Tummy Time

Great things about November......

2008-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh! Time flies when you are sort of unemployed.........Since I did not land my dream teaching job (or any teaching job) this fall, you would think I'd have at least a rough draft of my novel by now. But sadly, I can barely keep up with my blog. Well it has been an exciting month..........
Starting with.............Christmas morning, I mean, November 6th, 2008! The Victorson and Lentz gang huddled close for the early returns sporting our sweet t-shirts (see the tiniest of all on my indie rock baby here) and clapping a lot. After some CNN and an exhausting round of legos, Charlie went to bed and Rob and I broke out the beer and nachos to prepare for a long night. Except it wasn't a long night! One minute Warner Saunders and Alison Rosati are bantering back and forth on NBC 5, the next minute the camera cuts to Oprah and Jesse Jackson crying in Grant Park. Our hometown hero Barack is our senator no more....he is the next President!!! What a remarkable day.

And then there was the week off from CPS. (that stands for Chicago Public Schools, the giant school district for which I am a prolific substitute teacher) A painful dent in the family funds, but a week off nonetheless. We had some quality family time, including a big day at the Kohl children's museum, and Rob and I had a date! We took an afternoon off together to see "W". We also took the car in for repairs and an oil change. I know, very sexy. There was thai food afterwards.......

On Nov. 14th, after calling my mom18 times that day, I finally got the news that my sister gave birth to Magnus Victor! I hear he is just over 6 pounds. How unfair is is that everyone except me gets to hold him right now? I can't wait to love the tiny guy! Charlie will be bananas for him.

And this week I bask in the afterglow of my 37th birthday. Good grief that sounds old! Skipped the HIdden Cove karaoke bar this year (have I even set foot in there since 2004?) and went for princess treatment at home which was well worth it. Lots of phone calls from my peeps, dinner by Rob, and a "Happy Birthday Mommy" from my little man.

And little man just gets more and more amazing all the time. He loves to chase the EL train around the neighborhood and demands to see it when I pick him up at daycare. He frequently delights in legos and "playing puzzles!" He says "thank you" and gracias sometimes, without prompting, and always wants to go to church.

He can climb up to the first rung of his crib, sign "refidgerator" in ASL, and say the name of the current president elect.

Now off to Gran and Poppy's for sweet potatoes and green bean casserole, Nashville style. Wishin Y'all a Happy Thanksgiving.

September highlights

2008-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

So September is almost gone but I wanted to share photos from Charlie's big birthday. Our little man is 2 years old!

As you can see, he adores Thomas the tank engine AND cake. And he's turning into a little social butterfly with lots of buddies. He loves to play with other kids although sometimes they don't know it cause at the playground he'll shout "Mine!" when another child follows him down the slide. I'm trying to stay cool about this and keep reminding him that the playground is for everybody. Rob says I need to relax and he's just 2 and he won't do this forever.

ANd he doesn't! He is still the sweetest lamb. He still cuddles up to Blah Blah at bedtime and likes to hear daddy sing Cattle Call.

ANd after 2 separate visits from grandparents, he really recognizes them and says their names when he looks at pictures. He adores his new Aunt Akiko and had a great time playing with her when she came to visit with Momala.

Sometimes he "calls" Momala on his toy phone and has a short conversation: "Hello? Yes! Okay, bye!"

He loves to sing the baby bumblebee song for grandpa on the phone. He also loves showing off his pediatric milestones for his Poppy. And he has mastered saying "Gran" which he says everytime he takes Gran's picture down from the fridge.

He's our sweet boy and we're crazy about him.

Things we love to say

2008-09-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by and my boy is almost 2. Where did the past 2 years go? It seems just yesterday I was sitting around my house, topless, watching endless marathons of Design Star and Flavor of Love. My days spent trying to lull my tiny child into sleep in different places: the sling, the swing, the packnplay.

Back then he just cried and cooed and smiled. Today he is alternately hammy and coy. He has little opinions and makes them known: "cookie!" and "nonononono!" and "I want grapes." He uses his loud voice for angry emphasis, his tiny voice when he wants to be sweet. Here are just a few of our favorite phrases:

"I want grapes (cheese, leche, agua, etc.)"
"Mas swings!"
"I wan ged out!"
"I mus ged out!"
"Please daddy"
"Por favor" (sounds like "poppabow")
"Hi buddy. How are you?"
"I watch tv!"
"Wan watch thomas"
"Watch your head"
"Dis deyishus, yummy,yummy!"
"ooh, flowers, nice, nice."
"Yook at dis!"
"I wants Peder Yabbit"
"Where'd he go?"
"I don know."

And the new words keep coming and coming for our little mimic. Our new favorite, of course, is "Obama!" Pronounced clear as a bell, and often followed by claps.

Here are the pictures that go with the post!

2008-08-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Alright, here's a few. I will try to put up more later!

Some Perfect Days

2008-08-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hope this works. I 'm writing from Rob's computer so I can't tell if my images made it or not. If they did, you can see that we had a big day yesterday--part of the Victorson and Lentz family staycation 2008. We drove out to Union, Illinois to the Ill. Railway museum to see Thomas the Tank Engine in person. Not only did we get to see him, but we met Sir Topham Hat, ate hotdogs, got temporary tatoos, operated hand cars on a tiny track, and RODE thomas around the museum. It was an awesome day for a little engineer.

Charlie was quiet at first, just taking it all in. Then he couldn't stop talking and waving. He's really into pointing things out: "leaves!" "flowers!" "train--choo choo!", "ooh, flowers--nice, nice."

Today, we had to stop and watch the el go back and forth over Francisco street for a good half hour.

Sorry I 've been so slow to post--a wacky summer with an unsuccessful job search and bad headaches. Headaches are gone now, though, and I'm enjoying the success of Fake Lake, my latest theatre gig.

