All About the Boys

Where Have I Been?

2007-06-25T16:18:00.001-05:00

Why haven't I been posting lately? It's not because I've abandoned all of you faithful readers. This is where I've been. Go ahead; check it out. I know you want to.

For the record, this blog is going nowhere. You can continue to check it regularly. Unfortunately nothing will likely change here for you to read. It will stay as a place for you to see all the old pictures and entries, and of course a way for you to find the new blog until you get used to the new address (or update your blogrolls).

Enjoy!

Just News and Pictures

2007-06-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night and yesterday, I had my best friend Cathy come to visit. Matt is such a wonderful husband to give us some girl time to talk on Wednesday night. The three of us had fun hanging out the rest of the time, too. Then on Thursday, the three of us--meaning Cathy, me, and Patrick--had fun too. Patrick had lots of fun showing off for the company. He was such a flirty kid. By the time she left yesterday afternoon, Patrick had accepted her as part of the family. I think to him she was just another aunt to love on.

The busy visit obviously wore him out, though--that and the nap he refused to take yesterday afternoon. He broke down when evening came and he hadn't slept all day. After Daddy chastised him (gently, of course) for something he'd done wrong, he was inconsolable. Finally he wandered over to me and just sat with me on the couch. A few minutes later, this is what Matt found:
Not the most flattering picture of me by any means, but I'll take it. It was like a taste of heaven that he chose to finally nap in my arms. I love it when he's a cuddlebug!

For anyone keeping track, yesterday was Thursday, exactly a week after my first progesterone shot. Since I'm supposed to get them weekly, that means I was due for another yesterday. I have to say Matt is my hero. As uncomfortable as he is around needles, he gave that shot like a pro. It actually hurt less than when the experienced nurse did it last week (and that shot can apparently really hurt, based on last week's). It seems he must have inherited some fancy skills with a needle from his mom! (You'd be proud of him, Tricia!)

The other exciting news--for us anyway--is that Patrick's Grammy and Great-Grandpa get to come visit for the weekend. They're not here for the best of reasons (a funeral), but at least circumstances brought them our way. At least Patrick hasn't had that charm turned off long enough to lose it. He's going to have a blast showing off for and charming his great-grandparents.

And finally, the other night we had to get a picture of me as a cliche. I was actually barefoot, pregnant, and cooking in the kitchen. Patrick kept wanting to see what was going on, so I picked him up to watch the water not boiling. When Matt and I realized how funny the situation really was, we had to get pictures.

I guess that's all for now. Expect a few cute weekend pictures early next week. I hope I remember to pull our camera out while Grammy and Great-Grandpa are here.

The Nursery

2007-06-13T13:27:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of the nursery after stage one of decorating. For the record, though, we'll probably call it the boys' room as often as the nursery. I don't want Patrick to grow up thinking he still sleeps in a nursery like a little baby.
This is Patrick's toddler bed. It will soon have official toddler bedding on it, in two shades of blue, a lighter blue (but not baby blue) and navy. There will also be something on his shelf to the left--if we can ever figure out what we want there.

And this is Nathan's side of the room. You can see the bedding we finally decided on. I totally love it, and I think we can add touches to Patrick's side that aren't too baby-ish. Again, though, we need help with the empty shelf. We have two ideas for the start of decorations on the shelf, but they won't be enough by themselves--either blocks spelling out their names or little hand-carved trains in primary colors that spell out their names. Eventually there will also be a rug in the middle of the carpet, not that you can see where it will go.

So now what ideas do you have to help fill out the room some, decorations-wise anyway?

First Sentence

2007-06-12T14:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know. Does this count as a first sentence?

Every night when we put Patrick down for bed (and again at naptime), Matt and I repeat the same few phrases. There's "I love you" (of course) and "See you in the morning" or "See you in a little while." I always use the last one at naptime. Apparently Patrick's picked up on that one and now says it back to me when I put him down for a nap and sometimes instead of "See ya" when Matt leaves to go back to work after lunch. (Remember we've had to banish "bye" from our vocabulary because he associates it with him getting to go somewhere.)

It sounds a little more like "Seeyalilwhy," but I'm positive today that's what he said back to me before his nap. I specifically asked him to say it to me, and he did.

So what does this say about Patrick that he chose this phrase as his first sentence? He obviously knows what it means since he says it to Matt when he leaves to go back to work, and I don't think we've ever said it in that context. I guess he trusts that good-byes aren't permanent and that Mommy and Daddy will come back when we say we will. It can say that he's perfectly content being without us for a short time as well--as long as we're coming back. Can it say that we are raising a trusting and independent toddler? I hope so. I think this sentence puts a checkmark in the right column for our parenting skills. Well, that and the fact that he's never said a curse word in public yet!

What a Weekend!

2007-06-11T13:24:00.000-05:00

Patrick's been full of new developments for us this weekend. The biggest milestone was learning how to drink out of a straw. We heard somewhere to try with juice boxes first, and a few weeks ago he successfully drank apple juice from one for the first time. He failed to apply the same idea to a regular straw in a regular drink, though. To Patrick, straws are for playing, not drinking. Then Saturday night we were at the mall getting dinner, and he was almost out of water in his sippy cup. We put a Sprite with a straw--in a normal cup--in front of him, and he knew immediately what to do. He was drinking that drink as though he'd been doing it his whole life. Matt and I were so proud of him, even though this seems like a pretty simple milestone to anyone else. This means he can finally give himself a drink in any form but a normal, open cup. He still seems to want our help, but he no longer needs it. At twenty months, it's about time!

We also saw an even more sensitive side of him on Saturday. Patrick was playing with Daddy's feet while Daddy was lying in his chair and somehow grabbed the toes in a weird way that hurt Matt. Matt immediately scolded Patrick for hurting him, although gently. Patrick looked up at Daddy with those big blue eyes and slowly broke into his pouty face, complete with the quivering bottom lip. I started laughing because I thought he was trying to manipulate Daddy with that face. Then Matt pointed out that Patrick had tears in his eyes. He was debating whether or not to actually start crying. He was so upset, either from having Daddy scold him or thinking he hurt Daddy. At that point, we were both suckered into the face, and Matt reached down and pulled him into his lap. After several minutes of comforting him with his own words ("It's okay, it's okay, Patrick."), Patrick finally leaned into Daddy's chest and snuggled up with him. I watched as his face just as slowly changed back to normal from the pouty face. Finally, when Daddy tried tickling him, he was able to give us a grin again, and then eventually a giggle. It took him that long to recover from hurt feelings. I suspect he's going to be the kid I have to watch everything I say to him for fear of hurting his feelings from one careless word.

On the lighter side of things, he has also found a new fun game, the belly button game. I'll lift my shirt just a little to show some of my huge belly, and Patrick will grin and stick his finger in my belly button (or what's left of it). I'll put my shirt back down, and he'll wait for me to lift the shirt again. If it takes too long, he'll start tugging at my shirt to let me know he's not done playing the game. At some point, I'll eventually reach down to his belly and start tickling him around his belly button, all while squealing, "Belly button!" like I do when he pokes at mine. It's all just another excuse to tickle him, which he obviously loves. I wonder whether the game will be able to continue when the belly button finally disappears altogether, which is definitely in the near future.

Twenty Months

2007-06-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

Patrick, Patrick, Patrick...I'm not sure what to say about this twentieth month. It's been an interesting one for sure. As expected, you have finally without a doubt entered the first stages of the terrible twos. You try us and test us at every turn, willfully disobeying just to see how serious we really are about that NO. Then you'll turn around and give us the sweetest hugs. How can I love something so much when it's that insistent upon being disobedient?
I'd say part of it is that smile. You seem to have figured out how contagious that smile is, and you use it at every opportunity to get yourself out of trouble. Sometimes you try turning actions that should receive punishment into games. You pull out a drawer we can't baby-proof, we tell you, "No" sternly, and you giggle as you reach for it again. I laughed and gave in the first few times you tried this manipulation, but I'm on to you now, buddy. I love the laughing, but I'm not giving in to your games. I'd much rather hear your laugh when I tackle you and tickle you until you get the hiccups. We can both appreciate that game.

Something else I know both Daddy and I appreciate at least is the cuddliness. I absolutely treasure our untraditional breakfast routine, where you sit on my lap and watch TV with me while you eat dry cereal out of my hand. Feeling the weight of your head against my chest can relax me the way nothing else can, while at the same time bringing a lump to my throat at times. You don't even seem to mind that my lap is changing shape almost daily. It only makes our cuddle time more special when Nathan decides to butt in and kick at you for taking up his space. I have to laugh that the sibling rivalry has already begun (although I may quit laughing about it in a few months).

Speaking of Nathan, you have started to figure out that something is going on there. You're fascinated by the new crib in your room, although I get the feeling you think of it as a huge toy right now. At the doctor yesterday, you couldn't figure out where that noise was coming from when we were listening to Nathan's heartbeat. That look on your face was classic. I'm starting to wonder if you'll ever associate your little baby brother with Mommy's huge belly. (By the way, I got my first progesterone shot yesterday at the doctor as well. Hopefully this means Nathan won't come early like you did. I don't want any of us to have to go through that stress again. Other than that, the appointment went fairly smoothly, and everything is fine.)

Within the last few days and weeks, we've watched your language development take off. Daddy and I are suspecting some of your gibberish is starting to sound more like real words and phrases we say often. We've identified "Bye" (ba), "See ya," and a few other words of farewell. I also love "Ah-dah," your way of saying "All done!" Unlike many of your other words that are simply fun to hear, this one has been very helpful. I no longer guess you're finished with meals when you drop food over the side of your high chair. I know when you're done eating your snack. You make sure to let me know when the food in the microwave is done. I'm constantly amazed at all the diverse applications of this phrase you've found. You're a smart kid, for sure!

I'm hoping you continue using my favorite phrase when Nathan gets here. "Sokay" must be something you hear often from Daddy and me. You've adopted those words of comfort as your own, and we can hear you muttering "Sokay, sokay" over and over as you read your books or sit in your car seat or do other activities alone. I have to wonder if you're planning to comfort your little brother with those same words when he cries. It gives me good insight into your sensitive side that you picked up the phrase, "It's okay," long before saying the simpler word, "No."

I hope you always stay so sensitive to your own feelings and those of everyone you care about, but I also hope that you don't end up hurt because of your sensitive nature. Most of all, though, I hope this sensitive nature eases the transition into the role of big brother. Now that we have your brother's first baby things, it is becoming real to me, and I worry constantly about how you're going to adapt. I know things will be difficult for Daddy and me as well with the big transition, but I can't help but put your feelings first. You are my precious firstborn, after all, and no number of younger siblings can change your place in my heart.

I love you for always.

Mommy

Update

2007-06-05T13:12:00.000-05:00

The silly Patrick woke up this morning, not yesterday's fussy, sick Patrick. In fact, the one dose of allergy medicine was all he needed; by the time I could give him more six hours later, he was back to his normal self. I'm glad it was just a short-lived allergy attack, even though I particularly loved the cuddling.

I also wonder if he just hadn't slept very well the night before. He may have stayed up much later than usual while quietly playing with the new addition to the room. We found someone with a truck who brought Nathan's crib to the house on Sunday, and we put it together and set it up in the boys' room on Sunday evening shortly before Patrick went to sleep. He probably saw it as a huge new toy in his bedroom and spent more time playing with the toy than sleeping. By the way, we're expecting the bedding set and some room decorations to arrive in the mail later this week, so I will post some pictures of the room once all that is put together. Maybe you can all help me decide how to finish decorating the room from there.

Patrick has recently decided that since he's such a pro at walking that he's going to switch things up some to challenge himself. Sometimes he'll walk backwards, one tentative step at a time, until he runs into a toy on the floor or something and ends up on his bottom. Sometimes he'll walk around while looking straight up instead of ahead of him. Or sometimes he'll walk with his eyes closed, but only for a few steps at a time. When he walks fairly normally, he works on setting a new speed record, even though he isn't quite up to the point of running yet. But my favorite is when he just walks in circles--not the circles he makes around the coffee table, kitchen island, or halls in the house. Instead he will spin himself in circles, like he's trying to make himself dizzy. Then he walks, or maybe the better word here is stumbles, like a drunk while he tries to overcome the dizziness. Usually he ends up on his bottom again until the dizziness passes. It's all a fun game to him. Whatever keeps him occupied, right? Besides, watching him walk around has started to make Matt and me giggle. It's really quite entertaining.

My Poor Baby

2007-06-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

Sorry, no new pictures today. Keep reading, and you'll figure out why pretty quickly.

If you know Patrick's story (as most of you should, since you're related to him), you know that despite a lot of things working against him, the kid has never been sick. Okay, he had a runny nose one day when he was really little. He had a cough that lasted into a second day last summer, and I called the doctor to make sure I shouldn't worry. Other than typical preemie stuff, that's it.

So when he woke me up this morning sounding like he was choking, I panicked. I was somewhat relieved to find out he was fine and that the choking was a result of allergies, as the runny nose indicated. It appears as though our baby has his first big allergy attack. It makes sense since I'm sneezier than usual (no jokes Mom and Dad!) also. Maybe it's the weather; maybe it's the dog hair Patrick and I spent a few hours around yesterday (a long story for another day). Whatever it is, it's wreaking havoc on our household today.

Patrick is acting puny and fussy. He's obviously exhausted, a combination of not sleeping well from the congestion and the drowsy medicine he got this morning. But he doesn't want to sleep. He can't decide if he's hungry or thirsty, if he wants Mommy or wants to be alone. He can't settle and get comfortable enough to doze off. Poor kid. All I want to do is pick him up and hold him close until the tears stop.

On the bright side, I feel like a good mommy more than usual today. He has obvious needs, and I can meet them. He wants his mommy, and I can be there for him. I can hold him all day long if that's what he wants (because I'd hate that, you know). He actually fell asleep next to me on the couch earlier, with his head on the same pillow as mine and in my arms. I think that wins the prize as my favorite mommy moment of the last twenty-ish months. Although I wish more than anything that I could just take away all his discomfort and make him feel normal again, I am going to revel in his clinginess while I can and take advantage of my mommy ability to comfort him.

Posing for Pictures

2007-06-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

Remember when I used to be able to put Patrick in a cute little outfit, lean him up against the side of that orange chair, and snap picture after picture after picture of my little cutie-pie? Um, not so much anymore. It's much harder to snap a good picture of a constantly moving target. Especially when that target is much more interested in the camera and how it works (can you say Daddy's boy?) than sitting still for the camera. When I get "good" pictures--meaning he is both in the frame and not blurry--they often turn out kind of interesting. I have no idea if he makes these faces on purpose for me or if I just have a lucky trigger finger.
Yup, Mom, he definitely has some genetics from your family in him. I'd say this is a classic Aunt Judy shot if I've ever seeen one. For the record, I don't think he dug anything out that time.

I'm hoping this was a reaction to the flash, but he makes a similar crinkle-nose face often, as a reaction to the bright sun or just to be silly.

Look! His eyes are open, he's smiling, and he doesn't have any fingers up his nose! Success! Never mind that he's lying on the floor trying to get me to tickle him.

He's playing Door, that ever-thrilling game where he opens the door, then closes it, then opens it again, expecting me to act surprised every time he opens the door again. He laughs so much each and every time that I give in and play the game with him for what feels like hours at a time. It may be boring from my end, but if it keeps him that happy, I'm happy to humor him.

Okay, we'll keep the sashaying comments to a minimum on this one. He just moves those arms a lot as he walks, almost like he's trying to wave them hard enough to get off the ground. No air time yet, though. My lucky trigger finger just happened to catch him in this crazy pose.

By the way, don't you love the new outfit? It's a little big on him still, but that just means he'll get to wear it all summer long.

Now a few pictures I posed for. This is me and my massive belly at 24-ish weeks. Looks like Nathan's growing like a weed, doesn't it?

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-30T15:24:00.000-05:00

I apologize for taking my time blogging about the weekend. I didn't want to blog without pictures, and I haven't had the time and motivation to take care of them both at the same time...until now.

As you may have already gathered if you read that last short post, we did get definitive results at the ultrasound on Saturday. Nathan was being quite cooperative this time--at least in showing off his manliness (he was a bit more shy about letting us see his face). There was no doubt in anyone's mind this time about what exactly we were looking at. See for yourself.

Look where the arrow is pointing if you're having trouble figuring out exactly what is in this picture.

Even though it was a bit early to get great 3D shots of his face, I wasn't disappointed with what we saw. The people at the u/s place were, though, so they offered to let us come back next month to try again. If there's any way we can make it on the weekend of June 23, you'd better believe we'll be back in Dallas to see our baby again--this time for free! Until then, here's a pretty good idea of what Nathan's face looks like. It's a little E.T.-like right now, but more because of his age than anything else. I added some labels for those of you who have a tough time "reading" a sonogram picture.

I actually have a lot more pictures of the face than this, but I think this one turned out the best, so I'll spare you the rest (and myself the time to upload them all).

In the next post (look right under this one), all the good Patrick pics from the weekend.

Memorial Day, cont.

2007-05-30T14:33:00.000-05:00

Warning: picture overload ahead...

Patrick grew up this weekend. I had no idea what a profound effect his relatives would have on him. Okay, I kind of suspected they would end up affecting him, but I figured it would be more on the crazy end of things. Instead, he matured to attempt to meet the level of the adults around him. It's a good thing he's going to have a younger brother and cousins to help him stay a kid around all the adults at family events soon.

He even looks more grown up, thanks to his first salon haircut. I won't go into the torture that is cutting a toddler's hair (thanks Mom for playing bad guy during that), but once he left the salon, he seemed to really love his new haircut. I have to agree. He grew from a young toddler to a miniature pre-schooler with just a few snips of the scissors.
His vocabulary grew immensely over the weekend, too. I can think of two new words he says now off the top of my head and one he learned to associate with much more.

Yesterday when we called Nana, Patrick started waving at the phone and saying, "Bye!" He hadn't gotten the two--waving and "bye"--in sync until this weekend when he went bye-bye several times every day. Now when he thinks of bye-bye, he thinks of going to Nana and Ba-pa's house. Speaking of that, he figured out what to call my dad (Grandpa). He calls him Ba-pa, because that's what he can pronounce that's close. How adorable is that? We're still working on the other grandparent names; even though he has proven to us that he can say Nana, Gigi, and Papa, he won't use them to identify his grandparents yet.

Sorry for all the Nana pictures this time around. He was acting really cute with her--while standing in one place! I took the opportunity to take lots of pictures, which turned out really well.

We got to see that goofy grin on his face nearly the whole weekend. Patrick loved having the task of entertaining the family with his antics and equally loved having each of them play with him as well. That squealy laugh rang through the house regularly any time he was awake. How come you guys can't hang out with him all day every day?

Uncle Nick is quite the accomplished pianist, and he was attempting to teach Patrick the trade. As much as Patrick loves music--and his Uncle Nick--he had fun "learning." Of course, moments before this picture, he displayed his comfort with his uncle by leaving him a smelly present in his diaper--hence the expression on Nick's face.

Patrick also had a lot of fun with his Aunt Jennifer (or Aunt Jill, or whatever nickname sticks for this aunt Jennifer). He wouldn't pose for the camera with her, though. Despite what it looks like here, he smiled a lot when Aunt Jennifer was playing with him.

Of course, his favorite part of the weekend had nothing to do with people. He remembered the cat immediately (kit-ty!), in the short time he saw her before she hid in "her" room from the mean old dog who showed up with Uncle Nick and Aunt Jennifer. That didn't bother Patrick any; the dog was just as amusing. He laughed at every doggy thing she did, like bark or scratch herself or run around the room. He also learned her name almost immediately. It doesn't hurt that it closely resembles "kitty"--Katie. He pronounced it very carefully: Kay-tee, emphasizing each syllable and that t. He has even asked for her since we got home. We may just have to try the dog thing again sometime after Nathan gets here.

We also went shopping over the weekend--naturally--and picked up a few new outfits for Patrick. I think this one wins as my favorite so far. It's a pair of mechanic's overalls (hard to see on the pocket, but that's what it says). They fit perfectly and look so cute on Patrick.

Not that it hurts that the first thing he did after getting them on was lean down next to his car like he's going to fix it. That's my boy!

A Change

2007-05-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Anybody notice the change made to the blog? It's more subtle than a template change but more obvious than a minor sidebar change. Keep looking... Let me know when you find it!

Emptying my Camera's Memory Card

2007-05-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

This has to have been my favorite task in getting ready to go out of town this weekend, much more fun than doing laundry or making packing lists (okay, so I'm still getting around to that one). I suspect it's a good idea to start the weekend with an empty memory card, and you get the benefit of the best of the pictures from the last few days. The captions will be in Patrick's own words (if we could figure out what he was really saying).
"I love it when Daddy's home so I can play with his shoes."

"Here, Daddy. Let me help you put on your shoes so we can go bye-bye." That's his main goal of every day, going bye-bye.

"You should see how fast I can walk when I really get going."

"I love my daddy so much. And the funny thing on his ear that has a blinking light."

"That brick wall just outside these windows is fascinating, isn't it?"

"Yup, got my blankie and my doo-doo-doo. What more could a boy want?" (He refers to his fire truck as his doo-doo-doo. You'll see why when you watch this video.)

I may not post actual pictures again until we get back from the long weekend, but I hope to collect a lot of Patrick with all the relatives (and puppy and kitty) he'll be spending time with. I will definitely try to post a little something on Saturday when we get home from the ultrasound, hopefully some definite news one way or another. Until then, think pink!

How Did It Happen?

2007-05-18T15:28:00.001-05:00

I suppose the transition has been slow, but it feels like overnight Patrick has turned into a big boy. I watch him run back and forth across the living room playing with whatever toy is his most recent favorite and wonder what happened to that little tiny fragile baby boy we brought home from the hospital not that long ago.
He has gone from a dependent baby who could only cry to make his needs known to an independent toddler who is learning to communicate with words, gestures, manipulation, and tantrums. He has gone from our baby who was a part of our family because he happened to be the baby the nurses put in my arms on that October afternoon to our little boy who is part of the family because he wants to be, because he loves both of us as evident by his spontaneous hugs and Daddy squeals. He has gone from the placid baby who ate whatever was placed in front of him, whether it was breastmilk or smushed bananas, to a defiant toddler who eats what he wants when he wants and would rather go hungry for a meal than dare eat something that doesn't meet his current standards. He has gone from that clumsy baby who couldn't even hold up his own head or hold anything more than Mommy or Daddy's finger to a competent toddler on the verge of running who has not only finally figured out how to hold his own sippy cup while he drinks (sometimes anyway) but can also do so while walking.

