Catch Up

Hi Everyone,

It's been so long!  I think I even lost two followers in my absence...maybe three. 

Where do I even begin?  I guess I'll dive right into what I've been thinking about over the past few days.

Parenthood is no easy thing!  And the funny thing is, when you have a newborn/infant, you think it is sooo hard.  You keep waiting for it to get easier.  In our case, Jack had problems with chronic kidney infections and ear infections (still dealing with the ear infections), so it was really more than just constant crying...in many ways, it did get easier.  But I think all along when I've been telling people, "Don't worry, it gets easier!"  Or all along when I've been thinking to myself, this is getting easier, I really was meaning to say and think, "This is so much more fun!" 

Because it does not get easier!  It gets harder!  My friend told me that when Jack was a newborn.  She said, "Yes, its hard, and it never gets easier!"  I was mad at her for saying that.  Now, I understand.  It actually gets harder in a lot of ways.  I officially have a "toddler" and he is quite good at manipulating us.  Every chance he gets he tries out a new whine or tantrum style...I do my best not to respond to those attempts because I worry he'll put one in his back pocket to use again and think, "This one's a keeper!"  He moves CON.STANT.LY.  When Jack is awake, he is NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER still.  He won't watch TV, he will hardly read a book (although, he is beginning to have much more interest in books), he won't just sit around with us...he is CONSTANTLY on the move.

Did I blog about the day he fell down the stairs?  Well the night before was awful, I was exhausted by all his wakings...when he woke up, we turned on the TV and he played while I watched TV.  I keep wondering, Did I forget I had a child for a couple minutes there?  B/c next thing I know, he's sprawled at the bottom of our stairs (only 6, but wood), crying.  Huge bruise on his forehead.  He had been practicing climbing stairs but had not quite mastered going down them...who knew you have to go backwards?  He didn't.  He has finally at 12 months mastered both up and down, I still have to watch him like a hawk though...because he likes to get on one stair, then start crawling across that stair length wise, and more than once I've had to catch him as he starts to fall.  He is a climber!  He is now trying to turn the knobs of the stove (gas)...he also empties my cabinets which is fine but he will freak if he can't turn the lid of a big pot to fit it out of the space.  He moves my furniture around.  I could keep going.  My point is, you can never ever relax b/c if you do, your kid may fall down the stairs and you'll feel awful.  Ironically, at his 1 yr appt, he wouldn't sit still.  Even the doctor commented on it (as he was trying to pull picture frames off the wall)...as he was crawling around, he fell to the side and sort of hit his head on the floor.  Well, Jack is always hitting his head...I don't know if its too big or what (99th percentile), but I was like, "Oh, shake it off kid!"  Well the nurse was like, oh no where did he hit?  Do you want me to bring ice? (I'm thinking, yeah RIGHT do you think he'll sit for me to put ice on his head????)  Then the doctor comes in and keeps checking it out.  I'm thinking, oh wow, you guys have nooooooooo idea.  Anyway, my friend was right, it never gets easier, but it does get a lot more fun.

We started a new daycare, it is AMMMMAAAAZING.  They threw a valentines day party for all the kids and each kid got to take home two balloons.  They threw him a birthday party (so cute, I'll post the video)...they work wit him on potty training, teach baby sign language, etc. etc.  I love it.  Jack does too.

He started walking...he took his first few steps at 10 1/2 months...at 12 months (exactly) he started really walking a lot more...and now at 12 1/2 months, he won't walk.  Whatever!  He demands to be carried...all 27 lbs 7 1/2 oz of him.

More later.