O' Christmas Tree

My tree is up! Here's some shots I played with to capture a few of our ornaments :D

Pee on Stuff

Hey---if you want to be pregnant (or want not to be), check out my friend's website ThePottyParty by Meg. She sells testing supplies and natural family planning tools. Awesome site and wonderful seller! Plus, she's cute

TTC Giveaway----

Hey all of my TTC friends! If you need to buy testing supplies or other related items, check out my friend Meg's website. Great deals and she ships very quickly and very discretely! Support this great mom and get your supplies at ThePottyParty by Meg. Seriously! Check her out!

An amazing little man

My son is SUCH a character! He wants to help Mommy ALL the time! Yesterday he decided to help me mop. I started out with a mop and bucket and he stole my mop and was dipping it and then dragging/pushing it around the room grinning like a maniac. After I gave up on using the mop I grabbed my scrub brush and a few rags and decided to scrub on hands and knees (I HATE LINOLEUM!) and got started like that. He continued to push the mop for a few more minutes before he decided the broom wanted to play too. After he got bored with the broom he discovered that I had rags in my bucket of soapy water (and BUBBLES!!!) so he decided to grab my rag and let it drip over the bucket and then rub it on the floor. It didn't take long for him to decide to not let it drip and to just squeeze it onto my floor. It was a huge wet mess in the floor and he was quickly covered! Then when I needed the rag he started doing the same with my scrub brush!

FINALLY---when I took the scrub brush back he decided to start picking up the rag (sopping wet from the bucket) and shaking it EVERYWHERE. It was pretty funny and stinking adorable, but mopping took about 10x longer than it should have.

But with all that water everywhere and the scrubbing, my floors are SPOTLESS! I'd eat off of that! :D

Weaning 2 Months Later

We're still down to just the nursing session right before bed.

If I don't wind up pregnant this month we'll be dropping that nursing session too. He's getting much better about falling asleep without nursing, but he does start to want to nurse when he gets tired in the evening, so when his naps are short he's more cranky in the evening because he gets tired earlier. USUALLY if I feed him dinner on time he does okay because he gets occupied by eating and then taking his bath and then putting on jammies so that he stays distracted and entertained until bedtime.

We'll find out in about 2 weeks whether he is getting weaned in October or in December (if I get pregnant I will continue to let him nurse until he is 18 months, which was my goal).

I just know I'll be handling nursing and weaning a bit differently next time! Although, I'll probably nurse until at least 12 months again.

He sleeps SOOO much better now!

Now I just need to get rid of that last feeding and get him OUT of my bed! :D

1000 words: updated

1000 words: (updated)

Words he says regularly------
no--------------mama-------------dada------------------yeah
butt-------------sit----------------baby(6.24)------------ball(6.25)
car(7.08)--------AJ(7.08)----------water-----------------night night
hi---------------byebye------------juice------------------water
up--------------down--------------dog(6.26)-------------bird(6.26)
what------------that---------------hot-------------------bite
wowwow--------den (jenny)-------nell-------------------kel
seth-------------i dont know-------go--------------------vroom
rawr------------drink-------------thank you-------------dance
boo-------------trick or treat------puppy----------------yay
wow------------hey---------------ow!-------------------

Thats like 30 words!!!


Words he recognizes/responds in predictable ways to---
toes------------hot--------------- sit (sits)
blow(blows)--- five (high five) --- stand (stands)
no -------------yes--------------- yay
bite----------- drink------------- clap
boob ---------- come -------------home
his name------- ball--------------- car
throw---------- dada -------------mama help (waits for me to help)
bath----------- book--------------diaper (comes and sits on diaper)
peepee--------- potty-------------bath
poopie--------- mama------------ bye bye (waves)
hi (waves)------dada--------------shirt (puts up arms/ducks head)
come-----------give---------------thank you
share-----------splash-------------wowwow (dances or repeats)
phone----------book--------------night night (climbs in bed)
ice--------------walk--------------berries (blows raspberries)
bang-----------step up-----------kisses (GIVES KISSES!!!)
hugs-----------ducky-------------claw (laughs...its a game we play :D)
catch----------BOO!--------------nap/naptime
eat------------push---------------pants (lifts leg to step into pants)
up-------------down--------------shoes (puts up foot for shoe)
close-----------open---------------socks (puts out foot for sock)
jammies-------car----------------outside
stinky---------smell--------------eye
head-----------butt---------------wipe
flush-----------toy---------------left
right-----------look--------------stop
wait----------not now------------juice
milk-----------spray-------------wash
brush---------climb--------------chair


SIGNS HE DOES---
Give (reaches up hands together and opens and closes them)
Pick me up (reaches up hands apart)
Bye (opens and closes one hand)
Points
Nods
Shakes head no

There are definitely more words he says that I'm not thinking of, I'll try to add them as I think of them. And there are a few more he recognizes I'm sure. And he does a BUNCH of his own (self designed) signs, but I can't remember them off the top of my head


ALL THE NEW ONES SINCE MY LAST UPDATE ARE IN RED!

Three Weeks--Weaning

So, I decided to begin weaning Smidget 21 days ago. Since then, we've gone from 10+ feedings a day down to ONE.

You heard me. He's about a week ahead of schedule---for the last two nights he has not asked to nurse in the middle of the night. He wakes, but is easily comforted down to sleep.

And, I went a whole 23 hours without nursing WITHOUT GETTING ENGORGED!!! AMAZING!!!

He now only nurses between 8:30pm and 9:00pm give or take 1/2 hour based on his crankiness and what time I put him to bed as a result. Today he didn't get much of a nap, so I put him to bed about 10 minutes early.

I think I'm going to keep him at this level for at least a week before trying to stop completely. I want my supply TOTALLY evened out before I try to stop because the pain is HORRIBLE if I don't. This isn't because I don't think he's ready---its because my boobs might die. Totally selfish reasons.



Oh, and we have cut TWO teeth since we started weaning. The previous two before that he refused all solid food and ONLY nursed 24/7 for five days. This time, he eats like a pig and naps like its his job. Didn't use any Tylenol on him either.

I feel like an amazing mama :D

But, in reality, I just have an amazing kiddo.

15 Month Checkup

I AM TAKING A MOMENT TO BRAG---

My son is 15 months and is 32.5 inches tall and 26 pounds.

Apparently my son not only meets or exceeds ALL of the milestones for a 15 month old, but he is meeting (or exceeding) everything for 18 months too.

My doc today told me to call her for his 18 month appointment and she'd answer any questions I have but that if I didn't NEED to bring him in for anything in particular, she'd just see him in 6 months. She said, since he's meeting ALL of those milestones, she sees no reason to drag him in unless necessary.

She was very impressed with his vocabulary and his knowledge of how to open doors and climbing skills and his potty skills. She was even amazed that he is in the copycat stage as well and learns new tasks quickly (flushing toilets, opening baby gates, etc). Seriously, show him something twice and he'll have it mastered by the end of the day.

So I guess I get to feel like a great mom this week!
It never gets old hearing how gorgeous he is or how smart.

Call me biased, but I totally knew he was the smartest and most wonderful baby ever.

:D :D :D

Boobing---The Final Countdown.

As we get more into this weaning deal I'm reevaluating the best way to do it to be less traumatic for a Smidget.

And for my boobs.

Because DAMN engorgement hurts!

WEEK 1: we cut out all non-sleepy feedings. Free nursing 8pm-8am and then a 1pm nap nurse.

WEEK 2: We cut out naptime feedings. Easier than I thought! but ENGORGEMENT IS EVIL!!!
It took until Tuesday for my supply to diminish enough that I wasn't getting engorged. I was going 12 full hours with NO boobing of a baby so my boobies had to protest a little until they got used to it.

WEEK 3: Decrease mid-night feedings. Right now I'm working on getting rid of the 2am-8:30pm feedings. That gives me 18.5 straight hours of no-nursing. Again, my boobs have been protesting. Around 6:30 I start to get full. By 7:30 its painful. By 8:30 I'm THRILLED to boob a Smidget. We've been on this schedule since Friday and so far its working out okay. I'm getting less engorged and getting engorged a little later each day. I'm hoping that by Friday I'll have evened out again so we can move to the next stage and get rid of all nursing EXCEPT the going-to-bed nursing session. If I haven't evened out by Friday I'll give this stage another few days/week until I do. I figure if MY body isn't used to it yet then there is NO way his little body will be.

