Working from home
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Changes, changes, changes
So many new things going on in the life of the Schuster's these days. For starters, as some of you may or may not know, we have decided to have this next little munchkin at home. It's a big decision but one we are very settled on. We had flirted with the idea when we first got pregnant with Mason but there were too many unknowns and we weren't ready for it. But my first birth went so well and was so amazing that I figure I can do it again, just at home. And I thank our dear friends Matthew and Eva for putting the seeds in our heads again.
I think a lot of people have trouble with the idea and wonder how we can not worry that something will go wrong, but we spent a lot of time thinking about it and think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I hate hospitals, I have always hated hospitals and I have spent enough time in them throughout my life to know that I would rather not have to go there again unless it were absolutely necessary. Don't get me wrong, our experience at Marin General was fantastic and the nurses were great, but we couldn't sleep in our own bed and Wolf had to sleep on that horrible fold out chair, we were in a strange, noisy and uncomfortable environment and nurses kept coming by at all hours of the night to check on us. I had an all natural birth with no drugs, despite 12 hours of hard labor, and my body dealt with it all far better than I ever could have imagined. Had that experience not been a good one, I would be far more reluctant to have this second one at home. This time I can relax in my bathtub, walk around my house naked if I choose, labor anywhere, give birth anywhere, and finally, sleep in our wonderfully luxurious king sized bed when all is said and done. Mason's life is about to change drastically and we would like to make the initial transition as smooth as possible. Of course it would be ideal to go into labor while he is sleeping and have him wake up to a new brother or sister, but as we know, things don't always go as planned. We will, of course, have a back up plan but the midwives we have chosen have well over a thousand births each and we feel comfortable that they will know what to do when the time comes, no matter what action is necessary.
Other news: Mason will be starting "school" in 2 weeks. I know myself well enough to know that I will literally be on the brink of insanity if I have to deal with both children every day, all day. So putting Mason in school 2 days a week seems a good way to balance everything. He will get to make a bunch of friends, have lots of adventures and get himself ready for preschool. We are on a bit of a tight schedule, though, because we really want to get him settled in somewhere before this next baby comes so that he doesn't feel like he is being abandoned or punished in any way.
March 1st will be his first day at The Kid's Place. It is a school that is based on a program called Reggio Emilia. I studied it in school when I was getting my degree in Early Childhood Education and I remember hoping that there would be such schools around when my kids were ready. He will be in the toddler, or tadpole, class until he is 30 months, then he will move into the preschool. He will not have to go to another school so the transiton should be a smooth one. The whole premise of this program is the teachers take ideas that the kids like and are interested in and incorporate learning with that. I know it isn't for all kids, just as Montessori or Waldorf isn't, but I am hoping that he will like it and have fun. I guess we'll just have to see.
Well, I guess those are the biggest events going on right now. We are all getting over sinus infections and colds but have managed to escape the ear infections and the flu (knock on wood). April 11th is fast approaching and I am getting bigger by the day...and more tired. Sleeping is becoming quite difficult and is not helped by the need to pee every 2 hours or the squirmy little being wedging itself up under my ribs. Ah, soon, soon, it will all be over and I will be done with pregnancy. Not that I really have anything to complain about but it sure takes its toll on your body.
Last note: We asked Mason the other day what we should name the baby if it is a boy and he told us Nemo. If it is a girl, she will be called Cookie. So there you have it, as decided by the big brother: Nemo or Cookie.
I think a lot of people have trouble with the idea and wonder how we can not worry that something will go wrong, but we spent a lot of time thinking about it and think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I hate hospitals, I have always hated hospitals and I have spent enough time in them throughout my life to know that I would rather not have to go there again unless it were absolutely necessary. Don't get me wrong, our experience at Marin General was fantastic and the nurses were great, but we couldn't sleep in our own bed and Wolf had to sleep on that horrible fold out chair, we were in a strange, noisy and uncomfortable environment and nurses kept coming by at all hours of the night to check on us. I had an all natural birth with no drugs, despite 12 hours of hard labor, and my body dealt with it all far better than I ever could have imagined. Had that experience not been a good one, I would be far more reluctant to have this second one at home. This time I can relax in my bathtub, walk around my house naked if I choose, labor anywhere, give birth anywhere, and finally, sleep in our wonderfully luxurious king sized bed when all is said and done. Mason's life is about to change drastically and we would like to make the initial transition as smooth as possible. Of course it would be ideal to go into labor while he is sleeping and have him wake up to a new brother or sister, but as we know, things don't always go as planned. We will, of course, have a back up plan but the midwives we have chosen have well over a thousand births each and we feel comfortable that they will know what to do when the time comes, no matter what action is necessary.
Other news: Mason will be starting "school" in 2 weeks. I know myself well enough to know that I will literally be on the brink of insanity if I have to deal with both children every day, all day. So putting Mason in school 2 days a week seems a good way to balance everything. He will get to make a bunch of friends, have lots of adventures and get himself ready for preschool. We are on a bit of a tight schedule, though, because we really want to get him settled in somewhere before this next baby comes so that he doesn't feel like he is being abandoned or punished in any way.
March 1st will be his first day at The Kid's Place. It is a school that is based on a program called Reggio Emilia. I studied it in school when I was getting my degree in Early Childhood Education and I remember hoping that there would be such schools around when my kids were ready. He will be in the toddler, or tadpole, class until he is 30 months, then he will move into the preschool. He will not have to go to another school so the transiton should be a smooth one. The whole premise of this program is the teachers take ideas that the kids like and are interested in and incorporate learning with that. I know it isn't for all kids, just as Montessori or Waldorf isn't, but I am hoping that he will like it and have fun. I guess we'll just have to see.
Well, I guess those are the biggest events going on right now. We are all getting over sinus infections and colds but have managed to escape the ear infections and the flu (knock on wood). April 11th is fast approaching and I am getting bigger by the day...and more tired. Sleeping is becoming quite difficult and is not helped by the need to pee every 2 hours or the squirmy little being wedging itself up under my ribs. Ah, soon, soon, it will all be over and I will be done with pregnancy. Not that I really have anything to complain about but it sure takes its toll on your body.
Last note: We asked Mason the other day what we should name the baby if it is a boy and he told us Nemo. If it is a girl, she will be called Cookie. So there you have it, as decided by the big brother: Nemo or Cookie.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
What a day....
what a day, what a day, what a day. And it's only noon.
Mason's new witching hour, or rather half hour, appears to be between 4 and 4:30 a.m. For some reason unknown to us, he wakes up out of a dead sleep crying, either for a book, TV or to eat. On Sunday night, it was so hard to put him down that the only way we could get him to sleep was to put him in our bed. That's never really happened before and for a darn good reason - the boy NEVER lies still. He doesn't sit still when he's awake and in his sleep he moves back and forth, up and down his crib. So why would things be any different in our bed? He kicks, pushes, cuddles, sweats and talks. And with me having to heave my huge bulk out of bed at least 3 times a night, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to stay. So to the couch I went, and to bed Daddy went, at 8:30. Mind you, we just bought a king size bed just for this purpose, not really realizing that the bigger size only allows him to lay across the bed with his feet in my belly and his head in daddy's chest. Needless to say, it was a long night for all of us.....except Mason.
Happily, Mason went down at his normal time last night, without a fuss or a fight but come 4:00, he was up ranting and raving. So I got up and we cuddled and read books and did all of the things that usually work, but he wasn't having it. He would not go back down. I was utterly exhausted but it felt so good to feel his warm little body curled up around my belly. We fell asleep in the chair in his room and I woke to find Daddy watching over us. Into the big bed we went, figuring that at least we could all be together. That lasted half an hour, then he wanted food, then he wanted mommy, then he wanted daddy, then he wanted both of us but didn't want to be in the bed. On and on it went, until finally I think we all fell asleep in the bed completely spent and got maybe an hour more sleep......at which point Mason woke up crying and sweating. Poor little guy. Maybe gas, maybe growing pains, maybe teeth. Who knows?
Wolf was a god send this morning. Normally I help him get ready in the morning and we drive to the ferry. This morning I could barely talk, let alone function. Wolf took care of everything and drove off to work on his own. It was nice that I didn't have to do anything but at the same time, we really like taking him and picking him up at the ferry.
An hour later, Mason and I are off running errands. We did our weekly, sometimes daily, run to Borders, having a muffin and some tea. We are friends with two of the women who work there, Stephanie and Silvia, and it's a treat for all of us to see each other. Today I was a little slower and less talkative but it was still wonderful to go. Towards the end of our visit, however, a gentleman or rather, an asshole, managed to break my calm. Mason and I are sitting in the CAFE portion of the store, eating and enjoying ourselves. I was checking in with my mom on the phone and Mason was cleaning the table, singing or yelling or talking loudly to himself, when this man in the magazine aisle turns to me and asks me to keep my child quiet. It took a minute for it to register. I felt my cheeks become enflamed and my heart began to race. "Excuse me?" was my reply. "This is not a library." "Yes, it is and I'm trying to read," was his baffling response. Flabbergasted, I could not go on. I shared my anger with my mom instead of with the asshole. Had I not been talking with her, I would have really lit into him. I spent the next hour or so coming up with all of the things I could have said if my pregnancy brain had not failed me. I think my favorite response is: "I'm sorry, I could tape my 2 year olds mouth shut, but since I inadvertantly left the tape at home today, I advise you to either move or actually PURCHASE your magazine, since this IS a bookstore and NOT a library. Asshole." Ahhh, I almost feel better. My shoulders are dropping down from around my ears and my jaw is unclenching.
Sigh. Now that I have that weight off of my chest, I think I will go take a nap and hope that my afternoon goes by quickly and painlessly. Hears to dreams!
Mason's new witching hour, or rather half hour, appears to be between 4 and 4:30 a.m. For some reason unknown to us, he wakes up out of a dead sleep crying, either for a book, TV or to eat. On Sunday night, it was so hard to put him down that the only way we could get him to sleep was to put him in our bed. That's never really happened before and for a darn good reason - the boy NEVER lies still. He doesn't sit still when he's awake and in his sleep he moves back and forth, up and down his crib. So why would things be any different in our bed? He kicks, pushes, cuddles, sweats and talks. And with me having to heave my huge bulk out of bed at least 3 times a night, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to stay. So to the couch I went, and to bed Daddy went, at 8:30. Mind you, we just bought a king size bed just for this purpose, not really realizing that the bigger size only allows him to lay across the bed with his feet in my belly and his head in daddy's chest. Needless to say, it was a long night for all of us.....except Mason.
Happily, Mason went down at his normal time last night, without a fuss or a fight but come 4:00, he was up ranting and raving. So I got up and we cuddled and read books and did all of the things that usually work, but he wasn't having it. He would not go back down. I was utterly exhausted but it felt so good to feel his warm little body curled up around my belly. We fell asleep in the chair in his room and I woke to find Daddy watching over us. Into the big bed we went, figuring that at least we could all be together. That lasted half an hour, then he wanted food, then he wanted mommy, then he wanted daddy, then he wanted both of us but didn't want to be in the bed. On and on it went, until finally I think we all fell asleep in the bed completely spent and got maybe an hour more sleep......at which point Mason woke up crying and sweating. Poor little guy. Maybe gas, maybe growing pains, maybe teeth. Who knows?
Wolf was a god send this morning. Normally I help him get ready in the morning and we drive to the ferry. This morning I could barely talk, let alone function. Wolf took care of everything and drove off to work on his own. It was nice that I didn't have to do anything but at the same time, we really like taking him and picking him up at the ferry.
