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!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
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!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
7 month update
theo's mastered quite a few skills in the past several weeks, including saying "mamama" and "babababa" just yesterday! it is just the cutest thing, and it also makes me suddenly very aware that we are going to have a little PERSON living in the house with us in the near future. meaning, he is going to have things to SAY and independent THOUGHTS to express! it's very exciting, weird, and a little bit scary to realize how much more we'll be able to get to know him once he starts talking. scary, because once he starts talking that also means he'll be able to start correcting us and arguing back! sheesh.
still no official crawling yet, but he's now rocking back and forth on his hands and knees and will practically jump out of your arms when he sees something he wants. unsupported sitting is totally old hat now. standing is the new obsession...if you have him in your lap, he will bounce up or push himself up to standing if he wants.
the stomach issues continue, and in fact i think they've gotten worse since we started solids. i stopped giving him any type of cereal since they seemed to upset his stomach a lot. so far he's doing well on sweet potatoes, squash, pears, and prunes. the prune idea came from the new pediatric GI specialist we've been seeing. she thinks all of his nighttime stomach problems are due to constipation. so we now include prunes and prune juice in his daily repertoire. he does sleep noticeably better on the days when he poops. but getting him into a daily schedule has been a challenge...even WITH the prune juice!
christmas was a lot of fun. my wonderful mom and mother in law were so thoughtful to prepare plenty of dairy-free options for me to eat, so that was a nice perk. and of course, we had a blast giving theo all of his presents and visiting family. it snowed in virginia on christmas day, which meant that theo got to play (well, actually just sit) in the snow for the first time! and it also meant that we got to stay in virginia an extra day because that same snow storm hit philadelphia 2 days later. no big celebration for new year's eve...tyler and i went out and saw harry potter in the theater and were back and in bed by 10pm. happy new year!
still no official crawling yet, but he's now rocking back and forth on his hands and knees and will practically jump out of your arms when he sees something he wants. unsupported sitting is totally old hat now. standing is the new obsession...if you have him in your lap, he will bounce up or push himself up to standing if he wants.
the stomach issues continue, and in fact i think they've gotten worse since we started solids. i stopped giving him any type of cereal since they seemed to upset his stomach a lot. so far he's doing well on sweet potatoes, squash, pears, and prunes. the prune idea came from the new pediatric GI specialist we've been seeing. she thinks all of his nighttime stomach problems are due to constipation. so we now include prunes and prune juice in his daily repertoire. he does sleep noticeably better on the days when he poops. but getting him into a daily schedule has been a challenge...even WITH the prune juice!
christmas was a lot of fun. my wonderful mom and mother in law were so thoughtful to prepare plenty of dairy-free options for me to eat, so that was a nice perk. and of course, we had a blast giving theo all of his presents and visiting family. it snowed in virginia on christmas day, which meant that theo got to play (well, actually just sit) in the snow for the first time! and it also meant that we got to stay in virginia an extra day because that same snow storm hit philadelphia 2 days later. no big celebration for new year's eve...tyler and i went out and saw harry potter in the theater and were back and in bed by 10pm. happy new year!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
6 month check-in
Is it really possible that it's already been half a year since I had Theo?? Our little boy will be 6 months old on Sunday. That whole newborn phase seems so long ago already!!
Well, onto the updates. Theo is now sitting up unsupported quite well. He still topples over from time to time, but that's usually as a result of him leaning too far to grab a toy or to reach towards something and not as much because of lack of back strength anymore. He likes to lunge at things...he's got this funny, mysterious way of moving several feet away from where he starts out even though he can't actually crawl yet. It's mostly the result of lunging and rolling and scooting. He's started trying to climb out of his bouncers. He's also figured out that if he's laying on a blanket and his toy is just out of reach, he can pull the blanket so the toy comes closer to him. Little stinker.
In the past 2 months, we celebrated Theo's first Halloween (Fozzie Bear) and his first Thanksgiving. Have I mentioned that I've cut out all dairy because it makes Theo scream?? I miss it very much, more so with every passing day (and especially on holidays!!). Since my last update, we also went to an infant chiropractor to see if that would help with Theo's sleep/gas issues. While he was very nice and I learned a lot, I didn't see any improvement. Currently, we're giving him baby probiotics for his sensitive stomach. No obvious improvements yet, but I'll keep you posted. We also started regularly feeding him solids about a week and a half ago. He does well with the rice cereal and oatmeal cereal, but I'm still not sure if the bananas are sitting well in his stomach.
Oh yes. And now we need to devote an entire paragraph to teething. Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you that teething SUCKS! Those two little tooth buds have been hanging around for three months now, just ready to burst through and the side effects (constant drool, fussiness/screaming spells, diarrhea, nasal congestion, etc.) just keep getting worse with no actual teeth in sight!! Literally, all I want for Christmas is for Theo's two front teeth to pop through! I've met several parents who've told me that this can go on for another 2-3 months. Please please please PLEASE don't let this be the case! We've tried Tylenol, homeopathic remedies, teething toys, teething toys in the fridge, wet rags in the fridge, a metal spoon in the fridge, comfort nursing (ouch!), and even an amber necklace (that Tyler believes is a scam anyway)! I've been told to give him a chicken bone to gnaw on (no thank you). I've also been advised to just scrape at his gums with my fingernails to help the teeth cut through (also, no thank you). I recently learned that back in the day, pediatricians used to lance the baby's gums so the teeth would come through. But my (wonderful!) pediatric nurse practitioner mother-in-law has told me that none of these will actually solve the problem and that those little teeth just have to find their own way out, in their own time. So we continue to wait, fingers crossed that it happens soon!
Well, onto the updates. Theo is now sitting up unsupported quite well. He still topples over from time to time, but that's usually as a result of him leaning too far to grab a toy or to reach towards something and not as much because of lack of back strength anymore. He likes to lunge at things...he's got this funny, mysterious way of moving several feet away from where he starts out even though he can't actually crawl yet. It's mostly the result of lunging and rolling and scooting. He's started trying to climb out of his bouncers. He's also figured out that if he's laying on a blanket and his toy is just out of reach, he can pull the blanket so the toy comes closer to him. Little stinker.
In the past 2 months, we celebrated Theo's first Halloween (Fozzie Bear) and his first Thanksgiving. Have I mentioned that I've cut out all dairy because it makes Theo scream?? I miss it very much, more so with every passing day (and especially on holidays!!). Since my last update, we also went to an infant chiropractor to see if that would help with Theo's sleep/gas issues. While he was very nice and I learned a lot, I didn't see any improvement. Currently, we're giving him baby probiotics for his sensitive stomach. No obvious improvements yet, but I'll keep you posted. We also started regularly feeding him solids about a week and a half ago. He does well with the rice cereal and oatmeal cereal, but I'm still not sure if the bananas are sitting well in his stomach.
Oh yes. And now we need to devote an entire paragraph to teething. Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you that teething SUCKS! Those two little tooth buds have been hanging around for three months now, just ready to burst through and the side effects (constant drool, fussiness/screaming spells, diarrhea, nasal congestion, etc.) just keep getting worse with no actual teeth in sight!! Literally, all I want for Christmas is for Theo's two front teeth to pop through! I've met several parents who've told me that this can go on for another 2-3 months. Please please please PLEASE don't let this be the case! We've tried Tylenol, homeopathic remedies, teething toys, teething toys in the fridge, wet rags in the fridge, a metal spoon in the fridge, comfort nursing (ouch!), and even an amber necklace (that Tyler believes is a scam anyway)! I've been told to give him a chicken bone to gnaw on (no thank you). I've also been advised to just scrape at his gums with my fingernails to help the teeth cut through (also, no thank you). I recently learned that back in the day, pediatricians used to lance the baby's gums so the teeth would come through. But my (wonderful!) pediatric nurse practitioner mother-in-law has told me that none of these will actually solve the problem and that those little teeth just have to find their own way out, in their own time. So we continue to wait, fingers crossed that it happens soon!
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