I have a preschooler!

World, meet Eliza Margaret: The Preschooler.  

My big 3.75 year old girl went to her first official “full” day (she’s in a half day program) of preschool today.  This mama is happy and proud, and also *omgterrifiedsadlonelyanxioustearynostalgic*.  But ignore all that, that’s just me being a mama bear who isn’t sure about this whole your-kid-grows-up-and-other-people-interact-with-her-without-you-being-there thing that apparently comes with being a parent. Totally didn’t see this coming.

Anyway.

Eliza attends a wonderful little Montessori school about a mile from our home and we are very excited for her (despite what the above might indicate).  I was a Montessori kid through the eighth grade and I absolutely adored it.  I am SO happy for her to get to have this experience, and I might even be just a little bit jealous ;)  Her classroom is AWESOME!

So, today was day one! It seems that it went well, though I got very little information about her morning when I picked her up.  Here is what she said: “I ate one carrot and one cracker and I drank water out of my mug that Aunt Mary made me, and I polished glass.  I did not go outside but I think I will tomorrow.” Alrighty then!

Here are a few photos of the big morning drop-off…

Sort of a holdie-outie fail, but I still love her smile.

Kissing sister goodbye.

Greeting her teacher.

Big girl walking down to her locker (students greet their teacher in the school lobby and then walk independently to their locker where they put on their school shoes and enter their classroom - no helicopter parents allowed!)

Eliza and all her Eliza-ness

It's been too long since I've talked in-depth about my dear Eliza on this old blog.  She has grown and changed so much and just keeps on becoming her own unique person, and it blows me away every day.  Trying to capture her personality and charm on "paper" might very well require a novel, and honestly, part of the reason I've not written an update recently is because every time I try to start writing about her, I just don't know how to adequately describe all the spunk and love and attitude, kindness, intelligence and pure happiness that is wrapped up in that tiny body of hers.

Eliza is a learner.  She is always asking questions and those questions are getting more and more crazy intelligent every day.  She listens closely to an answer (usually, depending on her mood!), and is genuinely interested in figuring things out and getting to the bottom of something until it makes sense to her.  It can be tiring sometimes - the whys, hows, how comes, what do you mean, what does that mean, why is it that way... all the questions are so dang cute and at the same time I feel mentally exhausted at the end of some days!  Thank goodness for her daddy, he is so smart and also naturally curious (I found him watching a youtube lecture the other day explaining why you can't divide by zero -- wtf?!); they make a great pair, always figuring things out together and exploring the answer - no matter how complex - to her most recent question.

Eliza has a flair for the dramatic, as I'm sure many 3 year olds do.  Reactions can be intense, so we're often talking to her about "calmer reactions" (and yes I laugh at myself as soon as the words leave my mouth because really? She's 3, dude. She's gonna bring teh dramazzz).  Similarly, this girl's 'tude can rival that of a 15 year old any day of the week.  She told me she 'didn't want to be near me anymore' the other day after I had to take away a pair of (kid) scissors she was using on something other than paper (namely, her shirt).  As I took them from her hand, she also told me "It is not nice to take something out of someone's hand. Where did you learn that?".  Ohhh boyyyy.

The dear sweet thing is still, at her core, sweet as pie.  She will tell you she loves you out of the blue, and every time it happens it melts your heart in ways you never thought possible.  After I indulged her in an afternoon bath today (an extended version, no less), and as I was drying her off she said to me "look up at me, Mama", and when I did she said "I love you" in the sweetest little voice.  Every frustration and worry I had in my head disappeared at that moment and I swear the rest of the afternoon was nothing short of perfect.  Am I easily manipulated, or what?! ;)

My days are numbered in regards this next one, I know, but for the next few months I will really enjoy the independent playing that goes on in my house!  Eliza loves creating little stories and roles for each of her dolls, putting them to sleep, "doctoring" them, and can play happily in her room alone for extended periods of time.  She plays with her puzzles, her marble maze, her magnetic board, and even her adored playsilk (seriously she loves this thing, it's been such an unexpectedly awesome toy!).  It hit me this morning when I popped my head in to say hello and tell her I was going to hop in the shower ("okay mama", she replied, and went right back to playing) that I am pretty darn lucky in this regard and that showering will soon become a luxury (or at least a task that requires more planning than it currently does!).

What else?  She loves to sing.  She can get lost in playing with the contents of her art supply box for an hour (cutting, coloring, using tape and stickers, gluing...).  She loves to make "recipes" - this morning it was water, salt and blueberries (which she later tried to juice with my citrus juicer).  She loves going to the comic book store with daddy - they buy My Little Pony comic books and Ski Soda.  She eats anything and everything (with a few exceptions of course); she's still our little adventurous eater.  Her daddy and I look at each other every day and marvel at her and the little things she does (and sometimes, on the days that are more full of teh dramaz - like today - we shake our heads and look at each other and say in unison: "your turn!").

There is so much more...!

