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Almost 17.5 months old – January 31, 2016
EIGHTEENTH MONTH
JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 21 (2016)
HEALTH
- 1st barf (1/22)
- the barf was a one time “thing” & he seemed fine otherwise (Eric & I were quite sick & barfy the 1-2 days before Todd barfed)
- he got a cold: sneezing, coughing, runny nose & fever (2/2, lasted about a week)
- he got another cold: very goopy eyes, copious runny nose, cough & fever (2/17, lasted about a week)
- (he must be getting colds from the ski area child care)
An apple a day! – Real Tequila (Anacortes) – February 3, 2016
BODY
- his legs are noticeably straighter this month (i.e. he’s losing the infant bow-leggedness)
- he discovered his belly button & looked down at it & touched it (2/17)
- a new freckle (his second one) was spotted on his low back (2/20)
Watching his squirrel friend – February 19, 2016
TEETHING
- bottom left lateral incisor poked through (2/15)
- that’s his 9th tooth
Selfie smile – February 2, 2016
COMMUNICATION
- repeated “Hi Todd”
- laughing “ha ha”
- he put my hand over the sippy cup lid so I would open it (2/8)
- he wanted me to keep going in circles because it made him laugh (2/9)
- he “asks” for help putting his fuzzy slippers on
- this month, in general, he didn’t feel the need to use his familiar words (i.e car) as much, preferring to give a grunt (that we understand) instead
- he understands more & more, and he follows a sequence of verbal directions (i.e. bring mama her shoes..now get the other one..give me a kiss)
- he continues to practice making his own “words” by combining different sounds
- he said “bir” for bird after he saw one & also did the hand sign for bird
- he says “geh k” to refer to skis
- lots of hugs and kisses were given
MOTOR CONTROL
- he tries to turn the lid of his sippy cups instead of just setting the lid over the cap
- he very carefully set his teething tablets & his sippy cup on the night stand (1/23)
- he gets on the balance board himself, stands up, balances there & steps off
On the balance board before bed – February 4, 2016
STARING AT CERTAIN PAGES OF BOOKS
- Go, Dog. Go!– the page with the dogs on bikes & skates and the page with dogs on scooters & skis
- Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him!– the page with the boy on a skateboard
- he loves looking at the skate boarders in Eric’s Concrete Wave magazine
Page from Go, Dog. Go! book – January 27, 2016
GO BY CAR
- laughing in the car on the way to grocery shop
- walking around at parks: Harborview (Everett) & Forest Park (Everett) (1/24)
- outing to Anacortes including a visit to my former workplace & then out for lunch (2/3)
- dining out: Casa Tequila (1/24), Real Tequila (2/3), Aye Carumba (2/5)
- 1st long car ride when he didn’t nap in the car (2/7)
Harborview Park – January 24, 2016
Playing with a new friend – January 24, 2016
Harborview Park – January 24, 2016
OUTDOOR FUN
- stroller walks
- outside riding the skateboard with Eric (1/24)
- outdoor “roaming” wearing his “backpack bear” leash (without the leash he’s too fast and will repeatedly try to go in the street or other people’s yard) (1st time: 2/10)
- brief ride outside on his new balance bike (with help) while wearing skates (because he’s still too short without) (2/20)
Skateboard ride with Eric – January 24, 2016
First time outside with “backpack bear” – February 10, 2016
HOT TUBBING
- he loves to go in the hot tub and lets us know he wants to do it by pushing on the sliding glass door
- he runs through the house chasing after Eric before Eric & I go outside to get the tub cover off
- he plays with his stacking cups in the tub
- when I let go of him standing on one of the seats, he had noticably better balance (2/19)
- he started to dunk his own mouth/nose underwater, acting brave about it (2/20)
New bike – January 26, 2016
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
- watching the same 6 episodes of “Detectorists” over & over
- looking at himself in the window reflection at home while showing off
- smiling & laughing at videos of himself
- wearing his boots inside all day
- using drum sticks like ski poles
- x-country skiing/skating in the house with his skis/skates, helmet & poles
- downhill skiing down the sloped Aerobed with Eric’s help
- running up & down the sloped Aerobed (with good balance!)
