Tools of the Trade (part 3)

The past week has been a bit busy.  Doctor's appointments took up one day; Thumper has his 12-month vaccinations, including MMR!  This is an exciting event because I apparently live in a measles area (and don't we all, nowadays), and I'd like to take him out in public without that being in the back of my mind.  Other days have been spent reading; 12 months is apparently a time where we get all the frustrated meltdowns of toddlerhood with even less reasoning skills and self-control, so I've been spending naptimes with The Happiest Toddler on the Block.  I'll let you know how that one goes, but I've at least finished the book now so I can return to chatting about toys.

And oh, the toys.  Remember, we live in a one-bedroom, open-floorplan apartment.  This means there is currently no bedroom to stash all of Thumper's stuff (though we're working on cleaning out/eliminating the office area to do just that).  In the meantime, everything lives out in the living room, so it definitely resembles a daycare center.  But let's be honest: it was never that fashionable or clean in the first place, so it's not like my world has been upended - though maybe my retinas could use a break from the rainbow every now and then.

All this to say that the Yeti regularly says "He has too many toys!" and I regularly say "He really doesn't have that many - we're just looking at all of them!"  I'm not actually sure which one of us is right; I'm near the bottom of several siblings, so I probably had way too many hand-me-downs and my perception is skewed.  Either way, here are some of the major players in the living room menagerie.  Most of them are only a few months old, so nothing's really stood the test of time yet, but still, there are some definite favorites.

One Year (Early Toddler)

Tolo Toys Rolling Shape Sorter - This was one of the first "toddler"-type toys we purchased.  I wanted a simple shape sorter, and this fit the bill.  As a bonus, the individual shapes rattle (each shape with its own distinctive sound) and the entire drum rolls.  

Honestly, I just wanted to have the developmental basics covered.  I didn't actually expect that this would become a favorite, but it really has.  Out of all Thumper's toys, this one is probably a) the easiest to distract him and b) the one most likely to hold his attention for some time.  He's definitely the right age for it, too; when I bought it back in November, he could pretty much only get the circle in, and that still seemed more like luck (though he still found the whole thing fascinating).  Nowadays, he can get all six shapes in, but some are clearly easier than others, and he still might occasionally get frustrated and move on to something else.  

Thumper's also branched out into trying to cram other objects through the holes (and jam the shapes into other toys).  It's adorable, if occasionally annoying, like when they get stuck in the ball chute of the activity table.  Anyway, it's clearly a classic for a reason. 

Either before or after he wedged the remote sideways into the drum

Green Toys Fire Truck - These toys seem to pop up everywhere around here; I've seen them at Whole Foods, and the local drugstore, for example.  Whole Foods loves them because they're made from recycled plastic milk jugs and are 100%... I don't know, cruelty free.  I like them for that, too, but mostly because they're super durable and hardy.  

They first caught my eye because I was looking at bath toys and the wide range of vehicles includes a ferry and a seaplane.  I really like the idea of having vehicles that are actually in the neighborhood - unlike, say, tractors.  We bought a seaplane and Thumper likes it more out of the bath, but I knew the quality was awesome, so when I saw the fire truck on sale for half off, I snatched it up.  And I was surprised at how much Thumper likes driving it back and forth!  I, personally, was always the type who would look at a Hot Wheels and think, "You know what would make this even better?  Little people to go in it" but Thumper doesn't seem to care.  He happily drives it around with his seaplane and his Doug and Melissa wooden safari truck (which is almost the same size).  

So basically this is an endorsement for any Green Toys vehicle.  I know I intend to at least get him the rocket ship (which, ahem, does have little people) when he's old enough (it says 2 and up).  There's also the ferry, the train, a smaller tugboat... let's just say we'll probably see more of these in the future. 

Hape Pound and Tap Bench With Slide-Out Xylophone - This is the newest toy of the bunch, given on Thumper's birthday.  Once again, I was trying to cover the developmental bases and wanted to get him something like a peg and hammer toy.  This one grabbed me because it's wooden, and instead of pegs, you hammer little balls that then slide down a xylophone.  Even better, the xylophone is removable; I seem to like toys that can multitask.  

