Well, I think it's official, Z has made the move to a big girl bed.
For a while now, when we went to get her out of her crib, she would get her leg up and over the side of the crib when we lowered it. I tried to dissuade her, but she kept doing it. It didn't worry me too much until the day she put her leg over the side of the crib before we lowered it. All I could imagine was Z doing that when no one else was in the room and just taking a header onto the floor.
We have a bed in our basement that was supposed to be for Z but when we looked at it, it seemed so high. The thought of her falling out of that bed scared me almost as much as the header off the crib, so I went trolling on craigslist and kijiji and found a used ikea convertable crib/toddler bed for a reasonable price. It's only about a foot and a half tall tops and it uses her old crib mattress which I thought might make the transition easier.
We put the bed together a couple of weekends ago. We talked it up and she got to 'help' us put it together so by bedtime she was a little excited about going to sleep. That first night was great. I don't think she realized that she could get out of the bed, so she slept the entire night without getting up once. She did get out of bed when she woke up the next morning and surprised me while I was in shower.
The next night was bad though. She went to sleep as usual, but she woke up around 1am and came into our room, which was fine. But then she just wanted to play. Eventually I took her back to her room and tried to get her back to sleep. Finally around 5:30am she fell asleep on the floor. I left her there because I didn't want to chance waking her up while transferring her to the bed.
That whole week kinda went like that. Not to that extreme again though thank god. Pretty much every night last week she got out of her bed and joined us in our bed. A couple of times she caught Joe just as he was getting ready for bed so he took her downstairs and walked around with her like the old days. He tried to put her back in her room after that, but she got out of bed pretty much right after he shut the door and followed him to our room every time.
Her naps were pretty bad as well. I think Joe only managed to get her to nap in the bed a couple of times. As a result, everyone was cranky last week. She was flying off the handle at the slightest provocation and Joe and I were barely hanging on.
This week has been much better. When she does come into our room now, she pretty much just climbs in and falls asleep. And even better, the last 3 nights in a row, she slept in her bed the entire night.
The change in sleeping arrangements has meant one slight change in the daily schedule though. Before, by the time she woke up and her dad got her from her crib, I was long gone out of the house. Now, she's up and walking around about a 1/2 hour to an hour before I leave. I'm actually surprised how nice and relaxed it's been. We cuddle a bit on the couch I give her some breakfast and she lets me get on with the rest of my morning routine with little to no hassle. And she's only cried once when I left for work.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Friday, 9 October 2009
Ever since she was born, Z has been spending Fridays with her grandparents (my parents). When I was on Mat leave, the two of us would go over for a couple of hours and hang out there, maybe have some lunch if we were early enough. After I went back to work, my parents offered to take her on Fridays so Joe could have a break. They loved having her around and I suspect my mom saw this as a way to ensure that she ate well at least one day a week. (my mother is surprised every time I mention that I have cooked more than a can of soup).
It has been working out really well except for a little bit of crying when I drop her off in the mornings. In the last month though, the crying has started earlier and earlier. First, it was a lot more crying when we got to the door, then the crying started as I unbuckled her out of her car seat. Last week, she started crying when we were about 2 blocks away from my parents place.
This morning, the crying started when I went in to wake her up. I told her we were going to Kung Kung and Por Por's house and she sat up and started to cry, saying 'no go'. After a half hour of this, Joe told me to just go and forget about my parents place for this week.
I know why she's crying. She's bored out of her mind there. My parents are great and they love her, but they have just gotten too old to do this. Z is their 9th grandchild and they have done the childcare for almost all of them. It was great 30 or so years ago with their first grandchild. But they are in their late 70's now and they just can't keep a highly energetic 2 year old stimulated. They ran into this same situation 5 years ago with Z's cousin. They were looking after her 4 days a week and when she was about 2 years old, they admitted to my sister that my niece needed more.
It's obvious that Z is at that point as well.
I've started looking for daycare solutions for one or two days a week (and let me tell you, it's hard to find places that will only do a couple of days a week) because I don't want Z to not want to see her grandparents. I hate seeing her face fall when I say we are going to their house. I don't want that to be the emotion that she associates with them. I'm glad that the three of them had the two years to get to know each other, but it's definitely time for a change.
It has been working out really well except for a little bit of crying when I drop her off in the mornings. In the last month though, the crying has started earlier and earlier. First, it was a lot more crying when we got to the door, then the crying started as I unbuckled her out of her car seat. Last week, she started crying when we were about 2 blocks away from my parents place.
This morning, the crying started when I went in to wake her up. I told her we were going to Kung Kung and Por Por's house and she sat up and started to cry, saying 'no go'. After a half hour of this, Joe told me to just go and forget about my parents place for this week.
I know why she's crying. She's bored out of her mind there. My parents are great and they love her, but they have just gotten too old to do this. Z is their 9th grandchild and they have done the childcare for almost all of them. It was great 30 or so years ago with their first grandchild. But they are in their late 70's now and they just can't keep a highly energetic 2 year old stimulated. They ran into this same situation 5 years ago with Z's cousin. They were looking after her 4 days a week and when she was about 2 years old, they admitted to my sister that my niece needed more.
