Reading, 'Riting and What not

I signed Milo up for our library's summer reading program. The baby/toddler portion of it involves me (or Milo's daddy) reading to him and doing other activities. I kind of feel like I'm cheating a little because we already read to Milo every day -- at least a couple times and at least a couple books. So, he's going to get prizes for doing the things we do anyway.

I love to read and I hope I pass that love to Milo. He enjoys our story times so I think he'll grow up as a reader. I know much of that is up to the S.O. and me. Milo needs to see us reading -- and enjoying -- books. He needs to know the importance of reading and understand the joy and knowledge it can bring.

He has a few favorites right now: Anything by Sandra Boynton (especially "The Belly Button Book" and "Blue Hat, Green Hat"), "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight" by Jane Yolen and "Llama Llama Home With Mama" by Anna Dewdney. He especially enjoys the rhythm and rhyme of these particular stories. He also enjoys how silly Mommy can get while reading a silly book. And I enjoy reading them to him. And that's pretty important too.

Daddy Talk: It's just stuff

When I was a young man I did some foolish things. One thing I remember is dumping an aquarium in the living room. It had a frog and some fish and a lot of water. I remember using our house vacuum to suck up the fish, frog and water. Luckily I didn't fry myself or my brother. That memory set me on a quest to find that vacuum. Searching the Internet I saw that it was made by a company called Tristar and it was expensive. The vacuum was well built, and the company is still around.

I am not nostalgic enough to go and buy one now for myself but it made me appreciate my parents. Although I remember dumping the aquarium I don't remember being punished for both destroying the expensive vacuum and killing the fish. My parents were only concerned that my brother and I were OK.

On my boy's 2nd birthday, that is all I care about; his well being. Most things are just things, only possessions that can be replaced. Things can be bought and bought, and I expect things to be ruined. Accidents happen, but I will keep him safe. And I'll probably buy my mom an expensive vacuum.

A Quick Guide to Milospeak

Milo's vocabulary improves all the time. He has plenty of words that even people who aren't the parents of toddlers can understand. Some things he says are easy to understand, but may not mean exactly what you might think at first. And some of his "words" or phrases take a little more detective work to understand. There are even a few that I haven't figured out yet (and may never).
 

 The following are words and phrases that I find funny, cute and/or mind-boggling.

Apee: Airplane


Aw doo (drawn out): All aboard! (It's what the conductor says.)

Big car: Truck, especially garbage truck

Boo choo choo (while playing with a train simulator on my smart phone): ?  I thought it was "blue choo choo." But when I'd change the engine to blue, I got a resounding "No!" It might be "blow choo choo," as in blow the train horn, but I don't really think so.

Bo nigh: ? Again, I have no idea. It was said while looking at the train simulator, but also once while going down the stairs. It either morphed into boo choo choo or he gave up on it.

Bubu: Builder or bulldozer, possibly Bob the Builder, said when we see construction vehicles.

Cu-cucka: Time tunnel (from "Dinosaur Train"), said when going under an overpass or overhead traffic signals or other random overhead objects

Cuckoo: Cookie

Dingo: Ding dong, meaning the doorbell

Dough: Door, as in "Open the cabinet/refrigerator door so I can get something to eat."

Go: Yes (but also "Go," as in "Damn the red light. Get this car moving, Mama!")

Ice or Ides: Outside

Meemo (sometimes meebo): Hippo, also some stuffed animals that aren't hippos

Meese (accompanied by the sign language for it): Please

Mo: More

Moo (when not talking about a cow): Move

Mymo: Milo - often used to express pride, as in "look what Milo did!"

T.T.: TV specifically "Timmy Time"

Friday Flashback

Milo was jaundiced when he was born -- apparently a fairly common occurrence in Colorado. ("In Colorado babies are 39 percent more likely to have newborn jaundice compared to newborns born at sea level.") He slept in a light bed at the hospital. We called him our little Tron baby.

19 months

Dear Milo,

Am I ever going to stop being surprised by how fast time passes? Probably not. Before I know it, I'll be writing, "Dear Milo, you're 19 years old today." And I will faint at how quickly it went.

You're 19 months old today. [Fainting.] The past month has been filled with so much fun. You got to go trick or treating this year and actually sort of got what it was about. You are doing somersaults all by yourself -- even at The Little Gym where your teacher can see you doing them.

