Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Once Upon A Time...
On the way home from dinner, Ella asked us if we wanted to hear her story. We replied yes of course. Here is mostly how the story went:
Ella: Once upon a time, there was a little old man who was walking with candy canes.
Tonya: What happened next?
E: The ducks took the candy canes. And then the mean cat took them.
T: Did the mean cat take the ducks or the candy canes?
E: The candy canes.
T: Then what happened?
E: The little old man tried to catch them.
T: Then what happened?
E: The ducks threw them in the water. And the fish got them.
T: Then what happened?
E: They went in the fish's belly. Then, the fish gave them back to the little old man. He gave some to the ducks and some to the mean cat. That was 'berry' nice of him to share. Then, they were happy.
Ella was a crack-up all day. Whenever I am looking for something to wear, Vic tells Ella that there is a raccoon in the closet. So, when she was going potty today with Vic supervising, I peeked in. Ella said in her silly voice "There's a raccoon peeking in."
As we were leaving the restaurant, Ella says to no one in particular except for maybe the nice strangers holding the door "Daddy has a boyfriend." This is absolutely NOT true and here is where she picked up on this. As we arrived at Thanksgiving dinner at Vic's parents' house, Vic commented that Amber had brought her boyfriend, John. Ella had never met John before and she rarely sees Amber. So, somehow she is convinced that Daddy has a boyfriend.
Over the weekend, we ventured to the mall and unexpectedly had their pictures taken with Santa. We anticipated huge lines, but there was none. Ella was excited and talked and smiled to Ho Ho. Carson did not cry. He looked up at Santa's face and then watched Ella to decide what to do next. The usually cheerful Carson didn't even crack a tiny smile, but he did manage to look at the camera. After this excursion, Vic is now convinced of my need for a double stroller so we are making that purchase very very soon. We also decided on Carson's bedding (yes, he's in a crib in our room still) so we'll be putting his room together in the next few weeks. I'm actually not looking forward to my trek upstairs for his naps and wakings at night. And what did Ella ask for - an expensive kitty cat. You know, the FurReal white cat that meows and moves... We saw it at Wal-Mart and played with it in the cart. Then mean mom told her we couldn't buy it because it was too expensive. I know that kitty cat will make my Ella one happy girl on Christmas Day : ) thanks MawMaw!
Carson continues to show his strength. He is sitting for longer periods of time and can prop himself. Today he transitioned from sitting to laying on his stomach smoothly while on our bed. He loves to kick in his bath and makes quite a mess. Tonight he splashed with his hands and thoroughly enjoyed himself. His flexibility has improved - he now eats his toes. When we first started physical therapy, he did not bend his feet/legs toward his mouth. I could stretch them there, but he resisted. He enjoys removing our glasses and rubbing our eyebrows. We've started giving graham crackers to him and he would shove them whole in his mouth so this is closely monitored. He is chewing/crunching them. He is excited to drink water from a glass. He opens his mouth, grabs the rim with both hands (fingers inside the glass, palms on the outside of the glass) and pulls it to his mouth. He has a tight grip and you have to wrestle the glass away from him. He is still putting everything in his mouth and I do mean everything.
Time to go to bed.... good night...
Ella: Once upon a time, there was a little old man who was walking with candy canes.
Tonya: What happened next?
E: The ducks took the candy canes. And then the mean cat took them.
T: Did the mean cat take the ducks or the candy canes?
E: The candy canes.
T: Then what happened?
E: The little old man tried to catch them.
T: Then what happened?
E: The ducks threw them in the water. And the fish got them.
T: Then what happened?
E: They went in the fish's belly. Then, the fish gave them back to the little old man. He gave some to the ducks and some to the mean cat. That was 'berry' nice of him to share. Then, they were happy.
Ella was a crack-up all day. Whenever I am looking for something to wear, Vic tells Ella that there is a raccoon in the closet. So, when she was going potty today with Vic supervising, I peeked in. Ella said in her silly voice "There's a raccoon peeking in."
As we were leaving the restaurant, Ella says to no one in particular except for maybe the nice strangers holding the door "Daddy has a boyfriend." This is absolutely NOT true and here is where she picked up on this. As we arrived at Thanksgiving dinner at Vic's parents' house, Vic commented that Amber had brought her boyfriend, John. Ella had never met John before and she rarely sees Amber. So, somehow she is convinced that Daddy has a boyfriend.
Over the weekend, we ventured to the mall and unexpectedly had their pictures taken with Santa. We anticipated huge lines, but there was none. Ella was excited and talked and smiled to Ho Ho. Carson did not cry. He looked up at Santa's face and then watched Ella to decide what to do next. The usually cheerful Carson didn't even crack a tiny smile, but he did manage to look at the camera. After this excursion, Vic is now convinced of my need for a double stroller so we are making that purchase very very soon. We also decided on Carson's bedding (yes, he's in a crib in our room still) so we'll be putting his room together in the next few weeks. I'm actually not looking forward to my trek upstairs for his naps and wakings at night. And what did Ella ask for - an expensive kitty cat. You know, the FurReal white cat that meows and moves... We saw it at Wal-Mart and played with it in the cart. Then mean mom told her we couldn't buy it because it was too expensive. I know that kitty cat will make my Ella one happy girl on Christmas Day : ) thanks MawMaw!
Carson continues to show his strength. He is sitting for longer periods of time and can prop himself. Today he transitioned from sitting to laying on his stomach smoothly while on our bed. He loves to kick in his bath and makes quite a mess. Tonight he splashed with his hands and thoroughly enjoyed himself. His flexibility has improved - he now eats his toes. When we first started physical therapy, he did not bend his feet/legs toward his mouth. I could stretch them there, but he resisted. He enjoys removing our glasses and rubbing our eyebrows. We've started giving graham crackers to him and he would shove them whole in his mouth so this is closely monitored. He is chewing/crunching them. He is excited to drink water from a glass. He opens his mouth, grabs the rim with both hands (fingers inside the glass, palms on the outside of the glass) and pulls it to his mouth. He has a tight grip and you have to wrestle the glass away from him. He is still putting everything in his mouth and I do mean everything.
Time to go to bed.... good night...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Watch what you say!
The pictures above are from our family outing to Daniel's Petting Zoo. We fed the animals took a hayride, picked out pumpkins and Ella had her first pony ride. We had so much fun, but unfortunately, I let Carson get sunburnt. C'mon - it's the middle of October. You can see his red cheeks in the close-up below; he's wearing a navy shirt with striped sleeves. Dumb Mom! I felt awful.
Ella is ever so amusing and she cracks us up everyday. Here are a few of our favorite stories:
- Ella and Carson were monkeys for Halloween; however, we did buy a kangaroo costume from Old Navy. She did not wear it and the tags were attached so we returned it on Nov 1. Ella goes into Old Navy with me and I sit her on the counter. She likes to pay. And as the associate is processing the return, she asks Ella what she was for Halloween. Ella confidently replies "a kangaroo." And I wanted to hide under the nearest clothing rack.
- I don't remember what Vic did, but it wasn't what Ella wanted him to do. She looked at him and asked "what were you thinking, Dad?"
- When we were eating out, Ella requested Sprite so they brought her a paper cup with a straw. Strangely, Ella turned it up and drank from it like it was a sippy cup. Of course, she got wet. After telling her that we don't drink from cups like that and this is how you do it, she stated that "she wanted to drink it like a beer." Vic & I did our best to not laugh and she added "I wanted to drink it like the armadillo." Texas Roadhouse has a stuffed armadillo laying on his back (upside down) drinking a beer. That's what I get for explaining too much to her.
- After preschool, Ella informed us that Grace was missing. I asked where she was and Ella replied "she was on China." Having met Grace's mom a month ago, I knew she was travelling to China to adopt a sibling for Grace. I told Ella that she was right - Grace was going to get a baby sister. And Ella said, "no, that's not right. a baby brother." I can't honestly recall so we'll wait and see.
- And this last one is strange... as we were leaving for preschool, she asked "Mommy, did our house burn down?" We have not discussed that with her, but I am sure it has been discussed with family and friends in her presence. After taking a deep breath, I explained that it had burnt down, Daddy built us a new one, and that it happened a long, long, long time ago. And on a different day, she said "maybe our house will burn down again. That would be fun." She has never used "fire" and "burnt" in the same conversation so I don't think she completely understands, but she definitely picks up on more things than I had thought.
After attempting another parent/child class with Ella, we decided to hold off on gymnastics until she was 3 and could attend without a parent. Ella wanted to do the big equipment and not the Wiggles dance and obstacle courses. But after hearing one of Ella's friends attending a dance class, we started looking into that opportunity. Vic's friend from high school has her own studio and she agreed to let Ella try the three year old class. We observed the first class and Ella was dying to join the girls. We bought tap shoes and ballet shoes for the second class and she loved it. It's a 45 minute class with tap, ballet and tumbling. She had so much fun, but it's obvious she's the youngest. We pay monthly so we'll see how it goes. The downer is that parents aren't allowed to watch, but if you watch from the window outside the studio, you can sneak a peek. Of course, we did that! Tomorrow, we are headed to a dance supply store to pick up a pink leotard and pink tights. I'll post pictures soon. Ella's in blue in the pic; they are doing ballet butterfly stretches.
Carson had his 9 month doctor visit and the doc was pleased with his growth. 14 pounds, 15.8 ounces and 26 1/4 inches in length. He is still not on the chart for weight but falls in the 8th percentile for length. His iron level was good so we can stop the multi-vitamins (one of the reasons for his constipation). He is starting to sit on his own for short periods of time, rolls everywhere every direction, starting to prop with his arms when sitting, bangs toys against the highchair tray, can pick up cheerios and place them in his mouth, pivots on his stomach and is starting to pull his knees underneath of him and move his legs to move towards an object (the beginning of the army crawl). He visited the eye doctor and this visit was much less stressful (no flipping of the eye). He looked great and we don't have to go back for another year - yippee! He had his follow-up with the NICU at Good Samaritan Hospital and he was on target for his adjusted age. He'll visit again at 15 months of age. Carson is making great progress with the physical therapist and he is starting to be more expressive. Although he uses consonants and vowels like ga, ba, da, he doesn't babble (babababa, dadada). He is starting to show different inflections when excited. He cried today when I took a tag off of his zebra because he wanted to eat it. Did I mention he mouths everything? This is so different than Ella. He has no teeth but has swollen gums so maybe soon. I think he's starting to play the pick up game. He drops a cup from the highchair and I'm supposed to pick it up... maybe Ella will want to play.
