waving bye-bye to baby days

so everyone knows that our children cannot be babies forever, and in two months mine won't be, either. in two months, my now-ten-month-old will be one year old and no longer my little baby. (okay, okay, he'll always be my 'baby' in theory, but in reality.. he's going to my a toddler.)

lately he's been putting a lot of things together and showing us just how much he's grasping of what we're teaching him. amazed are we, his doting parents, when he shakes his head 'no' or sits down on the couch when we ask him to. 'look at mommy... would you like some more?' and other such phrases are not just being said, but understood. today i actually played a game of 'mommy's a bunny!' with c which entailed putting on a pair of his bunny ears and hopping up and down then putting them back on c's head. he would then remove them and hand them back to me or try to put them on my head himself. it's these things i don't want to take for granted. every little thing he does from now until he's a full grown man.. and likely thereafter i want to remember. he's learning and interacting and growing here, right here, before our very eyes and it's truly awesome.

though i suspect standing alone and taking steps are merely around the corner, we are not at 'walking alone' status yet. our little wren is, however, walking while holding on to our hand with only one of his hands, pushing his wagon-walker and practically running across the floor, and holding on to both of our hands and steering us around the house as quickly as his little legs can carry us. he's a little shy to attempt standing by himself, but we've caught him doing it on his own a few times before he realizes it and sits down abruptly. he'll get there much faster than we're ready for, i think.

so plotting and planning his first birthday party is on my to-do list and i am having mild amounts of anxiety over it. first and foremost, where to host it!? our house is not very big, but it is my first choice of venue. being that i am a slight control freak, i want to be able to decorate and plan it the way the i  prefer. i find renting a grange hall or going out to eat is a little impersonal for a first birthday party and i really want it to be fun and casual. i think a 'theme' is a little strong for a party that he will most likely not remember and has no say in (he doesn't know where his nose is yet, let alone what he would like for a party theme..) so i think i will keep it simple and make it an autumn theme since it's right before thanksgiving anyway. then there's the task of food and space enough for the forty-ish people that will be invited. and a cake! i want to make his cake, i think. big task, i know, but i really would like to take a stab at it. no idea what i will do, yet, but a cake i will make!

now i have successfully set my head to spinning. i think i need to cut this short and go clear my head before i am overwhelmed with part details....

summer's slow simmer

now that summer is past it's boiling point and sitting at more of a slow simmer, i really need to follow through with my poor efforts in blogging. being that so much has happened in the month-plus that's passed me by, i think i may have to jump from past to present a bit just for time's sake.

let's start with the top of the list, and a small amount of anxiety, my new job. so, sufficed to stay that it's been a long time coming that i have needed to take on a part time job so that i can help contribute to our growing family and expenses. after months of searching, applying, and being rejected, i finally landed a part time kitchen position at the local and self-sufficient vegetarian restaurant, chase's daily. being that it's been about five... okay, six years since i have worked in a kitchen or restaurant, i am hoping that it truly is like riding a bike. let's be honest, i ride a bike pretty poorly, but multitasking and learning a new job when being thrown in head first i do well. so, here's hoping for the best. the anxiety part really kicks in when i realize that two or three days a week i will be at chase's for about eight hours and leaving behind my roll as 'mom.' to quell that anxiety, though, is the reality of a paycheck and our easing financial obligations.

our wee wren is no longer so little as he has now surpassed nine months old and is currently sporting four and a quarter teeth, crawling, standing, cruising around furniture, thinking about walking on his own, saying (not consistently, but at whim) 'mama,' 'dadda,' 'bah bah (bottle),' 'duhdk (duck),' 'kiikk (kitty),' and various combinations of sounds. two days ago, e taught him how to nod his head 'yes' and shake his head 'no,' which i am not convinced is a good thing just yet... but he seems to find it more funny than anything. yesterday i witnessed him playing a game by himself that involved crawling quickly to one end to the living room, stopping, abruptly changing directions while squealing, and crawling quickly to another destination in the room... over and over and over again! it had me in stitches, to say the least! i am even starting to plot his first birthday party with the knowledge that three months is going to fly by faster than i am ready for!

