Ruckus has been doing fairly well lately, in spite of a steady stream of illnesses to contend with. We had a nice Thanksgiving at my mom's house, and he kept himself occupied playing with his ball. It is about basketball sized and he enjoys bouncing it and throwing it, but mostly just chasing it around a room is great fun. He was not too excited over Thanksgiving but maybe in the coming years that will change. He is still so young that he doesn't realize the differences between holidays and regular days.
Shortly after Thanksgiving he developed an ear infection and we camped out at home while waiting for the antibiotics to take effect. I really enjoyed our time together! The following week I took him back to his pediatrician for a check of his ears and he was given a clean bill of health. Naturally, this did not last long, and he developed a croupy cough two days later, which has lasted through this past weekend. Oh well, he seems to be on the mend now.
Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree and he watched all of the activity with fascination, biding his time. A few hours later, he sprung, and began un-decorating the tree in earnest. Luckily I had planned on this and had put the wooden ornaments within his reach and kept the glass ones up high. We also tied the tree to a doorknob to keep him from pulling it down onto himself. I am hopefully that these precautions will keep us all a little less stressed this Christmas. Last Christmas he just laid there and showed little interest in any of the goings-on, so things are brand new again for us this year, now that he is walking and getting into everything he can.
I bought him some size 2T clothes for gifts, and a couple of toys, but have deliberately not gone overboard. He will have plenty of other gifts to open when we meet up at my mom's house in about two weeks for our big family get-together on the 22nd. His cousins will all be there, but most of them are significantly older than him so they likely will not want to play with him much. The closest to him in age is Marina, who is now 3 years old, and she may be more likely to want to hang out with him.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Thirteen (Months)
Things have been fairly ho-hum around the old homestead of late, or so it seems. What is mundane to me might be very exciting to you so I will share with you what I have. Ruckus is 13 months old now, and will be 14 months in just eight more days. Time sure flies! A coworker of mine saw a recent picture of him and guessed his age at two. He is big but I guess she doesn't remember that I was gone, on maternity leave, at this time last year. It clearly meant more to me than her, haha! Ruckus weighs 26 lbs now. I haven't measured his height lately but he is tall. He is still in 18 month sizes which is a relief because replacing his wardrobe every five minutes gets expensive.
Recent Events
There hasn't been much going on. Last week Ruckus threw up a few times and we got to take the day off of work/school and take him to the doctor to get checked up on. He had a virus. I was told to switch him to Pedialyte and soy milk for 24 hours, which I did, and to not feed him for a day, which I ignored, and he was back to his normal self the next day. I say normal self but in reality it's his new normal which involves having a perpetual cold and sinus congestion with an alarming cough. According to his doctor, this is also a virus and nothing to worry about.
I have purchased a vaporizer and placed it near his bed to hopefully counteract the effect of the heater running all night. I know that coughs and colds can be aggravated by dry air and we have plenty of that without the added drying effects of central heat.
Ruckus received his last round of shots without much fuss, in spite of receiving six separate shots, three in each leg. I think they threw a bonus immunization in there just for fun because he was only due for four, and I opted him in for a flu shot but that's still only five... anyway, he should be good to go for a few months and then he'll need just one more shot and nothing else for a long while. I think. It's hard to keep up on because there are so many things they want to inoculate children against. A few of these six shots were combination shots, so his little body must have been just inundated with germs but he responded well and only developed a small fever the next day.
He has been doing well at daycare, and still seems to enjoy his time there. In the past two months he has been bitten by other children at least twice, one time they didn't mention it at all and the next time there was a long conversation with one of the caregivers about it. They won't come out and say which child did the biting but subtly point fingers at a little boy named Rodney. He is a cute thing and seems like a sweet boy, but when I went to pick up Ruckus yesterday I saw Rodney hitting Ruckus on the head. It wasn't hard and Ruckus didn't cry, but I think that Rodney has some troubles dealing with frustration and needs... something. I have no idea what. I'm new at raising kids and my son does not currently exhibit any signs of trouble so I'm certainly not one to say what the best course of action is. I do know that I don't want my son hurt, and I don't want him picking up bad habits like biting and hitting. I also live in the real world and know that children bite, children hit, and he will in all probability need to learn how to fight eventually. Is one year old too young to learn self defense?
Development
I stopped reading what normal development is for my son's age, simply because he sure seems normal to me. I do compare him to the children in daycare, and he seems pretty much up to snuff. He is developing his walking skills little by little. Over the past weekend I had him out in the yard with me for about an hour. The yard has a downhill slope and the ground is covered in close cropped grass with trees along the edges. Ruckus handled the downhill/uphill walking parts fairly well, and only stumbled a few times. He does not know how to run yet, thankfully, and seems to be a little cautious when it comes to walking, probably as a result of numerous falls that he took early on. He was fascinated for quite a while with pulling leaves off of the trees and feeling the different textures between leaves and pine needles. He did not try to eat any of the leaves, which is a nice change from not so long ago when every single thing within reach went into his mouth.
Ruckus actively plays with toys now, pressing buttons with one finger to hear the sounds the toy will make instead of mashing it with his fist or palm. He picks blocks out of his dump truck, and puts them back in. He is learning to throw things deliberately, although he has not quite mastered his aim. His favorite toy right now is an inflated ball (this one has Batman on it) which he likes to bounce on the kitchen floor, chase around the house, and charmingly, bounce back and forth with a partner across a table top. He is coordinated enough to 'catch' the ball and bounce it back to you and this is awfully cute. He also likes to roll a bottle or cup across the table to you, and have you roll it back to him. This often will illicit an otherwise elusive giggle from him.
