Keeping Track of Lauren & Jack » August 2007 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Thu, Aug 30, 2007 10:50 PM
The only notable thing today was that while running errands this morning both kids were pretty well behaved. We even made it out of the grocery store without getting any M&M's as a bribe!

Jack has been really fussy about eating the last few days. He's refusing all his usual favorites, even cheese, which leaves me at a loss as to what to offer him. I'm hoping it's just an independent streak and not some mysterious physical ailment. He still drinks plenty of milk so I have to keep reminding myself that he won't starve himself, and when he's hungry he'll eat.

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Wed, Aug 29, 2007 7:23 PM
No tears at drop-off for preschool today!! It seems like she just decided that it was OK. In the car on the way over she said "I be happy at school today, Momma." And it helped that Mike had put her sucsreen on before we left, so I said a quick good-bye and didn't linger. She happily headed for the book/lounge area and she didn't look back. So I feel much better about leaving her there.

We hosted Jack's playgroup at the house and those kids proceeded to rip that playroom apart so quickly I couldn't beleive it! But it was fun to see everyone, it had been a while for some of them. Jack was pretty distressed when everyone got here, and he got clingy and territorial/possesive at the same time. He kept saying, my toys, my truck. It's funny, because he's used to sharing all his stuff with Lauren, but I guess all these other people are a different story. It took him quite a while before he calmed down.

I picked up Lauren while Jack was napping and then we headed over to Taylor's for a playdate, and Jack and Sara joined us later when he woke up. It was the usual mayhem over there. . . little sister Hailey is getting so big, sitting up already! Jack kept asking for milk, but wouldn't drink it out of the sippy cup he usually drinks water or juice from. So now instead of insisting on Avent bottles, he now insists on Avent sippy cups. Oh well, it's a step in the right direction!

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Tue, Aug 28, 2007 8:45 PM
Lauren cried again when I left her on Monday, and this time she said she had to go potty, she wanted some water, she wanted to lay down, etc. Delay, delay, delay. Finally I just had to go. I think I'm spending entirley too much time in there as it is. My new plan is to put her sunscreen on at home, and then I can make a really quick exit when I drop her off. As always she seemed peferfectly content at pick-up time. In fact, she really wanted to go outside and play and I had to drag her away.

While Sissy was in school I took Jack for a walk to our little playground around the corner, mostly because it's shaded there, but also because we didn't have a lot of time before we had to be home too meet Sonia, our cleaning lady. We wouldn't have lasted a long time anyway, it was blisteringly hot.

Our new schedule seems to be working out with Sara, she has her classes in the morning and on Lauren's school days (MWF) she's coming about 2:30. Jack is down for his nap by then and I can pick Lauren up alone, which is much easier than if I had to bring him with me. I'm so relieved, because I was worried I was going to have to get him down super early in order to be up again by 2:45 when I have to leave. Now we have plenty of time for morning activities and we don't have to feel rushed for lunch.

Today we went to the Kidz Club, and I actually managed to get there a bit earlier, so we didn't have to stay for lunch. It's for the best, because they really don't eat that well there. I don't think they want to stop playing long enough to actually consume anything. There was much dancing again which made me think I need to get the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse CD!

I went to the store while they were napping, and when I returned they both showed me pages from a coloring book that they had colored with crayons for me. I was amazed that Lauren's was amazingly within the lines, and she used such a variety of colors. I'm really noticing an improvement in that. I can see that her hand/eye coordination is getting better. Jack's of course was really random, but he was very proud of his circles, and he's really good at identifying his colors.

Nothing else new, except I broke down and bought Jack some Lightning McQueen sneakers because I finally saw some that are skate sneakers and they actually look wide enough for his foot. Haven't tried them on him yet. The only problem is that they are black and red and they might look a little funky with all of his relatively conservative clothes. He was begging me for them the last time he was shopping with me, but there weren't any that he would fit into. So I'm really hoping they'll fit. Somehow we always seem to find stuff from his wardrobe to match anyway, no matter how random the colors. We did it with bright neon green!

