k has really been surprising us with her conceptual learning these days. it's also been a lot of fun watching her imagination take over and add a whole new level to her play. from hearing her interpretation of what a cloud looks like (look mom! it's an elephant in the sky!) to watching her wave her corndog around, saying "ding dong! it's time for school!" we are having fun watching her mind grow.
the most surprising concept she has mastered is grandma's relationship to mom. husband's aunt was over a couple of weeks ago and asked k where she got a toy she was playing with. k replied, "grandma c gave it to me." aunt k asked, "grandma c? who's that?" little k simply said, "she's my mama's mom." i couldn't believe she grasped that idea already. i have definitely told her that's how it works, but i was totally surprised that she could internalize it and use it when someone asked.
little smartypants :)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
don't touch the stove!
yep. It happened. k touched the stove and i felt horrible.
k had slid one of the chairs over to "help" me fix eggs. the whole time i was cooking those eggs, over and over again I reminded her "don't touch that, it's hot, don't touch." so, i turn off the burner, slide the eggs off onto a plate, and turn my head to see my little k's index finger make contact with the bare burner. oh my goodness.
i scooped her up and threw her finger under the cold running water at the sink. she was, of course, sobbing and a bit inconsolable. but after a few minutes, she was calm enough that she let me hold her on the couch. we curled up with the lion king and i kept rubbing fresh aloe on the tip of her poor finger. after a few minutes of that, i soaked a tea bag in cold water and made a compress out of it for her finger.
for the next couple of days, she reminded me that her finger still hurt and liked showing off her blister. then, just last night, she showed me her finger and asked where her bubble went :)
poor girl! we really are growing up :)
k had slid one of the chairs over to "help" me fix eggs. the whole time i was cooking those eggs, over and over again I reminded her "don't touch that, it's hot, don't touch." so, i turn off the burner, slide the eggs off onto a plate, and turn my head to see my little k's index finger make contact with the bare burner. oh my goodness.
i scooped her up and threw her finger under the cold running water at the sink. she was, of course, sobbing and a bit inconsolable. but after a few minutes, she was calm enough that she let me hold her on the couch. we curled up with the lion king and i kept rubbing fresh aloe on the tip of her poor finger. after a few minutes of that, i soaked a tea bag in cold water and made a compress out of it for her finger.
for the next couple of days, she reminded me that her finger still hurt and liked showing off her blister. then, just last night, she showed me her finger and asked where her bubble went :)
poor girl! we really are growing up :)
grandparents
at this point in our lives, we live within 2 hours of all of k and baby b's grandparents. the 2 sets of grandparents are the 2 hour drive away. the 2 sets of great-grandparents are in town. in fact, currently, one set of great-grandparents is just upstairs!
k adores all of her grandparents. it is so lovely to see the relationships develop and then build as she grows. having grandparents in the house has been so great. k plays with them on a daily basis and they love having her there, or so they tell me.
i have a plethora of memories with my grandparents. until i was about 13 we saw them once or twice a year, as they lived in another state. when we moved in with my grandparents for a couple of years, i really developed a different relationship with them than before. i was older, sure, but we were so close in proximity that i was able to appreciate them as people so much more. i learned many lessons, heard many stories, and loved much more than before. it is a very cherished time in my life.
for this, i am beyond grateful that k has 7 of her grandparents so close. even those 2 hours away, we still manage to see about once a month. i hope she will be as close to her grandparents as i was to mine.
k adores all of her grandparents. it is so lovely to see the relationships develop and then build as she grows. having grandparents in the house has been so great. k plays with them on a daily basis and they love having her there, or so they tell me.
i have a plethora of memories with my grandparents. until i was about 13 we saw them once or twice a year, as they lived in another state. when we moved in with my grandparents for a couple of years, i really developed a different relationship with them than before. i was older, sure, but we were so close in proximity that i was able to appreciate them as people so much more. i learned many lessons, heard many stories, and loved much more than before. it is a very cherished time in my life.
