Unsolicited: Parenting Stories and Advice

The baby toy industry is the most insane of all the industries.  I mean, I guess it has to be because their competition is pretty steep.  And free.  1. Dirty Bathroom Rug Leo is obsessed with this rug (and the bathroom in general).  He spends so much time running his hands over it and trying to lick it that you would think it was a Porsche and ice cream cone all in one.  2.  Ancient Bathroom Toilet from 1983 Continuing on the bathroom theme, Leo has recently become incredibly enamored of the toilet.  He delights in standing and drumming on it for hours.  He vastly prefers it to the toy drum that we purchased for this purpose. 3. Crevice Behind Bedroom Door and Door Hinge Leo pushes the bedroom door closed and then burrows himself into this crevice, zeroing in on the door hinge which he then caresses fondly as one might handle a favorite fine wine.   4. Terrifically Dangerous Wood Rods Because we have cats that know...

Oh, sleep.  Our relationship has always been so close.  I was a great sleeper as a baby(I'm told), regularly slept 12 hours at night during high school, learned how to take naps at college, and routinely enjoyed being awake for no more than 14 hours a day.  Until...Leo.   ALERT. AN ARM HAS ESCAPED THE SWADDLE. ALERT. Most babies are TERRRRIBLE sleepers.  This means sometimes they: 1. Wake up several times a night (or don't sleep at all?!?) 2. Fall asleep at random times during the day when you don't expect it.  3. Can't put themselves to sleep. 4. Can't/won't nap. This is largely because they don't really know how to sleep and they spend the first 3 or so years (I'm told) learning how to catch some z's.  The real problem here, of course, is that a parent's sleep is tied to their child's sleep.  It's all rolled into one big 2 for 1 package.  Leo: ZZZZZZ Me: Developing a bladder infection(dontwakethebaby!!!!!). Leo wasn...

Ten months! The big double digits. Or, according to the label on the back of all of his clothes, "12-18 months". So, yeah, big guy. We are still working on the call and response of "How big is Leo??"; cue Leo raising his arms.  But, he's kind of right that he is "so big" just sitting there so why bother with all the theatrics?? Leo loves to explore the world around him. He knows that he has five senses to use at all times - there's no part of the world that he doesn't want to see, touch, smell, hear, or taste. He rightly points out that it is very outdated to assume that food is for tasting, and not squeezing, or that books are for seeing, not tasting. We love encouraging him to keep exploring, since he takes in all the world around him.   Stats: No new measurements, but he's a big guy - still the tallest at play group (note: now tall instead of long since he is standing up) Hair: Still a bit wispy on top, but definitely curli...