You are saying -- or trying to say -- lots of new words. You're mimicking Daddy and me a lot. Although, you still don't call me Mommy or Mama or anything, except possibly Dada sometimes. You seem to think your name is Mama. Or maybe you just think Milo and Mama are the same word. Or -- and this is not beyond the realm of possibility based on your growing sense of humor -- you're just screwing with me. One day you said Mama while babbling about the dog and Dada. You looked at me with an oops sort of grin that made me think you know exactly who Mama is. Lucky you're so damn cute.

The time change messed with your sleep schedule for a bit. Mostly it made you -- and me -- cranky. Plus, you seem to be getting all your teeth right now. Those little buggers are sure slow in coming. You've had a constantly running nose. So, along with the fun stuff this month, there have been plenty of tears. But mostly fun.

We got our family portraits done by a very nice lady, Courtney at CKE Photography. Not only was it a good time, but we got a whole bunch of really great pictures. Look out, family, you're getting pics for Christmas.

Photo by CKE Photography. Costume by Carter's. Cute by Milo.

Lately, you've been saying/singing, "Doopah doopah da." It's a little like a jazz scat, and I'm not sure where it came from. It's totally cute though, and Daddy and I sing it back to you. So much so that the other night when I checked on you before I went to bed, you said, "Doopah da" to me in your sleep. It was so freaking cute, I had to call your daddy, who was out of town, and tell him about it. In fact, you're saying it right now -- while you're supposed to be napping.

It's OK, though because you're playing happily by yourself in your crib. Even when you don't nap now, you usually have some quiet time. I really appreciate that, sweetie. I have been trying to take more time for myself and I think that helps us both. You're awesome and all, but mommies need breaks and so do little boys.

The next month is going to be another whirlwind month, with visiting Auntie for Thanksgiving and prepping for the big holiday. It'll be fun though, just like every day with you is filled with fun.

I love you, sweetness. So much.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween, I thought it would be extra scary to let Milo help with decorating the pumpkin. A toddler wielding a carving knife is probably the most frightening thing I can imagine, but I didn't let things get that scary. Instead, I allowed Milo to unleash the fury of finger paints -- on himself and the innocent pumpkin. (With a nod to Parenting.com's safety tips)

The artist at work

Deep in concentration

Proud of himself

Spooky!

Here's hoping your Halloween is fun and safe and full of sweet treats.

Mommy cooks

Ever since Milo has been old enough to eat people food, I've experimented with recipes from "Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6 to 18 Months". Some are not so much recipes as how-tos -- how to make pureed fruits and vegetables. Recently, though, I've tried a few of the "real meal" recipes toward the back of the book. Milo is fast approaching 18 months!

The three I've tried have been quite tasty: beef stew, macaroni and cheese, and fish fingers. And Milo has absolutely refused to try them. Scratch that, he did eat the mac and cheese but not as greedily as he eats the kind from a box. (And really, homemade is only a tiny bit more work). I know toddlers can be picky eaters. I know -- from many accounts and experts -- that it can take up to 15 attempts to get a toddler to accept a new food. But I don't really like to cook. And I don't really enjoy spending a lot of time on a recipe that is going to be rejected out of hand.

Still, the S.O. and I did enjoy the food, and the recipes weren't that complicated. At least I didn't spend all afternoon creating something just for the boy to have him scream about trying it. And at least he will eat lots of other things. I'll just have to keep trying.

The book is very informative and, as I said, the recipes are tasty. I'd recommend this book for moms-to-be and/or moms of little ones.

Now, where did I put those oven mitts?

Friday Flashback

Two years ago (almost to the day), I was pondering and worrying about prenatal tests I was offering as a pregnant lady of advanced maternal age.

In the end, I declined the invasive tests. Obviously, it all worked out. Thank goodness I worried about it.

No test would have told me how cute this kid would be.

Play date bounce time

Plus a review

 

My very good friend Lisa, over at Grandma's Briefs, recently invited Milo, me and a couple other friends to her house for a review of an indoor bounce house. That's right, an indoor (also outdoor, if you're into that kind of thing) bounce house. Seems Lisa has this whole blogging thing down and actually gets real-live products from real-live companies like One Step Ahead to review (and give away!).

Milo had a great time in the Bounce-A-Round inflatable jumper. He wasn't too sure about it at first when it was just him and the grown ups. He tentatively checked it out but he was definitely more interested in munching the animal crackers Lisa set out for a snack. But once his buddy, Caden (who is a couple years older than Milo) showed up, Milo was ready to dive in and had such fun.

As Lisa points out in her full review (which you can read here), there were a few things we might like to change, like adding a flap or some sort of door and including a cover so you can create a fort. But all in all, the bounce house was a success and hanging out with an older kid was very cool for Milo.

