Good night sweet pea

As many parents know, getting your child to sleep through the night can be a challenge.  We’ve been pretty lucky in that, other than issues related to teething and reflux, Erin has pretty much slept through the night since she was just a few weeks old.

However, what I didn’t realize until Erin was months past this apparently magical cut-off of six months is that, according to all the sleep gurus, she was supposed to learn how to put herself to sleep without needing a bottle, to be held, or to be rocked. 

Well,  since I’m normally the one who puts Erin to bed, you can imagine my surprise and concern when I found this out at about 11 months.  Nobody had told me that before, and it sure as heck wasn’t in the manual.  (Come to think of it, I’m not even sure I got the manual.)  I mean, after all, what’s more natural than holding your baby until she slowly drifts off to sleep? 

However, apparently I was doing her some kind of disservice by not allowing her to figure out how to soothe herself and  fall asleep.  Even worse, by letting her have milk before bed, I was setting her up for more cavities.   However, at her one year visit Erin’s pediatrician assured us it was fine for Erin to use a bottle until she was 18 months. 

So, over the course of the next month, Erin and I gradually figured it out together along with the transition from bottle to cup.  It actually went quite smoothly. 

Erin had no problem switching from formula to milk and loved the taste right away, but wasn’t so sure about the whole cup thing.  It took her a few weeks to master sippy cups, and she definitely has her favorites, but now she’s a pro.  However, at night, she still refused her cup and cried for her bottle.  So, we took Dr. Grier’s advice and would brush her teeth after dinner, and then give her a bottle of water right before bed.  Although it was supposed to help wean her, it didn’t seem to work that well.  Erin loved the water and would often drink 9-12 ounces right before bed! 

However,  at the beginning of the week, I decided to give Erin milk and a snack  before bed, then brush her teeth, and then offer her water.  The first night, she seemed much less interested in the bottle of water.  So, the next night, I decided to try the sippy cup.  She literally read her book, took a few sips of water, pushed the cup away, and tried to lie down across me.  So, I put her in her crib and she was asleep within minutes.  I’ve repeated this same process for the entire week and it works.  Today, I packed up all of Erin’s bottles. 

While I am glad that Erin is able to put herself to sleep without her bottle, there are a few drawbacks.  First of all, I don’t get to hold her and rock her as long as I used to, which is a little tough.  More concerning however is that in order to self-soothe, Erin has started sucking her fingers.  While I hope this is only temporary since Erin is currently cutting three or four teeth, it is in her genetics to be a thumb-sucker. 

Erin and the Q-tips

Erin has an amazing fascination for q-tips.  She loves to crawl down the hall at almost a run, go into the bathroom, open the drawer, and throw everything else out of the drawer until she reaches her beloved q-tips box.  Then, she will very deliberately grab about four q-tips from the box, stick one in her mouth like a dog with a bone, and proceed to show off the others to anyone within view while she pulls the cotton off of the ends.   She is very proud of herself and,while sometimes we worry that “she’ll poke her eye out”, in reality it’s pretty harmless.

So many advancements

Erin has made so many amazing advancements lately that I’ve been busy watching them instead of photographing them or writing about them.  I’m sure I’ll probably miss more then a few, but I wanted to at least give a little bit of an update.

First and foremost, Erin officially graduated from PT!  We are very grateful to her therapist, Elva, but are extremely glad that our daughter no longer requires her services.  :-)

  Now that Erin is done with PT, she has to find other ways to stay busy and keep up her physical activity.  Not to worry though, Erin is busy learning how to crawl up AND down a full flight off stairs, get on and off the furniture, climb in and out of boxes, open and close doors, turn the lights off, and even enjoys the slides at an inflatable playground. 

In addition, to her physical advancements, Erin’s speech and cognition are also progressing.  She knows about a dozen words and phrases, including “wow”, “uh-oh”, “all done”, “I got it”,  and “hello, who’s there” (when the phone rings).  She even “barks” with Shadow.  Despite all that, she still acts like she doesn’t comprehend “no”.  Erin is also learning how too stack objects, use the shape sorter, and loves to turn the pages in books.  (In fact, her teacher gave us a nice compliment and told me it’s obvious that we read to Erin at home.)   Next week, she’ll probably know how to program the TV!

She’s also developed quite a fascination for Shadow’s kennel, q-tips, anything she’s not supposed to touch, and has weaned herself off the bottle and taught herself how to go to sleep.  In addition, she’s currently cutting 3 or 4 teeth (her incisors) and will probably have  14 teeth by next week! 

With all that going on, it’s no wonder she’s not walking by herself yet!  Erin is cruising, using push toys, standing unsupported for prolonged periods, and walking alone for a few steps with significant coaxing.  Her PT told us that Erin is ready to walk, but apparently Erin finds it much faster and easier to crawl or ride her toy car wherever she wants to go!  Not that we’re in any hurry.   If Erin’s current locomotion is any indication - once she’s ready to walk, she’ll run!   

