The In-Between Time

I have quick reflexes, I took a picture of him and I caught him.

There's a time when babies learn to crawl where they lean forward from sitting and sometimes instead of catching themselves on their hands to crawl away they catch themselves with their faces: faceplant! There's also a time where babies start to pull themselves up to stand and a lot of head bonking and falling takes place. It's those in-between times that seem to be the most dangerous but also the times where they are learning so much from their mistakes. I'm so glad that period is over for the Bear. Now he is a crawling maniac and a professional puller-upper:

Look, Ma! One hand!

One of my favorite things is when he is holding stuff or pushing stuff while crawling:

Stacks

Aki Bear loves this bookshelf. The other day he just started pulling books off and I started stacking them up. I got it on video:

Legs UP!

Here he is, several weeks ago, pulling is legs up off the floor:

First Swim Lesson

Stan Bear started swim lessons last Saturday. Well, not swim lessons per sé but an infant/parent class. We basically just played in the water for almost 40 minutes. It's at the local pool, a brand new aquatic center. We walked into the water, down the ramp which you can see in the background in the picture below (see the railing?) He almost immediately started flapping his arms up and down and splashing.

Stan Bear + Water = Love.

 There we are with the group in a circle. We bobbed and the circle moved clockwise while we introduced ourselves. The ages of the wee ones ranged from 3 or 4 months to 3 years old.

There he is chasing the little water toy. He is a natural. He kept dunking his face in the water, it was hilarious. In the video you can watch him dunk his face in water. In the first part the parents were told to blow in our childs' faces and then blow in the water so that they understood what we were doing and that we want to blow into the water rather than swallow the water (although Stan Bear wasn't paying attention to me). He was also given a little water toy and we were told to throw it away from us and then have him go and grab it. The last half of the video shows how he is a good kicker. We can't wait for the next class. Mike will be in the water with him next time. (P.S. I've fixed the settings on yesterday's video post - the video should play now!)

Musical Instruments, Oh My!

Food Horizons

Here he is eating chicken curry with rice.

Our boy is growing. He is crawling and standing...before we know it he'll be walking. He is also expanding his food horizons. He was eating a lot of purees like squash, sweet potato, pears and peas but then he would see us eating our dinner or lunch or breakfast and he would get this look on his face as if to say, "Wh, what's that you got there? You gonna share some of that? I want what you're eating!" So we've started feeding him "table" food. In the mornings I will mostly feed him oatmeal with yogurt and some kind of fruit. He still really likes yogurt and I will sometimes give him that with mango which he devours. He will also still eat avocado without complaint. I just scoop it right out of the skin, no need to mash it anymore. More recently he has eaten meat - chicken. Mike made a crock pot chicken, potato, carrot curry surprise (we never know what our crock pot meals are going to taste like) and the bear ate it up. I just broke the carrots and potato up a bit with a spoon and the chicken just fell apart - it was so tender, we served that to him over brown rice. I made a beluga lentil, sweet potato, carrot (the orange colors with the black lentils were beautiful) and kale soup with some orzo pasta and cinnamon and he ate that up too. I love that he is enjoying these different flavors. Mike made a big batch of burrito filling mainly with black beans but he put some hot sauce in there so it was slightly spicy and Stan Bear ate that up too. I fed that to him with some avocado. We went out to our favorite burger place in town and sat the Bear in a high chair (I love that he can sit in a high chair now.) I brought him some Happy Puffs but also gave him bits of my bun and the soft inner parts of the french fries. A lot of it wound up on the floor but he enjoyed eating out with us. He really likes feeding himself too - I think he prefers that to being spoon fed.

Those Eyes

The Books Are In Danger...

Mike put the "splits spell" on Aki Bear to keep him away from his books:

Sponge

The Bear is a sponge. He is so observant and is constantly learning. It's amazing. In the morning when I go to the bathroom I stick him at the far end of the hallway and leave the loo door open and I say to him, "Crawl to me!" and he smiles and then crawls to me, with some stops on the way but he eventually makes it to the restroom! He also knows what "up" means because when I say, "Do you want up?" he lifts up his arms as if to say "Pick me up, woman!" He also knows what "kitty" means. We'll say, "Do you see kitty?" and he will find her and lock his eyes on her. Last month he learned to crawl (he is all over the place now), to pull himself up to standing, to pull himself up onto a kids chair or the drum or any other low surface (he's a climber!) He will find the smallest object on the ground (like a tiny piece of a leaf or a grain of sand) and he will touch it with his index finger (and try to pick it up and eat it.) When we go for walks in his stroller he loves hanging off the side with one arm dangling down and staring at the ground moving underneath him or at the front stroller wheels moving. We sat in the pathway of our friend Margarite's house the other day and he noticed this tiny little ant walking by. It's really neat to watch him learn and observe things. He also stands in the crib and turns the light off and on and can open the door. Time to rearrange furniture in that room I guess.

UPDATE: He is so fast that the bathroom/hallway crawl no longer works. He has gotten to the cat food dishes before I can even start emptying my bladder. I put him at one end of the hallway and then when I turn around he's at the bathroom doorway. He's like Flash...Aki Bear Flash.

Teething Pain Peak

The tail of this toy has water in it. We freeze it and he loves chewing on it. He didn't enjoy chewing on it much with his earlier teeth but now he really digs it.

Toward the end of our Cali trip the Bear was acting unusual. He was fussier than usual (he's usually happy-go-lucky) and he seemed to be experiencing separation anxiety. The day after we got back to NC I took him to daycare (I had to wake him from his slumber to get him there though and he wasn't happy about it.) Our daycare lady, K, called around 10:30 am telling me that he wasn't himself and he wasn't eating, drinking or sleeping. I told her that I could come on my lunch to breastfeed him if he still wasn't eating by then. He finally did eat and drink and sleep but he was still extra fussy that day. I had him to myself on Friday and he took his normal naps but was fussier than usual...he would cry if I sat him on the ground, in his high chair, exersaucer...he cried when he woke from naps (he usually wakes up with a smile.) I decided that it was teething pain and chose to give him ibuprofen for some needed relief. About 30 minutes later he returned to being the smiley little fella that I know. He played for over an hour in the living room without fuss until he got tired and I put him down for a nap. He woke up crying though. I took him outside for a walk and that made him happy - I think he must've had a bad dream or something??? It's so hard to know. It's so frustrating not knowing what the cries are for. I've read about how people can interpret their baby's cries. I have no clue. Maybe I need to polish up my listening skills. I have to take in his actions too. Is he rubbing his eyes? (most likely he's tired.) Is he crawling and reaching for me? (hungry or dirty diaper.) That's a new thing that he's doing: he crawls and tries to climb up on me when his diaper is dirty...he doesn't really crycry. It's neat to see him communicating in any way he can! The following couple of days after the dose of ibuprofen he seems to have gotten better in the teeth pain department although he is still moaning in his sleep, poor Bear.

UPDATE: As of April 11th teeth number 7 and 8 are currently cutting through his bottom gums on either side of his bottom, front teeth. I'm looking forward to this teething business to be done with. 

Hootenanny

Breastfeeding at 9 Months

Nursing the Bear at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, CA.

I'm still breastfeeding the Bear and he has 8 teeth now (four on the top and four on the bottom). It seems that every time he gets a new pair of teeth we go through a bit of nipple tenderness (ha! not we, just me.) I think it's because he's getting used to these new inhabitants in his mouth and my poor nips get to pay the price. This last time was the worst; there were visible skin abrasions at the base of the nipple on the areola. Thankfully it was only 1.5 to 2 days of slightly painful nursing. Now I'm all tough and callous-y. Aki Bear seems to still like breastfeeding but he seems to be losing interest in the bottle and way more interest in the food that Mike and I are eating (we fed him what we ate for dinner last night which was a crock-pot surprise (as we like to call it.) It was a chicken curry with potatoes and carrots and onions. The great thing about the crock pot is that it gets the meat really tender and the veggies really mashable(if you cook it long enough.) The Bear LOVED it. Well, at first he gave me a funny "new-taste-expression" but then he inhaled the food. Yay! I will continue nursing him...my goal is to nurse him for at least a year (that's around the corner) and then we'll re-evaluate to see how things are going.

Nana, Banana, Cuddle and Kick

I love this little high chair. We borrowed it from our friends Denise and Brian while we were in California. You can strap it on to any chair and it's lightweight so you can probably bring it anywhere you please!

Here is Nana feeding the Bear banana (maybe, it just rhymes!) He sure loved his Nana. See him getting some cuddle time and kick time with Nana H below:

Standing Stanley

 He is a pro at pulling himself up to stand. He started doing it while we were in California at the end of March. It's amazing. He loves it. He is still crawling too. In the morning I'll put him at one end of the hallway (the opposite end of the bathroom) and while using the loo I will say to him, "Crawl to me, Stanbear!" and he will smile and start crawling towards me. He usually stops along the way to play with something in the hallway but it keeps him occupied and allows me to get my business done while watching him at the same time. He also chases these little cups or a ball all around the floor. It not only keeps him occupied but it's better than cable. He is also able to stand and then lean over and pull his legs up off the ground. I think we've got a climber.

It's the Truth

Outdoorsy

The Bear is outdoorsy - so says my Dad. It's true. He likes being outside. It calms him. Even when he is already calm and we venture out the front door you can really tell that he's taking it all in - the colors, the textures, the smells, the breeze. We went for a walk the other day and he was looking out the side of his stroller as he usually does and he saw this big pile of prickly balls those prickly things that fall from the Sweet Gum tree. So I stopped and picked one up and handed it to him. He held it in one hand and touched it with his index finger from the other hand and then licked it. I handed him another one and he grabbed it with his other hand and then I explained to him what they were and pointed up at the Sweet Gum tree - who knows if he understood. Then we continued to walk. He held on to those prickly balls for almost the rest of our walk. On another day we just did a lap around the yard and looked at plants and flowers. I let him touch the flowers and leaves; this purple ground cover flower, a camellia and a bamboo leaf. Flowers have really neat and different textures, much different from leaves. He loved the sturdy camellia flower, it really held up within his tenacious grasp.

Baby Memories

My friend Shawnee made a great comment when we were hanging out with our two little ones in Cali. She said something like, "How cool would it be if we could remember being this age." She was talking about our little tykes and how great it would be to be able to remember what it was like to feel sand for the first time, to see the ocean for the first time. How cool would it be to be able to remember the first time you ever saw a tree or a squirrel climbing up a tree? How cool would it be to touch a cat or get licked by a dog for the first time? How neat would it be to be able to remember discovering your shadow or watching water boil or touching a flower for the first time. Mike said the other day,
"Maybe we don't have those memories but everything we experience shapes us somehow." So even though we probably don't recall these baby memories, the experiences and the feelings stay with us. While they may not be seen directly, perhaps they build and shape our "inner selves" both now and later.   

Silliness

I asked Mike to go outside to get a pic of the Bear and Dickie the Cat looking out the door and here are three gems:

Dickie the Cat and Stanbear looking at Mango the Cat on the porch.

Playing with Stanley Grande

Beach Naps

Breastfeeding the Bear on the beach.

OUT (with peanut gallery in the distance.)

Uncle mimicking the Bear's sleep position.

Both down for the count.

The Cutest Wetsuit on the Planet

A New Daycare

Our new daycare writes his name on his diaper.

Aki Bear has left K's care and has started at a new daycare as of April. You may be asking, "Why? Why pull him out of a daycare that he has grown accustomed to? Why put him in a new place now, when separation anxiety may most likely strike? I won't get into the nitty gritty here (you can call me for that!) but here is a list of reasons for leaving, in no particular order.:

1. INTUITION
2. CONSTANT REQUESTS FOR ADVANCES (and how she went about it.)
3. BROKEN TRUST
4. LOCATION
5. LACK OF CONSISTENCY

I would say the thing that made me feel the most uncomfortable was when K would ask for an advance (to pay her cable bill, her house payment, etc.) while I was at work and Aki B was in her care. I felt blackmailed. I hated that feeling.

We started looking for a different place in February and found one for just $50 more just up the street from us. It's on my way to work and couldn't be more convenient. It is licensed and accredited (unlike K) and there is more structure and it is a better ratio: 3 kids to 1 caretaker.  When we walked in to take the tour there was another Mom and her infant and the Mom said, "Hi Stanley." I was so confused and then she explained that her baby was also at Ks and that she was pulling her out (for the same reasons) and putting her little girl at this new place as well. It was nice know someone was doing the same thing, it made us feel less, "are we doing the right thing?" and more confident in our decision to pull him out of Ks. We will be sad not to be in care with a couple of our friends (you know who you are!) but that just means more playdates with them! One thing the new place doesn't allow that we are bummed about is cloth diapers. So, the Bear will be in disposables while at daycare, three days a week. We'll still be doing cloth at home. I did purchase two gDiapers at the local consignment store here in Chapel Hill, The Red Hen. gDiapers have a fabric outside and this little waterproof liner that you can put a disposable or cloth insert in. So I will purchase some disposable inserts for those and see if they work for the massive amount of pee and poop that the Bear churns out on a daily basis.

He had his first three days there and they went O.K. When I dropped him off the first day he didn't even look at me when I said goodbye he was enthralled by Miss Maria. Apparently he had a rough first hour but once he took a nap he did really well for the rest of the day. The second day he did fine but he hardly drank his bottles and they said it was hard to get him to eat his solids. The third day when I said goodbye he started crawling towards me but I just waved goodbye and walked away (and took a deep breath). He again didn't drink much and it was a challenge for them to get him to eat solids. They asked me if there was a trick and I told them what Mike does for bottle feeding and it sounds like they were doing what Mike does. I told them that I think that it's either teething pain or that he is experiencing mild separation anxiety and it's just going to take some time for him to get used to them feeding him. They said that during the rest of the day he is smiley and that he crawls all over the place (and even onto the little chairs!!) So, he seems happy, we just need to get this food thing sorted out.  I will keep you updated.

Beach Baby

Stan Bear seemed to enjoy the sand. He often ended up on his tummy so he could get his mouth closer to it.

Here is proof that pictures lie: He was crying in this picture. You can't tell and it seems all about the love of sand. Ha!

Scrunch Face + Fish Lips

This is his new thing...scrunching his face and making fish lips:

First Dip in the Ocean (Pacific!)

Drum Song

He LOVES drums. My parents have these little bongo drums that are the perfect size for him. He gets in this Atlas-like position and plays us a beat. Here's video of his song...he sings (or chants) (or yells) along:

Warm Fuzzies

The other evening I was nursing the Bear and the subtle evening light was kissing his face through the dark window shade. He pulled away and I covered myself back up. He lay there talking away, obviously not tired. Then he started to fuss and I tried to comfort him to no avail. I then offered him more milk and he calmed down and started to drink but then pushed away gently to look up at me - right in the eyes - and smiled the loveliest smile. I smiled back and said, "You were still hungry weren't you?" He went back to nursing for not even 3 seconds and he gently pushed away again and looked up with that same smile as if to say "thank you" or "you understand me!" or something. I smiled back and he, unabashed, continued looking at me and smiling. It's one of those instances that I wish I could've caught on camera but at the same time it's one of those precious moments that I alone will get to experience. I have his softly lit face, his twinkling eyes and his contagious smile and thankful spirit locked in my brain files for me to call up anytime I am in dire need of a warm fuzzy.

Pepper: Another Lesson from Auntie Jen

The Bear loves watching people cook:

Check out this very brief video to see his reaction to pepper:

A Lesson in Sand with Auntie Jen

Baby Beach Trick

Put them in a hole.