A cute little fireman

B-Boy is moving to a new classroom this week. They are transitioning him incrementally, taking him for a few hours at first and each day keeping him longer. He is loving the time in the new room, and today stayed until after lunch. Tomorrow, he will stay through nap time before returning to his previous room.

He is ready to move up, and all of us know it. I am sad to say goodbye to his room and his teachers, but I think that they may miss him more! So, I thought it would be nice to dress him up extra cute for his last few days in the room, just for them. A way to remember him, so to speak.

When I dropped him off today, they loved his outfit. How could you not love a cute little fireman? One of the teachers took some photos, but B-Boy kept trying to grab the camera.

I snapped some photos tonight so you could see it too. Enjoy!

How you doin'?

I'm so cute, I'm BLAISEN'!

Time to practice fire drills!

Lap 1000. Done. 

I am one fit fireman!

The meaning of GA!

More and more, B-Boy says GA! It means many things, as I have reported previously. Mostly it means- you take this, and goodbye.

But for the past few days, it has meant something else. But before I tell you what that means, let me back up. We have a door-less cart in the kitchen that we primarily reserve for B-Boy. We stock the bottom shelf with things that would be interesting to him, but not cause too much harm or worry. Things that are there currently include reusable water bottles, the water bottles lids which are great fun to play with, a remote for the Roomba and his bottles of his favorite snacks- which are puffs. The puffs containers are filled to different levels, and make a great sound when shaken. The water bottles are various shapes and sizes; several bottles are metal and a few are plastic. Some have a hard texture, and others are soft. The water bottles are also fun to put things in, his pacifier is a big favorite- and then he can play can I get this out of the bottle?

Two days ago, I added to the items on B-Boy's shelf. Another favorite treat for B-Boy are Apple Cinnamon wagon wheels made by Gerber. They are nice to hold, crunchy without being hard, and large enough to keep him munching happily for a while. The container also makes great noise when shaken, as the top is made of rubber and the bottom is made of metal. The container is a short, fat cylinder that is large but manageable for B-Boy.

Now back to the story and why I think GA! has another meaning.

The other night, B-Boy finished his dinner, and then it was time to play. He quickly found the cylinder of wagon wheels and picked it up. He palmed the container, and crawled into the living room where I was sitting on the floor. He got to my lap, and sat down. He looked up at me with his big blue eyes, lifted the container and said "GA!".

At first I thought he wanted me to shake it to make a fun noise.Um, no.

Then I thought, "Does he want a wheel? Is he trying to ask me to give him one?" So, I opened the lid and turned the container toward him. He then reached in, selected one, put it in his mouth and CRUNCH! A few moments later, it was gone.

"GA!", he said.

"Another one?", I said and offered the container to him. Another was selected and consumed, followed by another.

Then last night, he did it again with the container of O's and also the puffs. He has mastered the new meaning of GA! and also that he can ask for what he wants. This realization is HUGE.

I think this is coming because he sees the other kids in the new class ask for things and get them. We shall see. I am enjoying the progression, and hope you are too!

No more Bottles for B-Boy

I waited to share this news with you to be sure that it was working.

At the time of our 11 month meeting with his teachers, B-Boy was getting two bottles a day. The first was in the morning when he woke. The second was in the evening, right before bed. At daycare, he drinks from a cup.

At the meeting, his teacher mentioned that since he was drinking so well from the cup that we should go ahead and stop the bottles. We immediately stopped the morning one. I missed the morning cuddle, but B-Boy seemed to make that transition pretty well, consuming many a pancake instead.

He remained getting one bottle a day, right before bed for two reasons. First, I really enjoyed the last moment of cuddle time with him. It was the one time of the day that B-Boy would get snuggley and we would have some quality time together. Second, I had several business trips in October and November. I didn't want Neb to have to deal with the transition or any possible negative repercussions, with me out of town, so we decided to wait.

