Saturday is quickly approaching – and it is going to be a craft day with friends – we are going to make our own decorated LED lamps and paint sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles – followed by topping our own carefully mommy-molded heart and dinosaur shaped pizzas. I am not sure who is more excited – I guess the answer is me since he does not know about it yet 🙂

….cause every little thing is gonna be alright. I have been cursed since I was 2-years old with night terrors – if you have never had one they are awful – wide awake yet still dreaming horrible things are happening. Last night my tiny charge began crying from his crib after he had been down for over 2 hours – when I went upstairs to soothe him I reached over to pat his back and adjust his blanket and he jumped away from me with a terrified look. The first sign of dreaded night terrors or just me being too stealth when coming into his room to calm him? I can’t say yet but I would do anything in my power to make it the second option.

So now that my charge is so big and mouth-mouth-less (see post entitled V-I-C-T-O-R-Y) he seems to have outgrown some other common rituals around the house. For instance, the gummy vitamins that once sent him running downstairs (not literally mom) at 6:45 am are of no interest to him – he takes one look at the once coveted bottle and utters a single ‘EEwwwww!!!’ as if I am trying to force liver and onions on him at 7:00 am. He has also evidentially lost his interest in showering. Until recently, this was the other highlight of his morning – the one that happened before he remembered his gummy vitamins. This week has required coaxing and on one occasion a chase to get the little beast in the shower. Of course once safely contained with the glass walls he is happy as a lark pushing around his ‘shower cars’ and filling his plastic alligators mouth with water to pour over his feet.

I have to wonder – did the mouth-mouth truly define our mornings so profoundly that its absence has thrust us into some alternate universe or is he just being contrary now due to its absence?

All my well laid plans of nutritious balanced meals complete with only whole grains and organic fresh fruits and vegetables have gone down the drain. I tell you it is a sinking ship around here – if I was not so busy having the time of my life with my little sidekick I am sure I would feel terribly guilty about the poor food choices I am making for him – the life long seeds I am planting NOT of ideal meal modeling but of lack-luster-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pant-do-it-to-make-him-smile-and-clap dinners.

But honestly – the kid just gave up his mouth-mouth and when faced with a giggling sing-song chant from the backseat of the car yesterday on the way home from school of Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! I quickly heard myself saying “Pizza it is!”. This will mark the fourth day in a row that we have had pizza for either lunch of dinner (insert gasp here).

Texas had four and a half slices and Buster (his meal-time BFF hound dog) had a half slice.

As of Saturday evening my Big Boy Charge is no longer using his beloved mouth-mouth (his special name for this pacifier). It was actually easier than we thought it would be in the end….there were tears of course and he is still asking for it twenty-plus times a day….but we did not have the sleepless nights we has braced for or the major meltdowns we anticipated. All-in-all we were giving him WAY too little credit for how big and brave a boy he is.

We bid you adieu molded rubber mouth piece – and welcome in a new era void of frantic searches for you and crazed parking lot sprints as you roll towards sewer entrances or standing mud puddles. You served your purpose well and we thank you for 25 months of calm car rides and peaceful naps – quiet store adventures and your uncanny ability to soothe troubles baby-souls.

Goodbye…….

My tiny charge tossed and turned all night – which in turn meant that I tossed and turned all night via the baby monitor on my bedside table. When we finally officially woke up this morning his little nose was full of dried green gunk and what appeared to be blood. The sight of anything resembling blood obviously sent Z and I into action – Texas was quickly whisked to his changing table – where he lay startled as saline spray was blasted up his tiny nostrils and grape-flavored Boogie Wipes were coming at his from four different directions.

After we were confident that there were not opened wounds or objects (other than green gunk) up his nose he was released to wonder his playroom making car noises while we continued to dress. It was during a crazed trip downstairs to look for missing pants that I peeked into his playroom to see his tiny little finger lodged firmly and entirely too far up his nose – the same tiny little nose that minutes before had prompted an all-hands-on-deck examination.

I can only suppose that this is the first in long string of events which will cause me to cringe and reply ‘ boy – if you don’t want it to bleed – quick picking at it’.

My tiny charge has recently begun to jump off of everything he can climb on top of. The upside for his lower extremities safety is that he tucks them in when he jumps and the downside is that he lands firmly on his diaper-clad bottom each time. This new phenomenon was not actually a cause for concern at 1 foot jumps off of step stools or diaper boxes but he has now taken to stacking things to jump off of or climbing 3 or 4 foot tall things to use as a launch pad.

The cause for concern about his development does not stem from the jumps themselves – those I can caulk up to the whole ‘no fear – boy’ thing – what worries me is that after landing on your bottom 30 or 40 times you would think that the tot would feel the dull pain of a bruise beginning but nope – just trods right ahead – bottom muscles be darned – I think he needs an ‘around the house’ helmet soon.

since his first tiny diaper I have been a Pamper’s mom – fully devoted to the brand. The recent launch of their print diapers do not disappoint. Admittedly, I have yet to purchase them but in comparison to Huggies failed attempt at denim patterned diapers (see post from January entitled: Huggies….wrong move)  I must say – kudos to you Pampers – way to keep things classy.

It recently took me three car rides to figure out that my tiny charge constantly screaming  ‘nee-noo’ from the backseat was the result of seeing any vehicle that might look like it has a siren or lights on top.  So it is not only applicable to police, fire and ambulance vehicles but also to the Time Warner van with a ladder on top or a construction truck with something in the bed.