Q and Other Writing

Your drawing has started to take greater shape. Your favorite things to draw are people (mostly yourself and sometimes our family) and spiders. You've also started "writing." Usually you just draw a straight line and verbalize what this straight line "says." But now you've started actually making a recognizable "Q."

Measurements

As of January, you are 39 inches (I think actually just under 40) and 37 pounds.

We still haven't gotten your hair cut and it is beautiful!

Big Sisters and Babies

You are very interested in big sisters. You always role play that you're a big sister and set up family dynamics with a big sister.

You asked me recently if we could have a baby so you could be a big sister. I tried to reason with you that you wouldn't like it because you wouldn't get all our attention or be able to sleep in our bed. But you said: "That's okay, I could play by myself while you are feeding the baby and then you could play with me after!"

Then yesterday you told me you really wanted a big sister. I tried to explain to you that this wasn't a possibility, but you weren't dissuaded! You did seem appeased though by the idea of finding other big girls to be like big sisters to you, like Elyse, Sophie, and Phoebe.

January 2010 - Birthdays and Broken Arms

Belatedly let me catch up a few highlights from your birthday and a few lowlights from your broken arm:

Low lights. It was terrible seeing you in such pain from your buckle fracture. You were so brave and it was so hard. When the radiologist gave you your xrays, your daddy hugged you and held you down while I crawled onto the table with you to hold you. Your heart was beating and your cries were excrucating. That's probably one of the hardest things we've ever had to go through with you.

Fortunately the buckle fracture is not serious and healed quickly. Unfortunately you became hooked on your splint. I think you liked it for the support it gave you and the reassurance that nobody was going to manipulate your arm and bend it in ways you didn't like. You cried hysterically every night when we took it off to redo it.

Finally, at your 3 year doctor's appt, the doctor was able to remove the splint from your healed arm. But you were so upset that he gave you a sling which you proceeded to wear, unnecessarily for the whole day, returning home with it hanging loosely about your neck like a purse! A few days later, we slipped off the bandage and you were back to normal. For a few days after, you would comment when you were doing something with your right hand that you hadn't been able to do with the splint on. But now it's like it never happened.

Even with the broken arm and a fever, you still were able to enjoy your birthday party. When your daddy came home with 3 helium balloons including 2 princess ones you delightedly said: "This is my best birthday ever!" You had fun, but then you got sick and everyone went home. Hopefully you'll have even better birthdays in the future!

Bedtime Distractions

You have been sleeping so terribly at night, waking up at random times, grabbing our ears, crying, asking for milk. So I finally asked you if you had any ideas why you were sleeping so poorly and what we might do to help you to sleep better. Your response:

"Sometimes when one of you goes to yoga and the other goes to bed with me. When the other comes to bed after yoga, I get distracted...depending on...I'm not sure whose ear I was going to touch."

Your solution? Either your dad or I could just sleep in your bed. When I suggested that we could take turns sleeping alone in your bed, you included, you were silent for a moment then said: "I'm done with dinner. May I be excused?"

You haven't learned to deceive yet so you stick with your strategy of not answering when you realize it might incriminate you or get you a result you don't want!

Yucko

There's a yucko in the front preschool room that you were telling me about. It's little, in a cage, and often asleep when you're visiting the big kids' room. I wasn't sure what you meant, then realized: "Gecko?" "Yes," you said.

Princesses and Poo Poo

You like to talk about poo poo a lot. I do not. Whenever you get on this train of conversation, I just ignore you or tell you that's boring talk and I'm willing to talk to you when you have something interesting to say, but until then, I'm ignoring you. To which you then will say: "I like trees" and we can proceed with a conversation.

When you're with Ella and Marcel, you really like this potty talk a lot. The other day, you said: "Ella and I like to talk about poo poo....and princesses."

Love that combo!