two cute things that theo did in the past two days:
1) most days it takes a little bribing to get theo moving so we can get to daycare in time so i'm not late for work. lately, i've been letting him hold my keys, which seems to speed him up a bit. yesterday he was holding my keys and i asked if he wanted to open up the car door with it...and then he actually found the right key and put it right up to the key hole!! of course, he needed some help to actually open the door, but i was so surprised that he actually knew which one was the key for the car!
2) this morning as i was putting theo in the car, he noticed a star on one of my keychains. he asked, "moon?" (one of his new favorite words) and i said, "well that looks like a moon but no, it's a star". he repeated it back, "star?" and i said "yes, it's a star". so he looks around for a few seconds and then points to an american flag at a neighbor's house across the street and said "star?"
i'm so proud of my observant little boy!!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
17 months!
All right, it's time to gush.
We started sleep-training last week, and after so many (many!) months of STILL waking up every other hour to nurse and STILL hogging up prime real estate in our bed, I'm very proud to say that Theo has successfully slept in his big boy bed for THREE nights in a row! Here's how we did it:
We started out with Tyler putting him down for bed in our bed (instead of me nursing him down) for 4 nights last week. I still nursed him back to sleep each time he cried for the rest of these nights, but the initial going to bed was what we started out changing. The first night, there was about 1 hour of crying before he fell asleep. The second night, only about 40 minutes. The third night, still about 40 minutes (which was hard because we were expecting to see the same amount of progress as the previous night), but then on the 4th night, it was like a switch turned on and he didn't seem to mind at all! The 4th night was also the first night that Tyler put him to bed in his big boy bed. But since it was a Thursday night and we weren't ready for total sleep deprivation on a work night, he still ended up in our bed by 11 PM that night (so he slept about 3 hours in his own bed that night). I will also say that Tyler's method to get him to sleep included laying down next to him, quietly humming "Elmo's World", and patting his back.
So then on Friday night, we were ready to take the plunge. At the recommendation of our pediatrician, I decided to leave for the whole night so he would know that there would be no possible access to milk all night. I even made sure to say "bye bye" to him when I left, so he knew that I was really gone. It certainly wasn't an easy night, but Tyler managed to get him back down to sleep in his own bed each time he cried (although Theo did walk into our bedroom once in the middle of the night).
On Saturday night, I stayed home but made myself scarce for the initial "night night". By this time, Theo was an old pro at falling asleep with Daddy by his side in his big boy bed, so it took about 30 minutes for him to fall asleep but it was a relatively tear-free event. Then Tyler was on duty for the rest of the night...I'd say Theo still cried enough for him to Tyler to get out of bed about 4-5 times that night, but there were also a handful of times that he merely wimpered a little bit before falling back to sleep on his own.
So then last night = amazing! It took about 30 minutes for Tyler to get him to sleep (no crying involved) and then...get this! Tyler only had to get out of bed ONCE all night!!! Theo still wimpered maybe 2-3 other times, but seemed to fall back to sleep pretty well on his own. This morning I woke up to the sounds of Tyler getting into the shower and then maybe 10 minutes later, I heard little feet quietly pad into our bedroom, holding his stuffed bat (affectionately called "Batty Bat", after the song by The Count on Sesame Street). He was grinning from ear to ear! I seriously didn't expect him to transition so well and I am SO PROUD of my big boy!!! :-D
Oh, and before I forget, Theo has also added a few new tricks to his repertoire: saying "Jojo" for his best friend at daycare (Joseph), saying "bulldozer", learning how to put puzzle pieces in the correct spots on the puzzle, and he has learned to correctly identify the following animal sounds: cow, sheep, horse, dog, monkey, and rooster.
So yep, my fussy baby has pretty much grown up to become the World's Most Pleasant and Perfect Toddler! :-)
We started sleep-training last week, and after so many (many!) months of STILL waking up every other hour to nurse and STILL hogging up prime real estate in our bed, I'm very proud to say that Theo has successfully slept in his big boy bed for THREE nights in a row! Here's how we did it:
We started out with Tyler putting him down for bed in our bed (instead of me nursing him down) for 4 nights last week. I still nursed him back to sleep each time he cried for the rest of these nights, but the initial going to bed was what we started out changing. The first night, there was about 1 hour of crying before he fell asleep. The second night, only about 40 minutes. The third night, still about 40 minutes (which was hard because we were expecting to see the same amount of progress as the previous night), but then on the 4th night, it was like a switch turned on and he didn't seem to mind at all! The 4th night was also the first night that Tyler put him to bed in his big boy bed. But since it was a Thursday night and we weren't ready for total sleep deprivation on a work night, he still ended up in our bed by 11 PM that night (so he slept about 3 hours in his own bed that night). I will also say that Tyler's method to get him to sleep included laying down next to him, quietly humming "Elmo's World", and patting his back.
So then on Friday night, we were ready to take the plunge. At the recommendation of our pediatrician, I decided to leave for the whole night so he would know that there would be no possible access to milk all night. I even made sure to say "bye bye" to him when I left, so he knew that I was really gone. It certainly wasn't an easy night, but Tyler managed to get him back down to sleep in his own bed each time he cried (although Theo did walk into our bedroom once in the middle of the night).
On Saturday night, I stayed home but made myself scarce for the initial "night night". By this time, Theo was an old pro at falling asleep with Daddy by his side in his big boy bed, so it took about 30 minutes for him to fall asleep but it was a relatively tear-free event. Then Tyler was on duty for the rest of the night...I'd say Theo still cried enough for him to Tyler to get out of bed about 4-5 times that night, but there were also a handful of times that he merely wimpered a little bit before falling back to sleep on his own.
So then last night = amazing! It took about 30 minutes for Tyler to get him to sleep (no crying involved) and then...get this! Tyler only had to get out of bed ONCE all night!!! Theo still wimpered maybe 2-3 other times, but seemed to fall back to sleep pretty well on his own. This morning I woke up to the sounds of Tyler getting into the shower and then maybe 10 minutes later, I heard little feet quietly pad into our bedroom, holding his stuffed bat (affectionately called "Batty Bat", after the song by The Count on Sesame Street). He was grinning from ear to ear! I seriously didn't expect him to transition so well and I am SO PROUD of my big boy!!! :-D
Oh, and before I forget, Theo has also added a few new tricks to his repertoire: saying "Jojo" for his best friend at daycare (Joseph), saying "bulldozer", learning how to put puzzle pieces in the correct spots on the puzzle, and he has learned to correctly identify the following animal sounds: cow, sheep, horse, dog, monkey, and rooster.
So yep, my fussy baby has pretty much grown up to become the World's Most Pleasant and Perfect Toddler! :-)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
15 and 16 months!
once again, i've gotten so carried away with raising my child that i've neglected this little blog. sorry dear readers, theo has just become too darn fun to ignore!
let's start with the word count, because i'm just so proud and excited that my boy is now able to COMMUNICATE with us!
spoken words to date: no, hi, bye bye (his three clearest words), thank you (pronounced "da doo"), bird ("buh"), doggie, ducky, daddy (which, consequently all come out as "dada"...although doggie is quickly followed by panting and "woof woof!"), mama, milk ("muh"), me ("may"), socks ("ock"), light ("aight"), night night ("nigh nigh"), jacket ("ackay"), poopah (for his grandpa charlie), abuela ("buay-a"), brush ("bttthhhh"), bath ("baaa"), cat ("at"...which is usually followed by "woof woof?"), book ("buh"), and boo!
signed words: milk, please, more, all done, poop, diaper, and food.
he is also able to identify his nose, ears, eyes, hands, feet, toes, teeth, hair, belly button, belly, and teeth. he knows that keys go in door knobs and shoes go on feet (but sometimes socks can go on feet or hands in our house...so silly!). he loves to dance and run and tries to jump and he's gotten really good at following basic directions like "bring me your shoes" or "where's doggie?". suddenly, i realize that i now have a CHILD and not a baby anymore!!
around 15 months, we bought a potty. it all started because his nana (grandma debbie) taught him how to sign "poop" and then one day he signed it and pointed to the toilet! so we bought him a little potty and every now and then he'll sign "poop" and then go and sit on his potty. once or twice he's actually gone while sitting on the potty, but of course he still has his diaper on because we're not officially potty training yet. i'm thinking we'll start making it official once he's able to move up to the next class in daycare, cause he's still in the infant room and they don't really potty train for that age group.
oh yeah, and he got 4 new teeth (molars) since my last update. TONS of fun at nighttime, let me tell you! ;-)
he also recently started asking to hold my hand and lead me into another room...usually to ask for something, but also sometimes just so i'll sit and play or read to him. he's just turned into SUCH a fun, sweet-natured, upbeat little boy and i'm so proud to be his mama!
let's start with the word count, because i'm just so proud and excited that my boy is now able to COMMUNICATE with us!
