Hide and Seek

Perhaps the next time I play hide and seek with Annabelle, I should NOT use the time to my advantage. Please tell me I'm not the only mother who doesn't seek his or her child immediately? It is the only peace and quiet I get on some days. And, she'll stay hidden quietly for awhile!

Well, today Annabelle decided she wanted to hide and Mommy was to count. So, she hid, I folded some clothes, and I then decided to seek her when I was ready to put those clothes away in the closet that I knew she had just hidden in because she slammed the door.

Well, I did the usual hide and seek routine. "Oh, where is Annabelle? Hmmm. She's not under the bed. She's not hiding in this drawer. Where could she be?"

Then, I opened the closet door to our bedroom. I said, "Oh! There you are! I found you!" She was grinning ear to ear until she looked down and started whimpering and said, "Oh, tee tee!"

Yes, she apparently had to go potty but she didn't want to reveal her hiding place to go tee tee in the potty. We have hardwood floors in our bedroom closet, so no big deal, right? Wrong! I think she emptied an 8 ounce sippee cup all over the floors in our bedroom closet AND into my closet/under the bed shoe holder! All over 2 pairs of shoes, and the shoe holder was becoming more soaked as the tee tee spread.

After comforting her with my words while gritting my teeth, I grabbed her up, placed her into the bathroom, removed her socks and panties and asked her to stay put until Mommy could come clean her up. I then raced to stop the tee tee trail with a towel while listening to her whine.

She eventually just decided to escape the bathroom with tee tee on her feet after I had specifically asked her to stay put because she had tee tee on her feet.

"Can't I just wipe them on the carpet Mommy?"

Aaahh! The joys of Mommyhood!

Hookah Dookah

Is it strange that my daughter names her imaginary friends and baby dolls very strange, random and completely made up names? I guess not any more strange than Annabelle deciding long ago that the baby would be named Clifford if it is a boy! Yes, Clifford! Good thing she doesn't get to pick the name.

While playing with Annabelle this past Sunday, she invited hubby and I to visit her friends whose house was her bedroom. But first, she gave us names of our own. I was no longer Mommy, and Daddy was no longer Daddy. Instead, we were blessed with the following names.

Mommy: Hookah Dookah (pronounced Who-ka Doo-ka)

Daddy: Gaga (pronounced like Lady Gaga)

The imaginary girl friend that we went to visit was also named Hookah Dookah, and her brother's name was Haka.

Hubby and I agreed on the spelling of Hookah Dookah, but I thought it was important to spell out the pronunciation more clearly above. And feel free to begin referring to hubby as Gaga now. I think he likes his new name.

Just Pumping Gas

Just pumping gas this evening, enjoying a minute of peace and quiet to prepare for a busy evening of driving home, preparing dinner and encouraging the toddler to go to sleep on her own.

And what to my wandering eyes do appear?

My silver Bass Pro Shop windshield sun visor fluttering in the front seat. Lovely!

Annabelle has been able to unbuckle the harness portion of her car seat for awhile, but over the last few weeks, she has learned to push the button to unbuckle the entire belt. She knows that she's only allowed to unbuckle herself after the car has stopped. The danger in that is if she unbuckles herself when the car is stopped in a parking space for a minute, and we then decide to move on to another store for some reason. I've told her that Mommy needs to give her permission to unbuckle herself, but we're still working on that one. She's generally pretty good at following those directions.

But, apparently, since the car was stopped and the engine had stopped running, she felt the need to free herself.

"I want to put this up there," she said as she pointed to the windshield.

"No, we don't need that up right now. Annabelle, get back in your car seat NOW! You don't unbuckle yourself without Mommy telling you to do so. Get back in your car seat NOW! NOW Annabelle! NOW!"

In most ways, her independence makes my life easier. Well, in the long run, at least. But, for each new step, there is a new battle!

Change is Good

Since Annabelle stopped napping completely in July 2009, I have stayed in her room every single night until she's fallen asleep. I never meant for it to turn into that routine as I struggled and conquered the "cry it out" method with her at 18 months when I could take no more.

When she first stopped napping, she was so exhausted that she would fall asleep within minutes of me singing to her while rocking her. Those were sweet moments because they reminded me so much of her baby days. But, since Annabelle has never been a child that likes to sleep, she slowly has learned to survive off less and less sleep. She is now down to only needing 10.5 hours of sleep at night (again, with no naps during the day). According to "they," most kids her age require a total of 12 hours of sleep per day. Not my Annabelle!

Well, this bedtime routine has taken its toll on me. It is hard to get anything else accomplished when hubby isn't home until 6:30 or 7:00 or sometimes later (and, believe me, I am not complaining...I used to leave the office at 6:30 and that was on a very good day), dinner is served and the bedtime routine begins between 7:30 and 8:00. I have not typically left Annabelle's room until she is asleep between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. And then there is time for what?

Keep in mind that only Mommy has been the one able to rock Annabelle to sleep or stay in the room until she falls asleep. I probably only have myself to blame, but it is hard to change a routine, especially when hubby travels periodically.

