Wearing the green

Before the day finishes, we had to post some of Elisa's wearing of the green. She must have been in the St. Patrick's Day mood because she only wanted to eat kiwi for lunch. Go figure. Lately, many of our tried and true foods are getting thrown on the floor, smeared in her hair or otherwise destroyed with smashing fingers. To say it's frustrating is putting it mildly. I don't know why her eating habits annoy me some days or have the ability to set me off like my hair's on fire, but they do. I try to remember that this is all part of the game of toddlerhood. That what she likes today has little bearing on what she will eat tomorrow, but that's so counter intuitive it's just more reason to flip out. Since I am the sole person responsible for feeding her--I mean, let's face it, Nacho can prepare a meal, but he needs guidance and does not shop for her food--it falls to me to make sense of her daily dietary intake. And so I try, and try, and try to find things that are accessible and nutritious and appealing. And it ain't always easy.

Forget that I made a kid's pasta dish today that I saw Giada make on Everyday Italian. It was a simple baby farfalle with peas and cream cheese sauce. Delish. But did she even try it? NO. So I ate some with such gusto that I was sure she would take a bite. No deal. I don't know why I prolong the pain sometimes. So finally, I just switched tactics and offered the kiwi. Devoured. She was handing me the bowl back in a matter of minutes with a look that said, "Duh, mom." So, once again it's the ability to stay mentally flexible that matters most. And not obsess about what she's eating--even if that means kiwi for lunch. Hey, at least it was green.

Swing into Spring

Can you tell we were excited to get out of the house today?

Tiny bubbles

With the rainy weather we've been having lately, I'm running out of good ideas for killing time indoors. Elisa can only read so many books, toss around so many stuffed animals and dance so many times to her new Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack. And as easy as it would be to leave the TV on all day, it just gets old. So today we broke out the bubbles I'd stashed a few weeks ago.

Here she is taking a dip. Her blowing skills haven't developed quite yet. She more often tries to lick the bubble wand. But at one point, she did manage to blow a couple of bubbles. Once.

Chasing the bubbles became the name of the game after a few minutes of me huffing and dipping, and puffing. I tried blowing them in her face a few times which she loved but it also tickled her silly. I think she really just wanted me to keep up the pace of bubbles everywhere.

Later when I tried to put the bubbles away, she came around the cornering whistling and puffing and making a fuss. I had to laugh at this never ending game of charades we play. It was a great reenactment of my expert bubble blowing, but unfortunately, the jig was up. That's part of what is so sweet about this new phase with her. We're definitely getting more of an idea of what Elisa wants, through her actions and sometimes words. And it's such a delight to see that and to communicate back that we understand her and we can *sometimes* oblige her requests. But when we can't, when it just isn't feasible for whatever reason, watch out. Because when Elisa realizes that we get it, but we just aren't going to do it, she has no trouble expressing her disappointment. And I have to admit that Nacho and I usually turn away to chuckle when the stomping and blubbering begins. But when she gets her way, whether it's bubbles or another rendition of her favorite song, she can light up those eyes with such amusement. It makes me melt.

Looking forward

This week we are finishing up our last music class on Thursday and after that, we'll be heading to North Carolina on Friday to visit my family for a while. The second half of March holds two special birthdays--my nephew Jordan and my dad--so this was a good time to plan a trip. I'm even thinking of packing some short sleeves for Elisa and a dress or two since it's been in the 70s there a few days. Hurray for spring! While my mind is on the weather and making sure I have birthday gifts covered, my niece Mia has been busy getting ready for our visit as well. Here is the note she left on the kitchen counter for all to see:

Make no mistake--this sucker is for Elisa. So hands off. Such a sweet gesture, and if Elisa could reciprocate by marking a toy, perhaps a Yo Gabba Gabba stuffed animal for her cousin, she would totally do it. I know she would. We look at photos of family every day (MULTIPLE times a day), and recently Elisa has even started mimicking her cousin's name. Not quite "Mimi" but we got a "Nini" and a "Migi" for sure this week. I am getting excited to see how the two interact this time around, since we had a great time at Christmas with Mia visiting us for a change and keeping Elisa occupied for hours on end. They are quite a dynamic duo.

Playing with the water and helping Elisa shovel sand during our beach week last fall.
Checking out photo albums with her cousin.
A quiet moment between two special girls.

Whether Elisa ends up having a sister or not, I know that for sure, she will always have her "big sister" in cousin Mia. They both have such a fun and playful spirit that it's great to watch how they are growing up together. Hopefully, this won't come back to kick me in the butt when Elisa wants to do everything her Mimi does (only much sooner in life). Of course, if I know Mia, she will be there to help guide her cousin and provide that much needed big sis perspective in life. Just like mine was.

Now what...

So it's been kind of a slow week around here. What with me fighting off a sore throat and sluggishness and Elisa changing up her nightly habits. Not sure why, but within the last week and a half, she's decided that 10 hours is enough sleep at night. Now, don't get me wrong--that's a decent amount of sleep for any kid. But when she has been doing 11 or 12 or sometimes even *gasp* 13 hours a night, you get used to having that little bit extra. Especially when I am accustomed to sleeping from 11pm til about 7am. It's quite a rude awakening at 5:15 am to hear murmurs and cries for "Momma, mmmmooooomaa!"

I can't really tell if it's related to her molars coming in or not. Or the lingering nasal congestion she's had too. It's possible that this is just another road bump in the 18-20 month range where we went from her frequent, multiple night wakings to now sleeping soundly but waking earlier. Not sure which one I would rather, but I guess it doesn't matter anyway. If there is anything I've learned as a mom, it's I don't get to vote. So we are dealing with this and just hoping that with daylight savings coming this weekend, we'll at least get to say goodbye to the 5 a.m. wakeup calls (6 a.m. just sounds better, right?).

We also had her 18 month check-up this week and as always, her height (at around 35 inches) continues to climb the chart. Her head circumference has thankfully come back onto the chart--apparently she went over the 99th percentile last time. Who knew?! And her weight is in the 90% (around 27 lbs.). The doctor got to see all too well how Elisa likes to go from HIGH (screaming, sobbing, turning red in the face) to LOW (chatting, waving hands and generally smiling) within about 30 seconds after she started to pack up her stethoscope and hit the door. The flailing and fuming little girl turned suddenly pensive, and the pediatrician almost stopped in her tracks at the about face. Yes, I said, she certainly has a flair for drama. Oh, the drama.

Just this week, I got my first ever smack down from Elisa. This happened after some mundane task, probably removing her from the bathroom and shutting the door. Then suddenly, the beast emerges. I picked her protesting body off the floor and that's when she unleashed her fury. Like fists pumping all over my head and then a cheeky hair pulling. That girl has moves! This ended up with me--with surprising calm--holding her arms to her sides as I placed her in her crib and said "No, we do NOT hit momma" and then left the room. She got the message because when I returned in a couple of minutes, she imitated hitting herself and then fake cried. Yeah. She gets it. All too well.

Celebrating two!

This morning we headed over to Kristin's apartment to enjoy a brunch in honor of Jen, the first Sunnymom in our playgroup to have a new due date. Yes, that means we'll be meeting a new member of the playgroup (boy OR girl--to be determined soon) later this month. It's the first of what I'm sure will be many more sibling arrivals, and it brings with it all the excitement and a little bit of anxiety that new babies deserve. Having two under two will be a challenge, no doubt, but it seems to be a reality for many families here in the city. We even have another mom, Lisa, who is due in April with her second (a boy) and I have another friend in Astoria who will be expecting a second any day now. It's a busy spring!

Elisa took a short power nap this morning to be able to join the festivities on time.
Hiro digging into a snack while Elisa looks on in the background.
Jen and Lisa share stories of the second time around...
Genevieve and her momma enjoy a quiet moment before the new arrival.

Saturday in the sun

Today was all about the sunshine. Sunshine and 50 degree weather. Which should have felt really balmy and spring like, but instead it actually felt kind of chilly and harshly bright. Better than winter, but not quite spring. We headed to Prospect Park in Brooklyn for a change of pace and enjoyed seeing all the kids and pets out and about.

Elisa loves dogs. A lot. Here she is with a nice, older pup who didn't want to pay her any attention. Must be why Elisa kept STARING at him.

I gave her my scarf and she gave me a smile. :-)

Elisa tries out the tire swing for the first time and hangs on for dear life. No, actually, she did fine and Papa didn't push her too hard.

Later, she found a playmate in this adorable 13 month old little boy. So funny to think of the age difference right now and how much older Elisa seems at nearly 19 months. But really, what's 6 months between friends? All in all, Elisa had a good time getting out in the park and it was such a welcome change from the sick-in weekends we've been having lately. Bring on the spring!

The first of many...

Here is Elisa today after I attempted to french braid her hair for the first time. She was sucking down a bottle, sitting fairly still for the first half. Then I switched sides and she seemed to catch on to my trick. I wasn't pulling too hard, and I seriously doubt this kid is tender headed anyway. After combing her snarled up little curls for the past year and a half, I can say she doesn't show too much concern for my hair styling.

Sometime during the middle of this beauty shop session, I realized "Oh, my God. I'm braiding her hair. She's that big." And when she spun around and looked at me head on, I could tell she liked being pampered. I think we're going to be doing a lot more of this when she gets older. I can just hear it now..."Mmmmmmom, braid my hair, pleeeeaaase!"

Mama's little helper

Today as I unloaded the dishwasher, Elisa wandered into the kitchen to see what I was doing. I knew she was headed straight to the open door full of clean dishes. Fearing a greasy smear of handprints on everything--or worse, a broken plate on her foot--I quickly handed her a clean cutting board from the drying rack. This was plastic, lightweight and who cares about sticky hands? Without stopping for a minute, Elisa turns to the bottom cabinet, opens the door and puts the cutting board away. Right. Where. It. Goes. This girl is a genius. I'm thinking with a step stool and a little more muscle tone, she can do the whole dishwasher. THIS is why people have kids.

The Wind Down

I suppose there is something to be said for having a bedtime routine. However, I haven't exactly figured out what. Pretty much the hours between Elisa's second nap and bedtime are a hodge podge of snacking, dancing, playing (loosely defined), bathing, a little Yo Gabba Gabba and then the last 30 minutes of whatever it takes. Usually this means a bit of bouncing around on our bed followed by much squawking when the pajamas appear. Elisa would prefer to wear her diaper around all day, but we do make her wear clothes for the most part. I should add that with our lovely apartment comes all the free hot air you can take, which means that the average temperature in our place probably hovers around 76F. It's nice and toasty. So I think it's a treat to give her a little running around time towards bedtime without clothes. Tonight this involved piling every stuffed animal she has in her crib and jumping around with them. I have to say, it was very entertaining. Especially when Nacho started to mock her climbing out, all karate-kid style. The fun never ends...