Luna and the Big Girl Panties

As you may recall, I did some "EC" with Luna. That stands for "Elimination Communication," and for some people, it means potty training infants. We didn't take it to those extremes. But she started sitting on the potty now and then at around 7 months. Just when she wanted to, no pressure. And she wanted to! She loved sitting on the potty reading books, and she had several months there where she peed on the potty at least once a day.

And then the strike began. About three months ago, for no apparent reason, she decided she hated the potty and had no interest in putting anything (well, except her Legos, her crayons, or her stuffed animals) into it. She'd cry anytime I suggested using the potty, and the one day I decided to try putting "big girl panties" on her, I had to abandon the idea halfway through the day because she was hysterically begging for a "pamper, pamper!" I was frustrated, but I figured it was best to follow her cues, so I backed off and didn't push the potty training at all.

We signed Luna up for school last week. REAL school, five days a week for the WHOLE day! They expect the kids to be potty trained, naturally. She starts on November 5th, and I've been feeling more anxious about the potty training dilemma. But still, I haven't pressed it.

Yesterday, my mom bought us tickets to come home for a visit again this summer. We'll be in the states from June 1 to July 14 (Yay!). Which kind of messed with my plan to start potty training in earnest as soon as summer hit and I could put fewer clothes on her. I was just thinking last night that I'd have to hold off until we got back.

But Luna had other ideas. Why am I not surprised? This morning when I was getting her dressed, out of the blue she asked for "big girl panties." (As an aside, the way she says "big girl panties" sounds more like "poo poo panties," which is ironic, no?) So we pulled on the big girl panties. I figured she'd be begging for a diaper within an hour. But no! We went through ELEVEN PAIR of "big girl panties" today, but she was a trooper, and after every accident, she'd say, "More big girl panties?"

So I find myself unprepared for the misery that is potty training. I mean honestly, I haven't even got a bottle of wine in the house! I feel like someone pushed me into the deep end of the pool while I was still blowing up those little inflatable floaty things that go on the arms. But if she can handle it, so can I! We're going to master this... eventually!

Please: SEND ALCOHOL!

Hip, hip, hoera! Luna is 2!!!

Today my baby turned two! Its hard to believe how quickly time can pass. Since I've been tearing up every time I even think of this day, I had expected it to be rough. I was surprised to discover that I am not overly sad, though. I thought about it most of the day, and this evening I realized why. I am not sad because I have no regrets. We have done the very best we could with Luna, and I think we have thoroughly enjoyed the baby years with her. She's turned into an amazing little person, and I am so incredibly proud to be her mama! I am too busy looking forward to watching her continue to grow and change to be sad about the days that are past.

We didn't do much today. I decorated the house, of course, because its hardly a birthday without decorations! We had special birthday pancakes and a special birthday lunch. We talked to my family via Skype, and in the afternoon G's mom came over for pie. Luna played with her Oma most of the afternoon. There were plenty of birthday presents to enjoy, starting last week when the box from Grandma arrived, continuing a few days ago when we gave her the outdoor climber/slide from us, and through today when she opened a few small things from us, tons of cards from the family back home, a package from her Auntie M and Uncle T, and a slew of nice gifts from her Oma. She's spoiled, I've accepted that. :)

Its been awhile since I posted... again. Here are the highlights, in no particular order:

1. I hurt my back. It kept hurting and hurting, so I finally had x-rays. They discovered it wasn't hurting because of the injury, exactly, but because the injury caused a flare-up of a pre-existing condition. I have something called osteoarthritis of the spine or degenerative disc disease. Its a degenerative condition, and without treatment can become quite debilitating. I am currently taking painkillers, but am trying to get into a physical therapy program to teach me exercises that can slow down the progression and make the disorder manageable (HUGE waiting list, grr!). I've been pretty miserable the past six weeks, and very physically limited. But I'll live, its nothing THAT serious. It will just take some time to learn to manage it.

2. I started level 1.2 of Dutch in January, and its going quite well so far, thank you. I continue to go twice a week. Many of my classmates from level one are in my class, but we have a new teacher. My understanding of the language has improved dramatically, and I can read relatively well. I still need to practice speaking more. Ugh.

3. We've been looking at schools for Luna. Yes, really! She starts school in November!! I had thought she'd start in September, but since she won't be two and a half until the end of that month, she has to wait until after the first vacation to begin. We've looked at two schools so far, and have two more to see. So far, the front runner is a Catholic school, much to our surprise. We hadn't intended to send her to a Catholic school, since we're, well, not Catholic. But its just a nicer school by far. We'll see how the next two compare. Luna has enjoyed the school visits, too! She loved playing with all the new toys!

Spring gave us a sneak preview last week, but its back to cold and grey these last couple of days. Luna has been quite a bit healthier, but she was sick yesterday (and still a bit today). Hopefully just a little inconsequential virus. The pediatrician has referred her to an ENT to explore the possibility of tubes in her ears, but to be honest, we're hoping we can put it off for awhile. So keep your fingers crossed she stays healthy! We need to take her for her first dentist visit soon, that will be fun!! :O Luna is chattering away in both English and in Dutch, learning new words so fast that we can't keep up and parroting anything and everything she hears. She has grown into a little girl seemingly overnight. Where has the time gone??

Is it Spring Yet??

I had become cautiously optimistic that winter, aka SICK season, was nearly past. Luna was healthy (well, except for the black eye she got by introducing herself to the coffee table) for nearly a month! I thought perhaps the worst was behind us. But alas, she's got a doozy of a double ear infection. High fever, no appetite, unable to sleep... On top of that, she is cutting at least three teeth right now. So my little miss is quite unhappy! Here's hoping the antibiotics we got yesterday straighten her out quickly.

I seem to be sick a lot myself of late. Stress, I presume. I'm currently fighting a cold that I suspect may have turned into yet another sinus infection/ear infection. My third in 6 months. I've lost some weight, too. Undeservedly, I mean. I started some vitamins this week, hopefully they will help.

As if to underline the point that winter is NOT yet over, we got our first serious snowfall of the year yesterday. Only about an inch, but its the first accumulation we've had. Luna has been fascinated by the glorious whiteness of it, and has repeatedly dragged me over to the windows to see the "Snow! Snow! Snow!" Hopefully we can get feeling well enough to go out and play in it before its gone.

I guess we'll just cuddle up and wait for spring!

Ik Heb Heimwee!

I took it upon myself to learn the words in the title several weeks ago. Consider it my very own extra credit assignment. It means, "I am homesick."

Yup, this entire blog post is going to be about how much I want to go home. Don't worry, I'll keep it brief. You can skim if you want, just read it like this, "me me me me memememememememe."

Two years ago today, I boarded a plane for Belgium, 8 months worth of baby belly leading the way. By the time I arrived, it was the 21st of January. I was wildly unprepared for what was to come. I thought I could handle it, after all, I wasn't one of those folks who has never left home. I'd lived all over the U.S. with only mild pangs of homesickness. Let me tell you right now: I was NOT prepared to live abroad. Culture shock is not something to take lightly. It does not go away in a few days, a few weeks, a few months. It amplifies all of those normal "missing home" feelings until they fill up your entire consciousness. Simply put, I miss my people, all my people. From the wonderful friends and family whose absence feels like a wound that never heals to the lady that used to bag my groceries and the kid who delivered the newspaper. I miss feeling at home somewhere.

To all the people who've told me it will get easier, I have a simple question... When?

This isn't an anniversary I will be celebrating, although I'm thinking a bottle of wine to drown my sorrows sounds like a half decent idea.