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Sunday, October 22nd , 2006
It was bound to happen sooner or later...
Last Sunday I got a call from my mom while I was at work. Chase had fallen into the coffee table and cut his head pretty bad. I came home and saw this gash. Not too big, but bleeding profusely, but still oozing and rather deep. I took him to the ER. This is Chase's 2nd trip there. The first time, he had fallen, but had a high fever. That time he had a really bad ear infection.
The ER was packed. But we were in and out in about an hour. The men in front of us were very kind to Chase, and kept playing with him. Chase, of course, had no idea he was hurt. He just wanted to go look at the fish. After we got into the room, the tending physician thought maybe Chase didn't need stitches, then after cleaning the wound, we saw how deep it was.
It took about 5 people, including me to hold him down. They used staples instead of stitches. I was surprised I didn't pass out. They double stapled him in one spot, so they had to remove those two staples and restaple the wound again. UGH.. by that time, I'm sure I had no color left.
Yesterday Chase went to his first Halloween party! He dressed up as Tigger and played around. They brought out a few animals, but Chase got soo excited when he saw the turtle, he leaped up and almost smashed the turtle. There were soo many people in the way, we all reached out to get Chase until he got tackled down by someone. I'm not sure who was more scared, Chase, the turtle or the mommy that went for Chase. Everything and everyone was fine. I think I got a few more white hairs after that.
Sunday, October 15th , 2006
More Firsts for Chaser .....
This has been a really big month for Chase! We took a road trip to Las Vegas to visit Chase's Grandma Gina, and his two uncles Dominic & Anthony. Surprisingly, Chase did very well on the 4 hour drive, there and back. It was raining on our way there. Which made very pretty rainbows. It was the first time Chase ever saw a rainbow! And we were lucky to see double rainbows that crossed each other. The most amazing sight ever!
As soon as we got to Gina's, Chased picked up uncle Anthony's skateboard and skated ( in his own way ) all around the drive way. This kid is such a daredevil! He?s FEARLESS. He loved seeing his family again. He helped daddy clean up Grandma Gina's yard, played at the park with Maisy, started saying many new words, and decided to point out every single plane in sight, even the ones soooo far away, that we could barely see them!
Chase also decided he likes sleeping in his toddler bed now. I caught him on video sneaking out of his crib. We finally took the rail off the crib, but still, he prefers his toddler bed and uses the crib for his stunts.
Speaking of stunts. He's getting full work outs at his gym class. The means, Mommy gets full works out there too, making sure to catch him as he leaps off the highest steps, trusting that I will catch his fall. My hair is turning white, I swear!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Always a new adventure...
It seems like I was just about to start keeping up with posting updates, regularly, when BAM! my new lap top's hard drive crashed. I lost about a month worth of videos and photos of Chase. It's funny becuase I was just thinking about buying an external hard drive to hold all my files, documents, etc. I just haven't been able to get myself to try to recover lost data, or upload photos. Hopefully, I'll get back into the swing of things now....
My last post Chase was just shy of a year and a half, and now, he'll be 2 in 5 more months!
It amazes me just how incredible this little being is. He's super smart. You can see him, just trying to figure everything out. He understands locks, and knows that you put a key in and turn it to open it. I constantly catch him trying to stick just about anything he can into all the locks around the cabinets and front door. He knows that Tigers, Lions, Cheetahs, and Jaguars are all related to the cat family.
His vocabulary is expanding. Still his 2 favorite words are Cat ,Jack and Cracker. He knows what things are and he's starting to point out and say what things are. His newest saying is "Uh Oh". And he knows exactly when to use it. I'm very happy, that so far, No is not a part of his vocabulary. Instead, he will shake his head and say "Na Uh" , when he doesn't want something. And I'm starting to hear him say please when he wants something, but that's not too often.
He's become more and more daring. Take dives off the couch, from the back, or the highest part of the couch. He'll just walk right off the coffee table and laugh. And he's recently learning how to jump, with both feet off the ground at the same time.
He goes into the pool a few times a week. His pale white skin is starting to get some golden color to it. He loves to swim. He's starting to put his head underwater more and more. And will jump into the pool with his life vest on, and crack up laughing. It used to terrify me, especially when his head went underwater, but now, I know he knows to hold his breath, so I'm slowly getting comfortable with it. He understands that he needs to kick his feet and paddle his arms to move around the pool, and he's getting quite good at it.
I rearranged his room to pull his crib out so he'll start sleeping in his toddler bed, but it caused him great anxiety. He will lay in his bed and read a book, but he does not want to fall asleep in it. So I put his room back to the way he was used to, and he's still continuing to sleep in his crib. He crawls out of his crib, but only if we are in the room with him. I'm hoping he doesn't try any stunts getting out, while I'm sleeping!
He's gotten very good at holding crayons. And is making circles, and getting more control over his drawing. But I still don't know if he'll be left or right handed, since he doesn't seem to favor one more than the other.
And today he got his second hair cut. I'm sad to say, his little mohawk has been cut off. No more little curls. He's got a short, short hair cut now. He's still as cute as can be if you ask me!!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Almost 18 months old...
I think I have the silliest little boy in the world!
Seriously, I have a hard time trying not to laugh most of them time. Especially when he's doing something he shouldn't be doing.