An hour later, Mason and I are off running errands. We did our weekly, sometimes daily, run to Borders, having a muffin and some tea. We are friends with two of the women who work there, Stephanie and Silvia, and it's a treat for all of us to see each other. Today I was a little slower and less talkative but it was still wonderful to go. Towards the end of our visit, however, a gentleman or rather, an asshole, managed to break my calm. Mason and I are sitting in the CAFE portion of the store, eating and enjoying ourselves. I was checking in with my mom on the phone and Mason was cleaning the table, singing or yelling or talking loudly to himself, when this man in the magazine aisle turns to me and asks me to keep my child quiet. It took a minute for it to register. I felt my cheeks become enflamed and my heart began to race. "Excuse me?" was my reply. "This is not a library." "Yes, it is and I'm trying to read," was his baffling response. Flabbergasted, I could not go on. I shared my anger with my mom instead of with the asshole. Had I not been talking with her, I would have really lit into him. I spent the next hour or so coming up with all of the things I could have said if my pregnancy brain had not failed me. I think my favorite response is: "I'm sorry, I could tape my 2 year olds mouth shut, but since I inadvertantly left the tape at home today, I advise you to either move or actually PURCHASE your magazine, since this IS a bookstore and NOT a library. Asshole." Ahhh, I almost feel better. My shoulders are dropping down from around my ears and my jaw is unclenching.
Sigh. Now that I have that weight off of my chest, I think I will go take a nap and hope that my afternoon goes by quickly and painlessly. Hears to dreams!
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
Friday, January 14, 2005
A Big Boy Day
Today was a very Big Boy day for Mason. He did all kinds of things that made me realize just how fast he is growing. He is just so sweet and loving and fun and energetic and exhausting and I'm really trying to cherish every moment because soon things are going to get a little more complicated and we will never have time like this together again. I'm also trying not to feel sad that the new baby and I will probably never really have time like this, at least not for awhile, but I guess that is the way it goes. I keep telling myself that this is for the best, that Mason will love having a sibling and not feel alone growing up in the world without one and that he is still young enough that it will not take him long to get over not being the only child. I have doubts, every day, but such is the way of life. We have a wonderful, strong and loving family and I think that we will be very lucky to have this new addition.
Okay, back to some of Mason's cool tricks. As I said in an earlier post, he's really starting to talk. He will try to say just about anything that we do and gets a kick out of watching how excited we get. A lot of the time he doesn't pronounce the first letter of a word, so Luna (the moon's name) is Una and Wolf is Ooolf. It's quite cute. Wolf and I just read Quick as a Cricket to him as part of his bedtine routine and he knows how it goes by heart. "I'm as quick as a ....cricket, I'm as slow as a..snail." It's awesome. He has trouble with lazy as a lizard but we can't complain about one out of 10. Anyway, today I was doing the dishes and had the water running and Mason came running in shouting, "Phone!" I turned the water off so I could hear him and lo and behold, I heard the phone ring. I ran to get it, thanking him along the way. "Welcome," he said in return. It wasn't until I actually answered the phone and started laughing in my friend Theresa's ear that I realized I just had a conversation with my 20 month old son. It took me a second for what had transpired to hit me. And I got all giggly and happy.
Then a little later this afternoon we were playing in his play area and I was suddenly struck, for whatever reason, with the urge to get out our little vacuum and clean up some dirt or something. Generally, Mason is a little afraid of the vacuum, so I always announce that I am turning it on. He proceeded to follow me around the house, having a grand ol time watching me bend over, which is no longer easy to do, mind you, and clean up all of the little particles of food. And to my surprise, when I went to put the vacuum away, he wouldn't let me. "Mason," he said, which is what he says when he insists that he do something himself. So I turned it back on and handed it to him. He went around the living room looking for things to clean up, but since I had just cleaned it all up, he was out of luck. He then put the vacuum down, went to the coffee table to pick up a tortilla chip he had been eating, took a bite out of it, went over to his play area, broke the chip up, dropped it on the floor and proceeded to vacuum it up. I kid you not he did this for a half an hour. And it was especially fun when I showed him how to put the chip down on the floor and break it into pieces right there with his palm.
