two years, five months, four (ish) weeks

Dear Zac-Zac,

This will be a short letter because you are having a very difficult time falling asleep tonight and you've been calling for me on and off for over half an hour now.

I'm not sure what's been going in for you this past week, but tonight is not the first night it's taken you so long to fall asleep. Actually, a few nights ago it took you well over an hour to fall asleep. And you were up just a few hours later.

Are you getting sick?
Am I spending too little time with you?
Is potty training too rough?

I hate to hear you struggle so much, exhausted from your little day...

This week I really wanted to blog about how affectionate you've been recently, how you hug me randomly and say "I love you" without prompting. Without me saying it first. Hug you snuggle on the floor and pretend to "sleep on mommy". How you hug your teachers and your friends' parents of your own volition. How "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me" are integrated completely into your vocabulary and I rarely have to remind you how to ask nicely. (Tonight, I forgot to put your fork on your table and you asked, immediately, "mommy, can I have a fork, please?" And you were sincere, not whiny.) I'd like to think mommy and daddy are modeling that behavior for you, but I know we have your school to thank for reinforcing it.

You are still not asleep, an hour and 10 minutes after I said good night the first time. You have, in the past hour, "accidentally" kicked the side of your bed and needed lotion and kisses, had cold feet and needed socks, needed a different color on your night light, and, of course, pooped. I'm hoping the latter event was what's been keeping you up tonight and you'll be fast asleep soon. I know I will be.

The weekend is coming soon and I hope we'll make up at least a little bit of this lost sleep.

Good night, sleepy head. I'll see you in the morning. I love you.

Mommy

two years, five months, two and a half weeks

Dear Zac,

Last weekend Mommy and Daddy went on our first vacation since you were inside Mommy's belly. We went to the Bahamas to celebrate Danielle's Bat Mitzvah. We missed you a lot, but you had a good time at home with Tata.

On Friday afternoon we Skyped to see how your day went at school. You were excited to see us, but you didn't miss us at all.

On Saturday afternoon we skyped again. You were immersed in coloring with Saba and it took some effort on Tata's part to get you to come to the computer. You really didn't care that you hadn't seen either Mommy or Daddy in more that 24 hours. You even went so far as to say "I don't want to talk to Mommy!"

I'm so proud of you for doing so well without Mommy or Daddy for a whole weekend. Although I was a little sad that you didn't notice that we were gone, and didn't shed a tear that Mommy was "on her trip", I'm really happy that you are becoming such an independent little boy and that separation doesn't seem to be a big issue.

Love,
Mommy

learning how to spell

This conversation took place in the bath today:

Me: How do you spell Zachary?
Zac: Z-A-C-H-A-R-Y!
Me: That's right! How do you spell mommy?
Zac: Mmmmmmm...M! M-O-C-H-A-R-Y! Yes!
Me: How do you spell Daddy?
Zac: Duh-duh-duh-duh....D! D spells daddy! D-A-C-H-A-R-Y!
Me: ok...How do you spell Tata.
Zac: T-A-T-A...C-H-A-R-Y!

two years, five months, (almost) two weeks

Zachary,

This has been one of those weeks where I secretly wish we were closer to your third birthday. No matter how many times we say to you that some something is dangerous, you still need to do it. I must have lost a few years off my life this past week, worried sick you'd seriously injure yourself.

A few days ago, despite being asked repeatedly to stop, you climbed up the back of the couch. Unfortunately, you didn't make it over the back and fell backwards, first onto your little table and then to the floor. You have a nice little bruise on your back now.

On Monday, we took a walk with some friends around the neighborhood. Despite being told to stop, you ran into the street. Into Broadway, no less. We are all so lucky for the person (I can't remember if it was a man or a woman) who stopped you as you stepped off the sidewalk. Our play date ended immediately and I grabbed you by the hand and marched you straight home.

I must have lectured you for a good hour after that stunt. 4 days later and I'm still catching my breath. You will not be permitted to walk outside unless strapped into your stroller or holding Mommy or Daddy or Tata or anyone else's hand. Firmly.

Let's stick to climbing on the playground and running in the park, shall we?

