Revolution!

Obviously, it is time for a blog revolution. Or maybe just a revival? Something! And, because of recent life changes (one in particular), I have finally...hopefully...found the motivation to jump back on the blog-wagon.

My little family just moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to Charlotte, North Carolina.

I have always lived within the Greater Cincinnati area. Always. As in, my whole freakin' life. (Ok, it's not like I'm just barely leaving the nest at the ripe, old age of 82, but it's still a big deal to me!)

And now I live in The South. Honestly, I never really thought much about North Carolina being part of the South. (Normally, when I think of the South, I think of the Deep South, which doesn't include NC. But geographically, culturally, demographically...NC -is- part of the South.)

Mostly, the area is just like any other. Except they don't have my favorite grocery store. But there are little things, cultural things, that do make it different. First off, spring has clearly arrived. Back in Cincinnati, we would still have a month of slightly-above-freezing-windy-gray days before spring really kicked into full gear. Here, there are already trees in bloom and yellow daffodils basking in the clear sunlight. I almost already need to mow the lawn.

Another difference is the racial makeup of the city. It is A LOT more diverse. In Cincinnati (I think this is going to become my catch phrase now! "Well...in Cincinnati...blah blah blah"), especially the places where I have lived...er, the country.... it is predominately white. Way predominately. Downtown had the higher concentration of blacks. Here, they are everywhere! It's probably still predominately white, but there are a lot more blacks here. There also seems to be a larger Latino community here in Charlotte, as well. I know this probably sounds bad, and I really hope I don't sound rude in saying it. It is just something that is very different from what I am used to, and is simply one of my stronger observations so far.

Next is the recycling. I like to identify myself with the green, crunchy people as much as possible, but I have always had a hard time recycling. Mostly because, (in Cincinnati) it isn't provided standard. Plus, I've always lived in apartments, where it seemed difficult enough to worry about normal garbage! But now, we have been provided with a recycling can. AND it is North Carolina state law that all aluminum and plastic numbers 1 and 2 are to be recycled. I really doubt that they are digging though your garbage to make sure you recycled everything that you were supposed to (and then sending you any proper fines), but I would like to try my best to keep my integrity with the recycling laws. I already have a small can inside full of recyclables (and not just the mandatory ones) to go into our big can for pickup next week!

I've been a little cautious about the kids, and wondering how they will handle this move. They are both really whiny and clingy. But at the same time, happy. It's weird. They both seem to understand that this is our home now, but it's still upping their little, tiny stress levels. Which, is totally understandable. I've had several people remind me that for children, a move has similar stress levels to a death in the family and divorce. That's a big eye opener, and I try to remember how difficult this might be for them when I feel like I'm losing my patience because of all the whining and tantrums. Hopefully, they will adjust quickly.

I should write a post or two detailing more about our move....that will go on my to-do list. I'm going to try to take this blog revival seriously (especially for my mom!)

So, here we go on this new adventure!

On the move. On the table.

Bug and Gizmo are very different, but at times, so very alike. Bug was....is....very physically active. And hyperactive. Gizmo seems to be just as physically active as Bug, but he is so much more mellow about it. Or maybe just quieter about it? I can't really tell. It just seems that his physical milestones are less in-your-face than Bug's were....in a different way than the "Oh, he's just the second one, so you don't notice as much" kind of way.

Gizmo started walking withing the past two weeks or so. It started out with just two or three steps in between over enthusiastic family members. Then he started taking more steps, moving from the couch to a toy in the middle of the room.

Now he can walk quite a bit without grabbing onto anything. And he stands up on his own, too.

Of course, if you notice him and give him praise, he gets really excited....which apparently shuts off his balance completely. Then he will stand up, fall, stand up, fall, stand up, take two steps, fall...all while flapping his arms with joy and grinning like a maniac.

This morning, while I was making a pie, I head Bug sternly telling Gizmo, "No Gizmo! No climbing! My water!!!" I turned around and Gizmo was ON THE TABLE!!!! Our kitchen table. Apparently, he had used a stuffed animal as a stepping stool onto a chair that was pushed out, and then from the chair climbed onto the table. And he was about to dump Bug's cup of water everywhere, right before I intervened.

