Nathanael is now in nursery, and so two hours of every week are spent entirely away from me. I'm not even sure who all the leaders are down there. So today a sister in the ward came up to me and told me that Nathanael made her laugh today. I asked what he did and she simply said, "We were just talking together."
I love it when people love my baby!
I also love it when he learns something new. It just clicks in his brain and I see his face light up. That's the best mom moment so far. Well, it ties with giggling tickles.
Lately most of the "light-up moments" have been new signs and words that he adds to his repertoire. Our old favorites: milk, more, please, (so cute! It consists of a sign that looks a lot more like the sign for 'bath' and sounds like 'bah, bah.' He likes to do the two-sign combo "more, please.") banana, bath. The newbies: thank you, mom, dad, eat, diaper. I think that's it. It seems like more when I see him do them! :)
New signs that I've learned: turn on/off the light, dog, horse, airplane, bird, Jesus, music, no (I've held out on this one!), sleep, home, bathroom, and extra emphasis on please, thank you, mom, and dad. :)
We're having a fun time and I can honestly say that his shrill yodels of distress are significantly decreased because of his new found communication skills!
Showing posts with label motherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motherhood. Show all posts
Mad Skills
Scaling... (and climbing down): The couch, the chairs, the changing table, the oven door, the dishwasher door, bookshelves, the other bookshelves, my kitchen island, the dining table, the stove top, the bathtub fixtures, the toilet, his treasure box, the driver's seat, his high chair (he actually got inside it by himself. I'm so proud. And horrified! He also did this with his stroller months ago.)Bringing me my shoes. He has been doing this for some time now, but recently we have seen the addition of bringing matching shoes!
Unlocking the car: Okay, not quite. But he gets the key in the lock all by himself. He just doesn't have the turning part down yet. He adores doing this and knows exactly how it works. I usually give him my keys at our apartment door and he takes them the 20 feet to the car and puts them in the lock and waits for me!
Lower the blinds, turn off the lights, close the door, shut the cupboards, drain the bathtub, put the toilet seat down (oh, and flush the toilet!) He has an unusual sense of project completion for a toddler! :)
Make toast: one day I saw him faithfully open the door, put his bread on the rack, close the door carefully, push some buttons, open the door, remove his toast, and then blow on the toast to cool it off! Guess who does exactly that routine every morning? The best was the blowing though. I was laughing all day about that.Rinse his own hair in the bath: Well, this has only happened two or three times, but it sure was a funny surprise for me. he picked up the water bottle and dumped the contents on his head. It startled him a little, but he just laughed!
Put himself to sleep: The little dear gets a hold of a corner on that worn blue blanket, and sucks his thumb right out of consciousness.
Walk down (and up) stairs: He'll climb on his knees in a pinch, but if there's a railing, he makes good use of it. Or, if I'm available, he'll hold my hand (which melts my heart!)
Dance, baby, dance! A partial list of the sounds he dances to: Recorded music, mom's singing, the cheesy electronic baby piano, the kazoo, the blender, the kitchen aid, the oven timer, the wheat grinder (we like kitchen appliances), the dishwasher, the clock (Michael just told me that one now!), clapping, tapping, or in response to the word dance. In the words of my mother, the music's in him!Clapping, peek-a-boo, give high-five, clasp his hands (which he finds hilarious), point (especially to airplanes overhead), point to his toes, sign bath, milk, more, banana, thanks you, diaper, and pray. We're currently working on please. So far, all I've gotten is 'bath' :)
Leading the music: even when I mention a song, his little arm (so chubby!) goes heaven-ward in preparation. It's a bit of a dance/leading combo.
Give sweet pats: This started B.R.E. (before rested era) when I would rock, swaddle, and pat him to encourage (nay, bribe) sleeping. (I was desperate!) One day I was holding him upright and he started patting my back! After that I requested and encouraged and reinforced it daily--how could I resist? Now I no longer pat--I hug. But he, my loving little man, does both.
What a treat! We love him so dearly.
A-Roo
So tonight when I told Michael I had an idea for my next blog post, he guessed, "A Roo?"
So even though that wasn't it, I guess I get to share the story: As some of you may know, I have a chronic nickname habit. It started when Nathanael was born and I went through the high-pitched-voice phase of early motherhood. (To those of you who endured my video-posts when Nathanael was tiny, I offer my deepest regrets. I had no idea what I was subjecting you to!)
So, as I discussed in an earlier post, I came up with a lot of nonsense names. This has now expanded to all words. I especially like to make up songs and new lyrics to old tunes. Frequently, I attempt to rhyme.
However, I am usually quite tired when these songs are created and it usually ends up that in order to rhyme I either use the same word again, or I use a nonsense syllable.
An excerpt from a song to Nathanael:
I love you, my sweet Baboo
I love you, a roo
(And because I sing the word 'you' quite often, the nonsense syllables usually end in 'oo'. Also, I usually need some filler, because my line lengths tend to be off. That's where the 'a' comes in. Thus: a roo.)
These syllables (a roo currently being the most prominent) are becoming quite a fluent part of our idiolects*. So much so that when Michael is trying to emphasize something, or agree emphatically, he will say, "a roo!" I've even caught myself just in time before punctuating an adult conversation with this sort of creative tidbit.
Well, I really can't say anything else after that kind of a confession. So I'll post pictures instead.
*idiolect: a variety of a language unique to an individual. It is manifested by patterns of word selection, vocabulary and word lexicon, grammar, or words, phrases, idioms, or pronunciations that are unique to that individual. Every individual has an idiolect; the grouping of words and phrases is unique, rather than an individual using specific words that nobody else uses. An idiolect can easily evolve into an ecolect—a dialect variant specific to a household. (from Wikipedia)
So even though that wasn't it, I guess I get to share the story: As some of you may know, I have a chronic nickname habit. It started when Nathanael was born and I went through the high-pitched-voice phase of early motherhood. (To those of you who endured my video-posts when Nathanael was tiny, I offer my deepest regrets. I had no idea what I was subjecting you to!)
So, as I discussed in an earlier post, I came up with a lot of nonsense names. This has now expanded to all words. I especially like to make up songs and new lyrics to old tunes. Frequently, I attempt to rhyme.
However, I am usually quite tired when these songs are created and it usually ends up that in order to rhyme I either use the same word again, or I use a nonsense syllable.
An excerpt from a song to Nathanael:
I love you, my sweet Baboo
I love you, a roo
(And because I sing the word 'you' quite often, the nonsense syllables usually end in 'oo'. Also, I usually need some filler, because my line lengths tend to be off. That's where the 'a' comes in. Thus: a roo.)
These syllables (a roo currently being the most prominent) are becoming quite a fluent part of our idiolects*. So much so that when Michael is trying to emphasize something, or agree emphatically, he will say, "a roo!" I've even caught myself just in time before punctuating an adult conversation with this sort of creative tidbit.
Well, I really can't say anything else after that kind of a confession. So I'll post pictures instead.
*idiolect: a variety of a language unique to an individual. It is manifested by patterns of word selection, vocabulary and word lexicon, grammar, or words, phrases, idioms, or pronunciations that are unique to that individual. Every individual has an idiolect; the grouping of words and phrases is unique, rather than an individual using specific words that nobody else uses. An idiolect can easily evolve into an ecolect—a dialect variant specific to a household. (from Wikipedia)
Feast or Famine (or This is a Very Long Post)
I have a confession to make.
Although I have only updated this blog once in the last four months, I write a blog post almost every day. I write as I'm driving, I compose the perfect sentence while showering, I even imagine what I will say next while I'm standing at the sink, washing the dishes.
However, once my daydream bubble is popped and before I can make it to a keyboard, I am distracted by Real Life. This is very distressing to me, as I know that my fantastical musings are more interesting to write about than picking up the living room before the visitors arrive or rushing downstairs to do a load of laundry so that Nathanael can wear something other than his pajamas all day. However, my sense of cleanliness usually wins in the battle with my creative juices.
