Weekending + Peeks

Woof! I got behind this week! We had a bit of an off schedule which sort of threw my routine a bit so today, I'll play catch-up. 

Last Friday, we took Kip to the dentist. It had been over a year and a half since his last visit. EEK! He had a routine cleaning on the calendar for May 2020 but naturally it was cancelled for Covid and then I just didn't reschedule it. And then we moved and well it got away from me. I was moderately terrified we'd be faced with dental issues as a result. Anyways, we found a pediatric dentist not far from us and I prepped Kip by showing them videos they posted on their Instagram page and generally hyping up the experience. Kip can be a bit volatile when it comes to new or different things. Sometimes prep works, sometimes it backfires. Fortunately, this time he was excited by the idea of the dentist. This facility is also well equipped for meltdowns and specialize in special needs kids so I was confident they'd get us through the experience even if a meltdown occurred. Kip decided to have Mandy go in with him (only one adult per kid per Covid protocol). It went really well and he got a shining report (or we did since we brush his teeth). Only one spot with a bit of plaque build-up! Kip got a little squishy tooth toy and that was it. So grateful for a smooth experience even if it's WAY overpriced.

Over the weekend we did a lot of outdoor projects. The HOA finished replacing our roof and gutters so we had a chance to start sprucing things up a bit. I need to do a reveal of the spring refresh once we finish, hopefully this weekend. 

 

Monday I had off from work. They've given us a few random Mondays off as "CEO holidays" in an attempt to boost morale. It was a nice day so Mandy and I took a five minute drive to a park in the neighboring town. It was totally empty so we let Kip play mask-free. And look, a train!

 

He had a blast but did mention "wanting friends." He is such a social kid and while he's done really well with the isolation, he still craves some companionship and Ivy just doesn't cut it for him. I'm really hopeful for the fall that he can have a somewhat normal school experience and at least get closer with kids his age. 

One funny thing he'd mentioned lately is going back to Storybook Land. We didn't go last summer at all but we do talk about it. Kip says, "when the virus is gone and Elsa opens the gates at Storybook Land she will come to my house to play." My heart! He is such a sweetheart sometimes. 

We had flipped days this week because Dan and I were originally scheduled to get our second shots on Tuesday so Mandy moved her days around with the other family she nannies for so that she could be home while we got shots. Then we rescheduled since the date wasn't three weeks from the first shot as recommended but by that time it was too late to move our schedule back. So, Tuesday and Wednesday flipped and now none of us know what day it is. Oh wait, FRIDAY! Thank goodness. Dan and I get our actual second shots this weekend. Me Saturday and him Sunday. 

Today is supposed to be really windy and pollen is falling all over everything outside. But the weather is starting to stay warm and they are getting the community pool prepped for summer! We are all really excited for the next couple of months. Summer is my lifeblood and I need a transfusion! Have a wonderful weekend!

First Piggies

Ivy has as much hair as Kip did at age 2 1/2. She doesn't have much hair at this point but it is SO much more hair than Kip ever did at her age, and it's darker. Dan and I both had very light blonde hair as kids. Kip's hair matches that. Ivy's hair has lots of shades in it. Sometimes it seems blonde or in some lights you can catch some red but for the most part it's a light sandy brown.

It's coming in a bit unevenly so the thickest parts are back behind her ears. The other day I scooped up what I could and put it in pigtails.

She HATED every single second of my effort to put the hair ties in but once I was done, she quite enjoyed the feel.

It was just for fun and to see if she would yank them right out. I think I'll wait a little longer before "doing" her hair more regularly. But, I am super excited about the idea of doing braids one day! I always imaged being the mom that did cute braids. Maybe that will become true in a few years!

Book Nook | Spring

Signs of Spring are everywhere. We have beautiful ornamental cherry trees lining our community. SO pretty. These photos were from a week or so ago.

Sharing our Spring book nook suggestions today.

Worm Weather and Waiting are super cute and simple reads with great illustrations, perfect for Kip's attention span. 

Kip and I went hunting for worms after a rain storm. We talked about Worm Weather while looking and now he's finally not terrified of at least one bug. 

A Green Place to Be is about the creation of Central Park. It has A LOT of text but gorgeous illustrations and I like that it's about history as well.

Other good choices -

There are SO many great Spring books out there. Mandy and I have to cut ourselves off and remind each other that we can get more next year.

Weekending it

Peeks from our weekend. 

Saturday was overcast and a bit cold but we decided to take the kids to an outdoor free event at the YMCA down the block from our house. They had a fire truck so that was the main draw for us. 

Kip had a blast and although he was initially shy he warmed-up really quickly and ran around the whole event doing everything he could find. 

 

 

It was really fun to go to an event that wasn't crowded. Something like this in Brooklyn would have been packed and with Covid we wouldn't have even considered attending. We hope to get a membership to the Y by the end of May and enjoy all the amenities soon!

On Sunday we took on a big project to paint the garage. Full reveal soon. For now, Kip "helping." 

Springtime weather is such a roller coaster. Today it is in the 70s and tomorrow will be barely 50. I hear Kansas just got snow. Yikes.

I'm really looking forward to summer! Surprise, surprise.

Ivy || 11 Months Old

Ivy turned 11 months old on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!