To clarify, the one criticism anyone has of this toy is that the xylophone is not a true, in-tune octave scale.  And that is true.  I can plunk out the most warped and sinister-sounding "Three Blind Mice" you've ever heard.  However, as a musician, I can state that it doesn't bother me that it's not a true scale; it's intended to be used more like a set of chimes, and it functions perfectly fine in that regard.  Also as a musician I can state that this will not be the last musical instrument Thumper handles and his sense of Western tonality will be quite secure, I'm sure. 

Right now Thumper likes to pull the xylophone out and play with both parts separately.  He likes to push the balls through with his hand instead of the mallet, and use the mallet for beating on the xylophone.  I don't know that this is a true favorite yet, but I wanted to include it because I am floored at the solid construction.  It's hard to tell, from a picture, what the quality would be, but I'd say I like this even better than the wooden Doug and Melissa stuff we've gotten.  I am going to be looking more into Hape, that's for sure. 

Phew!  I can still think of a few random, non-toy items I'd recommend, so that'll be coming up, as well as a return to the everyday as well.  The weather has been remarkably good, so I expect we'll be having more adventures as we get through winter!

Tools of the Trade (part 2)

I could probably talk at length about every toy and product that Thumper's interacted with, but I'm trying to stick to real favorites.

So I feel like for the first month or so there's no real playing.  I did tummy time, I put up high-contrast stuff that he could see from his sleep area, and we, the parents, played with him and interacted, but for the most part it was eat, sleep, diaper, in some order, over and over.  No real toys.  Which is fine, because you more than make up for it later.  I look like I run a daycare now.

Post-Newborn Infant (and beyond)

Muffin the Moose - This is technically the girl version of Mortimer the Moose.  When I bought it during a Black Friday sale, Mortimer was sold out, and I don't think my kid is going to be tainted by a shot of pink or purple (in fact, the latest pacifier from the multi-pack is pink.  I have noticed strangers using the word "precious" a lot more, come to think of it).  

These Lamaze toys are amazing.  Another popular one is Captain Calamari, which I got for my sister's baby but never got around to getting for us.  They're your standard activity gym/stroller toy, but somehow they're just that extra smidgen more appealing to infants.  In Thumper's case, he was glued to Muffin when I attached her to his activity gym (maybe because his primary view was the black-and-white bottoms of her feet), and since she's slightly bigger than the other toys, she dangled lower and was the first one he could reach.  When he got older, she became a go-to stroller toy.  Even now I chuck her in there, and he'll idly play with the different textures or munch on those antlers.  

Seriously, probably any of the Lamaze baby toys are a good bet.  It's tempting to buy them all, but you'd be surprised how far just one can go.

Sophie the Giraffe teether - I bought one for a friend's baby shower long before I got pregnant myself, due to the rave reviews.  Still, when it came time to get one for Thumper, I was a bit skeptical - mostly because when I took her out of the packaging, she smelled just like a brand-new basketball.  I couldn't imagine that he'd be that much more into her.  

I was so wrong.  Thumper has seven teeth now; he started his "pre-teething" or whatever you want to call it - the stage that's just tons of drool - at three or four months.  That's a lot of teething and drool, and this will continue for the foreseeable future.  And while we've tried many teethers, made of various substances, Sophie is far and away the favorite and has been since the beginning.  At first he could barely manage the toy, and only fit one foot at a time in his mouth; now even her head gets gnawed on.  Just last night I heard the familiar slight squeak of teeth on rubber and sure enough, there he was, sitting in the middle of the living room floor, munching away. 

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo - We knew at around three months that we needed a jumper for Thumper, because he was already jumping in place when we'd hold him on our laps.  We purchased this at four months, but had to wait to actually use it because he was too short; even the lowest setting left his little legs dangling in midair.  

He was finally big enough to use it somewhere between 5 and 6 months.  It took him a few days to get the hang of it, and it's been a hit ever since.  We'd try not to leave him in it for too long, but suddenly the Yeti and I could both eat dinner at the same time.  In fact, Thumper's just now growing out of the highest setting and the jumper's days are numbered, and we don't really have a backup plan for that dinner thing. 

Regarding this specific jumper, it's well-made and withstands the most vigorous jumping.  The little activity toys are great - I've seen Thumper actually push his activity table over, use it to stand and balance and play with the jumper toys when he's not sitting in it.  It has a "storage" mode that basically allows it to shrink down enough to fit through doorways, but it's still pretty unwieldy so it stays in one place.  

Next time I'll cover some from the late-infant/early-toddler stage - so now, in other words.  But for now, I'm breathing a little sigh of nostalgia for the tiny-baby days: 

Tools of the Trade (part 1)

I keep intending to write a post about Stuff - baby products I've loved - but I never do, and time marches merrily on and Thumper gets older and I stop using that Stuff.  Now one of my closest friends is pregnant and all I've been thinking about lately is pregnancy and babies, and I think it's time to get that post(s?) out while I'm thinking up recommendations anyway.

So, first and foremost: to anyone who may be pregnant, I highly recommend Lucie's List if you're looking to make a registry or just a list of necessities.  I agree with many of her picks, and I wish I'd had it when I was doing my own shopping.  So, start there.

Now, these are my own recommendations, in no particular order, though I'll try to stay roughly chronological - hard when some stuff has been used from day one till now.  And if I start to write a novel (let's face it, it's likely) I'll publish it in bits.  And none of this is link affiliated or compensated or anything; I just include links to be helpful.

Newborn (and beyond) 

Fisher Price Rock n Play - Thumper took most of his naps in this till he was around 4 months old.  It was invaluable when he was a newborn and we didn't really have a schedule and he slept, off and on, most of the day; it's light and portable so it lived in the living room, and when he got tired we could pop him in, turn on the vibrate, and rock it (I'm sure it was more complicated than that sometimes but I'm getting a blissfully fuzzy memory of those first weeks).  You rock it manually (we got good at using our feet) but I see via Amazon that there are now models that auto-rock; however, it doesn't seem to have the vibrate function, so that's a tradeoff.  I can only recommend what I used.

After a few months I started reading about flat heads and got paranoid and stuffed a folded-up receiving blanket under the insert, for extra padding.  It probably didn't make any difference and regardless, no flat noggin here, but it was something I did, so I feel compelled to mention it.

Graco Modes Click Connect Travel System - It seems most people stress out the most about car seats and strollers - or, well, I did, anyway.  At first I was opposed to the idea of a "travel system" because it seemed unnecessary, somehow; all I ever heard about it was "You just leave the base in the car, and then move the seat to the stroller; you never have to take the kid out!" and that seemed bizarre to me. Plus, I was going to baby wear, we didn't own a car, etc; it seemed like it wasn't a good fit.

Ultimately, I came to realize you do need to own a car seat even if you don't own a car, so we needed one of those anyway; and I wasn't planning on baby wearing exclusively (my experience on that is already here) so I needed a stroller, and why not get something that fits all together anyway?  We arrived at this particular one like so: I was overwhelmed with online reading and research, we made the trip out to the suburbs to a Babies R Us so we could test drive the floor models, and this one seemed miles away the best choice.  It moved incredibly easily, even with the car seat on top of the regular stroller seat (so, the heaviest configuration).

My favorite aspect of the stroller is that it's relatively modular - you can configure it just about any way you like, either facing you or away.  For most of Thumper's life thus far he felt most secure in the heaviest configuration, high up, facing me, in the infant car seat.  I could use the little hood from the car seat, and the one from the stroller, to shield him in either direction.  Eventually, he started getting a little big (his feet were running into the stroller part) so we put him in the main stroller, foot tray up, still facing me, for a few weeks.  Then he clearly tried to turn to see where he was going, so now he faces the front (though he's still small enough that the foot tray remains up).  He likes the seat pretty much entirely upright, so he can see everything.

In terms of size, it doesn't really feel or manuever like an "SUV" of strollers, but the storage space underneath will hold practically anything.  There might be smaller "urban" models, but let's face it, if you bring a stroller somewhere, it's a stroller.  It takes up space.  I still try to wear him if I know there won't be space, but out of necessity the stroller has gone on various modes of public transportation.  We don't go in cars often, so I'm not constantly folding and unfolding it.   Still, it has gone in several cars over the last year and I've never had trouble folding it or fitting it in the trunk, though it's probably not the lightest in the world.  The one tiny annoyance I have: the little console storage box used to fit my iPhone perfectly, but then I got a 5 and they're slightly too long.  And of course now the new ones are even bigger, though I don't have one of those.  Graco can't be blamed for that, but if I were them I'd upgrade the storage compartment in the next model.

As for the car seat, it's done the job well in the times we've actually been in a car (and as mentioned, we used it most of the time as a stroller seat).  Unfortunately I don't think he'll fit into it much longer, and I'll have to venture into the world of convertible seats... but for now I think there's still one shoulder strap setting to go.

Skip Hop Diaper Bag (Studio) - Surprisingly, it looks like my specific bag (pictured with the stroller above) has actually been replaced with a newer, fancier model.  I'm not sure it needed the upgrade; I love my diaper bag.  I am not normally a purse person.  Well, I want to be, but my personal pain threshold for spending means that I'd never spent more than $40 for a purse before I bought my diaper bag (and even that was on a Black Friday sale).  So far, the Studio bag has held up like a dream, and I can pretty much cram the world in it (including a folded-up Ergo once or twice).

Now, would a regular, giant purse with many pockets serve just as well?  Possibly for carrying around, but the handy clips in this bag means that it's hooked to the stroller most of the time.  Funnily enough, the stain-resistant fabric has come in handy many times - not due to a messy baby, but a messy me!  Since the bag is hooked to the front of the stroller, it's right in the line of fire when I go over a bump too hastily, and an open soda can or cup of (lukewarm) hot chocolate sloshes out.  Most stuff wipes right off that bag.  Me, my coat, my shoes - not so much.  Can't take me anywhere.

I do love my current bag, but if I were to change anything, I'd add an optional shoulder strap.  Not even for me so much as for the times that the Yeti has carried it.  He doesn't care about the style, but he'd prefer an actual strap instead of the giant handles.  So maybe I'd look at the Skip Hop styles that do have that option, like the Duo or the Chelsea.

And what do you know, it's a novel already.  Until next time!

One.

This week, Thumper turned one year old.  I've been trying to put my thoughts into words since then.  It's not getting any easier.

The past few weeks have been full of nostalgia and deja-vu.  I guess it's common to reflect on the past when the holidays roll around; the decorations, the music, the weather, are all very specific, so you can't help but think of the last time you heard that song or smelled that food.  Last year I was very pregnant through Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The maternity ward, where I had countless NSTs, was decorated in lights and garland, first for Christmas, then for New Years, then for football.

After Christmas, the reminders of Thumper's birth actually grew stronger.  Last year, the Seahawks had their first playoff game right as we arrived home with our brand-new baby; the town was decked from head to toe in green and blue.  This year, they're going to the playoffs again, and it's surreal watching the buildings unfurl their flags.  They're celebrating the team's victory and Super Bowl chances, but in my mind, they're celebrating Thumper's homecoming.

Though I can't help but remember Thumper's birth (the whole story of which is here) it's not with any particular longing.  I don't miss being pregnant, other than the fact that it got us Thumper.  And I've said this to the Yeti all year long, but so far, his current age is my favorite - he just gets better and better, more fun, more funny.  He's had the same personality seemingly since he was in the womb, but he's grown into himself, revealed (grown, really) new layers.

So the holidays brought a wave of nostalgia, but on his actual birthday, there was surprisingly little.  We weren't celebrating the memory of his birth; we were celebrating him, the hilarious, magnetic, mercurial guy he is right now.  And while it's surprising how quickly this year has flown by, in other ways it's amazing that he's only been here a year; it feels like he's been part of our family for ages.

