About Our Katie » September 2006 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Fri, Sep 29, 2006 12:00 PM
Yesterday after dinner, Steve was washing the pots. Katie was putting a new bag in the kitchen trash can. And what was I doing? The usual: playing with my new camera and taking video footage of Katie's antics.

Anyway, while Steve was busy scrubbing and I was busy replaying my new movie, we briefly lost track of Katie. I found her a couple of minutes later in the foyer with a bottle of Windex (which she'd managed to get while putting the trash can back under the sink). She was spraying Windex on one of the sidelight windows, then rubbing it with her bare hand and proclaiming, "Keen! Durry!" There was enough Windex on one tiny window to clean them all, but she was certainly giving a good effort.

* * *

While I was out last night, Katie pulled a fast one on Steve. She removed a perfectly clean diaper from her body, went into the bathroom, emptied invisible poop into the toilet and said "bye bye" to it, put the diaper in the trash, flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and then demanded a "Mem-mem."

He thought it was comedy; I think it was a con! Either way, we admire her creativity. And it's too bad Enron is gone--Katie would've fit right in.

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Sat, Sep 23, 2006 10:00 PM
Today we went to Calvary Bible Church in Phoenixville, PA. Our friends, Doug and Adriane, are members who helped organize the church's first Community Fall Festival (www.communityfallfest.com). Steve and I had a great time, and so did our little curly-haired cutie. And what's not to love? Katie got to:

* Eat a snow-cone,
* Jump in a moonbounce,
* Go down a giant slide,
* Experience a hayride,
* Paint a pumpkin,
* Make a fall mobile (truth be told, the volunteer made it for her!),
* Watch a puppet show, and
* Visit a petting zoo full of miniature animals!

We were so busy that I didn't get many photos. However, there are a few in the album--plus a petting-zoo video.

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Fri, Sep 22, 2006 9:30 AM
So much for having empathy... Katie was up just after 5:00 this morning (yawn!). After watching a little "Geet" (Sesame Street), she wolfed down a hearty serving of quick oats with currants--followed by a hearty serving of frozen-fruit "mooey."

The big breakfast must've really gassed up her tank. First, she worked in her bedroom--raising the blinds and furiously "organizing" some photo albums. Then she noticed me in the laundry room and decided to help out. The good news is, she folded some clothes on the dryer door. The bad news is, they were dirty clothes she'd pulled from the hamper. The cute part is, she was singing her version of the ABC song while she worked ("A-B-D-D-E-H-J-K-Elmo-P-Q-R-S-Dubba-X-Y-Z").

Anyway, the camera just happened to be upstairs, and I was able to get about 20 seconds of the scene on video. Check it out...

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Thu, Sep 21, 2006 9:10 PM
Katie has expectations: Before putting on a fresh bedtime diaper, I offhandedly asked which kind she'd like. Before she could answer, I waved one and said, "How about Bert and Ernie?" But when I changed her, I inadvertently used an Elmo model. I had her all cleaned up when she started undoing the tabs. "Burrt and Urrnie," she insisted.

Katie also has empathy: A few moments later, while reading books in the rocking chair, she accidentally knocked me in the eye. When I said it hurt, she immediately found her Boo-Boo Bunny--she likes to keep it close at hand for all her own "emergencies"--and gently applied it to my eye.

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Mon, Sep 18, 2006 12:00 PM
As I was getting ready yesterday morning, Steve called out, "I'm going downstairs." For whatever reason, I just assumed Katie was still with him. So I continued getting dressed, putting on some make-up, and basically enjoying the bathroom solitude.

Only about five minutes had passed when I heard Steve working downstairs on the patio. It was the kind of PRODUCTIVE work that you just can't do with a toddler underfoot. Right at that moment--when I realized Katie couldn't be with him--I turned to see her standing in the little hall between our bedroom and our bathroom. She was silent as a mouse with her hands and mouth COVERED in Desitin. She had the tube still in her hand, and it, too, was slathered in the thick cream.

I carefully picked her up and went into her bedroom, where I found MORE Desitin smeared on the top drawer of her hutch...and still more on the carpet...and even more on some of the cards and other mementoes in her drawer. I heard Steve come in from outside, so I called down, "Do you have her?" (I love to make him panic sometimes! Hee hee) He frantically said, "NO! I said I was coming downstairs!" By that point, he was already rushing upstairs, where he got to see the aftermath of the human diaper rash.

I sometimes wonder: When does a toddler realize she's gone too far? I mean, Katie didn't scream for help with that desperate "I'm-really-scared" kind of cry. Her silence and her facial expression tell me that she clearly KNEW she had done something she shouldn't have. I wonder if she tried to salvage the situation--was she looking for a rag or towel in the drawer?--before finally coming for help, tail between her legs.

It sorta reminded me of one of our little neighbors who, after having an accident-with-a-capital-A in his britches, tried to cover his tracks by "laundering" his own soiled clothing. He simply added his dirties to a load of clothes his mom had in the dryer. Can you imagine?! LOL (I'll take the Desitin clean-up job over that any day.)

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Sat, Sep 16, 2006 11:00 PM
Katie has hit the social jackpot this weekend.

Afer school yesterday, our neighbors, Heather and Alyssa, came over to play with her. Heather even joined us for our customary Friday-night dinner at the local pizzeria. This afternoon, Steve asked Katie what she wanted for dinner. Without hesitation, she replied "pizza." Then, after a slight pause, she added, "Kayla?" We laughed, knowing she wanted to continue the trend of having a neighbor join us for a meal.

However, we didn't call Kayla or any other friends; we just headed to the "mawl." As soon as we got there, we bumped into Katie's classmate, Ashley, who was there with her mom and older sister. Then, while Steve was in line at Sbarro (getting Katie a slice of pizza), who did Katie spot but Heather...accompanied by Kayla! They were there for a shopping spree before a Saturday-night sleepover.

Needless to say, little Katie was in HEAVEN. The two seventh-graders ate dinner with us, and Katie sat there just as sweet as pie, listening to them talk and observing their every move.

Who knows what--or, rather, who--tomorrow will bring.

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Thu, Sep 14, 2006 10:00 AM
After taking the summer off, we returned to The Little Gym on Saturday morning. No surprises: Katie loved being there and seemed to remember everything quite well. She especially enjoyed the parachute, which Miss Gwen left out so the new kids could watch the older kids play with it. (And there was a certain older kid--cough cough--who monopolized it during free play.)

At the end of class, Katie walked over to Lauren and Paige's mom and sat in HER lap for the closing songs. The mom glanced at me to make sure it was OK, and I gave her a smile and a nod. I can't say I was shocked; in the winter semester, Katie used to do the same thing with her classmate Emily's mom. (Emily is no longer in our class; she moved up to the next level.)

Anyway, I find her "adoption" of these two moms oddly comforting. Why? Because if someone put a gun to my head at gym and told me to select a new mom for my daughter, the women Katie gravitated to are the ones *I* would pick for her based purely on "gut." I guess either she and I share the same good instincts or we're equally bad judges of character.

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Tue, Sep 12, 2006 9:30 PM
From Babycenter.com:

25 to 30 months
Between the ages of 2 and 3, your child will continue to struggle for independence. She'll wander farther away from you as she goes exploring and she'll regularly test her limits (coloring on the walls, for example, even if you tell her not to, or leaving her room if you've placed her there for some quiet time when she's misbehaved). "I can do it myself" will probably be one of her most common refrains.

***

Katie's right on track with all of that--with one exception. She doesn't announce that she can do something on her own; she just does it. These days, she's pretty darn self-sufficient at:

* Getting in the tub and adjusting the water temperature ("hot...cold...hot...cold")

* Using the lightweight Shark vacuum to clean the kitchen floor after dinner

* Climbing into her car seats, booster seat, and strollers and up on to full-size potties with the "trainer" inserts

* Using and then emptying her miniature potty basin into the big toilet; she also flushes the big toilet afterwards

* Serving her daddy his dinner and helping me make her morning oatmeal (oh, what a mess sometimes!)

* Wiping her own face and any surface that's "durry"

* Wiping and diapering her baby dolls (well, sort of...)

* Selecting her own bib, her own pajamas, and her own shoes; lately, she's been favoring a pair of black suede Mary Janes

I wish she could dress herself--and she does try admirably--but she's just not there yet. Soon, I'm sure...

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Tue, Sep 12, 2006 10:00 AM
Yesterday was Back to School night at Elbow Lane and Danielle's first day interning at Unisys. Not surprisingly, that double whammy gave Steve plenty of fodder for jokes from the "Diapers and Dorms" department. (I think Nay Nay actually coined that phrase for him.) At any rate, both milestone events went well. I certainly enjoyed Back to School night more than last year, when Katie and I were both having trouble adjusting to group daycare.

* * *

In case you ever need to speak "Katie," here are a few translations:

Matts = match
She loves to find matching spoons or forks, hold them up together, and proclaim, "MATTS!"

Watts = rock
This is one of many bedtime stall tactics, and let's face it, who can turn down that little voice saying, "More watts, Mommy"?

Show = Michaud
"Show, Mommy" means she wants to hear that blasted song. "Show" is not to be confused with "Doe," which refers to Miss Jo from school.

Dit = sit
She says this word in lots of contexts, but most forcefully when she wants her father and me to watch her use the potty. She points and commands, "Dit, Daddy! Dit, Mommy!" We have Katie-assigned seating, too.

Jupe = juice
She gets just one four-ounce box per day, but she negotiates aggressively for more. Usually she gets her "jupe" with a "bah" (cereal bar) or "pru" (prunes) right after school. Yesterday was no different. However, after Back to School night, I noticed an empty box on a table; I guess she recognized an opportunity for seconds from her sitter! :-)

Opie = open and oatmeal
In this case, you have to use context clues to decipher which meaning she intends. In response to a TV commercial for oatmeal snack/breakfast bars, she pointed at the logo and announced, "MY opie!" In typical toddler fashion, it seems she claims ownership of the Quaker himself.

