Happy 40th birthday, Daniel! I can't believe my baby brother is 40. The big four-oh. That's a big deal.
Anyway, on to Kaylynn's day. I took her to school today, so we needed to leave by 6:50 to get there in time for me to catch my bus. I got up at 5:30 to get ready ahead of her. She had gone to bed a little early the night before, so getting up didn't seem to be a problem. She woke up around 6:20. Perfect! Diaper change, clothes on, go-gurt and on her way. I missed my bus, though.
She was happy to be at school and seems really comfortable there. They reported that she ate some breakfast, didn't have a poopy diaper, ate some lunch, napped for over an hour, and generally had a good day. At one point a little boy was sitting on a chair crying and she went over to him and said "hug hug hug" and then gave him a hug. How sweet is that? She also settled down with another little girl for some story time. Here's the official report from day care. "Kaylynn had a great day! During group time, we listened to tape stories and read books. For art, we colored our own Olympic medals and got our picture taken by the flag. We also had ice cream to celebrate Jackson's birthday and played outside in the beautiful weather."
She was happy to see me when I picked her up, which was nice. We came home and had a quick dinner and got ready for services, which were at 6:30 tonight and were special for Purim - a dress-up holiday that has a fun service. There are toys there for kids to play with and she had fun with hers. She more or less clung to me the whole time. I think whoever gets her out of her crib in the morning is "it" for the day. Anyway, she seemed to be taking in everything that was going on around her. There was a lot going on, but she got into the groove of it all and danced a little during songs. Her teeth were still bothering her, but after the service she really enjoyed running around and watching what the other kids were doing. So she wasn't excited to go home, but it was getting late, so home we came!
Diaper change, PJs, brushing teeth and running around capped off the evening. I settled down with Llama on my lap & Kaylynn climbed up. We had 3 books and then everyone got tucked in and sung to. She didn't fuss at all about going to bed, so I think she was pretty worn out.
Julian and I decided we had to have code words for certain things. The first one was that cookies are referred to as "the big C."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 25, 2010
Well, the teething goes on. We could tell Kaylynn wasn't feeling her best. She was happy (and she knew it... clapped her hands... wait... never mind) but she had big moments of whining. Thank goodness for Ora-Gel.
She was very excited to see her new baby when she woke up this morning. Baby was courtesy of Julian's co-worker. She pulled her bee around for a while, but what held her attention the most was coloring. She loves that magnadoodle. Julian was home with her all day. They ran around the basement and played with balls. She ate well and napped for 2 hours.
When I got home, we had a few things to take care of. She helped me with laundry and we picked up some of her toys so it wasn't such an obstacle course. We took the dogs outside and threw snowballs for Murphy to fetch. (She caught one mid-air - good dog!) Kaylynn wouldn't keep her mittens on and her hands were getting cold, so we had to come back in. She *really* didn't want to come back in, but there was no reasoning with her to keep the mittens on. We had been out for 15 minutes or so, which I think is enough for a cool winter day. And besides, I couldn't find her boots so she couldn't be out too long.
When I was getting ready to make dinner, I pulled out green beans from the freezer. I decided to see if she wanted to chew on a frozen one, thinking it might help her teeth feel better. She did and it helped, but when I offered them a little later she wasn't interested. She wasn't too interested in the green beans I heated and served, so I gave her peas. I also gave her a taste of BBQ sauce but she didn't love it.
After dinner and clean up we put laundry in the drier & played with the bouncy balls again. She settled in on my lap, pulled her socks off, pulled my socks off, and played with her magnadoodle for a bit. Then she put her socks on her hands, which is something she seems to like to do a lot.
She was OK with having her diaper changed but was sad to see her PJs come out. She put them on anyway, brushed teeth and greeted Julian (and the new ball he got her) when he came home. She wasn't too interested in going to sleep and I did want her to go in early so she could get up early to go to school with me in the morning. I need to get her there around 7 to get myself to work on time. So, I put Llama on my lap and read her a book while Julian cradled Kaylynn. We tucked Llama in and gave kisses and hugs. Then we sang to Kaylynn and she was ready to settle down and sleep. I think she drifted off really quickly.
BTW we are SO happy to have the baby monitor. We haven't been able to use our sound machine because we wouldn't have been able to hear her. No worries now.
Anyone know all the words to Ba-ba black sheep?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
February 24, 2010
I left the house before Kaylynn woke up at around 7:15 or so. Julian got her up & dressed, gave her juice and took her to school. They give her breakfast there, which is really fun for the kids - they all get to eat together. She was a little quiet when she first got there but she started playing soon enough.
I picked her up and she showed me her picture (she had "colored" the Olympic rings with black & red scribbles). She apparently wanted to keep her picture at school. She was in a different room than where her cubby is, so I had her take me to the other room and we gathered up her stuff. She had a "horse" (zebra) toy that she gladly handed over to the staff (whose name I didn't catch). She had made a snowboarder (picture attached) and I guess they all put tissue boxes on their feet and pretended to speed-skate. With the winter Olympics going on, it's nice that the school integrates what's going on in the world into their curriculum. They reported that her nap was good and it was too cold to go outside & play today. She also had a poopy diaper after nap, which made Julian very happy.
We got home, got the dogs outside and started to get settled. A couple friends, Saber and Saren, came over for a visit and helped a lot getting dinner ready and entertaining her while I got myself ready for - yes - another meeting at Shir Tikvah. Julian got home just before I left. She ate 1/2 chicken breast and some green beans.
