This week has been a big week for Nicole. She has had some issues at daycare with biting. She gets very anxious with the other kids get in her space and she is struggling with how to verbalize it. Unfortunately, she chooses biting sometimes. Wednesday was an especially bad day for her. When I dropped her off, I was amazed to see that most of her friends have transitioned to the 2-yr old room, so now Nicole is one of 2 of the "big kids" in the twoddler room at daycare. Every day this week she did not want to go to her room, instead she wanted to go see her friends in the bigger kid room. Wednesday, around lunchtime I got a call that Nicole had bitten 2 kids in her room. At daycare, they think it is because she misses Shaun, but I didn't believe that because she has been doing okay with that and she had talked to him that morning. I told her I thought it was because she missed her friends that had already moved up. She said she would look into moving Nicole up sooner. Luckily, she was able to start transitioning her, so now she is in the 2yr old room. We've known for a long time that Nicole has hit most of her developmental milestones ahead of schedule and she should be in the older kid room based on that rather than her actual age. I'm excited to see what new milestones she hits as she gets challenged a little more.
We also turned her car seat around this week. I was set on keeping her rear-facing until she was two along with the new AAP recommendations, but Nicole hates riding in the car and wants constant entertainment. Every day the longest part of my drive is the 2 miles to and from daycare. Even when I play her music, she is just not happy most days. She is only barely above the 20lb requirement (21.6 today), so I was not in a hurry. At this point, I think for safety reasons (me less distracted=safer drive), I will turn her around now. I took her for a ride and she did like it better, but I don't know if it had the intended effect. We'll see how it goes as she gets more used to it. It does make me nervous though because I know she is safer rear facing for as long as possible, but I believe that is only true if I can drive without serious distractions.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Potty Training, already??
We have had a potty chair for Nicole for awhile now. We got it awhile back because Nicole was consistantly going potty right before she got in the bath tub, so we thought we would introduce her to it. She really did not want to have much to do with it, so it has been either collecting dust or used as a stool for me while I give her a bath. She has sat on it a few times, but I really believe her little bottom is just too small, so it isn't very comfortable for her.
A couple weeks ago, a friend let us borrow a potty book, so I brought it upstairs and asked if she wanted to potty in her chair and she said yes. So we gave it a try and she did it!!! I was soo excited for her. Then the next morning, she did it again. I was super excited even though I know it is only the very beginning. I've been looking for months for articles and books on when to start. There are about 7-10 milestones to look for and Nicole only has done a few of them. I think the ones she does not do are significant enough that we aren't 100% ready, but we will continue to socialize it and give her every opportunity to use the potty and praise her when she does.
Physical signs
Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily. - Yes
Urinates a fair amount at one time. - Yes
Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times. -Yes
Has "dry" periods of at least two hours or during naps, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.- Sometimes, but not consistently
Behavioral signs
Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes. - Not without a book
Can pull his pants up and down. -Sometimes, but she has a problem with them around her ankles
Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.-Nope, she could care less
Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear). -Yes
Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.-Yes
Demonstrates a desire for independence. -Yes
Takes pride in his accomplishments. -Yes
Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet. -Yes
Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one. -Man, I wish I could say yes to this one
Cognitive signs
Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty. -Yes
Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy." -Yes
Understands the value of putting things where they belong. -Not Yet
Has words for urine and stool.-Yes
Initially I wasn't ready at all. I was sort of hoping she wouldn't show interest until Shaun comes back in a few months, but it looks like we may be potty training before then. I would love to be done with diapers, but I know the alternative will be challenging for the next year or so. In the meantime, I'll look into the best ways to start the process and get her ready. It is so exciting, and it amazes me how big my little girl is getting.
A couple weeks ago, a friend let us borrow a potty book, so I brought it upstairs and asked if she wanted to potty in her chair and she said yes. So we gave it a try and she did it!!! I was soo excited for her. Then the next morning, she did it again. I was super excited even though I know it is only the very beginning. I've been looking for months for articles and books on when to start. There are about 7-10 milestones to look for and Nicole only has done a few of them. I think the ones she does not do are significant enough that we aren't 100% ready, but we will continue to socialize it and give her every opportunity to use the potty and praise her when she does.