I'll take myself down Memory Lane from time to time by looking at all our old pictures of him and lament that sweet, helpless baby from not that long ago. But then I look up to watch Patrick run towards me with his comb and then dip his head so that I can comb his hair for him, then run away again happily while holding the comb to his head trying to comb his own hair. I wouldn't miss this independence, this developing personality, for the world. As frustrated as I get at his stubbornness (payback for my own childhood, I know), I love knowing that he knows his own mind and can stand firm until he gets what he wants. There is something endearing in being able to laugh with my son, knowing that he is deliberately trying to make me laugh, instead of laughing at something silly he's done unintentionally (or worse yet, something we've done to him).

Most of all, I just love the little person my son is becoming. I love that I get to watch each little step he takes in becoming that person and that I was chosen to have a hand in helping him become that young man. Sure, I'll always miss that tiny baby that I was blessed to have for longer than most, but the greatest blessing is watching that baby grow into a little boy and eventually a man.

Oh, the Cuteness

2007-05-16T15:29:00.000-05:00

How about a few pictures and a story?
Sometimes he takes after his mommy, reading his books (although sometimes upside-down) for a long time before moving on to other toys.

He's started using his sleepy-time blankie as a daytime toy, too. I think he knows how cute he is when he walks around trailing the blankie behind him or snuggling with it on the floor or playing peek-a-boo with it.

This is how he walks around with the blankie, with one hand over his shoulder.

The one story I have for today is totally unrelated to the pictures, but you'll humor me and let me tell it anyway, right? Patrick has learned to sing, kind of. He loves it when I push the button on his fire truck to play its song: "I see a fire truck..." He stares mesmerized at the little people who go in a circle at the front of the truck as it sings. After about the first three times hearing this catchy tune, I caught on to the words and sing them nearly every time we play the song. When it gets to the instrumental parts, though, I sing "do, do, do" along with the rhythm. Patrick has picked up on the "do, do, dos" and now sings them along with the song. Even when he doesn't exactly sing at the right place in the song, I praise him. It is so completely adorable to see him both singing and mimicking Mommy. I'll have to get a video of this before long, if he will let me. It's so fun to watch him figure out what he does that is so cute and then repeat it any time he's trying to get our attention.

The Best Decision of My Life

2007-05-14T15:30:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today was one of the best days of my life. I made some promises that were easy to make, that I have never been tempted to break.
In memory of that day two years ago, I make those promises again. Matt, I still promise to love and cherish you, through the best times and the worst (we've experienced both in the last two years), until my dying breath and beyond. Thank you for being my best friend and loving me no matter what, even when I don't even like myself too much. You're a wonderful man and husband, and I don't deserve you--but I'm oh, so glad you chose me anyway. I love you with all my heart. I look forward to the next two years, and the two after that, and on and on as long as God will allow us to remain together. Happy anniversary, sweetie.

Thanks to my brother Steve for the photo.

Another Check-Up

2007-05-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my turn for another normal prenatal check-up. I'd been dreading this one in particular because it was the first one I had to go to alone--except for Patrick of course. That's where the dread came in. The last appointment we had, Patrick was impossible to keep entertained. Thank goodness Matt was with me to take most of the pressure off; it was more his problem that Patrick wouldn't quit crying than mine. But this month, it was entirely my problem if that happened again.

Patrick acted sleepy and fussy yesterday morning and never got a nap before we left (that doesn't mean we didn't try), so I expected the worst. Instead, he gave me his best. I have a feeling seeing Patrick in the waiting room only made those future moms want their babies even more. Never have I seen a more charming and good-natured toddler, especially when I know how active he usually is. Regardless of what the doctor was going to say, I knew the appointment was going to go well just because of Patrick's wonderful behavior.

Still, it was good that the doctor was so encouraging. The baby is still doing fine. I'm measuring at 21 cm on my belly, which at this point should correspond pretty closely to how many weeks along I am. That means I'm right on track*. The baby's heartbeat has moved up just a bit as well, into the 160s now. Oh, and I've finally hit my pre-pregnancy weight again!

I had three things in mind I wanted to talk about with her, all starting with an s (that's how I knew I could remember). The first was that I had been feeling kind of sick over the last week. Of course I was a little worried, mainly that I'd contracted another urinary tract infection, but she consoled me well. None of the symptoms are particularly worrisome alone, and not really all at the same time either. I am most likely just at the point in my pregnancy where certain symptoms are flaring up all of a sudden. To be on the safe side, though, she did have me leave a sample to get tested for a UTI, just in case.

The second s was the shots she had mentioned at my first prenatal check-up to possibly postpone labor to prevent an experience like last time. I vaguely remembered that she'd mentioned they would start at 24 weeks, which is coming up pretty quickly now. It turns out that I don't necessarily have to go into her office to get those shots; we can give them alone at home if either of us feels comfortable giving the shot. That was encouraging to hear because I'd been dreading that daily trek and long wait with an unpredictable toddler every single week. We'll have to see whether Matt thinks he can handle the shots (he's a bit uncomfortable around needles) before we make a final decision about how to get them in me.

The last s was the sonogram (okay, technically it's an ultrasound, but sonogram starts with s). My doctor had the report from whoever analyzes the ultrasounds, and every single aspect was listed as normal. There wasn't a specific note that we didn't get a good shot of the kidneys, but there wasn't a note that they were normal either. When I pointed that out to the doctor, she said that possibly could leave an opening for another ultrasound. It depends on our insurance. Apparently most insurance doesn't help pay for repeat ultrasounds unless something serious is found, which thankfully isn't the case for this baby. She was supportive of the idea that we look into 3D ultrasounds, though.

So guess what we did this morning? We set up an appointment for a 3D ultrasound. I found a place that specializes in them a short distance from my parents' house. They just happened to have one opening left on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, when we'd already been planning our next trek up there, so I jumped at the opportunity. That will be so much fun, even if we don't get the best pictures of the baby (they suggest at least 25 weeks for good pictures; I'll be 24). Mom and Dad will get to come with us, and Matt's parents might just be able to make the trip as well. The place is very family-oriented, so they encourage filling that room with as many guests as possible (up to six). We may have a mini-party to find out for sure whether this baby truly does have a "deedle."

*Another interesting discovery from the ultrasound was that my due date isn't perfectly accurate. According to the baby's measurements, I'm anywhere from three to nine days farther along than my due date indicates. My doctor said that since the average is only six days different, it's not significant enough to officially change that due date (which is funny because she moved the due date back six days after the first, obviously inaccurate sonogram, which basically puts us back where we started). Because the due date isn't officially different, I'm leaving the baby ticker on the top the same, but feel free to add a week to how far along it says I am. I'm certainly doing that! It also means that if I have this baby early as well, it will be quite advanced and healthy for a whatever-weeker, since it's technically a whatever-plus-one-weeker. (Make sense? I didn't think so.)

**More fun pictures of Patrick to come. Maybe later this weekend.

A New Tradition?

2007-05-08T18:45:00.000-05:00

I know not many of you remember, but last year on my birthday Matt took bunches of pictures of me with Patrick. That was the most special present I got last year, even if it only cost him time, not money. This year things worked out for him to do the same. Patrick may have been a bit less than cooperative much of the time, reaching for Daddy instead of cuddling with me, but we still got a few cute pictures. Here are my favorites from the bunch.

(not crying, just making a funny face)

(say it with me...awwww)

And of course we took a couple of belly shots in my new dress, too. This would be me at somewhere between 20 and 21 weeks (we'll probably get an updated due date based on the sonogram at my appointment on Thursday).

Nineteen Months

2007-05-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Patrick,

Today you turned nineteen months old. Suddenly it seems odd to be naming your age in months. All of a sudden you've graduated to years. I can remember giving your age in days and weeks; years sound so old. When did you grow up this much?
This has been the month of full-blown toddlerhood. You walk, walk, walk all over the place. Even playing takes second place to walking. You might pause for a second or two to focus on a toy, but the best toys are those you can cart around with you, like your ball that you will throw and chase, throw and chase all day long. You also love empty water bottles because they are so portable and make a cool noise when you bam them against different objects around the house.

You also talk to me all the time. I love watching your vocabulary develop, even though it is happening slowly. It cracks me up which words are important enough for you to learn first and which you understand well enough to repeat. Who would have predicted "cheese" and "fishies" (goldfish crackers) as the first two food-related words you would say? Today you very clearly repeated "baby" when I pointed out a picture of a baby on the computer. I think you're beginning to understand that babies will quickly become very important in your life. I can't wait for that moment you touch my belly and say "baby."

With the toddler walking and vocabulary comes the toddler attitude, though. You have learned how to throw tantrums with the best of them. You can already throw that body around in the most pathetic ways to try to get our sympathy. I wonder if once your language develops further and you can tell us what is wrong, your tantrums will taper off. At least we will know what needs you have that need to be met. But then I doubt it at the same time. Most tantrums are because we won't let you do something specific, usually something in direct disobedience to us. We understand what you want, and that you understand what we're telling you, and you simply don't like it. Your tantrums are a manipulative tool, and we're not buying it. I need to get a good video of one one of these days, though, to show to you when you're older and can laugh at yourself the way Daddy and I do sometimes.

Speaking of Daddy, he is your absolute best friend right now. You ask for him first thing in the morning and after waking up for a nap, and I'm pretty sure you recognize the ring on my phone that means he is calling me. You can identify the sound of the garage door closing when Daddy gets home from work, and you run (well, walk really fast for you) to that laundry room door that connects to the garage--where you know he will appear really soon. You have a special Daddy squeal that I love to hear as much as Daddy does. Mommy is good enough to have around, but right now Daddy is your everything. He's the same to me, so I can understand how you feel that way.

I appreciate that you make the effort to show me plenty of attention when Daddy isn't around. You've gotten to where you love to cuddle with me first thing in the morning, and I treasure those moments even more than you realize. And even when they're manipulative, I love those times you toddle over to me and lay your head against my leg for a second or two. It may not match a Daddy squeal, but you understand that I need those quiet moments with you and it means everything that you're letting me have them.

You laugh all the time these days--when you're not in the midst of a tantrum--and generally have a great outlook on life. Even when Mommy is hormonal and moody, you can manage to make me laugh along with you at your silly antics. In fact, sometimes I wonder if that's not what you're trying to do. You're my sensitive little boy, already able to set your own wants and needs aside sometimes to attend to Mommy or Daddy. I can tell even now that you will be a great big brother, even when you let jealousy take over from time to time.

Mommy and Daddy love you so much, as much for the crazy toddler you've become as the sweet boy you've been all along.

Love,

Mommy

My Favorite Age Yet

2007-05-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

I say this about so many of the new stages Patrick hits, but I think this new one really will turn out to be my favorite. He is perfectly happy playing on his own for a little while, but the second he starts to feel lonely, he turns into a cuddle bug. He will toddle over to wherever I am at the moment and lay his head against me or crawl into my lap for a quick hug before going back to playing.

Patrick really wants me to comfort him every time he gets even the least bit hurt, too. A tiny bump on the head is enough to prompt him to start crying and gesture for me to pick him up. I already know that he isn't hurt badly, but I love those moments when I get to hold him and feel more like a mommy than ever. Yesterday during one of those times he needed comforting, he relaxed totally into me, laying his cheek against mine and becoming a dead weight in my arms. I think he might just have fallen asleep if I'd held him much longer. It has been so long since he's voluntarily settled into my arms like that; I cherish those moments with him the same way I did the first few times I got to hold him in the NICU. There's nothing sweeter than knowing he voluntarily wants to show me affection.

He is still just as affectionate to his daddy as ever as well. He squeals and runs to the door when he hears Daddy come home from work. I'm a great substitute for Daddy when he's at work, but I'm practically forgotten when he's home. I'm not the least bit jealous about it either. It makes me happy, even happier now that I have pregnancy hormones to help, to see that special Daddy-son bond growing. Today they even played catch together for the first time (pictures to come shortly). I nearly teared up as I saw the great pictures I got of the occasion.

Patrick definitely takes after Daddy in some interesting ways, too. He is totally in love with the vacuum. Shortly before bed, something unremarkable happened that put Patrick in need of comforting. We needed to vacuum up the animal cracker crumbs from earlier anyway, so Matt pulled out the vacuum. Patrick instantly squealed and got quiet, watching every move of the vacuum intently. As I stood back holding him where he could see but not touch, I suddenly felt something interesting. The baby was kicking me at the same time. He had woken up to the sound of the vacuum and apparently liked it as well. I think I've got another Daddy clone in here! The moment was particularly special because I felt like a mother of two for the first time; I was holding one child while the other one was begging for attention however he could. It was one of those unexpected, unplanned family moments that I'll always remember, as much for the simplicity of it as its sweetness.

What You've All Been Waiting For

2007-05-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

Today was sonogram day! It turns out that everything--that we could see anyway--is perfectly normal. Of course, knowing our family, normal covers a wide range!

Baby was anything but cooperative, though. Every time the tech would get a great view for a measurement and pause the screen, Baby would move just before she could get that measurement. S/he also kept those legs crossed throughout the entire exam, making gender identification difficult, to say the least.

The tech got a few good shots anyway. Here's the face from the side:
This is our best guess at the gender. It looks like that protuberance pointed out by the arrow may just be a "deedle," as the tech put it. Without knowing anything definite, we're leaning towards a boy based on this picture. (Of course, if you blow up the picture enough, it also looks like it could easily be an umbilical cord, which kept getting in the way and looking like something else for a brief second before we identified it as the cord. That's why we're left with as much doubt as we have.)
Baby was apparently pleased by his (?) own efforts at hiding the gender, so he gave us a thumbs-up right after the quick moment of possible identification.

And I always love these shots of the spine. It's one of the few things I can decipher easily with my untrained eye.

So it looks like we're buying mostly gender neutral stuff to be on the safe side, but maybe filling in with blue. And until we know for sure, we're going with what the tech told us; she's the one with all the experience after all. That means we're calling him Nathan Robert--unless he comes out missing that obvious "deedle."

Predicting the Future

2007-04-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

Wow, has it really been over a week since I posted? I thought about it every day this week and just couldn't find the motivation to sit down and type something. I also wanted to download some pictures to include and was even less motivated to take the time for that, so the task of blogging got to be overwhelming. This won't be the mega-post it should be, though, because I'm still lacking in the motivation area. It's something anyway, right?

I have some new predictions for Patrick's future profession. One is a meteorologist. Any time I have the news on, he generally ignores it altogether. He'll play with anything and everything without even glancing at the tv. Until the weatherman starts talking, that is. Suddenly he will become spellbound in front of the tv. Matt and I thought it must be the moving pictures that capture his attention, but I've noticed this week that he doesn't start watching when the maps pop up. He is at full attention the second he hears the weatherman's voice. He can recognize both of the daytime weathermen on our usual channel by voice alone. It appears as though he is actually listening to what they are saying, not merely captivated by the moving graphics on the screen. His favorite part is apparently the seven-day forecast, based on the gleeful squeal. I think I'd be okay if he grew up to be a weatherman. Of course, the obsession may only indicate that he has indeed inherited plenty of genetics from his daddy's side of the family! (Kidding!)

Another possible profession for Patrick may be that of engineer--not an engineer like his daddy necessarily (although I wouldn't rule that one out), but the kind of engineer that gets to ride on trains all day. Among Patrick's very limited vocabulary is the word "choo-choo." His absolute favorite book right now is the choo-choo book, a cute book about trains that is fun to read out loud. He can sit on the floor and read that one book for ages at a time--and for a kid as active as he is, that certainly says something. Sometimes we can decipher among his gibberish a sound like a train whistle: "whoo, whoooo," another sound repeated often in the book. When both Daddy and I read the book with him, we make sure to emphasize the whistle sound, so he has probably picked that up. I wonder if he likes the book because we read it with him often because it is so much fun to read out loud. The repetitive phrases probably also stick with him better, making the book more memorable. Either way, it's cute to see him so attached to the one book over all the others (although he does seem pretty attached to the "kitty book" and the Santa book as well), whether or not it speaks of an actual interest in trains.

Patrick is a walking maniac these days. Sometimes he doesn't even need toys to stimulate him; he can wander back and forth from room to room all around the house for half an hour without pausing to play with a toy. He totters less and less as he walks, too. It's obvious that each day his confidence in his walking abilities increases. Before long, I will have to break into an all-out sprint just to keep up with him. There's no wonder he sleeps so well at night right now with all the energy he expends during the day!

We've also been better about going on outings. Patrick gets excited the second he sees my shoes on my feet and when he watches me throw the diaper bag over my shoulder. He knows it means he's going "bye-bye." That's another of his few vocabulary words, one that he loves getting a chance to practice. One place we've been twice since I last blogged is church. Now that RSV season is over and the morning sickness has finally started to subside, we're making church-going a priority. It's wonderful to see how well he does in the nursery now compared to the last few times we made it to church, back before RSV season started. He suddenly cares about the toys there and playing with the nursery workers and the other kids. It makes the experience even more special when he sees us walking up to the door at the end of church, too. He recognizes us and comes running (or crawling) as fast as his legs can carry him, excited both from his hour of playing and seeing us (Daddy) again.

As far as pregnancy stuff is concerned (which doesn't relate to anything else in the post at all), both Matt and I are starting to nest just a little already. We spent quite a bit of time this weekend de-cluttering and deep cleaning, especially the living areas where Patrick spends more of his time. We finally have a nearly completely baby-proof living room for him to play in. You can also expect another post devoted entirely to the baby on Tuesday night. We have our big sonogram coming up on Tuesday, which we are totally excited about. With a bit of luck, and hopefully a cooperative baby, we should know the gender then. And, if you're really, really lucky, we might just decide to reveal the name then as well. So stay tuned! I promise to blog a bit sooner this time around.

Tantrum Central

2007-04-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

Some days can be kind of rough around here. This has been Patrick's overall mood today:
He wants to do whatever he wants to do, especially if he knows it's a no-no. Then he gets mad when we tell him no. It's been one tantrum after another all day, and it's getting tiresome. Patrick is certainly testing his limits. I don't think he's happy with what he's finding out.

In between all the tantrums, I did happen to catch a few shots of happy Patrick, though. These periods were all short-lived, but at least the day hasn't been all frustrating.

This first is from dinner last night. Guess what we had? :)
He went straight from his high chair to the bathtub. I don't think anybody is surprised by that. Isn't this age fun?

Daddy's home! He ran (well, toddled really fast for him) right up to Daddy when he saw he was home for lunch. It was the cutest thing I've seen. He'd been asking for Daddy all morning, so I was glad to see he still wanted Daddy when he showed up.

Still happy to be around Daddy, as long as Daddy's holding him...

He loves playing the door game. He'll crawl around behind his bedroom door and close it part of the way. When I ask where Patrick went, he peeks around the corner, opens the door, and laughs. I have to say peek-a-boo to keep the game going, and he starts all over again.

This is one of my favorite pictures. He's always curious about what is going on outside the window, even if it is nothing.

And this is Patrick in the middle of walking across the living room, quite a big space for him to attempt to cross alone.

He looks happy walking, doesn't he? I love the chubby belly. Maybe he's trying to look like Mommy. :)

Not Much Content, Lots to Look At

2007-04-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

I feel silly now for making such a big deal last night about how I couldn't get my pictures uploaded. I should have figured when Google Video didn't like my videos either that it was a Google problem and not my own. Fortunately today has been a remarkably good day so far. That means you get not only the video I posted earlier to tide you over, but also a bunch of pictures and maybe, just maybe, another video. I know you grandmas are thinking, "Jackpot!"

To start with, here's another belly shot, taken earlier today at about 17 1/2 weeks. Yes, I took it myself, which is why it's not the best belly shot in the world.
And now on to the fun Patrick shots. Here's Patrick playing with Elmo, before he figured out how to knock him down (see video in next post down).

And Patrick apparently surprised by the camera while playing with a book...

Don't be fooled by all the halfway decent shots of an actual toddler. I don't have a more cooperative kid than all you other toddler moms. I just take a bunch of shots at a time, and every so often I'm surprised with one or two good ones out of the bunch. It's luck, not talent or cooperation.

I have no idea what Patrick's thinking in this picture. I suspect he's a little confused about the concept of holidays and that they only come around once a year. He would much rather get to play with Easter eggs and have Christmas every day of the year. Good thing his parents are a little slow with putting away these seasonal items so that he can live at least part of his dream for a while longer.

By the way, Gigi, I love this outfit too. Patrick's not too fond of the hood (we're so mean sometimes), but he sure does look adorable in the outfit, hood or not!

Now how about that video I've been promising forever? I want to apologize for the poor quality, but you might just be able to make out Patrick. I think an appropriate title for the video might be "Finally!"

Slow on the Concept of Gentle

2007-04-19T11:19:00.000-05:00

I had some issues posting photos last night, so I will try again later. Instead, take a minute to watch Patrick playing with his TMX Elmo. You may remember that he got this toy back at Christmas and couldn't care less about the weird red laughing thing at the time. Now he's a bit more interested, but he wants to deny Elmo the pleasure of being tickled.

Balloons and Bugs

2007-04-17T14:53:00.000-05:00

Last night the three of us went to the grocery store. There was someone at the door handing out balloons to all the kids, so of course Patrick got one. I have never seen him so entertained at the grocery store, and he usually loves being around all the people as it is. He would grab the string of the balloon and pull it to his face, seeing the world through the blue haze for a few minutes, then let go of the string and shriek as the balloon flew back up into the air. I bet everyone in the store could hear each one of those excited shrieky laughs.

The giggly mood continued when we got home. He was so cute as we put him to bed. He didn't want us to leave him, so he kept playing peek-a-boo with us. He would pull his blankie over his head then yank it down, waiting for us to yell, "Peek-a-boo!" Then he would laugh hilariously along with us. Daddy threw an extra step in the game after a few minutes, tickling Patrick's belly when he couldn't see it coming because the blanket was covering his face. I've never heard a sweeter sound than the laugh that resulted. I swear, if you could bottle that laugh and sell it, you'd make a fortune. It could probably cure cancer and bring about world peace.

Although he's been a little less giggly today, the day hasn't been without its humorous moments. The funniest is also the most horrifying. Patrick was crawling around his playroom, hiding in the corner behind his swing that we have nowhere else to store until this new baby comes. He loves that corner because I can't easily reach him there. Since he's the only one who goes back there, I was a little concerned when he found something small and black on the floor to pick up. Before I could get to him to see what he found, it was already in his mouth. He only giggled at the fun new game when I tried to stick my finger in his mouth to make sure he wasn't eating anything dangerous. Speaking of dangerous, though, I nearly lost the end of my finger once I managed to get past the teeth. He may have left a bruise on that knuckle. Anyway, what little I extracted from his mouth looked suspiciously like tiny, crunchy pieces of a bug. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I tried to get more pieces out of his mouth, but he wouldn't let me. I'm left with no choice but to hope that it won't hurt him any. Either way, I'm watching him super carefully this afternoon to make sure he doesn't have any ill effects from his unexpected snack. As long as he doesn't, this is going to become one of those funny stories we tell about him years and years down the line.

Language Explosion

2007-04-15T21:11:00.000-05:00

*Pictures to come later this week. I promise.**

I'm not sure what it is, but all of a sudden Patrick seems to have experienced a language explosion. He still chatters in nonsense most of the time, but he's trying more and more often to make his sounds into something that sound like real words. And when a word really stands out to him, he will try to imitate it.

It started last week when we left the house every day. As we would walk to the car, I would ask if he wanted to go bye-bye. About the third trip, he repeated "ba-ba" when I asked. Then Friday I decided to carry him with me to get the mail. When we approached the front door and he realized we were leaving the house, he volunteered "ba-ba" all on his own. He definitely understands what "bye-bye" means. Of course, he only thinks it applies to when he leaves, and he won't say it to others when they leave without him. Baby steps, right?

Then today he was acting like a garbage disposal during dinner, as usual, and Matt and I were on the search for more food to fill him up. We eventually turned to one of his favorite foods from a few weeks ago that we had forgotten about recently: a slice of cheese. He can recognize the sound of the cheese being plucked out of the refrigerator all the way across the house, and he gets excited immediately. Tonight, Matt decided to bribe him into saying the word "cheese." It worked. Before each bite of cheese, he would repeat "chiz" after his daddy so that he could eat another bite. Even when the cheese was obviously gone, he would keep saying "chiz" every so often, maybe to see if we would give him more cheese as a reward. Smart kid.

But the cheese story isn't the funniest. I noticed the other day that Patrick was starting to repeat one sound over and over and over. It sounds kind of like "oss, oss, oss." Anyone ever seen Meet the Fockers? If so, you know where I'm going with this. The way he keeps repeating the sound, he must think he's saying some word. But the only word we can think of that closely resembles the sound is not one that he has heard, at least as far as we know. (Anyone need to tell us something about now? Anyone?) Matt and I have struggled not to react to the sound at all so that Patrick won't figure out that there is anything unusual about it. That will only encourage him to say it more and louder. That would be great at church when we start going again (hopefully next Sunday). By the way, does anybody have any suggestions what he might think he's saying? Remember the only words he has said so far are words that he finds extremely important, like "mama," "dada," "chiz," "ba-ba," and "kitty." What word that sounds kind of like "oss" could be one with such relevance to him?

Thank Goodness Spring Is Back

2007-04-13T11:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry I got on a roll there, blogging something like four days in a row, and then disappeared for a few days. You'll be thrilled to hear my absence from blogworld was due to busy-ness not sickness this time. This whole week has been go-go-go, and it's such a wonderful change. It feels great coming home at the end of the day totally exhausted but content. I like feeling exhausted from activity not illness.

Wednesday wasn't super busy, but Patrick and I did get out of the house for a short errand in the afternoon. We went to Babies R Us to pick up a few things for Thursday's anticipated outing. Of course we left the store with a few more things than were on our shopping list, but I restrained myself. It was great just being out, but on a relaxed schedule, not a doctor's schedule like Monday and Tuesday. I felt a little silly at first because I've grown so accustomed to talking to Patrick when it's just the two of us at home, and I ask him serious questions as though I expect him to hold a real conversation with me. I was doing that at the store too. I felt like I was talking to myself and that all the other moms with their little babies would be laughing at me. Then I realized that Patrick was talking back with me, even if I couldn't understand what he was saying. It would have been weirder if I let him jabber at me without acknowledging he was trying to get my attention. The only reason the other moms weren't talking to their kids was that their kids were little babies, unable to do much more than scream yet. It's great having an excuse for talking to myself finally!

Yesterday, Patrick and I got together with my friend Lauren, who is in town visiting her parents. She has a nearly-two-year-old son Will who came with her (I don't envy her making that flight alone with a two-year-old). It was so much fun hanging out with them. This was the first time in a really long time that Patrick had been around another kid anywhere near his own age. It was interesting watching them interact. Patrick wasn't nearly as timid or selfish as I thought he might be. We may have to work on the concept of personal space with him, though. His first instinct when he saw Will, just barely awake from his nap, was to toddle right up to him and start poking at the buttons on his shirt and grabbing at his pacifier (remember Patrick hasn't taken one since he was about six months old; he was curious what it even was). Will was a good sport about it, thank goodness, but I felt a little bad that he woke up from his nap to find another kid had invaded his grandparents' home, was playing with his toys, and wanted to grab his pacifier. Poor kid.

One of the big draws of going to visit Lauren--other than, you know, getting to hang out with a friend--is that her parents' house has a pool. Patrick and I got to go swimming for the first time this season. That's why we had to go to Babies R Us first; Patrick had obviously outgrown his swimsuit from last year (although not his swim diapers, oddly enough). The weather couldn't have cooperated better. It was gloriously warm and sunshiny without being hot. Between the warm sun and the warm water cascading into the pool from their adjacent spa, the water felt like bath water--just the way I like it. The boys had a lot of fun being carried around back and forth through the water, and Patrick squealed with delight every time he splashed us, which happened way too many times to remember during the afternoon. The best part is that despite being in direct sunlight for about an hour in the afternoon sun, none of us ended up sunburned. Usually it doesn't matter how much sunscreen I apply; I'm almost guaranteed to end up with at least a pink patch somewhere. I have yet to discover one on either Patrick or myself. I'm quite impressed with that cheap sunscreen.

Patrick played hard, both in the pool and out, and I was surprised that he managed to stay awake all the way until we got home. He didn't fuss at all when I put him straight down for a nap, though. He was an exhausted kid, probably just as worn out as I was. The exhaustion was completely worth it. We both had a blast yesterday.

Here are a few pictures from the afternoon. You'll notice that there are no swimming pictures. For one, it's difficult to take a picture when we were both holding kids. I also didn't want to get the camera wet; I'm just clumsy enough that I would have dropped it in the pool. Besides, both Lauren and I are pregnant and neither of us has a maternity bathing suit. We were making do with normal bathing suits, and at least in my case, it was bordering on obscene (think big ghost-white belly jutting out between the two pieces of what should be a sexy bikini). We had a good reason to be camera-shy until we made it back into normal clothes.

Patrick and Will just before swimming
A close-up of Patrick and his swimsuit (we got sandals to match)

Lauren and me--It was pure coincidence that we are dressed nearly as twins. By the way, she's about 25 weeks along with a little girl.

The four of us in the only picture where we were all facing the camera--too many distractions for the active boys

My Check-Up

2007-04-10T17:51:00.000-05:00

I had my sixteen-week appointment today. Matt decided at the last minute to come with me. I didn't care too much either way, even though I always enjoy his company. I was sure I could handle Patrick at a quick check-up alone. By the time two hours in the office had passed, though, I was so relieved Matt came with me. Patrick was bored and fussy very quickly into the wait, and it was great having help distracting him to keep him from screaming. Still, I came home with a headache.

The appointment itself went well. The baby's heartbeat is still strong. We got the form that allows us to set up an appointment for the big sonogram. The doctor gave me some samples for some medicine that might actually help my almost-daily headaches. I may be trying some pretty soon, since the screaming-baby headache hasn't gone away yet. Then they drew some blood for a few more standard tests. We're all exhausted now, but at least everything went well.

The exciting news happened last night, however. Matt and I were in bed about to fall asleep, with Matt curled up next to me, his arm over my belly. Then we both felt it, a faint flutter that ran down his arm. The baby was kicking against that unusual pressure. It was the first time I had felt the baby, and Matt got to feel it too. How neat is that?

Patrick's Appointment

2007-04-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

Everything's fine, of course. Patrick's perfectly normal, from his height and weight to his temper tantrums. The doctor seemed impressed with his normalcy. Here are the all-important vital stats: weight 18 lbs 2 oz, height 29 in, head circumference 18 3/4 in. Height and weight are still below the chart by quite a bit, but reasonable growth for Patrick. They follow right along his own curve. It's too bad we can't turn his carseat around yet, but at least he doesn't mind it the way it is. Apparently it's much safer to ride backwards, so we were encouraged to leave it that way as long as possible.

The most interesting part of the appointment was when the doctor brought up the subject of growth hormones. Patrick's right on track to grow up to be his daddy's height, or maybe an inch or two taller, but all of you who know us can attest to the fact that he won't exactly be a basketball player. There's no cause for worry about his height at all, but because Patrick was a preemie, he qualifies to take growth hormones on insurance's bill. It was very interesting to hear, and Matt and I aren't sure whether to consider this. It's going to take a lot of thought and research to decide what to do. Anybody have any experience with growth hormones that you care to share?

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

If these pictures don't say Easter, I don't know what does! Despite the cool weather, the three of us headed to the backyard for a quick egg hunt. Obviously, the eggs weren't exactly hidden. Patrick had much more fun playing with the eggs and basket than doing a traditional egg hunt. Doesn't matter...it still made great pictures!

He sat down after a little while. A boy can only stand and pick up eggs for so long. Unfortunately, it rained yesterday, and this is what we found when we came back in...

Despite the fun egg hunt, that wasn't the best part of the day. I was awakened early by my husband with breakfast in bed. He and Patrick hung out in bed with me while I finished eating, and we all had a great time with lots of laughter. My favorite moment happened when Matt accidentally let some gas slip out...audibly. Patrick heard and responded by smiling and spitting in perfect imitation of the fart. (Thanks, Papa!) I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. He is definitely a little boy in every way!

Eighteen Months

2007-04-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Patrick,

I'm sorry it's been three months since your last letter. You'll be happy to know that Mommy is starting to feel much better again. You've been such a trooper, putting up with all sorts of changes as we've gotten used to Mommy feeling bad and then better again. I've never been more grateful for your laidback personality. Even as you've been undergoing your own transformation to a toddler, you've struggled very little over the last few months.
In the past few weeks, you have most certainly made that final transition to toddlerhood, just in time for your eighteen-month birthday. You took your first few halting steps last week, and this week you're showing off your talent walking for everyone. You'll walk short distances just for fun now, with less and less hesitation every day. You act as though standing unassisted is old hat, even though you seemed quite nervous about it not that long ago. I love how proud you are of your accomplishments, hiding the pride under your nonchalant attitude. You beam when Daddy and I praise you for anything. I love that aspect of your personality.

With the independence of walking has come a desire for all kinds of independence, especially in the eating arena. We knew to expect this long ago, and Daddy and I have been grateful that you didn't before now. Every meal that you ate off a spoon readily, without a care as to what was being fed to you, was a gift. We'd heard rumors of picky toddlers. Slowly but surely you are turning into one. Every so often we can still feed you a meal off a spoon, mostly particularly messy meals, but you prefer meals that you can feed yourself. We've had some huge messes to clean up after letting you get your own way. There are also some meals when Daddy and I have to get creative to find something, anything, that you will eat. Fortunately you are still always hungry, so we can always find something you will eat.

You definitely still have Mommy's metabolism, though. We'll be lucky if we discover at your check-up on Monday that you weigh twenty pounds or more so that we can finally turn that carseat around. You're tall, though. Those legs can't even straighten all the way out in your backwards carseat anymore. It's funny to watch you eat Mommy-sized meals--quite literally, I might add--with a big, poochy belly (also resembling Mommy's) when you finish eating. When we weigh you, however, you weigh the exact same you did last time. I know this metabolism is a blessing, but it's starting to get frustrating. Finally I understand the phrase "eating us out of house and home." I can't imagine what your teenage years will be like.

On the bright side, I think you're hitting a growth spurt. You've been less hungry and more sleepy for the last few days. I hope I'm right. This will be perfect timing. Pack on those last few ounces before Monday's appointment. Of course, it's also possible you're readjusting your schedule yet again, finally reaching that one-nap-a-day schedule I've been expecting...um, dreading for so long. I may miss that extra "free" time during the day, but it's a good sign that you're growing up.

It's fun watching your language development as well. You want to talk pretty much all the time. Daddy and I have even heard you muttering to yourself in your sleep late at night. Unfortunately, most of it is still in baby gibberish. That doesn't seem to matter to either of us. We still hold complete conversations, with neither of us understanding more than a word or two of what the other is saying. You were even answering, "Yeah," to Nana's questions over the phone the other day, acting like you knew what she was asking. These conversations are precious to me. It means a lot that you're making such an effort to talk to me.

Today you were mimicking whispering to me. You kept making "s" noises, and when I whispered back to you, you'd smile and "whisper" right back to me. Clearly you're understanding the concepts of a conversation. I expect a full language explosion before long. In the meantime I'll keep listening for the five or so words you have already mastered. I just can't wait to find out exactly what is going through that mind of yours.

My favorite thing ever, though, is your laugh. You are so full of life, ready to enjoy everything around you. You love playing with Mommy and Daddy, and any unexpected--or sometimes even expected--move can bring giggles or even belly laughs. You continally remind me not to take life too seriously. It is worth it to take the time to enjoy myself, the way you can any second of the day. In fact, playing with you is the best laugh break I can take. Your laugh is so infectious.

I've heard that having a baby ages you. Something about the idea of being someone's mother and all the responsibility that comes with it can turn hair gray faster than anything else. But I don't think so. All I have to do is get on the floor with you and tickle you--and suddenly I might as well be a kid again myself.

Thank you for keeping Mama young, my dear boy.

Love,

Mama

Uh-Oh

2007-04-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

I hope I can blame pettiness on the pregnancy. I was quite annoyed that I had only gotten one comment on the last post (maybe self-conscious about the picture of me on it?), so I resolved not to blog until I had a few more. "If nobody's reading, why should I write?" I thought. Then I found out today that there are probably more comments out there that are not showing up for me for some reason. I'll look into that later to see if I can determine the problem. In the meantime, I'd like to apologize for my pettiness.

Will this help the apology? It's that promised video from awhile back. I was going to do a whole post about it, but I've lost the motivation. The video is cute enough alone anyway. It's appropriately titled, "Uh-Oh."

New Pictures

2007-04-01T18:19:00.000-05:00

I apologize that I don't have a real post for you yet. I haven't had the motivation lately to do the post with the video. Don't worry, though; I haven't forgotten about it!
We ran out of Patrick's favorite sippy cups the other day, thanks to his sudden unquenchable thirst, so we pulled out an extra cup. As you might have already guessed, this sippy comes with a lid. He had a lot of fun figuring out how to get the lid off and then playing with it. It's now one of his favorite toys.
He also checked to see whether the lid fit on his favorite cups, like the one in this picture. It didn't. This is what Daddy and Patrick do when Patrick starts to wear out, though. I'm glad he's still small enough to sprawl across Daddy's lap like that, even though his legs are starting to hang awfully far off the end all of a sudden.
And here's the newest belly shot. We took it today, at almost right at fifteen weeks. I'm still growing, aren't I?

The Last Baby Milestone

2007-03-28T13:17:00.000-05:00

It finally happened! Last night, Patrick took his first steps. He hesitantly toddled two steps between our recliner and the couch where I was. He acted totally nonchalant about the whole event, as though he knew all along he would be able to walk on his own. I, however, was elated with excitement.

He hasn't repeated the feat yet, but I'm sure he will soon, now that we know he can. It's crazy to think that with this one milestone, he has officially joined the rank of other toddlers. As long as I've waited for this, I don't think I'm ready for it now. My baby is a toddler! Within weeks, as his confidence in his walking skills grows, I will be chasing him all over the house. It won't be the fairly relaxed pace I can assume right now as he crawls around, but a full-out run to catch him running. What fun times we have ahead of us!

I have another post I'm working on right now. I'll probably either post it tonight or tomorrow. You'll love it; it includes another short video.

Good--No, GREAT--News

2007-03-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

I think it's finally happened, that day we've all been looking forward to for months. That's right; I think the morning sickness is finally starting to ease up. I had a really good day today with only a few bad spells that were short-lived. I feel better than I have in ages, and it feels great.

You want some proof I'm feeling better? I actually took some new pictures of my boys. Check this one out:
Patrick pulled his choo-choo book off the shelf himself, and after reading it on his own for a few minutes, he crawled it over to Daddy and put it on his lap. He wanted Daddy to read to him. How can a daddy refuse? Patrick loved how Daddy did the choo-choo whistle. Don't they look so content together?

Patrick got a St. Patrick's Day card in the mail today from his Uncle Dave and Aunt Jen and totally loved the card. He played with it for ages. I don't know whether it was the wonderful green color or the fact that it was a card, but this is one of his favorite toys right now.

I have one funny story from today to tell. When I went into his room to change his diaper after his afternoon nap, he was standing next to his diaper pail with one hand balanced on it (but standing mostly alone). Curious as to what mischief he'd been up to, I took a closer look at the diaper pail. He laughed right along with me when I saw what was going on. I saw a Gloworm placed in the hole of the pail. He'd been trying to flip the lid to send Gloworm to the diaper graveyard, but Gloworm was a bit too tall to flip over. The best part? When he saw me laughing, he smiled too and said, "Uh-oh," sending me into a hilarious fit of giggles. He couldn't have been prouder of the mischief he'd managed to accomplish during one naptime. (Side note: I think he gets the concept of "uh-oh" quite well. What do you think?)

Toddler? Or Turdler?

2007-03-21T17:41:00.000-05:00

Now that Patrick is standing alone quite well, we feel sure his first steps can't be far away. With that milestone, he will officially be a toddler. Matt and I aren't entirely sure "toddler" is the correct terminology, though. Matt suggested the term "turdler" the other day when Patrick was showing some of his toddler tendencies.

It appears as though now that Patrick is becoming more vocal, mere crying will no longer get our attention appropriately. He hasn't figured out yet about yelling specific words to get the same effect. So instead, he found a perfect scream/squeal that is absolutely impossible to ignore. It's partially a loud, annoying screaming noise (think the most annoying sound in the world from Dumb and Dumber) combined with a squeal that I suspect only dogs can hear. It most certainly gets our attention, and it takes every ounce of self-control to ignore it. Our theory is that giving him what he wants when he screams like that will only encourage him to repeat it the next time he wants something.

Matt and I are also learning that the best way to approach most of his "turdler"-like behaviors is with a sense of humor. Although that's difficult with the ear-piercing screech, I found it easier to do when I walked into his room after naptime the other day. We baby-proofed his room flawlessly--so we thought--when we moved him to a toddler bed and he refused to sleep in his own bed, choosing instead to play until he fell into an exhausted sleep on the floor. He never did get to sleep during one naptime a few days ago. He discovered the joys of drawers, namely the ones in his dresser. Up until that day, he had ignored the dresser altogether, and we hadn't thought about the possibility of him getting into the drawers. Chalk that mistake up to first-time parents. Naturally, I walked into his room after his unsuccessful nap to find him standing at an open drawer with a onesie in one hand and a proud grin on his face. Strewn around the room were various articles of clothing and blankets. He couldn't have been more proud of the mess he'd made. Even faced with the inevitable clean-up, what else could I do but laugh?

Needless to say, we installed drawer locks on the dresser drawers asap (okay, Matt did).

True to toddler form, Patrick has suddenly developed a gourmet taste that is a mystery to everyone. Up until a few weeks ago, he ate just about everything we put in front of him. He had a few favorites but would eat anything. Then all of a sudden one day, a food he had liked a few days ago was intolerable. Since that day, it has become a gamble about whether or not he will eat what we fix him, even if he loved the food the last twelve times we fed it to him. We're learning a few tricks to persuade him to eat some of the disgusting food, such as giving him a spoon to hold (I guess it makes him feel like he has a bigger part in the feeding) or acting like we're about to eat it. If he thinks it's Mommy and Daddy food, it seems to go down a little easier. That's the other trick we learned: give him whatever we eat, if he can tolerate it. Whenever possible (i.e. whenever I don't have such a random and bizarre craving or specific food I can stand to eat), we plan our menu around what we think he might enjoy. Right now, that trick seems to be working. But if I understand toddlers and their eating habits correctly, that trick will only work so long before he finds a new way to frustrate us with his inconsistent eating habits.

Where I've Been

2007-03-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've disappeared off the face of the earth. I'm really still around, just haven't felt up to blogging lately. Late last week I was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (TMI? sorry). It explains why the nausea wasn't starting to ease up like I expected it to. Then when I started the antibiotics to get rid of it, they didn't exactly help the nausea any. I think it's safe to say they've been kicking my butt ever since. I gave in today and called the doctor. She put me on some new antibiotics that so far seem to be working better. Maybe there's an end in sight to this perpetual nausea.

If I continue to get better over the next few days, you can expect another great post about Patrick. I've been collecting great stories lately and hate that I haven't felt up to sharing yet.

Nothing Extraordinary

2007-03-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Today's doctor's appointment went almost exactly as expected. We waited for a long time to be seen, weighed and took blood pressure, heard the baby's heartbeat (for the first time on the doppler), asked the doctor a few questions, and headed home. Everything is remarkably routine, right down to the morning sickness starting to ease up just a bit. I go back in another month, and probably about a month after that we'll get the "big" sonogram. I don't know if I can wait another two months to find out the gender, but I guess since I don't have a choice, I will. My gut still says boy, but for the first time yesterday, I found myself thinking about the baby as a girl sometimes, too. I'm no longer quite as sure.

