No more monkeys jumping on the bed

So, yeah. I suck. Things have been, um, a bit busy of late. In addition to very busy times at work (I'll post more on the main blog about that), you have been keeping us busy as well, and so has the lovely challenge of TTC.

I can't possibly sum up all of the things we've done and the neat things you're doing now, so I will try to capture some highlights. They may be out of order, so forgive me.

Christmas lights are the big thing right now. And Christmas ornaments. And Christmas presents. And Santa Claus. Really, you're into all things Christmas. You like to redecorate the tree, moving ornaments around. I haven't wrapped the presents yet to put under the tree, but you know where they are and you ask me about them frequently. Everywhere we go, you exclaim "Christmas, mommy!" when you see a lit tree or wreath. It's really cute.

You are tall and thin. Most of your clothes that actually fit are 3T or 4T. You've outgrown a number of 3T's, never in the waist but always in the length. Now that we're into some COLD temperatures, I really need to buy you more pants.

**BTW, family and friends who might be considering gifts for Ceili, pants are a good thing! :)**

Your current amusing traits involve singing silly rhymes and songs and talking to inanimate objects. The silly rhyme of choice at the moment goes like this:

One fell off and bumped his head.
Momma call the doctor, and doctor said:
NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED!
(the last line must be shouted, complete with reproving finger shaking)

You don't say the beginning of the rhyme, which I've only just managed to research and find.

The inanimate object conversations too are really amusing. Last night on the couch, you said "Uh oh." That's never a good sound, so I asked, "What happened?" and you answered, "No, I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to my cup." Oh. Okay then. You did the same thing to Daddy later, when you were sitting with him. You were talking very softly, and he asked you what you were saying. You told him, "No, not you, Daddy. I'm talking to the couch." Just so we're clear.

Thanksgiving was nice; we spent time with Grandma and Uncles Chris and Mason. Last weekend we went to visit Ember and her family, which was really fun.

Challenges still surround daycare/school and sleeping. Some mornings you throw monster tantrums when I drop you off at school. We're working on some strategies right now to minimize those, and the last two days have been much less painful. Nighttime was going so well for a few months, but we have backpedalled a bit. You've decided you're not fond of falling asleep in your bed. That's not good. The good news is you're falling asleep much sooner now that it's getting dark earlier. In fact, I would say you're getting more sleep than you have in a long time. You're usually asleep on the couch by 7:30, then I carry you to bed. Have I mentioned how BIG you've gotten? Some nights you don't wake up at all, some nights you wake up nearly a dozen times. Usually you wake up between 1 and 3 times. The trick is trying to get you to go back to bed. Potty breaks often do the trick.

Yes, the potty. *sigh* Two steps forward, one step back. That seems to be our mantra. You've gone a couple of whole days, from waking up to going to bed for the night with a dry diaper. And you've gone more than a couple of days without using the potty once. It just depends on your mood. And you will. not. poop. in the potty. Period. No amount of cajoling, gentle and subtle hints or bribery work. It's admittedly a bit frustrating. All we can do is keep trying.

We've been pretty lucky health-wise. You had a couple of weeks of a little cough, so I took you in. The backup Dr. who saw you is a bit concerned that you might be developing asthma and Grandma is firmly convinced. I'm not so convinced, and in fact the cough has almost completely gone away. But I will absolutely continue to watch you for it. Your keratosis pilaris is getting worse, but that's normal for you in the winter.

You definitely seem ready to be a big sister. I wish I could help you have that title, but so far, no good. I'm working on it, really I am.

So that's it for now. I'm sure there is a LOT I'm missing, but I'll try to post again soon!