Thanks to all my readers.........mom, dad, and the Guzzino girls! I will try to stay on top of things more.
MK

Chest X-rays and stuff

2008-08-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Charlie was a little sickly. He had a fever on Monday so we kept him home. On Tuesday morning he was chipper and funny and his forehead felt normal so we sent him off to daycare. I enjoyed a carefree day of working out, lunch, browsing Lincoln avenue retail and shopping at Trader Joes.

And then I picked up Charlie from daycare to find that he had just thrown up. Holding him, I realized his skin felt as warm as the dishwasher during plate warmer cycle. He was crying and miserable. I had guilt for not calling mid-day......Well, I took him home to find he had a temp of 103. I called the doc and could not track him down so I called my father in law, retired ped. and expert on all things kids and health. Joe had some good advice on tylenol and asthma meds (cause the boy was lightly wheezing on top of all this) and I put little man to bed after he fell asleep at the nebulizer. I felt ready for a night of heavy baby sleep and I prepared to paint my toenails and fold some shirts.

Well, Charlie was up an hour later, crying, snotting, coughing and breathing super fast. What followed was a night of little sleep and lots of crying and genuine fear over the hard, fast breathing. I could see the clear demarcation in the little guy's chest/stomach line. I was terrified. He would breath hard while crying and then calm down, sleep a little, and wheez less. Then he would wake up and start again. Rob didn't get home until 1am (working on a project in the studio) and I went back and forth about whether to go to the hospital. When Rob got home, we decided against it. We had a long, long night, all of us.

In the morning, we kept Charlie home again and called the doc, securing an afternoon appt. Charlie was crabby most of the day and ate and drank very little. When we got to the doc's, the nurse said he would be out until Friday with a family emergency. If you don't want to wait until Friday, she said, and you want to rule out things like pneumonia (yikes!), then I would go to Children's. Well, shit. What was I supposed to do? I went.

Charlie and I spent 3 hours in the ER at Children's memorial where several nice medical professionals deduced that 1.)he does not have pneumonia or another life-threatening illness, 2) he isn't wheezing too much but probably was due to the cold/virus he caught 3)he probaby has asthma (well, duh.........). They did, in fact, find quite a bit of mucus in his chest, thanks to an X-ray, and now he is taking a heavy duty asthma med for the next 3 days

He should feel better soon. Tonight, he seemed back to his silly self, acting goofy at the dinner table and, thankfully, eating dinner.

Poor sweet boy. BEing wrapped and taped and hooked up to stuff at the hospital pretty much scared the fever right out of him. I can't wait til he feels better and we can climb jungle gyms and jump in pools.

I also cannot wait to end the non-stop Thomas the tank engine marathon happening on our television.

I do plan to spoil him with a reasonably priced toy from Target for being such a brave little boy, or, as Thomas would say, a brave little engine.

Where Have I Been?

2008-07-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

So crazy that I have not blogged. The school year went by in a blur and this summer, well, I have no excuse for that. Summer has been nice and easy, save for the headaches--more on that stuff later.

Summer has meant more time with the growing Charlie! Little man is simply, no longer a baby! He will turn 2 on Sept. 13th and he just grows and grows and grows! He talks a lot, sings, dances, throws tantrums, gives hugs, blows kisses and likes to wear "zapatos." He is amazing and we treasure every moment with him. Even the tantrums.......

Here he is with his young friend Eddie (14 months, i think). Eddie is Julie's boy--look at them! Charlie had a good old time having a friend over and he thinks Eddie is cute and funny (which he is!). Though Charlie can get bossy and possessive with his toys (and the toys of others), he does well with kids one on one. He seems to be more talkative in the small groups, too. He just surprises us all the time.

He still goes to daycare at the same place and he is thriving there! He is learning Spanish and playing with the other kids and then talking about them when he gets home. He loves to dance, too! what a guy.

We enjoy tuesdays and thursdays together, going to the pool and the sprinkler, hitting the swings, pushing the stroller, and getting together with friends like Eddie, Izzy, and Claire. He even came to a meeting with me and Halena, director of the new show I'm choreographing.

Weekends are fun with all three of us. Lots of coffee time and more trips to the pool! It's been a wonderful summer.

things that have not been wonderful include headaches..........Basically I am having a cycle or cluster or whatever it is that causes me to have super painful, gut-wrenching (literally) headaches. After two horrible weeks, I am doing much better on a diet of Inderal once a day and weekly accupuncture. I also have some fast acting meds around for sudden attacks. So far, I haven't needed that stuff much. And, I've slept through the night several times this past week. things are looking up.

So, hopefully, back to blogging and documenting the baby, I mean, the almost 2 year old!!!!

MK

We're Back! Happy Valentine's......

2008-02-14T04:28:00.000-08:00

To my faithful tummy time readers and anyone who got the annual card, my apologies for leaving you hanging. This mommy has had a busy time of late. I finished my masters degree in the fall with an intensive semester of student teaching. In between grading and planning and writing papers and creating final projects and being evaluated on my ability to work with children, I found little time to document the progress of my own.

So I ditched the blog temporarily but I am back! As for where I was in January, I have no good answer. I was right here adjusting to my new part time schedule, I guess......

Anyway, here's a recent photo of our baby, who is no longer a baby! He puts on this over the head poncho towel after baths and just runs around looking like a tiny Jawa loose in our kitchen. As you can see, he has a mouth full of teeth! He walks! (as of November 17th!) He talks! He dances! He is full of surprises.

The current vocabulary includes: Mama, Daddy, no!no!no!, uh oh!, Hi, Bye bye, shoes, socks, BlaBla (his favorite snuggly toy),more, mas (he's bilingual), agua, and his favorite songs: "bicycle" and "Godfrey"

And there are more that I'm forgetting

He is a music student now! On Saturdays we all go to "Music together" and we sing and play instruments and dance. He loves to kick out the jams on his tambourine.

