Monthly Archives: January 2016

Already healing

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Charlotte’s battle wound is making huge improvements. It’s unfortunate for Chloe that she picked such a fair-skinned victim. Yesterday was looking pretty brutal, but today, she’s looking much better.

And better yet, through it all, she hasn’t seemed to be in pain at all. I literally haven’t seen her touch her face or wince once.

I forgot to mention, we also got a text from C’s teacher checking in on her today (Saturday). After a little discussion, she sent this text: 

Oh I’m so glad she’s a bit better today. She IS tough but I still plan to protect that little girl like she was my own. Tell her I’m thinking of her! 


Just a few scratches (and crumbs) left on the chin and then some decent bruising across the cheek and chin.


And to show C’s mega healing capabilities, the initial photos (taken apx 1-2 hours after the incident) and the second pics (taken 4ish hours after the incident).

   

  

  

  

Chloe the Crab Strikes Again

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No, I’m not about to recommend a cute children’s book… I’m talking about Charlie’s baby bestie in class… the biter.

I got a voicemail from the administrator at Charlotte’s school at around 11:45 this morning (about 15 minutes before I typically arrive on Fridays – I go early on Fridays for the weekly school song session). The voicemail went something like this:

Hi Melissa, it’s [the school administrator]. I um wanted to check in with you and talk with you if you have a few seconds to call me that would be amazing. Hope all is well and I’ll talk to you soon. Buh Bye.

Instantly here’s what went through my head:

  • I’m sure she’s okay. That’s too weird of a message and doesn’t sound urgent at all. But weird…
  • Shit, am I about to get yelled at for sending Charlotte to school when she’s sick? (I was debating keeping C home today because of her cold/cough, but ultimately decided to send her because she seemed fine and didn’t have a fever.)
  • Oy. I wonder if she did something naughty… or did she get bit? Ugh. She was pretty crabby this morning. Maybe she was being mean.
  • I wish the administrator would call me back…

I got to school right around noon and lingered in the car for a few minutes. I was feeling nervous that I/Charlie & I were about to get reprimanded. (High school all over again.)

I walked straight into the administrator’s office who jumped up and said, “Everything is okay! Charlotte is okay, but I want to grab Carolyn (C’s teacher) to talk to you.”

Charlotte’s teacher, who I absolutely adore, came in and explained to me that during gym class, she and one of the teachers were dealing with a situation between a few of the kids and the third teacher was working with another student. Charlotte was playing/crawling through a play gym when Chloe “attacked”… she bit Charlotte’s poor cheek. The teacher tried to break it up as quickly as possible, but because they were in this little play gym thing, it was a little difficult to get a hold of the situation.

Regardless, Chloe was immediately removed from the situation and little Charlotte was taken to get cleaned up and iced. She has a tiny area of broken skin and her face is puffy (and looks to have a bruise forming).

Poor little babes. Not a fun addition to her cold.

   

 The teachers are going to be working with Chloe and keeping Chloe and Charlotte apart until they can get a handle on Chloe’s little outbursts. She’s such a sweet little girl. I honestly think that her lashing out on Charlotte purely stems from her wanting to be Charlotte’s friend and not being able to express herself.

Regardless, Charlotte will survive… she is in fact the ULTIMATE tough girl 🙂

Finally, an Epic Nap!

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It’s currently 5:39 pm and Charlotte has been sleeping since a few minutes after 1pm. Holy crap.

This is SOOOOO needed. The poor girl has had such crappy naps over the past week. I’m talking 1-2 hours of nap total per day versus her normal 3-4 hours per day. I guess it’s a good thing she went to school this morning (she’s usually with Nana on Tuesdays) and ran around like a crazy woman in gym class.

Granted, I’m sitting at work waiting for the sweet princess to wake up (of course her long naps aren’t on days where I’m comfortably lounging on the couch at home).

Regardless, I’m pretty happy. The poor pumpkin is fighting ANOTHER cold, so she really needs the rest. Hopefully she’ll wake up feeling some improvement.

OH! She’s starting to wake up… final sleep time: 1-5:42.

Gotta run!

 

23 Weeks, 4 Days

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I took this photo on the 23 week mark (aka last Friday), but didn’t post it because my face looked especially bloated and was hoping to do a retake but have ultimately given up. With that said, ignore my puffy face.

 

1/22/16 – Got my little love bug with me 🙂

How far along: 23 Weeks, 4 Days

Total weight gain: I meant to check and then I forgot. Truly. I’m not even just saying that but really avoiding the scale. I’ll try to remember.

Maternity clothes: Maternity leggings are my best friend. I swear, my body just aint what it used to be. My boobs feel like at any given moment they’re literally going to explode. Ugh.

Stretch marks: Still none… so there’s that! Go me!

Sleep: Sleeping is okay. A bit uncomfortable with the side sleeping. My arm and shoulder tend to go numb depending on which side I’m laying on. I have found a comfortable position though… I have to be pretty well propped up and maybe a hint angled to one side and then I’m able to sleep on my back without feeling winded.

Best moment of this week: This past week (and through the weekend), we moved our office to another building. This was not the best moment of my week; however, being all moved in and done with the madness feels pretty good. Let’s just say that moving your work office… with your parents… well, it’s not that fun. Thankfully, we managed to have only one screaming argument (this week) and it was quickly resolved. To add to the joys of moving, our furnace at home died, we found out our shower was leaking into the basement (in the unfinished and finished portion) and we’re all sick… AGAIN. Somehow, we’re managing to stay in good spirits.

Miss anything: Cold meds. I would love a little nyquil or sudafed right about now.

Movement: The bugger must be getting big. The movements are definitely getting stronger! I absoltely love it. It’s just my favorite. I think he’s going to be a little food lover just like his parents because every time I put a tiny bit of food in my belly, he jumps for joy. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. I’m looking forward to having Charlotte feel him move. We got close the other day, but then Miss Bossy realized I was holding onto her hand and the game ended.

Food cravings: Cake. Cake. Cake. Donuts. Cake. Ice Cream. It’s terrible. Thankfully I haven’t indulged, but I feel myself caving. I need a sweet treat ASAP. Last night I was so desperate for a treat that I made homemade chocolate milk. It was actually very easy and pretty tasty (just milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla, and sugar). I drank about half of my glass and then gave it to Mark. Tasty, but no wedding cake.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Have you started to show yet: The question is, “are there any angles where you’re managing not to show?” Answer: None that I can see.

Gender: A little newsie.

Labor signs: No, but I have been thinking about labor a lot. At first, I felt 100% convinced that I was going to end up having a c-section and now, for whatever reason, I feel more worried (if I’m being honest) that this baby is going to come naturally. I really do want a natural birth experience, but with my experience with Charlotte looming in my mind, I can’t help but feel a little nervous about the whole thing. I don’t feel as mentally strong as I felt last time. I’m a wounded soldier.

Belly button in or out: I would die of shock if my belly button popped out.

Wedding rings on or off: Ugh, my fingers are already swelling…

Happy or moody most of the time: With the move this past week, I tried VERY hard to focus my energies on not being cranky. To just be relaxed and go-with-the-flowish… a quality that isn’t really in my wheelhouse. Regardless, I think it worked. Although that might be what’s left me feeling desperate for cake. Eat your feelings, anyone?

Looking forward to: Tonight we get C’s newly painted big girl bed. The girl who’s refinishing the furniture for us sent us a sneak peek and it’s looking great! So I’m excited to see it. Hmmm. What else? That might be it…

 

How gorgeous is this bed??

 

Left: Before in all its green glory, Right: After!!

 

The dresser that I absolutely adore.

 

Look how well she cleaned up the original hardware…

 

Heart Flutters

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Our little pie was quite the sweetie tonight. After she drank her milk on my lap while we read stories, and daddy took her to brush her teeth while I sat in the kitchen zoning out, I heard a tiny voice calling my name.

“Maaa!? Momma?”

“Yes, Charlie?” (As I get up and walk into view of my little bunny – who is in daddy’s arms)

And to my heart melting surprise, Charlotte has her tiny arms reaching out for me. 

“Awww! Are you asking momma to put you to bed?”

She nods with a big smile as I scoop her up.

I don’t know if you guys remember a few weeks ago when she kept demanding daddy (by crying and reaching towards him)? Well, I haven’t forgotten. Not that I haven’t put her to bed pretty consistently since then… But tonight was different. 

Tonight was so sweet.

When we got into her room, she said, “mom mom” in a very giddy way and squeezed me for a big hug.

Excuse me while I melt. 

  

22 Weeks & 4 Days

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  For some reason, I thought I was 23 weeks this week, which was a bit of a disappointment. BUT, 22 weeks is still pretty far. This little nugget is already 11 inches and I believe a pound. A real big guy 🙂

How far along: 22 Weeks, 4 Days

Total weight gain: I haven’t gotten on the scale since last week. I ate like crap this weekend, so I don’t anticipate loving the number. I’ll check next week!

Maternity clothes: Yes, yes, yes!

Stretch marks: Nope!

