 | Diary Navigation:
|
May 15, 2004
Well, since my first official entries talked about Gabriella, who I won’t know until the hereafter, I thought I would write about my two joys that I know oh-so-well.
First, I will talk about the whirlwind that is Ana. She is two years & almost two months, she is 33.5 inches tall as of her check up a month ago and weighs just under 26 pounds. I mentioned before that she had something like colic as a baby – well, after much research and countless sleepless nights, we discovered lactose intolerance was her real problem. And that has continued – she has allergic/intolerance type reactions to many things and is on allergy meds as well as daily inhaler treatments to keep her lungs clear (possibly has asthma as well). You would never know that this spitfire has any kind of issues. She is our child with a joie de vivre that can’t be matched. Ana plays hard: tackling her sister, tearing the pages out of books, coloring “great” murals on every possible surface, dragging along her stuffed dogs and baby dolls, picking flowers among bumble bees, running so fast she falls over herself, stripping her clothes off, squealing so loud she must be alerting every neighbor… And she loves hard: throwing herself into your arms several times a day, squeezing your neck so hard you might choke a little, putting her little hands on your cheeks to pull you in for a “beeg keess!” – crushing your mouth with her tiny one, cuddling up on your lap for no particular reason, wrapping her arms around her sister so tightly Veronica cries out just as they tumble to the floor in a heap. Ana is a talker – I can’t tell you how many words are in her vocabulary, she has been talking in long sentences since months before her 2nd birthday. She wants us to tell her “what’s that?” all the time – wanting to label each and every object and action she encounters. She can count to ten unaided and just last night counted her way down the stairs at church – to 14! She sings and dances and basically doesn’t stop moving – except to have her sippy cup of milk (half water, half soy milk) – this time for her is one of quiet and hiding; she is like a drug addict who goes into a dark corner to get her fix, she “needs” to have a bed pillow to lay on or lean against as she is sucking down the milk in the quietest possible spot in the house.
Last night, dh and I had a date – the Life Teen kids have a Parents Night Out once a month where they babysit at the church from 6-12. We had wings and beer at Hooters (dh kept saying I am the best wife ever!) and then went to see “Troy” with some friends (whose child was also at PNO). The movie is nearly 3 hours, but I highly recommend it – though it has lots of fighting, but that is what the story is about. Brad Pitt, of course was beautiful and Helen, the face that launched a thousand ships, was not as beautiful as Brad – even the men agreed. Seeing this movie made me realize that perhaps I would enjoy re-reading The Ilead and The Odyssey now that I can appreciate Homer’s imagination better. And I heard a rumor that depending on how well Troy does, the same director and studio are considering making The Odyssey as well. I think it is a great idea. Anyway, the point of this is that when we went back to get the girls after the movie, it was 11pm and as soon as I walked in the door, I heard Ana running around squealing. Jeeminy! I can’t believe she was still awake, but the youth minister said she was non-stop the whole time and lucky me! she actually slept in this morning until nearly 9 am.
On to Veronica… She is 3 years & almost 9 months, is just over 37 inches tall and weighs about 34 pounds. She is such a darling girl – beautiful in every sense of the word. Her birth made us a family & made me a mother. She was an “easy” baby, I was not overwhelmed with feelings of new mom frustration or anything that I know is normal for many women. Our transition into life together was a simple and easy one – by the grace of God, I am sure. That simplicity has continued for nearly 4 years. Veronica is incredibly well-behaved, a nudist, a picky eater, super-smart, loving, considerate, fun, gentle, persnickety, inquisitive, a ‘fraidy-cat, a comic, she loves being a big sister, hates cleaning her playroom and is one of the most thoughtful children I have ever known. She loves books, her Leap Pad and TV (which will be all but entirely cut out in the next week or so). She is a little bossy, which I hope she will outgrow soon, and likes to think she is in charge of her sister and any visitors we have.
I have just this week enrolled her in pre-K for the fall at a private Catholic hybrid school. She will go two half-days per week and maybe once/week or twice/month will stay all day (last half of the day will be outdoor/gym play, rest time then free play). We met her teacher while registering and each day she asks if today is the day she starts school – it is going to be a LONG summer if that keeps up. I also enrolled her in the summer reading program at our local library, which will be led by high school students. We are thinking of putting her in music camp for one week this summer, it will be fun and educational for her and give her a chance to have some time with other kids her age before school starts in August. I also turned in the registration for her for Faith Formation/Sunday School at church, which starts in the fall as well. She is excited for school to start and said she wants to go every day of the week. I figure with Sunday School and then 2 half days of pre-K, she will be getting enough time away from mommy to grow in ways she hasn’t yet. I am not ready to give up my time with her, but I know that it will allow me to spend some one-on-one time that I haven’t been able to with Ana and the time for Veronica will be something that she loves – learning and growing and making friends.
That is the key – always to be learning and growing and making friends… More about that next time!
Wishing for you a peace, love and happiness-filled Sunday and a beautiful spring week!
TTM: How do you get a 2 yr old interested in using the potty? I’ve done this before, but this wild-child is totally uninterested – any tips?
And how do you keep a 2 yr old from taking her diaper off at any opportunity?
Many Blessings,
Holly, the long-winded
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
