All work and no play

Tempted into starting a post by listening to the WXPN feed and hearing that 76 is blocked up from University ave to the Conshohocken curve, and remembering sitting in that traffic...

Last week was a bit of a killer on the work front, and I'm barely recovered despite H sending me to bed early three nights in a row, and taking a nap both Saturday and Sunday afternoons while Pob was sleeping. She's only just given up her morning nap, and consequently is definitely ready for a long sleep after lunch.

She turned 18 months on Friday, and we can see the huge change in her approach to the world as she becomes more and more her own person. No longer can we get her to do little tasks for us - she just grins and says 'No' and runs the other way. These used to be things like taking junk mail to the recycling bin, or fetching her slippers so we could help her put them on, or returning a book to the shelves and fetching a new one. Oh well, it had to come. The one task she will still do is taking a plate to the dishwasher, as she loves exploring what's in there. She also enjoys 'helping' unpack it, and gets very cross if we get too far ahead of her in the process.

Her language has also taken another leap. Lots more words, but more that she is now putting them together to tell us something more interesting. For example, "baby sleep" (pointing to a picture in a book)," "more apple/cheese/peas," when eating, and even a little story when I went in to see her because she wasn't settling on Friday night. I had been stuck on a conference call for all of bedtime, but when I finished she was loudly complaining (not crying, just exclaiming) about being in her cot. So I went in, and she immediately stood up and demanded a cuddle. I gave in, and as we sat down together in the rocking chair, she explained to me, "Daddy night-night [sound of kiss being blown]." "Did Daddy say good night and blow you a kiss?" I asked, "Yes," I was told. I don't think these really classify as sentences yet, but it makes a big difference in us understanding what she really means. This doesn't stop her from getting very cross, whiny and tantrum-y if we don't understand what she wants or won't give it to her, but I'm hoping that as it progresses, it will get easier for us all as we communicate more effectively together.

I've heard from many people about toddlers being picky about food, but Pob is pretty much the opposite. Yes there are a couple of things she's not keen on - potato in particular, and non-strongly flavoured pasta sauces, and too-strong cheese, but apart from that she wants to eat whatever anyone else is eating, and won't stop until she gets it. At the park yesterday this was amusing but slightly embarassing as she walked up to any child with a snack and tried to take it from them. Or just stare at them until they handed it over. This ploy didn't work with a little French boy who shouted loudly at Pob when she tried to come near his banana, so she retreated to a safe distance and kept looking at him while he ate the whole thing, all the while repeating over and over to herself,and partly to him I imagine, "nana, nana, nana". Not sure what we should do about this, if anything? I'm glad she's so open to food and enjoys a wide range of tastes, but the demanding she shares anything she sees someone else eating seems a bit much.

We tried her on egg over the weekend. She's now had half of one of my oatmeal-berry-yogurt muffins on two occasions, with no ill-effects. It's not much egg - one per 12 muffins - but it's a start. We'll keep on building her up until hopefully she can eat simply cooked eggs in a few weeks time. I hope.

She is physically fearless. We took her to a trial class at an organisation called 'little gym' on Saturday, and she threw herself into everything - large bouncy-castle type gym mat, parallel bars, the balance barre (which had hand bars either side so they could walk along safely). I thought this would tire her out but she then ran around the shopping centre where it was held for a good hour afterwards. Oh to have the energy of a toddler.

She has decided that hats are a great thing. Having thrown a fit every time my mother and I tried to get her to wear one in Florida, she is now an addict and every trip this weekend required her to be wearing her white sunhat. And preferably her wellington boots as well, which combined to make a slightly eclectic look on Saturday. Then she needed to wear her pink woolly hat when we got home, and all through supper. I didn't know a stong sense of style started so early.

Pob is going through a real 'Mummy' phase. I felt bad for H when he went in on Saturday morning to get her up and her first response was "NOOO! Mummy!" Not sure there is much we can do about it, and I'm sure it will reverse at some point. This worries me at bit given I'm gone for a whole week from Sunday. It's the longest I've left her, and I'm not at all excited about it. Perhaps when I'm not there she'll accept Daddy as a substitute more easily.

***

Junior (Sib didn't stick so we are back to the unoriginal) seems to be doing well. I had a scan on Wednesday to check placental blood flow to see if I can come off clexane, and all looked good. Great blood flow and a baby with a big head and short legs, just like Pob, poor thing. He is moving around a lot, particularly after I eat something, but so far I am not very uncomfortable, even in bed at night, which is a relief. We'll see how long it lasts.

24w5d

Comments

[Hairy Farmer Family]

I've just had a little think - Junior must be nearly 25 weeks now, or thereabouts? Tempus fugit! You must be getting kicked to smithereens.

Pob really needs to have a long one-to-one with Harry about the benefits of A) wearing a hat, B) wearing wellingtons, C) performing little tasks and D) talking. I am consumed with seething envy and vicariously delighted at Pob's wonderful progress ALL AT ONCE!

On the other hand, Harry needs no help whatsoever with his spaniel/thug imitations around other children's food and toys!

[Country Chick]

Theo is very Mummy-focused too - probably just beginning to come out of it now, but for ages I was the only one he would allow near him if he woke up in the night / hurt himself etc etc. I think, however, you are right - when you are actually completely unavailable (ie not there at all) Daddy is a very acceptable substitute! Good luck with the trip.

[Kath]

Dear Thalia, I'm sorry you've had such a rough few weeks work-wise, and hope you recover soon. Yes, wouldn't it be good if our toddlers gave us a bit of that excess energy?

Pob sounds amazing. The food envy made me laugh out loud -- Banana is the same way. (Poor thing, she gets that from both of us. I used to be the biggest food beggar in the world.) The language thing amazes me. Word combinations already!

Hoping your trip is not too hard on you or Pob -- a week, I am sure, feels like such a long time. I'm a bit worried about my absence next week, too -- and everything that it involves. Gulp.

[Betty M]

As usual Pob is sounding adorable. Oh I wish that my eldest could get back her eat anything and everything days. School has a lot to answer for.

Sorry work is such a killer. When do you get dispensation to slack off?

[Geohde]

I remember coming home from shifts when I was pregnant, falling into bed and sleeping like a dead thing for 12 hours. Only to be late for my next shift.

Glad that Junior is doing well in there, and how fast Pob is growing up!

[Katie]

They do indeed count as sentences! Well done Pob.

[May]

I absolutely agree with Pob. Potatoes are NOT NICE.

If Junior is anything like his big sister, he will be unutterable in his perfections.

[Tinker]

Those are definitely sentences. Yay Pob!

And do enjoy the eat-everything-and-anything phase; my eldest was the same at this age and he has become a very fussy 3yo.

[lucky#2]

Pob sounds like the perfect 18 month old! Amazing how much they change every month, isn't it?

So very happy that Junior is doing so well. Over halfway to meeting him.

[motel manager]

Isn't the language stuff cool? I am constantly amazed by it. I also get extremely sentimental when S. makes something in his art class -- the fact that he is a little person who can make things is remarkable to me.

Pob sounds like a very smart little gal, unsurprisingly. And she also sounds super-charming! Moreover, she will have a British accent, which I always envy.

[bealge]

What? You were an hour from my house and did not visit??

OK . . . so that's not the topic here . . .

Yay for clever POB!

[Bea]

I like the communication thing. It's pretty rudimentary still, over here, but it makes such a difference.

I am relieved about the hats.

I don't know where the energy comes from.

Bea

[bittermama]

Oh, Thalia! I don't know how I've managed to be away from blog reading for so long to have missed your news. My bloglines was all screwed up for a while and I stopped using it and now I'm confined by terrible back pain to lying semi-upright with a laptop balanced on my belly and I find you again. Please forgive me for the long absence. And many, many congratulations! Our due dates must only be a few weeks apart, I don't know how I missed it.