So, the rest of the night is as reported to me by Julian. He gave her a bath and she really really didn't want her hair washed. He had her help with the washcloth but it wasn't her favorite bath experience. After she had her hair washed, she stood up in the bathtub and peed, thinking that it was very funny. Julian thought - at least it wasn't on the floor like the last time. After her bath she brushed her teeth. She's still teething, so he gave her some children's Motrin. She drank 1/2 of it and didn't want the rest. They sat together on the kitchen chair until she took it. Again, not her very favorite moment, but she really needed it.
Julian put her to bed and they tucked in her dolly, Llama, which seems to help her get ready to sleep. She was a tired girl!
A couple of Julian's co-workers gave him some very sweet gifts - some clothing and a baby doll. It was awfully thoughtful and generous.
Tomorrow Julian & Kaylynn hang out all day, and then it's back to school on Friday.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
February 23, 2010
For the last 2 days I've been in New York City interviewing rabbis and cantors and educators - oh my! Kaylynn stayed with Grandma and Grandpa from Sunday evening to tonight. Julian (one "n" everyone) had dinner with Kaylynn's Grandma & Grandpa (Tracey & Al) and Kaylynn's "old grandma" and "old grandpa" (Pam & Jerry). Apparently they're not loving the "old" grandma & grandpa title... how about Nana and Papi? Just a thought. Anyway, she gave Julian a big smile when she saw him, which is so nice!
So, they had Chinese food. Kaylynn apparently loves Lo Mein. Al thought she was slurping it and running it right down her throat. Then he noticed that she slurps a little, chews a little & swallows, slurps some more and chews, etc. Sounds very sweet. Kaylynn sat at the table quite a bit of the time, but a few times she needed to go "down" (which she finally differentiates from "up" depending on her location). She colored with crayons. For a while she was saying something that sounded like "shut up" but Tracey figured out she was saying "Shadow" (Pam & Jerry's dog). After the meeting, she gave everyone kisses and hugs. She was a little fussy getting into the car, but was waving to Grandpa & Grandma and saying "bye."
On the way home, she was a little fussy (it was late , she was over-tired) so Julian sang to her just about non-stop. It's about a 30 minute drive. After the 30th round of "if you're happy and you know it..." he just had to switch to "Old MacDonald." She picked up on the e-i-e-i-o but it was more like "e-i-o" all run together.
When they got home, she was greeted with a big kiss from Willy. She said "shoo-shoo wee" and grabbed onto his snout. She had a smile on her face the whole time. We're thinking that's her first "full" sentence. Anyone else know of one before this?
It was late and Julian got her to bed relatively quickly. She did notice her new toys (thank you Nana and Papi) right away and set about playing with them. She was disappointed when Julian had to get her to bed. He took out her dolly, Llama, and put her on the changing table next to the crib, said 'night night' to her and covered her up with a blanket. Then Kaylynn said, "night night baby" and then "kees" (kiss). Another sentence! She talked to herself for a couple minutes and then went to sleep. I missed seeing her by about 15 minutes or so. I'm looking forward to some time with her tomorrow after school (a.k.a."happy happy fun place").
So, they had Chinese food. Kaylynn apparently loves Lo Mein. Al thought she was slurping it and running it right down her throat. Then he noticed that she slurps a little, chews a little & swallows, slurps some more and chews, etc. Sounds very sweet. Kaylynn sat at the table quite a bit of the time, but a few times she needed to go "down" (which she finally differentiates from "up" depending on her location). She colored with crayons. For a while she was saying something that sounded like "shut up" but Tracey figured out she was saying "Shadow" (Pam & Jerry's dog). After the meeting, she gave everyone kisses and hugs. She was a little fussy getting into the car, but was waving to Grandpa & Grandma and saying "bye."
On the way home, she was a little fussy (it was late , she was over-tired) so Julian sang to her just about non-stop. It's about a 30 minute drive. After the 30th round of "if you're happy and you know it..." he just had to switch to "Old MacDonald." She picked up on the e-i-e-i-o but it was more like "e-i-o" all run together.
When they got home, she was greeted with a big kiss from Willy. She said "shoo-shoo wee" and grabbed onto his snout. She had a smile on her face the whole time. We're thinking that's her first "full" sentence. Anyone else know of one before this?
It was late and Julian got her to bed relatively quickly. She did notice her new toys (thank you Nana and Papi) right away and set about playing with them. She was disappointed when Julian had to get her to bed. He took out her dolly, Llama, and put her on the changing table next to the crib, said 'night night' to her and covered her up with a blanket. Then Kaylynn said, "night night baby" and then "kees" (kiss). Another sentence! She talked to herself for a couple minutes and then went to sleep. I missed seeing her by about 15 minutes or so. I'm looking forward to some time with her tomorrow after school (a.k.a."happy happy fun place").
Sunday, February 21, 2010
February 21, 2010
Kaylynn was up nice & early this morning, as usual. I had to leave the house at 8:45 so we set about our business of getting breakfast pretty quickly. She was all about the banana and had a little bit of cereal and, of course, her milk. When I left, Julian took over. They played with the balls downstairs and she was a big help with laundry, putting it in the washer (or the sink... wherever it landed). She likes to put a rubber band on her wrist and she calls it an "owie." She must have snapped herself at some point. Her love of the dogs extends to kissing Willy's foot this morning and giving Murphy 'huks.'
