Penelope's Montessori Room

People often ask me about Penelope's room. Why? Because its not the typical baby/toddler room. They want to see pictures and have lots of questions. Understandably so. Penelope's room is missing two nursery staples, a crib and a changing table. It is not designed for the adult, except my nursing chair.

 

 

 

Shelves/Toys: We bought the the shelves from Furniture in the Raw, a store that specializes in wood furniture. We purchased them 'unfinished' to save money and finished them ourselves. And by ourselves I mean Aaron. Notice everything is at Penelope height. We purchased super cheap wood frames from Michael's and we stained and finished them as well...this time I helped! I also found an art book while I was there and that is where the pictures came from. We rotate the pictures in the frames on a regular (monthly) basis to keep her interest and update her environment. Right now her spring time pictures are of sunflowers and a lady bug on a leaf.  We do not buy plastic toys for Penelope. Her toys are all natural materials, with the exception of a few. We also only put a few toys out for her at a time. Just like the pictures in the frames we rotate her toys. Her toys are age appropriate and help her develop her fine motor skills. Right now she is playing with her Jane Goodall stuffed monkey (Aaron and I just saw her speak so we thought it was fitting), giraffe grasping toy, a rainbow ring stacker, two little multicolored blocks, and a drum. The same for books, we rotate them out as well, she only has three in her room at a time. She has two teething toys that we keep on top of her books. One of her shelves has a drawer and we usually keep some sort of soft toy in there. She likes to reach in and grab whatever it is, its very exciting and usually followed by clapping and yelping for joy. We store all her other toys in baskets in her closet, when she gets older and its able to open her closet we will move them to ours. The Montessori environment is beautiful, complete, purposeful and allows for freedom of movement. Meaning all toys have all of their parts, and the toys provided have a purpose. The child is also safe to explore without adult interruption.

 

 

To keep her room as simple as possible we opted to not have a changing table. Since day one we have changed her on the floor. We use a simple waterproof pad. I prefer the floor over a changing table, especially now that she is crawling. I cant imagine trying to hold her down for a diaper change and worrying about her falling off a piece of furniture. When she is being restless and we are taking too long for her liking she just crawls away. Which is both hilarious and exhausting because it usually involves a race to grab her before she pees on the carpet.

 

Table & Chair: This is Penelope's table and chair, known as her work station. We purchased the table from Furniture in the Raw, this time we bought it already stained. The children's table was originally much too tall so we had them chop off the legs to a 14 inch height as to align with her chair. We purchased the slatted chair from Michael Olaf, a site for Montessori supplies and information. There is a mirror hung above her table that I found at a local antique store. On top of her table is a pine needle basket that my Grandmother made with a child sized brush and comb. When she gets a little older this will be where she will sit and comb her hair (as well as art projects), as for right now eating the brush is just too much fun.

Nursing Chair: I use the Poang chair from Ikea as my nursing chair. Nursing chairs are tricky. They have to be very upright and wide enough to fit yourself and baby. And they are damn expensive! We decided on this chair basically out of necessity and cost but it has really ended up being a keeper. It does, however, lean a little too far backward so I just use a pillow on the back to correct the problem. I have used the Brest Friend nursing pillow since day one and I love it. I use it every single time I nurse Penelope, and by the looks of her you can tell that's a lot. Giant baby. I highly recommend it!

 

Floor Bed: This is usually the conversation piece of Penelope's room. When I was pregnant and we were researching the Montessori environment I found this to be the hardest to get used to. When I pictured a bed on the floor I pictured an impoverished home with dirt floors and a nasty mattress in the corner. You want my baby to sleep where? Oh hell no, you are out of your damn mind! We are used to seeing a crib in a baby room, not a mattress on the floor. But alas as you can see we thankfully don't have dirt floors and her bed is far from dirty. The Montessori thought process behind the floor bed is to allow for freedom of movement. Penelope is completely independent in her room, she can crawl in and out of her bed as she pleases. She doesn't have to rely on us to put her in and take her our of a crib. When she wakes up she simply crawls off her mattress and plays with her toys, calling for us when she needs our attention. Now you may be wondering as I once did about rolling off the mattress. I was really concerned that she would fall off and hurt herself. However the mattress is only a few inches tall. When she first started sleeping in her room at six months, the top half of her body would roll off leaving her fast asleep face-down in the carpet and legs still on the bed. Of course we would go in and rearrange her, laughing first. We now roll up a beach towel and place it under her sheet as a short of blockade. But now that she has control over her body I don't think she necessarily needs it there. When she was an infant we hung a series of Montessori age appropriate mobiles above her bed to introduce different colors, shapes and textures. They were usually made out of different types of paper.

Mirror: Right above her mattress is a mirror. As an infant this helped her develop her movement by allowing her to watch herself. Now she prefers to sit on her bed while clapping and laughing at herself. Simply adorable.

Wall Decals: To add some visual attractiveness to her bed area we added the Woodlands Wall Graphics by Wee Gallery. They are simple wall stickers that were really easy to install. The very first day we brought her home she just stared at them and that continues today. Only now sometimes she feels compelled to lick and have long conversations with them.

 

We are very proud of the room we have designed just for our Penelope, we truly feel that it is aiding in both her development and independence. Thanks for checking out Penelope's room! If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

 

Motherhood

Miss Penelope is an astonishing 8 1/2 months old! I am pretty sure the moment you pop out a baby your life is automatically put on fast forward. Some days feel like they will never end and others feel like the blink of an eye. 

My girlfriend asked me the other day how have I changed since becoming a mother and it got me thinking. I feel I have completely changed yet stayed the same, if that makes any sense at all. My life revolves around Penelope 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is never ending. Even when I cant be with her (school, work, etc) I am constantly doing whatever I am doing for her. There are no breaks when it comes to motherhood. And let me tell you it is mentally and physically exhausting. Penelope is my life, my world. Its difficult to put into words all the emotional changes, its one of those things you need to experience for yourself. 

As most of you know I am currently in school getting my degree in Psychology and will be graduating in May 2014. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Ive been in school so long I should be a doctor by now but that's another story :) But as far as a career is concerned I was interested in so many things it was hard to concentrate on one specific path. Since having Penelope I have truly become an advocate for the Montessori style of learning and am focusing my future on becoming a Montessori teacher. If you would have asked me 1 month before finding out I was pregnant if I wanted to be a teacher I would have said No Way! But things change, experiences alter the way we think/look/feel.

Motherhood also changes relationships. Before Penelope it was just Aaron and I... for 4 1/2 years. Our relationship never took 'work' before, it was smooth sailing. But with a baby and zero (and I mean zero) time alone, now it takes 'work' to make sure the relationship is kept solid. One of my professors told me that "children will ruin a perfectly good marriage, if you let them." I couldn't agree more. Children don't set out to ruin marriages but lets face it they are tiny, selfish little bundles of joy. Penelope could care less if Aaron and I need to spend more time as a couple together, her thought process revolves around eating, sleeping and playing. Predominately eating. With schedules as hectic as ours sometimes it feels like we are just two ships passing in the night. And its difficult, really difficult. There have been many emotional breakdowns, ugly crying included. But we have both accepted (sort of) that this is the way things have to be right now in hopes that things will calm down in the near future. That man is stuck with me forever. Haha, insert evil laugh here.

Being a mom is something I know I was meant to be. Everything I do is for that little chubby cheeked monster. She is my world. But yes there are moments when I just want to pull the covers over my head and sleep in a dark, silent room for at least 3 straight days.

Seattle, part 1

At the beginning of January we were lucky enough to take Penelope on her first plane ride up to Seattle to see Grandma and Grandpa Bill, Grandpa and Grandma Peggy, and meet her Great-Granddad! We stayed with my mom and Bill in Coupeville for the first half of our trip and the second half we stayed in downtown Seattle at the Hyatt (fancy shmancy!).

I was a bit stressed about traveling with a baby for the first time. I had visions of those families with so much crap, an anxious mom and children screaming their heads off. Luckily we weren't those people, at least I hope we weren't. Penelope did really well on the flight! I nursed her while we took off and she slept the majority of flight. I think she slept a little too long during the flight because trying to nurse her while we were descending was like trying to tame a wild beast. Arms flailing, legs kicking, giggling and smiling at everyone- nursing was a lost cause. I was worried about the altitude change hurting her ears but I eventually lost the battle. She was well rested and ready to party. Penelope 1, Mom 0.

My mom and Bill threw a house warming/Penelope party the day after we arrived. It was wonderful seeing everyone and showing off our giant Penelope. She wasn't too sure about all the attention at first but it didn't take her long to get comfortable. More people meant more people who could hold her hands while she walked around the house. Score! 

Here are some of our adventures from the first half of the trip, pictures from the remaining half are soon to come:

Taking a walk in the Austin airport before boarding.

 Hanging out with Grandma in Coupeville.

Penelope's first taste of a table. She wanted me to tell everyone they are delicious.

 Penelope's first ferry ride!

On the way to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.

One bundled up baby.

Penelope loved walking around with Grandma and Grandpa Bill.

Baby Food

Last Thursday was a big day in our household -- Penelope had her first solid food.

 

I have been so excited to begin making Penelope's baby food and the time has finally arrived. We decided to make her own food so we know exactly what she is eating. None of that processed, chemically injected, filler crap for my baby. No thank you. She will also have a primarily organic diet. We haven't, however, decided whether or not Penelope will be eating meat or not. I was a pescatarian (only meat I ate was seafood) for 4 years before getting pregnant, I couldn't give up sushi. Before getting pregnant Aaron and I both experimented with veganism for 6 months, it was the healthiest we have both felt. Even though we felt good it took a lot of work. We had to cook every meal from scratch and read every single ingredient label. And at this point in our lives we simply don't have the time for veganism between work, school, and caring for Miss Penelope. But if we decide to give her meat it will be in very small quantities on rare occasions. Its just another one of those 'just wait a see' circumstances of parenthood. There seems to be a lot of those.

 

Of course we videotaped Penelope trying her first food...oatmeal!

She is hilarious. That child is pure entertainment. She kept gagging which of course made us laugh hysterically.

