from dreamland, with yuv

The weather has been sunny and sweltering but generally that doesn't keep us from getting outside. E's even learning how to fend off the "skeeters" by swatting. And thanks to Gram, he just can't stay away from that Cozy Coupe. Boy, he loves that thing.
Unfortunately we've been battling with a high fever for two days now and it's definitely slowed my little guy down. His temp was up to 104 at the doctor's office today! "I'm not fee-wing my best" he repeats in the sweetest voice you ever heard. Would you believe that on our car ride home from the doctor's office, after she swabbed his throat for Strep, he still said "we had very much fun today". Talk about a good sport!

So, here's the cutest thing that I just have to share: I decided to rock him tonight and skip our usual routine because he could hardly keep his eyes open. I snuggled and rocked him in his dimly dusk-lit room until he was deeply snoring. I admit, I kept rocking anyway trying to savor the baby love. Eventually I gently lowered him into his bed making sure to tuck him in with his crocheted blue blankie.

I stroked his flush cheek and his little glassy eyes popped open. He sweetly said, "we fu-got to read books" followed up with "we fu-got to send yuv". It was all I could do to keep from crying and laughing all at once. "Send yuv to Aunt Doy-ya" was what he wanted to say. ('Sending love' is our way of showing gratitude and concern for those we love each night.)

I continued to rub his hair and listen to his angel voice. "There's a lion. The lion not going to hurt you. Lion might kiss you". He was referring to a baby toy still hanging from his bed. I have never seen more of a cherub face as I did tonight. I have never heard more innocent, precious words fall from anyone's mouth. All I could think of is how much love I have for this incredible little boy.

Which is what brings me to his favorite books. We skipped them tonight, but I hope he'll be well enough to hit the books tomorrow night! He's upgraded his faves from the 1.0 to the 2.5 version. (I'm talking age here people.) Here are some of the best:

Where's Spot? by Eric Hill
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
How Does a Dinosaur Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

And some lesser known favorites:

The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston
to be like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson
Mouse in a Meadow by John Himmelman
On the Seashore by Anna Milbourne and Erica-Jane Waters

back on track

After a grueling week of no napping, I am happy to report we are back on track! We (and E) were exhausted and had no more tricks up our sleeves or patience to sit in his dark room and wait for him to fall asleep. Rocking him proved only to make things worse because he refused to lay down after sunggling and would wake up immediately if we tried to move him into bed. This was NOT a case of a sick baby needing comfort but a battle to stay awake at all costs!

Finally my husband uttered those words I couldn't..."we will have to let him cry it out". And within 30 minutes of crying, he was asleep for the night. Luckily he was so tired he didn't have the energy to keep it up - and he didn't get out of his bed or bang at the door, which helped me hold my breath and wait for him to settle. Then the next day at naptime, he only cried for 20 minutes. That night at bedtime he cried for 5 minutes and ever since, he's our sweet angel lying down at bedtime. Thank goodness! My sanity has returned!

am I dreaming? part deux

You'll have to read the first am I dreaming? post to really appreciate this one. But all I can say is hallelujah! I woke up this morning and it was light outside. My toddler was still sleeping! Given the success of our big weekend event at work, we've deemed this a PumpkinFest Miracle.

I tried the new game plan on day three (yesterday) when he woke at 6 a.m. - rock, snuggle, and sing in his room until the sun was up. Our house was calm and we had a great morning together. He even had a two hour afternoon nap (still not his usual three hours, but better than one). His bedtime routine was our usual snuggle story time followed by daddy tooth brushing. Then he went to bed at 8:30 p.m. And he slept until after 7 a.m.!

I don't want to jinx it. But maybe the stars have aligned once again? Could my good sleeper be back?

We are in no-man's-land about the two year molars. I don't think they are in yet, so I'm sure we could be dealing with this for a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to ask the pediatrician when we go for our two year check up.

am I dreaming? toddler sleep issues strike

My wonderfully sound sleeping baby has had two brutal nights of toddler sleep regression. Please tell me this is a bad dream!

Now, I know there are some people that may be rooting for this news from me. After all, my kiddo started sleeping through the night at 2 months and never turned back. You might be thinking "Ha! Finally!" I get it, we've been very fortunate in the sleep department. But now this. 

A 5 a.m.wake up call. Seriously? Doesn't he know I am overseeing a HUGE special event this weekend and I need to sleep?

And what to do?

I'm sure we did EVERYTHING wrong in our sleepy haze. Well, we tried to provide comfort, let him settle down, and put him back in bed. After several unsuccessful attempts, we calmly told him (from outside his door) he needed to do "night nights" because it was still dark.

And then we did the unthinkable. We let him cry.

