18 month check up

I finally am getting around to updating my blog... and it is due to Nathan's most recent check up at the doctor.  Even though he is well on his way to turning 20 months, his 18 month appointment was 2 days ago.  For some reason these visits sneak up on me! 

Nathan's height registered on the growth chart this time... finally... which was pleasing to hear.  He landed smack on the curve with 7% of the rest of the kids his age.  His weight came in at 23.5 lbs which lies in the 20% range and... his head circumference... 70%.  Funny thing is that his head does not look big but apparently it is.  That just explains I guess why he is so smart!  Everything checked out great... his ears looked awesome which was nice to hear since he battled repeated ear infections in the spring and early summer.  The doctor was also impressed with Nathan's vocabulary and diet.  At the end of the visit, he got 1 shot and it was for Hepatitis A... and as always, he took it like a champ. 

Nathan now is eating a wide variety of foods and can feed himself quite well.  He still prefers to eat with his hands exclusively but time and time again shows interest in the spoon.  He has also taught himself to drink out of a straw so we can share water bottles!  His vocabulary has grown tremendously with the most recent additions being bus, monkey, guerilla, color, and tractor.  Of course you have to really focus and watch his eyes to understand him but he enjoys learning new words and conversing with me whenever possible. 

I can't believe my baby is getting close to potty training age!  My next purchase will be a potty.  This will get interesting...

Kisses,
Toni

15 month check up

Nathan had his 15 month check up today... just a wee bit overdue but better late than never :) He weighed in at 22 lbs, 3 oz which put him in the 15% range and that is great! Last time he was under 3% so I am happy his weight has started catching up. His height is still small... under 3% but last time his height did not even register on the curve! And of course, his head is in the 70%. Big head, big brain! The doctor is not worried about his size because he is staying on course and growing steadily and in proportion. His ears had their final check and the infection is all gone! Woo hoo! The augmentin finally did the job. Thank goodness. He has some fluid in his right ear but the doctor attributed that to the cold he is now fighting. He had 2 shots but took them like a pro. Of course he did not enjoy them but only cried for a short period of time. He took it like a man. The doctor was impressed with his vocabulary. I told her that he says mama, dada, ball, block, apple, book, dog, cat, tree and ruff ruff. Maybe some others. His next check up will be at 18 months.

Kisses!

Toni

Easter!

Easter 2011 was so much fun!! Nathan got his picture taken at Triangle Town Center on Saturday and that was quite an adventure. It seemed the mall had forgotten to turn on the A/C because I was sweating buckets. I guess it didn't help much that Nathan wouldn't stay in the stroller so I was toggling him between my arms and the floor. I had to keep distracting him with people walking by or, my favorite, the giant train that was running through the mall. We were in line for what seemed like hours but realistically was roughly 20 minutes. Once he got in the oversized rabbit's lap, he was in heaven. The trick to get him to smile in the pic was for me to stand behind the camera with his favorite furry friend Sheepy.

 

 

Sunday we had an awesome morning at church. It was great to see almost every seat full!! What a refreshing and spirit-filled service we had. Then later off to my parents house where we ate and ate and ate. Had too much junk on top of real food.

Unfortunately Nathan is teething right now... 4 of those puppies are coming in. That means obscene crankiness on his part. I felt so sorry for him because in the afternoon on Sunday, his mouth was hurting really bad. He was spending time with his hand in his mouth. He's never been much into teething rings... and I had forgotten the orajel and tylenol at home. It's been months since he teethed and now so many are coming through together. As my mom says, this too shall pass. Poor little man :(

 

 

His walking is getting better and better by the day. He likes to hold his arms in the air when he walks so that makes it even cuter. And he has some new words... Apple, Baby, Eyes, Football (or booball), and Papa.

Kisses,

Toni

Video of Knee Walking

This is Nathan walking on his knees. One of the funniest things he does. It's his middle ground between crawling and walking. This little video doesn't have sound but it is cute.

