The Days Are Long...

"The days are long, but the years are short." 

I had to remind myself of this parenting cliche several times today. 

When Charlotte woke up at 6am (a full hour before her usual wake up time) to use the bathroom, and when I told her it wasn't time to get up and she wailed so loud it woke up Natalie. 

When Natalie began grouching at 8am because she was already ready for a nap. 

When the seatbelt was too tight. 

When the windows were rolled down.

When I made them wear shoes.

When I ordered chocolate milk instead of apple juice. 

When her friend didn't want to play in the sand.

When it was time to go home.

When I pushed the garage door button.

When the fruit snacks had the wrong cartoon character on them.

When I told her it was too warm for fleece pjs tonight. 

I only drank coffee and wine today.

(Maybe part of my grumpy mood should be blamed on dehydration)

One of those days when I just can't wait for Daddy to get home. 

But how is it almost October?? How am I worrying Natalie's costume won't fit in another 30 days? How is it time for Charlotte to get a whole new wardrobe because her pants are too short and her shirts are too snug? 

Charlotte's not a baby?!

Natalie's not a baby?!

I hope tomorrow goes a little more smoothly. And slowly. 

Natalie Faith - 15 Months

Natalie had her 15 month checkup today. She weighs 21 pounds and 1 ounce (47th percentile), is 31 inches tall (66th percentile), and has an 18.5 inch head circumference (83rd percentile). She's growing for sure! You wouldn't know she was a premie anymore! 

At 15 months, Natalie can walk really well and is even attempting to run. That usually doesn't end up going too well for her, but she picks herself back up and keeps on going! She is a really good climber and can get up the stairs in a flash, and can get on just about every chair and couch she sees. She also enjoys conquering every playground we visit - keeping mommy & daddy on their toes since she doesn't know to be cautious around high openings in the structures. 

Nat loves bath time, pacis, playing with her sister, looking at books (as long as she is the one turning the pages), playing with all of our talking toy dogs, petting Donny when she catches him in her changing table, playing outside, knocking down block towers, eating, drinking milk, and hiding random objects in the cupboards. She can wave, clap, dance, squat to pick stuff up and then stand back up, and loves to play peek-a-boo. She says dada, bye, woof, da for down, ba for ball, bobo for bubble, and we've heard baby and gramma a few times, but still inconsistency. We always say that Natalie can talk in full sentences already, it's just not in English yet. :-) She can point out her hair, head, ear, nose, belly, and toes when asked. 

Most importantly, Natalie is a happy and healthy toddler. She's always smiling, plays well with other kids and adults, does super well in the car and during shopping trips, and has been (KNOCK ON WOOD) sleeping really well lately. Still takes 2 naps & I wake her up from them more often than not.  Sleeps about 10.5-11 hours overnight. Her pediatrician said it would be best to quit giving her a bottle, so tonight is our first night without a bottle of milk before bed. I'd gotten her down to just 5 oz, but it's still a tough transition for them. 

After we got back from her doctor appointment (where big sis Charlotte held her hand during her shot - but only for the sticker she'd get for helping...), they girls were pretty tired. Charlotte's been asking when Natalie can sleep in her bed with her, and I was very tempted to let her today when Nat climbed right onto C's bed and assumed her sleep position. :-) 

We love you very much, Natalie, and can't believe how big you're getting!

Nap Time Shenanigans

I've had to reevaluate and modify my list of what-to-dos after Charlotte wakes up from a nap (or first thing in the morning) several times. When she was in the crib, she would just roll around and talk to her stuffed animals until I came to get her. When we moved last summer and she got her twin bed, I also installed video cameras in both girls' bedrooms. I could keep an eye on Charlotte in her room while I was rocking Natalie in hers, and I could keep an eye on everybody while I did my thing downstairs. Best investment!!

She started off just hanging out in her bed until I'd come to get her. Somewhere along the line she started getting out of her bed to get books or toys to play with until I got her. That became too noisy (the girls' rooms share a thin wall) and I had to limit her to one book and stuffed animals in bed. Then she ventured out once to use the bathroom before I went to her room and that became the norm. I don't mind her going to the bathroom, but asked that she go back to her room afterwards and wait for me. Last week she decided to sit on the edge of the tub and bang her heals into its side (bathroom across from Natalie's room, waking her from her nap early), so we went back to a sit-in-your bed mode.

I was keeping an eye on the video monitor today as I caught up on my stories folded laundry downstairs and saw Charlotte get up, turn on her light, I heard her little feet running down the hallway to the bathroom, and then quiet. Quiet. Typically a parent of a preschooler dreads quiet. Quiet means they're up to something.

Just as I was about to see what she was doing, I heard the stair creak. That 5th stair - the one I avoid like the plague as I'm tiptoeing downstairs after putting the kids to bed. It's a loud creak! And then I hear the whisper of "Oops!" Hahaha! After a minute or two she started whispering "Mommy....? Mommmmmy...???" and I'm giggling to myself because I remember doing pretty much the exact same thing when I was just a little older than she is - - sneaking around trying to ask Mom if it was okay to get up yet.

