Apparently Hoppy Kangaroo has a new home.
(c) 2004-2005 Scott Everett
Monday, October 31, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Monday, October 10, 2005
Friday, October 07, 2005
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
. . . and one more thing
In his quest for independence, Andrew also stopped taking a bottle at bedtime at the end of September. Much like nursing, suddenly it just wasn't working for him anymore. The transition hasn't gone as smoothly as giving up nursing, but we're getting a system down. A couple of books and then bed. Unfortunately, teething is making this process difficult, since his only symptoms is not sleeping well.
I think that finally catches every thing up to date.
liz
I think that finally catches every thing up to date.
liz
Banner day!
Wow! Two major accomplishments in one day. Today, Andrew not only had his first hair cut, he took his first real steps.
This afternoon we went to a local kids' consignment shop where they have someone on staff who cuts childrens' hair. I was really impressed with her ability to cut in a straight line while Drew's head was bobbing around like a bouy (a "bouncing baby bouy" if you will). He looks so much older now. He's beginning to look like a little boy and not a baby. I'm not too happy about that, but Liz is taking it pretty hard.
Then this evening Andrew wanted to do nothing more than walk around and around and around and around and around and around and around the house. After about 30 minutes, my back was starting to get tired from ambling hunched over. We were just about to attempt to stop (he tends to get somewhat obsessive about these things) so I decided to walk in front of him and let go of his hands. Usually he takes a half-step, gets nervous, and drops to the ground. But today he decided that he was going to try to get to me. Much to my surprise, he took three or four steps before he reached me and fell into my arms. Pretty cool! We did this several times, the biggest excursion being about six or seven steps, when Liz came by to take over. They walked around and around and around and around and around and around the house for a little while before Drew got bored with the circuit and wanted to hold his stuffed bunny. Unfortunately, his bunny was by the bow window and he was by the couch, holding Liz's hand (about a three foot distance). Well, being the expert walker he now is, he just took the few steps over and dropped on top of the bunny.
It must be the haircut that gives him new confidence. Either that, or it's my reaffirming presence.
skot
This afternoon we went to a local kids' consignment shop where they have someone on staff who cuts childrens' hair. I was really impressed with her ability to cut in a straight line while Drew's head was bobbing around like a bouy (a "bouncing baby bouy" if you will). He looks so much older now. He's beginning to look like a little boy and not a baby. I'm not too happy about that, but Liz is taking it pretty hard.
Then this evening Andrew wanted to do nothing more than walk around and around and around and around and around and around and around the house. After about 30 minutes, my back was starting to get tired from ambling hunched over. We were just about to attempt to stop (he tends to get somewhat obsessive about these things) so I decided to walk in front of him and let go of his hands. Usually he takes a half-step, gets nervous, and drops to the ground. But today he decided that he was going to try to get to me. Much to my surprise, he took three or four steps before he reached me and fell into my arms. Pretty cool! We did this several times, the biggest excursion being about six or seven steps, when Liz came by to take over. They walked around and around and around and around and around and around the house for a little while before Drew got bored with the circuit and wanted to hold his stuffed bunny. Unfortunately, his bunny was by the bow window and he was by the couch, holding Liz's hand (about a three foot distance). Well, being the expert walker he now is, he just took the few steps over and dropped on top of the bunny.
It must be the haircut that gives him new confidence. Either that, or it's my reaffirming presence.
skot
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Not a baby anymore
Well, I promised more excitement to come and boy can I deliver.
Walking. Andrew wasn't really interested in walking until right about the time his grandparents got here. Then we got out his hippo (thanks Amy used to be Porterfield). He has this blue hippo that he can push and walk behind. He loves it. At first he was content to just go around the living room, but that didn't last for long. Now we spend large parts of the day walking the loop - through the dining room, down the hall, through the living room, and back to the dining room. Sometimes we go crazy and reverse the order. If he's not using the hippo he wants to do this holding on to someone's hands. I say hands, but about two days ago, after a little coaxing, he started using just one hand. Now he even likes to go down to the mailbox with just one hand. This event made the neighbors day. I wasn't in the house for more than three minutes before Doris called to tell me they saw us through the window and thought it was just adorable. So far the only steps he's taken by himself have been unintentional when he's reaching for a toy or wants to go from the couch to the toy chest.
Of course learning to walk has meant that I had to break down and buy him shoes. I was leary because socks were never a big hit and he wasn't used to having anything on his feet. Well, thanks to the fact that he had just learned where his feet were, he was really excited to learn that shoes go on his feet. Sometimes, he won't leave you alone until you put shoes on him, so he'll run around the house in a diaper and shoes - definitely modern chic. There have been a few catches in buying him shoes though. Largely it stems from the fact that my child is a pygmy. Because his feet are so small, I've had a hard time finding shoes that will fit him and bend. Most of the shoes for his size feet are just decorative. They tend to make him clumsy since they aren't flexible. I finally found him a pair to teva like sandals that work really well. Now we all have shoes that look alike. skot lined them all up one night and I must admit its really weird to see those small little shoes next to mine.
Standing which kind of goes hand-in-hand with walking is still a little sketchy. He'll stand by himself, but doesn't really see the benefit to it.
Andrew has two favorite activities right now (besides walking in circles). First is his shape sorter. We still have to help him find the right hole, but he loves to put the shapes in the ball. Since realizing the the shapes are good for more than just chewing on, this toy has become a favorite. If he wants me to play with him, he'll crawl through the house with it. If he just wants attention, then he brings me a book. That's right he loves his books. He'll go into his room and sit for thirty minutes for more just playing with his books. He pulls them all off his bookshelf and then sits in the big pile and flips through pages. He has several favorites, but Jane's Animal Expedition and anything by Eric Carle are the best. These are the types of books that he can lift flaps or are tactile. He's so gentle with them that we can even trust him with paper books and not just board books.
Saturday, August 20th, Andrew's first tooth arrived. He was drinking water out of my glass and I heard a tink-tink noise as he chewed on it. Sure enough, I felt a tooth in there. Most kids love to show off their teeth, but Drew refuses. You hardly ever see it, but I know its there. The second popped out on September 26th. The top gum looks and feels like one will come out at any minute, but so far nothing.
Just to prove how grown up he is, two important things happen in September. Andrew had his first playdate and he started staying in the nursery at church. In early September Ashlyn came over to play one afternoon. Things went well, even if Andrew seemed a little awed by the whirlwind that is Ashlyn. Since she's 2 1/2 months older than Drew and has been walking for a while, he was really interested in just watching her. As for the nursery, after me staying in there with him one Sunday and skot the next he took to it like a duck to water. Of course there are usually more workers than kids when he's in there, so he gets lots of attention and all the holding he wants. The workers all say that he's fine and they don't have any problems with him. Even last week when he was crying when I went to pick him up, they swore he had just started. I'm not sure if they are just trying to be nice or if he really is fine, but I think its good for him regardless. I think leaving him was actually harder for skot than it has been for me. Sunday mornings used to be their time to cuddle and catch up since skot was working such long hours. Now Drew won't nap with him anymore and doesn't have a problem being left for a little while. It was a blow to skot.
My big blow came today. We took Andrew for his first haircut. skot (of all people) had to talk me into it. I kept saying I wasn't ready for him to look like a little boy yet. I still haven't gotten over it. He looks so much older. For his part, Andrew handled it with aplomb. He grinned and smiled and acted perfect. the whole time I was trying not to put him up and run out screaming. He's not my baby anymore, now he's a little boy.
liz
Walking. Andrew wasn't really interested in walking until right about the time his grandparents got here. Then we got out his hippo (thanks Amy used to be Porterfield). He has this blue hippo that he can push and walk behind. He loves it. At first he was content to just go around the living room, but that didn't last for long. Now we spend large parts of the day walking the loop - through the dining room, down the hall, through the living room, and back to the dining room. Sometimes we go crazy and reverse the order. If he's not using the hippo he wants to do this holding on to someone's hands. I say hands, but about two days ago, after a little coaxing, he started using just one hand. Now he even likes to go down to the mailbox with just one hand. This event made the neighbors day. I wasn't in the house for more than three minutes before Doris called to tell me they saw us through the window and thought it was just adorable. So far the only steps he's taken by himself have been unintentional when he's reaching for a toy or wants to go from the couch to the toy chest.
