The Week Tate Turned 30 Months Old (2 1/2 Years Old)

Yes 30 months old, because saying Tate is 30 months old makes it seems like he is still a baby.  Yes, a baby.  My baby.  2 1/2 sounds soooo old.  Where have 2 1/2 years gone?


So much has happened this week, or so it seems to me when I'm in full Mommy mode.  It's probably not nearly as exciting to anyone else, but hey this blog is about me and my boy!


This morning after a very difficult night I was awakened by my sweet boy saying "I'm finished with bedtime, Mommy."  "Mommy, I'm finished."  Oh and by the way it was 5:23am.  I myself was in no way, shape, or form finished with bedtime.  I gathered him up and put him in his crib with his Sue-Y bear and hippo. 


Yes, he was in bed with me because last night after telling me at 7:10p he wasn't ready for bed but wanted to be in the crib with absolutely nothing he had a really bad night's sleep.  He fussed and cried initially when I laid him in the empty crib sans stuffed animals, trains, and pillow.  I returned to the room, rocked him and put him back in the crib around 7:30.  He didn't fall asleep until a bit before 8.  I crawled into bed around 1030, much later than I wanted to...  At 11:30 I woke to Tate crying and crying.  I got him out of the crib and put him in bed with me.  But he was soooo upset, didn't want to be held, didn't want to be hugged.  He was sitting up and all over the place.  I asked if something hurt and he just wouldn't answer.  I think we finally dozed, but he was all over the bed.  At 1:50am he woke fully, fussing and crying again.  Again, no response to my questions about what was wrong.  I was beyond exhausted at this point, but I put him in my lap on the bed and just rocked him back to sleep.


5:23am
"I'm finished with bedtime Mommy!"


I certainly wasn't finished with my bedtime, but I digress.  Our morning continued with me half-asleep.


He refused to put on clothes to go to daycare.  This is a battle I refuse to fight in the mornings, so off he went in his Thanksgiving pajamas.  I did manage to sneak a hoodie on his head as he got in the car, but he was happy as a clam to be in his pajamas at school. 


Tuesday and Wednesday were uneventful, as we returned to our normal routine after being off Friday- Monday which means I'm working tomorrow.


Monday, however, was a big big day!  It was January 23, 2012!  Tate's half birthday!  He turned 30 months old!  2 1/2 years old!!  We hung out at home all morning, playing with trains and in his tunnel, reading books and being silly.  When he came downstairs I had a Thomas pillow pet and Thomas blanket waiting for him!  He was so excited!!  He had to practice using it, by lying down and pretending to be asleep on the pillow and under the blanket.  Then he had to include his beloved trains in the exercise for even more fun!

We hung out most of the morning then headed out for a lunch date to celebrate 2 1/2 years together!  We ventured to Barnaby's where I had a most delicious hamburger and french fries and Tate noshed on chicken nuggets from home and their french fries.  We had a really nice time.  I really enjoyed lunching with my son!  This life together just keeps getting more and more perfect!

Our other lunch guests, and they had to be lined up 'just right'

As perfect as our life is, Tate did not want to nap once we were home.  I don't know if he was just too worked up after lunch, if I missed the window to put him down as we did get home about 15 minutes when I usually put him down.  In any event, nothing worked to get him to nap.  Not rocking him.  Not lying down with him in my bed.  Not leaving him in the crib alone.  However, he did spend 1 hour and 27 minutes 'resting' and not fussing in any way at all, so I just gave over to the no nap.  I did some things around the house while checking him on the monitor, then went on and let him get up around 1:45.  

We hung out some more, then headed off to the big kid playground to play before the big kids got out of school!  He had an absolute blast, and I loved watching him run around and admiring his talents on the big, twirly slide!!

We ran off to Whole Foods for some groceries, came home and had dinner.  All the while celebrating 30 months on this gorgeous planet of ours.  In light of the no nap I intended to put him to bed early for the night....he was in bed sound asleep at 10 after 6pm!


Sunday, I had intended to take him to church, but Christian was in Frankfurt with his parents and they wanted to skype, so we did.  Tate LOVES showing off for them when we 'talk' to them.  He runs around grabbing all his toys and books to show them, he dances for them, but he won't say much...so very funny.


After naptime we headed over to my parents' for a bit.  I try to be sure Tate spends as much time as possible with them, so I try to be sure he sees them at least once a week.  He runs around their house like he owns it.  Looking back on those first 8 months of his life I can barely remember spending those long weeks at their house while they babysat Tate for me when I was working.  I would spend 2 weeks there, then my mom would spend 2 weeks here at my place with Tate and I being home at our house on the weekends.  Those months are an absolute blur.  I have almost no memory of them and that saddens me.  I suppose that sleep deprivation really takes a toll.  And looking back I know I was exhausted.  Between pumping every night over night when he woke to nurse, which was at 1am and 4am, pumping before I went to bed at 10, making the majority of his baby food myself, working full time, being on call every other week and 2 weekends a quarter, trying to see friends, doing laundry, keeping the house a bit clean (thank goodness for my housekeeper), cooking minimally (my mom cooked alot if I remember correctly) and everything else that goes along with having a life I can't believe I made it through.  So much of that exhaustion I brought on myself.  Pumping like that was insane, but since I produced so little milk and it was so important to me that Tate get as much breastmilk as possible and he abhorred formula that I went a little overboard.  And making and storing all that food...great for his health, not so great for mine.


But we're here.  I'm here.  30 months in and we're doing awesome together.


I have a child, a son, a little boy.  A small person who is an amazing part of me.  


Here's to 30 more weeks, 30 more months, 30 more years, 30 more decades, 30 more millennia.  Together.


How do I love him?
January 26, 2012  I love watching his little legs carry him up the stairs swiftly and with great determination!
January 25, 2012  I love how empathetic he is. He recognizes when people and 'things' in books are sad. (ie Thomas the train).  He always wants to give them hugs or kisses or will offer 'them' his hippo and Sue-Y bear.
January 24, 2012  I love those big huge hugs he gives me right after bathtime when we're by the bed and I'm drying him off.  Those sweet little arms wrapped around my neck, that face in my neck just brings me such joy and peace.
January 23, 2012  I love having this gorgeous, generous, loving, funny, precious boy in my life for these amazing 2 1/2 years.

January 22, 2012  I love how much he loves his grandparents.