Last night was roooough.
This mama met up with some lady friends for drinks and got home around 1230am. I ended my night at a reasonable hour to get in a good rest before waking up early to support a friend at the local PurpleStride walk.
For some crazy unknown reason, my sweet little super sleeper decided to wake up at 1am.
Not awesome.
I laid down with her in her room and cuddled her for a little bit and around 130am she decided she was not happy about being awake at such an ungodly hour.. and the crying began.
After about 30 minutes or so I was starting to go a little cuckoo and called Andy in for assistance.
He laid down with her for a little bit but was also unsuccessful in getting her to settle back to sleep so he went to make her a bottle of milk. At 215am. This girl has not had a night feeding in MONTHS. Many months.
She sucked the bottle dry then continued crying.
FINALLY, around 3am, she went back to sleep.
That was, oh, about 21 hours of no sleep for me.
Holy heck. I was exhausted by the time I was able to go to bed!
Fortunately (and unfortunately), Camy slept in this morning.
Why is that unfortunate? We missed our PurpleStride walk. :(
Then, after being up less than 2 hours, I followed her into her room and watched as she crawled onto her bed to find her pacifier, grabbed her Hiram, cuddled up on her pillow and went to sleep. Totally on her own. Without me carrying her into her room. Without her music. Without me cuddling her a few minutes. She just walked into her room, gathered her loveys, laid down and passed out.
Exhausted much, Cam?
But for some crazy unknown reason, I can't sleep.
I feel physically exhausted.
I know I could use the extra rest.
But I laid down next to her to take a nap with her, and couldn't fall asleep.
Maybe its because I am in shock over her putting herself down for a nap!
I love the floor bed.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
10onTues: Better late than never.
Edited.
{New Number 1.} I suck at Ten on Tuesday. I got through 4/10 before getting distracted and I never came back to finish and post. Today is Wednesday. But I'm going to finish what I started.. so here goes....
2. Right this very minute, Andy is trying to get Cam down for the night. I have heard no less than 4 deep sighs from Andy.. I'm sure because Cam would rather be playing peek-a-boo with the covers than laying down. I have heard at least 3 loud thumps.. I'm sure Cam kicking the wall, because if they were head bumps they would have been followed by baby tears and Daddy calls.
Its kind of amusing for me to be sitting out here, making mental note of what song is playing on the lullaby CD (songs that are usually heard after baby eyes are closed!) and knowing that Andy is most likely wanting to call for my assistance but not wanting to admit defeat. Again. Not that he can't hack it.. cuz he totally can. He is a wonderful Daddy to our sweet girl, she adores him, and they get along just fine without me when I'm not here. But "when I'm not here" is definitely the operative part of that sentence. When I am here, Cam wants me for bedtime. Plain and simple. And I kinda like it that way. :)
3. She is back in her room, back on her floor bed. HOORAY.
4. And she has still gone without Benadryl since Thursday! Dude, that is awe. some.
5. On the work front, things are changing but not quite as drastically as we once thought. I interviewed for a teaching job at a wonderful new preschool in the area, I was offered the job on the spot, and after much consideration and lots-o-number crunching... I declined the job. Turns out my current family isn't quite ready to say g'bye again, so they offered to start letting me pick up extra hours whenever I need them (read: allthetime). That's wonderful for two very obvious reasons - I'll be making more than I was (and much more than the school offered me) and I'll still get to be home with Camy for the bulk of the day! Yay! Starting next week (I believe), Cam and I will be spending the first part of our evenings with the girls. We will head out to pick them up around 430, all motor on to their house, fix dinner and wait for their mama to stroll in from work around 6. Cam and I will then head home for bath-baby bottle-bed-mama bottle. It will take a little time to rework our evening routines to accommodate the new schedule, but I'm confident it will all go well. :)
6. By the time I finished typing #5, I decided to go in and assist with bedtime. Cam was out in about 20 minutes with me. Neener, neener. I came strutting out of her room humming a little "I've got the magic in me...".
7. Monday morning we spent a couple hours with our friends Kristen, Tabatha, and Jenny and their sweet littles at the Austin Children's Museum for the Baby Bloomers program. We had a wonderful time exploring and playing, and Tabatha caught a few cute photos!
8. These 2 are worthy of their own number because they. are. awesome.
The museum has an area set up like a restaurant where the kiddos can pretend to cook and serve play food. I helped Cam put one of the aprons on (and promptly melted from the cute!) and then she spent the next few minutes chowing down on a t-bone steak! We kept trying to get a photo of her with this big ol' thing in her mouth, but she wasn't having it. I still think this photo is hilarious. She's definitely her Daddy's daughter this week- Cowboys jersey and T-bone steak.
9. Goober loves to riffle through her closet and drag everything out into her room. On any given day you can walk into her room and see her diaper bags strewn about, the box of diapers overturned, the basket of washcloths tipped over.. she loves it. The other day, however, instead of carelessly tossing her bags all over the place, she chose one to carry around all day. She would slowly put it over her head (instead of her shoulder) and kick it around as she cruised through the house. It was pretty funny to watch her stumble over it but refuse to let me adjust it for her. Silly.
{New Number 1.} I suck at Ten on Tuesday. I got through 4/10 before getting distracted and I never came back to finish and post. Today is Wednesday. But I'm going to finish what I started.. so here goes....
2. Right this very minute, Andy is trying to get Cam down for the night. I have heard no less than 4 deep sighs from Andy.. I'm sure because Cam would rather be playing peek-a-boo with the covers than laying down. I have heard at least 3 loud thumps.. I'm sure Cam kicking the wall, because if they were head bumps they would have been followed by baby tears and Daddy calls.
Its kind of amusing for me to be sitting out here, making mental note of what song is playing on the lullaby CD (songs that are usually heard after baby eyes are closed!) and knowing that Andy is most likely wanting to call for my assistance but not wanting to admit defeat. Again. Not that he can't hack it.. cuz he totally can. He is a wonderful Daddy to our sweet girl, she adores him, and they get along just fine without me when I'm not here. But "when I'm not here" is definitely the operative part of that sentence. When I am here, Cam wants me for bedtime. Plain and simple. And I kinda like it that way. :)
3. She is back in her room, back on her floor bed. HOORAY.
4. And she has still gone without Benadryl since Thursday! Dude, that is awe. some.
5. On the work front, things are changing but not quite as drastically as we once thought. I interviewed for a teaching job at a wonderful new preschool in the area, I was offered the job on the spot, and after much consideration and lots-o-number crunching... I declined the job. Turns out my current family isn't quite ready to say g'bye again, so they offered to start letting me pick up extra hours whenever I need them (read: allthetime). That's wonderful for two very obvious reasons - I'll be making more than I was (and much more than the school offered me) and I'll still get to be home with Camy for the bulk of the day! Yay! Starting next week (I believe), Cam and I will be spending the first part of our evenings with the girls. We will head out to pick them up around 430, all motor on to their house, fix dinner and wait for their mama to stroll in from work around 6. Cam and I will then head home for bath-baby bottle-bed-mama bottle. It will take a little time to rework our evening routines to accommodate the new schedule, but I'm confident it will all go well. :)
6. By the time I finished typing #5, I decided to go in and assist with bedtime. Cam was out in about 20 minutes with me. Neener, neener. I came strutting out of her room humming a little "I've got the magic in me...".
7. Monday morning we spent a couple hours with our friends Kristen, Tabatha, and Jenny and their sweet littles at the Austin Children's Museum for the Baby Bloomers program. We had a wonderful time exploring and playing, and Tabatha caught a few cute photos!
Cam & Audrey getting ready to slide
Cam playing with the magnetic letter tracer things (that's the technical name!).
The museum has an area set up like a restaurant where the kiddos can pretend to cook and serve play food. I helped Cam put one of the aprons on (and promptly melted from the cute!) and then she spent the next few minutes chowing down on a t-bone steak! We kept trying to get a photo of her with this big ol' thing in her mouth, but she wasn't having it. I still think this photo is hilarious. She's definitely her Daddy's daughter this week- Cowboys jersey and T-bone steak.
And this one just cuz I love her.
And yeah, she's sans-pants. That's how we she rolls at home.
10. We are now a month out from her birthday, and I am feeling very overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have acquired. Toys everywhere. Far more than one toddler needs at any one time! Do you have a certain amount of toys/activities/books you keep available to your child at one time or is it all out, always? How do you have your toys organized or play area set up? We have got to get this stuff under control and I'm undecided on how to approach this adventure.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Dare I say...
Cam has been Benadryl-free for 2 1/2 days! {hooray}
Unfortunately though, not hive-free. She had a few spots on her face Friday afternoon that we kept a close eye on and decided not to give her meds unless/until they continued growing/spreading or started itching her. They never got out of hand and she never noticed them. {yessss}
One week til her appointment with the allergist.
And.. as much as it pains me to see her wearing this jersey, for this team.. here she is showin' her support for her Daddy's beloved Cowboys.
Unfortunately though, not hive-free. She had a few spots on her face Friday afternoon that we kept a close eye on and decided not to give her meds unless/until they continued growing/spreading or started itching her. They never got out of hand and she never noticed them. {yessss}
One week til her appointment with the allergist.
And.. as much as it pains me to see her wearing this jersey, for this team.. here she is showin' her support for her Daddy's beloved Cowboys.
Duuuude.
Toddler jerseys? Adorable.
Toddler jeggings? Adorable.
{Adult jeggings, on the other hand? NMS.}
Pink flats? Adorable.
Gosh, I love her. She is so stinkin' cute.
After getting her dressed in her Sunday ensemble, I cracked up from the cuteness overload for a good 2 minutes solid .. so she started joining me with her fake, over-dramatic, tossing-her-head-back giggle. Awesome. :)
She's such a ham:
Geaux Saints. ;)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
TenOnTues: allergies, and recalls, and the end of an era.
1. Tonight is the first night in about a week that my little love has gone more than 6 hours without Benadryl.
2 weeks ago [Aug30], Cam broke out in a patch of hives on her neck and chest that we thought might have been a reaction to what we ate for lunch at Ikea that day (the lingonberry sauce with their meatballs). A dose of Benadryl cleared them up, but then the hives returned that night. Another dose of Benadryl, and she went to bed. A few days later, the hives returned in a bit of a larger patch. One dose of Benadryl. The next day (in Houston), hives on her arm. One dose of Benadryl. Saturday, hives on her chest. Benadryl. Two days later, on Monday, hives on both arms and her chest/belly. Benadryl. Tuesday night, while eating dinner, Cam very suddenly broke out in full body hives. I mean, zero to a million hives from head-to-toe in a matter of minutes. It was terrifying. And she was miserable. This was the first bout that seemed to really bother her. The only way to keep her from scratching herself silly was to keep her in the tub. She took about an hour and a half long bath that night just to keep her from scratching. Benadryl didn't totally clear it up, but it brought her enough relief to go to sleep. Poor thing.
The following day was her 12 month well check, so of course, we talked to the doctor about it. We were told that allergy tests in kids Cam's age are largely inaccurate and can often give false positives. He said that allergic reactions can linger for up to 2 weeks sometimes, so we agreed to just let this wave pass and as long as any future reactions were just hives, we'd hold off on testing until 2 and just continue to use caution in what she's exposed to.
