Art

Warner's friend Ethan lent him an Aquadoodle mat and pen, but it's taken him a while to get the hang of it. For a while he would just suck on the pen (filled with water - yuck) and run around the house with it in his hand. After some instruction, I think he's gotten it.And, he doesn't eat crayons anymore, either. What progress.

New Blogger

It's never a good sign when I've taken my eye off of Warner and the house becomes very quiet. This happened the other day and I found him here:
We might just have a new blogger in the family.

It's a ...

... girl! We had our ultrasound Thursday and everything seems to be going well this pregnancy. Thankfully we had a patient ultrasound tech who went back a second time to find out the sex of the baby - she wasn't too cooperative the first time around!

We are so thrilled to know that the baby is healthy. The fact that it's a girl is icing on the cake! We can't wait to meet this little one in August. Well, Warner might be able to wait, but I'm sure he'll love being a big brother once he gets used to it.

My Little Helper

Warner has just started "helping" around the house. He will (sometimes) help pick up his toys, put his clothes in the laundry basket, etc. But he surprised me today.

I stopped using a diaper genie a long time ago and instead just put his stinky diapers in the garbage in the garage. I had set a stinky diaper on the steps to our basement to take to the garage on our next trip out, but before I had a chance to throw it away, Warner and I were coming back up the stairs to the kitchen. Warner picked up the diaper, walked to the pantry, opened the pantry door (I didn't know he could do this - kind of a bummer that he can now reach the knob), and put the diaper in the garbage! The best part was afterward. He shut the pantry door, turned to look at me, patted his chest (he does this when he's proud of something he's done), and gave me the biggest smile.

I could get used to this.

Florida

Warner and I spent 10 days in Florida and returned home earlier this week. Unfortunately Kevin wasn't able to join us. The flight was my only concern as far as traveling alone with a 17 month-old, but it turned out to be okay. Warner passed the time by running up and down the aisle of the plane, trying to sneak into first class/playing with the first class divider curtain, playing with the bathroom door, eating snacks (he blew through them about 30 minutes into each flight), and watching Mickey Mouse on DVD. Whew.

Once we arrived at the beach, Warner was in heaven. Each day he played in the sand, the ocean, the pool, and probably his favorite was the hose that you use to wash your feet off after coming in from the beach. Go figure. He would run straight into the ocean alone if we weren't quick enough.In the pool with Grammy.
"Look at the birds, Mom!""I'd like to go this way, Grammy.""Swimming" in the ocean.

All of the playing took it's toll - Warner took 2-3 hour naps each day and slept like a rock for 11+ hours each night. It was wonderful! I got plenty of beach/pool time during his naps (my Grandma would watch Warner for me while he slept) and finished almost 2 books and got to walk each day. Truly a vacation for me, too!

The rest of the time we spent with family - my mom was there the whole time, as were my Grandparents. My dad was there for a few days, and so were my Aunt Debbie, Jami (my cousin Tommy's wife - their blog is on my links - The Warner Family), and their kids Maddi and Trey.Warner with Grandma and Grandpa Warner (we call them Grandma and Grandpa Gene though, because I have a feeling the Warner thing will get confusing pretty soon).
And of course our vacation diet was a bit unhealthy. Ice cream, suckers, goldfish whenever Warner wanted, etc. Over the course of our visit, Warner and Grammy became quite the friends. Even though my parents are in Texas now, it's nice that we can still spend quality time together so often.What a great vacation.

Sweet

We started out really well with Warner's diet. He didn't have processed sugar until his first birthday, and I even made his baby food. Unfortunately it's been downhill since his first bite of birthday cake.

Warner is what we call an eater. He generally eats whatever is in front of him, which for the most part is healthy. In my defense, I'm very conscious of his diet being well-balanced and including plenty of vegetables and fruits. But sweets are my weakness and I'm pretty sure they're going to be Warner's, too. Add in the fact that I'm pregnant and love to bake, and you've got a recipe for disaster.
During our trip to Muncie last week, MaNell, Emme, Warner, and I had doughnuts for breakfast. This is Warner pointing to them, saying "dat" for "that", which means he wants more. Lots more. (Notice his mouth is already full when he asks for more).
And then this weekend for Nanny's birthday, Leslie and the girls made cupcakes. Warner put down two entire cupcakes before we cut him off.

