Toon Room/Preschool/Library

TOON ROOM

I did something I never thought I would do! I sat in the TOON ROOM at John's Incredible Pizza. Now if you know me, you will know that it would be much too stimulating for me in this room. (it was)  If you have never been to this fine establishment (I love their fresh salad and Alfredo pizza) they have different themed rooms in which to dine.

Skating Teen room with a big screen with lots of NOISY what some would call music playing.

Toon Room with big screen playing cartoons - Also very noisy

Cabin Room - very cool cabin theme with soft rock playing

Sports Room - This one is also cool if it isn't too busy or during playoff or something.

We tried it and I survived! Barely. I kept thinking to myself...It has begun...Me going places I would not normally go for the enjoyment of my child. It cracked me up to because at one point a baby cried out and Madison whined a little and signed "Cry" and I thought to myself "Yea, you would like it better in the quiet Cabin room too huh?" Then we could play "name that tune" like the good ol days before Tawny ran off to the Ding to be a STAR in a Simpson Production! HAHAHA.

Madison seemed so grown up. She ate from her own plate and fed herself, peas, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cottage cheese (from Mom's spoon), garbanzo beans (a no go), peaches, pasta, and of course a bite of mommy's alfredo pizza. She kept asking about the "Bear" as we saw the character walking around when we first got there. She wasn't too sure about him until he gave Dad a high five, then he was okay.  After dinner we went to check out the amusement park type area with games and lights...(another place I am not particularly fond of).  Having never been there with a baby before, I hadn't realized they had an "under 36 inches only" play area with some Little Tykes climbing toys and it is right next to the car roller coaster. It was fun to see her crawling around and asking for 'help' down the slide and she got so very excited watching the cars going around.  It was cute when it was over she put both hands up in the air (Her way of saying "Hey what happened?") and then she signed "All Done" and then Daddy said "yep" and she signed and said "More".   I have taken her to the park alone before but this was extra special fun because Daddy was there to experience her belly laughs and fun with us.

PRESCHOOL

I got Madison on a wait list for Preschool.  She can start when she is 2 in October if there is room.  They will know in April if she has a guaranteed spot.  It is the Modesto Montessori School and I was impressed with the facility.  I have a coworker who's child attends and we talked about it and then I visited and decided that was the place for her to start her education. There is a three hour or a six hour program and for those who need day care as well they have an all day session.  We will probably opt for the three hour session but it is nice to know there is a back up in case on occasion she needs to stay after lunch.

Even as I type this I can't believe that I am talking about school for Madison.  We toured the 2 year old room and it was amazing. The kids had just come in from playing outside and they were all lined up getting ready to hang up their coats and wash their hands.  Classical music was playing in the background and Madison signed "music" when she heard it.  It was so clean and well organized and the children were well behaved and seemingly happy.  No one was screaming or running. Not what one thinks of when they think of a group of 2 year olds.  Very cool. I sure hope we get a spot.

LIBRARY

After Baby Signing class was over Mom started to take Madison to Kindermusik classes once a week.  They are over now and Mom was looking for something else to do with Madison, that Madison might enjoy and get something out of. I out that they do a toddler 20 minute reading time at our local library twice a week and then there is playtime after. Mom took her twice this week and really enjoyed it.  Madison had a great time and played with the other kids and got in line for her hand stamps at the end.  Very cute, I hope to go one day.  

Being an older Mom without friends with little ones, and being a full time working Mom, it is difficult to find ways to connect with other Moms and more importantly have Madison connect with other kids.  My Mom is such a good sport going and doing all these things with Madison right along side all the young pup Moms.  I wish it could be me, but if it can't be me, then I am so very thankful that it can be my Mom.

I am so very blessed in my life, sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming.  Maybe that is why Madison pinches me sometimes!

Two new favorite things

My Mom and I have been working on the potty training lately, taking her potty when she signed it, when we needed to go, or when she looked like she was ready to go.  The next step we needed to take was moving to big girl training pants.  Trouble is....I couldn't find teeny tiny training pants just anywhere!