She seems to be teething, judging from the amount of drool (according to great-grandma and grandma - we're new at this). She was a little more sedentary than usual, asking to watch Barney. The picture, attached, is of her sitting in her Shrek chair, eating a fruit roll-up and mellowing out.
She was happy to see grandma today when Julian took her over to drop her off. Apparently the teething exhausted her. I hear she fell asleep on grandpa's lap around 5! Here's hoping she sleeps through the night!
She's at grandma & grandpa's for a couple days and I'm off to New York. No more posts until then...
Saturday, February 20, 2010
February 20, 2010
So, you'd think I have all the time in the world to write this. After all, she naps for 2 hours and Julian was working all night... but time was not on my side tonight.
We got a crib today, which meant Julian really had to clear out his room. We got all the furniture moved and everything else boxed up. The co-worker of mine who brought the crib over also brought her 3- and 8-year old. They chased each other and the dogs and Kaylynn all over the place. Fun had by all. Giggles galore.
I took Kaylynn to Costco to do some much needed shopping. I picked up all sorts of snacks, some storage solutions, and who knows what else I was so tired when I got back I could barely schlep it up the stairs & put it all away. She ate her way through Costco and was really patient with it all. She ate a little piece of pound cake, talapia, a couple pieces of garlic chicken (which I bought because she loved it so much), a small piece of pizza and a bit of a granola bar (chewy). I picked up a "Cars" book for her so she had something to play with in the cart. It has buttons & makes noise, and you can play with it through the plastic. She took the price tag off so I put it on my shirt so I wouldn't lose it. All through the store I cost $6.99. Yes, that's probably too much :)
We got home & she ate quite a bit more. I had bought dried fruit and she ate a little package of apples (quite a bit for a little tummy) and a few animal cookies. Off to nap... really late - it was after 2. It was her first time in her new crib so she took a while to settle down. I stopped hearing her chatter close to 2:30, when I put the phone down and took my own nap. At 4:30 I checked on her and she seemed to be still sleeping - laying down - but she opened her eyes and said 'hi!' So up she went and directly to our 'new' changing table where her poopy diaper was promptly changed.
It was closing in on dinner time so I started to make something. Julian had some leftover supreme pizza. I cut some of it up - she loved it! - and also made some chicken nuggets. I cooked up a veggie medley. Even with butter, she was unimpressed with the broccoli. Lesson learned - don't put everything in the same bowl because if she doesn't like one thing, she won't try anything else in that bowl. So, I ate her veggies as well as my own. Ya know, if you cook cauliflower long enough, it doesn't taste so bad.
We played a little, danced and then read books around 8:15. She wasn't quite wound down yet, but I was! I sang to her (ABC song probably 10 times) and 6 kisses later she went to sleep and I started to work on the house. Put shoes away, print resumes (for upcoming interviews with prospective Educators at the synagogue... had lots of printer / computer problems so it took a lon time), wash dishes, change sheets... And that brings me to the present moment - Julian should be home from work soon. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
We got a crib today, which meant Julian really had to clear out his room. We got all the furniture moved and everything else boxed up. The co-worker of mine who brought the crib over also brought her 3- and 8-year old. They chased each other and the dogs and Kaylynn all over the place. Fun had by all. Giggles galore.
I took Kaylynn to Costco to do some much needed shopping. I picked up all sorts of snacks, some storage solutions, and who knows what else I was so tired when I got back I could barely schlep it up the stairs & put it all away. She ate her way through Costco and was really patient with it all. She ate a little piece of pound cake, talapia, a couple pieces of garlic chicken (which I bought because she loved it so much), a small piece of pizza and a bit of a granola bar (chewy). I picked up a "Cars" book for her so she had something to play with in the cart. It has buttons & makes noise, and you can play with it through the plastic. She took the price tag off so I put it on my shirt so I wouldn't lose it. All through the store I cost $6.99. Yes, that's probably too much :)
We got home & she ate quite a bit more. I had bought dried fruit and she ate a little package of apples (quite a bit for a little tummy) and a few animal cookies. Off to nap... really late - it was after 2. It was her first time in her new crib so she took a while to settle down. I stopped hearing her chatter close to 2:30, when I put the phone down and took my own nap. At 4:30 I checked on her and she seemed to be still sleeping - laying down - but she opened her eyes and said 'hi!' So up she went and directly to our 'new' changing table where her poopy diaper was promptly changed.
It was closing in on dinner time so I started to make something. Julian had some leftover supreme pizza. I cut some of it up - she loved it! - and also made some chicken nuggets. I cooked up a veggie medley. Even with butter, she was unimpressed with the broccoli. Lesson learned - don't put everything in the same bowl because if she doesn't like one thing, she won't try anything else in that bowl. So, I ate her veggies as well as my own. Ya know, if you cook cauliflower long enough, it doesn't taste so bad.
We played a little, danced and then read books around 8:15. She wasn't quite wound down yet, but I was! I sang to her (ABC song probably 10 times) and 6 kisses later she went to sleep and I started to work on the house. Put shoes away, print resumes (for upcoming interviews with prospective Educators at the synagogue... had lots of printer / computer problems so it took a lon time), wash dishes, change sheets... And that brings me to the present moment - Julian should be home from work soon. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19, 2010
Kaylynn was awake at 6:50 when I checked in on her. I changed her diaper and thought she might want snuggle time with the “puppies” but she was ready to roll. I had to eat some breakfast at home because Fridays are my allergy shot days and I have to eat before I get them. She shared my cereal very enthusiastically. When I started to put my coat on, she ran & grabbed her snow pants (which were where her jacket usually is – she didn’t know they weren’t her jacket) and was ready to go “bye-bye” with me. She was a little disappointed, but she had a big day ahead of her!
Julian got her ready & took her in to daycare at 9ish, I think. She got settled into their routine right away. They said a prayer and gave the kids breakfast and she drank her juice & ate her cheerios, which we didn't think she liked. She was so busy doing everything the other kids were doing that she wasn’t much interested in long good-byes.
I got a call from daycare today around 1:30. I figured I’d hear something after lunch and I was right. The report is that Kaylynn is having a great time. She’s playing well with the kids. They said she has lots of words – we just don’t know what they mean. Sounds like she’s made friends with Sophie, another little girl in the class. She’s playing with babies (dolls) and she loved loved loved painting. I think we’ll be pulling out the crayons for her. I definitely have a baby for her – I just have to find it. They had story & song time and she's really engaged with the other kids. She ate a lot for breakfast but didn’t have much for lunch. They said they expected that on her first day. They take the kids outside to play – she had snow pants and boots – and she walked around crunching the snow.
They have the kids nap on cots, which is usually unfamiliar to a toddler. When they called me, she was sitting quietly on one of the teacher’s laps and then took a little nap on the cot after she warmed up to it. They said she hasn’t seemed sad or upset in any way except when they gave her a sippy cup of water at nap time and she threw it on the floor – not what she wanted, I guess.
I got there just after 5 and she & another toddler, Cameron (I think) were sitting in these little toddler-sized purple chairs drawing with one of those little magnetic boards. I talked with the teacher a little bit. Kaylynn didn't have any poopies and she had a really good day. They give a pretty full report! They commented on her note about how happy she is. In fact, that turned out to be her word of the day. You'll see...
I asked her to put on her coat & she didn't want to. The teacher put her coat on and I put mine on and she followed suit. She was very reluctant to leave - not crying, but not eager to go. She had a blast there and I feel bad that she's not going back until Wednesday.
We got home & the dogs were really ready to go out. Then it was dinner time. I reached for the well-known stand-bys - a hotdog and peas. She ate the whole hotdog and peas, asked for more peas, ate them, asked for more - she got 3 helpings of peas! I took out a pineapple ring and cut it into pieces and sat down to eat some. Of course she wanted a bite and I gave it to her. She loved pineapple. Unfortunately, she just says 'apple' so it may be hard to differentiate if she likes apples, too.
I fed the dogs and got her out of her chair. She pulled out some books and one of them was an Elmo book. Elmo, if you recall, had a book that went through feelings via the "if you're happy and you know it" song. She saw Elmo and said "happy." So I started singing the song and she started to sing and dance. "Happy happy" and then a couple claps. I did a round of angry-stomp-your-feet and she did that, too. I took some video with my camera. The sound is hard to hear but I'm going to try to load it so you can see. You'll know if I was successful :)
The dogs were stir-crazy and Julian was still working. I decided to take them all to the dog park. Everyone was well behaved and it was a relatively easy trip. She wanted to go "a-whee" on the slide and picked up balls all over the place. It was almost all small dogs so she got to have some running around time. It wasn't until I put her in the car that I realized how tired she was, so we came home, had a bath and off to bed she went. The bath didn't go as well with an over-tired baby as with a not-tired baby. She was OK until I needed to rinse her hair. I managed to get the job done but not in the most happy way. She brushed her teeth but completely fusses when I try to brush them. Ideas how to make that work? Julian was on the phone with Melissa and was a little late for bedtime ritual. She asked for him so I sent him in to say goodnight. He got kisses and she settled down after a bit.
Tomorrow is a big day! Kaylynn gets a new bed. Stay tuned...
Julian got her ready & took her in to daycare at 9ish, I think. She got settled into their routine right away. They said a prayer and gave the kids breakfast and she drank her juice & ate her cheerios, which we didn't think she liked. She was so busy doing everything the other kids were doing that she wasn’t much interested in long good-byes.
I got a call from daycare today around 1:30. I figured I’d hear something after lunch and I was right. The report is that Kaylynn is having a great time. She’s playing well with the kids. They said she has lots of words – we just don’t know what they mean. Sounds like she’s made friends with Sophie, another little girl in the class. She’s playing with babies (dolls) and she loved loved loved painting. I think we’ll be pulling out the crayons for her. I definitely have a baby for her – I just have to find it. They had story & song time and she's really engaged with the other kids. She ate a lot for breakfast but didn’t have much for lunch. They said they expected that on her first day. They take the kids outside to play – she had snow pants and boots – and she walked around crunching the snow.
They have the kids nap on cots, which is usually unfamiliar to a toddler. When they called me, she was sitting quietly on one of the teacher’s laps and then took a little nap on the cot after she warmed up to it. They said she hasn’t seemed sad or upset in any way except when they gave her a sippy cup of water at nap time and she threw it on the floor – not what she wanted, I guess.
I got there just after 5 and she & another toddler, Cameron (I think) were sitting in these little toddler-sized purple chairs drawing with one of those little magnetic boards. I talked with the teacher a little bit. Kaylynn didn't have any poopies and she had a really good day. They give a pretty full report! They commented on her note about how happy she is. In fact, that turned out to be her word of the day. You'll see...
I asked her to put on her coat & she didn't want to. The teacher put her coat on and I put mine on and she followed suit. She was very reluctant to leave - not crying, but not eager to go. She had a blast there and I feel bad that she's not going back until Wednesday.
