2.  A planned trip to Whole Foods, which is a pain because our nearest store is about 20 minutes away and I am lazy.  But I’m bribing myself with the thought of new soap, since I’ve been bathing with handsoap for a couple of weeks.  I’m thinking clove or peppermint soap.  Shoot, if I’m feeling very put-upon after that long drive, I might just buy ‘em both.

3.  I really wish we had a woodstove.  It’s a day for curling up in front of a fire.  On the positive side, though, I think we’re going to be able to get one in for next winter.  We’d been thinking we should wait til Henry’s a bit older, more in control of himself, but honestly, he’s been so good with the gas stove (which, granted, we’ve made a big point of telling him is HOT! – even though it really isn’t hot enough to burn on contact) that I’m feeling optimistic he’ll be ok around a real stove.  Not unsupervised, obviously, but a nice reading day in front of the fire? I think he’ll be all over that action in another year.

4.  He had a rough night last night–so did I–but he didn’t need any help falling back to sleep any of the dozen or so times I heard him awaken.  And putting him to bed for his nap is just getting easier and easier. Bottle (and no, I”m not looking forward to THAT battle in another month or two), a recitation of ‘On the Night You Were Born’ (what do you MEAN you don’t have it memorized???), and snuggling him in bed with his bunny. Reminding him where Cat-Cat and Turtle are if he needs them.  A kiss. A promise to see him in a couple of hours. Closing the door and walking away.  I keep having to relearn this lesson, but here it is for other folks who’ve asked, as well as to remind myself next time he gets into a bad sleep habit:

CIO doesn’t work with Henry.  At least not at nighttime.  If he’s too unhappy to put himself back to sleep, crying only makes him more upset, and harder to eventually soothe.  So if his cries are escalating, that’s it. Time for Mommy-intervention.  This does not, though, hold true for naps.  As long as I know he’s tired & not trying to readjust the timing of his nap, fussing at naptime seems to be just a matter of him being bored and wanting company.  So, letting him fuss for five minutes or so helps him calm down a bit.

I don’t know why this strategy doesn’t translate to nighttime wakings, but it doesn’t.  BUT–when he’s had a bit of a cry-out at an afternoon nap, his sleep in general is so much better for many weeks/months afterwards, that I really do believe there’s something to the whole ‘let the baby soothe himself to sleep’ thing.  Perhaps it really is reassuring to him to realize that he can fall asleep on his own? Perhaps it’s just not as scary to awaken in a room by yourself when you can remember that you were by yourself when you originally fell asleep?  I don’t know, and it all seems so simple and easy right now, and I know I’ll forget it again when next I’m sleep-deprived and punchy.  But there it is.  The Henry Sleep Plan.

5.  When a person has a tummyache, peppermint tea is just the most delicious thing in the world.

2.  He slept so well last night that I was a bit nervous, going in to wake him up a few minutes before 8 this morning.  And then when I turned on the light, all I saw was a pile of blankets with feet sticking out.  I died a little bit pulling those blankets off his face, but he was (obviously) fine.  Just really sound asleep.  So soundly sleeping, in fact, that I had a hard time waking him up.  While I certainly wouldn’t mind if he were finally figuring out that blankets are nice to sleep under, I’d prefer he keep his face out of the blankets.  I aged 20 years this morning, and I’ve been annoying him with kisses ever since.

3.  When it was naptime, he gulped down his bottle, then instead of wanting to beheld til the squirminess dissipated, he immediately started asking for Bunny.  So I put him down, expecting that sudden wail when he realizes he asked for the wrong thing, but instead he just snuggled up to Bunny and went to sleep.  Just. Like. That.

4. It was kind of fun having the house to myself last night while the Boy was off Superbowling.  I watched my favorite stupid show on DVD (Angel, from the Buffyverse) and ate leftover ‘mini-soy-corndogs’ that Henry rejected for dinner.  He had a gigantic meal of brussels sprouts (I kid you not, they’re his favorite veggie these days) finished off with a load of grapes and vanilla yogurt.  I had brownie for dessert and a lot of tea.  And, of course, it was nice when the Boy got home and all was then perfect with my world.

5.  Finished reading Dianna Wynne Jones’ book Howl’s Moving Castle.  I saw the Miyazaki film, and was completely perplexed.  What was this movie about? Hopping scarecrows? Birds divebombing planes? What?  Was very pleased to realize that not only was the book coherent, it was also very readable.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work which, I’m embarrassed to admit, I’ve never actually read.

At the grocery store yesterday, I was surrounded by men looking completely out of their element, who were asking store employees where the meat department is.  No really.  It was sort of funny and sort of sobering.

2.  Also at the grocery store, I discovered that Henry likes oranges.  The produce department was giving out samples, and so I offered him a quarter of an orange.  He grabbed it, shoved it in his mouth & took a big bite of peel.  He made ‘the face’–(he makes the face whenever he tastes anything new, be it brownie or bologna)–and then proceeded to take another bite.  I took it away from him, peeled it, and handed it back.  Not only did he cram the whole thing in his mouth, chew it, swallow it, and frantically ask for more, but he didn’t even mind that his fingers were sticky.  Seriously, people, the kid loses his shit whenever his fingers are anything less than squeaky clean–this is progress towards being able to survive in the real world (where mama is not always available to hold your cookie for you while you eat it!)

3.  Made delicious brownies from scratch yesterday, and while I’m not convinced that ‘from scratch’ makes significantly better brownies than ‘out of the box’ does, I have this warm feeling of accomplishment.  And, well, you know–yum!

4.  Found a stash of quinoa in the upstairs guest room.  Inside a bag containing an unfinished needlework pillow.  I guess I’m going to be doing some cleaning out, if the rodents have decided to set up housekeeping in my craft room where there’s no food, but lots of expensive fibers just waiting to be made into nests…

5.  And on that level, I started going through the pile of outgrown baby gear/clothes. I know I need to get rid of it.  We won’t be having another child, and I’m pretty sure the step daughters will want to be buying their own gear when they have babies.  But it’s hard to let go of these things.  I didn’t think it would be–I haven’t had a hard time giving things to friends with babies, but sending these off to clothe and entertain the babies of strangers, I just want to hug these items to me and never let them go.  He was so little, and now he’s not–and I know this feeling will just get stronger.

I’ve always been a clearer-outer of things.  Hoarding is not my style at all.  But I get it. I finally understand the people who have spare rooms filled with everything their child ever touched or treasured.  How can I get rid of this, when it was once so important to this most-important person?

Sigh.  Here I come, eBay, here I come craigslist, here I come consignment store.  Just as soon as I move past this large lump in my throat.

2.  In the grocery store yesterday, stocking up on Henry-food–frozen burritos, bananas, and wondering what fresh fruit I can give him when everything’s so out of season & he’s so tired of apples.  I pushed him to one side of the aisle so another cart could get through and when I looked back, he was happily munching a nectarine.  With profuse apologies I offered to pay double for my toddler-nommed nectarine, but the guy at the checkout counter said, “Eh, don’t worry about it. You’d be amazed how many people put them back.”  Well, yeah–that is amazing. And gross.  I was just relieved that no one considered it a lecturable offense.  (And I guess I need to keep a closer eye on my little monkey’s hands when we’re out in public!)  Another nice thing is, I guess he likes nectarines!

3.  The dog, who refuses to eat perfectly good dog-stuff, like popcorn that’s fallen to the floor under a high chair, has decided that crayons are delicious.  I look forward to cleaning up the yard this week.  It should be…colorful.

4.  The Boy & the wee one are off having a Boys Morning Out.  First he got the baby up while I lazed in bed, he changed him, fed him, dressed him, entertained him.  And now they’re off to Gymboree class sans Mommy.  Woohoo!  House to myself!  Partay!  (Ok, really just coffee/breakfast, and blog-writing/reading, and maybe a tiny bit of writing before they come home, but still, woohoo!)  One of the very few times I have not been the Parent In Charge for this many hours in a row!

5.  Toasted English muffins for breakfast remains one of the most perfect foods in the world.  Yum.

Oh, and why am I convinced it was ‘rumblies in his tumblies’? Because at 4am when it finally occurred to me to ask the child why he couldn’t sleep, he promptly signed ‘eat’ and then clarified by saying ‘cracker’ ‘bottle’ and signing ‘please’

He didn’t get a cracker but a bit of warm milk did the trick.

I really need to remember that the wee one is semi-rational now and can help with such riddles!

2. I can however, be forgiven since his room was hosting a ghost. Realize I’m not superstitious, but we were lying there–or rather, I was lying there and he was using my prone, exhausted body as a jungle gym–when I heard his little red wagon roll across the room.

To be fair to myself, my first guess wasn’t a ghost, but an earthquake. Except his mobile wasn’t moving (which also ruled out ‘spontaneous collapse of the house’.)

Obviously it wasn’t any of my fears. I had forgotten that when I’d cleared his bed so I could lie down, I’d propped a whole sleeve of diapers against the wagon. Which had fallen over, pushing the wagon. Glad we don’t have a wagon-pushin’ ghost waking him up at 4am because really, that’s more than I feel qualified to address.

3. I offered Hen some almond milk today at breakfast. You would have thought from his blissed out expression that I’d offered him the nectar of the gods. Guess he likes almond milk!

4. I was able to repair his ‘monster slippers’, which is good because I hate buying more slippers before he’s outgrown these.

5. Leftover night, and the Boy is taking Hen to his class tomorrow–which means I have like 12 hours with minimal responsibilities! Woohoo! Party in my brain! (or at least perhaps temporarily regaining the ability to complete a thought.)

2. Playdate was fantastic. It will be nice to make some friends locally.

3. Bigger diapers seem to have done the trick. So happy to be back to getting enough sleep.

4. Watched The Avengers last night And thought it was a hoot. I want to be Emma Peel when I grow up.

5. Watching Hen develop a sense of self: he’ll see an old photo of his dad with a baby and proudly tell me that the baby is ‘Hen’. He loves detailing who owns different things in the room. Mommy’s computer, Daddy’s phone, Henry’s dump truck. And when we’re done divvying up the world into mine, yours, theirs, he usually ends with a litany of the people he loves. I am so very lucky. Even when things are hard, I am so very lucky.

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2.  Having a talking baby is a hoot.  He comes out with the weirdest words/combinations of sounds, and when I guess what he’s trying to say?  I get this beaming grin, just replete with happiness that he’s managing to communicate with mama.  Poinsettias = popopopo.  Daffodils = dadohdih.  So adorable.  Last night, I got cranky with the dog because she was grabbing brussels sprouts out of his free-ranging-baby hands during dinner.  Told her in no uncertain terms to ‘Back off!’  Went to get another bs on my fork and looked up to see him disappearing around the corner into the kitchen–walking backwards, of course!  When I caught his eye he dissolved into giggles, and the dog assumed all was forgiven and snuck back over to retrieve the sprout from the fork I was waving helplessly as I laughed.  Kid knows when he’s being adorable (and so does the dog.)

3.  Hen still needs a good bit of ‘warm up’ in order to be properly tickled.  Just tickling him doesn’t produce much besides a confused baby, but telling him, “I’m coming to TICKLE you!” can make him collapse with laughter–the tickly fingers are just icing on the cake.  Lately, he’s been wanting to be tickled a lot.  To the point that when he catches his breath after a round of tickling, he’ll demand “more!” “more!” “more!” which is funny, but it’s even funnier when I refuse to chase him, and instead demand that he needs to come to  me if he wants to be tickled. And all this for a kid who isn’t actually particularly ticklish. Awfully silly, though.

4.  My sourdough bread came out beautifully!  Made a loaf-pan loaf & a round loaf, and they both rose beautifully.  I think my next batch, I’ll proof one more time to try to eke a bit more sourness out of it, but it was delish even relatively sweet.  Perfect interior texture, and I think if I get a spray bottle for the water (instead of just brushing it on with a bristle brush) I’ll be able to perfect the crust as well.  SO PLEASED WITH MYSELF RIGHT NOW!  Now all I have to do is exercise enough restraint not to eat it all.  Which will be difficult.

5.  When my adorable boy tries to smack me as a punishment for being unwilling to read his new favorite book to him for the (literally) 18th time since breakfast, do I laugh or cry–given that the book in question is Hands are Not for Hitting?

2.  Aforementioned sleeping-all-night-long also meant a cheerful, cooperative baby, which I haven’t seen in a longish while.  Granted, Henry’s version of non-cooperative looks like some toddlers’ best days, but I’m spoiled and am used to Mr. Happy going along with whatever I’d like him to do or stop doing without protest.  I know it won’t last, but I’d just as soon delay the crankypants part of toddlerhood as long as possible, and him getting a good night’s sleep is pretty key for that!

3.  Today is bread-baking day.  I’m rather excited.  Waiting for noon to roll around so I can knead up my first batch of bread dough in years!

4.  Besides being easier on my back, not rocking and patting and singing the wee one to sleep, I have to confess that I really love sitting downstairs, writing my post, and listening to him chat with Bunny and Turtle in Henry-ese.  There’s something wonderful about hearing a baby talk to himself!

5.  This is awful, but I’m really glad that the Boy has made bathtime rituals his job.  Yeah, he gets the adorable baby-in-the-tub stuff, and he gets the happy baby excitement (because baths are one of Hen’s favorite things in the world,) but he also ends up doing an awful lot of ‘cleaning out the bathtub because of unexpected poop’.  I change 90% of the diapers in this house, and I don’t mind doing that, but it’s nice (though embarrassing to admit my pettiness) that I don’t mind knowing someone else is in charge of dealing with any unexpected excrement, for a change!

2.  I think I have to start reading some how-to-deal-with-your-toddler books.  Hen’s getting, um, tantrum-y.  Throwing toys, walking over to try to hit me when I tell him ‘No’! (That last one isn’t flying around here at all.)  Seems my happy little baby is going through a bit of a frustrated, sullen phase.  I think he’s just realized that there are rules he’s going to have to learn and follow, and he doesn’t like it one bit.  But it’s hard to figure out how to deal with this sea-change in his easygoing personality, so if anyone has any toddler-book recommendations, please let me know!

3.  New TV which should enable us to stream Netflix movies & TV shows.  Since we don’t have cable, we haven’t been able to even get PBS.  Not a big deal, I’ve been TV-free most of my life if you don’t count DVD watching, but I’m starting to need a bit more variety in my baby shows (ie: that precious half hour of the day when Hen’s interested in something that isn’t me entertaining him.  We loves us our Rachel from Baby Signing Time!), but the 4-disc rotation isn’t really holding his interest now that he knows all the signs.  We’ll see what we can find for him on Netflix.  Woohoo for new and exciting tv with which to warp young minds!

4.  Did I mention I got a full night’s sleep last night? Still pretty excited about that.

5.  Henry calls popcorn ‘Dada-corn’. I nearly died from the cute when I figured out what in the world he was trying to communicate.

2.  Just made a batch of sourdough pancakes because I was so tired of dumping all that ‘pancake batter’ consistency starter.  Consistency wasn’t really as fluffy as I like my pancakes, but I rather like the tang, and with maple syrup–well, is anything not good once you’ve smothered it in maple syrup?

3.  Henry’s getting better and better about putting himself down for his nap by himself.  No crying, just some babbling as he discusses his options for escape with Constellation Turtle.  And then at 11:01 he falls completely asleep. Ah.  Makes 4:30am seem not quite so bad, and I’m hoping that it will mean that eventually I’ll be able to walk away from him, still awake, at 4:30 without dooming us all to 3 more sleepless hours.

4.  There’s a daffodil blooming in my pot of indoor bulbs.  Cheerful little yellow flower that has completely charmed Henry, as we’ve watched it grow taller each day and spend all day yesterday getting ready to bloom.

5.  Bright sunny day today.  Warm enough that I can go outside without bundling up.  So glad we moved to frigid, bitterly cold New England!  Seriously, it’s just lovely out today. Must find something outdoors to go engage the baby boy in–we’re all getting a bit stir crazy inside!