Thursday, April 26, 2012
A Minute in the Life (#8): Bryce Playing and Crawling
I know it seems as though all of my posts these days are about Bryce... He's just the one changing the most, and I tend to post most of the funnies about the girls on Facebook! So, not being in a mood to buck the trend, here's another Bryce post. This time just a quick video showing him playing with a balloon and crawling like a maniac toward his two favorite places (the stairs and the bathroom), hoping to make it before being cut off by a mean mommy that never lets him stick his hand in the toilet...
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
A Slice of Bryce (#21): Twelve Months!!!
Happy FIRST birthday, Buggy! I've said before that I would be thrilled if I could birth a one-year-old, as I've, historically, not been a big fan of tediousness of the infant days. But you know what? I've enjoyed almost every single minute of Bryce's first year. I think I've learned, over the past 6 years, that each moment is one to be cherished. Even the difficult ones!
That said, I've got to admit that I'm sort of happy this twelfth month is over, because B has spent pretty much the entire month sick with an ear infection that just won't go away. He's been to the doctor I believe 4 times this month, and the doctors have tried at least 3 different medicines. We're hopeful that the one he's on now is going to do the trick.
Bryce has started to think about standing up and letting go of whatever he's holding on to, but he's still not very sure of himself. So, absent a minor miracle, he won't walk as early as his sisters (Ivie ON her birthday, and Macie at 10 1/2 months). In fact, I'm thinking I need to get him a pair of knee pads, as I'm worried that the bruises on his knees are going to turn to permanent scars! He is not scared to take off and crawl wherever he wants to go, despite the various hard surfaces below him!
Other than the ear infections, there's not really much else to report about B, developmentally. He's sleeping and eating great, and loving whole milk in sippy cups. We're down to just 1 bottle a day, warmed up for the bedtime snuggle that I still enjoy, despite the end of nursing.
We love you so much, Brycee-boo! Here's to many more birthdays...
That said, I've got to admit that I'm sort of happy this twelfth month is over, because B has spent pretty much the entire month sick with an ear infection that just won't go away. He's been to the doctor I believe 4 times this month, and the doctors have tried at least 3 different medicines. We're hopeful that the one he's on now is going to do the trick.
Bryce has started to think about standing up and letting go of whatever he's holding on to, but he's still not very sure of himself. So, absent a minor miracle, he won't walk as early as his sisters (Ivie ON her birthday, and Macie at 10 1/2 months). In fact, I'm thinking I need to get him a pair of knee pads, as I'm worried that the bruises on his knees are going to turn to permanent scars! He is not scared to take off and crawl wherever he wants to go, despite the various hard surfaces below him!
Other than the ear infections, there's not really much else to report about B, developmentally. He's sleeping and eating great, and loving whole milk in sippy cups. We're down to just 1 bottle a day, warmed up for the bedtime snuggle that I still enjoy, despite the end of nursing.
We love you so much, Brycee-boo! Here's to many more birthdays...
Friday, April 20, 2012
I Can't Remember...
Dale and I returned Wednesday night from a wonderful vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. We both needed some time away from "the real world", and this was just what the doctor ordered. Since I left my camera at home (on purpose), I decided that the following list was the best way to summarize our last 5 days:
I can't remember the last time I (or, in some cases, if I have EVER)...
1) Wore nothing but swimsuits and sundresses for 4 straight days.
2) Slept until 8:30a.
3) Didn't wake to either a child or a work alarm clock.
4) Spent an hour and a half in a cave (Rio Secreto), swimming amongst stalactites and stalagmites, complete with wet suits and helmets outfitted with lights.
5) Was actually able to read on an airplane.
6) Napped like a one-year old (once in the morning, once in the afternoon).
7) Ate 5 orders of chicken nachos (hold the guacamole, please!) in 4 days.
8) Didn't have a glass of milk for 5 days (it was warm and had an awful after-taste).
9) Sat in a cabana for 5 straight hours, two days in a row, watching off-and-on afternoon rain showers.
10) Had a strawberry daiquiri (or 2!) every day for 4 straight days. Non-alcoholic, of course, since I just can't get over my dislike of the taste of rum (or alcohol in general!).
11) Walked along the beach, holding hands with my hubby.
12) Didn't read an email on my BlackBerry for 5 days.
13) Didn't even turn my BlackBerry ON for 5 days.
14) Paid $18 for a box of Dramamine, took a dose (apparently not the non-drowsy type), and passed out in the van on the way back from our excursion.
15) Had dinner with 10 people I hardly knew before this trip and laughed so hard I got side cramps.
16) Saw a crocodile swimming near the shore.
17) Read 2 books and 3 magazines in 5 days.
18) Had bacon and pancakes/french toast for breakfast for 5 straight days.
19) Showered 5 days in a row.
20) Was only responsible for putting ONE child (errr, husband) to bed. And he didn't require a warm bottle.
So, thank you, Paradisus of Playa del Carmen. And thank you, Ormco, for footing the bill. And thank you, Dale, for being so amazing at your job that Ormco wanted to foot the bill!
And, above all, muchas gracias to you, Mom and Dad (aka, Nina and Papa), for being the best parents (and grandparents to my kids) that a girl could ever have. We're sorry that you had to take Bryce to the doctor. Twice. Not to mention that you had to front the $60 for the co-pays and the meds. We owe ya.
Seriously, though, it's more special than you know that we were able to leave the kids and not worry about them for even one second. We love you!
I can't remember the last time I (or, in some cases, if I have EVER)...
1) Wore nothing but swimsuits and sundresses for 4 straight days.
2) Slept until 8:30a.
3) Didn't wake to either a child or a work alarm clock.
4) Spent an hour and a half in a cave (Rio Secreto), swimming amongst stalactites and stalagmites, complete with wet suits and helmets outfitted with lights.
5) Was actually able to read on an airplane.
6) Napped like a one-year old (once in the morning, once in the afternoon).
7) Ate 5 orders of chicken nachos (hold the guacamole, please!) in 4 days.
8) Didn't have a glass of milk for 5 days (it was warm and had an awful after-taste).
9) Sat in a cabana for 5 straight hours, two days in a row, watching off-and-on afternoon rain showers.
10) Had a strawberry daiquiri (or 2!) every day for 4 straight days. Non-alcoholic, of course, since I just can't get over my dislike of the taste of rum (or alcohol in general!).
11) Walked along the beach, holding hands with my hubby.
12) Didn't read an email on my BlackBerry for 5 days.
13) Didn't even turn my BlackBerry ON for 5 days.
14) Paid $18 for a box of Dramamine, took a dose (apparently not the non-drowsy type), and passed out in the van on the way back from our excursion.
15) Had dinner with 10 people I hardly knew before this trip and laughed so hard I got side cramps.
16) Saw a crocodile swimming near the shore.
17) Read 2 books and 3 magazines in 5 days.
18) Had bacon and pancakes/french toast for breakfast for 5 straight days.
19) Showered 5 days in a row.
20) Was only responsible for putting ONE child (errr, husband) to bed. And he didn't require a warm bottle.
So, thank you, Paradisus of Playa del Carmen. And thank you, Ormco, for footing the bill. And thank you, Dale, for being so amazing at your job that Ormco wanted to foot the bill!
And, above all, muchas gracias to you, Mom and Dad (aka, Nina and Papa), for being the best parents (and grandparents to my kids) that a girl could ever have. We're sorry that you had to take Bryce to the doctor. Twice. Not to mention that you had to front the $60 for the co-pays and the meds. We owe ya.
Seriously, though, it's more special than you know that we were able to leave the kids and not worry about them for even one second. We love you!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wordless Wednesday (#91): Bryce's First Day in the Toddler Class
(4.2.2012: All was well until we asked him to take a picture with his big sister. It went downhill from there.)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Wordless Wednesday (#90): Macie "Reading"
(Maybe you have to be these girls' mom to think that this is absolutely hilarious. I hope not... Make sure your sound is turned up.)
Macie reading "Baby Animals"
(I mean, seriously. How cute is she?!?)
Macie reading "Baby Animals"
(I mean, seriously. How cute is she?!?)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
A Slice of Bryce (#20): Eleven Months!!!
Bryce's eleventh month was my favorite with him thus far. For so many different reasons. I'll try to list most of them here, understanding that I'm starting to write this close to 9p, which means my brain cell allotment for the day is nearly exhausted...
1) He is so ON THE MOVE. Definitely the fastest crawling baby of my three. The girls never really got into crawling. They did it for a month or so, but then decided that walking was much easier on the knees. Bryce might be one of those kids that doesn't walk until he's 18 months old. Why make the effort to walk when you can speed-crawl?!?
2) His instincts for trouble are amazing. It's as if he has eyes in the back of his head. Really. If he's on the other side of the kitchen and you open the pantry door, the garage door, the refrigerator, or the dishwasher, you better take care of your business quickly. Because he is coming after you to gain entry! Some people would just reorganize said pantry or fridge to move the things that he shouldn't get from within his reach. Not us. We use it as a game to see how ticked off we can make him when we slam the door shut just as he arrives.
3) Bye-bye, baby food. I think I've fed each of my babies less and less baby food as we've moved down the line. By the beginning of this month, we were using it only as a back-up in emergencies. Now the jars are just taking up space in the pantry, waiting for me to hand them down to a friend with a younger baby. Bryce isn't scared to put away some table food, now. Sunday, he had a piece and a half of pizza. Last night, he ate an entire hot dog, bun and all (don't worry, I DID quarter the hot dog pieces - I still stress about choking, even on Kid #3!). And tonight, he had 4 fish sticks, just as many as his big sisters had. Welcome to life with a boy, I guess!
4) Bryce's eleventh month also marked the end of pumping for me. It's funny, because, with Macie, I was really sad when it was time to stop nursing. So I figured that the same would be true with Bryce. But it's totally NOT (although as I just went back and re-read that old post I linked to, I did get sort of sad. Prooooobably shouldn't have done that...). I think it's a bit different because, with Macie, I didn't know if I would have another baby, so I was relishing in all things baby that were "going away". But, with Bryce, and knowing that he will likely be my last (and being okay with that!), I'm eager for life to move on to bigger and better, as I know it will. So if stopping nursing means I don't have to drag four bags to work every day, close my door and pump, wash the dishes multiple times, and be sure to be in a handy location for such activities at regular intervals, I'll take it. And, since our pediatrician told me that there is no difference between a 10 month old and a one year old in terms of tolerance to whole milk, we've officially made the switch. I'm now only nursing B to bed, and not pumping at all. Freedom. I love it. And so does he!
5) Along with the milk switch, we've also made the transition entirely to sippy cups during the day. Once I stop nursing at night, B will continue to get a nighttime bottle, but, for the most part, no more bottle-nipple washing. Dale is beyond excited about that!
6) NO MORE BIBS. This might be the biggest news from Bryce's eleventh month. The spitting has finally stopped. I think it's a combination of him just growing older, as well as the move to sippy cups. Whatever it is, it's wonderful. I can finally see the cute t-shirts that I've gotten for him!
7) Sleep. He loves it now, at least at nighttime, which is when it really matters. I can't remember the last time I actually had to nurse him during the night. And we also go weeks in between wake-ups that require us to even go into his room at all. Welcome to the wonderful world of uninterrupted sleep, B-Man. Though it took you a bit longer than either of your sisters to arrive, we're so glad you have.
8) Bryce's favorite place to play, by far, is in the play kitchen. He goes immediately to the bins of play food and automatically turns them over to dump out all the food. His second favorite play area is the girls' dollhouse, which is technically off-limits to baby hands. I think that's why he likes it so much (see #2).
9) B still is cautious on his feet. If he's holding someone's hand or pushing something, he'll walk like crazy. But don't try to get him to let go. He won't. I hope the caution he shows now bodes well for our future.
10) Speaking of walking, he better get on it, because next Monday he's moving up to the toddler class at school. I think it's because the teachers in the baby room are tired of him being the bully. He's now "that boy" that I used to hear the teachers complain about when I would go into the baby room to pick up my sweet, innocent little girls. They would always say, "So-and-so needs to MOVE UP. He's too big for this class - we can't control him any more!" Apparently Bryce just walks around and sits on the other kids. At least he hasn't taken to biting, which is the problem we had with both of his sisters.
11) Diaper changes have gotten extremely challenging. Thank goodness for the tube of Butt Paste that he loves to chew on. I've tried actual toys, trust me. He just prefers the Butt Paste. So be it.
12) He's starting to wave goodbye, he'll clap if you say, "Yay!!!", and he will raise his arms and wave them back and forth if you start to say our "Superman" blessing at the dinner table. Hilarious. Next goal is to get him to blow kisses. You know, so my heart can melt on a daily basis.
See what I mean about how fun this age is?!? If I didn't have older kids, I would think that there is no way that it could get any better than this. But it does. Which is, well, just awesome! We will just continue to enjoy every minute with this sweet baby boy...
1) He is so ON THE MOVE. Definitely the fastest crawling baby of my three. The girls never really got into crawling. They did it for a month or so, but then decided that walking was much easier on the knees. Bryce might be one of those kids that doesn't walk until he's 18 months old. Why make the effort to walk when you can speed-crawl?!?
2) His instincts for trouble are amazing. It's as if he has eyes in the back of his head. Really. If he's on the other side of the kitchen and you open the pantry door, the garage door, the refrigerator, or the dishwasher, you better take care of your business quickly. Because he is coming after you to gain entry! Some people would just reorganize said pantry or fridge to move the things that he shouldn't get from within his reach. Not us. We use it as a game to see how ticked off we can make him when we slam the door shut just as he arrives.
3) Bye-bye, baby food. I think I've fed each of my babies less and less baby food as we've moved down the line. By the beginning of this month, we were using it only as a back-up in emergencies. Now the jars are just taking up space in the pantry, waiting for me to hand them down to a friend with a younger baby. Bryce isn't scared to put away some table food, now. Sunday, he had a piece and a half of pizza. Last night, he ate an entire hot dog, bun and all (don't worry, I DID quarter the hot dog pieces - I still stress about choking, even on Kid #3!). And tonight, he had 4 fish sticks, just as many as his big sisters had. Welcome to life with a boy, I guess!
4) Bryce's eleventh month also marked the end of pumping for me. It's funny, because, with Macie, I was really sad when it was time to stop nursing. So I figured that the same would be true with Bryce. But it's totally NOT (although as I just went back and re-read that old post I linked to, I did get sort of sad. Prooooobably shouldn't have done that...). I think it's a bit different because, with Macie, I didn't know if I would have another baby, so I was relishing in all things baby that were "going away". But, with Bryce, and knowing that he will likely be my last (and being okay with that!), I'm eager for life to move on to bigger and better, as I know it will. So if stopping nursing means I don't have to drag four bags to work every day, close my door and pump, wash the dishes multiple times, and be sure to be in a handy location for such activities at regular intervals, I'll take it. And, since our pediatrician told me that there is no difference between a 10 month old and a one year old in terms of tolerance to whole milk, we've officially made the switch. I'm now only nursing B to bed, and not pumping at all. Freedom. I love it. And so does he!
5) Along with the milk switch, we've also made the transition entirely to sippy cups during the day. Once I stop nursing at night, B will continue to get a nighttime bottle, but, for the most part, no more bottle-nipple washing. Dale is beyond excited about that!
6) NO MORE BIBS. This might be the biggest news from Bryce's eleventh month. The spitting has finally stopped. I think it's a combination of him just growing older, as well as the move to sippy cups. Whatever it is, it's wonderful. I can finally see the cute t-shirts that I've gotten for him!
7) Sleep. He loves it now, at least at nighttime, which is when it really matters. I can't remember the last time I actually had to nurse him during the night. And we also go weeks in between wake-ups that require us to even go into his room at all. Welcome to the wonderful world of uninterrupted sleep, B-Man. Though it took you a bit longer than either of your sisters to arrive, we're so glad you have.
8) Bryce's favorite place to play, by far, is in the play kitchen. He goes immediately to the bins of play food and automatically turns them over to dump out all the food. His second favorite play area is the girls' dollhouse, which is technically off-limits to baby hands. I think that's why he likes it so much (see #2).
9) B still is cautious on his feet. If he's holding someone's hand or pushing something, he'll walk like crazy. But don't try to get him to let go. He won't. I hope the caution he shows now bodes well for our future.
10) Speaking of walking, he better get on it, because next Monday he's moving up to the toddler class at school. I think it's because the teachers in the baby room are tired of him being the bully. He's now "that boy" that I used to hear the teachers complain about when I would go into the baby room to pick up my sweet, innocent little girls. They would always say, "So-and-so needs to MOVE UP. He's too big for this class - we can't control him any more!" Apparently Bryce just walks around and sits on the other kids. At least he hasn't taken to biting, which is the problem we had with both of his sisters.
11) Diaper changes have gotten extremely challenging. Thank goodness for the tube of Butt Paste that he loves to chew on. I've tried actual toys, trust me. He just prefers the Butt Paste. So be it.
12) He's starting to wave goodbye, he'll clap if you say, "Yay!!!", and he will raise his arms and wave them back and forth if you start to say our "Superman" blessing at the dinner table. Hilarious. Next goal is to get him to blow kisses. You know, so my heart can melt on a daily basis.
See what I mean about how fun this age is?!? If I didn't have older kids, I would think that there is no way that it could get any better than this. But it does. Which is, well, just awesome! We will just continue to enjoy every minute with this sweet baby boy...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)