So much love

Our Walker is apparently quite a little Casanova over at Day Care. There are reports that he is hugging his friends all day long. He runs up to them and wraps his little arms around them and hangs on for dear life. “OK Walker. I love you too!” is a common refrain after an extended hug. Apparently this has been going on for some time and now Daniel (age 3) runs away in fear of being trapped by small serial hugger.

On Monday, I witnessed the Hugmeister in action. Both Walker and Ocean arrived at the same time. Ocean (age 3) kissed her Daddy in the door and Walker waited patiently. Then he turns to her and gives her a big hug. After a few seconds, he releases her and leans in for a kiss. Being a full head taller than Walker, she leans down and gives him a small peck on the cheek and then grabs his hand and together they walked down the hall. I was frozen in place with tears welling up in my eyes. It was just too sweet for words.

I lift my wine glass to a wonderful boy who I hope will always have so much love in his heart

And while I should be working tonight, I finally set up my Facebook page and struggled to figure out how to connect it with the blog, the Flickr site and my Twitter account. And for all of you who all of a sudden thought I had started speaking another language, in fact I have. It’s the language of being too connected and spending time slowing going blind by staring at a computer screen. I’ll figure out how all these applications fit together but I’ll also have to prioritize posting to the various community sites with knitting a special present for Sofiya’s soon to be born grandson and actually engaging with the living beings around me. I know Moxie would like me to spend a few moments petting her tonight 🙂

But can’t let a post go by without a new photo of Walker. Isn’t this the best t-shirt? A special present from Daddy.

 

Walker goes APE

Actually, the headline should read “Walker goes to APE” but it’s not as catchy. APE is the Alternative Press Expo, a comic book convention run by our friends who are also the wizards behind San Diego Comic Con, the world’s best (and one of the largest) comic gathering. We’ve been attending for more than a decade and 2008 marks the first convention for the Little Man. He has been the hit of the show and was even mentioned as a show highlight on some comic news sites. Here’s a photo taken by Newsarama journalist JK Parkin.

On Saturday, Walker was taking in all the sights and sounds. He loved running around the HUGE place and waving “hi” to everyone. Some punk rock comic creators were smitten by him when he played for minutes with their bicycle spoke roulette wheel. They drew him a picture and gave him one of their CDs. Walker also enjoyed walking up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down… the stairs. One of the cutest moments was when he was walking up and down (see a pattern here?) the handicap ramp. The first time he decided to descend the ramp, he walked up to it, sat down, and scooted forward on his butt as if he expected it to be like a slide. Since he didn’t whip down the slide, he opted for running. Mommy was very tired and sore from all the up and down activity.

I should take this time to mention that I found a time when I couldn’t manage One More Thing. I had my hands full with watching Walker and transporting his stuff from place to place. I had no capacity for helping Larry prepare, set up, or work the show. I rarely find myself thinking I’ve reached my limit but I did for just an instant. Upon arriving home, I was thrilled to sit down and drink the last glass of wine in the house. Read on, and you’ll understand why.