But! It is Naptime. That blessed gift to all mothers. And so I write.
My true topic of the day is A Really Great Idea. Or, Why I Like to Capitalize Random Words (which, in truth, are not random, but specifically chosen in order to convey more specifically my true meaning.)
So, for several reasons and because of several benevolent people, I am taking Visual Arts Studio 330R next semester!!! This class is quite possibly the best class on BYU campus, and duly coveted by all who know about it. (My husband pointed out that this does not include the vast majority of the College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Their loss.)
The class teaches traditional methods of hand bookbinding. Basically, I get to make my own books--the real way! Not with a stapler or three-ring binder or plastic comb binding: with real stitches! (I feel like Pinocchio the way I'm going on and on about "real.") This was all very exciting to me when my primary motivation was the artistic value of such cool books, but now I have an even better reason to be thrilled (now we're getting to the aforementioned Idea).
So, a few of you may know that I'm a huge fan of Glenn Doman and his programs of early childhood development. If you don't happen to be familiar with this amazing concept, let me give an overview.
Glenn Doman has studied brain-injured children for several decades with the intention of teaching them normal skills (mobility, speech, reading, etc.). He and his team of scientists have had such great success with these injured kids that they started out-performing the healthy kids. That led them to use similar techniques to teach the healthy kids and learn about what their brains were capable of.
In short, although we all know we don't use the full potential of our brains, Mr. Doman proposes a method to do so. He explains that brain growth is almost entirely completed by 5 or 6 years of age. He teaches that the key to using more or our brains' capacity is using it sooner. So he teaches parents to teach their babies how to read, do math, learn facts about the world, learn languages and to be physically superb. He has a school in Pennsylvania where he teaches some kids and hosts seminars for parents to learn about the programs. What the kids there are able to achieve is absolutely inspiring!
I could go on and on, but this is not the point. For more information, visit The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential or email me and I'll lend you my copy of his books.
The point here is, that the reading program proposes that tiny kids can learn written language in the same time frame as spoken language if it is presented to them in a way they can perceive. That is to say, the words need to be big enough because babies' visual pathways aren't developed enough to read small print. So, for moms teaching their children to read, they prepare various materials, all with 3" tall red letters and as the child's eyes develop both from practice reading and from normal development the letters get smaller and gradually switch to black to provide greater contrast.
All of this to say, I have a plan! I have a very smart baby (just as all babies are, but what mom doesn't want to brag?) and I am very excited to be able to provide materials for him as he learns to read. Of course, he won't start with books, he'll start with individual words on cards and gradually move to couplets, three-word phrases and then sentences. We'll gradually increase his vocabulary and one magical day, he'll be ready to read a whole book. And then my bookbinding skills will be truly a great boon. I will be able to re-make books with too small of print for him so that he can read them!!!
I am overjoyed!
Okay. So it's time to post this and get on with the day, (Real Life and such), but I can't shake the feeling that my enthusiasm and energy for Nathanael is much more real than any cleaning chore. And (this is a-whole-nother post but) it's so spiritually uplifting to make these plans and carry them out.
I'll write about that one while I go wash the dishes.
Although I have only updated this blog once in the last four months, I write a blog post almost every day. I write as I'm driving, I compose the perfect sentence while showering, I even imagine what I will say next while I'm standing at the sink, washing the dishes.
However, once my daydream bubble is popped and before I can make it to a keyboard, I am distracted by Real Life. This is very distressing to me, as I know that my fantastical musings are more interesting to write about than picking up the living room before the visitors arrive or rushing downstairs to do a load of laundry so that Nathanael can wear something other than his pajamas all day. However, my sense of cleanliness usually wins in the battle with my creative juices.
But! It is Naptime. That blessed gift to all mothers. And so I write.
My true topic of the day is A Really Great Idea. Or, Why I Like to Capitalize Random Words (which, in truth, are not random, but specifically chosen in order to convey more specifically my true meaning.)
So, for several reasons and because of several benevolent people, I am taking Visual Arts Studio 330R next semester!!! This class is quite possibly the best class on BYU campus, and duly coveted by all who know about it. (My husband pointed out that this does not include the vast majority of the College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Their loss.)
The class teaches traditional methods of hand bookbinding. Basically, I get to make my own books--the real way! Not with a stapler or three-ring binder or plastic comb binding: with real stitches! (I feel like Pinocchio the way I'm going on and on about "real.") This was all very exciting to me when my primary motivation was the artistic value of such cool books, but now I have an even better reason to be thrilled (now we're getting to the aforementioned Idea).
So, a few of you may know that I'm a huge fan of Glenn Doman and his programs of early childhood development. If you don't happen to be familiar with this amazing concept, let me give an overview.
Glenn Doman has studied brain-injured children for several decades with the intention of teaching them normal skills (mobility, speech, reading, etc.). He and his team of scientists have had such great success with these injured kids that they started out-performing the healthy kids. That led them to use similar techniques to teach the healthy kids and learn about what their brains were capable of.
In short, although we all know we don't use the full potential of our brains, Mr. Doman proposes a method to do so. He explains that brain growth is almost entirely completed by 5 or 6 years of age. He teaches that the key to using more or our brains' capacity is using it sooner. So he teaches parents to teach their babies how to read, do math, learn facts about the world, learn languages and to be physically superb. He has a school in Pennsylvania where he teaches some kids and hosts seminars for parents to learn about the programs. What the kids there are able to achieve is absolutely inspiring!
I could go on and on, but this is not the point. For more information, visit The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential or email me and I'll lend you my copy of his books.
The point here is, that the reading program proposes that tiny kids can learn written language in the same time frame as spoken language if it is presented to them in a way they can perceive. That is to say, the words need to be big enough because babies' visual pathways aren't developed enough to read small print. So, for moms teaching their children to read, they prepare various materials, all with 3" tall red letters and as the child's eyes develop both from practice reading and from normal development the letters get smaller and gradually switch to black to provide greater contrast.
All of this to say, I have a plan! I have a very smart baby (just as all babies are, but what mom doesn't want to brag?) and I am very excited to be able to provide materials for him as he learns to read. Of course, he won't start with books, he'll start with individual words on cards and gradually move to couplets, three-word phrases and then sentences. We'll gradually increase his vocabulary and one magical day, he'll be ready to read a whole book. And then my bookbinding skills will be truly a great boon. I will be able to re-make books with too small of print for him so that he can read them!!!
I am overjoyed!
Okay. So it's time to post this and get on with the day, (Real Life and such), but I can't shake the feeling that my enthusiasm and energy for Nathanael is much more real than any cleaning chore. And (this is a-whole-nother post but) it's so spiritually uplifting to make these plans and carry them out.
I'll write about that one while I go wash the dishes.
Big Accomplishments
I found this quote (which I have adapted to me for this entry) on the blog of a friend-of-a-friend. She is a young mom too and I just love the way she put this:
"...I realized that I had woken up that day with the idea that I was Bethany Deardeuff, Person Who Does Things and Accomplishes Stuff. I SHOULD have woken up with the idea that I was Bethany Deardeuff, Mom of Nathanael Deardeuff, Who Needs Things and Who is a Big Accomplishment That Doesn't Always Seem Like One at the Time."
Doesn't that just sum it all up?
from http://rachnabe.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html (june 10)
"...I realized that I had woken up that day with the idea that I was Bethany Deardeuff, Person Who Does Things and Accomplishes Stuff. I SHOULD have woken up with the idea that I was Bethany Deardeuff, Mom of Nathanael Deardeuff, Who Needs Things and Who is a Big Accomplishment That Doesn't Always Seem Like One at the Time."
Doesn't that just sum it all up?
from http://rachnabe.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html (june 10)
A Precarious Balance
I'm still here! It's been a while since I posted--I've been busy being a mom. :)
As for adventures, it was a rainy (drippy) Seattle day today. We had a very exciting night with Nathanael which resulted in a very lazy Saturday morning. (The pancake breakfast was finally ready around 2:00 pm!)
