Sunday, April 19, 2015
Fare Thee Well, Princess Carol
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Dorian at 16 mos - a long overdue update
He's walking. Running. Talking. Signing.
He says:
- No. - but thankfully not always in context. So it's still kinda cute. He shakes his head "no" also, but I'm not sure he knows what that indicates yet. When he means it, his tone is very curt. Recently, he's starting pointing to things he knows he's not supposed to touch and says a long drawn out "nooo" as he's touching them with his pointer finger.
- Up. - This one is pretty new, but he's getting the hang of it. It's used when he wants to be picked up or to have help climbing onto something. We're practicing "down" but that one hasn't sunk in yet.
- Nose (but sounds like "no").
- Eye (but sounds like "ah"). He loves to say this as he pokes you in the eye.
- Dog (but sounds like "dah"). Everything is a dog. The cat. A cow. Goats at the petting zoo. Every animal is a dog, but at least that means he's making associations.
- Meow (but sounds like "ow"). It's pretty funny when he follows Weezul around the living room yelling "ow" every time the cat yowls to be let outside and away from the baby.
- Dada. Kind of. He's said it a couple of times, but he's not using it regularly. He makes the "da" sound a lot, but not in context.
- Ball (but sounds like "bah"). This was actually his first *real* word. Dog may have actually been first but we didn't catch it.
Monday, April 21, 2014
39 weeks ~ 9 months!
*Crawling. He's still belly crawling, but he's fast. And sneaky. It took him only two days to figure out how to get through the baby gates if they are not latched properly. In fact, the other day he was playing near the gate between the living room and dining room. He pulled a book off of the bottom of the bookshelf (that I had to fill in because I caught him laying entirely in the empty bottom shelf playing with a soft block), and when I opened the gate to pick it up, he crawled between my legs and into the kitchen before I realized what was going on. Speedy, he is. I think he planned it, and executed it perfectly.
*He is, however, beginning to get up onto his hands and knees, then his hands and feet. He's pulling himself up on very low things, usually me, when I sit on the floor with him. I'm not ready for what's coming. A lady at Target yesterday told me that her youngest son started walking at 9 months. Nnnooooooooo.
*Food. This kid is eating everything in sight. His favorite food is anything he can put into his mouth by himself. Last night he tore up some broccoli and couscous. Purees frustrate him, so I am looking for interesting ways to use up the last of the baby food I have. (Any ideas for winter squash puree? Muffins?)
*Biting. Yes. Four very sharp teeth. More on the way.
*Sleeping? Sometimes. Just enough to fool me. Earlier this week he slept ALL the way through the night (until about 4 am) two nights in a row. The first night - a fluke? The second night - could this really be it? The third night - he woke up every two hours. Sigh. We're working on a graduated extinction method (sort of) so he'll learn to go to sleep at night on his own instead of being in my lap. It's been a little painful, but each night there is less crying, so I suppose that is the goal.
*Babbling. He doesn't stop, unless there's a camera out, in which case he sits and stares blank faced and stoic. He's talking a lot, though, and doing the Cthulhu and the "indian" noises with Daddy. He's full blown laughing now, and I think the hysterical fits of giggles are right around the corner. Just need to find something he thinks is funny and see what happens. Also, I think I'm starting to understand his language. When he's distressed or wants to be moved/picked up/held, he makes a drawn out, higher pitched "mmmmmm" sound. If you ask him a question and the answer is "yes", he makes a short "hmmph" sound, sort of like a mini laugh. We are trying to learn the words "up", "hungry", "Ohs" (for Cheerios), and "no". To my dismay, "no" is a funny word, and the more serious I try to make my face and voice when I say it, the more he laughs. Figures.
*This week he's started pressing his open mouth onto my face. Dojo kisses? I'm not sure, but I'll take it.
In other news:
*Yes, we had to butcher our tree :( It's pretty much just trunk back there now, with a growing fluff of green on one side. The tree guy said it will grow back in time, and said it looked as though someone had done the same thing further up a long time ago. It is nice, however, to not have a billion tiny leaves to contend with. Going to be a hot summer with no shade on the back end of the house, though.
*A hummingbird has set up shop on our back porch. Her name is Millie, and she's building her nest on the string of lights we have hanging from the ceiling. She's right outside our kitchen window so I've been able to watch her. I've always wondered how birds weave their nests without hands, and now I know: I didn't see from the very beggingin, only from about the size of a dime. She brings material from other places, drops them into her nest, pokes her beak through like a sewing needle, then hovers above it while she uses her feet to move stuff around. We're on day three of nest building and it's looking like a proper nest now. So awesome. I'll try to get good pictures, but I won't be able to get high enough to see inside without disturbing her.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
32 weeks, holy crap!
This kid has changed so much from week to week. I'm sore with myself for not keeping up with this space, and failing to record new things as they happen. It's going to be rapid fire from here on out.
First, the gripe stuff:
Sleep. What? Who? Look! A shiny!
I have no brain power anymore. Can't plan, can't add. Going to the grocery store and trying to plan dinners for a week is suddenly the most challenging thing my entire life. I'm pushing the limits of sleep deprivation for sure.
