Sunday, July 29, 2012
Rise and Shine
I've been meaning to capture some morning moments on video, and finally did it this morning. What I love about opening Preston's door first thing in the morning is, you never know what you're gonna get. Sometimes he's standing and jabbering away, other times laying down and reading a book. Or my favorite so far, last week when I walked in and he was buck-naked, standing up smiling, I think because he was so proud of himself for just having peed everywhere. Anyhoo, here is this morning's first moments: (if I could translate Preston's thoughts it would go like this, "Hey lady. I don't know who you are, but if you could get me that ball it'd be really great.")
Friday, July 27, 2012
Camera download!
It's been a while since I hooked the camera up to the computer, and now that I finally have, I've realized, I've been really crappy at taking pictures for the past few months. Here is a complete hodgepodge of the moments I have captured:
The Zoo! These are from early June. We visited later in the month and got even closer to Big Daddy Lion, who was sprawled out belly-up next to the glass, but of course, I didn't bring the camera that day. Still, this shot is pretty cool.
It was sad to see this chair go (definitely his most utilized piece of baby equipment), but my new rule of thumb is: If I can replace it for less than $10 at a garage sale or on Craigslist, then there's no use taking up valuable space storing it. And these things in particular are a dime a dozen.
*Disclaimer: This rule applies to items not bought for us brand new. All those items are graciously being saved for potential future offspring.
Preston & Wesley, BFF's:
My very dear childhood friend Laura just moved back to NY with her husband and son, Wesley, who is about 2 weeks older than Preston (interesting and unrelated fact: Wes is 1 of 4 January 2011 boys born to old friends of mine). We have already decided Wesley and Preston are going to be best buds. They had their first official playdate a few weeks ago, and despite a rough beginning, and some sharing issues that clearly need work (Preston being the main offender), I captured some very upbeat moments where they were playing peek-a-boo with each other in the closet. I only wish I had caught some video, as they were both giggling infectiously for several minutes as they were running back and forth.
Overall, I think they both had a great time, and even if they didn't, we are going to continue to force them to play together.
This one is titled, "Why I've changed my stance on TV." What I am beginning to realize is, TV can be a lifesaver.
Today's example: Preston hadn't napped all day by the time I got home from work. Usually, this means I get one very cranky, needy baby. Which makes it very difficult to get anything done, like eat dinner, perhaps? But who needs to eat, really....
So, after a light snack and some playing, I showed Preston his chair, and turned on the tube. He sat right down, lounged back, and I proceeded to get dinner going. Within a few minutes, he was nestled in and peacefully sleeping. Ahhh, bliss. Television. It's not all bad.
When he is diagnosed with ADHD, I will look back on this as the defining moment.
And lastly, here's a happy (and somewhat blurry) baby:
The Zoo! These are from early June. We visited later in the month and got even closer to Big Daddy Lion, who was sprawled out belly-up next to the glass, but of course, I didn't bring the camera that day. Still, this shot is pretty cool.
Cleaning house: We were accumulating outgrown baby toys and equipment at a rapid pace, so I decided on a last minute garage sale last week to clear some stuff out. Preston insisted on climbing into some of his old baby toys, even though I'm sure he far exceeds their weight limit. Here he is enjoying the bouncer, which he did spend countless hours in as an infant (notice my hands nervously lingering in the back, waiting for the thing to snap in half). It bent so far backwards it was touching the ground.
It was sad to see this chair go (definitely his most utilized piece of baby equipment), but my new rule of thumb is: If I can replace it for less than $10 at a garage sale or on Craigslist, then there's no use taking up valuable space storing it. And these things in particular are a dime a dozen.
*Disclaimer: This rule applies to items not bought for us brand new. All those items are graciously being saved for potential future offspring.
Preston & Wesley, BFF's:
My very dear childhood friend Laura just moved back to NY with her husband and son, Wesley, who is about 2 weeks older than Preston (interesting and unrelated fact: Wes is 1 of 4 January 2011 boys born to old friends of mine). We have already decided Wesley and Preston are going to be best buds. They had their first official playdate a few weeks ago, and despite a rough beginning, and some sharing issues that clearly need work (Preston being the main offender), I captured some very upbeat moments where they were playing peek-a-boo with each other in the closet. I only wish I had caught some video, as they were both giggling infectiously for several minutes as they were running back and forth.
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| 1st meeting: May 23, 2011 |
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| 2nd meeting: July 14, 2012 |
This one is titled, "Why I've changed my stance on TV." What I am beginning to realize is, TV can be a lifesaver.
So, after a light snack and some playing, I showed Preston his chair, and turned on the tube. He sat right down, lounged back, and I proceeded to get dinner going. Within a few minutes, he was nestled in and peacefully sleeping. Ahhh, bliss. Television. It's not all bad.
When he is diagnosed with ADHD, I will look back on this as the defining moment.
And lastly, here's a happy (and somewhat blurry) baby:
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Who taught my kid sign language?
Clearly, neither myself, nor Matt did. (I tried early on with "milk," but he never caught on and I got bored trying...) Which inevitably means daycare did. What's interesting is, Preston hasn't been to daycare since mid-May, but he just started signing last week. Now, he is signing "more," (and saying it simultaneously) all the time. More juice, more reading, more cat. He's also using the same sign interchangeably for milk. I'm trying to teach him to differentiate and teach him the real sign for milk, but he seems satisfied just sticking to the one.
Also curious is that we haven't done snuggles for several months, and yet, the other day, when I picked him up and gave him huggies (similar to snuggling action, but with hugging...) he broke out with snuggles.
What I've gathered from these behaviors is: either Preston is the smartest baby ever born, or babies have a much keener memory than I have ever given them credit for. And, seeing as I haven't spent any prolonged periods of time with babies up until I actually had one, I'm guessing it's the latter.
Also curious is that we haven't done snuggles for several months, and yet, the other day, when I picked him up and gave him huggies (similar to snuggling action, but with hugging...) he broke out with snuggles.
What I've gathered from these behaviors is: either Preston is the smartest baby ever born, or babies have a much keener memory than I have ever given them credit for. And, seeing as I haven't spent any prolonged periods of time with babies up until I actually had one, I'm guessing it's the latter.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Let the tantrums begin.
I thought the difficult behaviors were supposed to start at 2? I guess this parenting thing is truly a learn-as-you-go process. On the bright side, Preston knows what he wants. And he is really, really insistent about getting it. And when he doesn't get it, watch out. Especially if he has a utensil in hand. He has become really good at throwing his fork, and stomping his feet. In fact, the feet stomping has become so common, that last week at work, during a moment of sheer frustration, the thought of doing it myself briefly passed through my mind. It really is poignant way to demonstrate how absolutely frustrated you are...
I am trying to find the delicate balance between not pissing him off all the time, and not letting him get his way all the time. This is probably one of the great challenges of parenthood. The degree of parental fortitude depends on several factors: situation, presence of others, private vs. public arena, level of sleep deprivation, etc. It really becomes quite trying at times when you know that your saying no (as in, no, we can't keep the door to the basement open) is going to cause a bout of rage. And you certainly don't want to be that parent at the grocery store with the kid running around screaming "I want this!!" and then flailing on the floor when you say no. Worst nightmare. But, for obvious safety reasons (see example 1), you can't give in all the time either. This is one of the great dilemmas grandparents probably revel in.
On a similar note, I'd like to think that I say "yes" as often as I say "no," (but once I actually think about it, there are probably a lot more no's), but Preston seems to have only caught on to the latter concept. He is particularly fond of either shaking his head vigorously no, or actually say no. Which still sounds like nnnnooo. He will answer no to pretty much any question you pose, even if he actually means yes. Which is a fun guessing game.
Other behaviors that make me temporarily think Preston is NOT the awesomest baby ever:
1. Resisting diaper changes. This behavior started around 12 months, and I assured myself it would be a temporary phase. It was not. I would say we're running 1:3 odds that a diaper change will be mutually painful.
2. Resisting bathtime. I started the nightly bath routine at around 6-7 months (this is a complete guesstimate as it has all really blended together at this point). So, for the better part of Preston's life, he has been taking a bath, every single night, pretty much no exceptions. For some reason, within the past 4 weeks, Preston has decided that this really isn't his thing anymore. Apparently he has better things to do. Getting clean is not one of them. This has resulted in vocal protests that have far exceeded previous decibel-level records for screaming. On a few occasions, I thought I might have even sustained some permanent hearing damage. Fortunately, he usually concedes within a few moments, but wow, the kid can really scream.
3. Resisting getting in the carseat. I will admit, I have resorted to bribary in this instance. There are sometimes when you just have to go. And I am not above using animal crackers to expedite the process. Distraction will sometimes work in a pinch (ex: "hey, look at that bird!"), but I never knew how strong Preston was until he arched backwards and shot out all four extremities while I was trying to place him into the carseat.
I am trying to find the delicate balance between not pissing him off all the time, and not letting him get his way all the time. This is probably one of the great challenges of parenthood. The degree of parental fortitude depends on several factors: situation, presence of others, private vs. public arena, level of sleep deprivation, etc. It really becomes quite trying at times when you know that your saying no (as in, no, we can't keep the door to the basement open) is going to cause a bout of rage. And you certainly don't want to be that parent at the grocery store with the kid running around screaming "I want this!!" and then flailing on the floor when you say no. Worst nightmare. But, for obvious safety reasons (see example 1), you can't give in all the time either. This is one of the great dilemmas grandparents probably revel in.
On a similar note, I'd like to think that I say "yes" as often as I say "no," (but once I actually think about it, there are probably a lot more no's), but Preston seems to have only caught on to the latter concept. He is particularly fond of either shaking his head vigorously no, or actually say no. Which still sounds like nnnnooo. He will answer no to pretty much any question you pose, even if he actually means yes. Which is a fun guessing game.
Other behaviors that make me temporarily think Preston is NOT the awesomest baby ever:
1. Resisting diaper changes. This behavior started around 12 months, and I assured myself it would be a temporary phase. It was not. I would say we're running 1:3 odds that a diaper change will be mutually painful.
2. Resisting bathtime. I started the nightly bath routine at around 6-7 months (this is a complete guesstimate as it has all really blended together at this point). So, for the better part of Preston's life, he has been taking a bath, every single night, pretty much no exceptions. For some reason, within the past 4 weeks, Preston has decided that this really isn't his thing anymore. Apparently he has better things to do. Getting clean is not one of them. This has resulted in vocal protests that have far exceeded previous decibel-level records for screaming. On a few occasions, I thought I might have even sustained some permanent hearing damage. Fortunately, he usually concedes within a few moments, but wow, the kid can really scream.
3. Resisting getting in the carseat. I will admit, I have resorted to bribary in this instance. There are sometimes when you just have to go. And I am not above using animal crackers to expedite the process. Distraction will sometimes work in a pinch (ex: "hey, look at that bird!"), but I never knew how strong Preston was until he arched backwards and shot out all four extremities while I was trying to place him into the carseat.
Monday, July 9, 2012
As I write the following blog entry, I am simultaneously knocking on the proverbial wood...
The past few days and weeks have been chock full of successes and achievements. At times, I do think to myself, Preston is the coolest baby EVER.
1. Putting himself to sleep:
YAY! I thought this day would never come. Shortly after my lengthy blog about Preston's less-than-satisfactory sleep habits, (in fact, maybe the next day...) Matt trialed a little dose of "crying it out." Turned out, Preston cried for about 90 seconds, and then never made another peep. The next night, I tried it out. After sitting with him for a few minutes, I explained that Mommy was going to go night-night, gave him several hugs and kisses, and graciously backed out of the room. The ensuing shriek might have been heard halfway down the block, but amazingly, after about 30 seconds, the crying stopped. The following day, our babysitter informed me that Preston had directed her to place him in the crib, waved bye-bye to her, and literally kicked her out of his bedroom and proceeded to take a nap, completely on his own. That night, after a bottle and a few minutes of sitting in his room, I told him I was going night-night, and he gave me a hug, and waved bye-bye, and that was the end of it. It has gone this way for atleast the last week consistently. Amazing.
2. Sleeping through the night in a foreign place:
Another HUGE success. I finally gave in and brought him up to the cottage for the night last weekend. I was prepared for a disastrous night and inevitable baby-in-the-bed, but, after about 30 minutes of acclimating to the boat house and pack-n-play, I said goodnight, crept up the stairs, and never heard a peep until about 8am the next morning. This proved to be consistently successful over the July 4th holiday as well, we spent 2 consecutive nights with absolutely no problems. Awesomest baby ever! This means I can resume our schedule from last summer of going up to the cottage Saturday afternoons when Matt goes to work, spend the night, (Matt drives up after work), and then we can enjoy all of Sunday before coming home to restart the work-week.
3. Potty training:
We achieved another milestone today. Preston picked up his potty insert, placed it on the toilet, and then informed Matt that he wanted to sit on the potty, and then he pooped. And clapped. All on his own. Of course, yesterday he threw a fit when I tried putting him on the potty, and later insisted on pooping in his diaper, but he's only 17 months, so I guess we'll cut him a little slack.
4. "Roar!"
Finally. I have been working on animal sounds now for several months. Several babies we know (who are much younger than Preston) mastered this skill long ago. At times it has been painful, asking him what sound a lion makes, etc...and always getting the same response. "Dog." Today, I came home and put on my Rosamond Gifford Zoo t-shirt, and he pointed at the tiger, (and said "dog,") and I said, "yes, that's a TIGER." And he said, "roar!" I never felt so proud. We did it again, over and over. It is the cutest roar I have ever heard.
The past few days and weeks have been chock full of successes and achievements. At times, I do think to myself, Preston is the coolest baby EVER.
1. Putting himself to sleep:
YAY! I thought this day would never come. Shortly after my lengthy blog about Preston's less-than-satisfactory sleep habits, (in fact, maybe the next day...) Matt trialed a little dose of "crying it out." Turned out, Preston cried for about 90 seconds, and then never made another peep. The next night, I tried it out. After sitting with him for a few minutes, I explained that Mommy was going to go night-night, gave him several hugs and kisses, and graciously backed out of the room. The ensuing shriek might have been heard halfway down the block, but amazingly, after about 30 seconds, the crying stopped. The following day, our babysitter informed me that Preston had directed her to place him in the crib, waved bye-bye to her, and literally kicked her out of his bedroom and proceeded to take a nap, completely on his own. That night, after a bottle and a few minutes of sitting in his room, I told him I was going night-night, and he gave me a hug, and waved bye-bye, and that was the end of it. It has gone this way for atleast the last week consistently. Amazing.
2. Sleeping through the night in a foreign place:
Another HUGE success. I finally gave in and brought him up to the cottage for the night last weekend. I was prepared for a disastrous night and inevitable baby-in-the-bed, but, after about 30 minutes of acclimating to the boat house and pack-n-play, I said goodnight, crept up the stairs, and never heard a peep until about 8am the next morning. This proved to be consistently successful over the July 4th holiday as well, we spent 2 consecutive nights with absolutely no problems. Awesomest baby ever! This means I can resume our schedule from last summer of going up to the cottage Saturday afternoons when Matt goes to work, spend the night, (Matt drives up after work), and then we can enjoy all of Sunday before coming home to restart the work-week.
3. Potty training:
We achieved another milestone today. Preston picked up his potty insert, placed it on the toilet, and then informed Matt that he wanted to sit on the potty, and then he pooped. And clapped. All on his own. Of course, yesterday he threw a fit when I tried putting him on the potty, and later insisted on pooping in his diaper, but he's only 17 months, so I guess we'll cut him a little slack.
4. "Roar!"
Finally. I have been working on animal sounds now for several months. Several babies we know (who are much younger than Preston) mastered this skill long ago. At times it has been painful, asking him what sound a lion makes, etc...and always getting the same response. "Dog." Today, I came home and put on my Rosamond Gifford Zoo t-shirt, and he pointed at the tiger, (and said "dog,") and I said, "yes, that's a TIGER." And he said, "roar!" I never felt so proud. We did it again, over and over. It is the cutest roar I have ever heard.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Updates and Anecdotes
Vocabulary: Sad to report that as quickly as "basketball" came, it went. Preston is no longer differentiating types of balls. He has reverted back to calling just about everything simply a ball, or a dog. He occasionally breaks out with "this!" But I'm not sure it's in the context of denoting an object as being "this." Besides a whole lot of babbling and gibberish, I can't think of any other identifiable words he's added to his vocabulary recently. Oh! How could I forget? He HAS added a word--> "no." And he is quite fond of using it. He purses his lips when he says it, and usually hangs onto the "n" for a while, so it's more like, nnnnnnno. He is particularly fond of saying it while doing something he knows he is not supposed to.
His language comprehension is improving exponentially. He can understand most of what I say, and usually listens, or says no.
Personal Hygiene: Although initially he hated it, Preston has come to LOVE brushing his teeth. More specifically, he loves toothbrushes. MY toothbrushes. (I have two.) In attempt to provide him decoys (and keep cross-contamination to a minimum), Preston now owns 5 toothbrushes (which circulate all over the house). Uncle Mike and Aunt Sarah even sent him his own electric toothbrush, since he became totally captivated by mine, and was refusing to use anything else. Below is the anti-climactic video of his first encounter with his Thomas the Train toothbrush...
Likes: Preston LOVES the refrigerator, and everything in it. So much so, that if he spots you opening the fridge from across the room, he usually comes running, and giggling with delight. If you close it before he gets there, he cries. We've discovered a happy medium, where I let him look things over for a minute and then we say bye-bye, which for whatever reason, makes him more amenable to closing the door.
Grapes. The kid loves grapes.
Crystal Light. This has pretty much destroyed my attempts to keep him relatively preservative/artificial flavor/other bad-for-you-ingredients-free, but what can I say, I have become a bit of a pushover, and he has become really good at whining, stomping his feet, etc. And he loves to drink out of big-people cups now. So I can't have a sip of anything around him anymore without him wanting some. And since I drink Crystal Light pretty much exclusively, I have perpetuated this predicament. He has become quite skilled out of drinking from a cup, though. So there is that.
Talents: Preston can correctly identify 12 body parts consistently.
He can poop in the potty, and twice this week has correctly indicated to me that he needs to use the potty. Otherwise, I have to catch him in the preparatory-pooping phase, and then get him to a potty pronto. We probably have a 50% success rate, the other 50% is usually first thing in the morning when he's alone in his crib. And who doesn't prefer pooping alone? (Definitely an Eckrich gene).
And now, some recent pics:
His language comprehension is improving exponentially. He can understand most of what I say, and usually listens, or says no.
Personal Hygiene: Although initially he hated it, Preston has come to LOVE brushing his teeth. More specifically, he loves toothbrushes. MY toothbrushes. (I have two.) In attempt to provide him decoys (and keep cross-contamination to a minimum), Preston now owns 5 toothbrushes (which circulate all over the house). Uncle Mike and Aunt Sarah even sent him his own electric toothbrush, since he became totally captivated by mine, and was refusing to use anything else. Below is the anti-climactic video of his first encounter with his Thomas the Train toothbrush...
Likes: Preston LOVES the refrigerator, and everything in it. So much so, that if he spots you opening the fridge from across the room, he usually comes running, and giggling with delight. If you close it before he gets there, he cries. We've discovered a happy medium, where I let him look things over for a minute and then we say bye-bye, which for whatever reason, makes him more amenable to closing the door.
Grapes. The kid loves grapes.
Crystal Light. This has pretty much destroyed my attempts to keep him relatively preservative/artificial flavor/other bad-for-you-ingredients-free, but what can I say, I have become a bit of a pushover, and he has become really good at whining, stomping his feet, etc. And he loves to drink out of big-people cups now. So I can't have a sip of anything around him anymore without him wanting some. And since I drink Crystal Light pretty much exclusively, I have perpetuated this predicament. He has become quite skilled out of drinking from a cup, though. So there is that.
Talents: Preston can correctly identify 12 body parts consistently.
He can poop in the potty, and twice this week has correctly indicated to me that he needs to use the potty. Otherwise, I have to catch him in the preparatory-pooping phase, and then get him to a potty pronto. We probably have a 50% success rate, the other 50% is usually first thing in the morning when he's alone in his crib. And who doesn't prefer pooping alone? (Definitely an Eckrich gene).
And now, some recent pics:
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| "Bailey, it's for you." |
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| Fun with pasta. |
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| Bathtime with Mommy. |
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| Helping me wash windows. |
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| Multi-tasking. |
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| 1st corn on the cob. |
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