Walker: Texas Baby

Well, you know how a few months ago I ranted and raved about my neighbors who fed my 5 month old an animal cookie? Well, they have once again been a very big part of a very big milestone.

Yesterday, January 21st, my baby took his first solo steps. Right into the arms of...my neighbor Gean. How mad was my mom?! In his defense, we see our neighbors so often, he may think he is related to them, and SOMEONE had to win the race to be his walking goal. I am so glad I didn't miss it, although of course, I didn't have my video camera on me. Le Sigh! As soon as he does it again, I will take video and post it here for you all to see. He still prefers crawling to walking, but we are days away from having a toddler.

It was so weird, cause I was staring right at him when he did it. He turned from the chair I was in, took two or three whole steps with NO stumbling or falling and grabbed onto Gean. It was fabulous, and I almost started crying. He had been walking around with his rolly toys (pictured) for months but I guess he was waiting to get it perfect before he showed off a solo act!

Gean said that it was due to the inaguration the day before. He finally had a future worth walking for!

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!

Well, it happened, despite my instinct to wrap my baby up, put him in his car seat and just keep driving until we outran his birthday. If such a thing was possible, I would have done it. The party was wonderful, lots of friends for Oliver - though he was too busy with
his friends, his cake and a (clean) sand pit to really care about the party.

With a first birthday comes questions, emotions, and an overwhelming sense of loss, accomplishment, pride and joy. And there will be time for me to blog about all of that, but this isn't the time. Now is the time to celebrate.

Playing with sand. This is a quality addition to any kid's party. Well, any kid who doesn't have a crazy parent who is afraid of sand. Long story... anyway, my mom made this sand pit out of a huge planter. It was just the right size for all the toddlers that were there! Oliver did little else, and ignored all the toys that were inside the house.

The cakes were lovely!! The smash cake (below) was made by Oliver's grandmommy - SO CUTE! and the big cake (right) was made by Oliver's very talented cousin, Jonathan! They were both delish!











Oliver couldn't get enough of the turkey legs. It was so cute, he would open his mouth up SO wide to get the optimal amount of turkey in there. People standing nearby were both amazed and a bit frightened of getting turkey bits flung upon them.





The face says it all I think. Sometimes a baby is so full he needs his pants unbuttoned. Thankfully his good friend Carolyn, along with tiny baby Cora (internal) was there to assist. The thing that made my heart melt was that even after the cake, ice cream, turkey, potato salad and broccoli that my little boy ate that night, he still begged to nurse to top it all off. He was so full he kept unlatching and groaning. Hee hee!



For comparisons sake, one year ago during our first, badly latched, improperly positioned breastfeeding session and the one year anniversary of the best relationship I have ever had. I love you little man!! Wow, my hair has gotten MUCH better.

Diary of a Mad Caucasian Baby (Morning Edition)

12am - Wakes up whining after nursing for two hours
12:10am - I wake up CT crying, begging him to tell me what to do. We move Oliver from our bed to his crib
12:20am - The screaming stops
2:30am - The screaming starts up as if Oliver just realized he was tricked into sleeping in a crib and is now embarrassed and pissed.
4:44am - Wakes up whining and is laying between us sideways making CT's and my sleeping space about 3 inches long.
5:30am - Has scooted up all the way to the headboard and is banging his head against it. Whining.
6:15am - He sits up (eyes still closed) and head butts both of us in turn in the face. I give up and say Good Morning. CT gets slapped in the face.
7:30am - I get up and make muffins so that CT can have breakfast. Daddy leaves and I am once again alone with my nemesis.
8am - I get some applesauce for breakfast, and share with Oliver. He throws the cup to the floor. Neither of us eat anything else.
8:30am - The crank starts, and I pray for a 45 minute nap so that we can make Baby Time at the library at 9:30
9:20am - Oliver is finally asleep
9:35am - No he isn't. But at least I was able to make his doctor appointment and call to check on RSVPs for his bday in all my spare time.
9:45am - Happily playing on the floor and I am debating whether to try to leave the room, try and get something done and risk the crying that will ensue or just sit around the house all day long.
9:50am - The charge to the door begins. I have to mail a package today, so I leave Oliver downstairs to play while I go prepare it.
9:51am - He realizes I am gone and starts crying and banging on the gate.
9:55am - Still listening to crying, I come downstairs to get Oliver to get him ready. First we change him. This ensues a cry-fest which ends in me holding and rocking and singing for a solid 10 minutes before he stops screaming. Then we read two books while he plays because as soon as I put the one book down, he started crying again. I finally feel it is safe to put on his shoes and socks, trying to make it a game. The diaper bag is packed, the diapers need to be washed but that will have to wait for another time. Grab a sweater, onto getting mommy ready.
10:15am - In the 30 seconds it takes to walk down the hall, some kind of bond forms between our bodies so that when they separate so that I can put pants on, Oliver melts into a puddle of tears again. We sit and rock for another 10 minutes. He gets interested in a toy, and I dress very fast.
10:30am - We are in the car, strapped in and I only had to go back and forth 5 times to getting my phone, diaper bag, wallet, keys and package to mail. I forgot a coat. It is 40 degrees out today.

The Continuation

Mission accomplished. And the only one who cried was me! Not than anyone noticed, I am very discreet. My son now looks like a Marine, or as my mom commented, Alex P. Keaton (saints preserve us!!). I got a little baggy of his hair that is going straight to his baby book, so precious! These are the moments people, drink 'em in cause I hear the teenage years are quite the hangover.

We went to a really cute hair-cutting place that specializes in kid's hair so they gave us room to take pictures, saved a lock of hair, etc. The only problem was that it looked like Dr. Seuss threw up inside, but I guess kids like that stuff. I left feeling over-stimulated. The woman who cut his hair was efficient but so sweet and she knew how to get him to turn the right way and did an awesome job. It was a bit pricey though, so next time we may find a barber shop near by. Mommy doesn't really clip coupons well, so home cuts are NOT an option, I love his ears too much!

Long story short - and it is a long story fraught with at least one breakdown and much lashing out - my child's new nickname is Jarhead. I need a new lovey for nursing time, his hair is to spikey for me to play with now, but all in all he is handsome and ready to get a job.

Where do you find baby ties and briefcases??

Hair: Not the Musical

My friends warned me that I would find something to obsess about to distract me from his first birthday. One friend of mine said that since she had decided to do a "monkey" theme party, she went bonkers buying everything monkey. She seriously went ape-shit (pun intended) and bought 12 different monkey outfits. Finally, after many long nights stalking an ebay auction for pants with a tail, her sister gave her a much needed slap on the cheek and asked her if possibly, this wasn't about monkeys.

At the time (last Friday) I giggled at my friend and secretly patted myself on the back for being such a laid back trooper of a mom. And then it hit. MY obsession.

While nursing him during a nap, and playing with his hair, I noticed that Oliver was turning into Olivia. I realized Ollie needs a haircut pretty badly, I mean it is getting all mullety. So we are going to get it cut next week before his birthday party - oh dear god - on Saturday. Just thinking about this makes me SO sad. I mean, sure he is still going to have hair, but this is the hair I made. Not solid food, not cows milk. This was the hair that was there inside me, that was there for his birth and we are cutting it off to let new "man made" hair grow. I know it is stupid. But I feel like I am cutting off the last thing that makes him babyish, and now he will just be a walking talking boy.

Will Oliver get a haircut? Will I lose my mind first?? Stay tuned sports fans for the continuing, hair raising adventures of Super Mullet!

Spooning with my baby

Oliver is using a spoon now. You know, 'cause he rolls like that. He started begging for my spoon so that he could fling - insert messy food here - all over the kitchen. I kept taking it away, he kept screaming, rinse, repeat. However, in my efforts to get healthier (me and Oprah getting skinny together!!) I have oatmeal every morning. Oliver really enjoys oatmeal. I have the allotted three spoonfuls I can shove in my face before Food Stealer can crawl over to me, and then, Oliver, in his infinite wisdom, took my spoon, dipped it carefully in the oatmeal and carefully brought it to his mouth!!! I am so proud! The dog remained unoatmealed and Oliver was quite proud of himself. I swear this kid gets fine motor skills before he gets gross ones. Is that normal?

After he was done with his breakfast, he grabbed his walker and toddled off to the kitchen to once again show me all my Tupperware - so nice of him to do inventory of our cabinets so often, a chore I often neglect. He refuses to walk without some sort of support, and he really doesn't enjoy us holding his hands very much, he wants to do it HIMSELF. This means chasing down a very small man in the park who is pushing an empty stroller, moving bar stools from the hallway several times a day and turning the push toy so that he can stop banging it against the wall loudly.

Yes, mealtimes are changing at the Goss residence! Instead of moaning "uuuuuuuhhhh" when he wants more, we have really been pushing the "more" and the "all done" signs. He has now done the more sign twice!!! About time!!! I was about to loose my mind, more? all done? what do you want!??!!? Before this, I had been offering him each thing on his plate, more greenbean? more corn? more chicken? No? Okay, ALL DONE! He is pretty good about nodding and shaking his head for yes and no though, so that is nice.

Now if we could just figure out what "dat" is...

Happy New Year!

I know I haven't blogged in a while. There is are two reasons for that. 1. Holiday 2. Recovery

I just wanted to assure you that my son Ham Face and I are completely fine and are excited about sharing our adventures in the new year. However, my resolution this year wasn't to blog more, it was to actually get out and do more blog worthy stuff so hopefully being more patient was one of yours.

Reasons Oliver is excited about 2009
1. Two words. President Obama
2. Planting his very own vegetable garden
3. Anything beats squeezing out a birth canal
4. Finally being able to explain to stupid mommy what "dat" is.
5. He gets to meet all 4187 cousins on his Daddy's side in August
6. Freaking people out by breastfeeding in public
7. Puppies
8. Being able to travel and carry things simultaniously
9. First camping trip
10. Saying goodbye to his baby mullet