I have to admit, I was shocked to see Gizmo up there. He isn't even 11 months yet (just 5 more days for that), and he climbed onto our table! Without me noticing until he was up there! I actually shut him out of the bathroom this morning while I took my shower....I'm just beginning to realize that might have been an unwise decision. I guess I'll have to start making sure chairs are all pushed in before I leave Gizmo to play by himself for longer than 2 minutes! But then I'm sure he'll find something else dangerous to climb on!

Bad Neighbor/Awesome Mom

As spring turned into summer, the heat started rising and rising, and all the local pools opened. But, we don't have (free) access to any local pools. And I'm cheap. And lazy. So, instead, I decided to put up our very own splash pool outside.

There are just a few things to note about this situation.

1. We live in an apartment complex.
2. We live on the top floor.
3. We do have a downstairs neighbor.

I tried to do this the smart way. We bought the smallest kiddie/wading pool available (splashing all summer from home for only $6.99? Yes, please!) I thought about putting a tarp down on our deck first...but I neglected to do that when I first started filling the pool. Of course, I decided it needed to be done once Bug dumped nearly a whole bucket full of water down to our neighbor's patio below. So, I emptied the little pool and got out our tent tarp. It easily covers the whole splash area (which is pretty much the whole deck, minus some room for our camp chairs/mini grill/tiny stack of firewood/bag of charcoal).

With the tarp down and in place, I was able to fill up the pool again. And then I sat out there with a book while Bug made big splashes, and Gizmo crawled in and out of the pool. (Of course, I also had to keep getting Gizmo and returning him to the pool when he tried to touch anything he shouldn't...mostly our baby bird nest....which is another post that I'm hoping to get up soon.)

Within a week of having our splash pool up, an apartment complex notice went out reminding upstairs neighbors that what they did above would affect those below (pinpointing water as one of the things to be polite about). Er...we were feeling guilty, and a little like the notice was directed at us. But, then the hubby talked directly to our neighbor about the water. She said she noticed a little (I'm assuming the initial non-tarp dump) but it wasn't bothering her. Phew! Of course, she is so nice, she probably wouldn't tell us. But, I think the splashing has been kept very minimal now that we have the tarp down.

All in all, I'm probably a horrible neighbor. But there is no denying that I'm an awesome mom! (If only I could now keep Bug from deliberately peeing in the pool!)

Ok, Ok...I'll find something to blog about!

Obligatory "sorry I haven't posted in a million years" paragraph: I wish that I could just say, "Our life has been boring and normal, and I have absolutely nothing to blog about." But, we all know that is not true. I've just been a lazy blogging bum (not including working fabulously hard and losing 9lbs so far in my weight loss competition, of course).

But, we have some exciting news....well...it's excited if you're a dorky mom, like I apparently am! WE BOUGHT A MINIVAN! Oh yes. We did. I told my mom that I now feel this camaraderie with with all over van drivers. She just laughed at me. But it's true. I'm in the Minivan Club now. And my family would be way more excited to plan a fun and comfortable road trip if gas wasn't over $4/gallon!!!

Also, Gizmo has FIVE teeth now. He crawls at the speed of light. He pulls himself up to standing. And he can walk with support. Seriously, wasn't that kid just born five minutes ago? I don't understand how it is even possible that he is as grown up as he is!

Speaking of THAT...we just celebrated Bug's THIRD birthday yesterday. I think I might be living in a warped dimension. He loves the gifts he got....a tricycle (from Grandma and Grandpa T), a dinosaur puzzle, train whistle, canteen, new outfits (from Grandma Marty and Grandpa Mike), and a "You-bot" (which is Bug-speak for robot) backpack from Mommy and Daddy. He puts everything he can into the backpack to carry around...unfortunately, his bike doesn't fit.

So, tonight, when I was making dinner, the boys were playing together in the cabinets. Sometimes they play nicely. That is so refreshing. And they were doing just that. I heard Bug saying prayers. (They are almost always the same, "He'y Fodder. Day. Foo'. Jee Cwhyst, Uh-men.") I looked over and saw Bug putting his hands on Gizmo's head while he was saying his prayers. Then Bug excitedly exclaimed, "[Gizmo]! Prayer! A head!" Bug was definitely giving Gizmo a "blessing". Abso-stinkin-lutely hilarious! I guess he knows it is his divine nature to become a holder of the priesthood!

Inch Worm

Last Saturday (March 12th...for the record), at 6 1/2 months old, Gizmo turned into an inch worm.

It all started when I sat him down on the floor after nursing him. I probably needed to eat some lunch, or go pee, or wipe Bug's rear end for the 50 millionth time ("Poop, candy? Poop, candy?" He gets a piece of candy if he poops in the potty...which means he squeezes out a little bit of poop a gazillion times a day.)

Anyway, so I turned my attention away from Gizmo for a minute or two. And when I came back to him, he wasn't where I left him.

Hmmm....

So I wait and watch. And he is busy going after the wipes container on the living room floor. Or is it the crayon? But he scoots his butt up into the air, and then he slides forward. Butt up, body forward.

My 6 month old is crawling! Like an inch worm.

But he is crawling!

I can't believe it. This kid is so chill and relaxed, yet he is soooo fast at growing up. He already has two teeth, and now this?!

The inchworm has now turned more into an Army crawl with some inchworm-like tendencies. Either way, it means that Gizmo now frequently has crayon breath.

What's that Word?

Last week, I got an email from a popular pregnancy/parenting website that told me some of the developmental feats that my 22 month old should be getting ready for. It talked about how many 22 month old children begin trying to jump off the bottom stair or hop with both feet. But, of course, don't worry if it takes another month or two before YOUR toddler does this.

I had to snort a little bit. I even mentioned the email to my father, who was visiting that night, as a kind of joke. He chuckled a bit and said, "Bug has been jumping off your coffee table for months!" Yep, he sure has! That kid has no problems, whatsoever, about jumping and hopping...with both feet!

But, the developmental aspect that Bug isn't exactly above and beyond with is speech. Bug has a friend, just a couple months older, who will repeat any word you ask him to...probably even "existentialism" and "discombobulated"! Bug isn't quite there yet. His vocabulary is minimal, but growing...Or, at least I'm putting new meanings to his handful of sounds.

For example: ("Bug's word" - translation)
"no" - no
"no" - yes
"no" - nose
"buh" - bug
"buh" - ball
"buh" - bird
"dah" - dog
"dah" - dinosaur
"dada" - Daddy
"mama" - Mommy
"bebe" - baby

Bug knows several more words that aren't listed here, but he rarely pronounces them quite correctly or uses them quite properly. Bug also has some words that are distinct, always the same, used in proper context...and hilarious! These include "uh-oh", "wow", "whoa", and "wheee"!

Kids all develop in different areas at different times and speeds. Bug will catch up eventually. In the meantime, I will take note and make fun of how cute he is!

One, two, WHEEEE!!!!

Bug is a climber. Seriously, I should encourage him to join the circus when he gets a little bit older. I have no idea how he does it. If the wall has a .002mm indent, he will use it as a foothold and climb. He fears no heights. Actually, he fears nothing. Maybe he would fear not being able to climb? I don't know? The kid is crazy.

And it gets better...after he has climbed (on top of side tables, kitchen tables, computer desk, dresser, coffee table, chairs, step stools, four inch wide headboard...) he likes to jump. And I must admit, I probably encourage this behavior. I can't help it. When Bug gets up to the summit of Mt. Whatever, he turns and looks at me with such pride. And then he holds out his hands.

So, I count. One. T-Bug jumps while I am totally unprepared and I nearly drop him on his head-wo. Three! And Bug enthusiastically calls out, "Tee!" or "Whee!" Sometimes, Bug will climb up, bounce and "count" while he waits for me to outstretch my arms. His counting sounds like this: "Uh, Ooh, TEE!"

If I am within 5 feet of Bug, I must be prepared to catch him. Because he will jump.

The kid is crazy.

A Thrilling Week and more

Never fear, blog world. I am still here and still alive. After a week and a half of having my sister and her husband in town, I am finally getting back to a basic routine. (And, hopefully, Bug will be getting to bed earlier than 11pm.)

My sister, Megan, and brother-in-law, Chet, are some of the most fun people I know. They don't have any children yet, which means that they spend all of their time having adventurous fun...well, all of their time outside of full-time jobs and medical school. So, Bug and I (and the hubs, after work hours) had our fill of adventures while they were gracing us with their presence.

Our family (ever since Megan married Chet) has started a tradition of making family videos whenever we are together. Last year, we rode bicycles all over Cincinnati (the video was put to Queen's song Bicycle, which we all hated with a passion by the time the video was finished!) Over New Year's, the rest of the family went to NYC (where Megan and Chet live) and made a video of us all being typical tourists...and getting food poisoning. This week was no exception. And we pulled together a Mockumentary about X-Men rejects. I haven't seen the finished video, but once it is posted on YouTube, I may share it....maybe.

And, speaking of videos...Saturday night, while all of our men were at the Priesthood Session of General Conference, Megan taught the rest of us how to dance the Thriller. We learned it (as best as we could) in an hour and a half. Then we dressed up as zombies and danced for the guys when they got home. And there was a video made. The video is more than embarrassing, but I may share it too. (But you have to promise not to make fun of us!) The Thriller is a HARD dance!!! Megan said it took her about 4 hours to learn it, and she still feels like she could be better. When...or If I put the video up, you will have to keep that in mind as you see us messing up and doing everything a beat behind. However, Bug had a lot of fun dancing to the music, too. And when we would line up at the back of the room to begin the dance, Bug would stand with us and wait for the music to start.

Megan, Chet, my dad, Bug and I went hiking at the Cincinnati Nature Center, too this past week. Our hike was a little bit less than two miles. It was gorgeous and Bug walked for about a whole mile all by himself! He also did a face plant after trying to walk down a hill by himself. He couldn't maintain a walk and ended up running full speed down the hill before he biffed it. But he barely cried and was ready to walk again shortly after.

It has been nice to get some outside exercise. I'm afraid I don't exercise often enough. And I'm feeling it in weight gain and inflexibility. I won't tell you how much I weigh, but it is about 50 pounds more that what I want to weigh. Megan brought (and accidentally left) a Pilates video and I have been doing it for the past couple of days. It is a work out and makes me feel good. I have also started cutting my portions in half. I use a small plate to help remind me to eat less. The more often I eat less, the less I feel like I need to eat. I guess there is nothing wrong with having a "mom" body: wider hips, saggy breasts, belly pooch, and stretchmarks. But, I definitely want to be fit and active and healthy. Plus, I want to be happy with myself.

We also got family pictures taken at Robert Glutz Photography. Bob is a friend of the family and I must say, he has quite the talent for getting toddlers to take great pictures! He danced and ran around with a stuffed animal to get Bug to laugh for the camera, and it totally worked! Bug is probably the most photogenic in the whole family!

Sunday afternoon we had some friends (and new neighbors) over for Conference. They have a daughter who is one month older than Bug. They had so much fun playing together. And they shared a banana (Bug's little friend giving him a bite, and then taking one herself). The whole time Bug was being a perfect little friend (a bit more rambunctious that a girl, but not being a bully) until he decided to bite her arm. As a mother, I can tell you, I was completely mortified!!! I apologized over and over again, told Bug that he had done something very bad, and made him apologize by giving her a kiss. Bug has never bitten another child before, and it terrifies me to think that he is starting now!

Also this past week, a good friend of mine had a baby! I got to go to the hospital and hold her sweet little boy. It made me want another one so badly, I can hardly stand it!!! Hopefully, it won't be too long until that happens.

Now that I've filled you in with all that has been going on this past week, I will be able to get back into the perfect blogging rhythm. Well...that's the plan, at least!

Somersault

Bug often bends over while standing and puts his head and hands right on the ground by his feet. I always try to get him to do a somersault, because he is so close to doing one on his own. All it will take is a little push from his feet, and then he will be able to do it all by himself.

We all know how well kids learn by example. So, I helped Bug do a couple somersaults. Then...I tried to do one myself. I guess, technically, I succeeded. But, holy mackerel, I think I nearly broke my body! I never thought of myself as "getting old"...most people still think of me as a baby! But I can tell you one thing: my tumbling days are behind me!

Barefoot Baby

When I was a kid, I used to run around barefoot all the time. It was a summer ritual to come inside once it got dark and pull thorns out of my feet. I guess you could say I was a country bumpkin. But it was something I loved. I loved the freedom of it. There is a mystical power to being natural (perhaps going barefoot as a child was the beginning to my natural/crunchy/hippie style). I have sentimental childhood memories of feeling like I could run through a field and then jump into the sky and fly away, with my clothes dirt smudged and grass stained, and my feet bare.

Bug hardly ever wears shoes. I always knew I wanted to be a mom that would let her kids run around barefoot. I couldn't imagine being a mom that required her kids to wear shoes. And I must admit, I still think moms that do require that are too strict! After Bug was born, we just put little socks on his feet. Then, in the summer, he went barefoot. When winter came around again, we were back to nice, warm socks. Once Bug started walking, it was warm enough again for him to go barefoot. Every now and then, I will put some shoes on his feet. But, more often than not, the shoes get pulled off and Bug is barefoot again!

Babies actually learn to walk better when they are able to walk without shoes. It helps them learn better balance, and helps improve the muscle control in their feet. Plus, shoes are a hassle. They are a pain to get on, and they always come back off.

I often get questions and comments about why Bug doesn't wear shoes. (Usually at church, for reasons unknown.) I just smile and say, "He doesn't need them". Because it is true. Right now, he doesn't need them. Of course, once it starts to get cold again, I will have to get him some shoes. But, I think I will try to get some soft soled shoes, so he will still feel like he is almost barefoot. And, you better believe it, as soon as it warms up again, he will probably be running around barefoot!

Creepy Crawly Bug

When I stop and think about where Bug was developmentally last year, it blows my mind to watch him now! His little body is growing. He is working hard on his motor skills, both gross and fine. And it is amazing!

Even before Bug was born, he was a mover. I would sit on the couch with my huge, swollen belly and watch the rolls and jumps of that precious little life that was inside of me. And then he was born, and he just kept moving. His scrawny arms and legs would wave and pump almost the whole time he was awake.

Then he learned how to roll over. And I was in awe.

Then he learned how to crawl. And I was in awe.

The he learned how to walk. And I was in awe.

It is just that amazing to me. And now, he rolls and crawls and walks and runs. And I am in awe.

Bug even likes to impress me with walking backwards. Oh yeah, he is just that good! And when I laugh at him, he tries some other physical feat to make me smile some more. When he gets really excited, he tries to run...but he doesn't get very far. Instead of running, he ends up hopping from foot to foot very quickly. And then he often falls down. He may need a little work on his balance.

But, boy oh boy, you should see that child dance! He has rhythm. (I think most kids are born with it.) And anything can be a beat to dance to: the tick of the toaster, the washer, the dryer, the hum of the air conditioning units, my phone's ring, the alarm clock. Bug's got the latin groove in his little body, and when he dances, it shows.

I swear, he puts Elvis to shame with his little, swingin' hips.

Welcome warmth!

The weather has turned warm, at last! We have celebrated this by turning on Pandora (some fancy Spanish music. ¡Que capo Carlos Vives!) and dancing away the afternoons. I'm not a very good dancer. Although, my husband may disagree with that. He somehow is blind to how stupid I look and can only see my voluptuous curves and beauty. Go figure.

Even Bug is a better dancer than I am! Every time music is turned on, he puts his hands in the air, bounces around and laughs. He doesn't need curves to be a good dancer! And he can dance to any kind of music. Latin, Billy Joel, Josh Groban, the credit music to Fiddler on the Roof...you name it, he'll dance to it!

Another way we have celebrated the warmth of the impending summer: going coverless and practically naked (not me, just Bug). Yep, we're back into cloth (after taking a couple weeks of 'sposies while Bug was sick and had HORRIBLE poops, then us getting ready to move, then trying to get our washer and dryer back up and in business). And it is so awesome to just slap a prefold on his bum and let him run around. I can feel as soon as he is wet, and he gets all that air circulation on his skin. Sometimes I put a t-shirt on him, too...but most of the time not. Naked babies are so much easier to take care of. And coverless cloth dipes are so much easier to change. Although my hubby is paranoid to even pick Bug up without a cover. But, seriously? How can you resist a cute, little guy with a diaper wedgie???

Oh, how we love warm weather!

Exasperatingly Funny

Some of the things that Bug does can be very exasperating. Typically, I just laugh. No, actually, I typically get exasperated...and then I laugh after the annoyance wears off. Some of the things that Bug does can be very goofy. Typically, I just laugh. Sometimes, Bug laughs too. And that makes a mother happy, indeed! Here are lots of little things that either exasperate or cause laughter:

Before Bug learned how to walk...Heck, even before Bug was good at crawling, he learned how to get around very easily. He would assume the crawling position (the usual one, on hands and knees) and place his hands on...an item. (Now, I say "item" because it could be any number of different things. Most often, the item was a DVD case, because Bug LOVES to pull all the DVD cases off the shelf and make a big mess. Sometimes the item would be a CD case, or a book, or a piece of paper, or a somewhat slippery and flat toy.) Then, he would push the item across the floor, crawling using only his legs. He would "crawl" until he hit a wall or some other obstacle. After that, he would usually cry, because he couldn't go anywhere else.

As I have relayed in several other posts, Bug loves to eat paper. Oh, paper, you are the bane of my existence! Yet, I need you, obviously, or else you wouldn't be scattered ALL OVER MY HOUSE! I don't know how, but Bug finds the most important papers to snack on. Like receipts. I don't know why those are important, really. But, my husband insists that they are; thus, Bug finds and eats them. And books. Bug doesn't just eat books, first he tears the pages out. Apparently, the pages are more delicious to the taste when they aren't attached to the rest of the delicious pages! Luckily he hasn't destroyed too many books. But he has been found to "feast on the word". Yes, my scriptures were nibbled on...slightly. Luckily, the page that was ripped out to be devoured was a blank page from the very front of my quad. And the page from my husband's scriptures was taped back, using my superior taping skills! That ultra thin scripture paper must be a paper-eating delicacy, because Bug enjoys it the most! Maybe that's why he likes those receipts so much, too?

Perhaps Bug is just going to be one righteous kid. He already folds his arms when we pray. And sometimes he folds his arms when we aren't praying. And sometimes he doesn't fold his arms when we are praying. I haven't figured it all out yet. He decides when and where to be reverent, apparently!

Recently, Bug has figured out how to remove his own diaper. Oh, joy. This isn't a problem when he is dressed, thank goodness. But, when we get out of the shower, it is easiest for me to just throw a diaper on his cute, little bum, then take care of myself. After I'm ready, then I get Bug dressed. Well, that USED to be the easiest for me. I may have to reevaluate. Or just figure out how to make "Fecal Matter" posts more interesting.

My dad is a RN, but when I was growing up, he was a construction worker. (The housing slump that began about 5 years ago prompted him to go back to school.) I think he really misses building houses. Instead, he now takes the opportunity to improve my apartment. It's kind of nice to have a personal maintenance guy. Especially one that is a perfectionist with a good eye! He decided that I needed a wooden security bar for the track of my sliding back door. Although, I am on the second floor. But, safety first, right?! Well, the wooden bar is light enough for Bug to pick up, and carry around. It is very awkward for him, considering it is about a foot taller than he is. But that doesn't stop him, no sirree! He carries the big stick around the house. I wonder what he thinks it is? I know he has lots of associations...like using anything that has buttons (i.e., Wii remote, calculator, TV remote) as a phone. But, I don't use that big stick for anything other than to keep my back door safe from robbers that scale buildings. (I know you read my blog occasionally, dad! If you read this post, I hope you know I am complementing you, but you can have your stick back before Bug damages something!)

