Praying.for Ella.......

So, my Mommy reminded me that Ella is turning 2 soon. I really thought that when she turns 2 she will be able to walk without her walker. My mommy said that she may not ever walk on her own, but Mommy said, "We can always hope." I said, "Mommy, do you think we can pray to God, too?" She said that we could always say a prayer. I love my little sister and I pray that Ella will walk on her own.

Cleaning up and other big girl stuff....

I know how to clean up and get dressed and jump up and down. Ella can't do all that stuff. I feel sad for her.

Yet, I am happy that I can do those things. I can also do tricks like standing on my hands. I can stand on one foot and spin on one foot! Mommy says, 'WOW!" when I do that.

I like this week better, because I am making the right choices and not getting into trouble. I am not doing bad stuff. This week I am saying please and thank you, helping around house, helping my Mommy with Ella, and using my listening ears much more than the last couple of weeks. SO, I have been getting A LOT of stickers for listening and using good manners. So, soon I will be able to see Tangled with my Mommy.

(Me and my sister Ella playing. Ella is learning how to walk in walker. I

am sooo proud!!!)

Tantrums

Normally, my Mommy writes these posts through my eyes, today Mommy is narrator:

Rylee Margaret was an EASY baby in many ways. Of course, sleep wasn't perfect, and there were some bumps in the road with breast feeding, but overall she was a joy to be around. Happy, no major illnesses and hardly any tantrums. She seemed to have a bit of seasonal disorder in the late Fall and early Winter, because every year she has trouble sleeping at that time. We had to do cry it out every early spring, because she would need to sleep with us for any of us to get sleep. That stubbornness exhibited in her fits in her crib were precursors to what we have been going through with our little 4 year princess since Ella was born. She LOVES her sister and NEVER really acts out towards Ella, but it comes out in many other ways lately.

Transitions ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT times lately: Getting dressed, tub time, and cleaning up, leaving a fun place, etc..... are the times when she goes ballistic. She had a 2 month spell of this in May and June of 2010 and she has been tantrum-ing at least once a day for about a month and half recently. We have tried time outs, sticker charts, spanking, taking away toys, etc... Things are better this week, but nothing really seems to work when she is in this mode.

Also, she has developed HUGE fears / phobias around her booboos and stairs. She fell down one stair in early February, which until recently, I had forgotten about, and ever since that she is EXTREMELY afraid of stairs again. The "boo-boo" from that minor fall was virtually non-existent. She spends much of her time asking for band-aids and obsessing over lines in her hands, saying that they are booboos.

Next Tuesday, we are taking her to Dr. W for a behavior appointment to address these major tantrums over minor issues to find out what we should be doing.

When she isn't tantruming, she is an amazing little girl, with an awesome imagination. I feel as if I spend much of my day negotiating with a four year old, instead of playing and enjoying our time together. Hopefully we will all find happier moments soon.

What I Can DO!!!

rylee ~ I just typed my own name!!!!!

I can do tricks, like standing on my hands and feet with one foot up!

I can recognize most of my colors.

I can recognize the letters: L, R, E, X, Y, O, Q, Z, B.

I know all of my ABCs!

I know how to count from 1 - 12 without messing up!

I know most of my shapes, including diamond, triangle, rectangle, oval, circle, square. I know that a stop sign is an octagon.

I know how to rhyme now. I know that cat and bat rhyme. : )

I know how to use my imagination by playing dress up, puppet shows, and making up lots for stories and songs.

Updates from August 2010 until January 2011

A lot has happened lately. We went to the beach and I loved it. Swimming, playing in the sand were just part of what we did on our September beach trip. We also went to the Cape May zoo, Ocean City boardwalk and Lucy the Elephant in Margate, NJ!

The rest of September and October were fun! We spent a lot of it with Lulu and Gramps and Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop, because Daddy was away in China, and other parts of Asia for 3 and 1/2 weeks. He left on the 14th of September and didn't return until Oct. 8th. It was a loooooong time and I missed him A LOT! So, did Mommy and Ella. Yet, he was home for Halloween this year and he went Trick or Treating with us. It was Ella first time going and she did okay. She went to 4 houses. I went to 12 though! A few days before that we had a Halloween party here at my house. My buddies came. I was Daphne from Scooby - Doo and Ella was a kitty cat.

November we had Great Uncle Blair's 60th birthday party and Gigi's 93rd birthday party at Lulu's house. We also had Thanksgiving here at our house with Lulu and Gramps.

December as always was very busy!! I turned 4 and had a birthday party at a bouncy house called Jump On It! All my best friends came (Alyssa, Alayna, Josie, Jack, Robbie). It was sooo fun. Then came CHRISTMAS!!!! I loved it this year. We celebrate with Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop here at home on Christmas Eve. Then had Santa and Mom/Dad presents here at home Christmas morning. Then we had a loooong, fun Christmas Day at Lulu and Gramps'. I got to see my Aunt Amanda on Christmas and for almost 4 other days. She spent two nights!!!

January has been busy with play-dates and friend and family birthday parties. Great-Grandmom Tuttle just celebrated her 94th year!

Beach!!!!!

I am sooo excited to be going to the beach soon : ) My Mommy and Daddy and Ella will alllll be going with me and we will be staying for a whole week. YAY! I want to build sandcastles and play in the ocean. And go swimming in the ocean. And when I am in the ocean I might see a whale and then go under the water. We will be staying at a beach house. My mommy tells me it is pretty big. We have to bring our own sheets and towels. I will also bring toys to play with. This is going to my third time at the beach and Ella's first. I will try to teach Ella how to build sandcastles too. There is a zoo near-by the beach and we will go see the animals. My favorite is the elephant.

A Poem that My Mommy Wrote for Me When I Was a Month Old

The "Baby" Blanket (to Rylee written on January 15, 2007)

Beauty, innocence, happiness, joy

all wrapped in the blanket of you.

You drape your limbs across my body,

Wrapping me in the warmth of your love.

Curling your finger around mine

And looking into my eyes,

You bring the silkiness of trust

Into my life.

Softly I caress your back

To let you know of my faith

In Miracles,

In Life,

In YOU.