update one: the camping trip and a rash of trouble.

being that it's been nearly a month since i have updated, i will try to stack together some of the finer and more memorable moments of our summer.

c is now sporting four teeth, his top happen to have the most charming large gap, and babbling on and on about things that sound like 'gah gah', 'mamma', 'bah bah', and 'kkkkk'. he's been pulling himself to standing, but now seems determined to do such things as skirting around furniture and letting go with one hand to test his balance before deciding he is just not quite ready to take that step.

we did take him camping for the first time a few weeks ago. by we, i mean my parents and myself as e had to unfortunately work and could not take the time. it was a fun experience in total, but the timing was poor. my little wren had already been away from home for a few days on his monthly sleepover at grammy & grampy's house before we went. i noticed he was running a mild fever and chewing his fingers a lot, which i contributed to more teething. i asked my mom if she thought he had a fever and she said she didn't think he was too hot, so, without my thermometer to confirm or disprove it, we decided to suck it up and go anyway. while there he had a wonderful time playing on the beach and in the screen tent, eating hamburger, potato, and stewed tomato from grampy's plate. but once night fell he slept fitfully in his portable crib and eventually ended up in bed with me, where we snuggled into my sleeping bag. unfortunately, snuggling wasn't making him feel any better and by 2:00 a.m. he was in full meltdown mode which continued until 5:00. the hardest part about camping with an 8 month old who is clearly upset is that you cannot just get up and wander downstairs, and find some sort of distraction. nope. so here we were, in our tent, in the wind and rain, in the dark, with little c screaming at the top of his lungs and me with no escape. at about 4:30 my dad got up and offered to make him a bottle, which was devoured before we managed to catch an hour of sleep. at 6:30 a.m., c was up and screaming again. it became pretty clear to me that he was miserable and rather than risk another sleepless night for everyone, we decided it was time for the two of us to heave-ho. my dad boated us back to the car and we headed home. once home, i checked his fever and realized he was running 102. out of our tylenol stash, e ran to the store and picked some up so that we could administer some before bed. overly cranky and hot, i put him to sleep at 8:00 p.m. and he went down without a fight. an hour later i checked his temperature again and noticed he was sweating and his fever had dropped back to a normal 98.6. phew! the following day, however, brought the final light bulb moment as to what was causing all of this: a rash!! head to toe, c was covered in little blotchy red spots. then it dawned on me... ROSEOLA. somehow, and i still can't even imagine where, he had picked up roseola (also known as the baby measles), and was now covered in a telltale rash. unfortunately, there is no real treatment for roseola other than breaking the fever and soothing the rash. so after an oatmeal bath, the following day the rash had begun to dissipate. no wonder he was having such a hard time camping-- the poor babe was sick! next time i will follow my gut and pass on camping if i suspect fever!

birds of a feather

 

yesterday morning i was feeling a bit disheartened at the fact that we were unable to attend a gathering of local dj's at a spectacular outdoor event put on annually. our dear friends, the mother and father of the beloved twin girls, spin this venue each year and had invited us, c in tow, to spend an afternoon of sun and sounds with them. this weekend did not pan out for us and we had to regretfully decline the invitation and agreed to rendezvous for a play date at another time. waking feeling glum, my wee wren and i did our morning ritual of snuggling in bed before getting up to wander downstairs for breakfast. i picked up my phone and saw a message asking us to brunch with our lovely family down the road. i must revisit the topic of sister & brother-in-law & wee niece moving back to our small town and how much we cherish having them return to us! just a hop, skip, and perhaps a hula hoop away, it has been marvelous to be so reunited. so, with the invite in hand, i scampered upstairs to wake e and tell him about our requested attendance at brunch and, with a groggy nod from him, quickly RSVP'd. we had time before brunch to get little c fed and down for a nap, grab showers ourselves, and then rouse the snoozing boy and head out.

