Costco Samples - Here I come!

We have added another "sampler" to the Sunday Costco crowd. Today, baby Emet, who as of recently sits up in the cart seat verses his carseat carrier, ate his first Costco sample. Let's see - the first was a bit of 6 layer bean dip...the second 2 large chunks of tuna steak, broken into small bits, of course. The problem we encountered (and simultaneously remembered) is that at this age, babies don't understand when something is all gone....they whine and cry and fuss....until you have something else! He even ate small bits of pizza, a Sunday tradition for Caleb and Jason!...and apparently now Emet.

His big eyes focus on whatever anyone is eating and he tries to reach out for it. Amazing how these things develop so quickly. All I know - is our Costco membership just became even more of a value!

I Poopeded

We appear to be reaching another potty training developmental stage with Caleb. As is typical with little ones, Caleb has always gone into a quite spot to "do his deed". For the past few weeks, however, he has been saying, "Mama, I pooped'ed" - then we go and change his pants. (Of course, following a discussion about how next time he should tell Mama first and then he can go in the big boy potty, get a sticker on his ice cream coupon (he needs 5 to earn a baskin and robins' ice cream all his own), and work towards the day when he can wear "big boy underwear" like Papa and go to Sunday School. Lately, he has even been saying when he is "Pee'en" or "Peed".

The past three days, now however, have introduced a new and rather "messy" phase of this whole process. Caleb no longer likes to poop his diaper and continue wearing it. (Who can blame him?) So, after going down for his nap he plays out one of several scenerios.

1 - take off diaper, 2-poop and pee on carpet, 3 -"clean it up"...by putting diaper in pail and poop in toilet (yes - poop is everywhere at this point), 4 - wiping up with a burpee rag or other towell, and 5 - coming naked and covered in poop to get me.

or

1 - poop in diaper, 2 - take off (oops - poop drops on the floor, so we have to pick it up), 3 - put diaper in toilet along with poop, 4 - eat soap, then try to wash hands (tell Papa afterwards that 'eat soap not fun game'

AHHHH.....poop

Tonight, when I went up to check on you for the 3rd time (first needed Papa, then "dop dop" (blanket)...then water....then Papa), you told me "Mama - don't want to pee my bed". I asked you if you had to go potty and you said "yes"....so off came the clothes and the diaper - and yes you peed! I was so proud of you for telling me. We may be potty trained by 3 in time for Sunday School after all!!!!! I love you, Caleb! You are my big boy!

All About Emet

Poor little Emet. Your big brother is commanding so much attention these days as he prances his way through the "terrible and terrific twos" that you sort of get tacked onto the end of an update. Hence - this blog entry all your own!

Your smile lights up my world, and now that you are sitting all on your own - and tipping less and less, it is so fun to watch you sit on the floor with a couple of toys and play. Whenever we look at you though, you look up with your big, open mouth smile that brightens your whole face - and everyone elses too.

You are full of sign-song screams as you test your vocal chords and love to chew on anything and everything that comes near your mouth! Your little ankles and wrists rotate in circles as you eat, especially when you are hungry.......so Papa and I have been doing that for laughs when we are hungry.

Your little furrowed brow and concerned look calls to my heart, but you can easily turn it into a gleeful smile. We love you, dear baby boy!

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

This word pretty much describes my day today. In fact - I hestitate to create an entry at all, save for the sheer (post experience) humor of it all. Here goes....

Hmm....in short, it involved Caleb eating dog antibiotics (called poison control - he's ok), getting into the refrigerator numerous times and eating whatever he liked, spreading a bag of miracle grow around the yard, peeing his bed sans diaper (nap time), again taking off his diaper during his supposed nap and peeing and pooping on the floor - then trying to clean himself with a baby burp rag and dumping the poop into the toilet (think big smears everywhere), diaper pail, etc. (AAHAHAHHAHAHAHA - YUCK!!!), drinking my Starbucks mocha I had been saving (decaf - thank goodness), and throwing a HUGE tantrum at the Spaghetti Factory to sort of finalize the evening. (yes - everyone looked at him as my husband quickly ushered him outside)

AHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

You feel 'pecial?

Developmental phases seem to come in bursts. Caleb's latest began on Father's Day, nearly two weeks back. We had just returned from Port Orchard and were busy watering plants and bringing luggage and various traveling paraphernalia. Caleb comes into the house and says,
"Mama, I have to tell ya somethin' " What's that?" "I need a fish ba-ba (Fish shaped Omega-3 gummy vitamin)!!" Later that day, "Mama, I have an idea for ya!" "What's that?" I replied.
"Cafe" he says. "Cafe?" "Cafe Sip and Play!!" This is a cafe where, from time to time, I meet with other moms while Caleb plays in the play area. If he is a good boy, at the end of the time there, he gets a mini cupcake. And so it began....

Now, day after day - he comes up with more complex feelings, thoughts and emotions - thinking outside of the present. The other day he told me that his feelings were hurt. I asked him why and he said, "Little tiny dump truck is broken". (I had broken this in front of him as an object lesson weeks before, after he had time and time again disobeyed me and was destroying things. I heard it on the radio - apparently it did leave an impression. However, at the time, I thought it did nothing at all, for at the end of smashing his litte dump truck to pieces with a hammer, while he watched - he picked up the tire and drove it away - making truck noises!)

He also has associated feelings with his stuffed animals and will say things such as "Bunny bear saaaaaaad". When asked why, he will always come up with something.

My very favorite was a few days ago, when he came into the kitchen, having been outside with Papa. He had clutched in his tiny hand three dandilions. He shoves his fist at me and says, "I've got some flowers for ya, Mama." As I bent down to take them and give him a kiss and hug - he says with great big, woeful eyes..."Mama, you feel 'pecial?"

Yes, Caleb - I do feel special, in a way you may never understand until you have a baby of your own. Those three dandilions meant the world to me.

Mama, What that is it?

Over and over for the past few days, I have heard you ask, "Mama, What that is it?", and "Mama, You doing?", and "Where's Papa?" In explaining this to your Papa, I realized that somewhere in the past few weeks, you stopped saying "Papa, I go?" (meaning where is Papa, or whatever else you were seeking). Things just slip into obscurity, never to be revisited. Even if they are, it isn't the same. For instance, you used to say "Ba? Ba?" when you wanted a bite of something. Now, you just know how to ask, (typcially these days in the form of "Mama, need some fruit leather"). Papa started saying "Ba? Ba?" to you recently, and now you are doing it again....but is is a joke to you...not the way you do it. That stage has passed.

Emet, you are growing in leaps and bounds. The other day, I picked you up from your baby seat, which I had to pry off your bum, and it fell off. You are stretching out! You can hold your own rice cracker and chew on it, and love to kick your legs (both at once) every time you are laid down in bed. Boom, boom, boom goes the mattress! You are full of joyful giggles and wide, open smiles. My little baby is growing up! Papa cut your bangs the other day. He just couldn't stand them being long anymore. You look sweeter than ever. I looked at Caleb's 7 month pictures the other day, and it was like I was seeing the same baby - a very strange experience.