You Carve. We Paint

I spent the last few weeks pondering how to get Ana to carve a pumpkin without 100% adult intervention (I'm a firm believer that kids need to create their own masterpeices). I got a hint from Nora, who wrote with permanent marker and then mom carved for her, but relized this too wasn't perfect as the writing did not lend itself to carving. So ineveitably parents were forced to design the pumpkin carving.
Lucky for me, our local county park had my solution, complete with supplies, set up, and clean up (April, they must have read your blog).





BEHOLD. A masterpiece

Ferber signing off

Well....it helped in the sense that we no longer need the pacifier for her to fall and stay asleep for a bit longer stretches, but she is getting no better at sleeping through the night, or should I say putting herself back to sleep int he middle of the night. Naps are great and for that I'm thankful. However, we still have one middle of the night one hour to two hour long screaming stretch and today is day 7. So, we are going to modify our approach and see how things go. Perhaps I just need to succumb to the fact that my child is not a sleeper.

At any rate, this is it for my sleep reports. I'm going to do my best to focus on all the other amazing things my girls are doing, and function as best I can on little sleep.

BTW. We also have postponed solids for another month. We'll give it a try in month 5 or 6, but right now it just didn't seem to settle well with her and with all her other tummy problems the last thing we need is to give her another pain to try and work through.

If there is one thing I've learned in these last 4+ months, it is that children TRULY are unique individuals. Taylor reminds me of that everyday. I feel like I'm a first time mom all over again.

Ferberization: Report 4

As of today we have survived 4 nights of Ferberization, and I hesitate
to say, but it is thus far proving to be a HUGE SUCCESS.

Last night was the best of all thus far. She went down at 8:30 with NO
TEARS WHAT SO EVER. We gave her 4 oz at 12:00 AM and she didn't even
wake up. Then it was 5:55 on the clock before we heard another peep.
This time she "played" in her crib for 15 min and at 6:15 was squealing
with glee when I went in and got her. "Man it feels good to sleep!",
thinks Taylor (and mommy). Let me remind you....NO TEARS ALL NIGHT!

Who knows what tonight will bring- as all you moms know, just when you
"think" you've got it, it all back fires- so I'll just take last night
with GREAT THANKS to Dr. Ferber and be prepared for whatever is next :)

Cyclist in Training

Ana's new favorite activity is to go on a bike ride with Daddy to the park. She has no objections to the helmet and truly enjoys her daddy and Ana time (as do I!)

Taylor Blossoms

I've been so consumed by sleep lately that I've completely skipped so many amazing things that little Taylor is doing now.

1st off...she's eating solids. We started Sat. Oct 14th and have been doing a little each day. She wasn't too thrilled with Rice cereal so we're onto banannas. Her face was priceless at first and then she opened wide for more and more once she got used to the new flavor.

2nd- she is having so much fun playing by herself lately in many different positions. We have a Baby Bumbo seater (I HIGHLY rec. this to all new moms) which helps her sit up straight and watch Ana play. She loves this. Her new all time favorite is the exersaucer. It's quite amazing how much fun she has with it and how purposefully she hits the animal sound buttons over and over again to hear the sounds. She also is trying so hard to roll over without assistance from her back to her tummy. It's so fun to sit and watch her.

3rd- she's beginning to really like to be read to. Goodnight Moon is by far her favorite. She sits up on my lap and grabs at the pages pushing them and "turning them".

Justin and I comment everyday how much she is doing and playing with her toys. She is even starting to hold her bottle with 2 hands and tipping it into her mouth adjusting her head and hands to get the nipple in. She can get it in, but can't get a suction yet. She is so intense and just tried and tries and tries, yelling violently at herself when she can't get it, but keeps trying!

(side note.....she just fell asleep during tummy time...THIS IS FABULOUS! She usually HATES tummy time...oh how precious!)

Ferberization: Report 3

This sucks. This sucks. This sucks. This sucks.