Ella had her first dentist visit this past week and she passed. I was honest and confessed that we brush her teeth once a day. Of course, he would like to see her try it in the morning on her own (at the very least) and then we should do it at night. He suggested I do a better job at the gum lines in the front by pulling her lips out. She always giggles because that part tickles. The bad news is that her thumbsucking (only when she sleeps) is affecting her bite; I could see the impact. The good news is that it is self-correctible. Dr. Bert told Ella that she needed to stop sucking her thumb and she still likes him. She has a security blanket and if she holds it, she sucks her thumb so we have new rules about Toodle-Doo:
- He can't leave her bedroom because he might get lost.
- He can't nap with her because he's dirty and needs a bath. He might get muddy footprints in her bed.
So far so good... she fake cried yesterday at nap time, but not today. I'm not forcing anything overnight because I don't want to regress on the potty training. We'll take it slow, but hopefully thumbsucking will stop before age 3.
Friday, October 5, 2007
It could ONLY happen to me!
Vic has been busy with client/business evening/weekend entertainment. Reds game on Tuesday, golf outing on Saturday and Bengals on Monday. So, I decided to escape from the house on Saturday by returning some library books and making a quick trip to Target (I needed to focus for this to be quick). I planned to be back at the house for lunch.
Vic left around 10AM and I left shortly thereafter with Ella and Carson. Did I mention that we're back on the potty training again? Anyway, we made it to the library and paid our late fines on the first floor and Ella said "I have to go potty." Although she says this more often than she needs to go, this is one of her usual times to go. I had Carson in the carseat attached to the stroller and the restrooms were on the second floor. We quickly walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. Although it seemed like forever, I'm sure it was not. We rushed onto the elevator. With my mouth open, I watched in slow motion as my keys fell off my stroller hood and oh no!!! down the elevator shaft. I really wanted to cry/scream/curse but I managed to calmly focus on getting Ella to the potty. She successfully pee-ed in the toilet and we celebrated. Then, I explained the key situation to her and told her we needed to find someone to help. After sharing my embarrassing predicament with the librarian, she informed me that it would cost $500 for the elevator company to retrieve my keys today or $0 on Monday. She then lovingly reassured me that my carkey was probably going to be ruined anyway because it was sitting in a puddle of oil under the hydraulic elevator. Her husband was an elevator man so she seemed to know a lot about elevators. The staff opened up their playroom for us and offered to drive us home, get anything we need, etc. I know a replacement key would be expensive, but probably close to the same price so I set out to find a ride home.
I called my sister-in-laws who live down the street and no one answered. I am sure they were outside enjoying the beautiful day. I called my husband who had driven three other co-workers to the golf outing at least 45 minutes away - no hope there! Thankfully, my father-in-law rescued us. As I drove through McDonald's to pick up food for Ella, I had a thought to call the fire department. Since they rescued cats from trees, maybe they could rescue my key from the deep vast elevator shaft (really only 2-3 feet). They were willing and eager to help; however, the librarian and particularly the facility manager were not happy with my idea. The facility manager was not happy because he would have to drive from his home to the library on his off day. The librarian could not understand why I could not wait until Monday; her attitude completely changed toward me. Here's a simple answer: if my key was sitting in a puddle of oil, I would rather it sit in the oil for less time. I guess that's selfish, but oh well. It ends up that the firemen did not have the right key for the job (which would suck if there was an entrapment) and the facility manager claimed he didn't have a key. The firemen could, however, see that my key was sitting on dry concrete not in a puddle of oil so I was content to wait until Monday. On Monday, I picked up my key from the same librarian who said absolutely nothing to me. So, lesson learned, do not put key on the hood of your stroller and always have a bottle with you (just in case). BTW, the firemen were awesome. They chatted with me, answered Ella's many questions and let her touch the firetruck.
Meanwhile, potty successes continued.... dry all day on Saturday and Sunday while she was awake. She's still not completely comfortable telling her teachers at school so we've come home wet from school on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. She's not staying dry during naps or the night yet, but she tells us that she's wet when she wakes. She is staying dry in the evenings and stayed dry ALL DAY today. She went to the potty FOUR times today without us prompting/questioning her. She's telling us, holding it, pretty much pulling her pants/diapers down and going pee pee on the potty. She's not pooping on the potty by herself yet although that's what she started doing first in June. So, after two training potties, two toilet seats, four how-to books, numerous stickers and sticker charts, too many to count prizes and children's books on potties, we are very, very close to having a potty-trained 2 1/2 year old Ella.
