Help! My Little Kid is Turning into a Big Kid... And I'm not ready for it!

It all started with a trip to Chicago...

Amelia at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago. 

Ok, no, it all started long before that. The whole thing started when we had kids. When Amelia was a newborn, people assured me that I'd miss my baby when my baby turned into a toddler. But here's the truth... I haven't missed a single SECOND of babyhood. I feel like a horrible cold-hearted person for saying it, but there you go. I am not a fan of the newborn and little baby stage. But let me tell you guys... I have been loving this toddler stage with Amelia. I love talking with her and listening to her developing vocabulary, watching her learn, admiring her drawings... it is harder in many ways, yes. She is in the "terrible" twos (come on guys, who came up with that name? They are more challenging yes, but not terrible. What a horrid thing to say.) so she is pushing boundaries, we've had to start real discipline, but the bad times are so worth it for the good ones that come along.

 

So I have been loving this stage with Amelia, and I have been really looking forward to Victor getting closer to this stage as well. Not hurrying him, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't excited.

But chaaaaaange is here... a couple of weeks ago at Amelia's 2 year old check up, our pediatrician recommended that we get rid of Amelia's pacifier (or in our house, her "bobble"). I knew this was coming, so it didn't really even throw me. But we decided to wait until after visiting my brother-in-law in Chicago to work on transitioning them away. I had already made my declaration that I was done buying replacement bobbles for any that may be lost, so when we couldn't find the ones we came EXTREMELY close to being done while on holiday in poor, unsuspecting uncle Pete's house. We found one, however, and were going to not give it to her, but she started running a fever and we melted a bit at how miserable she was. But the first day we were home (Tuesday) we took her bobbles cold turkey. This wasn't the plan. I was going to have them just for bedtime, but my confident husband voted that we just take them. So we did. And now, she has been bobble-less for several days. She has been taking it like a champ. Today, she didn't mention her bobble even once! The story is that her bobbles heard that she was so big that she didn't need them anymore, so they went to find a little baby who needed a bobble. That's the story, and I am sticking with it.

The lack of bobble has spawned another change and one that I SURE AS ALL HECK was not ready for... Amelia has stopped napping. I am trying to hang on to a quiet time at least... clinging to the cliff's edge by my fingernails. But I will win this one. I need a break in the afternoon, I just do. I am a happier, pleasanter mommy if I have had an hour to myself. So we are trying to establish a quiet time. More on that later, maybe. For now, that's all I can really say about it.

The other change that threatened was "the big girl bed". This didn't end up being a permanent thing, thank goodness. But the facts were that we had one "pack-and-play" at Pete's and it was big enough for Victor, and too small for Amelia. So, she was in a big girl bed for the weekend. It didn't go horribly, but it could have been better. I am not looking forward to this transition, which I am sure will come at the most inconvenient time possible. But the second that she starts trying to climb out of her bed, I don't have a choice. (Well, technically yes, I do have a choice, but chaining your children in bed tends to be looked down on.)

And now, after just a few days after one big change in her little life, we are staring down the barrel of potty training. Oh lordy... I don't want to give up diapers... but the facts are these... She has gone on the potty before, therefore, she CAN do it, but mostly she has been taking her diapers off by herself and going commando... Diapers, as I am sure you are aware, are only useful when they are being worn, child! Come on! But I am so torn, because I have asked her so many times, and she flat out doesn't want to sit on the potty, but this diaper-less-without-the-benefits-of-the-potty thing has got to stop. And it starts tomorrow. If she isn't ready, she isn't ready, and I know and I understand that, but we are giving it a go this weekend. Pray for our immortal souls.

Mostly, this post has all been about Amelia, but she isn't the only one growing up. Oh my goodness, you guys, my son's babyhood is on fast forward. When he came home a little over 2 months ago, he was underweight, he only wanted his bottle, would refuse anything offered by spoon that wasn't a paste (and didn't eat much of that) and could barely sit up by himself. He's already gained several pounds, officially putting him on the charts (he was too little to even have a percentile on the growth charts before). Now, he won't have a hearing for anything that he doesn't see on everyone's plate (though he still takes his bottle whenever he can.) Now he can not only sit up by himself, he went straight to belly crawling, to crawling, to pulling himself up on things, to trying to walk and stand independently all in a little over 2 months! People, my son is incredible! I am so proud of him, and so blessed and honored to be his mommy. I just can't even tell you. But he's still such a little baby to me... and that's why this post is titled as it is, even though maybe it should be "Help! My Little Kids are Turning into Big Kids... And I'm not ready for it!"

Halloween... or the day everyone eats themselves into a sugar coma

I know that this is coming a bit late (I have an issue with posting things in a timely manner,) but bear with me.

I am more or less the Halloween version of Scrooge. I don't really like the whole eating yourself sick with (individually wrapped) pieces of candy business or the ghoulish, evil looking characters running around... the random acts of vandalism... The closest I'll get to watching a horror movie to get into the festive mood is watching Phantom of the Opera for the umpteenth time... are you getting my drift? Halloween isn't really my thing.

I will, however, confess to a soft spot for the dressing up to go trick or treat-ing bit... who didn't like to dress up as a kid? But even then, when I was little, I hardly reserved "dress up" time for Halloween and trick or treating. It was more or less an all the time thing.

So even while I do like the dressing up, I wasn't going to forgo my buying stuff ban for Halloween. But I'll admit, I felt guilty about it. So I tried (rather hopelessly) to come up with some ideas for costumes that didn't involve me buying stuff. I came up with a few, but as most of them required me making something or other and the fact that I didn't start thinking about it until the night we were to to trick or treating... well... it wasn't looking good for Amelia and Bini.

Enter Josie (my mom) to save the day. Unwilling, I assume, to let her grandchildren out in halfhearted attempts at costumes, she sallied forth to The Fancy Unicorn (the best children's consignment shop in our area) and found 2 costumes that exactly fit my kiddos. Bless. So thanks to Josie, my children are saved. And I must say, they had a really fun time. Victor Bini debuted as an adorable little kitty cat, while Amelia was a bit more fierce with a leopard costume.

Amelia in her leopard costume.... She didn't have much patience with the hoodie part with the ears, no matter how adorable it was.

  

 Its always so much easier to get a picture when the subject is sitting still, wouldn't you agree?

I really think that Amelia and Victor would have been just as happy in the (not really) costumes I would have provided. Victor Bini I am sure would have been, he was mostly pushed around in a stroller all night and didn't take part in the actual trick or treating at all. Amelia would have too, but (and maybe I am projecting a little bit here...) I think it was really special for Amelia to have a costume that looked like it was trying.

Am I saying that she needs a special-for-the-occasion Halloween costume every year? No, of course not. I am fairly confident in saying I will never buy a brand new costume. (I am more of the make it yourself or buy it secondhand type of person.) But putting forth a little more effort and interest in something that your kids will clearly enjoy makes a big difference in how you see it too. Something for me to keep in mind next year... and more than a few hours before Trick or Treat.