Well, over the last month (especially since she started climbing out of the crib and has greeted me every morning on her own), we have started discussing the "big girl bed" with her. I've started telling her that "big girls" who want to sleep in "big girl beds" have to fall asleep on their own without their Mommy's in the room with them.

So, Monday night was our first attempt. I told her that if she fell asleep on her own without Mommy in the room that we would go the very next day and buy her stickers to put on a sticker board. I told her that once she gets 5 stickers in a row, she and I will visit the dollar store for her to pick out a prize and that Daddy can also start working on her "big girl room" and "big girl bed."

She seemed alright with the idea until a few minutes after I had left the room. I told her I would set the timer for 5 minutes and come back to check on her. I set the timer for 5 minutes. She started crying after about 2 minutes. The timer went off, and I took the timer with me still beeping so she knew that I had kept my promise. When I arrived to her room, she whimpered to me, "I was just a 'ittle bit scared. Dat machine scared me." Apparently, something had interfered with the noise maker and made it make funny noises which scared her.

So, I told her I would sit right outside her door where she could see me. She didn't like that one bit. She wailed for the next 5 minutes. The timer went off, and I went back and checked on her. That was a mistake because she had just started to calm down, but I was determined to keep my promise. I sat right at the entrance to the door again where she could see me, and she finally calmed down within 5-10 minutes.

Easy enough for the first night, right? It didn't qualify for a sticker in my eyes though.

Tonight, I spoke with her again regarding the "big girl room" and "big girl bed," blah, blah, blah, and I told her that this time I would sit right outside her door, but with the door closed. Again, I promised to check on her after 5 minutes. She wasn't thrilled, but she requested that I turn off the noise maker which I promptly did without question. I left, sat outside her door, set the timer for 5 minutes, let the timer beep so she could hear it as I knew she was still awake, and I then went back to check on her. I told her I was so proud of her and that she was being such a big girl. Then, I told her I'd check on her again in a few minutes.

This time though, I didn't sit outside the door, and I set the timer for only 7 minutes. When I went back in to check on her, she was asleep! And, the best part, it was somewhere between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. Hurray! Granted, I did shoot for an earlier bedtime this evening since she woke up around 7:50 a.m.

So, I think we'll be buying stickers tomorrow if she's feeling better. She seems to have come down with something (an upper respiratory infection) as this morning she was complaining of a sore throat and earache. Poor baby! I hope she didn't catch it from me.

And, as for the next child, whoa be unto him or her as he or she will NOT get away with as much as this first child. I know that is typically the opposite with most parents, but I've been very "attachment parenting" with this one, and I don't think I can take 3 years of "attachment parenting" with a second child! I've learned some lessons on this poor guinea pig child. Perhaps that is why the first child typically seems to be more selfish than the second? No offense if you are a first child, but that is just my observation.

Here is to hoping that Annabelle will go to sleep on her own before Beebo arrives! Otherwise, this Mommy is going to be completely overwhelmed and tired. Oh wait! That will probably already be the case, but at least maybe I can prevent a nervous breakdown.

And tonight with such an early bedtime for Annabelle, I accomplished my grocery shopping without child (well, without one child) AND snacked on pita chips and hummus and Dove caramel chocolates at midnight! Because I can (at least until March or April)! I really wanted some kettle corn popcorn too, but I refrained. Perhaps it isn't smart to grocery shop while you're pregnant?

And, a big thanks goes to hubby for cleaning the microwave while I was gone grocery shopping! And you thought I didn't notice?

P.S. Hubby, I am NOT sharing the Dove caramel chocolates with anyone besides Beebo! They were a steal, and they are mine, all mine! Go cut your own coupons!

Tablecloth

"Mommy, I cut your tablecloth with my scissors? Do you want to see?" Annabelle said to me this evening grinning ear to ear while we were putting her pajamas on.

"You did?" I asked. "Yes, I would like to see where you cut the tablecloth."

She leads me to the dining room, and in fact, she finds the exact spot where she cut my tablecloth.

"Uh huh," I said. "We don't cut anything besides paper do we? I guess Mommy needs to put the scissors away out of your reach?"

She told me that this occurred this morning. But, she waited until bedtime to tattle on herself with a smile on her face.

This child feels sorry for absolutely nothing! I dread my life in about 8-9 years!

She better be thankful it was a cheap plastic tablecloth that she felt the need to cut!

Drawing Squares (or Rectangles)

Back in December when the Christmas cards were arriving, Annabelle became very interested in the stamps on the Christmas cards. She even cut out a few on her own just for the fun of it. Then, hubby drew a rectangle shape for her to color herself to make her own stamps. She loved that!

So, over the past week, during Annabelle's 5 minute allowance for talking to me after the lights go out, we have spent the time discussing the order of birthdays for our family and friends for the year, starting with Granddaddy's in January (today to be exact). She'll say, "Den whose is next Mommy? Den after Gandaddy's, whose is next?"

So, birthdays have been on her mind.