I stood outside his door as he cried, yelled, banged, pulled on the door, and whimpered, begging for us to comfort him. It felt wrong. I knew it was wrong, letting my baby cry like that. I felt like we were punishing him because he couldn't sleep. We've been such loving parents to him. He must be crushed to think we turned on him when he needed comfort. I feel HORRIBLE about this.

But I had all those obnoxious, well-meaning voices in my head saying "he's going to have to learn he has to stay in bed". I hate myself for not trusting my own instincts.

We know our baby. We've worked hard to establish a loving, trusting relationship with him. Not to mention happy, safe, relaxing sleep routines.

Naturally, I turned to the internet to see if other people have experienced this with their toddlers (he'll be two next month) and what potentially causes this. Here's what I gleaned from my "research":

Maybe he's too little to be in a bed. For his safety, we had to take one side off the crib a couple of months ago and replace it with a rail because he was trying to climb out. But some people say toddlers lack the self-control to stay put once they realize they can get out. I don't think this is the problem. At least, not yet.

Maybe he's hitting a milestone. Some sites suggest that when babies are focused on a new skill (like younger babies before they learn to crawl or walk), their sleep patterns regress. I had heard of this before and this could make sense since he's starting to talk. Maybe he's just so revved up that he can't unwind.

Maybe he's having bad dreams. Toddlers' memories get stronger so they can replay images in their heads and remember dreams. He's not in a scary environment, but then, remembering the neighbors dog jumping up on him or our cat chasing the local fox might seem pretty scary to him. This bad dream explanation would make sense since his afternoon nap is cut short and he is waking between 5-6 a.m.

Maybe he's cutting his 2-year molars. YIKES! The WHAT? Yeah, somehow I didn't get the memo on this one and wasn't smart enough to put two and two together. He's been drooling alot and I thought I saw some little bumps around his chin a few days ago. Why didn't I realize that was a rash from the drool? Then today at the store, he bit his snack and winced, then stuck his finger in his mouth. Yeah, I'm thinking this is what the problem is.

So there we were. Cliche ignorant, tired parents debating what to do and failing miserably. I feel sick to my stomach about this - him screaming and crying in pain. I should have trusted my gut to comfort him.  Here are more reasons not to let your toddler "cry it out":

-You have to de-sensitize yourself to your baby's cries.
-You have to ignore your instincts as a parent. Why would we want to do that again? To follow inaccurate theories from people 50 years ago?
-You potentially overlook health issues or illness (in our case teething).
-He's got two years of great sleep habits under his belt, so this is just a temporary sleep disturbance. Figure out the cause and address it. Making him cry will not improve things if the problem is physical. In effect, you'll be punishing him for waking that is out of his control and losing sleep over it as he cries.
-He'll start to fear going to sleep because it will no longer feel like a safe, peaceful environment. (This will then impact naps and betimes.)

New game plan: Wake up as soon as he does, no matter how early. Rock, snuggle, and sing. Hope that he falls asleep in my arms and that I fall asleep, too. Hope that he forgives us.

latest tricks, courtesy of Houdini

There have been lots of changes in our household recently. Our little man is getting SO BIG! (Just picture him raising his arms to the sky.)

First off, while we were on vacation, we awoke to a frustrated/terrified scream as E was precariously hovering across the length of the pack-n-play. He had swung his leg and arm over the top to crawl out, but got stuck like a leopard hanging on a tree branch. Only apparently less comfortable. So the hubs and I looked at each other and knew we'd have to do something about the crib situation at home.

About two weeks prior to vacation we'd seen him try to get his toes up over the top of the crib. He's still so young that we weren't ready to consider switching him to a bed. But after the episode at the beach, we weren't willing to take any chances that he'd try the same move at home and fall out. So, we took one side off his crib. (It converts to a toddler bed). Gulp.

The first day he took a nap and could SEE that the side was gone, he jumped right out of bed and cried desperately trying to get out of his room. I think he was afraid and didn't feel safe, despite the bed rail. I snuggled and assured him that he is okay and that this is still where he does his "nappies". I laid him back in bed and that was that. He hasn't gotten out of bed again since. (Knock on wood.) I'm sure when he starts feeling more confident about getting in and out of bed, it will be a new ball game.

So that's been a big change - the mental shift that our boy isn't in a crib anymore, but a big boy bed. (Okay, okay, he's still technically in his crib just with one side missing, but you know what I mean!)

That's not the Houdini part, though.

Before breakfast last week, I was doing some dishes while E was playing. I turned to see what he was up to and there he was - in his highchair. Mind you, I did not put him in! I was in shock as to how he got himself in. I took him out and then watched in amazement. He pushed the highchair away from the table, then scaled right up the front and turned himself around in the seat! While I was terrified at the sheer speed of his act, I was also proud of this impressive feat!

He's got another trick here lately involving his fridge magnets. The trick is to see if they will sink or swim in kitty's water bowl.
Where has my baby gone??? He's growing up way too fast! 



yoga in the bathroom?