Madison is just now a little over 20 pounds and in 12 month clothes still.  I found some online finally, a particular brand, Potty Patty (They also have Potty Scotty for boys). They come in extra small and so I went for it.  There is also a system that is available with a doll that goes potty and dvd and book etc.  I just went for the pants for now.  They are cotton and not waterproof. (The waterproof one only comes in Small - I bought some too and they are HUGE still).

Things are going well and we keep our sense of humor, are in no hurry, just trying it out.  While there is no rush, there is no reason to not try as long as she is having a positive experience, is a willing participant and all.  

My other new favorite thing is my new video monitor. I LOVE IT.  I never had a monitor or saw the need for one.  I didn't think that I would need one, as the way my house is arranged, I can hear her in her room from pretty much any location. I never figured I would venture outside when she was sleeping.  

I was struggling for a while with getting Madison to sleep through the night.   She would yell out and I would go in, sometimes met with more yelling. I tried the cry it out for a while and for the most part it worked well.  I would go in on timed intervals and a few times I found her legs through the slats on the crib, she was stuck. I was glad I hadn't just let her continue to cry and I felt horrible!  

Someone suggested that I get a video monitor. I could let her yell out but I could see if I needed to go in, without going in.

First things first.  I have had it for two weeks and Madison has slept through the night since I got it!  In addition to being able to see her if I need to go in for her, I get to see things I was missing: Her waking up and yawning, stretching, playing with her blanket etc.  It is so CUTE!

She used to yell out and I would go in thinking she was ready to get up and needed me.  She would fight me and just be a bear like she woke up grumpy. It was awful.  Looking back, I realize that she was not awake during these outbursts.  What the monitor has allowed me to realize is that she yells out in her sleep. If I wait long enough she settles back down and goes back to sleep.  When she is really ready to wake up, she tosses and turns and hollers and then eventually will sit up or stand up and say softly "Mama" "Dada" "Papa" and "Mamoe".  It is so cute I can't get over it!  

I am so in love with this little person I can't stand it!

Tales from a closet nurser

I've noticed an interesting transition going on with me lately.

No I haven't started nursing in the closet!

How does a Mom go from being a proud nursing Momma to one who is reluctant to admit that she is still nursing at 15 months?

One negative comment:  "You are STILL NURSING?! But she is ONE already! You aren't going to nurse until she is 3 are you?"

I guess that was more than one comment but all rolled into one.  At the time, Madison was 13 months old.  

I got defensive at first, making up excuses in my head:

• She hates cow's milk
• She is ONLY 13 months!
• NO, I am not going to nurse until she is THREE! 
• It is none of your business how long I will nurse. (I have always intended to stop at 12 months- Easier said than done I am learning)

Then I thought I better handle this differently as it could turn ugly and I might not get over it.  I simply responded "I think the best time to stop nursing is a private decision between a Mom and a child and no one else." That seemed to do the trick. There were a few other little comments that I let go and just kept repeating my first response.

But I have to admit that ever since then I have been ultra sensitive about revealing it. 

I thought blogging about my journey might help me let go of my negative vibe about it.

 

Within a year's time, 

• I went from being a very proud mama who successfully left the hospital nursing, (but with blisters), 
• to pushing through one of the more difficult things I have ever done, of which I am most proud, successfully nursing at 6 months, 
• to believing each week after that point was a bonus, 
• to waiting for Madison to self wean, 
• to looking forward to never pumping again,
• to thinking that at 12 months, somehow Madison would magically love cow's milk and prefer it to me,
• to working on strategies to convince Madison cow's milk was yummy
• to not wanting to tell anyone I am still nursing at 15 months!

Weaning isn't as easy as I thought it would be.  At 12 months we stopped the bottle of expressed milk she was getting once a day five days a week in the afternoon at my Mom's.  I got to stop pumping (the least favorite activity).  She hated cow's milk. We kept trying. We even spiked it with some Nestle Quick to make it a little sweeter to trick her. It was a no go.

Eventually, she decided cow's milk wasn't so bad and we were able to drop the afternoon nursing at lunch.  I tried our bedtime routine a few times without it and got away with it eventually it so that worked out.  We now have it down to just first thing in the morning, which seems to be going well. 

A funny side note, on weekends she will ask me for milk by signing "milk" and I will say "You want milk in a cup?" and then she will point to me with her cute little finger, shake her head 'no' and then say "boob".  A girl who knows what she wants.

I am not sure why I am blogging about it, other than to put it out there that it really surprised me how differently I am feeling about it. Not that I have changed how I feel personally about nursing, just how I feel about telling anyone about it and my fear of being judged about it.

There are a lot of things to read about how to nurse, how to keep nursing, how good it is for the baby etc. There are less things about how/why/when to stop.

I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I am still extremely proud of myself. 

The lesson I am taking from how this negative comment made me feel is this: I am more sensitive about how my own comments might make others feel judged and am working on looking within before projecting outward as I wish the person who said this to me had done. I need to not take things so personal and realize that the comment said more about her than it did about me.

Fat Lip

Wow, being a toddler is dangerous business.  First she fell on the dog's bowl and gave herself a black eye for Santa. Then she face planted on the rug and had rug burn on her nose like Rudolf. 

This time is a fat lip...the worst of the three incidents.

We were in the kitchen and she was playing in 'her' drawer. It was open and she was walking towards it and tripped, fell forward, hit her face, fell backward on to her butt, then on to her back and hit the back of her head on the floor. It happened so fast and it was awful.  Rick and I both saw it and I just knew that I was going to be putting front teeth in a glass of milk and heading off to the hospital.

I picked her up and saw a little blood, didn't overreact, (a miracle- I kept thinking, if I act scared, she will be scared....learned that from Mom) and then once I saw it was her lip and not her teeth, I offered her a popsicle and we were good and distracted.  

I think this toddlerhood is going to age me quickly! (It was totally gone in the morning)

Favorite Potty Training Tool

Can you sing "If you're happy and you know it" or "Hokey Pokey"? YES!
Would you like to change those songs forever? Then I have the solution for you!

Try this:
Sing Hokey Pokey in your head, then this outloud:

You take your undies down
You take your potty out
You sit your bottom down
And you push the poopy out
You do the tushy pushy
Till the poop is in the pot....
That's what it's all about!

(This is Madison's favorite! Tawny's too! HAHAHA)

Here is another easy one:
Sing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands" in your head.
Now outloud sing:

If you pee peed in the potty, shout Hooray,
If you pee peed in the potty, shout Hooray,
If you gave it your best shot
Then your pee is in the pot,
If you pee peed in the potty shout Hooray!

There is a second verse that is the same for "poo pood"

One thing about this potty training is that you have to keep your sense of humor about you at all times!

Ever wonder why we as adults often will read ANYTHING in the bathroom? (Shampoo bottles even if you forgot your magazine) Well I bet it was because our parents distracted us on the potty during training with "Let's read one more book"...

I always wondered why every time I went to Barnes and Nobles, I had the urge...okay TMI I know, but for those of you old enough, please tell me you remember the Seinfeld "Bookstore" episode. If not, well you have to forgive me, I am almost 40!

Why do high chairs recline?

I remember telling my Mom when I first got my high chair that it reclined.  She asked, "Why would you need it to do that?" That made me think, "Heck I don't know".  I guess I was thinking it would be good for when she was tiny, but if she can't sit up, why would she need to be in it in the first place. Oh what an inexperienced Mom I was.

Well not too long ago we learned why it reclines.  This was SOOO funny. We had come in to eat after playing outside and before I could get her food ready, she fell asleep.  Her eyes got heavy and then WHAM, totally out!

I reclined the seat so she could rest while Rick and I finished eating and then I took her off to bed.