Wolf and I are truly blessed, not only to have found each other, but to have produced such an amazing child. I hope and pray every day that we are able to raise him to be a strong, independent and caring human being. Hopefully we're off to a good start. And then there's always number 2......
Okay, back to some of Mason's cool tricks. As I said in an earlier post, he's really starting to talk. He will try to say just about anything that we do and gets a kick out of watching how excited we get. A lot of the time he doesn't pronounce the first letter of a word, so Luna (the moon's name) is Una and Wolf is Ooolf. It's quite cute. Wolf and I just read Quick as a Cricket to him as part of his bedtine routine and he knows how it goes by heart. "I'm as quick as a ....cricket, I'm as slow as a..snail." It's awesome. He has trouble with lazy as a lizard but we can't complain about one out of 10. Anyway, today I was doing the dishes and had the water running and Mason came running in shouting, "Phone!" I turned the water off so I could hear him and lo and behold, I heard the phone ring. I ran to get it, thanking him along the way. "Welcome," he said in return. It wasn't until I actually answered the phone and started laughing in my friend Theresa's ear that I realized I just had a conversation with my 20 month old son. It took me a second for what had transpired to hit me. And I got all giggly and happy.
Then a little later this afternoon we were playing in his play area and I was suddenly struck, for whatever reason, with the urge to get out our little vacuum and clean up some dirt or something. Generally, Mason is a little afraid of the vacuum, so I always announce that I am turning it on. He proceeded to follow me around the house, having a grand ol time watching me bend over, which is no longer easy to do, mind you, and clean up all of the little particles of food. And to my surprise, when I went to put the vacuum away, he wouldn't let me. "Mason," he said, which is what he says when he insists that he do something himself. So I turned it back on and handed it to him. He went around the living room looking for things to clean up, but since I had just cleaned it all up, he was out of luck. He then put the vacuum down, went to the coffee table to pick up a tortilla chip he had been eating, took a bite out of it, went over to his play area, broke the chip up, dropped it on the floor and proceeded to vacuum it up. I kid you not he did this for a half an hour. And it was especially fun when I showed him how to put the chip down on the floor and break it into pieces right there with his palm.
Wolf and I are truly blessed, not only to have found each other, but to have produced such an amazing child. I hope and pray every day that we are able to raise him to be a strong, independent and caring human being. Hopefully we're off to a good start. And then there's always number 2......
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Monday, December 20, 2004
Tis the Season....
For utter chaos and mayhem. It's a madhouse out there. Crazy people everywhere, pushing, shoving, bumping, all for what? I usually love this time of year and I am trying very hard to stay in the spirit. But damn, it's hard. Being pregnant, tired, grumpy and all around kind of out of sorts doesn't help, either. Ah well, I will NOT bah-humbug. Thankfully Wolf has two weeks off and we get to spend some quality time as a family.
No new news on the potty front. He's lost interest for the time being, as was to be expected. He is making huge mental leaps and bounds every day, though. He never ceases to amaze us. His vocabulary has tripled, although it's hard to sometimes understand what he is saying, it's not for lack of trying on his part. And he has gotten very good at telling us exactly what he wants or doesn't want. Unless he is in the middle of a melt-down, which have become quite frequent lately. We think it's because he is getting his 2 year molars in, which I imagine is quite painful, but who knows for sure. Until he can really talk, we can only guess.
