Tractors Galore!!

Tonight we went to Cosi to see the Farm Days exhibit. Ian's favorite thing in the world is tractors/trucks/"diggers" so he was more than thrilled to get to climb in each and every tractor he saw. How fun! Pictures in the now functioning gallery - link on the right.

goings on

The biggest news is Ian going potty. He is still wearing pull ups most of the time but does almost all his poop on the pot. Even in public. I think it has actually become somewhat of a fascination for him: hey, if I tell mommy I need to go, she drops everything, even in the middle of a meal, and takes me to a new and interesting room and sets up my spongebob squarepants seat and then I get to sit and have her full undivided attention for as LOOOOOONG as I want it! He is so PROUD of himself. He is just thrilled with this new accomplishment. And how could he not be when he gets stickers on a chart, trips to Home Depot or Lowes to ride tractors, stamps, suckers, etc. etc.....? I think we should probably pare this down eventually (I doubt other kids in kindergarten will be expecting an all out parade for every bowel movement!), but we started out with one reward, and when that didn't work we kept trying new things. I don't think it is actually the rewards that are causing him to "get it" but boy does he know all about what he can weasel out of us for this behavior. :-)

Favorite quote of late:
Grandma: "Ian can I have a hug? I have to go soon."
Ian: "I gave you lots of hugs already. Settle down and relax."

Caleb is growing up so fast. Ian is forced to know now that Caleb is actual competition for toys and attentions. He probably had an idea of it before but now Caleb climbs right on top of him to get things and crawls around lightning speed (often on hands and feet, rather than hands and knees - like a gorilla) to keep up with whatever Ian is doing. (Ian's response is usually to hit or kick, which is driving me bonkers. Caleb usually doesn't even flinch or cry. I think already big brother can do no wrong in his eyes.) At his 9 month check up almost a month ago he weighed 23 pounds 3 oz. and was 29 1/2 inches. He still only has one tooth, but there are at least three that look like they will be coming through in the next couple of days. If you happened to read my post about nursing a while back, I was pretty quick to get over it. The little guy is just too busy to want to turn away from all that interests him. He takes bottles like a champ twice a day (sometimes 9 or more ounces) while watching his brother bouncing off the walls and nurses well at bedtime. With the teeth coming in that last feeding will likely fade and I am okay with that. Since our vacation in June he's slept all night every night and takes two great easy naps every day.

I on the other hand am crazy. The baby is sleeping so well, I could be sleeping too, but what am I doing? Blogging. Enough of that!

Ian quotes

Following a bath, the I-man was sitting on my lap in his towel, and sticking his finger in his mouth. He looks at his daddy and tries to put said finger in daddy's mouth. Matt says, "no way buddy, I don't know where that finger has been." Ian thinks about this a moment and says, "it's been on my hand all day daddy!"

While reading "Pat-a-cake" in a mother goose story book Ian says, "mama, babies don't eat cake, why don't you try it again?" So I read the rhyme again, and he says, "and that's why that's wrong mama."

"you look lovely today mama"

after a time out for hitting his brother I said, "Ian what do you think I should do if you hit Caleb again?" "You should put me in time out mommy. Without yelling. (big pause while we share some cereal) And you could say a prayer about hitting."

(by the way, gallery is back up, but we haven't put much back on it yet)