To my dear sweet girl: I wish I could capture your essence, your spirit, your sweet face, your little voice and the way you say "feather" and bottle it all up to save for later.  I love you so much it can make me cry if I think about it too much.  I hope I'm doing this whole mama thing okay.  There isn't a day that I don't question if I'm good enough, fun enough... enough... just enough for you.

I love you!

In Which I Get All Sappy On You

Eliza is nearly three years old now.  We will be celebrating a birthday in just five short weeks!  This girl has changed so much in the last year, it is really remarkable.  I've been so caught up with my own drama, that my girl hasn't gotten much attention on the ol' blog lately.

So what's she been up to?

Questions.  Oh the questions!  She is naturally curious about everything.  The 'why?'s, that started nearly a year ago now, have blown up exponentially and are never ending!  It often reaches the point where her 'why?' questions no longer makes sense, and we've started to try to help her rephrase her questions, challenging her to think about what she's really trying to ask.

She is NOT a morning person.  Mornings are... rough, to say the least.  It doesn't help that I am also not a morning person.  The two of us do not make the most enthusiastic or good natured duo between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning.  That's usually when an episode of Mr. Roger's is watched while we try to wake up (or sleep a bit more, in my case).

Fears.  Fears are creeping in - she is learning and sort of experimenting with them.  Figuring out what other people are afraid of, and "testing" them out.  Most recently, she's not quite sure about the radiator in her room, which she can see at the end of her bed (our new house has radiators, our previous house did not, so they are new to her).  "Cover it up with a blanket, mama, so I can't see it", she requests each night before bed.  But then the next morning she'll say "I'm not scared of the radiator, he's just a nice guy who keeps us warm.  He's a silly warm guy!".

Nakedness.  Oh boy, does this child like to be naked.  She takes any opportunity.  When she has to pee?  Why not do that completely naked?  When she doesn't want to spill on her shirt during breakfast? Meh, Imma just gonna take off all these clothes, Ma.  Who cares if it's 50 degrees outside?  Let's go outside naked too (she did do that once and immediately came screaming back inside the house).  And then, when it's time to get dressed again (for the 30th time in a day)?  She needs an entirely new outfit.  Of course.  Why not?

Friends.  She has made so many new friends lately (primarily thanks to our move - we live in the best neighborhood that is FULL of kids!), and she loves it.  I love watching her develop relationships with other kids.  It's so sweet and innocent.  Let's be real, though, there are times when she can be equally as UN-friendly as she is friendly with her friends.  The normal preschool relationship stuff, I guess, nothing out of the ordinary... the occasional violence, difficulty sharing, etc.  It's definitely there.  But then she reaches out and wants to hold their hand, she shares a toy or snack, gives them a hug and kiss, talks about them randomly when they aren't there ("Isaac is my favorite friend!", "I want to draw a picture for Ingrid", "I love my ECFE friends!")... and I know that the makings of an amazing friend are there - somewhere inside, developing quietly, waiting in the wings.

Blossoming Foodie.  The girl eats everything - well, okay, that's an overstatement.  But she'll at least try anything.  It seems she favors international foods more than anything - especially mediterranean (well, except for the general food group known as carbs.  Oh the love this girl has for carbs is astounding... sorry honey, but you didn't get that from me!).  We were at a housewarming party the other day and she loudly announced "I WOULD LIKE MORE OLIVES AND HUMMUS AND PITA, MAMA!".  She also likes Vietnamese food (above!).  A family favorite is Pho, and she's been eating at our favorite Pho place since she was a teeny tiny baby (and in fact we went there today for my dad's birthday!).  It's nice that we can take her anywhere and know that she'll be able to eat what we order, and that she'll be relatively well behaved at the restaurant (let's just say she's had a lot of practice).  We are trying our best to raise her to appreciate not only good food, but the culture of food and how it can bring people together.  How we relate to each other via food, over shared meals, etc.  Sharing meals together is as important to us as healthy, balanced food choices, and we hope that Eliza will grow up and feel the same.

Sleep.  As I mentioned before, she sleeps.  God Bless America, this child sleeps.  And we are so happy (and rested).  Not only does she sleep, but bedtimes are a lovely, easy experience for everyone involved.  Daddy gives her a bath, brushes her teeth, reads her books/sings her a song, and then it's "mama time": five (or so) minutes of milky in her bed, followed by singing "Simple Gifts".  I stay with her for a few minutes (or as she says, "lay with me in a minute, mama"), and then I tuck her in and say goodnight.  She is awake when I leave, and she falls asleep on her own.  This may not sound like much to some, but here in this house? It's nothing short of a miracle.  We are so very proud of her for this.  She really is turning into our big girl.

