The things she says….

Where does Gillian learn everything…this past week she has said things that just amaze me.

I read to Gillian every night. Sometimes 1 book, sometimes 3 although 3 is stretching her attention span. It was a night when I was reading 3 books and when I was almost finished the first book and Gillian said to me, “Only 2 books left.” During the 2nd book, she did the same thing, “Only 1 book left.” I was shocked when Gillian performed this basic math…I thought for a 3 year old...this just blew my mind. Maybe it was my lack of being around other children and not realizing how they pick up these skills.

At an early age Craig taught Gillian about blowing kisses. It is something that Craig and Gillian do together quite frequently when one of them is leaving the house. So one rainy morning Gillian and I were leaving to go to daycare & work. Craig was at one of the windows so we stopped to blow kisses. When they were finished we continued our walk to the car and Gillian told me, “Daddy blew wet kisses.” I asked Gillian, “Why were the kisses Daddy blew you wet?” And her response was, “Because it is raining” I’m way too simple minded for her.

It is hard to believe that just over a year ago Gillian started talking. I knew she had taken right off with talking when she started to put sentences together as fast as she was learning words.

The things she said make me smile and astonish me all at the same time.

Enjoying June

Today I had a great day!

My parents had asked me to go to walk with them for the 1st Annual Scleroderma walk/run in memory of Randy Duprey. I don't know Katie or Randy personally. I went to high school with Katie but don't really know her. I recently started reading her blog http://thedupreyfamily.blogspot.com/ and I can't even begin to imagine the pain she is going through. This was definitely a good event for a good cause. It was a beautiful day for it and they had a really good turn out for it. So after walking 3 miles in the heat going home to check on our swimming pool sounded like a good idea.

After mentioning the pool and possibly taking a dip I knew Gillian would not be satisfied unless we got in the pool. So we got our suits on and went out to the pool. The thermometer was not in the pool so I stuck it in for 5 minutes...it showed 68 degrees so I thought,"Not so bad." Gillian and I put our towels on the pool deck and I put my feet in and thought"Okay, maybe this will be good enough." Gillian proceeded to repeatedly asked me,"Mommy when are you getting in?" I know there is no way that Gillian is going to get in this water. I keep wondering when 68 degrees got so cold. So I decided to teach my daughter about pinkie swearing which she thought was funny. Yes, I made my 3 year old pinkie swear that she would go in the pool. So I get in the pool and it is freezing but I try not to show it. Gillian immediately hops up and asks to get in. So I go over to the deck and bring her in...it doesn't even get to her belly button and she wants to get out. I guess half way in counts for the pinkie swear. So 10 minutes later I get out of the pool and I check the temperature again and the water is only 64 degrees. The insane things I do for my daughter. Although the "I love yous" that I heard repeatedly through the experience really made it worth my while...

So close to summer...

It is not quite warm enough to go in the pool just yet in Northern New York. That does not stop Gillian from checking on the progress of opening the pool daily. Normally she is out supervising her Dad working on the pool but Craig had to work today. So I told her after dinner we were going out to turn it on and clean out any bugs that had collected. It was obvious by her immediate smile that this was great news. So we get outside and she starts telling me what I need to do. Plug it in here, empty the bugs (from the thing attached to the pump) and of course she had to show me how to stand properly so I could skim the top of the water. I was stunned by my 3 year olds managing skills, she didn’t think twice about it. And she was polite saying please and thank you. She obviously realized my knowledge of the pool was limited which she is correct. I did teach her (although I knew I probably shouldn’t) that with my assistance she could lean over and feel the water so she now realizes that it is still quite cold. She also discovered that it is fascinating to lay on the deck and watch the water being circulated. I know in 10 years I will miss days like these.

Outdoors

Gillian is a huge fan of the outdoors. I think if she knew a tent existed she would move into one. We have a sandbox, Barbie Beetle, Princess tricycle, soccer net & t-ball set. We can spend an entire day out there and it still isn’t enough. I’m so happy she is like this and not obsessed with watching TV. It gets me outdoors too which as I’ve gotten older I’m not fond of the outdoors like I once was.

The newest project is getting our pool open and running. I had been bugging Craig since May 1st to work on this because I don’t take care of the pool. I know nothing about it and don’t try to understand it. Gillian asked her Daddy last weekend to open the pool and amazingly it was opened by Thursday and is now almost ready to go in….amazing when Gillian asks for something it becomes a priority. LOL!

Gillian is all about the pool getting open. She asks constantly when it will be done and if Craig goes out to work on the pool, Gillian must go out to oversee. I love looking out the window and seeing Craig working and she is watching him intently like she is the supervisor. When I notice this I open the windows so I can hear their conversations. She asks him why he does everything he is doing and although I know her being there is holding him up he does not show it. He answers all her questions and they have some father/daughter bonding time. I hope this always continues…

Potty

Back 9 months ago when we started potty training with Gillian I had figured it would take a month at most. Gillian is very smart and loves being referred to as a “big girl” as she grows older. I didn’t realize that my daughter would outsmart me.

We bought the pull-ups, two different potties, and one that went on the floor and one that went on the toilet seat because we were unsure which she would prefer. We took advice from all different people on what worked for them. We bought underwear with all her favorite characters on them. We told her once she conquered the pull up, she would get to wear underwear and she seemed so thrilled with this. We were set and ready to be done with the diaper stage.

So at first she seemed really interested and was using the potty, which made me think it would go quicker obviously 9 months later, it hasn’t been quick. My daughter is sneaky. I can’t say it is all her because Craig and I have not exactly been forcing her but letting her find her own way. We ask her to go potty but we don’t force the issue. But Gillian has figured out that it interrupts her life if she has to stop playing to go potty. So why would she want to stop playing outside or with her dolls to go when she can just go and keep playing until we figure out she went and change her? Sneaky child!

So just like the NICU 3 years ago looked at us and said if they kept her until she stopped alarming they would probably have her till she was 3 years old and let us leave with her on the basis that she was ready and just needed to do it. This past weekend we put her in underwear not really knowing how it was going to go but we know it is what she needs.

It has been interesting and funny. Craig and I ask if she has to go to the bathroom repeatedly. To the point when this is done I’m not sure I will ever want to talk about it again. I never thought I would ever talk about going pee or poop so much. I also never imagined that my daughter telling us she had to go potty in a panic and then going poop would bring on a celebration. It’s funny how I can have a whole conversation with Gillian’s daycare provider & we both carry on the conversation like it is a normal topic.

For me when this is done is going to be a huge milestone. It’s going to be the final sign that Gillian is definitely not a baby anymore.