22 Months

Another fashion statement with her notorious froggy boots:)

Chillin in mommy's glasses

Following Papa on the way to search for strawberries 

 More strawberry picking

"Oh I wuv you icekeem"

 Lunch at Papa's Pizza!  I don't fit in the tunnels near as easily as I used to!

 Boo!

 I love my home 

 Ready, set.......

 Shoot!  I was quite impressed with her form.

Fun times with cousin Beatrice

 The girls are so cute together.  It makes their mommies proud!

A visit to Philomath High School before they begin tearing it down

 The halls seem awful big to a little girl

 Nothing but net

 She can spend 30 or 40 minutes throwing her favorite yellow ball

 Again, nice form!

 Pretty blessed

Watching kids at the park 

Excited about the slide 

Fun times with Auntie 

Loving on zozo 

Don't you just want to eat her up? 

My talented Sister-in-law took some family pictures of us this month and you can view them here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.223884617631179.64238.100000289267332&l=c126ab676f

Oh summer!  Where are you?  Being the outside creatures that Sierra and I are - this weather really stinks!  We still manage to make it outside once a day (unless it absolutely pours all day) but come on sun.  Our garden looks pathetic except for the peas which Sierra is very excited about.  And my corn actually did come up.  I was kind of shocked.  We've got beans, squash, corn, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, artichokes, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and cukes.  Sierra has been quite a helper this year - and I only hope that the weather will cooperate enough to give us a bountiful harvest. 

 

It's amazing how much different things are this year.  Last year I had to stick so close to her because she still was a bit wobbly on uneven ground, and there were many things that looked interesting enough to want to put in her mouth.  Our garden did not do so well because of this - but this year she can help pull weeds, plant seeds, and be several yards away, and as long as I can see her I know she's fine.  She can identify pokey's (blackberry bushes and thistles) and knows to avoid them and is also aware that dog doo is something we DON'T want to step in.  I am thrilled that she enjoys being outdoors and even more thrilled that my Western Garden Book is one of her favorite current reads.  Every day after her nap she lugs the giant book around, instructs me to sit, and we go through it together.  She points at the pokey cactuses, the apples, melons, peas, and tells me all the colors of the flowers.  It brings me great joy.

 

After several months of struggling with discipline - and trying to come up with something that worked - Sierra had her first time out.  I was terrified.  She had refused to listen to me several times in about a 20 minute period, and threw a fit because she did not get her way.  I had decided that I was going to give time outs a try.  I marched her to a round chair in her play room, sat her on it, and told her she needed to sit there until she could calm down and listen to me, and then I left.  I expected a total meltdown and that I'd have to put her back in the chair 50 times.  But she immediately calmed down.  After about 40 seconds (this seems quick but you are supposed to start small) I walked in and asked if she was ready to listen.  She said no and proceeded to get out of the chair, so I placed her back in the chair and repeated that she needed to stay.  40 seconds later - I asked her again if she was ready to listen and this time she said yes.  So I helped her up, and she went about her business. 

 

Later that day after her nap (a generally grumpy time of day for her) she got really upset about something and said, "I sit in chair."  I wasn't really sure how to react, but I walked her in and sat her in the chair and again left the room.  She calmed right down and eventually I heard her voice call to me, "All better now mommy."  I was still in disbelief that my almost two year old child got the concept so quickly and recognized that she was out of control on her own, and literally put herself in time out.  It's worked quite well since then, sometimes she asks for a time out, and I of course put her in time out too, but she always calms down right away.  So for now, it's working.  It's not that she never throws fits now, and always minds me because of this, but if she gets out of control, it really does help her collect herself.  We may have to adjust as time goes on, but I'm pretty proud of her.

 

Some of Sierra's favorite activities right now include playing with play dough (sometimes we do this 4 or 5 times a day), throwing a ball up and down the driveway, coloring, pretending to make me soup, sandwiches, and tea in her kitchen, reading, and going to town.  If I say we are going to go to town she is headed to the door to find her shoes.  She loves going to the park, grandma and grandpa's house, or even just to the store.  And she has gotten a lot better at staying in the shopping cart instead of wanting to run wildly through the store (daddy does play chase with her in the aisles if he comes along though).  She's growing up in so many ways and I am so proud of her.  There are many things I want to hold onto forever though.  She is such a little love bug and I dread the day that she doesn't want me to hug and kiss on her.  She is generous with her I love you's and recently started stating "Oh mommy wuvs me"  when I squeeze her.  It was so special when she started being able to say that she loved me, but for some reason the first time she uttered those words, I had to try hard not to bawl.  After all isn't that what we as parents work so hard for - for our children to realize how much we love them.  So when she whispers those words, I just want to hold her there forever.  I hope that no matter what life throws at us in the years to come - that she will ALWAYS remember that her mommy (and daddy, and grandparents, and great grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and soooo many people) wuvs her so much!

21 Months

My little fashionista.  At least she matches her froggy pj's with froggy boots:)

 First we dig our fingers in the mud

 Then we marvel at the beautiful mud

 Then we rinse it off in the mud puddle

 Sometimes it doesn't all come off so we ask mom for help

 Fun with daisies

 And dandelions

 A little spittle and dandelion fuzz anyone?

 Mother's Day

 Four generations!

Helping mommy fill up pots 

Crazy after bath hair

Her hair is seriously out of control 

Helping water 

She loved these lilacs!  Couldn't stop smelling them. 

Happy, silly, Sierra 

I get this look more and more these days! 

It's been quite a month!  We've got this potty thing down!  Sierra now tells us when she has to go potty (she still says poo poo whether or not she has to go pee pee or poo) and rarely has accidents of either kind.  She is dry after nap time and recently has been dry in the morning too.  We can go to town in panties and she uses big potties at other people's houses or in the store without a problem.  It has been quite a journey but boy has it paid off.   Diapers are a thing of the past.  Our wallet and the environment are both cheering us on.  Well done family of 3!

I've always been so proud of how fearless (this worries me sometimes also) and confident Sierra is.  I would kind of pat myself on the back at times when I would see another child cowering at something while I watched Sierra take on the world with open arms.  And then one day there came a loud noise.  We were at my grandma's house and Sierra was playing with an old organ.  It doesn't work right and most of the keys make no sound at all.  But we discovered on a fateful day during her 21st month, that the percussion beat function of the organ works.  And it works well.  Sierra was busy playing and pushed a button that started the drums.  It was so loud that you could feel it.  I was right there but didn't know which button she had pushed.  As she was literally trying to crawl inside of me she whimpered, "No red button."  So I found the red button, pushed it, and all was quiet.  After peeling her off of me I told her we would listen to it again but not so loudly this time.  I turned it back on and clapped and danced in hopes of getting her past the trauma.  It did not work.  After that, anything remotely loud scared the daylights out of her.  We had a week where she was permanently attached to my legs. 

Despite the fact that we live in the country, the main road out here is a shortcut for trucks running loads from Alsea to Eugene.  There is a lot of truck traffic.  We cannot see it, but when they come down the hill and use their jake breaks, it is pretty loud.  Loud enough to worry Sierra.  After 20 months of being totally oblivious to the sound, she would run and leap into my lap every time a truck went by.    She spent about a week glued to me, aware of every tiny little sound; the water heater switching on, the dryer, even a truck on mickey mouse clubhouse sent her running.  I did my best to explain sounds and tell her that we just hear them with our ears and they cannot hurt us.  After several weeks, she is doing much better.  She is still very aware of sounds and asks, "What's that?" often but doesn't usually come running to me unless it's a pretty big sound. 

Despite the recent fear of sounds, she is not afraid of much else.  I try to work hard every day to create a confident child.  I've spent so much of my life being insecure and have been afraid to try new things or do things I'd really like to do.  My wish for Sierra is that she will be confident enough to pursue whatever dreams she has.  I don't want her to be afraid to fail.  I know so many of us are, and it may be an impossible wish, but I am going to try my hardest.  Whether it's encouraging her to sing at the top of her lungs, dance through the house, stick her fingers in the mud, hold a potato bug or worm, or scurry after a snake or lizard.  I cannot pretend to know exactly how to help create this confident being - but it is my mission.  I don't care what she chooses to be, I just want her to pursue her greatest loves in life. 

That being said, I realize there has to be some middle ground.  While I don't want her to be timid and afraid, I don't want her to be carefree and unaware that there are dangers around her.  Of coarse as a mommy you have moments where you want your baby to stay innocent forever - blissfully unaware that there is pain and cruelty in the world.  But there are both of those things in this world, and it's terrifying to realize that at many points in your child's life they will witness those things.  So our job as parents is to be here to comfort them but also teach them how to handle these situations when you aren't there.  What a scary job!  Please don't let me screw this up (that's pretty much my prayer every day:)!  And in trying to teach Sierra to be confident and unafraid, I'm trying to be those things as well.  After all, I am her role model, until she's at least 3 anyway:)  So when she asks me to sing Wheels on the Bus as we are walking through the grocery store, I do.  Maybe not loudly, but I do it.  I try to not complain about my flaws or point out the flaws of strangers under my breath.  When a bug flies into my hair I try not to scream and run through the field hitting myself in the head.  For those of you that know me well, this is the hardest of all!  I'm trying to show her that this world is a beautiful place bugs and all.  The interesting thing is, in trying to show her this, I'm finding beauty in unexpected places myself.  Thank you Sierra.  Thank you for making your mommy want to be a better human being.

20 Months

A fun day with mommy and daddy at the bounce house!

Daddy had a little bit of fun too:)

Happy in a new dress

Daddy put all these in her hair thinking maybe she would leave one in. 

Not so.

Yay a sunny day!  Helping with flowers.

My tulips and hyacinths lasted about 3 seconds.

Stepping on some oak balls (not sure of their scientific name;)

Easter!

Another busy month came and went.  We are still working on potty training.  #2 continues to be tricky, but Sierra is doing a lot better about not holding it all day.  We've had a few nice days and we were all so happy to go outside and spend some time in the sun.  I try to take her out at least once a day, even on rainy days.  There tends to be a lull in the rain after her nap, so we put on our boots and head out to do some puddle stomping.  I cannot wait until the weather gets better.  I know that we live in Oregon, and after growing up here I should be used to the rain.  I am not.  By February I am ready to pack up and move to another state.  I do enjoy our summers though - and love how green this part of Oregon is. 

Now that Sierra's teeth are through - her sweeter side is shining through again.  Four teeth in a short time has been pretty rough on all of us.  I was starting to really question my parenting skills.  I was afraid that I was doing something wrong and it was causing her to act out.  Luckily after those mean teeth came through - things began to go back to normal.  She still throws fits every so often, like a normal child, but they aren't every 10 minutes!  Thank goodness.  Next up are her 2 year molars.  Then she should be done for a long time.  Phew!

Easter was so fun this year.  Sierra was really into finding eggs.  For some reason I was surprised at how quickly she picked it up.  I thought she would find one egg, and be happy to eat or play with whatever was inside of it.  But once she found one, she had to keep going and wanted more, more, more!  The day before Easter we headed to town and went to an egg hunt at Stoneybrook Village (a local retirement home).  We were 2 minutes late, and the children had already been unleashed when we walked in.  There were not age divisions so all of the big kids had about 30 eggs in their baskets and the little ones had none.  One nice lady gave Sierra some of her daughters, and she was able to find a few more on her own.  She also got to meet the Easter Bunny.  All of the kids around her were backing up and their parents were trying to go get them to go get a picture with the bunny.  But they were apparently terrified of the giant rabbit.  Not Sierra.  She ran right up to him, showed him her eggs, gave him a hug, and kiss on the nose.  I was so proud of her!  We went to several other hunts before ending at Great Grandma's house where she also hid a few eggs for Sierra.  She had a blast and I think she may think that she needs eggs every time she goes to GG's! 

We spent Easter morning at church.  Sierra loves church, mostly because after my dad is done singing, he takes her downstairs for children's church.  She is very good during the music, but at the end of each song she says, "OK!  Downstairs now?"  She loves to pretend to sing along and clap to the music.  After church we visited both sets of grandparents and had a lovely meal at my parents house.  It was a really nice weekend!

This is going to be a pretty short post considering I'm kind of behind and need to get started on her next month already.  Mostly this month was still really dedicated to potty training - but we can now see and end in sight, and are pretty proud of how far she has come.