Kitchen Toys

Here he is playing in the kitchen and then crawling into the cupboard...and yes, I cleaned the cupboard after he crawled in there without pants on, just in case anyone is questioning my child rearing choices.


fun in the kitchen from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Baby in the Box

Happy Friday!

Here is a video of more box fun. It's quite funny especially the crawling into and the tipping over.

box fun from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

The Sadness Sale

Back in July Mike had this company come and take away books, VHS tapes and vinyl records and they paid him for it...of course they didn't pay top dollar but they hauled all of it away. Now that Stan Bear is a running-hands-in-everything-put-everything-in-his-mouth climber Mike got wise and did something. It was a dream come true. I know it was hard for him but the house feels better...we've still got a long way to go. My goal is to make Stan Bear's room, a room for HIM and only him. So our next step to simplifying was having a yard sale. It was great. We got rid of lots of stuff: a bicycle, tool boxes, shoes, clothes, bookshelves, yarn (!!!), baby clothes, diapers, changing table, co-sleeper and much more.

What I didn't expect in preparing for this sale was sadness. I got sad. I had a hard time coming to terms with selling baby stuff. A couple of nights before the yard sale we were lying in bed and Mike says, "Should we sell the co-sleeper?" The co-sleeper is where wee Stanley slept for the first several months of his life. It was still next to my side of the bed and had turned into a kind of nightstand for me. I looked at Mike with my long face and nodded yes, yes, we should sell it. Tears started welling up in my eyes. It was like letting go of my last hope for baby number two. Silly, I know.

Mike and I have exhaustively talked about children and quantity of them since the beginning of our relationship. Here's the brief history:

In 2011 it reads like this:

He: ONE/TWO 

(He said, "We should have twins." and I replied, "WHAT?!!!")

Me: NONE 

(This was while I was researching daycares. It was brief lived.)

So, we basically  came to an agreement before baby that we would just be a one baby household (see 2010). I think I agreed to it but with the hope of a second. Silly, I know. I remember the morning after giving birth, saying to Mike, "If I ever want a second baby just remind me of what I just went through in this past week." It was a rough and long week of contractions and pushing. The following months were really hard for me as well. I remember thinking, "What were we thinking?!" but it somehow gets easier (although it's still hard in many respects). And somehow it's easy to put that suffering and struggle aside or remember it in a way that wasn't as exhausting and painful as it was. I look back at my labor and think, "I could definitely do that again, my body is amaaazing!" Rather than, "Heck no, that was the most painful thing I've ever done."

My argument for having a second is siblings. I love having a brother. I would love for the Bear to have a sibling. Mike's argument is age and money...and "We have made a perfect and lovely person already" - this is true but not convincing as a reason to not have baby number two. I totally get the money thing. Daycare is expensive. It's INSANE. Plus the hours of daycare and the hours of preschool just don't make sense.(That's a whole other post to write about.) When he uses the age argument I say, "...but when you die he'll have a brother or sister to be there for him!" Ha. But I get it. Mike's 47. I'm almost 39. We started later than most. It would take a miracle to convince Mike of having baby number two...the miracle would be winning the multi-million lottery in the next couple of years.

So, selling these baby items was hard but it was part of my letting go process as well. I realize that I just need to feel sad for a bit - I need to mourn this loss (that never really was). Silly, I know.

Pssssst! I added two more box photos to Tuesday's post...check them out here...they are ADORABLE.

Silent Peek-a-Boo

They other day we went for a wagon ride around the block (well, he went for a wagon ride) and when we got back to our yard I played peek-a-boo without saying a word. I just hid behind the wagon's seat. He was tickled and then he got fussy. Ha!
silent peek a boo from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Sitting in Boxes

The Bear is like a cat; he hasn't met a box he has not sat in.  He loves it. He even sits and stands in the lego box and you know that has go to be a little painful.


lego walk from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Here he is climbing in a box:

 Here he is lying in that very box:

The Tolerant Kitty

Stanley often chases Dickie the Cat. Dickie often runs away...this time she made the mistake by going into a bag to escape...but she slithered her way out in the nick of time:
cat escape from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

I must say, he is getting much more gentle with the kitty. He used to only smack her like as if he was patting down sand in a bucket but now he is much more gentle. He will use his index finger and gently touch her paw or he will lay his hands on her fluff (see picture below).  Dickie is amazingly tolerant although she will swipe at him and even nip his hand with her mouth. He never cries so I think she is being gentle.

I try to explain the Stan Bear that she is biting/swiping him because she doesn't trust him yet. Hopefully she will trust him soon...he just needs to be more consistent. He adores her. I wouldn't say the same for her though!!

Flower Friend at the Farmer's Market

Stan Bear makes friends so easily. We were at the Carrboro Farmer's Market several weeks ago and he spotted one of the flower booths and pointed at the flowers (ever the passionate plant and flower guy). These flowers looked like red, velvet brains. I think they were labeled as "Celosia". When I looked them up online they were also called Red Cockscombs. Apparently they come in yellow too! Oooh la la! Anyhoo. Once he spotted the booth and walked over he then noticed some thick petals of these flowers on the ground. Then the flower lady saw him and handed him the biggest ball of this velvety red flower. This made him so happy. He walked all over the farmer's market with it. What a great advertising mechanism...give cute children flowers to display my beautiful flowers. Good thinking, flower lady. Anyway, we brought it home and he continued to dissect it:

Language

Stanley Bear doesn't say words quite yet but he understands so much! He now knows how to sign "more". He understands the word and sign for "milk". He knows these words and what they mean: magnolia, outside, hot, flower, tree, dog, truck, shoes, watermelon, kitty, water, milk, hi, bye, mama, papa, cowstar, chicken, and much more that I'm drawing a blank on. Over the weekend he was sitting on my lap and I, for the first time, used the sign for book which is placing your palms together and then opening them up like a book. I did the sign and said, "Would you like to read a book?" He smiled, got off my lap and picked out a book from the pile (he selected Peter Rabbit - which I think he likes because of the pictures of the bunnies, birds, foxgloves, carrots, lettuce, etc.) I was shocked because one, I never used the sign before and two, I feel like I don't use the word "book" very often...maybe I do? I think what I do is become a commentator on my actions when talking with him, "Mama is going to do laundry", "I'm going to put your blocks in this container", "We're at the playground", "I'm going to heat up your rice and lentils". I also ask him if he wants to do things, "Would you like to go for a walk?", "Do you want to go outside?" "Are you ready to go nigh, nigh?" I think that's what most parents do, ask their child questions and create commentary on their own actions or even on their child's actions, "Are you playing with the car?", "You are dancing!", "You can run fast!", "Are you looking for kitty?", etc. Children are so perceptive and really are like sponges. I feel like Stan Bear is soaking up every single thing he is exposed to lately. It's really amazing to witness. At daycare yesterday Miss Maria said that he takes direction really well. She can tell him where to put things and he will put them where she told him. It's still so fascinating to watch him learn and grow. Check out this cut and pasted video of him doing the signs for "hot" (which is just blowing out of your mouth) and more (tapping your fists together):



signs from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Stan Alphabet Soup

The other day he dumped all of his bath toys into the water. He was having a ball! (Can't you tell?!)

Here we are playing peek-a-boo...we are doing the Japanese version (which my friend and fellow birth class mommy taught me (they lived in Japan for the last 10 months!)

bath from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Sand-Cup Play

This video is pretty uneventful but, for me, it's fun to watch his fascination with this plastic cup sinking into the wet sand. I love the sound and I can just imagine how it feels pushing down and pulling it back up. Have a look and listen:


sand cup from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Canine Bonanza

The Bear Cub's teeth seem to just be coming in one after the other. His first molars started poking through back in mid-July. Then we went to Idaho at the beginning of August and I could already feel and see the tiniest little white of a canine tooth on the bottom. Now they are much more noticeable, poking up through the gums much more. His first molars and canines have been the most painful for him so far.

This is how he (and I) copes with his pain:

• Ibuprofen: We give him ibuprofen before bed only if he seems to really be in pain (when he get's fussy he is not his happy-go-lucky self, he is usually more whiny and he rubs his ears and he will moan/cry while trying to sleep. Luckily this doesn't happen a lot. The most we ever administered this due to teething pain was three nights in a row which is a lot for us. (The pediatrician said that some parents will give their child ibuprofen for 2 weeks straight.) 
• Hyland's Teeting Tabs: I will give him 3 of these homeopathic tablets on nights where he doesn't seem to be too uncomfortable but in the need of some support.
• Ice: He loves ice. He loves chewing on it.
• Frozen watermelon: When I say watermelon he points to the freezer. It's cute. He loves it. He also likes frozen blueberries.
• Rocks: Just kidding. I mean, he loves putting rocks in his mouth, but I don't say to him, "Here, have a rock, it will help with your teething pain." 
• Toothbrush: He uses an adult size toothbrush. He'll gnaw on that thing for ages. 

Here's the latest:

• 6 months 5 months: lower central incisors
• 8 months 7 months: upper central incisors
• 10 months 7 months, 3 weeks: upper lateral incisors
• 10 months 8 months: lower lateral incisors
• 14 months 12 months: first molars
• 18 months 13 months, 2 weeks: canines
• 24 months: second molars

So, he's been about 2 months ahead of the average timing of teeth, except for those canines which came in much earlier than 18 months. I wonder when his last four will make an appearance. 

Not too long ago his smile looked like this:

All toothless and non-bitey...those were the days!