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good… EXCEPT, my pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel is back. GRR. Needless to say, I wake up with a lot of pain in my hands. Hopefully it doesn’t get much worse.

Best moment of this week: We had a GREAT time with my cousin and uncle who were in town from Cali. I’ll do a separate post, but it was a lot of fun and Charlotte had a blast. Definitely the highlight of my month. If only they lived closer.

Miss anything: Not too bad this week!

Movement: I know I said this last week, but the little one is such a wiggler. He squirms all day every day. If I wake up in the middle of the night, there he goes, flip flopping around. And actually, he’s definitely a bit quieter during the day. PLEASE, LITTLE GUY, GET YOUR DAYS AND NIGHTS FIGURED OUT NOW… oy. That’s a scary thought. 

Food cravings: I’m ready to get back to home-cooked healthy meals.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Have you started to show yet: Bump, bump, bummmmmp.

Gender: Can’t wait to meet our little man.

Labor signs: I feel like I’ve had Braxton Hicks lately. Typically when I have to pee or when I’m doing something strenuous. I can’t remember when they started last time. Regardless, they’re super mild.

Belly button in or out: The gaping pregnancy belly hole. That sucker isn’t going anywhere.

Wedding rings on or off: On! But they’re tight in the morning.

Happy or moody most of the time: Hmmm. I’ve been pretty split this week. I’m still really on edge. We’re moving office locations at work, which I think is lending to the mood. My parents (who I work with) are stressed, I’m stressed and together, it’s a bit tense. But at home, I feel like I’ve been great. Very happy. Charlie has been a little muffin face and I’ve been loving every minute of this silly toddler age. Except those moments where I want to bang my head against the wall. That’s normal, right?

Looking forward to: We finish off the move this weekend, so I’m excited for that to be over and done. I’m also still looking forward to getting things going on the two kiddie rooms. I’d love to get the new light fixture installed in the nursery and the chandelier moved to C’s new room. Progress, progress, progress.

Our Big 18 Month Old!

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  Our babe is an entire year and a half! People told me that once she hit 18 months, there’s a huge developmental leap, and it’s true! She’s such a big little person these days. She is full of personality and just such a wonderful little love.

Walking Update: This should really say “running update”… the child is OFF! She’s constantly walking/running everywhere. One interesting little tid bit is that she walks on her tip toes quite a bit. As a 5′ 1″ (and that 1” might be a bit of a stretch) little lady, I spend a lot of time standing on my tip toes. It’s a habit. So I don’t know if she’s seen me doing it or if it’s a toddler thing, but it’s pretty silly. And sometimes leads to her falling on her tush.

Talking Update: The child is a chatterbox. I forsee many a report card comment about spending too much time chattering and socializing in class (just like her mommy received). Her comprehension is amazing. We can give her 1 and 2-part instructions and she goes right ahead and does it. Sometimes she shocks me with the words she knows. The best way I’ve found for teaching her words is through books. We go through picture books and identify the images.

I say, “Where’s the lion” and she points to it. Then, “What does the lion say?” And in the most feminine, high pitch voice, she squeals, “Raaaa!” She can do this with tons of animals (monkey, bear, giraffe, dog, cat, frog, fish, lion, pig, etc) and other objects (baby, milk, pine cone, tree, cup, ball, and the list goes on).

In terms of words she says, her vocabulary is a bit more limited, but still impressive (to me!):

  • Mom, Momma
  • Dad, Dada (she used to call Mark “MA” so this is a welcomed new lesson)
  • Baba (baby)
  • All Done (she said this today and it was clear as day)
  • Mosht (toast)
  • Chssss (Cheese)
  • Ornch (Orange)
  • Hot, Hot, Hot (this is Charlie’s favorite word that she uses nonstop. She touches EVERYTHING and anything remotely warm makes her say “hot” for 20 minutes)
  • Pom (Pom Poms – I have little tissue paper flower pom poms hanging in my office)
  • Mor (More)
  • Ba (Bear)
  • Liii (Lion)
  • Sssssss (Steffie – my cousin)

I’m sure there are more because I’m literally shocked daily, but it’s so hard to remember all of them.

