On Friday, December 17th, Noah turned three! This year has been filled with so much change! At his last birthday party, he was enchanted by candles, the happy birthday song, was talking in short sentences, and had a baby voice. Now, at three, his still enjoys music, loves to drum and play the guitar, talks in complex language, expresses emotion, and has a little boy's voice. We went through a failed attempt at day care, got lucky with a wonderful care situation, traveled to Florida, enjoyed the pool over the summer, and are looking forward to building snowmen this winter. We welcomed a new life into our family, and have been riding the roller coaster of emotions ever since.
We celebrated Noah's party with seven (!) other toddlers and their parents, Nano's parents, and special guests, a Djembe drummer and a guitar player! Noah was very excited about the party, especially about the drummer! They set up, and when they were ready, Noah suddenly counted, "One, Two, Three, GO!!" They took Noah's cue and started to play a little bit before introducing themselves. The excitement and cheer in his voice and dancing was palpable -- I have never seen anyone enjoy anything so much! The guys played some great songs, invited the children to play drums and tambourines as well, and then invited them to dance. Noah started off the dance with exuberant jumping! Then, he led the parade around the house with the kids and the drummers.
Once the musicians left, we got a light dinner ready for the guests. Everyone ate well, and then it was time for the much-anticipated cake! Our friend and neighbor Heather put together a fabulous train cake, which all the kids loved! They all wanted to get a piece of that mountain!
After the cake came the sugar high. Eight toddlers were running around our house, following a game that the father of one of Noah's friends, made up. The kids were now monkeys, and they had to run from end to end of the house looking for the dragon! Nano, who was coming down the stairs at an opportune moment, was the DRAGON! And, the little guys had to feed him cake!! Nyum, nyum, nyum!! They all had a fabulous time.
Then, Noah's buddy Scarlett wanted to give him his present, and chaotic gift-opening ensued! I just let the chaos happen, as any sort of intervention seemed fruitless! He ripped into several gifts in the middle of the floor, as his friends watched. Each one brought one to him, and he was thrilled to receive them!
We love you so much, Noah, and are so happy that you have enjoyed this birthday so much. I cherish this time with you as a sensitive, sweet, exuberant little toddler! We are so lucky to have our lives touched by you.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sibling Sweetness
We've definitely been through our share of challenges already. Honestly, the first month was really, really rough! A couple of weeks ago, Noah was awake for 2.5 hours; he was following me as I changed the baby, hanging on my leg as I tried to bounce the baby, demanding that I lay down with him and to put the baby down. Other nights, he has woken twice, and on a good night, he wakes once at around 5 am. Almost every day, he told me, "Mama, I don't want you to hold the baby," usually with a scrunched up face and whiny cry. I followed the advice of several books saying we should validate these emotions. I told him, "I understand. It's hard to see me hold the baby so much. You want me to hold you. I used to only hold you," etc. Then, I got tired of hearing his complaint. And, I told him -- I said, "Noah, I understand. But, I'm tired of hearing you say that." He hasn't said it again since (it's been a few days I think).
Suddenly, Noah has become our helper. Two nights ago, I was giving Simon a bath, and I asked Noah for help getting the tub ready for me. Then, he helped put soap on Simon, and rinse him. Yesterday morning, he wanted to help put diaper cream on the baby. Then, I asked if he would help by holding him while I put my wrap carrier on (takes a couple of minutes, usually accompanied by a crying baby placed on an inanimate object). He was happy to sit on the couch, with Simon propped against him, and smiled a large grin. It was so sweet to see the two of them together, and content!
That morning I drove him to Tiffany's house, and Simon spent the entire trip crying. At one point, I heard Noah spontaneously trying to help by shushing him from his seat, "Pshhh! Pshh!" I couldn't help but smile. Then, at her house, he came up and stroked Simon's head, and was proud to show him off to his buddy Scarlett. When Scarlett approached the carseat, Noah got very protective, and said, "No, Scarlett, that's Mama's!" She said, "No it's not; it's Baby Simon's!" Noah retorted, "No, it's Mama's!" Then, she thought for a minute and replied, "But Mama doesn't stay there." Love these toddler conversations!
Suddenly, Noah has become our helper. Two nights ago, I was giving Simon a bath, and I asked Noah for help getting the tub ready for me. Then, he helped put soap on Simon, and rinse him. Yesterday morning, he wanted to help put diaper cream on the baby. Then, I asked if he would help by holding him while I put my wrap carrier on (takes a couple of minutes, usually accompanied by a crying baby placed on an inanimate object). He was happy to sit on the couch, with Simon propped against him, and smiled a large grin. It was so sweet to see the two of them together, and content!
That morning I drove him to Tiffany's house, and Simon spent the entire trip crying. At one point, I heard Noah spontaneously trying to help by shushing him from his seat, "Pshhh! Pshh!" I couldn't help but smile. Then, at her house, he came up and stroked Simon's head, and was proud to show him off to his buddy Scarlett. When Scarlett approached the carseat, Noah got very protective, and said, "No, Scarlett, that's Mama's!" She said, "No it's not; it's Baby Simon's!" Noah retorted, "No, it's Mama's!" Then, she thought for a minute and replied, "But Mama doesn't stay there." Love these toddler conversations!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Simon's birth story
On September 23, 2010 at 10:26, Simon Pardo Schott burst into this world at the Bryn Mawr birth center! He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz and was 20 inches long.
My water broke on Thursday morning at about 6.30 am (leaking, not gushing), so we knew he would be coming soon. We took him to Tiffany's house with his special overnight suitcase, and headed over to the birth center for a non stress test, since labor had not yet started. We stopped for breakfast at Cosi, and then walked about a half a mile at a local park, just to see if labor would kick in. We got to the birth center for the 10:15 appointment, and everything looked perfect. The policy at the birth center is that you have 24 hours to go into active labor from when your water breaks, or else they must induce you at the hospital. I went home with two small bottles of castor oil I was instructed to take if nothing had happened by about dinner time.
