not much longer now and there will be an actual baby to see!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
31 weeks
so i finally got around to taking some belly pics. i'll be 31 weeks tomorrow. a nice round belly for all to see! i seem to be obscuring the boobs in both pictures so you don't really get the FULL effect, but you get the basic idea. i am now having a hard time reaching things on even the lowest shelves of the upper kitchen cabinets. and she puts up a full protest when i do any amount of leaning against the counter to do dishes, but it's a little hard to reach the sink otherwise.
not much longer now and there will be an actual baby to see!
not much longer now and there will be an actual baby to see!
WHAT??
i'm sorry we can't hear you very well because we went to Monster Jam recently. here are some pics of nate (and jeff) at the show.
makes you all want to have boys, huh??
makes you all want to have boys, huh??
Thursday, March 13, 2008
more nate-isms
more recent nate-isms:
by-4-by-4 = that would be a 4 X 4 to the rest of us. this one really got a workout when we went to Monster Jam (monster trucks) in albuquerque recently. and, of course, every weekend jeff and nate watch "by-4-by-4" together.
orangen = that would be the color orange or the fruit orange to those not in the golden house. i've never been able to figure out why he throws an extra n on the end. and technically, this one could be in the "old one" category because he has always said it this way. most things he's perfected by now, but for some reason this one is still hanging around--and no, we don't reinforce it.
and an old one:
melmo = that furry red monster from sesame street, we all know and love, elmo! this one we did try to reinforce by saying it melmo (because i thought it was so darn cute) but he perfected it anyway.
by-4-by-4 = that would be a 4 X 4 to the rest of us. this one really got a workout when we went to Monster Jam (monster trucks) in albuquerque recently. and, of course, every weekend jeff and nate watch "by-4-by-4" together.
orangen = that would be the color orange or the fruit orange to those not in the golden house. i've never been able to figure out why he throws an extra n on the end. and technically, this one could be in the "old one" category because he has always said it this way. most things he's perfected by now, but for some reason this one is still hanging around--and no, we don't reinforce it.
and an old one:
melmo = that furry red monster from sesame street, we all know and love, elmo! this one we did try to reinforce by saying it melmo (because i thought it was so darn cute) but he perfected it anyway.
flashback
these are some of my favorite pictures of nate as a baby. he was about 6 months old, and i think this was actually at his 6 month well-baby check. don't you just want to eat him up???
he looks like . . .
personally, i think the verdict is still out on who nate looks like. or maybe it isn't, and he looks like a good combination of the two of us.
you decide!
jeff as a baby (9 to 12 mos old). admittedly we don't have very many pictures of jeff as a baby or as a child. so this is all you get. sorry.
halo as a baby and as a little girl.
yes, that's red hair on my head.
nate pictures to compare.
yeah, that photographer could not get him to smile for anything!
i think, in the end, he looks like NATE. but at times i see jeff, and at other times i see me.
one time at my grandmother's house, we were looking through a photo album and my mom couldn't tell if the picture in question was of me or my brother or one of my cousins. i said, "who does it look like, mom?" she said, "nate." obviously it wasn't nate (since it was circa-who-knows-what), but that made it pretty clear that it was a picture of me not whoever she thought it was originally.
isn't it funny how one time you get "he looks so much like you!" and other times "he looks so much like his dad!"?
i have to say, i agree, lisa, in that picture of nate, me, my dad, and my grandmother, nate looks particularly like jeff. i think it is more his expression than anything else, though. because other pictures that same day he looks like me.
p.s. did you notice that in the two family portraits the only child in each picture looking off in an odd direction is the older sibling? makes you wonder what was so darn interesting!
you decide!
jeff as a baby (9 to 12 mos old). admittedly we don't have very many pictures of jeff as a baby or as a child. so this is all you get. sorry.
halo as a baby and as a little girl.
yes, that's red hair on my head.
nate pictures to compare.
yeah, that photographer could not get him to smile for anything!
i think, in the end, he looks like NATE. but at times i see jeff, and at other times i see me.
one time at my grandmother's house, we were looking through a photo album and my mom couldn't tell if the picture in question was of me or my brother or one of my cousins. i said, "who does it look like, mom?" she said, "nate." obviously it wasn't nate (since it was circa-who-knows-what), but that made it pretty clear that it was a picture of me not whoever she thought it was originally.