If someone asks me for my secret, I don't have one. None of the trained in one day methods worked for us. Sticker charts were great for getting her started, but they weren't motivating enough for her. After we knew she knew when she needed to go but chose to go in her pants anyway, we started using consequences. At first, we marked a black X on her 5 circle per day chart instead of giving her a stamp for a success. When she began to tell us that we now needed to mark an X on her chart when she had an accident, we knew she understood consequences. So, I went for the ultimate sacrifice... her 10 market pieces from her Little People playset. She absolutely loves to play market especially with Dad. The rules were simple:
Vic left around 10AM and I left shortly thereafter with Ella and Carson. Did I mention that we're back on the potty training again? Anyway, we made it to the library and paid our late fines on the first floor and Ella said "I have to go potty." Although she says this more often than she needs to go, this is one of her usual times to go. I had Carson in the carseat attached to the stroller and the restrooms were on the second floor. We quickly walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. Although it seemed like forever, I'm sure it was not. We rushed onto the elevator. With my mouth open, I watched in slow motion as my keys fell off my stroller hood and oh no!!! down the elevator shaft. I really wanted to cry/scream/curse but I managed to calmly focus on getting Ella to the potty. She successfully pee-ed in the toilet and we celebrated. Then, I explained the key situation to her and told her we needed to find someone to help. After sharing my embarrassing predicament with the librarian, she informed me that it would cost $500 for the elevator company to retrieve my keys today or $0 on Monday. She then lovingly reassured me that my carkey was probably going to be ruined anyway because it was sitting in a puddle of oil under the hydraulic elevator. Her husband was an elevator man so she seemed to know a lot about elevators. The staff opened up their playroom for us and offered to drive us home, get anything we need, etc. I know a replacement key would be expensive, but probably close to the same price so I set out to find a ride home.
I called my sister-in-laws who live down the street and no one answered. I am sure they were outside enjoying the beautiful day. I called my husband who had driven three other co-workers to the golf outing at least 45 minutes away - no hope there! Thankfully, my father-in-law rescued us. As I drove through McDonald's to pick up food for Ella, I had a thought to call the fire department. Since they rescued cats from trees, maybe they could rescue my key from the deep vast elevator shaft (really only 2-3 feet). They were willing and eager to help; however, the librarian and particularly the facility manager were not happy with my idea. The facility manager was not happy because he would have to drive from his home to the library on his off day. The librarian could not understand why I could not wait until Monday; her attitude completely changed toward me. Here's a simple answer: if my key was sitting in a puddle of oil, I would rather it sit in the oil for less time. I guess that's selfish, but oh well. It ends up that the firemen did not have the right key for the job (which would suck if there was an entrapment) and the facility manager claimed he didn't have a key. The firemen could, however, see that my key was sitting on dry concrete not in a puddle of oil so I was content to wait until Monday. On Monday, I picked up my key from the same librarian who said absolutely nothing to me. So, lesson learned, do not put key on the hood of your stroller and always have a bottle with you (just in case). BTW, the firemen were awesome. They chatted with me, answered Ella's many questions and let her touch the firetruck.
Meanwhile, potty successes continued.... dry all day on Saturday and Sunday while she was awake. She's still not completely comfortable telling her teachers at school so we've come home wet from school on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. She's not staying dry during naps or the night yet, but she tells us that she's wet when she wakes. She is staying dry in the evenings and stayed dry ALL DAY today. She went to the potty FOUR times today without us prompting/questioning her. She's telling us, holding it, pretty much pulling her pants/diapers down and going pee pee on the potty. She's not pooping on the potty by herself yet although that's what she started doing first in June. So, after two training potties, two toilet seats, four how-to books, numerous stickers and sticker charts, too many to count prizes and children's books on potties, we are very, very close to having a potty-trained 2 1/2 year old Ella.
If someone asks me for my secret, I don't have one. None of the trained in one day methods worked for us. Sticker charts were great for getting her started, but they weren't motivating enough for her. After we knew she knew when she needed to go but chose to go in her pants anyway, we started using consequences. At first, we marked a black X on her 5 circle per day chart instead of giving her a stamp for a success. When she began to tell us that we now needed to mark an X on her chart when she had an accident, we knew she understood consequences. So, I went for the ultimate sacrifice... her 10 market pieces from her Little People playset. She absolutely loves to play market especially with Dad. The rules were simple:
- If she had an accident while awake, she lost one market piece.
- If she went pee-pee or poo-poo on the potty, she got all the market pieces back.
She lost three pieces on the first day, but got them all back on the second morning. So far, she has not lost more than two pieces before earning them all back. Surprisingly, this plan has not caused panic, tantrums or tears. No arguments either. She gets it! If you played market and some pieces were missing, she knew why they were missing. Oh - and we never told her she was bad, but that pee-pee in the diaper was bad or mommy doesn't like wet diapers. It could be coincidentally the right time, the peer pressure at school, the market pieces, showing her how to pull down/up her pants/diaper, or the new Baby Bjorn toilet seat and stool that help her go like grown-ups. Who knows but keep your fingers crossed - we think we're approaching the finish line.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Quick Pictures of Carson
I took Carson to Sears this week for updated pictures. Can you believe he is 7 1/2 months? I am kind of biased, but he is definitely CUTE!
