We made it home from Charleston, SC, with fairly little stress... except for the small detour on 395 through DC... ugh. That was all me. Missed the exit from the HOV lanes to 495...But DJ did great, and Elektra was an angel. The only time she fussed was when she blew out a diaper and was uncomfortable. DJ fussed when he was hungry; this year we must've had enough toys on hand to keep him fairly well occupied.
Anyway, we had a wonderful time again with Damian, Jenn, Leo, Andy and Mike. We stayed at the same ocean front beach house on the Isle of Palms as last year, but this year with one more occupant! Elektra slept in a pack-n-play in our room in the corner. DJ's pack-n-play was in the walk in closet again. It was funny to listen to him wake up in the morning and start banging on the shelves like drums and also push on the french doors that separate the closet from the rest of the master bedroom. And unlike last year, I didn't need earplugs to sleep as both kids slept very well at nights.
DJ loved having Leo around, and was trying to say his name by the end of the week. It kind of sounds like E-O, but hey... it's an effort! We also think that he made more effort to speak words because Leo speaks so well. We think "ka-coo" is trashcan, "bwaba" is bottle (or his cup), "shoos off" for taking his shoes off, and the letter F is now something he points out along with the letter D (sometimes he says E).
DJ also tried to imitate Leo whenever he could. Leo would jump on the couch, and DJ would do his darndest to launch himself on to the couch. Leo would get jello legs (and not walk) and now DJ does it. That said, Leo started squealing like DJ does when he's excited, much to Damian and Jenn's chagrin.
Damian and Jenn are trying to work on Leo's manners (please, thank you, you're welcome), and Leo had plenty of opportunity to practice. One time, DJ gave back one of Leo's toys to Leo - unprompted by any of us - and Leo was so stunned that DJ gave him back one of his toys (to a 3 year old, there is no giving up a toy that you have in your possession!) that he needed to be prompted to say thank you. Leo did very well using the magic word during the week.
We went to Patriots Point again, to see the USS Yorktown. The kids walked tons of stairs. They were so tired that they neither wanted a decent lunch and both napped really hard that afternoon. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, with temps in the mid-60s.
We also took a trip to the Charleston Museum one day, and we ran errands another day. On Friday, I took DJ out to the College of Charleston's athletic fields (which are next to Patriots Point) to run out some energy. We also walked out to the beach even though it was really cold with the wind whipping off of the ocean. The day before, Steve had taken him out and shown him that it's not ice he's walking on but sand. Steve picked up a shell, scooped some sand, and let it fall out of the shell. Well, DJ picked right up on that, and insisted on picking up sand every 2 steps until they got back to the house. When I took him out the next day, I showed him a shell, and he remembered exactly what Steve had shown him (every 2 steps...). DJ also wanted to run out into the ocean, which I stopped him from doing. He stood there and watched as the waves came in, and the foam would gather at the water's edge. He's going to LOVE the beach when we go to Wrightsville in August.
Most lunches were eaten out (Chick-fil-A FTW), and most dinners were eaten in. Kudos to Andy and Steve for being our grill masters. We have learned that if you're going to light a charcoal grill on an ocean front deck and expect it to stay lit, then you need to pour 1/2 a bottle of lighter fluid on the coals. On the other hand, if you take said charcoal grill out of the main path of the wind, make sure it's not near the house's dryer else the laundry room and master bedroom smell like lighter fluid. ;-) Andy and Steve cooked marinaded london broil twice and chicken breasts once to perfection. The garlic bread, on the other hand, wasn't so garlicky... (need to add garlic next time!). The toaster settings are in minutes, not in a scale of dark to light so 5 != medium. Instead 5 = minutes... yes, Mike learned that the hard way for the rest of us when his toast came out unrecognizably black. And it can't be vacation if you don't set off the smoke alarm at least once, in our case, the morning of departure. ::snork::
Although the drive is brutal, we look forward to doing this again next year! Back to unpacking...
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
DJ words
Dj has been pointing to things and trying to name them more often without prompting. Some of the words we've heard from him lately include:
Meow, sssss (what a snake says), ney (what a horse says), sish (fish), kwaka (cracker), shoos (shoes), baby, DEEEE!!! (DJ's name), TEEE!!! (three), ock (rock), moo, ooooo (what an owl says), grrr (what a tiger, lion, and bear say), vroom (what a truck and car say), beep (what a car does, but this one is hard to elicit when you try to prompt him for it), mama, daddy, ayia (yiayia), papou, we think he said Leo's name, keys (both what's on a keyboard and the items used to unlock/start things), wawa (we think this is water), nana (banana), here-oh (here or here you go), eye, ice (current favorite word), eeaf (leaf), coo (cool or cold), bawa (bottle - which we think he means as his cup), choo choo (train), twa-ka (we think this is a new word as of today for trashcan), hi (and we think he's starting to learn how to use it correctly), and tick-toc (what a watch or clock says). At least that's all I can think of right now.
Meow, sssss (what a snake says), ney (what a horse says), sish (fish), kwaka (cracker), shoos (shoes), baby, DEEEE!!! (DJ's name), TEEE!!! (three), ock (rock), moo, ooooo (what an owl says), grrr (what a tiger, lion, and bear say), vroom (what a truck and car say), beep (what a car does, but this one is hard to elicit when you try to prompt him for it), mama, daddy, ayia (yiayia), papou, we think he said Leo's name, keys (both what's on a keyboard and the items used to unlock/start things), wawa (we think this is water), nana (banana), here-oh (here or here you go), eye, ice (current favorite word), eeaf (leaf), coo (cool or cold), bawa (bottle - which we think he means as his cup), choo choo (train), twa-ka (we think this is a new word as of today for trashcan), hi (and we think he's starting to learn how to use it correctly), and tick-toc (what a watch or clock says). At least that's all I can think of right now.
Elektra the Steamroller
It's official! Elektra is rolling over! And of course, she couldn't roll over the easy way (belly to back). Oh no. She had to go from back to belly. I was out with DJ at the Charleston Museum (first museum in the country - established 1773) while Steve stayed home with Elektra and I got a text that she'd rolled over. Sure enough, after I got home with DJ, I watched her do it with my own eyes. It's still effort for her, but clearly, we can no longer just leave her on the changing table!!
Our kids seem to reach a milestone every time they come down to Charleston!
Our kids seem to reach a milestone every time they come down to Charleston!
Friday, February 06, 2009
Posted pictures
As promised, I posted a picture of Elektra eating solids and one of her bath experience.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Happy happy joy joy!
DJ hadn't seen Grace in a week and a half, at least. Either he was sick or she was sick or something.
Yesterday, they finally got to see each other again, and DJ made it very clear how happy he was to see her. He hung onto the gate, jumped up and down excitedly, squealed with glee, and shook his head in outright crazy happiness. Eleanor said it was really cute to see him so happy to see Grace. Clearly, he missed her.
Yesterday, they finally got to see each other again, and DJ made it very clear how happy he was to see her. He hung onto the gate, jumped up and down excitedly, squealed with glee, and shook his head in outright crazy happiness. Eleanor said it was really cute to see him so happy to see Grace. Clearly, he missed her.
Elektra's first solid food
Last night, Steve and I fed Elektra her first spoonfuls of rice cereal.
As to be expected, just about none of it stayed in, and she pushed the spoon out of her mouth with her tongue to boot. In fact, I am not convinced she swallowed any of it. But she sat in her high chair like a trooper, had pictures taken of her, and got all around messy. It was great!
I'll post pics when I download them from the camera. (edit: done!)
However, at 2am this morning, she was awake with gas. Was it from the rice cereal? Not sure. But I changed her diaper, gave her a 4 ounce bottle and just as she finished that, she had a poopy diaper. Changed her again, and found that it was quite the poopy diaper so she must've been feeling better after that. I put her back down in her crib, and she went to sleep almost immediately. I, on the other hand, was awake for at least another 20 minutes. Ugh.
As to be expected, just about none of it stayed in, and she pushed the spoon out of her mouth with her tongue to boot. In fact, I am not convinced she swallowed any of it. But she sat in her high chair like a trooper, had pictures taken of her, and got all around messy. It was great!
I'll post pics when I download them from the camera. (edit: done!)
However, at 2am this morning, she was awake with gas. Was it from the rice cereal? Not sure. But I changed her diaper, gave her a 4 ounce bottle and just as she finished that, she had a poopy diaper. Changed her again, and found that it was quite the poopy diaper so she must've been feeling better after that. I put her back down in her crib, and she went to sleep almost immediately. I, on the other hand, was awake for at least another 20 minutes. Ugh.
DJ, our little Curt Schilling
DJ has reached the Throwing Stage. He's throwing everything. Not only is he throwing everything, he's throwing things at people as well as onto the floor. Elektra has been his favorite target so far, but Grace, Steve and I have not been overlooked.
And of course, as one quickly discovers, one cannot reason with a toddler. I put him in timeout over the weekend when he hit Elektra in the head a couple times, and he thought I was playing. I used my sternest Mama Voice, and even that didn't work. Clearly, this is for attention, but I'm failing to see how, even when I'm playing with him very specifically, it's not enough attention for him not to throw things.