By the way, I have guesses for your babies, too, Jen and Ginny. Not that my track record is any good on myself, but I'm pretty good at guessing other people's babies. Jen, I see you with a little girl, and Ginny, I'm getting the boy vibe for you. I can't wait to find out whether my guesses are right--although I might have to wait a bit if your baby continues to be so uncooperative in sonograms, Jen.

Patrick is still doing well. He is finally vocalizing more in words that can possibly be translated into normal talk, not baby gibberish. He's learning the concept of "uh-oh," even though it sounds more like "eh-eh" the way he says it. Tonight he finally also stood completely alone without something to hold at least nearby, and for a good minute before sitting down again. We're really starting to think walking isn't far off; he's quite good at walking while holding our hands finally. He'll be a full-fledged toddler before we know it.

We had some minor pregnancy problems a few weeks ago (which have since been totally resolved), and I was instructed to be careful about my activity level in the meantime. That included much Patrick-lifting. As a way for me to cope, we converted his crib into a toddler bed. It felt foolish to us, with him not even walking yet, but we felt like we had no other options. He took a few nights to get used to the idea, but now he loves having the independence to play in his room until he gets tired. Unfortunately, he can crawl out of his bed but not back into it. Every night I have to sneak into his room late at night to move him back to bed. He has taken a liking to curling up on the feather bed we've placed on the floor next to his bed to cushion his deliberate fall out of the bed every night. It's really cute, even though I wish he would start to understand that he's supposed to sleep in the bed, not next to it.

One of Patrick's new words is "baby," and I think he's starting to understand what a baby is. I had the sweetest moment with him tonight when he was cruising around our bed after sneaking into our bedroom. He kept repeating, "baby, baby," so I asked him where the baby was. He was probably just reaching for me to get me to pick him up, but he happened to touch my big belly right then. Since he got to hear the baby's heartbeat earlier, while watching the nurse hold something to my belly, it is possible he's figured out that somehow Mommy's belly and the new baby are related. Maybe not too likely, but we all know how smart Patrick is after all...

Twelve Weeks and Counting

2007-03-11T23:29:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm at twelve weeks, nearly the end of the hellish first trimester. And yes, I'm wearing real clothes, for only the second time in over a week. And yes, those real clothes happen to be maternity clothes. Baby 2 is turning out to be a big little guy or girl, apparently.

The good news is that the last two days have been much, much better. The morning sickness has been totally controllable, to the point that I have left the house at last. Today I even went in public and went shopping, picking up several new things for Patrick (he's into 12m clothes now, and we don't have too many of those) and a few new shirts for myself as I'm not fitting into my wardrobe as well either. It's been a great weekend all around.

Tomorrow I head back to the baby doctor to make sure everything is still doing great. Hopefully I'll feel up to posting again when we get home to update everyone. I'm not expecting any extraordinary news, so it may be boring, but it may mean I post two days in a row, an unusual occurrence for me these days.

Not Sure What to Make of This

2007-03-05T14:58:00.000-06:00

Along with Patrick's sudden insatiable appetite has come a sudden pickiness for what foods he eats. He seems to enjoy the "big boy" foods he's been getting the last few weeks, even when he'd rather swallow them whole than chew them up. Now that we're on the second round of the foods, though, focusing on the ones he seemed to enjoy most the first time around, he's decided he doesn't have to eat everything anymore. It's beginning to get frustrating when I feed him and he knocks the spoon out of my hand with every bite, especially when he thoroughly enjoyed the exact same meal last week.

Today we tried something different when he decided he didn't want the ravioli I was feeding him for lunch. Matt came into the kitchen and attempted to feed him for a few minutes. Although Patrick was wary at first, he ate quite readily for Daddy. When I took over again, Matt was still in the room. Patrick ate everything I put in front of him. As I suspected, the whole situation was due to Patrick's stubbornness. For some reason he had decided not to eat today, even though he liked the meal. I assumed it was because he wanted something different, but it turns out it was because he wanted Daddy to feed it to him. As long as Daddy was around, he was fine.

Don't get me wrong; Patrick has pulled the "I won't eat it" stunt on Daddy too. Every time that has happened, though, it's been when we've tried feeding him a new food altogether. He's tried a bite or two and refused to eat anymore. We're much more willing to accept him turning down what is offered to him if he tries it and then decides he doesn't want to eat it.

The problem is that Matt has been feeding Patrick much more often lately to give me a break. When you add Patrick's sudden attachment to his daddy, it makes sense that he rebels against my doing anything for him. He doesn't seem to mind Mommy, but if Daddy's around, Patrick would prefer to be with him. I should probably be bothered that my guys are ganging up on me, but I love it. There's something so sweet about seeing my son want to be just like his daddy. I also know that eventually the tide will turn the other way again, and I'll miss watching my boys together then, so I'm enjoying every minute of it now.

Glad I Was Awake at Two A.M.

2007-02-26T15:57:00.000-06:00

Last night--or technically, really early this morning--I was having difficulty falling asleep. It was close to two a.m. when I started hearing whimpers from Patrick's room. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night just enough to fuss for a minute, but he usually falls back asleep quickly, so I waited in bed for that to happen.

Instead of quieting down, though, the cries continued to escalate. They went from half-asleep whimpers to full-scale screaming. Thankful I was already awake anyway, I got up to check on him.

Patrick didn't stop crying when he saw me enter his room. He also kept screaming when I picked him up. Five minutes of holding and soothing and he finally started to calm down. He was too awake to go right back to bed, though, so I decided to change his diaper. It felt damp through his clothes anyway, and I (wrongly) assumed a dry diaper would help him feel more comfortable.

As soon as he hit the changing table, the screaming resumed. I'm glad I decided to change his diaper, though; not only was it wet and dirty, but he also kept reaching for his mouth, as though it hurt him. I'm expecting those bottom two canines to break through before long, so it's entirely possible he woke up from teething pain.

I attempted to give him Tylenol when the diaper change ended. For the first time I can recall, Patrick wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe he didn't recognize the Tylenol bottle in the dark or maybe it had been long enough since he'd had any that he'd forgotten what it was, but he fought me. Eventually, I snuck it in the corner of his mouth, and he was perfectly content at that point. He figured out what I was doing then.

Still too awake to go back to bed easily, I tried holding him and rocking him again, but he just reached for the door like he wanted a change of scenery. I gave in and took him into our living room. I didn't turn on any lights, using the night light from Patrick's room to light the way. Patrick was very curious about where we were. It looked different from any room he knew because he had never seen it so dark before. Looking around at everything kept him quite distracted, and I was able to sit on the couch with him on my lap.

After a few minutes like that, I started noticing the silhouette of his head dropping forward. I adjusted his position on my lap, and he settled face-down across my chest with his head on my shoulder. I think he dozed off for a few minutes in that position and then jerked awake, pushing himself back up. A few minutes after that, he started nodding off again. I readjusted him yet again, and he settled back down on me. When he woke up again, I decided he was probably drowsy enough to sleep in his bed again.

I very slowly walked him back to his room, let him readjust to his new surroundings, and placed him carefully in his bed. He smiled at me when I handed him his fuzzy blanket and was nearly asleep as I closed the door behind me. I have never had him go to bed that easily before.

When I went back to bed, I had an even harder time falling asleep than before. I kept remembering that sweet moment with my baby cuddled up against me, having him perfectly comfortable because Mommy was his pillow. These moments have started happening less and less frequently, and I couldn't help thinking even as it was happening that it could very well be the last time for a middle-of-the-night cuddle like that. Somehow that thought only made me cherish it even more.

Hollow Legs

2007-02-24T20:15:00.000-06:00

When I was a young adolescent, I had an insatiable appetite. I ate like a grown man, and I was just a petite little girl. My parents would joke that they were feeding me to fill my hollow leg. I appreciate their sense of humor about it, because I'm starting to understand just how frustrating it could be. Patrick seems to have inherited the gene for hollow legs.

Recently we realized Patrick seemed ready to graduate to more normal meals instead of just baby food. We appropriately picked up some Gerber's Graduates to try. Although he's not quite capable of feeding them to himself yet, he is certainly ready to eat food that's not pureed. The problem is that these toddler-sized TV dinners aren't sized for kids with hollow legs. Patrick can devour one and still act like he hasn't eaten in days. Today for lunch, Patrick easily finished off one of the meals followed by a regular jar of baby food and then kept begging. I gave him the rest of my PBJ sandwich that I couldn't finish--about half--and then let him munch on some fruit puffs until he gave up. Even after that, I wonder if he just got bored of eating before he got totally full. And this is the routine for every meal. I don't know what we're going to do when he hits his teenage years; he's going to have to get a job just to help us afford to feed him.

Along the same lines, we discovered a couple of days ago that he has two more teeth, the cuspid (?)/canine teeth on the top. In retrospect, I wonder now if some of the change in sleep patterns he has had recently are due in part to teething. He showed no other signs, though, so I guess they weren't as painful as I would expect.

His naps have begun to get better since I found the teeth, but he still acts like he's needing less sleep than ever. He made it all day the other day with just one nap. He'd slept particularly late that morning and was ready for bed a bit early, but that's still a huge milestone for him. It won't be long until his regular schedule will include only one nap. I'm proud he's growing up, but I don't think I'm quite as fond of this milestone as some others.

Woo-hoo!

2007-02-21T15:57:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling pretty good this afternoon. It dawned on me a few minutes ago that my good spells seem to be coming more frequently and lasting longer. And good spells no longer mean merely not hovering over the toilet but that I am truly not nauseous at all. Even when the bad spells feel overwhelming, I'm starting to have hope that this really will pass. I'm not about to give up my Zofran anytime soon, though!

Patrick astounds me every day by how much he's growing. It feels like he's growing up in leaps and bounds all of a sudden, instead of the baby steps I've come to anticipate. The other day he crawled over to the laundry basket sitting on the floor and voluntarily walked behind it while pushing it. We had been unable to convince him to do that very same thing on his toys specifically for that purpose, so it was amazing to see him do so on his own.

He is also looking for ways to play with his toys other than their intended purposes. For example, he'll put rings on his ring stacker deliberately out of order (he can easily put them on in order now) so that he can try to stack other toys on the top or balance balls in the indentation left by a ring that didn't settle all the way down. His play looks less and less random and more like he knows exactly what he wants to do.

A few of his toys are still somewhat complex for him, but it shocks me just how much persistence he shows in trying to figure them out. It takes him a long time to get frustated when what he tries doesn't work; I'm actually jealous of his patience. We're going to have to graduate to more complicated toys before long. I'm glad the ones we have don't bore him, though.

I love watching Patrick cruise at top speed around his pen, the easiest place for him to pull up and cruise. He is getting so incredibly flexible, balanced, and mobile. He loves hanging on and bouncing up and down. I think he thinks he's dancing. He does it more when music is playing and especially when he gets excited.

Unfortunately, he's growing up in some other ways too. He is almost certainly moving to a one-nap-a-day schedule. I'm sad about that. While I'm still sick from the pregnancy, I'll probably keep encouraging him to take two naps (I need the rest desperately), but as soon as I start feeling better, I think we'll be tweaking his schedule yet again. He will usually still rest during both naptimes and usually falls asleep after a little while. He just doesn't sleep quite as long each time as he used to. He's also been waking up earlier in the mornings. I'm not so fond of him turning into a morning baby again (although he probably needs to eventually), so maybe re-working his schedule so that he plays more during the day will encourage him to sleep later in the morning.

The other way I've seen him mature in the last week or so is his sudden insistence on showing symptoms of the terrible twos. He has started demanding things and making sure we know he's upset if he doesn't get what he wants right away. He can actually produce real tears in a short-lived temper tantrum. We don't usually see tears when he has a real reason to cry, so this is amazing. Obviously, these tantrums are frustrating, but Matt and I are learning to keep our calm about them. We just pay him no extra attention and do our best to not give him exactly what he wants right away. If it's something he would have gotten anyway, like lunch, he still gets it, but we don't jump to accommodate his wishes. He won't starve if we make him wait another minute or two to eat. Our theory is that if we cater to his tantrums, giving him what he demands, it will only encourage the tantrums. We want to teach him early that there are better ways to ask for things. Experienced moms, what have you found to work to suppress tantrums early on?

I hope everyone else is enjoying the beautiful springlike weather we are here. If so, take advantage of the early spring while you still can. If not, maybe thoughts of us basking in the 80-degree weather will help you feel a bit warmer in your typical February weather.

Having a Good Day

2007-02-16T14:53:00.000-06:00

What? Two new posts in one week? I'm on a roll!

I'm having a good day. I feel pretty good for once, and I hope this holds for the three-day weekend. With any luck, I should only have three to four weeks of this left. I can't wait for the second trimester!

By the way, keep those guesses coming. It's very interesting to see what you think this next one is going to be. For the record, I kind of hope it's a girl, just for the change, but I still have the gut feeling that it's a boy. I did have a dream that it was a girl the other night, but as Lauren said, dreams aren't necessarily accurate.

Patrick is continuing to show how flexible he is, especially on the days when I don't feel as good and have to find different ways to take care of him than normal. He seems to welcome the change instead of fighting it. I'm proud that he continues to be a champion sleeper, something I always assumed was a side effect of the medicine that he is no longer on. He will still sleep about 13 hours every night and take two naps a day. The naps are slowly but surely starting to shorten, and I suspect he'll be down to one nap in the next few months. Until then, though, I'm taking advantage of the breaks I get during the day. I usually nap during at least one of his and rest during the other. I'm very glad to be able to stay at home and get all the rest I need during the day. Working moms, I don't know how you do it!

My favorite time of day, though, is shortly after Matt gets home from work. Most days that signals when I start to feel better. Matt also takes advantage of the time he gets to spend with Patrick and me, and the three of us will sit and watch TV together for a few minutes. Patrick usually sits comfortably on Matt's lap during this time, content to just be near his daddy. He'll lean back into his chest and play distractedly with the hair on Matt's arm or his fingers while he cuddles with Daddy. Emotional as I am these days, that sight always brings a lump to my throat.

Finally an Update

2007-02-13T14:37:00.000-06:00

I hate how touch-and-go I'm getting with blogging these days. It seems like just when I think I can stand to be on the computer long enough to blog, either Patrick wakes up or the nausea hits again or the laptop's battery dies.

There hasn't been much happening around here. I'm still trying to learn to cope with the morning sickness and taking care of a near-toddler at the same time. It's tough, especially when Patrick's mischievous side comes out. For example, a few minutes ago Patrick was playing in his pen while I lay curled up on the couch, when I suddenly saw him grab at the curtains behind his pen. He knows he's not supposed to touch them; we're worried if he tugs hard enough that he might just pull them down, almost certainly hurting himself. The more I told him no, the more adamant his babbling got. He was talking back to me and testing my limits. He kept grabbing at the curtain, too. I finally got up to give him a light spanking, and instead of getting upset about it, he laughed and crawled towards me. He went right back to pulling on the curtain when I turned around to lie down again (getting up usually brings on the nausea). I warned him one more time, and when he defied me again, I put him in his crib in a short time-out as punishment. I know he's probably too young for time-outs to be effective, and using his crib as punishment isn't a good idea (although for such a good sleeper it doesn't seem to be too bad). Still, I had run out of options. I was too sick to take him out of the pen and chase him around, which would have been a reward to him anyway, and what I was trying obviously wasn't working. The good news is that the punishment seemed to work. He hasn't touched the curtains once since getting out of his time-out.

I love that he's suddenly "talking" all the time. He'll babble in full sentences of baby talk to us, his toys, and anything else around. We hold whole conversations where I have no idea what I've just agreed to. I have a feeling more decipherable words will be following soon. He is definitely practicing his communication skills, and the next step will be to find words that we can understand.

Patrick's balance skills are also improving. Several times lately he has stood completely on his own for a few seconds at a time. I think he could balance longer, but he gets distracted by something nearby and wants to crawl to it right away. He usually stops standing by choice, not by necessity. As balanced as he's getting, though, I don't think he'll be walking anytime too soon. He shows absolutely no interest in it yet. Crawling gets him where he wants to go, so why should he hurry into walking? That's fine with me. He's enough of a handful as it is. He can take his time learning to walk if he wants--as long as he's accomplished at it before this next baby comes. I don't know that I can carry him and a newborn at the same time very easily.

On the baby front, I'm starting to look more like I'm pregnant, even at only eight weeks. I'm losing a little bit of weight (not enough to be worried about), and still my belly manages to pooch out some. If I don't dress carefully, it's pretty obvious already. My one pair of jeans that still fits already doesn't button most days. I have a feeling that maternity wardrobe in the back of my closet will come in handy sooner rather than later.

I vaguely remember someone asking ages ago when we went to the doctor whether there was any plan to try to avoid another premature birth. I forgot to ever answer that. Yes, as soon as we reminded her that Patrick was born at 31 weeks, she asked if we had heard of this particular shot. When I hit 24 weeks, I will go in weekly for a shot that has good results in preventing a repeat premature birth. Matt and I were both relieved to hear that she wasn't worried about repeat problems and already had a plan in mind.

I had my first baby dream the other night. I dreamed that the baby was born incredibly easily and full-term. It turned out to be a girl, too. I hope this dream is a predictor of what will come, not just what I hope will happen. I know it will still be a while until we know anything about the gender, but I'm curious about everyone's early predictions. Matt thinks it's a girl, but I think it's a boy. What about all of you?

Prayer Request

2007-02-08T14:36:00.000-06:00

I want to apologize for not blogging for so long. I start every day with the best of intentions, and then I just can't make myself do it. The computer aversion is starting to kick in, but fortunately not as seriously as last time. I'll try to keep blogging every couple of days if I can't every day until the worst of this is past.

On that note, that's what I need prayers for. Even on the medicine, I'm struggling with the morning sickness. I'll spare everybody the gory details, but mornings are killer. Sometimes I'm afraid the only way I'll make it through this is on the wings of all the prayers that are being sent up for me. So anybody out there who can send up a prayer for me, I would appreciate it.

I have lots more I'd like to blog, including Patrick's sixteen-month letter, but those will have to wait. Start those prayers, and maybe I'll feel up to blogging something with substance later.

By the way, thanks in advance for thinking of me.

Probably the Last Angie Post

2007-02-02T20:53:00.000-06:00

I wanted to say something yesterday, but it was too full of good and happy news to ruin with something sad. Last night we handed Angie over to a new family.

We had been discussing the idea for some time, probably since we found out I was pregnant. But we were reluctant to make the decision to give her away. As frustating as she could be at times, she was also really sweet. And watching her interact with Patrick was enough to delay anything that would make either of them sad.

Then in the last few days as the morning sickness just got worse and worse, we knew something had to be done. I was fighting to do the bare minimum in Patrick's care. I couldn't think about getting up often to take a not-yet-potty-trained dog outside. Nor was I capable of picking up her messes when she didn't make it outside in time. She was spending most of the mornings in her pen simply because I couldn't be an adequate puppy mommy. When the worst of the morning sickness hit yesterday, I knew the time had come to make the inevitable difficult decision.

Things moved quickly after that. Matt had already mentioned our predicament around work and found somebody who was looking for a puppy to befriend their dog. They are also expecting a baby soon and needed somebody to give the dog the attention that they will transfer to the new baby (from what I understand). Angie was exactly what we were looking for. By lunchtime yesterday, plans were already in the works for them to come pick her up last night.

After meeting them, I feel better about the decision. They are nice people and Angie took to them right away. Matt told me today that he was told she got along with the other dog quite well, even sleeping curled up next to her, and was a perfect angel for them.

I'll be honest that I'm a little guilty about giving our puppy away. She was a part of our family, and it breaks my heart to think we could just pass her off because we didn't want to take care of her anymore, even though that's a huge oversimplification of the truth. I feel awful for Patrick, who expected Angie to come bounding in his room every time I got him out of his crib today. He was calling for her as he played and ate. I know he'll forget we ever had her in a few days, but until then he's going to miss her.

Honestly, I miss her too. All of a sudden I can remember how cute and sweet she could be, especially when she was sleepy. I have to make myself remember the puppy poop piles all over the house and dragging her behind me as I walked because she was latched on to my pants and the whining in the mornings and trying to steal Patrick's food out of his hands. I'll probably miss her for a long time, but I know we made the right decision. She is in good hands, with better and more consistent care and attention and a puppy friend. She'll have a new little one to play with in a few months, and by then she will have forgotten all about us. As difficult as this decision was, it was definitely the best one for Angie. The rest of us will cope and move on. I just hope another dog is in our future eventually.

Patrick calling Angie

It's Really Real

2007-02-01T21:10:00.000-06:00

There's a real baby in there. It has a heartbeat and everything. As far as we can tell at this point, it's perfectly fine. It's so real that it's unreal.

I was playing that I was fine about the whole appointment, but I was hiding a major case of nerves. I was so afraid that something was wrong, that they wouldn't be able to find a heartbeat or a baby at all, or worse yet, two. When the sonogram began, the doctor got a funny look on her face as she stared at the screen. I nearly panicked at that moment. I just prayed repeatedly, "Please let everything be fine. Let everything be okay." And then suddenly I saw a little flicker on the screen, and seconds later a reassuring thumping filled the room, capturing even Patrick's attention. At that moment, I began thinking of a real little baby in my arms in only a matter of months.

Now, if only I can make it through the morning sickness so I can truly anticipate this baby's arrival. The doctor found out what a rough time I had with it with Patrick, so when I mentioned how bad it's been getting, she didn't hesitate to write me a prescription for the same anti-nausea medication I was on last time. I'd been hoping and praying that I would be able to avoid the medicine this time, but after the last few days I resigned myself to the idea that I needed help to make it through the next month or two. That prescription is the most valuable thing I walked away with today, after that beautiful first picture of our second baby.