But I've been thinking a lot about why I feel so terrible when I stay indoors all day. I read Ben Crowder's post today on a similar topic which really got me thinking about it.
I love to get out and see people, breath fresh air, move my body. I feel alive when I interact with others. But this is only part of it. The other side is accomplishing something. Each day around dinner time I do an only partly-conscious assessment of the days activities and I feel a pang of guilt if I realize that nothing tangible was accomplished. (It somehow feels more tangible, even if it's not, if it involves others.)
This poses interesting challenges as a stay-at-home mom making a concerted effort to rest more! I get to remind myself that I am still recovering from fairly major surgery less than three months ago and that I also use tons of extra calories breastfeeding and toting around my beautiful son.
This brings me to another topic I was contemplating last night: my work as a mother consists almost entirely of activities that will continuously need to be redone. For example, feeding, washing, organizing, comforting, resting, playing. The entropy in the universe being what it is, my children, husband, and I are continuously getting hungry, dirty, disorganized, distressed, tired, and bored. This is good, as it means I both have a very important job, and one that will be needed for the foreseeable future! (Read: forever.)
However, it can be frustrating as when seen from a temporal perspective I produce no tangible results. At the end of the day, every nap I put Nathanael down for, he wakes up from and every meal he eats turns into another diaper to change. Ultimately, he is healthier and happier (and bigger!) for all my efforts, but when Michael gets home at the end of the day and I look back at my 8 hours I see only maintenance, while he can show me his code and tell me what he learned while writing it.
Obviously, the answer is in the problem: lose the temporal perspective and focus on the eternal! Nathanael is far more precious than Amazon.com, or any of their programs, or even the money Michael earns there. This sounds simple, but it amazing how much energy I glean from making sure I read the scriptures at least once a day on my own. It also helps tremendously if I clean the kitchen once, and then leave it!
The real solution, though, is to rest plenty, shower every day, drink a LOT more water than I think I need, and then leave the house. On Wednesday, I had the hankering to make some cards, so I looked up a local stamp shop and off we went. I ended up signing up for a card-making class the next day, so we did the forty-five minute (one way) excursion again. It was worth it--I had a great time. But at the end of the week I was pretty tired, and I started wondering if I had swung too far in the "pushing it" direction.
As for today (Saturday), Michael took us out to eat dinner in Pioneer Square (we got gyros at a little shop on the corner of 2nd Ave S and Main St--delicious!) Then we went to Safeway and picked up some must-have-before-Sunday items. Of course, Nathanael napped for part of the trip and cooed and laughed for the other half. He is a perfect angel! By the time we got home I felt great about the day and was ready for another round of feedings and diapers!
Well, this post is getting long, and Nathanael's finished his midnight snack and is now sleeping peacefully again, so it's time for me to do the same. (A mom has the wonderful charge of making time for the spiritual when faced continually with the demands of the temporal!)
p.s. Do any veteran mothers have wisdom for me on this topic? How did you do it?
As for adventures, it was a rainy (drippy) Seattle day today. We had a very exciting night with Nathanael which resulted in a very lazy Saturday morning. (The pancake breakfast was finally ready around 2:00 pm!)
But I've been thinking a lot about why I feel so terrible when I stay indoors all day. I read Ben Crowder's post today on a similar topic which really got me thinking about it.
I love to get out and see people, breath fresh air, move my body. I feel alive when I interact with others. But this is only part of it. The other side is accomplishing something. Each day around dinner time I do an only partly-conscious assessment of the days activities and I feel a pang of guilt if I realize that nothing tangible was accomplished. (It somehow feels more tangible, even if it's not, if it involves others.)
This poses interesting challenges as a stay-at-home mom making a concerted effort to rest more! I get to remind myself that I am still recovering from fairly major surgery less than three months ago and that I also use tons of extra calories breastfeeding and toting around my beautiful son.
