Saturday, September 25, 2010
William's First Day of Preschool.
William recently started his first day of preschool! He goes 2 half days a week. He seems to enjoy it, although it's difficult to get any information out of him when I get home from work! We're glad he's in school with his best buddy, Owen. Owen and William had been doing to daycare together for the past 2 years. Unfortunately with our daycare closing, they are at different daycares now.
Some updates about William:
1. Now that we're back in our school year routine his behavior has improved (well, except right now he's having a tantrum). He was kind of a stinker this summer and did a great job of testing me!
2. He loves to watch TV :/ We really have to work to limit this. He used to be interested in toddler shows such as Dora, Diego, and Wonderpets, but suddenly he's obsessed with Batman, Scooby Doo, and Thundercats.
3. His favorite food is spaghetti and spaghettios (he is so my child as I loved spaghettios for a long time-well into adulthood).
4. His vocabulary and speech are amazing. He hears a word once, and it becomes a part of his vocabulary and he uses it in the correct context. Here's an example from about 5 minutes ago, Olly put a play stethoscope on his nose, and William said, "Get that bloody thing off your nose!"
5. He's afraid of the dark and monsters right now. We were out last night at the grocery store and as we were driving there he said, "It's dark now which means the monsters are going to start coming out soon." Of course he didn't believe me when I said there are no monsters. He had been waking up at night due to nightmares, but now that he's so busy during the day he's been sleeping well.
6. He wears underwear but we really have to monitor his bathroom use because he will wait and wait until he goes in his underwear a little bit. If we remind him and make him go, it's much better.
7. His imagination is amazing! I cannot believe the stories he tells-both true and made up with great details. I've commented that he tells better and more detailed stories than most of my first graders can.
8. Nothing gets past him! Yesterday morning on the way to daycare he said, "Mama, the other day on the way to daycare Dada forgot Gracie's milk so we had to go back home and get it." I know for sure that Olly would've NEVER admitted that to me! I'm sure he was thinking William would forget and that it would be their little secret. Ha!
Here are some pictures of his first day!
Some updates about William:
1. Now that we're back in our school year routine his behavior has improved (well, except right now he's having a tantrum). He was kind of a stinker this summer and did a great job of testing me!
2. He loves to watch TV :/ We really have to work to limit this. He used to be interested in toddler shows such as Dora, Diego, and Wonderpets, but suddenly he's obsessed with Batman, Scooby Doo, and Thundercats.
3. His favorite food is spaghetti and spaghettios (he is so my child as I loved spaghettios for a long time-well into adulthood).
4. His vocabulary and speech are amazing. He hears a word once, and it becomes a part of his vocabulary and he uses it in the correct context. Here's an example from about 5 minutes ago, Olly put a play stethoscope on his nose, and William said, "Get that bloody thing off your nose!"
5. He's afraid of the dark and monsters right now. We were out last night at the grocery store and as we were driving there he said, "It's dark now which means the monsters are going to start coming out soon." Of course he didn't believe me when I said there are no monsters. He had been waking up at night due to nightmares, but now that he's so busy during the day he's been sleeping well.
6. He wears underwear but we really have to monitor his bathroom use because he will wait and wait until he goes in his underwear a little bit. If we remind him and make him go, it's much better.
7. His imagination is amazing! I cannot believe the stories he tells-both true and made up with great details. I've commented that he tells better and more detailed stories than most of my first graders can.
8. Nothing gets past him! Yesterday morning on the way to daycare he said, "Mama, the other day on the way to daycare Dada forgot Gracie's milk so we had to go back home and get it." I know for sure that Olly would've NEVER admitted that to me! I'm sure he was thinking William would forget and that it would be their little secret. Ha!
Here are some pictures of his first day!
Once again...
My poor ignored blog! July 28th, really? I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I posted! That means my baby is 2 months older! My William is over 3 1/2 now. Gee, a lot can happen in 2 months!
Grace will be 8 months old tomorrow. She is all over. She can slither faster than a snake. I say "slither" because that's how she gets around. She can crawl on her hands and knees, but if she wants to get somewhere quickly, she gets down into the "slithering" position. She's also eating like a champ. She loves to eat! She eats everything we eat: enchiladas, tacos, spaghetti, chicken, turkey, rice, toast, oatmeal, all fruits and veggies, crackers. You name it, she eats it.
She is still NOT sleeping through the night! :( Not even close. She's waking 2X on a good night, and 3X on a not so good night. On the 3X nights, Olly gets up once. By that time, I'm done going in there; I need my sleep! I think the only reason why her waking at night hasn't thrown me over the edge is that I look at it like a few more minutes I have with her that I miss during the day when I'm at work. I miss her desperately while I'm at work. It's a pain that never goes away. Luckily I have a job that keeps me very busy (physically, mentally, and emotionally) so my mind is often preoccupied. I miss her most when I'm leaving work and in the car to pick her up. I just can't get there fast enough, and I'm especially impatient on the days I get behind the slowest driver, hit every red light, and the train on 47.
