Stay Awake

Two nights ago C4 wanted to sleep with me when I went to bed. She's been quite actively demanding "I need you, mumma" (or daddy) lately, and this is just part of that theme. But she told me if I got lonely when I went to bed she'd sleep with me. I told her if she was still awake when I went to bed I'd let her sleep with me, knowing full well that she'd be long asleep by the time I got to bed. So when she woke the next day she awoke she was indignant that I hadn't gotten her.

Last night Q2 woke up in the middle of the night and came to her door and insisted something ... maybe that she hurt her eyes? I can't quite remember. Rather than trip over the gate to get her back to bed I just picked her up and brought her to bed with me. The sleep wasn't so relaxing for me, but Q2 fell right back to sleep, with a few tosses and turns, and woke at a brisk 5:56 AM.

I had to wake C4 at 7:30, because both girls had check-ups at 8:30 AM. We made it there just 10 minutes late.

Both are healthy. C4 is 40" and 36# ... tracking 50th percentile for both. Q2 is 36.5" and 27# ... tracking at 25th percentile for both. Poor Q2 ... she's going to be a shorty like me. If she stays at 25th percentile she'll end up being ... just over 5'2" at age 20. Hmmmm. That number sounds very familiar for some reason. Oh, right, that's the height I like to SAY that I am (but I'm not quite).

Then C4 got four jabs. She had asked if she'd be getting shots; I had replied yes. She asked if they would hurt, and I told her yes, they would hurt, they weren't fun, but she could do it. Well, she was fine, although not happy about the shots, until they actually happened. Then there was a bit of crying after shot #1, but shot #2 was a doozy, I guess (the MMR?), and the crying intensified to screaming and wailing of "I don't like shots! They HURT!" Yes, they do. I'm not a fan of shots, myself.

Eventually we finished and I had to carry both girls out of the office and to the car because C4 was limp with pain and anger and Q2 was crying because (and I quote) "I didn't get my shot!"

Oh, the tragedy.

After lunch we decided to do quiet time in the stroller, and one of the girls suggested they could have honey sticks if they fell asleep. Sure, fine by me! Immediately they tried to convince me that 1) they were asleep and 2) since they were asleep shouldn't they get their honey stick RIGHT NOW? The conversations went something like this:

Q2: I'm asleep, mumma.
E38: No, you aren't.
Q2: I'm asleep. Can I have my honey stick?
E38: No, you may not have your honey stick. You aren't asleep. Close your eyes and go to sleep.
Q2: But I AM asleep.
E38: I don't think you understand the concept of sleep. Close your eyes.
Q2: But I can't seeeeee.
E38:
Q2: I'm asleep, mumma.
Q2: Can I have my honey stick?

Finally, at C4's request I sang a song, despite Q2's vehement objections. "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins is quite effective. Q2 fell asleep within 1 minute. And C4 within 5-10. I really ought to find the correct lyrics, even though my dull rendition did the trick.

C4 woke after about 45 minutes (and thus didn't fall asleep tonight until about 9:30 or 9:45. I let her keep the light on so she could read, because I knew she wasn't going to fall asleep after a nap. She only fell asleep after a visit to the bathroom.) when I got to our friend's house, and Q2 woke at about 1.5 hours, with help from B4 who kindly yelled "WAKE UP" at Q2 a few times to wake her up. Well, we'd have hated if she missed the playdate. No matter, she was still asleep around 7:45 pm.

Oh, and at I34s house C4 read Hop on Pop. Not a book of much difficulty, but we'd never read it before, and every page I asked her to read, she did. She got stuck on father, mother, sister, brother. But everything else ... she can read. At the doctor's office she read "This is not an exit. Don't open this door to leave" Or some version of that message. I'm starting to rethink my decision to not press to get her into kindegarten next year ... won't she be bored if she doesn't go to school early? She'll have been reading for 2 years by the time she gets to kindergarten if we wait until 2010.

Happy Birthday C4

Happy Birthday C4! At this time on Saturday, September 4, 2004 I was laboring away, almost ready to deliver you (8:14 AM)!

What a wonderful gift you were. And still are.

Happy birthday, my puppy dog, and that's all.

Disturbing news

Of the last 10 days, Q2 has napped 3 of them. It was a sudden transition from nap to no nap and I, for one, do not like it. She is only 2. Just 2. Just over 25 months. I'm not sure this is the right time for her to give up naps.

Yesterday's post reminded me

About 3 weeks ago somebody thought I was a grandmother. A grandmother. Maybe I don't look as much like I did in high school as I so giddily thought.

Granted, she was 5 and wanted to know if I had a granddaughter for her to play with, but that is almost beside the point.

It is unpleasant to be considered a grandmother at 37.

Is it or is it not

It might be, but it sure doesn't feel like a completement when somebody says I haven't changed at all since high school ... but I assume it is not meant unkindly.

But I didn't feel attractive at all in high school. I didn't. I wasn't. SO. It stands to reason I'm now an awkward, ugly adult with wrinkles.