isn't it funny how one time you get "he looks so much like you!" and other times "he looks so much like his dad!"?
i have to say, i agree, lisa, in that picture of nate, me, my dad, and my grandmother, nate looks particularly like jeff. i think it is more his expression than anything else, though. because other pictures that same day he looks like me.
p.s. did you notice that in the two family portraits the only child in each picture looking off in an odd direction is the older sibling? makes you wonder what was so darn interesting!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
generations
Nate, Halo, Dirck (Papa D), and Donna (Nana)
four generations of the DeWitt family in one place. (and a picture of myself that i actually like!)
i wish we could see them all more often, but we get there as much as we can. my parents are actually looking forward to the time when nate, and eventually willow, can come stay with them for part of the summer. not this year, but maybe in a year or two. i remember going on trips with my dad's parents, but not really ever staying with them for long periods of time. and my mom's mom i only went to stay with one summer when she was taking all the kids to Disney World. but i'm all for shipping my kids off for part of the summer!
his feminine side
i told you i'd share this picture when i got it off my camera. well, here it is. he's so proud of himself! that's a gold lame purse in one hand and either some bracelets or another purse on his other arm.
nate-isms
i've missed writing down so many of these over time that it kind of makes me sad. maybe doing this will jog my memory on some of the older ones, too. some recent nate-isms include:
east western = any and all best western hotels
free = three
yo dabba dabba = yo gabba gabba, a very annoying show in nick
honk-choo = snoring
bless-you'd = sneezed, as in "i bless-you'd and need a tissue."
mote comotrol = remote control, either for the tv or an RC car
mabecka = his friend rebecka (sp?) who moved away recently (we miss you, mabecka and chelle and ethan!)
maseem = his friend naseem who lives in albuquerque
some older nate-isms include:
excator = excavator, this was one of nate's first words
alquerque = albuquerque, also a surprisingly early word
snowing = snowing *and* snow in general and snow on the ground (inuit, schminuit, one word works for all of it!)
itty att = with the proper inflection this was his official first word, kitty cat
o? = this was when nate first started pretending to talk on the phone. he'd pick up anything with buttons on it, put it to the very back of his bald head, and say "o?" so grown up!
shishy = fishy, this was usually accompanied by the sign for fish
we all know there are tons more and hopefully they will come to mind again. i think this kind of thing is super cute, and makes him all his own because no two kids have the same little isms.
east western = any and all best western hotels
free = three
yo dabba dabba = yo gabba gabba, a very annoying show in nick
honk-choo = snoring
bless-you'd = sneezed, as in "i bless-you'd and need a tissue."
mote comotrol = remote control, either for the tv or an RC car
mabecka = his friend rebecka (sp?) who moved away recently (we miss you, mabecka and chelle and ethan!)
maseem = his friend naseem who lives in albuquerque
some older nate-isms include:
excator = excavator, this was one of nate's first words
alquerque = albuquerque, also a surprisingly early word
snowing = snowing *and* snow in general and snow on the ground (inuit, schminuit, one word works for all of it!)
itty att = with the proper inflection this was his official first word, kitty cat
o? = this was when nate first started pretending to talk on the phone. he'd pick up anything with buttons on it, put it to the very back of his bald head, and say "o?" so grown up!
shishy = fishy, this was usually accompanied by the sign for fish
we all know there are tons more and hopefully they will come to mind again. i think this kind of thing is super cute, and makes him all his own because no two kids have the same little isms.
energy vacuum
why is it when nate gets a cold he has the same amount of energy he normally has. but when i get sick (at the same time as him) i'm totally wiped out?
i recently read a book (Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Kurcinka) that described the difference between an introverted child and an extroverted child. it isn't about whether your child is outgoing or not, or about making friends. the description has, specifically, to do with where your child draws their energy from. an introverted child draws their energy from being alone or with a few special people. an extraverted child draws their energy from others. the more people they are around the more energy they have. can you guess which one nate is? yes, he's a total extravert.
when we are at home, just the two of us, he's calm and reasonable and compliant and happy--ok, i will qualify that with "within the bounds of any 3 1/2 year old." but he is also sucking all of his energy from me. at this point i have limited resources of energy, so he's not getting much, but i have nothing left at the end of the day. (so i'm pretty sure why he has oodles of energy and i'm totally wiped out when we both have a cold at the same time. he's taking all of my energy!)
