August 2007

As Kyla's third year comes to a close, so does the era of diaper wearing (at least during the day). Yes, she has officially mastered potty power. We're very proud, but there are times when I miss how leisurely we could be with diapers. When a three-year-old tells you they need to go to the bathroom, they mean right now.

Another change we've seen in her this month is that she's become more devious. Often when she asks to do something and I tell her no, she explains that Mommy has already said that she could, which is of course completely false. We call her on it and tell her that it isn't OK to lie, but I'm concerned that these fibs are a harbinger for what is to come in her teenage years. Also when she is told to do something she doesn't want to do, she'll often reply with "OK, whatever," which is a line she gets from her mother.

Becky and I have noticed that Kyla has been more pleasant recently, perhaps because her teeth have come in and she's sleeping a little better. To get her to sleep through the night we've been having her sleep in our bed with me (she stirs occasionally but when she finds me she relaxes and falls back to sleep), so that Becky only has to wake up for Blake.

Regardless of her improving demeanor, she still has an impressive tantrum from time to time. During a particularly bad one, Becky gave up trying to reason with her and went to our bedroom, closing the door behind her. Kyla then engaged the child lock from the outside, thinking that doing so would unlock the door, effectively locking Becky and Blake in. They were trapped for about 45 minutes before Becky managed to push the handle through the child lock and escape.

Kyla is becoming a big help with her baby brother. When he gets upset she tries to get him to cheer up by making faces and funny noises at him, or by giving him his pacifier. When they're in the car she'll toss him toys to play with. She's a wonderful little helper and I hope they continue to get along.

Blake continues to be a happy and relatively easy baby (except when he's constipated). When he's especially happy or tickled he giggles loudly which is a terribly cute thing to hear. He's also started to use his hands; if there is anything within reach he grabs for it and brings it directly to his mouth. I've learned to keep paper away from him because it can be difficult to pry away from his fingers.

We spent one weekend this month in Chelan with Jan, Bill, Lexie, and Lexie's boyfriend. We had a great time relaxing on the beach (at least the amount of relaxation the kids will allow) and eating my mother's cooking. We also rented a jet ski and Kyla rode on it with Becky and I. She really enjoyed it, especially when I sped up.

It's hard to believe that three years have passed since Becky and I entered the world of parenting. Every once in a while I'm reminded of what life was like prior to becoming responsible for the well being of little ones and I remind myself why we chose this road. It's the the little things like watching Kyla do something for the first time or hearing Blake laugh that I love most... though occasionally I do miss being able to sleep in.