The convention is conveniently located a block from the Adobe office. In the past, we’ve just used the parking garage so we didn’t have to fight for parking. But this year, having the office so close has been a lifesaver. After so much activity, Walker was exhausted so we’ve gone to the office to find a quiet and dark place to nap. Well, that’s the theory. On Saturday, it was POURING rain. The roof at the convention center was leaking everywhere (we had a sign at our booth simply saying, “Yes, we know” as one leak was directly above our tables). Walker and I went out to deliver lunch and we got a bit wet. So not only did we want to use the office for napping but also for drying off. So we braved the rain and arrived drenched. We peeled off our jackets and I removed Walker’s shoes, socks and pants. I removed my sweater and put on a fleece jacket I keep at my desk. I bundled up the little guy in two blankets and two jackets, turned off the light, turned on Sleep Sheep (so he has his wave noises) and he quickly fell to sleep. A deep sleep. So deep that an hour later, when the fire alarm went off (with the accompanying flashing lights and ear piercing beeps), he kept sleeping. Being pretty confident there was no fire in the building, I waited for security to turn off the alarm. And I waited. And I waited (but I do start getting our stuff together since it’s all over the office). And I waited some more until I saw a few fire engines pull up with sirens blaring. Figuring it would be odd to see an employee sitting in an office with a half naked baby with fire alarm blaring, I decided it’s finally worth waking the peacefully sleeping Walker and take him into the other building. I can’t carry all our stuff so I just picked up the heavily bundled baby and transported him to the main Adobe building next door. We waited for about twenty minutes while the SFFD confirmed that the alarm was triggered by some water on the roof but they had difficulty turning it off because they didn’t have access to a room in the building. Walker, in the meantime, slowly awoke and didn’t want to sit on my lap anymore. So he got off the couch and ran and danced around the lobby in his shirt and diaper, looking out the front door as people from the convention walked by and oggled at the building (you see, Adobe software is essential for most of these folks’ art so it’s a sort of artistic Mecca).

We finally get the nod to return to the other building so we could finally gather up our belongings, get dressed and head back to let Daddy take a restroom break (it had been hours since he’d been able to leave the booth). But it was not to be. The alarm went off again before we could make it back in the building and the poor, wet security woman had to call 911 to have SFFD return again. This time they brought big axes and after another extended period, things went back to normal. (However, there will be a few folks who will return to their desks on Monday and wonder why they are either higher or lower than they left them. They won’t know a little half-naked Pixie found the buttons to adjust the desk height. I did successfully stop the Pixie from shutting down a video server.)

Today nap time seems is thankfully much less exciting. We are camped out in a conference room in the main building and we’ve managed almost 120 uninterrupted napping minutes. It’s not raining today either so my outlook is a bit more positive. After nap, we’ll return to APE and likely run back and forth under a 2.5 foot opening of the main entrance which Walker thinks is hysterical since he can clear it without ducking while Mommy must do deep kneebends to follow him. We’ll giggle and make new friends and see our old friends and then put the books away until July when Daddy goes to San Diego.

And I must say that our lives are rather mundane in comparison to Uncle Thayer who leaves tonight for a last-minute assignment from Playboy magazine in which he will be spending a week on a boat in Mexico, chumming for and swimming with Great White Sharks. The only advice his wise big sister could muster was, “keep your hands and feet inside the cage at all times.”

P.S. Nothing to report for Halloween. I worked all day, skipping an Adobe Mom/Baby lunch. Walker reprised his role as Yoda for Sofiya and Larry wore his Luke costume when he went to pick him up at the end of the day (both were a big hit). We didn’t go out Trick or Treating. We did, however, have a pleasant surprise on Saturday when our neighbor from across the street gave us a beautiful pumpkin cookie she had gotten for Walker since she expected him to come visit the night before. I’m so proud Walker brings out such joy and love in people.

 

Too good not to share

Larry decided to make a few enhancements to the costume images. Walker looks just perfect on Dagoba and boy, I wouldn’t want to mess with him when he gets mad!

 

Yoda I am

It’s taken months of planning and hard work but today, we debuted the Yoda costume. About six months ago, Larry found this Yoda knitting pattern and in the very nicest voice he could muster, requested I use it to make Walker’s costume. Knowing how adorable Walker would be and needing something to knit during long meetings at work (I was getting tired of making bunnies for my friend’s babies), I complied. It took awhile and required me to try a few things I hadn’t done before, but I’m thrilled with the result. Andy you’ll notice that the jacket (and possibly the hat) will accommodate Walker’s insistence on growing. (I made the booties a long time ago and I didn’t plan on his feet growing so much so they were a bit small…)

We all got dressed to attend Boo at the Zoo. Walker was Yoda, Daddy dressed as Luke, and Mommy went as a Title 9 Han Solo. Pop Pop came down and documented the day by taking 221 photos. We’ve only chosen to share a few.

The costume was quite a hit. It was warm enough to keep the little guy warm on the cold and foggy day by the beach. Almost everyone recognized him — the first person who commented thought he was Shrek and a little girl thought he was a green dog. However, most folks immediately recognized him and Pop Pop was shocked to realize the kids were equally as delighted as the adults. One little girl was shy and quietly whispered “May the Force be with you” as we passed by. We saw two little Princess Leias running around the playground as we had our picnic lunch.

The zoo really made it fun for the kids. They gave out bags and they had Trick or Treat stations all over. This will be the last year we could bypass the candy stations since Walker didn’t care and Mommy needs a bag of sugary treats like she needs a hole in her head. The first thing we did was walk through the “Haunted” Nature Trial. It was all decorated and there were a bunch of volunteers showing “scary” animals like snakes and toads. Walker checked it out but was more interested in the other kids. His favorite part was the “Happy Boo-th Day” party. He scurried over the little log and started playing with the fun colored bowls, plates, and fake cake. Immediately he was joined by a bunch of kids. One picked up a noise maker and blew on it. “Don’t put that in your mouth,” her Mommy pleaded. She put it down. A little boy picked it up. Put it in his mouth. “Don’t put that in YOUR mouth,” the next Mommy pleaded. He put it down. And, you guessed it, the last child who was playing at the table picked it up and put in her mouth. “Break the cycle, Walker” I pleaded. He left it alone. What a GOOD boy.

Now that Walker’s older, it’s fun to go to the zoo. He is starting to understand there are animals behind the glass. We always go to check out the Meercats since they’ve been made famous by the Meercat Manor series. Pop Pop got some great shots of Walker noticing the animals as they scurried around.

Walker will wear the costume a few more times this year but I guess we need to start planning for next year’s costume. It will be hard to top this one.

 

Too many things…

In the spirit of “one more thing” I’ve been extremely busy (actually, sort of crazed) and it’s been very hard to get to the blog because I just couldn’t fit One More Thing into my daily schedule. I’ve been “jailed” by my list of things to do (heh, heh, get it?) The task list isn’t any shorter but I just can’t go another day without posting something. So here are a few things I must share:

• Walker stats: 30.5 inches tall, 23lbs 9oz, and 47.3 cm head
• Walker words: momma, dada, baby, hello, uh-oh (he likes that one A LOT), nana (for banana), wow — and I’m sure there are others we haven’t figured out yet
• In Charlotte, he showed a preference for a big toy car he could drive around in. So we bought him a fire truck he can sit on and scoot down the hall. It’s loud and has buttons that teach him things like “1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 5 Points on a star.” But it also seems to say things like, “Hi. I’m bleak.” But that may just be our sleep-deprived brains.
• Walker’s diaper rash and eczema have vastly improved since we took him off milk products. He seems to have a sensitivity to cow’s milk which apparently runs on both sides of the family. In fact, his Grammie Shirley, who lived on a farm and could get cow’s milk for free had a reaction to it and her hardworking father had to drive to a neighboring town to buy goat’s milk. Other folks with sensitivities included my mother, father, brother and Larry’s nephew. Walker didn’t have a chance…
• Walker has learned a few new skills. He’s figured out how to turn on and off the television. He’ll wake up in the morning and wobble over and turn on the TV before he’s even officially awake. Yeah, we close the entertainment center doors now. And yesterday he figured out how to flush the toilet. And he’s taking many opportunities to try it out. As an eco-aware Californian, I’m not thrilled about this.
• In an effort to use as much water as possible, Walker has graduated to a big boy bath. I kept using his baby bath as long as I could but it finally got a bit too cramped. He’s enjoying his new bath freedom and scoots all over. Lots of room to kick his feet and play with his ever-expanding collection of toys.
• Meal times have become a messy again. Walker has decided that he’s going to learn to feed himself. He’s particularly interested in learning how to eat applesauce and yogurt. We try to keep these self-feeding situations close to bathtime. We need three utensils — one for each hand and one for me (so I can attempt to get some food into him). He enjoys dipping the utensils into the food and then fling them around. The next step is to take the food container and dump it upside down onto the tray. I’m not sure how this happened but today he had yogurt and meatball in his hair.
• I think parenthood has affected our brains. Last night Walker was taking a bath and I was asking him which one of his toys was a fish and which one a dog. Larry and I were discussing that it might be difficult for him to understand “fish” because he hasn’t seen them before. We began discussing taking him to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I got up this morning and… fed the fish. Yes, for Walker’s entire life we’ve had four goldfish in a tank in the living room where he spends most of his time. I guess we’ll have to justify that trip to Monterey another way.
• Walker loves to sit in his rocking chair — the little chair that his great grandfather used. It took him awhile to figure out how to get in it. First he tried to climb into the chair while facing it. Then he learned he needed to back up into it but he didn’t look behind him and it wasn’t always behind him and he’d go to sit but fall on his tush. He persevered and almost always successfully settles in to rock away. It’s quite cute to see him with his sippy cup in one hand, his bread in the other.
• The Yoda costume has been knit and the hat has been felted. Only some minor finishing touches and the little guy will be an awesome Yoda. Larry will be Luke and I will be a Title 9 Han Solo. Don’t worry, there WILL be photos.

It’s been almost a month since we all packed up to go to Charlotte, NC and Indianland, SC (just south of Charlotte). We visited Larry’s family and I planned the trip like I was moving the infantry — I had everything we could possibly want or need on our cross-country trip. Just like before any trip, Larry and I didn’t sleep well but we rolled out of bed at 5:30 and prepared the troops. We had our two bags, the carseat, the diaper bag, Larry’s backpack and my computer bag (as well as Walker and the backpack we carry him in). We got to the airport and we walked up to an empty check in counter. We slid our credit card into the kiosk and it said it couldn’t find our reservation. We tried again. We tried putting in our flight information. No dice. And then we talked to a friendly agent who informed us that our first class seats on the flight (in fact all seats on the flight) had been cancelled. We were rebooked on a 7am flight earlier that day. So, we missed the flight. I tried to keep my composure but was close to barfing on the counter in front of me. My new best friend was able to find us seats on a flight out later that day (riding coach, ugh) and thankfully, rebooked the first class seats on the return flight. We checked the bags and pondered how we’d spend the next several hours. Larry and I hadn’t eaten yet and I couldn’t fathom keeping Walker in the airport for hours and then spending five hours in a flying tin can. So, we packed up our carry on gear and headed back to the car in the long term lot. As we walked back to the car, Walker realized something was amiss. “Uh-oh”. And we chuckle. “Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh.” And he repeated it seven times. (We counted.) We don’t give kids enough credit. He was able to sum up the situation better than I could have ever done.

So we drop Walker off to see his friends at Sofiya’s and we went out for a fabulous brunch. Two hours later, we retrieve Walker and once again, head off to the airport. We get through security with relative ease and we purchase sandwiches. No rush. No panic. We go to the gate and we try to tire out the toddler by chasing after him and playing hide-n-seek. Walker and I go to the restroom and change his diaper. On the way back, I notice they’re boarding our flight. Larry has Walker’s boarding pass. I reach in my bag for mine. It’s not there. No panic. I give Walker to Larry and I sit down and go through the bag. Hmmm. I go through the bag again. Another zone is called. I go through the bag again. A bit of panic sets in. I wait in line at the gate counter. There are a few people in front of me. More and more people get on the plane. A bit more panic. I go through the bag at least three more time. The agents look cranky and the line is not moving. Another zone is called. A woman walks over to me and says, “Excuse me. Did you happen to lose your boarding pass?”

“Um, yes.”

“I found one and gave it to the agents up there.”

Disregarding the woman’s possible issues around strangers invading personal space, I jump up and give the woman a HUGE hug. (I was still squatting on the ground rifling through the bag when she was talking to me.)

I walk up to the counter and ask for the turned in pass. The cranky agent scowls at me and says no one turned in a pass. I look down and point at the pass six inches in front of her. She confirms my name and gives it to me.

We finally made it on the plane and even got some space in the overhead bin. Walker was a stellar passenger and slept half the flight. He only kicked the seat in front of him a few times and yelled just a handful of times.

We had a wonderful trip and Walker loved meeting the Young and Palladino families. He’s so very well loved. It is notable that he had all the furniture he needed — the highchair his Daddy and Aunt used, the crib his Aunt slept in, the car his teenage cousins played in, and the table and chairs his Grammie used.

This past week has been a thrill. Walker got the poops and it felt like the early days — diaper changes all day and night, many changes of pants and multiple of jammies each day. Poor thing must have picked up a little virus. It didn’t seem to bother him much at all despite the fact he was farting and farting and farting. And I gotta say, those little gassers were frightening. I haven’t smelled anything that bad in a long time. With the help of banana, rice, applesauce, and toast (BRAT diet) and then a little doctor prescribed Pepto Bismol, Walker is doing just fine. And he LOVES the Pepto. He dances around the kitchen as I get the spoon ready and then sucks on the spoon for a few minutes. I can’t think of any medicine that makes me dance.

It’s October so we went down to Half Moon Bay to pick out a few pumpkins. Walker’s friends Panna and Wes showed him how to jump in the hay and how to pick out a good pumpkin. We can’t wait for Halloween!

 

Perspective

It’s been awhile since I last posted because things have been crazy. Walker has been teething and then he decided that sleeping was for babies (which of course, he is not) and big boys stay up late practicing saying “ball,”singing “itsy bitsy spider,” clapping and giggling. Sunday night it took TWO HOURS to put him to sleep and last night it was TWO AND A HALF HOURS — Walker finally fell asleep at 10pm which is now MY bedtime. Sheesh. He was so exhausted today he went right to sleep at 7:30 but he just woke up and Larry is attempting to get him back to sleep. (SUCCESS! Daddy’s gentle and soothing rendition of “Dixie Chicken” lulled the little man to sleep.)

I wanted to take a moment to share a lesson I learned about perspective. Way back last Monday (that would be September 8th), I had a bad day at work. I started the day with a meeting that made me cranky (and frankly, the crankiness from that one meeting lasted the ENTIRE week — I just couldn’t shake it). So I spent the day with a big black cloud over my head and on the way home, I worked on resetting my mood. I couldn’t be grumpy when Walker was around. He just wouldn’t understand. The closer I got to Sofiya’s, the better I felt. And it paid off because I could appreciate the next few precious moments.

You see, in the morning, I dropped off a little baby who needed assistance with walking. In the afternoon, I was greeted by a little boy who walked from across the room to give me a big hug. I burst into tears. He just looked different. He looked older, more independent.

He just decided he was ready to grow into his name. He was intensely concentrating but was beaming with pride as he toddled from one end of the room to the other (and back and forth and back and forth). He also figured out how to stand up from the floor without climbing up something. We’d never seen that before. Just overnight it all changed.

So work is work and it may make me cranky but Walker is awesome and trumps the results of some stupid meeting. (And for further perspective, a colleague reminded me that we don’t have to carry a big metal spoon with a key on it to get into some small, dingy restroom — our bathrooms are big and equipped with automatic flush, water and paper towel dispensers).

Walker continues to gain stability. The mornings are humorous as he tries to find his balance. He’ll often toddle into the hall and bump from one wall to the other much like the guy in the a-ha “Take On Me” video (a pop-culture reference for those children of the 80’s). There isn’t as much falling as I feared so the anxiety around this milestone is less than anticipated.

This past weekend we went to the Comic Book Box’s book signing for our friends Paige Braddock (she’s in charge of product licensing for Charles Schultz — whodda thunk that a little girl who loved her Snoopy so much would know the person responsible for making that kinda thing a reality) and Jason MacNamara (a talented and crazy writer who teaches us sign language to use with Walker). Below Walker poses with his froggy shirt and his Flat Frog in front of a poster for the book.

Walker was fantastic at the signing and left all the books on the shelves — which is more than I can say for the books which SHOULD BE on his shelves at home. We’re looking forward to visiting Grammie Shirley, Aunt Lisa and family back East next week. They’re dragging out all the baby furniture and toys from the attic so Walker will be comfortable and showered with East-coast love. We’re quite excited and we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

 

Crackifier

A co-worker of mine has a 3.5 year old girl and a 10 week old boy. She’s coming back to work on Thursday and invited Larry, Walker and me for dinner. I figured we go over and have some pizza (perhaps gourmet pizza knowing her good taste) but we were treated to a FANTASTIC homemade lasagna (with homemade pasta), farm-fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and basil, and the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies with a dash of kosher salt (it’s true, it really does bring out the taste). Not only was I shocked at the meal but I was astonished to find that Walker loves tomato and was interested in mozzarella. Devon was very good to Walker and shared her toys (as much as a 3.5 year old may be expected to). Walker’s favorite was the sit-and-spin. At 7:15 Walker promptly informed us that it was time to leave. He dug into his bag to get the baggie where we keep his pacifier. It also had some crackers in it earlier in the day — he prefers Multi-Grain Club crackers — so the paci was covered in cracker crumbs. Two of his favorite things at once. And the crackifier was born. He was in heaven.

Did I mention Walker is walking on his own? Oh, silly me. I must have been distracted by the homemade cookies that were packed up for us and are now lovingly placed at my side by my adoring husband. But back to the walking. Yes, Walker is ambling on his very own. This first real steps were yesterday morning after a brisk morning walk/run with Mommy (Walker rode in his Jeep stroller listening to the Barenaked Ladies). Daddy was watching Walker while Mommy got cleaned up and just as I was about to get presentable, Walker started toddling down the hall. We’ve been waiting for this day with cameras at our fingertips and ironically, we couldn’t snap photos because I was, well, unpresentable. We knew folks would want to see this incredible milestone so we went to the playground and let him walk around on a nice cushy surface.

Yesterday was a very big day. Walker also got his first haircut. I resisted this for some time but every morning he’d sit in his highchair and pull his hair out to the sides as if to say, “Mommy, I just can’t think with all this HAIR.” After doing some research, I decided to take Walker to Kids Cuts where he could be groomed by professionals with little-kid experience. And they have chairs in the shape of race cars, so how could we resist? We went in and there was a little boy about 2.5 who was SCREAMING at the top of his lungs, face wet with tears and beet red. His Daddy was sitting in the chair (a regular chair, not a car chair) holding him and he was not calmed. Walker didn’t know what to make of it but he went in and played with the toys they have in the waiting area. When it was his turn, he got in the car chair (covered with hundreds of stickers), had the little smock put around him and sat quietly as the hair dresser used the clippers to get the length off and then shaped his handsome locks with the shears. Walker played with a toy and didn’t look happy but certainly wasn’t upset. He seemed to sit and reserve judgment. The whole process took no more than 7 minutes. Walker had a very handsome haircut. We got his hair in a little handmade envelope with a Batman sticker. There were tears, but they were Mommy’s.

In the “marketing run amok” file, I have to mention that this morning when I was feeding the fish, I noticed one of the benefits of the fish food we use is that the fish get important Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Gosh. I’m glad to know that. I wouldn’t have bought that brand of fish meal otherwise. My 25 cent goldfish deserve the best.

 

Slide

Walker loves the slide and we have to share his joy with his friends and family.

Gigi, here’s a little something to get you through the weekend. I do promise more soon.

 

A wise use of time

My old iPod recently died and I just got a new one that plays video (yeah, I know I’m not as “hip” as you perhaps thought I was).

Anyway, after loading it up with video of Walker so I can get my quick baby fix while on the go, I loaded it up with TED Talks and have been watching them on the train down to San Jose. Yesterday morning I got to see Stephen Hawking floating weightless, learn about how writer AJ Jacobs lived Biblically for a year, and ponder data from Freakonomic’s Steven Levitt regarding the actual effectiveness of car seat usage.

I highly recommend watching these talks. I feel smarter after watching them.

Now I should take a moment to mention that I got some good-natured ribbing by Gigi about the lengthy “manual” I left for Grammy Jane the other night. I believe one of the most accurate quotes was, “You’d think she’d never seen an child before.” Yeah, OK. She raised two fantastic kids who did get bathed and fell asleep every night. But this is WALKER. I just wanted to make sure she knew all the little details he’s come to expect each night. And what you all DON’T know is that I EDITED the manual to keep it to a single page.

Now you know that TED Talks may make me smarter but no less neurotic.

 

Date Night

Walker sings “Itsy Bitsy Spider” — age 13 months

~~~~

Tonight we went on our very first date night. When Larry and I were pregnant, Grammy Jane was so excited. She claimed that Wednesday nights were hers for babysitting. And when Walker came home, I think one of the first calls was Jane, wondering when we were going to start our Wednesday date nights. Before Walker was born, I was thinking this was fantastic, that we’d love to go out and take advantage of our wonderful family babysitter. But it’s been 14 months (to the day) and we haven’t gone out.

Tonight we did. And everything was fine. We came home and there was no crying (Walker or Jane) and apparently Walker fell asleep while reading books. Hardly knew we were gone. I, of course, had visions of a meltdown similar to the one at the end of Indiana Jones (unclear who was melting down but did put odds on Walker). However, despite my anxiety, we did manage to spend too much at a multi-course meal at the Cliff House.

Being that Jane and I are Women Who Like To Be Prepared, I did write a detailed letter to help Jane with Walker’s evening ritual and thought I’d share it with you…

Walker Young’s Manual

Playtime 6:15 – 6:45 / 7:00
Walker enjoys playing in the living room with his blocks (he likes to knock things down that you’ve built) or play with his stacking rings (he has two kinds) or put things in boxes. He may want to sit under the bar chairs by the window. Or, he’ll walk around with you or his walker. I generally see how he’s feeling but start to talk about bath time around 6:45. I may not take him in to get undressed until 7 if he’s active and doesn’t seem terribly cranky or tired.

Prepping for bath
I fill up his bath before I get him undressed. Sometimes he comes in to help.

Getting undressed
Walker doesn’t always like to get undressed if he’s cranky. He’s not a big fan of his changing table. So, sometimes I’ll get him undressed in his room on the floor (he will often help) and then put him on the changing table just to take off his diaper. If his diaper is not poopie, I may undress him all the way on the floor. If you want to keep him happy on the changing table, I’ll give him his paci and/or something to play with like his book or spoon or Bunny Foo Foo.

Bathtime
Have a good time. We just play in the water and there will be a lot of putting the toys in the bath and taking them out. He has started to like to have a drink in his bath so I’ll leave a cup with water in the bathroom (along with a towel and washcloth). I generally let him play for 10 or 15 minutes but get him out at 7:15.

Ready for bed
He uses Triple Paste for his diaper cream (the big white tub) –- he has sensitive skin and has been having a lot of diaper rash. It’s good to try to distract him while he’s on the changing table. You can put on the CD player or give him a toy. He may try to stand up, and that’s OK as long as you support him. If he doesn’t want to sit down again, I’ve put his jammies on him while he’s on the floor. (Jammies will be on the changing table.) After jammies, he puts on his “sleep sack” which zips down from the top to the bottom. We generally read a few books (or he looks through them and then throws them on the floor) while sitting in the rocker. Then I’ll take him over to the window and say “Goodnight Garden” and put down the shade. I then put on the iPod. All you need to do is hit the “play” button. I’ll set it all up. The ocean waves should just repeat.

Going to sleep
Make sure he has his Bunny Foo Foo and a paci nearby. Then turn off the light and give him a sippy cup of milk. When he’s done, give him his paci. Rock with him with his head on your right arm. He may fidget a bit. Once he starts drifting off, put him in his crib. No need to give him a blanket.

Good luck.