We went home, Cam was doing pretty well, and we had a normal evening. Dinner, bath, bed.. no problems. But about 2 hours after she went down, she woke up screaming. Usually if she wakes in the middle of the night, I can just go in and let her cuddle my arm and she goes right back to sleep. This time though, she was clawing at me and herself, trying to climb up over shoulder, inconsolable. I turned her night-light on to find that the right side of her face was swollen and PANICKED. I gave her a dose of Benadryl while I was calling the triage nurse and trying to hold my shit together. And failing. I was a crying, shaking, baby-soothing, scared mess. And Andy was at work. Go figure. The nurse wanted us to give the meds one hour to kick in but if she didn't improve or got worse in that time, we were instructed to go straight to the ER. Andy got home just before the one hour mark and the swelling had gone down a tiny bit. She still couldn't open her right eye all the way, but it did look better. Since she was breathing and swallowing okay, we decided to just stay at home and monitor her closely then call the pedi in the morning. I woke up every 2 hours that night to listen to her breathe, and since she always sounded okay, I let her sleep. Big mistake. We woke up in the morning and I noticed immediately that her whole face was swollen.. both sides. Again: Panic.
We went straight to the pediatrician again where we were told to keep her on a 6-hr Benadryl regimen and given an Rx for an epi pen. We were referred to an allergist for testing (false positives, be damned!) and told to monitor closely everything she eats and comes in contact with.
We tried to delay a dose of Benadryl on Sunday to see how she would do, and within 20 minutes of when we should have dosed her, this happened:
Major Boo. We dosed her up right away. :(
But then....
2. Our super awesome friend Tabatha had a light bulb moment. Camy's hives started the day after we moved her to the floor bed in her room full time. Could it be something in her room? Something with that bed? The mattress? Pillows? New duvet and cover from Ikea? Dust mites? Dog dander (even though they have never been in her room, her window goes to the yard where the dogs live)? So, as of this morning, we are issuing our very own voluntary recall of the floor bed idea. At least for a couple days while we put this theory to the test. Today she napped in our bed and is sleeping in there now. (Trying to resist the urge to do the Happy Dance about the three of getting to snuggle some more!). And ya know what? She hasn't had a dose of Benadryl in 13 hours and she's HIVE FREE. Coincidence? Hmmm... we'll see.
3. I'll try to keep number 3 short... because once I get started, I usually get mad. And when I get mad, I can go on forever. Basically, our health insurance is laughable. Enraging. Absolutely farking reeee-diculous. That allergist appointment we made? That should have been today? To, you know, see whatthehell is making her face explode? Yeah, we had to postpone it. Until Sept28, because that is when our stupidstupid insurance will cover it. After paying out of pocket for her well check (because our stupid insurance wouldn't cover it), we couldn't afford another out of pocket visit so soon, especially one that can end up costing upwards of $500 depending on what they test for and how. I am so FUMING mad that we are having to delay the care that our sweet baby needs based on health insurance. Mad. And sick. And sad.
4. Which leads me to a depressing fourth thing for today. Tomorrow I have an interview at a preschool, where I am applying for a full time job as a co-teacher. Andy has been doing everything he can to find a better job with better benefits and not having any luck, and given our current situation with Camy, continuing with this insurance is no longer an option. Its my turn now to try and find a better option for our family. For Camy. Which means a full time job with benefits. My days as a stay-at-home-mommy are numbered, and that breaks my heart. Into a million little pieces. :sigh:
I am so blessed that I was able to spend Camy's first year at home with her, and I know that she will do very well once she adjusts to a group-care environment... but dammit, I don't want this adventure to end. I love being a SAHM. I love getting to be there to watch Camy learn, to snuggle her to sleep for naps, to take her on playdates or just hang around in our jammies, soaking her in all the time. I love it. And I will miss her so so much during the day. But we need a change, we are doing this for her. I wish I could explain that to her. I wish there was a way to make her understand that I would give ANYTHING to always be at home with her.
{Gotta give a big thanks! to MC for putting in a good word for me and helping me land this interview!}
Boo.
5. But let's turn this around.. let's talk about happy things. Successful things. Like Pizza Pinwheels. Made these little guys for dinner the other night and all 3 of us gobbled them right up. They were seriously yummy, for something so simple and quick. And we are thinking about trying the concept out with BBQ-Chicken, or Turkey-Mozzerella. Hmmm.. the possibilities are endless. We also made the Mexican Pizza recipe found on that blog last night, and it was another hit. Even for Cam! :) Hooray for new, easy meals that the whole family can enjoy.
What are your go-to family meals?
6. It was brought to my attention recently that I skipped 2 rather important updates recently. First, the 12 month stats. Ourlittle growing bean tips the scales at 23 pounds, 11oz these days, putting her in the 75-90%. Her height came in at 30.5", again, 75-90%. And her head? 95%. Hasn't changed since birth. That girl's got a big ol' noggin! Aside from the allergy mess, she was given a clean bill of health. The heart murmur she was born with has now gone undetected for 2 appts, so it appears she grew out of it just as we hoped she would! Her ears looked great, her lungs sounded great, she's an eating champ and a wonderful sleeper, she's trying to communicate even though she doesn't have many "real" words... all went really well at her check-up.
7. And the other update I failed to give, can you believe it?, is that she's a full-time non-stop WALKER these days. Remember she took her first unprompted steps on her birthday? Well within just a couple days, walking became her primary mode of transportation. And since she got started, there's been no slowing her down. She's very confident on her toes now and can turn around, and side-step, and turn corners like its no big thing. :)
8. Despite the Benadryl haze she has lived in for the last week-ish, she's still been cracking us up with a few new cool tricks. Like tickling! She has a new game where she will "tickle" (read: touch) my neck and I'll giggle and squirm as if it tickles, then she'll crack up and point to her own neck. So I tickle her, and she gives an exaggerated laugh and then comes back to tickle me. Its hysterical and friggin' adorable! Oh, I love it.
