June Update

We haven't been up to too much lately. Lots of time outside, swimming at Nana and Pop Pop's house, and arts and crafts. We are really excited to head to Michigan next week to see my family. Isla keeps talking about the "beach" with "Mimi" (although I don't think she knows what a beach is). I've been so tired lately that our unit learning has been put on hold. Most days are filled with so much sun anyway, that she doesn't need the extras. We'll get back to it soon, though. We are missing our friends and activities outside of the home. I wish we could go to the splash pads and mom's groups and library and all the other things that are fun in town. I know this is such a small blip on the radar of Isla's life, but I still feel like she's missing out on such fun things.

 Here are some recent pictures:

Isla is so excited about her big girl room. We've been waiting for her new crib to get here. It should be here this week and then she'll officially move in! Isla is moving to the smaller room because the baby needs more furniture (changing pad on dresser, rocking chair, etc.). She's pretty excited and keeps telling us that Bubba is going to sleep in her closet. We are hoping to get her moved in and settled two months before Bubba arrives so she has enough time to adjust. A lot of change is coming her way. We are hoping to make it fun and special with a reading tent, big girl mirror and "getting ready" area, and some new toys!

You'll notice in the next two pictures that Isla has her little doll with her. That was Michael's baby when he was a little boy. So she calls the doll "baby daddy". We get a kick out of it every time! She loves him. 

Isla loves to paint. So I threw a big piece of butcher paper down and we went to town! 

Isla loves to help me in the garden. She usually follows behind me, eating a chive or strawberry haha

We still try very hard to stick to the AAP's screen guidelines. At 18-24 months, a child should have no more than an hour of high-quality programming a day. It is also recommended to co-view and discuss anything being watched. Michael and I have read too many things that talk about the devastating affects of screens. As a teacher, I know there is no better learning than play and hands-on activities. Screens just can't compete. We really strive to stick to that. Isla gets about 40 minutes of screen time every 3-4 days when I shower in the morning. When I get out of the shower and start getting ready for the day, we discuss what she is watching. Another thing we stay away from is developmentally inappropriate screen time, that includes cartoons. Studies show that children can't distinguish between a cartoon and reality in toddlerhood, so it's often confusing when a cartoon defies reality (like a talking animal). We love a show called "Caitie's Classroom". It's basically a teacher doing crafts, sensory bins, reading stories, and singing songs. It's honestly very boring, but Isla loves it and actively participates in whatever she's talking about. She's seen episodes on bees, dinosaurs, bears, seasons, colors, and more. I'm always amazed at how much she picks up from "Dee Dee" (her word for Caitie). Quarantine has made limited screen time a challenge, but we are doing our best! This is her watching while I shower.  

Isla LOVES to help in the kitchen. We made some brownies together and she was so excited to be my little helper! We always count out the ingredients, measure together, and sometimes lick the spoon! She will know her fractions soon, I'm sure :)

Our strawberries have started to come in and Isla can't get enough. Every day we look for ripe, red berries, pick them, clean them, and have a little snack. She gets really frustrated when we can't pick a berry because it's not ripe or a bird has been nibbling on it. 

She licked the bowl clean! 

Isla had her first sprinkler experience. She had SO much fun. We had a little pool for her last year and we can't find it anywhere. So for now, the sprinkler works great. She was giggling the whole time. 

This was mid-sprinkler fun- she had to stop to eat some garden strawberries haha

Isla knows all her colors (except she calls orange "Nana" because it's Nana's favorite color and she can't say orange yet). I pulled these little bears out and set up the first four colors in their own little area. From there, she started sorting all on her own. This was a skill we assessed in 4 year old preschool. I was amazed that she had the ability to start sorting!

Sometimes we spend all morning smelling every single flower. 

More strawberries from the garden! She says "staw-airy sweet!"

And lastly, is pregnant me. I'm officially in the third trimester! My 28 week appointment went great. Baby is measuring beautifully and the pregnancy is healthy. I had my glucose test and I should find out soon if I passed (I didn't pass for Isla and had to take the 3 hour test, so we'll see how this one goes). I have a ton of heartburn, especially at night. This little guy is going to be so hairy! I still have sciatica that comes and goes depending on how baby is sitting. And the newest thing is extremely itchy arms and legs. Michael said I look like a reptile because my skin is so flaky and scaly. They took some blood to make sure my liver is functioning properly because of this. My next appointment is at 32 weeks and we'll discuss our birth plan. From there I have appointments every 2 weeks and then every week in August. We are getting SO close and I have so much to do still.