Jamie Chew's Web Log: Vol. 1 No. 54

2006-10-17 24:20 (Kristen) It was so gloomy when we woke up this morning that I thought it was closer to dawn than the actual time of 8:30. I think that Jamie might have been up earlier than that as he woke me up, in the mood to cuddle and chat. It was a grim morning outside, which effectively did in any notions of outside activity: the clouds were so low and dark that I had to turn lights on in the kitchen to read, and the rain pounded down relentlessly without cease. Ick. Jamie talked me into letting him watch television, which means lots of Peep. I'm good with Peep: we often end up talking about the science in it during or afterwards, so I'd much rather Peep than other, past, preferences. We got dressed to have lunch with John's parents at their house, as Tami is not doing lunch this week. This involved putting Jamie into his "duck suit," which is a yellow splash suit that I am so happy that we have in reserve, despite the fact he's only worn it a handful of times. He was getting tired, and while he ate some of the yakisoba* that Sai made, he was happiest eating a big bowl of fruit in imitation of Jack, who was having his breakfast when we arrived.

John and Jamie went for a walk at 1:00, while Liam and I went to the Second Cup via Book City. I made a long list of possible books for Jamie's birthday next month, and bought him a little DK First Reader about ducks and pond life for now. John and I met up at the Second Cup, and I took over watching Jamie as John was called out for an appointment at the last minute. He woke up after a fairly restless two hours, and I took him to Treasure Island after a trip to Sun Valley next door. He had a good time, and came home relatively quietly. He ate some dinner but not a lot, and spent a quiet evening watchinig more television. I managed to get him to interact with me for about forty-five minutes, by reading a little with him and drawing a monster to his specifications (and with prompting: what does the monster look like? Does it have hair? Etc.). We put the boys to bed as early as we could, and Jamie was asleep somewhere around 10:30 (I think). Liam fell asleep around midnight when I put him in a sling while I got a midnight snack, but is sleeping lightly now across my lap. He had a much better day today, much to our collective relief.

2006-10-18 24:38 (Kristen) As much as I loathe typing with one hand, Liam is ensuring that I get good at it. Otherwise little blogging would happen. Right now, he is sucking away on my left pinkie while I type with my right hand; else I would have both hands full of crying child and no blog at all. This is life as a mom: as I said to a fellow mom this afternoon, who told me that she never thought she'd be chasing one child of hers down the Danforth while nursing the other at the breast, we mothers are very adaptable creatures.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jamie and Liam were up at 9:15; my bad, as it was a Hakobune day and he was supposed to be there in 45 minutes. I got John up, who is trying a new series of antihistamines which make him very drowsy, and they left around 10:30. Liam's tummy is better but the fuss of the last week has meant that he has lost the ability to sleep on his own: every time I move his from my lap/shoulder/sling to the car bed/bed/couch, he wakes up and can't be settled again. He cries his hiccuping cry when he's tired and doesn't fall asleep on his own in the carbed any more, and inevitably wakes up after fifteen minutes or so of sleep if he's down. Sometimes I'm lucky and he'll sleep for half an hour on his own. I feel like I've forgotten, or maybe he's forgotten, how to sleep any other way. It's like you've forgotten how do so something you've always known how to do, like tie your shoes, or walk. The blog says that Jamie was the same way at this age, but I'd hoped that we could avoid this the second time around. Liam has turned into a light sleeper, which rather sucks.

Jamie had a good day at Hakobune, but didn't sleep on his walk this afternoon, possibly because we missed his "window" (we left at 2:00), and possibly because we had two bathroom breaks on our way. I gave up trying to get him to nap around 3:15, and stopped at the library. We got a lot of books for Jamie, which was great, and went to the Second Cup on the way home. There we ran into Teddy, a little boy about three weeks younger than Jamie, and Teddy's sister Evvie. who is two weeks younger than Liam (oh: and their mom). They had a grand time running about and later chasing pigeons at the Carrot Common. Dinner was at Pearls, and we three stayed behind while John went to the Scrabble club. Jamie played with Sai until we headed home at 8:00. He fell asleep on the way home, but woke up when Gary carried him inside. Bedtime was 9:30, but he was very tired and unsettled because of Liam's presence. John came home, and that excited Jamie, and so no sleep until 11:00. He will be very sleepy tomorrow.

2006-10-19 24:33 (Kristen) I compose parts of the blog in my head over the course of the day, and amaze myself with my witty and pithy remarks and observations. Then comes the hectic "end of day," when children must be cleansed, calmed, and somehow convinced to close their eyes for the night; dishes washed and kitchens cleaned; and blogs are written sometime after midnight most times. After midnight, my brain becomes pumpkin-like, and all my gorgeous prose turns into dross. Sigh. Someday.

I must have woken Jamie up in the middle of a dream this morning, as he burst into tears when he woke, crying inconsolably about the ice cream truck, and that he didn't get his ice cream. I asked him if he had been dreaming about the ice cream truck once he was coherent and a little more awake, and he sniffled and said "yes." I asked him if he wanted honey toast, and he perked up, so we went downstairs. Liam fell asleep on the bed for an hour while I did, in a propped-up position, and spontaneously! It's because I complained yesterday: he had to prove me wrong, I guess. We made it out the door on time, as it was my turn to take Jamie to Hakobune, and we made it mostly without incident. Jamie, in fact, was very helpful and in a lovely, if sleepy, mood. Liam and I went to the Starbucks nearby, and he slept most of the morning away. I think that he must have some sort of reflux problem, as he will sleep if propped up in a 45 degree plus position, but won't if lying flat. We will continue to experiment, and see if this is always true, or just today's oddness.

We went home on the subway, and met up with John at the corner of our street. John took Jamie with him to pick up John's parents' new car, but Jamie only slept for an hour. Liam and I went out to pick up some groceries before they got back, but they beat us home. Jamie and John did some yard work while I got started on dinner, then came in to help. Our friends Peter and Leslie came by with their son Simon (who is almost eleven months old) for dinner, and Jamie had fun using Simon as a tester younger brother who plays with toys. We all had a good time, and we particularly enjoyed the great gelato they brought with them for dessert! They went home around nine, and we got the kids into bed. Jamie was asleep by 11:00, and Liam is still awake and fussing on my lap. End of blog.

2006-10-20 23:58 (Kristen) A few things: first, Jamie told me that he wanted to be a fireman for Halloween a few days ago. So, I found a fireman's costume for him (but haven't bought it yet). It's a good thing that it is unpurchased, as he told me yesterday that he wants to be a beaver. All in all, we are undecided. A bus driver offered to let hiim drive the bus a few days ago, and Jamie declined, saying that the bus was "too fast for me."

Jamie woke up well enough this morning, and Liam did too. Liam, however, went back to sleep and slept away the morning while John and Jamie went to Hakobune. John walked Jamie this afternoon until Jamie fell asleep, around 2:50 or so, I think. I met up with them around 4:00, John went home and Jamie woke up soon afterwards. I took the boys to the library, where we picked up many books, and returned a few too. Jamie likes the version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears we got a few days ago very much. Then it was a stint at Treasure Island before going to Jackman School for the annual Harvest Festival. We got into line for a hot dog and veggie burger, and Jamie ate all of his: not surprising, given the amount of running around he did while I stood in line for us. We explored a bit, and met up with John around 7:00. John and Jamie stayed at the playground while I headed home with Liam who was finally waking up after a long nap. John and Jamie were home soon after, which was not surprising as it was cold and dark. Liam has been up more or less ever since, with short naps here and there. He's sitting in the bouncy chair, kicking and staring around, and generally having a good time.

Gary came upstairs for the first time in a few days, and played with Jamie. We read some books that we got at the library, and Jamie read the words "cats" and "Thomas," "Percy," and "James" for me. He got tired eventually, and watched some Peep. Then it was bath time, and I gave him a bath as John is not well tonight. It took a long time for Jamie to fall asleep, as Liam was either crying or needing a nurse--about an hour and a half. We had a talk about how much I loved him and Liam, and that sometimes we have to share the going to bed time, and he seemed to feel better at the end of it. He fell asleep, and I got up with Liam to blog. Now to bed, and to see if I can get Liam to fall asleep before 1:30: last night, he kept pooing until 1:00, and it was not possible for me to sleep until he was all done. We'll work on this.

2006-10-21 23:30 (Kristen) Jamie was up around 9:00, and Liam as well. Liam has been sleeping well at night, once he gets there...he was asleep around 1:00, and I was asleep soon after. He woke once, I think, for a nurse and a diaper change, but otherwise it was an uneventful night. Don't ask me how often he wakes at night: I really don't know. The luxury of disposable diapers over cloth: with cloth, I was up at least twice a night. Hurray City of Toronto Recycling Services!

Jamie and I read a little and watched a little Peep before heading out with John and Liam to the St. Lawrence Market. I stayed with Liam and gave him a nurse while John and Jamie went around the north building, and then John and I switched off children and I sat at the Second Cup with Jamie and had some mummy and Jamie time while John and Liam did the south building. Jamie was happy to spend time cuddling, but was tired and off. Something has been bothering him; possibly the change in sleep routine? I am unsure, but he isn't all together happy, and is being very clingy and very insistent upon hugging my "nurse nurse"--never a good sign. He didn't fall asleep in the car on the way home, either, and didn't eat his usual enormous amount at the marekt. Coming down with something?

We got a reprieve when our neighbour Kate, Iain and Clare's mum, called to ask if we wanted to come over and share some banana cake. We said yes, and joined Chaerim, Kyup, and their mother, Misook, over at Kate's. The kids played together while the mothers talked, and it was wonderful. All five children played wonderfully together for four hours in total (another two, if you include the time that Chaerim and Kyup were over before we arrived) without a tear or a cross word. Wow! We ended up staying for dinner (pizza and ice cream!) and had a lovely time chatting with them and a late arrival, Kate's relation Janice and her son Julian. We came home around 8:30, when we realized that we had to get Jamie into bed before the good children spell was broken by Judgement-Impaired Boy.

John is still not well, so I got Jamie into the bath quickly. John bathed Liam while I got Jamie into bed, and then I nursed Liam while I read two books to Jamie. I had to keep nursing Liam, however, as he just wasn't falling asleep, and Jamie didn't like this very much. I tried to have a repeat of last night's converstation, but Jamie wasn't having much of it. He was obviously very tired, but very annoyed with me: he was doing what he wasn't supposed to do (which could just have been a sign of fatigue), but also experimenting with kicking and hitting me a little as he wouldn't cuddle and was tired of waiting for me to put Liam down to spend time with him. I told him that I couldn't stay in bed with him if he was going to kick and hit, and he refused to say that he wouldn't do it anymore. Of course Liam started to fuss, and I had to stand to bounce him and further divide my attention from Jamie. Jamie sat in bed and flopped forward (in a beautiful yoga pose, with his head on the bed, past his crossed ankles), not looking at me, and finally went into the other room to find John. He made a little nest beside John (at John's suggestion), and promptly fell asleep after making John tell him a long story about Scrat (the squirrel/rat from Ice Age).

I can't tell you how I feel about this: pleased; nay, delighted; that Jamie fell asleep in the other room and without me. He has never fallen asleep without me there, except when I was in the hospital, let alone fallen asleep in the other room. Wow. I also feel very strange that he isn't here with me right now in this room, and I'm terribly upset that he has fallen asleep somewhere else after what could be called a fight, and does he feel that I don't love him anymore, and is he angry with me? Will this cause stress between him and Liam? Will he resent Liam? How much will this cost me in therapy later? His independence is good, but does it have to be bought negatively? Augh.

2006-10-22 20:44 (Kristen) Rainy days are always challenging because we can't sent Jamie out to play so easily. He's got the rain gear, but I don't! He spent almost all of the night in bed with John in the green room (where John is sleeping until his skin settles down), and only came into bed with me and Liam when John kicked him out around 8:30. He slept for a little while longer, and then we cuddled and goofed around for a while before getting out of bed around 10:00. (!!) Liam stayed asleep for another hour, giving me and Jamie some time to have breakfast and otherwise read some books and have some fun. We read the first readers again, and he's having a good time reading the books with me. He read all the words that he did yesterday, and added "fish" and "peep" to his repetoire. He's still shaky on them, of course, but I have some optimistic thoughts about this being the beginning of his learning to read.

He watched Beauty and the Beast for the first time, and found some parts scary but not overwhelmingly so. He went for a walk with John in the rain, slept for almost two hours, and met up with me and Liam at John's parents' place for an early dinner. We all had a good time, and then we headed home. Jamie has spent the last hour watching Peep, and I am thinking of sending him to bed soon. If I have him in bed by 9:30, we may be asleep by 10:30. More bedtime experimentation.

2006-10-23 23:54 (Kristen) Liam had a rough night last night, so I did too. Jamie was fine. Jamie and John went for a walk in the valley today, and had a great time. Despite the walk, Jamie didn't fall asleep this afternoon. Boo! Liam is wide awake tonight, and kicking and cooing away in the bouncy chair as I write. I have no idea how much time he'll give me before he starts to yell. Almost none. Hmmm. Otherwise, he's been bestowing smiles that reach his eyes like crazy, and charming the hell out of everyone. Jamie very gently held the hood of Liam's towel for hi tonight, being a great older brother. Crying child. Must go. Oh: thank you, Engelbrechts for the lovely presents! The Tonka train is now on Jamie's Top Ten List of toys.

* For the benefit of Scrabble players, words that are not in the Scrabble dictionary are marked with an asterisk.

Back to Vol. 1 No. 53, or up to Jamie Chew's Web Log Archive. or forward to Vol. 1 No. 55.