Things I've Learned This Summer- A Summer Summary

We're back!  I'm typing to you from my new laptop- a tiny little 11" beauty that will soon be outfitted with covers and protectors on almost every inch, and will never, ever, ever be placed on the same table as a glass of water.  

After a few weeks of being unintentionally unplugged, and with Labor Day approaching, I thought a list of things I've learned this summer felt really appropriate.  Hope you enjoy catching up with our new knowledge as much as we've enjoyed our summer. 

This summer, I learned...

How to carry Etta in a woven wrap on my back.

Younger siblings really do reach some milestones more quickly than their older siblings- like pulling up to standing.  Wow, Etta.

When fishing in Prospect Park, you're more likely to catch turtles than fish.

Target is always hot.  The local grocery store is always cold.  I should dress us appropriately.

Although it may sound counterintuitive, the more people who share an air mattress, the easier it is to sleep.

Real men wear non-toxic blue toe nail polish.

Each adult entering a NYC public pool is required to have a padlock, and all children under 4 need to wear a swim diaper.

This recipe for coconut flour zucchini bread is just as good as regular zucchini bread.  Really!  (Cook's note: drain the shredded zucchini first and add a generous amount of dark chocolate chips.)

Tye thinks I look like this- and, apparently, that I have a mustache.

Any chux absorbable pads left over from a home birth make easy toddler mattress protectors.

Cheap travel spray bottles from Target make awesome replacements for water guns.

Breastfed baby sweat smells strikingly similar to breastfed baby poop (at least, Etta's does- do I just have a stinky baby?).

The Bronx Zoo's Asia Monorail ride provides the perfect opportunity for a 20 minute nap.

BabyLegs makes mesh versions with SPF to keep baby's legs cool and protected.  Genius!

No matter how many flavors of ice cream she tries, Tye's favorite is always "white."

Hot dogs are delicious- when they come from our CSA and are made from local 100% grass-fed beef.

It wasn't that Etta didn't like baths or water.  She just didn't have the right company until recently.

Stonyfield Farms Yogurt Squeezers, those plastic tubes of yogurt marketed to kids, can be frozen to make super easy frozen yogurt popsicles that happen to be Tye's favorite food right now.

Cornstarch and water, combined to form that solid/liquid goo, keeps Tye entertained for literally hours- but some will always end up in her mouth, so spending money on organic is justified.

The wine fridge makes a great overflow storage option for farm share vegetables that won't fit in our compact kitchen refrigerator.

Sometimes the hardest part of toilet training a toddler is convincing her wiping is an important step.

This tree is called a Rose of Sharon and is a type of hibiscus tree that thrives in urban (read: poor) environmental conditions.  We have four in our backyard and they are blooming all over Brooklyn.

During early summer, Rose of Sharon trees attract aphids, which attract ladybugs.  Ladybug larvae do not survive in bug jars, even when supplied with aphids.

Lightning bugs do survive in bug jars, for over 24 hours if supplied with a variety of leafy herbs from the garden.

Tye's favorite playground doesn't have a slide or swings.  Just bars to climb.

And, I saved the best for last---  I'm going to have a niece!  And Tye and Etta are going to have a cousin!!!  Tyler's sister is due with a girl in December.  This little girl is already a member of our family and we can't wait to meet her.  I'll finally be Auntie Em!

Our Future Olympian!

Tye spends her time at the playground practicing "flips," as she calls them, for her floor routine... 

 working on her parallel bars skills...

perfecting her finish on the beam...

and greeting her cheering section.

On To Undies!

I have exciting news in the ECing arena!  But pictures of that just aren't, well, internet appropriate.  So, I thought I'd share photos of our trip to Illinois earlier this month and let you use your imagination to fill in any blanks (or not, if baby poop isn't your thing...).

Swimming in GG and PaPa's pool!

So the exciting news---- Tye has been in underwear for over a month now!  I have to admit, I would love to share photos of Tye in her undies.  She just looks so cute running around in pink or green briefs!    

"I flying like a bird!" with Coach

 Just to catch everyone up to date: we used Elimination Communication with Tye from about 3 months.  While she was never diaper-free as a baby, she almost immediately began to only have bowel movements in her potty (the only exceptions were bouts of diarrhea).  We continued with ECing into toddlerhood and last summer, even spent a couple weeks sans diapers at home until Tye suddenly decided she really wanted to wear a diaper.  Once she realized she didn't have to stop playing to go potty in her diaper, that was it.  She still only pooped on the toilet and would pee every time she sat, but she wouldn't interrupt play to use the bathroom, and we stayed in that pattern until this spring. (For our entire EC journey, catch up here.)

Etta and GG, readyt to swim

The recent transition to underwear was so smooth and gentle that we don't have a set date of transition.  Since April-ish, Tye has been proudly wearing underwear at home, no exceptions, and diapers only when out of the house.  In early June, we went full-time undies and Tye barely batted an eyelash.  

On 100+ degree days, ice pops are highly preferred over regular parade candy.

 I still have to remind Tye to use the bathroom when playing with friends or when out of the house, and we still use overnight diapers just in case (though she has only wet one in the past several weeks!).  Our biggest accomplishment was our trip to Illinois, during which Tye stayed dry through all kinds of excitement and even on our long road trip!  We had just one accident all 10 days.  Of course, it was on an upholstered couch, but in all fairness, Tye hadn't been prompted to go in a couple hours (yup, it was a big wet spot- sorry, GG!).  

"Whoa!  A parade!  So much to see!"

We're also using EC with Etta, who is doing her best to communicate with us when she needs to go.   When we hold Etta to go, she always eliminates- but she poops so frequently (at least once a day, unlike Tye's once a week routine at this age) that we don't catch all of them yet.  Recently, I've been having a difficult time distinguishing between her "I need to poop" grunts and her "I am trying my hardest to crawl/reach this toy/remind you I'm here" grunts. I'm totally happy with our ECing progress with Etta.  I just really hope that we can figure out a way to communicate clearly before she really takes to eating solids!

Yesterday seemed to sum up our current pottying state pretty well.  While at the park with friends, both Tye and Etta peed on a tree.  How's that for a mental picture?  Of course, I also carry with us a full change of clothes for each.  We're good, but we're also prepared.  

Mama with "bowf girls"

6 Month Stats

Look at me!!! I'm now 26.5 inches long and up to 15 pounds. The doctor said I'm way ahead developmentally, with my awesome ability to transfer objects from hand to hand and all. Then she saw me sitting and declared I sit with the skills of a 9 month old. She really knows how to make Mama feel good. Of course, I'm already a pro at that, too.

Conflict Resolution 101

For the past few months, Tye, Etta, and I have been attending a great little playgroup hosted by a local mom in her family's home.  She has a boy several months older than Tye and a girl just a couple months older than Etta, and many of the other children who attend are similar ages to our children.  It's been a really wonderful opportunity to meet other families in the neighborhood and for Tye to engage with her peers.  

Of course, any time a group of preschoolers assembles, conflicts are unavoidable.  Last week, as Tye was trying to squeeze through a small space at the same time as a little boy (we'll call him Jamie), Jamie hit Tye on the face.  Hard.  She ended up with a slightly black eye and some missing skin under and next to her eye.  That night, she told Daddy, "Jamie hit me at Jack house, give me owie on my eye."  She brought it up frequently that day, the next, and throughout the week.

I make a point of always paying attention to Tye's owies, big and small miniscule.  By reacting with love and compassion, I'm teaching her to empathetically do the same when others are injured.  This time, while I made sure to care for her physical wounds, I also jumped at the opportunity to use this as a learning experience.  Tye had just recently begun to hit Tyler and me when she was upset- not hard, but as an expression of her frustration.  So every time Tye mentioned Jamie and her owie, I reminded her, "Hitting hurts.  We don't hit.  We use words."  Then I'd model words she could use if she was angry in place of hitting- "I'm mad! I don't like that!"  I also sometimes went on to model phrases she could use to communicate with Jamie, like "Don't hit me, I don't like that," hoping it would give her a feeling of empowerment should the situation arise again.  

Today was another playgroup day.  Within minutes of our arrival, Jamie pushed Tye down from standing, her bottom landing on the sharp corners of wooden blocks that laid scattered on the floor.  Tye bawled.  Jamie- who is a really sweet kid with a warm, sparkling smile and a very kind, involved, totally apologetic mother- apologized.  Not long after, while Tye was playing catch with another friend (such a precious exchange, by the way), Jamie walked up and hit her in the face.  Tye cried again, though this time, I think her feelings were hurt more than her face.  

Now, I wasn't there to witness this next part of the story, but my friend, the hostess, was.  While Tye and Jamie were sitting at the table eating popcorn together, apparently they had a little conversation that went like this:

Tye: Jamie, you don't hit me anymore, okay?  Hitting hurts.

Jamie: Okay.

Tye: Thank you.

Then they continued eating their popcorn.  Later on, they ran back and forth down the hall together, shared trains and balls, went up and down the slide together, and ate more popcorn together, all without incident.  

When my friend relayed the kids' conversation to me, I was first totally shocked- and then so totally, completely filled with pride.  Tye found a calm moment and talked with her peer about their conflict, resolving the issue without adult interference.  That's something many of us adults have a hard time accomplishing, and Tye's not even two and a half!  

The solutions to Tye's problems won't always be this easy.  With all my heart, I dread the day I'll have to console her after a major conflict with a peer.  But, as is the case with many lessons in life, she'll have opportunities along the way to develop and practice conflict resolution skills.  In many ways, today's exchange has laid the groundwork for talking through a quarrel with a friend or confronting a bully in the future.  It may not have been a painless lesson to learn- unfortunately, they rarely are- but it is one that will serve her well as she continues to grow.  

Let's Pretend!

Watching Tye's development through the eyes of an Early Childhood Educator has been an amazing experience.  With each new step, I'm thrilled, especially as I see her developing new play skills.  You might remember my excitement when Tye started putting blocks into a bucket, reaching the second level of basic play.  

Quite a few levels later, a child reaches imaginary play.  First, a child uses actual objects to engage in pretend play.  A perfect example is when Tye received a toy phone for her first birthday, opened the gift, and immediately held the phone up to her ear and said "Hello?"  


The next two stages of pretend play happen so close together that they often appear to evolve simultaneously.  Technically first, a child uses a substitute object in place of an item in play- for example, when Tye held a remote control or block up to her ear and pretended to talk on the phone.  Next, a child uses toys to engage with a pretend object, such as feeding a doll with a spoon.  The subtle difference between these two is that in the first, the action is performed by the toddler and includes only the child and the toy; in the second, the action is aimed at a different recipient.  Tye has been engaging in these two stages for quite a long time, though her playscapes have become more complicated as she has grown.  Most recently, Tye gives her baby doll or animal feelings.  Just yesterday, she told me, "Baby needs cookie.  Baby's belly hurts.  Baby's hungry.  Eat some cookie, baby!"  and later on, "Baby's sad.  Baby needs na-nas," as she held her baby up to her breast to nurse her.

Right around her second birthday, Tye entered the next stage of pretend play by including imaginary objects in her play.  It started with her pretending to hold a cup of coffee and asking me if I wanted some, too, then handing the imaginary cup to me.  We still do this quite often with "coffee" and "cookies."  This stage also includes running away from imaginary monsters, another one we do often, especially at the playground.  The best part of this stage is that this type of play can take place with no toys and can therefore travel easily!  Coffee party in the checkout line, anyone?  


The next stage includes stringing together play into a series of events, such as pretending to drive to the zoo and then getting out to walk and see the animals.  We are just reaching this stage, and I thoroughly enjoy listening to Tye engage in these more complicated scenarios.  


Tye is also beginning to role play, yet another developmental level of play.  In our house, it's not uncommon to hear Tye say, "Tye's a turtle!" or "Tye's a kitty!"  We've also recently heard mouse, puppy, and an even more abstract concept, princess.  During our visit to my parents' home, Tye first pretended she was a princess by wrapping my scarf around her shoulders and walking around slowly, regally, her chin held high.  

She has come a long way from those first block-in-bucket days, hasn't she?

Adapting Learning Materials

You've probably seen shape sorters like this all over.  We have one for Tye.  When she and I sat down to play with it to see if she was ready for it, I could tell she was really interested but not ready to discriminate between so many shapes.  Without any direction, she was overwhelmed and frustrated.  

Out came the teacher in me.  I knew I could use this puzzle, but make it work for Tye's current skill set.  

So I cut cardboard squares to cover two of the four sides of the sorter.

Then I taped them from the inside to cover two of the more difficult sides.

I removed the blocks that could no longer be sorted, so now Tye will have to discriminate between six shapes instead of twelve.  I'm not sure the parallelogram will stay, since finding the side that needs to go in first can be pretty challenging, but we'll try.  I know she can complete the other shapes independently.  

After enough practice to ensure Tye is enjoying the block sorting, I'll remove one piece of cardboard at a time, adding blocks slowly until she can complete the whole puzzle.  Now we have a toy that will grow with Tye.

You know you're an Early Childhood Educator...

...when you totally geek out the first time your daughter draws faces.

HUGE. DEVELOPMENTAL. MILESTONE.

And one proud, geeked-out mama.

Tye the Talker

Remember the recent post about Tyeisms? There have been so many great ones recently, I can't even remember them all.  I need to revert back to my teaching days and keep a scrap of paper and a pen in my pocket at all times so I can jot down notes throughout the day (the problem with that plan is that few of my maternity pants have pockets).  This week, Tye starting imitating me by saying "Thank you soooo much," and "You're very welcome."  She also started quoting some of the Christmas movies we've been watching, like Rudolph when he flies for the first time after Clarice tells him he's cute.  Tye is even better than Rudolph at saying "I'm cuuute, I'm cuuuuuuuute!!!"

Over the past month, Tye's language has exploded.  She uses mostly full sentences to communicate now, stringing together five or six words easily.  When she wants an item, she can describe it to me, like the other night when she was asking for "baba."  Clueless, I asked what she wanted again, so she said very clearly, "Baba.  That baba up there on the top, with the cow," describing a water bottle.  Whoa.  Suddenly, Tye is a chatterbox.

Let me preface this by saying that I have loved every stage of mothering I've met so far, and I've cherished each one's beautiful, unique balance of giving and taking.  This new talking phase, though, is really special.  With her increased vocabulary and newfound ability to hold a real conversation, Tye has become my little buddy.  I have a great time just talking with her during meals, chatting as we walk to the playground, and discussing books as we read.  I appreciate finally understanding what she wants and even sometimes why.  The more Tye talks, the more her personality makes itself evident.

All kids develop new skills at their own pace, and I keep thinking that for us, this language explosion has come at a really convenient time.  When I think about parenting two girls later this winter, knowing that Tye will be able to communicate with me so easily is reassuring.  I'm looking forward to having someone to talk back with me as I nurse a newborn and hearing what Tye has to say about her sister.  The monologue stage of mothering is over for me... at least until the girls enter high school.  

Overheard: Tyeisms

"I gonna get me!" -when wrestling with Daddy


"Terry you?" -to request being carried, as in "Want me to carry you?"


"'Mere, Kiko." -translation: "Come here, Mico."


"I find ____!" -when Tye finds any object (i.e., "I find cars!" or "I find booger!"


"It too pisces." -spitting out any food; apparently "spicy" is synonymous for "yucky" 


"I so high!" -swinging, or climbing any tall objects


"Wanna watch Elmo/Cars/Snoopy/Nemo? Sure! Okay." -in conversation with herself when she wants to watch TV but knows it's not actually an option


"Go way." -telling Mico to go away


"Ba ba no no wore so high." -translation: "Up above the world so high," followed by "Like a diamond in the sky."


"No, I fine." -when declining an offer


"I do it." -all. the. time.


"I find me!" -when Tye suddenly appears, especially after hiding

Corner Store Playdough

The longer we live in Brooklyn and the more experience I gain living here, the more I learn to improvise.  Can't carry the dog food home from the store?  Order it on Amazon.  Dryer takes three and a half hours to dry a load of clothes?  Hang them all.  So when I wanted to make play dough for Tye but couldn't find food coloring at any of the local corner grocery stores (or our nearby Target), I thought of one of my favorite recipes for play dough from my teaching days: Jello play dough.  It's a beautiful, smooth consistency, smells yummy, and doesn't require food coloring- perfect for life in our area of Brooklyn, where apparently no one uses food coloring. (I know, I don't use artificial food coloring, either- except for making play dough!) 

Jello Play Dough

1 cup flour (plus additional for kneading)

2 Tbsp salt

3-4 Tbsp cream of tartar

1 small package flavored gelatin (we used blue raspberry)

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup water

Combine ingredients in a medium pot or large saucepan, stirring until smooth.  Place the pan over low heat and stir continuously until the texture changes and the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the edge.  Turn dough out onto wax or parchment paper to cool.  Add flour gradually and knead until smooth and no longer sticky.  Store in an airtight container.  If it becomes dry, knead in a little oil and add less flour next time.  

Though I've been wanting to try out play dough with Tye for a while, this was our first experience with it.  She asked to eat it many times and even tried to sneak a few tastes, but did a much better job keeping it out of her mouth than I had expected.  We had a great time playing together, making shapes with our hands and cookie cutters, but Tye's favorite play dough activity was finding small animals hidden within the dough.  She loves the idea of hiding right now and becomes really excited to find items.  When she realized there were animals hiding in the dough, she squealed and giggled with delight, then re-hid them in their "house."   

Play dough is great for a child's development, with opportunities to practice fine motor skills (cutting, shaping, twisting) and coordination (using a rolling pin, practicing cutting dough "snakes" with scissors) and to engage in sensory input- squeezing the soft, squishy dough- that can be hard to find elsewhere.  Plus, as Tye will tell you, it's fun!  

Needless to say, we're going to be making a lot more play dough in the future.  I'm excited to try some natural food colors, like adding/substituting beet juice, green or hibiscus tea, turmeric, and orange peel to the water in other recipes, and turn our improvising into a culinary adventure.   At least I know I can fall back on more Jello in a pinch.

To Tye, at 23 months

Dear Tye,


What a month you've had!  You've grown up so much, even as you've simultaneously adapted to new surroundings.  You have a new bedroom in a new house in a new city, and you are continuing to find joy daily in your surroundings here.  I am loving watching you play more imaginatively, using your toys to fill the scenes in your mind and talking as you go along.  Such a great reminder that play is serious work for you.


You're becoming more interactive with adults in your life and as they pass by.  Before we left Chicago, you became adept at enthusiastically greeting friends and family members by name when they entered our home.  Listening to you talk on the phone is both hilarious and precious as you rattle off long sentences with a recognizable word here and there.  Obviously, what you are saying has great meaning to you.  I can't wait to understand more of it.  Other adults are understanding more of what you say, too.  Earlier this week, as a woman held the door open for us at the bank, you walked through and cheerfully said "'Scuse me," a simple phrase that spread chuckles around the bank lobby.  When we walk outside and see our neighbors on the stoop, you love to greet them with a bubbly "Hi guys!"  Who wouldn't love that?


Your love for books has taken on a whole new level of interest.  You will gladly spend hours at a time opening and looking through the books on the shelves in your room, labeling items and characters and often telling the story as you turn familiar pages.  Yesterday morning, you actually fell asleep reading books to yourself (fully decked out in sunglasses and rainboots, might I add). 

Recently, you've begun to enjoy when we tell you stories, too, especially familiar ones.  How amazing to recognize that your communication comprehension and visualization skills are strong enough to follow along.


Yet another recent acquisition is your interest in emotions in yourself and others.  You label happy, sad, and hurt and show great empathy when others are sad or hurt.  One day before our move, when you saw me crying, you climbed up to me on the couch and said, "Mommy, what you doing sad?" as you gave me a big hug and kiss.  It's hard to stay sad when I have you to cheer me up.  


Along the same lines, in the past day or two you've learned how to actually smile for the camera, and you're a little ham.  I am cherishing these first photos of your huge grin- you look so much more grown up.

I had worried that our move this month may have been a difficult transition for you, but you proved yourself to be quite resilient and a strong little family member.  You still occasionally repeat the phrases we used to explain our move to you: "Mico go to Brooklyn, Daddy go to Brooklyn, Mommy go to Brooklyn, Tye go to Brooklyn."  And now when Daddy leaves in the morning, you look to me and say, "Daddy go to train," instead of "Daddy go to airport."  The best part, though, is hearing you gasp and exclaim "Daddy home!" when he enters the doors each evening. We've only been here for one full week, but I know already that this move has been well worthwhile.


As we approach your second birthday, I can't help but wonder where the time has gone.  Each day with you is new and exciting as you grow up so quickly.  I just hope I'm doing all I can to cherish every moment of the present, because the future comes so very quickly.  I'm so blessed to share each day with you.  I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.


Love,
Mama

Hide and Peek

Where's Tye?

There she is!

 I just finished reading Katrina Kenison's book Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry.  It was filled with insights and ideas for taking time to appreciate the non-tangible aspects of family life.  In one chapter, she discussed the importance of hiding spaces for children.  She wrote:

Every child needs such a place, a place that invokes the processes of the imagination and the possibility of transformation.  A place that is at once a haven from the adult world and a source of mystery and wonder, a place that a child can discover and shape and lay claim to, simply by virtue of his or her own quiet presence there, and deep observation.

I began to think about our home, with it's new construction and lack of obvious hiding spaces, and I wondered where Tye would ever hide.  Of course, I didn't need to worry.  Tye found a space on her own, and she spends time there every day now.  Sometimes she hides and yells for me, asking me to come looking for her, and then giggles hysterically.  Other times, she hides and tries to coax the cat into her space with her.  Occasionally, she'll bring a snack, or she'll just sit quietly on her own for several minutes.  Whenever she does, I think back to the chapter in Kenison's book and reflect on the peace Tye is discovering in her own secret space, hidden away from the rest of the busy world.

Music Together!

This morning was Tye's first music class!  A local woman teaches Music Together classes in the basement of a neighborhood church, and today was the first class of our spring course.  Tye was eager to explore the global collection of percussion instruments as she observed the other children when we arrived.  Once music began, she quieted down and planted herself in my lap.


Throughout most of the class, Tye watched the leader sing with wide eyes.  About 45 minutes into class, when instruments were once again distributed, Tye jumped out of my lap and grabbed a xylophone and drum stick and went to town.  With the high noise level of so many young children (and parents) pounding away on instruments, Tye lost her inhibitions and finally began singing as she played the xylophone, then the triangle, then the tambourine, then a drum.  


Today's leader is a woman in her 50s or 60s with somewhat-unruly gray curly hair, thick glasses, and a warm kindergarten-teacher appeal.  Previous students ran into the room and immediately bombarded her with hugs.  When Tye stuck a maraca in her mouth, the teacher was quick to say, "Oh, how wonderful that you're using all your senses to explore the music!" before she whispered to me the location of the "slobber bucket."  Our class is a mixed-ages class, which I love because it provides Tye with opportunity to observe and imitate other children, not just adults.  As she becomes more active during class, she'll have other children to share in her enthusiasm.


Music plays a large role in our lives every day, from listening to songs as we do chores to singing about what is happening next in the day to banging spoons on pots and pans.  While Tye has plenty of access to music at home, I'm looking forward to seeing her blossom in a group setting as she learns to interact with the music and other children.  Below is the greeting song sung at all Music Together classes, which has become pretty famous as Music Together has gained popularity.  

So now you know what I'll be singing for the rest of the day. 

What it's like to nurse a toddler

When I became pregnant with Tye, I had no idea I'd be nursing over a year later.  I didn't know the health benefits of nursing beyond a year, or even six months.  To name a few, children who are breastfed into their second year are healthier, have fewer allergies, have high IQs, and are socially well-adjusted later in childhood.  The benefits for the mother include  protection from osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and lower risks of breast, uterine, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.  The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and the Surgeon General all recommend nursing until age two or beyond.  


The more I learned, the more I realized that nursing was worth continuing.  However, it wasn't until I had Tye, battled through supply issues, and experienced the depth of our nursing relationship that I started thinking about nursing a toddler.  Looking down at the baby in my arms, I couldn't imagine a walking, talking child latched on in her place.


For us, nursing into toddlerhood has been an easy experience as that baby has grown, day by day, into a child.  At 16 months, Tye nurses on average 3-4 times a day, sometimes more, but always first thing upon waking in the morning, falling asleep for nap (unless she falls asleep in the car), and falling asleep for the night.  When she wants to nurse, Tye makes the sign for milk and says "Na?  Na?" as if she's asking permission.  I'm a lucky mama- Tye still sits fairly still while she nurses.  Most times, she curls up so her whole body can lie in my lap.  Still, there are times when I feel like she's doing gymnastics while she's latched to my breast.  


At night, Tye wakes up 3-4 times and often comfort nurses until she falls asleep.  On nights when she's sick or teething and up most of the night, nursing calms her quickly and eases her back to sleep, even if it's a fitful slumber.  We either nurse side-lying or with her laying across my torso, her legs hanging off my body (and often kicking Tyler in the ribs).  I've thought about night-weaning Tye, but for now, neither of us is losing much sleep because of nursing at night.    Tye is sleeping for longer and longer stretches without waking and is choosing to nurse less frequently when she does wake, so we're moving in the right direction.


As a child grows, the mother's breasts begin to produce milk only upon demand, rather than continuously as they did for the newborn.  I no longer find myself with breasts feeling full of milk, even if it's been most of a day without nursing.  Now that Tye is older, I'm also able to negotiate a bit before nursing, especially convenient when we're in public.  Often a snack is all she needs to distract her attention, though I have to stay on my toes- if Tye is in my arms, she'll reach down my shirt in an attempt to serve herself.  We're working on that... 


And what about those teeth, you ask?  Well, I once thought I'd stop breastfeeding when my children began to have teeth, probably because I clearly remember my nursing brother biting my mother and thinking it was horrifically scary.  However, it's not.  Tye hasn't experimented much with biting, and when she has, it's been because I was trying too hard to encourage her to nurse to sleep.  When a child nurses, her tongue covers her bottom teeth, sticking out almost beyond her lower lip.  For a nursling to bite down on the nipple, she has to first move her tongue, giving mom a warning she may be about to bite.  For us, it hasn't been an issue.


As Tye grows and begins testing her limits, pushing her levels of independence, and exploring her world, nursing provides her with a safety net of sorts.  After a long run around the park or a few hours playing with friends, I can feel Tye unwind as she lays in my lap nursing.  She'll often look up at me with her big blue eyes as she's latched on to my breast and pat my chest gently or wave up at me.  Sometimes she'll wrap her arms around me in a big hug, her outstretched hands patting my back.


Although she's a running, chatty toddler, nursing Tye doesn't feel any different than nursing her as an infant.  Now that we have so much practice, it feels very second-nature.  I'm grateful I didn't put a timeline on our breastfeeding relationship when Tye was born and that we've been able to experience the benefits of nursing into toddlerhood.  


This covers the basics of my experience nursing a toddler for the past four months, though I'm sure I'll have plenty to add by the time Tye weans completely.  Because most Americans don't nurse into toddlerhood, sharing our experiences can be even more helpful to other moms.  After all, nursing a toddler is a natural, beautiful experience- what better to share.

Puppy Love

As Tye reached her first birthday, she moved into several new stages of development.  With a background in Early Childhood Education, I see each step in relation to other developments and emerging skills.  Watching a child grow and reach new milestones is always miraculous, and I know I'm not the first parent to observe my child's changes in complete awe.  This past month has been a huge one for Tye. 


Of course, the most obvious recent development is Tye's ability to walk.  While walking itself is a major milestone, it also opens a child to a whole new world of learning opportunities at rapid-fire pace.  When Tye moves about now, it's on two feet as she uses her hands to explore freely.



Tye has also expanded her functional vocabulary.  In addition to mama and daddy (adapted from the original dada), she now says doggie, woof, uh-oh, Ziggy (our cat's name), eye(s), hi, and Woof Woof.  Along with these new words has emerged categorization in the form of overgeneralization.  Tye first learned doggie and would say "doggie" whenever we saw a dog on a walk or whenever she heard a dog bark (and then she would "woof" back).  Now, all animals are doggies, from her stuffed moose to illustrations of elephants and hippos.  But, only animals are doggies, proving Tye knows that doggies, moose, elephants, hippos, and a variety of other creatures are all animals.  That they don't all say "woof" will come later.  Along the same lines, as of right now, all body parts are labeled expressively as eyes (although Tye knows both eyes and nose receptively- in other words, she can accurately point to each upon request, even if she can't yet say the word nose).  


Perhaps my favorite new development is Tye's fascination with stuffed animals and dolls.  She loves to empty her bins of plush toys, pulling each one out separately and hugging it tightly before she tosses it aside to hug the next.  This isn't just a hugging skill, though.  Tye has formed special attachments to a few of her toys, like the plush Santa in her first walking video, a Beanie Baby puppy that looks like Mico, and a yellow and blue Swedish-looking moose.  


Oh, and were you wondering earlier what Woof Woof might mean?  It's the name bestowed upon Tye's absolute favorite stuffed animal, a blue corduroy dog that followed us home from Seattle- or perhaps more truthfully, was dragged to Chicago by a little bald girl with a new obsession.  

Woof Woof is Tye's newest source of comfort and companionship (a happy new recipient, considering my breasts are not always available for cuddling).  Since she first clutched his soft blue fur, Tye has barely let go.  He's been through airport security, on car rides, in shopping carts, and snuggled in the Ergo beside Tye on errands and dog walks.  Almost every time Tye nurses to sleep now, whether it's for a nap or the night, Woof Woof is clutched in her arms.  It's a sweet attachment that shows Tye's emotional development and emerging play skills.  She's morphing from baby to big kid right before my eyes.