Monday, January 14, 2008

Another cold, another snow day






Today we had a snow day. We got about 8 inches of heavy wet snow, which makes things look magical and peaceful, and makes the Bob happy he has a new snow blower. Cooper and I spent most of the day, in between naps, (his, not mine) playing with various toys, eating snacks and reading books. He has now gotten to a place where he will sit and look through a book by himself now. He used to demand we turn the pages on a book. He didn't need us to read the words, although if we read fast enough he will tolerate it, but generally he just wants to look at the pictures. Now he will look by himself, which is awfully cute and makes his parents very happy and proud. Bob's older kids don't get why anyone reads books. We are book-aholics so I am encouraged by Cooper's interest in them. I feel that books have provided countless hours of escape, diversion, education and basic entertainment and enrichment to my life; I couldn't imagine a life without them.




In the meantime, Cooper has been dealing with yet another cold. Someone said this is good, he is developing his immune system. I said yes, but there are something like 400 cold viruses, so we have a long way to go toward complete immunity. Since I still get colds at the age of 43 I am guessing one never develops complete immunity. This time Cooper has a cough and a mild fever in addition to the constant supply of mucus oozing from his nose. Bill Cosby has a bit he does about the Glazed Donut Monster, i.e. a toddler with a cold. This is a perfect description of what we are dealing with. I have to say that since warm humidifiers are now frowned upon (one of those things I grew up with that apparently can cause any number of terrible diseases) the little Vicks plug into an outlet waterless vaporizer is a godsend and works! And when you throw out the used pads into the diaper pail it helps make it smell good in there.

Friday, January 11, 2008

You and me and the bottle makes three

No, I am not up late hitting the juice. I am referring to the latest occurrence in our lives where, after almost 6 months of sleeping through the night faithfully, our dear little sweet pea has begun waking in the middle of the night. We figured out after a few nights that he doesn't need to be up for long, but he does seem to need to be up. We try waiting him out, to see if he will just go back to sleep, but since our room is approximately 10 feet from his, when he goes full tilt boogie with the screaming, there is little chance of him relaxing back into sleep. So we get up, get him a bottle or actually sippy cup now, and sit up for roughly 20 - 30 minutes.

We have tried keeping him up later to see if that would mean he would go the whole night, but he is so tired at the end of the day that it is almost cruel and unusual punishment to try to keep him up past 6:30. So for now, we are seeing where this goes. I suspect that once we get through the worst of his teething - he is sprouting the molar equivalent to the Dolamites - he will settle back into his routine of being the most perfect child and will sleep through the night again.

I have this book a friend lent me, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Babies. The author tries to suggest at one point that it is an old wives tale that babies wake up because of teething or gas. I don't know about you, but I know I wake up if I am experiencing gastrointestinal distress, and I am pretty sure that if I was pushing hard bone-like growths out through my gumline I would not only be awake but drinking heavily and I don't mean milk. As it is a sinus headache will wake me up, so I have decided to stop reading this book.

Monday, January 7, 2008

The old and then new










Well, a lot has happened since the last time I blogged. I tend to get caught up in my life and like with my diary when I was a teenager, months will go by before I remember to put anything into writing.




Since the last time I wrote, Cooper and I went on a cross country adventure, to visit my family in Oregon in late August. A few days before we were to leave, Cooper came down with the runs, so he was immediately put on an applesauce, rice cereal and Pedialyte diet. We managed to get to survive what is by the end of it all a 10 hour trip, without any poopy explosions. Cooper was voted the most well behaved baby on this trip. I am not so sure he would get the same accolades now that he is walking. We timed the trip just right in terms of mobility - just crawling and still sleeping many hours of the day away.




He had a fabulous time getting aquainted with his cousins, my brothers' kids, who are 14 and 11, his grandparents and great grandparents as well as various other extended family members. I am not from Oregon, but my family keeps moving out there so there are many people to visit and be adored by.




Then in September we started at a new day care center. This one is on campus where I work, so drop off and pick up is easier for me. I was concerned about the change, since he was loved and adored at the prior center, and Cooper is the oldest kid in the infant room by 3 months at least. I needn't have worried. He quickly acclimated and became a rock star at the center. Because he is older and more mobile, he spends time with the next level class on occaision, which allows him to participate in music class and go out on the play ground more.




October brought Coop's first Halloween. His father liked the little devil costume, so that is what he was. He didn't go trick or treating, as he is in a coma by 6pm most nights, but he wore it to school.




November saw us celebrate Cooper's first birthday. All of his grandparents came to visit, and he discovered the absolute joy of wrapping paper. I always thought it was just a saying when someone would tell another person to "sit and spin" but Cooper actually does it. He was so excited about the presents he would grasp them in his chubby little fingers and spin around in a circle shaking the present. As for the cake, he was not really interested. He has been slow to try new foods, and chocolate cake just didn't flip his skirt. But we got the obligatory chocolate cake smeared on the face birthday picture. He also took his first steps right before his birthday and is now a champion walker. This is, as all parents know, a double edged blessing. You are so happy to witness the cognitive and physical development of your little baboo, and yet your life ends yet again as you realize that if not watched at all times you child might climb out the doggie door into the three feet of snow on the deck in your back yard.




Thanksgiving was quiet, we celebrated with friends. Christmas we fun. Again, Cooper discovered he loves unwrapping presents, although the concept of Christmas was lost on him. Next year will be very different I am sure.




On New Year's eve we spent an hour at a friend's house, but then Coop reached his witching hour and we went home to put him to bed. Then we went to bed around 11. We know how to live it up! I am not big on New Year's anyway. It is an arbitrary selection on the calendar, you might as well decide the new year begins on March 23rd. It is usually freezing and too many people are too drunk for it too be much fun. Now that I have a kid, I doubt I will ever be out on Dec. 31st.




I have added pictures that hopefully show how the last part of the year went.