Physical signs
Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily. - Yes
Urinates a fair amount at one time. - Yes
Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times. -Yes
Has "dry" periods of at least two hours or during naps, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.- Sometimes, but not consistently
Behavioral signs
Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes. - Not without a book
Can pull his pants up and down. -Sometimes, but she has a problem with them around her ankles
Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.-Nope, she could care less
Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear). -Yes
Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.-Yes
Demonstrates a desire for independence. -Yes
Takes pride in his accomplishments. -Yes
Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet. -Yes
Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one. -Man, I wish I could say yes to this one
Cognitive signs
Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty. -Yes
Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy." -Yes
Understands the value of putting things where they belong. -Not Yet
Has words for urine and stool.-Yes
Initially I wasn't ready at all. I was sort of hoping she wouldn't show interest until Shaun comes back in a few months, but it looks like we may be potty training before then. I would love to be done with diapers, but I know the alternative will be challenging for the next year or so. In the meantime, I'll look into the best ways to start the process and get her ready. It is so exciting, and it amazes me how big my little girl is getting.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Goodbye 2011! Welcome 2012!
Wow! I just realized I have not updated this blog since Nicole's 1st birthday. It was been quite a year and I hope to be better in 2012 with updating this for those that are interested in the goings on of the Rooney's.
2012 is starting off much different than 2011. Shaun is in Afghanistan and will be gone through May. He left right after Thanksgiving, so I am glad he was here for that. We had a great Thanksgiving. My Mom and her husband, Danny came to visit and our great friends Clint and Krystal came over with their little boy Jake. The weather was nice enough that we were even able to play outside. You may notice Nicole is wearing the same outfit she wore last Thanksgiving. She is still a tiny little on weighing in just about 23lbs. I do not worry about her weight anymore. I use to stress that she was not eating enough, but after reading a ton of books, blogs and articles, I have realized I just have a little one that will always nibble and she will probably always be small for her age.
I am no longer in the Air Force as active duty. Ever since Nicole was born, I worried about having to leave her for an extended deployment. I wondered if I would be able to do it. I was very blessed with a boss that did not require me to travel until I was "ready". I asked if it would be possible to not travel until after Nicole was a year old, so I could continue to nurse her that long. We made it 13 months, which brought me right up to my first trip in April. I really missed her, but thanks to Skype and Shaun, I was able to talk to her at least once every day I was gone. My decision to actually separate starting to come about after I found out Shaun was going to Afghanistan. I wondered what I would do if I got tagged at the same time. The Air Force requires us to have a Family Care Plan that outlines care for Nicole if we are both sent away at the same time. We had one, but I hated the thought of actually having to implement it. It is not that we felt she would not have been taken care of, but rather what that would do to her that both of her parents are gone. It made me sick to my stomach. As the timeline approached for me to decide, Shaun had a conversation with somebody that has insight into deployments and found out that I was already scheduled to go in December to Afghanistan. I would have been sent to Kabul and Shaun was going to Bagram, so we would not have even been near each other. That made my mind up. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I submitted my separation paperwork. As upset as I was, it was a great opportunity to take stock of my blessings. I was very lucky to have a couple friends that had gone through the same thing over the past couple of years and with their support and mentorship, I was able to find a job and complete the transition. I found a job doing my favorite part of my military job and that is training junior airmen how to do it. The pay is good, it is relatively flexible, and there is not much travel required. So it had all of the things I needed right now. Unfortunately, I had to start a couple days after Shaun left, so that made things challenging. We survived it though.
Overall, the year was great. We were able to use the pool in the back yard. I cannot wait until this summer when we can get Nicole some swimming lessons and we can spend more time out there. It will also be nice because our friend Clint was deployed last summer and this year, he will be back, so we can hang out all together with the little ones. We had lots of old friends come and visit throughout the year. Lucky for us, a lot of people that deployed this year flew through a nearby airport, so we saw our friends Moth (Jefferina's (aka Nicole) namesake) and Melissa. While Melissa was here, her husband Peta came to visit too. It was awesome to see them. We missed them a lot. Vero came to visit for Nicole's birthday. We were able to see Teresea and our friend Dorothy already lived in the area. My dad was able to visit in August for his birthday. Auntie Kari made it up a few times, my mom is able to come and visit every month or so. Jessica and Rome came to visit from Germany because they have family close by. Julie came to stay with Krystal for a few weeks over the summer and it was great to spend time with her and her little one. One of the best things about being in the military, it is large amount of friends that become family you have and the fact that everyone's travels can bring them together again. I'm glad we have a guest room to make sure anyone can stop by. Nicole has so many Auntie's and Uncle's!
Nicole is really amazing. She is almost 2. She regularly speaks in complete sentences. "Mommy come here!" "Daddy, where are you?" "Come find me" "I'm hungry" One of her daycare providers told me months ago that she stopped charting Nicole's language development because it was literally "off the charts". She will have conversations on the phone. She "reads" her books. She still loves books just as much, but now she will sit and read them to herself. She loves to sing. She sings the "ABC" song. She mostly just knows the rhythm, but she fills in the gaps as I sing it to her and she can go through the whole thing on her own. Of course, she doesn't know what it means yet. Her favorite songs are The Barney Song...thanks to my little brother David and his childhood infatuation with Barney, I still know that one and when I can't think of a song to sing, this is the one that always comes to me. She always loves the Monkeys on the Bed and the Wheels on the Bus song. She loves, loves, loves to color. She will sit for a long time and color. At daycare she sits longer than any other kids to color. We got her an eisle for Christmas and she loves it. She has also started imagination play. She loves to "cook" in her play kitchen and play tea party. She is very particular about it. It is super cute. She loves Elmo and Abby and Curious George. For New Year's, we went to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens and she saw Elmo's Christmas Show. She loved it!! I loved seeing her so excited. She sat so still but kept tapping her hands and feet along with the music. She loves music and loves to dance. The ladies at daycare are amazed that she follows instructions so well and does all the dance moves to different songs. We also started going to a kids gym with her. Originally, we joined so I would have an activity to do through the winter while Shaun was gone. She has developed some amazing abilities though. She climbs the wall later, does pull ups on the bars, walks across the balance beam all by herself. It is just amazing. In 2 weeks, we are switching to a Mommy and Me tumbling class that should give her even more opportunity to grow. It is right down the street, too. I am super excited about that.
Wow, so many things to update everyone on. A few more highlights of the year...on Shaun's birthday, he completed the Nation's Triathlon in DC. Nicole and I cheered him on and he did great! He finished top 10% overall, which is amazing because pro triathletes compete in this race. Then we went and stayed at the beach. It isn't far away, but we got a room down on the military site in VA Beach and stayed for a couple days. It was Nicole's first beach experience and she loved it! We were able to go a few more times since. She loves the sand and the water.
2012 should be even more fun. Nicole should be potty training soon and then transitioning to a big girl bed. I cannot believe my little one is so grown up. I have started sewing. My first project was this pillow. Now I have a long list of things to do for her and around the house. Hopefully, I will be better with updating this blog, too!
2012 is starting off much different than 2011. Shaun is in Afghanistan and will be gone through May. He left right after Thanksgiving, so I am glad he was here for that. We had a great Thanksgiving. My Mom and her husband, Danny came to visit and our great friends Clint and Krystal came over with their little boy Jake. The weather was nice enough that we were even able to play outside. You may notice Nicole is wearing the same outfit she wore last Thanksgiving. She is still a tiny little on weighing in just about 23lbs. I do not worry about her weight anymore. I use to stress that she was not eating enough, but after reading a ton of books, blogs and articles, I have realized I just have a little one that will always nibble and she will probably always be small for her age. 