Last weekend, we decided it was time to stop the bottle. I admit, I thought it would be a difficult process. Thankfully, I was wrong. On Friday, I gave him a bath, got him dressed, read him a story and gave him a pacifier. I neared the crib and baby boy leaned toward it, clearly ready to go to sleep. I obliged and put him in... B-Boy grasped the extra pacifiers in the crib and proceeded to fall fast asleep.

He has done this every night for the past 9 days. We got lucky, he made the trasition really easy for us. His teachers were right, he was ready to get off the bottle.

We also stopped the Soy formula, and started him on Lactose-free milk (Lactaid). He is making that transition really well too. We have struggled with his milk allergy, and have had to go back to the Soy Formula several times. If the Lactaid doesn't agree with him we will try Soy milk. Fingers crossed that this goes as well as the transition off the bottle!

Another milestone he passed? At daycare, they were finally able to turn his crib around so that one side is open. That did not go so well the last time, but last week they tried again. One day, he was misbehaving (a sure sign he is tired!) and so his teacher opened the door to the classroom so he could go back inside. He crawled to his crib, put his pacifier in his mouth, crawled in and lay down to take a nap. He has slept with one wall open ever since. YAY! That should make the transition to the cot a lot easier in his new class room.

The last item we will need to transition off will be the pacifier. I don't think any of us are ready for that, and daycare has said we should target around 18 months of age to have him stop using it. Yikes. I trust their advice, they have guided us well up to this point. It will be here before we know it, but I for one don't want to rush that one.

Walk, Do Not Run

This week, B-Boy has been walking like  CRAZY .

He is walking longer, stronger and more frequently. He has gone from walking with 4 steps, to 8 steps, to 22 steps... to too many steps to count!

As the week progressed, his balance got better and he started pivoting on his feet to turn. Then came pulling up to take off walking. He started with getting help from us, to pulling up on chairs, to now getting up on his own with nothing around. He will squat to pick something up and then POP!, up he goes. Or, if he falls, will get on all fours with his feet flat on the floor. Then, POP!, up he goes.

He is so proud of himself too. He gets a huge smile on his face and makes a noise HA! that lets you know how pleased he is with himself.  Of course, every time I took out the video camera, he would immediately fall down and start crawling. I don't think he wants you to see his new trick!

But rest assured, people have seen it, and he showed off while GranE was here. I hope to get some footage for you soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This was B-Boy's second Thanksgiving, and it was a good one.

Last year, B-Boy was swaddled in the My Little Lamb swing in the living room. He slept most of the day, and we were able to have a nice dinner in the dining room between his feedings. We were frazzled, and appreciated being able to eat the entire meal uninterrupted. The holiday stands out because it was the first holiday that we dressed B-Boy in costume. (Halloween didn't count because you are SUPPOSED to dress up for that holiday!)

The costume won the award for "Best use of Felt"... and still makes me smile.

Gobble Gobble!

This Thanksgiving was a great one. GranE was here for the first time for this holiday. My mom was still feeling sick, so she was unable to join us. The day went well, GranE and Neb took B-Boy for a walk and then played golf while he took a nap. When they returned, the turkey was finished cooking and we were able to have a nice quiet meal while B-Boy slept.

He had a nice snack of Eggplant when he woke and when it was time for dinner, he feasted on Turkey, baked beans (which is a huge favorite of both Neb and B-Boy), and applesauce. He really enjoyed it, and went on a sugar high afterward. The sugar crash came hard, and he fell asleep shortly after 7.

All in all a great day. We all had fun, and enjoyed the time we spent together. GranE goes home tomorrow, and will be missed. We look forward to her next visit.

Meeting the New Teacher

On Friday the 19th, we met B-Boy's new teachers. B-Boy has spent some time with them, but this was our first opportunity to meet with them. There are eight kids in the class, two teachers and one aid that floats between the two adjoining rooms.

He moves up to his new class on the 29th of this month, and has been lucky to be able to go visit the new room several times to play. His new teacher is a sweetie, and his current head teacher says she thinks it is a good match. We talked about B-Boy's likes and dislikes, and what we could expect in the new room. I almost jumped for joy when I heard that I would be able to go and play with him in the room. It was my understanding that I would not be able to do so. So YAY! I am really looking forward to playing with him there.

