The End Of Summer

This was originally written on Wednesday, August 5, 2009:

Around 13 months Logan began turning in circles, haha. Lately he does this ALL of the time. He seems to like being dizzy - something that Joe has always hated but I loved as a child (not so much as an adult, lol). My mom practically had to drag me off my Sit-N-Spin, and my favorite ride at Adventureland (Iowa's best amusement park) was the Silly Silo. I haven't been to an amusement park in 11 years because Joe hates them - so I am glad that I may have someone to go with me in the future :) If I can still handle rollercoasters!

I also forgot to mention that back in May during one of my massages I fell asleep! I couldn't believe I did. . .kind of embarrassing but Deb took it as a compliment because it shows how awesome she is. I'm going to her today! :)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was originally written on Sunday, August 9, 2009:

Here is Logan today in a shirt that my mom's sister gave me of her's (he indicated that he wanted to wear it), lol. And then a picture taken tonight after he got a hold of our laptop while I was writing this blog on our desktop computer.Yesterday I went to The Farmer's Market with Chris. It was my first time (other than with my mom a couple of times growing up, and my stepmom). Chris invited me to go with her (she goes every Saturday) so that I could buy the ingredients to try her lasagna recipe. I mentioned in my post, Catch Up Time, that joining an organic CSA would help with our health (after Joe's divirticulitis, you can read that post here) and provide me with ingredients to cook with since it is still hard for me to make homemade meals a few times a week (which was one of my new year's resolutions). So, I finally joined!

I'm interested in seeing the new documentary, Food, Inc. I've heard several people talk about it. Although I am not even 50% organic when it comes to my food (more like 40%; Logan is 75%. He's not fed organic at his babysitter's house where he goes 8 hrs a week), I recognize that there is A LOT I don't know about where our food comes from and what is being done to it. For example, I only give Logan organic milk because the regular kind is full of hormones, which has caused girls to go through puberty earlier and boys to have too much estrogen (the female hormone). This is the same with our meat. The film exposes these and other "secrets" that food companies are keeping from us so that they can continue to make millions of dollars.

I will let you know how the lasagna comes out. Chris said I can make the sauce in a crock pot which sounds better than spending hours in the kitchen. There is no excuse why I can't do crock pot stuff while Logan is napping or eating, and then finish when Joe gets home from work!

But still anything that requires more than 15 minutes of me standing in the kitchen is just impossible. Maybe women who work outside the home have an easier time because their kids have been at daycare all day and so they are all "played out." Or, maybe Logan is just more active than the average 15 month old. :p But, as a stay at home mom I am the one who plays with my son all day, I am the one who has to run after him as he's trying to swing from the chandliers. So there is no "Sit still, Logan while I make supper." Like I said in a previous post, he doesn't even play with toys anymore. He's too fascinated with our household items. . .yeah, I guess I could lock him in the kitchen and just listen to him scream the whole time, but that's not healthy. (Here is a picture of my monkey after climbing on the chest in our family room)My freshman year of college I took a class about child development. I ended up getting 110% for my final grade - better than any English or Journalism class I ever took. Even though I'd had no previous experience with children, learning about them psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and physically just made sense to me.

One of the points that stood out from the class was how important this age is as far as the brain (as well as empathy/attachment - but I've already written enough posts about that). I was reminded of this when watching an Oprah show a few months ago. Both covered the subject of feral children. These are children who are kept without human interaction, play, and stimulation. These children never recover. Time and time again studies have shown that it is impossible for people to be "normal" if they aren't given love, fun, and learning during the first two years. They actually become retarded.

This concept haunted me in class, and watching the Oprah show was no different. I keep hoping for a success story, but have yet to hear one. It's so sad that perfectly healthy and intelligent children can have their lives robbed because they weren't properly parented.

That is the extreme - but there are varying degrees in the "every day family" as well. As a parent of a 15 month old, I have complete control over whether my son thrives in life or doesn't. So sure, there are times I'd rather say "Logan just go do your own thing while I make dinner" (or something else), but I understand that is not the way God designed toddlers for a reason. Just as babies cry to communicate to us (and so if they are not responded to properly then they won't fully thrive), 15 month olds are not to be treated as adults. They are not capable of doing adult things and following adult schedules. That's where the term age appropriate behavior comes from. Letting him do something at 15 months old that I'm not going to allow him to do at age 5 is perfectly okay -- because age-appropriate rules change at 15 months and 5 years. (I think without realizing it I'd previously thought that I already had to make all of his rules for life at this age! But reading about toddlers' brains explains that is a lose-lose situation.)

I'm hoping that soon Logan will have the ability to understand when I'm "preparing meals". . .but not at this age. . .and physically his body just can't sit still! I didn't really know what to expect before, so I thought I could just go with the flow and figure it out along the way because that's what I did from 0 to 9 months (and I still think that's better than following a bunch of "rules" that are out there by people who don't know our children or our families personally). But reading The Discipline Book has taught me what to expect ahead of time as far as what's best from a child development viewpoint, which makes things easier because I'm not expecting something unrealistic. Life is easier for me when I'm educated.

I've even said here before that the only reason why some moments with Logan have frustrated me since he was 9 months old, when previously I was always relaxed in Logan's eyes as a parent, is because as a baby I knew the realistic expectations. So I think parenting my second child will be easier because I'll know what is realistic from experience (plus siblings do provide a break for the parents)!

Don't get me wrong, I don't allow Logan to be out of control, he's not hyper-active or anything (most times in public people think he's the calmest kid they've ever seen). . .he's just a typical 15 month old and so it's okay to let him "figure himself out" as long as it's not dangerous (which I already said in my post Everything--3) -- I just have to remind myself of this because there are so many messages out there that make mothers feel like their toddlers should be acting like 10-year-olds.

I should have also added "boy" to the word "typical 15 month old" in my last paragraph. You might remember that we went to Kansas City last weekend to visit my mom's side of the family. My cousin who lives there has two daughters, a 4 year old and a 2 year old. The 4 year old (Sophie) got quite a kick out of Logan. She was so. . .calm, haha, while Logan was running all over the living room - going from one thing to the next with no stopping in between. Sophie was laughing and saying, "He's crazy!" She couldn't believe how fast Logan was and how he had to climb and then jump constantly! She laid down and said, "Ohmygosh I'm so tired just watching him. How do you keep up with him?"

At that moment I decided that having a daughter next might not be so bad. :p If a 4 year old girl thinks that my son is exhausting then no wonder I do! LOL.

That same weekend I went to church with my grandma and they were renovating the Catholic church so they had Mass in their gym. It was so full that people had to stand outside - including us (although I was able to find a chair for my grandma). There was a couple with a little girl around 18 months old. No, she didn't just stand still - but she never left her parents side. She played next to her mom and then (casually) walked the few steps to her dad and then was content again. I think I heard her make one sound.

I was trying to imagine Logan in the same setting. He would be running in circles and definitely wouldn't have been quiet for an hour! Kids definitely are wired differently! But it changes over time - so maybe even just a few months from now he can join us at church - or otherwise he will probably enjoy the nursery.

On the flip side, when I'm somewhere there are boys, Logan suddenly becomes the calm one. He observes, he's quiet, and no one can imagine that he has a wild bone in his body. Thankfully, even with him being "crazy" (using Sophie's word, haha) he's been easy and well-behaved during month 15. My house isn't any cleaner and I still don't feel like I have enough free time (I'm still craving a change that will give me personal, on-my-own joy as I wrote about in My Update On My Writing, and a cleaning service), but this month has been a lot better than month 14. Logan has shown me that now that he's taken a break from teething, he is still very happy! (He has 13 teeth - so just three more expected before two years old when he gets his final molars!)