For example, last night he was standing on the coffee table and I was sitting on the floor. I was talking to him, asking him why he was standing and dancing up on the table, and before I knew it, he took a leap and dived into my arms. It's a good thing I have quick reflexes! Yes, I couldn't believe he just did that, but it was funny. And I tried not to laugh, but he thought it was the funniest thing in the world, so he did it again. I made sure to put some pillows on the floor, just in case. And he saw his pillow, so he took a head dive down, laughed and layed on the pillow, like he knew it was time for bed. What worries me, is if he tries to do this when no one is looking.
I'm still not convinced his ear infection is gone completely. He's not really tugging at his ear, but sometimes he pokes at his ears. And occasionally I notice he's not fully balanced. He's goes into the doctor in a few days for his 18 month check up and his next round of shots.
We went to the LA Zoo yesterday. He had lots of fun, and really enjoyed looking at the animals. We were looking at the photos we took yesterday, then comparing them to the photos from last May when we first took him to the zoo. I can't believe how much he's grown and how much he's changed! I know kids grow fast, but the change is drastic. I wouldn't change it for the world, but I do miss my bald, gummy little baby!! It's a good thing I took tons of photos!
Last weekend we had a friend, Monique come down from Northern Ca. She's part of the December '04 Mommy group on Yahoo that we are on. Astarra is only a few days older than Chase. But slightly taller than him. Misti and Ethan came up to visit to. It was neat watching these 3 babies, so close in age interact with each other. And the funny thing, is that all 3 of them look like they can be related! I noticed how shy Chase is. It was his first time near a little girl. And when he was being friendly, he was acting like she had cooties.
I'm thinking it's time to get him into some play groups now. He really does need some interaction with other kids his age. They are just sooo expensive. I don't need him to be in day care just yet, since I only work a few nights a week. But I'd like to try to find some head start program soon.
Sun 5/7/2006 10:34 PM
First trip to the ER
6 days since my last post here? Are you kidding me? I feel like it was just yesterday! Alot can happen in 6 days.
Almost a week ago, Chase made his very first trip to the emergency room. Last Tuesday, we had just gotten out of the shower. Chase was playing in the hallway like he normally does. He was running in and out of the bathroom, through my room. I was almost dressed when I heard him wince, then start screaming. I ran out to find him in the dining room, laying on the middle of the floor, with a busted up lip, that was already swelling , and blood running down his nose. He didn't actually get a bloody nose, it was a scrape , just underneath his nose, above his lip. Poor little guy. He didn't cry too much, I just rinsed his face off in the bathroom, and as soon as he saw Jack, he was fine. I gave him some Motrin and about 45 mins. later, some milk and put him down for a nap.
He woke up about an hour later. Same silly Chase. Aside from a scab and a swollen, bruised up lip, you would never even know he just busted himself up. As a matter of fact, I'm really not even sure what he fell on. He ate some lunch. Played a bit. And then started getting a little fussy. He hasn't really been taking 2 naps anymore. But he was acting like he was tired. So I got him another glass of milk and put him in his room so he could nap. As I laid him down, I felt how hot he was. I grabbed a thermomotor to take his temperature. It read 104.5 . I thought maybe the scanner I was using was wrong, so I grabbed another one, and tried. 102.6 . I called the doctors office after I gave him some Tylenol. It was 5:03. The office just closed. I left a message with the doctors exchange.
I started panicing. I had to be at work in 2 hours, but there was no way I was going in if Chase wasn't better. So I got dressed and called my boss to let him know I was taking Chase into the ER and I'd be a couple hours late to work. Luckily he was ok with that.
The ER was great. We didn't have to wait too long. Chase's fever dropped to 101.5 by the time we got there. Turns out Chase has a bad, middle ear infection. So they gave us some antibiotics and sent us home. That explains why he fell. Come to think about it, he had been clumsy for a few days. But other than that, we had no idea his ear was hurting him.
His regular doctor didn't call us back promptly. I think I finally got a call around 8 pm. The on call doctor was appologizing, saying the exchange paged a doctor that wasn't even working that night. It all worked out. He told me what do to about the ear infection and filled me in about fevers. And explained that if I ever had an emergency and didn't hear back from a doctor within an hour, I should call again.
Other than that, Chase has been great. Back to his normal self, about to give Mommy a heart attack at any moment!
Monday, May 1, 2006
Toddler time!!
My oh my... how things change in such a short time! I know it's been a long while since my last post, but I haven't been able to find the time I used to , to post as much as I'd like.
Chase is growing sooo fast. Too fast. He's really the size of a 2 or 3 year old. Wearing size 24m - 2T clothes. And he's got soooo much hair now!! Though the back of his hair if alot longer and starting to look like a mullet, I think we are giving him his first hair cut next weekend.. Sigh. I love his little curls !!
He's just about got all his teeth in now. Just waiting for his 2 bottom k9s to come in. We didn't really have too hard of a time with him teething. Lucky us. But he's gotten his first real cold now. Complete with the snottyist nose ever and the worst little cough. And it hasn't gotten him down one bit, he's still his same little active, exploratory self!!
We are finally settled into our now apartment. Chase has adjusted quite well. In fact, I dont think he was bothered by the move one bit. He's in his own room now. I think that was harder for me, than it was for him. We bought him a toddler bed, because he's gotten out of his crib 2 or 3 times now, and I dont want him to fall out and get hurt while we're sleeping. He hasn't been sleeping in his bed during the nights yet. But he has taken several naps on it. Mostly I think because we don't have typical door knobs, we have handles that Chase can open. So until we can figure something out and are completely unpacked, he'll stay in his crib at night, for now.