Theres more and more to say but I have to go and get ready for work.

More later!

Woodsy Good Times

2007-09-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...pics from our wonderful vacation in the Adirondacks. What a perfect spot for watching the sun set through tall trees.

We enjoyed 5 restful days of lounging, swimming, reading, and playing with our sweet Charlie! Charlie had a great time in the sand, using his new digging toys from Momala. He also enjoyed mingling with beautiful baby Maeve, one month older. they shared some graham crackers, stared at each other on the swings, and traded babbles. Charlie showed off his military crawl while Maeve teetered about on 2 legs only.

All of us loved the cold lake and Rob and I even swam across to the island for some exercise. It was great to be with the whole family and bring to Charlie to this place we love so much. Also good to see old friends (my family has been coming here for 29 years!).

We miss it already!

I am back to work/school, student teaching with a wonderful group of fifth graders. Charlie is going to daycare 5 days a week and being a champ about it. Hopefully I won't be a stranger. More on the big 0-1 tomorrow.

Almost One Year!

2007-08-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Look at us! How did we get this far? As the summer comes to an end I am bittersweet about it. Just last year at this time I was packing my hospital bags and anxiously anticipating bringing home that sweet tiny baby. Now he's almost a year old! When did that happen?

I'm just amazed when I think about his first few days with us--he was so tiny and delicate. Rob and I would rock and sway and sing him to sleep and then swaddle him tightly without jostling him awake. We'd carefully lay him down in the bassinet and then slip ever so quietly under the covers, praying for him to stay asleep for the next hour or so. Sometimes he would sleep, and other times he'd slowly start to whimper, then the whimper would escalate into that full on "I'm awake" cry.

Now he gets into the crib , hugs "Bla Bla" really close and sticks three fingers into his mouth, curling into a fetal position. He inches back and forth along the mattress, flips a few times, sits up and looks around, makes a few noises, and then burrows back down into a cozy tripod and falls asleep for 11 hours.

He points to things he wants, says Mama to me, and Dada to Rob, and "Uh-oh" when he drops something. He wiggles over to the DVD player and tries to figure out how to undo the babyproofing on it. He smiles at us cause he knows its off limits to babies.

He giggles at the sight of dogs and cats.

He turns the pages of his favorite books: Pajama time, goodnight moon, and Brown Bear.

He stops to study pictures on the refridgerator. He presses his face against mine to kiss me and pats my head.

He goes underwater and comes back up without a tear!

He twirls spaghetti around his finger until it tears in two and must be eaten.

what a big boy.

August has just flown by. Momala and Grandpa came for a visit and we had great times. Some of the highlights: model trains at the Botanic Garden, alfresco dining at gullivers, and lunch at Madelynn and Dave's.

Tomorrow we leave for the Adirondacks and a relaxing vacation. We are looking forward to more time with Momala and Grandpa, Aunt Birgitta, Uncle Eddie, and uncle Brendo.

Lots to talk about when we get back!!

Mommy's Day Off

2007-07-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

No more math class........mommy has a day off! Charlie is at daycare so I am at home for a rare free day trying to clean the office and write my novel and make casseroles and stuff.

I have been so busy today:

# of entertainment news shows watched: 2
# of entertainment news websites discovered while procrastinating on internet: 5 (actually more but I am too ashamed to list)
# of bathtubs scrubbed: 2 (this is really true although it sounds like fiction)

As long as I am procrastinating, I might as well blog:

Charlie the magnificent is really communicating. Just last week Kimberly remarked on how exciting it would be when he started pointing, and what do you know? He is doing just that! Maybe he heard her say it and thought, "yeah, I'll try that in exactly 2 days." Anyway, he points and babbles in perfect consonants and says uh oh and da_ _ y (for daddy). He stares at objects and places and tries to figure stuff out. He is delighted by the microwave as it beeps away. He laughs at this tiny Chihuahua in the neighborhood who has a yippy little bark. The dog looks like a cartoon but thinks he is so tough. Charlie laughs and laughs at him.

He opens his mouth wide for applesauce but pushes away spoonfuls of green peas, broccoli and spinach. What's a mom to do? I try to hide the veggies in rice or ground turkey or potatoes but he figures it out.

Must go and do stuff and work on messy office. Momala and Grandpa are coming for a visit soon!

Babies in the Garden

2007-07-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend catching up with friends! Todays' post is about our Sunday outing to the Garfield Park Conservatory. So much fun. We met up with Kimberly and Lance and Noah (born a day before Charlie, down the hall at Swedish Cov.) for plant life and big mosaic sculptures--part of the Niki in the Garden exhibit.

First of all, Garfield Park is the gorgeous green gem in the middle of the West Side. Beautiful indoor and outdoor landscapes, exotic flowers in vibrant colors and pleasant smells (think orchids and lilacs and stuff like that that smells nice).

Second.....the Niki exhibit is wonderful--big, dancing, tiled scupltures of people and creatures and skulls and things. some for climbing, some for sitting (see the boys, above), some just for "enjoying."

The whole thing was perfect for the babies who sat, looked, climbed, touched, looked at their reflections, made noises. It's especially cool to see Charlie and Noah together--interacting and "talking" to each other. Playing together and then moving on to their own independent projects. Check out the last picture which shows each in his preferred mode of transportation.

And check out the outfit on Charlie. Lets just say that it was called into question (and yes, I questioned it myself) after three different people referred to Charlie as a "she." Here is my defense:

I grabbed it rather quickly when I couldn't find the Skynnrd/ACDC/John Deere shirt that I had PLANNED to put on him.

I kind of like these sleeveless, legless numbers for the hot weather.

I think it's rather cute (it has buttons in the shape of little teddies!!)

And yes, his hair has gotten rather long and pretty and I have yet to do anything about it. Maybe it's time.

But whatever.......Gender distinction doesn't come super easy at this age so it's not that big a deal. He's a cute baby, is all.

As for that outfit, though............

I will definitely accessorize it with a shrug and barrettes next time.

Uh Oh!

2007-07-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

So I think we can officially mention Charlie's first word right here on old Tummy Time!

On Tuesday when we dropped Charlie off at daycare, one of the other babies was walking around and dropped her bottle and said "Uh oh." That evening when we fed Charlie he said "Uh oh" everytime one of us dropped something. Okay, it's very primitive sounding at this point but you can definitely hear the short u and the long O and his mouth makes a perfect O which is so unbelieveably cute.

He says it a lot after we say it. Someone drops something and says "Uh Oh, " and then he says it and looks for the object.

He also says MAma and Dada but with no real connections. Although I think he has figured out that Rob is Dada.

Enjoy the picture--little man loves carbs just like his mama!

Festival time

2007-07-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the Old Town School of Music Folk and Roots Fest in Welles Park. We went on sunday after Church to meet with friends and eat and hear music.
The pics above are:
First balloon--a big hit!
Charlie and Claire--drinking out of each other's sippy cups and chewing)
Baby Eddie chilling in his Graco
Rob and Charlie looking adorable

What fun! We met up with Amy and baby Claire for a picnic and then with Peter and Julie and baby Eddie at the Wiggleworms tent for music. When we got there it was kid dance time so I enjoyed a little blast from my past. I was glad to sit back and relax and watch someone else teach the tiny dancers. She was very good.

Summer has been fun but the busy times are kicking in with me back at work this month. I'm teaching dance to teens at a musical theatre camp downtown and these kids are great! Funny, hardworking, talented, nice kids. they are humoring me and my musical tastes--I think they rather enjoy the Stevie wonder and the Michael Jackson and the Bossa Nova.

Math class has taken a bit of a back seat to being prepared for work (as evidenced in too recently returned homeworks--arghhhhhhhhh). Not to worry, though, this mama will get her groove back.

Also new in my world is boot camp. That's right, that 3 day a week--wake up at the crack of dawn--go outside and do push ups and squat thrusts kind of exercise program. I am trying to pair my tendency to snack with aggressive exercise that I would never attempt on my own time. I'm hoping it will result in, well, results. I'll let you know. BY the way, I heart pizza.

Charlie is doing new things all the time!!!!

There's aquababies......floating and splashing and kicking.

And holding the sippy cup on his own, almost.

and eating spaghetti

and Swedish pancakes (that's our little Viking)

Still as cute as can be!

Still busting out of his clothes, Hulk-style

Still crawling on that belly, super fast

He's our tiny genius.

Before I go:

Welcome Baby Max!

Happy Belated Birthdays to Oscar and Sam!!

One other thing!

2007-07-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

Oh I forgot to add to today's post: a new top tooth poking through. Barely visible but definitely there. Should be fully in by December, just in time for Swedish meatballs.

Pincer

2007-07-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

I am a busy mommy these days and so very far behind in writing. Must keep up because the baby book is way way behind.

New things:

Charlie seems to have this pincer grasp stuff down. Well, he's not an expert but he does it. I'd say we started to see him pick things up and feed himself about two weeks ago. It is so cool. So each meal he gets a few bite-sized snacks: cheerios, cheese, bread, fruit, pasta, etc.

Today is the 4th of July and we celebrated with a whole day of all three of us together. An early afternoon attempt to go to the lakefront with the other 299 million Chicago residents was thwarted by parking issues and Osco needs. We will try again on another, not so busy day.

Instead we had lunch on our deck! with Charlie! It was lovely and relaxing to eat together as a family. So....we did it again for dinner. Rob and I are so used to eating after Charlie's nighttime dinner-bath-bed routine. It is so nice when we get to enjoy dinner at the same time. So we had hot dogs and cole slaw and corn and Charlie snacked on hot dog bun and leftover chicken (very tiny pieces!) from last night.

It was a great, beautiful, easy day. I have to learn that holidays don't always have to involve outings. I worry so much that I don't take Charlie out to see the world enough. But actually, he sees and does a lot.

A great new thing in our life is aquababies at the gym.Charlie and I put on our swimsuits and get in the pool with about 25 other families. I hold him while he kicks and splashes and laughs and cries and drinks pool water when I'm not paying attention. (He's fast!) It's a scene! All these babies in tiny little swimsuits, draped over foam noodles and splashing and laughing. Lots of fun.

We love it. We have to eat after because we are so hungry and then we have to take a serious Saturday nap!

So, in a nutshell:
pincer grasp!
swimming!
babyproofing (Rob is the MAN at this)
friends

Me: I'm back in dance class (jazz) or, as a fellow dancer put it: "on the comeback trail"; still taking college math, still logging WW points, and gearing up to go back to work next week (a four week theatre camp).

got to go.......probability theory awaits!

What A Lot Of Livin To Do

2007-06-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Do you know that song? It's one of my favorite downloads and I sing it to Charlie all the time. It's an oldie, but maybe you remember it if you were a lowly chorus girl in a high school production of Bye Bye Birdie. Who needs to know how to sing when you can dance?

Little Man is getting bigger every day. Went to the doctor on Monday for nine month check up and shots. Asthma is as of yet, undetermined. Doc didn't hear any wheezing and said to use the meds only if he needs it. Good news, I thought.

Our boy is 29 inches and 21 pounds. He giggles and claps for Dr. M. and does this "twisting" thing. Dr. M. is very amused and says, "Where did he learn how to dance?"

Ummm...maybe in the womb when he went to about 3000 dance classes.

Charlie is fast! He sweeps the floor with his Buddha belly, crawling with elbows and toes like he's at boot camp. He wriggles up to the cd tower and pulls out all the cds only to stop and stare at Johnny Cash. so all this Queen and the Who and Van Halen I have been playing results in his becoming a cowboy after all, just like daddy. Of course.

Yes, I play Rob's cds, too.

And Philadelphia Chickens. I think I need to get more baby music. But what baby doesn't love "Magic Bus"?????? Who cares what the wipers do if the bus is magic???!!!!

Today I rewarded myself with a shopping spree at Forever 21 after my math test. I had a gift card but still...........why am I shopping at stores with deejays? I'm getting a little (dare I say it) mature for that scene. I pretend that I am hip enough to buy a Hello Kitty t-shirt that says something about "My boyfriend" on it. No one can sense that I have a purse filled with pampers, or a belly covered with scribbly marks.

So to balance that out I went to Sears and tried on "miracle swim suits."

Now that's mature.

More later.

Social Butterfly

2007-06-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

That's Charlie with his friend C.J., who is a few days older (maybe weeks?). We got to spend time with C.J. and family on Memorial day, soaking up sun in their nice green backyard.

Sorry for the delay in tummytime, there, readers! I have been so busy--the end of the school year rolled right into summer Math class (yes, you read that right) and social activities galore--retirements and graduations and showers and stuff. That's cool, though. The Victorson and Lentz gang likes a party.

Charlie is nine months old and bursting with fruit flavor. He is a sweet, grinning chubster who is busting out of his clothes Hulk-Style. He sits and watches and checks people out, prompting lots of people to assess him as "quiet" and "chill." All true. However, he has moments of gigglemania where he can be tickled by a loose eyelash. And moments of impressive, monosyllabic soliloquies. He is a tiny wonder.

This week our dance card has been really full! Monday swings and park time with Noah (a crawler--he is so fun to watch), Wednesday park time again with the Wednesday gang--Jordan, Claire, and Silas, and today: playgroup and a retirement party. Right now he is in his crib, and feeling very reluctant about this early nap. yes, I am trying to manipulate his schedule a little. He'll be glad when he gets to see the gang!

So no crawling for our guy yet. He sure does get around, though. he moves like an inchworm, pushing his feet and squirming towards toys, books on shelves, dustbunnies, loose electrical cords. He gets faster everyday. It's so fun to watch him grow.

more from us later. Mommy needs naptime too.

Swedes in the City

2007-05-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Not much time to post right now. Little bear sleeps and I must grab a shower so we can head out for a day of adventures..........one potluck grad school party in the burbs comin' up!
What a nice week we had! Momala the super grandmother (well, one of two!!) swooped into town to take care of the three of us, have some Charlie love time, and help me get through a stressful week. Well, my star tiny dancers at John J. Wonderful Elementary School put on a lively show and I got through the rehearsals and prop making and sound checking with my kitchen intact and my closet filled with all 3 of my current outfits, clean! Thanks Momala.
Another nice thing about Momala's visit is that she was here on mother's day. We had a great day. Rob made a yummy brunch that included Pilsbury Cinnamon Rolls, and then we went to church. we had an easy day followed by dinner at one of our favorite places, Andies in Andersonville. It was fun to walk through my old hood and soak up all the Scando-mania. Of course we took a picture with the giant Dala horse! I'm dying to find out if it's okay to actually put baby ON the horse. I did not take any chances on Mother's Day however.
So my first Mother's Day was sweet and relaxing and full of goodness. On top of being surrounded by the people I love, I also got a very nice gift that I think is worth mentioning. Rob placed a beautiful, Kay Jeweler's-sized box in front of me, covered with a picture of Charlie in my favorite p.j.s. I was so sure he had gone to Jared, but he surprised me with an Ipod shuffle. Wow! I don't think I have received a "toy" from the electronics/wireless department since the days when they were called Walkmans and featured a radio AND cassette player. It is very cool, was a huge surprise, and will be lots of fun given my hobby of downloading music. Here's a sample playlist:

Kickstart My Heart
Bicycle Race
Turn it On
I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys (rob put this one on--it's Charlie's favorite lullaby)

Back on the Boards

2007-05-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

What a big weekend!!! Mommy returned to the stage as the nurse in friend Tekki's show, Blurred Vision. This is such a fun show to do--it is really Tekki's monologue piece about her life in and out of hospitals and her search for answers to health care questions. Or you can just read a much better description at: www.tellintales.org
I think that's the site. I'll check it for my next post.

Anyway, Tekki is a comic genius and I get to play her crazy nurse in many incarnations: mean nurse, nice nurse, nurse chewing gum. I have no lines--I simply dance and prance and make faces and try to remember my blocking. Oh, and I lift Tekki and carry her around the stage a few times. Because I am a post-natal warrior princess. And Tekki is very light anyway.

I have done this show so many times--we take it to hospitals, conventions, anyplace that will have us. It is the most fun and I never tire of it. I last performed it in October when Charlie was about 6 weeks old. I pretty much stuffed the old bra with sweaters to keep the nursing whites dry.

Prior to that show we performed at Second City when I was 5 months preggers. Ironically, the costume never fit better than that time. It just stayed in place, held still by my belly.

This week we did it at the Acorn Theatre in 3 Oaks MI. What a beautiful little town with cute cafes and shops and galleries. It is all quiet escape from Chicago vibe and very cozy. We stayed in the theatre! David and Kim, the owners, operate the theatre and keep 3 or 4 very nice guest rooms for visiting friends and actors.

ROb and I thought about taking Charlie to the matinee but rethought that when he had one of those "I'm too tired to take a nap in that pack n play" cries. Instead, mommy went onstage while Daddy found the local historic artifacts park and the boys had a good stroll.

I look forward to that day when I'll be onstage and I'll hear that tiny voice in the front row---"Mommy! Mommy!" Ahh--some other day.

I Spy........

2007-05-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

the Charlinator and I had an excellent day. We went to the bank with Daddy and then drove him downtown to work. We took a long walk in beautiful Horner Park and then went to lunch in Lincoln Square.

Since he passed out in the car between Lincoln Square and home ( a tedious 5 minute drive), I thought we were golden for a long winter's nap. Not so. I put Charlie in the crib and listened on the monitor as he babbled for a good 30 minutes. Okay, I thought. So you're not tired. We'll do a nebulizer treatment and you'll get exasperated and pass out while I'm holding you and then I'll dump you into the crib and you'll sleep for hours and I can get my Winsor Pilates on.

Well.....the treatment did not tire him out. He seemed giddy and goofy. So we played around on the floor, rolling, tickling, giggling, babbling. And I took my daily "do you have teeth yet" look into his mouth and spied a small white sliver of bone just barely jutting from that lower gum. Oh yeah! It was so exciting. I can't wait until the real thing comes all the way in. Or can I? more to come on that. Oh my little guy is growing up too fast.

And after all that, the boy DID nap! What a guy.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Nebulizer

2007-04-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just look at that baby! 19 pounds of sweet huggy love! (19!) Because Butters is so well fed and sleeping and happy and pleasant, little bumps in the road make me overly anxious. Last week's cold turned into wheezing that would not go away so we took Charlie to Dr. M. on Monday. Dr. M. definitely heard wheezing and suggested that we might want to try a nebulizer. We hesitated for 4 days and then charlie and I went back in yesterday. He's still wheezing.

So now he gets asthma meds by nebulizer 3 or 4 x a day until the wheezing clears up or we know what's going on. He's not sure if he likes the little stream of air--sometimes he holds the mouthpiece and sometimes he bats it away. So hopefully this will work and its just a temporary thing. If it is asthma, that's okay. Nothing we can't handle.

I got a little overwhelmed this weekend trying to deal with this on top of errands and work and all. But it's all good. I did get to have a baby fall asleep in my arms twice! Something I haven't seen in a long time. That was well worth it.

Mom and Baby Good Times

2007-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Charlie and I have been fighting colds but keeping busy! I lost my voice but am slowly getting it back. Charlie's voice is fine but he has that raspy breathing thing so we are going to check in with Poppy about that.

Yesterday, Kay and her wonderboy, Sam (age 10) paid us a visit. Hopefully they did not contract our diseases. They brought presents suitable for a little Vikking (ginger cookies and a Snip, Snap, Snurr book) and entertained and fed Charlie. It was especially cute to see Sam play with Charlie; I remember Sam crawling around the CMC office in my early dancer days. Now he is one inch shorter than me and writing essays about Presidents and stuff.

Kay and I got to chat about the dance world and she filled me in on everyone I haven't seen. Lots of catching up to do this summer!

Nothing big planned for today except a nice fat walk in the park --it's 70 degrees in Chi-town!!! I already worked out and went to Target so the rest of the day is for Mom and baby good times.

Grandparents, Part Deux

2007-04-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Post Easter, my parents came to town for a visit. That's Momala reading to Charlie. the kid likes a good, chewy board book, what can I say.

With Grandpa and Momala here, we had a fun, relaxing visit. We had a nice time visiting Daddy at work, downtown, looking at big coloful works of art and visiting the art studio. Maybe our tiny genius will pick up a paintbrush on his first birthday. Or a calculator--I'll keep an open mind.

Both grandparent visits allowed Rob and I to go on a few dates. In Tenn., Gran and Poppy babysat while we stepped out to see the critically acclaimed "blades of Glory" A most enjoyable night! We had not seen a movie since Borat. Borat was good but this movie had figure skating.........

With Momala and Grandpa in town, Rob and I dressed up and hit the town for dinner at Cafe 28. We were home before 9 and I think my parents were surprised. I guess we're just not the club rats we used to be.

Cousins

2007-04-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Charlie's Nashville cousins, Joshua and Noah, read him the Belly Button book at bedtime.

We're Back!

2007-04-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal readership! Have you missed Tummy Time dearly? All 7 or 8 of you who faithfully read about our mother and son adventures?

Never fear! We are back and what a time we've been having:

First of all......Grandparents!!! We have seen all 4 in the last 3 weeks. We kicked off spring break with a trip to sunny Nashville, TN, home of Gran and Poppy! (That's Charlie with Poppy, above) Charlie not only got to love and play with his sweet grandparents for 5 whole days but he met many new friends! Oh, and he met his Nashville cousins--Marley, Noah, Joshua, and Aunt Lynn and Uncle Jody.

Gran hosted a "sip and see" (that's a new term for me and all you Yankees out there who don't know. It literally means you sip sweet tea punch--Gran's is the best--and see a baby, or wedding gifts) Charlie met lots of Nashville friends and family: the Hortons, the Chazens, the Farrars, the Henderson's, G'anne, Sam and Emily, Beth and Marty, and more!

It was a beautiful warm weekend and we witnessed our little man rolling over for the first time (first time we saw it, anyway). Now he just rolls and rolls and rolls. And sleeps on his tummy! Who knew he would CHOOSE tummy time eventually? Maybe, secretly or unconsciously, I did.

And that's why I called my blog Tummy Time.

Or not.

I'm Just So Tiny and Cute

2007-03-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

In fact, Charlie is not "so tiny" but that's what this picture says to me. He reminds me of Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann in her giant rocker, dwarfed by furniture.

Doctor's appointment on Monday reveals that Charlito is 17 pounds of sweet baby boy, and 26.5 in. long. Doctor M. says that's normal and not, in fact, "big!" as strangers seem to think. What does it matter? He is just right to us.

Charlie braved 3 shots like a pro, and sat up and did all his tricks for Dr. M. who he seems to just love. He is healthy and good and we can't wait for him to roll over. I guess that will just happen when he's good and ready.

Little man is really into stuffed animals these days--they're easy to pick up and lick and squeeze AND they look at you! He loves his puppy that says "Te Quiero!" and his blue dino puppet.

Teething seems to be well under way. No evidence of teeth but sudden outbursts of pain tears from time to time. Outbursts that break our hearts......wet washcloths and his soft teething ring seem to help.

Foods we'll eat are: rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, pears, and peas! But easy on the carrots and the fruit--these are funny face inducing.

Babysitters! So far Charlie has had two nights alone with Garrett and Lauren and he definitely loves them. Although Gran, Momala, Poppy and Grandpa are still his faves. Rob and I are grateful for the opportunity to go out--this weekend we had sushi at a fabulous place in lincoln square that called for nice clothes. I had forgotten about Sushi--it's good. We had drinks before and coffee afterwards and were home by 9:30. It was a big night.

Charlie has a new friend in Izzy and we went to visit her and mom Suzann over the weekend. No pics of them yet--maybe next time. Lots of friends! what a lucky guy. And what a lucky mom am I to know so many other moms.

Let's Give it Up for Aunt Birgitta

2007-03-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

After last week's shout out to my little bro, this week's blog is dedicated to my sister Birgitta. Aunt Birgitta is not only Charlie's godmother, but a hard working MFA student at the Brown/Trinity Consortium in Providence. This past week, Aunt Birgitta directed a rock and roll version of Hedda Gabler as her thesis project. Family and friends came from all over the east coast to see this punk rock Hedda complete with music by Uncle/Godfather Eddie, and a portrait by Daddy!

Though we could not see it or Auncle Birgeddie (as Daddy so lovingly refers to them), we know we missed a good one. Congratulations Birgitta on all of your hard work. We will hopefully be in the audience for your next one. You keep doing what you do--we know you're the best!

2007-03-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Busy week and busy weekend at the Chicago home office. Biggest challenge right now is to finish my American History mid-term (that's right--I am a part time student at city college in my very spare time) which is all multiple choice. That, my friends, is the worst kind of test. Never been good to me. So I am reading up on Jane Addams and the Haymarket and stuff like that. It's interesting, but it doesn't always stick.

So Rob continues to be a superstar dad and hubby, feeding and playing with Charlie when I need study time.

But can I just tell you that I made a kick ass lasagna tonight? Can you say ass when you blog about your baby?

Oh, you must want to know about HIM--the baby! Okay.......the best, most funnest part of the weekend was having a playdate with neighbor Danielle and her daughter Maebelle, an adorable 9 month old. Maebelle was very sweet to Charlie and graciously lent her crib when little man broke down into nappy time cries.

Danielle is Aunt Birgitta's friend and old roommate and now she is my friend too. Good thing--we can hang together with our tiny buddies. Also glad to know Danielle's friend Johanna, expecting next week! Go girl!

Also expecting are my college girls--you know who you are. Went to Julie's shower this weekend and got to visit with Julie, Kimmy, and Keg. Kim and Keg came over on Friday for a special Charlie visit--lots of fun.

do you love the pictures? That's Rob, superstar dad, with Charlie in tummy time! I call that one "Hop on Pop." And the other picture is my little brother, or, Uncle Brendo, also known as Uncle Binky.

Binky gets a special congratulations today because he has won some kind of Major Award. Binky has worked security at College of St. Rose in Albany for several years now. He is a dedicated worker, the students and staff all love him, and he goes above and beyond the job to keep the campus safe. My apologies to Binky for not knowing the exact title of his Major Award, but, kiddo, I am proud of you! Redo your resume tonight.

Now I need to sleep or stick my nose in a book.

2007-02-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

Wow! Long time, no post. Mama has been busy. So much to report about our little man:

tummy time.....getting so much better! Now he stays there and stays and stays. Only problem is he wants to roll so he pushes himself off to oneside (and sometimes bonks his head). What a champ!

Food--the verdict is in on carrots--no allergy but man are they gross. I don't love them cooked either, but I'll eat them. Plenty of time for that tiny and sophisticated pallette (no I can't spell that) to develop.

Sweet potatoes are okay! That's good since mommy and daddy both heart sweet potatoes!!

Sitting up--almost. Not there like his birthday buddy, Noah, but almost. He does the tripod thing and we still have to support him. Such a big guy.

Friends--where do we start? Well there's Wednesday group with mommy's waterobics buddies and their babies; And there's once a month mommy/daddy/baby group with the show kids (friends from shows and the theatre crowd). And can't forget daycare with babies and big kid toddlers who take great care of Charlie! Then there's Devyn who we had a playdate with on Saturday--an older gal, 14 months--pretty and blond. And, finally, the occasional Friday yoga class at the Sweet Peas Studio.

Charlie loves to laugh and play and pick things up and splash in the tubby! He is the sweetest little guy. Here are some of his nicknames:

Butters
Nugget
Tiny Man
Charlito
Tubby Buns
Bunny tubs

More to come!
Charlito

Family Day at the Nature Museum

2007-02-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

Daddy had a rare Saturday off and scored a free family pass to the Nature Museum. So...we had a lovely afternoon there, warm and cozy in the Butterfly haven on a cold February day. Rob carried Charlie in the Bjorn and he seems to love it. He just loves to move those little legs. Here he is studying a butterfly.

Solids

2007-02-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

New things for Charlito this week! The biggest news of all is that he has started to eat rice cereal. From a spoon! At first he made a raisin face and wouldn't open his lips. Next day he opened up but didn't know what to do next. And on the third day he opened up for bites, swallowed and opened up again. Of course he made raisin faces in between bites!

Well, as of today, Charlie eats an entire dish of rice cereal, with minimal "this is yucky" faces. We are adding a morning meal. Big doins for our little guy.

He sits in his yellow Bumbo chair for meals (thank you Elizabeth for passing it on to us!) and sometimes on laps. What a big boy!

Go Momala!

2007-02-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

Momala (that's my mom and Charlie's grandma) officially retires today. They are having a party for her at the Schuyler Center and today is her last day of work. Momala, like lots of working moms out there (including myself) has held not one, but several jobs over the years, including stay at home mom. She has also enjoyed several careers in the theatre, education, non-profit and television worlds. I tagged along with her to a number of these workplaces as a kid. I know that my sister, brother and I all loved running around the theatres of Utica College and Syracuse University while mom taught, directed, rehearse. We all have fond memories of her banging out her master's thesis on a tired and rusty Smith Corona on the second floor of the Utica house while a small hill of cigarette butts smoked in that old, gold leaf ashtray.

We remember sifting through the membership premiums at Channel 17 and answering the many nasty crank calls coming through on the phone lines. Not everyone believes in public television.

We also remember meeting mom's high school students at Turner Carroll and loving that they loved her as much as we did.

And I am especially proud (as Dad, Gitta and Brendo are) of Mom's work in the Winning Beginnings campaign (hope all my titles are accurate there) and the New York State early learning initiatives that she has been a part of. I'm also glad to know her retirement party will happen at a place where she has many treasured friends.

Congratulations, Momala! I hope the post-retirement years bring relaxation, exotic travels, and more trips to Chicago. Charlie anxiously awaits your visits.

Lots of love!

Truly...

2007-01-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Charlie just settled in for a delicious nap so I grabbed the monitor and brought it in here to the office. The monitor picks up all kinds of sounds, including the stereo system in the apartment upstairs. So I get to enjoy Lionel Richie's greatest hits without even diggin through the cds to find it.

Little man is a little warm but not febrile (Rob's new favorite word) so we will not be going to the Nature museum as originally planned. We will see the butterflies another day. Also, it is getting super cold, and there are predictions of snow, so maybe staying in is the way to go. I am trying to clean the entire house and so far I have done an outstanding job on the living room. the whole condo smells like a Swiffer.

More later

15 pounds and counting!

2007-01-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Charlie had a great doctor visit on Monday and weighed in at a solid 15lbs., 5 ounces! He is 25 inches long and both stats put him high on the percentile chart (which I still have a hard time talking about due to all the math involved). Anyway, all is good. We must work on shaping that little head........that stresses me out but everyone else seems chill about it.

Today is Wednesday, our special in between day with scheduled events like Pilates, and Mommy group at the Bezazian library. If all is going well I hope to make it to Kinko's, too! But won't push it. Rob has promised to be home by 7pm so I can go to the Havana Nights day spa for a little hair removal. (Yes, they are open til 8pm). What a good hubby--he swears he has not noticed my eyebrows growing in!

Motherhood is time consuming and sometimes you just have to miss out on things like timely grooming or the broadcast of the Golden Globes. That's okay--now we have the Superbowl and the Oscars to look forward to. And, my 2nd quarter grades are in--yippee!

I love Wednesdays! More later.

Go Bears!!

2007-01-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, Rob went in to get Charlie out of his crib. His little aquarium was not only turned on and making music and twinkly lights, but Charlie was turned on his side, looking at it and batting at/playing with the various buttons and knobs. Who knows how long he'd been awake and playing but he was certainly content!

The three of us had an easy and relaxing Sunday afternoon preceded by our Sunday morning routine: Church, then shopping at crowded Trader Joe's. We did some laundry, took some naps and enjoyed watching our beloved Bears win the NFC (right?) championship. Now onto the Superbowl--an exciting time for Chicagoans. Yes, even I have been taking time for football and must admit that I can recognize both a touchdown and a field goal, as well as distinguish the two concepts from each other. I'm excited for our Bears and even more excited to craft some sort of blue and orange onesie for the littlest fan.

This afternoon we visit Dr. Morse for the big 4 month appointment. Rob and I have lots of questions for the doc and are anxious about another round of shots.

The last time we saw the doctor was in November! Charlie received 4 shots then and I held his little hand while his face turned completely purple. He then opened up his mouth and very loud cries came out that sounded like, "Mommy, how could you?" Should be a good time, today.

Weight and height reports tomorrow!!

2007-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

Charlie came along to work today at the school where I teach. Fridays aren't usually work days for me but I had a meeting with the principal and other arts partners at the school (I'm the dance teacher). Charlie was pretty angelic, at one point simply sitting on my lap and looking around the table while we talked. He ate, slept, chewed on my grade book and made his opinions known.

We took a walk at one point with my boss and her baby.....walked down the hall for a calm down and the kids just came right out of every corner to see him. They are just fascinated and it's hard for me to say "please don't touch." I don't want him to get one of the many colds or flus swimming through the school but what can you do? The kids love him and he sure seems to like the attention.

Somehow, I finished a meeting and grades for ten dance classes. How? Must catch some nappy time now while the little man sleeps...........

Valkommen!

2007-01-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

Please forgive my shoddy Swedish greeting. Did I spell correctly?

Welcome to my blog, an experiment in modern communication and, hopefully, a semi-regular record of my adventures with Charlie, my four month old wonderboy. After having considered blogdom for years now, and inspired by friends and relatives who do it and do it well, here I am.

That sentence sounds weak but I'm gonna keep it.

Oh! This is Charlie at 2 months here, but I love the pic! More current stuff to come.

Tummy time is named for two things: a solo play I wrote and performed about pregnancy, and Charlie's least favorite activity.

As of today, though, he is getting much better at it. He even rolls to one side on his own!

Go little man!