First word=Da-da....where's the love, Libby?

Dadda

Hanukkah 2009

This was the first year that Felicity really understood what Hanukkah was all about. That's right: presents. EIGHT. DAYS. OF. PRESENTS. I keep trying to make myself feel better by knowing that she'll be in Sunday school next year and will maybe get the significance of the holiday.

This year we pretty much made Hanukkah all about Strawberry Shortcake.

Princess game

F and daddy

Peek-a-boo

Libs

Rudolph

F and L sing

Deer in the circle

Deer

Libby waves

While at the mall in indianapolis on our way home fom ohio

Libby in her highchair

Libby claps

Asparagus at 8 Months!

This evening we had Anna and Scott over to dinner to meet Chris' parents. You know grandparents want to know who is taking care of their little granddaughter. So, there we were in the midst of a great dinner. Libby had finished her pureed green beans and she was eyeing the asparagus. I thought of cutting it up and giving it to her, but I just opted to give her the entire stalk. She was occupied by that asparagus (and its subsequent replacements) for nearly half an hour.

Happy 8 Months Baby Girl!

Teething Biscuit

Eating has been an adventure for Libby lately. It seems that her tummy doesn't really like food and that she gets rather constipated if she eats ANYTHING. As it turns out, PEARS ARE CONSTIPATING. Who knew?! So far, the things that seem to work are teething biscuits and green beans. Here she is enjoying a teething biscuit for the first time. ALthough the photos don't show it, she was COVERED in barley biscuit.

She was cawing at her sister here...

Look at those eyes!

Celebrating the Harvest

On Sunday Felicity, Libby and I went to the farmstand to get enough stuff to decorate the yard in preparation for Halloween. Chris was working, which is good. Because if he saw this, I'm not sure if he'd laugh or cry. Or, well, commit me.

At the risk of jinxing myself...

LIBBY SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT ON OCT. 1, 2009.

Down at 7, up at 7.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel of sleep deprivation. And it's very very bright.

Fun With Anna

Since the beginning of September, Anna has been coming Monday through Thursday to watch Libby. Last week, however, Felicity was home sick. And, when she was on the mend, Anna came prepared to make her "stay at home" day much more fun than sitting around on the couch. How? You ask. SHAVING CREAM. The neighborhood girls all came together too to participate.

Messy= fun.

7 Months and Sleep Training

When Libby was about eight weeks old she started sleeping from 8 to 8. I was worried. I called the doctor. I got online. I feared she would waste away to nothing. I woke up every hour on the hour and stared at the monitor to make sure she was breathing. She was fine. Of course she was fine. And if I knew then what I know now, I would have relished in the fact that I was one of those moms that brag about their baby who slept through the night at two months.

But things changed.

Fast forward about five months. Two teeth, one stomach bug, and a lot of developmental feats later, I had a Libby who wanted to nurse EVERY TWO HOURS. And I had become an enabler. She'd make a peep and I'd be in her room and have her on the boob faster than you can say "manipulate." And she's nurse back to a peaceful sleep. I'd stroke her little soft head. She'd sigh. And I'd think, "This isn't THAT bad."

But then sleep deprivation began to wear on me.

I got sick.

Felicity got sick.

Chris got sick.

There was one night when Chris was in the guest room, Felicity was with him, and I was in Felicity's bed, just to avoid making too much noise with a cough that might wake Libby more frequently than the EVERY TWO HOURS she was waking up.

So, last night: I decided to put my food down. (Duh Duh Daaaaah)

Let the sleep training begin. Now, I am writing this down as much for myself to show me that I can do this and that I do have resolve. And I'm doing it to have a documented entry to point skeptical friends to when they are not sure how sleep training really works.

Here was last night:

7:30: Libby asleep in bed.

9:00: Libby wakes up. I go to her to make sure she's warm enough and diaper is dry and I decide to feed her one last time before the inevitable long night.

11:00: Libby cries hard. Chris goes in after 20 minutes and pats her back. She screams louder after he leaves, but is back to sleep by 11:40.

2:00: Libby cries. We wait until 2:20. Chris goes in and pats her back. She screams louder when he leaves, but then settles down by 2:40.

5:00: I WAKE UP. She is STILL SLEEPING. I go back to sleep.

6:15: She stirs, I go in and unload a gallon of milk into her for both her comfort and mine.

7:45: She wakes up happy.

SO, that was night #1. I'm bracing myself for night number 2, but I am hopeful that the twenty minute "pat" time from Daddy will let her know that she is not alone but that the all-night buffet has closed. Here's hoping...

Daycare Failure

Yesterday I tried to take Libby to daycare. It was just horrible.
I first dropped up all of her stuff with Felicity. Felicity thought it was so cool to be a big sister in the infant room and kept telling Libby everything was going to be o.k...
She needed to be telling me that!

So, I handed Libby to one of the providers and left to drop Felicity off with the intention of coming back, nursing Libby down, and leaving.

But when I came back, I knew it wasn't to be.
Libby was crying.
Babies everywhere seemed to be crying.
I was crying.

So I scooped her up and went home.

We now have a new plan, and I am feeling much better about it. MUCH.BETTER.
Anna is going to come on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And then Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I will get a student.



In more happy news: Libby sits up and is most excited by, get this, grass.

Girls Week 2009

Once upon a time, Daddy went away to a conference in New Mexico. Mommy stayed home with the girls and we survived.

It's been an eventful week, but we did it, with a little help from Anna ;)

Some week highlights:

I went with Libby to visit her new daycare room. She'll be at the same daycare as Felicity, and although she'll be in the infant room with tons of trained providers, I am super sad all the same. She's going to be going just two days a week so that I can get some writing done, so that I can get some publications and then get tenure and have a pay check and health care insurance, you know, so we all don't starve. It's the little things.

And although Felicity spent most days from 9-3 at school, it still proved to be a busy week. I tried to do as much with Felicity in the afternoons. So, we went to the pool one day (and Libby actually swam!!), we had a picnic in the park, we went to dinner at the Choo-Choo restaurant, we went to Target, we went on a ton of walks, played in the pool in the front yard, and even attended a birthday party. Not bad, for being a single Mom.

Here are some highlights:

Beautiful Libby poses on the Circle:

Felicity spent a good portion of the week's afternoons playing and jumping with Zoe:

Anna came by a lot to relieve Mommy and keep me company! She discovered that Libby really likes Clifford (and the color Red):

Felicity was also a tremendous help to Mommy! She occupied Libby, used her manners, and was a good listener. She was soooo good that she got to sleep in Mommy's bed every night.

During the course of the week, we experimented with food. Although she appears to like a variety of fruits and veggies, her tummy is NOT ready. We're going to stick with chewing on a green bean and gnawing on whole carrots for a while :)

So now that Daddy's back, things seem back to normal! Now Mommy's plotting how she gets to have a week off ;)

Sweet Potatoes!

Libby had sweet potatoes for the first time yesterday. Although she's hardly as interested as her sister was in food, she does like the spoon. She hasn't quite moved past her tongue thrust, so most of the food ended up on the bib. But we'll keep trying.

What struck me so much was how much the girls are looking alike, especially at the six month mark. The photos below are of Felicity and Liberty at six months (actually Libby has about a week to go...) and the eyes are nearly identical. I think Libby has a different mouth...maybe an Avon mouth? But the eyes really make both girls look like their Daddy :)

Can you tell who's who below?

Felicity Whidden: Thrill Seeker and Roller Coaster Addict

Yesterday was Lake Forest Days, a carnival that sets up in a pristine park amidst multimillion dollar houses. It is a carnival quite unlike any carnival I have ever seen. Imagine your average carnival. And then factor out all turkey legs, funnel cakes, obese people, and tank tops and then substitute those with organic frozen yogurt, yoga-moms, and an explosion of Lilly Pulitzer. Then you've got the Lake Forest Carnival.

Felicity has a little friend from her class, Lauren, who lives right across from the park. Yes, Felicity has friends. It's a relatively newer phenomenon. But it's hilarious. She no longer demands that either Chris or I entertain her and instead requests playdates and begs to go outside "by MYSELF, Mama. Not with you." She's a big girl now. In fact, she took her first shower last night. All by herself.

Anyway, Lauren's mom and I coordinated a playdate that would involve going to the carnival together. Felicity was a bit skeptical at first, but then began shaking her fists and laughing maniacally at the possibility of RIDING THE ROLLERCOASTER...AGAIN! And as she ran around with Lauren, the Moms trailing behind, I had a brief glimpse of what is to come. She will probably be attending this thing in ten years, this time after dark, riding the scary rollercoasters and begging that I drop her off with her friends a block away so that no one sees her Mom in the minivan. No doubt it will involve meeting up with boys. AHHHH. I have to stop or else I'll need a Xanax.

Anyway...Felicity loved the rides. She shrieked. She screamed. And she ran like crazy to get to the next ride.

Felicity Turns Four

I still cannot believe that I have a four year old. And my God is she the girliest four year old in history. Elisabeth says that she's five girls in one. And I have to agree.

For this year's birthday party we opted for low key. We had a small barbeque with just neighborhood kids and then cake. I did go all out on the cake. Felicity wanted Fancy Nancy and apparently there are copyright restrictions on using Fancy Nancy, so el cheapo Jewel wouldn't do. But the fancy bakery would. I have to add here that we went back and forth on whether she wanted a Cyndi Lauper cake or a Fancy Nancy cake. It was a very tough decision. But, in the end, Fancy Nancy won out. And Felicity had a blast. Here are some highlights...

Behold the Power of Cuteness

Spy-Cam

One of the luxuries that we have this time around that we didn't have with Felicity is the video monitor. It's been a lifesaver in that we can really see if Libby "needs" us or if she's just playing around before falling asleep. The funny part is that the camera above her crib has a green light on it that Libby finds mesmerizing. When she wakes up she crawls toward the light, sometimes she laughs at it, other times she talks at it. Below is some video of the flirtation with the light as she tries to put herself to sleep.

E.R. Drama--Spanish style

And there I was. Sitting down in front of the computer with a hot cup of coffee and stiff resolution to write a publishable article two publishable paragraphs. I don't aim big any more. I had that focus that comes with the early morning and the panic of looming tenure.

And then the phone rang.

It was the daycare center calling to explain to me that F had cut herself rather badly with some scissors. In Spanish class. What the $%*@?!!!

So, I called Chris, who cancelled his tutoring and came home to be here while Libs napped.

I arrived at the daycare to find a teary Felicity and a bloody finger. I wrapped it in gauze and first aid tape and we headed to the hospital across the street.

THREE HOURS LATER we were seen in the E.R. by a doctor who looked at the gauzed finger and nearly left, explaining that he thought she had already been seen.

But then he soaked it in iodine, applied some Neosporin, and sent us home WITH A BAND-AID. A $75 band-aid, I might add. Because that's my ER co-pay.

So, don't let anyone ever tell you that Spanish class isn't dangerous.

Reading

 

 

 

A friend of mine--actually someone whose kids I used to babysit back in the day (two of the four are now IN COLLEGE, damn I'm old!)--sent Liberty and Felicity some books in honor of Libby's birth. Felicity has been absolutely thrilled with them and, in particular, is overjoyed at the prospect of reading to her little sister. Libby watches wide-eyed and loves Felicity's overly-animated expressions.

She is also super excited about reading because of the contest at the public library. If she reads for a certain amount of hours she will get a bookmark and then a flashlight. You need to read or be read to for TEN hours and Felicity is determined to get this flashlight by the end of the week, which means that I have read Wacky Wednesday and Go Dog Do enough that I could recite them in my sleep :)

She Bikes!

 
 

Felicity has FINALLY embraced her bike. She rides around and around the circle with the other kids. So far, no injuries...