Home is where the baby is.
September 12th, 2006 by amylherzog
A huge thank-you to those who contacted me with suggestions for Jacob’s sleep. Tonight, Jon is trying the strategy of reading several more books than usual to Jacob, in the hopes of lulling Jacob to sleep with reading. We’ll see how it works!
One of the big downsides to our new house is that it doesn’t have a back yard for Jacob to play in: the house is built on a very steep hill, so there’s nothing but a very steep grade with some baby redwoods behind it. It does have a back deck, however, that’s completely enclosed and utterly baby-proofed:
So, basically just a big rectangle with fairly high sides (4.5 feet?) and no egress except back into the house. One of the other things that makes up for the lack of back yard is the view off of said deck.
On the other side of those trees? The Pacific Ocean.
During the day, when we’re on this floor I just leave the sliding doors open and let Jacob run around out there. He loves going in and out of the house, and simply walking back and forth the maybe 12 feet of length the deck gives him. Seems kind of dull to me, but hey! Whatever keeps him happy.
We’re blazing through our to-do lists this week, thank God. We now officially live here in CA, and even have license plates to prove it. Shelves have been erected, stuff put on them, and the downstairs tv room/office is nearly complete. I’m aaaalmost ready to take pictures of the house to share, for those interested.
*****
Living with a toddler is kind of like living with an insane laboratory scientist. Exchange of the day:
[Jacob rushes up to where I'm seated on the couch, excitedly pointing at the coaster under my water glass.] “Da! Da! Da!” (Translation: “That”, as in, “Give me that”)
Me, to Jacob: “You want my coaster?”
[Jacob nods vigorously, loses his balance, sits down, still nodding.]
I give Jacob the coaster, and he wanders away with it, giggling. A few minutes elapse.
[Jacob rushes up to where I'm seated on the couch, excitedly pointing at the votive candle holder next to me.] “Da! Da! Da!”
I give him a strange look and the candle holder. He wanders away with it, giggling. A few more minutes elapse.
[Jacob rushes up to where I'm seated on the couch, excitedly pointing at some little bits of plastic on the end table.] “Da! Da! Da!”
Me, to Jacob: “You want these?” [I point at the plastic.]
He nods vigorously again, I give him the plastic, he happily wanders away.
I’m not sure I want to know what he was doing with a coaster, votive holder, and some random pieces of plastic, but I do admit to some small bit of curiosity.
*****
Good night, all. (And if you still have suggestions for bedtime strategies, keep ‘em coming!)