We came back home, and I took a nap, having been up early that morning with Noah. I was planning on having a Hypnobabies birth, so I listened to one of the CDs to help me relax. About an hour later, I woke up and felt a bit restless-- why wasn't labor starting? I thought that maybe there was some sort of psychological/mental block, since I had some pending work to do. I spent about an hour and a half finishing it up, and then decided it was time for another walk. Nano and I went for a walk around the neighborhood, and I was starting to get anxious that nothing was happening. I worried that I would end up at the hospital, and that Noah would end up spending several nights away from us. By the time we got back, it was about 4:30 pm, and we resolved it was time to try the castor oil. Nano went out to pick up a chocolate shake to mix it with, and I talked to a friend for some moral support. I took the first dose at about 5:30 pm, and had planned on waiting on the second dose to see if the first one was enough. However, once again anxious, I decided to take it all (4 oz) at the same time (which is what the midwives had originally recommended in the first place).
For those of you who have never used castor oil, it stimulates contractions of the bowel, which somehow can stimulate labor contractions as well. The first part took effect within about an hour and a half. At that point, I called a friend of mine who is a midwife, and she gave me several tips about how to approach the next 12 hours before I would have to be induced. She said to rest as much as I could, and focus on resting when it was time to rest. But, she suggested waking up early to try other natural induction methods. It was a great help to chat with her, and by the end of the conversation, I realized I was already having contractions.
Once I got off the phone, I went upstairs and started timing contractions. This was at about 7:30 pm. I used an Iphone application from contractionmaster.com, which is a great website! The first few contractions lasted 35 seconds, and were 2.5 minutes apart. I timed them over the next half hour, and they increased to lasting about 45-50 seconds, at 2 minutes apart. At 8:00 I woke Nano up, who had been resting, and said, "It's time. Contractions are 2 minutes apart." He was surprised! I called the midwife, and she said to come on in. I was feeling relaxed and excited that labor had started!
The car was already packed with all our stuff, because the day before I had gone to campus to take care of something, and had packed up just in case something were to happen while I was there. We added a few last minute items and headed out.
I listened to Hypnobabies tracks in the car ride on the way over, and got through the contractions by imagining I was on the beach in Cancun with Noah, Simon and Nano. I tried to feel the wind on my skin and hear the ocean waves. Once we got to the birth center, I got on the birthing ball, and continued this technique, all the while listening to Hypnobabies. When we got there at 8:45, I was only 4 cm dilated. This was a bit disappointing! But, the contractions got stronger and stronger, and lasted longer and longer. Before I knew it, there was practically no break between contractions.
After laboring sitting on the birthing ball for about 20 minutes or so, things got intense. Labor was excruciating. It was the same pain I had felt with Noah. I had thought that if the baby was in the right position (he was LOA), then maybe it would not be as painful as it was with Noah, who was posterior (sunny side up). Not true!! I went through a period where I thought, "Oh crap, I made a mistake. I just want an epidural. I can't do this." Then, the contractions got so strong that I couldn't think anymore.
I switched to leaning over the ball on the bed. This position was useful for a few contractions, and then I eventually threw the ball down and just stayed on my hands and knees. At this point, the midwife disappeared to another room. A nurse came in at some point to let us know that the woman in the next room was pushing, and that was where the midwife was. She came in a couple of times to check the heart rate. I had only about 2 seconds between contractions at this point. Just enough time to blurt out "now!" to Nano, who was applying counter pressure on my back, which was really helpful. I started vocalizing between contractions. Hypnobabies and relaxation was impossible at this point, due to the intensity. What got me through it was "Ohhh" and "Ahh." The moaning got louder and stronger along with the contractions, and I made an effort to keep the vocalization "low."
Then the contractions changed a bit. I couldn't hold my weight up anymore, so I switched to the left-side-lying position, with right leg propped on a pillow. At this point, contractions got extremely strong, and I had to roar through them. There was a bit more of a break between them, but they felt like a steam train barreling over me. The nurse came in to check the heart rate, and must have noted that I looked like I would be pushing soon. I had no idea where we were in the labor, and was really hoping it wouldn't go on like this, but after my long labor with Noah, thought there could be several hours left. The midwife came bursting in, and I said, "Are we close??" She said, "Yes!" and then I started pushing! I pushed about 3 times, and felt his head barreling through me, and then suddenly, it was out! One more push, and his body followed.
The midwife put Simon on my chest, and I was ecstatic. This is what natural birth is about!! The pain can be horrific, but the endorphins produced by your body during labor make it feel like nirvana when your baby is born!! He was perfect, born at 10:46 pm, just 3 hours and 15 minutes after I went into labor (and less than 2 hours of "active" labor). It was a fabulous experience. He nursed within the first 15 minutes or so, and we had 2 hours with him before they took him for his exam and then bath.
We stayed that night at the birth center, and I watched Simon suck his hand to soothe himself through a bout of hiccups. He slept on his side, right next to me. What a joy to have him with us!! We were discharged the next morning at about 9.30 am. I wanted to eat a pancake and egg breakfast at IHOP, but settled for a bagel sandwich. :)
My water broke on Thursday morning at about 6.30 am (leaking, not gushing), so we knew he would be coming soon. We took him to Tiffany's house with his special overnight suitcase, and headed over to the birth center for a non stress test, since labor had not yet started. We stopped for breakfast at Cosi, and then walked about a half a mile at a local park, just to see if labor would kick in. We got to the birth center for the 10:15 appointment, and everything looked perfect. The policy at the birth center is that you have 24 hours to go into active labor from when your water breaks, or else they must induce you at the hospital. I went home with two small bottles of castor oil I was instructed to take if nothing had happened by about dinner time.
We came back home, and I took a nap, having been up early that morning with Noah. I was planning on having a Hypnobabies birth, so I listened to one of the CDs to help me relax. About an hour later, I woke up and felt a bit restless-- why wasn't labor starting? I thought that maybe there was some sort of psychological/mental block, since I had some pending work to do. I spent about an hour and a half finishing it up, and then decided it was time for another walk. Nano and I went for a walk around the neighborhood, and I was starting to get anxious that nothing was happening. I worried that I would end up at the hospital, and that Noah would end up spending several nights away from us. By the time we got back, it was about 4:30 pm, and we resolved it was time to try the castor oil. Nano went out to pick up a chocolate shake to mix it with, and I talked to a friend for some moral support. I took the first dose at about 5:30 pm, and had planned on waiting on the second dose to see if the first one was enough. However, once again anxious, I decided to take it all (4 oz) at the same time (which is what the midwives had originally recommended in the first place).
For those of you who have never used castor oil, it stimulates contractions of the bowel, which somehow can stimulate labor contractions as well. The first part took effect within about an hour and a half. At that point, I called a friend of mine who is a midwife, and she gave me several tips about how to approach the next 12 hours before I would have to be induced. She said to rest as much as I could, and focus on resting when it was time to rest. But, she suggested waking up early to try other natural induction methods. It was a great help to chat with her, and by the end of the conversation, I realized I was already having contractions.
Once I got off the phone, I went upstairs and started timing contractions. This was at about 7:30 pm. I used an Iphone application from contractionmaster.com, which is a great website! The first few contractions lasted 35 seconds, and were 2.5 minutes apart. I timed them over the next half hour, and they increased to lasting about 45-50 seconds, at 2 minutes apart. At 8:00 I woke Nano up, who had been resting, and said, "It's time. Contractions are 2 minutes apart." He was surprised! I called the midwife, and she said to come on in. I was feeling relaxed and excited that labor had started!
The car was already packed with all our stuff, because the day before I had gone to campus to take care of something, and had packed up just in case something were to happen while I was there. We added a few last minute items and headed out.
I listened to Hypnobabies tracks in the car ride on the way over, and got through the contractions by imagining I was on the beach in Cancun with Noah, Simon and Nano. I tried to feel the wind on my skin and hear the ocean waves. Once we got to the birth center, I got on the birthing ball, and continued this technique, all the while listening to Hypnobabies. When we got there at 8:45, I was only 4 cm dilated. This was a bit disappointing! But, the contractions got stronger and stronger, and lasted longer and longer. Before I knew it, there was practically no break between contractions.
After laboring sitting on the birthing ball for about 20 minutes or so, things got intense. Labor was excruciating. It was the same pain I had felt with Noah. I had thought that if the baby was in the right position (he was LOA), then maybe it would not be as painful as it was with Noah, who was posterior (sunny side up). Not true!! I went through a period where I thought, "Oh crap, I made a mistake. I just want an epidural. I can't do this." Then, the contractions got so strong that I couldn't think anymore.
I switched to leaning over the ball on the bed. This position was useful for a few contractions, and then I eventually threw the ball down and just stayed on my hands and knees. At this point, the midwife disappeared to another room. A nurse came in at some point to let us know that the woman in the next room was pushing, and that was where the midwife was. She came in a couple of times to check the heart rate. I had only about 2 seconds between contractions at this point. Just enough time to blurt out "now!" to Nano, who was applying counter pressure on my back, which was really helpful. I started vocalizing between contractions. Hypnobabies and relaxation was impossible at this point, due to the intensity. What got me through it was "Ohhh" and "Ahh." The moaning got louder and stronger along with the contractions, and I made an effort to keep the vocalization "low."
Then the contractions changed a bit. I couldn't hold my weight up anymore, so I switched to the left-side-lying position, with right leg propped on a pillow. At this point, contractions got extremely strong, and I had to roar through them. There was a bit more of a break between them, but they felt like a steam train barreling over me. The nurse came in to check the heart rate, and must have noted that I looked like I would be pushing soon. I had no idea where we were in the labor, and was really hoping it wouldn't go on like this, but after my long labor with Noah, thought there could be several hours left. The midwife came bursting in, and I said, "Are we close??" She said, "Yes!" and then I started pushing! I pushed about 3 times, and felt his head barreling through me, and then suddenly, it was out! One more push, and his body followed.
The midwife put Simon on my chest, and I was ecstatic. This is what natural birth is about!! The pain can be horrific, but the endorphins produced by your body during labor make it feel like nirvana when your baby is born!! He was perfect, born at 10:46 pm, just 3 hours and 15 minutes after I went into labor (and less than 2 hours of "active" labor). It was a fabulous experience. He nursed within the first 15 minutes or so, and we had 2 hours with him before they took him for his exam and then bath.
We stayed that night at the birth center, and I watched Simon suck his hand to soothe himself through a bout of hiccups. He slept on his side, right next to me. What a joy to have him with us!! We were discharged the next morning at about 9.30 am. I wanted to eat a pancake and egg breakfast at IHOP, but settled for a bagel sandwich. :)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Singing
A few nights ago Noah had just come out of the tub when he said he needed to use the "singer," while gesturing towards the free-standing toilet paper dispenser. I took off the toilet paper and he took the rest of the contraption to the bedroom and placed it next to the bed. He used the part that holds the toilet paper as a microphone that he would then put place back on the stand after each song.
"Now we're going to sing Twinkle, Twinkle," he said.
He cut the lights, using our dimmer, and started to very softly sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
At the end, he turned the lights on, and we cheered and clapped, "Yay!!!"
He must have done this about 5 times. Thankfully, I got a recording of it!
The idea of Twinkle in the dark must have come from the Wiggles Concert that we went to in August! Noah's first big concert! He was entranced the whole time, from beginning to end. I took videos of some of the songs, and panned back to him. When he watched the videos later, he asked, "am I sad?" I said, "No, you were just concentrating!" He loved watching some of his favorite songs performed, as well as some new ones. Unfortunately, Murray had to be away for family reasons, so a new performer, Ringo, took his place. Noah loved Ringo! Every time we look at our videos, he asks, "where's Ringo?" Anyway, they turned off all of the lights in the theatre to sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and had beautiful little white lights shining around the theatre. Noah loved it.
"Now we're going to sing Twinkle, Twinkle," he said.
He cut the lights, using our dimmer, and started to very softly sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
At the end, he turned the lights on, and we cheered and clapped, "Yay!!!"
