Owen, what should we get Mrs. Chris and Mrs. Mary Ellen for a Christmas present?
Mommy should we make them a card???
Oh, yes, we will definitely do that. Good idea. Do you have any ideas of what they would like for a present along with their card?
[Thinking with furrowed brow] I know, I know! They would like a car to drive in! They would love that! [Pause] But that would take a lot of wrapping paper. But they really do need a car to drive in. They don't have one maybe.
.............
While the conversation in itself is funny, what was just as funny was figuring out later that Owen seems to think that his teachers live in the classroom and never leave...no concept of them having families or lives outside of their preschool gig! So he was kindly wishing for them a car so they could get out a little. So sweet! Would sure be nice to be able to fulfill such a kind wish...wouldn't they be surprised :O
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Attempted Christmas photo shoot FAIL
Well, the boys are adorable even if we didn't nab that one great Christmas card shot!
Sweetness incarnate
Bubbly Owenness
No way am I going to sit nicely next to my bro.
Insistent on having his stocking...
...to put on his head...
...so he could ham it up and do his weird 'cheese' pose with his arms out (he always sticks his arms out like this when he says 'cheese' now...so funny!).
At the mall (note background lady's face...similar to the other mallgoers who were steering quickly to get out of the wide-sweeping toddler tornado path).
Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the Asher man!
Red carpet at Nordstrom...this was great fun to run up and down, up and down...
...and up and down. What does it take to get kicked out of Nordstrom? We'd better leave now before we find out.
Jazz hands!
Directive from mom: go stand next to Asher. Interpretation: Passionately hug and kiss Asher in tackle mode. Bystander looking on: Why did I move to Massachusetts??
Trying so hard not to touch the pretties...can't...restrain...self...
OK, I'll just kiss this one...ornament!
Peace out!
for the record
Have to record these few so I don't forget them...
Yesterday we brought home the Christmas tree (as posted) and Owen went to bed with the promise that it would be ready to decorate today after church. Owen's had a recent spell of nightwakings (after a very, very long time without them) and they've definitely turned a bit habitual and when we go in he sometimes has to think of a reason why he was crying/calling for us. We're working on getting back to normal, but that's another story. Anyway, at about 10:30 I hear the screaming and head on into his room to deal with it before I go to bed. When I walk in he's wailing and when he settles down enough to talk to me, the best I can figure is that he was having a nightmare, but what transpired was:
Me: Owen, what is WRONG??
Owen: MOMMY, it is so long away until Christmas Day and I don't think I can do all that waiting all the way until Christmas Day comes!!
:}
When I went to wake Owen up for church this morning (I know...I *woke* him...at 7:30!! Unbelievable, never thought that day would come) he was sort of grinning and then proceeded to tell me all about how he was dreaming that it was snowing and snowing and covering up all of the ground!
Seriously, I have not been pumping this kid with Christmas fever. I've hardly mentioned it! But he's got it.
Last and best cute item. Today while we were teaching Owen's Sunday school class one of the adults who'd also been in children's church with the kids told us that Owen sang a solo and that it was very cute. What? We were intrigued. Well, she said that Pastor Kris was explaining to the kids that in a few weeks there isn't going to be normal children's church, but instead all of the kids were going to stand up in front of the church and sing a song they've been practicing to the grownups (Cherub Choir...only do this 1 or 2x/year for the very little ones). As he was explaining this, apparently Owen spontaneously belted out Jesus Loves Me in a solo performance. And Pastor Kris just stepped back and let him sing! By all reports, it was hilarious. Owen is usually of average shyness, so it's kind of a shocker and I can't help but wonder what was going through his head? Did he misunderstand Kris and think that he meant the kids were supposed to start singing right then? Or was he just excited at the prospect? So funny...would love to have seen that...not a small group of people he sang for!
Yesterday we brought home the Christmas tree (as posted) and Owen went to bed with the promise that it would be ready to decorate today after church. Owen's had a recent spell of nightwakings (after a very, very long time without them) and they've definitely turned a bit habitual and when we go in he sometimes has to think of a reason why he was crying/calling for us. We're working on getting back to normal, but that's another story. Anyway, at about 10:30 I hear the screaming and head on into his room to deal with it before I go to bed. When I walk in he's wailing and when he settles down enough to talk to me, the best I can figure is that he was having a nightmare, but what transpired was:
Me: Owen, what is WRONG??
Owen: MOMMY, it is so long away until Christmas Day and I don't think I can do all that waiting all the way until Christmas Day comes!!
:}
When I went to wake Owen up for church this morning (I know...I *woke* him...at 7:30!! Unbelievable, never thought that day would come) he was sort of grinning and then proceeded to tell me all about how he was dreaming that it was snowing and snowing and covering up all of the ground!
