More Big Kid Milestones

We’ve had so many big kid milestones already this year…down with the baby gates…up with the highchairs…hello, cups without lids (at least for snack time)…and our get-around-town stroller hasn’t seen action in months and months. 

As I describe our two most recent milestones, you may shake your head at the way I still “baby” the girls in some respects.  That may be a valid accusation…but I can only say that I have to take baby steps with my babies big kids. 

When I posted pictures of my sleeping beauty one time earlier in the year, most of the comments glossed over how stinkin’ adorable my slumbering Baby A was with her tush in the air…in favor of something along the lines of, “Wow!  You STILL have them in sleep sacks?”

Yes, my girls STILL wear sleep sacks, and they STILL sleep in cribs.  And, up until a couple of weeks ago, I was STILL adhering to the AAP guidelines for infants having no suffocation hazards in said cribs.  

That’s right…at almost four, our girlies were still sleeping in a bare bed.  (I still put them on their backs to sleep, but they tend to contort themselves into various positions…and I have finally come to be OK with that.)  :)

So what happened a couple of weeks ago?  Well, the girlies were battling colds.  Hubby and I talked about it, thinking – given their congestion – they might be more comfortable with a pillow.

I told them their pediatrician suggested it, so as to set the stage that pillows are not toys.  They were so tickled to welcome their [very flat] pillows into their beds cribs, and I’m thankful to report they’ve done great!  Mark it down…our girls use pillows!

That was definitely a momentous occasion.  How could I even consider allowing another milestone???

I can only say that I’m very brave.

IN ADDITION to the pillows, our girls are now using regular silverware!!!

Since the girls started using utensils (at age two…LATE, I know!), we’ve stuck with the kiddie-sized forks and spoons.  Hubby again suggested a few days ago that they might make less mess (always a plus) if they had bigger spoons to reign in their jambalaya.

The silverware we use has always felt kind of oversized to me (it’s sleek and heavy and makes me feel very sophisticated…HA!), so I dug around and found an old set that I have from my mom.

The girls took immediately to using the spoons and salad forks.  “I’m just like a little adult!” B exclaimed the first day.

Yes…yes, you are.  Don’t remind me, Honey. 

But I guess I can handle this change, too…as long as I get to lay my TINY BABES down in their CRIBS come nightfall.

Deep breaths.

Fab 5 Friday...and ME!

Lots of great stuff in this fabulous week!!!

1) On Friday, Miss Jennifer, a college student whose parents live in our neighborhood, came over for a couple of hours to play with the girls. (We’re planning to make it a weekly thing, to give the girls exposure to someone else…and to give this mama a little break – hallelujah!) The girls had a blast. When it was time for her to go, little Baby B’s lip even started to tremble.

2) Among other things, Miss Jennifer introduced them to the “Banana Phone” song. They’ve been holding their plastic banana to their ears and trying to sing it ever since…and I have to admit, it’s addictive!

3) On Saturday night, we took the girls out to eat. For the first time, we took their little forks and let them eat off real plates. They were such big kids!

4) On Wednesday, thanks to yet another snow day (we’re up to 14 this year...gah!), Daddy was home. We took the girls to lunch at our favorite sushi restaurant. We’ve been in the habit of going to dinner about once a week, but going out for lunch – once an every-other-day kinda habit – is now such a rare treat.

5) On Thursday, the girls having turned 25 months old, we finally let them outside to play in the snow a bit. I didn’t know how they’d react, but they couldn’t get enough of digging with their beach shovels, filling their sand pails. And when we’d had enough, they both slurped down a cup of warm milk faster than I think I’ve ever seen…it just made my heart smile.

And what did I do for ME this week???

One of my BFFs (Aunt Shanda) is playing Lady Capulet in the public theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet. I went with another of my BFFs (Aunt Karen) to see her on Friday night, after the girlies were in bed. It was so nice to see an actual big-people production…and to enjoy a refreshment together downtown after the show. I felt like such a big girl, wearing my high-heeled boots and everything!

P.S. If I haven't said it lately, thanks so much to Dolli-Mama for hosting this awesome weekly challenge. It really makes me think about what I'm going to do for ME each week...and I think that's a good thing!

Fab 5 Friday and ME!

Another fabulous week in A & B World!

1) We got a healthy report from our pediatrician during our two-year checkup on Friday. I know my babies are perfect, but it’s always nice to hear it from an expert. :)

2) The girls are doing SO WELL eating with utensils! KNOCK ON WOOD as I type this, they’re getting less food on their hands, which has resulted in less food in their hair! I’m thinking we can cut baths back to twice a month. (KIDDING!!! Although wouldn’t that be nice?!!!)

