Twelve Months!

My baby is now a toddler!

This time we couldn't even get him to sit still and look at the camera.

We had Neil's 1 year check up on his birthday and he was 3' tall exactly (57th percentile) and 20 lb 6.4 oz (35th percentile). So overall he used to be the 100th percentile in height and he seems to be leveling out but his weight is about the same when you look at the percentile.

Neil is very mobile. He's not walking but I think he could be if he really wanted to. He cruises along furniture, walks with us holding his hands, and even walks with a walking thing. I don't know what to call it. It's like the old ball popper I had when I was that age (aging myself here!). He can't lean on it, it's not one of those things that supports. Anyway, with that he can hold on and I have to kind of guide it but if I guide it he's walking on his own pushing it. I just have my hands on either side of the handle. So I think it's just him making up his mind that he wants to walk (and I'm not claiming he can walk yet but I think this is just like rolling and crawling- he had to make up his mind he wanted to do both).

It's probably a blessing that he's not walking- crawling gets him around quickly as it is! Although I get tired of helping him with that toy, walking around. He wants to play with it and we just walk in circles around his play room. He lasts longer than I do.

Neil also stands on his own to some extent but when he realizes what he's doing he plops down. Go figure.

Neil now has a second tooth and thank goodness for the most part he doesn't bite. He still gives zombie kisses (and now at times adds a tongue lick to the kiss). I should clarify a zombie kiss is when he comes at us with his mouth open wide and basically puts his mouth on our face or whatever. He's doing it to the kids at daycare too. The director kinda got uptight about it and told me he's biting the other kids. But he's not actually biting. He does it to me all the time and I never feel his teeth. I also haven't heard from anyone else (daycare worker) that he's actually bitten, and they have reassured me that this is a stage and it's fine.

We can no longer eat or drink anything. Neil wants everything we have. And so far he's not really refusing anything. So we're mostly on finger foods, even at daycare. I have the pouches that I give him if we're out somewhere and don't order off a menu for him (which we do most of the time now if we eat out). The pouches are just a lot easier. And he just recently started holding them himself. He pushes my hand away if I try to "help" by squeezing the food up so he gets all of it. His favorite foods seem to be kiwi, banana, avocado, and apples. He also really likes chicken and eggs. And sometimes we give him "cookies" for dessert. Cookies are actually animal crackers, and we give him one to two of those but not every meal or every day. He lights up when we ask if he wants a cookie though.

I tried to cut out my one pump session at work and I'm having a really hard time doing that. I have gotten very uncomfortable a few times. So for now I'm using that as my lunch and not really telling people I'm still doing it. After the baby hits a year, the laws don't protect you anymore. ;) So I am pumping/nursing in the morning (depending on if it's a workday or the weekend). I pump/nurse mid-day. Neil gets a bottle mid-afternoon. Then I nurse at 5pm and then again at bedtime. I'm going to start making sure he eats solid food before nursing/bottle and hopefully that will help me wean down. BUT, he still seems to really want to nurse so I'm not going to cut him off completely. (I know a lot of people are going to think that's weird so I'll probably not make a point of saying it to people but I also won't hide it if it comes up.)

Neil is talking up a storm. I can't understand a lot of what he says but sometimes I can figure it out based on what he's pointing at. He calls fish "pout" or "pout pout" (from a book Dave reads to him with the pout pout fish). Cats are either "Tigger" or "kitty." He says banana (ba), ball (ba), truck, boat... those are just some of the words I've heard the last few days. He says a lot more. If I don't understand what he's saying and can't figure it out, I try to respond and just say something like "Oh really". He also knows some sign language, which will hopefully help keep him from getting frustrated that we don't understand what he's trying to say. Oh and for Dave's benefit, he might also be saying "Batman" (ba) as well. If you ask where Batman is, he does go get his little Batman stuffed animal, saying ba as he goes.

Sleeping is a bit weird. Neil sleeps about 11 hours at night. Then he takes 1-3 naps during the day. The consistent nap is the early afternoon one. At home on the weekends he always takes an early morning nap, about an hour after he wakes up. But that one seems to be dropping at daycare. And then he almost always naps at 5 when I nurse him after work. That honestly is my favorite part of the day. I hold him as he sleeps. It doesn't last long but I love snuggling with him.

At daycare, when they hit one year they are not allowed to be in a crib/pack-n-play anymore. So they've been working Neil up to sleeping on a mat gradually. It turns out he sleep crawls. (This explains a lot at night- we do hear weird noises from his nursery at times.) He apparently crawls around but is still asleep. I haven't seen this myself yet.

And I have to brag music wise! I think Neil recognizes songs to some extent! Whenever I sing Bingo, he starts clapping. It came on, on a new toy we got him for Christmas. And I didn't even notice. I looked up and he was clapping, and I wondered why, and then realized what was being played (without words). Proud mommy moment there. :)

Some stats that I haven't typically included (this is for you, Colleen, when you get here, ha!):
Size 3 diapers
Size 12 month clothing, and we started using some 18 month sized Gerber pajamas. I think he could still fit 9-12 sized clothes but we have enough 12 month clothing that we just gravitated towards that.
Weight 20 lb 6.4 oz
Height 3'

Happy 1st birthday!

Happy birthday to my amazing son. I meant to do more of a blog post than this but I just haven't had time to write one up.

I love you, and never knew how much love I could have for someone. It has been amazing to watch you grow this past year. I did not love being pregnant and labor is called that for a reason but you are worth it 100 times over.

Happy birthday, my little buddy.

The Boy Behind the Blog - January Edition

This month it semed like the theme was movies, which is one of Dave's favorite topics. I knew he'd have some interesting answers. And yes, insert eye rolls where he says. He knows me well.

I guess I need to start taking pictures of Dave without Neil. Every picture he's in, it's with Neil.

1. What was your favorite movie of 2013?

Considering that we watched, what, 3 movies from 2013 (Fast & Furious 6, Monsters U, and Oz The Great and Powerful), I'm not sure which one my favorite would be. I love the F&F "saga" (LOL), especially with how the story unfolded when all the original cast returned with 4. Parts 4 and 5 were better than 6,but 6 made part 3 fit into continuity. I really really really wanted to see what happens with 7, but with the passing of Paul Walker, I wonder if it'll happen. I originally didn't care much for part 3. I rewatched it after seeing 6, and you look at parts of it a little differently, almost like some of it was written with 6 in mind. Monsters U was a really good prequel to Monsters Inc, and really funny and cute. I really wanted to love Oz The Great and Powerful, since The Wizard of Oz is in my top 10 all time. It was just ok, it got better as the movie went along. I like the musical Wicked better for a prequel though (and puts a whole new spin on the story), but Oz the Great and Powerful was a pretty cool perspective. So to pick one, I guess it would have to be Fast 6. RIP Paul Walker

(This is a partial list of what I want to see that was released in 2013: Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, Gravity, Star Trek, This Is the End, Evil Dead, Red 2, Kick Ass 2, The World's End... )

2. What is your all time favorite movie quote?

The greatest line in a movie EVER: 

My favorite line... not sure I can narrow down to just one.  There are so many good ones, so I'll give you just a few.

I quote this all the time:
 

From that same movie (can't find a clip of it online), I point over at a pile of wood and say "That's firewood" with a very bad accent.  I'm laughing right now just thinking about that, and I'm sure Jen is rolling her eyes.  haha

And every time I see a Circle K, I HAVE to say this (what Ted says at the end of the clip): 

My favorite line from The Wizard of Oz is from the Scarecrow, when he repeats what Dorthy says as a question (starting around the 32 second mark): 

And from another 1939 movie, there is the last line of Gone With the Wind. Everyone knows what it is, and it is considered by many as one of the best lines of all time. I didn't know what the big deal was as I never saw it. Then I watched the entire movie with my mom and sister, oh so many years ago. When Rhett Butler uttered those words to Scarlett O'Hara, I nearly jumped up and shouted "YES!!!"  

(oddly, I'm leaving out any Star Wars quotes. I could have said "Luke, at that speed do you think you'll be able to pull out in time?", "Mine, or I will help you not!", "It's a trap!", "There's always a bigger fish", "I can sense everything that's going on in that room", "Only a Sith deals in absolutes", etc... but there are just way too many to chose from... )

3. What is your favorite type of movie? (Action, scary, comedy, etc)

I really love horror movies (all kinds: good, bad, over the top; tongue in cheek; gory, creepy; etc...). Jen does not, although she's ok with some scary and creepy stuff (like The Ring, Paranormal Activity, etc), just no gore or violence for her. I really love the original Nightmare On Elm Street & Friday the 13th franchises.  

Short side story, Jen bought our house before we were married (or even engaged), and the mirror in the bathroom looked like the mirror in the movie The Ring. I replaced it for her. haha. It was pretty creepy.

I also really love sci fi, action, and comedy.  

4. What is your New Year's Resolution?

My New Year's Resolution from last year was to not post "Happy Birthday" on anyone's facebook wall (I don't think I ever told Jen that, but I think I succeeded).  This year, my resolution is to stop doing that and try to post on all my friends' walls (I think i have all the 's and s' in the right places', correct me in the comments of not).  

5. Finish the sentence: This year I will....

This year I will be great and awesome! Seriously, I will. The best father and husband that I can be.  

And just for fun. Seriously, this is the only way we're going to get Neil walking I think.
Bribe him with something he can't have.

A to Z: About Me

I was looking for some fresh ideas for blog posts and came across this one on Latitude Adjustment.

A: Available or Married?
Happily married.

B: Book?
The Eight by Katherine Neville. I was just telling someone that people might be surprised I am into some dark, supernatural stuff (not that The Eight is really dark).

C: Cake or Pie?
Cake. Hands down. Actually I could skip the cake altogether and just eat the icing/frosting. But not that whipped cream stuff, I love the sugar. My sister-in-law makes the best icing ever. For actual cake my favorite is angel food cake with my Grandma's 10 minute frosting recipe.

D: Drink of choice?
Water. If you're talking non-alcoholic.
Margarita if you're talking alcoholic.

E: Essential Item?
I'm getting to the point (sadly) that this is my phone. I use it for a lot. Email, maps, taking notes, etc.

F: Favorite Color?
Purple

H: Hometown?
Corning, NY

I: Indulgence?
Dark chocolate. Yum.

J: Job Title?
Principal Engineer or Test Engineer.

K: Kids and Names?
Neil born January 2013

L: Life is Incomplete Without?
My husband and son.

M: Music?
I could write a book on just this. I like pretty much everything except heavy metal, rap, and country. My family is very musical, on both sides. My mom and dad both majored in music in college. My maternal grandparents owned a music store. My paternal grandparents, my grandpa majored in music and the whole family played something. I played violin and piano from a young age (my first violin was a Christmas present under the tree in 1st grade and I started piano around the same time). I picked up mallet percussion 2 weeks before the Christmas concert in 8th grade and never looked back. And last but not least I would never have met my husband without music.

N: Number of Siblings?
Not counting in-laws, 2. One sister and one brother.
Counting in-laws, 6. Four sisters and two brothers.

O: Oranges or Apples?
That's actually a hard choice. I like both.

P: Phobias/Fears?
Very serious phobia of needles.

Q: Quote?
Does a Bible verse count? I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)

R: Reason to Smile?
My son. He makes me smile so easily now.

S: Season?
Spring. It's getting warmer out, the days are getting longer, and sometimes we can leave the windows open at night. I was close to saying summer because I just love laying in the sun and relaxing, soaking in the rays (with sunblock on).

T: Tattoos?
None. See my phobia above.

U: Unknown Fact About Me?
I'm pretty open. So... I grew up in a motel (but already posted about that). I'm sorry I can't come up with anything better than that.

V: Vegetable You Love?
Raw peas. Broccoli with cheese. Corn.

W: Worst Habits?
I can be very controlling and self centered. Because of that I can come across as really cocky even though I try really hard not to.

X: X-Rays?
Um, yes I've had them. Not sure really what else to say here.

Y: Yummy Food?
I love all the food that's bad for you- comfort foods. Perogies. Mashed potatoes. Macaroni and Cheese. Grilled cheese sandwiches. And of course candy, chocolate.

Z: Zoo Favorites?
Growing up it was the flamingos. Right now I really love going to the aquarium especially since the Pittsburgh Zoo has the shark tunnel where they can swim around you.

Snow Days

We took Neil out for his first time in the snow. His Aunt Beth, Uncle John, and cousin Milo got him an infant sled for Christmas. And one thing that Pittsburgh is good for, is hills! So we didn't even have to leave our yard.

I wiped out (fell) on ice/snow on the steps, holding him, so he started out crying. He seemed tentative at first but seemed to like it after awhile.

And there's a real smile finally!

Daddy, not in the road!

He liked the snow on his hand

Plank Challenge

I've been meaning to do one of these for awhile so I'm using the new year as a way to finally push myself to do it. I'm going to try a plank challenge. I found this one here and this is what I'm going to follow for the month:


Does anybody else want to join me? Since there are 31 days in January, just start with day 1 today.

2013/2014 resolutions

A year ago I made some resolutions for 2013 and wanted to see how I did. The previous post is here.

1. I wanted to run at least 7 races to match 2011. I ran 4 but I can say I'm happy with that, actually. It was a lot harder than I imagined to get out there and run with a baby. I still love running but a lot of my running was also therapeutic (before Neil- I worked out a lot while running). I would love to keep it up, and I plan to, but I'm happy with what I did this year.

2. I wanted to lose the baby weight and get back into shape. I definitely got back down to my original weight but my body seems to be shaped differently. I've also had a hard time fitting exercise in- the time I could fit it in is after Neil goes to sleep and I get up so early in the morning that I just can't swing it. Plus with breast feeding I don't want to exercise so much that it affects my supply. So hopefully with no more nursing, I can pick up on exercising in 2014.

Resolutions for 2014
1. I'd like to exercise more. My goal is to exercise at work during lunch a few times a week. When I'm done pumping I'm hoping I will fit it in. BUT my job is demanding so if it doesn't fit in, I'm not going to kick myself for that. I'd also like to do a plank challenge one month. I'd really like to get my abs back into shape.

2. I'd like to put more of a focus on my family. It's very hard with work, because they don't seem to understand (for the most part they don't, but my current direct manager does) work/life balance so it seems like this is something I need to push myself. I'm the only one who really cares about me.