Seriously, I have not been pumping this kid with Christmas fever. I've hardly mentioned it! But he's got it.
Last and best cute item. Today while we were teaching Owen's Sunday school class one of the adults who'd also been in children's church with the kids told us that Owen sang a solo and that it was very cute. What? We were intrigued. Well, she said that Pastor Kris was explaining to the kids that in a few weeks there isn't going to be normal children's church, but instead all of the kids were going to stand up in front of the church and sing a song they've been practicing to the grownups (Cherub Choir...only do this 1 or 2x/year for the very little ones). As he was explaining this, apparently Owen spontaneously belted out Jesus Loves Me in a solo performance. And Pastor Kris just stepped back and let him sing! By all reports, it was hilarious. Owen is usually of average shyness, so it's kind of a shocker and I can't help but wonder what was going through his head? Did he misunderstand Kris and think that he meant the kids were supposed to start singing right then? Or was he just excited at the prospect? So funny...would love to have seen that...not a small group of people he sang for!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
my guys
Well I just had quite a laugh this evening. We went and got our Christmas tree before the kids went to bed and as I watched the two boys running around torturing each other on and off I felt for a moment that I was in the movie Christmas Story...Asher in his puffy coat toddling around the trees happily as could be just like Randy when he can't put his arms down in his snowsuit on the way to school. I really love that movie, so for some reason it tickled my funny bone to feel like the mom dealing with boy antics. Then, when we got home I realized it is really something special to have these brothers. We've enjoyed past Christmas seasons with Owen, but to watch the two together plowing through the box of ornaments, pulling out each one with glee and either excitedly babbling about it or saying 'Mommy, Daddy, look at THIS one!' It is something special to have a bigger family this year, and to have a watched a relationship, equal parts sweet and rocky, develop between our two special and unique boys. They get so excited about the rituals, and so we do too. It's so much fun to experience life with them...nothing like it!!
Speaking of holidays, we joined the List family and some of their friends for a terrific Thanksgiving. Owen and Asher LOVE going to their house. There is nothing better, as far as Owen is concerned...older kids who like to pay him attention and play with him on his terms, and who don't threaten his turf. He gets so excited to see them. Asher fell in love with Ben the high school senior, and shortly into the afternoon decided he preferred Ben holding him to mommy (Ben is a LOT less boring than mommy). Ben came over to drop him off, his arms a bit tired from the 25lbs. Asher would not have it!! Another time, Ben looked tired of holding him and I said, 'You don't have to hold him all night Ben, just set him down and he can run around.' Ben replied, 'I tried that a few times, and he just puts up his arms and starts whining!' To which Nancy replied, 'Ben, this is what it's like to have a BABY!!! 24/7. He's yours, all night. See what it's really like!" So I got a nice break and Ben got an education ;) Owen's Thanksgiving funny was that I had checked out library books on Tgiving and in one of them, it said that the Indians brought cookies to the first Thanksgiving (really??). So Owen got it in his head that there had to be cookies. He was so insistent and excited about it. How can you tell a kid no, when he's excited to act out what he's learned from the book? So, on top of 3 pies, I made cookies! And here's a pie you've never heard of...banoffee. I stole the idea from a friend whose husband grew up with it just because I was intrigued...it's very different. The way I made it: Graham crust, boil 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk for 3+ hrs, spread one can's worth of the caramelized product in the crust, add a layer of diced banana, spread the other can, top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. It is *seriously* sweet. But I have to say, it's tasty. Still, I think it was a one-time pie for us.
When does it become rude to brag on your child? Owen may be getting old enough that I'm treading on the boundary. But I will not restrain myself yet. Owen is now begging for at least one reading lesson a day, sometimes he wants two! Crazy! Today he read this (lesson 24): a rat is in a sack. that rat is not sad. Now, I can't help but be impressed. He is really getting it. He does some hard work to read through those, but every day it clicks a little more and he reads it a little easier and faster. Reuel has been able to sit thru the last few with us and it's fun to watch him be proud of his achievements. Now he's picking words out of books left and right when we read to him, and he'll try to sound out anything he can! Fun. The book we're using is Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons, and was recommended by some homeschooling friends.
Homeschooling. Public schooling. School system quality. Influence of school. Cost of private schools. Sigh! Things that are constantly on my mind these days!! Another time...
Speaking of holidays, we joined the List family and some of their friends for a terrific Thanksgiving. Owen and Asher LOVE going to their house. There is nothing better, as far as Owen is concerned...older kids who like to pay him attention and play with him on his terms, and who don't threaten his turf. He gets so excited to see them. Asher fell in love with Ben the high school senior, and shortly into the afternoon decided he preferred Ben holding him to mommy (Ben is a LOT less boring than mommy). Ben came over to drop him off, his arms a bit tired from the 25lbs. Asher would not have it!! Another time, Ben looked tired of holding him and I said, 'You don't have to hold him all night Ben, just set him down and he can run around.' Ben replied, 'I tried that a few times, and he just puts up his arms and starts whining!' To which Nancy replied, 'Ben, this is what it's like to have a BABY!!! 24/7. He's yours, all night. See what it's really like!" So I got a nice break and Ben got an education ;) Owen's Thanksgiving funny was that I had checked out library books on Tgiving and in one of them, it said that the Indians brought cookies to the first Thanksgiving (really??). So Owen got it in his head that there had to be cookies. He was so insistent and excited about it. How can you tell a kid no, when he's excited to act out what he's learned from the book? So, on top of 3 pies, I made cookies! And here's a pie you've never heard of...banoffee. I stole the idea from a friend whose husband grew up with it just because I was intrigued...it's very different. The way I made it: Graham crust, boil 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk for 3+ hrs, spread one can's worth of the caramelized product in the crust, add a layer of diced banana, spread the other can, top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. It is *seriously* sweet. But I have to say, it's tasty. Still, I think it was a one-time pie for us.
When does it become rude to brag on your child? Owen may be getting old enough that I'm treading on the boundary. But I will not restrain myself yet. Owen is now begging for at least one reading lesson a day, sometimes he wants two! Crazy! Today he read this (lesson 24): a rat is in a sack. that rat is not sad. Now, I can't help but be impressed. He is really getting it. He does some hard work to read through those, but every day it clicks a little more and he reads it a little easier and faster. Reuel has been able to sit thru the last few with us and it's fun to watch him be proud of his achievements. Now he's picking words out of books left and right when we read to him, and he'll try to sound out anything he can! Fun. The book we're using is Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons, and was recommended by some homeschooling friends.
Homeschooling. Public schooling. School system quality. Influence of school. Cost of private schools. Sigh! Things that are constantly on my mind these days!! Another time...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Fall
Lovely fall weekend here. We've spent it small-grouping, birthday-partying, family-timing, churching, and...NOT RAKING!!! Last year Reuel and I bought each other this for our birthdays and Christmas:
Now, that's not to say that there isn't still a load of work to do to get the leaves up, but when there's a lawn-covered acre to manage, it makes getting up a *whole lot* of leaves quite a bit more efficient. We noticed a neighbor up the road has one now too...maybe he saw ours?? It's a lawn sweeper, and you pull it along behind a riding mower and then pull the handle to dump the leaves (in the tiny patch of woods behind the house). It really leaves the lawn quite clean. Awesome investment. Reuel and Owen ride the mower together (disobeying the 15 gazillion warnings posted all over the mower), and have a good old time.
We teach Owen's Sunday school class this year, in a team with two other teachers. Owen is the only boy in a class full of girls. Too bad he is too young to appreciate it! Actually, I don't think he notices one way or the other at this stage of his life, but we teachers do. There are two girls who've paired off and can be a little naughty, but for the most part the girls are very straightforward and heed directions to a tee. Then there's Owen! Today's naughty list: when the circle-time rhyme that Mrs. Kara does when we sit down for our story says, 'Bring them (your fingers) to your little mouth...but do not put them in!' all the little girls are following the rhyme, but there's Owen, fingers jammed into his mouth as far as they'll go. Then, when the teacher is making a game of getting a girl's shoes back on after she's taken them off, Owen watches the whole thing, then looks her in the eye and takes off his shoes. Next, the baby Isaac craft. After putting a paper diaper and hair on a paper cutout baby Isaac Mrs. Kara said, 'Okay kids, time to wrap up the baby in a blanket!' Owen loudly replies, 'Paper babies don't need any blankets.' While the girls are all decorating and mothering their babies, Owen is getting bored and snip, snip, progressively trimming baby Isaac of his fingers and toes, then his hands and feet, and wait, isn't his head looking awfully small? When it's time to decorate the door to the tent that houses a laughing Sarah inside, Owen is sticking stickers all over Sarah's face and saying, 'Mommy, now I'm making her face go away!' OK, so he was being pretty funny and we were all snickering, but I know what that cute defiance looks like at home. I start to worry when I compare him to the other kids...but try to remind myself he's the only boy, and also that if I think of him and treat him like he's a troublemaker, he's more likely to become one! So I tried to ignore him :} (But the baby amputations were making Mrs. Kara laugh, so he got some of the attention he was after).