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Thu, Sep 7, 2006 10:00 AM
A few snippets before I forget them:

* Seemingly reflecting on Gran's most recent visit, Katie has been randomly saying, "pop (pause with smile) corrrrrrrrrrn!" and then "hot cocoa!" Those were two treats she and Gran shared.

* On Sunday, Katie saw Steve swap out the light in the hallway between our foyer and our kitchen. Ever since, she's been pointing at the fixture and saying "Daddy...light" with immense pride.

* At the end of the camp session, a certain child bit Katie twice in a row. Since then, Gran and I have been working with Katie on how to handle it if this child tries to do it again. We've coached her to say, "No, [child], NO BITE." But when I quiz Katie about what she should say if/when this child bites her again, she replies, "There-you-go! Welcome!" I guess that's the toddler equivalent to "Thank you, Sir, may I have another!?" LOL

* And, finally, her latest song obsession is a Sharon, Lois & Bram ditty called "Michaud." It's a half French, half English song about some dude named Michaud who climbs and then falls out of an apple tree. That's literally the extent of the song. And yet she wants to hear it over and over in the car, and I have to sing it about 30 times at bedtime. Poor Michaud. Poor me.

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Wed, Sep 6, 2006 10:45 AM
If you read most of the parenting manuals or consult a pediatrician, you'll probably be told that your child's first dental visit should occur at age three. But, logically and intuitively, I've always thought that was bunk. So, about six months ago, I scheduled Katie's first exam with a pediatric dentist in the nearby health and wellness facility.

This morning was the appointment, and boy, was it a hoot. Katie was fascinated by the big, new building and sat quiet as a mouse in the waiting area. When we went back for the exam, however, it was a different story. She would not comply with the hygienist AT ALL. Even with all the hygienist's kid-oriented language and tactics, Katie simply would not budge.

The hygienist said this isn't unusual for two-year-olds (no surprise there). So we waited for the dentist, who then spoke at length with me and did what they call a lap exam. Katie sat facing me with her legs on either side of my body. Then we lowered her on to the dentist's lap, where Katie commenced with great screaming and thrashing. Just like the pediatrician, the dentist left the pinning to me, as she didn't want to risk hurting or alienating Katie.

Ultimately, the dentist was able to do a brief exam. She said Katie's teeth look great. Fourteen pearly whites are completely in, with two more well on their way. There was only one small place with plaque at the gum line, which she cleaned with gauze. She then offered Katie two prizes from the goody bucket. Since Katie pretended not to care about those lousy prizes, the dentist selected a pink-and-white plastic horse and a green beaded bracelet and placed them in the plastic bag with Katie's new multi-colored toothbrush, floss, and fluoride prescription.

Once the dentist and hygienist left the room, Katie put that bracelet on quicker than you can say "tooth decay" and proudly put the baggie on her arm like a "puss."

So, mission accomplished. We now have an excellent pediatric dentist. We know her teeth aren't rotting. And Miss Stubborn has been introduced to the dentist's office and its people and procedures. Her next check-up is in March.

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Tue, Sep 5, 2006 9:30 AM
Today is Katie's first day of school as a member of the "Rainbow Room"--the new name for the Twos' classroom. Compared to all the new Tiny Tots, Katie and her friends looked like the elder statesmen this morning at drop-off! She and I put her lunch in the new frige and then her new teacher's assistant, Miss Johanna, unloaded all her supplies into her new, two-part cubby. She's going to be tired and possibly cranky since she didn't get much sleep last night. But, I'm sure she'll have a nice time with her buddies.

In other news:

* We hardly took any pictures, but Gran spent the long holiday weekend with us. Yesterday, the three of us girls went to New Jersey to see Grandma Renee and attend the annual Labor Day Fair at Clearbrook. Although there were all kinds of goods on display, Katie was mostly fascinated by the community pool. She thought it was so funny when one of the Clearbrook residents rinsed off in an open-air shower after getting out of the pool!

* Katie continues to make great strides in the potty department. Yesterday evening she asked me to go in with her for a pee-pee. Once she had finished, I went to the other room. As it turns out, she then sat down on her little potty with a magazine and produced more than just pee-pee. About eight times. Naturally, she shouted it from the mountaintops every time and Mommy, Daddy, and "Gan" had to come in and make a fuss. (To be honest, after the third or fourth time, Mommy and Daddy just let Gran handle things...)

* In the "Terrible Twos" department, Katie is having more and more meltdowns. She doesn't actually melt down in the thrashing-on-the-floor-and-foaming-at-the-mouth way. Rather, she shuts down by lying face down on the floor like a non-violent protester. She did it to me at the mall on Thursday (for no apparent reason, I swear!). When I made her get up off the cold, dirty floor, she retaliated by running into Things Remembered, scoping out a pair of cufflinks on display, and then chucking the box on the floor. (Talk about embarrassing!)

Gran and I realized that Katie isn't at all impulsive when she reacts to reprimands. On the contrary, she is very deliberate when she exacts "revenge." For instance, once when Gran told her "no," she chucked the newspaper Gran was reading. And once when I said "no," she eyed a bottle of water I was drinking and chucked it. When it comes to tantrums, I'm not sure what's worse: impulse or intent!

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