Sleeping at One Year

I am pleased to report that Delphinium has regularly begun sleeping through the night again.  She used to do that often from the age of seven weeks until six months, but then we went on our world travels, and her schedule went completely out of whack.  When we returned from South Africa, she was getting up two, three, or even four times per night, and that wasn't even including some of her terrible teething nights.  We tried all sorts of strategies to help her, but ultimately, the only thing that would get her back to sleep was plenty of rocking or nursing.  To make things more challenging, she does not want to see Daddy at night.  He is pretty much her most favorite person during the day, but at night he becomes highly unacceptable.  I am so, so lucky that I do not have to try and work in the mornings.  I don't know how some people manage!

Nevertheless, that's all behind us (oh please! oh please!) because all by herself Delphinium grew into big girl sleeping.  Most nights she goes down without a fuss (often for Daddy too!), and some nights she doesn't even cry at all.  She just cuddles down with her blankie and her bears and goes to sleep, and then stays that way until the morning light.  Of course we do still have the rough patches, but they are getting fewer and farther between.  Let's just hope it keeps up this way.  Now that I've had a taste of the real sleep, I don't know what it would feel like to go back.

No Buns for You!

The other day Delphinium and I were lucky enough to be in the car with Grandma and The Nieces.  It was a great good time as everybody was singing to keep Charlotte (and ourselves) amused.  One song she particularly likes is The Bakery Shop.  It's a subtraction song where different people come into the bakery shop to buy a great big bun with sugar one top.  You sing each verse with someone's name in it, so that they buy a bun and go away, and then there are only four more buns, and then three, and so on.  The last person comes to the bakery shop with their penny to pay, but they look and look because there are no more buns. 

I'd been singing that Grandma was last and had to go away without a bun, but both nieces DID NOT think that was okay.  Elder Niece said very forcefully "Grandmas get buns!" so we had to think up another plan to finish our song.  Younger Niece had the perfect solution.  Since the last person was out of luck on buns it had to be someone who didn't deserve one anyway.  Thus she sang the final verse "Gaddafi looked and he looked, but there were no more buns, so he went away.  Pretty good for someone who's in forth grade.

The Cert Monster Part 4

*sings*  I did it! Oh I did it! Oh I did it!  Hooray!

Yes I have completed online class number two (of three) that I need to keep my certificate current.  This one consisted of reading the text on behavior management, taking a fifty question test, and then writing three essays.  Essay one was five pages about improving my classroom practices.  Essay two was five pages about the difference between consequences and punishment.  Essay three was  (no joke) about how my personal history impacts my interactions with students.  I only rolled my eyes during that last one, but I'm afraid I did roll them quite a lot. 

I've been using my time during Delphinium's naps to get the work done, and I don't think it's taken me too long to be finished.  Of course our house is not quite as clean as usual and the garden beds are just sitting there since I've had less them, but it will be worth it in the long run.  Now to send off my packet and register for the next course.  One day I will get to do other things again. 

One Year Doctor Visit

Driving into the parking lot of our pediatrician this morning I had a strong moment of recollection about bringing our tiny newborn to that very same place.  Memories of that time are so oddly shifted as if they took place underwater or I'm remembering them through a telescope.  Anyway, our little girl is certainly much bigger, noisier, and sturdier than she was at her first doctor's visit one year ago.  She is now 2'6" instead of 1'9" which is really quite shocking if you think about it.  Can you imagine if we all grew that much every year? 

Her weight is still only twenty pounds, so more than ever, she's our tall thin stringbean girl.  Her head size is still in the 5th percentile, but this does not worry me since growth is consistent, and her daddy is also in possession of a small bean.  Eyes, ears, nose, teeth, tum, and joints all get a clean bill of health, and her cognitive development is on target or beyond.  All in all, she's pretty much the perfect child.  Then again we already knew that :) 

Poor Delphinium did have to get three jabs on this visit.  It seems that twelve months is the time when they start a new series of vaccinations (since they finished the DTaP) that includes MMR and Hep A.  I am absolutely in favor of vaccinations to prevent much more terrible illness, but it is never fun to watch them stick your child with a needle.  I can't imagine the way some people purposely spread them out so that the child has to go through many more visits and many more jabs.  Much better to shed those tears, sniffle ourselves to sleep, and then nap off the effects for an afternoon.  Hopefully there will be no side-effects this time. 

