A day in the life of a 27 month old, pre-sibling

May 8, 2013 by 14 Comments

Our days as a family of 3 are numbered and I thought I’d capture a full day in the life of this little 27 month old before she becomes a big sister.

The other day I was looking at the last Day in the Life post that I did and it’s incredible what a huge different just 4 months can make.

Also, you should know, that this is like the longest post ever with about a gagillion pictures. I won’t be offended if you just skim it, but then you’ll miss out on things like our kid eating leftover crumbs out of her chair cushion after every meal.

Good morning, Peanut. You wake up between 7 and 7:15am on weekdays and between 7 and 8am on weekends. It’s incredible that you’re starting to sleep in on weekends – or at least lay in your bed quietly while we get to sleep in. Most mornings you wake up happy and ready to take on the world. But never ready to get changed – that is your least favorite part of the day. I think if it was up to you then you’d be walking around in a wet, full diaper and pajamas the rest of the day.

You love climbing into our bed on weekends and terrorizing daddy and your puppy. Since you’ve learned to communicate rather effectively, you tell us that you need “8..9..10 toyz and bla-key’s” (a lot of toys and blankets) to come with you. We oblige. You also know that your little sister is in mama’s belly…you call her “baby Taylah.” It’s absolutely adorable.

One of your favorite things to do in the morning is to sit on our dresser and play with Chapstick, buttons, necklaces and just about anything else you can get your little paws on.

You are absolutely hilarious these days – not only do you copy everything that we do (words… actions… ) but you’re coming up with little funny things to do on your own. We love watching your little mind at work.

Once we’re all awake (and mama brushes her teeth), we head over to the kitchen to make coffee and have some breakfast.

You love to participate in every task.

I think breakfast is your favorite meal. Mostly because we let you have a lot of sugary food in the morning – chocolate chip muffins, waffles with syrup, pancakes. Most of these options are also whole-wheat, all natural, blah blah blah but you don’t seem to notice that when there are chocolate chips involved.

On days that you’re not filling up with sugar, you love yogurt, cereal, and bananas. We do give you a go-gurt and some fruit with every breakfast and you gobble them up.

And this here, my little Peanut, is your daddy. I know, I know… you’re one lucky gal.

And of course, since daddy got some cereal, you had to have some too (“Addi…bowl…my…cereal….ralf” :: translation: Addi wants her own bowl of cereal with milk).

Since it’s the weekend, we take the party to the living room where you play and daddy and I enjoy some coffee.

Today we’re catching up on all the little things to prepare for your baby sister’s arrival. On the to do list: put up name decal, clean basement, steam-clean rugs, and enjoy a day with our one and only (for now) baby girl.

You usually have a snack between 9 and 10am when you’re home. Sometimes it’s the remainder of your breakfast with some fruit, other times it’s whatever you found in the pantry – one of your favorite places to snoop around in.

It’s a beautiful day so after snack time we head out to the porch to play with your toys.

We got all of these at tag sales (also known as garage or yard sales) in the last couple of years. You love spending hours playing outside, especially with your water table.

This guy? Not so much. He would rather just lay on the couch all day long.

Around 11:30am I head inside to get lunch ready while daddy mows the lawn. It’s absolutely incredible that you can not only entertain yourself, but be trusted to be on your own (with me checking in every minute or two…don’t worry our porch is 100% secure and closed off). I love the independence…and the time to be able to get some things done.

Today we’re having leftover taco chicken on top of a salad.

You’ve been eating so much better the last couple of months – it amazes us. Your new favorite thing is olives.

Which you could, and do, eat with a fork right out of the can.

Of course, right after I took this picture you knocked the whole thing to the ground. We’re still working on you being more aware of your surroundings.

After lunch we clean up, change clothes, and you head to your room for a nap. I read you 2 books while laying in your bed and then let you read and play on your own. Usually you fall asleep within 15-20 minutes.

The really weird thing is that if we miss the 12-12:30 nap time and put you down later on (even if it’s 12:35), you will be up and playing in your room for an hour or two before falling asleep. Those days you wake up extra grumpy around 4pm and we usually have to spend at least an hour consoling you. It’s a terrible feeling, watching you cry out of frustration of being awake…but I can’t say that I’m surprised. Much like your love for olives (this is a joke), your disorientation and hatred for all things when you wake up from your nap is hereditary (this is not a joke). There is a well-known reason that I do not take naps – I am an absolute monster when I wake up (seriously, if you haven’t seen it, consider yourself lucky). I hope that you outgrow this with age…unlike your mama.

