4.5

Juliana is 4-1/2 now.  One of the ideas I read when Juliana was a baby was to buy a Women's size small t-shirt and take her picture in it once per year until she grows into it.  I decided to take this picture on her half-year birthday (which I can never forget now that it is the day after the boys' birthday).  At 18 months the shirt came down to her ankles and now it is at her knees.  Looking at the 18-months and 2-1/2 pictures reminded me how cute those curls were that are long gone now.

The Dentist

I hate going to the dentist.  Not in the normal way that people just don't like going, it's bigger than that.  I had a bad experience as a child.  And now on the days leading up to a dental check-up I feel sick and dread every moment that takes me closer to that time.  The first time I went to the dentist in Cranberry when I lived in that area, it wasn't good.  When I left, she gave me a prescription for Valium and said that I needed to take it before every appointment.  I did and it helped a little bit.

Given my history I really wanted Juliana's first trip to the dentist to be a positive experience.  I made an appointment at a pediatric dentist recommended by a friend (Dentistry for kids - Monroeville, they have other offices in the area as well).  In advance we talked in general terms about what to expect and explained that everyone would be very nice.

The staff was wonderful.  On the way back to the chair we stopped to visit the fish tank and then she had time to look around the room and watch another little girl having her teeth cleaned.  She hopped up in the chair, picked out sunglasses to wear and payed close attention as each tool was explained to her.  She did great!  At one point she was asked a question and I could see the look in her eyes - how am I supposed to answer you while you have your fingers in my mouth.

She sat perfectly still for the x-rays and even had a fluoride treatment - they had 10 different flavors of the fluoride - she selected cotton candy (after her bubble gum flavored tooth paste).

She left with 4 Princess stickers and lip gloss as a prize for being so good and she excited about going back!

Four

Juliana is 4 years old today.

Each morning Juliana wakes up between 7:00 and 8:00 filled with energy.  During the week we walk around the block to the school where Juliana has preschool and the boys are in the infant program.  She walks with me to take the boys to their room and then we walk to her classroom where I leave her with Ms Moran.  When preschool ends at 3:00, she goes to the afterschool program until someone (usually Mommy) comes to get her and then we get the boys and walk home.

Our evenings are busy trying to squeeze in playtime, eating dinner, bath, getting ready for bed, picking out clothes for the next day, bedtime stories, prayers and finally bed....all while taking care of the boys as well.  She is generally in bed for the night by 7:45.

She has never taken good naps at school.  Although she will quietly rest for the required 20 minutes, I can count on one hand the number of times she has actually fallen asleep.  On the weekend or when she is home for any reason during the week in the afternoon, she will take a 2-3 hour nap.

She is so busy, constantly in motion.  At some point I expect her to learn to watch where she is going and stop running into things.  And at other times, she can be so focused and still.  When she watches a new episode of a favorite show it's as if she has been transported to a distant land and can't hear a word I am saying even though I am right next to her.  She will do the same thing with a Leapster game - completely focused on the game and the rest of the world fades away.

We had a busy day today, all about Juliana, and I have 249 pictures to prove it.  But for tonight I will include a trip back in time with her bear pictures from her 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st birthdays.

Buttons

How can my little girl be big enough to button her shirt all by herself?