The art of saying "NO"

Drew is one smart little cookie. He is also very curious. Hubs and I are beginning to notice that when you combine smart + curious, as parents you start saying "NO" a lot. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it backfires. 

Exhibit A, for instance, when Drew crosses the line from the carpeted living room to the tiled kitchen, we say "Andrew, NO!" in our sternest voices. Many times he will stop, look at us to acknowledge that he heard our command, and 7 times out of 10, he will turn back around and crawl back onto the carpet. Carpet to tile would be an instance where we feel successful that "NO" is working. 

And then comes Exhibit B. We have a laundry basket of Drew's clean, folded clothes that we keep in the living room. It's nice to have some clothes there in case we need a quick change or a burp cloth. Lately, our little man of the house has taken a great interest in the contents of the laundry basket. In days past, he would crawl right by it, barely paying it any notice. Now, he is drawn to it like a magnet. He crawls over, sits next to the laundry basket, and makes eye contact with the adult. Usually, he will keep eye contact as his hand reaches into the basket, pulling out whatever clothes he can find. Hubs and I, in the sternest voices we can muster, say "NO, Andrew. We don't play with clean clothes." We take the clothes out of his hand and put them back in the basket, at which point Drew laughs and reaches in again for whatever he can grab. Unless we are physically laying our arms or legs across the basket, Drew will continue to try to get those clothes out of the basket, as if we are playing the most fun game with him. 

Tonight was one of those nights. Hubs was on the couch and I was on the floor playing with the little rascal. He crawled right over to that basket, looked me square in the eye, reached in and grabbed to his hearts content. In my "mom voice", I looked at him and said, "NO Andrew. NO touching!". Drew laughed and tried it again. I then looked up at my loving, supportive husband...sitting there trying his hardest not to burst out laughing at the entire situation. Of course, I couldn't hold it in either. I started laughing, too. 

I obviously haven't mastered the art of saying "NO" yet. Drew is just too cute and does the funniest things sometimes. 

Caught red handed!

You might think he looks remorseful, but he thinks this is a game!

The holidays and why I love being a mom right now...

What a fun time of year this has been for us as a family. Drew got to celebrate his first Christmas and turned 11 months old right around the same time. I can't believe that later this month he'll be ONE! Time has gone by in a blink.

11 months old (12-27-11)

We spent Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family. Drew had fun getting re-acquainted with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was a little bashful and shy at first, tucking his head into mommy's shoulder. By the end of the night, he was personality plus... babbling away to anyone who would listen, crawling everywhere, and chasing his second cousin, Miriam because he liked her sparkly dress.

Chasing cousin Miriam

Quality time with Auntie Dez and Gramps

Christmas Day was spent at home, relaxing and recuperating as a family, since hubs was sick with the stomach flu and I had just gotten over it on Christmas Eve. Oh what fun! We couldn't wait to see how Drew would react when opening gifts. I wasn't sure if he would want to help open presents, eat the paper, or be completely disengaged from the whole process. He loved it! He helped open gifts and loved ripping the paper off the packages. We had so much fun taking pictures of him opening every present. :)

Christmas morning in front of the tree

Opening presents with Mommy

So happy!

Wooden blocks from Great Grandma Clason

The day after Christmas was spent with my in-laws. Drew tried Grandma's spaghetti for the first time and loved it. He had fun playing with Uncle T. Later in the evening, we were sitting in the living room while Drew was playing by himself with his toys. My mother-in-law and I commented that we were so amazed at his ability to entertain himself and not need our constant attention...another sign of our little guy growing up!

Opening gifts with Daddy

Bottle time with Uncle T

Hubs and I have loved our week off with Drew and with each other. We were able to send him to daycare two days, which was nice. Sometimes you just need a little break! It was nice to go out and have a date day, where we could focus on just "us"...much needed for our relationship.

I am just loving being a mom right now. It's incredible to see Drew picking up new things every day, transitioning from a little baby to a toddler. It's interesting because I'm finding myself second guessing things I'm doing, because what was "routine" before is now becoming uncharted territory. For example, for 6 1/2 months, Drew ate pureed baby foods and loved them. In the past week, he decided he doesn't like it anymore and bats away the spoon before I can even get one bite in his mouth! My saving grace was that he still liked his oatmeal cereal mixed with fruit, but even that has become something he shakes his head "no" at before I can even give him a bite. Now, I'm racking my brain trying to think of what to feed the kid. He has decided that he wants to eat what mommy and daddy eat and has taken great interest in everything we put in our mouths. It's so weird to me that I'm at the stage of preparing and cooking for food for all of us as a family and that he's finally included in our mealtimes.