Happy Father’s Day

 

Kurt, being the computer aficionado that he is, stumbled upon a website http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com.  For the next two days, he literally couldn’t stop laughing over a story about Happy Falker Satherhood.  If you haven’t seen the video, you really should check it out to see what is so amusing. 

So, naturally, Erin and I decided to get this shirt for his Father’s Day gift.  Kurt wore it rather proudly all day – including to brunch with our friends, the Sebbens.    Then again, when you’re such an awesome Daddy, why wouldn’t you?

First Birthday

Happy

First

Birthday!

On June 6, 2009, Erin Anneliese Schneider, along with twenty-odd friends and family (some odder than others) celebrated her first birthday. Her birthday was actually on the 5th, but Saturday was a much better day for the celebration. Food, cake, and fun were had by all, and everyone had a great time, including Erin.

We’d like to thank everyone in attendance, especially those who came from out of town: some of Christine’s family from the Dallas area, some of my family from Louisiana, and my mother from Santa Fe, NM. We really appreciate your being there for Erin’s first birthday.

Special thanks go to Brent for the smoked wild pork ribs. There were very few ribs left, and those didn’t last very long at all.

We took Erin to the photographer a few days early to get some pictures in her birthday clothes, and in her birthday cake. Literally, in her cake...

Erin was a bit cautious at first, but once she tasted the frosting, she found her confidence. There are more pictures at Erin’s photobucket site here; use her last name for the password (with a capital). The latest photos are at the end, but feel free to check out all 20-plus pages of Erin’s first year of life.

Finally, thanks to everyone for your support, advice, and love during this first year. We’re very proud of our little girl, and how far she’s come.

Bubba bear, clutter, and our life

For Christmas, Kurt's mother bought Erin a teddy bear. We aren't just talking any cute little teddy bear either. Nope, we're talking a HUGE bear so big that GG strapped it in the passenger seat of the SUV and drove it around town! Needless to say, when GG arrived at our home for the holidays, Kurt could tell that I was less than thrilled to see this giant monstrosity being lugged up our stairs. While Kurt reminded me that I was the one who chose a bear theme for Erin's room, GG was kind enough to reassure me that this would be the only "large" purchase she would make for Erin. She said that she bought the bear for Erin to enjoy crawling on when she got older. At the time, it seemed so far away and unlikely. However, in GG's defense, she was right. When Erin can't find Mt. Daddy or Mt. Mommy to climb over, Bubba Bear makes a fitting substitute. He is also a wonderful wrestling partner and apparently also makes a great Kleenex!

So, why was I resistant to such a large stuffed animal being in our home when I love all things teddy bear? Well, as a self-proclaimed "neat freak" whose favorite hobby is apparently throwing things out, Bubba was a symbol. His mere presence and size were a threat to the order I liked to believe our lives still had. He served as a herald of the materialism that I did not want our child to get caught up in, and as a warning of all the clutter and chaos that could potentially overtake our home and lives.

However, what I failed to realize at the time was that I AM a mother. Regardless of what toys Erin does or does not have, she is happy to leave a trail of them behind her. Yes, there are times when we deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Erin. Regardless of how often we try to clean, she will still find the last thing that Shadow brought in or find something to throw on the floor. Regardless of how often I try to stick to the plan for the day, Erin doesn't even realize there is a plan. As much as I might want to pay attention to detail, there's a cute little girl who would much rather that I pay attention to her, and I am more than happy to oblige.

So, this is our life. For better or worse, clutter and chaos are just part of where we are and being parents. I don't have to embrace the mess, but I embrace being the Mommy of the one who helps create it. Sure, there will be plenty of "hurricanes" in our house, but hopefully, the joyful moments and happy memories will far out-weigh even the biggest of Bubba Bears.

Be blessed,

Christine

P.S. I wouldn't trade Bubba bear and all the happiness he gives Erin for anything in the world. (But I still hope GG's promise is one I never have to remind her of!)

Mother's Day

Because May 10th was my first Mother’s Day, I thought I should write some form of post to commemorate the day. Sure, I could write about the events of the day, the highlights, the disappointments, or even the thoughtful gifts. Perhaps I could let everyone know Erin gave me chocolate covered strawberries to make up for the ones I couldn’t have when I was pregnant. In many ways, May 10th was a day not unlike so many of the ones in the eleven months preceding it.

However, none of that is what really mattered. On my first Mother’s Day, I just wanted to know that it mattered to someone that I am Erin’s mother. However, in the end I didn’t need a special present to tell me that or even someone else. All I really had to do was look into my little girl’s sweet face and listen to my heart to know.

You see, no other title that I hold will ever be as important, amazing, or life-changing as this one. I helped to create an amazing little human being. I continue to love, nurture, and care for her every day. There is no other job in this world that will ever be as difficult or as rewarding. Regardless of whether it matters to anyone else, it matters to Erin and it matters to me. I AM Erin’s mommy, and I am SO lucky.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies out there – every day.

Love,

Christine