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Daddy & Owen
Clunk! Clunk clunk! Clunk!
This is what happens when I put Owen’s shoes on when he’s in his high chair. Every time.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
>:XX
I am SO pissed right now. Mostly at myself for not reading closely, but also at the store. This week’s store ad had a deal: $3 back for every $15 spent on certain Huggies products. AWESOME! I had coupons for EVERYTHING (diapers, wipes, swim diapers, pull ups, etc.) so thought this would be a good time to stock up. So I spent probably 15 minutes or more in the section making sure I had all the right stuff for coupons and making sure I had just enough product (dollarwise) to get the most money back from the $3 deal. I had like $75 worth of products, which meant $15 credit. Plus my about $15 in coupons meant I was getting a really good deal.
So I check out and give the baggers directions (as usual) and am heading towards the car looking at my receipt and first thing I see is I didn’t get credit for my four bags. It’s only 20c, but it happens WAY more often than not, and it’s just really irritating. Then I notice that I only got $3 credit for my Huggies purchases. |-| So I pull out the ad—and yep, in teeny tiny print it says “One credit per transaction.” Stupid store being tricky…they rarely have limits like this.
>:XX
Of course, I could return it all, but then there would be confusion with the coupons I used which I wouldn’t get back (or would have to stand there and fight with them for longer that it would be worth). And it would have been REALLY easy (had I gotten it right and paid attention) to ring up one box of diapers with a coupon, then another box of diapers with a coupon, etc. UGH.
>:XX
It’s only $12…but IT’S $12! And I only bought all that shit because of the deal (plus my coupons). I really don’t need 300 diapers at the moment. Or six containers of wipes that I really only buy for the plastic container, since we get our wipes from Costco.
>:XX
So I’m fuming at myself the entire way home, get home, unload the car, and >:XX why does not one >:XX bagger EVER know how to bag groceries? I told them to put all the light but big stuff (diapers, wipes) in the big IKEA bag and they got it half right. Refrigerated stuff, which was all on the belt together, got separated into two different bags (like, I bought 4 of one thing…3 were in one bag and 1 was in another). UGH. Swear to god, from now on I might just bag the stuff myself because it annoys me so much. And then, of course, instead of just not using one bag, they put one pack of swim diapers in it. REALLY? Just because I have the bag there doesn’t meant you have to use it if you don’t need it. And eggs, which are always the last to get bagged (at least they get that right)—they put those in a plastic bag. WHY?!?!?!?!? Just set them on top of one of the >:XX bags that is right there.
Breathe.
Breathe.
This is apparently what I get for trying to get my shopping done first thing in the morning. I usually go in the afternoon when I’m much more alert.
Balls vs. Walks
I really don’t like it when people leave balls in their yards—it makes it VERY difficult to take Owen on a walk since he makes a beeline for any ball he sees…and is now old enough to remember where it is (so distracting him and turning him around doesn’t last long). We can be all the way back to our house and he turns around and toddles toward the ball he saw in a yard across the street four houses down! Or one he spotted on someone’s porch, even! Stinker!
Owen and the Shoe Rack
One of Owen’s favorite daily activities!
Splashing and swimming!
Today was Owen’s first real swimming lesson! (I may or may not have mentioned that our new babysitter is also a swim instructor! BONUS!) Unfortunately, we got off to a bit of a rocky start, because of a few minor things—it was our first visit there so maybe it was just that they didn’t recognize us, but no less than three different life guards asked why we were there. Um, to swim? :crazy:
Anyway, I should have just said we were there for the “open swim” but instead I said we were there for a private swim lesson. Sounds logical, right? Because we technically were. Except that apparently it’s against the rules to have private swim lessons there if the instructor isn’t employed by the community center. Even if both of us are community center members in good standing. 🙄 On top of that, we had brought a ball because we knew Owen would LOVE it, and that wasn’t allowed, either. Ugh.
Anyway, they were actually (I think) considering asking us (or her) to leave. So she went in to the office to talk to the manager and came out saying that she told them that we were close family friends and we were going on vacation and wanted our son to be comfortable in the water, so since he was comfortable with her, she was helping out (which was mostly the truth!). Apparently they acquiesced but told her she couldn’t INSTRUCT him. 🙄 What-ever. So she played with him and then kinda half told me what to do with him and overall it all went really well.
I was a little worried at first because we sat on the steps of one of the pools and Owen did NOT want to be there at all. He refused to let go of me and was almost crying. So we got out and he wanted to walk, so we walked around the outside edge of the pool area and he seemed to be enjoying himself. By the time we got back to the beginning, he was ready to go in the pool and was splashing around a bit. And loving it!
Then Christie (babysitter/swim instructor) arrived and she tried to get him to splash and to walk deeper in the water. Then we moved on to dunking him briefly and holding him on his stomach in the water. He didn’t mind any of it—even getting dunked! We ended with more splashing in the shallow water!
Christie told us more than once that he was a joy to teach because he was soooo easy going! She said that most kids she taught were tired and whiny after 20 minutes—and overall, we spent a good hour in the water! By the end, he was getting cold and whiny but he did such a great job! YAY OWEN!
We have a climber.
Honestly, we’ve known this for awhile, but within the past week or so, Owen has learned how to climb up on the ottoman and couch by himself. Without a step to help him. Hoo boy.
This means we really have to move the animals’ water bowl because he sees it over the edge of the couch and constantly wants to get down there. I pulled him back (and yelled NO) a few times this morning, because it looked like he was going to topple over (he stands up right at the edge and peers over, and it’s right by the brick fireplace) and the first time he listened and came back to me. Unfortunately, he tuned me out the second time and I had to manually reach out and drag him back—which he DID. NOT. LIKE. and started whining.
So he was playing on the floor and before I know it, he’s up on the couch (which surprised me, because although I know he CAN get up, it usually takes him some time and I can see him, but I completely missed it this time). So I looked away and by the time I looked back five seconds later he was up and over the edge/end of the couch and splashing in the water bowl. 88| The little shit! So apparently his ability to climb off the couch backwards and climb down stairs backwards has transferred to the ability to drop over the edge of the couch! While I am glad he can do it safely, it adds another dangerous dimension to his abilities, since he has NO fear while doing any of these things.
Then he tried to use ME to climb over the BACK of the couch. Oy.
And yes, I know it’s only to get worse from here. |-|
Freaky 15-month appointment.
So Owen’s 15-month checkup today freaked me out. Big time.
At the beginning of the appointment, the nurse asks a bunch of questions that get asked every time (Does he use a car seat? Do the parents smoke? Do you have smoke detectors in the house? Is the water heater set to 120 or less?) and then asks about the things he’s able to do or words he can say, etc. Among other things, she asked if he was able to help with simple household tasks (no), if he could throw a ball over his head (no), if he could walk up steps (well, sort of, I guess), if he knew body parts (no), and if he could run (no).
Hmmm. I normally have a LOT more yes answers, so I was a bit concerned, even though I thought the things she was asking about seemed a tad advanced. But I didn’t really think that much about it because I know he’s a little behind in speech and was fully expecting the doc and/or the nurse to be somewhat concerned (the doc was slightly concerned at his 12-month visit that he didn’t have any words yet and wasn’t walking) so I just figured maybe he was a little behind in other stuff as well. So the nurse made her notes in the chart and we waited for the doc.
So she came in and asked if I had any concerns. I said no. She asked a few questions like the nurse had, about words he could say or if he could follow simple instructions. I said no, he didn’t even talk yet. She asked if I wanted to get him evaluated and I said no, I wasn’t concerned yet. She looked a little worried, then suggested I not wait too long. Ooooo-kay.
Then she asked more questions like what words he knew and could he tell you what he wanted without pointing (like how did he let you know he wanted to read a book). I said “We really don’t do that stuff…” and I started to think I was not doing anything I was supposed to and why haven’t I been doing more and I started feeling worse and worse and the more she talked/asked questions I felt myself getting defensive…and then I heard her say something like “He should really know about 100 words by the time he’s two.”
Wait, two? He’s barely one! 88|
So I told her we had plenty of time, then. And she looked at me like I was nuts, so I said “He’s just 15 months old!” And she looked at me and I looked at her and she looked at the chart…where the [new and apparently inattentive] nurse had mistakenly written down that this was his TWO YEAR, THREE MONTH appointment instead of his ONE YEAR, THREE MONTH appointment. The doctor immediately realized what had happened and apologized profusely, saying she doesn’t have the best memory for patient’s ages so she relies on the nurse’s notes—but she should always know to refer to the birth date instead.
She then reassured me that he was perfectly on target for his age level, and she understood why I was getting freaked out when she was adamant about getting him tested—she thought he was an entire year older than he actually was. (That also says something about his physical size—that he could pass for a 2+ year old in front of his own pediatrician!)
She asked me about his nutrition, and I said he drinks plenty of milk and could live on yogurt, but that he still doesn’t do too well with “real” food, and is often quite picky. She reassured me that it’s natural, and that he still gets most of his nutrition from the milk, so not to fret too much about it. She agreed that giving him jarred Stage 3 baby veggies was a good thing.
Unfortunately, he had to get three vaccinations, and those are never fun. Also, the doc gave the shots as opposed to the nurse, and I’m not quite sure why. Maybe the new nurse is more of a receptionist only? Or she was busy? Whatever the case, the doc wasn’t nearly as good/quick as our usual nurse, and Owen screamed his little head off (more so than normal)—but the good little boy that he is, he was over it by the time I got him redressed and was scheduling his next appointment.
His current stats:
Height: 34″ (Above 95th percentile) — was 32″
Weight: 28# 12oz (95th percentile) — was 26# 4oz
Head: 48cm (75th percentile) — was 47cm
Mmmmm. Mud is tasty!
He found the mud puddles at the park…and I let him have at it. He seemed to really like the taste of mud!
Then after I got him cleaned up (as best I could with a baby wipe) he saw the big kids with the volleyball again—so headed directly over there. As he approached them (they were sitting off the court at a picnic table) I told them he saw the ball and had to come over—so one girl tossed him the ball so we played catch for a few minutes and he just had a ball. I knew that we’d never be able to leave because he just wants that ball so badly, so I picked him up, carried him back to the stroller, and we headed home…where he got his hands and feet washed in the sink!
Owen is 15 months old today!
Owen and the Dog Food
April photos online!
Haircut #5
Owen has been needing a cut for quite some time—his last cut was for his birthday, so we’re going on three months. So Tom took him tonight (I love that our salon can get us right in, usually without any wait) and of course, he’s soooo cute! And Tom said all the ladies there just loved him! I think he looks even older than he did before!
BEFORE
AFTER
More park fun!
Two big things!
Tom came home early today and we took Owen to the park. And boy, did he surprise us at the park!
Normally he doesn’t walk much on the grass because it’s uneven walking and he’s still a little unsteady. And normally he stops at the edge of the “big kids” play area because the sandy area is surrounded by a cement border that he just can’t quite get up and over by himself.
Except that today he mastered both! Tom was just following along behind him, expecting him to stop at the cement…but up and over he went with no problems, and traipsed around the play area kicking up sand! Then he spent quite a bit of time wandering around the grassy park, stopping to pick up a stick every now and again!
Then the fun came… Some high school kids were playing volleyball and, well, you know how much Owen LOVES balls—so he took off across the park to get to the ball. Did he let the hill stop him? No way! So he went up a little hill, then down the little hill, then probably 30-40 yards to the volleyball pit. Over and over and over (we kept carrying him back, because he would not turn around to leave on his own). It was soooo cute! We eventually had to leave the park because he refused to do anything else but try and get to the volleyball. (It’s hard to tell in this photo, but he’s at the base of the hill and that tan line running across the middle of the picture is a foot trail at the top of the hill.)
The other big thing for the day was…his first [local] babysitter! Tom and I had dinner plans and since we didn’t have any grandparents here…we had to use our first babysitter! We had scoped her out beforehand (i.e. emailed and met in person—we found her on a babysitter forum) so we were completely comfortable. I wasn’t nervous or sad or anything, but it just felt strange leaving him. He did just fine, and she loved him, telling us he was the easiest and happiest baby she’s ever had! YAY OWEN!
Good Husband
Owen’s First Lick
Well, licking his first frosting spatula!
More post-nap fun!
I saw on the monitor that he was up, so I gave him about 10 minutes to wake up. I went upstairs to get him and he didn’t want to get out! So I let him sit while I went to the bathroom. I came back and he still didn’t want to get out…and he was having fun. So I went downstairs to get the camera, came back up, and got this—a straight 10 minutes of fun!
The toilet, a spoon, and yogurt!
