Spring is coming..or maybe it's here

Well, J is out and about with the Peanut today taking in all the warm weather. My office is dark, but I imagine them hopping from park to park, and from backyard to park. It sounds like so much fun. Peanut has been pure joy lately. He's definitely hitting toddlerdome. He can: open any drawer, open the fridge, turn on the tub water, climb everything that he can reach, bite through everything, remove his own diaper (thank goodness for onesies), run really fast, seem like he's not going to run and then run, melt my heart with a smile, tell what things are and what they do, express his opinions.

He's working on his sign still. He knows: more, eat, banana, nurse, bath, sleep, phone, potty, dog...probably more than that. And he says dog, mamma, mommy (sometimes), tea, and tries to say lots of other things.

Yesterday, he insisted on walking the dog, so he held the leash that we tied securely to his stroller. He looked so proud.

Peeing on purpose

peanut reading oranges are not the only fruit

So peanut (no pun intended) is peeing on purpose when he has his diaper off. He sometimes doesn't, but he usually does, and sometimes it's clear that it's come as a surprise to him. But the boy likes to pee. When he has his diaper on, he does the sign for potty too, but it's not always clear that he's referring to his own potty, the act of going or having gone, or just trying to converse about the potty. I think he gets that his moms think the potty is cool.

Every day when I get home from work I take the dog outside to..."go Potty." So within moments of walking in the door, Peanut starts walking to the back of the house shaking his hand in the air way above his head, and then he points to the dog. Potty, Winnie. Potty, Dog. So of course he's brilliant...i mean, he is right? These are sentences in sign...so smart!

But back to the peeing on purpose he does...he totally does. Not in a potty, since we don't have one yet, but he does it on the rug in his bedroom. Or on his changing pad. Always standing up. We need to groom his techniques but the spirit is there for sure.

I'm proud.

Easter and crafting and Peanut

peanut, last easter


So it's been a busy month already. I don't know when that's going to stop being the case. Probably never. The weather has been moody and I have been tired of it, and Peanut is getting more mobile and more communicative every day, which is awesome. It's even awesome when he signs for "help" and i try to help him only to be met with a wave of wrong answers. I think he thinks the sign for help is to pick something up for him. He'll sign it even when he can get it. Of course, I encourage him to try to get it first, especially when it is at his feet...I'm not a total pushover.

This will be his second Easter, and I think we will go to church. For sure, my family is coming for a little Easter Egg hunt that we do indoors (too cold for outdoors) and then dinner. Since we're fighting to make ends meet, it'll be pretty modest. But they really just want to see Peanut, and we already paid for him. He loves my sisters kid (cousin k), who is almost five. The feeling is mostly mutual, except cousin k is almost 5 and well, that means a 13 month old holds him back from having complete fun. It's cute to watch Peanut follow him around and mimic what he does. And its fun to see cousin k negotiate the play with him.

For easter, we are also doing a few crafts. A pencil case for cousin k, and the same for peanut. And I'm making my mom a birdhouse from fabric that I was inspired to do from this artist. Mine is not as good. But it is my first.

And then handmade dishcloths. Plus we are making our own easter grass from recycled magazines.

Naturally Nora, Oh my

We are not doing sugar with peanut until he's at least 2....maybe longer. But for a special occasion, I would do it with this awesome new discovery. Check it out! Naturally Nora

And if you like what you see, go to Gourmet Mom on the Go and enter this awesome contest for a years supply (12 boxes) of natural cake mix and frosting! Awesome.

Another word though, I'm not so sure I'd consider 12 boxes a year supply of cake. But I guess I should. I am trying to lose weight and simplify.

Birthday Report, a bit late...and where did the sleeping go

first nap as a one year old

Peanut turned a year old. It was a wonderful thing to have happen. Aging is inevitable, but now that he's been in our lives for a year (well, longer now, since this post is really past the 13 months point) every day I think, this time last year, you were just starting to see, or just starting to nurse well, or we were all sick. So that's fun. Relations with my relations are improving again, which is also good. Peanut had an amazing birthday party where we crammed something like 24 people into 900 square feet of apartment. J's fam came from MN, and mine from in town. My mom got a great cake for our guests and with my sister made Peanut his own sugar free carrot cake. What an amazing gift!
Now that he's a year, Peanut also seems to be interested in fighting sleep. He's walking up a storm, signing about 10 signs, screaming when he's mad, and mad when we try to get him to sleep. Lately, we suspect that it has something to do with teething. That better be what it is. Or else I'm not sure what to do.

Peanut and Winnie, our dog.

Lately, in blog land, people who I've been following have been getting pg, and it makes me long for those times as well.

This post is all over the place.Peanut and Mommy...that's me.

Oh well. Peanut pics posted for fun. Birthday pics from his awesome and fun party.

Countdown

Today begins the 10 day countdown to the peanut's first birthday. We are having a party on the 21st, but his birthday is the 20th.

I'll admit I'm a bit in awe at the cliche that is this year. The speed of it. The specialness of it. The fact that I had no idea how much I'd love him. Even as the "other mother" i am staunchly protective of, physically attached to, and completely in love with this little guy. I can't even imagine how j must feel. I see him and i just want to take him up into my arms, just like the first time I ever saw him. (back then, i was amazed he was so big too....how did that fit inside my tiny girl?)

Last night I was feeding the peanut yogurt. He was eating cheerios too, off his tray. Then he reached out for me to give him the yogurt bowl. It was close to bath time, so I figured it would be ok. Well that kid used his spoon to scoop up the yogurt and put it in his mouth. Not neatly or anything, but I was impressed. Since I'd be the first to admit that while I grew up with a little one in the house, I don't know much about child development, every time he does something new I think he's the most advanced amazing baby ever.

i suck at blogging

I love my family and my life. I love writing. I love reading blogs, but I'm definitely not one to get out and post very often. Not sure why. It's true that I'm busy, and that I don't want to just shoot off something rushed. But it's also true that I have and take time to read other people's blogs. Am I a reader and not a writer? A Lurker who rarely comments?

I don't know.

I am posting today wondering if anyone reads my blog. If you do, if you are reading this at all, just let me know.

In a non blogging analysis moment, peanut is nearly a year old. I can't believe it. He's walking, signing, putting things together. He kisses and hugs and is amazing.