Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Noisy Toys

I used to be one of those people who said, "No toys that make noise when I have kids!"

Oh, what that silly girl didn't know. A toy that makes noise is less annoying than a toddler whining and clinging to your leg.

It was this morning when Gavin was getting a bit clingy while I was trying to prepare breakfast that I had a flash of brilliance. It was time to put in two new AA batteries into his Chicco barn toy. It died an annoying death the other day as the batteries sputtered (a noisy toy becomes unbearable when it has just enough juice to make half of its normal sound in a slow-mo kind of way). I put it and myself out our misery by taking the batteries out but was bummed when I didn't find replacement batteries.

While I was amused watching him try to play with his silent barn toy with a look on his face that kind of said, "I'm pushing buttons, why isn't making sound?" that game didn't keep him occupied for long. After I put the batteries in I drew his attention to the toy and he looked very disinterested until I flipped it on.

If you could only have seen his eyes light up. His, "whatever" look vanished and he made a bee-line to the toy where he remained parked for the next 15 mintues. So, instead of hearing, "me, me, me, bi, bi, bi" (translation: "feed me, bite (of food)) I heard a rooster crowing, sheep baaing and dogs barking. It was blissful.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Photos

As I was browsing through pictures to post I realized I'm going to have work hard to take just as many pictures of #2 as I do of Gavin. I think all second time parents say that.



Total time spent in wading pool: less than 10 minutes. Total time spent to get ready for pool & driving there: about 60 minutes.

OK, not a picture of Gavin but Ryan's cute, too.


If only you could hear him saying, "dow, dow, dow" as he descends.




Check out the little man's outfit. Hawaiian top and blue doggy pj bottoms. (I threw on the bottoms for his nap and Ryan scooped him up when he got home and took him outside).




A better view of the fashion nightmare I'm creating.




YUMMY, YUMMY CHEEKS!!!




It took 3 trips to local wading pools in one week before he felt comfortable walking in the ankle high water.






The mirror isn't that dirty (just a little) - it is old.

This is Gavin's favorite post bath activity - to see the naked baby in the mirror with his hooded towel on.


He tried playing on his tummy - there are some great tushy shots but I don't think Ryan would approve of me posting them.


Sleepsack still on, wandering around with a 'ba'



SO CUTE!!!


No, he doesn't have a measles; he's just enjoying some strawberries from the garden.


Ryan reads to Gavin before he puts him down at night. It totally screwed up my routine (diaper, jammies, teeth, let him turn on cd, point at sheep on wall and say "baa", say prayer and sing the doxology - DONE). Now I have to read at least three books or else hear "boo! boo! book-uh! book-uh!"


Incoming!



I think he was actually smiling for the camera.



He brought me his shoes so I started dressing him. He got up and ran off once his shoes were on.


Doggy & 'B' - two must haves for sleeping.


Waiting for our turn to see the vet (subsequent visits to the vet were not photo worthy - lots of screaming as he tried to get into cupboards with syringes and biohazardous waste).


His favorite hat. He'll bring it to me now for help putting it on.


"What's the big idea?"


He was shrieking with laughter as he climbed back and forth in this tube.


Just after he gave the "all done" hand sign. He likes the swing but only for a few minutes.



Feeding himself like a big boy.



Yep, I posted this one twice. It's just TOO cute!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Nesting Part Deux

Gavin and I stopped at Lowe's on the way home from the vet today. Well, does one ever just stop by a behemoth home improvement store? Rarely. I do not miss the hours spent in Lowe's and Home Depot watching the employees milling about the store ready to answer a question grow more and more scant and less and less helpful. Some days I feel like our home improvement days are over then realize that they are far from over.

Sure, I have an intact kitchen - a messy but functional kitchen. There is not a sawhorse to be seen, no extension cords to trip over, no drill bits, drills, chargers, hammers or saws on the dining room table yet the list of stuff to do feels daunting. Daunting because it is full of little projects.

Fix the front gate so both doors are even
Tile the basement landings
Paint the stairwell from the kitchen to the basement
Carpet the stairs
Nail the trim in the basement
Put in stairs in the back yard leading to the garage and alley
Paint the house (which involves picking out a color, a stain for the cedar on the converted porch and stone to replace the faux river rock)
Carpet the upstairs bedrooms and hallway (I got a nasty splinter in our bedroom when Gavin was an infant - it required a visit to the doctors office and a foot full of lidocaine)
Fix the 2 way switch for the living room lights
Get a new mail slot
Empty the guest room dresser so guests can use it since the closet is full of stuff
Make space in the guest room closet
Make room in ALL closets
Make repeated trips to Goodwill in an attempt to make breathing room

I'm starting to think nesting is kicking in. Hopefully I won't have many full blown crazy attacks this time round because I know a little better what to expect.

Although I'm already starting to obsess over the sleeping arrangements (even though Gavin was in our room until he was 8 months old) and where I'm going to put clothes for two little boys and what I'm going to do with more baby stuff since Gavin's room is just about right except for his closet. There is no more room to be had in his closet. There are shelves and cubbies and drawers and doors galore in that micro-mini closet of his.