Escape Artist, Acrobats, and Fashion

We've had some (little) big happenings here on the Ridge since my last post.  The snow never melted, and more heaped on top.  DC had some adventures. AW started a new class. 

Patching doesn't slow him down. 

DC has been enjoying trying new foods.  Our baby-food philosophy is called "baby-led weaning" or "baby-led eating." (Apparently, in UK English, weaning means introduction of solids rather than elimination of breastmilk. Or so I've been told).  Instead of starting with rice cereal and purees/baby food, you give the baby soft solids and allow them to feed themselves. We did this with Abby and had great success.  This little guy is a little less cautious about how much he puts in his mouth, but loves feeding himself.  He eats all kinds of things. Right here, you see him enjoying baked sweet potato.  Last night, he tried flounder and loved it.  Basically, we give him anything that he can gum enough to swallow. He's gotten much better about actually "chewing" his food lately and he's improving at getting small pieces of food into his mouth. Unfortunately, this also means he's gotten good at eating small pieces of paper and tufts of carpet.

AW has been trying out some new fashion looks lately.  I hung a second bar in her closet, and put all seasonally appropriate fitting clothing on the bar.  I also moved clothing necessities to the drawers in her dresser that are within her reach.  Every morning, she chooses her own outfit.  We've ended up with some interesting fashion choices but she enjoys the independence.  We've ended up with fewer battles over getting dressed in the morning as a result.  

Abby said later "I love Genny. Sometimes I snuggle her."

Saturday I was supposed to host a Diaper Parties playdate but we got snowed in and so did everyone else.  It was bitter cold, so we didn't play outside while it was snowing but Sunday was beautiful, sunny, and (relatively) warm. Even temperatures in the 30s felt like a heat wave.  AW and I made a snowperson, and she told me she wanted to make a snow mommy and a snow baby. Naturally, the mommy needed to wear the baby.

She also painted the snow

DC just watched.  I'd started out with more layers on and kept being too hot!

Drifting on our deck from the crazy wind on Saturday

When AW was about seven or eight months old and starting to crawl, people started telling me that I wouldn't be able to wear her much longer.  It's true, I don't wear her as much anymore. But sometimes, she needs to snuggle when I want to make dinner.  She starts to have witching hour meltdowns.  And then, I ask her if she wants to be wrapped. She almost always says yes.  Child wearing might be even cooler than babywearing: I can send her to get a wrap, she knows exactly how to hold her legs, and she holds on while I adjust tension.  On top of that, she actually feels lighter than DC (in the right wrap/carrier) because she has so much core strength.  He's just dead weight but she supports herself.  This wrap is her favorite because it's "purpo" (purple), her favorite color.  She doesn't always stay up for very long--5-10 minutes on average. But I love these times.  She gets to see what I'm cooking for dinner, I get to snuggle, and she usually is much happier when she gets down.  She is learning to self-regulate her emotions a little bit.  Last night, she was having the pre-dinner meltdown, and I hadn't offered to wear her because my back was really sore.  Sobbing, she told me that she needed "quiet time."  We'd done quiet time once or twice before, on my initiation. It means going in her room and reading books to herself until she feels calmer.  It's different than naptime because she has a light on and the door is open. She decides when she's done.  I was so proud of her for self-initiating and it worked like magic.  We'd had a bit of a rough day, and it helped me calm down too.  

This week, she started tumbling class.  It's a good thing, too. She's been attempting somersaults. During naptime. In her bed.  Now she's learning to do them safely, and hopefully, not in her bed.  I watched her class on a TV screen so she wouldn't see me. She spent the first half of class mostly watching.  Then she started following along a little bit, and she did a few assisted somersaults and walked on the balance beam. Yesterday, she did several very good somersaults all by herself!

To wrap up the AW update, we've been using a chore chart with some success.  Each of those circles is a magnet that she can move when her task is complete.  Right now, it's fairly relaxed. I'm not going to battle setting the table with a 2 year-old, but we talk about it for every meal.  We started out with these four until she got the idea, and we've since added more.  Here are her chores: 

• Get dressed
• Brush teeth
• Set the table
• Clear the table
• Feed the dog
• Put laundry down the laundry chute
• Swiffer
• Help empty the dishwasher 
• Put clean clothes away
• Clean up toys

We don't do all of these everyday.  We will soon be adding "water plants" as our seeds sprout (we already have mesclun sprouting!).  

Now, moving onto the DC update.  He's doing great with the patch, and great with eating as I mentioned before.  The biggest change is in his mobility. He's been army crawling for awhile now and rocking on all fours, but no "real" crawling. He is, however, mastering climbing onto things.  The other night, we had him in the cosleeper (like a pack and play, but secured to our bed).  He had pulled himself almost to standing. 

We promptly dropped the co-sleeper down into a playpen for when he's in our room, and now he's back in his own room.  I've been reading about Montessori children's rooms, which promote a child sleeping on a mat on the floor instead of in a crib.  We're trying that out (I know, it sounds crazy).  I may change my mind and put him back in the crib eventually, but it sure does make night feedings easier.  

He also appears to be getting two more teeth, up top, so he will soon have six teeth! All the better to chomp all that food, my dear.  

As for me, well, my life is a whirl of Diaper Parties, Share the Love, and planning Tot School.  I'm also eagerly awaiting the arrival of my chicks and carefully watering and watching my little seed pots each day.