9. And she's also fascinated with bee-bos, noses, and "mow"s these days. She loves to lift her shirt to find her belly button, and then tries to lift mine as well. I'm only slightly worried about the first time she tries to expose my midsection in public on the hunt for my belly button. :shudder: She's always seemed to have a thing for noses, but she's getting much more consistent when asked where her nose or my nose is. Or the kitty's nose. Or her baby doll's nose. What is it with noses? And just recently she started saying "mow" and pointing to her mouth while she sticks out her tongue. Are we allowed to consider that one of her first words? "Mow".
10. One word/phrase I don't need to verify before adding to her list: "Oh yeah!" She went around all afternoon today repeating "Oh yeah!" to me over and over again. I don't remember what the context was when she heard me say it, but she latched onto it and just toddled around a while.. "oooh yeah. yeah. oh yeah." Super cute, she was. In addition to "oh yeah", the other clearly deciphered words she uses are "this" and "that", "woof" (that counts, right?), and "dada". Another does it count? word is "duh" that she says as she signs "all done". Are half-words allowed. Huh, Joyce?
Happy Tuesday, Friends!
2 weeks ago [Aug30], Cam broke out in a patch of hives on her neck and chest that we thought might have been a reaction to what we ate for lunch at Ikea that day (the lingonberry sauce with their meatballs). A dose of Benadryl cleared them up, but then the hives returned that night. Another dose of Benadryl, and she went to bed. A few days later, the hives returned in a bit of a larger patch. One dose of Benadryl. The next day (in Houston), hives on her arm. One dose of Benadryl. Saturday, hives on her chest. Benadryl. Two days later, on Monday, hives on both arms and her chest/belly. Benadryl. Tuesday night, while eating dinner, Cam very suddenly broke out in full body hives. I mean, zero to a million hives from head-to-toe in a matter of minutes. It was terrifying. And she was miserable. This was the first bout that seemed to really bother her. The only way to keep her from scratching herself silly was to keep her in the tub. She took about an hour and a half long bath that night just to keep her from scratching. Benadryl didn't totally clear it up, but it brought her enough relief to go to sleep. Poor thing.
The following day was her 12 month well check, so of course, we talked to the doctor about it. We were told that allergy tests in kids Cam's age are largely inaccurate and can often give false positives. He said that allergic reactions can linger for up to 2 weeks sometimes, so we agreed to just let this wave pass and as long as any future reactions were just hives, we'd hold off on testing until 2 and just continue to use caution in what she's exposed to.
We went home, Cam was doing pretty well, and we had a normal evening. Dinner, bath, bed.. no problems. But about 2 hours after she went down, she woke up screaming. Usually if she wakes in the middle of the night, I can just go in and let her cuddle my arm and she goes right back to sleep. This time though, she was clawing at me and herself, trying to climb up over shoulder, inconsolable. I turned her night-light on to find that the right side of her face was swollen and PANICKED. I gave her a dose of Benadryl while I was calling the triage nurse and trying to hold my shit together. And failing. I was a crying, shaking, baby-soothing, scared mess. And Andy was at work. Go figure. The nurse wanted us to give the meds one hour to kick in but if she didn't improve or got worse in that time, we were instructed to go straight to the ER. Andy got home just before the one hour mark and the swelling had gone down a tiny bit. She still couldn't open her right eye all the way, but it did look better. Since she was breathing and swallowing okay, we decided to just stay at home and monitor her closely then call the pedi in the morning. I woke up every 2 hours that night to listen to her breathe, and since she always sounded okay, I let her sleep. Big mistake. We woke up in the morning and I noticed immediately that her whole face was swollen.. both sides. Again: Panic.
We went straight to the pediatrician again where we were told to keep her on a 6-hr Benadryl regimen and given an Rx for an epi pen. We were referred to an allergist for testing (false positives, be damned!) and told to monitor closely everything she eats and comes in contact with.
We tried to delay a dose of Benadryl on Sunday to see how she would do, and within 20 minutes of when we should have dosed her, this happened:
Major Boo. We dosed her up right away. :(
But then....
2. Our super awesome friend Tabatha had a light bulb moment. Camy's hives started the day after we moved her to the floor bed in her room full time. Could it be something in her room? Something with that bed? The mattress? Pillows? New duvet and cover from Ikea? Dust mites? Dog dander (even though they have never been in her room, her window goes to the yard where the dogs live)? So, as of this morning, we are issuing our very own voluntary recall of the floor bed idea. At least for a couple days while we put this theory to the test. Today she napped in our bed and is sleeping in there now. (Trying to resist the urge to do the Happy Dance about the three of getting to snuggle some more!). And ya know what? She hasn't had a dose of Benadryl in 13 hours and she's HIVE FREE. Coincidence? Hmmm... we'll see.
3. I'll try to keep number 3 short... because once I get started, I usually get mad. And when I get mad, I can go on forever. Basically, our health insurance is laughable. Enraging. Absolutely farking reeee-diculous. That allergist appointment we made? That should have been today? To, you know, see whatthehell is making her face explode? Yeah, we had to postpone it. Until Sept28, because that is when our stupidstupid insurance will cover it. After paying out of pocket for her well check (because our stupid insurance wouldn't cover it), we couldn't afford another out of pocket visit so soon, especially one that can end up costing upwards of $500 depending on what they test for and how. I am so FUMING mad that we are having to delay the care that our sweet baby needs based on health insurance. Mad. And sick. And sad.
4. Which leads me to a depressing fourth thing for today. Tomorrow I have an interview at a preschool, where I am applying for a full time job as a co-teacher. Andy has been doing everything he can to find a better job with better benefits and not having any luck, and given our current situation with Camy, continuing with this insurance is no longer an option. Its my turn now to try and find a better option for our family. For Camy. Which means a full time job with benefits. My days as a stay-at-home-mommy are numbered, and that breaks my heart. Into a million little pieces. :sigh:
I am so blessed that I was able to spend Camy's first year at home with her, and I know that she will do very well once she adjusts to a group-care environment... but dammit, I don't want this adventure to end. I love being a SAHM. I love getting to be there to watch Camy learn, to snuggle her to sleep for naps, to take her on playdates or just hang around in our jammies, soaking her in all the time. I love it. And I will miss her so so much during the day. But we need a change, we are doing this for her. I wish I could explain that to her. I wish there was a way to make her understand that I would give ANYTHING to always be at home with her.
{Gotta give a big thanks! to MC for putting in a good word for me and helping me land this interview!}
Boo.
5. But let's turn this around.. let's talk about happy things. Successful things. Like Pizza Pinwheels. Made these little guys for dinner the other night and all 3 of us gobbled them right up. They were seriously yummy, for something so simple and quick. And we are thinking about trying the concept out with BBQ-Chicken, or Turkey-Mozzerella. Hmmm.. the possibilities are endless. We also made the Mexican Pizza recipe found on that blog last night, and it was another hit. Even for Cam! :) Hooray for new, easy meals that the whole family can enjoy.
What are your go-to family meals?
6. It was brought to my attention recently that I skipped 2 rather important updates recently. First, the 12 month stats. Our
7. And the other update I failed to give, can you believe it?, is that she's a full-time non-stop WALKER these days. Remember she took her first unprompted steps on her birthday? Well within just a couple days, walking became her primary mode of transportation. And since she got started, there's been no slowing her down. She's very confident on her toes now and can turn around, and side-step, and turn corners like its no big thing. :)
8. Despite the Benadryl haze she has lived in for the last week-ish, she's still been cracking us up with a few new cool tricks. Like tickling! She has a new game where she will "tickle" (read: touch) my neck and I'll giggle and squirm as if it tickles, then she'll crack up and point to her own neck. So I tickle her, and she gives an exaggerated laugh and then comes back to tickle me. Its hysterical and friggin' adorable! Oh, I love it.
9. And she's also fascinated with bee-bos, noses, and "mow"s these days. She loves to lift her shirt to find her belly button, and then tries to lift mine as well. I'm only slightly worried about the first time she tries to expose my midsection in public on the hunt for my belly button. :shudder: She's always seemed to have a thing for noses, but she's getting much more consistent when asked where her nose or my nose is. Or the kitty's nose. Or her baby doll's nose. What is it with noses? And just recently she started saying "mow" and pointing to her mouth while she sticks out her tongue. Are we allowed to consider that one of her first words? "Mow".
10. One word/phrase I don't need to verify before adding to her list: "Oh yeah!" She went around all afternoon today repeating "Oh yeah!" to me over and over again. I don't remember what the context was when she heard me say it, but she latched onto it and just toddled around a while.. "oooh yeah. yeah. oh yeah." Super cute, she was. In addition to "oh yeah", the other clearly deciphered words she uses are "this" and "that", "woof" (that counts, right?), and "dada". Another does it count? word is "duh" that she says as she signs "all done". Are half-words allowed. Huh, Joyce?
Happy Tuesday, Friends!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Let's talk about sleep.
Cam's evolution of sleep spaces is pretty amazing.
She started in the cosleeper before moving into our bed. She had a short stint in her crib (in her room) before moving back into our bed. We side-car'ed her crib, which we LOVED, but most nights, she still slept in our bed. Now, she's on a floor bed in her room.
So, let's get this out of the way right up front: I cannot sleep train. I do not have it in my blood, in my being, to do any sort of cry-it-out methods of getting wee one to sleep on her own. I FULLY support anyone who feels like their child would benefit from such a method, and I have seen it work in many, many families. I even implemented a modified "CIO" sleep training method with my nanny family when the twins were young, and they ROCKED IT. So I know how wonderful it can be. But for me and my baby, for our temperaments, under our circumstances, it is not the right choice.
So, there. I said it.
The decision to move Camy to her own room was not one that was easy to make. I started preparing myself for the idea months before I actually uttered the words aloud to the husband, and even after having the conversation, it took a few weeks of research and thought and trials for me to jump in. I came across the idea sort of by accident as I was researching ways to bring some Montessori-concepts into our home. I was immediately intrigued by the idea. It seemed like a win-win all around: Cam still gets her snuggle time before bed (and let's be real - Mama still gets her snuggles, too!). Cam is in her own safe space where she can roll and toss around as much as she wishes. The husband and I get our bed back, which can only add up to good things. We don't have to "sleep train". Good. Good. Good. Right?
So, rather than invest in a new mattress right now, we decided to pull the mattress out of the Murphy Bed and see if this whole concept will even work. And so far, it does. Beautifully, in fact!!
We started out just having her nap in there for about a week, and letting her stay in our bed at night. When we saw how well she was doing with naps, we tried nighttime too, and she didn't skip a beat!
When Cam was sleeping in our bed, she was often staying up until at least 9pm. I'm not sure what the big difference is now, but Cam's been in bed around 8 consistently the last week or so! And I am loving her new nighttime routine. We do dinner around 6, immediately followed by her bath. After bath we let her play a bit to burn her last bit of energy, then we head to her room around 730-745. We turn on her sound machine and her lullaby CD I burned her before she was born (which we never used for bedtime when she was in our room), then give her a bottle of milk while rocking her. She usually falls asleep by the end of her bottle and we can lay her down, but if not, we just lay down with her when she's done eating and snuggle her to sleep. Easy peasy. And we are fully confident in leaving the room when she's asleep because her bed is only a couple inches off the floor, so she's safe! Its wonderful.
And she is totally loving having this big mattress on her floor. There have been a handful of times where she has acutally crawled up and laid on her pillow unprompted, signaling me she's ready for nap or bed, and just gone to sleep with me patting her back a few minutes. Amazing! I love that she can be more in control of her schedule this way. And my favorite thing so far is when she wakes up - she just quietly climbs out of bed, and comes toddling out of her room with a big old grin. Its awesome! Way better, in her opinion (and mine) than waking up confined and having to cry out for Mama.. she just comes and gets me (after naps, anyway!).
So far I have still been in her room with her at night, but that should be changing soon. The original plan was just to sleep in there with her the first week to get her acclimated, but we have been struggling with an allergic reaction (details in another post), so me sleeping in there with her has been extended while we deal with that. Ultimately the plan is to have her in there by herself, and leave her door open with a baby gate so she can't roam around the house if she wakes in the middle of the night.
I am so glad I stumbled upon this concept, and so so glad the Cam has taken so well to the idea!
This has been a wonderful sleep solution for all of us, and I hope our good luck continues!
Here are a few photos:
Happy Sleeping, blogland.
She started in the cosleeper before moving into our bed. She had a short stint in her crib (in her room) before moving back into our bed. We side-car'ed her crib, which we LOVED, but most nights, she still slept in our bed. Now, she's on a floor bed in her room.
So, let's get this out of the way right up front: I cannot sleep train. I do not have it in my blood, in my being, to do any sort of cry-it-out methods of getting wee one to sleep on her own. I FULLY support anyone who feels like their child would benefit from such a method, and I have seen it work in many, many families. I even implemented a modified "CIO" sleep training method with my nanny family when the twins were young, and they ROCKED IT. So I know how wonderful it can be. But for me and my baby, for our temperaments, under our circumstances, it is not the right choice.
So, there. I said it.
The decision to move Camy to her own room was not one that was easy to make. I started preparing myself for the idea months before I actually uttered the words aloud to the husband, and even after having the conversation, it took a few weeks of research and thought and trials for me to jump in. I came across the idea sort of by accident as I was researching ways to bring some Montessori-concepts into our home. I was immediately intrigued by the idea. It seemed like a win-win all around: Cam still gets her snuggle time before bed (and let's be real - Mama still gets her snuggles, too!). Cam is in her own safe space where she can roll and toss around as much as she wishes. The husband and I get our bed back, which can only add up to good things. We don't have to "sleep train". Good. Good. Good. Right?
So, rather than invest in a new mattress right now, we decided to pull the mattress out of the Murphy Bed and see if this whole concept will even work. And so far, it does. Beautifully, in fact!!
We started out just having her nap in there for about a week, and letting her stay in our bed at night. When we saw how well she was doing with naps, we tried nighttime too, and she didn't skip a beat!
When Cam was sleeping in our bed, she was often staying up until at least 9pm. I'm not sure what the big difference is now, but Cam's been in bed around 8 consistently the last week or so! And I am loving her new nighttime routine. We do dinner around 6, immediately followed by her bath. After bath we let her play a bit to burn her last bit of energy, then we head to her room around 730-745. We turn on her sound machine and her lullaby CD I burned her before she was born (which we never used for bedtime when she was in our room), then give her a bottle of milk while rocking her. She usually falls asleep by the end of her bottle and we can lay her down, but if not, we just lay down with her when she's done eating and snuggle her to sleep. Easy peasy. And we are fully confident in leaving the room when she's asleep because her bed is only a couple inches off the floor, so she's safe! Its wonderful.
And she is totally loving having this big mattress on her floor. There have been a handful of times where she has acutally crawled up and laid on her pillow unprompted, signaling me she's ready for nap or bed, and just gone to sleep with me patting her back a few minutes. Amazing! I love that she can be more in control of her schedule this way. And my favorite thing so far is when she wakes up - she just quietly climbs out of bed, and comes toddling out of her room with a big old grin. Its awesome! Way better, in her opinion (and mine) than waking up confined and having to cry out for Mama.. she just comes and gets me (after naps, anyway!).
So far I have still been in her room with her at night, but that should be changing soon. The original plan was just to sleep in there with her the first week to get her acclimated, but we have been struggling with an allergic reaction (details in another post), so me sleeping in there with her has been extended while we deal with that. Ultimately the plan is to have her in there by herself, and leave her door open with a baby gate so she can't roam around the house if she wakes in the middle of the night.
I am so glad I stumbled upon this concept, and so so glad the Cam has taken so well to the idea!
This has been a wonderful sleep solution for all of us, and I hope our good luck continues!
Here are a few photos:
I need to use my other lens to get a more wide-angle shot.
We prop one pillow up along the wall because she flails a bit..
she was hitting and waking herself up.
The green mis-matched pillow is mine.
We got her this night light at Ikea, but its a little brighter than we'd hoped.
Its cute, so we'll keep it, but we're in the market for something dimmer.
The bulbs in the flower light are the lowest wattage Ikea sells. Boo.
Close-up of her duvet/pillow case pattern. Love it!
Silly girl just throws herself back on the bed to lounge a bit.
This is how she rolls/climbs off the bed..
Happy.
Crazy girl!