for this, i am beyond grateful that k has 7 of her grandparents so close. even those 2 hours away, we still manage to see about once a month. i hope she will be as close to her grandparents as i was to mine.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
party planning
i've started working on k's birthday party. she turns 3 in a couple of weeks! when i stop to forget about the days that run into one another of living with a toddler, i am shocked that she has been with us for three years. and at the same time, i marvel that she wasn't here three years ago. where was she? it is bizarre.
i quite enjoy working on birthday parties for miss k. i can say that now because i've only had to plan one party per year. i'm sure i'll still like doing birthdays when baby b turns one and for several parties after, but i wonder when the time will come that they become a headache and a chore? my babies were born in february and september, so at least that spreads the chaos of birthday parties out a bit...
i also realize that birthday parties can be as simple or as chaotic as you want them to be. we have yet to do any friend parties (of course) but in brainstorming for this third party, i have gotten a bit excited for the first friend party. games, crafty things, favor bags??? fun! i'll give myself a couple more years before we hit that stage :)
i quite enjoy working on birthday parties for miss k. i can say that now because i've only had to plan one party per year. i'm sure i'll still like doing birthdays when baby b turns one and for several parties after, but i wonder when the time will come that they become a headache and a chore? my babies were born in february and september, so at least that spreads the chaos of birthday parties out a bit...
i also realize that birthday parties can be as simple or as chaotic as you want them to be. we have yet to do any friend parties (of course) but in brainstorming for this third party, i have gotten a bit excited for the first friend party. games, crafty things, favor bags??? fun! i'll give myself a couple more years before we hit that stage :)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
the sleepy fight
i'm not one of those people who think babies come to us as blank slates who know nothing at all. but i find myself completely surprised when my little baby b can put things together and let me know how she feels about it - already??? for example, about a month or so ago, she really started letting me know how she feels about that carseat. she hates that thing. and, for some reason, it was so crazy to me that this little 3 month old knew just when she was going to get strapped into it. her new thing is that she knows when she's going to be put to bed and cries because she either hates it or hates being left alone. of course babies know things and of course they have opinions on such things and of course they can express their feelings on those opinions. but sometimes it just blows my mind for a second that they can "already do that." i'm getting lost in deep thought...
so putting her down for a nap is usually when i get this mad reaction. when b is really, genuinely tired, she is the easiest baby to put to bed. she goes in there awake and doesn't make a sound and just falls asleep. but when she's not quite tired but it's naptime or bedtime? oh boy. she starts crying as soon as she makes eye contact with her crib. she starts screaming as soon as i turn on the lighted toys and mobile. and the worst part? she looks up at me like, "how could you?" it's kind of heartbreaking.
most of the time, it lasts for about 30 seconds and she gives up. but boy, when she has decided she is just not ready? she will hang onto that opinion until you do something about it...
in great news, k has gotten so much better. when we first moved her to her toddler bed, she was fantastic. a few months later, it all changed. that means, that for about 7 months or so, we have endured the "stay in your room or i'm going to ______" fight. we've been through it all: leaving the door open/shutting the door all the way, taking toys away, bribes, screaming, crying, spanking, bungee-cording the door to "lock" it from the outside, letting her do whatever she wants, ignoring her, letting her play in the hall until she's tired, and on and on and on. but once we moved baby b into her room (about a month ago) it has been wonderful! not every night is perfect, but i'd wager 9 nights out of 10 are great. k stays in her room most nights and plays quietly until she's ready to go to sleep. once she makes that decision, she tucks herself in bed and conks out. it's great!
while k is doing great these days, i still have one complaint: the endless "i need to go to the bathroom," the "i need a drink," or the "i need help getting back into bed." apparently i was full of the same crap, so while it's infuriating, i have to smile inside and just breathe.
so putting her down for a nap is usually when i get this mad reaction. when b is really, genuinely tired, she is the easiest baby to put to bed. she goes in there awake and doesn't make a sound and just falls asleep. but when she's not quite tired but it's naptime or bedtime? oh boy. she starts crying as soon as she makes eye contact with her crib. she starts screaming as soon as i turn on the lighted toys and mobile. and the worst part? she looks up at me like, "how could you?" it's kind of heartbreaking.
most of the time, it lasts for about 30 seconds and she gives up. but boy, when she has decided she is just not ready? she will hang onto that opinion until you do something about it...
in great news, k has gotten so much better. when we first moved her to her toddler bed, she was fantastic. a few months later, it all changed. that means, that for about 7 months or so, we have endured the "stay in your room or i'm going to ______" fight. we've been through it all: leaving the door open/shutting the door all the way, taking toys away, bribes, screaming, crying, spanking, bungee-cording the door to "lock" it from the outside, letting her do whatever she wants, ignoring her, letting her play in the hall until she's tired, and on and on and on. but once we moved baby b into her room (about a month ago) it has been wonderful! not every night is perfect, but i'd wager 9 nights out of 10 are great. k stays in her room most nights and plays quietly until she's ready to go to sleep. once she makes that decision, she tucks herself in bed and conks out. it's great!
while k is doing great these days, i still have one complaint: the endless "i need to go to the bathroom," the "i need a drink," or the "i need help getting back into bed." apparently i was full of the same crap, so while it's infuriating, i have to smile inside and just breathe.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
cereal
baby b got her first taste of rice cereal the other night. i know, i know, she's only 4 1/2 months. she gives me a good, solid 6 hours at night but i figured since she's as old and growing as well as she is, she could stand to go longer at night without eating. i've been told by my doctor that after about 4 months they can, generally, start to give up any night-time feedings. and, since the girls are sharing a room, it would be great to have a longer sleep stretch for b and k, not to mention for me!
the cereal, if you can call it that, was of course very runny - which means some went in and most came out. i gave her a few bites the first night and that is just how it went. but guess what? it added another hour! just a few bites of runny milk and cereal added 60 minutes of glorious, uninterrupted sleep! so the next night, i fed her again. she caught on surprisingly well for a 4 1/2 month old - she started opening her mouth and leaning forward for each bite. it was so cute. she ate quite a bit more and slept for 2 hours longer! it has been a great adjustment in our little household.
on that note, i was taking k to the bathroom during those night-time feedings and was hoping that giving those up wouldn't send us backward in her night-time potty training. guess what? i haven't taken k to the bathroom in 4 nights and she's either woken up herself to go or stayed dry all night long! what a great week we've had!
the cereal, if you can call it that, was of course very runny - which means some went in and most came out. i gave her a few bites the first night and that is just how it went. but guess what? it added another hour! just a few bites of runny milk and cereal added 60 minutes of glorious, uninterrupted sleep! so the next night, i fed her again. she caught on surprisingly well for a 4 1/2 month old - she started opening her mouth and leaning forward for each bite. it was so cute. she ate quite a bit more and slept for 2 hours longer! it has been a great adjustment in our little household.
on that note, i was taking k to the bathroom during those night-time feedings and was hoping that giving those up wouldn't send us backward in her night-time potty training. guess what? i haven't taken k to the bathroom in 4 nights and she's either woken up herself to go or stayed dry all night long! what a great week we've had!
Monday, January 24, 2011
i know it's just the age
i feel like i've been saying this a lot right now. except in the last few days. we've had a string of great, manageable days with miss k. anyhow, she definitely is in a stage right now.
k is hard - most of the time she is defiant, bossy, rebellious, pushing boundaries, testing me... call it what you will, she's doing it. i was talking to a woman the other day who had been to a series of parenting classes when she had grown tired of dealing with her 9 year old who used to be so easy and mellow and who now seemed to be possessed by some sort of body snatcher...
apparently there is this stage that comes around as a toddler, then again at 8 or 9ish, and then again around 13. kids reach these ages and turn, momentarily, from your sweet, pleasant child into one that is defiant, bossy, rebellious, pushes boundaries, tests you... you get the idea. really? at least three times they will do this??? yuck and double yuck! and while we're at it, triple yuck!!!
but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. with each of these ages, they gain a bit more independence, they are capable of doing more than they previously were, they are given more privileges than they used to have, of course they are going to push you and test you and see just how far they can go with this new-found-freedom.