Ruckus knows when bedtime is and will make himself scarce in order to stay up later. I don't know if this is just his internal clock or if I'm giving off bedtime signals, but he usually will 'disappear' to his Uncle's room for a few minutes more of playtime. He loves to surprise people in their rooms, and once he locates you, he'll come marching right in to help you with whatever it is you are up to in there.
Ruckus also has learned how to sneak things. He isn't allowed to play with the TV remote, for obvious reasons, so he will wait until you aren't looking or have left the room, and then makes a beeline for it. Quick as a flash, it is in his hand and being carted off to the kitchen where he can play with it in secret. Little does Ruckus know that pushing buttons while out of range of the TV does little good.
He likes to sneak-snack on the dog's food. I busted him with four pieces of kibble in his mouth the other morning and he was very angry when I pried it out. He held on to the last piece for quite a while, not daring to chew, until I finally realized he was up to something and there must be more in his mouth.
Bath time these days is in our regular tub, since Ruckus has outgrown his baby tub. He has a few bath toys he enjoys playing with in amongst the bubbles, but does not seem to enjoy a long bath. I wash his hair, hands, feet and face and by then he is usually ready to get out, and I have to gently force him to stay seated in the tub while I finish washing the rest of him. He stands up and comes to the side, lifting his arms as if to say 'Out now please!'. So I have to hurry up and finish before he slips and falls.
In general he seems to be much more a kid now than a baby. He still can't do most things himself, but compared to a year ago he is much more capable these days. He holds his own bottle or sippy cup. He feeds himself chunks of fruit and other foods, and can chew it all up with those brand new teeth that are slowly filling his mouth. He walks, and can pick himself up when he falls down. He plays independently and needs us less and less each day. I feel like the little baby days went by so quickly, and I suppose they did. A year is not very long at all. But these new little boy times are so exciting, and I can't wait to see what's next. I hope it's talking!!
Recent Events
There hasn't been much going on. Last week Ruckus threw up a few times and we got to take the day off of work/school and take him to the doctor to get checked up on. He had a virus. I was told to switch him to Pedialyte and soy milk for 24 hours, which I did, and to not feed him for a day, which I ignored, and he was back to his normal self the next day. I say normal self but in reality it's his new normal which involves having a perpetual cold and sinus congestion with an alarming cough. According to his doctor, this is also a virus and nothing to worry about.
I have purchased a vaporizer and placed it near his bed to hopefully counteract the effect of the heater running all night. I know that coughs and colds can be aggravated by dry air and we have plenty of that without the added drying effects of central heat.
Ruckus received his last round of shots without much fuss, in spite of receiving six separate shots, three in each leg. I think they threw a bonus immunization in there just for fun because he was only due for four, and I opted him in for a flu shot but that's still only five... anyway, he should be good to go for a few months and then he'll need just one more shot and nothing else for a long while. I think. It's hard to keep up on because there are so many things they want to inoculate children against. A few of these six shots were combination shots, so his little body must have been just inundated with germs but he responded well and only developed a small fever the next day.
He has been doing well at daycare, and still seems to enjoy his time there. In the past two months he has been bitten by other children at least twice, one time they didn't mention it at all and the next time there was a long conversation with one of the caregivers about it. They won't come out and say which child did the biting but subtly point fingers at a little boy named Rodney. He is a cute thing and seems like a sweet boy, but when I went to pick up Ruckus yesterday I saw Rodney hitting Ruckus on the head. It wasn't hard and Ruckus didn't cry, but I think that Rodney has some troubles dealing with frustration and needs... something. I have no idea what. I'm new at raising kids and my son does not currently exhibit any signs of trouble so I'm certainly not one to say what the best course of action is. I do know that I don't want my son hurt, and I don't want him picking up bad habits like biting and hitting. I also live in the real world and know that children bite, children hit, and he will in all probability need to learn how to fight eventually. Is one year old too young to learn self defense?
Development
I stopped reading what normal development is for my son's age, simply because he sure seems normal to me. I do compare him to the children in daycare, and he seems pretty much up to snuff. He is developing his walking skills little by little. Over the past weekend I had him out in the yard with me for about an hour. The yard has a downhill slope and the ground is covered in close cropped grass with trees along the edges. Ruckus handled the downhill/uphill walking parts fairly well, and only stumbled a few times. He does not know how to run yet, thankfully, and seems to be a little cautious when it comes to walking, probably as a result of numerous falls that he took early on. He was fascinated for quite a while with pulling leaves off of the trees and feeling the different textures between leaves and pine needles. He did not try to eat any of the leaves, which is a nice change from not so long ago when every single thing within reach went into his mouth.
Ruckus actively plays with toys now, pressing buttons with one finger to hear the sounds the toy will make instead of mashing it with his fist or palm. He picks blocks out of his dump truck, and puts them back in. He is learning to throw things deliberately, although he has not quite mastered his aim. His favorite toy right now is an inflated ball (this one has Batman on it) which he likes to bounce on the kitchen floor, chase around the house, and charmingly, bounce back and forth with a partner across a table top. He is coordinated enough to 'catch' the ball and bounce it back to you and this is awfully cute. He also likes to roll a bottle or cup across the table to you, and have you roll it back to him. This often will illicit an otherwise elusive giggle from him.
Ruckus knows when bedtime is and will make himself scarce in order to stay up later. I don't know if this is just his internal clock or if I'm giving off bedtime signals, but he usually will 'disappear' to his Uncle's room for a few minutes more of playtime. He loves to surprise people in their rooms, and once he locates you, he'll come marching right in to help you with whatever it is you are up to in there.
Ruckus also has learned how to sneak things. He isn't allowed to play with the TV remote, for obvious reasons, so he will wait until you aren't looking or have left the room, and then makes a beeline for it. Quick as a flash, it is in his hand and being carted off to the kitchen where he can play with it in secret. Little does Ruckus know that pushing buttons while out of range of the TV does little good.
He likes to sneak-snack on the dog's food. I busted him with four pieces of kibble in his mouth the other morning and he was very angry when I pried it out. He held on to the last piece for quite a while, not daring to chew, until I finally realized he was up to something and there must be more in his mouth.
Bath time these days is in our regular tub, since Ruckus has outgrown his baby tub. He has a few bath toys he enjoys playing with in amongst the bubbles, but does not seem to enjoy a long bath. I wash his hair, hands, feet and face and by then he is usually ready to get out, and I have to gently force him to stay seated in the tub while I finish washing the rest of him. He stands up and comes to the side, lifting his arms as if to say 'Out now please!'. So I have to hurry up and finish before he slips and falls.
In general he seems to be much more a kid now than a baby. He still can't do most things himself, but compared to a year ago he is much more capable these days. He holds his own bottle or sippy cup. He feeds himself chunks of fruit and other foods, and can chew it all up with those brand new teeth that are slowly filling his mouth. He walks, and can pick himself up when he falls down. He plays independently and needs us less and less each day. I feel like the little baby days went by so quickly, and I suppose they did. A year is not very long at all. But these new little boy times are so exciting, and I can't wait to see what's next. I hope it's talking!!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Life Can Be Busy
A month has gone by since my last post, and I'm feeling something akin to guilt about not posting, although you have probably heard that no news is good news, yes? Onward...
Ruckus has been averaging about four days a week at daycare for the past month, due to a variety of reasons. He caught a cold after being there for only one week, one that turned his nose into a faucet full of green goo, and lent him a smallish fever for a few days. I kept him out of 'school' for two days because of this, only to find upon his return that all of the other children had a similar affliction and the staff was calling it 'allergies'. It is their policy that any child out sick can't return without a doctor's note, so we didn't dare tell the truth about where he'd been, at home on sick watch. The cold lasted over two weeks but finally has released its grip on my small boy.
I kept Ruckus out of school again for a couple of days around his first birthday, just so that I could soak up his company, and reflect a little on our first year together. He is a bundle of activity nowadays, and it is not particularly relaxing hanging out with him, but I still marvel over the little things and enjoy our time together in spite of being exhausted by it.
The day before he turned One he started walking. He had taken a few steps here and there previously, but he finally figured out how to string them together and make it across the room unassisted, and this was wonderful to see. His dad and I both witnessed it, so this was also wonderful. One of my greatest fears was that Ruckus would start daycare and we would miss this particular milestone, but it didn't happen that way and I'm grateful. It would have hurt to have them tell me about it.
We gathered our family together at my mom's house to celebrate his first birthday. It was very nice, and exhausting for us. I now understand why many parents opt to have their children's birthday parties hosted at a restaurant or the dreaded Chuck E Cheese's. Between buying presents, sending out invites, buying and putting up decorations, ordering a cake, cooking all the food, trying to keep things flowing and not boring, and the relatively minor cleanup, it was expensive, tiring, and stressful. It was very nice of our families to come out though, and he got some really great gifts, so it wasn't at all bad, but I think I'll do things differently next year. I guess we'll see how I feel about things when his birthday rolls around again.
The day after his birthday we took Ruckus in for his one year checkup. He passed inspection with flying colors! He now is 30 inches tall, and weighs 24 lbs., 10 oz. This puts him in the 75th percentile, being a large kid but not a giant. He now wears size 18 months clothes, and size 5 shoes. After his doctor's appointment we took him to a salon for his first haircut. I did not realize that it was a cash only place so I quickly explained how I wanted to have his hair cut, left him with his dad, and went next door to get some money. I got stuck in a very long line, and by the time I had returned the haircut was finished, Ruckus and dad were covered in clippings and snot, grumpy, and ready to go home. I just laughed, paid the lady, and packed everyone into the car, then home for a nap. Our plans to go to the zoo were put off for another day, and I spent the afternoon just staring at Ruckus because he looks so cute and grown up with his big boy haircut.
In addition to all of the above going on, Ruckus has decided to cut his first molars. This must be very painful because he is gripey, and doesn't sleep much at night due to what I assume is an invasive sort of pain. As with every other time he has cut teeth, he is doing them all at once so the bright side is that it will be over sooner rather than later. I do not find these teeth to be as cute as his first ones for some reason.
This past Sunday we had a scare because Ruckus spiked a high fever which seemed determined to stick around, growing and growing and growing until I found myself phoning his pediatrician at 1 am in a panic. He topped out at 104.4 and by then I was ready to pop him in the car and race to the hospital but his doctor talked me down. She recommended upping his Tylenol dose and observation only, which thankfully worked. Things that didn't work included a cold shower, which I learned (after the fact, naturally) is no longer recommended and can have the opposite effect. So don't try this with your baby. It just makes them and you shivery and filled with confusion and probably distrustful of showers.
The next day, after we had managed about four hours of sleep, Ruckus was right as rain and ready to play, but us parents were beat up, stressed and exhausted so we stayed home to recover. I do not know what caused this fever, and am left to wonder if there is a monster virus waiting to spring from him at any moment, or if this is teething gone mad. I've always heard that teething can cause a fever of around 100, which is a far cry from 104. Regardless of the cause, I'm relieved he is feeling better, we don't have a Emergency Room bill staring at us, and we all learned something from the scare.
In other news, there is really no other news. Ruckus has stopped crying when I leave him at daycare, which is a very good thing. I sometimes still feel badly about this because I feel that he won't miss me at all, waaa, or I think he's hardened his heart which makes me sad that he is so grown up at such a young age. Emotions are funny irrational things! The truth probably lies somewhere around the fact that he has adjusted to the routine, likes it there, and knows that I'll return in a few hours to take him home again. When I pick him up I see him playing with his friends Trey and Rodney through the glass door and window, and it looks like he is genuinely enjoying himself. The ladies all seem to like him, he hasn't lost any weight, he hasn't been injured (knocks on wood), and he has begun napping on his own, which are all wonderful things!
Ruckus has been averaging about four days a week at daycare for the past month, due to a variety of reasons. He caught a cold after being there for only one week, one that turned his nose into a faucet full of green goo, and lent him a smallish fever for a few days. I kept him out of 'school' for two days because of this, only to find upon his return that all of the other children had a similar affliction and the staff was calling it 'allergies'. It is their policy that any child out sick can't return without a doctor's note, so we didn't dare tell the truth about where he'd been, at home on sick watch. The cold lasted over two weeks but finally has released its grip on my small boy.
I kept Ruckus out of school again for a couple of days around his first birthday, just so that I could soak up his company, and reflect a little on our first year together. He is a bundle of activity nowadays, and it is not particularly relaxing hanging out with him, but I still marvel over the little things and enjoy our time together in spite of being exhausted by it.
The day before he turned One he started walking. He had taken a few steps here and there previously, but he finally figured out how to string them together and make it across the room unassisted, and this was wonderful to see. His dad and I both witnessed it, so this was also wonderful. One of my greatest fears was that Ruckus would start daycare and we would miss this particular milestone, but it didn't happen that way and I'm grateful. It would have hurt to have them tell me about it.
We gathered our family together at my mom's house to celebrate his first birthday. It was very nice, and exhausting for us. I now understand why many parents opt to have their children's birthday parties hosted at a restaurant or the dreaded Chuck E Cheese's. Between buying presents, sending out invites, buying and putting up decorations, ordering a cake, cooking all the food, trying to keep things flowing and not boring, and the relatively minor cleanup, it was expensive, tiring, and stressful. It was very nice of our families to come out though, and he got some really great gifts, so it wasn't at all bad, but I think I'll do things differently next year. I guess we'll see how I feel about things when his birthday rolls around again.
The day after his birthday we took Ruckus in for his one year checkup. He passed inspection with flying colors! He now is 30 inches tall, and weighs 24 lbs., 10 oz. This puts him in the 75th percentile, being a large kid but not a giant. He now wears size 18 months clothes, and size 5 shoes. After his doctor's appointment we took him to a salon for his first haircut. I did not realize that it was a cash only place so I quickly explained how I wanted to have his hair cut, left him with his dad, and went next door to get some money. I got stuck in a very long line, and by the time I had returned the haircut was finished, Ruckus and dad were covered in clippings and snot, grumpy, and ready to go home. I just laughed, paid the lady, and packed everyone into the car, then home for a nap. Our plans to go to the zoo were put off for another day, and I spent the afternoon just staring at Ruckus because he looks so cute and grown up with his big boy haircut.
In addition to all of the above going on, Ruckus has decided to cut his first molars. This must be very painful because he is gripey, and doesn't sleep much at night due to what I assume is an invasive sort of pain. As with every other time he has cut teeth, he is doing them all at once so the bright side is that it will be over sooner rather than later. I do not find these teeth to be as cute as his first ones for some reason.
This past Sunday we had a scare because Ruckus spiked a high fever which seemed determined to stick around, growing and growing and growing until I found myself phoning his pediatrician at 1 am in a panic. He topped out at 104.4 and by then I was ready to pop him in the car and race to the hospital but his doctor talked me down. She recommended upping his Tylenol dose and observation only, which thankfully worked. Things that didn't work included a cold shower, which I learned (after the fact, naturally) is no longer recommended and can have the opposite effect. So don't try this with your baby. It just makes them and you shivery and filled with confusion and probably distrustful of showers.
The next day, after we had managed about four hours of sleep, Ruckus was right as rain and ready to play, but us parents were beat up, stressed and exhausted so we stayed home to recover. I do not know what caused this fever, and am left to wonder if there is a monster virus waiting to spring from him at any moment, or if this is teething gone mad. I've always heard that teething can cause a fever of around 100, which is a far cry from 104. Regardless of the cause, I'm relieved he is feeling better, we don't have a Emergency Room bill staring at us, and we all learned something from the scare.
In other news, there is really no other news. Ruckus has stopped crying when I leave him at daycare, which is a very good thing. I sometimes still feel badly about this because I feel that he won't miss me at all, waaa, or I think he's hardened his heart which makes me sad that he is so grown up at such a young age. Emotions are funny irrational things! The truth probably lies somewhere around the fact that he has adjusted to the routine, likes it there, and knows that I'll return in a few hours to take him home again. When I pick him up I see him playing with his friends Trey and Rodney through the glass door and window, and it looks like he is genuinely enjoying himself. The ladies all seem to like him, he hasn't lost any weight, he hasn't been injured (knocks on wood), and he has begun napping on his own, which are all wonderful things!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
A Plus
Ruckus started a new daycare yesterday. It is a regular daycare, where kids of all ages go before and after school, or like my son, all day when they are too young for school. It is less than half a mile from my work, so I can pop over and check on him, or scoop him up quickly should he be ill.
