I'm so Cute

I'm so Cute
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

Okay maybe I am a bit biased but that is one cute little boy.

Me, Katya and Sweet Potatoes

Me, Katya and Sweet Potatoes
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

Ahh the kitty kats. Nathaniel loves, loves, loves, loves the cats. When they come near him he gets all excited and flings his arms out to grab them, opens his mouth wide to nuzzle them and starts cooing and screaming at them with delight. They are treating this new development with just a hint of trepidation. Actually Katya is a trooper. She has put up with a huge amount of pets as I try and teach Nathaniel the principles of gentle petting. And when he has gotten a little overzealous and grabbed a hunk of skin or fur, she just meows to let him know it hurts and then walks off. I am sure once he is old enough for them to sleep together, she will completely transfer allegiances to him.

Now as for the sweet potatoes of the photo, this was taken in earlier golden times. Right through last week we were cruising on the food front. He was trying foods, sucking down apples and butternut squash, steadily increasing the amount he was eating every day, sleeping through the night. I was bopping around thinking to myself we got this food thing sorted, he's going to be feeding himself Cheerios in no time. He was guzzling water and reaching out for my ham sandwhich.

Then it all came to a halt. As of this weekend, Nathaniel has decided that's it on the food programme. He balks at food and all meal times, gagging, or pursing his laps, struggling to get out of the chair or my lap. I have greeted this development with a swing between tears and attempted optimism. I am now trying to get him to eat without turning it into a power struggle or food issue. But absolutely none of the books have any advice on this. All of them talk about what happens if your child doesn't like food at the beginning, but there is no entry on a happy eater who just decides he is done wth this food thing.

Sitting

Sitting
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

So Nathaniel doesn't like rolling, but sitting or standing now you're talking. Apparently Doug never crawled and went right to walking at nine months. I think Nathaniel is working on the same trajectory. He now just wants to stand on my lap and bounce up and down. Doug is teaching him to stand and hold onto the couch. Every day he manages to sit for a few more seconds by himself before slowly toppling over onto the cushions. The other thing I am trying to teach him is that while mommy is there to catch him when he flings himself backward while sitting now, that isn't the best long term strategy for position changing. Here he is sitting up with Granny keeping a protective hand on him

Aunt Melinda Visits

Aunt Melinda Visits
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

Aunt Meilinda and Uncle Chris came to visit us this weekend. It was a great time, and I loved showing off my little boy. I can't wait for all the family reunions this summer. But Aunt Melinda not only brought herself, but came with a gift of video camera. Thank you all for the present. Now everyone better get ready to start viewing some Nathaniel greatest hits videos. We already have eating, sleeping, playing and waking up in the middle of the night all documented for the ages.

Rolling

Rolling
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

Nathaniel views rolling over as pretty much a waste of his time. First of all, why in the world would he want to roll over onto his belly when he thinks tummy time is overrated? So he is now entirely capable of rolling from back to front, he just doesn't want to do it.

As for rolling from front to back, he likes that a lot more, because he can then choose to end tummy time himself. Its a bit more difficult to manage because the arms have to be tucked the right way, but every few days he gives us a roll.

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

I celebrated my very first Mothering Sunday, sans Doug though. He got stuck in the office all weekend. So I have been promised another Sunday when I can lie in bed and get pancakes served on a platter. But I did get to spend that Mother's Day with my mother. We hung out in the afternoon and then Fiona, Kate, Nathaniel, me and mom all went out to our local Mexican joint. It was great to spend it all together ... and its making me really sad about Mom's upcoming move out of London.

Phone Time

Phone Time
Originally uploaded by deirdred75.

Nathaniel is now getting into the phone. For one, it fits great in his hand and his mouth, and also emits an interesting series of beeps and tones. He also know enjoys hearing Daddy's voice on the phone. He'll hear Doug and then look around expecting him to be around a corner somewhere. Its incredibly cute.