Reed's First Harmonica Lesson

My Dad plays the harmonica and over the years has collected quite a few of them. He will often pull one out and play a few songs up at the cabin, on a hike, when he goes backpacking, or any other time he's in the mountains. On Saturday Reed discovered the box where he stores them and was even more impressed with the shiny objects he found inside once Papa Jay started playing one of them. He would rock out anytime a song was played or a sound was created - it was also pretty entertaining watching Grandma and Granpa try to get Reed to blow into the harmonicas!

A Day in the Life of Reed

So my plan was to do a "Day in the Life" post chronicling our Saturday activities, that being said we were so incredibly off schedule yesterday, I'm not going to even publish what our timeline looked like, it's too embarrassing. I will say that Jon had to work in the morning and then had a commitment in the afternoon/evening as well, so I decided Reed and I should do something fun and I settled on hanging out with Grandma and Papa Jay at their cabin. We had a great day filled with lots of relaxing, hiking, food, dogs, and harmonicas. I've thrown in a few pictures from the beginning and end of our day as well as a schedule that is "typical" for Reed right now. Enjoy!

Reed's Typical Schedule at 10 Months

4:15 Wake-up, Mom gives him a pacifier and/or soft sheep, he goes back to sleep
5:00 Wake-up, Mom tries to get him to go back to sleep, usually doesn't work
5:45 Diaper change, nurse Reed
6:00 Walk Dodger
6:45 Play with toys in living room while Mom makes breakfast
7:00 Breakfast
7:30 Play with toys in living room while Mom cleans up
7:45 Change diaper, put on lotions/ointments/administer various eczema meds, then read books
8:00 Nap
10:00 Wake-up, diaper change, Reed nurses, then we put on his outfit for the day
10:15 Play in Reed's room with blocks, stuffed animals, board books, maybe drag him along while I fold clothes, make the bed, or do some other chore
11:15 Entertain himself with "approved" kitchen cupboards while I make lunch
11:30 Mom and Reed eat lunch together
12:00 Reed plays in the living room while I clean-up, fold clothes, and do other chores
12:45 Diaper change, then read books
1:00 Nap
2:30 Wake-up, diaper change, Reed nurses
2:45 I let Reed play in his room while I pack his diaper bag or get stuff put together for an activity
3:00 Run to the grocery store or other errand. If we don't need to go anywhere and the weather is nice we might go out and blow bubbles or play on the picnic blanket in the front yard. If it's too hot, I'll put together a box of items for him to "discover" (wooden spoons, plastic yogurt containers, a new toy, etc.).
4:30 Diaper change, then dance party!!!
5:00 Reed hangs out in the kitchen playing with Tupperware or plastic bottles while I make dinner (and enjoy a glass of wine - wink, wink)
5:30 Dad gets home and plays with Reed while I finish dinner
6:00 Family dinner
6:30 Dad plays with Reed while I clean-up
7:00 Bath time
7:15 PJs, lotions/ointments/teeth brushing, sleep sack, soft sheep, then Reed nurses
7:30 Reed is asleep

Having a Ball

Reed has suddenly realized he can throw a ball, sometimes the results are more impressive than others, but he is really getting the hang of it and knows what we are asking him to do when we say "throw"

10 Months

Double digits, whoaa! My son is on the move. He is crawling and cruising all day long, he can open cupboards and drawers, and he's decided screeching is his favorite form of communication. As exhausting as it can be some days, I have to admit I've been having a ton of fun with the little guy lately. Now when we play it is much more than me entertaining him, he can wheel cars around, toss balls, stack rings, bang toys together, and move things in and out of containers.

We are slowly baby proofing the house. The living room and nursery are the safe zones and he pretty much has full run of those rooms. He also has two cupboards in the kitchen that he is allowed to open and play with (Tupperware, thermoses, and water bottles are regularly strewn abut the kitchen). We've started to use "no" a little, we try to reserve it's use for things that are dangerous. We say it, shake our heads, and then try to divert his attention to something else. He can't yet remember what he is and isn't allowed to do, but at least when he hears "no" he seems to recognize that he's doing something he shouldn't. Diaper changes are my least favorite part of the day. They are full on wrestling matches and there are only losers in this type of competition!

The eczema battle is still being fought. We just added two new prescriptions to our arsenal and Mom and Reed are both still off of eggs and dairy. I tried to reintroduce eggs last week with disastrous results (a full afternoon of vomiting). It left me pretty scared and the little guy a bit traumatized so we are steering clear of eggs for sure.

Monthly Statistics

Weight: 21 lbs 3 oz

Length: 30 inches (measured by Mom, not a professional, so who knows)

Head Circumference: 17.5 inches

Clothing Size: Pretty much all 12 month outfits now, with a few 12-18 month onesies and shirts thrown in.

Teeth: 7 -  4 on the bottom and 3 on the top with another trying to make its way down

Can't live without: Beco Gemini Carrier, BOB stroller, Soft Sheep, Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat, Baby Bjorn Bibs, ZoLi Bot Sippy Cup, Any of his Board Books, Plastic containers (especially ones with lids), Blackout Curtains for the nursery at night, Swimways Baby Spring Float Activity Center

Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Buddy Bear, Baby Bear, and Monkey (this is the most popular right now)

Favorite Foods: Avocado, Banana, Fish, Blueberries, and Peppers

Words: DaDa and Da (pronounced like Dog without the g). When I say Blue or Book he also makes a "Ba" sound when trying to mimic me. Every now and then we get a MaMa but it is pretty random, only once did he do it as he was crawling in my lap.

How Reed is sleeping: Reed takes a nap in the morning that ranges anywhere from 1 - 2 hours and one in the afternoon that lately has only been about an hour long, but used to be up to 2 hours. He goes to bed around 7:30pm and then it is any one's guess. Sometimes he sleeps through until around 6:00 am. Other times he's up once or twice and just needs a pacifier and his soft sheep and he's down again. Still other times we are up and down for 2-3 hours reassuring him every 15 minutes or so while he cries it out.

Favorite Moment: While we haven't had a ton of big milestones this month, Reed has come along way as far as his dexterity is concerned. He suddenly is able to throw a ball on command, help mom fold clothes by tossing socks into the laundry basket, put toys into a box or a bucket (instead of just dumping them out), and can stack rings back onto his Rock-a-Stack.

Milestones:
06/24/12   First time in the Shower
07/06/12   Reed starts clapping
07/13/12   Reed can purposefully throw a ball
07/14/12   Reed is able to place rings back on a column and put toys into a box
07/15/12   Reed starts to try balancing while standing (1-2 seconds)

Embarrassing Picture: Reed's cowlick is out of control

Reed is excited to see Dodger

I think I've mentioned it before, but if Dodger is in the house while Reed is napping he usually just hangs out in our bathroom, that is until he hears the little guy wake up. When that happens he sneaks into the hallway and waits for me to finish nursing and then gets some lovin' from his little brother.

Again I apologize for the focus on this video, wrong lens again, I promise it gets clearer around the 25 second mark. I just couldn't bring myself to cut the first part because you can hear just how excited Reed is to find Dodger waiting for him. By the way, for you Lord of the Rings fans out there we've decided when he does his one knee/one foot crawl and makes those excited grunting noises it is eerily Gollum-esque.

What Reed Wore

Reed has some pretty cute Summer duds, some souvenir outfits, and a few items Mom picked up for him that he needs to show off, so here is another addition of "What Reed Wore."

The Newsboy

The Mean-faced Pirate

The Scholar

The Fisherman
(looks like he caught one!!!) 

Pajama Time

The Swimmer

The Sports fan

Of the Asian Persuasion

Splish, Splash, Reed Takes a Bath

Nothing amazing happens in this video, but I think it is fun to see Reed play in the bathtub. If you listen closely he does mimic me saying "duck" at one point. He also shows off his new found ability to clap and if you are into all things boys, he ends the videos with a couple of "toots."

Happy 4th of July!!!

Reed's first Fourth of July wouldn't be complete without a patriotic outfit would it?

The 4th being in the middle of the week worked out pretty well for us this year, it was pretty mellow. Mom and Dad both worked in the morning and then got to spend time with Reed and friends in the afternoon. Russell and Laurie hosted a party that we went to for a few hours, but we skipped out before Reed's bedtime. Next year I think we'll let the little guy stay up late to take in some fireworks. For now he got to spend the afternoon being doted on by all of his "Aunties and Uncles" because we are the only ones that have a child at this point. We keep telling him to enjoy it while it lasts!!!

We've been spending more time in the pool the last two weeks, but this Mama was getting tired of holding him the whole time so we bought him this awesome pool toy that made its debut on Wednesday and he loves it.

In honor of the patriotic holiday Reed got a taste of his first hamburger and enjoyed one of his favorites, watermelon. I think he likes squeezing the juice out more than actually eating it (can you see it dripping off of his arm?).

Reed Loves to Dance

As I've said before Reed and I usually have daily dance parties. I used to hold him and dance around, and I still do for a song or two but after that he usually holds on to the ottoman to dance or practices his moves while holding my hands. He loves dancing so much, that now when we put on any music he starts rocking out.

I recorded this video this morning and was standing completely still, the moves are all Reed, he starts looking away because Jon walked in the back door not knowing what was going on, but once in the room he didn't move either, I will repeat the kid does this all on his own.

Dog Days of Summer

I know I've mentioned it before, but Reed LOVES his "Da" (Dog with out the g). Since day one Reed has been enthralled by our beast of a dog. If Reed is upset about something you can always calm him down by taking a peek of Dodger sleeping outside or letting Dodger in the house for a play session. Reed's arrival has meant some compromises to Dodger's former way of life, but we've done our best to make sure he feels loved and included in the Family. Usually it is Reed and me walking Dodger, so solo Mommy-Dog walks are few and far between. The plus side of this is that on days when I'm too busy to walk Dodger, Jon will take him out for a run, bonding time for the "guys" that never happened pre-Reed. Dodger also used to spend most evenings in the house with us, now instead, he waits outside until we are done with dinner but gets to comes in to clean-up Reed's mess and usually hang out with us after Reed's gone to bed for the night. D-Money still gets to hang out with me when I'm getting ready in the morning and on the days I don't have to rush out the door to work he usually gets to hang out in the bathroom until he decides he wants back outside.

If you had asked me how I wanted my first baby to interact with my first born I wouldn't have been able to come up with a better scenario than we have now. Dodger is so tolerant of Reed. He lets him pull, tug, and grab him and in return we try to teach Reed about being gentle and Dodger benefits from some pretty good love fests. Dodger has never been allowed in Reed's room, but if he hears Reed crying he usually makes his way to the back of the house and waits patiently for me to take care of his little brother. This is what happened earlier this week and once Reed was up from his nap we had an impromtu play session right outside of his bedroom.