So far, Drew has tried waffles, scrambled eggs, toast, and pancakes for breakfast. I made him grilled cheese and mac & cheese for lunches this past week. He's had chunks of sweet potato, diced cooked carrots, steamed green beans, shredded cheese, peaches, and sliced banana. One thing I'm thankful for, this kid is not  really that picky and is a good eater. It's kind of fun trying to figure out what to feed him and what he might like. If he doesn't like something or has decided that he's full, he'll shake his head "no" and we know to stop feeding him. The only downside to switching to "real food": I have a huge box of pureed baby foods that I either need to be creative with or donate!

Loving his first taste of mac & cheese (1-1-12)

I love Drew's personality. He is so happy and there is just a light in his eyes that I can't describe. He has a zest for life and loves trying new things. He's not afraid and is very curious about how things work. His smile and laughter can brighten a whole room and improve a bad mood immediately.  I wish I could bottle his energy... he just goes and goes and goes. Hubs and I are having a blast being parents and love learning more about Drew every day. He has brought such joy to our lives over the last year. :)

A little reflection of his Daddy :)

Fun with Mr. Gorilla

Visiting mommy's best friend and Drew's buddies Justin & Jonah

Having fun playing with his new toys!

Gobble, gobble, gobble!

Yesterday was Drew's first Thanksgiving! We spent the day with Bill's family, which was so fun. It was my first time being away from my mom's home cooking for Thanksgiving, so I didn't know what to expect. What a feast we had! Drew got to sample all sorts of yummy things: cheese and crackers, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, corn bread, cheesecake, jello... we were all stuffed afterward!

Serious little turkey

He has no idea how much fun he's about to have

 It was so nice to see Bill's family. Everyone commented on how big Drew is getting and how they can't believe that he'll be 1 in two months. He had so much fun being passed around and Grandma Pantuso kept him close to her so that mommy and daddy could relax and enjoy themselves. He even took a nice long nap, which was so appreciated since he was bound to be off his schedule. By the end of the night, everyone was surprised that he was so well behaved and so happy the entire time.

Grandma Pantuso's little buddy

Yum! Mashed potatoes! 

So thankful for a break!

Playing piano with Bill's Uncle Joe

Thankful for our little family

Drew (almost 10 months old) and Domynic (4 months old)

I just couldn't be more thankful for this little guy. He brings joy to everyone he comes in contact with!

Thankful to be Drew's mommy :)

9 month pics & well (sick) visit

This past weekend we took Drew for his 9 month pictures. We went to Portrait Innovations again because we absolutely loved his 6 month session. Our experience this time was different, but good. First, they were SO busy. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE was there getting Christmas pictures taken. Poor Drew, he was so overstimulated! There were kids everywhere! 

By the time we started his session, Drew was checked out. He was fussy and just wanted to be clingy with me. We did get some good fall shots and some cute Christmas shots, so overall, I was happy. He's such a photogenic kid and he just wins the hearts of everyone he comes in contact with. 

I'm not posting the Christmas photos until it's closer to Christmas though! I'm just not in holiday mode yet! :)

Today, Drew was scheduled for his 9 month well visit checkup. Hubs and I have been so excited to see what his official measurements are, since he's just growing like a weed. Well, true to form lately, the well visit turned into a sick visit. Last week, Drew caught pinkeye from the kids at daycare. We did the eye drops and he seemed to be doing fine. This morning, hubs went in to get Drew up for the day and his left eye was almost completely swollen shut. He looked like he had been in a fight! So, I called the pediatrician (who is probably tired of seeing the Pantuso family) and he said to bring him in earlier. 

Turns out the swollen eye was a result of the pinkeye and so back on another oral antibiotic he goes! 

Other than that, he seems to be doing great. He's growing and developing well, and the pediatrician thinks we'll have a walker on our hands soon. 

Weight:  23.2 lbs (75th percentile)

Length: 30 inches (90th percentile)

Head circumference: 20 inches (off the charts due to his big brain- LOL!)

Weight to length ratio: 60th percentile

Drew has 4 little teeth now and is crawling all over the place. It's finally time to baby-proof the house, as Drew seems ultra-interested in electrical outlets and things that he shouldn't have. He's pulling up on everything and will stand and play with his toys. He loves food and will try just about anything. We're so excited for his first Thanksgiving next week. He's at such a fun age right now. I just love watching him develop and I feel like I am seeing the world through new eyes when I am with him. 

Mommy's date at the middle school dance

Standing!

Big boy playing with his toys

Poor swollen eye (look at those teeth, though!)

9 months and it feels like a blink!

I say it every time I write a new blog, but I just cannot believe that our little guy is 9 months old already! Hubs and I look at each other every day and say, "How did he get so big?!?" It seems like everything is happening at once these days. Just within the past week he turned 9 months, cut his first two teeth, and started crawling! We feel like we've been waiting for the latter of the two to happen for a long time now.

9 months old (10-27-11)

It seems like Drew has been teething since he was about 4 months old. The pediatrician kept telling us the "nubs" were there, but there were never any teeth. Finally, two weekends ago, Drew was gumming on my hand. I didn't feel any teeth, but he pinched me SO hard with his gums that my hand bruised! I knew those little buggers had to be coming in soon. Sure enough, last week, he put my finger in his mouth and I was greeted with the sharp little poke of a bottom tooth. His gums are sensitive, so he won't let me touch his mouth to look. We have to wait for big smiles or a good laugh to see those pearly whites. I'm not sure how long it takes for the teeth to come in all the way, but it sure will be interesting to see what he looks like with teeth.

It's hard to see, but there are 2 little white chompers coming in!

Drew has also started crawling (finally!!!). We've loved having him stationary, but seeing all the other babies at daycare crawling really made me want Drew to start moving too. He's so big for his age, that his size plays into it.... especially that big head! It is so hard for him to pick that noggin up and hold it while crawling. I don't blame him for not wanting to try until absolutely necessary! He's still in the "novice" stage, where it's a mixture of army crawling on his belly to crawling on all fours. He gets tired easily and hasn't figured out how to return to a sitting position after he's done. Usually, he'll just stop and flop himself down on the floor, whimpering for someone to help him out.

On the move!

We've had to take Drew to the doctor a few times in the last month. He was on breathing treatments for bronchiolitus (baby bronchitis) and he's on an antibiotic now for an ear infection. He's so mellow and happy though, you'd never know he was sick unless he was running a temp. When we took him to the pediatrician, he weighed in at 22 pounds. What a big boy! Needless to say, he's graduated from 9 month clothes to 12 month clothes. Hopefully he doesn't keep this growth pattern up, or else he might become the Hulk!

Last time, I wrote about my love/hate relationship with daycare. Even though Drew is exposed to all kinds of germs, we are so happy we put him in daycare. I think it is so good for him socially. All of the teachers love him, even the ones that don't run his classroom. People I don't even know say hi to him and give him a squeeze as we're coming or going. He's definitely loved! Hubs and I love watching him with the other babies, too. They are so curious about each other, grabbing each others faces and laughing at each other. It really is cute.

It's so fun having a 9 month old. Drew has the best personality and we can take him anywhere. It's also fun taking him to restaurants because now he can eat some "real" food. It cracks us up to see his facial expressions when he tries new foods. He's tried scrambled eggs and toast, cheese, noodles, crackers, melon, apple, chicken... he loves it all! I don't think we have a picky eater on our hands.

                                                 Funny video of Drew laughing at Daddy

We're also so excited for the holidays with our little one. I keep telling Bill, "I can't wait for Christmas!". He just looks at me like I'm crazy and tells me to simmer down. With Halloween coming up, we can't wait for our little monkey to help us hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. I couldn't resist buying him a costume for his first Halloween.

Monkey baby! 

It's just so fun seeing him get excited about things and to see his personality shine through. He laughs at the funniest things and is quickly becoming a "mama's boy". He reaches out his arms when he wants me to pick him up and smiles when I walk in the room (and whines when I walk out!). It truly is a joy being Drew's mommy and my life certainly would not be as fulfilling if he weren't a part of it!

Playing in his jumperoo

First time at the park (10-8-11)

Ready for Halloween! (10-28-11)

My love/hate relationship with daycare

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last baby blog. Time sure does fly!

I'm back to work now. Sweet summer vacation has ended and school is back in session. I loved having my summer with baby Drew. To me, it was like a second chance at my maternity leave... except MUCH more enjoyable! I love that hubs and I are no longer in "survival" mode with Drew. We are truly enjoying every moment with him that we can.

