Growing girl...

This morning Hana asked to see video of herself from when she was a baby. I decided to sit beside and watch some too. It seems unreal to me that she was that little. We watched from 3-6 months and also from 12-15 months. It seems like just yesterday that she came, and yet at the same time I can't imagine that there was ever a time she couldn't talk and run around and feed herself and so forth. That time passed OH SO quickly. Especially since we waited so many years for this precious gift to come along. I really want to slow down the clock.

This afternoon she was getting cranky. We are in an in between stage where she doesn't really need a nap some days but other days she does. Today I was thinking she didn't need a nap because last night she had a hard time falling asleep in the evening after having a two hour nap yesterday afternoon. I left for the gym at 8:30 and when I came home a little after 10:00 she was still singing and talking to herself in bed. I went up to re-tuck her in as Daddy had already done his duties, and even after that she was awake and talking and singing for a while. SOOOO, I'm trying to figure out what to do about naps. Most days at preschool she doesn't sleep at all, those days she goes down very well but she can get cranky on those evenings, and will often fall asleep in the car around 5 or 6 if we go somewhere (which messes up bedtime). So should I limit naps and wake her after 30 minutes or so (but waking her up makes her a bear)! When she was getting cranky this afternoon I let her crawl up in my lap for some cuddling and eventually she fell asleep there. It was so sweet to hold her while she slept, I rarely get to do that anymore. With my movements and talking to Rocky she woke up about 30 minutes later. Tonight we are running late for bedtime also, so I am hoping she will have no problem falling asleep.

Speaking of, gotta go get her out of the bath and put her to bed... brb

Anyways, she is just such a sweetheart. She loves to love people. And her babies are really REALLY her babies. I didn't realize how much so until yesterday. We were at our church and one little boy who was there came up and whacked her baby on the head. You would have though he hit Hana for how she screamed. She came running to me crying and I realized her cry was a heart-broken cry, not one of pain. She was REALLY really heart-broken that her baby had been treated so badly. It was funny but at the same time I could see how very tender hearted she really is about the thing she loves.

She is such an encourager too. She often uses the line, "It's ok Mommy!" If she sees I am disappointed or worked up about something. This comes with a pat or a kiss.

Night before last when I came home from being gone somewhere for a little bit, she came running to me and said, "Mommy, I spill juice. I'm sorry!" I thought that was so honest and sweet. I asked her if she told Daddy about it and she said, "yes" and I asked if Daddy cleaned it up and she said "yes". So I asked if she thanked Daddy? She ran to him and said "thank you Daddy!"

When she is in good spirits and not overtired or hungry she is very thoughtful like this. She is not always this way, especially if she is tired.

We are still struggling with picking up toys. I do NOT know what is going to be the breakthrough on that. Tonight she lost her sticker, and I still had to tell her many many times to pick up the remaining toys. Finally I told her whatever is left on the floor I am throwing it away. THAT didn't work, she could care less that I really threw away the toys that were left on the floor (some paper money, a small watering can, and some plastic kitchen veggies). So, that didn't work. Maybe toy time out? If throwing them away didn't work I don't think time out will though, cause she clearly understand that things going in the trash don't come back.

It is fun and exciting but not without it's challenges, that is something to say about parenting!

Not a peep from her bed tonight, I think she is already out. Ok, a 30 minute nap and late bedtime works... noted! LOL