One year stats

So I'm 2 months late in posting. As little c would say, UH-oh!

Weight - 22 lbs 5 oz 29th percentile

Height - 30.5 inches 56th percentile

Head - 18.9 inches 84th percentile

Summary: Big headed child on an average height body that doesn't weigh as much as you'd think for the amount he eats.

Little c's weight was really surprising. I thought he'd weigh 23 lbs at a minimum, especially since he weighed just shy of 23 lbs in early January when he saw Dr. Rachel for another ear infection, or was it croup, or maybe the bad rash. Anyway, I think when he had his 1 year check-up he'd been just coming off another hunger strike.

He still continues to impress us with his eating. Just last night he ate a big bowl of corn and crab chowder, bread, cherry tomatoes, peaches and yogurt. The other night he polished off chicken with dijon pan sauce, buttered noodles, peas, carrots and grapes, and he probably could have had seconds. His report from school always talks about what a great eater he is too. I'm convinced the kid has a high metabolism rate. I'm worried that now that he's walking he'll be burning even more calories and getting slim and losing those fabulous cheeks. I think I need to introduce more bacon, ice cream and cheese into his diet to compensate.

His new trick is feeding himself. He is Mister Independent through and through when it comes to eating as evidenced below.

 
 
 
 
Bon appetit!

It's official...

...the boy can walk!

Just before his 14 month birthday, little c has amazed us by walking. It seems like it happened really fast too. We were just at our friends' house a week ago when little c showed off with his 3 steps. They told us it wouldn't be long before he was walking everywhere and they were right. Yesterday he pushed his Thomas the Train engine around the house. He would push it away from him and then walk to it, looking at us for our approval. I was so elated I pulled out the chicken dance from Arrested Development (Lindsay's chicken dance, not Gob's).

He's walking everywhere now and it's a little strange to see him crawl, although he still likes to crawl on the red shag carpet in the basement because it's so cushy on his knees. Plus he's a swinger.

So we're up to our eyeballs in celebration on Bryan Avenue. Would it be weird to throw a party to 
celebrate? Maybe I'll just bake cupcakes instead. And make him a shirt. And sew a garland. And have just a couple of friends over to watch him walk. 
 
 
He's blurry because he's moving so fast. Good thing we have about a million videos taken over the course of 2 days.

 

 
Our little walker!

And yes, we are fully aware that our life will change now that he's even more mobile. But it's a change we're really thrilled about, seeing as how excited little c is with this newfound freedom. Words we may regret in a month's time. We'll see. But for now, we're just going to keep giving him positive reinforcement, avoid trying to catch him when he's falling, and doing the chicken dance to celebrate this milestone!

Reliving my c-section all over again

At lunch yesterday, I tried squeezing myself between two tables. Sadly I'm not back to my pre-pregnancy shape yet and didn't quite make it through unscathed. The edge of the table, which was surprisingly sharp, scraped right across my incision scar. I didn't realize that it was still so tender. I thought of dropping to my knees and holding myself while rocking to ease the pain right there beside the buffet but I'd like to go back to that restaurant again. Instead I held my breath for awhile and told myself I'd be okay. Then I had a plate of butter chicken and curried cauliflower and everything was made right again.

I will pay more attention to that little line next time I try to think I'm smaller than I am! And maybe I will use it as a reminder to get myself in shape.

Apparently I didn't get the memo

When I picked little c up from "school" yesterday, there in his bucket were Valentine's cards from almost all of his "classmates" as well as his former "teachers". Apparently babies that are 1 year old exchange Valentine's Day cards. One little guy even gave little c a box of chocolate covered animal crackers. Seriously?!? I thought I had it together when I gave little c's "teachers" bags of candy that I raided my friend T's pantry for. Guess not.

Mother's guilt. It's a wonderful thing.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Okay, so the day is almost over...this is the story of my life (I still have all of little c's birthday thank yous to create, write, and mail too).

WOW! All I can say is that this Valentine's Day was so much better than last year's. What a difference a year makes in the life of a baby. I wonder what next year will bring...

Little c continues to be the best kid ever. Moving to the "big kids" class of 1.5-2 year olds has made such a HUGE difference with little c. He goes to the gym every day and loves to play with balls, blow bubbles, chase the girls around, and do art projects. He's napping about 2 hours straight too, which makes for a fun baby. When he gets home from school he loves to be thrown (gently) onto the bed or into the couch cushions. He then jumps on me and we wrestle around for a few minutes. I am enjoying him so much.

I was stressing over the fact that I hadn't bought him a V day shirt and so at 1:30 this morning, when I couldn't sleep, I almost got up and sewed one for him with the leftover fabric from his his first birthday party. But reason kept me from getting out of bed. Sleepiness + sewing machine = possible disaster. I'm glad I didn't go to the trouble as he barfed all over the bed this morning. Oops. Into the wash went his "I love Dad" shirt and his fashionable jeans. He traded them in for red sweatpants and a red and grey striped shirt.

I do hope you felt loved today and that no one barfed on you, or that you didn't barf and have to have a complete wardrobe change. More soon. 
Valentine's Day 2010 (6 weeks old)

 
 

 
Valentine's Day 2011 (1 year + change)

Who ARE you?

Well, little c is back on the "Mama train" as my friend calls it. I'm not sure what I've done but he's no longer crying when Daddy leaves the room. And he plays with me now too. He still goes berserk when he hears Daddy's voice in the morning and scrambles out of my arms to go find Daddy, but I'm okay with it.

Yesterday marked a big day in little c's life. He moved to a new class with the big kids. I think it will take him a week or two to adjust to it but it sounds as if he's doing okay. He especially loves going to the gym every day and chasing balls. And the thought of him sleeping on a little cot and actually staying on it makes me smile. That kid rolls all over his crib even during a nap...how does he manage to stay on the cot? I'd really like to watch him sleep on it someday.

I almost didn't recognize him when he got home today for a few reasons:

1. He was wearing someone else's pants.

2. He has an enormous rash all over his face.

3. It appears as if they don't put a bib on him when he eats as he was COVERED in miscellaneous food stuff all down the front of him.

4. His hands were covered in paint or markers or something that they obviously didn't think to wash off which he proceeded to wipe all over the kitchen cupboards when he got home.

I had to laugh. He just wasn't my neat and clean little Cohey Bear. But it looks as if he had fun, whatever it is he was up to today.

One year stats coming soon since I just took him to the doctor today for his Well Child appointment. Let's just say the kid has a big head!

 

In the words of U2...

...it was a beautiful day.

If you follow my blog along, you'll notice that my entries have been somewhat sparse lately. I'm not one to hide my thoughts and feelings and so I'll let you know that it's because I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Ever since I returned from Vegas, little c hasn't wanted me at all. At first it didn't bother me too much. But after a few days of him crying every time Daddy left the room, crying when I gave him a bath, crying when I got him dressed, crying when he had to be with just me, it began to wear on me and I began to feel very rejected, slighted, and resentful. I tried reminding him about how it wasn't Daddy that carried him in his belly for 10 months, it was me. And it was me that threw up until 20 weeks into the deal, AND in a floral shop no less. Daddy was nowhere to be found. And it wasn't Daddy who was in labour for 62 hours and then had to have a C-section. You guessed it, it was me, Cohen Gray! But my words fell on deaf ears and were met with more tears.

But today! Oh, today! Today made up for it.

In addition to being douchey, little c has been suffering from a bad cold for the past week and has been up coughing and crying every night. After 7 nights of this we decided to take him in to see Dr. Rachel and lo and behold, the little man has an ear infection. I took him to the appointment and we hung out and he was in a great mood, especially when Dr. Rachel gave him not one but two tongue depressors to play with. Then I took him back to "school" where he "played with his tongue depressor for most of the afternoon. He took it everywhere and shared it with all his friends and showed it off." (so says his report today) Big c had a work function tonight (poor guy has to drink $500 bottles of wine with one of his vendors) so little c and I played while I fixed dinner. He found so much happiness in the pot and spoon I gave him and played with that until he discovered a papertowel poking out of the cupboard. He was in a great mood all night. He ate well for the first time in a long time and the only time he cried was when he got his finger caught in the drain in the bathtub. He didn't even cry when I got him ready for bed.

And now the little fellow is fast asleep, thanks to a little Benadryl and some warm milk.

So I'm feeling much better about our relationship tonight and I'm looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. It might bring more of the same anti-Mommy behaviour but I think I'm going to cling to tonight's memory and try and make it through without flinching.
 
 
 

Barbershop of Horrors

When I started thinking of writing about little c's experience getting his hair cut for the first time, I thought to myself, "Oh, I'll title the entry Barbershop of Horrors! Isn't that perfect!?" thinking that WAS the title of the movie. It only dawned on me tonight that the movie is called Little Shop of Horrors. I'd like to blame it on the baby brain but I don't think I can use that excuse any more. Toddler brain maybe?

I've been planning on taking him in for a much-needed cut for awhile but things kept coming up on Saturdays. In hindsight I'm not sure on the timing of this traumatic experience though seeing as he's had a really bad cold since last Thursday and is up coughing and crying all night, crying all the time, not eating much and generally being, well, a bit of a baby. Maybe I should have held off on the cut until he got better. Maybe it didn't make a difference. It will have to remain one of life's great mysteries.

I took him to a place that specializes in baby and children's haircuts, Cookie Cutters. When we got there, we got right in as I had called and made an appointment. Little c sat in a car to get his hair cut, which we both agreed was super cool. He didn't verbalize it because the extent of his words is "faljfldsajfldksfeakj" but I could tell he was digging it. Then they asked me what he wanted to watch and suggested Baby Einstein, a Cohen approved video. Unfortunately, it was Baby Neptune, little c's LEAST favourite show. I think it threw him off. Well, that and the spray bottle that shocked the little guy. And it went downhill from there. We'll let the photos tell the rest of the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
I'm assuming those women staring have never seen a baby get his haircut for the first time and freak out before.