My kid is ahead of her time

See her grow!
photos all taken between 26 August & 2 September

2007

2008

2009

I think Gaby is really a 16 year old in a[n almost] 3 year olds body. Why you ask? Because of the following conversation...
Mummy: hey Gaby, your birthday is coming up soon!!!
Gaby: can have a birthday cake!
Mummy: yes you can
Gaby: and candles!!!
Mummy: yes Gaby, you can have candles
Gaby: and I blow out the candles!
Mummy: yes, that's right. What do you want for your birthday Gaby?
Gaby: WANT TO GO SEE BLACK EYED PEAS!
Mummy: you want to and hear them singing?
Gaby: yes! Got got get get boom boom pow!
... my three year old doesn't want a Barbie, a doll, a teddy, a book or anything age appropriate for her birthday - she wants to go to a Black Eyed Peas concert! It made me laugh so hard - which is rather dangerous while you are driving, but it just sounded so cute - and so grown up! I can almost hear her now when she's 16, grumping on at me about wanting to go to a concert!

In other news... Mum is down visiting Terri, in Queenstown - and she's coming home today, so Gaby & I are going to pick her up at the airport. I think the airport is one of Gaby's favourite places in the world, so I'm sure that she isn't going to mind having to go there. It was sad yesterday though, Gaby started crying - out of the blue, and I gave her a cuddle and asked what was wrong & she said "miss Nan, want her come home"... it brought a little tear to my eye. Not long after that she started putting things in a bag, and when I asked what she was doing she told me "packing my bag to go pick Nan up at airport"... awwww!

We seem to have the sleeping problem all fixed now as well - thank goodness! Most nights she stays in her bed all night, hopping in with me around 6 or 7am - and it's lovely - I didn't realise how badly I was sleeping, with her in my bed! For the first while that she was sleeping back in her bed, I would rub her back until she went to sleep - she would cry if I didn't, but NOW she goes to sleep without me sitting beside her!!!!! Yay Gaby!!! She seems a lot happier as well, and doesn't seem as grouchy during the day. Yay for us both getting decent sleep at night!

Gaby is now 2 years & 10 months old - less than two months & she'll be turning three! SCARY! I was looking at her old baby photos, and it is amazing to see how much she's grown, and to think of everything she has accomplished in that time... makes me feel pretty good as well, to know that I am part of the reason she's such an awesome little kid!

Grandma time!

my little princess, gorgeous as ever

Grandma & Arthur are up for a few days, and Gaby is loving being able to see her Grandma!!! I think last time we saw them was in April?, when Stacey came back from Aus, so it's been a few months. It's nice that Gaby has time to spend with her Great-Grandmother, not something all little kids have the chance to do. She is off to her fathers today, I would have preferred him to have her on Saturday (so Grandma could have all Sunday with her), but he had 'plans' - which turned out to be going whitebaiting... awesome to think he'd sooner spend time outside in the wet, cold, muddy weather, than with his own daughter!

finally, sleeping in her own bed

Everything is going great with Gab sleeping in her own bed! Yay! I think we've finally broken the curse of the not-wanting-to-sleep-in-her-own-bed-ed-ness! It's lovely to see her sound asleep in her own bed, and knowing that she's getting a better sleep than if she was in my bed - and it doesn't hurt that it means I also get a good nights sleep! She's had a few nights where she's slept right through in her bed, but usually she hops in with me in the morning at some point - I think usually around 6-ish? She hops in and goes back to sleep, so I don't really mind!

Only really 2 months + 1 week until Gaby turns three! I'm absolutely flabbergasted, as to how she has gotten so big, so fast... It doesn't feel as if she should be approaching three - two maybe, but not three. Then I look at her - and listen to her, and it's undeniable that she's going to be three... She is getting pretty tall now, all her size 2 pants are getting too short, whereas about a month ago they all fit fine, and she's just starting to look more like a child (as opposed to toddler), in general. Of course one of the biggest giveaways as to her age, is her language - that child can TALK!!!!!!! I don't know if she's 'advanced' as far as language goes, or what - but sometimes I wish I could find the mute button... 99% of the time I love it though - but it does get to the point that S I L E N C E would be nice!

Sleep progress!

FINALLY Gaby seems to be settled, sleeping in her room! At Mum's suggestion, I put her mattress on the floor - that was 15 days ago, and so far she's slept in her room everynight! There have even been two nights where Gaby has slept ALL night in her bed! I think that usually she's getting in my bed around 5am, which is fine by me! It's a huge relief to finally have this sorted, and we both seem to be sleeping better, and a bit more alive during the days!

