Tranlsation Tuesday: Leapster Til

This is not a foreshadowing of how excited Matilda will be that tomorrow is Leap Year.

No, Leapster Til is a special 'limited edition' of Matilda that comes every so often.

(Insert cute baby photo that in no way shape or form communicates what Leapster Til actually looks like because that is a photo no one wants to see)

Let me explain. When Matilda was a newborn, I admittedly went on an information expedition and ultimately overload. I'm not sure why as it quite literally drove me crazy and I was so good about not doing this while pregnant.

Anway, through the information hunt, I came across the book called the "Wonder Weeks'. Okay fine, I actually came aross the iPhone app and then learned it was a book, but whatever. I like my information digitally...sue me.

The theory of this book is that all babys go through 10 age-linked and predictable 'developmental leaps' that cause them to cry more, cling more and sleep less. Each leap has its own 'signs' beyond those three, and each leap produces different skills/abilities.

Tillie is currently in the "categories" leap, which means she is learning the world of categories and apparently that a dog is not a horse. This translates to abilities like: showing us that she know what some words mean (which she definitely knows a few like eat).. recognizes herSELF in the mirror, imitates human being (she loves to wiggle, and copy anything that daddy does), plays peekaboo by herself, tries to get us to do something again that she likes by clapping (like when we sing the bang bang song from How I Met Your Mother--don't judge us).

All I can say is that this is my new MUST HAVE item for all Moms. It could not be MORE accurate for Matilda. It is like clockwork. 33.5 weeks comes by and boom--night waking galore...crying...fussing...refusing to eat....not wanting to be set down. All of it.

Thus, Leapster Til was born. When she is going through a leap, and acting the part (see above) Nate and I say things like: "Oh yeah, this is classic Leapster Til."

I am still working on how to tell daycare about this side of Matilda. I haven't said anythign to them yet because I am pretty sure they will all think I am crazy. But it is no coincidence that when Tillie is leaping..she has some rougher days at daycare--and so do her caregivers.

And the beautiful thing about it is that it takes the guesswork out, or for me the anxiety.

If she is night-waking during a leap it doesn't bother me. I don't immediately assume she is never going to sleep again (which is what I would think prior to learning about this). And I know it is for a defined period of time. And as a bonus, even though the 'leap' lasts for 4 weeks it's not a 4 weeks leapster shit show. It's 'bursts' of leaping.

And just as quickly as it comes on, the leap ends.

And our smiley, happy, good sleeper of a daughter returns.

(insert cute photo of content, chubby baby parts)

And perhaps my favorite part of "the wonder weeks" is seeing what new skills she is working on that are causing her all of this 'stress'. And from leap to leap you can see these specific skills that they are working on emergine (also amazingly like clockwork).

Ever since this discovery, I have banished all parental reading materials. I get my BabyCenter update once a week, and I check in on The Wonder Weeks every so often so I can prepare myself for the baby that is "Leapster Til". And that is all I need.