Countdown to "The Comeback" and another funny Elliot story

We are counting down. Only 8 more days. I am doing my first run since Brody was born next Saturday. I am a little nervous- I have trained up to 3.5 miles, but I haven't made it to the 4 mile mark. I am sure that I will do OK, but I would really like to be able to do a 4 mile run at least one time before Saturday. We will see how it goes...this course has a HUGE hill 3 miles into the 4 mile course that I am not looking forward to. I will just continue to putt putt along until I finish!! Wish me luck!!

Now for another funny story about Elliot- so we had a salesman come this week to give us an estimate on new carpet. The guy had a little bit of an accent so I asked him if he was from Jersey. He said to me, "Why does it always have to be Jersey? No, I'm from New York."

So he definitely had the New York accent but he was a super nice guy. We were chatting with him and he was telling us some horror stories (like how he went into a house and the whole room that the lady wanted new carpet in was covered in cat sh*t- so much for cleaning your carpets- just buy new ones) and getting a little animated. I guess he kept getting louder and finally Elliot looked up at Mark and said, "Daddy, turn his mouth off."

Yeah- right in front of the guy. Luckily he had told us he had an 18 month at home so I just told him to wait another year and he will be in the same boat as us!!

Big Mouth

We were eating lunch at Fuddruckers today- if you haven't been there, there is a lot of stuff on the walls- lots of pictures and knick knacks of all sorts. There was a picture of Mick Jagger singing behind our table. Elliot being the observant kid that he is saw the picture and said, "He's gonna eat that ball!"

Well, maybe he is, I mean, his mouth is pretty big...

The things Elliot says

Elliot is starting to say something funny or cute on a pretty regular basis now. I am going to try to write them down so that 15 years down the road, I can tell Elliot that he really said this stuff!

So a couple of days ago, Elliot and I were in the bathroom. I was talking to him about how big boys use the potty, and if he wanted to be a big boy, he should go poopy on the potty. He replied, "I can't!"

I asked him why he couldn't and he said to me, "Because I said so!"

I guess I have said that to him a few times when he asks me why. They really do listen and learn from you, don't they!

My First- "Kids Say the Cutest Things" Moment

This last Tuesday night we were all in the car driving to Target. Elliot was in the backseat watching a movie as usual, I was riding and Mark was driving. We were on a divided highway, so there was a car in the right lane passing us. I looked over and saw an old beater truck with a really rough looking guy driving. He was probably in his early 50's with stringy, unkept salt and pepper hair, and a long straggley beard to match. As he was passing, he was puffing away on a cigarette. I thought to myself he looked rough, but didn't think any more about it.

About 30 seconds later, I hear out of the backseat, "He's got a crayon in his mouth!"
Of course, Mark and I started laughing, and so I asked him what color the crayon was and he said, "Orange!" (The color of the filter)

We told Elliot that it was in fact a crayon, now we just have to make sure that he doesn't try to do it!!! He was so proud of himself that he figured it out, and you could tell that he put some thought into it because it was well after the guy passed us. It just amazes me how those little brains work!

Torpedo tummy

I had Mark take a couple of pictures of me and my ever-increasing stomach. I am now 32 weeks along- only 8 more weeks to go. I can't tell you how much paranoia I have that I am going to have this baby any day. I keep telling myself that more people are overdue than premature, but my wonderful imagination doesn't seem to listen to common sense.

I am starting to have all of those old feelings that I felt the first time around which made me question if I would ever go through this whole pregnancy thing again. My feet and toes swell up like little sausages- that will be my next post- you can see my super hot sock lines. I am finding it harder to move and do anything, and if I ever drop something on the floor, I always hope that someone else is standing close by so that they will take sympathy on me and pick up whatever I dropped.

My body is also preparing for the joys of newborn night-waking too- I wake up almost every hour to get up and go to the bathroom. Add Elliot to the mix of waking up and I might as well kiss a good night's sleep goodbye!

I must continue to remember- "This too shall pass" and before you know it I am going to be putting posts on here of how #2 moved to a big boy bed and is sleeping in the hallway with his older brother!!

Oh yeah, and please don't mind the deodorant marks on the shirt I am wearing. I guess it could be worse, at least I am wearing deodorant.

It won't be long...

I am now 8 1/2 weeks away from my due date and everyday something gets harder and harder to do. Now just going to bed and rolling from one side to the other is like running a 5K. I have to say that this pregnancy is easier to handle because I know that I will instantly feel better after I have this little guy. For those of you that haven't had the opportunity to feel what it is like to have a baby in the middle of your body, it basically feels like you have some big rods going through your stomach that don't allow you to bend over or move very easily. It just feels like this huge "thing" is in the way of everything you do.

