Sleep regression

I know I post about sleep way too much but the past few weeks have been so rough! Olivia wakes up at night and doesn't want to go back to sleep and she is still refusing naps. The other day she just sat in her crib for almost two hours and never took a nap. I even started searching for reasons online because I've been going crazy, she needs to sleep (and so do I). I found out that at eighteen months sleep regression is common. Pretty much everything I read about was exactly her. I read that it can last for 2-6 weeks, we are going on one week so hopefully by next week we will be back to normal but that may just be wishful thinking. It can be due to a milestone approaching, she is a bit behind with talking so I'm hoping it's because she's getting ready to pick up a few new words. It could also be because of teething but she has all of her teeth already (except for her 2 year molars). Although, since she got all of her other teeth early (according to the charts), maybe her 2 year molars will be early too, just a thought. There are a few other reasons why it could be happening, separation anxiety and starting to gain independence. Whatever the case, I just hope it passes soon!

I took Liv to the indoor playground again today and she had fun running around (per usual). Then we came home and had a lazy day. To me, just spending time playing with her and hanging out at home are the best days. She has been getting more interested in her ride on toys lately, we got her a rocking horse for her first birthday and she never wanted to go on it (she was scared) until now. It only took her a day or two and she figured out how to ride it, of course sometimes she gets on backwards but it's still adorable. My sister got her a pink ride on train last Christmas and she likes it but it's a little hard for her to ride because the handle is far away from the seat, so I went out and got her another little pink ride on (super cheap at a consignment store) and she loves it. She likes pressing the buttons to hear the music play and hiding things in the seat (it lifts up). She has been really making me laugh lately with the silly things she does, she is so quirky sometimes. Today she was trying to pet one of the cats and he ran away from her (smart move), she got mad so she was trying to bite the table (what the heck?!). Then later on, I let her have a bite of my chocolate chip cookie and she kept saying "mmm mmm mmm" and the faces she was making were just hilarious, after the next bite she started doing a little dance (yummy dance). Even though I'm so sleep deprived, she can always get me to laugh or smile.

Citrus Lane review - August 2014

Olivia's Citrus Lane box finally came today! This is the longest it ever took, I was getting so impatient because I love getting these boxes. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick gender neutral). This box is for an 18 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her August Citrus Lane box.

 

Petit Collage growth chart: I have been wanting to get Olivia a growth chart for a while now but just never got around to it, I was so excited to get this in the box! She is tiny so it's always been important to follow her height (and weight) closely so this is perfect. I love how there are little stickers to mark each time we check her height, it will be a cute little keepsake. It doesn't exactly go with her room (everything is pink) but I still like it, it's adorable. Retails for: $20.00? (I'm really not sure about this, I couldn't find the same one because it was a Citrus Lane exclusive.)

Melissa & Doug wooden ABC 123 blocks: I was just thinking about buying these for Liv, they have some at the Library and she loves stacking them (and knocking them down). I was going to wait until Christmas to buy them for her but now I don't have to. Seriously, perfect timing Citrus Lane! These are really great because they have letters, numbers and pictures on them. They are also the perfect size for her little hands, I already gave them to her and she approves. By the way, there are 50 blocks in this set and it also came with a bag to keep them in, I'm impressed! Retails for: $14.99

Episencial snuggly lotion - cherry: Oh my goodness, we love this lotion! This was one of the items in my June Favorites post. It smells amazing and it works great. This also came at the perfect time because we are just about out of it so I was going to have to buy more soon. Retails for: $9.50

Me4kidz - Cool It Buddy instant cold packs: I like the idea of these but Olivia hates when I try to put an ice pack on her. Last month when she fell into the table, I tried wrapping an ice pack with paper towels and putting it on her head but she freaked out and wouldn't let me. I'm wondering if maybe these aren't as cold, we'll see. If she lets me use them, I'm sure they will (unfortunately) come in handy. Oh and I think the little penguin is adorable by the way. Retails for: $2.99 

Add on items: This month (like every month) Citrus Lane sent out some great coupon codes so I used them for a few add to box items, which makes the box a little more fun in my opinion. I got Livy the Melissa & Doug paint with water book, it's for kids that are a little bit older but I figured I could just store it away for a while. I also got her a cute little Melissa & Doug magnifying glass, again.. for when she is a bit older. I got both of these items basically for free, I may have paid $1-2 but that is still a really great deal.

 

We also got a few coupons for Care.com (I probably wont be using those) and a free Little Pim download. I don't know much about Little Pim but it's a language program for kids. I will probably download it and see how it is, I love that they have Portuguese as one of the options because I'm Portuguese (and so is Liv obviously) so maybe she can learn a few words. Anyway, this months box was awesome! This was definitely my favorite box in a while, maybe even my favorite box ever. The total value of this box is about $47. Wow! Citrus Lane really did a great job this month, for us anyway. The value is great and I love everything we got, it's almost like they read my mind. I totally forgive them for taking forever to send our box this month. I bought the six month subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month so it was well worth it this month. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your box or you will be charged again. 

 Olivia enjoying her new wooden blocks! (Blurry pics, sorry!)

Livy's 18 month checkup

Olivia turned 18 months old on Saturday and her checkup was today (well.. technically yesterday), I can't believe she's one and a half already! While we were in the waiting room, she was playing with all the toys and running around (per usual). They have a fun house mirror on the wall and it made her head look really long and big so she kept touching her head while she was looking at herself, she seemed so confused. It was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing and everyone probably thought I was crazy. She was such a good girl at the appointment, she cried for her shot but once I showed her the Sesame Street app on my phone, she was fine. She was mad at the doctor though, she wouldn't say bye to her. The doctor said she looks great, she went up a bit in height (15%) and stayed on her curve for weight (10%). I know those are low percentages but I always keep in mind that she was below the charts at one point so for her that is pretty awesome! The doctor suggested weaning Olivia off the bottle but she will not drink milk cold or from a sippy cup (she will only drink water from her sippy cup) so this will be a challenge. Any tips or suggestions on that, feel free to comment! Her next check up wont be until she is two, which seems so far away but I'm sure it will come a lot quicker than I want. I had to work tonight but Paul and Livy came to visit me and have some dinner, it was fun seeing them for a little bit but I wish I could have left with them. Work was pretty busy and now I'm exhausted. Once I got home, I sat on the couch and watched my shows while eating a nice big bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, it was pretty amazing. Now it's time for bed, (way past what a normal bedtime should be) hopefully I can get some sleep tonight!

 The waiting room is her favorite part!

This is what she was doing when we got home, my goodness.