Here's a cheery start for a blog: I just spent the last hour or so vomiting up all vestiges of my dinner. Thankfully, Elias is sleeping peacefully. I guess I'm glad now that he didn't eat much of my cassarole at dinner, if that's what it was. Ugh. I'm hoping a few Cheerios will calm things down so I can go to bed. In the meantime, though, it's good to stay upright and think about better things...like Elias!
This morning when having his diaper changed he informed me that was "poo" and his diaper was "poopy." That must be another daycare word, since I don't say that. Recognition is the first step to potty training!
This evening he was upset that I made him come in for dinner after playing outside, and showed his frustration by whining then throwing his sippycup of milk across the room. (He might be the best baby in the world, but he's still mortal, after all.) Well, that called for a timeout in his room, where he stood and really cried for about 1/2 a minute, then abruptly stopped. So I led him back out, and he went over to the sippycup and declared "mess." He picked up the sippycup and gave it to me, I gave him a paper towel, and he went back over to the couple drops of milk on the floor and wiped them up. Awww...so good-natured and cute!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Birthday
Today is Elias' second birthday. I was actually sort of sad last night, thinking he's no longer my little baby. It's weird missing someone who's right there, and who is ever more wonderful as he grows up. Part of it surely was exhaustion from the party.We celebrated the big 2 with a party. We hosted our new neighbors, a family from daycare, his babysitters, and some little-seen visitors, as well as the usual cohort, for about 15 adults and maybe 10 kids. I don't think he really knew it was for him (and, really, it was more for me, in celebration of him.) However, he liked singing happy birthday and his Elmo cake, lots of helium balloons, and the general chaos. He succeeded in blowing out one of the candles (the other just wouldn't go out despite lots of huffing and puffing.) The kids enjoyed playing in the water via sprinkler, pool, and hose, and some adults joined in for frisbe and laddergolf. It got better as the evening went on, especially when the cake and food were over, shyness was overcome, it cooled off a bit, and everyone could just kick back and visit and relax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx2DMbH3Cy8
Afterwards people were really nice about helping clean up, which was especially appreciated since I was sooo sore and tired! I ached everywhere and between general exhaustion, my broken toe and nerve pain radiating down my leg, I could barely walk at all. I was really a pitiful, old, fat mess, but I don't think Elias noticed at all.
Birthday week excerpts
Elias' vocabulary is taking off and he's constantly surprising me with new words--several a day I recognize (and who knows how many that he earnestly says, but I can't recognize.) The thing that gets me the most is when he uses words or refers to things that he hasn't heard/seen/done in months. For example, it took a long time before I figured out "road-toe-tata", until he finally pointed out my rototiller stashed away in the garage. I didn't know I'd ever said that in front of him, at least not since spring, and why would it come up in daycare? He also identifies people by name whom he hasn't seen in weeks, even though before he didn't use their names.
Here's some phrases that I remember from this week.
"I go outside." As he picks up a favorite toy and heads over to the door. I love the high-pitched, confident voice and clipped, distinct syllables.
"Icky!" as he investigates the windowsill above my bed and discovers a dead fly. He immediately went over to the tissue box, got a tissue, and went back over to pick up the fly with it, then give the whole thing to me, declaring again "icky." Sorry my housekeeping isn't up to his standards, but really I'm blaming lots of it on him.
"I know my ABC's!" chanted again and again after finishing the alphabet song, usually said while laughing and shaking his head back and forth, acting proud and silly. He DOES know them, too!
"Song! Song!" requested each night before bed, and oftentimes throughout the day anytime we both sit down. Unfortunately, he often has a particular song in mind, and shakes his head and says "no" at the begining of about 70% of the songs I try. He often requests by name of the song, but aside from "Row row [your boat]" and "ABCs," I can't tell what he's saying. On some songs he likes suggesting the next verse (like "beep-beep" for Wheels on the Bus and "cow" for Old MacDonald.)
Here's some phrases that I remember from this week.
"I go outside." As he picks up a favorite toy and heads over to the door. I love the high-pitched, confident voice and clipped, distinct syllables.
