Sitting up and mobile

Little man has had quite the developmental burst over Xmas break. He is sitting up like a pro! We still sit within reach of him because he will flail back every once and a while, but he's upright. His new favorite move is leaning forward onto his hands and knees and kind of bopping back and forth before landing on his belly. He's managed a hand forward but ends up flat. However, he has this little army crawl/dragging technique where he pushes his left foot to propel himself forward. And it's very effective at getting him whatever illegal thing he really wants- paper clip, piece of fuzz, big guy toy,etc. it's amazing how fast it happened! Something about the myriad of new toys and being home with everyone!

Fish: A Timeline

Xmas posts will arrive as soon as photos are on the computer. Suffice to say, we had a fun, interesting and present filled holiday. One of the big gifts from Santa was a fish tank that big guy has been asking for since August. Following set up the day after Xmas, I was actually kind of excited, since I had fish growing up and the tank was my nightlight for many years. Please note that hubs did EVERYTHING the right way according to instructions on fish tank, my mom and various internet sites about setting up and acquiring fish. Here is a timeline of the Saturday after Xmas:

10:00am- arrival at petco. We spoke with Steve, least knowledgeable petco guy to be found. We got food, decorative rock, decorative plastic plant, net, water cleaning products, thermometer, heater and two fish. A yellow tailed guppy named Lemon and a suckerfish named Otto.

11:00am- arrival back home. Hubs and big guy arrange declarations, test water, have fish in bag in water. Cue complete joy on big guys face!

11:45- Lemon and Otto are in their new home swimming happily.

1:30- big guy and I go check on fish to see if they are "still pretty or dead." His words not mine. All ok! Though Lemon was looking a little grayish.

2:30- little man and I go to change diaper and check on fish again. RIP Lemon.

2:40- flushing of Lemon. We say goodbye. I have talk with big guy about why fish is dead and how it's not his fault. Cue heart crush when he says he thinks he stomped too much around the tank.

6:30pm- say goodnight and feed Otto. We have another talk about fish being fragile.

Somewhere between 3:00-5:20am- RIP Otto.

5:20am- big guy- " mommy! I'm awake! My fish is upside down!"

Good lord, could I have felt worse. Many conversations have followed about feeling sadness about fish and getting more. Hubs tests the water everyday and it's all perfect! So we are going to go to a local fish store and bring a water sample. I am hopeful that we will someday own and keep alive at least one fish. Otherwise, Santa just got us a really expensive nightlight!!

Carrots and peas

I have discovered a food that little man likes- the mighty carrot!  We started it right before xmas and he kept opening his mouth like a little birdy.  It's awesome and tuns hs poop inyo a really fun color.  We started peas two days after xmas, he was not pleased.  The yucky face was back.  So, tonight being the second night, I mixed it with carrots, not only for taste, but also to loosen the poop, it was super thick just as peas !!  Now, we can conquer pears, squash, peaches, meats, egg yolk, other veggies/fruits, bread products, and get rolling with finger foods.  Woo hoo!

Finally

Little man has been making some serious progress:

On Thursday little man got weighed and finally made it over 17 lbs! He was 17lbs 3oz. I mean, it was about time, we've been languishing in 16lb land for over 2 months.

Also, he's figured out sitting up, almost. He can sit up for a good 15-20 mins if he's engrossed in a toy or looking at something interesting. But he's still doing trust falls- where he will just fall over or in an attempt to go onto his belly, lands on his face!

He's a rolling machine! Essentially, he is wiggly and can squirm his way to what he wants. Very dangerous, but also very cute. It's so funny seeing them develop from rolling being a big production, to all casual and calm. And he loves jumping to his belly from sitting. Which in the past few days has gotten more steady. He occasionally will end up on hands and knees swaying back and forth. Hmmm, when will crawling start?

And our other big development has been food!! Little man is readily eating oatmealtwo times a day. One meal is usually plain while the other has applesauce, banana or sweet potatoes mixed in. Little man is not too into these foods, so we are moving slowly through them. Big guy was a little birdy with food, so I have to be more patient and creative. Funnily enough, little man loves my food, so maybe he will be more interested with self feeding. But his reactions to new flavors is awesome. He makes these dramatic faces and bodily shivers. Sometimes I just give him more just to see the faces. Cruel, I know. But he's finally liking apples and bananas. So, he'll get there!

4 AM

4 am is an evil time. What isn't happening at 4 am, you ask?

1. The sun is not up
2. It's very quiet
3. It's very dark
4. The cats think it's play time
5. I've been awake every day this month with a baby who has decided that it is time to be awake, regardless of dark, quiet and the cats!

Sadly, it's become a pattern, which then throws off the rest of our day. Naps have become bizarre and exhaustion sets in! For both of us. So, on Saturday morning, we went over to our library to elicit some written help on better sleep. I'll keep everyone posted on "the no-cry sleep solution." Why no cry? Well, mostly because anytime either of them makes a noise during sleep hours, the other wakes up!! Very frustrating to a tired mamabear.

The month that got away...

December got away from me! I was doing so well! What can I say, there is no excuse. I will say that we are 3 days away from Xmas and I'm already overwhelmed! Luckily, all Xmas shopping has been done for over a week. Little man is getting nada from us, but only because he will literally be swimming in toys from as eve with hubs' family get together. And will also be swimming in wrapping paper and boxes from big guy. And in my amazing motherly experience, those are endlessly entertaining to babies and maybe even next year.

I'm aware of just about all of big guy's gifts. Boy, is he in for some serious fun and joy! The big present from Santa this year is a fish tank. Which he asked for this summer. Santa has delivered. Then gmom Dino wrote a letter from Santa with instructions for purchasing his fish and other items the fish will need. We r putting in cash so he can buy this stuff.

He's going to lose his noodle. I just know it! It's really cool because this year he totally gets Santa, Xmas, writing lists, Xmas carols and everything else that goes along with this holiday. Even Hanukkah, he knows the dreidel song and all about gelt. The tooth fairy is making her annual visit and delivering toothbrushes, which gmom Dino explained was her desire to do good motherly work by providing them every big holiday. Good thinking!

I'm excited and it's going to be great! Wrapping presents has been challenging only because I can't do it when big guy is home. And little man has been giving me a hard time with naps. The other day he sobbed for an hour and a half in his pack n play during nap time while I wrapped. The good thing is I can wrap his presents in front of him because he won't remember! Ha!

xmas tree

On sunday we walked up the street to the local church and bought our xmas tree.  As in the past 6 years we have lived in this house, hubs walked it home.  This year was cool because big guy had gotten a wagon for xmas last year, so there was less cursing, less stopping and as hubs told me, less feeling sap becoming part of his person!  anywho, big guy and I were in charge of choosing the tree.  And as usual we bought an even bigger tree, completely by accident.  hubs would disagree, saying that I clearly have no spatial reasoning (true) and big guy is unreliable because he's a kid (also true).  but it's beautiful.  I will document it's unfurling, decorations, and more tree fun later, but I wanted to remember this snippet of talking to my child:

Big guy: Can we decorate it now?
Me: No, we have to let it depoof!
Big guy: Take a POOP???
Me: No, depoof. Um, let the branches come down so we can put the ornaments on.
Big guy: Oh, ok.