Weeks 32 - 34

Things I have learned:

It’s has now been tested and proven that no child likes to fall asleep on a long car ride -from warm New York to frigid Montreal – only to be woken up at midnight by a blast of cold air. If you do this, said child will most likely yell at you until 1:30am. Trust me. I know.

Things not to do: Leave on a long 7 hour car ride with no diapers packed at all. This will result in a trip to Walmart in the middle of nowhere in which the shoppers make you feel like you’re trapped in the movie Deliverance.

Sammy is now eating cheerios. I’m only mildly disturbed when I see people feeding Sammy like he’s in a petting zoo. I prefer to let him pick them up himself but hey, that’s just me.

Sammy apparently has no regard for the cost of dry cleaning. How does he know exactly when to spit up milk on me?

Sammy has really upped the ante with his babbling. He’s started to say bababababa, dadadadada or mamamamama depending on the situation. This is where we’ve gotten into trouble. It seems that when he’s in a good mood he says “dadadadadadada” and when he’s pissed (read: nap time) he says “mamamamama”. Suffice it to say, Danielle is thrilled.

When I was little, my dad used to motivate me to crawl by holding a shiny watch in front of me and moving it. This decidedly did not go over well with one Samson E. Kroo.

Danielle and I are having a debate over what nicknames are appropriate. Here are some that I’ve been using: Wild Bill, Champ, Mexican Jumping Bean (when he’s standing up he just bounces up and down laughing!). Danielle is really pushing for Short Stack. When I hear that, I don’t really think about a short stack of pancakes as she envisions. We’re open to your thoughts. What do you think about Short Stack?

Remember how I thought Sammy was teething several weeks ago? I may have been wrong. Now I really think he’s going at it. The evidence:

           -          Drool factory output is like Niagara Falls

           -          Occasionally it looks like Sammy is wearing rouge

           -          Now when I pick him up he’ll open his mouth as wide as possible and proceed to gnaw on my shoulder for 5 seconds. This is particularly humorous.

It has taken 2 weeks but our young Padawan has increased the amount of Cheerios that make it in mouth vs. on face/floor from 5% to 50%. An important skill!

Things that don’t end well: Accidentally putting a size 3 diaper on your child when they really should be a size 4. Right before they go to bed. Well, that sucked big time.

I took Sammy to the park 2 weeks ago on an unseasonably warm day in December. Still, it’s not a good idea for Sammy to lick the metal chain that holds a swing in the winter right? Pretty sure I saw that scene in Dumb and Dumber and it did not go well.

So….We have not learned to appreciate the fun of slides yet (see picture below). We’re not upset by the slide, but we definitely do not care about it.

What we have done is master the holding of one’s own bottle during feedings. Yes!!!!!

Chanukah with kids is awesome.

Did Samson’s feet even touch the ground when he visited (read: was spoiled) Sabbah and Savtah in Montreal last weekend? It would seem not. You know it’s bad when I text our nanny with an apology in advance of our return home.

Samson has an extreme mastery of moving backwards: whether in his walker or trying to crawl. He excels in this regard. We’re working on forwards…

New game I’m not completely in love with: The “hey thanks for handing me a toy I’m going to get really excited for a second then chuck it on the floor then wish I had it back” game. Yippee.

Important statistics we are tracking:

      

-          # trips to Brooklyn: 2

      -          Most cheerios stuck to face at one time: 3

      -          # of poopy diapers we have convinced my sister to change to date: ZERO (time to step up!)

      -          Number of staring contests won vs. Zaide (great grandfather): 1

      -     Weight: 23lbs (97th percentile) ; Height: 30 inches (97th percentile)

      -     # of times the doctor told me Sammy was not fat (I know): 1 - she said lots of parents think their kids are fat? I actually think he's gotten thinner (although those little legs :)  )

      -     # of times the doctor told me I was a crazy parent: 2 (what!?!)

      Pictures for your amusement:

The Giants saved their season and beat Dallas in ridiculously dramatic fashion. Sammy, uh, was not caring much.

Fun with Aunty Gavy at the park

So the slide is not exciting. Got it.

Mr. popular....

With pal Nora

The boys having fun.

S-WEET!

practice makes perfect

Got something on your face there, Bud.

Chanukah with Kenia and pal Nora

Chanukah presents!

Chilling with Johnny

You will eventually have to step up beyond feedings and change a poopy diaper!

This picture did not turn out as planned

Say hello to winter in Montreal

Big day. First Giants game with Aunt Gavy and Sabbah

You have to sweet talk Sammy before he will let himself be bundled up to take on frigid Montreal

Staring contest with Zaide

Sammy meets Ryan and Ethan!

Comparing feet sizes with Ronnie

Motivational work with Sabbah. This did not go well.

I'm starting to think Sammy looks like me (poor guy). What's crazy  about the pictures is that there is one constant. And it is not Danielle. Pretty crazy to think about. Top: Dec 2011. Bottom: Sept 1980.