Carson is scheduled to start Physical Therapy this Thursday. The state of Kentucky has a great early intervention program, First Steps. They are unbelievably reasonable in cost and the therapists come to our home. At the time of his assessment, Carson was not rolling from back to tummy (with lots of coaxing), required moderate support for sitting and appeared to be stiff at the trunk. He didn't bring his knees to his chest as easily as most babies; however, this could also mean that his muscles are more developed in that area. He was also standing with support and taking some steps; this was more than what was expected for his adjusted age. He is now rolling without any coaxing and is so very close to sitting. He can sit for a few seconds if we place him just right. He hasn't figured out how to use his arms for balancing and propping. He now stands and takes steps with less support, too. After meeting with the team on Thursday, we don't think he will be in the program for long (unless his needs change). We also are scheduled for a full assessment at the Good Samaritan Hospital NICU clinic on Tuesday, October 2. They often refer to First Steps when necessary. I am anxious to hear their thoughts.
Carson is scheduled to start Physical Therapy this Thursday. The state of Kentucky has a great early intervention program, First Steps. They are unbelievably reasonable in cost and the therapists come to our home. At the time of his assessment, Carson was not rolling from back to tummy (with lots of coaxing), required moderate support for sitting and appeared to be stiff at the trunk. He didn't bring his knees to his chest as easily as most babies; however, this could also mean that his muscles are more developed in that area. He was also standing with support and taking some steps; this was more than what was expected for his adjusted age. He is now rolling without any coaxing and is so very close to sitting. He can sit for a few seconds if we place him just right. He hasn't figured out how to use his arms for balancing and propping. He now stands and takes steps with less support, too. After meeting with the team on Thursday, we don't think he will be in the program for long (unless his needs change). We also are scheduled for a full assessment at the Good Samaritan Hospital NICU clinic on Tuesday, October 2. They often refer to First Steps when necessary. I am anxious to hear their thoughts.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
what to do with a yucky toodle-doo?
For those of you that don't know, Ella has a security blanket with an elephant on it. I taught Ella that an elephant makes a toodle-doo sound - how else can you explain the elephant sound? She started this blanket attachment around the age of 1 and if she is holding the blanket, her thumb goes in her mouth. She is a thumb sucker, but only when going to sleep or when she's upset such as when she gets hurt. Toodle-doo was a huge part of her adjustment to preschool last year; he soothed her. As she began to take him to school, I began to worry about losing toodle-doo. Since they didn't make him anymore (Aunt Debbie bought him at Target as a shower gift), I paid $50 for a new one with tags on eBay. Crazy, but worried...
When she had some unexplained nightime vomiting (now believed to be teething & sinus related), toodle-doo became yucky and I had to substitute feel-better-giraffe. This worked - thank goodness : ) Aunt Sara bought the giraffe for Carson and I bought a second one just in case; although I did hear that the manufacturer is keeping a quantity of security blankets available for sale on hand for desperate parents. What a smart idea! Anyway, sometimes Ella drools on toodle-doo and makes a corner yucky. When she goes to bed or is getting sleepy in the car, she wants the yucky toodle-doo. Well, the yucky toodle-doo is getting a much needed bath in the next day or so and I am sure that will make for a terrible two tantrum.
I promised more about preschools and the decision is not yet final. Last year, Ella attended SonLight Preschool at Erlanger Baptist Church. Although there was a transition period, the staff and teachers are loving. Ella adored Ms. Barbara and Ms. Jeannie and she still talks about her friends from school. The hours and perfect (9:30 - 1:30) and the cost is reasonable ($140 per month for 2 days). This is one of the only mothers' day out programs in the area that accepts one year olds. Our plans were to continue with this program this year; however, we began to have concerns at Orientation. The classroom is half the size of last year's room without a window and she pretty much knows what they plan to teach. We recognize that social skills are a big part of her development and yes, she still needs to work on them, but Ella loves to learn. When we talked to the teacher, she commented that many of the kids in the older two class did not know their shapes, letters, colors or how to spell their name; Ella can do all of these things. The teacher did say that she would try to introduce some of the older two concepts to Ella on an individual level, but I don't feel that is very feasible given the ratio of 10:2. Ella was placed in the younger twos based upon the birthdates on the kids that enrolled. Most preschools would have classified her as an older two because her birthday falls between Sept 1 and March 31.
Because I was pregnant and not thinking rationally and therefore not capable of making decisions at the time of open registration for another preschool, Creative Beginnings, I reserved Ella a spot in this program. This program is quite the opposite. It is highly structured and very academic. You receive a monthly calendar with the activities (story, music. art) identified by day. They work in 15-20 minute cycles which seems very quick and not allowing for much transition. I have not seen this in action so I am trying to be patient. The hours (9:00 - 11:30)are not near as convenient/flexible and your days are set (Mon & Thurs/Tues & Fri). It stays this way through next year. The 4 year olds go three days a week. They do provide for drop-off and pick-up so that I don't have to drag Carson into school. The director is very on top of things to the point of providing me with 30 minutes to decide whether I wanted to switch days or not. She called me at minute 31; I was feeding Carson and she was next on my list. Again, this school is very recognized and they had a waiting list so she was able to fill the spot that same day. This is the same school for which a parent arrived around 3PM on a Friday to reserve a spot in the 3 year old program; registration began at 8AM on Saturday.
I have also looked at the Goddard School and the Little Red Schoolhouse in Richwood. I hope to tour the new Little Red Schoolhouse in Edgewood this week and then we will make a decision. Ella would be moved to a new classroom between 34 and 36 months at these facilities so we may change schools at that time if nothing else is working out. For now, she is attending both Creative Beginnings and SonLight Preschool. Next year is a whole new ball of wax and Montessori schools and other church preschools will be considered. Decisions, decisions...
