Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Just Standing Around

So, on Sunday night, Joey and I headed over to Mike's co-worker's house for a Valentine's Day dinner party. Mike was working and unfortunately missed out on some delicious food - Pistachio Popovers with Creme Brulee Filling and Grand Marnier sauce for dessert=AWESOME! - whoops, detour!

OK, anyway, so our hosts have a son, J., that is about 4.5 months older than Joey. Yep, full-on toddler status. Joey was absolutely mesmerized by him. So much so that there was one point where J. was standing in front of him, and Joey let go of whatever he was holding onto, and just stood there. STOOD. Without support! In reality, it probably lasted less than 15 seconds, but watching him stand there it seemed like forever. And you know what? He's been doing it ever since! Grabbing a toy out of his little toy shopping cart, and just standing there. I have a distinct feeling those first steps are right around the corner.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Ten Months

Dear Joey,

Just over two weeks ago, you turned ten months old. You're in the double digits, little man! This past month has been full of changes. You are starting to mimic us more and more, and it is pretty entertaining! You are waving now - to anyone and anything. When we tell you we are going bye-bye, you wave. When we are at the store, you wave at everyone. When a car drives by, you wave. Are you getting the picture here? You dance when there is music on - you throw a hand in the air and bounce, bounce, bounce with a big smile on your face.


You have seven teeth now, and you are working on number eight. You are still such a champ when you are teething - you get a little grouchy, but it doesn't upset your nighttime sleep (much). If anything, it disrupts your naps (a little frustrating when mommy needs a little time to get dressed for the day!), and you are extra clingy (which is OK - I know there will be a day when you don't want kisses and hugs and cuddles from mom, so I enjoy it for what it's worth).


There was a weekend a few weeks back where I was certain you were giving up your morning naps. It would take me hours of up and down with you to get you to sleep for 30 minutes. I know this will happen eventually, but I was not ready for it to happen so soon. Thank goodness, it seems like it was just a fluke - perhaps related to your first "real" cold. That same week, you woke up with a temperature of 101.6. We gave you Tylenol and lots of juice and water, and kept a close eye on you. You spent most days that week in your PJs and you slept - a lot - during the day, and soon you were back to your old self - jumping up and down on the couch, getting into cabinets and drawers, playing with your toys, and following mom and dad around the house.

One of your favorite toys these days is a stuffed monkey that daddy picked out for you when we went to the Oakland Zoo with our friends Meghan, Memo and Sochie. Even when you first got him, you would hold him away from your face, and look into his little button eyes, as if to say, "We are going to be friends for a long, long time!" You LOVE this monkey. You squeeze him tight and give him kisses - it is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.


This past month, you celebrated your first New Year's Eve with us. Mom and dad had a little party, and I was worried that you would be up all night with the noise in the house, and pretty cranky. Boy, was I ever wrong! You went to bed at about 8:30, and you slept through the entire party! We were absolutely amazed - seeing as we try not to flush the toilet in the middle of a nap so as not to wake you up.

You also started spending a few afternoons a week with grandma. She was able to re-arrange her work schedule so she works more hours some days, and less hours on others. This frees up some of her afternoons to spend with you, and mommy gets to go to work (and actually work!) She enjoys having you so much, and you are exhausted by the time I pick you up at the end of the day! You guys go to the park, the zoo, the grocery store, and you even feed the ducks and geese at the lake (she said you laugh when the geese honk at you!)

I cannot believe we are almost through our first year, Joey. There are some days when I can't figure out what you want or need, and I think to myself, "How have I been doing this for almost a year, and I still feel like it's my first week on the job?" This is the hardest, most demanding job I have ever had - but it is also the most important - and you can be a tough customer some days! Some days, I look around the house - toys all over the floor, papers all over the kitchen counters, laundry on the couch, no dinner in the oven - and think about how I am failing. But then I look at your face and see a big smile, you are happy and laughing, and you reach up for me, and the important things come back into focus. I know that no matter how messy the house may get sometimes, or how many times daddy and I don't eat dinner until 8:00, I will not be let go from this job any time soon.

I love you, baby!


Love,
Mom

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Someday

Someday, I will purchase a piece of furniture that I don't have to put together (and that does not come from Ikea, Target, or HomeDecorators.com - not that there's anything wrong with those places... you know what I mean). I will organize my desk, and my hall cabinet so that I know where the staples, and the tape, and the printer paper are - without having to dig. I will put things away in their proper place, and not have piles to sort through at the end of the month.

I will wake up earlier than the baby so that we will be ready to leave the house when he is done with breakfast and dressed. I will even wake up early enough to put on my yoga DVD and do my a.m. stretch. I will pick a diet (or way of life, as I guess it should be) and stick to it.

