...if you can tell me where the bedroom phone receiver (and matching phone cord) is.
It has been missing for a few weeks now. We unhooked the receiver from the cradle so that Zeke could move the phone around. Well, it went missing and we thought it would eventually turn up underneath the bed, in the toy basket, in a drawer, under a couch cushion, but so far there have been absolutely no sightings.
We have asked Zeke, but he has yet to say anything on the matter.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Favorite Book
I mentioned this is Zeke's favorite book in the last post. I used to read it to him when he was tiny, but he had little interest. He now DEMANDS that we read it. He especially likes Aaron to read it, because he reads it with such gusto. Each page introduces a new dog and its unique bark until you get to 10 dogs and a feline guest star. WOOF!
A Day at the Zoo
You've got me! Another two weeks have gone by without posting. I haven't written about it, but I've been working this summer as a consultant coordinating a summer youth program. It's been going well and bringing me in contact with lots of former colleagues and more work opportunities. In the first few weeks, I spent 10-15 hours a week on it, but in recent weeks have been spending closer to 25 (and even 30 last week) that cuts into my regular blogging time. Aaron has also been booked and even doublebooked with projects recently. While I have appreciated the work, I have decided that I am not really interested in going back to work full-time yet -- I think most of my earnings would go into childcare and takeout dinners as they have in the past two weeks!
And, I've been trying to spend as much time as possible with the Kid. He is so busy and we have lots of fun. He climbs everything, has been enjoying a new trike, tent and slide, and has been combining signs ("More drink please"). I've also brought him with me to work a few times and he has enjoyed a very popular reception with the students and been very interested in what they are doing. He is still obsessed with dogs (evidence of this to follow).
I have two favorite developments, though. First, he has become a more sociable creature. He hugs his music teacher (we've been taking summer music classes instead of gym classes), he got kisses from moms at playgroup today, likes his babysitters, and generally approaches more people. Second, he has discovered books all of a sudden and discovered that we keep them all over the house. We read every night and he pulls what books he wants us to read from his bookshelf. He then will sit in between us or in our laps, flip pages and stay for at least part of the story. Throughout the day, however, he will also bring us books to read. His favorite is Doggies, a counting book, and he like the page that says "Nine dogs on a moonlit night". He will let you read the first pages of the book, but then he skips to that page.
Not that everything is giggles and smiles. Man, this kid can throw a tantrum. He also likes to run away from me in stores; I admit to now understanding kid leashes. He has dropped a nap and resists even that one. Getting him dressed and changing his diapers is like wrestling a bear or giant eel. He also has absolutely no concept of what I mean when I say "no". He still likes playing in the pets' water bowl and dipping things in there. And, my biggest pet peeve, Zeke feeds at least a third of the food I give him to the dog. Though cute, it drives me nut. Now, both the boy and the dog are poorly trained, well fed bad listeners.
We like to take all this fun on the road as much as we can and we finally got some well deserved family time this weekend at the zoo. A whole zoo of exotic and amazing animals, but the best animals to Zeke were the ones on the carousel and in the petting zoo. The playground was also a highlight. I like the photo of Zeke posing as a panda, mainly because of the little girl. She kept saying "CHEEEEEESE" and snapping imaginary photos of Zeke -- he was absolutely taken with her.
And, I've been trying to spend as much time as possible with the Kid. He is so busy and we have lots of fun. He climbs everything, has been enjoying a new trike, tent and slide, and has been combining signs ("More drink please"). I've also brought him with me to work a few times and he has enjoyed a very popular reception with the students and been very interested in what they are doing. He is still obsessed with dogs (evidence of this to follow).
I have two favorite developments, though. First, he has become a more sociable creature. He hugs his music teacher (we've been taking summer music classes instead of gym classes), he got kisses from moms at playgroup today, likes his babysitters, and generally approaches more people. Second, he has discovered books all of a sudden and discovered that we keep them all over the house. We read every night and he pulls what books he wants us to read from his bookshelf. He then will sit in between us or in our laps, flip pages and stay for at least part of the story. Throughout the day, however, he will also bring us books to read. His favorite is Doggies, a counting book, and he like the page that says "Nine dogs on a moonlit night". He will let you read the first pages of the book, but then he skips to that page.
Not that everything is giggles and smiles. Man, this kid can throw a tantrum. He also likes to run away from me in stores; I admit to now understanding kid leashes. He has dropped a nap and resists even that one. Getting him dressed and changing his diapers is like wrestling a bear or giant eel. He also has absolutely no concept of what I mean when I say "no". He still likes playing in the pets' water bowl and dipping things in there. And, my biggest pet peeve, Zeke feeds at least a third of the food I give him to the dog. Though cute, it drives me nut. Now, both the boy and the dog are poorly trained, well fed bad listeners.
We like to take all this fun on the road as much as we can and we finally got some well deserved family time this weekend at the zoo. A whole zoo of exotic and amazing animals, but the best animals to Zeke were the ones on the carousel and in the petting zoo. The playground was also a highlight. I like the photo of Zeke posing as a panda, mainly because of the little girl. She kept saying "CHEEEEEESE" and snapping imaginary photos of Zeke -- he was absolutely taken with her.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Things that I Love about that Baby
* Zeke has so much to say, though he doesn't have words. He now says "please" and "thank you" using signs, as well as some signs that I don't know what they mean. He also indicates "help" by outstretching his arms like in this photo. (A lot of his friends and peers have more words, but I am unworried. I was a very late talker, but still seem to have plenty to say nowadays!)* Zeke also has some of his own words. He frequently says "ah-da". It seems to have a few meanings, but can generally be summarized to mean "OK". He also has a song he likes to sing. It goes "Ahhhhhh-da, ahhhhhh-da, ahhhhhh-da."
* Zeke seems to be learning to say "uh-oh" after things drop, fall or are thrown. He is still working on this, though. He's got part of it, though. He says "uh".
* Zeke likes to imitate us. He likes pretending to talk on the phone, combing his hair, and brushing his teeth. When we get up in the morning and I go to brush my teeth, he demands that I hand him his toothbrush.
* Zeke is now in love with riding in his stroller. (It is not that I find this particularly lovable, but I love how things change in such unexpected and sudden ways indicating some change in his preferences and his developmental stage.) For the first year of his life, we didn't even really use the stroller, just for occasional walks; we used baby carriers like the sling. I often found that if I brought the stroller somewhere with us, I would often end up pushing the stroller and carrying Zeke. Now, though, he walks us to the stroller and asks to be put in it. He will also refuse to get out. We went to the zoo today and I wanted to take him out so that he could see the meerkats and then the monkeys. Nope. If I tried to unsnap the straps, he would try and put them together again.
* Zeke knocks on doors when he wants in.
* Every night we read the same books (usually Guess How Much I Love You and Snuggle Puppy). When we read Snuggle Puppy, he leans in for a kiss at the points in the book where "Snuggle Puppy" gets a kiss. Zeke leans in even before we say "kiss" so it appears that he knows and remembers the points in the book where kisses come. All together now --- awwww!
More Than You Needed to Know
Last weekend we bought Zeke a potty chair. Tonight, he walked up to it and asked for help to sit on it. I took off his diaper, put him on it, and....HE PEED IN THE POTTY! It may have been a remarkable coincidence, but it was a coincidence that got Zeke a lot of applause and cheering.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Sprout's Been Taking Up New Hobbies
Like playing the piano. This is Zeke at the piano last Saturday at the Kiwanis building where Aaron's family reunion was held. We don't have a lot of photos of the reunion mainly because we were so busy chasing after Zeke who rambled around the building the entire time. Aaron and I took turns chasing after him. The only time that we didn't have chase after him was when Trish was carrying him. However, she carried him long enough that a family member told her that she could set Zeke down -- everyone had seen her show off her grandson. He enjoyed the attention immensely, though, and followed Trish whenever she did try to set him down.
Sprout's Been Thinking about Cars
Zeke likes cars, especially his Cozy Coupe. He sits in at home all the time and will beep the horn when you tell him to. He can now push backwards in it, but is still trying to figure out how to use his feet to make it go backwards. At home, he also likes to play with the Prius. He has accidentally discovered that he can lock and unlock the car doors if he is holding the keys or if we are close by. (Thanks, keyless entry!) He also likes to sit in the front and pretend to drive.
Zeke really enjoyed his visit to see my dad and meet my stepmom last weekend, and a highlight was getting to explore my dad's red Mini Cooper. You can see Zeke's joy in getting to be in the driver's seat. (And thanks to Zeke's grandfather for being such a good sport in letting Zeke explore. Zeke may be my baby, but that car is my dad's baby!)
Zeke really enjoyed his visit to see my dad and meet my stepmom last weekend, and a highlight was getting to explore my dad's red Mini Cooper. You can see Zeke's joy in getting to be in the driver's seat. (And thanks to Zeke's grandfather for being such a good sport in letting Zeke explore. Zeke may be my baby, but that car is my dad's baby!)
Monday, July 02, 2007
Sprout's Been Eating Pie
Last weekend we traveled to North Carolina to see both my family and Aaron's family. (Aaron's family had their annual reunion.) Zeke's great aunt Julie made wonderful blueberry pies, one with a "Z" and one with an "M" in honor of Zeke and his cousin Murray. They were delicious!
Zeke saw Murray getting a taste from his mom and his curiousity was piqued. He wanted to try some, too!
Zeke was obliged and...
...it was good! What delight!
Having gotten one bite, Zeke went back for another. And another. And another. I don't think that Betsy got to eat any of her dessert at all, thanks to my little boy. Part of what was so funny is that he would get a bite, walk away, and then walk back up with his mouth open like a baby bird, sometimes lining up behind Murray who managed to get a taste in despite Zeke's appetite.
Zeke can't hide the proof of how much he liked that pie!
Zeke saw Murray getting a taste from his mom and his curiousity was piqued. He wanted to try some, too!
Zeke was obliged and...
...it was good! What delight!
Having gotten one bite, Zeke went back for another. And another. And another. I don't think that Betsy got to eat any of her dessert at all, thanks to my little boy. Part of what was so funny is that he would get a bite, walk away, and then walk back up with his mouth open like a baby bird, sometimes lining up behind Murray who managed to get a taste in despite Zeke's appetite.
Zeke can't hide the proof of how much he liked that pie!
Sprout's Been Feeling Better
(The following post is something I wrote offline and it gets long. For the blissfully briefer version, scan the second and second to last paragraphs.)
At the beginning of the month, I wrote about Zeke's 15-month pediatrician visit which included his first MMR shot. The MMR is a common immunization to prevent mumps, measles and rubella, diseases that used to be very commonplace but are now very rare. The MMR has detractors, though. Controversy stems from the use of one immunization to combat multiple illnesses, in its ingredients (lots of preservatives, animal byproducts, chemicals and, yes, viruses), and, more generally, vaccinations' suspected correlation to the onset of autism and other ills.
In brief, I believe in science and I believe science supports the use of vaccinations to keep children and the public healthy. We did not allow the baby to receive any shots in the hospital after he was born, but have kept up with most of the recommended immunizations. Many friends have delayed or rejected immunizations for their babies and I respect that. In fact, I now wish we had delayed the MMR for at least 9 months. Zeke was the one in 100 children who have a mild to moderate reaction to the MMR.
Those photos of the baby looking sullen after his first haircut? As mentioned, I got him home that afternoon and realized he had a fever. One day of fever didn't worry me. Babies get fevers. I didn't even give him Tylenol. Two days didn't worry me. By day three, though, his fever was rising, he had a rash, and he was very uncomfortable, uncoordinated and unhappy. He also wasn't eating. He nursed non-stop, when he had been nursing three times a day before the fevers. Now I did worry.
The on-call doctor said that Zeke was definitely having a reaction to the measles part of the shot. He tells all of his patients to expect a similar reaction seven days after the shot, the amount of time needed for incubation for the virus, and that it would clear up shortly. At this point, I feel upset, frustrated and angry. I took a healthy baby to the doctor and came back with a very sick one. I feel sheepish. I don't want to be judged by my non-vaxing friends. I feel anxious. Lots of stories on the Internet start with "My child was never the same after the MMR." (Read recent coverage of the federal claims court case on the suspected link between vaccinations and autism.) I'm not in a panic spiral. Just worried.
On day six, the fever finally breaks. We take the baby to the doctor and he agrees that the baby is on the mend. He says it is not a reaction to the MMR, despite all evidence to the contrary and diagnoses it as a common virus. I do not have the same 30 years of experience as the good doctor, but it seems unlikely to me because the symptoms look so much like an MMR reaction. Plus, even if it is a virus, Zeke likely contracted it as a result of his immune system working so hard to deal with the MMR, so it is still an MMR reaction in my mind. Zeke was still not himself, though: throwing tantrums, clinging to me and being uninterested in playing.
What happened? Nothing, he got better. By last weekend when we were traveling, he was completely back to himself and had an outstanding time visiting his family. It was scary, though. I didn't want to have a story like the mothers who are testifying in federal court about what they believe vaccinations did to their babies and, for over a week, our story started to sound familiar. I couldn't imagine the loss those mothers felt and the challenges those babies face so unfairly. Or maybe it is more accurate to say that I could start imagining it.
Again, let me say that I was not hysterical, just anxious and unhappy. I still believe in vaccinations, but am much more wary. Wary of the number of recommended vaccinations (I didn't realize how many more vaccinations are recommended than just 10 or 20 years ago -- LOTS). Wary of why they have to be given at such a very young age. From now on, our pediatrician is likely to get a lot more frustrated with me, because I am going to do a lot more research about each of his shots and delay if it seems necessary. A mother just has to do what she feels is best!
At the beginning of the month, I wrote about Zeke's 15-month pediatrician visit which included his first MMR shot. The MMR is a common immunization to prevent mumps, measles and rubella, diseases that used to be very commonplace but are now very rare. The MMR has detractors, though. Controversy stems from the use of one immunization to combat multiple illnesses, in its ingredients (lots of preservatives, animal byproducts, chemicals and, yes, viruses), and, more generally, vaccinations' suspected correlation to the onset of autism and other ills.
In brief, I believe in science and I believe science supports the use of vaccinations to keep children and the public healthy. We did not allow the baby to receive any shots in the hospital after he was born, but have kept up with most of the recommended immunizations. Many friends have delayed or rejected immunizations for their babies and I respect that. In fact, I now wish we had delayed the MMR for at least 9 months. Zeke was the one in 100 children who have a mild to moderate reaction to the MMR.
Those photos of the baby looking sullen after his first haircut? As mentioned, I got him home that afternoon and realized he had a fever. One day of fever didn't worry me. Babies get fevers. I didn't even give him Tylenol. Two days didn't worry me. By day three, though, his fever was rising, he had a rash, and he was very uncomfortable, uncoordinated and unhappy. He also wasn't eating. He nursed non-stop, when he had been nursing three times a day before the fevers. Now I did worry.
The on-call doctor said that Zeke was definitely having a reaction to the measles part of the shot. He tells all of his patients to expect a similar reaction seven days after the shot, the amount of time needed for incubation for the virus, and that it would clear up shortly. At this point, I feel upset, frustrated and angry. I took a healthy baby to the doctor and came back with a very sick one. I feel sheepish. I don't want to be judged by my non-vaxing friends. I feel anxious. Lots of stories on the Internet start with "My child was never the same after the MMR." (Read recent coverage of the federal claims court case on the suspected link between vaccinations and autism.) I'm not in a panic spiral. Just worried.