- Eric bounces him on the Aerobed and he loves it
- riding his balance bike in the house with Eric’s help, while wearing his skates (since he’s still too short to stand on it with just boots)
- not only does he get stuff “out” he now puts stuff “back”
WENATCHEE SKI WEEKENDS
- 1/30 – 1/31
- 2/6 – 2/7
- 2/13 – 2/14
- he loves going into Eric’s closet to get all the ski gear out (boots/liners, helmet, gloves)
- he supervises/helps Eric with the boots & liners to get ready for skiing
- he likes to look at the Alta picture on the wall, so we have to get it down for him
- jumping up & down in the bathtub (holding my hands) (2/13)
- Eric takes him on the rope tow, then skis him down (between his legs)
- walking back & forth on the little bridge at the ski area, and going up & down the snow steps
- Paula at the Mission Ridge child care said that Todd’s a sweetheart & that she’s “really fallen for him” ❤ (2/13)
Todd’s favorite things at the “condo house” – January 30, 2016
Ready to ski – January 30, 2016
Skiing down with Eric – January 31, 2016
Mission Ridge ski area – February 13, 2016
BABYSITTER DAYS
- I worked 8 days this month
- when I leave for work Jeri holds Todd & they wave at me from the front window
- on 1/25 I got home from work & he barely acknowledged me, he just threw a fit wanting to stand on the laundry room counter (fortunately this isn’t the norm!)
Babysitter pic – January 25, 2016
Babysitter pic – January 28, 2016
Babysitter pic – February 4, 2016
Babysitter pic – February 11, 2016
FOOD NOTES
- he started practicing using a spoon but needs a lot of help
- he precisely dipped his broccoli into some A1 sauce
- he loves nutritional yeast & likes to eat lots of it plain
Loving the nutritional yeast – February 10, 2016
February 16, 2016
January 24, 2016
DAYTIME NAPS
- he didn’t take a crib nap 1x (he was sick that day), but he napped in the car & on me (2/17)
- frequently he goes to get his pillow blanket out of his crib just before nap time
- crib naps were 1 – 3.25 hours long
Finishing his nap on me – February 17, 2016
NIGHT TIME SLEEP
- miraculously he slept in until 9 AM on the day that I was quite sick (1/21)
- 1x he feel asleep on me in the evening before bed (2/6)
- he woke up in the night 7x this month (more often than past months since he was sick)
- night time sleep duration was ~9.25 – 10 hours (as usual)
At the condo – February 6, 2016
POTTY TALK
- 17 poops were done in the toilet
- 26 poops were not done in the toilet (4x he pooped more in the toilet once I got him there)
- this is an improvement from last month!
- when I wipe his butt he always tips over the step stool by the tub & it cracks me up every time!
- he laughs when I take off his stinky panties and I make a funny face about it
Todd at 6 months old – February 25, 2015
My baby Todd will be 7 months old tomorrow, and I still can’t get over how much he’s added to my life and my marriage. I know it sounds cliché, but my heart really does overflow with love a thousand times a day. Every morning is Christmas morning! My heart melts every time I open Todd’s bedroom door, peer in, and I see him grin back at me so big. He starts each day excited!
It still feels surreal that Eric and I actually created a little person! We both trip out frequently because there really is a baby in our house. Our house? We have our own little family now. It’s still weird!
I ask Todd all the time, “Where did you come from?” but I know that he was a gift– from God, the higher power, the great source, whatever you want to call it. I’m not religious, but I do believe in “something” even if I can’t put a label on it. I know for sure that we have Todd because we were meant to experience this kind of love and happiness. Todd was meant to be born!
Yes, I was honestly a very happy childless woman. We’ve had a very happily childless marriage. It was a choice that we made over a decade ago and it was not a decision that I ever second guessed. I felt very secure in it, and I loved our active child-free lifestyle.
All of this means that I can’t get over how quickly I could switch to the “other side.” How did I become that woman who now loves being a mom?
I’m going to be really honest here. Before I had my own, the thought of having kids (or even just one kid) used to sound just too mundane to me. It lacked excitement. It lacked fun. Most of all, it sounded like way too much work! You know that saying about how being a mother is the hardest and most rewarding work there is?
