I just can't keep up. I am trying to write down all of the words Gardner exclaims as they appear, but it's happening so quickly now that I can't remember them all at day's end. He is pretty much repeating most every word he hears that stands out. Today he was repeating every animal name that was broadcasted from his Baby Noah DVD. The two I caught clearly were "hippo" and "zebra." I mean, is he a genius, or what? He is under the weather, I'm afraid, battling the same nagging cold-thing that I am. Runny noses together, we're a pitiful pair. Everything hurts ten times more when you have a cold, I've learned, and rightly so. He pinched his fingers in some louvre doors today, and where that normally would have been brushed off casually and without a care, that didn't happen this time. Poor Gardner proceeded to cry and whimper for close to 30 minutes, and I did my best to console him. We bandaged it up with a nice little Elmo band-
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Gardner's new words: - "Hey, dude." Ken taught him this. I'm glad there are a few signature phrases that Ken alone can claim for him. - He finally says "juice" instead of "tttssspphhhth." :) - "Dip, dip, dip" is what he says when he dips his food in a sauce. Toddlers will eat anything (even veggies) if they're allowed to dip them in ketchup. - "See ya" (or rather, "eee-ya"), another alternative to the "bye bye" he so dearly loves. - "Tooot-tee" means "cookie."
Gardner received his first ball today. I know that's silly to report this, but it's a big deal for him. He's old enough now to understand the concept of "playing catch," and today we made a big deal about letting him go with me and picking out a rubber ball (Pooh and Piglet was the ball of choice). It's the little things that can satisfy a kid so much. The $2.08 I spent was well worth the giggles, squirms, and outright giddyness I've been witnessing over the past hour or so. Man, I love this kid. :)
Gardner learned something new today. Our lives just got (again) a whole lot more interesting. He stood up on tippy-toes and reached up to grab the bathroom doorknob, an antique crystal knob original to the house. He turned it. I watched as it opened. My jaw dropped. He's learned how to open doors. I marveled as he stepped inside and said cheerily, "Hiiii!", then backed up, clicked the door closed once again, and said, "Bye-byyyyeee!" I turned and looked at Ken. Oh, boy. :)
It hits me every now and then how many big changes are heading towards Gardner. I didn't mean for all of them to happen to him in one year's span, but it looks as if it's working out that way. In the next 8 months, he will be moving into a new house, getting a new room, moving into a "big boy" bed, gaining a new sibling, and perhaps be introduced to potty training (depending on how the other transitions go, that is). I realize daily that he looks to Ken and I to be his rocks. During the day, if he hears a loud noise, pinches his finger in a door, or just gets too sleepy for his own good, he runs straight to me, pressed flat against my legs, and reaching his fingers upward. I pick him up, kiss his little head, and console him the best I can. He will need Ken and I to become even stronger, bigger rocks during the next few months. That can't happen if we're so wrapped up in our own things that we don't focus on this role that we also play. Lots of cha
His vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. It's not uncommon now for Gardner to repeat any word I ask him to say for me. It totally astounds me. It seems like it literally happens overnight. I hope he'll become the perfect little literate, the little guy who spouts off random facts like that cute (or annoying) kid in Jerry MacGuire. I think I might become one of those tree-hugging moms who puts "the word of the day" on a chalkboard every morning in the kitchen, hoping to extend his (and our) vocabulary even further, even before he enters the doors of a school. I bet once he really starts talking, putting sentences together, he won't stop. I'm scared. But I'm also looking forward to it. (Even the tough kid questions.)
