Diagnosis Unknown

Someone, and I'm not naming names, has been quite the crabby boy lately. Maybe his one-nap schedule is catching up with him, maybe it's his teeth, or maybe the planets are misaligned...I don't know exactly what the deal is, but he has been waking up way too early and then acting like he'd rather be sleeping once I finally go get him out of bed. He's had bad mood swings and has been especially clingy...Grrr, I wish I knew what was wrong. For now, I am just trying to give him extra attention and appreciate his upswings, while praying he'll pull out of this funk soon.

Introducing Miss Renee

I had yet another dentist appointment this week (the second of many, many to come), so we called on good ol' Miss Renee, Childcare Provider Extraordinaire, to come hang out with Alex. This time, I convinced her to let me take a picture. Conveniently, Alex cuddled right in as soon as I picked up the camera and created a great photo opp.

I've started looking for part-time work, so until A starts going to Mother's Day Out, Miss Renee may be spending more time at our place so I can go on interviews and such. Since Miss Renee is technically only available for "backup care", what happens when I start working is still t.b.a.

Oh, by the way, getting a kid into preschool here is more complicated than getting him into college. Preschool doesn't start until age three, but most people place their kids on waiting lists from birth, or in some cases, in utero, to make sure they get into the best ones. Most of the best ones are at churches, so priority goes to church members, those who are most involved, those who participate in Mother's Day Out, etc., etc. Which is why we are on the waiting list for M.D.O. at our church. Sheesh, he better be able to read, write, and do long division by the time he gets to kindergarten or I'm gonna demand a refund.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

I noticed earlier this week that A was well past due for a haircut. Paying someone seventeen dollars to do it was fine for his first haircut and all, but I have no interest in paying someone else to give him a bad haircut when I can give him a perfectly bad haircut myself for free. The biggest challenge is not the haircut itself, but rather, keeping the kid still enough that you don't end up gouging his eye out or giving him a bald spot. And that's what you're actually paying for at those kids' cut places - the cool car chair they sit in, the fun videos, the sights and sounds that distract them from realizing that someone is cutting their hair. Hmmm, how to recreate such effective distractions in the privacy of one's own home...?

Stick 'em in front of the TV with a fudgsicle, that's how.

Worked like a charm, although he probably ingested more of his own hair than he did fudge. And the cleanup wasn't as bad as it may seem - just carry child at arms' length and deposit directly into bathtub.

It's a gruesome scene, I know. It took about fifteen minutes and two fudsicles to get the whole cut done, and I think it turned out pretty okay considering. In fact, it looks even better in person than in pictures. We can spike it, comb it over, or slick it back, which is great because Alex's hair has a mind of its own and you never know what it'll feel like doing on any given day.

Of course, this wasn't my first rodeo. My friend Sarah, my sister, my brother, my husband, and my dog have all been victims...er, clients of the Sarah Evans House of Hair Magic. Oh, and myself. It's a rare occasion that I get a haircut and don't come home to pick up where the hairdresser left off. Hmmm, maybe I'm in the wrong field. Perhaps beauty school is in my future. Naahhhhh...

One of those days

Taking cues from some of my fellow mommy bloggers, I decided to add storytime at the local Barnes & Noble to the list of regular activities that prevent Alex and I from winding up in the looney bin. We got there a few minutes early, so A had a chance to feel the place out first. Of course, that meant heading directly to the stuff with wheels.

We moved over to the storytelling area and found a nice comfy spot on a bench. A is generally quite the mover and shaker, so I wasn't sure how he'd do in a "sit still and be quiet" sort of situation. But he did great, sat still for the first couple of books, and listened intently to the stories.

The little girl next to him thought he looked hungry so she offered him some goldfish - the first one he's ever had, I think - which he politely accepted. He then proceeded to invade her personal space by standing less then three inches from her and talking loudly into her face. I'd say that's an even exchange.

I didn't realize how many books they actually go through during one of these things, but after what seemed like the twelfth book, some of the kids started getting antsy. Go figure. At that point, as far as Alex was concerned, all bets were off. He was all, You mean we can get up and run around? And I was all, If those kids jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too? And he was all, Watch me!

Relatively speaking, he was a very good boy and loved to be with the other kids, so we will definitely be making B&N a regular on our Fun Things To Do list.

After storytime, we bought a few books and then left. It was another unbelievably gorgeous day, and I was not looking forward to going back to the apartment and making lunch, so I called Timothy up and convinced him to go to lunch with us. It took a lot of arm-twisting, followed by bribery and threats, but he finally agreed. We went to one of our favorite places, eatZi's, where we sat out on the patio and enjoyed our lunch in the breeze.

It's so nice to have a kid that'll eat pretty much anything, because it makes impromptu lunches like this so much easier. This particular day, Alex had a quarter-pound of tomato and mozzarella pasta salad with basil and...currants...I think.

He was either excited about his delicious lunch, happy to be spending time with the coolest mom and dad on the planet, or just as giddy about the beautiful weather as we were because he was totally hamming it up for anyone willing to watch him.