3:45 AM, my baby has been violently screaming for 43 minutes now and is not calming herself one bit.
I sit here and wonder- is she hurt, is she sad, is she hungry, is she scared? Why is tonight such a hard one for both of us? Is it the lack of sleep on my end making me more sensitive? Did I secretly think, hope and wish tonight, day 3, all our sleep trauma would be solved? Is she not handling this OK? Does she have a better memory than everyone says a 4 mo old is capable, thus is remembering that her mommy is completely ignoring her cries for help? Am I raising her wrong............
do these worries ever stop?

2 more minutes...the slowest of my life!

Wait. At last, quiet. Is it a tease? Is it for real? Could she be asleep? How long will it last?

Will I be able to sleep now, or will I worry about all these infinite questions......................

good night

Next Morning addendum: OK, so really isn't wasn't all that bad. She fell asleep in 45 minutes and didn't wake again until
6:15 and was happy as a little clam:) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Ferberization: Report 2

Today is day 2 of Ferberization and I am happy to report that things have improved ever so slighty. Last night Taylor went to bed at 8:00 as usual and only cried for 20 minutes (as opposed to 40) and didn't wake again until 3:30 in the morning, putting self back to sleep after 25 minutes. She then made it until 5:45. We left her until 6:20 and then fed her (this time Daddy's heart was breaking...it is so very sad to see you little baby screaming). She took 4 oz. (again, an improvement)

Then, at 8:30 she took a bottle (another 4 oz) and went straight to sleep, no pacifier, no swaddle and NO CRYING. That's huge....been out 2 hours now so I have to look into waking her........YIKES!

Ferberization: Report 1

WELLLLL.........it WAS going GREAT! Just like the book said.
We put her down awake with no pacifier, she cried for 40 minutes, which was 4 checks. At 11:00 we fed her 6 oz while sleeping (instead of waiting for her to ask for it...parent directed). Then she awoke, crying, at 1:30 and 7 min. later put herself back to sleep. I was AMAZED...thought, "hey this is the trick. Why doesn't EVERYONE do it?"

BUT THEN....4:30 AM came around. I let her cry until 5:45. Then I decided I COULDN'T take it any longer..."she MUST be hungry. SHE NEEDS ME", I thought. So I got her up, gave her her meds and fed her. 2 oz...that's it, that's all she took. "HA, gotcha mom, I wasn't hungry." SO.....she stayed awake as the book says to do...once up, stay up until nap time. (tomorrow morning I'll have to stick it out longer, baby steps)

I kept her awake until 8:30 (now), which is after her little morning snack and breakfast- which BTW is CEREAL NOW, YEAH TAYLOR- and another bottle. She's been crying for 8 min. (today we extend the wait times to 10 min, 12 min, 15 min, 15min,....) and I don't hear her anymore. I'm praying this means she put herself to sleep in 8 min. Accordin the "the book" a good night time sleep is only second to good napping behoaviors. I figure, double bonus!

Off to check. Wish me and Taylor luck. THIS NEEDS TO WORK!!!!!!

(just for the record, if you take note, I've been up since 4:30 AM. Of the joys of motherhood...really, not all that tired)

Lovin GA fall weather

70 degrees and sunny, playing in the backyard after a cookout this weekend while you WI folks bear the elements. AH it's good to be "home"

Wolf Mountain Winery

Good, Fresh Mountain air

This sunday we drove North an hour into the mountains to see some waterfalls, while Ana almost missed it snoozing away, she was happy to report that we woke her to see "the waterfall with water from mountain". Taylor loved the sounds of nature. And thought the rushing stream was just amazing. Look at the excitement on her face as she squeals away!
Why couldn't we have the right in our own back yard?!

"Pumpkin Farm"

This weekend we did what all good families do in Ocotober: took our girls to the pumpkin patch (or pumpkin farm as Ana is calling it)
Ana had a blast running around examing and givng love to all the pumkins. Taylor joined in too once she woke up.

Here is Ana picking out a pumpkin for her and Taylor, giving the pumpkins love, checking out the "free" bean maze (the corn maze cost $20 so we opted out) and Taylor chillin' in the pumpkins.

Welllll.....we're Ferberizing

The not so popular, put self to sleep, child rearing practice made famous by "Meet the Fockers" has entered our household via complete DESPERATION. We've talked to many people, read books, done research and all agree, if you're going to try letting them "cry it out" this is the way and now is the time (4 mo=window of opportunity, or the WOO). So...we're giving it a go. We have a movie in, doors closed, white noise on (so we can't here her) and are going in every, 5, 10, then 12 minutes...no pacifier, no swaddling, no music, no cuddling. Just loving words and back out again.

We've had too many nights of being awoke every hour or so, for no apparent reason other than attention and love, great ones I will agree, but ones that need to be addressed during the waking hours.

I'm off for another 12 minute check..it's been27 minutes so far and she is just getting MORE AND MORE worked up. SO SAD. Oh this is breaking my heart. She's still so little. Short term sacrifice, long term gain. I know she needs her sleep and just isn't getting it right now so we have to try something.

Thank goodness Ana is a rock hard sleeper at night.

AHHHHHH

Practicing our "Suzy Spider"

I wasn't too sure how Ana was going to take to wearing a costume, but she just loved it. It helps that her favorite character is "Suzy Spider" from a Halloween book that Nina and Papa bought her. She was making the spiders arms help her read by turning the pages and pushing buttons on her pop up puzzle stating "oooh thank you Suzy Spider!". When asked to take it off she replied, "keep it on please". Halloween should be a success in our house this year.
Look at her cheeks...she may loose her chubs, but never the cheeks....oh how I just love those cheeks!

Sisters Playing

Look at Taylor looking up in awe of her big sister

4 months

What Taylor lacks for in sleep she makes up for in personality and growth. She also amazed all the nurses and doctors with how much she's sprouted and how playful, talkative, engaged and smiley she is. She was on today.

Her tummy time still needs some "training", but all other skills were dead on, including, but of course not limited to, rolling from back to tummy, reaching, grabbing, smiling, laughing, squealing, tracking, rocking, head control, ........ I forgot how much more they do with each passing day. SUCH FUN WE'RE HAVING!

Here are her stats (again, not that I'm comparing, but BIGGER than Ana was at this age- WOW):
Weight- 16 lbs. 6 oz (85 %)
Height- 26 & 26.75 inches (95%- they had to measure her twice b.c they couldn't believe the growth)
Head- 15.75 (25 %- still our little Beetlejuice)

19 months and growing strong

Ana is loosing her baby chubs...so sad.

She just had her 18 mo check up (even though she is 19 mo- we were in WI for 18 mo) and is impressing the world.

The doctor was amazed to see her strutting around in her new Barbie Underwear, asking ever so bluntly "MORE POTTY" three times. She was eating up the praise from Dr. Hempel as she came back into the examining room proudly proclaiming "Ana went potty on the toilet". Ahead of the curve in all areas was his report.

Thank goodness Daddy was along this time!

Here are her stats:
Weight - 27 lbs. 2 oz. (80 %)
Hieght- 34 1/4 inches (95 %- she grew 3 1/4 inches since last time)
Head -18 3/4 inches (75 %)

She nailed and surpassed with leaps all the developmental questions and even took the shots quite well. I am glad to say we are done with those for awhile!

My "WEST"

Ana loves her "wests" she would where them everyday!

Building Sand Castles

On Nana and Gaga's beach.....even teh cold WI weather didn't stop Ana from playing on the beach!

Potties, self soothing and trauma

We're full of it all.
For starters- Ana is having a lot of ups and downs. LITERALLY. 2 days in a row now she has fallen down stairs. I was just commenting to Justin yesterday that Ana really found her groove with her moves and is fearless (she used to be a little whimpy on the walking, running, climing end of things). But with that has come two pretty major falls. The first one happened yesterday at the park, when she missed a stair and landed face first on the edge of the next one, resulting in a lot of blood and bruises on her right eye.

