Waving!

Patrick waved for the first time today. It was so sweet. I was leaving for work and said my usual "Buh Bye" but this time he smiled and waved. Then I got outside and Patrick waved again. I just love his little wave!

Florida Trip

Ok, I finally have a minute to write out some of the details of our trip, but beware this is a long one!

We left Rochester on Saturday, Feb. 21 for the cities. It seemed easier to stay in the cities overnight since we flew out Sunday am at 7! We spent the day on Saturday at the Mall of America. Patrick loves lots of people and action, so he fit in just fine. He luckily wasn't eatin' by the shark!

We had a nice dinner and then back to the hotel to do some swimming. Patrick loved the pool.

We attempted an early bedtime, but it didn't work out too well. Patrick just wanted to find all the cords in our room instead. He finally fell asleep though. After a couple late night wakings the alarm went off at a very early 4:30. Patrick woke briefly and then passed out again.

We finally coaxed him awake in time to get his diaper changed and catch the shuttle to the airport. Once at the airport, we lucked out and got an escort ticket so that Ryan could travel with us to the gate. We also lucked out and got an aisle seat in the bulk head of the plane. We had plenty of room to stretch our legs for the flight. Patrick fell asleep upon take off so all was smooth. Unfortunately he woke up after only about a 1/2 hour. For the rest of the flight he snacked a lot, played with some new toys, got knocked in the head a couple of times with the tray, and did plenty of flirting with the stewardesses. As we were on our decent, the stewardesses remarked that he was the best and happiest baby they had seen in a long time.

We luckily didn't have any checked baggage since Nana and GB drove down with most of it. Uncle Scott met us on time even! After a quick stop off at Uncle Scott's apt the ocean was calling. A quick change into our suits and we were off to the beach. At this point Patrick had only slept a little over a 1/2 hour since 4:30am and it was now approaching 1pm! There was just too much to look at and experience.

Once on the beach it was clear that my boy was very tired. I just popped him in the sling (a lifesaver for the week) and he fell asleep to the ocean waves. He took enough of a nap in his stroller for me to take a nice cool dip in the ocean.


Unfortunately his nap was cut short by a very loud ATV. We spent some more time playing with eating the sand.

By late afternoon we checked into our hotel. It was a very swanky place with techno music, fancy furniture and lots of beautiful people milling around. Not sure it was my style, but I wasn't going to argue with a few days with pools and a beach. After another dip in the pool it was time for a bath and a pizza dinner.


Patrick had a little trouble falling asleep, but slept well the rest of the nights. The next day we slept in a little (which I really appreciated!) But soon we were off to start our day by the pool. The resort had these great little cabana's that we could lounge on when we weren't swimming.



Patrick loved the pool. He spent time splashing and laughing at his GB. It was so fun to hear his giggles anytime my dad came near him.



We worked out a good system that when he was tired him and I would head up to our room for the nap and then join back up with Nana and GB at the pool afterward. Once and a while we would head out to the ocean which was just a few feet away. A few times Nana would take over so that I could swim or take a "photo" break. I got a couple of nice beach photos, which I enjoyed.







Monday night we enjoyed a nice dinner out. It was very welcome after the leftover pizza lunch that we had that day. Patrick fell asleep on the way to the restaurant which was great as we had a long wait for a table.

Tuesday we ventured out after a morning swim to find a nice little latin cafe. It was a bit of a walk, but worth it! Good food and the prices weren't bad either.


On the way back I got some nice pictures of Miami beach. That afternoon, Patrick took a much needed long nap and I couldn't help but take some pictures of my sweet, sleeping baby.


That evening we finally enjoyed a nice meal at the resort restaurant. Although it was spendy, it was a nice night out.

Wednesday came to soon. Mom and Dad decided they wanted a night alone, so they booked an extra night. That gave us a full afternoon before having to leave. A few more beach pictures later and we had to admit it was time to go.



An easy drive to the airport with Patrick falling asleep. I was worried, but figured a quick snooze may make these easier at the airport. This kid is always waking up at the drop of a pin, but somehow managed to stay asleep through switching him from carseat to stroller, checking in, stroller to sling and through security! He did wake up before our gate though.

A full plane meant we had one of the last rows next to a family with 4 kids. Just as we reached a cruising altitude, the lady ahead of us decides to put her seat back leaving Patrick and I just enough room to barely take a breath let alone play. Needless to say I didn't try very hard to stop him from kicking her seat. He fell asleep for most of the flight. I was so sore from holding him and not daring to move for fear he would wake. When we first reach the plane I got to witness one of Patrick's first memories. On the flight down we were in the bulk head so our trays came out of the arm rests. Patrick enjoyed playing with them. This wasn't the case on the way home, but as soon as we got to our seat, Patrick started trying to "open" the arm rest. So cool to seem him remember an event that had happened 4 days before!

Ryan was waiting for us at baggage claim. It was such a relief to see him and have an extra hand with Patrick again. Traveling solo wasn't bad, but having a husband there to help is even better!

We had a great trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat. A big thanks to mom and dad for letting us crash their vacation. Also a big thanks to Scott and Marcello for showing us around a bit and hanging out with us.

Get out the Vote!

Our boy entered himself in the local paper's annual baby contest, and he needs your vote! Just go to http://www.postbulletin.com/baby/ and fill in the fields there. Patrick is number 484. If you want to see his picture, click on the "Babies of '08" banner to the right and go to page 14.

Thanks!

A whole lot of photos

Ok, I really will post some details of our trip, but until then, enjoy this slideshow of our time in Florida.

Miles and Patrick

Miles and Patrick enjoyed some fun time together last week.

I couldn't pick a picture from our time together, so just enjoy the show!

Florida peak

Here is just a peak at the many photos to come. We had a wonderful trip and Patrick was a gem!

Multi-tasking

Multi-tasking goes to a whole other level with children. Things you never dreamed of doing or accomplishing somehow become possible or least you try to see if you can.
Here is a small list that I have done. Some have worked, others are crazy, and some I wouldn't ever try again.

1. Cooking while holding Patrick
2. Sitting on the toilet while breastfeeding
3. Blow-drying my hair while pulling Patrick away from the toilet
4. Brushing my teeth while pulling Patrick away from the toilet
5. Reading my magazine to Patrick instead of his books
6. Eating while feeding Patrick
7. Talking on the phone, while cooking and keeping Patrick away from the dirty dishes
8. Doing sit-ups while holding Patrick (he enjoys this one!)
9. Blogging while holding Patrick

This week, I'll take multi-tasking to another level. I am flying solo to Florida with the little guy. I am meeting my parents there, but still I have to get there alone with a 10month old. I think I am prepared.

food
check
snacks
check
swimsuit
check
stroller
check
carseat
check
booster seat
check
clothes
check
toys
check
ticket
ticket?
yep. check
Patrick
Patrick?
Patrick??
PATRICK?!?

whew.. check.

updates

Make sure to scroll, as I finally updated for 10months below. Enjoy!

Giggles and Tears

Amazing how this kid can go from all out laughs, to smiles to tears in a matter of seconds. He really cracks me up. Oh, and his dad is kind of a goof ball too!

Toilet seat

Patrick has a small obsession lately with the toilet. It started with banging on the lid, then it went to flushing, then lifting the lid and now the ultimate. Lifting the lid and playing with the toilet water! ugg... so gross! (but kinda cute and funny too!)


ps
is it just me or does he remind you of ET at the end with his little wobbly walk? ;)

10 months!

I say this every month, but holy crap! My boy will be a year soon and is acting more toddler than baby lately. This month has been really fun, with the exception of a cold that has gotten passed through the family.

Playing: Patrick is a blast to play with lately. He always prefers non-toys over his real toys. He is doing better at playing with others. He hasn't had a lot of play dates lately, but I hear he is having fun during the day with Layla (care providers' little girl). He did pull her hair the other day though. Guess we need to watch him with the cat more often. Patrick loves playing with the kitty. He bats at her, grabs her collar and yanks on her tail. She is a good sport about it all. His latest "toy" is my water bottle on my night stand. Ryan and I are convinced that he would play with this all day. We just have to make sure it is closed before he gets ahold of it. This morning it was the first thing that he grabbed for after he woke up.

Eating: Patrick has a funny appetite. Sometimes he'll nurse/drink like crazy and other days he is just too busy to sit for a boob/bottle. He has been eating a wider variety of foods now. We've added in some chicken and cheeses now which he really likes in addition to his fruits and veggies. He is much easier to take out know because we can give him most of what we are eating (the good stuff at least!).

Moving: This kid is getting fast. He crawls like a champ and is typically accross the room before we can catch up. He also seems to have a lot less reservations about taking off in public. We like to play at the mall play place and he has been known to make a break for the exit. It has been fun watching him go from hanging on to us and not wanting to venture off to know crawling away and playing in the tunnels etc. He walks a bunch while holding on now and has been seen walking while just holding on to one hand. He is really timid about letting go though, so we'll keep it that way for a while! He is a climber though. If he can find a stool or a leg, he'll climb it in no time.

Sleeping: Patrick has done much better this month. He seems to stay down when we put him to bed for at least 3-4 hours now and is only waking 1-2x's per night. Much improved over last months 10x's or so. Ryan and I finally have some free time in the evenings to clean err.. veg out in the evenings.

Talking: Patrick has been starting to make more sounds. We hear a lot of Mama, Dada and he seems to be relating it to us. We also are hearing lots of baba and now tata. He seems to want to put it all together since we did here Kitty and Up last week. What really breaks my heart is when I hear the tired/crying "mama". Funny how "dada" comes out when he is playing! such as life!

