Our Little Dish Washer

Ked LOVES dish washing time. Hopefully he still feels that way when he's a little older and it's his job. . .

Ked is very insistent on being involved once he hears the dishes clanking and the water running, and will do anything to get to the water (as you can see here). It's gotten to the point that Sam won't do dishes until after Ked is in bed, keeping things much easier and drier.

On the rare occasions I do the dishes, Ked and I have a deal. I wash; he rinses.

Ked 17 months

Babies in the Oven

As Sam and I knelt down to say our morning prayer together one morning in the living room, Ked quickly seized the opportunity to get into the kitchen, open the oven door, climb up on it, and play with the racks and the stove above. (Thankfully he can't turn it on.) As you can imagine, this made a fair amount of racket. As Sam was praying, he asked for a blessing on "the baby in the oven." I thought it was a little odd he used this phrase in a prayer, but then when I heard Ked clanking away in the oven, I couldn't help but release a muffled laugh, and (being a Z) I couldn't stop the whole way through the prayer. On hearing me start to laugh, Sam realized why I was laughing and added, "bless both babies in the oven." Well, it wasn't the most reverent prayer, but we were sincere!

I was pleasantly surprised with an ultrasound at my first appointment, and I was amazed at how fully formed and squirmy and kickin' and punchin' our little sprite was! Pretty amazing, and while I've already been really excited, seeing such a confirmation made me ecstatic! We are due in August.

Oh, what do you do in the winter time...?

Do you turn your table upside down like this. . .

after finding your kid multiple times like this?

(Ked, Jan. 2011; 16 1/2 months)

Christmas, etc.

Ked was ecstatic to be greeted by a new dog when we arrived at Sam's parents for Christmas. (One of Ked's first "words" was "Issadog!") Ked and the dog both loved each other and drove each other crazy.

Ked has enjoyed this homemade Christmas present. . . but it wasn't quite as cool as his cousin's new bike.

Ked also liked his harmonica, but he wanted me to blow it.

Ked and Sam outside the Nauvoo temple, waiting for the bride and groom. It was cold! One of these days I'll get some pictures up of the happy couple--Shannon and Kyle. We were so happy to be there with them.

Shoveling Snow

What do you do with a boy with bounteous energy?

You put him to work!

Christmas Eve Day, at Sam's parents'. Ked loved the snow shovel.

Nativity Temptation

Figuring out where to put my Nativities this year was tricky--they had to be out of Ked's reach. Of course, he still found ways to get to them. . . He especially loved the nesting dolls a friend gave me and the little sheep of the porcelain set that my youngest sister made me.

I love how he is cradling the baby Jesus here.

I eventually moved most of the Nativities to a shelf in the bookcase. But then Ked figured out that he could climb onto his toy box to reach it. So I took the lid off of his toy box. . . and he put it back on. So I hid the lid, and finally, all was safe.

Studious

I love viewing Ked in his quiet moments. Except this one made me nervous. . .

(Ked 12/15/2010; 15 1/2 months)

He does like to look through books on the couch (usually upside down, as both of these pictures show).

(Ked 1/13/2011; 16 1/2 months)

Keeping Mom Busy

(Ked) One day I figured out how to move the chairs all around the house and get into anything I couldn't normally reach--top drawers, shelves, the sink, the stove--and I could get onto the kitchen table even when Mom and Dad remembered to push their chairs in.

(Ked, 12/1/2011; 15 months)

It was great until Mom hid all the chairs in the back room (and subsequently got holes in the knees of her jeans from kneeling down at the kitchen table all the time).

Then I figured out I could still use my push car to get a few places. That worked until Dad added child-proof latches to the upper drawers too.

(Ked 12/5/ 2010; 15 months)

Then I figured out I could open the oven door, climb on top of it, and play both in the oven and on the stove! Mom does NOT like this, but so far she hasn't been able to figure out a way to keep me out of it, except to guard it very carefully when anything is hot. She's glad I can't reach to turn anything on.

(Ked 12/8/ 2010; 15 months)

Mom turns the desk chair on it's side so I don't get into everything on the top of the desk, and so I can't hit the button on the computer that makes it crash every time. (She doesn't even know what button I push, but I hit it all the time!) I don't get upset when she turns the chair over (like I do when she takes the other chairs away), because at least it gives me my own personal jungle gym.

(Ked 12/5/ 2010; 15 months)

Ked's Flip

Ked got himself into his pack-n-play twice this morning (with the aid of a chair and with the purpose of retrieving his pacifier). I didn't see him either time (though I did hear a thud the first time), and I decided to see if he'd do it again with me watching (and recording).

If I'd known how he was going to do it, I don't think I would have encouraged it. This is definitely not what I was expecting! (I guess it is the same thing he does on the couch all the time, but the couch is a lot more padded!) Notice how he glances at the pacifier, gives a little excited laugh, preps and bends his knees, then just goes for it!

Ked 16 months

In Gratitude

I used to tell my 9th grade students that they were richer and lived better than most of the kings and queens who have ever lived on the Earth. And that even the poorest in the room lived better than millions of people who currently exist. They would look at me like I was crazy, until I would explain.

For example, take into account how long people have been around and how long modern day plumbing has been around (and where it still doesn't exist). Have a flushing toilet? What a great convenience we so easily take for granted. I remember a Filipino teacher of mine (one of my favorites) telling me how amazed she was at the flushing toilets when she came into the airport after first arriving here. I, on the other hand, often lament that I do not have my own washer and dryer in my home. But then I also recognize that I should still be very grateful I can still take it to the laundry room a hundred yards away. And that even if I had to wash it by hand, I still have water running out of a tap with almost no effort on my part. And that water is clean, and it can come out hot! Again, with practically no effort on my part.

How about how long it takes us to prepare our food? Granted that a king or queen may not have to prepare their own food (or wash their own laundry, etc.), but for the vast majority that have ever existed, even they couldn't obtain a fresh orange or head of lettuce from another country in the middle of a frigid winter with the ease we can, or have something heated within seconds of their requesting it as we can with our electric heating conveniences. Most horrifying to me is the thought of not having an electric heater in the midst of frigid winters. And now that I live in what can be the very hot and humid east, the thought of not having an AC in the summer! While being pregnant or caring for a very young one, especially. And speaking of pregnancy and young ones, or any medical condition for that matter, can you imagine what it would be like, not having the security of knowing there are many medical techniques, medicines, machines, etc. that can help you out if something goes wrong?

Well, I could go on and on and on, but instead, I should just try to be more grateful. And what I mentioned here is more on the materialistic side, but what I am most grateful for is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and family. And freedom, which best allows for both of the aforementioned. And if I wrote about having gratitude for those, then you'd really see a long blog post.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ked's First Tear

I don't know if this is common or not, but I had never seen Ked shed a single tear until today--at 14 months of age. I'd seen some moistness just around the eye occasionally, and a small amount of liquid gathering in the corner of the eye, but never a drop sliding down his cheek.

Ked was feasting on his pieces of tomato and peeled cucumber slice. (Somehow, very undeservingly, I produced a vegetable lover! I am very grateful this kid won't have to spend many long nights at the dinner table trying to not gag, staring and poking at the dreaded vegetables as I did!) Seemingly out of nowhere, he suddenly started to cry in agony. I'm assuming he bit down on his cucumber right where his swollen gum is working on a tooth. I knelt down beside him to comfort him, and was surprised to see the liquid in his eyes welling up. I commented to Sam that it almost looked like he might get a tear, and sure enough, one blink later, there it was! A beautiful little droplet sliding down his cheek, adding to the tender-heartedness I was already feeling towards my poor boy's suffering.

You probably can't see it in this small picture, but it's there. I'm guessing that since he's been teething today and already passing excessive amounts of liquid through his nasal and oral orifices, there was also an excessive amount of liquid readily available for his ocular channels. Thankfully, he was happy and content just moments later.

Chutes and Ladders, Ked-style

When an empty chair was left up against the couch, it took Ked no time at all to figure out this new activity. He did it over and over and over again, getting more and more hyper as he went. (This was taken after he'd been going a while and was getting a little worn out.) Sometimes he'd kind of somersault as he headed down. I love how he pauses to squeal into the couch in this shot. (Sorry, Sums, about the abuse to your couch!)

Ked 14 months

Up

I'm trying to refrain from posting too many of these types of pictures, but all this boy wants to do is climb and explore!





















Somebody left a chair out. . .

















Thankfully, only one type of "Fall" was viewed on this occasion.












This was the day that Ked realized he could use his little push car as a portable stool. He took it all over the house to explore new areas he'd previously been unable to reach. Look at those tip-toes! (Sorry this one was right after a diaper change and before I could catch him to get his pants on!)








Ked between 13 and 14 months

Halloween

Wednesday we had a great time at our church's Trunk-or-Treat.




The only requirement I had for Ked's costume was that it involved a stick. My sister suggested Harry Potter with a wand. The blonde and glasses-less Draco Malfoy was easier. Ked only carried his stick wand for a while, but he loved his broom.


















Peanut Butter and Jelly. Sam came up with the idea; I came up with the costumes. We thought about performing the song together. . .












Ked and his cousins Lindy, Paige, and Kaden















It was great to get to see Summer and her family there too!












This is the only full family photo we've had in a while. . . time for a new one!


Ked wasn't into the whole Trick-or-Treating thing (which is fine, since he wasn't going to eat any of it anyway), but we had fun seeing all the costumes and handing out candy.

Can Stacking

For the last few weeks, Ked (13 months) has been stacking cans. (Of course the only place he wants to stack them is on our living room table! I guess it's a good thing it was already dinged up when we got it.) He carries them from the kitchen, one at a time. I love watching him figure out how to stack them so they "connect." He's more successful some times than others.

Three cans had always been as high as he'd tried until I was watching him this time.

Second try success! And he's back to the kitchen for another. . .
The leaning tower of Ked.

This is a split-second before the mean mommy ended the game and the little boy cried. Notice that's a 29 ounce can in his hands.


Before he started stacking cans, he was just "setting the table" from any kitchen item he could reach. He still does this, and I love watching him walk back and forth with different items while I work in the kitchen. And I especially love that he is now sometimes putting things back too!
For a month or so, I've been meaning to put these things somewhere out of his reach, but now I'm not sure I want to (though the heavy cans definitely concern me). The bananas were NOT supposed to be within his reach, though--he got those off the table. And proceeded to take a few bites off the top and spit them out.

10/5/2010: Ked 13 months

Just when I think I've baby proofed. . .

Please don't think I'm a neglectful parent. It's just that every day he can reach something that he couldn't the day before - by growth, by being a little more stable and able to reach higher, by stepping on tip-toes, or from learning to use other objects as a stool. These things happen when he's just around the corner from me or even in my peripheral vision. . . he's just so contented-sounding that I don't fully realize exactly what he's up to.





Climbing monkeys eat bananas.
Getting his own snack off the kitchen table. He chowed down on about half the banana until I finally peeled it for him and put him in the high chair with it. Of course then all he did was squish it and throw it on the floor.













10/11/2010; 13 months

Oat Meal
Quick oats, to be specific. Very quick. This was after I'd removed the package from him.

9/6/2010; 12 months

The oatmeal incident occurred just in time for Sam's arrival home. Nice way to be greeted after a long day at school/work, huh? I love how this picture makes it look like Ked is actually helping. He wasn't, but he did love the broom and dust pan and watching Daddy clean up.
Seeing as how I'm not the best disciplinarian, I figured at least there would be a natural negative consequence to this little crime. Ked is absolutely terrified of the vacuum. Ironically, this was the only time in months (before or after), that he was almost intrigued by the vacuum, and hardly bothered by it at all.

I'll plead guilty to leaving the chair out this time.

9/16/2010; 12 1/2 months

Tomato Leftovers
Picture taken after I realized he'd been standing on the chair, leaning against the table, and chowing down on the tomatoes he'd retrieved out of the fruit basket. At least he's healthy! (And these tomatoes were free--plentiful in our garden.)








Corn Starch
I didn't think he could open it.
I thought wrong.








Baking Soda
The smell in this apartment has bothered me since we moved in. Maybe he's just trying to deodorize?






What else can I say? I love being this kid's mom!

Attachment

The question is, who is more attached to the pacifiers - him or me?!9/6/10; 12 months
The technical rule is that Ked only gets the pacifier at nap/bed time. But there are also "a few" exceptions. . . like when I'm trying to keep him quiet while in church, or while I'm on the phone, or when we have visitors, or when we're visiting someone else, or when he's not feeling well, or when he's unusually grumpy or clingy. . . so, yea, pretty much any time.

For months, Ked has thrown his pacifiers out of the bed to show that he's ready to get out (willing to give them up). My first indication that Ked is awake is hearing his pacifier hit the ground. He usually keeps an eye on where he threw them out and gets one the first chance he can. It's pretty funny to watch him search for one that I discretely picked up. When he realized that I was picking them up before he could get to them, he started throwing them in different spots. Sometimes it works--he can find them before I can. But then he's also pretty good about dropping them in the bed when I ask him to. ("Drop your pacifier" is one of the first phrases that I could tell he at least kind of understood.)

Our Little Mountain Goat Climber

First the toybox, then the cajon and the, "Help, I'm up and I can't get down" cry. Then it was the kitchen chairs, the table (which I don't pause long enough to take pictures of), and finally the swivel chair, which makes me especially nervous!
8/25/10, almost 12 months; 9/6/10, 12 months; 9/9/10, 12 mo.; 10/7/10, 13 mo.

After somehow managing to get the tire off the jogging stroller, Ked climbed into the seat. 9/14/2010, 12 1/2 months

"When's Daddy coming home?" Standing on the heater, holding onto the window sill.

9/5/2010, 12 months

Just like Daddy!

10/7/2010, 13 months

Ked seriously must keep an eye out all day just waiting for me or Sam to leave a chair out. He is always so fast to see our blunder and so fast to scramble up! He is also quick to climb onto the table if the chair is close enough. Sam and are really trying hard to push our chairs in, but we both have a really hard time remembering!

Sharing the Driver's Seat

I watched as Hannah (friend) scooted in between Ked and the steering wheel. Aww, cute, he's learning to share. . . Until you realize that his hand was in the position to help her continue right on through. . . pushing her off. Don't worry, she wasn't hurt and proceeded to go through the whole process once more until I gave Ked a good talking to about sharing.
Ked and Hannah are actually great playing together. Well, parallel playing at least. A few weeks apart and in similar developmental stages. It's so fun to watch them when they interact. (He's not always mean to her.)

On one of the rare mornings that I was supposed to have a babysitter for Ked, he was sick. (Not bad, but enough he shouldn't be around other kids.) So instead of going out, I played with him all morning. He was laughing so much when I decided we should both ride on his car.

The picture doesn't do it justice--I wish you could hear him laugh in delight!

Answered Prayer--Please Return to Sender!

I've noticed a few times in my life that when I dislike a certain situation I'm in, I suddenly realize (and remember) that this is exactly the situation I'd been praying and praying for, and now that I'd finally received what I'd asked for, I was upset about it! Sounds pretty dumb, right? Here's just one recent example. (Hope it's not too crude.)

When Ked was just a few months old, he had serious bowel issues. For months, he would go a week or often two (not exaggerating) without having a dirty diaper. We were worried about it, talked to doctors and nurses about it, and wondered if the resulting discomfort was what was causing him to be upset at random times, especially those times in the middle of the night when nothing we could do would calm his cries. For months we prayed that he would have regular bowel movements and that we would know what to do to help him.

So for months now, every time I have the exhausting diaper-changing wrestle with Ked and then walk his third soiled diaper of the day out to the dumpster, I'm trying not to be disgusted or annoyed, but to recognize that my prayers were answered and that I was given what I asked for. And to be grateful!

Gotta go, I think I smell something stinky. . . again. . . Hurray!