Leave it to Elisa The Contrarian to switch up our lunch plans this week. After weeks of hitting Sunnyside Gardens for our mid-day pickup and park lunch routine, Elisa suddenly protested that she didn't want to go there. She wanted the "small park" (aka Lou Lodati Playground) closer to our apartment. After school, weekends and in the summertime, this park is a no-go with its hordes of wild young things. I once even heard a friend refer to it as "Attica" as in the prison that rioted in upstate New York--a somewhat fitting description. But during the week around noon it's not too bad. Of course normally, I'd tell her to stuff it while I made plans to meet up with friends at our park. But since it's been a little quiet there lately, I thought okay, why not just hang out closer to home and let Elisa feel a minor victory. Besides, it gives her the same chance to run around a bit, and I can feed Carolina while we enjoy some fresh air.
And today with the sun shining brightly and the cold air beginning to ease up, it was a perfect place to let them both enjoy some time climbing around. Carolina wants so badly to imitate her sister in everything that I think she was especially tickled to sit on the playground equipment with Elisa for a few minutes. After yesterday's tumble off Elisa's bed though, I didn't want to go too far from where I could reach her. Now that she's mobile, it's a whole new game and I'm having to remember that every time I turn to do something. These are the months of constant watching and hoping that she doesn't ingest something she shouldn't or pull up on something that could fall on top of her. This second time around I'm realizing it's nearly impossible to babyproof a home with an older child in it. The best you can do is try to sweep things clear each day and monitor what they are playing with. And if Elisa's smirk after she watched her sister do a face plant was any indication, I'm not sure I'll get much warning when Carolina eats from the floor or lunges for things she shouldn't. Sisterly schadenfreude? Is that the best way to describe it? Well, at least at the park they have their own orbits to play in and I think that's helpful for now. After just an hour or so, we packed it in with no complaints from Elisa.
We're back to napping most days and I think she still needs it. We can go without but then like the other night, she's completely fried at 7 p.m. Which won't be a bad thing when we finally bite the bullet and move these girls into the same room with synchronized bedtimes. Ah yes, another topic for another day. I'm just biding my time and hoping that Carolina's recent spate of early morning wake ups and crying jags are teething related and will be smoothed out soon. I realized yesterday that I've been getting myself too worked up over her sleep training or lack of. She's actually doing pretty well for an almost 9 month old, and she won't be popping awake at 4:30 a.m. forever. It's just getting her back down has been tough this last week and I'm confused as to whether I'm reinforcing it with the diaper change and little bit of milk I've given her at the break of dawn. I guess time will tell. It's so hard to see the progress of life and especially of parenthood when you are too deep in the day to day. I forget that sometimes. But last Sunday I had a sort of blah day and when I rallied myself from the doldrums, I realized how far we've come since August. And how much easier things will be when the girls are more in sync physically. Right now is the biggest disparity and considering that, I think we're handling it quite well. And a day in the sunshine watching Elisa pump the swing all by herself while I push Carolina further down the row makes it all worthwhile. Someday soon they'll be swinging side by side. And I'll be reading a book.
We're back to napping most days and I think she still needs it. We can go without but then like the other night, she's completely fried at 7 p.m. Which won't be a bad thing when we finally bite the bullet and move these girls into the same room with synchronized bedtimes. Ah yes, another topic for another day. I'm just biding my time and hoping that Carolina's recent spate of early morning wake ups and crying jags are teething related and will be smoothed out soon. I realized yesterday that I've been getting myself too worked up over her sleep training or lack of. She's actually doing pretty well for an almost 9 month old, and she won't be popping awake at 4:30 a.m. forever. It's just getting her back down has been tough this last week and I'm confused as to whether I'm reinforcing it with the diaper change and little bit of milk I've given her at the break of dawn. I guess time will tell. It's so hard to see the progress of life and especially of parenthood when you are too deep in the day to day. I forget that sometimes. But last Sunday I had a sort of blah day and when I rallied myself from the doldrums, I realized how far we've come since August. And how much easier things will be when the girls are more in sync physically. Right now is the biggest disparity and considering that, I think we're handling it quite well. And a day in the sunshine watching Elisa pump the swing all by herself while I push Carolina further down the row makes it all worthwhile. Someday soon they'll be swinging side by side. And I'll be reading a book.
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