#WordlessWednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

State of the Pike Address: March 2014

Since we last spoke, Pike has been busy. The big thing is that he attended All-Con Dallas, which was his first multi-day convention. Despite getting an upset stomach and puking one night (on daddy instead of mommy for the first time ever), he did great and seemed to have a good time. As always, by the end of the con we ALL wanted a nap. 

Note: Obviously I didn't finish this before its scheduled posting time. That's what being a mom does to you. Learn and adjust your expectations accordingly.

• Pike has developed a fondness for Studio Ghibli movies, My Neighbor Totoro being his current favorite. He also adores Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.
• Last night Pike pronounced that he wanted a little sister. He has agreed that he would tickle her, hug her, and not tease her. That said? I'm not knocked up. Seriously, I'm not.
• Pike has a fear of the dark that comes and goes. Probably depending on whether he feels it will get mommy or daddy into his room for a few more minutes. On that note, he has finally learned to use delay tactics to get out of bedtime. He wants another hug or his music turned on or... you fill in the blanks.
• He's in need of a haircut again. It bugs him when his hair falls in his eyes - just like mommy!
• In the realm of things that are slightly less awesome, he had his first incident of drawing on the walls. Thankfully it was with sidewalk chalk on the back door, so it came off easily. We redirected to his chalkboard, and so far so good.
• His favorite part of Wes and I having birthdays in January was, I think, the cake - and more than that, the presentation of said cake with "fire" on it. He gleefully informed us, "That's fire!" as he helped Wes carry the cupcakes out to me on my birthday. Now candles or anything else in that vein are proclaimed, "Fire!" and he will inform us that it is hot very solemnly.

Pike's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

State of the Pike Address: Christmas 2013

This year was something very special. Although this was Pike's third Christmas, it was actually the first one where he really got it. He understood. He was excited. And it was awesome.

We spent the month starting a new Howard family tradition: the Advent Unicorn. Every day in December, the Advent Unicorn visits and touches his horn to a box on the advent calendar, turning that day into a chocolate and making it one day closer to Christmas. Pike was pretty bummed that he could only get one candy a day, but it was better than none for the most part. 

He also helped me with all the baking. As it turns out, Pike loves to roll out dough. Which means putting his hands on the handle of the roller while mommy rolls out the dough and tries hard not to crush his tiny little hands. Icing cookies was fun. My mom was here, so he got to eat icing and spend time with mommy and gram and daddy all at the same time - which, for a toddler, is apparently bliss. 

The big gift this year was that Pike got a big boy bed. We didn't have a frame on Christmas day, but shortly after, we went to IKEA and got a $40 unfinished wood one and painted it in shades of blue to match his room. He latched on immediately to having a big boy bed and helping to make it - not least since Sophie can jump up into bed with him more easily.

All in all, it was a fantastic Christmas. I can't wait for the next one!

Pike's Wordless Wednesday

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

Note: published early because apparently Blogger's Android app won't let you schedule. Sigh.

The Dictionary According to Pike

Duck face is still cool, right? Right?!

This will be an ongoing project. I want to chronicle some of Pike's more interesting terminology, when he used it, and what it meant. So forgive me if this post is incomplete. It always will be since I hope to add to it pretty much forever. Sorry - but I'm not sorry.

• "All gone the _" - His key phrase for something running out. In other words, "All gone the milk," if he runs out of milk in his cup. This can also refer to a train, car, truck, etc. that has passed by. Added 12/16/2013
• Bear Movie - The Jungle Book. Obviously. Added 12/16/2013
• Bom Game - A game called My Singing Monsters for Android. Pike enjoys watching Wes play it and even poking the screen from time to time himself. Added 12/16/2013
• Corn - Though this can refer to the veggie, it most often refers to The Last Unicorn, one of his current favorite movies. Added 12/16/2013
• Fight Bad Guys - This can either mean that he wants to play the Star Wars game with lightsabers for the Wii or that he wants to duel you with bowling pins. No, really. You'd better clarify which it is and step up. Note from Daddy: This can also mean other non-puzzle video games. If he sees you playing them he will ask if you are fighting bad guys. Added 12/16/2013
• Fight Dragons - Wes goes to Dungeons & Dragons every Tuesday night. We explained that to Pike, and now when we tell him, he turns and asks Wes very seriously, "Goin' to fight dragons, daddy?" 
• Happy vs. Sad - For him, if you're tired (ie he sees someone in a movie lying down), you are sad. If you're awake, you should be happy. If you are awake and sad, the solution is to go to sleep.
• "How your day?" - This isn't just a conversation starter. This is VERY SERIOUS and is always asked that way. You'd better be ready with a story. Added 12/16/2013
• "I peed the _" - If Pike happens to have a diaper leak, he gets very distressed, and tells us seriously that he "peed the pants" or shirt or bed or whatever else might have gotten pee on it. And sometimes even things that didn't get pee on them. Added 12/16/2013
• Juice - Any drink that isn't milk, water, coffee or wine. Lemonade can also be a catch-all term, as can tea. Added 12/16/2013
• Lotion - I bet you didn't know it, but lotion is actually a cure all. Well, it is. If you have an owie? You'd best get some lotion on that. Added 12/16/2013
• Make Bites - Cut whatever he is eating into bite-sized pieces. Added 12/16/2013
• Milk Sauce - Otherwise known as whipped cream. Added 12/16/2013
• Neena (also baneena) - Pike knew how to say banana from a young age. His best friend in the early days of day care, Ian, however, said neena instead. So Pike married the two and still (though Ian has since moved on to a new day care) says baneena instead. Added 12/16/2013
• Pleasantries - Saying good bye is important. Saying, "I miss you!" and "See you later!" are also important parts of saying good bye, so don't overlook them. Added 12/16/2013
• Paper Nose - Pike's term du jour for toilet paper or tissues. ("Get some paper nose, please, mommy. Booger!") Added 12/16/2013
• Pupcake - Otherwise known as a cupcake. But, let's face it, this is cuter. Added 1/21/2014
• Sandwich - Contrary to popular belief, a sandwich is not JUST a sandwich. It can also refer to chowing down on a random piece of bread. Who knew? Note: "French Toast" can also be just a slice of bread as long as it is accompanied by milk sauce. Added 12/16/2013
• Soldier Dudes - The characters in an Android game called Jungle Heat that Wes plays. "Playin' with soldier dudes, daddy?" Added 12/16/2013
• "Turn the light off" - Trick request, you see, since it really means to make the light whatever it isn't. If the light is on, he wants it off. If it's already off, he wants it on. Added 12/16/2013

The Crash

 

It's been an interesting weekend. Saturday we headed out for breakfast at Denny's. Pike was perky and happy most of the meal, devoured his chocolate milk and had a touch of pancake and bacon to wash it down. All normal. Then we headed for the grocery store. On the way we had a mild puke incident. It wasn't much, and we chalked it up to stomach upset getting into the car so soon after eating. 

Bad move.

In the store, Pike threw up. He threw up once in an aisle (partly on my, though thankfully mostly on my jacket). We rushed to the bathroom (the Thanksgiving shopping was almost done by then) and quickly got washed up. Then, as we stood waiting for Wes to finish checking out, he unloaded again. Like a baby volcano, he puked a little bit on me and on him. Okay, I could deal - I asked the checker for some paper towels, and he got them for me without missing a beat. As he was passing them to me, Pike unloaded a further stream of puke.

We finally managed to get us and the groceries into the car (by this I mean Wes managed everything except Pike since Pike and I were already fused together with his cold, wet vomit). We'd given up on cleanliness at that point and started for home as quickly as possible without getting pulled over. Naturally, Pike puked again on the way home. Oh, hey, there's that bacon. I totally wasn't hoping to see that again. We declined to stop and instead sped toward home.

The evening was, at that point, filled with restless, fussy baby moments and sweet, cuddly, watching Peter Pan baby moments. In the end he fell asleep on Wes' shoulder while we were all on the couch (he literally hasn't done that since he was less than a year old), and got put to bed. When Wes and I were finally going to get some rest ourselves, we hear Pike in his room sounding upset and go in. He's asking for a diaper change - the diarrhea has started.

At that point, we gave up. We got Pike cleaned up and asked him if he wanted to go back to his bed or sleep with us. I should explain here that Pike usually sees our bed as a place to play. Aside from a few naps when I was on maternity leave and he slept on my chest, he has never slept in our bed. We've offered before, but he gets in our bed and wants to play, not sleep. Last night, he sweetly asked for mommy and daddy's bed, and we all piled in.

Granted, for quite awhile he was restless and tossed and turned. Finally, he settled on the H position (where he's the crossbar between mommy and daddy, this time with the head on daddy and the feet on mommy's throat), and got some sleep. Which was disturbed by him waking us to get his diaper changed again. We did that, he wanted to get up and play (and put on make-up, but that's a whole other story). Finally we settled down, and Pike spent most of the rest of the night with his head on mommy, his feet on daddy, and the puppies sandwiched in around all of us. Since he had a fever this was something like sleeping with multiple irons under the covers - alternately a blessing and a curse.

For all the trials and tribulations, having Pike snuggled in next to us was a truly adorable experience. An experience that necessitated a nap for mommy and daddy today to catch up on missed sleep, but still pretty awesome.

The First Cut

I'm actually back dating this post so that it posts the day it happened: the first haircut. Yep, we finally gave in. Pike was having to push his hair out of his eyes constantly, and it was bad enough that even he was asking for a hair cut. We scheduled the cut with Gail from SoHo Salon, the wonderful lady who does my hair.

I think what surprised me most (and Gail a little too) is how well behaved he was. As you can see in the picture on the left on top (we were waiting to go back for the cut), he had rations for the journey in the form of apricots, apples, and goldfish. We come prepared. Don't get me wrong, he was wiggly as all get out, but he was happy for the most part. Until the end when he got bored, he sat like a good little boy and just wriggled his head and ate his food. 

As usual, I'm a very proud mommy. And, of course, I got to go home with the most handsome boy in the place - no matter what length his hair is.

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday

All About Alligators

I'm an alligator. A scary one. RAWR!

Literally three days ago, my son developed an obsession with alligators. We got him a set of alligator pajamas that are super cute (thrift store find, baby!), and he loved them. I'm not sure that explains the whole thing, but Wes also purchased a $1 alligator mask he found at the store. Pike was enchanted. This morning, while I got ready, Pike and Wes watched alligator videos on YouTube. Pike's response when we told him it was time to go down and eat breakfast was, "No! More alligators!"

I should note, in all fairness, that he feels similarly about trains. We were lucky enough to get stopped by one yesterday (yes, this is lucky when you have a fussy toddler who loves trains), and he watched it with absolute wonder. When it left, he started making grunting noises of protest. "More train! Mommy! Mommy! MORE TRAIN!" Sadly, there was no more train and eventually he lapsed into sullen, thumb-sucking silence.

So there you have it, folks: as of this week, it's Disney movies, Yo Gabba Gabba, trains, and alligators.

Ain't Nothin' but a C Thing

I'm awesome at titles. I know this. I started watching More Business of Being Born today and was struck with the need to say something I've probably said before but that bears repeating: how you give birth is a personal decision AND a practical one.

A lot of people feel pressured to go natural or even have a home birth because they've been told that's best now. The same number of people feel pressured to go to the hospital because it's safer. Ultimately, your circumstances may completely dictate your path. It did for me. If you've been reading for awhile, you know that my son was born by emergency c-section because I had HELP syndrome, which was discovered when I stopped in at the hospital with Braxton Hicks contractions. By the next morning, I had been Careflighted to another hospital and my son was being cut out.

My mother had me by c-section and my sister as a VBAC. Would I go that route? Truthfully? Um, no. I wouldn't even want to. See, I know I'm in the minority of women, but if it had been on the table, I would have chosen a c-section as my primary birthing option. I wanted one. And, yes, a lot of that has to do with sheer terror on my part. Don't worry, it isn't for lack of being informed or aware. I get that my body is literally made to heal from certain injuries and all that. I just also know that if I'm going to have stitches one place or the other, I'm choosing my stomach.

So if we decided to have another kiddo, I'd be happily scheduling a c-section or going in for one when I went into labor or whatnot... but I don't think I'd be given a choice, and I confess to being bothered by that. While VBAC is not something that interests me, it's a big deal for a lot of people. Complications like mine may have forced it the first time, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve another option. Before this descends into a long, rambling dissertation on what is wrong with birthing and maternity care in the United States, I'll stop myself. But to all the moms and dads and friends and relatives out there who know someone who's going to be looking down the barrel of having a kiddo down the road, just remember before you start putting pressure on them to use one method or another (even if it was the PERFECT one for you) that things won't work out how you plan no matter what your plan is. The chaos of birth is an apt introduction to the chaos of having children... and it's worth fighting through whatever is thrown down in front of you and whatever the downsides of your chosen (or not chosen) method is to meet the new arrival. Stop stressing about the how, and worry about the after. That's the part that really counts.

Nooblet's Wordless Wednesday