On day six, the fever finally breaks. We take the baby to the doctor and he agrees that the baby is on the mend. He says it is not a reaction to the MMR, despite all evidence to the contrary and diagnoses it as a common virus. I do not have the same 30 years of experience as the good doctor, but it seems unlikely to me because the symptoms look so much like an MMR reaction. Plus, even if it is a virus, Zeke likely contracted it as a result of his immune system working so hard to deal with the MMR, so it is still an MMR reaction in my mind. Zeke was still not himself, though: throwing tantrums, clinging to me and being uninterested in playing.
What happened? Nothing, he got better. By last weekend when we were traveling, he was completely back to himself and had an outstanding time visiting his family. It was scary, though. I didn't want to have a story like the mothers who are testifying in federal court about what they believe vaccinations did to their babies and, for over a week, our story started to sound familiar. I couldn't imagine the loss those mothers felt and the challenges those babies face so unfairly. Or maybe it is more accurate to say that I could start imagining it.
Again, let me say that I was not hysterical, just anxious and unhappy. I still believe in vaccinations, but am much more wary. Wary of the number of recommended vaccinations (I didn't realize how many more vaccinations are recommended than just 10 or 20 years ago -- LOTS). Wary of why they have to be given at such a very young age. From now on, our pediatrician is likely to get a lot more frustrated with me, because I am going to do a lot more research about each of his shots and delay if it seems necessary. A mother just has to do what she feels is best!
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Back by Popular Demand
No needs for petitions, spacejase! About Sprout is here. Where to start?
Well, where have we been? Waiting online for the new iPhone? (No, but we did go play with one yesterday and everyone including Zeke enjoyed it. I'm apparently not allowed to have one, however, given my history of letting the baby play with my Razor phone.) Sprout Mama and Sprout Daddy have both been working and we have also done some traveling and visiting. I'll try to catch you up in a few posts over the next few days. Thanks for coming back to check on us!
Well, where have we been? Waiting online for the new iPhone? (No, but we did go play with one yesterday and everyone including Zeke enjoyed it. I'm apparently not allowed to have one, however, given my history of letting the baby play with my Razor phone.) Sprout Mama and Sprout Daddy have both been working and we have also done some traveling and visiting. I'll try to catch you up in a few posts over the next few days. Thanks for coming back to check on us!
Sprout's Been Cleaning Up
Zeke is a busy busy boy these days. He runs, he destroys, he chases after the pets, he opens and empties drawers and cabinets, he closes the TV cabinet, he throws food, he races down steps, he climbs chairs and stools, he sprints down Target aisles. He is almost always in motion.Frankly, it is very exhausting. But, being with Zeke has never been more fun. He is mischievous, fun loving, affectionate, highly communicative, strong willed and independent. (Mostly -- Zeke is still a mama's boy and likes me to be immediately near by when he is not running across the street and climbing onto the neighbor's porch.)
Zeke knows how to make a mess, but he is also starting to take an interest in cleaning up, too. It is not enough to make up for the messes, but it is charming. For example, he will throw away his diaper after I change him. He will put things away in drawers (though usually not the right drawer). He likes to push the Swiffer around and will not let me sweep with it, forcing me to clean the floors when he is asleep. (Here you see him pushing around his toy vacuum cleaner.) He tries to brush the animals. He will wipe up his drink when he spills it (on purpose). He seems driven to make sense of things and put order to them. I appreciate this immensely and feel he must come by some of this honestly -- I can remember reorganizing my dresser drawers when I was in preschool for the fun of it.
Something we have been doing in past three weeks is going to a music class. The teacher plays songs, everyone sings and the children get to play with different instruments. Zeke likes it and has been known to clap and dance. His favorite part, though? By far, it is when it is time to put instruments away. Last week, he wouldn't play the shakers, but when it was time to put them away, he took away other children's so that he could put them away. Then, he was upset the whole song where they play sticks, because he couldn't put them away!
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