spoken words to date: no, hi, bye bye (his three clearest words), thank you (pronounced "da doo"), bird ("buh"), doggie, ducky, daddy (which, consequently all come out as "dada"...although doggie is quickly followed by panting and "woof woof!"), mama, milk ("muh"), me ("may"), socks ("ock"), light ("aight"), night night ("nigh nigh"), jacket ("ackay"), poopah (for his grandpa charlie), abuela ("buay-a"), brush ("bttthhhh"), bath ("baaa"), cat ("at"...which is usually followed by "woof woof?"), book ("buh"), and boo!
signed words: milk, please, more, all done, poop, diaper, and food.
he is also able to identify his nose, ears, eyes, hands, feet, toes, teeth, hair, belly button, belly, and teeth. he knows that keys go in door knobs and shoes go on feet (but sometimes socks can go on feet or hands in our house...so silly!). he loves to dance and run and tries to jump and he's gotten really good at following basic directions like "bring me your shoes" or "where's doggie?". suddenly, i realize that i now have a CHILD and not a baby anymore!!
around 15 months, we bought a potty. it all started because his nana (grandma debbie) taught him how to sign "poop" and then one day he signed it and pointed to the toilet! so we bought him a little potty and every now and then he'll sign "poop" and then go and sit on his potty. once or twice he's actually gone while sitting on the potty, but of course he still has his diaper on because we're not officially potty training yet. i'm thinking we'll start making it official once he's able to move up to the next class in daycare, cause he's still in the infant room and they don't really potty train for that age group.
oh yeah, and he got 4 new teeth (molars) since my last update. TONS of fun at nighttime, let me tell you! ;-)
he also recently started asking to hold my hand and lead me into another room...usually to ask for something, but also sometimes just so i'll sit and play or read to him. he's just turned into SUCH a fun, sweet-natured, upbeat little boy and i'm so proud to be his mama!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
14 months!
Last night, Theo learned his best trick to date. I was showing him a stuffed doll of The Count, from Sesame Street, complete with fake Transylvanian accent. And he actually imitated me saying "Aah aah aah"! Oh man, his brain is just a little sponge lately!
Last week was "The Week of NO!". So far he's learned that the following objects in the house are called "NO!": electrical cords, outlets, floor lamps, buttons on just about any appliance, the air conditioner, fans, and putting random nasty stuff in his mouth. He's also started waking up saying "NO!" and turning down previously beloved items such as his pacifier, toys, and the occasional directive by mommy or daddy.
In other news, Theo can now correctly identify his belly, nose, shoes, bottle, and even one of his favorite books, called "Hello Bugs!". He can clap, stomp, spin around, and wave on command. And he says "Woof woof" when he spots just about any furry animal. He has become a pro at climbing into and out of our low, platform bed...but sadly, he accidentally tried this on a regular bed a few days ago and fell onto the carpet (quick recovery, don't worry). He can sign "milk", "more", "food", "diaper", and "all done", although he can get kind of lazy about everything besides "milk". He is also now fluent in Chinese.
When you tell Theo "It's time to go to school", he has recently started picking up his lunch bag and dragging it to the door. He also pretends to talk on the phone and calls for "Abuela" when we're at her house. Lately, (since most of his toys are still packed from the move) our favorite past time has been watching videos of Yo Gabba Gabba and vintage Sesame Street clips on Youtube. Also, Theo LOVES to dance!
Oh, and just kidding about the Chinese.
Last week was "The Week of NO!". So far he's learned that the following objects in the house are called "NO!": electrical cords, outlets, floor lamps, buttons on just about any appliance, the air conditioner, fans, and putting random nasty stuff in his mouth. He's also started waking up saying "NO!" and turning down previously beloved items such as his pacifier, toys, and the occasional directive by mommy or daddy.
In other news, Theo can now correctly identify his belly, nose, shoes, bottle, and even one of his favorite books, called "Hello Bugs!". He can clap, stomp, spin around, and wave on command. And he says "Woof woof" when he spots just about any furry animal. He has become a pro at climbing into and out of our low, platform bed...but sadly, he accidentally tried this on a regular bed a few days ago and fell onto the carpet (quick recovery, don't worry). He can sign "milk", "more", "food", "diaper", and "all done", although he can get kind of lazy about everything besides "milk". He is also now fluent in Chinese.
