19 Month Blog

Happy 19 month b-day baby boy!

Unfortunately, this has been a month mostly marked by illness, but we've had some good times too!

First, early in the month, he started getting hives! I called the doctor, but they didn't seem too concerned. We got some children's benadryl, but never used it because he never seemed too bothered by them.

Then a couple weeks ago, he got a bad cold that came with congestion, boogers, cough, and probably a sore throat. He was a zombie baby for a few days (meaning he was zone-y, not that he was eating brains).

The cold made us miss a few holiday events such as the walk around the lake and Winter Wonderland--both things we were planning to do with the Hunters }:  We did go to the tree lighting in Sunken Gardens with Phil and Gion, and Everett got to see Santa in a Fire Engine!!

Then we went to Sushi, and he ate a ton! He's been eating so much lately. But he's not gaining that much weight, so I guess he's burning it off.

He didn't learn many new words when he was sick (or he didn't say the words he was learning), but as soon as he was feeling better, BOOM, chatterbox!

He seriously learns one, two, or more words a day! I feel bad not writing them all down with the date, but I know I'd miss some, get behind, and feel like a failure. So I'm just not going to attempt it at all. Go me!

Here are some words that he's learned: meat, rice, shoot (as in "shoot that water"), magnet, soup (sounds like suit-p), diaper (sounds like die-poo), sock, nut, cup, floss, rat, mine (uh oh!), shower, work, school bus, dump truck, button (just says butt), soap, waffle, pizza . . . .

Some Christmas related words: snow man, bow, bell (or is he saying ball?), snow globe, Santa says, "ho ho ho" or "ha ha ho."

Thanksgiving

His tractor sound has actually morphed into the word: tra-ca-ter

He finally says paci. It's such a common object in his world, but for the longest time, he didn't have a name for it. Just this week, he started calling it "pass" and then "paci."

He makes these sounds like gobble gobble or cah-ble cah-ble. It seemed that he was relating it to turkey near Thanksgiving, but then apples have this sound, and then other random objects get these sounds. I kind of think cah-ble is his current word for random objects. We'll see.

Our friend Tyler was visiting, and for some reason Brian said "big big butts," and Everett repeated him! When we stopped laughing, we taught him to say "big big bum." He'll say this and grab is bottom. Pretty funny.

He counts "1, 2, go!" Three's eluding him so far.

He says "night night" and goes to his room. This is just a play thing. He doesn't actually sleep. He'll just lay his head on the bed and sometimes play snore.

I don't know if I should admit this, but besides Elmo, Everett can also name Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Super Grover, and Baby Bear. We don't watch that much, I promise! (:

We bought a new (to us) car recently (!!), and Everett calls it "new car." How do I spell that to make it more of a closed "O" sound like in "juice" or "caboose"? He used to call the Subaru "daddy's car," but I've very quickly taught him that it's "mommy's car," and the KIA is "daddy's car." But tonight, he called the Subaru "white car." WHA?!?! Wow.

He's called Gion's car "blue car" before. I don't know why that surprised me so much.

In preparation for Katie coming home for Christmas, we've re-taught him to say "Katie."

And we think he may be starting to say "Grandma"!!

This is so language heavy, I promise he's doing other things!

He's digging in the dirt with sticks.

He's stacking blocks to amazing heights.

Tonight he was playing with a silver tea set at his grandparents', and he was pouring it and MAKING BELIEVE that he was drinking out of the cup. Blew me away.

He's just the sweetest, silliest, smartest toddler I know! We love him!

.
.
.

12/16 -- I just wanted to add, since this blog is mostly for my own personal use, to aid my memory. We've been having some sleeping issues lately. Overall, him being in his big bed has helped all our sleep. He seems to sleep sounder and comes into our bed less than when he was in the crib. And now, when he needs us, one of us can go sleep with him in his bed instead of both of us loosing sleep with him in our bed, kicking and wiggling.

But, the thing that's trying my patience lately is his late bedtimes! He wakes up early, maybe 6:00 or 6:30. He plays until his nap at around 1:00. After the nap I'll do something to specifically burn off energy, like play outside, go shopping, or play at grandma and grandpa's, and he still wants to go to bed at 9:00 or 9:30!! I tell ya, I love that I get to stay home with my baby all day, but if I don't get an hour or two of "adult time" before getting ready for bed myself, I feel like I'm going to go crazy.

Guess we'll just have to try harder to get that energy used up. I've been trying, but I've by no means "tried everything."

Baby Sadie is Here!!

I was just trying to post a status update on Facebook, but it kept getting longer and longer, so I thought I would write a little blog post (little, ha!).

Last night was so amazing!

My best friend Rachel had a baby girl (!!), and I was as close to "being there" as any of us were comfortable with. {:

We knew Rachel and her husband John had checked into the hospital around 8:00 on Wednesday night.

I was anxious all day yesterday wondering when she would give birth and when I should go to the hospital. Rachel and I were texting in the morning about HGTV and other silliness, but the texts trailed off, and I didn't want to bug her if she was laboring. Rachel and John were very good about keeping us all in-the-loop with "the baby update system," but it's so hard to know when they say, "contractions are 4 minutes apart," how much longer it will be till baby!

So it got to be afternoon, and it sounded like things were slow. Brian got home and we ate a quick dinner. From texting John, we all decided it would be nice for us to visit, just to change things up, but that we wouldn't be meeting the babe.

Everett got on his dinosaur jammies, and we drove to SLO.

We got the the hospital. Brian and Everett stayed in the lobby because I think Brian was afraid Rachel would be in active labor, and he was scared. {:

But I got to the room and things we really mellow. Rachel and John were just watching Swamp People and waiting for Jeopardy to come on. We chatted a bit, then I had Brian and Everett come up, because it was just so relaxed. We were just hanging out with our friends!

The new nurse came in and introduced herself. Rachel told her she was having quite a bit of pain.

And that was time for us the head out!

We said good-bye, and I told her we'd come in the morning, fully expecting baby to be born in the middle of the night sometime.

We got in the car and headed toward Morro Bay, since the grade was completely stopped northbound when we were driving south.

We were barely past Cal Poly when we got a text saying Rachel was about the push and that we could stick around if we wanted to. WHAT?!?

Ok, we could stay in SLO a couple hours. It took me a couple hours to push and cuddle with baby, so we thought we'd stay in town but that it would still be a while, so we decided to go shopping.

I wanted to go to New Frontiers to get a few things for Rachel (rehydrating drinks), and Brian wanted to go to BevMo.

Brian went to BevMo, and I sat in the car with Everett (asleep in his carseat). Then we went to New Frontiers, and Brian stayed in the car with Everett.

While I was in the aisle looking at coconut juices, I got a picture text of Rachel with a baby?!!!!? Then a text of just a baby!!!

What?!? In the time it took us to do half a shopping trip, Rachel pushed out a baby?!?

I was crying in the coconut juice aisle! Then crying at check-out.

I got back to the car and shakily pulled up the picture text for Brian to see. He was shocked!

We drove back to the hospital, all the way getting texts from other family on "the baby update system," sending their love and congratulations.

We got to the hospital and waited in the car for a while. Then E woke, and luckily it was time to go see the new addition!!

Brian and Everett stayed in the lobby, and I got to go upstairs to see baby! . . . and her mama and daddy.

John was giddy (tired but giddy). And Rachel was in total baby-bliss-land.

I didn't stay long. Just long enough to meet beautiful Sadie Josephine, congratulate the happy parents, and take a few pictures!

I can't wait to go back today!

I think her siblings are meeting her about now. So exciting!!

18 MONTH BLOG!!!!!

Woah woah wow! My baby's a-year-and-a-half?!?

photo by Dana Holt

Do I have to start calling him a-year-and-a-half now and not 18 months, 19 months, 20 months, etc.?

being a kid with his friend Rosa

It's been a BIG month too.

At the beginning of the month, he seemed like he was having a lull in development. He wasn't learning that many new words. His behaviors were all pretty steady.

a month ago at Colony Days Parade

Then there was an explosion!

Hand, foot, toes, teeth, why, PLEASE!!

Please is so cool! It sounds like "pees."

Speaking of cool, he started saying cool. He was saying "coo" all the time, and we didn't know at first what he was saying, then we realized he was saying "cool"and "oh cool." Haha. I guess he hears that a lot. {:

He also started saying "oh no." But it's really dramatic, and for strange things. "oooh noooo!"

More new words he's saying: plane "peen," goose, bear, guitar "car car," wet, toot (for a fart), chomp chomp (for alligator), chair.

he can blow bubbles! . . . sometimes

As long as he's able to form a sound, you can teach him a word. Sometimes I feel like I'm depriving him of words I just haven't exposed him to yet.

his current "cheese" face. awesome. |: 

He's finally making a pig sound. He would never say "oink." He was waiting till he could snort like a real pig, I guess. It's really good.

He jumps on furniture and says "dump" for jump, and "up down up down."

going through the tunnel at gymnastics

He's started putting a lot more words together like, "more beans please," "daddy go," and "chair down."

on the way to Darby and Katherine's wedding.
Brian was busy cleaning up baby barf.