First day at SonLight Preschool on 9/4/07
Now, onto a few more fun pics...
who is who?
Carson then Ella
Ella then Carson - yes, Ella is wearing blue!
When she had some unexplained nightime vomiting (now believed to be teething & sinus related), toodle-doo became yucky and I had to substitute feel-better-giraffe. This worked - thank goodness : ) Aunt Sara bought the giraffe for Carson and I bought a second one just in case; although I did hear that the manufacturer is keeping a quantity of security blankets available for sale on hand for desperate parents. What a smart idea! Anyway, sometimes Ella drools on toodle-doo and makes a corner yucky. When she goes to bed or is getting sleepy in the car, she wants the yucky toodle-doo. Well, the yucky toodle-doo is getting a much needed bath in the next day or so and I am sure that will make for a terrible two tantrum.
I promised more about preschools and the decision is not yet final. Last year, Ella attended SonLight Preschool at Erlanger Baptist Church. Although there was a transition period, the staff and teachers are loving. Ella adored Ms. Barbara and Ms. Jeannie and she still talks about her friends from school. The hours and perfect (9:30 - 1:30) and the cost is reasonable ($140 per month for 2 days). This is one of the only mothers' day out programs in the area that accepts one year olds. Our plans were to continue with this program this year; however, we began to have concerns at Orientation. The classroom is half the size of last year's room without a window and she pretty much knows what they plan to teach. We recognize that social skills are a big part of her development and yes, she still needs to work on them, but Ella loves to learn. When we talked to the teacher, she commented that many of the kids in the older two class did not know their shapes, letters, colors or how to spell their name; Ella can do all of these things. The teacher did say that she would try to introduce some of the older two concepts to Ella on an individual level, but I don't feel that is very feasible given the ratio of 10:2. Ella was placed in the younger twos based upon the birthdates on the kids that enrolled. Most preschools would have classified her as an older two because her birthday falls between Sept 1 and March 31.
Because I was pregnant and not thinking rationally and therefore not capable of making decisions at the time of open registration for another preschool, Creative Beginnings, I reserved Ella a spot in this program. This program is quite the opposite. It is highly structured and very academic. You receive a monthly calendar with the activities (story, music. art) identified by day. They work in 15-20 minute cycles which seems very quick and not allowing for much transition. I have not seen this in action so I am trying to be patient. The hours (9:00 - 11:30)are not near as convenient/flexible and your days are set (Mon & Thurs/Tues & Fri). It stays this way through next year. The 4 year olds go three days a week. They do provide for drop-off and pick-up so that I don't have to drag Carson into school. The director is very on top of things to the point of providing me with 30 minutes to decide whether I wanted to switch days or not. She called me at minute 31; I was feeding Carson and she was next on my list. Again, this school is very recognized and they had a waiting list so she was able to fill the spot that same day. This is the same school for which a parent arrived around 3PM on a Friday to reserve a spot in the 3 year old program; registration began at 8AM on Saturday.
I have also looked at the Goddard School and the Little Red Schoolhouse in Richwood. I hope to tour the new Little Red Schoolhouse in Edgewood this week and then we will make a decision. Ella would be moved to a new classroom between 34 and 36 months at these facilities so we may change schools at that time if nothing else is working out. For now, she is attending both Creative Beginnings and SonLight Preschool. Next year is a whole new ball of wax and Montessori schools and other church preschools will be considered. Decisions, decisions...
First day at SonLight Preschool on 9/4/07Now, onto a few more fun pics...
who is who?
Carson then Ella
Ella then Carson - yes, Ella is wearing blue!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
therapists, preschools and giggles
After Carson's 6 month check-up (at which he weighed 11 lbs, 11 oz), he is now taking adult medicine to ease his constipation. He is taking a newly OTC drug called MiraLax which has been working wonderfully. He is now regular (without explosions) and his hemorroid has significantly shrunk - RELIEF! His iron is still not up to par so we will continue multi-vitamin drops through 9 months and check his iron level then. He is gaining weight, but we are going to keep him on the 22 calorie formula through at least 9 months to make sure his weight gain continues. We asked the doctor about his preference to use his left arm over his right arm and he referred us to First Steps (a state of Kentucky program). Hopefully, the professional evaluations will put our mind at ease. After meeting with an RN, an evaluator played with Carson to assess his skills (gross motor, fine motor, cognitive and social). He checked out fine in everything except gross motor and fine motor; he was on the borderline for normal. Remember, Carson is being assessed as a 4 month old (his adjusted age). The next step is to have a physical therapist evaluate him; this appointment has not yet been scheduled.
