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.

Reading with Daddy

Relaxing with Mama

Who, me?

So there are peaceful moments.  We hope there are many more to come.

ONE YEAR + and so much change

I think it is safe to say we have a toddler now.  It's crazy to think that Rowan crawling was big news just two months ago - now he walks all over the place!  This past month we have been very fortunate to be able to all be home as a family much more than usual.  Good thing, too, because if either of us had missed much of this month we might not recognize this new kid!

(He is a lot steadier than that now, but this video is just the best.)

Rowan started walking with our encouragement back in late June.  Ben and I would sit a few feet apart and he would take tentative steps and we would catch him if he stumbled.  We practiced this way a lot and slowly his range got farther and his steps more confident.  Then while we were on vacation he learned to stand up unassisted and then his skills really took off.  He recently figured out that he can walk wherever he wants, not just to one of us.  He is pretty steady on his feet and doesn't freak out as much when he stumbles anymore.  He walks very carefully - he kind of looks like a little old man shuffling around.

Oh, hello.  Just walkin' here.

Still patching, but just the left eye - also working on solid foods. :)

We went to Ithaca a couple weeks ago and Rowan was reunited with his pal Dakota.  He really gets so psyched watching Dakota play. I really do hope we can get him a dog one day, preferably a collie mix like Dakota.  He is really calm and gentle, but still has plenty of energy and loves to play.  This time we managed to get some good pictures:

We spent a bunch of time chilling at Camp Barton.  Rowan enjoyed meeting some new kids, hiking down to the the falls, and taking a quick dip in Cayuga Lake.  I am so glad that he is so good about meeting new kids and he is gradually starting to get over the separation anxiety, too.  He is definitely outgoing and I think he will adjust well to daycare one day (if we can just get him into regular napping ... we're working on it.)

Gazing into each others' eyes ...

Psh whatever, Nature, I just want my puffs.

We had Rowan's first birthday party at our house last weekend.  I think I showed remarkable restraint and I only had one or two minor meltdowns over pulling everything together. :)  Our house and yard can really get quite cozy when we clean up and throw open the doors.

Yup, handmade.  But I'll use it next year, too!

What? I was hot.

Yaaaaaaaay party!!!

Rowan generally does pretty well with crowds, as long as Ben or I are with him.  He had a good time at his party and was in a good mood basically the whole time.  He was definitely basking in the attention and enjoying having some kids to play with, too.  The only part of the evening he did NOT like was his birthday cupcake ... he did not understand why he couldn't touch the flame and he definitely did not care for the singing.  But he got over it very quickly once he was munching on his very own cupcake. :)

WHY?!

Oh, that's why.  Okay. :)

Monster Cupcakes!

For the birthday boy

In other news, Rowan continues to grow and grow.  We went to the doctor today and he is still doing great - 86th percentile for weight, 96th for height (32 inches tall!!!), and 92nd for head size.  He is going to be one brainy beefcake. :)  He already has several words - good, kittycat, mama, dada.  He also still says "I did it!" and when we praise him with a good job or good boy he responds, "Thank you!"

There is just SO MUCH I need to tell you!

Starting to get a little more snuggly - some love from Mama.

Rowan's Likes: Homemade banana biscotti (thanks for the tip, Grandma Judy!), bananas, yogurt, playing in water (pool or lake or tub), running after the kittycats, opening and closing drawers and doors, the Muppets (especially Mahna Mahna), Sesame Street, most music, books
Rowan's Dislikes: Getting his diaper changed, putting on pants, going down for naps (but he is getting a lot better - we're working on it), most solid foods (it seems to be a texture thing, his doctor says that is normal)

11 ( and 1/2 ...) months + we're East Coast gypsies now ...

Well, Rowan is closer to twelve months than eleven now, but I do have a good excuse for being behind on posts - we spent last week living like nomads along the scorching Eastern seaboard.  We took Rowan on his first Big Trip and drove to the Annapolis/DC area to visit friends and family.  I was anxious leading up to the trip and nearly canceled it several times - I just wasn't sure if we could all handle it.  However, everyone did extremely well; we were very impressed with Rowan's ability to cope with the constant changes.  We joked that the drive down broke his spirit, but really, I do think the whole experience was great for building character.  We have noticed a definitive improvement in his overall coping abilities - he is still sensitive, but seems to be less easily upset.  We hope he continues to grow braver while still enjoying lots of snuggles. :)

Scenic view of the Susquehanna that we found on the way down.

We went to Annapolis first and got to hang out with Ben's cousin Cody, his wife Jamie, and their one year old son Colin.  Colin is big and strong like Rowan and he is already walking really well.  I think he had a good influence on Rowan because just a day after watching Colin stand up independently, Rowan did it for the first time!  He had already been taking a few tentative steps back and forth between Ben and I, but now he can stand up and lurch, I mean, walk independently!

Waving to the dolphins at the National Aquarium in Baltimore

Jellyfish!

We also stayed with Ben's brother David and his wife Liz in Annapolis.  They have a border collie mix named Dakota and he is the best dog ever!  He and Rowan are BFFs - seriously, they just love each other!  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the friends playing; they both move awfully fast.  I hope we can get Rowan a dog when he is older because he really loves them.

We stayed with David and Liz through the 4th of July and went to a swanky party - Rowan charmed everyone, of course.  He is SUCH a flirt.  It is very cute and it makes me glad to see how social he can be - he is far from a shut-in, but he doesn't go to day care so his daily social interactions are fairly limited.  We also took him to the big National Aquarium in Baltimore and that was a big success.  Rowan seemed really interested in looking at all the animals, including the people.  He made several friends, both swimming and non-swimming. :)

Seriously?  ANOTHER place to stay?

Hey, Girl.

We left Annapolis to spend the weekend in Washington, DC.  We stayed with my college roommate Sue and her boyfriend Brian.  Rowan loved both of them - he also loved their cat, Bauer, but unfortunately those feelings were not reciprocated.  Bauer spent much of the weekend in hiding.

Unfortunately, last weekend in DC was one of hottest ever recorded - it was 105 on Saturday!  So that somewhat limited our choices of activities.  We went to the mall to stay out of the heat and Rowan had a great time playing with the other kids on the indoor playground.  He is so funny - he was practically chasing the kids around with this goony smile on his face.  He is definitely friendly, but I think he came on a little strong. ;)

HI! BE MY FRIEND!!

We spent a lot of time in the pool at Sue's apartment complex.  Rowan had been in a pool before, but hadn't been completely excited about it.  However, maybe he just needed to get used to it, because now he is turning into a little fish!  He was practically throwing himself out of our arms and trying to swim.  And he definitely doesn't mind getting his head wet.  If the weather holds out, we're hoping to take him to Canandaigua Lake this week.

The heat broke on Monday and it cooled off to the low 80s so we went into Washington, DC.  Rowan took his very first train ride and did a great job.  He enjoyed checking out the scenery as well as the other passengers.  We walked around the National Mall and visited the Museum of American History.  Rowan was pretty interested, especially in anything he could get his hands on.

First train ride!

Thank god for the Ergo!

Cool day in DC.

OMG THIS SLINKY IS SO COOL!

We ended the trip with a quick visit to Manassas to see my friend Kelly, her husband Brett, and their new little girl Ella.  Rowan was starting to lose it by this point and took a little while to warm up to yet another new place.  However, Brett is a natural and quickly charmed Rowan.  We hope to spend more time with them the next time we brave the drive.

This month Rowan started walking.  At this point he is pretty much just tentatively lurching back and forth between Ben and I, but he does so with great enthusiasm! :)  He has been cruising for quite awhile, but while we were on this trip he stood up independently (without pulling or holding anything) for the first time.  We are pretty sure he learned it by watching Colin.

So overall it was a very successful trip.  Of course, now we are ACTUALLY on vacation - home and recuperating from our week of living like gypsies.  Rowan is spending his days playing with his toys, playing in his little backyard "beach" (a sandbox and plastic pool), and constantly practicing walking.

In other news, Rowan continues to meet his cohorts - it seems like everyone I know had a baby in the past year or so.  My friend Adrienne and her son Eden happened to be in Fredonia when we were a few weeks ago and the adults got to visit while the boys played together (sort of - Rowan is about three months older than Eden.)  It always cracks me up how beefy Rowan seems next to other babies.

It is hard to get two little boys to look :)

Rowan, the Miami Mob Boss

Rowan's Likes: Swimming, Puffs, graham crackers, dogs, meeting new animals (friendly ones), meeting new kids and friendly adults, ice cream (salted caramel appears to be his favorite)
Rowan's Dislikes: Diaper changes, getting dressed, most table food, being hot, being bored, not getting enough undivided attention

10 months old + barreling towards toddlerhood

Wow, looking back I see I deemed April "crazy" ... I don't even really remember April.  May officially set the new gold standard for crazy and definitely set the record for most changes for our little boy in his life thus far.  We kicked off May with strabismus surgery to correct Rowan's misaligned eyes.  We took him to the surgical center at dawn on May 2 and while I teetered on the edge of nervous collapse, his surgeon adjusted his eye muscles while Rowan was under general anesthesia.  The whole surgery including anesthesia only took about 30 minutes and Rowan was awake almost immediately afterwards.  He was definitely not happy in immediate recovery, but overall he was a real champ.  When we got home he drank most of a bottle and then conked out for about three hours.  When he awoke he was his old self, plenty happy and eager to eat and play with his toys.  Of course, his eyes took quite awhile to heal and at first they were very startling and rather unsettling to look at ...

Passed out post-op

What?  Is there something on my face?

Lots of visitors for Red Eye Rowan

We went to Ithaca for Mother's Day weekend to visit Ben's family and attend our nephew Geoffrey's birthday party in Binghampton.  Rowan was surprisingly good the entire trip - far less whining and crying than usual in the car and he even did well sleeping in the different crib.  We even got to stop in at our friend Abbey's barn sale and catch up with her, too.  Overall, it was a really wonderful weekend, topped off with a Mother's Day picnic lunch of Viva Taqueria at Taughannock State Park.

9 days post-op and starting to look healed!

Yup, we are so cool.

Oh, hello.  Just hanging out.

This is The Rowan Face.

I LOVE this picture! Great Mom's Day :)

We had already cleared out the living room before his surgery by moving the coffee table to a corner and moving one of the corner tables upstairs - and it's a good thing, too, because once he started to heal, Rowan needed some serious room to play.  He had already become very adept at sitting up and using his fine motor skills to play independently, but he was lagging slightly in gross motor skills (he had only rolled over a couple times and showed no interest in any kind of creeping or crawling.)  I suppose it is possible that his misaligned eyes were playing a role in that slight delay - he might have felt unsure of his depth perception or something.  Anywho, not long after his surgery Rowan became a cruising and crawling machine.  I wasn't surprised that he took to cruising - after all, it allows him to stand up and feel like the adult man he seems to think he is - but he was very resistant to crawling at first.  He could do it, but he would complain and cry the whole time, like it was paining him.  But, of course, he quickly realized he could get around much faster and to more parts of the house on all fours.  Then he decided he liked crawling.  But he still would prefer if he could walk ...

And, of course, this fun new skill was not far behind:

May was a great month for visiting with great people - Rowan even got to meet Avi, the boy who is destined to be his BFF.  Well, maybe not, but I sure do love his mom, Erin. :)  Avi is only a little less than two months older than Rowan and I'm sure they will love to play together someday.  They did have fun checking each other out this visit, but I'm sure they will come up with all sorts of clever ways to play once they get a little older and a little more mobile.

Aw, I love how sweetly Rowan is looking at Avi!

This spring was one of the all-time hottest we have ever had in WNY and we have been struggling to keep cool.  Rowan is like me - he definitely gets cranky when he is hot.  One night we decided to take dinner to the lake so we could enjoy the breeze and dip our toes in the water.  It was surprisingly warm - it has been hot, but Lake Ontario is super deep, so the water must have been very still lately.  It was nice that it was so warm, though, because Rowan loved splashing around.  I can't wait to take him swimming this summer.

Oh, hi.

Such a flirt!

GRRRAAAHHH!

Just chilling with Daddy

So Rowan's sleep habits started to deteriorate last month - it turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg.  A few nights ago we couldn't put him down at all without him waking up almost immediately and screaming desperately.  We were afraid he was sick or something was wrong - he seemed so ridiculously anguished - so we took him to the doctor.  According to the doctor, there is nothing wrong with him and the doctor believes that Rowan is starting to have separation anxiety.  Basically, we can either hold him for as long as necessary every time he is upset ... or we can let him cry it out and learn to self-soothe.  The latter is heartbreaking and so hard to listen to, but we just can't give up on sleep ourselves indefinitely.  It is frustrating for me because I try to rationalize it - like, how can you have separation anxiety?  You don't even have to go to daycare or basically ever have a baby-sitter!  Sigh.  I know babies aren't rational and our little guy is absolutely no exception.  It is just hard because I have plenty of anxiety of my own right now and it is hard to keep that in check when he gets so sad and angry.  Sometimes I feel like I'm no good at calming him down and I'm sure it is because he can sense how tightly wound I am.  I'm really glad Ben is home more now because I really don't know how I would be holding up otherwise.

Healed eyeballs!

Still a total flirt!

Rowan has always liked music and awhile ago he learned "dancing" (waving his arms and wiggling.)   Now he responds to the word "wiggle" and sometimes he just shakes his little bum.  Also, he has several YouTube favorites and "girlfriends."  See how excited he gets watching Alexa Narvaez:

We don't let him watch too much TV and he doesn't usually stand that close.  But he does like to watch music videos and we usually spend about 15-30 minutes a day doing that with him.  The rest of the day he is cruising and crawling around, playing with his toys, climbing the stairs, going on walks, and exploring outside.  He is also getting more and more talkative - he finally says "Mama" and he has been having a lot of fun experimenting with "G" sounds.  The other day we had a funny back and forth - I kept saying "mama" and he kept yelling "dada!" back to me with increasing volume and forcefulness.  He thinks he is funny.


Rowan's Likes: peekaboo (particularly when a blanket or towel is involved or around corners), ice cream, climbing basically anything he can, graham crackers, Puffs, playing in water, music, examining objects (esp. forbidden ones - he is still obsessed with my glasses :\)


Rowan's Dislikes: going to bed, most solid foods (we keep offering regular foods, per his doctor, but he mostly tosses them aside with disdain ... there have been some funny exceptions though, like the other day when he tore up a buckwheat pancake),  losing his balance (although he is getting a lot better - both at balancing and tolerating very minor falls), getting dressed or changed, and being hot