Our Home Listing

Here is the promised link to the listing of our home.  Enjoy, and feel free to share with anyone you know who might want a nice house in northern Englewood.

http://www.cohomefinder.com/p/80110/855050.htm

It has been a while

Yes, it's been a while since I posted. We have been extremely busy. For those who do not know, we are trying to sell our house. It's funny, but after we purchased this house five years ago, I felt something open up inside me that said, "we can have kids now, we have space for them." And it seems like the day we brought Robin home from the hospital, that same voice said, "I want to move, I don't want to raise my kid in this neighborhood." I really just want a similar (or bigger) house to what we have in a better school district and in a neighborhood without trash littering all the yards, industrial stuff (including a junkyard for scrap cars) just a few blocks away, with fewer rentals, and with no broken glass on the streets. We'll be looking at foreclosures in addition to regular listings in hopes of finding a great deal that will get us into more house (or a nicer area) than we could afford otherwise. In this picture, Robin is "helping" us fix some tile in the bathroom.

Circumstances kind of came together during the last few weeks (we've now been here long enough to qualify for the tax credit, if we can somehow get a contract on this house and get a contract on a new one by the end of April) so we've been busy packing knick knacks, decorations, pictures, and extra items, and cleaning so our house looks good for showings. It was exhausting work. We got it listed yesterday (I'll provide a link as soon as the link has pictures, for the curious) and are celebrating not having to spend our days and evenings packing anymore.

We celebrated last night by playing in the basement with the lights off with four glow sticks to toss around and play with. Robin had a ball. I don't know what was going through his little mind, but he definitely enjoyed it, and so did Dean and I. It was so nice to be able to play with our son without having to take breaks to clean up the house or pack something. Robin has not been taking the change in his environment very well, and has been very fussy and clingy of late. It doesn't help that he's cutting his ninth and tenth teeth (he skipped the cuspids and went straight to the first molars.)

But on to news of Robin's amazing growth. I haven't measured him in a while, but he often seems bigger to me. He really did leave babyhood behind a while ago. Probably his biggest accomplishment of late has been successfully feeding himself with a spoon. It's messy, but he doesn't require help getting food on the spoon first. It's been great for me, because I can feed him things that require a spoon and can eat at the same time, without having to take turns.

Taking a ride with all of this friends

We started taking a swim class last week, and have had four (of eight) sessions now. He was a little barnacle the first day, but eased up after that and is actually smiling, having fun, and willingly entering the water under his own power now. Part of the idea is to get him to flip on his back if he falls in the water on his own (water safety, to keep him from drowning until someone can get him) although that's a ways off still--he doesn't like being on his back. It's been good to get out (even if it's earlier than we would normally venture out into the world) and spend time with other babies while learning something.

He really likes books lately. We've been to the library several times, and we keep those (and his own) books handy so he can grab them. He usually brings them to us, holds them out for us to take, and then climbs into our laps once we grab the book. His attention span is still short, but it's nice (and great to sneak in a few extra snuggles.)

Look at the leprechaun we found in our yard on St. Patrick's Day!

We found out that Robin still doesn't like lettuce because he didn't want to eat his Ceasar salad on Monday (had it for dinner in honor of the Ides of March!) He doesn't mind the dressing though, so we decided his salads would consist of steamed broccoli until more of his molars come in.

Today he showed real progress in playing in the snow. In the past, he's been very tentative and doesn't want to stay out very long, but today we went outside and he struck out into virgin snowfall on his own, stopping to pick up and eat pieces along the way, and just going all over. He went up and down the steps of the deck about a dozen times. I tried to give him a ride using the snow shovel as a sled, but that didn't work too well. Going inside was my idea, and he didn't want to go in when we did. It was awesome to see him having fun out there. (No pictures, sorry, I thought it would be easier not to wrestle with keeping the camera dry.)

He's still growing!

Robin has now learned to climb over obstacles. We were doing some work in our bathroom and we placed a large chest in front of the door to keep Robin out (the bathroom doorway was too narrow for our baby gates.) It worked for a while, but he was hoisting himself onto it, and then after a while, he managed to get all the way over. And then he repeated the process many times, and is already an old pro. Here I was, trying to keep him out of the way, and instead I taught him how to climb!  Well, on the plus side, he did really well watching us work and wandering about our room before he figured that out, so that gives me hope that if we buy a new house (which we are actively thinking of doing) and have to do any work on it, Robin will be somewhat patient with us while we work.  As long as he gets to watch the use of fascinating power tools.

He's getting pretty good at the use of spoons and forks (mmm... ice cream!) He still primarily feeds himself with his fingers, but he can spear solid chunks of food on a fork now, and immediately puts it in his mouth. In fact, if he doesn't want to eat some vegetables, I can get him a fork and he'll go to town on them now. I wonder how long that trick will work for?

I dressed him up like Tom Sawyer the other day.  Isn't he a cutie??!!!

