Ruckus is now seven months old and growing his third tooth. He seems determined not to take a break for a while so we are just having to bear with his moodiness. Luckily he is so sweet and loveable 90% of the time that a little moodiness is really no big deal.
Also offering no break is his eczema, which I mistakenly thought was magically going away. No such luck! His face is just as red and itchy as ever and he seems as though he might tear off his cheeks if he can figure out how to do it. Pity. He is such a good looking child (to me) and it is hard for people to see past the blotchy redness on his face, completely with scabby scratches on top. Attractive!
We are only a few days away from our move now and Ruckus seems to be adjusting well to having the house decorated with boxes everywhere, and the general disruption of our routines and furniture arrangement. We shall see how well he does at our new house. He has spent a good deal of time there already but we have not stayed the night so I suspect we are in for a trying time while he gets used to the new surroundings.
He has developed some new greedy habits, and I'm not really sure if it is just a baby thing or if it is related to being an only child. If he gets his sticky little hands on something inappropriate and you take it away he throws a fit complete with screaming, whining and kicking his feet. It is extremely charming behavior. I think that it is about time to send him to daycare so that he can develop some social skills before arriving at preschool in a couple years with a mountain of selfish behavior to be whittled down.
And speaking of daycare, this is likely going to happen this summer, as his dad needs to get back into a work-a-day routine. Staying home and watching our baby has been good for his dad but he isn't the sort of personality that is content with this sort of work. I am thankful that he has done it this long.
My Ruckus will be going to my cousin's house this weekend while we move our house three doors down. I am grateful that we have a family member close by who is willing to help us out with childcare, as I don't know how I would juggle carrying furniture with carrying a baby, or trying not to let people step on him as they lug our things down the street. Thank you cousin!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Easter Vacation
We decided to take Ruckus to visit my brothers for his first Easter, and we had a very nice time. My brothers live about eight hours from us so it was a long road trip, and the first time Ruckus had spent more than an hour in the car so it was quite the daunting task. We spent the week before packing and thinking of every possible snag that could befall us on a road trip with a baby, and tried to prevent these disasters or pack for the occasions should they arise. The final gear list was fairly daunting but we managed to squeeze it all in to the Jeep.
Saturday morning dawned and we all bathed (separately) and loaded up the car. Last in was Ruckus, and he promptly fell asleep for the first four hours of the trip. What a relief! Visions and nightmares of a scream-a-thon had been filling my head for weeks so to have our baby happily snoozing in the back was a welcome surprise. The peace could not last the full eight hours of course, and we stopped halfway through to break for lunch and some wiggle time. Ruckus took another nap until we were about an hour away so the first leg of our adventure was marked as a success. He cried the rest of the way there, even through a desperate gas stop and our exclamations of "Look honey! The Beach!!" No matter. We got to my youngest brother's house unscathed, and relaxed there for the night. We visited with my brother and his family, then Daddy, baby and I all crammed in to a full sized bed for the night. Cozy!
Sunday morning was Easter so I dressed Ruckus in his best clothes, even though we were headed to breakfast and then the beach, before an afternoon barbecue. We had trouble finding an open restaurant for breakfast, probably because it was a holiday, but ultimately ate at The Girls Restaurant. It was busy but we were seated right away and put Ruckus in a greasy high chair. We ordered up and Ruckus helped me eat my biscuits and gravy. It was good and he really seemed to enjoy it. We got a little on his pants but no matter, onward!
We headed to Pismo Beach and paid for parking, then loaded Ruckus into the stroller and walked down the pier, looking down on the surfers. It was cold and windy but we had the baby wrapped up well so he didn't fuss or seem uncomfortable. After a little walking on the pier and some photos we went down the steps to the sand, and strolled along the water line, looking at the waves. Ruckus seemed absolutely fascinated by the waves, watching them come and go, and seeing the birds dip and turn in the wind. I picked up a small seashell for him which I'll give him many years from now as a memento of his first trip to see the ocean.
We all got cold fairly quickly so we loaded back into the car, and headed up the coast a short way to Avila Beach, at the Port of San Luis. We parked near the fishing pier and walked almost to the end, to the fish market. Ruckus was asleep for this part of the adventure so he missed seeing how pretty the Port was with all of the fishing boats and yachts nearby. I bought some live crabs to take to the bbq, and we headed south to Santa Maria, a little less than an hour away. By now the day had warmed considerably, and we enjoyed the sunny weather and the backyard bbq. I took a few pictures of Ruckus sitting on the grass, his first time ever touching this strange green stuff, and being outside without several layers on. It was a very cute thing to see him pulling on the blades, not quite understanding that with a little determination he could pull it up.
