Bathtime

A Good Book

Mmmmm. Hippo.

10 Months

Dear Ian,

On Monday, you were 10 months old. As I think about it, I realize that you are going to be one before I even know it. You are talking and say kitty cat, yeah, hi, mama, dada, ok, and a few other words. You can give high fives and play peek-a-boo. Still no crawling or walking, but you're starting to go from sitting to your belly and you're finally really good at rolling over. I often look at you and can't believe that you have gotten so big! You are finally getting some hair, but it's growing in sort of strangely with a stip down the middle of think hair, kind of like a mohawk, which is really funny. It's also a little ironic because when I first found out that you were a boy, I worried that one day you would want a mohawk, and you already have one!

You like to play with blocks, balls, and toys that make noise. You like to look at books. You love to watch the Wonder Pets on TV. You still love the computer and you like to type on the keyboard. A cell phone, keys, remote control, and laptop at all things that you wish you could have. You're eating a lot of different foods now. You love cheese and fruit, and you're not so into meat (especially chicken) and veggies. You go to bed at 6:30 and get up around 6:30, unless you're really excited for the day, and then you wake up at 5:00am. That is not too exciting for mommy. You love hanging out with Grandmom and Aunt Denise when we are at work. Aunt Denise has kitty cats that you try and grab. When you do learn to crawl, those kitties are going to be in a world of trouble!

I still sneak in your room every night to look at you. I miss you every day that I am at work. I can't imagine life without you. I love you.

Love,
Momma

iBaby, iYummy

Fun Facts About Ian

1. He gives high fives.
2. He hates getting dressed.
3. His dream day includes getting to hold the remote (the real one, not the fake one we tried to give him) and the telephone all day long.
4. He loves to feed himself and sounds like a monkey when he eats.
5. He has a great vocabulary. New words include hi, good, yeah (way to go with the good gammar), nanananana (no) and yum.
6. According to Ian, anything can be a chew toy.
7. He has seven teeth (four top, three bottom).
8. He likes to look at pictures and enjoyed pulling everyone's Christmas card off of the wall.

The Bear

This is a random toy that was given to us by a good friend. When I first saw the toy, I shrugged it off, and put it aside since Ian was only a few months old and the animals and music seemed to freak him out. One day, several weeks ago, the toy made an appearance in our guest room. This toy, has quickly become the favorite toy; one of the few toys that he will play with for more than 30 seconds. Sometimes he'll play with this toy for 20 minutes. Ian has one fixation with this toy. The bear. When you press the pink button a lively song plays and all the animals start to dance and play their instruments. The bear spins in a circle, or at least he tries to. When Ian is around, the bear is grabbed the head and held still, forced to click in misery. Thank you Mr. Bear for taking one for the team and entertaining Ian during those times when no other toy will do.

King of the Toys

Man in Training

Buddah Baby

The Park

On Saturday, it was 70 degrees here in NJ. We enjoyed a great day at the park. Daddy wore shorts and Ian even got to wear his crabby shirt (short-sleeved). In case you're wondering about the bruises on his head; don't call DYFUS. We took the bumpers out of the crib, and in return received one beat up baby (baby vs. crib rails, crib rails won). We put the bumpers back on until he grows some hair. :)

Two New Couches and a Room Full of Baby Crap

Not That You Care....

Not that you care, but we went a bought a new sofa today. This is what we are getting, along with a matching love seat. We were wise and purchased the protection plan, since I have a feeling, Ian might be a little tough on couches. I will be replacing the pillows though, they are not my style at all.

Christmas Loot

I am the biggest hippocrit ever. The pile on the left side of the tree (your left, not the trees left) is Ian's pile. I don't know how it happened. He lost interest after the third gift, so most of it is being regifted for his birthday. :)

Christmas Breakfast

Motherly Guilt

My son has a cold. Not a terrible cold, but enough of a cold that he is cranky and very stuffy. This afternoon, after a very short nap, several snot suckers full of snot, and an impending late evening party, I asked me husband if he thought we should give him some benydral to help him breath (he was so congested). My husband said yes. To which I replied that I felt guilty because I knew it was going to make him go to sleep. My husband laughed and said something to the effect that I made him take it everynight (for his snoring, oh god, the snoring). I figured he had a point. If he hasn't died yet, I guess 1/3 tsp of benydral wasn't going to kill Ian either.

He's not dead. He slept and 1.5 hours, and got up around 5. We went to our party, where he stayed up and was mostly pleasant until 7:45pm, which is like 2:00am on Ian time. 

Things to do on Christmas Eve Eve

It's December 23, and I'm frantically trying to tie up the loose ends that are known as Christmas. We're having my husband's family over for breakfast tomorrow, and they don't know that we (I) are slobs so we've been cleaning and trying to get things in order. One of the tasks involves cleaning up the basement, where our Christmas tree now lives (for those in the know, we finally got ornaments up today!). This means wading through the piles and piles of papers on my desk. So far I've found:

* Addresses of five people that I didn't send cards too. If you get a card from me after Christmas, sorry.
* Stamps, which worked out well for the mailing of the late cards
* Renewal notice for Parenting Magazine. I threw that on top of the 11 Parenting Magazines and the four People Magazines that I need to find time to read.
* A few checks for one of my doctors that my insurance company insists on mailing me.
* Lots of expired coupons.
* Lots of crap that needs to be filed.
* An air freshener for my car. It was sent to me in the mail for my VW's birthday.
* Lots of Sharpie Markers (a secret addiction)

Maybe if I keep cleaning I'll find a Partridge in a Pear Tree. 

Happy Birthday Granddad!

Thanks for sharing your cake with me! Happy Birthday, I love you! 

It's the most wonderful time of the year?

I am excited about Ian's first Christmas, but the path to getting there has been filled with snarling, barking dogs who are trying to eat my shoes so I can't more forward. We have presents. We have a tree (albeit without ornaments). We have cookies. Yet there seem to be many loose ends lurking about.

I think the thing that I am most excited about is having a week off to be with Ian. Granted, we have about 10,000 things planned for 10 days; open bank account, get new furniture, take lots of naps and of course, celebrate by 20-something birthday.

One of those snarling dogs that's impeding the joy of all things Christmas would be the colds that Ian and I seem to have contracted. I'm personally swearing by Airborne, and will continue to swallow the nasty substance and pay ridiculous amounts of money for it, since it seems to be working. Ian is swearing by avoiding the snot sucker and the tissues.

Just in case you were wondering, getting bloodwork for a nine month old is just as traumatic as you would think. No, we didn't get bloodwork for a cold. We had a food panel done to check for food allergies. That was the bomb that the pediatric GI dropped when I called a few days ago to ask why he was spitting up again. I don't know if it's a food allergy, although I was a little disheartened when I read that 50% of reflux cases are food related and that the AAP recommends that food allergies be considered when dealing with acid reflux. We're starting with the bloodwork and going from there. 

Nine Months

Dear Ian,

On Friday, you were nine months old! I'm a few days late writing your letter, because things have been very busy around here! You are growing like a weed. At your nine month check-up, you weighed 22lbs and 3 oz and you were 29 1/4 inches long. You're out growing most of your 12 months clothes, but your 18 month clothes are still a little big on you.

This month you really started babbling a lot. You seem to have full conversations with yourself. Too bad we can't understand baby! You have said a lot of words that we can understand though like, mama, dada, duck, kitty, doggy, night-night, and ok. You've become very vocal when you need or want something. This leads to a lot of screaming. Speaking of screaming, you've mastered the high-pitched screech. Your daddy calls you a velociraptor.

Up until a few days ago, you were eating all kinds of foods: pasta, mac and cheese, meats, cheese, fruits, veggies, and goldfish crackers. Then you started spitting up again, after almost 3 months of no spitting up. The doctor thinks you might be allergic to some type of food, so we had to go back to fruits and vegetables, and re-introduce everything to see what might be making you spit up.

You like to play with your toys, and you still like your jump-a-roo. You love to watch the Wonderpets and the Backyardigans on television. You probably like those shows because of the singing. You love it when we sing to you. You've even been getting into the Christmas carols lately.

Speaking of Christmas; you have no idea what that is, but you really like looking at Christmas trees. Aunt Denise has a TON of holiday decorations in her house and you love to look at them. Especially at the train that she has running under her tree.

I love you more everyday. I still sneak into your room every night to see you before I go to bed. I know that santa will be bringing you lots of presents because you have been a very good boy.

Love,
Momma 

Then & Now: 9 months & 2 months

 

Thanks for the card Grandmom!

 

Just Because I Can