The Ravel'd Sleave of Care

We should not complain too much, actually, as Baby K will often sleep for 3 to 4 hours at a time. In the early weeks RR was more often 2-3 hours and that makes for a *large* difference in parental comfort, not to mention sanity.

Little RR is enjoying nightly readings of "The Night Before Christmas" and pouring through the illustrations. She pays special attention to the cats. "The cat is surprised!" she notes, pointing to the kitty on alert by the hearth as St. Nicholas bounds down the chimney. I think I would be pretty surprised too.

A New Addition

We welcomed Baby K to the family on Nov. 30th. Everyone is doing well (mmm, or as well as can be expected under limited-sleep circumstances.) She has been keeping us entertained with her coy smiles and gurgles, and reminders that her last meal was so five minutes ago, already. But in fact she seems to sleep more and spit up less than her sister did, if my foggy memory serves, and that is much welcomed.

We are now figuring out how this whole "kid" -> "kids" transition works. Little RR has been very considerate of her baby sister, but her parents are sometimes confusing the names, now that there are two little ones where before there was only one! Though by comparison, RR seems practically an adult since she walks and talks and is over four times Baby K's weight.

Meanwhile RR has been showing signs of really learning how to use the bathroom, at least during the day, which is certainly an encouraging development.

A Widget Repurposed

It's been a while since my last post, and we've been busy... among other things, a family visit including RR's first trip to the seashore. She enjoyed the large sandbox and the ocean which is "Really wet. Really, really wet".

But now we're back home and it's bedtime, and she's wanting to fall asleep with T these days. However T being 8 months along, needs help lifting her over the crib rail. It's counterproductive to call out to me in the other room while holding a just-asleep child, even quietly via baby monitor. So I searched my gear bag and gave her a small push-button remote to summon assistance...

Some time later, sitting at my laptop, I heard a sharp ker-clack! nearby. Time to go, and a brand new use for my radio remote camera trigger.

Stepping Up

We put a step stool in front of the bathroom sink to make it easier for RR to reach the faucet. She usually enjoys playing with the water more than washing her hands, but that's a different story. She recently discovered that this stool is portable and can be readily moved about the house. It can serve as a soap box for orchestra conducting exercises in the living room, but she has found it can also bring light switches and many other things previously out of reach, in-reach. Gulp!

Going, going, gone.

Cooking Dinner

I chopped up and steamed some broccoli in the kitchen one recent afternoon. RR was playing with some shoes in the living room as I took a bag of scraps out to the trash, but apparently she was keeping a close eye on me as well. At dinner later that day, she looked at her plate and said, "pasta... broccoli!" She paused, and added, "Daddy take broccoli for a walk!"

Nursery Rhymes

RR has been repeating more rhymes she has learned either from us or at preschool. However, sometimes she comes up with her own take on it. We laughed at this one which she repeated recently:

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it and pat it and mark it with a "B"
...and give it to me!

(none of that time-consuming baking stuff)

Growing Up

Little RR spent a few hours this morning in the "Preschool 1" room, as she starts her transition out of "Toddlers". By all accounts she wasn't too thrilled at this development; however equanimity was restored by the afternoon.

I worked a little later than usual this evening before calling home, and this did not go un-noticed. At home, RR sat down and pointed at the sofa beside her. "Daddy sit right here!" "Talk Daddy!" T dialed for her, and she repeated the demand to me over the phone. Clearly, it was high time to go home.

I had been catching up at work, since I started the morning sitting in on T's ultrasound. The doctor says everything looks good, and in early December RR can expect to greet her baby sister. Yay! We've been talking in general terms about it with her, but I don't think she has entirely grasped the concept.

4th of July

We took a long road trip (some 355 miles) on July 3 to visit relatives. Little RR managed pretty well during the trip, helped by having D.G. at her elbow the whole way. A few more relatives dropped by on July 4th, and RR greatly enjoyed playing with T's cousin G, see photo at right. Generally speaking it seems she likes bouncing around, either by herself or with some help! I think she'll do quite well at gymnastics, if she keeps up this kind of activity.

This week one of T's co-workers gave us a pair of "duck glasses" with rims in the shape of ducks. This was an immediate hit and RR wanted to wear them all day, either on her face or up in her hair. She enjoys putting them on T as well. She is becoming more particular about her clothing, and helped pick out the last pair of shoes, showing them off proudly at daycare.

Next week she will start transitioning from the "Toddler" room into "Preschool 1" (sounds very advanced for a 2 year old!) and they asked us for a family photo. At first all of my photos of RR were pretty much candid shots. Some months ago, the teachers at her daycare taught her to say "cheese", so I started to get a lot of rather odd-looking smiles in photos. Recently she has managed some better smiles, and appears to actually enjoy the process. "Again, Daddy!" she said after I took a shot today. "Again! ...Again!" I don't know how long this camera enthusiasm will last, but it is certainly welcome as long as it does.

Private Investigations

Little RR is two years old! She is more actively exploring in all directions- she has recently discovered flashlights, and enjoys looking under the sofa, and across the floor, and just waving it around a lot. One discovery has taken awhile: for the past two years, she's been sleeping in a "sleep sack" (real sheets being more dangerous for toddlers, we're told). On morning recently, she woke up patting the outside of the sleep sack with a worried expression and said "No pockets! Oh no!"

She is learning more songs, and the alphabet, and days of the week, although sometimes they get mixed up a bit.

RR: A, B, C, D...
Mommy: That's very good! What comes next?
RR: Tuesday!

Conversation Piece

When I dropped my cell phone a few weeks ago, it fell apart permanently. I got a very basic replacement phone, which does little more than make calls, but the screen lights up when you press a key and it is clearly an important toy that needs frequent attention. Little RR understands such things. She calls my phone the "Daddy widget".

Tonight while trying to put her to sleep, I was pleased to see how she has started to move from single words into a little conversation of sorts.

RR: Daddy. Daddy. Daddy.
Me: Sweetie!
RR: Daddy widget.
Me: I'm sorry sweetie, I don't have it right now.
RR: (sadly) No widget.
Me: You can play with it tomorrow, ok?
RR: Oh, no! (...sigh) (...eventually, goes to sleep)

A Bit of Rain

It's been a bit rainy here this past month, but little RR enjoys wearing her raincoat and boots. Actually she enjoys boots and shoes of all kinds, and finding them, and picking them up, and carrying them singly or in pairs from place to place. Lest this seem disorganized, she does her best to help out in the mornings, rushing to my nightstand and handing me the contents: Daddy wallet! Daddy semsum (cell phone)! Daddy glasses! -and sometimes, if she finds them: Daddy shoes! She has been careful to note all these items as present and accounted for when I come home from work, also.

Her numbers have now moved beyond two. I pointed out two buttons on my shirt and she said "three", prompting me to realize that shirt indeed had a third button under the collar, which I'd forgotten. However, as she looked at a book she counted the boxes on the page "One, Two... Something... Ten, Eleven.. Eight, Seven... "