Allen turned six months last week. I started feeding him solids. First rice cereal , which he didn't like so much probably because I made it too clumpy and with water instead of milk.
Yesterday, he got his first peas. He ate a spoonful. Today he got three spoonfuls. He liked it.
He's ready to eat. He was very eager to try it.
For weeks now he'd been observing us eat, trying to reach for our food, mimicking our chewing motions, sucking on plates, well, sucking on anything he can get into his mouth.
"Give me that food. Give me that food," we laugh that his eyes and grunts seem to say.
When Ivan started eating solids, I made all his food. Cooked it, pureed it, etc. I don't know if it made a difference, whether it was better and healthier, but I wanted to do it. It made me feel good to do so, although it was increasingly time consuming (who knew that carrots take forever to cook and purée).
This time I decided not to do it because of the amount of time it takes. But now I'm debating. Maybe it's not such a big deal, maybe I should do it. I feel like I should. I want to provide Allen with the same start I provided Ivan with.
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Monday, June 28, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Actually
"Actually."
Ivan used that word twice today while we were on the way to daycare.
We cracked up.
The first time he said it, I thought I misheard him. But then he used it again a few minutes later, in a completely different sentence uttering a completely different thought.
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Ivan used that word twice today while we were on the way to daycare.
We cracked up.
The first time he said it, I thought I misheard him. But then he used it again a few minutes later, in a completely different sentence uttering a completely different thought.
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First crush
"Erika will like these," Ivan told us last week, as we were riding in the car to daycare and Ivan was sporting his new glasses. "Yes, Erika, will."
"Erika will come to my house to see my big machine," he told us on two separate occasions the week earlier.
A while back, I recall him saying thta Erika wasn't his friend. "Erika doesn't like me," he said at that point. (He said the same thing about Sashi as well. It seems that his friendship with Sashi is on and off. Who know three year old boys are so friend-oriented already.)
We think he has a crush on Erika. And Erika is really cute, too.
"Erika will come to my house to see my big machine," he told us on two separate occasions the week earlier.
A while back, I recall him saying thta Erika wasn't his friend. "Erika doesn't like me," he said at that point. (He said the same thing about Sashi as well. It seems that his friendship with Sashi is on and off. Who know three year old boys are so friend-oriented already.)
We think he has a crush on Erika. And Erika is really cute, too.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Ivan at Mimi's
Ivan's spending the weekend at Andy's parents' house. So far, so good. He and Andy went up on Friday. Andy spent the night and returned on Saturday, leaving Ivan alone.
The weekend has been so calm, easy and chill without him. We didn't know what to do with ourselves, especially considering we really can't go all wild to party (not that we're really such people, anyway) since Allen's home with us. It really made us where our energy and time go.
Taking care of a baby is so much easier than keeping up with a three year-old. Now, in retrospect, we can't recall why we thought that taking care of Ivan when he was a baby was so immensely hard. It's a breeze. I guess that's why it's called a second kid.
When I was on maternity leave with Ivan, I couldn't get a handle on the day. Like many other new moms had realized, I couldn't get a second to myself to take a shower or brush my teeth. I recall that I desperately wanted to go to one of the mommy and baby yoga sessions, but found it impossible to get everything ready to leave the house, not to mention, aim to leave the house at a specific time. On the other hand with Allen, maternity leave was a breeze. I was completely in control of the day. I was freshly showered each morning, I made dinners from scratch each evening, the house was organized and clean, etc....
But back to Ivan. He's supposed to stay in PA until Tuesday, or Wednesday. Let's see how long he lasts. Spending so many days and nights away from us will be too much for him. But since this was a plan that Andy and his mom hatched, I didn't want to get involved. I voiced my concern that that much time away from us may be too much, but didn't press the issue any further.
The weekend has been so calm, easy and chill without him. We didn't know what to do with ourselves, especially considering we really can't go all wild to party (not that we're really such people, anyway) since Allen's home with us. It really made us where our energy and time go.
Taking care of a baby is so much easier than keeping up with a three year-old. Now, in retrospect, we can't recall why we thought that taking care of Ivan when he was a baby was so immensely hard. It's a breeze. I guess that's why it's called a second kid.
When I was on maternity leave with Ivan, I couldn't get a handle on the day. Like many other new moms had realized, I couldn't get a second to myself to take a shower or brush my teeth. I recall that I desperately wanted to go to one of the mommy and baby yoga sessions, but found it impossible to get everything ready to leave the house, not to mention, aim to leave the house at a specific time. On the other hand with Allen, maternity leave was a breeze. I was completely in control of the day. I was freshly showered each morning, I made dinners from scratch each evening, the house was organized and clean, etc....
But back to Ivan. He's supposed to stay in PA until Tuesday, or Wednesday. Let's see how long he lasts. Spending so many days and nights away from us will be too much for him. But since this was a plan that Andy and his mom hatched, I didn't want to get involved. I voiced my concern that that much time away from us may be too much, but didn't press the issue any further.
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Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Mama I can fly
It was bedtime. We read a book, turned off the lights and were getting ready to doze off. Or so I thought.
"Mama, I can fly," Ivan announced, wide awake with eyes wide open, startling me from my slumber.
Mama, Emma can't fly.
Only Creighton, Sashi, and Ivan can fly. And Dadda, too.
Mama, you can't fly.
Mama, see I fly like this," Ivan said as he sat up on the bed, extending his arms to show me.
"I fly up up to the sky.
I don't fly down. Only babies fly down."
