Big Kids' Room

One of my projects over winter break was to get Natalie moved into her "big gull bed" and get both Nathan and Natalie settled into their new living arrangements as roommates.  Of course I also had to do a little bit of decorating!

So far the adjustment for both of them is going pretty well.  Natalie is so excited to be a big girl, and Nathan never liked being in his room by himself at night.  The two of them stay up later than they should talking to each other, but other than being a little overtired, they are doing great!  We moved the baby monitor into their room during the transition period, and it means that we get to listen in on some of their cute conversations.  We think that this time together will be so good for their already strong friendship.  

The bunk beds--they are sporting the Christmas quilts that my mom made for each kiddo, with their baby quilts decorating the foot of the bed.  I would eventually like to switch the window treatments to a light-blocking pull-down shade and a valance, but for now the light-blocking drapes work fine.

I found the dresser on Craigslist for $80 (score!) and repainted some white shelves that I've had for ages.  Then I just mixed and matched the artwork that was in each of their rooms.

I got all Pinterest-y and painted the infamous Ikea spice racks for some additional book storage. Each kiddo has one of these at the head of their bunk too for nighttime reading material.

I installed another shelf and bar in the closet (and have since moved in the rest of Natalie's clothes).  Nathan loves the fact that his shirts are easy to reach in the morning.

New Ride

Todd has a new car!  It's a bit of a rare beast: 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited, manual transmission, turbo.  Only about 1200 of these cars were built, with only around 100 of this color combo.  Needless to say, it took a bit of patience and searching, but it turned out that, after considering vehicles for sale in Tampa and Philadelphia, he found it in Traverse City!  It's really nice, and really fast!  Overall, an excellent addition to the family. :)

Back to Reality

Well this was my first week back to work after maternity leave.  All in all, the week went great!  I am a really social person, so although I loved spending so much time at home with the kiddos while I was on leave, I missed the daily interaction with colleagues and friends that I get at work.  Todd and I are sharing the morning get-the-kids-ready duties, so that has allowed us to get out the door approximately on time each morning.  I am hoping to keep up the momentum of prepping all of our food and my pumping supplies the night before.

Natalie's had a great adjustment to daycare, which has made my adjustment to having her there much easier.  I don't know if it is because she's a lot older than Nathan was when he started, or that she is used to having a noisy brother around, or just her personality, but Natalie has slipped right in to the routine and busyness of daycare.  She loves watching the older babies play, is great at taking a bottle, and is even managing to get a few naps in.  I love the fact that she and Nathan are at the same place--Nathan has visited her several times this week.

Speaking of Nathan, he has started the transition into the Preschool room, and will be there full-time starting on Monday.  He is SO excited, and feels like such a big boy. It's really cute.  He'll be the only kid in the class who isn't potty trained, and he already seems more open to the idea.  He sat on the potty several times at school this week, and this morning he wanted to wear big boy underwear for several hours.  He tried to go several times, but had some accidents instead.  I'm encouraged at his interest and willingness--progress!

New Ride

Well folks, the time has finally come--I have a car that was made in the 21st century! Woo hoo! I am the proud new owner of at 2003 Volvo Cross Country station wagon. It has a little more room than the Subaru, and the LATCH system for the carseats, which makes it safer for the little ones and easier to transfer seats in and out of the car. Oh, and it's totally loaded with features--leather, heated seats, SUNROOF!!! Wahoo!

Here she is in all her Swedish glory:

The crown jewel, the way you know it really is a Volvo station wagon: "way back" seats!

Deuce's next step

On Saturday we took Deuce to the home of the couple who run the Old English Sheepdog Rescue of Michigan, who will foster him at their home until they find a toddler-free family that will be a good fit for him. Sandy and Larry are wonderful, and clearly in love with the breed and have four sheepdogs of their own. The fact that we decided that Deuce will be better off in a new home will probably come as a surprise to some of you, so I thought that the best way to explain how we got to this point would be to share the bulk of the email that I sent to the sheepdog rescue folks:

I am writing to you about my 9-year-old sheepdog, Deuce. We got him as a puppy from a breeder in Kansas, and ever since he has been an integral part of our family life.