Teh Sweetness.  She has her moments, but oh is this girl sweet.  Just so so sweet (when she wants to be!).  She expresses real, genuine love for her family and friends quite often.  It's so cute.  And the way she's already so excited about her baby brother or sister?  There is nothing sweeter than hearing her talk about the baby in mama's belly.  She slays me.  This afternoon, I wasn't feeling particularly well, and I finally told her that (previously I'd just been trying to power through, but couldn't do it anymore today). She immediately told me to "lie down mama!", and she brought me a pillow, put it under my head, and then asked me if I'd like a blanket.  Then she brought a pillow to put over my belly, "for the baby" (uhh, yeah, we'll have to make sure she knows that's not cool once the baby is out!), and then sat with me and cuddled.

...

Okay, enough sap (and length - geesh!) for tonight.  Guess I could write a novel about that girl of mine.  Don't worry though, another day I'll write about those moments, those oh-my-god-get-me-out-of-here-before-I-scream moments that we all feel as parents.  Because believe me, they are numerous around here!!!!

Stretching Those Wings

Eliza, today I watched you stretch your little wings a bit further.

It wasn't your first day of school, but it was still a little step down the path of independence.  It was your first dance class.  We decided together to enroll you in a local dance studio's preschool class for 2.5/3 year olds.  You gave us a resounding "YES!" when we asked you if you wanted to join a dance class, and so off we went this morning.

Clad in your new pink leotard complete with a little skirt dotted with hearts, pink tights, and a pair of hand-me-down ballet slippers, off you went into the dance studio, confident and full of excitement.  Mama sat outside the room and hugged the door, out of your line of sight.  I was just within earshot and every now and then caught a glimpse of you in the mirror.

Your excitement was evident the entire class, even when Ms. Pat's (your teacher) voice got just a bit more serious when the group of you - all four of you little teeny dancers, hand-in-hand - went off away from her, skipping and leading one another on, giggling all the while... oh you sweet little rascals (I can't imagine leading a group of almost-3-year-olds, but the job must be left up to those with saintly patience, clearly!).

You were so patient and listened so politely to Ms. Pat, even when I could tell you wanted to go off and hop up a storm with those little tap shoes.  A few times you did - you just couldn't contain your glee to be in that class, I think - but you quickly returned to the circle when Ms. Pat called you.  I was one proud mama watching you.  My big girl.

You are growing wings and exploring your world, my dear sweet girl.  It's no surprise, of course, you have been doing this slowly since the day you took off crawling, reveling in your newfound freedom.  And I am so proud to watch you, to be by your side as you do, helping you find your boundaries while giving you ample freedom to explore within them - more and more freedom by the day, as it should be.  Of course, as your cheesy mama, I am also proud and happy to see you come back to me with a smile on your face after accomplishing something big. You KNOW today was big, you could feel it.  It showed in your shy smile, when you came bounding out of the room, telling me quietly "I really liked it, Mama".  You always come back to me; I love being your person.

Just another day in our life, and yet such a big day at the same time.  It felt big, anyway.  I love you and I can't wait to see you explore your world whether its through tap shoes, hiking boots, a karate belt, a chess board, a violin, or a soccer ball.  Go explore, Eliza, the whole world is waiting for you!

Weekend Overfloweth

What a great weekend!

Saturday morning I got to sleep in until 8.  It would have been perfect except that I woke to the sound of a screeching toddler telling her Daddy "NO MAMA DOOOO IIIIIITTTTT!!!!".  Oh boy.  So I got up and tried to reason with her, explaining that, in fact, Dada CAN help her put her pants on - not just Mama.  Turns out, reasoning with a teenager 2 year old is pointless because they will just yell "NO!" and slam the door in your face.

Saturday afternoon/evening, while Eliza spent the better part of the day with her Grandma and Grandpa (and also fell asleep for them - WOOHOO!!), hubby and I went to dinner with my brother and SIL to a really cool new(ish) restaurant in our area.  It was, in a word, epic.  In every way - the FOUR HOUR WAIT for a table was epic (no reservations accepted - OMGZ PEOPLE), the 10-course chef's tasting menu was epic, the bottle of wine that we brought was epic, and the hour at which we got home - the latest since before Eliza was born - was epic.  I'll stop saying epic now.

Sunday morning, after 5 very interrupted hours of sleep, I woke up with the girl and we made coffee.  Well, actually she made me coffee.  She now knows how to work our k-cup machine.  WHAT THE?  Then Daddy woke up and we made breakfast.  My brother had given us some venison potato sausage that he made (like, from beginning to... er... end... let's not talk about it), so we cooked that up along with some Norwegian waffles.  I didn't know the Norwegians were big waffle people, but, apparently, I was very wrong.  And I'm glad, because those things were YUMMY.  We all helped - Eliza sat at the counter and took fistfuls of flour "for pizza dough" (?) and spread it on the countertop (wait did I say help?), Dada cooked up the sausage, and I womanned the waffle maker.

