Happy Easter to my non-Orthodox readers! ...Happy second week of Lent to the rest of you. :)
We're Eastering with Bryan's parents this weekend (right after we second week of Lent for a couple of hours Sunday morning). Murry is excited to spend a few days with Olivia since she (Murry) was sick last week when Bryan and Olivia visited. I sent them away so that I could get work done around the house and then poor Murry was too under the weather to play.
Olivia has been learning how to jump recently. One day a couple of weeks ago, I decided to see if she could jump, so I showed her how. As it turns out, she can't, really, but that doesn't stop her from trying. She winds her little self up and then lifts her heels while throwing her arms in the air, looking immensely pleased with herself. On the rare occasion that her feet come completely off the ground, she falls on her rear upon landing. I've tried multiple times to get a video of it, but every time the camera comes out the jumping stops and the whining starts...
We officially have sentences on the talking front. For the most part, Olivia has two understandable sentences: "Where are [they, mama, dedah, doggie, etc.]?" and "There's the [mama, dedah, doggie, etc.]!" All her other sentences are composed mostly of gibberish, at least to my ears. I've decided her first complete sentence was a little over a month ago now, when she pointed at her rubber ducky in the bathroom and said, "There's the quack quack!"
Olivia's newest words include hungry, ball, blue, girl, and star. She uses them all at semi-appropriate times, although "blue" is always a question ("bwooo?") about what color crayon she's holding up for me to identify, and "girl" ("guul") refers to all genders indiscriminately. "Star" and "ball" are accurate, but she cannot say any other shape names right now. "Hungry" is quickly becoming her most frequent word. She chants it in the morning when I get her out of bed, whenever Bryan comes home (he's Olivia's version of Pavlov's bell, since he comes home at lunch and at snack time), and uses it frequently throughout a meal to let us know that she's not done eating, just done with whatever we're trying to feed her. It often accompanies her "sending us back to the kitchen" finger. I know I talked about that in a previous post; 5 points if someone wants to figure out which one and let me know so I can add a link. :)
We tried Babytime at the library on a couple of occasions, and were never very impressed. (Side note: I thought I discussed that in a recent post, too. 5 more points to whoever finds that one. A word of warning - I might be imagining that I actually discussed Babytime in a post.) The dividing line between Babytime and Toddler Storytime is 18 months, though, so we decided to give the older group a shot last week. It was so much better! The same lady runs both of them, which doesn't thrill me, but her obnoxiously high "I'm talking to little kids" voice is somehow less grating when there's a room full of toddlers instead of four infants. Also, she mispronounces words, but toddlers say "wif" instead of "with", too, so I don't notice it as much. Anyway. Where Babytime had a maximum of 5 kids every time we went (and never the same 5), Storytime had at least 15, and a lot of them seemed to know each other and the routines, implying regular attendance. Olivia is definitely one of the youngest ones there -- with the exception of actual babies tagging along with older siblings, the rest of the kids have real hair and all their teeth (not that Olivia's hair isn't real, it's just still baby hair). She seems to like watching all the "about her size" kids doing activities, although she does periodically look at me with this little "look how silly everyone else is being" smirk on her face. We went back this week and Olivia participated a little bit, going up to get a scarf and holding it while she watched the other kids dancing and waving theirs around. When prompted, she even gave the scarf a little jiggle before resuming her holding and watching. Since she seems interested and I like seeing people occasionally, we're going to try to make Storytime a weekly outing.
Did you see Olivia's March Madness guesses? Her bracket looked doomed from the beginning, had a spark of life in the first round, and then imploded. She called exactly zero of the sweet sixteen games correctly. To add insult to injury, the only 15-seed that she didn't expect to beat the number 2 was the one that actually did.
Also, it's not too late (as of the writing of this post and, one assumes, as of the posting of this post) to get your guesses in about Reggie's birth stats!
Pictures (well, one):
31 March 2013
27 March 2013
Bonus Post: March Madness
Bryan came home from work a week and a half ago with paper brackets to fill out. One for him, one for me, a master copy, and... one for Olivia. Of course. Then came the hard part: How was Olivia going to make picks?