I will complete not only my business to-do list, but also my personal/domestic one instead of collapsing onto the couch with a glass of wine and piece of chocolate after the baby is asleep. I will update my blog regularly (or at least write down the things I would like to write about before they escape me 30 seconds later).

I. Will. Be. Patient. (And if I believed in making new year's resolutions, that would be it.) Patient in my work. Patient with my son. Patient with my family. Patient with myself. I will breathe. I will count to 10. I will appreciate the little things more, and I will say, "I can't wait until..." less. I will forgive more easily, and I will move on from the things that hold me back.

Dare I say it? This is my year.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Nine Months

Dear Joey,

About three weeks ago, you turned nine months old. (I know, I know! I'm behind again.) That means you will be turning one in less than three months, and I have to start planning your birthday party now. Yes, mom is a planner, and the thing I love planning most is parties. OK, but I'm getting ahead of myself here... back to month nine!

You had a well check with Dr. M, and you were 19lbs, 7ozs and 28 inches long. You have grown almost 10 inches since you were born - that is just amazing to me - and you seem to grow bigger every single day. Sometimes, you wake up in the morning, and I do not see the same baby I put to bed the night before. As of today, you have 6 teeth (when you turned 9 months though, you had 5 and the 6th was working its way out). You are doing surprisingly well with teething, and it doesn't really seem to be upsetting your nighttime sleep too much.


It seems like the older you get, the faster time moves. Every day, you are less like a baby, and more like a little boy. The way you interact with the people around you is changing - you participate (or want to participate) in every activity more, you flirt or play peek-a-boo with anyone that will look your way at the grocery store, and you want to do just about everything all by yourself! You explore everything you can get your hands on, which means we have started to child-proof the house. For the most part, we have left the cabinets unlocked (except for the one where the trash is, and the one where mom's breakables are). You are still trying to climb everything, and you make daddy walk you around the house any chance you get.


Some very exciting things happened during your 9th month. You finally got to meet your Uncle Ray (daddy's brother) and you absolutely adore him - and although he might not admit it, I think the feeling is mutual! It was very special for you to meet Uncle Ray because he is in the Army, and we don't get to see him nearly often enough. In just a few days, he will be heading to Germany for three years! He is very excited to go, and we can't wait to hear his stories - you will come to find out that Uncle Ray is a great story teller (although I hope he doesn't tell you some of his stories until you are much, much older!).


You also had your first Christmas. You got lots of fun things to play with - walk-behind/ride-on toys, a train, a car and truck, a teddy bear, some new clothes... I know I'm missing something here! Basically, you were absolutely spoiled. But the part you enjoyed the most? Tearing and eating wrapping paper and climbing on and into boxes. Yep, we can definitely say with confidence that you are totally normal! You were so tired out from all the festivities, you slept until almost 9:00 the day after - the latest you have ever slept. Uncle Ben, Auntie Alli and little Ricky came down to visit for Christmas, too. You were quite interested in your little cousin, and we spent a lot of time telling you, "Gentle! Be gentle with Ricky!" It was so much fun to see the two of you together, and I know as you both grow older, it will be even more fun.






You are starting to communicate with us more, and although your main method of telling us you need something is to yell or cry, you have started to wave, you say "ba ba" when I ask if you want a bottle, and sometimes you say Dada (although we're not sure if you know what you're saying, or if it's just another sound to you). You have started to try to blow raspberries on us, just like we do to your belly or cheeks - sometimes you get it, and sometimes you succeed in covering us in drool - either way, it is pretty funny. You also make this "rrrrrrrr" sound - I don't really know how to describe it. Basically like you are rolling an 'R', but you have different pitches that you make when you are either upset or happy.


You are trying more and more new foods, and lately all you want is whatever we are eating. Some of the things you like are actually kind of surprising to me - asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower. Thinking about feeding you has made me start to think harder about what I feed daddy and I, too. If I don't want it to go in your body, maybe it shouldn't go in mine either. (Although completely saying goodbye to chocolate and other occasional indulgences may prove to be pretty difficult!) You love watermelon, cheese, Cheerios, pasta... anything you can feed yourself, really!