Of course learning to walk has meant that I had to break down and buy him shoes. I was leary because socks were never a big hit and he wasn't used to having anything on his feet. Well, thanks to the fact that he had just learned where his feet were, he was really excited to learn that shoes go on his feet. Sometimes, he won't leave you alone until you put shoes on him, so he'll run around the house in a diaper and shoes - definitely modern chic. There have been a few catches in buying him shoes though. Largely it stems from the fact that my child is a pygmy. Because his feet are so small, I've had a hard time finding shoes that will fit him and bend. Most of the shoes for his size feet are just decorative. They tend to make him clumsy since they aren't flexible. I finally found him a pair to teva like sandals that work really well. Now we all have shoes that look alike. skot lined them all up one night and I must admit its really weird to see those small little shoes next to mine.
Standing which kind of goes hand-in-hand with walking is still a little sketchy. He'll stand by himself, but doesn't really see the benefit to it.
Andrew has two favorite activities right now (besides walking in circles). First is his shape sorter. We still have to help him find the right hole, but he loves to put the shapes in the ball. Since realizing the the shapes are good for more than just chewing on, this toy has become a favorite. If he wants me to play with him, he'll crawl through the house with it. If he just wants attention, then he brings me a book. That's right he loves his books. He'll go into his room and sit for thirty minutes for more just playing with his books. He pulls them all off his bookshelf and then sits in the big pile and flips through pages. He has several favorites, but Jane's Animal Expedition and anything by Eric Carle are the best. These are the types of books that he can lift flaps or are tactile. He's so gentle with them that we can even trust him with paper books and not just board books.
Saturday, August 20th, Andrew's first tooth arrived. He was drinking water out of my glass and I heard a tink-tink noise as he chewed on it. Sure enough, I felt a tooth in there. Most kids love to show off their teeth, but Drew refuses. You hardly ever see it, but I know its there. The second popped out on September 26th. The top gum looks and feels like one will come out at any minute, but so far nothing.
Just to prove how grown up he is, two important things happen in September. Andrew had his first playdate and he started staying in the nursery at church. In early September Ashlyn came over to play one afternoon. Things went well, even if Andrew seemed a little awed by the whirlwind that is Ashlyn. Since she's 2 1/2 months older than Drew and has been walking for a while, he was really interested in just watching her. As for the nursery, after me staying in there with him one Sunday and skot the next he took to it like a duck to water. Of course there are usually more workers than kids when he's in there, so he gets lots of attention and all the holding he wants. The workers all say that he's fine and they don't have any problems with him. Even last week when he was crying when I went to pick him up, they swore he had just started. I'm not sure if they are just trying to be nice or if he really is fine, but I think its good for him regardless. I think leaving him was actually harder for skot than it has been for me. Sunday mornings used to be their time to cuddle and catch up since skot was working such long hours. Now Drew won't nap with him anymore and doesn't have a problem being left for a little while. It was a blow to skot.
My big blow came today. We took Andrew for his first haircut. skot (of all people) had to talk me into it. I kept saying I wasn't ready for him to look like a little boy yet. I still haven't gotten over it. He looks so much older. For his part, Andrew handled it with aplomb. He grinned and smiled and acted perfect. the whole time I was trying not to put him up and run out screaming. He's not my baby anymore, now he's a little boy.
liz
Monday, October 03, 2005
Reflections on one year
OK, so I'm more than a little over due in updating and there is a lot to report.
Shortly after my last post in July, we took our first road trip as a family. Definitely a different tone than our trips of old. A lot more stopping and down time in the hotel. We drove up to Kansas City. Yes, it was to go to a MLS game, but no DC wasn't playing. The trip up was miserable, but that had nothing to do with Andrew. He was great. Everything else went wrong though. Once we got to KC, we had a great time. The game was fun, even though Andrew was pretty tired by the end. The next day we went to the KC zoo. We only got to see a part of it since it was really hot that weekend and we were all a little tired. We went to the Australian exhibit, since he can't see that at our local zoo. The exhibit was really cool and you got to walk right up to the kangaroos. Those and the aviary were a big hit with the little guy. In the end we even bought Drew a stuffed kangaroo. Hoppy Kangaroo is currently a favorite comfort toy.
