I'll Never Understand...

...how such little creatures create so much laundry.

I've been living a dream. Maia has so many articles of clothing, I was going two weeks before washing her stuff. Even then I'd only do it because my favorite outfits would need to be washed.

I've done two loads of mostly baby stuff a week for the past three weeks.

And it's a wonder I have any clean underwear. Because I don't have any clean t-shirts left.

Three Girls...

"You're going to need to invest in toilet paper."

This told to John last week as we were leaving dinner out (!) and he was chatting about what was needed for a father of three little girls.

Oh Yeah...

The Terry Twins have arrived! A wee bit early, but doing just fine. Our lives have been blessed by Stella Madeline and Elise Carolyn. For those of you keeping score at home, yes, we now have three little girls.

Details to follow, it's been an amazing two weeks so far.

Things Not to Say in Front of CPS:

John is sitting on a chair burping baby Stella. Maia walks into the room and halts in her tracks, looking at him with shock on her face.

"Daddy, don't hit the baby!"

Already protecting her little sister from the big world.

Words I Thought I'd Never Hear in this Lifetime

I used chicken broth to make polenta (mmmm....polenta) tonight. Maia was watching as I measured out the 3 1/2 cups of broth.

Her comment? "Juice!"
My response, "Chicken juice."
Her reply, "Delicious chicken juice."

Yes Maia, delicious chicken juice.

Wait Until She Discovers Duct Tape

John has been working on ripping out and replacing the majority of our floors for the past week. We have a limited time-frame to get rid of the nasty carpet and linoleum and put down shiny, caramel colored bamboo. Limited by the impending birth of our two babies.

Of course this means several trips to OSH and Home Depot. One afternoon John takes off during nap time to get the new plywood for the sub-flooring. He takes the Eagle with the trailer attached and heads out. Later on, I get a call telling me that the car ignition has somehow gone kaput and could I please bring the Chilton (car repair) manual over to Home Depot. Alright. No sweat.

Off Maia and I go and while John hot wires his first car, we chill in our car. Where are we going to go? Running around the Home Depot holds no charm for me. And the parking lot is an even worse idea. Of course Maia has other ideas and is not keen on sitting in her car seat not moving for who knows how long. I try to explain the situation by telling her that we have to wait here because daddy's car is broken. She replies: "Daddy car broken? Needs tape."

Yup. Someday she'll be the girl with the big roll of duct tape in her purse...

And This Quick One is for John:

I made a quick breakfast of French toast for Maia and myself (sorry love, I'll make pancakes for you soon) because I was super hungry and wanted to eat cake.

Maia sits down to eat her toast and after a bite or two she looks at me and goes: "Apple sauce dip for toast?"

Because that's the way her daddy eats his and that's the way she wants hers. So she did.

Bed Time for my Big Girl

So, potty training, or "Potty Learning" is on hold until...well...until Maia stops screaming every time we mention the potty. It will happen, and honestly, I'm not all that concerned about it. One cool thing about doing the cloth diapers is it won't make a difference to our budget to have one, two or three kids in diapers for a time. I'm going to have to do laundry anyway...what's one more bottom to cover?

But space is an issue in our house and I really want Maia in her toddler bed before the babies get here. But I have be kind of worried about trying another transition with her after the potty debacle. Over the past few days Maia has been showing us she is ready to make the switch out of the crib. For one thing, her climbing skills have dramatically improved, along with her gaining a bit more height. She is practacally bouncing out of her bed when we try to put her down. She is still sleeping well and doesn't have an issue with night waking. Once she's down, she's down and her falling asleep time is improving.

I was going to get her crib down and out this weekend, but ended up painting and beginning the prep for the great floor project. Please don't ask...I'll have to share this when we're done. So the house is in chaos ans I didn't want to add crib mess to the total. But yesterday I decided to at least make a couple of changes to her toddler bed to get us ready. Maia and I went to the baby store and picked out new sheets and a new bumper pad for her "big girl bed". I thought a crib bumper would make the toddler bed a bit more like her crib and more cozy at the same time. She picked out a cheery yellow set and seemed excited to have new stuff for her new bed.

After nap, I made a big deal out of putting together her new bed with her sheet and bumper and new blanket and then asking her if she would like her friends from her baby crib to move to her new big girl bed. We went through the list of bed time lovies:

hippo
puppy
yeastie
green pillow
and of course--Moosey

Each was moved from the crib to the big bed. We were almost done when Maia remembered she also "need yellow blanket" and so the baby-sized yellow thermal blanket made the switch as well.