Its getting easier to get him to go to sleep without a boob. Today he fell asleep shopping in Walmart. The other day he slept through driving to the park, moving ot his stroller, and then sitting at the park. Then he slept through getting back in the car and driving home! He didn't wake up until I pulled into the drive. Then Sunday he fell asleep in his high chair! This is a kid who has fallen asleep outside of his crib/my arms MAYBE 4 times in his entire life. He has nursed to sleep since birth except for a small one month period where I had him putting himself to sleep in his crib--that ended when we drove cross-country for christmas and his routine got screwed. I missed that!

It is amazing to watch him NOT fight sleep.

And he doesn't really ask to nurse much either. It seems like he knows he won't get it so he doesn't bother asking.

He is SOOOOO much more snuggly and sleeps SO much more soundly. He has been taking 2-2.5 hour naps (up from under 1 hour when he was nursing) and gives 10x as many hugs and kisses! Its amazing. He's this independent guy now but when he wants comfort he gives hugs and kisses and cuddles instead of diving straight for my chest!

My little guy amazes me. As he weans I find myself glad that I still have that nighttime nursing to lay beside him and watch his face become peaceful and watch him drift off. Its amazing and he's totally gorgeous!

I think I'm in love all over again.
Who'd have thought it was possible :D

Potty Training WIN!

Smidget is 15 months old.

Last night I went to put him to bed at 8:30 and had him ALMOST there when my hubby walked past his door in order to go to the bathroom. As soon as my son heard the bathroom door he was OFF and chasing Dada.

My hubby was taking a sit-down and my son went up to him and sat across from him on his little potty (clothes and all). So, we took off his jammie shorts and let him sit on the potty.

AND HE POOPED!!! He asked to go potty and he POOPED!

It was the first time he willingly pooped on the potty!

Then, today, I was bathing him around 7pm to get him ready for bed and he stood up and made mad faces, so I let him out of the tub. He walked around for a minute or two and then came back to the bathroom where I was drying my floors/walls/toilet/etc after his bath and then made a mad face and farted. So I asked him if he needed to potty. he said "yeah" and sat.

AND HE POOPED AGAIN!

I wiped him and he climbed back into the tub again (apparently it was just a potty break) and played for a minute before climbing out again and crying because I was blocking him from his potty. I put him back on and...

HE POOPED AGAIN!

So in 24 hours he asked to go poopy in the potty THREE TIMES!

My 15 month old poops on the potty.
I love it!
Now if I can get him to wake up before peeing we'd be 2/3 of the way to potty training! He has daytime accidents, but not many at all. But he does wear a diaper full time when we're out because he's not vocal enough to ask to potty before he needs to. When we're home he'll go if I ask him if he needs to or just put him on it.

We're getting there!!!

Weaning

Down to NO daytime nursing! WOOT!

And naptimes are getting SOOO much better.

And I'm totally not even getting engorged!!!

Friday I am going to start a gradual nighttime weaning.
Right now we're at no nursing from 8:00am-8:30pm

Friday 9/24 no nursing from 4am-8:30pm.

Friday 10/1 no nursing midnight-8:30pm.

Then, Friday 10/8 we'll be down to JUST the bedtime nursing for a week.

Friday 10/15 I'll be trying to figure out how to put him to bed without nursing him. Naptimes take about 20 minutes to get him down now when we're home and I lay with him. He's always fallen asleep easily in the car or in the stroller---but I dunno if bedtime is going to go nearly so easily.

Serious Weaning Day 2

Day 1 went well---I was at home and denied him access except when he was going down for his naps/bedtime.

Night time did not go so well :/ He didn't sleep well at all, possibly because I let him nap at 4:30pm.

Day 2 went okay. He did well all day because we were out. He only napped 30 minutes all day (went down without a boob) and then when we got home I nursed him to try to get him back down at 2pm and he didn't go. He nursed again after dinner (he didn't eat much dinner, I think because of his teeth). then nursed when he went to sleep.

Night time worked better because he was tired but not OVER tired and he slept pretty well. He woke up at 3am and came into our bedroom (walked all by himself :D) and he slept with me from 3am-8am. He nursed when he first came to our bed and then when he woke up. I slept topless last night, so he had access while I was sleeping, but I slept on my stomach. It was just hard to deny him his wake-up feeding because I was topless---so tonight I've gotta sleep in a sports bra or tee shirt I guess.

On to day 3. (Will update as I go---to keep myself accountable)
So far, nursed at 8:15am when he woke up.

Oh, and now he says Babusa (babushka/grandma), Wubbzy, and Widget (from Wow Wow Wubbzy). He also said Princess once because the unicorn on Wubbzy was named Princess :D

Serious Weaning Day 1

So far today Smidget nursed when he woke up (he was in bed with me at the time) and again as he fell asleep for his nap. As of today (right now) I'm going down to 2x a day nursing.

I have discovered that if either Dada or I are laying in bed with him, he'll comfort and go back to sleep even without nursing 90% of the time. So, we're going to be letting him sleep with us while we transition to weaning. He already is attached to sleeping with us or at least having me close by at night because he wakes up wanting to nurse so often---the sleeping with us is something I'm okay with---would prefer he not, but I feel like trying to stop doing both at once is a bit too much for my little man.

So, from here out, I will be denying him his "snacking" and offering other foods. Even if he is fussy and crying, he needs to learn that I'm not a snack.

I will still be nursing him to sleep (night time and naps when we're home) for another couple of weeks until he is used to not nursing during the day. Once I have it so that he's okay with not nursing except before he goes to sleep I'm going to cut out the pre-nap nursing. Once he is going down without nursing before naps I'll give it a week and then work on getting Dada to put him down at night (at least on weekends). When Dada puts him down he fights sleeping without nursing less than when I do it.

I'm also attempting to cut out midnight nursing. I think I can do this IF Dada or I am laying with him. If I'm in another room or don't go to him immediately if I'm still up, he gets really upset and works himself up to a frenzy and won't go down without nursing. So, I just have to either lay with him or get to him immediately.

So, wish me luck with this. He's 15 months tomorrow. I've read numerous studies that say that if you don't wean a toddler before 18 months it is MUCH more difficult to wean them. 18-36 months are supposedly the hardest months to begin the weaning process.

My goal is 17 months. That gives me 2 months to get him TOTALLY off the boob. I hope to be down to only pre-bedtime feedings before October 1.

I am going to need a LOT of support and encouragement. No "you should have weaned him earlier" or any other BS. No criticism. No reminding me that if I'd weaned him earlier it'd be easier.

Until I started trying to get pregnant I had NOOOOO problems breastfeeding him. Yes, it was inconvenient, but I still loved it. Yes, I've wanted to sleep on my stomach for several months now---but I'm hoping weaning will help him sleep through the night (several of my extended breastfeeding friends have said their kids didn't sleep through until they weaned). I still love the peace on his face when he nurses to sleep. Those are the feedings I will miss. I will miss the easy comfort it offers him.

So, don't try to make my nursing him out to something I "need" to do for any reason other than the fact that I simply want to and I, personally, feel that I am done with this stage.

My goal is to, by Christmas, have him sleeping in his own bed full time (not just for the first 4-6 hours of the night like he does now)

So, thank you for your support and care. I know that I have given him the best start imaginable. He is incredibly healthy, smart, and well rounded. Now, its time to round him out fully by showing him to be independent and to self comfort (with mommy right behind him encouraging, comforting, and loving him, of course ;) ---I'm still not letting him strike out on his own )

Thanks! Please pray for us :D

Mama

1000 words: (updated)

Words he says regularly------
no--------------mama-------------dada------------------yeah
butt-------------sit----------------baby(6.24)------------ball(6.25)
car(7.08)--------AJ(7.08)----------water-----------------juice
hi---------------byebye------------juice------------------water
up--------------down--------------dog(6.26)-------------bird(6.26)
what------------that---------------hot-------------------bite
wowwow--------den (jenny)-------nell-------------------kel
seth-------------

Thats like 30 words!!!


Words he recognizes/responds in predictable ways to---
toes------------hot--------------- sit (sits)
blow(blows)--- five (high five) --- stand (stands)
no -------------yes--------------- yay
bite----------- drink------------- clap
boob ---------- come -------------home
his name------- ball--------------- car
throw---------- dada -------------book
bath----------- mama help--------diaper (comes and sits on diaper)
peepee--------- potty-------------bath
poopie--------- mama------------ bye bye (waves)
hi (waves)------dada--------------walk
come-----------give---------------thank you
share-----------splash-------------wowwow (dances or repeats)
phone----------book--------------night night
ice--------------shirt--------------berries (blows raspberries)
pants-----------step up-----------kisses (GIVES KISSES!!!)
hugs-----------ducky-------------claw (laughs...its a game we play :D)
catch----------BOO!--------------nap/naptime
eat------------push---------------bang

and i know there are more words he SAYS but can't think of them all
and there may be a FEW words he recognizes, but thats most of them.

Its been a while.

So, we're back to trying to get pregnant (again).
I have NO idea if I'm pregnant. I've taken like 10 tests and all of them show what MIGHT be a VERY VERY faint line, but nothing even dark enough to show up in a picture. So, I'm waiting a few days and testing again. Period isn't technically late til Wednesday, so it ain't over til the fat lady sings (or that bitch Aunt Flo shows up).

Symptoms for:
Nosebleeds
Mild nausea (not near as bad as with Ax)
Fatigue/Lethargy
Random bouts of crazy energy
Insomnia
Need to clean my house (nesting usually happens later, but with a toddler might be sooner :D)
Constipation
Lack of appetite/sudden surges of being STARVING
Cravings---dairy. no garlic.
Heightened sense of smell---i smell garlic/onions everywhere. Smelled sprite from 30 feet away at the hardware store today.
Headaches---mild, but regular
Thirsty ALL the time
Timing seems right (ovulated CD11. Did the deed 4 times.)
Possible implantation cramping around 6-8 DPO
Milk production is wonky (Smidget nursing less)
Lower back pain
Smidget wants to lay ON me to go to sleep.
Smidget pets my belly (he's NEVER done this before)
Pregnancy brain---(forgot to rinse conditioner last night. put Smidget to bed with NO diaper on last night, went to run errands and left my front door and screen WIDE OPEN, and other smaller and less noticeable slip ups)
Gassy
Fluid retention (hands and feet swell when I'm super busy)
Breaking out like a 13 year old
MOODINESS OUT THE WAZOOOOOOO!



COME ON POSITIVE TEST!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

Baby Kisses

Today, The Smidget learned to kiss.

I was 10 minutes late leaving Dada and Smidget (i had to run a quick errand) because I just HAD to have all the kisses in the world! He kept giving me a kiss or two and then giving Dada a kiss or two. Dada was holding him and I leaned in to kiss him bye and he KISSED ME. He put his lips on my lips and did a smooching motion. No smooch noise, but DEFINITELY a real kiss!!!

He grabbed my cheeks and KISSED ME!!!

Then he kissed his Dada, and Dada said "i'm not leaving, dude!"

So he kissed me again.

Then he kissed Dada. Dada said "not me! Mommy!"

So he kissed me again.

Then he kissed Dada and turned to me and kissed me again and started waving bye to me.

So that was the end of that...

Except I had to pick him up and snuggle him and give him 8954679207 kisses and tell him how much I loved him and wanted to squishy him!

EEEP! My lil man gives big-boy-kisses now.

I'm totally heartborken/elated.

Ah, the joys of Mommy-hood!

Doggy Paddling...

Smidget knows how to DOG PADDLE!

Jamie Lou went to the pool with us today. The kiddie pool was filled a good 6-8 inches deeper than normal, so the area that is normally 3-5 inches was about a foot deep! Smidget walks pretty well, but is just learning to walk through crotch-deep water, so he falls a lot and usually crawls in the water. Today, he couldnt crawl because it was too deep and his face was getting in the water (which doesn't really bother him).

So, he got down on all fours and his fingers were just barely touching bottom and he kicked his legs like he was crawling, but he couldn't touch with his legs, so he just propelled himself through the water! His little face was sticking up just above the water and he was a PRO at keeping his face up. He stuck his tongue out and paddled around and around and around. He even dunked his face a few times on purpose and walked toward the waterfall and even walked THROUGH it by himself!!! No crying or being upset. He's totally unafraid and begging to swim on his own!

When we're at the pool, JL and I pass him back and forth in the water with his face out, but now he likes to put his face IN the water. And he tries to get out of my arms to swim on his own too! Even in DEEP water! The kid is a FISH!!!

When he was dog-paddling, he paddled past another mom who was there with her 3 year old daughter and she was AMAZED by how fast he was going and how he could keep his face up in water that was too deep. He even ventured out a little deeper and kept his face up when NOT TOUCHING, but I was afraid to let him go too far, so I stayed with him and turned him toward the shallow end when he got to where he couldn't touch with his finger tips.

So, I've decided that next summer I'm definitely paying the $35 for swim lessons for him. I thought he'd be too young this year for the lessons to be truly useful (i can get him used to the water and unafraid of it by myself---obviously!). So, next summer I might sign up and see what they offer as far as helping him with form (learnign to use hands and feet together and to really propel himself...

BUT MY BABY CAN SWIM!

What's next? reading? Driving?

Its going WAY too fast!

Thurs and Fri

Thursday, Smidget and I just hung around and didn't do too much. We had already made plans to go with Jamie Lou and Dada to the drive-in movies to see Toy Story 3 and Prince of Persia. We played in the bathtub, played catch, and otherwise were monsters all day until around 7 when we decided it would be a good time to throw everything into the car and go pick up Jamie Lou and go to the drive-in. Dada met us there and we watched Toy Story 3. Then, Smidget and Dada decided it was a good idea to sleep (and snore) through Prince of Persia. Jamie Lou and I watched and hung out and laughed about how silly the boys were :D

Friday, we woke up pretty early and Dada came home from work at 10am after a 30 hour shift. We played with Dada for a few minutes and then got ready to go to the pool with Jamie Lou and Margot and we played there for THREE hours! Mama and Smidget got a little pink, but its faded out today. We splashed and had a good time.

Smidget is trying to SWIM! He crawls around in the kiddy pool and puts his legs out behind him and kicks while pulling himself with his hands. He doesn't get the concept of floating yet. I am getting tempted to get him a little floaty bathing suit. The life-vests dont really work for him. He doesn't like that much STUFF up around his face. So, the bathing suit would work great, I think. I just don't know if our pool allows them, ya know? But he puts his face in and blows bubbles and isn't afraid of dunking. he REALLY wants to do it by himself, but doesn't know how to float yet. I think I'm going to put him in swimming classes ($35) next summer and see how he does. He's still a little too young for me to be comfy this year. He's only now getting the idea of real SWIMMING. I don't want to pay $35 for him to learn to be comfy in the water. I can (and have) done that by myself. So, I'm going to talk to other mamas who have put their toddlers into the swim classes and see how much real swimming they learned versus just basic "don't be afraid" and "kick your legs." Dada can teach him form and together we can cover the kicking the legs and don't be afraid stuff for free. Hell, the kid is in the water at least 3x a day. He demands 2 baths a day when we're home and usually goes to either the pool on base, the splash park, or plays in his pool here. He's pretty much a fish. A really handsome fish. He even makes fishy faces.

Afterward, we went to a party at the Snider's house with Dada and I got to offend someone by "molesting" my son---I was nursing (covered) in front of her and she's offended by breastfeeding after 8 months. that was 6 months ago for us and I'm not going to stop because some tacky woman with velcroed-in hair is offended. I'm not MOLESTING my child, wench! You're the one obsessed with boobs being sexual! To me they are just really pretty milk jugs!

1000 words: Updated---

These are the words he says regularly---
boob/booboo
no
mama
dada
yeah
butt
sit
baby (brand new as of 6/24, but says it all the time now)
ball (new as of 6.25)
car (new as of 7.08)
AJ (new as of 7.08)



These are the words he's said a couple of times---
hot
up
that
bird (new as of 6/26)
dog (new as of 6/26)


Words he recognizes/responds in predictable ways to---
toes hot sit (sits)
blow(blows) five (high five) stand (stands)
no yes yay
bite drink clap
boob come home
his name ball car
throw dada book
his name bath help
peepee potty
poopie diaper
mama bye bye (waves)

He now waves for bye bye even if no one says bye bye. If we're leaving somewhere and someone says "see you later" or "bye" or "goodbye" he starts waving. Its TOO cute :D

Wild Wednesday

We ran errands this morning and then went to the Water Park!

We were there from 12:00-3:00 and Smidget had SOOO much fun! He met a lil girl (she's 4, her name is Abby) and they played catch and ran/crawled through the sprinklers and shared teddy grahams and jabbered at each other and it was SOOO cute! She has curls and olive skin and is just a beautiful little thing. Ax is a blonde heartthrob and she thought he was super cute too. She played with his toys and talked to him and they shared back and forth until Abby's mom Sara and I were worried they'd fry, so we came home. We traded numbers, so we should be able to get the kiddos together again, maybe next week.

