Baldy's update

He's still not rolling since that first weekend he developed his new skill. He isn't sitting up yet either. He has discovered his thumb and loves it. It has become his favorite activity. He also enjoys staring at his hands. He looks at them like they are talking to him...pure amazement. He just loves attention and to be held. If he has undivided attention he gives out smiles and giggles. He even likes to be thrown in the air and gives a big laugh when he comes back down. The cutest thing is he adores his big brother. Alooks over at G when he is talking and gives him big smiles.

He is making lot of progress with his naps. He is taking a morning nap that is at least an hour long and an afternoon nap that is usually an hour and half to two hours. He takes more than one afternoon nap, but only one tends to be the big one.



Unfortunately with preschool and other big brother activities I have been waking Adam early from his naps or delaying his nap for a "junk" nap in the car. I feel so guilty about this because I know how well he sleeps in his crib and how lousy he sleeps in the car. He always wakes up when we get home, so that's only about 30 minutes.

A and G are so different, but sleep is another big difference. A wakes up and often stays quiet, looks around, sucks on his thumb, and just chills. Sometimes I'm not sure when he has woken up until I hear his playful kicking in the crib. If I wasn't so worried about G destroying his room I would move the video monitor to A's room.

Gigantor update

I found out how to drop G off at preschool without a huge scene. Apparently if I drop him off when everyone is seated, he just walks up to the table to take his seat. He even says goodbye to me and I am able to just walk out. Amazing. If I drop him off during free play, just a few minutes earlier it's a cry-fest.

I wish I could figure out how to make him eat. His diet is horrible. Breakfast is usually cereal or oatmeal, but lunch and dinner is when it gets really bad. One of the meals is usually yogurt, the other is hit or miss. Sometimes it's hot dogs, nuggets, meatballs, cheese, or purely snacks. Grandma got him Juice Plus for Christmas...probably more for me than him since I worry about his horrid diet all the time. He loves taking his gummies and I feel better that he is getting some nutrition. However I wish he would try eating new things or some of the things he used to eat: avocado, carrots, turkey, toast. Seriously, I'm not even talking about hard core veggies like broccoli! He won't touch pizza or pasta (if it has sauce). If he doesn't like the look of it, it's not getting anywhere near his mouth. However he has some amazing spidey sense for sweets. He'll try anything that looks like it could contain sugar. However he rejected Grandma's delicious lemon meringue pie after tasting it. Clearly his taste buds still need some fine tuning.

Sadly the other part of his life, sleeping, is not going well either. He has recently started to really resist night time sleep. It's almost identical to what he did for naps. He cried and protested that "I don't have to go to sleep." "It's up time." "I want to go outside!" UGH. He ripped off all the childproof doorknobs throughout the house, so there is no keeping him in his room unless we hold the door.

One thing we have discovered recently is that massages really calm him down. We've been trying to incorporate a massage into his bedtime routine to help with calming him down and getting him relaxed for sleep. So far he still cries when we eventually do leave. However in the morning he has been better about just getting up out of his bed and coming to visit us instead of crying for us. He brings toys for each of us (even Oskar) and soon we have our bed piled with cars and trains and Oskar's crate is covered too. Once I'm unable to move without rolling onto a train it's time to get up. It usually buys us 15 or 20 minutes to lay in bed. He makes sure we aren't sleeping by jumping all over the bed and making us hold cars. The joys of toddlerhood.

Swimming is over and apparently he told the people in the office he didn't want to come back. He didn't do quite as well at his last lesson as he did the lesson before, but he still had a good day. However since he says he doesn't want to go back we are going to take an extended break and revisit the possibility of swim lessons later. I'm just afraid it will be money wasted if we don't keep up with the lessons. He claims to not have enjoyed soccer either, but he talks about it ocassionally now that he has not gone to class in months!


G has started to tell us he loves us....unprovoked. He'll just come up to me and tell me he loves me. He'll also give hugs freely when in the right mood. However I have to admit these aren't daily occurrences, they are great treats when they happen. He'll also apologize or ask for things with "please" and say "thank you" all on his own if he's in the right mood. If in the wrong mood and you ask him to "ask nicely" or "say please" he'll flip out and it turns into a full on temper tantrum complete with throwing his body on the floor and kicking his arms and legs. I caught him apologizing to the dog the other day and giving him a kiss because he accidentally bumped into him. Then there are other times when he's trying to kick poor Oskar.

The search for training wheels

We searched all weekend for training wheels thinking it would be a simple thing to find at Target, Toys R Us, REI, etc. However it seemed hopeless until we went to a bike store and probably over paid for a pair of training wheels. However they were nice enough to install the training wheels and a new tube for the front wheel. We discovered the flat tire was probably due to the bald tire, so we probably need a new tire as well. After all is said and done we probably should have just bought G a new bike! He was lucky enough to inherit this bike from Ian and was really excited about using Ian's old bike so there you have it...repairs.

After we got it all squared away G was tired and not the most patient little boy. So when he got on the bike and started to pedal he had trouble and nearly lost it. The pedaling is more difficult since going backward applies the brake. Also, it's hard to get started pedaling the bike which really aggravates him. Dave got him off the bike for a while and calmed him down. When he tried again he didn't have much of a problem at all and was willing to work through it. However a few minutes later the exhaustion from the day set in and he was falling off the bike and just done.

This is Ethan on Tyler's bike since I have this picture handy.

Lessons learned, the hard way

So we set up the sandbox on the side of the house which is at the end of a path of bark with stepping stones.  G decided that stepping stones are to be avoided and spent lots of time walking all over the bark with his bare feet.  Lo and behold he came inside with TONS of splinters.  Dave and I spent a half an hour trying to pluck out splinters from the bottom of his feet while he was squirming and protesting. The experience wasn't very pleasant, but he didn't seem to learn from it and the next day went trampling all over the bark bare foot!  

He has also been giving himself some nice shiners lately.  Does clumsiness increase with age?  Or is it merely a symptom of the terrible twos?  G slammed the baby gate into this head and gave himself a nice dent above his eye.  Then a few days later he fell off the couch and slammed into the coffee table to give himself a nice bump on his forehead.  Then there is the daily tripping over his own two feet!  

Jealously/selfishness has reared it's ugly head. I cleaned up the highchair and set the straps up for Adam.  When I put Adam in it, G got up from happily picking at his lunch and demanded that he "needed" to sit in his high chair.  We got him a booster chair so he could sit at the table a few weeks ago, but he seems to prefer to chuck that aside and sit at the table with the table at eye level (unless of course Adam is in the highchair then that is the preference).  Adam seems to love sitting in the high chair to watch everyone eat and get a new vantage point on everything.  We just need to work on getting big brother to not throw a fit when he is in there.

Swimming superstar

I froze G's last three swim lessons from his session about a month ago.  He became really diffcult not only in the lesson, but just getting dressed and in the car to get to the lesson.  I decided it might be good to take a little break.  Grandma B returned from her trip so I scheduled his last three lessons so she could take him.

Lesson number one was on Tuesday and he took about half of the lesson to warm up and start cooperating. Thursday he was a different kid from the moment he woke up. He was in such a good mood, but we had no idea why.  This carried over to swimming and he jumped in the pool, gave Miss Tracy a big hug, and started swimming.  He did everything she asked and so cooperative. I just wish I knew what made him so cheery!  So we have our last lesson on Tuesday and I'm hoping he's in a good mood so we can end our session on a good note.  

Preschool has been going pretty well too.  His teachers have told me he has been having good days lately with no hitting or pushing to report.  However Grandma has taken him to the park a couple of times recently has she has seen some pushing. He seems to do some shoulder checking if someone is blocking his way.  

Crazy Cleaning Weekend

Adam and I had a fun filled weekend of cleaning and unpacking!  We finally got everything cleaned and organized in the house.  It has been exactly a year since we moved in. Sheesh.  Adam chilled on the floor playing with toys and talking while I sorted through boxes.  He snuggled up the Ergo while I vacuumed.  And he did a lot of napping.

He seems to sleep better when big brother is not around.  I'm guessing he doesn't like all the screaming and crying (aka tantrums) that G does all day long.  Plus I wasn't waking him up to get G to preschool or playgroup or some other activity.

This weekend Adam slept for longer than usual and was easier getting to sleep.  He always fusses a little when I put him in the crib, but doesn't really cry.  It's almost as if he wants to protest me putting him down instead of holding him for the nap.  He quickly settles down which is a relief.  Sometimes he'll spend some time kicking his legs in the crib.  Downstairs I just hear a boom boom boom boom, but no crying or anything, it's just like he's playing while he's winding down.

We managed to do a lot of tummy time and back time while the boys were away.  We also went for jogs in the morning and I took a lot of pictures.  It was a very productive weekend, but I still have a long to do list.  Does it ever end?

What's that noise?

...Mommy typing trying to catch up on the blog.

G loves loves loves his tricycle. He rides it everyday (along with the plasma car) in the backyard doing laps from the side gate rounding the bbq and back again. While this happens Oskar is chasing him or vice versa. Sometimes I'll do laps with him in the plasma car. Most of the time I'll use the time he's happily entertaining himself to cleanup, pay bills, prepare dinner, feed Adam, etc.

G's new thing is asking "What's that noise?" He asks whenever he hears the slightest sound whether it's familiar or not. He'll even make noises himself and ask, "what's that noise?" He thinks it's so funny to make noises and have you guess what they are.

Adam has only rolled a handful of times since the initial roll. I guess he has figured out it's not a good thing to do if you HATE tummy time. So I'm trying to do more tummy time to get him to roll the other direction. However my plan has backfired and after a few seconds of good head lifting, he just submits and lays his head down and rests. 
Adam loves the bath these days. He kicks his legs like crazy when he gets in the water as if he is trying to swim. I haven't given him any toys in the bath, but he seems to be able to amuse himself with just splashing the water and staring at his toes. Ahh to be 5 months old and love the simple things in life.

Adam is finally starting to play with toys. He picks them up and grabs them and shakes them. Sometimes he throws them across the room too, perhaps a future baseball star? He really enjoys watching his big brother and Oskar play/run/etc. If he starts to fuss or get upset it's usually because he's feeling ignored. Just giving him some eye contact or picking him up settles him down.

Rolly Pollie!

Adam rolled on Tuesday! Hooray! Sadly I was not ready with a camera in hand. I was ironing and Ethan "helping" me. Lucky for us we both got to see him roll. Right after Adam rolled, Ethan started rolling around the whole room to show me he could do it too.
Today G had another successful preschool drop off. He was clingy and whining, but then he saw his friend in class was wearing the same shirt! He thought it was cool and walked over to play with him.

5 months

Adam went to the doctor for his cold today and he is 14lbs 11oz. Still not rolling, but seems so close.

Today was the first day G went to preschool and didn't cry! We came a little late and all his friends were already sitting at the table and he ran to his seat and said goodbye. It was amazing, but I honestly don't know what changed. Hopefully Wednesday goes just as well.

I wish Dave and I were doing as well as the kids. He is sick and keeps himself up most of the night coughing. I'm exhausted from all his coughing and waking up to feed Adam at 3am. I'm not sure if it's our exhaustion, or just our luck but we keep losing things lately! I need to embed chips in all my belongings so I can track them down. I would gain many hours in my day if I didn't have to search for my stuff!

Oskar is doing well, but in desperate need of a bath and haircut. The van is also in need of a bath, but it's heading to the desert this weekend so it'll have to wait another week. I'm excited to have some more alone time with Adam and Oskar while Ethan and Dave live it up in the desert. I'm hoping I have some time to organize our closet. Yes I'm going to go wild this weekend!

The potty training fiasco

Thursday at playgroup one of the Moms brought cupcakes to celebrate her daughter's birthday.  G was so excited and powered down his cupcake.  After he got hopped up on sugar I sent him to play on the playground.  He actually played on the playground for quite a while by himself.  Usually he wants me to follow him around.  He also spent some time with Isaac's Mom while I watched the little babies.  She said he wanted to hold her hand and he listened to her!  Amazing!  I wish I knew her secret.

Dad came home early from work sick with a fever and chills.  This meant our last trip to Legoland, which we planned for tomorrow, would be canceled.  It's a good thing we didn't mention it to G because I think he would be really disappointed.  Instead I spent Friday like every other day watching two kids and the dog all by myself.  Saturday was quite depressing too, but Dave was able to pry himself off the couch a hour here and there.  But to really make my weekend rock, Ethan told me on Friday morning that he wanted to wear underpants.  