(Not really your 1st St. Patty's Day - Grandma just got that on sale)

It is getting more and more difficult to bring you to work with me during the week - you are very active, and it is just not safe for you to crawl around the shop. You get very frustrated with this, and some days I seem to spend more time distracting you than working. I struggle on a daily basis with what to do about it. Daddy and I have talked about putting you in daycare a couple days a week so that I can get my work done, and you can have some time to interact with other kids (something you don't get nearly enough of, and I know you would definitely enjoy). But it is hard to think of someone else taking care of you, or me missing anything new that you do - like saying "Mama" or taking your first steps. We have also talked about me working more from home, and although grandpa would miss seeing you at work every day, this is probably going to be our best option for now. You take better naps when you are at home and in your own bed, which means you are happier, and you sleep better at night (which means daddy and I are happier, too!). Whatever decision we make, rest assured that we will have thought long and hard about it, and we will always have your best interest in mind to make sure you are safe, happy and receiving the best care possible.


I know I've said it before, but you really are an amazing little person. We love you so much, and I am so happy that I get to be your mom.

Love,
Mom

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Eight Months

Dear Joey,

About two weeks ago, you turned eight months old. I know, I'm behind again! But you have been keeping me so busy, it's hard to find time to write - and, to be honest, lately when I do have time to write, I usually just want to relax and do nothing - seriously, chasing you around the house is hard work!

At the beginning of the month, you moved from novice crawler to certified pro in the matter of a weekend. And, since then, your goal in life is to crawl to anything and everything you can pull yourself up to standing on. Inevitably, this has led to a number of tumbles, and thankfully your falls scare you more than anything else. But, you are a boy through and through, and these falls have not kept you from exploring (and even trying to climb - much to my dismay!)



You have been spending each Friday with daddy, and I think it has been great for both of you (and me - since you have become mobile, it's a little more difficult to keep you occupied at the shop!) When I get home from work, daddy tells me all about your day together. It usually involves lots of laps around our island - this is one of your favorite things to do, walk while daddy holds your hands - perhaps a walk around the neighborhood (this one you take in your stroller), cartoons, games of airplane, and hopefully a couple of naps - which daddy has become quite good at getting you to take! You are excited to see me when I get home at the end of the day, but daddy is definitely still your favorite person!


In the middle of the month, daddy and I took a Thursday trip to the Bay Area to watch the 49ers beat the Bears, and you stayed with grandma and grandpa. When we got back, my friends from college were in town, and I spent the weekend with them in Cayucos. Daddy took you back to grandma and grandpa's house on Saturday so he could go visit his friends in the Valley, and they brought you over to Cayucos to meet all your "aunties." When they left with you, I was so sad! I couldn't believe how much I missed you! I felt like I was missing out on all sorts of things you were doing. But I knew you were in good hands, and you were having a ball hanging out with grandma and grandpa and Ruby dog.

You spent your first Thanksgiving at uncle Ben and auntie Alli's house, and you were quite interested in your cousin Ricky, and their dog, Izzie. Unfortunately, Izzie was quite interested in your puppy sucker. She swiped him off of a side table and chewed up the pacifier. Thank goodness she left puppy alone, but mommy didn't bring a back-up pacifier to replace the one that was now in Izzie's belly. I didn't realize just how much of a comfort it was to you until we got back to the hotel that night. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep! We went back to Ben and Alli's house on Friday morning, and you fell asleep in the car. We stopped at Rite-Aid, and I bought the last pack of Soothie pacifiers they had. You napped for about three hours (no surprise considering how little sleep you got on Thursday night), and I sewed a new pacifier onto your puppy while you slept. When you finally woke up, I brought it to you, and your face lit up. You were so happy to have puppy back, and intact!



Some of your favorite things these days are your sippy cup, Cheerios (some days, you won't eat any breakfast unless you get some Cheerios with it), banging on things with your hands or toys, looking at the baby in the mirror (every time daddy walks you by the mirror in the kitchen, you crack up when you see the "other baby"), making raspberries or "rrrrrrrr" sounds, hugs and kisses, and peek-a-boo. You still don't mind riding in the car, but sometimes you want nothing to do with being strapped in your carseat. You are also becoming quite a picky eater. One day you love something, and the next you want nothing to do with it - quite frustrating when I have to make you three different things for breakfast sometimes!



I realized last night, that you will be turning one in a little over three months. I can't believe it. I told daddy that I can't believe we are approaching the one year mark, and I still don't feel like I have a grasp on this whole mom thing! Unless I wake up before you do (and you are still quite an early bird, so this could mean 5am some days), it still takes me an hour and a half to get both of us ready and out the door in the morning. Some days, I feel like I have met your every need, and others, I feel like I fell far short - these are the days that are hardest for me, because I feel like you deserve the best from me every day. Just as you are growing and learning new things each day, I want you to remember that I am, too. Never forget that even if I make some mistakes along the way, I will always do my best to make them right. And never forget that I love you.

Love,
Mom

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Yes, yes, I know

OK, I know I should be posting Joey's 8 month update, but... check out this contest! I mean, who wouldn't want to win this mixer??