new developments in the life of kaspar

he's talking. yup. it's all about a-ba-ba-ba-be-be-be-be a-a-a-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-bah, a-bi-bi-boo-boo, a-ba-ba-ba, a-ba-ba-ba-be-be-be-be a-a-a-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-bah, a-bi-bi-boo-boo, a-ba-ba-ba,a-ba-be-be-be-be a-a--boo-boo-boo-boo-bah, a-bi-bi-boo-boo, a-ba-ba-ba and it goes on and on. it's like he's telling stories the length of at least five or six sentences. it just started this morning. before today it was just a ga-ga or a-ma-ma and that's it. but now.... let me tell you. he's expressing emotions and all that jazz. when he gets upset that i'm not picking him up, he goes on in an upset tone of voice, slightly faster, slightly louder: "a-ba-ba-ba-be-be-be-be a-a-a-boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-bah, a-bi-bi-boo-boo, a-ba-ba-ba,a-ba-be-be-be-be a-a--boo-boo-boo-boo-bah..." it's fascinating, really! tonight, just before falling asleep he said up-up-up... then stopped and repeated the same thing again. soon after i realized that he needed to be picked up for a burp. as soon as i picked him up and burped him, he fell asleep. i swear - he was asking to be picked up! well. i know.... he probably has no clue what he's saying, but it's fun and exciting for me none the less. and, against all odds, i'd like to believe that he is trying to communicate some things. his own way, of course.

the other absolutely surprising thing - he's been sleeping today. for the first time in his life kaspar took two 3 hour long naps and still was ready for bed at 9pm. like normal babies, he wanted to sleep!!! it must be all the talking... he must be exhausted trying to communicate. :-) it's absolutely wonderful! i wish it would happen more often. oh, but i should not even say it or think it... or else... well. it was really strange. he woke up this morning, as usual at about 7am. steve took him for an hour. then he had his breakfast and we played for a while. by 11am he was fast asleep. usually the morning naps last 30 minutes. if we're lucky 45. rarely has he slept for more then an hour and a half. today - he slept until 2pm! yes! i kept going in to check if he was still breathing. then... at about 4pm, i decided to keep my own promises and go for a long walk. kaspar was beside himself as i tried to get him dressed for the walk. he still hates getting dressed! but we managed. we got out of the house shortly after 4pm and walked for almost 2 hours. it was a gorgeous afternoon. the snow was slowly sifting throughout the air. everything white and pretty. it's so much brighter and nicer, when the ground is covered with fresh snow! when we got back to the house, he was still asleep. i shoveled the snow. talked to the neighbors. and finally brought the stroller inside. he kept sleeping. i took the blanket and mittens off. still asleep. he slept until 7pm. then he was up for two hours and went right back to sleep at 9pm. am i in for a nasty night of wakefulness????

inspiration

inspiration seems hard to come by these days. i'm feeling the turkey in my veins, i think. (observation based on a 'steve theory'*) these first few days of the new year have been rather drab and rainy and gray and i have been feeling just the same. drab. rainy and gray. today the sun came out and kaspar and i went for a first long walk in what seems to have been weeks, well... days for sure! i'm determined to see a glimpse of light on the horizon of gray and drab. :-)

this morning i spent hours weeding through consumer reviews and web sites and questions about what car seat to buy for kaspar. i know, i know.... it seems silly to be spending so much time on such a small task. but, have you seen the choices out there? have you ever though about 4 point harness positioning or five point? choosing a seat from 5-80 pounds or 10-70? one that tilts 30% or one that reclines 45%? graco, cosco, perego? i had never even heard of some of these things! and all that does not even take the 'visual' appearance or fabric or colour into consideration. where would we be without internet? probably buying the first seat that looked decent and saving all this grief and time trying to choose the perfect model. right? i know... i feel like the whole information age is a bit of a catch 22. but... we bought kaspar a new convertible car seat that should last him well into his childhood. at least until he's about five or six. he loves it. looks like a king on a throne! thanks for a christmas gift - grandma, grandpa & oma!

it's funny how baby issues are swallowing up my days even while kaspar sleeps. i'm feeling more unorganized and hectic then usual, but hoping to resolve it by making some new years resolutions. i never had the time to think about it before the first of january. however, having recently been inspired by a few friends of mine, who seem to be making their new years resolutions as they go, during the month of january, i hope to follow suit. my first resolution - get back into taking daily walks. and i don't mean the sorts of walks, where we leave the house and return within 10 or 15 minutes. that's not even enough to get kaspars nose cold! second - get 2005 finances organized and hand in tax return on time. this one i might be forced to keep if only for one reason - i want to go to latvia to visit my folks before i go back to work. and yes, tax return is usually a great way to get a little extra unplanned cash! and third - take time for myself, just a little, but every day. and that does not necessarily mean writing this blog. i think that's good enough for the first 6 days of this year.

oh, the pressure. the first post for 2006. ahhhhhh. ok. i'm not about to let it get me all worried. talk of importance or no importance. who cares. you can read it or not read it. all the same. right? well. who am i kidding. it's not all the same. i want you to read it. of course i do. or else i would just write on a piece of paper in the drawer of my bedside table, wouldn't i? so. 2006. what's new with all of you, out there in blog land?

i went to see my dentist a couple of weeks ago. actually, it was my dentist's hygienist. they keep me well on track with dental work. i think it's because i have insurance and they feel they can bring me back whenever necessary (or not?) without me raising any complaints. it's nice to have the luxury of having a cleaning every four or five months! well... after the visit, the hygienist gave me a toothbrush for kaspar. i'm not sure if she was serious. i sure as heck, did not take it seriously! how could i - he only had one tooth and it's not one that's going to last him long, either. but i gave kaspar the tooth brush as a toy, when i got home. and. believe it or not - the kid loved it. if i ever want to keep him quiet and playing for any amount of time, all i have to do is hand him a tooth brush and all is well. he loves it! he chews and brushes and plays with for many minutes at a time (many minutes is long for a five month old!!!). what a wonderful idea. i wonder if she knew??? anyhow.... the toothbrush has became a favourite, just like the wooden spoon!

favourites never last long with babies, i've noticed. in september, kaspars grandparents came for a visit and showered him with baby clothes. some of may favourite outfits! i love some of the little clothes they make for kids these days, yes, even boys. i thought they were going to last him well into the spring. yesterday i was trying to dress kaspar in one of the jackets and realized that the long sleeve jacket was fashionably 3/4 lenght sleeve now. and the jumper with feet only fits, if the buttons on the bum are left open. yes. i had to admit to myself, that he's outgrown many of the pieces of clothing that still populate his drawers. he's moved into the 9-12 month cloting ranks! it's absolutely crazy how fast this kid is growing.

well. i thought about writing more, but kaspar keeps waking up every half hour or so. i keep rocking him back to sleep, which takes about 10-15 minutes each time and as soon as i manage to sit down at the computer again... before i know it, he's awake again. when you don't know what's wrong - blame teething. i've been writing this short little entry for nearly two hours now and i'm sick and tired of it. so, i'm giving up and going to bed!