We got home & the dogs were really ready to go out. Then it was dinner time. I reached for the well-known stand-bys - a hotdog and peas. She ate the whole hotdog and peas, asked for more peas, ate them, asked for more - she got 3 helpings of peas! I took out a pineapple ring and cut it into pieces and sat down to eat some. Of course she wanted a bite and I gave it to her. She loved pineapple. Unfortunately, she just says 'apple' so it may be hard to differentiate if she likes apples, too.
I fed the dogs and got her out of her chair. She pulled out some books and one of them was an Elmo book. Elmo, if you recall, had a book that went through feelings via the "if you're happy and you know it" song. She saw Elmo and said "happy." So I started singing the song and she started to sing and dance. "Happy happy" and then a couple claps. I did a round of angry-stomp-your-feet and she did that, too. I took some video with my camera. The sound is hard to hear but I'm going to try to load it so you can see. You'll know if I was successful :)
The dogs were stir-crazy and Julian was still working. I decided to take them all to the dog park. Everyone was well behaved and it was a relatively easy trip. She wanted to go "a-whee" on the slide and picked up balls all over the place. It was almost all small dogs so she got to have some running around time. It wasn't until I put her in the car that I realized how tired she was, so we came home, had a bath and off to bed she went. The bath didn't go as well with an over-tired baby as with a not-tired baby. She was OK until I needed to rinse her hair. I managed to get the job done but not in the most happy way. She brushed her teeth but completely fusses when I try to brush them. Ideas how to make that work? Julian was on the phone with Melissa and was a little late for bedtime ritual. She asked for him so I sent him in to say goodnight. He got kisses and she settled down after a bit.
Tomorrow is a big day! Kaylynn gets a new bed. Stay tuned...
February 18, 2010
I wasn’t around for much of the day, so most of what I have to report is hearsay from Julian. I got up & started to get ready for work around 6. I knew Kaylynn & Julian needed to get up no later than 7 to be able to leave by 8. So, I checked in and she wasn’t quite awake. I left the door open to let household noises wake her up. She wasn’t very happy being awake, but she was soon calling out to the “puppy” and “kee” in her usual cheerful voice. We tag-teamed it to get her diaper changed, get her dressed, fed & out the door so Julian could meet Melissa in WI. They dropped me off at work on the way. I got 2 kisses goodbye – how nice is that? I guess things went without a hitch – Melissa signed the document giving us permission to get Kaylynn medical treatment so we could get her shots up to date & get her into daycare. They also went to the doctor’s office and got a copy of Kaylynn’s medical records so we’d know what shots she already got. I think they ate lunch at McD’s (UGH) and she slept in the car on the way home. He got her inside and she woke up a little but then napped a bit loner. They had their day together & I got home around 5:15. She was an eating machine! She wanted more nummies and more and more. She had quite a bit of chicken noodle soup, yogurt, some raisins and some pieces of cereal. I think we cut her off at 6 animal cookies. I gave Julian a break for an hour but I had a Shir Tikvah executive board meeting to go to. I also had to pick up a lunch box & thermos for Kaylynn as well as stop by MJ & Heller’s to pick up the other car seat. I packed my dinner and took off around 6:15. When I got home, she was asleep already and Julian was pretty close to asleep. I guess they wore each other out.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
February 17, 2010
After a couple days without Kaylynn, I was happy to see her. Julian picked her up after work. We got a bunch more clothes (the ones we got from Vikki & Dan) and some of the diapers we had brought over before. She was happy to see Julian, but still wanted the comfort of Grandma walking her to the car. She hadn't had a nap and fell asleep on the way home. Unfortunately, Julian didn't know I had left the door unlocked for him, so when he reached for his keys she woke up.
I got home from a walk with the dogs just as they were coming in. I got a little greeting and then we started to play. Julian wanted to pick up some management books at Half Price Books, so it was the two of us. She was smiley and giggly. We bounced on our big (exercise) balls - I sit on one and hold her on the other and we bounce away. We also did a little laundry. She's a great helper, carrying it into the laundry room and then loading it - one piece at a time - into the dryer when it's time.
I started to brown some ground turkey, but realized I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it after that. So I made Kaylynn the chicken nugget thingies (they're organic - I like to think they're good for her), peas and some crackers (COOKIES!). She didn't touch the crackers, but ate the rest, though I think most of the ketchup ended up on her shirt. Forgot the bib again, even though it's sitting on the back of the chair. How does that happen? {Julian pipes in "hidden in plain view." Duh.}
But I almost forgot - I didn't realize that Julian had left and we came upstairs and I started calling "Julian." Kaylynn piped in "Yulee!" Needless to say, we were not successful in flushing him out. I guess that happens when he's not home.
Dinner was a little on the late side, so we had just a little more time before we had to wind down. She & Julian danced a little to "hound dog" and then the 3 of us had a little quiet swaying to the lullaby. She picked up one of her toys & put it away, grabbed a couple books and went into her room. She patted her hand on the chair that I sit in when we read & then climbed up on my lap. We read/sang a "if you're happy and you know it" Elmo book and part of a dog something-or-other. Two songs and she was ready for bed with her "puppy" (a little stuffed bunny) and her "baba" full of water.
I contacted our pediatrician, who's going to call me tomorrow with some appointment times so I can compare with Julian's calendar. The adventure of shots & daycare are around the bend. Wish us luck.
