nite-nite baby Martha

Although Dr. Sears would discourage me I put Charlotte in time out when she won't go 'nite-nite'. We're really nice parents, very sensitive, nurturing and compassionate but when it's time to go to sleep, and I know she needs a nap but she's refusing to settle down I'll tell her, 'you can go nite-nite with mommy or you can go and play in your play pen' and I point at the bed and at the play pen. When I put her in the play pen I set the timer for 5 minutes and she usually screams the whole time. I'll go in and tell her 'I'm sorry, mommy knows best and it's time to go nite-nite and I hope she makes a good choice' and I'll point again at her two options and she'll point to the bed. Earlier today she had her naked baby Martha and she was "talking" to her and pointing at the bed and at the playpen. Oh it was so cute!!! And then she gives baby Martha kisses and pats on the head. The pats can get a little rough, just like they do with Moses & Eloise and that's why Adam needs to ease up on the patting, 'soft touch'. It's amazing how much she picks up from us. She still isn't talking really which makes it harder to be 'aware' of it, you know? But she's getting it...she's taking it ALL in...which is why, Adam, I made him change it off the dirty scenes in the movie we were watching last night on HBO and now aren't you glad?

So okay, baby crocs are the cutest. I wasn't going to get her any because they've got that rubber bottom that makes even Adam trip when they rub the floor and I didn't want her to fall. But she's constantly in and out and playing in the water and her keds were more wet last week than dry so she needed some water shoes. I saw some generic crocs at wal-mart for $5 and who can beat that and she loved them, WE loved them (way easy, I can rinse them in the sink and she doesn't need socks) but I then I got all worried because she's just walking and don't little ones need really good support for their developing feet? Yes. So, we found her some crocs today and she really likes them. Tiny crocs are harder to find than you might think...I was only able to find one pair in her size and they're pirates of the Caribbean and they're kind of ugly (I know, hard to imagine, ugly crocs (insert sarcasm here)) but they'll do the job.

I'm sorry. I can't stop laughing...I keep envisioning Adam in crocs, tripping across the kitchen ...

So speaking of my wonderful husband and how funny and cute he is even tripping across the kitchen: this happens alot, I fall in love with him all over again. Last night we went on a walk around the park. I kept going on and on about how what we really needed to be doing was running and how nothing will help his stress level like running but we were full and not wanting to get sweaty and I'd had a glass of wine and Charlotte was happy and content riding on her daddy's back in the ergo. Wonderful evening if Eloise hadn't been along barking and nipping at runners passing us. So, skip all that - fast forward to the end of our walk. Adam is talking about something important and I'm not focused - I'm looking at him (he's walking backwards facing me for a second) and he looks so much like the Adam I met 9 years ago working at summer camp. His hair is all shaggy, he's got a backpack on strapped across his chest and his waist only it's not really a backpack, it's Charlotte, our daughter, in her carrier and my breath caught and tears swam in eyes and I love him so much...SO much...and how we have grown up together - he has grown up to be my hero and my best friend. And now he'll be mortified, but not really, because I've put this on the blog.

Charlotte shopped with me today in her stroller and didn't make a peep. Yay! And Tuesday when we went to the library she fell asleep in her stroller, she was that relaxed and it wasn't even nap time. (She has gone probably 6 months without liking the umbrella stroller and wanting to be out out out & walking, okay really only 2 or 3 but it felt like 6) And all the old ladies commented on how well she was keeping her hair bow in. I was so proud.