He spent this past weekend with his Nana, and as always, had a wonderful time. He loves spending time with both her and Sammy, Nana's dog. When he came home, he looked like a different boy to me. He didn't seem so little anymore, didn't seem like my baby boy anymore. Because I'm with him every day, I don't get to step back and see the changes. It's pretty cool, although pretty sad at the same time. Everyone is always saying how fast time goes by and you don't want to believe it, you want it to slow down so you can enjoy every moment, but it just isn't possible. Guess we can only do our best to try and remember to savor as much of it as we can.
Well, here's to the holidays. May you all have a warm, happy and fun holiday season, wherever you may be. Lots of love from this little Schuster clan.
No new news on the potty front. He's lost interest for the time being, as was to be expected. He is making huge mental leaps and bounds every day, though. He never ceases to amaze us. His vocabulary has tripled, although it's hard to sometimes understand what he is saying, it's not for lack of trying on his part. And he has gotten very good at telling us exactly what he wants or doesn't want. Unless he is in the middle of a melt-down, which have become quite frequent lately. We think it's because he is getting his 2 year molars in, which I imagine is quite painful, but who knows for sure. Until he can really talk, we can only guess.
He spent this past weekend with his Nana, and as always, had a wonderful time. He loves spending time with both her and Sammy, Nana's dog. When he came home, he looked like a different boy to me. He didn't seem so little anymore, didn't seem like my baby boy anymore. Because I'm with him every day, I don't get to step back and see the changes. It's pretty cool, although pretty sad at the same time. Everyone is always saying how fast time goes by and you don't want to believe it, you want it to slow down so you can enjoy every moment, but it just isn't possible. Guess we can only do our best to try and remember to savor as much of it as we can.
Well, here's to the holidays. May you all have a warm, happy and fun holiday season, wherever you may be. Lots of love from this little Schuster clan.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
A potty update
Day two of Mason's potty experience went much better than I would have expected. I'm sitting at my desk in the office and Mason comes in from the bathroom, carrying his new potty. "Pee, Mama." So down come the pants and diaper and up he goes onto the toilet. "No, mama, no. Down." Apparantly, being just a mom and all, I am unaware that men, and little boys, need to stand up when they pee. So I put my hands up aplogetically and step back, watching as he leans in just a bit and starts grunting. His little hands are holding his shirt up and he's craning his head forward, trying to see why the pee isn't coming out. I turn my head away for a quick second and when I turn back, lo and behold, the edge of the potty is all wet! He did it, he really did it, all by himself. He didn't actually make it in, but so what. I shrieked so loudly I startled him until he saw how happy and proud I was of him, then he just started smiling. It is so amazing to watch how happy he gets when we are excited about something he does. Another triumph by our brilliant son!
We're not expecting miracles. We don't expect him to suddenly be able to do this all of the time and all on his own, but the fact that he's growing up is just so wonderful. Sad, but wonderful. Yesterday our potty experience expanded just a bit further. He doesn't actually want to take his diaper off but he will sit down on his toilet and go poop. In his diaper, mind you, but the fact that he is putting it all together is just stupendous. Angry, he might be, if he knew that I was sharing such intimate information with everyone, but luckily he is only 19 months old and if he should ever read this, I'm sure he'll have many other things to be angry at me about.
In other news, his vocabulary is expanding daily. He is able to say more and more each day and has even been able to say a few two word phrases. Not consistently but he's working on it. Watching him stop and think when you ask him a question is really awesome. He knows all of our names now but sometimes he has to pause for a second to sort through his database to pick the right words. He doesn't always get it right but he's getting there.
Such an amazing little man. Who knew this would be so tough yet so much fun all at the same time.
We're not expecting miracles. We don't expect him to suddenly be able to do this all of the time and all on his own, but the fact that he's growing up is just so wonderful. Sad, but wonderful. Yesterday our potty experience expanded just a bit further. He doesn't actually want to take his diaper off but he will sit down on his toilet and go poop. In his diaper, mind you, but the fact that he is putting it all together is just stupendous. Angry, he might be, if he knew that I was sharing such intimate information with everyone, but luckily he is only 19 months old and if he should ever read this, I'm sure he'll have many other things to be angry at me about.
