The Things They Do

Sunday morning I was doing my hair while Cheetah played in our bedroom.
(Lest you get any fanciful notions, I am not a 2-hours-plus-product-and-equipment kind of hair doing girl. I am a five-minutes-max-check-for-blemishes-ponytail-lip-gloss-and-mascara kind of girl.)
My hands are in the air with the elastic and the brush and I hear a splashing sound.
I turn around and Cheetah has come into the bathroom on silent feet, opened the toilet lid noiselessly (fortunately he does not know the seat lifts up as well), and he is playing in the water.
The toilet water.
I understand his being fascinated with the lid. He likes to flush too and I get that. I expect to have our water bill increase once he can open doors on his own. (We usually keep the bathroom doors closed.)
But when has he ever seen anyone put their hand *in* the toilet?

This is me wondering who he's copying.

And so it begins...

Here was my moment of Zen the other day. Moments like these are very poignant. On the one hand he is taking his first steps on the path to literacy and making some excellent decisions with his agency which makes me very proud. On the other hand he is only 15 months old and he doesn’t really know what he is doing. He is faithfully replicating what he has seen Jane and me do down to the cardboard briefcase in the foreground.  He sees me carrying my ledertasche when I come home from church functions and now he is following suit which makes me rather scared. I mean he is always watching, learning and observing. When I see him following my example, its like looking in a mirror and I have become very sensitive about the type of example that I lead.

At the same time it is very heartwarming seeing Ian following in our footsteps. He has always preferred to eat what he observes his parents are eating instead of generic baby food. Last night Jane made a very tasty and somewhat spicy, Asian, lettuce wrap dish. We were a little worried the chili peppers would be too much for him. Last summer the chicken at Chipotle was too much for him. But after watching us, he was scarfing the filling down with two hands.

 I have also noticed some similarities with his attitude towards sleep. In short, he resists the urge to slumber until it is physically impossible to do so. I actually do the same thing. I have always preferred to sleep as little as possible; I’ve been known to skip sleeping altogether when enthralled in a good book or computer game. Lately I’ve had some late nights were I’ve needed to unwind afterwards and ended up falling asleep while listening to a favorite podcast on the couch. I guess my age is showing.

It is refreshing to see the many things we have in common. I have so much I want to teach Cheetah and in addition to the many things that I enjoy about life, much of it will be things I always wanted to experience but never did or shortcomings of mine that I want to make sure he avoids. I am apprehensive about how this mix of old and new will be received and I am very glad at this early juncture we are speaking the same language. It bodes well for the future.

The End Of 2015

Apparently I took the month of December off from blogging...
All I can do is promise to do better next year.
In my defense, December is a crazy busy month anyway, and it takes longer to do things with Cheetah than it does alone.
That's the number one thing I've learned this year; to adjust my estimate for how long things take.
A brief recap:
I actually did well with getting Christmas presents purchased in a timely fashion this year. Granted, most of them were purchased online. I only made two forays into the humanity thronged stores this year and one trip was really brief once I realized normal stores don't sell suits for the tall, skinny person that is my baby brother.
Specialty store for him.
And bless me, I got Rocketgirl's present mailed in time for it to arrive by Christmas. That was a Christmas miracle in and of itself.
We also mailed Christmas cards to friends and family - something we haven't done in years, because why would we, we look the same relatively - and they should have arrived before the holiday too.
As per our usual, the Sunday before Christmas was our special musical sacrament meeting. I try to diversify; not ask the same people to do the same things year after year, and sometimes it brings surprises.
Sometimes it's a dud.
This year it went well for the most part. I do not know what to do about the Young Men and Women. I can't get them to sing loud enough for the first row to hear no matter what I do. The viola piece was good, Tarzan's piano solo was wonderful and the finale was excellent. (I might be a little biased, it was my second brother, singing "The Holy City.")
Christmas itself was lovely. Cheetah wasn't entirely sure what to do with the wrapped presents but he loved each one once it was open. Especially Mommy's muffin tins. He happily played with those for 20 minutes or more.
We went out to my parents' for the afternoon and dinner; it was good to see everyone and have the time removed from obligations and requirements.
Tonight is New Year's Eve and old fogeys we must be because Tarzan and I are sitting at home on the couch watching a movie. We will be drinking some Martinelli's though, so it's a party.