When I dropped him off yesterday morning he screamed and pounded on the glass door as I walked away. It broke my heart and I cried a little on the way to work. I was not expecting this, as he never cried when I left him at Tiffany's house. But Tiffany seemed to neglect his needs, whereas Ruckus had a nap, ate his peas and carrots, and drank at least 10 ounces of milk yesterday at the new place. When I picked him up he was happy to see me, but not so overjoyed as to make me think that he'd had a bad day. There are a lot of nice ladies who work there, and I think they try their best to take care of him.
He screamed and carried on again when I dropped him off this morning, so my heart is once again bruised, and I'm full of anxiety that he hates it there and I'm a terrible mom for leaving him. I am trying to keep in mind that he is just having a little trouble adjusting to this new schedule and a new place, and that it will get better as time goes by. Of course logic and emotions do not always agree.
His classmates are all of a similar age to him. Yesterday there was the skinny white girl who I described a few months ago, and whose name I can't recall, and a little boy named Trey. Poor Trey was still there when I picked up Ruckus last night. This morning Skinny White Girl was missing and there was a big eyed boy named Rodney in her place, and the ever present Trey, who seems like a happy kid.
We'll see how things go today with him, and hopefully the drop gets a little easier for us both as time goes on.
When I dropped him off yesterday morning he screamed and pounded on the glass door as I walked away. It broke my heart and I cried a little on the way to work. I was not expecting this, as he never cried when I left him at Tiffany's house. But Tiffany seemed to neglect his needs, whereas Ruckus had a nap, ate his peas and carrots, and drank at least 10 ounces of milk yesterday at the new place. When I picked him up he was happy to see me, but not so overjoyed as to make me think that he'd had a bad day. There are a lot of nice ladies who work there, and I think they try their best to take care of him.
He screamed and carried on again when I dropped him off this morning, so my heart is once again bruised, and I'm full of anxiety that he hates it there and I'm a terrible mom for leaving him. I am trying to keep in mind that he is just having a little trouble adjusting to this new schedule and a new place, and that it will get better as time goes by. Of course logic and emotions do not always agree.
His classmates are all of a similar age to him. Yesterday there was the skinny white girl who I described a few months ago, and whose name I can't recall, and a little boy named Trey. Poor Trey was still there when I picked up Ruckus last night. This morning Skinny White Girl was missing and there was a big eyed boy named Rodney in her place, and the ever present Trey, who seems like a happy kid.
We'll see how things go today with him, and hopefully the drop gets a little easier for us both as time goes on.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Daycare
Ruckus is 11 months old today!! That is 47 weeks, for those of you keeping track in the most complicated way possible. To celebrate his 'birthday' I dropped him off at daycare, haha! But really, Ruckus started at an in-home daycare last week, and seems to be doing okay with it. Today was his fifth day, and he has yet to cry when I leave, so he either enjoys his time there, or he just is used to me leaving him every day. I'll recap the last couple of weeks for you:
Last Sunday, the 12th we met with Tiffany, who runs the 'daycare', at her house. She was the only one there so I am not sure what her husband is like. The house is a new one and is spotless. It would be pretty hard for a child of my son's size to get into anything harmful, so that is good, and there is a designated playroom which is full of toys. Ruckus seemed to like Tiffany and she showed us what would become his very own bin to keep his spare clothes and diapers in when he comes over to hang out. My husband and I decided that we would try it out for Ruckus, starting with three days a week. For this, she charges $90.
His first day was Wednesday, the 15th. I took him over there on my way to work, and there were a few other children being dropped off at the same time. By some strange coincidence, Tiffany has only ever been hired by parents with boys, so Ruckus may not discover the fairer sex for a few more years. Tiffany has two boys of her own as well, the youngest being 1 and a half and the oldest 2 and a half. So this brings the total to 6 children under age four at any given time. I would charge a lot more than $30 a day if I were watching this many small children. Perhaps you would have to leave your Valium prescription as you drop off your child.
His first day seemed to go well, although he did not have a sufficient nap. I was not surprised, as with any house full of little boys there is a lot of noise and activity, and Ruckus is not used to any of this on a normal day.
The second day was much the same. Ruckus ate well, played nicely, didn't nap much, and didn't drink but a small amount of milk. I took him home and coddled my baby, and he chugged a bottle of milk and dozed for a bit before dinner.
On the third day, Ruckus 'miss-stepped' and had a bruised lower lip when I came to pick him up. Also, he had only managed to drink about five ounces of milk over the course of a nine hour day, which is not much, and significantly less than he drinks during the same time period at home. I think Tiffany may have more children to care for than she has hands to hold bottles.
Over the weekend he did fine, napped well, and drank his milk as normal. So I really do think that not napping and not drinking his milk at daycare is related to the distraction of all of the other boys, and that his caregiver does not have time to hold a bottle in my son's mouth. I am not sure how I feel about this. Naturally, I am concerned, but I am a logical person and of course one woman does not have time to drop everything so she can hold my baby, and 'baby' him in the manner to which he has grown accustomed. She will not have time to rock him to sleep, or hold him as he snores, and he isn't used to sleeping for a long period of time without someone there to soothe him.
These things are not necessarily her shortcomings, but rather they could be (possibly, maybe) habits that my son will have to get over, and grow out of. This is hard for me to admit because my son is my baby. He is not yet a year, just a small boy, and I don't really see the problem in treating him like a baby when it is my option to do so. But I cannot expect others to do so, and this means that I must change my own habits so that he can act and react in a daycare appropriate manner. Children crave consistency and routine and it is much easier on them if things like naps and feedings are handled in the same manner wherever they are spending their time.
I made an effort to put Ruckus in his crib for his naps, and he seemed to do alright for the most part. And I also tried to get him used to a sippy cup with less success. This will be a long process I suspect. I took him back to daycare on Monday, and he had a mostly good day. He seemed tired when he got picked up by his dad, and drank eagerly from his bottle once they got home. He stayed home with dad Tuesday and Wednesday, and I took him back to daycare this morning. He wiggled out of my arms in his eagerness to get started with playtime with the boys so this is a good sign.
Aaaaand I just got a call from my husband who picked him up a few minutes ago, and Tiffany has given us a two week notice to find another daycare. She feels that he is simply too young to be in her care. It seems that I have been correct in thinking that his needs are more than her hands can provide. I am not sure that I will take him back tomorrow, although I do need to take him somewhere. Crap.
Last Sunday, the 12th we met with Tiffany, who runs the 'daycare', at her house. She was the only one there so I am not sure what her husband is like. The house is a new one and is spotless. It would be pretty hard for a child of my son's size to get into anything harmful, so that is good, and there is a designated playroom which is full of toys. Ruckus seemed to like Tiffany and she showed us what would become his very own bin to keep his spare clothes and diapers in when he comes over to hang out. My husband and I decided that we would try it out for Ruckus, starting with three days a week. For this, she charges $90.
His first day was Wednesday, the 15th. I took him over there on my way to work, and there were a few other children being dropped off at the same time. By some strange coincidence, Tiffany has only ever been hired by parents with boys, so Ruckus may not discover the fairer sex for a few more years. Tiffany has two boys of her own as well, the youngest being 1 and a half and the oldest 2 and a half. So this brings the total to 6 children under age four at any given time. I would charge a lot more than $30 a day if I were watching this many small children. Perhaps you would have to leave your Valium prescription as you drop off your child.
His first day seemed to go well, although he did not have a sufficient nap. I was not surprised, as with any house full of little boys there is a lot of noise and activity, and Ruckus is not used to any of this on a normal day.
The second day was much the same. Ruckus ate well, played nicely, didn't nap much, and didn't drink but a small amount of milk. I took him home and coddled my baby, and he chugged a bottle of milk and dozed for a bit before dinner.
On the third day, Ruckus 'miss-stepped' and had a bruised lower lip when I came to pick him up. Also, he had only managed to drink about five ounces of milk over the course of a nine hour day, which is not much, and significantly less than he drinks during the same time period at home. I think Tiffany may have more children to care for than she has hands to hold bottles.
Over the weekend he did fine, napped well, and drank his milk as normal. So I really do think that not napping and not drinking his milk at daycare is related to the distraction of all of the other boys, and that his caregiver does not have time to hold a bottle in my son's mouth. I am not sure how I feel about this. Naturally, I am concerned, but I am a logical person and of course one woman does not have time to drop everything so she can hold my baby, and 'baby' him in the manner to which he has grown accustomed. She will not have time to rock him to sleep, or hold him as he snores, and he isn't used to sleeping for a long period of time without someone there to soothe him.
These things are not necessarily her shortcomings, but rather they could be (possibly, maybe) habits that my son will have to get over, and grow out of. This is hard for me to admit because my son is my baby. He is not yet a year, just a small boy, and I don't really see the problem in treating him like a baby when it is my option to do so. But I cannot expect others to do so, and this means that I must change my own habits so that he can act and react in a daycare appropriate manner. Children crave consistency and routine and it is much easier on them if things like naps and feedings are handled in the same manner wherever they are spending their time.
I made an effort to put Ruckus in his crib for his naps, and he seemed to do alright for the most part. And I also tried to get him used to a sippy cup with less success. This will be a long process I suspect. I took him back to daycare on Monday, and he had a mostly good day. He seemed tired when he got picked up by his dad, and drank eagerly from his bottle once they got home. He stayed home with dad Tuesday and Wednesday, and I took him back to daycare this morning. He wiggled out of my arms in his eagerness to get started with playtime with the boys so this is a good sign.
Aaaaand I just got a call from my husband who picked him up a few minutes ago, and Tiffany has given us a two week notice to find another daycare. She feels that he is simply too young to be in her care. It seems that I have been correct in thinking that his needs are more than her hands can provide. I am not sure that I will take him back tomorrow, although I do need to take him somewhere. Crap.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A-Picnicking We Will Go
Yesterday was my company’s summer picnic so I went home a
little early to change and pick up my boys.
I dressed Ruckus in a blue overall shorts outfit and some matching
sandals and off we went to the park to visit with my coworkers and their
families. This is usually the type of
event I like to avoid because socializing with coworkers and bosses is not
always the best idea for career advancement but now that I have my son it is
more fun to do these sorts of things, as he soaks up the attention lavished on
him and gives me something to do with my hands.
We arrived a little earlier than most people and he was able
to finish the nap he had started on the drive to the park. Everyone cooed over him and marveled at how
big he has grown since they saw him a month or so ago. I’m so glad that other people think my baby
is adorable as I do!
After he woke up we played a little and I took him to sit in
the grass for a bit so he could fully wake up before eating dinner. We ate chicken and ribs and potato salad and
baked beans. Ruckus is still a very good
eater and if I can get the pieces cut up small enough he has no trouble with
the foods I offer him. There are of
course some things I do not give him, for instance, coleslaw, because they are
just too hard to chew using only the front teeth and wouldn’t digest properly
if swallowed whole.
Everyone we sat around was surprised at how well behaved
Ruckus is and that he eats people food and is such a big boy and a handsome
baby. This served as a good reminder of
how very lucky we are to have such a healthy baby who has no food issues, which
is easy to take for granted. He also
seems to take after his daddy who is tall and with a heavy build so he is a big
boy for his age.
After dinner we went over to a couple who have a 12 month
old boy who is all smiles. I asked if he
(Logan) could play with Ruckus for a while and we went and sat the two boys in
the grass so they could get acquainted.
Babies seem to not really play so much as stare at each other, smile,
and try to steal each other’s toys.
Ruckus patted Logan’s clothes a little before taking the crushed water
bottle he was playing with, and then Logan took it back and Ruckus cried for
about five minutes. He clearly is not
used to anything being not his and we will need to work on sharing, haha!
We left soon after as Ruckus was showing signs of being
zombie tired and this is never a good state to be in while in a crowd. We had a nice time and it was good for us all
to see other babies and small children running around, and to be outside of our
element for a little while. It also was
interesting to see Ruckus next to children of approximately the same age to
gain some perspective of how much larger he is than his peers. It is one thing to see the label on his
clothes which now is usually size 18 Months but to physically see him next to a
two year old of about the same size was a bit of an eye opener.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Early Morning
Hmm, where was I? Oh yes, raising Ruckus! Back to it then...
We have been happily going about our daily routines lately. We get up with the sun and the birds while the house is still quiet. I change his diaper and he helps me make coffee, and then we play. Toys sound very loud at this hour. Why do they make children's toys so loud? I have to turn the TV up to 12 to drown them out. Ruckus likes to watch the news with me in the morning, as he tries to bat the coffee cup out of my hand so he can stick his own hand inside of it, and smear it on his clothes.
If it is hot in the house I open up the door and Ruckus will stand there, against the screen door and bang his hands on it, as though he were a prisoner trying to get the guard's attention, and maybe be let out. I think he would like it very much if I would please open the screen so he could explore the front yard, and the road that leads Away, to parts unknown to him except from the back of a car, facing the wrong way round.
After the news I sit him in his booster seat, and he watches me prepare his breakfast, which is usually fruit and yogurt. He cheers all the while, hooting and hollering and most of the time waking everyone in the house with his enthusiasm. Sometimes we listen to music while we eat and if I am cheery I dance for him, which he finds amusing. He likes to take the yogurt coated fruit out of his mouth and play with it for a minute or so before putting it back in and eating it. This tends to be a little messy. Luckily breakfast is served while he is still in his pajamas.
If it is a weekend we do not have to rush so after breakfast I'll clean him up and get him dressed for the day. He likes to chew on the hairbrush after I'm done combing his hair, so I let him as this is a good distraction for him and helps me dress him with less struggle. Clean clothes, clean face and hands, combed hair. He looks like such a gentleman! Now it is time to play. He will start at one end of the room and make a circle around it, visiting with each toy he can reach for a moment or two, making his rounds. When he has run out of toys to say hello to he has to make a choice.
Shall I go back to the kitchen? The dog's food and water is there, and the trash can. Maybe I can have a bite, or tip them over?
Shall I smack the window and try to scare a cat out from under the bushes?
Shall I tug on the trunk of the tree in the corner, and snack on the potting soil beneath?
Perhaps the bathroom door has been carelessly left ajar?
Sometimes he is very good and ignores all of these distractions, and heads for his toy box instead, where he carefully selects a toy to drop on the floor. He doesn't really want to play with that one. He reaches in again for another, and repeats the process, pulling out each toy one by one. It is scary when one of them has been left on and makes noise in there all by itself. If he can get enough of the toys out, he can tear at the paper which lines the box, that makes the most fun noise of all!
After play time with Mommy it is time to play with Daddy, while Mom heads for the shower. Lord knows what goes on in this time. When I am done I open the bedroom door and I can hear little thump, thump, thump noises as Ruckus crawls toward my room. He's coming to see me! He comes around the corner and watches me putting on my makeup. Soon, he is bored with this, and begins to browse the contents of the bathroom.
There isn't much interesting going on from my point of view, but he finds joy through slapping and banging on the toilet lid, and trying to eat my magazines. Poor Better Homes & Gardens has seen better days! Soon enough, he is tugging quietly on the toilet paper roll. He's quick! 30 seconds is all it takes for the roll to be unwound onto the floor. It takes much longer to reel it back up. I hurry up and finish, and scoop him up so I can carry him somewhere more child friendly.
Back to the living room, where his toys wait quietly for him to make his rounds again. He ignores them and heads for the plant. He seems to just be looking at the dirt but don't be fooled! His mouth is already full of it and so is his tiny fist.
It seems as though he is getting into the most trouble when he is tired. Suddenly the toys have all lost their shine and only tugging the dog's ears will do, or splashing in the dog water. He will actually cry if you take the TV remote away from him, or your cellphone. Surely, it is time for a nap now. After a little convincing, an hour of peace is had so that you can 'reset' the house and get ready for round two, which starts at around 10 a.m.
We have been happily going about our daily routines lately. We get up with the sun and the birds while the house is still quiet. I change his diaper and he helps me make coffee, and then we play. Toys sound very loud at this hour. Why do they make children's toys so loud? I have to turn the TV up to 12 to drown them out. Ruckus likes to watch the news with me in the morning, as he tries to bat the coffee cup out of my hand so he can stick his own hand inside of it, and smear it on his clothes.
If it is hot in the house I open up the door and Ruckus will stand there, against the screen door and bang his hands on it, as though he were a prisoner trying to get the guard's attention, and maybe be let out. I think he would like it very much if I would please open the screen so he could explore the front yard, and the road that leads Away, to parts unknown to him except from the back of a car, facing the wrong way round.
After the news I sit him in his booster seat, and he watches me prepare his breakfast, which is usually fruit and yogurt. He cheers all the while, hooting and hollering and most of the time waking everyone in the house with his enthusiasm. Sometimes we listen to music while we eat and if I am cheery I dance for him, which he finds amusing. He likes to take the yogurt coated fruit out of his mouth and play with it for a minute or so before putting it back in and eating it. This tends to be a little messy. Luckily breakfast is served while he is still in his pajamas.
If it is a weekend we do not have to rush so after breakfast I'll clean him up and get him dressed for the day. He likes to chew on the hairbrush after I'm done combing his hair, so I let him as this is a good distraction for him and helps me dress him with less struggle. Clean clothes, clean face and hands, combed hair. He looks like such a gentleman! Now it is time to play. He will start at one end of the room and make a circle around it, visiting with each toy he can reach for a moment or two, making his rounds. When he has run out of toys to say hello to he has to make a choice.
Shall I go back to the kitchen? The dog's food and water is there, and the trash can. Maybe I can have a bite, or tip them over?
Shall I smack the window and try to scare a cat out from under the bushes?
Shall I tug on the trunk of the tree in the corner, and snack on the potting soil beneath?
Perhaps the bathroom door has been carelessly left ajar?
Sometimes he is very good and ignores all of these distractions, and heads for his toy box instead, where he carefully selects a toy to drop on the floor. He doesn't really want to play with that one. He reaches in again for another, and repeats the process, pulling out each toy one by one. It is scary when one of them has been left on and makes noise in there all by itself. If he can get enough of the toys out, he can tear at the paper which lines the box, that makes the most fun noise of all!
After play time with Mommy it is time to play with Daddy, while Mom heads for the shower. Lord knows what goes on in this time. When I am done I open the bedroom door and I can hear little thump, thump, thump noises as Ruckus crawls toward my room. He's coming to see me! He comes around the corner and watches me putting on my makeup. Soon, he is bored with this, and begins to browse the contents of the bathroom.
There isn't much interesting going on from my point of view, but he finds joy through slapping and banging on the toilet lid, and trying to eat my magazines. Poor Better Homes & Gardens has seen better days! Soon enough, he is tugging quietly on the toilet paper roll. He's quick! 30 seconds is all it takes for the roll to be unwound onto the floor. It takes much longer to reel it back up. I hurry up and finish, and scoop him up so I can carry him somewhere more child friendly.
Back to the living room, where his toys wait quietly for him to make his rounds again. He ignores them and heads for the plant. He seems to just be looking at the dirt but don't be fooled! His mouth is already full of it and so is his tiny fist.
It seems as though he is getting into the most trouble when he is tired. Suddenly the toys have all lost their shine and only tugging the dog's ears will do, or splashing in the dog water. He will actually cry if you take the TV remote away from him, or your cellphone. Surely, it is time for a nap now. After a little convincing, an hour of peace is had so that you can 'reset' the house and get ready for round two, which starts at around 10 a.m.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Running Out of Firsts
Yesterday was Independence Day, and I spent it with my husband and son. Nobody else. It was awesome! We weren't really trying to avoid anyone, it just worked out that we had no definite plans and decided to stay at home and take it easy, and this ended up being a very enjoyable way to spend the day.
Ruckus is a handful so it was nice that I was able to stay at home and help my husband with the things that he normally has to handle by himself. I took a bunch of pictures of the baby to commemorate the holiday and many of them turned out great.
We set up the baby's first splash pool on the patio out back and filled it with water to warm in the sun while I fed Ruckus his lunch. He likes squash! A little while after lunch I dressed him in his swim trunks and we trundled out back to get the playtime started. Although he was confused at first he got the hang of the whole outside-bath pretty quickly and enjoyed himself.
After about an hour we decided to wrap it up and go inside, as I seemed to have missed a bit of the babies back with the sunscreen application so he was getting red in patches and I wanted to avoid a sunburn.
After that Ruckus had a glass of milk the hard way which mostly ended up in his lap. We'll need to practice this a little more, or I should say that I need to practice this more, as I'm the one holding the cup as it pours down his face.
Ruckus is a handful so it was nice that I was able to stay at home and help my husband with the things that he normally has to handle by himself. I took a bunch of pictures of the baby to commemorate the holiday and many of them turned out great.
We set up the baby's first splash pool on the patio out back and filled it with water to warm in the sun while I fed Ruckus his lunch. He likes squash! A little while after lunch I dressed him in his swim trunks and we trundled out back to get the playtime started. Although he was confused at first he got the hang of the whole outside-bath pretty quickly and enjoyed himself.
After about an hour we decided to wrap it up and go inside, as I seemed to have missed a bit of the babies back with the sunscreen application so he was getting red in patches and I wanted to avoid a sunburn.
After that Ruckus had a glass of milk the hard way which mostly ended up in his lap. We'll need to practice this a little more, or I should say that I need to practice this more, as I'm the one holding the cup as it pours down his face.
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