There goes Daddy's plan to learn German

Olivia bedtime routine

Here are some better pictures to give you a sense of how much stuff Olivia likes to have in her crib with her when she goes to bed.

• Two standard sized pillows
• One quilt
• One baby blanket
• A set of finger puppets
• 3 books
  

Guest Blogger: Spencer

Joyce seems determined that I write an entry in her blog about our daughter. I have so far resisted, as I'm not much of a writer. However, in the past week perhaps the most exciting thing in months has happened in the Knight household. Something we have been hoping for from the beginning. Something that EVERY parent looks forward to seeing! "What is that moment" you may be asking?

Olivia went potty in her potty.

Not just number one mind you, she's been doing that for a few weeks. No, she went number 2! And in fact she did it again this morning. 22 months old, and using the potty fairly consistently. Its a wonderful and momentous occassion, and we're all very excited and proud of Olivia. She's also very proud of herself, and loves to come get us and bring us in to the bathroom to display the results of her effort. We in turn give her a lot of praise and encouragement towards her newest endeavor.

Pics from the weekend

As a tired working parent, I'll do anything to get my kid to fall asleep. I have succumbed to fulfilling Olivia's request to have all of the pillows and blankets from the twin bed in the crib with her as she falls asleep.

Other exciting news from the weekend -- Olivia's buddy from daycare turned 2 and invited her to his birthday party.

Maybe this will cure Olivia of her Elmo addiction

Maybe this will cure Olivia of her Elmo addiction.

Chapter 22: I learn why you don't bring kids to the store

It was either this card or a temper tantrum at Target. I suppose I got off relatively easily (it could have been a $40 Tickle me Elmo.)

I suspect that I won't be taking Olivia anywhere near the grocery store once she figures out what candy is.

Potty training?

Several times during Labor day weekend, Olivia would resist getting a diaper put on and sit on her potty chair instead.

We were excited that this might be a first step toward potty training, and we took turns sitting with her in the bathroom. We also let her run around without a diaper.

After spending what seemed like an hour in the bathroom, she peed the minute she jumped on the couch with Spencer.

After a few hours, we finally figured out that Olivia had outsmarted us. She had figured out that she could run around without a diaper if she pretended that she was interested in using a toilet.

She might have gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for the accident on the couch and the puddle in the kitchen.

Towel

Olivia loves being wrapped in a towel (like a swaddled baby) after a bath.  She also likes to wear the towel around the house and will continually bring the towel over and say 'Towel, towel' or 'More towel' if the towel falls off.  

Olivia's Pediatrician Appt (August 20)

Here are the stats from Olivia's last pediatrician appointment (August 20)

Height -- 33 inches (75th percentile)
Weight -- 23 lbs 4 oz (20th percentile)
Head circumference -- 47.5 cm (75th percentile)

I'm not really sure why there are so many pediatrician appointments in the first two years. When I once tried to schedule a late well visit, the receptionist told me that if insurance did not cover the appointment, the cost would be around 500 or 600 dollars. While I know that insurance companies pay a negotiated rate, that still seems high to me. I'm assuming that each of the various tests that they give (e.g., the yes/no questionnaire of brain and physical development) are each around a hundred bucks. Couldn't my insurance company just arrange that I take the test online for $10?

Hmmm.. there are many reasons why healthcare in this country is so expensive (and so inaccessible to those who don't have insurance.) While I haven't done enough reading to have a guess as to whether reform will actually work without a large federal subsidy, I admire our president for taking it on. I also don't have much background on how the reform proposals intend to address some of the misaligned incentives in health care utilization, provision, and management in this country, but I am excited that someone has touched the third rail and gotten the discussion going.