I am no longer in the Air Force as active duty. Ever since Nicole was born, I worried about having to leave her for an extended deployment. I wondered if I would be able to do it. I was very blessed with a boss that did not require me to travel until I was "ready". I asked if it would be possible to not travel until after Nicole was a year old, so I could continue to nurse her that long. We made it 13 months, which brought me right up to my first trip in April. I really missed her, but thanks to Skype and Shaun, I was able to talk to her at least once every day I was gone. My decision to actually separate starting to come about after I found out Shaun was going to Afghanistan. I wondered what I would do if I got tagged at the same time. The Air Force requires us to have a Family Care Plan that outlines care for Nicole if we are both sent away at the same time. We had one, but I hated the thought of actually having to implement it. It is not that we felt she would not have been taken care of, but rather what that would do to her that both of her parents are gone. It made me sick to my stomach. As the timeline approached for me to decide, Shaun had a conversation with somebody that has insight into deployments and found out that I was already scheduled to go in December to Afghanistan. I would have been sent to Kabul and Shaun was going to Bagram, so we would not have even been near each other. That made my mind up. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I submitted my separation paperwork. As upset as I was, it was a great opportunity to take stock of my blessings. I was very lucky to have a couple friends that had gone through the same thing over the past couple of years and with their support and mentorship, I was able to find a job and complete the transition. I found a job doing my favorite part of my military job and that is training junior airmen how to do it. The pay is good, it is relatively flexible, and there is not much travel required. So it had all of the things I needed right now. Unfortunately, I had to start a couple days after Shaun left, so that made things challenging. We survived it though. Overall, the year was great. We were able to use the pool in the back yard. I cannot wait until this summer when we can get Nicole some swimming lessons and we can spend more time out there. It will also be nice because our friend Clint was deployed last summer and this year, he will be back, so we can hang out all together with the little ones. We had lots of old friends come and visit throughout the year. Lucky for us, a lot of people that deployed this year flew through a nearby airport, so we saw our friends Moth (Jefferina's (aka Nicole) namesake) and Melissa. While Melissa was here, her husband Peta came to visit too. It was awesome to see them. We missed them a lot. Vero came to visit for Nicole's birthday. We were able to see Teresea and our friend Dorothy already lived in the area. My dad was able to visit in August for his birthday. Auntie Kari made it up a few times, my mom is able to come and visit every month or so. Jessica and Rome came to visit from Germany because they have family close by. Julie came to stay with Krystal for a few weeks over the summer and it was great to spend time with her and her little one. One of the best things about being in the military, it is large amount of friends that become family you have and the fact that everyone's travels can bring them together again. I'm glad we have a guest room to make sure anyone can stop by. Nicole has so many Auntie's and Uncle's!
Nicole is really amazing. She is almost 2. She regularly speaks in complete sentences. "Mommy come here!" "Daddy, where are you?" "Come find me" "I'm hungry" One of her daycare providers told me months ago that she stopped charting Nicole's language development because it was literally "off the charts". She will have conversations on the phone. She "reads" her books. She still loves books just as much, but now she will sit and read them to herself. She loves to sing. She sings the "ABC" song. She mostly just knows the rhythm, but she fills in the gaps as I sing it to her and she can go through the whole thing on her own. Of course, she doesn't know what it means yet. Her favorite songs are The Barney Song...thanks to my little brother David and his childhood infatuation with Barney, I still know that one and when I can't think of a song to sing, this is the one that always comes to me. She always loves the Monkeys on the Bed and the Wheels on the Bus song. She loves, loves, loves to color. She will sit for a long time and color. At daycare she sits longer than any other kids to color. We got her an eisle for Christmas and she loves it. She has also started imagination play. She loves to "cook" in her play kitchen and play tea party. She is very particular about it. It is super cute. She loves Elmo and Abby and Curious George. For New Year's, we went to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens and she saw Elmo's Christmas Show. She loved it!! I loved seeing her so excited. She sat so still but kept tapping her hands and feet along with the music. She loves music and loves to dance. The ladies at daycare are amazed that she follows instructions so well and does all the dance moves to different songs. We also started going to a kids gym with her. Originally, we joined so I would have an activity to do through the winter while Shaun was gone. She has developed some amazing abilities though. She climbs the wall later, does pull ups on the bars, walks across the balance beam all by herself. It is just amazing. In 2 weeks, we are switching to a Mommy and Me tumbling class that should give her even more opportunity to grow. It is right down the street, too. I am super excited about that. 
Wow, so many things to update everyone on. A few more highlights of the year...on Shaun's birthday, he completed the Nation's Triathlon in DC. Nicole and I cheered him on and he did great! He finished top 10% overall, which is amazing because pro triathletes compete in this race. Then we went and stayed at the beach. It isn't far away, but we got a room down on the military site in VA Beach and stayed for a couple days. It was Nicole's first beach experience and she loved it! We were able to go a few more times since. She loves the sand and the water. 2012 should be even more fun. Nicole should be potty training soon and then transitioning to a big girl bed. I cannot believe my little one is so grown up. I have started sewing. My first project was this pillow. Now I have a long list of things to do for her and around the house. Hopefully, I will be better with updating this blog, too!
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