wonder(ing)land http://wonder-ing-land.com :: parenting :: Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:21:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Wordy wordy http://wonder-ing-land.com/wordy-wordy/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/wordy-wordy/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:02:15 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=563 It’s already been established that Christian’s first word was Hello, accompanied with a little hand on the ear with whatever object is around (box of tooth floss, a wooden block, anything small enough to fit his hand). I think the next word he learned was Jiji — while pointing to our super-big yellow cat. And there is the king of words Tata (dad in Bosnian) which he clearly pronounces, sometimes while looking at the picture of dad. As for mama, I’m a little unsure about this one. I think he’s calling mama on occasions when he’s very unhappy or crying. I can’t exactly with certainty ascertain that it means me but I’m guessing yes.

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/wordy-wordy/feed/ Little walker http://wonder-ing-land.com/little-walker/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/little-walker/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:49:33 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=556 I wanted him to crawl longer. But he insisted.

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/little-walker/feed/ Alo? http://wonder-ing-land.com/alo/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/alo/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:15:45 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=554 I swear: Christian Winter says “halo” when he occasionally gets hold of the phone. It’s like “A-o.”

He’s been crawling all over the place but has keen interest in walking. Any occasion he gets to grab our hands and have us wobble behind him, he takes. It’s very very cute.

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/alo/feed/ Why real toys when I have a phone http://wonder-ing-land.com/why-real-toys-when-i-have-a-phone/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/why-real-toys-when-i-have-a-phone/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:44:12 +0000 admin http://wonder-ing-land.com/why-real-toys-when-i-have-a-phone/ Well, it is just great that my son’s favorite toy is our home phone. I want him to enjoy something safer!

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/why-real-toys-when-i-have-a-phone/feed/ I want my TV http://wonder-ing-land.com/i-want-my-tv/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/i-want-my-tv/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:49:50 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=548

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/i-want-my-tv/feed/ Crawling! http://wonder-ing-land.com/crawling/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/crawling/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:22:30 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=544 At 7.5 months, we finally have a little crawl happening! For the last week and a half, it seemed like it would happen anytime, but no go. We spent last week in Pittsburgh where I thought for sure he’ll get on his fours and go for it, but he really managed just a few roll overs to his destination.  But yesterday, mr Winter managed a few tiniest steps on his fours. Very very cute.

In other news, he learned how to clap. This happened last Thursday: Christian Clapping

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/crawling/feed/ Some milestones http://wonder-ing-land.com/some-milestones/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/some-milestones/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:42:32 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=541 Teething (photo by a nice lady at Mermaid Parade)

Teething (photo by a nice lady at Mermaid Parade)

Christian turned 7 months on Sunday, Father’s Day. The very same day, I noticed that the two little teeth came in on the bottom. I expected a lot more fuss over it and maybe there was but it was hard to know why — our nephews were visiting so, as much as I tried, Christian didn’t get enough naps last week since we were on the move a lot. (I guess to make it up to me, he slept so well last night, that I had to wake him for his babysitter).

He also learned how to (kind of) get on his fours and he managed to get himself into a sitting position yesterday. All while continuing to be super cute.

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/some-milestones/feed/ Water boarding…. I mean sleep training http://wonder-ing-land.com/water-boarding-i-mean-sleep-training/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/water-boarding-i-mean-sleep-training/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:07:26 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=537 It was a few years ago when I first heard the expression “sleep training.” I was walking in Park Slope when I overheard a conversation between two moms. One said “I think we’re going to hire that sleep trainer this week. Jack is going to hate it but I think it’s time.” I remember wondering why would anyone hate sleep training, in my mind I imagined some kind of a sleep clinic where you can get as much rest as you wish. I didn’t realize that Jack was an infant and that “training” involved letting him cry through the night (or two, or three…) in order for him to learn to fall asleep on his own.

The process can be gentle, sure. The baby may have the right kind of disposition for this sort of thing and just fuss a little before falling asleep. And voila, you have yourself a self-soother. Or not — and you’ll be leaving the house for the weekend with a babysitter enduring the hell of a night-long crying baby (one mom found her baby sleeping upright, clawing at the rails of the crib). This way, you’ll get the much needed rest and he will learn to sleep through the night, and be independent, self-sufficient. After all, it’s never too early to show the child that he was born into a difficult world where promises are broken and where you can’t trust anyone, not even your mother.

I didn’t get to do  a survey (though I would like to) and see how many of my mom friends are doing it, but it looks like all of our doctors are routinely recommending it. And we are falling for it. Yes, we all want to sleep through the night, and sleep training is not torture. Or so They tell us.

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/water-boarding-i-mean-sleep-training/feed/ Teether http://wonder-ing-land.com/teether/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/teether/#comments Sun, 24 May 2009 15:46:51 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=534 Chewing on some scallion

Chewing on some scallion

Mom isn’t always right. We didn’t give Christian Winter water, he didn’t start eating fish at 3 months and we don’t let him cry so because it’s “good for his lungs” (it isn’t, read here). But she is very often right. I love it when one of her advices works.

Mom said that teething babies like to chew on scallions. It’s what she’d done with us. We didn’t really need to go there until today. But Chris was stuck with crying baby while I was showering. Our regular suspects (finger, Sofie, chin) didn’t work. Chris then decided to go for it and, to our disbelief, he stopped crying.

Behold, our little 6-month-old son, teething on a piece of scallion.

]]> http://wonder-ing-land.com/teether/feed/ No time, no pictures http://wonder-ing-land.com/no-time-no-pictures/ http://wonder-ing-land.com/no-time-no-pictures/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:12:22 +0000 Alisa http://wonder-ing-land.com/?p=531 This is crazy, but the last time I took a photo of Winter was more than a week ago. And I still haven’t transferred those last ones to the computer so I can show them around. I miss film and photos developed and printed on real photo paper.

In the meantime, just a sigh from a busy mother. Work has kicked into a high gear, the babysitter is doing great with the kid and life is just flowing and flowing.  Winter is now 4.5 months old, can crawl just a little while on his tummy (mostly backwards), possibly getting a tooth (and then again, maybe not), has a beautifully shaped little head (sleeping on his side mostly, I wanted to avoid a flat skull),  poops twice a day (mostly in his “toilet,” he’s aware enough not too go in bed when diaper free), wakes 2-3 times a night, goes to bed at 8 (well, we all do. It’s weird I know. It won’t last, but picture the rest!) and much much more.

Chris and I are, however, a little out of it, like it’s not our lives. He’s cooking and washing dishes, I work until late at night. We both coo over the baby whenever we can and try to hold hands as much as possible… when we remember.

A deep breath…. and back to water…

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