Rubber Ducky, You're the One

You make bathtime lots of fun!

Crazy for ABC's

If you've been following along, you know that Reid recently started sleeping in his big boy bed (actually, it's been a while now but I'm a little behind in getting stuff posted). Well, I attempted to get him to talk about how he feels about his big boy bed. But, if you haven't been around Reid much, or if you're a camera, he tends to be a little man of few words:





Knowing my boy like I do, I knew one thing that was sure to get him to open up. He has recently become completely enamored of each and every letter of the alphabet, so I decided to have him share his new passion with the camera instead. Notice how he pipes up with no hesitation whatsoever once I mention ABCs:

Now if only he had that much enthusiasm for the potty...

Operation Big Boy Bed

A couple of months ago, Reid started showing signs of trying to climb out of his crib. And within a couple of weeks, he'd figured it out and made the dreaded escape with the help of a nearby armchair. One morning we heard the telltale sounds of Reid waking up over the monitor and when Ted went to retrieve him he found Reid sitting nonchalantly in the armchair.

I asked Reid to demonstrate his newfound skill for us so I could capture it on film and he was happy to oblige.

So proud of himself. Hmph. And with that, it was time to execute Operation Big Boy Bed - the conversion of his crib into a toddler bed. I only cried a teeny little bit.

I'm not sure what the technical definition of "big boy bed" is. Does it have to be a twin size to qualify? Or does a toddler bed count? In any case, we told him it was a big boy bed and that seemed to make him happy. Here he is demonstrating how one exits and enters a big boy bed:

I was prepared for the worst, expecting to be up all night putting him back to bed over and over again, but our first couple of nights went off without a hitch. He got in his bed, stayed in his bed, and went to sleep. But then he started to get a bit more adventurous. Fortunately, we have a video monitor so I can keep an eye on him in his bed. One afternoon during his nap, I checked the monitor and saw that he wasn't in his bed...but it was quiet - always a bad sign. So where was he and what could he possibly be doing? I crept upstairs, and on a hunch entered his room through the bathroom door. And found this:

Who sleeps on the floor when there's a perfectly good big boy bed in the room? My big boy does.

Reidspeak

As anyone who's been around toddlers knows, it sometimes sounds like they're speaking their own language. And Reid's language is developing at a crazy fast pace. Here are a few of his words and their translations:

zhou - shoe

puh-zhou = puzzle

AP-peet = airplane

EP-peet = elephant

AG-gear = alligator

orrs = horse

bawg = frog

raff = giraffe

noshy = rhinocerous

BE-bug = ladybug

OTT dohg = hot dog

moke = milk

peas = peas or please

dae-doo = thank you

ah-bee = Harvey (he's made progress since Harvey was Ra-ra just a few months ago!)

BAY-beeeee = baby

I especially love hearing Reid say his sister's name. Somehow Olivia in his language is Be-bop, or sometimes (when speaking more formally) O-Be-Bop. It's tough to get him to perform on cue for the camera, but here's a bit of him speaking his language with some not-so-subtle encouragement from Mommy.

He says something new everyday and often surprises me with the words he knows and things he understands. We really have to watch what we say around him! It's so fun to see his verbal skills developing, but part of me wishes I could hit a pause button and Olivia could be Be-bop forever. Oh well, maybe the name will stick and she will always be our sweet little Be-bop.

Restless Sleeper

Welcome Olivia!

We welcomed our daughter Olivia on April 23rd. As parents, of course we immediately adored her. But we weren't sure how Reid would react. He met her for the first time in the hospital when she was 1 day old and seemed appropriately interested in her - curious but unconcerned that Mommy was holding her instead of him, and oblivious to the changes she would bring.

But the real test was bringing her home - to his territory. I'll let you see for yourself how that went:

So far, so good. The cameraman (Ted) clearly assumed Reid had grown tired of her and was moving on to something more interesting. But he quickly realized his error and resumed filming when it became apparent that sweet Reid had just gone to find something to share with his new baby sister:

Awwwww. We'll so how long that lasts...

Big Shoes to Fill

Reid adores his daddy (really, it's hard not to) and wants to do everything Daddy does. But clearly, he's got some big shoes to fill:



He put those on all by himself - I had nothing to do with it!

I'm sure everybody really wants to see the new addition...but I'd already uploaded that video before she made her arrival and I wanted to share it with you. One more time for Reid to shine solo in The Hamilton Times spotlight. Next time, I promise a report on our baby girl!

