Randoms

I feel like I haven't been keeping up on the life of Riley so here's a few details of note lately...

1. The Nuk is gone! When Riley was born we didn't give her a pacifier because we wanted to make sure that she took to breastfeeding. We didn't really have to worry about it because she had nursing down right away, but we weren't taking any chances since we were new at the parenting job. Plus, I was torn about whether I wanted her to use a pacifier or even her thumb. I wanted her to have a way to sooth herself, but I didn't want to go through the 'removal' process later.

When we finally gave Riley a paci she didn't really care for it. For a short time I thought she might start sucking her thumb (something her dad did when he was a baby), but that didn't happen either. You'd think I would have been fine with this, but since she was colicky at the time I wanted her to have something that would calm her - that would help the crying stop (please make it stop). Eventually, she did latch on to the Nuk and for some time that sucker went everywhere with us.

Finally embracing the Nuk around 3 months, but not the life jacket.

As she got older, Nuk usage was scaled back to sleeping time only with the hope that we'd get rid of it soon. That 'soon' took longer that I wanted to, but finally Jesse and I agreed that since she was about to turn 3 it had to go. We prepared Riley for weeks telling her that Nuks are only for babies and since she was a big girl she no longer needed it. She would agree, but anytime I tried to set it aside she would freak out.

Not quite ready to let go

Jesse and I did not communicate well about the exact timing of the Nuk cut off. I had in my mind that we might have to do something tricky (cut the tips off) or symbolic (set it outside for the pacifier fairy to bring to another kid) and that it would be done a couple weeks after her birthday. But in the end, Jesse just put her down for a nap on her birthday without it. She didn't sleep that day, but I am sure it was for a number of reasons. That night I was at a hotel with Riley and friends and ended up giving it to her midway through the night (after a weird freak out), but since then she's been Nuk free. We had a number of nights where she would wake up crying. We weren't sure what that was about - it could have been the lack of Nuk, but she's woken up crying with the Nuk so who knows. I'm just glad it went as well as it did. She doesn't even seem as attached to her 'blankie' that she slept with every night. Any stuffed animal seems to do. Huh. I'm relieved that it went so well. Perhaps I should give her more credit when it comes to adjusting to new things.

2. Speaking of sleep - to nap or not to nap. I'm a little worried that Riley is phasing out of her nap. She'll have a week were she doesn't nap... or doesn't nap well, followed by a week that's fine, but those no nap days are starting to happen more and more. Doesn't she know that I really need that afternoon downtime myself? As I write this I *think* she's fallen asleep for a nap, but the last two days she skipped her nap without getting any more sleep at night than she usually does (and has actually been getting up earlier). I know it is common for some kids to stop napping at this age, and I shouldn't be surprised based on my kids previous sleep patterns, but say it ain't so. At least give me another 6 months. I'll be ready by then, right?

3. Haircut. Riley still has superfine straight hair. It might be getting slightly thicker - maybe, but the one thing for sure is that it keeps wanting to grow out into a long mullet. It seemed silly to take her in to get a slight trim, but I remember all too well the trims my dad gave me as a child and suddenly the money seemed so worth it.

Yeah, it doesn't look much different

4. Sleepover and grandma and grandpa's. Jesse and I had to help my dad out at his farm so we shipped the kid off to her grandparents. While there she got one last birthday gift, a tea party set, at which she exclaimed "a tea party booth" when she opened it (where does she get this stuff), made cookies, and went sledding. It's always a good time at grandma and grandpa's house.