conversations with invisible pigs and sheep

Last night was a disaster in the sleep department. Because I had one little iced tea around ten, I didn’t get to sleep until after one.

Colin woke up around four, soaking wet. So, I changed him, went back to sleep. He woke up again around five, just because. I got him to lie down, but then he freaked again as soon as I was back in bed.

All of a sudden it’s 8.15, and Don is back upstairs ready to leave for work, wanting to know if he can go get Colin to say good-bye. I told him fine, but warned him that since he’s could be facing disaster, if Colin has been awake and alone for any period of time.

Sure, enough, the diaper is off again, although it and the surroundings are dry. I was ready to put on his diaper but did the math in my head aobut how long he’d been dry, and asked him if he wanted to use the potty.

He said yes, so I toke him in and sat him down. Nothing happened. So I got him up and he turns around to face the potty, and claims, “I’m peeing”. And yes he is, standing up, just like big brother Jim!

We just missed our chance to try #2 on the potty, but that could be asking for too much at this stage.

It was hot this weekend. We survived Saturday in the high 80’s without the A/C. It creeped up into the nineties yesterday, and we got through the day. At bedtime for the boys, we decided we could hang in. They went to bed with their doors open, to promote airflow, and we went about our evening.

I came inside and Colin was complaining and calling for me. I went in to see him, and he was pretty warm. I’m not surprised, given that two sides of his cribs are solid, and one is facing the window, his only chance for a breeze. So I decided that the AC would go on, which meant I had to crawl up through the access in Colin’s ceiling to get to the attic and change the filter on the furnace. In the meantime, Colin is still complaining, now because he’s “wet” (he points to his belly). His diaper is dry — he’s complaining of the sweat on his belly, and demands a new onesie (and gets PJs at the same time).

Fast forward to this morning. Jim is up and about, and I go to get Colin. His band-aid is missing. Not a surprise, we’ve been having a problem finding the right size for coverage without covering his eyebrows or eyelids. But a have to do a double-take — HIS STITCHES ARE GONE TOO! The little bugger undid the knots and pulled out the stitches.

On the phone, the doctor didn’t believe me. She said that they hear that, and then find the stitches. But I brought them in (found them in the crib, and Jim found the band-aid on his back) and she told me to keep them for his baby book. He’s got steri-strips now, and they have at least survived his nap this afternoon.

Colin has a new phrase too — “I can’t carry you right now” when he wants to be carried. Wonder how he picked that one up…

Year Zero:

Year Two:

Year Three:

Colin has them. It started last week ago with “Jim sad”. Yesterday it was “o peez” (open please), and today he kept bugging me with “wa peez” (water please).

I read in one of the parents magazines that I’e been getting (for free, for Jim’s school phonics projects) that kids are supposed to say two word phrases by two years old. So he’s got that going for him.

On the sleep front, things are actually awesome. Colin is sleeping through the night. I’m not waking up in the middle of the night, which is better. He still wakes up cranky when he doesn’t get enough sleep (for naps and night-time), and he’s been waking up before Jim goes to school this week. But as long as you follow the routine (two stories, two songs, sitting on the floor), he goes to bed happy. Laughing even. The big cutie.

I finished Colin’s hat yesterday. It fits him perfectly.

All of a sudden, Colin’s noises have become words.

There are three somewhat discernable D-words: Dad, Duck, and Dalek. It’s all about the context. Going up or down the stairs = Dalek (as in, the Dalek that watches over the foyer). In the boys’ bathroom = Duck (as in, ducks everywhere). That big guy = Dad.

Oh, and Dog showed up today. He was fussing after dinner, but Jim was still eating. I put a dog picture up on the screen, and he started talking to it.

Is Colin somewhere he shouldn’t be, like the laundry room or Dad’s office? “Out, out”. Is he holding something he shouldn’t have? “‘mote, ‘mote”.

The other day, I think we were at the mall (? I am losing my mind), he saw a cat and meowed at it.

And lastly, there is “I, I, I” (ice) to go in his (and Jim’s and mine and Dad’s) “jus, jus”.

We haven’t been posting much because we’ve been enjoying nice weather, and plating gardens, flying kites, and cooking.

I had my relaxing mother’s day on saturday, and got some sewing done. A purse and a linen skirt.

Yesterday we had a “from scratch” mother’s day dinner — pasta primavera with shrimp, homemade dinner rolls, homemade cake with homemade chocolate frosting. OK, so the pasta was from a box.

Today, Jim’s school was closed — rainstorm caused electrical problems, so we were looking forwards to a VERY quiet day, but then Dad needs a suit drycleaned by tomorrow, so out we went.

To make the most of our trip out, we took Colin for his first haircut. He looks less-girlish now.

When the sun comes out, I’ll take pictures.

The past week Colin and I have been suffering through his molars. The upper and lower on his left side have broken through in bits. My part of the suffering is the lack of sleep from his multiple nighttime wakings and need to be comforted.

So color me surprised to find his lower left incisor poking out this morning.

except for jim coughing. He’s still got the cough, although he’s dropped the fever. So it’s another couple days on the couch watching tv.

On the Colin front, he stacked blocks yesterday.

After this post, things may be quiet for a while, as I try and move this site over to the new webhost.

So, we kind of screwed up and you didn’t get the big birthday celebration you deserve. The boys are getting baptized at Easter Vigil with us, and we can’t figure out how to make the big party thing work with the timing.

Anyway, you’re walking now, but then again you’re not. You crawl just as much as you walk, but you can and do walk. And you’re a cute little cuddle bug who likes your stuffed animals — you hug them them and get excited to see them and give them cuddles. You love your toys and your big brother’s toys, and when you’re not sick, you want to eat all the food. Not just the food we’ve given you, all the food. Your expression yesterday when you saw the two boxes of donuts was priceless. The yelling for the pizza later was more annoying but equally as adorable.

Weight: 22# 14 (50 percentile)
Height: 31 3/4″ (90-95 percentile)

So, Colin is all good. His cold that he’s had since last week is just a cold; no ears, lungs or throat involved, so he got his shots. He’s ready for cow’s milk, but doesn’t seem to like it much. Since he never really took to a bottle and drinks from a cup, we’re on track there.

Colin has moved from standing to actually taking one step before crouching down to crawl again.

He’s not sleeping as well as he was a few days ago, but he’s sick, so that could be a factor.

I picked up a set of bowls that have a suction cup bottom, so that Colin can try feeding himself. He’s working on some banana peach oatmeal right now, and pictures will follow. He’s a right mess.

means that sometimes you have to get up and move him from in front of the cable box, so that you can stop the fast forward.

Colin has moved on from furniture surfing (well, there’s still lots of that) and is now standing for extended bits of time. So, I’m saying he’ll be walking in a month.

If I ever get this video stuff figured out, I finally got video of his baby dance. Where Jim did the twist, Colin bounces.

This week marks our first attempt at ROUTINE. Something that we never got a chance to try in say, the last year. Colin has set naptimes now (9.30 and 2.30), and sometimes sleeps longer than 45 minutes (a real baby nap should be at least an hour). I’m also working on getting him to go to sleep better by himself. He still nurses, but I wake him up if he falls asleep, and then read him his story and sing him songs, and then put him in his crib and rub his back for awhile. Sometimes it gets him to sleep, and sometimes it is just enough to get him relaxed enough so that I can leave his room without screaming fits of hysteria.

Without the holidays, we aren’t running around like crazy, and it’s helped get some of the crazy out of the house. We’ve even had chances to do a little more improving. Not much, but yesterday I got a shade hung, and today I put together the stools for the kitchen island. With the counter clean, the boys and I have a place for lunch.

Colin’s top two canines came in over the weekend.

Oh, and we’re moved into the new house!

Closing went well, although it was not well run. We were able to get into the house (apparently some people have had problems with keys). The move in went well — it only took about 45 minutes for three guys to pack up the storage unit, and then we had six guys to unpack the two trucks back at the house. There were quite a few mix-ups with the boxes, and we’re still sorting it out. We had a lot of help yesterday, and the kitchen is mostly unpacked, and the kids’ rooms are pretty much together. I’m missing a lot of my clothes.

So today Dad got his TV, and a PlayStation 3. I ordered some area rugs and a new phone that won’t break a wireless connection.

Colin pulled himself up to standing in his crib tonight, AND crawled up one step onto the landing in the basement this morning!

Colin’s fourth front tooth broke through today. He is still cranky, from teething, being sick, and possibly a growth spurt. He’s still a reluctant crawler; this afternoon he scooted into the kitchen on his butt.

Dad and I are slowly recovering from being sick. I got a much needed nap and slept through most of the Phil’s loss to the Rockies.

I took the kids to what will be our Target once we move. I don’t like it as much as ours now, but what can you do? I picked up a bunch of autumnal decorations for the open house this Sunday. Also got Jim a new winter coat.

We were supposed to have a showing last night, so I took the kids to scope out a location for Jim’s birthday party. He really wants to go bowling, so it’s going to be a Pokemon Bowling party. Oh, and the showing was re-scheduled for Saturday night.