Archive for December, 2010
Letter to a 4-year-old
Natalie is 4! December 7, 2010
Dear Natalie,
Today you are 4 years old! It seems impossible that 4 years have already passed since you were born, yet we can hardly remember life without you. This year has been full of some big changes for you—the birth of your little sister and moving from our house in New Jersey to an apartment in Brooklyn. Changes like these are enough to rattle most adults, so we are constantly impressed with how well you’ve handled becoming a big sister and moving to a big city. At the same time, we aren’t surprised. Even as a baby, you’ve always been extremely adaptable—as long as Mommy and Daddy were near, that is! The grace that you have displayed this year in the face of so many new challenges is remarkable.
You have big feelings and you show them boldly. The littlest thing can make you grin, giggle, or even dance—the joy you express is infectious and wonderful. This morning we made you a special birthday breakfast of waffles with pink whipped cream and sprinkles. The delight in your eyes over this simple pleasure is one of the reasons you add such light to our lives each day.
Whipped cream face
Mmmm, good!
People go out of their way to tell us how polite and sweet you are, and we couldn’t agree more. We hope that we’ve given you enough credit for this, even though we often remind you to use your “big girl voice.” You are a very loving big sister to Miranda, even when you get frustrated by her desire to play with whatever you’re playing with.
You love to sing, dance, and read. We just finished reading Charlotte’s Web—your first long chapter book. We weren’t sure that you were old enough for such a mature book, but you impressed us with your ability to pay attention even when there were no pictures and comprehend a sometimes very delicate plot. We realized that as a young vegetarian, you had no idea that people kill animals in order to eat them. At the end of the book, when Charlotte dies, you remarked that you wished that you had a friend like Charlotte to help you win an award so that you won’t ever have to die.
You have an amazing imagination and can entertain yourself for a very long time making up little stories with your dolls or stuffed animals. We love to watch you develop elaborate plots and act out the different parts. We can tell that you are eager to go to school next year, as many of your stories involve “friends” from your “pretend school.” You are getting ready for kindergarten next September by practicing reading and writing. You have sounded out lots of words and are beginning to recognize some simple words by sight. You can write most letters without assistance and enjoy learning how different words are spelled.
This year we got you a bike for your birthday. It was wonderful to watch you practice peddling and see the pride you felt when you got it. Although you’ve had a few falls, you’ve always gotten right back in the saddle. You’ve told us how much you’re looking forward to taking off your training wheels in the spring. It’s so much fun to walk next to you as you bike down the sidewalk in our new neighborhood, proudly ringing your bell!
4-year-old with birthday cake We are so proud of our funny, smart, sweet, perceptive, hard-working, beautiful girl!
Love,
Mommy & Daddy
Germs, Formula, and Baths
So far this fall, our family has endured at least three times as much illness as we had all of last year. After just recovering from a round of the stomach flu just before Thanksgiving, Natalie woke up this morning with a cough. We’re pushing fluids and rest in hopes that she recovers before her birthday party this weekend. Miranda, who often seems to be the first one fall ill, has been sick probably 5 times more than Natalie was in her first year of life. While I imagine adding another member of the family generally increases the likelihood of illness spreading around, I can’t help but wonder if it’s my fault. Which brings me to the next topic of this disjointed post: formula.
I worked really, really hard to ensure that both of the girls were breastfed. After working so hard to overcome thrush and continue breastfeeding when Natalie was a baby, I took measures to ensure that Miranda and I never fought that battle. Aside from a little issue with oversupply, nursing Miranda was easy from the beginning. And from the beginning, nursing Miranda was very different than nursing Natalie. But in my determination to not compare the girls to each other, I neglected to notice or fully realize how different a nurser Miranda was. Which is how we got from Miranda being exclusively breastfed until she was 5 months, to where we are now: at almost 10 months, Miranda is only nursing once a day. Once she was introduced to bottles when I went back to work, she was hooked. And since (based on my experience with Natalie) it never occurred to me that Miranda would prefer bottles over nursing, I wasn’t careful about my supply. If she keeps nursing until her first birthday, I’ll be happy and surprised.
As much as I worry about Miranda’s immune system and miss the special bond that comes from nursing, bottles and formula have their advantages. It’s nice not being the only parent who can feed her in the middle of the night. And although bottle feeding requires carrying around a lot more stuff, it’s easier to feed her on the go with bottles, especially now that she can hold them herself. No matter what she eats, Miranda is happy and (despite a few minor illnesses) healthy. And that’s really all that matters.
And finally, because our beautiful daughters are always keeping us on our toes, they have totally switched places with respect to their feelings about baths. Miranda, who always loved the water and didn’t even flinch having her hair rinsed or water getting in her eyes, suddenly hates baths! And Natalie, who has always hated baths, especially having her hair washed, has discovered the joys of fancy shampoo and conditioner. Now she washes her own hair, tolerates rinsing much better and no longer freaks out (quite so much) the minute a bead of water starts descending down her forehead. The other day, she actually cheered when we announced that it was time to wash her hair. And Chris and I almost passed out from shock!