Sunday, August 26, 2012

Month Thirty One

Maddy. My dear Maddy.

I did it! I managed to write ON your month-day!! YAY!

You are, right now, singing and kicking your walls in your room. And demanding cereal and/or milk. Instead of napping. On a day where it is obvious to me (and anyone who watches you for more than 10 seconds - because you would have had at least one meltdown in that period), you need sleep. You have had an amazingly busy week with baba and dido babysitting you. And then a missed nap due to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese (which you, incidentally loved). And nightmares last night (3 from 550am to 730am). Tonight is going to be challenging.

But this last month. You are again changing by the hour. Your have expanded your movie interests. Bird movie (aka Rio) is a hit. Your are interacting more with your toys and more imaginative games. You are expressing interest in crafts now. You love colouring with markers, on paper and your belly and cheek. I love washable markers.. best invention ever. You still don't get knock knock jokes, but your punch lines are much more descriptive now. You love to "play" and demand that we join along but you are also able to play by yourself for long periods of time, if we have guests or mommy is cooking or busy on the computer. Although you still love to join me on the computer (and ask for "Lolli-POP, Lolli-POP" aka YouTube).

I just went in, to try to calm you. I held you and jiggled you like I did when you were a baby. But you are anything but anymore. Your torso was the length of mine, your legs dangling off to the side. But your eyes became heavy as I sang and rocked you. Just like when you were my baby.... Until I laid you down, and that is when the screaming and wailing and demanding and negotiating started. This is one battle, though, that I cannot lose my love. You will be unbearable tonight without even a short nap. And your dad has been in a course all weekend, and he won't have the energy to thwart your meltdowns. And after a full day at home with you, neither will I. Oh, what is that I hear? Nothing? Silence? Can you have... maybe?

Next weekend we're hitting the road, to Saskatchewan to visit family. After 2 weeks away from daycare and at home with baba. Well, rarely home with baba - she has you out and about every day! But then we'll get back into the routine. Back to normal. Daycare and regular naps and regular dinner and regular. I think we'll all need that. I have a very busy few months at work, which includes some travel (3 trips) and time away from you. Until the crazy really hits I'll need routine.

Maddy, you are so perfectly you. And (I think) so perfectly sleeping you... thank you for this nap, Nunu.

Mommy loves you. Even when you're a grump. For always.

--mommy

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Month Twenty-nine AND Thirty

My dear Maddy,

I am really good at missing these letters right now. There were SO many times I almost started typing. But instead I surfed the internet or watched TV or just sat like a big lump on the couch and didn't. Not that I haven't written this post in my head hundreds of times. Or that I don't think everything you do is mind-blowingly awesome, but just I am... trying to stay balanced. And some balance means being still and a little disengaged.

OK. Month 29? Maybe the highlights have passed through my memory. But some things I want to remember... Me witnessing you have a conversation with a peer. A girl, in the preschool room. You said hi, asked her what she had, and said it was pretty. All I stood there, mouth agape. You are so much more interactive with other kids and are starting to actually play with them, not just by them.

Another thing you love to interact with? My driving. You are QUITE the little backseat driver. "Turn the wheel now please" as I wait to turn left. And you always seems to want to steer me right into oncoming traffic... Or wailing "GREEN MEANS GO" as you see a green light - for the cars perpendicular to us. And when you have had enough? "One, Two, Tree - GO. MOMMY ONE TWO TREE GOOOO". Again, normally you are trying to get me to go through the stopped car ahead of me. It's abundantly clear why 2 years olds are NOT allowed to drive.

You LOVE movies now. It was all Tangled and Winnie the Pooh, but now it's "Elephant Movie" (aka Dumbo). Which I actually never liked as a kid, and still really don't. We're trying to lure you into others like Little Mermaid (Ariel movie) or Toy Story (Toy Movie) or Lion King or Cars or Peter Pan... but you stubbornly hold true to elephant movie. But we sometimes slip another film in and I am enjoying catching up on the Disney movies. Cars? Good show!

Although I have to say the cutest Maddy-ism is the new way you say yes. "Me too". There is rarely a yes to be had, but instead "Maddy, do you want to watch the elephant movie? ME TOO!" or "Maddy, you just fell, are you alright? Me too, mommy". It's a little confusing at times, but still adorable. I think I am going to miss this one a lot... Other Maddy-isms? For a few hours you said chimpanzee as "pink-pan-cheese". Although you have it perfectly now. And shrimp used to be trumpets, but no longer. Spaghetti used to be "Messy-kitties" but then it's morphed to "Passy-ghetti". We still, however, "clink" things with the mouse, on the computer (instead of click) and

You are growing. You are TALL. Although we still can't convince you to give up your high chair or your diapers. Potty training you frightens me, until you are ready. Asking you to do it before you want? I can't see anything good coming of that, stubborn one.

Yesterday we took you to Heritage Days, your third one! And it was... not good. You had a rough nap (if you even slept) and were grumpy and demanding. Oh so demanding! We spent about 1.5 hours there and most of it was spent trying to keep you calm. Very little chance to eat or see much of anything... I am starting to think that the best time to take you out isn't after your nap anymore - maybe before lunch is better. Not every moment is easy, not every outing is perfect. But oh, my Maddy, you are always perfectly loved. Always.

Right now you are nestled next to me, sucking your thumb and holding Odg and watching videos on YouTube. Right now you you love toy commercials, watching dogs pop balloons (or most things about balloons) and kids playing in ball pits. I dunno... I just clink where I am told to.

Every day with you, Maddy, is an adventure. I love you so much my dear.

--mommy