Some Homemade Fun

My friend Nikki and I have been working on a craft blog.  If you are interested in crafting or decorating, have a look!

http://somehomemadefun.blogspot.com/

Soccer

Monday was Andrew's last day of a 10 week class of Soccer.  It was a parent-involved class, but the last couple of sessions the instructor (Coach Carlos) asked the parents to step aside, so the kids could start getting used to listening to him as opposed to the parents.  Andrew did really well.  He listened to Coach Carlos better than he listens to me!  It's funny how that happens.  Andrew loved going to Soccer every Monday and I'm so glad I signed him up for the class. 

Splashing Fun

When this started, we asked Andrew to stop splashing because we thought Austin would start crying...

Happy 3rd Birthday to Andrew!

Andrew turned 3 today.  I found myself reliving the whole labor experience many times throughout the day and remembering what it felt like to hold Andrew in my arms for the first time.  I can't believe it has already been 3 years since Andrew came into this world.  He is proving to be quite the happy, active, independent, opinionated, stubborn, smart, savvy and loving young boy who loves cars, dinosaurs, books, puzzles, football, Nascar (or Racecar), trains, soccer, slides, running, (and more) and who challenges us every. single. day. 

WE LOVE YOU!!

7 Months

Yep, 7 months already.  Things are starting to click.  Austin has taken a liking to solid foods in the past week.  Finally.  He snubbed solid foods like you wouldn't believe, but something clicked at the beginning of the week.  Either he gave up the fight, or he decided solid food wasn't so bad afterall.  He doesn't eat very much (it's probably plenty for his age and size), but the fact that he opens his mouth when the spoon is coming towards his mouth is a huge accomplishment.  And when he's done eating , he's done eating.  No question about it.

He falls asleep on his own 99% of the time and although he's not quite sleeping through the night, he has stopped his night feedings.  He often wakes up in the morning around 5:30-6:00 to eat and then goes back to sleep (I don't count that as a night feeding).  Most days he takes 2 naps, but sometimes a 3rd one is still necessary, depending on how well he napped during the first two. 

He has no desire to roll.  I think he's going to skip that step altogether.  He still hates being on his tummy.  He'll tolerate it for all of about 3 minutes and then he's done.  He definitely prefers to be upright.  I'm amazed at how far he can stretch while he's sitting up to reach for a toy.  He nearly does the splits, grabs the toy he wants and then resumes his original position.  There have been many moments where it seems like he's thinking about wanting to put some weight on his arms in a semi-crawling position, but he's pretty content just sitting up.  Andrew didn't start crawling until almost 9 months, so it will be interesting to see when Austin starts to crawl.  I'm not quite ready to be chasing Austin around the house yet!  He can stay put if he wants to a little while longer as far as I'm concerned.

He loves to bang toys together.  It always makes me laugh when he picks up a soft toy and a hard toy (or 2 soft toys) and bangs them to see what sound they'll make.

Austin loves to be outside!  I can try to set Austin on a blanket inside with his bucket of goodies and he'll immediately start fussing (at times) and then if I take the same blanket and the same bucket of toys and move him outside, he's happy as can be for quite awhile. 

We said goodbye to the infant bathtub (put it in basement storage) and Austin takes his baths big-boy style now.  He loves it. 

Austin is a pure joy and he makes me laugh everyday.  Just check out the top right picture - that's Austin in a nutshell. 

crafts

Watch out.  I'm getting crafty!  I'm thinking about starting a craft blog and trying to talk a good friend into joining me (hee, hee).  There are so many good ideas out there - inexpensive projects to add to your home or ways to spruce up existing pieces of furniture or decorative items, not to mention getting the kids in touch with their creative side.  This is what I have been up to -

decorative blocks using many letters to spell at least 15 different words

filing cabinet makeover using fabric and Mod Podge

decoupaging wooden letters with dinosaur scrapbook paper

What's next??

Our Spring-Like Weekend

Wow.  It was a gorgeous weekend with temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s.  We spent a lot of time outside going to 2 parks, having picnic lunches in our backyard, flying a kite, playing football, rescuing a $3 toy off of our roof, playing in the sandbox, laying in the backyard, running errands (and enjoying it), and just simply hanging out.  The windows were even open during the day.  I kept having to remind myself that it's November! 

It was amazing!!

Football in the Dark

There is a new tradition in our house, which started about a week ago.  After dinner Loren and Andrew go outside to play "football in the dark."  It's called football in the dark, but it's really a combination of football, soccer, running and tackling, dancing, looking for dinosaurs, laying in the grass & looking at the stars, and playing on the slide. 

Andrew loves it.

And it wears Andrew out before bedtime.

I'm not sure how football in the dark is going to be transformed when it gets cold again in the evenings.  Football in the basement?  Laying on the thin, hard carpet looking at the fluorescent ceiling lights?  It just won't be the same.

Happy Halloween!

Brrrrr...it was a tad chilly, but we had fun!  Last year Andrew didn't walk up to a single house and was perfectly content watching all of the other trick-or-treaters.  Tonight Andrew had the whole system down pat - look for houses with a porch light on, knock on door, say, "Trick or Treat?" and "Thank you!"  and then, "Mommy/Daddy, do you want to go to another house?"  He was so cute.  We were out for about an hour and a half (maybe a little less) and towards the end Andrew was so delirious I'm not sure he knew what he was doing anymore.  At about 6:20 (remember, he has a 7:00 bedtime) Andrew asked, "Can we go home now?" and then followed that with, "Can we take a break and eat some candy?"  He then parked himself in the driveway of a house directly across the street from ours preparing to dig through his loot.

Good times!

Shopping with Andrew

Andrew is usually very quiet and introverted when he's around people he doesn't know.  However, when he's in a shopping cart, he turns into a social butterfly.  He generally says "Hi" to everybody that comes within 10 feet of him.  It's not a simple "Hi" - it's more like "Hiiii" and if it was coming out of an adult's mouth, it would sound a little creepy.  While at Meijer recenly with Loren, Andrew changed things up a bit and greeted everybody with, "Thank you for shopping at Meijer!"  However, when he was at Costco with me, Andrew smiled and waved at everyone, and then followed it with, "Duuuh."

Hardwood Floor Project: We're Done!!!

What is this, day 19?  I've lost track.  Actually, Loren finished the floors last night around 10:30, but we didn't get the furniture moved back until tonight. 

Dining Room Before -

Dining Room After -

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"Playroom" Before -

"Playroom" After -

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I didn't get a good before picture of the living room, but this is the after -

I am SO glad to be rid of that awful carpet and tile.  Loren gave up pretty much every evening for the past 2 1/2 weeks to work on the floors.  I am so very thankful for all of his hard work!!  There's nothing like completing a home project that you did yourself and being able to look at it everyday and say to yourself, or outloud, "I Did That!"

Zoo Boo

It was crowded, but it was fun!  Andrew tried pumpkin bowling by first drop-kicking the pumpkin instead of throwing/rolling it.  He was putting those great soccer skills to the test!  He had a blast in an elephant shaped bouncy house, we went trick-or-treating through the Plains, and we saw an elephant paint a picture and eat a pumpkin.  There were several other activities that we didn't have time for, but there's always next year!

Super Spooky Candy House

Andrew had a blast making this house.  I'm pretty sure he ate his weight in candy, too.  Luckily it didn't keep him falling asleep at bedtime!  I had to throw in a picture of Austin as well, who after his nap, hung out in the highchair enjoying the action. 

I think next year we'll have to add some food coloring to the icing, and maybe add some candy pumpkins, some Peeps ghosts, hmmm...the possibilities are endless.

pipecleaners + beads = pumpkins!

Andrew and I are trying to get our craft on. Now that he isn't taking a nap (99% of the time), and now that we are getting into the colder months, I am going to make a concerted effort to do more craft and art projects with him. He was pretty excited about this project and did a very good job putting the beads on the pipe cleaners. When we finished the big pumpkin, Andrew put it on his head and said, "I'm a princess!" I then explained to him the difference between princes and princesses, and kings and queens. I think he understood.

shameless advertising

My friend and neighbor, Shanelle, has a blog with her friend where they post a lot of craft projects and ideas. It is where I got the idea for this project - halloween ornaments! It's always a struggle for me to find a craft that Andrew is interested in, capable of doing, and one where I actually have the supplies needed. I really should raid Michael's one day and stock up on anything and everything, but we all know how expensive that would be! This was an easy and fun project where Andrew could help every step of the way. He tended to stray from the current task by painting his hand and making handprints in the salt dough, but there's nothing wrong with a little creativity! With Andrew's short attention span, I ended up doing a lot of the painting, but it was a fun project for both of us.