Oh yes, I said it. Yoga in the bathroom.

It all started after a L-O-N-G day. Little guy needed a bath and mommy needed a breather. Both needed to happen in a bad way. And voila - it was born. Yoga in the bathroom.

Now, obviously my child's safety comes first. First I set up his bath and got him situated with toys. My bathroom is small enough that even mid-downward dog I can reach for my kid. Okay, so it's not a deep, meditative experience because I am always present enough to keep my eye on bathing babe. But I still get some much needed stretches in. E laughs when I do my forward bend and pretend to kiss him. He looks at me like I'm crazy in my warrior pose.

Mostly I crave relaxation from slow breathing and back stretches. Lately my back has been so sore, noticeably aching once I lay down for the night. When I get up each morning I'm in pain. I'm sure it's from my healthy, steadily growing toddler who's reached a whopping 24 pounds. The yoga helps, especially when I can jump into a class alone. But I'll take yoga in the bathroom if I have to!





toddler review: his favorite books



Our sweetie reads I Am A Bunny before bedtime.

Every day I get the great priveledge of snuggle time with my toddler when we read books. This happens several times a day from the moment he wakes up until just before he lays down for the night. As a mom and an educator, his early interest in books feels incredibly rewarding.

He loves books. I'm not sure if it's the reading as much as it is the funny, beautiful or strange illustrations that he wants to figure out. He mimics the sounds I make and tries to find the tiny details hidden in the pictures. I know his vocabulary is multiplying as I read and re-read the stories -- research tells us as much. But I'm also starting to learn more about him and his interests, too.

After we read, I let him go back to the beginning and flip through the pages without my narration. Sometimes he talks, points or stops to look closely at an image. Watching and listening as he interacts with the books helps me to discover what he is curious about. Considering his limited vocabulary, any insights about what he enjoys, is fascinating to me.

If you've got (or had) a toddler then you already know that any book with flaps or pieces to manipulate are a big hit. He relishes a good "lift the flap" book or books with special textures.

There are dozens of classics that we are just getting into (Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I Am A Bunny and The Snowy Day, etc.). But there are many more fantastic stories that you may not have heard of. Because I enjoy the books just as much as E, I thought I'd share some of these lesser known faves:

Little Feet Love by Anthony Nex (lots of textures for feet!)
In My Tree by Sara Gillingham (a tiny owl finger puppet)
Counting Book 1 to 10 by Cyndy Szekeres (adorable mouse illustrations to count)
Mama, Where Are You? by Diane Muldrow (flaps of baby animals and their mamas)
The Tiny Tadpole by Little Scholastic (touch and feel book about frog metamorphosis)
I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur by Stella Blackstone (beautiful textile illustrations)
Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth (touch and feel lady bugs to count)
Natural World A, B, C by Crocodile Creek (chunky board book - read, identify pictures or sing the song)
Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet (touch and feel with flaps, including "sticky frog tongues")
Little Bee by Chronicle Books (finger puppet helps encourage appreciation for bees!)
Goodnight, Baby by Ikids (place the animal babies in a pocket on every page)

Please share your favorite books for toddlers, too. I'd love to keep adding to our growing library. Happy reading!

another new year and a fresh start

With 2011 just days away, a little birdie on my shoulder is urging, "Monica, go ahead and do it. Start your own blog!" So here it is, the inaugural post of Mama Bird. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a lot to say, so this is a great format for me to share my thoughts with anyone who finds value in them. It's hard to muzzle me when I'm talking about my family or my career. But ask me about my son, and you'll be listening for a LONG time. So this blog is a compilation, a collection of posts where my thoughts merge about life as an educator, artist, mommy, and wife.

I want you to know that I won't always use perfect punctuation (sorry Language Arts teachers!) because I want to write the way I speak. I hope the "real" writers out there won't take offense! Sometimes my language is way too flowery, and other times too verbose. I'm a sensitive, sentimental gal, so you can be sure my posts, grammatical mistakes and all, will follow suit. And without further adieu, here it is, my fresh start for 2011: a blog to celebrate my life's adventures.

Thoughts about my baby bird:
My son was exhausted tonight when I rocked him to sleep. His room was dark and silent except for the hum of his heater. His little legs dangled over the arm of my grandmother's rocking chair, comfortably crossed. His little eyes were droopy and couldn't stay open as I nuzzled him and kissed the bridge of his tiny nose. Maybe it's because he just took his first steps and I sense his time as a "baby" is fleeting, but tonight as we rocked and I kissed his sweet fuzzy head, he smelled more amazing than ever before. Maybe to some it would seem embarrassing or foolish, but I was in heaven smelling his little forehead and tiny blond locks. Something about the scent of his beautiful head is precious and indescribably lovable.