I got home from a walk with the dogs just as they were coming in. I got a little greeting and then we started to play. Julian wanted to pick up some management books at Half Price Books, so it was the two of us. She was smiley and giggly. We bounced on our big (exercise) balls - I sit on one and hold her on the other and we bounce away. We also did a little laundry. She's a great helper, carrying it into the laundry room and then loading it - one piece at a time - into the dryer when it's time.
I started to brown some ground turkey, but realized I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it after that. So I made Kaylynn the chicken nugget thingies (they're organic - I like to think they're good for her), peas and some crackers (COOKIES!). She didn't touch the crackers, but ate the rest, though I think most of the ketchup ended up on her shirt. Forgot the bib again, even though it's sitting on the back of the chair. How does that happen? {Julian pipes in "hidden in plain view." Duh.}
But I almost forgot - I didn't realize that Julian had left and we came upstairs and I started calling "Julian." Kaylynn piped in "Yulee!" Needless to say, we were not successful in flushing him out. I guess that happens when he's not home.
Dinner was a little on the late side, so we had just a little more time before we had to wind down. She & Julian danced a little to "hound dog" and then the 3 of us had a little quiet swaying to the lullaby. She picked up one of her toys & put it away, grabbed a couple books and went into her room. She patted her hand on the chair that I sit in when we read & then climbed up on my lap. We read/sang a "if you're happy and you know it" Elmo book and part of a dog something-or-other. Two songs and she was ready for bed with her "puppy" (a little stuffed bunny) and her "baba" full of water.
I contacted our pediatrician, who's going to call me tomorrow with some appointment times so I can compare with Julian's calendar. The adventure of shots & daycare are around the bend. Wish us luck.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
February 15, 2010 - more
It seems I forgot one big part of the day's happenings. When Julian went in to check on a napping Kaylynn, there was apparently a horrible smell in the room. Yes, she had done her poopy. He could not figure out how on earth she could sleep through that smell! From the open shower curtain and towels drying, my guess is she had a bath soon thereafter. She loved her bath on Saturday, so I'm sure they had fun.
When I came home after work, I figured out quickly why people have diaper genies. We'll be figuring out something different soon enough!
When I came home after work, I figured out quickly why people have diaper genies. We'll be figuring out something different soon enough!
Monday, February 15, 2010
February 15, 2010
There's not all that much for me to say today. Julian spent his day off with Kaylynn so I have limited information. She got up around 7:15 - I peeked in on her and, again, she was playing quietly in her crib. I plopped her in bed with Julian and went to work. It seems she played and ate. Our friend, Saber, stopped by for a while to play as well.
Julian took her to the daycare place we have lined up. It's housed in the United Methodist Church around here. It is a "nondenominational Christian child care center." The JCC didn't have any openings. It's where our friends, Sarah and Angela, took their daughter, Addie. They liked the structure quite a bit. From what I heard, their visit went very well. Kaylynn "high-fived" all the teachers and ventured out to play with the toys after a while. The school was actually closed because of President's Day, so there weren't any kids. They suggested she have a lot of structure, so we'll likely have her go 5 days/week, with the option for Julian to pick her up early on days off or just keep her home those days. If you sign up for 4 days, you pay for 5 anyway.
Now we're waiting for her medical records. Melissa said she'd get those to us today. We have to have them to get her caught up on shots and for her to go to daycare. We've got a pediatrician lined up - our friend, Kade - so we're ready for her physical!
Julian drove her back to Tracey & Al's place. It seems so quiet here ;) I think she's coming back to us on Wednesday night.
Julian took her to the daycare place we have lined up. It's housed in the United Methodist Church around here. It is a "nondenominational Christian child care center." The JCC didn't have any openings. It's where our friends, Sarah and Angela, took their daughter, Addie. They liked the structure quite a bit. From what I heard, their visit went very well. Kaylynn "high-fived" all the teachers and ventured out to play with the toys after a while. The school was actually closed because of President's Day, so there weren't any kids. They suggested she have a lot of structure, so we'll likely have her go 5 days/week, with the option for Julian to pick her up early on days off or just keep her home those days. If you sign up for 4 days, you pay for 5 anyway.
Now we're waiting for her medical records. Melissa said she'd get those to us today. We have to have them to get her caught up on shots and for her to go to daycare. We've got a pediatrician lined up - our friend, Kade - so we're ready for her physical!
Julian drove her back to Tracey & Al's place. It seems so quiet here ;) I think she's coming back to us on Wednesday night.
Catching up
Julian and I are taking care of our grand-niece, a 2-year-old little girl named Kaylynn. I thought I'd share our adventures with whoever cares to come read!
February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. We didn't even make it to the card shop for our annual pick-out-cards-and-show-each-other ritual. We're so romantic.
Our day with Kaylynn started at 7 when she woke up ready to go. Julian was going to sleep in, but thought I didn't know what "ba-ba" was when she said it 4 times. I was feeding the dogs and told her 'just a minute' but she was pretty insistent. So Julian got up. We had a breakfast of a variety of cereals and raisins. We brushed teeth & put on clothes. Then it was play time. She was all over the place with blocks and "pretties" (the necklaces) and putting stuff into & taking it out of various containers. She asked for more "nummies" so we gave her a go-gurt, which she fully enjoyed.
Then Julian left to go to the camper show with his parents (continuing to spend his inheritance I hear ;) ), Nicole & Nick and Tracey. Kaylynn and I played, danced, vacuumed the living room (she helped! which meant i held her and she pushed on the vacuum handle with me... she also had her own attachment) and did laundry (she handed me clothes out of the basket to fold). We played 'drums' on the balls. She was obsessed with "kee" - chasing Merlin from one hiding place to another. We had lunch - 1 1/2 hotdogs and some peas. The hotdogs went down separately from the ketchup ... some of which landed in her hair. Strawberry blonde now! We played a bit more before nap time. She went in for a nap without a fuss - clearly sleepy. Book & a song and i was on my way to pay bills and catch up with Shir Tikvah hiring committee work. (Still not done with that...)
She slept for about 1 1/2 hours or so. She wanted a fruit leather for snack. I couldn't quite impress upon her the importance of sitting somewhere to eat it - where the dogs couldn't get it. Eventually I held her & she held it and we swayed to Elmopalooza. I'm sure you can imagine. Soon, Julian came home and took over so I could continue on with my paperwork... we decided to load the dogs & Kaylynn into the Prius and head to the dog park. We debated 2 cars for quite some time, but it really is workable so we made it work. Everyone was very well-behaved.
Kaylynn was excited to see all the "puppies" at the park. A few of them tried to run her down but we got her onto the little playground thingy with a slide and she could watch in total safety without being held. Unfortunately for my 42-year-old back, she liked the slide and needed to be lifted up into the thingy over & over. I switched with Julian after a while. Why not share the back pain? There were not many dogs there and eventually it was Willy, Murphy and a little dog of Mexican descent that I can't spell (think Taco Bell). Kaylynn was running all over the warehouse (TIRED!) picking up balls and then exchanging them for another, etc.
We got home at 6:30. Julian went to work on dinner while I fed the dogs. We figured out that she won't really try what you put in front of her, but if you put it on your own plate she'll ask for a "bite" and eventually want it all. So she had some darn tasty good quality chicken nuggets with ketchup (at the same time). We tried green beans but we neglected butter & salt, so they were a dud. She had a few yogurt treats and then it was time for diaper, PJs, "teeth!" and bed. A book & 2 songs... zonk!
So - Julian finally fixed the squeaky door, and we can check on her whenever we want now. How often is too often to check in on a sleeping baby?
9:00 and we're ready to go to bed!
Our day with Kaylynn started at 7 when she woke up ready to go. Julian was going to sleep in, but thought I didn't know what "ba-ba" was when she said it 4 times. I was feeding the dogs and told her 'just a minute' but she was pretty insistent. So Julian got up. We had a breakfast of a variety of cereals and raisins. We brushed teeth & put on clothes. Then it was play time. She was all over the place with blocks and "pretties" (the necklaces) and putting stuff into & taking it out of various containers. She asked for more "nummies" so we gave her a go-gurt, which she fully enjoyed.
Then Julian left to go to the camper show with his parents (continuing to spend his inheritance I hear ;) ), Nicole & Nick and Tracey. Kaylynn and I played, danced, vacuumed the living room (she helped! which meant i held her and she pushed on the vacuum handle with me... she also had her own attachment) and did laundry (she handed me clothes out of the basket to fold). We played 'drums' on the balls. She was obsessed with "kee" - chasing Merlin from one hiding place to another. We had lunch - 1 1/2 hotdogs and some peas. The hotdogs went down separately from the ketchup ... some of which landed in her hair. Strawberry blonde now! We played a bit more before nap time. She went in for a nap without a fuss - clearly sleepy. Book & a song and i was on my way to pay bills and catch up with Shir Tikvah hiring committee work. (Still not done with that...)
She slept for about 1 1/2 hours or so. She wanted a fruit leather for snack. I couldn't quite impress upon her the importance of sitting somewhere to eat it - where the dogs couldn't get it. Eventually I held her & she held it and we swayed to Elmopalooza. I'm sure you can imagine. Soon, Julian came home and took over so I could continue on with my paperwork... we decided to load the dogs & Kaylynn into the Prius and head to the dog park. We debated 2 cars for quite some time, but it really is workable so we made it work. Everyone was very well-behaved.
Kaylynn was excited to see all the "puppies" at the park. A few of them tried to run her down but we got her onto the little playground thingy with a slide and she could watch in total safety without being held. Unfortunately for my 42-year-old back, she liked the slide and needed to be lifted up into the thingy over & over. I switched with Julian after a while. Why not share the back pain? There were not many dogs there and eventually it was Willy, Murphy and a little dog of Mexican descent that I can't spell (think Taco Bell). Kaylynn was running all over the warehouse (TIRED!) picking up balls and then exchanging them for another, etc.
We got home at 6:30. Julian went to work on dinner while I fed the dogs. We figured out that she won't really try what you put in front of her, but if you put it on your own plate she'll ask for a "bite" and eventually want it all. So she had some darn tasty good quality chicken nuggets with ketchup (at the same time). We tried green beans but we neglected butter & salt, so they were a dud. She had a few yogurt treats and then it was time for diaper, PJs, "teeth!" and bed. A book & 2 songs... zonk!
So - Julian finally fixed the squeaky door, and we can check on her whenever we want now. How often is too often to check in on a sleeping baby?
9:00 and we're ready to go to bed!
