2-Year-Old Rosie-Baby Update

Before I kick off this post I'd like to add a program note that we're in Covid-19 quarantine. The daycares and schools are closed. So, that situation affects some of what's below.

A. Her Schedule – Since quarantine, our daily schedule has moved back a bit. Rosie usually gets up around 7 a.m. and goes to bed around 7:30 p.m. She usually wants one nap a day.

B. Her Size – She’s wearing between a size 2T and 3T and size 6 shoes.

C. Her Personality – She is probably the sweetest of my three kids. She loves us and she lets us know. She can be very persuasive in getting what she wants, whether it's the iPad or another potato chip ("tato CHIP").

D. Her Favorite Things

• Colors: She will wear other colors but she really likes pink. She also likes when her clothes have flowers on them.
• Shows and Movies: She still watches Yo Gabba Gabba (her favorite character is Foofa, the pink one), but also now really likes Peppa Pig, and both Frozen movies (which she calls "Anna").
• Toys, Play, and Art: Since quarantine and me moving her toys and books into her room, and getting more screen time, her interest in books has seriously waned. As far as toys, she likes her Elmo doll, little things (like Shopkins), a horse figurine, and toy cars. For a while she was really into magnets but that interest has also waned. As far as art, she likes coloring, and will request "paper" and "red."
• Time of Day: Any time she's outside.
• Bedding: She still has her pink horseshoe fuzzy blankets but doesn't usually sleep under them. I guess she gets hot.
• Foods: She likes bananas, grapes, and applesauce as far as healthy foods go. As far as less than healthy choices, she likes juice, Lucky Charms marshmallow cereal, and potato chips.
• Activities: I can't think of anything she wants to do more than zone out on an iPad. That being said, she also seems to like going for walks, pushing her giant toy car, and going for rides in the motorized kids' tractor.
• Animals: She seems to like animals, though no type in particular. She's pretty gentle with our dog and cat.
• Heroes: She may be too young for this one.

E. Things She Does Not Like – She used to hate sitting in her high chair so now I just let her sit in a regular chair like the rest of us.

F. What She’s Thinking About – She seems to know a lot of words. I wonder about the impact being away from her/our friends and her daycare provider is having on her. We have been trying to potty train her but the only part of the process she'll do is to sit on the kid potty.

G. Surprises – How infectious her smiles are, and how she cracks herself up.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best things: When she gives me a hug. When she holds a toy up to me and says "cute!" or pushes her car and says "fun" or "like it!"
• The worst things: Her fascination/obsession with screens.

I. Family and Friends – I think she's an extrovert. During quarantine I asked her "What do you need?" expecting an answer like "Milk." Instead, she looked longingly outside at our neighbors and said "Friends."

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – We are off the charted map at this point due to the whole Covid-19 situation. Things like going to the playground or playdates aren't happening - the playgrounds are closed. Going to the pool is out of the question - our rec. centers are all closed. Sure, we walk around the neighborhood plenty, but that has gotten quite dull.

A Mini Update

Rainbow pillow (Crate & Barrel),
polka dot comforter (Target),
pink shag rug (IKEA)

Plush and comfy

Is the bedside table too big?

I moved "the Baby" into her own room. But I bought a new comforter from Target that really goes with the rainbow polka dots theme. I bought this comforter in a twin size and folded it around her toddler mattress. When she ages into a twin bed it will still fit her. I also moved a bedside table into her room from mine, which will make a cozy place to set a book and her milk sippy cup during story time.

Moving "the Baby" Into Her Own Room

Fluffy rugs that one can shake out

A spot for story time

An irregular shaped lantern

A mirror for dress up

She's not a baby. She's almost two. But that's what we call her anyway.

And when we had all three of our kids in one bedroom, she'd walk over to her older brother's bottom bunk and scratch him in the face, then laugh. So we moved the kids' toys into our living room, and converted what was their shared playroom into a little bedroom all for her. Both of her older brothers loved the idea of kicking her out of "their room."

And honestly it does make putting laundry away easier, since all of their clothes - even hers - are still in the original shared kids' bedroom and I can put away clothes long after she's gone to sleep without fear of waking her, since she's in a different room. Why not move her clothes into her new little bedroom? Besides the putting-away-laundry factor, she has a habit of "trashing her room" and by that I mean that she drags all of her clothes out of her dresser and throws them on the floor when she's mad or bored.

21-Month Rosie-Bebe Update

A. Her Schedule – She wakes up about 6:30 a.m., takes her nap of the day around 10:00 a.m. (early, I know), and goes to sleep at about 6:30 p.m. When she sleeps she likes it daaark in her room.

B. Her Size – 23 lbs. 6 oz. (42nd percentile), 35” tall (95th percentile), and 19” head circumference (86th percentile) as of May 7. She’s wearing size 24-month clothes and size 5 shoes, though her shoes are getting small on her.

C. Her Personality – She is very sweet. She knows the word “hug” and willingly gives them. She can be very cuddly, preferring to eat some of her meals in my lap. She can get fiery when she doesn’t get her way – getting loud and dramatic, and even storming off abruptly. She has a sense of fairness and will appeal to me if her older brother takes something away from her.

D. Her Favorite Things

·                     Colors: PINK.

·                     Shows and Movies: Yo Gabba Gabba, which she calls “Foofa” after one of the characters. She also loves Kids YouTube, particularly things involving “Baby Shark” or babies.

·                     Toys, Play, and Art: She still really likes holding baby dolls. She’s willing to happily scribble with crayons. She also really likes having books read to her and will go get book upon book for you to read to her.

·                     Time of Day: Probably the very beginning of her day. She can be pretty crabby and tired by dinnertime.

·                     Bedding: She still has her pink horseshoe fuzzy blankets, though she usually sleeps beside them instead of under them.

·                     Foods: She likes fruit, especially berries, and also yogurt and meat. She knows the words “eat” and “meat.”

·                     Activities: She likes being outdoors, and playing in the play room, and really likes using my cell phone, even though of course I try to limit screentime.

·                     Animals: She knows the words “cat” and “dog” (and likes both), but also “bear” and “baa” (for sheep). She seems fascinated by our cat.

·                     Heroes: Perhaps me.

E. Things She Does Not Like – When she asks for and does not receive my cell phone. Also, sitting in her highchair.

F. What She’s Thinking About – She seems to be trying hard to learn a lot of new words. She surprised me the other day by knowing the word “heart.”

G. Surprises – I’m surprised her single nap of the day is so early in the day.

H. Best & Worst Things –

·                     The best things: Her smile. When she says “Mama.” How she’s good with her hands, like when she manipulates objects.

·                     The worst things: How she’s obsessed with phones.

I. Family and Friends – I think she’s a pretty happy camper when we visit family or friends.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – She’s definitely got a slower pace of life at the family-based daycare we’ve got her in as compared to the boys, who went to a center at this age. I think the slower pace might be better for kids age two and under.