Easter bunny

Boyd - 13.5 months

• OMG baby molars are the worst! The teething seemed to stretch on and on and on.... Boyd wasn't able to settle at night because of the pain and discomfort. I'd give him Hyland's teething tablets and then Tylenol if the tablets didn't work. I was resorting to holding him before bed because otherwise he wouldn't sleep. There was one day when he had at least 8 poopy diapers in a 24-hour period. That's crazy, right? And every time I tried to put him down to sleep he'd just cry. Culprit: dirty diaper. And then when I turned off his lamp at night, Boyd would freak out. 
• Naps have been challenging lately as well. I'm pretty sure the disruption was due to teething, but that doesn't make it any easier. I just repeat to myself - "it won't last forever!"
• We may be over teething (for now) but Boyd just picked up a cold from somewhere. I'm thinking it is a consequence of our music class.
• When we say "kisses," Boyd will be still and let the person kiss him on the lips. No participation, but at least he's cooperating. 
• D taught him to bite down on foods and get chunks with his teeth.We're still practicing.
• This is probably a coincidence but after our first music class a couple weeks ago, Boyd seemed to be more into his toys and interact with me more during our nighttime reading session. 
• When we encourage him to hug something, we'll say "I love you [dog, cat, toy, etc]" and Boyd will lay his head down on whatever it is.  
• He's continuing to help us "clean up" by putting things back into bins and drawers when we're done playing.
• Other milestones: sorting toys, handing us items out of a drawer.
• I think the most steps he has taken unassisted is 6. Many times he'll walk and then stop, keep his balance, and then take a couple more steps before falling down.
• Most of the sounds coming out of his mouth are just babbling with a few "mamas" and lots of "dadas." It's pretty adorable to see him flipping through a magazine/book or intently playing with toys while quietly talking to himself.
• Boyd's new favorite activity is to have us place his lamb blanket over his eyes and afterwards he'll stumble around giggling and falling on the ground. Such a goof.
  

Boyd did this all by himself! I noticed it after I put him to bed last week - he had placed an item in each empty box.

Snowpocalypse 2013

D and Gabe left town this past weekend to fish the Homer Winter King Tournament. Although they didn't win the top prize ($40,000!!!) a nice white king was brought home and we all enjoyed a lovely family dinner last night. I don't think there is anything better than fresh king salmon - it just melts in your mouth with each bite.

While the boys were fishing hard in Kachemak Bay, Boyd and I had a busy weekend around town. On Saturday, he and I joined my mom and Risha for brunch at Simon & Seafort's downtown. Our table overlooked the Coastal Trail, Cook Inlet and Sleeping Lady (mountain). Even saw the AK Railroad train go by - Boyd got a kick out of that. Boyd did really well that day - two naps and I was even able to organize his clothes and closet. He is mostly wearing 18 month sizes now!

Sunday I attended another mama brunch at a friend's house. Our third mama and baby decided to stay home due to sickness, which I'm happy about. I don't need an illness on top of an already teething and nap-refusing baby. Monday was our first official Music Together class. Boyd was totally into it and I'm looking forward to a fun semester. The classes run through May 13th, so we'll be done well in advance of Memorial Day.

Oh and we also had an epic snow dump beginning Sunday and continuing on into Monday evening. Over a foot of snow at our house. I cleared a few inches late Sunday afternoon and D did the rest on Monday. Boyd had a fun time hanging out in the sled and then crawling around while watching me shovel. Even got a few giggles out of him as I showed off my snow-removal techniques.

Another new hat! I got it on super sale from the Gap for around $8. I do love it, but need to affix some sort of ribbon to the flaps so it stays put and snug on Boyd's little head.

Our back deck was almost completely bare in some places. Not anymore.

Since diabetes has robbed our dog of sight, he makes his way around by memory. The snow really messed with his paths around the deck and backyard.

Winter gear

Craigslist is perfect for kid outdoor gear - I have found some awesome deals over the last year, including lots of clothing and K'Boom skis for Boyd. This pair was barely used and I snagged them for $20! They retail around $60 and are a good starter pair of skis for very little kiddos. We'll save them for next winter when he's old enough to stomp around with them.

So until he can ski or snowshoe on his own, we'll be pulling him around in the chariot or one of his sleds. I purchased a little blue plastic toddler sled at a garage sale for $3 (yeah, love garage sales!) which you've seen in previous photos. And my mom has this L.L. Bean sled at her house, which was generously gifted to Boyd by my boss and her daughter. It works out perfectly to have a sled in both locations. 

For some reason he doesn't mind wearing sunglasses outside. Once we're inside he'll pull them off lickety split! The retro pair (above) was a garage sale find by Uncle Gabe. The pair below (BabyBanz) were a baby shower gift from my friend Susie.

A few weeks ago I bought a Skhoop for myself. They were all 50% off at REI, although most were sold out by them time I got on the site. Mine is a mid-length down skirt in grey. It keeps me so warm - I usually wear it to and from work on blustery days - and I throw it on whether I'm wearing a skirt or pants. There are zips on each side to allow for increased movement, e.g. using the Skhoop while skiing.

 Have any great gear recommendations?

In the news

Boyd, Risha, the little girl Risha nannys and I attended a free music class demonstration on Monday. Channel 2 News was also there to film a story about the class and we all ended up getting some brief screen time.

Video link here: KTUU Music Canvas story

Boyd LOVED this class! I think he was fascinated by the sounds, plus he also wanted to move around and look at the other kids.We had a great time so I signed us both up for the Monday sessions. Risha's employer signed up his youngest so she and Risha will be in the class as well. They're not cheap - $165 for 8 sessions - but I had a free $25 credit so that took each class down to $17.50 each. $15.50 if you factor in the demo.

I think we'll have fun - I'm just hoping Boyd's nap schedule cooperates!

Iditarod 2013

Although we are in Boyd's 2nd year, I feel like he is really getting to experience things this time around. A couple weekends ago, D and I bundled Boyd up to watch the Iditarod teams run through town. Our house is very close to the Campbell Creek Science Center, which serves as the end point for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod.

It's a little over a mile to the CCSC and we started out late because of a wonky nap schedule. It was a lovely day though - blue skies and sunshine. We arrived and took a spot next to the trail to watch the teams breeze through. Those dogs live to run - don't let anyone tell you otherwise - and love pulling sleds. We managed to see 3 teams before a man on a very old snowmachine rode down the trail with a flag saying, "Race is Over." LOL - we arrived at the very end!

It was still fun - I've seen the official start downtown a couple times and there is an amazing energy in the air. I'd like to take Boyd down there next year.

Boyd - 13 months

My sweet boy is 13 months old.

I had a dream last night that someone was threatening Boyd and I totally went into crazy protective mode. Like have you ever seen a mama moose stomp something in order to defend her offspring? That's how I felt during this dream. And that's how I feel in real life. If someone or something ever tried to hurt Boyd, I would lose it. I'm like that with Risha too. Years ago, some guy yelled at her when we were in a bar - I got up in his face and yelled right back. The look on his face was priceless. I'm pretty easy going and sweet, but get on my bad side and suffer the consequences.

Anyways, the updates...

• Boyd is walking a few steps by himself. Very wobbly but we're practicing. And he's so excited to walk! Lots of giggles and laughs when stumbling into our arms. I also love seeing him slowly make his way along the coffee table or kitchen wall - one or both hands providing balance.
• Loves sledding and is very good about wearing his sunglasses - possibly because he knows it means we're going outside? Did you know that most of the sun damage to eyes happens when we are kids? So I'm glad he's patient with wearing eye protection. 
• He'll place items into containers when I ask him to. Would much prefer to knock things over and drop them on the ground though.
• A couple times per week he's been napping only once per day. I wonder if he's moving towards dropping one nap. On one-nap days, he is exhausted by 6:15 or 6:30 p.m. (bedtime usually begins at 7 p.m., with sleep by 7:25). On the whole, nighttime sleep is excellent.
• We all make sure to say "please" and "thank you" to Boyd so he learns good manners.
• His stranger danger is diminishing but still prefers women to men. 
• We continue to name things and increase his comprehension of objects. He knows certain words really well, e.g. book, feet, mama, dada, grandma, kitty, puppy, etc. - all the basics. 
• Two baby molars have arrived. He's starting to bite me again at the end of nursing sessions.
• We called the doctor this weekend after noticing a quarter-sized red spot and little raised bump on Boyd's thigh. It is going away and the doc says it was most likely a localized reaction to the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine.
• I read books every night to Boyd before bed and he has taken to holding the books himself and flipping through the pages.
• On Monday, Boyd and I will attend a Music Together demo class with Risha and one of the girls she nannys for. It's a local music program that offers 6-8 week classes for children. It's great that they offer these demos to figure out if it's something that will work for your kid, especially since the package runs something like $150. 