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Sun, Aug 26, 2007 10:50 PM
Saturday was a crazy day. It started with Lauren's ballet class, which despite my best effort to keep on schedule, we were almost late for. I don't know how it is we get up at 8AM and I still can't get out the door before 10:15!

Then we came home and changed her into regular clothes and headed off to the MyGym open house,which was fun, but hectic and crazy. There was a fire engine and an ambulence which the kids could climb into, and Jack was surprisingly freaked out. I guess he's more interested in them from a discrete distance! They also got fingerprinted which I guess is a good idea, except that Jack's was a little blurry, so I'm not sure what use it would be! There was also a bounce house and snowcones and free candy, so the kids were very excited. The only problem is that all that stuff was outside where the heat index was about 105. Luckily there was open play going on inside and that was a great relief to be in the a/c. I had heard that there was pizza, but they ran out before we got there, so we had to get lunch out. That was an adventure going to Tijuiana Flats, a Mexican place which was so busy we had to share a table. I thought the kids were hungry, but they would only eat tortilla chips so it wasn't a very successful meal. Oh well, I guess they won't starve!

Once they were down for naps I headed off to Target because I needed to get some house plants to spruce up the dining room. I also made the executive decision to get some snacks because Mike was planning to serve a box of Cheetos and some pretzels for our game night. It was supposed to be BYOB and snacks, but you can't have absolutely nothing when people arrive! Luckily I had arranged for Sara to come and deal with the kids, because I had also promised our neighbors that I would pick them up from the airport. Yeah, totally crazy day, AND we had a huge rain storm right before the party.

The toughest thing was that Lauren knew that we were having a party, and for about an hour after she was put to bed she kept wanting to come out and say hi, and once she saw all the snacks she decided that she was hungry, etc. She is queen of the delay tactic! I actually remember that though, hating to be left out when there was something going on and I was suposed to be in bed. They didn't have crib tents back then, and apparently you could NOT keep me in a crib, I would climb right out!

Today we laid very low, due mainly to the fact that Mike was hung over and pretty much MIA! We did get into the pool this morning, and I was dismayed to see that Jack doesn't really remember his swim-float-swim sequence, but Lauren did very well and can swim all the way across the width of our pool.

Otherwise we had a lot of time-outs for Jack dog-piling on Lauren when she's sitting in her little armchair. He actually does very well with the time outs, sits there quietly and seems very contrite when he's finished and apologizes to Lauren. But then 10 minutes later he's doing it again, so it doesn't seem to be deterring him very much. Although I did give him a warning of a time-out and said I would count to 3, and by 2 he got off of her and ran away, so maybe it's sinking in a little. I just really don't want him turning into a bully!

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Fri, Aug 24, 2007 6:03 PM
Lauren's second day of preschool on Wedsnesday didn't start as well as Monday. At first she was fine, but I had to go get a form from the office. That took some time because there was nobody there for quite a while, so when I came back in Lauren ran over to me and said she was tired and wanted to take a nap on one of the mats. I think it was just seeing me in the room again. But she was crying, so it was heartbeaking to leave with her in that state.

Thursday we went to the Kidz Club in an effort to have some fun play time yet escape the heat. The funniest moment there was when Lauren and Jack were leading the dance session with about 4 other kids. Jack has started to pony dance just like Lauren used to, it's so adorable.

The other big event of Thursday was the trip the kids took to the pet store with Mike where they purchased a fish, so we now have a new pet. He's a Betta fish and he's blue, and so he was imaginaitvely named Big Blue. Apparently they don't do so well with others, so that's why Mike only got one. I'm a bit worried, because it's all I can do to deal with the kids and the dog. I can't even to keep plants alive, so I have absolved myself of any care-taking of the fish!

Today Lauren was crying when I left her at preschool, saying that she was hungry. Luckily they have snack right after she arrives. But I think she was just saying that because she's looking for an excuse to be upset, becasue she doesn't realize that she's upset about saying good-bye to me for 6 hours. I've heard from other parents that the reaction can be delayed by a few days because it starts to sink in that this is indeed the new schedule. The teachers said that each time she stopped crying right after I left the room, so I think she's going to be OK, and that a lot of it is for show and somehow for my benefit (or detriment!)

