Four toys, but only two hands.
I watch Greyson struggle to pick up his four shapes - triangle, circle, square, octagon. He gets three, but the fourth is tricky. He chases it around with his hand, already full of another shape. Squatting on the floor, squawking in frustration.
After a minute he gets angry, but he keeps trying. I have tried reason, encouragement, problem-solving.
"Maybe you could take two trips, Greyson"
or
"You can do it, keep trying, don't get mad!"
More tears, it hurts to watch sometimes. I see myself in him now, his need to get it right, his frustration at not figuring it out. I don't want that for him.
I try showing him how to load the pieces into his shirt and carry them all that way.
No luck, that's not what he wants!
"You're growing bigger and stronger every day, you'll be able to pick them all up soon!"
Still more tears. I videotape him, feeling guilty all the while. A second after I turn off the camera, he picks up all four pieces. He walks towards me, snot and tears flowing, still screaming.
I pick him up, rub his back, tell him I'm proud.
"You did it!"
Still crying. Poor guy can't enjoy his moment of pride. We walk around the house, he calms down. Puts his head on my shoulder, still clutching his four toys in his two hands.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
catchup
A few quick updates while I'm thinking about it...
Greysons newest words: moon, boo boo, bean (a new favorite food), and more (to go along with the sign, the only sign he needs!)
He's got two upper molars and is working on lowers now. Fun. He has good eating days and bad, probably related to those teeth. He got a new big boy booster seat and eats from the table just like Mom and Dad. He sampled our chili the other night and seemed to enjoy it. Maybe he's not afraid of spicy! He still wants to eat bananas and veggie "burburs" with every meal. We're trying to pace him.
His favorite thing to do (besides point out all the balls, stars, and dogs in the world) is go on the slides at the playground. I posted a quick video of him on a slide this weekend. We got a new computer so videos should be easier to post now. I'll have to go through the backlog and see if there are any more good ones to post.
Greyson's grandparents miss him so much after their long weekend with him. They're coming to visit again this weekend, we'll have to think of something fun to do - in the 90 degree weather we're expecting, yuck!
Last weekend Mike wanted to stay out late on St. Patrick's Day. I agreed, as long as he was the one to get up with the Goose the following morning. Typically I sleep in on Sundays, that's just the way it works out. So we stayed out late, Greyson sleeping in a pack 'n play in our friends' large bathroom again. He must love his daddy, because he slept in until after 8am Sunday morning, and then had a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. Maybe he also had a wild night in the pack n' play with the stuffed poodle :-)
Greysons newest words: moon, boo boo, bean (a new favorite food), and more (to go along with the sign, the only sign he needs!)
He's got two upper molars and is working on lowers now. Fun. He has good eating days and bad, probably related to those teeth. He got a new big boy booster seat and eats from the table just like Mom and Dad. He sampled our chili the other night and seemed to enjoy it. Maybe he's not afraid of spicy! He still wants to eat bananas and veggie "burburs" with every meal. We're trying to pace him.
His favorite thing to do (besides point out all the balls, stars, and dogs in the world) is go on the slides at the playground. I posted a quick video of him on a slide this weekend. We got a new computer so videos should be easier to post now. I'll have to go through the backlog and see if there are any more good ones to post.
Greyson's grandparents miss him so much after their long weekend with him. They're coming to visit again this weekend, we'll have to think of something fun to do - in the 90 degree weather we're expecting, yuck!
Last weekend Mike wanted to stay out late on St. Patrick's Day. I agreed, as long as he was the one to get up with the Goose the following morning. Typically I sleep in on Sundays, that's just the way it works out. So we stayed out late, Greyson sleeping in a pack 'n play in our friends' large bathroom again. He must love his daddy, because he slept in until after 8am Sunday morning, and then had a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. Maybe he also had a wild night in the pack n' play with the stuffed poodle :-)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Busy days
Since we got home from our trip, Greyson has been successfully weaned, and it went much smoother than I ever imagined. No strong emotions on my part, either. I guess we tapered off slowly enough to avoid any "cold turkey" quitting issues. Mostly I'm just enjoying my freedom, not sitting in the purple chair at all, and trying to remember that I can wear whatever I want now! I haven't worn a nightgown or dress (other than weddings and special occasions) in over a year.
We've gone through some eating cycles - Grey wanted to eat everything in sight after our vacation, but now he's drinking a lot of milk and not so much solid food this week. I made a discovery the other night when he was fussing in his crib and gnawing on his own arm. I put a finger in his mouth and discovered a top molar had broken through his gums. A little more exploration and I found a second molar on the other side! No wonder he's been a little out of sorts and not eating like normal.
Last weekend was busy and fun. Saturday we did a bunch of shopping and had lunch out, then had a quiet evening at home. Sunday I slept in and got ready just in time for Julian's 5th birthday party at the park. Greyson had a great time playing with friends and spotting squirrels. He ate some birthday cake and suddenly remembered how to say and sign "more!" After the party a bunch of us went out to Friendly's for lunch and after he ate Greyson got a few bites of his kids meal ice cream sundae, plus apple juice to drink. It was a big sugar day for him! He crashed on the way home and had a nice nap, then we packed him up again and visited our friends at their new(ish) house near us. The kids all ran around and played, it got dark and there was a fire for roasting marshmallows. Greyson had his first accident playing with a big kid and got a scraped and swollen lip from the driveway. The next day a big scrape showed up on his forehead too. He handled it well, crying while I cleaned him up, but then he ate a marshmallow and never mentioned it again. More sugar is all it takes ;-)
We've gone through some eating cycles - Grey wanted to eat everything in sight after our vacation, but now he's drinking a lot of milk and not so much solid food this week. I made a discovery the other night when he was fussing in his crib and gnawing on his own arm. I put a finger in his mouth and discovered a top molar had broken through his gums. A little more exploration and I found a second molar on the other side! No wonder he's been a little out of sorts and not eating like normal.
Last weekend was busy and fun. Saturday we did a bunch of shopping and had lunch out, then had a quiet evening at home. Sunday I slept in and got ready just in time for Julian's 5th birthday party at the park. Greyson had a great time playing with friends and spotting squirrels. He ate some birthday cake and suddenly remembered how to say and sign "more!" After the party a bunch of us went out to Friendly's for lunch and after he ate Greyson got a few bites of his kids meal ice cream sundae, plus apple juice to drink. It was a big sugar day for him! He crashed on the way home and had a nice nap, then we packed him up again and visited our friends at their new(ish) house near us. The kids all ran around and played, it got dark and there was a fire for roasting marshmallows. Greyson had his first accident playing with a big kid and got a scraped and swollen lip from the driveway. The next day a big scrape showed up on his forehead too. He handled it well, crying while I cleaned him up, but then he ate a marshmallow and never mentioned it again. More sugar is all it takes ;-)
This week we've been recovering from our big weekend, trying to catch up on all the housework we didn't do Sunday. Another weekend has rolled around and we're planning to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with friends, but also hopefully get our chores done!
Greyson's newest word: Burger! pronounced "burbur" and usually in reference to a veggie burger - his favorite food this month.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
A few more yarf stories
So of course, the night I stayed home with Greyson so Mike could go on our "date" - he went to bed without a peep. That was the night he finally got back to normal, or nearly so.
Friday was Mike's turn to get sick. It hit him in the middle of the night and he spent the rest of the weekend getting back to normal. Sunday we had visitors - Emily, Craig and Kate from South Carolina, plus my brother and sis-in-law. We had a nice trip to the park and big BBQ dinner at our house. It is always a joy to see Em's family, I just wish our visits didn't have to be so brief, I miss her already. Unfortunately, I think Kate got sick a few days later. Stay away from our family!
Last week was a blur of laundry and getting ready for our trip. Thursday we headed out of town around lunchtime and Greyson napped until Lakeland where we stopped at Steak n Shake. Unfortunately he didn't eat a lot and didn't fall asleep again until we were almost to Venice. Poor kid's schedule was all out of whack. We had a nice afternoon and evening visiting with Grey's Jo Grandma and Grandpops. Went out for a Japanese hibachi dinner and Greyson was very concerned about the fire and steam coming off the table. He loved his rice and ate right off his dad's plate. Exactly one year prior he had slept through the entire dinner show but he was entertained by it this time!
Greyson slept in his grandparents room and all went well the first night, so Mike and I were confident that he would have a good weekend without us. We packed up and hit the road early Friday morning, almost having to postpone the trip a few hours when our friends missed their flight and flew into a different airport. But after a few phone calls everything was straightened out and we were on our way. After lunch in Miami we were in Key West by 6:30 and had a great weekend.
I can't say we did a lot of sightseeing, but we ate Key Lime Pie, watched the sun set, ate good food, found a local bar that was just my speed, and only called home to check on Greyson twice. The first time my mom got my adrenaline going by answering No when I asked if everything was ok. Greyson managed to infect my mother, father, and grandfather with his stomach funk. I'm telling you, those toddler daycare germs are vicious.
Next time we'll take Greyson with us, but it was a nice chance to get away and have an adults-only weekend! While we were away, Greyson got a haircut, went to the beach, went to the park, went to a petting zoo, went on walks, went to dinner, ate like a horse, and obviously didn't nurse. He hasn't nursed since we got home, and it's been hard but it's time. I wish he would spontaneously wean himself but that's not happening and it's time I had my body back. I feel incredible guilt and sadness and elation and freedom at the prospect. They say women can be more emotional now than during or after pregnancy. Watch out Mikey...
Friday was Mike's turn to get sick. It hit him in the middle of the night and he spent the rest of the weekend getting back to normal. Sunday we had visitors - Emily, Craig and Kate from South Carolina, plus my brother and sis-in-law. We had a nice trip to the park and big BBQ dinner at our house. It is always a joy to see Em's family, I just wish our visits didn't have to be so brief, I miss her already. Unfortunately, I think Kate got sick a few days later. Stay away from our family!
Last week was a blur of laundry and getting ready for our trip. Thursday we headed out of town around lunchtime and Greyson napped until Lakeland where we stopped at Steak n Shake. Unfortunately he didn't eat a lot and didn't fall asleep again until we were almost to Venice. Poor kid's schedule was all out of whack. We had a nice afternoon and evening visiting with Grey's Jo Grandma and Grandpops. Went out for a Japanese hibachi dinner and Greyson was very concerned about the fire and steam coming off the table. He loved his rice and ate right off his dad's plate. Exactly one year prior he had slept through the entire dinner show but he was entertained by it this time!
Greyson slept in his grandparents room and all went well the first night, so Mike and I were confident that he would have a good weekend without us. We packed up and hit the road early Friday morning, almost having to postpone the trip a few hours when our friends missed their flight and flew into a different airport. But after a few phone calls everything was straightened out and we were on our way. After lunch in Miami we were in Key West by 6:30 and had a great weekend.
I can't say we did a lot of sightseeing, but we ate Key Lime Pie, watched the sun set, ate good food, found a local bar that was just my speed, and only called home to check on Greyson twice. The first time my mom got my adrenaline going by answering No when I asked if everything was ok. Greyson managed to infect my mother, father, and grandfather with his stomach funk. I'm telling you, those toddler daycare germs are vicious.
Next time we'll take Greyson with us, but it was a nice chance to get away and have an adults-only weekend! While we were away, Greyson got a haircut, went to the beach, went to the park, went to a petting zoo, went on walks, went to dinner, ate like a horse, and obviously didn't nurse. He hasn't nursed since we got home, and it's been hard but it's time. I wish he would spontaneously wean himself but that's not happening and it's time I had my body back. I feel incredible guilt and sadness and elation and freedom at the prospect. They say women can be more emotional now than during or after pregnancy. Watch out Mikey...
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