when both jeff and i are home or we are out somewhere surrounded by people, he gradually becomes more and more unhinged. he just can't contain the energy he's getting from everyone. and of course, that brings along some poor behavior.
one way to tell if your child is an extravert vs. an introvert is to observe how they cope with being alone. is being sent to their room a chance they long for? or is it pure torture to be apart from other people for any length of time? for nate, i might as well have asked him to jump off a cliff because he hates it. although, lately he's been getting better about being alone. we can actually ask him to go to his room and play for a little while, and he'll do it! it helps that he has the bunk bed now. it is like a jungle gym for him. LADDER! and it helps that he's simply getting older. we can also send him to his room if he's being a snot and needs time to reconsider his actions. we give him some time and then go in and talk to him about why he's in there.
sometimes, he'll send himself to his room, but that's not nearly as often. he also, by the way, tries to send us to his room when he's mad at us. but we all know that won't work, just like mama sending herself to her own room won't fly. heaven forbid i should go to my room for a time out, he follows me. part of me thinks this is him growing some independence. it is ok for him to leave me but still not ok for me to leave him. and mostly, i'm ok with that.
i'm just happy that we can use his room for reflection time and for play time. my boy is growing up. *sniff* and *yippee* at the same time.
i recently read a book (Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Kurcinka) that described the difference between an introverted child and an extroverted child. it isn't about whether your child is outgoing or not, or about making friends. the description has, specifically, to do with where your child draws their energy from. an introverted child draws their energy from being alone or with a few special people. an extraverted child draws their energy from others. the more people they are around the more energy they have. can you guess which one nate is? yes, he's a total extravert.
when we are at home, just the two of us, he's calm and reasonable and compliant and happy--ok, i will qualify that with "within the bounds of any 3 1/2 year old." but he is also sucking all of his energy from me. at this point i have limited resources of energy, so he's not getting much, but i have nothing left at the end of the day. (so i'm pretty sure why he has oodles of energy and i'm totally wiped out when we both have a cold at the same time. he's taking all of my energy!)
when both jeff and i are home or we are out somewhere surrounded by people, he gradually becomes more and more unhinged. he just can't contain the energy he's getting from everyone. and of course, that brings along some poor behavior.
one way to tell if your child is an extravert vs. an introvert is to observe how they cope with being alone. is being sent to their room a chance they long for? or is it pure torture to be apart from other people for any length of time? for nate, i might as well have asked him to jump off a cliff because he hates it. although, lately he's been getting better about being alone. we can actually ask him to go to his room and play for a little while, and he'll do it! it helps that he has the bunk bed now. it is like a jungle gym for him. LADDER! and it helps that he's simply getting older. we can also send him to his room if he's being a snot and needs time to reconsider his actions. we give him some time and then go in and talk to him about why he's in there.
sometimes, he'll send himself to his room, but that's not nearly as often. he also, by the way, tries to send us to his room when he's mad at us. but we all know that won't work, just like mama sending herself to her own room won't fly. heaven forbid i should go to my room for a time out, he follows me. part of me thinks this is him growing some independence. it is ok for him to leave me but still not ok for me to leave him. and mostly, i'm ok with that.
i'm just happy that we can use his room for reflection time and for play time. my boy is growing up. *sniff* and *yippee* at the same time.
spoke too soon?
we've been backsliding here in the Golden house, at least when it comes to going on the potty. no it isn't the end of the world, but it is frustrating at the very least.
nate went almost two solid weeks without any accidents. (he was like 2 days shy of the two week mark.) then all of a sudden he was having accidents left and right. i guess the hardest part for me is that it almost seems intentional or deliberate.
me: nate, do you have to go potty?
nate: no.
me: are you sure?
nate: i'm not sure. (by which nate, in his own brand of logic, means "i'm sure i don't have to." yes, i know it is backwards, and we keep discussing the difference between "i'm sure i don't have to" and "i'm not sure.")
