Silver Linings

It's been busy here, hence the no posting. I have about 6 drafts of stuff, most of which will be deleted because they are no longer relevant. I am still not used to that...everything changes pretty much weekly. The text I just deleted from the original "Hump day" (now renamed "Silver Linings"), was a blurb about Monster's first days care center experience, where he was going to stay while I taught at the center. That only happened for a week...which led to him slung up on my hip for the next week, and now this week it was sitter time, and next week it is a whole other arrangement (fortunately the final one, we need consistency!).

The last written post was Weaning, and now that's done. I'd like to brag that he's weaned in a week, muh haha ha! Kidding...I'm done with weaning. It wasn't working out and my gut says "no". Over any book or advice from whoever, I have come to trust my gut the most. The unpublished draft before weaning, was all about his sudden love of solids, which is out the door this week. I love that "This too shall pass", but not in regards to the positive changes.

After a long spell of waking at 7 am, (from the preferred wake time of 9ish) he's again sleeping in. Unfortunately, I'm not. We're all laid up with some mucousy sickness and after popping up for an early feeding, I couldn't get myself back to sleep, although it is much needed. I guess I get to have blog time, but then again, I wonder who is actually reading, besides Melissa and some spammer in China. All I know is that the quick and easy version of putting him down at night is over for now, usually it's followed by catching up on work or house cleaning that didn't get done all day, and the nights have gotten long and tiring, so I must enjoy the early morning calm now.

While he was growing more independent, he's back on my hip a heck of a lot these days. My left arm is seriously protesting the ongoing 20 lb Monster work out. Fortunately it worked up to 20lb. slowly over the past year, right? Silver linings...trying to find them! Although, a comment on this...Dr. Sear's remarked on how it was interesting children developed clingy behavior relative to becoming mobile. This suggests that mother nature kind of has a system of checks and balances for her little ones, making them  weary of wandering off once they are able to actually do so. It's the best way to appreciate the cling, IMO.

 I see this checks and balances system pop up a lot...Stefan has a way of avoiding dairy when I haven't caught it in food  plus his extended nursing leads me to believe his body "knows" what he needs. He still has a strong gag reflex and a tongue that just won't cooperate, but very few teeth,  making solids a challenge. I wonder if more teeth prompts the gag reflex and tongue action to leave. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

Now, just a blurb on recent things he does, for my baby journal part of this blog. I suppose it should be a separate post, but if I don't get this all accomplished in one entry, I don't think it will get done in the near future. I've already forgotten major details I never thought I would, like we we started Stefan in the crib full time...I thought it was 6 months yesterday, on more careful consideration, I think it was 11-12 months. Anyway...

...He's just started to figure that he can climb. Watching him attack stairs is absurd, since he just throws his foot up on them with a straight leg, usually at a precarious angle, not possible for any one to take on stairs without mommy hands to hold on to. His second climbing feat: the child's rocking chair. "Dear Stefan, please pick something with a stable base! Love, Mommy" I couldn't get my camera on quick enough before he realized what I was doing. He looked like a ballet dancer with his leg out stretching on the chair. He refuses to walk without assistance, still ever cautious, but I heard I was the same way.

He's become a lot more communicative, though I think I'm the only one who understands him. Then I feel like I'm crazy when I tell Sean what the baby is "saying" and Sean thinks I'm putting words in his mouth. I'll happily continue with my delusion, since I'm with him practically 24/7 and Sean, nor anyone else who thinks I'm crazy, isn't. So he stops whining when I guess what he wants. He knows all about his teeth, hungry belly, mommy milk, diaper,  random objects (he has a fixation on the phone, blinking lights and buttons and knows where each and everyone is around the house), and occasionally he throws in pointing to his head. [I wonder if he has migraines like me, :( .] He almost says "yes" and he says, "hello" when the phone rings. When I sing little phrases, he mimics the pitches sometimes.

He's become more aggressive with the cat, poking at him a lot more, pulling his tail and legs, pushing him off of things when he doesn't want him there or when he thinks the cat should take a sip from the tub faucet. The cat only drinks from the tub faucet, it's just that Stefan makes the kitty get into the tub more efficiently.

He's become more opinionated, arguing with me when I take things away, and then throwing a fit. Bring on the toddlerhood! I've come to terms with his baby toys being fun for only a day or two, especially when bottle openers abound. They are much more interesting and usually metal, which sounds better when it's smashed on the coffee table. Speaking of smashing, I've showed him how to play the drums! I don't know what I was thinking, but he holds the sticks and taps on my drum pad, and does this all on his own now. He has even learned to throw the sticks like a true Rocker. Check the video I've posted.

Final tidbit: He LOVES Miso! And tofu. And some seaweed. Onion is the other favorite. Luckily Miso soup contains them all. We now order him his own bowl when we have sushi takeout. I was sick of him eating all of mine! If he isn't constantly presented with a full spoon, he throws a fit.

So that is all I can recollect right now. The squawker is up anyway...