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Reid is a master of imitation and regularly mimics our everyday activities such as brushing his hair, putting on deoderant, cleaning the toilet, sweeping the floor and, of course, talking on the phone (or the remote control or the calculator or whatever else is handy). Here he is engaged in an important conversation on Mommy's iPhone:

I'll have to capture some of his other mimicry on video. In the meantime, I'm just flattered he's paying attention. Though I do wish he'd work to improve his efficiency in the chore department...

Still a Girl

We recently had an ultrasound to make sure everything's still looking good...and it is. And it's definitely still a girl. Either that or a very unfortunate boy. But no, it's a girl. Here's her profile:

And here's a peek at her little face. (Hint: Tilt head to the right and you'll be looking at her head-on.)

Just hoping that nose looks alright on the outside. Michael Jackson comes to mind looking at these photos...

Big Brother

For those who haven't heard the news, Reid is going to be a big brother! That's right, I've got a bun in the oven. Below are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.

FAQs
When are you due?
Next April.

How did this happen?
In the usual sort of way.

How old will Reid be when the new baby arrives?
~22 months

How do you feel?
I've had some nausea and insomnia. But things are looking up.

Will you find out the sex?
Yes, soon.

Do you want a boy or a girl?
Either will do nicely.

Do you have names picked out?
No. But we find a lot of inspiration watching football games and reading US Weekly.

Are you excited?
We are thrilled.

Is Reid excited?
He is. He just doesn't know it yet.

The Tragic Tale of the Monkey Snuggie

Reid has a number of little blankies that help him to sleep or sometimes just to chill out. We call them snuggies after his tendency to snuggle up to them. He's not particular about any specific one, so for the sake of variety he's acquired about five different ones over his lifetime: a lion, a horse, a frog, a giraffe, and of course, a monkey. Here he is cozying up to his frog and giraffe snuggies.




On Halloween, we took Reid trick-or-treating for the first time. We left the house, our little monkey Reid with his beloved monkey snuggie clutched firmly in hand. Unfortunately, when we returned home I couldn't locate the monkey snuggie but he's always leaving them all over the house so I figured I'd find it somewhere.

So off to bed Reid went with a couple of his other snuggies and we dealt with trick-or-treaters for the rest of the night. I hadn't dressed up, as we'd had a busy day and I wasn't inspired enough to put my Nurse Gore costume together. But then Ted reminded me of my super-duper all-purpose-easy-on-easy-off-spookywear that I wear almost every year in anticipation of trick-or-treaters that we've never had until this year. It was getting late, but I ran to my Halloween chest of fun and donned the scary get-up.

And then I waited. It was getting late, but I hoped for just one more trick-or-treater. And I got two! A teenage couple rang the doorbell, a princess of some sort and a scary goblin type. As I made my way to the door I giggled in giddy anticipation of how scared they would be when I answered the door and they were greeted by this:

It worked! They looked genuinely alarmed. Frightened even! I smirked beneath my dark black mask. I could see them but they couldn't see me - teehee! Oh, how I love Halloween. So without speaking a word - because it's scarier that way - I slowly reached my hand into the candy bowl and went to drop it into the princess's pumpkin candy container...and then, I saw it. But no, it couldn't be! Could it? But it was (I think). A monkey snuggie curled up in her pumpkin!

I started to inquire about it...really, I almost did. But I was in character! I was scary! And asking "Excuse me, but is that a monkey snuggie you have there?" would have been decidedly unspooky. Why would she have Reid's monkey snuggie anyway? Maybe it was her own monkey snuggie and I had no right to take it from her. And what if it wasn't a monkey snuggie at all? What if my eyes were playing tricks on me through that hazy mask? What if I just looked like a foolish middle-aged lady in a stupid black mask and cape asking about a monkey snuggie that wasn't even a monkey snuggie?

Please understand that this all happened very fast and these thoughts went through my head pretty quickly. I was very confused. Then I shut the door, turned slowly and said to Ted, "I think she might have had Reid's monkey snuggie..." And then it came to me in a rush as I realized that he must have dropped it on the sidewalk, and she must have picked it up somewhere out there and dropped it into her little pumpkin. And in that moment, I knew that I should have ripped off my mask (spookiness be damned!) and done everything in my power to reclaim my son's beloved monkey snuggie. But it was too late. They were off down the street by now.

And then the self-doubt set in. Why didn't I put aside my vanity in the pursuit of spookiness and fight for my son's monkey snuggie? What is wrong with me? And how can I make it right? Should I replace it with a new monkey snuggie the way mothers everywhere sneak a new goldfish in the bowl when the old one dies? Or would he know the difference when he didn't smell his slobber on it? What kind of mother am I? Will he need therapy for this? Do I need therapy for this?

I guess only time will tell what the effects of this experience will be on all of us. In parting, I'll leave you with this bittersweet video clip, the last known footage of Reid with his monkey snuggie, as he set out trick-or-treating on Halloween:




Farewell faithful snuggie!!

Year of the Monkey

Well, it was bound to happen. With me as a mother, Reid was destined to find himself in a monkey costume sooner or later. (For those who don't know, I'm a bit of a monkey/primate enthusiast.) So on Halloween, I loaded him up with bananas at every meal and dressed my little monkey.

He seemed happy with it.

Which is good because more than likely, this won't be the last time.

His legs are a little on the long side, so I should probably upgrade to the next size for his next monkey appearance.

I made the mistake of buying the Halloween candy a couple of weeks before Halloween. Bad idea. Reid's gotten a nibble here and a nibble there, and quickly learned the location of the candy bowl. He doesn't say much, but he's got pointing down to a science. The little man knows what he wants and he's not afraid to point at it.

And if that doesn't work he'll make like a monkey and climb up after it!

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

15 Months!

Reid is 15 months old today!

He started walking and celebrated his first birthday just as we moved into a new house. The walking thing has not made the settling in process any easier. He's now pretty steady on his feet and even does something resembling running. He's into everything he can get his hands on, which is more and more everyday given his increasing height - gotta keep the countertops clear! He's just a whirlwind of mess and it's a real challenge to keep this big house clean with him in my wake.

He enjoys the pool, though it's been too hot this summer to spend a lot of time out of doors with his sensitive baby skin and eyes. Forget about a hat and sunglasses - he's not having either!

Harvey has a much larger domain which allows him much more room to romp, and we've seen him kick it up into a new gear which we didn't even know existed.

I've been having some trouble dealing with pictures on our computer - it has issues. Hope to have it fixed soon so I can share updated shots of my boys!

Baby Steps Part Deux

Well, the little man's been working on those baby steps, and we've seen great improvement in just a week. As you may know, we're in the middle of trying to move. We were supposed to have been moved last week (long story), so a lot of stuff is packed away. And wouldn't you know it, the fancy camcorder - the one I spent the extra money on since it would be for capturing very special memories like Reid's first steps - is packed away. And I'm not exactly sure where or I would just open up the box and retrieve it. Oh well, c'est la vie.

I was, however, able to capture a little bit of the action on my regular camera. Of course, Harvey saw attention being given, so felt the need to get in on that and tripped the baby up in the process, but all is well.

Wow, Mommy sounds like some kind of high-pitched creature you'd hear at the zoo.

For the record, Reid usually does wear pants. He was just fresh from a diaper change here. And besides, this way you get an unobstructed view of those chunky thighs in action. Here's another quick snippet.

He gets a little bit more accomplished each day. And in other cute news, he waved and said "ba-ba" when Daddy left for work this morning. (That's "bye-bye" for those of you requiring infant translation.) Say it with me: Awwwww.

Baby Steps

Reid has been "cruising" - walking along while holding on to furniture - for a while now, and has recently started standing on his own for increasingly longer periods of time.

Today he surprised us by taking his first couple of wobbly baby steps unassisted by any other object or mommy or daddy. It was just a couple of very quick steps, and a very shaky effort, but we fully expect to see improvement over time! We're very proud of the little man's progress, and from the looks of it, he's pretty proud of himself too.

Celebrating Harvey

Let's play a little game I call "Find the Schnauzer" (hint: it's kind of like Where's Waldo? - only it's Where's Harvey?):


Did you find him?


There he is! Our little schnauzer has taken to very cat-like behavior lately, taking residence not just on the sofa, but way up on top of the sofa cushions.


We think he may be heading for higher ground in an effort to avoid the yankings of a certain little blue-eyed baby, which he has dealt with quite admirably.

He's a little peculiar, but we love him. Harvey was a rescue, found wet, skinny and scared on a Houston street in the rain. He fancies himself a bit of a tough guy, so don't tell him I told you he was scared, but he was seriously scared - shaking like a leaf the first time I saw him. So we don't know when his actual birthday is, but we decided to celebrate it on Easter since we officially adopted him on Easter Sunday, two years ago. Based on the vet's estimation, this year marked his third birthday.

We took a whole bunch of shots of the birthday bunny...er, I mean schnauzer and his little (big?) brother Reid. He was thrilled.


I guess he knows things could be worse, because he sure does put up with a lot.

Body By Boobweiser

Happy Easter!

Even if you don't celebrate Easter, I hope you'll enjoy seeing my two little bunnies in a field of Texas bluebonnets.

It Snot Funny Again

...except when it is.



I just couldn't resist.

A Model Baby

Reid's modeling career starts here:

http://www.bubblegumtree.com/