Nathaniel has been learning words like crazy! Some weeks it feels like he picks up a new word every day.
He loves to make pretend phone calls to his dad; anything rectangular suffices as a phone, and if he doesn't have anything that fits the bill, he'll just use his hand. He mostly spends his fake phone conversations talking about balls and trucks (or, as he says, "bahs" and "gucks"), his two favorite things. He'll just sit there with his fake phone, saying, "Dad. Bah. Bah. Bah. Guck." And then hang up. It's pretty funny.
He's developed an obsession with cooking utensils, especially spatulas, which he likes to use as sort of makeshift golf clubs. He is still very obsessed with hats, and uses anything he can find to make a hat out of. He wears pots, pot lids, bowls of all sizes and materials, and iPad cases, as well as baskets and anything else that looks vaguely hat-like.
For Valentine's Day, Carl's mom sent us some amazing chocolates (Thanks, Ann!), and a whole row of them were filled with coffee. As Latter-day Saints, we don't eat/drink coffee. So I gave them to a student I tutor, on a plate. Well, Nathaniel saw the plate, and freaked out because each little chocolate looked like a tiny hat and in the moment there was nothing he wanted more than to wear those little hats. I ended up having to send my student home early so I could put Nathaniel to bed because the hat tantrum was so out of control. Sorry, kid! Chocolates are not hats and no, you cannot wear them!
Carl's been working hard and writing in the evenings. He likes his job and his coworkers and he is working on a very interesting story right now--it utilizes a lot of rhythm in the storytelling. I'm interested to see how it turns out.
I've been sick a lot lately, and my house/life have suffered for it, but yesterday I was feeling well enough to actually clean the kitchen (...sort of) and straighten up our bedroom, which had really fallen apart. Now it is mostly clean. I need to vacuum today. I've been trying to write on my novel, but I've been feeling so sick and spacey it's been hard to be coherent at all, so it's been slow in coming. Normally I'd be at least halfway done with the draft by now, but right now, I'm barely at 9000 words.
I did sign a contract for the second book in my Body Electric series, though, so that's good, and that'll be coming out sometime this fall. Excited to start editing it! And hopefully I can finish the rough draft I'm currently working on so I can just get this series over with. I really want to work on Spidermaiden now.
I've not been super good at updating this blog, but I have been all right at updating my writing blog. You can check that out here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
cast iron, stainless steel, broken toe, new word
1. I just ordered my first cast iron skillet! It was preseasoned and cost only $18, with free shipping. Now I feel stupid for waiting so long to buy it--in my head, a good cast iron skillet would have to cost at least $50, because they are so versatile and last so long. Um, yeah. No. Apparently you can get them cheap. Mine was even made in the USA. I'm really excited to use it.
2. Also just ordered a bunch of stainless steel cups to try. My plastic cups are starting to make our water taste plasticky, which is disgusting on so many levels and probably also carcinogenic. So, stainless steel it was. I'm pretty pleased with the cups I ordered, and just went ahead and ordered a few more. Yay!
3. Broke my toe last night, I think. I tripped in the dark and heard a crack, and my toe has been swollen up like a sausage ever since. Yow.
4. Nathaniel learned a new word today: Truck. He says it "guck." And to him, it refers to anything with wheels. Trains, cars, and trucks alike. He's been very pleased with himself and he likes to bring me pictures of wheeled things and tell me "Guck! Guck!"
2. Also just ordered a bunch of stainless steel cups to try. My plastic cups are starting to make our water taste plasticky, which is disgusting on so many levels and probably also carcinogenic. So, stainless steel it was. I'm pretty pleased with the cups I ordered, and just went ahead and ordered a few more. Yay!
3. Broke my toe last night, I think. I tripped in the dark and heard a crack, and my toe has been swollen up like a sausage ever since. Yow.
4. Nathaniel learned a new word today: Truck. He says it "guck." And to him, it refers to anything with wheels. Trains, cars, and trucks alike. He's been very pleased with himself and he likes to bring me pictures of wheeled things and tell me "Guck! Guck!"
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
baby is a sickie
Nathaniel has been sick. It's been a real pain for everyone, especially him. For the past several nights he's just coughed all night. Sometimes he sleeps through it, but I sure don't! Ha! I've been napping with him during the day to make up for it, though. He won't accept any medicine except for raspberry flavored Dimetapp children's decongestant, so I give him that when I can. He loves it and always asks for more.
