Bedtime Ritual

Now that I am going to write more often, I have to think of specific things to talk about that most people don't care about. But if you love Gus and me enough to read this blog, then maybe you will like my boring topics!

Its funny how certain routines have come to be. Seems like I don't set the routines, but Gus and I do it together. Take for instance his bedtime routine. Most nights, Gus gets a bath before bed. Then he gets his PJs on and I make him his milk and take him down to his room. About 6 months ago I bought this over-sized leather-like chair for his room. If you are a new parent and don't have a reading chair in your room, you are missing out on some good times. Here is Gus in his chair. Here he is by himself but usually we are snuggled on the chair together reading. I asked him to model his reading chair with his milk, book and Peter (Peter is the name of his lovey).

Gus lets me read him books like "Goodnight Moon", "I love you because you are you" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear". Yes, I use the word "let" me. I have to bribe him to let me read him these books. If he had it his way, we'd only read truck (ckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk) and train (choo choo) books. His favorite is "100 First Machines". Gus sits on my lap, drinks his milk, and we read book. After that, Gus and I run down the hall to the bathroom. He is so cute, he stops in front of the steps and very gently sets his empty milk cup on the step for me to bring up stairs. Then, he brushes his own teeth. . . with a motorized electric toothbrush. Those boys and their toys!
Finally, after brushing his teeth, he turns it off, and places it on the sink. Then he literally sprints back down the hall to his room and tries to climb into his crib. What a good little boy! He loves going to bed with Peter and his music. He looks up at me and I can see his eyes that he is saying, "Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out, Mom!"

With that, I close the door and night night Gussie! And that is our bedtime routine.

Boy Meets Trucks

As I said before, Gus still doesn't talk. At 19 months, he is a little delayed, but this is his trend. He has a handful of signs that I taught him: milk, water, banana, cookie, more, done, dog, cat, bird. He refuses to learn animal sounds. The only one he will repeat is snake (which says "ssssssssss"). The kid has made up his own words for a few different vehicles. For instance, for train he says, "choo choo" or for fire engine he says "woooo woooo woooo" and finally, for his all time favorite trucks he says, "ckkkkkkkkkk."

I find it so amazing that as a boy he loves trucks and balls. I give him dolls and stuffed animals, but he will not play with them. He only wants to throw rocks and push trucks. Isn't it funny how we don't push gender roles on children, they inherently know them? While Gus is drawn naturally to boy stuff, he has no understanding of "boy colors." He loves to play with his pink car which makes my guy friends cringe.

Gus loves his trucks. He just got a very large metal Tonka Dump Truck from his grandmother. Gus loves this truck because 1) its big with big wheels which makes it easy to push around 2) it carries a lot of rocks and 3) the large wheel give the truck the ability to go down hills very very fast. Gus pushes the truck to top of hills and then gently rocks it back and forth as if he was counting 1-2-3 and then gives it a good shove. That truck goes coasting down the hill very fast until it gains so much momentum that it flips over crashing. Of course, the crashing is just as fun as watching it go down the hill. Gus is all boy!

19 Months

He gets the brow furrowing from his Mom!

Gus loves his tractors (or riding lawn mowers)

My little toddler is 19 months already! We just returned from a whirlwind trip cross country. This time, Gus and I drove to Virginia and back. Well, I drove and Gus chilled in the back seat watching movies and eating lollipops. What I discovered on this 3 week trip is that I have the best little boy ever. Of course, I am a little biased. Seriously though, that kid rocks. He rarely to never cried. In fact, he laughs pretty much non-stop. And he eats EVERYTHING. Each way driving took us 4 days. He sat contently playing with trucks I tossed to him from the front seat and watching Blues Clues.

Gus walks but he won't talk. His only word is "hot". My boy won't even say Momma. Most toddlers his age have at least 3 words minimum. Most have more than that. I believe he won't talk because he doesn't have to. I give him all he needs. He is a well loved little Gus.

Catch-up!

Gus is now 13 months old. That means I failed to tell you about his birthday party. And what a party is was. Grandma Cookie AKA Annie Brooks and I made a ducky cake. He just loves ducks and the their quack. He also had another cake because we were not sure whether we had an ugly duck or and beautiful one. Turns out that everyone loved duck cake including Gus as you can see from the pictures. Best of all the whole neighborhood turned out to celebrate Gus' first year.

Since his birthday, that boy has grown both physically and in his abilities. He crawls like a spider and is starting to walk (with a little help). He is developing a personality, which can only be described as lovable. People everywhere just stop and smile when they see him waving and smiling. Watching Gus grow and develop is almost magical. Every morning he wakes up with a smile and a trucker's appetite. After breakfast its play, play, play until nap time. On Tuesday he goes to story time in the morning at the library. Afternoons are spent playing with grandma and grandpa on days that I work. Weekends are reserved for Gus and me.

To keep him from wearing out his grandma and grandpa, I have Thaneda, a Thai woman who lives around the corner watch him several afternoons a day. I guess no one would be surprised to learn that Thaneda loves him.

