PDA
What do these letters means to you?
When I was in high school, they meant "public display of affection" - i.e. kissing or holding hands. If you were fast and racy, you might engage in PDA.
Well into my career, PDA morphed to "Personal Data Accessory" - I started with the Palm IIe, moved on to the phone / PDA combo (Palm Flip and Moto Q) and am currently shopping for new options as Jonas managed to tear part of the face off of the Q.
Recently, PDA on my calendar now means "Parents Day Out" - formerly known at MDO - Mother's Day Out, this new PC version encompasses BOTH potential parents and/or genders. Jonas is not overly fond of PDA, and I'm trying it out as a way to wean me from him and vice versa. He needs a little playtime with others. And frankly, so do I. But it breaks my heart when he cries and acts like he's dying when I leave. So lately, I've been going to PDA too, and hanging out with the teachers who really don't know what to do with me. But I'm stubborn, and want to help him transition. It's only been one week, and I promised myself not to keep this up beyond week 3. He's there 2 days a week for about 5 hours each time, and I only stay for the 1st hour. Oh, and yeah, I usually show up early to pick him up. And I miss him so much!
Funny how some things stay the same in life, but really aren't the same at all.
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POSTSCRIPT: About 6 hours after I wrote this post (at 4:00 a.m. in the morning), my eyes popped open. Parents' Day Out is PDOhhhhhhh! Is this pregnancy brain or just sheer ditziness? I've been marking PDA on my calendar. So sad.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Needle Time
From 9/15/2009
Highlights of our trip to San Francisco for IVF with the entourage (Jonas, Ed, Me, my mother, his mother, his sister, his brother-in-law, lots of drugs, tons of toys and toddler equipment, car seats, strollers, and oh yeah, luggage):
Highlights of our trip to San Francisco for IVF with the entourage (Jonas, Ed, Me, my mother, his mother, his sister, his brother-in-law, lots of drugs, tons of toys and toddler equipment, car seats, strollers, and oh yeah, luggage):
- My mother telling me that if she dies before her dog, have the dog euthanized and buried (cremated) with her.
- Hearing my mother-in-law laugh in utter joy with Jonas
- Jonas shattering the screen on the GPS when we’re knee deep in wine country, 70 miles from SF
- Jonas shopping at Justice – an all girl clothing shop in the mall; we watched him wander in and pick out silver sparkle ballet flats. He has a shoe fetish for sure.
- Jonas ignoring all of the fun climbing and tunnel scultptures in favor of selecting shoes from the shoe cubby at the mall playground.
I would have blogged more, but I don't think I was feeling well.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Papa's blog
I should have done it long ago, but I have some time now, so I guess Papa (Dad?) will blog a little bit. If you just read Shelly's last blog, you know that we are all here in San Fran. Normally, I'm at work all day and don't have the opportunity to spend gobs of time with Jonas like I've been able to do here.
One things for sure, Shelly & I have different parenting styles. The things that each of us will let him explore are different, and the things that we won't let him explore (danger!) are different. Sometimes the things that Shelly allows freak me out, and I'll admit, I am quick to admonish Shelly. I guess the shoes on the other fit, but enough about me....
Jonas is really developing well. He seems to have a new trick everyday now. Once a day, I find myself saying 'he wasn't doing that yesterday'. Between communication and motion he does quite well. He makes a lot of noise right now, but he isn't saying too much. The strange thing is that I've heard a lot of different words from him over the past 3-4 months, but he seems to say them once and then he's done. Almost like he's tried it out, proved that he can do it, and he's holding out until he's got it all put together. Even so, he makes a lot of noise, and it's pretty clear that he is working on consonants. We will see soon.
He's taken a liking to riding on my shoulders. Of course, that means I can't see him when everyone else can. Everyone says that he's smiling and happy when he's up there, but I have little proof other than some photos. He might just be smiling for the photos.
His ability to move around has gotten a lot better. He now runs everywhere and can get away pretty easily. He pushes this boundary pretty well. When you are trying to block him, he scans back and forth knowing that you don't want to knock him over. Next thing you know, he's found a hole and he's off. These skills may prove valuable in soccer or hockey.
I know when we get back to KC, we are going to have to re-baby-proof the house. So much that he couldn't get to before, he's going to climb to. I may have to figure out a way to bolt down the TV.