3) The girls' newfound proficiency with utensils has opened the door to a plethora of new dishes. It was so great to make a chicken pot pie one night, and split pea soup another…and have the four of us sit down, at the same time, and eat the same thing. Hallelujah!!!

4) Our kitty Sasha has gone into the den (which requires the hurdling of baby gates) a couple of times this week while the girls were in their high chairs in the kitchen. Both times, they said, “Share, Sasha,” and did the baby sign for share [as I once asked them if they’d be willing to share their toys with Sasha]. I don’t remember ever seeing them sign “share” in the context of sharing with each other, but I guess their furry sister prompts them to be much more generous!

5) I made a big family breakfast on Tuesday (yet another snow day for the hubs). I served up matching plates (but for the fact that ours weren’t neon plastic) of scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and pigs-in-a-blanket. I froze for a moment, realizing I didn’t want to tell the girls what the sausage-filled balls of doughy goodness were called – lest I turn them into vegetarians for life – but they didn’t pause long enough to recognize my stutter. The dove straight in and enjoyed every.last.scrap. ‘Atta girls!

And what did I do, just for 'lil ol' me???

My hubby has been out of school most of the week due to snow. During naptime last Friday, I got out to run a few errands. Although it meant I had to speed-shop for my groceries, I stopped in a new bead store that I’d been eyeing for months. I got to chat with the owner, and we shared our love for “buy local”. I only bought a couple of beads for two specific projects I’ve been thinking about, but I’m inspired to stop back in – soon, I hope – and try my hand at a new project.



And…one more fabulous note...

Thank you so much to Rebecca of Unexplained x2 for awarding me the Trendy Blogger award!!! I don’t know how “trendy” I am (particularly if you could see me typing this in my Christmas-sock-monkey fleece pants and bumblebee socks…ahem…), but I appreciate the shout-out.

Rebecca is most certainly one of the bloggers I never miss…when I see a new blog post, I drop everything [except a baby] so I can check her out. Gotta love her honesty, and the way she writes about it is heee-larious. And I think she's a pretty smart mama, too. Check out some of her other picks here.

I Always Knew Dessert was Evil

The girls are no strangers to sugar. On a nice afternoon, I love to take them to the yogurt place for a few spoons of frozen goodness. Or I’ll gladly share with them a couple of bites of a cookie or cake I’ve made. I even let them sample a Kit Kat bar from their Halloween basket (which they scoffed, by the way!).

I have no problem with a sweet bite here or there. I don’t position it as a “treat” per se; I just matter-of-factly offer it to the girls once or twice a week at random. But dessert has never been a standard component of a meal or a day.

At 23 months old, I decided it was finally time I put aside my mess-ophobia and work with the girls on using spoons. I wanted to entice them with something they’d really want to work for, so I gave them each a small bowl of strawberry yogurt (dessert, some might call it) after supper one night last week.

The first night was pretty messy, but they loved the yogurt, and they were definitely motivated to try, try, try again.

The second night, I again gave them yogurt and a spoon, and they did a little better.

By the third night, they were clearly looking forward to the yogurt, asking for it at the beginning of supper. And on a mess-note, I could walk away to grab a paper towel without fear of spoons flying. I was feeling pretty good.

Yesterday, the girls asked for yogurt at BREAKFAST. I told them they could have yogurt AFTER supper. They accepted that…until supper rolled around.

I put some scrumptious chicken on their trays, chicken that they normally devour. Baby B may have taken a couple of bites, but Baby A took one look and whined, “All done!”

Breathing deeply, I went ahead and served up some green beans, a perennial favorite. “All done!” Baby A cried, without so much as a bite.

Breathing even more deeply, I served the girls their fruit. They ate their blackberries and demanded yogurt.

I told the girls we weren’t having yogurt that evening. I offered them their chicken and green beans. When they refused, I took them out of their highchairs and put them in the den to play.

They were not happy.

Every five minutes or so, I offered them their chicken and green beans. After about 15 minutes, they finally relented and sat down to eat the rest of their supper, and all was well with the world.

I think I’m going to lay off the yogurt for a few more days. I hate the thought of that seeming to be their “motivation” to get through the day…the promise of what seems like a sweet treat at the finish line.

I have long thought that dessert was evil, and this just proves it. They’ll just have to learn to eat from a spoon with oatmeal and creamed spinach.