Maycen with her Great Grandma Smith last Summer. She passed away this past August 10th 2011.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Look how far I've come-18months
Words I know how to say 18 months
Nigh night
Bye bye
Hi-ya
Uh- Ooh
Oh-no
All done
Ball
Bounce
More "Mo-mil mama" and then signs "please" when I say what do you say.
Milk
Mamma
Dadda
Meow
Woof
Roar
Baa- Sheep
Maa
Oinks
bubbles
fish noise
I love you comes out sounding like "I know"
She will say please and thank you but still exclusively signs them
She can say "Bath time" if prompted with the bath song she likes...Bathtime is fun time....she will try to say sheets and pillow.
Can point to her veggies on her plate when asked which one is what and thank goodness she is back to eating them!
I am surprised that she still has no word for her blankie
Things she doesn't like....
She hates the blender and any sound similar to it and really is not a fan of loud or sudden noises at all. The military fire range is close to our house and I constantly have to say it OK when she hears then firing.
In her books she can point really to most things if I ask her where they are or which one is this or that. Shapes and some colors, foods and animals and all the things in her alphabet books from zebras and xylophones to umbrellas, seals and igloos she gets it right every time. I am so impressed with her vocabulary even if she isn't saying a ton of words I know she knows them and understands so much of what I am saying.
Some of my favorite things she will do right now...
If she sees someone new she often will show them her belly button right off the bat. She still does her little wiggle that she has done since she was about 8 months old it started in the bathtub. She will give hugs and and kisses and says nigh nigh and love you mimicking me tucking her in...she will put everything nigh nigh all day long... toys, my phone, the dog, the chair and then give them a little or not so little pat on the back. Pause the music playlist at the bottom of the page to hear the video sound.
When ever she hears music she will start to dance or do her little wiggle. She also has got some rhythm as she will clap her hands and say dah..as in ta-dah and then clap the same amount of times between each ta-dah.
I know some of this is trivial to those of you reading but I like to try to capture some of the milestones big and little. It all goes so fast and what you think was a major thing one day soon gets forgotten by the next big hurdle.
Speaking of Hurdles... Potty training is upon us! I actually am not sure I am so ready for it but Maycen went pee pee in the potty one day basically all on her own without real attempts on my end to have her use the potty, it was more of just a toy in the bathroom to mimic what Mommy does. I was excited but not sure what to do from that point on as the next day when I tried taking her to the potty on purpose it seems more like backsteping then helping so I think we will just keep doing what we were doing for another month and just start using more potty talk and asking her if she is wet or needs to go. Sadly right now she is one of those kiddos that is ok with being in a dirty diaper.
I think this is one of my favorite ages right now because she is so fun and interactive and playful and she can be helpful if I give her directions and patience. There are so many new things and words each day it even seems I just feel like I don't want to miss one second. So much so that my cell phones memory is taken up with photos and videos of her.
Along with all the wonders and fun she is, at this age there are a few challenges. She likes to kick during diaper changes and she is very strong now which is still challenging with my hand surgery and Jared gone. She is not a biter like some of her daycare classmates thank goodness but she will hit sometimes if she doesn't get her way and then she will look down her nose at you and stare like she is scolding you other times she will just do it out of frustration. She is also very possessive of me if I give attention to another child or hold a baby, she gets really upset. Sharing her toys is also been a challenge if she has friends over for a playdate. Oh boy, she is going to be in for a big surprise if we ever have a number two come along.
She is now in a new daycare class room for toddlers and this classroom has some bigger kids in it that make me a little nervous. I can tell just from her being there a month a lot of good has come from it she is more independent and a better playfriend. She is saying more words and answers questions more clearly and seems to know more of what she wants and doesn't want (not always a good thing...lol). I think Potty training will be easier with a bunch of kids older that are using the potty all day long, it kinda out in the open. There is definitely a pecking order even at this young age and it is very obvious with certain behaviors, it is cool to drink directly from the faucet at the hand washing station...I think the wetter you get the cooler you are! :)
Some of the kids can be kind of tough and are big! I dropped her off early one day because Jared is away at his summer Job in another part of the state. My poor sleepy baby was sucking her thumb and just standing there and these rowdy boys were there one was picking on another boy and pulled his hair so the teacher pulled him away to the wall and he bumped his head on the wall as he was protesting her removing him. Then she turned her back on him and a different boy was now hitting the child that hit his head a few second earlier over the head with a toy racket several times, the kid was screaming and the teacher really had no clue till she turned around and stopped the other boy. This traumatic event lead to me calling later that morning to see how "Maycen" was doing I told the teacher who I was and calling about my daughter Maycen and the teacher said, "Nathan, he's right here, he's doing just fine". I said well I am glad Nathan is doing fine but I am calling about Maycen the one I can hear crying in the back ground....Oh my goodness my heart was breaking at work that day that she was in daycare and I left her there that morning.
Other than that, she has only gotten bite once so far in this classroom. I am hopeful that she will learn more from being in with all these kiddos of different ages than be harmed from it.
I had a stay at home mom friend ask me a while back if I regretted working. I am not full time but I do put in fair amount of time away, more than I would like but at the same time I feel like because Maycen is so well adjusted and confident that the time away has benefited us both. She is learning so much from being with other kids and doing things that I would not think of doing at this age like drinking out of a regular cups no lids are standards that are in place in daycares and school programs. I really think that stay home Mom's have to be on their A game and think of it as home schooling to provide their little ones with new experiences and interaction with other kids and people.
Because I feel comfortable in how maycen will do if I am not there every second I can have some time to myself to workout or do something for myself. So that during the times we are together I can just focus on enjoying her and I feel like I make so much more out of my time with her. As a nurse, I have found that a lot of Mom's feel a bit of remorse towards their kids because they feel they can't do this or that now because of them. I feel so lucky that Maycen is not so dependant on me and is secure in herself to know I will come back whether its 30 minutes or a week. It definitely wasn't easy to leave her for a week when Jared and I went to Vegas, my poor Mom being left with a book of instructions, and my mini breakdown at Margaritaville's but knowing that she did OK makes me feel like I am am doing a good job raising her. Most of kids hangups to me it seem are really the adult overcoming their issues and the kids are just reacting to the parents fears. There are downfalls to daycare and having care providers, trust me look at my Blog from last May and June. There will always be biters in this age group and sadly bully's, and it is nice as a parent to be there to step in or comfort them if something like that happens, but kids have to find there way eventually too. Hopefully she is learning those skills now with 4 teachers overseeing things instead of when she gets to kindergarten and there is only one to 30 kids.
So no, I am glad I have a job that challenges me and gives me a little something of my own. Being a fulltime stay at home Mom is really challenging as well in a different way and there are days that I think I should be at home taking care of my daughter instead of someone else's kid Especially when I am caring for someone's kid that is in the Hospital with no parents and being like a babysitter. But on the other hand maybe that kiddo needs me a little bit more than my kid needs me in that moment. Sometimes, not always, all you need is one day at my work to remind you what a good parent you really are.
Nigh night
Bye bye
Hi-ya
Uh- Ooh
Oh-no
All done
Ball
Bounce
More "Mo-mil mama" and then signs "please" when I say what do you say.
Milk
Mamma
Dadda
Meow
Woof
Roar
Baa- Sheep
Maa
Oinks
bubbles
fish noise
I love you comes out sounding like "I know"
She will say please and thank you but still exclusively signs them
She can say "Bath time" if prompted with the bath song she likes...Bathtime is fun time....she will try to say sheets and pillow.
Can point to her veggies on her plate when asked which one is what and thank goodness she is back to eating them!
I am surprised that she still has no word for her blankie
Things she doesn't like....
She hates the blender and any sound similar to it and really is not a fan of loud or sudden noises at all. The military fire range is close to our house and I constantly have to say it OK when she hears then firing.
In her books she can point really to most things if I ask her where they are or which one is this or that. Shapes and some colors, foods and animals and all the things in her alphabet books from zebras and xylophones to umbrellas, seals and igloos she gets it right every time. I am so impressed with her vocabulary even if she isn't saying a ton of words I know she knows them and understands so much of what I am saying.
Some of my favorite things she will do right now...
If she sees someone new she often will show them her belly button right off the bat. She still does her little wiggle that she has done since she was about 8 months old it started in the bathtub. She will give hugs and and kisses and says nigh nigh and love you mimicking me tucking her in...she will put everything nigh nigh all day long... toys, my phone, the dog, the chair and then give them a little or not so little pat on the back. Pause the music playlist at the bottom of the page to hear the video sound.
When ever she hears music she will start to dance or do her little wiggle. She also has got some rhythm as she will clap her hands and say dah..as in ta-dah and then clap the same amount of times between each ta-dah.
I know some of this is trivial to those of you reading but I like to try to capture some of the milestones big and little. It all goes so fast and what you think was a major thing one day soon gets forgotten by the next big hurdle.
Speaking of Hurdles... Potty training is upon us! I actually am not sure I am so ready for it but Maycen went pee pee in the potty one day basically all on her own without real attempts on my end to have her use the potty, it was more of just a toy in the bathroom to mimic what Mommy does. I was excited but not sure what to do from that point on as the next day when I tried taking her to the potty on purpose it seems more like backsteping then helping so I think we will just keep doing what we were doing for another month and just start using more potty talk and asking her if she is wet or needs to go. Sadly right now she is one of those kiddos that is ok with being in a dirty diaper.
I think this is one of my favorite ages right now because she is so fun and interactive and playful and she can be helpful if I give her directions and patience. There are so many new things and words each day it even seems I just feel like I don't want to miss one second. So much so that my cell phones memory is taken up with photos and videos of her.
Along with all the wonders and fun she is, at this age there are a few challenges. She likes to kick during diaper changes and she is very strong now which is still challenging with my hand surgery and Jared gone. She is not a biter like some of her daycare classmates thank goodness but she will hit sometimes if she doesn't get her way and then she will look down her nose at you and stare like she is scolding you other times she will just do it out of frustration. She is also very possessive of me if I give attention to another child or hold a baby, she gets really upset. Sharing her toys is also been a challenge if she has friends over for a playdate. Oh boy, she is going to be in for a big surprise if we ever have a number two come along.
She is now in a new daycare class room for toddlers and this classroom has some bigger kids in it that make me a little nervous. I can tell just from her being there a month a lot of good has come from it she is more independent and a better playfriend. She is saying more words and answers questions more clearly and seems to know more of what she wants and doesn't want (not always a good thing...lol). I think Potty training will be easier with a bunch of kids older that are using the potty all day long, it kinda out in the open. There is definitely a pecking order even at this young age and it is very obvious with certain behaviors, it is cool to drink directly from the faucet at the hand washing station...I think the wetter you get the cooler you are! :)
Some of the kids can be kind of tough and are big! I dropped her off early one day because Jared is away at his summer Job in another part of the state. My poor sleepy baby was sucking her thumb and just standing there and these rowdy boys were there one was picking on another boy and pulled his hair so the teacher pulled him away to the wall and he bumped his head on the wall as he was protesting her removing him. Then she turned her back on him and a different boy was now hitting the child that hit his head a few second earlier over the head with a toy racket several times, the kid was screaming and the teacher really had no clue till she turned around and stopped the other boy. This traumatic event lead to me calling later that morning to see how "Maycen" was doing I told the teacher who I was and calling about my daughter Maycen and the teacher said, "Nathan, he's right here, he's doing just fine". I said well I am glad Nathan is doing fine but I am calling about Maycen the one I can hear crying in the back ground....Oh my goodness my heart was breaking at work that day that she was in daycare and I left her there that morning.
Other than that, she has only gotten bite once so far in this classroom. I am hopeful that she will learn more from being in with all these kiddos of different ages than be harmed from it.
I had a stay at home mom friend ask me a while back if I regretted working. I am not full time but I do put in fair amount of time away, more than I would like but at the same time I feel like because Maycen is so well adjusted and confident that the time away has benefited us both. She is learning so much from being with other kids and doing things that I would not think of doing at this age like drinking out of a regular cups no lids are standards that are in place in daycares and school programs. I really think that stay home Mom's have to be on their A game and think of it as home schooling to provide their little ones with new experiences and interaction with other kids and people.
Because I feel comfortable in how maycen will do if I am not there every second I can have some time to myself to workout or do something for myself. So that during the times we are together I can just focus on enjoying her and I feel like I make so much more out of my time with her. As a nurse, I have found that a lot of Mom's feel a bit of remorse towards their kids because they feel they can't do this or that now because of them. I feel so lucky that Maycen is not so dependant on me and is secure in herself to know I will come back whether its 30 minutes or a week. It definitely wasn't easy to leave her for a week when Jared and I went to Vegas, my poor Mom being left with a book of instructions, and my mini breakdown at Margaritaville's but knowing that she did OK makes me feel like I am am doing a good job raising her. Most of kids hangups to me it seem are really the adult overcoming their issues and the kids are just reacting to the parents fears. There are downfalls to daycare and having care providers, trust me look at my Blog from last May and June. There will always be biters in this age group and sadly bully's, and it is nice as a parent to be there to step in or comfort them if something like that happens, but kids have to find there way eventually too. Hopefully she is learning those skills now with 4 teachers overseeing things instead of when she gets to kindergarten and there is only one to 30 kids.
So no, I am glad I have a job that challenges me and gives me a little something of my own. Being a fulltime stay at home Mom is really challenging as well in a different way and there are days that I think I should be at home taking care of my daughter instead of someone else's kid Especially when I am caring for someone's kid that is in the Hospital with no parents and being like a babysitter. But on the other hand maybe that kiddo needs me a little bit more than my kid needs me in that moment. Sometimes, not always, all you need is one day at my work to remind you what a good parent you really are.
August 18 months Camping and Play dates!
18 months
I attempted a little Hike down the river but the mosquitos attached as soon as we entered the woods so we stayed in the clearing! Chopper had a rough time at things he is such a water dog I constantly was having panic attacks as he floated down stream. He would keep doing it and till he got to shallow areas like he was on a ride at Disney land. I told Jared we were going to end up on the evening news for having the forest service rescue our dog. Luckily the River was shallow and no waterfalls he sadly got cut up pretty good on his paws from the river rocks. He will have to get botties next year.
This is why we live here! It takes your breath away!
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