Those of you with children may want to check out this blog.

Car Painting

What happens when you combine 2 of Andrew's favorite things - cars and paint?

You get all of these!

"Mommy, I want some oatmeal."

Not too long after lunch, and after he finished "washing the dishes," Andrew said to me completely out of the blue, "Mommy, I want some oatmeal." I couldn't tell you the last time he has eaten oatmeal. I used to give it to him a long time ago (probably at least a year ago) often mixed with applesauce, but I doubt he was taking a walk down memory lane when he asked me for it today. I don't eat oatmeal. Loren doesn't eat oatmeal. I don't mind the taste, but I much prefer my bowel of Quaker Oat Squares to plain ol' oatmeal.

Austin had some oatmeal (or rather, I tried feeding him some baby oatmeal) earlier today, but Andrew was in the other room at the time, oblivious to what we were doing. So, very confused, I said, "You want oatmeal? As in baby food oatmeal?" Andrew responded, "No, I want big-boy oatmeal." I'm telling you, I have no idea where this was coming from. I pulled the container of Quick Oats from the pantry and asked, "Is this what you want?" I opened the lid and showed it to him thinking he would change his mind like he always does when he thinks he wants to try a new food. He still wanted the oatmeal, so I whipped up a bowl for him. He didn't eat much for lunch, so I didn't mind giving it to him, and really, how can I say no to oatmeal? I added a little milk to help it cool off and gave it to him thinking he would immediately turn his nose up at it. He ate the whole bowl...and asked for more! I gave him a little more and then he said, "Maybe I can have some big-boy oatmeal again?" To which I responded, "Maybe tomorrow."

I'm still baffled about his new love for oatmeal.

Hardwood Floor Project: 2/3 of the way done!

The two front rooms and the foyer are all done! We just have to install the quarter-round molding. Isn't Loren doing a fabulous job?

The unfinished part of this picture is now finished.

Next up - the living room!

Hardwood Floor Project: Days 4 & 5

Making progress!

Dining Room-

Playroom/Formal Living Room/I'm not sure

what this room will end up being-

Pumpkinfest 2009

I mentioned before that we took a break on Sunday afternoon from the floor project and went to the Pumpkinfest. We spent all afternoon there. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be outside. They added a couple of things this year at the Pumpkinfest including a "cow train" (a bunch of cow carts being pulled by a tractor), which Andrew LOVED, and a big slide. Andrew got a lot more out of the Pumpkinfest this year compared to the two previous years that we've gone. He just kept going and going. Austin napped in the stroller a great deal of the time that we were there, but when he was awake I made sure he experienced the Pumpkinfest as well. It was a great time - definitely a Garrison family tradition!

Stats

The boys had their checkups yesterday. Andrew's 3-year appointment was a little early to save me a trip to the doctor in a month. Both boys have colds, but neither one had ear infections this time, not yet. Andrew didn't get any shots, just the flu mist which was squirted up his nose. He weighs 33 pounds (stayed in the 68th percentile) & and is 37.8 inches (58th percentile). He got his blood pressure checked for the first time. I have to say, when it comes to doctors and dentists, Andrew is on his best behavior! He climbed up on the table and held perfectly still while the nurse checked his blood pressure, and asked him a series of new questions. For example, the nurse drew a circle and asked Andrew if he could draw a circle, and he did - or something close, she pointed to 3 different objects and asked him what color they were (he could have told her that a year ago), asked Andrew his name and his age, and he told her (he now answers with a simple 2 instead of 2 and a half). I don't remember if there were other questions, but Andrew also had his first eye test. When using both eyes, he got everything right, with just the right eye he got everything right, and then with only the left eye he was either having problems or he was losing patience and being ornery. The doctor wasn't concerned and said he did fine. Then, the doctor gave me the 'your 3-year old is going to turn into a heathen' speech. Actually, it was a relief to learn that he doesn't have the capability to understand some of the things we have been expecting him to understand. That doesn't mean he's off the hook, it just means we have to go about things a little differently.

Austin weights 15 pounds, 5 ounces (14th percentile) & is 26.7 inches (64the percentile). His weight dropped a little, but the Pediatrican wasn't the least bit concerned. She gave me the run-down...start solids (more consistently), start introducing the cup, try to eliminte night feedings, etc.

Both boys are doing great!

A Day in the Life

It was a crazy day. It started off fairly relaxed. Andrew was awake by 7:00 and Austin slept until almost 8:00 (very unusual for him). We mostly hung out in the morning and Austin, having a cold, was ready for a nap an hour after he woke up. So, I put him down at 9:00 and he took his normal 30-40 minute nap. That was okay today because the boys had doctor appointments (regular checkups) at 10:30. Once Austin woke up from his nap, the day went into high-speed. I fed Austin as best as I could, gathered all the normal things - diaper back, snack for Andrew, toys for Austin, etc. I felt like we were running late, but we got there right at 10:30. And then we waited, and waited. Finally we got called back only to wait some more. It was nearly 11:30 by the time the Pediatrician actually saw us! So annoying. The appointments went well, but we were there for-ever. I was overwhelmed with information, as usual when both boys have appointments on the same day, but what can you do? Sidenote: the Pediatrican told me that age 3 is a really tough age: 3-year-old's lie a lot, they have no logic (not until age 4 - interesting), they argue, they whine. Geesh! Back to my story...we pulled out of the Ped's office parking lot at 12:08. Yikes! Andrew had Soccer clear on the other side of Carmel at 12:30, he hadn't had lunch yet, AND I had to pee really bad! I drove to our house, left the boys in the car, ran to the bathroom, grabbed a granola bar and ice water for Andrew and went on to West Park where Soccer is normally held. I pulled into the parking lot 5 minutes late to find nobody there! Are you kidding me? So, I called our trusty neighbor who's son was in the morning class to find out that the class was held at the indoor location - on the other side of Carmel. I drove right past it on the way back from the Pediatrican! Ugh. I thought about skipping it altogether, but I knew Andrew would be disappointed, so we went back to the other side of Carmel and walked in a good 20 minutes late. Andrew had fun, and I had my fill of Soccer by the time it ended. I'm glad we decided to go. Then we went back home, ate a proper lunch, I (finally) fed Austin, Andrew started acting up, Austin started fussing, both boys ended up taking naps and I had about 30 minutes to myself. Austin woke up, was fussy again (he did get 4 shots today), I fed him again in preparation for a possible trip to Meijer when Andrew woke up. Andrew finally woke up and it was 4:00 before we left for Meijer. I would have nixed that trip, but we were in dire need of some staples. I stuck to the list and zipped through the store after an immediate detour at the pumpkin bin outside. The self- checkout lane took a lot longer than it should have (darn those coupons) and we started heading home at 4:50. Andrew's swim class is at 5:30 and Loren likes to leave at 5:00 to have plenty of time to get Andrew through the locker room and onto the pool deck. We got home in time, and Loren and Andrew left on time. I then spent the next hour with a fussy baby trying to get dinner ready & the kitchen halfway cleaned up. Loren and Andrew usually get home close to 6:30 and when Austin got really fussy at about 6:10, I gave him some Tylenol in case his legs hurt and started feeding him early so he wouldn't be fussy all through dinner. Loren and Andrew got home, sat down for dinner, Austin continued to be fussy so I excused myself from the table, got him ready for bed, and fed him properly before putting him down for bed at 7:00. Meanwhile, Loren and Andrew finished dinner and headed up for Andrew's bath. Afterwards, I read Andrew a story (Loren normally reads him a story, but Austin was already in bed, so I could for once) while Loren did the dishes. After the story Andrew wanted me to take him up to bed, so I did, only for him to request Loren's version of Hush Little Baby. My feelings were only slightly hurt - Loren is the one who usually puts Andrew to bed. Loren obliged and Andrew was asleep within minutes of Loren leaving his room. Now, in between opening boxes and laying out boards for Loren (I'm doing my best to help when needed!), I can relax a little. I should probably mention that Loren had a busy day at work, came home, immediately left to take Andrew to his swim class, came back home, ate dinner, gave Andrew a bath, did the dishes, put Andrew to bed, and is now laying hardwood floor, and, thanks to the boys, he has a cold. It's not like I'm the only one that had a busy day.


This certainly isn't how all of my days are, but it was one day in my life - and I love it. There you go.

Hardwood Floor Project: Day 3

Pretty simple - Loren removed the dining room carpet, padding and nails, vacuumed, then cut and placed the underlayment - all this morning.

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And then we spent all afternoon at the Pumpkinfest!

(More on that later)

Hardwood Floor Project: Day 2

Mission: Remove ugly tile floor and go from there.. We picked Saturday as the day to remove the tile because it was 2 days after my Mom's birthday and it was a good reason for me to take the boys up to Kentland for the day so we could stay out of Loren's way. After looking at the pictures Loren took of the process, I was very glad we were far from this mess.

This is what it looked like at the end of Day 1 and before Loren got started on Day 2

Tile Removal

Plywood Removal - As you can see this was far from easy. The plywood was attached to the subfloor with 2-inch staples every 4 inches or so.

One of a few war wounds

Demolition Complete!

Cut and placed underlayment, and started measuring, cutting & laying the floor boards.

We moved the bookshelves out of the playroom, so we could prep that room the next day. At 10:00 or so, we called it a night.

Hardwood Floor Project: Day 1

Yep, you read that right. We are installing hardwood floor in our house! For those who know our house, we are putting it in the 2 front rooms, the foyer and the living room. We picked up the flooring on Friday and started tackling the project that night. Loren is installing it himself, saving us a lot of money. This is a major event for us, and this project will keep us busy for the next several evenings and maybe weekends. I'll keep you posted of the progress!

The "playroom", foyer, and dining room before...

Day 1 (Friday night)

We cleared out most of the furniture. Thank goodness we have a basement! What we couldn't fit in the basement (or wouldn't fit down the basement stairs), we found space for elsewhere. Our kitchen table and playroom couch are crammed into the living room and the dining room table is now our kitchen table. It's cozy, but it works.

Then, Loren prepped the dining room by removing the carpet, pad, and nails.

6 Months

Austin is 6 Months Old!

He...

~falls asleep on his own for naps (most of the time) and generally takes short naps.

~is not a fan of solid foods yet.

~started sitting up without support this week.

~loves to pull my hair when he's nursing.

~likes to do backbends when being held and giggles while he's doing it.

~grabs at anything and everything, putting my multi-tasking skills to the test.

~is very ticklish.

~loves it when I give him strawberries on his cheeks or ears.

~likes to knock over Andrew's block towers.

~enoys his bath.

~went to his first Purdue tailgate 2 weeks ago.

~gets a big smile on his face when Daddy walks in the room.

~likes to play with anything within reach that he can hold in his hands.

~is a very happy, content baby!

It's been a fast first six months, but I can't imagine life without Austin in it. It has been a joy to watch him learn new things - smiling, laughing, opening & closing his hands, grabbing his toes & feet, scooting around the floor on his back, reaching for a toy, holding onto a toy long enough to shake it in his hands, the surprise on his face when he accidentally hits himself on the head with a rattle (and the smile that follows), and more. I can't wait to see how much he is going to learn, grow and change in the next 6 months.

A little insight from Andrew

At 3:30 one day, Andrew asked me, "Where's Daddy?" I told him he was at work and that he would be home in an hour-and-a-half, 90 minutes. This has turned into a bit of a game for us. Andrew likes to ask when Daddy is going to be home because he likes me to tell him the numbers - or the amount of time remaining until Daddy gets home. After telling Andrew it would be 90 minutes until Daddy comes home, I then asked him if he could count to 90. I knew full well he couldn't count to 90, but I wanted to see what he would do. Andrew then counted as high as he could as fast as he could, "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-rubber ducky."

When we were shopping at Meijer, Andrew who was being a complete angel strapped onto the bench of the monstrous shopping cart wanted my attention, so he said, "Hey, Lady!"

One night Loren was trying to get Andrew to come upstairs from the basement to start the bedtime routine. Loren said, "Come on, Andrew. It's time for your bath, and then we have to put your pjs on, brush your teeth, read a story - all before bed. If we're going to have enough time to do all of that, you need to come up here now." Andrew's response was, "Ummm... [insert skeptical tone] I'm not sure about that, Dad."

Me (yawning): I need some more coffe.
Andrew: I need some more milk.

Andrew: Santa is a boy.
Me: How do you know he's a boy?
Andrew: Because he's not a girl.

While making pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies Andrew snuck a bite of the dough and said, "Mmm...I like it! I like pumpkin play-doh!"

Andrew figured out that if he threw his small football at a window (or the Jumperoo), the football would bounce back to him. When this happened Andrew announced, "Mom! I play football back myself!"

Andrew has started the "Daddy told me..." or "Mommy told me..." followed by a fabricated story like, "Daddy told me I get 2 race cars." Isn't he a little young to be starting this?



Andrew says so many funny things. I wish I could remember everything!

Finally!!

Austin slept through the night! The whole night. I can't believe it!

He fell asleep at 7:00 last night (I put him in his crib awake at about 6:50, after a long feeding) and he woke up this morning at 5:45. 10 hours and 45 minutes. I fed him, laid him back down in his crib, and he fell back to sleep. It's nearly 7:30 and he's still asleep!

Woo hoo!!!!


The big question is what will tonight bring?

Video of Austin Playing

Fall has arrived!

Last week the air conditioning was on. This week it's all we can do to keep from turning on the heat!

Yesterday we went out to rake up our first big pile of leaves in the front yard. It was a little chilly and even misting a bit but they boys didn't mind. Austin was dressed in layers, strapped in the Bjorn, and kept dry by the tree most of the time. Andrew could have cared less that he was getting a little wet. Just last week when it was raining he ran out into the backyard in his socks. "I go see the rain!" He then ran up and down the yard until he was worn out. I love his carefree spirit.

With a rake in each of our hands we started tackling the leaves. After a few clumsy swipes with his rake, Andrew's new mission was to jump in my piles (even the small ones I was trying to combine to make a big pile) and kick the leaves about. If I wasn't enjoying the beautiful crisp Fall weather so much, I may have been a little more irritated. In Andrew's defense, I did tell him we were going to rake up leaves so he could jump in them. I just didn't mean every single little pile he saw. I couldn't believe his excitement when I raked up a pile about 20 leaves!

I used to think Spring was my favorite season, but right about now I think it's Fall. It's nice to break out the hoodies, snuggle under a blanket reading stories, and when we're looking for something to do outside, grab the rakes and jump in a pile of leaves. It was a great way to welcome October, and with the crazy wind we're getting today, our yard is nearly ready to be raked again. I can't wait!

In true brother form, both Andrew and Austin started stirring within seconds of each other. And so my day officialy begins...

It has to be a good day.

After Austin woke up at 9:00 and 10:30 last night, he didn't wake up again until 6:00 this morning! That gave me 7 straight hours of sleep for the first time in at least 5 1/2 months. After I fed him this morning, I laid a seemingly wide awake baby back in his crib so I could get a few quick things done. He eventualy fell back asleep. He has done this before when he wakes up early, but I had my doubts after such a great night. The dishwasher has been unloaded, I'm showered and dressed, and I'm drinking coffee in complete silence while both babies are still sleeping. Andrew had a great day at soccer yesterday, took a late afternoon nap and then had a great first day at his swim class with Loren. He is apparently tuckered out. Austin may very well be making up for his horrible night Sunday night, but that's okay. Today is going to be a good day. I can feel it.

The Dentist

Andrew had his first dentist appointment today. I have to say, I was very impressed with him. I did my best to prep him by finding a couple of books at the library which were, upon Andrew's request, read to him many, many times. We practiced saying Aaaaahhhh at every opportunity. It really seemed like Andrew was looking forward to going to the dentist. I had my reservations. I didn't know what would happen once we actually went, but boy did he exceed my expectations! He hopped right up on the chair and did everything he was told to do, answered every question the hygienist asked him with, "Yep", whether it was actually true or not. While the hygienist was using the electric toothbrush Andrew very politely asked twice, "Are we done yet?" He didn't mind when the answer was No, not yet. I was amazed and very proud of him.

It's Over

I keep trying to tell myself it isn't true. It isn't time yet. He can't be ready. I have been telling myself this all summer.

He may go 9 days without a nap, nap a day or two, and then start the cycle over again, but when he does nap I always think that he still needs a nap. He always stays in his room. Okay, he's locked into his room, but he even stays on his bed. He may sing the ABC's or count to 20 over and over again in the most obnoxious high-pitched voice he has, but it gives me a break.

Yesterday I took Andrew upstairs for his nap at 1:00. He had preschool in the morning, so his 12:30 nap was pushed back a little. I put him in his room, gave him a sip of water, sang Hush Little Baby to him, gave him his 2 trucks (small Matchbox style), gave him a kiss on the forehead, told him, "I love you. Sleep tight", left his room, and proceeded with Austin to his room to continue trying to put him down for his nap. When it quickly became obvious Austin wasn't going down easily, I started feeding him - again. After Andrew was in his room for about 10 minutes, I heard him jiggling the doorknob. A few seconds later he walked out of his room! Andrew had conquered the "childproof" door knob lock (ours our very similar to this link). I was done. So. Done. I'm not fighting Andrew anymore. Naptime is OVER. In a way, it's a bit of a relief. Now I can hopefully concentrate on getting Austin to take a good nap without the squealing from the next room.
Maybe Andrew and I can now bond during that time.

funny story

Andrew and I were outside this morning playing while Austin napped. I noticed that the front wheel of Andrew's tricycle was pretty flat so I found the hand pump to put some air in it. I sat down in front of the trike and I managed to make what is normally a very simple task rather difficult. I was pumping, but the tire wasn't filling up with air. Air was seeping out instead. I kept trying and Andrew eventually asked, "Mommy, are you done yet?" I had at that point figured out what I was doing and responded by saying "almost" and continued pumping. Andrew then came back with, "Mommy, focus! Focus, Mommy...focus!"

Dude, really?! I couldn't help but crack up.

5 Months & 1 Week

Well, I'm a little behind. Austin is now 5 months and 1 week old. One of my favorite new accomplishments of Austin's is that he can sit up and play with the help of the C-pillow (Andrew's name for the Boppy). Austin really despises tummy time. I try to put him on his tummy, but it never lasts very long. Being able to sit him up where he can reach for and play with toys has been wonderful. I felt like a genius the day I put a basket of rattles in front of him while he was sitting up. He spent many many minutes fishing around in the basket and kept himself occupied while I cooked dinner. Amazing!

I tried giving rice cereal to Austin a few days ago. He was eager to grab at what was hovering in front of his face, but that wasn't unusual. He took a couple bites and then clamped his mouth shut, shook his head and pushed my hand away. I'll admit, giving him the rice cereal was mostly for my own amusement. It was fun to try it, but I have only been mildly enthused about giving it to him since then - or maybe I'm just lazy- so I haven't messed with it.

Austin got a hold of one of Andrew's cars and it was fascinating to watch him play with it. It was the perfect size for his little hands and he clumsily picked it up looked at it, put it in his other hand (again, clumsily), dropped it, and did it over and over again until frustration won.

Austin is still waking up a couple of times at night to eat. I think it's partly out of habit and partly because he is so easily distracted during the day. Since I don't know how much he's getting from me, and there are days when I don't think it's much, I feel like his nighttime feedings are often some of his better feedings. So, I continue to let him eat in the middle of the night. We're still not where I want us to be with naps. Austin has proven himself capable of taking a 2 hour nap one day only to revert to the 30-40 minute catnaps the next day. Unfortunately the 2 hour naps are very hard to come by, but when they happen it's like a day at the spa for me. Although, I can't exactly say what a day at the spa is like. I'll just use my imagination.