Yesterday a friend and his almost four-year-old son came into the city and we trekked down to the Central Park Zoo. When we planned this outing, we had no idea it was going to be 92 degrees outside. So it was a bit less fun than expected due to the heat, but still a good time.
Both of the boys adored the penguins. You can stand right up next to the glass and they dive and swoop right in front of your eyes. Brady was convinced they were fishies and Sean told him that they were not. However, he didn’t believe they were birds either. When promted to tell us what they were he thought for a minute and replied “penguins.” Of course!
The polar bears were also popular. But the big zoo wasn’t anywhere near the hit that the children’s zoo was. Brady was a huge fan of the bunnies, which he calls mummies. And both of the boys loved the sheep. Sean liked feeding them, but
Checking out the "mummies"
Brady was not a fan. Overall, I’d say the zoo was a little pricey for what was there, but still worth the trip.
After we left – hot and sticky and sweaty and exhausted – we stopped at a vendor where Sean got ice cream and Brady got a popsicle to share with us. He was happy to eat it, but when it was all gone he lost his mind! Seriously. This was his worst fit to date. After he screamed for 7-8 blocks I finally picked him up.
He was happy to have me carry him, but would not let me transfer him to daddy, or even switch his head from one shoulder to the other. And so I carried him, in flipflops, with his head on my left shoulder all…the…way…home. About a mile and a half by my estimation.
Petting a sheep
It sucked, but I did feel pretty strong. Oh the things a mother can accomplish when she has to.
So my brandy new Twitter account was hacked. If you went to the link and it said I was Kevin Lowe, that would be why. I’m trying to sort it out with Twitter support and hopefully I’ll be back up and running soon.
Update – the account suddenly turned back into me so I’m thinking it was something buggy rather than an actual hack. I’m going to change my twitter username and try again.
I have finally succumbed to the dark forces and my husband’s requests to follow him and have joined Twitter. There’s a little feed over there on the right now so you can keep up with my every move…ooo goody, I know you’re excited. At least there will always be new stuff to read.
And here are some cute pictures of the boy just cause.
Yesterday was the first day of Brady’s life that I did not nurse him. I know this might sound very strange to some people, but it’s what’s good in our family. He’s not weaned yet and we’ll just see what happens with that, but I feel a sense of freedom that I had been longing for since he was born. I also feel a sense of loss.
I went to a writer’s group that a friend of mine’s husband runs with a girl I used to work with. We had been wanting to try the husband putting B to bed without me for a long time. But his bedtime routine works so we’ve also been afraid to mess with it. Currently, I nurse him before bed, although we put him into the crib awake and he goes to sleep there. Consequently, I either try to do whatever I might want to do before he goes to sleep and get home by 8 or I have to do whatever it is after he goes to sleep and not go out until after 9. This means that unless my friends are willing to come to my neightborhood I don’t see them without the baby.
Before last night there were 3 times that Brady has been put to bed without me. Twice by the husband when I was doing the super fun task of seeing my psychiatrist and one of those times he was actually still up when I got home and I put him to bed anway. And one time when the husband and I went to a wedding and Brady cried himself to sleep with my mother and sister.
But last night this ended. I can now go do things – like writers’ group or book club or go to the psychiatrist – and not worry that Brady will be up all night. It’s strange, but it makes me kind of sad that he doesn’t need me to put him to bed anymore. It was something that was wholly my domain and for which I had to take responsibility. Of course, on the plus side, I won’t have to worry so much when the husband and I go to an engagement party in two weeks. It opens up a whole new world to us. The world of seeing people again. Kind of amazing.
He's getting so big!
Brady is becoming such big boy! Sometimes I think that I’ll blink and he’ll be running out the door to play baseball with his friends. For now, I think I’ll just enjoy this toddler thing and try not to be too sad when he calls for Daddy when he wakes up in the night.
Brady and I have been taking swim classes at the 92nd St Y since last September and we LOVE it! Brady is into swimming. He loves the water and he’s not afraid at all. When he was smaller I found it difficult to justify paying for a lot of the classes available. I think most of them are just an excuse to get out of the house and to meet other moms. But swimming makes sense to me. My mom took me as a baby and I have always loved it.
At the very least I figure he’s learning not to be afraid. He has made progress too. He can go underwater, he climbs out of the pool, pushes himself off the side to me, and will walk right off the edge of the baby platform to me. He kick, kick, kicks, and is beginning to pull, pull, pull.
The pool at the Y is too cold and the family locker room is a disaster. There are very few places to change babies and no place to change mommies or daddies. If a dad comes to class there is definite danger of the viewing of parts. Ugh. I’m no prude and I’m certainly not modest when it comes to nudity, but honestly, I’d just rather not.
Fortunately, the instructors and the other moms and kids more than make up for the downsides. Our first instructor, Amy, was THE BEST, and we’ll be making sure we’re in one of her classes again next session. Our current instructor Terry, is great too, just a little more timid. Brady is a submerge me and get on with it type of kid. He doesn’t like gentle dipping into the water.
The other moms I’ve met there have been awesome and even though all the kids are different ages, they always seem to get along. Brady is the only boy though. We’ve yet to encounter another male in one of the baby classes. The older classes do seem to have boys and we’ll be moving up next session so maybe Brady will meet some.
Overall, the swim classes at the 92nd St Y are awesome – and much cheaper than elsewhere too. And I love seeing my little fishie swim!
Having a toddler at home can be very cool. Brady learns new things everyday and never ceases to make me laugh. There are also some very un-cool things about toddlers – like their tendency to stomp and scream and cry when not allowed to do things like play with broken glass. But I thought I’d share some of the nicer things about life with a 1.5 year old.