I didn't take down her crib...I guess I needed the security of knowing it was available if we needed it. But I did move some furniture around and block it somewhat and make it look not welcoming.

Last night we talked all about sleeping in her new bed. She had a good dinner and ten she had lovely bath. We cleaned up her bedroom (I didn't want toys around in case she got up to play) and read a bunch of stories ending with one of out favorites which includes a big girl sleeping in her big girl bed. We talked about that for a bit when Maia decided it was time to go "lay down Moosey". She was ready to jump into her toddler bed, but we did our ritual of Maia turning off her bedroom light and then checking to make sure her night-light was on. I placed her in bed, on top of th covers because she doesn't sleep with a blanket over her yet, and said god night.

I had the monitor on and I went to my room to listen to her and see if she really was going to go to sleep. I heard the normal rustling of a toddler settling in, and some mom-mom-mommy-mom-mommy kind of fussing, but I held my ground and waited to see if she would start pounding on the door. Never before have I wanted a video monitor as much as I did for the 10 or so minutes it took for her to fall asleep.

Wait. 10 minutes? Yes! She was out in so little time I couldn't believe it.

I told John the news when her got home and we both snuck into her room before we turned in for the night just to see. There she was, stretched out and comfy looking fast asleep in her toddler bed. John went and got her out this morning and he said she was just sitting there chilling and when he opened the door she told him she was "all done bed". That was it.

We'll have to see how nap time goes, when it's not all dark in her room and it can take her longer to settle down, and we might have more work once she realizes she can get up and out of bed by herself. But we have some time and this success to build on.

She's getting s big! I know that's what she's suposted to do and in most ways I am so glad...I just can't believe we've had her for two years and how much she's changed in that short time. I'm listening to her sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" right now as she plays with blocks on the floor...happy as a clam to do her own thing.

She's a big little girl...but she will always be my baby.

No, Really, She's Two

Right now Maia is enjoying a lovely post dinner-dinner of wheat crackers spread with triple cream brie and draped with wild-caught smoked salmon. She's washing the treat down with a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice cut with orange sparkling water.

What else would you expect from the girl who responds to the statement that "We're going out to dinner" with her choice for food: "Sushi?"

If a Two-Year-Old Notices...You Might Have a Problem

Sunday started off on the wrong foot for me. Bad dreams. Screaming toddler and one big potty 'accident'...also belonging to the toddler.

Maia and I cleaned up the bathroom floor and I threw her into the bath. I was kind of moping around and not being very fun when John came out of the bedroom to see what was happening with his girls.

"Good morning Maia...how are you? How is the bath?" Was John's question to the soapy girl in the tub.

"Mommy need coffee" was Maia's reply.

Road Trip Recap

For those of you interested in our Summer Adventure, Mr. John is posting a thoughtful travelogue over at Memory Leak. I'm trying to help. We'll get the whole thing covered eventually. Enjoy the first installment and check back for more!

Maia had Better Marry Well

I had the most lovely day yesterday entertaining Miss Ambrosia Ananas who I am getting to meet IN REAL LIFE. My first Internet friendship get together and we had a wonderful time on a gourmet (if whirlwind) tour of San Francisco.

We went to the Ferry Building Marketplace and were lucky enough to go on the weekday where they have the open air Farmer's Market happening. So much lovely fruit and tomatoes! Of course inside is a culinary wonderland and we shopped our way through the cooking store and then decided to eat our way through the rest of the Ferry Building stopping at Recchiuti Confections, Scharffen Berger, Miette (pastry shop) and a little grocery for salty snacks.

After the Ferry Building we headed up to Ghirardelli Square to raid the chocolate shop and try some delicious cupcakes at Kira's Cupcakes.

Um yeah. So I'm waiting until Friday to have my blood sugars drawn, I think.

While we were sampling chocolate divine at Recchiuti, Maia had the chance to show how we are raising her to be a trophy wife someday. I had decided to purchase one (my mistake) of Recchiuti's signature burnt caramel chocolates for myself. Maia of course wanted in on the dark chocolate action and asked for some. I handed over the UNSAMPLED, by me, chocolate and she immediately made it hers--eating it with a combination of delicacy and gusto that only a true gourmet can achieve. This was witnessed by a rather astonished woman who looked at me and noted that Maia had refined tastes.

