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Play and Activities for Babies Aged 0-3 Months
Babies are very open to perceiving and learning about the world from the moment they are born. The most significant activities that promote their development and entertain them during their daily routines are undoubtedly games. Play is the most important activity for a baby’s physical, social, and language development. Activities suitable for the baby’s stage, with the participation of parents,…
Cait's Arrested Development
And so we meet again, early morning insomnia. The night progressed as usual so why would I expect sleep? Dinner, play, kiddo baths, bedtime with stories and songs. Deviations: sorting a pile of bills followed by 4 episodes of new Arrested Development on Netflix as our reward (because there's always money in the banana stand.) Wrapped up just in time for a late night baby feeding and now at 1:45am I'm still awake. Good think it's a long weekend!
Day 10,788: Epic Day Trilogy Part 3 - Treats for bad behavior
(continued from Part I - Rainy Tuesday & Forgotten Salad & Part II - Potty Mouth and Teddy Bear Murder)
Cupcakes. I needed to escape for a treat for me even at the cost of ruining someone's dinner appetite or even overloading a 28 lb girl with a sugar rush the size of a two liter of pop. We indulge. She shoves chunks of cupcake at her mouth and gnaws at it till she meets the hand that was shoving it in. This is cute but messy and I sorta didn't care. [read: I am being worn down]
We head home. Hubby meets us after teaching some private students and gearing up for a beginning band concert tonight.
I serve dinner, eaten quickly by hubby with a kiss goodbye and a good luck wish as he headed to his concert. Dinner was refused by McToddler, followed by the defiant spilling of milk - by her not me. Infant 2.0 is sleeping soundly in the Moby wrap and I dare not move him.
Bath time hit as quickly as I could muster the strength to lift McToddler from her high chair while still wearing baby brother and after the mental mommy wrestle of scold vs. ignore.
Toddler chewed on foam block bath toys after being told not to and bent foam shape clings in half that were meant to be wetted and stuck to the walk but couldn't perform unless they were flat. [eyeroll]
"We will be washing your hair and your tushy and you are so getting out of this tub right now."
I dried off the girl child. Found suitable "pajamas" after refusal of the options that were actually pajamas. Lights out. Prayers for protection, guidance, and patience... you can guess who those were for. Then on with the nightly ritual of improvising a "Lollipop Tree Story" involving a princess, a boat, and an island and somehow fitting in a tree that grew lollipops. A kiss good night, and the finding of some stuffed animal friends to camp out in bed with her, I was home free. Achievement unlocked: legendary status of knocking out a child with a bed time story.
I closed the door. Headed downstairs to recuperate for a second and hubby came home from the concert. Perfect timing.
Momma wanted a beer. Momma settled for sleep.
Day 10,788: Epic Day Trilogy Part 2 - Potty Mouth and Teddy Bear Murder
(continued from Part I - Rainy Tuesday & Forgotten Salad)
I heated leftovers for lunch. Maintained momentum convincing toddler to eat. “Take a bite like a frog! Take a bite like a kitten! Take a bite like a dinosaur!” Eventual success. Somehow in the midst of successful food consumption this quote erupted from McToddler's mouth:
"I poo out food." To which, I have nothing to say and ask her who told her that. Surprise, her response was simply "Daddy." Upon a quick text, his reaction is best displayed with a screen capture.
2.0 down for nap.
McToddler tried the potty and got snuggled in for a nap. I cleaned up after lunch, thinking dreaming of the nap I was about to be rewarded with. Sneaking back upstairs I set my alarm on my phone, pull the covers up and...
Then come loud toddler noises. Straining to comprehend how the heck she knew when I was about to lay down, I tip toed down the hall past a sleeping 2.0 and then I requested that McToddler rest, tucking her in and closing her door. Back in bed, cue the now crying toddler. Open the door. Discovered stuffing.
Teddy bear murder. [My brain racks up images of deranged Disney characters like Sid from Toy Story and Darla from Finding Nemo.] I calm her down, upset from something unrelated to the disembowled bear. I gather the bits of stuffing from her bed and ask if the bear has a booboo. She says uh huh and I offer to make him better tomorrow. She agrees. I tuck her in and tell her to rest and close the door.
I tuck the fuzz back into the equivalent of a tracheotomy slit in the split seam of the bears neck and make a mental note to stitch him up tomorrow.
Repeat crawl into bed + alarm set + toddler tears.
Returning to her room she is dismayed and there is stuffing all over her bed. Note: the bear has been in my possession for the past 30 mins. I can't quickly figure out where the stuffing came from. Then I see where it's more concentrated. Up near her pillow and where the bed meets the wall I discovered stashed bear entrails. And I mean, 3 adult handfuls.
This was creepily adorably scooped out by tiny little fingers a pinch at a time over gosh knows how long. Only then do I finally attempt a nap. I deny the need, knowing my time is limited with 2.0 about to wake for his next feeding and I opt in favor of a shower. Quickly cue crying infant.
Feed. Change. Change toddler. Change infant again. Pack everyone up. Escape...
To be continued: Part III - Treats for bad behavior
Day 10,788: Epic Day Trilogy Part 1 - Rainy Tuesday & Forgotten Salad
The day started pretty rockin’. I didn’t get any less sleep than the two nights before. That’s silver lining for ”I got 4.5hrs of sleep in 1-2 hour increments again.”
Breakfast happened. Greek Gods Yogurt with Honey & Strawberry sprinkled lovingly with Kashi Go Lean. McToddler and I finished at the same time that 2.0 finished his milk. Putting ingredients back in the fridge I noticed hubby left the lunch I packed him in the fridge. A quick text asked if he knew and was acknowledged by “Damn. I forgot.” Added to the to-do list: drive kids to his school to drop off lunch on his prep.
Family reading time. Dancing to rainy day slow-going music. Pretend time in which McToddler made some food for us with her play kitchen. "I'm making some chicken for you." is the quote for the next image.
Stuffed the cloth diapers for both kiddos. Loaded kids in the car. Backed out of the driveway, pausing to wheel the garbage can into the garage after pick up, now holding standing rainwater. - dumped it out - Grabbed the metal and vinyl step stool from the side of the house forgotten by someone after a DIY fix on the garage coach lights from almost a week ago. Ventured to hubby’s school in the continuing rain. Success!
To be continued: Part II - Potty Mouth and Teddy Bear Murder
Time slows down
February needs to pass more quickly, and unfortunately I think I hit the scroll frame by frame button instead of fast forward. Every 2ish hours is a baby cycle: sleep, eat, diaper then sometimes wake and repeat. When you can't do anything for more than an hour a day you suddenly realize how long 24 hours is! Sweet, cute baby. Spoiled mommy wants him to sleep more like the 27 month old. In due time, I know. He's great so far. I just know what's ahead. And tomorrow, my husband goes back to school after a long weekend. Sigh.
First Dream in two weeks
What do I dream about when I sleep long enough to have a dream for the first time in two weeks? A Purdue Band bowl trip. White sequined dress and everything, I have to use the bathroom as we are boarding busses and all I can think of are Guido and Eric saying "no pooping." Amanda was saving my seat as I hurry back inside to the hotel, miss my bus, leave my wallet, phone, room key in the room and I have my practice silk on my flag. Some hotel guy says I'll have to catch a cab. They help me get my stuff out of my room and I wake up. My first "rational" thought: wasn't I always bus captain? They couldn't leave without me. That was so stressful!!
Just two weeks ago
Around this hour, just two weeks ago, I was getting admitted to labor and delivery. I had spent almost 12 hours in active labor, frustrated that I couldn’t have access to pain relief until I could prove I was making progress.
A room and a nurse all to myself greeted me after admission and soon after, the sanity and rest granting gift that is the epidural arrived in the skilled hands of my anesthesiologist. A little sleep. A little pitocin. Some ice chips. Meet & greet with my medical team. By 11am it was go time. In two contractions worth of pushes, a warm pink gooey little boy arrive on my chest to say hello and freak out about the world he had just been born into. The day was filled with amazement at the easy physical recovery, realizations that my husband and I were a lot less worried the second time around, and visits by family that in hindsight were probably much too soon. Man, this was all just two weeks ago.