"Icky!" as he investigates the windowsill above my bed and discovers a dead fly. He immediately went over to the tissue box, got a tissue, and went back over to pick up the fly with it, then give the whole thing to me, declaring again "icky." Sorry my housekeeping isn't up to his standards, but really I'm blaming lots of it on him.
"I know my ABC's!" chanted again and again after finishing the alphabet song, usually said while laughing and shaking his head back and forth, acting proud and silly. He DOES know them, too!
"Song! Song!" requested each night before bed, and oftentimes throughout the day anytime we both sit down. Unfortunately, he often has a particular song in mind, and shakes his head and says "no" at the begining of about 70% of the songs I try. He often requests by name of the song, but aside from "Row row [your boat]" and "ABCs," I can't tell what he's saying. On some songs he likes suggesting the next verse (like "beep-beep" for Wheels on the Bus and "cow" for Old MacDonald.)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Just Saturday
With the help of an Elmo video this morning, Elias (mostly) let me sleep in until a luxurious 7am, after a very tiring week. It was dark and rainy all morning, perhaps contributing to my sleepiness and Elias' general whiney mood. He kept insisting on being read to and even when I did, that wasn't good enough--he apparently wanted me to read multiple books at once to him. 
Much of the time was spent downstairs where I was doing laundry and getting ready for his birthday party in a week. I also wrapped his present and unwrapped the one from Grandma & Pappa, from Christmas--a tricycle. He was very impatient during the assembly. Let me attest that it is very difficult to put one of those together with an injured index finger and an energetic, easily frustrated 2yr old climbing all over you and constantly trying to ride it. It finally got together though. He still quite can't reach the pedals, but likes scooting it around.
Elias was eager for his nap today, and slept over 3 hours! I myself slept deeply about half of that, before rousing myself for some housework. Hope he's not getting sick. However, he was in a much better mood this afternoon, although the weather had turned hot and muggy.
We played outside a little. I tried to take pictures but met the usual obstacle that he rushes to my side of the camera when he sees it, asking to look at pictures of himself. I resorted to holding him and pointing the camera from arm's length back in his general direction; some of those actually look OK. I lament that I can't better record his antics before he grows out of them; I just have to do what I can. Here's a couple YouTube clips from today.
Much of the time was spent downstairs where I was doing laundry and getting ready for his birthday party in a week. I also wrapped his present and unwrapped the one from Grandma & Pappa, from Christmas--a tricycle. He was very impatient during the assembly. Let me attest that it is very difficult to put one of those together with an injured index finger and an energetic, easily frustrated 2yr old climbing all over you and constantly trying to ride it. It finally got together though. He still quite can't reach the pedals, but likes scooting it around. One great thing this morning was that for the first time he let me know that he wanted me to change his diaper! I couldn't understand the words he used, but I got the gist of it, and unlike virtually every other time in which he cries and squirms, he laid there quietly while I took care of (his) business. It's good that he's showing the first signs of being ready for potty training, but *I'm* certainly not ready. Pretty clueless, actually. I also wish he had a male role model in this respect. I don't exactly feel comfortable asking any of my men friends "hey, do you think you could pee in front of my son?"
Elias was eager for his nap today, and slept over 3 hours! I myself slept deeply about half of that, before rousing myself for some housework. Hope he's not getting sick. However, he was in a much better mood this afternoon, although the weather had turned hot and muggy.