Tom and I were getting dinner ready when we heard…SPLASHING! We forget that he likes the toilet now, so I rushed in there. He was having so much fun just splashing away and his shirt was soaked up to his elbows! Of course, I ran to get the camera. 😀
Since I had to completely undress him to get the wet clothes off, I figured it was the perfect time to let him try his hand with a spoon (it had been awhile, and he hadn’t been interested at all the last time). It was a riot! And he didn’t do too badly… but then had the most fun (I think) without the spoon!
Road Rash
Owen got his first “road rash” tonight–we were out walking on the sidewalk and playing with a ball and he got tangled up in my feet and fell and scraped his cheek on the sidewalk. It wasn’t bad at all but he was really crying. Poor kid. We came in, washed it off, put cream on it, sat on the couch for a few minutes, then he was ready to go back out for more playing.
Right after it happened:
Later during his first spoon/yogurt experience (more on that in a later post):
Owen and the Pinecone
Today we went for a walk and I stopped to show Owen a pinecone. At first he didn’t want to even touch it—I’d hand it to him and he’d abruptly drop it. But then…then he decided it was fun to drop and pick up, drop and pick up, drop and pick up…then throw and pick up, throw and pick up. The only problem was he wasn’t moving much (I was trying to get us back home)…so I tried tossing it in front of him and he loved that! After a few tosses from me, he gave up and left the pinecone, and we made it home. 🙂
Walking on grass!
Up until today, Owen would stop whenever he hit the edge of the cement—he would NOT walk onto the grass. Well, he would if he was holding your hand or finger, but he would not do it on his own. It was actually kinda cute—you’d be walking along then take your hand away, and he would just stand there balancing like What do I do now? 🙂
Well, today I finally got him to walk by himself! YAY OWEN!
Freckle Box: Personalized Gifts for Kids
New foods! Not so much.
We went out to dinner tonight, so were able to offer Owen a whole bunch of new foods. How do you think it went?
Plain noodles No.
Cooked carrots? No.
Cooked celery? No.
Chicken? No.
Oyster cracker? Yes.
Broccoli? No.
Pesto? No.
Breadstick? No.
Sigh.
I know this is somewhat typical…but really, when does it get better? I’m ready any day now!
Walking…walking…playing…OOPS!
Watch out—that 2-minute mark is a doozy!
Sushi Blanket!
I got the idea from a baby blanket I saw on Etsy. I had seen that sushi fabric before and LOVED it, so I went on the hunt. No local fabric stores carried it, so I had to get it from eBay. Then I had to wait for mom to come down with her sewing machine because—a) I didn’t have a sewing machine and b) I can’t sew. 😛
So she came down and it was off to JoAnns to find some backing fabric. I loved the idea of the chenille but they only had white and that didn’t seem good for my ultimate usage ideas (the park, the beach, etc.). We ended with a reddish orange denim…and I love it.
Getting Started
Finished Projects (Blanket & Bag)
Can you guess what the handles are made from?
Look closely. More closely. Yes, the handles are bra straps. :>>
Her cool sewing machine can do letters!
And look at that cool edge stitch!
The Blanket
If I remember right, it’s about 7′ x 6′.
It is SO awesome and I am SO thrilled with it! I cannot thank my mom enough!! Oh, and just so you think she did it all…she MADE ME sew the buttons on (you can’t see them in any of the pics, but they’re there!).
You just never know…
I love that you just never know what will make Owen laugh…. Tonight, it was watching (and listening to) Gramma Jean while she was sewing on her sewing machine. He absolutely LOVED it! This is just a short clip, but he probably laughed for a good 30 minutes!!
Outside time!
Owen is now a walking machine—he loves doing laps on the porch!
Then he wandered into the garage…and went straight for the wagon! So, we took him out for a wagon ride.
Meatballs!
I made veggie-infused turkey and beef meatballs for Owen today (with some organic frozen baby food— corn and carrots—that he didn’t ever like) and quinoa for some extra protein…and at first he didn’t eat them and threw them on the floor…and to say I was frustrated was an UNDERSTATEMENT. I took the tray away and let him sit there for about 15 minutes (my mom and I were both busy with things) then gave him the tray again and he ate. And ate. And ate. Three meatballs (mini, but still), 1/4 of a pear, cheese puffs, dried strawberries, two baby mum mum crackers, fresh strawberries, and half a piece of banana bread. HOLY WAH. I was thrilled. THRILLED I SAY!
It’s amazing how much him eating a good meal (easily) puts a wonderful spin on my mood for the day!