We teach Owen's Sunday school class this year, in a team with two other teachers. Owen is the only boy in a class full of girls. Too bad he is too young to appreciate it! Actually, I don't think he notices one way or the other at this stage of his life, but we teachers do. There are two girls who've paired off and can be a little naughty, but for the most part the girls are very straightforward and heed directions to a tee. Then there's Owen! Today's naughty list: when the circle-time rhyme that Mrs. Kara does when we sit down for our story says, 'Bring them (your fingers) to your little mouth...but do not put them in!' all the little girls are following the rhyme, but there's Owen, fingers jammed into his mouth as far as they'll go. Then, when the teacher is making a game of getting a girl's shoes back on after she's taken them off, Owen watches the whole thing, then looks her in the eye and takes off his shoes. Next, the baby Isaac craft. After putting a paper diaper and hair on a paper cutout baby Isaac Mrs. Kara said, 'Okay kids, time to wrap up the baby in a blanket!' Owen loudly replies, 'Paper babies don't need any blankets.' While the girls are all decorating and mothering their babies, Owen is getting bored and snip, snip, progressively trimming baby Isaac of his fingers and toes, then his hands and feet, and wait, isn't his head looking awfully small? When it's time to decorate the door to the tent that houses a laughing Sarah inside, Owen is sticking stickers all over Sarah's face and saying, 'Mommy, now I'm making her face go away!' OK, so he was being pretty funny and we were all snickering, but I know what that cute defiance looks like at home. I start to worry when I compare him to the other kids...but try to remind myself he's the only boy, and also that if I think of him and treat him like he's a troublemaker, he's more likely to become one! So I tried to ignore him :} (But the baby amputations were making Mrs. Kara laugh, so he got some of the attention he was after).
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Medical week
The past few days sure turned out to be a blockbuster week for Dr. visits...I've been contemplating how very wonderful it is to be able to get my child in and out of an appointment on the same day he needs to be seen, with the medicine he needs. As we were in the waiting room I was remembering a movie we watched a while ago about a South African woman (eventually with AIDS) who had to walk back and forth for hours (while sick) to a clinic far away from her village, and if the line was too long, she didn't get seen at all, and had to walk back and try again. It's so easy to take our norms for granted.
Anyway, late last week Owen went in for an ear infection, and has been on antibiotic. Then Asher had his checkup on Monday, and walked away with three pokes in the arm, and then today I took Owen back in because last night he started complaining about his other ear, and it looked bright red on the outside just like the 1st one had. This morning Dr. Hoder confirmed the other ear was infected (the first one looked better), and now he's on a new antibiotic. Weird! Some sort of amoxicillin-resistant bugs in there, I guess.
Asher was 'on' for his checkup...flirting with all the nurses and getting more winks than I could count. He thought it was hilarious to poke Dr. Hoder in the back periodically and giggle while he was bent over writing a prescription, too. It was funny...such a sense of humor on a 15 month old! The vaccine-administering nurse came in at the end and Asher was smiling at her and having a good old time. He had no idea what was coming. As she swabbed his arm he was smiling and chattering at her, and then...POKE! He didn't cry, but just got really quiet on my lap, then his eyes got big, then he looked right up at her, stuck his lower lip out, turned red and trembled, and we could all practically hear what his body language said: "I thought you were my friend! What did you just do to me?!!! I've been BETRAYED!!!" It was sad and sweet. She was pretty upset to do the rest of his shots, which surprised me. I think it was because he wasn't out and out screaming, but just looked so sad about this conspiracy against him!
His 15 mo. stats:
Ht: 31.5" (56%ile)
Wt 24lb10oz (48%ile)
Head circumference 48.5cm (82%ile)
I thought I saw the nurse make a measurement error in the height she marked on the exam table, and I measured it after she left, and I indeed think she measured an inch too long. It was more like 30.5".
I'm bummed that it big bold letters on this checkup's paper work it says, 'DO NOT FEED YOUR CHILD NUT/PEANUT PRODUCTS OR SHELLFISH UNTIL HE IS AT LEAST TWO YEARS OLD (THREE IF A FAMILY HISTORY OF FOOD ALLERGIES)' Well, this would have been good to know on the earlier forms sent home. I wasn't paying attention this time round and went ahead and started peanut butter a bit after the 1 year mark. Regretting that, and hope he doesn't turn out to be sensitive :P
Anyway, late last week Owen went in for an ear infection, and has been on antibiotic. Then Asher had his checkup on Monday, and walked away with three pokes in the arm, and then today I took Owen back in because last night he started complaining about his other ear, and it looked bright red on the outside just like the 1st one had. This morning Dr. Hoder confirmed the other ear was infected (the first one looked better), and now he's on a new antibiotic. Weird! Some sort of amoxicillin-resistant bugs in there, I guess.