Last night I made some incredible pork chops--I breaded them, then baked them at 350 for an hour. After the hour was up, I covered them with a mixture of cream of mushroom soup and milk, covered that with foil, and baked for another half hour. The chops were SO TENDER. It was incredible. Usually I am not a huge fan of pork chops because I think they're tough and hard to eat. But I like to think that it was that amazing recipe I tried last night that made the difference with those pork chops.
Last night I made some incredible pork chops--I breaded them, then baked them at 350 for an hour. After the hour was up, I covered them with a mixture of cream of mushroom soup and milk, covered that with foil, and baked for another half hour. The chops were SO TENDER. It was incredible. Usually I am not a huge fan of pork chops because I think they're tough and hard to eat. But I like to think that it was that amazing recipe I tried last night that made the difference with those pork chops.
Monday, January 28, 2013
learning letters
Nathaniel is learning his letters! He obsessed with StoryBots on YouTube, and we watch them at least once a day, every day except Sunday. He loves them to the extent that now the only way we can get him to wear jammies is if they have robots on them.
Anyway, I used to feel bad that he watched StoryBots so much all the time (ALL the time), but he's actually learning his letters. When he sees an L, he gets excited and says "lah!" And when we draw him a bunch of letters, he can successfully point out things like L and N and X. He loves letters and calls them 'bots,' as in StoryBots. When we sing the StoryBot songs to him, he sings along. It's hilarious.
Anyway, I used to feel bad that he watched StoryBots so much all the time (ALL the time), but he's actually learning his letters. When he sees an L, he gets excited and says "lah!" And when we draw him a bunch of letters, he can successfully point out things like L and N and X. He loves letters and calls them 'bots,' as in StoryBots. When we sing the StoryBot songs to him, he sings along. It's hilarious.
Friday, January 18, 2013
vaccine times
Nathaniel had his 18mo check up yesterday. He's doing well. He is 23.25 lbs (25th percentile), 33.5 inches long (80th percentile), and his head is in the 70th percentile.
We got him vaccinated. He was very good about it, and only cried for literally about ten seconds, at which point the nurse asked if he wanted a bear. He just perked right up--yes! He wanted a bear! And he clutched that bear all the way home.
And then ever since, he has been doing one thing.
Nursing.
Nonstop.
Okay, with a little stops. But let's put it this way. He literally nursed without stopping from midnight until two in the morning this morning.
And just now, he nursed from 8:15 until 9:45. WITHOUT STOPPING. He unlatched once for like two seconds and then latched back on.
So, all my nightweaning is undone, and that kid is a milkhead fiend. I'm assuming it's residual stuff from his DPT vaccine or whatever, making him uncomfortable and fussy. Right now he's down for a nap. Here's hoping he naps for a while...
We got him vaccinated. He was very good about it, and only cried for literally about ten seconds, at which point the nurse asked if he wanted a bear. He just perked right up--yes! He wanted a bear! And he clutched that bear all the way home.
And then ever since, he has been doing one thing.
Nursing.
Nonstop.
Okay, with a little stops. But let's put it this way. He literally nursed without stopping from midnight until two in the morning this morning.
And just now, he nursed from 8:15 until 9:45. WITHOUT STOPPING. He unlatched once for like two seconds and then latched back on.
So, all my nightweaning is undone, and that kid is a milkhead fiend. I'm assuming it's residual stuff from his DPT vaccine or whatever, making him uncomfortable and fussy. Right now he's down for a nap. Here's hoping he naps for a while...
Saturday, January 12, 2013
new car!!
No pictures yet, but they're on the way eventually!
On Saturday of last week we finally got a new car. A new old car. It's a 2006 Toyota Avalon. Our last car, the 2001 Oldsmobile, ended up needing like a zillion bucks in repairs in order to pass inspection next month, so we had to get a new car. It was kind of sad, because if we didn't live in a nanny state, we probably could have gotten another year or two out of the car. But of course, we live in tyrannical Maryland, so, there we go. New car time it was.
We're pleased with our Avalon purchase. It has tons of room in the back, so if we ever need to put more than one carseat back there, that'll be fine. It drives really smoothly and is basically just a good, reliable, old person car. Everyone I tell about it is like, "oh! My grandparents have that SAME CAR!"
Yep.
When we drove it home from the dealer, we parked it in our garage and Carl wondered if the front right tire was a little low. I said no, of course it wasn't, because our crappy Oldsmobile always had low air in that tire--it was probably all just in our heads because we were used to that from our old car.
On Thursday, so five days after I bought it, I drove up to Urbana for a hair cut and to visit my mom. On the way, I got THREE (3) flats. On 270.
So, drama. I only discovered this as I left--I've never had a flat before, so I just thought our car was being retarded. I legitimately didn't get it, until I was on my way home driving super slowly to Subway for lunch, and people watching me started freaking out--"hey lady! Hey lady! All your tires are flat!"
So I drove at 10 mph with my baby screaming in the backseat to the closest auto shop, where I promptly had a breakdown and just wept in their lobby. I had to be home in an hour to get my severely disabled brother off the bus, and it was a new car, and my baby was crazy. The repair guys took pity on my poor self and inspected the car, pronouncing it the strangest thing they'd ever seen--only three tires were flat, and for no obvious reason. Why not all four? What the heck?
So I ended up calling a tow, and hitching a ride home with my sister. It turned out that the dealer had put on all new tires when they acquired the car--and the tires had faulty valves. Well, three of them did. So they were slowly leaking until at last, they all went out on me essentially at once on the freeway. The dealer replaced all the tires for free and we got the car back last night.
It's been a fun time with the new car, but hopefully that was the last of the car's issues for a while.
On Saturday of last week we finally got a new car. A new old car. It's a 2006 Toyota Avalon. Our last car, the 2001 Oldsmobile, ended up needing like a zillion bucks in repairs in order to pass inspection next month, so we had to get a new car. It was kind of sad, because if we didn't live in a nanny state, we probably could have gotten another year or two out of the car. But of course, we live in tyrannical Maryland, so, there we go. New car time it was.
We're pleased with our Avalon purchase. It has tons of room in the back, so if we ever need to put more than one carseat back there, that'll be fine. It drives really smoothly and is basically just a good, reliable, old person car. Everyone I tell about it is like, "oh! My grandparents have that SAME CAR!"
Yep.
When we drove it home from the dealer, we parked it in our garage and Carl wondered if the front right tire was a little low. I said no, of course it wasn't, because our crappy Oldsmobile always had low air in that tire--it was probably all just in our heads because we were used to that from our old car.
On Thursday, so five days after I bought it, I drove up to Urbana for a hair cut and to visit my mom. On the way, I got THREE (3) flats. On 270.
So, drama. I only discovered this as I left--I've never had a flat before, so I just thought our car was being retarded. I legitimately didn't get it, until I was on my way home driving super slowly to Subway for lunch, and people watching me started freaking out--"hey lady! Hey lady! All your tires are flat!"
So I drove at 10 mph with my baby screaming in the backseat to the closest auto shop, where I promptly had a breakdown and just wept in their lobby. I had to be home in an hour to get my severely disabled brother off the bus, and it was a new car, and my baby was crazy. The repair guys took pity on my poor self and inspected the car, pronouncing it the strangest thing they'd ever seen--only three tires were flat, and for no obvious reason. Why not all four? What the heck?
So I ended up calling a tow, and hitching a ride home with my sister. It turned out that the dealer had put on all new tires when they acquired the car--and the tires had faulty valves. Well, three of them did. So they were slowly leaking until at last, they all went out on me essentially at once on the freeway. The dealer replaced all the tires for free and we got the car back last night.
It's been a fun time with the new car, but hopefully that was the last of the car's issues for a while.
Monday, January 7, 2013
NIGHTWEANING!!!
Yes: we're still breastfeeding. Since Nathaniel is allergic to egg, soy, peanut, and all cow products from steak and ground beef to milk and yogurt, I feel like it's an important thing to do. Not to mention that the international medically recommended minimum time for nursing is two full years, and Nathaniel is only eighteen months. But whatever.
Last week I decided that the time had come to nightwean Nathaniel. Since he was born at around ten and a half pounds, I've always fed him multiple times at night: he's got a big body but started out with a little tummy, and in the night I could hear his little tummy rumble. Plus, since we bedshare, it was just so easy to feed him at night, and neither of us would really have to move or fully wake up. It was very convenient.
But Carl wants us to move him to his own toddler bed, and so the first step in that process was making it so he could fall asleep without being in the process of nursing--a project that took a few weeks, but now works fine. Before, when I wanted him to sleep, I would just lay down with him and nurse him to sleep in the dark. Now, I nurse him for night in the light, and then turn off the light and cuddle him to sleep. He hates it when Dad cuddles him to sleep, so we still have something to work on, but at least he is physically capable now of falling asleep without nursing simultaneously.
Anyway, step two has been to cut out night feedings entirely. Two weeks ago, Nathaniel was getting up like clockwork at 1 am and 4:45 am for nursing.
One week ago, I decided that after 1:30 am, the milk is asleep.
So for a few days, Nathaniel just cried when I told him he couldn't have the milk because it was sleeping. I held him, and rocked him, and kissed him, and offered him water which he rejected, and just generally felt sad for him, but not too sad, because he only had to wait for an hour, since we get up at six every morning anyway.
After maybe three days of that, Nathaniel learned that it is actually important to eat real food at dinnertime, and now when it's bedtime he always asks to eat after he's in his jammies. So we go back down and fill up that baby tummy, and then do a good night nursing, and cuddle to sleep.
Anyway, after he learned that particular lesson, I told him that milk had to sleep in the night just like he did--all night long. And then that night, when he woke up at 1 o'clock, he just signed for water, drank like half a cup of it, and went back to sleep. Same at 4:45.
And he hasn't gotten up at night since then. That was maybe on Friday.
So, happy day: I think we're nightweaned. It's only been a few days, so maybe not, but so far so good.
In related news, Nathaniel's eighteen-month birthday is next Sunday, so he gets to start NURSERY! I just can't wait. This last week at church he was totally crazy. He is definitely ready to be able to play with toys and eat snacks and think about Jesus with other kids his same age, instead of disrupting Gospel Principles and Relief Society with me.
Last week I decided that the time had come to nightwean Nathaniel. Since he was born at around ten and a half pounds, I've always fed him multiple times at night: he's got a big body but started out with a little tummy, and in the night I could hear his little tummy rumble. Plus, since we bedshare, it was just so easy to feed him at night, and neither of us would really have to move or fully wake up. It was very convenient.
But Carl wants us to move him to his own toddler bed, and so the first step in that process was making it so he could fall asleep without being in the process of nursing--a project that took a few weeks, but now works fine. Before, when I wanted him to sleep, I would just lay down with him and nurse him to sleep in the dark. Now, I nurse him for night in the light, and then turn off the light and cuddle him to sleep. He hates it when Dad cuddles him to sleep, so we still have something to work on, but at least he is physically capable now of falling asleep without nursing simultaneously.
Anyway, step two has been to cut out night feedings entirely. Two weeks ago, Nathaniel was getting up like clockwork at 1 am and 4:45 am for nursing.
One week ago, I decided that after 1:30 am, the milk is asleep.
So for a few days, Nathaniel just cried when I told him he couldn't have the milk because it was sleeping. I held him, and rocked him, and kissed him, and offered him water which he rejected, and just generally felt sad for him, but not too sad, because he only had to wait for an hour, since we get up at six every morning anyway.
After maybe three days of that, Nathaniel learned that it is actually important to eat real food at dinnertime, and now when it's bedtime he always asks to eat after he's in his jammies. So we go back down and fill up that baby tummy, and then do a good night nursing, and cuddle to sleep.
Anyway, after he learned that particular lesson, I told him that milk had to sleep in the night just like he did--all night long. And then that night, when he woke up at 1 o'clock, he just signed for water, drank like half a cup of it, and went back to sleep. Same at 4:45.
And he hasn't gotten up at night since then. That was maybe on Friday.
So, happy day: I think we're nightweaned. It's only been a few days, so maybe not, but so far so good.
In related news, Nathaniel's eighteen-month birthday is next Sunday, so he gets to start NURSERY! I just can't wait. This last week at church he was totally crazy. He is definitely ready to be able to play with toys and eat snacks and think about Jesus with other kids his same age, instead of disrupting Gospel Principles and Relief Society with me.
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