After we got to know each other, we got to see his new room. There are no cribs in the room, so there is lots of room to run around and play. They have cots for nap time that are stored in a closet when not in use. The cots are like a plastic frame that lays flat on the floor, which surprised me because I thought they would be raised. I can't wait to see how B-Boy does without the restriction of walls to his bed. I am not so sure that is going to be easy.

The kids also get to go outside to play on the playground... but in order to do so he has to wear shoes.

So later in the week... in he went with his new shoes. I took him to the new room to play, and all the kids were going outside to the playground. We went out to join them and I am so glad we did. It was a beautiful day, with a high of 74 degrees and B-Boy was able to play comfortably without a jacket.

He had a blast pushing a toy around the playground and I just love the look of pure joy on his face on the bottom one. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Now this... THIS is fun!!!

B-Boy gets a haircut

Actually, he got several of them cut! Hee hee.

GranE and I took B-Boy to get his first official haircut this week. I have cut his hair several times at home but now that he is mobile it is much more difficult (and dangerous!). He turns his head so quickly to see what Mommy has in her hand, and will take off if not strapped into his high chair. Just not good.

And, he was in great need of a haircut. So, off to Sports Clips we went. I thought that the TVs, football on said TVs and all the bright colors would distract him long enough to get his hair cut. They took him right away, and we decided the best way would be for B-Boy to sit in my lap. GranE was sweet enough to take photos for us.

A gown was wrapped around his neck, and he sat down quietly, taking everything in. To be sure he was comfy, I gave him a pacifier, which worked like a charm. The woman who cut his hair was really sweet and patient... but most importantly- FAST!

She cut one side, and then I moved him to sit on the other leg, so that he could get the other side cut. No complaints. YAY!

Then she cut the top, front and then the back. All was well until the very end.

When she brought out the clippers. B-Boy tolerated the clippers for a few moments, and then crawled up my lap to put his head above my shoulders. She finished pretty quickly and then brought out the hair dryer to get the fallen pieces of hair off of him. Big mistake, because the melt down began.

He started to cry, and then we decided we were indeed done. GranE took him outside while I paid the good folks at Sports Clips. It was a great haircut, and I cannot get over how much older he looks now!

What do you think?

How do I look?

Thoughts from GranE

YAY! GranE came to visit for Thanksgiving, and B-Boy is so excited she is here. She has been here for the week, and goes home Friday morning.

The visit has been a good one, especially because GranE and Neb have been able to play golf several times while she is here.

I asked her to jot down her impressions of B-Boy since she doesn't see him everyday. She was nice enough to put her thoughts to the blog! Thanks GranE... I really appreciate it.

My impressions of B-Boy

He’s certainly well-adjusted.  He is happy most of the time, engaged in things around him, and receptive to all manner of attention.  He laughs readily.  He seems to have a  lot of self confidence and easily responds to changes in his environment.  He can go from crying to calm in a very short time.  He’s not shy.  The new experience with the haircut shows quite a lot about him.  It was a completely new environment, but Mommy was there to talk with him and smile at him.  He tolerated getting his hair combed, being moved from side to side so that the hairdresser could get to the other side, and kept pretty still while using his pacifier.  He only fussed when the clippers were about to be used on his neck and when the blow dryer was put on.  


All in all, a confident little boy who can tackle new adventures with a minimum of unhappiness.  He loves to play and seeks attention from Mom and Dad.  He seems very attentive and bright.  He’s not as shy as his Dad was when Neb was that age.  Neb let others take over and I don’t think B-Boy will do that.  

He’s absolutely gorgeous.  Great smile.  Beautiful body.  He seems to have gotten a terrific start in life and there’s no reason to think that he won’t achieve great things and have fun while doing it.  Mom will make him sensitive to others, and Dad will make him laugh at everything.  

GranE

Thanks GranE... We really appreciate it. It is nice to hear another perspective! And for those of you wondering about the hairdresser, the story is coming in a blog post. I promise!