We started with mascots. Bryan would pull two mascot pictures up on the computer, and Olivia would choose the one she liked best. We made it all the way through the first round in the Midwest and one game in the West before she tired of this game.
Next attempt: We got fridge magnets and put initials in front of her to choose. She did about two more games this way and then wanted all the letters.
So Bryan carried her over to the calendar and had her point at numbers. If she pointed at it, that team won in the South. Four points later (two of which were the same), she was done. After an action filled first day full of predicted upsets, we put the bracket away.
Thursday morning, Bryan sent me a frantic text message: "Olivia needs to finish her picks! Find a way! I believe." Luckily, Olivia had just gotten out her crayons. I wrote down her remaining choices, handed her a crayon, and whichever school she hit first won. First round down.
As it was lunchtime, we moved the next choices to the table. I wrote down the numbers 1-8 (corresponding to the number of teams left in each region) in varying order 4 times (one for each region) and covered them all with Cheerios. I thought I'd just take the ones she ate first and call them the winners. Unfortunately, she eats her Cheerios very methodically (I should have known), so after she picked the first four out of the last column, bottom to top, we moved on. She finished her Cheerios first, though, still working her way from bottom to top in each column from right to left.
Since the Cheerio method was working so well, I arranged my numbers more randomly and let her continue picking up Cheerios. Second round done.
Lest you be too amazed, Olivia did not draw the red circles. Those were mine so that I could keep track of which team she hit first with her scribbles.
For the third round, we found a calendar and I put Cheerios on different days and let her choose that way. At this point, we reached the final four. The choices had diminished enough (and were spread out enough) that I just put the Cheerios right on her bracket. Her final four were Valpo, Gonzaga, Minnesota, and Montana. Gonzaga and Montana advanced to the championship.
I already knew that Gonzaga was the bulldogs (from our mascot picking a few days before), but I didn't know Montana's mascot. I texted Bryan, hoping to draw the two choices and let her pick. Then he told me Montana was the grizzlies, and I can't draw a grizzly. In fairness, I can't draw a bulldog, either, but I have a passable dog that I was going to use if I could also draw a bear, but I couldn't. On to plan B: I needed to find pictures of a dog and a bear. I managed to find an actual grizzly bear, but only assorted dogs. It had to do. I couldn't risk losing her interest again.
It was a difficult decision, but the dogs won. All of them. The grizzly put up a good fight, probably because it's pretty cool looking, but Olivia finally decided on the doggie. And the doggie. And the doggie...
I let Bryan know that we'd finished, albeit a little after the games had started. It's okay; Olivia and I aren't watching them. :) She was already in bad shape, though: Valpo (one of her final four) was apparently down 13 when Bryan got my message.
Olivia's final bracket (if you click on the picture, you might be able to see it better). She also picked a score, in the event of a tie-breaker. Gonzaga 80, Montana 46 (more calendar pokes, with some multiplication by me (I believe it ended up being 16x5 to 23x2)).
We started with mascots. Bryan would pull two mascot pictures up on the computer, and Olivia would choose the one she liked best. We made it all the way through the first round in the Midwest and one game in the West before she tired of this game.
Next attempt: We got fridge magnets and put initials in front of her to choose. She did about two more games this way and then wanted all the letters.
So Bryan carried her over to the calendar and had her point at numbers. If she pointed at it, that team won in the South. Four points later (two of which were the same), she was done. After an action filled first day full of predicted upsets, we put the bracket away.
Thursday morning, Bryan sent me a frantic text message: "Olivia needs to finish her picks! Find a way! I believe." Luckily, Olivia had just gotten out her crayons. I wrote down her remaining choices, handed her a crayon, and whichever school she hit first won. First round down.
As it was lunchtime, we moved the next choices to the table. I wrote down the numbers 1-8 (corresponding to the number of teams left in each region) in varying order 4 times (one for each region) and covered them all with Cheerios. I thought I'd just take the ones she ate first and call them the winners. Unfortunately, she eats her Cheerios very methodically (I should have known), so after she picked the first four out of the last column, bottom to top, we moved on. She finished her Cheerios first, though, still working her way from bottom to top in each column from right to left.
