Future Gynecologist?

Nick went with me today for my 32 week OB appointment. My doctor asked him if he wanted to be a gynecologist someday. Probably because of how interested he was in all of the equipment in the room. Nick was especially fascinated with the plastic uterus model and the stethoscope. He kept putting the stethoscope up to his stomach, saying, "I listen to the baby in my tummy!" (Nick is obviously not quite clear on the whole baby-in-mommy's tummy thing.)

Apparently, from this point forward, I have to go in for an NST (non-stress test) once a week. After 34 weeks, I may have to go twice each week. The baby is looking great, but they're being extra cautious because I'm a high-risk pregnancy. I don't mind the NST, but I'm going to have to try to schedule them so I go when I don't have Nick. A doctor's office is filled with very expensive "toys" that he shouldn't be playing with, and it was way too tempting for him.

When you have an NST Test, they put two straps around your belly. One monitors contractions, and the other monitors the peaks and valleys of the baby's heart rate. The thing is, you can't move for at least 20 minutes during this test, and if your belly wiggles, it might register as a contraction. Nick kept trying to climb up my legs and wreak havoc in the room. He ripped up a bunch of magazines, took bunches of kleenex out of the box, and stole a pen out of my purse. Then, right after I'd been all strapped in to the machine, Nick announced, "I need to go pee pee in the potty!" Sigh. Poor timing. Between the NST Test and another 20 minutes of waiting for the doctor, Nick caused quite a bit of trouble.

First, he was fascinated with the sharps box, and I had to wrestle him away from it. (Such a horrible parent am I--I won't let my child play with a box containing used needles.) Then, he found the plastic uterus model, and decided that it would be good to throw at me. Thank goodness it wasn't breakable. By the time he got the stethoscope, I figured it was harmless enough.

It was pretty cute, though, how Nick was talking to the nurse. He announced to her, "I'm going to have a baby brother! He in mommy's tummy." Then he showed her his tummy. Nick got a sticker for his loquaciousness. Then he promptly wet his pants. Finally, we had to run outside in the pouring rain. A fitting end to an interesting doctor's visit.

Acting His Age

Yesterday we went to a wedding. It was my cousin Amy's wedding, and it was at the Copernicus Center on the Northwest side of Chicago. The ceremony and reception were lovely, and we would have had a delightful time, if we'd left Nick with a babysitter. The food was phenomenal, especially the rice and the peppers. But we didn't get much time to enjoy anything. I knew my relatives would want to meet Nick, since many of them haven't seen him at all. My dad's side of the family is wonderful, and I don't get to see them very often. So I'm glad we brought him, but by the time we left, I was so tired I fell asleep in the car.

I don't have a lot of cute pictures from last night, and the reason is that Greg and I spent the entire time at the wedding and reception chasing and quieting a very active toddler. I managed to snap a few quick pictures at dinner, but that's about it.

I've tried not to be one of those parents who complains incessantly about their child's behavior. I think that children pick up on that, and live up to your poor expectations. Rather, I try to find the humor in situations where my son causes trouble, because I know that he's usually just acting his age. I also have a pretty good idea of what so-called "normal" behavior is for kids at different ages, because of my many years of working in day care centers. My kid has an easygoing temperment, and he's been great at eating, sleeping, and even following directions, at least most of the time. In the baby lottery, we hit the jackpot.

But Nick is still only 20 months old, and asking him to sit still and be quiet is just more than he can handle. Greg and I are still learning to deal with the embarrassment of public temper tantrums and such. There were plenty of other families with children. For some reason, though, our child was by far the loudest and the most obnoxious at this event. In retrospect, it's kind of funny, and I want to remember all of the cute/annoying/obnoxious/hilarious things he did. Here's how our evening went.

Problem #1: The rule of toddlers is that if you give them a bath and dress them in fancy clothes, they will inevitably get dirty. We arrived at the wedding just in time to realize two things: 1. Nick had filled his diaper to the brim, and 2. There was no changing table in the restroom. So we started our evening out in the 90 degree heat in our fancy clothes, wrestling with Nick in the back seat of the car, trying to change his diaper.

Problem #2: Nick loves music. This ceremony had some great classical music, played live by two musicians who were very good. However, any time they stopped playing the music, Nick would shout "Uh-oh!" very loudly. We stuck a binky in his mouth, but he'd just take it out and yell every single time the music stopped.

Problem #3: Nick has learned to talk. This is a wonderful thing, but we haven't figured out yet how to make him stop when it's quiet time. Such as when a wedding ceremony is in progress. The Copernicus Center's Theatre has a lovely ceiling that looks like the night sky, and Nick kept randomly pointing to things and naming them. Loudly. As in, "Sky!" or "Moon!" So the minister would be reading a solemn prayer, and Nick would suddenly pull out his binky and should, "Clock!" (There was a clock in the theatre, too.) Only he doesn't say it like that. He tends to leave out the "l" sound. Sigh.

Problem #4: Toddlers don't sit still. He had to be taken out of the ceremony because he started screaming to be let down. Greg had to run up the aisle and take him to play outside, and he missed the second half of the ceremony.

Problem #5: While we were upstairs having appetizers, Nick ran around stealing food from plates, smashing crackers into the carpeting, trying to drink out of people's glasses, and playing with toothpicks. He reminded me of that guy at the college parties, you know, the one who walks around finishing everyone's abandoned drinks. At one point, he tried to throw broccoli from the balcony and steal stuff from someone's purse. You'd think, "Well, why didn't you just carry him?" Yup, tried that. He screamed every time we picked him up for most of the evening.



Problem #6: We neglected to bring either the stroller or the booster seat. There were no high chairs either, so Nick had no restraint other than our arms. Thus the chocolate smears all over Greg's sleeve. I wish I'd taken a picture of Nick in his suit, post dinner. It was quite hilarious. But Nick still out ate most of the people at our table. He loved the food.  :)

For much of the evening, Nick screamed whenever we wanted him to sit with us. Greg and I ended up taking turns chasing him as he walked around. At one point, while Greg was getting his dinner, I was watching Nick and he ran away from me, right into the men's room. I had to recruit a nearby male to go and retrieve him. Nick thought the entire thing was hilarious.

We left pretty early, but still about an hour after Nick's bedtime. Honestly, we were afraid of what would happen if we stayed any later. Nick was as well-behaved as he could be, for a toddler at a wedding. Something tells me that later on, we'll look back on this night and smile.

Childproofing and Mexican Food

Man, kids are expensive. Nick and I had to make a trip to Babies R Us on Thursday. You see, Nick is a very active little boy, and he has managed to ruin and/or destroy some of his stuff. He ripped the pad on his changing table, so that all of the stuffing was coming out and the plastic was gone. That's $30 right there for a new one. I guess the diaper pail refills aren't Nick's fault, but I had to buy two packages at $16 each. Definitely necessary. But I suppose the cost is offset by his cute little shoes, which I got on ebay for $1.50.

Then there were the stove protectors. Nick has ripped off one of the plastic thingies that cover the knobs on our stove, actually cracking the plastic. Unfortunately, you can't buy just one or two, so I had to get an entire package of new ones. That's another $9.

Nick also keeps breaking his sippy cups. He throws them on the floor when he's mad, cracking the plastic, and then they leak. So I had to buy him some new ones. I got nice insulated sippy cups, with animals on them. They also have nice straws and they're thin enough for Nick to hold with one hand. He's had a hard time this week holding his drinks because of his cast. When he saw the orange cup above, he announced, "Moo!  Ball!" Yup, there are cows playing soccer printed on his sippy cups. Those were $10 for three cups. See his t-shirt? Got that at a garage sale for $0.50. It says, "I tried to be good, but I got bored."

After all that shopping, Nick and I were hungry, so we decided to try a new Mexican place in Plainfield, called La Adelita. Their chips were yummy, but the salsa and the food overall was a little spicy for me. Still good, though. We had quesadillas. Nick loved the food, even the spicy stuff. He was shoving the lettuce garnish in his mouth in handfuls, and he kept begging for more salsa. Before I had Nick, I felt just a little uncomfortable eating out by myself. Now I have a regular dining partner. He's pretty good company, if a little messy. We actually have little conversations nowadays. His side sounds something like this: "More chips!" "Moo ball." "Mmm chicken." "Birdie!" (pointing to a bird on the mural) "Hello!" (to everyone who walks by the table) "Tea!" "All done."

He might be expensive, but Nick is worth every penny.  I've really enjoyed spending so much time hanging out with him this this summer. Only about two weeks left, though. . .

Puddle Jumper

Yesterday Nick and I took a walk to the park. He refused to take a nap around noon, so I figured we'd go to the park and that would tire him out. (It did!) We walked, and on the way there, Nick found a puddle. See for yourself what he did. . .

Daredevil in the Making

Lately Nick has been standing on his toys-even the ones with wheels. The first time he tried standing on his zebra, he fell on his head. The second time, his daddy saw him do it and went to stand behind him. We're not entirely sure how to get him to stop.  Check out how crazy his hair is getting. We need to get it cut soon, but the curls are so cute we keep putting it off.

 

His balance is actually not too bad, but he falls more when he tries this on toys with wheels. (!) It's pretty cute if we're around to spot him, but he tends to try it when we are looking the other way. He doesn't seem to understand that it's okay to play with the zebra, but not okay to stand on it.

Nick's First Bowling Experience

Friday night we took Nick bowling for the first time. It was an entertaining and yet exhausting time Some of Greg's co-workers were meeting up in Batavia, and they all brought their kids, so we brought Nick. He loved the brightly colored balls and the people and the noise. We had to keep chasing him away from the lanes. He kept trying to pick up the balls, even though they weighed almost as much as him. I even let him help me push one of the balls down the lane. It went straight into the gutter, but he sure enjoyed the experience.

 

 

Greg and I had a hard time keeping track of Nick. He was continually running off, usually toward the lanes. He wanted to run down the lane at the pins, and once he actually slipped out of my grasp and went past the line. Bowling alleys put slippery stuff on the lane, so he fell right on his butt. I had to crawl down the gutter to catch him. He thought it was a game, running away from me. I would pick him up and carry him back to the table. Then, he'd wiggle to be let down and run towards the pins again. Lately he wants to walk everywhere, too. When we would pick him up he'd go limp and then wiggle to try to get down. I decided then and there to buy him a leash ASAP.

At one point they turned the alley into Cosmic Bowling, which is where they turn off the regular lights and you bowl using blacklights. They play loud music in the background, too. These little green lights were bouncing everywhere, and Nick loved chasing them. Most of my pictures didn't turn out because of the poor lighting, but Nick was definitely stimulated by the environment. He got to meet some other little kids, play with big heavy balls, and run and let us chase him. Nick won on this round, but I vow to win next time with my secret weapon: the baby leash.

Little Stinker

Do you know that look that a little boy gets when he's about to do something naughty? That determined, focused look that boys get while causing mischief?

I secretly think that look is very cute. Check out the naughty grin in the next two pictures. Nick is very aware of the mess he's making.

I could get mad, or I could get my camera. I chose to smile and take pictures. I can teach him about what not to do with the toilet paper later on. I can be the mommy and chastise him later. For now, I'll just enjoy his joyful dancing. . .   : )

. . . because sometimes naughty is adorable, and I love my little stinker.

An hour in the life of an active toddler

My little boy can accomplish a lot in an hour. I took my camera and spent an hour down on the floor with Nick today, while Greg was making a delicious clam chowder (yes, from scratch). I was trying to keep him out of the kitchen, since he tends to hang on Daddy's legs and cause trouble. These are the pictures I took during my hour on the cold hardwood floor. I present: an hour in the life of a 14-month-old.

5:01 Having just woken up from his nap, Nick started playing with his cars. I don't believe Nick knew I was going to snap this picture. The expression on his face says, "Huh?" Nick likes to roll his cars around on the floor, but this one makes noise when you push on the top of the lights. I do believe that every single male child will, unprompted, start to push cars around the floor and make noises. There must be a gene for that.

5:04 Never in one place for long, Nicholas took off while I was trying to get a picture of him with his firetruck push toy. He runs quickly for a little guy who only learned to walk a little more than a month ago.

5:11 Back to the blocks and trucks. Nick does not build towers, but he certainly knows how to knock them down. His blocks are squishy and they squeak, so he also likes to chew on them.

5:12 Nick started yelling and following me around. He was clearly upset, and I thought perhaps he might want a snack. So I put him into his high chair. Yes, he definitely wanted a snack. He graced me with this lovely smile as he demolished his blueberries, milk, and homemade wheat bread with jam.

5:24 In his usual creative way, Nick let me know that snacktime was over and he wanted OUT. Can you see him throwing blueberries at me? I think the projectile had already left his hand by the time I hit the button on the camera.  Throwing food is an automatic ticket out of the high chair.

5:27 All cleaned up, Nick decides to rock out with his guitar. This was a gift from his Auntie Mandy, and he loves making music with it. He also likes to swing it around and hit things with it. Perhaps this bodes well for a career in the performing arts? Hopefully not.

5:33 Tired of the guitar, Nick takes off with it at a full run, eventually throwing it at the cat.

5:41 Nick is in the mood for a little Trivial Pursuit (chocolate edition). I told him, "Maybe later."

5:47 Nick takes a huge pile of junk mail off of the table. I let him. You have to pick your battles, and junk mail is not a battle I care to fight. Hopefully their ink isn't too damaging when it is chewed.

5:52 Nick manages to sneak past me into the kitchen, where the smell of clam chowder is filling the air. I believe he's chewing on a baby bowl. We keep random plastic things around for him to play with in the kitchen.

5:57 Greg finishes dinner. Yummy! But it should be no surprise that I was pretty beat, after following him around for an hour.

5:59 Dinner is served.

Random thoughts about my son's talents

Nick sure likes to make music. One of his first favorite toys was his little piano, and even at five months, he'd bang away happily at the keys, enjoying the noise. These pictures are from the DuPage Children's Museum, and I snitched them from my mother-in-law's camera, since mine is still in the shop. I think Nick would love it if I came home one day with drumsticks like this, with big rubber tips. My son has many talents, and loud music is just one of them. I wonder if he'll be interested in playing a musical instrument someday. . .

Today Nick was into singing and banging on things. After work, I had to take him on some errands. Through the blowing snow, we drove to the mall and I had to put him in the stroller while I handled some Christmas returns. He cooed and sang to every lady in sight, whether it was a clerk in the Gymboree or a little baby in a stroller. He also loved banging on the side of the elevator. Nicholas has this habit of trying to catch a stranger's eye and then smiling really big until they smile back. It's quite endearing, and it is interesting to see how people react, especially if they're people who aren't used to being around kids. So far he usually wins and makes the person smile. Today it was a somber-looking gentleman in a business suit on the elevator.

Then, after the mall, I had to go in for a blood draw. I have thyroid disease that's not well-controlled right now, so blood work has been happening more often. Anyhow, just while I was waiting in the waiting room to be called, Nick managed to traverse the entire huge room while humming to himself, walk by every single person and grin hugely, and destroy a magazine. I was chasing him the entire time trying to minimize the damage. He smacked on the fish tank and tried to tap the fishies, hung onto the leg of an older lady, and tried to steal a book from a teenaged boy. Then he removed the door stopper and began to chew on it furiously. This was in five minutes. I simply chased him as he waved the door stopper around.

But the most hilarious part was when I got called in for the blood draw. Nick is too big to sit on my lap while they stick me. Besides, he wouldn't be able to stay still. So I sat him on the floor with a magazine. He waited just until the lady had the needle in, and then he laughed and ran off. "Don't worry," the phlebotomist said, "he can't go far. We're enclosed by doors." However, Nick tried to pull a pile of papers off of the desk and laughed at us. Then he tore a sign off of the refrigerator and took off into the reception area, again singing at the top of his baby lungs. He was in the area behind the counter where the receptionists sit, crawling under the counter. Since I was immobile, I could only listen as Nick squealed in glee and crawled under their desks. He ripped a big orange sticker off of one of their printers and was hugging a receptionist's leg when I finally retrieved him. I do believe Nick made their day.