Gordon Lee at 16 months

I haven't done an update on Gordon Lee in quite some time, so I figured today would be good to catch everyone up with a comprehensive look at his latest developments! :)

On Thursday, Gordon Lee will be 16 months old! It feels like time is flying by.

As far as language goes, he says
Mama/Mommy
Dada/Daddy
Baba
Bubble
Shoe & Shoes
Ball
Dog/Doggie
Outside
Nana (for banana)
Hey/Hi
No
Yeah

He also does sign language.
He does signs for
More
Milk
Eat and
Please

Every now and then he strings two words together.  He has said
Dada shoes (when looking at Lee's shoes)
and "A shoe"

If you can't tell, he is very into shoes! It's his favorite word to say and he says it all the time!

He is almost always rattling off something in his own gibberish!

If you say "dance" he will start dancing around the room or around in circles.  If he hears a song he likes, he will either dance to it or clap to it.

He prefers his Daddy over his Mommy (which makes me kind of jealous).  But he just loves his Daddy to pieces! He loves me too, but he is crazy about his Daddy.  He is interested in WHATEVER Daddy is doing!

He is also going through quite a lot of physical developments. He climbs a lot! He can climb out of his crib now, and he wasn't shy about showing me how he did it. He grabs onto the top rail with his hands and does a spiderman move with his feet on the bars and hoists himself out.  However, for now, we have moved the crib so he can't get out (it hasn't stopped him from trying though).

He loves to climb onto the furniture, and he does not like to be excluded from ANYTHING! On Halloween night, he threw a fit if he missed even 1 trick or treater at the door. So, we took him out on the front porch in a wagon and let him pass out candy. He had so much fun doing that!

He can unbuckle the top buckle of his carseat.  Thankfully, he has left it alone recently as he has discovered unbuckling one part of the carseat is not enough to get out.

He tries to put his socks and shoes on, and he also tries to put socks and shoes on our feet (even if we are already wearing them).

Recently, he has become very unhappy if he has a wet or dirty diaper and wants to be changed immediately. I am happy about this because it's a good sign that I can potty train him soon.

Gordon Lee also follows simple commands like "Sit down" "Lay down" "Bring (named object) to Mommy, Daddy, etc." Nap time has become very simple with him.  I only have to tell him to "lay down," cover him with a blanket, and he will fall asleep in a few minutes.

He is becoming increasingly interested in feeding himself and will now refuse to eat sometimes unless I let him feed himself.  He has not only been interested in using the fork or spoon but he wants to scoop the food up himself. 

He also still loves playing with blocks, and he is now making an effort at stacking blocks of similar size/shape.

He is a very happy baby most of the time.  He even has just cut his first molar and didn't even lose sleep at night over it! :) I am truly thankful for Gordon Lee!

The Story of Toto

All weekend long, Gordon Lee had been oscillating between acting healthy and sick. He would have a temperature and then it would go away only to come back again. He seemed to be losing his appetite, and I was somewhat concerned that perhaps he was developing a bug.  However, in spite of all of this, he seemed to have no trouble happily running laps around the yard and house.  On Monday morning, he was acting just fine with no fever.  Well, by that early evening, he was sick.  He had a fever and was vomiting.  He projectile vomited all over the backseat of my car (that was the first time I've witnessed projectile vomit and I hope it will be the last).  I felt so bad for the poor guy.  

The next morning, he wasn't doing much better.  So, I took the day off of work to take him to the doctor. (As it turns out, he had postnasal drip that made his tummy sick, but that is beside the point of this post..all of this is just introductory info).

Since I was feeling just fine and Gordon Lee wasn't too bad off, I decided to make a short trip to Kohls to make a return. I had the amount of my returned item placed on a Kohls gift card.  When I was finishing my shopping trip, I had roughly calculated the amount of items in my cart and realized I still had about $5 left to spend.

I made my way to the checkout line and saw this adorable puppy sitting on a shelf staring at us.

A few thoughts went through my mind.

1.) My little boy is feeling sick. It might be nice to buy him a little special something to cuddle.

2.) 100% of the proceeds go to helping sick children in the children's hospital. I am so thankful my son is only sick temporarily and not in a hospital. I think I should perhaps show my appreciation for that.

3.) This dog is exactly $5 and that is about the amount I have left to spend.

So, what do you think I did?

Of course I bought him.

