In my work world, and incident is defined as an interruption to service. In my mommy world an incident is when someone at day care gets hurt and a form is filled out that I have to sign. In the last 2 weeks I've lost count of the total I've found in Rachel's "paper pocket" that hangs on the wall at day care. Let's just say there have been more days these past few weeks WITH an incident report than days WITHOUT.
The first one, she bit someone, which floored all of us. The next one, she got a bruise because the day care teacher driving the buggy cart they were riding in pinched her against the door (she felt horrible!), there was another bump on the head (she fell down), pinched a kid's finger for taking her toy and then today's, which kind of made me laugh. Her teacher lifted Rachel's shirt and showed me the perfectly round teeth marks left on Rachel's back. Apparently Rachel took another little girl's toy, so the girl bit her. What goes around comes around! I don't know if it was the same little girl that Rachel bit, but I think she's even now.
The report yesterday had me concerned because her teacher wasn't there and I wanted to hear what happened. So I went up to the office to ask about it and was told that the little boy's finger that she pinched actually belongs to one of the directors' sons. She was the one talking with me and told me it's not a big deal, toddlers at that age just don't have all their words yet so they express their frustrations by biting, kicking, scratching, spitting, etc. They are all doing it, it's very typical for this age, don't worry about it.
Would you believe it when I said the last 3 weeks with Rachel have been pleasant? As in I haven't dreaded picking her up and taking her home for fear of the tantrums, fits and screams that would ensue because I've decided to look at her. I won't lie: I've honestly been afraid of my child. It's like a light has been switched. Now the most annoying thing she does is whine when she wants something. And I'll be honest that there are times where I'll bribe her into doing something else so I don't have to tell her no and can avoid a tantrum. Not always, but there are times. But when we get home she chatters, communicates (mostly), giggles, plays, and gives me so many hugs and kisses without me asking her!
This morning when I woke her up she snuggled on me so I laid on the couch for about 10 minutes. It was 10 minutes I truly didn't have and yes, I was late to work this morning. But it was so worth it to feel her laying on my chest, halfway falling back asleep and grunting when she thought I was moving to get up. It feels so good to have a child that now wants to be around me and wants me to play with her instead of clinging to me out of necessity and not hardly giving me room or space to breathe. I wouldn't say being a parent is an easier, but I will say that it's certainly more pleasant than it has been in the past several months (year?!)
Yesterday I remembered to pick her up some little hair clips and hair bands to put her hair into pony tails. I can almost get her hair into two very, very tiny pony tails. However, it works better if I just put it in the one. Unfortunately, it does hurt to keep her hair in a pony tail all day, so I try not to put it up that way more than one day in a row to save her poor head. She won't let me put a barrette in still, and the clips don't seem to stay in long....they either fall out or she pulls them out. But it's in her face enough that I do need to keep it pulled back.
I think it's almost daily now that she'll point to something or say a new phrase out of the blue. One day as I picked her up she pointed to a toy and said, "bus!". Sure enough, it was a bus.
Yesterday as I gave her a bath I started flinging water at her head to get her hair wet since she was by the running faucet and she yelled, "Stop it!" That was a new one.
She did start calling Geri "Gamma" while she was here this week....although she still calls anyone who could pick her up "Mommy".....sometimes she even calls daddy that!
Tonight as she stood at the top of the stairs preparing to throw her ball down the stairs I heard to count to five. If you didn't know what she was saying, you wouldn't realize she's counting because the words aren't formed right. But you can tell by her inflection and her attempt to pronounce each number that she's counting. I was impressed!
Sunday as Geri was packing up her car to head downtown to her conference I was trying to help her gather her stuff and could hear Rachel playing in the utility room. I heard squeals of laughter and chatter, so I knew she was fine. Geri went to get a hug and say goodbye to her when I hear Geri call out, "Uh, mommy? You might want to come see this..." I walk in and peer down the stairs and find the cause of the excitement. Rachel had thrown a pair of my shoes and several articles of clean clothes I had just pulled from the dryer down the stairs and thought that was so fun. You really can't blame her. If I didn't have to pick it back up, I'd throw stuff down the stairs too. It is a good time! To keep her from falling, I handed her the items that had been thrown down the stairs and had her put them back in the laundry basket. She does do a really good job of picking up items she throws or spills when they aren't done on purpose. It's when she throws them in anger that she gets into trouble, and she knows it. Thankfully, she doesn't do that as often.
Saturday while Jason was still home and Geri was here we were all moving about the house doing whatever it was we were doing and Rachel was acting really sleepy. She had her blanket and pacifier and was laying in the utility room kicking the dryer....because let's face it, that's also a good time. She had gotten fussy, we could tell she was tired, so we just let her lay there. A little while later I could still see her feet sticking out from the dryer, but realized she hadn't moved for a few minutes. Jason and Geri went to check up on her and sure enough she'd fallen asleep. Yup, on the cold, hard tile floor next to the dog bowl and the dryer. We think because the dryer was going and making a consistent thumping noise and the fact that it was warm in there she just got comfy and fell asleep. Once I knew she was out, I scooped her up and put her in her bed. Geri got a photo of it, and it's hilarious!
I don't have any new photos right now to post. She's still adorable!
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