Oh, and Smidget is walking SO much now. And today he walked in SHOES. He actually wore shoes for 2 hours! That may be the longest since he learned to take them off :D

And he says Car and Ball now and he calls Dada "Ayay" (trying to say AJ, I'm assuming :D). Guess I have to make sure I call him Dada more again, haha.

He recognizes more words too, guess I should update my list :D

Tuesday Nights

Smidget had a good day. We hung out and cleaned all morning (after sleeping in until 11!!!) and then went to an appointment at 2:30 with Dada. After our appointment we went to the commissary and bought ALL KINDS of delicious foods for the Smidget. We even got RIPE PEACHES from the commissary (first time in 2 years the peaches there have been even remotely decent). Mmm! Then we came home, put away groceries, and made Katie's Pasta Salad and tossed some chicken in it and watched The Book of Eli with Dada and Jamie Lou while Mama got to drink some tasty mojitos!!! Mmm!

Smidget attracts a lot of attention and I find myself wondering if other mom's have strangers stop them to say "he's just soooo cute!" or whether other mom's hear their kids laugh and turn around and some adult is flirting with him and making faces at him and amusing him! I mean, I know I'm biased, but it always makes me feel extra good about myself (for being an awesome mama :D duh!) and extra proud of The Smidget when people tell me how handsome he is or how happy or sweet or well-behaved.

Holy crap I love that lil man!

He had no nap at all and he was still the happiest kid around. He just munched on a cookie and watched me shop and stared at all the lil girls. As we were checking out the cashier said he was just so happy---i just kept thinking "she should see him on a day when he HAS had a nap!" haha.

Okay, I'm done worshipping at the altar of Smax for today :D

Diaper Contest

I'm blogging about cloth diapers. Why? Because I love them!

And my favorite brand (Bum Genius) has come out with a new model...with SNAPS! Which is awesome because The Smidget loves removing velcro, *ahem* I mean hook-and-loop. So, I have been putting my old BG 3.0's on him less and less, even though I love them. The Velcro is wearing a lil and not as sticky as it used to be, so he can pull it off SO fast. Gotta love my lil streaker!

Well, anyway, a certain blogger I know of is doing a give-away for 2 of the new BG 4.0 diapers (one with velcro and one with snaps!!!). I'd love to win it, so in order to get another "entry" I am blogging my tiny cloth-diapering heart out about how awesome it would be if I won :D

I only own two BG 3.0s right now, but I'm hoping to find some friends who are doing a sell-off of some of their old 3.0s so that I can take advantage and get them discounted ;). I love my 3.0s.

Although, I'm debating trying out the Flips and a few others. Right now I only have 3 brands of pocket/AIO diapers (SunBaby, BumGenius, and FuzziBuns---I think. The last ones are hybrid and i got them used so I can't remember the brand, haha).

Anyway, here is the link to the give-away for any of you who are interested in entering for yourselves (or entering for me :D). Enjoy!

The Contest

12 days

Well, a lot has happened in the last 12 days. I haven't posted because we've had so much going on that I have barely sat down. Crazy times!

Well, Big Daddy and Babushka have left town. Not until after we visited San Diego, went to the zoo, played on the beach, and then came home and did 3206923 Home repair projects. My wonderful in-laws paid for a new water-heater for us, a new ceiling fan in our dining room, installed child locks on all my cabinets, helped keep our house clean while they visited, helped organize the garage, went to the drive-in theater, fixed my toilet handle, and had an amazing time getting to know their grandson.

Of all the people I come into contact with, they are the ones that, I hope, approve of the way I'm raising Smidget. I have a lot of respect for their parenting skills, of course. But, more than that, I have respect for them as people.

And Smidget just thinks they are SO amazing! He loves his Big Dada and Bushka! He likes to sing with them, play ball with them, walk with them, sit with them. He really enjoyed having them to show off for. I swear they were just as impressed with him and in love with him as Dada and I are! Its amazing to know that we created a little person who inspires so much love and goodness in others!

I can't wait to share him with even more people! Like when I visit my Jenny next month! Eep!
And with his Uncle S and Aunt K the week before! its gonna be SOOO much fun!

A Day at Home

Today Smidget was not really interested in napping.

He took a short little nap this morning and then woke up and played and played and had a great time. We took him out back and let him splash in his pool while we all watched and admired him.

When it came time for his second nap (since his first was short) I got him down and then came into the living room. About an hour later, he started fussing. Hubby went into his room and stood in the doorway and as soon as Smidget saw him apparently just seeing his Dada was enough comfort, so he rolled back over and went straight back to sleep. AMAZING!!!

Then we made him dinner. He was a MESS during dinner. I'll post pictures soon, but suffice it to say he had a plate with mac n cheese and green bean casserole on it and he practiced using his spoon, but wound up just eating it with his bare hands and getting sauce ALL over him. He had noodles stuck to his chest and green bean goop all the way up to his elbows when he decided to lift up his plate and eat off of it mid-air. He turned his plate UPSIDE DOWN over his face and started snarfing on it face-first into it. When he pulled it down he had mac n cheese on his forehead and green beans under his eyes. It was SOOO messy but super duper cute. I got lots of good pictures of it!!! Bushka and I were just cracking up watching him eat----he sure was enjoying it. He ate 75% of what I gave him and then still ate several bites of the steak I had and a little nub of an ear of corn I had leftover on my plate. He was a HUNGRY man today.

Tomorrow---San Diego Zoo, Coronado Island BEACH, and a trip to Holiday Inn for a field-trip with Big Dada and Bushka.

Thursday---A trip to Santa Maria to look up Karen's old house from her childhood and maybe a trip to the Santa Monica Pier. Then back here that evening/night after a trip to a winery on our way home :D Possibly stopping in to see Margot and Derek to say hello on our way to 29 palms too.

Friday---vegetate on the couch :D

Saturday---GRAND CANYON It'll be Smidget AND Big Dada's first trip!

Sunday---breakfast in Arizona, then driving back just in time to make it to church on Sunday. Then dinner here and relaxing that evening and helping them pack up to head home Monday morning. So sad to see them go, but SO much fun stuff to do between now and then!

Big Dada and Bushka

Are finally in town!

And it melts my heart to watch them get to know their grandson. He shows off for them and is showing them ALL of his tricks while learning some new ones. He's walking non-stop and chattering away and playing ball with Babushka and Big Daddy constantly. They're sooo impressed. Its amazing to see the love on their faces and the joy when they see all the awesome stuff he can do.

He's learning new tricks and new words every day and its nice that during these few days when walking is brand-new that they are here to witness his toddling steps and his silly grins.

Tomorrow---we're just hanging around the house and maybe going for a swim!

I can't wait to see them together tomorrow! Its SO exciting to have someone here who loves the Smidget as much as I do---not that Hubby doesn't love him, but some of his emotional issues are preventing him from being as open and enthusiastic about it. He doesn't seem excited or get those over-the-top emotions the way Bushka and Big Dada or even Jenny do. Its nice to see someone else who gasps when he learns something new and cheers when he masters something and jumps up and down for no reason at all other than that the Smidget grinned at them.

Its SO exciting. And totally fulfilling to see them love him as much as I do!

Happy Independence Day!

Mini-rant---I hate that people call today 4th of July. Like the 3rd of July could possibly be as special or something. Its INDEPENDENCE DAY people. Yes, it takes longer to write, but we don't refer to Christmas as 25th of December. I don't go around saying "Happy 25th of December!" So, I want to punch everyone in the face who's status is "Happy 4th! Gonna go eat some ribs and ride roller coasters with my friends!" People have NO sense of history or pride in what is really important---just appreciation for a day off and an excuse to party. *end rant*



That being said, Happy Independence Day from all of us here. Always remember what was sacrificed so that we could call ourselves Americans and so that we could have the freedoms we now possess. And NEVER forget the lives that were lost in the process of procuring those freedoms AND maintaining them. RIP Sgt. Derek Shanfield June 10, 2010.

We'll be teaching Ax the true meaning of the 4th just as we'll teach him the true meaning of Christmas.

Its Official!!! HE WALKS!!!

Ax decided tonight was a good night to walk all over the world and back :D

He is a regular walkin' maniac now :D

Its super cute!

Still trying to get a video, but I'll post when I do!!!

You're Beautiful.

Well, my son is, at least ;)

Okay, I might be a little obsessed. I have been accused of needing an intervention because I take so many pictures of him.

Honestly, my son inspires me. He makes me a better, more loving person. Taking pictures of him and showing them to my friends and family (especially those who are 3000 miles away) makes me feel good. It makes me feel connected to those who love me and can't be with us to witness his growth and the stunning gorgeousness of his silly grin in person.

