Claire had her 18 month appt today. She had a fever Saturday night into Sunday morning and she hasn’t slept well in a couple of nights so I told him something was up with her. I thought it might be her ears but they are clear. The doctor thought it might be her throat (he had a fantastic view with her screaming her head off) but the swab came back clear. He decided to put off her shots for a couple of weeks when we are sure she’s not fighting something off.

She got weighed (22.5lbs) and measured (just under 32 inches). I have no idea where that falls on the curve. I could look it up but I’m pretty sure she’s healthy

Claire hates the doctor. The staff there have no idea that she is super laid back. The doctor just has to look at her and she goes bananas. It was so intense today while he was investigating her symptoms that her sisters asked to leave the room because it was hurting their ears. I always let him know that the conversation is over once he starts to poke at her. SOmehow I don’t think him going after her with a needle the next time is going to help their relationship.

Our little monkey is 18 months today. Can’t call her a baby anymore!

Hair:
I’m guessing her hair is going to be wavy like Leah’s. It’s still got a lot of red in it. It’s getting thicker but no mullet quite yet.

Teeth:
There are no gaps in her teeth. I haven’t checked the back lately.

Ears (a new category!):
Two ear infections in the past two months. Good times. She also had a horrible cold last month and for a few nights didn’t sleep more than 45 mins straight.

Sleep:
When she’s healthy she goes to bed a little after 7 and wakes up once in the night. We are still giving her milk. She was sick for most of the month and not eating so I had another excuse to just leave it as is. One of these days I am going to put water in the bottle and see what happens.

She gets up insanely early even when her sisters aren’t around to wake her up. After getting up at 5am one morning I stuffed towels in the window to darken the room. She slept til 8. Sadly it was just a one off and has been up at 6:30 consistently. Usually she wakes up happy but sometimes she is grumpy and clingy and in obvious need of more sleep. There’s no convincing her to go back to bed though.

Daycare nap training seems to have paid off and we can usually get a decent nap out of her after lunch. While Leah and Emma were in Windsor I put her up for a nap the same way I used to put them up for a nap. She went willingly at both bedtime and naptime and just went to sleep. It’s not so smooth when they’re here (she knows they’re still up) but if she’s tired enough she will go down without a fight.

Getting Around:
Thankfully her basement door radar has subsided. Every once in awhile she’ll try and open the door but she’ll say uh oh and slam it. I still don’t trust her though since she used to say uh oh when the stair gate was left open but now quietly climbs up the stairs. The other day John couldn’t find her and looked upstairs to see her tearing by giggling. Stairs make us both nervous.

She is doing really well at the park and is fearless. She’ll also push any kid who gets in her way which isn’t so great. She thinks it’s funny when you hover near her and will run across the structure giggling. Running away is a fun game to Claire.

While her sisters were away in Windsor we did a bunch of shopping with her. I just carried her and let her walk. She’ll tolerate holding our hands well but once she decides she’s done she can squirm and scream. She catches on pretty quickly that screaming only makes me more stubborn.

She is now sturdy on the kitchen chairs and I let her have snacks up there with her sisters. She’s like a dog and will get up and eat their breakfast if they leave their seat.

Things she’s saying:
She’s saying all sorts of things. My favourite is when she kisses you and says ove you. Mak is now milk. She will beg for cheese at every meal and now points to food on the counter and says more. She can say eyes, nose, toes, tummy, bum and ears. When you ask her where her hair is she’ll say hair then pull her own hair and say owww.

Old Jen would be disgusted but she can pick out  and call Dora, Boots, Backpack and Map by name. She gets very excited about Dora. She also has a thing for Elmo. It’s pretty cute. Tickle me Elmo never fails to make her laugh. She says tickle tickle then squeals when he laughs.

I got her a simple word book with matching buttons that say the word when you push it. She’s got all 10 words figured out. She can pick out family members in pictures and tell you who they are. She can say Nana, Papa, Ganny and gampa. She even indulges Emma and calls her rella (cinderella). She can yell John…

Her receptive language is really good. She follows all sorts of directions and has picked up some good things from her sisters. The other day I was vacuuming and she’d dumped Candyland on the floor. When she saw me coming she jumped up and started tidying it up and put it back on the shelf. She listens pretty much all the time except when it comes to running away because she thinks it’s a game.

Eating:
When she’s healthy she’s a really good eater. Her current favourites are red grapes, cheese and yogurt. She’ll eat lots of other things and she’ll try anything. She will not let us feed her and can use a fork and a spoon with ease now. She’s good as long as we’re not in a rush. The one thing I find interesting is that she’s not a big fan of bread or crackers.