All that talk came out of nowhere. I was startled and amused. I have no clue where this fly talk came from, but he had obviously given it some thought. It must have been pressing on his mind. Apparently, there are some gender considerations when it comes to flying. Only boys can fly.
It cracked me up because when I was little I could also fly. Or so I thought. In an any case, I have very vivid recollections of how I used to fly down the street, and how I would need to take of.
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"Mama, I can fly," Ivan announced, wide awake with eyes wide open, startling me from my slumber.
Mama, Emma can't fly.
Only Creighton, Sashi, and Ivan can fly. And Dadda, too.
Mama, you can't fly.
Mama, see I fly like this," Ivan said as he sat up on the bed, extending his arms to show me.
"I fly up up to the sky.
I don't fly down. Only babies fly down."
All that talk came out of nowhere. I was startled and amused. I have no clue where this fly talk came from, but he had obviously given it some thought. It must have been pressing on his mind. Apparently, there are some gender considerations when it comes to flying. Only boys can fly.
It cracked me up because when I was little I could also fly. Or so I thought. In an any case, I have very vivid recollections of how I used to fly down the street, and how I would need to take of.
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Thursday, June 3, 2010
Baby or Glowworm
Glowworm is Allen's buddy with whom he falls asleep ever since we transitioned him to the crib a few weeks ago.
They fall asleep side by side. I like to think that Glowworm's music helps soothe Allen. I usually press Glowworm over and over again until Allen rolls over and falls asleep.
For a few days this week, however, I kept pressing Glowworm's chest but he wasn't lighting up and no music was coming out. I was rather confused so I kept pressing it more firmly.
Until I realized: It wasn't Glowworm's but Allen's chest I was pressing. No wonder the baby was looking at me confused with his eyes wide open. That was the thing. The room was dark, and they both have round heads and big eyes...
And I had been living under a delusion that my life and recent return to work were progressing smoothly, that I was on top of things and that I wasn't frazzled one bit.
They fall asleep side by side. I like to think that Glowworm's music helps soothe Allen. I usually press Glowworm over and over again until Allen rolls over and falls asleep.
For a few days this week, however, I kept pressing Glowworm's chest but he wasn't lighting up and no music was coming out. I was rather confused so I kept pressing it more firmly.
Until I realized: It wasn't Glowworm's but Allen's chest I was pressing. No wonder the baby was looking at me confused with his eyes wide open. That was the thing. The room was dark, and they both have round heads and big eyes...
And I had been living under a delusion that my life and recent return to work were progressing smoothly, that I was on top of things and that I wasn't frazzled one bit.
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Ivan's Party Planning
We haven't been to a birthday party lately (like in a month, or so), but that hasn't deterred Ivan from singing the birthday party song, or just talking about birthdays--they always come with cake..and candles.
The other day, Andy and I were discussing how we are going to handle Allen's birthday(s), considering that they will fall a few days before Christmas--we don't want him to get upstaged by Christmas, although that's probably bound to happen, eventually--and more specifically, what we are going to do for his first birtday party.
Ivan got excited that a birthday party is coming up. Little did he understand that the party itself is more than half a year away.
"Maybe well have French fries for Allen's party," he said.
"Maybe and ketchup," he added.
Of course, one can never have too much ketchup. Or kepops, as he used to say last year.
The other day, Andy and I were discussing how we are going to handle Allen's birthday(s), considering that they will fall a few days before Christmas--we don't want him to get upstaged by Christmas, although that's probably bound to happen, eventually--and more specifically, what we are going to do for his first birtday party.
Ivan got excited that a birthday party is coming up. Little did he understand that the party itself is more than half a year away.
"Maybe well have French fries for Allen's party," he said.
"Maybe and ketchup," he added.
Of course, one can never have too much ketchup. Or kepops, as he used to say last year.
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Fixing it
"Man needs come fix it," Ivan says everytime, which is all the time, he notices broken anything when we're out.
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Ivan: More Sentence Constructions
"Mama, please by me that house," Ivan likes to say as we're in the car driving. I'm not sure why. It's not that he's pointing to a house (or houses) he actually been in. It's just random houses we drive by. I think he just likes to say that phrase. And the fact that he says it in a tiny, polite voice, accentuated with his use of "please" just melts my heart.
"I won't like it," has been getting a lot of use lately, especially when it refers to food I'm trying to get him to try. Exotic stuff, like fruit. :-)
"I won't like it," has been getting a lot of use lately, especially when it refers to food I'm trying to get him to try. Exotic stuff, like fruit. :-)
"Baby doesn't has teef. II have teef." It's always good to differentiate between himself and Allen.
Other than these adorable affirmations, Ivan's speech has gotten really good. He has started to use both the past and future tense, and is speaking in full sentences. Instead of just using the noun and the verb, he's started using prepositions and articles. He's also figuring out pronouns and is using them correctly. He knows when to use them and can juggle them correctly. I'm impressed.
One thing that he has yet to master are irregular verbs. He says: goed, broked, sawd , felled, etc.
And if we could only get his Croatian underway.....When he was smaller and less verbal (as were his daycare peers), his Croatian was more pronounced. He would actually use Croatian words. But now, since English is much more dominant, and let's face it, is much easier to pronounce and juggle grammatically, Croatian has fallen by the wayside. I continue to speak in Croatian and he answers in English. At least I know he understand me. However, I have yet to hear him say a full sentence in Croatian. As he was acquiring words last year, he used to mix the two and create a sentence half in English and half in Croatian. But now, it's just English.
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