Month twenty: To Be Alone With You

Now that Madeus and Dempsey go to part-time school on the same days I rarely get much alone time with Dempsey.  Next fall I will try to have Dempsey home one day when Madeus goes to school two.

For now, I enjoy the brief moments we do get together. Last week, while Madeus was at an acting class, Dempsey and I hung outside The Denver Art Museum and played on the steps on a gorgeous sunny day.

For once, my little man got the pick of the cars all to himself.

To Be Alone with You (Dylan) - "Just you and me, now won't you tell me true, ain't that the way it ought to be."

19 Months: Superman

Month Eighteen: Two Little Feet

 

My little Dempsey! How long it has been since your world has been updated!  

15 months seems to be a key time for you, and for me, because that is when you finally started sleeping through the night.  I will say, that was a tough go little guy.  I was blessed with the easiest baby ever that NEVER slept.  And of course, this was the opposite of your brother, who was always a challenge when he was awake but slept from 8 weeks on.  You still often wake in the night with some crying but can put yourself back to bed...usually.

You started walking fully at 15 months and continue to love the act of climbing.  You tend to test things before doing a bit more carefully than your brother did at your age. However, you definitely still like danger and mischief and keep us on our toys.  You walk well but still tumble when moving too quickly.

At 15 months, to show hunger, you started smacking your lips up and down and nodding ferociously.  That soon turned into nodding any time you wanted anything. You shake your head no but less frequently than you nod yes.  Now your comprehension has gone through the roof.  I remember feeling this with Madeus as well.  You are not talking much but you understand everything.  Such a reminder that you do not need to be able to say words to understand them. You now have a few words but you use them sparingly. You say ball, mama sometimes, go, all gone and my latest favorite Glee.  You absolutely love music and have started dancing to the television program where we watch only the musical numbers.  You always rock out in your car sea, and find any beat you can to dance to.  You love if I sing you a song before bedtime as well.

You and Madeus fight all the time.  It is definitely when our house is most uneasy.  You both love it for a while, but Madeus often goes too far. You take on a lot of tackling from your older brother but I have also noticed you start to dish it out as well.  Everyone says Madeus’ days are numbered before your wrestling becomes just as strong. Right now, you seem more content when we are home alone and you have your pick of any toy or space.

You still run to mommy more than anyone.  However, while you act a little nervous when I am about to leave, you easily adjust to anyone who wants to love on you. You have done a little Montessori to get you used to school, about 10 times.  Next week you will start going to the same school as Madeus for two days but it is almost 6 hrs long each day!  I am already missing you but you are starting to play so well with other kids and I know it will be a good adjustment for you.

You are actually on the small size in weight and height right now, the doctors have you on a high calorie diet.  You are still a great eater but getting pickier.  You definitely have a sweet tooth, love yogurt, and tend to like more tasty and spiced dishes.

Your smile continues to light up a room. With you I definitely understand that cliché phrase as absolutely true, I have never seen anything like it.

Month Seventeen: We Rule the School

Dempsey has started going to Montessori for a few hours twice a week. In January he will start the toddler program at Madeus' school. It pretty much breaks my heart. He approaches this as he does everything though, as you can see from the picture. (It doesn't go as smoothly once he is there, that boy loves his mama).

I am One!: A Year in Review

When I was in high school, I used to end each school year with a review of my favorite clothes, teachers, experiences, etc. so I thought I would do a modified version for the little man (um, three months late to post of course).

Dempsey's 1st Year:

The Favorites -
Toy: any baseball bat, he drags it around while crawling
Cuddle: his giraffe blanket
Food: this one has a sweet tooth, I think it is mango, he loves any Happy Baby puree as well
Person: Me! I want to always remember how the moment he sees me, he crawls over so fast with
sound effects that can be described as a mix between a laugh, a coo, and audible breathing. If I
am sitting, he will scoot right into my lap. I LOVE IT!
Activity: for the first 1/2 of his life it was traveling in the ERGO, he was so content. Now I would say it is frustrating his brother by intruding in "his" play space. Oh, and he loves the pool.

Dislikes:
Apparently sleep. Still has not slept through the night. Let me remind you he is 1.
Staying in a highchair for more than 10 minutes.
Staying in a carseat
Staying in a stroller (do you sense a pattern?)
Sadly he no longer loves the Ergo unless you are walking somewhere quickly or nursing
Salmon Sprout food (who can blame him, lapse of judgment on my part and I bought it in bulk)

Voyages:
Birth
A cross country roadtrip at 6 weeks old to our new home in Colorado from New York City
California roadtrip

Biggest challenges (well for his momma at least):
this whole sleep thing, I had no idea.
February illness of the family.
Dempsey has already had several ear infections.
Moving with a newborn. I just wanted to cuddle.

Some of the best memories:
Watching the boys play on the floor together
Anytime Dempsey laughs and smiles which is often
Christmas morning all together
Dempsey's lemonade party
Spending hours in bed nursing and sleeping while watching Say Yes to the Dress when Madeus was at school

On The Eve of One: Ride The Wonder Wheel

On the eve of Dempsey's birth we went to Coney Island.  Dempsey was not due for two more weeks but the expectation from all was that he should have already arrived.  My midwife suggested inducement around 36 or 37 weeks because of a water condition I had developed. But then she decided to wait.  I was contracting since 27 weeks and have not slept in over 6 weeks.  I was in and out of the hospital/doctor for a few false alarms. My parents had arrived and I felt the pressure of waiting.  There were a lot of tears.

We went to Coney Island on the hottest day I can remember.  I sat on a bench next to a girl that was due any day.  She was half my size.  I wore a black dress because that was all that fit. Madeus went on the questionable kiddy rides which were drenched in sun.  My mom felt sick from the heat.

We sat on the beach and put our feet in the water.  Madeus laid on my tummy.  He sang Twinkle Little Star to Dempsey.  Madeus rarely showed this kind of affection during the pregnancy.  When the day was over and I could no longer walk, Michael went and got the car along with lemon Italian ices for us all.

I finally fell off to sleep that night and what I think were only minutes later, my water broke.

Coney Island broke my water.

Closing in on One: Making Memories of Us

The countdown has begun to Dempsey's first birthday.  I am reminded of Madeus' 1st birthday and the attachment I have to this milestone. And by attachment, I mean the physical, emotional, and mental discharge my body goes through during this week.  Lately, I have been remembering a lot about my pregnancy. Not necessarily the bad and the ugly (and as I have blogged, it was both those things), but the quirky little moments.

I ate 2 artichokes a day.  It soothed my stomach.  I think I ate 7 or 8 one week while watching the Olympics. 

I chewed ice constantly, bags and bags of crushed ice.

I threw up the day I realized I was pregnant and I was only 5 weeks along. It continued until the last push.

Madeus always said the baby was a girl, and that is all he wanted.

The four times I was at an Amusement Park were the four best moments of my pregnancy.

Madeus tried to give the baby cars and said, "Come out baby, cars!"

I would stop at the best discount designer store ever, Daffy's on the way to my midwife appointments in midtown and get a slice of pizza and a cream soda after.

My midwife did more clinical tests than any doctor I have had which I thought was weird. She always wore black, with severe hair, and a stern but warm Jewish mother temperament.

New Yorkers would always get up for me on the Subway. I am not sure if they were being nice or if they thought my belly was dangerous to their safety.

For the last month, I stayed up all night, ever night watching episodes of the L word. 

I ruined my Iphone while resting it on my belly in the bath. My belly was big enough to be my table very early on.

I was petrified when I realized I was about to give birth again. This was a bit surprising, since I had done it before.  I told Mike I did not want to go.