The one surprise from today is that I'm not as far along as I should be. The baby measured at about six and a half weeks today instead of nearly eight. I suppose that could be a concern, but because of my irregular cycles over the past year, it's entirely possible and even likely that normal calculations based on my last period aren't the best predictors for my due date. That makes me now officially due on September 24.

In other even more joyous news, I found out last night that my older brother and sister-in-law are also expecting a baby, theirs in early October. For those of you keeping track, that makes another grandbaby in the family due in August (my younger brother), ours in September, and now this one in October. When it rains, it pours! And this is the best kind of rain there is!

Just...Yuck

2007-01-31T21:24:00.000-06:00

It was a particularly bad day with the morning sickness. Even when the nausea mostly dissipated this afternoon, I was left feeling wiped out, like I had been sick for weeks, not just this morning. Because of feeling so sick, I didn't spend the individual time with Patrick that I normally do (thank goodness he's so happy playing alone in his pen), so I don't have all the usual funny stories from the day. Instead, here are a few more of the best pictures from the last few weeks.

Goofy Personality Day

2007-01-30T23:14:00.000-06:00

So behind in cute stories. Before we get to them, though, here are the first few of the pictures that I finally downloaded off my camera. I'll probably post a few of my favorites each day until I am caught up.
Patrick was being so cute and sweet yesterday evening. I wasn't feeling great, so I was lying on the couch. Matt had to go do something in the other room, so he left Patrick with me, lying next to me on the couch. I figured he would squirm out of my arms right away, like he always does, but he lay there comfortably until Matt got back. Then Matt held him in his lap while he watched TV for a few minutes, and Patrick sat happily with him, for probably a good ten minutes or so. He was watching the show too, kicking his feet a little bit and playing with his fingers absentmindedly. It was such a sweet moment, and Matt and I kept looking at each other in wonder.
Patrick's sense of humor is uncanny sometimes. We'll catch him laughing at things on TV that we didn't even realize he was watching, much less should he recognize as funny. He'll even laugh before we do sometimes. I'm starting to think he understands a lot more than we give him credit for. Just because he can't say the words yet doesn't mean he doesn't know what they mean. Sometimes his laugh is a real belly laugh, and sometimes it is his new fake laugh. The fake laugh cracks me up because he knows when to use it, like at Daddy's corny humor or something.

The funniest moment from the past few days, though, was when Daddy was being silly and dancing the robot (and badly at that). We didn't know Patrick was watching until we heard that wonderful belly laugh. From then on, it was the funniest thing for Daddy to dance the robot for him. How should he know the robot is funny? Is it just goofy-looking or something?

Just a few minutes ago, Angie randomly started barking at the pen in the corner where Patrick plays often. I would think she's just crazy, but I think instead she was hoping Patrick would suddenly show up and start playing with her. The two are becoming fast friends, but they seem to get along better with the gate between them, so that Angie doesn't bite his fingers or toes and Patrick doesn't "pet" a little too hard. All Patrick has to do is squeal his Angie squeal, and she'll go running like a mad dog around the house, barking at him the whole time. It's adorable to watch.
On the pregnancy front, the morning sickness continues, but is more tolerable than last time so far. It seems to be staying mostly in the mornings, which is quite a blessing to have afternoons and most of the evenings free from it. It also hasn't been as severe yet, with no rushed visits to the bathroom. I'm hoping those decide not to happen at all this time. I puked enough times with Patrick to last a lifetime.

I have my first visit to the doctor on Thursday. I should hopefully find out then a better idea of just how far along we are. You may notice the ticker change then, when it's less vague of an estimation. By the way, I have the best husband ever. He figured out how nervous I was about this appointment (thinking about it was making me nauseous), so he's taking the afternoon off to go with me. I'm more worried about how to handle Patrick through the appointment than anything, so it's great to have help with baby-handling. Just knowing Matt will be there is taking a load off my shoulders.
I think that's it for tonight. I'll try to post again tomorrow, at least so you can see more pictures. I'm sure I've forgotten fun stories from the past few days too, so maybe I can catch those up too.

Checking In

2007-01-29T13:36:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I'm getting so sporadic with my posting. I'm afraid it's only going to get worse before it gets better. The morning sickness I was so thrilled seemed to be skipping me this time has finally hit. If any of you remember anything from Patrick's pregnancy, "morning" sickness was not a very accurate term. I was nauseous all day long. Last time I had a computer aversion for weeks along with it (never could explain that one), so I might need to avoid the computer from time to time again. It also makes it difficult to remember cute Patrick stories when I'm fighting being sick all day long. I'll try to make a real effort, though, to keep everyone posted with how things are going.

We made it back home to Houston this weekend. Things have been pretty uneventful since then. Patrick has been having lots of fun playing with Angie since we got home. His favorite new game is to play in his pen and drop his toys over the side one at a time for Angie to play with. Unfortunately, she's not allowed to play with his toys, so the pen time that used to be a reprieve for me now takes constant supervision. I'm constantly throwing his toys right back over to at least keep them out of Angie's mouth, even if Patrick doesn't want to play with them. Of course, he just throws them right back over, so we end up playing a new version of the pick-it-up game that I've tried so hard to discourage. He found a way to win either way; we either end up playing the pick-it-up game or he gets his way in letting Angie play with all his toys. Yes, it seems as though my fifteen-month-old son has outsmarted me.

Too Bad I Can't Resign

2007-01-26T14:50:00.000-06:00

This has been one of those days that I wish I could hand over my mommy job and escape somewhere for the day. I've been moving from disciplining the puppy to Patrick and even my parents' cat. I'm so tired of yelling names and the word no. I'm tired of being ignored and talked back to ("Ma!"). I'm tired of having to enforce naptimes a few minutes before I intended to just because I need a break from all the disobedience.

I'm sure I'll re-read this post in a few days and remember what happened and laugh, because even I recognize it's a little silly. But right now I just don't know how much more I can take. Here's the short list of faults I have had to discipline for today:

Angie: biting at my feet when I walk, biting at my pants when I walk, peeing on the floor, pooping on the floor, playing with Patrick's toys after I repeatedly take them away, "helping" change Patrick's diaper, chewing on Patrick's sock, I could go on and on..

Patrick: repeatedly crawling to poke at Angie when she was in her kennel being punished, pulling up on the TV, dropping his toys so that Angie could play with them, biting me on the shoulder hard enough to break the skin

The cat: (side note--This cat is ancient and in failing health, and she can get away with just about anything. Until recently, she was on death's door, so it's probably good that she's being a bit cantankerous. Patrick is obsessed with her, but Angie's not sure what to think just yet.) climbing up on the kitchen counter to lick the dirty dishes

Okay, now that the pain from the bite on the shoulder is starting to wane, the list is starting to look a little bit funny. I'm still exasperated with all three, but I can at least see the humor in the situation. Remember that my hormones are out of whack and I can overreact to anything and everything. Oh, and I have been fighting the worst morning sickness yet all day. It's still not like the best days with Patrick, but that doesn't mean I'm not uncomfortable because of it. The desire to just sleep it off makes me cranky any time I'm not sleeping. I'm starting to feel bad for Patrick and Angie all of a sudden. Maybe they should be nominated for sainthood for putting up with me.

Reason to Brag

2007-01-23T16:06:00.000-06:00

My son is seriously a genius. Of course, Matt and I--and all the grandparents--have known this for ages, but we finally have proof.

Last night, Patrick was playing in the kitchen, which is an odd fascination of his when we're in Dallas since he doesn't care about the kitchen at home. He suddenly remembered having played with magnets on the fridge the last time we were here and went in search of some. He found them in their usual spot, on the bottom of the fridge where he could reach them. For a few minutes, he played with peeling them off, trying to put them back on (backwards of course), and then dropping them on the floor, only to pick them back up a minute later to try again.

In the meantime, Grandpa was finishing cleaning up the kitchen. As he closed the dishwasher a final time, Patrick watched him carefully. I could nearly see the gears turning in his head as he compared the look of the front of the dishwasher to the fridge. Suddenly it clicked. He crawled over to the dishwasher with a magnet in hand and promptly stuck it on the dishwasher. He was so proud of himself for figuring out that they might stick there too.

From there, he proceeded to analyze why that might work with other experiments. He tried sticking a magnet on top of another magnet. Nope, didn't work. He tried sticking the magnet on Nana's shirt. Still didn't work. Then he decided to see if other things would stick to the dishwasher. My favorite was when he licked his index finger and carefully touched the dishwasher. Surprisingly enough, that didn't stick either.

Patrick definitely gets his analytical approach from his daddy. I could just see a little version of Matt trying to figure out just how this whole magnet thing works.

Of course, then today I had to drag him away just seconds before diving into the dog bowl, and more than once. Maybe I should hold off bragging about his genius just yet.

The Best Excuse

2007-01-22T16:20:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to figure out just what this pregnancy can be used as an excuse for. I'm already blaming the hormones for just about everything, from feeling lazy to griping at the dog (among others). I think I can probably explain away my absence from the blog for the past few days as being too tired as well. You'd never know the difference anyway, right?

While I have been extraordinarily tired, that's only part of the story. As Paul Harvey would say, here's the rest of the story...

Matt has been sent to another training, in Chicago this time, which is to be quickly followed by a trip to help out a customer in Florida. Neither of us liked the idea of my staying at home with Patrick and Angie for nearly the full week alone, so we managed to work things to get Matt's flights out of Dallas. (In reality, it saved the company money, so it wasn't too hard to convince them of our plan.) That means I'm spending the week at my parents' again as Matt flies in and out of here a few times this week.

As always, life gets a little more interesting here, and I just haven't gotten around to blogging.

Okay, the inevitable adorable stories so far this week:
1. Mom had found some little puppy toys that she hoped Angie might like, since it was her first time here after all. One in particular has quite a hearty squeaker on it that scared Angie at first. Patrick found the toy right away, though, and loved it from the start. He would squeak the toy, laugh, and then imitate the squeak, quite well I might add. Finally Angie got jealous of Patrick playing with her toy and took it from him. Ever since, she has been obsessed with the toy and Patrick couldn't care less.

2. The other dogs in the neighborhood scare Angie. We have a hard time getting her to go to the bathroom outside at all because she hears other dogs barking, even all the way down the street, and just wants to go back inside. It makes for a messy week. We really don't understand this at all. Angie was born into a house with many other dogs, all bigger than her, with some much bigger. If she wasn't scared of her Doberman uncle and pit bull aunt, then why is she scared of the relatively wimpy dogs in the neighborhood?

3. Yesterday while I was napping in the evening, Mom was watchng Patrick (thank you, thank you, thank you). He was starting to get sleepy, which means he was getting to be a real handful. To try to distract him from all the things he wasn't supposed to get into, she pulled out some books to read with him. He actually sat on her lap, leaning up against her, and let her read to him. When they'd finished reading those books, he continued to just cuddle with her for quite a while. For the record, a good cuddle with Patrick these days lasts about ten seconds, if you're lucky. Mom said this cuddle lasted a good fifteen minutes probably. I think I like what Dallas is doing to my baby.

The Details

2007-01-19T14:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you everyone for the congratulations! As you can tell, we're pretty excited. We found out a week ago today. It was kind of a surprise, although a welcome one. I truly didn't expect to find out we were pregnant when I took the test; it was more to rule it out as a possibility. And yes, Matt was the first person I told, regardless of his silly comment. I called him at work right away. We have spent every free second since then evaluating how exactly things work out with two kids, how to assign rooms for them, what to do if this pregnancy ends up like Patrick's, etc. By the way, we have a question for all parents of more than one. Can it work out to keep a nearly-two-year-old in the same room with a newborn? The new baby would stay in its playard in our room for the first few months like we did with Patrick, but after that we think it would be most convenient to have them both in the nursery. Can that work? Have you tried it, and how did it work for you?

As far as the pregnancy itself, this one is already going better than Patrick's. I think the lack of stress going into this one is making it easier. I haven't really had morning sickness yet, which is already over a week later than it started last time, even if it hit this afternoon. I'm crossing my fingers that it decides I got my share of it for at least two pregnancies last time and stays away this time. I am most definitely hormonal, though, as everyone else here can attest to. I think everyone is walking (or crawling) on eggshells around me, and probably for good reason. I can also tell that my lower belly is tighter already. I suspect I'll be into maternity clothes just a bit sooner this time around.

We think I'm about six weeks along right now. I have an appointment at the doctor in almost two weeks, and I'll have more details then. Really we probably should have waited to broadcast the news until after that appointment, but we were just so excited about it that we couldn't wait that long.

Oh, and Jennifer mentioned in the comments of the last post another problem I'm presented with. This blog is supposedly all about the boy, but it certainly won't be soon. In fact, it's already taken a turn talking about the new baby at least as much as him. That means I'm in need of a new blog title. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Just leave them in the comments section or e-mail me. As soon as we hit on one I like, I'll be changing it. That also means that if you link to me, you may want to change your link when the title changes. Keep watching for it!

A Letter to Patrick

2007-01-17T15:39:00.000-06:00

Dear Patrick,

I know it's not yet time for one of your monthly letters, but a milestone so large is looming that I feel the need to start preparing you for it now.

Daddy and I found out the other day that in the matter of a few months, you will be a big brother. I know you didn't have any say in the matter, but with the new baby will come all sorts of new responsibilities for you. In fact, some of them may come sooner than expected.

Somehow I doubt you remember this, but when you were inside Mommy's belly, you caused all sorts of problems. Mommy was lucky enough to be able to lie in bed almost all day every day because of how sick you made her. Unfortunately, I can't do that this time. You and Angie require so much of my attention and care that I can't set my life aside to take care of myself and the new baby. That means that if I get as sick again, our lives may change significantly. Mommy may end up having to mommy you from bed or the couch much of the time. I may not be able to get on the floor and chase you around. If things get worse than they were when I was pregnant with you, the doctor might make me stay in bed altogether. I don't know what we would do then, if I was unable to take care of you altogether, but you might be forced to grow up fast in that case.

Even after this baby comes, you'll keep getting new responsibilities. Being a big brother is a big responsibility. You'll be a role model for your little brother or sister. He or she will want to imitate everything you do as you get older. While that will drive you crazy at times, you'll realize more and more as you get older how flattering that really is. It's a big responsibility to grow up right yourself so that you can lead your brother or sister to be a responsible kid and then adult too.

We all know, even now, that there will be times when you will wish we had never decided to give you a brother or sister. You two will fight like bitter enemies, and Mommy and Daddy will wonder what we were thinking to have more than one of you. Through all of it, though, I know you will come out as the best of friends. You will grow up to be grateful that we provided ready-made friends and playmates. I'm looking forward to teaching both you and your sibling important life lessons, such as sharing and loving no matter what.

I'm sorry now for springing this big change on you all of a sudden, because it will certainly seem that way in September when we bring home your baby brother or sister for the first time. I have faith in you, however, to naturally understand how best to be a model older brother. You've exceeded our expectations in every other way, especially when it comes to loving people for who they are, so I have no reason to expect you to fail this time. In fact, I think you will be excited when you see the new baby that I'm certain you'll claim as yours from the start.

And in case you need the reassurance, we will love you no less because we're welcoming a new baby into the house. In fact, I have a feeling loving a new baby will only remind us just how much we love you--especially when you'll sleep through the night even when the baby is crying.

Love,
Mommy

In a Slump

2007-01-16T15:23:00.000-06:00

I'd like to take a moment to apologize to everyone who obsessively checks my blog for updates and pictures of Patrick. I've hit a real blogging slump lately and haven't found the motivation to blog. Really, there hasn't been too much to talk about anyway. Patrick's fine. Angie's fine. Matt and I are fine. I finally have a few stories for today, though.

Patrick is officially weaned of breastmilk now. After that first day when I didn't offer to let him nurse, it was like he'd never nursed. It doesn't seem to bother him at all to drink only out of a sippy cup (although that fight is another blog post altogether). I'm doing fine with it. I feel pretty much back to "normal," as if I can really remember what that is from nearly two years ago. I'm back to wearing normal undergarments, and I don't have to wear one at night anymore! Freedom! Apparently I'm still a little paranoid about leaking, though, because I had a dream last night that I suddenly started leaking badly and the whole front of my shirt was wet. I was a little surprised to wake up to find my chest dry. I guess when it's a worry for that long, you can't just push it away that easily.

Patrick is also weaned off his reflux meds. I'd been cutting him back slowly, a minute amount of each medicine every few days, stopping the weaning if he started spitting up again. Then Friday morning I forgot to give him his meds altogether. He didn't spit up. I tried it again on Saturday, and he only spit up once, just a little one. I haven't given him any meds since then, and he's fine. It's great knowing that Patrick is no longer reliant on medicine of any sort. I think I've gotten more of a glimpse into the real Patrick, the non-medicated one. He's a little more amiable and fun to be around.

And here's a great story about Angie (catch the sarcasm):
Last night we had to make an emergency trip to Petsmart in the freezing cold to pick up some more training pads for the corner of her pen. She had used up all the ones we bought before already. Since we were only going to Petsmart, we decided to bring her along. She's cute and fun to show off, after all. On the way there, she suddenly got sick to her tummy, leaving a mess on the blanket we keep in that car for when I get cold on trips. I guess at least it was on the blanket, not the car, but ewww. Then she growled and snapped at me when I attempted to keep her from eating the mess. Stupid dog. To make matters even worse, on the way home, just a few minutes later, her tummy started working the other way and she pooped all over the blanket. It was a bigger pile than she usually leaves, of course, and it was stinky. Matt and I were picking up dinner at the time, and the combination of the food smell with the poopy smell was too much to handle. We had to just find a nearby dumpster to get rid of that blanket before it made either of us sick. I think secretly the blanket was relieved; it probably didn't want to see what else the puppy would subject it to anyway. Next time we might just leave Angie at home.

Learning Opposites

2007-01-11T13:52:00.000-06:00

Lately when Patrick plays, he experiments with opposites. He has been working on in and out for a long time now, using his shape sorter to learn the concepts. He'll put a toy in and then pull it back out (although not through the shapes on the sides very often). For his birthday and Christmas, he got several more toys that can store things, and Patrick claimed them as some of his favorites as soon as he realized what they can do.

Of course, these new toys have lids on them. Patrick had to master the concepts of open and close first. Some days he will just flip the lid open and then back closed for hours (it seems like) at a time. Once his fascination with opening and closing the lids started to wane, he combined the open and close idea with the in and out idea. Now he will open the lid and put in a toy. Then he'll close the lid, only to open it again a minute later to take the toy back out. It looks like a boring and repetitive game to me, but it entertains Patrick, so I guess it's more fun than it looks.

Patrick also likes the on and off game. I think this one started at Christmas when he found willing participants for the pick-it-up game. He would deliberately drop pieces of food or a spoon off the side of his high chair, screaming until someone picked it up to give it back to him. Then he'd drop it again. Since coming home and finding all sorts of neat things to pull up on, he has been practicing dropping things and picking them up himself. He'll take a small toy or a piece of food during snacktime and pull up on the coffee table or end table and carefully place it on the table. He plays with it for a minute there and then drops it on the ground. From there, he will either drop on his rear to a sitting position to grab the toy again or carefully lean down to pick it up, keeping one hand on the table. I love that this last game teaches him balance too. At this rate he'll be standing on his own before I know it. And from there is walking! He'll be a full-fledged toddler before I know it.

A Painful Step

2007-01-10T14:19:00.000-06:00

Now that the diaper issue is all but over, I'm no longer worried about Patrick's fluid intake. That's the only reason I still nursed him the other day. I'm ready to wean.

So yesterday when the poop returned to normal, I cut him off from nursing. Today was the second day without it, and we're both coping fine. I don't know that Patrick even realizes anything has changed. He's easygoing enough that he'll nurse if I offer, but it doesn't make a difference to him if I don't.

I'm handling it well too, both emotionally and physically. I miss that cuddle time with him in the morning, but he's already finding new ways to show me affection. He'll crawl up to me randomly while playing and lay his head on my lap for a few seconds or he'll pull up on me and want to be held for a few minutes. That may not be quite the same as nursing, but it's an okay trade-off.

Physically I'm a little bit uncomfortable, but not in the kind of pain I expected. I guess my strategy of weaning him a little at a time seems to have helped. In a few days, it should all be over, and I'll be back to a normal size. It will be so weird to pull out pretty bras again and put away these purely functional nursing bras. I'm already planning to celebrate by getting something new. Thank goodness for these Victoria's Secret catalogs I keep getting and ignoring!

Update about Patrick's Butt

2007-01-09T14:03:00.000-06:00

Thanks for all the advice you experienced moms gave yesterday about Patrick's diaper rash. Fortunately, this appears to have been a short-lived problem. After talking with my own mom yesterday afternoon, we came to the conclusion that the poop issues were most likely related to something he ate. I fed him mango baby food the day before. He's had mangoes before, but it's been a long time. Probably the mangoes had a "peaches" effect on him, causing the poop problems. Now that they've cleared out of his system, that problem is also clearing up.

The diaper rash is sticking around a little longer, but it's already much better. I can change his diaper without so much as a whimper from him again. He seems to grow impatient with how long it takes now that I'm smearing cream on his bottom, but it doesn't bother him to have the red spots touched. Yes, the red is still there, but patchier and less red than yesterday. I'm crossing my fingers that it continues to get better. I don't want to have to deal with a yeast infection (thanks for scaring me, you helpful moms! :) ).

Patrick is also acting like he feels better today. He wasn't too bad yesterday, but he acts brighter today and smiles more easily. He's more energetic again, literally crawling in circles around the floor awhile ago. It's nice seeing him back to his normal self, even if I couldn't tell a drastic difference yesterday.

By the way, I seriously did consider leaving him out of his diaper for a while during the worst of the rash yesterday. Since the poopy problem wasn't over at the time, though, I was reluctant. It's one thing to have a pee spot under him; poop is something entirely different. Also, Patrick's quite the little man when it comes to peeing. He wouldn't just leave a little wet spot under him. He'd probably spray the walls and everything around him as well. He's got quite the aim. I wouldn't be surprised to find his name spelled out in pee on the wall if I left him diaperless for long--if he could spell yet, that is. Leaving his diaper off him would only be a last resort, and only then if I could coat the room in plastic first.