More later...
Ed
One things for sure, Shelly & I have different parenting styles. The things that each of us will let him explore are different, and the things that we won't let him explore (danger!) are different. Sometimes the things that Shelly allows freak me out, and I'll admit, I am quick to admonish Shelly. I guess the shoes on the other fit, but enough about me....
Jonas is really developing well. He seems to have a new trick everyday now. Once a day, I find myself saying 'he wasn't doing that yesterday'. Between communication and motion he does quite well. He makes a lot of noise right now, but he isn't saying too much. The strange thing is that I've heard a lot of different words from him over the past 3-4 months, but he seems to say them once and then he's done. Almost like he's tried it out, proved that he can do it, and he's holding out until he's got it all put together. Even so, he makes a lot of noise, and it's pretty clear that he is working on consonants. We will see soon.
He's taken a liking to riding on my shoulders. Of course, that means I can't see him when everyone else can. Everyone says that he's smiling and happy when he's up there, but I have little proof other than some photos. He might just be smiling for the photos.
His ability to move around has gotten a lot better. He now runs everywhere and can get away pretty easily. He pushes this boundary pretty well. When you are trying to block him, he scans back and forth knowing that you don't want to knock him over. Next thing you know, he's found a hole and he's off. These skills may prove valuable in soccer or hockey.
I know when we get back to KC, we are going to have to re-baby-proof the house. So much that he couldn't get to before, he's going to climb to. I may have to figure out a way to bolt down the TV.
More later...
Ed
Developmental Leaps
I can't believe how Jonas has grown in the past two weeks. We've been in San Francisco with him, living in a hotel suite with my mom. Mother-in-law joined us halfway through, and he's been bathed in love and attention. I'm sure he will be a spoiled pain in the butt when we get home, but for now, we are enjoying him immensely.
All day long, I witness him doing something new or unique, and think to myself, "I can't wait to blog about that!" And when blog time finally rolls around (after mealtime, bath time, bedtime story, etc.), I'm mentally empty. But I'll try to remember something!
Tonight, as I was reading him a bedtime book, he identified the cat on the page, calling it "at" repeatedly. He also selects the books he wants me to read him, though he's done this for months. Tonight, he decided to read one on his own while I was in the middle of reading one to him. It was funny to see him pick it up, lean back on the pillow, and flip through it on his own.
He's also indicating that he really understands the world when we talk to him. When he hears "go bye bye," he heads to the door or gets in the stroller. He brings my mother her hat when we wants to go out. And he LOVES going out. Even though this is a 3-room suite, I think it must get to feel like prison to him, he is so eager to go out.
In our weeks here, we have developed some rituals. He sleeps with Noni, and when he wakes, she puts on the Zydeco CD, and they dance. Then, he runs into our room to wake us. We put on his shoes, and head down to breakfast. He runs around the lobby, checking everything out while we get coffee and food. Then, he sits and eats Fruit Loops, waffles, sausage, but not much else. He's still a picky eater. After about 10 minutes, he begins to buck the highchair, and screech. We capitulate, and let him loose. He runs for the stairs, and one of the grandmothers will monitor him going up and down. Then, he heads to the business center to watch a little pbskids.org, especially the Dinosaur Train trailer. It's hard to pull him away. He LOVES computers, and often climbs up on the desk to get at the keyboard.
Speaking of climbing, he's like a little monkey. And he loves to push buttons, including the ones on the TV and DVD players. His favorite toys right now are balls (any kind or size) and little cars. When we eat in restaurants, we break out a little dinosaur who likes to help him eat his food and drink his juice. He likes to mimic what we do with the dinosaur.
And he loves to drive the car. When let loose, he will rush the front seat, and dive into the driver's side to start turning the wheel. Again, he mimics what he's seen us do, so he turns up the radio (leaving it quite loud) and flips on the signal and wipers. I'm embarrassed to admit that I encouraged this as good entertainment during a particularly difficult day in Sonoma Wine Country (who thought that would be a toddler friendly activity?!!) He ended up pulling down the GPS and shattering its face on the gear shift. This was a rental (car and GPS) and we were 70 miles from our hotel with no idea how to get back home. Thanks Jonas! He also broke a few objects in the wine shops, some of which we had to pay for.
There have also been some interesting developments on the "potty" line. He seems to have become quite a little guerrilla pee-er. I used to take off his diaper without much worry of a surprise pee, but no longer. In the time we've been here, he's peed in or right outside the bathtub at least 3x, plus on bed dust ruffle (I hope they wash those!), his father's fleece pullover (during a trunk diaper change), his grandmother's hand-quilted, silk-lined jacket, and his father's ankle. He's also had some bathtub poopies, for which he seemed embarrassed. He goes behind a chair to do number 2, and seems to prefer a quick diaper change, and this wasn't an issue in the past. Maybe it's time to think about potty training? I know it's a long process. I'd better find a book, or some good advice, about where to begin.
He's also had his first official haircut; don't worry, we have video. It's a horrible cut - too short, and not even. But I can't blame the stylist. He just wouldn't stop moving. We should probably try to fix it while he's sleeping.
All day long, I witness him doing something new or unique, and think to myself, "I can't wait to blog about that!" And when blog time finally rolls around (after mealtime, bath time, bedtime story, etc.), I'm mentally empty. But I'll try to remember something!
Tonight, as I was reading him a bedtime book, he identified the cat on the page, calling it "at" repeatedly. He also selects the books he wants me to read him, though he's done this for months. Tonight, he decided to read one on his own while I was in the middle of reading one to him. It was funny to see him pick it up, lean back on the pillow, and flip through it on his own.
He's also indicating that he really understands the world when we talk to him. When he hears "go bye bye," he heads to the door or gets in the stroller. He brings my mother her hat when we wants to go out. And he LOVES going out. Even though this is a 3-room suite, I think it must get to feel like prison to him, he is so eager to go out.
In our weeks here, we have developed some rituals. He sleeps with Noni, and when he wakes, she puts on the Zydeco CD, and they dance. Then, he runs into our room to wake us. We put on his shoes, and head down to breakfast. He runs around the lobby, checking everything out while we get coffee and food. Then, he sits and eats Fruit Loops, waffles, sausage, but not much else. He's still a picky eater. After about 10 minutes, he begins to buck the highchair, and screech. We capitulate, and let him loose. He runs for the stairs, and one of the grandmothers will monitor him going up and down. Then, he heads to the business center to watch a little pbskids.org, especially the Dinosaur Train trailer. It's hard to pull him away. He LOVES computers, and often climbs up on the desk to get at the keyboard.
Speaking of climbing, he's like a little monkey. And he loves to push buttons, including the ones on the TV and DVD players. His favorite toys right now are balls (any kind or size) and little cars. When we eat in restaurants, we break out a little dinosaur who likes to help him eat his food and drink his juice. He likes to mimic what we do with the dinosaur.
And he loves to drive the car. When let loose, he will rush the front seat, and dive into the driver's side to start turning the wheel. Again, he mimics what he's seen us do, so he turns up the radio (leaving it quite loud) and flips on the signal and wipers. I'm embarrassed to admit that I encouraged this as good entertainment during a particularly difficult day in Sonoma Wine Country (who thought that would be a toddler friendly activity?!!) He ended up pulling down the GPS and shattering its face on the gear shift. This was a rental (car and GPS) and we were 70 miles from our hotel with no idea how to get back home. Thanks Jonas! He also broke a few objects in the wine shops, some of which we had to pay for.
There have also been some interesting developments on the "potty" line. He seems to have become quite a little guerrilla pee-er. I used to take off his diaper without much worry of a surprise pee, but no longer. In the time we've been here, he's peed in or right outside the bathtub at least 3x, plus on bed dust ruffle (I hope they wash those!), his father's fleece pullover (during a trunk diaper change), his grandmother's hand-quilted, silk-lined jacket, and his father's ankle. He's also had some bathtub poopies, for which he seemed embarrassed. He goes behind a chair to do number 2, and seems to prefer a quick diaper change, and this wasn't an issue in the past. Maybe it's time to think about potty training? I know it's a long process. I'd better find a book, or some good advice, about where to begin.
He's also had his first official haircut; don't worry, we have video. It's a horrible cut - too short, and not even. But I can't blame the stylist. He just wouldn't stop moving. We should probably try to fix it while he's sleeping.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Girl Next Door
Jonas has been doing some adorable things lately, and I just don't want to forget to share them. There is such wonder in seeing him learn the way of the world, and such joy in seeing him thrive.
At 16 months, he prefers to run, not walk. This can often cause a tumble, from which he no longer routinely cries. He remains a picky eater, avoiding most meats products, with the exception of crispy pepperoni from a fresh pizza. He turns his nose up at most proteins, including eggs. Like his mother, he could exist on carbs alone. But we experienced a significant breakthrough last week. Those "Lil Smokey Sausages" - remember those? My mother used to buy them directly from the butcher at Veron's in Lafayette. The butcher always gave her a few extra for us to eat right there in the store. As a kid, I rejected ground beef, tomatoes (including tomato sauce), sausages, and most veggies and fruit, but I ate these little sausages. So I thought, "What have you got to lose?" If he doesn't eat them, I will.
And he ate them! It's not like he's wolfing them down. He'll eat one, maybe two if I'm lucky. But it's a start.
He's getting more comfortable with his nightly bath, but can't stand to get his face wet. And he's fallen in love with our next door neighbor, Charlotte. Tall for her age (4), with pretty light brown hair parted on the side, peaches and cream skin, and a precious little girl voice, Charlotte is the epitome of feminine. I'm not sure why, but she loves being around Jonas. I think it might have something to do with a bill of goods I sold her one night while babysitting her. I told her that Jonas needed her to each him how to play. She took that bit of malarkey and has been running with it ever since. So, when they're together, Charlotte is very attentive to Jonas. And what boy wouldn't love that?
So, when Charlotte comes over to play, and Jonas sees her through the glass storm door, he begins to scream and hop around with excitement. Then she starts doing the same thing. It's a true joy to watch this. They play so well together, except for the fact that Jonas doesn't like to hold hands while dancing.
And speaking of dancing, my son is such a white boy. White and nerdy to be exact. How did Weird Al Yankovic's DNA get into my son? His first version of dancing was to stick out his right elbow and move it up and down like some kind of gimpy version of the chicken dance. It's downright hilarious. Unfortunately, my laughter makes him think he's really terrific at dancing. I dread the day when someone will burst that bubble for him.
He's also into mimicking things. When I cough or clear my throat, he does the same thing. Ed says that he is mocking me, but I disagree. I treasure these days of simple mimic; the mocking is teenage material, and I have a while yet before worrying about that.
The realm of reading has finally opened up for us. Jonas will pick up his favorite books and bring them to us for reading. I think I've read him "Brown Bear" about 200 times. I know the order and color of all of the animals. And we got the "Polar Bear" version. We are still on board books, as he likes to rip pages out of regular books. And crayons - he's just discovering those. They still get chewed a bit, but he knows he can write with them too. Chalk seems to be a preferred writing tool right now; he has a small chalk board in his playroom.
At the moment, his favorite toys are the musical ones - those to which he can dance that gimpy chicken dance. He has a "karaoke" Back Yardigans thingee, complete with microphone. It's such a cool toy; there are 5 types of music on it, including ska, zydeco, rock, disco, and salsa.
Since he imitates me talking on the phone, we got him a play cell phone, which he loves, especially since you can push the buttons on it. Personally, I think he likes it because the little girl who "answers" the phone sounds like Charlotte.
Some other mentionables - he can climb and descend the stairs, but this still makes me quite nervous. He is in love with his bottle (especially at bedtime) and I am horrified of the day we must confront this. He loves to go outside, and will bring me his shoes to let me know it's time to do so. He loves to watch other children, is not shy, but also is not overly aggressive. He jabbers quite a bit, but we still don't understand most of what he says. Charlotte, however, is quite confident that she does. Sometimes, she even tries to translate.
He's still throwing food off of his tray when he eats, and shakes his head "no" when he doesn't want something. We often hear shrieks of frustration when he can't get what we wants. I'm dreading the day when these become full-blown temper tantrums. Another precursor to those future days - he will occasionally try to buck himself out of the stroller or car seat.
Why didn't I realize that I had it so easy 6, 8, 10 months ago? Oh, but I still wouldn't trade anything for this phase of his development. We are exhausted, and sometimes frustrated, but it's still a great ride. And we are having so much fun with him. He is our little treasure. We still look at him with awe and adoration. We just can't let him know that - at least, not yet!
At 16 months, he prefers to run, not walk. This can often cause a tumble, from which he no longer routinely cries. He remains a picky eater, avoiding most meats products, with the exception of crispy pepperoni from a fresh pizza. He turns his nose up at most proteins, including eggs. Like his mother, he could exist on carbs alone. But we experienced a significant breakthrough last week. Those "Lil Smokey Sausages" - remember those? My mother used to buy them directly from the butcher at Veron's in Lafayette. The butcher always gave her a few extra for us to eat right there in the store. As a kid, I rejected ground beef, tomatoes (including tomato sauce), sausages, and most veggies and fruit, but I ate these little sausages. So I thought, "What have you got to lose?" If he doesn't eat them, I will.
And he ate them! It's not like he's wolfing them down. He'll eat one, maybe two if I'm lucky. But it's a start.
He's getting more comfortable with his nightly bath, but can't stand to get his face wet. And he's fallen in love with our next door neighbor, Charlotte. Tall for her age (4), with pretty light brown hair parted on the side, peaches and cream skin, and a precious little girl voice, Charlotte is the epitome of feminine. I'm not sure why, but she loves being around Jonas. I think it might have something to do with a bill of goods I sold her one night while babysitting her. I told her that Jonas needed her to each him how to play. She took that bit of malarkey and has been running with it ever since. So, when they're together, Charlotte is very attentive to Jonas. And what boy wouldn't love that?
So, when Charlotte comes over to play, and Jonas sees her through the glass storm door, he begins to scream and hop around with excitement. Then she starts doing the same thing. It's a true joy to watch this. They play so well together, except for the fact that Jonas doesn't like to hold hands while dancing.
And speaking of dancing, my son is such a white boy. White and nerdy to be exact. How did Weird Al Yankovic's DNA get into my son? His first version of dancing was to stick out his right elbow and move it up and down like some kind of gimpy version of the chicken dance. It's downright hilarious. Unfortunately, my laughter makes him think he's really terrific at dancing. I dread the day when someone will burst that bubble for him.
He's also into mimicking things. When I cough or clear my throat, he does the same thing. Ed says that he is mocking me, but I disagree. I treasure these days of simple mimic; the mocking is teenage material, and I have a while yet before worrying about that.
The realm of reading has finally opened up for us. Jonas will pick up his favorite books and bring them to us for reading. I think I've read him "Brown Bear" about 200 times. I know the order and color of all of the animals. And we got the "Polar Bear" version. We are still on board books, as he likes to rip pages out of regular books. And crayons - he's just discovering those. They still get chewed a bit, but he knows he can write with them too. Chalk seems to be a preferred writing tool right now; he has a small chalk board in his playroom.
At the moment, his favorite toys are the musical ones - those to which he can dance that gimpy chicken dance. He has a "karaoke" Back Yardigans thingee, complete with microphone. It's such a cool toy; there are 5 types of music on it, including ska, zydeco, rock, disco, and salsa.
Since he imitates me talking on the phone, we got him a play cell phone, which he loves, especially since you can push the buttons on it. Personally, I think he likes it because the little girl who "answers" the phone sounds like Charlotte.
Some other mentionables - he can climb and descend the stairs, but this still makes me quite nervous. He is in love with his bottle (especially at bedtime) and I am horrified of the day we must confront this. He loves to go outside, and will bring me his shoes to let me know it's time to do so. He loves to watch other children, is not shy, but also is not overly aggressive. He jabbers quite a bit, but we still don't understand most of what he says. Charlotte, however, is quite confident that she does. Sometimes, she even tries to translate.
He's still throwing food off of his tray when he eats, and shakes his head "no" when he doesn't want something. We often hear shrieks of frustration when he can't get what we wants. I'm dreading the day when these become full-blown temper tantrums. Another precursor to those future days - he will occasionally try to buck himself out of the stroller or car seat.
Why didn't I realize that I had it so easy 6, 8, 10 months ago? Oh, but I still wouldn't trade anything for this phase of his development. We are exhausted, and sometimes frustrated, but it's still a great ride. And we are having so much fun with him. He is our little treasure. We still look at him with awe and adoration. We just can't let him know that - at least, not yet!
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