McFlirty

Nathaniel is shaping up to be quite the flirt. Whether we are in a store or sitting in a restaurant I'll notice him *stalking* someone. When he stalks he smiles at them or looks at them all cute until they smile back or talk to him. Then he is finds his next victim. Bus people at a restaurant, cashiers, fellow shoppers, fellow parents in a play area are all fair game. The other day we were eating breakfast out and he encountered one of his harder cases to crack. He kept looking over at this man who was sitting by himself just looking at his phone. He would look over, then he would lay his head on his arm and look over, then he would smile at him. Finally, after about 5 minutes the man noticed and smiled back. That is all it took and Nathaniel stopped stalking him. He gets the biggest reaction from grandmas who are missing their own grandkids.

 

I still get a little concerned that all of his time just spent with me and the dogs may not be enough human interaction so he is desperate for interaction while we are out, thus the flirting :) Or he is just McFlirty. Those big blue eyes are already melting some hearts!

Huh? Say What?

Every once in awhile Nathaniel goes on a talking spree. Then he quiets down for a few days. He isn't much of a talker in public either - he is more of an observer. When I say *talk* they aren't real words yet. There are a few words we think we can make out like 'dad, dada, maamaa (he doesn't know it is me though), hey and this. Overall though it is definitely baby babble.

 

Over the past week he has a new form of talking. He is talking in long drawn out sentences. It sounds like one big super word. I want to know what he is trying to communicate so badly. After he 'clearly' states what it is he is trying to say he looks at you. I say something like,' yes' or 'that's right' or 'You want to play with ____' I figure he is thinking to himself that his mom is such a dummy for not understanding since he said it so perfectly. I almost detect a slight baby eye roll - he is like,'seriously, how did you not understand THAT'

 

I am going to continue to focus and see if I can't start to decipher his language. It is funny when he goes on a kick with these sentences. It sounds so much like a real conversation. To be honest it sounds a lot like Kevin when he is tired ;)

Germatopia

 

It's happening, it's happening.... every once in awhile I allow something to happen that I never ever never ever ever thought I'd allow to happen. Apparently, being a parent means you have to be flexible about things you swore you'd never be flexible about. But, things just don't always happen like you think they will or should or might. You quickly realize your overly utopian view of raising kids on your terms gets thrown out the window (ok ok not quite that dramatic), but at least out the window on occasion. So you are probably asking, 'what could I have allowed?' that required such flexibility on my part. I mean the kid is only 1+ what is he even capable of doing that I already had to BeNd the rules. Well, rules in my head.

 

drum roll.... I allowed him to play in one of those germ infested play areas in the mall. AAAAHHH I know. Catch your breath. Yes, I said he played in what I like to call *Germatopia*. I used to walk by those covering my mouth as to not catch any stray germs that were flying in the air. When I look at one of those play areas I can't imagine there isn't one surface that doesn't have a sticky boogery hand mark on it. I wondered if anyone would notice (and if I would look insane) spraying down everything with lysol... or wiping things down with my clorox travel wipes.

 

So why o why would I even venture into what is clearly marked as a level 4 biohazard zone. oh oh oh maybe I could have put Nathaniel in a baby biohazard suit. Like the ones used on E.T.. He is too young to notice people laughing at him right, RIGHT? He had been in his stroller for a bit and I felt like he really needed to get out and move around. We were at least 1/2 hr from home so I just had to let him out... I had to... I swear (at least that is what I tell myself) So as we entered the biohazard zone I could feel the germy air surround our bodies - I may have let out a slight scream, I can't be sure - we proceeded forward anyway even though every instinct told me to turn around. Then he was off crawling around on some play structure.

 

Nathaniel seemed to enjoy looking at the other kids and moved around some. He mostly smiled at the adults sitting around the edges winning them over with his grins. When it was time to go, I scooped him up and quickly started the disinfection process. I wiped down his hands and changed his socks :) (Yep, he wasn't wearing any shoes, whoops).

 

We seem to have survived, but it really was touch and go. If I allowed him in there, what's next?!? Will I allow him in the McDonald's poop ball pit? Will I let him eat a Cheetoh off a restaurant bathroom floor? Will I let him eat Cheeto's ....Oh no, oh no... I think I'm hyperventilating. I better go clean something.

Ipood

 

Haha.. get it ... Ipood. It is amazing what funny things you can find printed on onesies. What is also amazing is how kids are so technologically inclined. I was soooo impressed with Intellivision when it came out. I moved up to a Commodore 64. I could write 4 lines of code on it and I thought I was brilliant. The four lines of code would do something like repeat my name over and over again. I also had basic games such as; Olympic Decathlon, Firestarter, Donkey Kong, Spy Hunter. Those graphics were so simple (or the new word for simple ~ retro) Then I moved up to an Apple 2 (or mac) I forget exactly what it was called. It looked something like this.

 

Next, I got my first computer tower type computer. There was a huge monitor and tower that I remember lugging around during college from residence to residence. I didn't get my first laptop until around the mid 2000s I think. I'm pretty sure that all of my original computers combined couldn't even do what my Iphone does now. Pretty amazing. As I sit here and write this I can see a DVR (amazing piece of tech), an Iphone, an Ipad, a baby video monitor and a flat screen tv (weighing a smidge of what that old computer monitor weighed) all within reach. Technology is just everywhere changing our daily lives constantly. Some argue that it is for the better, some say it is making some things worse. For instance, no one actually talks anymore, but the introvert in me doesn't mind that so much ;)

 

I could go on and on about how things have changed (my 15 minute cell phone plan I had in college LOL), but really I just wanted to point out something funny that has already happened with Nathaniel. I have a few apps on the Ipad and Iphone for him. Simple things from Fisher Price. I show him pictures too. He, like most kids, picked up on the fact that you just need to swipe your finger across the screen to get it to do something. Now everything with a screen is fair game for a swipe. I started to notice this when he was looking at our photo frame. It is one of those photo frames where you can store pictures on it like a computer and it just shows a slide show. He kept touching the screen and watching the pictures change. It does it automatically, but he thought he was making the pictures change like on the Iphone. He also tries to touch the tv for the same reason.