After an early nap (you slept for a couple of hours while daddy and I tackled the basement), you join us in the basement with a snack in hand and some Dora on the iPad.

We still had ways to go to finish cleaning the basement which was absolutely terrorized during the bathroom remodel (and we haven’t made it a priority to get to it), so you hang out with us, helping clean and playing.

P – at 27 months something hasn’t changed – your love of cleaning. In fact, I think it’s getting worse. Not only do you love to clean (especially dust or wipe things up), but you’ve gotten obsessed with spills or having even a tiny spec of something on you. You will demand that we either let you or clean up the mess ourselves. It makes me laugh…you are so much like your mama.

Once we’ve moved all the furniture, reorganized the closets, vacuumed and washed the floors, daddy set out to steam-clean the rug (we borrowed a steam cleaner from my folks for a few weeks to do some spring cleaning). This is one of those things that can’t have a little tot running around, pulling on cords so you, Travis and I head outside to play.

Daddy and I think we have this whole toddler thing down – we take turns letting each other get some things done while still giving you plenty of attention and spending some time together. It’s tough having 2 working parents so we try to make up for it on the weekends.

Around 5:30pm we head inside to get dinner ready (offload the already full memory card) and hang out for a bit.

All that cleaning and organizing gave mommy quiet the back ache so we opt for some more Dora time while I recover on the couch.

Your daddy makes dinner – he’s pretty incredible. Dinner is usually between 6 and 6:30pm.

Tonight we’re having Pelmeni.

Which happens to be one of your favorite things. Right along with peas. However, tonight you decided that you are boycotting peas.

They’re somehow offended you while we weren’t looking. Honestly, being a toddler must be really tough – things keep changing almost minute by minute…it’s hard for even us adults to keep up.

Daddy and I were both a little shocked since this is your favorite meal…so we let you go wonder around while we ate.

It’s a little trick we picked up from my bff and her family. It didn’t take you long to realize that no one is paying any attention to you and that you’re hungry, so you might as well eat your dinner.

So long as you picked all the peas out of your spoonfuls.

One of these days I’m hoping you can tell me what it is that they did to you that day.

Another note about 27 months old toddlers: they are messy. In case you’re not counting, this is the third outfit that Peanut wore this day along….and now it’s just about time to change her again.

Oh and Peanut? In case you’re reading this when you’re 16 and you think we don’t spend enough time embarrassing you (who am I kidding…I’m sure we will), let me tell you about one of your favorite activities at 2 years old. We call this, chair-snack-diving or Sofa Pizza.

It goes something like this: when you eat, you drop a lot of food. Most of that food is kept off the floor by your wonderful chair. After the meal, when we clean you up and take you out of the chair, you immediately inspect it for leftovers. Which you then eat.

It doesn’t seem to matter that you didn’t like that particular food while sitting at the table (I’m looking at you, offending peas). Somehow when it’s in your chair and left over after your meal, you eat it.

We’d stop you but we find it so funny that we spend the whole time trying not to pee our pants from laughing so hard. Oh well. At least you’re eating?

After dinner you grab a Pediasure which has to be warmed up in the microwave…with your help, of course, and head for the couch for some Dora and Addi time.

Oh and speaking of how funny you are…tonight you decided to break into a little jig while picking out your Pediasure. I have no idea where you got this or why you decided to show us this little half-squat-dance move tonight, but I almost fell over with laughter.

Don’t ever change, kid.

After some milk and Dora, we head over to the bathroom to brush you teeth.

Here’s another thing we learned from my bff and her toddler – 2 toothbrushes. You get to pick your toothbrush and after you play, we get to brush your teeth with the other one. It’s genius, really. Thanks, Inna!

It’s 7:30(ish) and your bedtime. We crawl into your bed for some books, snuggles, and bedtime kisses.

Something else that’s new at 2 years old – your bargaining abilities. You’ve gotten incredible at bargaining for more toys/water/blankets/tucking in/lights on/lights off/blanket on/blanket off/more books/8..9..10 kisses.

It’s actually pretty hard to say “no” or to even notice that we’re giving in. I guess we all have a little something more to learn about this toddler stage.

By 8pm you are usually winding down in your bed, on your own. Lately you’ve been falling asleep within 15-20 minutes of being in bed.

 

And that completes a full day in the life of Peanut at 27 months. Probably one of the last days as an only child.

In case you missed them, here are the other Day in the Life posts:

 

Linking up with Ashley, Parenting by Dummies, Live and Love Out Loud, Seven Clown Circus, 5 Minutes for mom, Better in Bulk, Mama to 4 Blessings, Baby Baby Lemon, Nurse Love Farmer.


Filed Under: A day in the life post, Parenthood, Toddler

The toddler years

May 1, 2013 by 14 Comments

The toddler years – you hear so much about them.  The tantrums.  The moodiness.  The struggles.  I’ve heard so many times that you “just have to get through these toddler years.”

But the toddler years are so much more than that.  They’re about discovery, affection.  They’re full of laughter, hugs and tiny arms around your neck.  They’re about seeing the world around you through young, innocent eyes.

Sure they’re about testing your patience and learning complicated emotions, but they’re also about discovering this little person that you’re living with – a person that you grew inside of you and rocked to sleep all night.

We spend so much time complaining about the sleepless nights and tearful mornings – today I just wanted to share the other side of the toddler years.  This, my dear friends, is why these years are my favorite.

Toddler years are all about discovery.  I love watching our little Peanut learn about the world around her, expanding her knowledge daily if not hourly.  One day it’s about learning a new word, another about watching her tiny little fingers and toes turn wrinkly because she spent too much time in the water.  She learns new emotions – some that she’s not yet equipped to deal with, but it’s all part of the discovery process.  Each day she learns something new and then perfects it in the days that follow.  In her first year of toddler-hood she’s learned to put on and take off her shoes, open and close doors, give out hugs when requested and often just out of the blue, use utensils, communicate with words rather than just noises and hand gestures.  And as her parents we’ve discovered that she has preferences for the type of shoes she wants to wear, that she doesn’t like socks on in bed, that she loves to clean.  We’ve found that her personality is unique, just like her tiny fingerprints.  She’s shy around strangers but extremely outgoing once she feels comfortable.  She’s cautious and polite, generous and kind.  She loves to be helpful and hates feeling out of control (don’t we all?).  She can throw a fit when she’s hungry or isn’t given a choice or a chance to do something, but more times than not she listens and makes the right decisions.  She’s incredibly observant and absolutely hilarious.

Toddler years are also about testing boundaries.  This can be a struggle at times but it can also be amazing.  Peanut tests her physical boundaries, breaking out into a toddler sprint when we’re outside, climbing a ladder on her playground, and walking up and down stairs without the help of my hand or the rail. She pushes the boundaries of her comfort level, expanding a little each day – she’s gone from being completely shy to learning to engage in play with other tots and share her snacks on the playground.  She’s learned to trust people around her – those that are within her little circle but more than just her mom and dad.  She’s still learning the boundaries of her twin sized bed – the one she’s fallen off of.

Toddler years are also about play and a whole lot of laughter.  Peanut has learned to use her toys for their intended purposes, as well as found new ways to use her imagination.  She now plays on her own as well as involve us in her games.  She’s creates made-up games with her pals at daycare and watches the older kids to learn new ways to play.  She tries to copy our actions and household chores, creating games out of each.  This isn’t just amusing to watch (which it is), it actually makes mundane tasks fun.  We’ve learned that she’s a comedian.  She sticks spoons on her nose, blows bubbles with her spit, and makes funny faces to amuse us.  She loves to be tickled and tries to tickle us back.

Toddler years are about independence.  She’s learned to climb into the car seat on her own, take off her shirt or put another one on, brush her teeth (not well), throw out the trash, put away her toys.  Peanut can play on her own and only come to us for help when she needs it or when she gets bored.  Although some tasks now take longer, most of the time it’s a thrill to watch her exert her independence.  We rejoice right alongside her as she learns to do something by herself, beaming with pride.  And we’re trusting her more and more each day as she begins to do things by herself.  It’s incredibly rewarding to watch this progress, as well as get a little break from putting away all her toys or picking her up into her car seat.

We are absolutely loving these toddler years.

Linking up with Ashley, Parenting by Dummies, Live and Love Out Loud, Seven Clown Circus, 5 Minutes for mom, Better in Bulk, Mama to 4 Blessings, Baby Baby Lemon.


Filed Under: Peanut, Toddler
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