This is me and this is how we're ringing in the year.

Thanksgiving 2015

As mentioned last year; it's a whole new ball game.
I know it's cheesy but it's true, being a parent changes you and makes you look at things differently. (At least it has me.)
It's been a good year, crazy in some parts of the world - crazier in others - and this country sure ain't perfect, but our little lives are good. We are blessed and we try to bless others. It's all anyone can ask really.
These might be a bit of a cheat but it's my blog, so there.
I give you my three kernels of thanks:

1. I am thankful for Tarzan and Cheetah. Yes, they're in one entry. They are my family. The one I helped create and am charged with nurturing. I am thankful they are mine and are, respectively, so supportive and accommodating.
2. I am thankful for health. Mine, Tarzan's and Cheetah's. It's one of those things we can easily take for granted but I hear a lot of horrible stories about and from mothers with sick babies and hospital visits, teething nightmares and complicated births. I am thankful we are all healthy and able to work as needed.
3. I am thankful for the Gospel. The world is insane and people make poor choices because they don't know, or don't believe, in a different way. I am thankful I have been protected from many horrible actions and subsequent consequences because of what I have been taught and know to be true.

I whine a lot on this blog so I am also thankful for this opportunity every year to publicly write down and publish some of my many blessings.

This is me wishing you and yours a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Developmental

It's amazing the difference a single hour can make.
I always think changing the clocks for Daylight Savings is no big deal.
One hour?
Pshsht.
I can pass an hour no sweat in the course of a day.
But that single hour kicks my butt when we travel.
And poor Cheetah doesn't know what time to be hungry or tired and with all the cousins here to play and visit he's seriously out of his normal routine.
He is loving the attention though. And he's learning from his cousins.
We hadn't been in the house 20 minutes when I found him at the foot of the stairs with one knee up. I can see his brain figuring the advantage walking would give him and he's letting go of our hands and standing on his own for longer and longer periods of time.
We've only been here 36 hours!
I hope he's not bored when we go back to just three again.

This is me with pictures when I get to a computer.
(This post brought to you from my iPad)

Gotta Have It

What is it about the remote control - the remote control with the batteries removed for a piece of equipment no longer in use - that is so intensely fascinating the need to have it rises above all other objects in the house, including Mommy's keys and the toxic chemicals under the sink?

This is me wondering why we bother with toys?

Cheetah The First Year

Dear Cheetah,
Congratulations on making it through an entire year of the crazy life we live here in the Jungle.
It's amazing to think how much you've grown in such a short amount of time. (I'm your mother, expect me to say that a lot.)
Because you won't remember when you were only 8lbs 5ozs, and 21" long:

But I do.
And to see you now, 27lbs and 32" long, starting to walk and talk, expressing your opinion:

Is a major accomplishment. You're working so hard to grow up and I'm proud and sad at the same time. I've loved this last year. I'll miss the time we spent and the places we went. I look forward to new times and places.
And then there is your head.
That has always been big. Off the charts big.
Nana says it's all your brains. I hope so because goodness knows we've asked a lot of you already; Daddy being bishop and all, shifting schedules, sudden appointments, insane neighbors, tiny house, no heat or air conditioning. But you deal with it all cheerfully and willing to submit to whatever we dish out:

And there will be more to do and adjust to as you grow up and go out into the world. Be strong and continue to be happy:

We are here to help you, teach you, serve you, challenge you, encourage you, comfort you, love you.
It is a joy and a privilege to be here on your journey little baby. (Yes, you'll keep growing, you'll get bigger than me, and it'll exasperate you to no end, but you'll always be my little baby.)
Happy 1st Birthday Cheetah!