In just a quick blink we will have a one year old!! This year was such a time warp. Some days it feels like lifetimes have passed at an agonizing pace (I'm talking about you sleep deprivation). But then we get to this point and I'm completely dumbfounded that Ivy is already 11 months old! She grew so much this month!

Ivy at 11 Months

Weight: ?? (19 lbs. 4 oz. at nine months)

Height: ?? (29.8 inches inches nine months)

Personality: sensitive and active

 

Likes

Stroller rides

Sitting up in the bath

Playing with Kip's cars and trains

Putting things into other things

Cruising

Blueberries

 

Dislikes

Being taken out of the bath

Being told "no" or "no ma'am"

When Kip screams at her

Getting her hands and face wiped 

Being moved away from Kip's toys

Getting clothes changed

 

Wearing

Size 4 diapers

12-18 months clothes (she had a big growth spurt)

3-6 month shoes (such itty bitty feet!) 

Sleep sack

 

Things I want to remember about Ivy at 11 months:

Her janky "4" pose crawling position

How she pulls herself up with pride

The way she digs into Kip's trains and Lego baskets, pulling things out and putting things back in

Her love for fruit, especially blueberries

The way she smiles with her eyes

How eager she is too be able to use Kip's sippy cup

How distracted she gets while nursing

Her sensitive and tender-hearted soul (she gets her feelings hurt very easily)

Ear piercing screams that crush your heart

Crocodile tears

The way she fights back with Kip

Staring out the windows

The way she plays with my hand while she is nursing

 

 

Sleep

Can it be? Are we finally making progress with sleep?? Ivy is finally consistent with taking two naps a day. She gets up for the day no later than 6:30 am and goes for her first around 9/9:30 am. She naps for at least an hour but usually between and hour and a half to two hours. Depending on timing, we try to put her down for her second nap around 2 pm and make sure she doesn't sleep past 3/3:15 pm. She goes to bed for the night around 6/6:30 pm depending on how that second nap went. 

This month Ivy graced me with five sporadic nights when she slept thru until 5 am. It was true bliss. On average, however, she wakes up in the window of 2:30/3 am for a feed but goes right back to sleep until 6/6:30 am. I'm comfortable with this one feed since she is so distracted with nursing during the day. Based on her random occasions of sleeping thru, I feel confident we will get to night weaning at her pace. I'm trying to be positive and flexible. Can you tell? But to be honest, she woke up five times last night, so nothing's perfect.

 

Eat

Ivy would be a fruitarian if we let her. She LOVES fruit. Blueberries are her favorite but she also loves mandarin oranges, pineapple, apple sauce, strawberries, melon, etc. She does well with most other finger foods but she is more hesitant with new things and we often have to put the first bite in her mouth before she goes at it on her own. She tried Blue Box macaroni for the first time this month and, of course, she was an instant lover. She also tried cinnamon rolls and other delicious treats. #badmom. 

 

Ivy sometimes seems like she is self weaning much like Kip did by basically only latching for seconds to a minute at a time. I'm hoping to nurse her at least until her first birthday but I'll just follow her lead. She does still nurse well at night for the most part and that's her best feed since she is not distracted. 

She loves to sit in her high chair at the table and we've even had several nights where she has joined us for dinner which was fun to have her company.

She has been teething hard core for two solid months and it feels like we are SO close to getting those two top front teeth.

 

Play 

Ivy made major milestones this month. She started pulling up and "crawling." Her crawling is a bit of a boot scoot mixed with a "4" pose arm pulling. She has one leg sprawled out and the other tucked under her bottom (like a number 4). Then she pulls herself along with her hands. She can move really fast so we've had to start getting into the habit of latching gates and creating corrals. In the last few days she has started correcting the crawl to the typical hands and knees form. She isn't as confident or fast but I think within a week or so she will transition to that pose more consistently.

Ivy is SO cute when she plays. She still loves musical toys and gets into Kip's trains and LEGOS and cars regularly. I love to watch her dig into baskets and pull stuff out. She also loves to nest things together or throw stuff into other things. She adores the bath as much as ever but prefers to sit up instead of laying back in her bath seat. She also gets VERY angry when you take her out of the bath, especially if Kip still gets to play. 

 

We've started seeing sibling squabbles (pre-verbal even) and so that's a not so pleasant glance into the future. I'm sure they will be fast playmates and enjoy each other plenty but fighting is to be expected with siblings, Kip and Ivy will be no different.

 

She is no longer interested in her jumperoo or any buckled activity seat. Ivy is ON THE MOVE and there is no looking back.

Talk

Ivy has always been very vocal. She easily communicates her needs through shrieks and screams. She babbles constantly. She will sign "more" with her hands and we're trying to teach her "all done." We feel like we heard her say "Dada, " "I do," and "Hi." They seemed appropriately timed so those could be her first words but it's a little unclear because it could have just as easily been coincidental noise.

 

 

I feel like Ivy made massive developmental leaps this month and is now seeming more and more like a toddler than a baby. It's always so bittersweet to see one stage end and another begin. On the one hand I'm glad to see the some of the frustrations disappear but sad to see so much change and even mourn what's been left behind. I'm going to try my best to treasure this last month before we have a one year old. Snuggle her longer. Be less bitter about midnight nursing. And fill my heart with her little baby ways.