First Birthday

I can safely say that Delphinium had a wonderful time at her first birthday party. Yes it was crowded, yes there were SO many new presents to enjoy, and yes there was the new experience of CAKE (for the very first time) but that was all part of the fun. In all, I believe thirty-six people came to the party. Luckily for us, we had some wonderful helpers in Grandma, Mr. D., and The Nieces. I don't know how I could have finished tidying up and making the food without all that kind help. Then there was wonderful Auntie K. who made the most fabulous pink kitty cake! Oh it was beautiful! It was white cake with blueberry filling, and Delphinium first tasted the blueberries, and then laid her whole face in the cake in order appreciate it fully. I was very proud that she did not cry when the slice was gone.


The music that Mr. D. did for us was definitely a star attraction. He knows just how to connect with kids, and at one point Delphinium fussed and scrambled off my lap because she wanted to be closer to the music! I saw so many kids enjoying themselves, and I think some of the grown ups actually had a good time too. Bubble time in the backyard rounded out the activities. I think that a good time was had by all.

Baby is One!

That's right, our Delphinium has turned the big o-n-e! I am shocked, shocked! that the time has gone by so quickly, but it seems that a whole year has passed already. Wasn't I just at the hospital last month? Didn't I have swollen feet last week? I know we had a tiny newborn just a minute ago. Apparently it really has been a year already. Of course looking at our girl, you would know for sure that she's getting quite big and mature. She's standing by herself, eating real food, saying actual words, and pointing out all her favorite people in the photos around our house. She's also got an adorably toothy grin and her daddy's beautiful hair. I am one lucky lady! I would not trade places with the president, a Nobel winner, or even an astronaut because then I wouldn't get to be her mommy. Mushy I know, but it is the absolute truth.

Cute Baby Bits #3821

Delphinium is never so happy as when she's crunching up magazines and newspapers.  The other morning she was cheerfully doing just that when she came across a picture of a photo-shopped pug dog with a human smile.  She froze in mid-crumple, and then laughed out loud as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.  Then she closed up the magazine, patted the cover, and opened it again to find the dog.  Another laugh, another close, more patting, you get the idea.  And that was that.

Baby Food

It turns out Delphinium enjoys food. A LOT. There are really very few foods she's ever come across that do not tempt her. It started out with milk, but now we have gone so far beyond. First came those purees and cereal goos that so many babies get to try, and she was a fan of those from the beginning. Then we moved on to combination foods like applesauce with carrots or peas with pears. Oh the face she used to make when she got pears. First delight, then confusion, and finally puzzled acceptance. It seems pears taste good, have a weird texture, but, ultimately, are entirely worthwhile.

Now we are on to real solids. As in chunks of food we can eat with our fat little fists. Baby cereal puffs were first because they melt so nicely in a tiny mouth. However, that only lasted a very short time before we moved on to the classic Cheerios. Okay, so they're not really Cheerios having been purchased at Trader Joes, but we still call them by the famous name. So sue us. Next came steamed veggies such as carrots and zucchini. She really enjoys those, but not quite so much as the ever-fabulous cheese. Cheese actually makes this baby crow with excitement. Then there are blueberries, asparagus, bread, bagels, rice cakes, almond butter, eggs, etc, etc, etc. You get the idea. It's great fun thinking up meals for a person as appreciative of food as Delphinium. May the picky phase please be short and light.

The Cert Monster Part 3

I'm happy to say that I'm now safely registered for a five credit class through an online service (with ties to a real university even!) that I've used before.  I'm also happy to say that it isn't proving nearly as difficult as I'd first thought.  I got the book used from Amazon, and now all I have to do is read the thing, take the open-book quiz, and write three essays.  As compared to some five credit classes I've taken this seems like a walk in the park.  The best part is (okay aside from the large number of credits) the book is actually halfway decent.  Challenging behavior in the Elementary and Middle Grades has a fair amount to offer in the way of real and useful information.  I'm actually finding myself getting invested in the reading!  At this rate I should complete the course in only a few weeks.  Of course that assumes no WAB-ing behavior sets in...

Caspar Babypants Rocks!

Little miss and I recently got the chance to enjoy Caspar Babypants at the library near our house, and we had a wonderful time!  It was a high-energy show that got all the kids (big and little) bopping to the music.  One day maybe our baby will be up there dancing with the big kids.  I love that the music is not overly sweet or sentimental, and "Caspar" really seems to understand what topics really interest kids.  That show was completely packed, but we will definitely be going out to find another one in the future.  Yay for Caspar Babypants!