Detailed Update

Sophia is getting to turn three at the end of this month, so I thought it might be appropriate to document some of her newer developments. There have been quite a few, especially since I haven't written anything in such a long time.

First off, Sophia is pretty much potty-trained. We started sitting her on the potty at bathtime a long time ago, but started the more "formal" training at the beginning of summer. At the beginning I remember that the potty was in the living room (because she couldn't stand to miss anything), she was sitting on it constantly and going about 20 times a day. She got a lot of M&M's. Then she started running around the house to play without her clothes and I would have to remind her at least hourly. About a week after she finally started running to it by herself, the potty was moved to the bathroom. Now she only gets reminders before leaving the house or on the way to bed. She night-trained herself. One night she was wearing a nighttime diaper and she woke up to tell me that she needed to go. The second night she did it again and I decided that Pull-Ups were far more convenient. After more than a month of dry nights, I put her in panties at bedtime. That was about 4 nights ago. Accidents occur occasionally in the daytime, but involve so little pee that her underwear are the only thing that need changing - she stops before it becomes a really big mess.

Bathtime hair-washing has finally improved! About two weeks ago she finally tried putting the washcloth over her eyes like I asked. No more crying. I cannot tell you how much better this makes bathtime for us!

Playtime is increasingly independent. After going to a birthday party at the beginning of the month, I was reminded of a great Laurie Berkner CD (Rocketship Run) that she received for Christmas last year and the CD player that Grammy got her. Now that it is set up in her playroom, she'll go in to listen to her music, dance, and play with her toys. Her favorite toys right now: Several stuffed dogs (Puppy, Poochie, Tuffy, Puppy's mommy, Poochie's brother) and balloons she got at parties this month. I think she likes the balloons because she is actually able to catch them out of the air.

Conversation is very steady. I once said that she asks the question "why?" like she is filling a quota... we have not hit the quota yet. She is also very interested in who purchased every item she has or sees. She'll ask "Who got this duck for me?" and "Who got our TV?" and I answer, because I really do remember most of the time. A few nights ago she asked "Who got you, Mommy?" and (being funny) I said it was Daddy. Then it was "Who got Daddy?" and we said it was Mommy. Running with this fun, we said that Mommy and Daddy got her, so she asked "Where is the little girl store?" to which I had no answer (too much laughing). Having not forgotten our conversation, she randomly asked me today, "Mommy, where is the store where Daddy got you?" - too funny. I started to explain there is no store and we just went on dates but cut the conversation short when she asked for a explanation of dating.

In relation to her asking where she got every item she has ever received, she also wants every thing she sees. "I wish I had that" is something I hear all day long. A toy on TV... a dog walking by... one day she even randomly said it about a house she saw. Since her birthday and Christmas are coming up, I tell her that we'll have to wait and see what she gets. However, today I took her to Toys R Us and let her pick out one small item to take home because they sent her a $3 gift certificate for being in their birthday club. She carried Wonder Red (from Super Why!) around the whole store while window shopping and only abandoned her when I showed her a tiny puppy that she decided was a relative of the puppy she brought with her from home. Then she said she wanted to go. When I showed her different furniture and dolls for her dollhouse, she told me "Mommy, I have enough of those toys." So practical.

Sophia seems to have a lot of inner conflicts that she tries to play out with me. I wish I knew what this was about because it would help me feel less frustrated when it happens. She tells me something like "I want to play Playdough" and when I agree she'll start whining that she doesn't want to play with it and we just keep going back and forth until she starts crying or ends up in time-out. Other parents at the park tell me that they have the same thing happening, so I know it is a phase, but it doesn't make it less baffling. That has been going on for at least a couple months. I hope it stops soon. It will probably come back when she is a teenager.

In preparation for her birthday, I made her "3" shirt earlier in the month. Sequins. I've just been waiting for a nice overcast day to go take some pictures. Today probably would have been OK, but I got sidetracked. Tomorrow we have playgroup in the morning, so maybe Wednesday. This weekend is going to be rainy, so it turns out that to be good that we're waiting until November to have her party... unless November is even rainier. I guess we'll see.

As for my recent developments, I'm learning to sew. My mother-in-law is a professional seamstress and is all jazzed to teach me the ropes. Turns out that the 99 cent pattern that I picked out for my Halloween costume is much too advanced for me, but she is showing me all kinds of cool tricks that I'll likely never be equipped to use. I'll tell you one thing, though, learning to sew really makes you appreciate your clothes. I've learned why ruffles are a pain, why dresses with a lining cost so much, and why she prefers to fix clothes over making them. I've only had two lessons, but I can now read a pattern (at a second-grade level) and cut it out (super slowly) and pin it together (with the pins going the wrong direction). Next lesson, using the actual sewing machine and not sewing my head to my sleeve. I promise to post a picture when it is all done and we'll see if you can determine who I'm supposed to be. :)