Tomorrow promises to be an exciting day. Ted's class has snack at 10am, and he requested raspberry sorbet (in sugar cones) for his birthday snack at school. Then directly after school ends at 3:15, Ted and his 4 school buddies will all load into the van to drive en masse to Boondocks for the
Lasar Tag Pikachu Extravaganza (TM). Three friends from preschool will meet us there. (He was supposed to invite 6 kids, but somehow it's 7. How did that happen? Hmm.) At his place, ready for breakfast tomorrow, are 2 little presents (a Squirtle stuffed toy and some more Pokemon cards) and a whoopie cushion, hidden by a blanket. Hee hee.
It's 10pm on March 4 as I write this. 6 years ago I was sitting in the bathtub, counting my contractions (in my back, oy!). I think we went to the hospital around 2am and Ted was born at 9:30 the next morning, by emergency C-section. My father-in-law, an OB/GYN, said I had fantastic doctors, that he might not have made it. A miracle twice ... first by being conceived at all and second to make it through as long as he did without oxygen, unscathed.
He was a bit of a fussy infant, very grumpy from 4-6 every night and he slept in his carseat for MONTHS because he had such bad reflux he couldn't be on his back. He was born with a tongue tie AND a lip tie, making nursing a challenge. We used a shield for the first few months til he caught on. We saw Jill, the LC, a LOT. He nursed a LOT. I remember producing 17 ounces of milk in the morning (I'd pump while Paul fed him a bottle, so he'd take a bottle. That failed, but we tried.) Isn't that a crazy amount? I should have been a cow. We didn't have AC that summer (we got it before the next one!) and I remember just lying on the futon (that I had opened to a bed) and just lying there with a fan on me, watching him play contentedly next to me.
But around 6 months he cheered up and WOW was he an absolutely angelic baby. He started sleeping through the night, taking monster 3 hour naps, and would spent LOADS of time sitting with his binky and a tupperware, rattling the binky around and letting it drop out. Repeat. He'd crack himself up with this trick. From the beginning, he could entertain himself. I didn't realize what a gift this would be, to both of us!
If there would ever be a time in my life I would choose to repeat, it would be September 2002-January 2003 (then I got pregnant and was sick as a dog, another story). We went to Baby Gymboree, post-partum yoga, spent HOURS hanging out at Tara and Rachel's house, would hike with Ole and generally just hang out. I was always so happy to be around him (the two's tweaked that, but he's come back around!) and begrudgingly finished up my DMA, HATING to be away from him at all. He was the quintessential first child of a Boulder hippie-wanna-be. He was breastfed (til I stopped at 9 months when I got pregnant and he got his molars in...not a good combination for the latch!), cloth-diapered, and fed only homemade baby food. I relished my job as a new mom, determined that this tiny person would have the best care I could give him. (I guess I got too tired with Sam and Mae to keep that up!) He was so happy, so sweet, so FAT! He was a joy.
He's still a wonderful, sweet, fun boy. He has his issues, his flashes of defiance, his "don't look at me, while I completely goof off" traits, but all in all, he's a good kid. His teacher tells me over and over how much she loves him, how fun he is, how interested in everything he is, how he LOVES math and then turns around and begs for yet another book. He's doing so well in school and is equally enthusiastic about his TKD and skiing. He's just so willing to try new things and seems, so far, to love just about everything he does. I used to think he'd have a very happy life, when he was a content little baby. As he moved through the 3s and 4s, I began to worry about him. He was so angry, so unpredictable, so emotional. But this year has really been a good one. He's happy, healthy and, just because I want a third H word, hysterical. My life would be so BORING without him in it! I love him so so much. Happy birthday, little man!
It's 10pm on March 4 as I write this. 6 years ago I was sitting in the bathtub, counting my contractions (in my back, oy!). I think we went to the hospital around 2am and Ted was born at 9:30 the next morning, by emergency C-section. My father-in-law, an OB/GYN, said I had fantastic doctors, that he might not have made it. A miracle twice ... first by being conceived at all and second to make it through as long as he did without oxygen, unscathed.
He was a bit of a fussy infant, very grumpy from 4-6 every night and he slept in his carseat for MONTHS because he had such bad reflux he couldn't be on his back. He was born with a tongue tie AND a lip tie, making nursing a challenge. We used a shield for the first few months til he caught on. We saw Jill, the LC, a LOT. He nursed a LOT. I remember producing 17 ounces of milk in the morning (I'd pump while Paul fed him a bottle, so he'd take a bottle. That failed, but we tried.) Isn't that a crazy amount? I should have been a cow. We didn't have AC that summer (we got it before the next one!) and I remember just lying on the futon (that I had opened to a bed) and just lying there with a fan on me, watching him play contentedly next to me.
But around 6 months he cheered up and WOW was he an absolutely angelic baby. He started sleeping through the night, taking monster 3 hour naps, and would spent LOADS of time sitting with his binky and a tupperware, rattling the binky around and letting it drop out. Repeat. He'd crack himself up with this trick. From the beginning, he could entertain himself. I didn't realize what a gift this would be, to both of us!
If there would ever be a time in my life I would choose to repeat, it would be September 2002-January 2003 (then I got pregnant and was sick as a dog, another story). We went to Baby Gymboree, post-partum yoga, spent HOURS hanging out at Tara and Rachel's house, would hike with Ole and generally just hang out. I was always so happy to be around him (the two's tweaked that, but he's come back around!) and begrudgingly finished up my DMA, HATING to be away from him at all. He was the quintessential first child of a Boulder hippie-wanna-be. He was breastfed (til I stopped at 9 months when I got pregnant and he got his molars in...not a good combination for the latch!), cloth-diapered, and fed only homemade baby food. I relished my job as a new mom, determined that this tiny person would have the best care I could give him. (I guess I got too tired with Sam and Mae to keep that up!) He was so happy, so sweet, so FAT! He was a joy.
He's still a wonderful, sweet, fun boy. He has his issues, his flashes of defiance, his "don't look at me, while I completely goof off" traits, but all in all, he's a good kid. His teacher tells me over and over how much she loves him, how fun he is, how interested in everything he is, how he LOVES math and then turns around and begs for yet another book. He's doing so well in school and is equally enthusiastic about his TKD and skiing. He's just so willing to try new things and seems, so far, to love just about everything he does. I used to think he'd have a very happy life, when he was a content little baby. As he moved through the 3s and 4s, I began to worry about him. He was so angry, so unpredictable, so emotional. But this year has really been a good one. He's happy, healthy and, just because I want a third H word, hysterical. My life would be so BORING without him in it! I love him so so much. Happy birthday, little man!
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3 comments:
Happy Birthday Ted!
Happy Birthday Ted! Wow, can you believe they're SIX! Almost half way to being teens - scary (though Alex has that attitude down pat now...) HOpe you have a great time celebrating!
What a cutie!
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