I am setting up another place for posting future posts that will have both Renee and Max. The URL is not decided yet.
Age of 'No'
Renee has reached to wonderful age of 'no'. She says no to a lot of things, such that sometimes it really gets on my nerve. Lian keeps pointing out to me that I need to react only on the big things and let the small things go, including things like sitting properly by the table while eating, or not playing with the 5-foot broom stick that she just discovered in the closet. I suppose she is right. Well, she has to be because the alternative I can see is me going crazy.
Ok, enough complaining.
I still take her out from time to time. She gets obsessed with wood chips or sand in her shoes sometimes. Every two minutes, she will find a place to sit down, take off her shoes one by one, and knock them on the ground.Pretty funny, eh?
"Shake the rope" is still one of her favorite activities at the part.
We took Renee to an Easter hunting event. We were lucky to arrive early and waited, because some parents let their kid going in well before the signal. And before you know it, everyone went in for the egg. The parents who were still in line buying tickets were pretty pissed off.
The whole thing was crazy, silly and funny at the same time.Here is the first 'poem' I have taught her. By the time I am writing this blog post, she can recite around 10 different ones. From what I heard, babies in China can do even more because of their environment.
Renee can play in this set for over an hour, pretty amazing considering anything else can only occupy her for about five minutes. Every item I drain the water, she looks so sad.
This is another one of my favorites, printed and posted on the frig.Surviving without Grandparents
The grandparents went back for four weeks, and the mother and farther each took some time off to take care of Renee. It was not easy but we all survived! I admire the parents who take care of their kids by themselves from day one.
I took her to the park to play in the morning. There are other kids here regularly, not that they play with each other at this age.
She knows how to make faces and she does that sometimes just because she can.
In deciding which pre-school to send her to, I took her to a pre-school to observe. I noticed their painting activity and thought it is pretty good. So I bought her this set and let her go at it. She was pretty excited the first week. It has a lot less charm now.
In a local "wind and kite" event, we took her to the kids section to play. She went on the train ride and the jumping castle.
While waiting for the grandparents' airplane to arrive, we visited the central park at San Mateo.Sleep training and fighting
Besides the quality time that I get to have with Renee, another good thing that came out of my two weeks' staying-home-dad duty was that I got her sleep-trained. It happened more out of my deperation rather than careful planning.
Renee has not been a good sleeper. Before she was sleep trained, I had to stay with her, rubbing her feet, legs and sometimes holding her, and she still resort to crying sometimes and making her mom or grandmom coming in to comfort her. The whole process can take from 30 minutes to over an hour.
During my two weeks, I got really frustrated with her and felt that I was pushed to the limit. One day, her mom needs to get up really early to go to a conference. Renee heard her mom and wanted to get up at 5 a.m to play, and start acting out after learning that her mom is leaving. Figuring that I have nothing to lose, including my hope to sleep rest of the time, I got very firm and told her that she has to go back to bed and would not let her go out of the room.
She cried for good five minutes (it might have been shorter but it sure felt like a long time), and eventually decided to go back to sleep. She then got up around 7 a.m., instead of her usual 6 o'clock, and appears to be quite happy.
Encouraged, I started trying to see how I can get her sleep on her own. At the beginning, I figure I'll just get her content with me just lying by her side, so that I can take some rest too. So during the nap time, I did just that. Each time she starts crying requesting me picking her up or rubbing her feet, I will say firmly that if she does not go to sleep I'll have to leave room. It was a pretty painful experience, as I have expected. But I thought she got the message.
It went better as the time goes on. At the end of the first week, she was able to just go to sleep with me lying there. I just need to calling her out when she tries to play.
I was very encouraged by my success, and did not want her getting too used to this routine. I started moving off the bed whenever I put her to bed. She starts crying again, but I was able to tell her that this is the way it is and either I sit by the door or I go entirely out of the room. She will come down the bed and trying to drag me to her bed, while crying. I would just put her back to bed, then turn around and sit by the door.
Those of you who have been through something like this probably know this already: it is a lot easier said than done, because they CAN go into trauma, and they WILL. My lesson was to watch her reaction and make sure not pushing her too far.
Another painful week later, we established a very good routine. 15 minutes before the bed time, we will go back to her room, clean it up. I will lower the curtain, setting the pillow, her doll, and the blanket, telling her it is time to bed. She will request reading a book, we will read a book together, and she will go lying down herself. It was just like magic. When the grandma came back, she could not believe how well Renee sleeps now.
Now it is one month later, Renee starts pushing her envelop again. Sometimes she will keep asking reading another book until I feel like yelling to her again. Sometimes she will keep messing with the quilt and asking you to reset it. Sometimes she will keep asking going to the bathroom. I keep reminding myself that these are all small matters and try not to lose the temper. Ever wonder why parents are always so patient with their children? Well, they have to be or they will not survive.
Renee has not been a good sleeper. Before she was sleep trained, I had to stay with her, rubbing her feet, legs and sometimes holding her, and she still resort to crying sometimes and making her mom or grandmom coming in to comfort her. The whole process can take from 30 minutes to over an hour.
During my two weeks, I got really frustrated with her and felt that I was pushed to the limit. One day, her mom needs to get up really early to go to a conference. Renee heard her mom and wanted to get up at 5 a.m to play, and start acting out after learning that her mom is leaving. Figuring that I have nothing to lose, including my hope to sleep rest of the time, I got very firm and told her that she has to go back to bed and would not let her go out of the room.
She cried for good five minutes (it might have been shorter but it sure felt like a long time), and eventually decided to go back to sleep. She then got up around 7 a.m., instead of her usual 6 o'clock, and appears to be quite happy.
Encouraged, I started trying to see how I can get her sleep on her own. At the beginning, I figure I'll just get her content with me just lying by her side, so that I can take some rest too. So during the nap time, I did just that. Each time she starts crying requesting me picking her up or rubbing her feet, I will say firmly that if she does not go to sleep I'll have to leave room. It was a pretty painful experience, as I have expected. But I thought she got the message.
It went better as the time goes on. At the end of the first week, she was able to just go to sleep with me lying there. I just need to calling her out when she tries to play.
I was very encouraged by my success, and did not want her getting too used to this routine. I started moving off the bed whenever I put her to bed. She starts crying again, but I was able to tell her that this is the way it is and either I sit by the door or I go entirely out of the room. She will come down the bed and trying to drag me to her bed, while crying. I would just put her back to bed, then turn around and sit by the door.
Those of you who have been through something like this probably know this already: it is a lot easier said than done, because they CAN go into trauma, and they WILL. My lesson was to watch her reaction and make sure not pushing her too far.
Another painful week later, we established a very good routine. 15 minutes before the bed time, we will go back to her room, clean it up. I will lower the curtain, setting the pillow, her doll, and the blanket, telling her it is time to bed. She will request reading a book, we will read a book together, and she will go lying down herself. It was just like magic. When the grandma came back, she could not believe how well Renee sleeps now.
Now it is one month later, Renee starts pushing her envelop again. Sometimes she will keep asking reading another book until I feel like yelling to her again. Sometimes she will keep messing with the quilt and asking you to reset it. Sometimes she will keep asking going to the bathroom. I keep reminding myself that these are all small matters and try not to lose the temper. Ever wonder why parents are always so patient with their children? Well, they have to be or they will not survive.
Sprained ankle
Here is another good scare that Renee gave us. One evening she was playing by our sides. Suddenly, she refused to put down her left foot and asking us to pick her up. She kept saying "it hurts, it hurts" but would not tell us where. I could not figure out where either because she acts normally no matter where I press down on her leg, as long as she is not standing.
We did not think she broke her leg, but we did not want to take the chance either. After waiting and discussing for half an hour, we decided to take her to the ER. We arrived the hospital at 9 p.m., waited until 10 p.m. to see the nurse, then waited until 11 p.m. to see the doctor. We took some X-ray to confirm that everything looks fine. By the time we got out of the hospital, it was well past 11.
Renee stayed quietly the whole time, even during the X-ray. She only cried at the very end, probably because it was well past her bed time.
The next day, she got up and not complaining anymore. We still don't know exactly what happened. Our best guess is that she sprained her ankle somehow and it took her a while to forget the experience.
Rock Climbing
We went on another play-date, and Renee showed amazing ability to rock climbing. I only need to stand aside in case she misstep. I wish I brought the camera. My next post will have her climbing at another park.
Here is another good scare that Renee gave us. One evening she was playing by our sides. Suddenly, she refused to put down her left foot and asking us to pick her up. She kept saying "it hurts, it hurts" but would not tell us where. I could not figure out where either because she acts normally no matter where I press down on her leg, as long as she is not standing.We did not think she broke her leg, but we did not want to take the chance either. After waiting and discussing for half an hour, we decided to take her to the ER. We arrived the hospital at 9 p.m., waited until 10 p.m. to see the nurse, then waited until 11 p.m. to see the doctor. We took some X-ray to confirm that everything looks fine. By the time we got out of the hospital, it was well past 11.
Renee stayed quietly the whole time, even during the X-ray. She only cried at the very end, probably because it was well past her bed time.
The next day, she got up and not complaining anymore. We still don't know exactly what happened. Our best guess is that she sprained her ankle somehow and it took her a while to forget the experience.
Rock Climbing
We went on another play-date, and Renee showed amazing ability to rock climbing. I only need to stand aside in case she misstep. I wish I brought the camera. My next post will have her climbing at another park.