After the bbq we went to my oldest brother's house in Casmalia and saw his chickens and turkeys, and the cows in the distance, dotting pretty green hills. Ruckus met all of these new things with wide eyes and seemed fascinated with the fire pit we all huddled around after the dark and cold set in. After spending a little time visiting we called it a night and all snuggled together in one bed, comforted by the heat of a nearby portable radiator.
The next morning dawned damp and cold, so we bundled Ruckus up for the next leg of our road trip, down to visit an old friend of mine in Indio, CA. We left around 11 am and headed south along the coast at first, then through the busy freeway changes in Los Angeles. Ruckus slept through the most stressful parts of this journey, thankfully, and we found our way to Indio in about 5 hours. We were greeted by my friend's two Great Danes who were very sweet, and treated to a nice steak dinner with a pasta salad that Ruckus could not get enough of. I had him sitting in my lap and every time I lifted the fork his mouth flew open for more, whether that particular bite was intended for him or not. It was very cute! After a nice visit and some time spent enjoying the warm weather on the back porch we said goodnight to my friends and snuggled together in their guest house. The night wasn't particularly restful but at least we got to sleep in!
Because it was so warm Ruckus got to wear shorts for our day's adventures which started with a drive through Joshua Tree National Park. He slept through most of it, waking only long enough to poop his shorts and necessitate a roadside cleanup and wardrobe change.
Our next stop took us to a burger stand where Ruckus enjoyed a bottle, and then a nap. He slept through our visit to a local park, and woke up cranky for our nature hike in Morongo Valley. It was muggy and buggy out and he refused to not cry in his stroller which really upset the bird watchers, so I carried him for most of the trek. Luckily the trail we had picked was short. Once we got back to the car I set up a little baby picnic and fought the bugs off as I gave Ruckus his lunch. Finally, lunch finished, it was time for us to make the return trip north to Casmalia so we loaded up the car and headed out.
Our second trip through Los Angeles was not too bad, traffic wise, and Ruckus alternated napping with screaming. He seemed like he was really tired of being in his car seat by this time. Five hours later we finally arrived, dripping wet from roadside diaper changes in the pouring rain. We dried off and I gave Ruckus his dinner and rocked him to sleep.
The next morning it was time to head home, so we loaded up the car for the last time and started the long journey north. We were all tired and ready for the comforts of home but we had many hours on the road ahead of us. Ruckus was cranky all day long as we wound our way through several rain showers and pit stops for diaper changes. He ate his lunch on the road and this was very messy and difficult for his dad. The final mountain range we had to cross waited for us with a snow surprise and we were forced to slow to a crawl to get over the summit, all while Ruckus screamed to Get Out, Get Free! Many hours after we had started, we were finally home. The baby smiled broadly as we walked in, and I knew that he was just as happy to be there as we were.
After unpacking all of the gear from the car I realized just how much stuff we took and used, and the few things we took and didn't. His playpen was dragged through all 1,900 miles and never unfolded, and the portable dvd player was watched for a whopping five minutes. I think he is just too young for movies, even being bored in the car. Most of his toys were played with, and he ate most of the jars of baby food I brought. The stroller was taken out twice but only sat in once. The big blanket was used only once for a roadside picnic lunch when no tables were available but grass was. His snow suit was never worn but I think it was good to have taken it anyway, in case we had car trouble or a cold snap. His sunglasses were completely forgotten about, in spite of much of the trip being sunny enough to need them.
All in all it was a great trip, but I think it was too much time away from home for the baby, particularly being so young. Plus, we brought home a cold as a souvenir.
Saturday morning dawned and we all bathed (separately) and loaded up the car. Last in was Ruckus, and he promptly fell asleep for the first four hours of the trip. What a relief! Visions and nightmares of a scream-a-thon had been filling my head for weeks so to have our baby happily snoozing in the back was a welcome surprise. The peace could not last the full eight hours of course, and we stopped halfway through to break for lunch and some wiggle time. Ruckus took another nap until we were about an hour away so the first leg of our adventure was marked as a success. He cried the rest of the way there, even through a desperate gas stop and our exclamations of "Look honey! The Beach!!" No matter. We got to my youngest brother's house unscathed, and relaxed there for the night. We visited with my brother and his family, then Daddy, baby and I all crammed in to a full sized bed for the night. Cozy!
Sunday morning was Easter so I dressed Ruckus in his best clothes, even though we were headed to breakfast and then the beach, before an afternoon barbecue. We had trouble finding an open restaurant for breakfast, probably because it was a holiday, but ultimately ate at The Girls Restaurant. It was busy but we were seated right away and put Ruckus in a greasy high chair. We ordered up and Ruckus helped me eat my biscuits and gravy. It was good and he really seemed to enjoy it. We got a little on his pants but no matter, onward!
We headed to Pismo Beach and paid for parking, then loaded Ruckus into the stroller and walked down the pier, looking down on the surfers. It was cold and windy but we had the baby wrapped up well so he didn't fuss or seem uncomfortable. After a little walking on the pier and some photos we went down the steps to the sand, and strolled along the water line, looking at the waves. Ruckus seemed absolutely fascinated by the waves, watching them come and go, and seeing the birds dip and turn in the wind. I picked up a small seashell for him which I'll give him many years from now as a memento of his first trip to see the ocean.
We all got cold fairly quickly so we loaded back into the car, and headed up the coast a short way to Avila Beach, at the Port of San Luis. We parked near the fishing pier and walked almost to the end, to the fish market. Ruckus was asleep for this part of the adventure so he missed seeing how pretty the Port was with all of the fishing boats and yachts nearby. I bought some live crabs to take to the bbq, and we headed south to Santa Maria, a little less than an hour away. By now the day had warmed considerably, and we enjoyed the sunny weather and the backyard bbq. I took a few pictures of Ruckus sitting on the grass, his first time ever touching this strange green stuff, and being outside without several layers on. It was a very cute thing to see him pulling on the blades, not quite understanding that with a little determination he could pull it up.
After the bbq we went to my oldest brother's house in Casmalia and saw his chickens and turkeys, and the cows in the distance, dotting pretty green hills. Ruckus met all of these new things with wide eyes and seemed fascinated with the fire pit we all huddled around after the dark and cold set in. After spending a little time visiting we called it a night and all snuggled together in one bed, comforted by the heat of a nearby portable radiator.
The next morning dawned damp and cold, so we bundled Ruckus up for the next leg of our road trip, down to visit an old friend of mine in Indio, CA. We left around 11 am and headed south along the coast at first, then through the busy freeway changes in Los Angeles. Ruckus slept through the most stressful parts of this journey, thankfully, and we found our way to Indio in about 5 hours. We were greeted by my friend's two Great Danes who were very sweet, and treated to a nice steak dinner with a pasta salad that Ruckus could not get enough of. I had him sitting in my lap and every time I lifted the fork his mouth flew open for more, whether that particular bite was intended for him or not. It was very cute! After a nice visit and some time spent enjoying the warm weather on the back porch we said goodnight to my friends and snuggled together in their guest house. The night wasn't particularly restful but at least we got to sleep in!
Because it was so warm Ruckus got to wear shorts for our day's adventures which started with a drive through Joshua Tree National Park. He slept through most of it, waking only long enough to poop his shorts and necessitate a roadside cleanup and wardrobe change.
Our next stop took us to a burger stand where Ruckus enjoyed a bottle, and then a nap. He slept through our visit to a local park, and woke up cranky for our nature hike in Morongo Valley. It was muggy and buggy out and he refused to not cry in his stroller which really upset the bird watchers, so I carried him for most of the trek. Luckily the trail we had picked was short. Once we got back to the car I set up a little baby picnic and fought the bugs off as I gave Ruckus his lunch. Finally, lunch finished, it was time for us to make the return trip north to Casmalia so we loaded up the car and headed out.
Our second trip through Los Angeles was not too bad, traffic wise, and Ruckus alternated napping with screaming. He seemed like he was really tired of being in his car seat by this time. Five hours later we finally arrived, dripping wet from roadside diaper changes in the pouring rain. We dried off and I gave Ruckus his dinner and rocked him to sleep.
