Tuesday was the hottest day on record for our area...30.3 degrees celcius. Blake's hair had the curls to prove it!
The heat didn't stop him from making a few big strides on Tuesday though. Last week he started crawling (on Tuesday actually). This Tuesday he decided he could sit up from his tummy.
I was changing his diaper with our normal wrestling match. He likes to flip over while you're changing him and crawl away. While this does give me a very nice view of his cute little bum, it doesn't make for easy diaper changes. Anyway, he did this to me on Tuesday morning, then promptly turned back towards me, pushed himself up to sitting and gave me a big grin, as if to say, "Look what I figured out!"
This breakthrough came after a very early morning. Blake woke up at 4:00 with a croupy sound. I brought him into our bedroom so George could hear him. George then left for a couple of minutes to put the humidifier in Blake's room, when he came back Blake was lying happily on the the bed. When he saw George, he said, "Da!" quite clearly.
I'm not sure if this actually qualifies as his first word as he does sound like he says "Hi!" when he sees us. And, he has said "Mama" when he's upset...but I'm stretching here.
Oh yeah, and he's started waving too. He's a boy of many tricks right now.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Out of left field
It was again unseasonably hot today, so both Faith and I wore tank tops today. Very odd for autumn.
Even odder...
I was reaching into the fridge today to get Faith a cheese slice as her bedtime snack, when she looks at me in my nice black tank top and says, "Those boobs make you look like a real mom."
Even odder...
I was reaching into the fridge today to get Faith a cheese slice as her bedtime snack, when she looks at me in my nice black tank top and says, "Those boobs make you look like a real mom."
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Blake's 8th month
To Blake:
The eighth month can be called the month of trying to crawl. As soon as you figured out rolling to get what you want, you decided that crawling would work even better. You were up on your hands and knees shortly into your eighth month and you've been there ever since. (Although your first "official" crawling didn't start until September 18th...two days into your ninth month, but who's counting?)
Your big achievement in crawling in the ability to move yourself backwards at a fairly rapid pace. The faster you do this, the more frustrated you become as the object of your desire gets further and further from your little hands. This also means you can do things like get stuck under the bed. Basically, we can't leave you alone now, otherwise, you'll be into something you're not supposed to be. (So far, the worst has been an errant pen that you used to draw on your face. Faith rescued you from this form of body art.)
As you've gotten closer to crawling, you've learned to get all the way up on your toes and hands, with your bum up in the air...the downward dog position for any yoga lovers. I have no idea how you do this without falling on your nose.
About two weeks into your eighth month, you also learned how to give wet, slobbery kisses. Although this should be really gross, Dad, Faith, and I can't get enough of it. But, you're kind of stingy with the kisses. You will only perform this trick on your own whim and definitely not at our command.
Feeding you is getting somewhat easier, and messier. You have developed enough of a pincer grasp now to feed yourself cheerios, bananas, and bits of cheese (although by looking at the floor, you still need to increase the ratio of food to mouth). This means you can keep yourself quite happy eating cheerios while we have supper, and this has made dinner times much more peaceful.
Your other big trick is the ability to spit out your food, generally onto me. (See a previous post for all the messy details.)
September marked the return of the school routine. So now, instead of bundling you in a Baby Bjorn underneath my winter jacket, you get thrown into the backpack for the walk to and from school. You are still charming the girls, although less so the last weekas you're recovering from a cold that you caught from your sister, and gave to me. Only a mother can find the amount of snot coming out of your nose cute...and I'm not that mother.
The best part of the day for you is when we pick up your sister. As soon as you see Faith, you squeal with delight. Or maybe I should say screech. Squeal sounds too cute for the ear-piercing sound you emit. You also like to emit this sound while sitting in your high chair. Frankly, it's kind of annoying but you, and Faith, seem to find it quite a delightful activity.
You're now on an actual schedule, which is great. And, it only took eight months to achieve. You get one morning nap, and one early afternoon nap, then one late afternoon nap, then bed by 7:00. Then you're up at 4:30 t 5:00 for something to eat, then up again at 7:00 for the day. So, I know longer look/feel like a zombie and everyone is much happier in general. Generally, we go for a walk after your morning nap to get a Globe and Mail or pick up some groceries. You tolerate these activities as long as the stroller is moving along, but you usually get bored by the end so I'm racing home before you have a total meltdown.