"Yes", I replied "She prefers her chocolate to be between a 68% and a 72%".
"Really", was the woman's reply. "No Hershey's for her, then."
"Nope" I laughed. "And you know what else she loves? Sushi. We're raising her to be an expensive date."

We Made It!

And some thought we were crazy to contemplate a 2500 mile road trip with a two-year-old. Well "nanananah!" to the nay-sayers. We had a fantastic time...so fun I almost wasn't ready for it to end. And Miss Maia woke up each day and told us: "Time to ride in new blue car" so I'm sure she had a good time too. :)

We're recovering this weekend. Maybe I'll dig up some cool stories for later on.

It Just Seems Wrong Somehow...

...that I am so ready for a vacation. Most of my life could be called a vacation of sorts.

I guess I should say I need "a change of scene".

That happens for me, and the rest of the family of course, come Friday.

Go-go road trip. :)

Gold Star Day

This space is fast becoming a place to jot down things I just need to remember. If I was a better journal-keeper Maia might have a chance at having an actual baby/childhood memory book, but as it is, I'll just have to print out select pages from this blog.

Pages that cover days like today.

Maia used her potty all on her own today. First time she's gone pee in the potty and I couldn't be happier. We were getting ready for bed and as I was taking off her diaper-with her help-I noticed it was dry. Then Maia asked to go sit on the potty. Sometimes this is a diversionary tactic to avoid putting on pj's and finishing the nightly routine, but I let her go into the bathroom anyway.

She came right out and asked me to go with her. So she sat on her potty and I sat on "my" (closed) potty and all of a sudden, tinkle! There it was. Maia going in the potty.

She looked kind of confused. Almost bewildered. She stood up and said "Uh-oh" but I quickly began cheering and clapping and letting her know what a cool thing she just did. Then she got to use "big girl wipes" (toilet paper) and flush the big potty. And then she smiled.

She did get her two chocolates...and wasn't that interested in eating them. That's alright so close to bed time.

Of course the only wrinkle in all of this is her timing. We're leaving for family road trip vacation at the end of the week and I hadn't planned on working on any potty stuff along the way. But maybe we'll try right before bed. Maybe this was just a fluke, but, it's something I'd like to encourage.

We'll go from here but right now I'm just as tickled as can be with my little big girl.

If John Never Has a Son, at Least He'll Have a Maia

I took Maia to the Dr's office today. She's had a cold/cough/yuckiness for the past couple of weeks that's just not getting better. There is some light construction work going on in the complex that houses our pediatrician's office and as we walk by Maia spies something familiar:



Her eyes light up as she says "Excavator".

I can only imagine the swell of pride that John would have felt, had he been there to hear her.

Maia's Two Cents

I took Maia out shopping with me this morning. I needed pants. In the worst way. My favorite summer/pregnancy capri jeans have developed a bad case of inner thigh wear and needed to be replaced.

I'm at the mall in the maternity store because they have the biggest most comfortable pants. Really. when I was pregnant with Maia I got cheap pants at Target and Old Navy but something has happened in maternity wear and those stores no longer have cute, cheap, comfortable pants. If I have to pay the money, I'm getting the good stuff.

Maia, poor girl, is at the end of her rope. I forgot the stroller and she's been running with me all morning. She really doesn't want to be in the dressing room with me and as the dressing room opening is covered by a curtain and not a door, she keeps making her escape-of course while I have my pants, literally, down. The woman staffing the store was a complete sweetheart and in an effort to distract my little Houdini she strikes up a conversation with her.

She asks Maia "What's in Mommy's tummy?" and Maia answers "Two tiny babies." We all coo for a moment at how cute Maia is, and then the saleswoman asks "Would you like brothers or sisters?"

We've never really talked to Maia about brothers or sisters...I guess we figured "babies" was already a challenging enough topic. After all, we're not going to find out what sex these two babies are, so the whole brother or sister thing seemed like a non-issue.

Maia though, not one to drop a conversational thread with a stranger (a-hem), thinks about this for a moment before answering: "Sisters."

So I guess John will have to add that to his Terry Twin Poll

Maia Speak: Bicycle

Yesterday we finally got around to putting together Maia's birthday tricycle. So cute!

She loves it, is in fact is a little bicycle obsessed.

What kills me is how she pronounces the word "bicycle". Phonetically speaking she says:

bi-skye-yule

Why do they have to learn the "right" way to say things, ever? I still miss "goouy" for yogurt.

Honesty

Maia: Mango juice!
Me: Are you going it drink it or dump it?
Maia: Dump it!

OK. No mango juice.

Happy Birthday...(fill in the blank)

Yesterday was Maia's 2nd birthday. She is loving to sing "Happy Birthday to You" and yesterday she sang it to:

The potty
A cookie
Her friend David
Mommy
Daddy
Auntie Nat
Uncle Kevin

and finally to herself.

Happy two, little one. We all love you.

Nap Time

Maia fell asleep in the car on our way home from the park. She was all snuggled with Moosie when I lifted her from the car seat and over my shoulder into the house. Bed was waiting for her, but first I had to pull her blinds to help darken the room. The noise woke her up a bit and she looked and me and almost sighed "hi" before laying her head back on my shoulder.

I tucked her into bed and she again looked at me for a moment before drifting off to sleep, once again snuggled with her moose.

It's these times when there is no doubt in my mind as to why I love having a child, and this child in particular. She is pure joy.

Rushing Things

Conversation after dinner--

Maia: Maia big girl panties.
Me: You want some big girl panties? Like Mommy?
Maia: Yes. Big girl panties.
Me: OK. We'll get you some, then.
Maia: And then, Maia bra.
Me: ...

I Didn't Think We Needed "That" Talk Yet

Maia has been admiring my ever-growing belly and we've been talking about how mommies' babies live in there.

This morning as I was getting dressed, Maia comes over to me and gently pats my belly and says "Mommies' babies". I thought we'd made a real break through in her understanding of what is going on.

Until we went to get her dressed and as she's laying on the changing table she begins to rub her sweet little belly and say: "Maia's babies".

Um.

Well, at least it's a start. And cute.

Moon Child

(Originally written about four months ago. Stored on my computer...found today.)


Maia likes the moon.

She has to be read "Goodnight Moon" at least seven times a day. She knows where the book is. Sometimes I hide it after the fifth reading because I'm a bed mom. But I always read it to her, twice, before bed.

She finds the moon in the sky at night. She'll track it from her car seat. She thinks street lights are "moon". Right now any light in the sky is "moon".

She finds moons all around her. She found my moon the other night, and I think that gave her a thrill. I was wearing a tank top during bath time and after bath, while I was dressing her for bed, she looks up at me and suddenly her eyes get wide and her face lights up..."Moon" she says as she points to my shoulder.

Now she looks for Mama's moon when we get dressed in the morning. Soon she'll find some stars and then everyone will know she's my daughter for sure.

(And she has. Stars. Moons. My girl.)

Shut the Door!

I was up this morning when Maia woke up and John was (is at this point) still sleeping. So in good mom/ wife fashion I get her up and out of bed. In bad wife fashion I decide that, even though it's the weekend and he was up much later than I was, John should share the morning with us. Plus, I'm angling to go out for breakfast.

Usualy Maia will run into our bedroom yelling "Daddy sleeping! Wake up!" and how nice of an alarm is that? This morning when I opened the door Maia did give her accustomed greeting of "Daddy sleeping" followed very quickly by "Shut the door! Shut the door! Shut the door!"

So we see that Maia is firmly on her fathers side this morning.

Yucky Cookie

Harvey the cat has developed some sort of gastro-intestinal problem and as of late has been throwing up chunks of cat food. All over the house.

While this causes me to swear inwardly, Maia has a different approach. She points at the pile of yellow cat food puke and simply says: "Yucky cookie".

We've Split the Toddler

Lacan was right.

Maia is currently running around the house, jumping on things, and yelling: "Evelyn Terry! No jumping!"

This could be bad. Or it could also be one of the cutest things I've heard all day.

No Dumping

Maia is testing our limits in true almost two-year-old style. I know she knows the few simple rules we ask her to follow, just as I know she needs to test how serious we are about them.

Today in the car I gave her a sippy cup with some water, but left out the gasket that prevents it from spilling all over the place. We had a five minute drive home and I was in a hurry to get there...yeah. So. Of course Maia decides to dump water all over herself in the seat. She tips the cup upside down and **shakes** to get the best effect.

I turn around to see what she's doing and exclaim: "MAIA EVELYN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

She immeditaly holds the cup out for me to take from her and says "NO DUMPING!"

I had to not look at her the rest of the way home, because I was silently laughing so hard.

Almost Two

Me-(kissing Maia in her car seat) Love you!

Maia-(looking very serious) No "love you".