15 month stats

Madison is 22.2 pounds and 31 inches.
At 12 months she was 19.1 pounds and 20 inches.
I decided to postpone the MMR until I could learn more.
My head knows it is okay to do it and yet my heart is telling me to wait. I am conflicted.
I teared up when I started talking to the Dr. so that told me to wait until my head was clear.
He said it was okay to wait a little while.
Mom's out there...Any personal experience you'd like to share is appreciated.

A day to celebrate!

No I am not talking about the Inauguration,  Madison is 15 months old today. I can't believe it has been over a year since I went back to work.

She goes to the Dr. tomorrow for her 15 month check up, I'll post stats as soon as I have them.

(to those of you with babies, did you do the MMR vaccine? Just curious what you think)

Things are going great, she is perfecting her walk and starting to speed up. She puts one arm back and swings it as she goes, it is hilarious.  She is trying stairs, eating sand at the park, loves to swing, and is talking up a storm.  She has 60+ words she can say on her own and tries to mimic anything you ask her, which is also funny, especially the long words like "refrigerator".  She doesn't have any phrases really yet but it won't be long I don't think.

My favorite word right now is "Dude".  

Almost half of her words being with "B" and she doesn't have any "S" words.  Oddly enough though she says "Bapple" for "apple" but drops the "b" on "Banana" and just says "nana".  She finally started saying "Grandma" which comes out "Mam Moe", I hope that doesn't change, it is too darned cute. With her "o" sound her little lips form this cute circle and I can't help but smile. It reminds me of when she was a tiny baby and she would make "O's" with her lips.

Her favorite thing right now is to try and say "Silly Goose" which is what we call her when she is being silly.  She signs "silly" and you can barely hear her trying the 's' sound, then she mimics the intonation too. We say the "Silly" long and high and then hit the "goose" part hard and fast. She does the same thing with the signing, it is really funny when she does the goose part.  I wish I was better at the video stuff, but you'll have to take my word for it I guess!

She loves to hide and then jump out and say "Boo". She kisses and says "Bye" to the "Baby" in the mirror and it is adorable. (if you enjoy cleaning mirrors of course)

My favorite signs have to be "Sorry", "Thank You" (She says this too, comes out 'tane too'), and "Hurt".  There is something cool about a baby being able to tell you her teeth hurt, but not so cool when they tell you "hurt" and then point to their chest and you have no idea what that means or how to help!  I love it when she says thank you after you give her something without being prompted.  The sorry one gets me sometimes too because she'll do something she isn't supposed to (like bite mommy - one of her several "we are working on it moments") and then immediately sign "Sorry" and say "Ow" out loud! 

She is fascinated with butterflies right now.  She gets so excited when she sees them on tv, a shirt, a book, wherever.  She signs it constantly and wants to see them everywhere.  Rick found a music video channel where the logo is a butterfly that appears and then flies away. She is addicted to it.  I think we must have watched the Barney "Pandora's Box" episode when the butterfly comes out of the box over 100 times now. Thank goodness for DVR!  

I can't believe I just "blogged" something about Barney! I so used to hate him.  I guess I am learning to love things because she loves them.  For instance, I don't mind monkeys so much anymore.  They used to kinda give me the creeps like clowns do to a lot of people, but after watching her sign "Monkey" by grabbing her butt and squeaking every time she saw a picture of a monkey, (instead of hands in armpits) who could not like monkeys? I even bought her some jammy jams (AKA Pajamas) with cute little girl monkeys on them.  Rick said he was proud of me and that I was being a grown up by not putting my fears/dislikes on her like he does when he forces himself to feed her anything green! I didn't tell him they were on the 80% off clearance rack!

Your Analysis

Okay, something funny happened yesterday...

A coworker said this to me

"Get back to me when you are finished with your analysis."

We both started laughing histerically. You might have to read this outloud to get it. In all the years I have been in research, this is the first time I have heard this and it made me laugh so hard I almost peed (hint) so I had to write about it.

It was almost as good as the time Tawny's name tag couldn't fit all the characters of her full title and she became known as the "Research Anal", actually now that I think about it, I think it was even shorter, "Res. Anal." HAHAHA  

On second thought, that is much FUNNIER than my story!!!!!!!