Speaking of being away from her, we have a new daycare! Our daycare provider, Carla, (who we've had since William was 6 months old) decided to close her daycare and do something else. We were sad to leave Carla's-it was familiar, and there was a level of comfort that I was nervous about finding somewhere else. I was frantically searching for a new daycare for about two weeks. I was either told a)no room for an infant or b)I have space but you need to pay full-time rates. Ummm, no, I don't think so. William and Grace only go to daycare 3 days a week. We were not about to pay someone for the days W and G are home with Olly or my mom. That just didn't make sense-although I do understand it from their point of view.
So we started our new daycare the other week (Jennifer). We love Jennifer! She is close to home. I timed my drive the other day from driveway to driveway. We left at 8:18 and arrived at 8:20. How's that for close?!?! She does a lot of activities with William. He's always bringing home art projects and singing new songs. She cuddles and loves on Gracie all the time which I love. The other day when I handed Gracie over she nuzzled her face into Jennifer's neck. I have to admit there was just a tinge of "Oh my gosh! My baby is loving on another mama", but I was also happy to see that Gracie loves her and feels comfortable enough to do that with her. I also love that she serves really healthy food. This was a huge deal for me as William had developed a love for treats and processed foods :( Although at home we have very little of that. Almost everything she serves is all natural and/or organic. Grace eats lunch there, and Jennifer feeds her what the kids are eating or makes her something else. The other day she had fruit, broccoli, and chicken. Overall, it's been a really good fit for us. We do pay a little more than we paid before (and we agreed to pay for days we aren't there over holiday and school breaks), but it's worth it to find a good fit.
I'm still nursing and pumping at work. Pumping at work is so difficult. My time is so limited to even get my job done, and then adding in pumping time makes me feel like I'm always rushing from one thing to the next. I've thought once in awhile about weaning off pumping, but that means giving Grace formula and having to PAY FOR IT. I've heard it's expensive to buy formula, and since I already complain about money, I figure I better keep pumping! And once I stop pumping my milk supply will drop which mean that will soon be the end of nursing, and honestly, I'm not ready to give that up just yet. Since I made it to a year with William I feel like I need to (and really want to) make it to at least a year with Grace.
Here are some recent pictures of Grace!
Grace will be 8 months old tomorrow. She is all over. She can slither faster than a snake. I say "slither" because that's how she gets around. She can crawl on her hands and knees, but if she wants to get somewhere quickly, she gets down into the "slithering" position. She's also eating like a champ. She loves to eat! She eats everything we eat: enchiladas, tacos, spaghetti, chicken, turkey, rice, toast, oatmeal, all fruits and veggies, crackers. You name it, she eats it.
She is still NOT sleeping through the night! :( Not even close. She's waking 2X on a good night, and 3X on a not so good night. On the 3X nights, Olly gets up once. By that time, I'm done going in there; I need my sleep! I think the only reason why her waking at night hasn't thrown me over the edge is that I look at it like a few more minutes I have with her that I miss during the day when I'm at work. I miss her desperately while I'm at work. It's a pain that never goes away. Luckily I have a job that keeps me very busy (physically, mentally, and emotionally) so my mind is often preoccupied. I miss her most when I'm leaving work and in the car to pick her up. I just can't get there fast enough, and I'm especially impatient on the days I get behind the slowest driver, hit every red light, and the train on 47.
Speaking of being away from her, we have a new daycare! Our daycare provider, Carla, (who we've had since William was 6 months old) decided to close her daycare and do something else. We were sad to leave Carla's-it was familiar, and there was a level of comfort that I was nervous about finding somewhere else. I was frantically searching for a new daycare for about two weeks. I was either told a)no room for an infant or b)I have space but you need to pay full-time rates. Ummm, no, I don't think so. William and Grace only go to daycare 3 days a week. We were not about to pay someone for the days W and G are home with Olly or my mom. That just didn't make sense-although I do understand it from their point of view.
So we started our new daycare the other week (Jennifer). We love Jennifer! She is close to home. I timed my drive the other day from driveway to driveway. We left at 8:18 and arrived at 8:20. How's that for close?!?! She does a lot of activities with William. He's always bringing home art projects and singing new songs. She cuddles and loves on Gracie all the time which I love. The other day when I handed Gracie over she nuzzled her face into Jennifer's neck. I have to admit there was just a tinge of "Oh my gosh! My baby is loving on another mama", but I was also happy to see that Gracie loves her and feels comfortable enough to do that with her. I also love that she serves really healthy food. This was a huge deal for me as William had developed a love for treats and processed foods :( Although at home we have very little of that. Almost everything she serves is all natural and/or organic. Grace eats lunch there, and Jennifer feeds her what the kids are eating or makes her something else. The other day she had fruit, broccoli, and chicken. Overall, it's been a really good fit for us. We do pay a little more than we paid before (and we agreed to pay for days we aren't there over holiday and school breaks), but it's worth it to find a good fit.
