Last night Marieka slept from 830-4am...straight. Yes, it is true!
Today, she didn't nap. Ugh.
Is there a connection?
We went for a walk with Stacy and the dogs on the trails by her house. Rika got to walk a lot of the way herself, ran even, and then sat in the stroller for some. Then we went to the bakery, she had a gingerbread man cookie, and got a cute new outfit from Stacy *late xmas gift...*. Then, we went to the museum...and she painted and did work with the vegetable areas.
Sounds like a recipe for sleep to me!
But we get home...and no dice. Nurse and nurse and snack and read and no go. By herself in the bed with books...no dice. Even a walk with mom later in the afternoon. Nada.
So what happened? This girl generally is a napper!
Cookie? too much stimulation? Too much regular sleep last night (the beginning of the end...)?
Who knows.
All I know is that I get wiped out when she doesn't nap. She gets wiped out when she doesn't nap. And she acts very silly when she doesn't nap...singing made up songs to herself, talking non-stop, seriously non-stop...and non-stopable.
One day is not a pattern. My new mantra.
Yesterday:
Thanks Momma.
For what?
For making me pancakes.
or this earlier in the week...
Mom- is he riding a wheelbarrow? (when she sees a guy riding a recumbent bike).
I have to remember that this girl is amazing, but we all have our off days. Even her.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
the sleep obsession
Like many parents, we are pretty obsessed with sleep...is she getting enough, is it long enough, where is it happening...will it happen soon?
The past week has been a real change of sleeping approach for us. We needed a change, she needed a change, Mom needed to sleep. So, Dad stepped in.
For the past few days, Dad is the main sleep guy. He goes in and reads to her, and helps her sleep. Mom goes to "meetings" all night, and isn't around until the morning. Mom on the couch, dad usually sleeping with Rika till 12 or so, and then back and forth between his bed and hers. Mom, some sleeplessness, but trying to relearn how to sleep.
The good news is that it has seemed to work! She has been sleeping more, crying in the middle of the night less, and amazing moment of the week, she PUT HERSELF TO SLEEP TONIGHT!!! Now, I am trying to hold in my joy and excitement for this huge step in the whole family's life...but Dad finished stories, and told her to lay down, she was safe, he was grading papers in the living room...and it appears as though she is asleep...now I know that one day is not a pattern, but...wouldn't that be cool? It would be so wonderful for us, all of us.
The past week has been a real change of sleeping approach for us. We needed a change, she needed a change, Mom needed to sleep. So, Dad stepped in.
For the past few days, Dad is the main sleep guy. He goes in and reads to her, and helps her sleep. Mom goes to "meetings" all night, and isn't around until the morning. Mom on the couch, dad usually sleeping with Rika till 12 or so, and then back and forth between his bed and hers. Mom, some sleeplessness, but trying to relearn how to sleep.
The good news is that it has seemed to work! She has been sleeping more, crying in the middle of the night less, and amazing moment of the week, she PUT HERSELF TO SLEEP TONIGHT!!! Now, I am trying to hold in my joy and excitement for this huge step in the whole family's life...but Dad finished stories, and told her to lay down, she was safe, he was grading papers in the living room...and it appears as though she is asleep...now I know that one day is not a pattern, but...wouldn't that be cool? It would be so wonderful for us, all of us.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Rika's Rainy Day
it has been raining non-stop in Olympia the past couple of days...and we are surviving, but barely at times. Marieka had a fun walk, though, in the "triple jog" with Annie and Baby Charlie. Rika sat in the middle and ate a granola bar and sang "John Jacob" with Annie. She totally enjoyed the walk with her pals.
Lately, she can't get enough of Madeline stories. She loves to hear about the "Bad Hat" Pepito the neighbor who is naughty...and then turns good, and about Madeline's appendix, and especially how "to the lion in the zoo she just says 'pooh pooh' ". Her memory of stories and words amazes us everyday. She recites Mother Goose rhymes, stories and songs non-stop, but more importantly, LOVES words and books and stories. This is gratifying. I am looking forward to many visits to the library, and large stacks of books next to her bed.
