solofallop

no.196: a place to play

31 days of Mia, Day 19.

We have a playroom downstairs off of our living room for the girls. Up until now, it's been Molly's playroom. Now she gets to share it with her little sister!

While Mia isn't quite mobile just yet, it's a matter of weeks before she's crawling. We decided we needed to get ahead of the game and go ahead and baby proof the playroom, i.e., all Squinkies, tiny Legos and hexbugs needed to go upstairs to Molly's room. We also thought that adding another IKEA shelf to the playroom for Mia's toys would work out well. Molly helped her daddy build the new shelf.

Once Doug and Molly finished the shelf, we sent them off to play at a local nature preserve to hike and look for turtles in the pond, while my mom and I cleaned and organized the playroom. We've been pretty selective with the toys we buy, but there were still a few things that we could pass on to Goodwill.

Our goal was to divide the playroom into a Mia zone and a Molly zone, although pretty soon, Mia's going to be all over the place and into Molly's things. (And whoa boy, is Molly going to be mad!) Here's Mia's new corner of the playroom, complete with bins of baby-friendly books, puzzles, blocks, balls and toys.

And here's the rest of the playroom, with non-baby-friendly things up on the higher shelves.

    

I love a clean and organized playroom. Too bad it doesn't stay like this for very long!

no.191: mia's first work trip

31 days of Mia, Day 14.

I travel for work about five times a year. Most of the time, my mom and Molly go with me, while Doug stays home, takes care of the dogs and enjoys a quiet house for a few days. (Lucky him!)

Now that we have Mia, she gets to go too. Mia's first work trip happened to be the Ritz at Lake Oconee back in March. Oh fancy! We were only there for one night, but since Mia's meals come from me, I pretty much had to pack them up and take them with me. (And my mom is always looking for an opportunity to get out of the house and teach Molly and Mia "traveling manners.")

Here's Miss Fancy Pants at the Ritz:

Our room was in a great location, right along a path that led down to the park and pool. If you look close, you can see Molly, Memers and the stroller containing Mia:

It's always a big production to get everyone packed. Kids require a lot of stuff! The logistics of staying in a hotel with the girls is always a challenge. The biggest issue is typically meals, especially when we stay at places where the room service is way beyond our budget. Sometimes we luck out and get a suite with a kitchen. Those are the much easier trips.

Next week, we are heading to Savannah for 4 nights, in a not so family-friendly resort. We'll make it work out though; we're always up for an adventure!

no.188: mia's first christmas

31 days of Mia, Day 11.

One of the first things I thought about when I found out I was pregnant with Mia was that she would be born in November, and I would be on maternity leave over the holidays. It was such a special time to be home, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, it was all so nice. Nice, but blurred.

I'm going to try my best to write about Mia's first Christmas, but honestly, I don't really remember very many specifics. I was so entirely sleep deprived at the time, that I didn't even know which way was up.

Thank goodness a picture is worth a thousand words!

While Mia slept in the sleepy wrap, Molly ran around looking for the perfect tree:

Ganmommy made Mia an amazing stocking, and we stuck her in it for pictures, mostly against her will:

 

I took some pictures of the girls in front of the Christmas tree in their matching zebra jammies and almost died from the cuteness:

On Christmas morning, Molly opened gifts like a pro, while Mia slept through the whole thing (probably because she was up all Christmas Eve night, waiting on Santa or something):

And then we went over to Team Bartleson's for French toast and more presents and snuggle time (and for the last Christmas in their house before moving to their new condo):

And then there's this. One of my very favorite pictures to date of sweet Mia:

What Christmas season is complete without a picture with Santa?

Through the sleep deprivation and nursing and reflux and dirty diapers, Christmas 2011 was so very special. Even if the details are just a little bit fuzzy!

no.187: a visit with poppy-g

31 days of Mia, Day 10

Back in February, when I went back to work after maternity leave, Poppy-G came to visit for a few weeks to help my mom with the adjustment of two girls. Living apart from his wife must be terribly hard, and I am so thankful that he puts up with our shenanigans.

