Graduating

We graduated to Bumpus' big boy car seat today. I had long ago weaned myself off of carrying B in the bucket seat (largely because it became too damned heavy) in anticipation of this day. It's such a relief to have that taken care of (thanks to Mom Guru's husband! Sometimes you do need a little male assistance!). It's hard to believe this is the carseat that will get him through most of his childhood years - I'll drive him to his first day of kindergarten in that seat! Crazy. I am keeping the bucket seat and base, however. You know, just in case.

I am still figuring out how best to handle the early mornings. I have tried a variety of options with mixed results. Lately I've been putting him in the playpen in the living room and lying on the couch (if I go back in the bedroom he usually ends up screaming). I put on a movie (I've been obsessively watching Michael Winterbottom's The Trip over and over) and try to sleep, which usually doesn't happen. I've also taken him to the playroom and laid down on the bed up there. But ugh. Mostly what happens is I just lie around in a stupor until one or both of us gets hungry. He was up at 5 AM today. Blah.

A friend in my book club has her daughter watch a show called Pingu when she has to take a work call at home; it doesn't have quick cuts, no language, and is really simple. Because it's on Netflix there's no commercials. I may give this a try and see if he'll hang out by himself in the living room. Honestly I didn't want to introduce him to kid's TV this early, but I'm desperate. If I can get even one more hour of sleep in the morning it would make such a difference!

At least everything else about his sleep is excellent - his new bedtime is 7 pm and he barely cries for two minutes before passing out; today he napped 1 1/2 hours in the crib in the day and was a peach the rest of the day because of it.

Lest you think all I can do is complain about how my kid drags me out of bed in the morning, I have to say we've been having some really nice times lately. He has a great sense of humor. Sometimes when he gets fed up he'll smack and swing his hands around in frustration, and when I do it back to him he cracks up. We can play catch now (sort of), and he thinks it's hysterical when I say "think fast!" and bounce the ball off him. He can now sit on my lap while I read a short book to him - he loves it when I make the animals make noises. I sing him one of my favorite camp songs and I can see him learning it and trying to sing along. He shoves his hands down my shirt every chance he gets.

Speaking of what's in my shirt, my boobs deflated very suddenly a few days ago. I also put on about four pounds. I do believe the magical breast feeding diet is officially over. Dammit.