I love you.

This is me, your mom.

Sleep Little Baby

We were out shopping today, and while choosing an item, I glanced over to see Cheetah like this:

At first, I thought he had dropped one of our purchases.
Then I figured something was on the floor.
Took me a bit to figure out he was tired and resting his eyes.
Leaving to come home, we hadn't even left the parking lot before he was asleep.

This is me and it was adorable.

To Laugh Or Not To Laugh

It's a tough call whether to laugh or cuddle when my sneeze from the couch startles the baby so much it makes him cry.

This is me and he's tired. Clearly.

Open Wide

As has been mentioned in the past, Cheetah likes his food.
Graham crackers are a particular favorite - in part because they scratch his itchy gums I think. His teeth are soooooo slow coming in. Which is good on the one hand - no screaming nights and fevers - but it's a long, loooong, itchy process.
Apparently last Tuesday was a really bad day. He needed a few extra crackers to make it through:

This is me and I wonder how many he could get in there at once?

Mobile

As you may have guessed from the last post, Cheetah is crawling.
Sort of.
He does a sort of booty-scoot thing.
If I hadn't seen him standing and walking (holding on) I'd think there was something wrong with his left leg, the way he doesn't use it to crawl.
But with mobility comes so many new things to investigate.
Books that aren't his:

Daddy's paperwork:

Movies:

Toys in other rooms:

The kitchen sink:

The trash is a lot of fun:

Whatever that is:

And general stuff Mommy should have cleaned up years ago:

It's both exciting and terrifying to see him growing up like this. (Insert every mother's comment, "they grow up so fast!")
All I can think is that Thanksgiving is going to be interesting.
See, there are no stairs in our house.
But Gamma has two sets.

This is me and he's on the loose.

Rescue Recycling

Does anyone else put their old magazines and catalogues in a specific trash can, knowing that the baby will cruise by at some point and pull them out and shred them all over the floor, in the vain hopes that he won't pull other things - like the books and church magazines - off the shelf/end table and shred them all over the floor?

This is just me perhaps?

Sizing

So many cute clothes that fit right now! but are thermal or fleece lined or have jackets and things that are really too hot in 90+ degree heat.

This is me and what's a mother to do?

Summer Adventure #3

The last weekend of June we traveled to Salt Lake City for the wedding of a friend of Tarzan's family.
It was Cheetah's first time on a plane and other than the eternal taxiing of the aircraft that caused him to finish nursing before we actually took off, I feel he weathered it well:

And despite his screaming for the first third of the flight waiting for his ears to pop, once he had adjusted, he charmed everyone, including the flight attendants and gossiping college girls sitting behind us.
The wedding was on Saturday but we left the Jungle Thursday night to spend some time with Tarzan's brother Phatfiddle, Liezel and their family on Friday.
We met in the morning for some play time and catching up. (It's been a while since we've seen them.)
**I must apologize for my distinct lack of photos on this trip. I was intently focused on Cheetah having a positive experience and making sure he slept, which he does not like to do when there is new stuff to see. And this whole trip had a lotta new.**
We stopped for lunch on our way to a local farm/petting zoo and sadly for Cheetah, Daddy was not sharing his hamburger:

 

No matter how long and hard he stared:

Liezel and Phatfiddle's children are almost 5 and 3 so while Cheetah was a novelty at the farm, he was not much good for playing:

He was slightly interested in the geese:

But no one looked as cute in their hat as this kid:

I am *so very* thankful that Cheetah sleeps well at night because he doesn't nap well during the day, even when we're home and it's boring. He did sleep good Friday night which was excellent as Saturday was the day and it was both lovely and busy.
The happy couple:

At the wedding luncheon our family contingent took up an entire table:

The food was very picturesque:

(And, thanks to Gamma, Cheetah got to try roasted red peppers and pistachios that day. (There was a romesco sauce on the chicken.) Mommy was mean and drew the line at the chocolate pudding.)
He also ate his own food:

But all eating stopped when Uncle Phatfiddle pulled out the violin:

During the actual wedding, Mommy and Cheetah hung around outside and despite all the cool sites to see:

Cheetah got bored - it was a Saturday in June after all, so the temple was a little backed up, but we amused ourselves as best we could:

Cheetah discovered that Gamma wears a lot of really cool adornments:

And she's always good for a cuddle:

There was a reception following the wedding but Tarzan - being bishop - needed to be back for early morning meetings on Sunday so we dashed off to the airport to catch our flight:

Cheetah was exhausted, so he slept most of the way home and didn't even wake up when I moved him from the car seat to his bed.

This is me and it was a big adventure.

He'll Wait For Me

So it's only been three months since I did a post of significance about Cheetah and his growth and development. But babies don't change that much in three months right?
Right?!?!
(Shut up.)
So let's see where we are:

At the end of March, my family went north to see my brother and his family for his daughter's baptism:

The drive is about 8 hours one way and Tarzan had to work on the Friday - the baptism was Saturday morning - so we drove it straight through.
It was Cheetah's first road trip and he handled it remarkably well I thought:

Especially given his attitude towards nursing at that time.
Which was angry.
He'd start nursing, then after a minute or two, stop and scream, then try again, then stop and scream, then refuse to eat at all. We tried a number of things but he was just mad. As in, he was mad he wasn't getting enough to eat from it.
His four month appointment was in the middle of March and the doctor thought he was a little light - he weighed as much at 4 months as my baby brother did, at birth - so she recommended we try solid food. Cereal, applesauce, the usual, and there has been no question that was the right call.
Before starting 'real' food:

After:

He's much happier - as is the doctor who was pleased to see him on the growth chart at his six month appointment - and Cheetah has even returned to nursing regularly and pleasantly.
On the whole, he's a very cheerful baby:

Tarzan asks me periodically if a baby can be "too happy." I don't think so, but complete strangers will stop us while shopping to comment how "zen" he is.
On the way home from the road trip we stopped to see ATL:

Tarzan got in some performance art:

It was a nice trip.
April started out with Gamma visiting her sister's house, down south of us, and we got to visit. Tarzan did some work:

And Gamma got some baby:

I decided that as Cheetah was 5 months old he could probably start wearing his 3-6 month clothing. (Since I finally remembered it was there and put them on the shelf.)

He's almost grown out of some of them already...May was a month of achievements. We learned that Cheetah is a man of decisiveness. He does what he needs to, when he wants to.
And he can't be pushed to do it sooner.

Tarzan posted about Cheetah learning to sit up. Literally the day before (Thursday) he was falling forward on his face, or sideways, or backwards when put in a sitting position. Friday, he was good with it and hasn't slumped over since.
Similar case with rolling over back-to-front. He learned the front-to-back thing months ago and we joked he may never learn to go the other way - he doesn't like tummy time, still - but Wednesday this last week he was playing on his back and his toy got just out of his reach, so he rolled all the way over to get it and then rolled back. I almost missed it, it was such a fluid, quick effort.
The good news; once he does it, he can do it again:

He loves food and hasn't refused anything yet. He eats baby cereal - plus Mommy's Cheerios - applesauce, pears, prunes, bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans and the baby 'cookies,' with great delight:

Carrots will come next. One day he was greatly interested in Mommy's lunch and helped himself:

Without teeth he could only drool on it but he went at it for a good 20 minutes.
Another day it was an apple slice:

He has discovered his tongue in the last few weeks and spends a lot of his time practicing "spitting" while we drive, or sit in church, or have family prayer or whatever.
We moved Cheetah out of our room and into his own this week. Interestingly, he has slept through every night since. It's weird, but despite the monitor and the fact he's only 8 feet down the hall, I sort of miss him. The first night - though he slept soundly - I did not. I must have woken up three times to go and check on him and make sure the monitor was working properly.
So irritated with myself.
It doesn't make noise when they baby is asleep Jane...

This is me, also learning new things.