When she wasn’t healthy this month she was a horrible eater. It got so bad I bought some toddler formula and gave her that for her bedtime bottle.

Fun things she’s doing:
-pretend cooking and feeding the dolls and Elmo
-climbing up to the sink and saying on so she can wash her hands and off when she’s done
-saying doggy and birdie when we see them outside
-walking up to mid calf when we went to the beach and then deciding playing in the 1 inch water with her pail was more fun.
-letting me pour water on her head to wash her hair (her sisters used to hate this)
-washing herself with soap and listening to what I ask her to wash
-telling us the name of everything she knows
-sitting on the stairs and asking me for help to put her shoes on
-puttnig things in the garbage, tidying up, pretend vacuuming and dusting
-using a mouse and smacking the keyboard
-pushing the buttons on the fridge toys and dancing (complete with stomping feet dance)
-sitting on the potty before bath. No connection there yet.
-Trying to hoist herself up onto the toilet like her sisters?!
-Pushing the babies around in teh shopping cart and putting them to bed
-mastering the park structure (attempting to go down slide face first…)
-blowing kisses, saying bye bye and ove you to everyone
-giving her sisters hugs. She goes from one bed to another and kisses them goodnight.
-on the rare occasion she gets out of her stroller when we’re out she insists on holding on to it and walking (she copies a lot of the things her sisters do)
-sitting on the couch in between her sisters and watching Dora. She has zero attention span for anything else.

Personality:
I just read Leah and Emma’s 18 month update. It’s an interesting read and I see how much having two older sisters (and not being 2 months premature) has helped Claire grow up quickly. I hadn’t read that in a long time and it’s also interesting to see how their personalities were there for all of us to see at 18 months.

I’d say Claire is right in the middle of them both in terms of temperament. She’s probably the most easy going of the three of them but her temper is quick like Leah’s and she’s stubborn like Emma. I haven’t seen her act shy in a long time and she can hold her own with older kids. The main issue we have is that Leah and Emma laugh when she’s naughty and it is hard to discipline. We are working on getting them to stop but even tonight Emma let her pull her hair and just smiled and asked her nicely not to do it again. Claire giggled and made Emma laugh and then Claire got her hair again. Emma rarely loses patience with her.

Claire is still a mommy suck. She will scream daddy when he comes home and run to hug him. I should enjoy every month I get as I’m sure my days are numbered. The closer we get to bedtime the more Claire can’t handle me leaving the room. She will go to bed for other people but if I am around she wants me.

So life with Claire is still good. Leah and Emma have been away a week in April, May and June and will be in Ottawa at the end of July. It has been nice to get some alone time with Claire. She’s at a really fun age. If she could just kick this night time bottle thing she’d be near perfect

I’ve put up lots of pictures/videos up on Flickr. My compact video resolution experiment won’t be repeated!

I am so behind. I may just delete this sentence and fudge the date to the 7th of June. We’ve had a busy few weeks with birthday parties (2 for the girls and 3 for their friends), wedding showers, soccer games, Father’s day, visitors, and finally…colds…

So yeah - the girls were 4 on June 7th. The past five June 7th have all kind of snuck up on me. Four years ago I spent the days before their birth doing internet polls on when we thought they’d come. This year I scrambled to get together their year in pictures album (no small feat with the amount of pictures I take). I now have 4 albums. It’s crazy.

This year we decided to do two parties - one for their friends and one for their family. Rather than suffer through (yes, I think it would be punishing) entertaining a bunch of 4 year olds, John and I copped out and rented a play place - what the girls call the jungle gym. We had an open discussion on the guest list and I even got them to understand that it wouldn’t be nice for them to talk about the party at school because some of the kids weren’t invited and they would feel sad. This was a huge step since for the past month their ace has been telling anyone (including us) that they weren’t invited to their birthday party.

Their friend party was actually on their birthday. My mom and dad were here to help which was great - especially for Claire. The morning of their birthday we all sang to them and then we all went to soccer. The weather was really hot and after lunch they went to the splash pad with their Dad while the rest of us did some last minute shopping. They really enjoyed their party. They are very social and they ran around with all their friends and just enjoyed themselves. After the party we came home and they opened their presents from their friends in the backyard. They got two big barbie heads with long hair you are supposed to style. Between that and some My Little Ponies they were in heaven (my poor deprived children…).