Then she sneezed. And said, "Uh oh!!" LOL

Of course that was too cute to stay quiet through and I started laughing and went over to the stairs to find her sitting very nicely, grinning ear-to-ear. If only the mischief she gets herself into would stay this sweet and innocent forever!!

Natalie Giggles

I love rocking my babies to sleep. Charlotte was rocked to sleep up until the day Natalie was born - almost 2 years old. Natalie has been rocked to sleep probably 90-95% of the time in her (nearly) 15 months. It's often the only time I get alone with her during the day. We're quiet, calm, sweet. When I rocked Charlotte, and now with Natalie, I often tell the story of the day they were born, sing lullabies, or make up little tunes to hum as I pat her little bottom. They're moments I'll treasure forever.

But for the last week or two, Natalie has been showing signs she's ready to put herself to sleep more often. She pushes her feet, plays with my hair, takes out her paci a million times to tell me one last little jibber jabber story, and even sits up and reaches for her crib. So I give her a kiss & put her in her bed to see if she'll go to sleep without me. Each time I close the door, I pause for a moment wondering "what if she never lets me rock her again?" Sometimes she rolls around and is silly in her bed for a few minutes, then gets upset & wants one of us to go in to pat her bottom or rock her some more. But lately, including today's nap, she's gone to sleep just fine without me. No crying, no tears, no fuss.

She is still usually taking two naps each day - a shorter one in the morning around 9:30, and then a longer afternoon nap around 1:30/2:00. She'll do okay without the morning nap, but as long as she's willing to take one, I'm willing to offer it :o)

Grandma Val surprised Charlotte at the end of preschool and we had lunch and played at the park for a while before nap. I got C all snuggled up in her bed and then sat down in Nat's chair to rock her to sleep, but every time I looked at her, she giggled. If I blinked, she giggled harder. It was too cute to resist trying to capture on video! You can even see her do a funny little blink at the end. What a sweet baby! When we were done with our little blink-n-giggle game, I gave her a hug and kiss & put her in her bed. She rolled around in there chasing pacis and saying goodnight to all of her stuffed animals for about 10 minutes & has been out cold for the last hour and 15 minutes or so.


It will be sad when she no longer wants/needs me to rock her to sleep, but it makes it a little sadder not knowing when that last time will be. It was a bittersweet feeling when I quit nursing both girls - I was ready to move on, but those are special times I'll never have with them again. Same goes for the rocking - it will give me that many more minutes of "free time" in the evenings, but oh how I'll miss the sweet sleeping baby falling heavy in my arms.

The Time Charlotte Invented Murals (and other Charlotte stories I want to remember)

Charlotte's new thing is asking why all everything is called what it's called.
And then she offers weird alternatives - usually rhyming.
Today:
"Why is it called a 'pony tail?' Why not a 'rony bale'?"
and "Why is it called a 'shirt?' Why not a 'furt'?"
Cute the first time, not so much every 10 minutes.

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As we walked to the Children's Museum this morning, we passed a mural painted on one of the buildings nearby. She says, "Mommy, look at all of those paintings!" and I say, "yeah, aren't they neat? A bunch of pictures painted in a group like that is called a mural." She says, "I know about murals," so I asked her where did she learn about murals. Did she learn it at preschool?

"No, I made up murals."

.... "you invented them yourself?"

"Yup. I came up with it on my own."

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The other night while I was putting Charlotte to bed, I turned off her lights, turned on her sound machine, monitor, and nightlight. I leaned over her all tucked in her bed and gave her a hug. With her arms tight around my neck, she says, "you're not going to want to leave without this!" and smooched me right on the cheek. Sweet, sweet girl!!

Smiling Butt

Charlotte says to me in the bathtub tonight, "look! My butt is smiling! When my butt smiles, everything just feels right."

?????????????????????????????

I ask her what makes her butt smile. She says, "Doing the Activia challenge." 

1) We do not eat Activia

2) What?! 

About 95% of what Charlotte sees on TV is on Netflix or PBS, so very few opportunities to see commercials. But, Ben & I like to watch Sunday Morning on CBS each week, and I maybe squeeze in 10 mins of the Today Show a couple times a week while I'm getting their fruit & oatmeal ready for breakfast. 

And yet she knows an Activia yogurt commercial. Just goes to show that kids listen to EVERYTHING. They hear it all, people!! Even when you think they've tuned out, or aren't interested, they're listening. 

I googled the commercial & it says, "When your tummy smiles, things just feel right." In case you were wondering. 

The whole theme for the day was "Butts" as she practically woke up singing 

"Old MacDonald had a butt... E I E I TOOOOOT! With a butt butt here & a toot toot there, here a toot there a butt everywhere a toot toot, Old macDonald had a butt E I E I TOOOOOT!" 

I thought I had girls??