Today has been a morning of firsts for Silvia. She rolled over for the first time. This is her first roll ever, and she still can't roll from tummy to back, but she's trying hard. Usually babies go tummy to back instead of back to tummy, but Silvia is just doing it her own way.
She also had her first real laugh this morning! I was tickling her, (see the picture below), and she just all of a sudden started laughing really hard. Too cute!
I can't believe she's having firsts already. She's just growing so quickly!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Crying
Silvia is a sweet baby, she really is. She loves me and Anna and... well, she thinks Kurt's pretty neat, too. So long as she's not hungry/tired/needy/etc. Silvia is a mommy's girl. It's been a slow gradual development, but we've gotten to the point where pretty much no one else can hold her except me without bringing on The Face. You know the one, right? The one that starts with the lower lip pout and watery eyes, and then disintergrates into full on fury within a few moments.
She wants her momma, it's true. It's been hard on Kurt, who's such a devoted dad. Sometimes I try to sneak away for a few hours and, guaranteed, when I walk in the door I can hear her wailing upstairs as he tries to rock her, completely resigned to her wails. It's not every time I leave, but it seems to happen with an alarming regularity. Guess who feels ever so slightly trapped by baby love? Go on, guess! You'll never figure it out!
My solution was idealistic in the extreme. I had this plan- no, more than a plan, it was a VISION. I decided that we, as a family, would go every morning to the gym, drop the girls in the happy daycare where they would be happy and cheery and also very cute. I would sweat out my stress in an up-beat exercise class while Kurt lifted weights, I'd drop the last of the post-pregnancy weight, and we'd all start the weekend chipper and revived from our fabulous morning at World Gym.
Here's what really happened:
I dropped the girls in the daycare while Silvia was still sleeping and as soon as I tried to leave, Anna started crying and whining. Distracting her momentarily, I slipped out. Kurt headed off to the weights and I started on the cardio machines (not being so delusional as to think I'd make it through a full class on the first try). Precisely 7 minutes later, the daycare worker came to get me. Silvia had woken up hysterical and would not calm down. Anna was freaking out because a stranger was holding "My Silvia" and "My Silvia is crying!!!". The moment I walked in, Anna had a complete melt-down and Silvia was totally inconsolable.
I spent the next 40 minutes driving around, trying to get the baby to stop crying, while Anna sang preschool songs at the top of her lungs. Kurt finished his workout, the first he's been able to do in months. When we got home, I ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes and pretended I could make it to the Escapeland if only I ran faster. Sigh... oh, well. It was a pipe dream anyway. I've still got my treadmill, now I just need to find the time to use it!
Speaking of driving around with Silvia, we're having some serious troubles in the car with her. She hates it. HATES. Mostly she'll cry and fuss and I'll drive around with my shoulder partially out of socket so I can hold her pacifier in until she falls asleep, but sometimes... sometimes it's bad. Sometimes she cries and cries and screams and wails and shakes and hiccups and throws up and then cries some more. It's so weird, I thought babies were supposed to love the car, but she really can't stand it. We're supposed to drive up to Fort Collins next week, a two hour drive each way, and I'm starting to think we just can't go. I'm afraid I'll go insane. It's awful, because you can't really do anything to help her feel better except get her out of the car, and sometimes, let's face it, we just have to drive places.
So that's what we're dealing with lately. There's been some crying. But we'll make it through.
She wants her momma, it's true. It's been hard on Kurt, who's such a devoted dad. Sometimes I try to sneak away for a few hours and, guaranteed, when I walk in the door I can hear her wailing upstairs as he tries to rock her, completely resigned to her wails. It's not every time I leave, but it seems to happen with an alarming regularity. Guess who feels ever so slightly trapped by baby love? Go on, guess! You'll never figure it out!
My solution was idealistic in the extreme. I had this plan- no, more than a plan, it was a VISION. I decided that we, as a family, would go every morning to the gym, drop the girls in the happy daycare where they would be happy and cheery and also very cute. I would sweat out my stress in an up-beat exercise class while Kurt lifted weights, I'd drop the last of the post-pregnancy weight, and we'd all start the weekend chipper and revived from our fabulous morning at World Gym.
Here's what really happened:
I dropped the girls in the daycare while Silvia was still sleeping and as soon as I tried to leave, Anna started crying and whining. Distracting her momentarily, I slipped out. Kurt headed off to the weights and I started on the cardio machines (not being so delusional as to think I'd make it through a full class on the first try). Precisely 7 minutes later, the daycare worker came to get me. Silvia had woken up hysterical and would not calm down. Anna was freaking out because a stranger was holding "My Silvia" and "My Silvia is crying!!!". The moment I walked in, Anna had a complete melt-down and Silvia was totally inconsolable.