We decided to send Drew to daycare part-time when I went back to work. My parents can no longer watch Drew during the week and we figured that a little socialization would do him good. We researched daycare facilites in our area for a long time and went on several tours to find the right one. I kept saying that I was going on a "feeling".... that I would know which one was "the one" when I left feeling peaceful. The minute we walked into Small Wonders, I knew it was the one! It was a teacher's dream.... his classroom was so organized and all the providers seemed so caring and friendly. We ended up enrolling him for 3 days/week, with Bill's parents picking up the other two days. Drew is so happy when we pick him up from daycare. I'm so glad that he seems so happy there!

Second day of daycare- "See ya later, Mom!"

On the flip side, the bad side of daycare is the germs. Little Drew had been living in a bubble for almost 7 months before going to daycare. His second day there, they called me to say he had a fever and needed to be picked up. I had a feeling it wouldn't take long for him to pick up someone else's "ickies"! So now, we can say that we've dealt with his first cold. A baby with a fever is never a fun thing. I hated seeing him with no personality. He was just listless and not himself. After some infant Tylenol and some TLC, the fever broke and his personality started coming back. We noticed symptoms that were lasting longer than a week though, and after 2 weeks of sniffles and a cough, we took him to the doctor. Lo and behold, there was an underlying ear infection too. He was put on an antibiotic and we started seeing improvements. The next day, daycare called me to say he had weird rashy welts all over his bottom. Immediately, I thought it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. We called the pediatrician, who agreed to see Andrew the next day. When it rains, it pours! The welts ended up being a skin reaction to the antibiotic, so we were given a different antibiotic ointment to apply to the skin reaction. Wowzers! We've been so busy administering medicine to the little guy lately! We just want him to be better and healthy. Oh daycare, how I love and and loathe you at the same time!

Mommy's first day of school... coming home to a sniffly but smiley baby!

The little man of the house is almost 8 months old now. The days are passing so quickly, that sometimes I actually have to stop and think about how old he is! When we took him to the pediatrician for his ear infection, he weighed in at 21lbs 10oz. Big boy! He's wearing 9 month clothes, some of which are getting pretty tight. He's still eating really well... 30oz. of formula a day, oatmeal cereal mixed with bananas, baby yogurt (which he loves... and when he burps, it smells like blueberries for several hours after eating the yogurt..lol), and stage 2 fruits and veggies. He still turns his nose up at the green veggies (peas and green beans), so I've started buying him the orange mixed veggies (with peas included) to trick him. So far, it's working.

We've also been experimenting with other foods too, since he's mashing foods in his jaw, almost as if he's chewing. He's tried mashed potatoes (loved), mashed banana (hated), canteloupe and watermelon (loved), yogurt melts and baby puffs (loved), and Cheerios (loved). As you can see... there's not much that this boy will not eat. He's definitely not a picky eater!

These things are great! Now, if I could only get them in my mouth....

I'm beginning to wonder if there has ever been a baby that never got teeth. This guy is still toothless! Those pearly whites are taking their time. Meanwhile, Drew is a drooling mess and has been gumming down on just about anything he can get in his mouth. The pediatrician says that the "nubs" are there. Time will tell when those little teethies pop through.

No signs of crawling yet, although he is now frequently rolling from back to tummy and from tummy to back. I attribute the difficulty crawling to his big head. The poor guy just can't lift it up long enough to get anywhere. By the time he's got his head and chest off the floor, he's so bone tired that he just flops himself back on the ground, rolls over and is done with the whole thing. We'll see if this crawling business ever gets going. He's still sleeping great, though (thank goodness!) He goes to bed at about 7 or 7:30pm each night and gets up around 6am. We've noticed the days of sleeping on his back are done. Drew is now a side and belly sleeper.

Sleeping on his tummy

These days are so fun, and now that I'm back to work, I am really cherishing my time with him. I had so many reservations about daycare- "They're going to raise my baby!", "They're going see him crawl before I do!", "He's not going to know who I am anymore!". I realized I don't have to worry about those things. When I pick him up from daycare, all the worries fade away. Drew hears my voice, looks at me, recognizes that I'm his mommy, and his whole face lights up in laughter. That's all I can ask for.

Big boy in the cart... shopping with Mommy at Target

Hangin' with Daddy on one of the last nice days of summer

Uh guys...I'm still too little for this chair!

Mommy's going to work and Drew's going to daycare!