It's obvious that Z is at that point as well.
I've started looking for daycare solutions for one or two days a week (and let me tell you, it's hard to find places that will only do a couple of days a week) because I don't want Z to not want to see her grandparents. I hate seeing her face fall when I say we are going to their house. I don't want that to be the emotion that she associates with them. I'm glad that the three of them had the two years to get to know each other, but it's definitely time for a change.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
My baby is not a baby anymore.
Z turns 2 today, but I've been saying she's 2 for a little while now. It's easier than saying 'almost 2' or '23 months' or whatever, but also because she's acting older now. We look at her and see a kid much more than we see a baby or really even a toddler. She rolled her eyes at Joe a couple of weeks ago!
For posterity, some of the things about her right now that I want to remember.
She's finally saying 'yes' instead Ok.
She is the politest kid around. She says 'please', 'thank you', 'you're welcome', 'bless you' and 'excuse me' when she wants to pass someone.
Her newest favourite phrase is 'it's so cute!' about just about anything she likes.
Every time she sees a plane or a motorcycle she has to comment on it.
She loves the water and is always trying to swim in the wading pool and in the bathtub.
When we take our nightly walks, she insists that she doesn't want the stroller, but much to Joe's chagrin, by the time we're 10 houses away, she insists that he pick her up.
She can finish off an entire adult sized ice cream cone by herself.
She's scared of thunder, but she still insists on sitting in front of our back door to watch rainstorms.
She loves blowing bubbles.
She loves to give raspberries.
She loves to play 'Robot' and run around with her hands outstretched behind her yelling 'Super Zoe!'
She always makes me draw robots and she always makes her dad draw happy faces.
Every night we watch an old school Dr. Who before bed. (she loves K-9) At leaast, it's on in the background. But when the end credit music comes on, she grabs whatever she wants to take to bed with her and goes into her crib with no fuss whatsoever.
In the mornings she reads to herself in her crib forever. (except for that one time when Joe wasn't quick enough to get her and she started calling out 'Daddy, where are you?')
There are so many other things. I'm trying to freeze everything about her at this age in my mind, but she changes so quickly and every change is so incredible and wonderful that it's hard to do.
Happy Birthday Sweetie. I love you.
Z turns 2 today, but I've been saying she's 2 for a little while now. It's easier than saying 'almost 2' or '23 months' or whatever, but also because she's acting older now. We look at her and see a kid much more than we see a baby or really even a toddler. She rolled her eyes at Joe a couple of weeks ago!
For posterity, some of the things about her right now that I want to remember.
She's finally saying 'yes' instead Ok.
She is the politest kid around. She says 'please', 'thank you', 'you're welcome', 'bless you' and 'excuse me' when she wants to pass someone.
Her newest favourite phrase is 'it's so cute!' about just about anything she likes.
Every time she sees a plane or a motorcycle she has to comment on it.
She loves the water and is always trying to swim in the wading pool and in the bathtub.
When we take our nightly walks, she insists that she doesn't want the stroller, but much to Joe's chagrin, by the time we're 10 houses away, she insists that he pick her up.
She can finish off an entire adult sized ice cream cone by herself.
She's scared of thunder, but she still insists on sitting in front of our back door to watch rainstorms.
She loves blowing bubbles.
She loves to give raspberries.
She loves to play 'Robot' and run around with her hands outstretched behind her yelling 'Super Zoe!'
She always makes me draw robots and she always makes her dad draw happy faces.
Every night we watch an old school Dr. Who before bed. (she loves K-9) At leaast, it's on in the background. But when the end credit music comes on, she grabs whatever she wants to take to bed with her and goes into her crib with no fuss whatsoever.
In the mornings she reads to herself in her crib forever. (except for that one time when Joe wasn't quick enough to get her and she started calling out 'Daddy, where are you?')
There are so many other things. I'm trying to freeze everything about her at this age in my mind, but she changes so quickly and every change is so incredible and wonderful that it's hard to do.
Happy Birthday Sweetie. I love you.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Every day when I get home from work, Joe gives me the lowdown on what he and the child did all day.
Yesterday I was greeted with 'Your daughter wants to be the next Chuck Yeager'.
There are some tricycles that people have left at the park for the kids to play with and Z had been getting on them and trying to make them go. She isn't really co-ordinated enough yet to ride them but she tries. Apparently, yesterday she had a brilliant idea. She dragged one of the trikes into the playground section and dragged it up the stairs of the playground structure - it's a multi level one, and she dragged it all the way to the top. She then placed the trike at the lip of the tallest slide and got on. At this point, Joe decided, enough is enough, and talked her out of actually riding the trike down the slide. She's not even 2 yet.
Joe and I are so conflicted about this. On the one hand, 'Oh my God, my child is going to kill herself one of these days!'