I was going to take Jack to sample the gym class I wanted to register him for, but, alas, it is full! Wah! That's what I get for waiting until the last minute. That's OK, I needed to clean at home anyway. We're having some of Mike's colleagues over for a Game Night tomorrow, and it's like trying to clean in the middle of a tornado!

I've been trying to organize in the kids rooms and I finally moved all of Lauen's dresses into the armoire. It's made so much more room in the closet! Plus I think she can see them better in the armoire so she can choose easier. I counted her dresses and she has, um, . . . 40. Yes, that's right. Of course at least 5 are going to be too small soon, but still, even I concede that that's ridiculous!

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Tue, Aug 21, 2007 9:58 PM
So the first day at Lauren's new school on Monday was decidedly lacking in drama. It helped that we visited and met her new teacher a few weeks ago. Plus her friend Maria was there who she's known from playgroups and was also in her class last year. The big disappintment was that the gerbils weren't there. Apparently they belonged to the teacher who was there for the summer camps and she took them with her. But Lauren just sat right down to color and seemed completely unconcerned about my leaving, so I just said "Bye, I'll see you after your lunch and your nap." And she hardly even looked up to say "Bye mom." I walked off thinking "This is so much more about MY anxiety than it is about hers!"

When I went to pick her up she was happily playing outdoors but she did run into my arms which made me satisfied that she did miss me just a little bit. She didn't eat much of the huge lunch I had packed for her. They do have a mid-morning snack though, and she had a pretty good breakfast. But there were apparently no big issues, so I feel good about it so far. I was a bit confused by the teaching plan they gave us for the week. I find it hard to follow, so I'll have to ask for an explanation.

I was amazed at how much time I had to devote just to Jack and I got a lot more done in the morning. He still had some congestion or I would have taken him swimming. I did manage to clean up the playroom which was a major accomplishment! I won't always have so much time because there will be activities planned for every morning that Lauren has school, Music Together, playgroup, story time at the library, and MyGym. That's all going to start up after Labor day.

Jack seems to be adjusting to his crib tent and lack of bumper. Now if I could just get him to use his memory foam pilow instead of pushing his head into the corner right against the hard wood! He's also doing great with the sippy cups so I've put away the bottles for good! My little baby is not such a baby anymore. I can't believe how they are both tranforming right in front of my eyes! He's also chattering up a storm, speaking in full sentences about whatever he sees before him or narrating what we're doing at any given moment. Of course a lot of the time it also sounds like a combination of French and Chinese, but sometimes it actually approaches American English!

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Sat, Aug 18, 2007 11:08 PM
This week was sort of a blur because Jack has been a little under the weather and so have I. He's had the sniffles and just the occaisional cough and I've had a sore throat and monster headaches.

I have now bought Jack a crib tent but we haven't put it up yet. I don't want to wait until he climbs out and possibly hurts himself. I saw that they have this race car bed at the Baby Deot which can convert from a toddler bed with a cib mattess to a twin. I think Jack would LOVE that. He may even stay in it, if he thinks it's cool enough. So maybe we'll get that as a transition before we convert his crib all the way into a full size bed.

I ordered Lauren a new armoire to match her dresser and it just arrived today. Yeah, more hanging space! I also ordered a mirror but that's still coming. I guess now may be the time to transition her into a big bed, if we're moving her room around anyway. She's sort of a creature of habit, so I'm not sure how she's going to like moving things around. She actually seems fairly happy in her day bed, so if it ain't broke. . . Maybe now I will finally finish decorating that room once and for all!

Oh, and a few weeks ago when we went to that back-to school bash at the convention center, someone asked us if we would like to do a free photographic session because they just fell in love with Lauren's curls! Well, they called and they're coming to the house in a few weeks! I was trying to tell them that I also have a hansome 2 year old son. They asked if he also had the curls. I was like, "No But, he really is gorgeous!" I'm sure they think I'm just biased. I feel bad because they did't see him because he was chilling out in the stroller when they spotted Lauren. But they told me to have him ready too. So, we may have some budding models on our hands. Lauren can say she was discovered at the convetion center!

