Nala the Dog

While in Maryland for Christmas we got to experience living with a dog; Nala the Dog to be exact. The Bear loves her and even learned how to say her name: "Nahnah!" He got up one morning while we were there and walked to the back door (where she would exit to get to the backyard) and shouted, "Nahnah!" I explained to him that she was still sleeping upstairs. Here they are playing:

nala fun from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Here he is back home saying her name:

nala! from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Mini Development Boom

It seems the Bear has been on a mental growth spurt. My parents have been in town since last Thursday and it seems he is showing them everything he can do and more! It's been fun. Here are some growth stories:

The Slide
There is a slide at one of the parks that curves and when the Bear slides off he lands on his feet and falls down. One day he went down and fell, as usual but then went back up the steps to go down again. He went down a second time and fell to his hands again. I said, "Try it again and see if you can stick the landing!" So up the steps he went and down the slide. He did this maybe two more times...falling to his hands. He was so determined and went up the steps again. This time, he only fell to one knee! I said, "I bet you can do it this next time!" As he climbed the steps, he stopped and looked at me and made the "more" sign so enthusiastically as if to say, "I can do this one 'more' time and I will stick the landing." So I said something like, "One more time! You can do it!" He got to the top of the slide and sat down. Down he went and he stuck the landing! Hooray! He gave me a high-five. He then ran to Tuka and gave him a high-five and then ran to Nana for a third high-five! I asked him if he wanted to do it again he looked away and pointed at the swings. His reward to himself for all of his hard work was apparently to swing on the swings.

Nooooo
He knows how to say "no" now. He was eating oatmeal for breakfast earlier this week and had a spoonful of oatmeal and started to shake the spoon back and forth. I immediately said, "Stanleyyyyy." and before I could say anything else he stopped, held up his index finger and said, "Noooooooo." Haha. He did stop shaking the spoon, so he understands what it means.

More
He has mastered the sign for "more" but now he can say the word while signing. He says it like this, mo'.
Mo' food, mo' slides, mo' juice, mo' milk, mo' apricots, mo' climbing.

Nana and Ducka or Baba
He can say Nana really well and knows who she is. He has not mastered Tuka yet but instead says something like Ducka but mostly calls him Baba which sounds very similar to Papa.

Bubbles
We were hiking along the creek on a very cold day and there was a bubble, about 2 inches wide, just twirling at the bottom of a little waterfall in the creek and I said, "Look at the bubble." and he immediately said, "Bubble." He's good at "B" words, Bobby, Bubble, Bus.

Determination
Just like with the slide where he will try and try and try until he can get it he did something similar at the Life and Science Museum. There is a tree house type of thing where he can climb up and then put a tennis ball sized ball in this red ramp that the ball travels down and around the room and eventually down into the box on the floor. He can barely reach the ramp and I usually climb part way up the ladder and help place the ball in there. He kept trying and trying, on the tippiest of toes, fully extended arm and fingers...and FINALLY he did it! He got the ball in the ramp and then in all of his excitement he tried pushing the ball along (which is unnecessary) and then as it traveled along the ceiling and then down the ramp Stanley was shifting his weight from foot to foot, enthusiastically pointing with both fingers at the moving ball and making noises like, "Whooo, Hoo! Wha wha wha!" So funny.

He Knows
He knows words that he can't say yet. When he was on the swing at the park I said, "Do you want to play in the sandbox?" and he pointed at the sandbox. I was impressed. He is a sponge.

Toilet
We set up his little toilet seat next to ours in the bathroom. He loves opening it and then sitting down. The first night we had it set up, before his bath, he sat down on it, got up and looked in, nothing. He sat down again. Then he got up, looked at me and shook his head "no" (as if saying, nope, don't need to go and walked out of the bathroom. HA!

More Words and Signs
The other night at dinner my mom put a glass of water near me and the Bear and he put his hand to his mouth and pulled his hand away and down (the sign for thank you) and said something like, "tanky!" I couldn't believe my ears and eyes. He has said it many times since. He also was asking for more of something and I said, "Say, please." and did the sign (rub hand in circle over center of chest) and he responded by saying, "sah pease." and rubbing both his hands all over his torso. It was great.

Balance
We have a ladder (maybe 6-7 rungs?) leaning up against the house near the front stoop. He now climbs that, unassisted and when he's at the top he leans/dives for me (I'm standing on the top of the stoop) and that's how we come inside the house now. Also, at the Life and Science Museum in big blue block area he got up on this railroad track looking block, a foot on each side and started walking and balancing along. It was scary but he was so determined and focus. Have a look:

on the edge from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

All of this in one week. He's on a rolllll.

Floral Ghost

I've talked about how the Bear enjoys messing with his perception by putting something over his head or eyes like a bucket or in this case, a sarong I got in Hawaii. Here he is walking around, Stan B the Friendly Ghost:

floral ghost from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Laundry Day

Balancing Launderer:

Nude, Balancing Launderer:

Truck

Stan Bear calls all trucks and buses, "Buh!" When he calls a truck a "buh" I say, "That's a truck." Most of the time he'll again say "buh" but lately he's been throwing in a "chuh" instead. Yay for chuhs! Anyhoo. He has his favorite little push truck that was handed down to him from one of my co workers and he loves it. We live on a slight hill and he will go roaring down it, luge-style - toes pointed in, hands down and all - it is awesome. Have a look (it starts out slowly but wait for the dramatic ending!):


truck from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Yep, he flew off; over the steering wheel. He didn't cry but instead made his "Whooooaaa!" exclamation that he does when a big rock splashes in a puddle, or when he belly flops in the tub. I should probably start making him wear a helmet at all times.

Staying Calm

I have learned so much since the Bear entered our lives. Some of those things off the top of my head:
Patience
Gratitude (for time, for my parents, for Mike, for the sleep I do get...)
Appreciation of the little things

The biggest lesson I've learned so far in 2014 is how important it is to stay calm. I have two instances where staying calm has helped both me and the Bear.

A couple of weeks ago the Bear got a stomach bug. I've heard about these but boy, oh, boy was I ever not prepared. I didn't know he had the bug until he vomited. Projectile. It was huge. I didn't realize that much could come out of him. It was very intense. I think we were both in shock. Instead of panicking or saying something like, "EEEEWWW GROSS!" or "Holy crap!" I let him finish throwing up (it seemed neverending). I think I then asked him if he was o.k. and told him that he just threw up. I went and got some towels to wipe everything up and then calmly changed his clothes. He threw up 6 more times in the next 6 hours. It seemed that each time he did it he got smarter; he knew when it was coming. The second to last time he threw up, beforehand, he got  up and sadly and quietly said, "Mamaaa!" and then, "blaaaaaahhhh" into the bucket that I had handy. (That's the one time I had a bucket). The last time he did it he cried, "Mama. Mama!" It was so sad. So so sad. Poor guy. Each time, I stayed calm. I let him throw up on the floor, on me, in my hands, in the bucket, on the bed. Panicking or telling him to stop would not have helped or made him feel better. Staying calm was essential. (We did page the Pediatrician that evening and she said that usually these things are fast and furious and to just keep giving him fluids even if he just kept throwing them up. She was right; it lasted less than 24 hours.)

The second thing had to do with Cow Star. I forgot to grab her from daycare and started panicking before bedtime. Inside I was thinking "EEEEEEK! He's going to lose it!" But instead of freaking out I stayed calm. He's been attached to this one striped blanket as well so we gathered that and then I heated up one of his soft blankets in the dryer and pulled it out right before bed. I think that may have distracted him a little (because we know how he likes warm items from the dryer!)  I put him down in his crib and he cried which seemed like a cry for Cow Star and instead of saying the word "Cow Star" I just said "It will be alright. I'll just be in the other room." I left and he peacefully fell asleep. When he woke up around 6:45 am for the day he was a bit groggy and started doing the sign for Cow Star. Inside I thought "EEEEEEK!" but instead I said, "Cow Star is at school, with Miss Shirley. We will see Cow Star when we go to school today." He continued to sign for Cow Star and I repeated myself and said how well he did sleeping without Cow Star last night. It was a nice and calm conversation we had sitting on the couch. He had his grumpy/sad face on and when I finished talking he glanced at me, with his eyes only (still sad face) and then smiled. It was like he understood. It was a perfect little moment.

Hide-n-Seek-hugs

Here we are playing a game of hide-n-seek-hugs:
hide n seek hugs from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

New Year Hike II

We did our annual New Year hike at the nearby creek, just like we did last year.

Here we are last year:

Playing Guitar With Pa

Stan B is still enjoying playing instruments with his Pa:

guitar slide from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Pulling the Wagon

After many many months of me pulling him in the wagon he can now pull the wagon himself!
Have a look-see:


wagon pull from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Opening Christmas Presents and Riding the Trash Can Like it's a Pony

The great thing about his second Christmas is that he was able to open presents (and he loved it!) and was actually interested what was inside...because he could THROW them. We didn't have a ton of presents for him but my parents sent him some stuff and the MD family had some for him so I thought I would start unwrapping a present a day starting 5 days prior to Christmas as I thought he would get overwhelmed with everything at once. I'm glad I did that because we didn't even open everything ON Christmas day; we were unwrapping things 3 days later. Here are some of his unwrapping experiences and Christmas shenanigans (including taking a break from unwrapping to dance and riding the trash can like it was a pony.)



xmas presents from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Belly Flops

He can count to three now...although it sounds like this: Woh! Doo! Wah!!!! Three is Wah because on three he usually does something like belly flop or jump or something that calls for a Wah sound!

one two three from erin kawamata on Vimeo.


And, I just like this picture of him in his loaner cozy cab:

Owies

The Bear took a spill on our last day in Maryland. I was taking something out to the car and he was following me outside. He tumbled off the little stoop and got two big scrapes on his nose and some little ones too, plus a bloody top lip. He had a pretty gnarly looking nose for a week.

Then, the weekend after Christmas, he was on his little push truck going down the hill (and he goes pretty fast). I was running after him and he hit the edge of the road/grassy median and flew off of his truck and got a little cut (half a centimeter) at the outside corner of his right eye.

Then two days later he was climbing into his red wagon on one of our walks and, boom, his bottom lip hit one of the seats for another bloody lip.

That is three...so I think we're done with cuts and scrapes for awhile (fingers crossed.)

Drinking from a Cup

The Bear can drink pretty well from a cup now. I feel like I still need to supervise him because he also really loves throwing EVERYTHING, including cups...with water in them. Here he is in action:
cup drinking from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

Second Christmas

Clockwise from L to R: Eating Uncle Dave's cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast, Aki Bear's stocking made by Auntie Sue, the Bear at the piano, the Bear and Nala the Dog having a meeting, the Bear playing with a newly opened prezzie, Nala, Mike, the Bear and Auntie Sue going for a walk, Cousin Abby getting headbutted by the Bear.

I have lots of video to share too.

Curious Climber

Some mornings when Mike is still sleeping and I need to take a shower I will stick the Bear in his little chair (because I can strap him in!) One morning after I had gotten out of the shower I unlatched him as I was blow drying my hair and before I knew it he had climbed onto the edge of his chair in order to get to the sink.

He even managed to turn the water faucet for some morning time water play! Look at his little feet and legs!:

Dancing in His Car Seat

Here is the Bear dancing on our trip up to Maryland for Christmas:


car dancing from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

You're O.K.! vs. Are You O.K.?

He sleeps.

I have heard or read about not using the term "You're O.K.!" when your child falls or bops his head or gets water in her eyes. As caretakers, instead of telling them that they are O.K. we should ask them if they are O.K. because this is a way to let them know that what they may be feeling is real and it's alright to feel however they are feeling. I've also taken it a step further by explaining what has happened. Here is a great example of how talking about it really helped the Bear. He was playing in the bath, scooping up water with a pitcher and dumping it on himself. He ended up dumping it on his face and he started crying. Instead of me saying, "You're O.K." and having him continue to cry, I said, "Are you alright? I saw you pour water on your face. Did it get into your eyes, nose and mouth? It got into your eyes didn't it? I bet that feels funny." As I said eyes, nose and mouth I pointed to them on my face." He understood me (I'm sure of it) and he almost immediately stopped crying and instead looked at me and blinked his eyes and pointed at his eyes as I said, "Yes, you got water in your eyes." ....and then he smiled. Our communication was apparent. It was really kind of magical.

A Sign of His Own Creation

Baby sign language is amazing. I'm a baby sign advocate. It's great. We have taught him signs that he uses (hot, bye, diaper, milk, food, more, help, please) and of course there are ones that we use that he hasn't perfected. We are trying to teach him to sign "thank you" (and to understand it's meaning) as well as perfect the sign for "please".

While at Auntie Sue's over Christmas we were saying good night to everyone and Stanley had his hand over his ear (flat palm to ear) I had seen him do this before but didn't put two and two together. Auntie Sue called it. She said something like, "Yes, you're going night night." and then she did the sign for that which is putting your palms together and putting them  to the side of your head (as if to lay your head on a pillow). Who knew?! (Besides Auntie Sue!) So good. So since we've been home after the holidays Stan B will grab his sleeping accoutrements (cow star and blankie) and put his hand to his head and walk to his room. AMAZING. This makes nap time a gazillion times easier.

So, up to now Stan B has learned signs that we have taught him but he has actually come up with a sign of his own that I figured out. He made a sign for "Cow Star" his cowy cow star, or his cow cow as we call her affectionately. He basically holds an open hand up fingers relaxed and rotates his wrist (as if turning a door knob) over and over again. I think this started from when we played the "where is cow star game" before bed. We would both put our hands up in the air as if to say, "Where is it?" and Stan B started associating that with Cow Star. Now it's just a simple wrist rotation.


cow star from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

I figured out that that was the sign for Cow Star when I decided to toss Cow Cow in the washing machine. I was actually surprised at his reaction; it's nice to see that he can separate from Cow Star without losing it...and I think it's simply because we can communicate fairly well now. (Communication is AMAZING!) I picked Stan B up while he was holding Cowy and we walked over to the washing machine and I took Cowy from him and tossed her into the washing machine. Stanley pointed at her and seemed concerned and almost upset. I told him that Cow Star was taking a bath and that we would see Cow Star later. I said, "Let's say bye-bye to Cow Star. Bye-bye Cow Star!" as I waved at Cow Star in the washing machine. At that moment Stan B waved and then reached for the top loader's door and slammed it down. It was great. We walked to the couch to put his shoes on and he made his sign for Cow Star while looking over at the machine. I asked him if he wanted to see Cow Star and I made the sign and he pointed at the machine. So we went back over. I opened the door and we looked in and I said, "See you later, Cowy!" and Stan B waved bye. When we got home later and I had transferred Cow Star into the dryer Stan B made the sign again and I let him look in the dryer. It was really cool. He was aware of what was going on. AND we were on the same page about what that sign meant.

18 Months

Can you believe it? A year and a half!

He loves wearing sunglasses ♥ Stomping in puddles in his new rain boots ♥ Copying everything we do with such toddler precision ♥ Diving in the bathtub on the count of 3 ♥ Chasing the cat ♥ Throwing things ♥ Dancing ♥ Dogs ♥ Slides ♥ He can just reach the top of the kitchen counters ♥ Spent his second Christmas in Maryland ♥ Learning words and signs at the speed of light ♥ Running! ♥ Trucks ♥ Helping in the kitchen ♥ He takes one nap a day

Very Observant

Here he is pulling the wagon for the first time after being pulled by me for the last year or so.

He will do everything that we will do because he has observed us.

While at Auntie Sue's house he spilled his cereal milk on the table. I wiped it up with paper towels but he wanted to help clean up so I let him. When he was done he climbed out of his seat with soiled paper towel in hand walked over to the cabinet where the trash can dwells, opened it and placed the towel in there. We had only been there for 2 days and he knew where to put trash! It was amazing.

In the morning, I'll use the restroom. He'll go and pull off a long piece of toilet paper (I will usually have to stop it and tear it for him) and he'll put the toilet paper behind me (as if to wipe me!) but put it in the toilet bowl. When I stand up he will flush the toilet and then put the toilet seat cover down.

When we first wake up in the morning he will pull the nightlight out in the hallway and put it on the shelf (which I always do.)

He wants to shut every door, so I let him. (Refrigerator, freezer, front door, bathroom door, bedroom door, car door).

He'll unplug the tub and put the plug up on the faucet (which he has seen me do).

The other evening when he was finished eating dinner he got down from the table and then pointed at the bowl (which had a small amount of food left). I thought to myself, "But you didn't want anymore food!" He insisted that I give him the bowl - there was some serious whining/frustration. I gave it to him but held onto it because I feared he was going to dump it on the floor. He pushed my hand away, so I let go. He then proceeded to walk over to the trash can and dump the food in (bowl and fork accidently went with it). He just wanted to do what we do. (I still wish we had a dog for clean up.)

It's really amazing how observant he is.

He Runs

And he runs FAST:

Vegetables

Some days he'll devour them; some days he won't touch 'em:

Here he is eating green beans with a few strands of fettucine.

This evening he took all of the steamed haricot verts from their serving platter and put them in his bowl of fettucine and then went on to eat them with his fork.

beans from erin kawamata on Vimeo.