He calls his friend Andy "Din Din."

Din Din's mom Rachel

Our friend Peter Stewart came to visit one evening, and Everett really got attached to him. He liked calling him "Pete!" Peter gave him a batman costume, and now whenever he sees it, he says, "Pete!"

looking at the album Aunt Sue made us.
He knows Kirk "Goop" and Beth "Ba"

He loves to cheers with us at dinner. Brian and I will have wine, and he will click his sippy cup to our glasses and say, "din din."

When he hugs you, he'll say "squeeeeze" or is it "gueeeeze"? It's the Frank Oliver thing to do.

Photo by Dana Holt

He's great at coloring with crayons, but especially with chalk. A real natural!

before I painted his rug and table legs 

We've gotten in a good habit of vitamin and teeth brushing in the bath. Everett will even ask to brush his teeth by making the teeth-brushing sound, kind of like "ch-ch ch-ch." But he still mostly chews on the brush. We're working on that.

He had a great time at Halloween!

He really took to his bird costume. I had fun making it, and it made me happy that he liked to flap his "wings," and say, "caw caw!"

yup, he has Brian's cheeks.

We went to Zoo Boo on Saturday and the Santa Margarita Carnival on Halloween, both times with the Hunter Family. Very fun.

with Julie and "Din Din"

But the most exciting things to happen this month:


He's been napping, and sleeping in the early morning, in his big boy bed!!

AND . . .

He's weaned!!!

Just in the last few weeks, we've gone from one nursing before bed to none at all!

I was ok with him continuing nursing at night, but he was getting more and more attached to me--only wanting me for comfort at night, wanting to sleep with me all the time--that we thought weaning entirely would help, and it has! Brian's getting more and more able to comfort him at night (again), and he hasn't been coming into our bed at all, although Brian and I have been taking turns sleeping with him in his big bed in the early morning when he wakes.

But it's progress!

This month I keep thinking, "it's always something with a baby. Get over one thing, and you're on to something else!" Love it!

Photo by Dana Holt

17 Month Blog

Well, he's 17-months-old today!

at Colony Days Parade 10/15

It's been another great month!

He's just getting more mature, more aware, more fun!

With age and ability comes more opportunity and learning. We're going to story times, beach days, and gymnastics.

playing with Frank in Morro Bay

with Grandpa Phil in Cambria

with Grandpa Phil in Cambria

with a ground squirrel in Cambria

with Grandpa Phil in Avila

Yes! Gymnastics! We stopped doing Kidz Club at the gym, mostly because we only have one car, which makes getting to Kidz Club hard, and using my free gym membership tricky. So we've stopped, for now (until we can swing that second car).

But not doing Kidz Club has freed Tuesdays up for gymnastics. It's an activity that's not mandatory, that grandparents can also attend, and that grandparents can take the baby to instead of me sometimes!

trampoline

We went to the Guppies class at Pacific Coast Gymnastics this last Tuesday at 9:30, and it was SO FUN!! It's mostly free play on the trampolines, obstacle course, and mats. But there are some group activities like running in a circle, animal impressions, and parachute. We're going to keep going at least once a week!

New stuff he can do?

This month he started climbing up his play structure ladder. In the last few days he's started sliding down the side "weeeee," but for most of the month, he's avoided sliding.

waiting for bubbles

He still says "no" all the time (not understanding the connotation completely), but he's started nodding up and down at least, even if he can't say, "yes."

New words: bubble, hi, more (mo), cheese, eyes (h-eyes) peekaboo (boo boo), police car ( I think)

He's started calling himself "baby E!" It was our suggestion, but it's super cute. "mama, dada, and Baby E!!!" {:

this was my chair when I was little. Perfect for watching Melmo!

Russell Brand hair! 

He says "wawa" for Yo Gabba Gabba and "ha" for mouth.

He says "ding" when a timer goes off (or anything else that goes "ding!"). It sounds more like "din!"

He also says "burrrrrr" for things that are cold (the freezer). He's been doing this for more than a month, possibly, but he's started doing it more lately.

He's started putting more words together like "wanna get down," which sounds like "wannagetdown"--all mushed together. But his "bye dada" is pretty flawless.

We'll sit him on the potty seat and he pees and claps.

He surprised me recently when we were playing with his toy computer. He pushed a button that made a water sound and he said "wawa." He pushed the "beep beep" button, and said "car."

He's continually surprising me!

My mom brought over a postcard for the Open Studio tour my parents are holding soon. The postcard has a drawing my dad did of himself with some alligators (not too naturalistic). Everett immediately recognized his "baba," and has been pointing to the fridge (where I put it) saying, "baba" and making "alligator noises"--growling, really.

being kissy with friend Ines

If he could say "again!!" that's what he would say,
being pulled around the boniheed's yard on a boogie board

after being kissy with Rosa. Future heartbreaker! 

sleeping at grandpa's memorial service

This last photo is from my Grandpa Chuck's memorial service. I've been putting off writing about the weekend because I don't have all the photos. Soon! 

16 Month Blog

We have a 16 month old now?! Amazing.

It's been another incredible month full of learning and growing.

The biggest change for me has been all the hugging and kissing and cuddling . . . on us and on other babies (willing or un). I guess that's what happens when a baby gets hugged and kissed all day every day by 4+ people. He's such a sweet lovie. {:

He's also becoming more inquisitive, determined, and dexterous. He insists on helping you buckle his car seat and booster chair buckles. I realized recently that he'd gotten the hang of putting his cars down his ramps. Before, he needed help. When he puts the cars down, he says, "weeeee!"

. . . just like he does on the slide. And speaking of slide, we picked up this awesome baby play structure that was posted on craigslist. Of course, when we got there, I recognized the seller from high school (only vaugely, but it made me feel even better about the transaction).

He likes the play structure, but he's yet to learn how to used the ladder part. So far, he climbs up the slide to go down it.

He's learned to turn on all his toys that make noises. Of course, they're designed so if you pull the button all the way over it's on LOUD. So this morning at 6:00, he was playing with a very LOUD train. Woo woo!!

He's such a silly guy. He's gotten used to baths after dinner, so of course he translated that into baths after every meal. Whenever he eats a meal in his booster seat, and he's finished, he'll say, "duh, ba," meaning "done, bath." And so many times I have to say "no" because it's breakfast or afternoon snack. But sometimes I give in. Especially if it was a messy breakfast or afternoon snack. {:

He knows a lot of parts of his body. He even knows "belly" (although he sometimes touches his chest for "belly," good enough). But he doesn't quite get "bottom." If you say, "where's your bottom?" he'll do this weird pelvic thrust thing and make this grunting noise. It's really funny. We think it has something to do with how we tell him to sit on his bottom in the bath. Not sure how it's related, though.

He's peed on the potty!! It's not a big victory, because he's done it accidentally every time. But we got him a potty seat for over the big potty (he even picked it out! There were two "melmo" potty seats, and he studied both for a few minutes before picking the green one with the muppets in picture frames over the muppets swimming with snorkel gear). He was just saying "poop" a lot and seeming to know when it was happening, so we wanted to let the seat be an option if he wanted it. So far it's just a novelty.

The last post I listed all his words. Some of his new words since last month are: banana, down, melmo (Elmo), deer, bot (robot), nose, go, boat, juice, bus, bath, eat, kirk (gurk), (grrr . . . I'm sure there are more).

His "banana" is so cute! It involves his tongue, kind of like his "fish face." Imagine saying banana while sticking your tongue out and moving it around.

He also has some sounds. "Uh oh" is really common. Too common. "Weeee" like I said before. "Pop pop pop" when he's playing with this popper toy.

He also says "papa" and "baba" for mostly his grandfathers. My dad is usually "baba," and Brian's dad is usually "papa." But he sort of interchanges them. And sometimes grandmas are "papa" or "baba" too. I guess he's still working on that.

He's getting good at this signs too. He was already good at "milk" and "all done," but now he's much better with "more," using his finger tips. And he really understands the concept of "food/eat," fingertips to the mouth. He usually combines that with saying "eat," which is an adorable word.

He can not only stomp his feet and clap his hands, but he's started "twirling." These are all things from Sandra Boynton's Barnyard Dance book.

We've been trying to establish a weekly routine now that we're settled in our house. So far we have Wednesday dinners at Phil and Gion's, which has been delicious! We were going to do Sunday dinners with my parents, but Brian decided he wants to cook on the weekends, so we might do a day during the week. Sounds great to me!

Phil and Gion have been taking Everett once a week for breakfast and playtime after that. He loves it!

I've moved from doing Kidz Club at Kennedy on Thursdays to Tuesdays. I did this mostly so Everett and I could attend playdates with a group of my good friends and their kids. It's been really fun for us!


Things we did this "month"?


Well, we had our house warming party, and it was amazing! So many people came. I was overwhelmed, really. I knew I had invited all these people, but I'd never imagined having 30 people in my living room. It was a trip. But really great.

We were so lucky to have Aunt Sue up during the party. She was out seeing Grandpa Chuck, and was nice enough to join us for the party!