Head over to Grandma's Briefs to read the review and enter to win your own bouncy house from One Step Ahead. (Even though I want to win it myself, I'm giving you the link because Lisa is so awesome and more people should visit her blog.)

Friday Flashback

Remember when I freaked out about this:

Yeah, I was silly.

16 months

Dear Milo,

Another month has come and gone -- another month filled with excitement and some truly scary moments. Just this weekend, you made your first visit to the ER. You were pretty much unfazed by the entire episode. Your Daddy and I are still reeling from it. You were back to your old self the very next morning, trying to give me love headbutts and giggling like mad.

Our other big milestone this past month is that you are finally and completely weaned. One morning you got up and instead of asking for Mommy, you asked for yogurt. And we haven't looked back. Honestly, sweetie, I don't miss it. I don't get to hold you as much but I can live with that.

We were both sick this month, you for a couple of days and me for a couple weeks. That kind of threw off our normal schedule, and we're still working to get back into a routine. We hung out at the pool a few times with friends and you loved it. So much that you tried to go into the "deep" end on your own. I tried really hard not to freak out about it.

In other news, we got a new roof on the house and we got air conditioning installed. Both have helped us all sleep better.

We tried to take you to see the president when he spoke in town, but we arrived too late to get in. We missed out on that but we took you to the park, and you got to see a real-live train go by. You were fascinated by it.

So much has happened this past month, I'm having a hard time remembering it all. You seem to be constantly hungry so I expect a big growth spurt soon. Your feet are growing fast so maybe you'll soon catch up to them. I think it's part of the reason you seem clumsier than before. And maybe that contributed to your unfortunate fall.

Your personality is bursting. You are funny and sweet and sometimes a humongous little bit of a brat. You're definitely all boy, with your interest in trucks and trains and dinosaurs. You're awesome, even when you are exhibiting signs of entering the terrible twos. Sometimes I'm not as patient as I'd like be but I love you through it all. Mostly because you're so incredibly, undeniably cute.

Love,

Mommy

Daddy talk: Bucket lists

Things are great right now. Milo's being fussy and cries in frustration because he can't articulate what he wants. I can understand that, well at least the frustration part. He gets a little better at it each day. So far we know when he's thirsty, when he wants food, when he wants more. I am sure to him we aren't doing a great job but we are getting some level of understanding. Lots more to look forward to.

Yesterday we did a practice 10K run/walk and took a break at Gossage Youth Sports Park while some little league games were going on. I couldn't help but imagine Milo playing ball, to the point where I planned on getting him that padded shirt in case he gets hit with a ball. It isn't all that odd to imagine what kinds of things he will get into and what to pad his world with so he doesn't get hurt. I think that's the easy thing to do is to figure out all the things he will do.

One thing I have never contemplated are the things that he wouldn't be able to do. I ran across a story on CNN about the daughter of Mike and Laura Canahuati. Her name is Avery and has only 2 years to live. Her parents have come up with a bucket list for her and are working on getting as many of those items done for her. I know how stuck I would be just trying to understand why my perfect little child doesn't get to see his third birthday. I hope that Avery gets to do so many things and see so many places. I hope the same for Milo.

http://averycan.blogspot.com/

Friday flashback

One year ago today, I was strongly anticipating the birth of my first son. I was 36-weeks pregnant and had just seen my doctor:

"I am now 36 weeks pregnant and officially four weeks from my due date. However, at my appointment yesterday the doctor said she thinks I have about five weeks left. I'm really not sure what to think of that but I'm going to stick with my prediction of April 15."

Milo was born just one hour and 51 minutes past April 15. He should have been born April 15 but decided not to turn his face the right way.

Based on him not turning as he should have and him waiting just a little past my predicted date, I think he's going to be just a little contrary his whole life. But I'm OK with that. He's so damn cute.

Of helicopter parents and creepy picture books

Our town recently made news by canceling a local Easter egg hunt. This NPR story tells how aggressive parents "swarmed into the tiny park last year, determined that their kids get an egg." It goes on to say:

"Parenting observers cite the cancellation as a prime example of 'helicopter parents' — those who hover over their children and are involved in every aspect of their children's lives — sports, school, and increasingly work — to ensure that they don't fail, even at an Easter egg hunt."

I will admit it's sometimes hard to sit back and let Milo problem solve on his own. I've been working to let him do more on his own, as long as he won't get hurt. Even then, sometimes he has to fall on his own to figure out how to get up on his own. I'm sure I will at some point in his life be guilty of being a helicopter parent, but I'm going to work really hard not to do it too often.