Anyway, in general you're entertaining yourself more and more now...which often means I'm scanning the floor for potential hazards as you work your way across the room. Things will start getting really interesting as your mobility increases, so for now I'll enjoy this somewhat peaceful interlude.
Oh yes. And I'll take whatever kisses you're willing to dole out.
Love,
Mom
Tales from Tim Hortons
On our way down to Allyson and Curtis' baby shower on the weekend, we stopped at Tim Horton's for a quick bit to eat, and to feed Blake his lunch. The stop proved memorable for a couple of reasons.
At the pit stop, Blake got to eat his first Tim Horton's bagel, complete with cream cheese. I was feeding him his lunch of jarred turkey and veggies, which he pretty much thought was disgusting. So, he was doing a lot of looking around and spitting out and not much eating. Then, he spied Faith eating a bagel and he gave her "the eye". This is the look he now gives anyone with food. It basically says, "Why am I stuck with this pureed crap when you have what looks like some very edible, real food? Please give me some of your food...NOW." So, as he wasn't eating anyway, we broke up part of her bagel into little bits and let him go to town. He suctioned it back like it was the best thing he had tasted to date.
So, as Blake was dining on Timmy's, a nice older lady stopped by the table to say, "Oh, what a cute baby!" (Yes, we agreed, even with cream cheese dripping down his chin.)
Then, she turned to Faith and said, "I bet you like being a big sister."
To which Faith promptly replied, "Yep, except when he puked in my hair this morning."
The lady was taken aback for a second, and then recovered nicely with, "Oh...babies do that."
Personally, I was torn between feeling proud that she actually spoke to someone she didn't know (and with a witty reply at that), and slightly embarrassed that she came out with a less-than-Hallmark-moment response. The truth is messy, however, and never more so that with a baby in the house.
At the pit stop, Blake got to eat his first Tim Horton's bagel, complete with cream cheese. I was feeding him his lunch of jarred turkey and veggies, which he pretty much thought was disgusting. So, he was doing a lot of looking around and spitting out and not much eating. Then, he spied Faith eating a bagel and he gave her "the eye". This is the look he now gives anyone with food. It basically says, "Why am I stuck with this pureed crap when you have what looks like some very edible, real food? Please give me some of your food...NOW." So, as he wasn't eating anyway, we broke up part of her bagel into little bits and let him go to town. He suctioned it back like it was the best thing he had tasted to date.
So, as Blake was dining on Timmy's, a nice older lady stopped by the table to say, "Oh, what a cute baby!" (Yes, we agreed, even with cream cheese dripping down his chin.)
Then, she turned to Faith and said, "I bet you like being a big sister."
To which Faith promptly replied, "Yep, except when he puked in my hair this morning."
The lady was taken aback for a second, and then recovered nicely with, "Oh...babies do that."
Personally, I was torn between feeling proud that she actually spoke to someone she didn't know (and with a witty reply at that), and slightly embarrassed that she came out with a less-than-Hallmark-moment response. The truth is messy, however, and never more so that with a baby in the house.
Monday, September 17, 2007
He's a poet and didn't know it
We headed to my parents last weekend for a quick trip. On Saturday, Faith and I attended Allyson and Curtis' baby shower (our reason for the trip). On the drive down, Faith decided that she wanted to write some poetry. George helped her out with a little ditty for Allyson. Prepare to be amazed....
It farts, it stinks,
It's not just you,
It's baby too.
George was so pleased with this version that he added another line:
It farts, it stinks,
It burps, it drinks,
It's not just you,
It's baby too.
Faith wrote down the poem and gave it to Allyson at her baby shower. She thought Curtis would enjoy this special gift...and besides, as she said, "It's true."
It farts, it stinks,
It's not just you,
It's baby too.
George was so pleased with this version that he added another line:
It farts, it stinks,
It burps, it drinks,
It's not just you,
It's baby too.
Faith wrote down the poem and gave it to Allyson at her baby shower. She thought Curtis would enjoy this special gift...and besides, as she said, "It's true."
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
I'm not that messy mom
Blake loves to eat although he's getting messier and messier. How messy he gets is inversely proportional to how hungry he is. When he's power eating, no problem. Once he's satiated, then all manner of mess is created.
I took this picture after his meal of cereal, plums (made in my new mini food chopper!) and some sort of weird vegetable/fruit concoction that I got from the store. He has this wonderful ability to blow the food out of this mouth in such a way that it covers himself, the high chair and my glasses. It took a few days to work up to this coverage area, but now he's pretty good about it. The worst part is that Faith gets him going when she laughs at him and he thinks that this food spitting is a pretty good game. Hence, the mess.
As the piece de resistance, he then rubs his messy hands all over his face and suddenly he has the look of some modern art piece. He takes a lot of baths now. And me....I do a lot of laundry.
I took this picture after his meal of cereal, plums (made in my new mini food chopper!) and some sort of weird vegetable/fruit concoction that I got from the store. He has this wonderful ability to blow the food out of this mouth in such a way that it covers himself, the high chair and my glasses. It took a few days to work up to this coverage area, but now he's pretty good about it. The worst part is that Faith gets him going when she laughs at him and he thinks that this food spitting is a pretty good game. Hence, the mess.
As the piece de resistance, he then rubs his messy hands all over his face and suddenly he has the look of some modern art piece. He takes a lot of baths now. And me....I do a lot of laundry.
Movie star pose
I love this picture of Faith that I took on our front lawn over the weekend. (Or what's left of our front lawn as it's been beaten down by an infestation of crane flies and drought and our ongoing environmentally-friendly lack of watering...also we're too cheap.)
The first week of school was over and Faith loved it. She finally got to do math (counting by twos) on Thursday, so she was very happy. She also loved French and walked around saying, "Bonjour maman" one evening. Although, if you ask her what her favourite part of school is, she says, "Snack time." She's her father's daughter.
On the weekend, we helped Aunt Allyson put together her party favours for the baby shower this coming weekend. And, we didn't even eat much of the candy! After finishing up the favours, we took Blake and Faith out to the front lawn so we could sit in the shade and enjoy the warm weather. Hence the sunglasses pose.
The first week of school was over and Faith loved it. She finally got to do math (counting by twos) on Thursday, so she was very happy. She also loved French and walked around saying, "Bonjour maman" one evening. Although, if you ask her what her favourite part of school is, she says, "Snack time." She's her father's daughter.
On the weekend, we helped Aunt Allyson put together her party favours for the baby shower this coming weekend. And, we didn't even eat much of the candy! After finishing up the favours, we took Blake and Faith out to the front lawn so we could sit in the shade and enjoy the warm weather. Hence the sunglasses pose.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
First day of grade one....continued
We can safely say that the first day of grade one was a success. I picked up Faith from school today and was met with a very happy kid. She didn't stop talking from the time I picked her up until we walked in the front door. The summary is as follows:
"We had two lunches, but they're too short to eat all your food."
"We got to go outside for recess. The grade 1,2,3s get to play on the play equipment only in the first recess. The older kids get to play on the second recess." (This is grossly unfair, apparently.)
"There are lots of rules in Grade 1. You have to ask to get out of your seat!"
"I'm sitting with all people I know."
"Grade one isn't very good because we didn't do math today and didn't get any homework." (I almost wanted to check her temperature after this comment.)
"I met a girl who got lost in a cornfield." (What?)
Anyway, she was very excited still and is looking forward to going back to school tomorrow. And, she is still very gung-ho about making her lunch, which she did with George after her favourite supper of "plain noodles and salad".
The grade one adventure has begun.
"We had two lunches, but they're too short to eat all your food."
"We got to go outside for recess. The grade 1,2,3s get to play on the play equipment only in the first recess. The older kids get to play on the second recess." (This is grossly unfair, apparently.)
"There are lots of rules in Grade 1. You have to ask to get out of your seat!"
"I'm sitting with all people I know."
"Grade one isn't very good because we didn't do math today and didn't get any homework." (I almost wanted to check her temperature after this comment.)
"I met a girl who got lost in a cornfield." (What?)
Anyway, she was very excited still and is looking forward to going back to school tomorrow. And, she is still very gung-ho about making her lunch, which she did with George after her favourite supper of "plain noodles and salad".
The grade one adventure has begun.
First day of grade one
I dropped Faith off this morning for her first day of grade one...her very first day of all-day school. She was very excited about everything from making her own lunch, to picking out her clothes, to getting her own desk at school.
When she found out she was going to get her own desk, she yelled, "I'm so excited!" What a change from JK and SK!
She hasn't comprehended yet that she actually has to do work at school, I think.
When we got to school, it was a swarm of parents and kids waiting by the grade one door. We got to meet her teacher, Mrs. Witherspoon, and Faith even talked to her! Then, when the bell rang, we all trooped inside to see the kids' cubbies and classrooms. Faith's new desk is really a round table where she's sitting with her friend, and two other boys (which I'm sure I'll hear about when she gets home).
So, the first day has been a success so far. We'll see what she has to say when she gets home.
When she found out she was going to get her own desk, she yelled, "I'm so excited!" What a change from JK and SK!
She hasn't comprehended yet that she actually has to do work at school, I think.
When we got to school, it was a swarm of parents and kids waiting by the grade one door. We got to meet her teacher, Mrs. Witherspoon, and Faith even talked to her! Then, when the bell rang, we all trooped inside to see the kids' cubbies and classrooms. Faith's new desk is really a round table where she's sitting with her friend, and two other boys (which I'm sure I'll hear about when she gets home).
So, the first day has been a success so far. We'll see what she has to say when she gets home.
I did it...Blake finally gets a cheerio in his mouth
Blake jumped over a major hurdle on September 3rd. His pincer grasp and hand-eye coordination finally allowed him to get a cheerio into his mouth all by himself! This is most exciting for the rest of the family as it means we no longer have to get our fingers bitten off feeding him cheerio after cheerio.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Curly-headed flirter
Blake is definitely a smiler. Especially for the ladies.
I was telling George the other night at supper how he loves to smile at all the sales clerks when we are out shopping.
"Yeah," Faith piped up, "Even the ugly ones."
I was telling George the other night at supper how he loves to smile at all the sales clerks when we are out shopping.
"Yeah," Faith piped up, "Even the ugly ones."
Tattoos for school
Faith decided that she wanted to do some temporary tattoos on each arm this week, just in time for the first day of school. She's a biker at heart, I guess.
Speaking of school, Faith found out her classmates and teacher on Friday. She has a couple of friends in her class (although not all), and there are more girls than boys, so she's happy. Plus her teacher is a girl, so it's all golden.
Today, Labour Day, is the day before school and she's been bugging us all day to make her lunch. We decided that she can start helping with this this year (I always remember making my own lunch...Mom, did this start in grade 1?). Anyway, she has taken this decision with a certain single-mindedness that only a six-year-old, or her father's daughter, can have. George finally told her she had to wait until AFTER supper to make it.
Her next question, of course, "Can we have supper now?"
Speaking of school, Faith found out her classmates and teacher on Friday. She has a couple of friends in her class (although not all), and there are more girls than boys, so she's happy. Plus her teacher is a girl, so it's all golden.
Today, Labour Day, is the day before school and she's been bugging us all day to make her lunch. We decided that she can start helping with this this year (I always remember making my own lunch...Mom, did this start in grade 1?). Anyway, she has taken this decision with a certain single-mindedness that only a six-year-old, or her father's daughter, can have. George finally told her she had to wait until AFTER supper to make it.
Her next question, of course, "Can we have supper now?"
Learning how to crawl
As you can see from the photo, Blake has been practicing his crawling stance for the last couple of weeks. He has worked his way up to rocking back and forth on his hands and knees, but he hasn't quite managed to get moving in a forward motion...yet. It's only a matter of time. And then life will get very interesting. Do you know how many little beads, Barbie bits, and other choking hazards are strewn about our house? Constant vigilance and possibly liquor (for me) is the only answer.
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