A little bit of everything

This week started off on a good note. I'd been dying to see my girls, to have a night out dancing and making asses of ourselves. For awhile now I've been driving around in my car blasting Gaga and screaming Rhianna (after dropping Gobbles off of course, nice tame Mumford & Sons is what he prefers).  Luckily, the latest lady to get her finger bling is a true delco gal, and came home sans man for a night out. 

Since I was driving I couldn't exactly throw 'em back, but I definitely got just what I needed - a few hours where all I had to worry about was making sure I didn't catch a disease from the couple dancing next to me.  Sounds harsh, but next to some of the boulder diapers Gobbles puts out, it was nothing.  And the night wouldn't be complete without my (happily married) knocked up bff rubbing her 25 week belly and jumping up and down in response to the DJ's request for single ladies.   She knows how we work it!

I rolled in after 2 am to a sleepy hubs who complained to me, "the little man has been fighting sleep all night, you owe me!".  Thankfully, my awesome father-in-law, who was crashing at our house for a local trumpet convention, was more than eager to wake up with Gobbles when he decided it was time to start the day at 6am the next morning.  Grandparents are awesome like that.  The funniest part of the morning was when hubs and I finally woke up for real and went downstairs to see a wide smile on our son, a weary but loving Pop on the couch, and every item from the toybox strewn across the living room.  The response, well, he felt like playing with everything at some point, and as a grandfather it's not my place to deny him anything.

Monday, the 31st, was a big day for little Gobbles.  What I thought would be his last day in the infant room actually turned out to be his first full day in the toddler room.  After I got him all settled with his new teacher, I want back to gather up his things from the baby room.  No more crib for napping, no more bottles.  Since I thought we had 24 more hours, of course I got a little teary as I was saying goodbye and thank you to the infant teachers.  So there went the first of 18 "grade" transitions he's gonna make. My little boy's all growns up!
 
Apparently the toddler room doesn't suit my baby well, since I got a call late that afternoon: Come pick Gobbles up, he has a fever.  And don't forget our policy - 24 hours fever free before returning, so he can't come in tomorrow too.  Great.  Between snow and fevers, this kid hasn't had a full week of daycare since before christmas.  Glad we're getting our money's worth! 
 
Hubs graciously decided to take a sick day since I had been stuck working from home so much with the snow closures, so he took him to the doc and gave him some tlc.  The doctor told us to let him fight it, since he just finished his ear infection medicine.  Let the fever spike, give it tylonal if it gets really bad, but other than that let him build up his immunity.  Just what a mother wants to hear - let your child suffer as much as you can stand, it'll be good for him.  Unfortunately, Gobbles's fever spiked again late Tuesday and his eye just about crusted shut from mucus.  Yum.
 
The next day we awoke to find no power.  Normally this doesn't bother us.  Just 3 (or 4?) years ago we were having a party at our house when the power went out.  We just lit up the millions of yankee candles we have laying around, told our 20 or so guests that the pulled pork may get cold if not eaten immediately, and made sure to drink as much beer as possible lest it go bad.  Unfortunately, losing power is not the best thing to happen when you (a) have a sick child who likes warm food and a warm house and (b) have to work from home taking care of said sick child. 
 
But (score two for grandparents this post), my mom had the day off because of a power outage so she volunteered to take Gobbles while hubs and I went to work.  Unfortunately, the fever spiked again so we decided I'd work from home with the little guy the next day.  I made sure to stay late and get the critical stuff done, knowing that working on a laptop when all a child wants to do is cuddle is virtually impossible.  Luckily, by Thursday it seemed the boy was finally getting better, and all he wanted to do was sleep.  I managed to get a decent amount of work done with only one "crying during a conference call" episode (him, not me).  
 
By mid-afternoon I was ready to put away the computer and have some mommy / Gobbles time.  And despite playing the "I'm so pathetically sick, just love me" card so well, the little guys still managed to make me crack up.  When getting him up from his nap, I put him on the changing table, talking to him as I always do.  He started smiling and frantically clapping.  Awww, are you happy to see mommy??   He shook his head vigorously No no no, with a mischievous grin.  My nose then led me to ask Do you have a surprise in your diaper for mommy??  Hysterical laughter & more clapping.  Sure enough, inside the diaper was... well you guessed it.  Only my husband's son would be the kind of kid who's first "joke" would be about poop.  His father, who still cracks himself up about that which comes out of one's douppy*, was so proud of him when I relayed the story.  That's my boy!
 
