10 Things I Never Said Before I Was a Parent

10 Things I Never Said Before I Was a Parent (That I Now Say ALL THE FREAKING TIME)

10. Don't bite the dog.

9.  Don't bite the dog in the butt.

8.  Don't let the dog lick your eating spoon.

7. Don't spank the dog with your eating spoon.

6. You have to wear pants when you go outside.

5. I'm pretty sure you have to wear pants when you go outside.

4. Go to sleep.  Everyone has to sleep.

3. I'm pretty sure everyone has to sleep.

2. Thank you for letting momma and daddy sleep past 7:00 am.

1. Don't worry.  It's only pee.*

-ND

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* "It's only pee," must be one of the most common phrases now uttered in our household.  It's also one of the phrases that NEVER passed my lips before becoming a parent.  Even when we got a dog.

The 5 Best Written Children's Books for 6 Month Babies to 18 Month Old Children

The 5 Best Written Children's Books
(For Kids 6 months to 18 months)

A list based purely on writing.  Forthcoming lists* include "Best Illustrated Children's Books," "Best Story," "Most Catchy" "Best Children's Books For Parent's," "5 Books My Kid Loves That I Can't Stand," and more!

Dr. Seuss books are excluded from this list, because they are on another level.  Another level they're on.**

Basically these are the best written board books out there.  If you have a 6 month old baby, get them. You'll be reading them for at least a year. They also make great gifts.

1. LITTLE BLUE TRUCK - Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry

Like good poetry, its rhymes feel natural and effortless, with each line moving the story along to its inevitable, rewarding conclusion.

2. THE GOING TO BED BOOK - Sandra Boynton

Sandra Boyton is, dare I say, the modern master of board books for babies.  With this one, Boynton has created a slow and gentle rhyme that goes through the bedtime routine.  In other words, it's the perfect book for going to bed. Thus, she gets bonus points for aptly naming her book as well.

3.  BIG RED BARN - Margaret Wise Brown and Felicia Bond

New Mom loves this book and considers Brown a true poet.  New Dad on the other hand, thought it was a little slow at first, but after eight or ten readings, oh yeah, I see what she means now.  Really, it's a good one.

4.  BEAR SNORES ON - Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman

Great rhyming in a cute story, with clever lines you'll find yourself repeating throughout the day. ("We can pop more corn, we can brew more tea!")  Especially if you're sleep deprived. (Who is typing these words?) 

5.  GOODNIGHT MOON - Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

Yes, another Margaret Wise Brown book.  Did I mention New Mom considers her a great poet?

At first rereading of this classic, New Mom and I felt we had been duped.  Is this all there is to GOODNIGHT MOON?  One room, with descriptions of each item in the room?

After dozens of readings late at night, during the day, and any time baby boy was in the mood, we came to appreciate its well-crafted simplicity.

I mean, creating a classic by essentially describing what's in one room?  Now THAT takes some writing skills.

Seriously.

-ND

P.S.  Hope that list helps you get started - or fill in some gaps - with your children's book collection.  Of course, there are many books that nearly made the list, and so many great baby books out there.  There really are more "Best Of" lists in the works, but if you can't wait that long, drop me a line or comment.  I'm alway up for discussing kids' books.  Always.

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* The meaning of "forthcoming" should not be interpreted as if progress has been made in the creation of such lists, but in the sense that the titles of these list have been written in italics at the top of a blog post.

** Sorry. Turns out, it is NOT EASY to write like Seuss.  That's why he's the master.  Buy all his books for your kids today.  Seriously.

Just over Nineteen Months Old - A few things

Missed a few entries here. Realized I have six entries for 2015, and 43 for 2014.  

That first year, everything seemed important.  This year, well,, a lot of important things happen, and then you go to bed.

Wanted to record a few milestones.  The first:

MILESTONE TODAY BABY BOY AND NEW MOM DANCED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHILE TO NEW DAD PLAYING DRUMS

Did I mention I bought a drum set?  Probably.  It was about a year ago.  New Dad can barely keep a beat.  Baby boy plays too - emphasis on PLAYS.

A few milestones:

MILESTONE: Can say most of the colors  The colors were learned in this order:

Red

Blue

Green

Brown

Black

Purple

Yellow

Pink

White (just yesterday)

Still hasn't got "orange."  I wonder it that's always the last one kids learn?

Who knows.  Sure don't have time to read other blogs of new fathers... Which makes me wonder...who's reading this?

Kidding.  This is more of a journal.  