the sun was already gloriously hot when we arrived at 10:00 and we entered their cottage-cozy home and were greeted with smiling faces. quick hugs from little bits, the wee niece, we made our way to the backyard to find c's auntie j was preparing to release their newly acquired chickens for the first time. these little fuzzies had already seemed to double in size in perhaps a week and were ready to step out into their new yard. thankfully, j had requested i bring my camera this day, so i was able to capture the delight and wonder of little children and tiny hens! our sweet boy had never experienced chickens and took lead from his big cousin (with help and guidance from momma j), on how to feed them clovers and grass. c stared in amazement at the small birds, while little bits danced around happily at the sight of her newest little friends. i do believe we could have gladly stayed and let the children play with those little hens all day, were it not for hungry bellies. thanks to c's uncle a for whipping us up a delicious brunch, which we enjoyed outside in the shade of the giant willow tree. how good it felt to be there, surrounded by loved ones, enjoying a perfectly happy morning.

*might i add that our wee wren has begun crawling & pulling himself to stand all in the span of a few days!

when baby's away

playing a moment of catch up, finally. i have abandoned my blogging as of late to take advantage of our fleeting sunshine, our growing boy, and our family relocating back to our little coastal town. but now, i think i must revisit my blog and update.

the weekend before the one just passed, my parents requested our little c to come and stay not one but *two!* nights with them. being that teething has had us in a bit of a cranky spell, i gladly accepted such a request and packed (over packed possibly..) him up for his two night/three day getaway. my mother, also the 'always be prepared' type, had not only invested in some cups, bowls, spoons, and bottles to keep at her house, but also added diapers (i don't think she or my father are interested in attempting the new-age of cloth), formula, and other baby foods to their *grandson pantry*. my dad, who is more the 'everything good takes time' type, finally completed renovations on both of their spare rooms, formerly my brother's room and mine, and rearranged a nice spot for my old/c's borrowed crib in the room that once belonged to me. now free of a four poster canopy bed, pepto-bismo pink carpet, gilded hummingbirds, and lilac curtains, this room is a sweet place for his slumber party away from home.

while our wee wren was off having unimaginable fun ad *no!* tantrums, e and i decided to stop our weekend chores and brave the out-of-doors while the rain had let up. packing up the pooches sunday morning, we set off for a hike in the woods. the dogs needed a good workout, and our belt loops were no longer hiding our need for one, either. the woods were so green and deep in the overcast light that i was thankful to have snagged my camera this time. how unfortunate that i forget to bring it so often these days, though i think it's my lamenting the fact that it is on it's last leg and i am trying to preserve it's last days of life. today, after a few misfires and black photos, it perked right up and captured the beauty that encompassed us as we wandered beneath the trees. stumbling along behind, as always, i wished i had emptied my memory card ahead of time as i was nearly out of space and had to be selective of what i wanted to shoot. puffing on a cigar and ambling at a slow pace, i watched as e and our canines moseyed their way along the path, checking out each sight and smell.

by the end of our hike the sun began to sneak out of the cloud cover, so we made our way through the graveyard at the head of the trail so the dogs could get a little running in. isa, the shorter and clumsier of the two, put on a show as she bounced along as if on springs. four years old and still no sign of growing up, yet. uzi, nine years young, had no problem prancing along with the grace and ease of a much younger man. we stopped at the end of the graveyard, the edge of the clearing by the woods, and finished off our cigar before heading back to the jeep. once home, bath time commenced for the dogs to prevent them from itching and breaking out from their skin allergies. not big fans of water or baths, they took it in stride and were happy to be toweled off when we were through.

having a baby, we sometimes have to put the dogs on the back burner and are thankful that they take it in stride and with great patience. it's nice to have days like this when we can treat them to a little adventure all of their own. naturally we would take family trips if we had a gate to secure them in the back of our jeep, but since we don't, and since their riding manners are not up-to-par for riding with a little one in tow, we have to pick and choose our battles. we are just glad they forgive us for not always being able to include them, for we will always make it up to them.

