Citizenship Day

  Today Loren and myself became New Zealand citizens. We had to attend a ceremony and pledge our loyalty to Queen and Country. I showed up on time and without incident, not a small feat with a toddler. In fact, it went smoothly. Sebastian took his nap in the car on the way over, woke up sleepy and relaxed, and was exceptionally chill through the ceremony. We got several looks of "awww, what a sweet little boy" from the others in our small group ceremony of ten. When Loren got up to say his Affirmation, Sebastian came over and stood next to him, looking solemn the whole time. It was really sweet. I don't have any pictures, I didn't even bother bringing the camera. It was enough to have simply made it. We were given native plants as part of the ceremony, though, so we did come away with some memento of the occasion. I look forward to finding a nice cozy place to plant them in the garden.

Seventeen (and a bit) Months Update

At Seventeen Months...

 

I have taken very few pictures this month, what with the Grandparents away, but I did get this shot of him saying "no-no" while climbing on his kiddie table the other day. He knows when things are a no-no and he loves to tell you about it while he does them!

When Sebastian turned fifteen months we bought him a Learning Tower. It is a stable platform designed to support a child at kitchen-counter height. It was a significant expense but so worth it! Sebastian is a busy little boy, and he always wants to be involved in whatever others in the household are doing. Now he can safely participate whenever I'm in the kitchen. He uses it every day, "helping" me prepare meals and wash the dishes. When the grandparents are around I try to do one baking project with him every week. I love to bake, and before the Learning Tower arrived I hardly ever had time to.

Making Granola

Making Pizza (and sampling all the ingredients) 

In the pantry

  Now that Sebastian is down to one (mostly) reliable nap a day, our days have a more consistent rhythm. I'll attempt to share some of it with you without getting into the minutiae of nappy changes, tooth brushing negotiations and other details that are a regular feature of live with a toddler.

If I'm lucky, I get up a bit before Sebastian and get some time to wake up and drink some tea before he's up. Then we do breakfast, and get ready to go out. Loren gets up and has a short time to hang out with Sebastian before giving him a piece of his morning biscuit and saying "bye-bye."

We go out in the morning. Some days we have an activity we go to; on other days we may go to a playground or get the grocery shopping done. Right now it's Baby Sing Along on Wednesday and every other Monday. I volunteer with the running of this one, and I lead the songs on a Wednesday. The alternate Mondays we go to our coffee group with the mums from my antenatal class. Tuesdays are now Playcentre days, starting just a few weeks ago. Playcentre could be a whole topic of it's own, so just briefly for those who are not New Zealanders: it is a parent run and parent led early childhood education centre, part of a national network of centres throughout in New Zealand.

We get home and do lunch, then it's nap time

It's getting warmer here in the Southern Hemisphere, so these days afternoons are largely spent outdoors. After the initial wake up/ books/ nurse/ nappy change/ etc. we get our shoes on and our bag packed and we are out of here. First is the series of things that Sebastian likes to do in our garage and yard. This currently includes re-arranging the garden features (the few that are light enough for Sebastian to carry), sweeping the pavement, inspecting the screw drivers in the tool box, pretending to operate the leaf blower and weed eater in the garage, watering the potted plants, and getting out the hand trowels and doing some weeding.

 After all that he is usually happy to get into the stroller so we can, as far as he's concerned, go look for trains, birds, and ducks. From my perspective, it is a sanity-saving way to get some exercise in the fresh air. We go for about 45 minutes, pausing to watch trains (we live just a few blocks from the train tracks) and taking a detour to our "secret duck spot" (a house that always has plenty of ducks in the front garden because a nice old lady feeds them). On the way back, if there's time, we may stop by the playground that is just a 5 minute walk from our house. By the time we get home, the afternoon is spent, and the return of Daddy is not far away. Then comes dinner time, etc. If we are lucky, Sebastian is asleep by 8:30, and I still go to sleep with him most nights.

And that's what a day with Sebastian looks like, more or less.

Fifteen month update

So the 14 month post didn't happen, due to a combination of my parents leaving and colds and teething. Sebastian wasn't sleeping very well and I didn't have a lot of free time.

At fifteen months...

 Helping grandma make salad

Sebastian loves to "help" with household chores. He can help me push the laundry basket around, take things in and out of the washing machine (sometimes the wrong things. he recently put a book in there that got washed). He can push the button to make the washing machine go, and he can attempt hanging things on our indoor clothes line (with various results). He loves to "help" with dishes, mostly playing in the water and with the various kitchen utensils and generally getting water everywhere. He loves to play with the broom and gets excited whenever I sweep (partly because he likes to scavenge off the c crumbs I sweep up in the kitchen). He likes to help with wiping down counters and tables, and  with help of the step stool (which he can now get on himself) he can 'help' with cooking (mostly sampling ingredients but he did help me layer the lasagna the other day). 

 

Helping with the laundry

 Sebastian and his bear really getting into the laundry

 Playing with the broom

Sebastian is still not a fan of nappy changes, or vacuum cleaners. He's shy in new situations or around strangers, sticking close to me at first. But he warms up eventually, first wanting to grab my hand and explore with me, and then getting braver on his own. He's still a terrific tease, loving to pretend to give you something, or pretend he wants to put something back (like the cap on the marker) and then when you head towards him, he backs up and wants you to chase him. 

He's learned some new signs, including: bear, phone, ball and where. He uses "where" with another favourite game: He hides something, then signs "where?" and when you say "where is it?" he retrieves it, looking quite pleased with himself. In fact, hiding things is another favourite activity, popular hiding places right now include out the cat door, inside a pillow case, and in the washing machine. He's also come up with a game he can play with the cat. If the cat is down stairs, Sebastian sits at the top of the stairs and throws balls through the safety gate. The balls bounce, the cat chases them, and Sebastian gets to interact with the cat in a way that the cat doesn't hate. I now keep a bag of balls at the top of the stairs for him.

Singing "cat"

Signing "bear" and saying "buh"

He's also getting more into books. He like to point to things and get you to tell him what they're called. He also likes to point things out if he has a word and/or sign for them (dog, bird, cat, shoes, and hat come up a lot).

 

Cuddling Daddy but not ready to let go of his book

Sebastian just had his 15 month check up yesterday. He weighs 10.2 kilograms and is 82 centimeters tall. Unsurprisingly, he continues to be quite tall for his age!

Traveling with a Toddler: Our Week In Auckland

We just got back from a 6 day trip to Auckland. Loren went up for work, Sebastian and I tagged along. We stayed in Devonport, an upscale neighborhood with a small town feel, and a 12 minute ferry ride to Auckland CBD. It felt a bit like pretending at living in Auckland for the week, what with Loren going off to work every day and me doing the SAHM thing just like I do back home. I did try and do a bit of sigh seeing, but it was all stuff I could imagine doing with S on an average week if we lived there. Twice we went to the local library, checked out the toys in the children's section, and I had the same sorts of conversations with fellow mums that I would back home. A couple times we strolled to the park and Sebastian did the playground thing, and chased the birds.

One sunny morning we walked up the top of a hill with a stunning lookout over Auckland in all directions. One day we took the ferry to downtown and went to the Maritime Museum, near the ferry terminal. It had some areas where Sebastian could explore without risk of getting into much mischief. One such area was a recreation of the cabin of an immigrant ship. The whole room was set to subtly rock back and forth like the cabin of a real ship at sea. It was kind of dark in there and proved to be a nice cozy spot to nurse. Another day I we went to the "mums and bubs" movie at the cinema around the corner. It was a documentary about senior citizens playing ping pong. Sebastian fell asleep part way through and got a good half hour's nap in my lap while I sipped my hot cocoa. It was all the nap he got that day which made for a long afternoon for us both, but I felt triumphant for having got through an entire movie with a toddler in tow, and he made hardly a peep through the whole thing. He had to comment on the brief appearance of a dog at one point, but mostly he fed and cuddled and ate snacks and slept.

A holiday is always good for getting out of your comfort zone and discovering new ways of looking at things. This is just as true with a toddler. We had no bath so Sebastian showered with me every night, which was lovely. By the end of his portion of the shower he was usually relaxed cuddled against me, getting sleepy and droopy already. Then Loren would take him and get him dried and dressed while I took my time with the rest of my shower. We had never done showers with Sebastian before, and it's nice to know it's an option now. In fact when we arrived home last night, road weary and bedraggled, we did this same shower routine simply because it was easier and faster.

I also learned that Sebastian is much better in the stroller now. We were staying in a holiday home very near the shops, and we had no car, so he did a lot of stroller travel and he tolerated it with very little complaint. I found this mode of getting around to be a welcome change. I enjoyed getting fresh air and some exercise wherever we went. I used to walk so much before Sebastian came along. He was just so unhappy with the stroller for the longest time. And yes, back home in Tawa we are further from the shops, maybe 25 mins. walk, but there is a train. The way we hopped on the ferry in Devonport we could hop on the train in Tawa and be in Wellington CBD in 17 minutes, and have a nice day out. It's something to consider as Spring has just arrived. 

We also ate out every night we were there, so we got pretty good at eating out with a toddler. Our strategy: arrive early and request outdoor seating if the weather allows it. If you can manage these two things, then you can eat at even the fanciest restaurant without much worry. There's usually no one else there if you stroll in at 5:30 for dinner, so you don't have to worry about annoying other patrons. If you sit outside then you don't feel so bad about the food your toddler is going to toss on the ground, and it's no big deal if he wants to have a wander around before dinner arrives. One day Sebastian and I caught the ferry to meet Loren after work in the for dinner in downtown Auckland. We picked a fancy restaurant on the waterfront with a nice big outdoor area. We walked in at 5pm and were the only patrons in the outdoor area the whole time. We got an awesome view of the harbor with our dinner, and we learned that Sebastian loves horseradish sauce with his char-grilled lamb. An excellent dinning experience all round.

Most importantly I was reminded that traveling with Sebastian can be a lot of fun. You have to take your time when traveling with a toddler; you have to slow down and appreciate the little things. For instance, the Devonport shops had these posts that people had knitted coverings for, in all different colors and patters and types of yarn. Every time we went past these, Sebastian insisted that we stop at each of them so we could check them out.

Thirteen Months

Sebastian at thirteen months...

Looking sleepy and serious

It seems like we're really getting a feel for his personality these days. Sebastian has a great sense of humor, he can be a real tease. He still loves acting like he's going to hand you something, then pulling his hand back at the last moment, with a certain teasing smile. The more you act surprised by this, the more amused he is. He also likes to joke by an unexpected object on his head, then laughing at his own cleverness.

He's also gotten quite clever at getting what he wants. He is forever trying to get his grandparents glasses. At first you could always tell he was about to make a grab for them by the sly smile on his face. But recently he's taken to making a sudden grab while looking the other way.

He can be quite serious when concentrating on mastering a skill or examining a new object. Hand him a novel object and he will go quite still, a look of happy concentration on his face as he examines it carefully, quietly exclaiming "hah!" to himself. He can also get quite serious in a new situation, like going to a new place and meeting new people. He will start out cautious, sticking near me, then slowly venture out to explore, coming back to check in with me frequently. But usually by the end of the visit I am having to run after him to keep him from getting into absolutely everything. He is still really interested in interacting with other kids and checking out what they are doing. He is slower to warm up to adults, but if they seem nice and genuinely interested in interacting with him, they usually get a smile for their efforts.

Sebastian is trying to learn words, and he has learned a few signs. He does "ba" for "back" when he wants to put something back where it came from (he does this a lot). And he's just started to a sort of "bwa-wa" for water. Pretty much all his "words" start with a "b" just now. We have been introducing a bit of baby sign language, and he now knows the sign for hot, done, water, eat, breastfeed, more, sock, cat, and bird. Some of these are not super clear yet, for instance his "eat" and "water" are pretty near identical, but usually clear by context. His interest in signing picked up a lot once he learned "more" and realized he could use it to ask for something he wanted.

The thing about him being able to communicate what he wants is that he can be quite persistent. When he's signed "more" for the tenth time for you to pick him up so he can investigate the window latches, for instance. He has a few of his own signs, such as a sort of dance which means he wants the tv on. Most of what he watches involves a lot of music, and he loves to dance to it, which has got to be one of the cutest things ever.

Sebastian weighed 10.2 kgs as of a few days ago, and I don't know his height but it seems like he gets taller every day.

I haven't taken many pictures in the past month. We have been busy. Which also explains why this post is an entire week late! But here are a couple more:

Figuring out how to use a fork

Having colored on his hands and mouth with washable marker

Self-Care Birthday: Week Two

I have stretched ear piercings, not large, just 10 gauge, but they require something in them or they start to shrink. When Sebastian was born I had these clear silicone eyelets in; just place holders, really. A few months ago I noticed they were getting chipped and manky so I took them out. I can't really wear any of my fancy, curly (sharp!) ear rings right now; they are not conducive to cuddling a baby. I can't even wear my simple steel hoops; I tried it but Sebastian kept hooking a finger around them and pulling hard.

So I've been wearing nothing and thinking about how I need to get some baby-friendly jewelry asap. I've been thinking that for at least 3 months now. Thus, the next item on my self-care list was a visit to Wellington's awesome little piercing and jewelry shop, Ninja Flower. Actually, they are not so tiny now. They just moved into a larger space, which maked one more reason I wanted to visit.

I always enjoy a visit to Ninja Flower. The proprietors are awesome; knowledgeable, friendly, as enthusiastic about what they do. The jewelry they stock is varied and beautiful; I love looking through all the cases, not just the ones that hold jewelry in my size. The first thing I needed to do was get my piercings re-stretched. Their piercing technician has awesome bedside manner; asking my son's name directly after the second stretch was particularly genius.

I chose some beautiful paua (abalone shell) studs to go in them. They had about half a dozen to choose from. I picked two that are quite different from each other, but both are lovely and go well with my other ear rings, (little opals).

I almost didn't use this picture because I look tired. But then I thought: you know what? I am tired most of the time. Why hide that?

And here's a close-up

I walked out feeling a tiny bit more like myself again, and with a resolve to go up to the next size in the near future so I can wear some of the even more awesome jewelry that caught my eye at Ninja Flower.

Twelve Months!

Yesterday my little man turned one year old!

Sebastian, at 12 months...

 

  Sebastian is often shy in new situations, or maybe a better word is reserved. He likes to carefully study a new people and places before jumping in to check it all out. At home, he is a very happy and active boy these days, often puttering around the house, practicing his walking and carrying things about. 

  He's got a great sense of humor and one of the things he finds funniest right now is feet. He likes chasing my feet - especially if they are bare - and nothing gets more laugs than tickling him with my feet. Other things that make him laugh are games of chase and being held upside down. 

  He has taken to initiating games of peeka-boo when the mood strikes. He's walking everywhere now; his main means of getting around since two or three weeks ago. He knows how to wave and insists upon doing so at every opportunity. Probably his first word is "bye-bye" which he says kind of like "bu-bah." He seems to also be working on saying "mama" "dada" "grandma" and "bird." We are doing a bit of baby sign language with him, and so far the one sign he's mastered is "hot" though he's also working on "done." 

  He still hates nappy changes, though the musical mobile we put above the change table helps. He also hates it when strange ladies try to stamp his hand, something that happens more than you'd think. I guess it's something kids a bit older than him are really into? At this point I think he associates strange ladies touching him in any way with nurses and shots, which is understandable.

  He likes music, often "dancing" along to music on tv or radio or musical toys. He loves it when Grandpa lets him "help" do the dishes, or when anyone lets him play in a sink, really. He loves to pull my shirt up and cuddle my belly and blow raspberries on it. He does this with Grandma's belly too. He's a bit more cautions of Grandpa's belly, which is quite furry. 

  We had fun coming up with things to do with Sebastian on his birthday - favourite foods, activities, and of course a few presents. I'd like to do a short post just on his birthday, but until then, here's a picture of the Birthday Boy inspecting a present:

And another from the series the first photo is from, because I had trouble picking just one: