So last night Da was off making a living and left Mom and the boys to their own devices. Momma thought Griff had finished with dinner, but when Ipulled him out of the high chair, realized that he was apparently stockpiling supplied for the end days.
As soon as I pulled him out of his chair, he started eating again. Since it was 7 and we needed to work toward bath/bed time, I decided to do the expedient thing: put the left-over food on the tray and set the whole thing on the 'mess mat' (at least 5 foot in diameter) so that
Griff could graze on it. I turned around after filling the sink to see my pride and joy with the tray of food at the edge of the mat and yelled "no, no." My son stopped. Looked at me. Paused for a few seconds (not long enough for me to leap the baby-gate and get to him). Dumped the tray of food and ran for the living room.
What a Brat.
Friday, November 16, 2007
pile it on
Allan fell asleep during dinner. Griff took this as license to bury Allan beneath the boppies.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Allan had a good work-out with Miss Julie today. They worked on cruising again. This week we had gripper socks, though, so that helped. Unfortunately Allan wasn't able to keep his sats up without his oxygen so we had to put him back on, but, once we got that difficulty sorted out he was off to the races. He is so excited about walking and standing that he is very difficult to deal with. He doesn't want to sit down and rest. In fact, he gets quite vocal and irritable when you make him take a break. He keeps bouncing and stiffening up, trying to get away and get back to what he wants to do. He loves getting the activity table over next to the baby gate at the kitchen door. He gets the table at a 90 degree angle to the gate and can make his way around the table to grasp the baby gate and walk along it and peep in to the wonderland that is the kitchen. (Maybe Griffith has told him of the magic and excitement that is the washing machine.) At any rate, you can tell that it is starting to click with him that he can get up and get to things that he wants to play with. He is even reconsidering crawling (which he HATES.) He is now rolling over, getting up on his hands and knees and rocking a fair amount. He has managed to go backwards quite a lot and got jammed up under the chair the other day.
Dad is working late tonight so I am doing solo momma. I wasn't going to give the boys baths because it is a lot of work for one person, but Griff kept yelling "bath!" and I didn't feel like I could deny him. Then Allan threw up all over himself and all of creation so I had to reconsider the ban. After a fair amount of staging, both boys were in the tub for an abbreviated bath session.
Griff doesn't last long after his bath. He wants a bottle, a cuddle and to pass out. Fine. While Griff continued to play the Typhoonagator, I got Allan dried and dressed and hooked back up on his monitor and oxygen and playing on the bathroom floor with a toy. Then I popped Griffith out of the tub and dried and dressed him. (The boys have new bath wash and lotion: cucumber-melon. They smell heavenly! I may start using the stuff myself.)
Moved Allan in to the living room and set him up with some toys. Ordinarily this would be enough to keep him entertained. Not tonight. Mr. Locomotion rolled himself over and crawled forward until he got his head stuck under the coffee table. Then he couldn't figure out how to back up and became furious and howled. This, of course, occurred about 37 seconds after Griffith fell asleep. There was nothing to be done but to jump up and rescue Allan (after snapping a photo or two, of course). Griff woke for a while, but settled back down fairly quickly. Here's hoping he stays that way.
Anyway, for the moment there is silence except for the furnace (it actually snowed today!) and the click of the computer keys. Since Griff decided to be mostly up from 3 to 5 a.m., I think I am going to crash. Hope Dad is quiet when he comes home.
The big plan for the weekend is to get Allan's hair cut. Jeanne is going to do it since I rejected Jay's one-eyed barber (no joke). Jay's main concern? We can't pay 100 to have his hair cut. Well, I wasn't really planning on having it cut, colored, high-lighted and blown out, so I think we can bring it in under budget. And, no, Griff isn't getting one, too. He doesn't need one just yet.....
Have a good weekend and we'll post pictures of Big Al post-hair cut ASAP.
Dad is working late tonight so I am doing solo momma. I wasn't going to give the boys baths because it is a lot of work for one person, but Griff kept yelling "bath!" and I didn't feel like I could deny him. Then Allan threw up all over himself and all of creation so I had to reconsider the ban. After a fair amount of staging, both boys were in the tub for an abbreviated bath session.
Griff doesn't last long after his bath. He wants a bottle, a cuddle and to pass out. Fine. While Griff continued to play the Typhoonagator, I got Allan dried and dressed and hooked back up on his monitor and oxygen and playing on the bathroom floor with a toy. Then I popped Griffith out of the tub and dried and dressed him. (The boys have new bath wash and lotion: cucumber-melon. They smell heavenly! I may start using the stuff myself.)
Moved Allan in to the living room and set him up with some toys. Ordinarily this would be enough to keep him entertained. Not tonight. Mr. Locomotion rolled himself over and crawled forward until he got his head stuck under the coffee table. Then he couldn't figure out how to back up and became furious and howled. This, of course, occurred about 37 seconds after Griffith fell asleep. There was nothing to be done but to jump up and rescue Allan (after snapping a photo or two, of course). Griff woke for a while, but settled back down fairly quickly. Here's hoping he stays that way.
Anyway, for the moment there is silence except for the furnace (it actually snowed today!) and the click of the computer keys. Since Griff decided to be mostly up from 3 to 5 a.m., I think I am going to crash. Hope Dad is quiet when he comes home.
The big plan for the weekend is to get Allan's hair cut. Jeanne is going to do it since I rejected Jay's one-eyed barber (no joke). Jay's main concern? We can't pay 100 to have his hair cut. Well, I wasn't really planning on having it cut, colored, high-lighted and blown out, so I think we can bring it in under budget. And, no, Griff isn't getting one, too. He doesn't need one just yet.....
Have a good weekend and we'll post pictures of Big Al post-hair cut ASAP.
Allan pushiing the activity table
He shoves it forward as Miss Julie sits behind him to keep him from falling and bonking his head.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Allan the Obnoxious
Allan generally slides by as the sweet and gentle one. Always the victim of Griffith's aggresstion. To borrow a phrase from Fox News (which I LOATHE) I want to be fair and balanced.
I can't remember if I recored this episode or not, but I don't want it to be lost in the mists of time. This weekend Allan thumped over in the living room floor and Griffith was high-tailing it away. Ordinarily this would have resulted in a reprimand for Griffith. Fortunately for him, though, his dad was watching and realized that Allan (Poor Sweet Allan, remember him?) had actually knocked himself over trying to push Griffith. He lost his balance as he was trying to do so (serves him right) and bonked his head. I like to think that he decided to cry not because he was hurt but in an effort to salvage the operation and at least get his brother yelled at.
I can't remember if I recored this episode or not, but I don't want it to be lost in the mists of time. This weekend Allan thumped over in the living room floor and Griffith was high-tailing it away. Ordinarily this would have resulted in a reprimand for Griffith. Fortunately for him, though, his dad was watching and realized that Allan (Poor Sweet Allan, remember him?) had actually knocked himself over trying to push Griffith. He lost his balance as he was trying to do so (serves him right) and bonked his head. I like to think that he decided to cry not because he was hurt but in an effort to salvage the operation and at least get his brother yelled at.
Great guys
We'll see how it goes tonight, but the boys have been pretty wonderful for the past couple of nights.
Griffith is getting to be right smart of a monster right after dinner time: he follows you around and cries and whines and wants to be held or, at least, entertained, right up until bath time. By the time he is dried, moisturized (really, moisturizer is CRITICAL to maintaining a youthful appearance), and dressed, he is hardly able to stand it or either of us. Slip him in to a sleep-sack, stick a bottle in his mouth (yeah, we can pretty much tell you who is broken on THAT issue), and he is out in about 10 minutes. How long he stays out varies: sometimes he rallies after 30 minutes or so. Some times we make it until 3 a.m. or so (3 to 4 a.m. is the witching hour). Some times (blessedly) he makes it all through the night until nearly 7. Lately, even if he wakes at 3, it is only because he is very, very, very wet and he will go back down within 15 to 30 minutes or so.
Allan, as usual, is an angel. We usually take him off of the oxygen when we get home and, on the weekends, we will see how he does through the night. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes he doesn't. Usually during the week, though, we don't push it. It is all very well and good to get up a time or four on the weekend to shift Big Al left or right to remind him to take a deep breath. It is quite another to do that on a Tuesday night when you have to be up at 6:30 on Wednesday morning. Still, Allan is doing really well with weaning off of the oxygen and, if we can keep ourselves free of flu and cold and RSV, it should all go well.