Growing: Patrick is not growing as fast anymore, so at least his clothes fit for longer. He is in all 12mo size now with even some 18mo thrown in for good measure. We don't have stats this month as finally no shots or dr.'s until 12mo.


Here is how you take pictures of this kid these days. Add in a funny dad and you get a great smile!

Happy Valentines day!

Ok, it is a day early, but I doubt I'll get in an updated tomorrow. Besides it is Patrick's 10 month birthday today! Yowza! I have to get cracking at the bunny picture and 10month updates. For now, enjoy Patrick's Valentine to you all! (or 2, since I liked them both!)

Time keeps going

So, last night I was making out some Valentines to send out to family. I took a cute picture of Patrick and decided I better label it. So I wrote on each one (15 or so) Patrick, 9mo. Wait a minute. These are Valentines, as in Feb. 14, in which Patrick will be 10mo! crap. How did that happen? oh well, I suppose he was 9mo when I took the picture!

Here is a sneak peak...

Just because I take too many pictures

What color are those eyes? They seem to be the perfect blend of blue/brown/grey and green!

Here is my boy that won't take a pacifier, but yet using one as a teether!

It took a while to get the bruise off of his cheek in photoshop, but it just distracted from his total cuteness.

Just hangin' out in his favorite cart (oops, should have worked on that bruise in this pic!)

Kitty and Up

Patrick and Miss Cleo are good friends. Well at least Patrick thinks so. Cleo may have other thoughts about the relationship. Well to prove his devotion to her, Patrick decided that his first word besides Mama and Dada would be "Kitty". Ryan thought he heard Patrick say this a couple days ago, but I didn't believe it until I heard him say it this morning after she jumped up on the bed next to us all. Clear as day, Kitty. Then soon after, I said Patrick up? and he said "up". Then later today he said it again. Ok, perhaps these are all just flukes, but I'll take it!

Sick day

Patrick and I had a sick day today. Patrick was the sick one, I was the one who got all the cuddles! Lots of sleeping, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and generally crappy feeling. Here are some photos from the day. You'll notice a really nasty bruise on his right cheek. He fought a box and the box won. He'll learn better fighting skills next time.

Notice the really puffy eyes, the rosy cheeks and the lovely snot that is everywhere!

Still his favorite toy, the remote.

Captured mid-cough

Kitty actually thought Patrick was going to let her in to the basement. I'm sure he'll learn how to open doors soon enough!

Sleep progress

Ok, I am scared to even write this out for fear that Mr. P will sense it and then revert back to the crazy sleep or lack of it. But, I think we have some progress. Here is how it all went down:

3 weeks of waking 10-12x's per night from 8pm-8am. This made for one really sleep deprived, crazy mama and one cranky daddy.

Here was a typical night:
8:00 nurse to bed in crib
8:30 crying, Ryan rocks down in crib (20min)
9:00 crying, Ryan rocks down in crib (20min)
10:00 crying, I nurse to sleep in crib or our bed (10min)
12:00 crying, I nurse or Ryan rocks in crib (20min-1hour)
4:00 crying, I nurse in bed (5min)
4:30 crying, I nurse in bed (5min)
5:00 crying, I nurse in bed (5min)
6:00 crying, I nurse in bed (15min)
7:00 wakes up smiling and cute in bed


Then we try something new. I sleep and DH does all the wakings.
7:15 nurse
7:30 bath
7:45 Ryan rock to sleep (20min)
8:45 crying, wait 5min before Ryan goes in to rock
9:10 really crying, Ryan comes downstairs frustrated and leave Mr. P in crib
9:15 crying, I go nurse him
9:30 crying, Ryan rocks back down (45min)
10:30 crying Ryan rocks
11:30 crying Ryan rocks
12:30 crying Ryan rocks
2:30 crying Ryan rocks and feeds
3:30 crying Ryan rocks
6:00 I get Mr. P and nurse (my boobs can't wait any longer!)
7:30 Mr. P wakes

Next night some progress:
9pm nurse/rock to sleep in crib (20min)
11:30 Ryan places hand on Mr. P in crib (5min)
1:30 Ryan rocks back down in crib (10min)
3:30 I get Mr. P and nurse back down in bed
5:00 nurse
6:00 nurse
7:00 nurse/wake up

And last night:
8:30 nurse
8:45 Ryan rocks to sleep (20min)
1:30 Ryan rocks back to sleep
5:30 nurse in bed
7:30 up, smiling, happy mama, happy papa, happy baby

Other subtle changes:
White noise in Mr. P's room, tight blanket while rocking/nursing, Ryan always gets him first if he wakes, we say "goodnight" to things/people/pets.

I am not going for 12 hours here, just some decent stretches of sleep. I think we are finally making some progress. I'm sure we'll have our tough nights, but I hope (cross my fingers) that the worst is behind us.

Weekend fun

Chillin' with dad in the sunshine

Patrick is very obsessed with holes, especially his own!

Fun with Nana.

Look! Grandma has a hole too!