As Henry's language skills improve, he has increased his portfolio of manipulation tactics. Today he told me that he needed to come out of his crib because he needed to poop. And then he needed a tissue. And then he needed to eat more. He picks things that he knows I want him to do just to sweeten the offer.
The other day I asked him if he wanted to go to the park. His new favorite word is "probably." He told me it was "probably locked." (This particular park has limited hours). When I told him it was open, he said it was "probably too far." He also suggests that it is "too cold", "too rainy" or "too hot" if he doesn't want to go somewhere.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
My Little Consumer
Henry watches Noggin, which fortunately doesn't have any commercials. I didn't realize how nice that was until he caught a program on another channel recently and immediately started asking for "The Better Batter Ball." He very sweetly kept saying "Ma, Henry try?" Once I realized what he wanted I said, "No Henry, we don't have that." He very helpfully suggested that I "Go to Target, buy for Henry!"
He also spends a lot of time cruising the neighborhood in his stroller. He is very familiar with the stores and instructs me where to stop and what we need. At Jin's Market he tells me that he needs apples and bananas. At the deli he makes the suggestion that I buy him a Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich. Last week he suggested I stop at Starbucks (he knew it by name) and buy some coffee. I laughed and said, "Henry, you can't drink coffee!" He corrected me that the coffee was for me and that he would have chocolate milk.
He also spends a lot of time cruising the neighborhood in his stroller. He is very familiar with the stores and instructs me where to stop and what we need. At Jin's Market he tells me that he needs apples and bananas. At the deli he makes the suggestion that I buy him a Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich. Last week he suggested I stop at Starbucks (he knew it by name) and buy some coffee. I laughed and said, "Henry, you can't drink coffee!" He corrected me that the coffee was for me and that he would have chocolate milk.
Oh, Please Help Me.
Henry is showing signs of giving up his nap and Molly has started to creep. She can now get herself a few feet forward and backward. I think crawling is in our very near future. Oh, and she is getting two teeth.
More Annoying Than Candy Land
I always thought there were few games more annoying than Candy Land. Henry has proved me wrong and come up with some doozies.
He pretty much insists on playing with anything that is not a toy. You let it go because he is having fun and it gives you five minutes to do something else. However, the game always reaches that fateful point where he can't perform some part of it and now he needs your help. Immediately. Over and over.
Take the life jacket game. Adam has been waiting for two years for Henry to be interested in going on the boat. The day has finally come! Anyway, this involves Henry wearing a lifejacket from the car, down the floating dock and onto the boat. Because of this, he needs to bring it home to the apartment. Henry looooooooooves his life jacket and wants to wear it constantly. No harm there, right?
Getting it on involves putting his arms properly through the very tight holes, zipping it up, clasping the front and then attaching the clasp between his legs. In the process, he jabbers away about the life jacket, what color it is, who else needs to wear a life jacket...cute right? You then are forced to answer "Ma...yeah? yeah?" over and over about whether he is putting it on correctly (backwards, upside down, inside out, wrong arm...the possibilities are endless). He then needs help zipping it up, but the zipper doesn't go as high as he likes. He gets positively indignant that you can't zip it up to his chin.
Once it is on for three seconds, he wants it off but he can't undo the clasps (but God forbid you help him do the clasps). Once it is off, you guessed it, he wants it back on again. Over and over and over. You try to be nice and give him the warning that this is the "Last Time." He freaks out and tries to repeat the game with Adam. He then runs back and forth like a ping pong ball until one of us finally cracks and gives in.
He pretty much insists on playing with anything that is not a toy. You let it go because he is having fun and it gives you five minutes to do something else. However, the game always reaches that fateful point where he can't perform some part of it and now he needs your help. Immediately. Over and over.
Take the life jacket game. Adam has been waiting for two years for Henry to be interested in going on the boat. The day has finally come! Anyway, this involves Henry wearing a lifejacket from the car, down the floating dock and onto the boat. Because of this, he needs to bring it home to the apartment. Henry looooooooooves his life jacket and wants to wear it constantly. No harm there, right?
Getting it on involves putting his arms properly through the very tight holes, zipping it up, clasping the front and then attaching the clasp between his legs. In the process, he jabbers away about the life jacket, what color it is, who else needs to wear a life jacket...cute right? You then are forced to answer "Ma...yeah? yeah?" over and over about whether he is putting it on correctly (backwards, upside down, inside out, wrong arm...the possibilities are endless). He then needs help zipping it up, but the zipper doesn't go as high as he likes. He gets positively indignant that you can't zip it up to his chin.
Once it is on for three seconds, he wants it off but he can't undo the clasps (but God forbid you help him do the clasps). Once it is off, you guessed it, he wants it back on again. Over and over and over. You try to be nice and give him the warning that this is the "Last Time." He freaks out and tries to repeat the game with Adam. He then runs back and forth like a ping pong ball until one of us finally cracks and gives in.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Biting off more than we can chew!
Right now, we are:
- Taking away Henry's pacifier
- Potty Training
- Moving Henry to a bed
- Moving Molly to a crib
- Putting Henry and Molly in the same room
Really not the smartest plan do you think? I guess it is like pulling off a bandaid, if you do it fast it hurts less.
P.S. Taking away the pacifier was Adam's brilliant plan. I overheard him telling Henry to "throw your pacifiers in the garbage, you don't need them anymore." I was screaming "Noooooooooooooooo" inside from the bedroom. He may not need them but I certainly do!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What time does the rooster crow?
Molly still sleeps in our room because she wakes a few times at night. If we were to move her to Henry's room, she might wake him and then I have two small children up at night. So in our room she stays.
She is at her absolute peak of happiness in the morning. Unfortunately for her that means 6am. I wake every morning to what sounds like a crow making their "caw caw" sound but is really my little angel. It is not a quiet noise, she makes it at the top of her lungs. She couples it with rolling back and forth, kicking until one of us wakes up. This weekend, she added yanking on my ponytail repeatedly. She mixes it up by digging her little baby razor nails into your flesh.
At first you are startled by the noise, having blocked it out of your memory from the day before. But after you wrench open your eyes to the harsh daylight, you are greeted with the most beautiful, happy smile you can imagine. It is impossible to ignore her after that!
She is at her absolute peak of happiness in the morning. Unfortunately for her that means 6am. I wake every morning to what sounds like a crow making their "caw caw" sound but is really my little angel. It is not a quiet noise, she makes it at the top of her lungs. She couples it with rolling back and forth, kicking until one of us wakes up. This weekend, she added yanking on my ponytail repeatedly. She mixes it up by digging her little baby razor nails into your flesh.
At first you are startled by the noise, having blocked it out of your memory from the day before. But after you wrench open your eyes to the harsh daylight, you are greeted with the most beautiful, happy smile you can imagine. It is impossible to ignore her after that!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mother of the Year
Just in time for Mother's Day, I share another proud mothering moment.
On Saturday night, Molly was sleeping with us and thrashing around. She wasn't hungry so I decided to give her a dry diaper. So not to wake her even more, I did it in our bed. I opened her one piece footed pajamas, took off her diaper and then discovered I didn't have any diapers in our bedroom. Because I was exhausted, I decided to put my head down for "just a second."
Fast forward a few hours later. Adam woke me up and said "Look at Molly!" She was laying on our bed fast asleep. Unfortunately she was naked from the waist down with her pajamas open and laying in a big puddle of pee. Oops!
On Saturday night, Molly was sleeping with us and thrashing around. She wasn't hungry so I decided to give her a dry diaper. So not to wake her even more, I did it in our bed. I opened her one piece footed pajamas, took off her diaper and then discovered I didn't have any diapers in our bedroom. Because I was exhausted, I decided to put my head down for "just a second."
Fast forward a few hours later. Adam woke me up and said "Look at Molly!" She was laying on our bed fast asleep. Unfortunately she was naked from the waist down with her pajamas open and laying in a big puddle of pee. Oops!
Friday, May 08, 2009
Tummy Time Champion
How cute is this baby? I know I am her mother, but what a beautiful little face!
I Swear We Don't Ignore Her
On a recent Saturday morning, Henry and Adam were cooking breakfast and I was in the living room reading the paper. Molly was alone in the dining room, playing happily in the neglecto-saucer. She got a little too quiet so I stopped in to check on her. Sadly, she has made the decision to put herself down for a nap being neither of her parents was attentive enough to do so. How sad is this picture?
Henry and the tale of the big boy bed
Henry is being evicted from his crib soon. I dread doing this because he will no longer be contained (ahem trapped) and I know his sleep will deteriorate. However, Molly is growing by leaps and bounds and soon won't fit in her little hammock.
We ordered the mattress, captain's bed and new bedding but due to a snafu with the ordering, the bed is not here yet. I set up the mattress on the floor and Henry slept in it for two nights. Since then, he has moved back to the crib at his request. We should have the new bed in the next week or so, I hope the transition goes smoothly. Less sleep in this house would be a bad thing.
Here is some documentation of the first night in the new bed. The plus side of all of this is there is a new place for me to hide when our bed gets too crowded. I also can encourage Henry to play lots of "Let's pretend Mommy is sleeping games"
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