The boys are both learning how to use their imaginations. We have Fischer-Price Little People (not like the ones I used to have -- we have a rainbow of ethnicities and they are very nearly all androgynous). Last week I started putting one of the little men in a car and Griff pulled him out. For whatever reason I grabbed the Little Person and pointed and said, "no, no, little man -- on your bottom!" Well, I could not have said any thing funnier as far as the boys were concerned. We spent the next 45 minutes with them pulling Little Man out of his car seat, fussing at him and putting him back. Griff is especially good with the Fickle Finger of Destruction (No! No!). Allan is mostly content to giggle and put Little Man back in his seat.
We have even progressed so far as to have Little Man in time out for his misbehavior. It is always nice to have someone lower on the totem pole than you.....
Friday, May 30, 2008
A bit of an update...on Griffith
So much happens every day that it is hard to make sure that we keep up with it. Since I don't keep a "baby book" though, I feel like I need to make sure we get the little milestones documented.
Griffith is a perfect little monster. With his curly blonde hair and his twinkling green eyes, he is quite the charmer. He loves it when Onkle Markus comes to visit because he knows just where to scratch. Griff would motor around and play for awhile and then come back over to Markus and say "up, please!" and raise his little arms. Then he would sit in Markus' lap and shrug his shoulders until Markus scratched his back.
Griff is also learning Spanish from Jesana. He now says "gracias" when you do something for him and she swears that he asked for "agua" the other day. Jesana has convinced him to take some drinks from a real cup, but he still prefers his "ba' -- especially at night.
I can't remember if I have already posted this or not, but I was cooking fish last week and Griff kept clinging to my legs and yelling "up" and "see" so I picked him up and told him that I was grilling fish. At which point he whipped around and pointed at his (one remaining) goldfish. Yes, that's a fish, too, but I ain't grilling him. Yet.
Griffith is a perfect little monster. With his curly blonde hair and his twinkling green eyes, he is quite the charmer. He loves it when Onkle Markus comes to visit because he knows just where to scratch. Griff would motor around and play for awhile and then come back over to Markus and say "up, please!" and raise his little arms. Then he would sit in Markus' lap and shrug his shoulders until Markus scratched his back.
Griff is also learning Spanish from Jesana. He now says "gracias" when you do something for him and she swears that he asked for "agua" the other day. Jesana has convinced him to take some drinks from a real cup, but he still prefers his "ba' -- especially at night.
I can't remember if I have already posted this or not, but I was cooking fish last week and Griff kept clinging to my legs and yelling "up" and "see" so I picked him up and told him that I was grilling fish. At which point he whipped around and pointed at his (one remaining) goldfish. Yes, that's a fish, too, but I ain't grilling him. Yet.
A bit of an update.....on Allan
I've been so far behind on pictures that I haven't even really tried to update the narrative much. The boys are doing great.
Allan has been back on oxygen maybe twice in the last month, both times at night when he was in a deep sleep. These days he is usually able to bring himself out of it, but, with everything blooming, some times it is a little harder than others. Still, he's doing fantastic. We've only just started to have the heat and humidity, though, and we are going to have to watch to see how that affects him. Just like someone with emphysema or other lung problem, he is likely to have to work harder when the weather is close.
Miss Julie was out for a couple of weeks with her daughter who needs surgery. She was back last week though and Allan was delighted to see her. He headed straight for the door when she got here. Which is funny because she makes him work harder than any one. The replacement PT who came while Julie was out was plenty nice, but she couldn't get Allan to do a quarter of what Julie gets out of him. Say what you want about Big Al, but he can take your measure in no time and he was not going to trouble himself for Faux Julie. To be honest, I felt kind of bad for her. I don't know if she realized that she was being outwitted by a 25-month old who is developmentally about a 13-month old, but that isn't the way to start your Thursday, in my opinion.
Anyway, Big Al is making all sorts of progress. He is and has been able to walk along furniture, etc., for quite a while now. He is also able to stand alone (when he doesn't realize that he is doing it) for quite awhile now. The problem isn't ability. It is just desire. He can get anywhere he wants with crawling (he's quite the speed demon these days) and doesn't have to risk falling -- so why bother with walking ? He has figured out how to "turn around and slide down" to get off the couch and off the steps in to the house and on the deck. He did accidentally "sit" down with his a** off the deck the other night and fall off backward. he didn't actually hurt himself, but his pride was dented. I didn't think he was ever going to quit crying about it.
Allan has been back on oxygen maybe twice in the last month, both times at night when he was in a deep sleep. These days he is usually able to bring himself out of it, but, with everything blooming, some times it is a little harder than others. Still, he's doing fantastic. We've only just started to have the heat and humidity, though, and we are going to have to watch to see how that affects him. Just like someone with emphysema or other lung problem, he is likely to have to work harder when the weather is close.
Miss Julie was out for a couple of weeks with her daughter who needs surgery. She was back last week though and Allan was delighted to see her. He headed straight for the door when she got here. Which is funny because she makes him work harder than any one. The replacement PT who came while Julie was out was plenty nice, but she couldn't get Allan to do a quarter of what Julie gets out of him. Say what you want about Big Al, but he can take your measure in no time and he was not going to trouble himself for Faux Julie. To be honest, I felt kind of bad for her. I don't know if she realized that she was being outwitted by a 25-month old who is developmentally about a 13-month old, but that isn't the way to start your Thursday, in my opinion.
Anyway, Big Al is making all sorts of progress. He is and has been able to walk along furniture, etc., for quite a while now. He is also able to stand alone (when he doesn't realize that he is doing it) for quite awhile now. The problem isn't ability. It is just desire. He can get anywhere he wants with crawling (he's quite the speed demon these days) and doesn't have to risk falling -- so why bother with walking ? He has figured out how to "turn around and slide down" to get off the couch and off the steps in to the house and on the deck. He did accidentally "sit" down with his a** off the deck the other night and fall off backward. he didn't actually hurt himself, but his pride was dented. I didn't think he was ever going to quit crying about it.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Forever and a day....
It has been a long time since I've blogged this late at night. Used to be that someone was going to be awake by midnight or would need meds or something so I might as well be up and blogging as anything else. Things have certainly changed. We don't make it through the entire night without interruption but the interruptions are fewer and farther between. And they are generally less labor-intensive than they used to be.
Jay and I got a night out tonight and had a real grown-up dinner at a real grown-up restaurant. Loads of fun. And we were home by 10. Big Al was already in his crib. Griff was still ripping and racing around, but went to sleep almost as quickly as Da did.
We haven't had much narrative these days. With the good weather the boys have been out almost every night until bath time. By the time they are down, Jay and I are ready to get in bed, too.
Griff is mimicking everything you say these days -- English or Spanish. He says "how 'bout ???" quite a lot. We open the refrigerator door to decide what we are having for dinner and he say "how ' bout???" Ditto when it is time to get dressed in the morning.
Griff has also taken to saying "Jude !!!! when Allan does something wrong or irritating. Makes me laugh. I'm pretty sure he thinks that "Jude" means something akin to "bad boy!"
Allan is doing great with the standing independently. So long as he doesn't realize that he is doing it. The minute he catches on that he is standing, he squats down. He's such a brat.
On Saturday Jay went off for a little free time and the boys and I ran to the Farmer's Market. We had a great time -- there were musicians, a hula-hoop girl and lots and lots of dogs. Most of the dogs were incredibly friendly and both of the boys enjoyed petting them. Then we ran to the hair salon and got Allan's hair trimmed -- around the back and in the front. Jay is completely unimpressed. Onkle Markus's only comment: I hope you didn't pay too much for it! (Are you German or Scottish, Onkle Markus ?) (In my defense, the girls at the salon assured me that the boys both looked very stylish. Clearly what I was going for.....)
Sunday Miss A and her parents came over to grill out. Miss A is an older woman (three) and Griff seemed quite smitten, if a little tongue-tied. Allan hardly knew what to make of the whole situation, but managed to put himself front and center.
Battery going out on laptop. More blogging tomorrow.
Jay and I got a night out tonight and had a real grown-up dinner at a real grown-up restaurant. Loads of fun. And we were home by 10. Big Al was already in his crib. Griff was still ripping and racing around, but went to sleep almost as quickly as Da did.
We haven't had much narrative these days. With the good weather the boys have been out almost every night until bath time. By the time they are down, Jay and I are ready to get in bed, too.
Griff is mimicking everything you say these days -- English or Spanish. He says "how 'bout ???" quite a lot. We open the refrigerator door to decide what we are having for dinner and he say "how ' bout???" Ditto when it is time to get dressed in the morning.
Griff has also taken to saying "Jude !!!! when Allan does something wrong or irritating. Makes me laugh. I'm pretty sure he thinks that "Jude" means something akin to "bad boy!"
Allan is doing great with the standing independently. So long as he doesn't realize that he is doing it. The minute he catches on that he is standing, he squats down. He's such a brat.
On Saturday Jay went off for a little free time and the boys and I ran to the Farmer's Market. We had a great time -- there were musicians, a hula-hoop girl and lots and lots of dogs. Most of the dogs were incredibly friendly and both of the boys enjoyed petting them. Then we ran to the hair salon and got Allan's hair trimmed -- around the back and in the front. Jay is completely unimpressed. Onkle Markus's only comment: I hope you didn't pay too much for it! (Are you German or Scottish, Onkle Markus ?) (In my defense, the girls at the salon assured me that the boys both looked very stylish. Clearly what I was going for.....)
Sunday Miss A and her parents came over to grill out. Miss A is an older woman (three) and Griff seemed quite smitten, if a little tongue-tied. Allan hardly knew what to make of the whole situation, but managed to put himself front and center.
Battery going out on laptop. More blogging tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Elmo and Cookie Monster
The boys from above in the stroller yesterday. I love these hats. Allan even kept his on for a while. Must not have realized it was there.
Just like a cat
Griffith loves to have his back scratched and Onkle Markus knows just the spot. Griff kept climbing back up in his lap and shrugging his shoulders.
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