As for me, I have moved on from bedside nursing to college professor. Yes, I am an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the a local community college. It is a TON of work but I love it. I work 60 hrs a week, but I love my job. The program is being totally revamped and it great to be at the epicenter of the action. I am writing syllabus after syllabus, while at the same time teaching classes.

So enjoy the pictures of Gus and wish me the best in my new profession. For both of us life is good.

Gus is One!!

11 months old!

I can't believe Gus is 11 months old. He is only weeks away from being a one year old!

Moving away to be closer to my parents is the number one good thing I have ever done for Gus. The situation back in Virginia was what you would call suboptimal. I know I don't talk about how I am a single mom on this blog, but it is a fact. I made a mistake with someone who I thought I knew and trusted. Alcoholism is a bad disease.

So, there I was, 5 months pregnant and on my own. I had a good job, owned my own house, and had money in savings. I guess if I had to, I could have sucked it up and survived by myself. Truth is, when my parents suggested I up and move out here, it wasn't at the top of my list. I had made a home in Virginia. I had friends, I had a job and I had roots. Once Gus came along, I realized that life with an infant was much more difficult than I could have ever anticipated. And no, his father never even bothered to contact me after the birth of his son, much less offer to help out. You could even say I had no other option but to uproot my entire life, leave everything behind and start over. Easy? No. I just had to do what was best for my baby boy.

Funny how things tend to work out for me. Check this out. I move across the country and because I am a nurse I instantly get a job (that was a given). I move in with my parents and I tell myself, "Connie, you can live with your parents for ONE YEAR". I moved in December 6, 2008. This quaint little 3 bedroom house goes up for sale right across the ally from my parents. I knew I couldn't afford it and didn't want to be a home owner again. What happens? This nice lesbian couple from Nebraska buy it in hopes of retiring here in 5-10 years. Their relator is my neighbor and he told them how I wanted to move out but somewhere close to my parents. Bam! I have an affordable house across from my parents. And I moved in December 1st, a week from my deadline.

My passion for being a bedside nurse is dwindling. This spring, I called up the local nursing school and told them I had a Masters and wanted to teach. They let me teach some classes adjunt but told me they wouldn't have any full time positions for another few years when the older faculty would retire. Bam! A new full time professor got pregnant with her 2nd child and she quit. Bam! I now have a full time teaching job.

Back in nursing school in December of 2000, I was looking for a new car. I really wanted a Jeep and bought a Cherokee. By the way, the last year Jeep made Cherokee was 2001 and I purchased a 2001 Jeep Cherokee. Now, it snows out here in the mountains a lot. My 4 wheel drive jeep takes me everywhere I need to go. Who would have ever thought that 9 years ago, I bought my jeep for the very purpose of living and working out here in the mountains?

Things have a way of working out.

Okay, now to Gus. He is a growing boy. He is also perpetual motion. I swear that kid never stops. Sometimes I just sit and watch in total awe. He sits, he stands, he lays down. He puts the ball in the cup, he takes the ball out of the cup. He lays down, he stands, he sits. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

He knows where his ear, his hair, and his foot are. Many people (including my brother) teach their babies sign language. Kind of reminds me of Meet the Fockers. From my research, the main reason for teaching infants sign language is that, in theory, the terrible twos come from kids being frustrated that they can't verbally express what they want. Having seen both my niece and my nephew go through the terrible twos, I have come to realize that the tantrums do not come from not being able to express what they want. It comes from them not being able to get what they want! Anyway, I have chose not to teach Gus sign language. He is just going to have to come up with his own way to express himself.

Little Gus is settling into his new home just wonderfully. I love how babies adjust so easily! Gus is on the waiting list to be in a day care center at the local elementary school. He has to be at least one years old so I have another month or so. I am crossing my fingers that BAM! he will be offered a place.

Cheese Face

Gus has, in the last couple of weeks, developed this cheesy grin whenever I take a picture of him. My niece loves to pose for cameras, too, but I didn't think at 10 months he'd develop this characteristic so soon!


It is getting cold here in the mountains. The normal temperature when we get up is 5 degrees! That is cold I am not used to. Gus's main mode of transportation is the stroller. In order to keep the little boy warm, I invested in a bunting bag for his stroller. I don't like to advertise for companies, but this thing is awesome. It is called the JJ Cole Bundle Me Arctic for toddlers. He had an original Bundle Me for when he was an infant. However, this particular Arctic version is awesome. It is wind proof and water resistance. I put him in this bag in the stroller without a jacket in 5 degree weather and he comes out sweating. I will post pictures later of Gus chilling out in stroller.

Good news! I got the teaching job! Starting January 4th, I will be a full time Faculty instructor for the school of nursing! I went up and met the director of the program. She showed me my new office. I have always been a shift workers and have never had an office. I get a locker (usually have to share that) and a mailbox. In my office, I have a window, a telephone with my own number, and a business card! This is very exciting for me! Another great thing about my job is that is is only August-May. I have 2 months off during the summer.

Anyway, I am going to go keep my Gus warm in these frigid temperatures.