When my original babysitter quit in December of last year I had originally wanted to put Brian into a dayschool program. Dayschool is a mix between daycare and preschool. It operates full days and year-round like a daycare, but is geared toward teaching children the skills they need in order to succeed later in life (especially in school). I searched and searched and prayed and prayed for a place that I felt good putting Brian in. This is a BIG decision to me. Wherever Brian goes will help shape him into the child he will be later in life. A Christian program was a must for Jason and me. Teaching Brian about Christ is one of our duties as parents. What better way to back up our beliefs than to incorporate them into Brian's learning environment?
I came across this one school called Calvary Christian Academy. It is a private school that begins accepting children at 18 months and continues all the way up to 12th grade. It is a fully accredited Texas school and the prices weren't outrageous. I was discouraged by the fact that Brian wouldn't be able to go until the end of March (March 30), but excited at the prospect of him attending this school.
We hired a babysitter/nanny who comes to our apartment everyday to watch Brian until he can go to "school". I called CCA and had Brian placed on the waiting list because the class was full for this school year. The more I prayed about this school, the better I felt about it and the more I felt it was where God was leading me to place Brian. I scheduled an appointment to meet with the director of the lower shcool and went in. That cemented it! It was everything I wanted. I loved the directer, I loved tha campus, I loved everything they told me about their ideas and philosphies on teaching and on Christ. It was a perfect fit. The only problem was that we were number 26 on a waiting list that almost never moved.
Fast forward to February. Calvery Christian Academy was now holding open enrollment for the 2009/2010 school year. I scheduled an appointment for Jason and I to meet with the director again (you have to have a meeting with her before placing a child in order for them to make sure you believe in Christ and the basic Christian ideals). Jason and I met with her and Jason felt the same way about the school as I did the first time I went. We were both so sure that this was where Brian is supossed to be that we paid our first weeks tuition in order to secure Brian a seat in the class! I am so excited! Brian will start school in August.
I am very excited and feel that this is the path God wants for us, but at the same time I am very nervous and scared. Right now my biggest fear is just leaving him. (See previous post about going to the nursery at church). I am also nervous that he hasn't been socialized enough to get along well with others. My mom is worried that he is going to become mean and aggressive because of the other children. I worry about him getting enough rest during the day and being tired all the time. I worry about not getting to see him nearly as much as before (but I will be "working" next semester so I won't have the time either). It's just a lot of changes. At least I have some time.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Time Change
So as most people know (I hope), Sunday was the first day of the new time change. Brian has had an awful time adjusting so far.
Sunday morning we all got up and got ready to go to church. I have to admit we haven't been in a while, but we are really trying to be better about that as a family. We dropped Brian off at the nursery and he cried his little heart out (like usual), but this day was different. This was the first time he has been left somewhere without a pacifier. About 10 minutes into service (right after communion) our pager went off. Jason went to the nursery and they told him that Brian didn't ever stop crying after we dropped him off and that the crying just got worse. Jason brought him back to the sanctuary with us and I sat him on my lap. He had been crying so hard that he was sucking in air and shaking - poor guy. I guess he was hyper-sensitive because when everyone stood up to sing (we stayed sitting) he started to get really upset again. Fearing that he would disrupt service I quickly made a bee-line for the exit just in time for another meltdown. Jason and I decided to just give up and go home. We are going to make a very dedicated effort to make it to church from now on because we need to get Brian used to the nursery and being left there.
Anyway, Sunday afternoon for nap time Brian went down late (because of the time change) and it took him forever to go to sleep. At first, he didn't even want to go to sleep. Usually when we ask him if he is ready to go night-night he runs for his bed. This time we asked him if he was ready to go night-night and he said "no" (shaking his head and walking away). When we put him in bed a little while later, he talked and played for probably an hour. He did the same thing Sunday night when it was time to go to sleep (something he never does). Usually he goes right to sleep. He didn't go to sleep Sunday night until about 9:30 (bedtime is 7:00).
Monday naptime was the same story as Sunday. Going to sleep went a little smoother, but I have been up now since midnight because Brian is wide awake. We are going on 3 hours of Brian being awake now in his bed. He woke up at midnight happy and talking until he got bored or lonely and started calling for us. Jason went in and laid him back down and covered him up and everything, but he is still awake. I have been in there 4 times (I think) and gave him Tylenol at 2:00 thinking it is his teeth bothering him. I just went in and he is quite so hopefully he is going back to sleep now. I don't know what the deal is. It could be the time change. It could be his teeth coming in. It could even be the no pacifier (a little delayed). I don't know, but if it continues past this week, we are going to have to try and change something.
Sunday morning we all got up and got ready to go to church. I have to admit we haven't been in a while, but we are really trying to be better about that as a family. We dropped Brian off at the nursery and he cried his little heart out (like usual), but this day was different. This was the first time he has been left somewhere without a pacifier. About 10 minutes into service (right after communion) our pager went off. Jason went to the nursery and they told him that Brian didn't ever stop crying after we dropped him off and that the crying just got worse. Jason brought him back to the sanctuary with us and I sat him on my lap. He had been crying so hard that he was sucking in air and shaking - poor guy. I guess he was hyper-sensitive because when everyone stood up to sing (we stayed sitting) he started to get really upset again. Fearing that he would disrupt service I quickly made a bee-line for the exit just in time for another meltdown. Jason and I decided to just give up and go home. We are going to make a very dedicated effort to make it to church from now on because we need to get Brian used to the nursery and being left there.
Anyway, Sunday afternoon for nap time Brian went down late (because of the time change) and it took him forever to go to sleep. At first, he didn't even want to go to sleep. Usually when we ask him if he is ready to go night-night he runs for his bed. This time we asked him if he was ready to go night-night and he said "no" (shaking his head and walking away). When we put him in bed a little while later, he talked and played for probably an hour. He did the same thing Sunday night when it was time to go to sleep (something he never does). Usually he goes right to sleep. He didn't go to sleep Sunday night until about 9:30 (bedtime is 7:00).
Monday naptime was the same story as Sunday. Going to sleep went a little smoother, but I have been up now since midnight because Brian is wide awake. We are going on 3 hours of Brian being awake now in his bed. He woke up at midnight happy and talking until he got bored or lonely and started calling for us. Jason went in and laid him back down and covered him up and everything, but he is still awake. I have been in there 4 times (I think) and gave him Tylenol at 2:00 thinking it is his teeth bothering him. I just went in and he is quite so hopefully he is going back to sleep now. I don't know what the deal is. It could be the time change. It could be his teeth coming in. It could even be the no pacifier (a little delayed). I don't know, but if it continues past this week, we are going to have to try and change something.
Blue's Clues
Brian's new obsession is the TV show "Blue's Clues". He asks to watch it at least 5 times a day (we only let him watch 1 hour of TV a day). If I would let him (I almost never do), he would sit and watch a full hour (2 episodes) without getting bored or distracted - that's how much he loves it. He knows all the songs and even the hand motions they use. We let him watch it one morning because he woke up early and it was on Noggin (the only channel we let him watch). I didn't know it at the time, but he was falling in love. The next day when he woke up in the morning he said "Blue's Clues" and even made the same hand motions that they make on the show when they say "Blue's Clues". I was pretty impressed. He has gotten to the point now that he will say all the words with the host such as "A clue!" and "Notebook!". It's pretty cute. I bought him a few VHS tapes of "Blue's Clues" for really cheap and we also have some episodes of it on our 'on demand' TV. I think he has seen all of them 10 times each, I know I have.
On another note related to TV... One of my new favorite things is getting up in the morning and Brian snuggling with me while he watches "Blue's Clues". It's 30 minutes in the day when he is still and snuggly. He isn't a very lovey-dovey kind of boy, but lately he would much rather be in my lap watching TV than just sitting next to me. He will even grab my arms and wrap them around himself (so cute!). Sometimes he will pat my leg or rub my arms while we are watching TV. I love it. On rare days that I am home during the week when he goes down for a nap we will usually do the same thing before nap-time (to wind down). My two new favorite times of the day.
On another note related to TV... One of my new favorite things is getting up in the morning and Brian snuggling with me while he watches "Blue's Clues". It's 30 minutes in the day when he is still and snuggly. He isn't a very lovey-dovey kind of boy, but lately he would much rather be in my lap watching TV than just sitting next to me. He will even grab my arms and wrap them around himself (so cute!). Sometimes he will pat my leg or rub my arms while we are watching TV. I love it. On rare days that I am home during the week when he goes down for a nap we will usually do the same thing before nap-time (to wind down). My two new favorite times of the day.
Teeth
Brian has always been a little late on getting those teeth (I'm not complaining!), but I think we are about to see several more sprout out in his mouth. When he gets teeth it seems like he always gets them in multiples and that they take forever to come all the way in. Right now he has two top molars (one on each side) that are just barely breaking through the gum line. I am pretty sure he is working on the two matching molars on the bottom and possibly the two bottom teeth next to the two he already has. It seems like these teeth have been coming in since early February or late January. I know that the top molars have been close for a while because the pediatrician noted it when we were in the office for his 15 month check-up. Poor guy has had some pretty miserable days, but for the most part has been awesome about it all.
So, just for the record, at 17 months Brian officially has his 4 middle top teeth and 2 middle bottom teeth. (Minus the 2 barely out molars on the top).
So, just for the record, at 17 months Brian officially has his 4 middle top teeth and 2 middle bottom teeth. (Minus the 2 barely out molars on the top).
Monday, March 9, 2009
No More Pacifiers
I've been working toward getting rid of the pacifier for quite some time now. Quite a while back we got it down to where Brian only got a pacifier if he was in bed or in his car seat. In early February, I took it away while he was in the car seat so he only got it in bed. In late February I took all the pacifiers away except one. I knew I needed to just get rid of them all together but was internally struggling with taking away the ONE material thing my son loved and counted on for soothing himself. I was worried about him self-soothing and about my sanity without a pacifier. One week ago (March 2) I got determined and took Brian's pacifier away for good. Jason and I were all geared up for a long night awake reassuring Brian only to be surprised by the fact that Brian went straight to sleep, slept through the night, and even slept an hour later the next morning. I was astounded! I had never heard of such an easy transition. Surely nap time would be a struggle - nope. Again, Brian went straight to sleep and slept a normal nap length. No way! I kept thinking it must be a fluke, but he has been doing fine since then and hasn't once asked for his pacifier. He amazes me everyday.
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