First Diaper Rash

2007-01-08T14:09:00.000-06:00

It all started when Matt and I noticed Patrick seemed a little "off" this weekend. It wasn't anything specific, but enough that we both recognized something wasn't quite right. Then last night I changed an ickier-than-normal diaper. When I gently wiped the poop off his tush, it was bright red underneath. I pulled out the Balmex we got at Patrick's shower long ago, and carefully covered the red spot.

Patrick didn't sleep very well last night, waking up to cry regularly. Matt and I even got him up to comfort him and check on him before we went to bed. I wondered if his belly was hurting him again, but there wasn't much I could do about it but comfort him. So that's all I did.

This morning, he had another loose diaper. It had apparently sat in the diaper for a long time, so his tush was even more red and sore by the time I got him changed. More diaper rash cream and more screaming from Patrick.

That was the last loose poop (although he had several more normal ones) until just a few minutes ago. I'm working to trick Patrick into drinking more fluids than normal because I'm a little worried about dehydration. I'd be more worried if he acted like he didn't feel good more than during the diaper changes. As it is, right now he's playing happily, like he doesn't have a care in the world. He has no symptoms other than the gross diapers and the diaper rash. I guess I"ll take a wait-and-see approach since nothing appears to be that bad right now.

It kills me to change his diapers right now, though. The gross diapers aren't as bad as I would expect them to be, and spreading the cream on his butt isn't too nasty. The part I hate is that even gently touching his diaper rash makes him break out in the worst screams. It breaks my heart to hear him hurting and know I'm causing it, even when what I'm doing will help the hurt in the long run.

Is there any advice from you other mothers that may have dealt with diaper rash before? I know what the books say to do, and I'm trying to do that, but that's not the same as hearing tricks from you who have experienced this firsthand.

Fifteen Months

2007-01-07T11:57:00.000-06:00

Dear Baby Boy,

Now that you're fifteen months old, I'm realizing my opportunities to call you that are quickly dwindling, so I'm going to use that nickname every chance I get. Some day all too soon I'll let the name slip out, and you'll just roll your eyes and sigh at me. "Mo-om!"
This month was an exciting one for you because you experienced your second Christmas. You certainly seemed to enjoy it more than your first, as you were awake for much of this one, but you still didn't quite seem to grasp the holiday spirit. I'm looking forward to next year when you may start to understand that there are goodies underneath that bright paper and shiny bows. Perhaps you'll be more interested in ripping off the paper and playing with the toys instead. Still, you seem to be enjoying all the loot from your many relatives who love you.

Your big gift this year, and the one you appear to love the most, is Angie, your first puppy. Once you realized she was coming home with us to stay, you became absolutely obsessed with her. More than once you've tried crawling into our bathroom where you know her pen is just to pull up on the side and look at her. You coo at her in your "kitty" voice and try to imitate all the noises she makes, her growls, barks, and whines. Daddy and I love to hear it; the noises are lots cuter out of your mouth than hers. You laugh uproariously at Angie's antics and grab her rope so that you can play with her yourself. I sometimes think you can't wait to get just a little bigger and can play with her without having her nip at your hands and run around and play chase like Daddy does.
You have also figured out how to say Angie. That's certainly telling, considering the only intelligible words we've heard from you so far are Mama, Dada, hi, Grandpa, and kitty. The only ones you've said with any regularity are Mama and kitty, so you must really love that puppy to have learned her name so fast. On the other hand, you use Mama as your catch-all word right now. Of course, you use it when you want me, but we also get to hear it any time you want anything. "Mama" is just your way of expressing yourself right now. It gets our attention anyway.

Several weeks ago when it looked like you were growing tired of nursing, I decided that if you were willing to continue until you were fifteen months old, then I would wean you then. If I remember right, that's about when I gave it up, so that felt plenty long enough to let you nurse. I've been so proud of myself for making it this long; I hated breastfeeding in the beginning.

Then this morning I got you up as normal and headed straight to your high chair for breakfast instead of stopping on the couch for your morning nursing session, the only one you still get. You fought me when I tried to strap you in, screaming at the top of your lungs. You knew something was different, a change from your morning routine, and it broke my heart. I'd already had an internal debate going in my own mind about whether I thought I was ready for you to wean. Your resistance to the weaning was the final straw. Your breakfast started off with a nursing session as usual after all.

In a way, I'm disappointed with myself for caving when I'd set a goal for myself, but I can't bear to hurt you, even in this tiny way, just because I told myself I'd do something. What does it matter if you continue nursing for one more day or one more week? I'm still working us towards weaning, but I'll slow down. There's no hurry for you to grow up.

You're growing up way too fast in every way, growing taller each time you wake up and more mature every day. You truly won't be my baby boy much longer. I'll still love you just as much when you're my toddler boy and my teenage boy and my grown-up boy, though. But you'll have to forgive me if a part of me will always think of you as my dear little baby boy.

Love,

Mommy

Nothing Exciting

2007-01-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

Sorry, no new pictures yet. They're all still sitting on my camera, where they will probably remain until tomorrow. They're not particularly special anyway, just more of Patrick's antics.

Patrick's sleep schedules have been changing some recently, and I'm left feeling like I'm drowning without the usual routine. He acts tired more often but won't go to sleep easily when I put him down for naps. I've tried keeping him up longer so that he'll be more tired when naptime comes, but then he's just fussy longer while he plays.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he's giving up one of his naps, his late afternoon/early evening nap. He's sleeping a little later in the mornings and going down for his afternoon nap later, so he's able to just barely make it to a reasonable bedtime from there. By the time he's managed to fall asleep for that afternoon nap the past few days, though, he's been so exhausted that he's slept for hours. I'm not sure whether to try putting him down before he starts acting sleepy or wait until he's totally exhausted. What I'm doing is apparently not working, so I guess I need to try for a change.

That's about the only mildly interesting story since yesterday. It's Friday, though, and the weekend! Yay! It's been a long four-day week.

Quick Update

2007-01-04T21:30:00.000-06:00

Just a quick drop-in tonight. We're all still alive and kicking, quite heartily in Patrick's case, despite the fact that I was gone yesterday. It's just more working through some minor computer issues that should (cross your fingers) be fixed as of now.

Really, it doesn't much matter that I didn't blog. Not much of interest has been happening. Patrick's done a cute thing or two, mostly related to the puppy. He loves going outside with me when I take Angie to go potty. We have to play with her for a few minutes to persuade her to poop so she won't go in the house, and Patrick finds that the most amusing part of his day. He laughs a huge belly laugh each time Angie runs towards or away from us. He's also decided it's his job to carry her rope, I suppose to play with her with it, when we take her from her pen outside and then to the living room. It's particularly funny because he's not so interesting in playing with her where she can reach him. He's still just a bit nervous about having her in his face.

As far as Matt and me, we're just adjusting to life with an emerging toddler and a puppy. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be since I can't leave either alone for more than a second or two at a time. And both have to be carried sometimes since neither follows on their own very willingly. That's tons of fun with a baby in one arm and a puppy in the other, trying to keep the puppy from nipping at the baby or the baby from hitting the puppy, and maneuvering doors open and closed at the same time. I'm becoming the master at multi-tasking.

Pictures to follow tomorrow. I promise I'll download the many, many pictures I've taken over the past few days when I find a few seconds tomorrow.

Mostly About the Dog

2007-01-02T20:04:00.000-06:00

Angie is turning out to be a great puppy, mostly. She's already starting to understand the concepts of potty training. She rarely goes in her pen in our bathroom, where she spends the nights and naptimes during the day. We have a training pad for her in the corner, but she only uses it in an emergency. She'd rather wake us up with whining to take her outside first. I hate the whining with a passion, but it's good that she'd rather go outside than in her pen. She still has frequent accidents when she's out running around, especially poop, but that's already getting better too.

About that whining, though...It's obnoxious and incessant when she wants out for any reason, even just to play. There is no sleeping through it, whether it's at night or early in the morning or during one of Patrick's naptimes. We're all suffering from a slight lack of sleep due to the furry thing residing in our bathroom. If she weren't so darn cute, I think we might have traded her in awhile ago.

Patrick loves the puppy, though, and he seems to have grasped the concept that she's sticking around. It didn't take him long to learn her name. He lapses into his "kitty" voice and says, "A-gee" every time he sees her. Considering how rare it is to even hear "Dada," that's quite the compliment. He's not as keen on actually playing with her or petting her, though. I think he got licked in the face a few too many times over Christmas, so now he squeezes his eyes shut and turns his head when he sees Angie coming. It's too bad because Angie really wants to play with Patrick. I'm working on keeping her away from him until he learns she won't do that to him (as long as we continue training her not to).

When Patrick hears Angie bark, that cute little puppy yip, he laughs. He was trying to imitate it during lunch today, yipping right back at her. He was also imitating her play growls when she was playing with me this afternoon. Apparently her little noises are fascinating and thrilling to imitate. It's so cute to watch the two of them together.
Okay, now a few stories just about Patrick. He is such a little boy. He loves playing with his blocks, even though he hasn't figured out how to stack them yet. Usually they stay in a messy pile where he dumped them out of their bag. If I try to stack them neatly for him, though he reacts. He'll come crawling over to the stack as fast as he can and sweeps a hand through them, scattering them everywhere. He's not happy until there are no little neat stacks left. I don't know how he can be his daddy's son to love chaos and mess that much.

Patrick's new thing during diaper changes is to have me "eat" his foot. Every single time he lies on his changing table, before I can put his pants back on, he holds his foot up toward my face. He watches as I grab his foot and pretend to eat it, saying "Yummy, yummy," at the same time. Then he giggles wildly. It's so much of a routine that he screamed at Daddy earlier for not eating his foot before taking him out of the room. The things he finds amusing crack me up sometimes.

Happy New Year's!

2007-01-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

Trying again...thanks to an uncooperative blogger.

I should probably be writing a more traditional New Year's post, either telling all my nonexistent resolutions or doing a year-in-review recap. Instead I've downloaded my pictures from the Christmas trip for everyone to enjoy. I'm hoping to still do a year-end recap soon, but I need to wait until our computer situation is more stable and I can access all my old pictures more easily.

Enjoy!

Patrick playing with Grandpa
Patrick showing off for the camera
He has starting crawling for me every time I pull out the camera, so I have lots of shots similar to this one.
Patrick and Nana
Patrick playing with the cars he got in his stocking at Nana and Grandpa's
The puppies at Papa and Gigi's...Ours is the cute one. Any guesses?
Patrick playing with Gramps...He ended up loving these blocks, which surprised us when we saw all his other cool gifts.
Patrick and Papa
Patrick and Grammy
Patrick in his new Radio Flyer outfit, surrounded by his new Christmas toys
Patrick watching The Backyardigans
Angie mid-play
Angie playing with Daddy
More Angie
And more Angie
Patrick playing with Angie

Not the Best Milestone

2006-12-30T15:05:00.000-06:00

I was updating Patrick's baby book yesterday afternoon, filling in those two bottom molars he got over Christmas break (oh, yeah, he got the other bottom molar a couple days ago...that makes twelve teeth total now). As I almost always do, I flipped through the pages looking at the pictures and making sure I hadn't missed anything else I could fill out. I found one more line in his list of firsts that remained blank and smiled to myself at how lucky I was that I had yet to fill out his first boo-boo.

Yup, you know what's coming. I jinxed myself. It happened right before dinner last night. Matt's and my dinner had just come out of the oven and was cooling and congealing on the counter. We were sitting in the living room marveling at how well Patrick was cruising down the side of the coffee table. All of a sudden, one of Patrick's feet didn't support him the way we thought it would, and time stopped for a few seconds.

I remember a resounding thump at the same time I saw Patrick's body flop to the ground. His head bounced off the side of the coffee table, and as quickly as I lunged for him, my reaction time was too slow. I swooped him up off the ground just as the realization of what happened hit him and he broke out into the worst ear-piercing screams.

All I could think to do at first was comfort him. I was terrified and I wasn't even sure I had the strength to hold him. I tried to peek around the the front of his head to see where he had hit the table, but I could only see that his whole face and head were red from screaming. I hoped and prayed that it wasn't as bad as it had sounded, and since I couldn't see anything specific wrong, it seemed possible.

Then Matt went white as a sheet. He had seen the spot that actually hit the table. He started gathering what he would need to take to the emergency room with him while I tried again to glimpse Patrick's boo-boo. I seconded the assessment to head to the hospital when I saw that horrible swollen bruise that had already popped up. At this point it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds after the accident. I have no idea how a fist-sized bruise could pop up on Patrick's forehead without some serious damage having been done.

As a last second consideration, Matt decided to call his mom before we left. As a nurse, she would be able to tell us just how crucial it was to see a doctor right away. By the time Matt got her on the line, Patrick was already starting to calm down. He was smiling at Daddy while he was running through the tests Gigi was having us do.

It turned out that it was nothing more than a nasty bump on the head. We never did leave for the emergency room. He was happily playing again in minutes, although Matt and I didn't want to leave his side for the rest of the night. Patrick was crawling over to the coffee table while Matt and I ate dinner (we weren't really hungry by this time but knew we'd better eat just in case Patrick got worse and we still had a trip to the ER in front of us). He pulled up again without hesitation, as though he had already forgotten about his accident. He was picking at the food on my plate, too, even though he had just eaten a little while earlier. I let him. He could have gotten away with anything last night.

Today there's just a nasty bruise above his right eyebrow. He doesn't seem to notice it's there, and the swelling is completely gone. I'm sure this is just the first of many bruises, but I hope none are quite as scary as this one was.

I always assumed I'd feel so guilty the first time Patrick got hurt, but I'm pleased to say I'm really not. I hate that my baby got hurt, but it was bound to happen eventually. I did nothing to cause it, and I really couldn't have done anything to stop it. I was no more than two feet behind him and I couldn't lunge fast enough to prevent the fall. How much closer would I have to stick to keep him from ever getting hurt? How much of his development would I be delaying in my attempts to do so? I suppose we could have moved the coffee table out of here altogether, but it's the best place for him to practice pulling up and cruising. It would have happened somewhere else if it hadn't happened on the coffee table. It's no more to blame than Matt or I am.

I guess this is just one of those milestones that everyone dreads but is bound to happen. It's not worth beating myself up over because it was nothing more than an accident. At least I can be thankful that this time we didn't have to make friends with our local emergency room doctors. I have a feeling with our active boy, though, that will happen sometime in our future.

First Night Back

2006-12-29T15:50:00.000-06:00

We made it home late last night. Yesterday morning was a frenzy of getting everything ready to go, especially stuff for the puppy that somehow I hadn't given much thought to. By some miracle we still made it out of there shortly after lunch.

Then came the never-ending drive home. It was long enough already, but then when you have a fussy, screaming boy for hours at a time trapped in the same car, it really does feel like it will never end. All he wanted was to be let out of the carseat and car, and stopping didn't help that at all. He was just as unhappy being put back in the car after a break as he had been before. It seemed simpler to just keep driving with him screaming.

But don't forget we had a tiny, not-yet-potty-trained, away-from-home-for-the-first-time puppy with us too. We were forced to stop often for her to try to pee. She didn't the first few stops, but finally she got to the almost-popping point and went. It turns out she's a good traveler and won't go in her bed or kennel. Lucky us!

Last night was rough, though. Poor Angie whined on and off all night. This was her first night away from her siblings, and I think she missed them badly. I woke up to take care of her this morning even before Patrick. I guess I will have a new routine to get used to that includes taking care of a puppy around Patrick's care.

By the way, it tore me apart yesterday to take Angie away from her family. I was glad I wasn't the one who had to do the deed of taking her out of the cage with her siblings for the final time. I didn't want to have to see her face as she left her siblings, and I didn't want to have to look at those mournful faces of her siblings as they watched her leave them forever. I know it would have had to happen eventually even if we hadn't been the ones to take her, but that doesn't make it any easier. I've been trying to give Angie plenty of attention and cuddle time today so that she doesn't feel so lonely.

Speaking of her, though, I hear her whining now. I guess it's time to cuddle again! I don't mind that so much. That's what I was hoping for most in a puppy after all.

On the Go

2006-12-27T14:27:00.000-06:00

Despite being on vacation in a pretty sleepy little town, we've been on the go a lot the last few days. Yesterday we met Gigi for lunch (poor thing had to go back to work already) and then left as soon as we got home to go hang out at Matt's grandparents' house in Odessa. As soon as we got back home from that visit, we left to go out to eat with Matt's brother and sister-in-law. By the time we finally made it back home to stay, Patrick was exhausted. He'd only had one short nap all afternoon, in the car on the way to Odessa. He didn't even fuss the tiniest bit when we put him to bed.

Today we met Gigi for lunch again, but some of us (like...me) slept really late and weren't ready to go on time. At least she got caught up doing something and just barely beat us to the restaurant. Patrick has had lots of opportunities to try new solid foods with all the eating out. He's almost certainly put on lots of weight finally. Oh, and he loves mashed potatoes. I might just have to figure out how to make those for him.

It's been fun watching Patrick with the dogs (kitties!) today. He's interested in the puppies and Mitzi, the full-grown miniature schnauzer, but he has a downright fascination with the big dogs. He constantly crawls for Zeus, the doberman, and Leda, the pit bull mix. It cracks me up that both of them are more hesitant around Patrick than he is around them. Zeus actually runs from him. This morning the two were play fighting, and Patrick watched with a big grin on his face, laughing loudly at their antics. I think I would have been frightened if I hadn't known they were playing, and Patrick thought it was hilarious.

I actually took some pictures yesterday. You may notice there aren't pictures here, though. I realized today that Matt had formatted the hard drive on this computer to install a new operating system, and all my familiar editing programs are gone. Rather than deal with an unfamilar downloading routine, I'll just wait until Matt sets the computer up the way it used to be. Hey, at least the picture posts will give everyone something interesting to see on the days that I don't have as much to write about. Unfortunately, they probably won't happen until after we get home this weekend. Sorry! I'll try to keep taking pictures anyway, though, even if nobody will get to see them for a while.

I'm Still Alive

2006-12-26T11:02:00.000-06:00

Whoo...things have gotten busy around here. Since I blogged almost a week ago, lots has happened, and I think I may have forgotten nearly all the cute stories I wanted to tell. We had Christmas #1 on Thursday night with my brother and sis-in-law who came in on Wednesday evening, then Christmas #2 on Friday night, the few gifts we forgot about on Thursday. We had our third Christmas later that evening when my sister and bro-in-law showed up and then one more Christmas before we left Saturday afternoon when my other brother and sis-in-law showed up. And that was all before we got to Big Spring to have real Christmas with Matt's family. Told you we'd been busy!

The highlights:
1. My sis-in-law is pregnant! This is my younger brother's wife, the one who got married in March. We're all so excited. She's due in August, so it's only a few more months until I'm an aunt for the first time.
2. Patrick had a blast at Christmas...all of them. He really raked it in this year. I have no idea how we're going to get his presents home. I'll have to get pictures of him with some of his new toys to show everyone what he got. The camera has mysteriously stayed in its bag the last few days, so I have lots of picture-taking to catch up on.
3. I ended up with quite a Christmas, too. My husband got me the most beautiful heart-shaped locket so that I could put a picture of Patrick in it. Isn't he sweet? I might have to have him get a picture of me in it so that I can show it off too.
4. We finally met our future puppy, Angie. It looks like she will be going home with us when we leave at the end of the week. I really need to get that camera out, don't I? She's so totally adorable. Patrick's mildly interested in all the dogs but won't get too close. I have a feeling that will change once he realizes Angie comes with us. I hope he warms up to her quickly.
5. We realized last night when Patrick woke up unexpectedly screaming that he's teething yet again. This time his bottom molars are coming in. The left one has just broken through the gum, and the right one has a huge swollen spot. I don't know how he can function with a bubble that size on his gums. Poor thing! He's coping well, though, since last night was our first inkling that something was wrong. I guess he's getting used to the pain.

Even though yesterday was my first Christmas away from home ever, it was pretty good. Matt's family treats me just like I'm one of their own (I guess I am now, though, huh?), so they made the transition easier. We had a massive meal over at Matt's brother and sis-in-law's new house and did the gift-opening there. It was lots of fun. Patrick wore his Santa outfit and was a big hit.

I guess that's it for now. I'll try to blog again later tonight or tomorrow to work on more catching up. Many of the cute stories I've meant to blog in the past week may be lost forever, though. I could kick myself for letting myself get so far behind. Blogging while on the road is hard!

Random Stories

2006-12-20T21:19:00.000-06:00

I hate when I miss a day, especially one filled with activity, and I get so far behind that I don't know how I'll ever catch up. Here's the short version of the last two days:

Patrick went with my dad and me to visit my mom at school. She was taking a half day to spend time with us, so we rescued her from work. All my mom's kids got to see the famed grandson, as well as a few teacher friends. Patrick was really good, grinning at everyone and being his usual charming self.

After we left, we headed out to eat. Most of the time he was good again, but he had a short-lived hissy fit when I wouldn't let him sit in my lap while I fed him. That just seemed like a messy idea, and I wasn't buying it. Once he got over it, though, he was fine the rest of the meal.

Nana and Daddy and Grandpa watched Patrick most of the evening. I had an allergy attack hit me so badly that all I wanted to do was go lie down. I surprisingly fell asleep, but Patrick was full of energy, keeping everyone on their toes.

Today we just stayed in all day. We had no reason to leave, and the weather was yucky, so we stayed in since we could. Again, Patrick was a bundle of energy. I would kill for that endless energy some days. He keeps throwing hissy fits any time he doesn't get what he wants, though. That's getting tiresome, and I'd love to know how to stop it. Could it be that we've spoiled him, or is this just a normal phase?

Yesterday while playing, Patrick got bit by the kitty. He was petting too hard, and the cat reacted by nipping at him. It only barely scratched his hand, but of course he started bawling immediately. We figured that would end the obsession with the kitty, but not so. Even with the memory of the scratches fresh in his mind, he was crawling back over to her, squealing "Kittieeeeee" with each step crawling. I guess it's good that we haven't created a lifelong fear anyway.

Other interesting sort-of milestones:
He stood by himself again for a second or so yesterday. He's getting braver about pulling up and then letting go.
He has said several new recognizable words, such as "Bam-bam" and "ampa" (Grandpa).
He pulled his pants completely off when he was supposed to be napping earlier. Now if we can just get him to dress himself as well as he can undress himself...

Standing Tall and Proud

2006-12-18T20:32:00.000-06:00

Patrick stood all by himself today! He climbed up me and was distracted once he got on his feet. He let go without even realizing it, trusting me to keep him standing, I suppose. I lunged to catch him instinctively, and before I could get my arms around him, I realized he didn't need my help. He was standing perfectly well without me! Of course, since my arms were already in place, he grabbed me again pretty quickly. It may have only been a minute, but he really did stand by himself. He tried once again later too, pulling himself to standing without anything sturdy to hold onto at all. He pushed himself into a standing position off my stomach as I was lying on the floor. I had to hold him up with a hand on his bottom. He's getting awfully trusting all of a sudden.

Both Patrick and I had a relaxing day, catching up on all our sleep. Nana and Daddy had to go to work (poor things), and Grandpa had some errands and shopping to take care of, so we just slept all morning. We were both in a better mood after catching up on sleep.

Patrick is absolutely obsessed with the kitty. He keeps crawling over to wherever the cat is sleeping on the couch and will pull up, trying to climb onto the couch to get closer to her. His kitty voice is recognizable immediately, and his "Hi, kitty" is getting clearer every time I hear it. He's very gentle in the way he pets her, too, and she seems to like the attention, not just tolerate it.

I hope I'll remember to pull out the camera tomorrow. I keep forgetting. It seems like most of the time I have with him is either spent feeding him or chasing him, trying desperately to keep him out of trouble. Tomorrow afternoon, both Nana and Grandpa should be around, so maybe I'll have a few minutes to breathe and pull out the camera.

Busy, Busy Boy

2006-12-17T21:38:00.000-06:00

It's been a long day with lots of activity. It started early this morning when I had to wake Patrick up for the first time in a long time so that we could all get ready for church in time. Sleepy as he was, he still made it through church pretty well. We didn't have to take him out even once. I'm quite impressed with him. It took all four of us and any number of toys (and random items that can turn into toys, like pens and papers) to keep him entertained, but he was good with all that entertainment.

After church, he was still ready to socialize. He grinned at everyone we stopped to talk with and everybody who glanced at him as they walked by. The cutest was when he saw another little baby girl. She was certainly cute, and Patrick noticed. He gave her the biggest grin and kept reaching for her. I'm not sure exactly what he wanted, but he was most definitely flirting. I guess that technically would be cradle-robbing, though, since she was only five months old. Maybe in a few more years Patrick...

I got most of the afternoon to myself, surprisingly. When Patrick woke up from his marathon nap, Daddy, Nana, and Grandpa took him on some errands, giving me some time alone for the first time in a long time. I was taking my own nap when they returned, so they continued to babysit instead of waking me up. I have the best family! Apparently he was still pretty well-behaved without me around.

We headed back to church tonight for my parents' church's candlelight service. My parents were participating in it, so there was no way we were missing out. Patrick was a little harder to entertain tonight, though. He only had Mommy and Daddy, and we weren't interesting enough. He really wanted to play with the candle, lit or not, and proceeded to throw a hissy fit when we wouldn't let him have it. He also wanted to sing when nobody was singing (really just loud jabbering). The music and lights and dramas fascinated him, though, and we hated to take him out of the auditorium for much of it. I guess it's not too bad that he missed only about ten minutes of it.

By the time we got home tonight, he was pooped. We could barely get dinner in him before he was ready for bed. He cried for only a minute, just because he feels obligated to, I suppose, and then he was out. He's not used to all this activity!

On the Road Again

2006-12-16T23:38:00.000-06:00

We are in Dallas again this week, for another training for Matt. We'll leave from here next weekend to go to Big Spring to spend Christmas with Matt's family.

I'm finally starting to get into the Christmas spirit now. All our shopping is done (and has been for a while), and my parents' house is decorated festively as it usually is this time of year. They even have wrapped presents under the tree already! I pulled out our gifts to Patrick to show my mom, and Patrick saw them. Apparently we made some good choices. He didn't want to let us put them away until Christmas. I'm glad he's still young enough that he'll forget tomorrow that he ever saw them.

Patrick recognized the kitty and his grandparents immediately. I guess it's good that we had such a short break since we were here last time. As soon as he saw the cat, he slipped into his "kitty voice." He also gave his grandparents a huge grin when he saw them and was willing to let them hold him right away. That's a nice change from the last few visits.

It also seems that he is obsessed with the Christmas tree. He crawled straight for it when he got put on the ground. He wants to yank the ornaments off and play with them, and he's already trying to unwrap the presents, especially those shiny bows. Something tells me opening presents on Christmas morning may be a little more interesting with him this year than last. The funniest thing was when it was bedtime and we encouraged him to let go of the ornaments so he wouldn't take them to bed with him. He was quickly trying to put the ornaments back on the tree himself. He hadn't quite mastered the art of looping the ribbon around the branch, so he couldn't figure out why those didn't stay on the tree like the others. He's so funny.

Dadadada

2006-12-15T20:48:00.000-06:00

I meant to mention yesterday just how excited Patrick was to have his daddy back home. I'd just put him to bed before Matt walked in, so Matt got him back out of bed immediately. We decided it was a special enough occasion that he could stay up late. He was kicking those feet and bouncing up and down and climbing up the side of his crib the second he saw his daddy walk into his room. He didn't want to let go of him.

He did the same thing when he saw Matt yesterday at lunch and again when he got home from work. He can't get enough Daddy time all of a sudden.
Then today from the moment he woke up, he kept repeating, "Dada. Dadada!" I hated having to tell him that Daddy wouldn't be home until lunch. Then something came up and Matt didn't come home for lunch after all. It was tough breaking the news to Patrick, who obviously couldn't wait to see his daddy again.
I guess the best part of Matt having to go on a business trip is the coming home part. I've never seen Patrick so attached to him. It's worth the three days apart to see this at the end of those three days:
On a completely random note, Patrick seems to have a little boy crush. Every time that Huggies commercial comes on--the one with the little girl crawling around in just a diaper and one red sock--Patrick stops everything to watch. Unlike his other favorite commercials, though, instead of just watching, he gets this adorable smile on his face, like he's admiring the little girl. I can tell already he's going to be such a flirt as he gets older!

Mini-Milestones

2006-12-14T20:13:00.000-06:00

I took Patrick outside to get the mail with me this afternoon. It's been particularly balmy around here the last few days, so all the neighbor kids were out playing. Patrick is fascinated with big kids, and he couldn't get enough of watching them play on their bikes. I'm thrilled at how much the other kids on our street love Patrick; they always stop to say hi to him when they see us out. Anyway, I stood chatting with one of the other mothers for a few minutes, and when we got ready to go back in, she waved at Patrick to say good-bye. Patrick waved right back! I had just been saying how he wasn't waving yet, and he dared prove me wrong! It was so funny.

Also this afternoon, Patrick woke up from his nap while I was on the phone with my mom. When we got ready to say good-bye, I let Patrick talk to his Nana for a minute. We were both trying to get him to say "Nana" to her, which he has yet to say. He kept laughing; apparently talking to Nana on the phone is hilarious. Then suddenly he started chattering, and he said something that sounded a lot like, "Nah-mah." We think he was actually trying to say Nana. It's the closest he's come yet anyway.

Because of all the requests I've gotten for yesterday's pictures, I decided to post them again, this time without the watermarks. This is a one-time only deal, so if you want the pictures, take this opportunity to grab them.

Prepare for the Cuteness

2006-12-13T18:01:00.000-06:00

Matt should be landing at the airport very, very soon. I can't wait! I spent most of the day cleaning so that he could come home to a clean house (and son and wife...I'm even wearing make-up!). If you know me, that's a big deal.

Patrick's sleep patterns have been wacky today. He woke up at 5 this morning but wasn't upset. I just heard talking from his room that woke me up. I probably should have checked on him, but he didn't sound like anything was wrong. After a few minutes, the talking stopped, so I went back to sleep. He took a morning nap, but it was incredibly short. Then he fought his afternoon nap. I gave up after listening to him fuss for about an hour and got him up and got him a snack. An hour later, he was comfortable relaxing on me, so I figured he was tired enough to sleep...finally. I was right, and he's taking his afternoon nap now. Although it was frustrating while he was fighting that afternoon nap, it will turn out well. He should be wide awake when Daddy gets home. That's exactly what I was hoping for!

At last, here are the Christmas pictures I took yesterday. I had to trick the computer into letting me save them, but it did, so we must not be out of hard drive space yet. Cross your fingers we'll have enough left to get us through vacation until we can back up the earlier pictures on CDs.

Interesting things to note that will make me grin when I look back at these years later:
1. His hat doesn't quite fit that enormous noggin. The 6-9 months outfit fits fine otherwise, but the hat is just kind of balanced on top of his head.
2. Again with that lens cap. It bothers me some that it shows up so prominently in almost every picture, but I know I'll love it years from now. It says so much about his personality at this age.
3. He looks just like a little doll in the second picture. We have a picture of me when I was a baby (a little younger than he is now, I think) where I also looked just like a doll.

Cutest Santa ever! He says, "Merry Christmas!" (Actually he's been working on, "Ho, ho, ho." It sounds more like, "Hotta, hotta, hotta," right now, but he's getting there.)

Killing Time

2006-12-12T20:26:00.000-06:00

I've been setting goals to accomplish every day while Matt is gone. It makes the time pass more easily when I have specific things I plan to do each day. Today's goals included getting Christmas pictures of Patrick and going grocery shopping. I'm proud to say I accomplished both of those goals.

I wish I had some of those Christmas pictures to show off tonight, as I'd planned. Unfortunately I've hit a couple of problems with them. I would have guessed the problems would have happened in the taking. Patrick won't sit still for anything any longer, so I had no idea how I would bribe him to stay in one spot for millions of pictures. It turns out it only took the lens cap off the camera. It makes for interesting pictures, but they're still cute. Some creative cropping and nobody should be able to tell.

The problems happened more when I downloaded the pictures. I think I'm out of hard drive space or something (which is entirely likely considering how many thousands of pictures are saved on here) because it won't let me save any changes to the pictures. At least the originals are saved, but none of the edits I've done are saving. I've also forgotten how to do some of the editing I need to do on them, and I may have to wait until Matt gets home and can remind me. Probably later this week I'll finally have the final versions of those cute pictures for you.

Grocery shopping went well, too. It was pretty boring compared to the photo session, though, so I'll spare you all the details.

Patrick's coping pretty well without his daddy, but he seems to notice something missing when evening comes and Daddy's not around. Daddy usually puts him to bed, so the last two nights he has been somewhat upset when I was the only one putting him in his crib. He got over it quickly both nights, but I can tell he misses his daddy. I do, too. Tomorrow night, though. We can make it that long.

By the way, it sounds like everything went well on the trip. He's already taken the first leg of the trip home and will fly the rest of the way tomorrow. With any luck, he'll be home before Patrick goes to bed tomorrow night.

Weight and Wait

2006-12-11T19:16:00.000-06:00

Today was a big day. Patrick had his second weight check, the one that would determine whether we needed to go see a specialist for it and whether he needed a 15-month appointment. Despite some construction traffic, we still got there early. I've started planning for the worst construction traffic ever for every trip, and it seems to be working since we keep getting there early. It usually works out that we get seen early. Today we left the office at the time his appointment was supposed to start.

Okay, here's what you're all anxious to hear: Patrick weighs 17.5 pounds exactly. I'd told him before we left, while I was stuffing his belly with as much lunch as he could hold, that that was the minimum weight I'd be satisfied with. I wonder if he held his poop in just long enough so that he would weigh those couple of extra ounces.

The doctor was quite satisfied with that weight gain, up 3/4 of a pound from last month. We won't be going back until his 18-month appointment, barring any illnesses. Patrick also got the other part of his flu shot. He is turning into such a shot pro. He fussed for about ten seconds while I held him and then he was fine. By the time we reached the elevator, he was ready to flirt again already.

The other reason today is a big day is that Matt headed to Oregon for a business trip. It's been in the works for a while, and he found out almost two weeks ago that he was going this week. He left early this morning and will be back Wednesday night. It's an exciting experience for him, but that means I'm left all alone here with Patrick. So far, so good, but I'm afraid I'm going to get much more lonely after Patrick goes to bed tonight. I don't know how I'll make it through two more days without Matt. I can't wait until he makes it back home.

Just Like Mommy

2006-12-10T19:55:00.000-06:00

Again, my apologies for missing a day of blogging yesterday. I guess I'm in a bit of a blogging slump. I'll try my best not to go more than a day without posting something, though. Today I have several cute pictures.
He's trying to decide between his board book and the complete works of Shakespeare behind him. He's my boy, for sure! I'm so proud.
He also is fascinated with the whole laundry process. He tried to help me every step of the way the other day. Here he is after the first load went in the washer. He helped fold clothes when they got dry.

Once they were folded, he had fun crawling back and forth across the piles I hadn't had a chance to put up yet. His bibs are apparently much more interesting in a pile on the floor than they are when he has to wear them.

And here's another pose in front of the bookcase. He keeps crawling over to it and poking at the books. I'm glad so far he hasn't managed to pull any off the shelf. I'm keeping a few of his books on the ground so he has something safe to keep his attention while he's there. It's not foolproof by any means, but he has fun holding his books and crawling around with them, especially his new Santa book (the one in his hands).

The big milestone we're working on now is complete weaning. He's been down to just one nursing session a day, first thing in the morning, for almost a month. This morning, he couldn't focus on nursing and was distracted by anything and everything. That was the first sign he was ready to give up every other nursing session. I guess at a year old adjusted age, he's decided he's too old for that anymore. I'd been looking forward to this day for some time, but now that it's here, I'm not ready to give up nursing yet. It truly is my only calm quiet time with him anymore. It's funny how when all I had was quiet time, when he was a newborn, I hated nursing him, and now I long for those quiet moments again.

I suppose it's a good sign that he's ready to move on, and by his own choice. He's growing up and doesn't feel like he has to cling to those babyish habits. I need to follow his example and let him grow up at his own pace as well. I'll let everyone know when the official weaning occurs. I think I'll keep offering for a few days to see whether this morning's distraction was temporary or if it really is his sign that it's time to move on.

Discipline

2006-12-08T20:33:00.000-06:00

Patrick had another good day. He still defied me at every turn, but he's showing more and more each day that he understands the word "no." He'll look over his shoulder at me when I say it, smile really big, and then continue on in his disobedience. He's never surprised when I pull him away from whatever he's not supposed to have, though.

Matt and I have been discussing just what kind of punishments are appropriate for a fourteen-month-old, and whether it's even useful to punish him for blatant disobedience. If he's aware he is defying me, then I think he needs some sort of punishment, even if he doesn't recognize it as a consequence of his disobedience yet. It establishes the cause-and-effect relationship, so that it can lead to the connection between action and consequence. Experienced mothers, what do you think? I'm not talking serious punishments, but stuff like time-outs (good for me as well as Patrick) and a slight tap on the diaper. As much as possible, I stick to logical consequences. For example, if he crawls somewhere he's not supposed to, I move him somewhere else. If he keeps crawling back, I put him in a time-out either in his pen area or his crib. These are places he can't get in trouble.

Something else he's started doing in the last day or so is acting like he's choking at meals. He'll get a fruit puff or Cheerio on the back of his tongue and make that cough/wheeze/choke sound. Of course I'll panic and leap into action, but as soon as I start tapping his back, he laughs. I think it's just another game to him. Now when he does it, I watch for a second to make sure he's breathing and to watch the expression on his face. I'm afraid if he does this too often, I'll start making the assumption he's pretending and I'll miss the signs when he's really choking. I also don't know how to make him stop, though. There's always the chance that there truly is something wrong, just not choking, and I don't know how to tell whether that's the case, and if so, what exactly is wrong. It's pretty frustrating.

He's also had his sweet moments the last few days. My back is sore tonight from all the carrying and cuddling I've done today. I can't bear to put him down when he's content to just be held, especially when he snuggles up close, wraps his arms around my neck, and holds my hair tightly in his hand for security. He can be such a sweetheart when he wants to.

Fourteen Months

2006-12-07T20:29:00.000-06:00

Dear Patrick,

I almost missed your letter this month. Somehow the days and weeks are slipping away from me; I'm losing track of time. How can you be fourteen months already?

In two days we will reach another milestone: the anniversary of your due date. I've had that date seared in my mind ever since that first ultrasound when they predicted December 9 as your arrival date. It's strange to think you're well into your second year when this December 9 rolls around.

You probably don't know this, but December 9 was an important day for our family several years before you arrived. In 2000, one of your great-grandfathers passed away on that day, Nana's dad. Last summer, I dreamed repeatedly of what would happen when you showed up on December 9. I looked forward to bringing such joy to a day that was otherwise sad. I envisioned you growing up to be a spitting image of the great-grandfather you'd never get to know.

At least the last seems to be happening so far. Every so often, a look will cross your face that reminds me of Grandpa Fisher. I would be proud to have you grow up to be like him.

Although it saddens me that those dreams of your arrival on such a special day didn't happen, you had your own plans. Instead you chose to show up on your Papa's birthday. You get to share something special both with your Papa and your Great-Grandpa Fisher. I guess you had something even better in mind.

Speaking of your mind, this month has been a chance for you to find your own. Now that you've discovered the wonders of mobility, you have tons of fun determining where you want to go. You still seem enthralled with the idea that you can go where you want, when you want. You still look over your shoulder often to make sure I'm near, but you explore the whole house as long as you're not alone.

Unfortunately, you have also discovered that you can disobey. Your favorite places to crawl are the forbidden places, and no matter how many times I tell you no and pull you away, you turn around and crawl right back. Usually you have a smile on your face as you do so. To you, disobedience is just a game. It infuriates me to no end. I can't wait until you learn to say the word "no" right back.

And then there are days like yesterday when you're a perfect angel. I can't wait to spend more time with you. You have fun doing anything and everything, and Mommy's company is welcome, not mandatory. I'm reminded then just why I love you so much, even through the most disobedient of days, as I tell you no the fortieth time in the last five minutes.

You still cuddle occasionally, giving the sweetest of hugs, and I long for those quiet, still moments. I hope you never lose that snuggly side of your personality, even as you grow increasingly independent over the coming months and years. Even if you do, I'll love you anyway.

Mommy

I Love Good Days

2006-12-06T20:59:00.000-06:00

Today was a particularly good day. Patrick was well-behaved and a joy to be around. Most days aren't bad, but days like today remind me how good things can be. Unfortunately, good days give me a limited number of interesting stories, even fun ones. Instead I'll do a meme I was tagged for some time ago and haven't gotten around to. Thanks, Heather!

This is the six weird things about me meme. Do I need to describe it for you, or is the name descriptive enough already?

1. When I smile, most of the teeth you see aren't real. The four middle teeth on both top and bottom are bridges. There are stubs of teeth under some of those caps, but they hold on the fake teeth bridges to span the gaps where I don't have any permanent teeth. I hope Patrick didn't inherit his teeth from me!

2. I am obsessive about some of the weirdest things. For example, all of my books are separated by genre and then alphabetized by author's last name within the sections, just like a library. My clothes are also arranged by colors in the closet, and it annoys me that Matt's aren't arranged the same way.

3. I have to sleep covered up, with at least the sheet. It makes it hard to sleep in the summer when the air conditioner can barely keep up with the oppressive heat and humidity. It's great in winter, though!

4. I'm always about two steps behind when it comes to trends. I've missed the first season (or two) of all the popular TV shows, and I catch fashion trends at the tail end of them. Until my sister got a blog a couple of years ago, I didn't even know what one was, much less have one of my own. For that matter, how many years has this meme been circling cyberspace before I finally got around to it?

5. When I was in high school, I used to paint my fingernails crazy colors, like bright blue or olive green. I still have most of those jars of nail polish, but I refuse to use anything but red or pink anymore, and those only on my toenails.

6. I can't stand to watch TV with the volume turned up any louder than it absolutely has to be. It drives me up the wall, and I have to fight turning down the volume on other people's TVs sometimes.

Now I'm supposed to tag six more people to do this meme, but here's another interesting fact about me: I hate to impose upon people to do something just because I did (not a trendsetter, remember?). So if you haven't done this one yet and want to, consider yourself tagged.

Welcome Grandpa

2006-12-05T20:22:00.000-06:00

Wow, I take a day off and everybody disappears. I'm hoping there are still some of you out there, so I'll plod on anyway.

Patrick had an off day. He's still teething like crazy. He still has at least four teeth that feel like they may cut at any moment. As soon as the Tylenol for that kicked in, he still fussed. That's when I noticed the snot under his nose. That was a first. I guess he's either reacting to allergies or has a slight cold. No sign of respiratory problems, but I'm watching like a hawk. I practically have the doctor on speed dial at the first sign of a wheeze.

Grandpa is in town today and tomorrow for business. He makes it to Houston pretty often, but his meetings are usually in another end of town, and he isn't given much free time. This time, though, he's staying with us because his meeting is pretty close. Patrick's loving all the special attention, even through the fussiness and medication. Too bad Grandpa's trip is another whirlwind one; he'll be gone tomorrow. At least it's only less than two weeks until we make it back to Dallas to see him and Nana again.

Oh, of course I took lots of pictures. I'll work on downloading them tomorrow. I haven't taken as many pictures lately. It's discouraging that most of them turn out blurry, thanks to Patrick's abundant energy. I think I have a few cute ones now, though. Maybe he'll share some of his energy so that I can get motivation to download the pictures I have.

Always on his Feet

2006-12-04T21:43:00.000-06:00

Sorry about forgetting yesterday's post. At almost midnight when Matt and I finally headed to bed, I suddenly realized I'd completely forgotten to blog. We were caught up with decorating our tree, which by the way, Patrick loves. All those lights and pretty ornaments and other shiny stuff...

Other than that, not much has been happening. Patrick's getting quite good at pulling up to his feet. He can go from sitting to standing all the way up within a couple of seconds. Of course, even though he has fallen back down on his bottom before, he's apparently too scared to do so most of the time. I have to stop whatever I'm doing to rescue him numerous times during the day.

Oh, yeah, and night. He can now pull up on the side of his crib. I'm proud of him, but I'm more than ready for him to go back to falling back down on his own. It's not fun to have to go "check" on him shortly after putting him down when I hear him screaming that "I'm up and I can't fall down" scream.

He has started saying a new word, although we're not exactly sure what it means yet. It sounds like "Hott" to me, with an emphasis on the t. Matt thinks it sounds more like, "Ha-too," Patrick's imitation of a sneeze. That theory makes more sense than mine because the last time he said it tonight, he sneezed right after. Maybe that's his way of saying he needs to sneeze.

Finally...

2006-12-04T16:17:00.000-06:00

Here are the pictures from Friday that I never could post.

Yes, I will still do a real post later tonight with updates from yesterday and today. Hopefully I won't forget tonight like I did last night.

Hard Heads and Strong Wills

2006-12-02T20:53:00.000-06:00

Patrick would never let you believe it, but he most certainly understands the words, "No" and "Stop." He's heard them enough today for sure. Unfortunately, understanding and obeying are two different things. I am so frustrated now; bedtime is a welcome relief.

I guess the worst is that he's started gritting his teeth again, just today. It's worse than it was the last time he did it because he has more teeth now. I'm pretty sure it's from teething (the left upper molar finally broke through the gums today), but that doesn't keep it from being just as annoying. He now giggles when I stick my finger in his mouth to make him stop. Telling him to certainly doesn't make any difference.

I'd love to encourage such persistence, as it will be a good trait to have later in life, but it's difficult when he's so persistent about disobeying. Everything I told him not to do today, he persisted in doing anyway until I was forced to hand down a more severe punishment, which naturally made him scream at me. My patience has been worn down completely.

On a lighter side, Matt pointed out something interesting last night. Patrick had woken up screaming at about 10:30 and wouldn't be happy unless I was holding him (we think it was some painful gas). Matt really scrutinized the two of us as we paced the living room floor and suddenly stated his observation: "You know, he's half your height." At first I laughed at the obvious exaggeration, but then I realized he's right. I'm five feet exactly. Patrick was 28 inches at his last appointment, and is probably closer to 29 or maybe even 30 by now. Thirty inches is two and a half feet, exactly half my height. That's insane! No wonder I have so much trouble carrying him around very long these days, as well as keeping him from diving right out of my arms.

By the way, blogger still doesn't want to upload those pictures from yesterday. I'll try again tomorrow...

Mini-Milestones

2006-12-01T20:31:00.000-06:00

Blogger is being uncooperative tonight with letting me add my photos. It's too bad; I really could have used one of them to illustrate a point. I guess my words will have to work overtime to make up for it. I'll try later to post the photos from today.

We have a few more mini-milestones today. Patrick has figured out how to get back to a sitting position from a standing one. When he gives up on me rescuing him when he gets tired of standing along the side of the pen, he can just fall back on his diaper and go back to playing. I'm probably more thrilled about this development than he is.

I also love watching him pull himself up to his knees and then lean back to sit on his feet. (This is what one of the pictures shows.) He looks like a real little boy when he sits like that, not a baby just learning how to move his body.

I think he's starting to work his way into standing up all by himself. Several times today while he was sitting on his feet, he pushed his body up to his pulled-up-on-his-knees position, without having to pull up on anything. He is building that strength and balance. Before long he'll be able to balance on his feet, too. It's exciting thinking about him standing and walking!

Patrick loves to practice pulling up on our pants legs. Yesterday morning he had a little surprise as he pulled up on my pajama pants with an elastic waist. Yup, the more he pulled, the more they fell. He didn't make it very far.

He also loves his daddy more than ever. For the first time today, the second he heard Daddy come home from work, he took off crawling at top speed to find him. He reached him within seconds. This was the scenario we've been looking forward to since before he was born, when he runs to welcome Daddy home. He may not technically run yet, or yell out, "Daddy!" in that cute voice, but he has the same enthusiasm that we've imagined. That was one of those moments that makes being a parent worth it.

The Day Without Time

2006-11-30T20:53:00.000-06:00

That massive cold front that swept across the country over the last few days hit here as well. We may have escaped the snow, sleet, and ice, but that doesn't mean the day wasn't wintry. The sun didn't peek through the clouds all day long, and the cold wind blew the drizzle in all directions. It was a great day to stay inside and pity those who actually had to leave the house.

It was also a timeless day. The sky looked exactly the same from the moment I woke up until total darkness fell again. I had to watch the clock carefully to have any sense of the time. Hours could pass before I knew it, and it could feel like hours for only minutes to pass. It's quite disconcerting, really.
It was also a good day for sleeping, as Patrick proved. He didn't wake up until after 10:30, but naturally he woke up starving when he did. He was also quite ready for his "morning" nap before 1:00. He slept until after 3:30 again and still took an afternoon/evening nap for about an hour.

The weird sleep schedule threw off his eating schedule too. He had a late breakfast and ate lunch after his morning nap at almost 4:00. Obviously he missed his snack so that he would be hungry enough for dinner at 7:00 or so.
It was a really weird day with his unusual schedule. I'm a little worried about how much he's been sleeping. He acts fine when he's awake, but he doesn't stay awake very long at a time. I guess I'll see how he is tomorrow to determine whether I think he's sick. This is sleepy weather, and maybe he was just reacting to that.

I have one piece of good news about him today. This morning when he was playing in his pen, he pulled himself up on the side again. When I didn't rescue him right away, he started moving his feet and hands to find a more comfortable position. In the process, he ended up cruising around the side--just a little bit and very slowly. With practice, though, he'll get better. It was literally a step in the right direction!

Human Jungle Gym

2006-11-29T20:16:00.000-06:00

I love that Patrick is mobile, but it's starting to get annoying that his preferred location to practice this mobility is on me. I spend most of my afternoons and evenings sprawled out on the floor, avoiding elbows to the face, hair-pullings, eye-pokings, and grabs at sensitive locations. If I dare get up off the floor, I have a toddler-sized shadow frantically crawling after me. He cries when I sit down and scrambles up to me, pulling himself up on my legs until I finally reach down and pick him up. Then he cries and squirms until I set him back down on the floor.

Obviously, this cycle gets old really fast. Tonight it was so tiring that I gave up and put him to bed a full hour early. The fussiness was excessive; he refused to be satisfied until he was crawling all over me again, and I just couldn't bear to be a jungle gym for him any longer.

Putting him to bed early probably isn't a big deal every once in a long while. I may not like myself much in the morning, though, when he wakes up a full hour earlier than normal as well. I guess that's not too bad, considering he's slept until after nine the last two days. I'm loving this new medicine schedule, especially since it means I get to sleep late too.

The funniest story from today happened this morning at breakfast. To keep him from fussing after I strapped him in his high chair, I shook his mostly empty fruit puffs container for him. He was pacified by the noise, so I handed it over to him. The lid seals pretty well, so I wasn't worried about him doing anything other than shaking it. Nope, I underestimated Patrick. I glanced over a few seconds later while I was mixing his cereal, and there were fruit puffs all over his tray and the lid was in his hand. Apparently the lid was more interesting than the container itself. He'd dumped all the rest of the fruit puffs in his high chair and on the floor.

I would have been annoyed at him for making a mess, but it was just innocent fun on his part. It was my fault I hadn't anticipated he might get the lid off and dump fruit puffs everywhere. Instead I laughed at him, shrugged, and swept the kitchen floor. It needed sweeping anyway, I suppose.

Lucky and Blessed

2006-11-28T20:14:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, even now after nearly fourteen months, I suddenly step back and take a look at my life and can do nothing more than stare in awe with my mouth hanging open. The last time I looked, I was a single schoolteacher, and now I'm a married woman with a son.
I wonder when exactly it was that I slipped into someone else's life and when exactly they're going to want it back. It takes my breath away to recognize my blessings for what they are, even if it seems unreal that they could really be mine. What have I done to deserve all this--a nice house, an adorable son, and a wonderful husband? Better yet, how exactly did it happen that I turned from spinster schoolteacher into blissful stay-at-home mom and wife overnight?
It's been nearly fourteen months, and I'm comfortable in my role as a mommy. But it still surprises me to realize I'm more used to being called Mommy than Kathy, or Miss as I was most often called at school. My entire identity has been overturned in the matter of a year and a half (or so)--and I'm loving it.

Ready to Stand

2006-11-27T20:35:00.000-06:00

Patrick's a pulling-up freak today. It's like something clicked. He'd been pulling up to his knees on everything all last week, but he fought to get up to his feet, usually with a little assistance from one of us. Then today, all of a sudden, he was pulling up on everything. He started with the gate thing around his play area.

Then he pulled up on a chair that I was sitting in, and then he was pulling up on me. He would pull himself to his feet, play for a minute, and then beg to be back on the floor--only to start the process all over again. It was funny watching him pull himself up on the gate thing, though. Once he was up, he didn't know what to do. He just screamed until Matt or I either picked him up or helped him sit back down.

He had a couple of bad screaming spells today. I'm pretty sure it's teething, but he may have just been bored with only me around to entertain him. As much as he clings to me, I'm not quite as exciting as Daddy, Nana, Grandpa, Gigi, Papa, and the kitty all at the same time.

I can't figure out why Patrick keeps coming to me for comfort. I don't feel worthy of his undying love and devotion. It's mere chance that I happened to be the one who carried him and gave birth to him, and I've done nothing more than meet his needs and love him the way a mother should since then. How is it that earns me the kind of love Patrick gives me? Why is it that he always wants me when he wants comfort? Why me? It's an awesome thing really, to have earned that kind of love and respect by the mere chance of being chosen by God to be Patrick's mother.

Tylenol is My Friend

2006-11-26T21:26:00.000-06:00

We made it back home to Houston again safely this evening. Other than the long trip home, the day didn't go as planned, though. I did not sleep well last night at all, because of these nasty allergies, and when Patrick woke me up too early this morning, I was not anxious to stay awake during church while keeping a teething baby entertained. Matt hadn't slept well either, also because of my allergies (I was sleeping loudly), and Patrick needed to sleep more as well, probably because he hadn't slept soundly because of teething pain. So we skipped church and slept in. I feel kind of guilty about it, but apparently we all needed it. Matt was the first one up for the day at 11-ish. Patrick took a good four-hour nap during that time too. I think we were all better off staying home.

Patrick was in a better mood when he woke up and charmed Nana and Grandpa with the little time he had left with them before we had to leave. He was fine on the way home, too, until he suddenly realized this morning's dose of Tylenol had worn off. Then he screamed at the top of his lungs for half an hour or so straight. I had given him Tylenol again just before the scream-fest started, so I knew the second it kicked in. All of a sudden, the screaming stopped, and Patrick stared off into space in a Tylenol-induced daze. I think we're going to be quite reliant on that Tylenol for the next few days. Not only is that one molar cutting through, but he has a swollen bump on his bottom gums where it looks like another molar is pushing through. I also suspect he has more molars thinking about breaking through on the other side, since he wants to chew on everything on that side, too. Poor baby. Why does he have to cut all his teeth at one time?

We're all glad to be home as usual, even though we had a great time visiting. We'll have a few weeks back at home to let our allergies recover before heading back up to Dallas the week before Christmas. It's not so difficult leaving when we know we'll back again so soon.

16.000-Word Post

2006-11-25T21:43:00.000-06:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are at least 16,000 words...finally.

Patrick with his Uncle Daniel
Patrick sagging his pants while playing with Nana
Patrick with Aunt Jennifer (Daniel's Jennifer)
Patrick and Gigi
Mama Kangaroo with a joey in her pouch
Colorful bird (I forget what kind)
The rare breed of Patrick...sleeping Patrick
Patrick playing X-Box

A pride of lions
Rhino head
Lion stalking a kid climbing a tree at the edge of its habitat
Beautiful white tiger

Zebra
Flamingo
Meerkat
Elephant

Sorry there are so many. Considering I started with 175, I think I did pretty good narrowing it down to only sixteen.

Picture Slacker

2006-11-25T20:55:00.000-06:00

Oops, still no new pictures today. The day didn't go quite as I'd planned, and I didn't get really any time at all to play on the computer. It's not bad, though; it was a fun day, even if it was a bit busy.

My dad was needing to run wire for surround sound in his bedroom, so he called up my uncle that we visited earlier in the week. Uncle Bill is good at that kind of stuff. Yesterday they started working on it and determined it to be a two-day project. That means today he came over here again, this time bringing Aunt Mary with him. We made quite a day of it.

While the menfolk worked on the men tasks like tearing holes in walls and running wire, us women talked make-up and baby talk. While Patrick took his afternoon nap, we went for pedicures. It was so much fun! Patrick really took to his aunt and uncle again, and I loved having two more entertaining people to keep him happy as bedtime approached.

He ended up taking only one nap all day. His day started nearly two hours later than normal when he just kept sleeping. Tired boy! Since he got up so late, it was pointless to put him down for a morning nap with only a few minutes of morning left. He had one long afternoon nap instead. By dinnertime, he was exhausted again, but again it seemed pointless to put him down for a nap that close to both dinner and bedtime. We used every trick in the book to keep him up until a decent bedtime so that he wouldn't wake us up too early tomorrow.

We suspect the reason he's slept so well the last night or so is that he was and still is teething. I noticed this morning that his upper gums on either side of his existing teeth are white, like those eyeteeth really are about to break through this time. And then when Matt got him up from his afternoon nap (I was still getting pampered at the nail salon), he noticed that Patrick has a molar way back on the right side poking its way through. The poor kid must be in lots of pain from all those teeth! That makes the current tooth count nine if you include the molar, with two more on their way soon.

His new words for the day include "Bye" and "boop," both repeated after Nana. We're excited about boop, since that's the first game we ever played with him. He also mimicked Nana when she had to cough this morning with a funny throaty noise of his own. He'll only use that noise to mimic Nana's coughs, though, even if they're fake.

It's been so much fun watching his language development this week. He's much more willing to attempt repeating words, and many of them sound really close to the actual words. A few of those words are making their way into his regular vocabulary, and he repeats them as though he understands their meanings, "itty" for example. Before I've realized what's happened, he'll be chattering away to me, and I'll understand every word of that baby talk.

Scattered Tidbits

2006-11-24T21:57:00.000-06:00

My hundreds of zoo photos have been downloaded, but I haven't had time to sort through them all, select my favorites, edit them, and upload them yet. Depending on how much time I get tomorrow, I may give you a sampling of the pictures then. I also have a few Thanksgiving pictures. Then of course today our camera battery died. I need to recharge it before I can start snapping pictures like crazy again.

The rest of today was nice and relaxing. I didn't leave the house once. Our family avoided the Black Friday nightmare this year, thank goodness. My mom needed to go to Wal-Mart this afternoon, and that was enough chaos to satisfy all of our fill for that craziness. No, I don't feel like I missed out on anything by staying home. I needed my sleep much, much more.

Patrick was in a good mood most of the day, most likely a result of the tiny bit of caffeine I had yesterday. I had a sinus headache, and the sinus medicine alone wasn't doing the job. I decided to risk the caffeine in order to feel better. After all, he's only nursing once a day now, so it shouldn't hurt him that badly, right? Instead he ended up spitting up more than he has in months. That's the primary reason I'd been avoiding any caffeine for that long. I guess that proves the lack of caffeine in my diet was doing as much to help his reflux as his medicine.

Speaking of his medicine, we've been working on weaning him off the meds now that his reflux has gotten so much better. We're back to only twice a day, and he's getting less of it at each dose than he's prescribed. I'm hoping I won't need to call in any more refills once these are gone, that he'll be off the meds completely by then.

Patrick is still working on his language skills this week. He is trying to say, "Hi," sometimes and said "up" during dinner tonight, not in direct imitation of anyone else. He also called his grandpa "Ba-paw" yesterday. He hasn't repeated it since, unfortunately. We're still working on his other grandparents' names. I figured Nana, Gigi, and Papa would be considerably easier, but our boy marches to the beat of his own drummer already.

Today Patrick started pulling up incessantly. He's been trying for weeks obviously, but today there were times when it seemed that's all he wanted to do. He's also getting good at pulling up all the way to his feet. I wouldn't be surprised if the first morning after we get home, I find him standing up in his crib for the first time.

My mom made her yummy turkey noodle soup for dinner tonight. It's a tradition around here, a way to use up some of the endless turkey leftovers. What other turkey leftover recipes have all of you discovered? It's fun seeing what creative recipes everyone comes up with to use up that leftover turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T20:49:00.000-06:00

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. One year ago today I was proudly presenting my tiny new baby, newly home from the hospital, to my whole family and most of Matt's. This year I realize how foolish I was last year to expose my still-shouldn't-be-born baby to all sorts of germs that could have caused such serious problems. I remember how fragile he still looked, even though he had doubled in size from his birth weight.

I remember how thankful I was last year, just to have my son with me and especially that he was healthy enough that I felt comfortable showing him off to everyone. Exhausted as I was then, I was content being around my whole family, including my new son.

This year things are much quieter here at my parents' house, but I still feel that same gratefulness. Patrick is still healthy as a horse and much stronger than last year. This year he is crawling all over the place, chasing the cat and searching for anything to use as a toy. The son I have showed off this year to both sets of grandparents, a set of great-grandparents, several great-aunts and -uncles, and other relatives is one I can be just as proud of as last year's sleepy newborn. He makes it his job to entertain everyone he meets.

I am so thankful for my son and all the progress he has made this year. I am thankful for the quiet time he has spent with each set of grandparents, and the quiet time Matt and I have had with them. I am thankful for all these grandparents themselves and how wonderful they are to Patrick, and what great parents they are to Matt and me, as they aren't in-laws to either one of us. We're just each blessed with two sets of parents now. I am thankful for all the loads of good food...and elastic waists on my pajama pants. Most of all, I am thankful for my husband. He is a good man and a wonderful father for our son, and quite the son and son-in-law to both sets of parents.

I know Thanksgiving is turning into a more commercial holiday, just the official start of Christmas season, a pre-Christmas of sorts. But I'm still glad we have a day set aside to remind us of all the blessings we have in our life. For one day at least, I won't take any of those blessings for granted.

Bad Photographer

2006-11-22T21:03:00.000-06:00

I might be pretty good at taking the picture this week, but I'm having a rough time downloading them. The zoo pictures are still on the camera. I've had several good opportunities during Patrick's long naps today, but when I reached for the thing I use to download them (I'm not the technical one in the family), I remembered it was in the camera bag still--that's right, the camera bag in Patrick's room. Unwilling to risk waking him up, I've postponed that task yet again.

At least today was another fairly relaxing day. Patrick and I both got three-hour morning naps. He got another long afternoon nap while I helped my mom cut noodles. Noodles are our family's favorite holiday tradition. My mom makes the best homemade noodles from scratch. They end up basically as a gravy over the mashed potatoes. All the female relatives present gather in the days before Thanksgiving to cut the noodles. It's time-consuming, but a fun tradition and social time.

This evening, Matt, Patrick, and I headed back over to his aunt and uncle's house to visit with them and his grandparents who had just arrived in town. We had dinner over there again. We are all going to get fat this week at this rate. Good for Patrick...not so much for Matt and me. Patrick had fun with his aunt, uncle, and grandparents. Once he got his belly filled, he was a bundle of energy and personality. He enjoyed laughing at and crawling to the "kitties" there: Kirby, Matt's aunt and uncle's dog, and Tootsie, his grandparents' dog.

Since we got here on Friday, Patrick has learned lots of new things. Not only can he identify a "kitty" (anything that walks on all fours, apparently), but he recognizes one of Nana's bears and can kind of say bear ("ba"). He also repeated the word "up" earlier. I'm not sure he knows what that one means yet, but he likes the word. He is also now crawling on all fours most of the time and only falling to army crawling when he gets tired or close to his destination.

The sweetest thing happened earlier today. I was back in the bathroom getting ready for the day when I heard him crawling around the foyer area with Nana, at the end of the hallway where the bathroom is. I peeked around the corner and watched him. When he looked up to see me looking at him, he got the biggest grin on his face and immediately started crawling at top speed on all fours towards me. He hadn't crawled there before and is usually hesitant to crawl new places--and on the unfamiliar tile floor. But he knew it must be okay if Mommy was waiting at the other end. We were both so proud of him when he got to me. I don't mind this crawling business so much if he crawls to me like that.

Everything's an Iy-ie

2006-11-21T20:01:00.000-06:00

Well, we did actually get out of the house today. We spent the afternoon at the Fort Worth Zoo, which is supposedly much better than the Dallas Zoo. (Too bad, since we found out when we got home that the Dallas Zoo had admission for $1 for today only.)

The drive down there was long, and the drive back even longer because of nasty traffic, but it was totally worth it. It was tons of fun to watch Patrick's reaction to everything at the zoo. He was only nominally interested in the animals, but found the other people, the fence, the ground, everything else, incredibly thrilling.

We had intended to push him around in his stroller, but we quickly discovered he couldn't see many of the animals from there and he was getting bored. That means we ended up taking turns carrying him around and pushed his diaper bag in the stroller. Then he was more curious about Nana's necklace and earrings, Grandpa's buttons and glasses, and Daddy's hair, than the animals.

Still, it was cute to watch every time he found an animal. He immediately lapsed into his "kitty" voice and squealed "Iy-ieee." The funniest looking kitty I've ever seen was labeled "rhinoceros" by the zoo.

By the time we reached the reptile house, Patrick was all done in, so we dropped him back in his stroller and he fell right asleep. It was too bad, because we made one last stop by the kangaroos before leaving, and they were active. There was one mama kangaroo with a joey in her pouch. The joey was getting just about too big to stay there any longer, though, and kept crawling in and out of the pouch. He could even lean out and eat while in the pouch. Another young kangaroo kept running circles around the pen. I wish I could have gotten better video of it.

Yes, I have many, many pictures of the animals at the zoo, and one or two of the family too, but I am much too exhausted to download, sort through, and edit them tonight. All the fresh air combined with a little less sleep than I'd like have wiped me out. Patrick too actually...he crashed by 7:30. I think we'll all sleep well tonight.