Carson started rice cereal with applesauce about a month ago and goes crazy for it. After we got the MiraLax under control, we started vegetables. He despises green beans which follows in Vic's footsteps because Ella and I are huge fans. I know it can take several attempts for a baby to learn to like a new taste, but I am not seeing any signs of improvement after four days. He coughs them up, spits them out, closes (more like locks) his mouth shut, and makes the most awful faces. Come to think of it, he makes the funniest faces? Did I mention how he makes the biggest frown? Vic and I have tried to imitate his frown and we can't come close. We'll have to catch that on camera. Carson has also learned to fake cough so he gets our attention - it works! He thoroughly enjoys Ella. He laughed while she jumped over my legs and giggled when we were doing pattycake with her. He loves to grab our faces especially our noses and my hair and successfully removed Vic's glasses from his face. Everything goes into his mouth. And he is a BIG flirt with men and women. While we were eating at PF Chang's, he smiled and cooed at two gentlemen dining together until he captured their attention and elicited some conversation. He is definitely getting a personality.
And then there's Miss Personality herself - Ella Nicole! She now knows her full name and can spell her first name. She also knows that her family is Momma Gregory, Daddy Gregory and Carson Gregory. And since we started preschool today, she now informed me that God loves Mommy, Daddy, Carson and Ella and that God made us. She can successfully do a somersault and is fond of trying it wherever (couch, bed, etc.) so we are in the process of setting limits and helping her understand that she can't do them into the cabinets. Potty training - we really focused in June/July, but decided to back off because we were getting into power struggles. After consulting many books, we decided that SHE needed to make the decision to go potty because we can't make her go pee/poop in the potty. We know she can do this, but we are having mixed results. She has successfully gone in a potty at two restaurants (does McDonald's count?) and she told me she had to go and held it until we made it there with Carson in tow. She also says "please change me" after she goes and she waddles around until she is changed. So, we are encouraging her but waiting for her decision to do this! The preschool selection process continues. More about that next time...
Some funny Ella stories...
- After listening to me tell Carson how handsome he is, Ella says "I wanna be handsome."
- I definitely shop and talk too much because she identified a Wal-Mart commercial before me and pointed out that her raisins have Kroger on them (because they're Kroger brand).
- While we were at Old Navy, I said something about not being able to find socks in Carson's size. She calmly reassured me and led me to another sock rack. She said, "Don't worry, Mom. There are more socks right here."
- Ella is addicted to Dora & Diego fruit snacks. She can identify the animals (Sammy the Sloth, Sea Turtle, Baby Jaguar, etc.) I don't think I can identify a sloth : ) Anyway, after eating Baby Jaguar, we had this conversation:
Ella: where's baby Jaguar?
Tonya: in your belly.
Ella: I want him to come out.
Tonya: (thinking quickly to avoid a meltdown during which he might come back up) he'll come out in your poopy.
Ella: (inquisitively) he be nasty?
Attached are a few overdue pictures of Ella at 2 years and Carson at 9 weeks:
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
what did she say?!?!
just a few things that she said to make me laugh... thought I would share with you
When we went to the waterpark at Kings Island on Monday, Ella observed a man in his swimming trunks. In a louder voice, she pointed out "He's naked." I tried to explain that he wasn't naked but that he had his swim suit on. And tonight when Vic was changing out of his work clothes, she pointed out that he was naked. He still had his underwear and tshirt on, but to Ella he was naked. He told her that he was changing into his comfy clothes. And she said "let's get naked." Isn't she funny?
Yesterday, Ella, Carson & I went out for lunch. We were planning on Gold Star Chili (had to mention that for out-of-towners), but the free kid meal didn't start until dinner. So, we went to Buffalo Bob's (chicken wings). As we pull up to the restaurant, Ella says "I'm full." I proceed to rationalize with her. You can't be full - we just got here. She giggles and again says, "I'm full ." She was literally full of animals as she had stuffed all of her plastic animals in her pants.
So, today we had lunch at the house and I must say she was a great eater (4 chicken nuggets, a jar of carrots, Ritz crackers and a bag of fruit snacks). When I asked her if she wanted water to drink because I am out of milk (desperately need to go Kroger), she replied no. I asked her what she wanted, expecting her to say CapriSun or apple juice, but she replied "beer". I asked her what she said and she repeated "beer". I then tried to explain that only daddies drink beer and she accepted that explanation. When I shared this story with my dad, he said that I could try the trick he used on my sister, Amy. Amy was sniffing around my dad's beer and he asked her if she wanted some. She said yes and he poured the beer over her head. I don't think she asked for beer anytime soon after that.
And lastly, as we were rushing out the door to get to a doctor appointment for Carson in Crestview Hills with only 40 minutes notice, I asked her to get her sandals and bring them to me. Surprisingly, she listened. She seems to listen when things are urgent/important which is a good thing. As I buckled Carson in his carseat, she started cheering/chanting "Go Carson, Go Carson, Go Go Go Carson." And then she bent down and looked directly in his eyes and said, "what do you think about that?"
As far as the doctor appointment, his ears checked out fine (no ear infection as I had thought) and given a clear bill of health. There's a possibility he might be teething. It looks like he is very close to 12 pounds so great weight gain. He is still very constipated even with a teaspoon of karo syrup in each bottle so the doctor suggested dropping the karo and switching to a stronger mix of prune juice. We had been giving him diluted prune juice(3:1) to him, but only when he was backed up. Now, we are giving him 2 oz of diluted prune juice (1:1) every day. If that doesn't produce results, we will give him 2 oz of pure prune juice every day. I've never had prune juice in my life but I must say it looks and smells very disgusting. I don't really know how to serve it either, but he's been getting it lukewarm.