Dixie and Jason also visited the next week. Sorry, I don't have any pictures, but it was really nice to see them.

Earlier this month (September 4th?), Brian and I went out for drinks with another couple, and we left Everett home! This is the first time we'd done anything like this. My mom came over after Everett went down and just stayed here reading until we came home. It was fun! And Everett slept the whole time.

Brian's uncle Kirk (yes, we both have Uncle Kirks, weird I know) has come to visit from Thailand! Gion, Everett, and I went to the SLO airport to meet him. Everett got to see planes big and small take off and land. It was very exciting. Everett was shy around Kirk at first. But he soon warmed up and now he LOVES his Great Uncle Kirk! He calls him "gurk," and almost immediately started asking for "gurk" when I would tell him he was going to see Grandma Gion. Silly boy.

On the 5th we went to Everett's friend Eli's first birthday. Eli's mom is my friend Denise. Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures of Everett and Eli together (maybe somebody did). It was a HUGE fun party, and lots of good friends were there.

This is a long blog already, so I won't write much about the most significant thing that's happened recently (most significant thing of the year, most likely). My grandfather Charles Butterfield passed away on Tuesday at 11:00 p.m.. It wasn't a complete surprise, but it's put me in a bit of a daze this week. I intend to write about him and the passing soon. He was a wonderful man who led an amazing life. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Check Up

the morning before the check-up,
waiting for Target to open

So Everett had his check up yesterday (was it his 15 month or 16 month? I don't know. Probably 15th, since it's between a year and 18 months. I'm getting it!!). Anyway, it was quite uneventful since we have no real concerns, and in interacting with him, Doctor Patterson could see he's a wonderful, beautiful, healthy, brilliant boy-child. {:

He even said to me, "this stays within these four walls (oops!), but he's a really pretty baby! He could have been a girl he's so pretty (uh, ok)." But I agreed with him and told him we called him beautiful all the time, so it doesn't bother me. Yeah, I have a pretty, beautiful, handsome baby. I don't get hung-up on gender-specific language. (;

He said he's abnormally social for a 15-month-old. And all his motor skills are great. Everett wouldn't let him put the tongue depressor in his mouth, but his teeth (all 16 of them!) look fine.

We talked about weening a little, since I'd love to have him weened (just decide you don't want it anymore, ok buddy), but Doctor Patterson thinks I don't really want it badly enough, and when I really really do want him to stop nursing, I'll be able to deny him with more commitment. He thinks my words need to match my actions/body language, because babies believe body language. And when we get to the stage when we're finally ready to give up the final nighttime nurse, I'll have to leave the house for a while while Brian puts him to bed.

He got 4 shots, one of which was flu. And I got the flu nasal spray, which meant we both took naps when we came home.

Last visit (6/8/11): 31 in (77%) 20 lb. 15 oz. (18%)
This visit (9/6/11): 32.5 in (81%) 22 lb. 10 oz. (21%!!!)

Everett was doing his signature babbling, and Doctor Patterson said, "is he saying whole sentences?!?" I said, "well, he does put words together like 'that's mama'." He told me that's a 2 year milestone. Blows my mind to think what he'll be saying at two years!!

Yeah, I guess he's a little advanced with language. Jessica, the nurse, asked if he was saying 4 to 5 words. Uh, yeah, a few more than that actually.


I thought I would list his words for you (I hope I'm not forgetting any):

These are words he says super clearly:

bye
baby (babies and kids are 'baby')
no
go
bee
eat
mommy

daddy

These words are less clear (kind of need to know what he's saying to understand. He usually leaves off the last consonant or forms part of the word strangely):

nose
car
truck
fire truck
melmo (Elmo)
poop
water/agua
juice
banana
moon
bot (robot)
shoes
boot
ball
done
bath
boat
hat
hot
deer
bus
Dan
Barbara
Rachel (I didn't hear it, but she swears) {:

Then he makes these sounds to indicate animals:

baa
moo
quack
woof
meow (sounds like 'now')
rawr (for lions, tigers, bears, dinosaurs, etc.)
elephant (how to spell that sound?)
monkey (oo oo ah ah)
hoo hoo (owl -- this one is great!)
neigh
caw (for birds)
hissss (for snakes)
And he makes the fish face with this tongue (which sort of has a sound)

signs:

food/eat
more
all done
milk

Misc sounds:

uh-oh
weeeee (for ramps or slides)
pop pop pop (when he pushes his popper toy)
mmmmmm (for food)
beep (what the car says)
papa/baba (for his grandmas and grandpas)


Smarty pants! I'll add to this if I think of anything.