Still having bed issues

Gaby has barely slept in HER bed all year. It all began when she threw up in her sleep, while in her bed (back in January), and since then, she has refused to sleep in her own bed, much preferring my bed. I tried to be 'firm' to get her sleeping back in her own bed, but no matter how 'firm' I am, she is a lot stronger & I end up giving up. I don't think people realise how hard I DO try to get her to stay in her own bed, but there comes a point (usually around midnight), when it doesn't seem like it to have a screaming toddler & a crying Mummy. That is when she gets in my bed.

I know she needs to go back in her bed, I just don't know how to get her there. Even the mention of sleeping in her bed sends her into tears, and she gets all panicky about it - I don't so much mind her sleeping in my bed, because it's *just me* in my bed, but what happens when I have a partner who stays over regularly?? Can't very well have three of us in the bed! Related to that, I want to get Gaby into her own bed SOON, so that when it does happen to be, that I'm in a relationship, that Gaby doesn't feel like she's being 'kicked out' of my bed, in place of said partner.

I have asked her numerous times why she doesn't want to sleep in her bed, and the answer is always the same, quite simply "I don't like my bed", or "my bed isn't big enough" or - the heartbreaker "I miss Mummy". It's like I'm being pulled two different ways the 'firm' Mummy side, competing against the nurturing Mummy side, I guess it says something that it's always the nurturing side that wins over? The only thing way I can think of, to get her into her own bed - is to BUY HER A NEW BED... but I hardly have the money to do that. I'm keeping an eye on TradeMe, a second hand one would be okay, but then there is still the matter of transporting it between point A & point B.. it would mean trailer hire, and finding someone with a tow bar.....

Hmmmm I keep hoping that one day she'll just snap out of it & decide her bed is awesome, but so far... nothing...

Long overdue update!

I have been a bit slack lately updating the blog! The most interesting/exciting thing that has been happening lately, is Gaby's sudden understanding of doing wee's & poo's in the potty!!! All of a sudden she just started going to the potty when she needed to do one or the other (or both) - and on Saturday spent most of the day in just undies! Today is an undie day as well, and so far so good!!! She is very proud of herself whenever she goes in the potty, and I make a big deal of showing her how exciting it is - and admittedly I do give her a little treat whenever she goes! Small price to pay to get her potty trained!

Other than the pottying, she is continuing to grow and talk and do things each day that amaze me, and/or make me laugh. She really is a joy to have around - but I am guessing there aren't really any parents who wouldn't say that about their kiddy! She's still loving preschool & the increased hours (now that I'm back at uni) don't seem to have phased her at all - not that I thought they would - according to the teachers she is a very good helper... aw, that's my girl!

We are still having issues with her sleeping habits - ever since she vomitted in her bed almost two months ago! The past week or so she has gone to sleep in her bed, but gotten up before I have gone to bed, or has hopped into my bed with me before I've gone to sleep. I would prefer that she slept all night in her own bed, but I eventually realised that me trying to get her to stay in her bed was stressing both of us out - so I guess you could say I've given in & am not 'fighting' her when she wants to sleep with me. Usually she has a good nights sleep in my bed, so it isn't so bad I guess. Last night she did stay in her bed, until some point this morning, so hopefully that will be a theme from now on!!!

Sleep issues...

For the first time in ages Gaby is having sleep issues.

Ever since she threw up in her bed last week, she has HATED her bed & not wanted to sleep in it. She will only go to sleep if I stay with her - and then she wakes up REALLY easily, and joins me in my bed at some point during the night. It's been going on for a few nights now & we are BOTH starting to show the signs of sleep deprivation.

Last night I made up the pull out couch in her room & lay with her until she went to sleep - and she didn't come through to my room until 7am, so maybe she can sleep on that for a few nights. I know it isn't ideal, definately not the same as sleeping in her bed, but at least she's staying in her room and we're both getting a good sleep. I'm thinking of changing the position her bed is in, to see if that makes some difference - I'm not sure it will, but it's worth a try.

I'm guessing that when she is in her bed she thinks she's going to vomit - and obviously that upsets her. I would probably feel the same way I guess!

Ha, serves me right for bragging about how good of a sleeper Gaby is!!!!!!!! You'd think I'd have learnt by now to never say something like that & think I wouldn't jinx myself!