On the other hand, she thought up a relatively complex plan and proceeded to carry it out. She apparently gave her dad a 'That totally would have worked if you hadn't stopped me' look as well.
It's so strange. I constantly waver between thinking that Joe and I are overprotective to thinking that we are totally lax about her safety, especially in comparison to some other parents we know that don't let their kids, who are older than Z, go on stairs by themselves. We stick close to her when she is running around the play structure and we stay right behind her when she climbs up on the chain ladder (or really any of the climbing things besides the stairs), but we pretty much let her go where she will. If she does slip, we are right there to catch her. We do let her have that 'oh shit!' moment though. And afterwards, she is invariably more cautious.
I like the fact that, when we were up at the cottage and she was walking around on the rocks, if she was having trouble, she would blindly reach out her hand and know that I was there to grab it and help her. I like to think that it makes her more willing to push her limits, knowing that we are there to catch her.
But then of course, that leads to things like riding a tricycle off the slide.
Yesterday I was greeted with 'Your daughter wants to be the next Chuck Yeager'.
There are some tricycles that people have left at the park for the kids to play with and Z had been getting on them and trying to make them go. She isn't really co-ordinated enough yet to ride them but she tries. Apparently, yesterday she had a brilliant idea. She dragged one of the trikes into the playground section and dragged it up the stairs of the playground structure - it's a multi level one, and she dragged it all the way to the top. She then placed the trike at the lip of the tallest slide and got on. At this point, Joe decided, enough is enough, and talked her out of actually riding the trike down the slide. She's not even 2 yet.
Joe and I are so conflicted about this. On the one hand, 'Oh my God, my child is going to kill herself one of these days!'
On the other hand, she thought up a relatively complex plan and proceeded to carry it out. She apparently gave her dad a 'That totally would have worked if you hadn't stopped me' look as well.
It's so strange. I constantly waver between thinking that Joe and I are overprotective to thinking that we are totally lax about her safety, especially in comparison to some other parents we know that don't let their kids, who are older than Z, go on stairs by themselves. We stick close to her when she is running around the play structure and we stay right behind her when she climbs up on the chain ladder (or really any of the climbing things besides the stairs), but we pretty much let her go where she will. If she does slip, we are right there to catch her. We do let her have that 'oh shit!' moment though. And afterwards, she is invariably more cautious.
I like the fact that, when we were up at the cottage and she was walking around on the rocks, if she was having trouble, she would blindly reach out her hand and know that I was there to grab it and help her. I like to think that it makes her more willing to push her limits, knowing that we are there to catch her.
But then of course, that leads to things like riding a tricycle off the slide.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
The downside of all this happy crappy isn't it great she's growing up stuff, is the fact that she can now make her demands quite clear.
When she first said the word 'cookie' it was simply adorable. Now, she not only says cookie, but she also tells us which kind (usually 'mum mum') and if we're out of them, won't really take kindly to the animal cracker substitution.
She doesn't passively sit and watch whatever happens to be on the tv anymore either. She will insist on seeing 'Elbo' (Elmo) or 'happy' (Youtube videos). And no, she doesn't want to sing 'eieieiei' (Old Macdonald) she wants to sing 'tink'(Twinkle Twinkle Little Star')
And that sweet little girl who always put her arm into the sleeve so helpfully, has morphed into a crazy child who has to dress herself entirely, or there will be trouble. We're talking, if you even try and make sure she isn't pulling on her shirt through the neckline, she freaks out and refuses to wear that shirt anymore. We now have to factor in at least an extra 15 minutes for getting her dressed in the morning. Then again, we can just leave her with the clothes and go do something else.
the one thing that she does these days that is just 100% adorable is her 'okay'. She never says 'yes'. It's always 'okay' with a little nod. She always says it in a 'that's a great idea you had, sure I'll go along with it' kind of way. It cracks me up every time.
When she first said the word 'cookie' it was simply adorable. Now, she not only says cookie, but she also tells us which kind (usually 'mum mum') and if we're out of them, won't really take kindly to the animal cracker substitution.
She doesn't passively sit and watch whatever happens to be on the tv anymore either. She will insist on seeing 'Elbo' (Elmo) or 'happy' (Youtube videos). And no, she doesn't want to sing 'eieieiei' (Old Macdonald) she wants to sing 'tink'(Twinkle Twinkle Little Star')
And that sweet little girl who always put her arm into the sleeve so helpfully, has morphed into a crazy child who has to dress herself entirely, or there will be trouble. We're talking, if you even try and make sure she isn't pulling on her shirt through the neckline, she freaks out and refuses to wear that shirt anymore. We now have to factor in at least an extra 15 minutes for getting her dressed in the morning. Then again, we can just leave her with the clothes and go do something else.
the one thing that she does these days that is just 100% adorable is her 'okay'. She never says 'yes'. It's always 'okay' with a little nod. She always says it in a 'that's a great idea you had, sure I'll go along with it' kind of way. It cracks me up every time.
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