The Catch Up Entry - Notes from the Last 6 months

It's too hard to try and weave all of these random thoughts into a well written themed entry, so I decided that instead of spending lots of time trying to make it perfect, to just get it done. I will always thank my thesis professor, Don Schwartz, Ph.D at Cornell University for offering me the best advice of my life:

"Stefanie, there are two kinds of theses. Perfect and done. Which one will yours be?"

I swear I go back to this thought at least once a month. What solid, perfectly logically and wonderful advice. It's still tough as anything for me to follow more than 15 years later.

So, here goes the done blog entry...here are snippets of thoughts, cuter than ever moments from Kate's life for the past 6 months:

Notes from February 19, 2010:

Kate's fits and tantrums are becoming so much more pronounced. She seems to be much more fragile and emotional than a month ago. Each day, I see her struggling for more independence and pushing my boundaries at every single chance. The best part, is she knows she is pushing me and always checks in to make sure things are still okay... After I get frustrated, she'll say, "Mommy happy?" For example, she'll throw her bib on the floor purposely (knowing this really irritates the heck out of me) and then immediately say, "mommy happy?" One time she even put her head on the table and made my face and said, "mommy mad!"

It took about a month to change this behavior with positive reinforcement. We gave her a sticker on a poster board hung next to her chair each and every time she placed her bib on the table. I'm happy to say she has not thrown her bib on the floor in months and the poster board is a faint memory, now.

Self play- Just before Kate's birthday, I noticed that Kate was playing with herself and keeping herself occupied for longer and longer stretches of time. What?! Like heaven.

Computer - I wanted Kate to get to watch some Sesame Street before her big Sesame Street Beach party, so I began showing her short videos on the computer. Now, every time I try to pull out my computer to check e-mail or whatever, she says, "Abby Cookie!!" and begs to watch. Dear Lord, what have I created? I resolved this by finally letting her watch full episodes on TV and just fast forwarding to Elmo so it wouldn't be an hour long program. Problem solved, but seriously annoying for a good month or so.

Notes from March 21, 2010:

Phrases or "Kateisms" of the month:

• What’s going on?
• Go away, mommy…

The Birthday Party Event: Sesame Street Beach Party: Kate's 2nd birthday was a total blast. She was the perfect hostess walking around, and greeting people and talking to them. She was most excited for Aunt Tami, Gabrielle and Uncle Ryan to be here. She talked about it for two weeks leading up to the party and was beside herself when she saw them.

Keith and I had a hard time keeping track of where she was throughout the party (more than 50 folks for a 2 year old's party...with around 20 of the attendees children themselves!). At one point, I went looking for her to find her through the baby gate and sitting on the stairs with Shelby, a 6 (or 7?) year old daughter of one of our friends, sharing a snack together!

She really loved the decorations for her Abby/Elmo beach party and we had fun decorating. She opened her gifts really well and was so funny because she threw clothes aside (and actually verbalized her distaste for them...)!

We played "put the sunglasses on Abby" (and "put the nose on Elmo) with cousins Gabrielle, Chloe and Laney (and Jake who isn't a cousin, but for simplicity's sake, we'll call him that). For weeks, Kate pointed out the messy mess the “beach” had made on the pavers, even after it had been cleaned up (we had filled a baby pool with sand and beach toys on one side of the house). So, one side we had the "boardwalk" (bounce house and swing set) and the other had the beach (homemade sandbox). She was crazed about "Big Bird's" footprints that led to the front door. And, we even outfitted the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse bounce house with pictures Sesame Street Characters.

Despite all of this amazing excitement, she was truly most thrilled with getting her playground! It went in during her nap time on March 4. She walked out of her room and stopped in her tracks when seeing it through the slider. Nearly 20 seconds later (which seemed like an eternity for me), she said, "my park!" The smile on her face was awesome. We went out and began playing immediately, despite the not so warm weather. Check out more pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/StefanieMacfarlane/March2010#

Notes from May, 2010:

Self Rescue Swim Training: Last fall, Kate was taught how to rescue herself should she fall into a body of water. After her lessons, she became a different person in the water. Respectful and cautious, but confident in her ability to swim to the steps or turn to her back and float. By this summer, I was nervous that the time off during winter months would leave her awkward and unsure in the water. She returned for her "refresher lessons" in May. Within two weeks, she was jumping into the water and swimming to me or the wall, unassisted. She became a total fish in the water and wanted to swim absolutely every day. I couldn't be more thankful for the ISR lessons she had and highly recommend them for all children! The one thing that freaks her out in the water is the "big jets." Ahh!! She really, really, really does not like the jets that circulate the water when the pump is running, but the waterfall is a huge attraction.

Large Motor Skills: As graceful as she is in the water, she's a little jumping bean out of the water. She's finally learned the art of hopping and jumping...and jumping and hopping. It took a while, but now, she can't get enough.

She's finally climbing a little more and made it into her booster chair and has discovered an interest in hanging like a monkey and swinging at the Little Gym. She also really loves walking on the balance beam at the Little Gym (not to mention absolutely every curb she can find).

She also has taken to climbing (somewhat assisted) in bath tub. Thank goodness she has a cautious nature about her.

Potty Training:Kate has shown only mild interest in potty training. She sits on the potty before or after bath. Introduction of M&Ms and a sticker board have only mildly increased her interest. Panties are not a motivator. This one is going to take her time for sure. She did have a promising event where she was running around naked one night after her bath and caught herself peeing, stopped and ran to her potty to finish.

Full sentences: Kate's vocabulary continues to amaze me and she speaks very clearly (okay, so I’m her mother, but truly, she does). She also uses very long proper sentences. This morning, “more syrup please, mommy.” Or,” I’m going to put Lovie under there.” We've never struggled to communicate with Kate. There were few occasions where we couldn't understand what she wanted; however, we didn't realize how limited her speech truly was until she began belting out full, detailed sentences sometime this spring. I don't even know when it happened exactly, but she went from "cereal, please" using words and signs together to "I want some more Cheerios, please, Mommy!" overnight. I know she surprised her doctor at her two year appointment, but it really has taken flight since then. I often hear her talking to herself while playing and am constantly amazed by the lack of "babble" and how much of what she says I can comprehend (especially when she is "reading" to herself).

Easter: Kate was hilarious this Easter. We had a little egg hunt here at the house. I put a couple of M&Ms or her favorite bunny crackers or Goldfish crackers in the "hidden" eggs. Once she discovered and egg with goodies inside, she stopped after picking up each egg and eating the contents before moving on to the next. The other hilarious part of Easter is that for weeks after, Kate would randomly ask for her chocolate bunny. She even inquired about the chocolate bunny this week (and it's nearly September). How's that for an incredible memory (see below)?

TV fun... Kate still loves her TV and I continue limiting her to just two programs a day (or 1 hour). She has really expanded her love of programming to include Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sesame street, Little Einsteins and My Friends Tigger & Pooh. Kate actually made it through an entire episode of Sesame Street this week...even the non-puppet portions!

Music Notes: Kate loves to sing songs and request specific music and “artists” for her enjoyment. She calls the CD I made for her birthday the "Abby" CD (because it has a picture of Abby on it), but it includes a number of beach themed songs. She also adores her Little People CD, and still her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse CD which is more than a year old! She also absolutely LOVES her Kindermusik classes.

Bossy, Bossy, Bossy and sometimes Pushy: She is a precocious little girl who warms to new situations quickly and has no problem defending her turf. In fact, she’s darn right aggressive which is causing me much grief in trying to teach her how to control herself when other children enter her personal space. Not only is she aggressive, but she’s also quite bossy. I find this humorous since my favorite aunt always referred to my mother as bossy. I suppose my brothers and I all could be considered a little on the bossy side, too. Apparently, this is a trait learned early or may even be part of the DNA. Nature vs. Nurture…you decide.

Disney World & Sea World: In May, Kate and I spent a lot of time at Disney World (5 visits) and Sea World (2 visits). Kate met numerous characters each and loved having her autograph book signed and posing with them. Her favorites...still Minnie, but Marie the cat has catapulted to a favorite position. She also adores Jasmine, of course!

Notes from July 2010:
New talent: Spin on one leg and balance on one leg! She is also singing songs and talking to herself constantly. Listening to her sing, I'll often join in and she'll say, "No, Mommy!"

Favorite things to play with and do: Decorate cupcakes (Melissa and Doug wooden set that she can construct and "decorate" with dry erase marker); Play kitchen (though she's not mimicking cooking so much as she plays with the food and finds many great hiding places for her characters...). Speaking of which, she plays almost every day with Mickey and gang characters and Elmo, Abby and Cookie characters (they talk to each other, visit the zoo, get ouchies and so many other social scenarios). She loves her Fisher Price "Little People" house and zoo, but often plays with her characters in addition to the Little People. It's an unusual day if the Little Einstein's Rocket doesn't make an appearance.

She loves to mimic cleaning and playing on her cash register as her computer!

Detailed Unbelievable Memory: Kate's memory is extremely surprising. She remembers things from weeks ago that I vaguely recall. (like her May trips to Disney and numerous visits to Sea World). She'll talk about her favorite rides, characters she's met, etc..I learned the hard way not to tell Kate about future plans too far in advance when one day she woke up sick and couldn't go to Disney as planned. She was heartbroken and so was I.

We visited my grandmother in May and we were looking at photos. I couldn't remember the name of the Dalmation statue she has. Kate did!! She also remembers the names of all of her friends' dogs...names I often have a hard time recalling! There's Dixon, Carter, Ginger and Diego. She can tell you who they belong to, what color they are, how big they are, etc. Some of them she's only seen once or twice. She also has an amazing ability to identify the mouseketool needed to solve a problem on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse even before the choices are shown.

We have a huge family and tons of friends. I rarely find she doesn't remember someone. I'm so proud of her, I can hardly stand it.

Our Little Animal Lover

Keith and I cannot nail down when Kate's admiration of all things animal began. Whether it's books, her Animal Baby magazine or DVDs, stuffed creatures or living, if it is an animal, Kate is hooked.

She gravitated toward her animal books early on--the touch and feel kind--and just always has shown special interest in books featuring animals. She surprised me just before her 2nd birthday while I was reading Eric Carle's Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? one evening. She started naming the animals as I turned the page. And these are not easy animals to name: “macaroni penguin, water buffalo, bald eagle… Wow.

As I mentioned, Kate's love of animals extends well beyond books. One of her favorite places to visit is the Central Florida Zoo. After more than twenty trips, she can name every animal in the place. From the kangaroos and leopards to the frogs and newts, she thoroughly enjoys each visit and truly every species. Well, she isn't too crazy about the bug exhibit...but neither am I!

When the Gymboree safari animal line came out last May, I bought several outfits for Kate, which she aboslutely still loves to wear 4 months later. They came in handy this summer as she insisted on wearing them to her Cub Club classes at the zoo and to her Kindermusik classes that featured a "Zoo Train" curriculum. Both activities involved creating craft projects and our refrigerator is now adorned with several of her favorites...a giraffe, kangaroo, monkey, pig, bird and rooster. Kate so enjoyed her Zoo Train CD from Kindermusik that she made me play it 3 and 4 times a day for several weeks. Not only can she sing many of the songs, but she recognizes the order of the songs on the CD and tells me what's coming up next.

Kate doesn't just love land animals, either. She adores Shamu and many of the sea creatures we visit at Sea World, though the Polar Bears are possibly her favorite (after Shamu, of course).

While we spend a lot of our time between Sea World and the Central Florida Zoo, we have branched out to other animal experiences, also. She totally loves the safari ride and walk at Animal Kingdom as well as the petting zoo there.

When we visited Detroit in May, we were sure to revisit the Detroit Zoo. Kate really liked seeing the giraffes, zebra and other animals we don't see at our zoo. We also visited Kensington Metro Park's farm center where she was able to see numerous baby animals...lambs, goats, etc. It was the first time she heard a cow "moo" and was actually a bit shocked by how deep and loud it sounded. I think she was a little shocked at how large the pigs were, also. She started walking up to one to pet it through the fence, but then quickly began backing away when she noticed it was HUGE and covered with mud.

The one thing that is most surprising to me is how much I am learning along with Kate. I never realized how little I knew about animals before she came along (or so many other things). Who knew a 2-1/2 year old could provide so much enlightenment?!

Bedtime Routine and other Changes

It’s been so long since I’ve written that the next several entries are going to be lengthy. Please forgive me as I catch up on the last six months!

Obviously Kate has grown drastically in this time (when will the growth spurt end—she is now in the 90th percentile and as big as most 3 year olds?!). Keith and I have enjoyed the ride. Lots of folks say twos are terrible, but so far, it’s been anything but.

Fickle, fickle, fickle: The thing that strikes Keith and me the most this week is that she is hysterically fickle—so devoted to one thing or another, but only for a couple of days, and then she moves on. One day, she can’t get enough of Daddy and tells me to go away or not get in the pool, but then later the same day insists that I do bath time and bed time. One day she can’t live without The Cat in the Hat and reading it 10 times, the next, she’d prefer Green Eggs and Ham or something else entirely.

Still a Bookworm: She is consistent in that she loves, loves, loves to read and there’s a core group of books that she returns to over and over and over again. She blew my mind when in February, I walked in her room to hear her reciting one of her books. Now she can recite several passages of The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham and narrate more than a dozen of her stories. I’ve started taking her to the library regularly and whatever her current crop of library books are, often top the most requested read list. I love to see how fast she learns a story and catch her “reading” to herself in her room while I’m making dinner or washing dishes. I especially love to see that she gets 90% of the story right.

I am especially thankful that she is happy to sit on her own and flip through he books and give me a few minutes to prepare a meal or clean up after one.

Check out Kate’s current favorite titles and wish list on our new page!

Bedtime routine changes: Like so many other little ones her age, Kate gets a bath every night, tries to go potty, puts on pajamas, brushes teeth and then we read two or three stories before putting her in her crib to go to sleep while listening to a lullaby album.

• Talk about the Day! After story time, and before turning on the music, I started “talking about the day” with Kate, probably around her birthday or shortly after. I thought it would be a good way to recap our activities of the day. She loves this so much, I can normally offer her one more story or talk about the day and she’ll always choose talk about the day.


• Sing Mommy! After I talk about the day, Kate began asking me to sing, so I began singing two songs: You are My Sunshine and Hush Little Baby (they were the only ones I could think of at the moment). I forgot to mention this little change to Keith one night when I was at Mom’s Night Out. Oh how I wish I had a recording of the “made-up” version he sang to her the night!! After the third time he tried to put her to bed, he actually committed himself to learning the words to both songs. What a great dad!


• Can the Music! One night as I was walking out of the room, Kate tells me, “no music, Mommy. I don’t want music on.” Can you blame her? We’ve been playing the same 12 songs for over 2 years, now! We have not played her lullaby music for naptime or bedtime since that night. I find it amazing that she can change a routine like that without any hesitation or weaning. Now if I could just do that with the last paci…she is still holding onto it even though she knows she has to send it to the Paci Fairy for another baby and has already sent two others away…


• Door Open…Door Closed! For a few weeks, Kate decided she wanted to go to sleep with the door open…for both naptime and bedtime. AHHH! With the kitchen right off of her bedroom, this was a disaster for me trying to eat lunch, clean up after dinner, etc. With a little work, I was able to convince her that mommy is too loud in the kitchen to keep the door open. Now, she actually asks for the door to be closed. Thank goodness!


• Pillow & Stuffed Animal Entourage! Right around Kate’s birthday, she was sick. She actually was sick on and off again a ton between Christmas and her birthday. Thank goodness she was not sick on her birthday! I introduced her “kitty pillow” to elevate her head. The pillow has not left the crib since, except for the quick wash every couple weeks. In addition to the pillow, Kate is quite particular about which stuffed animals are keeping her company in her crib. Animals line the headboard like a bumper. One day I took out the majority of the animals. While settling down for her nap, she was a little rambunctious and banged her head on the headboard. I immediately returned the entourage and just take one or two out as she adds new ones to the collection.


• Blanket! Grandma Sandy made Kate a blanket before she was born and it has had a home on Kate’s crib ever since. During the winter, I would sometimes place the blanket on Kate, but she always kicked it off. Randomly, Kate began asking for the blanket...probably around the time she quit listening to her lullaby music. At first, she slept with the blanket on, both naptime and bedtime. And, she insisted it cover her feet and arms…a challenge for the little blanket. Then, she asked for it, but quickly kicked it off for a while. Now, she asks for it to be next to her, not on her, and this too will certainly change in an instant.


• Change it, Mommy! For a few weeks, Kate was laying down to go to sleep and peeing almost immediately. She’d stand up and say, “Change it, Mommy.” Mommy started getting really annoyed at this stall tactic, especially since most of the time she was barely wet. I became more dogmatic about having Kate use the big girl potty immediately after bath time. That seems to have done the trick. For a while she was going every night in the potty. Now, it’s hit or miss, but at least she’s not calling me back in the room to change her diaper every night anymore.


• Tickle me! While singing to Kate, I would often stroke her hair and face. Somehow that has evolved into Kate demanding to be tickled with her lovie. My, oh, my! She is so much like me. I can remember tickling myself with my own blanket when I was young. What’s so strange is she asks to be tickled in places she doesn’t otherwise like to be touched… her neck and her belly. She is so sensitive about her belly being covered while changing her diaper, but when it is night time, she pulls up her shirt or nightgown, so I can have full access to the belly.


• Nightgown! Since Kate does not sleep with a blanket, we have always put Kate in footy pajamas…heavy ones for winter and light ones for summer. As the weather warmed this year, we began putting her in short sleeve tops, light pants and no socks. One night when daddy was in charge and mommy was out, he couldn’t find any clean pajamas and put Kate in a nightgown. She rarely sleeps in anything else these days.


• Mr. Moon and Mr. Sunshine! Kate began waking up at the crack of dawn this summer. Regardless of what time she goes to sleep, she was waking at 6a. Nine months ago, I learned about a night light that turns into a moon for bedtime and a sun for wake time (goodnitelite.com). It was on the pricey side, but it had a money back guarantee, so I finally bought it hoping it would allow me an extra hour each morning. This was absolutely the best money I have spent in years. She still wakes at 6am, but now she looks at her light and actually lays back down if Mr. Sunshine isn’t up, yet. She even falls back asleep now and then. Amazing. At night, it’s just as amazing. She sees Mr. Moon and is immediately ready to go night-night. Brilliant!