Gordon Lee loved him and held onto him tightly in his carseat. He is now wanting to take Toto into his crib with him to sleep (the first stuffed animal he has ever wanted to bring into his crib).

And when I look at Toto, I think "Thank you, Lord, for my healthy child."

Pride and Humility

Disclaimer: This blog is purely covering what I have been learning in terms of Christianity. 


Sometimes, my week has a theme or a "lesson" in it.  I will see or hear the same things repeatedly until I can't ignore the lesson I need to learn. And it's funny how it always starts with one little thing.  Then, it just shows up everywhere in my life. Because of this, I feel like I have to blog about it. 


It's the whole "LOOK at ME" conundrum.


I do believe that we all like to feel good about ourselves. We like to feel as though we're doing things right. And there is a sense of accomplishment when someone else or something else confirms for us that we are. But there is a fine line here. It's the line between doing something right because it is right and doing something right so that we can boast about it.


"May I never boast except in the cross..." says Paul in Galatians. I feel like it is so easy to boast or brag. I think almost everyone can remember a kid in their class growing up who not only excelled at what they did, but that kid also gloated about it.  Nobody liked that kid. For anyone familiar with the show The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper is that kid. While he is amusing on television, nobody likes a person that arrogant in real life.  Because giving yourself accolades for what you do is like popping a balloon. Nobody really cares then.


But what I have been noticing is even deeper than that. Giving is a good thing, right? I think we should be generous and charitable. Can giving be a bad thing, though? How can giving to people be bad? Ultimately, the act in and of itself ends up benefitting somebody.  So, I wouldn't say it is horribly bad. But the error in being charitable is when we make a scene out of it. We should give because we give--whether or not anybody says "thank you," whether or not anybody takes a picture, whether or not anybody anywhere even knows. 


And this is why Jesus himself says in Matthew 6:1-3 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so your giving may be in secret."


Why would Jesus want us to give in secret? Because we are prone to stroking our own egos. We are prone to bragging about our "righteous acts." If my heart is truly generous, I will give to those in need without a crowd of spectators. We so often want a reward for what we do.  But what about just doing it just because? Too often we do the "right thing" just to be seen doing the right thing. I know I do it. But I do believe that true Christian maturity means doing the right thing without making a scene for everyone can see.

No, You Can't use the Word "No"

When I was in grad school, we often discussed new methods in classroom management, teaching styles, etc.  One of the things we talked about a lot was how to handle discipline. A trending technique was to avoid any negative wording of rules. You essentially took the word "No" out of your vocabulary so that the students would not feel as though they are being restricted and therefore rebel. Instead, you made them feel as though they had options to choose to do the right thing.  So, instead of writing, "No talking," you would write, "Please sit and work quietly at your desk."


In my first year of teaching, I was so eager to try this out! It sounded so reasonable and practical. I felt I could understand how saying, "No" might make a student feel defiant.  So, I carefully listed all of my rules in a more positive tone.  The only one I really couldn't avoid was, "No Gum." Perhaps I could have said, "Keep gum out of the classroom." However, I felt that was a straightforward rule. Well I posted the rules this way and I did my best to request behavior without just saying no. All I can say, after my experience with it, is that it didn't work. Avoiding that word didn't make a difference. In fact, I noticed that students often responded to the word, "No" better. They had boundaries set. Whether you say "No sleeping in class" or "Please keep your eyes open and  your head up," students who want to rebel will rebel. Period. 


And as I moved on in my career, I noticed that the quietest, most controlled classrooms belonged to teachers who told students "No" and stuck to a consequence when a rule was broken. 


Well, ever since Gordon Lee really started getting around and getting into things, I had to find a way to handle his behavior. Well, I could let him ransack my house and possibly seriously hurt himself, but I wasn't too keen on that. Not surprisingly, the same methodology that circulated in the teaching realm, is abuzz in parenting advice.  Should I avoid telling Gordon Lee "No"? Should I just redirect him? I will admit that I have never questioned myself so much on one thing. Ultimately, I found (just as with the students) that Gordon Lee had the exact SAME reaction to being told "No" as he did to being redirected.  If he wanted to do something, he didn't care if I simply told him he couldn't do it or if I just tried to bring his attention to something else. Plus, sometimes, he would get close to danger so quickly, that I wanted him to learn and understand "No" or "Stop" in case I couldn't get to him fast enough. 