I am really looking forward to being able to get back to the routine of running (even though I don't go very fast). I was in Madison on Friday, so I went into Endurance House (a running store) and just looked around. It made me really want to be able to get out there and just go for a run. I just keep telling myself, it will be soon enough! Until then I will have to live vicariously through Erin and Jen and cheer them on at their triathalon! Go girls!!

Hallway Sleeper Update

It has now been two weeks since we took the front off the crib. Elliot is still sleeping in the hallway. As my BFF Erin pointed out, he did learn it from me, which is true because my parents have numerous pictues of me sleeping in random places when I was a little kid. Please understand, I am in no way complaining about the fact that Elliot sleeps in the hallway! I am actually very pleasantly suprised with how well the transition has gone.

We are still using the light on a timer to signal when Elliot can get up in the morning and he is really following it! He gets it! It amazes me that a 2.5 year old can grasp concepts like that, but I suppose I shouldn't be amazed.

Onto another funny story about Elliot, Mark lifted him up onto his shoulders one day and Elliot looked down at the top of Marks head. He looked for a while and then said, "Daddy, where'd your hair go?"

Mark told him that it fell out once he had him! Where do kids get this stuff?!?!?

No Story Needed

When I walked to Elliot's room to perform the nightly routine of putting him in bed after he falls asleep in the hall, this is what I found.

Nice.

The Neverending Saga of the Hallway Sleeper

It has only been a week. I have to keep telling myself, it has only been a week. This whole big bed thing is new and exciting and all I can hope is that someday the novelty will wear off and Elliot will sleep in his bed like a normal child.



Mark was home yesterday, so he had the joy of dealing with Elliot at naptime. I made sure to warn him that it took a lot of patience during naptime, because he is a whole different beast during the day. Mark did have his work cut out for him, he laid down right outside Elliot's room to make sure that he stayed in his room. After a few attempts at a breakout- Elliot got quiet. Mark assumed maybe he was relaxing, so he waited a while before he peeked in the room. Once he finally peeked, he found Elliot wearing his Lightning McQueen "crocs" with big chew marks in them sitting next to a plastic bag for putting dirty diapers in that was also chewed up. After a stern talking to, Elliot cried for a little bit and finally fell asleep.

Nighttime was another adventure- getting Elliot to go to bed isn't too bad, everytime we put him to bed, he immediately gets out and lays in the hallway. We decided that we would just ignore him when he does this, and let him fall asleep where he wants too. After a while when we know he is asleep, we put him back into bed and turn ourselves in for the night. Last night I got up at 2:00 to go to the bathroom and tiptoed to Elliot's room to see if he was still in bed where I left him. Nope. In the hallway. I put him back into bed. I woke up again at 4:30, you guessed it, in the hallway.

I had to get ready for work at 5:00 am, so I did my normal routine, and periodically checked down the hall to make sure that Elliot was staying in place. Around 5:30 we wasn't in his normal spot, so I looked a little further and found him in the living room playing with his trains. I told him he had to go back to his room to wait for the turtle light to come on, and I would be in the kitchen. After some protest, I walked into the kitchen to get my lunch ready. Elliot was going in and out of his room, and at a glance, I noticed that he had taken his pants off. Oh well, he was still going to wait for the light. Then he flashed in the hallway again and I realized that he had not only taken his pants off, he had gotten his diaper off too.

Needless to say, Elliot didn't make it in his room until the turtle light came on. We will try again tomorrow...

My View from the Bedroom

This is a picture of my view from the bedroom. We have a split ranch, so the two kids rooms are on the other end of the house. This is what I see when I get up at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 am to relieve my continuously shrinking bladder. I am always looking to see if there is a little head poking out from the left side of the doorway, because that is what seems to be Elliot's thing.

I have to say, I had an Easter blessing on Sunday morning- Elliot was great, waited for the light to turn on and made it through the whole night. Last night wasn't so great. At 2:00 am I hear the pitter patter of little feet coming down the hallway. Then he just stands right outside our bedroom door and doesn't say anything. It is actually a little creepy! So I walked him back to his room, and ended up having to sit outside the room for about 40 minutes before he fell back to sleep.

I woke up this morning and hear Elliot starting to stir over the intercom, but I crossed my fingers and hoped that he would remember to "wait for the light." I got into the shower at 5:00 and periodically hear Elliot chattering over the intercom, I couldn't really tell if he was in his room or in the hallway, but I knew he had to be close because the intercom was picking him up. Well, when I walked out to the rest of the house at 5:40 I walked towards his room and was suprised when I didn't see him in the hallway, and then I heard a noise behind me.... I looked and there was my little wanderer, under the kitchen table!! I have to admit, I was quite suprised to see him there and we had a nice long talk. I hoped that the talk did some good.

I dont' think the talk really worked. We put Elliot to bed tonight, and after about an hour, I finally when and picked him up out of the hallway where he had fallen asleep and put him to bed. I just keep wondering when this kid is going to decide to use his bed!! I have to look at the bright side though, he isn't coming into the room asking to climb into bed with me! We will see how tonight goes...

It's 5 am and he's laying in the hallway

Oh, my child. I am reading the book, "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Harvey Karp and according to that book, Elliot's temperment could be considered "spirited." Let me tell you, he sure is.

So today is Sunday, and Wednesday night was the first night that Elliot slept in a big boy bed. The first night went suprisingly OK- he stayed in his bed and he came to our room at 5 am. The next night he came to his door once, and came into our room at 4 am. The third night, he kept getting out of his bed, so I finally went in his room with him and laid there until he fell asleep. Then he came into our room at 3, so I had to go lay with him again.

Yesterday was quite the fun adventure. According to a lot of stuff I have read, a good way to handle a child that won't stay in their crib is to continue to take them back to bed without saying anything to them or making any eye contact with them. For Elliot's naptime, I put him down at noon, determined to follow through with the plan, because the other key is consistency. I had to have taken him back to his room over 50 times between noon and 1:24. Finally at 1:24 I had enough, and it didn't look like there was going to be any end in sight, so I locked the door and shut it. Sounds kind of mean, doesn't it? I let him cry for 20 minutes and suddenly he stopped. I gave it a few more minutes before I went to his room and unlocked the door. When I open the door it wouldn't move; Elliot had cried himself to sleep in front of the door. I got the door opened and put him in bed, and he took a good nap after that.

I am sure you are asking, "So how did the night go then?" Well, suprisingly, it went really well! Mark and I talked it through before bedtime so we were both on the same page as far as our game plan. We were going to put him to bed, and if he got out, we would put him back silently and gently. I put Elliot to bed, and as I was walking out the door, he was climbing out of bed. I went and sat down and Mark said, "OK, give it a few minutes."

So, Elliot laid in the hallway for 4 minutes and Mark went and put him back to bed. We did this same scenario 3 more times, waiting a little longer in between each time to go get him. After the fourth time, he put himself to bed and went to sleep!! I really couldn't believe it considering how horribly naptime had gone.

I woke up at 5 am this morning, and looked down the hall, and there laid Elliot, on the floor in the hallway. I got up to go to the bathroom at 4, and he wasn't there, so I know he hasn't been there too long, but he hasn't come to our room! I am waiting to see if another thing we are trying is working; we put a light on a timer and told him when the light comes on, he can come into our room. That light should be going on in 3 minutes. I am anxiously waiting to see if a 29 month old child can comprehend the concept of "waiting for the light."

And the verdict is: He came walking in at 6:04 saying, "Here I am!"
I asked him if the turtle light came on and he said, "Yeah!"
Oh my gosh, I think my child is growing up.

In the Kitchen...

Elliot has been having some good days sleeping- and it is funny how he is able to do it. The last post I said that I told him I was in the kitchen. He has grabbed onto that one and is sticking with it! Every night now when I walk him to bed he says, "Mommy's in the kitchen."

I say, "Yup, I'm in the kitchen." And he smiles and lays down. He keeps saying I'm in the kitchen and I keep saying yup as I walk out the door and everything seems to be OK. Let's just hope that he doesn't actually figure out that I'm really not in the kitchen all night long!

We had an exciting weekend- Elliot got to go to two! Easter egg hunts on Saturday. The first egg hunt was at a local grocery store. Well, it started at 7:00 and Mark was still at work so he told me he would stop by. All morning I had been telling Elliot that we were going to go on an Easter egg hunt and he kept saying, "No, I no go get Easter eggs." So I told him we were going to meet Daddy and Daddy was going to have his police car and then he was all excited. He kept saying, "Oh! Daddy's Police Car!!" He had a great time collecting candy and loved it that Dad was along with.