 

 I'm having a hard time upload pictures so its just videos for now. Hopefully I can figure out whats wrong...

 

 

6 Month Update

Before I recap the past 3 months I thought I would catch everyone up to date on Penelope and her developments.  On Sunday she had her 6 month birthday! We were traveling back from Seattle but made sure to give her extra kisses and sing her 'Happy Birthday.'

 

Today was her 6 month check up with the pediatrician and we are pleased that she is as healthy as can be. Here are her stats:

 

Weight: 18 lbs 14 ounces - 94th percentile

Length: 27 inches - 90th percentile

Head Circumference: 17 5/8 inches - 96th percentile

 

...yup, still a giant Penelope.

 

She can sit up unassisted, roll over, scoot backwards, and walk with assistance.  She puts everything in her mouth to chew and drool on. Her Great-Granddad introduced her to the spoon which is her new favorite restaurant menu item. She is still exclusively breast-fed but we will be starting solids in the next few days. She is most happy when she is walking. We think she will walk before she crawls - turns out crawling isn't a developmental milestone anymore so there is no problem with her skipping it. We usually hold her hands while she stomps down the hallway but for Christmas Santa brought her a Radio Flyer walker. This video was taken yesterday and is of her walking without our assistance for the first time, needless to say we were amazed:

 

 

And we're back!

I bet everyone thought I had fallen off the blog planet but here I am.  Its been almost 3 months since my last post.  I wish this wasnt the case but between Penelope, work and school I have little time for anything else.  When I do get a free moment to myself I dont want to have to think at all, thus my addiction to the Bravo! channel. Damn you Real Housewives of Atlanta/Orange County/Beverly Hills, Shahs of Sunset and all the other trash shows I find myself watching.

With school starting back up I will have less time for anything outside of Penelope, work and studies.  I dread going back to school.  But this upcoming semester I am going to attempt to keep up with this blog.  Not only does it keep friends and family updated with our adventures but its nice to reflect upon.  Time has never gone as fast as it has since having Penelope.

Yesterday we sang Happy 6th month Birthday to Penelope on the flight back to Austin from Seattle.  I cant believe its been 6 months! I have a 6 month old! Weird.

Tomorrow I will post an update on everything that has happened in the 3 months that I have been away from blog land. 

At the breast

These have been the fastest 3 months in my entire life. Maybe its the sleep deprivation, maybe its watching our Penelope grow out of infancy (just writing that makes me want to cry). But I sure have learned a lot in that short amount of time. No amount of reading or researching can prepare new parents for the journey (or at times nightmare) they are about to begin. Being a mom is a thousand times harder than I imagined, but lets face it I was COMPLETELY ignorant to the amount of work I thought it would be. But it is so worth it.

Breast feeding has truly surprised me as one of those "harder than it looks" situations. Baby is hungry, pop a boob in her mouth, baby wont stop crying, pop a boob in her mouth. It sounds all rainbows, and unicorns but its not. To those who have never experienced it before and think its just sitting on your butt all day while holding a baby, you couldn't be more wrong.  It has been said that breast feeding is the equivalent to jogging 7 miles per day, add a giant Penelope into that scenario and I'm a damn marathon runner.  On a regular night (no growth spurt), Penelope will wake up 2 or 3 times during the night to be fed.  If she is having a growth spurt, which seems to happen far to often in my opinion, she wakes up every 2 hours.  Needless to say I have been a sleep deprived zombie for basically her entire existence.  And with sleep deprivation comes bitchiness.  Poor Aaron, poor dogs, poor cats.  They are just innocent bystanders who I unleash fury upon for no good reason at all.

 

Breast feeding in public is also something I had to get used too.  The very first time I did it I was terrified and literally had to talk myself into it.  I kept telling myself that I need to be a strong, positive role model for Penelope.  How could I fill those shoes if I ran home every time she was hungry? Our first experience was at Starbucks, good ol' Starbucks.  Penelope and I were out running errands and Aaron wanted us to meet him at Starbucks, where he was studying.  Penelope was, of course, hungry.  Surprise, surprise.  So I took out my Hooter Hider nursing cover and fed my baby for the first time in a public place.  Aaron, like usual, was my biggest support.  Nothing about it was graceful, it was mostly awkward as I maneuvered her body around mine while trying not to expose myself to the entire Starbucks world.

 

As time has gone on, Penelope and I have gotten the hang of nursing in public.  We are like old pros now.  And with this experience has come a much more relaxed mama.  While it may or may not be a good thing I don't worry about whether or not I am flashing the goods to anyone.  I simply don't care.  I am trying to feed my baby, that's the most important thing.  Yes people stare at breast feeding moms for whatever reason.  I guess it makes some people uncomfortable.  Not my problem.  I just stare right back at them.  I have found that everyone wants to stare at boobs, that is until a baby is attached to them and then for some reason it becomes weird and even gross to some.  Isn't that what they are there for? Last time I checked they weren't made for push-up bras and low cut shirts, they were made for babies.

 

Our first time nursing in public. It was such a big deal I needed a picture to commemorate the occasion.

(8/16/2012)