so, while it makes perfect sense, it brings some a-ha to the picture and makes it slightly better to deal with and muddle through. but, while it makes sense, it still continues to be difficult and i find myself asking, "so just how much more of this do i have to experience with k before it comes around again in another few years?" if i'm lucky, maybe k will go through it at 8-9 at the same time as baby #3 (when there is a baby #3) goes through it as a toddler. oh boy!
k is hard - most of the time she is defiant, bossy, rebellious, pushing boundaries, testing me... call it what you will, she's doing it. i was talking to a woman the other day who had been to a series of parenting classes when she had grown tired of dealing with her 9 year old who used to be so easy and mellow and who now seemed to be possessed by some sort of body snatcher...
apparently there is this stage that comes around as a toddler, then again at 8 or 9ish, and then again around 13. kids reach these ages and turn, momentarily, from your sweet, pleasant child into one that is defiant, bossy, rebellious, pushes boundaries, tests you... you get the idea. really? at least three times they will do this??? yuck and double yuck! and while we're at it, triple yuck!!!
but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. with each of these ages, they gain a bit more independence, they are capable of doing more than they previously were, they are given more privileges than they used to have, of course they are going to push you and test you and see just how far they can go with this new-found-freedom.
so, while it makes perfect sense, it brings some a-ha to the picture and makes it slightly better to deal with and muddle through. but, while it makes sense, it still continues to be difficult and i find myself asking, "so just how much more of this do i have to experience with k before it comes around again in another few years?" if i'm lucky, maybe k will go through it at 8-9 at the same time as baby #3 (when there is a baby #3) goes through it as a toddler. oh boy!
Friday, January 21, 2011
i have great infants
how did i get so lucky with my babies?
my parents still remind me how surprised they are at my mothering skills and how incredibly lucky we are to have such great babies. don't worry, we know it.
one thing i am so grateful for with my babies is that they (so far) have been excellent sleepers. from about 6 weeks on, they let me sleep all night. even when they are brand new and just home from the hospital, the most frequently they had to eat at night was every four hours. none of this every 2 hours business.
another reason i know i have good babies is that they have both been great eaters. notice i said babies ;) as i mentioned, they have only wanted to eat every 4 hours. when they were brand new, i kind of felt like all i did was feed my baby, around the clock, but even at four hour intervals, that is nothing to complain about. they get in, they get out, they move on with life! i don't (so far) have babies that eat for 45 minutes. i remember hearing friends say (friends who nursed their babies) "you do 20 minutes on one side, burp, 20 minutes on the other side, burp again, change the diaper, then you put them back to sleep. so you're up for like an hour." what??? really? is this what i had to look forward to? gratefully, both of my babies eat for about 15 to 20 minutes total, burp, and get a diaper change. we are all back to bed within 30 minutes. blessed children!!!
probably the thing i'm most grateful for, however, is that my babies are so mellow! they just seem to go with the flow and don't make much of a fuss about anything. i used to take k with me to anything and everything and she rarely fussed. she was so full of personality and was so easily entertained - it was lovely! baby b is following closely in her sister's footsteps. the only thing she doesn't like is the carseat. but once we get rolling, she quietly enjoys the ride.
now, i promise - this post isn't a brag post like those dedicated to showing how great my latest project is or whatever - but i just wanted to document the bliss that has come from my two baby girls. it serves purely as a reminder that i love these girls and that at one point in time, they were blissful! i think it will get me through my days of raising toddler and even teenage girls!
my parents still remind me how surprised they are at my mothering skills and how incredibly lucky we are to have such great babies. don't worry, we know it.
one thing i am so grateful for with my babies is that they (so far) have been excellent sleepers. from about 6 weeks on, they let me sleep all night. even when they are brand new and just home from the hospital, the most frequently they had to eat at night was every four hours. none of this every 2 hours business.
another reason i know i have good babies is that they have both been great eaters. notice i said babies ;) as i mentioned, they have only wanted to eat every 4 hours. when they were brand new, i kind of felt like all i did was feed my baby, around the clock, but even at four hour intervals, that is nothing to complain about. they get in, they get out, they move on with life! i don't (so far) have babies that eat for 45 minutes. i remember hearing friends say (friends who nursed their babies) "you do 20 minutes on one side, burp, 20 minutes on the other side, burp again, change the diaper, then you put them back to sleep. so you're up for like an hour." what??? really? is this what i had to look forward to? gratefully, both of my babies eat for about 15 to 20 minutes total, burp, and get a diaper change. we are all back to bed within 30 minutes. blessed children!!!