Just last night, Bug put one of his socks on his head and looked at me with a big smile. I don't know why he did it, but it was so stinkin' cute! Then, the sock fell off, so he put it on his head again and smiled. Yep, still cute.

And then there are the baby laughs. Gosh, that is a sound I could listen to 24/7. Erm, well, at least 16/7, 'cause I don't think I could sleep with cute baby laughs going on all the time! Bug laughs when I tickle his belly with my hair. And my husband can ALWAYS get Bug to laugh. Really, it's not fair. But it's very sweet.

And when Bug laughs too hard, too long, he gets the hiccups. Adorable!

Eyes glued to the baby

Bug is walking around everywhere now. We are so proud and excited. There is just something so precious about a little baby walking! He looks too small still.

And not only is he walking. He climbs. On or into everything. EVERYTHING! His grocery cart walker toy (as mentioned in the last post), the couch, from the couch onto the end table, the coffee table, the glider, into his toy box, the dishwasher, the drawer under the stove...I could go on and on. Why, just last night, I nearly had a heart attack because of his adventurous spirit. I was making dinner, and I turned to look at Bug, to make sure he wasn't getting into trouble. Oh, he was definitely getting into trouble! He had used a box to climb up onto the little table where my sewing junk resides. He was standing on his feet and leaning over to grab yarn out of my yarn bag....on the table nearly 3 feet off the ground!!! I must admit, I let a great noise of surprise escape my lips! Bug looked over at me and gave a HUGE smile and bounced a couple of times on his little legs, and he continued reaching for the yarn while I leaped through the air to him in a single bound. He has no fear!

You would think I have learned to keep my eyes glued to the baby at all times. But what mother has that ability!? We hadn't been up for more than half an hour this morning, and Bug had already managed to find a pen and draw a nice soul patch on his chin. Pretty cute on a baby that isn't quite a year yet!

Franken-baby or some sort of monster

My parents and little sisters were over this past Monday evening. Of course, that meant an evening of showing off for Bug. He was trying to walk all over the place. He has been "walking" since he was nine and a half months old, but he hasn't really started walking as his main mode of transportation. Recently, he is getting much better. And much braver. As he toddled around our apartment, arms outstretched for balance and a look of determination on his face, my dad joked that he looked like Frankenstein. That silly Poppy is always making fun of Bug!

More recently (code for yesterday and today) I have been tormented by some other sort of monster. I think Bug is teething. But, whatever it may be, has turned my sweet and hilarious baby into a weapon of severe torture. He has been "crying" (you know, that crying that isn't really crying, but whining in its highest form) NON-STOP. Only God's grace and protection has kept us both alive through this. My mom called to ask how things were going ('cause my wonderful hubby worries so much about me when Bug is cranky that he calls in a small army to back me up through the horrors of it). I told her what the Hubs had probably already relayed...that I'm only a fraction away from total insanity (what I am going to do when I have more kids!?!?). Then she asked if I needed anything. Hmmm....a shower? a nap? a tequila (or some Mormon version of one. I'm guessing that would be a huge chocolate bar)? *snap fingers* I've got it, bring me a tranquilizer.

My kid is better than your kid

Oh yeah, I said it. My kid is better than your kid is. Sorry. That's just the way it's gotta be. My kid will always be cuter, smarter, faster, stronger, more advanced in every way. I don't know how it works out like that, but it does. Really.

Bug started walking about a week and a half ago. He's only 9 1/2 months old. Well....technically, he isn't really "walking" yet. But, he can take about 3 steps on his own. He thinks he is pretty hot stuff, too. Sometimes, when he pulls himself up to standing next to me, he will let go and just stand on his own for a little while. And he ALWAYS looks up at me like he just invented fire.

So, in one week, my sister-in-law is coming to town with her kiddos. Her youngest is 17 hours older than Bug. He isn't quite crawling yet. My hubby and I have been trying to get Bug to walk all on his own by the time they get here. Ya know, for the bragging rights!? (I'm blaming it all on my hubby and sibling rivalry.)

I know, I know. I should be smitten down for being so horrible. I know, I know. Kids all develop at different rates, and my next kid probably won't walk until 18 months, just to teach me some humility. But, dang it all! I'm sure my next kids will still be better than yours!!!

My Little Monster

There is great excitement that comes with every new achievement...or at least most new achievements!

Bug is my little, daredevil. My little monster. He started walking with a walker. Honestly, it surprised the heck out of me. We were visiting with some friends, and we decided to see how Bug would react with their son's walker. Of course, Bug practically took off running, while I was left behind with his dust collecting in my wide open mouth. I didn't know he could do that!!!

Bug also growls like a little monster. A lot.

And he finally figured out how to use his teeth. He has also acquired another pearly white. He now has three, with the fourth well on its way to making an appearance. He thinks it is GREAT fun to suck and scrape away while nursing. YIPEE DOODLE-EE YOWZA DOG DAY does that hurt! Whenever he does that, I yell a quick, loud, sharp, "NO!" at him. Then, he gets sad. Really sad. And he brings out those precious, puppy dog eyes and that whimpering lip. What mom could resist? I hug him tighter and I offer more nursing so he will be happy again.

The little monster.

Bad Mom Award

I KNOW a lot of people who read this edition are going to think really poorly of me. But, hey, that is why it's under the "Bad Mom Award" category. Maybe you can call Children's Protective Services on me, eh!?

So, my little family lives in a crappy apartment. Every day I spend here at home, I hate it even more. Just the other day, to brighten my mood, they turned the water off....for the eighth time in 4 months. Just perfect for a stay-at-home mom, you know!? I can't do the dishes, or laundry (Oh, the diapers!!!!), or use the restroom, or even cook for that matter! Luckily, my little sister was able to come and get me and Bug, and take us over to my parents' house.

We put the car seat in her little car, and drove away. [Just a side note: We use a convertible car seat, not an infant car seat.] When we were about halfway to my parents' house (it is only a 15 minute drive away, so it wasn't that long) I looked back at Bug....

I had to do a little scream, because Bug's car seat WAS LEANING PRACTICALLY SIDEWAYS!!!!! What the heck!?!?! I reached back and corrected it, and held it in place the rest of the way. I went over and over in my mind how I buckled it in and tightened everything, and made sure everything was in place. Why on earth would it lean over like that?!? And more than that, why didn't Bug alert me when he toppled over?!?!

Once we got to my parents' house, I checked the seat. It was still buckled in correctly. I'm not exactly sure why it DID lean over. But everyone was safe. And why didn't Bug let me know what was going on? Well, of course, because he was fast asleep!

Onward, ever Onward

In my excitement over Bug's new talent of crawling forward, I posted only a single line of text. WHAT WAS I THINKING!?!? Bug crawling has a classic "Mother's Lament" story to go along with it. And the lament is more than just the fact that I now have to follow him around the house to make sure he doesn't chew on the Christmas light cords...or anything paper that he may find within reach...or our baseboards, which may or may not have lead in them.

Every day, I am home with Bug. All day, every day. I do get some breaks. Like when my husband watches Bug so I can take a shower all by myself! And we do get a date night about once a month, when we dump Bug off at one of his grandmothers' houses. But, more or less, I am with the kid 24/7. And I mostly love it. I get to know him better than anyone else. I see all facets of his personality. I get to teach him. I get to cuddle with him. I get to see all of his firsts....but apparently, I don't bring them out in him. That would be Papa's job.

I don't know how many times I got Bug down on his hands and knees and knelt down in front of him, encouraging him to "Come to Mama!" I guess that's when he learned how to crawl backward. He was stuck in reverse for several weeks. And still I trained and encouraged him to go forward. Then, one day when my husband got home from work, Bug was trying his hardest to crawl forward to him. He moved his hands. And he moved his little legs. He scooted. He went down onto his belly in his classic "Superman" pose. He got back up, and crawled just a little bit more to his Papa. Oh, how my heart nearly melted. It was very exciting! And I guess Bug gets just as happy for Daddy to be home as I do!

On your mark, get set, GO!

Bug is now crawling. Here we go!