While he was helpful with Mia, he was even more helpful with Molly. Molly loves her Poppy-G! He pretty much does anything she wants to do, so what's not to love? Puzzles? Ok! Coloring? Ok! Play music? Ok!!

The few weeks he was here were filled with music (even more so than a typical day in our house). He's a true musician, always drumming out a beat or humming a few lines of a song. Molly was right alongside him drumming and humming and singing. This video brings tears to my eyes every.single.time I watch it.

I wish he could stay with us always. My mom teases that she "married the only Jamaican that doesn't want to leave Jamaica." Thankfully, the miles of ocean between us and the months between visits don't keep us from loving each other one little bit.

no.184: sisterly love

31 days of Mia, Day 7.

It was love at first sight. From the moment Molly laid eyes on Mia, she adored her. 

She came to the hospital each day to see us and was very diligent about sanitizing her hands, taking off her shoes, and sitting on the end of my bed with a pillow in her lap so she could hold baby Mia.

Of course, the first few weeks, we had to keep reminding Molly to be gentle and how little babies are fragile. Our house sounded a lot like this (and still does some days):

• Molly, don't poke the baby in the eye.
• Molly, be gentle.
• Molly, don't squeeze her so hard when you hug her.
• Molly, get your hands out of her face.
• Molly, be gentle.
• Molly, be gentle.
• Molly, be careful around the baby.
• Molly, don't yell in the baby's ear.
• Molly, shhhhhh. Not so loud.
• Molly, don't pull on the baby.
• Molly, be gentle. BE GENTLE.

And on and on. She just can't keep her hands off of her!

It only took a few weeks before Mia started to return the love. As much as Molly loves Mia, Mia loves her back just as much. Molly can get Mia to smile, laugh and giggle like no other.

6 months later, Molly is still coo coo pants about her baby sister. She's always kissing her, touching her, hugging her, singing to her, dancing for her and asking to hold her. ALWAYS.

So far, Molly hasn't shown any jealousy toward Mia. She's always quick to go to her aid when she cries, and always makes a plan for someone to take care of the baby. "Ok, Mama. The plan is, you are going to watch Mia, and Daddy is going to play a game with me." She also translates what Mia needs when she's crying. "Mama, your baby needs you. I think you need to feed her. Mama, Mia needs a dry diaper. Mama, I think Mia needs her 15-minute swing nap. Mama, the baby needs her long nap." Such a little mama herself.

Molly also mimics the things we say to Mia. It's adorable! If we're in the car, and Mia starts to get fussy, Molly immediately says, "Shhh, Mia. It's okay. It's okay, little baby. Shhh. We're almost home. Don't cry, sweet baby. Shhh." Kills me every time. That's pretty much exactly what I say to Mia.

I know the days of fighting are just around the corner. I can already hear Molly now, "Make her get out of my room!" But for now, I will enjoy all the love between them. My hope is that although they might not always like each other in the years to come, that they will always love each other.

no.183: phone stack

31 days of Mia, Day 6.

{This in no way is a reflection on you or your family. It’s about me and my family and what works for us.}

The Cooles rolled into the New Year with this resolution: no playing on your phone in the evening until after the kids are in bed. We’ve since taken on the term “phone stack.” During the week, when Doug and I get home from work, our phones go up on the mantle. They don’t come down until Molly and Mia are down for the night.

Why, you ask?

Since both of us work outside the home, we get a very limited amount of time with the kids in the evening. At most, with Mia, we get two hours. With Molly, we get about three. Doug and I were getting into a bad habit of grabbing our phones to check and answer email (me) and play games (Doug). It started bothering me weeks before I finally put my foot down. Let’s just say Doug didn’t love the idea. And he still doesn’t. But, BUT! I can see such a difference in our interactions with each other and the kids.

We aren’t parenting and asking Molly to do things while we’re looking at a screen. When we say, “5 more minutes,” it isn’t extended to 10 or 15 minutes because we have to finish killing zombies with plants or kill pigs with flying birds and lose track of time. We make eye contact and talk more. We interact more by offering to play games (like real board games) or read books or do puzzles. Before phone stack, we didn’t do those things nearly as often.

As with any rule, there are exceptions:

• If the kids are being irresistibly cute, we can grab our phone to take a picture
• We can FaceTime/Skype with family and friends (Because really? If Harry calls you, you're going to answer the phone. You don't want to miss that cuteness.)
• We can use our phones to play music

More than five months into phone stack, we aren’t as diligent about actually putting our phone on the mantle, although we still follow the rule. In the beginning, Molly wasn’t a fan of phone stack either, because she didn’t get to play on our phones nearly as much. She’s fine with it now, and even enforces the rule. If she sees a phone out, she yells, “Phone stack!” It’s cute and annoying at the same time, being busted by the 3 year old.

We don’t enforce the rule on visitors, although you’re welcome to join in if you’re at our house! Our friend Lauren has been over a few times since phone stack was incorporated. She told me, “Dude, phone stack is hard!” But she’s much too nice (and competitive) to not participate! It is hard in the beginning, but like most things, it just becomes a habit, and I don’t even think about it anymore. (I’m sure Doug would beg to differ and still thinks it’s hard.)

Related to phone stack is the fact that I no longer read or play on my phone while nursing Mia. Around 2-3 months, I don’t remember when it happened exactly, I was checking Facebook while feeding Mia. I glanced down at her and she was looking up at me with the sweetest expression. I felt incredibly guilty that this sweet little baby was nursing and trying to make eye contact with her mama, and there I was reading some dumb article or something on my phone.

At that moment, I decided that when I’m nursing her, that’s all I will do. No phone. No television. No Kindle. Just me and Mia, in a quiet room together. Most of the time, I just stare at her and try to memorize all her sweet little features and how she holds onto the edge of my shirt. Or rubs my arm with her sweet little hand. Or wiggles her toes and rubs her feet together. Or how she falls asleep, but still continues to nurse and grin all at the same time. Other times, I close my eyes and just relax. I’m always so very busy, that the 10-15 minutes I get to just stop and be with Mia, it’s nice to just rest. In a few short months, I won’t be nursing her anymore. I choose to spend the remaining time being as connected to her as possible.

Years from now, we won’t remember our high score on a game, or what someone was tweeting. Hopefully we will remember the way Molly cheats at Slapjack by looking at the card first and then flipping it over right next to her where no one else has the chance to slap it. Because that? That is worth putting our phone down for three hours in the evening. For sure.

no.171: molly is 3!

I have a 3-year-old. And it blows my mind. It seems like just yesterday, I was lying on an operating table, looking over my shoulder at a big, chubby baby screaming her head off. Crazy!

Then:

And now:

(photo by Johanna!)

This was my Facebook status on her birthday, which pretty much sums her up:

Happy 3rd Birthday to my awesome, smart, silly, sassy, bossy, opinionated, sweet, loving, funny Molly Beth. You're pretty amazing, kid. And we love you to pieces!

Things she’s up to right now:

• She’s into pretending and has a great imagination. She will also play by herself for periods of time, instead of having to be entertained. Of course, she would always rather someone be playing with her.
• She loves all art projects. She’s becoming quite good at using scissors and cutting paper. She can wield a glue stick like no other!
• We continued her swim lessons throughout the summer, although she complains now and doesn’t want to go as much. She LOVES to swim, but she doesn’t like to be told what to do. Coach makes her work. She would rather float around and play. She isn’t actually swimming yet either, but she’s so very close! She can barely touch the bottom in the shallow end of the pool, and she thinks it’s the most awesome thing ever.
• She’s been in her new room for a couple of months now, and she really likes sleeping in her new bed. I love it too, because now we can cuddle up and read books together in bed. We still have a bit of decorating to do in her room, but it’s such a nice and cozy space to be.
• Her language skills surprise me every day. She makes up long, complicated stories. She will repeat stories that she’s been told. She knows all the words to multiple songs. And she makes up songs. She gets very frustrated if she’s talking and can’t remember a word. Like, throw-yourself-on-the-floor-and-scream kind of frustration. I remind her that she’s still learning new words every day, and sometimes you forget, even I forget words!
• She can easily count to 20 and say her ABCs. And she recognizes numbers 0-9 and letters. She and my mom have “school” in the morning when Molly is willing, and they practice writing letters and numbers and drawing shapes.
• We’ve started reading chapter books in the last month, and she loves it. (Charlotte’s Web was first!) It amazes me that she will sit and listen when there are no pictures! She also loves my fairy tale books from when I was a kid, which also have little to no pictures. She can sit for 1-2 hours listening and reading books. It’s definitely one of her favorite pastimes.
• She has great good manners and knows how to use them. Of course, she has her bad manners too, and she recognizes and announces when she uses them as well. In all, she’s a well-behaved kid and a joy to be around. She has her moments, but she also knows how to take some time and collect herself and try again. Very rarely is her behavior ever a problem.
• She picks out her clothes in the morning and is actually really good at matching. Given enough time, she could dress herself, but I usually help her.
• She’s potty-trained and has been for months. She still wears a pull-up at night, because she wakes up wet almost every morning. But as for the day, she’s on it! She can go all by herself too, including washing her hands when she’s done.
• She loves bugs and butterflies. She loves unicorns and fairies right now too. And dolphins.
• Her favorite television shows are Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Tinga Tinga, Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Cat & the Hat Knows a lot About That and Chuggington. She likes to watch nature programs and Animal Planet a lot too.

Stats from her 3-year check-up:

Height: 38 in.
Weight: 32 lbs.
Blood pressure: 89/48

There’s so much more, I’m sure, that I’m forgetting. Like I said in my Facebook status, we just all love her to pieces! She is so excited about being a big sister and asks me daily if “Scully” can come out yet. I’m sure we will have some challenges once that actually happens, but I’m also confident that she’s going to love helping us take care of her little sister. I can’t wait to see their relationship grow!

Click here to see pictures from her 3rd birthday party!

no.166: an update on the molster

I think we can officially declare ourselves diaper free, at least for the daytime. Molly pretty much led the way in potty training, as she does with almost everything in her little life. We haven’t had an accident for weeks, and I finally trust her enough to take her places without a pull-up on. She still wakes up wet most mornings, so she sleeps in a diaper at night.

Speaking of night, she’s also doing awesome in her toddler bed. We had a couple of nights the first week that she got out of bed a few times and ran to the top of the stairs to yell for us. Thankfully, that isn’t a problem anymore. What was a problem, however, was waking up at 6:30 and coming downstairs.

Our house doesn’t get up until 7 a.m., and if you wake up before 7 a.m., you sit quietly in your bed until 7 a.m. That’s the rule. Don’t break it. To aid Molly in this task of staying in bed until the appropriate time, we bought a clock that turns from yellow to green when she can get out of bed. It’s set for 7:15 a.m., and it works beautifully! Even if she wakes up at 6:30, she stays in her room and occupies herself until 7:15. As soon as it changes color, she shoots out of her room and down the stairs: “Mommy! My clock turned green!!”

[The dogs now sleep in the backroom behind a gate, so there’s no fear of her startling them in the morning. They were going to get transitioned back there once the baby arrives, so we just did it a few months early. I was looking for them last night to put them back there, only to find out they were already back there. They don’t mind at all.]

Molly’s favorite activity is swimming. The girl loves to swim. Actually, she's excited about water of any type. From a mud puddle to an olympic size pool to the ocean, she'll take it. My mom takes her swimming twice a week, for 2-3 hours, and she has to practically beg the child to get out of the pool. Typically, they are one of the only ones at the pool, but during the summer, there are camp kids there too. The camp kids adore Molly, and they like to carry her around the pool. The camp counselor has to remind them to “share” her and “take turns” with her. Of course, Molly eats up all the attention and loves “the kids,” as she calls them. This Saturday, she will start a 12-week swim lesson on Saturday mornings with "Coach." Maybe this year, Coach will actually teach her how to swim. I sure hope so!

