Here are the things I (Ash) should be doing right now: 1) sleeping. 2) washing dishes. 3) slogging through hours of tape for a feature I need to write this week. But I feel compelled (FINALLY) to update the blog to share with you all of Oliver's latest achievements, most of which seem to have come in the last 2 1/2 weeks.
He's now a champion crawler - motoring down the hallway with the intensity of a bulldog. Usually he's motoring after Zoe the cat. She's amazingly patient with him - way more tolerant than of Ezra these days, for example. Ezra seems to have crossed a clear threshold in her mind from innocent baby who doesn't know what's what to a potential terrorist threat. Ezra now steers a wide berth and says, "Zoe, don't scratch me."
Ollie is so much more his own person these days. And the most exciting thing is that he's really starting to communicate. Just in the past couple of days he's learned how to clap and to lift his hands over his head in response to "How big is Oliver? So big!" and wave at people. And check out his mad sippy cup skillz (on YouTube):
Ezra, meanwhile, is still sending us on this emotional rollercoaster that I guess is par for the course with a two-year-old. He delights us with a lot of the things he says (He recently picked up Oliver's sippy cup, which had a stopper in it to prevent it from pouring out too fast. He tried to take a swig and then put it down in disgust. "Can I have some of your water? Mine sucks very not good." Then after we pulled out the stopper: "Oh, it sucks very good!").
But at the same time, every tiny thing can turn into a stalemate not seen since the Battle of Verdun. I've had a couple of harrowing moments crossing a major intersection with him throwing his body back in the stroller as he extricates his legs and arms from the straps - while I tilt the stroller back to just the rear wheels to just try to keep him in it till we're safely across the street. Of course he's screaming the whole time this is going on. "I WANT TO WALK!!!!!!"
And he's showing selective interest in using the potty, which we should be very excited about, except that it's usually only right before bed, when he needs to pee about 20 times in a row. Or he wakes up before 6 am yelling that he has to pee in the potty. I'm happy he can make it all night without wetting his diaper, but could he make it another half hour, maybe?
He's growing up, fast.
His Uncle Josh just bought him his first bike! He doesn't quite get the whole pedaling thing, and Josh was working on teaching him how to steer. But I know he'll get lots and lots of enjoyment out of that bike before long.
We have so many pictures to share since we last posted - but definitely have to share one of Ollie and baby Jonah! We got to hang out with Jonah and his mama, Denise Gelb, along with Brian and Simon Gelb, while Josh was in town.
All in all, I've found myself going a little bit bonkers lately, especially on the days home alone with the two of them. Oliver's sleep has continued to be pretty lousy, so now we're going whole hog back into sleep training mode. The most frustrating thing for me is trying to get him to take naps. I would try and try to get him to fall asleep and instead of falling asleep while nursing, he'd pop up wired and wanting to play. And each time I'd try to get him to sleep I'd have to use the "second mommy" - aka TV or YouTube - to keep Ezra entertained. And I don't like having to use that too much, so then I'd start to sink into a pit of despair. It sounds ridiculous - why should I feel bleak and despairing just because a baby won't nap? I think it's just accumulated sleep deprivation for me and guilt that I'm not managing to get Oliver the rest he needs... anyway, today he did take two naps,
hooray, and went to sleep tonight with hardly any crying. So as Gabe says, "We've definitely got this parenting thing sorted out. Smooth sailing from here."Love,
Ash, Gabe, Ezra & Oliver
(Here is some internal record-keeping for my own sake, since this is the only baby book we're keeping. Oliver started pulling himself forward on his belly at 6 1/2 months, getting pretty fast and flopping forward as if he were doing the butterfly in a dry swimming pool. At 9 months, he got the hang of real crawling. At 8 months, he pulled himself up to standing. Now in just the past couple of days, he sidles along tables, holding on. Still no teeth! And not a lot of babbling. Maybe he'll be the strong, silent type.)
