Daily Cuteness: The apple

Once I go back to work, I will probably be posting more daily cuteness photos. I figured, why not bring this feature back? It's a perfect opportunity to share a cute picture while I am on this brief hiatus spending quality time with my baby dearest.

Cole's cats

Today Cole is 15 months old. Happy month day Cole!

I have to be at a baby shower so Keith and Cole get to have some much needed dada-Cole time.

While I'm away, this is a cute set of pictures of Cole and his cats...

Mostly every morning Cole follows one of the cats into the bedroom (after they have grown tired of being hugged or chased around the living room). On Tuesday I captured a moment between Cole and Clem. These cats are so wonderful. They are so patient and loving. It just astounds me every day. They truly are becoming his cats as well as ours.

Clem escapes to the bed.

No matter. Mama helped Cole on the bed because she selfishly wanted to see this.

And this. 

The sound of the crickets

To me, the sound of the crickets is the sound of August. I love crickets, and I love August. But I HATE the end of summer. Slowly but surely, each day is getting shorter, and the crickets - by September - will be fewer. And September means I must go back to work.

So I am sad.  I've always been dumbfounded by teachers who say they get "bored" in August and look forward to September. Seriously?  How can you get bored? I can't. I love every single minute with my baby and my hubby. I know I said (and thought) in the past few weeks that I am okay with the summer ending. But now that it is so close, I realize I am not. So with that in mind, I have decided to not send Cole to day care tomorrow or any other day until I absolutely HAVE to and get my work done when Cole is sleeping. That means I have to forgo blogging for a few days - possibly a week (with the exception of one scheduled post). Depends on how many nights it takes for me to get my work done. I took today to get work done, but instead I spent the morning doing laundry, then went to the doctor, then came home and pumped and blogged. Then when I finally got down to work, I could not find the materials I had created in June for the upcoming school year. I was pissed!! I looked all over my house for them, went through file after file and still nothing. I could not for the life of me remember what I did with them. In the midst of it all, I had a mini breakdown, crying not because I couldn't find the damn syllabus I wrote, but because I had to go back to work in 7 days. Because I could no longer spend my weekday mornings walking around the back yard looking for "untsss" or splashing in the water table or being beckoned to sound the wind chimes. Someone ELSE gets to spend time with my kid. Not me. And that sucks. I'm sure you working moms go through this at the end of every weekend, and maybe you're thinking I'm lucky to have spent 8 weeks with my child. I know I am. Believe me. I just got so used to it, that going back to life that doesn't include 24/7 Cole is going to be difficult. So I am sad. But I will relish every single second of the next 7 days (even though two of those days I have to travel for baby showers). At the end of it all, I will write a post about our last week together. And it will be very ordinary. Because right now, ordinary is beautiful.

Love me some good recap

I only have a week before I begin working again.  Because of that date looming in the distance, I have been trying to enjoy every single moment spent with my cutie. And honestly, each day gets better than the previous one. He is so much fun to be around. He has so much energy and can find joy in the smallest things: a house made from a giant Amazon box; a trip around Grandpa Bill's living room in a laundry basket; a tunnel made with a blanket a couch and an ottoman; playing pretend with Mama; playing ball with Clem; hugging Kiwi; splashing in a giant mud puddle... The list can go on and on. The tantrums have been minimal lately, and that's probably because he is so easily distracted by something new. He craves these new experiences, and I feel so lucky to have had this summer (and so many more to come) to spend with him and give him the chance to enjoy these new experiences.

As I said in my comment box, I wish I had the chance to document each and every day with him - so that I can look back on this summer and remember all of the fun things we did. Since I can't do that now, I will give you a recap of what we did last week.

On Monday we relaxed at home and went on a brief shopping trip to buy milk and other food items for Cole and myself for the week. Relaxing at home involves going outside in the morning, nursing whenever we please, and napping whenever the urge strikes us (this only applies to Cole).

On Tuesday we visited Cole's grandparents on Keith's side. First, we stopped at the bank to say hi to Grandma Carolyn. Then we went to Grandpa Bill's house. Going to an unfamiliar house is so much fun for Cole because it means he gets to explore new territory. So Cole had fun - as evidenced by the photos below.

Even though we make visits, we wake up early, so we always go outside in the morning.
These shots are from that morning.

Cole contemplates his plan of exploration. Where to first?

A sweet walk with his grandfather

Keith liked this one the best, mainly because of Cole stretching his legs.

Laundry basket rides with Janet

On Wednesday we went to have lunch with Keith again and we ran through the fountains on the promenade at his work. We came home and went back out again to meet Amy and Elinor for an afternoon hike to Split Rock where the kids splashed, threw rocks, and we came across several long black snakes! Sadly, I took no pictures of the hike.

Lunch at Apple Pie Bakery

On Thursday Cole went to day care while I did 10 million things around the house (excluding any school work), bumped my knee pretty hard while rushing around, and then went and got a hearing test. I still have a small amount of hearing loss in my right ear, but it has not changed since 2 years ago. Good news!  After day care, Cole and I went to the farm to pick up our weekly share. I put Cole on my front in the Beco Gemini because the last time we went, he was on my back and he knocked the scale so hard with his hand that it almost came back and hit him in the head. Thankfully, since I had been reaching over to look at something, someone else saw it and caught it in time. I learned my lesson on that one. While in the front carry, Cole made several grabs for the scale, but since I could see what he was doing, I stopped him in his tracks. Then we went for a walk in his galoshes to look at the chickens and run through the mud puddles. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of this because I was too nervous about him falling down - which he did anyway! Thankfully I had a blanket and a changing pad, and I was able to change his diaper and take his clothes off with out the mud dirtying the tan interior of my car.

On Friday, Cole and I traveled to New Jersey to visit my friend Lori and her 10-month old son Tommy. We went to a nearby farm and saw some cool farm animals. The photos are posted below. It was a lot of fun watching the two boys interact, and it was great to catch up with Lori.

Our morning. It always include a ride in the Cozy Coupe.

I showed Lori how to use the back carry with her Ergo. It was liberating for her!  Then the two of us wore the babies in the front carry at the farm. It was sunny, but fun.

Fun at Lori's (Cole gets to use another baby's high chair and his toys! Oh boy!) and then the farm where we saw goats and donkeys galore.

On Saturday, Cole and I met Rachel and Zev at the playground at Forsyth park. And guess what I learned? Rachel was on bed rest for half of her pregnancy too! She lives in the same town as me, during the same time, and she was on bed rest for the same exact reason (crazy contractions).  She told me about some meal services that I knew nothing about (that would've made Keith's job so much easier!), and I will definitely use should I be stuck on bed rest with Baby #2 (whenever that may be). Sadly, I took no pictures of the trip to the playground.

Then Cole and I went to Waddle and Swaddle after his nap. I'll write more about that trip in my next babywearing post titled "Babywearing: A History" or something like that. Then when Keith got home from shooting the wedding he was at all day, we went out for Sushi.

Cole stares at the neighbors.

On Sunday, we went for breakfast at Jack and Luna's and then while Keith met with a couple about a wedding at his studio, Cole and I played in the yard and got great news from our neighbors - they were donating their son's "rollercoaster" to us! It's a little worn and had to be cleaned, but who cares?! It will be loads of fun for Cole. Then their son, who will be 6 in two weeks, gave Cole tomatoes from their garden. Cole loved them so much that I gave him one from ours and he gobbled it up- getting juice and seeds all over himself. When Keith got home we went to Wiedey's to look at recliner/rockers for the nursery. My neck back kills with the cheap piece of sh$% we have, so I want something better. If I'm going to spend an hour every day of my life in that thing, it ought to be comfortable.

If your kid is ever bored - take him to a furniture store. Loads of fun!

Cole figuring out the purpose of the roller coaster.

The little things

The summer's ending is definitely bittersweet. It's nice to have a change in the weather, but that also then requires a change in our circumstances. I officially go back to work next week. I say "officially" because I have to put him into daycare tomorrow so I can get some planning done. That's unofficial. But it's part of my job, so I do it. I've essentially done next to nothing all summer. And that's fine. My summer is my time for me and for my family. I spend 50 hours a week working the other ten months of the school year. I deserve two months to focus on my life and my life only.

So these past few weeks I've learned to really appreciate the little things about Cole. The way he gets so excited when I chase him, or the way he cracks up when I tickle him or pretend I'm eating his stuffed animals. His face just lights up and he is so much fun to be around. Not that he isn't fun to be around when he's not smiling. But I melt when he smiles.

And my sweet boy has taken to hugging and kissing. He's already been hugging the cats for months now, but now he hugs Keith and I, sometimes from behind but also if we're lying down. He hugged a friend's son yesterday afternoon as they stood looking outside the sliding glass door. And he kissed me last night right before we went to bed. He is such a gentle soul. I love the little boy he is becoming.

In other news, I am sure every other blogger on the east coast is writing about this, so I am not alone, but today we had an earthquake. Or tremors from an earthquake with an epicenter in Virginia. Whatever it was, it was just plain frightening. I didn't quite know what it was at first, nor did I know what to do. All I knew was that I had to hold my son close to protect him. He was eating in his high chair,  and as the house swayed back and forth and the ground shook underneath us, I saw the cats diving for the floor, and heard objects knocking into one another. It was as if I lived underneath an elevated train and the train was passing right then. But there was no train. Then I thought maybe it was severe wind. And I thought this with my eyes glued to the open window where it was perfectly still and absolutely beautiful - barely a cloud in the sky. I think what it comes down to is that an earthquake is so unexpected here, that it's the last possible (but most logical) answer as you're searching for all possible causes. In a matter of seconds, I swiftly took Cole from the high chair, looked around the house for a "safe zone," briefly thought about the tub, but realized it would be safer outside.  By the time I walked outside, it was over. I realized how much worse it could have been. And for that I am thankful.

Expect in the next few hours a recap for what we did last week. I wrote it mainly so I could document what an average week has been like for us this summer.  It's not that timely (since it's already Tuesday), and it's probably boring to most of you, but I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Camping with Friends

During the winter we planned two camping trips with friends. The first camping trip (to the Adirondacks) ended up being just us because the family (understandably) was worried the youngest one wouldn't sleep. The second trip to Cape Cod was spontaneous. But this last trip was planned with Allison, Shawn and Juni. We had originally planned to go to North-South Lake, but a friend told me they have a bear problem and this information was confirmed when I called the campground. I decided it was in our best interest to go somewhere else that did not have active bears. We found Rogers Rock campground in Hague, which is on the northern end of Lake George, a popular destination for families and drunks in the tri-state area.

Following my two night rule, we decided only to go Friday and Saturday night. Good thing, because it rained Sunday night and all day Monday.

We had a great time, but not without a few glitches. The site we reserved was total crap. It was on a hill, there was hardly any room for a car - let alone two CRVs- and it was extremely unsafe for toddlers. So we drove around the campground and found another site. Site #199. It seemed like a good site at the time we chose it. It was on a loop shaped like a boot that was within close walking distance to the bathroom and the lake. Our first clue should have been the large amount of pot emanating from a site not too far from ours. We were so astounded by the amount of pot - namely because the odor still lingered in our cars for several minutes after. But no bother, we quickly forgot about it and began setting up.

After a trip to the beach, Keith and Allison made a nice pasta dinner, and then it was time for bed. Let the fun begin. Imagine trying to put one toddler to bed and then add another toddler into the equation. Tandem and back and forth crying. Pretty funny if you have a good sense of humor (which I do, sometimes). Anyway, we had purchased a large tent that could sleep 8 people. It was really cheap, but the catch was that it was just one big room. This was fine, but only proved difficult when putting the two babes to bed. Because Allison and Shawn co-sleep with Juni, sleeping in a tent together was not too different from home. So Juni did not require movement to go to sleep. But our routine requires Cole being rocked to sleep. That meant that we had to take him out in the stroller again. Guess who forgot the netting? Not me! I remembered it, and we used it both nights. Keith and I decided that a stroll around the loop would probably get Cole to sleep. That's when we realized we had inadvertently set up camp on the Party Loop. There were numerous parties going on from people of all ethnicities, musical interests, and drug interests. It was a very diverse loop of party goers. Mergengue, country music, dance music. We even saw fluerescent necklaces. It was more than bizarre. It was crazy. It turned out that most people rented several adjoining sites and then partied on one site. The sad part? Many of these people had children - with the exception of the group two sites down who had Chiwawas locked in a tent. The people who had children? Those kids were up, seemingly partying right along with the adults.

After 2 walks around the loop, we finally got Cole to sleep. After bringing him back in the tent, everyone fell asleep but  - guess who? Why? Because everyone outside of our tent was still awake. And since I'm a light sleeper, their constant noise kept me up. Not to mention the family with the camper who set up at 8:30 p.m. RIGHT NEXT TO OUR FREAKING TENT!!!

The next day more than made up for it. I made a yummy breakfast of bacon and eggs. Then, afterwards, when it became apparent we needed more caffeine to continue the day and the children needed a nap- we went into the little village of Bolton Landing, had lunch, bought some toys at the local toy store (what is it with us and toy stores??) and then went back to the campground to go to the beach.  That night Shawn made some yummy steak and chicken. That combined with our pre-made salads (a garden salad and a quinoa salad) made it a delicious dinner. (Yay for making food ahead of time!)

Saturday night was much more quiet, and I slept so much better. Cole even slept in (until 7)! We left early on Sunday and got home with more than enough time to unpack and play.

The highlights of the trip: Cole had a great time playing and watching Juni. He learned a few tricks from her (how to climb into and out of his stroller), and she learned a few tricks from him (how to spit out your food if you don't like it). We got to chill out with Allison and Shawn for a weekend. I introduced Shawn to Tina Fey's new book and Allison introduced me to This American Life. I look forward to listening to it!

Here are the pics....

Setting up is fun!

Dada and baybay

Dadas

The Lake House

Love me some babywearing!

The lake beach

Playing with his new net that Dada bought from the coffee bus

Pointing out the different variations of trucks

Allison enjoys a beer

Cole tries out Juni's seat

Mama steals a kiss

Playing with sand

Beach pals

This is what it looks like to live out of your car for 2.5 days

About to take a ride (We've decided this will be an annual picture)

My Love Affair

I sold my Beco Butterfly 2 on eBay for $76. Yay for dealing with my addiction in a healthy way. And that, my friends, is why my "addiction" will heretofore be discussed as my "love affair." I love babywearing and I love baby carriers, but I know when it's necessary to let some baby carriers go. I think that is the sign of a healthy love affair, so I am dropping the use of the word "addiction."

After testing out the Ergo for the past month and a half, I've realized just how uncomfortable and cumbersome my Beco Butterfly 2 really is. I'm all about comfort (read - not painful) and ease. So that is why I sold it.

I still have the Beco Gemini and do not plan on giving that up. While Cole has not always liked it, lately he's digging it, and so am I. However, there are some features I do not like. The straps are somewhat flimsy and the neck/chest straps digs into my boobs a bit. But I do like the head rest and the supportive body.

Babywearing with the Beco Gemini

I am interested but not completely sold on buying myself another carrier - this time the Ergo.  I've been wearing Heather's Ergo for about a month and a half now and, while I love it, there are some things I'd like to change. It's mostly  comfortable, but it sags somewhat and so it weighs on me. So that is why I went to Waddle and Swaddle and tried the Performance model of the Ergo carrier. Cole smiled while I wore the Performance and was upset when I wore the original. However, the contoured shoulder straps dug into my breasts a little. I am going back to Waddle and Swaddle this weekend while Keith shoots a wedding to test out the Performance for a longer period of time.  I'll report back if I buy it.

Mama and Cole in the Ergo...

Sleeping baby (Cole has never actually fallen asleep in the Gemini.)

Notice how I am slightly hunched over in the Gemini and in the Ergo (the first Ergo picture.) This is what happens whenever I wear him on my back in any carrier.  I was researching another carrier brand altogether (Boba) and they claim to give more back support to the baby so that you are not feeling like you have to hunch over to overcompensate for the baby pulling on you. The problem is that I can't find a local retailer that carries this brand so that I can try one out. Also, according to their website a problem with the carrier is that because the back is so high on the baby, some babies don't like being confined. Guess who hates being confined? If it's not comfortable for him, then he'll get upset, and I won't be able to wear him. Which would then defeat the whole purpose of babywearing.

I think when I go to Waddle and Swaddle on Saturday, I'm also going to have her help me with my Gypsy Mama Wrapsody Bali Breeze wrap. I almost sold it on eBay, but then cancelled the auction because I had listed it wrong. Now I'm thinking it's not even worth it to sell it, especially since wraps are supposed to be the best for distributing the baby's weight. The only problem with the wrap is the ease of use. It's such a royal PITA to use that thing, which is mostly why I gave up using it. It's also 6 yards long! But the store owner on Wednesday did a demonstration on herself of how to put the baby in a back carry. It didn't look easy, by any means, but it did look to be comfortable when she was done. I think that while I'm there testing out the Performance Ergo, I'll have her help me with my Wraposody. And who knows? Maybe I will leave there not with a new carrier, but with a new understanding of how to use one I already own. Wouldn't that be something?

Summer Mamahood

My summer is more than half over - but I still have a few weeks left to go! While I'm sad about the summer coming to a close, it's not like Cole is going away once my school year starts. I just see him less, which sucks yes, but I think his day care rocks, and I know he will have a blast, so it does not bring me to tears (yet). I am also excited about this coming school year (for me) - people are really coming through and helping a traveling teacher out! Yay for that.

I am loving this summer so much because it is teaching me so much (well Cole is teaching me so much), and I have really gotten to know Cole on a deeper level. When you spend so much time with someone day in and day out, the advantage is that you know exactly what they want - even when they can't articulate it.

This is how he generally lets me know what he wants: He says "This!" and points vigorously to something in a certain direction. Usually I have to pick up the item and say "Your sippy cup?" "Yogurt?" and so on and so forth. If it's the correct item he will take it, if it is not, he shakes his head a bit and says "This?" and continues to point. Sometimes, I have a sneaking suspicion it is an off-limits item like my iPhone or a screwdriver, and I try to pretend like it's not there. But when he keeps pointing and insisting, I have to (reluctantly) pick it up and say, "This screwdriver? No. This isn't for babies." Sometimes he wants what I am having (water, pretzels, my phone, etc) and he says "Eh. Eh. Eh." until he gets it. If he doesn't get it, then there is a potential for a brief tantrum, until I can distract him with something else.

Spending so much time with him has also given me an insight into his interests and his motivations. I can see that he drops the wooden circle because he enjoys hearing how it rolls. He sticks his hand in the cup because he wants to feel the water. He hugs the cats because he likes the feel of their soft fur against his skin, and he thinks it's funny when he gets their fur in his mouth. "Blech!" he usually says when he's done hugging. After trying to clean his mouth out, he goes back in for a second hug moments later. It is really the sweetest thing. At first I was worried he'd be rough with them simply because he's a boy. But he couldn't be more gentle.

The littlest things also make him laugh.  He loves to hear sound effects of things he's done (like throwing rocks into the lake - THUNK!). He loves to be tickled on his belly. He loves to see me try to pretend eat things. He loves to talk to his dada or be chased around the yard.

I try to let him dictate what we do each morning before Nap #1. Usually it involves going outside and playing in the yard, but lately, he is so into taking rides in the Cozy Coupe that we never make it to the backyard because he takes a detour for the car as we go through the garage. I'd love the thing if it had a proper handle. Instead, I have to bend over a bit and push him. This is not good posture for a person with a bad neck and a bad lower back. I don't understand how they can make this product without a push handle for parents. The parent in the picture must be extremely petite, because she barely looks as if she's bending over. In case you were wondering, he will sit in the stroller, but it's definitely not as exciting as being in your very own "car." When we went to Andreea's house last week, he and Lucas took a ride in Lucas' wagon and he loved that as well. I loved it too, especially since it had a push handle! I'm currently trying to find one on craigslist.

I think Cole is also transitioning to one nap a day. His naps are pretty long, and he fights me tooth and nail on the second nap. However, since he likes to take that one nap in the morning, and with daycare starting their toddler nap time at 1 p.m., I have no idea how to transition him without having a very cranky toddler on my hands. It's also really hard to keep him from falling asleep when we go somewhere. Not to mention - it makes driving easier when he does!

Babywearing has been a big part of my summer as well. I've become more confident and adept at putting the baby carriers on without Keith's help. I baby wear when we go somewhere for a short walk or shopping trip, and I baby wear around the house to get stuff done. I also do it to calm Cole down when he's teething or just plain tired. He may fight it sometimes, but once he's on my back, he's usually content to watch what I'm doing or look at the world from up high.

This summer I've also seen an increase in my milk supply. Cole has been teething for a full month now with new teeth coming in every few weeks. Consequently, he's been asking for "Doo doo" so much more than I ever expected. I almost made it through the whole summer without a clogged duct/milk blister combo, but this past weekend, while camping with our friends, I unexpectedly got one. It could've happened for any number of reasons: lack of sleep, pressure on my breast because of babywearing, or the fact that I was wearing a tight nursing bra. Fortunately, Cole got rid of it (as usual) in under 24 hours.

Because of this milk supply increase, I am going to have to pump in September so that I can slowly wean off of nursing during the day and avoid (hopefully) any major mastitis.  I'm actually looking forward to those 20 minutes a day when I can give myself an excuse to relax and read. I will, however, be pumping in the other school, so this will be a different pumping room. Hopefully it will not be dingy.

One last thing that is pretty major is that I have been getting together with friends who have kids Cole's age. I've had lots of visits either here or at their homes, but I haven't always taken pictures. Here are some pictures from three recent visits...

Pianos are the coolest

May I have this dance?

Crackin up in Hailey and Emma's kitchen

Juni and Cole

Toddlers love to chase and be chased

Cole and Lucas chillin' in the wagon

This is the life, Mom.

Camping through the iPhone lens

We camped with Allishawn this past weekend and it was tons of fun.

Here are a few shots before I post some from a real camera....

Finally! I get to shoot some photos of Cole sleeping!

The top of this collage is a picture of Lake George and the "boobie" mountain. Bottom left is Keith wearing his new ergonomic camera straps. And the bottom right is a picture of the trees by the lake beach.

The top of this collage is Cole watching Juni. He did a lot of that this weekend! The bottom left is Cole attempting to get my iPhone and the bottom right is a funny pic Keith took of me babywearing.

Check back in a day or two for the full story of our awesome weekend with Allishawn and Juni.




As part of the iPhone recap thingamajig I'm linking up with A Good Life blog...

Sleep Deprivation is the Leading Cause of Sleep Superstition

Sleep deprivation is what has caused me to write this post, erase it, write it all over again, edit it five times, and change the post title three times. I am THAT superstitious, people. If you had just spent the past year waking up every 2-3 hours a night (and sometimes every hour-and-a-half), you'd be superstitious too.

If you recall, I posted in July that things were getting better in the sleep department. Now I know I have written about sleep and sleep deprivation extensively on this blog, so you probably think it would only be natural that I be giddy to share a positive update. Maybe even a step-by-step guide or a how-to of how we got here and how you could get here too. Well, you couldn't be more wrong. I shared about Cole sleeping a long time once, and I totally jinxed us.  And as the post title explains, I am really superstitious when it comes to sleep. Sometimes Keith and I won't even discuss it. Other times we'll whisper it, or we won't complete our sentences. We'll say things like "Did he...?" or "I think he ..." And the other person will nod, totally understanding that yes, he did indeed just sleep.... a long time. It's crazy how 13 months of sleep deprivation will cause you to be so damn superstitious you won't even say something that happened just because you're so afraid it won't happen again.

So I had to wait until I saw some regularity in the sleep improvement department before posting any more details than what I've hinted at in previous posts this summer. I think we've turned a corner. I certainly hope we have. This is not to say that we don't have some nights when Cole wakes up once or twice (because we do), but there have been more nights where he's slept from the time he went to sleep to the time he woke up (which is still so vague, I know I'm sorry I just can't find it in me to give you concrete numbers. Maybe in another month).  But for those of you with babies who are champion sleep fighters like my own, there is hope for you.  The funny thing is, I am still pretty tired. But I guess that's what happens when you are raising a toddler. 

Here are some pictures...

Sleepyhead in the morning

Ready to fall asleep at the dinner table 

And you thought you'd see pictures of Cole sleeping. HA! Fooled you!

Did you really think I'd start taking pictures of Cole sleeping? Not on your life!