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Tue, Aug 14, 2007 10:32 PM
Jack's bug bites improved a lot over the weekend. We went out to dinner on Saturday at a family restaurant called Circles. They gave the kids crayons to color on the paper on top of the tablecloth. As soon as Jack go his, he made lots of circles and spirals, and was yelling, "circools mama, circools! Not only was I surprised by his ability to identify the shape, he was essentially drawing it too! Every time we go out I wonder "Why did I think this was a good idea?" They rarely eat well, and have no patience for sittng for 5 minutes so we can eat our meals. But if we never do it, they'll never learn how to behave, right? Eventually I had Mike take Lauren next door to the party store in a classic, "divide and conquer" maneuver. Oh yeah, and I gulped down half my dinner and took the rest home in a box. That certainly helps us get out the door!

Sunday we went to a baby shower of some theatre friends of mine who are expecting their second baby. Their daughter Claire is about 5 months older than Jack. The kids were thrilled to see there were 2 friendly and fairly tolerant cats. Lauren surpised me by eating a lot of raw broccoli, which I'm going to have to try at home. (Jack seems to be on a complete veggie strike!) They were fairly well behaved considering we blew right through our regular nap time. I just decided I'm tired of going to these things alone! Lauren is starting to refuse to nap these days anyway. I wonder what will happen once school starts though.

Today we went to the Kidz Club and the kids had fun frolicking in the indoor playspace and I was so grateful to escape the heat! We wound up having lunch there even though I had intended to come home for that. Once Lauren saw someone with a PB&J that was it, she had to have one too!

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Fri, Aug 10, 2007 10:07 PM
Happy Birthday to Daddy! The kids were so happy to see him this morning. That was probably the best present for him, all the gleeful wresting and ticking.

Yestrday Jack woke up at 6:30AM, and I thought maybe he had wet the bed or something, but he kept scratching at his leg. I thought maybe he got a mosquito bite, but didn't think much more about it until later when I saw the huge welts on his leg where he had been scratching. The alarming thing is that he had on cotton knit footed pajamas, how did he get 3 bites through that thing? I didn't see anything in his crib or pajamas. It's sort of freaking me out beacause it could have been a spider or a scorpion or something. (Mike was bitten by a small scorpion in bed last year.) Luckily Jack seems fine and doesn't seem too bothered by the bites. I called the doctor and he said to watch out for infection. By now it doesn't seem like there is any allergic reaction. We're supposed to have pest control but I see little critters in here all the time! Oh well, that's what we get for living in a swamp. . .

We had a little celebration with balloons and cake with the kids before we went out to dinner and to see the Simpsons movie. Lauren just about blew out the candle instead of Mike, which just shows you that she still thinks everything is about her! Jack still doesn't really like cake, but he dipped his finger into the icing a few times and said "Yummy!"

I recommend the Simpsons movie by the way, and I'm not really even a huge Simpsons fan, I just catch it here and there when Mike is watching it. But it was eally funny!

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Wed, Aug 8, 2007 6:37 PM
Mission accomplished! We got Lauren some new sandals. It didn't even take that long. We also got her some more dresses for school. We could not leave that store without getting Jack this big truck that is also storage for those little hotwheels cars. It's so funny, it's bigger than he is! Of course Lauren had to have a purple Barbie car too, so now we have 2 more to add to the millions of vehicles in the playroom. I need to practice saying no a bit better!

This afternoon after naps we went down the street to Taylor's for a play-date. Jack had to bring his huge truck with him which was hilarious. They were all wrestling and dog-piling at one point which was funny but nerve-wracking because they kept bumping themselves and each other!

My new brilliant idea is to use really cheap copy paper for all their coloring since they go through sketch pads like nobody's business. I need to find where I can buy recycled paper so we don't kill so many trees!

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Tue, Aug 7, 2007 10:00 PM
Today we had a visit to Lauren's new preschool, and she seemed quite excited about it. Her classroom is HUGE compared to her last school, but there are also twice as many kids. It's well set up with many different areas though, and it looks like a really stimulating environment. They even have 2 gerbils as pets in there! The kids were all out on the playground when we got there, and when we went out to meet them they were having sand and water play, and Lauren started crying when she realized that she wouldn't be joining them. I guess that's a good sign! Jack was also making himself right at home, which is also good since he'll probably go there eventually too.

Sara couldn't come and I was soooooo tired, and of course Lauren wouldn't nap, so I made her lay down with me because I just couln't stand up anymore. Actually I have to say they were both really good after Jack woke up, they just sat reading and playing quietly for quite a while until I felt like I could get up and function again. Man, without Mike here it's at least a 14 hour day, and with no breaks I am WIPED OUT!

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Mon, Aug 6, 2007 8:28 PM
Jack has been drinking milk with the sippy top lid! 3 bottles worth today, so that is enough progress in a few days for me to feel encouraged to say we're not going back to nippes at all. The next step will be using the actual sippy cups themselves, but I think we'll wait about a week to start that.

We finally got Jack his haircut today and I am vowing to make an appointment every time because it is soooo much easier, takes less time, and then we ensure to get David who is good and QUICK (a must with 2 year olds!)

Then we headed to the long awaited visit to the petstore and it was like a visit to the zoo, between the hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, snakes, lizards, turtles, and fish! I did buy Sadie some new rope toys since I felt guilty about not bringing her for her shampoo and and nail trim yet.

Then we went to the shoe store and got Jack his new Crocs, Lauren some new Mary Jane ones, (since they were 1/2 off) and tons of Jibbits because Mommie just can't say no! I tried to get Lauren some new leather sandals since she's about to outgrow hers, but she absolutley refused, saying she didn't like them. Oh well, I guess there's lots of other shoe stores now that I know her size.

Otherwise I'm trying to figure out our Fall schedule between ballet for Lauren and playgroups for both of them and music and gym class for Jack. It looks like we'll be able to do everything and still leave Tuesdays free in case we want to do something else for a change.

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Sun, Aug 5, 2007 10:56 PM
Mike has a conference in Philly so we've been on our own since Friday. Yesterday we tried to get Jack a haircut, but when I discovered it would be an hour's wait I decided to make an appointment for Monday. As luck would have it, we had to walk by Petco to get from Kool Cuts to the shoe store where I wanted to measure the kids feet. (By the way, I'm sure they measured differently at the Stride Rite store!)Ever since, Lauren has been begging to go into the Pet Store! I considered going there this morning with Sadie to get her washed an have her nails trimmed. But while getting ready we got a call from our neighbors the Brocks, inviting us to join them at the convention center downtown for a back to school bash. It was 1-4PM, right through nap time, but I decided to go anyway. Lauren loves to do activities with her little buddy Taylor and we haven't seen them in ages. It was a little crazy. The highlights were the bouncy houses and the petting zoo. Oh, and Jack was just ecstatic climbing on the old fashioned fire engine. This was another time I was wishing I had the double stroller with me. (I don't know if I've mentioned before that I backed over it in the garage a while ago and one of the wheels popped off. I have to see about getting it fixed.) A lot of the time it was difficult to keep them both corralled because Jack doesn't want to be in the stroller if Sissy is out there doing something fun.

Another thing I've been tring is giving Jack his milk in an Avent bottle with a soft sippy cup lid. So far he's consented to drink from it a few times. Not as well as with a nipple, but it is progress. He keeps asking for milk, and I say, here's your milk, and he gets excited until he sees the top, and then he pushes it away saying "I don't like it". He's been having about half of his usual milk consumption, so I'm wondering if I need to give him a bottle first thing in the morning and last thing at night, but sippy cups otherwise. I'm a little worried about his fluid intake. He's enjoying drinking water out of a cup at meal times, but it's distracting too.

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