Happy Sleeping, blogland.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Ten on Tuesday, Labor Day Recap Edition
1. We went to Houston for the long Labor Day weekend and stayed with my sister and her family. Two weekends in a row visiting with them = Awesome! We all love them and enjoy their company, Camy the most, I believe. She lights up when she sees Aunt Vicky, adores Cousin Rylan, and Uncle Kevin is one of the only men besides her Daddy that she reaches out for.
2. Criss-Cross Applesauce is clearly genetic. Even though Rylan's arm is blurred, I had to share this photo! Too stinkin' funny!
3. Saturday was the first UT game of the season, so Camy donned her Longhorn cheerleading outfit to support the Horns. How adorable is she, I mean, really?!
She was quite focused on learning how to "hook 'em".
4. Saturday my sister and brother-in-law hosted a Labor Day BBQ complete with yummy food off the grill, cold beer (or sweet tea vodka for this mama), banana pudding, and a 14ft inflatable water slide. Good times were had by all, but unfortunately I didn't get many photos. Camy made one trip down the slide with her Daddy, and didn't love it (to put it lightly) so she stayed near the kiddie pool and water table most of the time. The bigger kids (ahem, and the Daddies) had plenty of fun jumping, and sliding, and splashing, and the Mamas had a good ol' time watching everyone play!
[There are photos of Andy and Kevin on the slide somewhere, I'll post those when I get them.. the hilarity is just too much to keep to myself!]
5. Sunday we all loaded up and motored down to Galveston Beach with the babies. It was both Rylan's and Camy's first experience at the beach, and I'd say that overall it was a successful trip. We could have planned the details a little better, left a little earlier in the morning, came a little better prepared - but they seemed to have a good time despite all that. Camy seemed to enjoy the sand and then hate the sand in phases, back and forth. She would play and dig for a few minutes...
...then realize that {OMG!} she had sand on her.
6. She loved walking up and down the beach feeling the waves crash over her toes.
7. I love watching her with her Daddy.
8. Pop a top again.
This was back at Aunt Vicky's house later that evening.. playing in the driveway.
Mother of the Year, right here.
Instead of taking the beer out of her hand first, I reached for my camera.
[No alcohol was consumed by anyone under the age of 2... or 21.]
Though I know it appears so...
9. I can't get enough of those dimples and rolls.
10. Right now, this minute, Camy is sleeping in a Benadryl-induced haze. I am going back and forth between blogger and the weather channel trying to keep up with the local tornado warnings. And I'm home alone. Allergic Reactions + Full Body Hives (on the babe) + Tornado Warnings =/= A Peaceful Evening.
In fact, it = a majorly stressed out, blogging-so-she-doesn't-pee-her-pants-in-fear Mama hoping and praying that her sweet little one sleeps through the night without her allergy getting any worse before morning (or ever). :sigh: I reallyreally want a drink, but don't know if that'd be the best idea given the weather and sick baby. Wish me luck.
2. Criss-Cross Applesauce is clearly genetic. Even though Rylan's arm is blurred, I had to share this photo! Too stinkin' funny!
3. Saturday was the first UT game of the season, so Camy donned her Longhorn cheerleading outfit to support the Horns. How adorable is she, I mean, really?!
4. Saturday my sister and brother-in-law hosted a Labor Day BBQ complete with yummy food off the grill, cold beer (or sweet tea vodka for this mama), banana pudding, and a 14ft inflatable water slide. Good times were had by all, but unfortunately I didn't get many photos. Camy made one trip down the slide with her Daddy, and didn't love it (to put it lightly) so she stayed near the kiddie pool and water table most of the time. The bigger kids (ahem, and the Daddies) had plenty of fun jumping, and sliding, and splashing, and the Mamas had a good ol' time watching everyone play!
[There are photos of Andy and Kevin on the slide somewhere, I'll post those when I get them.. the hilarity is just too much to keep to myself!]
5. Sunday we all loaded up and motored down to Galveston Beach with the babies. It was both Rylan's and Camy's first experience at the beach, and I'd say that overall it was a successful trip. We could have planned the details a little better, left a little earlier in the morning, came a little better prepared - but they seemed to have a good time despite all that. Camy seemed to enjoy the sand and then hate the sand in phases, back and forth. She would play and dig for a few minutes...
Uuuuck, look at my feet all dirty!
I can't get it off my handssss....
eeeeww.. it's between my toooooes.
This was back at Aunt Vicky's house later that evening.. playing in the driveway.
Instead of taking the beer out of her hand first, I reached for my camera.
[No alcohol was consumed by anyone under the age of 2... or 21.]
Though I know it appears so...
9. I can't get enough of those dimples and rolls.
10. Right now, this minute, Camy is sleeping in a Benadryl-induced haze. I am going back and forth between blogger and the weather channel trying to keep up with the local tornado warnings. And I'm home alone. Allergic Reactions + Full Body Hives (on the babe) + Tornado Warnings =/= A Peaceful Evening.
In fact, it = a majorly stressed out, blogging-so-she-doesn't-pee-her-pants-in-fear Mama hoping and praying that her sweet little one sleeps through the night without her allergy getting any worse before morning (or ever). :sigh: I reallyreally want a drink, but don't know if that'd be the best idea given the weather and sick baby. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Birthday Week. Done.
::I wrote this Monday, don't know why I didn't post it?::
More photos coming very soon, but here are a couple teasers...
We made it to this side of the Birthday Bonanza.
My little angel turned ONE. YEAR. OLD. on Thursday.
How can that even be so?
It's been one year since I first saw her sweet face.
Since I first kissed her oh-so-chubby cheeks.
Since I first held her tiny hand.
One year of love. And joy. And laughter. And hope.
And worry. And doubt. And fear. And tears.
Of milestones. And memories. And prayer. And dreams.
Of family. And friends. And bonds. And sharing.
