Merry ChristMoose!

Pretty quiet

Not a whole lot to post about recently... Robert is still working on standing and walking, but he doesn't seem to be in a big hurry to take off.  We did have a funny moment today when I was sitting at the Green County Garden Club's cookie walk today with a woman who is the mother of 4, grandmother of 8 and great-grandmother of 9 who said that she had never seen a child eat like Robert.  I guess it was nice to have my suspicions confirmed...

Lots to say

Robert will be 14 months on Tuesday, and I've found that when kids turn one year everyone wants to know if a. ) they are walking and/or b.) if they are talking.  Well we've had a big week here on both fronts.  Just this week Robert has learned to stand on his own, and even took a few tentative steps.   He is definitely on the slow side on walking, but Rob was 15 months before he walked alone, so I wasn't worried.  Plus, when you are in the 98th percentile for height and 75th for weight, that is just a lot of mass to move around.  But I think the peer pressure at school has got to him, and he's trying to catch up with the big kids.  He also really started verbalizing this week.  Here's a partial list of Robert's words, with the grown up translation:

Da (socks)

Do (Dog)

Do (Down)

Do (Duck)

Da (Dad)

Nnnnn (Sound doggie makes)

Nana (banana)

Oh ah ah ah (Sound monkey makes)

Dada (Dad, or Doggie, or Down NOW!)

Bu (Book)

Mama (Mama, I want, help, It's dark, come get me...)

No No (I'm going to touch something I shouldn't)

Uh oh (I just threw something on the floor and want you to pick it up)

Fortunately, the signing rounds out his needs.  He signs "eat," "drink," (I just figured out what that was-- he points his finger at his mouth, instead of making the ASL cup sign) "all done," "more," "banana," "brush teeth," "wash hands," and  "dog" reliably, and sometimes "apple" and "water" (which looks a lot like his "drink").  We're going to continue with the signing because he really seems to like it, and it turns out that I do too.  There is a huge school for the deaf in our neighborhood, and it would be great if Robert could make use of that resource as he gets older.

 

A day in the life...

Sometimes it seems like the days, weeks, and even months fly by without me even noticing.  How can so much time pass without me seeming to get anything done? I think we all know who is to blame, but gosh, it seems incredible that the days fly by so fast.  Especially since sometimes the minutes just drag on and on (how long until nap time?!?)

So, (and I realize this is scraping the bottom of the blogging barrel) here is a typical Saturday in Toddler land.

3:30 AM-- Drag self from nice warm snuggly flannel sheets to go put Robert's binki back in and rock him back to sleep.

4:30 AM-- Ditto.  Glare at Rob who seems to just sleep through the crying.  Shut bedroom door to so as not to hear Robert cry anymore unless he is super-upset.

7:15 AM-- Wake up.  Realize it is 7:15 and no crying.  Try to decide if I should get up and get some stuff done, or sleep some more.

7:16 AM-- Hear Robert start to make waking up noises.  Decide that I REALLY wanted to go back to sleep.

7:17 AM Pray Robert will go back to sleep.

7:29 AM Get up, go downstairs and graciously allow Rob to fix me breakfast. 

7:50 AM  Suggest to Rob that since he went to so much trouble to fix me breakfast that he should go change Robert's diaper and get him dressed while I eat my breakfast.

7:51 AM Can't believe that worked.

8:00 AM Feed Robert breakfast, get him dressed (Rob did the diaper, but not the outfit), play downstairs with  him.

10:00 AM Send Rob and Robert out to Costco to do some household shopping while I decorate for Christmas.  Turn up Jay-z's Black Album since I don't have to explain to Robert why he has 99 Problems But a Bitch Ain't One. 

12:00 PM Feed Robert leftover corn and turkey for lunch.  

12:30 PM  Naptime. Change his diaper and realize I'm out of cloth diapers. Put him in a 'sposie. Robert is really tired and goes down immediately. I hum "It's the most wonderful time of the day" to the tune of that Christmas song.  More decorating.

1:40 PM  I decide I should take a nap.  

1:45 PM I decide I can't sleep.   Stuff clean diapers so we have them for after nap.

3:00 PM.  Robert wakes up.  I install newly-cleaned diaper and rejoice that his one 'sposie of the day coincided with the dirty diaper of the day.    

3:15 PM Next-door neighbor and her 13 month daughter come over to play.  Robert hits Lily over the head with a puzzle piece, Lily dumps Robert head-first out of his rocking chair.  In other words, a normal day.  

4:00 PM.  Neighbor heads home.  I look at the clock and realize that there are still 3. hours. till. bed.  Try to tempt Robert with toys instead of banging blocks into window.  Fail, and send Robert to time out.  

5:30 PM Forget the research about kids not seeing TV until they are 2.  Find Little Einsteins on ON DEMAND.  Get more interested in it that Robert is.

6:00 PM Feed Robert dinner.  Spinach ravioli with salmon in dill sauce and peaches.

6:30 PM Bath

6:45 PM Diaper, PJs, 2 stories (The Going to Bed Book and When Mama Comes Home Tonight)

6:50 PM Find Paci, Douglas, Put Robert in bed.  Leave room, make it down 3 steps before the crying starts.

7:00 PM  Go back up stairs, sing song, pat tummy.  Leave again, and listen to crying 1/2 way down the stairs.

7:02 PM  All's quiet...

7:20 PM Eat a grown up dinner with no food thrown, cut up into microscopic pieces, or stuck up anyone's nose.  

8:10 PM Start watching WVU's last home game.  Too tired to do anything else....

So, that folks, is why nothing is done around here.  Pretty sad, I know.