We had previously purchased the Gap dots bedding, but I could only find one sheet and they don't have coordinating curtains. I think the chocolate brown is going to be difficult to match. Would love to know what you think...
Last but not least, here are some cute pics of Ella in the bath and Carson sucking his thumb:
When we went to the waterpark at Kings Island on Monday, Ella observed a man in his swimming trunks. In a louder voice, she pointed out "He's naked." I tried to explain that he wasn't naked but that he had his swim suit on. And tonight when Vic was changing out of his work clothes, she pointed out that he was naked. He still had his underwear and tshirt on, but to Ella he was naked. He told her that he was changing into his comfy clothes. And she said "let's get naked." Isn't she funny?
Yesterday, Ella, Carson & I went out for lunch. We were planning on Gold Star Chili (had to mention that for out-of-towners), but the free kid meal didn't start until dinner. So, we went to Buffalo Bob's (chicken wings). As we pull up to the restaurant, Ella says "I'm full." I proceed to rationalize with her. You can't be full - we just got here. She giggles and again says, "I'm full ." She was literally full of animals as she had stuffed all of her plastic animals in her pants.
So, today we had lunch at the house and I must say she was a great eater (4 chicken nuggets, a jar of carrots, Ritz crackers and a bag of fruit snacks). When I asked her if she wanted water to drink because I am out of milk (desperately need to go Kroger), she replied no. I asked her what she wanted, expecting her to say CapriSun or apple juice, but she replied "beer". I asked her what she said and she repeated "beer". I then tried to explain that only daddies drink beer and she accepted that explanation. When I shared this story with my dad, he said that I could try the trick he used on my sister, Amy. Amy was sniffing around my dad's beer and he asked her if she wanted some. She said yes and he poured the beer over her head. I don't think she asked for beer anytime soon after that.
And lastly, as we were rushing out the door to get to a doctor appointment for Carson in Crestview Hills with only 40 minutes notice, I asked her to get her sandals and bring them to me. Surprisingly, she listened. She seems to listen when things are urgent/important which is a good thing. As I buckled Carson in his carseat, she started cheering/chanting "Go Carson, Go Carson, Go Go Go Carson." And then she bent down and looked directly in his eyes and said, "what do you think about that?"
As far as the doctor appointment, his ears checked out fine (no ear infection as I had thought) and given a clear bill of health. There's a possibility he might be teething. It looks like he is very close to 12 pounds so great weight gain. He is still very constipated even with a teaspoon of karo syrup in each bottle so the doctor suggested dropping the karo and switching to a stronger mix of prune juice. We had been giving him diluted prune juice(3:1) to him, but only when he was backed up. Now, we are giving him 2 oz of diluted prune juice (1:1) every day. If that doesn't produce results, we will give him 2 oz of pure prune juice every day. I've never had prune juice in my life but I must say it looks and smells very disgusting. I don't really know how to serve it either, but he's been getting it lukewarm.
For those of you that haven't seen Carson in a while, here are a few pics that give you some perspective (6 days vs. almost 6 months). He is growing well, but still not on a normal chart. He reaches for our noses and mouth. Carson can "catch" the bird on his playmate; Ella loved this, too. And he is really fascinated with a Lamaze ladybug book (Ella loved this, too.) Sara - I bet James would love this! : ) Did I mention that he loves to snuggle with his blanket? So sweet...
And about me...I am pondering (I've been pondering for months) my choices of double strollers. I've looked around in Cincinnati and the Graco DuoGlider/Quattro Tour Duo and a few jogging strollers are my choices. I love the Peg Perego Aria Twin, but it is a side by side and doesn't accept carseats. After some extensive research, I have it narrowed down to 5 choices. None of them are cheap and none of them are available locally. Although I like the Graco Quattro Tour Duo, I can't lift all 39 pounds of it. That's more than a third of my weight. I would also have to buy a new Graco carseat if I wanted it to snap into the stroller. I loved this feature with Ella.
I have looked at everything online, but I have a hard time forking out that kind of dinero without trying it first. Besides, return shipping on a stroller is bound to be expensive. So, we're considering a weekend trip to Chicago. We checked for availability in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Maybe I need to open a stroller shop. We can also look at a high chair/toddler seat for Ella and bedding for Carson. He is still sleeping in our bassinet/playard in our room, but soon he will be relocated to his room which has yet to be decorated. Here is what we are thinking (be sure to check out the additional pics at Land of Nod with tracks painted on the walls - too cute:
We had previously purchased the Gap dots bedding, but I could only find one sheet and they don't have coordinating curtains. I think the chocolate brown is going to be difficult to match. Would love to know what you think...
Last but not least, here are some cute pics of Ella in the bath and Carson sucking his thumb:
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Lots of Pics
Here are some more recent pics...
Ella with cousins, Macy & Lexi
Carson after bath
Momma, I wanna hold Carson
say Cheese!
say Cheese
Carson's matching hat
I know I can get this to my mouth
tummy time
Ella with cousins, Macy & Lexi
Carson after bath
Momma, I wanna hold Carson
say Cheese!
say Cheese
Carson's matching hat
I know I can get this to my mouth
tummy time
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