But I will say that I felt so much like a broken record for so long that I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure what the appropriate way to address his behavior was. Still, though, I'd had some experiences that left me feeling like I want my child to understand and respect boundaries and leave it at that. So, I kept saying "No" even if it was for the 100th time. And I kept following through with a consequence. And I also constantly praised him when he did not touch an off-limits object or when he obeyed my instructions.


And after feeling like maybe this wasn't going anywhere, I noticed one day last week that I had only said "No" about a handful of times! My child was beginning to listen and respect boundaries (Yes, I know the terrible twos are still yet to come). And it has really been that way so far since (he does start getting more disobedient when he is getting tired, but that's it). 


And then, as I was lying down to sleep last night, it occurred to me that even God says "Thou shalt not" and "No" without giving us a distraction. And I have settled on the fact that this word is not a bad word. It doesn't need to be avoided. We just need to learn to accept it even when we don't want to.

Hold Your Head Up, Movin' On, Keep Your Head Up, Movin' On

Yesterday was wrought with setbacks.  Waking up 30 minutes earlier than usual, Gordon Lee got things started.  He woke up grumpy.  Not one to disappoint, he decided to maintain this mood for most of the rest of the day.  To make things even better, he would NOT nap for more than 30 minutes.  So, I had one grumpy, sleep-deprived baby on my hands.

While, I was inclined to grumble in my mind, something else kept reminding me to BE THANKFUL.  Focus on the positive.  So, in all of this, I started seeing all of the amazing things. For example, after I watched him go all around the room picking up what seemed like random toys, I noticed he'd put several toys of the same color all in one place! 

Later on, for the sake of our sanity, I decided to take him in the stroller for a jog last night. Being outdoors definitely improved his mood, and he started waving at people and saying, "Hey!" This was brand new! While I was running, the lesson of positivity came to me once again. 
I had been running for about 15 minutes; my goal was to go for at least 30 minutes. I wanted to quit.  When, right on cue, the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams" came on.  And the lyrics kept me going.."Hold your head up, movin' on, keep your head up, movin' on." 
While I was thinking about how nice it was to have a refreshing reminder about positivity, I began to realize something else.  While getting through the rough days might mean that you need to "hold your head up" and "move on," something inside me was saying that isn't just it. Maybe the days that seem difficult just need a fresh perspective.  All day long, I felt tired. I didn't get breaks or rest that I wanted. I had to keep "movin' on" because I had no other choice. But the beauty of it is embracing the blessings in all of it. My child is blossoming before my eyes. The weather was beautiful to go out running. 
Thankfully for us today, the trials of yesterday have come to pass. But I think that I am going to aim to not just wait out difficult days because they aren't eternal.  Rather, I want to look for what beauty there is to see among the apparent "wreckage."

Gordon Lee at 1 year

I am still in awe of the fact that in just 1 year, my sweet little boy went from this:

To this:

A child grows and learns so rapidly in the first year! To any new parents out there, it really does fly by.

Here are Gordon Lee's current stats at 1 year

Height- 32.2 inches

Weight 24 lbs

Head Circumference: 18.5 inches (this is the closest estimate as his head kept breaking the tape measure)

His height is almost off the charts in the 97th percentile.  His weight is somewhere in the 50th-70th percentile (I am not sure why the range is so wide). His head circumference is also in the 50th-70th percentile. For anyone confused, percentiles compare him to other babies his age.  So he is taller than 97% of 1-year-olds. 

Right now he is saying a few words

-Mama

-Dada/Daddy.  Sometimes, he calls his Daddy "Yayee." This is when he is super excited.

-Hi/Hey

-Yay

-Yeah

-No

He also has some gestures he uses.

He

-Points

-Waves

-Claps

-Gives high five and low five

-Hugs

-Kisses (not sure if these two are gestures, but I don't know where else they'd go)

-Reaches for who he wants (but this is a pretty old one)

-Plays peek-a-boo

He feeds himself with a fork and a spoon.  He has become very good at this! I still have to get the food onto the fork or spoon, but he will take it from me and put it straight to his mouth.

He likes to pick large objects up and carry them around the room.

He always wants to climb the stairs.

He tries to climb up on the furniture, but it is just a little too high for him right now.

He has also gotten very big on copying people.  He will try to get you to do something so he can copy it.

He also likes to bring things to people and put his toys in a box or a bag.

I am probably leaving stuff out.  The growth and development is so rapid!

Duckcakes

For Gordon Lee's 1st birthday, we had two separate parties. We had friends and family who wanted to be a part of his big day, and it made more sense to have one party in NC and one in VA.  The first party had a rubber duck theme. So, to add some creative flair, I decided to try a recipe for duck cupcakes. First, my sister-in-law and I did a test run with the cupcakes.  I had been to various blogs reading about other people's experiences with the cupcakes, and I had some changes I was going to make. The trial run was definitely just that! The ducks looked sad to say the best.  So, when I went to make the ones for the party I had worked out the kinks in the recipe, and they came out okay.


After the party (and sharing pictures), I have had numerous people ask me how I made them.  So, I will share it here! Unfortunately, I was multitasking in preparing for both parties.  So, I didn't have time to take pictures of the process.  But I will share pictures as best as possible.

So, here is how I made these bad boys.  First of all, let me show you how they are SUPPOSED to look.

Yeah...NOWHERE in ANYONE'S pictures (and I saw several places where people tried these) did the cupcakes even remotely resemble this one. I am assuming that beautiful cupcake for the picture was made in a fancy studio and not a home kitchen. 


RECIPE
2 boxes of cake mix (the recipe calls for vanilla; I used yellow)
2-3 jars of vanilla, white or cream cheese frosting
Yellow food coloring
1 bag of standard-sized marshmallows
Mini M&Ms or Chocolate chips
Baby goldfish for beaks (or orange fruit chews if you want to follow the original recipe)
This makes 24 cupcakes. 20 are supposed to be heads up and 4 tails up. I made more like half heads up and half tails up.  For feet, my SIL melted down orange chocolate and piped out feet we stuck on the duck later.

First, I am going to go through some changes I made.

1.) The recipe calls for donut holes as heads.  I tried that.  The heads tasted odd with a cupcake.  Plus, when I tried to stick a beak and eyes on, the head fell apart.

Instead, I opted to make cake pops for heads, which tasted MUCH better and held up better.

2.) The recipe called for orange fruit chews for beaks and feet (on the butt up ducks).  Well, everywhere, people said that the beaks were so heavy, they just fell off. By looking at those pictures, most of the ducks were losing their beaks and looked very sad.  So, I decided not to struggle with it.  Instead, I found baby goldfish that I stuck in there for beaks.

3.) The others who shared their ducks had similar problems with the eyes.  The recipe says to use white frosting as a dot and place mini M&Ms on them for eyes.  However, the eyes were falling off as well.  So, I used chocolate chips sticking the pointed part into the duck's head. 

My beaks and eyes stayed on very well.

Alright, so onto making the cupcakes.

FIRST- Make cake pops.  I was intimidated by this at first, but cake pops are insanely easy to make.

1.) Bake a cake.

2.) Let it cool

3.) Crumble it up into a bowl

4.) Add some frosting and form into balls

5.) Freeze (The cupcakes needed to be frozen as well.  So what I did was make the cake pop heads and have them freeze with the cupcakes together.)

SECOND- Bake the cupcakes.

I used yellow cake.  

THIRD- While the cupcakes are baking, there are two things to do.

1.) Cut marshmallows in half diagonally and set aside in a bowl

2.) Dye frosting yellow (I used cream cheese frosting).

3.) Place some of the yellow frosting in a zip lock bag squeezed to the corner for piping.

FOURTH- When the cupcakes are finished, frost them after you let them cool.

1.) Place the cake pop head and marshmallow tail on top of the frosted cupcake
2.) Freeze for about 3-4 hours (more if desired). They need to be good and frozen.


FIFTH- Take out of the freezer


1.) Melt down frosting in microwave for about 20-45 seconds.  This is going to depend greatly on the power of the microwave.  The recipe suggest microwaving for 45 seconds..stirring often. However, when I did it that long, the frosting came out like a liquid.  The consistency should be more like a whipped cream.  So, 20-25 seconds in our microwave worked for me. 


2.) Dip each cupcake in the frosting.


3.) Use the frosting in the bag to pipe in frosting where dipping the cupcake didn't cover it completely.


As an added note: You will need A LOT of frosting.  You need at least 2 jars and possibly 3.


The result: A duck cupcake fit for a 1-year-old or anyone for that matter.  They were a hit and people loved them!