World Sippy Cup

Now that I have two kids "playing" and a mini-van, I guess I am officially a soccer mom. I haul the sunscreen and the water bottles. I make sure the uniforms are washed (around here, one week turn-around time is tougher than you might imagine).

Are you thinking: "What kind of psycho signs up her two year-old for soccer?" Don't think that. I really signed him up for blowing bubbles, building towers with cones and knocking them over, and playing with a rainbow parachute on a soccer field.

Little Bit loves every second of it.

The way he looks in his little uniform? Priceless.

Bub is now in his third season -- the big leagues where they no longer do bubbles or play parachute.

I have to say that I'm excited for the "real soccer" days ahead (assuming they want to keep playing), but for now I'm enjoying my Lil' Kickers.

What are the kids in your life doing this summer?

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

I think Little Bit knows that something is up. He knows that mommy's big belly is good for resting his head upon and that if someone says "baby" that's a cue to lift mommy's shirt and either slobber kiss or pound upon her belly. I'm trying to figure out what he knows versus what he understands.

And no, I don't think he understands just how life around here is going to change so dramatically, but I swear it's like he senses--like the smart little booger he is, NTB--that his days as the baby of the clan are numbered and is thus hellbent on getting as much attention and affection as possible . . . at least that's my explanation for his new tendency to cling, whine, beg to be picked up, and drive us mad at night.

I feel for him, I really do. It must be scary to see your mom's belly swell, odd to notice her grunt and sigh each time she has to bend over or stand up, annoying to have to wiggle around a big blob to get comfortable while she rocks you to sleep, and frustrating that she is too tired to play as much as you would like.

I'm doing the best I can, trying to give Little Bit as much love and attention and assurance as I can, especially in the hours we spend together while Bub is at school.

But it is dang hard when I am tired, not just from being pregnant but from having Little Bit spend hours every night standing in his crib and whining, "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama . . . " over and over and over again.

"Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama . . ." Hours and hours.

Hubby and I are at a loss. We take turns rocking him, and he soothes pretty easily and falls right asleep. The moment we put him back down in his bed though it's back to "Mama, Mama, Mama . . ." So then we'll bring him into bed with us. It doesn't take him long to locate a position that is comfortable for him but oppressive for one of us and he's snoring. If we try to move him back to his crib (once he starts kicking or one of us is about to fall out of bed), it's back to "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama . . ."

If we're fairly confident our kids are not wet, dirty, hungry, or in pain, hubby and I don't have a problem with letting them figure it out. If we've done all we can and know one of our kids is truly tired, we'll let them work it out, cry it out even. And the crying never lasts all that long.

But "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama . . ." can seemingly last all night.

And there is something about pleas of "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama . . ." that is difficult to ignore. And so, we've just been alternating with the rocking and the co-sleeping and the sitting downstairs on the couch with Little Bit asleep on dad's shoulder.

And we're tired and our backs are sore. And we're trying not to think about what we'll do if this kind of behavior continues a month from now when there's also a baby waking every couple of hours.

Does anyone have some wisdom to offer here? Advice? Miracle cures? Words of comfort? Any similar stories of toddlers acting oddly in conjunction with the imminent arrival of a new baby?

Please share if you do. I'd love a good night's sleep so I can be fresh for Little Bit, in so many ways still my baby, in the morning.

Little Bit's Got Game(s) Too

Several months ago, I blogged about some of Bub's more, um, creative games and pastimes. Little Bit is taking after Big Brother by inventing some of his own games . . .

I can't give definitive age, size, or strength requirements for any of these games but can let you know that Little Bit is a sturdy, strong, and fearless lad of nineteen months.

These games are best started while mom is doing something like taking an important phone call, using the bathroom, cleaning up, preparing a meal, or trying to get big brother ready for school.

Skillet Surfing
Materials Needed: skillets of various sizes, hardwood floors
Instructions:
1. Open drawer where mom keeps the skillets.
2. Drag skillets into living room (note, I did say "drag" -- important to try to scratch the floor whenever possible).
3. Place two skillets side by side.
4. Place one foot in each skillet.
5. Shimmy and shake as skillets slowly slide away from each other.
6. Continue in this fashion until mom removes you from skillets and thus ends the game.

Jailbreak
Materials Needed: open stairway where previous baby gate existed, assorted toiletries
Instructions:
1. Wait many, many months for your parents to remove gate blocking upstairs access so that drywall damage caused by that gate can be repaired in preparation for selling home.
2. Once gate has been removed, run upstairs as quickly as you can (extra points if your pregnant mom pees a little while chasing you) anytime you pass that previously-blocked staircase.
3. Make beeline for upstairs bathroom and see what you can grab (ideas include: dad's toothbrush, children's motrin--open it with your teeth, lidless jar of vaseline, lotion, tube of toothpaste, bar of soap, disposable razor).
4. Do as much damage as you can with chosen toiletry until your mom stops you (extra points if you can get your older brother involved to narrate and dramatize the events as they are happening).
5. You can return to step 1 again as soon as you wish. After all, the gate is gone now!