He must have done this about 5 times. Thankfully, I got a recording of it!
The idea of Twinkle in the dark must have come from the Wiggles Concert that we went to in August! Noah's first big concert! He was entranced the whole time, from beginning to end. I took videos of some of the songs, and panned back to him. When he watched the videos later, he asked, "am I sad?" I said, "No, you were just concentrating!" He loved watching some of his favorite songs performed, as well as some new ones. Unfortunately, Murray had to be away for family reasons, so a new performer, Ringo, took his place. Noah loved Ringo! Every time we look at our videos, he asks, "where's Ringo?" Anyway, they turned off all of the lights in the theatre to sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and had beautiful little white lights shining around the theatre. Noah loved it.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Under the influence of extreme cuteness
The last three weeks have been full of grandparents for Noah. First, his Lala and Tata came to visit from Chile. He spent the first week following around Tata (Nano's dad), kicking around a ball with him, and going through the gates of the pretend "ding, ding, ding" (i.e., railroad crossing) with him. One morning, as Nano and I were getting out the door for work, he noticed that Lala was staying at our house. He looked at her on his way out, and said, "Lala, you go to church." Lala is the only one that goes to church in this group, but he loves dropping her off and picking her up from there. He is fascinated by it So, he must have thought that if mama and papa go to work, Lala goes to church.
By the time Lala left 2 weeks later, Noah had become quite attached. As we were driving her to the airport (Tata had left the previous week), Noah said, "I'm sad because Lala go to Chile." I said, "Tell Lala you love her." He said, "I love you Lala!" and then spontaneously said, "Me kiss your cheek!" She would have melted if she had understood the English! The first thing he said the next morning was, "where's Lala?" When I explained that she had gone back to Chile in the airplane, he started to cry. It took a while for me to calm those tears!
After they left, we went to a great memorial day barbecue with some friends. At one point, in the middle of playing separately outside in the yard, he started singing "Four little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head." I continued from the patio, "Mama called the doctor and the doctor said..." and Trey, his buddy, finished with "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" from the other side of the yard. It was a very cute rendition! When it was time for dinner, Noah sat at his first official kids table with Trey and his other friend Logan. He was a champion eater! They then decorated their own cookies with icing, a great activity, and finally ran around the yard with their sugar high. We had a great time!
The next day, we left for Florida. Noah did well on the plane -- scheduling the flights during naptime seems the best strategy for us, giving us at least an hour of a break during the flight (though is it really considered a break to hold a 32 pounder on a pregnant woman's belly?). We got to the Tampa airport and played on the fabulous, soft airplane playground while Nano got some food. Then, we drove to the rental house. We had a blast! Noah and Gabriella were fast friends, though he wasn't up for a "besito" like she was! :) We got to swim at the pool and the beach, visited a Salvador Dali museum and a state park with a fort from the Spanish-American war. He had a great time seeing Granny and Granddad as well! He got to stitch on Granny's needlepoint, and started following Granny around wherever she went.
Unfortunately, he also had a couple of spills in the pool. The first time, he was pulling the boogie board through the water as he walked along the edge of the pool, and accidentally stepped right in. He was wearing a life jacket, but still swallowed water and probably felt like he was helpless in the water. He wanted to go inside after that, but was up for a little swim later on. However, this time, he was in the water before I got there, and had told his papa to go to the other side of the pool. He then stepped down to the third step (where he could reach, but easily could lose footing), and got swept into the water again. This time it took longer for someone to get there, since Nano was on the other side of the pool and I was far away on the deck above. After this incident, he told me he didn't like the water and never wanted to get back in the pool. I did manage to get him to put his feet in the next day, but that was it. That night, and practically every night since, he's told me he doesn't want to go under the water. We'll have to work on this one!
Overall, it has been a great few weeks! I am just amazed at all the adorable things this little guy says and does. He loves singing and playing instruments. Here is a recent video:
Another big milestone just last weekend -- Noah took a ride by himself at the fair! A little ride around on a motorcycle. He flashed a huge smile as he went past!
By the time Lala left 2 weeks later, Noah had become quite attached. As we were driving her to the airport (Tata had left the previous week), Noah said, "I'm sad because Lala go to Chile." I said, "Tell Lala you love her." He said, "I love you Lala!" and then spontaneously said, "Me kiss your cheek!" She would have melted if she had understood the English! The first thing he said the next morning was, "where's Lala?" When I explained that she had gone back to Chile in the airplane, he started to cry. It took a while for me to calm those tears!
After they left, we went to a great memorial day barbecue with some friends. At one point, in the middle of playing separately outside in the yard, he started singing "Four little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head." I continued from the patio, "Mama called the doctor and the doctor said..." and Trey, his buddy, finished with "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" from the other side of the yard. It was a very cute rendition! When it was time for dinner, Noah sat at his first official kids table with Trey and his other friend Logan. He was a champion eater! They then decorated their own cookies with icing, a great activity, and finally ran around the yard with their sugar high. We had a great time!
The next day, we left for Florida. Noah did well on the plane -- scheduling the flights during naptime seems the best strategy for us, giving us at least an hour of a break during the flight (though is it really considered a break to hold a 32 pounder on a pregnant woman's belly?). We got to the Tampa airport and played on the fabulous, soft airplane playground while Nano got some food. Then, we drove to the rental house. We had a blast! Noah and Gabriella were fast friends, though he wasn't up for a "besito" like she was! :) We got to swim at the pool and the beach, visited a Salvador Dali museum and a state park with a fort from the Spanish-American war. He had a great time seeing Granny and Granddad as well! He got to stitch on Granny's needlepoint, and started following Granny around wherever she went.
Unfortunately, he also had a couple of spills in the pool. The first time, he was pulling the boogie board through the water as he walked along the edge of the pool, and accidentally stepped right in. He was wearing a life jacket, but still swallowed water and probably felt like he was helpless in the water. He wanted to go inside after that, but was up for a little swim later on. However, this time, he was in the water before I got there, and had told his papa to go to the other side of the pool. He then stepped down to the third step (where he could reach, but easily could lose footing), and got swept into the water again. This time it took longer for someone to get there, since Nano was on the other side of the pool and I was far away on the deck above. After this incident, he told me he didn't like the water and never wanted to get back in the pool. I did manage to get him to put his feet in the next day, but that was it. That night, and practically every night since, he's told me he doesn't want to go under the water. We'll have to work on this one!
Overall, it has been a great few weeks! I am just amazed at all the adorable things this little guy says and does. He loves singing and playing instruments. Here is a recent video:
Another big milestone just last weekend -- Noah took a ride by himself at the fair! A little ride around on a motorcycle. He flashed a huge smile as he went past!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Preschool friends
Noah loves birthday parties! We got to attend a fabulous birthday party for Noah's four year old friend, Seren, this weekend. There were preschoolers galore at the party, plus a couple of younger babies (not walking). We spent the first 20 minutes warming up to the idea of joining the growing crowd in the pavilion at the park, despite being the first to arrive! He didn't want to participate in the birdhouse painting activity, just wanted to watch.
Noah was almost old enough to keep up with the older kids, and had a ball doing the scavenger hunt with them. Each clue was a bit involved, but the bottom line was they had to look for some object/place to find the next clue or the treasure. The last clue was to "go down the path and find the water." Noah totally got this one! All the preschoolers marched down the path, and Noah ran behind them, trying to keep up. They were excited to find the treasure at the end -- each had a little bag of party favors waiting for them. Noah looked at the contents (pretzels, dried fruit, and a little plastic lizard), and then looked ahead and saw the lake. "LOOK, THE WATER!!" He turned around and yelled as loud as he could to the preschoolers, "TO THE WATER, EVERYONE!!! COME ON!!!!"
He timed it perfectly, just as everyone had finished looking in their bags and the excitement had subsided to a quiet drone. Their heads turned, and for a minute, it looked like all 10 of them were going to sprint to the water! At this point, Sam, who was the sole chaperone of the group, warded off the image of all 10 running into the lake, saying, "no, it's time to go back now, we got our treasure. Follow me."
Here was my little hesitant boy, suddenly encouraging a huge group of older children to run with him to the water! Perhaps he will be a measured leader someday in the future. :) I accompanied him to the water, along with one or two others whose parents were with them (the rest had stayed back at the pavilion), and he threw in a couple of sticks before we went back for cake.
Once the birthday cake came out, Noah was ready. He did his 10 or so renditions of happy birthday to Seren, and kept singing it on the playground. I think Seren liked the extra attention. :) On the way back, he was out like a light in the car within 5 minutes of saying, "I don't want to take a nap," his unpainted birdhouse resting on his lap. Thanks to Megan and Sam for a great party! For pictures and a detailed party description, visit Megan's blog.
Noah was almost old enough to keep up with the older kids, and had a ball doing the scavenger hunt with them. Each clue was a bit involved, but the bottom line was they had to look for some object/place to find the next clue or the treasure. The last clue was to "go down the path and find the water." Noah totally got this one! All the preschoolers marched down the path, and Noah ran behind them, trying to keep up. They were excited to find the treasure at the end -- each had a little bag of party favors waiting for them. Noah looked at the contents (pretzels, dried fruit, and a little plastic lizard), and then looked ahead and saw the lake. "LOOK, THE WATER!!" He turned around and yelled as loud as he could to the preschoolers, "TO THE WATER, EVERYONE!!! COME ON!!!!"
He timed it perfectly, just as everyone had finished looking in their bags and the excitement had subsided to a quiet drone. Their heads turned, and for a minute, it looked like all 10 of them were going to sprint to the water! At this point, Sam, who was the sole chaperone of the group, warded off the image of all 10 running into the lake, saying, "no, it's time to go back now, we got our treasure. Follow me."
Here was my little hesitant boy, suddenly encouraging a huge group of older children to run with him to the water! Perhaps he will be a measured leader someday in the future. :) I accompanied him to the water, along with one or two others whose parents were with them (the rest had stayed back at the pavilion), and he threw in a couple of sticks before we went back for cake.
Once the birthday cake came out, Noah was ready. He did his 10 or so renditions of happy birthday to Seren, and kept singing it on the playground. I think Seren liked the extra attention. :) On the way back, he was out like a light in the car within 5 minutes of saying, "I don't want to take a nap," his unpainted birdhouse resting on his lap. Thanks to Megan and Sam for a great party! For pictures and a detailed party description, visit Megan's blog.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
"I love you so much, Mama"
These words came out of Noah's mouth for the first time last week! It was the sweetest thing ever! We were walking around Glenside with Trey and Jeremy (Trey's dad), and after the exciting event of watching a train cross the railroad crossing just when we got there, we made our way up a street painted with beautiful azaleas of all colors. Noah had walked quite a bit, and then had asked to be carried. I tired and suggested I put him on my shoulders. He loved being up high, and practiced "ducking" from the low branches (like in a Dora episode). When he ducked down, he held my head close to his body, and stayed a bit longer in this position, when he said, "I love you so much, Mama!" Yes, my heart melted right on the spot.
Two nights ago I got to hear it again, as I was trying to get him to sleep. He was a bit restless, and was chatty and rolling around on the bed. I was being firm, letting him know it was time to settle down and go to sleep. He came over and hugged me and said, "I love you so much, Mama." Any frustration I may have felt about his (ever later) bedtime disappeared instantly. What a beautiful way to fall asleep. That night, I fell asleep then and there too. :)
Two nights ago I got to hear it again, as I was trying to get him to sleep. He was a bit restless, and was chatty and rolling around on the bed. I was being firm, letting him know it was time to settle down and go to sleep. He came over and hugged me and said, "I love you so much, Mama." Any frustration I may have felt about his (ever later) bedtime disappeared instantly. What a beautiful way to fall asleep. That night, I fell asleep then and there too. :)
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Time flies
Time is flying, and I'm getting stuck in the busiest time of the year! We've had a Christmas trip to Austin, a birthday, a bout of toxic synovitis, a child care crisis, an earthquake in Chile, Easter, and countless sweet moments in life that must be captured before the memories slip away.
The trip to Austin was fabulous! Unfortunately, Noah, and then Nano, got sick, but we span around under the giant Christmas tree, walked around the Japanese gardens, fed the ducks at the hike and bike trail, enjoyed Amy's ice cream and took pictures in the picture booth, rode the Zilker train about 3 times, saw friends, and opened presents at 6:00 am on Christmas morning! Noah loved his Diego backpack from Mimi, which he still takes with him from time to time to his babysitter's house, and his water tower train set from Granny and Granddad. We can't wait to break in the Christmas Elf next Christmas! There's nothing like having great weather around Christmas! Every morning we went to Zilker playground to play, and then had an activity in the afternoon. I just love the sunshine!
Noah's second birthday party was great, despite the snowstorm that kept most of our guests away. Five neighbors walked over, and one friend braved the weather in the car (her parents had just come into town and so the car was clean!). We sang happy birthday about 5 times, accompanied by tambourines, cymbals, a triangle, and lots of shakers. He loved his Dora cake, compliments of Heather! Since then, he loves singing happy birthday and blowing out candles. Yesterday he spent the whole way to Tiffany's house singing happy birthday to Noah!
In November, we found out that our fabulous care provider was quitting, and we had 2 days notice. Granted, it was for a good reason (her husband lost his job, and she found a teaching position), but it was a serious crisis for us! I spent 6 weeks looking into day care options, thinking it would be impossible to find a care situation similar to the one that was working so well for him (a babysitter with a slightly older companion). I looked at Montessori programs, play-based programs, Christian programs, Jewish programs, and even the Waldorf school. My productivity at school plummeted, and I was consumed by finding the right place for him.
I finally settled on a play-based program that his former playmate loved. The teachers had a lot of tenure at the center, and got down on the floor to interact with the children. The kids were slightly older, so I thought he could learn from them. It was also flexible in terms of hours, and quite reasonable in price. It was only 10 minutes from our house. We talked it up, and Noah was excited to go the first day! He did great, only cried a little when I dropped him off. I called to check in, and he was "following around his teacher like a puppy dog."
When I picked him up, I carried him out, I carried him into the house, and put him on the couch. I brought him a snack, to the couch. I suddenly realized that this two year old had not moved from the couch in about 5-10 minutes. This is highly unusual behavior!! I asked him to stand up, and realized he could not walk! Otherwise, though, he was perfectly calm and happy. I called the doctor immediately, and they asked me to come in at 6. I packed some noodles and snacks, and headed over to the doctor's office.
Noah had just had his check-up the day before, and despite our preparations, he felt totally violated when we had to take his clothes off (next time we'll practice the undressing too). He cried violently at his well visit, and then did the same at this visit regarding his legs. The doctor tried to make him walk, and he leaned more on one foot, and could not do it. He cried desperately. She found him to be in distress, and worried that there was a fracture or something. She sent me to the emergency room at Abington Hospital.
Let me tell you, emergency rooms are not set up for children! They put that ridiculous blood pressure machine on him about 3 times before giving up because the only thing it resulted in was screams and crying (it never got a good reading). They couldn't manage to put the heart rate monitor thing on his thumb to check his pulse. It was ridiculous, they didn't even try to make it easy for him. Finally, the guy gave up (I know, he was just doing his job, but it was awful, and unnecessary). We were admitted to a room, and soon a nurse and then a doctor came in. At least this doctor was good -- he managed to keep Noah calm as he tried to find out whether his feet were hurting as he touched them (not even the pediatrician was able to do that!). The first step was to take x-rays. I tried to tell Noah they were going to take pictures, but I had to leave the room while they were zapping them, and he was hysterical. The techs couldn't even hear each other he was wailing so loudly.
Finally, x-rays taken, my exhausted peanut was allowed back to the room, and he fell asleep. He managed about 40 minutes before they came in and said the x-rays were clean, and wanted to make him try to walk again. I had to wake him up and force him into severe pain for them to see what was going on. They thought maybe the pain would have gone away (no). They seemed stumped. We waited. And waited.
All this time, Nano was on his way back to Philly from Atlanta where he had been at a conference. He made it back to the house, and was going to come to the hospital, but I asked him to call his pediatrician friend in Chile. This friend said that the most common cause of suddenly not walking at age 2 was a virus called toxic synovitis. It is an inflamation of the area around the hip, and causes severe pain. Otherwise, they are in perfect health. It goes away within a few days to a week, resolving on its own, and often occurs just after a bad cold. Everything seemed to fit, my peanut was exhausted, and his x-rays were clean. I asked to be discharged to go home. The doctor came in and said it would be okay, as long as I followed up with my pediatrician the next day. However, they had ruled out TS because it was presenting in 2 legs rather than 1 (okay, doc, welcome to the logic of a two year old -- it hurts to walk, I dont' distinguish between which leg). In any case, I wanted out and felt comfortable that it was the right decision. Nano made it to the hospital just in time to go get the car and take us home.
The next morning, he was still not walking, and I called the pediatrician. They also confirmed that the most likely diagnosis was TS, but said to come in if he had not improved at all by the end of the day or if he developed a fever (signs of something worse). By the end of the day, he did at least stand for a second, so we relaxed. It took a lot longer than we had expected, but he eventually walked again (after several days, with a bit of trouble), and within 2 weeks was back to normal.
After having a long vacation with family and then staying home with mom for this illness, it was time to go back to the day care. The week that followed was horrible. Every day the drop off and pick-up got worse. I managed to explain why we were dropping him off, and one day he resigned himself to it reluctantly. But, every morning he hyperventilated when I mentioned that he was going to go to school. He screamed and yelled, and refused to leave, saying "I don't wanna go to school!" At pick-up, he cried and was exhausted, as he was not sleeping. In the afternoons he had behavioral issues, and would throw things and hit, and at night, he began to have night terrors again. He was clearly having a very hard time with the new situation. He acted as if he had been betrayed by his teacher when I dropped him off, saying, "No, no, not you!" He was clearly sending me a message that he was very, very unhappy.
I looked for information about how long it takes to transition to day care. All the experts seemed to say you have to give it a month. But, it really didn't seem right to make him suffer a full month. I desperately searched for alternatives. There was a woman in my play group who was starting a home day care and looking for another child to care for. We went to visit her the following Monday after the first full week of day care (it was a holiday). On Tuesday, he was so adamant about not going to day care, that he grabbed the doorway and held on for dear life as I tried to leave the house with him. I then gave him two options: Annna's house, or school. He picked Anna's house. He settled down completely, and compliantly got in the car. I dropped him off with no tears. He napped 2 hours. I picked him up with no tears. This seemed better. I took him back the next day, and he spent the full day crying at her house until exhausted he fell asleep. She called for me to come get him and I picked him up an hour early.
It was clear she was not the answer, but school wasn't either. Then, I miraculously found a posting on craigslist. There was a woman with a 2 year old daughter who had just tried to put her daughter in day care as she worked there, but the daughter did not adjust. She wanted to provide care in her home to a playmate for her daughter. It was perfect. We went to visit on Friday, and Noah played very well with her daughter Scarlett. We decided to go for it.
Since then, Noah has been extremely happy at his new care provider's house. I am so thankful we found her. Yesterday, he and Scarlett gave each other 4 hugs. One day, Noah was carrying some goldfish in a bag as a snack, and Scarlett wanted some. She grabbed at the bag, and Noah pulled it away and said, "How do you ask?" Once, they were in the car on their way to get a treat, and Scarlett started to whine and cry. Noah told her, "Scarlett, have to be patient!" Yesterday, they went to a farm to see pigs, bunnies, and other animals. Noah helped Scarlett take her coat off. He is truly happy. He gets social interaction in small doses. He has a loving care provider. They go on nice outings. We are so blessed.
Here he is with his Scarlett:
The day before Easter, we went to center city to play at Franklin Square, where there is a fountain, a carousel, and a playground. Noah enjoyed chocolate ice cream and watching the people play putt-putt. It was a great outing! On the way there, he was pushing the stroller down the sidewalk. Suddenly, he stopped, and said, "Have to stop!" I said, "why do we have to stop?" and he said, "Red light means stop!" He was looking at the stoplight at the end of the street, which had just turned red. So cute!
For Easter, we had a fabulous time hunting for eggs in the yard. We filled eggs with dried blueberries, cheerios, chocolate eggs, and jelly beans, plus a few homemade pictures of Noah's favorite things (fire truck, our family portrait, Monty, etc.). Nano hid them in the yard, and Noah was thrilled to find them. He ran from plant to plant, saying, "a blue one!", "a pink one!", and "there's another one!" He was so excited that he wanted to start over again as soon as we were done! I'll try to get a video of that posted soon, but I need to put this up before another 4 months pass by!
I can't tell you the joy that it is to live with a two year old. While it takes a lot of creativity and negotiation, it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I feel so lucky to have such a sweet, loving, sensitive little boy.
The trip to Austin was fabulous! Unfortunately, Noah, and then Nano, got sick, but we span around under the giant Christmas tree, walked around the Japanese gardens, fed the ducks at the hike and bike trail, enjoyed Amy's ice cream and took pictures in the picture booth, rode the Zilker train about 3 times, saw friends, and opened presents at 6:00 am on Christmas morning! Noah loved his Diego backpack from Mimi, which he still takes with him from time to time to his babysitter's house, and his water tower train set from Granny and Granddad. We can't wait to break in the Christmas Elf next Christmas! There's nothing like having great weather around Christmas! Every morning we went to Zilker playground to play, and then had an activity in the afternoon. I just love the sunshine!
Noah's second birthday party was great, despite the snowstorm that kept most of our guests away. Five neighbors walked over, and one friend braved the weather in the car (her parents had just come into town and so the car was clean!). We sang happy birthday about 5 times, accompanied by tambourines, cymbals, a triangle, and lots of shakers. He loved his Dora cake, compliments of Heather! Since then, he loves singing happy birthday and blowing out candles. Yesterday he spent the whole way to Tiffany's house singing happy birthday to Noah!
In November, we found out that our fabulous care provider was quitting, and we had 2 days notice. Granted, it was for a good reason (her husband lost his job, and she found a teaching position), but it was a serious crisis for us! I spent 6 weeks looking into day care options, thinking it would be impossible to find a care situation similar to the one that was working so well for him (a babysitter with a slightly older companion). I looked at Montessori programs, play-based programs, Christian programs, Jewish programs, and even the Waldorf school. My productivity at school plummeted, and I was consumed by finding the right place for him.
I finally settled on a play-based program that his former playmate loved. The teachers had a lot of tenure at the center, and got down on the floor to interact with the children. The kids were slightly older, so I thought he could learn from them. It was also flexible in terms of hours, and quite reasonable in price. It was only 10 minutes from our house. We talked it up, and Noah was excited to go the first day! He did great, only cried a little when I dropped him off. I called to check in, and he was "following around his teacher like a puppy dog."
When I picked him up, I carried him out, I carried him into the house, and put him on the couch. I brought him a snack, to the couch. I suddenly realized that this two year old had not moved from the couch in about 5-10 minutes. This is highly unusual behavior!! I asked him to stand up, and realized he could not walk! Otherwise, though, he was perfectly calm and happy. I called the doctor immediately, and they asked me to come in at 6. I packed some noodles and snacks, and headed over to the doctor's office.
Noah had just had his check-up the day before, and despite our preparations, he felt totally violated when we had to take his clothes off (next time we'll practice the undressing too). He cried violently at his well visit, and then did the same at this visit regarding his legs. The doctor tried to make him walk, and he leaned more on one foot, and could not do it. He cried desperately. She found him to be in distress, and worried that there was a fracture or something. She sent me to the emergency room at Abington Hospital.
Let me tell you, emergency rooms are not set up for children! They put that ridiculous blood pressure machine on him about 3 times before giving up because the only thing it resulted in was screams and crying (it never got a good reading). They couldn't manage to put the heart rate monitor thing on his thumb to check his pulse. It was ridiculous, they didn't even try to make it easy for him. Finally, the guy gave up (I know, he was just doing his job, but it was awful, and unnecessary). We were admitted to a room, and soon a nurse and then a doctor came in. At least this doctor was good -- he managed to keep Noah calm as he tried to find out whether his feet were hurting as he touched them (not even the pediatrician was able to do that!). The first step was to take x-rays. I tried to tell Noah they were going to take pictures, but I had to leave the room while they were zapping them, and he was hysterical. The techs couldn't even hear each other he was wailing so loudly.
Finally, x-rays taken, my exhausted peanut was allowed back to the room, and he fell asleep. He managed about 40 minutes before they came in and said the x-rays were clean, and wanted to make him try to walk again. I had to wake him up and force him into severe pain for them to see what was going on. They thought maybe the pain would have gone away (no). They seemed stumped. We waited. And waited.
All this time, Nano was on his way back to Philly from Atlanta where he had been at a conference. He made it back to the house, and was going to come to the hospital, but I asked him to call his pediatrician friend in Chile. This friend said that the most common cause of suddenly not walking at age 2 was a virus called toxic synovitis. It is an inflamation of the area around the hip, and causes severe pain. Otherwise, they are in perfect health. It goes away within a few days to a week, resolving on its own, and often occurs just after a bad cold. Everything seemed to fit, my peanut was exhausted, and his x-rays were clean. I asked to be discharged to go home. The doctor came in and said it would be okay, as long as I followed up with my pediatrician the next day. However, they had ruled out TS because it was presenting in 2 legs rather than 1 (okay, doc, welcome to the logic of a two year old -- it hurts to walk, I dont' distinguish between which leg). In any case, I wanted out and felt comfortable that it was the right decision. Nano made it to the hospital just in time to go get the car and take us home.
The next morning, he was still not walking, and I called the pediatrician. They also confirmed that the most likely diagnosis was TS, but said to come in if he had not improved at all by the end of the day or if he developed a fever (signs of something worse). By the end of the day, he did at least stand for a second, so we relaxed. It took a lot longer than we had expected, but he eventually walked again (after several days, with a bit of trouble), and within 2 weeks was back to normal.
After having a long vacation with family and then staying home with mom for this illness, it was time to go back to the day care. The week that followed was horrible. Every day the drop off and pick-up got worse. I managed to explain why we were dropping him off, and one day he resigned himself to it reluctantly. But, every morning he hyperventilated when I mentioned that he was going to go to school. He screamed and yelled, and refused to leave, saying "I don't wanna go to school!" At pick-up, he cried and was exhausted, as he was not sleeping. In the afternoons he had behavioral issues, and would throw things and hit, and at night, he began to have night terrors again. He was clearly having a very hard time with the new situation. He acted as if he had been betrayed by his teacher when I dropped him off, saying, "No, no, not you!" He was clearly sending me a message that he was very, very unhappy.
I looked for information about how long it takes to transition to day care. All the experts seemed to say you have to give it a month. But, it really didn't seem right to make him suffer a full month. I desperately searched for alternatives. There was a woman in my play group who was starting a home day care and looking for another child to care for. We went to visit her the following Monday after the first full week of day care (it was a holiday). On Tuesday, he was so adamant about not going to day care, that he grabbed the doorway and held on for dear life as I tried to leave the house with him. I then gave him two options: Annna's house, or school. He picked Anna's house. He settled down completely, and compliantly got in the car. I dropped him off with no tears. He napped 2 hours. I picked him up with no tears. This seemed better. I took him back the next day, and he spent the full day crying at her house until exhausted he fell asleep. She called for me to come get him and I picked him up an hour early.
It was clear she was not the answer, but school wasn't either. Then, I miraculously found a posting on craigslist. There was a woman with a 2 year old daughter who had just tried to put her daughter in day care as she worked there, but the daughter did not adjust. She wanted to provide care in her home to a playmate for her daughter. It was perfect. We went to visit on Friday, and Noah played very well with her daughter Scarlett. We decided to go for it.
Since then, Noah has been extremely happy at his new care provider's house. I am so thankful we found her. Yesterday, he and Scarlett gave each other 4 hugs. One day, Noah was carrying some goldfish in a bag as a snack, and Scarlett wanted some. She grabbed at the bag, and Noah pulled it away and said, "How do you ask?" Once, they were in the car on their way to get a treat, and Scarlett started to whine and cry. Noah told her, "Scarlett, have to be patient!" Yesterday, they went to a farm to see pigs, bunnies, and other animals. Noah helped Scarlett take her coat off. He is truly happy. He gets social interaction in small doses. He has a loving care provider. They go on nice outings. We are so blessed.
Here he is with his Scarlett:
The day before Easter, we went to center city to play at Franklin Square, where there is a fountain, a carousel, and a playground. Noah enjoyed chocolate ice cream and watching the people play putt-putt. It was a great outing! On the way there, he was pushing the stroller down the sidewalk. Suddenly, he stopped, and said, "Have to stop!" I said, "why do we have to stop?" and he said, "Red light means stop!" He was looking at the stoplight at the end of the street, which had just turned red. So cute!
For Easter, we had a fabulous time hunting for eggs in the yard. We filled eggs with dried blueberries, cheerios, chocolate eggs, and jelly beans, plus a few homemade pictures of Noah's favorite things (fire truck, our family portrait, Monty, etc.). Nano hid them in the yard, and Noah was thrilled to find them. He ran from plant to plant, saying, "a blue one!", "a pink one!", and "there's another one!" He was so excited that he wanted to start over again as soon as we were done! I'll try to get a video of that posted soon, but I need to put this up before another 4 months pass by!
I can't tell you the joy that it is to live with a two year old. While it takes a lot of creativity and negotiation, it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I feel so lucky to have such a sweet, loving, sensitive little boy.
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