23 Months

I can’t believe that in less than a month, my little man is going to be TWO! Only one more of these updates to go. EEK!

Weight: Surprisingly, he’s still hovering just under 27 lbs and about 34 inches tall.

Sleep: Things got worse before they got better. First, we started the month with middle-of-the-night wakeups which always resulted in him coming to our bed. Then his daddy made the mistake of taking a nap or two with him when he was sick and suddenly EVERY nap became a battle to get him to go down in his crib. Same with bedtime. Lots of crying. We finally had to do a modified CIO method which involved a new bedtime routine of bath, jammies, putting Sam in his crib and reading to him (to show D that Sam was going to bed too) and then finally reading a book to D and putting him in his crib. We’re a few nights in now and that routine seems to work. And by some miracle, it’s also stopped the middle-of-the-night wakeups too. So we’ll stick with this until it no longer works.

Foods: Nothing new. Still a picky eater.

Developments: His new favorite phrase is “Oh no!” And he uses it in proper context, which is super cute. He also knows his colors, some numbers (1-4), and most letters. It’s getting him to SAY them that’s the challenge.

Firsts This Month: Nothing of note.

Likes: Current favorite things are: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Little Einsteins (STILL), ice cream & fruit, and being outside.

Favorite Songs: Nothing new this month, but we’ve been revisiting old favorites such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (Hawaii guy version) and it’s still his favorite song of all time.

Favorite Toys: He’s been pretty obsessed with his bead maze this month. He plays with it every single day, multiple times a day.

Dislikes: His biggest tantrums occur when he’s trying to do something and can’t. Yesterday, he was trying to close the bathroom door but he wasn’t strong enough to pull it shut so what did he do? Sat down and banged his head on the floor. Toddlers, man.

What I’m Thankful For: That D has adjusted so well to his little brother. Most of the time, he just ignores him, but when he does take notice, he’s always kind and gentle. Well, except for when he’s trying to point out all of Sam’s body parts and tries to put his finger in his eye. I’ve had to stop asking “where’s Sam’s eye?” when asking him to show me all the other body parts. Same goes for me, too. I’ve ended up with far too many toddler fingers in my eyes.

What I’m Looking Forward To: As much as I want to keep my little boys little forever, I’m excited for D to turn two. One of the best aspects of being a parent is watching our little ones grow and learn new things.

How Mommy’s Doing: Tired and battling a nasty sinus infection, thanks to a cold virus that D caught a couple of weeks ago and passed around to the entire family. (Did I say he’s a giving child? Because he is.) I haven’t started working out yet, but as soon as I kick this sickness, I plan to start. (And after I indulge in the donuts the hubs just went out and bought.) I’ve been so thankful to have the hubs home during my maternity leave, but part of me feels like we haven’t really taken advantage of the time like we should have. Shouldn’t we take a little trip somewhere? Shouldn’t we be going on adventures around town every day? We haven’t even been to the zoo once this year. Our days are usually just spent at home, feeding two little ones, changing diapers, putting them down for naps, and going through bedtime routines. Moments that we’re not doing those things are spent catching up on laundry, doing the dishes, feeding ourselves, grocery shopping, and showering. On a good day, if the weather is nice and the timing works out, we go to the park for some fresh air, but even that’s not an everyday occurrence. Still, even though the days can be pretty monotonous, I’m grateful for the time and the cuddles with my little family. One can never get enough cuddles. Well, maybe D can, but that’s why mommy had another baby. So she can get more cuddles. :)

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21 Month Update

Let’s ignore the fact that D is now 22 months and I am WAY behind. 

Weight: Still around 26lbs. Skinny dude.

Sleep: Pretty great lately, actually. He typically goes down at bedtime without a fight (around 8:30 pm) and unless he has a night terror or he’s having trouble breathing (this kid has more boogers than the boogeyman) then he usually sleeps straight thru the night until about 8am. He’s a LIGHT sleeper though. Each night, before I go to bed, I check on him. And every time, he stirs a little. I can be as quiet as  a church mouse but he still senses my presence and I always freeze in fear that he’s going to wake up crying. Most of the time, he doesn’t, but it’s still weird how light of a sleeper he is.

Still napping once a day. Sometimes an hour, sometimes three.

