Wednesday, March 20, 2013

St. Patrick's Day

2012:

one day old!









2013:








Time flies!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Seth's First Day of "School"

**Part of the "this actually happened a few months ago series"...

I can't believe it, but my baby had his first day of "school" today (mother's day out).

I didn't know what to expect, but I knew it was time.  As much as I hate change and don't like to think of him not being my little buddy during Avery's morning nap time, I knew it was best for him.  I wondered if he'd cry when I left, I prayed he wouldn't feel abandoned. I truly didn't know what to expect.

Every week when we go to baby and toddler group (basically the same thing as "school" but the moms stay), he says, "Mommy, we're going to brown church today not red church." By this he means baby and toddler group (with mom) not Sunday school (without mom).  Our church has wooden floors in the baby and toddler group room and red carpet in his Sunday school room.  I love his mind.

Every week he clings and cries when it's time to drop him off at Sunday school.  I am always hurried out the door by a Sunday school teacher while being promised that he'll be fine.  I wait outside the classroom door until he stops crying.  Once I am out of sight, he stops and looks for the nearest car to play with.  One of his teachers has picked up on this affinity and comes prepared almost eradicating the crying though not completely.  For the few seconds it takes to walk him through the door, kiss his cheek, and leave the room, the crying still happens.

Would he do this at mother's day out?  Could I leave him there with teachers who don't know about his car attachment?  Will they listen to his orations about cars and trucks? Will they help him name the new ones?  Will they watch him closely on the playground making sure the other kids are kind and that he's not trying to climb to the highest height of the jungle gym?

I know 2 1/2 hours apart isn't long, but I'm used to having him by my side "helping" or under my feet playing with his cars.  It's hard.

I bravely take him to his classroom and re-introduce him to his teacher.  After a quick nod he races to the cars and trucks corner and beams up at me, "Mommy, they have Scoop!"  he clutches the backhoe loader from Bob the Builder to his chest and then is hard at play.  I juggle paper work with one hand while shifting Avery on my hip finally getting everything to the head teacher.  By now, Seth is deep in play and hasn't looked for me.  I ask a teacher if I should tell him goodbye.  I want to, but I don't want to make it harder for him.  They tell me either way is fine, so I bend down to kiss his cheek, "Mommy is going to put Avery down for her nap Seppy, but I'll be back soon to get you.  Have fun with the other kids Baby."

"Bye Mama." He replies getting back to his trucks.

No crying - praise the Lord - and a great report when I picked him up.  When we got home, all he wanted was for me to hold him in my lap.  I asked him about "school" and he told me all about the trucks and his snack ("milk, crackers, and cheese, but I didn't eat it because I don't like cheese, and bell-y peppers (thanks Goofy)."

First Day of School



Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Avery's 4th month

Thanks for all of the potty training encouragement yesterday.  I actually wrote that post about 2 weeks ago - I hope that doesn't make me seem not genuine.  I promise it's only because I am disorganized...

Here is a photo of my desk for proof:


Also proof of my lack of photography skills...post on that to come 


I had almost finished writing it, but then waited to post till I got permission from Taylor the person I mentioned in the post, and before I knew it, I was sidetracked by something else that needed to be done. (Squirrel! Anyone?) However, we're doing much better now on the potty training front: moved back to the froggy potty and put him on a schedule like you mentioned, Heidi, and it seems to be working.  Hoping to move from pull ups at bedtime very soon...if I can muster up the courage to possibly have to change sheets in the middle of the night.

Seth has gotten the spotlight a lot lately, so I wanted to write a post about Avery.  She is the easiest most laid back baby on the planet, and I am so thankful for this bundle of joy.  Taylor and I joke about how this age (anywhere between 10-18 months) is so beguiling - it must be the Lord's plan for keeping the population growing.  They hit 12 months and everything gets a little easier: they are sturdier, stinkin' cute, and so squeezable that you start thinking, we could do this again...



No, I am not making an announcement here.


So carrying on with the theme of posts I wrote a while ago and am just now getting around to posting (or maybe I should say should have written in this case). I give you Avery's 4 month photos. Obviously I am way behind on my month-to-month posts since Avery is 12 months on Saturday. If you've been here long enough, you know it's how I roll.

4 month milestones (if I can remember that far back):

first trip to the highlands
sleeping through the night again (thank goodness)
says "dada" - 4 months and already talking, I am in trouble

My first night in our new flat, and Seth's first night in his big boy bed...I'm not sure how I feel about this

I love Daddy - he shares my affinity for pink

Cousin Caroline comes to Edinburgh

Aunt Susu!
My first trip to the beach...I was really impressed

With Lils


beach in Gairloch - my first trip to the highlands

My first hike - Poolewe, Scotland



Beach at Mellon Udrigle


Applecross, Scotland


Eilean Donan - my first castle visit


 






Castles wear me out

Happy girl!

4 month photos by Sarah:








Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Potty Training isn't for Sissies

Potty training is about to kill me.

And no, not because I've been trying for a year.  My grand plan at starting at 18 months was quickly punted when I realized that being 7 months pregnant and potty training didn't go together...at least not when the potty trainer is me.  I began again, half-heartedly when he turned 27 months.  He was kind of interested.  Went on the froggy potty a couple of times, but I didn't feel like he was committed enough and I didn't want to play the, "do you have to go potty now?" 20 times a day game.

At 2 1/2 he seemed to be ready.  We stayed home for a week in our kitchen since it's the only place in our flat that doesn't have carpet, and by Friday, he had it down.  I didn't even have to ask if he had to go, he'd tell me. Being confined to the kitchen drove us (me!) completely stir crazy which led to testing if he could handle it when we left the house.  He could!  It was great!  I was so proud! He even transitioned to the big potty easily!

I thought we had it down.  But for the past 36 hours, he's gone in the potty once.  Once people.  He has one pair or clean trousers left.  What has happened?!

When I ask him why he didn't tell Mommy he had to go he says, "I wanted to play."

Apparently someone else in our family (who will remain nameless) had similar tendencies. Yay for me!

So what do I do?  Take his cars away? Give him candy again for going on the potty?  Let him go back to the froggy potty?

Help. Me.

Seth and two of his loves: his cars and peanut butter "swamwiches"
Seth and his other love...Mickey Mouse