We played outside a little. I tried to take pictures but met the usual obstacle that he rushes to my side of the camera when he sees it, asking to look at pictures of himself. I resorted to holding him and pointing the camera from arm's length back in his general direction; some of those actually look OK. I lament that I can't better record his antics before he grows out of them; I just have to do what I can. Here's a couple YouTube clips from today.Monday, August 3, 2009
one of those days
I woke up sick, with Elias crying. I've been struggling with a cold or mild flu the last few days, but it slammed me today. More, my great fear was realized: "the cough" is back after a respite of a couple months. This is a nasty cough that started in April 2008, and plagued me most of the time since then, stumping a whole slew of doctors. It's gotten so bad that I couldn't catch my breath such that I had to rush to urgent care, and a year ago it jarred a disk in my back out of place, essentially crippling me in probably the worst physical pain I've ever experienced (while still having an infant to care for). I'm relating this to give weight to my claim that this "simple" cold scares me. Yet, life goes on. Elias was uncharacteristically crying because he'd soaked through his super overnight Huggies, and top & bottom pajamas, and sheets. Ugh. On the way to work I missed my offramp. Over lunch I looked down and discovered this:
Still, it was not all hard going. When I finished my shower Elias excitedly chanted "all done with shower" all morning--his longest "sentence" yet, I think, and very cute. (He still hates me taking showers.) At work I had the followup meeting with the Birth-to-Three child development specialists, who told me he was at age level or advanced in every category, with the only "lagging" piece related to potty training (which they said was still totally normal, especially for boys.) This is in contrast to their evaluation last fall, when he nearly qualified for remedial tutoring because of his delayed speech. They were very impressed with his gains, and commented several times at how unusual it was to know colors and letters so well, so early. One thing that engenders immediate good will in me is to complement Elias. At night he sweetly asked for a song and went through most of my repertoire to find the songs he liked, shaking his head and whispering "no," or softly clapping his hands and smiling for those few he liked (tonight, Silent Night, This Land is Your Land, and 10 Bottles of Beer on the Wall). Then he went right to bed.
green thumb
Elias is very concerned about my horticultural skills, or lack thereof. He's constantly reminding me to water plants, and the ones on the front porch may owe their continued tenuous existence to his efforts. Tonight he was playing on the deck and asked for water. He very responsibly watered my (very dry) herb garden...then himself...then the unsuspecting chickens pecking about below. I'm pretty sure he was aiming for Verdi.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Kidlinks festival
I am so incredibly blessed by Elias. Everything about him is wonderful, and not just mildly wonderful: really really wonderful. I suppose a blog is an introvert's way of shouting this to the world.
No, I don't have anything in particular to illustrate this today, just feeling a little overwhelmed by his presence in my life. I was able to upload a couple YouTube video clips, 2 from today, 2 from a while back, for those of you who are sadly bereft of opportunities to see him in person.
international" award. Made him a little easier to keep track of, too! He alternated between having fun and disengaging a bit. At our own little table on a deck in back he practiced his yelling (but fortunately not screeching, a new practice reportedly encouraged by a friend in daycare). When another few families with Ethiopian kids about the same age joined us, Elias, then the others, went to play in a corner. I think they wanted to see what Elias was up to, but Elias was really just trying to get away from them to some degree. He is definitely not standoffish with 10 year old boys, though. When a band 
started performing, he chose a boy to chum up to, and at one point when he sat down, Elias just plopped himself right onto his lap and settled there. This isn't the first time this has happened. When I thanked the boy afterwards for being such a good temporary big brother, he said how surprised he was when he did that. I'm surprised how willing and "motherly" these little boys have always been when Elias attaches himself to them; that wasn't my picture of boys that age. Then again, perhaps Elias is just an astute judge of character. 
No, I don't have anything in particular to illustrate this today, just feeling a little overwhelmed by his presence in my life. I was able to upload a couple YouTube video clips, 2 from today, 2 from a while back, for those of you who are sadly bereft of opportunities to see him in person.
- dancing today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLno35V_aqU
- just hangin with the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqYhc1hg4uU
- 1st bowl of cereal (with SuperWhy, his favorite TV show, in the background): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEffsbSQUIY
- before-school scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBlPRmZZitQ
international" award. Made him a little easier to keep track of, too! He alternated between having fun and disengaging a bit. At our own little table on a deck in back he practiced his yelling (but fortunately not screeching, a new practice reportedly encouraged by a friend in daycare). When another few families with Ethiopian kids about the same age joined us, Elias, then the others, went to play in a corner. I think they wanted to see what Elias was up to, but Elias was really just trying to get away from them to some degree. He is definitely not standoffish with 10 year old boys, though. When a band 
started performing, he chose a boy to chum up to, and at one point when he sat down, Elias just plopped himself right onto his lap and settled there. This isn't the first time this has happened. When I thanked the boy afterwards for being such a good temporary big brother, he said how surprised he was when he did that. I'm surprised how willing and "motherly" these little boys have always been when Elias attaches himself to them; that wasn't my picture of boys that age. Then again, perhaps Elias is just an astute judge of character.
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