Yesterday, at day care, he threw something near Elektra, so I put him in my lap, told him he should say "sorry" to Elektra (he can't say that yet, but may as well start having him hear the word) and give her a kiss. Oh he didn't want to do that. It took my asking 3 times for him to finally give Elektra a kiss.
He also threw a book at Grace and konked her in the head. I took him to Eleanor's couch, sat him down, he fussed to be let go, and Grace came over to see what was the fuss. I told him, again, that he needs to say "sorry" to Grace and give her a kiss. At least the kiss to Grace was more easily extracted as I only had to ask once. ;-)
At some level, it seems like he's trying to give these things to people, but he's launching them instead of giving them. There are other times when it's clear he's doing it for attention. I'm not sure how to tackle this yet, but hopefully, we'll get through to him soon before he hurts someone.
And of course, as one quickly discovers, one cannot reason with a toddler. I put him in timeout over the weekend when he hit Elektra in the head a couple times, and he thought I was playing. I used my sternest Mama Voice, and even that didn't work. Clearly, this is for attention, but I'm failing to see how, even when I'm playing with him very specifically, it's not enough attention for him not to throw things.
Yesterday, at day care, he threw something near Elektra, so I put him in my lap, told him he should say "sorry" to Elektra (he can't say that yet, but may as well start having him hear the word) and give her a kiss. Oh he didn't want to do that. It took my asking 3 times for him to finally give Elektra a kiss.
He also threw a book at Grace and konked her in the head. I took him to Eleanor's couch, sat him down, he fussed to be let go, and Grace came over to see what was the fuss. I told him, again, that he needs to say "sorry" to Grace and give her a kiss. At least the kiss to Grace was more easily extracted as I only had to ask once. ;-)
At some level, it seems like he's trying to give these things to people, but he's launching them instead of giving them. There are other times when it's clear he's doing it for attention. I'm not sure how to tackle this yet, but hopefully, we'll get through to him soon before he hurts someone.
Humpty Dumpty...
...is now DJ.
Yesterday morning, Steve and I went into DJ's room to get him ready for day care. Steve put down the crib rail, and I turned my back to figure out what DJ was going to wear. Steve left the room to go make his coffee.
At this moment, DJ decided it would be a good idea to see how far down the outside of the crib he could reach. Sure enough, he reached... and reached... and reached... until he literally flipped over, head over heels to the floor out of the crib. I heard a boom which made me immediately turn and look, and I saw DJ on his back on the floor starting to cry.
I immediately picked him up as he's wailing, and Steve came in grinning. GRINNING! Dude! Our toddler just fell out of the crib!!!! This is no time to be grinning!!! Apparently, Steve saw the whole thing happen. DJ only fell a foot and a half, and he landed on his back, not his head. So clearly, DJ was more scared than hurt, but he let us know he wasn't happy for a good 5 minutes.
Then there was the, "You were in the room with him!" "I was picking out something for him to wear!" "Ok, no more leaving the crib rail down, though you'd think he'd have learned his lesson... maybe." HA!
By the time I got him dressed, the tears were dry and DJ was smiling and laughing. I'm sure that's not the last time he's going to fall out of the crib....
Yesterday morning, Steve and I went into DJ's room to get him ready for day care. Steve put down the crib rail, and I turned my back to figure out what DJ was going to wear. Steve left the room to go make his coffee.
At this moment, DJ decided it would be a good idea to see how far down the outside of the crib he could reach. Sure enough, he reached... and reached... and reached... until he literally flipped over, head over heels to the floor out of the crib. I heard a boom which made me immediately turn and look, and I saw DJ on his back on the floor starting to cry.
I immediately picked him up as he's wailing, and Steve came in grinning. GRINNING! Dude! Our toddler just fell out of the crib!!!! This is no time to be grinning!!! Apparently, Steve saw the whole thing happen. DJ only fell a foot and a half, and he landed on his back, not his head. So clearly, DJ was more scared than hurt, but he let us know he wasn't happy for a good 5 minutes.
Then there was the, "You were in the room with him!" "I was picking out something for him to wear!" "Ok, no more leaving the crib rail down, though you'd think he'd have learned his lesson... maybe." HA!
By the time I got him dressed, the tears were dry and DJ was smiling and laughing. I'm sure that's not the last time he's going to fall out of the crib....
Elektra's 4 month pediatrican appointment
Yesterday, I took Elektra to see her pediatrician for her 4 month appointment. She weighed in at a hefty 16 pounds 4 ounces and 25.25 inches long. That puts her in the 90-95 percentile. Interestingly, she's nearly a full pound and a quarter inch smaller than DJ was at 4 months. Yet she feels longer to me than he was.
As it turns out, she wanted no parts of the exam. She was starting to get ansy before the doctor came in, so I'm wondering if she was hungry and the exam just made it all the worse. She fussed and cried even swatted at the instrument he used to look in her ears ("Good motor skill development!" he said).
She's been cleared for solids, too. Rice cereal and the yellow vegetables until she's 6 months old.
After all that was done, she got 5 vaccines, and she really cried at the technician then. By the time we left the office, she was calm and quiet and checking out the world around her. She fell asleep in the car on the way back to Eleanor's. So was she hungry or just exhibiting her personality, no idea....!
As it turns out, she wanted no parts of the exam. She was starting to get ansy before the doctor came in, so I'm wondering if she was hungry and the exam just made it all the worse. She fussed and cried even swatted at the instrument he used to look in her ears ("Good motor skill development!" he said).
She's been cleared for solids, too. Rice cereal and the yellow vegetables until she's 6 months old.
After all that was done, she got 5 vaccines, and she really cried at the technician then. By the time we left the office, she was calm and quiet and checking out the world around her. She fell asleep in the car on the way back to Eleanor's. So was she hungry or just exhibiting her personality, no idea....!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Elektra's 1st bath
She hated it.
She was fine with being naked. That was all fine and good. But being laid down in the infant tub was a whole other story. She started to cry... not fuss, cry. I quickly put warm water over her, and although she stopped crying, she still fussed. We didn't have her in the tub 5 minutes and she'd already started crying again. :-( Yep, she hated it. And of course, we have pictures. ;-)
We'd been able to get away with not giving her a full out bath for this long because she's been a really clean baby overall. Little sponge baths have been more than plenty for her.
Then, this morning, I spilled an entire bottle of milk on her. I had to change her outfit and wipe her down with a wipe all over so she wouldn't be sticky. Then, I got a call from Eleanor that she'd blown a diaper up the back and spit up down her front at the same time so she was in yet ANOTHER outfit.
So much for having a clean baby. No more baths any time soon if this is going to be my luck!!!
She was fine with being naked. That was all fine and good. But being laid down in the infant tub was a whole other story. She started to cry... not fuss, cry. I quickly put warm water over her, and although she stopped crying, she still fussed. We didn't have her in the tub 5 minutes and she'd already started crying again. :-( Yep, she hated it. And of course, we have pictures. ;-)
We'd been able to get away with not giving her a full out bath for this long because she's been a really clean baby overall. Little sponge baths have been more than plenty for her.
Then, this morning, I spilled an entire bottle of milk on her. I had to change her outfit and wipe her down with a wipe all over so she wouldn't be sticky. Then, I got a call from Eleanor that she'd blown a diaper up the back and spit up down her front at the same time so she was in yet ANOTHER outfit.
So much for having a clean baby. No more baths any time soon if this is going to be my luck!!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
DJ update
DJ went to the doctor yesterday. While in the waiting room, DJ enjoyed watching the fish and the bubbles in the fish tank, and he'd also say "rock" which came out as "ock". He also watched all the other kids intently, especially the ones who were causing a ruckus, looking at them with studious concern. Despite being so incredibly tired because Steve had to wake him up from a nap to bring him to the doctor, he was a very good boy while we waited.
Once we were called back and DJ was weighed (29 pounds, 13 ounces!), we let him run around the examining room to his heart's content. When the doctor came in, he was fine until it was time to look in his ears and mouth. That's when the tired DJ came out and he did all he could to keep the doctor from getting a good look.
Dr. Nguyen said she didn't see any signs of infection, so no antibiotics for him, though clearly he's fighting something off. This is a good thing as he's building antibodies. She said that she's been seeing a lot of what he has, a fever for 3-5 days, and then potentially break out into a rash when the fever breaks. Apparently, it's a baby/toddler thing, and even my dad had mentioned it on Sunday night that this might be what would happen. We are to keep giving him Tylenol (and we get to up the dosage since he weighs 30 pounds effectively) to help keep him comfortable more than anything. Besides, we think he's also teething his last teeth, his 2 year molars, so the Tylenol will help with that, too.
Since he effectively had no afternoon nap, he went to bed at 6:30pm, and slept 12 hours. He woke up crying once or twice in the middle of the night, but went back to sleep pretty quickly. I got up at 2:45am to check on him, and he wasn't exhibiting any signs of a fever. So I didn't wake him to give him any Tylenol then.
This morning, he still didn't feel warm to me, though the thermometer said low 99. I gave him some Tylenol and took him to day care because I know he'd love to see Grace. Naturally, with it snowing today, schools are closed, so Jeff kept Grace home with him. At least DJ gets to play with his favorite Sonny and Eleanor. I'm hoping he naps a couple of times today because he still looks very tired, and is still a little fussy and willful. He was eating a good breakfast and sucked down his milk so I think that'll help his mood, too.
Once we were called back and DJ was weighed (29 pounds, 13 ounces!), we let him run around the examining room to his heart's content. When the doctor came in, he was fine until it was time to look in his ears and mouth. That's when the tired DJ came out and he did all he could to keep the doctor from getting a good look.
Dr. Nguyen said she didn't see any signs of infection, so no antibiotics for him, though clearly he's fighting something off. This is a good thing as he's building antibodies. She said that she's been seeing a lot of what he has, a fever for 3-5 days, and then potentially break out into a rash when the fever breaks. Apparently, it's a baby/toddler thing, and even my dad had mentioned it on Sunday night that this might be what would happen. We are to keep giving him Tylenol (and we get to up the dosage since he weighs 30 pounds effectively) to help keep him comfortable more than anything. Besides, we think he's also teething his last teeth, his 2 year molars, so the Tylenol will help with that, too.
Since he effectively had no afternoon nap, he went to bed at 6:30pm, and slept 12 hours. He woke up crying once or twice in the middle of the night, but went back to sleep pretty quickly. I got up at 2:45am to check on him, and he wasn't exhibiting any signs of a fever. So I didn't wake him to give him any Tylenol then.
This morning, he still didn't feel warm to me, though the thermometer said low 99. I gave him some Tylenol and took him to day care because I know he'd love to see Grace. Naturally, with it snowing today, schools are closed, so Jeff kept Grace home with him. At least DJ gets to play with his favorite Sonny and Eleanor. I'm hoping he naps a couple of times today because he still looks very tired, and is still a little fussy and willful. He was eating a good breakfast and sucked down his milk so I think that'll help his mood, too.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Feeling hot hot hot
Saturday night, Steve and I went to the WDCR Awards banquet for the 2008 racing season. It's always a good time, getting back together with friends we haven't seen in months, talk racing, and get excited for the upcoming season. Plus, with my being a member of the Board of Directors for the region, I have some politicking to do (shake hands, kiss babies, as it were). This would be impossible to do if we brought either (or both) of the kids. Thankfully, Grandmom came to the rescue! She came over at 3:30, and watched the kids for us while we were gone.
At 9pm, the banquet ceremonies had just ended and steve got a text from his mom... Call now. Uh-oh. DJ had a fever of 100, and he was wailing. We left immediately. By the time we got home, the Tylenol must've kicked in because his temperature was reading normal and he was back to sleep. Whew. Tyelnol FTW.
DJ slept the rest of the night but Sunday when he woke up, he had a fever near 100. Administer the Tylenol. Check. DJ ate a good breakfast, and played for a little while. But then, out of seemingly nowhere, he melted down. He was inconsolable. After about 5 minutes, I picked him up, and carried him to his crib. He laid down, and we didn't hear another peep out of him for an hour and a half.
He woke at noon unhappy. We tried giving him some lunch, no go. Fever was back up to 100, administer Tylenol. Steve put him back down for another nap. He lay in crib for probably half an hour and then wanted out. We let him play until around 3, and then put him back down for another nap. He slept until 6:30pm.
At that point, he was burning up. There was no mistaking that he had a high fever. Sure enough, it was in the high 102s. Administer Tylenol, now now now. Cool washcloth to his forehead. No panicking yet, it's not 104. Called Dad... do I need to panick yet? No, not until his fever hits 104. Try giving him a cool bath. Good idea! So after dinner, DJ got a cool bath. That brought his temperature down to normal. So we let him play for an hour, and he was clearly feeling better. His temperature was back up to 100 when we put him to bed, but I think that was because he was climbing on and off the couch during that hour of play.
I checked him at 11, before I went to bed, and no sign of a fever. Whew. Set an alarm for 2:45am. Checked him, 101. Dangit. I woke him up to give him Tylenol and being the good little boy that he is, took it and went back to sleep.
At 5:45am, he felt fine, but I didn't take a reading. At 7:15, he still felt ok. But we decided to keep him home from day care, much to Grace's (and Eleanor and Sonny's) disappointment because she didn't get to see him most of last week.
Steve is home with him right now, and he had a temp of 99.8. Tylenol. Check. I called the pediatrician, and he's supposed to go at 2:50 today. I was concerned as that's right during his normal nap time, but.... Steve already texted me to tell me that by 9:15, DJ was already back in bed and napping. Poor little guy definitely isn't feeling well.
At 9pm, the banquet ceremonies had just ended and steve got a text from his mom... Call now. Uh-oh. DJ had a fever of 100, and he was wailing. We left immediately. By the time we got home, the Tylenol must've kicked in because his temperature was reading normal and he was back to sleep. Whew. Tyelnol FTW.
DJ slept the rest of the night but Sunday when he woke up, he had a fever near 100. Administer the Tylenol. Check. DJ ate a good breakfast, and played for a little while. But then, out of seemingly nowhere, he melted down. He was inconsolable. After about 5 minutes, I picked him up, and carried him to his crib. He laid down, and we didn't hear another peep out of him for an hour and a half.
He woke at noon unhappy. We tried giving him some lunch, no go. Fever was back up to 100, administer Tylenol. Steve put him back down for another nap. He lay in crib for probably half an hour and then wanted out. We let him play until around 3, and then put him back down for another nap. He slept until 6:30pm.
At that point, he was burning up. There was no mistaking that he had a high fever. Sure enough, it was in the high 102s. Administer Tylenol, now now now. Cool washcloth to his forehead. No panicking yet, it's not 104. Called Dad... do I need to panick yet? No, not until his fever hits 104. Try giving him a cool bath. Good idea! So after dinner, DJ got a cool bath. That brought his temperature down to normal. So we let him play for an hour, and he was clearly feeling better. His temperature was back up to 100 when we put him to bed, but I think that was because he was climbing on and off the couch during that hour of play.
I checked him at 11, before I went to bed, and no sign of a fever. Whew. Set an alarm for 2:45am. Checked him, 101. Dangit. I woke him up to give him Tylenol and being the good little boy that he is, took it and went back to sleep.
At 5:45am, he felt fine, but I didn't take a reading. At 7:15, he still felt ok. But we decided to keep him home from day care, much to Grace's (and Eleanor and Sonny's) disappointment because she didn't get to see him most of last week.
Steve is home with him right now, and he had a temp of 99.8. Tylenol. Check. I called the pediatrician, and he's supposed to go at 2:50 today. I was concerned as that's right during his normal nap time, but.... Steve already texted me to tell me that by 9:15, DJ was already back in bed and napping. Poor little guy definitely isn't feeling well.
Roll roll roll your boat....part 2!
Elektra was getting some all-important belly time on Sunday, watching DJ play in front of her and, as always, keeping an eye on the TV whenever she could. Then, all of a sudden, she rolled over from her belly to her side in one fell swoop! I was surprised that *she* wasn't surprised to find herself in a different position. In fact, she just continued to play, reaching out for a toy and trying to put it in her mouth.
I put her back on her belly to see if she'd do it again, but no go. By that point, she effectively face planted, being tired from the amount of belly time she'd already gotten.
As I mentioned in an earlier post about baby rolling, it's no surprised she rolled from belly to back first as it's easier for the baby to tuck their shoulder under the from that position to start the roll. Yay Elektra!
I put her back on her belly to see if she'd do it again, but no go. By that point, she effectively face planted, being tired from the amount of belly time she'd already gotten.
As I mentioned in an earlier post about baby rolling, it's no surprised she rolled from belly to back first as it's easier for the baby to tuck their shoulder under the from that position to start the roll. Yay Elektra!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Laughter!
Last night, while I was changing Elektra to get her ready for bed, I tickled her under her chin. I was rewarded with a full on laugh!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
One, two, TEEEE!!
Eleanor has told me in the past that DJ likes to count 1, 2, 3, but I didn't hear it for myself until a couple days ago. They were walking down the stairs together and Eleanor would count each stair, "one... two..." and DJ would squeal in delight, "TEEEE!!!!!" So now we count 1, 2, teeeee! whenever we can.
Last night, I taught him what a watch says. Tick tock! :)
Last night, I taught him what a watch says. Tick tock! :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tis the Season for sickness
It is most certainly winter, and that means sickness. The whole family caught something ugly and passed it on to both the Boyers and the Cheevers.
DJ and Elektra started with colds last Monday. That Tuesday, I caught a 24 hour stomach bug (evil!) and by this past Sunday, both DJ and Steve had caught it, too. DJ must have felt better the next morning because he was happy, energetic and had good color in his face. Steve, on the other hand, was laid up on the couch the entire day, sleeping close to 18 hours. As for Elektra, you'd have never known she wasn't feeling well because she was a happy girl no matter what. She slept a ton over the weekend, but she's still a little stuffy. I still have a cold and my appetite hasn't fully returned, but I'm definitely past the worst of it.
Then I found out yesterday that on Monday night, Grace caught was DJ had the night before and then gave it to her mother. I feel badly for Nadia... expecting to deliver her baby any day now and vomiting.... ugh! That's horrible. And to top it all off, DJ and Sonny caught the rest of the stomach bug yesterday and Eleanor caught it last night. DJ was so worn out yesterday, apparently, that he curled up in Eleanor's lap in the morning and fell asleep in her arms. And then he took an afternoon nap later. He hasn't taken 2 naps in 3 months! Despite all that sleep, he was rubbing his eyes during dinner, so I gave him a long hot bath, and he went right to bed. He woke up 12 hours later.
I hope we all get past this ugliness soon... makes for misery!!
DJ and Elektra started with colds last Monday. That Tuesday, I caught a 24 hour stomach bug (evil!) and by this past Sunday, both DJ and Steve had caught it, too. DJ must have felt better the next morning because he was happy, energetic and had good color in his face. Steve, on the other hand, was laid up on the couch the entire day, sleeping close to 18 hours. As for Elektra, you'd have never known she wasn't feeling well because she was a happy girl no matter what. She slept a ton over the weekend, but she's still a little stuffy. I still have a cold and my appetite hasn't fully returned, but I'm definitely past the worst of it.
Then I found out yesterday that on Monday night, Grace caught was DJ had the night before and then gave it to her mother. I feel badly for Nadia... expecting to deliver her baby any day now and vomiting.... ugh! That's horrible. And to top it all off, DJ and Sonny caught the rest of the stomach bug yesterday and Eleanor caught it last night. DJ was so worn out yesterday, apparently, that he curled up in Eleanor's lap in the morning and fell asleep in her arms. And then he took an afternoon nap later. He hasn't taken 2 naps in 3 months! Despite all that sleep, he was rubbing his eyes during dinner, so I gave him a long hot bath, and he went right to bed. He woke up 12 hours later.
I hope we all get past this ugliness soon... makes for misery!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
DJ and the Munchkin and his hat
On January 3rd, we celebrated Dave's 40th birthday with quite the bang. In the morning, we attended a brunch at my mother-in-law's house and that evening, we feasted on some of the best crabs I've had in a long time at Uncle Kenny's. Many thanks to Yiayia and Papou for watching the kids while we feasted at Uncle Kenny's! There's no way we could have picked crabs and kept up with kids!
While at Carole's, Elektra was immediately scooped up by someone to be held while DJ started wandering. The next thing I know, I saw DJ holding something in his hand. It looked like a ball, a white powdery ball. Hmm. I went to investigate. I discovered it was a powdered sugar Munchkin (from Dunkin' Donuts), and DJ was carrying it around like one of the plastic balls from his ball popper toy at home.
So I picked him up, showed him the "ball" in his hand, and told him to take a bite. He looked at me, confused, like "Why would I take a bite of a ball, Mommy?". So I told him to take a bite again. He slowly put it to his mouth and then got a taste of the powdered sugar. YUMMY. He quickly took another bite and shortly thereafter, the ball was gone. And there you have it, DJ's first donut.
This morning, it was very cold outside... 18 degrees or something ridiculous like that. Ok, so Minneapolis had it way worse, like -40 degrees or something but for us, 18 degrees is as cold as we usually get with no end in sight. DJ doesn't know that it's cold outside. But he asked for the red cap with the pompom on the top that his cousin Spiro gave him. He pointed at it and talked to it. So I confirmed, "Do you want to put on your hat?" DJ got excited, his sign for "Yes!" And on it went, and it stayed on the entire car ride to day care. I thought that was really cute that he wanted to wear the cap. :-)
While at Carole's, Elektra was immediately scooped up by someone to be held while DJ started wandering. The next thing I know, I saw DJ holding something in his hand. It looked like a ball, a white powdery ball. Hmm. I went to investigate. I discovered it was a powdered sugar Munchkin (from Dunkin' Donuts), and DJ was carrying it around like one of the plastic balls from his ball popper toy at home.
So I picked him up, showed him the "ball" in his hand, and told him to take a bite. He looked at me, confused, like "Why would I take a bite of a ball, Mommy?". So I told him to take a bite again. He slowly put it to his mouth and then got a taste of the powdered sugar. YUMMY. He quickly took another bite and shortly thereafter, the ball was gone. And there you have it, DJ's first donut.
This morning, it was very cold outside... 18 degrees or something ridiculous like that. Ok, so Minneapolis had it way worse, like -40 degrees or something but for us, 18 degrees is as cold as we usually get with no end in sight. DJ doesn't know that it's cold outside. But he asked for the red cap with the pompom on the top that his cousin Spiro gave him. He pointed at it and talked to it. So I confirmed, "Do you want to put on your hat?" DJ got excited, his sign for "Yes!" And on it went, and it stayed on the entire car ride to day care. I thought that was really cute that he wanted to wear the cap. :-)
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Squeal!
During dinner, while DJ is in the high chair, Elektra is sitting in the swing facing him. Last night, DJ was squealing and lo and behold, Elektra would squeal back!! I couldn't believe it!! She was really trying to communicate with him!
You can tell that she's matured because behind those bright eyes of hers, you can see that she's so much more aware of what's going on around her and wants to absorb it all (as well as be involved in it!). She's also trying to grab things that are hanging in front of her and her intensity while doing so is really impressive. She was very busy trying to grab at stuff when I went to pick her up from day care today; she was doing that for at least 20 minutes and she still wasn't done playing with that when it was time to go. Good stuff!!
You can tell that she's matured because behind those bright eyes of hers, you can see that she's so much more aware of what's going on around her and wants to absorb it all (as well as be involved in it!). She's also trying to grab things that are hanging in front of her and her intensity while doing so is really impressive. She was very busy trying to grab at stuff when I went to pick her up from day care today; she was doing that for at least 20 minutes and she still wasn't done playing with that when it was time to go. Good stuff!!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Roll roll roll your boat....
Elektra has been working on rolling over this last week. I noticed it on Sunday while we were watching the football game. She was on her back, on the playmat, with her head on the playmat's pillow. Next thing I know, she's nearly on her side, but not quite.
Eleanor and Sonny both said that she was trying to roll over at day care yesterday, too.
This morning, she had her neck craned to look behind her at the light near the changing table. In the process of doing that, it nearly put her on her side again.
Typically, a baby learns to roll from tummy to back first because it's easier. This little girl has no interest in trying to roll when she's on her tummy, at least she hasn't so far! Either way, at least she's trying! Hooray for a developmental milestone on its way!
Eleanor and Sonny both said that she was trying to roll over at day care yesterday, too.
This morning, she had her neck craned to look behind her at the light near the changing table. In the process of doing that, it nearly put her on her side again.
Typically, a baby learns to roll from tummy to back first because it's easier. This little girl has no interest in trying to roll when she's on her tummy, at least she hasn't so far! Either way, at least she's trying! Hooray for a developmental milestone on its way!
Friday, January 02, 2009
Sucker!!
Ok, so that title sounds much more sinister than it's meant to be.
Last night, Elektra slept in our room in the pack-n-play and DJ slept in her crib so that he could get a full night's rest. At 3am, we woke to the sound of fussing and then mumbled fussing. Steve was concerned at the second sound and relaxed when I said, "She's sucking her thumb." It's actually to the point where she really doesn't want the pacifier, she wants her thumb instead. She woke up again around 5:30am, no fussing, just thumb sucking. Unlike DJ, she'll probably be able to put herself back to sleep without my needing to go into her room. We'll see.
On another note, she fussed about going to sleep last night. At first we tried feeding her. Nope, wanted no parts of the bottle. Then we tried the swing in front of the tv. Nope, wanted no parts of that either. Laid her down in the pack-n-play, was fine until we left the room. So I picked her up, and sat down on the living room couch with her, with her facing the tv. Insta-quiet. In fact, she fell asleep within 10 minutes. So she wanted to watch the tv, but she wanted to be held by one of us. Go figure!
Last night, Elektra slept in our room in the pack-n-play and DJ slept in her crib so that he could get a full night's rest. At 3am, we woke to the sound of fussing and then mumbled fussing. Steve was concerned at the second sound and relaxed when I said, "She's sucking her thumb." It's actually to the point where she really doesn't want the pacifier, she wants her thumb instead. She woke up again around 5:30am, no fussing, just thumb sucking. Unlike DJ, she'll probably be able to put herself back to sleep without my needing to go into her room. We'll see.
On another note, she fussed about going to sleep last night. At first we tried feeding her. Nope, wanted no parts of the bottle. Then we tried the swing in front of the tv. Nope, wanted no parts of that either. Laid her down in the pack-n-play, was fine until we left the room. So I picked her up, and sat down on the living room couch with her, with her facing the tv. Insta-quiet. In fact, she fell asleep within 10 minutes. So she wanted to watch the tv, but she wanted to be held by one of us. Go figure!
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