Asher was 'on' for his checkup...flirting with all the nurses and getting more winks than I could count. He thought it was hilarious to poke Dr. Hoder in the back periodically and giggle while he was bent over writing a prescription, too. It was funny...such a sense of humor on a 15 month old! The vaccine-administering nurse came in at the end and Asher was smiling at her and having a good old time. He had no idea what was coming. As she swabbed his arm he was smiling and chattering at her, and then...POKE! He didn't cry, but just got really quiet on my lap, then his eyes got big, then he looked right up at her, stuck his lower lip out, turned red and trembled, and we could all practically hear what his body language said: "I thought you were my friend! What did you just do to me?!!! I've been BETRAYED!!!" It was sad and sweet. She was pretty upset to do the rest of his shots, which surprised me. I think it was because he wasn't out and out screaming, but just looked so sad about this conspiracy against him!
His 15 mo. stats:
Ht: 31.5" (56%ile)
Wt 24lb10oz (48%ile)
Head circumference 48.5cm (82%ile)
I thought I saw the nurse make a measurement error in the height she marked on the exam table, and I measured it after she left, and I indeed think she measured an inch too long. It was more like 30.5".
I'm bummed that it big bold letters on this checkup's paper work it says, 'DO NOT FEED YOUR CHILD NUT/PEANUT PRODUCTS OR SHELLFISH UNTIL HE IS AT LEAST TWO YEARS OLD (THREE IF A FAMILY HISTORY OF FOOD ALLERGIES)' Well, this would have been good to know on the earlier forms sent home. I wasn't paying attention this time round and went ahead and started peanut butter a bit after the 1 year mark. Regretting that, and hope he doesn't turn out to be sensitive :P
Friday, November 12, 2010
What a guy!
We've got an early...as in it's a bit premature to call him a...reader! I've been doing about 2 weeks of lessons from a popular homeschool textbook, and he has read on his own now: seed, sam, rat, me, see, am, eat, ram, sat and seat! It's very fun to watch him figure things out. He was really into it at first, but quickly lost motivation, so I taped a reward chart to the wall for every week of lessons that he completes...it was magic and now he asks to do it. His choice of reward this week was a 'cat craft' (which I hurriedly fashioned out of sticky foam as fast as he could assemble it...he thought it was great, luckily ;), and I got him an EXTRA prize for the first week (because I was out and saw cowboy boot slippers at old navy for a few bucks and couldn't pass them up). He was a little excited :)
Yay, Owen!! So proud of him!
Yay, Owen!! So proud of him!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Vets Day
We had a fun Veteran's Day. My favorite veteran is no longer with us, but I spent time remembering him.
Reuel had the day off. Today was Asher's graduation day from nursing. He did not wake up to a cuddle and milk, but instead (in the fine tradition established by Owen), he was whisked from bed by Daddy (NOT happy about that at first) and the boys headed to breakfast at the donut shop while I slept in. Nice!! Later, some raking, a phenomenal 2.75hr nap for Asher (Nice, Nice!!), then a trip to the YMCA pool with the boys. After that we stopped at Jordan's furniture (the Las Vegas-style larger-than-life furniture-opolis complete with a trapeze school, liquid fireworks, an ice cream shop, story-high jellybean sculptures, imax theater, and a Fuddrucker's restaurant in the lobby). The boys had fun running around and watching the trapeze fliers, then we had a little dinner. Right as dinner was ending Owen was complaining that his ear hurt. I figured he'd gotten a little water in it at the pool and it felt weird to him, but he was complaining consistently and more and more vehemently. SOOOO fortunately, we caught the last late-evening urgent care appointment at his ped's office (otherwise it would have been a 4+ hr emergency room wait, ugh), and yup, it was an ear infection. Crazy! Very unexpected, as he is just over a cold, and today was his first no-symptom day. I can say that ibuprofen makes a dramatic difference in pain level for him. He was MISERABLE by the time the Dr. saw him. He was fussing and melting down and I could tell he wasn't trying to behave badly, just miserable. The Dr. gave him some motrin in the office and about 15 mins later as we crossed the line into our town, he suddenly perked up, started chattering, telling jokes, asking questions and was as right as rain. Good stuff! He went happily to bed saying, 'My ear is all the way better now! No problem!'
