Strange Machines

Most recently, Jack and Jade have started waking up at night at the same time. Although they still take turns to wake multiple times – Jade twice to thrice and Jack anything from 3-6 times – it is usually only once a night when they wake in tandem.

But last night, twice, I ran into the bedroom to find both kids sitting up in bed beside the other, looking rather dazed. So I hugged them both and nursed them back to sleep.

Talk about a conspiracy but how cute it is to see the two of them sitting together in the dark.

Both times he decided he wanted to write something, so last week he grabbed a marker and wrote. He asked me, “Mom, what is C O O L?” I said, “cool” and he showed me his writing. I was so thrilled I kept the napkin he wrote it on. It is now on the fridge.

Today, just before bath time he asked his Dad for a marker. “I want to write, Dad,” he said.

He sat beside me (who was frantically trying to patch my WoW game to 3.3) and said, “How do I spell CAT?” I said C A T. And he wrote it. Then his Dad called him for his bath. He said “Hang on,” and told me he had a surprise for me.

He asked, “How do you spell your name?” I spelled it out for him. “Wow, that’s a long name,” he commented. “That’s why I gave you and Jade short names,” I replied.

So on an envelope, he wrote C H R i S T i N A. “Don’t look at it, Mom!” he hollered, as he ran for his bath. “It’s a surprise!”

(In other news, attempting to play WoW again despite crazy schedule.)

Me: Are you glad to have Jade in your life?

Jack nods.

Me: Why?

Jack: Because she’s so cute!

This phenomenon is apparently not new, but it certainly is funny to watch! Jade has started crawling but backwards and gets mighty ornery when she gets backed into a corner.

Meanwhile she and her brother are getting along great! Every morning she chuckles when Jack goes to say good morning to her and he watches her while I go get washed up and water the plants, wash the diapers, etc. The great thing about having 2 is that they rarely miss Mom when she has to pop away for a short while. I can often hear them laughing about something funny Jack is doing to amuse his sister.

Today she couldn’t stop laughing at him balancing on the top of the couch while her Daddy carried her. I’m glad she has a wonderful sense of humour, except when she gets backed into a corner. :p

And just like that, Jack toilet trained himself.

I think it was mid-week last week when he started telling me, “Mama I need to pee,” and managed to hold his pee, with his cheering contingent (aka me, dad, and Jade), made it to the loo, said he was ready, and peed to our exuberant joy.

Previously, he would tell me but he wouldn’t make it on time. This is because children can’t actually hold their pee (to make that trip to the bathroom) till they are 3+. But he never gave up and one day it just happened!

And it continued…

“Mama I need to pee,” he’d exclaim and we’d hustle ourselves to the bathroom excitedly and watch him pee, close the lid, flush, and wash hands with soap.

And now at home, he doesn’t need a diaper anymore. I am so proud of him! He did it all by himself.

Today while flipping through a copy of Reader’s Digest, I came across a comment by Reese Witherspoon about respecting your kids.

That evening I tried it out with Jack. When he misbehaved, I took him aside and told him not to do it again and amazingly he obeyed!

He went back and apologised and promised not to do it again very contritely.

The point was to not humiliate him in front of others and he really appreciated that.

Thanks Reese for the helpful advice!

Just one day after I cremated my Boy, I went into labour. Sunday morning my water broke and after a 17 hour labour (4 hours 2nd stage) without epidural – damn thing didn’t work – my little Jade entered this world kicking and screaming. She’s got a full head of hair and her Daddy’s features. She has been smiling since her very first day in the world.

After a week of phototherapy, we brought her home. She presented Jack with an Ikea cat and they have been best pals ever since. We have to remind him to be gentle around her but the tandem nursing (which takes some practice at the angling) and the present and the many months of positive reinforcement about his sister helped him accept her almost immediately.

She doesn’t cry much except for food and never for a wet diaper or attention, although she is immensely curious. She loves to smile at me when I call her. She brings us much joy as her brother does.

After one of the roughest and exhausting nights in my nursing history when Jack nursed almost every hour on my completely sore and exhausted nipples (and howling as if the world was ending if he didn’t receive any – “I really really want NAN!”), Jack cheered me with a lovely conversation about me not going back to work.

His Dad asked him, “How about Mom goes back to work and then we have more money to buy you more toys?”

He looked at me and said, “No, I want Mom to look after me. I have enough toys. See,” gesturing to his stuffed animals on the cot. “I have so many friends.”

Then he hugged me. :`)

Recently I’ve been too beat to get up – that 38 week exhaustion – but Jack, now almost 3 and wired like an Energizer bunny, loves to play. Here’s how I’ve been coping, all achieved lying down:

1. Read to toddler in bed

Cuddle together with a bunch of books he picked and read to him while he lies under your arm.

2. Play hide and seek

Round up his stuffed friends and man one of them. Stuffed friend hides in the blankets, pillows, anywhere easy to find,  within your arm’s reach, while he seeks. Then they can take turns.

3. Play the Zoo game

Round up his stuffed friends again and discuss with him which ones can pretend to be zoo animals, the rest can be visitors. Make the requisite ooh sounds when the visitors see the zoo animals. Zoo animals can show off by swimming or prancing.

4. Play educational games on iTouch

There are a ton of great educational games on the iTunes app store for a steal. Some he can play by himself, others like Hidden Everest, he can play with you. You could doze or enjoy a fun treasure hunt or cheer him on as he wins in a game.