Kisses,
Toni

A few milestones

It's been almost a month since I updated the blog and a few things have happened since then. On March 13th, Nathan took his first steps without assistance. I did not see them but that was bound to happen. He was in the nursery at church. When I went after the service to pick him up, the teachers said that he had been walking all around. I said "by himself" and they said yes. So, they brought him in the hallway, I got down on my knees and gestured for him to come over... and sure enough, he walked. There were about 5 people hovered in the hall because they could tell it was a special moment... the tell all sign was my tears :) Later that day when I went to my parents house, I had my mom and dad come in the living room and watch. They did not know he had taken his first steps and I wanted to show them first instead of just telling them. He still prefers to crawl but his walking improves day by day. Now it's time to hit Stride Rite and get him some good shoes.

Something else that Nathan has started doing as of today is when he is eating, he can put his spoon in the bowl, scoop out food, and get it partially to his mouth. I say partially because most of the food ends up on his face, clothes, or lap but clearly he gets the idea. The meal times are definitely getting messier but it's in a good way. Generally he does not like for me to help with the spoon. In fact, once I start feeding him, he pulls pretty hard on the spoon much of the time to get it away from me :) :) He is getting better with his sippy cup which is also good. I don't need to send a bottle to school anymore. I give him a bottle at night and sometimes in the morning.

He has started stacking things and gravitates towards a set of soft blocks that he has. He and I can sit there and build and build over and over forever and he loves it. Of course his favorite part is knocking them down :) He swings his little arm, knocks them down, and screams. So cute!!

Today I took Nathan to the zoo and it was a ton of fun. Nathan enjoyed the stroll but he wasn't so interested in the animals. I think it is because they were far away and he doens't quite understand yet that he needs to look for them. But it was a gorgeous day and he liked people watching.

Kisses!
Toni

First Haircut

I figured since Nathan will be 14 months old tomorrow...2/21... it was finally time for his first haircut. I took him to Tanas to see my stylist Kym, whom I've gone to since 1998. It was special to have her do this for me. She is pregnant and is due in 4 weeks so it was especially important to get this done before her maternity leave. Nathan did awesome! My mom held him because as always, once my mom grabs hold of Nathan, he doesn't want to come back to me so when we attempted to have me hold him in the chair, he started crying. Once we were all situated and the cut began, he was quiet the whole time and very still. My dad and I were like the paparazzi! Poor Kym, kept having flashes in her face. Nathan started sucking his thumb eventually because he was tired. I had woken him up from a nap to get to Tanas on time so he remained fairly comatosed the whole visit. Enjoy the pics!

Kisses

Toni

The Sweet Sound of Mama

Nathan is now 13 months old and is saying mama. This evolved from nah nah, which I loved dearly. He doesn't say mama all the time but when he does, my heart just melts. It's the cutest sound in the world!! His vocabulary is coming along quite well. His favorite word is cheerios, although it does sound like cheer-i-os but a shorter, baby version. I think Your Baby can Read is actually helping him. When we watch the show, he claps, waves and puts his arms up.

He is spending most of his time in the Toddler room now at daycare. Most of the kids in there are walking, which Nathan is not doing yet. I was worried at first that he would not be able to stand his ground since the kids are bigger and can walk but so far, so good. He even takes his nap on a mat without rolling off! I was amazed when I heard about that accomplishment. He sleeps much better in the Toddler room because they have a set nap time, unlike the infant room which has the babies napping at various times throughout the day. Nathan has a friend in there named Dylan. They are so cute together! Last Friday when I dropped Nathan off, he and Dylan were looking at each other reaching arms out. They were both trying to say the other's name too. Sooooo cute!!

This weekend I will finally get Nathan's first haircut. I am going to my stylist Kym who has done my hair since 1997. I am honored that she will cut his locks first. I will be sure and post pictures from that fun time.

Kisses!
Toni

Baby Steps...

My mom and sister got Nathan these really awesome toys for Christmas and his birthday that will help him learn to walk. This week, he starting taking his first wobbly steps with them! It's adorable! He stands up behind them and pushes the train out as far as he can without falling over, then puts one foot in front of the other. He does it very gingerly. He has had only one pretty bad spill and that was tonight. He was walking on the kitchen floor and was wearing a sleeper... so his feet were pretty slippery. I picked him up and after about a minute or two, he was back walking, this time on the carpet. When you fall off the horse, you have to get back in the saddle. Or something like that. People keep saying to be careful what I wish for and I understand that. Before too long, he will be walking and running like a pro!