And, if people don't like it, I'll stop posting the pics where they can see them, but I'll never stop taking pictures of him.

Although, someone should definitely pay me for this---he could model ANYTHING!!!

Know what's fun?

A baby who learns to remove his diaper and runs around the house naked for fun.







It sure is cute, but I keep finding diapers in the most random places :D
Its NOT fun to step out of bed and step on one either---but that was my fault. I set it on my nightstand to put in the laundry this morning because my hamper was in the garage and it got knocked off. EEEEW!!! Gushy toes are NOT fun!






PS---WHY WONT HE SLEEP!!! ITS ALMOST MIDNIGHT!!!

That is one VERY tired man. I was laying in the bed with him and he was just laying beside me. When I tried to get up to go pee, he started trying to latch to nurse. So, I rolled over with my back to him but didn't move so that he'd be comforted by my presence and when he fell back to sleep I could move. Well, he sat straight upright and whined for a couple of seconds then laid back down the opposite way (with his head toward my feet) and tried pulling at my shorts and latching onto my buttcheek. Of course, there is nothing to latch on to and when he didn't find a nipple on my butt he fell instantly asleep. Aparently just the thought latching on to anything large and round will do the trick because he fell asleep gripping the leg of my shorts with half my butt cheek hanging out.

When I got up a couple of seconds later, this is how he was sleeping.

Like Father, Like Son

Here is Smidget smiling in his new camping style chair. We got it for him for the beach, hanging at friends' houses, and for playing in the living room. When he gets a little older it has straps for him to carry it like a backpack and a little extra compartment for toys to hide!!! Score!



Now, on to the show :D










Dada climbed up on the couch, grabbed a controller, and started playing X-Box.

So, Smidget climbed up in HIS chair and started playing with a wireless Gamecube Controller.

Hubby is under warning that he's not allowed to play violent games with Smidget watching, so they settled in on something I could live with :D

Pool Daze

Today we went to the pool and then to church. Everywhere we go when we see people who haven't seen Smidget in a couple of weeks they tell me how much he's grown and how grown-up he looks.

I say---SHUT UP!!! LALALALALALA!
He's still my BABY!!!

Here's my proof:
1. He still loves his boobies!!!
2. He still wears diapers! He uses only 1/2 as many as most kids his age because he likes to pee on the potty, but he DOES wear them!
3. He doesn't speak in sentences, just gibberish with a few words thrown in.
4. He doesn't walk, just a few steps at a time until he decides that he can speed-crawl faster (i swear if there were a speed-crawling in the Olympics he'd medal every time).
5. He has no idea of the physics of cup usage. He wears most of his beverage.
6. He is cranky and needs naps.
7. He thinks his "mom mom mom" can solve all problems---usually with boobs.
8. He's still rear-facing in his carseat (and I plan on that until at least Age 2, thank you very much---its FIVE TIMES safer for children to rear-face as long as there is a seat that will fit them).
9. He doesn't use utensils to eat---although I'm starting to let him attempt---its not pretty!!!
10. He drools and spits up and makes a mess.
11. He doesn't have all his teeth!
12. He's still a little red-headed fluff head---basically bald unless you catch him in good light!!!
13. He's still got fat little baby rolls and dimples for knees and elbows and he's still got a giant head and big fat ridiculous cheeks!
14. His skin is still SOOOOOOOO soft and squishy!!!
15. He thinks raspberries are hilarious and likes to blow them on mommy's tummy/legs/arms because he JUST figured out how to blow raspberries (okay, maybe thats not a good reason to prove he's still a baby to you, but what grown up do you know who blows raspberries and then collapses into laughter? case CLOSED!)

There are many other reasons, but he's still my baby, dammit!

And don't you jerks forget about that!!!

So, from here on out, no calling him grown up. No telling me how big he is.

You hear me?!?

*growls and glares*

You'd better not even THINK it.

*holds sharp object and waits*

1000 Words: Updated---

These are the words he says regularly---
boob/booboo
no
mama
dada
yeah
butt
sit
baby (brand new as of 6/24, but says it all the time now)


These are the words he's said a couple of times---
hot
up
that
bird (said once 6/26)
dog (said once 6/26)
ball (has said a couple of times 6/25-6/27)

Words he recognizes/responds in predictable ways to---
toes
hot
blow
five (high five)
no
yes
bite
drink
boob
come
his name
ball
throw
dada
his name
bath
peepee
potty
poopie
diaper
mama
bye bye

Good and Bad Behavior

Thursday: We had a girls' (plus babies) night at my place while Hubs went to Mess Night with the rest of the guys from his unit. He came home drunk around 11pm, but we expected that! So, from 5pm to 11pm, I just sat around with Cat and Robin and talked and we ate some tasty pizza and some delicious confetti cake (Cat's pregnant request, haha). I got the house cleaned back up and got the bed made and went to bed myself.

Friday: Smidget woke up, climbed off of the bed, and crawled into the bathroom BY HIMSELF to use the potty. He's now getting good at removing his velcro diapers and takes them off whenever possible, especially when he NEEDS to pee (not when he's already gone). So, when he headed for the bathroom this morning, Hubby intercepted him and put him on the potty (he was wearing a snappy diaper) and he has peed on the potty three times today so far. He's down for his nap now, so we're at intermission :D I'm going to spend the time cleaning my bedroom. Then we're going to watch From Paris with Love and eat this delicious Pork Roast that I made and play with Smidget and shoot pictures until bedtime :D First, though, pictures outside :D THEN movie and dinner :D

Off to clean my bedroom!

Chores tonight:
Vacuum living room.
Sweep & Mop kitchen
Unload and Reload dishwasher.
2 loads laundry
Put away hanging clothes
Get showered and ready for church and pool tomorrow with the Roberts'

As for Smidget---He's been a cranky butt and last night was downright MEAN to Nathan when they were playing. He was refusing to share and hitting Nathan. So, we've got to curb that quick. My solution---Mama has to be a bit stricter AND we have to have more playdates HERE so other babies play with Smidget's toys!!! He doesn't like seeing other babies touching his stuff!

He also acts up in front of others because I don't like to let him cry around other people because they'll assume I'm not meeting his needs. That is backfiring because he now knows he can get away with more around other people than he can at home/alone.

And he's starting to hit and bite. I feel like its hypocritical of me to smack his hands when he hits another baby or to swat his butt. So, I DO NOT want to hit HIM as a means of punishment and then try to teach him NOT to hit anyone to get what he wants. Seems like people who do that are sending mixed messages to their children. Not that I'm against spanking, WHEN THE CHILD IS OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THE REASON EXPLAINED TO THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHY. Smacking a 12 month old's hand? He doesn't understand. Although, people keep recommending for me to "bust his hand" or "bust his butt"---HE'S ONE YEAR OLD! I know he's as big as a 2 year old, but cognitively, he's still just a baby. So, spanking, NO THANKS! You do what you want with your kid, I'll keep not spanking mine.

I'm working on time-outs, but he's still too little to get it. So, I'm keeping the Pack N Play out and when he's being naughty ALL DAY I'll pop it up and when he does something bad like hitting or biting or throwing things (other than his ball), he's going in there. He hates it in there, but I figure 2 minutes won't hurt him and might teach him a lesson that redirecting and distraction aren't teaching anymore. But, I'm going to reserve that punishment for hitting/biting/throwing because other methods are working for other behaviors (like "NO!" and redirection works when he's trying to play with the heating grate or pulling cords or grabbing my glass when I'm trying to drink).

I'm asking some friends what else I can do, because the biting (me) and hitting (other babies) is NOT going to be tolerated.

Now, off to clean before Smidget awakes!!! Which could be any minute!

Tuesday Park Visit (3)

T

Tuesday Park Visit (2)

Tuesday Park Visit (1)

1000 words:

Okay, so he's not quite up to there yet.

These are the words he says regularly---
boob/booboo
no
mama
dada
yeah
butt
sit


These are the words he's said a couple of times---
hot
up
that

Words he recognizes/responds in predictable ways to---
toes
hot
blow
five (high five)
no
yes
bite
drink
boob
come
his name

There are more and I"ll add to this when i recall them or as he says new ones!!!

Its been a few days.

I last posted on Saturday the 19th. Lots has happened since then.

