Bend Birthday

March 7th, 2010

Gus and I drove over to celebrate cousin Gianna’s 4th birthday this weekend. There were balloons and pink cake, bean bag jumping and horn blowing, packs of kids from 1 -10 and a Dora the Explorer piñata.

I didn’t really think about the whole piñata thing until Gus started murmuring concern that all the kids were asked to hold this big yellow bat and whack the little girl hanging from the tree by a rope.

And by the time Gus gasped as her leg fell off, I was too late to pre-warn him about the whole thing.

I took him aside though, as the others continued the beating behind us, and I explained as best I could that it was made of paper and that it was ok.

By the end he was calm and he joined the others gathering some of the toys that fell out her split seams onto the ground.

Here we see him later spending quality time with the stomach and severed head.

And here we see the birthday girl with cousin Lila, a leg full of candy held securely between them.

How Slinky Stays in Business

February 27th, 2010

Alternative title: Two Days Later

Gig is up

February 26th, 2010

Just got back from Gus’ 2 year check up. He still has a big head. Still average weight (30lbs). But this time as soon as the nurse came in he was extremely wary and clung to us -refusing to let she or the doctor do any of their usual measurements without red-faced crying. Fun stuff. And THEN he got another shot.

Suppose we’ll have to wait a decade or two to see if it comes up in therapy. And then I’ll turn to the counselor and say,”but we gave him duck stickers!”

We also took him to the cafe for a babychino just to be safe.

A joke about coffee, I believe

February 22nd, 2010

GUS 7

GUS 6

GUS 5
Our friend Sabrina took more professional quality photos of Gus -aren’t they beautiful?

Two!

February 19th, 2010


(So much for our low key birthday)

No party this year since we figure it will be the last time we can get away with it. That said, he’s been saying ‘Friday’ for several days now (a word we didn’t know he knew). And when we ask what happens Friday he says, ‘happy me.’ But what I gather it means to him so far is that he gets to have people sing him the song. Which he LOVES. So we had cupcakes at our playgroup today. And we sang to him a couple of times.

I can’t believe it’s been two years! Wow. I am so going to regret not keeping up on this blog better. So many changes over the past months. I suppose things are going by faster because we’re able to take on more stuff now than when he was a baby and so things are just busier overall. I remember having to literally stare at him most of the time. Now he plays on his own at the other end of the house and I perk up mostly when things have gone quiet for too long.

Yesterday, when he woke up, he looked over at me and said, “I see Mom.” One of his first sentences. He gets plural most of the time. Adds the s when he says, ‘two ducks.’ He loves the alphabet -the letters in the tub and the song. He knows all his letters now and can count to 10: “one, two, three, eight, nine, ten!” (apparently 4 -7 are completely overrated).

We bought him a toilet inset and he’s used it a hand full of times but I think it’s just a novelty for now. We’ve always loved nappy changing times (except for the times when he kicks or pulls at the dirty diaper) so it will be kinda sad to not have those times in the day when we scoop him up and sing songs. Who da thunk I’d miss wiping his butt?

I suppose too, that I think more now about what’s ok to write about him on the blog. Most of the things so far are not really tease-worthy stuff. What are the kids going to say if they read this in several years: ‘you peed on your dad when you were a baby!’ Nah. But I find myself censoring a bit more now that the cool things he does may be closer to personality traits than generic baby stuff.

What are you going to be like Gus? You already have a great laid back way about you. A sense of humour (latest joke: “Dada coffee -yes” “Papa coffee -yes”, “Mama coffee -yes”, “Gus coffee -No!” giggle fit). You also have a sense of focus. And a kindness. So far you don’t throw a lot of fits or worry about what’s ‘mine’. But that will probably change soon. A natural development.

You like dogs and music and dancing and playing the uke and eating nuts (although we suspect they give you a stomach ache) and collecting rocks & sticks and bouncing on the bed and reading to us and running across the room and vacuuming and washing dishes and sweeping (please God, not just a phase!) and fire engines and shoes and swimming.

What else?

Motherhood feels normal now. There’s still tons to learn and improvements to make to myself. The more I do now, the less he has to process himself and the further he can go. The more good he can do. So I need to get in shape. Need to get a solid meditation practice back.

I can’t believe it’s been two years. Feels like forever in some ways. And also feels like this is the first time I’ve been able to really stop and take a step back. He sleeps through the night. He understands when we tell him we’re just popping out for a hour or two. He’s weaned now… It feels strange to think that I really don’t need to be there for any part of the day in particular.

Wow -two years. Happy birthday, Sweetpea.