Wednesday, September 29, 2010

New words

Bau - when we're playing (cucu-bau) the Romanian version of peek-a-boo
aba - avion (airplane)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Happiest toddler on the block

I've just finished Harvey Karp's "The Happiest Toddler on the block" and I have only one thing to say:
For all the parents out there, please, take a moment and read it!!!!
It is mind blowing!!! What a wonderful book, so informative, comprehensive, useful!!!
IT IS the book that makes you SEE through the eyes of a toddler!! IT IS the book that makes you THINK with the mind of a toddler!!! And after the above experiences, IT IS the book that gives true and effective solutions to the every day challenge of living and raising a toddler!!
I will just write down the 10 basics for raising a Happy Toddler, as you will find them in the book:

1. It helps to think of your toddler as a little caveman
2. Know your toddler temperament
3. Give yourself a pat on the back. Parenting is hard
4. Be an "ambassador" to your uncivilized little tot
5. Practice the "Fast-Food Rule" every day
6. Speak in your upset toddler's native lingo-Toddler-ese
7. Encourage your child's good (green-light) behavior with lots of fun interactions like:
    - time-ins, confidence builders, teaching patience, routines, planting seeds of kindness
8. Curb your child's annoying (yellow-light) behaviors
9. Put a quick halt to your child's unacceptable (red lights) behaviors
10. Prevent most tantrums or lovingly stop them in their tracks

I can report successful results with "patience stretch" and treating your toddler with respect. We're still working on every single aspect and I know it is a process that requires patience, consistency, perseverance.
And even if there are times when I feel like loosing it myself, I know for sure that with practice it will only get better.
Thank you so much, dr. Karp!!!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Persistence

He asks everyday to play the piano. He points towards the little piano in his room, I sit him on the chair and he starts "practicing".
I'm so curious to see the outcome.
If there's anything that sticked with him since birth is: FOCUS and PERSISTENCE. He is very, very tenacious in everything he's doing.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Why we chose not to childproof

Or better say, we partially childproofed. We basically childproofed two closets: both are the under the sink closets where we keep all the dish detergents etc.
The rest of the house is an open space for my little man. We made sure the sharp, dangerous kitchen utensils are not in the bottom drawers, and that's about it.
I didn't want to be very strict in childproofing because I wanted Bryce to explore and discover the world around him. I'm sure that it's a little adventure for him.
Like this morning, he opened this little door we have in the kitchen where I normally keep kitchen towels and table mats and some miscellaneous stuff. OMG, if you could only see the joy in his eyes: when he opened the door, and looked inside carefully and then went in to explore some more.
These moments are just priceless.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

How we roll @ 13 months

Here's our little schedule:

6:30-7:00 am - waking up
9:30-10:30 am - Stroller strides and snacks
11:00-12:00 pm - 1st nap
1:00 pm - lunch
2:30-3:30 pm - 2nd nap
Late afternoon - Park and snacks
7:00 pm - diner
8:00-8:30 pm - Nighty sleep

During night time, he will still wake up for feedings two to three times ( he eats somewhere in the neighborhood of 500-750 ml of milk/ night). Also, there are nights when he will just wake up and start talking for about 20-30 minutes then he will go back to sleep. :)
On Tuesdays, we've started to attend the Gymboree Play&Learn and on the days we don't make it to the park, we go to the Playroom.

Monday, September 13, 2010

The gentle barn

The gentle barn is a place where animals and kids come together. The animals in the barn are all rescued animals and the concept behind it is to offer the kids the possibility of interacting with the animals in a very cozy and natural way.
Bryce was absolutely fascinated by the whole experience: by the tall and handsome horses, the lazy pigs, the fury sheep, the fast chickens, the big and gentle cows.
He just ran around freely, tried to catch some chickens, fed some horses and combed some cows.
For us, as parents, it was a joy discovering again the animals world through a kid's eyes and being a part of the adventures of our son.
See you soon, gentle barn!



Three times

That's how many times Bryce got seek in his first year of life:

1. the croup (fever + cough)
2. mild cold (fever + runny nose)
3. mild cold mixed with teething (fever + mild diarrhea)

He handled it all well.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Bilingual even trilingual

When you are going to the park with your kid, you sure meet there all kind of other kids.
That's exactly what happened yesterday to me, when I and Bryce were playing in the sand and a bunch of kids were building sand castles in close proximity. One of them, a really cute, curly boy starts speaking with me in a perfect English, asking me if I'm Russian. I'm just amazed. How can such a small kid distinguish my accent? I asked, in return, why does he think I speak Russian. His answer: "Because I speak it". At that point, I'm more thinking to myself, yeap, kids like to invent stories, blah, blah. Soon enough, his father comes:"Nathan". The boy turns around and starts speaking Russian fluently.
I wanted to spank my inner me. How couldn't I trust the little one? And in the same time, keep talking Romanian, French and any other language, momma, 'cause these little ones know their business. :)

Friday, September 3, 2010

Re-arreaging

The other thing that Bryce is enjoying lately is finding for things a new home.
That's how:
- the car keys end up in the toilet;
- the remote in the hamper and after that in the washing machine;
- his clothes on the floor and the toys in the dresser;
- the water bottle inside the dvd closet;
- mommy's sleepers in the toys box;
Ughhh....I will become a detective, pretty soon. :))

Understanding

Bryce is chasing an orange balloon in the tv room. The ballon flies in the kitchen.
Bryce turns his head to mommy:
Mommy (in RO): Bryce, where is the balloon?
Bryce (pointing towards the kitchen): Ba!
Mommy (in RO): Bryce, go and bring mommy the balloon!!
Bryce (leaving for the kitchen) : Ba! and I could hear him touching the balloon but he didn't it bring it to me.
The understanding is there, he makes the right connections, he's very aware of what words mean, that little brain is working and developing. Every day is the witness of a new discovery.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Thoughts on motherhood

It's been more than a year since I am a MOTHER.
There are moments when I think about the meaning of this word that sometimes loses its true values.
And there are other moments when I think about myself only as a WOMAN who has her own needs, and goals and desires (and no, not in a selfish way).
For me, and now I speak only for myself, for the type of personality I have, becoming a mother was a true challenge.
There were some instinctual feelings that just kicked in when I delivered my baby, BUT there were some other feelings and tasks that I NEEDED to learn and to follow.
Sometimes, I'm kind of annoyed when I read books or articles about motherhood just being such an idyllic state of mind.
How many times being sleep deprived or just in a lot of pain was I sad? How many did I have to stop in the middle of something that was important to ME in order to attend my baby? Yes, I had to learn that I'm 2 persons in 1. And, in the future, I will be 3 persons in 1.
As a very active and independent woman who will leave the house in the morning and come home in the evening after an amazing day at work, becoming a MOTHER (when maybe you don't change your clothes for days, no hair and make-up, no interaction on a mature level) can be a bit hard, especially in the beginning, when you think that that's all there is to it. The monotony of waking up every day and doing the same thing (feeding, changing diapers, feeding, changing diapers) can make you a little bit depressed. Where is the woman in me? What happened with my freedom?
There were so many times when I felt useless or without a feeling of accomplishment.
I'm sure that there are a lot of women out there thinking :"OMG, how can you say something like that? Being a mother is so wonderful." But, I'm also sure that there are these other women (who still love their little ones enormously) but who resonate with what I've just wrote.
Looking back though, after one year of MOTHERHOOD, after 365 days of watching and helping Bryce developing, growing, becoming an individual, there is a sense of Accomplishment that could not compare with any of the jobs I did so far. IT is so palpable and alive, it's just beyond words. For some reason, I Know for sure that, the more Bryce is growing, the more challenging my job would be and the more rewarding.
I also know for sure that, when they (Bryce and his siblings) will know how to fly by themselves, mommy will need to find her old self and making it alive again.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Frustration

I was aware in a way that, as Bryce is growing, more challenges will follow, especially because he is a very strong will kid.
In the last week, I can see a very unusual pattern developing. When time comes for him to have a nap, he becomes hyper focused on different objects, can not seem to calm down, he wants to be hold but then he's pointing all over the place and fidgeting in the same time, just putting him in the crib with the bottle doesn't seem to work either, not to mention the bouncing.
So, after 10-15 minutes of all this trying, I have to admit that I get frustrated and kind of annoyed.
Soon enough, my hubby comes from his office and he puts Bryce to sleep in like 5 minutes.
How weird is that? Should I just relax or let daddy do his job? :))

I work on movies-I love movies

  • 21 grams
  • 4,3,2 - Mungiu
  • Age of innocence
  • American Beauty
  • An Education
  • Apocalypse now
  • Atonement
  • Blind Side
  • Burn after reading
  • Casino
  • Gone with the wind
  • Good fellas
  • Good Will Hunting
  • Hereafter
  • Inception
  • Julie & Julia
  • Kill Bill - vol 1
  • Kill Bill - vol 2
  • La Vita e bella
  • Mar al dentro
  • Midnight in Paris
  • Million Dollar baby
  • Mystic River
  • Nine
  • Orient, Occident
  • Panth's Labyrinth
  • Slumdog millionaire
  • Some like it hot
  • Sophie's choice
  • The bridge of Madison County
  • The departed
  • The English Patient
  • The Godfather
  • The Hours
  • The Talented Mr. Ripley
  • Train de Vie
  • Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona