Arthur: 14 Months

The past month has been a big one.  We packed up the apartment and moved to East Bay.  Two days later Arthur and mom flew to Indiana for the holidays.  And in between we had a ton of fun with friends.

Likes: Being free to run, all the dogs ("hi da"), fruit of any kind, alphabet cookies grandma bought, remote controls

Dislikes: The cold, being stationary in his car seat (he wants the car to go!), bed time, eggs (no idea...), Santa (he got a chilly reception from Arthur)

Sleeping: Naps are good, night time not so much.  He's had no problem transitioning to napping in a pack n play at grandma's.  Unfortunately the same cannot be said for night time.  I put him down in the pack n play for bedtime, but 3-4 hours later he cries until he can get into bed with me.  Bad habit I know, but while in Indiana it seems like the best option.  We will have to sleep train again once we get back to California.

Eating: Anything and everything.  He does have his favorites (currently peanut butter bagels and grapes), but will usually eat some of anything on his tray.  The other night we went out for Korean and he slammed some steamed rice, a crab rangoon, a spring roll, a dumpling, some fish, and some fried seaweed.  I also had a good dinner, but was sad to give up my crab rangoon to the little monster. Yum yum!

Playing: Lots of interacting with friends and even strangers.  He played happily with a few big boys (4-5 year olds) at the playground the other day.  And I've seen him play with his similar aged friends at playdates and preschool. He's even making cars go now.

Medical Milestones: 

• Walking - Check!  He is even starting to pick up the pace to a run...  Watch out!  Here comes trouble!
• Going up and down stairs - Half-check.  He's got the going up just fine.  He crawls but can scale a staircase pretty fast.  Going down is not so good.  He gets onto his stomach and slides down, but if it's more than 2-3 steps, it's not a good thing.  I'm sure he'll improve when we get back home where we have stairs.  My mom's new house doesn't.
• Climbing - Check!  He's getting better and better and scaling objects and me.
• Says a few words, understands more - So far, all he says is "Hi" and "Hi da" (Hi dog).  He definitely understands a lot more.
• Follow simple directions - Check! If you tell him to bring you whatever he is holding, he usually will.
• Empties and fills containers - Check!  His favorite is the small little trashcan at my mom's.  It's become his play toy for the time being.

Schedule:Ha ha!  That's a joke right?  Moving and traveling make for cranky babies and tired moms.  I tried getting Arthur back on a schedule, but so far it hasn't really worked.  We'll have to really try when we get back home next month.

Out and About: Before leaving California we had our usual park playdates and preschool mornings.  We also hit up the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo (raccoon pics).  Plus two of Arthur's friends had their 2nd birthday part right before we left.  After arriving in Indiana we hit the town seeing the downtown lights, Botanical Gardens with Santa and reindeer, trains at Science Central, Jefferson Pointe playground, lights at Franke Park, Festival of Trees, and lots of shopping.  It's been a crazy month!

Arthur: 13 Months

Caution: Photo Dump Ahead I officially have a toddler on my hands.  He is walking.  He is throwing tantrums.  He is learning so much every day.

Likes: Playgrounds  (especially slides), milk, all his friends, walking, stroller rides

Dislikes: Milk (explanation below), not touching all the things, loud crowded places

Sleeping: Overall, we're doing good.  He usually goes down around 7:15pm and stays down until 6-6:30am. Rarely do we have a middle of the night wake up and even less do we have to get up if he does. If he wakes up, he usually just puts himself back to sleep.  Naps are a whole different matter. Some days he goes down without fuss around 12:30 and sleep for 2-3 hours.  Other days he cries and fusses for ~20 minutes before falling asleep. And yet other days he refuses a nap.  On those days, he becomes a whirlwind of destruction (even more than usual) that doesn't stop until bedtime. Wish he was more consistent.

Eating: As for solid foods, he eats a ton of variety, but not always a ton of amount.  Clearly he is past his 12 month growth spurt as the portions have gone down. He loves trying new foods even if he doesn't love all of them.  Not so picky yet...  As for beverages, we've started weaning off of formula and replacing with milk.  What a disaster!  For about a week, he refused to drink milk.  Then magically one day he started sucking it down.  And then for three days he screamed, had a hard tummy, and dirtyed many many diapers. We stopped drinking milk and everything cleared up. After talking with the nurse, we switched him to almond milk but have keep feeding him yogurt and cheese.  It seems to work well.  And we're down to two bottles a day (morning and evening).  I'm hoping to cut the morning one within the week but probably won't stop the evening one until Christmas or so.  We need to rework his bedtime routine to get rid of it, but being in Indiana will hamper that.

Playing: Lots and lots and lots of playing!  Now that he's walking, playgrounds with friends are lots of fun.  He climbs and slides runs around with everyone. At preschool (very informal weekly event with a group of friends), he always has to explore the new toys. Not too many playing/sharing tantrums.

Medical Milestones: We've got a walker on our hands!  He's been taking a step or three for months, but no consistent walking until right around Halloween.  He just started choosing walking over crawling.  And now he's getting his balance and picking up the pace. Pretty soon he will be running!

