Kiddo updates

So, we got a kid-sized-bed for Eytan... we had thought about finding another crib for new-baby-to-be, and then figured, well, Eytan is actually probably old enough to sleep in a bed...  And this does seem to be the case, albeit with a few transition issues.

We set the bed up and put it in his room along with the crib, figuring he could sleep in whichever he wanted and get used to the idea of the bed.  We figured he'd go for the crib, but as soon as the bed was in there, he wanted nothing more to do with the crib.

The only problem is that being able to get in and out on his own means that our previous strategy of letting him babble and sing to himself until he falls back asleep if he wakes up too early in the morning was no longer effective.

The first night he slept well until about 5am and then presumably woke up and stepped off the edge of the bed to get down... and while it is a low bed, it's not that low.  So it was a bit of a fall... but since then he's gotten really good at not rolling off and getting down safely.  So now our sign to go and get him often comes when he starts banging on the door of his room to get out.



Eytan has also seemed to acquire a concept of "pretend play" or maybe just of inanimate-objects-as-friends lately.  His daycare gave him a baby doll, so he could get used to the idea of a new sibling, and he has gotten super excited to take care of the baby, change its diaper, put it to bed at night (accompanied by bedtime story, blankets and pillow, patting it on the back and giving it a pacifier), have the baby read him stories, etc.  This is also true of one particular stuffed animal bear, who also often gets to sleep in his bed at night.  It's interesting.


Putting shoes on the baby
 

As per request for Mike to carry Bear around in the backpack

He has also gotten pretty good at knowing when he needs to pee.  So when his diaper is off, he'll often yell "towel," run to the bathroom and get one, go back to where he was and stand there and pee, and then wipe it up with the towel.  This has not yet translated to running to the bathroom to pee there, but hey, it's a good first step.

The other resident of our household who comes up when we talk about peeing and bed-sharing has been Timber the cat, who will sleep somewhat unobtrusively near the foot or middle of our bed until I get up in the middle of the night to pee.  And when I get back he has stretched himself out to take my spot, and decides it's play-attack time when I try to squeeze my way back in.

Otherwise, not too much news.  My mom and bro were here for Passover (see photos below, and also one from Mike's mom's visit a few months back, which got lost somewhere along the way). 


Eytan "pushing" us on the sled


With Rafi


With Kathy

Eytan is just getting over a bad cold/flu thing (a week of fever followed by so far a week of coughing), which I have also caught (although I think everyone else has been safe so far?). Anyway, the goal is to move it on out of the household before new potential babyface comes along.  Mike's classes are still going, and he's planning to start the teaching program in the fall.  My classes are winding down, which means spring and summer are in theory on their way.  No new places to live yet, but we're looking around.

I'll leave you with a few videos.  One from the appropriately named "blue slide" playground we went to the other day.

And a couple of new dancing videos