I put her to bed in a diaper. 15 minutes later when I checked on her, the diaper was full of poop - way full. I don't even know how she did that laying down - she must have really had to go.
Friday night Alan took her to the potty after she asked to go. After a while they came out and she told me she'd pooped on the potty. I gave her big hugs and praise and she seemed happy with herself. Her potty chart is racking up the Mickey's. Alan said she peed, and then he knew she needed to poop. So, he asked her if she needed "just a minute," and she said yes. She will often say "Give me just a minute" or "I need a minute" while she is pooping. It worked, and Friday, October 19 was the first time Lily pooped in the potty.
Yesterday was good as well. We left the house about noon, drove down the Parkway to look at the leaves (which were amazingly gorgeous), and went the long way to Banner Elk to go to the Woolly Worm Festival. Lily was wearing a pull-up and fell asleep in the car for about an hour. The festival was fun - We had a mini-race with our worm "Tinka" which Lily won. We looked at all the crafts and Lily made a candle. We got her a tye-dyed happy face shirt. Then, we went to lunch at the Lodge. By now it was 4:00. She asked to go potty so I took her. Not only did she pee in the potty, but her pull-up was dry! I was very impressed.
When we came home, it stayed dry through the evening. She asked to potty 2 more times and went both of those. I put her in a diaper last night and when we woke up, it was very wet. That's ok, I know the nights will come. I'm just glad we're having success with the days. |
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and I think I really am ok. It's been seven days since she nursed for the last time - which I tried to soak in as much as I could.
She's asked for it a few of times this week, and I'll redirect or simply say, we don't do that anymore. She's been mostly fine with that response, except for once I made the mistake of saying "you're a big girl now, we don't do that anymore." and she totally lost it screaming about how she doesn't want to be 3, and she is still a baby.
One night, when I was getting her ready for bed, she put her hands in my shirt and said playfully "I'm touching your 'ungy'", I said ok. Then she lifted my shirt and petted one and rested her cheek on it. Then put her face between them and hugged me. I think she's pretty much ok with weaning as well, as long as the "ungy" is still there and can provide a different kind of comfort.
There's been lots of cuddles and hugs and spooning in the bed this week - which has been a whole different kind of wonderful.
I can't really say 3 years was my goal, it just worked out this way, this was what she needed to do. |
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Today I told Lily we wouldn't have ungy at night anymore. After seeing the dentist yesterday and learning that she had 4 cavities on 3 teeth, and thinking that night nursing may be at least partly responsible, and the fact that she is almost 3 years old and has never slept through the night, I figured it was time to stop night nursing.
She seemed ok with that decision. Then, this evening, she told me and Alan that she wanted to sleep in her room, in her bed. She has always slept in our room, mostly in our bed. So, this was a bit of a shock.
Right after bath and getting pj's on, she said she wanted to sleep in our bed. As Alan carried her to our room she said "I want to have ungy" I told her "no, remember we said no more ungy at night." THen she said "I want to sleep in my room"
So I took her to her bed, laid down with her and rubbed her back, and 4 minutes later she was fast asleep.
I'm not really sure what just happened there.
I expect she'll come join us in our room by midnight, but you never know. This may be the first step on a new road. |
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There is a song I sing a lot to Lily, it's called Where is Daddy (to the tune of Frere Jacques)
Where is Daddy?
Where is Daddy?
Where did he go?
I don't know
Gosh I hope we find him
I really hope we find him
Where did he go?
I don't know
And we can sing it looking for anything - Mommy, Ariel, princess juice, Blanket - it works for everything. The other day we were on the front porch waiting for Alan to come home and I heard her muttering and saying stuff to herself when I realized - she's singing the song all by herself. It's so cute because she messes it up a little and for "gosh" she says "gsh" and leaves some lines out or repeats others over and over.
Another song I've started singing to her is from the straight to DVD Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea. It's a song Ariel sings to her daughter, Melody.
You are my world, my darling
What a wonderful world I see
You are the song I'm singing
You're my beautiful (Melody) Lily
And she is. |
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Breastfeeding was so hard in those first few weeks, and I was so stubborn about doing it. I endured pain, nipple shields, bleeding, more pain, and lots of frustration. Well, fast forward 2 years and we are still nursing.
Lily nurses a lot, actually. I know that has to do with the fact that I don't work in the summer. She nurses several times a day including a marathon in the late afternoon and always to go to sleep.
She calls it "ungy" and now she'll ask for "ungy couch?" "ungy bed?" She sure knows what she wants and where she wants it.
She is applying math to breastfeeding as well - the other day she looked at both of my boobs and said "2 ungy", then she said "ungy hug" and hugged one of them.
There's no signs of slowing down and that's just fine with me. She's a picky eater and I know this way she's getting everything she needs. And emotionally, for both of us, it's a wonderful and beautiful relationship. |
| » Tired Mama |
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Lily will be 2 this month and she has NEVER slept through the night. We co-sleep, but she has a toddler bed now next to ours. Sometimes she'll sleep in it for a couple of hours, but she always wakes up and crawls into bed with us and nurses herself back to sleep. Yeah, she nurses at night still, sometimes a lot. Often it's suck suck right back to sleep, but it can be a full meal at times. Last night, she stirred at least 6 times.
When she stirs, if I don't respond, the stirring gets more agitated until she is fully awake and crying.
She is a restless sleeper, like her Daddy. He has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine and I'm already wondering if toddlers can have sleep apnea.
Mama is tired. Combine her two years with the last several months of being pg (who can sleep 8 hours without peeing 7 times) and I'm coming up on 2 1/2 years without a full, continuous night of sleep.
It's a good thing she is the cutest sweetest and most lovable girl ever.
Jul. 7th, 2006 @ 10:10 pm
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| » 10 years ago |
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Alan and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last week on June 29. I spent much of the day playing the game "what were we doing right now 10 years ago" and "did you ever imagine we'd have __this_____ now" and things like that. Ten years ago I figured that by this point I'd have a job, kids, and a house. And hey, how do ya like that - that's just what I have. But "job, kids and house" were very vague concepts. I had just finished my 3rd year of college, and still had 2 more to go (thanks ASU drumline and beer and pledging and all that), and I had not yet decided what I wanted to do when I graduated. I was slowly realizing that my Sociology degree would not get me a job and to put off the real world, I figured graduate school would be the way to go. I flipped through the catalogue of classes and found all of the school counseling classes to look interesting and boom, here I am Nationally Certified (thank you very much) School Counselor with 6 years of experience. I love the school I'm at and can see myself there for a very long time.
We were working at Tuckers back then (scoring some free food and making great money for college kids) and living in the mouse infested, ancient spring house in Blowing Rock. Shortly after the wedding, our first dog Boh was hit by a car, and shortly after that we got Winnie, who also turned 10 this year.
Life was so simple, and so good.
10 years later, and life is a little more complicated, but still so good.
Jul. 6th, 2006 @ 12:42 pm
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| » Pee Pee on the Potty |
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For the past week or so I've been reading Lily a book while she sits on her potty right before she takes a bath. I figured if I could get her to sit there for longer than 2 seconds, maybe she would pee and realize what it means to pee on the potty. So far, it hasn't worked (although we've very much enjoyed Baby Bear's ABC's and she can identify a couple of the letters). Tonight, she ran out of the bathroom, naked, to go and get the book so I could read it to her. Alan pulled out the video camera to catch a naked Tinka running through the hall carrying a book because it was awfully cute. Then I asked if he would come in and film her reading her book sitting on the potty. He seemed a little apprehensive but said ok. Then I started to read, and had just gotten through "A" when it happened. She pee peed on the potty!!! Well, mostly. Some of the pee squirted up over the potty and ran down her leg and puddled on the floor. But she definitely peed on the potty. She was most upset at the pee on her leg so we praise praise praised her and I quickly put her in the tub while Alan cleaned up the pee. She absolutely hates to be dirty and calls getting dirty a boo boo.
I really think she was as surprised as we were to be peeing on the potty.
Won't she love this video footage at her sweet 16 party?
May. 21st, 2006 @ 07:59 pm
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| » Bless Mama |
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Tonight I was giving Tinka a bath which is always fun. She plays and plays with her bath toys including "fsh", "buh-de-bah" (octupus), and a few ducks. The cleaning part was over and she was just playing when I sneezed. Lily looked at me and said "bess." Then, I sneezed again and she looked at me again and said "bess mama". Bless Mama is what she was saying. I got tears in my eyes it was so sweet and loving.
She's on the verge of sentences now. I swear the other day she said "I want juice 'peas' (please)". I'm constantly fascinated by her thought processes and am excited and proud to see what she has to say next.
Apr. 4th, 2006 @ 08:52 pm
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| » 18 Month Checkup |
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We took Lily to Dr. St Clair the other day for her 18 month checkup. I already knew this in my heart and head, but she is right on track with everything. She weighs 24.3 lbs (50%), is 32.75 inches long (75%) and has a head circumference in the 90%. She gets the big head from her daddy's side of the family.
It was vaccination time, which is never fun. Alan held her little arms down while 2 nurses very quickly stabbed her tender thighs with 3 needles. The only good thing is that she doesn't need anymore shots til kindergarten.
In other news, Lily now has her own bed. Alan bought a toddler bed last week and assembled it and placed it next to my side of the bed. She went nuts for it! She spent 2 hours the first evening playing, jumping, and dancing in it. For extra fun, she woke up the next morning at 5 to start playing in it all over again (usually she sleeps til 7). She'll start the night in her bed, but then when she wakes up, I pull her up with me where she spends the rest of the night.
I'm a little sad that she's growing up so fast, but it is also so nice to have a little space to myself in the bed.
Feb. 25th, 2006 @ 01:11 pm
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| » Conversations |
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Alan had to work today even though it's Sunday. Lily asked for him several times today. When he was on his way home, Lily took the cordless phone, turned it on and said "Dada." So I called Alan and told him Lily wanted to talk with him. I held the phone up to her head and she said "Dada, Dada, Dada. Uhny Uhny. Baby, Mama, Baby. Bye-bye, bye." I swear it was just like a real conversation. I actually got a little teary it was so sweet.
She still nurses all the time - she loves to get Ungy, or Uhny as she calls it.
We talk all the time about how pretty she is, or how sweet and wonderful she is, and how much we love her. And it's all so true. Every new thing she does fills me with pride and wonder. How did I get so blessed that she's ours?
She says bye-bye and blows kisses all the time now. Yesterday we finally cleaned up and crated all the Christmas decorations. She kept looking in the crates saying "bye-bye". So we all said "bye bye Christmas, see you next year.
I had a big guilt moment today. I was picking up some shoes for me at Rack Room and I figured I'd get her foot measured. They said she is a 6 1/2 - 7. Yikes! I've been cramming her into 4 1/2 - 5 for a couple of months now. I don't know when her feet got so big. I hope I didn't damage her feet. What stinks as well is I had cute shoes in a 5 1/2 that now she'll not get to wear. Oh well. I should have known she'd take after me in shoes, I was wearing a 10 by middle school.
Jan. 8th, 2006 @ 09:05 pm
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| » Lily has 2 mama's |
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When Lily started saying words, one of the first ones was "dada" and for a long time everything was "dada" but it was really just syllables. When she learned to say "mama," I was mama and Alan was dada.
A few weeks ago she started calling Alan "mama" and has ever since. The "mama's" sound a little bit different but still. She runs after him calling "mama", looks for him at the door or window in the evening questioning for "mama" and on the phone when she hears his voice says "mama".
I think it's awfully cute and Alan is taking it very well. He won't be "mama" forever and really, isn't it quite a compliment?
Dec. 9th, 2005 @ 07:39 am
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| » Happy Halloween |
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Tonight we took Lily trick-or-treating at ASU. They have east side dorms where you can go and get candy. Lily was all dressed up in her Nemo costume and looked so cute! She very quickly figured out that the candy was supposed to go in her pumpkin and we would move on to the next door. She also learned how to pick out a piece of candy that was being offered and then put it in her pumpkin. At one point, she picked up a bin of candy and tried to take it with her. Everyone who saw her oohed and ahhed and said how cute, there's Nemo. Some other little kids called her Nemo. We're not big Halloween people, but any chance to show her off is fun!
Oct. 30th, 2005 @ 08:13 pm
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| » Vocabulary |
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BabyCenter.com says Lily should have about a 20 word vocabulary by now. Let's count:
mama (she also calls me uma)
dada
duck
dog
fish
that
dude
more
juice
cheese
uh-oh
buzz (as in lightyear)
outside
these are all words she says frequently, but I've also heard her say:
I've got it
get it
read it
the prounciation varies on these words, but we know what she's saying. Like "Buzz" is "buh" and cheese is "chz" - stuff like that.
She's so smart!
Oct. 17th, 2005 @ 05:53 pm
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| » Steely Pan |
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Last night we went to the Steely Pan Steel Drum Band Fall Concert. Lily loved it! She walked around the lobby for about a half hour before the show looking extra cute with pigtails. Her pants kept falling down because they are 18 month size and she doesn't quite fill them out yet. Some college girls said she looked like the little girl from Monsters Inc. She is very confident in herself. She'll walk all around and look at people and things and every few minutes or so, come over to me for a hug or a 5 second "hold me." Then she's off again. In the concert we were on the center aisle next to the sound booth so she had a lot of room to run around. She danced and danced. There were several older people sitting around us and they seemed to watching Lily more than the concert. She's a big hit every where she goes. During the second half of the concert, she got a little tired and started crawling around the floor and rolling some, but still having fun. She fell asleep in the car in about 5 seconds and practically slept through her bath.