There weren't many presents; those few weeks between Christmas and his birthday really did fly by, and he's still playing with his other new toys.  Still not sure what we'll do about that in the future (I did my best to bake you as long as I could, kiddo) but who knows, maybe we'll celebrate half-birthdays.  For this year, we knew he'd only focus on a few toys at a time anyway, so instead of opening everything on Christmas we've spread it out.  Thus, by the time Thumper's birthday rolled around he'd opened something new recently.  In fact, there are still a few things we're going to give him this weekend (when the Yeti can be there and we're not shoehorning it in before bedtime).

He's still mostly exclusively breastfed (mostly exclusively? Some foods have made it into his mouth but he's spit most of it back out) but we gave him a mini-cupcake with a candle.  He liked the singing and the candle and smushing the frosting, but still wasn't into eating it.  Probably a good thing - as the Yeti said, we don't need him thinking that all foods will taste like cupcake.

All in all, it was a relatively normal day; we made sure we did some of Thumper's favorite things, which lately means dramatically ripping up a box from a 12-pack of soda (remember that video of the baby laughing at ripping paper? Same reaction).  We read a few new books.  We snuggled even more than usual.  All in all, a great day.

Many Babies. Handle it.

Pictures issue is sorted, back on track!  Now let's backtrack a bit:  At the beginning of the month my sister, brother-in-law, and their baby came to visit.  Their baby is only six weeks older than Thumper, and this was the first time they'd be meeting each other.  Needless to say, we were all pretty excited.  I was a bit nervous, though.  Thumper had never really spent much time with any baby - usually his interactions have been from the safety of respective strollers or carriers.  How would this go?

As it turns out, really well!  The cousins got along as well as babies can; there was a lot of parallel play, and some closer-than-parallel play when they both went for the activity table at the same time.  (I wish I could share photos, but Thumper's cousin is not mine and I respect their privacy.)  There was a slight sharing issue; apparently, Thumper thought his cousin had the best taste in the world, because he immediately wanted to play with the same toy, puzzle piece, spot at the activity table, etc.  There was hardly any fighting, but they were like puppies, tumbling over one another.

And I have insane respect for anyone who dares take on more than one baby at once, whether it be through multiples or just having kids in quick succession (like my own mother did).  Talk about spinning plates.  Yeesh.  The Yeti and I are total agreement: if we have another baby (and the jury is still out on that) it won't be for some time yet, until Thumper is more toddler/little kid and less baby/toddler.  I know I can't delay that decision for forever, but it's really a moot point for probably another year, regardless.

Something funny from that trip: So Thumper's activity table is this one, which we love.  I chose it because it features a ball drop in the center, sort of like a pool table.  I wanted a table that had activities that were more than just pushing buttons, and this one fit the bill.  The only thing is that I wish the table had an option to only do lights, without sound, or maybe even just lights and the sound effects, instead of long, drawn-out songs, but we can't have everything.  Anyway, the table has a round dip in the middle, where the ball can spiral down like a wishing well.

When the cousins stood at the table together, my brother-in-law and I were both struck by the fact that the table reminded us of a TARDIS console from Doctor Who.  We talked about taking pictures of the kids and maybe photoshopping in some Doctor costumes, or the tall pillar in the center of the console, but didn't take pictures at that time.

The next day, the guys were out together and I was with my sister and the kids, and I realized one of the babies had taken the base of the light-up ring stacker and placed it in the center of the activity table.  They'd been trying to shove all manner of items down the hole for days, including ones that were much too big and unwieldy, but this one nestled into the dip perfectly.  More importantly, it looked startlingly like the TARDIS console pillar.  If the guys hadn't been gone I would have been convinced that one of them was playing a joke on me, but they were, and that isn't my sister's style.  So, apparently, the kids figured out how to build a TARDIS.

vworp vworp vworp

One more story for now, of the more personal, TMI variety: 

Before I even knew I was pregnant, sushi tasted wrong to me.  I actually thought I'd gotten a bad batch (and since I tested and found out pretty darn early, this means this was pretty much the minute I was pregnant).  The weirdness didn't go away; I hadn't intended to limit sushi consumption during pregnancy (I trust the place) but my tastebuds made it a moot point.  Most food tasted subpar while I was pregnant, actually.  After I had Thumper I tried sushi once or twice, but it still wasn't brilliant.  I wondered if it had been ruined for me forever.  

When my sister was here we grabbed dinner from the sushi place.  I hadn't tried it in a few months, and I was so surprised when it tasted just as I remembered it!  Finally, I could enjoy it again.  I told the Yeti, "I finally feel back to normal."  Which made sense; my body took a long time to make a baby, so maybe it needed time to bounce back.  

But I wondered if maybe it was more than that.  I still hadn't had a menstrual cycle since giving birth to Thumper, but for the past few months I'd been in "any day now" mode.  I'd had random, fleeting cramping, PMS-like grumpiness (mild, thankfully), and this seemed like yet another sign that my hormones were back in their pre-pregnancy mode.  

The day after my sister left, I started my period.  Perhaps being in Multiple Babies Mode jump-started my ovaries - though really, I would have thought they'd be cowering in fear.

The Airing of Grievances

The name of the game this holiday season is "behind schedule."  Maybe it's because I feel like last week was Thanksgiving since I had family visiting, but of course it was actually two weeks after Thanksgiving.  At any rate, here are but a few examples of the "a little late or maybe not at all" mentality we've got going on around here this year:

• Holiday cards.  For years I've been wanting to do one of those cutesy cards you create online and get printed out and they're just adorable, but could never talk the Yeti into it.  With Thumper, he's willing to take one for the team.  We even got our picture taken as a family, by someone else, in a place other than the toy-strewn living room and in clothes other than pajamas!  We just didn't actually get on doing any of this till about a week or so ago.  Now the cards are addressed, waiting to be stamped and sent, and we will buy stamps when Thumper wakes up from his nap.  Yes, they will be arriving after Christmas.  Since the card says "Happy Holidays" I figure it's still got a nice cushion of time before New Years. 
• Christmas tree.  I am not putting up our giant fake tree; there's no room with the baby paddock in the living room, plus I didn't want to use breakable ornaments this year anyway, and so on.  What I actually have been wanting is a small, white tree, and if I come across one I just might get it, but I have to drag myself out to find it and our Target - the only place I can really think of that might have one - is small, with a limited selection, so there's no guarantee.  In the meantime, I have put up some lights, the welcome sign, the stockings, and more, so it's not like we're not festive at all.  But speaking of stockings -
• Stocking for Thumper.  I've been driving myself crazy for over a month looking for a stocking that "said" Thumper to me.  I wanted it to be a little traditional, not too babyish, personalized, and fun, and I couldn't find anything that fit.  I probably put way too much importance on this, but my stocking from my first Christmas still lives at my mom's house and I kept thinking of it as a Big Decision.  Finally, as the clock ran out, I found the perfect stocking in an Etsy store and ordered it.  If it makes it here before Christmas it will be just barely. 

So there's a lot of last-minute going on but at the same time, I'm actually not stressing over it too much.  I know Thumper won't remember any of it and togetherness as a family is really most important.  In some ways I just consider it a dry run for time management in future years.  Oh, and speaking of a dry run: the Santa debacle.

We still aren't planning on perpetuating the Santa myth, but I hadn't given much thought about mall Santas.  Most kids don't believe those guys are Santa anyway, so I'm not particularly opposed, and there's some sheaf of Santa pics with my siblings and me at my mother's house, so there's tradition and nostalgia.  That being said, I still hadn't considered taking Thumper for a picture this year - just hadn't really thought about it - until both grandmothers started in on it in recent days.

So there I was, out looking for a stocking (unsuccessfully), and there's a Santa setup.  With no line.  It's just me and Thumper, and he's in a good mood, and I figure, well, why not give it a try?  He's been slowly coming out of his shy phase, and was fine when family was here, so maybe this will go well.

I started off sitting next to Santa, with Thumper on my knee.  I think the elf wanted me to edge Thumper slowly into frame next to Santa, but Santa wasn't having any of it.  "This guy won't fuss - he's just fine," he said, and convinced me to set Thumper on his knee and back away.  I don't know what I was thinking, but I went along with it.  It taught me an instant, early lesson about standing my ground when I know what's best for my kid.

Instant meltdown.  Sobbing, Thumper reaching frantically for me.  I took him back right away.  Santa, believe it or not, seemed offended.  "How old is he?  Usually they're fine until about age two," he said.

Seriously? "Uh, not this one," I said.  Naturally, a line had miraculously formed behind me and the other parents were giving us a look like, Your kid better not set off my kid.  I looked at the picture they snapped but it was terrible.  I'm not opposed to a funny crying pic - we actually have one from the photos we took for the Christmas card.  This was not that.  This was pitiful and sad.  And forty bucks.

At the time I said something like "Oh, ho ho, maybe I'll bring him back with his father and try again," but honestly I think that's all the Santa we need for this year.  We've got one cute crying holiday photo, one traumatic Santa experience, not at the same time, and we've reached the quota.

Speaking of holiday experiences I'm not into: am I the only one annoyed by the Target "What did you get?" commercial?  It basically promotes everything we want to downplay.  As adults, the gifts between the Yeti and I are usually thoughtful, fun, and small, and an experience we loved.  It was really annoying, though, getting grilled by friends and family about what loot we received or getting a pitying face when they heard it was just a few books or DVDs.  Thumper's going to be getting presents, but I hope that's not all he'll think of when he thinks of Christmas.

On the subject of Christmas commercials, this one's really good but chances are you will cry, so beware; and this one is my favorite.  I also like this one, cheesy as it is, and the latest offering here isn't bad (and I may be softhearted given the subject matter).  I'm always pulled out by that mom at the end, though, luxuriously stretching.  Like she'd be the last one up.

PS I'm having an issue with pictures as I swap computers, but I didn't want the blog to just sit till I got it worked out.  More pictures in the future!

Whoa, whoa, whoa

So this is a post about how time keeps sneaking past me.  This past month?  Gone in a flash!  But there are reasons for that - for example, one of my siblings (with family) is coming to visit next week, so even though I knew Thanksgiving was on its way, the REAL family get-together wasn't here yet.  And I have cleaning and organizing to do.   And so on.

But on a larger scale, I feel like one day I woke up and Thumper had gone from Tiny Baby to Near Toddler.  He's almost eleven months old, which is just a blink from being a year old.  He's not walking yet, but he's creeping along the edges of furniture, and standing on his own for a few seconds at a time.  We've had to block off parts of the living area with fences to create a baby paddock.  Basically, low-level toddling!  Crazy.

A week ago I looked around and realized that though Thumper has toys, they're all more of the baby variety and not particularly challenging anymore.  We even still have the soft collapsible activity gym out, though to be fair it's been stripped of toys and used more as a fort and balance bar for a few months.  So over the weekend we got an activity table and a shape-sorter (yes, I know Christmas is coming.  I also know there's no real point in waiting an extra month for something stimulating and besides, at this age it's probably better to dole out the toys a few at a time than in one overwhelming clump).

Yesterday I was sorting through Thumper's clothes, pulling out everything too small.   I went into the drawer where I stash the too-big clothing I bought in advance and realized he could now fit into a few pieces.  In fact, they were the only pieces left.  I'm officially out of clothing I bought in advance, because basically I wasn't sure how fast he would grow and I couldn't really visualize a baby that was over a year old or wearing clothing bigger than 18 months.  But now here I am, buying clothes in 12-18 months and the size after that is 2T.  T for toddler.

The other day I was at Target and looked at their Baby's First Christmas onesies.  Then I realized there was no point, because that brand runs small and they only stocked up to 9 months.  He's pretty much out of the baby section.

If it sounds like I'm sitting here with a glazed look of shock on my face it's because I am.  Probably because the last few weeks have been one reminder after another that time is flying, combined with the usual holiday tearjerker stuff.  But I'm not moping around like Albert from the Birdcage all the time, I promise.  Because there's no time!  Company is coming in a week!  Did I mention Thumper has a cousin almost exactly the same age?  I'm actually really excited and can't wait for the double trouble.

Though I don't know why I bother with impatience, since apparently I just need to sneeze and the week will have flown by already.