Raising MONSTERS: Summer ends, fall begins + more changes

Fall is almost in full swing and we have had some big changes around here lately. I'm glad we were able to spend the majority of July relaxing and just enjoying being a family, because I started training and planning for my new teaching job in August and now that the school year has begun I am at work 45-50 hours a week. I am extremely thankful and happy to have the job that I want and the work is challenging and gratifying - but it is hard to be away from home so much. Ben is staying home with Rowan for right now and the transition has been a little difficult. We only have one car right now, so often the boys are stuck at home (or at least in our neighborhood.) Luckily we don't live in the middle of nowhere - there are a few things to do within walking distance.

At the spray park across the street.


Still just a little hesitant ... :)

We keep trying to think of new and interesting things for Rowan to do - but at the same time we are trying to keep him in a routine to some extent. Basically, we are trying to create and maintain norms for eating and sleeping (eating especially has been a problem, see below) but we are also trying to keep him from being bored during the day. I am glad we have been able to keep him home with one of us all this time, but I'm starting to think daycare would really help him get over some of his issues.

Just thinking ... about how much eating annoys me.

Almost all of my peers have young children at this point and it is almost impossible not to worry and compare Rowan's development. His eating habits and preferences have become especially worrisome to me. I'm sure he is fine - his doctor says he is developing wonderfully and it is obvious that he is healthy and strong. But he is almost 14 months old and still relies on his bottle for most of his nutrition. We just can't seem to get him very interested in real food. He will eat some purees, but he has been increasingly picky about those as well. It is very frustrating when he is obviously hungry but will only throw his food. And I know this is a typical toddler behavior, but it makes meal times very stressful.

What? Is there something on my face?

Hey, remember that ONE time I ate a banana?

Double fisting ... with the oatmeal.

To be fair, when he is in the mood Rowan can handle a spoon pretty well. We're going to try fortifying some of his purees with multigrain cereal to see if we can sneak some extra calories into him. He has been waking up in the middle of the night pretty regularly and I'm sure it's because he is just hungry.
We try to keep things in perspective. Rowan IS happy a lot of the time and he does a lot of things really well. (THIS also helps keep things in perspective.) We try to spend a lot of time outside and Rowan has become very fond of picking tomatoes and herbs - he and I almost always spend some time in the garden as soon as I get home from school.

Oh! Not sure if I like tomatoes yet!

Hey! This basil's not going to pick itself!

This picture hangs next to Mama's desk at school. <3

Rowan LOVES to run. The other day we stopped at Target after school and he spent nearly a half an hour running up and down the aisles, just shrieking with laughter! Then later that night he was doing LAPS through the downstairs - he had his head down, pumping his little arms and everything! It was hilarious and he was so serious. We were also thrilled that he was tiring himself out.

A rare peaceful moment.

Sigh. The cats. Rowan just will NOT stop harassing them and unfortunately they don't seem to have the good sense to just run away when he is after them (especially Huck.) We use the meanest tone we can muster when Rowan starts pulling tails and grabbing at them, but he just laughs. He really just seems to see them as toys. We have been relentlessly working on "nice petting" but he only does it about 20% of the time. Most of the time we just have to pull him off of them, which of course makes him mad.