Its been a remarkable year.
I have been in childcare for 8 years.
I have formed some incredible bonds with some incredible kiddos.
I have cried at their first birthdays and kindergarten graduations.
I have kissed their boo-boo's and taught them their shapes.
After 8 years of intimate care within the homes of these families, I still was grossly unprepared for what motherhood would bring.
I had no idea how much I could love.
I had no idea how much my daughter's smile would brighten every day.
How her tears would break my heart.
How much fun was waiting with each new day.
I had no idea what the true meaning of "exhaustion" was, or that I would be able to function in such a state.
I had no concept of a true feeling of panic.
And then an overwhelming feeling of relief.
My daughter has taught me so much in this last year.
She has changed me in every way.
She is the light of my life.
My sweet little love.
My baby turned one on Thursday.
:sigh:
We celebrated. In a big way.
Andy took the day off to spend her birthday together as a family, and we had a great time.
We had a cake smash trial run {that she totally rocked, by the way!} and basically just hung out, the three of us, soaking in every minute of her special day. There were many "This time last year..." conversations. There were many tears from mama. And there was lots of walking. Walking! Not just 10 steps from one parent to the other.. standing up all on her own and taking off, walking. On her birthday. I think she was holding out on us all along. She could do it, she was just making us wait it out. She has been a walkin' fool ever since! When she gets really excited, she drops to her hands and feet (not knees, she's a bear-crawler), but most of the time - she's walking!!
Friday was a little hectic as we prepared for the big Birthday Bash the following day, but we were excited to welcome Aunt Vicky, Uncle Kevin, and Cousin Coop to town! Camy loves being around her older cousins! And the three of them are just too stinkin' cute together!
Saturday started off stressful as I left Cam at home with Daddy to get ready for the party (held at the in-laws) but ended with a bang! We had 60 of our nearest and dearest with us to celebrate Camy's big O-N-E and we had a wonderful time! Amazingly, my little love held up the whole time without any major meltdowns! She showed off her new walker-status, she flirted with everyone who looked her way, she rocked the pink tutu, tore into her smash cake (getting cake in every roll and crevice possible, including her ears. Her ears!), she splashed outside, and was just lovin' life as a one year old.
And that little one-year-old made out like a bandit! That girl got more awesome gifts than we know what to do with! Seriously. I had to go buy 3 new fabric bins today just to have places to put it all away!! And she's totally diggin' all the new loot!
That night, she crashed out as soon as I laid her down in bed, and she has spent today recovering from the festivities as well - 2 awesome naps and to bed an hour and a half earlier than normal! Birthday Weekend wore that wee one out!
More photos coming very soon, but here are a couple teasers...
We made it to this side of the Birthday Bonanza.
My little angel turned ONE. YEAR. OLD. on Thursday.
How can that even be so?
It's been one year since I first saw her sweet face.
Since I first kissed her oh-so-chubby cheeks.
Since I first held her tiny hand.
One year of love. And joy. And laughter. And hope.
And worry. And doubt. And fear. And tears.
Of milestones. And memories. And prayer. And dreams.
Of family. And friends. And bonds. And sharing.
Its been a remarkable year.
I have been in childcare for 8 years.
I have formed some incredible bonds with some incredible kiddos.
I have cried at their first birthdays and kindergarten graduations.
I have kissed their boo-boo's and taught them their shapes.
After 8 years of intimate care within the homes of these families, I still was grossly unprepared for what motherhood would bring.
I had no idea how much I could love.
I had no idea how much my daughter's smile would brighten every day.
How her tears would break my heart.
How much fun was waiting with each new day.
I had no idea what the true meaning of "exhaustion" was, or that I would be able to function in such a state.
I had no concept of a true feeling of panic.
And then an overwhelming feeling of relief.
My daughter has taught me so much in this last year.
She has changed me in every way.
She is the light of my life.
My sweet little love.
My baby turned one on Thursday.
:sigh:
We celebrated. In a big way.
Andy took the day off to spend her birthday together as a family, and we had a great time.
We had a cake smash trial run {that she totally rocked, by the way!} and basically just hung out, the three of us, soaking in every minute of her special day. There were many "This time last year..." conversations. There were many tears from mama. And there was lots of walking. Walking! Not just 10 steps from one parent to the other.. standing up all on her own and taking off, walking. On her birthday. I think she was holding out on us all along. She could do it, she was just making us wait it out. She has been a walkin' fool ever since! When she gets really excited, she drops to her hands and feet (not knees, she's a bear-crawler), but most of the time - she's walking!!
Friday was a little hectic as we prepared for the big Birthday Bash the following day, but we were excited to welcome Aunt Vicky, Uncle Kevin, and Cousin Coop to town! Camy loves being around her older cousins! And the three of them are just too stinkin' cute together!
Saturday started off stressful as I left Cam at home with Daddy to get ready for the party (held at the in-laws) but ended with a bang! We had 60 of our nearest and dearest with us to celebrate Camy's big O-N-E and we had a wonderful time! Amazingly, my little love held up the whole time without any major meltdowns! She showed off her new walker-status, she flirted with everyone who looked her way, she rocked the pink tutu, tore into her smash cake (getting cake in every roll and crevice possible, including her ears. Her ears!), she splashed outside, and was just lovin' life as a one year old.
And that little one-year-old made out like a bandit! That girl got more awesome gifts than we know what to do with! Seriously. I had to go buy 3 new fabric bins today just to have places to put it all away!! And she's totally diggin' all the new loot!
That night, she crashed out as soon as I laid her down in bed, and she has spent today recovering from the festivities as well - 2 awesome naps and to bed an hour and a half earlier than normal! Birthday Weekend wore that wee one out!
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