The next morning it was time to head home, so we loaded up the car for the last time and started the long journey north. We were all tired and ready for the comforts of home but we had many hours on the road ahead of us. Ruckus was cranky all day long as we wound our way through several rain showers and pit stops for diaper changes. He ate his lunch on the road and this was very messy and difficult for his dad. The final mountain range we had to cross waited for us with a snow surprise and we were forced to slow to a crawl to get over the summit, all while Ruckus screamed to Get Out, Get Free! Many hours after we had started, we were finally home. The baby smiled broadly as we walked in, and I knew that he was just as happy to be there as we were.
After unpacking all of the gear from the car I realized just how much stuff we took and used, and the few things we took and didn't. His playpen was dragged through all 1,900 miles and never unfolded, and the portable dvd player was watched for a whopping five minutes. I think he is just too young for movies, even being bored in the car. Most of his toys were played with, and he ate most of the jars of baby food I brought. The stroller was taken out twice but only sat in once. The big blanket was used only once for a roadside picnic lunch when no tables were available but grass was. His snow suit was never worn but I think it was good to have taken it anyway, in case we had car trouble or a cold snap. His sunglasses were completely forgotten about, in spite of much of the trip being sunny enough to need them.
All in all it was a great trip, but I think it was too much time away from home for the baby, particularly being so young. Plus, we brought home a cold as a souvenir.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
A Friend For A Tooth
We have struggled for months with my son's eczema. I've invested many dollars in supposed cures and none of them have worked even a little, yet we have smeared them on several times a day while crossing our fingers and hopping on one foot, and chanting secret words in the hopes that one day, it will all come together and his face will be 'pretty' once again. All for naught. His pediatrician recommended that we try Curel's hand cream, a 99 cent purchase I made at a grocery store, and within a week his face is looking 100% better. For less than a dollar. Hurray! I am, of course, upset that I have spent and wasted so much money for nothing up to this point, on the advice of a different pediatrician, but I'll just have to get over that. His eczema is by no means gone but there is marked improvement and that gives us hope.
For about a month my son has been growing his first tooth. It broke the skin after a doozy of a couple of days filled with screaming and fussiness and general exasperation on the part of his parents. We were much relieved when it finally made an appearance and things settled down to a more manageable level of noise. The past couple of weeks have been spent feeling it, rubbing it, and watching its slow upward progress as it makes its presence more apparent. Speculation abounded on when its neighbor, tooth number two, would join its trail blazing brethren.
The wait is over! Tooth Number Two has arrived, and none too soon. The crankiness was turned up a notch over this past weekend and not much sleep has been had, but thankfully it was all for a good reason and not just my child being moody and hard to deal with. Last night in particular was the stuff that terrible parenting type movies are made of. Ruckus cried and fussed long into the night, and refused the comforts of his father in spite of the fact that Mom had to get up and greet the world today. So I'm greeting the world on four hours sleep. Sure, faces are a little blurry at this level of sleep deprivation but I know that this too shall pass. At least until the next two teeth decide to make an appearance. I'm not sure if I should hope for one at a time in order or two at once next time to get the torture over with more quickly! Regardless, the first tooth now has a friend and we will all (hopefully) sleep a little easier tonight.
For about a month my son has been growing his first tooth. It broke the skin after a doozy of a couple of days filled with screaming and fussiness and general exasperation on the part of his parents. We were much relieved when it finally made an appearance and things settled down to a more manageable level of noise. The past couple of weeks have been spent feeling it, rubbing it, and watching its slow upward progress as it makes its presence more apparent. Speculation abounded on when its neighbor, tooth number two, would join its trail blazing brethren.
The wait is over! Tooth Number Two has arrived, and none too soon. The crankiness was turned up a notch over this past weekend and not much sleep has been had, but thankfully it was all for a good reason and not just my child being moody and hard to deal with. Last night in particular was the stuff that terrible parenting type movies are made of. Ruckus cried and fussed long into the night, and refused the comforts of his father in spite of the fact that Mom had to get up and greet the world today. So I'm greeting the world on four hours sleep. Sure, faces are a little blurry at this level of sleep deprivation but I know that this too shall pass. At least until the next two teeth decide to make an appearance. I'm not sure if I should hope for one at a time in order or two at once next time to get the torture over with more quickly! Regardless, the first tooth now has a friend and we will all (hopefully) sleep a little easier tonight.
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