After the trip to KC, we only had a few weeks to get ready for a little boy to turn one. Its been almost two months since he turned one and I'm still not ready. To prepare himself for being one, Andrew stopped nursing. I had been nursing him at night before bed and he decided that he was done with that shortly after returning from KC. Unlike, in May when we forced him to take a bottle, we were both ready this time and the transition went smoothly.
Then came the birthday. Both sets of Grandparents came to visit for about a week (staggered slightly). We punctuated the weekend with a trip to the zoo, two cakes (Aunt Wanda made the cool catepillar cake and I made a chocolate one), two days of presents, portraits, hand imprints, and a trip to the children's museum. I don't think exhausted is the right word for how I felt at the end. There was also a checkup with his regular doctor. Weighing in at 16lbs 3oz, standing 28 inches tall, we have a healthy young boy. He's not a baby anymore.
We also made another trip up to Cook Children's to see the specialist in August. skot and I were all ready to do battle with the doctor about a feeding tube and it was as if now that he's one who cares. He basically said that since he's reached the magic one, there are more things we can do with his diet to try and get him to grow (read - gain more weight). The nutritionist was very disappointed to discover that his favorite foods were fruits and beans. Apparently, we are supposed to put him on the McDonald's diet. We've been trying to get him to eat more fatty foods, but most days the vast majority of what he eats is fruit. He does love his milk though. He'll drink that all day and never complain. Some days its the only way I know he's gotten any protein at all.
This is getting really long, so I will try and post about September tomorrow. Stay tuned for teething and other exciting developments.
liz
Shortly after my last post in July, we took our first road trip as a family. Definitely a different tone than our trips of old. A lot more stopping and down time in the hotel. We drove up to Kansas City. Yes, it was to go to a MLS game, but no DC wasn't playing. The trip up was miserable, but that had nothing to do with Andrew. He was great. Everything else went wrong though. Once we got to KC, we had a great time. The game was fun, even though Andrew was pretty tired by the end. The next day we went to the KC zoo. We only got to see a part of it since it was really hot that weekend and we were all a little tired. We went to the Australian exhibit, since he can't see that at our local zoo. The exhibit was really cool and you got to walk right up to the kangaroos. Those and the aviary were a big hit with the little guy. In the end we even bought Drew a stuffed kangaroo. Hoppy Kangaroo is currently a favorite comfort toy.
After the trip to KC, we only had a few weeks to get ready for a little boy to turn one. Its been almost two months since he turned one and I'm still not ready. To prepare himself for being one, Andrew stopped nursing. I had been nursing him at night before bed and he decided that he was done with that shortly after returning from KC. Unlike, in May when we forced him to take a bottle, we were both ready this time and the transition went smoothly.
Then came the birthday. Both sets of Grandparents came to visit for about a week (staggered slightly). We punctuated the weekend with a trip to the zoo, two cakes (Aunt Wanda made the cool catepillar cake and I made a chocolate one), two days of presents, portraits, hand imprints, and a trip to the children's museum. I don't think exhausted is the right word for how I felt at the end. There was also a checkup with his regular doctor. Weighing in at 16lbs 3oz, standing 28 inches tall, we have a healthy young boy. He's not a baby anymore.
We also made another trip up to Cook Children's to see the specialist in August. skot and I were all ready to do battle with the doctor about a feeding tube and it was as if now that he's one who cares. He basically said that since he's reached the magic one, there are more things we can do with his diet to try and get him to grow (read - gain more weight). The nutritionist was very disappointed to discover that his favorite foods were fruits and beans. Apparently, we are supposed to put him on the McDonald's diet. We've been trying to get him to eat more fatty foods, but most days the vast majority of what he eats is fruit. He does love his milk though. He'll drink that all day and never complain. Some days its the only way I know he's gotten any protein at all.
This is getting really long, so I will try and post about September tomorrow. Stay tuned for teething and other exciting developments.
liz
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