Nathan has been fighting a cold/sinus issue/croup thing since November. This past Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Nathan and I were up twice. 10:15pm and then 2:15am. The second time we were up was the first time he moaned and whimpered after each cough. He even began to anticipate the cough so he would wimper even more. Since it was so early in the morning and I did not want his yelling to wake the neighbors, all I could think to do was put on a Winnie the Pooh dvd that my sis gave me. It worked because after just a few minutes, he was in a zone. After 20 minutes, I was able to put him back to bed. And it was then that I decided to take him to the doctor AGAIN. For the third time. This time, the doc decided to treat for a sinus infection even though he said that was unlikely the cause. Nathan is on a 10 day treatment with amoxicillin. You know, the pink stuff that tastes like bubble gum? If this doesn't work then he will have to get a chest x-ray. His ears are perfect and his lungs sound fine but there may be something there that the doctor can't hear. He started Wednesday night and so far, his fever has gone down and his coughing has decreased. His nose has started pouring out more which I think is a good sign. Maybe it has been a sinus infection all along and now his sinuses are cleaning out! Last night we both went to bed extra early and we both needed it. We'd been keeping Dracula hours.

Last thing... I love that Nathan can drink cow's milk now!!!!!!!! I just open the milk and pour it in a cup or bottle. So much easier than being tied to a milking machine.

Happy new year to you all! I'm sure glad it's 2011!

Kisses
Toni

Christmas Morning

Techically this is Nathan's second Christmas but it was his first Christmas morning where he was able to partake in enjoying the wrapping paper and boxes. He loves his new toys! And I am having fun watching his big blue eyes light up with each one.

Turning 1 Means a Visit to the Doctor and Learning the Sippy Cup

Nathan had his 1 year check up this morning and everything turned out just fine. He is still on the rather small side but is growing in proportion and is very healthy. He weighed 18lbs, 3oz which put him below the 3 percentile. His height was 27 inches which put him right at the 3 percentile. His BMI is 50% so that is perfect... not too big, not too small. My little guy is just that... little. But he is perfectly healthy (except for that pesky cold). He got 3 shots too... MMR, chickenpox... which were combined into 1..., pneumonia, and HIB (I forget exactly what this is but has something to do with meningitis). His next visit to the doctor won't be until he is 18 months so he can take a break from shots, thank goodness.

A few positives about him being little is I can put off getting the forward facing carseat because he won't reach 20lbs for another 3-4 months. And I save on clothes because he has so much room in his 12 month outfits.

The doctor stressed the importance of teaching the sippy cup. I've tried and tried. Nathan enjoys the sippy cup but isn't the greatest at drinking from it. Doctor said that by 15 months if he isn't fully on the cup then the bottle will become like a security blanket and that is a no no.

I can't wait for Christmas with my baby :)

Kisses,

Toni

Nathan is 1!

My son is 1. It literally feels like just last night I was laying in bed with Sugar napping at my knees, and I felt the contractions begin. From that first contraction, my life changed forever. Nathan was saying HELLOOO world! I'm a coming.

Nathan is my best friend and I love him so much. It's funny to actually say now that I have a 1 year old. A 1 year old! Really?? Gosh. And I cannot imagine life without him.

His party was a lot of fun tonight. It probably wasn't the smartest thing though for me to plan it on a weeknight. I just thought that since he was turning 1, I did not want to do it over last weekend because he wasn't 1 yet and then I did not want to do it this weekend because it's Christmas. It's hard on the weeknights though because when I get him from daycare, he is usually exhausted and fussy, which turned out to happen tonight. My parents picked him up so I could get the cake. My mom fed him dinner and then when I arrived, we played for a little and then got the party started. Much of the time he dug through his cake, he was crying or at least whining. He was so exhausted, poor guy. After about 7-10 minutes, I got him in the tub and washed the icing off his hands and face. Then the sugar rush began and he was fine for a couple of hours. He opened presents and of course was more interested in the paper. When we came back home, he was trucking along beautifully and then BAM. The sugar crash. I put him in bed after brushing his teeth and went right to sleep.

Another piece of the excitement for the night was my re-introduction to coffee. I had decaf tonight because I was not in the mood for a caffeine buzz. Literally the drink was so tasty that my eyes welled up with tears. I plan on stopping by Starbucks on my way to work Wednesday so if any of you receive a nutty email from me, please blame the bean.

What a day this was. A great and wonderful first birthday :)

Kisses
Toni

Standing Now

I am so happy to finally have internet at home so I can continue with the Nathan updates. As of last week, Nathan is standing! I now have a coffee table in my living room, which was formerly Lindsay's, and on that fateful night, Nathan used it to help push himself up. He crawled over, unhooked his legs, put his right foot flat on the ground, then his left foot flat on the ground, and presto... with all the strength he could muster in those chubby thighs, he stood up! His hands were both on the top of the table for balance. I was on the phone with my mom at that moment. I gasped and she thought something horrible had happened. I told her that Nathan had just stood up!

The cutest part about this is sometimes he gets stuck standing and cannot figure out how to sit back down so he just looks at me and wimpers. Most of the time he slowly lowers his little body to the floor and continues about his business. So far what scares me the most about this standing thing is he likes to crawl into the bathroom and put his hands on the top of the toilet lid (not seat... no men live here so the lid is ALWAYS down when not in use) and then he'll push himself up. I worry because the linoleum below is slippery so I just watch him closely in case I need to prevent a forward fall.

Walking is coming... I'm not forcing the issue because I know it will mean even extra diligence from me. My mornings will get even crazier.

Kisses,
Toni

Clap Clap Clap your Hands!

Nathan has learned to patty cake and it is adorable! He doesn't exactly do it on queue all the time. Sometimes I'll catch him clapping his hands while he's playing. Other times he'll look at me and clap, wanting me to sing Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Baker's Man... It's still funny to me how babies love that song. Nathan has gentle claps; no noisy bursts but I know it's coming. That will be part of the fun in the toddler stage. I've attached a video of my mom getting him to clap on Thanksgiving. Most of this video is my mom's hands... Nathan doesn't get started until towards the end. Before the video started, of course he was clapping a lot. Kids are notorious for freezing on film.

Kisses,
Toni

11 Months Old Today

From Nathan...

30 days left until the big day! I will be a 1 year old. There are so many things in store for me this next month. I've been trying to stand on my own. Mommy does things to help me like prop me up next to the couch and place my hands on the cushions. She also walks with me, holding my hands. I've been hearing rumblings too about my birthday cake next month. Really! A birthday cake for my very own!! Yippee! Mommy hasn't let me eat sugar outside of fruit at all, except for the occasional taste of jello or pudding. Little does she know that I plan on making the biggest mess of my life with the icing. Today I heard mommy telling auntie that she can't wait for me to begin drinking cow's milk. I don't know if I am quite ready for that but according to my doctor, 1 year marks the time to switch from Nature's perfect food to cow's milk. It will be easier for mommy, that's for sure. No more pumping, whatever that means. I think the best part about me turning 1 will be that mommy can start back drinking coffee. It must be a love of hers because she is literally counting down the days until that first sip of Starbucks. Apparently she hasn't had it since April of 2009! That is quite a long time to give up something you love. Hopefully she will start out with decaf because otherwise, she'll be burning the midnight oil with Sugar and Scout. I guess I should sign off for now. I find that I am rambling. Mommy just gave me a bath and sang Happy Birthday to me again. 11 months... I'll only be 11 months one time. The build up to December 21st is so exciting!!

Kisses and coos,
Nathan

Pulling Tails

Yes, Nathan is at that age now where he pulls tails. He can crawl now like a speedy pro and the cats need to watch out. Scout is way more tolerable of Nathan's antics than Sugar. Sugar runs from Nathan once he gets within 5 feet of her personal space. That's just Sugar... she's a little snot. Scout on the other hand is great with Nate. I don't know if it's because he has an extremely gentle nature or if it's the 1 nice brain cell winning the battle against the 1 not so nice brain cell when they battle it out in that petite brain of his. Nathan is so cute because he will crawl as fast as he can to Scout and grab that tail and pull. Scout just makes a really low volume meeeoowwww. And turns and just looks at Nate... eventually walking away. Then Nate repeats the same until Scout leaps to the top of his cat tree as a last ditch effort to save himself. But there is never a hiss or a growl or a swipe with his claws. I am proud of my cats.

Kisses,

Toni

Halloween

This was Nathan's first Halloween and he dressed as a lion. He was so cute!! I took him trick or treating and he did very well for himself :)

Feeding Himself

Nathan can feed himself small finger foods like Cheerios and baby cookies. He has 4 teeth now and sometimes will bite the Cheerio with his teeth before gumming the rest. He started doing it a couple of weeks ago and I was so impressed! The first time was at a restaurant and I caught it on camera. The clip is shown here. It actually brought tears to my eyes because it was yet another milestone. I just have to keep a close watch that he doesn't stuff too many in his mouth at once. With the baby cookie, I give him 1 because it is enough to last a while. He will bite small pieces but eventually the uneaten part gets all wet and gooshy in his hand. Then I get to clean the wet remnants out. In addition, he can feed himself with a spoon with my guided help. This can be a challenge because he gets so excited that he tends to hike his hands up in the air trying to grab the spoon and ends up flicking the food out. I am trying to build up my patience for messes, which is really difficult. I have to keep reminding myself that he won't learn unless he practices. And according to my mom, it only gets messier from here. Today I found myself saying outloud "Toni, relax. Nathan isn't being messy on purpose." At least he understands the idea.

Kisses,

Toni

Fetch

Nathan has found a way to entertain himself and it's quite entertaining for us to watch. He fetches! Seriously. He picks up a toy of his (or my cell phone), throws it forward, crawls to it, picks it up, and throws it again... all in order to repeat the same process. He can do this for 20-30 minutes if he's really into it. He makes it all around the place, laughing and laughing. It's the cutest and funniest thing he does. One of these days I need to get it on video and send it in to America's Funniest Videos. Nathan could make us famous!

Kisses!

Toni

Crawling!

It is official. Nathan started crawling on Tuesday evening. Picture it... Alameda... 2010 (flashbacks of Sophia from Golden Girls come to mind??) Toni and Nathan are sitting in the living room, watching the news. Toni is on the couch cleaning up the high chair and Nathan just sat on the floor to play. The meal selections were green beans, yogurt, and a handful of Cheerios. The bright yellow box for those Cheerios is on the floor. As Toni is wiping the spray of veggies off the high chair, she notices her little guy crawling hand knee, hand knee, wobbly but confident, toward the giant sunny box. Toni jumped for joy... Nathan turned and shot a glance like what mom? This is mine, right? Toni bolted for the video camera but of course, Nathan started his nap meltdown so filming at this moment was not going to work. The next opportunity came post-nap when Nathan, yet again, hand knee, hand knee, wobbly but confident, toward his favorite toy... rings! This time, Toni captured each and every thunderous move on video. Look out world, Nathan is taking it by storm!

Kisses!

Toni

Expanding Food Selections

Today Nathan tried Cheerios and enjoyed it. I can't decide if it is the food itself or the fact that I am feeding him that he enjoys. Since his 9 month check up I have been doing my best to introduce new foods. His diet now includes breastmilk, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, shredded cheese, plain yogurt, oatmeal, cheerios and water. I tried bananas and peaches but he hasn't yet acquired the taste. It will come, I'm sure.

His favorite food of all the ones mentioned is yogurt. I had to buy 2 tubs this week instead of 1 because he gobbled up so much that it did not last a week. Instead of sharing it with Nathan I decided we should each have our own.

He is working on the grasping motion with the cheese and cheerios and I know that will come in time. The hardest thing to deal with while he is eating is how much he tries to grab the spoon. Ohhh, that is so annoying!

He has 2 prominent teeth now! Both lower incisors have come in. I wonder which will be next?? Be sure to vote vote vote!

Kisses,
Toni