I spent the next 40 minutes driving around, trying to get the baby to stop crying, while Anna sang preschool songs at the top of her lungs. Kurt finished his workout, the first he's been able to do in months. When we got home, I ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes and pretended I could make it to the Escapeland if only I ran faster. Sigh... oh, well. It was a pipe dream anyway. I've still got my treadmill, now I just need to find the time to use it!
Speaking of driving around with Silvia, we're having some serious troubles in the car with her. She hates it. HATES. Mostly she'll cry and fuss and I'll drive around with my shoulder partially out of socket so I can hold her pacifier in until she falls asleep, but sometimes... sometimes it's bad. Sometimes she cries and cries and screams and wails and shakes and hiccups and throws up and then cries some more. It's so weird, I thought babies were supposed to love the car, but she really can't stand it. We're supposed to drive up to Fort Collins next week, a two hour drive each way, and I'm starting to think we just can't go. I'm afraid I'll go insane. It's awful, because you can't really do anything to help her feel better except get her out of the car, and sometimes, let's face it, we just have to drive places.
So that's what we're dealing with lately. There's been some crying. But we'll make it through.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
"Yuck!"
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Play-doh, the journey continues
I was at Target yesterday, (because I am always at Target), just looking around. It's about 3 minutes from my house and I spend way too much time there, but it's just! so! addicting! I always go in to find a shirt for me, or pick up some groceries or whatnot. I always leave with something for the girls.
Yesterday, I found a pack of 50 different Play-doh shape cutters for about $8. Heaven! Anna is still hesitant to mix her colors and still wants me to make her shapes for her, but I'm no Play-doh artist. I can make pancakes and snakes, that's about it.
But now, oh the variety! This morning we sat for over an hour, playing with giraffes, frogs, people, elephants, alligators, triangles, stars and on and on. We played so long and so intently that eventually Anna got tired of Play-doh, something that has never before occured.
Now that is what I call I a great purchase!
Yesterday, I found a pack of 50 different Play-doh shape cutters for about $8. Heaven! Anna is still hesitant to mix her colors and still wants me to make her shapes for her, but I'm no Play-doh artist. I can make pancakes and snakes, that's about it.
But now, oh the variety! This morning we sat for over an hour, playing with giraffes, frogs, people, elephants, alligators, triangles, stars and on and on. We played so long and so intently that eventually Anna got tired of Play-doh, something that has never before occured.
Now that is what I call I a great purchase!
Monday, May 14, 2007
An Ah-HA! moment for Anna
This morning Anna was playing happily in the living room with these little alphabet bubble stickers that she "borrowed" from my scrapbooking stuff. She loves them, but they seriously frustrate her,too, sometimes.
So she's sitting there, sticking them on her books and stuff (they're not super sticky anymore) and then gets all uspet about lord only knows what. She starts crying and yelling and throws the stickers all over the place.
I say, "I'm sorry you're upset, but there's no throwing toys. Bye-bye letters." I put them away and she's still shrieking. I say, "Anna, I can't help you when you're this upset. When you feel better come talk to me." Then I walk into the kitchen.
Anna cries for a moment more, then...
She stands up, walks past me saying, "Let's go Time Out, then I'll feel better." Sits herself in the time out chair. I'm grinning ear to ear, listening to her talk to herself about the letters and needing a time out. Then I hear, 'Momma...".
I walk in. She's still sitting. "Momma, I'm in time out."
I say, "Yes, you put yourself in time out because you were very upset. Do you feel better now?"
"Yeah, I feel better. Wanna go sit in the crib?" (That's where she likes to wind down sometimes when the world gets too overwhelming.)
We happily climb the stairs, singing the stairs song, I put her in her crib for a few minutes, she smiles and we're all happy.
I cannot believe it!
So she's sitting there, sticking them on her books and stuff (they're not super sticky anymore) and then gets all uspet about lord only knows what. She starts crying and yelling and throws the stickers all over the place.
I say, "I'm sorry you're upset, but there's no throwing toys. Bye-bye letters." I put them away and she's still shrieking. I say, "Anna, I can't help you when you're this upset. When you feel better come talk to me." Then I walk into the kitchen.
Anna cries for a moment more, then...
She stands up, walks past me saying, "Let's go Time Out, then I'll feel better." Sits herself in the time out chair. I'm grinning ear to ear, listening to her talk to herself about the letters and needing a time out. Then I hear, 'Momma...".