As usual, I snapped a photo of them. And in case you are wondering, he does not have a UNI-Brow... he bonked himself with a cup that gave him a bruise on the bridge of his nose.

I like playing with GranE! 

I'm bigger than I was last time, right GranE?

B-Boy breaks new records at daycare

If you recall, I mentioned previously that B-Boy's teacher has worked in the daycare at my work for over 20 years. We all thought she had already seen it all.

She told me last week that B-Boy has broken some records in the room. Some I had thought, but others were a surprise.

First, a few weeks ago, B-Boy started pulling tissues out of the tissue box at school. You must understand why this is impressive... the box is attached to the wall, about the height of chair rail. His teacher said this is the first time a child has messed with the tissues. They had to turn the box sideways to deter him from messing with it.

Six months ago, I asked his teachers if they have ever had a child outgrow the cribs. "Oh no!" they said, "The cribs are large, and they have plenty of room. Most of them end up sleeping with their legs tucked under."  Well, last week his teacher informed me that B-Boy is close to outgrowing the crib. She said you can BARELY fit your hand between his foot and the crib. And that is with his head touching the other side of the crib. CRAZY.

This week I went and bought B-Boy a good pair of shoes. Up to this point, I had been getting them at Target.knowing that since he wasn't walking, they were just there to get him used to wearing them. But now that he is walking, proper shoes are needed. We went to the Stride Rite store and they measured B-Boy's feet. And his shoe size broke another record for the teacher... he is now a SIX and a HALF!!!! We left with a cute pair, with sturdy, flexible soles. Now B-Boy can go out an play on the playground with the other kids in the next classroom.

I am sure there are other records, but that is all I can think of for now!

More learning opportunities

B-Boy is learning stuff like crazy! I thought I would take a moment to update you on his progress.

I noticed that B-Boy turns his face away from the sun in the car. I am not sure when he learned that he could control that, but it is fun to watch him move his head around until the sun is not blinding him. He hates that.

He also has mastered getting in and out of his chair... you know the little red one he loves so much? He pulls himself into it now, and can also get out of it. He is mastering more and more things that HE wants to do, which is fun to watch.

He is also mimicking us more now, showing his awareness of others. We took him for a walk on Halloween, and I used his Sun-ray hat (which was just foam I cut out into a hat) to put my face through the hole. When I handed it to him, he started putting his head through the hole, giggling the entire time at his cleverness.

And then there was the day he climbed the stairs. Yep, all the way to the top! I stood at the top and Neb was behind him supervising... And just like that, he climbed up to the top. And then took off down the hall to get something fun from his room. We normally have the baby gate to restrict him going up, but thought we would see how far he would go... neither Neb nor myself believed he would go higher than halfway!

He is also walking more, we counted 22 steps taken yesterday. Baby boy is standing more on his own and wants to walk! He is doing it more and more, and doesn't seem to mind when his bottom hits the ground. Good thing, because it happens quite a bit!

B-Boy starts his new class on November 29th. He has been visiting for the last week, and we believe that playing with the bigger kids has him motivated to do more than before! We are hoping the transition goes well and will keep you posted.

Going to Baltimore

My last conference for the year is in Baltimore this week. Since I have been sick, I decided to drive. Also, my family is originally from Baltimore, so I thought there might be things I would want to do, and having a car would help me do that!

The drive was beautiful, all the trees were in spectacular color... reds, yellows and oranges dotted with an occasional green tree was a fantastic site to see! As I entered Washington, DC I was reminded of several things.

First, I saw the National Monument and the Capital from the Woodrow Wilson bridge. The sight of the Monument made me giggle, because when I was a kid my sister and I always referred to it as the big crayon. (Although it looks more like a white pencil... but who's counting?)

My Dad used to take us to DC when we were little. He loves history, and would take us to the Smithsonian. We used to love playing on the giant dinosaurs out front, stare at the GIANT blue whale hanging from the ceiling in the blue room, and to use the phone in front of the big mammoth in the entrance way.

Sadly, the dinosaurs were removed after a child fell and his father (who was a lawyer) got involved. They are now housed in the dinosaur exhibit, which is much less fun. The Mammoth is gone too, but I don't know why. The whale remains, as big as ever. There was always something cool to see at the Smithsonian.

But back to the story.

My attention was drawn to the other side of the bridge... to the newly developed National Harbor. My company's largest conference was held there in the spring of 2009, and it was the last time I drove that road. What is significant with that? I was almost 3 months pregnant with B-Boy! 

Many memories of that trip came to mind, like all the food I loaded in the cooler to be sure I could have enough to eat without drawing too much attention. (We hadn't told folks yet that we were expecting!) Or the fire alarm that went off at 4am... and not being able to go back to sleep afterward! It was really neat to shift from thinking about my childhood to a time right before B-Boy arrived, to now, where he is 13 months old! 

I arrived in Baltimore with little fanfare, and was shocked to see how much the Inner Harbor has changed since I was a child. But more on that later!

A new meaning of GA!

I mentioned in a post last month, B-Boy uses GA! quite a bit.

He would hand his pacifier to us and declare GA! which we assumed meant "I would like you to have this, but don't go to far because I want it right back!" I talked to his teachers about it, and they remarked that they hadn't noticed. Since then, they say he says GA! all the time.

Which is great, only I think that I had the meaning wrong.

This week, B-Boy started waving Bye-Bye. We have been working on it for awhile, but he is finally getting the concept of waving. I was leaving daycare with him the other day, and his teacher stopped to chat. As we parted, I said "Bye-Bye" in a singsong voice. His teacher waved, and he started waving back!!!

I took him home, and showed Neb, who was as amazed and excited as I was when B-Boy started waving. He has done it more and more since then (it's now our favorite trick), but has coupled it with an enthusiastic GA! His wave is usually a bit delayed, but if you wave and say GA! he waves immediately.


Which I hope does not mean, I am done with you... Thanks! Bye-Bye! Because the more I think about it, the more that makes sense. I hope I am thinking to much about this... because the last thing he said before he went to sleep was GA!

B-Boy is moving up!

I picked up B-Boy from daycare yesterday. One of his teachers greeted me and told me that we finally have a date for B-Boy to move to the next class.

I already knew he was at the top of the list. His class is meant for infants, and B-Boy is so much a toddler that it is not funny. He is the only boy in the class now, and L-Girl (who is three weeks older than he is) is moving up on the 15th of this month. We have known this for awhile, but have not had any word on when B-Boy would move up.

So I was really surprised to hear we had a date. He is moving up just after Thanksgiving... to the same room that KidN' is in! YAY! So he will be reunited with one of his buddies, and I hear the teacher is wonderful! He already visited the room when KidN' would visit (they don't take them cold turkey, but rather take them up there for a few hours to get used to it). So he has been in the room, has seen the teachers, and has a known friend who he has played with for 10 months.

I am really excited, because he would do well to be around the bigger kids. And, his poor teachers have a real challenge keeping the infants content, and balancing B-Boy with that. I don't know how they do it.

As excited as I am for him to be exposed to new things, I am really sad to have to say goodbye to his teachers. They have become extended family. I can ask them anything, and they give me such great (and non-judgmental) advice. They might look at some of the food I send in as strange, but they have always given it to him enthusiastically.

They love our little boy something fierce. We all will miss them terribly. But the good news is that I can always take them back for a visit... which they made me promise.

Neb's Watch

When Neb committed to run in the half-marathon, he was looking for a cool new toy to help him.

That's Neb. The first thing he bought when we found out about B-Boy was a high-tech video monitor, one that could have up to 8 cameras. And it displayed in color, with infra-red technology to see at night, and yes, with the capability to be shown on our TV downstairs. He loves gadgets, and if it helps him get excited about something important, then I am all for it. (Just don't ask me how much the video thingy cost!)

So he found this watch, that had a GPS monitor in it, that would track how far and fast Neb ran. Pretty neat, especially when he was out in California with no knowledge of how far things were. Neb was sure to strap his watch on before the race and to set it as he ran past the starting line.

On Monday, he sent me an email with the data pulled from the watch. You can see the route he ran, the changes in elevation (in green), and his pace (in blue). I thought it was pretty cool, and wanted to share it with you. You can click on it to see it larger.

And a more detailed view:

Did I mention how proud of him I am? The gadget must have worked, because now he is talking about doing another one in February! B-Boy and his shirt will be ready. I hope Neb is!

An Early Morning with a Purpose

Thank goodness for the time change, seriously.

This morning came early, but thankfully because today was the time change to sleep an extra hour, it didn't come as early as it could. You see, we were up at 5am to go to something quite special. (And, no, it was not a sale!)

B-Boy even wore a special turtleneck shirt to mark the occasion. His shirt said:

Today, Neb ran in his first half marathon. Today was the City of Oaks marathon in Raleigh, and Neb committed over the summer to run in the half one. He lost about 45 pounds in the process, and ended up having to stop training a month ago. He got a bad case of planters factitious and was unable to run for the last month. So, you can understand that he was a little nervous about running 13.1 miles!!!

It started at NC State's extension campus, headed toward downtown before turning back to the State Fairgrounds. We got there about a half an hour before the race began, and Neb quickly got his stuff ready, like his mp3 player, his Gu (a really gross energy gel), his gloves and head-wrap. It was really cold (about 32 degrees when we arrived) and so those last two items were very important!

While Neb went to concentrate on the race, I got B-Boy out of the car so he could go cheer on his Daddy. Thankfully, MacFamily had given B-Boy a new coat set for his birthday, which came in handy. He had on the fleece undervest, the coat, mittens and hat. I put a blanket over his lap and feet, but in true B-Boy fashion, he kept kicking it off. (Which is exactly what he did as a little baby, he always hated having his feet constricted...) I put him in the stroller, tried to suppress a giggle, and took a photo for you. He reminds me of the kid from the movie The Christmas Story, you know, the one in the coat?

I can't move my arms!

The start was very exciting- the announcer kept telling us how many minutes until the start of the race over the loudspeaker. And then, it was time to start! The runners lined up, the gun went off, and the race began! I had no idea where in the pack that Neb was, so I just kept clicking my camera whenever I saw someone in bright lime green. And then, THERE HE WAS!!!

Hi Daddy, go Daddy!

After Neb ran by, we headed back to the car. B-Boy sang most of the way back, which made me feel better about the fact that it was so cold- he was happy. I then took him to the bagel place to warm up, and to eat some more breakfast!

B-Boy did so good eating there, and I am not sure who loves buttered Egg bagels more, B-Boy or his Daddy. Lots of people were there and asked about his nifty shirt.

Mmmm... I like Egg Bagels!

After we ate, I headed out to see if I could get around the road closures to find a spot to cheer on Neb. Sadly, I had just parked when Neb went by- he saw us, but we missed him. I didn't know that at the time, so we ended up standing on the side of the road cheering folks on until I figured we missed him and headed to the finish line. (It was hard to know how fast he would go with an injured foot, and without being able to run for the last month!) It felt good to cheer for folks I did not know, they seemed to appreciate the support. We will have to do that again!

The temperature had also warmed up a bit, so B-Boy got a bit more room as the coat was replaced with a fleece jacket. But I am getting off track- back to Neb's race.

Mommy, where is Daddy?

We once again just missed Neb at the finish line by MINUTES. Why? I honestly didn't think he would keep the pace he did! He finished the race in under 2 hours and 30 minutes!!! CRAZY! His pace was just over an 11 minute mile, which I think is remarkable. B-Boy wasn't sure what to make of his lime-green Daddy, but the photo is priceless.

Hey, look what I got!

Mommy, distract Daddy, I want that shiny thing!

I am so very proud of Neb. I never would have thought he would do something like this. And he killed it. (We are thankful it didn't kill him!) So you can understand why we weren't too upset about getting up so early- Daddy did it!