He is a really sweet boy who has always dealt with a little bit of anxiety when a member of his flock is on the move (if we're out on the boat and I jump in for a swim, that stresses him out until I'm "safely" back on board). Two years ago a son joined our family. All was well with Deuce's adjustment to the new addition until Nathan started walking. The erratic behavior of a wobbly new walker started to stress out Deuce, but it was manageable for all of us, including him. Now, however, Nathan is running everywhere he goes, in unpredictable directions and using loud and excited exclamations.

T

his is sending Deuces anxiety over the edge. He is whining, crying, barking, racing around the house, twirling in circles at the slightest change in movement from any one of us. This often results in Deuce inadvertently knocking Nathan over in his efforts to figure out what is going on and where we are all going. As a result, Deuce spends most of Nathan's waking hours on the other side of the baby gate, where he still whines and cries, but does not run around and cannot knock over the baby. As you can imagine, this increases the safety but does not decrease the stress that any of us are feeling. In the last few months, Deuce has started acting out by urinating in his space (he has a room in the basement with big windows where he hangs out while we are at work or away from the house). This urination occurs no matter how many times we let him out or how short a duration of time we are gone. When we are home all day he does not ask to go out more often than usual, does not have accidents, and makes it all night without needing to relieve himself.

This level of stress that we are all under is affecting our quality of life (people and canine) in a negative way. We are all upset and anxious whenever we are all at home and Nathan is awake. When Nathan is sleeping or not around, Deuce reverts back to his normal self.

Yesterday I took Deuce to the vet to make sure that he didn't have a bladder infection or another medical issue, and had a long conversation with both the vet and the animal behavioral specialist. He got clear marks as a very healthy boy, but both healthcare providers felt that Deuce's anxiety around toddlers is not going to get better, and if the situation isn't remedied, will only get worse. The last thing we want is for him to become more miserable.

After much soul-searching, conversation, and research, taking into account the fact that we are expecting another baby in the fall (so the toddler phase will be ongoing for a number of years), and seeking out professional opinion, we have decided that the best thing for Deuce is to find him another home that does not have young children. It breaks our heart to do this, but we really feel that it is what is best for him.

Sandy responded almost immediately, and after much communication back and forth, we settled on this Saturday as the day that worked best for all of us to bring him. So my parents came down to spend the day with Nathan, and Todd, Deuce and I headed over to Plymouth. Sandy and Larry spent quite awhile with us, getting to know Deuce (and us too), and introducing him one by one to their four sheepdogs to see how he did. Eventually we went out to the large fenced-in portion with two of the other dogs so they could all run around. We took some pictures and video, both for our memories and to show Nathan Deuce's new sheepdog friends.

There were many tears shed as we left Sandy and Larry's house, and then again yesterday evening when we realized that Deuce was really gone. The house seems kind of empty. But also much calmer. We'll always miss our goofy sheepie, but really feel that he is going to have a much happier quality of life.

We have since received two updates from Sandy that Deuce is fitting right in--getting along with all four of the other sheepdogs, and helping to supervise their spring yardwork.

New Job!

This week marks the end of an era in Todd's professional life. After eleven years at DeGroot Carstar Collision Center, on Monday, Todd started work at Autobody USA in their Battle Creek shop. Todd has been wanting to work for this company for awhile now, and the HR manager there has been trying for almost a year to find a position for him, and finally the stars aligned!

So far things are off to a good start. All of Todd's new co-workers have been very welcoming and friendly. It's been a bit of an adjustment as far as the commute (about 40 minutes compared to 10 to the old shop), the shop tools that are slightly different, new people, different workflow, and most of all actually having a LOT of work to do! Overall it has been an incredibly positive move for him, and I think that he's going to be really happy about the change.

On our drive back from Louisville on Sunday, we stopped by the new shop so that Dan and Nancy could see it. Nan and I made Todd reluctantly pose in front of the building. :)



Todd got his workbench all set up and organized in his new space. Looks pretty darn good, don't you think?

Bittersweet

Well, I think that Nathan has self-weaned from breastfeeding. From birth to one year, I nursed him or pumped breastmilk for him for every feeding. For the first six weeks of his life, the two of us really struggled with this new skill--neither of us really knew what we were doing, I had insufficient supply issues (my milk did not come in) and he had jaundice. Many trips to the incredibly supportive Bronson Breastfeeding Center, much love and support from Todd, several teary episodes, experimentation with different breastfeeding positions and support pillows (I highly recommend My Brest Friend pillow, even though the name irritates me a little bit), using the supplemental nursing method, and just plain determination all combined to get Nathan and I successfully on track to exclusive breastfeeding.

Going back to work after maternity leave added many challenges to life, one of which being the new adventure of pumping! It took a little while to get into the rhythm of taking scheduled times during the day to pump, but luckily I have my own office with a door and a very supportive work environment. Because I never had a huge supply of milk, I also pumped in the evening after Nathan went to bed in order to keep up with his needs. You may remember this post as evidence that the pumping didn't always take place before my bedtime! :) The website www.kellymom.com proved to be a great resource for all kinds of breastfeeding questions that I had, and the advice and support of the other breastfeeding moms in my life was absolutely invaluable.

The fact that I travel for work added an additional layer to the scheduling and planning aspect of the exclusive breastfeeding goal--making sure there was enough breastmilk at home for Nathan (see the last photo in this post for an example) and making sure that my hotel accommodations and travel plans would allow for the pumping, storage and transportation of the milk I pumped while I was on the road. I have to say that pumping in the public restroom at Chicago O'Hare was NOT my favorite pumping experience!

After Nathan turned one, we transitioned him to drinking cow's milk during the day, and nursing in the morning and evening. This was awesome--no more pumping!! I still had the snuggly, bonding nursing time, but during the day I was not tied to the breast pump. It was definitely the best of both worlds! Gradually, Nathan dropped his evening nursing session. For the last three months or so, I've only been nursing him in the morning. It was a great way to start the day together, and it takes N a little while to fully wake up (like his daddy!) so I think he enjoyed the transition time as well as the bonding.

For the last week and a half, Nathan has not been interested in nursing in the morning. He'll still cuddle with me for a few minutes, but then he's on the move. Sometimes he'll ask for his sippy cup of cow's milk, sometimes he'll go directly into his morning routine of evading the inevitable diaper change. This feels very bittersweet. On one hand, I am thrilled that our breastfeeding journey has come to such a gentle and natural end. On some level I think N and I both feel ready for this change. However, on some level I know we're both struggling with this big step forward in Nathan's independence. He has been suffering some separation anxiety in the last week, both at daycare drop-off and bedtime... "No...Mama...gooooo..." I already deeply miss the snuggling and one-on-one time with Nathan--he's a super affectionate kid, but not one to just cuddle up on my lap. I can't believe my baby is turning into such an independent, individual little boy! It's our goal as parents to raise a confident, independent person, but I think there's always going to be a lump in my throat and some tears in my eyes as I see the different stages of success in accomplishing that goal.

Ear infection and deeply rooted memories

So we have arrived at the milestone of Nathan's first ear infection. Yesterday N and I drove to Chelsea for a delightful lunch at The Common Grill with Gillian. It was really great to catch up with her, and she was very tolerant of my very busy lunch companion (there was much gathering of napkins, toys, pieces of bread, etc from the floor). One of the things I love about my friendship with G is that even when we don't see each other often, we fall right into easy conversation--the mark of a true friend!

On the way home from lunch, Nathan took a nice nap in the car. While he was sleeping I noticed that his cheeks looked really flushed, and when we got home and I took him out of his carseat and realized that he was definitely feverish. The thermometer confirmed with a reading of 101.4. After a phone consultation with Nancy and the pediatrician's office, we went in for an appointment. Sure enough, Nathan has an infection in his right ear, and his temp had gone up to 102.6. I'm so glad we took him in!

When we got home and I opened up his amoxicillin to give to him, I was instantly flooded with memories from childhood! One glance at the color and whiff of the scent, and I could tell you exactly how that medicine tastes! It's so funny how stuff like that is lodged deep in the memory banks--I had no conscious recollection of taking amoxicillin until I saw and smelled it!

I'm happy to report that N is feeling much better today. He's on nap number two, and his fever has come down greatly. I am thankful for modern medicine!

New Toy

For Christmas this year, mom and dad gave Todd and I a really, REALLY nice camera. Our old camera was a point and shoot with very few megapixels and slow shutter speed. Since Nathan is in constant motion, I really wanted to have a camera that was fast enough to keep up with him, as well as take pictures of a higher quality. I'm sure you are all able to tell when the pictures I post are from my dad's camera, which is a digital SLR rather than a point and shoot.

So we were absolutely thrilled on Christmas Eve when we opened our Christmas gift to find a super awesome Canon EOS Rebel! It is quite the work of art in and of itself, and just out of the box without me doing all the reading and exploration of its features, the pictures are one million times better than with our old camera. Oh, and it takes HD video! Look out world, there are going to be even MORE photos of my family floating around!! :)

12 month appointment

Nathan had his 12 month check-up with Dr. Dyk this afternoon. He got a clean bill of health and four immunizations. Here are his latest stats--still a little guy with a big ol' head:

Weight: 21 lbs (25th percentile)
Height: 29" (25th percentile)
Head circumference: 18 3/4" (75th-90th percentile!)

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Unbelievable, my son is one year old today! Since it was a work day, I took Nathan to daycare this morning, where all the teachers greeted us with a chorus of "Happy Birthday!" They had also put up some decorations around the room with Nathan's name on it--so nice! All the teachers seemed happy that N and I arrived bearing cupcakes. Nathan's gift to me today was that he was not hysterical when I had to leave (we've been having a string of really rough separation anxiety days), so I was able to give him a kiss goodbye and head off for the office.

Todd and I went out to lunch together, and had fun talking about what was happening "at this time last year." What an intense day that was! I am lucky that Todd is an incredible birth partner--he was a huge support for me. Of course, I think I did some pretty awesome work too. :)

After we all got home for the day, Nathan unwrapped some presents, played with some of his new toys and books and had dinner. And then it was cupcake time!! It took him a few seconds of concern about the texture of the frosting, but once he got a taste, he was a man on a mission until that cupcake was GONE! He loved it! Then it was straight to the bathtub for the young man. Then with some jammies and a song, we tucked him into bed. What a sweet, sweet boy.

Getting a special present from Daddy.


Loved the bow!


Daddy had to show him that the toy was actually cooler than the bow.


Oh, wait, this thing has buttons? Awesome!

N had a blast pulling the tissue paper out of the gift bag that Marcia and Greg McMorrow left on our doorstep today.

Awww, giving the stuffed cat a big hug as soon as he pulled it out of the bag! :)

Dinner at our house has become quite the messy affair!

Mom, what is this thing?

I don't know, the frosting texture is kind of weird...

Naturally, I will put some in my mouth.

This stuff is DELICIOUS!!

All business as he demolishes the cupcake.

Mmmm.... chocolate!

Video of the cupcake consumption

11 Months Old

The eleven month photo shoot came a day late since on the 17th, when he was officially 11 months old, Nathan fell asleep in the car on the way home from daycare and then proceeded to stay asleep until 5:15 this morning! So he and I were up bright and early today, which, aside from having to drag myself out of bed, was actually really nice. We were able to have bathtime and playtime on a weekday when Nathan was not sleepy and there was no sense of being rushed.

At 11 months, Nathan loves to play with his toys, especially the little kitchen (opening and closing the microwave door is particularly fascinating). He also really loves books and is always going over to his bookshelf to pull down a few--or all of them--and he opens and closes them, points to stuff on the page. It's so cute, and you know that his English major mommy is thrilled!

Nathan is a great eater, and chows down on pretty much anything we give him. He's still not much of a fan of peas, but everything else seems to be fair game. He even likes chili! Without question, his favorite food right now is yogurt. That kid could eat an entire gallon of yogurt! He's going to have a very healthy digestive tract. :)

This month he has become a champion crawler, pulls up on everything, and is pretty darn coordinated. The other big physical development is that he cut FOUR teeth simultaneously! They have finally all broken through the gums, much to everyone's relief.

Here are some photos from this morning, as well as a little video:

Nine Month Dr. Appointment

Nathan had his nine month well-baby check-up today with Dr. Dyk. He got his final Hepatitis B vaccine and his flu shot, and got a clean bill of health from the doc. Nathan's favorite part about going to the doctor is the full-length mirror next to the examination table. A close second is the paper covering the table, which makes wondefully entertaining crinkly noises. Thanks to my camera phone I was able to catch him in action.

Nathan is still a little peanut with a big ol' head! The doctor said he is totally comfortable with Nathan's size, that N is still growing and gaining weight really well, but at the moment he is just a small kid. Here are his latest stats:
Weight: 17lbs, 10 oz (10th percentile)
Height: 27 1/4" (10th-25th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18 1/4" (75th percentile!!!!! Hopefully that means he's got lots of brains!)

Meal Time

In the last week, Nathan has started eating some finger food, most importantly, Cheerios! He is still working on refining his pincer grip--his first few tries consisted of using the pointer finger on one hand and the thumb on the other hand. Needless to say, that didn't work out too well! :) Now Nathan's getting better with every try, and he is loving the world of food. He's had little pieces of pork, turkey, bread, graham crackers, egg, cheese, cottage cheese, and so far they are all a hit. If he sees one of us eating something, he immediately wants to try it. I hope that throughout his life Nathan continues to be willing to explore and try different foods; we'll see how that goes!

In addition to food, Nathan also likes to chew on his high chair straps--because they're tasty or because he's trying to escape??


Mmm... sweet potatoes are still a favorite.


Hi Mom!


Video of Cheerio consumption--such a cutie!


Nathan's continuing to become chattier with each passing day (definitely his mother's kid in that respect!) and he has added Da Da to his repertoire. I was able to capture a brief snippet on my cell phone's video camera.

Hello!

Last Friday (8/7), Nathan waved for the first time! When Todd went to pick him up from daycare, Nathan gave him a big grin and a full arm wave!! Needless to say, Daddy was thrilled! Now Nathan waves at just about everything and everyone--people, Deuce, Ozzie, the handsome baby in the mirror--SO adorable! We've been trying to capture it on video. Below is one of our unsuccessful attempts, and then I finally caught the action this morning (2nd video).

Tupperware!

Nathan is currently enamored with grabbing things, banging them together, banging on them with his hands, transferring them from one hand to the other, shaking them to see if they rattle, tasting them, using them as teethers... he's in a constant state of exploration, and it is so fascinating and funny to watch!

This morning I am home with Nathan, as I am flying off on my first post-baby business trip this afternoon. The panic and guilt I feel about this is awful, but the one positive is getting to spend today with my little guy.

My phone was nearby this morning (real camera in the other room) so I took some photos and video of Nathan discovering the joys of tupperware!

Nathan's also starting to be really interested in books--pointing at the pictures, turning the pages, and of course tasting them! :)

Tupperware + playing with Mommy = FUN!