What I've learned this week and it's only Tuesday

First, I'll admit that last week was tough on me. Our daughter was irritable, quick to being fussy and not her normal happy go lucky self, I think it's the teething... or perhaps just too much of seeing me all the time, and vice and versa. Baby-mommy cabin fever! She is so task oriented at this age (18 months) that boredom can also play a factor in her mood... So I'm brainstorming some things in that dept, will report back! The husband and I are still brainstorming ways to give me a break, and we are coming up with some fun solutions... ones that haven't been put into practice yet, but they sure look good on paper! ; ) Hello, a few days at the shore by myself! And yet I'm always amazed how in one second I can go from being completely "done" with the toddler-isms to being so happy to see her. No other person in my life has this affect on me, which explains why it is so challenging I'm sure! any who, here's my little Tuesday list of what I've learned this week.

* having a toddler is like having a foreign exchange student who only speaks "scream" (there are lots of hand gestures, body language and facial cues that attempt to fill in the language gap)

* like Sesame Street, we have a word of the day, yesterday's was "back" as in "Put that back please". Other days have been "brought to you by..." the word cucumber (cue-cumbah), River (ri-ber), Bib (bib), Hammock (hamm-iCK!) etc

* This week I've been using some tools from the book Love and Logic, when it comes to diaper changes: "Would you like to help mommy with the diaper change? Or do you need to sit here and think about it...?" I'll ask her this at least two times (with long pauses), and if she isn't making a clear decision, and still isn't participating in the diaper change I won't belabor the issue, I simply say, "Okay, you chose to sit here and think about it, see you in a bit". To which I promptly leave the room, close the door and a minute or two later come back in and she is ready for a new diaper. I've done this 3 times and now all diaper changes are smooth, and no longer a game of tag you're "IT". It's not a punishment per say, but another educational opportunity where she is learning about making choices and how some choices allow her to move on to more fun activities.

* We haven't been using a monitor at night for almost a month now... she never wakes up during the night, plus our rooms are so close I can hear her if she does. It's a nice distance to have, I sleep better, since I don't stir with every turn she makes. And in the morning she shouts, "HEY!" and we go get her up. ; )

* She's never been great with having her hair washed, especially the more aware she becomes, this goes for any water on the face. So when washing her face during bath time, we take turns, I wash her face and then she washes my face, and repeat!