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November 21, 2002
November 21, 2002
Collin is almost 17 months
*Where Have I been?*
Long time no write hu? Sorry, sorry, sorry! I’ve been so busy with finals that any “free” time I had I was putting towards studying and trying to maintain the house. I don’t know why, but our house gets messy so quickly. I can get it sparkly clean and immaculate one minute and the very next it’s back in shambles again. Seems like it’s a never-ending cycle. I have to keep reminding myself that we don’t live in a show home and that it’s bound to get unorganized and messy. I have to keep reminding myself that I’m not super woman and I’m certainly not perfect.
*School. A for Effort!*
Okay so back to school. Grades got posted online today and I’m proud to report that I got a final grade of an A in my black studies class! I’m more than proud. I’m practically doing a dance right now. This class was, by far, the hardest class I’ve taken and the most challenging. I’m so proud of myself for doing an excellent job and getting an excellent grade. I studied my buns of this entire quarter so I feel I truly deserve a pat on the back! Way to go Jen! Awesome!
Enough gloating, I’ll come back down off my high horse now. (smile)
*All About Collin*
Collin is growing into quite the little man. What a little smarty-pants we have here. Not only does he understand practically everything we say to him, but also he’s performing many tasks that we ask him to do. He now gets his own shoes when it’s time for a “ride, ride, ride” and attempts to put them on. He’ll go and stand by the vacuum when I tell him it’s time to vacuum the floor. He’ll run towards the bathroom door when we say it’s time for a bubble bath. Sometimes after dinner he’ll ask on his own. In the sweetest questionable voice, he’ll say, “bubble bubble bath?” Sigh…my heart melts.
On November 12th he FINALLY started calling me Mamma!!!! He was throwing himself around the living room having a complete blast (he’s definitely all boy!!!) when he found an old piece of a cereal bar under the couch (told you my house was a mess!). He picked it up, made his “yucky” face and stuck out his tongue. I held out my hand and told him to hand it to mamma. He looked at the cereal bar, looked at me and then shouted, “MAMMA.” I praised him and praised him and he associated me with the word mamma ever since. Now he’ll yell for me when he wakes up, cry for me when I leave the house, and ask for me when I’m in another room. It’s the sweetest word I’ve ever heard.
Collin is going through major separation anxiety now and can’t stand to be without me. I find it very endearing but it makes me sad to see the sheer look of panic on his face when I leave the room. He just doesn’t understand yet that I really am coming back. He even cries when I leave and Mark is home. He just so attached to his mamma right now. I think it torques my MIL off a bit. A few times she’s come over and while she’s sitting in the living room with Collin, I’ll take the opportunity to run down stairs to go throw in a load of clothes or do something in another room. Collin cries and screams “mama” and my MIL tells him to stop acting “silly” and that “mamma will be back” “don’t do that!” I’ve tried telling her that it’s normal for a child to go through separation anxiety and that he’s especially attached to me because I stay home with him. She nods her head in agreement but I really think she’s a bit jealous because Collin doesn’t seem to mind if she comes or goes. It wouldn’t be so bad if she were said these things to him in a calm voice. She doesn’t. She basically has a mean tone in her voice as if he’s acting stupid or something. I think she’s forgotten how it is to have little one’s. I don’t like the way she speaks to him so when she’s around I explain why he’s “acting out” and then ignore her inappropriate behavior. Hopefully she’ll get the hint!
Collin is just so much fun now. He loves to play games, loves to laugh and have a great time being silly. He likes to pretend to water the plants and likes to play jokes on Mark and I. He’ll bring something over to us, we’ll go to reach for it and he’ll pull his hand back and go into a hysterical laugh. He also loves to imitate some of the scenes on his Baby Mozart video. The dinosaur part especially. He’ll make the sounds and bow his head and body down three times just like the dinosaur on the video. He loves taking rides and being out, which is great for those days that I have grocery shopping and a bazillion errands to run. He especially loves it when we go out and we treat ourselves to strawberry milk and Fazoli’s garlic breadsticks. He is, and always has been, a very calm “go with the flow” child. We consider ourselves VERY blessed and lucky.
He’s a bit picky now when it comes to food. He’s still a good eater but only having anything to do with the foods he REALLY REALLY likes. If he take a bite of something and realizes he doesn’t like or want it, he spits it out. He really likes anything that combined and not too crazy about the single foods anymore. When I say this I mean that he’ll snub his nose up at carrots or pasta when served by themselves but he’ll scarf down a casserole that has carrots and pasta mixed together. I’ve had to get a little creative when it comes to mealtime. If anyone has any great toddler casserole-like recipes, I’d love them. Even if they are not vegetarian, I can substitute the meat in the recipe for the meat alternative we use. Collin still loves his cucumbers and tomatoes and will always eat those up. And he loves melons. We introduced raisins to him a couple weeks ago and he loved them instantly. He’s also been enjoying cereal and milk.
As far as sleep goes. He’s always done great in this department. Right now he sleeps from around 8:00pm until around 7:30-8:00am and still takes two naps during the day that last between 1-2 hours each. Morning nap is usually around 9:30-10:00 and afternoon nap is around 3:30-4:30. He’s learned to take the sheets and crib bumper off his crib. There are days I have to go in two times to put his sheets back on before he falls asleep. There have also been a couple of times where I’ve gone in to check on him and he’s had either one leg hanging out of his pants or had his pants off completely. I swear there isn’t an hour that goes by that he doesn’t make me laugh.
*Thanksgiving Plans*
Thanksgiving is next week (already?) and I’m very excited. I’m very much into the holiday spirit this year. We’re having dinner at my MIL’s house but I’ve asked if I could do all the cooking. She’s not the best cook in the world (do you know anyone else who can set a pan of rice on fire…I’m talking blazing flames here!) and thinks that potato flakes and Sara Lee pies are “homemade.” To some this is okay, but for me, I’m more old fashioned and love the smell of all those baked by hand and made from scratch dishes simmering, bubbling and cooking the whole morning of a holiday. Since MIL only lives about 6 minutes from us we are even thinking of packing up the dog and staying the night at her house. She’s got plenty of room and we’d have two rooms to ourselves plus a full bath. Not sure if we will really do this or not but it would be nice to stay there so I could do the cooking without us having to get the car packed up, grab all of Collin’s gear and make it to dinner on time.
*Looking Forward To Christmas*
The day after Thanksgiving is always a special day for Mark and I. It’s the day we drag out the Christmas tree and all the decorations and deck the halls. We listen to Christmas music and I make homemade cocoa with whipped cream. Then later that night, after everything is up, we settle in to either watch Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (LOVE this movie!). This year will be even more fun because Collin is really into the whole WOW! WOW! WOW! and excitement of lights and sound. I’ve been taking him Christmas shopping with me and trying to explain to him what a Christmas tree is. When we head into the Christmas isle he gets very excited to see the lights. I can’t wait to see his face when he walks out into his own living room and sees his own Christmas tree. We also have a small one to put up in his room. He’s going to be WOWing all over the place.
As I speak, I am 98% done with the Christmas shopping. What a huge relief. Three children’s gifts left to purchase, a gift certificate, and one pack of Corona for a friend and we are FINISHED! Yippy! This is the very first year we’ve ever gotten the shopping done before Thanksgiving. It’s so nice to know that we won’t have to spend out holiday stressing out over what to get who and how much to spend and how much money we don’t have left! We can now spend our time really enjoying the season. Enjoy the Christmas carols, the hot cocoa, the holiday cartoon specials, wrapping the gifts (I love to do this), going for drives to view the Christmas lights, baking goodies, and just plane being together and being thankful for our blessed life.
I’ll end this by saying Happy Thanksgiving to you and I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday full of lots of love, family, blessings, leftovers and naps! :)
Until next time,
Hugs, Jennifer & Collin
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