Sleep tight, little daredevil.

I love you,
Mommy

two years, five months

Dear Zac,

Now that you're pretty much potty trained, you know all kinds of fun words to describe what happens in the bathroom. I think, possibly, hearing you talk about pee and poop has kept me laughing through this whole potty-training experience. (Which I'm convinced has been way more stressful for me than for you.) I've really enjoyed reading Everyone Poops with you. You like "touching" all the animal poop. "Yucky!!!!!" And, luckily for us, you've actually really enjoyed learning to use the toilet and...well...exploring different positions...to pee.

Today you peed standing up in the toilet for the first time. This looked something like, mommy holding you under your armpits while you stood ON the toilet seat, knees slightly bent, both of us watching your pee land (evenly, I might add!) in the toilet.  You didn't get all the pee out, and said to me "There's more pee but it's too hard...I sit now."

The second you sat on your little potty, you farted. Loudly. And it echoed. You thought that this was hysterical.  But to me the fart itself was not nearly as funny as your reaction,

                       "I'm passing gas! Excuuuuu-me!"

I don't think mommy and daddy have EVER used the term "passing gas" to describe you farting. (I'm assuming you must have learned that at school.) So, I added, "You did! You farted!"

                        "I did fart. That's funny!"

So, at barely 2 and a haf, farting is already funny. Great.

Thanks for keeping me laughing, my little comedian. Looking forward to finding out what else makes you laugh.

Love,

Mommy

"where the poop go?"

Before we flush the toilet you always ask to see what's inside. The other day you asked "where the poop go?" And before I could answer, you said "I goes down the tunnel!"

You followed-up with another question, "what's it going to do in the tunnel?"

Again, before I could (make up an) answer, you spoke.

"It go play with the other poops!"

Yes, Zachary. That's EXACTLY where our poop goes.

two years, four months, four weeks

Dear Zac,

I didn't write a second letter last week because we have been SO busy. So, I'll write the letter I would have written then, now.

My little creature of habit, it usually takes you weeks to adjust to any changes in your routine. A bedtime routine was something that we started with you pretty much from day one. And it worked for a long time. Dinner, Bath, Books with Daddy, nursing and to sleep. In the Fall, we replaced nursing at bedtime with Songs in the Chair with Mommy. About a month ago (or more), we started noticing that bedtime was just taking too long. Usually when I was home for bedtime (most nights), you would not go to bed without 3 books and about a dozen songs. I tried to limit the number of songs (to match the number of books), but then you would have a hard time falling asleep.

Last week we stopped doing songs in the chair cold turkey and switched thing up a bit. You still got your dinner. You still got your bath and your books with Daddy. Only now, you feed your fish and say good night to them and turn of your own light. Mommy and Daddy put you in your crib with some stuffed animals (who are waiting for you in your crib, already asleep - Elmo has an earlier bedtime), and Mommy hums Edelweiss (you won't let me sing the words and you like to hum along) and then we say good night. If you still need me there, I sing ABC's, Bah Bah Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle from the door. Generally, you go right to sleep.

The other day, I put you down for a nap (which is only slightly different than bedtime - only one book, hum Edelweiss and we say "see ya when you wake up!" and close the door), and when I close the door you did not go right to sleep. Instead, you finished the new routine - you said ABC's, Bah Bah Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle...and then you were quiet.

I'm so proud of you. I'm glad you like your crib and your new bedtime routines. I know it won't be long before you resist the crib and hop over the side. I know a toddler bed is in sight. You know it, too. I think this summer will be a good time for that transition. We'll be going to California without a porta-crib (at 35lbs and 3' tall, you're just too big!) for two weeks. You'll be sleeping on a mattress on the floor and when we get home, no more crib. Unless you want it. Which I doubt.

Have fun at school today - your first day back after a week and a half long break. I'm sure you'll have a blast and come home with lots of stories.

Love,
Mommy

two years, four months, three weeks

Dear Zachary,

Another vacation week means more quality time together.

Today we had a great day. We both slept really well last night and woke up in good moods, with a good amount of energy. After breakfast, we played together on the floor with cars then go dressed for an outing.

Today was Willow's first haircut and she really wanted you there to see. (You were eager to go, but totally lost interest once you saw all the toys in the salon.) Since Tata's car doesn't fit 3 car seats in the back, you and I traveled downtown on the subway. You were so excited because we don't take the subway all that often and you really enjoy it.

Before we left the house I asked you if you wanted to take the stroller or if you would walk. "I walk nicely," you said. And you did, mostly.

You were an absolute angel on the subway. You held my hand as we waited on the platform for the subway to come (the first one was packed so we had to wait 5 minutes for the next one, which was completely empty) and sat down on the seat when I asked you to. You sat the entire 35 minute ride. You looked out the window into the subway tunnel, you met another little boy your age, and you had a small snack. We talked about how it would be several stops before it was our turn to get off and you reminded me each time the subway pulled into another station that it was "Somebody else's stop."

Today was the first time I took you farther than the playground without a stroller and the most I had to carry you was halfway up the subway stairs. You didn't whine, you didn't squirm, you didn't ask to stand or get off the subway before our stop. I didn't feel frustrated once with traveling alone with you on the subway and I didn't regret leaving the stroller at home.

When we got home, I made up matzah brei and we sat down at the dining room table together. You love it when we do anything together but today was even more special to you because you got to sit in my seat at the table and not in your booster. I asked you before we sat down to eat where you wanted to sit and you said,

"I sit in mommy's chair."
I asked, "then where will I sit?"
"You sit in Zachary's chair! noooo! You get stuck! You sit in daddy's chair!"

Good idea, Zac. I reminded you that there is no throwing and you must sit while you eat or I would strap you into your booster (which you are starting to hate...along with being strapped into the stroller) You reassured me and said, "I sit nicely."

You really are doing everything so "nicely" today.

I'll probably write again this week because I am so enjoying our time together.

I love you so much,
Mommy

"green eggs and haaaaan?"

Grandpa and Bobé sent you a copy of Green Eggs and Ham. You read every page the same way.

"Green eggs and haaaaaaaan? Green eggs and haaaaaaaan? No no no like green eggs and han!"

Too cute.

two years, four months, two weeks

Dear Zac,

You've reached some pretty big developmental milestones this week.

Potty training:

A few weeks ago I mentioned my concern for your readiness to use the potty. This came after your teachers told me that you are the last in the class to use the potty and that you wouldn't be able to start the early childhood program in the Fall until you were completely trained. This caused me so much anxiety because you aren't even two and a half and I couldn't predict when you'd be ready and willing to use the potty. I don't know why I was so anxious or why I felt like I needed to rush you through the process. A month  ago you screamed and threw a tantrum every time we mentioned the word "potty". I bought a $5 book on potty training and read the first few pages and realized I was going about this all wrong. I know your personality pretty well and needed to just trust that you would figure this out on your own. You would need gentle reminders, but bribing you wasn't going to work. I knew that if you could just pee successfully in the potty one time that you would want to do it again and again (and every half hour when we're home!).Also, because you really like to do things together, if mommy or daddy said something like "let's go to the potty together!" you might be excited to try. I was right.

I never knew potty training to be so much fun.


Relating to characters and experiences in books and in play:

Another milestone this week has been your ability to see yourself in the books we read. Potty training books were helpful and it was remarkable to hear you say things like, "that looks like Zachary's potty!" "That's boy like Zachary!" and my favorite, "we don't touch poop! it's yucky!"

For the past few weeks now, you been increasingly disinterested in sleeping. You often scream at us, "I don't want to go to sleep". This pretty much shatters my heart every night. A couple nights ago we read Good Night Gorilla and Good Night Moon. We looked at the pictures as I read the story. You noticed that the animals in Good Night Gorilla also did not want to stay in their beds but when they were finally "tucked in", they didn't cry. You looked up at me and said "I won't cry tonight." And you didn't. And the past few nights since then, while you've resisted a little, haven't been unbearable and you've put your head down with your stuffed animal and gone to sleep fairly quickly.

I love you, pumpkin. I am looking forward to spending next week with you while we both have a break for for Passover.


Much love,
Mommy