I am posting daily. An informal journal, so the writing is usually poor and I don't spend much time at all proofing and editing. I also usually do it from my phone, which means I'm not shooting for length either.
I made it a goal to do it all year, and I've done it about 2 months now so I think I'm in the habit. I'm not really sure why I'm doing it, but I find some satisfaction in it, plus I think it is easy and think this project could be meaningful in the future.
So if you want to see pics of Russell (they are often the ones I post on instagram, so if you are on there, you'll be seeing them twice) and want to know a little of our happenings, check me out over there.
I’m taking this brief respite from my indefinite sabbatical from blogging to commemorate a momentous event in my life. I like to think of it as a sabbatical sabbatical. Here we go…
(drum roll)
At some point in the past 24 hours I reached a major milestone in my daily pursuit to remain alive. By my rough calculations*, I just passed the 1 billion second mark. That’s right - I have been perpetrating my antics on the rest of mortal humanity for upwards of 1 billion seconds now. From the metric perspective and given the current life expectancy rates, the 1 billion second mark is about as major as it gets. This is an especially meaningful achievement for me because most of my daily business (debatably**) is performed using a base 10 number system.
Oh yeah. Happy Birthday to Russell too. Maybe we can combine parties.
*I did not factor in the many unnoticed yet collectively significant moments in my life when I was imperceptibly dead for a few fractions of a second but then came back to life. Nor did I take into account the time periods when I remained alive, but may have travelled through time to future/past dates for (mis)adventures only to return to the exact same moment when I had left.
**Discussion of "daily business" makes reference to time measurement which employs a sexagesimal system. So unless one is using metric time, how could most of one’s "daily" business be performed using a decimal system? Also, my nationalist spirit makes me resent any imposition of the metric system at the expense of US customary units. So while I am forced to live and work in a metric world, I am not of a metric world. In other words, I am not a metrisexual***.
***Metrisexual – n. a term coined by me which means a person who loves the metric system.
(note: this term can be modified using the standard metric prefixes to indicate the degree of a person’s love of the metric system. For example, an average European might be a metrisexual, a high school physics teacher might be a kilometrisexual, and Bill Nye might be a megametrisexual).
Consider your mind(s) blown…………….now. (explosion sound occurring inside your head from your mind getting blown and possibly some smoke vapors coming out of your ears and nose)
Although we have internet, we still don't have a decent computer--and are still on a very unpredictable blogging schedule (which I suppose we always have been). I'm blogging from my phone which is tedious and allows for no formatting...
But I just wanted to put a few pictures up and write a few things down. This little boy of ours is changing! Most of that baby stuff is behind us; his development continues to be my biggest sadness and greatest joy.
He has become a little parrot, repeating what we say and narrating our actions. "Shirt?!" when Brandon is changing his clothes in the morning. "Cart! Cereal! Broccoli!" as we go through the grocery store."Fire truck" as a siren goes by. "Phone" as it rings and a big cheery "kids!" when he seems them at a park. His level of enthusiasm and curiosity is both hilarious and endearing.
The concepts he fixates on continue to amuse us. The other day we were driving somewhere and the whole way he babbled on and on about bunnies, puppies, and trains. I love it! It seems so cliche but I promise, his interest in those topics needed no prompting from me (I'm desperately trying to hide him from Thomas the Train junk because I'm paranoid that all children's programming is going to brainwash my child to only want to eat Doritos and Gogurt and make him start exclusively playing World of Warcraft in a dark smelly bedroom by the time he's four).
We are just starting to get a few sentences-which is kind of fun. "I did it" "I silly" "What's that?" and "I jump in" (the pool), etc. I'm amazed that he understands the "I" concept...seeing as we always address him as "you."
He is gentle and loves other children. He eagerly waves to the plane overhead or the animals on TV. He squeals in delight upon seeing fruit in the fridge and would eat it exclusively if we let him.
In other words, we are doing well. We are happy and healthy and have had a month of seeing family. It was funner and more meaningful than I ever imagined to see Russell play with and get to know his cousins. I don't have a ton of pictures and I always feel weird about posting pictures of other people--but know that it was all a blast. We are blessed and hesitate to even write because we know that so many do not have this good fortune. Nonetheless we hope you are a doing well too and send out love.
Want to see the saddest pictures ever taken of our son?
Russell opted to lay on the floor one night during dinner rather than eat because he felt so crummy. He quickly fell asleep. Russell hasn't fallen asleep anywhere other than his crib or car seat since he was about four months old.
Last week Russell had double ear infections and went on antibiotics for the first time.
We knew something was up when we were up at the cabin and he didn't want to do anything other than sit on my lap and watch Shrek. It was the first time we used TV as a distraction; after dealing with incessant whining and fussiness for several hours, we discovered that this was the only thing that made him not cry!
We learned that sick kids are kind of tricky. Well, I take that back. When they have a fever, it is obvious. They are burning up so give them some Tylenol and be super loving and patient because, duh, they're sick. Russell had a fever of 103.4 for a day...it was a little scary for me.
But when little kids aren't feverish but are still acting abnormal, it is such a puzzle. It is a never ending saga of questioning everything the child does as well as your own parenting skills. Are they throwing a tantrum because they just really don't want that type of toy or is it something else? Is his nose running because he'a teething or because he's sick? Did he just wake up in the middle of the night because he had a nightmare? Or is the house too hot? Or is he sick? Does he not want to eat because his metabolism is changing or because he's sick? Etc., etc.
This one's the worst. This is probably when his fever was the highest.
This constant questioning also happens because for ten minutes he could be the fussiest, most inconsolable being ever and then for the next twenty minutes, he's as happy as a clam to rearrange rocks on the patio. When that happens, you're like, "Well, I guess he's not sick, because he seems OK right now!" But then a few hours later you are perplexed when your otherwise ravenous toddler won't eat.
So last week was tricky like that. Actually, things got rougher for us after he started the antibiotics. I think I expected them to make everything better within 24 hours; when he continued to act so crazy (tantrums, picky eating, waking up at night) several doses into the antibiotics, I started to accept the fact that Russell was just moving into his terrible twos and that I needed to get a grip on this parenting stuff--Ignore those tantrums! Remember, you're the parent! All that sort of self talk. I was getting so frazzled and down right terrified for what might be in our future of toddler behavior that I promptly checked out several toddler parenting books from the library because I was sure I was messing my son up royally.
But then, Russell became happy again. We started going whole days without any meltdowns and now it has been over a week and we've had many of these types of moments:
Hindsight is always so clear. A big fat "DUH" keeps sounding in my mind because obviously, our little boy was still feeling icky. I don't know why I was so set on second guessing everything. I'm still interested in reading those books but I'm just grateful that I don't have to have such a handle on that tricky behavior quite yet.
This may or may not be our last post for a while...we are cancelling our internet until we can update our technology. I can still post from my phone but the editing is a bit of a bear. So is writing via a small touch screen. But, that's the way things go. No complaints here.
Before Comcast cuts us off, I wanted to share some fun videos. Russell is at this stage where not only does he seem to just "get it," but he can access the world like never before. Between climbing, talking, and manipulating objects, he's exploring as much of this wide world as he can. His memory is improving and he is connecting the dots like nobody's business. Just last night I watched him put together a puzzle without any help whereas a few days prior it was really frustrating him. I still get sad that he is outgrowing some behaviors, but watching him pick up others is, quite simply, really cool.
His verbal skills are some of the most entertaining. Russell is constantly trying to use and say new words. There are many things he can communicate without a hitch and then there are many many more than leave both of us stumped. That must be so frustrating for him, because he really is trying, but our toddler translation skills are not as up to par, apparently.
This first video is of Russell at dinner the other night. If you can't tell from the video, he LOVES strawberries...only he doesn't call them anything close to that. Once we figured out what 'bila' meant, we were able to make him a lot happier. The instant he sees a strawberry carton while we are at the grocery store, he starts to practically shriek, "Bila!" We've gotten to the point where we have to keep them away from the dinner table after he has eaten his veggies or protein because he'll refuse to eat (or talk about) anything else.
The next video is one I took when I thought my camera was on picture mode...it worked out perfectly, though, because it captured him saying his version of 'airplane.' He is very consistent about this word. Every time an airplane flies overhead, he smiles, points excitedly up to the sky and says, "Mungy!" He can say "apple and plenty of other 'A' words, but somehow 'airplane' and 'mungy' are homophones to him. Did I use that word right? I don't think so, but maybe you know what I mean. Watching it might make you a little motion sick, sorry about that.
And the final one is of Russell and his beloved ice water. It doesn't really have anything to do with language acquisition, but the way he breathes during the drinking process is hilarious to me. He doesn't do it quietly, that's for sure. Actually, it does illustrate something about his current developmental stage. At one point, he very concretely says, "Ice." He tends to do that...when he sees or hears something that he knows the word for, he'll usually say it. So when he hears a dog, he says "Gog". When he sees someone in a hat, he'll say "Hat" etc. It's like what he used to do with the sign for lights. Only now he has that same fascination with fans..."Pan, pan!" he'll say.
All right...good riddance crappy computer! Hopefully next time I publish from a computer it'll be from one that is not 7 years old. Although if the time it took us to decide on a phone is any indication on how long it will take us to decide on a new computer, it might take a while.
The pediatrician's office measured him three times at our past visit. The first two times showed that he was exactly the same height as our 15 mos visit, which put him in the bottom 3%. When the pediatrician came in, she remeasured him and was able to get him another inch or so out of him. Don't ask me how because I watched all three measurements and they looked the same. The point is that he remains a little on the short side.
Favorite past times: drinking ice water from a cup (he could do this all day!), going "outie" (outside), and showing off for visitors (often in the form of running into the couch or ottoman with his tummy, like sort of lucha libre, or frantically pointing to his latest fascination while babbling rapidly).
Taking a toddler to a ranch just as they are understanding that animals are real is probably one of the cutest things ever.
Fave foods: "Banas" (bananas), ilk (milk), eese (cheese)...pretty much anything that falls into the lunch or snack category.
green smoothie face
Teeth: All of them except for those two year old molars. The canines are just slowly pushing their way through those gums. He's handling it like a pro though.
Haircuts: Zero. I'm just about ready to cut it...not only is it starting to look a little silly but more people are mixing up his gender than when he was an infant. Not that I care too much, but the kid has a serious mullet (no we have never cut his bangs).
Food storage, cokes, a new bottle of ibuprofen, our son...all we need!
I had to post this video because in it, he his makes a dog sound...you just have to be real quiet while you watch because it doesn't sound like the typical dog sound. He just kind of breathes in and out. It was probably my favorite thing that he did for a while. But alas, he's already moved on as he's learned how to make a real, "ruff ruff" sound. Now my favorite thing that he does is reach up for me to take his hand as we walk around. Not a bad replacement if you ask me.
PS: Shelley, months ago you gave him that outfit that he is wearing in the video and it now fits better than ever! It is the gift that keeps giving. :) Thanks!
Today I was driving and the thermostat said 95! Aiye!
The following are pictures of things Russell has been up to:
1.) Putting things down his shirt. I believe in this particular picture he has all 12 of the blocks to his shape sorter toy in his onesie. The other day i watched him attempt to put an entire Tupperware container down his shirt. It didn't work. Sorry for the blury pic.
2.) Trying to do summersaults. He can't quite do it but he loves to get in position and squeals with delight when we flip him all the way over. Again sorry for the blurry picture. He's not too good at holding position for too long. And I hate flash photography.
3.) Picking flowers. Believe it or not 'flowers' is one of the words he knows. He always points them out in books and says "flawa". It sounds a lot like how he says "water," but as his trained and certified interpreter, I can assure you he is actually saying "flower." He has a tendency to pick a flower while we are out in our yard and carry it around as he explores. It is pretty cute to see him toddle around with a solitary flower in his fat little hand. He has started to do the same with snacks, actually. I'll give him a lone Ritz cracker after nap and he'd rather delicately hold in that eat it. Don't worry, it is eventually eaten. That boy has never been one to deny food. And he no longer wears that shirt. It is obviously too small, I just had to have him wear it that day to 'make sure.' Don't ask. I do weird stuff like that some times.
4.) Food is the perfect segue for this next this pic. I snapped this while at a big family gathering a few weeks ago. Yes, he is eating food off abandoned plates. He is always the one to try and dig a bag of snacks out of another mom's purse or continue to ask for snacks during a play date long after the other kids are done eating. I call him "Forager Extraordinaire." He can hear a package of food being opened or a food item being crunched in a closed mouth from a mile away, I swear. And of course, the instant he hears those noises, he puts his pointer finger up to his mouth and taps his lips. As his trained and certified interpreter, I know that he is saying, "I want to eat that."
5.) Bubbles. He is more into the act of blowing bubbles than the bubbles themselves. He asks to do "babus" almost daily. He loves to hold the wand, dip it in the bottle and 'blow.' The blowing is somewhere between licking the wand and hyperventilating and it brings him great satisfaction. He no longer allows us to even hold the bottle while he dips the bubble wand...he wants to do it all by himself. Luckily bubbles are cheap and a fairly benign mess.
On this week's agenda are: finding an inexpensive tricycle toy, nursery for the first time, and maybe a dip in the pool for the first time this season. He also has his 18 mos pediatric appointment and I'm anxious to see how much he's grown. Hope you all are well!
So getting ready in the morning is a daily cirucs...I have a baby gate set up so Russell can only wander between his and my room while I shower and dress. These rooms are baby proofed enough, I figure, that he'll be fine entertaining himself while I shower and make myself presentable for the day. Or so I thought.
This is what happened a few days ago:
If you can't tell, that is a metal hair barrette behind the adapter. I was right next to him, only my back was turned. I suddenly heard this big POP!, Russell started screaming, and I smelled burning. He had found the barrette on the ground and started playing with it...I have no idea if he intended for it to go there or if it was some random accident. Luckily, he was fine...only a little soot covered and frightened. Getting the hair clip out from behind that electrical adapter was quite electrifying. It was essentially a live wire...I used a silicone oven mitt to try and unplug everything and sparks flew each time I jiggled it. It was scary! Poor Russell was beside himself. I've never seen him so scared, not even with the vacuum. I had to give Brandon another frantic call and he suggested I turn the power off, which was the perfect solution. The outlet still works fine, as does everything that was plugged in. I don't think Russell learned his lesson as moments later we were in the living room and he started tugging on a plugged in cord.
Yikes!
Some of the soot came off his fingers before I could get a good picture.
This is the "To Top it All Off" part. While I was talking on the phone to Brandon, trying to figure out what to do, I put Russell on our bed. Our bed is his most favorite place ever. He loves to touch the buttons to my alarm clock, flip through the books on my nightstand, and basically mess with every possible object Brandon and I have near our bedside. That activity can keep him occupied for 15 minutes at a time. It drives me nuts, but I needed him occupied. It was during that portion of our morning that he pooped. And since he was only in a onesie (remember we were still in the getting dressed stage of the day), some of the poop got out of his diaper and smeared all over the bed when he got himself sandwiched between my bed and my nightstand. Luckily it was also laundry day and so the bed was stripped of sheets...but still. I wasn't planning on washing the mattress cover that day.
Morning light, morning hair, and some Picassa editing.
M:Many visitors. We have been visited by several wonderful friends this month with more visitors to come which is such a treat. March Madness (take a guess who's watching).
A: Apple! One of Russell's newest words. Adorable and awesome also come to mind when describing him...Aroma. Our orange and grapefruit trees are bursting with blossoms right now and the scent wafts through the kitchen window on occasion.
R: Red red! red? I'm trying to teach Russell colors and it is going slowly...I can tell he differentiates between colors but he isn't too keen at showing me. Redirecting. Russell is slowing becomming a bonafide toddler with the behavior to prove it, with mini tantrums, toy throwing, and biting himself or other objects just to prove how mad he is. Yikes. Tips on toddler redirecting? Rattlesnake Killer. At least that is what they call me. True Story--the other day I was driving with my friend and drove by a rattlesnake. We watched it hiss and sidewind for a bit which was kinda cool and kinda freaky. A few days later, my friend found it dead in about the same spot. I must have run over it (I knew that was a possibility but it didn't seem mortally wounded when we watched it). So yes, I'm a rattlesnake killer.
C:Commitment. We are about to get new phones and we have been debating this since before Thanksgiving. Computer. We need a new one, but getting a new one is also like the cellphone ordeal. Arg. Decisions decisions decisions. Cheap! That is the main culprit, actually. Decisions would be a lot easier if I didn't second guess everything. Can I get a better deal somewhere else? Will it be worth the money? Do we really need it? Cookies. We still have a box of Candy Cane Joe Joes in our cupboard and it totally comforts me to know that it is there. Just one is actually a perfect treat about an hour after dinner since we try not to indulge on dessert on weekdays.We have one more Somoa left. Don't worry, I'll let Brandon have it. They are his fave. As far as the homemade stuff goes, we have three varieties on our freezer. We are aficiandos if you couldn't tell.
H:House cleaningand house projects. Our garage sale was a success and I'm already plotting another. A ceiling fan, some new flooring, adding some new trees and other plants to our yard, and more painting are in the works and it feels good to change it up. Hair. Mine is getting cut on Saturday and there are still no plans to cut Russell's. His mullet and bedhead are quite the sights! Brandon wants it to get out of control and I think I'll just cry when it is finally trimmed. I want my Russell to be a baby forever. Heat. We just had the first day of spring, which in Arizona means, "Hello summer!" The days are getting longer and temps have dabbled in the 80s. I'm just crossing my fingers that our first day over 100 is still along way away. At least the pool is heating up!
And here's Russel looking especially round and comfy in my latest garage sale find.
Anyways, here are Russell's obsessions. Bet you thought I wouldn't get it in this month, eh? I didn't quite know myself.
I wrote a lot of this post several weeks ago (as evidenced by the publish date), and everything is still pertinent today. So it is proof that he's certifiably obsessed.
1.) Lights. Now in addition to flashing the light sign constantly, he says, "ites, ites, ites." Several times through the day we go to various rooms to turn the lights on and off, and each time he is just as fascinated. Things get even better for him when we pick him up so he can flip the switch himself. Not letting him play with the light switch at church has caused many a tantrum. Oy. The other day I gave him a headlamp to play with and he was in heaven.
We still have not cut his hair and sometimes it is pretty awesome.
2.) Keys. This one is perhaps the most annoying. His favorite, of course, are the ones with buttons on them. At first, I thought it was harmless to let him play, but when I found that his playing had opened my trunk from inside the supermarket, I put an end to that game. I thought I came up with a clever solution by putting my car key on a carabiner so that I could easily detach it from my other keys. Of course, the instant that carabiner is off, he is no longer interested in the other keys. Although just two days ago, I used the boring key ring to open our house door and he was instantly like, "What?! Those keys are important too? Give them to me NOW!"
What makes this obsession the most annoying is that he thinks perfect stranger's keys should also be his. Many a time has he has begged a stranger for their keys after he's noticed them in their hands or chased after someone upon seeing or hearing some keys dangling from a purse. Now that he's talking a bit, he'll also say, "ees, ees, ees..." in the most pleading, desperate voice to prove how badly he wants them. At friends' homes, I've discovered him roaming around with random key rings...as happy as can be while the other children are busy destroying the toy room. I get worried we'll be responsible for someone being stranded because Russell has unknowingly displaced their keys or because Russell has pressed the buttons to their car key so hard that it broke. Can I apologize in advance?
3.) Cell phones. Pretty much the same description goes with this obsession as with the one above. The only difference is he is better appeased with fake phones. We have 3 toy phones and he likes them all. He even thinks a calculator is a phone and if you spoil that secret, I will kill you in the night.
Sometimes I make him wear that hat inside because it is so cute.
4.) Doing What We Do. This is the newest one and it is to be expected, although I am again surprised at how early in his life it has happened. It shows how thoroughly he knows how things work and wants to be apart of it. He loves to help us unload the dishwasher, he begs to throw his dirty diaper into the outside trash...so much so that we often have to let him hold the folded up dirty diaper for the duration of the change so that he knows he will not be denied the privilege of taking it outside. If we don't, he whines and wiggles so incessantly that it makes it really hard to get that diaper on. Feeding himself is his newest obsession at meals and let me tell you...it is messy and tedious as he can't really do it at all! But he will not let us hold the spoon any longer.
All by myself!
I could go on and on about this topic...and I actually I will. If I am getting dressed, he immediately takes my dirty clothes and puts them in the hamper. If we are grocery shopping, he loves for me to give him an item so he can throw it in the cart behind him. If we are out with the stroller, he loves to be taken out of it so he can push it. He loves to press the button on the fridge that fills our water glasses. He has found my hair clips and asked me to put them in his hair and has been seen trying to put on his dad's slippers. If I wipe something off the floor, he does that same motion with his hand. If I have come out of the bathroom, he immediately goes to the toilet to try and flush it. A funny story: The other day I caught him playing in the bathroom. This doesn't happen too often because the door is usually closed. As I approached, I said, "Russell...we don't play in here." When he heard me, he started to frantically unroll the toilet paper roll. Just before I snatched him up, he yanked off as much toilet paper as he could and stuffed it in the toilet, as if to say, "Boo-ya, Mom. I got to do it anyway! Take that!"
And most of this stuff is stuff he just randomly started doing on his own. This video is another example...it is what happened after he got into an open cupboard.
So there. That is our February life. Wildflowers are blooming throughout this city of ours and the highs are in the 60s and 70s. We are loving it (but not the weeds) because we know it won't last long!
I'm dividing this post in two. That way I'll be sure to have two posts this month.
I'm currently obsessed with:
1.) Having Pandora on my TV. We got a new TV for Christmas and while it is big and fancy, my favorite feature is that it has an app for Pandora. We now have about a billion stations. It is to the point that whenver I say, "Let's turn on some music!" Russell gets a big smile and bounces up and down in that toddler sort of way--a pre-music dance. A surprising favorite is the Raffi station because in addition to Raffi, it plays Sound of Music, Little Mermaid, Jungle Book, Oldies, and School House Rock. I learned that adding Regina Spektor to my Arcade Fire station made it not cool anymore so I had to delete it and start all over. I totally have a guilty pleasure station called All the Single Ladies (Beyonce). I 'thumbs-up' some pretty ridiculous pop songs (except for the Katy Perry ones because I hate her) and it makes mopping the floors and getting dinner ready a little funner. The Kanye West station was a bust, but I shouldn't be surprised. I just wanted to see, you know?
2.) Steel Cut Oatmeal. It is such a deal when you buy that bag at Costco! I once even got Brandon to eat a bowl sans sugar. I think it is growing on him!
3.) Game of Thrones. This one is only a maybe. I just made it through book one. It was super super long and it kind of reminds me of Pillars of the Earth which I did not like, but I find myself thinking of it all the time. What is going to happen to the Stark family? And isn't that crazy what happened to Daenerys?
And that's about all for me.
For Brandon, I'm not even sure. Football's over, so that leaves a major void in his system until next fall. He continues to be obsessed with Blue Bell ice cream and Red Robin. He found a new reality show to adore, which is fine by me because it is way better than the Bachelor. It is called, The Challenge: Battle of the Exes. You'll have to ask him. And while you do, you should tell him to start blogging again. He was so good at it, remember?
And next time...Russell's obsessions. They are very clear cut. Stay tuned!
So I loosely thought I would make a New Year's Resolution to blog 2x a month. And here I am, on the last day of the month entering the first blog of the New Year. Hmph. That's why it was a loose resolution. I never wrote it down or even mentioned it to anyone. Doing it that way means not following through with it is OK.
Anyways, this month Russell learned to shake his head to say, "No."
At first, it was actually pretty cute. See below video.
And now...I'm going to be honest...it is one of my least favorite milestones to date. He uses that skill all the time!
"Russell, do you want milk?"
Head shake no.
"Russell, should we play with some toys?"
Head shake no.
"Russell, let's go to the car!"
Head shake no.
The only thing he seems to not regularly exercise his right to head shake is to 1.) eat bananas 2.) go outside and 3.) get a blanket from his crib to play with (he loves blankets, it is pretty cute).
So lately, there's been a lot of head shaking going on...which means a lot of "No, I'm not going to do what you want." Which also means that Russell is fully aware of what is going on around him and has opinions. Although, I will say that he sometimes seems to shake his head just because he can, even though he might really want something. I have a feeling that is usually the case when I offer him milk or some cheerios, as evidenced by the fact that I will put those items in a place where he can access them and he usually does, once he realizes that I'm not about to force him to have a snack.
The thing that really worries me about this is the future...I didn't realize I was going to be navigating through "No!" starting at 15 mos...Hopefully I won't be too much of a give-inner. If I am, don't tell me right away. I might take it personally as that tends to happen. You can maybe tell my mom or Brandon and they'll (try to) brake it to me gently so I don't feel too horrible. You can tell me if I ask (although you should still use your best judgement here). You can also tell me in an indirect way, like "When this happens at our house, I do xxxx."
How is it that Christmas is in four days and then 2012 is here??
We've had quite the Christmas tree saga at our house this year. There was one person who wanted one, one person who was moderate to highly opposed to one, and one person who just wanted more sweet potatoes. I bet you can guess who was who without too much effort.
We eventually decided that a tabletop tree was the best for our needs...mostly because we could have a tree but have it out of reach for Russell. Of course, the tree that I had imagined was either out of stock everywhere or was more than I wanted to spend. I eventually found an adequate tree (that I had to exchange once because I accidentally bought one without a base) and set it up. Almost instantly I knew it wouldn't do.
See, Russell is obsessed with lights right now. He started noticing them a few months ago and I so I thought I would indulge his interest and teach him the sign for light. Now that he knows it, he pretty much does it every time he walks under or near one. And since we are in the age of electricity and in the middle of winter, there is a light nearby at all times. When we are out doing errands, he is constantly doing the sign as we pass by various lit objects--store clerks think he is saying hi and I usually don't have the heart to tell them that he is just telling us that he sees a light. It is kind of hilarious and a little odd. Maybe I need to teach my kid more signs or expose him to more stuff because surely there more to this great world of ours than lights.
Anyways, once Russell saw that the little table top tree had lights...he was fascinated. I put some lights up in our windows which are in the same room as the little table top tree and each time they were all on, Russell would pace back and forth in excitement, frantically doing the light sign. And each time I saw him making his way over to the teeny tiny tree, a little part of me got really sad inside and said, "You are failing him, Alison. It is your duty to give him a great Christmas and this tree is really sub par. Just think how happy he'll be with a bigger, better lit tree." And so I stewed about it, whined a little, and tried to make Brandon feel bad about our pathetic tree.
It didn't work. BUT-I did realize that Brandon wasn't opposed to a tree, he just didn't want to be responsible for it. And so I went out a bought a super cheap, medium sized artificial tree. It is no freshly cut evergreen like Leslie and Clay and Kersten and Tai have (now you guys have to post pictures of your awesome trees so that my four readers can see it), but I was able to set it up on my own during Russell's nap.
And my Child-Spoiler instincts were right--the boy LOVES the tree. The first time he saw it, he started making sounds that I'd never heard...all sorts of syllable combinations and squealing. Then there was pointing, flashing of the light sign, and some heavy breathing. He even backwards walked into my lap so that he could sit and admire it with me. Those five minutes of Russell in baby-overdrive made it all worth it.
All our Christmas Glory
Now that the tree is decorated, Russell has an even funner time because he now gets to flash the light sign and pull of ornaments and those can happen practically in one motion. To top it all off, he has learned his first word (kind of). See if you can pick it up in this video:
Merry Christmas One and All!
People keep saying, "Oh, once Russell starts walking, he'll thin right out." I keep quiet and say to myself, "Well, he is walking..."
I love this bird's eye picture of him walking...you really see that tummy protruding. Between that big head and that Buddha belly, it is amazing he is as balanced as he is! I keep meaning to do a photo shoot of him in a diaper or something to really document that tummy, but I know it will just end up looking like this:
Adorable, yes (incredibly so) but still? No way Jose. It is next to impossible to keep that baby in one place. Photos these days just end up with him either running the other way or with him running to grab the camera.
He turned a year almost a month ago. Time flies so quickly it freaks me out.
Some 12 mos stats:
21.9 lbs--56%
29.5 inches long--19% (although we are wondering if that is accurate as we recently measured him shorter)
Fave Foods: Grapes, Sweet Potatoes, Bread. He can practically stuff an entire banana in his mouth at once, too. It is amazing. We have learned to give him only 3-4 bites at a time because he'll put it all in there. He's not into self-regulating yet. But then again, neither am I.
Fave Book: Peek-a-Who? (We had to take this one away because he has almost eaten the entire cover). As Brandon said this morning, "That book is literally a part of him"
Fave Pastime: Walking, Getting into the dishwasher, trying to sneak into the laundry room, playing with a cell phone (preferably a working one), pulling dishtowels off the oven handle, seeing other kids, pointing at stuff, searching underneath his high chair for crumbs.
Fave Words: None. He jabbers baby gibberish all day...but nothing close to a word yet.
Dislikes: Getting his diaper changed before bed (torture for everyone involved!), watching Dad leave for work, the hairdryer, and the vacuum...Russell actually made up his own sign for hairdryer and uses it when he sees me getting ready in the morning as if to say, "Are you going to do that scary thing, Mom?" and when I nod and then assure him that it is OK, he starts to pace back and forth, his eyes welling with tears. It is really sad, actually. I get tempted to not do it, but don't because I think it will reinforce that the hairdryer is a scary and bad thing. He'll grow out of it, right?
Teeth: Top 4, Bottom 4, and a molar is currently pushing through on the top left side...yikes!
Happy Belated Birthday Son. We are so glad you are ours. Thank you for coming to join us.
Yesterday, when Brandon came home from work, he saw a purchase I had made and said, "You bought those? I didn't think that was something you'd do." It was these (except the Halloween variety):
I was kind of surprised he said that because he knows of my affection...there has been quite a few times where Brandon has smuggled one of these cookies from work for me because he knew I'd be jealous if he had one and I didn't, or when he's encourage me to snitch one from the dessert table at a potluck before the dessert portion of the evening officially began. I may or may not have gone to Target yesterday morning because of a hunch that they were going to be on post-Halloween clearance. They are so soft and sugary! Who cares that they are store boughten and not made from love (and with a giant mess) in my humble kitchen! And FYI, the Target brand kind are just as good. A guilty pleasure for sure.
The other 'Who Knew' thing is about our child...of course. And it is: Who knew how amazing it would be to watch Russell begin walking? I've been seriously reveling in this stage. He started walking a little over a month ago, just before General Conference (a biannual conference when Mormons listen to talks from their leaders), and it was one of the funnest and most joyful things I have experienced. He had experienced with a few independent steps here and there, and as I had mentioned before, he had been obsessed with cruising along furniture and walls for months. And then finally, he just took off. Within the span of about forty-five minutes, he went from walking a few steps to climbing up stairs and doing laps around the kitchen. All that cruising finally paid off!
We happened to be in Mexico, and my parents, grandparents, and my Aunt Jeanne got to witness the spectacle. It was wonderful to share that with them. Each evening, we took Russell down to the beach, where the firm but forgiving sand from low tide provided the perfect environment for him to explore and practice using those legs. That first day, I didn't even take any pictures, I just wanted enjoy the sight. Who knew such a milestone would be so special.
And now a month later, it is still so fun to follow him around--mostly because it is still so clear that he is loving this new freedom. He babbles and laughs to himself as he walks from room to room; he is often more content to explore than to play with toys. He's got this waddle that makes his bum shake and a perfectly round Buddha belly that just leads the way. Just last week, I witnessed my child running off with a group of kids to play and I said to myself, "This is happening already?!" I didn't have to encourage him, he just went...my baby. Imagine what I'll be saying on his first day of kindergarten. He still prefers to eat stuff off the ground and suck on the toys rather than interact too much with the other kids (and he is still so short that the other kids tend to yank on his hair and ears), but he wants to be with them, has the capability to do it, and now all I can do is watch it happen.
The first video is of Russell doing all his tricks, walking, waving, and doing baby sign language. He knows about five signs and mostly uses them in the right context with his own interpretations of how to do them, but it is fun to see him learn and then use the signs.
The second video is of Russell walking in his 'big boy shoes'. The shoes are much clunkier than his other shoes but are important for walking around on our Arizona landscaping...ie rocks. He has a heavier step than normal because he isn't used to wearing such a heavy item on his feet and it was really funny at the time, but I'm posting this (although it is rather shaky) because he is so happy and is making his typical "life is so fun" sounds.
I cannot get Beyonce songs out of my head, peoples. I think that is what happens when you and your husband are really tired and the baby is in bed but you're not ready for bed...you just kind of end up watching the most recent VH1 countdown show. Those things are addicting. That particular evening, I even said, "I'm just going to DVR this so we don't have to watch all the commercials." So I did, but we kept watching anyways, commercials and all. Because we couldn't turn away. BTW, VH1 brought back Pop-Up Video. I'm kinda excited in the most lamest of ways.
Back to Beyonce. I kind of love Beyonce because she is so pretty and she can actually sing real real good--did you see her on Oprah's last show? She was rocked it. And on the American Idol finale? She put all the contestants to shame. And I kind of hate Beyonce because every time she comes on the tube, Brandon says, "She's basically a stripper" and then I look at her outfit and ask myself, "Am I ready for all that jelly?" because there's no denying that she has almost no clothes on and is dancing kinda crazy-like.
Anyways, that was my opening tangent.
I wanted to tell you about canning! I did it! Mostly with my mother's help, but I now have a special shelf with mason jars filled with Utah peaches, ready to enjoy all year long. And right next to those peaches are jars and jars of jam. I decided that good jam is one of my most very favorite things. Right up there with Russell, the beach, my new Havaiana flip flops, and the pretty bougainvillea bush out by our pool.
Several weeks ago, I ordered two crates of peaches from Utah and then my mommy and I went to town. She pulled out the canning supplies that she inherited from my Great Grandma Kesterson (my father's maternal grandparents) and told me how to sterilize jars, efficiently peel gazillions of peaches, how to ensure that the peaches don't brown once they are preserved, and all sorts of other special know-hows. It was so fun...fun to learn a new skill, fun to have my mom teach it to me, and fun to have so much to show afterwards. I also think I can do it again and without so much guidance, which made it an even better experience. I haven't yet decided if canning is worth it the expense etc, but it was important to me to learn the skill. The jam, however, was so easy and tastes so much better than the store boughten stuff, that I'd do that again for sure. I mean I'd of course do it again with my mom right next to me because her company was delightful, but, well you know what I mean.
Russell makes a lot of things funner, but he was actually the worst part of the whole canning episode. He pretty much looked like this the entire time.
The expression 'baby underfoot' has quite the literal meaning as he either tugged at my ankles or stood between my legs and the counter the entire time, begging for attention. "Me Mom, not peaches! Me!"
And just so you know, two crates of peaches was A LOT. Two batches of canned peaches, four batches of jam (two for me, two for my mom), 2 1/2 gallon bags of frozen peaches, a peach crisp for book club, and plenty for eating along the way.
Thanks mom!
The pic is a little fuzzy...but recently the wash near our house flooded. We woke Russell so we could go take a look. Usually that area behind us is bone dry.
When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I think about is paper. I love it! I love to rip it, I love to wave it in the air and up and down, and I especially love to bite it. My mom hates it when I play with paper because I get so excited that I start sucking and chewing on it. Which, why wouldn't I? It is so fun when you suck on it so much that the paper gets all soggy and start to stick to one another. I love the way disintegrating paper feels and tastes in my mouth! Yum yum YUM!! She's always rushing over and pulling paper out of my hands and then digging spitwads out of my mouth. The thing she doesn't realize is that she can't stop me. There's paper everywhere! Those lower level bookshelves are my fave. All those paperbacks...it's like paradise! And then sometimes, a piece of mail drops to the floor and I'm all over it. I have ears that know exactly what falling paper sounds like. The best is when my mom leaves her purse on the floor and she hasn't zipped it up. There are reciepts oozing out if it and begging to be played with. She always gets so flustered that I keep finding paper, it is a war she'll never win!
When I'm not thinking about paper, I'm thinking about walking. I'm only thinking about it, not really doing it. I don't really get the point of it, actually. I'm a pretty quick crawler and I walk along the walls like nobody's business. I pretty much do laps around the kitchen and family room all day. It is way funner than those silly toys Mom always tries to get me to play with. And, cruising is how I troll for paper. See, sometimes paper slips under the sofa or under the counter and sometimes a book isn't quite pushed in all the way on a shelf and the only way you'd ever know is if you cruise by places fifty times a day. It is quite the rush seeing paper so available. But anyways, my mom and dad are pretty much obsessed with walking. They do this thing where they hold onto my hand to help me walk around. It is usually pretty fun, except sometimes, they let go of my hand. At first I thought it was because they were distracted, but then I realized it was because they were trying to trick me into walking all by myself. How rude! Well, I'm onto them. As soon as they do that, I drop to the ground and refuse to stand up again. Sometimes I whine, even. That's actually the best thing to do because then I get picked up. I only like to walk when I can hold on to stuff.
I also have this thing called "Welcome to my Learning Farm" My mom says it is a 'walker' but really, it is this way awesome thing that I get to push around and it sings to me! "Welcome to my Learning Farm, we have lots to show you....Shapes and colors, music too....There's so much to do-oo!" Oh I love that song. Anyways, I'll walk when I can hold on to "Welcome to my Learning Farm," the furniture or wall, or my mom or dad's hand. Any other way is totally unnecessary.
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See that copy of the Ensign? I totally ripped that one up! Yessss. And Mom's book? You can totally see a perfect bite mark in it. I'm so awesome at eating paper. And yes, those are bruises on my head. Sometimes I fall OK? And sometimes my mom doesn't watch me close enough.
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PS: The video from last time should work now. My mom didn't realize it was on a private setting.
My favorite Russell moments lately have been after his naps. I'll go into his room after I know he's been awake for a while (I usually give him some 'alone' time when he wakes up becaues he's so relaxed and seems content to just coo and be). I sit on this chair next to his crib, tell him hello, and ask him about his nap. He looks at me, sits up, then picks up one of his stuffed animals and hands it to me. I take it, give it some kisses, and then he gives me the other stuffed animal. I take it, play with it for a few seconds, and then he gives me his blanket. I give the items back to him and we do the whole routine again. It is very sweet. I don't know how long it will last, but for now, it is something I want to remember.
Other things in our lives:
Brandon is looking forward to the season finale of the Bachelor Pad, or what I like to call The Show That Brings Out the Worst in Human Behavior. He's captivated though and there is nothing I can do about it.
I'm reading Bossypants. It is quite funny although it has swears and is sometimes inappropriate.
We are starting a budgeting system and getting it established is kind of a nightmare but it does help me feel more in control so I know it is a good thing. Do ya'll have any tips, resources, or suggestions of things that worked for you?
The other day a tarantula attacked me in the garage. I almost screamed like the time I saw that snake but then I chilled out because tarantulas are actually great little critters. And it really didn't attack me...it just was near me.
The below video is from almost a month ago...I haven't uploaded our most recent pictures and media. Anyways, he was just starting to eat grapes and I was bitting off small chunks of them and spitting them onto his tray. That sounds really gross but in case you didn't know, we are birds. I'm the mommy bird and he's the chickie*. That laugh, though! There's nothing quite like it.
Most of Russell's clothes are dirty. As I result, I was forced to clothe him in this onesie that reads, "DADDY'S BEST FRIEND" because it is pretty much the only clean one left. Ridiculous. (The onesie not my inability to stay on top of the laundry.) The notion that a baby is a grown man's best friend is so absurd. If that was the case, then I should be down right terrified that my baby's daddy was agoraphobic or a pedophile. And if one of those two issues were our reality, I would not be broadcasting that to the world. Then again, most text on baby clothing is ridiculous. The Carter's brand is especially guilty*. There's also those onesies that say, "I love boobs." Um yes I get the joke and yes I'm all about breastfeeding but come on peeps, lame-o.
That's the onesie in question. This picture is from a few months ago and isn't quite in focus...but boy o boy is Russell chunky there (maybe it is from the ice cream?)! He has actually slimmed out some...that onesie actually fits him better today than it did back in May.
That's all I wanted to say for now.
What do you think is ridiculous? Let's get a good list rolling. I'm in the mood.
*I do fall prey to dumb baby slogans, though. A few months ago, I bought him this Carter onesie that says, "They call me muscles." I thought it was pretty silly, because get it, 'Russell's muscles?' Totally justifiable. I also really wanted this baby onesie from H&M that said, "I (heart) Mum" because get it, Mum means Mom in British?