February 11 & 12, 2010
We had a short time together last night. I think Julian updated everyone about dinner at the buffet. When we put her to bed we read a book & put her in the pack-n-play before we sang a couple songs. she cried and we decided julian would stay in there with her to sing more and calm her down. i proceeded to clean up but was told that my walking near the bedroom wasn't helpful. she calmed down and slept through the night. julian got up early & checked in on her a few times. she was up around 6:45, ready to go. he tried hard to protect me and let me sleep but i was kind of excited to get up and hang out with her.
so we got up and had a little breakfast. she didn't love the banana-nut cheerios but was pretty happy with raisins and some of my brown rice (unsweetened) cereal and some yogurt. go figure. saber & saren came over and she had a cheerful "hi" for them - as she did for everyone we encountered throughout the day. she warmed up to them quickly and was playing with them enthusiastically, though julian is clearly her 'home base' safe person. tyler came over later with some food, which was really sweet. he got a 'hi' but didn't stay long.
lunch was hotdogs, cheezies & orange slices for dessert. she ate it all. she wasn't drinking too much but julian checked it out... turns out she likes 2% milk, not whole (which was what we tried) and apple juice, not grape. this girl knows her preferences!
she loves the dogs & says "wee" for "willy." i'm not sure she has anything for murphy yet, but i could have sworn she called her 'picnic' once. the dogs have been really good around her. she & murphy will be fast friends in no time. she would LOVE to spend some time with merlin - "kee" = kitty. he, however, is not enthused. they'll figure it out soon enough.
we have a good amount of clothing and books and enough toys to keep her busy. her favorite is the container of beaded necklaces (think mardi gras) which she took out and put back about 300 times and decorated the kitchen with. we realized we didn't have anything for entertaining videos and music, so kaylynn and I went to half price books. i got a few elmos, horton hears a who and bug's life or something like that. she was very helpful, carrying the videos to the counter and putting (tossing) them up there 1 by 1. she did the same with the CDs. i had forgotten to bring a diaper bag and some water (i don't go far without water) so we didn't make any other stops. we now have a diaper bag hanging by the front door.
her nap went similarly to nighttime, but this time i stayed with her until she fell asleep. it didn't take long. then i took a nap while julian went grocery shopping. it took me a little longer to fall asleep than kaylynn.
julian made a great dinner - turkey breast, carrots & potatoes and some asparagus. kaylynn wasn't too thrilled with it. she ate the potatoes but not much else. before we put her to bed, we figured we'd break out a favorite - peas. i pulled the can julian had bought out of the pantry but saw that it had sugar in it & opted for the frozen peas. she saw the can on the counter and jumped up and down, shrieking "peas!" when i opened the bag, a few dropped on the floor. kaylynn & murphy promptly went for them. murphy won. the look on kaylynn's face was priceless - she couldn't believe she lost out on the peas! she ate just about all we gave her. julian gave her some peach snacks of some sort and she had some milk. we wound down listening to instrumental re-makes of beatles' songs and dancing slowly. bedtime was pretty easy once we got her to agree to go. again, book and songs. this time, no crying.
i think that's a pretty good day & 1/2.
so we got up and had a little breakfast. she didn't love the banana-nut cheerios but was pretty happy with raisins and some of my brown rice (unsweetened) cereal and some yogurt. go figure. saber & saren came over and she had a cheerful "hi" for them - as she did for everyone we encountered throughout the day. she warmed up to them quickly and was playing with them enthusiastically, though julian is clearly her 'home base' safe person. tyler came over later with some food, which was really sweet. he got a 'hi' but didn't stay long.
lunch was hotdogs, cheezies & orange slices for dessert. she ate it all. she wasn't drinking too much but julian checked it out... turns out she likes 2% milk, not whole (which was what we tried) and apple juice, not grape. this girl knows her preferences!
she loves the dogs & says "wee" for "willy." i'm not sure she has anything for murphy yet, but i could have sworn she called her 'picnic' once. the dogs have been really good around her. she & murphy will be fast friends in no time. she would LOVE to spend some time with merlin - "kee" = kitty. he, however, is not enthused. they'll figure it out soon enough.
we have a good amount of clothing and books and enough toys to keep her busy. her favorite is the container of beaded necklaces (think mardi gras) which she took out and put back about 300 times and decorated the kitchen with. we realized we didn't have anything for entertaining videos and music, so kaylynn and I went to half price books. i got a few elmos, horton hears a who and bug's life or something like that. she was very helpful, carrying the videos to the counter and putting (tossing) them up there 1 by 1. she did the same with the CDs. i had forgotten to bring a diaper bag and some water (i don't go far without water) so we didn't make any other stops. we now have a diaper bag hanging by the front door.
her nap went similarly to nighttime, but this time i stayed with her until she fell asleep. it didn't take long. then i took a nap while julian went grocery shopping. it took me a little longer to fall asleep than kaylynn.
julian made a great dinner - turkey breast, carrots & potatoes and some asparagus. kaylynn wasn't too thrilled with it. she ate the potatoes but not much else. before we put her to bed, we figured we'd break out a favorite - peas. i pulled the can julian had bought out of the pantry but saw that it had sugar in it & opted for the frozen peas. she saw the can on the counter and jumped up and down, shrieking "peas!" when i opened the bag, a few dropped on the floor. kaylynn & murphy promptly went for them. murphy won. the look on kaylynn's face was priceless - she couldn't believe she lost out on the peas! she ate just about all we gave her. julian gave her some peach snacks of some sort and she had some milk. we wound down listening to instrumental re-makes of beatles' songs and dancing slowly. bedtime was pretty easy once we got her to agree to go. again, book and songs. this time, no crying.
i think that's a pretty good day & 1/2.
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