Stall Tactics and Social Skills

Dear Pea,
At almost 17 months old, you have developed quite the arsenal of bedtime stalling techniques. Your schedule is pretty much sleep from 8pm-7am and nap from 12-2 (all with a HUGE *ISH* around it) and you are fully aware that when you're sleeping, you're missing things. I've started to try to get you to nap in your bed and in the stroller in addition to the Ergo and I'm having moderate success. You fall asleep easy in the Ergo with me and Daddy, but the stroller is sometimes a fight and the toddler bed is all me, nursing you to sleep. It's the same as bedtime-we put on the sleep tunes, lay down to snuggle and you nurse until you fall asleep. Before you fall asleep, you will tell me about your morning: "Books! Book!" Mama, book, book!" Okay, here you're not telling me that we read (past tense) a book but that you currently want to read one. But I pretend that you're telling me that we read some books already. "I know, baby, we read some books!" "Mama, books!"  "I know, they were great, weren't they?"  Sensing you're not getting anywhere, you'll go in a different direction. "Bubbles! Balls! Hock-o!"  "No, baby, we're not going to blow bubbles or play with the balls right now. Maybe after your nap when Daddy gets home you can watch hockey..." "Daddy!!" "Daddy's at work, baby" "Daddy! Dadadadadadadadada!!" This is spoken in an intense almost scream, like you are desperate for Daddy to come and get you out of bed, like I am torturing you by trying to help you sleep.  Sometimes you throw your hands in the air, signing and saying "all done!" like that's the magic key to get you out of having to sleep. "All done!" trying to sleep, mama, it's not working, so I'm all done. It's usually about 5 minutes after an "all done" that you are totally and completely asleep, but it's hard for both of us getting there.

But your waking hours are mostly joyful. We have a regualr weekly childcare swap with Harper and her mama, which is The Best Thing Ever. You *love* Harper, talking about her throughout every day. And when you see her and her mama, you get super excited. You love being with them when I'm not around and you and I both love having Harper when her mama isn't around. It's a super win-win-win and I've been working a lot more.  We've also been swapping with some other friends here and there; most days of the week you are around at least two other kids your age, sometimes many more. You know most of their names and get excited to see them. You also love their mamas.

 checking out chickens on the other side of the fence at a playground

 sharing snacks with H

 BALLS!

you and Harper's mama

clearly ready to babysit yourselves

You are obsessed with bubbly water water bottles. Somehow you know that Perrier is different than Poland Spring and will become fixated on a bottle of bubbly water. If I have seltzer, I am sharing it or facing a full blown tantrum. It's sort of become a problem and it's such a strange obsession and the more you want it, the more I crave it, so we have it in the house. We can spend 20 minutes sharing a bottle of seltzer, as long as you get to hold the cap.

You are also obsessed with shoes. Your shoes, my shoes, anyone's shoes. You love to put them on, take them off, walk around the apartment in them...we just bought you a new pair of summer shoes: ridiculous pink Croc sandals. You slept with them the first two days and carry them around every moment they're not on your feet. I haven't been able to get a picture of you sleeping with them snuggled up to you because I'm afraid the flash will wake you up and after the work of getting you to sleep, it's just not worth it.  Just trust me, it's adorable

 joyous amid the shoe pile

Oh, and this....

Dear Pea,
Today as I was getting ready to leave for an appointment, I mentioned to Daddy that you had a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup in the fridge and he could feed it to you if you wanted it. You heard me, yelled "vegetables!!" and ran to your high chair, making the sign for "eat."

Pretty much my work here is done

16 months

Dear Pea,
Beltane has come and gone again. It was this time of year two years ago that Daddy and I found out you were coming to us. My first symptom of pregnancy was that everything got incredibly beautiful. The flowers were so vibrant. Songs I had previously heard and enjoyed were so amazing. Blame it on Beltane, so much  headiness!  I was drunk on hormones, on cherry blossoms, on springtime. (Of course, shortly thereafter, the real symptoms of pregnancy began and the dizziness was far less pleasant).

you and some buddies on May 1st

Though we have not sat in an official circle recently, we have celebrated. We sang songs and drank hibiscus  tea with other mamas and babies. We picked cherry blossoms and rubbed them on our cheeks,  physically tickling you and spiritually tickling me with your laughter. We've sung numerous horse songs in honor of Rhiannon and you are fully versed in "neighing" like a champ. Tonight we're having a party complete with pomegranate cocktails and our mama posse.

At the music party, you started twirling. You newest trick!

Speaking of our mama posse party, you have started saying some of your buddies names. It is the cutest cutest thing ever!  You know a few of them:  

 Haha (Harper)

 El nanna (Eliana),

 Jonah

You have also discovered crayons! So exciting!  You have been happily drawing on our coat closet and the toilet seat. Tonight at our party, a few mamas mentioned how awesome the closet looks and suggested that we cover the whole closet in your artwork.  We'll have to get you a ladder, right now everything is about this height:

We also recently had a wonderful visit with some more of our very special friends. Oh, as we're calling you them, your God brothers (you are the God sister). You had a ball with them and they are incredibly gentle, sweet and loving with you. Daddy and I can't wait to have you all grow up together.We're going to be spending a LOT more time with them this summer and beyond. You are all smitten