On Sunday afternoon we had our families over for a bbq. The highlight for the girls was a visit with the beloved Steve and Tom (john’s cousins). The boys are really good with the girls and they had lots of patience considering their Oakville shadows. The girls really enjoy their family and were more than willing to have another party in their honour. Aunt Bonnie brought an Arielle cake which they devoured.

I still can’t believe they’re 4. Lately all I’ve been thinking is that I thought they’d be so much older when they were 4. They are just on the verge of being little people but they still have that childish innocence which I’m sure will be gone three weeks into kindergarten.

Their birthdays are always a time for reflection for me. The other day I had all three girls at the mall. Claire was in her stroller and the girls were walking on either side. Funny enough I can’t seem to get them to stop holding the stroller. I tell them they are old enough to walk on their own and they do but within a minute they are back to holding on to the stroller. Anyway,  a woman stopped me and asked if they were all mine. She commented on how close in age the older two must be to each other and I told her they were twins. She couldn’t get over how different they were. As I walked away I started to think about how I used to get stopped at least a dozen times at Square One when they were small. My trusty old double stroller screamed twins then but now more often than not people mistake them for irish twins. Then I remembered those nightmares I used to have when i was pregnant that they were identical. I am so glad they’re not. They are as different in personality as they are in looks.

I am happy to say that Leah still has her spirit. When she is happy she is one sweet little girl. She is caring and compassionate and very attached to her family. We quite often hear how much she loves us all and she comments on how fun it is to do things with her family. She has had the hardest time adjusting to me going back to work. Her transition into home care has been bumpy at times but things are slowly settling down. If Leah doesn’t want to do something she has no issue telling you. She is very stubborn and can whine with the best of them. She is a highly emotional child and her highs are high and her lows are low and both can come with shocking speed. We have tried to teach her coping skills to deal with the not so good times. The biggest change has been that she now tells us in explicit detail why she’s not happy. I guess using your words does have a downside!

Leah loves TV and would watch it all day if we let her. Her favourites these past few months have been Gofrette and Busytown. Leah still loves yellow. She went through a phase a few months ago where getting dressed was a battle. It drove me insane and then one day she just stopped caring again (and Emma started caring). She likes dresses and princess stuff but it’s not her passion. She also enjoys colouring and crafts but her true love is puttering around outside. She loves being outside. In the winter she would last an hour longer than Emma and she never seemed to feel the cold (unless she remembered hot chocolate warms you up). She was so happy when it was spring and she could go outside more. She always wants to go to the park (she loves the swings) or for bike rides.

Leah is very social and this past year her social circle expanded with school. She made lots of new friends and has really enjoyed herself. She loved going to school and has done really well - when I think of how they were last September I realize what a good decision it was to put them in something like this before kindergarten.

Emma is also a very sweet little girl. She is even tempered and very patient. She is also very compassionate and forgiving. She has become more adventurous and is up for any adventure. She rarely wants to stay at home and she has adjusted to me going back to work without issue. Her family is still very important to her and she loves to sit on your lap.

Emma is always watching and taking everything in - she doesn’t miss a thing. She also provides the running commentary for our family life and her verbal skills still catch us off guard sometimes. Closer to three I could put Emma off with promises of doing something later. That no longer works and she is sure to remember in detail what and when you said you’d do something. She is also quick to tell you when you are doing something forbidden to the family little people - like walking on the carpet with your shoes or stickign your tongue out (at Claire…for fun).

Emma is very even tempered. She’s easy going about all things except dresses, broken promises (there really aren’t that many), and her hair. Her obsession with a blue jean dress got a bit out of control and it was no small feat convincing her that it wasn’t a summer dress and that it was time to put it in the bucket for Claire. She also likes for me to do her hair - most of the time in two bunches at the back but sometimes she likes it in a ponytail. The whole dress and hair thing is amusing with both of them. We don’t talk about their looks and sometimes I find myself having to agree that they are the fairest of them all (damn Disney). It’s a hard balance for me. Part of me wants to shut down the whole little girl princess/beautiful stuff (because I think some of it is the wrong message) but the other part wants them to be confident in every aspect of themselves.

When I think back to last September I realize how far Emma has come.  There were point over the year when I definitely would have said Emma was shy. We never told her that but we did try to help her with it. This time last year Emma would have shied away from older and more aggressive kids. Now she can hold her own - by that I mean she doesn’t dissolve in tears, not that she can beat up on the park kids! She’s not shy about talking to people either and when we’re outside will yell hi to everyone that walks by. She is also really enjoying soccer. She is still very strong and coordinated.

Emma also loves colouring and crafts. Her attention span has definitely increased and she now takes her time to create special things for her friends and family. She likes TV but is rarely captivated unless it’s a really good princess story.

Together they are really good. As I have mentioned, I have decided to put them back together for Kindergarten. It’s only in the past few months that they’ve really started to grasp what being twins means. I want to make sure we get that bond nice and strong before we split them up. I don’t foresee any big issues at school with them being dependent on each other but I guess we’ll see. Right now they are not dependent on each other outside of our family. While we’re at the park they only play together if there is no one else around.

While we’re at home we have noticed a interesting dynamic. It used to be that 9 times out of 10 if they both wanted something Emma would give it up for Leah. In recent months (and most likely prompted by us) they have started to really look out for each other and the giving and taking has evened out. The only real battles seem to come at bedtime and involve a prized book that has been snatched (it goes both ways) from the other’s bed. They also both know when their sister is about to lose it and will compensate by doing their best to diffuse the situation. There have been times where both of them has tried to stop John or myself from disciplining the other either by simply telling us to stop or by making up some story to deflect the blame. Of course that’s the big stuff - they can still tease (and whine about the teaser) with the best of them. Drives me nuts.

The other thing that hasn’t really changed is their love for Claire.  They are both so patient with her and they both continue to accept and love their little sister. When they’re away and we call, they can barely get through the pleasantries with us before they ask to speak to Claire. She brings them both so much happiness and they always include her and try and teach her new things. I wasn’t sure how Claire was going to fair once she got fully into the mix but they’ve just accepted that she’s around and for now they understand that she’s still small and doesn’t understand. They patiently tell her not to hit (Leah adds the mean stare!) and that spitting is rude!

They’ve also learned so much this year. Preschool has been great and taught them all about seasons, months, days of the week, in addition to fascinating little tidbits on dinosaurs. They can both write their names and spell their last name. They are really improving at our timbit math sessions - “If Emma gets two timbits and Leah gets two timbits and Claire gets one timbit - how many timbits should I ask the lady for?” (it also works for subtraction as they eat them). Letters and numbers are pretty much mastered now and Emma (aka Cinderalla) now frequently celebrates her 67th birthday. They draw pictures now - most of the time it is their family. They are now interested in time - probably since John and I obsess about them not waking us up until 7. THey both go to bed early and get up early. Leah has trouble falling asleep and we’ve had issues with her getting up in the night. Emma is our only good sleeper.

I think I’ve about covered it all. We’ve had a great year with them. They’ve grown up a bunch and they are at an age where pretty much everything is still fun. This next year is going to be interesting. I think they’re ready for school and I hope they adjust well. For four I just want for them to be confident, happy, and nice little girls.

We are alive. Leah and Emma have been 4 for 3 weeks. Claire is almost 18 months. We are all good. We were all sick and I (yes - not John!!) had a sinus infection. I am struggling to keep up with working, doing my course work, summer weekends, visitors, and the daily grind of having a family of 5. My course ends Monday and I am taking the summer off. I will update this site regularly again. I am halfway done their 4 year update.

Leah and Emma are done preschool and have a week off before they start summer session. They are in Windsor this week with John’s parents. Claire is helping John and I tackle yet another list.

I’ve uploaded some pictures. There are some from when my mom and dad took them to the Science Centre. Some from their friend party and family party and some from our trip to Centreville. I will get that update done soon.

Hair:
Still growing. My mom got a bam bam ponytail in one day. It was cute but I’m still enjoying having one that can’t talk about how they want their hair done. Claire can say hair and she can pull her own hair and say owwww just like her sister’s do when she goes after their hair.

Teeth:
She got her remaining two bottom teeth (not molars - the ones on either side of the middle 4 (incisor??). You’d think by now I’d know what each tooth was called. She loves brushing her teeth and she’s pretty good at it for a 16 month old. It is defintely one of the skills she has picked up by observing her sisters for the last year.

Sleep:
The no bottle thing didn’t last and she’s back on 1. She rarely finishes it and it’s definitely habit. She wakes up, spits out her soother (or throws it) and says Mak Mak Mak getting more and more agitated. I don’t have the energy to break her but if I were Claire I’d have August 26th marked on my Mak Calendar (the day my mom gets her for a week while we’re in vegas).

She is still hit or miss with her nap. She naps at daycare which is good. The only thing I really worry about is her sleeping past 3pm because it pushes bedtime back and it’s not worth it.  Having her all by myself this week I desperately wish she would nap but most days it doesn’t matter because there is so much going on and no chance of time off for me anyway.

She’s still pretty attached to her soother and we need to get better at limiting it to sleep time although she rarely walk around with it for long during the day - usually because she has something to say.

Getting around:
I read last month and it makes me laugh because it took her a few days to master the uneven outdoors. She has also added climbing the kitchen chairs to her bag of tricks. I clearly remember the day the girls started doing that. Just like her sisters, she has mastered climbing and can sit up properly…she just has lapses where she forgets she’s 3ft above ceramic tile so she can’t be left alone. 

This month she started going to the park. Again I thought she’d never work it out that she had to sit before walking onto the slide. A week later and she was climbing up and yelling weeeee on her way down both on her bum and on her belly (feet first). She also seems to have figured out playstructure cliffs but again has lapses in judgement. I never took Leah and Emma to the park at this age - and it is one thing I don’t think you could manage safely with twins.

She has also started climbing the stairs holding on to the rail like her sisters. We have a lock on the basement door but her radar for an unlocked basement or bathroom (or recently a garage) door is incredible.

Being around Claire this month is not for the faint of heart!

Things she’s saying:
The girls were just a bit younger when I landed them in speech therapy for not having 5 words. If that tells us anything, I think we have another chatterbox on our hands. Claire is talking all the time and saying all sorts of words. Off the top of my head she has added more, please, up, down, walk, choo choo, car, bird, hat, soodooo (soother), door, key, apple, hungry. Not all perfectly pronounced but consistent. She’s picking things up every day and will readily attempt to repeat anything you ask her to say.

The biggest change this month is her ability to follow instructions. She’s apparently been listening intently to me asking her sisters because she can do all sorts of things if you just ask her. The other night she was trying to bring some play plates up from the basement and I said that the plates had to stay downstairs. She looked up at me and I said how about you put them in the shopping carts (which was all the way down the hall). She trotted off down the hall, put them in the cart one by one, looked back at me and did her signature clap and Yay!!. Most times when we ask her to do things she finishes with the clap and yay! Leah and Emma do that to cheer her on so she’s picked it up.

Eating:
My mom sucked it up and took her off the day bottles on her watch. It wasn’t as bad as I expected and Claire immediately started eating really well. She’s added all sorts of things to her like list and it is really enjoyable having a child who eats.

SHe now only gets a bottle at bedtime and in the night. The rest of the day she drinks from her straw cup. She’s snacking well. If I think she’s hungry I’ll just ask her. If she’s not she says no. If she is she says hungy and walks over to her chair.

Things she’s doing this monthL
-Eating!
-Not drinking bottles in the day.
-Pulling her sister’s hair and thinking they think its funny.
-Trying to comfort her sisters when they cry (usually after they’ve had some hair ripped out).
-Wearing a hat and putting it back on when we ask her.
-Learning to walk outside and holding our hand. I always appreciated how the girls knew they had to hold my hand or get in the stroller or be carried. It worked out well for us in terms of keeping them safe.
-Helping us get her dressed
-attempting to wash her hair, brush her teeth, brush her hair
-feeding herself with a spoon
-singing a bit more of her abcs - she presses the leap frog letter thing on the fridge and sings a b g q and z consistently. Other letters sometimes make it.
-loves playing in gravel - doesn’t eat it. In fact she rarely puts things she gets off the floor in her mouth. If she finds money (I watch her find it), she brings it right to me.
-she had gotten over her love of toilets and now climbs up on the stool and tries to wash her hands or brush her teeth

Personality:
No change. Happy girl.

Unfortunately I have been picking bed over updating the site and uploading pictures.

The last month has flown by. My parents came back from Florida and stayed for a week. I worked more that week and enjoyed the worry free childcare. John and I went for dinner to the downtown Keg we went to the night we saw Rick Mercer back in February. That winter night I sat and told John how nice it would be for me to be able to come to the city and have a job, but how that would never happen because we couldn’t both be so far away from the girls all week. I had forgotten about the conversation until then.

Work is going really well and I honestly enjoy it for more than getting some time to myself. It’s nice to really like your job. The girls are still doing well in childcare. We’ve had a few issues with Leah and the Mama Bear in me has definitely had to be contained a few times. I think we’re all on the same page now - I’m hoping anyways. I can’t say it enough how I didn’t do this to mess up the girls…I just need to remember old “suck it up and get on with things” anti coddling Mama Jen.

My mom was here for Mother’s Day and we had a nice day together gardening. We are planning on getting our backyard done in the next month or so and the planning has consumed most of our conversations. Leah and Emma had a Mother’s Day tea at preschool and it was nice. They learned two new songs and I have been consistently serenaded. They also made me a necklace, a pin and a flower. Leah told me as they were making stuff - Emma was much more secretive and got upset with Leah for telling me.

After much debate we have decided to put the girls in the same JK class in September. I spend a lot of time thinking about these types of things (and the life long consequences) and originally I was set on splitting them up from the start for fear of the comparison holding one or both of them back. They definitely are different and while we have always treated them as individuals, I wasn’t so sure I could count on others. Blah blah blah. I know. I could talk in circles about this stuff. So now that we’re 3 months away, I just don’t think it would be the right decision. They are only starting to understand the advantages of being twins and I want to make sure we continue to foster and not hinder their closeness. In their preschool class they are totally independent. From what the teachers tell me, you wouldn’t even know they were sisters. I also don’t think they would fully understand being split up, while in a year or two (they have to be split up in Grade 1) it might be an easier adjustment.

So after all that decision making we get their progress report from their preschool. They both got the exact same feedback…like every box checked the same and the same comments in the back, just a slight change in wording. After my reaction I think it was fair. It was just a funny day to get it.

Soccer started today and I had to fill in for John as coach. A job I will fully admit to dreading. It was an interesting experience. Leah refused to play until her daddy was the coach (yes, that’s Leah for you). Emma wasn’t nearly as timid as I thougth she’d be and was one of only 3 (of 7) kids on our team who actually played. She even scored a goal! My job was to follow the hoard around, encouraging them to try and kick the ball and not each other. We only had one flower picker who I think might have company if Leah ever gets on the field. I’m hoping John will be back on his feet next week.

So John had sinus surgery yesterday morning. He went to see an ENT a few months back and it was decided that surgery would be his best bet at kicking his ridiculous number of sinus infections/year. We had talked to a few people about what to expect and it was pretty grim. We decided to send Leah and Emma to Windsor fot the week so John could recover. They left this afternoon after soccer. It was a good decision. When I picked John up from the hospital he wasn’t good. When I filled his prescription and got more painkillers than I got for a c section, I knew the next few days weren’t going to be much better for him. He has been camped out in the basement (not even turning the tv on…) since yesterday afternoon. He came upstairs today to say goodbye to the girls but other than that he’s only been upstairs to use the bathroom. He’s tried to go easy on the painkillers once even though I warned him not to bother trying to be a hero. He’s back on the 4 hour dosage schedule. It reminds me of when Emma and Leah were babies and their feeding schedule! Leah and Emma took it all in stride. They just asked him why he had blood all over his face and then tried to comfort him. They were super excited to go to Windsor and told me they’d be back in a few days and not to feel lonely because Claire and Daddy would take care of me.

One more story about Leah and Emma because it’s funny. THey learned about dinosaurs at school the other day. After class they were telling me all about the dinosaurs and how they lived a long long time ago but then they got “instinked” from the volcano “laba” and then all the other animals came. It’s way too cute to correct.

I’ll post some pictures and do Claire’s overdue update when I have a moment.

We are all settling into the new routine. It still seems very busy but it is manageable and so far things are running smoothly. Hats off to those of you that do this 5 days a week.

Work is going really well. I still haven’t got over the novelty of having 8 hours to myself. Having to concentrate on something is actually enjoyable and then getting paid is a bonus. Going into the office that first week was pretty tiring. I picked a great week to start with company massage day and company lunch falling on the days I was in. Sitting in a massage chair at work gave me plenty of time to reflect on just how different life is in downtown Toronto. One day a week is definitely enough for me. Last week I hit company bagel breakfast day. I forgot how enjoyable eating is when you’re at work. Again, I’m glad I’m at home away from temptation for most of the week!

All three girls are adjusting really well to daycare. I have worked everything so that the girls still go to preschool 3 days a week. Claire is there 3 full days and from all reports is happy, but not eating or napping much. Nothing shocking there although it is nice to have someone who understands my frustration. There are 2 other little girls there part time who are around Claire’s age which is really nice.

Emma and Leah are doing well. They are growing up before our eyes and ready for school. We are probably going to keep them in preschool this summer just to keep things smooth for September. Emma has been quite defiant lately and she can be a challenge. She’s picked up some nasty habits like flat out refusing to do things and saying she won’t when you press her, sticking her tongue out at us, and the topper - saying na na na na boo boo. Man it’s grating. We are on top of it but it is very challenging to not lose my temper sometimes. It’s also nice to see that she can push my buttons when I thought no one would ever reach Leah status. Leah is happy go lucky these days. She is still highly emotional but now she just says she’s upset, or frustrated, or sad. She’s on top of all her emotions and she keeps us all informed. It’s hard not to laugh when she says things like “This is terrible. I’m upset at you.” Thankfully her happy times are just as intense.

They are fighting more these days like friends rather than siblings and I suspect some of it is stuff they pick up from school. One of them saying that they are bigger can send the other into a state of disaster or start them screaming that no, they are bigger. Again it is grating. They are also very kind to each other and Claire. They genuinely do things now to make the other one happy like sharing clothes. Even Leah gives up her favourite things and lets Emma borrow them.

Emma’s dress and hair obsession has reached a new high. Every day she tries to weasle her way into a dress. It kills me. I don’t understand how she doesn’t see that she looks way cuter in jeans and a sweatshirt. For the most part we are indulging her but I am going to have to start being more selective about what makes its way into her closet. Sorry Emma - you outgrew all the dresses…

We are now fully entrenched in the Disney vault and their imaginations have been captivated. They are always role playing and making up stories. Claire is always included either as Lucifer from Cinderella or Flounder from The Little Mermaid. I’m pretty sure she actually responds to both names. The old Disney movies are interesting. It amazes me how a movie like Bambi, which is mostly music, ever captivated children. It is a pretty telling sign of how far thngs have progressed (or maybe regressed). Yeah, not a big fan of Disney. Oh I almost forgot, the girls now want to go to Cinderella’s castle. They’ve told me it’s in Florida near Granny and Grandpa’s house. Maybe in a few years.

Until next time,
Evil Stepmother

Hair:
Getting longer at the back. Now that we are outside in the sun you can really see the red still.

Teeth:
She added two top molars this month. Now when she smiles you notice the gum spaces rather than the teeth.

Sleep:
We are still making progress. We are consistently at one bottle in the night now and we had three consecutive nights of no bottles which was exciting. The bottle warmer we were using broke over Easter so she now gets cold milk. She drinks much less now.

We had no 2 hour night parties this month which was really nice. She is consistently getting up before 7 now but that makes getting her fed and ready more relaxing in the mornings.

She had three weeks of not having to drive her sisters to school and she napped much better. Without sisters she would nap after lunch. She is still an extremely light napper which causes me all sorts of frustration with Leah and Emma and trying to make them be quiet.

Getting Around:
She can now bend down with ease and is much more balanced. She likes to dance and walk around in circles. She also likes to run away when she knows it’s time to get her shoes or coat on. We have spent some time outside over the past week and I think it’s going to be a challenging summer. The backyard is not level and I think it will take awhile for her to master the slopes that all end in the fence. She definitely can’t roam free yet.

Yesterday she managed to get on the couch for the first time. She stood right up and started jumping on the back. I think her sisters had a breakthrough moment about Claire doing stuff she sees them doing and why I tell them to knock it off. She also likes stairs and the few times I have tested her she has turned around and tried to go down on her stomach (an improvement from just walking down them…).

Things she’s saying:
A week with just Claire and we realized how much she can actually say. And it’s not like the girls talk for her, She’s just so involved in keeping up with them that she doesn’t have time to talk. She’s also started saying NOOO NOOO NOOO when she’s upset and tonight she said NO MOMMY NO NO NO MOMMY when I put her in the stroller to leave the park. She can also say cookie, thank you (dank q), shoe, cheese and nose. She will repeat the first few letters of the alphabet if you sing them to her one by one.

Eating:
She is doing really well this month. She has her favourites (bread, cheese, yogurt, sweet potatoes) but she is more and more willing to try new things. She eats up fruit no problem which is nice. Some days she does really well and some days she throws everything on the floor.

I am trying really hard to get her on a cup but she refuses to drink out of a straw cup. She can get the milk/water into her mouth but then she lets it dribble out of her mouth rather than drinking it. She has one of those nuby straw cups and she does a little better with that one. Standard sippy cups also get dribbled. She’s being a monkey. I haven’t pushed too hard since I knew I was going back to work. We will have to get tougher soon.

Stats:
She had her shots yesterday. She was just over 21lbs and just over 29inches. She really enjoyed the waiting room and danced and went around the room smiling at everyone. As soon as we were in the room she started screaming and then she turned it up a notch for the doctor and then went crazy when she got the needles. She recovered though. Leah and Emma were with us getting a preview of what’s in store for them at 4 years. There’s been a lot of talk about needles this week.

Fun things she’s doing this month
-actively colouring which involves taking the lids off the marker, scribbling, giggling at herself,and putting the lid back on and choosing a new marker
-stealing the keys and trying to get the key in the door
-trying her best to open the basement door (she’s tall enough now)
-talking on the phone rather than just trying to press all the buttons
-Silly smile. I have to get this on video. She scunches up her face in a silly smile and you can’t help but laugh.
-Trying to dress herself.
-putting John’s gloves on
-putting our shoes on
-bringing me stuff from the drawer

Personality:
She’s still pretty easy going although we do see her temper now and then. She’s done well so far at adjusting to being in someone else’s care 3 days a week but we’re only 2 days in so we’ll see how she does this month. She is a funny little girl and she has a good sense of humour if that is possible at 15 months. She’s just silly and funny and she definitely knows it.

She had a week without her sisters this month and I think they missed her more than she missed them. She was much more needy to us that week. When they came home she squealed and let them hug and kiss her and it was pretty cute.

That’s all I can think of. I have to take some pictures!

I almost forgot - Claire’s 15 month day was extra special because our friends Coby and Carrie’s son Spencer was born. Those Lamarche boys better not be trouble in 15 years

On April 16th it will be 4 years since I was taken off work to incubate. I had 7 weeks to myself and then my new job began. It has been the most challenging job I have ever had. I’m not sure I was truly meant to be a stay at home mom but I wanted the best for them and when the girls were preemies, and Claire was an infant, that was me. My idea of what it was all about was not at all what it turned out to be…and I knew it wasn’t all donuts and Oprah. I have reached levels of frustration I never thought possible before I had three little ones. I have dreamed about quitting and getting a day job but then I’d come back to reality and realize we weren’t ready and that my ‘work’ was finally paying off in ways I could actually see and believe for myself.

I was also lacking on ideas on what I wanted to do when I went back to work which didn’t help. I have no desire to do what I used to do. I just don’t think it would work with our family. I needed a job I could do from home or close to home and I wanted to work part time, be home at a decent time and most of all not mess up the girls’ lives because I couldn’t hack staying at home with them. Pretty big dreams.

So back in January I started a part time technical writing course. I figured it could be a career that could work for me with my experience. The plan was for me to do the course over the next year and then look for a job that met as much of my criteria as possible. And then a job fell in my lap, with all my criteria. I would be stupid to turn it down.

I start tomorrow. It’s three days a week and very flexible. I will work from home 2 days and go into Toronto on the third. The girls are going to go to the neighbour (who I have been watching watch kids for nearly 3 years now). On the days I work at home I will continue to take Leah and Emma to preschool. The other two days a week I will be home with them.

I am really excited about this. I feel a bit guilty about how excited about it I am but then I think that this will make me a better parent. I need a break and I truly believe all three of them will be fine without me - particularly because home care allows them to stay together. If I didn’t believe that I wouldn’t do it. John’s parents are here this week so I can focus on my first week and not worry about how the girls are adjusting. The true test starts next week.

 I have a whole different perspective going back into the working world - particularly since my job will have to end when I’m back on mom duty. I really hope I like it.

Claire didn’t eat in the night last night. First time she’s done that since birth! She did wake up once in the night but I managed to settle her. She was restless after 6am but I wouldn’t give in to being tired and we got up and she had toast and fruit.

It’s progress but I’m not silly enough to think it’s going to be the end of waking up in the night for food.

From the pictures you can probably tell we spent Easter in Windsor at John’s parents. John, Claire and I left on Sunday. Leah and Emmaspent the week with Nana and Papa and will be back in time for school this afternoon. We’ve talked to them everyday on the phone and they definitely do not miss us. They’ve had a packed social calendar with lots of visiting, a trip to a restaurant geared towards kids and tea parties, and Grandparents that played along with their 10th birthday and made them a cake!

Back in Oakville things have been very peaceful. John took Wednesday off and we ploughed through some list items. Claire has been really enjoyable. People keep on asking me if she misses her sisters…while I think she’ll be thrilled to see them, I don’t think she is missing them all that much. She has been following us around a lot more. It’s been nice to have a week with just her.