5 minutes later an accident. two accidents in two hours under the same conditions. and really there was no reason he couldn't have held them both since he went potty when we arrived. hmph. true, we were at someone else's house to play, so i wasn't shocked. but he went potty when we got there, i asked him directly and he said no, plus he holds it for hours without a problem normally. he plays at school for 2.5 hours and has no problem either going to the potty or holding it the whole time. so i don't know how much i buy the "playing" excuse.
he's also had two poop accidents recently. one in a pull up while he was playing in his room. the other when he was home with only papa in his underpants. now, i was shocked when he started going poop on the potty so easily, so i'm not overly shocked to be having a few problems now. but then again i am a little bit baffled by it. he seemed to "get it" so quickly. and now this.
and this one seems the most deliberate. last night i caught him (not the first time) squatting to "hide" on the other side of the coffee table. "are you hiding to poop?" NO. "then stop squatting there." NO! "haul butt to the bathroom, you are trying to poop and you need to do it on the potty." and after a bit of time, he did go. i'm not an idiot, i knew what he was doing. why did he deny it? we talked about the fact that he knew he was trying to poop and denied it when asked.
i guess it is the flat out denial that gets my goat. i **know** what he's doing when he's squatting and squirming and can't sit still. but instead of stopping to really decide if he has to go, he denies what he's doing, argues all the way to the bathroom, and then has an accident. (one time he had an accident standing at the potty trying to pull his pants down after dragging his feet and arguing all the way to the bathroom.) so we are trying to be patient and working on not giving mama and papa "automatic answers" but actually considering if he really has to go, and not denying what is happening.
thing is, i can't figure out why. nothing much new is going on around here. baby willow is still months away and we don't do a great deal of talking about her arrival or even her in general. is it just a normal part of the process? am i looking for too much? sometimes he does great, other times it is like he wants to still be in diapers (which he absolutely denies).
i guess, ultimately, it is a process. and a learning process at that. accidents or no, we love him just the same.
nate went almost two solid weeks without any accidents. (he was like 2 days shy of the two week mark.) then all of a sudden he was having accidents left and right. i guess the hardest part for me is that it almost seems intentional or deliberate.
me: nate, do you have to go potty?
nate: no.
me: are you sure?
nate: i'm not sure. (by which nate, in his own brand of logic, means "i'm sure i don't have to." yes, i know it is backwards, and we keep discussing the difference between "i'm sure i don't have to" and "i'm not sure.")
5 minutes later an accident. two accidents in two hours under the same conditions. and really there was no reason he couldn't have held them both since he went potty when we arrived. hmph. true, we were at someone else's house to play, so i wasn't shocked. but he went potty when we got there, i asked him directly and he said no, plus he holds it for hours without a problem normally. he plays at school for 2.5 hours and has no problem either going to the potty or holding it the whole time. so i don't know how much i buy the "playing" excuse.
he's also had two poop accidents recently. one in a pull up while he was playing in his room. the other when he was home with only papa in his underpants. now, i was shocked when he started going poop on the potty so easily, so i'm not overly shocked to be having a few problems now. but then again i am a little bit baffled by it. he seemed to "get it" so quickly. and now this.
and this one seems the most deliberate. last night i caught him (not the first time) squatting to "hide" on the other side of the coffee table. "are you hiding to poop?" NO. "then stop squatting there." NO! "haul butt to the bathroom, you are trying to poop and you need to do it on the potty." and after a bit of time, he did go. i'm not an idiot, i knew what he was doing. why did he deny it? we talked about the fact that he knew he was trying to poop and denied it when asked.
i guess it is the flat out denial that gets my goat. i **know** what he's doing when he's squatting and squirming and can't sit still. but instead of stopping to really decide if he has to go, he denies what he's doing, argues all the way to the bathroom, and then has an accident. (one time he had an accident standing at the potty trying to pull his pants down after dragging his feet and arguing all the way to the bathroom.) so we are trying to be patient and working on not giving mama and papa "automatic answers" but actually considering if he really has to go, and not denying what is happening.
thing is, i can't figure out why. nothing much new is going on around here. baby willow is still months away and we don't do a great deal of talking about her arrival or even her in general. is it just a normal part of the process? am i looking for too much? sometimes he does great, other times it is like he wants to still be in diapers (which he absolutely denies).
i guess, ultimately, it is a process. and a learning process at that. accidents or no, we love him just the same.
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