Reuel had the day off. Today was Asher's graduation day from nursing. He did not wake up to a cuddle and milk, but instead (in the fine tradition established by Owen), he was whisked from bed by Daddy (NOT happy about that at first) and the boys headed to breakfast at the donut shop while I slept in. Nice!! Later, some raking, a phenomenal 2.75hr nap for Asher (Nice, Nice!!), then a trip to the YMCA pool with the boys. After that we stopped at Jordan's furniture (the Las Vegas-style larger-than-life furniture-opolis complete with a trapeze school, liquid fireworks, an ice cream shop, story-high jellybean sculptures, imax theater, and a Fuddrucker's restaurant in the lobby). The boys had fun running around and watching the trapeze fliers, then we had a little dinner. Right as dinner was ending Owen was complaining that his ear hurt. I figured he'd gotten a little water in it at the pool and it felt weird to him, but he was complaining consistently and more and more vehemently. SOOOO fortunately, we caught the last late-evening urgent care appointment at his ped's office (otherwise it would have been a 4+ hr emergency room wait, ugh), and yup, it was an ear infection. Crazy! Very unexpected, as he is just over a cold, and today was his first no-symptom day. I can say that ibuprofen makes a dramatic difference in pain level for him. He was MISERABLE by the time the Dr. saw him. He was fussing and melting down and I could tell he wasn't trying to behave badly, just miserable. The Dr. gave him some motrin in the office and about 15 mins later as we crossed the line into our town, he suddenly perked up, started chattering, telling jokes, asking questions and was as right as rain. Good stuff! He went happily to bed saying, 'My ear is all the way better now! No problem!'
Monday, November 8, 2010
nap transitions
I. Hate. Them.
My formerly often-pretty-decent sleeper woke up at 4:45am this morning because switching to one nap is screwing him all up (we'd already made the time change earlier in the week so that wasn't the main reason, although it contributed). He was so desperately tired mid-morning but I knew he wouldn't go down in his crib (from this week's past experience), so I carried him around in his carrier out of desperation, and he slept for a half hour. That short of a nap (and not even a highly restful one when he's being bounced around a bit) would normally leave a good afternoon nap ripe for picking, but NO! Now, he is not going down this afternoon even though he's been incarcerated for the last 1.5hrs. He's not crying much. I'm holding out a little longer. What a waste of a day, and to only have had an early, jostled micronap all day...sigh. This will not help. I miss when he was waking up toward 7 on the 2-nap routine.
My formerly often-pretty-decent sleeper woke up at 4:45am this morning because switching to one nap is screwing him all up (we'd already made the time change earlier in the week so that wasn't the main reason, although it contributed). He was so desperately tired mid-morning but I knew he wouldn't go down in his crib (from this week's past experience), so I carried him around in his carrier out of desperation, and he slept for a half hour. That short of a nap (and not even a highly restful one when he's being bounced around a bit) would normally leave a good afternoon nap ripe for picking, but NO! Now, he is not going down this afternoon even though he's been incarcerated for the last 1.5hrs. He's not crying much. I'm holding out a little longer. What a waste of a day, and to only have had an early, jostled micronap all day...sigh. This will not help. I miss when he was waking up toward 7 on the 2-nap routine.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Asher 15 mo.
Well, what shall I update on delightful Asher?
He gives kisses all day. If you're down on the floor playing with him, watch out, he will head over to you at some point and smack a big one on your cheek. He goes back and forth between proper pursed-lip smacks and clucking his tongue off the roof of his mouth to make the noise. Mercifully, the kisses are now quite dry :) He LOVES to kiss Owen, usually when Owen is in a nasty mood. He just reaches his arms up higher, higher to try to get to Owen's cheek and often Owen is trying to push him away. So sad! When the stars are aligned and Owen is happy to accept, it is sweetness incarnate. If you want a kiss, just say, 'Asher, can I have a kissy?'
Walking, RUNNING, jumping on beds, climbing, falling a thousand times a day not because he's so wobbly anymore, but because he is moving so fast he gets ahead of himself.
S.M.A.R.T. Owen was no dummy, but there's something about a younger sibling...they are on the fast track because they've got a pint-sized teacher all the time. Asher is SO communicative with very few words, and we pretty much always know what he's after, or upset about these days. Along with that, he wants and gets upset about things with fiery resolve!! Watch out if you abort his mission. It is so cute to decipher him. Examples...when he wants something in the kitchen while we're getting food ready, he walks over to the counter, reaches up toward it and then points his index finger in his mouth (translate: put some of THAT in MY pie hole!) When he's messed a diaper, he gets a look in his eye until I verbalize what has happened for him, and then he reaches down and points to his diaper to confirm the news.
Toy boy: unlike older brother, Asher really likes to play with toys. This is a relief. He is more self-entertaining and exploratory than Owen was. On the other hand, I used to leave Owen outside playing around in the front yard for 5-10 mins at a time at around 18 months or so, and felt perfectly safe doing so. I already know I will NEVER be able to do that with Asher...he could be halfway down the block in that time, and probably would be.
Social animal...Asher flirts with people he doesn't know. He is fascinated with other kids and babies, he is generally gentle (except with family members sometimes) and fits in with a crowd. He is all smiles, jibber-jabber and cuddles to other people. As I consider it, though I always say how remarkably similar Owen and Asher are...wow, they couldn't be more different in this regard!!
Now, the last thing I want to do is paint a picture of Owen=bad or difficult, Asher=only wonderful. They are each their own person and each have some stellar qualities and challenging features :) Here are Asher's not-so-stellar things that Owen never did. Throwing food, throwing toys, hitting my face, pterodactyl-screeching every time his will is thwarted (Owen cried, but it was more frustrated/upset rather than intentionally angry), refusing to sit down in a bathtub for more than 5 seconds, diaper change tantrums, climbing out of his highchair, emptying drawers, not liking many veggies, and so on. He is a little rascal!!
The big 2 to 1 nap transition has just begun. I have been engaged in a crazy-making process of giving 2 naps on some days, 1 nap on others, and a whole lot of attempts of naps that aren't happening, so he's spending too much time awake in his crib, bored. Yikes. Even though I know that it will hurt on the occasions where he really does still need a morning nap here and there, I am going to begin only 1 nap a day, and let things fall where they may. So far, 1 nap days have led to some nightwaking and short naps, so I know it's making him a bit overtired to make the switch. But hopefully it won't be as rough as it was with Owen, since I started the process with Owen closer to 13 months, and Asher's already 15, and hopefully a bit more ready for it.
Made his first joke: It is so funny to watch this...a few days ago Asher and Owen and I were 'hanging out' and the two of them were in a silly mood (such a rarity...ha!). Well, Asher pretended to knock his head on the wall, then he fake-fuss/cried. Then he turned his crying off immediately and started laughing at his joke. Owen and I laughed after we figured out what he'd been doing, and then he had an audience and kept doing it over and over. I was pretty impressed with his little sense of humor.
Words--kind of slow progress on actual words, but man, he jibber-jabbers constantly all day. So I hope the words are around the corner. I have been realizing that he gets a lot less clear, repetitive, consistent speech from me during the day, because so much of what he hears is rapid-fire exchange between Owen and I. When it was just Owen and I, there was so much time spent in the 'Where are Owen's eyes?' and 'Let's put you in your carseat' and describing the events of the day, etc. Now I just forget to do that simple sort of talking because Owen's filling up my ears pretty much constantly!! I need to read more to Asher too. Poor 2nd children, they really do get the short straw vs. the first. But they seem in some ways so much healthier for it!! In any case, his words of the moment are 'eyes, hi, bye, yum-yum (mum-mum), woof, moo, meow' and that's about it. He's had a lot of other words over the past few months, but he's dropped them.
Eczema...Asher has had a pretty bad eczema ring around his chin/under his lower lip since a little after he turned 1 year. It started as a polka dot rash almost immediately after his 12 month appointment at the pediatrician. At the time I remember I had the crazy notion it was caused by his vaccinations (just because of the timing). Of course, it also started just a couple of weeks after his first drinking of cow's milk. Later, as time went by and it would clear up for a while, but then come back, I imagined it was a drooling rash, since he often sleeps in a puddle of drool. Now that the weather's cooled off, that rash can really pop up angry red sometimes. If I keep it well aquaphor-soaked, it can almost seem gone for a while. But then one day it will go from practically invisible to bright red, and it seems like it transitions quite quickly between those two states. I wonder if it's a food sensitivity. Embarrassingly, I keep forgetting to mention it when we've been to the Dr. for a flu shot for Owen, etc., and have just been waiting til his next checkup since it's not always terrible. I'm going to try to journal what he's eating so I can see if there's any connection on those days when it just pops up bright red. It never seems to bother him.
My cutie!!
He gives kisses all day. If you're down on the floor playing with him, watch out, he will head over to you at some point and smack a big one on your cheek. He goes back and forth between proper pursed-lip smacks and clucking his tongue off the roof of his mouth to make the noise. Mercifully, the kisses are now quite dry :) He LOVES to kiss Owen, usually when Owen is in a nasty mood. He just reaches his arms up higher, higher to try to get to Owen's cheek and often Owen is trying to push him away. So sad! When the stars are aligned and Owen is happy to accept, it is sweetness incarnate. If you want a kiss, just say, 'Asher, can I have a kissy?'
Walking, RUNNING, jumping on beds, climbing, falling a thousand times a day not because he's so wobbly anymore, but because he is moving so fast he gets ahead of himself.
S.M.A.R.T. Owen was no dummy, but there's something about a younger sibling...they are on the fast track because they've got a pint-sized teacher all the time. Asher is SO communicative with very few words, and we pretty much always know what he's after, or upset about these days. Along with that, he wants and gets upset about things with fiery resolve!! Watch out if you abort his mission. It is so cute to decipher him. Examples...when he wants something in the kitchen while we're getting food ready, he walks over to the counter, reaches up toward it and then points his index finger in his mouth (translate: put some of THAT in MY pie hole!) When he's messed a diaper, he gets a look in his eye until I verbalize what has happened for him, and then he reaches down and points to his diaper to confirm the news.
Toy boy: unlike older brother, Asher really likes to play with toys. This is a relief. He is more self-entertaining and exploratory than Owen was. On the other hand, I used to leave Owen outside playing around in the front yard for 5-10 mins at a time at around 18 months or so, and felt perfectly safe doing so. I already know I will NEVER be able to do that with Asher...he could be halfway down the block in that time, and probably would be.
Social animal...Asher flirts with people he doesn't know. He is fascinated with other kids and babies, he is generally gentle (except with family members sometimes) and fits in with a crowd. He is all smiles, jibber-jabber and cuddles to other people. As I consider it, though I always say how remarkably similar Owen and Asher are...wow, they couldn't be more different in this regard!!
Now, the last thing I want to do is paint a picture of Owen=bad or difficult, Asher=only wonderful. They are each their own person and each have some stellar qualities and challenging features :) Here are Asher's not-so-stellar things that Owen never did. Throwing food, throwing toys, hitting my face, pterodactyl-screeching every time his will is thwarted (Owen cried, but it was more frustrated/upset rather than intentionally angry), refusing to sit down in a bathtub for more than 5 seconds, diaper change tantrums, climbing out of his highchair, emptying drawers, not liking many veggies, and so on. He is a little rascal!!
The big 2 to 1 nap transition has just begun. I have been engaged in a crazy-making process of giving 2 naps on some days, 1 nap on others, and a whole lot of attempts of naps that aren't happening, so he's spending too much time awake in his crib, bored. Yikes. Even though I know that it will hurt on the occasions where he really does still need a morning nap here and there, I am going to begin only 1 nap a day, and let things fall where they may. So far, 1 nap days have led to some nightwaking and short naps, so I know it's making him a bit overtired to make the switch. But hopefully it won't be as rough as it was with Owen, since I started the process with Owen closer to 13 months, and Asher's already 15, and hopefully a bit more ready for it.
Made his first joke: It is so funny to watch this...a few days ago Asher and Owen and I were 'hanging out' and the two of them were in a silly mood (such a rarity...ha!). Well, Asher pretended to knock his head on the wall, then he fake-fuss/cried. Then he turned his crying off immediately and started laughing at his joke. Owen and I laughed after we figured out what he'd been doing, and then he had an audience and kept doing it over and over. I was pretty impressed with his little sense of humor.
Words--kind of slow progress on actual words, but man, he jibber-jabbers constantly all day. So I hope the words are around the corner. I have been realizing that he gets a lot less clear, repetitive, consistent speech from me during the day, because so much of what he hears is rapid-fire exchange between Owen and I. When it was just Owen and I, there was so much time spent in the 'Where are Owen's eyes?' and 'Let's put you in your carseat' and describing the events of the day, etc. Now I just forget to do that simple sort of talking because Owen's filling up my ears pretty much constantly!! I need to read more to Asher too. Poor 2nd children, they really do get the short straw vs. the first. But they seem in some ways so much healthier for it!! In any case, his words of the moment are 'eyes, hi, bye, yum-yum (mum-mum), woof, moo, meow' and that's about it. He's had a lot of other words over the past few months, but he's dropped them.
Eczema...Asher has had a pretty bad eczema ring around his chin/under his lower lip since a little after he turned 1 year. It started as a polka dot rash almost immediately after his 12 month appointment at the pediatrician. At the time I remember I had the crazy notion it was caused by his vaccinations (just because of the timing). Of course, it also started just a couple of weeks after his first drinking of cow's milk. Later, as time went by and it would clear up for a while, but then come back, I imagined it was a drooling rash, since he often sleeps in a puddle of drool. Now that the weather's cooled off, that rash can really pop up angry red sometimes. If I keep it well aquaphor-soaked, it can almost seem gone for a while. But then one day it will go from practically invisible to bright red, and it seems like it transitions quite quickly between those two states. I wonder if it's a food sensitivity. Embarrassingly, I keep forgetting to mention it when we've been to the Dr. for a flu shot for Owen, etc., and have just been waiting til his next checkup since it's not always terrible. I'm going to try to journal what he's eating so I can see if there's any connection on those days when it just pops up bright red. It never seems to bother him.
My cutie!!
Asher's tail end
I'm sorry, I know I'm the mother, but I just couldn't get enough of Asher waddling around with his enormous tail (about as long as he is high) in his costume.
http://vimeo.com/16520473
http://vimeo.com/16520473
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