Yeah– well, all I heard was the “hardest” part. And sure, maybe some people might find that sort of thing rewarding, but I wanted something different for my life! It wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for Eric, and it wasn’t for us as a couple. We had our freedom, baby! We weren’t burdened with such a big responsibility!
No one pressured us to have kids, but my sister did try to gently clue me in quite a few years ago. She told me it was better than any activity that you could do: Better than the best ski run! I politely nodded and remained unswayed.
Of course, I’ve loved being an aunt. My bond with Ashley is beyond special: it’s the closest thing to having a daughter. But, being an aunt was always good enough for me!
So now here I sit in a totally different place. And what have I learned?
Number one, my life has new meaning. Now it’s all about caring for and nurturing this new little person. I’m Todd’s mama and I want him to have a great life. It feels so completely natural now, that I’d want to do everything in my power to help him grow up healthy and happy. He’ll know for sure that he is loved and respected.
Number two, if parenting is mundane, then I don’t seem to mind! There is a beautiful simplicity to life right now. I’m so fortunate that I can stay at home with Todd. I needed the break from work. I’m a homebody, and I’m enjoying the slower pace. Surprisingly, in some ways I feel less burdened with responsibilities than before. (Odd)
Number three, watching a baby grow and discover the world is completely entertaining! There’s nothing boring about my days, and every day brings new explorations for Todd. (I’ll admit that I like reading children’s books, too.) I get to be a kid again, and that is fun! I smile and giggle and laugh for new reasons every day.
I look back on my life “before Todd.” My pleasure and entertainment in life came from very active recreational activities like skiing and mountain biking. I thrived on the movement and the adrenaline that those pursuits released.
I do sometimes think about how Eric and I can no longer get up before the crack of dawn on a Saturday and go bust our butts on our bikes all day somewhere, way out in the mountains. Part of me misses that. But I’m finding that I don’t miss it nearly as much as I thought I would.
I feel confident that my life filled with strenuous outdoor adventures is far from over. It’s been modified, but that feels okay! I’m going to love sharing my “former world” with Todd when he gets a little older. I’ll experience that rush of endorphins again…as I ski and hike and bike with Eric and Todd.
I know it’ll be sooner rather than later when Todd first experiences the thrill of sliding on snow…and that will be a thrilling day for me! In the meantime, I’ve had plenty of fun taking my turn skiing while Eric watches Todd in the lodge. Before we know it, we’ll all be shredding the cords and tearing up the pow…together!
Number four, I get it now! It’s true: It’s different when it’s your own kid. I couldn’t get it before because I didn’t have Todd. No amount of simply “telling me” was going to work.
An acquaintance at the Mission Ridge ski area this winter told me that him and his wife are still on the fence about having kids. At the time, Todd was about 4 months old. I reminded Nate that we weren’t at all on the fence (we were as far away from the fence as you could get!)…and yet now we’re so happy that we have Todd.
I still think about that brief chairlift conversation from time to time, and it’s one reason why I’ve been wanting to organize my thoughts on this topic and actually put it down “on paper.”
If I hadn’t become unexpectedly pregnant with Todd, our lives would have gone on as they had before. That would have been great! We wouldn’t have known what we were missing, as they say. But since we were surprised in the best possible way, I’m grateful that Todd came along exactly when he did.
I’m glad that he didn’t come sooner, and I’m glad he didn’t come later. He came along at the perfect time. I wouldn’t go back and change any phase of my life. I feel like I’ve gotten to live and enjoy life “both” ways.
That’s the beauty of having a first child past age 40! For 20+ years, Eric and I enjoyed the “unburdened” lifestyle of the childless, with all of the “pros” that go along with that. Now we’re in the midst of our next life adventure with child (singular!) Now we get to experience the depth of love and all the cool things that go along with having a kid.
Yes, sometimes parenting is very hard work. Yes, I’m positive there’s lots more hard work waiting for us in the future. It doesn’t take much to figure that out!
But, Todd is clearly more than worth all the hard work…
I get it now!
Freeheel Vegan 