Yes, it’s been a while since I blogged. It’s not that nothing has been going on that I won’t regret not having documented, but I just haven’t been able to prioritize blogging over other things like chasing after a toddler.
It’s so weird to call O a toddler, but she is a-toddling. We have opened up the first and second floor to Olivia (blocking the stairs, of course). She can climb up the stairs, it’s the down part we’re not willing to try just yet. I have probably mentioned this before, and it is probably not unique to her, but she should work for the government when she grows up. She is always finding the flaw in our barricade plans…or finding access to the more dangerous items like plugs, cords, or glassware over the plethora of toys we have strewn about the house for her. This morning I got distracted for a millisecond and she managed to stick her fingers in "her" drawer. (bottom drawer in the kitchen filled with our water bottles (aka her water bottles) and other small toys.
Her new thing is, no matter what you have in your hand, she wants it. Again, even though she has plenty of "safer, toddler-appropriate" items strewn about, she wants what you got. Lately it’s been keys, or water bottles. Yesterday it was the carbon monoxide detector we had plugged in a floor lever outlet, we thought, was out of her reach. Luckily she was not electrocuted, or whatever horror stories that you hear that keep you awake at night, but once I took the detector out of her reach, it was like I had just removed an appendage. I guess it’s good and bad that they only have a short attention span, the solution was to just hand her some other non-toddler item and she forgot all about the detector. It’s hard to resist buying all of those toys you see, especially the ones you think will enhance their brain in some way or another, but, in reality…you could probably save a ton of money and just put boxes, paper and plastic items on the floor.
Speaking of enhancing the brain, and speaking of speaking, at Olivia’s 12 month pediatrician visit, he asked if she was saying mama and dada specifically. Enter the new reason for me to be paranoid, because, no, she is saying dada, but not mama specifically. She is even saying ca ca (kitty cat) when Matilda walks by, but not mama. Should I be happy that she is starting to associate words with John and Matilda or upset that I CARRIED HER FOR 9 MONTHS, GAVE BIRTH TO HER AND LOST LOTS OF SLEEP FOR HER and she is still not saying my name! My only consolation is that, hopefully, eventually this will all be a distant memory… but, for right now, the only conversation she and I will be having is "you
– Olivia, me –mama" According to "What to Expect, the Toddler Years", by 13.5 months, Olivia should be saying mama and dada intentionally. She turned 13 months today. We have two weeks and it’s mama-bootcamp time.
Another flaw in my plan of perfect parenting-bliss-not=reality is that Olivia refuses to drink anything from her sippy cup but water or eat consistently well. The latter supposedly is common in toddlers as they develop a memory and come to realize that if I don’t eat now, I can get something later…right now I want to play. That is no consolation to me as her 12 month bloodwork came back low in iron. Anyway, we are still doing the bottle thing AND the formula thing so she gets her calories and iron from something. John mentioned that the next level at daycare, they don’t do bottles. If one kid gets a bottle, others want one too. Now I have to actively wean her off the bottle time and hope she eats enough to make up the nutrients…and starts to drink milk from a sippy cup. I always assumed the transition would be natural, but it ain’t. Just like I assumed that she would naturally start eating solids…because they were homemade and she would love my cooking. It’s the ultimate irony, isn’t it, that if you love to cook you will have a child who doesn’t eat?
Her first birthday party was a success. We had it at Bubbles Academy. I highly recommend that place for parties. They have an enormous room filled with toys and musical instruments and climbing things perfect for toddlers. They have planned activities and they do the clean up. Everyone raved about the party and some even were inspired to find similar opportunities for their children. My mom and John gave me a hard time for going through the effort and expense for a first birthday, but I think, both were pleased in the end with the outcome. Perhaps Olivia won’t remember the party, but we have photographic documentation that she had a good time (even though she didn’t eat much). I made all of the food for the party, including the cupcakes. I am not sure I would do that again considering the time and expense that it took probably equaled a catered alternative. I guess I have bragging rights, since people seemed to enjoy the food, but I also had a refrigerator full of cupcakes afterward. Some would think that’s a good thing, in theory, even I would, but it is not when you are having cupcake appetizers before dinner.
Olivia has taken to crying off and on throughout the night lately. I just read that this is due to the fact that they start dreaming now and may wake up thinking their dream was reality. It makes me wonder what could possibly be upsetting her at this age? I also read, from Weissbluth’s "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" that I shouldn’t be going to her and letting her soothe herself back to sleep because studies have been done to show that people who had sleep issues as babies have sleep issues as adults. So, even though it may sound like she needs me, and it tugs at every mom-gene I have, I have to let her just soothe herself back to sleep…lest she be a non-mama-sayin’-bottle-drinking-non-sleeping adult. I keep telling myself it will get easier once we can communicate with eachother and I can start guilting her into doing this stuff.
I got my two weeks notice yesterday. It’s not a surprise as we saw this coming. There is just not enough work at the firm to keep me busy/provide money for my salary. There are some big projects coming up next year, so I just have to wait out this year and pinch pennies where I can. We are going to try to keep Olivia in daycare so as not to lose our spot, but I am looking forward to spending time with my daughter. I know I won’t regret this time no matter what happens. Also, I decided to sign up for that half-ironman I missed due to her being in my womb and then there’s the Chicago Marathon I signed up for. I never thought I would be interested in doing a marathon, but now that I have all of this time to train, I may actually be able to come out of it alive. Hopefully Olivia’s ready to accompany me at the finish line. This is going to be an exciting year, I hope.
