another hodgepodge of thoughts, including teething and puppies!

I've been thinking to myself, if I can keep this blog updated once a week, then I'll be happy with that.  There's at least 52 memories a year that I'll be documenting.  Sure, it's virtual, not like the baby book we can put on our coffee table for everyone to look at, but, we actually retired the coffee table this week anyway so the little man has room to explore, so it looks like everything works out.

Remember my very first blog, when I thought Gobbles was teething?   Well, I suppose being a first time mother I started out in a rush for milestones, because, finally, over 5 months later, we finally have a tooth.  Two, actually.  One in the back right side of his mouth, and another right up front, both on bottom.  They've cut through the gums, but aren't fully up yet, just teeny sharp points poking right through.  Now, as with every physical change that happens with this child, I'm in a mild state of panic - did I get enough pictures of the gummy smile before the teeth?  I'm actually kicking myself for only having had one professional photo session back at 4 months.  A coworker of mine has a 10 week old son, and she's been to Penny's four times.  So by the time her kid is Gobbles' age, she's going to have at least a dozen or more professional shoots under her belt.  Did I make a mistake by cheaping out on this?  We already screwed the pooch by running out of the hospital before the photog there could get any shots - I was scared of the lactation consultant, ok?

I know it's really ok though, considering the thousands of pictures we have on our computer, and that enough will be hard to live up to for number 2.  Now since the little guy is mobile, we've turned more towards video, just watching him crawl around the room, chasing the dogs, and having ADD from toy to toy.  The three hours at night that we spend playing before he crashes are both rewarding and exhausting.  I do not know if I would have such a great appreciation for this if I had to do it all day long.  The balance of adult time at work while yearning for a hug and a sloppy kiss from my son, followed by the fulfillment of getting just that (and usually much more) is enough to make me sleep soundly (on hub's duty nights) and be less stressed. 

So for the time being, things are moving along swimmingly and we are all happy as can be...

Except of course for the curse of the grandma.  For some reason, the first night follwing an overnight visit to Grandma's house is pure hell for everyone.  Every time, consistently since March.  We'll get a great report from Grandma about how well he slept, and how much fun he is, then he'll come home and the Curse of Grandma begins.  Bedtime that night consists of fighting it for about an hour before we can finally soothe Mr. Gobbles to sleep.  Within 45 minutes of falling asleep, he is up screaming again.  More soothing followed by a half hour of sleep.  Usually that night he'll either end up in our bed or in someones arms on the couch for the remainder of the night (as these nights are usually Sundays, and we don't want to set a bad tone for the week by getting NO sleep).  The next day at daycare, he'll sleep a little more than usual, and by the 2nd night home from Grandma's he's just about fine.  We cannot figure out what it is about his visits to Grandma - he LOVES going over there and enjoys himself throughout his entire stay.  He'll eat, sleep, and play just like normal until that first bedtime home. 

For now, our solution is just to switch off who gets duty that first night back, and just assume that we'll have to work a little harder that night (and we give ourselves the ok to go to the couch, or bring him into bed, knowing that it's just for the one night).  It's been working so far, and we have no problems getting him back to normal on the 2nd night home. 

Coming up for the Gobbles man, a trip to the beach followed by a few attempts to get these pearly whites on camera!

In the meantime, since I am blogging from work and don't have any recent photos, a word from Cannoli about being chased by this... thing?

Seriously mommy - you leave for four days all fat and cranky and come home all happy with this thing?  It's a little scary - it won't move, right?  it's not going to chase me or anything, promise?? 

Ok, now it's a little bigger, and it's sitting up, but i'm still the only one who comes when you call, let's keep it that way.  And i'm bigger than this thing, see, look how well i listen to you, i'm so attentive.  i'm the best and you'll never share my toys with it, right?

WAIT!  What is this?  why is it tummy time?  is it going to walk like i do, on all fours? better get familiar with him the way i do other dogs.... just in case.

Mommy, that was only the beginning, and you know it.  when you would hold him up to my face and sit his chair near me you never told me that eventually he'd get to me himself.  you were still working when daddy took the video camera and laughed as this Gobbles thing chased me around the room when i chased my ball.  I think you need to put a leash on him, or at the very least keep him away from my toys.  i know you moved that coffee table just for me, so i have more room to spread out all my toys.  tell him to keep his drums, farmset, and beach ball out of my space!  Even spoons has just run to her bed everytime this guy pulls on her tail!  it's chaos!

So, as you can see, the dogs are still nervous about the baby.  Probably because just when they are comfortable with him and what he does, he does something else.  They'll just have to get used to him, I know in time they are going to be Gobble's best friends.