Elizabeth is 730 days old!

Happy 2nd birthday Lizzy!

 

Funny things she says:

While stuck in and trying to get out of a chair, “you can do it Elizabeth.”

“That's berry, berry spicy. We don't touch it, we don't eat it!”

"Maybe actually a different one please."

"Hot dang it!"

Things to remember about her at this age:

Took off clothes and diapers – naked in her crib

Got her first bloody lip while playing chase around the house with Mommy. She tripped on the edge of a rug and cut her bottom lip on a tooth. She's a tough little girl physically, she only cried for a second. (I say physically because emotionally she is a delicate flower, just like her Mommy :) I hugged her and made light of it saying she was okay. When she pulled away and say blood on my shoulder she said, “Oh no, lots of red!” She's never seen blood before so it was funny to me. I just explained we would wash it off, and that was that, she was over it.

Take a breath – When she's really upset crying, I tell her to take a breath and she does. She deep inhale and exhale and it calms her down. I'm still shocked that it actually works.

Discovered the Hide and Seek game on her own and loves it

Gives me one kiss on each cheek just like the French do

Sings herself songs

Loves to help me make pancakes 

Thrives on being active and finding adventure

 

Independence. Has to put on her shoes, shorts, etc by herself

Imagination. Takes to her stuffed animals, gives them naps and has them dance

Dance parties with Daddy

Evening walks

Our sweet friend Rhonda taught Elizabeth the following nursery rhyme:

Round and round the garden,

Like a teddy bear,

One step, two step, tickle tickle there!

It has simple actions that she loves and the best part is that she says it in an Australian accent just like Rhonda does. 

Loves her brother

 

On the road to success

First, thanks for all of the sweet comments and words of encouragement! It really means so much to have support from dear friends and family.

So here's the update.

After doing the regular bedtime ritual last night, I laid Elizabeth down in her crib as I explained that if she stayed in her crib then I would leave the door open. She liked that idea. I tucked her in and left the room leaving the door wide open. Two minutes later she was roaming the house. I picked her up, tucked her back into the crib, said I love you and walked out, locking the door behind me. She immidiately climbed out, started crying at the door. After less than 30 minutes she was quiet. I went into her room expecting her to have crashed on the floor, but found her asleep on the mattress. Plus, she had pulled the blankets out of the crib and over the the bed where she tucked herself in. Yes! Also, she slept until 6:30 am.

It's only been one night but I already feel like shouting, "SUCCESS!"

Keep it up little cutie face. 

"Open the door please!"

Since Elizabeth is currently yelling this, it is flooding my mind and scaring my memory, I swear.

Oh, I'm also hearing the occasional, "Where are you Mommy?"

What makes this situation even more fun is that Richard is out of town for work all week, again. Oh man. Can't he be here to share in the nighttime fiasco with me? Getting 8 hours of sleep in the last 48 is not my fav.

Just so I can remember what's been happening longer than an hour from now...

Two nights ago, I sat in a chair next to her crib until she fell asleep. I silently crept out and locked her bedroom door. She woke at 4:00 AM. I let her cry it our for 45 minutes, until she woke Mark and he started crying too. I gave Mark his Binky so that he was settled for the moment. I went into Elizabeth's room and found she had climbed out of her crib (expected) and removed her snap-up footie pajamas (unexpected). Poor little thing was cold. I changed her diaper, put her pj's back on, laid her back down while explaining it was still night time and she was going to sleep, walked out and locked the door. She promptly was out and screaming again, 15 minutes later the sun was up and I knew she wouldn't go to sleep, so the day started.

Last night, I put the twin mattress back in her room so that she might crash on it after she had climbed out of the crib. I put her in T-shirt and pants pajamas, did our bedtime ritual, and ended up having to stay in her room for an hour while she fell asleep. (RIDICULOUS!). She woke at 3:30 AM. I let her cry until 4:30 AM, again until Mark started crying. Gave the poor baby boy his binky and went to get Elizabeth. Her pj's were still on, that's good. I changed her diaper, explained it was nighttime and she and I were both going back to sleep. I laid her down while she begged for storied and songs. I said no and walked out locking the door. She hopped out in 2 seconds and resumed the crying. She got quite after about 20 minutes. That lasted about an hour, during which time I fed Mark, and she woke again at 5:45 AM. And thus my day begins.

Can't wait until you get home Richard!  So that I can get some sleep.  :)

Ma Shaa Alla

Ma Shaa Alla
It literally means "It is God's well", but it is usually used when you see or feel something really good and you are thankful for God for that.


One or two things :) bother me about living here in the UAE, but many things are pretty great too. I just wanted to remember these silly little things too...

I like that people everywhere love to smile at my children and say, "So beautiful, Mashalla."

I like that strangers walking by will stop and help me back into the tight parking spot I'm aiming for, just because.

I like how the parks have expensive golf course quality grass that is meticullasly maintained.

I like how I can taste the grapes at the fruit and veggie souk before I buy them.

I like that the nice man bagging our groceries will carry them for me, even if it's to my flat two blocks away.

I like paying AED 30 ($8) and getting my car vacuumed, washed, and towel dried by 4 guys.

I like that the people are always respectful and polite to me. It's only the other Western Ex-pats that get snooty and impatient sometimes.

I like that I feel safe from crime, even when walking down the street at 11:00 PM.

I like sharing a city with people from so many nationalities.

And now, some pics...

I like that there's a Baskin Robbins on ever other block.

Happy Easter!

The change is starting to show

Darling Mark is 7 weeks old now, and I feel lucky. Lucky to have him, and E, and Richard, and still be alive. :) Lucky that my mom came to the UAE to be with us during this transition. The timing was so funny, she arrived late the same day that Mark was born, and he came 12 days early. Interestingly enough, Elizabeth also came 12 days early. With Richard having to go right back to working half days, me and Mark having to be admitted to the hospital again for his jaundice, and all us getting bronchitis and Pnuemonia, she really did save us! She was so willing to help us with everything and is great with babies, I'm grateful she came! It really is hard being so far away from family during times like this. Not only because it has been hard on us, but because we want to share our joy with all of them!

Mark smiles now, a little bit. This morning he smiled at me 4 times in a row. We were trying to get him to smile for Richard and we resorted to him holding Mark and mouthing words while I was talking. We thought my voice might trigger the smiling. I felt like we were doing a skit, it was hilarious!

Mark is olive skinned, Elizabeth is pale. Mark hair is fluffy and straight and E's is curly. Mark is an eater and is packing on the weight while Elizabeth has always been a bird. Also, Mark doesn't seem to have colic like E did, and that my friends is kind of a huge deal for us. 

Super toddler, brought to you by Slinky

Elizabeth has been acting out now that she is sharing the attention, especially since grandma left. She has more tantrums, more screaming, and generally enjoys doing everything she knows is naughty. So, we've had to start doing time-outs, more cuddles, and trying to play with her toys in news ways. 

She is a great napper and sleeps through the night, and she eats well, all things that make life a bit easier. She doesn't remember to be soft to Mark, still working on that. We mostly just try to limit their proximity to each other to avoid kicks to the head and such.

Dropping a sick beat while making dinner

 Elizabeth is still surprising us with her learning and language skills. She is almost 22 months old and speaks in sentences and is always cracking me us with what she says.

This is what she said in the last hour...

Oh, sowry. It's a little too hot.

Bubye Daddy, Daddy went work

My want some please

I teeth hurt

This is salt, this is pepper

Change the diaper then watch a movie

Where's sa hand (hiding hand behind back) there's the hand!

All gone cheese

My want some water

NO THANK YOU! (screaming)

Please more apple, dank you Mommy

No no no

Up ya go baby

Cuddles on Mom and Dad's bed

Mark napping next to Grandma Bev

Elizabeth at 20 months

*This post was written on February 11, 2012

The past few weeks have been about soaking up our life as it is, just the three of us. We don't do much on the weekends other than case Daddy around the house, have dance parties in our pajamas, and make pancakes, and it's been nice. While walking hand in hand with Elizabeth, I find I'm just amazed she's such a big girl now and I'm trying to relish in these moments before we are officially a family of four.

She's a sweetie. Just like any parent, I am glowing with pride every time she is friendly and charming, says please and thank you, eats her fruits and veggies without complaint, seeks me out to give a hug and kiss, sings adorable songs, and is kind to other children. I'm really liking this age, she's not too naughty yet, she makes us crack up over the funny things she says, she's able to play and explore and climb by herself, and she's developing an imagination.This is starting to come out as she plays with her toys differently or with random objects around the house.

I've heard she will go through a naughty faze with the arrival of baby boy, but oh well, we'll deal with that when it comes. Even though she points to my bulging stomach and says, "Baby brother," I don't think she knows what's coming. None of us really do. :) But it will be great! Right?

She continues to amaze with her communication. She will repeat something she hears one time, and then want to talk about it more. She is also a fan of whining, but luckily we are able to reason with her enough that she will stop and nicely ask for what she wants. She knows that a sweet tone and saying please are the way to getting what she's after. One of the best things is that she can tell me when she's hurt and where, if she's hungry, and other needs. So helpful!

Speaking of helpful, she has learned to do one chore. I ask if she'll take out the garbage and she says, "Ya!" I hand her a small bag of garbage and she takes it to the garbage in the hallway and then comes right back and closes the door to our apartment. She's also good about picking something up off the floor and putting it back if I ask her to. We're still working on cleaning up the toys. She loves to sing the clean up song, but a little too much because it distracts her from actually helping.

She loves to observe and talk about the things around her. Colors, people, bright sunshine, animals, anything. In the car, she like to have music playing or someone singing songs, and she's not shy about telling us she wants a different one, or the same one repeated. She's always loved to be tickled and climb around  and Richard has been teaching her to wrestle and become a human airplane, he's the best at being her rough housing outlet since I am only able to do gentle things like cuddle in this stage of pregnancy. We go to the park literally every day and I'm so glad she's such an active little kid! It's great to see her able to explore and play so much on her own.

The Park

We went to the park as a family on Friday evening, it was crowded and so fun to see 19 month old Elizabeth running around with the other kids and learning how to balance on the big kid swing. Richard captured these darling shots of her with his new 50mm lens. When we got home he made a slide show of all the images set to Clair de lune that we may or may not have bawled our eyes out to. :)