MILESTONE: Said his first 3-word sentence this weekend, which was, "Mommy read book."

That's "read" as in a command, such as, "Mommy read this book to me NOW!"

MILESTONE: Claps to songs and music.  Also acts out The Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  Learned at daycare, we guess, unless the dog taught him it (unlikely).

Also, today, pooped in the tub for the first time.  Scared daddy, which scared him.  Then daddy tried to laugh it off and encourage the boy to poop in the potty next time.  "So close! Good job!  Almost pooped in potty!"  

The boy stopped crying, but I'm not sure he bought it.

-ND

A Good Day

I realize that I don't often write about good days.  Maybe writing about them or recording them in some way will help to understand what makes days good, and how to have more of them.

Today was a good day.  It was a Saturday.

And yet, we all still have colds.  Mostly just coughs now.

Took boy to the library in the morning to give New Mom time to nap.  She didn't sleep well last night.

Walked into the library - boy walked on his own, I still had the stroller.  At the library, read a few books, was in and out of the stroller - mostly out.

Played well - shared Lego toys with the other kids!

A dad asked me if we were here for the puppet show.  I do not get asked that every day.

And so we went to the puppet show, which was actually a marionette show by a very flaming marionette-master.  Alright, puppet master.

Good show.  Pirates.  Arrr.

Boy stayed for 30 minutes.  The got up and walked out the door in the middle of it.

Went to the store.  He was good in the cart.

Home, New Mom was rested and had lunch ready!

He napped a little late, but still went down for about an hour.  New Mom let me sleep for over an hour.

Went for a walk in the stroller with the dog.  Boy got out sometime in the middle, but then got back in.

New mom bought dumplings for dinner!

Boy went to sleep right at 8.  Nice job, boy.

Tomorrow is another day.  I hear New Mom coughing upstairs.  These coughs are hard to beat.

-ND

Happy 18 Months, Baby boy!

Happy birthday, baby boy!

On this day, you are 18 month old.  I'm going to start counting in years now.

Happy 1.5 years, baby boy!

Today, we're all sick.

New dad has pink eye.

Baby boy is recovering from a cold.

He previously had pink eye.

New mom is almost recovered, but still has a cough.

Baby boy said "back" and "black" today, but now writing that, new dad is not sure if those were the same words...

Anyhow, I steal some eye drops from the baby boy and go to bed to try and beat this cold.  New mom volunteered to sleep in the other room because of her cough, so new dad can get some more rest.

New mom is the best.

-ND

New Words

Most recently, the baby boy has said, "red."

Sometimes that means the color.  Other times, you point to something that is NOT red, for example, something that is clearly blue, and he says, "Red."

The funniest word he says is "Cat," because he says is high, with a British accent.  We are not sure why.

For the record, words he can currently say, at 14+ months of age include:

-Red
-Chssss (Cheese)
-Awa (Agua = water)
-Cat
-Ball
-Ba(loon)
-Ba(nana)
-Mama
-Daddy

14 Month Birthday - Milestones, etc.

The boy is 14 months today, but as evidenced by the lack of a "13 Month Birthday - Milestones" we've kinda stopped keeping track, though new mom and I did point it out to someone today.

"How old is your boy?"
"Fourteen months.  Today"
"He's tall!"

That's the main comment we still get - He's tall!  It used to be, "He's long!" and we still get that too, but since the boy is now "cruising" and standing while leaning on things, it seems more appropriate to call him tall.

14 month milestones

Says "mama" or "mom," but almost always follows it with "dada" or "dad" or "daddy."

Will say the "Ba" in "banana" when prompted by either saying the word "banana" or by showing him a picture of a banana, or, when appropriate, a real banana.

Oh, most recent milestone is saying "cat," which sounds like "caught" and/or the way a British person says "cat."

Is my son British?

I suppose, technically, if you go back far enough on my mother's side, yes, yes he is.

But he should be speaking like an American by now.  Seriously.

Other milestones:

-Ate his first smoked salmon, raspberries, and blackberries today, courtesy of Howard and Joy.  (Thanks guys!)

-Eats a lot of things.  Uses a fork sometimes on his own.

-Love his baby Batman cup.  (Thanks Joey!)

-Can touch his nose or your nose, when asked.  Also, can touch your eyes, mouth, ears, hair, head.

Lastly, pull-up style diapers have literally changed our lives.  The kid used to hate lying down and being changed.  Got some diapers that just slide up.  They're not "pull-ups" officially, but damn if you can't put them on with him standing up.

I need to revise the posts on this blog.

That is all.

-ND