Coincidentally, my good friend Lisa over at Grandma's Briefs wrote today about a favorite picture book --  Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. As Lisa tells us, in the story, "Mommy drives across town in the middle of the night, leans a ladder up to her son's bedroom window, and climbs the darn thing. She goes through the window into the bedroom, where she cuddles and rocks her sound-asleep man-sized boy."

Lisa reports that her grown daughter, now a mother herself, finds the book "creepy." Sure, the idea of someone climbing in my bedroom window definite creeps me out. But all in all, I think the story actually sounds sweet. I don't know what exactly raises the creepy flag for Lisa's daughter but I'm guessing it's the stalkerish mom's ultimate act of helicopter parenting.

Sometimes the best parenting is about being silly

Being an older mom, I'm not sure exactly which generation of parenting I fall under. I'm technically a Gen-Xer but because that generation spans such a range to include moms in their 20s, I'm not sure who I identify with.

Not all parents with young children are the same. I have read traditional books like "The Velveteen Rabbit" and brand-new things like "Goodnight, IPad" to Milo.

I believe that while it sucks, we all have to learn that sometimes life is just not fair. We all have to learn that lesson -- children and parents alike. Sometimes our kids are going to come in second (or last). Sometimes they aren't going to get an egg. That's life. And one day, even if we still consider him our baby, we have to realize that climbing into a grown son's window is decidedly creepy (even if it makes for a sweet picture book).

Friday flashback

This time last year I was 32 weeks pregnant, anticipating the final two months of my pregnancy. According to an email newsletter from Fit Pregnancy I wrote about back then, unborn-baby Milo weighed about 4 pounds and was about 15 to 17 inches tall.

We had taken our childbirth class, seen the birthing center and were beginning to gather the things we'd need to welcome our little bundle.

Now, a year later, Milo weighs about 24 pounds and is about 28 inches tall. We're making plans for his first birthday. We're watching him take his first steps and try out some first words.

Thank goodness humans aren't pregnant for 19 months.

I'm so glad I've recorded so many things here on this blog. The time has passed so quickly. Looking back, I realize how quickly the pregnancy passed, too.

Sometimes, it's hard to remember what it was like being pregnant, what it was like to go through labor, what it was like when Milo was tiny. It's pretty cool to be able to go back and reread those posts.

Boogie down

Of all the icky baby body fluids, snot and boogers are by far -- in my opinion -- the worst. Yes, they are worse than poo, pee and spit up. I'm not sure what it is about snot, but it gives me the willies like nothing else. I hate using that snot sucker bulb to clear Milo's nose, but I know it's a necessary evil.

When Milo had his first cold a while back, my good friend Lisa over at Grandma's Briefs gave us some samples of Boogie Wipes (along with a coupon). We didn't end up using many during that first cold, but Milo has the sniffles again, and -- because we don't live in the world of The Brady Bunch, where doctors make house calls to little kids with the sniffles -- I whipped out the snot sucker and the Boogie Wipes.

Milo is too young to get how to blow his nose, thus the snot sucker. But with sneezes, he ends up with boogies on and around his nose, and Boogies Wipes -- Gentle Saline Wipes for Stuffy Noses -- are great for wiping dried up snot and boogies. They are also great for catching snot the sucker pulls out (yuck!).

I had been using regular tissues to wipe his nose, but as someone who has suffered colds and allergies, I know that even the softest, most lotioned-up tissues out there can still leave you with a sore raw nose. The thought of Milo's cute little button nose all red and raw made me cringe.

Gotta keep that cute little nose clean and comfy.

I don't have that worry with the Boogie Wipes. They have saline (just like the spray pediatricians recommend) to soothe. Milo still doesn't like his nose sucked out or wiped, but the Boogie Wipes definitely help ease the process.

If you are interested in getting some Boogie Wipes for yourself, head over to Grandma's Back Room at Grandma's Briefs by Saturday, Oct. 15 and leave a message for a chance to win.

I plan to invest in the 90-count economy size and may even check out the adult version (Saline Soothers) before the true cold season sets in.

Sentimental fool

Yesterday, I talked about my baby's name and how we decided on Milo. Today, I read on Parents.com about what his name says about me.

According to Parents.com, "If you choose a family name, you're sentimental."

