Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
I’ve written before about how fast time goes by when you are a parent. We all know this. But last week at the doctor, I was simply stunned at how far along Haley has come. The doctor said that next month I could start giving Haley cow’s milk and begin the process of weaning, if I want. Weaning. From Breastfeeding. How did this happen? It seems like it was last week, I was stressing about how to “achieve a proper latch” and how much milk she was getting. There were days when I couldn’t wait until this moment. Now the idea of giving up nursing makes me feel incredibly bittersweet.

There are many reasons I enjoy breastfeeding. First of all, the bonding aspect is really nice. A baby’s instinct is that his mother will provide him with milk from her breast. It’s so primal, so natural. As Haley has grown and started to understand the concept of me as her caretaker, I can feel that feeding from the breast means something to her as much as it does to me. Breastfeeding is also incredibly convenient. You’re always ready to go, no extra equipment needed! You don’t just nurse for nutrition either. It’s been a lifesaver for getting Haley to sleep, soothing her when she’s teething, and calming her when she’s fussy. There have been times Haley has clunked her head and wailed, and the only fix was a little nursing. Minutes later, she’s ready to play!

Of course there are things I won’t miss. Feeling tied down because I can’t leave her for long stretches, for starters. And there’s the biting, which as you can imagine or may know yourself, is not very pleasant. In some sense, I’m getting my body back to myself—so small thing.

Weaning is a part of Haley getting older, and that’s the hardest thing about it. I don’t know when that magical day will be, but I know I won’t be ready for it.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack and I attended an open house for incoming Kindergarten students.  As we walked up the school’s sidewalk, dozens of “Jack memories” flashed before me.  Memories like bringing him home from the hospital, watching him walk for the first time, getting his first boo boo, saying I love you and those exhausting days/nights trying to figure out his sleeping routine.  How is it possible that Jack will be five years old and beginning Kindergarten soon? As cliche as it sounds, time flies by when you’re having fun.

Prospective students and their parents gathered in the auditorium.  We all said the Pledge of Allegiance (which Jack shouted proudly) and were educated on the Kindergarten syllabus, awards and many other informational facts.  Selected students from the school sang their school song, and we watched a slide show of the Kindergarten class accomplishments.  I was happy to see Jack very interested in what the teachers and students had to say.  I know he is super excited about Kindergarten next year because he often says he is ready for “big school.”

We were able to tour several of the classrooms, along with the library, cafeteria and gymnasium.  Quickly, my own memories of Kindergarten came to mind.  Unfortunately, my Kindergarten classroom no longer exists.  I would have loved to show Jack the classroom I attended.  Our tour was fun.  Both Jack and I saw what every room looked like and also how to find our way around the school.  It was obvious the amount of reading, writing and hands on projects the students are working on, since they were plastered all over the walls, desks and hallways.

Jack loved the desks and the “tree house” like reading nook.  One of Jack’s concerns was getting lost.  I reminded him he had no problem finding his way around preschool and the same would go for Kindergarten.  He thought the school was “totally awesome” and wanted to start tomorrow.  From a momma’s perspective, I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear those words come out of his mouth.  I’m grateful for everything he has learned at home and through preschool.  I can only hope he excels in his educational goals over the next fifteen years and beyond.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We’ve got a walker. This is a tough stage. Haley is not yet confident enough to take off on her own, though with a little more patience and concentration, she could. She wants to go, go, go all the time, and you have to take her! Either she’ll “creep”—moving around by grabbing onto furniture, or she expects to use your hands for support. She’s not content to sit in her jumper or hang out in her playpen for very long. If I let her, I think she would keep moving all day with no breaks. She’s quite the explorer!

The last time Haley was weighed, I noticed that she had only gained four ounces in five weeks. This is the slowest growth since she’s had since she was born. According to my girlfriend, this is age-appropriate and the same was true for her kids, but I find it disconcerting. It seems nearly impossible for her to gain much weight given the current conditions. She eats decently well—three solids meals (purees and some “adult” food, too!) and has four to five nursings a day—but she is always burning up the calories! The mealtimes when she sits in her high chair are some of the few moments each day she’s not moving. Sometimes she even wanders around while taking a bite here and there! Energy in, energy out.

I look forward to Haley’s next check-up when I can see if she’s gained much more and ask the doctor about it all. And I am also anxious to reach a stage at which she’s a little more independent in her movements. How funny that I thought it was challenging when she was unable to move and was mostly just nursing and napping. At least then, I could sit with her, and maybe watch a little TV. The requirement to always be with her physically, yet constantly moving, is a whole new ballgame! I don’t know what the next chapter will hold, but hopefully it will be somewhat less physically exhausting.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Haley took her first steps! It was so cute. My husband was playing with her in the den when he called me in frantically. I ran over and he said, “Look at this!” He set Haley to stand on her own and coaxed her over. It took a few tries, but I soon saw her waddle to him, falling forward as he caught her. It was adorable!

Even though she’s not a strong walker on her own, she does great with some assistance. If you hold her hands for her, she will walk all over the place. She never gets tired of it. It’s adorable and exhausting, and not just for you. Haley has been sleeping great at night! She is also eating pretty heartily. Burning calories non-stop does wonders for the appetite.

Perhaps her newfound cognitive abilities are affecting her sleep, too. She knows how to high five, wave, and seems to perceive a lot of new things. She clearly understands the dog’s name, the word banana, and anticipates what happens next according our daily routine. It’s really neat to watch her learn and develop.

We are going out of town for Christmas, and I wonder if she will think about home at all—miss her room, and the dog, and the routine. I wonder if she’ll register excitement when we return. I wonder if 10 days of growth will allow her to understand more things about her home environment. It’s amazing how quickly children acquire new skills at this age. Each step fundamentally changes her so much. With all of her bursting potential, there doesn’t seem to be a limit to how high she can climb.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Tate’s language skills have started to develop more and more lately.  He has a lot to say, but he uses his own language. He says a few recognizable words and a lot of babble.  It’s funny to watch him speak.  We saw family last weekend, and Tate spoke with authority on many important topics. We had no idea what he was saying, but we could tell he felt very strongly about what he was trying to say.

Finally -  today – he spoke some new words loud and clear.  “Cra-ka”, “mor cra-ka”.  He stood next to the cupboard with all the snacks and murmured these words.  Jack and I both heard it and at the same time and clapped in excitement for Tate.  Jack really wants his little brother to talk so Tate can understand what he says when they play.

As a mother, language means that Tate can tell me what is upsetting him or making him happy. As he grows older, the nuances of communication carry more meaning for both of us. I am looking forward to a grown up conversation with Tate someday, but for today I’m just glad to know Tate wanted a cracker.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
I’m proud to announce that I am now the owner of a new car. Okay, well actually I’m a leaser of a new car, but still! It’s exciting. My husband came home a couple of weeks ago telling me all about this leasing special Toyota is having. We had been talking about getting a new car for a long time. The car we had was several years old, and you don’t have to be a parent for long before you start getting obsessed with safety.

We headed to the car dealership to get more information and maybe take a test drive. The car handled beautifully and the deal was almost as good as advertised. (The ads mention a $500 rebate, but the dealer adds in $500 more before taking it away. Hmmm.) They even had the color we wanted, blue!

Then it was time to negotiate our trade-in. As we expected, the dealer gave us a low-ball offer, and very rudely laughed at us when we said it was way too low. But my husband was ready. He had done his research about what the car was worth as well as the tactics the dealer would try to use. While he was good with the numbers, it was clear that the dealer’s strategy for talking down to us was not going to happen.

Dealer: We’re almost done with the deal and you’re throwing a grenade in it!

Me: A grenade? We told you from the beginning we were interested in trading in our car. You could have looked at it and given us your offer at any time. We’re not going to trade it in if we’re not happy with the price.

Dealer (annoyed): You’re keeping me here late…

Me: Actually, sir, we’ve been patiently sitting and waiting while you’ve been doing different things for quite a while, so it’s a little disingenuous for you to say that.

In the end, the Dealer went up on the offer 60%! (Which just shows how badly they will low-ball you!) It was sad to see the car Haley came home from the hospital in taken away, but exhilarating to see our brand new vehicle. When we got home, the first thing we did was install the car seat. The next morning, it was so fun to drive around with Haley, in the first family car she will remember.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
I remember a phase Jack went through where he would always say, “I can do it by myself.”  Whether it was large or small tasks, he would usually need an adult to help complete it.  Now when he says the phrase “I can do it by myself” he is successful on his own  accomplishing the task.  To Jack, turning four means he is a grown up. He doesn’t want his “baby” place mat or dishes anymore, the training wheels need to come off his bike, and he prefers showers over baths.

I’m not quite sure where all of those thoughts came from so quickly, but I’m thrilled with it.  Since I usually have Tate hanging on my leg, it makes our day much easier.  Jack will surprise us daily with something new he can do all by himself.  For example, today he built his first complex train track all on his own.  Complete with intersections, bridges, tunnels, and an entire story to go along with it. I had to give him a high five for his engineering skills – something I lack.