Sunday was Hubby's second father's day. Smidget got him a card, a baseball cap/t-shirt that said World's greatest Dad and a pair of sunglasses (since Dada managed to break his old ones playing basketball). The boys spent the day vacuuming the couch and eating and lounging together. Then we skipped church because Smidget was still throwing up and pooping a lot and upset---so we went and got some pizza from Pizza Hut and came home and gorged ourselves while watching TV---we even let Dada control the remote :D

Then came Monday, which I spent with the Wonderful Miss Betty. We met up around 11am to take the boys to the pool. We stayed there until around 2pm and then packed them up and headed out to Foster's Freeze for some greasy food and a milkshake. It wasn't cheap, but it was tasty---too greasy for regular consumption, though. But their milkshakes are tasty! Then, I dropped them off at home and headed home to my Hubby. We wound up immediately leaving to go help Miss Jamie and Mr Mike move their things across base to their new house. We basically just helped with the big furniture and heavy boxes, but we were there until 11pm working. Smidget mostly slept the whole time or found dust bunnies :D

Tuesday rolled around and I had to head out to go buy a fan belt for the Swamp Cooler that had died on Friday. I bought the parts and then decided to take Smidget to the park for some picture times. I got a lot of great shots. And, I learned that Smidget knows how to go down a slide by himself...ON HIS BELLY! It was sooo cute! He also really REALLY likes playing with much older kids and following them around. He chased this one little boy around and around and around. The kid's name was Matt and when we left he gave Smidget a hug and a kiss and said "you're a nice baby" haha. It is strange to me that a 4 year old thinks of him as a baby and I think of him as a big boy, haha. Then, I was called in to close a Pampered Chef show and then run over to help Miss Stephanie and Mr Joshua pack their belongings into the U-Haul for their move to SD. So we got them on their way with as little hassle as possible, but didn't get out of there until 11pm again. Yet another night of no sleep.

Wednesday was pretty boring. I just sat around catching up on sleep and cleaning. After Smidget being so sick from Friday night til Tuesday night, I realized I'd had like 4 hours of sleep total in that time---so Smidget and I took ridiculously long naps on the couch :D NCIS, Bones, and House kept me company as well as my little man who snuggled me all day.

Thursday (today) was uneventful too. I just ran over to hang out with Betty around 10am and wound up letting the boys play in the pool from 10:30 or so until 1pm when we dried them off and put Monster down for his nap and I took Smidget home (after a quick trip through the bank drive through to deposit checks). He slept an hour before I had to pick him up and HOLD him to let him nurse and sleep. Then I got him to go back down for another hour while I cleaned the kitchen. Now its midnight and I desperately need to clean my house---but I'm going to go finish reading my book and have a big glass of tea before I get started. Not planning on going anywhere tomorrow, so I have all day to get the house cleaned up for company!

PICS TO COME!! UPLOADING NOW!!!

Counting minutes:

We are 12 hours with no projectile vomiting (he's throwing up, but catches it in time) and 4 hours with no diarrhea.

Poor kid! But we're getting there!

Wish us luck!

"Really? Well, thats interesting."

"Dude. I've told you---don't interrupt me when I'm talking to my Auntie Jenny"


Just thought I'd share a post that is NOT disgusting since my last few have been filled with details poo, vomit, and such.

So, as a treat, here are a few pics of my favorite little poo-factory :D

Gross! Part Deux

So, I posted a few days about crazy yellow/white diarrhea that Smidget was having.

Well, he spent a day not pooping at all. Now, he has that stuff coming out of him constantly. We're up to 4 or 5 times so far today. Ugh!

He's also projectile vomiting and just sickly.

Took him to the ER and they said he's got a nasty tummy bug and to keep doing what I'm doing (go easy on his tummy, give him breastmilk and fluids whenever he wants them, and don't be concerned if he doesn't want solids).

He's still happy and playing and nibbling on snacks, but he's just stopping every few minutes to throw up or poop a mess full :(

I hope he feels better soon!

Happy Anniversary!

Today, Dada and Mama have been married 5 years.
Crazy how time flies.

I'm also still amazed that I have a one-year-old, so comprehending 5 years of marriage is totally not going to happen :D

I still look in the mirror sometimes and see that 16 year old girl that I am in my head and go "Holy crap! You're a MOM! Who let that happen?"---I guess I feel a little like the Mom-Police are going to come and say "um...theres been a mistake. you're clearly an awkward 16 year old girl, not the mom of an amazing little man"---And yet my awesome Mother-in-Law and my other mom-friends reassure me that I'm doing a good job, haha.

Can't get past being 16 in my head I guess.

I am amazed by him every single day. And I've never seen anyone more awesome.
I'm smitten by my Smidget :D

7pm

Is apparently his new nap-time!

Smidget refused to nap at all---in fact, he was a totally happy playful silly little boy all day! Around 6pm, he got very fussy and irritable, but wouldn't settle in to nap until a few minutes before 7.

Finally, at 6:59pm, he passed out cold.

I hope he stays down for the night!!!

Gross!

Starting yesterday morning, I had Smidget's diaper off for a few hours (our way of combating diaper rash since his little butt is super sensitive). He started farting, so I scooped him up and put a diaper on him in hopes of warding off any carpet-cleaning if he did make a big stinky.

When I went to put the diaper on, I had to wipe his behind a bit because his fart had been a little "wet"- but, instead of the normal colored poo, the gunk on his butt was yellow and seedy. I figured it was because he'd been breastfeeding a lot more and refusing solid foods. Normal 100% breastfed baby poo is bright yellow and has little whitish specks in it called "seeds"---this was a lighter color of yellow and seedy, so it was normal, right?

I put his diaper on and let him do his thing for a couple of hours. Finally he pooped, but it wasn't much and it was all liquid. Again, thats pretty normal for a breastfed baby (Smidget didn't have his first solid poo until he was 8 months old because, even though he ate solids three times a day or more, his breastmilk intake far outweighed his other food intake). This liquid mess was pretty low volume, a darkish yellow, and seedy. Pretty "normal" in the world of baby poo and breastfed baby poo especially.

I cleaned him up, changed him, and put another diaper on just in case he wasn't done yet. He didn't poo again (he normally has one big poo per day, so a small one usually bodes for another small one later). He farted lots and had a little leakage, but not enough to judge color or consistency or anything.

Then, this morning, I let him have some diaper free time after being cooped in a damp diaper all night, but kept a clean diaper on hand and stayed right beside him so that if he started grunting I could get it on him before it was too late (small poo yesterday morning and no poo at night means a BIG morning poo this morning). I was talking to Jenny on the phone when he wandered toward the bathroom (which he does now when he wants to pee or poo). So, I jumped up behind him with the diaper in hand and hoped I'd get him on the potty in time and not have to use it...he got to the doorway of the bathroom and leaned back with an uncomfortable look on his face right as I went to pick him up and let it loose.

LIQUID poo again. Right on my carpet (if he'd gotten 8 inches further into the bathroom I wouldn't have had to break out the steamer---oh well).

I rinsed his butt with my shower sprayer and then stuck him in the bathtub with a couple of inches of water to splash while I cleaned the mess in the doorway and foot-prints from his crawling away from the mess.

He was upset that he pooed on the floor (he always fusses after he has an accident), so I calmed him and cleaned it up right away. This time the poo was pale yellow and had chunks in it that were more the texture of his regular poo (he did eat some solid food yesterday), but maybe a little firmer than normal. But the chunks were VERY pale yellow, almost white.

I'm concerned, but he's showing NO signs of anything strange and his sleeping habits are back to 100% NORMAL. No fever, no fussiness, no refusal to eat (although he really just wants boob instead of solids, I think its because he's teething because his gums are a little swollen where his next teeth should come through).

Since teething can cause diarrhea and his low-solid diet can cause color changes, I'm going to try to get him to eat more solids today and see how it goes. If he starts refusing to eat or gets a fever or any other signs of anything bad, I'm going to take him in immediately.

He even refused PIZZA yesterday in favor of the boob! Is this kid crazy?!?

Gratuitous Photo Post

Do you see those grey blue eyes? How many hearts you think he's gonna break before some lucky girl finally snags him for good?











He is the most gorgeous man on earth :D

Yes, I truly believe that :D














Seriously! How can you not be in love with that?

I DARE you to find something cuter :D

Have you ever seen anything cuter?

Really? Think about it...

So, you STILL think you've seen something cuter than this?

Thats right. You can admit it, because this is absolutely the cutest thing you've ever seen in your life.

Accept it.

:D

So, its 9 am now and Smidget is STILL sleeping soundly in my bed while I clean the house.

If he doesn't wake up some today I'm going to wind up sitting on the couch holding him and watching NCIS all day while he sleeps.

Okay, so it doesn't sound like a BAD day, but I really wanted to get my house clean today.