**Douppy:  Mountain town speak for butt.  Rhymes with whoopie. Lord knows how it's spelled.

Helpin mommy work.  Don't mind the chewed up windowsill, they're a few years behind on repairs!

STOP with the tissues!  Who CARES if there are boogers coming out of my eye and nose!

If I'm cute will you stop?  Pleeeaase?

Look mommy, you can work just fine, Cannoli will pull me around!



But, if you take your eyes off of me for one second it's up the stairs I go! 

Why don't you have the gate up?

 

Haha, you caught me!  Now I feel better!

60 minutes

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, just after 4:00, I start to get butterflies in my stomach.  I get that giddy feeling, just an hour until I can leave to go get the little guy!   I work on wrapping up small tasks, try not to think about anything daunting, because I know my mind is too distracted by excitement.  What will today's report have in store?  How long did he nap?  Did he eat all his food?  What will his special message say?  Perhaps Gobbles enjoyed stacking the colored blocks or Gobbles loved the buggy ride.  Whatever it is, I always look forward to reading it at a red light on our ride home, and asking my boy if he truly did have fun doing whatever activities they say he did.

Every day that I pick up my son, I make it a game to see how long I can be in the room before he notices me there.  Sometimes just a few seconds, others almost a minute, I observe his interaction with his teachers and classmates.  Sometimes he's dancing, sometimes he's snacking, sometimes he's clapping, babbling, or listening to a story...and most of the time, whatever he's doing, he's smiling.

The look on his face when realizes I'm there?  Enough to melt away the stress of a long workday with a harried commute.  The speed with which he runs, crawls, or lurches at me with outstretched arms?  Quicker than it takes me to say Hi Mr. Boo!  I missed you!

Today for some reason I'm on the edge of my seat, so happy that it's my day to greet my little boy with a big hug.  I can't wait!

The ME phase

MY toy!!

Remember a few months ago when I babysat our friend lil buddy?   And that I discovered that Mr. Gobbles was becoming quite the little bully?  Well, his world of mine all mine is definitely taking a front seat to anything else developmentally right now.  Toys, parents, even puppies are all present in this world for one thing, to serve my little boy.  At least that's what he thinks.

Daycare dropoffs have been going great.  Since Gobbles has gotten over his ear infection, he now willingly walks right into the room, no need for me to carry or drag him.  He immediately runs off to join the other kids for their morning discussions.  One day, the twins that he is moving up to the toddler room with were hanging out by the exersaucer, and Gobbles just walked over as if they were waiting for him, leaned an elbow on the ledge, and babbled something along the lines of what's up fellas?  snowy out there today, eh?  had a good poopy last night, not much else, what's new with you? 

The next day; however, one of these same boys was walking around the room with Gobble's favorite toy - a push walker- when we entered.  Within a minute, my son had gone up and shouldered him out of the way, walking away with his prize, leaving the poor child crying in his dust.  I tried to explain to my boy what sharing is, and brought the toy back to it's original player, but of course this set Gobbles off in a small tantrum.  One of the teachers found an even better push toy in another room and gave it to him, which set him off running through the infant room, wheeling and whipping the toy around obstacles such as teachers' legs, chairs, and babies sitting in their boppies.  He looked like godzilla wreaking havic- any fears I had about him moving up to the toddler room were replaced by fears that he was going to hurt some poor 4 month old in his quest for toy domination.  Time to move up little boy.

I want what I want and I want it now has also taken over our home.  Not so much in the sharing of toys, because unfortunately the little guy doesn't have any competition at home, but in other ways.  Over the past two weeks, I've noticed that any time I turn my attention to one of the puppies, Gobbles gets his tantrum face on and lets out a low pitched little roar Ahhhhggghhhhghghh  He drops whatever he is doing and runs over to me, waving his arms and eventually wedging himself between me and the dog.  After we are separated, he goes about his business like all is right with the world.  ...Aww, he wants his mommy all to himself... I thought.  Until last night, when I was continuously petting Spoons, and Gobbles started smacking my arm with his little hand.  Oh My God.  It's not "I'm jealous that the puppies are trying to take my mommy", it's "Those are MY puppies and you cannot pet them unless I say you can".  YIKES. I really don't know what to do at this point, I assume it's a phase and he'll get over it, and I'm a little embarrassed to say that I laugh every time he makes his tantrum roar, because it is so cute it's funny.



My Bed!!

And after watching all of my "kids" interact, I think I'll have to agree with Gobbles in that these puppies truly are his buddies.  He's even starting to fight with them over their toys.  Nothing says pals like mine mine mine, at least in this phase of life...

ps. If you wait around until second 48 or so of the video, Gobbles releases the tantrum roar that I talked about above.

Emerging from Hibernation

Now that life has gotten back to normal, it's time to dust off the ol' keyboard and jot down what I remember from the last 6 weeks.  Never in my life could I imagine just how hectic the holiday season is with a baby toddler.  Yes, I know the Gobbler was around for last Christmas too, but that December consisted of me sitting on my ass and making gooey-eyes at the new baby while my mom cleaned my house for me and gave me food....probably the reason I was forty-two lbs heavier starting 2010 than 2011... (thanks again weight watchers) 

Anyway, this year, after getting back from Florida, the holiday season was in full swing.  Between unpacking, wrapping gifts, decorating & tree trimming, cookie baking, 2/3 of our family getting sick, cleaning the house, hosting a much needed ladies night, and playing catch up at work in order to make the end of the year scramble, we could barely keep it together before we had to pack our bags, dogs, and child to head up to Hubs' hometown to celebrate the holidays.  I love you Gobbles and your birthday is so important to me, but we're never going to Disney in December again.... or at least as long I'm a working mommy.

Christmas weekend itself was a fantastic whirlwind of family, presents, puppies, and more presents.  Our little guy is the only grandchild on both sides, and with each of the three Christmases he celebrated, he came away with more loot.  I don't know how we'll ever travel for the holidays with a second child, because the SUV was packed full coming home, there'd be no room!  And that doesn't include all the love and hugs and kisses he got that don't take up any room.  Between his grandparents and aunts, Gobbles is one lucky kid.  I think the only way for us to ensure that he doesn't come out a little too spoiled is for one of our sisters to have a kid too... just sayin'...

Oh yea - I know the other reason why everything was such a blur those weeks - being on vacation completely ruined Gobbles' schedule. And he was cutting 3 teeth. He spent like 10 days in our bed after Florida kicking us in the face while trying to sleep. When he finally got back to his normal crib / sleep / not crying routine, we dragged him out for Christmas again ruining his schedule. I can safely say that he's back to sleeping through the night happily but wow did I feel like a zombie for so long!

I was lucky enough to have two days off the week after Christmas, and we spent it reorganizing and purging the basement of all that we don't need.  I don't understand where all of this stuff comes from - every year we haul off at least 5 bags / boxes of stuff to goodwill, and the following year we'll come up with a half dozen more! 

This year the big losers were:
(1) My first cd player (I hate to say boombox because it's pretty small compared to those big monsters), complete with long defunct local skateshop CHAOS bumper sticker adhered to the front.
(2) My husband's Mr. Beer kit, a cheapo homebrewing thing I got him years ago and he used once
(3) My college notebooks.  I don't know why I was saving them since I still have my textbooks, but I guess I thought I had use for the notes I took on hydraulics or the doodles I made of the strip-club to be called The Full Romanian (we didn't have confidence in our engineering careers back then so we came up with some alternates, just in case)
(4) My engagement, shower, and wedding cards.  More specifically, the ones that didn't have any personalized note in them, I am way to sentimental to toss them all.  We of course kept the response cards (in case we want to know what everyone ate 50 year from now).  They had all been sitting in my giant card box that I had made out of 11x14 picture frames.  We had no room for this box so I took it apart and just kept the frames and the special cards. 
(5) Nintendo games.  We don't have a game system, yet we have all these games.  Huh?

Holdouts include:
(1) My fondue set.  It's been on the same shelf in the basement since we moved in (... 5 and a half years ago???), but this, along with a bunch of other kitchen essentials, are just waiting until we someday will have our giant dream kitchen with space for everything
(2) A hand-me-down surround sound system that hubs got from his dad's wife's son.  Don't know how it ended up here, but hubs is very reluctant to part with it.
(3) Sega & Games.  A man and his video games are hard to part - the Nintendo ones were a struggle, and nevermind that we have a Playstation 2 and 3, but I figured hubs could keep them since my bin of care bears and cabbage patch kids were off limits to even be touched.
 
And finally - into the attic went yet another bin of my son's too small clothing.  We now have two regular sized and one extra large Rubbermaid bin of clothes.  From one year of his life.  The basement holds more extra large bins of infant car seat / bases, jumperoo, baby swing, bouncer.  His upstairs closet a bumbo chair, activity mat, and various pieces of the pack and play that are no longer needed.  It is amazing how much stuff has come and gone for one tiny person over just one year.  A testament to how much he is growing and developing no doubt.  Even his walking fisher price dinosaur has gone from "help me walk" mode to "forget that I don't need help walking - ride me!"  And he can't really ride it around yet, he just kind of sits on it and humps it, but enjoys it all the same :)
 
The transition of toys at home has coincided with the transition at school.  As of February 1, my baby will no longer be in the infant room with all of the teachers he has grown to love.  He's moving on to what they call first step, where he'll sing & dance more, learn more, and only take one nap a day.  The other day I brought all of our unopened jars of 3rd stage food to school and handed them to his teacher - here, maybe someone else can use them.  The teacher thanked me an reminded me that I don't need to send a bottle anymore - he does fine out of the sippies (um, but at home he's still a bottle guy!?! How can this be?)
 
Doing chores at home has gotten easier too.  No need to do anything one handed, now instead it's as if having just leg with since son's arms wrapped tightly around them as he stands at my feet.  The puppies are no longer curious or shy.  Now it's just let me eat my dinner as fast as I can before this guy walks over to my bowl and flips it over.  Of course, they know they always have a second chance at dinner anyway when we roll out the high chair - Gobbles cracks himself up tossing half his dinner off the side to see who will catch it.
 
It must have been during the blur of the holiday craziness, but we have definitely started 2011 with a toddler.  A running, climbing, puppy swatting, medicine spitting, tantrum-throwing toddler.  I can't wait to see what this year brings.  (... ahem, since this year is two weeks old, so far it's brought some downtime at home, an ear infection, and fun in the snow!  but that's for another post....)

I look way too sad in this one - don't put it on the card!

The puppies are sitting for a treat, no idea why Mr. Gobbles is staying still!

Best Friends!

Very Belated Merry!!!

Really, a tie???

Well, I do like looking like Daddy when he goes to work!

I draw the line at the hat!

Not so much the hit you thought he'd be, huh mommy?  Maybe because he keeps smackin me in the face!

Sweater vests are fun!

Mommy you make the BEST chocolate chip cookies!!

Happy New Year!!!

ONE YEAR!!!

Five hundred twenty five thousand

six hundred minutes,

Five hundred twenty five thousand

moments so dear.

Five hundred twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes.
How do you measure, measure a year?
- Jonathan Larson

Dear Mr. Gobbles,

Happy Birthday Son!!  I'm finding it hard to put together the right words to express how overwrought with emotion I am for this occasion.  Which is one of the reasons this post is almost a week late.  The next few lines from the song above question whether a year should be measured in sunsets, laughter, or miles, then go on to say that it should be measured in love.  Seasons of love.  A beautiful concept, if we were able to grasp the immeasurable amount of love your Daddy and I have felt for you over the past year.  But, I cannot even begin to put a number or comparison on how much you mean to us. 

A year ago, when the doctors placed your tiny bundle in my arms for the first time, I officially became a Mommy.  I didn't think the warmth and adoration that I felt for you could be any greater than that moment.  Guess what?  I am wrong sometimes (I know, hard to believe, right?  But it does happen on rare occasions).  Somehow over the past year you turned your tough mama into an old softie.  Every minute of the five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred that you've been alive, my love for you has grown exponentially more than the last.  You are the world to your Daddy and me and we work hard every day with hopes that you'll be the happiest little boy in the world.

Ok, I'll ease up on the mush now, especially since you may read this someday, I don't want to embarrass you Gobbles.

It has been amazing to witness your evolution from teeny helpless 9 lb 3 oz, 21 inch baby to 25 lb, 30 inch walking little toddler.  All of the sudden in the two weeks since you've been walking you're a pro on your feet.  You still hold your hands out for balance so we call you frankenstien - and you play the part perfectly by yelling like a little monster as you toddle around.  You've almost perfected climbing up on the bed from the ottoman at the foot (aka Spoonsie's second bed), but you only try to get up there when there's a puppy you want to kiss.  Speaking of puppy kisses, you know exactly what their mouths are for and approach Cannoli all the time with your mouth open Ahhhhhhhhh waiting for him to lick you in the face before you explode into laughter. 