 

I just thought about how different it will be for him as he learns and plays because of all the available technology. I mean he already asks to play games on the Iphone. Of course him asking is a slight point and grunt, but I get it, I get that he is already getting addicted to technology and that is going to be a lot of $$$$$$$$ ;) Future Nate, "Mom, everyone has the Ipad 15ss with 3D goggles, I'm such a loser with my Ipad 14 that is 2D and doesn't hover"

Funny Little Habits

Nathaniel does a few things right now that are becoming habits. Well at least a habit in the baby sense - meaning the habit lasts a week or two, but it is funny to watch.

Hey, Hey, HEEEYYYY - When we are out and about and Nathaniel is riding in a buggy I noticed something he was always doing. I thought he was talking to me at first, but no. He says something like, 'Hey Hey HHEEYY HHEEYYY' it gets a little louder and longer until whomever he is trying to talk to turns around. Yep, he is yelling at strangers in the store. They usually will turn around and then he gets the biggest grin on his face. Of course no one can resist a cute baby boy grin. This is also what he has been yelling at us for a long time now from his crib when he wakes up.

Block Placement - Nathaniel will take a few blocks and place them on the window sill. He favors the white big lego blocks and the red triangle blocks. He then knocks them to the floor and puts them back up. He also likes to hide them in the tv cabinet.

Bite Kevin - Not much else to say here :) He bites Kevin's shoulder and laughs. He doesn't do it to me so I think it is funny, although it looks painful. (in case you are wondering we don't laugh back at him because we want the behavior to stop - Kevin just puts him on the floor and doesn't make a big deal of it, hoping it will go away when he figures out he doesn't get attention for it... we'll see) It is a little funny though

Einstein Sticky Hair - Nathaniel is a pretty good eater. Not super messy.. YET. But, no matter how hard we try somehow he manages to run his fingers through his hair above his ears and it sticks straight out and gets crusty from food. He looks like a mad scientist. He just LOVES when I try and wipe down his hair afterwards (I say sarcastically)

Here You Go Mocha - Nathaniel has figured out if he gives Mocha something Mocha will usually run off with it and that is hilarious to the little guy! As I am trying to teach Mocha NOT to chew blocks, rattles, toys etc. Nate is handing them to him. Poor dog is confused. Sometimes Nate will actually give him a dog toy - not often enough though. If Mocha doesn't take it Nate just keeps shoving it in his face. I have a feeling I'm fighting a losing battle and there is going to be some more *toy casualties*

 

The Happy Sway - When Nathaniel crawls around he sways his head back and forth... it looks like he is the happiest baby around. It is so cute. It is a really pronounced sway and I always think he is singing some happy tune as he just happily bobs around the room. Maybe one of these days he will be happily walking and swaying... or maybe he'll crawl forever ;) I can picture him skipping with this same happy gait when he gets older.

 

The Open Door - Opening and closing doors (real doors, cabinet doors, drawers) will be open and closed 200 hundred times a day. He will watch a cartoon while opening the tv stand door and closing it the whole time. (Side note: When he watches a cartoon he mostly likes the songs - the rest of the cartoon barely keeps him interested. This means the start of any show/cartoon/commercial that has a tune is fair game to watch. There is this cheesy Sandals resort commercial that has the Dirty Dancing song 'I've had the time of my life' and he stops and watches it every time.)

 

Truck Rides - Nathaniel can't get enough of his truck that he got for his birthday. He knows how to get in it himself now - sometimes he is sitting in it backwards, but he is in it. He just looks at you like ... 'come on, push me, what are you waiting for?' He doesn't quite get that his long sleeve onesie isn't quite warm enough to go outside in. We give him (and ourselves) a layer or two and head out the door. If he had his way he'd go several times a day. He even shuts the door on you when you try to get him out.

 

Bootie Dance - When we get him ready to take a bath we usually undress him on our bed while the bath fills up. Well, he gets this shot of adrenaline once you take his clothes off. He goes back and forth on the bed and then will grab the headboard posts and perform what I like to call his ** bootie dance** You can't help but laugh. He just holds on to the slats and boogies.

 

Alright, I better quit writing and take a nap before he wakes up from his nap. zzzzzzzz

Dyno - Mite

 

Or is it Dyno - Nate? It is the friendliest dinosaur in the Southeast.

 

 

 

We didn't take him trick or treating. If we knew our neighbors better we might have, but since we don't it felt like we were just going around asking for candy for ourselves... haha. Nathaniel did enjoy watching people come to the door. He actually cried a few times when they left. I think he thought they were going to come in and play, but they kept leaving. Poor kid really needs to get out more.

 

 

We went into Petsmart and the costumes were 75% off and right by the sign happened to be 2 XXL pumpkin costumes. I have never ever bought a costume for my dog, but this one time it seemed meant to be.. I mean two pumpkin outfits left both XXL... I think the dogs actually enjoyed wearing their costumes. It was a wearable blanket basically. They got a few comments as people walked by the backyard and saw two big pumpkin dogs.

 

 

I hope everyone enjoyed Halloween.