The second one was tonight. Justin and I were occupied for no more than 2 minutes (moving around the baby gates). In that time she climbed up the front staircase and tumbled face first, head over feet, down the back staircase (we have 2 that meet in the middle at a platform). Her neck was twisted all the way back and when we layed her flat down she didn't move her legs or toes- or repsond to my tickling them, for what seemed like an eternity- we were just grabbing the phone to dial 911 when she started kicking them and begging to be held. So I took her and checked her over. All is okay, but we're all really shooken up (the gates have been replaced).

On a happier note. Taylor has put herself to sleep for all naps and bed time for the last 2 days now- YIPPPEEEE. She also is just becoming so happy and so much fun. She just LOVES to sit and talk and laugh at Ana. She is laughing while playing. Grabbing and eating toys, just SO MUCH FUN!!!!! AND...she rolled from her back to tummy 2 times. Still not from tummy to back (she HATES her tummy...ask Erin)

And Ana is pottying on the toilet. ENTER PULL UPS! We put them on tonight and so far so good. She is thrilled to not have to where daipers and promises to yell "mommy potty" when the urge hits! I'll keep you posted!

WHEW what a day.

GA: Home sweet home

Am I home, or am I back? Odd question, but one I'm sure I'll ask myself everytime we leave "home" (WI) and come back "home" (our current residence). Today was the day and it was hard on all of us. LIttle Ana just understands too much now. We weren't more than 20 mintues away when she started asking for Nana's house and crying when she was told, "Nana's house is all done, we're going home now." It broke my heart. However, she also is having a hard time dealing with Daddy not being with us all that much, and is telling us that "Ana no love daddy", "daddy make Ana sad" so we need to get our family back together and on track. It's just too hard on a little girl so full of love and understanding.

So....given the circumstances the drive south was not quites as smooth on the one up north. It took us 3 more hours, many more stops and not too much laughter, but Ana and Taylor are both troopers so we survived and are all glad to be back in our own beds and our own house (Ana ran from room to room at 2:00 AM this morning checking her memories for accuracy...she remembered it all and was glad to have it back...even noticed some of the changes Daddy made while we were away)...until the next move, right?!?!?!?!?!?!?!???!

Cuddling With Nana

Fall hit WI while we were home, and along with it came good 'ol WI bugs. It hit our house and all the adults and kids shared sniffles, coughs, fevers and aches. Here are Ana and Nana getting some gool R&R...dinner in bed while cuddling and watching Nemo. These days will be remembered forever.


The question is....would this happen if we still lived up the road, or does distance make the heart grow fonder and memories sweeter? I'm still trying to work that one out.

Playing hookie with family

Aunt Angie, Uncle Brian, Hudson, Cole, & Nina all took off one day and we got to play away! THANKS. We miss you!

Old World Wisconsin

Enjoying early fall days learning about Wisconsin heritage at Old World Wisconsin in the Kettle Moraine National Forest.
Justin, Gaga and I took the girls and Ana just loved it. The funniest part was seeing the chicken in the coup. Ana walked in said, "bock, ba, ba, bock. Chickens, YUM!". Guess she's not going to be a vegitarian!

Tummy Time for Taylor

Taylor is just playing away. She thinks the most highly of herself (notice the mirror shot) and clifford.....well 2nd to me of course!

Go Maia go!

Here is Ana and Taylor cheering on cousin Maia at her soccer game

Fire Station

Ana ABSOLUTELY LOVES anything with a siren "wee-ooo". So Gaga pulleed some of his EMT strings and got her in to see the real thing. Oh it doesn't get better than this. She saw "2 ambulance" & "3 fire tucks" and even got to sit inside and drive them!!!!
BLogger is acting up right now, so pictures will follow shortly. Trust me, they had a BLAST!