Jack still has his regressive moments. He gets tired, hungry, and otherwise unhappy. He can get frustrated. When things go wrong, he comes to me in full “mommy mode.” It’s nice to know that even Mr. Independent needs his Mom when the going gets tough.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Some days I feel like my house is a zoo.  I have two energetic boys that keep me from sitting down during the day.  I’m not complaining.  I’m happy they keep me on my toes.  When I do get a few minutes to relax, I seem to have something else that needs my attention.

In the last few days Tate started walking.  I officially have a toddler on my hands.  He is quicker to grab things and able to reach higher. This makes for a big adjustment period for the entire family.  At times, Jack thinks it’s the cutest thing watching his little brother walk.  Other times, he gets frustrated having a little brother who is more mobile and able to snatch toys from him.  Jack knows Tate is learning a lot of skills by watching his big brother.  I tell Jack demonstrating good manners, sharing and being helpful will only reinforce Tate to mimic those actions.  The same way he does when Jack claps or dances.

The phrase monkey see, monkey do is apparent in our house. Every sound or movement Jack displays results in Tate mimicking him.  Jack gets such a kick out of getting a reaction from his little brother.  For now, it’s cute, and I love watching them play and learn together.  Later, I’m sure I won’t be thinking it’s cute, especially when Jack demonstrates how much he likes to jump on his bed.  As many times I’ve read “No more monkeys jumping on the bed,” one could only hope he would learn the lesson.

Even though my home feels like a zoo sometimes, I’m very blessed to have these monkeys in my life.  I’ve been told that ten years from now I’ll miss these stages of their lives.  It hasn’t taken me twenty years, I’m already missing when Jack was a baby and learning to walk.  They really do grow up too darn fast.

From Monday Mom – Melissa:
I have been involved with GrowUpLearning since they piloted this website: so today is a bittersweet day for two reasons. First, this will be my final blog entry. Second, today is my son’s kindergarten registration.

Next week there will be a new Monday mom blogger: a mom who is just about to start her exciting journey into motherhood. Since GrowUpLearning is designed for ages birth through 5 ½ years, my sweet Brady is just getting too old now. So thank you for reading about our triumphs, failures, struggles, and love. I plan to continue reading the blogs to find out what all of these little ones are doing (and their mamas).

Now we are getting ready to head to our 2-hour kindergarten registration. It will be the first time that Brady will be heading to a public school, taken away from the safe arms of mama, and tested. They are given a variety of tests, much paperwork needs to be completed, and we get to meet the staff. While I am sad to see this phase of Brady’s life end, I am excited about all of the changes coming up. Brady is going to have a new step-daddy in six weeks, gain two sisters (he has always been an only child), he will get to watch the process of a new house being built from the ground up (literally), he starts formal schooling in August, and we will be taking two great family vacations. Okay, well, ask me afterwards if they were “great.” I am staying optimistic. While all of these changes will take time for all to adjust, they are all GOOD changes for all.

So to all of you just starting this journey: enjoy the ride. To those single parents out there who feel alone: hang in there and focus on what you do have in your lives. Some days are hard and lonely. To those of you like me, whose children are moving into kindergarten or beyond: it is okay to cry, just wait until the school bus leaves. Best wishes to everyone – off to register my little man for his next chapter of this crazy journey we call life.

From Wednesday Mom: Janelle…
Twice a year there is a children’s consignment sale held here in my town.  It is a very organized “swap” that is well known throughout our area.  I attended it last spring when I was pregnant with Tate.  My friends informed me about it and told me to check it out. I was guaranteed some good deals.  I decided to see what it was and to my amazement it was spectacular.  It is held in an old department store ( in the mall) that has since been closed down.  The square footage is very large and the entire store is filled with good quality children’s items at a discounted price.  Some items included are clothes, shoes, toys, maternity clothes, accessories, bedding, strollers, carriers, other gear and furniture.

As a consignor, preparing your items is time consuming.  The team that manages the swap has strict rules on not only what can be sold (which is a good thing) as well as registration, ticketing your items, the use of certain hangers, pins and tags and when to drop off your items.  It is a lot of work, but this is the best thing I have going to clear out the baby “stuff.”   I decided I’m going to participate as a consignor this year to earn some extra money and provide other unfortunate people with a great deal.

My husband is very busy at work this week, so what better time to sort through everything.  After I put the kiddos to bed I am sorting, ticketing and hanging all my pieces.  I am hanging on to several things to give to my grandchildren some day.  It feels great to clean out the bins, but also a little sad.  These are items that both my babies used and reached milestones either wearing it or using it.  I ask myself every night if I’m ready to get rid of it just yet.  For now, I am going to organize and prep everything.  I still have a month until the sale so if I change my mind I still have a little time.