probably the thing i'm most grateful for, however, is that my babies are so mellow! they just seem to go with the flow and don't make much of a fuss about anything. i used to take k with me to anything and everything and she rarely fussed. she was so full of personality and was so easily entertained - it was lovely! baby b is following closely in her sister's footsteps. the only thing she doesn't like is the carseat. but once we get rolling, she quietly enjoys the ride.
now, i promise - this post isn't a brag post like those dedicated to showing how great my latest project is or whatever - but i just wanted to document the bliss that has come from my two baby girls. it serves purely as a reminder that i love these girls and that at one point in time, they were blissful! i think it will get me through my days of raising toddler and even teenage girls!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
sister love
k is a great big sister
we weren't really sure how she would deal with a sibling. would she love it? would she hate having to share mom and dad with baby? would she try to smother her when we weren't looking?
to diffuse the jealousy from the get-go, we got a gift for k from baby b. when she came to the hospital to meet b for the first time, we presented her with a woody doll from toy story 3. when we told her it was from her baby sister, she was pretty excited about the idea. it was like you could see the wheels turning, "my baby sister got a toy for me???" so cute.
she wanted to hold her baby sister from the second she saw her and that actually lasted for about a month. then the novelty wore off :) but in those first few weeks, k wanted everyone to meet her baby sister. she wanted to hold her constantly, and anytime b would let out little cries, k would laugh and say, "i hear my baby sister!!!" it was all pretty exciting :)
as b has gotten older and bigger, k has had a hard time remembering to be gentle and soft with her. she is still learning the concept, so we have to be pretty vigilant when she tries loving on b. there seems to be a semi-fine line however, because i don't want to be negative when it comes to k interacting with b, but of course i can't let her manhandle the poor baby! i don't want k to resent baby b because all i do is tell her "no" when she tries playing with her. but lately, it has been really fun watching the 2 of them interact. k is usually trying to get her baby sister to laugh and, in turn, it makes me giggle. i really love having 2 girls!
we weren't really sure how she would deal with a sibling. would she love it? would she hate having to share mom and dad with baby? would she try to smother her when we weren't looking?
to diffuse the jealousy from the get-go, we got a gift for k from baby b. when she came to the hospital to meet b for the first time, we presented her with a woody doll from toy story 3. when we told her it was from her baby sister, she was pretty excited about the idea. it was like you could see the wheels turning, "my baby sister got a toy for me???" so cute.
she wanted to hold her baby sister from the second she saw her and that actually lasted for about a month. then the novelty wore off :) but in those first few weeks, k wanted everyone to meet her baby sister. she wanted to hold her constantly, and anytime b would let out little cries, k would laugh and say, "i hear my baby sister!!!" it was all pretty exciting :)
as b has gotten older and bigger, k has had a hard time remembering to be gentle and soft with her. she is still learning the concept, so we have to be pretty vigilant when she tries loving on b. there seems to be a semi-fine line however, because i don't want to be negative when it comes to k interacting with b, but of course i can't let her manhandle the poor baby! i don't want k to resent baby b because all i do is tell her "no" when she tries playing with her. but lately, it has been really fun watching the 2 of them interact. k is usually trying to get her baby sister to laugh and, in turn, it makes me giggle. i really love having 2 girls!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
have we turned a corner?
k hit her stubborn streak about a year ago. with everything. the worst power struggle we have had (and no i'm not going to talk about potty training anymore) has been over food. she was the best eater up until she was about 2 years old and i was the proud mom who thought she had the perfect child. i thought i had done everything right, didn't stress over things, and had this perfect baby who would sail through life being perfect.
not.so.much.