Griffith is getting to be right smart of a monster right after dinner time: he follows you around and cries and whines and wants to be held or, at least, entertained, right up until bath time. By the time he is dried, moisturized (really, moisturizer is CRITICAL to maintaining a youthful appearance), and dressed, he is hardly able to stand it or either of us. Slip him in to a sleep-sack, stick a bottle in his mouth (yeah, we can pretty much tell you who is broken on THAT issue), and he is out in about 10 minutes. How long he stays out varies: sometimes he rallies after 30 minutes or so. Some times we make it until 3 a.m. or so (3 to 4 a.m. is the witching hour). Some times (blessedly) he makes it all through the night until nearly 7. Lately, even if he wakes at 3, it is only because he is very, very, very wet and he will go back down within 15 to 30 minutes or so.
Allan, as usual, is an angel. We usually take him off of the oxygen when we get home and, on the weekends, we will see how he does through the night. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes he doesn't. Usually during the week, though, we don't push it. It is all very well and good to get up a time or four on the weekend to shift Big Al left or right to remind him to take a deep breath. It is quite another to do that on a Tuesday night when you have to be up at 6:30 on Wednesday morning. Still, Allan is doing really well with weaning off of the oxygen and, if we can keep ourselves free of flu and cold and RSV, it should all go well.
Yeah, I know I'm cute
Peeping up at me as I am taking pictures. My brat of a child knows he looks precious as he sleeps.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
I wish I had the camera
Dad took the camera this morning, but I wish I had it to record Griffith sitting in the doorway, absolutely entranced by the beer truck parked outside. He has been watching him for about five minutes (a long time, in toddler time). (For the record, the beer truck is not delivering to our house, but to the store down the street.)
I am in charge because the little incubators of disease passed the stomach bug off to Flora. So I am pulling the morning shift and Dad will be coming home at noon to take over. The weather is perfect for napping. Neither boy seems the least bit interested, though. (Watch them sleep all afternoon for Dad!) So we are hanging out, spreading toys far and wide and listening to the digital broadcast of reggae and wishing the cold, rainy weather away.
I am in charge because the little incubators of disease passed the stomach bug off to Flora. So I am pulling the morning shift and Dad will be coming home at noon to take over. The weather is perfect for napping. Neither boy seems the least bit interested, though. (Watch them sleep all afternoon for Dad!) So we are hanging out, spreading toys far and wide and listening to the digital broadcast of reggae and wishing the cold, rainy weather away.
Monday, November 12, 2007
A Very Big Day
Big Al has had a Very Big Day indeed. Today he got up on his hands and knees all by himself and pushed, pushed, pushed his way across the floor. Backward. But locomotion still. Allan has really made a lot of progress, just in the past week.
Allan, as Julie would say, is very motivated these days. The coin has finally dropped and he has realized that, if he crawls or scoots or locomotes, he gets to places he wants and can do what he wants. Holy cows. Today when I got home, Flora was very excited because Allan had been hoisting himself in to crawl position and rocking and moving (backward) all day long. He even got himself stuck under the chair, just like his brother always did. She was trying to cuddle him when I got home but he kept bucking and trying to slide down her leg to get moving. I think Flora has lost her last baby.
Allan has also, just maybe, started talking. Jay and I are both giving him full credit for 'up' -- a word that he hears his brother say a thousand times a day. He also says "Maaaaaaa...." which I would like to think is directed AT me, but think is really just his way of protesting that which does not please him. Either way, he said it before "da" and I am taking it.
Big Al also waves "bye." Friday when we were at the doctor for his RSV shot, Dr. David was leaving and said good-bye and, on cue, Allan lifted his little hand and waved.
He is a very good boy. Even if he looks like a long-haired hippy.
Allan, as Julie would say, is very motivated these days. The coin has finally dropped and he has realized that, if he crawls or scoots or locomotes, he gets to places he wants and can do what he wants. Holy cows. Today when I got home, Flora was very excited because Allan had been hoisting himself in to crawl position and rocking and moving (backward) all day long. He even got himself stuck under the chair, just like his brother always did. She was trying to cuddle him when I got home but he kept bucking and trying to slide down her leg to get moving. I think Flora has lost her last baby.
Allan has also, just maybe, started talking. Jay and I are both giving him full credit for 'up' -- a word that he hears his brother say a thousand times a day. He also says "Maaaaaaa...." which I would like to think is directed AT me, but think is really just his way of protesting that which does not please him. Either way, he said it before "da" and I am taking it.
Big Al also waves "bye." Friday when we were at the doctor for his RSV shot, Dr. David was leaving and said good-bye and, on cue, Allan lifted his little hand and waved.
He is a very good boy. Even if he looks like a long-haired hippy.
The weekend review
Another big weekend for Team Al and Grif.
Daddy and his buddies headed out of town on Saturday for the game so Mom and the boys called in reinforcements. Aunt Stephanie and Cousin Bailey came to the rescue.
Bailey was prepared in advance for her role and told her mother, "I can put Griffith in time-out because I am AT LEAST an inch taller than he is." None of us realized the height requirment before, but she was ready for him should he get out of line. (For the record, she did not have to put him in time-out, although she did tell him to "Behave!" on more than one occasion. Took the word right out of my mouth.)
We headed for the park that afternoon. Allan was worn out and spent a lot of his time sleeping in the stroller. Bailey and Griff started off on the little kids' slide but graduated to the big, purple monster slide pretty quickly. (Allan woke up and we tried the slide, but he objected strenuously. The most he is up for is the swing and the teeter-totter.)
After a big time at the park, we headed home to play some more and order pizza. (Griff preferred his turkey-cheddar hot dog.) Bath time was big fun and then everyone got snuggled down to enjoy the evening. Aunt Steph got a little quality time with the World Champion Snuggler, Allan.
Griff went down like a dream, but then gurgled and, despite my jumping up, threw up all over my front, back and side. Nothing like milk and turkey dog all over the place at bed time. Sigh. Apparently whatever he had was going around because Allan threw up. At 4 a.m. And screamed and screamed and screamed (please, please, DO NOT wake up your brother!) Thank goodness, Griff slept through it. He didn't wake up until 7 and the first thing he said was "da, da, da." Fine, you little ingrate. Good morning to you, too. Allan woke up feeling pretty sassy as well. Mom made it until about 9 a.m. before she started feeling puny. (What time is your father coming home anyway?)
Oh, well, we all survived and, as soon as Jay hit the door, Mom hit the bed. Still not at the top of my game, but not bad, considering. Just glad it wasn't worse.
Daddy and his buddies headed out of town on Saturday for the game so Mom and the boys called in reinforcements. Aunt Stephanie and Cousin Bailey came to the rescue.
Bailey was prepared in advance for her role and told her mother, "I can put Griffith in time-out because I am AT LEAST an inch taller than he is." None of us realized the height requirment before, but she was ready for him should he get out of line. (For the record, she did not have to put him in time-out, although she did tell him to "Behave!" on more than one occasion. Took the word right out of my mouth.)
We headed for the park that afternoon. Allan was worn out and spent a lot of his time sleeping in the stroller. Bailey and Griff started off on the little kids' slide but graduated to the big, purple monster slide pretty quickly. (Allan woke up and we tried the slide, but he objected strenuously. The most he is up for is the swing and the teeter-totter.)
After a big time at the park, we headed home to play some more and order pizza. (Griff preferred his turkey-cheddar hot dog.) Bath time was big fun and then everyone got snuggled down to enjoy the evening. Aunt Steph got a little quality time with the World Champion Snuggler, Allan.
Griff went down like a dream, but then gurgled and, despite my jumping up, threw up all over my front, back and side. Nothing like milk and turkey dog all over the place at bed time. Sigh. Apparently whatever he had was going around because Allan threw up. At 4 a.m. And screamed and screamed and screamed (please, please, DO NOT wake up your brother!) Thank goodness, Griff slept through it. He didn't wake up until 7 and the first thing he said was "da, da, da." Fine, you little ingrate. Good morning to you, too. Allan woke up feeling pretty sassy as well. Mom made it until about 9 a.m. before she started feeling puny. (What time is your father coming home anyway?)
Oh, well, we all survived and, as soon as Jay hit the door, Mom hit the bed. Still not at the top of my game, but not bad, considering. Just glad it wasn't worse.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
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