Potty Time
Materials Needed: toddler potty (preferably full), unlocked bathroom door
Instructions:
1. Notice that some fool has left the bathroom door open. Head inside.
2. Take the pieces of the toddler potty apart. Whether full or empty, attempt to carry the collector tray-thing to regular potty. Make sure to spill some.
3. Flush repeatedly (extra points for breaking the flusher-handle thing).
4. Warning: if you play this game too often, your parents will begin locking the bathroom at all times and keeping a key above the door. You will then need to be extra vigilant about sliding in when someone else wants to use the bathroom.

Variation: Starting at step 2, enter and sit down fully clothed on toddler potty (full or empty), giving parents just enough potty training hope that they are reluctant to put toddler potty away even though big brother can certainly manage without it. Say "poo" over and over, but do not actually poop.

Pick Mom's Nose
Materials Needed: mom with a nose, at least one digit
Instructions:
1. Sit on your mom's lap and pretend you want to cuddle.
2. While she is smiling at you, begin sticking your finger in her nose.
3. Giggle maniacally as you do so.
4. Stay persistent even if she tries to push your finger away and/or says to you, "No, you don't want to pick my nose." After all, you do want to pick her nose.

Pick Mom's Nose: X Games Edition
Materials Needed: mom with nose, at least one digit, towels
Instructions:
1. Play standard version of Pick Mom's Nose following rules above.
2. Try to catch mom off guard by jamming one little finger all the way up her nose with a great deal of force.
3. Look simultaneously confused and delighted when blood begins gushing from mom's nose.
4. Enjoy the show that ensues as your mom tries to catch the blood in her cupped palms while shouting to big brother to get her some towels already. It will be very funny when brother is foiled in his first attempt to get towels because the bathroom is locked (see "Potty Time" game above). It will be less funny when he returns from kitchen with two baby bibs before finally locating the kitchen towels.

Bam Bam
Materials Needed: kiddie broom, kiddie golf club, and/or kiddie bat
Instructions:
1. Choose your implement and begin by using for its intended purpose (sweeping or hitting a ball). Mom will initially be pleased to see you cleaning and/or showing an interest in sports and some hand/eye coordination.
2. Then, change gears. Begin to use implement to hit doors, floors, walls, furniture, your mom, or your brother.
3. The game is over once all the implements have been placed on top of the highest book shelf in the play room.

Tell me, what games are being played at your house these days? I'm hanging in there . . . but only by a thread so please humor me by sharing.

Bub knows how to pick them.

A few weeks ago, hubby was putting Bub to bed and asked him, "Who's your best friend?" Bub answered, apparently without hesitation, "Little Bit." I'm sorry that I didn't witness the exchange but even imagining it warms my heart and gives me some assurance that whatever mistakes we are making as parents, we are doing something right if our boys love each other. And really, what's not to love? NTB.

This post is the one I've been meaning to write ever since Little Bit celebrated his first birthday. Words will fall short of capturing how much joy he has brought into our home and our hearts, full-to-bursting really. But to keep this post from verging too far into the sappy and sentimental, I am going to focus on the reasons why Little Bit is and will be such a good “best friend” candidate for Bub and the other little buddies he will meet along the way.

1. Little Bit is a happy guy. He just is. He smiles (almost) all the time, lighting up the room with the big, bright blue eyes.* If he’s unhappy, you’ll know it but it won’t last long. He laughs a lot. It’s an infectious and surprisingly deep sort of laugh for a little guy, and it doesn’t take much to provoke it . . . a quick game of peek-a-boo, attempting to feed mommy crumbs from his high chair tray and then pulling them away at the last second, watching Bub parade around the family room with his underwear on his head, being tickled. In fact, he likes being tickled so much that “tickle, tickle, tickle” is one of the only understandable things that he says.

2. Little Bit is usually game for anything. Want to empty a box of Kleenex tissue by tissue? Want to paw through a drawer filled with baby food and remove the cardboard wrapper and plastic lid from each? Want to climb stairs, the back of the couch, and the Pottery Barn chairs and come thisclose to falling? Want to rip up paper or eat crumbs off the floor? Explore and taste gadgets like the phone and remote control? Little Bit is your man.

3. Little Bit likes to dance. Wouldn't you like to have a best friend who dances? A dance-off with the battery-powered dancing Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba is a daily event. Little Bit will also bob up and down when Bub succeeds in getting mom or dad to play “Boom Boom Pow” for the one millionth time. Although it’s not officially a dance move, Little Bit has a quirky but surprisingly speedy hop-along style crawl wherein he sweeps/hooks one leg in an odd manner. It’s a sight.

4. Little Bit likes to meet new people. He’ll be the kid to go to camp or the back-to-school dance with because he seems delighted any time there’s anyone new to look and smile at. We were at Einstein’s Bagels this morning, and Little Bit was sitting in a high chair with his back to the door. Each time someone entered the restaurant, he turned around to smile and squeal, winning a lot of return smiles and greetings. His attitude toward life and the people he encounters seems to be, “Hey, why not be happy?!” Why not, indeed. I hope his smiles continue to brighten the days of others. A warning for his friends during the adolescent years though, he does seem to be a flirt. He can charm prospects, but may not be content to play wing man. We'll have to see.

5. He will be lots of fun at slumber parties because he does not seem to have trouble being awake at night.

6. He likes to eat. The ability to take pleasure in food is, in my book, a key quality that a friend should possess. The good eater switch finally got turned on around Little Bit’s first birthday and now he is going to town on a variety of foods. Favorites include watermelon, blueberries, and grilled cheese sandwiches coated in tomato sauce. He eats with gusto and murmurs "mmmm" after particularly tasty bites. He got a hold of one of Bub’s sippy cups the other day and sampled some chocolate milk before I could stop him. He’s definitely a fan, but we’re not going there yet and have had to become more vigilant about keeping track of Bub’s cups. I like that he goes after what he wants.

NTB a given for all of the above and, of course, a disclaimer that notes that our one year old can whine with the best of them, is stubborn, is the messiest eater in Cook County, and still does not sleep through the night. Still, we’ll keep him, treasure him even.

I hope Little Bit will continue to be his bit brother’s best buddy and hope that he will live a fully and happy life with true and loyal friends and more than enough love and laughter.

I’m not lucky enough to be Little Bit’s best friend. I’m even luckier. I’m his mom. I know his daddy feels the same. Little Bit is a joy.

Happy Birthday to Bub’s best friend Little Bit. And many more.




*He has his daddy’s eyes. Usually I look at Little Bit and just see Little Bit but there are moments when I look at him and see him as my husband’s mini me and it just blows my mind.

Chew-R-S

Some things I want to remember years from now when Bub and Little Bit are all grown up and possibly giving speeches or otherwise impressing people with their language skills:

1. The part of the ABC song when Bub belts out, "Chew-R-S-T-U-B."*

2. The fact that Little Bit's first recognizable utterance besides "dada" is the phrase "tickle, tickle, tickle," complete with hand motion. So adorable, NTB.

3. Bub's love for the books Corduroy and A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman and the way he pronounces Corduroy as CorduRORY.

4. The way Little Bit says something like "mmmm" after bites of watermelon.


What are you hearing these days?



*explains why some of our matchbox cars are called "bans" but not why all the "bans" are referred to with the adjective "rescue bans."

Party Doll Baby

Little Bit hit the seven month mark a few days ago and continues to be a delight. Yes, the perfect storm of congestion, teething, and excessive snot has rendered him a bit more fussy than usual the past week or so, but his uncharacteristic irritability of late only reminds me of what a sweet, easygoing baby he is on the whole. I am truly thankful. And yes, truth be told, a regular afternoon nap would be welcome (though he is, for the most part, settling down in the morning pretty well), but again, he is usually pretty darn pleasant when awake, not to brag. Again, I am thankful. Now, if he decided he only wanted to get up once during the night to eat (or not at all), I wouldn't argue . . .

Some tidbits about Little Bit at this stage:
1. One of his favorite past times continues to be looking at and trying to play with his big brother Bub. I was doing a few things in the kitchen earlier this evening, and Little Bit was chilling in the exersaucer and cackling with delight as Bub applied "lotion" to his hair. I knew Bub did not have access to actual lotion so I was not that worried, but I did ask, "Where did you get the lotion, Bub?" His answer: "From my mouth." Lucky Little Bit.

2. I keep using the phrase "like a lumberjack" to describe Little Bit's tendency to pass gas. To be fair to lumberjacks, I do not know that their farts are more frequent or more intense than those of others. What I want to convey is that Little Bit passes gas of the sort that you would associate with a large, strapping man who likes to eat stew with beans. We used to check his diaper each time we encountered the stench, but now we never bother because it's always just gas.

3. Little Bit loves to sit up and, like all babies his age, loves to put anything he can find into his mouth. The past few bath nights, he has joined Bub in the bathtub. He has been loving the chance to splash and to explore a whole new set of toys for chewing.

4. Little Bit has two bottom teeth, a half of a front tooth, another front tooth just below the surface, and another tooth announcing itself on the bottom. Favorite teething toy: mom's finger.

5. He is eating cereal and some baby food, but so far we're only doing one meal a day. I'm going to have to figure out how to get him to eat more food because he now gets so distracted when it's time to nurse that I fear he's not eating much that way. Why nurse when you can smile at your mom, stop to see what your brother is doing, peek at the television, or pull you mom's hair? Also, sometimes at night when I'm feeding him before sleep, he does this odd thing where he starts moving his arm up and down over and over. He eventually gets tired of it, but it makes the feeding a little less relaxing for me.

6. He loves to laugh and "talk." Obviously, no words, but he makes a ton of sounds and gets really excited. Honestly, it is impossible not to smile when you are around him.

7. He also loves to do the twist in his exersaucer.

We are just enjoying the calm before the storm . . . he'll be crawling soon!