what are we up to

Things are changing rapidly in our household. So quickly that there are days when I can't seem to find the time to collect my thoughts in a coherent way, so I can post something on the blog. Nothing earth-shattering is going on, but a lot of little changes to our daily routine and activities seem to have me on my toes.

First thing, Anna's naps have been very sparse this past week. There were a few days when Anna didn't nap for more than 20 minutes total. After those days I figured, well, she probably needs 2 naps today to catch up. So....she'd sleep in the morning for an hour and then not again until bedtime. Each day last week was different. No schedule, no rhyme or reason, and well, little to no naps.

Because of that, bedtime crept earlier and earlier. Anna was asleep before 6pm on a few evenings. And then up before 6am on a few mornings.

So, while I did not get worked up about it at the time...instead just took each day as it came - after over a week of the madness I am trying (really trying) to get ourselves into some semblance of a routine again. Gone are the days of 2 naps. We are down to one and here to stay I think. And, slowly but surely over the course of the next few weeks we are going to inch our way back to a bedtime we are comfortable with. 7pm would be nice - hoping a 6:30 or 7am wake time will follow.

Aside from sleep and schedule issues - Anna is becoming more and more mobile & therefore more curious. Nothing is safe anymore. She's into plants, drawers, bookshelves, garbage cans, pottys, and more. Fortunately she still respects the words "hot" and "yucky" which will stop her from either a) harming herself, or b) drinking toilet water.

She is also more enterprising. In the mornings, if she wakes before 6:30am I often let her jabber in her crib until then. On two occasions when her jabbers and calls for "mama" did not get a response - she decided to turn and bang on the wall adjacent to her crib (so loudly I thought our front door was being kicked in) until I came running. And on one occasion when she talked in her crib for over an hour during naptime with no rescue in sight, she tried to make a break for it. Her jabbers turned to screams - and this time I found her leg up higher than her head, stuck in the crib rail as she had tried to climb out. Oh boy.

Anna is learning to color. She is learning to brush her teeth & comb her hair. She is learning to eat with utensils and to use a plate or bowl (or just toss them all on the floor). She knows what a potty is, and soon we will have to buy her one to get her used to it before potty training. Oh yes, and now we are no longer "mama" and "dada" ... but "mommy" and "daddy".

Have I mentioned...where did my baby go??

Anyway, these next few months we will be working on establishing a new schedule, learning how to use utensils and to say please and thank you. That is, if we can prevent her from escaping from her crib or out the front door. Wish us luck.