He knows her..

Hubby states to me the other day that he wants Amalia out of the boys room. That means *i* lose a room that holds clothing, home school stuff, toys, computer and spare room stuff. I'm not impressed really.. It's a space issue ;)

I ask him "why?" and "why know?" and he says he doesn't really know but so that she knows she is special.

So hubby let's daughter know that she and Avigail are going to have their own {girls room} and the boys will NOT be allowed in it. In fact if they go into it they will be in trouble.

As I lie here, I can hear Amalia (4) talking to her Papa about how she's going to have her OWN room and that Isaiah & Jarah will not be allowed in it.

As I put Miss Amalia to bed in her shared room she states she wants her own room NOW!! Not going to happen ;)

She's been talking about it for a few days now.. So you know? He was right, in that she feels special to be getting her own girlie room.. No boys allowed!!

She was a full-time sleep in our room when we moved into this place so I wanted her to 'move out' slowly and have the comfort of her brother nearby. It worked. She's confident now!
She would come in at her own accord and I trusted she knew when she needed the added comfort of having me by (she used to have night terrors and night mares). It's an exclusive case and not the standard in our place.

5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Hubby knows stuff about his precious Daughter
2. Excitement from daughter
3. Reducing amount of stuff in spare room
4. Weekend off (no work sat or church sun morn - its sat night)
5. Hubby happy to help move the boys out :) (I think).....

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25 days of Christmas 2011 - day 14

I'm not quite sure what to blog about today. But I'll give it a go.
It's my precious daughters *fourth* birthday today. Yesterday she was 3. Today she is 4. Tomorrow she can be 4 aswell.
It wasn't really that long ago when Michael was travelling 40-60km over the speed limit in the Brisbane city frantically attempting to get me to hospital. He didn't make it but I got the desire of my heart and that was to not give birth in the hospital. It was perfect. For me.
I held the life-less form in my two cupped hands exclaiming to Michael she wasn't moving. It was 12:52am and I couldn't see a thing inside the car. Michael instructed me to flip her upside down and smack her hard on the bum. I told him no way and gave her a little shake/rock/jiggle. She kicked out her legs, arms flung out as she took her first breathe. I knew she was fine at that point and she was.
My Amalia has always been just like her birth. While your expecting her to do something she suddenly does it all on her own accord with no help. Like her toilet training. On her own. Before you expect her to so.
(None of my other children are like their births - so don't buy too much into this).
This little four year old adores *ADORES* the men/boys in her life. I hope they all continue to treat her well, like the precious and sensitive princess that she is. (Papa, two brothers, two uncles +1 & pop).
Around the age of 1 she had a shelf plonked on her little finger ripping most of her nail off from the tip to the nail bed. Emergency Department rush, stitches & bandages. (Sound familiar?) She was given a little 3 wheeler bike thing. You know the type right? Push with their legs. Well, the one handed toddler still managed to play with it in her oversized size 1 pink dress with her feet up in the middle, cute lil toes poking out from under her dress. How precious a memory.
At age 2 she was a clingy nightmare. Always wanting to be attached to my hip. Always wanting to be sucking on a bottle of milk. Always crying, screaming or chucking a tanty. She was hard work. I had somehow missed that in her room on her own far away from mine she would wake in the night screaming in her sleep. Not my first parent fail with this one. I solved the problem by moving her bed into my room. Yeah for awhile she kept climbing in with me but we all got a better, deeper sleep. I would recommend co-sleeping based upon my experience & what I discovered through it.
Then she was 3. Being 2 had nothing on being 3. Being 3 was. Well its over now. This moment I've been waiting for for a whole year. When she finally hits 4.
Oh yeah, this is a blog *perfect life perfect life perfect life* ahem
We have had a lot of special moments with this princess. Like after bed time when she's asleep for example. Amalia is a serious people person. She doesn't like anything apart from people, cuddles & school work. Amalia will play with anything... IF Isaiah or Jarah or someone else is. Be it dolls, Blocks, car things.. She's the one climbing up on your lap all day long and stating "I want a cuddle" "I need a cuddle" "can I have a cuddle". Amalia, even at a young age, has shown an interest in animals & people, showing herself to be compassionate and caring. At the drop of an 'angry face picture' or a home video with someone crying, yelling or having a tantrum she is the one who drops her bottom lip, turns to face me for a cuddle because she is genuinely upset. I often wonder if she might be a nurse one day. Amalia often tells ne she wants to be a mum & have a boy baby. I tell her when she's married would be the best time. I think we had a good day. She let out a lot of screams and tears and feet stomping at the Christmas party we attended today. She's incredible. Afterwards I started a tradition where I take her out for a milk shake just her and the girls. No brothers. Strawberry (pink) milkshake & also got marsbar cheesecake. I'll have a joint birthday party this Sunday (they agreed) then it'll be over -momentarily... So, I had a lot to say afterall. I hope you all had a chilled out, relaxing day. Our Amalia has always been a challenge to capture on film so this is the best of what I got:

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BED TIME

Yep, the kids co-sleep too,...

That is Isaiah's dog... with a dolly nappy that I made on...

& this sneaky boy... who learnt to climb the cot railing... So I took the railing out to make a 'new' bed... But now he climbs out of his bed and sneaks into my bed....
5 Things I Am Thankful for:
1. Sleep time
2. Night time cuddles
3. Transformation of a cot into a 'toddler bed'
4. Freshly made beds
5. All-in-One PJs for all the kids (LESS washing :) )

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Dear Amalia,

{Photo taken 3rd May 2010}

As the weather cooled down I knew that it would be cheaper to heat one or two rooms up rather than 4 so we thought about bringing you into ours.

You slept 3 rooms away from us and would wake every night screaming. Most nights I would listen to see if you went back to sleep or not. Usually you did. Other times (depending on your cry) I would get up to you and cuddle for awhile. A few times I was too scared to get up so I'd take papa with me.

How ridiculus to expect a tiny 2yr old to sleep in a room by herself with the door shut if an adult is too scared to go in there!!

So I brought you into my room.

On other occassions when I tried to co-sleep with you I'd be kicked, pushed, wriggled on, squirmed on, blankets pulled off, pillow hi-jacked and neither of us would get much sleep.

So I brought your bed with me.

The first few nights you climbed out of your bed and into mine, fell asleep, got put back into your bed and repeated.

I was horrified to discover that you had nightmares and even worse night terrors.

I was able to see how and how often you slept for which meant I discovered why you were so cranky some days.

Through having you even closer than usual I grew to love you more, appreciate you more and we had a deeper bond than previously.

I'd do it again... I don't regret it one bit. In fact I am fairly certain that both you and I needed it at that time. We both got more sleep because of it.

A year on...

Princess, you still keep on coming into my room at night! The nightmares don't happen anymore, your last night terror was 6 months ago. Most times I don't even hear you come in. I just wake and there you are.

But be warned...

Your co-sleeping days are coming to an end...

There just isn't enough room for 6 in the bed...


5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Those times we spent together. The bonding, the cuddles and more understanding about you
2. Longer, deeper more satisfying sleeps - through co-sleeping
3. Your bed in my room... Meant I could kick you out of my bed but you'd be close by still
4. Cheaper power bill - saving power through less heating
5. Mother intuition... Knowing a child's need - naturally

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