Night Life
I started a new job at KHOU (Houston’s CBS station) in mid-November. It’s been really nice so far, transitioning into a role in the marketing department. While it’s still television, it’s definitely a different side, and it's been fun learning a lot. The one down side is working a 2-10 p.m. schedule, which means I don’t get to see Amanda and Sophie as much. Thankfully, we’ve all adjusted pretty well. I take Sophie to school most mornings, and while it isn’t as much time together as we used to have, we do have fun and I get to see them on the weekends.
Bubba Up In The Sky
My grandmother, who we called "Bubba," passed away in December. She is often described as a strong, stubborn, sweet woman. I'm so glad she got to be a part of Sophie's life, playing peek-a-boo and holding her hand when we'd visit. Sophie was a beam of light during the grieving process, and while she can't fully understand what's going on, she knows Bubba is in a better place now.
On the Boat
In January, we went on a cruise with Amanda’s family out of LA. Sophie loved it because of:
- Dr. Seuss party
- Lots of dancing
- Splashing by the pool
- Bird watching with Mamp
- Auntie time
- Most importantly, all the ice cream!
So Cold, Chicago
Our other travel experience came in February when we went to Chicago for our friend Brad’s wedding. Here’s a shocker, Chicago is really cold in February. While we didn’t deal with any snow, temperatures in the 20s felt like a tundra to us (and the rain didn’t help with that). Weather aside, it was an amazing weekend.
We always love going to Chicago, because we have so many friends and family living there. Highlight moments include the wedding, the children’s museum, all the in and outs of cars (made easy because of friends and family), plus the excellent food.
Gummy Snacks, Pointing
As we touched on last time, Sophie can be pretty determined. When she wants something, she doesn’t easily forget. So, we often end up in negotiations, trying not to just always give in. Currently, the trump card is gummy snacks. Sophie loves them! We're strategic in giving them to her, because we don’t want her constantly eating them.
The other thing that definitely has its ups and downs is YouTube and “pointing” as Sophie calls it (she points to play the different videos). Truthfully, it’s not like she’s getting hours and hours of screen time, but being on the phone changes her. I’m sure other parents know what I’m talking about. When it’s time to be done, sometimes she’s good about handing back the phone, other times it’s some of the worst tantrums. She’ll say, “Why Daddy take the phone away? He being not nice! He make me sad.” Of course, that is just crushing to hear.
Amanda and I are still figuring it all out. Sophie doesn’t watch television, so this is the tradeoff. Who knows if we’re doing the right thing, but when possible, we try to turn her focus onto toys and books instead of pointing.
Welcome, Visitors
We’ve been able to have a couple of nice weekends with visitors in town. My parents came for a visit in February, and then again just recently. Both times, we enjoyed great meals, meeting up with relatives and going to events for Sophie, like a Purim carnival.
Amanda’s mom and youngest sister visited in March. We enjoyed going to Levy Park, putting in a family headboard, as well as spending the morning at the Houston Rodeo. Sophie loved seeing the cows, pigs, chickens, and most of all the llama and the black sheep at the petting zoo!
Potty Training
I would say all in all, we're pleasantly surprised with how well potty training has gone the last week and a half. We used the naked for a weekend training method, taking away diapers in one swoop. That weekend definitely had its challenges, with most of it coming from trying to understand Sophie's schedule and her appropriate fear. The first three day, she held it all in from seven in the morning until one in the afternoon! Finally, when we'd get her to go on the potty (which involved a lot of crying), she realized it wasn't scary. I think the M&M's and prizes helped. Plus, she was really excited to get to pick out "hunderwear" as she calls them.
She hasn't mastered all of it, but I'm really proud of how far she's come. Isn't this a true sign of parenting, just being so happy your kid can use a toilet?1?!
Big Sister
The biggest news is Sophie will be a big sister this summer. We're not sure she totally understands, but she loves playing with her seemingly endless amount of baby dolls, so now she'll get a real one. Even though she probably was hoping for a sister, she seems to be coming around to having a brother.
Boys are a whole different ballgame, but it's going to be fun seeing how everything plays out.
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To end this blog, let's talk about the pause button. We've all heard about how parents want to slow down time or press pause on the kids growing up so fast. When you don't have kids, you hear that and think it's just like any other fun time in your life. For me, it sinks in so hard. The time does go by super fast, especially because I'm working at night. There's a sense of guilt in not being here for her as much, but I try to take advantage of the moments we do get. Life is short and there is no pause button, so for now, I'll keep taking mental photos and try to hold on as much as possible.