Later in the morning, I left Daddy and Daughter on their own (and in their pajamas) to go have lunch with a dear friend for her birthday.  There were four of us there, but I didn't know the other two women.  It was so delightful and... much needed (though I chastised myself on the way home for talking so much; I do that when I get nervous, I've realized).  The two women I didn't know turned out to be veteran mamas who had nursed toddlers, nightweaned/weaned them, and were on the other side.  It felt really good to ask them questions, find support and understanding in their experiences, and, honestly, just to be meeting new people!  It struck me that I don't do that often.  Remember when you were little and you made new friends easily, and all the time?  Anyway.  It was nice.

And then I came home and took a nap!

Sunday night, we took Eliza to her first musical!  It was a Children's Theater performance of Harold and the Purple Crayon.  We didn't know what to expect from Eliza during the show, being newly 2 and not known to sit still for 90 minutes at a time, but with $10 rush tickets, we didn't have much to lose.  But the minute that curtain rose, we knew we had nothing to worry about.  She was captivated.  She smiled, laughed, clapped, stared, and was completely in love with the entire experience.  I had an unexpected emotional mama moment when I saw her face as she watched the show - I actually teared up.  I know.  Come ON, Ella, it was HAROLD. AND THE FREAKING PURPLE CRAYON.  But something about the whole experience - the specialness (I know that is not a word OMG I just looked it up and it turns out it's a word), making such a fun memory together as a family of three, having it hit me that, yep, she IS big enough, old enough, READY for big kid things like this... it just alllllll hit me and made me cry a little bit right there while a slightly overweight (and 40-something) Harold was leaping and dancing across the stage in blue footie pajamas.  It was so much fun, and I didn't want it to end (It was the perfect length though, so I'm also glad it ended when it did!).  It was the cherry on top of a perfect weekend.

Without a doubt, this weekend delivered.  And once again, I asked myself how I got so lucky.

At 2 years, 2 months (and a few days)...

My dear Eliza, here's a little summary of what you're up to lately (haven't done one of these in a while!):

• you love garbanzo beans.

• you named your kitty figurine "Gabba Babba".

• you sing "row row row your boat", "twinkle", your "ABCs", and Florence + The Machine's "Shake it Out" (well, the chorus at least!).

• you use the word "mostly" in the most interesting ways: "you mostly go over there, mama".

• you still love your mama's milk.

• you have started asking for a baby brother or sister (though I think your Dada had something to do with this...!).  You say "I need a baby {brother/sister - but usually it's sister} so I can share my {bread/milky/toys/etc.} with her".  I think you would make a marvelous big sister, and I would love to see you in that role someday!

• you can count to 11, usually in order, but not always.

• you are finally big enough to face forward in your car seat.

• you have found a new passion for putting things - random toys, balls, food, sippy cups - into plastic baggies so you can "save them".  Then sometimes you will put them in the refrigerator!  You're a silly one.

• you are a carbivore... but you'll eat (or at least try) almost anything.

• you love holding hands with your little friends.

• you are potty trained.

• you love your uncle Reid and aunt Kelly and always ask me if they will have any "em-ee-ems" (M&Ms) for you.

• you "play" with your words... you like to rhyme and make silly words (right now you are saying "fruit-toot-fruit-toot-woot-toot-woot-toot".  It's very purposeful and you know you are being silly and speaking nonsense when you do it.  Of course we take this as a sign of great intelligence ;)

• you love books, and of course you especially love it when we read to you.  I think you could probably sit on my lap all day long and read book after book.  A few of your favorites right now are Llama Llama Red Pajama, Mousework, anything by Dr. Seuss (maybe that's where you found your love of rhyming!), Strega Nona, and Owl at Home.

• you love wrapping your toys up in paper or napkins and giving them to people as "presents".

• you are sleeping in your new big girl bed for half the night, and in mama and dada's bed for the other half.

• you love caring for your baby dolls - nursing them, putting them to bed, taking them for walks in their stroller.

• you are a mama's girl, and that is just fine :)

Love you, sweet girl.

At 2 Years Old

• Eliza talks about everything and anything.  This afternoon, she said "There are too many noodles in my tummy, Mama!".  I reminded her that we had noodles for dinner a few days ago, but not today. "TUMMY HURTING", she said to me in [joking] reply.  Okay, honey!

• Eliza plays pretend and makes up elaborate stories about her toys. Two of her bath toys are named after her two cousins, and her bath cow, aptly named "Cowgee" regularly flies on a plane (a baby bathtub, of course) to visit them in Seattle.  Then they all go home to the sink to have tea. 

• She adores books lately, even more than before (and I thought she liked them before).  She's been reading them to her animals and dolls now.  I was working at the dining room table the other day when I heard her in her room reading to her Ernie doll.  I figured out which book she was reading just by listening to her tell the story to Ernie: "Three bears walk in woods.  Eat!" and then, "Run run run!".  Any guesses?  The Three Bears of course.  :)  It was priceless.

• Totally unrelated -- but does anyone else watch the show 'Parenthood'?  They should just call it "The Show Where Everyone Talks Over One Another".  OMG SO ANNOYING!

• Eliza is my little buddy these days - we have little chats, we go everywhere together (well, that's not really new), and we cook and bake together a lot too.  She has really gotten excited about helping us in the kitchen.  She knows all about the mixer, about what the olive oil is for, how to be careful around the stove, how to dump things into the bowl and stir... and she is so cute when she helps us. It's just so different - so so fun - now that she can talk so much and actually converse! 

• Eliza is more like a little girl now at age 2.  In every way - her body seems more lean and long, her hands are little kid hands... no more baby fat and wrist rolls.  I miss the baby fat (and oh my gosh was she ever a chunk!), but it's so neat to see her growing - physically and otherwise - into a little girl.  Once she's potty trained and there's no more diaper butt (especially no more cloth diaper butt!), she'll seem even more grown.  I know, I know, that's the point, right??!!

• Testing, testing, testing.  There's quite a bit of that going on in this house these days.  I can see her wheels turning... 'what happens when I do... THIS?!'  It's her job right now - y'know, all part of growing up.  Limits, logical consequences, positive reinforcement and discipline... yes, we've got it all going on.  And thus, our job is only just beginning!

• I know I keep saying this - and I know every parent says this - but her language development has just gone nuts lately!  She uses words and phrases I had no idea she knew... she picks up EVERY. THING.  You only have to say something once - she'll repeat anything you say. It's so true what they say about kids being sponges.  

Well, I started this post yesterday night and now it's the next day and I'm at a coffee shop studying, so I better just hit 'publish' because I can't think of anything else, and I have to get back to work - my 10 minute break is up! You know, work for 45 minutes, take a 10 minute break...?  It's the only way I can get anything done... who is ready for this semester to be OVER???  THIS GIRL.

Happy Birthday Eliza!

Happy birthday to the sweetest, smartest, most loved, happiest, cutest, most adventurous, flexible, reasonable, and fun TWO YEAR OLD I know!

To our miracle girl.  

Our long-awaited, hoped-and-dreamed-for... you.  It was always meant to be you.

Happy birthday to you, my little love.  

I can't believe it's been two years, and yet I can't believe it's only been two years.

xoxo

Mama

A First (aka: Your Mom Getting All Sappy On You)

Eliza, today was a big day for you.  This morning, you went to play at the hourly daycare co-op that we joined.  You have been there once before, this was your second visit there.  Last week, you did great, though your teachers said you did get a little sad about 30 minutes before I came to pick you up.  But, even with that, you were happy as can be when I picked you up and you told me you had "fun!" playing there.  So I was not surprised when I dropped you off there again this morning and you happily said goodbye to me and started playing without a problem (you have NEVER ONCE cried when I have left you with someone!).

I returned three hours later.  When I walked in the room, I couldn't find you playing in the classroom anywhere.  All of a sudden I heard Teacher Claire's voice say: "She fell asleep about 45 minutes ago! Isn't she cute?".  

Hold up.

What?  

My brain did not compute.  Certainly she must have me mistaken for someone else (but she should KNOW who I AM, I thought.  How could she get me mixed up with another parent?  For that split second, I was so annoyed!), because you, my dear child, will not fall asleep for anyone but me (and sometimes Grandma) - no way, no how!  And yet, there you were.  Asleep on the big stuffed doggie in the corner of the room.  My sweet sweet baby - asleep...???  This was so out of context and confusing for my brain that I immediately starting panicking internally.  Yes, this over-protective mama's first thought was "AHMYGOD MAH POOR BAYBEE!"  I can't explain it, exactly, but my immediate fear was that you had been so upset that you cried yourself to sleep and were scared and alone and missing your mama, and, and, and...more drama and helicopter parenting, etc.  

Teacher Claire said that you did get a little sad while out on the playground, about an hour before I was scheduled to come pick you up, and that she told you that mama was coming back soon ("Mamas always come back!") and that you understood that and continued to play.  Then, you came back into the classroom with Teacher Claire and went to lay down on the floor with a baby doll.  She said you were a bit fussy and whiny and she thought you were tired.  So she picked you up and put you over on the big soft cuddly doggie and you fell asleep.  

Okay, that sounded fine... even though my brain was still confused, I thanked her, I woke you up softly and we went home.  

Then I started thinking more and worrying more (haha of course!) and wanted to know all the minute details of how this went down.  So, I emailed teacher Claire.  She was so kind and emailed me back right away.  Here is her email:

• Hi Ella, I will break down Eliza's day for you:
  
  9-10 we have free play. Eliza played in the house area (she went on a picnic with some other friends). We read books ("The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear" SEVERAL times) She played with the magnetic train set, balls and bean bags; pushed babies around in the cart; built and knocked down block structures...kind of a usual morning here. :)
  
  At 10:00 we have snack time. We had Cheerios and raisins. She ate a great snack and enjoyed hanging out with her friends.
  
  Around 10:15/10:30ish we have group time. We read our book "Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin" and talked about jack-o-lanterns. We sang Halloween songs, did the 5 Little Pumpkin flannel board story and sang Baby Beluga. We talked about the letter O practicing the sounds that O makes in the microphone and discussing words that start with O. She participated at group time and enjoyed singing the songs especially.
  
  Around 10:40/10:50ish we went outside to play. We were on the playground for about 10 minutes when she started to get sad and ask for mommy and daddy. Susan and I kept reminding her that moms and dads always come back. That seemed to help. She said "yeah" and then go play for another few minutes. This cycle repeated a few times. I asked if she wanted to come in early with me to set out lunches. She said yes, so she and some of the friends came in at around 11:20. She was so tired she was sort of whiney but not really crying. When we came into the classroom she laid on the floor with a baby and in about 30 seconds I could see that she was almost asleep. So I scooped her up and laid her on Big Puppy (mostly because she was in front of the door and I didn't want her to get stepped on when the other kids came in from the playground). She snuggled in and fell right to sleep. I was sort of expecting her to wake up when the class came in (and sat next to her on Big Puppy) but she didn't, she slept right through it!
  
  She was sound asleep by 11:30 and stayed that way until you came to get her.
  
  Her morning was great! She was busy all morning and played with many different toys and lots of different kids. She wasn't crabby AT ALL and she would let us comfort her and it seemed to help her to feel better. She just seemed to be worn out by the end of a busy morning. All the kids were--it takes a couple of days for them to come down from Halloween. :)

I was so very calmed and comforted by this email that I nearly burst into tears.  You are such a strong, smart little girl, Eliza.  "What a competent child," your Grandma said to me in an email today, "able to console herself and find comfort from others." It's so true.  You are growing up not only physically, but emotionally.  You are, as we say in the family field, securely attached.  You know that mom and dad are here and will have your back - and so, you are independent, you are growing (tiny, for now!) wings.  You know we will be here to catch you if you fall and so you feel confident going out into the world on your own.  Right now, that world is small and safe - it's your day care center - but you are exploring it and mastering it with ease and confidence.  Soon, it will be your grade school, your friends' houses, your peer group, your dorm room...your first job... and I know you will be just as confident in all of those settings.  Even if you feel sad or scared at times like you might have today, you will look back and see us there supporting you and rooting for you and you'll know that it's okay to go and explore and discover the new world around you.

It may sound like a silly little thing to some people, that you fell asleep on your own today... but it represented so much more to your daddy and me.  We love you so much and are so proud of you, and that will never change.

xoxo

Mama

What she said.

My little chatter box is saying so much lately, I just can't keep up!  So many parents note (and remember!) when and what their little ones say down to the exact word and day, and I feel horrible because I can't even tell you which new words she learns on a day-to-day basis -- I just can't keep up!  She says new things every day, makes new sentences, comes up with things I know we didn't teach her... it's amazing to see her vocab and her speech grow by leaps and bounds!

• Eliza said to me this morning as we were getting out of the car: "Eliza want to make cake".  I had to tell her that it was nap time so we couldn't make a cake right then.  To this, she replied: "Eliza sad".  

• Discussing her Halloween adventures this afternoon with her grandpa, she told him: "Uncle Reid give Eliza candy".  It's true.  My brother gave her as much candy as she could eat on Halloween night when we drove over to their house for a surprise trick-or-treat visit.

• As we lounged on the couch this afternoon, she told me: "nice nose, Mama!", followed by "nice chin, Mama!", and finally: "nice eyes, Mama!".

• She really likes to recite the rhyme (with hand gestures of course) "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors see all the people!".  It comes out more like "Here church, here steeple, open.........see peeeeeeeeeeople!" 

• Eliza was sitting on a stool at our kitchen counter while I was making dinner tonight, playing with our jar of coins, a dish towel, and a magazine, and eating cheerios.  She said "Eliza having party!"  It was so cute!  And then she randomly said "Eliza funny".  She says this a lot.  She must think she is pretty funny :)  She is right, of course.

• Counting is big in Eliza's life right now - we count everything these days.  She often counts my earrings, her elbows, her eyes, the cats... yes, counting to the number 2 is big around here!  She can count to five, too, but so far, it is coming out: "one...two...five!"

• Some other favorites: "Belle chasing you!" (when she says "you" she really means "me"), "Eliza run away" (whenever she doesn't want to do something she is supposed to be doing - e.g. getting dressed).  "Eliza have one" (and she hold up one little finger when she says this).

My girl is talking up a storm these days - I wish I could remember every little thing she says.  This is just a handful.  It is just astounding how quickly she picks up new words and phrases.  I am really loving this age.  It comes with some extra challenges, sure - just like every other stage - but the ability to communicate with her is so cool...and handy!

The last of the "months old"

Today my girl is 23 months old.  This officially marks the last month that I will say that Eliza is "___ months old", something I have done for almost 2 years.  Lately, I have been saying "almost 2" when people ask me how old she is, but still... it's a milestone, and means my baby is growing into a little girl!

Happy 23 months, big girl!

Talking up a storm!

Eliza is talking so much lately!  She's starting to put sentences together and use phrases.  I swear her vocab doubles every day.  She will repeat anything we say, and has also started to form her own sentences.

Here are a few of the things she's saying these days:

• "Where did it go?" (she hides something and then asks this, hand gesture and all)
• "There it is!"" 
• "Eliza drink Isaac's water" (this one she put together all by herself last week when we were watching Isaac and she stole his sippy)
• "Eliza wants more"
• "By self" or "Eliza do it" (she uses these when she wants to do something without your help - which is basically all the time)
• "I don't!" (this one is used anytime she doesn't want to do something, doesn't want YOU to do something, or basically doesn't want to agree with what you are asking her to do)
• "Eliza's running!/jumping!/walking!/chasing!/drinking/eating" (she likes to narrate what she's doing. So cute!)
• "Uppa-dee-dee" (this is her request for you to pick her up)
• "Change diaper"
• "Milk please mama" 

I know I'm forgetting a lot right now; I'll add to this list as I remember more.  I'd like to get some recordings of her talking.  Her speech is changing so rapidly that soon she will sound completely different I'm sure.  It would be fun to have a recording of how she sounded before she could really talk.  My iPod has a voice recording app which would work better than a video recording since as soon as I take out the video camera, she clams up!

21/22 Month Update

Eliza is 22 months old!  She is going to be two (TWO?  Did I just say TWO?!!) on November 14th.  And this mama is going to need a pause button, RIGHT QUICK.  

So here are some bullets about what's been going on in The World of Eliza over the last two months, and in between I put some of my favorite pics of my girl over the last month or so.

• Eliza is talking in very short sentences - one of her favorite is "Eliza's _____."  She likes to identify what is hers.  She hasn't figured out the word "mine" yet, but I'm sure it is just a matter of time.  Another favorite is "More ____ please!" or "Yes please mama" when she wants something. She's picked up many other phrases and sentences lately, too.  Too many to remember right now... but a couple of my favorites are: "Eliza do it by self", and "Eliza/Mama put it/milk/water in there!" (can be either a command or a statement of fact).

Playing her xylophone - the girl's already got talent!

• She is much better about not throwing her food - this is new in the last two months or so.  She used to throw her food 99% of the time after she was finished eating and now she simply hands her plate (or any food she doesn't want) to me or hubby instead of throwing it.  If she does throw any, we ask her to pick it up after she is done eating, and she (usually) complies and actually seems to like picking it up and taking it to the garbage. "Throw away!", she says.

Helping mama and grandma pick some grapes and some peppers from the garden

• Eliza is so so sweet.  She likes to lay her head on my chest after she wakes up from nap and then she asks me to sing to her.  It is so adorable.  She just needs some time to wake up, and she wants to do it in the arms of her mama.  Makes me feel so lucky and just so so happy to be her mom.  I love my girl.  She is also an excellent hugger, and will hug you and say "hug" (which sounds like "huck").

"Wearing" Grandma's earrings

• This girl's intelligence is freaky.  You only need to say or do something *one time* for her to remember it and repeat it from then on.  She knows so many things, from numbers and letters (a few!), to even our first names!  Tonight hubby asked her what mama's name is and she very clearly said "Ella"!  I didn't realize my parents had names other than 'mom' and 'papa' until I was like 10.  Or, something like that.

First time on a horse - 22 months old - she was a complete NATURAL!

• She says "yep!" now, as well as "sure" - I guess that's what we say, so she says it too!?  It's so cute.  And I think I heard her say "nope" today... which, I guess is at least slightly different than just the plain old "no" that we hear so often... ;)   And it's pretty cute, too.

Taking the light rail with Mama

• Still nursing and still enjoying every minute - though I am ready to transition to no nighttime nursing.  We'll be working on that next month...  we even bought a book that talks about it and we've been reading it a lot lately to prepare her.  She is ready.  It will be hard at first, but she will be okay.

Hair cut #2

• Bedtime shifted a bit this summer, it had started to become later and later, which is not something hubby and I were fans of... but we rolled with it.  We are trying to ease her into an earlier bedtime in preparation for the fall semester, when I will have work to do and precious little time in which to do it - I do count on those few hours when she's asleep (and I'm not) at night and during nap time to focus on schoolwork.  I prefer to focus on my girl - not my computer screen - when she's awake!

Running around near the central library in downtown

• Game playing has been a new thing lately.  Eliza is figuring out what is funny (and what is not funny, too) or what will get a laugh or a rise out of someone.  She plays games with us, makes funny faces, and just acts silly with us.  She is my little goofball!

Out to breakfast with mama and dada at the cabin

• She is so very observant; nothing slips by her.  I never doubt her when she calls out that she saw something in the car or when we're out walking (or even when she sees something on the page of a book that I didn't notice).  And her "uh-oh!"s are almost always spot on - so I trust her when I hear an "uh-oh!" from the other room.  It usually means something has spilled, she has found some cat vomit (yeah, gross), or she has peed on the floor ;)

Tea time at great aunt Mary's house

We had a really fun summer together, and while I might not have paid as much attention to my school work as I should have, I soaked up the time with my girl, and that is never something I will regret!

Eliza, I love you more every day! 

xoxo

Mama  

Warning: Potty Talk

I decided not to talk about potty learning/training on Face.book.  Just didn't want to go there, I guess.  Figured that I have my blog to talk about baby poop, pee and other things related to baby [fluids].

So you, lucky reader, get to hear it all - no holds barred!

Eliza will be 21 months on Sunday.  When she was 18 months old, my mom bought her a potty chair.  We accidentally bought one that makes sounds when the child pees (it was used so we didn't know it when we bought it), but Eliza hasn't figured that out yet.  Not sure how we feel about that particular feature.  Anyway, this potty chair has been sitting in our bathroom ever since May.

We have, and have always had, a very open attitude with Eliza when it comes to using the bathroom (and bodies/bodily functions in general) - I never shut the door when I am using the bathroom, and even when I do, she is welcome to walk in as she pleases (though we have recently started teaching her the idea of knocking).  We have also talked a LOT about the bathroom, the toilet, peeing, pooping, diapers, etc. with her (along with the difference between mama and dada's anatomy in the same conversation).  From about 16 months on, she knew what the toilet was for, knew that she went pee in her diaper, and knew when she had pooped and needed a new diaper.  So, she has been "potty aware" for a while.

When the potty chair found a home in the bathroom, we told her it was Eliza's potty and she could use it if and when she wanted.  She loved sitting on it and "practicing".  She would sit down and say "Peeeeeeeee!", ask for a piece of toilet paper, shut the lid and then walk away - no, she never actually went in the potty, but we never expected her to, nor were we planning on starting to potty train anytime soon.  So, we'd just reinforce the behavior by saying "yep, that's where Eliza will go potty when she's a big girl" or "yes, that's how you sit down on the potty when you have to pee".  Very neutral, very easy-going, no excitement or convincing her to actually USE the potty.

Then one morning Eliza and dada were sitting in her room and Eliza was naked (her favorite way to be, don't you know!).  She started saying "toot!" (which she used to say when she actually was peeing), and hubby thought she might have to pee.  So, he asked her if she wanted to pee in her potty, and she said yes.  They went into the bathroom, Eliza sat down on her potty, and she peed.  Then - just like she practiced - she got a piece of toilet paper, put it in the potty, slammed the lid down and walked out the door.  Ha!

Since then, we have kept a very neutral attitude toward PTing, not pushing her at ALL, and lo and behold, she has begun to want to pee in the potty.  A few times, when she has been naked around the house, she will yell "pee!" and run to her potty.  She has made it there one out of the three times :)  And when she doesn't make it there, she says "uh-oh!" and points to the puddle on the floor (which is weird, because we have never said anything about having an "accident" on the floor or that being bad or "uh-oh" worthy, but I guess she gets it that pee goes in the potty or in a diaper!?).

Where are we now?  We are definitely not in active PTing mode with Eliza - I know she is not fully ready yet.  She doesn't yet anticipate having to pee or poop, so the cognitive/behavioral connection is not quite there (though, sometimes it seems to be, but it is definitely hit and miss).  But we are letting her lead the way, as we don't want to squelch any progress that she wants to make.  And we are also talking more about her using the potty if she wants to, instead of peeing in a diaper.  Once a day, before bath time, she uses the potty pretty consistently.  We noticed that she peed every single time she would get into the tub, and so hubby started talking to her about it and explaining to her that she could pee before she gets into the tub in her potty... and then one night he asked her before bath time, "Eliza, do you want to pee in your potty before you get in the tub?", to which she answered "yes", and then peed in the potty.  So, now that's what she does.

She has also started waking up in the morning with dry diapers, which shocked me at first (I thought she was dehydrated or something!?), so sometimes (if I am awake enough, haha), I'll ask her first thing in the morning if she has to pee and she will say "yes", and then go use the potty.  She wanted to do this one morning at the lake last week so I held her up on the big toilet (we don't have a potty chair there) and she peed!

I just think it is amazing to watch her learn about all this and figure it out in her own head.  I am fully prepared - and even expect - for her to be in diapers for quite a bit longer, but we follow her cues and will try our best to help her get there (PT'ed, that is) easily and without struggle.  We stay calm and neutral because we don't want a power struggle, we don't want a competition, and we certainly we don't want to set her up to fail.

I'm not a BTDT mama, so as always, I welcome any and all advice or experiences you've had on this subject.  I have already consulted a few of my expert mommy friends and their advice has been invaluable!