I don't know how else to describe it- this second child is dang vigorous. I'm humbled by the things it can already do- kick me in two places at once, tent up my skin in a startling way, make me cough when I didn't need to cough. This baby already has great muscle strength and endurance. I'm impressed.
I bet Cooper was the same way at this age, but I think my muscles were so much tighter then that he probably encountered more resistance at first. By the end of my pregnancy with Cooper, he was so powerful he could wake MATT up from a dead sleep by kicking him- hard- through all my layers of muscles, skin, and PJs. I used to sleep on my side with Matt right against me, and Cooper would pop him in the ribs or lower back periodically. That's a strong baby. In utero.
I think we'll get there again. Maybe soon, at this rate. This kid is not shy about kicking around in there.
Oh, and I did I mention I'm not even 22 weeks pregnant? This child is about the size of a large banana. Weighs between 3/4 and 1 pound. So it is not like it is big yet. Just strong.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Fun comparison, 20 weeks
I dug through my closet and was successful!
Behold... a photo at 20 weeks pregnant (with Cooper) from Fall 2007
And now, a photo at 20 weeks pregnant from Fall 2009. Should be within a day or two of "gestational age" from the Cooper photo. Pretty remarkable how much I look the same!
My belly is bigger, and I can already see my back curve and hip tilt are starting to suffer from the weight. But other than that I am reassured by how little things have changed, actually.
I took another photo, too, for comparison. I'll post it another time.
Behold... a photo at 20 weeks pregnant (with Cooper) from Fall 2007
And now, a photo at 20 weeks pregnant from Fall 2009. Should be within a day or two of "gestational age" from the Cooper photo. Pretty remarkable how much I look the same!
My belly is bigger, and I can already see my back curve and hip tilt are starting to suffer from the weight. But other than that I am reassured by how little things have changed, actually.
I took another photo, too, for comparison. I'll post it another time.
Easy peasy
Well, I must say I am pleased with my babysitting adventure. Cooper was relatively well mannered and Kit managed to hold it together despite not knowing me very well. It was Cooper's turf, after all, so I was expecting some possessiveness and acting out, but he really didn't do much. There was a very comical hair pulling incident that seemed mostly accidental, and then the fact that Kit is not used to eating in the presence of a large, crumb predatory, dog. But mostly they played nicely (apart) and we all stayed sane.
The only really funny thing to report is that Cooper got all excited about one of his new giant rubber balls (which he calls balloons) and did the balloon-joy-dance, which prompted Kit to try to emulate him. Kit's motor skills are a little behind Cooper's, so he couldn't really do the dance, but instead he compensated by spinning around and around until he made himself dizzy and fell over. That was awesome. Cooper was stomping and flailing his arms while screeching happily and periodically kicking his big rubber ball, and Kit was lying on the ground saying "whooooooaaaa..." while clinging fiercely to his red stuffed "Hop on Pop" doll.
Good times.
The only really funny thing to report is that Cooper got all excited about one of his new giant rubber balls (which he calls balloons) and did the balloon-joy-dance, which prompted Kit to try to emulate him. Kit's motor skills are a little behind Cooper's, so he couldn't really do the dance, but instead he compensated by spinning around and around until he made himself dizzy and fell over. That was awesome. Cooper was stomping and flailing his arms while screeching happily and periodically kicking his big rubber ball, and Kit was lying on the ground saying "whooooooaaaa..." while clinging fiercely to his red stuffed "Hop on Pop" doll.
Good times.
Monday, September 21, 2009
So far, so good
I am watching a friend's toddler this afternoon. He and Cooper are almost the same age, so they have similar interests (throwing objects, stacking blocks, reading picture books, eating).
I must say, so far it is easy. Because they are SIMULTANEOUSLY napping. Oh yeah, the coveted dual toddler nap.
This is great! GREAT! I should babysit all the time!
;)
Talk to me again at about 6pm when the other kid's dad comes by to pick him up (it is now 1pm). I may have another opinion at that time. Perhaps.
I must say, so far it is easy. Because they are SIMULTANEOUSLY napping. Oh yeah, the coveted dual toddler nap.
This is great! GREAT! I should babysit all the time!
;)
Talk to me again at about 6pm when the other kid's dad comes by to pick him up (it is now 1pm). I may have another opinion at that time. Perhaps.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Average? What?
I had my 20 week ultrasound today- fun fun. Baby was pretty obedient at showing all sorts of organs, cute little hands, swallowing, kicking, etc. And when all was said and done, the ultrasound tech said, "Well, you have a very average little baby in there! That's great!" to which Matt and I said, "What?"
Cooper was never average. He was always big- sometimes almost comically so- even as a 20 week old fetus. So I was quite surprised to read the summary screen of this ultrasound and see numbers like 52%, 49%, 55% instead of what I saw last time (95%, 89%, etc). This kid is apparently textbook average sized.
Huh. Did not expect that.
We'll see as time goes by, but perhaps this child will actually wear NB size clothing. Could even be a more, uh, shall we say, "manageable" birthweight. Now that sounds kinda nice.
Cooper was never average. He was always big- sometimes almost comically so- even as a 20 week old fetus. So I was quite surprised to read the summary screen of this ultrasound and see numbers like 52%, 49%, 55% instead of what I saw last time (95%, 89%, etc). This kid is apparently textbook average sized.
Huh. Did not expect that.
We'll see as time goes by, but perhaps this child will actually wear NB size clothing. Could even be a more, uh, shall we say, "manageable" birthweight. Now that sounds kinda nice.
Boo!
We are not sure how it started, but Cooper has started saying "Boo!" to cats. Instead of what he used to do (say "Kitty!" and point at the cat) he now bends down, stares at the cat, yells "Boooooo!" and then stands up and looks around proudly. See? I said Boo to the cat!
Matt and Cooper practice saying "Boo!" around the corner of the couch, or behind a door, etc to each other. My guess is that something about the way that cats lurk behind furniture reminds Cooper of this fun game that he plays with his Dad, and that started the Boooo to cats. Of course, the first couple of times Cooper tried it, we laughed at him, so that reinforced it.
Sometimes he giggles excitedly as he says Boo, at which time it sounds like Booheh booohehheh booooheh to the cat. The whole thing is pretty quirky. My friend Julie who has several very sedate and well mannered cats said that his Boo to cats was awfully cute, and her cats don't seem to care in the slightest, so I think it is a harmless thing.
Now, as a reminder, we don't have cats. My cat allergy has gotten worse as I've gotten older, so it isn't a possibility for us. This is sad for me, but considering I am not alone in having a cat allergy, it is good for our friends that are also allergic- as our house is a sort of cat-free safe zone to them.
Boo to cats!
Matt and Cooper practice saying "Boo!" around the corner of the couch, or behind a door, etc to each other. My guess is that something about the way that cats lurk behind furniture reminds Cooper of this fun game that he plays with his Dad, and that started the Boooo to cats. Of course, the first couple of times Cooper tried it, we laughed at him, so that reinforced it.
Sometimes he giggles excitedly as he says Boo, at which time it sounds like Booheh booohehheh booooheh to the cat. The whole thing is pretty quirky. My friend Julie who has several very sedate and well mannered cats said that his Boo to cats was awfully cute, and her cats don't seem to care in the slightest, so I think it is a harmless thing.
Now, as a reminder, we don't have cats. My cat allergy has gotten worse as I've gotten older, so it isn't a possibility for us. This is sad for me, but considering I am not alone in having a cat allergy, it is good for our friends that are also allergic- as our house is a sort of cat-free safe zone to them.
Boo to cats!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Cutest kid ever (of course)
Cooper is the cutest kid ever. Did you know that? He's the darn cutest thing you've ever seen.
I'm not biased.
His favorite book right now is "Ten Little Mice" which is a lovely bedtime story about some mice that scamper around the countryside and then all go to bed. He likes counting the mice by pointing at them as we count out loud, and identifying the birds as birds, and the badger as a badger. He also likes the ladybugs and butterflies. It is a very lovely illustrated book.
Last week Cooper was so tired at his last day of daycare for the week (Thursday) that he feel asleep at the lunch table. Our daycare director said it was adorable. And this is a man that works with toddlers ALL DAY and even HE said it was adorable.
Cooper's favorite inanimate objects are balloons. We keep a little bag of deflated balloons in the kitchen, and when we need Cooper to be very occupied, we blow one up and he FREAKS OUT with excitement. Dancing, shrieking, you name it. He even does his balloon-joy dance on command, sometimes. We have yet to get it on video, but are hoping to soon.
His favorite animate objects are sparrows and Lucky Dog, depending on his mood. He loves loves loves sparrows. I think I'm getting him a bird feeder for Xmas to hang in front of his window- one that will attract native birds instead of sparrows, of course. For my conscience.
His favorite foods are always changing, but this week it includes:
- bagels
- pancakes
- blueberries
- green beans
- cottage cheese
- spinach ravioli
- homemade chocolate pudding
and of course, crackers.
He has 18 teeth. That's a lot of teeth. He is 18 months old, so that is par for him.
The latest words to enter his everyday vocabulary are:
- Mama
- Boat
- No
I fear this last one.
I'm not biased.
His favorite book right now is "Ten Little Mice" which is a lovely bedtime story about some mice that scamper around the countryside and then all go to bed. He likes counting the mice by pointing at them as we count out loud, and identifying the birds as birds, and the badger as a badger. He also likes the ladybugs and butterflies. It is a very lovely illustrated book.
Last week Cooper was so tired at his last day of daycare for the week (Thursday) that he feel asleep at the lunch table. Our daycare director said it was adorable. And this is a man that works with toddlers ALL DAY and even HE said it was adorable.
Cooper's favorite inanimate objects are balloons. We keep a little bag of deflated balloons in the kitchen, and when we need Cooper to be very occupied, we blow one up and he FREAKS OUT with excitement. Dancing, shrieking, you name it. He even does his balloon-joy dance on command, sometimes. We have yet to get it on video, but are hoping to soon.
His favorite animate objects are sparrows and Lucky Dog, depending on his mood. He loves loves loves sparrows. I think I'm getting him a bird feeder for Xmas to hang in front of his window- one that will attract native birds instead of sparrows, of course. For my conscience.
His favorite foods are always changing, but this week it includes:
- bagels
- pancakes
- blueberries
- green beans
- cottage cheese
- spinach ravioli
- homemade chocolate pudding
and of course, crackers.
He has 18 teeth. That's a lot of teeth. He is 18 months old, so that is par for him.
The latest words to enter his everyday vocabulary are:
- Mama
- Boat
- No
I fear this last one.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Clearly, not instinctive
I bought a miniature toilet about two weeks ago. I say that because this is no "potty" - it is a battery operated, bells and whistles, flush arm with sound effects, sticker dispensing seven part mini toilet. It has an actual low voltage circuit built into the base of the toilet to determine if a liquid-like substance has entered the bowl.
Of course, I bought it because it was on clearance for $12. Right now I have no intention of ever loading the batteries or stickers into the appropriate spots. But if I get to a certain level, a point that I hope I will never get to that involves desperation and a stubborn kid that won't pee into his mini toilet, I know will load 'em under those circumstances.
Rest assured we are not starting to toilet train our child in earnest. Really, I'm just trying to get him to accept it as part of the bathroom landscape. But I noticed (shortly before buying the mini toilet) that Cooper nearly always pees onto the bath rug as part of his geting-ready-for-bath routine. This increased my laundry loads significantly, so I thought to myself- what if I got a mini toilet, and just held it in front of him so that instead of peeing on our bath rug, he peed in the toilet? That'd be smart, right?
And it works. In fact, it works great. He's peed in the mini toilet once a night for several nights now, right before his bath. The rug has been sprinkled, sure, but we are working towards a nice pattern of peeing in the mini toilet before bathtime as part of the routine.
Here's the problem- Cooper is REALLY REALLY curious about his pee. When he used to pee onto the rug, I didn't stop him from once touching the pee puddle on the rug to see what it was like (which he promptly declared "Hot!" and that made me giggle) and I also didn't stop him the time he decided he wanted to step in his pee. Step, step, step, step. Puzzled look. And that was the end of that. He never did either again. Mysteries of life solved, moving forward.
But back to the mini toilet. He pees into it mostly by accident as I position it strategically in front of him, and then he wants to learn more about the pee once it is in the toilet. But now we are in more challenging terrain. He sticks his hands in the toilet to touch the puddle of his pee, which elicits, "No Cooper, we don't touch that part of the toilet." He tries to get into the puddle, inside the toilet. Clearly not a good idea, "Toilets are not for standing in, Cooper." And then, tonight, he tried to drink it. Truly. "No Cooper, NO COOPER (whisking him abruptly up and away) that is not.. uh... safe."
What can you SAY when your curious kid does this?
So clearly, as indicated by the title of this short essay, the idea that pee should never ever be a evening nightcap is not instinctive. My hope is that he won't try this again. And if he does, well, at least I won't be nearly as surprised by it.
Of course, I bought it because it was on clearance for $12. Right now I have no intention of ever loading the batteries or stickers into the appropriate spots. But if I get to a certain level, a point that I hope I will never get to that involves desperation and a stubborn kid that won't pee into his mini toilet, I know will load 'em under those circumstances.
Rest assured we are not starting to toilet train our child in earnest. Really, I'm just trying to get him to accept it as part of the bathroom landscape. But I noticed (shortly before buying the mini toilet) that Cooper nearly always pees onto the bath rug as part of his geting-ready-for-bath routine. This increased my laundry loads significantly, so I thought to myself- what if I got a mini toilet, and just held it in front of him so that instead of peeing on our bath rug, he peed in the toilet? That'd be smart, right?
And it works. In fact, it works great. He's peed in the mini toilet once a night for several nights now, right before his bath. The rug has been sprinkled, sure, but we are working towards a nice pattern of peeing in the mini toilet before bathtime as part of the routine.
Here's the problem- Cooper is REALLY REALLY curious about his pee. When he used to pee onto the rug, I didn't stop him from once touching the pee puddle on the rug to see what it was like (which he promptly declared "Hot!" and that made me giggle) and I also didn't stop him the time he decided he wanted to step in his pee. Step, step, step, step. Puzzled look. And that was the end of that. He never did either again. Mysteries of life solved, moving forward.
But back to the mini toilet. He pees into it mostly by accident as I position it strategically in front of him, and then he wants to learn more about the pee once it is in the toilet. But now we are in more challenging terrain. He sticks his hands in the toilet to touch the puddle of his pee, which elicits, "No Cooper, we don't touch that part of the toilet." He tries to get into the puddle, inside the toilet. Clearly not a good idea, "Toilets are not for standing in, Cooper." And then, tonight, he tried to drink it. Truly. "No Cooper, NO COOPER (whisking him abruptly up and away) that is not.. uh... safe."
What can you SAY when your curious kid does this?
So clearly, as indicated by the title of this short essay, the idea that pee should never ever be a evening nightcap is not instinctive. My hope is that he won't try this again. And if he does, well, at least I won't be nearly as surprised by it.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Got things to do
We're expecting another kid in February, and I'm about 18 weeks into this pregnancy. Once again, I have an "anterior placenta" which just means that for whatever random reason, the placenta is attached to the front of my uterus (against my belly button) instead of the back (up against my spine). Technically, this should mean that I don't feel the baby kick very often, and that the start of feeling the baby kick would come later and be more subtle.
Technically. But apparently, this kid has got things to do. In fact, it already seems to spend a significant amount of time pummeling me. At 5 1/2 inches long, the little bugger's legs can't be longer than my thumbs, but goodness does it pack a nice little kick! Thwack, thwack... clearly an energetic baby in there.
It is nice to feel it goofing around. Cooper was the same way when he was just a tiny little thing. Always moving, adjusting, exercising, stretching. And as most people know, Cooper has grown to be a delightfully energetic and active kid. Not hyper by any means, but active and very capable of jumping, running, etc.
So it looks like I'm in for another five months of internal tumult. Something to look forward to, until it starts to really hurt, and then I look forward to the kid being on the outside instead.
Technically. But apparently, this kid has got things to do. In fact, it already seems to spend a significant amount of time pummeling me. At 5 1/2 inches long, the little bugger's legs can't be longer than my thumbs, but goodness does it pack a nice little kick! Thwack, thwack... clearly an energetic baby in there.
It is nice to feel it goofing around. Cooper was the same way when he was just a tiny little thing. Always moving, adjusting, exercising, stretching. And as most people know, Cooper has grown to be a delightfully energetic and active kid. Not hyper by any means, but active and very capable of jumping, running, etc.
So it looks like I'm in for another five months of internal tumult. Something to look forward to, until it starts to really hurt, and then I look forward to the kid being on the outside instead.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Word count
Matt and I made a gentleman's bet- I thought Cooper could understandably and contextually correctly say over 20 words, and Matt thought it was less (more like 15, he said). Well people, I am happy to report, I was closest to being correct. This is counting his animal sounds, which according to the stuff I've read, count as words for these kind of purposes.
1 - uh oh
2 - doggie
3 - kittie
4 - bird
5 - "moo"
6 - "woof"
7 - "bzzz" (for bees)
8 - moon
9 - balloon
10- dot
11- hot
12- hat
13- Dada
14- blanket
15- water
16- more
17- cheese
18- down
19- up
and, inexplicably, #20... badger! He has a book with a badger in it and he loves to point at the badger and say "Badger!" It is actually one of his best pronounced words of the whole lot.
You may notice that Mama is not on the list. He calls both of us Dada right now, although he does know full well that I am Mama when referred to (like "can you touch Mama's nose?").
So- 18 months old, 20 words he can say, and an impossibly large number of words that he understands. Pretty exciting!
1 - uh oh
2 - doggie
3 - kittie
4 - bird
5 - "moo"
6 - "woof"
7 - "bzzz" (for bees)
8 - moon
9 - balloon
10- dot
11- hot
12- hat
13- Dada
14- blanket
15- water
16- more
17- cheese
18- down
19- up
and, inexplicably, #20... badger! He has a book with a badger in it and he loves to point at the badger and say "Badger!" It is actually one of his best pronounced words of the whole lot.
You may notice that Mama is not on the list. He calls both of us Dada right now, although he does know full well that I am Mama when referred to (like "can you touch Mama's nose?").
So- 18 months old, 20 words he can say, and an impossibly large number of words that he understands. Pretty exciting!
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