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January 2, 2007 Breaking News 
We had Frances's three-year check-up on the 29th. Frances is now just over twenty pounds. Fully dressed, but still. She is almost legally big enough to sit forward-facing in the car, and probably large enough that no one would think to check her size if they pull us over for something else. And also hopefully big enough that the car seat will function as designed and protect her if we are ever in an accident. I was looking forward to them measuring her height standing up, since I gather that normally happens at three; but their height bar starts at thirty-seven inches and Frances is nowhere near that, so they measured her lying down again. On the plus side, she now lies still for it. On the minus side, it's completely inaccurate. "Thirty-two-and-a-half inches," said the nurse. I laughed. "On the wall chart at home, she's just over thirty." "Yes. Well. Lying down isn't quite as accurate." "No." "We actually find that when we start measuring kids on the height bar, they ...." "Shrink?" "Just a bit. Yeah. Still, we'll take the thirty-two while we can get it." "Sure." Which is fine in principle, but when we go back next year and they decide she hasn't grown because of this year's inaccurate measurement, I'm going to remind them of this conversation. Also, I suppose I shouldn't expect them to be able to measure her height standing up for at least another three years. Still, even without the extra inches, being over twenty pounds means we're closer to a few other important milestones. Like cheap underwear that fits and being able to purchase non-infant medicine in the drugstore. ~~~~~ Erik and I celebrated the end of 2006 by purchasing a new piece of furniture. Actually, we purchased it as our joint Christmas present. It's our "thing" that we don't buy Christmas gifts for each other, just stocking stuffers; then we pool a bit of money and buy something for the house. This year's was a new "entertainment centre," aka TV cabinet. It was inexpensive, but a vast improvement over what we had, which was nothing. The TV was sitting on a seventeen-year old TV stand, a broken stereo was beside it in a cabinet badly listing to port, and the DVDs and CDs were in the dining room because there was nowhere close to the TV to put them that wouldn't be hazardous with a toddler around. Even a small one. So we tested our relationship by assembling furniture on New Year's Eve. Unlike previous experiences with furniture assembly, there was no shouting, minimal swearing, and no stomping out of the room; also, we didn't put any pieces in upside-down or backwards, and all the doors hang straight. The DVDs are now in a sensible location, and the TV stand has been relocated to the basement, where the other TV (the one for the xBox and the gym) had been sitting on the carpet. Not that anyone cares. And honestly, neither do I. It's a cabinet. It is not going to bring about an increase in our standard of living nor will it improve our happiness (though it is nice to have the DVDs in the same room as the DVD player, and the cascade effect of moving things from one piece of furniture to another has had a beneficial impact on almost every room in the house, tidiness-wise). But it feels obscurely significant that we were able to assemble it in good humour. ~~~~~~ I feel like I should say something to mark the end of the year. 2006 had some Himalayan highs and some Marianas Trench lows. Good riddance. Posted by Andrea at January 2, 2007 7:08 AM under Beanie Baby Brags EMAIL this entry (comments fields are below this section) Comments Way to go Frances! I don't care if the weight was taken while she was soaking wet... that's definitely a milestone indeed! (Stupid standing measuring equipment.) Way to go Andrea and Erik! That's as monumental as hanging wallpaper together! Kudos to you. May the rest of 2007 be filled with activities that bring you as much joy and happiness. Posted by: Miche at January 2, 2007 8:33 AM
Dh and I cemented our marriage assembling a metal garden shed in 95 degree weather the year after we were married.... I figure if we made it through that (think an Erector Set big enough to store a lawnmower and two bikes inside), PLUS through the awful chigger attack I got that day... we're set. Glad your New Years Eve was productive. And actually, that cascade effect of having one area "taken care of" often seems to radiate into places you wouldn't expect. Happy New Year! Posted by: Sara at January 2, 2007 9:11 AM
One year my parents hung wallpaper in the spare bathroom, which as you can imagine required about four strips of the stuff, and I STILL remember the fight they had. (I think it was their only one.) My husband and I have a hard time putting up the xmas tree w/o yelling... So anyway, right on Andrea & Erik! And WOOO HOOOO Frances! You are probably drowning in clothes but if she's now size 18 months and you want any, let me know... Posted by: Jennifer at January 2, 2007 11:36 AM
Oh, Frances is sounding like she's on about the same curve as my son was--he was 18 lbs and change a his 3rd birthday, and hit 20 sometime in the year before he turned 4. And then stayed there for a while, I guess, because it took a long time to get to 25 (he'd gain then get sick and drop back, take forever to recover the lost weight, it was frustrating--like anything else, ups and downs). He'll always be small, but I think he's spent a solid two years over 30 lbs now--whoo-hoo! (He's 11.) And yeah, we turned the carseat around age 3, when he was right on the edge weightwise--the time comes, doesn't it? Posted by: Penny at January 2, 2007 12:02 PM
Wow -- there was actually *no* cursing?!?! That IS an important accomplisment! I got a nice desk chair for my craft room for Christmas, and I'm even captured ON VIDEO for all eternity and posterity, cursing like a fishwife as I attempt to put it together. Apparently, I needed an extra arm and about 100 more IQ points than I currently possess for successful assemblage.... Even if Frances has grown ANY, that's a good thing, right? Many kisses to her! Posted by: KLee at January 2, 2007 1:21 PM
Jennifer, thanks, but you are right: she is drowning in clothes b/c the relatives keep insisting on buying her new stuff when she hasn't outgrown the old. She has one hell of a wardrobe. Penny, no way! That is eerily close to Frances's growth curve, for the first time ever! And yes--actually, the time came for us when we were living in MIssissauga and Frances had a 1 1/2 hour commute, which she spent screaming when rear-facing. So we switched her and held our breath for a year. KLee, the worst part was when I was reading the instructions aloud while Frances chanted "Look at me! Look at me, Daddy! Here I am!" and Erik was trying to hold a few pieces together. He got a bit testy and said, "I can't listen to both of you at once!" And that was it. Posted by: Andrea at January 2, 2007 2:06 PM
Yayy for the growing girl!! Yayy for surviving putting things together without knocking eachother out!! (Not that you would!) YAYYYs all around!! It's going to be a wonderful year!! Posted by: LauraJ at January 2, 2007 3:12 PM
I love the image of the chanting Frances during the (very impressive) assembly. I remember the transition to 20 lbs vividly, and the ending of the infant medicine. We were using infant medicine until she was almost 3 (she didn't hit 20 lbs until 2 and a half) and I wanted to use up the infant medicine we had on hand. For the last 6 months or so, nurses at our pediatrician's office got really weird about our use of the infant meds and kept trying to tell me it was "better" for Curious Girl to have the toddler medicine and doses. "Yes, but this is what we have in the house." I ended up getting a dosing chart off the 'net b/c I got tired of fighting with them to give me the doses I needed. Weird. Anyway, not to make this all about me, when really, what my first reaction to this post was "Yay, Frances!!!" Way to grow. Posted by: Susan at January 2, 2007 3:15 PM
Way to grow, Frances!!!!! Posted by: liz at January 2, 2007 3:50 PM
My 4 and 1/2 year old weighs something like 29 lbs, so could have the children's version of cold/pain medicine. But I still give her the infant pain reliever because she HATES taking medicine and that one is more highly concentrated and less evil-tasting than the "children's" version. I had to look up the correct dosage, but why in the world would it be "better" to give her the stuff with more dyes, sugars and other fillers in it? That's just wierd to me. Posted by: Purple_Kangaroo at January 11, 2007 3:06 AM
Go Berserk |
Change is God (Octavia Butler, Parable Series) "Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little course, and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble." Ralph Waldo Emerson Email Frances! frances AT athenadreaming DOT org You can email her mother too (that's me):
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