Molars

Karston seemed like he was chewing on his fingers more than usual at lunch this afternoon. He also seemed a little out of sorts, although mostly his happy self. So I felt in his mouth, and discovered a four-pronged sharp little hint of a molar on his lower left jaw! I'm not sure if its pal on the lower right has poked through ... my finger was in danger and had to abandon the mission abruptly.

Getting him to sleep tonight was a chore. Not that it's ever been easy, but with his new molars bothering him and his little legs wanting to walk ... his squirming said that he just couldn't get comfortable.

Oh, and we crossed another line, nineteen pounds! Monday evening after changing a poopy (but dressed in a onesie, unlike at the doctor's office weigh-in), Karston weighed nineteen pounds! He hung around 18.4 pounds for so many months it seemed like he had stalled! But the accurate scale said he weighed 19.0 pounds, so he's gaining weight again! He also looks taller. My mother says walking puts pressure on the (leg) bone plates and that causes the bones to grow (at his age), so that fits. He's growing all around!

Toddler

Walking

Daddy called me at work, 5:00 PM on Friday, to tell me that my little man walked for the first time! (Talk about motivating me to leave work on time, not that 5 PM on Friday needs further encouragement!) He walked 10 feet to Grammy! (I think he was showing off for Opa and Grammy.) Karston was so tired from walking that his knees started to shake, so I had to wait until Saturday to see him walk for myself. He's still faster with his crab crawl, but he can walk! Walk walk walk!

Toddler

Whistle

This morning, we heard a person whistle at breakfast. I didn't do it, and Daddy didn't do it. We looked at the only other person in the room, Karston, who went from pursing his lips to a huge smile!

This afternoon, after one of our neighbors called her dog by whistling, Karston whistled again! He spends a lot of time blowing, and every once in a while has his lips pursed just right for a whistle. He usually can't do more than one whistle at a time because he starts grinning so much! But he's very pleased with his new whistling skill.

Toddler

Change Me

Daddy was reading naptime stories to Karston after lunch today. The routine is that he asks Karston what book he wants to hear next, and Karston points to the next book. Well, this afternoon, Karston reached for the bear mobile on his Pack-n-Play that we use as a changing station. And he was insistent. So Daddy changed him, and sure enough, that was what he wanted!

Here's hoping that potty training is easy!

Toddler

Just Like A Lab

I think everyone has a version of this story, but it's required background for the next story, so you'll just have to sit through my version. My father-in-law had black labs for years, and he said the dogs always knew when you hid something in the dog food. He tried to hide pills that his dogs needed to take, and he tried peas to prove the point. Whatever he added to the food, the dog would eat the dog food rapidly, but leave peas or pills in the bottom of the bowl. Food in, foreign out, really fast.

So a couple days ago, I fed Karston some chicken lasagna baby food. The problem with Stage 3 baby food is that some of the food chunks are larger than Karston likes. He likes his food with that smooth baby food texture! I would put a spoon full of chicken lasagna in his mouth, and he would quickly spit out the noodle chunk on his chin and then eat the rest. Just like a lab! This meal was quite a mess with noodle chunks coming out, but the rest staying in. (I ran the rest of the jar through the food processor, but he still remembered that it had had texture. Ick!)

Toddler

The Problem with Mobility

Karston has figured out how to crawl between cruising spots. He has this odd crawl on carpet where he won't put his right knee down. So both hands, left knee, and right foot are on the floor, and off to the races he goes! Yesterday I got him to crawl around the kitchen chasing a toy. He's also been chasing Linus the cat who is significantly freaked out by this development. So you'll set him down with his toys, he'll be playing happily, and the next thing you know, he's come to find you with the biggest grin. He knows he has accomplished something! Surprisingly enough, he can manage going down one step safely without bonking his head. We haven't seen how he does this, but we haven't heard cries to the contrary. He can't quite manage to go up one step yet.

Of course, the problem with mobility is that he can be anywhere! Yesterday while I was in the shower, Karston cruised over to the toilet. That's not surprising since the toilet is an excellent drum. But then he went around one side to play with the toilet brush (I don't care how soapy the grab from the shower, he doesn't get to play with that!). So he went around the other side to empty the trash can. sigh If I thought he took a lot of attention before mobility, it's even more now! At least I used to get to take a shower!

Toddler

I'm Hungry

Last week (starting at 2 AM on Sunday when I came home after working over 12 hours in a very chilly machine room; even The Big Guy was standing behind the server rack to warm up), Karston woke up to fuss for two hours in the middle of the night ... every night! On the fourth night in a row, desperate to try anything, we decided to put him in his high chair and feed him a regular meal. And he really put away the food! So although Daddy has trouble falling asleep again, we've been feeding Karston in the middle of the night for the past five nights since then. Daddy's getting wiped out (I haven't slept through the night, or even close to it, since the third trimester). Last night, Daddy said Karston had to make it obvious and rolled over to fall back to sleep (I heard him snore; he wasn't faking). So when Karston squirmed too much and I knew he was hungry, we got up. Karston nursed for quite a while with his super suction. He wouldn't fall asleep again when we got back in bed. Finally he crawled out of my arms, sat up to look right at his father, and said Da Da! Seriously, he leaned over and was very emphatic about Da Da! Daddy got the message (it's hard to miss when it's your child right in your face with a strong declarative Da Da!), and Karston put away a full meal in his high chair again.


On the third night of feeding him meals in the middle of the night, Karston did not cuddle much with me. Each time he climbed away from me, and on top of Daddy. He prefers to touch the person who feeds him at night! I thought I was the designated night-time snuggler, even when he's been Daddy's Boy during the day, but he was really snuggling with me for other reasons.


We're still laughing about Karston getting right in his father's face and telling him, Da Da! I'm hungry, you fix it!

Toddler