Since the Cheerio method was working so well, I arranged my numbers more randomly and let her continue picking up Cheerios. Second round done.
Lest you be too amazed, Olivia did not draw the red circles. Those were mine so that I could keep track of which team she hit first with her scribbles.
 |
| Rounds one and two. |
 |
| The Final Four |
 |
| The Championship |
I let Bryan know that we'd finished, albeit a little after the games had started. It's okay; Olivia and I aren't watching them. :) She was already in bad shape, though: Valpo (one of her final four) was apparently down 13 when Bryan got my message.
Olivia's final bracket (if you click on the picture, you might be able to see it better). She also picked a score, in the event of a tie-breaker. Gonzaga 80, Montana 46 (more calendar pokes, with some multiplication by me (I believe it ended up being 16x5 to 23x2)).
24 March 2013
March 17-24
Screw on tops are no longer safe from Olivia. If she can get her hand around the top, she can get it off. Mostly this pertains to small things: toothpaste, rash cream, etc. Sippy cups and jars from the fridge are still too large. I have noticed that she's worse with screwing lids back on. She has trouble turning them that direction, apparently. We add this to her growing list of opening accomplishments: velcro, zippers, and weak snaps...
Every now and again, I let Olivia try to feed herself with utensils. She's not too bad with a fork, as long as the food in front of her is easily stab-able. Spoons, on the other hand... Well, she's getting better. Her main problem with spoons is that when you tilt them, food falls off. Oatmeal sticks to the spoon enough that I let her try feeding herself every morning, and she manages to get some food into her mouth before she gives up and hands the spoon back to me. This does make our breakfasts longer, as she's stubborn enough to want to try for several minutes before she accepts help.
Olivia's biggest conquest in the food area has actually been with drinks. She can use a big person cup. I'm not sure when it happened, since we never give her anything except a sippy cup. She takes occasional drinks out of our cups (especially at restaurants, where mastering the use of a straw was an incredibly tricky maneuver), but usually sticks to her own cups. The other day, though, she wanted one of the animal cups from the cupboard, so I told Bryan to give her water and see how she did. As it turns out, she did pretty well. One dribble escaped when she got too ambitious too fast, but she wasn't even noticeably wet. By breakfast the next morning, she was holding the cup with one hand like she'd been doing it for years. I'm still not brave enough to let her have anything other than water in her un-lidded cup, and I encourage the use of the sippy during the day when she's up and walking around, but she is fully capable of not drenching herself should she ever want/need to use a big person cup.
At my last appointment, the doctor thought I was "measuring small." Basically, my stomach wasn't large enough according to the tape measure. He seemed unconcerned, explaining that I'm not a very big person, so that was probably the whole reason the numbers weren't matching up. Regardless, he had me schedule an ultrasound for the same day as my next appointment. Said ultrasound happened this past week, and everything is fine. The tech looked at me and said, "There's just nothing to you, is there? Let me guess, they think you're measuring small." All the measurements are fine, though, and she said Reggie's measuring in the 50th percentile. The estimated weight is currently 6 lbs, 5 oz. I did get a few more pictures out of the deal, so those are below. I was surprised by how much harder it was to identify anything during this ultrasound than during the 20-week ultrasound, but then I realized that Reggie is more squished and can't move aroundas much at all. :) I did ask which limb might be poking me in my right side (as it had been particularly persistent in the waiting room), and she took a quick look and told me it was both feet. And a hand. Well fine. :)
On Wednesday, look for a bonus post explaining how Olivia made picks for her March Madness bracket.
Pictures:
Every now and again, I let Olivia try to feed herself with utensils. She's not too bad with a fork, as long as the food in front of her is easily stab-able. Spoons, on the other hand... Well, she's getting better. Her main problem with spoons is that when you tilt them, food falls off. Oatmeal sticks to the spoon enough that I let her try feeding herself every morning, and she manages to get some food into her mouth before she gives up and hands the spoon back to me. This does make our breakfasts longer, as she's stubborn enough to want to try for several minutes before she accepts help.