Her vocabulary and understanding of things grows daily and amazes me. She often talks about Scully (the name she’s given the baby) and is very excited to be a big sister. She goes from wanting a little brother to a little sister almost hourly. We’ve tried to explain it isn’t a choice, that we get what we get. We just don’t know what’s in there yet. As of right now, she thinks it’s a girl. I think it’s a boy. We’ll see who’s right in a few days!

no.164: we set her free

Saturday afternoon, I went upstairs to grab all the bed linens to throw them in the wash. When I got to Molly's bed, I decided I needed to go ahead and put a sheet back on since the wash would not be done before it was time for her to go to bed.

Now, if you've ever changed a sheet in a crib, you know what a pain in the butt it is. With the beginning of a baby belly, it's even harder. On a whim, I hunted down a screwdriver, unscrewed the front of her crib, and converted her bed into a toddler bed. Just like that! I did it! After I was done, I thought, "What did I just do?!" My main concern? The sleepless Saturday night that might be awaiting me.

Evan and Stacey ended up putting her to bed that night since they were over for dinner. Molly loves for Aunt Stacey to give her a bath. And she loves hearing Uncle Trey Trey's stories of "Timmy the Termit" (trademark pending -- they would be awesome books!). I was a little worried since it was her first night in her toddler bed.

Once they came downstairs, I turned on the monitor. I heard, "I'm going to go check on Memers." And then I heard the door open. And then? At the top of the stairs, "Mama! There's a monster under my bed!" I went up to put her back in bed and assured her that if there was indeed a monster, he was a friendly monster. She then said, "But I might fall out of my bed." After a few more reassurances and turning on her ghost night light, she snuggled right in and slept until the morning.

And last night? She didn't even get up after Doug put her to bed. She's three months shy of three. So, I'm pretty sure she has probably been ready for a while, we just didn't want to take the leap and set her free. The only problem now is that I don't have the luxury of finishing up my shower or getting ready while leaving her in her crib for a few extra minutes. She usually lays in bed and sings/talks/plays for about 20 minutes when she first wakes up. Not anymore! She's up and at the top of the stairs demanding that the gate be open.

I'm thinking maybe we should take the gate down? The problem with that is the dogs. We keep the dogs and Molly separated now since Bella was mean to her a while back. The dogs sleep in our room at night, and if Molly is able to come downstairs and into our room, she might startle them. When the baby comes, the dogs will be transitioned to sleeping in the utility room. Maybe they should be sent back there sooner than later?

For now, we'll just play it by ear. One more milestone in the books for the ol' Molster!

no.161: easter 2011

What a great Easter we had! On Saturday, friends and family came over to dye eggs, hunt eggs and eat lots of good food. Molly's first experience dying eggs was a hit. I wasn't sure she would come clean from dipping her whole hand in the dye. Alas, she did. Maybe being covered from head to toe with bubbles helped?

Grandpa & Grandma C. have also been here for a visit, and Molly has really enjoyed hanging out with them. She gets concerned when Grandpa slumps over and naps in his wheelchair. She kept saying that he was "sad and lonely." I assured her that he was just napping.

It also happened to be Memer's birthday, so the Easter Bunny cake served as Memer's birthday cake this year too! Molly kept insisting on putting the jelly beans on the cake, even before I had it frosted. I'm really not sure how many jelly beans the kid ate while waiting to actually put them on the cake.

The Easter Bunny visited on Sunday, and I told her that he had been to our house and left a surprise for her in her playroom. She thought he was still outside and was very upset with me. She said, "Let him in, Mama!" I told her that he had already hopped down the steet to deliver treats to other kids. That seemed to satisfy her.

I didn't take nearly enough pictures this weekend! Here are a few: