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February 28, 2005
The best first toilet experience ever
Let me state for the record that we are not potty TRAINING. Gus knows how to 'go', he just needs to figure out, when he's ready, that it's much more fun to go in a toilet than in his diaper. (Although, have you seen a public restroom lately? makes me wish I had a Depends on.)
In the spirit of making the kiddie toilet just a regular fixture in the house, I bought a kiddie toilet. The first phase of the toilet is freestanding. Gus will be able to sit on it and do his business in this removable bowl (which has a little boy pee guard, so cute). Next, we'll be able to put the kiddie seat on the adult toilet, with the base becoming a step stool.
I didn't put the freestanding toilet in the bathroom yet, oh no. It's sitting among his toys in the living room. I'm hoping that Gustav's first action regarding the toilet is NOT indicative of future usage.
Gus walked over, looked at the removable bowl, stuck his pointy finger in it, then gingerly brought his finger to his mouth and stuck it in.
Oh my.
First thought, smart boy! That's what we do with his food, check to make sure it's not too hot.
Second thought, poopy mouth! We better watch you!
Gus claps and cheers when he sits on it, but for the most part he's just using the toilet to hold his puzzle pieces. Our son, an equal opportunity utilitarian.
As for the walking? In the past day or two he's begun to make the 'running' sound as he walks fast. You know, the sound you would make if you were running. He's really trying.
I thought he'd take his time?
Posted by janna at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2005
Gus isn't just walking...
He's WALKING. He started with his arms straight up in the air. Then they were parallel to the ground. Now they're wherever he needs them to be. He can walk up to something, bend down to pick it up, and stand back up again without falling. Gus now does his little stomping dance (which John calls crazy feet) whenever possible.
Gus is becoming more complex, which makes parenting Gus more complex, but I'm enjoying it even more, if that's possible. Gus was making these really stern, almost pouty, facial expressions for a while (I think I had a glimpse of it in his walking video). At first we laughed...then he started doing it more and more. I found out he was doing it at daycare, as well. Once we started consistently reacting in a neutral way, he started decreasing it. I didn't really freak out about it, but I did realize that this is just one of a gazillion phases that Gus will go through in his childhood, and I will somehow have to manuever my way through it all.
Since I've started taking the parenting class at Unity, I feel like I've become much more aware of my actions when I'm with Gus, and that I'm really trying to get down to his level more than I was. The class doesn't really talk about any of that stuff at all, but I think having this two-hour block of time each week devoted to me thinking about how I want to parent has been really precious. It's really easy to get caught up in work all day and then come home and spend time with Gus without really being ALL there. Now I am consciously using the train ride as the time I synthesize my work day thoughts and turn them off until the next day, if possible. When I get to Gus, Gus has me completely.
I also started reading this book called "Smart Love," about using this concept of loving regulation rather than traditional forms of discipline. This has also been great to read and consider. Basically, for a child Gustav's age, the book says it's really the parents' job to create a safe, explorable environment for the child, rather than the child trying to figure out (or learning by loud, stern NOs) that something shoudn't be touched or explored. It really makes sense to me.... Gus doesn't truly know what hot means. It's his job to explore and learn. If I don't want him exploring the oven, I should make it difficult for him to do so rather than expect him to remember and understand why I don't want him to be touching the oven. I don't need a kid with a burnt hand right now, and I'd waiger that Gus could do without it, a well...
Posted by janna at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2005
hair
Posted by janna at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2005
Pickles and Peas
Confession: I gave Gus a dill pickle today, one of those long, quarter-cut ones.
We were eating out for lunch. The people at the table next to me were watching the whole thing. I had to tell them I wasn't a bad mother (right? right?).
But the thing is, I KNEW he would get that sour look on his face. And he did. But that didn't stop him from eating more, and more!
I'd like to state, for the record, that he did have a lot of other food for lunch, not just the pickle.
To illustrate how big Gus is getting:
He can eat four to five peas at once. From a fork.
He can walk from the kitchen to the living room...without falling.
He can say shoe shoe shoe while throwing shoes off the display at Nordstroms.
He says "balloon" when we pull into the grocery store parking lot because he remembered that is where he sees balloons. Ok, it sounds more like "boo", but it means the same thing...or else shopping is scary!
He makes people say things like, "He's adorable!" unsolicited...but once that is said, the charm is turned up a notch.
He doesn't cry when he's getting his first professional haircut (I don't count our attempt as a real haircut). I'll post pictures tomorrow, Gus fell asleep tonight before I could get the 'after' pic. I must say, he looks great!
Posted by janna at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Standing! (oh, and happy valentine's day!)
As I was walking out to go to my Unity parenting class, I turned around to witness Gustav standing up without holding on to anything for the first time.
!
He's been very generous at allowing me to be here when he decides it's time to pull out a new trick.
If he is actually running by the end of the month, as some of you have mentioned, I better invest in some good tennis shoes. Gus is on the move!
Posted by janna at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2005
The world premiere: Gus walking!
Posted by janna at 02:58 PM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2005
Wonder what Gus sounds like these days?
Halfway through I flipped the screen so Gus could watch himself. He was quite amused...
Posted by janna at 10:55 PM
If I didn't feel like a Mom before...
I really do now.
Yes, I finally realized that I had a child that could actually enjoy riding in the car cart at the store.
I think I was more excited than he was, at least at first.
Posted by janna at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2005
He's totally on his way back
Happy, happy boy.
I can hear Gus breathing deeply through the monitor. Sometimes I'll go into the bathroom and stand right next to the monitor, listening intently to his little sounds. I can tell when it's safe to take our noisy stairs without risk of waking Gus up. I can also tell when Gus is shifting and restless. The restless sleep has been with us the past couple of weeks while Gus has battled the SICKNESS (in its many permeations). Tonight, though...sweet, sweet, deep breathing. No coughing. Happy sleeping boy = happy almost sleeping me!
When I picked Gus up tonight, Cristy said he's officially walking, at least he's attempting it at every possible opportunity.
We stopped at the store to pick up some milk. Right when we walked in the door, Gus said, "Mmmmmm....." I love him.
This morning, John and I went to visit our lawyer. It was time to set up a will and healthcare power of attorney. What an experience. I say that only because we had to really confront all of these different scenarios, and it's not often that you're given the space and time where you're forced to think of such things. I found it interesting that instead of focusing on the thought of one of us dying, I focused on the logistics surrounding a death. Where would people find our wills? Where should we put them? If I put it in a safe deposit box, how will people know where to find it? If I put it in a fire-proof box at home, what if I lose the key? In these scenarios, I always made it be me who died, rather than John. John wasn't so happy that I kept being the example, but it was easier for me. I'm glad we finally got this all together, made plans for Gus... it's one less BIG thing to worry about.
[checking yet another thing off the list....]
Posted by janna at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)
February 08, 2005
My little Glacier
When Gus is ONLY walking, I will really miss his crawling. Not only is it one of the last visible signs of babyhood to leave, it is one of the cutest.
Ok, we've all seen crawling, but have you seen my little Glacier?
When Gus gets going, he often gets 'things' caught under his belly or between his knees, dragging said 'things' across the room with him.
Sometimes it's a Lego; perhaps a wooden block; or one of Zeppo's toys. Whatever it is, it is often surprising and delighting to see what he's brought along.
This won't happen when Gus is walking. I'll miss finding the remnants in random places.
---------------------------------
Gus is still struggling to be healthy. He woke up several times in the middle of the night. We all need some sleep. Come on, spring!
Last night I attended my first of five Unitarian Universalist parenting classes. It's a forum for parents to come and talk about how we can live the values and principles of UU in our everyday lives.
Wow. Listening to parents talk about dealing with older kids and talking about issues and lessons that are taught made me feel like I want to be completely prepared for every scenario possible (There is precident for this feeling... I am a notorious planner for all types of negative and positive scenarios, have been for as long as I can remember. Some might call me a fatalist. I'd like to call myself prepared!)
There were some interesting questions to consider... and all of the nuances and interpretations you can bring to them.
How do you show that it is okay to disagree with others?
How/when/where do you encourage independence of judgement?
How do you encourage respect for life?
How do you deal with the concept of absolute truth? What is truth?
I felt like I could linger on each question for hours...days...years...eons. It was an excellent way to give myself space to think about the issues, to think about how I want to parent, rather than being reactionary to the next developmental milestone.
One thing that was said that I really found interesting was this: "I think it's okay for each parent to have their own way of disciplining and their own beliefs, because they're different people."
I can't even respond to the questions right now. I'm still chewing.
Posted by janna at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)
February 06, 2005
He's a foodie
Foodie=one who loves food.
I knew that Gus liked to eat, but I didn't realize how much he enjoyed all things food. As proof:
Yesterday, as I was perusing my Bon Appetit magazine, every picture that Gus saw he went, "Mmmmmmmmmmmm!"
Then today I pulled out some cookbooks. More Mmmmmmm!
The best example: I turned on a cooking show this afternoon. Gus was transfixed, and when Jack Pepin pulled the molten chocolate cakes out of the oven, Gus turned to me, pointed to the TV, and declared MMMMMMMmmmmm!
I love him.
This is why I can't give him simple things. He balks!
Check out this hair...
We also have suffered a double-whammy this weekend. Gus was really fussing and tugging his ears, so I suspected his ear infections had gotten worse (after I thought they had gone away sans antibiotics). I then realized that Gus had pink eye... in both eyes. My eyes were itching, but I assumed I was having sympathy pain.
No.
I woke up this morning with goopy eyes too.
Luckily Gustav's antibiotics have cleared up his eyes rather quickly. I have some eyedrops, so I'm hoping I'll be okay by tomorrow.
It is no fun. And my eyes aren't pink. Hello, misnommer.
On a very happy note, tomorrow is John's first day at Orbitz.
Posted by janna at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2005
How long can I do this?
There are so many ways you could interpret the subject of this entry.
How long can I open junk mail?
How long before I crack under the pressure of finding the perfect dinner for Gus?
No.
I've been wondering this: How much longer can I keep writing about Gus before it exposes too much or I am not protecting his privacy? I read an article in the New York Times last weekend about "Mommy Blogs", and one of the issues was this one. How long before you're writing to satisify your own needs at the expense of your child's integrity?
Sure, it's funny now when I write about how Gus crawled away from me after I stripped him down for a bath, and then he sat on the cold, hard tile and peed. It's cute when I talk about how Gus is learning how to assert himself and make demands. When does it become perceived as teasing or a giving him a hard time?
For example. Let's say Gus is six, and there is an incident where Gus takes a piece of candy from the bulk candy bin at the grocery store and eats it without paying for it (Note: I have no idea who in their right mind would do this, particularly from the Hy-Vee store that you would eventually work at as a teenager, and all of its good years it would give you as first a sacker, cashier, video clerk and customer service rep! Who would take a lousy piece of candy from such an establishment?). So back to Gus. He's six, he's stolen. Would I write about it? Who would read it? Would he read it? Would readers say something to Gus about it directly, like, 'Why did you do that?' How embarassed would Gus be? In how many ways have I violated his trust, and lacked compassion?
Perhaps I wouldn't write about it, even if compelled. There are certainly many things I don't write about now, although many of those things are about myself and I censor myself based on knowing who will read. As I write now, I can tell I can fool myself into thinking I'm writing into some kind of private journal. It's not until someone remarks on something I've only written about and have yet to talk about that I remember this is a public forum. We're not talking a gazillion people here, but I suspect some of you reading this right now I either don't know, I do know but don't see very often, or you're family. (thanks for checking in on Gus!)
It started as a way to cope with bedrest. Then it became a way to capture the pregnancy. Then it became the digitial babybook. I think it's still that, but I think I will be more cognizant of my topics. I guess this could be my lithmus test: If Gus was seven years old, would I tell a stranger the story I'm about to write while Gus was standing there? If so, how does Gus react to me telling this story about him? Does he giggle? Does he feel proud? If so, write away. If I think he would hide his face, feel any kind of betrayal or embarassment, I should not write it.
Posted by janna at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)