He loves to go swimming, play at the park, swing on the swings. And still a stuntman in training. Constantly taking dives off all the furniture and climbing up on everything he can. He's figured out how to open most of our baby gates, or climb over them or crawl under them. It's hystrical to watch.
I think it's time I get him into some pay group and try out the baby Gymboree. He really needs to learn how to start playing with other kids. We now live in the same complex as his little buddy Ethan, but since Ethan goes to daycare during the week, they really only get to hang out on Sundays. It's a hoot to watch them interact with each other!!
Chase is talking up a storm now. Jack is still his favorite thing to play with. He loves to help vaccuum or sweep up the house, and is forever cleaning up , whether it's with his woobie or a paper towel. He behaves very good when we take him out to eat . But, much like Mommy, he's a picky eater. He usually wants to eat, only what Mommy or Daddy are eating. His favorite things to eat are: pancakes, Malt O Meal, Cheerios, Beans, spicy foods, Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Lasagna.
I think I hear him waking up from his nap.. More updates soon!!
Wed 1/11/2006 5:13 PM
the start of the new year..
Wow.. again I must say... boy time sure does fly by...
I'll make this a quick update so I can post updates regularly again.
Christmas was sooo much fun. Chase was over whelmed with all the presents he recieved. He was still a little unsure about ripping through the wrapping paper. We gave him his rocking horse on Christmas Eve. He looked sooo excited to see it. He crawled over then gave it a big hug and rode it for awhile.
Christmas morning he opened up a present, a truck and fell in love with it. All he wanted to do was play with the truck. He didn't have too much interest in opening anything else.. ha ha ha.. But he got through them all. We took lots of photos and some video.!
Chase had his 12 month appointment on Dec. 21. He measured in at 32 inches and about 24 pounds. I need to find the paper I wrote it down for the exact measurements. He got shots in his arm and was trooper about it all. Even waved bye to the nurses as we left.
He cut a new tooth and now has 2 molars trying to push thier way out. He's standing up by myself everywhere and trying to walk. He's got this little crab/monkey half walk, half crawl thing that he's doing now. It's quite entertaining. He's taken about 5 steps, but he rushes through his steps and he's very proud of himself , every step or every time he stands by himself.
I turned Chase's car seat around, so now he can see where we drive to! He's such a big boy!
The biggest surprise of the month was the fact that we got Jack back. After 3 weeks of being away from home, I got a phone call from a woman, who lives 6.3 miles away saying that she found our cat. We can't figure out how he got there, because he was on a street, about 2 streets down from where we live, only 6 miles away. He had to cross a freeway and a part to get there. Unless someone took him by car. This is one mystery we will never figure out.
Chase's Grandpa came in to visit for week. Although Chase was a little unsure of him when we went to MD a few months ago, Chase absolutely loved his Grandpa this time. It's cute to see them together, becuase Chase looks alot like his Grandpa!
We went to the Santa Anita Race Track. Chase picked horse 2 and we placed our bet for the race that was just about to start when we got there, but 2 came in 4th place. The next race we took a triple box for 7, 8 and 9, but they finised 2, 8, 7, 9. We almost got it right! It was alot of fun. I was surprised at home many kids and babies were there on a Thursday afternoon! I can't wait to go back!
We also went to Santa Monica Beach. It was Chase's second time there. He was scared of the ocean and hated the sand , especially the wet sand on his feet. He clutched on for dear life.
I picked up some sand for him to touch and he thought that was ok. After awhile I was able to take him out of his stroller and put him on the sand. He refused to sit on the sand for a short bit, but then crawled around it like a pro. But never did stand in the sand. I dont know what it was , but he did not want his feet directly on top of the sand.
We walked around Hollywood Blvd for awhile. Tried to get a photo of Chase & Grandpa with the Hollywood sign showing, but for some reason, were having camera problems.
The night before Chase's Grandpa left I noticed Chase had a little bit of a rash on his body. Tuesday morning, I noticed it was a little worse, so we called the pediatrician. They had me bring in Chase right away. Turns out Chase fell in the 10% category and has a mild measel outbreak, from the shots. It's not contagious. And the rash should go away in the next couple of days. Poor little guy. Today his rash has gotten lighter, looks like it should be gone soon.
Thu 12/22/2005 2:28 PM
Birthday parties everywhere!
Lucky Chase... He had 3 birthday celebrations.. 4 if you include his best buddies birthday party too! ha ha ha.
My mom came over on Thrusday and brought Chase an ice cream cake. So he got a jump start in the hand musing. He loved it! Of course he does, it's ice cream and he loves ice cream! He's soo used to us cleaning him up that I think he was in a little bit of shock that he was allowed to make a mess!
Friday we took Chase to see Santa Clause at the mall and have his picture taken. Let me tell you, that place was a rip off! They charged too much for nothing. And the prints, were HORRIBLE! I wanted to take Chase to get a pony ride, but started thinking, maybe he's still too young so we just finished up some Christmas shopping and then came home because Mickey's mom and 2 little brothers came out from Las Vegas.
I made Chase some star shaped cup-cakes for his birthday. I wrote a letter on each one to spell out his name. We had a little celebration and let him dig in. And he loved it too.
Then we let him open up a few presents. I noticed that almost half of what was on his wish list was bought for him, so I did'nt want to take all his presents to the party. Chase didn't really seem to care about the presents though. He loved his fire truck and had big smiles when we showed him the clothes.
His birthday party was Saturday and my work. I know, a first birthday party in a bar??!! Well, we took the VIP room up stairs. I figured since the baby shower was held there, why not the first birthday.
Not everyone who RSVP'd showed up. But then we had some people who didn't RSVP show up, so it balanced out. We had tons of pizza let over though.
Chase loved the balloons. Chase didn't get a nap so he was poooped out before the party started! His best buddy Ethan came to his party, even though it was his birthday too!
While Chase was eating his cake, he started looking at everyone looking at him. Then he put his hand up in the air and started waving. It was full of cake and the funniest site ever!
After cake he started on his presents. He ripped through a few on them and then started losing interest. Only this time becuase he was over whelmed with gifts and saw some things he wanted to play with.
Ethan took a liking to one of Chase's presents.. This box of Lego's. It was sooo cute watching Ethan carry around the box!!
The party was only about an hour and a half long, but perfect for Chase. He was sooo loved by many people and got way more gifts that we ever imagined!
Now, the countdown is on for birthday number 2! Ha ha ha
http://invite.filmloop.com/x?nHNK4Ec2h6rC8ZyiFFVYIcgUFE0rf2yv
Fri 12/16/2005 11:12 PM
My bruiser is a year old!!
My bruiser, that's right ladies and gentlemen, Chase thought he wanted to dress himself up a bit for his birthday and gave himself a black eye. That's right, a black eye the day before his birthday and a then he gave himself a bruise on his forehead today.
Bruiser.. stuntman.. this little big guy is the silliest guy I've ever known. It's hard to think that a year ago today I gave birth to him. Ok.. maybe it's not true believe that I gave birth. But the fact that he still had a couple more weeks before his grand entrance.
I can't believe that I went in for my routine doctors appointment, having not eaten a thing for the day, only to be told I wouldn't be able to eat until the next day!
I remember telling Mickey when I got up in the morning , jokingly, to take a good look at my belly because it would be the last time he'd see it. He laughed and said yeah right. I remember telling my doctor that I didn't want to schedule the c-section in January, I really didn't think I could make it until then. And she sent me to the hospital to check the fluid in my belly.
When I was hooked up to the machine, I asked the woman if I could see the baby and she explained to me that it was a different type of ultra sound. And that you couldn't really see the baby. And then she said look, he's sticking his tongue out. My mom was there with me. We all laughed. There was Chase, in my belly and there was a clear view of his face, sticking his little tongue out.
She called my doctor. Then told me that my doctor wanted me to wait there. She would be coming in becuase I was having some contractions. None of which I felt was labor. Of course 2 days prior I was telling Mickey that I felt like I was in labor becuase my back was really unconfortable.
The hospital was packed. There was no room. Nothing. They had already performed 6 c-sections and it was only 3 pm. They put me in this really nice birthing room. My doctor, and 2 nurses came running in. 1 with an IV and 1 with a shot. They explained that I was in full blown labor and surprised that I wasn't feel much , if any, discomfort. They gave me a shot to slow down the contractions while they prepped the O.R.. I begged them to wait. I was hungry, I wanted to eat. I'll come back after 8 pm. They laughed. I needed to respond to this medication. After an hour they said they would try to wait until 6pm.
Mickey was at work. With no way, other than taking a subway and bus to get to the hospital. I kept calling him. You need to get here now. They want to take the baby now. After about an hour and a half the contractions started again. I thought for sure I was going to go through this by myself.
About 10 mins before 6 pm. I was all prepped up. Mickey and Andrew walked through the door. They made it! They gave Mickey his scrubs and wheeled me down the hall just after 6 pm. They took me into the room and explained what was going to happen. I got a spinal, by the most wonderful doctor. He was very gentle and made me very comfortable. After I was hooked up and ready to go, Mickey was brought in.
I remember looking at the clock on the wall. It was 6:45. I remember the Mickey looking at me, with a kind of worried look on his face. I remember the doctor saying, there's a foot! Oh my , that is a big foot , she said. And EVERYONE looked and said, that is a really big foot. 6:52 is the time they pulled him out. Mickey and the nurse brought him over to me so I could see him and kiss him. Then they took him out of the room.
I was wheeled into the recovery room and told that I would be there for 2 hours or until I could move my feet. I tried my best to move my legs. I was having luck moving becuase the nurse had commented, but I couldn't really feel my legs yet. She told me there was no room. So I'd have to wait until a bed became available.
It wasn't until about 11pm before I got a bed. By that time they had taken the babies into the nursery and I wouldn't be able to see my baby until morning.
The pediatrician came in to tell me that Chase had been in NICU for about 2 hours, just for observation becuase he briefly went limp after he was born. There was no explanation. But she mentioned about his heart and that the heart specialist would be in after they ran some tests.
It was a scarey and trying night and yet very beautiful night.
Wed 12/14/2005 4:56 PM
finally an update!
It's funny to read, 28 days till Chase's first birthday, now that I sit and write this new blog with only 2 more days till the Big Day!
2 more days. My little guy has grown too quickly, and this year has just flown by. It's amazing to think that this time last year, I was getting ready for my last day at work. And looking at myself, thinking, I can't get much bigger than this. I was HUGE. And this time last year, I was still almost 4 weeks away from his due date. I had no idea that in 2 days, I'd be in full blown labor at my doctors visit and that she'd admit me at that moment. Funny how life works sometimes.
Well here are the updates for the past month:
Chase is still cutting those 3 teeth, he's been working on. I can see the white parts ready to push through the gums, but still have not made their way out.
We lost Jack a couple days ago. Can't explain how it happened. I saw him last in our bedroom. So either some building maintence person came in and the cat got out, or maybe he ran out when I wasn't looking. But I really have a hard time believing that because he was such a scaredy cat and would always run right back in the apartment. In all likelyhood, I must have forgotten him out on the balcony when I left for work. He probably got scared when it started raining, and either jumped or fell off the balcony.
We posted flyers and talked to neighbors about his where abouts, but no one had anything good to offer. He was wearing his collar with his name and my cell phone number on it. I can't imagine why someone would be so cruel to keep a cat that wasn't thiers, but I understand. Jack is the sweetest cat that has the loudest purrr in the world. It's hard not to love him. The truth is that just a week or two before we almost got rid of him, becuase he decided to pee in the baby's play pen. It's not that I wouldn't let whoever had him, keep him, because I would. I just need to know that he's ok, because I'm worried. He's still a kitten and never been outdoors.. SIGH.
Well, Chase is babbling up a storm at the moment. He's talking and singing. Clapping, waving bye, feeding himself. Using the potty when I put him on it. Climbing over everything and trying to walk, but still testing the waters. He hasn't just up and walked yet. Maybe just one or two steps. He'll walk holding on to our hands or pants.
We put up our tree just after Thanksgiving. We decided on a fake tree, because we didn't want the cats and Chase to destroy the tree and get pine needles everywhere. But the funny thing, is that this fake tree sheds just as many fake pine needles, without the sap or smell!! Shibby is pretty good about not being interested in the tree. Jack on the other hand, loved the tree. He'd sleep inside up on the branches. And Chase, didn't really have any interest in the tree until Jack left. Now Chase will look into the tree and hold on the a branch while he practices his balance. I know I should tell him no, but honestly, he looks soooo cute trying to stay up, that I dont want to discourage his effort.
We put stockings up too. But nothing is in them yet. It's funny because I see Chase looking at them and the only one he really seems to touch is his own. As if he could read his name already.
I'm trying to teach him hold up 1 finger when I ask him how old he is, but it's not working. HA HA HA.
We started giving him little bits of regular Milk, but he doesn't fancy it too much. He's becoming a really picky eater now too. Basically he hates baby food. But will eat whatever I'm eating, even if it's spicy. He loves sweet potatoes! I make fresh baked sweet potatoes sticks a few times a week and he can't get enough.
He's finally getting some more hair, but still , after a year, he doens't have a full head of hair, not to mention his hair is sooo light, you can't really see all that's there! hee hee
I hear him waking up.. I'll post more really soon!
Fri 11/18/2005 3:44 PM
Milestones
Wow.. 28 more days till Chase turns one.
I'm still sooo amazed by his development. And his size. He's cutting 3 teeth right now, so he woke up really early in the morning screaming in pain. I couldn't do too much to soothe him other than give him tylenol and some baby orajel. He still cried while in his crib, even with his bottle, so I let him fall asleep on me and then put him back in his crib.
Let's see... what's new with Chase... He's started to clap now. I first saw him do it in the bath. He was splashing away , laughing and then he started clapping. Yeaaaayyyy I said!! He'll clap when I sing " patty cake, patty cake ". He give's high fives. He tries to put his hand over my mouth so I can make a sound "aaawwwhh waaaahhh".
He loves water. Not just to play in but to drink as well. He's not sooo crazy about juices. But that's ok with me. He doesn't like baby food as much as table food. In fact, if he sees me eating, he wants what I'm eating. Even if it's on the slightly spicey side. I'm vey happy that he likes spicey food! He loves those yogurt squeeze pops, frozen!! And he's always wanting to feed himself.
He loves to sing while daddy plays guitar. And he tries to play daddy's guitar. He loves things that rattle and he loves to bang anything and everything on any hard surface that will create some sort of loud noise.
He's learned how to climb up the couches and coffee table in one quick movement. And how to get down them and off the bed without falling or going head first. He knows to turn his body around and climb off - feet first . And sometimes he wants to go down head first, so he'll put his hands down and slowly crawl down.
He , of course , loves his cat Jack. He loves to carry around his tooth brush and brush his teeth throughout the day.. All the while trying to brush our teeth or Jack's face.
He's letting go of things when he's standing up, for a few minutes. And getting more comfortable walking if we are holding up his arms. We've tried to get him to walk to us, but he just cracks up laughing and plops down to crawl instead.
He'll play peek-a-boo every chance he gets. But instead of cover his eyes with his blankie, he'll cover our eyes.
He loves satin! I bought him some satin sheets and he just loves it. He sleeps longer too. I want to get him some more satin sheets but they are very hard to find, for the crib mattress.
I still can't tell if he'll be right or left handed. He's showing signs of being ambidextrous, like me and Mickey.
He's talking alot more now. Night night, Hi, Momma, Mommeee, Dadadada, Ga ga , baaabaaa . He blows kisses.. And he's becoming quite the little mimic'er. And the little hambone is hysterical, especially when he's snorts. I wish everyone could see, because it really does put you in a great mood!!
Wed 11/16/2005 11:54 PM
11 months old . . .
Today it's offical... Chase turned 11 months.. That means in exactly 1 month, my baby will be 1 year old. No longer a baby, now a toddler, but always my baby.
Today Mickey took the day off at work, so we just hung around the house being lazy. Mickey pulled out his guitar and played for Chase. Chase loves it! I definitely think we've got another musician in the house!
Chase pee'd in his potty again, like a big boy. So that makes his record, every day for the past 4 days in a row. He's been using it about 3 to 4 times a day. But today only twice. He's let me know a couple times, by crawling over to his chair. Then I'll immediately take off his diaper and sit him on the chair. I'm hoping he's getting used to the idea and it's not just pure luck. ha ha ha ha.
I made some lasagna today and Chase loved it! He was getting excited and wanted more, so I think he ate more than I did!
I'm debating what we are going to do for Chase's 1st birthday... Maybe we'll have just a few people over and I'll make an ice cream cake for him to dive right into!! And of course presents.
That leads us to Christmas... Do we get a real tree or put up a fake tree?? I mean, with 2 cats , a baby and a tree that sheds pine needles, I think it's a disaster waiting to happen... But I really want a tree. I mean, this will be Chase's first real Christmas... I know he won't remember it, but he'll see the photos. Not to mention, last year, he was just over a week old , and with being in and out of the hospital and getting released the day before, it didn't seem like much of a Christmas at all.
Sat 11/12/2005 1:08 PM
Breaking news.....
This just in... Chase officially became a big boy today! Yup, that's right.. You heard it here first....
After eating 2 ( eggless ) blueberry pancakes and some pears and strawberries, just before bath time, Chase sat on his thrown and after a few minutes he took his very first pee in his potty!
That's right... just shy of officially turning 11 months old, he's becoming a big boy....
**** SIGH ****
On to other news....
Chase weighed in at 22 pounds 8 ounces and measured 30 1/2 inches long yesterday .
He recieved his 2nd round of flu shots, which the nurse gave him in his arm. He was sooo good, he winced after the fact, but never cried..
Aaaaahh.... my little big boy!!
Thu 11/10/2005 4:10 PM
Guess who's a monkey??
I've said this time and time again... time flys by soooo fast. I can't imagine what it would be like to work full time and be a Mommy. I only work 3 nights a week, and still I sometimes feel like that is spending too much time away from Chase. ha ha ha.
Chase will be 1 year old in a month and 6 days. Seems like it was just a couple months ago that I was pregnant. I look at the photos of him since his birth and it's amazing to see how much he's changed, yet how much he still looks like the same little creature I saw when he was in my belly.
So here's the update for the past month..
Chase has become quite the little monkey. He climbs up and over everything. Including his crib!! I'm so afraid he's going to topple over and out of it. But so far, it's just him, just short of perching on top of the railing. He's up and down the couch. Climbs on top of the coffee table and sits there playing with his toys or the tv remote control.
He's still actively pursuing a career as a stunt man. While in his crib, he'll be walking across from one side to another, then let go and stand for a few seconds and then throw himself down, belly flopping on the mattress and then doing it again! It's very entertaining.
I've been letting take some baths by himself now too. Usually, I shower then bring him in so I can shampoo his hair , and wash him off, then hand him his toothbrush so he can brush his teeth, while I fill up the tub with a few inches off water, then I get out and start getting dressed and drying my hair as he splashes around and dives into the water and plays with Jack, who sometimes gets in the water with him.
He's eating stage 2 and 3 baby foods and still on formula. I'm starting to give him table foods now. Today I gave him some spaghetti I made and some potato / onion periogi, and he loved it! He couldn't get enough. Now I think is time to bring out the baby food cookbooks! I'm also letting him feed himself once a day. Usually it's some Cheerios in some yogurt.. hee hee.
I'm slowly starting to potty train him. I bought him a potty chair that I didn't like too much, so bought another one that looks like a Kings thrown. He fits in it better. I've sat him in it only about 4 times , for about 10 minutes at a time. I know he gets the idea, but has yet to actually pee in it yet. He'll look down, like he's ready and then gets distracted, usually by the Jack. Then I'll take him out or he'll climb off and then pee in his diaper. I've been watching closely though so when I know he's pee'ing I can say "Yeay" so he understands it's ok to do it and ok to do it in the chair! Wish me luck!!
Chase is also very comical. He's loves attention, and doesn't seem to shy away from any attention at all. He knows how to manipulate us into getting his way. Like dropping his binky while in his crib then making silly sounds or crying until we pick it up for him. He's doing the baby babble, but hasn't really started talking. Momma, Dadda, Gaga, Baba... He's picking more up everyday though.
He's standing up by himself now. He'll stand for a short bit then fall. Each time it gets longer and longer. He's starting to take a step or two before he falls too. I dont think it will be too long before he starts walking all over the place.
For Halloween ...I had to work. The costume we originally got for Chase didn't fit him, so as a last minute costume idea, I put his white long johns on, and put my devil horns and tail on him to take photos of him. The idea behind the costume was to make him a deviled egg. But I didn't want to color a yellow patch on his long johns and the yellow in photoshop did'nt come out the way I thought it would.. ha ha ha.. It was still a silly idea given to me by Symphonie!
That's about it for now. Chase goes in for his 2nd round of flu shots tomorrow. I'll measure him and check his weight then. He's soooo tall now. He wears 18 months perfectly. So I need to start buying all his stuff 24 months - 2 T!
Wed 10/26/2005 2:07 PM
The Balitmore Experience
Once again, I feel I have to say... I can't believe how much time has past since my last update!!
Our trip to Baltimore was great! Chase woke up a little congested so just before the flight, I gave him a small amount of Benedryl. He sat on my lap with earplanes in his ears. I gave him a bottle on take off and within 15 minutes he fell back asleep. But only for an hour. The rest of the flight he looked out the window of the plane and watched the tv in front of him, wearing headphones to hear. ( I have to say, I really enjoyed flying Jet Blue!! ) Lucky for us, no one sat next to us , so we had all 3 seats to ourselves. He never once got restless or cried. And everyone complimented us on how good he was, when we got off the plane! We could only hope the flight back would be sooo easy!!
I was amazed at all the traffic there was out there! We landed early in Dulles. It took us about 4 hours after getting our luggage to get the rental car and drive to Baltimore , which was about a 45-60 minute drive! I thought the traffic here in LA was horrid, I was wrong!!
Chase got to meet him Grandpa the first night we were there. And considering the time difference and the flight out, Chase handled things very well.
The next day we went to the Baltimore National Aquarium, and drove all around Baltimore doing touristy things. It was alot of fun! Chase loved the sea turtles!
The next day we drove to Wa. DC and did more touristy things. The traffic wasn't too bad. But it started off drizzling. We thought we'd get some rain, but the weather was perfect the whole trip!!
Chase met his great aunt Kit, his great aunt Brenda, his great aunt Jessica, his great grandpa Bim, his grandma Gina's best friend Miss Patty, he saw his aunts Jennifer and Stephanie and his uncle Mark and he got to meet some of Mickey's friends!
For the flight home... he was still a little stuffy. I didn't give him any Benedryl, until we boarded the plane. I noticed he was getting a little antsy, and he finished his bottle while we were still taxi'ing and I was afraid the pressure change would be too much for him. He didn't exactly cry, but for the first hour he wasn't too happy that I was holding him and wouldn't let him explore the seats until we were up in the air. There was a baby on the row next to us who was fussy periodically the whole flight. We heard Chase some, but not enough to be annoying. After about an hour he fell asleep and stayed asleep the whole flight back. Such a good baby!!
We took tons of photos.. 800 or more, I think. I can't post them all. But they are all on his website:
Sun 9/25/2005 3:26 PM
silly hobo toes
My silly guy is here in his pack n play and pulling out books from the bookshelf and dropping them on the floor. He thinks it's funny. But probably becuase he's caught me and Mickey laughing at him doing it. I know, I can't let him see me laugh otherwise he thinks it's a game. Oh well. At least we are counting the books as he's pulling them out, so it's somewhat education for him. HA HA HA HA.
Chase will be walking around in no time. Seriously. He's all over the place and pulling himself up on everything! While in his walker, he runs sooo fast. He's trying to stand up by himself, without holding on to anything, but he's usually not successful.
He slipped in his crib yesterday and bit his lip. Ouch. Poor guy bled. I cried. His lip is still a little swollen. But the little trooper only cried for a second. He needs to get used to those teeth!
I tried him on Gerber Graduates. Some of thier pre-cooked meals are just gross! I'm starting to give him table food. But I've got a baby food recipe book. So after our trip, Chase will slowly get off store bought baby food.
He loves yogurt. But the other day, we gave him some YoBaby yogurt and half way through the container, we found a black hair. GROSS. I called the company on Monday and they said there was no human contact with those machines. So basically it was either a rat hair or a cow hair. YUCK. GROSS. YUCK. They sent us some free coupons. 10 of them to be exact. I guess they think they can buy people. Good thing Chase didn't get sick! And those coupons came only a few days later. Still. I love that yogurt. I'll keep buying it.
We're flying out on Tuesday to Baltimore. I'm still nervous about flying. Oh yeah, and nervous about flying with the baby. I keep thinking I'm going to forget stuff I need. But then I think, they have stores there, I can just buy what I forget there... hmmm.. maybe, maybe not.
Looking forward to meeting Mickey's family though. I'll take 2 cameras and take lots of photos.
That reminds me. I put together a photo show, that is month to month since Chase's birth.
Look at ? Chase ? grow in a photo story here!
Well, I need to feed Chase then start getting ready for work. I dont think I"ll be able to update until we get back from our trip, but I'm sure there will be lots to tell! Wish us luck!!
Wed 9/21/2005 1:58 PM
6 teeth!!
My little guy has finally gotten his left front tooth in! I was begining to wonder about it. I mean, 4 top teeth and still a little window in the front! But not anymore! He has 6 teeth now with 4 new ones trying to cut. This time around he's been unusually fussy. Waking up a couple times throughout the night. Never really waking up or opening his eyes, just uncomfortable and crying. I'll give him his "binky" and cover him up and he'll fall right back to sleep.
He's trying to stand by himself now. He'll be in the middle of the floor next to nothing, and get up on his feet, with his hands still down. He'll get one hand off the floor and then lose his balance and just crawl. It's cute.
I can't believe that in less than 3 months he will be 1 year old. This year has seemed to have flown by. I see other peoples babies and think, Chase was never that small. Especially when people say thier babies are 3 or 4 months old. He's fitting in size 18 months perfectly now. Which means he'll be in 2T by the time he's one, I think. A few of his shirts are already a 2T, but they are also made of cotton and have that shrink factor.
We're flying out to Baltimore next Tuesday. Less than a week. Chase will get to meet his Grandpa and his Great Grandpa! Not to mention tons of family from Mickey's side. I'm starting to get a little nervous about the flight. He doesn't have his own seat , so he'll be on my lap or Mickey's lap the whole flight. He's 2 1/2 feet tall, and active. Not hyper, just curious and wiggly. Our pediatrician suggested that we give him some Benedryl, that might make him sleepy. But I really dont want to give him anything unless he's extremely restless. That's a 6 hour flight. And I'm not a seasoned flyer to begin with. Usually I'll take a xanax and sleep. This time, I'm just going to freak out. sigh.
I'm also worried about the time differece and Chase adjusting to it. And we'll be there for 5 days. I hope it's not to long for Chase to be around his own surroundings. I think we'll buy a pack n play when we get there for him to sleep in. We'll probably bring a small umbrella stroller. And the car rental company says they offer car seats for a small fee.
His hair is getting long!! There are a few strands that he was born with, that are about 2 inches long. So he's got these random long hairs just sticking up, too cute!
His personality is still as silly as ever. He's always smiling. Getting attention whever he goes! I really need to get him an agent!! I think I'll start looking in October!
Sat 9/10/2005 12:01 PM
a tall little guy!
Chase just had his 9 month check up. My little guy is 30 inches long! 2 1/2 feet long. That makes it offical, he's half the size of me and he's 4 days away from being 9 months old! He ranked the 90th percentile in growth. He weighed in at 20 pounds, 13 ounces, only 50th percentile. And he's doing just great.
Dr. Hartstein is back! We were very excited to see her, since Chase has been with her from the beginning. She took her maternity leave and gave birth to a very beautiful little boy! She just adores Chase. And he, of course being his little charming self, flirted like crazy with her. Trying to share his toys with her, full of his drool! ha ha ha.
He's finally mastered the crawling techinque. But will still do his frog hop from time to time, when he needs to get somewhere really quick. He does this thing when he's crawling, he'll stop in the middle of the floor and pick himself up, put his head down ( little stink bug ), and wait for me to notice him, as if playing peek-a-boo, and then start laughing up a storm until he falls over. He just likes looking at things upside down I think.
He'll pull himself to stand on just about anything he's near. Thats including unstable things and objects smaller than him. He's walking very well holding on to things, and will often turn to face me and let go of whatever it is he was holding on to, and then realizes his balance isnt' so well and will plop down on the floor. He's pretty much mastered the art of falling too. He knows when he's about to fall and will usually land on his butt or in a way that won't hurt him. But don't let that fool you, he's still a stunt man! He'll climb up on things and take head dives down and laugh!
He's eating a variety of stage 1, 2 and starting stage 3 foods now. The doctor said it's ok to start giving him table food. But that I should still avoid avacados, egg whites, nuts and fish. He's still on a vegetarian diet. The doctor actually prefered him to be until 12 months, but isn't opposed to me trying them if I wanted to. Of course, being a vegetarian for about 15 years now, I haven't the slightest clue to what meat is about.
Chase's favorite snack or thing to eat is Cheerios! Sometimes he will stick sooo many in his mouth, he looks like a little chimpmunk!! He does very well at picking them up with his first finger and thumb and sticking them in his mouth. Sometimes he'll save one or two and crawl around with it/them in his hand, without dropping them.
He's also trying to feed himself. So I bought some trainer spoons. He'll bury it into his food then eat it up, then bang his spoon, then drop it on the floor. He'll get it one day.
Chase has 5 teeth now! With 3 more about to pop through any day now. He's been a little fussy this time around, but that's usually in the middle of the night, he'll let a little cry out and then change positions, I'll usually get up to give him his binky and he'll fall right back asleep. Poor little guy! He's starting to brush is own teeth too! More like, he'll get the bottom two and then gum his brush. He tries to mimic me. I'll have to get a picture of that!
He's not scheduled for anymore shots until December. But they did give him a TB test. We go back in on Monday for them to check it. He was a trooper through the needle piercing his little arm.
Last weekend Mickey's mom, sister and two brothers drove out from Las Vegas. Jennifer lives in Baltimore, MD and flew in for the weekend, and wanted to come visit so she could meet Chase for the first time.
We took the subway to Hollywood. ( My first time on our subway system ). The whole ride was only 2 stops from where we live, but it was still a neat little adventure. Chase loved it! We walked around Hollywood Blvd for a couple hours and came across this actors star, ______ Chase. It was some unusal first name, so I can't remember it. We sat Chase down on the first name and I took some photos.
Now, growing up here, I know Hollywood is the land of freaks, the land of disappointments and the land of tourists... But I was really shocked to see these people dressed up as characters and ask people for money if they want to take pictures with them! There was an old Elvis with blonde hair and an old, old Marilyn Monroe, who didn't even look like her! I can't belive people actually wanted to pose with these people.
Chase is up from his nap now.. I'll post more updates soon!
Wed, August 24, 2005
new addition to the family !
We got a new kitten about a week ago...
Actually my mom got a kitty, I just brought it home with me to see if my cat, Shibby would like a friend. We named him Jack, though we aren't exactly sure if it's a boy or a girl cat yet. Chase loves him. And Jack loves Chase.
They entertain each other all day, and Chase just laughs and laughs at the mere sight of Jack. Shibby on the other hand, isn't too crazy about Jack. She finds him to be a bit of an annoyance, but she'll tolerate him.
I get the funny feeling Shibby needs to watch out though.. I think Chase and Jack might be plotting something....
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