Schedule:This is becoming less and less of a thing. We keep bedtime the same, but every day is a new adventure.

Out and About: Lots and lots of great activities this past month!

• Three different farm visits: Deer Hollow (our usual), Ardenwood, and Emma Prusch. All were fun, but I think I prefer Ardenwood Farm.  Extra awesome: it will be the closest to the new house.
• Halloween activities: We went trick or treating at Santana Row and the SJ Children's Museum. Lots of fun for little ones.
• Fall Social: Our fall social was a trick or treating costume theme. Arthur and I both dressed up for the event. We had a great time trick or treating, socializing, playing, and making crafts.
• SJ Children's Discovery Museum: I hadn't taken him until October because I just didn't want to spend the money on admittance to something he doesn't care about. Now he loves this place.  They have a special room (the Wonder Cabinet) designed for the under 6 crowd. Arthur loves playing with the ball wall and the sounds room.  I had a few passes from Pam to save on the entrance fee.  Now that those are gone, I'm thinking of buying a membership when we get back from Indiana.  The parent's group schedules a visit once a month, so it would be worth the money...
• Usual playground playdates: We have a usual weekly schedule, but then visit others sometimes. Love the amount parks in the Bay Area. Lots of fun!
• Preschool: The members of the babysitting co-op have started a small weekly preschool.  We rotate who hosts and prepares the activities.  While we are pretty loose, we do have a basic schedule of welcome song, theme songs (themes change monthly), art and craft, snack time, and storytime. Usually there's lots and lots of free play in between activities. It's been going great!  We are going to miss it while in Indiana.

Arthur: 1 Year Old!

A busy pre-birthday week!  We had so much fun!

Likes: Pumpkins and gourds; chocolate cupcakes (birthday treat); mud

Dislikes: Eating what I actually put on his tray; when daddy is gone

Sleeping: We are doing very well. Sleep training paid off big time.  Down at 7pm, up at 6am, no waking in between.  Naps are usually 1-3 hours right after lunch.  It's been awesome!

Eating: When he's actually hungry, he eats anything and everything that I put in front of him. If he's not that hungry, most of it goes onto the floor. I am encouraged by his willingness to try new foods.  Just hope he becomes a little less destructive with the food.

Just born

Playing: So much with all his friends! His favorite game right now is to play peek-a-boo with friend E.  They are too adorable together!

Medical Milestones: 

• Babies usually range from 27 3/4" long and 18 lbs to 30 1/3" long and 23 lbs. -- Check!  Arthur's right about 30 inches long and 24 pounds.
• Showing his independence -- Check!  Even if he can't speak, Arthur lets me know what he wants and when he wants it.  I've been giving him small choices (holding up two different snacks) and letting him choose. Seems to make him happy.
• Scribbling with crayons -- Not yet. Maybe I should let him try...
• Drinking cow's milk -- Not yet. We've had a crazy week, but this is next on my list.
• Fussy eating -- Check! Right now his favorite feeding activity is to throw food on the floor.  He still eats, but my goodness, some days it is a struggle.

Schedule:Our usual activities with a few hiccups along the way. Check out our fun below.

Out and About: Crazy week past!

• Monday we visited the pumpkin patch with some mom friends. Arthur especially loved the hayride.
• Tuesday we ended up at the VW dealership for almost 3 hours. So of course we missed storytime and playground visit!
• Wednesday we made it to Rengstorff for playdate.  The ground was very wet and Arthur ended up covered in dirt.
• Thursday we walked Shoreline with friends.
• Friday was preschool playdate at Janine's house.  We had an awesome time learning about leaves and pumpkins
• Saturday was party day!  Arthur ended the party covered in dirt and chocolate.  I'd say that is a sign of a great party.  Tons of friends came and shared in his special day. Even when I twisted my ankle falling a hole, the party went over great. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the party ready to show yet.
• Sunday we had brunch at Olympus Cafe in Mountain View so that mom could lead a info meeting. And then he spent the rest of the day with dad while mom went to a movie.

Arthur: 51 Weeks

A whirlwind of destruction this past week.  He is into anything and everything.  On the plus side, his vocabulary and physical development have jumped this past week.  I think he is on the verge of saying actual words and truly walking...

Likes: All the fruit! Especially if is comes from Miss Lauren.  Apparently her snacks taste better than ours. Splash pads. Swings. Playgrounds.

Dislikes: The vacuum. Diaper changes.

Sleeping: Randomly he woke up and stayed awake around 5am twice this week.  Those made for two very long days for this momma. Generally he is sleeping well with good naps. That sleep training really was effective!

Eating: Anything and everything.  He has been constantly eating all week.  I think we've hit a growth spurt.  I can't keep enough snacks in my bag for our activities out the house.  And then we come home and he demolishes lunch and dinner. Plus, he's still drinking about five 6 ounce bottles of formula throughout the day and night.  He is going to eat us out of house and home.

Playing: At each playdate or activity, he's now interacting with the other kids more and more. They play together, sometimes share, sometimes steal toys, and generally are adorable. Twice this week, he's had fun playing peek-a-boo with friend E (one month older than Arthur).  I think E's his current favorite play buddy.

Medical Milestones: 

• Possessive about toys, lovies, etc. -- Check! For his blankets only.  Babies can take any of his other toys and he doesn't care.  Try to take his blankie and he'll put up a fight.
• Figuring out sharing -- Sort of.  He's now handing me and friends toys, but sometimes forgets to let go.
• "No" -- Not yet thank goodness.
• Handling more than one thing at a time -- With his increased dexterity and mobility, he's definitely attempting to carry multiples items or manipulate multiples things at the same time.
• Separation anxiety at bedtime -- Nope thank goodness.

Schedule:Arthur's settled on one nap right after lunch.  Usually he goes down for about 1 1/2 hours.  Sometimes he sleeps for 2 1/2 and sometimes he sleeps for only an hour.  We plan our activities around that one nap.  Most of the activities are either before lunch or after 2pm, so it works out fairly well.  At this point we have scheduled parent's group activities for Monday through Friday.  Arthur's a busy bee!

Out and About: So much fun this past week.

• Grocery store, Target and Michael's
• Playdate at Seven Seas Park and Splash Pad
• Playdate at Rengstorff Park
• Pool party at our house with lunch at Firehouse afterwards
• Preschool playdate at Miss Dianna's house
• Crafting meet and greet at Panera
• House hunting in Fremont most of Saturday
• Book club at Lisa's (J had to work, so I took Arthur; he played with all of E's toys)

Arthur: 50 Weeks

Such an active little boy this week.  I'm finding it hard to keep up.

Likes: His blankies, fruit of any kind, snuggling, park playdates

Dislikes: Nap time (we're struggling a bit), when mom takes a shower

Sleeping: We've had a few rough nights, but nothing like last month.  Mostly sleep has been good and fairly consistent.  Still hoping for no wake ups at night.

Eating: All the foods!  He eats almost anything that I put on his tray. The only issue is when I'm eating something different than what's on his tray.  He always wants what i have. Usually it's not a big deal, but the other night I had spicy chili.  Obviously not a good idea to give the 11 month old spicy chili.  Even with the whines, I resisted giving him my food.  He got over it.

Playing: He's been interacting more and more with his friends at playdates.  The other day, he played peek-a-boo with a few others babies at the park. Love it! At home, we've been playing with the cars and trains. I am definitely a mom of all boys...

Medical Milestones: 

• Unpredictable moods and wants -- Check!  We are all over the place right now. We've definitely entered the tantrums phase.
• Using a handful of words -- Nope. Although I'm starting to think that there are some actual words coming soon.
• Communicating nonverbally -- Check!  He has his own language right now, but at least it's effective.

Out and About: Our usual activities for the week: storytime, playground playdate, Shoreline walk, and errands. Monday we had a great day visiting the Happy Hallow Park and Zoo with tons of friends.  We must go back soon! Friday Arthur spent a few hours without me at a friends house.  He did great.  No tantrums at all.  We'll be using the babysitting coop again soon.  For the weekend, we had brunch at The Original Pancake House and Sunday afternoon at Lily's birthday party.

Arthur: 49 Weeks

Lots and lots of play this week.  We had a full week of fun activities with tons of friends.

Likes: Playing, eating, walking with assistance, sleeping... it was a good week

Dislikes: Staying away from the lamp, computers, xbox, and cabinets.  It's an ongoing struggle.

Sleeping: We are in a great place right now! Sleep training really paid off. Arthur's going down without a fuss at about 7:30pm every night and sleeping at least until 5am, usually 6am. If I lay him down for a nap sometime right after lunch, everything seems to go great! We're are going to try and keep this going...

Eating: All the things! He's finally in love with eating cheese, especially Baby Bels.  I'm so excited to have such a good eater!

Playing: So much interaction with other kids right now!  He spent at least 20 minutes playing peek-a-boo around a stroller with another little boy.  They were amazingly adorable.  And he's more interested in manipulating toys and objects.  Excited to see the developments.

Medical Milestones: 

• Preference of right or left hand -- None that I've noticed yet.  Pushing for a lefty!
• Separation anxiety -- Nope. I have a fairly independent baby.
• Waving -- Nope. He loves to clap, but hasn't gotten the waving thing.  Or maybe he just thinks it's silly.
• Asserting his independence -- Oh yes! Arthur is very vocal now about what he wants and when he wants it. Of course, he doesn't use words, but he lets me know!

Schedule:Now that sleep has stabilized, I've been trying really hard to keep naptime consistent.  Occasionally we get off track, but usually it works.  Other than sleeping, we have our usual weekly activities with the parents group.  Those keep us out and about.

Out and About: We had a jam packed week of activities.  Something every day to keep us occupied.

• Monday -- Mariposa Park playdate
• Tuesday -- Sunnyvale library storytime and Serra Park playdate
• Wednesday -- Blanket babies at Rengstorff
• Thursday -- Shoreline walk with friends
• Friday -- Mountain View library storytime (crazy time!)
• Saturday -- Excursion to Fremont to see a few rental houses (mostly duds)
• Sunday -- Book club with Miss Pam and Miss Angi at Hobee's (yum apple walnut coffeecake)

Arthur: 11 Months / 48 Weeks

It seems we made it out of non-sleeping hell and into a much happier little baby!  And guess who turned 11 months old yesterday?  It's Arthur!!

Likes: Dirt (playing and eating), playing in the ottoman, his blankie (just call him Linus now)

Dislikes: Chicken (random, but he now boycotts it), being barred from the kitchen cabinets (see the picture evidence below)

Sleeping: Finally!  We have turned the sleep corner. All last week, he's been going down around 7:30pm with little to no fuss and sleeping until 6am with sometimes one wakeup to eat.  So much better!  And naps are fairly consistent now.  I put him down right after lunch and he sleeps 1-2 hours.  Glorious!

Eating: All the things, except for chicken.  He randomly decided to stop eating chicken this week.  Oh well.  Not a huge deal. We will keep offering it to him.  Otherwise, he loves most food that I offer.  His new favorite was my crab and shrimp tempura sushi rolls.  Devoured it!

Playing: We've had a few playdates at playgrounds around the area.  Arthur has been interacting more and more with the playground equipment and other children.  I love watching him play.

Medical Milestones: 

• Organizing objects (recognizing patterns) -- Not yet. We're still working on putting things in instead of just taking things out.
• Drop in appetite -- Not yet. He's still ravenous, eating a ton at lunch and dinner.  Breakfast has never been a huge eating event.
• Speaking a few words -- Not yet.  Although he does imitate "all done" fairly closely.  I think it's just sounds to him and not an actual word.
• Communicating wants and needs -- Definitely!  He gestures, grunts, screeches (if I don't answer), and even reaches.

Schedule:We've settled back into one.  I am so excited about this turn of life!

Out and About: Lots of errands. We had a couple of small incidental playdates: a home inspection and a open house crafting.  Arthur and I also traveled all the way to Valley Fair Mall (roughly 15 minutes away) to get a new power adapter from the Apple Store. We finished off our week with a trip up to Fremont to see a few rental properties and lunch.  A very eventful week!

Arthur: 47 Weeks

We are back on track!  Thank goodness!  This past week went much better...

Likes: Watching other kids play, playgrounds, grass, my phone

Dislikes: Sleeping (but getting better), being confined (crib, stroller, jumper, lap, etc)

Sleeping: We started sleep training again and this time it actually worked!  We are following the Ferber method of putting Arthur in his crib awake and then going in every 10 minutes if he's still crying but not picking him up.  The past few nights, I've had to go in one or twice before he's completely asleep.  We have had a few 5:30am wake-ups, but he has been sleeping through the night once we get him down.  I'd call this week a success.  So much better with sleeping!

Eating: His new favorite food is sweet potato fries.  Of course, I love them also... Other than that, he eats whatever we have and it's not usually an issue.  If anything is an issue, I can just make him some more veggies and fruit for extra dinner.

Playing: Lots of fun play lately.  He's loving exploring and manipulating new activities and toys. He's even starting to play with other kids.  So adorable!

Medical Milestones: 

• Understanding simple words and effects -- Check! I've noticed that when I say I'm coming back, he does quiet down.
• Standing unassisted -- Check!  He's constantly standing, but hardly ever takes a step.

Schedule:I feel like we're actually getting a schedule back.  We've settled into one nap a day (usually in the afternoon), and bedtime is just about set.  We have regularly scheduled activities Tuesday through Thursday.

Out and About: We hit up two home inspections which translated into two mini playdates with baby friends. We also visited the library, a new playground (Las Palmas), Rengstorff, and Deer Hollow.  Lot of fun with our baby friends.

Arthur: 46 Weeks

Looks like we are going to need to start sleep training...

Likes: Food, food, and more food; his blankies; his sock monkeys (all three of them); playing with the big kids

Dislikes: Sleep; mom leaving; being barred from the remote, table, xbox, etc

Sleeping: His sleep is not getting any better.  We are going to have to start sleep training and probably use the crying it out method.  This week is going to be rough, but it can't be any worse than the last few weeks of no sleep.

Eating: Really enjoyed a potato and cheese empanada on Sunday.  Other than that, he's been enjoying the usual foods.  Although his appetite has definitely increased over the past week.  Growth spurt?

Playing: We've been playing a lot of ball and reading a lot of books.  Plus, he's loving riding Benny the Bull and walking with the walker.  More and more, I'm seeing him figure toys out.  So cute!

Medical Milestones: 

• Showing more opinions -- Check!  He has specific grunts and screeches for more food, done, give me, etc.
• Starting to use utensils -- Not yet.  Well, actually we've tried a spoon a while back, but that ended with food everywhere.  I guess I should reintroduce utensils this coming week.
• Engaging in more interactive games -- Check!  He loves hide and seek (he "hides", I seek), stacking blocks, and rolling the ball to different areas.

Schedule:Hoping sleep training can help get into an actual schedule...

Out and About: We had our usual baby activities (playground tour and blanket babies).  And we ran a ton of errands.  The usuals... This coming week we have some fun different activities planned.  We'll see how it goes.

Arthur: 45 Weeks

A slightly better week, but we're still struggling with the sleep issue.

