Gender Issue #1: Boys and Dolls?

Last week, I showed my class some of the pictures from Weston's first birthday as I took my turn to share with them how my weekend was.  As we came to the picture of him playing with his new doll, one of my students hollered, "Why does he have a doll?  He's a boy.  If you let him play with dolls, he'll become gay."  I laughed out loud, mostly because I was shocked by the ridiculousness of her statement, and told her that he wasn't going to become gay by playing with dolls.  The other students agreed with their classmate and thought I was totally nuts for letting my son play with a doll.

I didn't try to explain gender roles and social constructs to my class; I let it go.  I think it's precious how gentle Weston was with his doll when we first opened it up, and it's super cute when I say, "Molly's hungry!  Can you feed her?" and he grabs the spoon and shoves it into her mouth.

Gender stereotyping is such a funny issue.  I searched on Google for "boys playing with dolls" and was surprised to read how many parents were asking questions like "My one year-old son was over at a friend's house and he picked up a doll and started playing with it.  Should I be concerned?"  or  "My husband got mad at our son for playing with his sister's dolls the other day."  or  "Is it a crazy idea to let my son play with dolls?"

December 1974

This blogger discusses how gender roles have evolved over the past century.  It seems to me that boys are much more protected than girls are from the opposite gender's stereotypes.  For example, no one batted an eye when my older brothers taught me how to dribble a basketball at age 3.  Nor did any teacher call home to my mom in 3rd grade when I played with the boys at recess or in 4th grade when I picked the saxophone when I joined band.  I'm not sure what the current news is about where homosexuality stems--whether it's nature or nurture or none of the above--but I can tell you that this was the most recent news article when I searched for "what makes people gay":

Former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt Says Marketing Makes You Gay

Really?

My Queasy Stomach

No, I'm not expecting another baby...

I just want to know when that horrible feeling I get of weak knees and a queasy stomach will go away.  You know, the one I get whenever Weston is crawling too fast on concrete and I visualize him face planting, or when he's about to topple over off the deck into a pine bush because he came too close to the edge?

Yeah.  That feeling.  Am I cursed with this because I'm a mother now?  Is it worse because he's a boy?  It happens most frequently when concrete is below him.  Will it get better when he's mastered walking?

Yuck.

Spring Has Sprung

I still can't get a video of him walking, so in the meantime, these will have to suffice:

Shoving houska into his mouth on Easter

Mmmm...butter

A momma's boy

Playing on our deck

Having tea with Dad

At the Cinci Conservatory

Vitamin D!

Where's Dada's nose?

Happy Eleven Months!

This past month has been busy!  We're getting settled in our new home while trying to baby-proof...  Nate's mom and her husband came to visit last weekend, and now my mom is here.  Weston's been testing out his first steps, too!  He took his first steps on March 18, and these past few days, he's been experimenting with walking.  He's gotten about 6 steps in before toppling over.

He also did his first sign yesterday: more!
I don't mean to act like a zookeeper trying to get my little mammal to do tricks as I throw him chunks of fruit, but it was the only way to get him to do it so I could video it.

Seven teeth

It was also time to give Weston his first haircut.  His bangs were down past his eyebrows.  Right before bath on a warm 75 degree day, three adults attempted to cut his hair.  My mother was the stylist, Nate held him, and I photographed while trying to distract him.  What a chore.  It turned out pretty good--we had to touch up the front the following day.

Saying No

This is Weston's latest thing...shaking his head no.  Thankfully, he doesn't use it to mean "no," so it's still cute.

I can't figure out how to turn the video, so you'll have to crane your neck.  Sorry.




I love how he pauses to rest after several rounds.

Happy Ten Months!

Weight: 21 lbs. 8 oz.
Height: ~31 in.

Weston's enjoying our new house, especially the stairs...  We didn't have stairs at our apartment, so they are quite an attraction. We have a nice little park near by, and we've gone many times since we've moved here.  He loves watching all the kids run around, and he's even made a friend, Ruby, a little girl who's about 5 months older than he.  She can walk and frequently comes over to pet Weston's head.  It's adorable.

The same six teeth that he got when he was 6 months old...nothing new since then

We're pretty sure that his word for "water" sounds something very similar to "daughter daughter."  He only says "mama" when he's crying, but will say "dada" all the time.

 Oh!  Did I tell you that he's been sleeping through the night for about 3 weeks now???!!??  That will be another post all on its own, but I feel like a new woman.

Going after the keys

His latest thing is holding a ball in his hand for most of the day.  He crawls around with it in his fist, making him look like he's got a peg leg.

Smelling the Roses

First Valentine's Day

It takes a lot to be a parent--especially a working mom.  I'm finding that it takes deliberate actions on my part to just slow down and enjoy the whole process--from when he wakes up in the morning to the middle of the night feeding.

After nursing Weston, it's way too easy to come home from work, and immediately afterward entertain all the frantic thoughts in my head--"I need to take care of the breast pump stuff before the milk spoils." or "How in the world did a Cheerio get over here?  I need to vacuum." or "When's the last time I did laundry?" or "Yikes!  Did I pay the credit card bill?"  I have to consciously forget about all those things and just spend time on the floor reading Birthday Monsters forward and backward and having Weston climb all over me and pull my hair out and scratch my nose.  He's only 9 months old once, and the laundry can wait.  So can the floors.  And the dishes.  And the email.  But maybe not the bills...

Lights On, Lights Off

We were getting ready to go on a walk and I laid Weston down under the light in the hallway. I wonder how long he would have laid there transfixed as I turned the lights on and off...

A Drinking Problem

Weston's practicing using a cup at dinner time. Note the stream of water pouring down the front of his shirt as he figures out how to get the spout in his mouth.

Weston the Geek, Part Deux

A day at Dad's shop...

Very seriously measuring conduit whilst perched atop the CNC machine

Almost unable to contain his excitement

Two geeks, geeked out about tools and machines

Excellent explanation

Happy Eight Months!

Eight months by the numbers:

• What I can't believe: that it's 2012
• Weston's percentage of the way to 1 year old: 66.7% 
• Height: ~29 inches
• Weight: 19 1/2 lbs.
• Diapers used: 1,344 diapers (can that really be true??  ~6 diapers a day x 7 days a week x 32 weeks)
• Diaper size: Holding steady at a size 3 Pampers
• Plants eaten: 0
• Plant leaves torn off and ready for mouth: at least 10
• Times slept through the night (no waking up from bedtime to wake up the following morning): 2
• Average number of times he wakes up in the night: 1.2
• Favorite time of the day: 6:00 pm--BATH TIME!
• Boxes of Cheerios consumed: still working on his 1st box
• Pajama size: 12 months
• Hours spent Skype-ing with family members: at least 4
• Top 2 Skype-ers: the Grandmas
• Average time occupied with the vacuum cleaner: about 10 minutes
• Time interested in his other toys: < 1 minute
• Interest level (1-10) with the dishwasher, cords, plants, an open refrigerator, lights, and toilet paper: 11
• Time I've spent winding toilet paper back on the roll: enough to permanently relocate it OFF of the dispenser
• Naps taken per day: 2 (very rarely will take 3)
• Teeth: 6
• Times I've been bitten while he's nursing: 2
• Eyes: 2 beautiful baby blues
• Nose: 1 Polish button
• Smiles: too many to count

Testing out blueberries (and loving his mommy)

Telling me how much he loves me!

Baby Hawk

A little bit of Nate's product makes for a spectacular hair-do

Six teeth and waiting for more!

Here's what I love about having a baby--he is an endless source of laughter for Nate and me. My current favorite is his excitement for bath time every night as he crawls completely naked as fast as he can to the bathroom, but without having his knees touch the floor.  I'd post a video, but it's a little too personal...

Happy New Year!!

Seven Months!

"Seven months, really?  How did that happen?  We kept him alive for seven months?  Really?"

This was Nate in reference to our joint disbelief at the fact that our little man has somehow made it through this long.

He's about 18.5 pounds and pushing 29 inches (or perhaps taller--it's ridiculously difficult to measure an infant).  Six teeth, tons of hair, pulling himself up on everything, beginning to cruise on furniture, eating plants and power cords, getting about 90% of Cheerios in his mouth, a growing fascination with lights and their switches, and so much more.

Grandma came to visit!

Look at those teeth (and chubby cheeks)

About to eat my shoelaces

Classic--morning coffee while trying to control the baby

Surrounded by all his toys 

My little conductor

Baby on a Mission

 Yup. Found him in his crib last night standing up, holding on to the rails and crying. Next task: learn how to get down.

A Very Merry Half Birthday!

Six months down...Sometimes I remember what life was like before baby got here, but it's kind of fuzzy.

We went for his 6-month check-up yesterday morning and met his new pediatrician, Dr. Jadeed.  It's hard picking a pediatrician--we just went with whoever was available and we got lucky.  Sometimes, I think it's all about the nurse since he or she is the one who administers the shots.  If they're organized, experienced, and quick, then I think that's the best a parent can hope for.

Anyway, here are the stats:
Length: 28 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 18 lbs. 3oz. (50-75th percentile)
Head circumference: 44 cm (75th percentile)

He's eating like a champ once a day, usually when I get home from work.  I've tried to follow this progression of foods recommended by La Leche League: sweet potatoes, avocados, apples, pork, pears, and bananas.  He's enjoyed most of them, although the apples were a bit too tart for him, so I've been mixing them in with the sweet potatoes.  I love making baby food for him, and I find it to be fairly easy.  There are lots of websites out there that give hints and suggestions for making and storing baby food--I like Wholesome Baby Food.  I try to make one or two good batches of food on the weekends, which makes it easy to have a nice variety of food during the week.

He's had a bit of a plumbing problem since the introduction of solid foods, but I've been pushing water and prune juice to help avoid that.  Unfortunately, I've also had to use glycerin suppositories, but they work like a charm.

Grandma Becca and Grandpa Brady stopped by for a visit last weekend and their way back from Florida, and Weston was super happy to see them!

Milo!

Checking out Grandpa's beard

One of several dozen possible Christmas card photos

Precious

Autumn Fun

Wow, October has been an exciting month for my little man--first tooth, almost crawling, solid foods... The other day, he experienced his first ridiculous Halloween costume.  I came home to him half-dressed in what was going to be his Halloween costume (a hand-me-down bonus):

Bat Boy

Unfortunately, like so many other clothing items that Weston has, it's too small.  He's almost outgrown his 9 months pajamas, and I'm going to have to do another round of putting clothes away and pulling bigger ones out.  It amazes me how fast babies grow.

Here he is earlier in the day, rocking a few downward dogs and babbling about ma-ma and ba-ba:


Today we went to Devou Park in Covington and snapped a bunch of pictures of our baby boy.

First swing ride at the park

Ready for a nap after the fresh air

Like father, like son

Overlooking Cincinnati

HappyBabyJumpingTimes

Our little spaz loves his bouncy seat, a gift from his "aunties" back in Milwaukee.  We're training Weston to capitalize on his nearly off-the-charts height percentile by working on his vertical jump, complete with a little Adidas warm up outfit from Grandma.  Doesn't he look like Ari and Uzi from The Royal Tenenbaums?

Weston the Geek

Weston,

I promise we're laughing with you and not at you.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Geeked out with Dad in the workshop

Sporting Dad's safety glasses (from the 1940s?) 

I'm the one who looks like a weirdo here

Listening to Dad explain how the particle collector works (post diaper change)

This is the funniest picture we have of him yet.  Not quite sure why he wouldn't relax in the swing...

Already?

As is becoming our little custom, I came home from work this afternoon to a smiling baby boy sitting with Dad on the porch.  I kissed both of them hello, and as soon as Nate ended his phone call, he told me to "Come see this."

He put Weston on the bed, and he helped him get his legs tucked under his body.  Of course, Weston wasn't interested in showing off his new trick, so Nate had to fill me in on the details...He pushed himself up onto all fours and rocked back and forth a bit before he toppled over.

Already?  He's not even five months old (although he will be in a couple of days).

I did get to see this amazing feat this evening before bath time.  I was quite impressed.  Nate was able to capture it this afternoon: