The Crawling Adventures of Henry

Henry gets into all sorts of trouble, lately. Gleefully dumping toys all over the floor, he yells in triumph.

Here he is a few days ago, crawling away from me with one sock and no pants.

He was headed over to investigate one of my shopping bags. Apparently, the tissue paper was delicious.

He's only been alive for a few months, but Henry has the same curiosity as any man about what is inside those pink striped bags. He had to dump it out.

Emptying kitchen cabinets is another hobby of little Henry's. We have a baby-safe cabinet set up just for him and Nick.

The world is full of new things to explore and new messes to make. At least that is the way Henry sees it.

Just a Few Tastes of My Weekend

 Here are just a few tastes of what I did this weekend.

I sat on the floor and played with my children. We played blocks, colored, and picked up all of the cheerios Henry threw on the floor. Check out what Nick made. He ran into the kitchen shouting, "Look Daddy, I made a F!"

No, I didn't suggest that Nick do this or even notice what he was building. I was distracted by Henry while he was doing it. Yes, I let myself get all excited at his intelligence and ingenuity. . . for about five minutes. Then he pooped his pants and made me chase him around the house so I could change him. As are all children, my three-year-old is advanced in some things and far behind in others. Such is life.

January is not my favorite month. The cold air and lack of sunlight bothers me in December, but all of the Christmas cheer and the promise of a vacation cheers me up. In January, there is nothing to console me on these dreary days and long winter nights. Certainly there is no warm air or real sunshine to be had. Even when it's sunny in January, the sky has this odd, grayish color that makes me want to take a long nap. . . with this guy. (I had several naps this weekend.)

This weekend, I wallowed in my dislike of the season. Both boys weren't feeling well, and I was feeling, well, lazy. Except for a brief trip to Walgreens to pick up some Henry medicine, I did not leave the house. In fact, I didn't even get dressed, though I went through multiple pairs of pajamas. That'll happen when you have a baby who throws food at you.

I snuggled with both boys and watched Planet Earth specials, or, as Nick calls them, "special animal movies." We like to describe what we see, and Nick has tons of questions.

Nick and I helped Henry get some exercise. He loves crawling across the floor, seeking out dangerous items. We sit on the floor with him so that we can find and thwart his evil plans.

I re-potted nine plants. The thing about learning to care for houseplants is that if you succeed, you must then constantly pot and re-pot as the plants grow and reproduce. Pardon the shoddy picture. January's bad lighting is no excuse for my horrid photography skills.

We ate hearty, winter food. This is the dish Greg made for us Saturday night. It is Philadelphia-style sirloin steak with a provolone cheese sauce, served with green beans and those little gourmet potatoes. Everything was good, though I thought the sauce was too strong for me. (Probably the sharp provolone.)

I also read six trashy novels, made homemade bread and oatmeal with Nick, gave myself a manicure, edited the last chapter of a book I'm working on, and spent multiple hours online moderating the online portion of the graduate school class I'm teaching and prepping for next week' classes. I guess I wasn't a total deadbeat. As January weekends go, this one wasn't so bad. . . except for the January gloom lurking outside. 

Happy Thursday from Henry

Henry says "Hi!"

It was back to work for me this week, and I missed my boys more than usual. I have been very busy lately, and haven't posted as much, but Henry wants to make sure that I don't forget to chronicle his growth on my blog. He is indeed growing!

Despite still having some sort of runny nose/tummy troubles/mild fever, Henry was still all smiles with me. He was just happy to be cuddled.

Henry Notices Himself in a Mirror

Henry just recently discovered what he looks like in a mirror. He finds himself handsome, and oddly fascinating.

Also just a little bit delicious.

These videos are all from January 1st, when we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. Henry had to spend most of the trip in his stroller, but when we reached the Idea Factory, he was able to crawl around in an area just for babies.

That's my big boy.  :)

Getting Traction

Henry is still trying to figure out the whole crawling thing. Nick tries to help, but I'm not sure if his instructions are helpful. The closest we've come is when we put Henry on the kitchen floor wearing just his diaper. I guess he gets more traction there. Plus, it's always the warmest room in the house, so we don't worry about him getting cold.

Check out this video. Nick was, once again, trying to teach Henry to crawl.

Henry is actually coming pretty close. He has scooted his knees forward somewhat. Now he's just working on the whole rhythm of the thing. 

He's a pretty strong guy. This move in particular looks difficult. 

Even if he's not learning to crawl, Nick is teaching him all sorts of other things. The two of them are going to be trouble once Henry gets a little bit bigger. Adorable trouble, but trouble nonetheless.

Adorable. . .But Full of Mischief

This is what happens when a baby meets a roll of toilet paper. It's my fault for leaving it on top of our cocktail table. We're out of kleenex, so I was improvising. Nick decided that he'd rather tear it apart and chew on the toilet paper. Sigh.
I'm a pretty tolerant parent, but I draw the line at letting him slap my computer. I use a sharp "No" when he slaps the computer, but Nick really doesn't like the word no. I do believe he's figured out what it means, because as soon as I say no. . .

This is the pitiful face that I get.

As soon as he gets distracted by the next thing, though, he's happy as a clam. Now if I tried to take away the toilet paper tube, it'd all be over. As a parent, I have to choose my battles.

It's been rough week. Nick has been especially crabby and does not want to be changed, dressed, or undressed. Distraction doesn't seem to work, and he flails around, screaming and crying and hitting and trying to turn over. I'm not sure what the problem is, so I've just been trying to be patient and firm. I guess the words on his onesie are very true: "little monster." But a cute little monster. One who makes me laugh.

Nick was excellent at the grocery store today. His eyes were glued to any kids he saw, and he kept grabbing things out of the cart to play with. He particularly liked chewing on a box of pudding. For some reason, Nicholas is always better behaved out in public. I guess he probably gets bored at home, even with me playing with him and providing hundreds of toys.

I did have a very productive day at work today. I was out for a conference last week for two days, and it's hard to get caught up on planning and grading after an absence. As a teacher, there are some days when I feel like I'm running on a treadmill, and I can't quite find my groove. But my students were really happy to see me. They worked very hard, and I feel like we accomplished a lot. When I see my students really excited to work on a project, it reminds me of why I became a teacher. :)

Laughing Over Spilled Milk

Nick is becoming a very high maintenance baby. All this week, I came home to work to find that he would not stay in the baby cage without screaming and dissolving in pitiful tears. He seems fine in there when Greg is getting ready in the morning; I'm not sure what the aversion is for him.

It seems like Nicholas just wants to explore. So I've been rather creative. Today I had to plant a raspberry bush that my mom gave me. It took me a few minutes to figure out a strategy for getting this done while still supervising Nick, especially since he refuses to play in the baby cage. I brought a blanket, a toy, and an old magazine (for him to rip up and destroy) outside and placed it near where I needed to work.

The only issue is that Nick now crawls. He did not stay on the blanket for long, and he kept coming over to the area with dirt, sod clumps, garden implements, and plants with pokey things on them. Do you have any idea how hard it is to dig a 16" hole through sod while keeping track of how much grass a baby is ingesting? I now know. Nick ripped some leaves off of one of my zucchini plants, and was pinched a bit by the stem. Then he tried to eat a Japanese beetle. I didn't feel bad for the beetle, but I wasn't sure that it would be a healthy dinner choice for Nick, so I grabbed it and smooshed it instead.

He did love being outside, though, and the grass was an interesting feature for him. He isn't used to crawling on it yet. Nick kept touching it and pulling on it and trying to eat it. He almost looked confused. As I filled the bird feeders, Nicholas used one of my bird feeder poles to try to stand up. One good thing about grass is that it is soft when you land on your bottom.

I will finish with a video of Nick drinking his formula out of a cup with no lid. Yes, we were crazy.



Nick loves to drink out of cups, but he doesn't like the sippy part. He'd rather drink out of a regular cup. He can do it, too, to some extent. Until he can't. That's when the mess starts.

TGIF

Another long week is finished, and I have a 3 day weekend to look forward to. . . TGIF indeed. This week (Sunday-Friday) I have worked out twice at the YMCA and done two pilates bodyband workouts. Each time I went to the Y I did 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer while keeping my heart rate somewhere between 125 and 135. Not too bad, but man am I tired.


Here is Nick doing his workout with the piano. He bangs until he's tired, and then he tries to use it to stand up. Then he cries when it falls over and he crashes into the keys. Nick doesn't have to worry about his weight, though. He looks cute when his belly sticks out. Me, not so much.


I also ate pretty healthy and slept well. Then came Friday. At my work, Fridays are "treat day." People who work in schools already know that they are evil places for those trying to lose weight. Each place has their own tradition, none of which is healthy. My school has Friday breakfasts. There are all sorts of selections, such as "sausage cheesy dip," "homemade chocolate cake with fudgy frosting," "brie with apples and craisins," "potato cheesy casserole," "tiny cupcakes with tons of frosting," "giant bagels with cream cheese," "yummy pesto with pine nuts, "amazingly large, soft cookies," "tortilla chips with salsa," and "giant bowl of fresh popcorn." With as many good cooks as my school has, it's surprising we're a school and not a restaurant. Fridays are my downfall. Today it was the brie and the popcorn. Yes, for breakfast. It was good. I had some level of moderation, but I still probably had more calories during the day than I have all week.

I am still going to try to do that pilates tape tonight, no matter how tired I am. I used to figure "What the heck, I already ruined the day." Then I would proceed to sit on my rear end and read, without any thought to exercise.

Today, though, I am going to try to work off that brie and chocolate cake by doing pilates until I can barely drag myself up the stairs. That is committment. :)

Nick is playing with his stuffed giraffe here, and grinning happily at the camera. He's just thrilled whenever I let him explore outside of the baby cage. This feeling of crawling freedom is heady and exciting for him. I think he probably feels the same way I did when I got my first driver's license.

He's also understanding more the way his toys work. Take his gumball machine, for an example. He finally figured out how to make the balls come out, and he loves pushing the lever again and again. Good for him. To be easily amused is a wonderful thing.

Lovely Ivy Ambiance and a Student Driver

Nick went for a little drive around the cul de sac today. He's loving the freedom of his learner's permit as he honks the horn and turns the key. We need a sign on the back that says, "Student Driver."

Thank goodness for the handle on the back that lets Daddy push. In about 15 years, I'll be wishing his car had a handle on it. Kind of like the imaginary brake that my daddy used when he'd slam his foot down onto the floor while teaching me to drive.

Nick had his 9 month doctor's appointment this week. During the 15 minute wait for the doctor, Nick managed to tear the paper off the exam table and chew on it. He tried to pull out the childproof covers on the electrical outlet, and he nearly crawled off of the exam table.

Then, when the doctor came in, he bit her and attempted to steal her jewelry. (Nick loves bracelets, thus why I cannot wear them anymore.) She was a good sport about the whole thing, and was impressed with his crawling abilities.

Most importantly, though, Nick is very healthy. He's over his coxsackie virus, and he is wiggling around like a baby his age should. The doctor said that if Nick is driving us crazy, then he's being developmentally appropriate. I guess he is growing very well and is meeting his milestones, so that is great news.

Here he is trying to get into my purse in the waiting room. Nicholas charmed all of the nurses and the other patients, crawling over by them and cooing and grinning. This boy is a big flirt, and driving isn't the only issue I think I'm going to have with him at 15. I believe the ladies will be a factor for this flirtatious fellow.

This was the first full week of school for my students, and I spent the week immersed in paperwork, filing, and test administration. This year is so much better for me than last year, though, because of the simple addition of windows. I believe I must have a touch of that seasonal affective disorder, because I was moody and down last year while teaching in a windowless interior space. Everything seems okay so far this year, because have plants and fresh air and even sunshine, on occasion. The ambiance of the room is welcoming and homey, and everyone who comes in comments on the plants. Since part of my job is to get kids to talk, having the plants as a starting point adds to their value.

My original intention was to take pictures of all of my classroom plants, so that later on, when I kill them, I will have a record of how nice they looked. But after taking the first picture and trying to frame the second, I stopped. You see, I couldn't show the plants on my desk without showing off the mess. Folders were stacked hither and yon. Leftover lunch dishes mixed with student prizes and draft versions of service schedules. No matter what angle I tried, my part of the room still looked, well, disorganized and messy.

So I decided to highlight my favorite plant, this hanging ivy that I got for $4 at Lowe's from the nice lady who offered to give me an extra 50% off. I shall be returning to Lowe's for all of my plant needs; I got some real winners. I want to buy a few more pots and maybe one or two more hanging planters. Next week perhaps, when I have cleaned off all of the piles and such, I will take a picture of my wonderful work space for all to admire. But isn't just this one window corner lovely? I have a pretty tree, a hanging ivy plant, and tons of fresh air.

No Wonder I Never Got Raspberries. . .

I have been waiting for raspberries since my first spring in this house, back in 2007. That year, I bought two super-expensive, already big raspberry bushes guaranteed by the gardening center to create beautiful, plump berries. I planted both of them exactly according to the instructions. Then, I watered them and waited.

The last two years I never had any berries. That first year I guessed I had planted them too late. The second year I didn't take care of them very well; I was pregnant and didn't feel like messing with weeding or watering. Frankly, those raspberry bushes could've sprouted $100 bills and I wouldn't have noticed. I was too busy being pregnant and eating goat cheese and water crackers.

But this year I really paid attention to these plants. They were pampered and watered and mulched and fertilized. For mother's day, my husband went to the same nursery and bought me a third raspberry plant. Strangely, this raspberry plant looked different from the other two. I finally figured out why. I have blackberry plants. Either that, or my raspberry plants are having an identity crisis. Because I have the most gorgeous blackberries out there. Look at the picture. Are those not blackberries? Sigh.

I guess it isn't all bad. At least I have gorgeous looking blackberries. No raspberries, though. However, the tomato plant I got halfway through the summer for $0.75 (see link) is now absolutely huge and sprouting about ten green tomatoes.

I also filled my classroom with 15 indoor plants. I was very excited to do this; I actually went to Lowe's twice to fill up my cart. I'm still looking for some cool pots to replant some of them in and a cool looking watering can. I had a few students in my room today for testing, and they were commenting on my succulents and ivy. Kids are so funny. One little girl asked me if the ivy plant liked hanging up by the ceiling. I told her I'd never thought about it before. She said that she thought it did because it was like being on the monkey bars. Moments like this are why I went into teaching. Maybe I'll look for a few more haniging baskets.

Nick helped me pick out some of the plants, and it was a struggle getting him to not eat them. I ended up with small ferns, ivy, palm, succulents, bromeliads, african violets, and a bunch of other plants. I'll have to take pictures of them one of these days. If I don't kill them first, anyway.

I think I'm getting a lot more exercise just chasing Nick around. He is going from one end of the living room to the other, and destroying things in his wake. He dumped a bottle of formula onto the floor already, and tried to take the vent out of the floor. We have these long lacy curtains on the two windows flanking our front door, and he pulled down one set already. I believe he may have eaten a spider, as well, but it's hard to be sure.

But he is filled with joy as he discovers new places he didn't even know existed. Today he crawled into our downstairs powder room, and acted as though it were DisneyWorld. For him, I guess it was.

I believe this qualifies as crawling.

We can't deny it anymore. Nick is definitely crawling. We have expanded the baby cage to ten panels (see picture below), and there is trouble whenever Nick is out of it. So far this afternoon, he has tried to eat a library book, tore up a piece of my mail, attempted to climb the stairs, and clunked his head on the coffee table twice and the desk once. As I'm writing this, he grabbed a box of cheerios and dumped it over his head and all over the floor. I am having a battle between letting him have things that won't hurt him and making a mess. With the cheerios, as soon as I tried to take the box away, the bloodcurdling screams started. So I figured he could have it, at least while I'm watching.

So why don't you just confine him, you're thinking. Yeah, that works for a little while. But Nicholas has learned that the baby cage is indeed a cage, and this is the face that I get.

Because, of course, I am such a cruel mother that I would leave my baby ALONE while I start dinner. Even worse, I leave him in a CAGE with about a hundred toys, most of which sing and make annoying noises. I am just evil.

Of course, as soon as I sit next to him and let him use me to climb to a stand, Nicholas is as happy as a clam. He dances, he takes steps, he wiggles with joy. Now that he has figured out crawling, he's ready to skip right to walking. Sigh.

Locomotion Frustration

Today was a pretty good day. We went to farmers' markets in both Plainfield and Naperville. The Plainfield one was very small, but the produce that was there was good. The tomatoes especially were delicious, and I bought some homemade strawberry jam that is just divine. The market in Naperville is bigger, but crowded and more expensive. The blueberries were amazing, though.

Despite going out, I still had enough time to read two books: "What I Thought I Knew" by Alice Eve Cohen, and "Palace of Mirrors" by Margaret Peterson Haddix. The first was an adult memoir that was well-written and honest. I enjoyed it. The other was a teen book by one of my favorite authors. It was okay, but not her best work.

It's a darned good thing I have no trouble getting back into a book once I've been interrupted. I'm just glad I had time to read, in between playing with Nick, feeding him, and trying to prevent him from bonking his head. I can't keep him in the baby cage all the time, because that would be mean. So when I am directly supervising, I let him out to play and I sit next to him. Sometimes he still flings himself into something, but you can't protect your kids from everything. Plus, if he's always in a baby cage, an exersaucer, or a carseat, he'll never learn to crawl.

Nick is still figuring out the whole crawling thing. I bought him this new toy that rolls so he can follow it. He likes it a lot, but he can't figure out how to follow it around. That is because Nicholas only moves backwards. He can get up on his hands and knees, and I think he knows this is the way to do it, but he can't move forward. Poor guy. He gets frustrated after awhile, and reverts to flapping his arms and legs. But I try to let him try for a little bit instead of picking him up right away. After all, that's how you learn.

Nicholas can move, though, and I have the video to prove it. When he's in the mood, he can use his very strong ankle muscles to move backwards on his butt. He can go all the way across the living room, and I think he'd go further if there was more room. He seems rather confused, to me at least, as to why he is getting further and further away from what he's trying to scoot towards. As in, "Hey, wait, where am I? How'd I get back here?"