I'm still nursing and pumping at work. Pumping at work is so difficult. My time is so limited to even get my job done, and then adding in pumping time makes me feel like I'm always rushing from one thing to the next. I've thought once in awhile about weaning off pumping, but that means giving Grace formula and having to PAY FOR IT. I've heard it's expensive to buy formula, and since I already complain about money, I figure I better keep pumping! And once I stop pumping my milk supply will drop which mean that will soon be the end of nursing, and honestly, I'm not ready to give that up just yet. Since I made it to a year with William I feel like I need to (and really want to) make it to at least a year with Grace.
Here are some recent pictures of Grace!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Time to Eat!
Grace has recently turned 6 months old!! (I can't believe it!). We have half-heartedly started solids just a couple days before she turned 6 months old. She is somewhat enjoying them. When I say "half-heartedly" I mean that it can be a pain! It's just another thing to add to an already busy day! Mealtime also means bath time right afterwards because she gets so messy.
I'm doing something called "baby-led weaning". This is the gradual process from weaning off breast milk being her only food source to including solids (no, it does not mean that I'm weaning her from nursing). Instead of doing cereal and baby food/purees, she is starting right in with real people food. So far her favorite foods are pickles and spaghetti (those pictures will be the next post as I'm playing "catch-up" with my blog).
So far she's had:
yogurt-likes
sweet potatoes-dislikes
apples-likes
spaghetti with turkey meat sauce-loves
pickles-loves
avocado-dislikes
banana-likes
tofu-dislikes
broccoli-likes
toast with peach apple sauce-likes
waffles with peach apple sauce-not sure
peach/apple sauce-likes (she likes this on a spoon!)
How does she eat these foods if I don't puree them? Here's what I do:
yogurt and applesauce-scoop up on a spoon and then I give her the spoon and she brings it to her mouth. Can you believe my 6 month old is using a spoon?!
sweet potato, apples, broccoli-I slice the potato and apples and cook them in the microwave until they are soft. Then I set them on her tray and she picks them up. I slice them so she has something to hold onto. For the broccoli I cut the trees, cook them in the microwave and then she picks them up by the trunk.
banana, avocado, pickles-I cut these into slices so she can pick them up and sick/chew on them.
waffles and toast-cut into strips so she can hold onto them
spaghetti-I use the curly noodles so she can pick them up. The turkey is ground up so she picks up the little pieces.
It's easier than making pureed baby food, BUT it's very messy. She has had several baths in the kitchen sink since she started eating!
William eating guacamole-his favorite!
I'm doing something called "baby-led weaning". This is the gradual process from weaning off breast milk being her only food source to including solids (no, it does not mean that I'm weaning her from nursing). Instead of doing cereal and baby food/purees, she is starting right in with real people food. So far her favorite foods are pickles and spaghetti (those pictures will be the next post as I'm playing "catch-up" with my blog).
So far she's had:
yogurt-likes
sweet potatoes-dislikes
apples-likes
spaghetti with turkey meat sauce-loves
pickles-loves
avocado-dislikes
banana-likes
tofu-dislikes
broccoli-likes
toast with peach apple sauce-likes
waffles with peach apple sauce-not sure
peach/apple sauce-likes (she likes this on a spoon!)
How does she eat these foods if I don't puree them? Here's what I do:
yogurt and applesauce-scoop up on a spoon and then I give her the spoon and she brings it to her mouth. Can you believe my 6 month old is using a spoon?!
sweet potato, apples, broccoli-I slice the potato and apples and cook them in the microwave until they are soft. Then I set them on her tray and she picks them up. I slice them so she has something to hold onto. For the broccoli I cut the trees, cook them in the microwave and then she picks them up by the trunk.
banana, avocado, pickles-I cut these into slices so she can pick them up and sick/chew on them.
waffles and toast-cut into strips so she can hold onto them
spaghetti-I use the curly noodles so she can pick them up. The turkey is ground up so she picks up the little pieces.
It's easier than making pureed baby food, BUT it's very messy. She has had several baths in the kitchen sink since she started eating!
William eating guacamole-his favorite!
Grace loves to be carried!
Check out my new ring slings. Grace LOVES to be carried, and I love carrying her! I have a ring sling from when William was a baby, but I needed a new one because I wanted something with pretty material. The white one is a water ring sling. I wear it when we go swimming, because it's so much easier to have my hands free so I can play with William.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Just Hangin' Out
Gracie is such a darling little girl that I can't take just one picture of her! Instead I have to take at least 10! I love her big blue eyes. She often receives compliments in public because of her eyes.
Fun at the Park
Recently we went to the park and had a picnic. William enjoyed running around at the park, and he especially enjoyed the swings. I remember last year he refused to go on the swings and was afraid of them, but this year that's all he wanted to do!
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