I was so excited that he finally wanted to potty train.  He has asked to sit on the potty before, but was never "successful".  I was kind of surprised that he agreed to use the potty instead of diapers just because he wanted to wear underpants. He seemed commited to it and eager to use the potty.  The first accident occured when he was playing with some trucks on the kitchen floor.  He noticed a yellow puddle on the floor and came over to me and asked "what's that?"  I didn't take this as a good sign that he had no idea what his pee was, but we pressed on.  Then we hit the jackpot and he peed on the potty.  He was so proud of himself declaring "I did it Mommy. I did it all by myself!"  But then we were upstairs changing Adam's diaper and G peed on his carpet.  Ugh!  I was not feeling succesful, but hoping tomorrow would be more successful.

The next day was the day we called it quits.  G was sitting on the couch in his undies on a thick blanket.  I was taking him to the potty often, and keeping a close eye on him, but he still had an accident.  However this time he didn't tell me and didn't seem to notice.  The blanket and his undies were soaked and asked him if he had peed, he said No.  At that point I came to the conclusion this was going to take  a while.  But then G refused to sit on the potty so that was that and he was back in diapers.  

G and I were very productive and cleaned out the garage!  It's finally clean and orderly.  I've been hoping Dave would clean it out for the past year, but got tired of waiting!  Plus I had to do a careful inventory of what was stolen.  Now everything is unpacked into the cabinets and drawers and the sandbox is set up in the yard again.  Best of all, two cars are now resting happily in the garage.  Now I just have to get used to parking on the other side of the garage.

Back to school

Today was G's first day back to school in over two weeks.  He was really reluctant to go and put up quite a fight getting dressed and getting in the car.  I'm bigger and stronger so I won!  He always has to be pryed off my leg (while he's screaming and crying) so I can leave the room.  Today was no different. 

7

While he was in school I ran errands non stop until it was time to pick him up.  And I only finished half of my errands!  When I picked him up I found out he had a rough day.  His teacher informed me he was pushing and hitting his classmates for their attention.  I always wondered if he interacted with his classmates, but I was hoping for a more positive interaction.

Next week he is going to start going to school two days a week.  I hope this helps him transition and ease the separation from me.

Oopsie

Today we had Connor and Kyle and family over for lunch.  Even though Connor and Ethan have matching plasma cars and Ethan had two identical looking tricycles to share they still fought over their wheels.  Connor demanded the Kettler trike and Ethan wanted to ride it for the first time in months just because Connor wanted it.  Then Ethan wanted to try Connor's plasma car, but that idea didn't fly with Connor.  The Dads got along a little better and also had fun driving around the plasma cars.  Indoors the kids also did the usual grabbing trains from one another. Ahh two years...what fun!

Adam has been sleeping pretty well, but not completely through the night like he was before Thanksgiving. He gets up pretty consistently between 3 and 4 am.  It's not so bad because that middle of the night feeding gets him sleeping in until 6:30 or 7am.  When he was sleeping through he would wake at 5:30 or 6 for the day.  

He has had a few developments in the past few days.  First he's now officially swaddle free for night and naps!! Second, he's making up for lost poop time.  For a while he was having a bowel movement every 4-5 days, but now he's having one nearly every diaper change including in the middle of the night!  Too bad I'm not more fully aware of what I'm doing at night, because it would have come in handy last night.

At about 3am Ethan woke up crying and was pretty inconsolable.  Dave finally got him settled down and then Adam woke up to eat.  After feeding and changing Adam I thought I heard a noise outside.  I went to the balcony window and saw a four door sedan pull into the driveway next door.  It sat there for about 30 seconds and pulled out.  Then a man on a bike followed after the car.  I thought this was strange, but it was 3am, I didn't have my glasses on so I didn't get a good look at things...wish I had because turns out they were looting our garage!  We accidentally left the garage door open and needless to say I didn't get to sleep anymore that night.  

G ran over buddy Kaitlyn

To celebrate the New Year we got together with Kaitlyn and Isaac. Kaitlyn got some cool new wheels for Christmas that G and Isaac were drooling over. Her Jeep had a gas pedal and gears! I should have seen that would spell trouble for G. At first he did well driving Kaitlyn around and having her drive him around. But then he flew solo and Kaitlyn got in front of the Jeep, and he mowed her down! It wasn't quite that bad, but I was standing right there yelling for him to stop and couldn't stop him from running her over. Yes she was in fact rescued from under the Jeep.