green things we sow, green things we grow

today i did a bit of investigating into the vegetable seeds my little babe and i planted not so long ago, hoping for a sign of progress. i was not disappointed in the sprouts that have exploded through the soil! reaching for the light and lending green to their pots, out seeds are springing forth and promising eatables and edibles for our plates once harvest time is here.

among the green things we are growing, i am doing a small part for the greener good of our lovely planet, too. strange as i sound, nothing makes me happier than a laundry basket topped with cloth diapers and covers. today, with the morning sun, i finally got to hang my cloth to bleach in the bright rays. i often get confused looks or joking comments about our use of cloth diapers at home, but the truth must come out that i find it simpler to do cloth than i do disposable. we still keep our disposable supply for night time dryness and going out of the house, but at home i am happy to fold a prefold, secure it on little c with a snappi, and strap on a kissaluvs marvel or bummis super brite cover. when the day is through, depending on how many soiled diapers i have hanging in my wet bag, i fill the washer with cold water, add some biokleen and borax, shake the poo into the toilet (easier with the consumption of solid foods), toss the diapers, sans covers, in, and soak overnight. in the morning i run a rinse cycle, turn the dial to hot/cold wash with two rinse cycles, add a little more borax and tide free & gentle (same ingredients as our beloved dreft but $5 cheaper!), toss in the covers and wet bags, and off they go. hang them dry, fluff them in the dryer, bleach them in the sun and they are good for use. no need for a wet pail (gross?!), or expensive or fancy cleaners. i plan to invest in a sprayer to attach to the toilet for more efficient cleaning before soaking, but my diapers are clean, fresh, and *mostly* stain free. what stains i have encountered have disappeared in the sunshine. a little vinegar in the rinse cycle has prevented any smells (precautionary measure, but i want to avoid the possibility) and i have also heard lemon juice can do the same but have not tried it. all in all, i love my cloth and my little one in a colorful diaper cover looks cute to boot!

inviting teeth to tea

pictured above, my mom has been loving being 'grammy,' and now requests she have her grandson for a sleepover once a month since the last one went so well. i see no reason to object!

in five days, i am only now realizing, our wee wren turns seven months old. yesterday we saw the signs of his third tooth poking out of his top front gums. though i have known of his teething for a few weeks, i had yet to see any real signs until e pointed out the small white pearl while little c was laughing hysterically at being tickled. there it was, just peeking out at us. being early at everything (save for being born) has been our wee bean's forte, but this does not ease a mother's nerves as she watches her babe grow too-fast before her eyes!

the tooth is only the beginning of new things, the list is growing with each day. not only are teeth on the table, but pushing himself to sitting while on his tummy, as well as 'hopping' along on all fours. not quite up to speed on crawling, he sort of jumps his little legs forward while on hands and knees, but has yet to get his hands to move forward in rhythm. and, at lease for me, the biggest hurtle has been conquered for over a week: sleeping through the night! after many weeks of waking two and three times a night, crying, tantrums, and asking to be fed, my darling e and i were desperate for a solution. unsure of what to do, my exhausted brain was begging for the relief of sleep. finally, one evening, e came home from work and marched straight to me exclaiming 'i know what to do!' his solution? A LATER BEDTIME. why on earth had we not considered this before? we have been putting c to bed at 7:00 p.m. on the dot for months without much thought as to whether he was truly tired enough by that point. his waking again at 11:00 p.m. most nights should have been our first clue. so that night we pushed our little one's bedtime back to 9:00 p.m. and though keeping him awake so late was a bit tough that first time, he slept soundly through the night until 6:30 a.m. the following night we did the same, only lessening the time by half an hour. at 8:30 p.m. we put him to bed and only woke to hear his stirring and fussing at 4:30 a.m. but instead of rising to get him, i waited and listened. after 15 minutes he fell soundly to sleep and did not rise until 8:30 a.m. and so this has continued, allowing me some much deserved rest.

lastly, but not the least of things, is that he now says 'mumma' very clearly and is working on other words and sounds much more lately. the babble is starting to really come out and i find myself amazed and in awe of the things i hear coming from my wee one's lips. will not be long before i hear his first sentences!