Oct. 15th, 2005 @ 03:19 pm
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| » Thoughts |
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About a month or so ago I was standing in the kitchen holding Lily. I had just fed Winnie and Alan was making dinner. The whole family was in the kitchen yet a very strange feeling came over me. I felt a moment of panic and had an overwhelming feeling that someone was missing. I looked down at Lily, down at Winnie, and over at Alan, and thought "but we're all here." It was so real that I wanted to go look for this missing person. The thought of having a second child has been in the back of my mind since Lily was born but I know that I'm not ready. I've heard other mom's talk about not feeling finished until they had their 2nd or 3rd child and then they just felt complete. My family is complete now but I don't feel done. That doesn't even make sense.
Oct. 10th, 2005 @ 05:41 pm
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| » First Dance |
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Speaking of boys, we went to a Jon Greene and Ashley Cater's wedding today (which was very lovely) and Lily had her first dance with a boy at the reception. He's an older man - one year older almost to the day. His name is Mark. He pursued her relentlessly and hugged her several times. He knocked her to the ground at one point before she acquiesced to a brief dance. It was awfully cute. He clearly had good taste. However, she was much more interested in "getting down" on her own. She grooved to such classics as "Play that Funky Music White Boy" and "Ice Ice Baby". She was a big hit.
Sep. 10th, 2005 @ 09:25 pm
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| » The Toddler Room |
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Lily's been in her new room at the Child Development Center for three weeks now and it seems to be going very well. No more high chairs there, the kids sit in the tiniest chairs I've ever seen that are about 3 inches off the ground. They sit around a table for snack time and lunch. We're starting to transition her off baby food so today she had a jar of turkey dinner and a container of diced cantaloupe. Cantaloupe is her new favorite. She devoured it last night and tonight. Maybe she just likes eating it by herself or the texture, but whatever the reason, Tinka loves it! She's also eating a lot of cheese now. I got her some mozzerella string cheese and she likes the ghetto cheese (velveeta squares) also. So far I'm still pumping once a day at work so she can take 4-5 oz in a sippy cup, but I may give that up soon since most days I get her there's about 2 oz left over. But, when we get home, it's unge for about an hour it seems. She's all over me!
There's a few toddlers that were in the infant room with Lily - Sophia, Garrison, Hayden - so that's good. I think she likes them. I had to drop her off this morning since Alan was at LMC for orientation and stayed last night. He says she always cries when he leaves but I got her playing dolls with Sophia and she didn't notice when I kissed her goodbye. Well, she wasn't really playing dolls as much as watching Sophia pick up the dolls and put them back down, but it still looked fun.
When I picked her up today she was so dirty! That's how it always is now. It either looks like sweet potato war paint all over her clothes or like she did the worm (the 80's dance move, remember?) in the mulch. Today, it was the mulch. It was everywhere! They say if she's not dirty she's not having fun so she must be having the time of her life.
Apparently there was an incident today where Lily was bitten. However, the child who bit her (not sure who) did so because she stuck her fingers in that child's mouth. I guess natural consequences apply. One finger was a bit red, but she was fine by the time I got her. I love picking her up because she's so excited to see me, she'll point at me as I approach and smile so big.
She does this thing now where she'll hug our legs and sometimes cling to them or wipe her face on them. It's really funny when she looks like she has her head in Alan's crotch.
Aug. 22nd, 2005 @ 08:33 pm
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| » Vomit |
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Tonight I made a ham and cheese omelet for dinner. It was Tinka's first time with eggs. She loved the omelet and wanted to eat more and more. Well, about an hour after dinner she was very fussy. I thought it was her teeth bothering her as she's cutting her first molars. We were about to get into bed to hang out when suddenly, it happened. I was holding her and up came the vomit. A lot of vomit. I think she vomited twice. The second time I actually caught a lot of it in my hand. It didn't really register what was going on as I looked down and saw one one my sandals and one sneaker covered in eggy puke. Alan took her and I tried to clean up. Winnie was again a big help there. Tinka seemed fine after all that and Alan took her straight to the bath.
Maybe eggs and Tinkas don't mix. Yet.
Aug. 15th, 2005 @ 08:11 pm
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| » This is so horrible I had to take a picture! |
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This is really gross, and beyond horrible, but I could not resist encouraging it so I could take a picture. I've probably created a monster, but such is life...
here's Lily investigating the Winnie's bowl
just a little thirsty
Winnie loves to lick my feet, and Lily thought that was very interesting
so she gave it a little taste as well!
I know I know, germs, nastiness and all that - but it sure was cute!
Aug. 6th, 2005 @ 09:41 pm
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