New Tricks:

  • She is a wizard with a fork and spoon!
  • She can do “downward facing dog” and is working on a somersault     
  • She blows bubbles in the pool. AND, even crazier, she graduated to Level “Baby 2” in swim class and now goes in the pool without Mark. She has 2 others in her class with her and she sits on the pool step (in the water) by herself while the teacher takes the other kids for their turn. This to me is mind blowing. SUCH a big girl.    
  • She can point out every part of her body.
  • She loves to play dress up with Mommy’s hats and of course, look in the mirror or at pictures of herself in her “costumes”      
  • She “counts”… aka points at objects and makes a noise to imitate counting.
  • She can play the harmonica… with her nose.  
  • She’s the toughest “tough girl”
  • She can take her shoes and socks off on her own.
  • She loves to take care of her “baby” (her baby doll). She gets baby all wrapped in her swaddle (and by gets I mean that she demands that Nana, Dada or I wrap her up) and carries her EVERYWHERE, rocks her, pushes her in the stroller and/or grocery cart, and gives her tons of smooches.        
  • She loves her puppy and kitty. I actually haven’t noticed her pulling the cat’s tail recently… so hopefully she’s going to stop that. She’s very sweet with Toby. Gives him hugs and pets.    
  • She helps unload the dishwasher (sometimes even when we don’t want her to)
  • She throws away trash (and picks up any and every little speck of dust that comes in her path) and closes the trash cabinet door after.
  • She can wipe her own hands, face and nose (not perfectly, but pretty well) and cleans up spills with paper towel.
  • She knows the hand signals for “wheels on the bus,” “no more monkeys jumping on the bed”, “Take me out to the ball game,” “Patty Cake,” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”… hmmm… I’m sure there are more.
  • She’s obsessed with music. LOVES, LOVES, LOVES music.
  • She pretends everything is a phone and puts it to her little ear for a chat. She also LOVES to “work” at mommy’s desk.  
  • She’s a hilarious dancer.
  • She LOVES to brush her teeth. In fact, sometimes she refuses to drink her milk because she just can’t wait to brush her teeth.

Daily Schedule:

  • 7/8:30: Depending on when she goes to sleep and what her plans for the day are, she wakes up between 7 and 8:30 (she has slept as late as 10:30/11ish before) – the girl LOVES her sleep.
  • 8/830: Breakfast
  • 10: On non-school days, Charlotte takes a morning rest/nap. Sometimes she falls asleep, sometimes she just has quiet play in bed. Regardless, we typically only let her sleep 30-60 minutes in the morning. On non-school days, Charlotte skips this nap and comes home zonked.
  • 12: Lunch
  • 1/2: Depending on her mood, Charlotte’s afternoon nap falls somewhere between 1 and 2/230. She will typically sleep anywhere between 2-3.5 hours. Usually it’s around 2.5. Again, this depends on whether she took an AM nap, what she did all day, etc.
  • 6: Dinner, Bath (on bath days – she bathes every other day and on swim days)
  • 7/8: Charlotte goes to bed most often around 7:30/7:45ish

School Schedule: Charlotte goes to school from 9-12:30 on Thursdays and Fridays (on these days, she eats a snack and lunch at school and does not nap)

Favorite Foods: Mealtimes are kind of my least favorite lately. Although, the past few days, Charlotte has been pretty good. But she’s SO toddler when it comes to food. Some days she loves something, others she hates it. Some days she refuses to taste anything, some days she’s adventurous. Some days she eats three huge meals, other days she fizzles after breakfast. The gist is that it’s not always easy. In fact, the only meal that’s “easy” is breakfast… ever.

favorites

  • Cheerios or pretty much any other cereal
  • Oatmeal with cinnamon
  • Quiche
  • Cheese Sticks
  • Oranges
  • Crackers (she rarely gets these)
  • Yogurt
  • Cottage Cheese

sometimes loves

  • Toast with cinnamon
  • Pasta with Sauce (only lately)
  • Bread
  • Taco ground turkey meat (lately)
  • Berries – used to be her fave, now only sometimes
  • Non string cheese cheese (hit or miss)
  • Mac & Cheese
  • Grilled Cheese
  • Veggie shakes
  • Egg bread (my version of French toast)

Favorite Toys:

Favorite Books:

Size:

  • Clothes: 18/12-18 Months (sometimes the pants and shirts are too short depending on where they’re from)
  • Diapers: Size 4
  • Shoe Size: Toddler 4.5

Teeth: Charlotte has so many teeth. I want to say she has 16… although I haven’t gotten a look to see if her 2 year old molars are making their way

Date Night

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Last night the hubby surprised me with a date night! He had scheduled his sweet momma to watch Charlie and took me out for a delicious Ramen dinner (my recent obsession).

When I arrived home from work, hubby had picked up flowers for Charlie, his mother and for me. So sweet, right?

Charlie loved her flowers. She carried them all over, put them on her baby, put them in the vase, poured them out of the vase, etc. She’s since ripped all of the petals off, but man did she enjoy them… as did I.

    
  
  

My pretty flowers!


Our ramen date did not disappoint. We had this delicious “Bratsticker” app… essentially a brat-stuffed potsticker. Mmmm! It had a mustard/horseradish sauce. YUM! I meant to take a picture, but I devoured it too quickly.

Mark and I had been to this restaurant a couple weeks back, so I was fully prepared to order. I had really loved what Mark ordered last time, but had a few tweaks. And let me tell you, my adjustments were perfection. Tochi Ramen with Tofu & Crispy Pork and a Fried Egg (cooked most of the way through) on top.


Holy cow was it good. In fact, I have leftovers at home and literally have not stopped thinking about it.
For dessert (I know, I know… was dessert necessary? Well, is it ever? Yes. The answer is yes.)… anyway, for dessert, we had Japanese Cheesecake with Carmel Sauce and Toasted Coconut. YUM. That’s all I have to say. So. Much. Yum.

 Needless to say, this morning was most definitely a workout day!

Morning Coffee

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This morning I finally made it to “Morning Coffee” at Charlotte’s preschool. Morning Coffee is an hour chat hosted by the preschool for (mostly) mommies and (maybe one) daddy to discuss parenting challenges, successes, etc.

Today, the administrator’s “mentor” / school advisor was there. She’s this adorably quirky lady with some sort of foreign accent. At first I thought French. Then I thought Israelli. Guys, don’t ask me… I’m from Wisconsin. She’s not local, how about that?

Anyway, she was wearing this Mary Poppins(ish) outfit with a more modern spin. Black dress with a crisp white collar under a black cardigan and black tights. Immediately I equated her to the Supernanny.

Everyone went around and introduced themselves (to me, as it was my first time attending) and then a couple of women brought up some issues they’ve been having. The gist of the discussion was disciplining. Surprise, surprise!

One woman was dealing with her typically sweet two year old acting out by beating up/tackling his older sister and randomly kicking her (she’s pregnant). Another woman had just lost her live-in nanny who left mainly because she said her son was “too difficult.” One other woman talked about her child throwing a mega tempertantrum in public and how she dealt with it.

First, let me say how much I loved the Supernanny. Her advice and suggestions were SO “Love and Logic,” which is a parenting technique that has really resonated with Mark and I.

Second, here were some takeaways…

  • Child Kicking Mom: Supernanny says, “The best way to address this is to calmly and sternly say, “No, stop that now.” This is unnacceptable behavior and we must create a framework immediately that this is not okay.” So the very interesting part is that she said not to threaten, “if you don’t stop, then… ” whatever the consequence of the moment might be (you’ll lose this privilege or that). She said we just sternly tell them to stop and hold their legs or whatever until they do. We don’t have to explain that it hurts. Nothing. Just draw the line at unacceptable behavior. As she was talking, I drew this conclusion that by saying “if you don’t stop kicking, then blah blah” you’re almost giving your child a choice. You’re saying you can kick me but you won’t have XYZ or you can stop kicking and have XYZ. Versus what Supernanny advised, which is simply drawing the line. Interesting, right?
  • Tempertantrum in Public: In this instance, the mom carried the kid out kicking and screaming. Once in the car, mom told the kid that he has now lost his tv privilege for the day. Later in the day, she gave him an opportunity to earn the privilege back. It’s unclear if he did or not. Supernanny’s response: no, no. “What relevance does the tv have to the tempertantrum? The consequence is leaving. There does not need to be further punishment.” This is interesting, too. I feel like the tantrums stay with a parent longer than with the kid. We’re still fuming well after the tantrum ends. Maybe that’s why we feel the need to further punish past the natural consequence.
  • Kid Beating Up His Sister: “Actions are the venue for our children’s questions.” This is a fancy way of saying that little dude is picking on his sister to express something else that’s going on. She said in this case, it was most likely that the little boy (younger sibling) is trying to gain some dominance. His role as “little brother” was obvious when he was a baby, but now as a 2.5 year old, he’s looking to be more of a leader. Supernanny suggested addressing both children at one time. Making sure to treat them as equals. Discuss how it’s clear that the way that they play together is different and ask them to talk about that a little. Ask questions to promote conversation. What I really liked about this discussion was the stress on talking to the children at one time. When you address your children individually, you’re playing into the tattling. You’re rewarding the behavior by picking a side.

All in all, it was a very interesting and thought-provoking discussion. I’m definitely looking forward to attending more. I love hearing all of the issues, which will likely soon become my own. I think knowing potential solutions prior to experiencing the problem will be very beneficial.

Oh! One more interesting comment… it kind of relates to the last one… make sure you are addressing the problem, not the symptom. Dig for the why behind the action.

What are your thoughts?