Olivia's biggest conquest in the food area has actually been with drinks. She can use a big person cup. I'm not sure when it happened, since we never give her anything except a sippy cup. She takes occasional drinks out of our cups (especially at restaurants, where mastering the use of a straw was an incredibly tricky maneuver), but usually sticks to her own cups. The other day, though, she wanted one of the animal cups from the cupboard, so I told Bryan to give her water and see how she did. As it turns out, she did pretty well. One dribble escaped when she got too ambitious too fast, but she wasn't even noticeably wet. By breakfast the next morning, she was holding the cup with one hand like she'd been doing it for years. I'm still not brave enough to let her have anything other than water in her un-lidded cup, and I encourage the use of the sippy during the day when she's up and walking around, but she is fully capable of not drenching herself should she ever want/need to use a big person cup.
At my last appointment, the doctor thought I was "measuring small." Basically, my stomach wasn't large enough according to the tape measure. He seemed unconcerned, explaining that I'm not a very big person, so that was probably the whole reason the numbers weren't matching up. Regardless, he had me schedule an ultrasound for the same day as my next appointment. Said ultrasound happened this past week, and everything is fine. The tech looked at me and said, "There's just nothing to you, is there? Let me guess, they think you're measuring small." All the measurements are fine, though, and she said Reggie's measuring in the 50th percentile. The estimated weight is currently 6 lbs, 5 oz. I did get a few more pictures out of the deal, so those are below. I was surprised by how much harder it was to identify anything during this ultrasound than during the 20-week ultrasound, but then I realized that Reggie is more squished and can't move around
On Wednesday, look for a bonus post explaining how Olivia made picks for her March Madness bracket.
Pictures:
17 March 2013
March 10-17
Naptime has gotten a lot better in the past month. Olivia gets to have all three of her babies in the crib with her, and there's a soft book that lives in there, too. I put her in bed and she scoots over to sit in the corner. Then I cover her lap with the blanket, hand her the babies and the book, and leave. She "reads" to her babies for probably two minutes before (I assume) going to sleep. Whatever she's doing, she's happy and quiet and gives me two-ish hours of peace. :)
We've had snow a few times this year, but each time it either melted too fast or Olivia was sick. Last week, though, we got about nine inches, followed by some more mild days, so Olivia and Bryan went outside to explore. I stayed in the warmth and took pictures through the window. You'll notice from the pictures below that it took some persuasion to get Olivia to walk in the snow; once her feet were planted, that's where they stayed. You can also see the spot in our backyard that gets the most consistent sun -- and that's in the winter when our trees are missing leaves! This is why I don't have a garden. Olivia enjoyed throwing the snowballs that Bryan made for her and also got a chance to touch the snow without any mittens on. I'm sure that was followed by a "brr!"
I don't remember dusting being something that was common in my house growing up. Now, though, I seem to have numerous surfaces that require at least periodic dusting. Not my strong suit. I've discovered two things. One, I don't so much dust as occasionally sweep the baseboards and vacuum the corners of the walls (with the hose, not the vacuum part). Two, if you have something that gets so little use that it needs frequent dusting, perhaps it's time to rethink your ownership. :)
Olivia's usual jammies were in the wash one day, so Bryan decided it was time for her to get her very own "used to be daddy's" PJ shirt. It's a little large, and she thinks the Tasmanian devil is a kitty. :) Pictures below.
Helping with laundry:
She decided her babies and animals needed diapers:
An outfit from someone at church. The beret never stood a chance:
Why were we hiding all these great things in the cupboard?!
A new jammie shirt:
Stomping on bubble wrap:
10 March 2013
March 3-10
If you haven't seen it yet, head on over to the Bonus Post about baby predictions. You could get so many points!
Olivia has a face she makes when she listens to me make lists. As I list off items, she'll open her mouth in excited surprise, happy for whatever it is we're going to do later in the day. There's a video below. Since it was staged, my list is less than inspiring, but you get the gist.
I got my Infantino stuff in the mail last week, and Olivia and I got together with some friends to try it out on Monday. They sent me more than I was expecting, which was exciting. Unfortunately, most of the extra stuff they sent probably won't see much use at my house because it's meant for very small batches and isn't as durable as one might prefer. The squeeze station, which is the item I was hoping to win, is great once you get the hang of it. Olivia is kind of over pouches right now since she can eat real food just fine, but she did like the fruit blend we made. I anticipate using it much more this summer when fruits and vegetables are in season and again when Reggie is old enough to start on solids.
We had a card club to celebrate Happy March on March 2. Joe and Alison came down to help us make up three full tables and then stayed for the weekend. This was probably our most successful card club yet, which pretty much means we had an appropriate number of people and we weren't faced with any delays of game due to the babies present. :)
Olivia's monkey sound has deteriorated. She used to say "ooh ee ooh ee" and then progressed to "ooh ee aah," but now she slurs it all together and says "ooeeah." It sounds a bit like "oh, yeah." In animal noise progress, though, I found out on Wednesday that she can do a rooster. Not sure where she picked that one up.
Also on Wednesday, I discovered that Olivia can correctly identify a star, a circle, and a square. Also the letter E. She's so-so with triangle, heart, I, M, O, and T. I think she picked up the letters from her "Tickle Time" book, where the words "Tickle Time" are spelled out in big, colorful letters that she always asks me to identify (usually backwards, so it ends up being emit elkcit). She's also become very interested in exactly what color crayon she is putting away, so colors could be next on her list of accomplishments.
Pictures and Video:
Olivia has a face she makes when she listens to me make lists. As I list off items, she'll open her mouth in excited surprise, happy for whatever it is we're going to do later in the day. There's a video below. Since it was staged, my list is less than inspiring, but you get the gist.
I got my Infantino stuff in the mail last week, and Olivia and I got together with some friends to try it out on Monday. They sent me more than I was expecting, which was exciting. Unfortunately, most of the extra stuff they sent probably won't see much use at my house because it's meant for very small batches and isn't as durable as one might prefer. The squeeze station, which is the item I was hoping to win, is great once you get the hang of it. Olivia is kind of over pouches right now since she can eat real food just fine, but she did like the fruit blend we made. I anticipate using it much more this summer when fruits and vegetables are in season and again when Reggie is old enough to start on solids.
We had a card club to celebrate Happy March on March 2. Joe and Alison came down to help us make up three full tables and then stayed for the weekend. This was probably our most successful card club yet, which pretty much means we had an appropriate number of people and we weren't faced with any delays of game due to the babies present. :)
Olivia's monkey sound has deteriorated. She used to say "ooh ee ooh ee" and then progressed to "ooh ee aah," but now she slurs it all together and says "ooeeah." It sounds a bit like "oh, yeah." In animal noise progress, though, I found out on Wednesday that she can do a rooster. Not sure where she picked that one up.
Also on Wednesday, I discovered that Olivia can correctly identify a star, a circle, and a square. Also the letter E. She's so-so with triangle, heart, I, M, O, and T. I think she picked up the letters from her "Tickle Time" book, where the words "Tickle Time" are spelled out in big, colorful letters that she always asks me to identify (usually backwards, so it ends up being emit elkcit). She's also become very interested in exactly what color crayon she is putting away, so colors could be next on her list of accomplishments.
Pictures and Video:
06 March 2013
Bonus Post: Baby Guesses (Reggie Edition)
Time to make some predictions! What are your best guesses for Reggie's BIRTH DATE, BIRTH TIME, GENDER, WEIGHT, and LENGTH? One guess per person per category. Make your guesses in the comments section below. Don't forget to leave a name so I know which comment belongs to which person!
You can make your guess at any time between now and when we arrive at the hospital for the birth.
