Mr. Meh got back from Grandma/Grandpas; the last month of Mr. Meh

Ivan was at my parents from Monday afternoon until today when they brough him back. He was apparently very tired today because he didn't really take a nap and was ready to go to bed by 6 p.m. or so. Both my dad and Andy said that he looked so tired that he was barely standing up. However by the time, I got home around 6:30-7 he was in bed but wide awake crying with the light turned on and milk spilled on the sheets.

I played with him a bit, changed the sheet and got him more milk, but he wouldn't quiet down. We let him cry a bit, because
Andy was advising me that "we need to stick to his schedule; let him cry, he'll fall asleep." But after a few minutes I couldn't take it any more and went upstairs to get him. I walked him around a bit to calm down (it breaks my heart when I hug him and he's still sighing those deep full-body sighs while he's calming down). Then we laid on the spare bed to look at the moonlight (more about that further down). He quickly scurried off to get his milk and then climbed back onto the bed to cuddle and giggle with me. He kept giving me his feet, because I always tickle and kiss them. Then he wedged himself close to me, laid on his stomach while holding his bottle and drifted into sleep while I was whispering to him and petting his back.

So, all that crying because he wanted some cuddles by mama. I guess he really missed me these last few days, although he had a fabulous time at grandma's and had no trouble falling asleep.

Tomorrow is my Friday off from work and I'm looking so much to spending all my time with Ivan. I've been feeling so guilty because three weeks ago, he spent a few days at Andy's parents 'cause my dad was in Croatia. Then he was with us last week until this past Monday but I since I had to work all weekend I really didn't spent any time with him. And to make things worse, I was trying to work while he was clinging onto me to pay attention to him. So for ignoring him, I feel extra guilty.

(While I was on my work computer in the kitchen, Ivan climbed on the chair to reach this computer which was on the desk. He turned it on and ''type" on it, eventually dislocating the left shift key, which now doesn't work.)

This past weekend on Saturday, Andy and Ivan went back up to Pennsyvlania since I was at work all day. On Sunday, Andy took Ivan and Mariposa to the trail for some 4 hours. They came back all dirty--they were throwing rocks in the water. On Monday, my dad came to hang with Ivan and me. I had to work most of the day, but we--my dad, Ivan, Mariposa and I--did go for a walk to the playground during the day, before my dad took Ivan to their house.

Two weeks ago, I guess three weeks ago, we went up to PA on that Sunday for Andy's grandfather's 94th birthday. The plan was to leave him with Andy's parents for a week (while my dad was away). We left him with Andy's parents once before in July and he had done well. He had a great time and didn't seem to miss us. But this time, as soon as we got to up there, Ivan seemed much more clingy to me than I had seen him before. I don't know whether it was his age (they get more clingy and shy as they approach toddlerhood) or whether he sensed we were going to leave him there. But during the day he became his normal gleeful self. He had a hard time settling down for sleep that night (and the idea was that we tuck him to bed and then leave) that I wasn't sure whether he was overly tired (he hadn't slept the whole day) or whether he sensed that we were going to leave him. But eventually, with lots of milk help, he fell asleep. He was there until Thursday night. Andy's mom said he was wonderful and that he had a great time, although he'd go around asking "mama, mama."

That Thursday evening we drove up after work to pick him up. We took Mariposa with us so that she wouldn't be home alone all day. We got there at 8 p.m. on the dot. Ivan was already a sleep. When we got ready to leave, I gently roused him and picked him up. I remember thinking "wow, this is a boy a baby." He woke up groggy, and much to my surprise, instead of crying, he looked at me and smiled. He smiled at both of us. By the time we buckled him in the car, he was wide awake, babbling and smiling. Every time I'd look back at him, he'd smile and laugh at me. It warmed my heart. Eventually, the hum of the music and car lulled him back to sleep. (This was the night of the vice presidential debate. We opted not to listen to it in the car because he feared that the voices will prevent Ivan from falling asleep.) He slightly woke up again when we were transporting him from the car to his bed, but it was nothing major, nothing that a bit of milk couldn't solve.

So during that week he was with us (the week sandwiched between the grandparents' time) his sleeping patterns changed: the first part of the week, he kept going to bed by 6:30 (it wouldn've been just too brutal to keep him up any longer) and waking up at 4:30. We tried bribing him with milk in the morning to sleep longer but he's become like an addict: he requires more milk in more frequent dosages. Giving him a morning 4 oz of milk used to lull him back to sleep for about one hour, so he'd be up at 6. But now, it's about 4-6 oz which last about half an hour.

Then that Wednesday (October 8)--which was Andy's birthday and for which I worked too late so that Andy and my parents and Ivan and Mariposa celebrated with cake in my absence--he was up until 9. Whether it was his natural schedule shift or whether it was induced by too much cake--is up for debate. He would not calm down and go to bed.

Then he did the same thing on Thursday. We finally laid down with him on the bed and we pretended to sleep (well we probably did doze off) while he was climbing over us. Then he quieted down as he was looking out the window. It was a beautiful clear crisp night with a big bright silvery moon. He was starring at the moonlight. Then I realized that must have been the first time that he's actually seen the moonlight in his entire life. He's usually asleep by the time the moon comes up and besides the moon is not visible from his room--it's on the wrong side of the house and thick curtains cover the windows.

This is all I can remember of these last few weeks while I was too busy and tired to blog.
Other things to address: playgroup, music class, toy packaging and bottle industry.