I'm experimenting with a new iPhone app - PicFrame - which lets me consolidate similar photos into one frame and add captions. I'm liking it so far...

This weekend was absolutely breathtaking - blue skies, warm temperatures, minimal wind. I went out twice with Boyd to stroll around our neighborhood. He's wearing a new hat from the Gap, warm layers, a snowsuit and a Tuffo Muddy Buddy. The Muddy Buddy is waterproof so I don't have to worry about snow melting all over him.

We had to go through security at some place last weekend and D placed Boyd in one of the bins after we gathered our stuff. The security guards were so nice and didn't even mind when we took a few moments to take photos.

Baby loves bath time.

Da plane!

Last week I (and some of my coworkers) headed up to the roof of my building, 7 stories up, to watch a FedEx Boeing 727 land at Merrill Field. Merrill is technically a small plane airport, which is why everyone made a big deal of this event. KTUU Channel 2 story here.

FedEx donated two 727's to the University of Alaska aviation department (one to the Anchorage campus, the other to Fairbanks) and since the plane is so huge, it couldn't be trucked/hauled from the International Airport to Merrill Field. The landing had to be done while the ground was frozen to avoid damage to the runway.

The 727 flew over Cook Inlet, then Ship Creek and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. It turned to pass over the Northway Mall and land on runway 25, which runs parallel to 5th Avenue.

It was definitely an experience, watching the huge plane fly low over the city and make two passes over the runway before landing on the 3rd attempt! I'm mildly afraid of heights, so I didn't get too close to the edge of the roof. Still, it was AWESOME to see my city from up there, at a 360 degree angle. 

Looking south, and towards our house. Waiting for the takeoff from Ted Stevens Int'l Airport, which is more to the right (west) in this photo.

Merrill Field there in the background.

I think this was the first pass-through.

It got so low we thought it would land...

Taking off again.

Landing.

View of downtown Anchorage.

Boyd - 12.5 months

**I spent about 30 minutes updating this post last Friday and went to publish when Blogger sent an error message and my whole post disappeared! So frustrated. Now I'm trying to remember what I wrote...**

Boyd received 4 shots at his1-year appointment and was NOT happy about it! His growth stats are right on track, as usual. For weight he is right around the 55th percentile - meaning 45% of boys his age weight more than he does. For height he is in the 90th percentile, which makes me happy. Statistically he should be fairly tall in the future, since D is over 6 feet and I am 5'5". 

• Boyd has been saying "mama" for a few weeks now. Finally! Still says "dada every once in a while. No other discernible words yet, just a lot of babbling and sometimes shrieking.
• He likes to lay his head down on pets, toys and sometimes us - just being very affectionate in general.
• He will put his arm out and push it through when we say it's time to put a coat on or get dressed.
• I took him to a friend's house for a monthly play date and he was in heaven. He needs more interaction and socialization with other kids, I think At Costco and the grocery store he is fascinated by other kids. 
• Also at our monthly play date/mama brunch, Boyd would giggle anytime the adults would laugh. And at home, he thought it was hilarious when the cat chased around the laser dot in the living room.
• Standing for longer periods, and has been taking a few unassisted steps here and there.
• He enjoys giving us items and "sharing" (and then wanting them back immediately!).
• Along those same lines, he likes to feed us finger foods. Very generous baby.
• Pulling his own hair - the pediatrician says this is fairly normal and we should distract him when it happens.
• I noticed that Boyd has small bumps on the back of his arms. According to the doc it could be keratosis pilaris. Nothing serious, but we are supposed to apply creme after bathing.
• I taught him the ET game - when I stick my pointer finger out and say "ET," he touches it with his first finger.
• We've had a couple rough nights last week and we think Boyd is teething again - this time with the first set of baby molars. I was up for 2 hours on Wednesday night and almost 3 on Thursday. Poor kiddo was in pain and couldn't sleep. He got some homeopathic teething tablets and a half dose of Tylenol, and finally fell asleep around 3 a.m. And then on Sunday night he was very constipated and upset for close to 3 hours. It's tough to be a baby!
• He has gotten the hang of sippy cups, food pouches and these reusable Sili Squeeze pouches that I found. Getting a little more picky about what he eats, but mostly that happens when he is getting full. I'm still surprised at the variety of foods that he'll try (and like!)

I love these Sleep & Play outfits and will be pretty sad when he outgrows them. They're so practical when we're at home or he is with my mom during the week. No worries about losing socks or his shirts riding up. When we leave the house I dress him in regular clothes, but you can't beat Sleep & Plays at home.

I broke down and purchased a Pillow Pet, and of course Boyd loves the thing. He cuddles "Mr Owl" by leaning down and rubbing his face it.

His new favorite activity - emptying out drawers, bags, bins, etc.

This photo touches my heart, with Boyd's little belly sticking out. And I love how his bottom lip sticks out when he is concentrating on something.

Raccoon pants!

Someone is supposed to be sleeping in this picture.

This is the only way I can get ready in the morning - by letting him empty out my toiletry cabinet.

Keeping Daddy company while the driveway gets shoveled. Risha and I went to meet with her wedding photographer last Saturday and when she dropped me off, Boyd was sitting in the snow like this.

Wheeeee!

Sharing with the puppy. He will give Drift all sorts of things.

Valentine's Day 2013

For Valentine's Day, my two favorite guys took me out for a special dinner at one of my all time favorite Italian restaurants in Anchorage, Romano's. Even better, we had a gift card to use up (won last year at D's union Christmas party). Turns out the card had expired (whoops!) but the manager very kindly honored the amount.

Boyd did pretty well at dinner - some minor fussiness due to hunger but all in all, we were pretty proud of him. Especially when we heard and saw a little girl screaming her head off before we left. Yikes!

Hanging out in the highchair, sporting his fancy Carhartt overalls.

In a pinch, keys always work as a baby distraction.

And as promised, here are a few iPhone photos of Boyd in his new Korean outfit. Love the hat.

Boyd - 1st birthday

Gabe's camera is awesome! Even a photography novice like myself can take halfway decent images.Gabe and Risha took most of these but I snapped the ones during the cake-eating extravaganza.

My mom and her friends cooked and prepped all morning. The food was delicious! The only way it could have been better is if my Auntie was here to cook - she makes the best Korean food.

Boyd borrowed a traditional Korean outfit for his 1st birthday party. Since then, my mom's friend Yonsil sent him the most beautiful (and expensive) custom outfit, complete with hat and booties. Will have those photos later.

Boyd had an array of symbolic items to choose from and he chose the thread (long life). Next he went for the money (success). Go Boyd!

"I am 1!"

Playing with the hammer from his new tool set, courtesy of Uncle Gabe and Auntie Risha.

Two identical birthday cards! He received many generous gifts - toys, clothes and money for his savings account.

His first birthday cake. I also made cupcakes and cake pops for everyone else.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of this situation.

Once he realized we were going to let him do whatever he wanted, it was GAME ON.

Pretty dainty. No big time cake smashing like we expected.

This was the largest piece he went for. I was worried about him sleeping later that night (since this was the most sugar he had EVER had) but he was fine.

LOVE this photo.

The post-cake bath with Auntie Risha.

Thanks for checking out the photos - quack quack!