Feeding: Still pretty picky. The only veggies we can get in him are through those little squeeze pouches in the baby food section. His favorite foods are still fruits – strawberries and blueberries, mostly. He’s getting more teeth and his molars are almost fully in now, so I think we can start venturing into chewier foods now, but I’m still a little cautious here and haven’t attempted things like steak just yet.

Developments: I feel like we MUST be on the verge of a language explosion because things have been really stagnant here for a very long time. He’s really great at picking out shapes and colors and animals when asked, but he just won’t SAY them. He’ll point to something and say “ninga-ninga-nah!” Over and over again. Which translates to “I want that!” but sounds nowhere close to it. And even though we’ve been done with bottles for ages it seems, he says “ba-ba” for milk. I never taught him that, yet it has somehow stuck. Sigh.

I just feel like this winter has been the longest winter ever and it’s kept us from really taking D out to explore the world around him. We read a lot of books, we recite the same flashcards over and over, we play educational games on the iPad…but there’s only so much you can do in a day and I can’t wait to take him outside to play t-ball, or ride around in his cozy coupe, or point out animals at the zoo instead of in a book.

Firsts This Month: Can’t really think of anything.

Likes: He’s starting to use his imagination more and has started playing with cars the proper way – driving them around instead of throwing them. One of his current favorite toys is a wooden puzzle piece firetruck. He drives it around even though it’s just a block of wood and the wheels are painted on (i.e. don’t move).

Not sure if I’ve mentioned this in the past, but this kid loves shoes. It doesn’t matter if we’re going anywhere or not, but if he sees his shoes lying around, he will insist on putting them on and then runs around the house like a maniac.

Favorite Songs: Pharell’s Come On Get Happy

Favorite Toys: For his birthday last year, my SIL got him a turtle toy that he’s supposed to sit on and ride. He’s just now FINALLY starting to play with it and will sit on it, pressing the buttons, for what seems like an hour. He’s so good at playing by himself. He’ll pile all of his sports balls together and then systematically throw each one down the hall before gathering them up again at the other end and throwing them again.

Dislikes: Oh lots of things. Like being told no. Not getting to watch a video every single time one of us is on the laptop. Not getting to play with the iPad when one of us is using it. Not being able to figure out a game/app on the iPad. Not reading enough books or not reading the same one enough times (my limit is always 5). Basically, if we are not doing or giving him what he wants when he wants it, it’s toddler-meltdown-city.

What I’m Thankful For: That February is over.

What I’m Looking Forward To: March, and seeing D become a big brother.

How Mommy’s Doing: In a word, rough. Not sleeping. Wildly uncomfortable. Typical third trimester complaints, I suppose, but I am SO DONE being pregnant. I can’t play with D like I used to and I can’t do his bedtime routine without some serious help from the hubs. BUT, I’m still really excited to meet our newest family member and become a family of 4.

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20 Month Update

Taken a few days late on Super Bowl Sunday, sporting Broncos colors. Poor Peyton.

Weight/Length: About 26lbs. Now that he’s walking running, I should get one of those height charts/sticks so I can start keeping track of his growth a bit better.

Sleep: Most nights aren’t bad. He typically wakes up once and tries to coax us to come get him. I usually send the hubs in to check to make sure he’s okay and that his diaper hasn’t leaked and if all is well, he gives him a quick pat and walks out of the room, which only makes him cry harder. We’ve found that if we close his door, he cries hard for about a minute before giving up and going back to sleep. He knows we mean business. If we leave it open, he’ll cry for 15 minutes or more or until we give in and bring him to bed with us.

He’s had a few nights this month of what I can only assume to be night terrors. His cries are different and he’s clearly terrified of something and on those nights, we rush in and scoop him up because we can just tell something is definitely wrong. He usually calms down after just a few minutes of hugs and rocking though. Poor little guy.

Still napping about once per day for an average of 2 hours.

Feeding: I swear he’s getting pickier and pickier by the day, and he’s the only kid I’ve ever met that hates mac & cheese. His favorite meal is breakfast. Typically a Nutrigrain bar, some pancakes, and sometimes fruit. He eats ALL of it. Lunch is hit or miss, and dinner is almost always a fight resulting in meals that consist of baby raviolis, yogurt, applesauce, and graham crackers because he refuses to eat the delicious things we put in front of him, with most of it ending up in his seat or on the floor. The dog has been eating better these days though.

Developments: This month we mastered primary colors. He can pick out red, green, blue and yellow pretty consistently. He’s also learned a couple more animal sounds, my favorites being elephant and lion. Even though he doesn’t watch Sesame Street, we have some books with Sesame Street characters and he knows all their names. And did I mention he’s basically RUNNING now? I noticed him practicing in the hallway with his walker earlier this month, just going back and forth and trying to pick up speed.

As for language though, he’s got his own and isn’t interested in speaking ours. He makes a certain sound whenever he wants something and will point to it. I’d try to type it out but it sounds a little obscene so I won’t, but he’s very consistent with it so we know that’s his sound for “I want that.”

Other than animal noises, the only word he really says with any regularity is “doggie.” Everything is a doggie. Cats, horses, rabbits…all doggies.

When we do his nightly reading to Goodnight Moon, he’s now a big fan of finding the tiny little mouse on each of the color pages. He’s really good at it too!

Firsts This Month: I’m drawing a blank here. Surely I’m just forgetting one or several things. Oh well.

Likes: Same stuff as always with his favorite things being books, bath, and his paci. The iPad is close behind. And hallelujah he’s finally taken a liking to his Jellycat bunny I got him for Easter last year! I was so upset when he wanted nothing to do with it but I pulled it out from the bottom of the toy box last week and he gave it the biggest hug. Now it sleeps with him in his crib, along with a Mickey Mouse and his musical monkey.

I have never in my life seen a child that loves to be chased as much as this one. It’s a little exhausting for this big old pregnant lady, but it’s so much fun. And if you build a fort around him of any kind – pillow, blanket, whatever – he will instantly go from crying to smiling and giggling.

Ketchup. I blame my FIL for this one as he introduced D to ketchup during our Costa Rican vacation, but then again, sometimes adding ketchup is the only way to get him to eat his nuggets so I guess it’s useful for something. And it’s so darn cute to watch him dip his nuggets in a little pile of ketchup. He’s so slow and methodical with it, and if he thinks there isn’t enough on there, he’ll keep dipping it JUST ENOUGH to meet his satisfaction. Hilarious to watch.

Favorite Songs: No new favorites this month, but he certainly loves music. And when I’m catching up on Ellen, he loves to dance when she starts dancing with her audience.

Favorite Toys: For Christmas, he got a GIANT stuffed Mickey Mouse and he loves to tackle it randomly and sit next to it when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on.

He’s getting more into his cars and blocks, but they don’t hold his attention for super long periods of time. He still likes to play with his bead maze once or twice a day, as well as his VTech turtle. He loves to play basketball with daddy, and is a pro at putting together his chunky Melissa & Doug puzzles. And flash cards. This kid LOVES this random pack of Dr. Seuss flash cards we found in the dollar bin at Target awhile back.

After watching him play with random magnets on our fridge this last week, I went out and bought him some Melissa & Doug magnets from Target (Thanks for the tip, Sara!) and he LOVES them. I imagine these will be at the top of the list for his 21 month update.

Dislikes: Lately most of his dislikes have been in relation to food. Diaper changes are pretty challenging if he’s not in the mood as well. And getting this kid out of the bath, lotioned up, and into his jammies is a two-man job. And he hates, HATES, having his boogers cleared. But I have never seen a more booger-filled kid. It’s why I call him “booger” or “booger nose” most of the time. Ha!

What I’m Thankful For: That it’s finally February and we are slowly getting closer to spring. We had only ONE nice day in January where we could take D to the park, but otherwise we’re all suffering from a bit of cabin fever and I am not sorry to see January behind us. 

What I’m Looking Forward To: The end of February for the very same reasons.

How Mommy’s Doing: I’ve been better. I’m getting bigger, which means things are getting more uncomfortable with each passing week. I’m managing the gestational diabetes as best I can but it’s not fun and it’s not easy and I still have my bad days. I haven’t been able to exercise as much as I should because of this stupid winter weather, but all in all, I guess I should just be happy things have been going as well as they have been. It could always be worse. How’s that for a positive attitude?

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19 Month Update

Weight/Length: Still right around 25 lbs, though he feels heavier. 

Sleep: We were doing pretty good the first half of the month, but then went back to co-sleeping thanks to two weeks of traveling. (Happy to report that once we got home and back on a schedule, little man went back to his crib without too much of a fight. Though some nights are better than others.)

Napping about once per day for an average of 2 hours.

Feeding: Nothing new. His appetite fluctuates, but some of his favorite foods are Nutrigrain bars, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, and applesauce. Not so much on mac and cheese, cheese in general, or most meats.

Developments: Still not saying any new words but he babbles all the time and his comprehension of what we’re saying is definitely improving! He’s also really into making eye contact and will lean over or get in our faces if we’re not looking right at him when he wants us to. It’s pretty cute, actually.

Firsts This Month: First trip to Costa Rica and first time out of the country! First time at the beach and first dip into the Pacific Ocean. Also his first time forward-facing in the car (not by momma’s choice). That didn’t go over so well considering he puked the first day.

Likes: All the same things again: Baths, books, dogs, balls, Mickey Mouse, shoes, the iPad or our iPhones, music, and now we can add THE BEACH and DANCING to the list. Little man LOVED the sand and being knocked over by waves. And he likes to bop to the beat. Oh and his pacis. He’s become a bit obsessed with them (he has two) and will often carry one around while sucking on the other. We try to limit the paci to naps and bedtime but he’ll climb the stairs and go to his room looking for one, see it in his crib, and cry until we give it to him.

Favorite Songs: When he was sick, I would play Baby Mine, the song from Dumbo, and sing it to him. Now if I start to sing it, he lights up and smiles.

Favorite Toys: After finally replacing the batteries in his elephant toy, he’s rediscovered how much he loves it. Too bad we can’t find all the balls that go with it so he’s been putting golf balls and other things that don’t belong in the elephant’s trunk, which he then has to dump out because they’re too heavy for the elephant to blow out. Crazy kid.

He also likes to carry around his stuffed Mickey Mouse, particularly while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It’s the cutest thing ever.

Dislikes: Sleeping in his own bed. He’ll do it, if forced, but he doesn’t like it. He also has his limits for riding in a car, and that limit is about 5 or 6 hours. After that, the iPad better be charged or else.

What I’m Thankful For: That despite sickness and travel issues and vacationing with very different personalities, we all survived our big fat family vacation relatively unharmed. We also survived our first Christmas without my MIL, which was pretty hard, but everyone was in mostly good spirits and had a good Christmas despite the circumstances.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Springtime. Warmer weather. Just being able to get out of the house and play again or go for walks. There’s only so much you can do when you’re cooped up in the house for days/weeks/months and with all the sickness going around, it’s just not worth it to leave.

How Mommy’s Doing: I got to spend a lot of time with D this month, more so than usual thanks to all the vacation time I took for our trip and the holidays, and I loved every second of it. I didn’t love that I was the one who got him sick (I had the plague for about 2 weeks, which finally cleared up once we got to Costa Rica and the warm weather) but just spending uninterrupted time with him every single day was pretty awesome. Since I don’t always have that privilege, I probably appreciated it a little more, simply because I know what it’s like to miss my child every day.

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17 Month Update

A little late this month, but better late than never, right? (photos at the end)

Weight/Length: We haven’t measured since his 16 month update but since he was 24lbs at that checkup, I’m guessing he’s around 25-26lbs.

Sleep: I’m happy to report that we’ve made some improvements in regards to co-sleeping. I would say 5 out of 7 nights, D is in his crib from the time he goes to bed until the time we get up. There were a few nights when we were either out of town or he was teething so we brought him to our bed, but otherwise, he stays in his crib. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t cry out at least 2-3 times throughout the night, but most of the time he’ll cry for a couple of minutes before falling back asleep. Not sure if he’s having bad dreams or teething or what, but if it goes on longer than 5 minutes, one of us will usually cave and go get him.

Naps are anywhere between 1.5-3 hrs long, and just once a day. Usually right after lunch. Which is funny because that’s exactly when I would like to take a nap too.

Feeding: We’re in a bit of a food rut, but his meals basically go like this:

• Morning: Milk and a full-size Nutragrain granola bar. Sometimes cereal or fruit, like a banana.
• Lunch: Yogurt and PB sandwich and fruit; sometimes chicken nuggets and fruit or baby ravioli with water to drink.
• 4pm: snackable foods – crackers, fruit, yogurt melts, baby food pouch, etc. Water to drink throughout the day.
• 7:30pm: Usually whatever we’re having, unless it’s super spicy. Then it’s mac & cheese, nuggets, pasta, or PB sandwich and a big cup of milk.

Developments: After yet another month of no improvements in the walking department, we took him to his first physical therapy appointment. On the second appointment, he was fitted for shoe inserts with instructions for him to build up to wearing them around 6 hours a day. After roughly 2 weeks, there was still almost zero improvement. His 3rd PT appointment was on Oct. 31, one day after turning 17 months, and even though he wouldn’t take a single step for the therapist, he took off walking down the hallway that night and hasn’t stopped! But for the purposes of this entry, I guess I can’t claim “walking!!” until next month’s post.

He also knows all of his body parts now – ears, hair, nose, toes, tummy, mouth, eyes… I ask him ALL THE TIME to show me his nose, or his toes, and it’s just the cutest thing ever to watch him grab his foot or point to his nose (and subsequently stick his finger up his nostril. ha!).

Firsts This Month: First trip to Colorado!

Likes: All the same things: Baths, books, dogs, balls, Mickey Mouse, shoes, the iPad or our iPhones, music, and swinging, and singing. Especially when mommy singes her own version of the Hokey Pokey while putting on his pajamas every night.

Favorite Songs: The aforementioned Hokey Pokey Pajama Song is probably a new one.

Favorite Toys: After seeing these bead mazes at the therapist’s office and at a daycare we toured, we realized he was OBSESSED with them. I always thought those toys were boring and a waste of space, but apparently they are huge hits with toddlers. So we bought one. And it hasn’t failed to keep him entertained for at least several minutes every day.

We bought this Melissa & Doug bead maze on Amazon and D couldn’t be happier with it.

Dislikes: We’re still dealing with a bit of stranger anxiety. This applies to adults as well as other kids, which has made playdates a teensy bit awkward since my kid prefers to play alone, far away from the other children. Hoping this is just a very temporary phase. Related, he also hates sharing.

What I’m Thankful For: We took two trips out of town this month, one via plane and one via 9 hr car ride ONE WAY, and I’m so glad D travels so well. We suffered through plane delays and missed naps, car rental issues and a Pike’s Peak train tour that meant VERY high altitudes and D took it all like a champ. No major meltdowns, no sleeping issues (since he slept in bed with us for both trips), and I couldn’t be happier with how awesome he was on both trips. 

What I’m Looking Forward To: If I’d written this the day he turned 17 months, I would’ve said “WALKING!” But now that we’re here, I’m going to say the holidays. We’ve got so much fun planned for this month so I’m looking forward to doing ALL THE THINGS as this will be our last holiday season as a family of 3.

How Mommy’s Doing: I won’t do a full pregnancy update since I usually take care of those in separate posts, but I will say that I’m just loving watching D learn new things. I’m soaking in his baby-ness while it’s still there and sometimes find myself urging time to just stop so I can soak it in a little bit longer. Sometimes I look at him and think, “He’s growing into such a little man!” and other times, like when he’s in his diaper with his paci in his mouth, he’s still my tiny baby. This parenting thing can be a bit surreal at times, filled with so many different feelings and emotions, all happening at the very same time. You want them to grow and learn and at the same moment you’re feeling so proud, you’re freaking out about time and where did it all go and OH MY GOD TURN BACK INTO A BABY PLEASE! Or maybe that’s just my hormones talking.

On the train for Pike’s Peak

Sweet sleeping boy

At the Coors Brewery Tour in Golden, CO with papaw

Is there anything cuter than a baby in overalls?

Just chillin’.

His collection of balls. He’s like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin.

Daddy and D playing with the balance swing at the PT’s office.

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30 Days of Thankful: Day 8

Just one day after his 17 month birthday, I’m happy to report our little man FINALLY started walking. On Halloween night. And now I have video to prove it.

