Stand Tall and Walk

I don't think we quite expected Dylan to start walking this past weekend. For a few weeks or so now, he has been standing. He would hang on to stuff and cruise then let go. Then, he would get nervous and hang on again. If Bill or I are in front of him, he would hurl himself at us and start giggling, looking amused with himself.

Then he got more and more comfy with the standing and would even drink out of his sippy while standing. Great balancing trick that lasts a few seconds, head tilted back and going to town on the watery juice or soy milk. Then he would sit back down and finish the contents of the cup.

This past week, he decided he could take a step or two himself. We thought it was so cute that he was trying. He would do it only if we were right in front of him because that way, after the step or 2, he would reach out and throw himself at us again.

On Saturday, his lightbulb seemed to come on and he decided it was time to get more serious about this walking business. Little man kept trying all day. He would get to 2 steps consistently and this time, he would fall forward or back on his tushie. A few times, he did 3 or 4. I figured at least he was no longer hurling himself because a few times, he was a little short and had we not reached out in time, his little Kyrgyz nose may get even flatter.

We went to a baby shower on Saturday evening. Dylan was quite the charmer and was smiling and babbling away. You know what else he decided to do? Walk a few more steps on his own. I think he knows what a pleaser one or 2 steps were with mom and dad so if he did 3 or 4 or 5, imagine what the crowd would do? So there he was, showing off and laughing the whole time.

And Sunday, well, you know how the story goes. We were at Auntie Kay's house and munchkin man made it about a couple of feet. He was walking towards me and I kept backing up and he kept coming. Now, the real babyproofing job is at hand. Goodbye corners, hello foam pads.

And just for fun, here is Dylan getting his second haircut, eating an apple, eating half a raw zucchini and looking guilty after he spilled a tub of cookies on the floor, reading a book, and just random photos from everyday life.

Little Things I Want to Remember

Time has a way of blurring the details. I decided that I need to find a way to remember things about our life with our little man. What better venue than this blog about him.

Today, I decided that I want to remember our Tuesday Mommy and Dylan Trader Joe's shopping trips. I've been taking him to TJ's with me each week after I pick him up from daycare. The initial trips were great. I would put him in my Ergo carrier and shop the whole time with him strapped to me. He would smile at strangers and make them talk to him. We could never get out of there without people just stopping to be delighted by him. Sometimes he would fall asleep against my chest.

Then, as he got closer to the one year mark, I put him in the shopping cart. Thanks to my friend Isabel whose wonderful shopping cart cover I am using, he has a germ free experience and I am not constantly imagining little critters invading my son's immune system. The first shopping cart trip was fun for him. He enjoyed being carted around the grocery store and patting his little watermelon that I placed next to him.

However, as the novelty wore off and he got more mobile, he started to become impatient while sitting there. Entering toddlerhood could also have something to do with it. Whatever the case may be, he now wants off the cart after 5 minutes. That is, until I keep him busy by giving him snacks. That is actually the memory I want to record here, the reason I am writing this post.

Dylan will actually spend the whole time shopping with me contentedly if I give him snacks. It is now our routine to stop at the sample table, drink a tiny cup of soymilk that is there for the coffee sampling table and open some kind of package so that Dylan can eat while we shop. Some weeks I gave him vanilla wafers, one week he had a stick of cheddar cheese, another week, he had mini cheese sandwich crackers, then mini peanut butter sandwich crackers. And today, apple slices. As for the samples we have tasted together, that now includes pecan pie, turkey meat balls sandwich, pomegranate juice, chocolate dunking cookies, sweet potato casserole, and I am sure I have forgotten others. I just love this little tidbit about our TJ trips. I want to remember it forever.

Not a Cuddlebug?

In the last couple of months, Dylan is becoming less and less of a cuddlebug. I suppose, it is part of the quest for independence as he gets into his toddlerhood. Usually, he doesn't want to be rocked to sleep. He just wants to hold his froggie, suck his thumb, put his butt up in the air and go to sleep. Imagine my silent delight the other night when he decided to let me sit in the rocker with him and just hold him. After a few minutes, I realized he had fallen asleep. I almost fell off my rocker (hee hee). I loved every moment of it to be quite honest. It just felt so right to have my big boy just completely relaxed in my arms. I loved hearing his regular breaths of sleep. I love how he completely trusts me.

When we least expect it, he lets us in. Another example is today. We went to some dear friends' wedding. It was great to be there to witness their marriage. It was great to reconnect with old friends. However, I must admit that having a toddler with you there makes the experience challenging. The noise level, the amount of people, the unfamiliar surroundings, coupled with not enough time napping today, made Dylan kind of cranky. Now, Dylan's crankiness was only noticeable by Bill and me. He was still capturing the hearts of those he met and with whom he flirted. But we know our boy, we know when he is uncomfortable. The wedding was at 3 pm. By 7:30, at the reception, we had to graciously call it a night. We could see that it was about to turn into mayhem if we didn't give Dylan the rest he deserved. On the way to the car, I just held him horizontally for a while and he didn't complain, where normally, backarching and squirming are involved. After he got too heavy for my arms, I shifted him so that I just held him vertically. Again, no complaints. Just clung on to mommy calmly and I got to give him a million kisses on the way to the car. What a treat for mommy.

These are the moments when he must be so damned tired, he can't muster a squirm or a babble. He just lets things be and enjoys the cuddles. I guess that at the end of the day, when he has spent most of the day testing his independence, he lets his guard down and lets himself be comfortable being a cuddlebug again. These are the moments that erase my doubts about bonding and attachment. These are the moments when my insecurities about my role as his mother completely melt away and are taken over by an overwhelming feeling of joy.

13 Months Update

Little man is not so little. He weighs 24 lbs 6 oz as of last Monday. He is 32 inches high and is in the 90th percentile in height and head circumference. He is in the 75th percentile in weight. I guess I was a little worried we would be told to lay off the food. It seems Dylan is just a big boy overall, not overweight or anything. At least that is what I heard from that conversation with his pediatrician.

We are due for our first post placement. I am actually excited about this. If nothing else, I hope that the Kyrgyz government reads the report and sees how good this adoption is for our lttle Kyrgyz munchkin, among the many other post placements from other families that I am sure say the same. In light of any negative press international adoption has recently gotten, I hope this helps dispel the untruth.

Our Favorite Little Devil

costume compliments of Auntie Joanne and Uncle Hil.