"This name has a more personal story behind it, so it's not as flashy as naming your child after your favorite car or rock star," says Wattenberg. "If it's a traditional name, people aren't going to ask you about it, so they won't know it's a family name unless you tell them. That could be why these types of names have lost some steam in recent years."

I'm from a family of sentimental fools, because most of my nieces and nephews are named for someone else.

Food Tidings

Did I tell you about this site? My awesome friend Heather set up a schedule -- with the help of some other awesome friends -- to bring me and the S.O. meals three days a week.

Way back when -- before Milo was born -- I reposted a list of ways to assist new parents. Because I refused to give my underpants size, friends decided to help out by bringing food. And it has been awesome. Most days, there has been more than enough for at least a couple meals. And everything has been so tasty, leftovers are great.

Not only does having food brought in save us the trouble of cooking, it saves us from having to decide what to fix or pick up for dinner. I had no idea how exhausting decision making could be (not as exhausting as breastfeeding, but close).

I am so grateful to all my friends who have (or will) pitch in to take care of the S.O. and me so we can concentrate on taking care of Milo. I highly recommend this site and this idea for any new parent (or anyone who is convalescing).

In case you missed it

Yesterday was Arbor Day. In honor of the day, the S.O. and I had trees planted for Milo.

You probably can't read the above certificate that came with the trees. Part of it says, "The trees planted for you is an act of optimism and kindness, a labor of love and a commitment to stewardship."

I like to believe that having and raising a child is a bit like planting trees: We must be optimistic and kind, love him through thick and thin, and take care of him until he can care for himself.

Today, he is two weeks old. I can't say the past two weeks have been easy. But I wouldn't trade them for anything.

10 Things I Learned from Pregnancy and Child Birth

1. I love and trust my body. As someone who has had body issues her entire life, I was happy to discover I loved my body during pregnancy. I may have felt huge toward the end, but I never felt fat. I knew my body was doing what it needed to do to help grow my baby.

2. The best advice comes from friends not "experts" on the Web or in magazines. Magazines and Web sites have their usefulness, but nothing compared to the advice my good friends gave me. The best piece of advice: Don't believe everything you read.

3. My family and friends are the absolute best. From presents to food to a baby shower with an awesome cake, my friends and family have gone above and beyond what I thought possible. I never believed myself deserving of such attention and affection.

4. Bonding really does begin in utero. The minute I saw Milo, I knew him. We had so many conversations before he was born -- some just me telling him to stop with all the wiggling, some deep and full of emotion -- I didn't have any trouble feeling connected to him after his birth.

5. The best laid plans of mice and men often go askew. It was great to have an idea of how I wanted my baby's birth to go, but Milo had his own idea of how to enter the world. And as I said before, it didn't matter how he got here, he got here.

6. I am no less a mother or woman for having a C-Section. One woman I talked to before Milo was born told me she had a scheduled C-Section and never truly felt she was a mother because of it. I feel for her and wish she didn't believe that. I think any woman who has carried a child and/or given birth in any manner should truly feel like a mother. And any woman who has taken in someone else's child for whatever reason should truly feel like a mother. And any woman who hasn't had or raised a child shouldn't feel any less like a woman because of that. I think the Mommy Club attitude should be abolished.

7. The sleepless nights of pregnancy prepared me for the sleepless nights of new motherhood. Milo is a good baby most nights and lets the S.O. and me sleep for two to three hour stretches between feedings. I'm actually sleeping better now than during my third trimester. (Don't tell Milo I said that!)

8. The S.O. is my biggest supporter. While that doesn't come as a surprise to me, I want to say that he has been a bigger help than I thought possible -- from anyone. Not because he's ever been unwilling to help me with things but because I had no idea how hard a C-Section would be. He does most of the diaper duty (heh, doody) and gets up with me in the middle of the night when I feed Milo. He even gave him a bottle the other night so I could sleep a little longer. He has also fallen completely head over heels in love with his son. He is the epitome of the doting father.

9. Pregnancy is the easy part. For all the morning sickness, restless nights, achy joints, etc., pregnancy is still a hundred time easier than actually having and raising a baby. Still, looking back, I enjoyed pregnancy. That said, I don't think I'll be doing it again.

10. I can love another person with an intensity that borders on scary. I love this little man so much it's impossible to describe. I love pizza. I love the S.O. I love my dog. But nothing compares to the love I feel for my child. Even with the highs and lows of my post-partum hormones, even with the frustrations of every-hour-on-the-hour feedings and diaper blow-outs, I love him so much. I never knew I could love someone like this. But take a look at that picture above and tell me how it would be possible for me not to love him like mad.