a bit of randomness

Just wanted to share a few things that have been happening around here.


Small victories. B's favorite word just might be "no." She'll crawl toward J, J will scoop up whatever she's playing with and say "No, no, no Beetles," and B will start in with her "No, no, no, ..." I've been trying to work with J on responding to her differently and finally yesterday had a few small victories. I have been trying ever so calmly and dutifully to explain to J that we need to use our words to tell B things and explain to her why she doesn't want her to have whatever she has. Better yet, get her something else to play with. Even better, just let her play with you (why is this so much to ask sometimes!?) I have also been lecturing J on how we have to teach Beetle things so that she will grow big and smart like J is. Poor J ... she is a captive audience for me all day long :)

Anyways, yesterday I overheard the start of the regular scenario over J's blanket and then heard J go get B her blanket and say "See Beetle, here is your blankie. It's purple. This my pink blankie. You can't have it. Here your blankie." Later, B was flipping through a book about colors, and I was saying the colors out loud as she turned the pages. When B was on the purple page, J ran over to get a purple doll dress and said, "Look B, this is purple too!"

Can I get an amen people?!?! While I won't deny the screaming and pushing (and even biting) that happens around here sometimes, I am so proud of how J is growing into her role as a big sister. I have to tell myself constantly that she's only 2 ... not even 2.5 yet.

Words. B has started talking a little more and has definitely figured out the whole pointing thing. It's like magic to them when they figure out that pointing to something works like a charm! I swear last week she "Puh Puh" for the puppies/dogs in the yard behind us and then today she pointed to Charlie and said "Doh". She was so proud of herself today when she did it :)

Sickness. B has been sick literally all month long. Hence few blog posts, no additional Halloween pictures (yet), etc. After a stuffy nose for 2.5 weeks I took her to the doctor. I could not get anything out of her nose and the poor thing could not breathe! She checked out fine - just a cold. The doc told me to keep up the saline and using the humidifier even though it didn't seem to be helping. A few days later, her nose started running like a faucet which was great (never thought I would be so happy to see green snot!), but then everything just ran down into her throat for a croupy cough. Cough was bad, but it also came in combination with her throwing up due to gagging on the mucous in her throat. Ewwwww. I didn't even know this was possible but poor baby Beetle lost many a bottle thanks to this. So after another week of on and off throwing up and nasty cough, the runny poo started. Seriously. I have been changing explosive yellow diarrhea for the last week. And I am pretty convinced that she's been teething the last 3 days. What a month. I can't wait to have my healthy happy baby back! A good nights sleep would be nice too. That hasn't seemed to happen this month :)

Dolls. We have a box of doll stuff from my mom and I got it down last weekend and I cannot believe how into the doll stuff J is. I have been dressing dolls and changing their shoes non stop! She feeds them bottles, puts them to bed, etc. All dolls are named Baby Rylee after Dominic's boss' baby girl, except for one named Allie (it's actually my old Shy Violet Rainbow Brite doll but don't tell her that) :)

Oh, there's more to tell, but babies are wakin' up! Gotta go!