Erica - My Little Girl

Wow-- Just checked blogs and realized its been months and months since I've posted -- since Ms. Erica' 2nd birthday is in four days (and I have tons to get done!! hence I'm up late) I thought I'd post about her.

1.... She SLEEPS now, at least 5-6 nights a week, if you have talked to me in the last two yrs, you'd know this was a slow slow slow process and is a HUGE thing that just occurred at about 20 months of age. We first figured out the Eczema of the ear, then at and after Disney she was up 3-4-10 times a night again, pretty regularly. Finally, her ped figured it out -- Fructose intolerance, after 1000 questions (when is it worse, better, diet etc...) we eliminated fructose....yes fructose, you know the stuff in EVERYTHING, fruit, candy (at least non organic), juice, EVERYTHING but...... with no fructose she Sleeps :). She gets 1/2 to at most 1 serving of fresh fruit a day (she actually eats veggies) and......................she sleeps, only took us 20 months to get to that point!. She is now dairy, fructose, and gluten free, but eats great! (Loves meat) and is healthy (30lbs and 32 or 33" at last check about a month ago)!! FYI - corn syrup (and high fructose corn syrup) is fructose so actually we all eat so much more healthy!

2. LOVES LOVES LOVES School - next year we will actually put her in 2 4 hr days a week, she just LOVES it so we switched schools (for both kids) she will go M,W and Caleb M, W, F...Me I'll get four hours two days a week of me, adult, non-kid time, I haven't had this in 4 1/4 years. Unless you are a SAHM its hard to understand what it takes to be with your kids day in and day out 24 hours a day with no me, adult, or I just wanna be in a bad mood and not have patience time. I can't wait for four hours 2 X a week -- it will be AMAZING!!! I Love my kids but I think I've earned 8 hrs a week of alone, non mommy time, lucky for me I have a wonderfully hubby who thinks so more than me ;)

3. She is so SMART -- I know every parent thinks this - but I think E really is, less "book smart" and more just advanced. I think Caleb probably knew colors and shapes better at this age (and honestly I worked more with him) but she is so advanced, talks in complete sentences and we have 100% verbal communication in our house. I have stopped having to "figure out what my child needs about 2 months ago, as she just tells me everything.......so nice -- if she needs something, something hurts, she is sad, mad, happy now she tells me.

4. #1 love is Caleb and they get closer and closer everyday. She had always idolized Caleb, but as her speech has sky rocketed, so has their fun. They sit in the backseat and have real conversations about what they did at school, or how to annoy me (as was the case today :) ). That being said, she is my daughter and has a mind of her own, Caleb will ask her if she wants to play something, and if she doesn't she says "NO Caleb", no matter how many times he ask.

5. She's a MOMMY'S (& Daddy's) girl. In the beginning, she was a HUGE daddy's girl (partially b/c Caleb had mommy jealously issues) but she has become a mommy's girl. She's loves both! but I'm happy to report I'm at least on par with daddy these days, and sometimes even preferred :)

6. She has dropped her #1 hip attachment -- Mommy. -- at about the time we eliminated fructose she become more open to leaving my side, seriously for over 18 months the girl wouldn't even go to grandma and she cried the entire 4 hours at school for 6-8 weeks. I'm happy to report we are past the extreme separation anxiety stage and I can once again go on dates with my hubby, go to the Doctor kid less etc.... I think grandma likes it too :).

7. She is MY daughter --- really she is just like me in all the good and bad ways. She's stubborn, knows what she wants, and has a problem giving up once she sets her mind to something. She is cute but we butt heads over her stubbornness.....on more occasions than I can count I've told Erica either stop or timeout....she decides to walk herself to timeout vs stopping....cute but oh man what do you do when a 1 yr old does that?!?....so different from Caleb, his little heart breaks if he hurts my feeling or makes me upset / sad / mad -- Erica - I think she lives to do those things! But she is cute doing it, and she knows it, which only adds to our listening problems.

and now... hopefully more about my amazing little girl to come before her birthday but I need some sleep!