When you tell Theo "It's time to go to school", he has recently started picking up his lunch bag and dragging it to the door. He also pretends to talk on the phone and calls for "Abuela" when we're at her house. Lately, (since most of his toys are still packed from the move) our favorite past time has been watching videos of Yo Gabba Gabba and vintage Sesame Street clips on Youtube. Also, Theo LOVES to dance!
Oh, and just kidding about the Chinese.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
12 months
well, it seems that the past few months have gotten the best of me. guess that's what happens when your kid becomes more mobile! 10 months is pretty much a blur...most of our weekends were spent house hunting and visiting my sick grandfather (he's doing much better now, though). 11 months marked The First Steps. and now here we are at 1 year old already!
we celebrated theo's birthday by having 2 parties, one in virginia, one in central pa; neither planned by me because i was too frazzled with house stuff. they were both nice and small, which is exactly what i wanted. party #1 will forever be remembered by theo belly-flopping into the dirt (uneven ground is hard for new walkers!), mouth full of dirt and all. party #2 brought me to the awkward situation of having to explain to my entire family why i didn't think it was necessary to dip theo's pacifier in vanilla frosting to get him to like his birthday cake. but both parties yielded a nice stash of thoughtful presents and much-needed visiting with long distance family members.
not only is theo now walking (more like running!) everywhere and saying "words" that sound more and more like Real English every day, but he's also mastering the absolutely adorable skills of signing "more", climbing on boxes, catching the cat's tail, and doing the motions to "if you're happy and you know it" (clap your hands, stomp your feet, and spin around). he's become such a busy little toddler, i can hardly remember how tiny and uninteractive he used to be!
oh yeah, and about that weaning thing...
well, this week marks my first week of not pumping during the work day. he's still cleaning out our freezer stash by drinking one 3 oz bottle of milk per day, but in a week or two we'll also be done with that. i'm still nursing in the morning and night and i don't mind if this continues for the next year if he chooses (i think i draw the line at 2, but get back to me in about a year to see how i feel about it then). in the non-nursing hours, he seems to enjoy a sippy cup of soy milk to hold him over till i get home. it doesn't really offer enough fat or nutrition to consider it "necessary" (according to our pediatrician), but i think it's making the transition to less breastmilk a little easier on him.
also, still dairy free and still on the reflux meds. and still not sleeping through the night. but you know what? at this point, i've decided to stop spending so much of my energy worrying and scheming up ways to change this and instead i'm just learning to relax and follow his lead. he's growing up so fast as it is, and i know he'll let me know when he's ready for a change. i sound like a Real Parent now, don't i? no longer an anxious rookie!
we celebrated theo's birthday by having 2 parties, one in virginia, one in central pa; neither planned by me because i was too frazzled with house stuff. they were both nice and small, which is exactly what i wanted. party #1 will forever be remembered by theo belly-flopping into the dirt (uneven ground is hard for new walkers!), mouth full of dirt and all. party #2 brought me to the awkward situation of having to explain to my entire family why i didn't think it was necessary to dip theo's pacifier in vanilla frosting to get him to like his birthday cake. but both parties yielded a nice stash of thoughtful presents and much-needed visiting with long distance family members.
not only is theo now walking (more like running!) everywhere and saying "words" that sound more and more like Real English every day, but he's also mastering the absolutely adorable skills of signing "more", climbing on boxes, catching the cat's tail, and doing the motions to "if you're happy and you know it" (clap your hands, stomp your feet, and spin around). he's become such a busy little toddler, i can hardly remember how tiny and uninteractive he used to be!
oh yeah, and about that weaning thing...
well, this week marks my first week of not pumping during the work day. he's still cleaning out our freezer stash by drinking one 3 oz bottle of milk per day, but in a week or two we'll also be done with that. i'm still nursing in the morning and night and i don't mind if this continues for the next year if he chooses (i think i draw the line at 2, but get back to me in about a year to see how i feel about it then). in the non-nursing hours, he seems to enjoy a sippy cup of soy milk to hold him over till i get home. it doesn't really offer enough fat or nutrition to consider it "necessary" (according to our pediatrician), but i think it's making the transition to less breastmilk a little easier on him.
also, still dairy free and still on the reflux meds. and still not sleeping through the night. but you know what? at this point, i've decided to stop spending so much of my energy worrying and scheming up ways to change this and instead i'm just learning to relax and follow his lead. he's growing up so fast as it is, and i know he'll let me know when he's ready for a change. i sound like a Real Parent now, don't i? no longer an anxious rookie!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
9 months!
crawling? check!
saying mama? check!
pulling himself to standing? check!
tooth #3? check! (working on #4)
chewing on the crib rails? check...?
among other major accomplishments this month, theo also managed to fit in his first major illness last week with a whopping 104 degree fever! it was miserable and even a little bit scary at times. oh, did i forget to mention that theo has also learned to share?? absolutely adorable when he shares his toys...not so much when he shares his viruses! i ended up using a full week of sick/personal time from work as i nursed theo and myself back to health...but i secretly really enjoyed the 9-10 AM wake up time and all of the extra cuddling we snuck in during my week at home with him! :-)
starting to think about weaning and whether that will happen at 1 year like i originally thought. pretty sure if theo had his way, we would never wean...he's very anti-formula. and really, i don't mind nursing him either. in a lot of ways it's convenient, and there really is a bonding aspect to it that i could have never understood before having a child of my own. but of course, there would definitely be some perks to giving it up as well...1) being able to have dairy again! and 2) not having to pump at work!!! and of course, possibly 3) maybe theo could stop waking up to nurse so many times at night?? clearly, it won't be as simple as just giving him whole cow's milk like a lot of other moms do. and i know my other options...the front runners being rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, soy formula. these thoughts weigh heavily on my mind lately. i guess only time will tell whether we'll be ready for this big change in the next few months.
saying mama? check!
pulling himself to standing? check!
tooth #3? check! (working on #4)
chewing on the crib rails? check...?
among other major accomplishments this month, theo also managed to fit in his first major illness last week with a whopping 104 degree fever! it was miserable and even a little bit scary at times. oh, did i forget to mention that theo has also learned to share?? absolutely adorable when he shares his toys...not so much when he shares his viruses! i ended up using a full week of sick/personal time from work as i nursed theo and myself back to health...but i secretly really enjoyed the 9-10 AM wake up time and all of the extra cuddling we snuck in during my week at home with him! :-)
starting to think about weaning and whether that will happen at 1 year like i originally thought. pretty sure if theo had his way, we would never wean...he's very anti-formula. and really, i don't mind nursing him either. in a lot of ways it's convenient, and there really is a bonding aspect to it that i could have never understood before having a child of my own. but of course, there would definitely be some perks to giving it up as well...1) being able to have dairy again! and 2) not having to pump at work!!! and of course, possibly 3) maybe theo could stop waking up to nurse so many times at night?? clearly, it won't be as simple as just giving him whole cow's milk like a lot of other moms do. and i know my other options...the front runners being rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, soy formula. these thoughts weigh heavily on my mind lately. i guess only time will tell whether we'll be ready for this big change in the next few months.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
8 month update
what? my little boy is 8 months old? you have to be kidding me. how did we get here so fast??
well, onto theo's latest mad skillz: pulling up to a kneeling position, going from laying on his back to sitting up completely on his own, sleeping longer stretches (by theo standards, which means 3-5 hours) at night, and still with all the babbling. he's got the army crawl down and he can even crawl backwards pretty well (he worked his way under a chair the other night), but that forward crawling thing is still eluding him. mostly, he loves to stand and will now cry to be lifted up into a standing position (at which point he starts smiling and babbling again). and he absolutely LOVES when we make him "walk" around the room or up the stairs. :-)
which means we are now baby proofing! gates, and cabinet latches, and corner covers, oh my! really hoping our landlord doesn't notice all of the "improvements" we're making right now.
also, we officially started theo on reflux meds (prevacid solutabs) last month. they seem to be helping with his nighttime sleep, so we're very thankful for that. it's no miracle drug, but i'll take whatever small improvements we can get!
well, onto theo's latest mad skillz: pulling up to a kneeling position, going from laying on his back to sitting up completely on his own, sleeping longer stretches (by theo standards, which means 3-5 hours) at night, and still with all the babbling. he's got the army crawl down and he can even crawl backwards pretty well (he worked his way under a chair the other night), but that forward crawling thing is still eluding him. mostly, he loves to stand and will now cry to be lifted up into a standing position (at which point he starts smiling and babbling again). and he absolutely LOVES when we make him "walk" around the room or up the stairs. :-)
which means we are now baby proofing! gates, and cabinet latches, and corner covers, oh my! really hoping our landlord doesn't notice all of the "improvements" we're making right now.
also, we officially started theo on reflux meds (prevacid solutabs) last month. they seem to be helping with his nighttime sleep, so we're very thankful for that. it's no miracle drug, but i'll take whatever small improvements we can get!
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