Self Feeding

Lately, at dinner time, I've been feeding Mr. Bear and then when we're towards the end I let him have the bowl and his spoon to let him practice using the spoon. He'll play with the spoon and bowl (and food) for a good time but he hasn't mastered the self-spoon-feeding yet so after a good time of not eating he ends up tossing the spoon aside and doing this:


bowl from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Food

Here he is eating Grandma's spicy sesame noodles.

The Bear basically eats what we eat now. He does go to bed earlier than we do and sometimes I make something for him before we make our dinner but a lot of times it is leftovers from our grown-up dinners. Sometimes I'll feed him and he'll still be awake when we eat and he always wants to eat again...he always wants to eat what we are eating.

The most surprising thing that he has eaten most recently is lettuce. He kept coming back for more. Also, raw spinach (which was harder for him - he would gag sometimes.) He's got such a sweet tooth I didn't think he'd eat our salad. But he ate it. He likes raw tomatoes too. He's also not always predictable. Some days he'll eat avocado and love it and other days he'll spit it out. Same goes for hummus or blueberries, although I think the fresh Idaho blueberries have spoiled the Bear - why get blueberries from the store when you can get them straight off of the bush!?!?

He's really into self feeding too. Even if I'm feeding him something that necessitates a spoon he'll eventually want to try to feed himself (with the spoon) and won't let me feed him. That gets VERY MESSY, as you'll see in tomorrow's post. The down sides of having old, off-white linoleum is that rice and pasta will blend in and even if you think you have wiped it all off you'll end up stepping on it the next day (or the next week). The kid has got some speed and distance when it comes to tossing food. Sometimes I wish we had a dog.

Avocado-Bean Facial in progress.

Sharing and Feeding

While in Idaho the Bear started feeding me his food. It is pretty cute. He still does it.


blueberries from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

The Perfect Little Curl

I just love his locks. It's different everyday. On this day there was this perfect little curl at the back of his head. I think the next day this curl separated into three less sturdy curls. It's mighty cute.

MUD, Part Deux

Here is the video of the mud playing. Plus you can hear our neighbors talking in the background with their southern accents!


mud from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

MUD

 Of course the day I put him in all white he decides to make himself at home in a mud puddle.

He splashed around a bit and then got up and started wandering around our neighborhood. Many neighbors got to witness him and his muddy pants.

Messy but absolutely charming.

Just in case you're wondering, I did manage to get the stain out! Hooray!

Choo Choo!

We saw the train quite a lot when we were in Idaho. It was thrilling, loud and powerful! We even flattened some pennies.

Here it is next to an unflattened one. I love how Abe looks like a hologram in the flattened one.

Here's the backside of the same flattened penny.

Here is a video of all the train fun!

train from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Kiddie Pool

Here is Grandma explaining all of the colorful toys to the Bear.

Grandma had a clever idea to fill the little blow up paddling boat with water to use it as a little kiddie pool. The Bear loved it. He loved climbing in and out of it too....but enjoyed the water play just as much...plus it's a pool in the shape of a boat!

Uncle Klindt and the Cousins

Uncle K and Auntie J playing "Fly into the kisses!" or something

I am so sad that I didn't get more Uncle K pictures. Probably because he and Jen were so good at sweeping the boy from me so I could eat lunch, relax, read my book, be Bear-free.  Stan Bear wasn't sure about him at first but eventually warmed up to the UnKle. How could he not? Butterflies would rest on his head and hang on while the boat was going 50 miles an hour:

UnKle the butterfly whisperer.

And the cousins. When he first laid eyes on Lucy he smiled and then reached out to hug her. Her dimple almost swallowed him whole:

He almost had the same reaction with Henry. Not as dramatic (I think he's a little wary of boys and men) but he had quite the time in the lake with shark-Henry swimming up and surprising him. It was a time full of laughter and surprise! and Henry was ever the gentleman filling up Stan Bear's bucket with water and letting him destroy his sand piles:

I think Stan Bear is envious of Cousin H's long locks.

Here are the cousins (with Auntie J and the Bear) making a watering hole (Pend O'Reille Soup?) at City Beach:

It was so great to finally introduce the Bear to this branch of the family tree. We can't wait to see you all again!

P.S. Stan Bear did meet Auntie J back in March, in California. Check that out here and here.

The Green Monarchs

Mike snorkeling.

The Green Monarchs is a boat trip away from Grandma and Grandpa's lakeside casa. It is one of our favorite trips to make while we are visiting. The lake beach is all rocks and that's why I think the lake is so clear here because there isn't the mushy mud floor to fog up the water. Here is a video compilation of our day there featuring Uncle Klindt, Auntie Jen, Papa Mike, Tuka, Cousin Henry and the voices of Grandpa and Cousin Lucy, oh! and a bald eagle!:



monarchs from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Here's Nana and Grandma in the background, Cousin Henry, the Bear and Auntie Jen sitting on the rocky beach.

 On the way out there Gramps let Stan Bear Drive. On the way home he fell asleep in the boat:


boat from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Here is a bald eagle view of the Bear and the rocks: