Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Puzzle monster

Leland has been known as the puzzle monster since the beginning of summer.  If Ella or Lucy were doing a puzzle he would go and destroy it.

But now this puzzle monster is doing puzzles and that is all he wants to do.  As soon as he wakes up he goes into his room and does the majority of his puzzles.
(warning the video is long)


This morning while I was getting ready I laid his puzzles out and took all the pieces out of them.  When I returned to the room, most of the puzzles has their pieces back in place. I also had enough uninterrupted time to get ready and make breakfast.

It amazes me how quickly kids this age change and how quickly they learn.  It is also awesome that he now plays alone for a significant amount of time.

Monday, December 17, 2012

The unknown

Everyone had a reaction to the Sandy Hook shootings.  If you are a parent, you were struck with grief and horrible sadness for parents not having their children to hold anymore.  It is unimaginable what they are going through and how they will be able to carry on with life.

As for my reaction, it worries me that schools are not entirely safe.  They are suppose to be safe and should be safe; a place you can take your child to learn, not to be bullied or shot at.  Events that happen, ones that are awful and make you question humanity, make me want to hide away in a mountain cabin.  With hopes I could at least protect my family and myself there.

But that is the crazy thing.  You never know what will happen.  The unknown drives me crazy at times because there is no way to factor for it.  As a parent, the unknown constantly has me about to snap.  You can be there for your child, make them dinner and breakfast, read them books, put them to bed.  But you can never fully protect them from everything because there are unknown and unpredictable factors that can always happen.  Rare illnesses, car accidents, etc.  These tings happen everyday and you can only hope it isn't you or your child.

So for me overcoming this new unknown is going to be challenging.  I guess I just have to be thankful for what I have each and everyday and try not to take it for granted.  So that if the unknown finally catches up to me, I will know I did my best and loved my child the best I could.  Because I don't know what else I can do.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Bison tour

I have talked before about Leland's love affair with bison.   We are lucky to live near a wildlife refuge that has bison.  They also give free tours which is awesome, so a week ago we sign up and went.
It was really awesome.  We saw mule deer, white tailed deer, bald eagles, bison, hawks, coyotes, prairie dogs.  I would highly recommend going if you are in the area.  


Biiiii!


We saw the bison at the end of the tour, so Leland was tired by then.  He still saw them and was excited but also about to fall asleep.

We will definitely be going on the tour again, I would like to go every season.  So we will see.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Leland the Hobbit

I think my kid is turning into a hobbit.
 

(pardon the bad camera photo, but look at that belly!  and this photo is perfect because it makes it seem like he has hobbit feet too)
His meals go as listed:
1. Breakfast
2. Second Breakfast (also known an Momma's breakfast because she eats too slow)
3. Snack (also known as elevensies)
4. Lunch
5. Snack
6. Dinner

Six meals, just like a hobbit.

This could be why his belly is so awesome.  And that he likes to rub it when you say belly.

I am pretty sure this is normal toddler eating habits, but most kids don't have the belly to prove it.  Sometimes after he eats dinner (the last meal of the day so he eats as much as possible) his belly is sticking out so much I fear it may explode.  But it apparently isn't that full because he has no issues nursing at bedtime.

He should have been a hobbit for Halloween.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Kidsongs

 

Leland is obsessed with a couple of KidSongs DVDs that we have.  He brings them to me and then shakes his hips, which is his way of asking to watch one.  Then he sits there for 30 minutes without moving (which is a big deal for this kid) and watches it.  They also have many of the episodes online, which is awesome. 

The best thing about this is I remember watching these as a kid, so naturally I remember all the songs and sing along. 

Leland dances to them too.  The bottom photo shows him moving his head with a song. 
His favorite is the Circus one -well the part with the Dalmatians- he laughs every time he watches it.

While we still try and limit video time with him, I think it is great he likes these over a cartoon.  Especially since all they do is sing and dance.  

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Tis the Season

We decided last minute to get a tree last Saturday, a real tree.  Then we spent the night decorating the tree and the house (we have minimal decorations).

The tree smells wonderful.  It is pretty awesome having an actual tree in your house.

Surprisingly the cats and the toddler have stayed away from it for the most part.  I am hoping I don't eat my words later down the line.  I would love to wrap some presents and get them under the tree but I feel that may be pushing the limit.




Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Full night sleep

It is official.  Leland is night weaned, after 19 months of nursing when he pleased at night (also known as the after hours breastfeeding cafe).

Leland was sick last week and must have been really tired and not feeling well because two nights in a row he didn't nurse until morning.  Like sun shining morning, not 4 am morning.  So I quickly pounced on that and didn't look back.

I didn't want to push him into night weaning, I wanted it to be more on his end.  But seeing that he really could do it, made me realize he needed just a bit of a nudge from me.

The third night, he was feeling better and wanted that 4 am feeding back.  Instead I gently told him "no milk right now" and rolled over and fell back asleep.  He wasn't so keen on falling back asleep but after some crying he got the message quickly.  It wasn't too bad on my part because it was 4 am and I was tired, so I was pretty out of it during the crying.  The next couple of nights he continued to wake up say "mama" and sign milk, but minimal crying happened.  I continued to say "no milk right now".

Now I can see the light.  Or I am just getting plenty of continuous sleep.

We are now down to three nursings a day- wake up, nap time and bed time.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Biii

I don't think I have discussed Leland's obsession.  In general it is all animals, but specifically it is the bison.  He says bison constantly throughout the day.  He has a book with the bison in it, a stuffed bison, and we recently found a bison ornament for the tree (and a bison figurine will be in his stocking this year).  I think it is cute because it is such a random animal to be obsessed with.

The obsession started once we went to the Nature and Science Museum.  They have dioramas of animals and Leland loves to run around them and look at all the animals.  For some reason the bison became his favorite.  Now when I ask if he wants to go to the museum he keeps saying "bii, bii" over and over again until we get there and see them.  Then he moves on to signing seal and making their noise.  While we walk around and see his other favorite animals (the bears, the seals, the moose) he randomly interjects a "bii" so we always make sure to see them again on our way out.  He also loves watching the video about bison and hearing their sound.  


We also have the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge and they have real bison!  We haven't seen them yet though.  Next weekend we have a wildlife tour scheduled so hopefully we will see some.  I can only imagine his excitement of seeing living bison.   

And every time we go to the zoo he asks to see the bison, and I have to keep repeating that there are not any at the zoo.  So Denver Zoo if you need a new animal to consider, consider the bison.  

Monday, November 19, 2012

Let it snow

We had snow awhile back, but I am really behind in posting so I am finally getting around to posting a photo or two.

Last year Leland hated the snow.  This year is so different.  He gets excited every time he sees it, and tries to eat it.  He tries to say snow, but it sounds more like "ne, ne, ne".  

He also allowed me to put snow boots on him, which is a big deal because he has a thing for shoes.  I ask him what shoes he wants to wear in the morning and he always chooses.  If I choose a different one after that, it is a no go.  It is also often bad if I try to put shoes on him at a store.  So him letting me put on snow boots is big.  
Hopefully we a snowy winter for his sake.  

Friday, November 16, 2012

Mine

Leland has a new word and it is his favorite word- MINE.
He uses it all the time.

And it is annoying.

I know it is a phase and most kids go through it, but I thought it was a phase that happened later.  I am wondering if watching a baby has caused this phase to happen sooner rather than later.  I don't know.

It is a bit sad because at playgroup Leland goes around saying it over and over and all the other kids don't really get it yet.  They look at him and he says it.  They take a step toward him and he says it.

How do I fix this?  Or move past this phase?  Any advice?

Because it is really annoying.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Time...

Time seems to escape me lately.  My house is constantly dirty, my to-do list keeps getting longer and I am never getting enough sleep. 
These are the first photos I have taken since Halloween.  I think time has speed up this fall because somehow it is already winter here. 
But Leland is still just as cute and funny.  In the photo above he was shaking his hips for Jacob. 

I don't really have much to say.  I feel a bit frazzled and trying to write a blog post sounds like too much work.  So hopefully I will be back soon, but until then, enjoy these few photos. 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Language

When I quickly think about it, it seems that Leland doesn't talk.  He has a very choice words like 'mine' but mainly he still uses sign language.  Whenever he does say a new word I quickly put it into my phone so I can remember.  Looking at the list, it seems that he actually does talk.

Words: 
Hot, Ball, Mama, Heath, Hi, Bye, Yeah, Book, Eye, Whale, Out, Up, Whoa/wow, Owl, Bee, More, Cheese, Chicken, Football, Hippo, Papa /poppy, Cat, Elmo, Cheers, Bowl, Duck, Apple, Baby, Mine, Bison

He has even more signs than words which is impressive.  He is starting to combine words and signs to make me understand what he wants.

For example:
When he wants to watch this Elmo video about ducks.   He points to the computer, quacks, signs more, shakes his hips and says more.  It is a very clear and cute message but I often have to be the bearer of bad news and tell him "no it is not time for videos". 

It is amazing how quickly kids can learn language and start saying new words. 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Scooby Doo

Scooby Doo had a busy weekend. 

Leland and I hit up the Children's Museum Trick or Treat Street event.  It was fun.
In fact this week with Leland has been lots of fun.
He is getting over his unbearable toddlerness and it becoming very enjoyable.
He is also into doing activities now, more than just playing.
We colored this week, made playdough and then played with it, painted, etc.  I really need to start planning an activity a day like this because it doesn't always last too long but he is starting to really enjoy it.

We also hit up Boo at the Zoo.


Then went to a Halloween Party.  Well I went to an adult party Saturday but it got interrupted by a child that was unhappy he woke up and his momma wasn't there.  Sunday we went to a kid friendly Halloween Party.  When we arrived Leland sat down and proceeded to eat for the first 30 minutes.  Then he was ready to party.   I have been pleasantly surprise how well he has done with his costume.  He hasn't minded it at all, even the head part.  It helps that it has been cold and he is use to wearing a har outside. 


Best part of having a kid around Halloween is stealing their candy.  So Dad, you are forgiven for always stealing my candy because I get it.  Kids don't need that much sugar and candy is delicious. 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

18 months

It has been 18 months and we are still nursing.  I am pretty proud of it.  Leland has never needed formula or cow's milk thankfully.  I am quite surprised with how easy our experience has been overall.  He never had latching issues, I have never had supply issues, it really is all surprising and wonderful.  He nurses 3-5 times a day still.  He always nurses when he wakes up, before nap and before bed time.  Then it really varies how often and when he nurses at night.

Right now my goal is to get to 2 years and see what happens.  This goal has changed, since it was first 6 weeks, then 6 months, then 1 year.  But really after the first 6 weeks it has been much easier.  If anyone is wanting to breastfeed, I tell them give it 6 weeks before giving up.  By then you will have a routine down, your supply is somewhat normal (even if your boobs are ginormous) and your child has gotten a latch down.

I hope that with future children the experience can be just as wonderful.  It is really nice to still lay down with Leland at these times of the day and have him just be still.  It is also nice not having to buy a gallon of milk a week.  With my hopes of making it to 2 years is that I can bypass the cow milk ordeal completely.

It would be nice to be done nursing so I could really do whatever I want, when I want.  But I want him to be ready.  He has always led the way in how much he nurses and how often, the decreased in frequency has been him wanting less versus me slowly weaning him.

Here is to 6 more months. 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Live in the present

My new motto that I am going to try my best to live by is live in the present.

Life is short, people die, bad things happen.  I learned about a friend's death this week.  It was very unexpected and tragic.  It is a reminder of anything can happen especially the unexpected.  

You can't live in the past or dream of the future because then you miss the present.

I would miss how Leland changes every day.  How wonderful he can be.  I miss the random moments I find him quietly reading books or playing with his animal figurines.  The sound of him waking of from a nap and running out to the living room.

All these moments would be lost and forgotten if I was reliving the past or dreaming of the toddler years being over.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow.  I want to know I lived life.  I enjoyed it and relished in the small moments.  

Live in the present.  

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Introvert


There is no doubt that I am an introvert.  I am a homebody.  
Leland has made me go against this a bit because he likes to be out of the house.  If we stay home for too long in the morning he becomes unbearable.  Until we finally leave the house and he is automatically happier and better behaved.

Along the same lines I go in and out of social phases.  Times when I feel like doing things and making plans.  But then there are times that when being social feels very challenging and energy consuming.

I am in one of those phases right now.  The thought of having to talk to people and meet up with them sounds very draining.  It doesn't help that a couple of people I thought were friends I have decided I in fact do not care for them.

I am usually pretty good at reading people when I first meet them and getting a feel for how they are and how we will click.  This one person I knew I didn't like from the start but for some reason we kept hanging out.  Recently this person has said things that made me officially decide I don't care for them, but now I feel stuck.  Ugh. 

Today Leland is sick and I am actually a tad grateful for it.  It means I can sit in this quiet house while he sleeps most of the day.  He also has been extra cuddly and took a morning nap on me.  I think this means he is going to be a good sick person.  Totally lucked out on that one, I am not so sweet when sick.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

September Books

I still can't get over the fact that I get to read whatever I want now.  It is the best thing about not being in school hands down.   I actually liked learning things in school, but not having time to read outside of school work was not very fun.  So here is what I read last month...

 How to Be a Woman
Great book, really funny and honest.  You should definitely check this book out if you are a woman.  I love how she has children but still can make the argument of why not to have them.  I know some friends that do not want to have children and personally I totally get it.  But for some reason other people just don't get it and constantly ask them when they will have kids or tell them they will change their mind.  Isn't the planet overpopulated enough?  If someone doesn't want to have kids, so what?  I say good for them.
 The Lost Hero
A new series by Rick Riordan.  I read the Percy Jackson series over the summer and now starting this one.  Still just as entertaining with some old characters blended into the new series.  If you like young adult fiction, go ahead and read all these books. 
 Speak Softly, She Can Hear
Don't read this book.  That is all I really have to say.  It is okay, but really predictable and lame.  So jut avoid it.  You can go ahead and thank me for not wasting your time on this one. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Fall

It seems that our weekend was overtaken by fall. 
We saw some aspens turning, went on a hike and went to a pumpkin patch. 

 At the pumpkin patch Leland rode a pony, rode in an airplane ride all by himself (it went around in a circle and then lifted up off the ground a bit), picked a pumpkin out, ate funnel cake and kettle corn. 
Leland enjoyed all of it, he was actually wonderful this weekend.  I think we might be turning a corner on toddlerhood and this momma is extra thankful for that.