So, this makes 5 hours he's been awake in the last 24.

Normally he wakes himself between 9am and 10am---so the countdown begins.

Coma? Growth Spurt? YOU decide!

So, I woke Smidget up at 8:30 so that we could get him dressed and out the door before 9:00am so that I could be in Riverside for my optometrist's appointment at 11:00am.

So, he was awake from 8:30-9:00. I expected him to sleep part of the way in the car, but he normally wakes up at 9:30, so I expected him to be awake before we arrived at our destination.

To my amazement, he was still sound asleep when we arrived at 10:40. I just chalked it up to waking up early and, thus, being extra tired. So, I packed him into his stroller and wheeled him inside. He woke up during the stroller ride and was awake from 10:45 until I left my appointment at 11:30.

He normally naps around noon, but he slept late, so I just knew he wouldn't sleep while I drove to Moreno Valley for lunch with Jae. Which is fine; he's a happy kid and I'm never upset that he's awake when he's energetic and happy (as opposed to tired and cranky when he's late for or misses a nap). Hell, even Cranky Smidget is happier than many babies I know, so I was perfectly happy to chatter with him while I drove.

I barely even got back on the highway before he stopped chattering and was lulled to sleep by the crappy Pop music I found on the radio. I was very surprised that he fell asleep, but car rides do that to kids, ya know? And Smidget has always been lulled by music, no matter how upset he is.

I arrived at my lunch destination just a few minutes after 12:00pm and, again, pulled the sleeping man out of the car. I added it up and he'd been awake for only approximately 90 minutes all day at that point. I began scratching my head a little, but chalked it up to his early morning and all the driving.

He stayed awake for lunch and ate a couple of mini muffins, a lemon wedge (yes, he ate it), a few chips, a couple of bites of my sandwich, and several big bites of my broccoli cheddar soup (all from Jason's Deli---I recommend it! And 10% military discount! Yum! I paid 7.13 for the half sandwich/side and soup combo! Good deal!). He drank some water and then we sat in the grass outside so I could boob him a little and chat with Jae before she headed back to work.

Normally if Smidget naps for a short period (like the drive from Riverside to Moreno Valley), he WILL NOT nap again until much later in the evening. So, I prepared myself for a long drive home with him being irritated at being locked in his carseat when he had tons of energy to burn.

Again, I barely got to the highway before he was out. Literally seconds into the ride I heard him sigh and melt into sleep. WEIRD! Now I was actually shocked. Like slack-jawed and tempted to stop and check on him except I had JUST checked him when I buckled him in and I could SEE him peacefully sleeping.

We got on the road at 1:30. At this point he'd been awake for a grand total of 3hrs cumulatively all day. Which is RARE for him. By 1:30, he's normally been awake for at least 5 hours and is normally just going down for his first nap (between 12pm and 1pm he goes down).

Anyway, I watched him closely as I drove the next 40 minutes to Cabazon to cancel an order at Zales (I ordered a cross pendant, but my in-laws got me one for my baptism, so I no longer needed to buy the one I'd put on hold until Hubby could look at it). So, when I parked (I got primo parking), I open the back door and he's SOUND ASLEEP AGAIN! Like didn't wake up when I un-buckled him. Like didn't wake up when I transferred him to the stroller or wheeled him inside. In fact, he didn't wake up until I entered the store and the sales woman greeted me and used my name (and his--apparently his cuteness is memorable).

He fussed a bit and wanted to be picked up, but I just finished my business and then wheeled him back to the car to drive home. I kissed him and hugged him and got a kiss in return before I snapped him in.

Again, I was sure he'd be awake the rest of the drive home (about an hour left). NOPE! He went BACK out. We were there less than a half hour, so we got on the road a little after 2:30. He slept the ENTIRE ride back. We hit town around 3:30 and I stopped off at Jamie Lou's house to check on her cats and get her mail. I carried him in, but he never lifted his head from my shoulder while I was inside. I didn't have to do much since the food and water levels were good and I'd just emptied the litter, so I just grabbed mail, petted the kitties for a minute and put Smidget back in the car to head to the water company, post office, and then home.

He awakened for 5 minutes while we were in the Water Company office paying the bill, but fell back to sleep in his carseat while I was selecting music on my iPod to listen to on our drive to the Post Office. Apparently Susan Tedeschi is NOT a good treatment for narcolepsy. Neither is Green Day or Flogging Molly---all of which were tried on the ride to the Post Office. Volume was up and I sang along----believe me, my singing can wake the dead, that kid was OUT!

When i got to the post office he was awake again just long enough for me to post a package (sorry Jenny, not yours...yours was sitting at my house where I forgot it this morning)---then, when I put him in the car again, he fell asleep AGAIN for the ride back to our house.

It was now 4:30 when I pulled into my driveway. He had been awake 30 minutes that morning, 60 mins at my appointment, 90 minutes at lunch, 30 minutes at the Outlets, 5 minutes at the Water Co, and 5 minutes at the Post Office. So, counting up, we're talking 210 minutes---that is 3.5 hours ALL DAY. Um, thats totally reversed from his normal sleep count! Normally he sleeps for less than that during a day!

So, when we got home at 4:30, I nursed him while I checked e-mail. The kid FELL ASLEEP NURSING and didn't wake up until Hubby got home at 6pm. He was awake for less than an hour and then fell asleep nursing again. He awoke for a few minutes and when I refused to let him nurse again, I just let him lay across my lap and patted his back and he FELL ASLEEP AGAIN!

2 hours later, he did the same thing, fell asleep laying on my lap.

The kid has fallen asleep in my arms TWICE without nursing before today---today he did it twice in a row. And the kid is STILL sleeping.









This is either going to be one hell of a growth spurt or he's in the beginning stages of being sick. No fever and no symptoms other than sleepiness. Gonna keep an eye on him tonight and in the morning and see how he does. If he's still worrying me tomorrow afternoon, I'll start considering other options...


However, the main 3 signs of growth spurts are:

1. Feeding more (he ate lots of solids for lunch and has been nursing a LOT more the last 3-4 days---demanding boob almost constantly and biting when its not coming out fast enough or replenishing quickly enough to keep him filled).

2. He's been napping more soundly the last few days. Normally he's a fairly light sleeper, but he's been sleeping a little longer at a stretch, sleeping later in the mornings (til 11am yesterday!!!) and staying asleep even when the doorbell rings, phone rings, or I start talking (which normally has him on high-alert), vacuuming, etc.

3. He's been fussier and crankier. I thought it might be teething, but it is also a sign of a growth spurt because growing so quickly doesn't feel that great either, I'm assuming. Yes, he might still be teething, but I'd lay money on his fussiness being because he's just extra hungry and tired because his body needs more than he knows how to give it.

He's peeing and pooing normally and has NO other strange symptoms besides exhaustion and hunger and a little extra fuss (like he's ever REALLY fussy, haha...he's such a good kid).

So, this ridiculously long post is just to give you a run-down on his day. Now he's sleeping (with no diaper because I'm not tempting fate when I want to go to bed...he can just sleep on a towel. he holds it when he sleeps now, so as long as I get to him when he starts to wake up, he should stay dry all night). Hell, he might night-train before he day-trains! He slept all night last night dry! (i fell asleep with him diaperless in MY bed last night! i was SOOOO exhausted that i put him on the potty to pee and picked him up and took him to bed and forgot to re-diaper him...when I woke up the clean diaper was on the bathroom sink where I'd left it---I found it after he crawled out of the covers to come to me when I was getting dressed and woke him---I asked him if he'd taken off his diaper and I realized what had really happened...ahh the life of a mother! We forget to diaper our kid because we're too tired to see straight! HAHAHAHA.

So, off to bed---when Smidget wakes up to pee tonight, I hope to remember to put a diaper ON him before I put him back down :D

G'night all!

Love!

Going Strawberry Bananas

I love my dirty little man.

You know those toddlers that you see out and around with scratches on their knees and dirt on their toes who are just grinning like there is no tomorrow?

My son is one of those.

Granted, when we're out, I try to keep him as clean as possible, but he CRAWLS more than he walks, so his knees always have little scratches and get dirty. Baby wipes are your FRIEND when you have a toddler!

But, theres nothing this kid loves more than a mess.

Today, he squished a giant delicious strawberry in his fingers just because he liked the way it felt to squish it up in his hands.

What a kid!

Naptime = Bliss

Its not so much that I need Smidget to sleep for two hours as the fact that he gets fussy around noon and am so grateful to get him to sleep and end the fussiness! If he never got fussy because he was tired, I'd be thrilled to have him play and be silly with me all day...

But, alas, we are being a fuss-butt now. So, mama is off to boob the baby and snuggle him on the couch while she calls Auntie Jenny to debrief her on the party shenanigans :D

I've gotten a lot done today, so I'm rewarding myself with post-nap pool time if things go well :D

Cake and Presents! Oh my!

Today at Mass, Smidget decided the be Mr Independent. Every time I let him go, he'd drop to all fours and crawl into the center aisle and laugh at me while I tried to inconspicuously snatch him back---good thing we were the only ones on our pew! Then, he decided to crawl into the pew behind us to visit with one of the parishioners who is always loving on him.

We also got to talk to his self-proclaimed honorary grandparents (they claimed him when he was only a few weeks old). They remarked on his being so grown up and handsome and got down to play with him and cooed at him just like his real grandparents. Its nice to have them around, even if we do mostly just see them on Sundays. They are the reason I've missed going to Sunday morning services so much! That, and the donuts are fresher.

Speaking of which---Smidget enjoyed a donut while sitting on his Dada's shoulders after Mass. Then proceeded to crush the remnants into his hair. Good thing we were headed straight for the pool, huh?

I bought Smidget an umbrella stroller today. I've been meaning to do it for while, but I found one at a friend's yard-sale for only $5 and it was literally brand spanking new! PERFECT! It will come in really handy when we go to Vegas in August to pick up Smidget's Aunt K and Uncle S. Hard to travel with a big stroller and luggage in one trunk! I still love my jogging stroller, but I need to get an inner tube for it!!! I busted it last time we went to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego.

Okay---here I am thinking of what adorable things Smidget did today. I mean, he's adorable every day, but what stands out?

Oh, he got another birthday present! Two actually.

First was from Jamie---she got him an awesome T-ball set. he can't quite play with it properly yet, but he enjoys banging the plastic bat against our shins and the couch :D And the balls fit perfectly under the couch for him to get mad when he pushes them too far and can't get them out himself :D

Second---when I took several huge slices of leftover birthday cake to my neighbors (3 slices to Roger, Hideko, and Kat and 2 slices to Dave and his wife), Dave called me into his back yard and offered up this really adorable pretend play yard toy hand-me-down from his granddaughter that is a little mini farm house toy complete with a real garden---with rubber veggies that fit perfectly into their holes for you to plant and harvest---cute huh? Smidget thought it was pretty awesome! Can't wait to get him out there tomorrow and let him go nuts!

And we have at least 3 riding toys that need to be assembled for him now. We just need to get him a slide and he'll be all set. My mom is sending me $20 to go get him a Step-2 tree-swing to put in our willow tree out back. This yard is going to be baby-city :D

Oh, and Mr Streaker Baby made an appearance tonight as usual and he and Dada actually passed out snuggling on the couch with Smidget's feet elevated on the back of the couch and his head hanging off the front while Dada laid comfortably in a normal position on the couch under him. Too funny! I actually managed to get a diaper on him and carry him to bed and tuck him in without so much as a peep! I guess church, yard sales, and the pool as well as playing with his new toys and leftover party balloons wore him out!

PS---Jenny, I hope you're enjoying this :D

Happy Birthday Smidget

Well, its official---

Three days ago, on June 9th, my amazing son turned one. Today we celebrated his birthday with a whole collection of friends. Sitting here with Smidget laying beside me on the couch sleeping off his busy day, I find myself thinking about all he has accomplished in just a year and realizing that he is no longer my baby. This combination of pride and sadness is foreign to me. He is amazing.

At 2:35 pm on June 9, 2009, my son made his way into the world after 36 hours of labor and 3.5 hours of pushing. He was four days overdue and weighed in at 9lbs 13oz and was 22 inches tall. In just one year, he has grown to just shy of 32 inches tall and weighs in at 24.5 lbs (according to the doctor's scale, mine says he weighs a couple of pounds more). He's gained 15 lbs and grown 10 inches!

Just one year ago, he lay in my arms in a hospital room, unable to lift his head, roll his big body, or communicate. He simply opened his big blue eyes and peered around the room and understood that the world was his and that everyone who would meet him would love him immediately. At least, that's what it seemed like to me.

In those first days, he grasped Dada's hand and lay there peacefully, snuggling in toward me, looking to nurse, looking up at me and stealing my heart. Despite suffering from reflux and having trouble keeping food down, he grew and thrived---he began eating baby cereal at four months and baby food two weeks later. By the time he was five months old, he was eating a combination of stage 3 baby foods and steamed soft home-cooked chunks of vegetables as well as all of the snacks from Gerber listed for "crawlers."

At six month's old (on Dec 20th), he looked up at me in a restaurant, waiting for me to give him another bite of sauteed green beans, and said "Mama!" demanding to be fed. Soon after came Dada. Then, simply, "oh." Now, he says all of those, plus: butt, ball, yeah, no, sit, baba, and a few that are still garbled.

At almost 3 months old, he rolled over for the first time. A couple of weeks later, he rolled in the other direction. Within another two weeks he was rolling across the entire room to get from place to place chasing his toys. Then, at 5 months, he began sitting up unassisted, but didn't get fully upright until 7 months. At 6 months he began crawling, but didn't master the skill enough to get into trouble until he was almost 9 months. Now, at 12 months, he's the fastest crawler on the planet and is taking a few steps at a time on his own. He can walk everywhere he wants if he holds on, but is just beginning to step out on his own without support...and it is almost always to chase a ball that got away from him. He picks uses the ball for support to stand, then lifts it up over his head and throws it, then realizes he's standing without help and either takes a few steps after the ball he uses for support or gently sits down. In just a few months he's gone from totally immobile to never stopping! He can crawl as fast as I can walk! No wonder he's in no rush to walk on his own---walking can't possibly be faster, right? (tell me it can't! I can't keep up NOW!).

Until now his favorite foods are:
Meat!!! Non processed, baked or grilled, and served in chunks
Peas, green beans, carrots, asparagus, or lettuce.
Pasta of all shapes.
Scrambled eggs.
Any cheese!
Snacks: Fruit Loops, Cheerios, Wheat Thins, Goldfish, Animal Crackers, and yogurt.

He got his first tooth at 7 months even. A week later he had his second. He stayed at only two little snaggle teeth until just after he hit 9 months. He then got his top left tooth. Two weeks after that, he got the third---the left lateral incisor. He was totally cute and lop-sided for a month!!! I loved it! Finally, at almost 11 months, he got his right front tooth. A few days later the right lateral incisor cut through. Two weeks ago his bottom lateral incisors broke through just days apart. Now he has eight teeth---the front four top and bottom and couldn't be more handsome if he tried! And he DOES try!

His favorite activities:
1. anything involving water---bathtub, little plastic pool, kiddie pool on base, any bowl or bucket of water (including our dog's water dish). Temperature doesn't matter much as long as it's decent. And he doesn't care how much there is---a few ounces or an ocean---just as long as its wet!

2. anything involving a ball---he has golf balls, tennis balls, beach balls, kick balls, balloons, exercise balls, ping pong balls, soccer balls, footballs, baseballs, bowling balls...anything that is round and can be thrown. He loves to roll them and chase them, play catch with his Dada, make "baskets" with his hoop, and roll them for the dogs to chase.

3. He loves to do "buh buhs" and make crazy noises and mimics nearly any noise you make. He tries to do "buh buhs" all the time---sometimes on himself, sometimes on whoever is holding him, sometimes on the dogs or other babies.

4. Peekaboo. He will just scream with laughter!

5. "Reading" his books and talking to the book (maybe he's reading out loud, who knows!).

6. Climbing---anything and everything! He's a daredevil, NO FEAR!

Right now, my one year old little Smidget wears 2T clothing, size 5 shoes, and is in the 95th percentile for height and head circumference and the 65th percentile for weight. He has a fluffy head of thin blonde hair and the most beautiful blue-gray eyes on earth.

He is the world's biggest flirt and show off...and he KNOWS how cute he is. Everyone loves him. It is amazing to me to be the mother of someone who brings only joy and love into the lives of everyone who knows him. My perfect little Smidget!





Now that you have the back-story and know where he is now, I come to the point of this blog...the little stories of all of the cute things he does every day...the sweet moments, the funny things he says and does, even photos and videos of the crazy things toddlers do that win our hearts and melt us to the core.

This, is the life of the most amazing man you'll ever meet---Mr. Smidget.
If you are reading this, know now that you are truly blessed because you now have a little Smidget in your life---I hope that he brings you as much joy and love as he has brought me every day of his life.

Thus begins the tale of Smidget.