How lucky are we to have two wonderful little peanuts. Time is flying by and Aiden is getting bigger by the day. Annabelle loves to help me with him and is the person he loves to smile at the most. It really is so spending time with them and watching them become more and more interactive!
Aiden loves to take baths... He's getting so long that his infant tub is not to cozy anymore. We got this really simple little chair for $10! Bath time is too much fun! Below are a few more videos. One of him just being sweet and smiley and the other is of Sahara showing her sweet big sister side. :-)
So BIG!!!
HA! Here is our little man sleeping in his bed...Well what he knows to be his bed right now. He's gotten so big that his positioner in his crib was failing him and when we laid him flat he would have the worst spit-ups so our solution (for now) is the carseat. When you match it up with the white noise he's out like a light in less than five minutes! Have you figured out where little Aiden is? Yep, sitting on top of the stove, under the microwave, where the fan is blowing on high. I promise there is no chance of him falling and the oven, microwave and stove are never on when he's sleeping here. Isn't it funny what you'll do to get a baby to sleep! I remember with AB I was so big about it having to be in her bed... I think I've gotten a bit wiser, in that, I know he'll not sleep in his carseat forever, it's just a right now. The right nows will pass and I know that once he's digesting his food easier and able to sleep through the night that we'll move past the carseat phase. :-) Parents really do get smarter each time they have a baby... Or maybe with two, there isn't enough time in the day to sweat the small stuff.
Speaking of 'not so small' stuff, look how big AB has gotten! She's learning so much this year in school. I am truly amazed at her letter knowledge and ability to write, cut and draw. She's really developed and loves school. It makes my heart smile to hear her ask me to help her write something... I find it amazing how much she loves to impress Nick and I... She's really looking to us for approval and guidance. She loves her teachers at school because they give her the positive reinforcement she needs to try new things. Annabelle is a girl who knows what she likes (even if she's not tried the thing you're offering) she'll let you know if it's going to fly or not. Trying new things is tough for her. From food to activities she can be hesitant. With her out going personality you'd think the opposite, but it's not true... She really is apprehensive about jumping in to certain things. Her name for instance. She's been able to write AB for a while now, but this school year her teachers decided to try and get her to write her full name. She was not having it at first... Because they are so wonderful with her, they really eased her into the idea and now she can do it! They just told her to take it one letter at a time. When Annabelle asks me to help her write sentences I sometimes tell her, wow, that's going to be a lot of letters. Her response is, "It's ok Mommy, we'll do it one letter at a time." What a great life lesson... One letter at a time, one step at a time, one skill at a time, just focus on one thing at a time...See it through and then move on to the next. I could benefit from that lesson... I pride myself at being a pro multi-tasker, but sometimes at the end of the day I've accomplished nothing and have a million "finish this, finish that..." on my to do list. I think it would be better to take it "one letter at a time" :-)
In the world of Annabelle there is one thing that has been eating at me. I know being someones Mommy makes you the #1 person in their corner, and sometimes you have to put that 'defensive' feeling at bay. Sometimes we have to let our kiddos solve their own problems or allow them to fall a bit in order to learn how to pick themselves back up. With that being said, and after giving it a lot of thought, I have to get in AB's corner... This year we thought we would sign her up for gymnastics at a different gym. One that is a fully operating competition gym. They explained to me, that there was a toddler room and they would be focused on fostering their confidence and coordination. Sounded wonderful, so we signed her up. The first week Annabelle was certainly the new kid on the block. The other little girls in her class had been at the gym for a while and were already buddies. They were all wearing professional leotards and knew the happenings of the gym. As soon as little AB saw them getting ready for class I could see the concern on her face. She came over to me, wearing her leggings and T-shirt and said, "Mommy, I don't thing I am allowed to wear this for gymnastics." :-( She'd not even gotten into the room and she was already feeling overwhelmed. I reassured her that she was ready to go! The rules were for her to have bare feet and comfortable clothes. I told her that she looked like a super tumbler. She smiled and went in. Whew- dodged a bullet. As class started the teacher who was also familiar with the other little girls was openly less than impressed with Annabelle's coordination and ability to complete certain skills. The class ended and we moved on through our week. When we were heading there for her second class (now in a ballet leotard) Annabelle wasn't very excited. The teacher this week was very stern, which didn't help. Annabelle was attempting a kart-wheel... Which she's never practiced at that point and she was trying so hard to impress this teacher. The teacher just kept saying, "Try again. Try again..." On her fourth attempt Annabelle did her best yet kart-wheel and looked up at her teacher with a huge smile, waiting, wanting so badly for a "good job" or "better" - she got, "Go to the next station Annabelle." I actually captured this on video and had to delete it, because watching her little face light up only to be let down... Too hard for a Mommy to watch. I understand there is a great debate about how we praise our children. I tend to agree that there is a lot of silly things happening and a lot of un-needed praise is thrown around. I want both Annabelle and Aiden to know that they have to work hard, and that in life you don't get a pat on the back for every small thing you do... However, as a teacher, and now Mommy, I know about those sweet little moments where you can really drive a kid's confidence through the roof by saying a kind word. These moments don't stop in childhood. We've all gotten to place where we feel like we just can't do it right... and a kind word or a vote of confidence gives us that extra little spirit surge to try again... I know I don't recognize all of those moments for Annabelle and I know I'll miss plenty more as a Mommy, so I'm not faulting the teacher for missing the moment with AB. I just wish that she hadn't.
Today, now our third week of class. Annabelle fell doing a skill that was too hard for her, and the teacher was working a different station when it happened. Annabelle broke down in tears and came out to the parent viewing area for hugs from me... That was the straw that broke the camels back for sweet AB. She was done...she wanted to go home. I just hugged her tight and suggested watching her class and join in if she felt up to it. She did go back in, but after class on the way home she was so down on herself. "Mommy, that class is too hard. I can't do flips on the bars or jump on the mat. I'm scared to flip on the bar..." Is this why I signed her up for gymnastics????? My four year old telling herself that she couldn't do it!!! Nope... It's been killing me inside. I want her to feel like she can do anything in life. I certainly don't want my four year old telling herself that she can't. It goes against everything I believe. At this stage in their lives things should be fun. They should be confidence building, not the other way around. It's our job as parents to put our kiddos in the best situations to help them grow and learn. This gym isn't the best for AB. It may be for others but not our little peanut. She's still undecided as to whether she'll be a professional gymnast... and if you ask her Mommy and Daddy she's got plenty of time to figure it out.
Annabelle, You are an amazing girl! There are things you'll be faced with that will be hard and you'll have to be brave and push through. It's ok to ask for help... You are not alone. It's ok to be scared to try new things and meet new people... Just remember you're not alone! We all feel that way sometimes. Talk to someone about the way you are feeling. Don't hold it inside, and certainly, don't tell yourself that you can't. You can... You can truly do anything...
