Thanksgiving Part One!

Tomorrow we embark on the toddler road trip. At least Meg & Juan will be coming along and can help entertain the kiddo. I'm pretty sure the days of a sleep-filled road trip are gone. We are off to Big Rapids to see the Erlewine family for Thanksgiving. Thursday we will take a quick trip over to Zeeland to see part of the Nemec clan too. So there will be lots of car time, but it will be ok.

Last year at this time Sam tried a tiny taste of pumpkin pie, but I was far too conservative to let him have more. I think he's very much going to enjoy this holiday focused on food. Let's just hope he doesn't go too crazy from lack of running around time. And let's hope he sleeps.

The semester is rapidly winding to a close. Which is great. I quit my beloved library job. I really have grown to like that job a lot. Great people, great environment, I like the work. But when it comes down to it, I am excited for the gallery job and the pay and benefits are too much to turn down. I could keep the library job and do both, but really then I'm choosing the job over Sam time and I'm sure not wanting to do that. Well, at the very least, I think that if this art stuff doesn't work out, I might want a job in public libraries. I will work my last day in December. My next job begins in early January.

Sam is doing well. The major teething pain seems to have subsided, so that's nice. He is sleeping better the past couple of nights. He still sleeps well in his crib for naptime, but come bed time he wants to be in mom and dad's bed, and often wants to be with mom or dad. Right now he's sleeping on the couch beside me. I am loving every moment I have him near so it's hard to complain.

Some cute Sam things:
He likes to "swim" in the tub now, lying on his tummy and kicking his legs. If I say "Sam, want to swim?" he'll turn over and start swimming.
If I say "Sam, go give Dad a hug" he will run to his dad and hug his legs.
Today we were speaking through the baby monitor to his dad and I was whispering and I whispered "Sam, come tell dad secrets" and he put his lips up to the monitor and whispered "oodleoodleoo"
He plays air guitar now.
He likes to cuddle a lot more now.
He will actually watch TV for a bit, not that we should be encouraging it.
He still prefers it if Meg is the one to chase him around with his pull toys.

Hello Blogosphere!

So it's been ages upon ages. I feel like I'm finally getting myself back. One of my classes is wrapping up, the other won't be long behind. Next week is Thanksgiving and I virtually have the week off. On one level, I'm feeling good and able to relax, on the other I have this terrible feeling of impending doom. Like it can't be right that I managed to pull off this crazy semester in one piece, so there must be something that I've completely overlooked, or completely screwed up or something. I'm just waiting for someone to basically come up to me and say you suck. Hopefully that won't happen.

In the land of the boy, things are going well. I don't get to see him enough. I miss him. We are off rhythm a lot of times because of it.

SLEEP
His sleep is all messed up again. We've been napping with him a lot since we are both severely lacking night time sleep, so he's getting used to sleeping just with us and doesn't like to sleep alone or in his crib. Plus he is doing some MAJOR teething right now. His first molars are pushing through, along with a few others, and it's so clearly bothering him more than previous teething. He even has taken to biting his hand. Poor little guy. And this definitely leads to restless sleep. In other sleep-related concerns: I can't figure out how to wean him. We are all in such desperate need for sleep that I will just nurse him so that we can get some sleep and plus, if he's really teething so much then it's not really the time to stop. But it seems it's never an easy time to stop but I'm ready to be done and it's becoming increasingly clear that he nurses for comfort and not food. Not to say that nursing for comfort isn't important, but I think he's old enough and I'm ready and we should just make it happen. Current thinking is for Aaron and I to finish the term, accept a sleepless week and just go cold turkey. Maybe I'll have to sleep in another room. I don't know. Suggestions? He's crying for me right now, but rather passively. I know I will soon give in and go get him. Because, well I'm his mom and I don't want him to suffer.

TALK
He doesn't talk yet. He pretty much said cockadoodledoo a few times the other day, and since then likes saying "oodle" or "doodle". He says "baba" for mabel and "ga" for clyde, so maybe he's been talking and I just am too particular. He seems to sometimes say mommom for me when he's stressed out and really wants attention he's not getting or something he can't have. Mostly though, he's signs signs signs. He has about a dozen or so words he signs, but his new favorite is "help" because it is so versatile. He will often want to do something not ok for a toddler to do, like, I dunno, grab that pair of scissors or whatever, and when he can't do it, he turns to me and asks for help. It is so cute and funny and a little bit sad because he of course doesn't understand why I won't help him. It was very sad though, the other night he was napping beside us on the couch and he grew restless and uncomfortable and started crying and was still half asleep and signed for help in his sleep. So sad. I do not know if it was a bad dream, or just wanting help from uncomfortable teething pain or what.

Well I think I'll wrap this up and go get the little cutie. He is so beautiful and funny and fun and we play all sorts of games and laugh and he loves to be chased. These are fun days that go too fast and I hate that I'm not around him more to watch it all.

Quickly.

mmm french fries. (he didn't really like the chicken nuggets)

So I'm super tired. I'm overworked, behind on deadlines, too much going on. Completely and totally back on coffee. Cannot wait for the semester to end.
But things are good.
Sam had a Halloween. Two hours before we went to a local Halloween party for kids, I threw together his costume: SAMZILLA!! Next year when he can actually trick or treat I promise to devote some real time to making him an awesome costume.
AND
We bought a new car! Well, new to us. A pre-owned Pontiac Vibe. I actually love it and it is the first time I actually feel like driving.
AND
A quick look at Sam's world:
He loves playing with magnets right now. He loves drumming. He loves playing fake guitar. These he loves doing while watching The Who documentary the Kids are Alright. He LOVES watching this documentary. He loves playing with cell phones. Loves playing outside. Loves to eat lentils. And veggie burgers. Cheese is still probably his favorite. Still isn't talking, but still signs. He is really getting the hang of running. He's really funny. He is very into the dogs right now. Loves to hug Mabel, and tries to call her to come to him. Tries to get close to Clyde, but Clyde's not interested. It's all very cute.