a reality check for me and for k. for me because the independent streak hit and my rose colored glasses came off. i am now living in the world of "i can teach and discipline and raise, but in all reality you are going to do what you want." a bit early, sure, but not abnormal. i keep telling myself this phase is a phase and we will all get a break for a few years until it comes around again. a reality check for k because she discovered a bit of independence. she had new boundaries and had to push them. enter: food. she started to get very picky and wouldn't touch real food. we hadn't given her too much kid-food, but she resisted just about anything and everything we were eating.
i have gone through it all. the power struggle at the dinner table, the "this is what we are having so this is what you are having," the "you have to have 3 bites and then you can have ____," the "i give up, eat whatever you want," the "here are your options, you can pick whatever you want out of these 3 or 4 things but you have to eat one of them," etc. i just felt like i tried everything! very frustrating, to say the least.
about 2 weeks ago, the clouds parted. k asked for a hamburger. a what?
not.so.much.
a reality check for me and for k. for me because the independent streak hit and my rose colored glasses came off. i am now living in the world of "i can teach and discipline and raise, but in all reality you are going to do what you want." a bit early, sure, but not abnormal. i keep telling myself this phase is a phase and we will all get a break for a few years until it comes around again. a reality check for k because she discovered a bit of independence. she had new boundaries and had to push them. enter: food. she started to get very picky and wouldn't touch real food. we hadn't given her too much kid-food, but she resisted just about anything and everything we were eating.
i have gone through it all. the power struggle at the dinner table, the "this is what we are having so this is what you are having," the "you have to have 3 bites and then you can have ____," the "i give up, eat whatever you want," the "here are your options, you can pick whatever you want out of these 3 or 4 things but you have to eat one of them," etc. i just felt like i tried everything! very frustrating, to say the least.
about 2 weeks ago, the clouds parted. k asked for a hamburger. a what?
(this girl doesn't like french fries, chicken nuggets, or hamburgers... it sounds like we only eat out and fast food at that. not the case. but she not only wouldn't eat what we were having at the dinner table, she also wouldn't even eat the normal things kids want instead. she was living on things like yogurt, rice crispies, applesauce, peanut butter, and ramen noodles. very nutritious. so, you can imagine my surprise when she wanted that hamburger.)
so, back to that hamburger. she ate it up! and then she just started eating things like roast beef, hot dogs (pigs in a blanket), potatoes and gravy and more vegetables! who knew she just had to realize she could allow that savory flavor to open up her palate? i hope i'm not jinxing her taste buds by putting this out there (you know how when you say it out loud it's over?). it has been a glorious couple of weeks when it comes to little k's diet!!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
2 niñas
i was very unsure about how it would be having two kids. one reason was that i didn't want to add another stroller to the household and decided to "make it work" with our bigger stroller. i thought about this issue over and over and wondered what we would do. (i'm trying to paint a picture, here) :)
more or less i was stressing over this when it hit me: who am i kidding? with two kids i'm not going ANYWHERE by myself for like 6 months! stroller issue? non-issue!
i quickly realized this, in fact, was a non-issue. it was much easier to take 2 kids out by myself than i thought. i'm not saying it's a piece of cake every time, but it's definitely manageable. i have found that i don't just run out at the drop of a hat like i used to with k - i think more about leaving the house and if i really want to - but i definitely don't feel trapped in.
tasks like going to get our mail (we have a PO box at the post office - no mailbox... boo) are much harder since i can't just leave the kids in the car while i run in for literally 20 seconds. so husband picks up the mail most days... but now that i think about it, getting the mail is usually our nightly outing as a family once daddy gets home :) we all have to get out of the house at least once a day!
more or less i was stressing over this when it hit me: who am i kidding? with two kids i'm not going ANYWHERE by myself for like 6 months! stroller issue? non-issue!
i quickly realized this, in fact, was a non-issue. it was much easier to take 2 kids out by myself than i thought. i'm not saying it's a piece of cake every time, but it's definitely manageable. i have found that i don't just run out at the drop of a hat like i used to with k - i think more about leaving the house and if i really want to - but i definitely don't feel trapped in.
tasks like going to get our mail (we have a PO box at the post office - no mailbox... boo) are much harder since i can't just leave the kids in the car while i run in for literally 20 seconds. so husband picks up the mail most days... but now that i think about it, getting the mail is usually our nightly outing as a family once daddy gets home :) we all have to get out of the house at least once a day!
Monday, January 17, 2011
welcome, little one
so as i said, baby b made her way into our family, home, and hearts, in early september. this time around, i was instructed and prepared, and she didn't want to come out either, just like big sister k. this means that about halfway through my pregnancy, my doctor scheduled my c-section "just so it was on the books." i went through all the emotions: disappointment, confusion, convenience, acceptance. on my way to acceptance though, i experienced quite the dilemma. looking at it now, what was my dilemma really? there wasn't much i could do to get her here...
i know there are plenty out there who would start up the arguments with me right now. i say to you: good luck coaxing and waiting for a baby that is not coming out. i experienced this waiting for k. 7 days overdue (yes i could have waited longer but am so glad we didn't since she had meconium in there with her and could have gotten major infection) and no sign of her coming (i was at 1.5cm and zero effacing...) so they went in and got her. and i am so grateful they did. thank you doctor! it was time for her to come and she was pretty determined it wasn't happening. i feel strongly that it's how it was supposed to happen. my recovery was great and i had zero qualms about having a c-section other than i didn't get to experience that "regular" delivery.
so i went through the emotional roller coaster this time trying to decide about a scheduled c-section or not. i had 2 major concerns: a) if i have back-to-back c-sections, i will probably be closing the door to ever having a regular, vaginal delivery. and, secretly, i always wanted to try for that natural delivery, sans epidural. that would all be voided as an option for me in the future. b) would having c-section babies limit the number of children i can have? that all depended on how many kids i wanted and how my body handled the scar tissue inside. inside? that meant i had to wait until they got back inside to see just how my body handles it... thankfully my scars inside looked "gorgeous"... doctor's words :)
acceptance came a few weeks later, once i basically realized there really isn't anything more important than getting your baby here safely. i accepted my fate that i will never experience childbirth and moved on.
the big day came and we were admitted early in the morning. i was so grateful i didn't have to wait around until late afternoon for surgery! b was here 15 minutes after they took me into the OR. it was fantastic and she was here!!! and, as it turns out, we would have most likely ended up in that OR regardless because little b had that umbilical cord wrapped around her neck not once but twice! yikes. thank goodness for medical staff who take care of things and know exactly what to do!
now it's been 4 months, wow, and we are a family of four. it's crazy to think we were ever just a family of three. or two?
wow!
i know there are plenty out there who would start up the arguments with me right now. i say to you: good luck coaxing and waiting for a baby that is not coming out. i experienced this waiting for k. 7 days overdue (yes i could have waited longer but am so glad we didn't since she had meconium in there with her and could have gotten major infection) and no sign of her coming (i was at 1.5cm and zero effacing...) so they went in and got her. and i am so grateful they did. thank you doctor! it was time for her to come and she was pretty determined it wasn't happening. i feel strongly that it's how it was supposed to happen. my recovery was great and i had zero qualms about having a c-section other than i didn't get to experience that "regular" delivery.
so i went through the emotional roller coaster this time trying to decide about a scheduled c-section or not. i had 2 major concerns: a) if i have back-to-back c-sections, i will probably be closing the door to ever having a regular, vaginal delivery. and, secretly, i always wanted to try for that natural delivery, sans epidural. that would all be voided as an option for me in the future. b) would having c-section babies limit the number of children i can have? that all depended on how many kids i wanted and how my body handled the scar tissue inside. inside? that meant i had to wait until they got back inside to see just how my body handles it... thankfully my scars inside looked "gorgeous"... doctor's words :)
acceptance came a few weeks later, once i basically realized there really isn't anything more important than getting your baby here safely. i accepted my fate that i will never experience childbirth and moved on.
the big day came and we were admitted early in the morning. i was so grateful i didn't have to wait around until late afternoon for surgery! b was here 15 minutes after they took me into the OR. it was fantastic and she was here!!! and, as it turns out, we would have most likely ended up in that OR regardless because little b had that umbilical cord wrapped around her neck not once but twice! yikes. thank goodness for medical staff who take care of things and know exactly what to do!
now it's been 4 months, wow, and we are a family of four. it's crazy to think we were ever just a family of three. or two?
wow!
Friday, January 14, 2011
potty training
she did it!!! k has been potty trained for over a year now. as you may remember, this past summer we were still struggling with #2 training. it was a battle and a power struggle, on my side and on her side. l.a.m.e.
then one night, all it took was one night!, husband knew she had a 'stinky' on it's way and he calmly insisted she stay on the toilet until it came. after an hour (for real) it finally happened. husband and i had tag-teamed and i was sitting with her. it was dramatic and traumatic. i had a flashing moment of "are we making this worse? is this too traumatic for her? oh crap, is she going into shock?" for real. it got so bad but then one second later it was so good! she did it! we were all so proud and had a party in the bathroom right then and there. she got every reward we ever promised her (at that point there were about 5 things she got [candy/popsicles/toys...] or got back [all of her stuffed dolls and toys]). it was thrilling to say the least - thrilling.
and it stuck! i was worried that she might do it but then immediately fall back into the habit of not wanting to do it EVER again. but little k is a champ! this all happened mid-november and we were headed out of town for thanksgiving. i wondered if she would be able to transition from going in her own house to going somewhere else, let alone being distracted by playing with cousins all day long. would she remember to tell me when she needed to go? yes, she would! she even started staying dry all night long, every night. goodbye pull-ups at night! it was amazing!
here we are, a few months later, and we are golden. she never has accidents, she stays dry all night (although i do take her to the bathroom once around 5:30am when i'm feeding baby b) but she is doing awesome! way to go, k!!!
then one night, all it took was one night!, husband knew she had a 'stinky' on it's way and he calmly insisted she stay on the toilet until it came. after an hour (for real) it finally happened. husband and i had tag-teamed and i was sitting with her. it was dramatic and traumatic. i had a flashing moment of "are we making this worse? is this too traumatic for her? oh crap, is she going into shock?" for real. it got so bad but then one second later it was so good! she did it! we were all so proud and had a party in the bathroom right then and there. she got every reward we ever promised her (at that point there were about 5 things she got [candy/popsicles/toys...] or got back [all of her stuffed dolls and toys]). it was thrilling to say the least - thrilling.
and it stuck! i was worried that she might do it but then immediately fall back into the habit of not wanting to do it EVER again. but little k is a champ! this all happened mid-november and we were headed out of town for thanksgiving. i wondered if she would be able to transition from going in her own house to going somewhere else, let alone being distracted by playing with cousins all day long. would she remember to tell me when she needed to go? yes, she would! she even started staying dry all night long, every night. goodbye pull-ups at night! it was amazing!
here we are, a few months later, and we are golden. she never has accidents, she stays dry all night (although i do take her to the bathroom once around 5:30am when i'm feeding baby b) but she is doing awesome! way to go, k!!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
am i back?
not sure about it, but for today, i'm back. i have thought less and less, and then not at all, about this blog since i left it. then today, for some reason, i clicked on my bookmark for it and read through a few of the posts. it made me wish i had been writing more, just for history's sake. i wish i had recorded all of the things, good and not so good, that k has been doing and saying. i think, as i'm sitting here and typing, i was just overcome by negativity when i was writing this summer. it seemed like the only things i could blog about were so awfully annoying and i got overwhelmed with focusing on it - so i stopped blogging.
can i change? we'll see.
i hope that this time around, k does a few more fun things to blog about :) also, we have b to blog about. she was born in early september and is growing, quite literally, like a weed. she is SO big and is growing so much faster than k did! it's a trip.
so, if you wish, please stay tuned with me and we'll see if i can figure out a way to keep recording things my girls do and stay positive through the negative!
cheers!
can i change? we'll see.
i hope that this time around, k does a few more fun things to blog about :) also, we have b to blog about. she was born in early september and is growing, quite literally, like a weed. she is SO big and is growing so much faster than k did! it's a trip.
so, if you wish, please stay tuned with me and we'll see if i can figure out a way to keep recording things my girls do and stay positive through the negative!
cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)