After my last post (Our Weekend), we went to the library on Wednesday (July 29) for Logan's first toddler time. I mentioned in my post, Everything, that I had signed him up as something to do either on Monday or Wednesdays. Unfortunately, we were the only ones there that day! So the librarian, Wanda, joined us. She said that there hadn't been one day this summer that only one or no children came (figures, haha)! She attributed this to being a popular week for vacations or kids getting ready to go back to school.

She showed Logan their toy room and he had a blast playing with toys, play-doh (for his first time), coloring, and Wanda even gave him a snack of gold fish crackers and juice! :) She remarked that she was impressed with how independent he is, how quickly he jumped right in, he seemed comfortable and social with her right away.

I'm glad this will give us something to do this winter, and Wanda said that the afternoon mothers are stay at home moms who have formed their own support group. (I like the sound of that!)

I guess the summers are the only free time, though, so I'm going to have to pay this fall (I mentioned before that getting a library card costs $40 a year here).

The next day, Thursday, July 30 we met Lisa and Darin (and their two daughters Lexi & Riley) and Andrea (and her son Drew) at the zoo which was fun! It was the most gorgeous day ever outside! But, it was Logan's first fussy day of month 15 -- because he was ready for his nap. That morning he'd decided to get up at 5:40 am. (Which he hadn't done since the two weeks in April.) For some reason if he gets up before 6:30 (even if it's just 10-15 minutes prior) he wants to take his nap at 10 am. Otherwise, if he wakes up at his usual time of 6:30-7 am he is fine waiting for his nap until 12-12:30.

Well, we started walking around the zoo at 10 am so Logan cried in public (i.e. around other people) for the very first time in his life, but it wasn't bad, probably because we were outside and moving. He rode the carousel for the first time--as well as the train which, in between his face scrunching up, he seemed to really enjoy. By noon I could no longer force him to stay awake - he fell asleep in his stroller, so we left (Andrea had left at 11 for the same reason, Drew was ready for his nap).

That week he didn't go to Babysitter's because she was on her other summer vacation. On Friday, July 31st we went out to eat at 370 Grill, a good place to take Logan because we were able to sit on the deck and nobody else was there so he could just run around and dance to the music that was playing!

Afterward, we went over to our neighbor's (Sean and Brenda) because they agreed to check in on our dogs while we went to Kansas City August 1st & 2nd. We usually bring our dogs with us wherever we go, otherwise my mom or dad have always dogsit - except for 3 times when our friends Jake & Melissa lived here (they had a yorkie). Well this time my mom & stepdad were coming to KC, too, and my dad & stepmom were in Michigan. We have no other friends who have a small dog that our dogs have met, so our only option was to leave them at our house. (I just can't do the kennel thing.) Since it was only for about 30 hrs we knew they'd be fine as long as someone came over to let them out and make sure their water & food stayed filled.

Thankfully, Bella and Cosmo did great with Sean & Brenda stopping by. There were no accidents and they said the dogs acted friendly/remembered them. Originally Sean & Brenda offered to have them at their house, but they have a boxer and Cosmo is not good with big dogs. After the initial barking when we arrived to their place, he calmed down and so we were just sitting peacefully on their floor chatting and after like 15 minutes Cosmo suddenly charged their dog and bit her ear! I mean, come on, it's one thing if he's protecting himself but it's like he instigates fights with big dogs! Around little dogs, he's actually submissive! But big dogs he totally freaks out around and acts like he's going to attack one. I worry about the day he goes for an aggressive big dog because my maltipoo doesn't stand a chance. (He once bit Joe's mom's old rottweiler on the nose for no reason as well.) (Here is a pic I took of him in our yard last week; for better pics see my post, A One Year Old And Two Dogs)The whole "socialize when young" thing totally does not apply to my dogs. Bella (my first dog that we got from a breeder in March 2005) wasn't around any dogs except her siblings the seven weeks before we adopted her. We didn't get Cosmo until February 2006, so during that time the only other dog she was around was my dad & stepmom's yorkie, and that was only a handful of times. And yet, she is not at all intimidated by dogs (unless they act aggressively toward her). She's not playful with them, but she is content minding her own business as long as they mind theirs. She is "a people dog" - she will shower you with kisses, she'll fetch the ball (could play all day with people), and best of all she'll obey (as I wrote about in my post, A One Year Old And Two Dogs).

Meanwhile, Cosmo was almost 4 months old when we bought him at a pet store. He'd been around a TON of dogs during that time. He was so social. He ran into our house that first night and showed Bella that she could enjoy playing with another dog. (He's still the only dog she will play with.) Any time we took him to the dog park or to anyone's house who had a dog, he'd have the best time with the dogs -- but really wouldn't go up to any people! We started taking both of our dogs to the dog park whenever we could, and thought we were set for life.

For over a year Cosmo was the calmest, sweetest little thing. He was the definition of a lap dog - he'd curl up on your lap forever. In fact, that's why we bought him. We had just made the decision to get another dog sometime that year. With Bella we had carefully researched and prepared for six months before actually purchasing her - so we'd planned to do the same thing with her sibling. Instead, we went out to eat the first night and drove by Petland. Even though I had never planned to buy from a pet store (I wanted to either go with our same breeder or adopt from a shelter), I thought it would be fun just to play with puppies as a Friday night activity. Then, I noticed the ice cream place next door. "Or, maybe ice cream instead." Joe, who was full from supper, pulled into Petland's parking lot. He later said ice cream would have been a cheaper decision, haha.

We played with a few puppies and were getting ready to leave when the lone maltipoo at the store was suddenly available to be held. As parents already to an apricot maltipoo, we just had to hold this little white one. We were shocked at what a perfect dog he seemed! He was a total cuddle ball. He was actually the complete opposite of Bella - who had a very energetic, dominant, and mischevious personality. This dog was easy going and just seemed like he'd never do anything wrong. He kissed us and acted like he never wanted to leave our arms.

That's when we noticed the family who had last held him and had started to leave (I think they were going to "sleep on it" and come back the next morning) had turned around and were looking at us. We could tell they had told the owners they'd decided to buy the dog tonight. But now that he was in our hands, we had first choice.

"Oh Joe! He would be the perfect sibling to Bella!" I gushed. Joe really couldn't argue with me. The dog seemed too good to be true! And so, we told the owner that we wanted him. (I did feel bad for the family who, at that point, left; the two kids heads' hung. . .but no matter what Cosmo's done I've never regretted our decision to make him part of our family!!! He has given me so much unconditional love and laughter and joy.)

Sure enough, he was so easy. I've mentioned before that I had no idea Bella was extra hard until I had Logan and then I realized, wait a second, our puppy was harder than a baby!

She hadn't slept through the night for the first two months. From March thru May 2005 Joe and I took turns getting up with her every night! Unlike with Logan, though, she wasn't just up for a few minutes. She was up for at least an hour! For those first two months we used a crate because that's what everyone told us to do. However, she would literally cry for hours every night! After two months of being more groggy than I ever was after having a baby (I remember going to a meeting at the radio station and having the worst headache of my life because it hurt to concentrate), we decided to buy a baby gate and put her in the kitchen. This worked for awhile. She only cried before she went to sleep each night (see what I mean about her being harder than Logan?!). . .but then she learned how to escape. She ruined a lot of our things (like a nice pair of my shoes that were upstairs in my closet) because she chewed everything. We dog-proofed our house but still couldn't take our eyes off her for a minute.

The only thing easy about her was that she was potty-trained by her third day at our house so we hardly ever had any accidents. She never barked and was super intelligent so she caught on to everything very quickly & easily. We took her to "school" that July (by then we'd had her for 4 months; she was 6 months old), she did great. And she was spayed at 7 months old, 5 months of having her which I've heard helps. At that point we allowed her to sleep on her bed outside our bedroom door (which she had no complaints about, and after we moved into this house two years later she has slept in our closet which she goes to on her own). Aside from that one day with Logan just this past May, I've had no complaints with her for the past four years. (Here she is a couple of weeks ago)It's a lesson I'll remember with my children. Because, the first night we got Cosmo I prepared myself not to get any sleep. I couldn't believe he slept the whole night through. He never minded the crate at all (which we used until we moved here when he was one-year-ten months old, since then he sleeps with Bella in the closet), probably because he'd spent his first 3.5 months of life in a cage. He just seemed to want to please us. All of the things that I'd had to be strict with Bella about, didn't apply with Cosmo. He was potty trained on the third day as well, he never cried (or barked), and he never chewed or bothered any of our things. He wasn't as smart, but was actually more like the average dog (Bella sometimes acts like a person, lol).

BUT, I think that set us up for harder times later. Bella learned the proper way to live with us in the beginning and so that's why she's been my easier dog the past four years. I also think that being an only child for the first year worked to her advantage because she bonded close to me (she became very "in tune" with me) and I was able to devote all of my attention, time and energy to her.

Cosmo wasn't disciplined that first year because he didn't do anything that required it! He followed all of the rules without me even letting him know what they were. Unfortunately, he didn't get as much attention as Bella, and so even though I love him to pieces (he's my "baby" and needs comforted a lot more because he's more dependent and gets scared easier, so that's fulfilled a part of me I wouldn't have known with just Bella who is more secure on her own), he has been just as loyal to me all three-and-a-half years that we've had him, and he is "cuter" - she and I are more connected, for example she knows when I'm sad before I even cry and comes over to give me a kiss or paw at me to pet her (she thinks if I pet her I will feel better which is cute). Cosmo tilts his head at me, then leaves the room if I cry.

This worries me about having a second child. I know people are different than dogs, but I don't want to have favorites. Right now I feel like I'd compare my second child to Logan and he/she wouldn't measure up. I love my dogs equally, but ever since Cosmo was about a year-and-eight months old (after a year and four months of having him) he has been my problem child. I brought this up in my post A One Year Old And Two Dogs, and mentioned that I don't know whether my dogs sensed our move and/or pregnancy (both which didn't occur until two months later, though) or what exactly caused the change (maybe it's just a natural maltipoo thing because at the same time they started barking at everything), but neither are the way they were before the summer of 2007. However, Cosmo is Logan's favorite! Here's a picture of my two boys last week. (By the way though, Bella, has been letting him pet her whenever he wants - a first - and he also throws the ball for her which she loves, so she has definitely come around!)At our party a few weeks ago, 2.5 year old Lexi fell on Cosmo and he scratched her, so I put him in our basement for a little while. I probably won't be able to ever 100% trust either of my dogs after this past year, but I guess that is the rule with all dogs. No matter how good they seem, you really never know what could make them snap.

Anyway, my point is that you shouldn't assume that your "easy" child is going to stay that way or your "hard" child will, either. I wrote in my post, The Truth About Spanking, that I was a difficult, rebellious child. And yet I was much easier than the average teenager. My parents didn't have to go through anything that most parents do with that age group! Whereas, I've heard so many parents on Dr. Phil talk about what perfect, easy children their teenagers were who are now in jail.

So anytime that Logan is hard, I remind myself it will benefit us later because we will have both learned how to overcome whatever particular issue we are facing. And, I do think that our attachment phase during these 15 months will benefit us in the long run like it did with Bella. That is the main message in The Discipline Book - the better you know your children and the more they trust you, the better they will behave. I just hope Logan always stays my buddy (and that I'll feel the exact same about child #2)!

The trip to KC went pretty well. I'm still not ready for a big vacation with him yet, though. (Too exhausting for me at this age when Logan makes the energizer bunny look like a rabbit with chronic fatigue syndrome.) I mentioned before that he can't sleep well in his new carseat, and so he only took a half an hour nap on the ride there (so that was all for the entire day).

The first thing we did was meet my parents & grandma out for a late lunch, and then hung out at my grandma's new place (here he is riding on her walker! He also enjoyed pushing her cart up and down the hallway!)--until it was time to go to my aunt & uncle's for their cookout (where one of my cousins and her husband, as well as my other aunt, also joined us). Just like everyone seems to, they remarked about how independent Logan is. He never cared where Joe or I were - he ran off to play with the kids on the playground and with their toys.

Just like in June when he was with Joe's friend Andy's daughter (the little girl who kept snatching toys from his hand), my cousin's two year old (Lily) kept doing that and pushing Logan but he was just like whatever. My aunt said the same thing about his temperament that a lot of people have said (which is a relief) - that his sweet, happy nature is not likely to change, usually that kind of thing follows people through life. I hope so. . .I think I am sensitive and take more than I should personally, which is not a trait I'd like to pass on.

I felt bad, though, after supper when Sophie & Lily were eating chocolate-mint ice cream bars. Logan was practically drooling as he watched them. Then, any time a piece fell, he went for it on the floor! We decided since it was a special occasion that he was old enough at 15.5 months old to have his first more-than-a-bite of chocolate and ice cream. He ate the whole thing, loved it, and didn't get sick! I will never tell him that a certain food is off-limits or he can't ever have it. I was raised that way and I think it is unhealthy. For one, it made me feel like an outcast when my mom packed me an apple and carrot sticks for my lunch while the other kids ate sandwiches and chips. But most of all, because when I was somewhere "junk food" was accessible, I devoured it because I didn't know when I'd get it again. I was deprived and felt I was missing out, so by the time I was a pre-teen I was sneaking junk food with my allowance money the same way someone sneaks drugs! In fact, for sleepovers my friends and I would buy bags of chips, boxes of cookies, several candybars - but I wouldn't want my mom to find the wrappers and so we'd eat EVERYTHING in those 24 hours so that then my friend could take the trash and throw it away at their house.

It wasn't until I became anorexic my freshman year of high school (no surprise - feeling out of control with food caused me to go from one extreme to the other) and went to a counselor who helped me recover and taught me to just listen to my body, that I learned that food is not "good" and "bad." There is "better/healthier" - but food is not something to rebel or obsess over.

It's been so much more relaxing since I left home for college and have just eaten what I want, when I'm hungry. (And, aside from one semester my freshman year of college as well as the spring of 2007, and spring of 2009 after the hormonal-breastfeeding thing, I haven't weighed anymore than what I've always been since reaching my adult height of 5'2.5" at age 13.) But I also don't want to be lazy. . .so that's why I'm trying to find the perfect medium by choosing more organic items (and cooking homemade) -- but I'm never going to be strict and rigid, making my whole life organic.

Because, I don't want my kids to get any "obsessive" messages from me when it comes to food (or anything else). (Here is Logan in our fridge, where he likes to sit, haha)It's just like everything I blog about - life should be about trying to do the best you can and being smart - but not beating yourself up or sacrificing your happiness or sanity. Moderation tends to be the key for most people (including me). I don't consider someone who is doing things with no open-mindedness or hasn't had to compromise to be living life better.

For example, after learning the truth about vaccines I don't see how any parent can be relaxed with their child getting them all at the same time (we separate them) - but I don't believe in not giving any at all. I believe women should try to breastfeed as little as one day or as long as two years, but not longer than that for them to be healthy emotionally. I believe women should first strive for natural childbirth, but I know (from experience) that some situations won't allow that and a baby can end up just as healthy and you'd never know the difference. I am a big supporter of attachment parenting so I'm a stay at home mom, but I have a sitter for my son 8 hrs a week and we don't co-sleep because we both do best with a short break.

In my post Everything-2 I mentioned that I'm going to attempt to try cloth diapers (I asked my mom to pick up a Bummis or BumGenius last week, which I wrote about on my blog My Recommendations--Part One) -- but if it doesn't work out then oh well - I'll just work that much harder to get Logan potty trained sooner!

I've mentioned in previous posts that until now we've used the organic Earth's Best brand 75% of the time (the other 25% is Huggies) so that we don't have to worry about the new chemicals they put in diapers, against Logan's genitals 24/7. But now that Logan is so active the organic disposables are falling off -- we can't buy anymore except for Huggies "little movers." If cloth works for us then I'll start it right away with baby #2.

Okay, back to last Saturday. . .when we said goodbye to my family after the cook-out, Logan gave Sophie a kiss completely on his own (I held my breath because he hasn't done that since Jaxson's cousin who he bit in April - but Sophie was older and family, so I was hoping by now he knew how to kiss girls without biting)!

He was up at 5:30 am the next morning (the only day that early since the zoo day, knock on wood none since) and the hotel room wasn't big enough for him to run around, so Joe took him around the hotel where Logan did laps through the halls, then found the exercise room where he tried all of the equipment, then ran to the pool and was fascinated by the hot tub.

At least he went to bed easily in the pack n play (we had a suite so he was in another room) and because he had been so active on the trip, he slept 1.5 of the 3 hrs back home. The other 1.5 hrs he was very happy and didn't require anything from me except a snack (I sat in the front). We had gone to a petting zoo before leaving KC which he really enjoyed.Thankfully, Logan's second and only other fussy day this "month 15" was during last week, because he missed his nap again. I had asked his babysitter if she could take him three mornings because this was the first week that we couldn't go outside every day that he wanted (due to it being too hot for the first time this summer). I am not complaining because for the first time happening in AUGUST, that is excellent for the Midwest!

I wish that I could be the mom who plans something to do every hour, but I'm just not that type of person. I'm not a mom who could ever homeschool (that thought just doesn't sound pleasant at all). In fact, Logan's time at his babysitter's seems so stimulating to him that I've decided once he turns 18 months old, 12 hrs a week there will be our regular schedule. In the spring when he first started going, anything more than 8 hrs a week was too much for me, but the few times we've done 12 hrs this summer it's seemed perfect for the both of us. I think this winter it will help with his boredom factor and will allow me to go Christmas shopping and hopefully not get SDD like last year.

Anyway, the fussy day last week was because on Wednesday when I carried him to his crib for his nap (which is the routine as soon as we get out of the car) he fell right asleep, but less than five minutes later the doorbell rang. I don't even know what the lady was there for - my dogs went psycho and so when I opened the door I snapped, "I just put my son to sleep!" so she turned around and walked away. (By then Logan had already started crying.) I waited for five entire minutes, hoping he would go back to sleep - but his crying got worse and worse and so I went up to get him. There's been a few other times that he's fallen asleep for a few minutes some day, like in the car, and then that is the only nap he will take!!!! So I was worried that was going to be the case. I tried to put him down during the 1:00 hr, the 2:00 hr, and the 3:00 hour but he was wide awake, jumping on his bed. Finally at 4:00 he went to sleep but it was only for 1.5 hrs. Since then he hasn't taken his normal 3 hr nap again! (Aside from the weekend in KC his naps have been exactly 2 hrs.) However, he has been sleeping 8 pm to 7 am so with his nap that is 13 hrs per day, which is the average for a 12-24 month old (and it's only a half an hour to an hour less than what he's done since 9 months old when the average is 14 hrs per day after 6 months old when it is 15 hrs. After 2 years old the average is 12 hrs until 4 years old, 11 hrs by 5 years old, and 10 hrs by 10 years old. After puberty, 8 hrs is average through adulthood).

On Thursday I had an oil change appt. . .and this weekend (August 7-9th) was our first in a long time that we didn't have plans. On Friday I got my acrylics off (exactly two weeks later - I think I had another few days before they started falling off but I wanted to get them removed before then) and that night we went out to eat at Old Chicago. . .but I just don't like that place. I've eaten there probably 6 other times in my life (always getting something different) and each time is less enjoyable than the time before. Next time we eat in that area we are going to Texas Roadhouse - Lisa/Darin, Sarah/Shawn, and Sara/Mike gave us a gift card there when they came over for our party last month! :)

On Saturday or Sunday we had planned to finally plant our trees (you might remember in my post, Everything-2 that we are required by August 29th, the two year anniversary of living in our house, to have two trees planted and to start our landscaping). We had wanted to wait until the end of the summer because at our old house we planted a tree in the spring and then it died that summer because it was too hot. However, this summer has been so mild until last week. . .we should have done it sooner. Yesterday was 100 degrees and today it rained all day. We will have to do it on a weekday now because this next weekend (Aug 14-16th) we are going to Iowa for Grife's wedding and then the following weekend I'm doing my solo getaway that I mentioned in my post, My Update On My Writing, that I want to do so that I can write for an entire weekend! (So instead this weekend I just hung out with Chris yesterday while Joe took Logan to the zoo, and I caught up with my friend Sarah from Seattle on the phone today - she is finally going to get her dream job, starting next week! She has been applying for a new position for exactly a year, and although she'd originally hoped to move to Charlotte, NC instead of staying in Seattle, this job is what she's always wanted to do, so that is all that matters!)

Speaking of vacations, I wrote previously that Joe & I are going to Lake Rathbun in October and Chicago in November. Well my dad & stepmom also want us to come to their new house on Lake Michigan next July because there is a big tourist week that sounds like fun -- so that is going to be our first plane trip with Logan! Then I started thinking about how I haven't visited my brother in L.A. since he moved out there in 2006 and once I have a baby I know I won't be traveling for two years (when I'm pregnant and during the baby's first year) so this next year would be the best time for me to go there. ALSO, Sarah in Seattle has been wanting me to visit her since she moved there in 2004. Needless to say, I've decided to take those trips (like Seattle in March & L.A. May) in place of our Caribbean vacation. I can't believe I chose to put the tropical beach off since I've been wanting to go so incredibly badly for three years, but we can go in 2012 (if our second child is a year old by then) or otherwise 2013 for our 10th anniversary (our kids will be approx. 5 and 2 by then). We'll see. . .
Logan hasn't had any nightmares/night terrors for almost a month!

Lately he's been really fascinated by mechanical things and how they work. When he's quiet, I will find him with cords like from the VCR that he's studying in his hands and then plugging back into the little holes. Hmm, isn't that how engineers start out?

I was able to see him throw me kisses a couple of weeks ago and he does it all the time now. He is so melting my heart this month!!!!!

He's only been eating the standard 3 meals and 2 snacks a day (so no more eating every 1-2 hours the past month, whew).

He loves throwing trash in the trash can. I have to be careful now, though, I noticed the other day as I was emptying it that he also threw his tractor in there as well as some balls.

This reminds me, my mom noticed he has a very "helping" nature. I've noticed this, too. He seems to thrive on knowing that he is a help to someone! (And whenever he sees a broom anywhere, he has to sweep - restaurants, other people's houses, etc.!)I've heard we all fit into one of nine categories (like the Myers-Briggs personality test that I wrote about in my post, My Personality Type. What Are You? This ("The Enneagram") is another test in the psychology world (although not as popular as the Myers-Briggs). I took it for a psychologist about 8 years ago and remember that one of the results some people get is "The Helper," so I'll be interested to see if that's what Logan gets. . .if he ever takes it in the future! :)

In conclusion, every single night for the past 7 days I have had a dream that I am pregnant right now. Last night my dream actually said the words, "It's a girl" and then showed me her ultrasound picture. I don't know if it's because of me taking the pregnancy test last month (for the first time since exactly a year ago - my only other scare - which had been the first time since I got pregnant with Logan exactly a year before that) or what is the deal (in my waking life this summer I've thought about pregnancy the least of any month during the past two years!). It's starting to freak me out. I have, like, anywhere from 1-2 weeks before my next period but I can't wait so I can be reassured. Unfortunately, ever since Logan turned a year old I've completely gone back to my old pattern with the irregular and painful-for-ten days-cycles. So I'm already having signs. But the voice in my dream reminded me last night I had cramps in the beginning with Logan, too. WTH?