WHERE DOES DADDY SLEEP? (31 MONTHS, 1 WK)

S put her animals to sleep on Sunday night in her new doll bed. She had (little) Elmo, Kitty-Kitty, and Pink Bunny in bed. On the floor by the doll bed, (big) Elmo and Cookie Monster, and Shamu laid near by. "That's where the daddies sleep," explained S.

P.S. S recognized the "C" on the tub faucet and the "Z" on the Zrytec medicine cup.

ALLERGY SEASON (31 MONTHS, 1 WK)

Cedar fever has hit S. Along with a constantly runny nose and congestion, she has a hacking cough. Recently, she started complaining of a sore throat. Because she doesn't blow her nose so well everything is staying in her chest. Hopefully, S will survive cedar fever. Thankfully, her pink eye has cleared.

CHRISTMAS, TAKE 2 (31 MONTHS, 1 WK)

S had a second Christmas in Dallas, where she met up with all her cousins from momma side of the family. They mostly ran around the kitchen chasing Uncle Joe's dog Sasha or jumping into Aunt Phu's arm. S enjoyed feeding the birds and the squirel, fearlessly climbing the jungle gym at the nearby park, and basically running around after the other kids.

S received a doll bed and high chair, more Curious George stuff, and Sesame Street videos. S couldn't wait and asked to watch the video immediately. She had so much fun that she was exhaused every evening and went to sleep immediately.

P.S. S has been keeping her panties and pull-dry since Christmas day, day and night.

CHRISTMAS, TAKE 1 (31 MONTHS, 1 WK)

On Christmas day, daddy, momma, and S spent it at Mimi and Poppy's house. S had a great time playing with her cousins Ariana and Miranda. S enjoyed eating Mimi's green beans, climbing up and down the stairs, and hugging Mimi. S received a scooter and Cookie Monster doll. She quickly learned how to kick off with her feet on the scooter, with the help of cousin Miranda. She rode all around the living room and kitchen. What a wonderful Christmas day!

P.S. This is the first Christmas that S really got into the spirit. She helped everyone open up their gifts and really enjoyed ripping off the paper!

STILL SICKIE (31 MONTHS)

S is still a "sickie." She has brief spurts of energy before collapsing into a whiny pile. S still has a slight fever and complains that her ear and head hurts her. She still won't run because she says it hurts her. Nights are tiring momma out. S managed to sleep at least two hours periods before waking up and crying last night. Around 3 am, she wanted to go see Frosty and wanted to wake up daddy. She also woke up requesting milk, had two accidents, and one trip to the potty. Finally around 5 am, momma let S go watch a video after sitting in bed talking to herself for an hour.

AUNT FIONA'S BABY (31 MONTHS)

Momma announced to S today that Aunt Fiona had a baby. S responded by sobbing that there would be no room for her car seat anymore in Aunt Fiona's car. Momma think it's strange how territorial little toddler's can be.

DRY? (31 MONTHS)

S has been dry through the night for over a week now, perhaps two weeks. Tonight, being sick, she was more ornery than usual. She balked at putting on a pull-up at night and requested panties. Normally, momma would say "no," but considering her excellent track record lately, momma said, "yes." Unfortunately, at 10 pm tonight, she ran to momma's bed because she had an accident in her panties. Poor little girl, she had to stand there and cry while momma stripped her down and then her bed. Thank goodness there was a pee-cover! There's always tomorrow to try again.

P.S. As a sick girl today, she watched four videos and grumped at every meal. She took two forty mintue naps and woke up after the first one with a 101 fever.

SOUNDS & READING (31 MONTHS)

Momma has been emphasizing the first sound of words, as a prelude to reading. It's been a fun game for momma to play with S on the potty. Momma will say, "bbbbball" or "ddddaddy." In the past month, S has been recognizing the first sounds of words. She has sounded out some funny things, such as, "bbbbboobie," or "zzzzoo."

On top of that, she's beginning to recognize that words having meaning. One day while reading on momma lap, she pointed to the words and asked what they mean. Now, momma can just say, "she's not done reading the page yet" when S turns the pages faster than momma can read and S will turn the page back and start pointing the sentences or words on the bottom.

Although not everything is clicking together for S, but Momma and daddy enjoy seeing them start.

PINK EYE & EAR INFECTION (31 MONTHS)

S has been rubbing her eye after a rough time on the playground on Thursday. (A friend threw rocks at her and hit her in the eye). Momma started to get worried on Saturday when her eyes looked wet and teary, her right eye would not tear up normally, and she was constantly rubbing her eyes. Thankfully, the diagnosis is pink eye and ear infection after seeing the doctor this morning. The doctor says that normally pink eye and ear infection go hand in hand. However, pink eye is contagious, especially amoung children. So, S is out of the loop for two days and should be feeling better after a day of eye drops.

Unfortunately, eye drops given three times a day to a toddler is not the fun for momma. Momma has to hold S down so she doesn't run away and hold down her hands so she doesn't rub the drops away when they are given. Better this than a cut cornea...

PLAYGROUP (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

Usually S looks forward to Wednesday afternoon because that's playgroup time! She visits with her friends: Talia, Olivia, and Paul. Today, when momma said that today was playgroup time S was excited. When momma explained that momma was hosting and that they needed to straighten up the house. S responded with, "I don't like to share my toys."

Momma was surprised that S put the two together, but what could momma say. No toddlers like sharing.

P.S. On the same note, S did share ringing the bell with the another toddler on the Christmas train in the mall.

WAKE UP TIME! (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

This week S has been waking up at 4 am and refusing to go back to sleep. Usually (if no nightmares are involved) she wakes up, momma takes her to the potty, sometimes she gets a glass of milk, and then S goes back to bed. She falls asleep pretty quickly, about 5 -10 minutes after tuck-in.

This week, S has decided she doesn't want to go back to sleep. She tells momma that she doesn't like her bed. Often, she asks to go eat breakfast with daddy. At 4 am, daddy won't be to pleased to woken up for breakfast. Even though S wants to be up and about, she's still sleepy and grumpy. She's not really ready to be up because she whines and rubs her eys while asking to wake up.

Momma's not sure what to do. If momma waits it out, S goes back to bed at 6 am and sleeps for another hour or so. All in all, the lack of sleep is taking its toll on S. She gets grumpier earlier and has dark circles under her eyes.

POTTY TRAINING (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

S is doing great with the potty! There are three to four days every week that S has no accidents. Momma or daddy still prompts her every two to three hours, but occassionally S asks to go to the potty and even has gone by herself without momma's help. When there has been an accident, S was so busy playing that she was caught by surprise, like today at the mall.

Night potty training seems to be all self-motivated. S wakes up typically between 4 -6 am to ask to go to the potty. Sometimes, she is too sleepy to sit on the toilet and asked to just have her pull-up changed. She's even had an occassional night where she's kept her pull-up dry through out the night.

Momma and daddy is so proud of her!

MARIA (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

Maria came over to play with S today and was met with some resistence. S wanted momma to be with her while Maria was there. She even went as far as trying to hide from Maria and gently pushing her away. Luckily Maria was persistent in trying to get S's attention and didn't feel rebuked. Maria danced around, cheered, and even tried to tickle her to no avail. S did relent and played Dora Dora with Maria cheerfully for ten minutes and then went to find momma again.

Momma thinks this is all part of S's renewed separation anxiety and hopes that S realizes that Maria wants to be her friend. Momma has faint hope. When Maria was leaving, S insisted on hugging her, but it took two tries for S to finally commit.

IMAGINATION (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

S's imagination is expanding. Yesterday, she was pretending to catch fishes with her (defunct) fishing pole. She would catch them and I would ask her what color it was or if it was small or big. Ususally, she wanted to pet it afterwards and once she wanted to kiss the fish.

Her imagination has helped us out in tight situations, too. When she wanted a treat after dinner, I said "no" but added that maybe, we can imagine eating a treat and that please her. She sat there in her high chair eating imaginary candy. Today, at the doctor's office, to pass the time, she pretended she was a doggie, panting with her tongue out.

Probably her favorite thing to do is play with momma's "man hand," an imaginary friend using momma's two fingers. Often this occupies her when there's nothing else to do, like in the shopping cart.

AUNT P & OM NGOI VISIT (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

Om Ngoi (maternal grandfather) was in town to babysit S on Friday night for daddy's office party. This is the first time that Om Ngoi put S to sleep. After momma and daddy left S clung to him. After playing a little, he went in and just rocked her to sleep. Momma and daddy worried for no reason!

P.S. The next day she didn't want anything to do with him. Poor Om Ngoi!

MUMMY? (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

S sometimes calls momma, "mummy." Momma responds with, "That's not my name? Who's name is mummy." S replies, "Aunt Fiona." Momma thinks S just like trying out all the options: mama, mommy, and mummy.

I'M HAPPY (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

This week S has taken up telling everyone her emotions. Mostly, she walks around saying, "I'm happy." Momma thinks it's wonderful for her to be so expressive and often ask S jokingly if she's sad, mad, or surprised. S shakes her head and says, "No, I'm just happy."

P.S. Along with being happy, S enjoys playing her her plastic Sesame Street CD player. (It's not a real player). It plays four plastic Sesame Street music discs. She plays it over and over again in the car and tonight over and over again, sitting on the potty. Momma's glad to see how small things make her so happy.

FOOD ALLERGY (30 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

S had an food allergy reaction to either shrimp, salmon or almonds last Saturday (Dec 6). S face turned red and her lips and bottom of her face swelled up. Momma and daddy took her to the emergency room. Thank goodness that benadryl did the job! Now, momma and daddy are going to avoid seafood for awhile. She will probably just grow out of it, but it was quite a scare.

SEPARATION ANXIETY (30 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

S is going through another round of separation anxiety. Momma and daddy think maybe momma's trip away caused the commotion. S wakes up serval times a night and wants momma. She use to wake up when she had a nightmare or when she needed to go to the potty. Now, she wakes up wanting momma to come lay with her. Sometimes, it's only once a night and sometimes, it is four to five times a night. Momma and daddy are getting little sleep because of it.

Momma hopes with some attention and reassurance that this bout will go away. Hopefully, momma and daddy will be able to stop sleeping on her bedroom floor.

SINGING (30 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

S often sings to herself. She sings everything from her car music to bedtime songs. Tonight she was singing the Sesame Street theme and told mama she can sing the "la, la" part. One of the things she often does is prompt momma when she forgets the lyrics at bedtime.

Here is sampling of songs that she sings: Alphabet song, Sesame Street theme, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Eyes of Texas, Yellow Submarine, Country Road, This Old Man, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

BABY IN MY TUMMY (30 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

When S woke up from her nap today, she stated to play with her kitty-kitty in her bed. She took it and said it was her baby and stuck it under her shirt. Then, she ran to momma and said that she's having a baby.

OTHER WEIRD SAYINGS & GESTURES (30 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

"Buda, Buda" - She says this in reference to her butt. Momma and daddy aren't sure where this came from.

"Boy" - S often calls daddy, "boy." Momma thinks it because she onced described momma and S as girls and daddy as a boy.

Shake finger back & forth - She does this when she says "No." Momma and daddy thinks she got this from Mimi. ;-)

Chews on yellow rubber ring - She calls the yellow ring her "paci." She started asking for a pacifier when her friend Talia would come over and one day, she started calling it her paci. Sometimes, she also says "She has a paci, just like Talia."

MARIA (30 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

Momma has asked Maria, the teenager across the street to be a mother's helper. Maria comes on Tuesdays for an hour and plays with S while momma cleans up. So far, Maria has come only twice. But, S loves it. She gets Maria full attention (unlike with momma). Maria is willing to play anything that S wants, listens to her, and let's S boss her around. Momma likes it because she's finally tackling some of her to-do list.

Today, momma realized how well things are going with Maria, when S asked momma to call Maria on her toy phone and ask her to come play with her. (S calls Maria, "Miss Ria.")

GETTING DRESSED (30 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

S has been getting better at dressing herself. She can pull on her own panties, pull-ups, and pants. She can put on her shirt if momma or daddy help her pull the shirt over her head. She can put on her "footies," one piece zippered fleece pajamas. And, occassionally, she can put on her own socks and shoes. She can even take off her clothes, except for her shirts.

Even though she can do all of this, she still insists on help putting on her own clothes. Momma doesn't mind. S is only a little girl for a short window.

THANKSGIVING (30 MONTHS, 2 WK)

Daddy, Momma, and S kicked off Thanksgiving with the Turkey Trot. Originally, daddy and momma planned to do the 5 miles, but after getting started with S, the plan changed to the family one mile. Thank goodness! The roads were hilly but S managed to make it all the way with some minor stops when she got too scared to bike downhill. (She was on her trike). S was fantastic! Afterwards, daddy, momma, and S met up with Mimi and Poppy for lunch at Katz.