 The little laugher part 2

Week 31: The Dinosaur Squawk

Things I have learned:

Thanksgiving was my first plane ride with Sammy. I distinctly recall how much stuff  we (read: Sammy)took with us on our first weekend trip. The car was overflowing. How does this translate to an airport? It translates to Danielle, Sammy and I occupying the entire x-ray line from the conveyer belt all the way to the tubs – and a TFA agent mocking me for having the same amount of junk as a large family. UGH.

On to the actual plane ride – I was really worried. Good thing Sammy is the friendliest child on earth – as he decided to have a coughing fit while we were delayed for 30 minutes on the tarmac (!!!) he would calmly smile at other passengers to melt their anger in between hacking. 

Just as Sammy was starting to get fussy – magic happened. The plane engine turned on and voila! Apparently that sound is like the womb, because Sammy passed out literally instantly, and remained that way until we landed. I need to get some intense plan engine sounds for when he takes naps apparently.

Have you ever seen a poop where the diaper is clean but the, uh,  pants and legs are not? Ummm….me neither?

You may notice form some pictures that Sammy has decided that in a continued effort to look tough he will take his razor sharp nails and scratch his face. Always in the same spot. Every day. Without fail. Trying to scar himself. Because it’s “fun”.  I’m now really concerned because the other day I caught him literally sharpening his nails on my jeans.

We thought about giving Sammy some serious thanksgiving food to help him celebrate his first one. You know, turkey, green bean casserole…the works. In the end he got….you guessed right! Baby food! At least we got him some baby food yams.

Sammy made a new discovery – it was the notion that he can squawk like a dinosaur at the top of his lungs. He has several sounds – pterodactyl, triceratops, T-Rex – you name it. This is all fine and good until you remember that you still have a plane ride back. With the Squawker.

And then it dons on you: I don’t mind (or care) that my kid is squawking or even crying on a plane. I am so numb to those sounds that I hardly notice. Not minding the sound of crying on the plane. I guess if it’s your kid…

Is there any worse decision to have to make than when you walk into your child’s room at midnight to do the obligatory “they’re still really cute” check and find that they’ve pooped? Do you wake them up and risk their anger? Or do you let them sleep through it (in it). Danielle and I decided to collaborate on a surgical procedure to make the change while keeping him asleep. In one of the most intense parenting moments yet….success!!!

New foods of the week: Cheerios! (Watching Sammy with these was hilarious.), yogurt, pasta!

Samson will literally put EVERYTHING in his mouth. He has zero discretion. The only thing he will not put in his mouth? Ummm….food? We sat trying to show him how to put the cheerios in his mouth for a ½ hour to absolutely no avail.  Same thing with eggs – he picks them up and plays with them but will absolutely not put them in his mouth. He does, however, like them in his lap.

The best thing about the cheerios is the “magic” cheerio trick. This is where all the cheerios get stuck in his hand and he can’t find them. Just when he’s getting really confused they magically fall out of his hand an appear! Video below for your amusment.

In other disturbing news of the week - Our young Padawan did not realize while we were away that Kenia was not with us. but oh - when we got home he was going to make sure she never left him again! Every time she put him down he would yell. When she would be out of his sight line....yell. Now, I thought this would die down after a day or two but when he woke up from his nap on Friday and Kenia was gone, he spent the first 30 minutes wheeling his head around trying to find her. At least he likes her...Hey - remember us? your parents? 

Important a statistics we are tracking:

      -          Number of minutes slept on the plane ride home from Cincinnati: ZERO

      -          Number of cheerios made into Sammy’s mouth on his own: ZERO

      -          Decibel level of our little dinosaur squawker: I don’t know but it’s piercing!

      -          Number of times Danielle or I needed to call in for reinforcements: at least 5 (more food apparently leads to more “trouble”)

Things we googled this week:

      -          How long does formula last after you make it

      -          Baby first cheese experience

      -          Does formula fill you up faster than breast milk?

Pictures for your amusement: 

Like I said - Anything but food

chilling with his weird talking friend Scout the dog

Somebody likes the swings!

"Fast Mom!"

The plane ride "to" thanksgiving was very peaceful...

It was like a flip was switched the second the engines started!

Gotta love the stylish hats....

Obi wan kenobi. Danielle literally brought this random bathrobe just so we could take a cute picture. She was right. It's cute.

Trying to explain what you do with a cheerio. This did not work well.

Note the scab by the little guys eye - stop picking at it!

Sammy was so excited by IHOP that he couldn't wait for the food - he tried to eat the menu

Sammy checks out a giant Manatee at the Cincinnati zoo

Festival of Lights with grandpa Steve

Maybe this means we're doing something right?

He did this all on his own

Wrestling with his Giraffe while fighting a nap

Still cute...

Look guys! Cheerios.

So....not in his mouth

boycotting the eggs if he needs to feed himself. But he great at playing with his food.

Magic cheerios!