He must've just had a growth spurt, which is now over, because his voracious appetite has receded. I haven't measured him, but he has reached a magical height for me--he's now tall enough that if I hold his hand while we're walking, I don't have to bend over anymore!

I can't remember whether I've talked about this before or not, but when Robin drops food (purposefully) on the floor during meals, we take his tray away and spin him around to face away from the table for a minute as a way to try to discipline him. Well, it seems to be working. I don't think I've had to spin him around since last weekend! I suppose that means it's time to expand the discipline to include utensils and cups that are deliberately dropped. Anyway, I'd been worried for a while, since I wasn't sure this was having any effect, but his behavior in that regard has definitely improved!

The other day, he called "Mama" for a boost into my blue chair, and once up in it, he sat there with a book in his lap and babbling for a while. Dean thought it looked like he was reading the book out loud! That's what we do, after all!

He says "hi" now, and finally resumed saying "night night." He also might be trying to say "teeth." His comprehension is really growing too. He knows the parts of the face, he quacks like a duck when he sees one (real, toy, in a book), and he can put some of the shapes in his puzzle together. Last weekend he was pointing to the stop sign on the side of his school bus toy, and when Dean told him "it's an octagon," he ran over to his shape puzzle and grabbed the octagon piece.

He has discovered the off/on switch on his toys. Now I can never turn them off for silence!

I think I understand part of why the first year of life goes so fast. They just grow so much, and learn SO MANY new things in that time, that all the accomplishments help mark the passage of time. Things have slowed down a little, and I definitely take fewer pictures (he's still the primary subject of my photos though!)

I thought it was funny that he was eating his "Feed Me" shirt.

We went to the zoo this week with my friend, Sela, from Fort Collins, who aptly called it our "biannual get-together," since we don't see each other much. It was a really nice day, much warmer than we expected.  We had a fun time, and it was good to get Robin together with some other kids for a bit.

I can do anything!

Robin has begun communicating a bit more recently. He's started saying "uh oh" and signing "water." He also says "Mama" a LOT. When he starts shrieking for something that he can't reach, I've been encouraging him to say "Mama help," though of course I always respond when he just says "Mama" (since he hasn't managed "help" yet.)

The only problem with all the "Mamas" is that he's stopped saying "Dada" (mostly.) In fact, when Dean asks him "can you say 'Dada'?" he usually responds with an enthusiastic "Mama!" Sometimes they go back and forth (Dada! Mama! Dada! Mama!) several times. It makes me laugh. Poor Dean.

Robin can now put some of his mega bloks together.  He can also play ball. When I roll a ball to him and ask him to roll/throw it back, he will do so. It flies maybe 8 inches before hitting the ground and rolling the rest of the way toward me. This is something that came up at his 15 month checkup, and it looks like he's slightly ahead of the curve behaviorally/developmentally. And when it comes to being stubborn! He's now 24 pounds and 30 ¾ inches.

This is from about a week ago, when he was carrying a pair of rolled-up socks in his mouth like a dog playing fetch. And a few days later, I put a pair in my mouth, and he took it from me with his, and then I took it back... It was fun!

He is still sometimes cranky, mostly in frustration at not being able to do everything himself. I wonder if he'll always push himself to be an overachiever?

Robin loves zippers, Velcro, buttons, and buckles. If it can attach something together, he will spend a lot of time trying to figure out how it works. Pretty much every time I get him up from a nap now, he's gotten his sleepsack partially unzipped. In fact, last week he didn't really nap one day (that's the last time I let him fall asleep in the car!!!) but I left him in his room for a long time, hoping he would drop off. By the time I gave up and went to get him, he had completely unzipped his sleepsack and removed his diaper (Velcro again.) Yeesh! He also managed to pee on his pants, which were sitting on his ottoman across the room!

I only just discovered that I had this video. I feel like Dean must've shot it since I don't remember doing it, although my voice is close to the camera. Maybe I'm losing my memory. This is from a few days after Christmas, at my parents' house. Robin is pretending to stir something in the pot, and then pretending to eat it!

I took him to the library for the first time last week. It was fun. I'm looking forward to when he's 18 months, because that's the bottom of their age range for story time. He does seem to be getting a little more interested in books! The other day, I was sitting on the floor reading a book to him (he's usually all over the room when I do that) and he came up to me and started crawling over my legs. I was confused at first, until he came to rest in my lap! He wanted to sit in my lap for the story! I was so excited!

Currently, he will clap his hands when he hears the music for "If You're Happy and You Know It."

We're starting to think that Zax, the bear my Aunt Catherine made for Robin before he was born, is becoming a lovey (his favorite, something he's getting an emotional attachment to.) He's started trying to pull Zax out of the crib while playing in his room, which he never used to do. Several times now, he has grabbed for Zax while we get him into his sleepsack before naps or bed (primarily naps.) Whenever he keeps holding onto Zax when I'm ready to rock him and sing to him, I've taken Zax with me and sung to both of them (this has happened 4 or 5 times now.) Also, most of those times, he's fallen asleep in my arms while I sing to him--which is rare, usually I put him in his crib still awake. Coincidence? The jury's still out.

He is now weaned. :(  For the last three days, he has refused to latch at all, and today was the last day I will attempt it. I'm actually surprised he went as long as he did, since we went down from four nursings each day to one in less than a month, but he stuck out with the final nursing (though it got progressively shorter, and he stopped nursing on both sides) for about two months. It's somewhat bittersweet. I miss the time together, but it'll be nice to have a little more time in the day--though I'll have less online time. It'll also be nice to be able to eat peanut butter and eggs again.

Time Marching On

Robin continues to be a boy wonder. There are times when I'm frustrated and it doesn't seem like he's learning anything, but keeping a list of things I want to post helps me to see how much he's really accomplishing.

He totally cracked me up a few days ago. He had some toilet paper tubes he'd intercepted from being tossed in the boring old recycling a few days prior, and while I was sitting at my computer, he came into the room with one of the tubes over his hand. He handed me another one, and when I took it, he pressed his fingers together to make his hand as narrow as possible, and inserted his second hand into the second tube! He just wanted my help getting the second one on! He's starting to play in more imaginative ways, which is so cool!

Robin is an old pro at walking now. He can even go backwards! He looks like he's warily backing away from something every time he does it, which is funny. He is also trying to walk down steps instead of backing down them--which is a big danger right now. We have to stay very close to him and hold his hands while he tries, because if we don't, he could easily pitch headfirst down the stairs (yikes!)

When I take him for walks through our neighborhood now, he usually walks for at least part of the way. I usually bring the stroller along to help once he gets tired. He can go a pretty impressive distance; though, of course, he stops to look at/play with things along the way. I took him out in his wagon for the first time yesterday, although I made the mistake of going too far for his first time in something new. It started out great, with him riding in the wagon. Then he wanted to walk do he did that for a fair distance, but then he started wanting to go in the street or back the way we had come, and I finally had to put him back in the wagon--which he no longer wanted to do. Eventually I gave up on trying to keep him happy and just went as fast as I could back toward home. Add to everything the fact that it was cold, and I had a very cranky (okay, hysterical!) baby on my hands by the time we got home. Note to self: when doing something new, keep the initial attempt short! Today, though, we went for a short walk, just around the block, without any vehicle to pull/push him in. He made it about ¾ of the way before needing to be carried! (And he might've made it farther if the final stretch hadn't been uphill! Perhaps I'll go left instead of right next time.)

Robin can now get himself onto the seat of his truck by himself, and walk it across the room! He can also get himself into his rocking chair and rock by himself! Gross motor skills! His aunt gave him a Little People farm set for Christmas, and I have seen him place one of the little people into the tractor a few times now: spatial awareness and fine motor skills!

He's been fascinated by zippers for a long time now (No, Robin, you shouldn't unzip people's pants!!!) but today I was totally amazed: when I got him out of his crib to start the day, he had unzipped his sleep sack (wearable blanket) about ¾ of the way! I guess he was ready to get out of bed and get his day started!

Robin's still not really talking, although "Mama" definitely means "Mama" now--he'll say it as he comes looking for me! And one thing that is very nice is he's finally started doing the signs for "more" and "all done." After he finishes eating the food I give him, I tell him I think he's all done, but I'll give him more if he tells me he wants it. If he doesn't do anything, then I'll repeat "all done" and clean him up. Occasionally he'll sign "more" and I'll give him a bit more food, and occasionally he'll sign "all done," so I know he's ready. I'm SO glad he's figured those out! ("More" still technically means "food" to him, but at least we're making progress.)

The result of pasta for dinner and a cookie with black frosting for dessert.

Robin likes to have control when he eats (I know it's best to avoid power struggles, but sometimes meals turn into them these days) so a few weeks ago I handed over the reigns of his cup.

I used to use an open-top cup and just offer it to him between every few bites, but now I just fill up the sippy cup at the beginning of the day, leave it on his tray, and put it back in the fridge between meals. It took him a while to really get the hang of it (he used to put it in his mouth but wouldn't lift it up to get the fluid to the spout) but now he's doing very well, and I think he's drinking more, too. He was practicing drinking from and open-top cup by himself yesterday too--in the bathtub. And by that, I mean he was filling up a cup with bathwater, putting it to his mouth, and drinking some of the water as he poured the rest on his face. Oh my....

I flipped his carseat around to face forward last week. "They" say it's safer to keep him rear-facing until he reaches the maximum rear-facing weight of his seat, but he was running out of leg room and I thought he'd enjoy facing forward, being able to see what was going on, and not having the sun in his eyes whenever I drive north. He seemed a bit overwhelmed the first time or two, but now he seems to like it.