I've been so bad about updating lately. I have lots of pictures to post, but those will have to wait for when I have more time (whenever that will be).
Patrick is thriving at school. He literally runs to the school bus when it gets here and comes home content and tired. He asks--begs--every single day to go to school. In the week or so since he started, his language has started to take off. Almost every single day I notice a new word or some new grammatical change (like calling things "mine"--"my bed"). He will sometimes sing songs now and shows off with how much of the alphabet he knows. We didn't even know he could recite the alphabet, and he basically knows the whole thing!
We are still going to MDO on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and he seems to be benefitting from the extra socialization. I love that he's staying in that familiar environment as he's adding the new preschool.
Nathan is still growing like crazy too. He has started bravely standing unassisted for a few seconds at a time. I think he could do longer, but he gets scared and grabs something just to be sure he doesn't fall.
He, too, is becoming more social. He says many words and phrases that he hears often and sometimes uses them to communicate his wants to us (like "Dada, see you in a little while" to tell me he wants to see his daddy). He has found all sorts of fun games he likes to play at dinner or in his bed and loves it when we play along.
The two boys are growing more fond of each other each week. They will play together, even if it takes a lot of moderation to keep fussing over toys to a minimum. My favorite sight, though, is watching Patrick give Nathan a hug before bed, something he now insists on. That gentle kiss on the top of Nathan's head proves to me that Patrick is sweet and compassionate underneath all that energy we see all day long.
Showing posts with label Sweet Stories--Patrick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweet Stories--Patrick. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
When the Lights Are Out
The other day, Matt and I realized it was probably time to move Nathan's crib mattress down a level. He's never shown any signs of pulling up on the side or any other dangerous activities, but he is definitely at that age when it could start happening at any moment. We'd rather be proactive about it than discover just too late that we should have already taken care of this task.
When we put his bed back together, we debated about whether to put his crib bumper back in. Patrick has recently decided it's just another of his toys, and we've found it draped around the room several times lately. To preserve our own sanity, we made the decision to see how Nathan did without it.
At first, he seemed to be a little confused. "Why can I suddenly see out of my crib, and not just what's above it?" Then he settled in; he seemed to like the new view.
Patrick did too. He also seemed quite curious about the new look to Nathan's crib, inspecting it even before we left the room for the night. Still, Matt and I left to let the two of them get used to the change, expecting the worst.
I was surprised when I didn't immediately hear cries behind me. I shrugged in the silence and went in the other room to play on the computer. About ten minutes later, I needed to do something right outside their room. When I got there, I heard a weird noise.
"Is that Nathan crying?" I wondered. It sounded like his voice, but it wasn't quite a typical cry. "Oh, no. I get it now. Patrick's laughing." I could only imagine the kind of torment he was inflicting on his brother that would cause him to laugh that mischievous laugh. I had pictures in my mind of Patrick poking at his brother through the slats and pulling his blankie away from him and who even knows what other mischief he could devise.
Then I heard it again and knew the sound for what it was: Nathan's laughter. It was the wildest, most hilarious laughter I have ever heard out of this perpetually happy baby. Between two crazy laughs, I heard another quieter sound. This time it was Patrick's voice. He was talking to Nathan in a sweet but silly voice.
My two boys were having an impromptu slumber party in their room, reminiscent of the late-night chattering my sister and I would do from time to time when we were young. The two were having such a grand time that I didn't want to interrupt them, even though they needed to sleep and it was probably my duty to put an end to the fun. (That's what mommies do, right?)
Instead, I called Matt to come listen as well. We practically melted as we listened to our boys interacting with each other and entertaining each other. It's a sound that I'm sure will become irritating as they grow older and we are forced to put an end to on a regular basis to ensure they get enough sleep, but for this one night, we revelled in the noise.
It's nice to have proof that our boys do love each other after all. For now.
When we put his bed back together, we debated about whether to put his crib bumper back in. Patrick has recently decided it's just another of his toys, and we've found it draped around the room several times lately. To preserve our own sanity, we made the decision to see how Nathan did without it.
At first, he seemed to be a little confused. "Why can I suddenly see out of my crib, and not just what's above it?" Then he settled in; he seemed to like the new view.
Patrick did too. He also seemed quite curious about the new look to Nathan's crib, inspecting it even before we left the room for the night. Still, Matt and I left to let the two of them get used to the change, expecting the worst.
I was surprised when I didn't immediately hear cries behind me. I shrugged in the silence and went in the other room to play on the computer. About ten minutes later, I needed to do something right outside their room. When I got there, I heard a weird noise.
"Is that Nathan crying?" I wondered. It sounded like his voice, but it wasn't quite a typical cry. "Oh, no. I get it now. Patrick's laughing." I could only imagine the kind of torment he was inflicting on his brother that would cause him to laugh that mischievous laugh. I had pictures in my mind of Patrick poking at his brother through the slats and pulling his blankie away from him and who even knows what other mischief he could devise.
Then I heard it again and knew the sound for what it was: Nathan's laughter. It was the wildest, most hilarious laughter I have ever heard out of this perpetually happy baby. Between two crazy laughs, I heard another quieter sound. This time it was Patrick's voice. He was talking to Nathan in a sweet but silly voice.
My two boys were having an impromptu slumber party in their room, reminiscent of the late-night chattering my sister and I would do from time to time when we were young. The two were having such a grand time that I didn't want to interrupt them, even though they needed to sleep and it was probably my duty to put an end to the fun. (That's what mommies do, right?)
Instead, I called Matt to come listen as well. We practically melted as we listened to our boys interacting with each other and entertaining each other. It's a sound that I'm sure will become irritating as they grow older and we are forced to put an end to on a regular basis to ensure they get enough sleep, but for this one night, we revelled in the noise.
It's nice to have proof that our boys do love each other after all. For now.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Some Catching Up
I apologize for my prolonged absence. I just felt unmotivated to blog. I guess those monster vacation posts kind of took it out of me. So here's the short, bulleted version of the last week or so, minus the pictures I've been intending to post for even longer than that:
--I realized a little over a week ago that Nathan's weight hasn't changed in well over a month. He's barely gained anything since his last appointment at six months. Since he has his next check-up in a week, I decided the lack of weight gain was probably worrisome. So I started feeding him until he was at the point of spitting it back at me. It turns out at least part of the weight issues stem from my gross underfeeding of him. He's now eating over three times as much food as he was before. Hopefully he'll be able to make up some of that lost weight before Tuesday's appointment. Do you think his constant movement any time he's awake has anything to do with his need for so much food?
--Patrick finally figured out how to say "I love you" and what it means. He says it mostly before bed or when putting Nathan down for a nap, but he'll also say it to Daddy when he goes back to work after lunch or when he snuggles up to me during the day. My favorite part is that he will also do the "I love you" hand sign with both hands. He has to check each one to make sure it is done right, and then he'll say in the cutest singsongy voice, "I wuv oo!"
--Patrick apparently picked up a little stomach bug over the weekend because he woke up Sunday morning with a particularly icky diaper. He's had several each day since then, although he seems to be getting a bit better today. Fortunately, he didn't seem too bothered by it all. He was fine and happy until he had one of those diapers and was back to normal almost as soon as I could get the diaper changed. He also really enjoyed his "special juice," i.e. Pedialyte. I worried that Nathan was getting it too, but he seems to have escaped it, even though he did have one diaper that made me wonder.
--We didn't do anything special for Father's Day, since I'm sure you're curious. It was mostly just a lazy day at home, thanks in part to Patrick's poopy issues.
I guess that's about it. I'm sure there were more, less interesting stories that happened since I blogged last, but these were definitely the highlights. Stay tuned in the next few days (or weeks, you never know) for those pictures I have yet to get around to posting.
--I realized a little over a week ago that Nathan's weight hasn't changed in well over a month. He's barely gained anything since his last appointment at six months. Since he has his next check-up in a week, I decided the lack of weight gain was probably worrisome. So I started feeding him until he was at the point of spitting it back at me. It turns out at least part of the weight issues stem from my gross underfeeding of him. He's now eating over three times as much food as he was before. Hopefully he'll be able to make up some of that lost weight before Tuesday's appointment. Do you think his constant movement any time he's awake has anything to do with his need for so much food?
--Patrick finally figured out how to say "I love you" and what it means. He says it mostly before bed or when putting Nathan down for a nap, but he'll also say it to Daddy when he goes back to work after lunch or when he snuggles up to me during the day. My favorite part is that he will also do the "I love you" hand sign with both hands. He has to check each one to make sure it is done right, and then he'll say in the cutest singsongy voice, "I wuv oo!"
--Patrick apparently picked up a little stomach bug over the weekend because he woke up Sunday morning with a particularly icky diaper. He's had several each day since then, although he seems to be getting a bit better today. Fortunately, he didn't seem too bothered by it all. He was fine and happy until he had one of those diapers and was back to normal almost as soon as I could get the diaper changed. He also really enjoyed his "special juice," i.e. Pedialyte. I worried that Nathan was getting it too, but he seems to have escaped it, even though he did have one diaper that made me wonder.
--We didn't do anything special for Father's Day, since I'm sure you're curious. It was mostly just a lazy day at home, thanks in part to Patrick's poopy issues.
I guess that's about it. I'm sure there were more, less interesting stories that happened since I blogged last, but these were definitely the highlights. Stay tuned in the next few days (or weeks, you never know) for those pictures I have yet to get around to posting.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Thirty-Two Months
Dear Patrick,
I almost didn't write you a letter today. I figured in the aftermath of vacation, nobody would miss it. Besides, you might just be getting old enough that you don't necessarily need a letter every month. Oh, and it's tough writing something without lots of cute pictures to show off too, and I've been bad about getting pictures since we got home from vacation.
But then years from now when I'm finally getting around to compiling all these letters to file away for you to read when you'll appreciate them, I'll notice that your 32nd month is missing. I'll drive myself crazy looking for it, afraid that I mislabeled it or accidentally deleted it. I'll wonder why I didn't ever write something in the first place.
So to keep from driving myself crazy, I'm writing something anyway.
The biggest and funniest things that happened this last months have already been recorded in the last few posts about our vacation. Without a doubt, that was a blast. I suspect you had a blast as well, as you are still talking about your grandparents.
I realized this morning, though, that I'd forgotten a couple of great stories from our vacation since I didn't have pictures to go along with them. Together they pretty much sum up your personality right now.
While we were at Nana and Grandpa's house, Grandpa got some new speakers (or receiver or something) for the sound system in their living room. He and Uncle Steve were trying them out with some of Uncle Steve's eclectic music. They found a particularly rockin' song, one that was probably a bit inappropriate to play around you (but you would never know), and you started getting down to it. Lately you've been dancing a lot to all sorts of music anyway, but this was much more energetic than normal. One by one, all of us adults laughed at your dancing and then joined in the fun.
It took the utter lack of self-restraint of a two-year-old to get all of us uptight adults to dance as though nobody was watching, as though we were children ourselves. It was a good lesson for all of us.
Of course, as soon as we were all dancing like crazy people, we realized that somebody was at the front door--the etched glass door that looked right into the living room where we were dancing the toddler dance. Naturally we scattered immediately, but those few moments when you got to teach us how to let loose were worth the resulting embarrassment.
A few nights later, we got to experience our first time in a hotel room with a toddler you and the first time ever with Nathan. Daddy and I were nervous about how exactly we would all get to sleep, especially since you and Nathan are used to falling asleep in a dark room many hours earlier than Daddy and I do. Either we would keep you up late, or we would have to go to bed at 8 with you guys. Without going into details on how that worked out--since that's not the point--I'll just say that it did. We all got a good night's sleep both nights we were in the hotel.
The part Daddy and I loved, though, was listening to you put yourself to sleep. You did what we suspect you do every night after we leave you and Nathan in the room for the night. You started talking to your brother. "Good night, Gaga. Sleep tight. Night night. See you in a little while, Gaga. I love you." And on and on and on. The first night it went on for about half an hour; the second night it was more like two hours.
Nathan fell asleep about five minutes into the talking both nights. Hearing your voice comforted him enough that he fell right to sleep.
That's the kind of relationship you have with your brother these days. You're not without your sibling rivalry for sure. You've been known to kick him or push him when he's getting attention that you want, or sometimes for no reason at all. But minutes later you'll walk up to him and hand him a toy, telling him to "pway, Gaga." You're eager to put him down for a nap and then get him up from a nap and help change his diaper. You want to help feed him and always make sure I'm giving him enough to eat. "Bi, Gaga?"
In return for all your care for him, he loves you like crazy and looks up to you. Everything you do is either awesome or totally hilarious.
Most of the time, I tend to agree. Each month you turn into more and more of a little person with a charming, magnetic personality. If you continue along this route, you'll be completely irresistible by the time you're ten. Already you're someone I can be proud of, and I suspect that pride will only swell as you continue to mature into the awesome kid you're meant to be.
Mommy (or Jigglia, as you called me tonight) loves you, my sweet little man.
I almost didn't write you a letter today. I figured in the aftermath of vacation, nobody would miss it. Besides, you might just be getting old enough that you don't necessarily need a letter every month. Oh, and it's tough writing something without lots of cute pictures to show off too, and I've been bad about getting pictures since we got home from vacation.
But then years from now when I'm finally getting around to compiling all these letters to file away for you to read when you'll appreciate them, I'll notice that your 32nd month is missing. I'll drive myself crazy looking for it, afraid that I mislabeled it or accidentally deleted it. I'll wonder why I didn't ever write something in the first place.
So to keep from driving myself crazy, I'm writing something anyway.
The biggest and funniest things that happened this last months have already been recorded in the last few posts about our vacation. Without a doubt, that was a blast. I suspect you had a blast as well, as you are still talking about your grandparents.
I realized this morning, though, that I'd forgotten a couple of great stories from our vacation since I didn't have pictures to go along with them. Together they pretty much sum up your personality right now.
While we were at Nana and Grandpa's house, Grandpa got some new speakers (or receiver or something) for the sound system in their living room. He and Uncle Steve were trying them out with some of Uncle Steve's eclectic music. They found a particularly rockin' song, one that was probably a bit inappropriate to play around you (but you would never know), and you started getting down to it. Lately you've been dancing a lot to all sorts of music anyway, but this was much more energetic than normal. One by one, all of us adults laughed at your dancing and then joined in the fun.
It took the utter lack of self-restraint of a two-year-old to get all of us uptight adults to dance as though nobody was watching, as though we were children ourselves. It was a good lesson for all of us.
Of course, as soon as we were all dancing like crazy people, we realized that somebody was at the front door--the etched glass door that looked right into the living room where we were dancing the toddler dance. Naturally we scattered immediately, but those few moments when you got to teach us how to let loose were worth the resulting embarrassment.
A few nights later, we got to experience our first time in a hotel room with a toddler you and the first time ever with Nathan. Daddy and I were nervous about how exactly we would all get to sleep, especially since you and Nathan are used to falling asleep in a dark room many hours earlier than Daddy and I do. Either we would keep you up late, or we would have to go to bed at 8 with you guys. Without going into details on how that worked out--since that's not the point--I'll just say that it did. We all got a good night's sleep both nights we were in the hotel.
The part Daddy and I loved, though, was listening to you put yourself to sleep. You did what we suspect you do every night after we leave you and Nathan in the room for the night. You started talking to your brother. "Good night, Gaga. Sleep tight. Night night. See you in a little while, Gaga. I love you." And on and on and on. The first night it went on for about half an hour; the second night it was more like two hours.
Nathan fell asleep about five minutes into the talking both nights. Hearing your voice comforted him enough that he fell right to sleep.
That's the kind of relationship you have with your brother these days. You're not without your sibling rivalry for sure. You've been known to kick him or push him when he's getting attention that you want, or sometimes for no reason at all. But minutes later you'll walk up to him and hand him a toy, telling him to "pway, Gaga." You're eager to put him down for a nap and then get him up from a nap and help change his diaper. You want to help feed him and always make sure I'm giving him enough to eat. "Bi, Gaga?"
In return for all your care for him, he loves you like crazy and looks up to you. Everything you do is either awesome or totally hilarious.
Most of the time, I tend to agree. Each month you turn into more and more of a little person with a charming, magnetic personality. If you continue along this route, you'll be completely irresistible by the time you're ten. Already you're someone I can be proud of, and I suspect that pride will only swell as you continue to mature into the awesome kid you're meant to be.
Mommy (or Jigglia, as you called me tonight) loves you, my sweet little man.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
It's a K-Hug (a Kiss and a Hug)
I love this new stage Patrick just entered, the one where he's starting to show affection. A couple of days ago he surprised me by giving me a near kiss, complete with sound effects--"Mmm-ma." It was so sweet, especially because I haven't been coaching it or anything. It came out of nowhere and was so genuine.
The next day he gave me another kiss, just as sweet as the first. It happened when I had just finished nursing Nathan and he was still lying in my lap. Patrick had crawled up to snuggle up next to me in the little room left in the chair. After giving me a kiss (that resembles a hug more than anything, other than the kissy sound effects), he leaned down and gave Nathan a kiss several times.
He still ignores his brother about as much as he pays attention to him, so it's hard to tell whether he's annoyed at his presence or really loves him. Being that sweet, gentle, and affectionate with Nathan showed me how he truly feels. I got a little choked up watching him be so generous with his newfound kisses, loving on his little brother.
He has also showered kisses like this upon every toy on Nathan's exersaucer, a truly silly spectacle to watch. He hugs each one, says "Mmm-ma," and then utters a quick, "Sleep tight" before heading to the next toy. The fact that he adds "sleep tight" to the kiss made it clear where he picked up the new act. Although he gets kisses all day long, he remembers the ones he gets at bedtime the most. And since it is part of the sleep tight routine, it must be something worth talking about and doing all day long.
I wonder what else we should add to the bedtime routine that would be useful for him to do all day...
The next day he gave me another kiss, just as sweet as the first. It happened when I had just finished nursing Nathan and he was still lying in my lap. Patrick had crawled up to snuggle up next to me in the little room left in the chair. After giving me a kiss (that resembles a hug more than anything, other than the kissy sound effects), he leaned down and gave Nathan a kiss several times.
He still ignores his brother about as much as he pays attention to him, so it's hard to tell whether he's annoyed at his presence or really loves him. Being that sweet, gentle, and affectionate with Nathan showed me how he truly feels. I got a little choked up watching him be so generous with his newfound kisses, loving on his little brother.
He has also showered kisses like this upon every toy on Nathan's exersaucer, a truly silly spectacle to watch. He hugs each one, says "Mmm-ma," and then utters a quick, "Sleep tight" before heading to the next toy. The fact that he adds "sleep tight" to the kiss made it clear where he picked up the new act. Although he gets kisses all day long, he remembers the ones he gets at bedtime the most. And since it is part of the sleep tight routine, it must be something worth talking about and doing all day long.
I wonder what else we should add to the bedtime routine that would be useful for him to do all day...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Nathan Gets a Nickname
Once upon a time there was a boy named Patrick with a baby brother names Nathan. Patrick basically ignored his baby brother the first few months he was alive. But very slowly, he started showing his brother attention.
He started by poking at the snaps and buttons on his brother's clothes. Patrick would unsnap and attempt to snap back the many snaps found on Nathan's sleepers and other outfits. Nathan was his personal baby to dress and undress (if only he knew his mommy sometimes thought the same way).
Then Patrick realized that if he showed the squirmy thing inside the clothes attention, Mommy and Daddy gave him special attention too. So he started booping Nathan on the nose and petting him on the head, games which he thoroughly enjoyed for the reactions they drew from his parents.
One day, Patrick took it one step farther by doing something his mommy had been waiting months to happen: He showed his natural compassion to his brother. He attempted to calm his brother while he was crying by repeating, "It's okay, it's okay," mere inches away from Natha's face.
Amazingly, Nathan calmed down enough for Mommy to hear the sweetest thing yet from her sweet Patrick. Patrick gave Nathan his first nickname. "It's okay, Gaga. It's okay."
And this will be the nickname that will haunt both of them in high school when Mommy insists on repeating the story to every girl they bring home: Gaga.
He started by poking at the snaps and buttons on his brother's clothes. Patrick would unsnap and attempt to snap back the many snaps found on Nathan's sleepers and other outfits. Nathan was his personal baby to dress and undress (if only he knew his mommy sometimes thought the same way).
Then Patrick realized that if he showed the squirmy thing inside the clothes attention, Mommy and Daddy gave him special attention too. So he started booping Nathan on the nose and petting him on the head, games which he thoroughly enjoyed for the reactions they drew from his parents.
One day, Patrick took it one step farther by doing something his mommy had been waiting months to happen: He showed his natural compassion to his brother. He attempted to calm his brother while he was crying by repeating, "It's okay, it's okay," mere inches away from Natha's face.
Amazingly, Nathan calmed down enough for Mommy to hear the sweetest thing yet from her sweet Patrick. Patrick gave Nathan his first nickname. "It's okay, Gaga. It's okay."
And this will be the nickname that will haunt both of them in high school when Mommy insists on repeating the story to every girl they bring home: Gaga.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
More Cute Stories
Patrick now says, "bear," too. He picked up a small stuffed bear he had never seen before and immediately said, "bay-ah." Either he's really working on those language skills, or I've finally started learning to translate toddler language.
He's also been super sweet for me lately. Today we had very few tantrums, and he worked to entertain me and his brother all day long. I have some great pictures of the boots for you, coming soon I hope. And remember that he still has this odd aversion to pants right now...got that mental picture? We'll have to see if the picture meets expectations in the next couple of days.
The cutest thing he did for Nathan today was walk up to where I had him lying on the floor next to me and start petting his head. It was really gentle and sweet, just another way to show him attention without playing with the snaps on his outfit.
I know this one is random, but he really, really, really loves animals right now. He might just take after his uncle Daniel with this one. Have any of you seen that ASPCA commercial they play on a lot of cable channels with Sarah MacLaughlan (sorry for the awful spelling--I don't feel like looking it up)? They show lots of picture of cats (kitty cats) and dogs (doggies) that have been rescued. Patrick watches the whole thing avidly, squealing at each new picture of a cat or dog. I'm guessing that when Nathan's a bit older, we'll have to try the dog thing again. Patrick's too much of an animal lover to not have a pet.
He's also been super sweet for me lately. Today we had very few tantrums, and he worked to entertain me and his brother all day long. I have some great pictures of the boots for you, coming soon I hope. And remember that he still has this odd aversion to pants right now...got that mental picture? We'll have to see if the picture meets expectations in the next couple of days.
The cutest thing he did for Nathan today was walk up to where I had him lying on the floor next to me and start petting his head. It was really gentle and sweet, just another way to show him attention without playing with the snaps on his outfit.
I know this one is random, but he really, really, really loves animals right now. He might just take after his uncle Daniel with this one. Have any of you seen that ASPCA commercial they play on a lot of cable channels with Sarah MacLaughlan (sorry for the awful spelling--I don't feel like looking it up)? They show lots of picture of cats (kitty cats) and dogs (doggies) that have been rescued. Patrick watches the whole thing avidly, squealing at each new picture of a cat or dog. I'm guessing that when Nathan's a bit older, we'll have to try the dog thing again. Patrick's too much of an animal lover to not have a pet.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Some Giggles
Here are a few of the recent Patrick stories:
--I was holding Nathan while standing up as it was the only way to keep him happy at the time. I was about to set him down to see if he would be content that way, so I pulled the Bumbo into the living room. Apparently I was taking too long, though, because after a couple of seconds, Patrick walked up to me and held his hands up, similarly to when he wants held. He didn't want held, though; he was asking for Nathan so that he could set him in the Bumbo for me. I'm not sure whether it's sweet that he wants to take care of his brother or kind of mean because he wanted my attention instead of letting me give it to his brother.
--Speaking of the Bumbo, Patrick can now say Bumbo ("bubo"), at least repeating me. It's adorable to hear, one of my favorite words he says.
--He also says "choo-choo." I think trains are becoming his favorite form of transportation; he's always ready for me to read a choo-choo book to him or play with one of his train toys. This is a word he will say without prompting, not just repeating me.
--He still has a great sense of humor and is able to sense when I need a bit of comic relief. Today for instance, Nathan was crying (which he did most of the day) and I was getting frustrated. All of a sudden, Patrick walks around the corner in just his onesie, his pants discarded somewhere behind him, and sporting those awesome camo boots. The whole outfit was so hilarious that it no longer mattered that Nathan was upset--at least for a minute or so. Too bad I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the ensemble before he took the boots back off.
--Patrick has learned how to take pants off. I suspect I won't have too many pictures of him in the near future with pants on because he insists on taking them off as soon as possible. It's a good step in readiness for potty training, but I'm looking forward to the day he learns how to put them back on too.
--I was holding Nathan while standing up as it was the only way to keep him happy at the time. I was about to set him down to see if he would be content that way, so I pulled the Bumbo into the living room. Apparently I was taking too long, though, because after a couple of seconds, Patrick walked up to me and held his hands up, similarly to when he wants held. He didn't want held, though; he was asking for Nathan so that he could set him in the Bumbo for me. I'm not sure whether it's sweet that he wants to take care of his brother or kind of mean because he wanted my attention instead of letting me give it to his brother.
--Speaking of the Bumbo, Patrick can now say Bumbo ("bubo"), at least repeating me. It's adorable to hear, one of my favorite words he says.
--He also says "choo-choo." I think trains are becoming his favorite form of transportation; he's always ready for me to read a choo-choo book to him or play with one of his train toys. This is a word he will say without prompting, not just repeating me.
--He still has a great sense of humor and is able to sense when I need a bit of comic relief. Today for instance, Nathan was crying (which he did most of the day) and I was getting frustrated. All of a sudden, Patrick walks around the corner in just his onesie, his pants discarded somewhere behind him, and sporting those awesome camo boots. The whole outfit was so hilarious that it no longer mattered that Nathan was upset--at least for a minute or so. Too bad I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the ensemble before he took the boots back off.
--Patrick has learned how to take pants off. I suspect I won't have too many pictures of him in the near future with pants on because he insists on taking them off as soon as possible. It's a good step in readiness for potty training, but I'm looking forward to the day he learns how to put them back on too.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Bop!
When Patrick was an itty-bitty newborn still in the NICU, Matt started the "boop" game with him. Patrick had (still has) this perfect little button nose that just begs to be poked, so Matt would poke the cute nose and say "Boop!" in this adorable voice. It was one of the first ways we knew to relate to him when he seemed so fragile otherwise.
We have kept up the Boop game, although it has become much less frequent lately. Nathan's nose may not be quite as adorable as Patrick's was, but it's close, so we also do the Boop game with him from time to time.
Today Patrick had climbed in my lap while I was trying to calm Nathan, who has been a little extra fussy lately because of the cold. Patrick took the initiative and started poking at Nathan, the first time he's shown much interest in him that's not related to snaps or latches and definitely the first time he has voluntarily touched him. Thinking it was cute, I booped Nathan's nose.
Patrick immediately caught on and poked Nathan's nose. "Bop!" When he saw my reaction, he did it again--and again and again. Then he did it to my nose and Matt's when he got home.
It's the cutest thing I've ever seen, watching my little boy play the first game he ever got to play with his own little brother. It warms my heart just to remember how they related to each other this afternoon.
By the way, this is just one more new word Patrick has spouted out lately. Yesterday it was "ball" and "apple" (which he can identify by a picture now and also says it when he sees the letter A). I could also swear he said, "I don't wanna sleep tight," after getting up from his nap today. Did he just wake up yesterday and decide that twenty-seven months was time to grow up all of a sudden?
We have kept up the Boop game, although it has become much less frequent lately. Nathan's nose may not be quite as adorable as Patrick's was, but it's close, so we also do the Boop game with him from time to time.
Today Patrick had climbed in my lap while I was trying to calm Nathan, who has been a little extra fussy lately because of the cold. Patrick took the initiative and started poking at Nathan, the first time he's shown much interest in him that's not related to snaps or latches and definitely the first time he has voluntarily touched him. Thinking it was cute, I booped Nathan's nose.
Patrick immediately caught on and poked Nathan's nose. "Bop!" When he saw my reaction, he did it again--and again and again. Then he did it to my nose and Matt's when he got home.
It's the cutest thing I've ever seen, watching my little boy play the first game he ever got to play with his own little brother. It warms my heart just to remember how they related to each other this afternoon.
By the way, this is just one more new word Patrick has spouted out lately. Yesterday it was "ball" and "apple" (which he can identify by a picture now and also says it when he sees the letter A). I could also swear he said, "I don't wanna sleep tight," after getting up from his nap today. Did he just wake up yesterday and decide that twenty-seven months was time to grow up all of a sudden?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Catching Up
I've been hoarding pictures again. Sorry to overwhelm you with my favorites. I'm not nearly picky enough, so I have lots and lots of favorites. Today you get the last few days of Patrick pictures, and tomorrow I'll do Nathan's.
Any guesses as to what we were watching this day?
He's so good at sharing.
The teddy bear love is a recent development that I've loved watching. He actually sleeps with this teddy bear now.
I just wish he would hug me like he does the teddy bear. Maybe if I was half as soft...
Any guesses as to what we were watching this day?
He's so good at sharing.
The teddy bear love is a recent development that I've loved watching. He actually sleeps with this teddy bear now.
I just wish he would hug me like he does the teddy bear. Maybe if I was half as soft...Monday, November 5, 2007
Two Patrick Stories
First, the bad:
Patrick was doing his thing where he spins in a circle, trying to make himself dizzy. He was also trying to make me laugh, I think. He succeeded at both. Unfortunately, when he got dizzy he lost his balance and fell. Of course, he couldn't fall any one of the many directions that would have been safe. He fell right into the corner of the coffee table, face first. Immediately he started screaming. That's how I knew it really hurt. Most of the time he will just stand up, rub the sore part of his head, and bravely tell me, "It's okay!" That didn't happen this time, so I leapt to comfort him. It took some time, but he finally calmed down enough that I could see what exactly he hurt. Amazingly enough, he doesn't have anything to show for his rough encounter with the table. He bloodied his nose a little--a first for him--but even that wasn't as much as I would have expected. What a tough kid!
And the good:
A little while after the accident, Patrick was still anxious for my attention and comfort so he climbed into my lap while I was holding Nathan. Nathan was a bit upset, squirming a lot and fussing some too. With one hand around each boy, I wasn't able to do anything to calm Nathan. Patrick decided it was time to be a good big brother and take care of Nathan when I couldn't. He found the pacifier and worked hard to work the pacifier into Nathan's mouth. He knew exactly where it went, getting it into his mouth each try and most of the time even got the right end in. The funniest moment was when he left it in just long enough for Nathan to start sucking on it--and then immediately pulled it back out of his mouth anyway. At least he's trying to be a good big brother, even if he's still working out the details.
By the way, I have plenty to write about this weekend and pictures to post, so expect that over the next few days.
Patrick was doing his thing where he spins in a circle, trying to make himself dizzy. He was also trying to make me laugh, I think. He succeeded at both. Unfortunately, when he got dizzy he lost his balance and fell. Of course, he couldn't fall any one of the many directions that would have been safe. He fell right into the corner of the coffee table, face first. Immediately he started screaming. That's how I knew it really hurt. Most of the time he will just stand up, rub the sore part of his head, and bravely tell me, "It's okay!" That didn't happen this time, so I leapt to comfort him. It took some time, but he finally calmed down enough that I could see what exactly he hurt. Amazingly enough, he doesn't have anything to show for his rough encounter with the table. He bloodied his nose a little--a first for him--but even that wasn't as much as I would have expected. What a tough kid!
And the good:
A little while after the accident, Patrick was still anxious for my attention and comfort so he climbed into my lap while I was holding Nathan. Nathan was a bit upset, squirming a lot and fussing some too. With one hand around each boy, I wasn't able to do anything to calm Nathan. Patrick decided it was time to be a good big brother and take care of Nathan when I couldn't. He found the pacifier and worked hard to work the pacifier into Nathan's mouth. He knew exactly where it went, getting it into his mouth each try and most of the time even got the right end in. The funniest moment was when he left it in just long enough for Nathan to start sucking on it--and then immediately pulled it back out of his mouth anyway. At least he's trying to be a good big brother, even if he's still working out the details.
By the way, I have plenty to write about this weekend and pictures to post, so expect that over the next few days.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Brotherly Love
"Mom! Nathan's touching me!"
Patrick seems to finally have accepted that his little brother is around to stay. As much as possible, he still ignores him, but every so often I've noticed him show that at some point in the future he might care for this screaming thing who takes all his attention. Patrick shows lots of curiosity about things like how Nathan eats and Nathan's pacifier. Sometimes he'll bring me the pacifier when Nathan is crying, even though he hasn't quite figured out yet how to get it in his mouth.
The cutest thing I've seen Patrick do for his brother, though, was the other day when I was getting Nathan out of his swing (the swing he's already used more than Patrick ever did). I was on the phone at the time, so after I unlatched Nathan, I was adjusting the phone on my shoulder briefly before lifting him out of the swing. Patrick thought I must be taking too long and reached out his arms like he was going to try to rescue Nathan if I wasn't. I'm glad I got there before Patrick tried to lift him, but it was sweet to see.
On the other hand, though, Nathan seems to annoy Patrick more of the time. The crying in particular can draw several different reactions from Patrick. If he's in a funny mood, he'll yell right back at Nathan. It's always done in a silly way so that it's not quite as annoying and can actually relieve the tension when I can't get Nathan to stop crying. If Patrick's not being silly, though, he lets me know he's annoyed by the crying by sticking his fingers in my ears. He may not mean to be funny, but it relieves the tension just as well. I just wish I could do the same thing sometimes!
Monday, September 17, 2007
39 Weeks
I'm officially 39 weeks today, and even my ticker is telling Nathan to come out already. It's hard to believe I'm still pregnant, isn't it? I'm trying to keep my sense of humor about all of this, but the hormones and discomfort are making that hard. I am definitely frustrated and tired of feeling uncomfortable.
On the bright side, with each day that goes by that I'm still pregnant, Patrick gets sweeter and cuddlier. This weekend, he shared the love equally with his daddy as me. I wonder if he suspects his life is about to change drastically, and he's clinging to us even more as he realizes this change grows more imminent. Either way, I hope it's not just a phase; I love getting to cuddle with my sweet firstborn son. I know his daddy is the same way, too. Maybe Patrick is reminding us of all the good things about having a baby again, to help us wait until Nathan finally shows up.
On the bright side, with each day that goes by that I'm still pregnant, Patrick gets sweeter and cuddlier. This weekend, he shared the love equally with his daddy as me. I wonder if he suspects his life is about to change drastically, and he's clinging to us even more as he realizes this change grows more imminent. Either way, I hope it's not just a phase; I love getting to cuddle with my sweet firstborn son. I know his daddy is the same way, too. Maybe Patrick is reminding us of all the good things about having a baby again, to help us wait until Nathan finally shows up.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The First That Brought Tears to My Eyes
Matt went outside to mow the lawn this morning. As usual, Patrick rotated between watching him through the front and back windows. He loves getting to see Daddy through the windows. I thought it was cute enough when Patrick clearly said, "Hi, Da-ee," the first time he saw him. I thought it was cuter when later he followed the "Hi, Da-ee" with "See ya la-er."
But neither even compared to the last time he saw him in the backyard and followed the "hi" and "see you later" with "I luh oo." This is the first time he's said it ever, and he said it unprompted and clearly from the heart. I love this kid so much.
But neither even compared to the last time he saw him in the backyard and followed the "hi" and "see you later" with "I luh oo." This is the first time he's said it ever, and he said it unprompted and clearly from the heart. I love this kid so much.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Patrick and his Multiple Personalities
I guess this must be true toddlerhood. I never know what to expect from Patrick from day to day. I love him all the same, no matter which personality shows up each day, but some days are just much easier than others.
For example, yesterday Patrick was a sweet cuddlebug all day long. He woke up at 6:30-ish from what I suspect was a nightmare. A few minutes cuddling with me was all it took to calm him and make him happy again. Then every chance he got all day long, he wanted me nearby for a quick hug or snuggle or even a quick reading of a favorite book. The few tantrums I saw were short-lived. I actually wondered more than once why I was so anxious to have Nathan when that would only mean less time spent with Patrick.
If only Patrick could have stayed that sweet boy a little longer... Today he woke me up with practicing his outside voice as loudly as possible in his room. He didn't seem to care that Mommy also woke up with a headache (I wonder if the two are related). He's been much faster to throw tantrums, and over even more ridiculous things than usual--like not giving him more Cheerios when he has a pile of them sitting in front of him. He has also been doing everything at top volume, as though he is testing how bad my headache really is and at what point I will break. I'd have to say that mischievous Patrick showed up today.
It's days like today that make me a bit more anxious to spend a night or two in the hospital, away from toddler tantrums and endless whiny requests to go "bye."
For example, yesterday Patrick was a sweet cuddlebug all day long. He woke up at 6:30-ish from what I suspect was a nightmare. A few minutes cuddling with me was all it took to calm him and make him happy again. Then every chance he got all day long, he wanted me nearby for a quick hug or snuggle or even a quick reading of a favorite book. The few tantrums I saw were short-lived. I actually wondered more than once why I was so anxious to have Nathan when that would only mean less time spent with Patrick.
If only Patrick could have stayed that sweet boy a little longer... Today he woke me up with practicing his outside voice as loudly as possible in his room. He didn't seem to care that Mommy also woke up with a headache (I wonder if the two are related). He's been much faster to throw tantrums, and over even more ridiculous things than usual--like not giving him more Cheerios when he has a pile of them sitting in front of him. He has also been doing everything at top volume, as though he is testing how bad my headache really is and at what point I will break. I'd have to say that mischievous Patrick showed up today.
It's days like today that make me a bit more anxious to spend a night or two in the hospital, away from toddler tantrums and endless whiny requests to go "bye."
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Speculation
Matt and I have spent lots of time speculating lately. We make guesses as to exactly when we think Nathan will make his grand entrance (current guess is August 24), what he'll look like, how he'll be like or different from his brother, what life will be like with two.
We're incredibly curious, though, as to how Patrick will react to his little brother. We can't decide whether he'll embrace his role as the big brother or rebel to the new little crying being in the house that steals all his attention. Or maybe he'll just ignore his brother altogether until he starts moving and becomes more of a nuisance.
I personally think it's going to be a combination of all those. At first, I doubt he will understand that this baby will be staying in our house permanently. He's at least somewhat curious about babies right now, so that may make the transition a little easier. I don't think any rebellion will start until he recognizes this attention-stealer is home to stay.
He is still a toddler, however, and with that comes plenty of tantrums, especially when he's so used to being the center of attention everywhere he goes. I think after a few weeks or months we'll start dealing with some bizarre behavior for Patrick, the kind that demands attention and defies us for the mere sake of being defiant. I hope I'm ready for this kind of rebellion, in the midst of sleeplessness that I'll be experiencing at the time.
But on the other hand, I know my son pretty well. He has a super sweet sensitive side. He's the kind of kid that loves almost to excess, who will run up in the middle of playing hard to give me a hug or lay his head against my leg for a second. He's the kind of kid who needs his alone time and sleep as much as he needs his attention. He won't be able to ignore these parts of him, and between the rebellious streaks, I think he will want to love on his brother. As they grow up together, I suspect that Patrick will be protective of his baby brother (who will probably be bigger than him by the time either starts school), even when he acts mad at him.
I'm not looking forward to the toddler rebellion or the sibling rivalry, but I can't wait to see my sweet little boy develop into the sweet big brother I know he can be.
We're incredibly curious, though, as to how Patrick will react to his little brother. We can't decide whether he'll embrace his role as the big brother or rebel to the new little crying being in the house that steals all his attention. Or maybe he'll just ignore his brother altogether until he starts moving and becomes more of a nuisance.
I personally think it's going to be a combination of all those. At first, I doubt he will understand that this baby will be staying in our house permanently. He's at least somewhat curious about babies right now, so that may make the transition a little easier. I don't think any rebellion will start until he recognizes this attention-stealer is home to stay.
He is still a toddler, however, and with that comes plenty of tantrums, especially when he's so used to being the center of attention everywhere he goes. I think after a few weeks or months we'll start dealing with some bizarre behavior for Patrick, the kind that demands attention and defies us for the mere sake of being defiant. I hope I'm ready for this kind of rebellion, in the midst of sleeplessness that I'll be experiencing at the time.
But on the other hand, I know my son pretty well. He has a super sweet sensitive side. He's the kind of kid that loves almost to excess, who will run up in the middle of playing hard to give me a hug or lay his head against my leg for a second. He's the kind of kid who needs his alone time and sleep as much as he needs his attention. He won't be able to ignore these parts of him, and between the rebellious streaks, I think he will want to love on his brother. As they grow up together, I suspect that Patrick will be protective of his baby brother (who will probably be bigger than him by the time either starts school), even when he acts mad at him.
I'm not looking forward to the toddler rebellion or the sibling rivalry, but I can't wait to see my sweet little boy develop into the sweet big brother I know he can be.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Just When I Start to Forget
Patrick has been a more typical toddler lately, whining and throwing tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants, totally self-centered. But every so often he lets us see a glimpse of the sweet little boy hiding behind the toddler. Today I got several of those glimpses.
The first happened when we were playing together before his afternoon nap. He loved that I was on the floor with him--not an easy feat these days. He was rolling around being silly and accidentally hit me in the face while he did so. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but somehow he smashed my glasses into my face, hurting me. I took off my glasses and rubbed my face as I tried to recover. Patrick realized pretty quickly that he'd hurt me. I tried not to say anything to him to put blame on him because that tends to make him cry, and he really hadn't done anything wrong. Still, it was obvious he felt bad that I was hurt. He crouched down next to me, watching me carefully. Then he did the only thing he knew to do to comfort me. He told me, "It's okay!" in a loud singsong voice. And funny enough, after that it was. I had to smile at his response to my pain, and that made everything better for both of us.
Then tonight during dinner, I had trouble swallowing a bite of food and ended up coughing. Patrick didn't worry about me this time because I recovered quickly, but a minute later I caught him fake-coughing, badly, as he watched me to see my reaction. Of course I laughed. The rest of the night, any time either Matt or I coughed, Patrick would imitate us badly. He also started the coughing on his own if we weren't paying him attention at the moment. This is apparently the newest fun game. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all, isn't it?
The first happened when we were playing together before his afternoon nap. He loved that I was on the floor with him--not an easy feat these days. He was rolling around being silly and accidentally hit me in the face while he did so. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but somehow he smashed my glasses into my face, hurting me. I took off my glasses and rubbed my face as I tried to recover. Patrick realized pretty quickly that he'd hurt me. I tried not to say anything to him to put blame on him because that tends to make him cry, and he really hadn't done anything wrong. Still, it was obvious he felt bad that I was hurt. He crouched down next to me, watching me carefully. Then he did the only thing he knew to do to comfort me. He told me, "It's okay!" in a loud singsong voice. And funny enough, after that it was. I had to smile at his response to my pain, and that made everything better for both of us.
Then tonight during dinner, I had trouble swallowing a bite of food and ended up coughing. Patrick didn't worry about me this time because I recovered quickly, but a minute later I caught him fake-coughing, badly, as he watched me to see my reaction. Of course I laughed. The rest of the night, any time either Matt or I coughed, Patrick would imitate us badly. He also started the coughing on his own if we weren't paying him attention at the moment. This is apparently the newest fun game. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all, isn't it?
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