In other news, his vocabulary is expanding daily. He is able to say more and more each day and has even been able to say a few two word phrases. Not consistently but he's working on it. Watching him stop and think when you ask him a question is really awesome. He knows all of our names now but sometimes he has to pause for a second to sort through his database to pick the right words. He doesn't always get it right but he's getting there.
Such an amazing little man. Who knew this would be so tough yet so much fun all at the same time.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Friday, December 03, 2004
It's an Ugh Day
It's been one of those days. Those not so fun pregnant days. Where emotions and lack of sleep and little desire to eat all combine to make a pretty shitty day. My poor son must think I'm Dr. Jekyll and Mommy Hyde. He's an amazing little boy, though, and between him and the ever-constant wonderful support of my husband, I manage to make it through the day.
Today was a big day for Mason. He's discovered, dun-dun-dun - "the potty." So we're hanging out in the living room and he starts saying, "P, mama." Completely out of the blue. It takes my slow pregnant brain a few minutes to figure out what he's trying to tell me. "Potty?" I ask him. "You want to use the potty?" "Dah!" he announces triumphantly. Then he proceeds to head to the bathroom, where he points to the toilet, pulls up his shirt and leans on tiptoes into the cold basin, looking up at me expectantly. I'm just sitting there smiling like an idiot, trying not to get all teary-eyed, and he's looking at me like "what the hell you waiting for?" So I let him open the lid, which is something he, amazingly, never does, then we pull down his jeans and take off his diaper.
Now, I'm not really sure what the best approach to this should be. Do I sit him down on it and hold him (well, duh, obviously or his cute little dupah is gonna get really cold and wet)? do I lift the seat so he can stand like daddy? do I have him face the back of the toilet so he can kind of strandle the seat and sit a little better? Unsure, I tried them all. We sat there for a second or so in each position, patiently waiting, but lo and behold, no pee.
"Dowwwnnn, mama, dowwwwn." So down he goes. Now he's running around the bathroom in nothing but his new thermal shirt and socks, all excited. He heads straight to the wastebasket, as if suddenly realizing we forgot one very vital item.....toilet paper. (We most certainly do not keep the toilet paper on the roll or the toilet would be nothing but a wad of goo - we save that fun for public places.) He usually likes to help me when I'm going to the bathroom by handing me the toilet paper (he actually just shoves it down the legs of my pants) so I guess he figures he needs some too. And, well, if other things like q-tips and dental floss go in there at the same time, so be it.
Not wanting to cause too big of a mess, I tried to divert his attention away. Big mistake. He just wants to keep cramming in the various items from the garbage. Finally, I have one of those rare brainstorms. "Hey Buu, should we go to the store and get a potty for Mason?" And I'll be damned if he didn't just stop what he was doing, nod, and head out of the room eagerly. It doesn't matter that his dupah is hanging out, it doesn't matter that it's freezing outside, by golly, he's going to the store for a potty! So, as I often do, I ask him to please run and get a diaper out of his room so that we can go. Quickly, he runs out of the room - thumpa, thumpa, thumpa - with his left arm swinging behind him as he goes, and comes back almost immediately....with an actual diaper in his hand! Shocked, I sit there for a moment as he drops it at my knees, waiting. Now, it's not that I ever thought he is incapable of getting a diaper and bringing it to me, but usually it takes about a half an hour to walk 5 feet because there are far more interesting things to do on the way to get the diaper so that by the time he actually gets there, he forgot why he was heading there in the first place.
Completely overcome with emotion and realizing that our little boy is growing up, I hold back the tears and help him to get dressed. We pause only long enough to gather up the usual necessities and head for Toys R Us, with Mason chanting all the while in the backseat, "Potty. Mama, potty." As if I'm going to forget.
Today was a big day for Mason. He's discovered, dun-dun-dun - "the potty." So we're hanging out in the living room and he starts saying, "P, mama." Completely out of the blue. It takes my slow pregnant brain a few minutes to figure out what he's trying to tell me. "Potty?" I ask him. "You want to use the potty?" "Dah!" he announces triumphantly. Then he proceeds to head to the bathroom, where he points to the toilet, pulls up his shirt and leans on tiptoes into the cold basin, looking up at me expectantly. I'm just sitting there smiling like an idiot, trying not to get all teary-eyed, and he's looking at me like "what the hell you waiting for?" So I let him open the lid, which is something he, amazingly, never does, then we pull down his jeans and take off his diaper.
Now, I'm not really sure what the best approach to this should be. Do I sit him down on it and hold him (well, duh, obviously or his cute little dupah is gonna get really cold and wet)? do I lift the seat so he can stand like daddy? do I have him face the back of the toilet so he can kind of strandle the seat and sit a little better? Unsure, I tried them all. We sat there for a second or so in each position, patiently waiting, but lo and behold, no pee.
"Dowwwnnn, mama, dowwwwn." So down he goes. Now he's running around the bathroom in nothing but his new thermal shirt and socks, all excited. He heads straight to the wastebasket, as if suddenly realizing we forgot one very vital item.....toilet paper. (We most certainly do not keep the toilet paper on the roll or the toilet would be nothing but a wad of goo - we save that fun for public places.) He usually likes to help me when I'm going to the bathroom by handing me the toilet paper (he actually just shoves it down the legs of my pants) so I guess he figures he needs some too. And, well, if other things like q-tips and dental floss go in there at the same time, so be it.
Not wanting to cause too big of a mess, I tried to divert his attention away. Big mistake. He just wants to keep cramming in the various items from the garbage. Finally, I have one of those rare brainstorms. "Hey Buu, should we go to the store and get a potty for Mason?" And I'll be damned if he didn't just stop what he was doing, nod, and head out of the room eagerly. It doesn't matter that his dupah is hanging out, it doesn't matter that it's freezing outside, by golly, he's going to the store for a potty! So, as I often do, I ask him to please run and get a diaper out of his room so that we can go. Quickly, he runs out of the room - thumpa, thumpa, thumpa - with his left arm swinging behind him as he goes, and comes back almost immediately....with an actual diaper in his hand! Shocked, I sit there for a moment as he drops it at my knees, waiting. Now, it's not that I ever thought he is incapable of getting a diaper and bringing it to me, but usually it takes about a half an hour to walk 5 feet because there are far more interesting things to do on the way to get the diaper so that by the time he actually gets there, he forgot why he was heading there in the first place.
Completely overcome with emotion and realizing that our little boy is growing up, I hold back the tears and help him to get dressed. We pause only long enough to gather up the usual necessities and head for Toys R Us, with Mason chanting all the while in the backseat, "Potty. Mama, potty." As if I'm going to forget.
Monday, November 29, 2004
First Day of Blogging
I just learned about this site from a friend and thought I would give it a try. I was once a devoted journal keeper, writing every day without fail, but somewhere along the way I just lost interest. Or maybe my life got less interesting. Or maybe my life got more interesting and I found better ways to spend my time.
In any case, I decided that now that I have a son (aka Little Buu) and another child on the way, I should get my jumbled thoughts in order and share them with whoever wishes to listen. I shall never be as prolific as my writer friend Kim, but I am sure that I will at least be able to entertain you with the ever so sweet and amazingly annoying things my son does.
Hopefully this will be of some interest to those who read it.
In any case, I decided that now that I have a son (aka Little Buu) and another child on the way, I should get my jumbled thoughts in order and share them with whoever wishes to listen. I shall never be as prolific as my writer friend Kim, but I am sure that I will at least be able to entertain you with the ever so sweet and amazingly annoying things my son does.
Hopefully this will be of some interest to those who read it.
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