It's been another fun and playful week we've had in the Weiss household, but would you expect any other report?! I've been so happy this year and it's just pouring over month after month. I have absolutely nothing to complain about and fully enjoy the day to day aspects of my life. Despite hearing very bad news about the house we have been trying to pursue for nearly 6 MONTHS now, we are still happy as can be (in short, there are two loans on the house, the first loan approved the short sale price and the second is now refusing to approve it...causing a lot more waiting and negotiating to be done, with a likely outcome of a big fat no...you can certainly be praying that God prepares our hearts for whatever the final decision is and gives us peace of mind while continuing to be in this waiting period). Carly is so much fun I just can't get enough of her! Well, I take that back...I get too much of her at 6am when she decides to be awake for the day. ;) BUT, other than the early morning hours, I just can't get enough of those sweet hugs, kisses and toothless (yes, toothless) grins! I'm finding that I absolutely adore this toddler stage. Parenting and playing with a toddler is much more rewarding and fun for me than caring for an infants every need. And that's okay! It's okay for me to decide that I enjoy one stage better than another. It's not to say that I don't fully look forward to the next time I will be able to care for an infant, but that the fun really happens in toddler hood. I love that she understands everything that I say and I love even more that she can respond in a way that allows for us to have a mini conversation. She's picking up on SO much of what we say and do, it's very exciting. She is proving to be very smart, very aware of her surroundings. I'll give you some examples:
- I was getting ready for work this week and Carly always accompanies me by playing in the sinks. I began singing one of the songs that comes from one of her many musical toys. She immediately asked to be placed on the ground, walked out into the living room, found that particular toy (which plays multiple songs...it's like a kid's ipod) and shuffled until the song I was singing began to play. She then brought the toy back into the bathroom and handed it to me. WOW! How did she know that toy played that song...and that she could press a button multiple times to find the right one?
- Carly asks a lot of questions. She makes the cutest face while shrugging her shoulders and raising her arms. She asks anything from why a certain thing moves/opens the way it does, what item is in the microwave, where her toy went (like a ball that rolled away), etc. She also uses the question tone inflection that the rest of us use when asking a question. I love to give her an answer!
- We have been singing the song, "If you're happy and you know if clap your hands" for a very long time now and about a month ago added more verses to it. We added, "should Amen!" and "blow a kiss." She didn't catch on to them for the longest time but the other day as I ended the first verse, before starting the next one, she threw her hands up in the air. She knew the next verse was "shout Amen," as the gesture for that is throwing your hands up in the air. What a smart little cookie.
- She has also begun to put her hands up in the air after our dinner prayer comes to an end. She laughs out loud when we all hold hands and close our eyes, but as soon as Brian says, "Amen," she raises those hands up. Pretty precious if you ask me!
- Carly is really beginning to test our limits and push our boundaries. It's something that excites me, as I was rather defiant as a young gal, myself. I can completely relate to her budding personality, as it is nearly the exact same as mine was and is. I tend to probably be too lenient with the things I let her get away with, but I know from living in her mind as a child that I have to pick my battles with her or I will end up pushing her away and she will get too frustrated. With that being said, she was being extra defiant one day and going right over to our indoor tree and throwing the dirt across the room. I very firmly said "no" and explained that throwing the dirt creates a mess for mommy to clean up and she must not touch. She thought that was hilarious and did it again. So, since we hadn't started discipline yet, I began experimenting. I gently smacked her hand when she stuck it in the potted plant again to which she full. out. laughed. I actually had to turn away because it cracked me up that she was laughing at my discipline and I didn't want her to see that it made me smile. So, since those three things hadn't worked, the next time she threw dirt on the floor, I firmly picked her up and declared that she was going to her room for a time out! I set her on her bedroom floor, shut the door and set the timer for 60 seconds. I stood outside her room until the timer went off and proceeded to open the door. She had been SCREAMING her head off and immediately stood up and came walking over to me with her arms open wide for a big hug. I picked her up, told I loved her and gave a big smooch, then explained that she has to obey when mama says, "no." And she really does. Someday saying "no" might save her life...like when tempted to run out into the street. She must learn. Anyway, as soon as we came out of her room, what did she do? She walked right over to the plant and threw dirt across the floor and just looked at me with a big grin. Sure enough, I marched over to her, firmly picked her up and it was off to another timeout. That happened three times in a row that day and three times in a row the next day but guess what? She hasn't touched the plant since! She walks past it multiple times/day and I hope cognitively decides to pass right on by. I'm happy that timeout worked, for sure, and we shall see if it continues. I haven't had to put my foot down like that on any other situation (again, probably bc I tend to let her explore/do whatever she wants, even if it makes a big mess), but I will bring out that word again and the punishment that goes with not obeying if I need to.
- We've also began using bribes (although I prefer the word, reward) when we need her to cooperate. She LOVES M&Ms...and will literally do anything for them. Ha, makes me chuckle. She is going through a phase again where I cannot leave her side if someone else is around. Even if Brian stays in the living room with her and I go into the bathroom, she breaks down into all sorts of tears. So, leaving her with Jen means bringing on a meltdown. Our solution to allow me to get out the door is to give Jen M&Ms and I tell Carly that if she will let Miss Jen hold her than she can have M&Ms. Works every time. ;)
As always, we've had plenty of time outside, spending one day with nanny Jen at the Flower & Garden Festival at EPCOT and the other with Carrie & Holden at Typhoon Lagoon. Carly. Loved. The. Waterpark. We were there for nearly 4 HOURS and she had a smile on her face Thee. Entire. Time. Awesome. We are going to get plenty of opportunity to work on her swimming skills this summer...I bet she will be swimming without floaties before she turns two! Of course I didn't have my camera at the water park, but I did have it at EPCOT. I got some great photos of Carly sitting by the flowers and playing on the playground they put in just for the event. It was a really fun afternoon!
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| Carly & Nanny Jen |
Ahh, I believe I have come to an end for this week's update. I am busy compiling all the info I need to write her 14 month post, which happens to be on Thursday! I think that will total out the weekly posts into three for this week, which is pretty darn good! Take care, thanks for being interested in our lives!
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