Parenting Class :: Now go to your room!

We have our second session of our Parenting Class tomorrow night. At our first class last week we learned about the 3 basic styles of parenting.
1. Authorative
2. Permissive
3. Democratic
We discussed each style and it was clear that we were supposed to come to the conclusion that Democratic is the way to be. We did actually agree with that conclusion so that was convenient. Democratic parenting involves giving your child choices, which can be challenging. I do like the ultimate goal though, and that is to instill in your child a sense of worth and belonging. Parenting is a daunting task. I am so glad we are taking this class because it seems like consistency is the key to everything and we should start from the very beginning. It's strange, the more you are a parent the more you think about how you are a daughter. My own experiences from childhood keep popping up in my mind and I seem to see them from a completely different perspective. Anyway, we asked so many questions in class that the other students started to make fun of us! At the end of class the teacher asked each of us to talk about something we had learned. One guy said that he learned that new parents ask a lot of questions! Pfft. At the end of this 6 week class we will be getting a certificate. I will be a certified Mom. Woot.

Diet Update: Damn these strawberries are good (snaking on strawberries while I type). I am feeling much more energetic today! It is amazing how sugar, carbs, and caffeine can fool you into thinking you have energy. With sleep, water, and healthy food I feel like a semi-new person! I will feel much MUCH better though when I can fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans.

Ara Update: The girl is on the move! Today Fun supported her as she walked across the room to me. She still drags her feet and no way does she have the balance to stand on her own yet but she looks damn cute! We had to buy her a playpen today because she is so fast we were starting to worry. It is a very cool playpen though and she seems to think its fun. It has a little zipper door that you can open so she can roam in and out until you need to close it up. It has a canopy that is all mesh so you can even take it outside and spare her mosquito bites! What did people do before all of these nifty and convenient inventions? She is doing this new thing where she puts one hand on her head and says, "ha". We think she is mimicking talking on the phone! She says the "ha" if you say "hi" so we are pretty sure that's what she is saying. So far we have identified Kitty, Joey, Em, Mom, Dada, and Bampa (grandpa). She also seems like MAYBE she is using the sign for food, although she uses it sometimes just to signal that she wants something not necessarily food.