Dean at Eleven Months
Sunday, April 20th, 2011
Dean's maternal grandma is convinced that his eyes are going to change into a murky green/ hazel color. Really? Her evidence is based on a story she heard at a party about some kid's eyes changing when he was two years old and that through Dean's maternal line, there hasn't been a child without brown eyes in at least four generations. But, look at those peepers! There isn't a hint of green or brown. I could accept that in certain lights they might have a greyish tint to them. Anyway, anywhere we go, it's the first thing people comment on, those big baby blues. I think he was just genetically very, very lucky. Well, in that way. I wouldn't be surprised if he develops allergies and acne later on. Poor feller. Mommy and Daddy don't have completely blessed DNA. Oh, and at 14, he's gonna need glasses. And, he might have flat feet. Sigh.
Dean is happiest when exploring. He loves to go around the entire house and poke, manhandle, and lick various objects. Our son enjoys rummaging through drawers and taking every single item out (whether it's 40 diapers, all of his bottles, fistfuls of pasta, or a bunch of neatly folded clothes). Just follow the path of mess. I have had to put all of Sasha's puzzles up high on a shelf because picking up 500 or so pieces every day is not as much fun as you would think. Yeah, I'm a spoilsport. His latest trick involves the kitty door to the closet where we keep the cats' litter. He pushes toys through the hole morning, noon, and night. If Sasha is missing her favorite barbie, it's laying in the gritty, gross closet. I don't know Dean feels compelled to shove so many things through. I would have prefered to skip this "developmental" milestone. However, Dean will sometimes put things back in bins. Is he beginning to exhibit the same OCD behavior his sister and father posess?
It's funny but Dean and Sasha do not always get along. He likes to get into her things and both want to play with whatever the other one has. Sigh. Buying two of everything would get really expensive. He'll scream whenever his sister gets near him or try to pull her hair. She is too rough with him and I am on her constantly for that. I had no idea kids could be so territorial. They will play and laugh together but it is an equal amount of that and fighting. This is just a phase, right? I am hoping it won't take until adulthood for them to bond.
Dean is loving trying new foods and being able to feed himself. He makes faces at vegetables and meat but will mouth anything doughy for long periods of time. Cookies are the best! Not a clean eater: the carseat, his clothes, and the highchair will attest to that. He has only gotten one more tooth (top right) which although it makes his smile even cuter being all lopsided and snaggly, means he has to gum most everything.
Sometimes I feel so sorry for my boy; he gets lugged around everywhere. If I am volunteering at Sasha's school or on a playdate or even hiking, he gets strapped to my back in the Ergo. He is so good about patiently dangling for hours at a time. He'll observe the other kids or take a nap. Many people have remarked on his easygoing nature. It's so nice to be able to do things and have him so close to me. I definitely take advantage of him, my honeyboy.
Sasha at Three Years, Ten Months
Tuesday, April 8th, 2011
What a busy, busy month! Sasha's school had some fun activities including a carnival (complete with petting zoo, bouncy houses, face painting, game booths, horse rides, and tons of junk food) and another field trip, this time to the Scottsdale airpark where the kids went ballistic exploring a Cessna and a fire engine. She also had FIVE birthday parties. And then there was spring break. A week of trying to figure out how to entertain Sasha (this child gets cabin fever after twenty minutes at home). So, I tried to fill up the days with playdates. We went to the children's museum, to storytime, to her friend's house, and to the train park. The last has a cool new exhibit: a huge room filled with train sets. It took us twenty minutes to look at all the miniatures- my favorite was the tiny soda shop. Very cute.
Sasha's diet has been steadily worsening. Although her teachers drill her about eating healthy and food pyramids and I masses of fruit and organic, whole wheat stuff, our daughter tries to live off of yogurt and whatever sugar she can scrounge from our pantry. Seriously, she slurps down 4-6 yogurt squishers each day. While I am happy about the calcium, the billion grams of sugar kind of worry me. And, Miss Independent knows how to get them for herself. She doesn't even bother to ask. I make sure she gets at least one vegetable and a couple fruit servings each day but it is a battle. I have to use my whole arsenal of cajoling, bribery, and verbal threat (No TV tonight!). It's exhausting. She won't even try new things unless they have the glaze of dessert and then, just with the tip of her tongue. Hopefully it will get better soon, and we'll be able to enjoy hearty meals of asparagus, artichokes, and brussel sprouts (of course, I'll have to work on my hubby's nutrition, too).
Sasha still takes naps which is fabulous and phenomenal (Mommy needs some downtime, too, by twoish). When she is tired, her mood is scary. So, I am all for the siesta. Her bedtime is at 7:30 which means she is up at the crack of dawn each day. She will usually dress herself (unless it is a frock and she needs help with the buttons) but at 6AM, I hear screams of "It's MORNING TIME EVERYONE!!!!" Have I mentioned that Sasha can't amuse herself? She is scared of being alone and so, I shuffle bleary eyed into the playroom where I bargain my soul (and a few yogurts) for ten more minutes of rest. She will usually color or paint for that time but I do get interrupted every thirty seconds for more water or paper etc. I am not a morning person and the last thing I want to do is play barbies or babydolls before a sane hour. However, I will wreak my revenge when she is a teenager. I am just biding my time.
I am priviledged to be a mother to this fascinating child. Her tastes and desires become more pronounced. Pink is her favorite color and Imagine by John Lennon is her favorite song. She loves to color (but will not draw people), climb, swim, run, play Candyland & Chutes and Ladders, pretend, play with her dolls, ride her truck, scream/ make a lot of noice, etc. Tinkerbell is her favorite movie. She only wants to wear headbands. We have elaborate stories about the booger and knot fairy and the tickle hands. She is fascinated by wolves, bears, and monsters. She always wants another pair of shoes. She just read her first book all the way through but still adores being read to. I haven't even come close to describing the million things my daughter says and does every day which make her unique and knowing her a joy.