Points will be awarded as follows:
~Correct guess - 2 points - Per category, to any and all people that guess it
~Closest guess - 1 point - If there are no correct guesses in any particular category, to any and all closest guesses
~Better Than Half bonus - Reggie's birth "day-of-week" in points (Sunday = 1 point, Monday = 2 points, etc.) - Awarded if you receive at least one point in exactly three categories
~Great Guesser bonus - Reggie's birth month in points (March = 3 points, April = 4 points, etc.) - Awarded if you receive at least one point in exactly four categories
~Got 'em All bonus - Reggie's birth date in points (April 15 = 15 points, April 20 = 20 points, etc.) - Awarded if you receive at least one point in every category
~The Random bonus - Reggie's birth hour in points (we work on a 12-hour clock; none of that 24-hour military time) - Awarded to one randomly chosen guesser: each guesser will receive a number (in order of guesses) and I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner.
I've made a table listing all the pertinent information I could remember; if you think I forgot something, let me know and I'll add it.
You can make your guess at any time between now and when we arrive at the hospital for the birth.
Points will be awarded as follows:
~Correct guess - 2 points - Per category, to any and all people that guess it
~Closest guess - 1 point - If there are no correct guesses in any particular category, to any and all closest guesses
~Better Than Half bonus - Reggie's birth "day-of-week" in points (Sunday = 1 point, Monday = 2 points, etc.) - Awarded if you receive at least one point in exactly three categories
~Great Guesser bonus - Reggie's birth month in points (March = 3 points, April = 4 points, etc.) - Awarded if you receive at least one point in exactly four categories
~Got 'em All bonus - Reggie's birth date in points (April 15 = 15 points, April 20 = 20 points, etc.) - Awarded if you receive at least one point in every category
~The Random bonus - Reggie's birth hour in points (we work on a 12-hour clock; none of that 24-hour military time) - Awarded to one randomly chosen guesser: each guesser will receive a number (in order of guesses) and I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner.
I've made a table listing all the pertinent information I could remember; if you think I forgot something, let me know and I'll add it.
Olivia
|
Reggie
|
|
BIRTH DATE
|
August 3
|
|
My Calculated Due Date
|
August 3
|
April 21
|
Ultrasound Based Due Date
|
July 30
|
April 15
|
TIME BORN
|
12:58 pm
|
|
Arrived at hospital
|
4:00 am, Wed (same day)
|
|
GENDER
|
Girl
|
|
Bryan thinks/thought
|
Girl
|
Boy
|
Johannah thinks/thought
|
No strong feeling
|
Girl
|
Cravings
|
None
|
Chipotle, pizza with ranch, both once
|
Aversions
|
Cream of Mushroom Soup
|
None
|
Sweet or salty snacks?
|
Salty
|
Both
|
Fruit or meat?
|
Fruit
|
Fruit
|
Weight gain
|
All in front
|
All in front
|
Complaints
|
Pain under right ribs from 4.5 months on
|
Shortness of
breath from 6 months on
|
WEIGHT
|
8 lbs, 5.8 oz
|
|
Johannah beg. weight
|
132
|
124
|
Johannah weight @ 30 wks
|
144 (+12)
|
141 (+17)
|
Johannah max weight
|
148 (+16)
|
|
LENGTH
|
21 ¼ in
|
03 March 2013
February 24-March 3
As of today, we will have two kids running around our house (well, one running and the other lying) in less than eight weeks. Reggie's official due date is either 6 weeks or 7 weeks from today, depending whether you believe the ultrasound tech's numbers (6) or mine (7). By eight weeks from now, the office will push for an induction if we haven't seen a baby yet. Saying "eight weeks" makes it seem so much closer than saying "two months" or even "April."
Since we're getting so close to Reggie's birth, I decided it's time for some guessing. Watch for a bonus post going up this Wednesday that provides background information as well as rules and point values for predictions.
Olivia spent this last weekend with her grandparents. Bryan and I wanted to go out to dinner, and Murry suggested she just take Olivia for the weekend so we could get stuff done during the day, too. We finished up some things around the house (Christmas lights FINALLY came down off the roof!), played some board games in the middle of the floor without having any pieces stolen, did some toddler-free grocery shopping, and generally had a very relaxing couple of days. We were updated with pictures throughout the weekend; they are below.
We've put big girl bed training on hold for a while. Last week's aversion to the big girl bed continues, and Olivia gets slightly panicky and begins pointing adamantly towards the crib if she thinks I might put her down in the bed instead. Since we won't need the crib immediately upon Reggie's arrival, we've decided to try again in a month or so.