This brings me to another topic I was contemplating last night: my work as a mother consists almost entirely of activities that will continuously need to be redone. For example, feeding, washing, organizing, comforting, resting, playing. The entropy in the universe being what it is, my children, husband, and I are continuously getting hungry, dirty, disorganized, distressed, tired, and bored. This is good, as it means I both have a very important job, and one that will be needed for the foreseeable future! (Read: forever.)
However, it can be frustrating as when seen from a temporal perspective I produce no tangible results. At the end of the day, every nap I put Nathanael down for, he wakes up from and every meal he eats turns into another diaper to change. Ultimately, he is healthier and happier (and bigger!) for all my efforts, but when Michael gets home at the end of the day and I look back at my 8 hours I see only maintenance, while he can show me his code and tell me what he learned while writing it.
Obviously, the answer is in the problem: lose the temporal perspective and focus on the eternal! Nathanael is far more precious than Amazon.com, or any of their programs, or even the money Michael earns there. This sounds simple, but it amazing how much energy I glean from making sure I read the scriptures at least once a day on my own. It also helps tremendously if I clean the kitchen once, and then leave it!
The real solution, though, is to rest plenty, shower every day, drink a LOT more water than I think I need, and then leave the house. On Wednesday, I had the hankering to make some cards, so I looked up a local stamp shop and off we went. I ended up signing up for a card-making class the next day, so we did the forty-five minute (one way) excursion again. It was worth it--I had a great time. But at the end of the week I was pretty tired, and I started wondering if I had swung too far in the "pushing it" direction.
As for today (Saturday), Michael took us out to eat dinner in Pioneer Square (we got gyros at a little shop on the corner of 2nd Ave S and Main St--delicious!) Then we went to Safeway and picked up some must-have-before-Sunday items. Of course, Nathanael napped for part of the trip and cooed and laughed for the other half. He is a perfect angel! By the time we got home I felt great about the day and was ready for another round of feedings and diapers!
Well, this post is getting long, and Nathanael's finished his midnight snack and is now sleeping peacefully again, so it's time for me to do the same. (A mom has the wonderful charge of making time for the spiritual when faced continually with the demands of the temporal!)
p.s. Do any veteran mothers have wisdom for me on this topic? How did you do it?
Rock-a-bye Baby
One of the topics I have wanted to write down for a while now is the subject of rocking. Now, ever since Nathanael was born we have learned the fine art of rocking a baby. There are many different kinds of rocking, and each baby demands a personalized selection at any given moment of his life. For example, Nathanael may want vigorous rocking from his dad as a newborn when he is tired and gentle swaying from mom as a two-month old when he is upset.
Scientifically-minded persons, beware! There is no pattern in these variables that can be learned or --gasp!-- optimized. And what works for one baby in one sitatuation one day, may not work in a similar situation the next!
However, one humorous aspect that we have discovered about this particular stretch of parenthood is our own acclimation to the rocking. Michael and I both have noticed ourselves unconsciously rocking or swaying at times when we are not holding Nathanael! I have been especially embarrassed when I find myself doing so in a store or public area.
Conversely, the calm rhythmic motion is very soothing and is something that most adults could certainly benefit from. We can take a lesson from babies and learn to serve our bodies when they would like food, water, and sleep and not at our own convenience. We might find that they serve us much better when we attend to them promptly!
Scientifically-minded persons, beware! There is no pattern in these variables that can be learned or --gasp!-- optimized. And what works for one baby in one sitatuation one day, may not work in a similar situation the next!
However, one humorous aspect that we have discovered about this particular stretch of parenthood is our own acclimation to the rocking. Michael and I both have noticed ourselves unconsciously rocking or swaying at times when we are not holding Nathanael! I have been especially embarrassed when I find myself doing so in a store or public area.
Conversely, the calm rhythmic motion is very soothing and is something that most adults could certainly benefit from. We can take a lesson from babies and learn to serve our bodies when they would like food, water, and sleep and not at our own convenience. We might find that they serve us much better when we attend to them promptly!
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