Rob is excited because she is on her Skuut a bit now, finally her feet can reach the floor. She likes to take it around the house, talking about the handlebars, and carrying a purse on the handlebars...so chic. She wants to carry more items with her, but she has to be reminded that she can't do it all (ie: can't hold on and steer AND bring dog for a ride...) Ah, just like her mother.
And yesterday, she was chasing "the other Lucy" around the house. Lucy is her pretend friend, who at times is 2 inches high (and thus can live close to her heart, as she told me once) and at other times, is big enough to sit in a chair at her art table. She is very clear about the pretend and not pretend, which makes it a little simpler for us, thankfully.
Lately, she can't get enough of Madeline stories. She loves to hear about the "Bad Hat" Pepito the neighbor who is naughty...and then turns good, and about Madeline's appendix, and especially how "to the lion in the zoo she just says 'pooh pooh' ". Her memory of stories and words amazes us everyday. She recites Mother Goose rhymes, stories and songs non-stop, but more importantly, LOVES words and books and stories. This is gratifying. I am looking forward to many visits to the library, and large stacks of books next to her bed.
Rob is excited because she is on her Skuut a bit now, finally her feet can reach the floor. She likes to take it around the house, talking about the handlebars, and carrying a purse on the handlebars...so chic. She wants to carry more items with her, but she has to be reminded that she can't do it all (ie: can't hold on and steer AND bring dog for a ride...) Ah, just like her mother.
And yesterday, she was chasing "the other Lucy" around the house. Lucy is her pretend friend, who at times is 2 inches high (and thus can live close to her heart, as she told me once) and at other times, is big enough to sit in a chair at her art table. She is very clear about the pretend and not pretend, which makes it a little simpler for us, thankfully.
Friday, January 8, 2010
out to dinner
so Marieka, Rob and I went to dinner with Gee Gee, Erin and Todd. Ramblin Jacks is a pretty kid friendly place, and luckily they sat us way in the back. Unluckily, we got the slowest service in a long time (our order took over 35 mins to arrive) and the girls tried to hang in there, but by the time the "macncheese" arrived, they were the worse for wear. Luckily, Marieka was very interested in her dinner and was able to eat a fair amount of it before we had to escape and walk up and down the street. Ah, to eat with a child who is able to sit and eat...maybe 2 or 3 years? On her way to sleep tonight, Marieka said "I had a fun time with Erin and Todd." Girl is all about manners, even if she forgot her buddy Gee Gee.
Today I had a meeting in Seattle all day, which was fun for me...and Marieka spent the day with Meggie and Gee Gee, and Marieka was going to have to take a nap at GeeGee's. I was so worried about this, and she definitely needs her nap to survive the day (and night, really) and how grateful was I when I got the text from Meggie that stated (first) "she picked out her blanket and pillow to bring" and at 130 "sound asleep. she is precious. I love her so much." How often I thank my lucky stars for our Meggie.
So while we aren't ready to wean, the ongoing saga of nightweaning continues. Originally, we tried to night wean LAST February...3 days of crying and sadness..and we made it, at least, close...and then M got sick. So, we were back on. Then again, we tried in the summer...and sickness came back, and we started again...and now we are on again, though my resolve at 3am is pretty slim ("no" "nee nee right now" "no- go to sleep" "neee nee" "ok fine, but go to sleep") What can you do? Even if she doesn't ask for it (sometimes we can make it till 3am) she still wakes up every 2 hours on the dot. Argh. I know it won't last forever, but what is the deal..is she stubborn? Is she really smart? Is she a light sleeper? Is she a nee nee addict?
This week is all about Madeline. She got the talking Madeline dall from Papa and Grammy for christmas, and now wants th stories non-stop, which I love, because I love the stories. It is so funny to me, though, that she loves them. They rhyme, sure, but really, she doesn't get it ("the girls are sad because their mommy isn't there") how do you explain boarding school to a year old? Of course you don't, but I still think it is funny.
Puzzles, puzzles and pull ups. Working on toilet learning...a little slower than I would like, but embracing her pace.
Looking forward to a weekend of swimming, family meals, and Mom skiing on her own.. Oh yeah...and Jack's birthday. On Tuesday this week, I asked Marieka what was happening...and she said (I kid you not) "Jacks birthday." So we think she is a genius...but that might be just us.
Today I had a meeting in Seattle all day, which was fun for me...and Marieka spent the day with Meggie and Gee Gee, and Marieka was going to have to take a nap at GeeGee's. I was so worried about this, and she definitely needs her nap to survive the day (and night, really) and how grateful was I when I got the text from Meggie that stated (first) "she picked out her blanket and pillow to bring" and at 130 "sound asleep. she is precious. I love her so much." How often I thank my lucky stars for our Meggie.
So while we aren't ready to wean, the ongoing saga of nightweaning continues. Originally, we tried to night wean LAST February...3 days of crying and sadness..and we made it, at least, close...and then M got sick. So, we were back on. Then again, we tried in the summer...and sickness came back, and we started again...and now we are on again, though my resolve at 3am is pretty slim ("no" "nee nee right now" "no- go to sleep" "neee nee" "ok fine, but go to sleep") What can you do? Even if she doesn't ask for it (sometimes we can make it till 3am) she still wakes up every 2 hours on the dot. Argh. I know it won't last forever, but what is the deal..is she stubborn? Is she really smart? Is she a light sleeper? Is she a nee nee addict?
This week is all about Madeline. She got the talking Madeline dall from Papa and Grammy for christmas, and now wants th stories non-stop, which I love, because I love the stories. It is so funny to me, though, that she loves them. They rhyme, sure, but really, she doesn't get it ("the girls are sad because their mommy isn't there") how do you explain boarding school to a year old? Of course you don't, but I still think it is funny.
Puzzles, puzzles and pull ups. Working on toilet learning...a little slower than I would like, but embracing her pace.
Looking forward to a weekend of swimming, family meals, and Mom skiing on her own.. Oh yeah...and Jack's birthday. On Tuesday this week, I asked Marieka what was happening...and she said (I kid you not) "Jacks birthday." So we think she is a genius...but that might be just us.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Now she is two...
Welcome to Marieka's blog. As a 2 year old who tells me "wait...Rika has to text" all to often these days, it makes sense that we start a technologically advanced journal of her daily life, joys and fun.
Marieka just made it through Christmas and New Years Eve. For Christmas, she went to Wenatchee to celebrate, to ski and to chase Lola the dog all over the house shouting "sit, sit, sit" while Lola tried in vain to escape. She took multiple tubbies with Omi, and had lots of books read to her by Opi. For New Year's Eve, she went to Seattle, had dinner at a Chinese vegetarian restaurant and dessert at Whole Foods with Mom, Dad, Cousin Chanda and Tamara, and Cousin OBrien, who said "Marieka is my cousin AND my best friend." For Christmas she got tons of cool things, including a suitcase for "hotels," puzzles, a dr kit, books, and a Madeline doll that speaks French. Life is good for this little girl.
Marieka just made it through Christmas and New Years Eve. For Christmas, she went to Wenatchee to celebrate, to ski and to chase Lola the dog all over the house shouting "sit, sit, sit" while Lola tried in vain to escape. She took multiple tubbies with Omi, and had lots of books read to her by Opi. For New Year's Eve, she went to Seattle, had dinner at a Chinese vegetarian restaurant and dessert at Whole Foods with Mom, Dad, Cousin Chanda and Tamara, and Cousin OBrien, who said "Marieka is my cousin AND my best friend." For Christmas she got tons of cool things, including a suitcase for "hotels," puzzles, a dr kit, books, and a Madeline doll that speaks French. Life is good for this little girl.
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