Well, I was feeling a lot under the weather again this morning, and she took it upon herself to make birthday cards for everyone we discuss at bedtime (including our two cats). She started making the cards last night while we sat together, but this morning, it was completely her idea, and she did it without any assistance from me.

She would first color the card, and then she'd go get another piece of blank computer paper from my printer to wrap around the card she colored. This was the envelope. She thought this up all on her own yesterday after I refused to give her envelopes for every single card she made. Then, since she was out of real stamps that she had previously cut from Christmas cards, she would color her own.

Yesterday, I would draw the rectangle for her, and I showed her how to do it. She did an awesome job! I was so impressed that we have finally moved from circles to squares.

This morning, she would bring her nicely wrapped card to me for me to give her a piece of tape to seal the envelope. Then, she'd come back with the sealed envelope in hand, and a tiny piece of paper. On each tiny piece of paper for each card, she had drawn her own stamp! And, I must say, that was one awesome looking rectangle that she had drawn all by herself and colored. Not to mention, the cut job around the "stamp" was very impressive itself. She cut very close to the edges, but she was careful not to cut the "stamp."

I will post a picture to this blog posts tomorrow once I find all of the cards she created for everyone. She isn't finished, but I do plan to write everyone's names on the cards and deliver them on their birthdays. So, if you get a card, remember this blog post. If you don't, please don't take offense. I can only recite so many names and birthdays in 5 minutes every single night!

She even made me a birthday card yesterday right in front of me. She was so funny though because she'd say, "Don't look Mommy! It's your burtday card, but I don't want you to see it. Obey [okay], you can look now cause it is just the envelope."

Magazines

Okay folks, I need some tips! I have a whole pile of magazines collecting dust that need to remove themselves from my house. But, the anal retentive, "someone could get some use out of these" won't lift them from their spot which is adding clutter to my already tight and cluttered house.

I used to love magazines. Now I completely despise them. I cringe when I get a new one in the mail because I don't know what to do with them. Perhaps the garbage can would be an excellent place to store them? I actually stopped reading them months ago because I realized that my time is better spent reading a good book if I have the time to read. And, a good book generally does not take up space in my house because I check them out from the library whenever I feel the need to read.

So, how do you dispose of your magazines? Do you donate them? If so, any recommendations?

Exploding Imagination

Do you see what I'm talking about? Random "toys" created from trash. Please tell me that my child is not the only strange toddler who does this.

Those white styrofoam things you see. That is packaging for a Crockpot I bought months ago and finally decided to open at Christmas. I hadn't discarded of the box yet, and last night, I pulled out some of the plastic and cardboard packing and tossed it. But, I left the white styrofoam things and the box to use to pack away some wine bottles to make this house look more open.

Speaking of wine, anyone need any? We have 12 full, unopened wine bottles that have been collecting dust for the better part of 8-9 years. We rarely drink wine, and we never drink wine at home, so I'm not even sure why I'm packing these bottles. I should just toss them!

Anyhow, back to my story. So, Annabelle, again on her own without prompting, decided to use these white styrofoam things to build a house. She found them in the Crockpot box too. They weren't just lying around. Well, according to Annabelle, each individual hole between the white styrofoam turned out to be bedrooms, one for me and one for her.

So, she added a door to her bedroom. The door is the princess lap desk. And, she placed some things into our bedrooms to make us feel more at home. Her room included her sticker book, a box of crayons, a pine cone and blue rocks. My room included blue rocks. The pillow you see was to be shared by the two of us. She placed it between the rooms on the interior walls.

The best part? She actually used her door to enter her bedroom.

She's a character, isn't she?

Threats

I was left with threats as my only alternative today. Not really, but it sounded good. And, the best part, it actually worked, today, probably not tomorrow, but today.

You see, Annabelle will not pick up after herself. Obviously, yet again, I have failed in Child Rearing 101. I am swearing to do better with this next one. Ha!

She pulls out everything she owns, everything I own, plus some. And when told, "Annabelle, you need to put your toys away before you pull out anything else," she responds with, "No." And, apparently, time outs don't work so well with this child.

So, today, I threatened her. Not with time out. Not with a spanking. But, I threatened to throw her toys away into the trash can if she didn't pick them up. For some reason, that made a believer out of her. Again, for today. We will see what tomorrow brings.

But, in order for this to work, I am going to have to follow through. So, I think I'm changing my threat to dump any toy left around into a trash bag to be placed into the attic where she cannot play with it for a very long time, if ever again.

Anyone have any other tips for getting a three year old to clean up after him/herself?

Toys for a Three Year Old

If you are in the market for toys for a three year old for a birthday, etc., you may want to take note of this list. Well, this list will start off small and gradually grow as I think of things to add.

I don't know about all of the other parents out there, but my sweet child rarely plays with those nice toys that everyone buys her that just clutters my house to no end. Instead, she just uses her imagination with my stuff or trash for that matter! I've added a date since I plan to grow this list during this year while she's still my little toddler.

1. Empty Christmas envelope from Aunt Mary (December 2009) - Used as "wrapping paper" to "wrap" presents for her Mommy. She would say to me, "Here you go Mommy. Do you want to open your present and see what's inside?" She had stuffed the envelope with random "gifts" for me. This empty envelope has been sitting on my kitchen counter since December because at first I was afraid she would ask for it again after I had thrown it away and then I've been meaning to blog about it so it has laid there as a reminder to me. And now, it is time to throw that envelope away! Rid my house of this clutter!!!

2. Cedar blocks and cedar hanger rings (January 2010) - Used as "chicken nuggets." Oddly enough, she even received a McDonald's play food set for Christmas. But, like I said, what three year old really needs toys when they've got an imagination!

3. Empty child-sized McDonald's cup with lid (January 10th, 2010) - She considered using to make a "rattle." See #4 below. She thought of using the McDonald's cup first. She told me we could put grapes in it to make it rattle. My thoughts were, "You've been hanging out with Grandmama way too much! This is a piece of trash that we discard. It is not to be used as a rattle."

4. Silo cups (January 12th, 2010) - Used to make a "rattle." On her own, without me even saying a thing, she placed a crayon inside of a red cup and then placed a pink cup on top of the red cup facing the opposite direction of the red cup and said, "We can make it into a rattle." Yes, I guess we could. Or, we could just drink out of them! I did offer to tape them together though.

5. Styrofoam packaging from a Crockpot box (January 13th, 2010) - Used to make bedrooms. See blog post, "Exploding Imagination" on January 13th for more detail.

Cinderelly, Cinderelly!

While dressed up as Cinderella today, Annabelle asked me, "What else does Cinderella do?" after we had already applied makeup like a princess.

Can you guess my response? It worked to my advantage as I needed to treat some of her clothes and get them washing. She even found some of the stains on her own! And, she even looked at both sides of the garments for stains. I am working hard to make her anal retentive.

And, then, she sprayed with the Shout Advanced and scrubbed with an electric toothbrush purchased specifically to treat stains. She did a great job, and she even got some of the stains out on her own.

She's such a big helper! I love my Cinderelly!

Separating Pages

Hubby gave Annabelle a notebook of copy paper that was already used on one side that he was planning to just toss, and he thought she would enjoy coloring on the blank side. Of course, she opted for the side with the roads on it. They were CAD drawings, and I'll be darned if the child didn't realize they were roads on her own. She may be a transportation engineer one day!

But, anyhow, she was coloring in the notebook earlier today and decided to turn the page. Several pages got stuck together, so she held them and then blew on the pages to separate them.

I asked her, "Who did you learn that from?" I certainly have never done that.

"Granddaddy," she said.

As soon as she said Granddaddy, I knew she was right. Granddaddy has always done that, but I had just forgotten.

It was so cute to watch her blow on those pages over and over again as new pages got stuck together.

Too Much Snow!

Too much snow? Is there really a such thing in Georgia?

Well, Annabelle had apparently had enough of it! It didn't help that this was the first day that I denied her apple juice until snack time in the late afternoon, and she, as usual, barely ate anything for breakfast. She made that choice not to eat though!

I really do love this picture though. It shows the side of a toddler that you rarely see in pictures since we always try to get them to smile. She was worn out, cold and hungry!

And, another thing I really love about this picture is it shows her squeezing her teddy bear's foot for comfort. She has done this for a very long time, but I couldn't tell you when it started. And, I keep meaning to watch and see if it is the same foot on teddy bear every time. She'll tell you, "You skeeze it like dis. You move it up and down." She squeezes Teddy's foot like this when she's tired, and I love to watch it because it reminds me that she's not all grown up just yet and she still needs her Teddy (and Mommy) for comfort.

While looking through these pictures later in the day, I asked Annabelle why she was so upset in this picture. She said, "My toes were cold, and I was hungee!"

And, the very cute purple sweatshirt, her Nana Janet and Papa Bill gave that to her for Christmas. Oddly enough, a few days after Christmas, my best friend, Miss Kelley, asked Annabelle over the phone what her favorite Christmas gifts were. She rattled off her "high chair dat her Daddy made" and her "bunk beds from Santa," but one of the next things she said was "my cute shirt with da shoes on it." I was racking my brain trying to think about what she was talking about because I knew that Santa and Mommy and Daddy didn't bring her clothes. I didn't realize until later when I was putting the Christmas gifts away that she was referring to this little sweatshirt. Very cute!

Snowman 2010

The consistency of the snow this time around was quite different. The snow just would not form together very well to make a snowball or snowman. I've heard this is common in the North, or at least in New York for that matter.

Annabelle was determined that she was going to make another snowman like we did together last year. Can anyone say stubborn?

She was on the verge of meltdown when hubby and I refused to go inside to get raisins to use for the snowman's eyes, but I gave in and fortunately was able to find some raisins.

Annabelle used a shovel to gather the snow. This snowman was never packed together during formation.


Hubby helped Annabelle add the raisin eyes which he apparently had a hard time getting them to stick.

And, of course, we cannot forget the final touch, a Tennessee hat (the same hat we used on our Tennessee snowman last year)! She did realize after we had gotten inside that Mommy was still wearing the snowman's Tennessee scarf, and she wasn't very happy about that, but she got over it fairly quickly.

And for the record, Annabelle designed this snowman all on her own. Hubby and I basically told her that a snowman couldn't be built this year, but she was determined. I'm not sure if she was more determined to build it or prove us wrong, but whatever the case, she got her snowman!

Snowfall 2010

Annabelle's first run through the snow in 2010!

We got approximately 1/2 inch, but it was still beautiful! The roads were icy, and those Yankees (and that is not meant in any derogatory way as I love all of my Yankee friends) from the North still think they can drive in our southern icy conditions despite the fact that we don't have the equipment down here to clear the roads. Most people who live in the Atlanta area are not natives. Most of them are transplants from the North because they learned quickly that Atlanta is an awesome and not so cold and snowy place to live.

And, a few months living in Minnesota last year for work has turned hubby into one of them. Thankfully, he made it to and from work safely.

Redneck Boots

If no one else from the South makes their own boots using Ziplock bags upon the first and probably only snow storm of the winter, then hubby and I are definitely a match only made in heaven! Because apparently, both of our parents Ziplocked us up to keep our toes and feet warm before sending us out to play in the snow. Hubby added his own touch using elastic pants bands that he used to tuck his uniform pants into his boots while attending North Georgia College & State University as a cadet.

When you live in the South, and you are lucky to get even a dusting once every three years, you just don't waste the money on boots. Unless, of course, you find a brand new, rarely or never worn, pair from Goodwill for $2.50. That was the case for Annabelle last year.

This year, we weren't so lucky! However, she did remember those boots from last year, and she put in a request yesterday for some new ones. I meant to have hubby check at Target on the way home yesterday, but I forgot. Instead, he comes to me this morning and says, "Annabelle has asked me to go out and get her a pair of boots. Do you want me to go to Target?" Ummm, no!

(a) It is still early in the morning, and the streets are covered in ice.

(b) She can deal with our makeshift version yet again this year.

Annabelle's 3 Year Checkup

Annabelle had her 3 year checkup with Dr. Calk this afternoon. Yes, it was a few months late, but I waited to book it until early November, and I couldn't get in with Dr. Calk until January. Since he's seen her for all her well visits since birth, I preferred to stick with him even though he probably does not remember either of us. But, for the most part, I've been very happy with him.

Here were her stats for the visit at her age of 3 years, 2.5 months:

Height: 37 3/4" (50-75%)
Weight: 35 lbs (90%)
Blood Pressure: 92/58
Heart Rate: 104

Two nurses walked in with us to the exam room. I thought, "Oh great! We get another nurse in training!" It turned out to be a very pleasant experience though.

One nurse took Annabelle to weigh, measure and take her blood pressure and heart rate while Lauren, the other nurse, reviewed her list of questions with me and discussed any concerns I had to discuss with the doctor. It actually made me a little sad that Annabelle was so quickly to follow the other nurse without me there to tag along. I just like to watch everything my sweet girl does, and I missed out on how she acted when they took her blood pressure and heart rate for the very first time. I don't think they've taken it in the past.

Then, after Annabelle had returned and while I was still speaking with Nurse Lauren, another nurse showed up to take her for her vision test. Vision test! I never dreamed they would check her vision at 3 years. But, apparently, she did well, and she was so proud because they gave her a sticker with a tiger on it wearing glasses that said, "Lookin' Good!"

Yet again, she followed that nurse without any problem at all. She's growing up so fast! My baby no longer needs me for everything in her life any more. It is definitely bitter sweet!

As for her wellness visit with Dr. Calk, I came prepared with my list of questions. He always takes the time to explain most everything to me. And, today, it seemed as if he took an extraordinary amount of time. But, he didn't act rushed at all, and he answered all of my questions in full detail.

And, Annabelle was awesome! She wasn't scared at all. I had told her that I didn't think she would need any shots today because they had told me that she wouldn't, but I warned her that I could be wrong and they may need to insert a needle to give her a shot. She seemed okay with it, but fortunately, I was right. She had no shots!

Here are details regarding my list of questions for Dr. Calk.


Eczema

Since Annabelle was a baby, she has always dealt with problems with eczema, but this winter has been to the extreme for her. I believe one of her wakings last night was related to this eczema.

Poor baby has splotches of the raised, bright red nastiness all over her body. It has been bothering her for a good 2 months, but I've been able to tame it with fewer baths, lots of Eucerin and Calydryl on the really bad spots. Honestly, the Calydryl and fewer baths has seemed to help the most.

She had another bath last night though, and that seemed to set off another bad case of it. Her little legs turned red while in the tub, and she started itching and scratching before she was even out.

Dr. Calk said that the eczema is generally worse when it is cold outside. I already knew that though. He also said that I really didn't need to cut back on the number of baths, but instead may try a little salt in the bath water. He said that some people believe salt helps to heal the sores, but he believes the eczema is a direct result of the humidity levels.

He did say she would need a steroid cream to heal those sores, so he prescribed Cutivate cream. He said to apply it once daily for 7-10 days. I just wonder how much that cream is going to cost me since our health insurance changed to a high deductible health plan, and we no longer have copays, so the cost is ours up to our deductible. But, the good news is that we will most definitely meet our deductible this year with the birth of our second child, so I'm not too worried with the excessive cost of a prescription. You know me though, I will still try to find the cheapest option.


Labial Adhesion

Yet again, she had a slight labial adhesion. I already knew it though because I've been watching that one like a hawk since she's struggled with that since she was only a few months old.

And, honestly, she hasn't had a problem with it in months, but I noticed it again at the beginning of this week. Naturally! Just in time for another checkup!


Speech

And, my biggest concern for Dr. Calk was her speech. Most people have a very hard time understanding Annabelle, and I have to repeat everything for her. But, once she started talking, she has NOT shut up. She talks non-stop! Some people don't realize she talks so much though because she tends to be quiet and shy around those that she doesn't know or doesn't know very well. Get her alone, and you cannot get a word in otherwise.

Thankfully, she did open up to Dr. Calk immediately. He mentioned something about the Hello Kitty socks she was wearing, and she said, "Yes, I like dose Hello ditty dat socks. I have another pair at home with, with, with, only one Hello ditty dat on it. Dose are my best favorite."

His response: "She's a little chatterbox, isn't she?"

You think!?!?! Is it a girl thing?

He did immediately ask if she had seen a speech therapist though, and he recommended that she see one. He was very positive about it though, which made me feel much better. He said that some people believe in early intervention with speech, but he didn't feel like it would have made much of a difference in Annabelle. He said that a 3 year old is much more cooperative than a 2 year old, and she's going to get a lot more out of it now than she would have a year ago.

I cannot even tell you how good that made me feel because I have really been beating myself up for not acting sooner.

And, he also mentioned that he isn't concerned about her developmentally at all with her speech. He said that she just needs to work on her articulation. He recommended that I write down all of the sounds she has trouble with before we meet with the speech therapist. He said that 2 out of 3 kids her age that he sees have problems with L's.

He said that her vocabulary and ability to process her words into complete sentences was actually very advanced for her age. He said that was actually a 4 year milestone. Whew! Again, it helped ease my feelings as I've really been blaming myself for her speech problems. Maybe I am doing something right! Too often I feel like I am doing everything wrong.

As for easing the cost, Dr. Calk mentioned that speech therapy is no rocket science. He recommended that I take her for a few sessions and really listen to the speech therapist and ask a lot of questions. He said that I am the best person to help Annabelle since I am with her every day. Of course, he doesn't know my daughter, does he?

I have really been trying to work with her to teach her to sound out all of the syllables and sounds, but she gets tired of me, and she'll say, "I don't want to say dat any more!" But, working together, she has transformed "Bookie" into "Cookie" and "Dannabelle" into "Annabelle." So, I know she can do it.

In all honesty, I do know her speech problems are directly related to me. I think she cannot articulate the words because she has "heard" me say a word one way for so long that she cannot change her thought process to say the word correctly. I talk so fast that she has always heard me differently. I mentioned this to Dr. Calk, and he said that a lot of children with speech problems have parents that talk very fast.

As for speech therapy, I am hoping it will be covered by our health insurance. As I mentioned, we will most definitely meet our deductible this year, so if speech therapy is covered, then this is the year for Annabelle to get the most appointments in as we will then only be responsible for 10% of the cost. If it isn't covered, whoa be unto us!


Diet

My next biggest concern is Annabelle's diet as I don't feel like she eats a well balanced meal. And, it isn't always because I don't feed it to her. But, I've felt for a long time that her attachment to apple juice has become the problem. She used to be such a great eater too, until she got closer to 2.5 years of age. I'm not sure what happened. Independence on her part maybe?

She's had issues with constipation since she started eating solids at 6 months of age, and at that time, the doctors we saw all recommended apple juice to help with the constipation. I think it used to work, but it has gradually become a habit for her. So much that if you offer Annabelle water instead of apple juice, she will completely refuse it and go without anything to drink all day.

But, I have been refusing any apple juice or milk until she eats her meals first. If she drinks anything, she just will not eat. Then, she is starving and a pill to be around within just a few hours.

Dr. Calk mentioned the Rule of 2's: We can go 2 days without fluids, 2 weeks without food and 2 months without something else, but I cannot remember what he said.

He said that the apple juice was acting as a high glycemic food. He mentioned that high glycemic foods (including fruits) makes us feel good immediately, but then sends us down and we get hungrier sooner. However, if I stick to feeding her leans and greens, it may take longer for her to feel better, but she will stay fuller longer. He recommended snack foods such as yellow bell peppers, carrots and sugar snap peas.

Dr. Calk also mentioned that she needed 3 square meals a day with a snack in the afternoon. He said that all of her meals and her snack should include a high protein which could be milk or a dairy product. He said she needs 10-15 ounces of dairy per day to meet her calcium needs.

As for her refusing to eat, he said to only offer her water, no apple juice. And, provide her with her meal, and if she doesn't eat it, don't give in and give her any snacks. He said she will eventually eat when she is hungry. And, just for the record, I am actually not big into giving her snacks. And, I am a big proponent of "she'll eat when she's hungry." The apple juice has been my weakness because I hate when she gets so constipated because it hurts her so much. But, she is at an age where I can explain this to her.

Reason, reason, reason: This is one thing I love about this age! You cannot reason with a 2 year old, no matter how hard you try. I still think it is important to "try" at age 2 even though they'll never get it, but eventually, when they get closer to 3 years old, they truly do understand, and you can reason with them. And everyone says 3 is harder than 2! The problems I have with my 3 year old are a direct result of my parenting at age 2...such as rocking her to sleep every single night after she gave up naps!

So, tomorrow is another day. I know she heard everything Dr. Calk said, and I know she understood it too. So, she may start hating visiting the doctor for fear of him changing my parenting style! Forget the shots!


Growth and Development

I was a little alarmed that her percentile for her height had jumped down while her percentile for her weight had jumped up. I did mention to Dr. Calk, but he said that he isn't worried about it right now. He said that they typically don't see signs of obesity until a child is between 4 and 6 years old.

However, he did mention that when they look back, the higher percentile in weight compared to the lower percentile in height is common among obese children.

But, he said that she is just built "thick." He said that she doesn't have any fat in her belly that is not normal, so that is why he isn't concerned right now. And, I brought this issue up with him. He didn't even mention it to me.

As for her being "thick," please, please, please, if you know someone who has a child that you consider "thick," please do not refer to that child as "thick" in the presence of that child (or the child's parents for that matter), especially if the child is a girl. Just keep your comments to yourself! Of course, I am not upset with Dr. Calk for calling her "thick" because he had no other way to explain it to me since I had asked. But, girls are self conscious enough during their adolescent and teenage years, so don't add to the drama by calling them "thick." They pick up on this stuff much earlier than you would think, and "thick" in a girl's eyes refers to "fat."

Vitamins

Dr. Calk recommended she start taking a multi-vitamin once daily such as Centrum Junior Chewables or Flintstone's. He did mention to stay away from the Gummi ones though. He said the dentist hate those as they aren't good for the teeth.


Miralax

Per Dr. Calk, I can continue to give Annabelle the Miralax once a day, if necessary. However, once every 2-3 days is sufficient enough for her (going on experience alone). Otherwise, it is very runny and she doesn't even realize she's gone poopy sometimes. Not a good thing!

He also mentioned that she should start getting a bowel movement once a day once she starts eating more balanced meals. I beg to differ with him on this one as she used to eat very well balanced meals, and she still had problems with constipation.


Dentist

And, per Dr. Calk, she is now ready to start seeing a dentist. He did recommend a pediatric dentist so that her dentists experiences would be pleasant.


4 Year Checkup

It will consist of another round of shots including the following: MMR, Vericella, Dtap and Polio. And, of course the flu shots if I opt for them, but she hasn't had a flu shot yet, and I plan to keep with that trend. I just don't find them necessary, personally.


Don't most kids hate going to the doctor? For some reason, Annabelle has never been scared of going. Maybe because we rarely go, because (knock on wood) she is rarely sick. She did such an awesome job, and I was so proud of her.

She told me later, "When da doctor put dose tangs in my ears, it didn't hurt, it hurt just a ittle bit." She's a trooper, isn't she?!?! She didn't cry one bit.

Of course, she felt the need to empty my entire purse right in front of the doctor and pulled out my gum which the doctor could have mistakened for medicine.

My favorite part...as we were leaving, she pulled me towards the lab where she had a strep culture done back in August or September. The lab tech saw her, smiled and said, "Do you want something?" I laughed and said, "Yes, she's been asking for a band-aid." Annabelle said, "Yes, a sticker." So, the lab tech let her pick out a sticker. She picked a princess sticker. She apparently forgot that she had asked for a band-aid.

The Christmas Sweater

Written on January 6, 2011 at 9:58 p.m.

On New Year's Eve, I found myself shopping the Christmas clearance section at Target. I just happened to hit the store at the right time as everything was 75% off. I didn't really have time to be shopping. The main reason I was at Target at 3:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve was to fill three prescriptions before the new year because we had met our deductible much earlier in the year due to the birth of Sophia. If I had waited one more day, I would have ended up paying $168 out of pocket for two Epi-Pens for Annabelle versus the $15.65 I ended up paying.

I found some great steals at 75% off including two Christmas books: The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear (actually Annabelle found that one) and The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. I scanned both items and found that the Berenstain Bears book was only $1 (regularly $3.99) and the Glenn Beck book was only $4.50 (regularly $17.99). Sold!

I started packing both books away this evening. I read a few pages of The Christmas Sweater while at Target before I purchased it, but I decided to sit down and read it this evening. It brought tears to my eyes! If you haven't read it, it is a fantastic story for a young child who is bombarded with toys at Christmas. I actually cannot wait to read it to Annabelle, but I think I will hold off and wrap it up for her to open next year shortly after Thanksgiving.

Just a few short weeks after Christmas, the new toys have already lost all of their charm and Annabelle has yet again resorted to playing with everyday items for toys. The trim to the blinds in Sophia's room that hubby says to toss was transformed into a snake this afternoon with my cell phone as the rider. The crayons and baby food jars become people and magically talk. Sophia also already bypasses all of her new toys for more interesting things such as a bag of baking potatoes or an empty gift bag. Yet the clutter in my house is mostly toys, including a lot of unopened toys.

I bargain shopped (as usual) this Christmas, and I found some awesome deals. We packed everything away in storage and brought it home to wrap just a few days before Christmas. I was determined that this year my children would receive more from me and Santa than anyone else. Of course as we were preparing for Santa late on Christmas Eve and way too early on Christmas morning, I decided that she didn't need all of these toys at once, so we packed them away until a later date.

And yet again I realize, especially after reading The Christmas Sweater, that less is actually more. Because you see, the less clutter (i.e. toys) that fills my house equates to more quality time with my children doing the things we love such as reading, baking, cooking, laughing and learning.

I think the best Christmas gift to my children next year will be less toys, less stress, more quality time, more laughing, and more focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.

In the mean time, I need to find a way to rid ourselves quickly of the excessive amount of toys cluttering this house, our shed, and storage unit.

Quiet Time

How on earth do you people keep your kid in his/her bedroom for quiet time?

I just had enough today, so I ordered Annabelle to her bedroom for "quiet time." She actually seemed excited about her new quiet time. I told her she could only come out to use the potty. She took full advantage of that one, 4-5 times! Not to mention the many times she came to find me to ask me if she could play with her puzzles or color in a drawing book.

Aaarrgghh!

Perhaps I should have tried this BEFORE she learned to climb out of her crib?

I lowered the crib rail for fear that she'd topple on her head, and I told her that she could read books either in her crib or the glider or she could play with toys as long as she stayed in her bedroom.

I guess I am a pushover!

My Little Tomboy

I'm destined to have another girl, right? Because I already have my little boy all dressed up with frills in a little girl's body.

Annabelle has always been full of energy! Lots of it! More energy than I've seen in even some boys. But yet, she's still my frilly girl who loves clothes, accessories and loves to play dress up, and she loves, loves, loves her baby dolls.

But, she can still be quite the tomboy. Like mother, like daughter! Hence her attempt at climbing her chiffarobe this morning to put a check from Cousin Mike for Christmas into her "piggy bank from Grandmama" sitting on the very tip top of the chiffarobe.

"I will get it!" she told me.

I ignored her because I knew she just couldn't reach it since it was sitting on the very tip top almost to the ceiling.

"Mommy! Mommy! Help! I'm about to fall!" she yells. So, I come running, but fortunately, she greets me at the door and mutters something along the lines of "I was trying to climb those drawers, but I about to fall."

I half expected to enter her room with the drawers all pulled out. Nope! She didn't use her "boy" brain for that one as we all know a boy would have just pulled the drawers out to use as stairs to climb to the top. But, according to Annabelle, she did attempt to climb the knobs, and it sounded as if she got between the second and third drawer.

I thought she was over her "climbing" stage since that started at a very young age, 15 months. Apparently, based on today's events, I was wrong!

Morning Greeting

It was only a matter of time. She is only 3 years and 2.5 months! So I expected this from her over a year ago.

This morning, while still in bed, I heard the crack of her bedroom door. I thought, "Shadow!" as I accused the cat of pushing the door open. Annabelle was already awake, but I was ignoring her because she sounded content, and I was trying to catch a few extra z's after a rough night.

I only had 2.5 hours of sleep after attempting to go to bed at 12:30 a.m. only to hear her cry for me as I closed things down for the evening. I didn't leave her room until closer to 1:00 a.m., and I was awakened again at 3:30 a.m. Then, I didn't leave her room again until 6:00 a.m. God (and Annabelle) are apparently trying to prepare me for a newborn.

But, at 9:00 a.m., I was greeted to pitter patter of little feet and a beautiful smiling face at my bedside.

"Annabelle!" I exclaimed with shock.

"I didn't fall out," she said.

I couldn't scold her. She is, of course, three years old, and in all honesty, she should be in a big girl bed by now. How could I scold her when she was smiling so sweetly?

Of course, just last night, I had a conversation with an old college friend about how Annabelle had not yet climbed out of her crib. I should have known!

And, just yesterday, she climbed into her crib all by herself for the first time while I was in a different room. She decided to use it as a trampoline.

It is obviously time for that big girl bed! Mommy and Daddy just need to get on the ball and get that girl's big girl room ready.

Random Thoughts by Annabelle

"Mommy, does tee tee bring carrots out?" she asked me this evening as she lay in bed trying to fall asleep.

She's been learning that poo poo and tee tee is food that her body does not need. I just wonder what made her think that one up! We didn't even have carrots to eat at all today.