Last week, one of us spent some time locked in the basement. I'll give you some hints: Bryan was at work, and I know how to unlock the door to let people out after I've locked it. That would leave Olivia as the locker, and myself as the lockee. She didn't want to come downstairs to help me do laundry, so I went down without her and she shut the door behind me. No big deal. She can't get the door open to fall down the stairs, and the upstairs is Olivia-proofed enough that she'll be fine for the five minutes or so it takes me to switch the clothes. Except... She CAN work the lock, apparently. But she doesn't know how to unlock it. Luckily, Bryan was due home for lunch within the hour, and Olivia was content to sit outside the door and listen to me sing songs to her. Forty minutes later, Bryan came home, released me from the basement, dried Olivia's tears, and figured out which key unlocks that door so we can make a copy and hang it on the basement side.
I don't remember Olivia being particularly active at certain times before she was born. She'd move when she felt like it and wouldn't when she didn't. I DO remember that she was rather reluctant to move whenever she thought someone might want her to. Decidedly not a performing monkey, she would move around happily until someone (usually Murry) tried to feel her kicking, at which point all movement would stop for some time. Reggie, on the other hand, has definite times of day designated for activity (to Murry's dismay, these times do not lend themselves to observation any better than Olivia's stage fright). Reggie's favorite times to move are in the morning after I wake up, but before I get out of bed; around 9:00 at night, provided I'm sitting still; at night after I go to bed, but before I fall asleep; and any time I get up in the middle of the night. There will be movement at other points during the day, but nothing compared to when I'm resting at the beginning or end of the day.
Pictures:
Since we're getting so close to Reggie's birth, I decided it's time for some guessing. Watch for a bonus post going up this Wednesday that provides background information as well as rules and point values for predictions.
Olivia spent this last weekend with her grandparents. Bryan and I wanted to go out to dinner, and Murry suggested she just take Olivia for the weekend so we could get stuff done during the day, too. We finished up some things around the house (Christmas lights FINALLY came down off the roof!), played some board games in the middle of the floor without having any pieces stolen, did some toddler-free grocery shopping, and generally had a very relaxing couple of days. We were updated with pictures throughout the weekend; they are below.
We've put big girl bed training on hold for a while. Last week's aversion to the big girl bed continues, and Olivia gets slightly panicky and begins pointing adamantly towards the crib if she thinks I might put her down in the bed instead. Since we won't need the crib immediately upon Reggie's arrival, we've decided to try again in a month or so.
Last week, one of us spent some time locked in the basement. I'll give you some hints: Bryan was at work, and I know how to unlock the door to let people out after I've locked it. That would leave Olivia as the locker, and myself as the lockee. She didn't want to come downstairs to help me do laundry, so I went down without her and she shut the door behind me. No big deal. She can't get the door open to fall down the stairs, and the upstairs is Olivia-proofed enough that she'll be fine for the five minutes or so it takes me to switch the clothes. Except... She CAN work the lock, apparently. But she doesn't know how to unlock it. Luckily, Bryan was due home for lunch within the hour, and Olivia was content to sit outside the door and listen to me sing songs to her. Forty minutes later, Bryan came home, released me from the basement, dried Olivia's tears, and figured out which key unlocks that door so we can make a copy and hang it on the basement side.
I don't remember Olivia being particularly active at certain times before she was born. She'd move when she felt like it and wouldn't when she didn't. I DO remember that she was rather reluctant to move whenever she thought someone might want her to. Decidedly not a performing monkey, she would move around happily until someone (usually Murry) tried to feel her kicking, at which point all movement would stop for some time. Reggie, on the other hand, has definite times of day designated for activity (to Murry's dismay, these times do not lend themselves to observation any better than Olivia's stage fright). Reggie's favorite times to move are in the morning after I wake up, but before I get out of bed; around 9:00 at night, provided I'm sitting still; at night after I go to bed, but before I fall asleep; and any time I get up in the middle of the night. There will be movement at other points during the day, but nothing compared to when I'm resting at the beginning or end of the day.
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