Had a meltdown on Tuesday because I hadn't slept in four nights. Dojo is getting both a bottom tooth (his second) and a top tooth at the same time. Last weekend he was up every hour or two, and wasn't napping on top of it. If he did, it was a30 minute cat nap. Every time I tried to lay down, he would wake up just as I started to doze, or the dog would bark, or the cat would meow. I chased Weezul halfway down the hallway beating him with a pillow because he just wouldn't shut up. I couldn't catch a break.
Finally, as if he knew I had lost it, he slept four hours at a stretch on Tuesday night, and a little better each night since. Napping is still all over the map, but that is getting better, too. He just fights sleep so hard. He wrestles and squeals and kicks. Some if the time I can lay him in his crib and he'll talk himself to sleep, but not always. It's a start.
He started scooting a couple of weeks ago. Like a caterpillar, he starts on his belly, crawls up onto his feet with his bum in the air, then puts his face down and slides on his forehead. It's pretty funny to watch. He only does it when there is something he really wants to get to (more often than not, it's my phone).
He's babbling a lot now. Mostly when he cries. I think it's hilarious. Currently, beeping his nose and tickling are funny. Oh! He's beginning to laugh! Right now it's only when you shake a toy in his face while he's lying on his back, like a kitten batting at a toy. But it is adorable. Will try to capture on video.
Oh, the baby in the mirror is pretty awesome too. And his jump chair. And breakfast. And bananas. And that noxious talking dog mom got him for Christmas. He smiles whenever he sees it.
We are having weekly play dates with Dove and Brody and Soren. He thinks other babies are awesome, and Dove tries to eat him.
In other news:
I got my diploma in the mail (woot) and we're planning for graduation.
The storm that whipped through here (and is still hanging around by the looks of it) broke our tree. Fortunately, it fell towards the neighbors and not onto Dojo's room. Hopefully we can salvage the tree and not have to cut it all down.
I think that sums it up for the moment. Can't believe this kid is 7 1/2 months old already. Life is a blur when you don't sleep.
Friday, December 20, 2013
21 weeks
12/14/13: We took a family trip to Knott's Berry Farm. It was much needed since Hubbs just finished both an online math class and his 2M school at work, and I finished with my classes all this week. It was a fun trip, spent the day wandering the shops, taking pictures, drinking mint chocolate beer, meeting Santa, etc. We saw the Christmas Snoopy on Ice show, which Dojo watched intently. We stayed the night, had breakfast on Sunday morning, then stopped at San Juan Capistrano on the way home. That was some great photo taking...
12/18/13: Dojo is 5 months today! Such a big boy. He is sleeping wonky again, perhaps his teeth or a growth spurt. He is getting much longer, and changing so drastically from week to week.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
19 weeks
Thursday, November 21, 2013
What's happening: 17 weeks
11/18/13 4 months old today! Dojo learned to spit and pthbbbb his lips. It's all he did at our WIC appointment. He's a whopping 10 lbs 7 Oz.
I HateThisPhone.
18 weeks
11/21/2013: I'm really pushing the limits of sleep deprivation at this point. More so than after he was born. He's been getting up around 2-3 am, which is fine, except I have not been able to go back to sleep aftewards. So when he wakes at 5, and 6, and 7, I'm stuck without a nap. Last night, i tried to nap at 530, but his Crappy Hour began and hubbs really had a hard time with it. Poor guy - best he knows to do is change Dojo's diaper, so I think I overheard 3 diaper changes in about 45 minutes. I got up and took the baby to bed with me. Dojo immediately went to sleep, but I just laid there. I got up at 830 when hubbs came to bed and stood in a hot shower. Then I was even more awake. Make some tea, did the dishes, and some homework. Finally went to bed at 11, but D woke up at 1130, and every hour after that. It was a rough night. Teething most likely. His fussenstein moments are getting more frequent. Still, compared to other babies he's pretty mild. It's raining today, too bad i have to go to school.
11/22/13 had coffee with the girls today, it was like having a daycare in my living room. Dojo was so good, squealing and squawking. I got some full laughs this evening, on video too. Will add them to the website soon.
It was a good weekend. D is sleeping better almost instantly. Sleeps from about 7 pm to 2 am, then again until 6 am .. More or less. I woke up Saturday morning so energized I swear Hubbs gave me regular coffee. I took Dojo to a couple of farmers markets to give Hubbs time alone for homework. Baby was so good, I think he really enjoyed being outdoors. The lady who owns the sandwich ship adores him. She is usually pretty stone faced, but as son as she sees him she smiles and comes to talk to him.
This kid's smile its more effective than a thousand Care Bear Stares at warming a cold heart.
11/26/13: Dojo got his second shots. He weighed in at 10lbs 10 oz, 23.25 inches. The doctor says he's only in the 2ND percentile, but its ok. He's healthy and happy. He's tracking well, rolling from back to side (though not all the way over yet) and we are practicing sitting up. He does ok for a second but his head makes him slowly lean until he falls over.
11/27/13: I keep having dreams about Dojo talking. He's his normal many body, but speaks clear English. The first dream a couple weeks ago was about me talking to his reincarnated spirit of Billy the Kid. Last night, the dream was of me trying to pot him back to sleep after he cried out, then said "My real mother left me a long time ago." And when I tried to comfort him I realized he war possessed and I started yelling asst whatever it was to get out of my son.
Clearly, I cannot handle getting more sleep. My brain is freaking out.