Then we went to the Easter egg hunt that the PD puts on for all the kids of the employees. By the second egg hunt, Elliot had figured out that he had to make a run for it to collect eggs. He did a great job getting candy. Then after he was done, he decided to chase a little 4 year old girl around the room. I think Mark was quite proud at that moment.

Oh that little boy keeps us busy!

So when do toddlers begin to think rationally?

We are still dealing with sleep issues here with our almost 2 1/2 year old. Two nights ago out of the blue, he wouldn't lay down to go to sleep. We have never had a problem with him initially laying down! Night waking, yes, but laying down, no! So I ended up laying in his bedroom with him until he fell asleep, then I had to go in again at 2:00 and again at 4:00. It is funny, I really don't mind it much right now, I have a nice big body pillow and the floor is pretty cozy, but I don't think I going to be wanting to do that when the baby comes in 3 months.

I am a big fan of googling the problem to figure out how to solve it and I came across this website: http://parents.berkeley.edu/ It is a great website to read other parent's thoughts and ideas about all sorts of things. I have to say, I made it one of my favorites and I think I will refer to it frequently! Anyway, while I was reading I saw a parent had posted that they tell their two year old they have to go do something and they will be right back, and then continue to periodically check on them, telling them they will be right back. Eventually the child falls asleep because they are comfortable with the fact that the parent will be returning. When I read this I thought that it may work, because in all my efforts, I eventually have to tell Elliot that I have to go get my pillow. He immediately stops crying and waits for me. I can be gone for a while and he is fine with it. (That little manipulator) So I figured I would give it a try.

So last night when I went to put E down, he started to put up the same fuss, he didn't want to lay down. I told him that it was time to go to bed and I would just be in the kitchen. (I thought I would try that first, not giving him the idea that I would come back) Would you believe it, he laid down and went to sleep? So he woke up again at 11:45, I went and sat with him for 10 minutes and then told him again I would be in the kitchen and he stopped fussing and laid down again! Where is the rationale in that? He doesn't like it if I say I have to go to bed, but he is fine if I am in the kitchen.. Hmmmm- hope we dont' have a chauvanist on our hands!!

Anyway, I will keep trying to see what works, but it sure seems that the less rational the better!

Kids...

I was under the false impression that as Elliot was getting older, he was getting easier. What I didn't realized until yesterday was that he doesn't get easier to deal with- his issues just change. After I put Elliot to bed on Wednesday, he decided to wake up at 11:30. He then chose not to go to bed until 3:00 a.m. He kept saying he was scared, but would not tell me what he was scared of. Needless to say, I was pretty worn out. The funny thing is, it isn't because I didn't get the normal sleep I usually do, it was because of all the worry I was doing about how I was going to make it better.

You know, I think that is the hardest part about being a mom (at least for me). I worry about everything. All the time. I spent all night and all of yesterday worrying about how the night was going to go. And last night Elliot woke up again. I am so thankful to Mark, he willingly watched Elliot while I tried to get some sleep, but I just couldn't sleep. My anxiety and adrenaline was going crazy! I knew that Mark was capable of taking care of Elliot, but all kinds of thoughts run through my mind.

How long is this going to last?
What happens if Elliot won't sleep on his own anymore?
How are we going to deal with this when baby #2 comes?
How do I help him if he is scared of something?
What happens if I never get sleep again?

As you can see, I am a planner, and I think long term. Really long term. I just can't take the day as it comes. I have to learn to tell myself that everything is going to be OK, I have to learn that this does not last forever, but when you are caught up in the moment it seems like forever. I hope and pray that tonight will be better, and I guess, if not, I will be camping out on Elliot's floor again...

Running? Not Anymore...

So, I found out I was pregnant a little bit before Thanksgiving, and that is where the running ended. As soon as I was pregnant, I got so sick that I just couldn't run. Basically, I couldn't do anything! All I could manage to do all day was lay around the house and watch my son from the couch. What a miserable feeling! So I am now 18 weeks pregnant and have gained 6 pounds so far. Oh that is good, you say. Maybe not. My first post was about finishing my first 10K, well, that was when I was 3 weeks pregnant, and I haven't done a lick of exercising since then. So, I think my low weight gain is because I lost all my muscle!

I have a goal for after my pregnancy, but I really don't know if it is going to be something that I can actually achieve. I am going to have to see how the labor and delivery goes and make a decision from there. I am due at the end of June and I do the annual Wo Zha Wa run in the middle of September. It is 4 miles. Can I do it? I am going to try....