Yes, he's my son indeed.

Grey's Anatomy

It's Meredith's fault that I watch Grey's Anatomy to begin with.

She and I drove to Chicago in the fall of 2007 for a girls weekend with my mom. Mere had been on me for a while to get up to speed on Grey's so we could discuss the newest episodes that came out. We rented the first season that weekend and watched the entire thing in my parents' basement. I'll never forget that weekend. It was a lot of tv to watch, and Mere joked that it was a tough job, but we "pressed through" (her words).

She'd laugh as drums would start to beat loudly in the background music and would say that means a commercial is coming. She said it always worked that way (and I've found she's right). And, she could often tell us when the show wasn't medically sound. Like when they talked about giving someone pain medication for a CT scan. Mere had tons of CT scans so she knew it was a painless procedure for which drugs weren't given.

From that weekend on, I started watching Grey's Anatomy. Mere and I would call each other after the show and discuss our thoughts about what had happened. She was frustrated with the Meredith/Derek relationship and thought the older seasons were better because they contained more medical drama.

Now every episode reminds me of my sister. In nearly every story line I see Mere, her battle, and my family's battle. I think about Mere and what she might think about this season. About what we'd talk about when we discuss the show. And then I cry. Sometimes really loud and obnoxious crying (I watch the show after Warner goes to bed and on the nights Kevin works so my obnoxious crying thankfully doesn't annoy anyone). I tell myself it's therapeutic, but I'm not so sure.

Meredith's death is still so fresh in my mind. I think of her last moments daily. I think of all of the years that were taken from her by the cancer. I think of her in heaven. What is she doing? What is it like there? Can she see me here on earth? Does she see how big Warner has gotten? Does she know that we're expecting another baby? Does she know how much I miss her?

The pain is raw. Still. April 22nd will be here before we know it, marking one year since she left us. A year seems like a long time. It feels like an eternity since I've seen or spoken to Meredith. But it also feels like just yesterday that she was here.
I came across this picture the other day. It was taken around the time of our Grey's marathon in Chicago, when Meredith was in the hospital. Meredith found my camera and decided I needed a few pictures of her, and took this one herself. I cherish it now. It's so Mere.

I know I'll see her again one day soon. And I'm so thankful to Jesus for that.

Frustrated

He may not look ornery at first glace. But looks can be deceiving.

Warner has tested my patience today. Too many times to count. This little person who was once so compliant now has a (strong) will of his own and is very colorful in the ways he expresses himself. Mainly, he hits. Hits me, himself, or anything nearby. Or, he throws things - toys, food, sippy cups (thank heavens for spill-proof sippy cups. Our house would be one sticky mess without them).

I've tried everything from gently putting his arms at his side and telling him that we don't hit or throw ... to not so gently explaining that we don't do these things. I've tried time-outs where we sit and count to 20. I've tried leaving the room (my personal favorite, as I get a break and a chance to cool down). Nothing seems to work.

We had our first playgroup today with Mom's Club. Four other boys ranging in age from 13 to 16 months came over to our house with their mothers. As the moms talked, I was relieved to hear that my son is not the only one driving his mother crazy. I just hope I'm responding to Warner's behavior appropriately.

And, I'm often told it's a phase. He won't go to college hitting things when he gets mad ... right?

Cookies

Warner helped me make Valentine's Day cookies today. It turned out to be a time intensive process between making the actual cookies and keeping Warner involved/entertained. He was a good sport though. As I made the dough Warner watched closely and used his own cooking tools.The look of disbelief at how I could keep cookie dough from him for this long.Let's just touch this one to make sure it's ready for the oven.Are they done yet?He didn't care what was going on once I gave him the spatula with icing on it. He had a death-grip on it for about an hour, including during dinner. He ate the entire meal one-handed so he could keep the spatula in the other hand.The finished product. And they taste better than they look, if you can believe it.

Museum

We met one of my friends from college at the Children's Museum yesterday for a playdate. Jessica and her husband Jay have a daughter, Madison, who is two months older than Warner. They are new to Cincinnati and had never been to the museum, so Warner was happy to show Madison around.

Well actually, Warner pretty much did his own thing and occasionally seemed to notice that Madison was there with him. This is the best picture we could get of the two kids together - he's not so sure about sharing the car with a girl:Well, if it's Mom then it's okay.
I love watching Warner play at the museum. He seems to enjoy it more with each visit and is quickly becoming quite independent while playing.
Warner let Kevin hold his hand as we walked to the car on the way out. This is one of the first times this has happened (usually Warner would prefer to walk all by himself, thank you very much) so I'm glad I got a picture.

Worn out

Warner has refused a nap for the past three days. It's been exhausting, probably more so for Kevin and I than for him. Each day he sat in his crib for 2 hours babbling, banging the wall, playing with his stuffed animals, and whining. But no sleeping.

He has been the best napper for so long now, I haven't known what to do with this. He normally sleeps for 2-3 hours in the afternoon so you can imagine how tired he must have been each night that he refused a nap.

Thankfully the streak was broken this afternoon. He is sleeping soundly in his crib. For now.

Peanut Butter

I left Warner alone in his highchair with his breakfast (banana and peanut butter toast) for about 2 seconds and this is what I came back to:And I thought we were making progress on the self-feeding front.

Dedication

Warner was dedicated at our church last night. The Vineyard (and Kevin and I!) believe that a person should be baptized after they have made the decision to follow Christ. Therefore, young children are dedicated, not baptized, at our church. My parents flew in from Texas; Kevin's parents, sister, and her family come from Somerset and Lexington; and my Aunt Kathy and cousins Katie and MaNell came in from Indiana. It was so special to have everyone there for the event.

It was a quick ceremony where Kevin, Warner, and I stood up on stage, introduced ourselves, and expressed our desire and intention to raise Warner in a home that points to Christ. Afterward, our family and church members came to pray over us. It was quite an emotional moment for me. I was moved by the prayers asking God to give Kevin and I wisdom as we parent, and for Warner to come to know Jesus as his savior at a young age. I want so much for my son, but at the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is his salvation. We dedicated Warner to God last night, and acknowledged that while God has entrusted Warner to us here on earth, he is ultimately God's, not ours. What a huge and humbling thought.

The pictures didn't turn out that great ... here we are on stage:
With my parents:And with Kevin's family:

Cabin Fever

We've been home-bound for three days now after our winter storm on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was pretty nasty - 3-4 inches of snow, then an inch of ice, then 3-4 more inches of snow. Kevin even had a snow day from work yesterday which is very rare. It's beautiful outside but I am going stir-crazy! Funny how a trip to the grocery store this morning turned out to be the highlight of my week.

Warner helped Kevin shovel some of the driveway ...
... and poor Kevin is probably sick of pushing Warner (and Pioneer, his stuffed monkey) around on his bike inside the house.
Warner has also been testing us with food lately. He eats a great breakfast and then refuses anything but goldfish crackers or grapes for lunch. I was at my wits end yesterday when he wouldn't eat the vegetables I made for him at lunch, so he went to sleep for his nap without eating. I offered the veggies again when he woke up and he refused them until around 5pm when hunger must have set in. Then it was a different story. He loved the vegetables then. Hmm.

We had a repeat performance today. Kevin made him macaroni and cheese with mixed vegetables mixed in for lunch and all Warner did was mash the peas onto his highchair. However, he ate broccoli and lasagna for dinner with us tonight. I refuse to raise a picky eater so maybe lunch just won't happen at the Platt household for a while. My mom says I shouldn't be too crazy or Warner might write a book about me someday (Mommy Dearest, anyone?), so we're searching for middle ground.

Snow

I'm going to stop watching the Weather Channel. When they predict snow we get nothing, and when they don't predict snow it snows. We got a dusting today and although it wasn't much, I've been waiting all winter to introduce Warner to the snow, so we played in it!
Not quite sure if he's going to venture out of the garage.
Distracted by an airplane.
Alright Mom, I'll sit in the sled. I'm not sure about this, but I'll do it for you.
Walking in this stuff is pretty fun.
Except for these mittens. Will you please take off my mittens?

By the end of our 25 minutes in the snow I think Warner had warmed up to the idea of playing in it. But he definitely wasn't over-enthusiastic about it. I must say I'm a little disappointed. I loved playing in the snow as a child and hope one day our kids will too (so I can re-live my childhood and play with them, of course).

But for now, I'd say today was a success.