Although the afternoon was a bit of a drag, that morning was one of those that you just cherish. I'm looking forward to many more of those, now that the weather has cooled down and we are more inspired to go out and about. Yay for fall.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tim and I had plans to go out with some friends Saturday night and needed a babysitter, so we did the only thing that made sense - called Grammy and convinced her to drive four and a half hours, by herself, through a hurricane, to sit in our apartment while Alex is sound asleep in his bed, only to turn around and head all the way back home the following day.

What? What do you mean that's the most ridiculous, unreasonable, and utterly senseless thing you've ever heard? And that we should be ashamed for taking advantage of our Grammy by bribing her with a few hours of quality time with Alex, knowing that she couldn't possibly resist such an offer, and allowing her to risk life and limb to drive here through pouring rain and gale force winds???

Yeah, I guess you kind of have a point...

Anyway, Grammy made it here in one piece Saturday afternoon, just before Alex ate dinner, had a bath, and went to bed. So they got a little time together while Tim and I got ready for our date.

As far as our date goes, we had reservations for 9 at 9 at 9. No, seriously. Nine of us were going to be eating at N9ne Steakhouse at 9pm. Until I started to write this, I didn't realize how funny that sounds. The food was good - not great but good. I had seared tuna and Tim had steak. Truthfully, I think the appetizers and sides were better than the main course. Real hoity-toity stuff like Kobe tartare and fried gnocchi in white truffle cream sauce and lobster mashed potatoes and oh so fancy mac and cheese. I think next time I would skip the entree and stick with the "a la carte" menu.

We got back pretty late and somehow managed not to wake Grammy up. Alex got up around 7 and we had a leisurely breakfast before church. We have found a place we really like called Park Cities Baptist Church, where we attend the contemporary service that starts at 9:20. Alex hangs out in the nursery, and supposedly he isn't crazy about us handing him over to strangers and then taking off. He's not shy, he will go to just about anyone, and he will jump right in whenever other kids are involved. However, mom or dad is usually in sight when that happens, which is not the case when we drop him off at the nursery and then run off without him. He'll get used to it, I'm sure, especially since he will eventually be going to Mother's Day Out in the same place with the same kids.

So after a great church service, Grammy hightailed it to the nursery to get Alex while Timothy and I struggled to keep up. He was happy to see us and discover that we had not abandoned him (permanently, at least). We took the scenic route to lunch and ended up at Pappadeaux, where we sat on the patio and enjoyed the most beautiful day all year while eating some amazing seafood and the best caesar salad I've ever had. Even Alex got in on the action and had some shrimp, bread, and yes, some french fries covered liberally in ketchup.



We had to exercise some serious restraint and turn down homemade banana pudding served in a mason jar, since we had all stuffed ourselves so full that we would've made ourselves sick. Alex needed a nap and Grammy needed to head home, so that's basically where this story ends.

In conclusion, we all had a fun weekend and it was so nice to get to go out with a bunch of grown-ups because, sincerely, I can't remember the last time that happened. But we plan for it to happen more often. Fortunately (who am I kidding, unfortunately) for Grammy, TK has provided us with an extensive list naming Chi Omega girls from SMU who regularly babysit attorneys' kids, including their contact info and availabilities, so we will probably call on one of them next time we need a night out. Unless Grammy beats them to it, that is.

Sawing Logs

On one of our aforementioned trips to the mall, Alex and I passed one of those indoor mall playgrounds, the kind with the giant rubbery animals that kids can climb on and tunnels that they can crawl through. This particular one was swarming with kids and moms who were also taking measures not to go stir-crazy at home. We were in no hurry to do anything else, and I figured Alex would love to join in the fun, so after I patted myself on the back for being so laid back about cooties and such, I took off his shoes and ushered him towards the other kids.

Of course, he jumped right into the fray with both feet and loved every minute of it. He climbed onto the fake rocks and walked on the fake water while the older kids jumped and screeched like monkeys around him. He wasn't at all intimidated by being surrounded by dozens of strange kids, and instead, watched them with an expression that can best be described as "bewildered excitement".

I had my camera with me and was oh so tempted to take pictures, but I totally wimped out for fear that I would look like a big geek. I know, normally I don't care about looking like a big geek. But this time, I let my ego get the best of me.

We grabbed lunch at the food court and then headed home. It was after noon by this time, and A fell asleep about thirty seconds into the ten minute car ride home. And he stayed asleep. I got him into the stroller and to the apartment, but before I took him to his bed, I couldn't resist taking this little video. Listen closely towards the end and you will hear unequivocal proof that he is his father's son.

Will it ever end?

Every month that passes, Alex grows a month older. This month marks number fourteen. I've noticed myself calling him "baby" lately, I suppose because I am subconsciously trying to keep him from growing up. Well really, it's too little too late. My baby boy is most certainly a little boy now, at all of 14 months old, and I'm just gonna have to deal with it. Until time travel is perfected, of course. I'll be all over that.

But for now, we are enjoying watching our little dude grow and learn and be all kinds of cute while he's at it.

Walking was obviously a big milestone for us this month. He's just truckin' along as if he never didn't know how to walk. And it happened exactly as we thought it would. One day he would decide that he was gonna start walking, and then he'd be unstoppable.

We thought it would be a long process before his instinct to crawl went away, but within a couple of days of his first "real" steps, he left the urge to crawl far behind. Now, when he falls down, he immediately stands back up and picks up where he left off. Which is about the cutest thing ever. I shouldn't admit it, but watching him fall down is about the funniest thing ever.

Other than walking, his vocabulary has really expanded this month, in terms of his comprehension and the words he's able to say. "Bat" and "bite" are common, although they usually come out as "bap" and "bipe". He does the sign language for "more" and says "mo'" when he wants more of something. I guess he does both to emphasize his point. If you ask him what a bird does, he tweets and flaps his arms. If someone enters a room, you might hear him say, "hhiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee!!" If anyone leaves the room, including himself, he yells, "bbbbyyyyyyyeeeeeeee!!" He's especially fond of addressing his father, i.e. "Hi Dad!" or "Bye Dad!" although Mama rarely gets such a direct greeting.

He tries very hard to say "milk", which usually ends up as "me-me". He holds random conversations with words that sound like they should make sense, but we have no idea what he is saying. Of course, that never stops us from responding to him. His favorite mystery word is "bish", which he says at seemingly random times, such that we haven't been able to pin it down to a single meaning. And just today, he started saying "truck" when referring to his toy trucks as well as real ones. To be accurate, he really says "gruck". But I know what he means.

Of all that he says, the most effective words he's added to his vocab are "this" and "that". Sure, "ball" and "truck" are cute and all, but they aren't particularly effective at communicating exactly what he wants. Unless he wants a ball or truck, of course. Now, he asks to be picked up and chauffeured around the room, while he points at things and says "this!" or "that!" He uses them interchangeably at this point, but he enunciates them so clearly that you'd swear he knows what he's talking about. Sometimes he doesn't even know what he wants, but he so appreciates having the power to communicate that he'll point at random things around the room just to see if we'll do as he asks.

I've also seen some glimpses of a fourteen-months-going-on-fourteen-years attitude lately - apparently that trait is hereditary. Case in point. Sometimes when he's playing, I will attempt to engage him by getting down on his level and talk to him or sing silly songs. If he'd rather keep playing than to humor me by smiling or singing along, he will - and I kid you not - furrow his brow, push my face away with his hand, and sigh, as if to say, "Ugh, Mom, you are soooo lame". All while never looking up from his toy. Call me crazy, but isn't he a little young for such behavior?

He certainly has his bratty moments and is quickly realizing that throwing a hissyfit won't always get him what he wants. On the other hand, he is sweeter and more affectionate than he's ever been. While he's normally going ninety-to-nothing...

...he will now take the time to sit and cuddle with me while we watch TV, read a book, or have a snack. He loves to come over and lay his head down on my shoulder, hug me around the neck, and give me big sloppy kisses on the mouth, completely out of the blue, as if he just had the urge to let me know how much he loves his mama.

What a sweet boy I have.

When it comes to eating, Alex fancies himself a big boy, meaning he no longer likes to have his food cut into convenient, bite-sized pieces. If I'm eating a banana muffin, he wants a banana muffin. Not tiny little pieces of a banana muffin. A whole banana muffin. At that point, he likes to shove the entire muffin into his mouth, chewing as much as he can and letting the rest fall out onto his tray. So far, he hasn't choked...much.

He still eats just about everything, but is more selective when he realizes that he has options. These days, I'd say that all varieties of melon are his favorite. The other morning he ate a bit of muffin and one third of a large cantaloupe. His entire body glowed a lovely shade of orange for the rest of that day. I think he'd dive headfirst into a watermelon if I'd let him.

However, fruit and fruit-flavored treats of all sorts are fair game.

His increased efforts to feed himself have increased the frequency of his post-dinner baths.

Not that he minds.

He has been sleeping pretty well, although his wakeup times have been terribly unpredictable. He went from sleeping until 9 one week to waking up at five, whining for a while, then going back to sleep until 6. Those 6am mornings were killing me, but they only lasted a couple of weeks. Lately, he is back to sleeping until 7, but who knows whether that'll continue. He is getting all four of his one year molars in, and I suspect that may have something to do with his erratic sleep patterns. There is one good thing to come out of it - he actually looks forward to his one nap a day!

He is learning so much every day and is still so curious, which makes it harder and harder to keep him out of trouble.

He loves his guitars and music in general. His favorite song right now is called "Birdie Bye-Bye", which he will sing if the mood strikes.

To keep the two of us from going stir-crazy, I've had to create errands and activities for us to do to keep busy during the day. We've hit most of the parks in Dallas, the malls, the grocery stores, and Target has seen its fair share of Evanses.

The next plan of action is to get A enrolled in a Mother's Day Out program because, let's get real, it's high time the two of us started hanging out with folks our own age. Then I will have to hire a photographer to follow him around and take pictures since I won't be able to.