I walk in. She's still sitting. "Momma, I'm in time out."
I say, "Yes, you put yourself in time out because you were very upset. Do you feel better now?"
"Yeah, I feel better. Wanna go sit in the crib?" (That's where she likes to wind down sometimes when the world gets too overwhelming.)
We happily climb the stairs, singing the stairs song, I put her in her crib for a few minutes, she smiles and we're all happy.
I cannot believe it!
Little Baby Ears
Poor Silvia has another ear infection, this time in both ears. She's been super fussy for about a week, crying a lot and not eating or sleeping well. I knew something wasn't right, since usually she's just very cheery and calm.
For Mother's Day we drove up to Boulder to visit with my Aunt Juanita and cousins Liz, Vicki and Cathi. It was wonderful to see everyone, I hadn't seen Liz in ages, but little Silvia cried pretty much the entire visit and the whole trip back; she just couldn't get comfortable. Hopefully next time we get to visit with them it'll be while she's healthy so they can see her super smiley side. She started her antibiotics this afternoon and by this evening already seemed to feel better.
Unfortunately, the fact that she's developing these infections so young sets up a predisposition for the future. We've got to be extra careful to help her avoid catching colds, since that just makes her ripe for another ear infecti0n. Poor little baby ears!
For Mother's Day we drove up to Boulder to visit with my Aunt Juanita and cousins Liz, Vicki and Cathi. It was wonderful to see everyone, I hadn't seen Liz in ages, but little Silvia cried pretty much the entire visit and the whole trip back; she just couldn't get comfortable. Hopefully next time we get to visit with them it'll be while she's healthy so they can see her super smiley side. She started her antibiotics this afternoon and by this evening already seemed to feel better.
Unfortunately, the fact that she's developing these infections so young sets up a predisposition for the future. We've got to be extra careful to help her avoid catching colds, since that just makes her ripe for another ear infecti0n. Poor little baby ears!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Negotiations
Anna loves her Play-doh. Really, really loves it. Every morning, after Little Einsteins, she says, "Mommy, wanna go in the playroom and play with Play-doh?".
"Sure," I say, sighing inwardly. Because it's not a simple matter of just getting her the stuff and leaving her to it. No, it's more a matter of, how long can I sit there and make shapes FOR her, per her instructions, before I go crazy? But it's creative play, it's harmless and clean and she loves it and it's NOT Little Einsteins, so I go along with it almost every time.
As we walk up the short stairs to the playroom, she then always says, "We're gonna get the Play-doh. Anna gets five Play-dohs."
This is where the negotiations begin. The set that we have is 50 tiny tubs of different colors. Anna knows she's only allowed to have three at a time. Then, one day, Kurt gave her four, because he didn't know the rule. It's been an issue ever since.
"No, Anna, only three Play-dohs. You know you only get three colors at a time."
Holding my hand up the stairs, she says then, "Anna's gonna play with four colors."
Sigh. "No, sweetie, remember? Only three."
"Anna love the four colors of Play-doh."
And on and on. Once we're settled with our THREE colors and she eventually cuts me loose from cookie making and cake making and star making, she usually sits and plays on her own for a long time. Sometimes she stuffs it, tubs and all, into her little pink purse and walks around with it on her arm. And then, of course, she asks me for another four tubs of Play-doh, since hers is now "hidden" in the purse. Notice, she asks for FOUR more, as if I won't catch it. Tenacious little squirt.
This evening, she was playing at her little table as I sat at my computer, with my back to her. I glanced over my shoulder and she was putting all the little shapes and balls of Play-doh in her purse. I smiled and turned back to my screen.
Literally no more than a minute or two later, she came up to my chair, holding an un-opened tub of Play-doh and said, "Mommy, wanna open purple?".
Turning towards her, I saw that she had an extra tub in her hand. She had realized the box was within reach on a table and taken it out to add to the three she already had.
"No, Anna, only three..." I started to say, and then I saw her little play table.
She had piled, in that short minute or two, EVERY single tub of Play-doh from the box. There were 47 little yellow tubs with multi-colored lids all over the table. The rest were in her purse.
I looked at my industrious daughter. She smiled, held the purple tub out to me. "Four?", she asked.
After I was able to control my laughter, I caved, I admit it. It was too cute. "Okay, Anna. Let's put all these other ones away, and then you can have FOUR Play-dohs. Okay?"
"Yeah, Mamma! Four Play-dohs for Anna!"
Negotiations can be tricky, but I think I still won this one, on a certain level. Four is still less that 47, right?
"Sure," I say, sighing inwardly. Because it's not a simple matter of just getting her the stuff and leaving her to it. No, it's more a matter of, how long can I sit there and make shapes FOR her, per her instructions, before I go crazy? But it's creative play, it's harmless and clean and she loves it and it's NOT Little Einsteins, so I go along with it almost every time.
As we walk up the short stairs to the playroom, she then always says, "We're gonna get the Play-doh. Anna gets five Play-dohs."
This is where the negotiations begin. The set that we have is 50 tiny tubs of different colors. Anna knows she's only allowed to have three at a time. Then, one day, Kurt gave her four, because he didn't know the rule. It's been an issue ever since.
"No, Anna, only three Play-dohs. You know you only get three colors at a time."
Holding my hand up the stairs, she says then, "Anna's gonna play with four colors."
Sigh. "No, sweetie, remember? Only three."
"Anna love the four colors of Play-doh."
And on and on. Once we're settled with our THREE colors and she eventually cuts me loose from cookie making and cake making and star making, she usually sits and plays on her own for a long time. Sometimes she stuffs it, tubs and all, into her little pink purse and walks around with it on her arm. And then, of course, she asks me for another four tubs of Play-doh, since hers is now "hidden" in the purse. Notice, she asks for FOUR more, as if I won't catch it. Tenacious little squirt.
This evening, she was playing at her little table as I sat at my computer, with my back to her. I glanced over my shoulder and she was putting all the little shapes and balls of Play-doh in her purse. I smiled and turned back to my screen.
Literally no more than a minute or two later, she came up to my chair, holding an un-opened tub of Play-doh and said, "Mommy, wanna open purple?".
Turning towards her, I saw that she had an extra tub in her hand. She had realized the box was within reach on a table and taken it out to add to the three she already had.
"No, Anna, only three..." I started to say, and then I saw her little play table.
She had piled, in that short minute or two, EVERY single tub of Play-doh from the box. There were 47 little yellow tubs with multi-colored lids all over the table. The rest were in her purse.
I looked at my industrious daughter. She smiled, held the purple tub out to me. "Four?", she asked.
After I was able to control my laughter, I caved, I admit it. It was too cute. "Okay, Anna. Let's put all these other ones away, and then you can have FOUR Play-dohs. Okay?"
"Yeah, Mamma! Four Play-dohs for Anna!"
Negotiations can be tricky, but I think I still won this one, on a certain level. Four is still less that 47, right?
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Dreamy McSleepypants
Silvia slept through the night last night, in her crib, without once whimpering or even waking. She's 11 weeks old! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!
I put her down at 10, with her very simple routine (jammies, story, swaddle, nurse til sleepy, rock, lay her down before she's totally out). She lay in her crib, blinking, staring at the mobile, then closed her eyes. I checked on her at midnight- totally asleep. I woke up at 3:30, freaked out and not knowing where she was, ran to her crib- she was sucking on her hand that she had pulled out, sleeping. I checked on her at 5:45- one arm out, one leg out, sleeping. She stirred a little at 6:45, so I went and got her and brought her to bed, nursed her.
She went back to sleep for another half and hour!
Kurt and I are pinching ourselves. Is this real? With Anna, we'd have to creep out of the room after laying her down (after rocking for HOURS) totally asleep- if the door creaked, the gig was up and we'd have to start all over again. It was 10 months before we could lay her down sleepy but still awake. I mean, heck, when Anna was 12 weeks, she was sleeping so poorly I was about to drive off a cliff! I feel like I must be dreaming. I feel RESTED.
I feel very, very, very...confused. But happy. Very happy, too.
I put her down at 10, with her very simple routine (jammies, story, swaddle, nurse til sleepy, rock, lay her down before she's totally out). She lay in her crib, blinking, staring at the mobile, then closed her eyes. I checked on her at midnight- totally asleep. I woke up at 3:30, freaked out and not knowing where she was, ran to her crib- she was sucking on her hand that she had pulled out, sleeping. I checked on her at 5:45- one arm out, one leg out, sleeping. She stirred a little at 6:45, so I went and got her and brought her to bed, nursed her.
She went back to sleep for another half and hour!
Kurt and I are pinching ourselves. Is this real? With Anna, we'd have to creep out of the room after laying her down (after rocking for HOURS) totally asleep- if the door creaked, the gig was up and we'd have to start all over again. It was 10 months before we could lay her down sleepy but still awake. I mean, heck, when Anna was 12 weeks, she was sleeping so poorly I was about to drive off a cliff! I feel like I must be dreaming. I feel RESTED.
I feel very, very, very...confused. But happy. Very happy, too.
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