Crafting

So this is what I was working on, which everyone saw, but I wanted to document.

I was glad to have some real oohs and aahs, as it took me a long time and it was very tedious, cutting all those ornaments and gluing all that ric rack. And famous last words, "Well if you're going to make one, you may as well make two or three" That's 75 ornaments! (including the star) The burlap was the hardest to work with actually. The sewing machine couldn't handle it, and we had to do something to stop the fraying so it all got glued hems. thanks Grammy, that was her boring job. I didn't finish the string, but I figure everyone can make a bow of the best length that works for them. (I have more string available!) And of course, AFTER we finished, we finally found red and green velcro (preferred for the ornament 'hooks') at Lowe's of all places. I guess I still owe Emily one, so maybe that one will be perfect. It was fun and not that bad all in all. We did most of it after bedtime, but Rick also got Bobby out of my hair so I could do some cutting.

18 Months

Busted

24 pounds, 4 ounces (25% percentile)
33 3/4 inches (75%)
Developing well.. says about 15-20 words, plus more signs and animals sounds

Santa skyped me today

I was hoping to embed this as a video, but no such luck.

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/8TZc2SJeFIbaQqddBq93SA

Worst mother ever, Part I

Add caption

Look closely and you will see his new chipped teeth. Tripped over the mini rocking chair onto the plastic tub of toys, while I think he was trying to pull out the fire engine from the corner. I was sitting right next to him. Thought he had just cut his lip. He cried for a long time, which I get because all of us has been head butted in the lip and think how much that hurts.

I hope his tooth gets bigger and you can't notice that it's now triangle shaped, because they don't fall out for a while.  Sorry kiddo.

Just a few glue gun burns later

It started with a simple trip to Michaels to get a frame.  Then we got some pom poms, some felt and some glue and voila (which I originally typed wah-la). We made a few wreath photo ornaments, did a lot of finger painting, a lot more scribbling,  a hand print ornament, a cardboard angel and a thread spool elephant (from the church group at Santas sitting) and a lot of cookies and baked goods.  It has been a good holiday season so far. I think I'll wait until after bedtime to wrap presents though.

This is what I've been working on...

The whole gang  (Go Bruins)

And Elmo had to sneak in there too

Bobby enjoys them, especially if you hide behind a chair or something.  He probably doesn't like them as much as he should for my effort...They were fairly easy to do, but now it's really easy for me to pick on their flaws.  The gingerbread man still needs a nose, and the snowman might get a hat, but they might be done too.  Next up, cookie monster!  Put in your requests kids!

Help

Somebody come and eat all these cookies! I only really like pizzelles. but of course,  I eat all of them anyway.  Does York need fudge? You can guess the content of my January 1st post...

We had that kid

After 45 minutes of waiting, Bobby screamed his head off when he got near Santa. Up to that point, it was ho ho ho, fire, tree - all good. They had cat adoptions which kept him interested and cookies and craft/ornament making afterward. Good day, except for not actually sitting on Santas lap. We'll try again next weekend somewhere else, but I don't expect different results. oh well. (and how good is that Santa)

It's that time of year!

It was a little too quiet

It was one of those times, he started with the cookie sheet cabinet, so I was on the other side of the room (crafting) and then knew he up was to no good when it was so quiet! At least he wasn't eating it, or the sprinkles.

He is so funny, He says Ho Ho Ho, to the Santas. The house looks really nice and he hasn't broken too many ornaments - no nice ones.Every morning he goes and turns on the tree lights. We are really excited for everyone to be together finally.

I am daily stunned by how smart (I think) he is. The things he knows baffles me, He must pay attention really well, and I don't know that I knew a 1.5 year old would know all those things. His language is coming along too. Nothing too big, but he copies a lot more of what we say and is trying a few more sounds. He says Happy (appi really) and we heard belly the other day. Those are good two syllable words to start with. And it took 18 months, but he finally says NO. He has shaken head before, mostly when he doesn't want to eat something, but now it's accompanied with a really sweet light no.

And, best of all, he gives hugs and kisses better, even to animals on book pages.

What a trip

6:50 am gardening

Bobby is so funny.  I don't have a bunch of cute stories, but day to day, he cracks us up.  If he hears the door open, he'll drop what he's doing (or a pot) and run to the door.  He's obsessed with the neighbors cat and the moon and gets upset if he can't find either one.  His "huh" move is palms up and mayve even shrugging his shoulders a bit.  He loves his bath, i have more video to post, I didn't want to get his hair wet, so I told his to do it and he willingly dumped a cup of water over his head.  He also shampooed his own hair and likes to rub moisturizer everywhere.

Good thing it's been warm, he loves sprinklers

He has been getting up early.  6:15 is super, but we have more 5:30s and had a couple days of 4:15 - something had to be going on.  But he has bundles of energy and never stops moving.  He runs everywhere and pumps his arm even when walking to show he's determined. He loves running through piles of leaves so luckily we have lots of those.  He's become a really good hugger, all to grammy and the dog.  not me.

Actually

Seeing as how the other easels are 0 for 2 on being used, I guess we'll stick to pencil and paper or chalk.  I would like a table for him (coffee table height) but I'll have to see how much space we have and where it would go.

Seriously, Don't buy us anything.

Bobby Christmas list

• ipad/ipod touch
• puzzles
• bike - maybe not til spring
• train set with tracks (not electric, not Thomas)
• costco catepillar dump truck/bulldozer
• easel (M&D?)
• picture story books
• toy tool set 
• ONE ornament

Really, this kid has played with 3 different trash cans in the last several days.  Please don't go crazy, we don't have room and he has so much stuff already. He doesn't need clothes or toys - I could probably wrap up library books and pots and pans and he'd be great.  

Yep

Jinxed that. Put him down before 7pm, up at 5:10am.

He cannot see a pad of paper without wanting it.  Better that than the furniture.  Also, I didn't mention that he know puts sound effects with everything.  Usually an explosion sound, and not just when cars are running into each other.  When he jumped into my arms, he did it.  thank Rick and Angry Birds for that.

I know the latest videos are a little boring but they give you a glimpse of what he's up to.

17 Months

Bobby is a real character.  It is fascinating to watch him and pretty funny usually.  He is pretty smart and picks up on everything.  Whenever a phone rings, he runs to kitchen land line and picks it up. He found a calculator the other day and put it to his ear.

Today, I was filling up his sippy cup from the fridge dispenser, I put it down on the fridge shelf to get the lid and he reached up and pulled it down - all over himself.  He was totally doused, hair all matted, so funny.

He is getting better at eating, I don't know how he's not starving, since he runs nonstop and poops a lot!  He is getting pretty good with utensils though and pretty much wants to be a part of anything you are doing.  He baked bread with us and put in ingredients and stirred the batter.  He topped his own pizza.

He is sleeping fairly well,  he was getting up at 5:50 for 3 mornings in a row, then made it 5:15, so that day I put him to bed at 6:50, instead of 7:30pm and he slept until 6am.  He goes down really fast at night, but hates naptime.  He usually ends up sleeping in the car.  Even at 11am, instead of his 1pm time at home. It makes running errands pretty hard.

He loves to read, but really it's just flipping pages really fast.  He is obsessed with his animal books, which Grammy and I both hate by now.

He also has discovered the TV. He points to it and the remote and wants you to turn it on.

He has started drawing circles and spirals, not just lines.  He also wants to draw all the time, whenever he finds a pen. And he can take on and off lids, which he loves to do.

HAlloween was pretty dull but still fun.  We went to the neighborhood party, where he pretty much played alone but in their playset and the bouncey house.  They had a hay ride and he is just a people watcher right now so he just played out front instead of trick or treating himself.

He loves being outside, even now that it's gotten cold.  He loves running through the leave piles and was quite a help planting flowers.

This Kid Loves Outside

And all the other mommy blogs I read are 90% photos, so I'm trying to make this more interesting, although the new template formats really screw me up.

Sounds

While reading a book tonight, I pointed out a seahorse and without pause, Bobby promptly brayed (like a horse)

End radio silence

Bobby got two more teeth broken through, the cuspids linking his 4 front teeth to the molars.
He really enjoys running and jumping and flopping on the bed endlessly.  We need a king bed in padded room.
I thought I had more to relate, but can't think of anything.

16 Months

Bedtime is (knock on wood) a breeze.  He sometimes drinks some milk (but not warmed up) read a bunch of books, sing a song in the dark, drop him in the crib.  He's been sleeping through the night (mostly) but still prefers a 6:30am wake up time.  We'll see what impact daylight savings has if any.

He is really smart, says I.  Of course, such a sponge at this age, he doesn't miss a thing.  Knows what utensils and cleaning supplies and kitchen gadgets do. Same with bathroom and garden tools.  Complete copy cat and has to be involved in everything. Loves being outside still. Will throw the ball forever with Rick. Obessed with the dog, won't leave her alone at all.  Often snuggles up in the dog bed.  Sophie gets better hugs than we do.

He knows signs for bird, fish, gorilla, elephant, alligator, cat, rabbit and sounds for a few more animals (chicken).  He says dog.  He identifies anything with a beak as a bird, which is pretty true, but penguins are a little more distinct e.g.  He thinks deer and goats are dogs, but i'll take it.  He understands most everything directed at him.  Says bye really clearly with a wave.  Signs bath, bed, done, more and everything else he just reaches, points and grunts/whines for.  Signs for ball with a dribbling motion.  Identifies your mouth, nose, eyes and sometimes ears.  Same on pictures of animals.

Three nights in a row.  No nursing, no tears, sleeping through the night. Woo hoo.

This Kid

Generally, I think Bobby has really good body control and balance, but I guess that doesn't mean he's coordinated.  And he's only been walking for 2 months, and now he's running, so he was bound to fall.  The matching horns on his head are fading slowly, but then he took his first real dive on the sidewalk at the playground and skinned his knee.  In his defense, the sidewalk was at least an inch unlevel at the seam.  I put a band aid on it to keep the neosporin from getting wiped off and every time he even saw the band-aid, he would get the most pathetic look on his face and whine - pretty funny stuff.

He is loving being outside as much as we can and we even went swimming today since it was 90.  I think it helps him sleep.  Every day is different, today he woke at 7 after waking at 3am; he took a two hour nap.  he goes down without a fuss, and it's about 50/50 if he stays down until morning.

15 Months

2 vaccines + flu shot.
22 pounds, 14 ounces weight (25%)
32.75" height (90%)

Long weekend

We had a good time at the zoo, can't say we did much animal watching, but it was fun for us all.  I pointed out the big bears and gorillas, but that's about it. He liked the geyser thing and walking the railings and throwing mulch.

He literally waves hi at everyone and everything that he sees - including me when he sat up while being rocked to sleep.

We dropped his morning nap,  I would have liked to hold onto it a little longer, but I think this was a good decision.  He still gets a little tired early (11ish) but can usually hang on until after lunch (12:30 or 1) and then sleep 1-1.5 hours.  I hope this gets longer.  I am sure I will jinx it, but he is super easy to put down to sleep again.  He goes down totally awake.  I sort of just hold him and explain it's time and then put him down and walk away.  Less than 10 minutes after we finish bathing and books etc.

We went to the corn maze today and had a lot of fun.  It was way hot, but still a good day.  Not crowded at all. I sort of hated the maze itself though.  I hate being disoriented and having all those turn choices!  But they also had a jumping pillow, which we stayed on forever since no one else was really on it. and a dinosaur fossil sand pit. and a tractor ride.  They also had a gem sifter thing and lots of rocks in the gift shop - perfect for a 4 year old I know.  Their zipline and pumpkin patch open next month.  Maybe we'll go back!

Update

After Bobby conked out in the car on the way home from A2, we tried to get him up for dinner and play before a later bedtime, but he would not engage, so he went to bed in his day clothes with no dinner :(  And he slept until almost 4am.  Then we played until 6am when he went down again for a good bit.  The spots were much less pronounced today - like a bite fading.  Still there, but not red or barely pink and not raised.  He was in a good mood, but not eating.

But as the day progressed, his mood got a little worse and he was pretty testy and overall blah. We ran some errands and went for a bike ride and walked around, but he was up and down until dinner time then it was all down.  We went out in the neighborhood again and it was fine, but he just started wailing after his bath.  Not hurt or wanting something or getting in the carseat or not liking getting dressed (-all why he usually cries).  It was so sad.  And it seems the bumps are back.  Not as many, but there are definitely some new ones - other side of his chest, some more on his legs.  Face and chest are clear though.  Back is much better.

So I'm a little worried,  Rick and I aren't totally convinced it is a drug rash.  But who knows.  I don't think it's bed bugs because I haven't seen any (bugs, blood, skin or bugpoop) on his white crib sheet, but you bet I'll be looking for them anyway in the morning. And Rick and I don't have anything like that and I don't think they would come from Rosannes pack and play or through our walls somehow.  The proximity to taking the antibiotic is just too close.  I'm doing a lot of web research and looking at a lot of nasty rash photos.

Little milestones

Bobby is now working on putting his stroller and carseat buckles together

He spent a lot of time on the swing and slide yesterday.  Previously he wasn't that into it, but now he's an adrenaline junkie.  He also did the more sign to stay on the swing.  First time ever.  (and not since)

He also blew bubbles in the bathtub. It was apparently an accident because every subsequent time, he swallowed half the tub water.

He can point to his belly when asked, and can blow raspberries on your belly. But he will also then stick his finger in your belly button and press as hard as possible.

Growing up

Bobbys cough is pretty much gone, but still lingers a tiny bit.  Day 5 of medicine.  The antibiotics gave him a nasty diaper rash.

He slept 8-8 last night after about 20 minutes of crying.  Skipped the morning nap and put him down at 1 - he only slept 35 minutes.  Crap.  No crying tonight, down at 7pm.  I am not excited about throwing a wrench in his sleeping routine just as he's getting back to it.

He is really a fun little kid.  Very mild mannered and has a pleasant disposition.  He loves saying hi to people, especially other kids at the library.  Anyone actually, but rarely are they close enough to hear him and say hi back.  He is crazy though.  He loves to jump off the couch, arms raised.  Or leap off the top step of the stairs.  Really keeps us on our toes.

Back in Michigan

We are back after our vacation out west.  It was great to get out of here for 9 days.  Usually, even though you don't want to leave the vacation spot, you're excited to come home - we didn't have any of that.  Flying back to Detroit was lousy and driving back to our crappy little town was even worse.  It was a good day of travel, but being home wasn't worth anything.  No mail, nothing in the fridge, blah.  The only good thing is that Bobby finally is back in a crib!  He did really well today, slept on both flights and was totally charming the rest of the time.

He had so much fun seeing his cousins.  He was pretty into Cooper - and treated Coop like Archer treats him, but he had a good afternoon or two with Cash.  It would be fantastic to have a family place where we could all use together, or separately.  It was a really good week, lots of playing outside, didn't venture out much around the lake - only on the boat once, more kayaking and golf carting.

We were then totally spoiled in San Mateo.  Bobby didn't sleep well there at all. don't know why, but he loved the pool, or actually hot tub.  With his turtle suit and floaties, he was totally buoyant and would just walk off the steps under the water.  We got some nice weather as we were leaving and spent a lot of time relaxing and playing.

Now, we are to pack up and find jobs.  We're trying to get to Memphis, but if we have to rent a trailer to get out of here (just big stroller and glider and suitcases) then it wouldn't make sense to drive that around for a week.  And I'm not excited to drive two days twice.  Bobby's hardest day was coming down the mountain back to the coast.

He finally got his fourth bottom tooth.  Also got at least 3 molars next to his canines.  And, he is on antibiotics for a microinfection that probably got irritated when we went on the airplane.  He had this little morning cough forever, then it got worst last week, since they have small sinuses etc...  We took him to a pediatric after hours place, didn't have to wait and saw a nice doctor who was super chatty.  150 bucks, but hopefully we can recoup that from the insurance company.

14 months

Bobby has figured out how to squeal really loudly.    Also how to squeeze a juice box and make it go everywhere.  I bought him some size 5 shoes.  Now that I look at them, they might be water shoes.  But the soul is really thick.  He curls his toes really bad when I try to put shoes on him so that makes it hard. He does have some velcro sandals that he'll sit still for - probably because he knows that means we're going outside.  I bought him this little garage sale battery operated train and he gets furious when it drives away from him.

We left him with a non-relative babysitter last night for the first time ever.  Of course, he was asleep at 7 and she came over at 7:30pm and didn't wake up so it wasn't really traumatic for anyone.

So Rooney lost.  badly.  don't know why. Michigan voters are idiots basically.  we'll see how November goes from afar, but other than that it's anyones guess what he'll do in two years.  Or what we'll do it in two weeks.  We have no back up plan.  We'd like to go to Tahoe with Carolyn this weekend but plane tickets are $7-800 each right now,  we'll see if they miraculously drop so we can get the heck away from stinkin Tecumsee for a while.

August 2

So Election Day is finally here. This time tomorrow night we'll know finally.  I'm pretty nervous. Just b/c it's so close.  I don't know if he can overcome this other guy.  The support is there, but they have to get to the polls.  It's sort of an uphill battle and he has a lot going for him, but a lot against him too and there's a lot of blog chatter and what not, but it could mean nothing.  We'll just have to see.  We don't really have a back up plan at all.  There's a job in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, but that would just be another 1 year stop.  But I guess we could drop anchor and we'd find something there after.  I just don't want to be out there.  oops.

Bobby is doing pretty well.  He loves walking and being outside.  He goes to the front door all the time and reaches for the handle.  He will walk to the playground and ignore my hand if I offer it.

One of his favorite things to do is turn over the laundry basket, climb up on it and bounce.  He has no fear, which can work against him, but if I'm close, he'll walk right off the side of the bed or the stairs.  We went back to the Splash Pad today and he loved it .  Went right through all the sprays and fountains and stuff.  And that water is cold!

Michigan Sweet Corn - so good, 30 - 50 cents each, available everywhere. yum.

I'm definitely having some "live in the middle of nowhere, stay at home mom malaise"  I am sort of desperate to work , but have put myself in a field where that's hard and it's super competitive. Sigh.  I think with 2-3 kids, it would be different, but I don't have that much to do to fill up the days. And I don't mind run/nap/play/eat/play/nap/bike but you know.  Such is life I guess.

When I went to change the bag in the diaper pail, I opened the lid to find Bobby's pajamas on top of all the diapers.  I knew he liked tilting that thing, but I didn't know he really knew how to work it.

When we ride the bike, he tries to take my hands off the handlebar so he can do it.

He really likes to identify birds we see - by making a beak of his hands. Does it whenever he sees, or even hears them.  Also into spotting airplanes when he hears them, he looks up. (sometimes identifies the sound of mack trucks though)

I got him to eat a bite of chicken.  He chewed it for probably 15 minutes.

We are going to the Ann Arbor Art Fair tomorrow.  http://www.artfair.org/

well i was going to blog but Bobby just woke up after about a 30 minute nap.  he's sort of a pain these days.

but when he's not a pain, he's pretty fun.  quite the mimic.   he wants to put the lids on everything.  sippy cup, apple juice, medicine.  that's where they go.

if you dunk your chip in guacamole or stir something up with a utensil, he wants to too.

wants you to wear the shoes that are on the floor, knows where they go.

weatherman: "it's going to be very warm today! 88. "

so i have more, but if this kid doesn't sleep, you'll never get to hear it.

Home alone - therefore I ramble

Tonight, we went to Light up the Night, in downtown Tecumseh.  It was underwhelming to say the least.  It was an antique car show, music in the park, and downtown business something.  Basically some cars in a bank parking lot,  a (good) band on the side patio of a store and one flower booth.  I guess I expected a little more.  But we (Bobby and I) took some dinner and listened to the music until they took a break, walked through the cars and then home.  There was a baseball game across the street from us so we watch an inning there too - just missing the ice cream truck.  On reconsideration, the cute little downtown is generously three blocks and nothing useful.  Everything is rather expensive too.

They were also fighting the Manchester Chicken Broil up the road, 4x 100 foot grills,  19,000 pounds of chicken   14,000 rolls.  This is why I need my own car.  Would have loved to gone.   There is 2-3 more festivals this weekend, don't know what Ricks schedule is though.  

Statistics say the population of 8,600 is evenly distributed, but there seems to be a dearth of 20 somethings.  Which is totally understandable, but it's weird to not see the attractive, fun, young people (that are older than high school)  I would also say I don't see young families, but I have walked/biked about 80 percent of the streets and see a lot of bikes and sandboxes and playsets in yards and garages.  Just can't find the families.  Seriously,  I have been to 3 elementary schools, the middle school and 3 parks - morning, noon and night - and I have seen noone else on the playgrounds.  Same with the library and pool and the lake - no one for me to play with.

Bobby is almost a walker.  He's pretty good at it, but just doesn't do it that often.  Mostly while playing in the basement.  He likes shoes. Tries to put them on, etc, but can't walk in them.  He's not eating well, which drives me crazy.  I think it's his teeth, but he's also really picky.  At this age, he should be eating a lot more than grilled cheese, yogurt and dry cereal.  I want to throw some asparagus tips, black beans and chicken cubes on his plate but that would be wasted.  And I've tried to mix it in different sauces and soups, but then I have to feed him and he doesn't want that either.  Oh well.

What's new

Slow week here.  Lots and lots of walking and biking.  There are tons of playgrounds and parks here.  We went to the community (indoor) pool today.  Nice facility, only have open swim 1.5 hrs/week and the water was cold but we had a nice time anyway.  Tomorrow, we try "the Pit" - some sort of lake and park recreation area.

Bobby hates his high chair,  even his new fancy booster seat hybrid thing.  Even if we all sit with him and eat. No tricks work.  He eats on the move if he is distracted.  I do not like this pattern but otherwise it's 3 bites and done.

After I wrote how well he was sleeping, I totally jinxed it.  He woke up twice the next night and up for the day at 6am.  Last night was better, slept through the night and today napped twice for 2.5 hours.  He's been sucking his fingers a lot so I keep expecting teeth, but nothing.  Occasionally I give him ibuprofen for them.  Hope that's not bad!

He also is biting a bit, but totally grabbing free skin and swiping at our faces.  He thinks it's pretty funny.  Ricks open scratch says otherwise.

Tour de Tecumseh

Tour de Tecumseh
Originally uploaded by sld78

We are up and running! (or biking at least).  He has been doing really well for long periods in the stroller and even getting in it himself in the mornings, but now we can go even further faster!  I got a new six speed bike at Meijer on sale and then the iBert bike seat from BabiesRUs online.  All for under $200.  $6 helmet used too. I think he likes it, but the jury is still out.   I got a mens bike so Rick will ride too but it would be more helpful to have the cross bar lower.  I have to ride with my knees just a tiny bit wide so if you have longer legs, you can put the seat up higher and it wouldn't be a problem.  Also tilted handle bars would help lots, but Bobby likes to hold onto them either way.

I think he is finally adjusted as he is sleeping better and whining less.  He slept about 11.5 hours last night and then took a two and a half hour morning nap, and was still ready right on time for his afternoon nap.  I am hoping to get the truck up and running for Rick next week and then Bobby and I will start our daytrips.

Notes

Obvious, but, there are very few foreign cars on the road.

At this rate, Cooper will be weaned before Bobby and Archer

You can get a lot of ice cream for $2 here.

We have hard water.  I don't really notice a difference (no dingy hair or clothes yet) Maybe Bobby is a little slimy in the bath.  Not as bubbly lathers.

Bobby has a "summer cough" He's had it for a while.  No fever, irritability or other symptoms, but either in the middle of the night or morning, he hacks pretty bad.  Nurse said to give him honey, or warm juice, plus use the humidifier etc, but nothing works.  Any ideas anyone?  When should I worry?

Happy Birthday Emily

13 months

I can't believe I've been here a week.  It feels like a month at least.  I've walked the whole town.  Mostly in 90 degree heat.  Nothing left to explore.  Except for the nail salons I guess.  Maybe we should get a babysitter and actually go out, but I don't even think there's places to eat, just ice cream.  And I don't think Rick will see Twilight.

I put Bobby to bed a little later tonight, in hopes that he will sleep past 5:30am.  He is sleeping through the night, going down super easily, but only sleeping about 10.5 hours.  He's not walking too much yet.  Standing up and down lots but not taking the steps.

He is crazy exhausted.  We play all day in rocks, mulch, grass, pebbles, swing, slide and in heat.  He's not eating that much which I hate, but I keep trying.  We're on a pasta kick now.  Probably since we don't have access to Harris Teeter mac and cheese.

I'm enjoying all the new pics and news when it comes.  I realized today I have no interaction with anyone but Bobby and Rick.  Small town yes, but not southern friendly.  Maybe they know I'm an outsider.  We'll try the library again tomorrow, haven't seen too many moms of little ones.

http://nymag.com/news/features/67024/    Okay, I haven't actually read this whole thing yet, so can't really push it as a recommended read, but here it is nonetheless.

Michigan (out of order)

The day had come and we sadly had to leave.  I wanted to be with Rick and I am more than ready to settle down, but not into a temporary place, and we loved our situation; so I had a lot of trepidation. We got packed up slowly. I had to send about 4 boxes of clothes and miscellany ahead of time.  Then packed two 60 pounds suitcases, so mom will be sending another box along.  So I had one 47 pound bag, a 49 pound bag, the giant car seat, my giant jogging stroller and the umbrella stroller. But we got it all checked along for free, thank god.

I've never spent more than a few days up here, so it is interesting already.  Flying into Detroit over some great lake was cool. There are a bunch of islands in the middle of it.  Also, it is soooo flat up here.  We are about 45 minutes SW of the airport, through a couple small towns.  So I was viewing this trip as a big adventure and actually got excited in the last couple days. I want to go to Canada, and go kayaking, and boating, and biking and explore things I don't know about, now that Bobby is a little older.  So all that was a positive thing, but then I realize Rick is working 6 days a week and often nights and weekends.  So I'll probably have to do it alone.  If anyone wants to come visit me, I want to rent an RV!

I can't even describe this town b/c I've never been anywhere like it, but I'm sure there are thousands of them around.  Lots of Victorian homes, with sidings, lots of lattice and colors etc.  There is a couple blocks of "Main Street" then the more commercial end with the Family Dollar store (yuck), grocery, Walgreens and CVS and fast food.  It will do.  Also, the Rooneys are lending us a truck that we'll pay insurance on and then I'll have my car to use for aforementioned adventures.  There are lots of people walking around  the neighborhood.  And there are those walk up ice cream stores all over this area and they're packed at night.

Also it's light here until at least 9:30, close to 10pm.  A little disorientating at first.  I'll be in touch and document it all as we hit up all the parades, pig roasts, festivals and whatnot in the next month!  And if you have any rich friends, tell them to donate to Rooney!

The House

Ok, I'll try to keep this short.  Here is the condo! It is in a little community of 13 condos.  We have a stand alone garage and there is a swing set and slide in an open area.  So I posted photos on flickr, but it is a good find.  The Rooneys lent us a changing table and crib.  But they couldn't find the screws, so Rick called Pottery Barn looking for some info and they freaked out it was a drop side crib, so are replacing it for free.  Bobbys room originally had twin beds in it, so now one is on the floor and one is in the basement.  There are two sinks upstairs and lots of cupboards and two linen closets, plus lots of hanging space. 

So there is one for sale across from us for $110K (which now that I think about it, it may be over priced)

First Day

Still so many thought to share, guess I just need to start typing!  And since the boys have both been asleep since before 7pm, I might as well get to it!  I guess they wore each other out. 

So the place is great.  It's small but for our needs, it's good.  It's about 30-45 minutes from everything which is the worst part, but for a no lease, no security deposit, month to month, fully furnished, all utilities and cable included, we got lucky.  And everything is here, collander, can opener, oven mitts, trash cans, hangers, cleaning supplies, ironing board, etc. And lots of closets and cupboards, and they provided several dressers and shelves.  So having done this before, I appreciate this set up.   Rick had totally been living like a bachelor.  One plate, one fork, one pot, precooked food etc.  So he's glad to have it.  It is quickly becoming a home.  Anyway,

Rick had the day off, so he wanted to show me around, go shopping, go to the park etc, but we really needed to get settled and get our bearings.  So we hund out here in the morning, Bobby napped, we activated Ricks new Blackberry (woo hoo), had lunch, then got our act together.  We drove up to Ann Arbor to pick up a $35 rocking chair - which made bedtime a heck of a lot easier.  Then while there, we found a kid consignment store! And found some toys and a diaper champ ($13) which saved our trip out tonight to get the craigslist one. 

I realize I'm rambling, so I'll try to edit myself in the future!!  But oh yah =  we saw a BEAVER in the front yard when we were playing!!!  Just walking across the front like a cat or something, then scampered away before I could click it with my phone!

We made it

Lots to share, but I'm pretty tired. Bobby is still a good traveler, but oh boy,  is he (hyper)active!  Did not stay still, let alone nap, for 5+ hours.  We are settled in for the night, busy day tomorrow.  It is good to be with dad, but we miss Grammy lots and lots.   Hope I can find some time to recap all the thoughts about the new place, and getting four big pieces of luggage checked!  We are here though and the adventures begin!  Photos will be forthcoming so don't overanalyze this one ;)

Lean Little Guy

Weight:  21 pounds, 13 oz. (25%)
Height: 30.5 inches (75%)

Another reason, this isn't my kid:  he's tall and skinny.  Height measurements are pretty inaccurate however.  I guess he's doing fine. Motor skills are good, communication is probably average. He blabbers lots but says few words.  Doc says he's on track and nothing to worry about.  Not worried that he's a picky eater.  He got 4 shots and a finger prick for an iron blood test.  Iron is fine.  The shots were right leg, left leg, right tricept, left tricept.  OUCH.  First prick- nothing.  Second - a cry. Recover from that and she got him right in the fleshy arm.  Then again.  But he was a champ.  Then we walked home and he fell asleep right as we got to our street.  It was about an hour past naptime.

Karma

Okay, last post of the day, promise.

We went to Walmart this afternoon, breaking my "don't go on a weekend, or after noon in general" rule.  But I got zen and went for it.  So Walmart has the diagonal parking spots, meaning they also have one way rows in the lot.  I am slowly driving down my lane, and in zooms a car going against the arrow  (and me) and takes a hard left into a spot.  This is a good spot, about 3 from the store, and one that I hadn't even seen yet. But since the rows are one way, the spots are angled meaning she had to take about a 120 degree turn.  So she flies into it hard, obviously since I was 1. in the middle of the driving lane and 2. probably going to take it.  Totally cuts in front of me, you get the picture.  Point is: she hit the car in the space next to her.  HAHA.  Of course, I honked when she cut me off (it was sort of close, but very rude) but then she stops the car and I see her start to get out ("Oh shit") thinking she would yell at me but she was looking at the car she had just hit.  I guess there was a noise (or my horn)  b/c everyone was looking.  But then the lot security geezer came over and I went and calmly parked. With a big ol' smile on my face.

Weaning

So I guess when I'm alone, literally and with my thoughts,  my dear readers get a lot of entries.

So in his missing his father mode, Bobby bit me last week while going down to a nap.  He thought it was very funny, but now I have a lot of pain when nursing.  We were playing in my room today since it is so very hot out, and I have some bottles in a bin.  He seemed very interested in them and started sucking one.  Since it was approaching nap time, we ran down to the kitchen, nuked some whole milk and went to the rocking chair in his dark room (just like naptime)  He drank up almost 4 oz (in about the same time he would use to nurse) and then I put him in his crib.  3-4 minutes of crying later, he's sleeping.  He held the bottle himself and was wide awake the whole time, so I think this is good.  I didn't want to wean to a bottle, since he isn't on them currently, but we have to start somewhere.

I wasn't actively trying to do that (and 1 day does not a habit make)  but I think I'll continue to cut out that 2pm feeding.  We'll do this very slowly since he's a picky eater and I don't know where his calories are coming from otherwise.  I'm going to follow a "Don't offer, Don't Refuse" methodology.

He Walked!

Not just me propping him up a few steps away and having him fall at me.  Bobby planted his feet, planted his hands, stuck his butt up in the air and stood up.  Then I saw he was thinking about it, so I held out my arms and he came a good 6-7 steps towards me before buckling.   He is a lot more secure walking with help and will do it with one hand.  Guess I need to keep the video camera close.

Bobby is feeling better and acting like it too for the most part.  We went to the Little Gym and he had a lot of fun, but was still clingy toward the end.  Might have been hungry.  He napped for 1.5 hours.  I thought he banged his head really bad yesterday because he had a big red bump, but he never cried and I was on top of him all morning yesterday so had no idea how he did it.  But today it isn't bruised and looks more like two bug bites.  Guess he didn't need the ice on his forehead.  We do have his check up on Monday which is good in case his ears are bothering him (which today he has yet to touch so far)

I put Bobby on the scale at the vets and it said he was only 22.2 pounds.

Mother ... Nature

So Elizabeth noticed last weekend that we had some baby birds living in a potted fern on the deck and since then Mom and I have been keeping an eye out for them.  This is hard because of the hawks that live next door.  Their nest was out front, but our backyard seems to be their new hunting ground.  Often I see one sitting in the grass right out the back door, and 2 on the fences, and this morning there was one in the tree that Wiley always climbs! (very close to the nest)  Plus Sophie had sniffed around there once or twice and Lacey was supposed to visit, so these birds had the odds stacked against them.  But today, I just saw them hopping around the glass table in back.  They were pretty fuzzy still and more jumping between the railings and ground, instead of flying.  So I just hope they were practicing and will go back since the sprinklers had been on.  They seem to be hanging out under a bush behind the grill, which is a little safer from hawks, but not great being at ground level.  I'll keep you posted.

Bobby is standing a ton now

If this is separation anxiety, we didn't time it well.  First Rick leaves.  Then Grammy goes away today for a weekend trip. Then we take Sophie to the vet.  My normally independent laid back kid is gone.  He wants to be held and picked up all the time and is super cranky and needy.  Plus, he's pulling his ears a bit and has a snotty nose and woke up at 5:30am and his morning nap was only 45 minutes, so he's been a handful today.

ONE!

Bobby is going through something this week. It may be a cold, but it's more likely that he misses Rick.  He is super clingy and wants to be held all the time.

He is super good at standing on his own and squats down to get stuff and back up etc, but he hasn't really tried to walk on his on.  We can sometimes prop him up and he will take 2-3 steps/fall to get the thing in front of him, but if he's not in the right mood he will fall to his knees and crawl.

Rick left on Monday and has started working.  He moved into a little house in an Ann Arbor suburb.  I think it will be really nice and seems like Main Street, USA and all that small town goodness.  It will do for a couple months.  Then I want Target, a gym, a Little Gym and all that back.

Best place to live  93/100  Tecumseh, MI:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/snapshots/PL2679120.html
We can get a four bedroom house for $103 K or less.

Longest Nap Ever

Granted, he did play hard outside in the water and the heat, and his morning nap was only an hour, but Bobby slept from 1:45 to 4:10 this afternoon.  He hasn't broken the two hour mark since he's been taking structured naps.  Unfortunately this is probably a sign that the morning nap might be on its way out within the month. 

Just becuase

Just because it still boggles my mind, and you all can appreciate:
My friend just had twins, due 6/1.  so 39 weeks
7# 15oz and 8# 11 oz twins born vaginally.

Sunday night

Rick refuses to watch Lost with me.  We considered going to a movie but could not agree on one.

The ACC baseball tournament is in Greensboro this week.  We are going to a few games.

It is Rick's 40th birthday this Saturday.  He says send your presents now.

Bobby is more and more like the dog every day.

He is also quite clever. He figured out at dinner to hold his sippy cup upside down then pinch the soft nipple so all the water ran out; he then could play with it all over his tray.

Dinner

Bobby apparently likes pesto and frozen blueberries. He is a bit of a picky eater though, anti-veg and pro-carb and sweets.

We are excited to see Grammy tomorrow!!!

Growing so fast!

Bobby is getting good at standing without holding on and often does it while clapping.  He loves to bounce and clap along with music.

He also likes to hold onto things and "jump."  He never leaves the ground but he will jump in his crib, or holding your hands or a table.  Pretty funny stuff.  He was also in a booth in a restaurant, looking over the back and would squat down and stand up quickly - playing peek a boo.

He apparently got his 7th tooth.  Lower right outside.  Just noticed today, don't know when it came in.  If you try to feel around, he'll bite, so i stopped looking in there.

Rick is probably going to stay here until Bobby's birthday (6/4).  We MIGHT have him baptized that Friday night. SUPER LOW KEY CASUAL. 5 minutes ceremony before/after/during? 5:15pm mass with his coffee friends. We don't even have godparents as of now, so it might not even happen. Same with his birthday party, we might celebrate on Saturday if Elizabeth and Emily can come visit.  SUPER DUPER NOT A BIG DEAL.  But Rick hasn't left yet and is not organized enough to leave yet and gets paid for a couple more weeks, so he's just enjoying his son right now.

Quick Trip to DC

Metro stop
Originally uploaded by sld78

More on this later. 30 hours round trip. Saw Kirin and GW rowing graduates and NCS sophomore rowers. Stayed in Chinatown with Kirin. Some walking, kept it simple, didn't do too much. Rainy on Wednesday, cold on Thursday, but still lots of fun and so far not disruptive. Bobby slept 11.5 hours last night and then a 1:45 morning nap. So recovering probably, but on schedule.

So cute

006
Originally uploaded by sld78

And

Bobby can go down the stairs backwards alone! Yay.

He also can blow on his hot food. Of course this means he also blows on his yogurt and applesauce!

He motions his palm to his mouth to blow kisses and has also been seen to pucker his lips once or twice.

11 Months

Wow, times flies.  No more talking today. but he is definitely in a copying phase.  lots of repetition will get similar noises out of him.  He has a blast walking behind his walker and he makes laps across the house all by himself - even on the hardwood.  He is really enjoyable to parent these days. Maybe b/c I'm not doing it all around the clock anymore.  Or maybe b/c i'm finally getting some sleep, but he is just a really good kid.  We've been shopping a lot lately and he's a super good sport, same with going out to eat.  We're having fun playing family. 

I am getting a sore jaw from feeding him since I apparently open my mouth every time I want him to. 

Getting so big

Bobby sort of said his first word today. he definitely said "bye bye"  after we had said it several times.  so he copied us but i'll say it was clear.  he makes some 'da' sounds but no mama. and the dadadada isn't to a person, just a noise.

he's getting good at walking with the walker and stood behind it for several seconds with no hands a couple times today.

we all went to the park and the dog park today.  it was a nice afternoon.  the dog is pretty depressed but we're trying to cheer her up.

4/28

We are really enjoying having Rick around.  Obviously, I do as he has been put to work!  He watches Bobby all the time.  I take long showers and don't have to rush through emails and whatnot.  So far I don't think Rick is sick of it and he has adjusted to earlier mornings and being 'on' all the time.

Bobby is really fun right now.  He imitates really well and we're working on high fives and blowing kisses, but he's good at shaking his finger no, no, no and okay at waving bye bye (it's usually delayed until after you really leave)  As most babies do, he loves music and bops along.  Likes songs with hand motions especially (twinkle/twinkle, itsy bitsy spider, hokey pokey, head,shoulders knees and toes, patty cake)  He is having fun in the pool for the most part and loves the Little Gym where he can crawl and climb and roll around.  Not really close to walking, but does push his mini bike around and cruises the furniture really well.  Won't walk if you hold his hands though.

He had his first pbj sandwich the other day and ate it all up (no crusts)  No peanut issue, hope I didn't cause one by giving him that too early.  He's finally got an appetite and is eating pretty heartily.  He likes the jarred food more than my homemade stuff, but we get a variety of everything.  He eats a lot of fruit.  Hasn't really taken to cheese or meat by itself.

I am thinking about weaning him.  Not now, but thinking about how I would even do it and I have no clue.  He only really nurses first thing in the morning, going down to his two naps and at bedtime.  I don't want to go to a milk bottle, but can't see him taking a sippy cup while cuddling.  I guess I'll start experimenting in a couple of weeks.  I should take advantage of having Rick around to mix things up and share that burden.

Now that all our house guests who couldn't listen to crying at night are gone, we are back to sleeping better.  He goes down to bed and his naps with no or very little protest (<2') but had been waking up around 3/4am - which is 9+ hours after he goes down to sleep, so of course he's hungry and I go feed him.  He has stopped staying awake and usually just eats, but he's often hard to re-crib and then after some crying I get in the bed in his room with him and we sleep the rest of the night.  Interestingly, the last two nights this has been to 8/8:15am, which is very bizarre, but tonight I am not going to rush the feeding, I will change him and put him back in his crib alone.  End of story.  (or so I say, if he sobs, I'll go in there)

Had a nice date last night and a nice day today,  bought myself some birthday cupcakes with lots of buttercream icing, plus we shopped a little for Bobby (so hard not to buy him clothes!!) and Rick got some new jeans.  then napping and more playing!  Off to Basking Robbins tonight (for takeout unfortch though)

Bobby is really enjoying his visitors, although Cash might not agree as he gets followed around and has to defend his toys and food and dummy.  It is totally true that you need two of everything.  Whatever one has, the other wants (both ways)

Bobby is into putting things in containers

Rick will be here tonight!

I'm on a roll

Swim "lessons" were good today.  I'll get some photos when Rick can come to class.  Bobby did really well, he wasn't scared at all and by the end really loosened up and was splashing and jabbering.  He loved when I blew bubbles, he reached after toys, paddle on the kickboard. We have six classes and I think he'll get pretty far by then end and will figure out kicking (maybe) and try to put his face under and maybe even paddle a bit.  Mostly because he's really into imitation now.  He liked jumping from a sitting position into the pool/my arms.  Hopefully we can continue around town until some neighbor pools warm up.

Grammy can get Bobby to wave bye bye.

He is still pretty afraid of the grass, but that doesn't stop him from eating it.  Or just putting it in his mouth, because then he dislikes the feeling and spits it out.  He also knows that he shouldn't do stuff like that; when he eats pebbles, he knows to open his mouth for me. He doesn't seems to try to swallow them, or at least not very fast.

And

5:19am this morning. He knows. If he wakes up earlier, I’ll be there. Must break this.


So I turn on the tv. He’s interested in it for about 30 seconds and probably only because it’s bright.

Somethings wrong with my laptop. Sucks. It has slowed down a lot and I hate that I can’t find anything wrong.

He is also really cute. Natch. A while back I was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while nursing him and he started opening and closing a fist – the hand motion for a star. I wasn’t even doing it. Now he does that and sometimes, the Itsy bitsy spider.

He wakes up with a dirty diaper. I think it’s a wake up poop, not an overnight one. And then after I change it and we play for about 20 minutes, he poops again.

10 MONTHS

I am blogging because I rarely do, but to me, our lives are dull, so continue at your own desire. 

We had a nice trip up to DC/NJ/PA and got to see Rick and Roseann and a couple of my friends. I wanted to do more in DC but was a bit unorganized and sort of unable to get it together with transportation and naps and all that.  I will have to go back to see my NCS and GW girls and my yoga teacher. I really really miss coaching right now - that it's racing season and so nice out.  I don't even think UNC has any home races to get my fix.

Bobby is doing great though.  Sleep is still our big 'issue'  but it's a lot less of an Issue, just something I'm always working on.  Last night marked the fifth time, in his entire life, that he slept through the night.  That being 7pm to about 5:45am.  I am really trying to get him to stay asleep until 6am.  This might mean a little crying until then, so the question is, if he's smart enough to get up earlier and earlier if I go to him at 5:55/5:37/5:42am, does the reverse hold?  If I dont' get him, will he just chill out in there?  Probably not the time to work on it with house guests!  Also he went down for his 2 naps today without any fuss.  However, this second nap seems to be over right now. And I didn't even get to eat lunch yet! 

He is a bit of a picky eater but gets enough good stuff in.  He is quite cheeky but of course adorable.  He will imitate you (eventually) so we are working on our sign language, but he just ends up clapping.  He tries to make his fingers snap if you do it in front of him.  He often will plant his feet, straighten his legs and stick his butt up in the air as if he's about to stand up.  He cruises down the coffee table, but won't walk if you hold his hands; he just leans foward.

Swim "lessons" start tomorrow!

Updates

So, in case you didn't get the whole story, I went to a junior league meeting the other night way down south Elm street, almost near Lee, and was the first car parked on a side street off Elm and sometime in the 1.5 hours I was inside, my car window was smashed and my GPS was taken.  That's it.  didn't even rifle through the console or diaper bag etc.  Annoying more than anything.  Replaced window for $200 and GPS for $120.  Would have waited, but would like it for my roadtrip next week.

Bought a big boy car seat for Bobby.  $280 and I paid $128 thanks to coupons and gift cards -THANKS ROSEANN.   I shopped around Babies R Us for other stuff, but found I didn't need anything there anymore.  I guess I don't have a little baby anymore.  He's on to bigger and better things.  Not really that sad about it though. 

We are learning how to sleep here and it is going pretty well.  He cries for either 0 minutes or 30-40 minutes then falls asleep on his own and wakes up once or twice tops in the middle of the night - in which he is able to put himself back to sleep in about five minutes.  He had been sleeping until at least 7am, but the last 2 mornings were 5/5:30am.  Today though, I nursed him and then slept with him until 8:30am!  Totally messed up nap time of course, but he needs it and we'll deal with napping after travelling is over. (mini brag:  he slept 7:10pm to 5am on Thursday, of course I was still up hourly though)

We are driving up to DC next week then onto NJ where we'll get to see Rick again, very excited about that.  Not sure how he'll do in the car for that long (Bobby, not Rick) but we'll take our time and see. Will pass on going to St. Louis for Ricks last weekend there (4/11), I really want to, and even found good flights, but the boy needs to be in his crib.  And I signed up for swim lessons and want to be here for them.  And I'm supposed to run a 10miler with Emily that weekend.... I guess I need to find a babysitter for that. 

Bobby doesn't like to eat off a spoon, unless it's yogurt or something sweet.  Only likes to feed himself and even then is really picky.  I think it's a phase/transition so I just have to give him time and keep trying to make sure he eats more than carbs!

Otherwise, he is a happy healthy baby with ridiculous amounts of energy and curiosity.  He is very fast and a good climber, so watch out! (And now that I look at this picture, I would have not let him in there at all, (moot point now since he then broke that table)) He loves the bath and I can't wait to get him in a baby pool this summer.    This is a really busy month and we are excited to have Rick back and see the Martin boys again soon.

He's a Machine

I may have a robot for a baby.  He doesn't seem to need sleep or food to survive.  He continues to take really short naps and they seem to be getting farther apart which makes for the possibility that we only nap twice - no big deal for a 9 month old but not when they are barely over an hour added together.  he plays so hard and so nonstop, I don't know how he doesn't crash for hours at a time.

he is a really slow eater too, and pretty uninterested in food.  I try to feed him often since he doesn't take in very much at all at one setting.  Breakfast is pretty light, second breakfast is just a little fruit,  lunch varies and if we get it timed right, dinner can be substantial.

so what does he like?  baths and water - from the water dispenser in the fridge, sinkwater, showers, cups of water - all fun.  "brushing" his teeth, climbing stairs, climbing anything actually, opening doors, knocking down blocks. laptops, banging his head against the wall, dancing to music, the dog - a lot, throwing things on the floor and me.

i mention this because he is particularly attached to me.  fine playing by himself, as long as he can locate me.  this makes childcare at the gym difficult and my workouts get cut short.  this part is lousy.

we are gearing up for spring and summer and happy the weather is getting better.  we can go walking more now, but he is getting over the stroller and wants to be out of it.

He wore his Virginia jersey for the ACC tournament, but they lost to Duke, oh well.  He was also trying on some shorts, which are a little small, but show off his calf nicely (right Allison)  He also likes to put blocks on his head, hence the pose.  He is really not my kid though,  those skinny legs, sheesh.  maybe the pasty white part though.

Stats

9 months
19 pounds 8 oz (50 percentile)
30 inches (75%)

Shout outs

Interesting week here. Rick came to GSO for 3 days. Yay.

First, huge huge THANKS to mom for watching Bobby lots and lots. Not because Rick and I went on dates and movies, but because we were soooo sick. Lots of puking and other stuff, Rick was way worse than me, I'm just tougher actually, but we were just tired and weak and nauseous for a good 2 days. Rick also had a fever - which you don't usually get with a stomach bug. So I was a waste of space, and Mom thankfully stepped in to feed, walk, play with Bobby etc. So his trip was pretty lousy, no dates, no home cooking, no rest, very little playing with Bobby, and then his flight was delayed and we had to get up at 3:30am to catch a 6am plane in RDU. But he's now in St. Louis and doing better - for now. Work situation is still iffy. I think Bobby missed the bug, but actually he did puke a couple times Sunday night, but I just attributed it to his rough cough /post nasal drip and my infection if anything. And he was over whatever he did have right away.

Second big thanks to Elizabeth. Who brought Archer up to NY state for a quick 36 hour visit just to babysit so we could attend Kirins wedding. It was the longest period for me away from him (over 7 hours) but I wasn't really bothered. I knew he was in good hands - even if he was awake too late, I didn't mind b/c I know he hates sleep. I was also happy to hear Wiley survived.

So I am very lucky to have family around and able to help me out in such a big way.

Bobby is crawling decently, not super motivated to get around, but he gets it done. He is super noisy too, just non stop rambling. He seems to want more than anything to stand and walk. He pulls himself up on anything and then will let go of one hand and tries to jump to another object. He climbs up on me all the time. He's gonna be trouble. He still is a very bad sleeper. 2-3 very short naps, I don't know how to consolidate them. Still waking 2-3 times overnight on a good night. Bedtime can be 15 minutes, but it can be an hour long battle too. We've had no schedule/routine so I don't blame him for being messed up, but it's getting a bit old.

Oh, and while all of this is going on, there's also this. When we were in California, Bobby was fussy, so I was trying to help him nurse. Sometimes when he gets overtired he needs a little help starting nursing to settle down. Guess I forced him a little and he wasn't interested so he bit me. Hard. That was Feb. 10. It bled later that day when he did nurse (bloody mouth). And I don't remember what happened between then and now, but sometime last weekend the cut just got infected/bigger/deeper/who knows, but it hurts like hell. So I'm either going to have to find some medical super glue, not use that side or see a doctor soon.

I'm ready for my kid to get to the funny and silly personality blog posts.

mini milestone

this was so good, i had to turn the computer back on. When Bobby woke up at 11:15 tonight, I went him to find him STANDING in his crib! This is a big deal for him since it takes several steps to get there and I've never seen him pull himself up during the day. He's been trying for months but I guess now he can. This could be bad b/c anytime he's on his tummy, he'll want to get into seated position.

of course, he's up again, the first 30' of putting him down didn't take. gotta go!

cALIFORNIA

We are having a nice visit with Rick. The weather is phenomenal. Bobby is being really good although his sleeping is sometimes messed up. He is in the hotel crib which helps us all sleep better. He has had some late bedtimes but weathers them fine. We had a great visit with Judy, spent the afternoon touring and playing, then Rick came up for a home cooked dinner. Uncle Rob had a show in town so it just worked out to see him. Rick made a quick call to go to Islands since it is so convenient and pleases all and is baby friendly. I actually offered Outback.

I leave on Monday then Rick meets me in Saratoga Springs for Kirins wedding. Then he will go from there back to St. Louis for work for 2-3 months. I'll give him a week or two to get the lay of the land and we'll see what is next.

Bobby is still not crawling but can pivot really well. His teeth are very goofy, it will be silly when you see them when he smiles. i also hear him grinding his teeth occasionally. And, he likes to bite. You think he is coming in for a hug but he ends up trying to nibble on my shoulder. I am concerned about his eating. He is really hard to get food into. Not interested in being spoon fed, and likes finger food but will not stay still to eat. Sheesh.

SO you've probably figured it out now, but I am in California. Literally bought my ticket about 4pm on Saturday, then at 4am left for Raleigh airport for a 6:30am flight Sunday. Called Rick at 6am his time from Cincinnati and he came and got me at 11am. We got a car, some lunch and settled in to watch the Superbowl in his hotel room in Oceanside - which is right outside the base gate. Bobby did really well on the flights again, took some short naps and wasn't fussy or even that bothered by the cramped quarters for 4+ hours. I think he went to bed at 5/6pm and slept rather well but got up at 5am! I thought he had adjusted today, he took his 3 naps at usual times, but was not able to go down while we went out to dinner. He is actually now in that hotel crib (see flickr) but the mattress is so hard, I doubt he goes back in there after he awakens and I don't blame him. I get the idea of co-sleeping. It's so easy for the mom and quite comfortable/comforting for the baby. I just don't want to make it a long term thing. He is going to be all sorts of messed up sleep wise but it's worth it.

Today we drove around, went to Kohls, ate lunch with Rick, got some groceries, then went for a walk around the marina for about an hour. It was so warm and sunny and just lovely out. Rick worked until about 6, which is silly b/c no one else has anything to do but a couple of guys and him. Boo. Then Dinner at Islands!!! Rick is good though. Bobby is taking some time to warm up to him, but it's probably less him and more "not mom" so that sucks b/c I had visions of going running and stuff like that without the dear child, maybe later on.

8 Months

It's very hard to put a baby to sleep when it won't stop clapping. I think there was a little interpretative dance in there as well.

He is getting better at feeding himself, often having to put several fingers in his mouth in order to release the food though. He seems to be not interested in the food if it's on a spoon and just wants finger foods, even if the delivery is difficult.

Not surprising, but I am putting away a lot of 6 month clothes since he is getting too long for them. Still room in other directions.

Still only crawling backwards. but he does get up on hands and toes now.

Snow

at least 6 inches, now it's freezing rain/sleeting and packing it down some. just yucky out.

bobby finally rolled over from his front to his back. and he seemed really proud of himself. he did it repeatedly on my bed, but since he leads with his head, he seems not wanting to repeat it on the floor.

he slept well enough last night. doc said antibiotics would take 3 days to work but we definitely got some peace, slept 7p-2a straight, then i couldn't put him in his crib so we slept in my bed 3-7 with some wakeups, but so much better than the last 2 weeks for sure. he skipped his morning nap and is down now, i want to go shovel but might give him 10 minutes to make sure he's under.

local paper came, but NYT and WSJ did not... (i actually thought the same guy delivered them all)

sophie attacked the diaper pail yesterday. carried it into bobby's room, several feet and chewed the handle, but thank god, was unable to penetrate to get to the poop!

Wah

I feel like I've been giving Bobby a lot of Tylenol lately, so I decided to not give it to him last night since he had a fine day. I don't know if it was coincidence or what, but Bobby has an ear infection. I wonder if the Tylenol had been suppressing his fever and it just came out last night or what. Probably not, but I hope he hasn't been sick for long and I ignored it. But I guess if you have a cold for a month, it's going to turn into something like this. He wasn't draining liquid from his ear or pulling at it so the 101.0 fever this morning told me to go to the doctor. He had a very sleepless and irritable night but has gotten 2 good naps in today and when he wakes up, I'll start him on the amoxicillian. He was 19,5 pounds at 7 and 3/4 months - still a lean little thing.

The cold has come in. It is suddenly very bitter out and I guess the snow is coming. If they say 6-12", it'll be about 3-5 I'm guessing. Enough to make us stay home of course. I wanted to have a big errand day and hit the gym before it came, but the boy needs sleep and cuddle time, so that's the new plan. Also, wanted to see the Wilson's this weekend, but that might have to wait.

Jan. wrap up

nothing special going on, except our chronic nonsleeping, so I haven't written much lately. napping is a bit of an issue now, he's just not interested in staying down (or can't make himself) and likes being awake in general. sometimes takes 2 naps, then gets cranky at night.

i screwed him up majorly at bedtime. i can get him to fall asleep fine, even without the swaddle, but now i can't get him into the crib, out of my arms, without waking him up. it usually takes 3 tries even when i was sure he was asleep.

we almost have all 4 top teeth fully through. he likes to try to bite us with them.

still working this cold, no fever, just snot and an occasional cough

he's still pretty happy if not just a bit short tempered.

rick is getting out of iraq next week.

my new month resolution is a spending freeze. airplane tickets, shower gifts, wedding gifts, new dresses, new makeups, trainer sessions, new car tires, little gym. i am stopping as soon as i find shoes for the wedding.

MLK Day

A sleeping blog- what a surprise. Either out of sheer exhaustion or some tylenol, Bobby slept from 7pm to 3am last night, then ate and slept again until 5:30am. And he was even going down again, but I think he had swallowed so so much snot all night, he vomited up everything in his tummy. It was so sad seeing it go everywhere. He got in a quick rest from 6-7am.

I think he feels absolutely lousy, but only acts like it when tired. So the Martins are watching him currently since he only managed a 40 minute nap and cried literally as soon as I turned on the computer and settled down with a diet coke.

These teeth are probably the beginning of a rough period for the little guy while more teeth come in! I had said recently, teething only causing teeth, but I amend that. No diaper rash or fever for us, but mucous for sure. He had a snotty cold for several weeks that just dried up and this different than that.

Sunday 1/17

Having a great time visiting with the Martins. Lunch out yesterday, then Cash's birthday celebration. Baptism today. We had a super rough night, two actually, but last night he was up probably 8 times in the (only) eight hours he was in bed. We figured it must be teething, He's been mouthing everything. I hadn't checked in a while, so I went in, and sure enough - teeth!

Top four teeth. The middle two seem to be right under the surface, one for sure you can see, but what's sort of goofy is that the two outside front teeth have come through. Very vampire-esque.

1/16/09

Bobby can clap! He's been banging things he holds together for a while now and would hit things in his hand with his other hand, but Grandma Vegas taught him how to clap with flat palms tonight. Yay.

Off to the new City Center tomorrow and having a little birthday celebration for Cash.

Las Vegas

Back on the road again. 7 months old is very different than 7 weeks or 4 months - the last times we flew. Bobby was still really good, very charming, and quiet. Luckily I was literally the only one in security line in Greensboro. Followed no one, no one else came up. Good thing b/c I took my time. Baby/carrier/stroller/purse/shoes/belt/diaperbag (with laptop and kindle in it!). I think I took 10 minutes, but the TSA folks did come and help load me up, maybe I looked that pathetic.

Short flight to Charlotte felt longer, was cramped, but I dealt and we were able to just play a bit since the flight was 4-4:40 ish. Was able to stop in the USO when changing terminals since I didn't leave until 6pm. Changed diaper, tried to nurse, had a little snack, went to gate, boarded close to last - to see where the empty seats were and to shorten the amount of time we were cramped in there.

Luckily I had an aisle seat and no one was in the middle. This was huge b/c I could nurse him and use the seat for his junk. There was a 6 year old girl across the aisle who loved him and Bobby just liked watching her - and everyone and anyone else on the plane. I guess he fell asleep around 7 (i'm guessing) for maybe an hour and a half, I guess I should wear a watch, but he was definitely up at 9pm and then stayed up. Sleepy but unaffected and definitely not interested in going back to sleep. luckily we got in about 40 minutes early. Got our bags, met Carolyn and then he finally lost it in the carseat - just sobbing.

So quickly to bed (now on to pacific time, 8:30pm). I thought he was just adjusting to the time change wisely, but at 3am he seemed to forget he wasn't on Eastern time. He woke up 11pm, 3 am - wouldn't go back down until 4:30 and then was up at 6:30 but very chipper. He wouldn't nap this morning until after 10am but he's a trooper and enjoying Cash and Allison and Slider, and of course Carolyn and Chandler.

We're babysitting Cooper currently and it's quiet time for a little bit longer I hope. It's crazy how quickly I forgot how 'new' babies are. Just awkward, noisy little things. But sweet too.

Last Night

Bobby slept from 6:40 (-7:20) - 3:40.
Chugged a bunch of milk, projectile spit up a ton, then slept again, 5-5:40-7:30.
That shouldn't be impressive for a 7 month old, but for him 8+ hours is really unusual, after several nights of midnight/2am/4am/5:30am wakeups. I actually got up at 2am to check on him. He had rolled onto his tummy and that is probably why is slept for so long. Naps are still generally 40 minutes but the second one has been 2 hours a few times, but that also means he's awake from 2 or 3pm on and gets cranky way before what I would like bedtime to be.

7 Months Old

Thought I'd just put some notes up. Bobby is still a good bit snotty, going on 3 weeks now, but no other symptoms and seems to act just fine. It seems to be manageable and we suction out a lot in the mornings, b/c I worry about that all draining when he's nursing, but it doesn't bother him.

Sleep issues are still the same. In bed about 11.5-12 hours at night, maybe just under, but still waking up 3-5 times. Up around 6:30am usually. Naps are where I would like to improve if I could. He usually takes three 40 minute naps. You can set your watch by it. So there isn't a lot of time to get a ton done, usually a shower and he's up e.g. Sometimes it's less, but it's often all he needs and it takes the edge off and we go back to playing.

He is ridiculously energetic and curious. Grabbing for everything and anything. Likes to bang things together.

He is about the same verbally. Occaisonal da/ga/ma/la sounds, but more often just grunts and giggles and squeals.

His favorite method of communication is spitting though. It's like a raspberry on steriods. I don't think I taught him this, I don't know what triggers it, he just does it, and follows it with a cheeky smile. Even if you don't react shocked or at all, he still will do it a couple times, including during a meal. I have tried to get it on video but not successfully yet.