Your favorite word is Dada, followed closely by Giggle (or wiggle, they're pretty interchangeble).  Mama is still reserved for when you need something, or are whining, which is fine for now but don't make it a habit.  You're still working on dog (Gog) and duck (duh!), but it really doesn't matter how much you can verbalize, because you still let everyone know what you want with your hands.  You let us know when you're finished eating with the all done sign, and you can wave, but usually only to kids.  You play peekaboo, but don't completely cover your eyes, which are always smiling out between your fingers.  When you want your paci you smack your mouth like a little Indian, even making the noise wahwahwahwoah.

But Gobbles, my two favorites of your little tricks is your clap and your dance.  You are the best little clapper I know.  You will clap at anything, anywhere, to let us know you are having fun.  You clap when you hear a song you like in the car, or when you see a familiar face, or when the puppies fetch for you.  The other night at Grandmas you led the whole family in many rounds of applause, cheering as we followed your lead from slow clap to fast.  You clap while you dance.  It looks like you have your Momma's enthusiasm for music and your Grandpa's rhythm.  You start to sway as soon as you hear music, just rocking your shoulders back and forth.  Even if a commercial comes on with a tune, you're movin to the beat.  My little entertainer.

As much fun as you are, I need to warn you to be careful little boy, that you don't develop your Momma's temper.  If you don't get what you want a large pout will spread across your lower lip and you'll let out this slow whine that can quickly turn into a high pitched wail if we don't attend to you.  We'll work on this together, because right now I can't resist just picking you up and hugging you every time you do this - you're just so snuggly!

You're also quite the little charmer, as I was told this morning dropping you off at daycare.  There are a few new girls in your class and the teacher told me you were being a little flirt with them yesterday!  I was not so surprised, since that night last week on the disney bus.  We were all weary after a long day at Animal Kingdom, it was getting dark and everyone was pretty quiet.  We boarded the bus to our hotel and you, your Aunt, and I sat in front of a little girl, about 9 or 10.  You got a burst of energy and started making eyes at her, so she began asking about you, name, age, etc.  Then you started clapping, shaking your head "no", and jumping up and down on my lap playing peekabo with her, being a bit of a ham as you tend to be sometimes.  She started imitating you and you began to laugh.  You giggled for so hard and so long that you got the hiccups and you still wouldn't stop.  The loudest belly laughs I've ever heard you make were directed at this little girl.  Everyone around us was smiling at the interaction you two were having.  Pretty soon her stop came, we thanked her for keeping you entertaind, she got into her wheelchair (that we hadn't even noticed), and headed off the bus with her parents.  You got a small look of panic on your face, turned to the window and banged on it.  She looked up a smiled, yelling Goodbye Gobbles.  I know you made her night, and she made ours, because it made me realize again that all I care about is your happiness.  And if that little girl could bring you so much joy for a half hour just by shaking her head and laughing with you, then I know you're on the right track.

Well son, it looks like I'm starting to get sentimental again, so before Mommy gets carried away again I'll wish you happy birthday one more time and get the photos ready.  I love you so much little boy!

Love,
Momma

ps.  I'll save the majority of the Disney pics for some future posts, instead we'll just peek at those specific to your birthday celebration, including brunch at the Crystal Palace (character pics to come later), your FIRST haircut (I know, I know, what hair? there was enough for Mommy to save a few strands - and now you don't have a rat tail), and the party with your Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, and Uncle after we got back!

Love my sweatshirt from my Aunt & Uncle!!

This place is like a fairy tale - thanks for taking me Mommy and Daddy!!



Ohhhh!  Look at that light!  I can't believe Winnie the Pooh brought that over just for me!

I think I like the sprinkles best!

Unexpectedly shy about making a mess on myself!

First this lady covers me in stickers, then takes scissors to my head!  What the heck is going on here???

Wow this thing sticks to me!  Ah mommy look at your arm - that's why my little back is so hairy!

Seriously lady, don't bother me, I'm busy here.

Well Mommy, with two hours and no cake pan or icing tip, it's ....nice.  I heard Daddy say it's certainly not bad enough to be on that cake disasters website...

But why did Grandma stab him in the forehead???

Less shy about making a mess now - because I'm at Grandma's of course!  And because Mommy said the black food coloring is hard to wipe off...

Yay for PRESENTS!  And yay for a Mickey Card!  The next day in the mailbox I found two more Mickey cards - everyone knows I love Mickey - thank you for a wonderful birthday everybody!!!