I planned this blog post to be about Vivienne’s transition out of needing to use a sippy cup before nap and bed-time. After thinking more about this last month, I’ve decided to include a few other mentions and answer some milestone questions from you as well.
Despite being home for the last 3 months due to COVID-19, Vivienne officially finished her first year of Pre-school. If you are at all hesitant on sending your kids early(ish) to school… please don’t. I was so nervous that she was too young to go but she honestly flourished this year. I think a little independence, socialization, other authority being in-charge, and even more ways of learning was 100% worth it. Vivienne has grown into such a big girl this year and I couldn’t be prouder.
GOODBYE SIPPY CUP:
So many of you have been with us from the day Vivienne was born on October 21, 2016 so you know quite a few milestones we have gone through already. Potty Training was not my favorite. See potty training blog post here. Vivienne never took a pacifier, but she LOVED having a warm “bottle” of milk before nap and bedtime. It was her thing and we let her have it. The other week, I randomly decided to ask her if she wanted to try not having her bottle before bed. We had been talking about this often as she has been asking to wear underwear to bed instead of her pull-up. She has learned that this wouldn’t be able to happen until she stops drinking bottles/so much liquid before bed. So, she said OK. I started reading her book and she changed her mind. I said, “your bottle is there, if you really need it after I am done reading this book to you and before I tell you your stories than I’ll get it for you. Let’s try without it first.” To my surprise, she didn’t ask for it until we got into bed. So… I brought out the big guns and said, “if you can get through this night, I’ll have a lollipop for you tomorrow.” I know, I put a prize on it. Vivienne is a big fan of lollipops so she took the bate and went to sleep. She got a lollipop the next day.
The next couple of naps and evenings went similar to the story above. A few lollipops, some tears, and zero bottles given. The lollipop was her prize for not having it before bed or nap-time. I don’t know if that was the best way to go about it. I should have done the chart as it worked for us so many other ways but by day 6… Vivienne made a big statement: “I don’t need it.” If you’re wondering if she still asks for lollipops, the answer is no. She got them for the first couple of days and then never asked to need to bribe again. It just became routine. Day 7 came and I let Vivienne know that she has gone one week without having a bottle and how proud we were of her. I asked if she wanted to make it official and throw it in the trash. She quickly got up, walked over to the trash, I handed her the bottle and she said, “yup, I don’t need to have a bottle anymore. I’m a big girl.” She never asked for it again AND actually goes to sleep faster and better than ever.
BIG GIRL BED:
At the beginning of the month we transitioned Vivienne to a big girl room. Before then, she was using her convertible crib and waiting patiently for her new bed. We talked about it often but due to the delay from COVID, the install was delayed. Since Vivienne was 3.5 years old when the time came, she was beyond ready. I actually felt the convertible crib helped her as she went through the different stages which eased her into it… 1. being able to climb out of her crib. 2. Walking out herself but knowing she had to wait for her light to turn green, etc. Once she got into her big bed, it went a lot smoother than I thought. She LOVES her new room and bed. See official post of all the fun little details.
Other questions from you about her milestones:
Does Vivienne consistency sleep through the night? She does. Very rarely does she wake up in the middle of the night. She wakes usually between 6-7am.
When will you stop naptime? Never. Ha… but really…
Feedback on foam bed insert instead of railing? Does it make her feel snug? I’ve asked her if she likes them and she says she does. I’ve seen her sleep kind of all over the bed at times and she uses it as a pillow too. I think it’s a great alternative if you don’t want to buy the beds with a railing.
Is she nighttime potty trained? Not yet.
Does she drink milk at all now? She never really took to cold milk. We have it in cereal sometimes but get our dairy in other ways.
Does she still nap? What time? Yes. She usually naps 1-230 or 3pm. There are times she wants to skip, but she usually falls asleep a little earlier that evening.
Does she still use a sound machine to go to sleep? Yes. We use Hatch which is a sound machine, nightlight, alarm clock, etc.
How has napping been for her since no longer using bottle and big girl bed? Honestly, super smooth. Way smoother than I thought. She goes through her stages where she doesn’t want to nap and there are days she hops in and goes right to sleep. It’s all day by day but I found she has napped even better as of late.
Other questions:
How is she with Alice? Like all sisters, they go through moments of fighting over toys, wanting to be alone, etc. but overall, she is really good with her. She’s very helpful and they have been playing more together which I love.
What is her personality like? Vivienne is overall very smart, sweet, and silly. You can have a full- blown conversation with her one minute and then crack you up the next with her playful antics. She goes through moments of doing what she wants instead of listening to us, being protective of her things, and not wanting to go to bed… but overall, she has a very sensitive, smart, and sweet demeanor. She doesn’t want to hurt a fly, where she sister will come full on swinging if presented the opportunity. So we are trying to teach her to stand up for herself more (not hitting back or showing any aggression, but speaking up if someone is hurting her or saying something that isn’t nice).
What is the funniest thing she has ever said that you want to remember forever? She is SO funny that it is hard to point one thing that she has done. I wish I could frame them all. I remember her calling JJ by his first name (what Alice is doing right now). we were at a public pool and JJ was walking away and she goes, “JJ! Come here!” We were dying laughing. I need to write down more things she says on a daily basis.
Did she have any questions about COVID-19? We called it a sickness/virus that people were getting by being out so that is why we had to stay inside. She was sad and would express that she wants the virus to be over. I don’t know how much she truly understands but she knew the virus wasn’t a good thing.
Favorite food? Peanut butter and jelly, tofu with rice, pasta, sushi
What are some age appropriate chores that you do? Def cleaning up the playroom. We try to implement cleaning up the last thing we do before we take out another. It doesn’t happen every time but we ask them to help put stuff away that they are using. Also, handing me their plates when they are done with dinner.
Recent favorite shows/movies? Leap, Miraculous, Sofia the 1st, Elena of Avalor,
Are you still doing the chart? We are not. The last time we did it we felt it was a little stale and she wasn’t caring as much about it. This can be very true when using a chart. Use it and then try another method.
Biggest milestone V has had that you didn’t know was happening? Hmmm she learned her colors and shapes fast as well as was able to talk/full sentences very quickly.
What multi-vitamin do you give your kids? Vitafive Kids (Multivitamin, Elderberry, and Melatonin) We have used a few over the years but my kids go nuts over these.
Activities you do to teach her things? We talk a lot, we do some alphabet matching, teach my toddler, but really try to influence play in our lives right now while they are young.
What cups do they use? I feel like they have so many different ones right now. Here are a few of our favorites: Tommee Tippee Tumblr, Travel cup, Stainless Steel Cup with Straw, No knock cup, Frozen Tumblr
At what age did you look at her and think she grew up overnight? HONESTLY! She is sooo big lately. I want to say beginning of this year/around COVID-19 is when I really noticed the change.
Anything else? Just this week Vivienne had graduated from her current swim class and is moving on to the next level! She is so proud of herself!
xoxo, Lola