Likes: Music, clapping, food, sock monkeys (all of his)

Dislikes: Sleeping, schedules, when mom leaves

Sleeping: We're still in sleep hell.  Sunday night he decided to just not sleep.  I got maybe 4 hours of sleep spread out over a 10 hour period.  Not fun at all.  Consequently he was cranky all day Monday (me too!).

Eating: Still all the things.  His new favorite food is potato salad.  Weird!  But he chooses it over fruit so I guess he really likes it.  He also loves pizza (big surprise) and pasta right now.

Playing: Besides clapping all the time, we're still rolling balls back and forth and stacking things.  He also got an early birthday present that we will debut next week.  Right now he's checking it out, but still a little wary.  At playdates, he's been interacting more with the people and things around him.

Medical Milestones: 

• Engaging in parallel play with age-mates -- Check!  He really enjoys playdates now and tends to watch other babies play.  He then jumps in and starts playing. So cute!
• Starting to speak specific words/variations of words -- Well, sorta.  When he wants something specific, he yells and gestures in the general direction. We then have to decipher the meaning.  No recognizable words, but communication is improving.
• Venturing away from mom and dad and exploring -- Check! At playdates, he's out and about and not usually by me.  He tends to cling at home, but in public he wants very little to do with me.  I guess that's good.

Schedule: Oh what I wouldn't give to have a schedule again!

Out and About:

• Playdate at Mariposa Park
• Playdate at War Memorial Park
• Coffee with a friend (and soon-to-be new mom)
• Grocery store visit
• Playdate at Rengstorff
• Deer Hollow Farm visit
• Book club brunch at Hobee's

Arthur: 44 Weeks

It was a weird week.  Arthur's off schedule has resulted in us missing a few group events.  All of our pictures for the week are from the house; a bit boring but that's what we've got.

Likes: Clapping (his new skill!); still all the food; playing with the remote and the xbox (big no-noes)

Dislikes: Being barred from the craft room; sleeping and napping (still!); staying in the house for multiple days

Sleeping: We're still in the weeds when it comes to sleeping.  His naps are all over the schedule. He usually takes one nap a day, but I never know when.  Bed times are a struggle. He actually fell asleep Sunday night at 8pm (woohoo!), but there is no actual set time to speak of.

Eating: All the food!  I can usually feed him directly from my plate and I must say that it's great.  I don't have to make a separate meal for him.  And he feeds himself, so I an actually eat while he's eating.

Playing: This past week we've been having fun clapping, rolling a ball, and handing things back and forth.  He's become much more interactive throughout the day.  He also loves loves loves knocking down block towers.

Medical Milestones: 

• Walking while holding onto our hands -- Sometimes, but not always.  He's still fiercely independent when it comes to attempting to walking.
• Helping getting dressed -- Check!  He actually figured out how to put his arms through sleeves when I put the shirt over his head.
• Climbing -- Check! Check! Check! His favorite climbing obstacle is the ottoman.  We have to change things up again.

Schedule: Ha ha!  That's a funny joke!  Right?

Out and About: Last week was a bit slow for activities.  His varied schedule led to some interesting days.  We did make it to the library and Shoreline.  That's about it.  Hopefully this week will be filled with fun activities.

Arthur: 10 Months / 43 Weeks

A slightly happier baby this week, although now he has random bouts of crying.  Teething?  I have no idea.

Likes: Toys, toys, and more toys

Dislikes: Sleeping (still); sitting on the living room side of the fence when I'm in the kitchen

Sleeping: All over the place.  I thought we were getting better, but every night is a surprise.  Hoping it will get better soon.  He's taking naps again, so that's an improvement.

Eating: Raspberries and coffee cake are his two new favorite foods.  Working on chewing harder foods.  His favorite snack is currently goldfish.  I made the mistake of giving him some of the goldfish left over from the twins summer.  Now it's all he wants for snacktime.

Playing: We're been working on exploring new toys.  He loves his walker currently, more playing with the front instead of using it as a walker.  We've also read more picture books lately.

Medical Milestones: 

• Harder transitions between activities -- Not really seeing it yet...
• Disliking being confined -- Check! He only tolerates the stroller when we're moving.  Stop and he fusses.
• Crying with loud noises, vacuum, etc -- Check! Pulling out the vacuum results in instant tears.
• Object permanence -- Check!  It's harder to "hide" snacks and remotes.
• Responding to single-step commands -- Check! His understanding of language is getting better and better.
• Grinding teeth -- Check!  Ugh!  It's the absolute worst noise in the world.  And there's not good way to make him stop.

Out and About: We had a our usual weekly baby events (blanket babies, library visit, Deer Hollow Farm).  Plus, we visited a new park (Washington Park) to check everything out.  Then for the weekend, we attended two 1st birthday parties.  Lots of fun!

Arthur: 42 Weeks

Ugh! What a week!  I feel like we're back at that newborn stage; all sleep deprived and cranky.  It's been rough.

Likes: Sleeping on mom or dad; cornmeal biscuits (finally found "bread" that he likes); playing ball

Dislikes: Sleeping; diaper changes (such a struggle now); the hall gate

Sleeping: Arthur's started taking naps again (woohoo!), but they are fairly inconsistent in terms of time and length.  I'm think he's now transitioning to one nap, but it's been really rough.  Night time sleeping is incredibly complicated.  He's not allowing us to put him in his crib until 10 or 11pm.  Then he wakes up at least once before morning.  Argh! We've tired changing to the bedtime routine, but he's very resistant to bed time.

Eating: Such a good eater lately!  Anything and everything from my plate.  He tried and loves raspberries!  He also tried cornmeal biscuits and loves them!  We're having so much fun trying new dishes.

Playing: Since Arthur seems more and more interested in structured play, I am pulling some activity ideas for the coming weeks.  So far, we've explored his puzzles, train track, and lots of rolling balls.  I'm loving the new play developments.

Arthur: 41 Weeks

Arthur had to say goodbye to the twins this past week.  For two days after they left, he kept going into their room.  He definitely misses them.

Likes: Cake and ice cream (just a bit, but he loved it); slides and swings; crawling in grass (and sometimes eating it)

Dislikes: Bedtime (still an issue); bread; when mom leaves (or so I'm told)

Sleeping: Still not in a good place.  He goes down anytime from 8pm to 10pm and still wakes at least once during the night.  Waking time is usually 7am.  Nap times are a joke.  Sometimes I get a good 1 1/2 hour nap from him and other times it's 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there.  I'm afraid that we are going have to start sleep training soon.  And after he was such a good sleeper early on!

Eating: This is one area that we have yet to encounter a problem.  He loves almost everything he's tried (except bread, weird kid!).  He eats a healthy amount at meal times.  Right now we're working on him telling us when he's done...

Playing: So much development lately!  He's learned out to operate a few of his toys (especially his racecar).  He rolls the ball to mom and sometimes even throws it.  He's figured out how much fun swings and slides are.  I help of course, but he loves sliding down.  He also loves anything that makes music.  His tambourine and maraca are current faves.  Today, we're heading out to the splash park.  I can't wait to see what he does there...

Medical Milestones: 

• Showing a preference for specific toys. books, lovies, etc. -- Check!  He has favorite toys (maraca, race car, yellow ball) and an attachment to his two blankets.  He doesn't seem to care about any specific stuffed animal, but he has grabbed his stuffed turtle a few times lately.  No favorite books yet, but he's starting to sit still for storytime.
• Sitting down from a standing position -- Check!  He's getting much more coordinated with his movements lately.
• Waving -- Not yet.  He loves throwing his arms up when we do, but no actual waving yet.
• Experimenting with volume -- Check!  He loves to vary his volume when "talking" to me.
• Biting phase -- Check!  Although I think we are coming out of it.  He was biting when the top teeth were not quite through the gums yet.  He stopped as soon as those popped through this week.

Schedule:Still nothing set...

Out and About: This week was crazy!  We had so many activities!

• Lots of errands to get the boys prepped to head back
• Playdate at Mariposa Park (swing and slide pics)
• Out to eat at multiple places (Gumba's, Panera, Boudin, Tutti Frutti)
• Doctor appointment
• Day Out with Thomas at Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton (near Santa Cruz) -- much better than the event we used to go to in Indiana; will definitely go next year
• Penny and Charlotte's birthday party

Arthur: 40 Weeks

Still not sleeping regularly.  More mobility (almost walking!).  Lots of joyful times during the day.

Likes: Food, food, and more food; cuddles; running away from mom; his pacifier (need to work on that...)

Dislikes: Sleep times; not being allowed to escape out the front door or balconies

Sleeping: All over the place.  Again we're having trouble with set nap and bed times.  He's definitely on his own schedule right now, and I hate it.  The other night he woke up every hour from 10pm to 2am.  It was stressful...

Eating: Anything and everything.  He loves food.  His current favorites are plain goldfish and watermelon.  He could eat tons of those two foods.  In this past week, he tried peanut butter (not favorite, but no allergic reaction either) and pizza.

Playing: Lots and lots of exploration.  He especially loves when we open the hallway gate.  He scurries down the hallway to explore the hall bath and our bedroom.  We started rolling balls back and forth.  He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it, but it's definitely fun.  We also played on the swings and the slide at the park.  Of course, mom held him to slide, but it was still lots of fun.  We're hoping to make it to the splash park next week for more summer fun.

Doctor Visit Stats: Arthur has his 9 month check up today.  No shots, but he did have an anemia check which requires a blood draw.  He was such a little trooper.  No crying; just a little squirming.  So proud of him!  And such a big boy!

• Height: 30 inches (96th percentile)
• Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz (86th percentile)

Medical Milestones: 

• Practice steps -- Check!  He's been cruising along furniture and behind his walker.  He's also been standing on his own, but no independent steps yet.  So close!
• Better balance -- Check!  He can stand on his own.  He's also gotten very good at reaching out for things while crawling.
• Imitating mom and dad -- Nothing big that I've noticed.
• Pointing for things -- More like reaching for things.  He doesn't really point at things, but he'll attempt to show me what he wants, especially at dinner time.
• "Baby talk" -- Check!  We've had some great "conversations" lately.  And I can tell that he's understanding more and more.

Schedule:This category is becoming laughable.  We have no stinkin' schedule.

Out and About: This past week we visited two libraries (one for music in the park along with books), the waterpark, two park playdates, and a birthday party.  Lots of fun!

Arthur: 9 Months / 39 Weeks

After more sleepless nights and days, I think we are starting to get back on track.

Likes: Food, food, and more food! Stealing mom's bagel. Snuggles in the morning.

Dislikes: Sleeping...

Sleeping: Another week with the amazing non-sleeping child.  He has gone multiple days with either no nap or a 20 minute nap.  I can't understand how he's still functioning.  Nighttime sleeping isn't much better.  He refuses to be put in his crib while awake after months and months of it being okay. He wakes up at least once a night (usually twice).  And he still wakes up to play at 6-6:30am.  Ugh! Mom is not liking this at all.

Eating: Everything in sight!  We've completely cut out purees (yeah!) and moved onto eating whatever the family is eating.  The other day he really enjoyed beef stroganoff, kolaches, and grandma's potato salad.

Playing: Loving anything that makes noise: tambourines, maracas, drums.  I think I need to get him some more musical instruments.

Medical Milestones: We don't have our doctor's appointment until next Tuesday.  I'll have definite stats posted then.

• Understands his name and common gestures -- Check!  Although I think "come here" is an invitation to a chasing game instead of a command.
• Clapping and/or "dancing" to music -- No clapping yet, but I have caught him "dancing" to certain music.  He especially loves the Star Trek theme music.  Very adorable.
• Standing alone -- More and more I'm catching him standing by himself.  No independent steps yet.  He even went from a seated position to standing by himself with no help from mom or furniture twice at the summer social.  He was trying to get food when it happened.  Obviously food is a big motivator.
• Drinking from a cup -- Sorta check.  He getting the sippy cup thing down.  He's even occasionally had a drink from an open cup without too much spilling (me holding it of course).  But he's not proficient at either.  I want to try a straw cup next and see what he does...
• Rolling a ball -- He very recently started attempting this.  I think because he saw his friends rolling and throwing balls at playdates.  We'll continue working on this.
• Sitting at table for mealtimes -- Check!  We've been doing this for about two months now.  He sits in his booster high chair right next to me at lunch and dinner.  He's eating habits have improved with having him there.  I think he likes seeing what I'm eating and realizing that it's what he's eating.

Schedule:Ha ha!  I wish!

Out and About: Another week of regular activities (Deer Hollow and Blanket Babies) mixed with a visit to Great America, to Dianna's for board meeting (and baby playdate), and the summer social on Saturday.  We stayed home on Sunday and it was a good thing.  Everyone was played out! The twins have this week and next left in summer vacation, so we'll be hitting Great America and Golfland each one more time and definitely the comic book store and possibly another museum of activity spot.

Arthur: 38 Weeks

After many days of non-sleeping, I think we've finally turned a corner.  Arthur's slowly getting back to an actual sleep schedule.  Woohoo!

Likes: Food (of any kind), computers, balls, cuddling, grass

Dislikes: Going to bed, missing all the fun

Sleeping: He's still not back on a great sleeping schedule.  Thankfully we are inching our way back to a 7:30-8:00pm bedtime.  Napping is still hit or miss.

Eating: Everything in sight!  After many failed attempts to get Arthur to eat cheese, he finally ate some...  it was feta on a fig, bacon, and feta pizza.  Weird I know!  But at least it's something.

Playing: Lots and lots of playing.  I bought him a walker last week and he's loving exploring that toy.  He's also rediscovering items that make noise (shaker eggs, tambourine, etc).  I will have to get him some more musical type toys.

Medical Milestones: 

• Responding to simple commands -- He acknowledges a few commands, but doesn't always respond correctly.  His new game is to "run away" while naked.  It is a game for him...
• Grasping small objects with thumb and index finger -- Check!  He's got this thing done!
• Becoming attached to a lovey -- Possibly.  He loves having one of two blankets for naps and bedtime, but no specific stuffed animal yet.
• Pulling up at furniture or even standing on his own -- Check on both counts!  He's cruising along furniture.  I've even caught him standing on his own a few times for about 3 seconds.

Schedule: None exists anymore... Ugh!  I am not liking this.

Out and About: We had quite a week at the beach, BBQ, and park visits.  Looking forward to another great week of activities.

Arthur: 37 Weeks

This past week was another bad one.  I have no idea what is going on with Arthur, but he has decided to not sleep...

Likes: Standing, being held, eating

Dislikes: Sleeping in his crib, bread (weird, I know), sitting still

Sleeping: For whatever reason, we are yet again completely off our sleep schedule.  Arthur refuses to be put into his crib to nap times and bed times.  He cries and cries.  What happened to my good sleeping baby?  The other night we resorted to allowing him to sleep in our bed.  Everyone's cranky about no sleep.  We're going to keep working on it.

Eating: Still a great eater.  He has eaten everything except for bread (not a big fan).  We're attempting to experiment with more new foods and spices.  So far, so good.

Playing: Lots of interaction between Arthur and the twins.  He loves attempting to "play" with them.  So cute!

Medical Milestones: 

• Waving -- Nope.  Not yet.
• Preference of right or left hand -- Not that I have noticed
• Stranger anxiety -- Not really.  He's never been a fan of random people picking him up.  Those that he gets to know (give him about 20 minutes), he's fine with.

Schedule:What is that?  Everything has gone out the window for the past few weeks.  Here's hoping to reestablish a schedule in the next week or so.

Out and About: Check out my summer wrap up post (yesterday's post) for all the details.

• Oakland Zoo
• Pool
• Rengstorff Park
• Deer Hollow Farm
• Library
• Treasure Island Flea Market

Arthur: 36 Weeks

This past week has been a struggle.  Arthur caught a cold on Wednesday night and was a cranky baby for the rest of the week.  I spent many hours holding him and rocking in a dark room...  Thankfully he seems to be getting better.  We may actually be able to get out of the house this coming week.

Likes: Laying with mom; cuddles; food

Dislikes: Sleeping; not being able to catch the twins

Sleeping: Ugh!  This week has been ridiculous.  He has no set nap times or bed times.  The other night he was up until 10pm until finally drifting off enough to put into his crib.  I'm looking forward to a healthy baby and a return to normal bed times.

Eating: Such a pig pig lately.  I think he eats more than the twins at this point.  I need to modify our grocery list for more finger-friendly foods.  He's much more interested in feeding himself than being spoon fed.

Playing: Lots of exploration, but his favorite "toys" are magazines and books.  He loves ripping paper; just like a dog.  Thankfully I very rarely leave any paper out that I don't care if he rips.

Medical Milestones: 

• Cutting out the morning (or afternoon) nap -- This week yes, but hopefully not for good.
• Mastering stacking and filling -- Not really.
• Recognizing names, words, daily activities -- Check!  He answers to his name, knows "momma" and "daddy," recognizes but doesn't always listen to "no."

Schedule:Nothing has been set lately.  I am so not amused by this.  Hopefully next week

Out and About: Because of sickness, we didn't really get out of the house much.  We did get out to the pool and to the arcade for a few minutes.

Arthur: 8 Months / 35 Weeks

Summer is officially in full swing and Arthur is enjoying all the crazy.

Likes: Following the twins everywhere; standing; his new caterpillar; eating

Dislikes: Not being able to move faster; missing naps; falling down

Sleeping: We've had multiple nights of no wake-ups this past week.  This rested momma is rejoicing!  Hopefully this keeps up.  Unfortunately we aren't doing as well on the nap front.  Some days it's three tiny naps, somedays it's two solid naps, somedays it's one solid nap, some days it's an all day struggle to get him to sleep.  I may be getting sleep at night, but the days are sure busy and stressful sometimes.

Eating: Less and less purees, more and more big people food!  I've resolved to not buy any more purees (we have about 6 pouches left) unless absolutely necessary.  I only use them now if we are on the go at lunch time or if I somehow run out of big people food that's appropriate for baby (i.e. pizza night).  I finally found cheese that he likes: Baby Bells.  Everything else he spits out.  And he still spits out any kind of bread.  I don't understand this.  I could live on bread and cheese.  Oh well... tastes do change over the years.

Playing: When they think I'm not watching, I've caught the twins playing with Arthur.  Too cute!  On his own, he's explored every inch of the kitchen/dining/living room.  He's also tried to escape onto the balcony (someone - not me - left the door open) and ventured under the twins' bunk beds.  He's also rediscovering a ton of his old toys and playing with new ones (cardboard boxes are his favorite).  My next purchase will be a standing push toy.  Now that he's cruising along future, he needs something more mobile.  The jumper is great but only for 15 minutes or less a day.  He gets bored and wants to be able to go now.

Medical Milestones: 

• Lots of babbling -- Check!  His babbling is starting to sound more and more like sentences instead of just repeating syllables.  Very cute.
• Understanding "no" -- Check!  Although he doesn't listen very often.  He clearly stops and looks at me when I say "no."  Sometimes he puts it down, other times he looks at the object, looks at me, and continues doing what he was doing  This one is going to be stubborn.
• Discovery of his penis -- Sorta check!  He's discovered it at bath time, but seems to forgot once I put a diaper on.  I remember this phase from the twins.  Not so much fun...
• Personality development -- Check!  I have a fairly serious stubborn little boy who's cautious around strangers but not around dangers (ledges, steps, sticks, etc).  He's warmed up to mom and dad and even the twins, but seeks the comfort and safety of mom in strange new places.  He loves exploring
• Becoming more mobile -- Check!  He is cruising along furniture.  Every once in awhile he gets overly confident and takes both hands off of the furniture.  Onto his butt he goes.  I imagine he will be walking within two months.

Schedule:I thought we had a schedule in place once the boys arrived, but that has gone out the window.  Everyday is some crazy new adventure.  Thankfully today is a home day.  Maybe I can get a few minutes to catch my breath...

Out and About: Check out my summer wrap week 2 for all our comings and goings.