Sweetie Updates

As usual, it's been a busy week!! On Monday, Memorial Day, we went to a pool party and Sydney got to swim in the big pool with floaties for the first time. She was nervous at first but really had a good time. I have pictures below. On Wed., we had a play date with our Tramonto MoMs group. It was an afternoon movie and popcorn date. Sydney, along with two of her buddies (both boys) played while us mommies had iced coffee and chatted. It was lots of fun for both of us!

Sydney continues to grow and develop right before my eyes. Yesterday, Daddy, Mommy & Sydney were playing in the pool and Daddy pointed out the moon to Sydney. It was the middle of the day but we could see the moon. Sydney said, "Look at the moon Daddy. It's beautiful!" What 21 month olds says the word "beautiful" all on their own! Also yesterday, Daddy made guacamole which Sydney just loves! She took a bite and said, "It's delicious!" I am just amazed that she remembers such big words and can say them so clearly! People must think that I just quiz her all day or hound her with information. The truth is, we just read a lot, watch educational shows, and I talk to her a lot and involve her in almost everything I do. She is just such a smart girl and is so aware of everything that is happening around her. I just cannot believe how blessed we are to have her in our lives. She amazes me EVERYDAY!

Another busy week to come. A play date at the mall tomorrow. Tuesday I work. Wed., we have a birthday party for a little boy from our Desert Ridge playgroup. And then Friday is National Donut Day so our Desert Ridge playgroup is going to tour Dunkin Donuts (I am not even sure if I spelled that right. Can't even remember the last time I went there)!!

Enjoy the pictures...

A picture our neighbors took on Easter Sunday.


Easter Sunday after church.





On Memorial Day we went to visit Grandpap. We love you Grandpap!

Our little Sweetie on Memorial Day.

First time swimming with floaties!!

Yesterday, she started making this new face whenever we tried to take a picture of her. We call it the "Popeye Face". She had me in tears I was laughing so hard!!

My Sweetie...so beautiful!

More Pictures!

Finally, a few minutes to download and upload pictures onto the blog!! The last week has been a busy week. We had our splash pad play date with our Tramonto Moms on Wed. It was so much fun and Sydney really seemed to enjoy herself. She had her first powdered donut hole.

Also this week, I was able to begin painting the Jack and Jill bathroom between Sydney and Jordan's rooms. I have also started the process of turning Jordan's room into a playroom/guest/Jordan room! It will be so nice when it's all done and so much more functional for all of us!

Yesterday was a big day for all of us. Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mike came over to babysit Sydney while Mommy and Daddy went to an adult pool party for the day. This was a first for all of us and I am happy to say that it all went smoothly and we all had fun! Sydney LOVES Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mike and was not happy when it was time for them to go home - boy did she cry!! I was finally able to calm her down by rocking her before bed. She had a rough night and didn't sleep well and today she is very grumpy!! Thank you soooo much Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mike for a job well done!!

A few things to mention quickly...Sydney has learned her primary colors and can name them when asked. She still loves to color and write and it seems that she is still using her left hand more so than the right at this point. My Mother was left handed.

Here she is at the Splash Pad

Here she is hanging out with her buddy Zac.

Her first donut hole.

Here she is rolling her eyes at me which she usually does now when I take pictures.

Another donut hole!

This is the picture I took of her after she said, "Look Mommy, I'm a movie star."


This is her "look" she gives me when she sees me holding a camera!

Oh this is a good one...this is her pouting position. When she is upset about something, she crosses her arms and stomps to the steps and plops down and does this. It's so funny!

Oh yes, and this is my sweetie rearranging my pots and pans!! The day after this, she dropped one of the big pans on her toe and bruised it up!! She wouldn't let me run it under cold water so I took her out to the pool and let her stand in the water on the step...Smart one Mommy because it stopped the swelling because the water is still so cold!

Miss Bossy!!

I was so excited to come into work today...Greg has been very busy with projects and work, so I have been pretty much on my own with Sydney since Mother's Day. Now, I know what some moms are going to say when they read that last statement, "You should be so lucky to spend so much time with your child." and of course, I do feel lucky to be able to spend so much time with my child! However, I can only play for so long before I feel like a complete blob of nothingness! I think only a stay at home Mom would understand what that statement means!! So, today I am at work and all I can do is think about Sydney!!!

She is so active now (well, she always has been)! I am constantly trying to rack my brain to come up with things for us to do to keep her stimulated. Every since we went to the My Little Gym place on Sat., she wants to climb everything! I was cooking dinner last night and I looked down into the living room to see what she was doing thinking she was watching her Jungle movie. Nope...she had climbed up to the back of the chair and was sitting backwards on it looking out the sliding glass doors, watching Daddy mess around with the pool! Sometimes I feel guilty that she is the only child (Jordan is already out of the home) and doesn't have anyone to play with besides me. I know it would be more fun for her to have another little one around BUT I just really don't want to do it all again knowing what we had to go thru to have Sydney. So, we will just have to find other activities and kids to play with. We belong to two Mom groups and we have the gym daycare. Plus, I take her to other free activities in the community such as the library and Mall events. And now we will have the pool to swim in!!

Sydney says the most funniest things everyday. We really just have no idea what will come out of her mouth next. For instance, yesterday we were playing with her Mr. Potato Head and she put on the little yellow glasses and looked up at me and said, "Look Mommy, I'm a movie star!!" I totally cracked up laughing! What a stinker! She is also starting to get bossy. We were coming downstairs yesterday and I held my hand out to assist her. She pushed it away and said, "No, go away! I do it all by myself!" I wasn't too thrilled about that one!

Tomorrow morning we are going to a splash park with one of our play groups. Should be fun to see her play with the other kids. I will try and get some pictures for the blog.

Elmo Sighting

Do I dare say it and jinx it??? For the past week and a half, Sydney has been taking 2 hour naps!!! I can actually take a shower AND get something else done!! It's funny because some of the Moms from the Mom groups that I belong to said that would happen. LOVING IT!!!

We had a fun day yesterday. I took Sydney to an open house at a My Little Gym close by our home. She had a blast playing on all of the equipment and I loved it because it was all child proofed and padded. We were there for over an hour and she did not stop running and climbing the entire time! But the most exciting part of the experience was when Elmo came out to dance & sing with all of the children. I wish I would have had a camera with to capture her face when she saw Elmo for the first time. Her first words were, "Mommy, wook, it's Elmo!" After we were all done singing and dancing, I took her over and sat her on Elmo's lap. She was afraid so I didn't leave her for long but I wanted her to at least have the experience. We talked about it all day!!

I'd love to sign her up for a membership to take classes there but it's way too expensive! I guess I will have to research some other locations in the valley because the concept is so cool - especially since it's so hot here in the summer and we can't play outside. I like the idea of these type of classes for her because it allows her to develop her fine motor skills and coordination along with interaction with other children her age in a safe confined area.

A Moment...

I have been singing and humming to to Sydney since she was in my belly. It's probably why she knows so many songs already. One of our favorite times to sing is right before she goes to bed. She still likes to be rocked for just a minute or two after we turn out the lights and right before putting her into her crib. As I rock her, I hum or sing lightly a song that I have been singing to her since I used to nurse her all night long. It's just something I made up called "I Love You". Anyways, tonight was just like every night - I put her PJ's on and rubbed her feet with lotion, turned the light off, gave her "Bear-Bear" and then we got in her rocking chair. I started humming our song and the cutest thing happened...She started humming with me. It was so beautiful and I thought I would share that with all of you.

Good Night

Mother's Day 2009 Recap

I had a fantastic Mother's Day!! Greg and Sydney took me out to breakfast at the same place we went to last year and the year that I was pregnant. We had a yummy breakfast and then went and bought balloons to send off to my Mother. We drove to a beautiful park out in the desert and mountains and released the balloons. We then came home and while Sydney took a nap, I got to go shopping by myself!!! I then came home and put my swim suit on and sat by the pool. We then spent the rest of the afternoon at our next door neighbors pool and had margaritas. Greg chased after Sydney the whole time so I got to just sit! It was soooo nice!

Enjoy the pictures...


My little Sweetie at breakfast. That is a heart sticker on her cheek. She loves stickers.


She made a huge dent in her breakfast!!!


Mommy & Sweetie

This is where we released balloons to my Mother

Our pool

1st margarita...

Our neighbors Angelo and Sheila

2nd margarita...

(Note to self...maybe next Mother's Day I should just stick with the two margaritas...!!)

Our Dragonfly

Anyone who has been reading my blog for the last two years should know by now the important role that dragonflies play in my life. To me, they represent my Mother in a very special way. If you will remember the story of Greg and I sitting by the pool our first Mother's Day in this house and the little dragonfly who just wouldn't let us feel blue. Every year that dragonfly has come back to greet us and to bring us laughter. Today was our first dragonfly experience and I got to share it with Sydney. Sydney and I were sitting in the pool, enjoying the beautiful hot weather. I was thinking about Mother's Day tomorrow and of course, I was thinking about my Mom. Who should appear, just like clock work, our little blue dragonfly!!!! Sydney and I were laughing so loud at her because she kept coming up and flying in front of our faces. She would fly around us really fast and then just stop in mid air right in front of us and stare. Sydney put her hand out and wouldn't you know that dragonfly landed right on her hand. It was amazing and soooo special...

...I know it was you!

I love you Mom.

This and That...

I had the stomach flu for the last two days so things have been a little dull around here. I am feeling much better today; unfortunately, now Sydney has a runny nose and is sneezing!! Hopefully it's nothing more than allergies. I really don't want us to be sick on Mother's Day. Last Mother's Day was not so good so I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will all be healthy and have a relaxing day!

On Thursday, I was pretty much on the couch most of the day since I had the stomach flu. I told Sydney that "Mommy is sick," and she seemed to understand. She would come sit next to me or lay her head on my stomach and say, "Are you all right Mommy?" I felt very loved! She even kissed my "owee" (stomach) a few times to "make it all better!" If only it were that easy! She is such a Sweetie!

Sydney has learned to sing "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" and will sing it to her baby while she rocks her. It is so adorable. I cannot believe how she can pick up words to songs so quickly! She is getting a little tough to get ready to go anywhere lately because she wants to do EVEYTHING herself. Problem is, she doesn't know what she is doing and if you even try to help...watch out...major episode! Yesterday she got so upset that I had to give her a timeout in her crib. It was effective and life went on. She does the crazy thing now that just makes us shake our heads...she will have an episode of crying or acting out (sometimes loud and obnoxious or sometimes just whining) and then all of a sudden she will just stop and look at us and say very clearly, "I feel better now," and she magically turns into a joyful little sweetie again!!

Enjoy the pictures...

The two big trees in front of our house are in full bloom like this one. I couldn't get the other tree in the picture. They look so pretty but they are a killer on the allergies!!

Our silly girl eating a Popsicle

Happy Mother's Day Nana...We love you and miss you soooooo much!!!

Update

Sydney is doing much better today. She did run a fever for around 24 hours after the bite but there were no visible signs of infection; therefore, she did not have to go in to be treated. By yesterday she was fine. I took her to the mall for a Kids Club event and she had a blast. We did go to the gym today (Miss Rhina was working) with the goal of getting her reacquainted. When Miss Rhina saw us she got teary eyed and said that she saw the video of what happened and was just sick about it. We then focused on Sydney and her comfort level as this was her first time back since the incident. I stayed with her in the playroom and played with her for about 15 minutes. She was very clingy at first but with the help of Miss Rhina, she strayed away from me and began playing with the toys. I did end up working out but I kept checking the TV screens to make sure she was okay. She did just fine. The staff at the gym were all very concerned about Sydney and all very happy to see that she was okay. The marks on her face and lip are pretty much gone - just some purple left on her lip - and the swelling is now completely gone. As far as the little boy that bit her, he was kicked out of the daycare that day and as a result, his father quit the gym. I still feel angry with the dad.

Sydney makes me laugh more and more everyday. She says the funniest things at just the right time and it still catches me off guard. Like tonight when I had her food on her highchair and I said, "Come eat." I looked in at her and she made a beeline into the kitchen and yelled up to me, "I'm coming." It just made me laugh. I seriously need to carry a pen and paper with me because there are so many little things she says and does that make me laugh so hard - but I can never remember them when I sit down to write on my blog!!

Selfish Parents!!!

I am still VERY angry and VERY sad as I write this post...

I took Sydney to the gym yesterday and put her in the daycare. They love her there and all know her very well. They often times hold her when I leave until she is comfortable and ready to play on her own. Yesterday was no exception. I dropped her off, got my spin bike all set, started class and the front desk lady came into the room to get me telling me that Sydney was hurt. I was thinking on my way down that she must have fallen and hit her head so I was completely overwhelmed and unprepared for what I walked in to. Before I even saw Sydney, I could hear her crying and and all of a sudden there is this huge dad standing in front of me with what looked like a 3 year old boy. The dad is apologizing saying his son bit Sydney and that they have been having problems with him biting and the rest just went fuzzy as I looked over to find my baby with a HUGE fat lit that was already turning purple - and it just happened! Once we connected eyes my gut tensed up and I was filled with emotion. She was so scared. I quickly grabbed her and took her away from everyone to calm her down and to reassure her that it was okay. The dad and staff watched from afar, all very concerned. I held the ice pack to her mouth as much as I could but I knew she was so scared and didn't want to cause anymore discomfort for her. Eventually, I asked one of the staff over and told her to tell me exactly what happened. I was trying not to be mad at her because I didn't know the whole story and I was trying not to be mad at the dad who was still apologizing. The staff said that she put Sydney down and turned her back for a moment and then all of a sudden heard Sydney scream out and the little boy run away. She said the little girls in the room saw what happened and told her that the boy had bit her. I was so full of emotion but knew I had to keep it together for Sydney's sake. So, after I got Sydney called down, we wrote up an incident report and I informed them to tell the owner that I expected a call today. I brought Sydney home, cleaned everything out and got a good look at the injuries. She had a scratch on her left chest and left shoulder. She had a huge fat black and blue lip with a ring around her mouth and nose (obviously, where the boys teeth were) and the inside of her lip was broken open. I cried.

I then gave her a Popsicle to help ice it all down. She also had some popcorn. She seemed to be able to eat without any discomfort which I was very thankful for. I also took pictures of her face to bring to the gym to show the owner and the parents of the other child. I then put her to bed for a nap. I called the doctor just to see if I should bring her in to have it looked at since it was a bite that broke the skin in her mouth! The doctor said no need to unless it became infected.

After Sydney's nap, we went back to the gym. The owner was there and we had a very long discussion. He was so apologetic and very understanding. He also has his daughter in daycare there 5 days a week and realized it could have been his daughter who got bit. He went up to watch the video to see exactly what happened - I needed to know if it was really a bite and if there was any negligence of the staff. While he was doing this, Sydney and I went back into the daycare (it was closed and we had the place to ourselves) and we played. Thankfully, she wasn't afraid to be in there and was mad when we had to leave. The owner came down and asked if I wanted to see the video and warned me that it might be hard to watch. Of course I didn't actually want to see my baby get hurt but I needed to know what happened. We went into his office and I saw the clip. It was the most difficult thing I have ever watched!! There was no negligence of the staff. They were holding Sydney and put her down to play with the toys. They turned there back and literally took 3-4 steps away and this boy beelined over to Sydney grabbed her from behind (thus the scratches) and went for her face. I won't write the rest because I don't want you all to have the vision that is now implanted in my head and plays over and over. Let's just say that this boy definitely has some aggressive behavioral issues and had no right being in that daycare! Both myself and the owner were sick with disgust and anger towards this boys parents. These parents knew of their sons aggressive behavior and still chose to bring him to this daycare with younger children and put my baby at risk. I am so pissed. How selfish can one be - working out is not that important!

Needless to say, the owner called the parents and kicked the boy out of daycare with no possibility of ever coming back. He also said that anything we need, he will take care of. I am sure he is afraid of some kind of lawsuit.

Last night, Sydney started running a fever. I couldn't hold my emotions in anymore when I went to bed. I cried...hard...for so many reasons. Mainly, I feel guilty for not being there to protect my baby. The video clip of what happened just kept playing over and over in my head. I also cried because I am so damn angry at the boys parents. Why...why did they bring there son to daycare knowing he has problems. Why did they think it was okay for them to bring a aggressively biting child to a daycare with young, helpless children. So many whys and so much anger.

Today, Sydney woke up with a fever. I am not really sure what is going on with that because there are no signs of infection where the bite is and she seems to be herself. In fact, her lip is basically back to normal expect for a little purple. We are keeping a close eye on her and monitoring her temperature today. We may be taking a drive to the doctor tomorrow. I will keep you posted and please, pray for Sydney that nothing is wrong and that this incident doesn't have any long term psychological affect on her. My poor baby.