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The Importance of a Good Pair of (Baby) Shoes

My son is 16.5 months old and he still isn’t walking on his own. He can stand on his own for long periods of time, he can stand holding a toy, he can hold onto a toy or basket and push it all around the room, even look like he’s running with it. But when it comes to taking steps completely on his own from point A to point B, he won’t do it.

I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to have the oldest non-walking child around. On one hand, I know it’s easier to look after a child who isn’t walking yet. Fewer bumps and bruises, easier to catch, etc. He’s still very much a baby, if only because he still can’t walk. And I don’t want to let go of his baby-ness. I’m kind of in denial that he’s turning into a toddler. On the other hand, it makes social activities with other babies his age not only difficult, but intimidating for him because other kids can literally run circles around him and he can only watch.  Playgrounds aren’t much fun because all he can do is swing in a baby swing. And I constantly have to worry about dirty floors because the moment he wants to cross the room, he drops to his hands and knees and crawls there. And with cold and flu season upon us, I’m a bit of a germaphobe so all I can think about is what germies are lurking on the bottom of everyone’s shoes and therefore, all over the floor. And it’s not like I’m somehow off the hook from having an independent toddler, one that’s content to be held, carried, or ride in a stroller. Oh no. He wants DOWN! OUT! On the floor! But just wants to hold your hand so he can walk on his own, but with a little support.

I mentioned previously that at his 16 month check-up, our pediatrician recommended we see a physical therapist. Within the week, we had our first appointment, and even though we knew what we needed (shoe inserts to help with balance/support), we had to make another appointment to get them custom-made, which meant another two-week wait for my insurance company to pre-approve it. Fast forward to that appointment and we finally have his custom inserts. Hopefully these will give them the added support he needs to improve his balance and confidence when it comes to taking steps on his own.

So that’s where we are today, but that isn’t really what I wanted to write about.

Years ago (according to my parents and grandparents), a baby’s first pair of real shoes (i.e. walking shoes) were very important. Babies were taken to special stores and fitted by a professional. The style of shoes varied. For my parent’s generation, “saddle shoes” were the most popular type. But generally something with ankle and arch support was what was recommended.

Fast forward to present day and nowhere – not on the blogs I read, not in mainstream parenting guides and books – does anyone talk about the importance of a baby’s first pair of shoes anymore. Even when I started researching possible causes for delayed walking, never did I read anything that told me to try better shoes. In fact, I’ve read that just keeping a baby barefoot is best for learning to walk. And I have to say, from personal experience, this is not true. Of course some children learn to walk as early as 8 or 9 months without shoes whatsoever. But not every child, and I wouldn’t even say it should be recommended. A baby’s bones are still a little soft. Their muscles and joints are still developing. A baby’s foot isn’t always ready to withstand the weight of the baby and simultaneously able to move with the balance and coordination it takes to walk on two legs. A shoe with good support is ALWAYS a good idea. Maybe not always medically necessary, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

What I really want to know is, where is this advice today? Why am I only hearing this from people who haven’t parented babies in 30-50 years? Most of us are buying cheap (but cute) shoes from Target or Walmart, not wanting to spend the money on brand name shoes because “they’re just going to grow out of them soon anyway.” Isn’t that all anyone ever says today in regard to baby clothes and shoes? Don’t spend too much money because they’ll just outgrow it soon. That’s what I thought anyway, not realizing that hey, those shoes aren’t providing the proper walking support that your child needs. And it wasn’t until his walking was delayed that anyone ever told me to get him some shoes with ankle and arch support. And that person? Was my 92 year old grandma.

With all the talking we do about developmental milestones – when to start solids, how to start solids, what types of spoons and sippy cups to use, when a baby should crawl, walk, talk, coo, wave, clap – somehow this generations-old advice of getting a baby a good pair of supportive shoes has fallen by the wayside. And now I can’t help but wonder if maybe we’d purchased a good pair of shoes months ago, if it would’ve made a difference. Something tells me it might have, and that makes me sad.

So if you have a baby or know someone with a baby that’s getting close to learning how to walk, or even if you have a baby that’s already walking, get him or her a good pair of shoes. It’s worth the money, even if they will outgrow them in a couple of months.

 

 

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