Cute as a Cupcake

Someone really likes my yellow jcrew sandals.

i like how the barrette matches the cupcake.

i also like how she let it in her hair.

Well, May is here already, and we are being treated with days filled with rain and clear blue sky days filled with GLORIOUS sunshine. I'll take it! I wanted to first send a shout out to my dad. Happy May, Dad (it's his favorite month). Also, thank you SO MUCH for making our compost bins (seen above). i'm still admiring them and i think they are just perfect for us. i've been able to spend a lot of time out in the garden lately.

Along with the weather cooperating, i decided to instate a mandatory nap for Una every day. We started a little quiet time routine where we change the diaper, get in the sleep sack and read books for about 30 mins. Then i put her in the crib and tell her i will be back when nap time is over. I set the timer for one hour. If she's not asleep when the timer goes off, i go get her. Most of the time she just screams in her crib...or sings. But, today she actually fell asleep (after crying for 30 mins.). It's been 11 days since we started the routine, so i call this progress.

I had given up on her napping, ever...except for the occasional zonk out in the car, but i'm taking a parenting class through my Co-op, and they stressed how important it was for their long term memory development and that they really shouldn't be giving up naps until the age of 3. So, i bit the bullet and decided we just had to do it. Turns out, routine and the big C word (consistency) is REALLY important. And it was REALLY hard for me to start. One: because i've always been challenged on the routine and consistency part, and Two: because i have a hard time listening to her cry. i know some moms can just tune it out and it doesn't bother them, but for me, i had to get over the awful feeling that i was abandoning her. I always worried that i was scaring her emotionally. What i've learned is that you are actually bolstering them emotionally by giving them boundaries and helping them learn to fall asleep themselves. And it's true. She wakes up much happier. After a horrific month of meltdowns and severe mommy separation anxiety, in the past 2 weeks, Una is truly blossoming into a calm, articulate, independent and happy little girl. She even asks for daddy first thing in the mornings, talks about him during the day, and wants to spend more time with him. Not that she wasn't happy to see him before, it's just that i couldn't walk five feet away from her without her freaking out, or pee without her sitting on my lap.

Ted and i also took a Parenting class together recently. We started using some of the tools we learned about a month ago, and i also attribute this to Una's improvement. That along with the Co-op has been just awesome. She now has a lot more structure and a lot more socialization with kids her own age and with other adults. It's also been really good for me too. I love working my shift and getting to know the other kids and parents. The change of scene is good for both of us.