11 Months

11 Months

There is no way I am already updating this blog.  For some reason this past month has just flown by, and I swear it isn't time.  The next entry will be marked in years. Amazing and unbelievable. 

The picture I chose for Riley sums her up right now.  Sarcastic.  Mischievous. Limit-pushing. Comical. Curious. Aware.

On another note, today I found myself really thinking about and reflecting on one thing - schedules. There is so much pressure to be on a schedule in life and in the world of parenting.  Some mothers I know have their children on these beautiful schedules...  naps, meals and walks are all at the same time each day. Their babysitters know when the kids will go down, how much the kids might eat... I swear they even know when and how much their kids poop. And as a teacher, I learned (and truly believe) that schedules and predictability are important to children.  It helps them feel safe and comfortable.  

But then I also have to remember who I am.  I'm a mess with good intentions. This was one of my weaknesses as a teacher.  So many days I'd forego the routines because my lesson was too long, conversation was too fun, experiment too intricate, or perhaps my organizational skills too absent... All of the colorful bins and systems I had planned for and set up were just decorations... Every September I diligently filled out my planner, and within a few weeks I forgot to update something, lost faith in my system, and then went back to my old un-scheduled, sharpie-on-my-hand ways.  

So it is no surprise that this carries over into my parenting style. For the longest time I did certain things throughout our days in order to (attempt to) create a routine and foster a sense of consistency.  But some days I was too flustered to read a book before bed, or she was too tired from our day to get a bath... I used to get irritated with myself for not sticking to these things.

And then today, I decided this is okay. I decided this because I realized that we actually do have a schedule.  We are consistent. There have routines in place.  They are just not as black and white as some people would prefer. No, Riley's waking time is not the same every day.  It greatly depends on how she slept, which obviously depends on her previous day or how she is feeling.  No, she does not have a certain meal time or bath time... but she has three meals, two snacks, and out of necessity she always has a bath after her very messy dinner. No, she does not have two naps at the same time each day.  Sometimes she has one long one because she was too worked up from the park to go to sleep at the same time as the previous day, sometimes she has three short ones because she is just tired and not herself... or perhaps she fell asleep for a cat nap in the stroller while I walked home from shopping.  Who knows. 

Anyways, I am not sure why I am choosing this to write about (and realize this is probably not very interesting to most)... but I think it is because I am finally coming to terms with something that has been bothering me for the last 11 months - something that has made me feel less confident.  But I know my baby.  I know her very well, and I need to trust that.  I need to trust that we will figure out a schedule together.   

Moving along to little Riley...

She seems like our little kid now.  I find her mannerisms and demeanor to be more kid-like than babylike these days.  She is a person, and an assertive one.  She isn't a little lump that I can set down now.  She is a child who will chase our cat around the island four or five times because she wants to. She plays games and eats sandwiches (cut up into bite sized chunks of course) and drinks out of cups and waves at strangers and claps when she is happy or excited.  She bounces to music and talks and talks (well, she babbles) nonstop.  

She has been pretty sick the last three weeks.  A never-ending cold with never-ending snot.  The doctor finally gave her some antibiotics for a sinus infection.  I hate antibiotics, but i can finally breathe now that she is feeling better and sleeping better.  

It is near impossible to get good photos of Riley right now.  She is so enthralled by her surroundings (and way too interested in the camera as a toy) to look at me and smile like she used to. 

Well, I'm feeling a little uninspired to write much more.  We have a crazy month coming up (all good stuff)...  I know the next entry will be a juicy one.  

And excuse me for the pictures.  Some are too similar and out of order, but I am feeling indecisive.