What a great weekend.... Ken, Gardner and I spent the whole day yesterday gallavanting around town. As sick as I felt, I didn't want to keep Gardner couped up all weekend long. He had a blast. In fact, he had SO much fun that he was too keyed up to take a nap at ALL yesterday. I think that's the first time he's skipped his nap in three months or more. He had a blast at church this morning, too. You know it's good when they dive out of your arms to play with the other kids ("Hi!" being repeated boisterously, as goes with his usual, friendly demeanor)....and even better when their attention is beckoned at the door....Mom and Dad are back!....and they break into that little irresistible smile and run, hands flailing, into your waiting arms. Here's the funny shot of the week. It's a monkey that we bought him during his first zoo trip a couple of months ago. Ken got the brilliant idea to velcro its arms around his head. It reminds me of a African-j
Gardner has been a little fussy guy today. With pregnancy hormones making me take everything personally, I am having a rough day myself. He is purposefully defiant in his actions, and he is refusing to eat what I set before him on a plate at mealtime. When I was playing with him earlier, making him cackle and laugh in that cute little way, I noticed the bluish tinge on his lower jaw making me think this could all be due to impending teeth coming through....that would certainly explain both the irritability and the refusal to eat anything except yogurt or applesauce. Time will tell. In just a few more months, he will actually be able to tell me what's wrong....what's hurting him, why he's angry, what he's frustrated about. Of course, I will still play parent and not the peacemaker in order to suppress the "terrible two's" that really don't have to happen unless I allow them to move in and take residence. Sometimes parenting is so tough. It's a
Sometimes you have to hide things. I am learning that lately. Gardner has entered a major picky phase. Well, it's not that he's limiting himself to only one or two foods....it's really ten or 12. But that is a drastic difference from just a few months ago when he'd put anything in his mouth that I fed him, no questions asked. I am learning that I can make him eat certain vegetables by hiding them among his favorite foods, or more creatively, by making them into a yummier version. For instance, he despises carrots (they used to be his favorite jarred food). BUT, I made Cooking Light's carrot souffle...and he couldn't stuff it in fast enough. He won't eat zucchini anymore....but he'll eat a piece of zucchini bread. I think that main idea is to get these vitamin-rich foods IN him right now....we can deal with the teaching him to like them for their value later on (after all, I didn't even like brussels sprouts myself until I was nearly 20). Anoth
Gardner's 15-month checkup synopsis: Well, first of all, it's certain that he still doesn't like shots very much (who does?). He had three boosters today, and they must have stung something awful judging from how long he held his breath when he cried. (sniff sniff) I'm just glad that's over....and no more sticks till he's four. Hooray! He weighs 21lbs. 15oz. and is 31 inches long. That puts him at 50th percentile for height and up to 15th percentile for weight (up from 10th). He's going to be long and lean, I guess. We got more great tips on feeding, discipline techniques, vitamins, language development, interaction with other children, and more. I learn so much from Dr. Treash when I go that I am tempted to take a mini cassette recorder with me sometimes so I can catch it all. The plan for today is to give him Tylenol to keep away any threatening fever from the immunizations....and then, the highlight: a trip out for ice cream.
I just had the most fun day with Gardner. We didn't do anything too out of the ordinary; in fact, we stayed home all day. It was just a day full of quality time with my little guy. First of all, we broke the rules and both stayed in our PJs till lunchtime. I cooked a special breakfast, and we found out how very much Gardner loves toast and blackberry jam. We spent a lot of time reading today, namely the new books we chose at the library yesterday. Gardner was in a "I want to sit in your lap" mood all day, too, which melts my heart and makes me stop in my tracks. He sat in my lap while we watched Maisy, while we read. Gardner and I went for the first walk of the new year, too. It's been so cold and we've been so sick....this was the first day we've been out in a long time to do that. Though it was nearly 60 degrees today, I still had both of us bundled up in coats and hats. I had fun telling him the names of the things he pointed to and questioned as we
Gardner's 15-month checkup is this Thursday. Dr. Treash told me he should be saying 15 words by this time, and so I thought I'd write down all he can say just for good measure. It comes to 20, and I'm sure I've left out some! Way to go, G! Here they are (not in order): Hi/hey, bye-bye, blue, balloon, juice, shoes, night-night, mama, daddy, kitty, puppy, movie, pretty, all done, hot, yippy-skippy (I taught him this one, homage to Miss Piggy), tee-tee, apple, boo-boo, hello. (** also, Ken swore he heard him say "pineapple" tonight, and I did, too....(more like "tine-tattle")...but we will let him say it a few more times before adding it to the list.)
