October 31, 2010
First steps
Today B-Boy took his first steps… there were four in all, and then Bonk! down he went on that cute bottom of his.
This time, it wasn’t the cat that motivated him. It wasn’t his Daddy nor was it his Mommy. It was the TV, which hangs above the fireplace in the living room.
He was holding onto the chair, he turned around, and then he let go. Step…. step-step… step- Bonk.
His arms were outstretched upward as if reaching for whatever was on the screen. I can’t recall what exactly was on the TV at the time, but whatever it was, it sure helped motivate/distract B-Boy!
So it won’t be long until he is walking on his own… my guess is he just wants to show he is ready to go trick or treating… either that or wants to spook some coming here… Either way, I am sure candy will be involved, if his Daddy has anything to do with it. Heh heh.
He’s our Sun
Happy Halloween!!!
It’s B-Boy’s second Halloween… and I am amazed at how much he has grown from last year. You know there is going to be a costume… so it’s a good thing you are here.
This is B-Boy.
He is our Sun.
He is the center of our universe…
And everything revolves around him.
October 30, 2010
Baby Jail
B-Boy is getting faster with his crawling, and keeping him contained is getting more and more difficult.
Our house has an open floor plan on the first floor, and we really don’t want B-Boy in the formal dining room, mostly because the steps are there along with a lot of fragile stuff. So we decided to give him free reign (with supervision) in the living room and kitchen… and sometimes the screened porch.
This meant that the two doorways leading into the front of the house had to be closed off. The doors into the office are closed off pretty easily, but everything else meant some effort on our part. The doorway to the dining room from the kitchen was pretty easy, we just rotated the head chair from the dining room table to fill it. B-Boy never touched it.
The other doorway is wider, and more of a challenge. Neb and I put two kitchen chairs there and used the cushions to make it appear closed. It worked in fooling B-Boy for a good long time. But as I wrote earlier, B-Boy is all about figuring out how things work. Every time Neb and I needed to go into the other room, we would slide a chair forward and scoot through, putting the chair back as we went.
It did not take long for B-Boy to realize that he too could pull the chair forward… FREEDOM!!!
He had a good motivator too- we had moved the cats’ water fountain into the hall along with their food to keep B-Boy out of them. Where the kitties go, B-Boy wants to go.
Needless to say, it was time to bring in the baby gates. Especially since Neb was out of town and it was only me keeping him contained! B-Boy is as tall as the gates are, and wasn’t very happy to see them appear.
I bought one with a tiny pet door so that the cats could walk through them. B-Boy liked playing with it, but kept closing out the cats. Neb found a nifty way to fix the problem… he attached a rubber band to the gate and looped the other end on the handle of the door. Voila! The tiny door stays open! B-Boy tried to crawl through twice and got stuck both times. I am hoping he has learned his lesson that he won’t fit. He has also tried shaking the gate over and over… but so far he is contained. YAY!
And I have all my chairs back… which is almost as nice as not having to climb over them to get to the other side.
But I think the biggest fans of the gates are the cats. They did not like them at first, until B-Boy chased them. From the other side, they quickly realized the significance of the gate. Ah, safety and security!
Eating Out with B-Boy
B-Boy has eaten restaurant food (aka, food not cooked by his Mommy) twice. Both times were with my Mom.
New tricks this month, what a treat!
The gears in B-Boy’s head are turning and he is learning so much.
October 24, 2010
Mmm Pizza!
B-Boy had pizza for the first time. cheese pizza made by me. It was messy, but he loved it.
And, we determined that both pizza and foot are both tasty, but one is less messy than the other.
October 21, 2010
More Time to Play
B-Boy loves playing with his birthday presents.
He has always enjoyed playing with new toys, but it’s fun to watch him find new things to do with his toys.
GrandpaGator sent B-Boy a dog pillow pal for his birthday. It’s a pillow with velcro on the bottom that brings it in in the middle, making the pillow have “legs”. B-Boy loves to flop on it when he gets tired… and to wrestle with it. He still calls it a kitty, but I make a point to make it bark and pant like a real dog when we play. I also make a point for the doggie to “jump up and down” on him like a real dog does. Our hope is this will help reduce his anxiety with dogs. I keep trying to get a photo with him, but he moves around so much that it is hard to!
Another toy that has moved to the top of B-Boy’s list? The tunnel toy… you remember, the one that ChiggerButt showed him how to crawl through it?
He loves to hide in the box part… he will sit in there quietly (come to think of it, it’s the ONLY place he will sit quietly!) and then burst through the door onto his hands with a big ol’ smile on his face. RAR!
He will also crawl to the entrance of the tunnel and ZOOM down to the other side. Sometimes he will turn around and crawl back, but often he will proceed to do the burst out thing I mentioned above.
I was able to capture some photos, and the ones of the tunnel remind me of the start of a James Bond film. How about you?
So thanks MacFamily and GrandpaGator… you are giving us hours of fun entertainment for the entire family!
Birthday Wishes from AuntJ and Limby
I sent AuntJ one of my favorite photos of B-Boy.
A little while later, B-Boy received an email from AuntJ and then a package from AuntJ and Limby filled with birthday wishes. I made a few edits to the email for privacy’s sake, but for the most part, it appears unfiltered below.
My dear little B-Boy, I used to be able to sit like that too…until my knees gave out. You are so blessed to have parents who nurture you, who care so much about you. I may not be around to see all that you accomplish, but in my heart of hearts, I believe it will be a wondrous thing! Your daddy was the light of my life when he was your age, and no matter how many degrees he has, he will always be. Your Mommy is the best blogger I have ever experienced…it’s so wonderful to be included in your life…it’s just like being there. What a wonderful gift you will have as a grown up person, having all that history available to you. I am so happy to share in your very first birthday. I hear that your GranE is coming to see you in November, what a surprise you will be to her, all you’ve learned. Be sure you show her how you swim. I was so nervous when she taught your daddy how to swim…putting him in the water and letting him go. Your mommy is very brave to let you do that too. I am so glad you are not held back by your parents’ fears. Never ever forget that you are a very special person…expectations aside…God loves you and so do I.
P.S. – Tell your Mommy and Daddy to take you to a Jimmy Buffett concert…or you stay with ChiggerButt and let them go.
All in all, a very sweet email of birthday wishes. I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing it, but I wanted to capture it for B-Boy for later. Who knows where that little email will be 10 years from now?
B-Boy enjoyed the gift, but I think Neb liked it more! Limby and AuntJ sent a stuffed Ole Miss Colonel Rebel. They sure do know the way to Neb’s heart! I captured a few photos of play time with it…
October 13, 2010
1 Year Check Up
B-Boy went back to the doctor for his one year checkup. He had to get two more shots for immunizations and he also got his first flu shot. Since it was his first he has to go back for one more in a month. He did really well with getting them, and bounced back pretty quickly.
He also got his ears and eyes checked- all the fun poky stuff that doctors like to do.
B-Boy is right where he should be developmentally. YAY! The doctor says we should not be concerned that he doesn’t say much verbally, since he is growing like a weed, and is obviously developing in other ways. His vocabulary at this point is made up of
- Kitty
- Kitty Cat
- Dada (although we don’t think he gets that it means Daddy yet)
- Nu-uh
- Uh-oh
Oh yeah, he gets uh-oh means something fell, but doesn’t get that it means it is unintentional. Why do I say that? Because he will stand in his crib, look at me and say Uh-Oh… and then throw his paci onto the floor below. Nice.
But back to the doctor’s appointment. I know you are wondering what his stats are now, and so without further delay- here they are.
He was 27 pounds and 33 inches long.
Yep, you read that right. Is it no wonder that he is wearing 2T (and sometimes 3T) shirts and size 18 month pants and shorts? Baby boy is a healthy boy, who is way too tall for our own good. Child proofing continues on a rapid pace!
October 6, 2010
More on Turning One!
October 4th was B-Boy’s first birthday.
He sported a new shirt I made him with a “1” on it… which reminded me a little of “Thing 1” from the Cat in the Hat.
He went to school and had a great day. On our way home, we stopped at Neb’s work and moved him to the other car so we could take one car home.
What he didn’t know was that Neb had turned his car seat around in the Honda. So now, he is facing forward and he GRINNED the whole way home. One thing we didn’t count on… now there is nothing for his toys to bounce off of… so they go flying when he throws them!
When we got home, a gift from Grandpa Gator arrived! He sent the cutest dog pillow that velcros together in the middle to look like a stuffed dog. It’s the same color as our cats, and B-Boy kept calling it a kitty. He hugged it a bit and then got side-tracked by the box it came in.
All in all, it was a great birthday! Before we know it, it will be time for the next one!