To The Big Boy Bed We Go…
Night 1: The Stun Gun Phenomenon
I’m glad I waited a while to write about Hooper’s transition out of the crib and into his big boy bed. I say that because no night has been the same. The first night, we did everything as before: we covered the window with a sheet for added darkness, we hooked up his white noise machine (a must if you ask me), had the sound monitor by his bed, gave him his blanket, had Papa sing to him, and then we laid him to rest. We sat anxiously on the sofa waiting to hear something. Instead, we heard nothing. Our impatience took over and about 30 minutes after putting him down, we snuck into his room to take a peek. He was just where we laid him, but as soon as the door opened, he popped up and said “Papa” as if he had been lying there with his eyes wide open for the entire 30 minutes. Probably scared straight. Probably wondering what to do in the sea of darkness. Probably wondering where he was. I call this “The Stun Gun Phenomenon”. Willy sang to him again and put him back down and he slept soundly the whole night through. Willy and I, however, tossed and turn wondering what the heck he was doing in there (why are these transitions always harder for the parents than the child?). After all, the possibilities of what he could get into are endless, right? He woke up at his usual time via a little whine that of course sent me shooting out of bed and into his room immediately. He was sitting ever so cutely right behind his guard rail. I scanned the room. Nothing was out of place. The only unusual thing was a small piece of paper on Hooper’s mouth. In the bed, I found the stick part to a lollipop. It was wet, clearly sucked on. Not sure where it came from or if it even had any candy on it. That was night one.
Night 2: Hiccups
Oh how we gloated after that first night. We talked all day about how good our big boy is and how lucky we are and how easy the transition was and how we were going to sleep so soundly and then “The Stun Gun Phenomenon” ended. It was so abrupt. Suddenly Hooper realized he had unlimited access to his toys, noise maker, monitor, door and well, when we tried to put him down, we heard him play with his toys, then we heard him turn his noise maker off, then we heard him talking into the monitor like it was a microphone, then we heard him giggle the door handle, and then our seamless little transition started coming apart at the seams. We went in, put him down again. It was quiet for a few minutes. Then came another giggle of the door handle. We went in again, this time the room smelled like shit. A diaper change was in order. Then we put him down again. Third time is a charm, or so they say, because he slept… but only until 6:30, two hours before his normal wake up time. When I came into the room, he was standing by his bed with his blanket holding his monitor like a microphone again. I put him down for a nap later that morning and, again, the third time was the charm.
Night 3&4: Midnight Munches
These nights were nearly identical. Both nights started great. He went down with ease. I heard him the first night around 2:30am whining. It seemed to go on for a half hour or so and then he was quiet. (As a side note, why is it the mother’s ear that’s always so tuned in to that damn monitor? I’ve always been a good sleeper. In college, I remember taking a nap while my roommate vacuumed. But now, as a mom, my ear is to that monitor like little balls of poop stuck to Hooper’s nut sack. Willy, on the other hand, rests soundly and gets rather upset when I wake him to see if he’s hearing what I’m hearing and to help me decipher a plan of action. Oh the perks of being a dad, I suppose.) Anyway, on to the whining that begs the question: Would you like some cheese with that whine? Which in turn leads to the title of these nights being “Midnight Munches”. I know, it’s a bit convoluted, but whatever. So night 3 wasn’t so bad. He whined, he went back to sleep, he woke up at his normal time. Night 4, however, was the worst yet. The whining started and, again, I was the only one awoken and disturbed by it. I woke up Willy who lovingly let me stay in bed while he went in to check on him after the whining wouldn’t stop. He was sitting by his closed door. He sang to him, but him back down and got back in bed. But, alas, the whining returned. This boy must really like cheese. Willy returned, laid in bed and cuddled with him, and again, returned to bed. The whining returned and we finally gave in and put him in his crib. These events took place over an hour and a half or so, so you can’t say we didn’t give it a valiant effort. He slept soundly and that was that. So while we were left asking if he’d like some cheese with his whine, we really just needed our own glass bottle of wine. 
Night 5: The Night Light
After a restless night 4 and some grumpy campers Sunday morning, Willy and I brainstormed on what may be bothering him about his new room. We’ve made the room very dark and began considering that he could be scared of the dark. Our theory is that he had been falling asleep rather fast, but would wake at some point during the middle of the night and would start to get scared by the fact he couldn’t see anything around him. A friend of mine gave him this turtle constellation night light some time ago (thanks Bev!) and we decided to break it out and give it a try. Not gonna lie, I wanted to sleep in that cozy little bed under all those stars. And well, it worked. Or he was so tired from the night prior that he had to catch up on some Z’s. I did here him whine once during the middle of the night, but he was quiet soon their after. 
So all in all, it’s been about a week or so of full transition. The nap schedule was thrown a bit off and for a few days I thought he was phasing out of his two naps per day, but he appears to be back on the same nap routine as before. That’s today, anyway. All in all, I’m glad we did it prior to Van’s arrival. I’m slowly adding toys to his room so long as he can differentiate sleep time and play time. Stay tuned for the new room tour. It’s one of my favorites 🙂
Here’s my question to other parents: Do I go in there and put him back to bed if I hear him playing with his toys or should I just ignore it and trust that he will make his way to bed when he’s ready? His room is baby safe, to the best of my knowledge, so I’m leaning toward the latter method but would love to hear from others who I’m sure have experienced the same thing. And when do kids start sleeping with their head on the pillow and feet pointed toward the end of the bed? I find this boy all over the mattress and he wants nothing to do with his head on a pillow. So funny. Thanks!
Hooper @ 18 Months
Growth: Over the past few months people have started to refer to you as tall. We always knew you would be tall based on the fact your Papa and I are both tall, but you’ve become quite the bean sprout as of late. Here are your stats from your 18 month appointment: weight 24lbs 11oz (30%), height 33 inches (70%), head 18 7/8 in. (60%). I’m reminded that all kids grow at their own pace and am encouraged to leave the stress of worrying about your weight, or your brothers weight, behind. Whereas most kids drop weight percentile at your age due to the “thinning out” phenomenon, you’ve gained. You are on your own growth pattern and that’s fine with me. You’re still in a size 4 diaper. Your PJ’s are size 18 months, but you appear to be growing out of these any day now. You wear a size 5 or 6 shoe. 
Teeth: You have 15 with one more due any day now, though I’ve been saying that for what seems like months. Those bottom canines have been little white caps since your 17 month recap. The bottom right has come through, but the left still appears to be bothering you from time to time. One more to go. I believe you have all the rest of your teeth, with the second year molars next on the list. Dun dun dun. 
Favorites: Your Papa loves stealing kisses from you and will stop at no end. His latest attempts involve bribery by way of putting a raisin in between his teeth and having you eat it out of his mouth. Hopefully he doesn’t mind me sharing with the public that he does with you what many 13 year olds are doing at parties in closets. I somehow doubt even you want to know about these shenanigans of your father’s, but at this age, I have to admit it’s pretty sweet to watch and I’ve been known to put a raisin or two in between my teeth as well. Your love for the trash bins has evolved to now listening for the trash truck, pulling on one of our shirts, directing us to the front door all the while proclaiming “kah”, “kah” (“truck”). You are into books more than ever before. Your favorite is “Hooper Humperdink” by Dr. Suess. It’s about a little boy named Hooper, who is a party pooper, and is not invited to a party. It’s kind of a mean story, but ultimately Hooper is invited to the party so I guess all ends well. I had no idea this book even existed until one of your Papa’s co-workers mentioned it after you were born. One more person with your unique name. Too bad he’s a party pooper. Oh, lets not forget about the broom and other janitorial items. Those still rule your little world. You could spend all day outside and are constantly yanking one of us toward the front or back door. You love to take the car keys and climb into the drivers seat to play with all the buttons and pretend to steer the wheel. Your are developing a love for cars or “gongs” as you call them, constantly riding your vintage playskool giraffe or speedster around the house. We’re contemplating buying you a motorized power wheels. I’ve been checking craigslist for a good deal on a used one. You may just get lucky one of these days. 
Sleeping: See that guilty little look on your face in the picture above? You have that little grin because of the socks in your hand. For whatever reason, you love taking your socks off when you wake up and you obviously think this is something that poses a problem. FYI, I have no problem with you taking your socks off. Get on with your barefoot parties. You’re still the champion sleeper and I suppose you always will be. We’re debating transferring you to a toddler bed but are unsure whether giving you that freedom is the best decision. You are perfectly content in your crib and we’re hestitant to create a problem where one doesn’t exist. But, with your brother on the way, we’d like to avoid buying another crib. I’m pushing for the big boy bed, I think it’s time. While we could brag about how good of a sleeper you are until we’re blue in the face, the truth is that you sleep well in your crib or in your car seat. Otherwise, you’re a horrible sleeper. You have yet to be that toddler that falls asleep anywhere and in any position. You have to be confined in crib, otherwise you are too easily distracted and will keep going and going and going. Sometimes I wonder if you would ever fall asleep if your crib magically disappeared. Oh yes, I realize I’ve never discussed your bedtime “routine”. I hesitate to call it a routine because it takes all of 5 minutes. Anyway, since you finished breastfeeding, it has been your Papa’s job to put you to bed. He changes your diaper and puts you in your jam-jams after a nighttime session of tickles and giggles. Papa always has you rolling in laughter on that changing table. When your clean and changed, he brings you out to me. I give you a kiss and you go back to your room with Papa. He throws your blanket over his shoulder, you put your two fingers in your mouth, you rest your head on his shoulder, he sings you “hush little baby” and to bed you go. 
Development: You love designating things as your own. Often you will pretend to hand us a toy or some of your food and then just as we’re about to grab it, you’ll pull it back and say “me” with the cutest little grin on your face. It’s a grin so cute that the fact you are being an Indian giver doesn’t bother us. You’re also repetitious. You like to play the “me” game over and over and you like to read “Hooper Humperdink” over and over. You have made the transition from not sitting through a whole book to asking for books to be read from the beginning just as you get to the end. You have a longer attention span and will sit through as many YouTube videos as we put on for you. Your favorite YouTube videos are: “If you’re happy and you know it”, “Hickory dickory dock”, “Five little monkeys”, and anything by the Wiggles. You follow most directions, demonstrating that you know all about the things in your environment. You still like to think of those who love you as your personal slaves; you are the dictator, we are your enslaved soldiers. You pat the ground exactly where you’d like us to sit to read you a book. You grab at our clothing until we follow you wherever you want to go and do whatever it is you want us to do for you. I see the tantrum throwing stage around the corner, but at present you are still relatively easy to redirect or distract. You have become incredibly sociable and love being the center of attention. You draw people in instantly with a came of peek-a-boo. On the flight back from Maui, you initiated a game of peek-a-boo with a nice lady across the aisle. She had you giggling so hysterically that people a few rows up were turning around to see just what in the world was so dang funny. You could barely catch your breath and you stole that woman’s heart instantly. You’re very adaptable and out-going and seem to make friends easily. You have quite an array of facial expressions and a very likable personality. The fact you like doing leg kicks helps your likability as well. Again, following in the footsteps of your Papa. You like nothing more than watching yourself in the long mirror as you kick your left leg up into the air and giggle. You also have a lot of pride in the fact you can go down a step by yourself. You like to do this over and over with a grin that shows you’re overflowing pride. You think you are pretty rad. You have quite the sense of humor and your beaming confidence still looks stellar on you. 
Feeding: The days of eating in your highchair are at a standstill. Even if it’s food you like, or what you call “yum yums”, you can only sit for a short period of time. You stand up, throw yourself at your papa or I and the rest of your eating is done “on the run”, so to say. I have a sneaking suspicion that in light of this highchair reluctance and with your brother’s arrival just around the corner, the days of enjoying meals out as a family are on hiatus. With that said, you’ve been much more agreeable with what you eat. You’ll try more things, but don’t appear to like much of what you try. I always try reintroducing things that were previously refused and sometimes you’ll give it another try and other times you won’t. Your favorites seem to remain the same: berries, scrambled eggs, cheese, yogurt, deli meat, chicken nuggets, mac n’ cheese, raisins, peas, corn. You like avocado off and on, same with sweet potato and carrots. Your Papa has been getting in trouble lately for leaving his nighttime cookies out on the coffee table. It’s a momentary tantrum every morning when you awaken, pitter patter those little munchkin feet out to the main room, and discover Papa’s cookies that I don’t allow you to eat on the table. The other morning I transferred them to on top of the kitchen table only to find you climbing onto the table to get them. You are indeed a cookie monster. Like father, like son. Now is probably a good time to let you in on a little secret: When we put you to bed, we stay up late eating cookies or ice cream and watching movies. We thank you for this time. If you had the ability to read and conceptualize this, I’m certain you’d never go to sleep again. 
Talking: The world has become a picture book. You are quick to point out all the things you are aware of in your environment. You say too many words to keep track or record of and you exhibit understanding of other words you have yet to use. Your favorite words are “baby”, “quil” for squirrel, “done” and “gone”, “kook-E” for cookie, “wellow” for yellow, “gong” for car, “ka” for truck, “ba” for bird or plane. You also are fascinated with the world above you and love to point out the moon, stars, planes, helicopters, birds, ceiling fans and lights. Just as with the brooms, your love for planes has shed light on just how many planes there are flying over head at all times. We were at the park the other day and in a five minute span I think we saw at least four planes. You know the sounds a sheep, cow, and pig make. When we ask you what a skunk says you wrinkle your nose as if smelling something bad. It’s the cutest. You still like to mimic us by saying “noooo” before touching something you shouldn’t touch or eating something you shouldn’t put in your mouth. You love to wave your hands over Sarah’s food bowl while looking us in the eye and saying “noooo”. Then you proceed to put the dog food in your mouth anyway. In any case, at least you know what you’re doing is wrong. And yes, you still love dog food. 
Upcoming: I bought you a potty chair. I have no expectations for you being potty trained anytime soon, but I figure we’ll keep it in the bathroom and start talking about it. You have good knowledge of what “ca-ca” and “pee-pee” are, but I doubt your ability to actually do it in the potty chair at this point in time. You do enjoy sitting on it and you also enjoy taking the potty part out and putting it on your head. Probably better that it has yet to be used. We also bought you a full sized bed that is set up in your new room. We have a guard rail attached but have yet to take the leap to transitioning you over to your new room. I’ve started to take you in there daily to play so that you are used to the room. We’ll also be working on refining your teeth brushing skills. The pediatrician called your teeth “yellow” and I won’t have any part of that. So yes, shitting and pissing in a hat, sleeping in a real bed, and brushing your teeth correctly. Add those to your to-do list, okay? And please hold off on being able to open those closed doors. It’s so nice to block you out of a room by simply closing the door. Stop trying to make my life more difficult with all your developmental milestones, okay?
Oh yes, one last little surprise. I’m totally behind on sharing these little videos, as they are already a few months old. Not sure why I procrastinated, uploading to YouTube has proven to be a breeze. But anyhow, enjoy these little videos of you dancing. You still love music and beg, always, for the Ipod or record player to be on.
Play Pals
It’s so exciting to watch Hooper interact with babies younger than him as it offers a glance at what to expect when his brother arrives. I’m pleased to report that he exhibits no signs of jealousy when I hold little Emerson and actually seems moderately into her. We’ll see how that all changes when I’m playing mama full time to another little munchkin. ‘Til then, I leave you with a little Hooper & Emerson lovefest.
Hooper also had a play date with his pal Evan. These guys are only three days apart and his mom and I are both pregnant again, with just seven weeks separating our due dates. So cool. These two splashed around with the water, played on the slide, ate animal crackers, and did what boys do: got dirty. I’m still trying to get the dirt out of Hooper’s clothes. Sarah got to join in the fun too. Here’s some snapshots from their time together:
A Birthday Card for “Nina”
Hooper eats crayons. Sure, he proceeds to spit out the wax particles but it doesn’t stop him from sticking that colorful stick in his mouth every time we go to a restaurant. That is, until we went out the other night and the waiter handed him a couple colored pencils. He attempted to take a bite, it didn’t work out, and I think he even made a line or two on the paper. What an invention those colored pencils are.
It was my mom’s birthday on Cinco de Mayo, so I broke out a few colored pencils I had in the drawer in hopes he’d draw a little something in her card. Instead, he was more interested with taking the pencils out of the container and then putting them back in. The word “interested”, by the way, is a complete and utter understatement. Check it out for yourself, the boy was absolutely enthralled. Dead concentration caught on film, or that little disc thing we call a memory card. 
As a side note, Willy and I took my parents out that night to Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks (highly recommended to anyone in the area) and ran into Chuck McCann, the man who does nearly all the voices in animation and television. He had us going coo-coo for coco puffs in no time. He was an instant hit with Hooper and Willy and through their frequent trips outside to play, these three became quite smitten with each other.
Home
I try not to buy books on Etsy, I really do. I prefer to find them at thrift stores or flea markets for the satisfaction in the hunt and price. But every now and again I come across an Etsy find that I just can’t pass up. This is one of those. Take a look and you’ll see why my knees buckled. It won my heart over with it’s depiction of all the family helping. What a wonderful world it was back then 😉
I mean it came complete with a vocabulary list, can you really blame me?
From Etsy seller The Book Seller
The Lawnmower
The other day Hooper and I got in trouble. It was a nice spring day so I decided to let Hooper mosey around the backyard. We recently planted grass and it’s been growing so beautifully, minus all the gnats. Anyway, I watched as Hooper did his usual shenanigans. He transported dirt from the flower bed to the ivy, he played with the rocks, he ran around. And then he started pulling out the grass. It was one of the first times he actually stopped moving so of course my shutterbug instinct kicked in and I snapped away. Truthfully I didn’t care what he was doing, so long as it was safe, as I now had my picture opportunity. That’s what happens when you’re nutty about photography, you see. So nutty you may just wind up in Pakistan when you believed the 24 hour bus ride you were on was taking you to a mountain region in India, but instead you’re welcomed by this:
But that’s a separate story and perhaps just another time my shutterbug instinct got the best of me. You can see now why I didn’t think the grass pulling was a big deal. I mean it’s not like there was a gun in my face. Anyway, Willy came out to join us and we were busted. He was upset to say the least. I tried to be as cute as possible and simply explained that Hooper and I were playing a new game called “Lawnmower”. The anger drifted quickly.
What do you let your little ones get away with when Daddy isn’t around?
Bits + Pieces
Willy’s parents were in town from Arizona over the weekend and although it was a short visit, it was nice to spend some time together. Willy’s brother and his wife also joined us and the house was filled with love and laughter and all the beautiful things that only family can bring. I snapped just a few photos. I can’t believe I didn’t capture any of Hooper and his auntie Maegan. Hooper was in love. So flirty, so gregarious. His face lit up anytime Maegan was in sight. It was special to watch. Here’s a few of the bits and pieces from their visit.
Hooper @ 17 Months
Growth: You seem like you’re getting taller everyday. I think you’ve definitely hit a few growth spurts. You can reach things that you couldn’t reach before and thus more child proofing needs to take place. You like to go up on your tip toes to reach those other things that are still just out of reach. 
Teeth: That fourth molar has finally pushed through. You had a few fussy moments with this one, but then it popped, and out went the fussiness. You also have your two upper canines, which just popped through the other day. It seems that your feeding habits change while you’re teething. I notice you drink more and eat less, which would make sense if your gums are hurting. 
Development: Your world suddenly got much larger as you’ve recently discovered the sky above. You love to point out helicopters, airplanes, and birds. You like to think of all of your loved ones as personal transportation devices and are keen on pulling at our clothes until you get us to follow you to wherever it is you want to go. Most of the time you forget where it was you wanted to go or what it was you wanted to do by the time you convince us to get off our butts. Though more times than not you direct me to the hallway so you can play with the thermostat. You like to flip it open and push all the buttons. I think you could do this all day long. I signed you up for a little gym class. You were shy on your first day. No tears, but you came across as a boring kid with zero personality. It was humerus for me to see you so stoic. I have no doubt that when we go back for the second class and beyond you will loosen up and show them the crazy little rascal that you are at home. Although I must say, when they brought out the push toys you darted for that lawnmower pretty fast. You love the people that love you and when given the time to warm up to new faces, you are very adaptable and sociable. You have a fantastic personality and a mean array of expressions. What’s the deal with your baths though? Why do you refuse to sit down? You spend the whole time standing in your bath and it’s the weirdest thing to me. I want nothing more than to sit in your bubble bath but am quickly deterred when I watch you pee. And I know when you pee because, of course, you’re standing. You follow directions well and are able to pick up your toys and put them in the bucket when asked. 
Eating: I still feed you puree, but not everyday and not without mixing it with cereal or greek yogurt. You’re back on your blueberry kick and scarf those done faster than a squirrel can eat a nut. You’re not one for sitting in your highchair and have discovered how to stand up in the thing despite the buckle across your lap. You then proceed to fall into what we call a “trust fall” and flail yourself at one of us. My back loves this game. In any case, you cannot be in your highchair unsupervised for even a second. Much of your eating is done “on the run” as you can only tolerate sitting in confinement for a small period of time. Then you run around like a mad man while we try to shovel food into the chute as you hurry past us. You’re still picky, but you eat a lot of what you like. This morning, for example, you drank 9 ounces of milk and ate half of a whole wheat bagel wtih cream cheese and a handful of raspberries. 
Talking: You love looking important and like to grab your “paypee” (pen and paper) and make pretend scribbles. You’ve started to declare things as yours by stating, “Me”. You love a picture book of animals your grandma Vickie and grandpa Niles got you and are able to point out the bear, “b”, deer “dee”, and squirrel, “quil”. You also know the skunk stinks and each time we pass that page you make a scrunched up nose and breath extra hard. Your papa taught you that one. You also say “yum yum” after eating something you like. When you are about to do something you know you shouldn’t, you mimic us and say “no no no”, but then proceed to do it anyway. 
Favorites: You still love watching YouTube videos, the wiggles being one of your favorite. You also still LOVE brooms, trash cans, and other janitorial supplies in general. You’re still obsessed with our iPhones. I’m confident you could learn how to unlock it, but I refuse to teach you. Right now, the phone is only cool because mama and papa use it. Just wait til you discover all the apps. Then it’s really all over. I’m determined to prolong this as long as possible. You still love riding your little giraffe around and pushing anything, including the recycling bin and the suitcase, all over the house. You love being outdoors. You also love organizing things. 
Sleeping: We put you down for the night between 9pm and 9:30pm. You sleep soundly until 8am or so and sometimes drift back to sleep until 9am. You rock. You’re still taking a morning and afternoon nap, each one lasting a solid 2 hours. So, you sleep a lot which explains why you’re a firecracker when you’re awake. 
Upcoming: We looked into swim lessons while we are in Hawaii, but are unsure if that will work out or not. Either way, I’d love for you to be pool safe by the summer. I’d also like to have your new room complete so we can transition you out of the crib well before your little brother arrives. Oh yes, get used to the idea of brothers and sisters too cuz your papa said the other day that if all kids are like you he wants nineteen. NINETEEN! Please start acting up…
Aloha
We leave today for Hawaii. The last time we were there, Hooper was 11 months old and the memory of our time there is synonymous with a personality explosion. It’s the beginning point of when I can say the real fun began. I look at these pictures of Hooper and I and can’t help but envision both of my boys in this photo. Baby #2 may not have a presence in these photos and the pregnancy test was definitely not even positive at this point in time, but I know for certain those cells were dividing and doing many miraculous things behind the scene. Oh life, you are such a beautiful thing.
I won’t be able to post any pics from Hawaii until we return, but you can follow me on Instagram by clicking here or on the link on the right hand side of the blog. I’ll be instagraming it up the whole time!
Style de Hooper
I’m telling you, these style shoots are next to impossible. See the raisins in the photo above? Yup, bribery. Here’s what the shoot looked like before the raisins made their appearance:
Okay, he’s happy. Thank you raisins.
Camel Romper: From Etsy seller Blue Bird Lucy’s
Shoes: Checkered Vans
Long Lost Friends
There were summers in high school where it felt like I lived at the beach. I’d drive down nearly everyday in my 1982 Turbo Diesel Mercedes with the moon roof open and Tom Petty blaring through the speakers. We’d bask in the sun, with no care in the world, checkin’ out the boys, eating french fries, and gossiping about this and that. Then there was a lull in my beach combing days when I lived in San Francisco for 5 years and traded the sun for the fog. When I moved back I was in school and my relationship with the sand and sea continued to suffer.
Now I’m a mom and it’s important to me that Hooper get out and about. I’ll do everything in my power to steer him away from the video-playing-couch-potato phenomena that seems to have sucked up much of the youth today. So, I turn back to the sand and sea and it’s like our relationship always was: sweet, peaceful, and warm. I could watch him run those little fingers through the sand all day long.
Friend Kim and baby Emerson joined us. Isn’t this little girl just as sweet as can be? Beautiful mom, beautiful daughter.
Mr. Personality
Can I be candid for a moment without being judged? Here comes honesty: I’m not looking forward to having a newborn. Wow, that sounds harsh, right? Let me expand on that. Newborns are miraculous creatures, they really are. They are fun to stare at while marveling over their creation and existence and ability to survive. But beyond that, they don’t really do much. I mean puppies are born with the ability to walk. Isn’t that crazy? I mean you think about all the stages a newborn goes through and it’s like a freaking celebration when they roll over for the first time weeks after their born. Willy and I have said time and time again that we wish we could birth a one year old and start out at the fun stage immediately. Instant gratification.
And that’s based solely on our experience with Hooper. Because 11 months after he was born, a personality started to flourish. Who knew he would ever be anything more than a blob? And since that time, his personality has grown exponentially. And it is so. freakin’. fun.
I embrace the newborn stage wholeheartedly because I know now what it leads to. Dear 16 month old little humans, you guys are so rad.
Underwood Family Farm
A co-worker of mine told me about Underwood Family Farm a while back and I’ve been waiting for Hooper to be old enough to enjoy it. After our last successful trip to the zoo, I thought it was time for some more goat petting. This place is awesome and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.
In case you’re wondering, there were numerous goats and sheep waiting to be brushed but of course Hooper was more interested in the “broom” instead. I’m telling you, there is a special relationship between this boy and brooms. He’s destined to be a janitor. A very successful janitor.
He was also interested in the goat’s water. But come on now, who wouldn’t want to slap their hands around in some goat water. I know I was dying to put my hands in there.
Hey der babee goatz. Want to pway wif me?
Oh no! Babee goat go b-bye.
Dis goat tis my fwend. I touch his nose.
I also give my fwend keeshes. Don’t worry, I didn’t use tongue.
Mommy wheels me around in my little wred wagons…
But I like to pull the wagon too.
Dis twas my forst pony wride. I arch my back when I ride da pony. 
In case you’re wondering, yup, I even got to drive the wood train…
AND pway in da sand box.
We stopped at the produce section on the way out and picked up some fresh fruits and vegetables. Man o’ man are those strawberries good. We have a return visit already planned.
Style de Hooper
I bought this little vintage outfit on Ebay so long ago that I cannot even find any record of it. It’s from the 70’s and it came with tags still attached. Total score! One of my favorites. I’ve been waiting for Hooper to grow into this number. And, of course, his new Vans. Gotta love em’.
Sidenote: Thank you to everyone for their kind words in response to my last post. Sarah is practically back to normal. If that dog didn’t have bad luck, she’d have no luck at all but boy does she bounce back fast. I’m back at work today, crossing my fingers that my body can handle it and that I’m not a complaining mess of a pregnant woman by the end of my 12 hour shift.
Bits + Pieces
Snapshots from our week:
There was a time when Hooper was more into the trash can than his toys. He’s still into the trash cans, trust me, but he’s also discovering the mounds of toys in his room. He’s hell bent on learning how this little vintage Mickey winds. He hasn’t got the dexterity quite yet // Papa likes to call this cuddle time. I call it the let me distract you with YouTube videos on my phone so I can enjoy your little body in this crevice here I made for you. Either way, it’s time enjoyed on both ends // We listened to records. Lots of Mellow Yellow in celebration of Hooper’s apparent favorite color, “weyow” // Bath time is always a good time. If I could photograph babies in the bath for the rest of my life, I think I’d be totally content. No matter how many pictures I’ve taken of him in the bath, they are all different. Definitely one of my favorite times to grab my camera. Keeping my camera dry, on the other hand, now therein lies the challenge // We read some books. Of course Hooper found the one book with a broom in it // Hooper played with the remotes, a daily rite of passage. I cannot tell you how many times Willy has come home and asked me why I’m recording the news in Spanish or the direct TV information channel // Hooper found a hidden toy. It was hidden because it does not belong to him. It’s a gift awaiting to be given. He will be sad to see it go // I found the most perfect vintage plastic bowls. You may remember when my hunt started a while back. They are Hooper-proof, it says so on the bottom: Unbreakable // But those dishes in the dishwasher you see above, they are breakable, and a very little human would like nothing more than to grab one and throw it right off of the rack.
Happy Friday!
The Day the House Stayed Dirty
It was a weekday and I had the day off from work. I did two loads of laundry and ran the dishwasher in the morning and by the time Hooper woke up from his nap, I felt like that was enough. So I left the unfolded laundry, a dishwasher full of clean dishes, and a house with things strewn about, grabbed Hooper and headed to the beach. It was a nice day, not overly hot, with the occasional breeze that made you think twice about grabbing your jacket. We took the windy road over the mountain and parked it at the first beach we came to. One family to our right, a man sleeping with his bicycle to our left, the pacific ocean directly in front of us, blue skies overhead. It was the perfect way to spend the day, a perfect way to break the monotony, a perfect way to celebrate my days off with this little joy of ours.
I watched as Hooper slowly warmed up to his new surroundings, sifting his fingers through the sand, chewing on sticks that had washed ashore. I watched as he discovered the seagulls and continued to watch as he put all of his energy toward catching up to one. There’s nothing like watching an innocent child run after something that can fly. The first of many lessons, I suppose. I scooped him up, plopped him on my lap and tried to show him the beauty in merely watching the birds swarming above us. He rested his head on my shoulder for a second and it was all I needed to know the moment, the day, was well spent.
We returned home to dishes waiting to be put away, laundry waiting to be folded, and toys waiting to be placed back on the shelf. But we added a coin to memory bank and for that, we’re just a little richer. Sometimes, house work can wait.
Hooper @ 16 Months
Growth: You haven’t been weighed or measured this month but what I can tell you is that you are growing out of your 12 month pajamas and into the 18-24 month sizes. We bought you new shoes this month, as your feet have grown out of the size four. We opted to get you a size five instead of a 4.5 so you have some room to grow and we can save some money. You’re still wearing size 4 diapers. I’m starting to lose track of how many teeth you have, but you definitely have four front teeth on top and four on the bottom and I believe you have 3 molars with one more just pushing it’s way through. You handle teething like a champion. With the exception of some extra fussiness for a night, we’d have no idea. In fact, I checked your mouth just the other night because you were a bit on the fussy side and that’s when I discovered three had already come through and one side was swollen, prepping for another little rascal to join the others. Not sure when the three others came through and why those didn’t seem to bother you, but this mama ain’t complaining.
Feeding: You eat a lot of what you like. You can polish off a container of fresh raspberries in two days, possibly one if I let you. Those are your favorite at the moment, as blueberries have fallen to the wayside. You’ve also become a mac n’ cheese monger. We discovered this one night at Red Lobster where you ate an entire plate of mac n’ cheese faster than the Wiggles can jump into their big red car. Raisins are still your favorite snack. As a result there are always stale raisins at the bottom of my purse. You could care less, you’ll eat em’ however you find em’. Other things you’re fond of these days are whole wheat bagels with cream cheese, carrots with ranch, scrambled eggs with cheese, yogurt, chicken fried rice, chicken pesto pasta, ground beef with taco seasoning, most any cheese and, of course, chicken nuggets. If you’re really good, we’ll give you a nugget of dog food for dessert, which is still your all time favorite. Seriously. You also have a new obsession with the temperature of your food and like to think everything is “ha-ha-ha” or hot. 
You drink anywhere from 15-25 ounces of whole milk a day. You’ve also finally started to like juice, which we discovered the same night at Red Lobster. Although in hindsight, I’m not sure if it was the juice you liked or if it was just the cup and straw that you truly fancied. Either way, we discovered that night that you can drink from a straw. It was exciting. 
(note the food on Sarah’s face)
Sarah is never far away when food is around and you are still very nice about sharing with her. I’ve come to think having a dog is absolutely essential for no other reason than their contribution to clean up. Sarah really cuts down on the post-meal pick-up.
Sleeping: I hope you teach your bother early on how awesome it is to sleep through the night and take long naps, cuz you are king of sleeping. When you’re awake, you never stop moving and then you crash, but you’re moving right up until I place you in your crib. Then you grab your blanket, stick those two fingers in your mouth, and you’re out. It’s lovely. Typically you play for a while in your crib before you’re ready to come out. Other times you whine until someone comes in. Either way, as soon as that door opens, the first thing out of your mouth is “ca-ca” as you grab your diaper. Yes, you love to notify us of the shit in your pants. If papa’s around and hasn’t heard this proclamation, sometimes I convince him you said “pa-pa” and with honor and pride he comes running into your room to free you from your little prison. He’s never too stoked with the surprise. Other times you say “ca-ca” but haven’t shit, Papa coined this the feces fake out.
Talking: Oh your little voice just melts my heart. The repetitive baby talk like ca-ca, ma-ma, pa-pa, da-da is one thing, but when those two syllable words or words with meaning attached come out of your mouth I just want to eat you all in one massive bite. The way you say “baby” is just precious as can be. You see a picture of yourself on the computer and declare, “baby”. You see a 6 year old on the side walk and declare, “baby”. You point to my belly and declare, “baby”. You see a stroller, or even a wheelchair, and declare, “baby”. And yes, in case you’re wondering, it’s quite embarrassing when you refer to a 90 year old woman being pushed around in a wheelchair as a baby. You’ll be there one day too, you know. You also say “yellow”, but it comes out “weyow”. Willy has you saying “Willy”, but it comes out like “wewwE”. You say “een” for “green” and “bo” for “blue”. You also say “bone”, “broom” (though you still roll the “r” with your lips), “whoa”, “koki” for “cookie”, and “bayoon” for balloon. You’ll repeat just about anything, but you have surprisingly made no attempt to say “Sarah” or even “doggie”. Not sure why, she’s clearly your best bud. 
As I mentioned before, you are enthralled with hot things. You point to lights and the oven and stove and proclaim “ha-ha-ha”. We’ve tried to convince you that things we don’t want you to touch like our iPhones are also hot, but I think you’re just confused or know we’re fibbing because you’ll go ahead and touch it anyway. You’re also still obsessed with brooms and point out, wherever we are, where the broom is. It’s funny, nearly every major establishment has a broom tucked away somewhere. Not sure how, but you always spot them.
Development: Hooper, seriously, what’s with the pinching when you want to get your way? Your little fingers are like claws and you sink them into my skin like an overweight man with butter on his legs in quick sand. Or something like that. Really though, who taught you to pinch? Sarah doesn’t have thumbs, so I can’t blame her for this one. What I can blame her for is your behavior with other children. Yes, you treat your counterparts like dogs. You want them to chase you like Sarah does, so you initiate a game of chase by going up to other children and hitting him, or tagging them as I prefer to call it. I know you are not trying to be malicious, but if some little boy did that to you I’d want to whop him from here to China, where they could put him to work in a factory and feed him only stale rice. What I’m trying to say is that children are not animals and you cannot play with them like you do with Sarah. Capiche? I feel like handing each kid you hit a buck and saying “I’m so sorry”. You’re like the boy that was raised by wolves. The only play you’ve learned has been from Sarah and it’s very aggressive and hands on. Not sure what to do about this.
You know most of your body parts and can point out things like your teeth and knees, in addition to your head, hair, eyes, ears, nose, and feet. You love a good game of chase or simply running back and forth between your Papa and I. You could stay outdoors forever, making games out of throwing dirt into the ivy or reorganizing the rocks. You still love YouTube videos and are especially into the Wiggles. Papa and I know Greg, Murray, Anthony, and Jeff well and can’t get over their silly antics. Those Wiggles are really something.
Your confidence is budding so beautifully. You’re so stoked on yourself. It’s funny to witness as you do something for the first time or do something you think is so cool and this tidal wave of pride just washes over your little face in the sweetest way. You wear confidence beautifully and I hope it never leaves.
Style de Hooper
Shirt: from Etsy seller Lishyloo
Shorts: from Etsy seller Little Reader Vintage
Shoes: Vans
Polly Wanna Cracker? Part II
I started a cracker experiment a while back. You can read the first post here. This is an update. Here’s what Hooper has tried on a cracker:
