Welcome, Sunshine

Andrew was thrilled to meet his new little brother two weeks ago. He arrived in labor and delivery to visit Thomas 1 hour after he was born. Upon learning that it was a new brother, not sister, Sam stuck his lips out and said "I wanted it to be a girl." Andrew heard this and enthusiastically said "I like boys." :) Andrew also started playing "This little piggy..." immediately on Thomas' little toes that were sticking out. We had to stop the last little piggy from running all the way home, though, until we have more time to talk about how to be gentle around little babies. Andrew seems to be enjoying the big brother role and insists on just calling Thomas "Sunshine" (his in-utero nickname) for now.

Andrew at nearly 3 years old

It's been a while since I blogged, so I have several updates on Andrew and what he's like just a month before his third birthday.

First of all, this kid is a talker! He is extremely verbal and amazes me with his command of not just vocabulary but grammar as well. He's mastered his past tense and plurals for the most part and I think after being corrected about the few parts he gets wrong, he really does remember the next time.

That's probably due in part to his amazing memorization skills. He's been reciting grace at dinner time for about 6 months now ("Bless us O Lord, in these thy gifts...") and never fails to amuse me with the special voice he adopts for such renditions. I still need to catch it on video... He's also well on his way to memorizing the Lord's Prayer we say at bedtime as well, with "trespasses" among the words he nails every time. He's also singing songs from memory and definitely has most if not all of our Curious George books memorized. It's just amazing to see in this little guy 33 inches tall. :)

Andrew also adores his big brother. They were the best of buddies over the summer as we had time off from coop preschool and they were each other's primary playmates. Sam does a pretty good job of playing nicely with Andrew and I've noticed in particularly recently that Sam manages Andrew quite well. Andrew will still tend to cry or kick when he gets upset, but Sam can usually talk him down from it and distract him in a way that leads them both back towards cooperative play. It's pretty neat to see.

Andrew's dexterity has also improved a lot. He can put together the little Lego pieces and cut out pictures like Sam and put on his own clothes when properly inspired. Despite some concerns about putting his socks on the wrong feet, he does quite well putting on his own socks and shoes.

He's also very adept at expressing his emotions. We visited my family in the Bay Area in August and one particular conversation sticks in my mind. We saw my brother in the street as he was getting ready to leave for work and his sons waving from the sidewalk. Andrew saw his cousins and said "I'm so glad to see them!" Then he saw his uncle and I explained he would come say hello but then he has to leave for work and Andrew said "That makes me so sad." His stories now often recount how he was sad and happy by various things.

Lastly, Andrew seems to be quite the thrill-seeker. He loves swinging super high in the swings and even though some of the 4-D shows at Legoland scare him, he requests to see them over and over. It works well since Sam usually doesn't want to try something new for the first time and Andrew is usually happy to jump out in front. We'll see what happens once Andrew is big enough to ride the roller coasters...

Improve Your Productivity Blog

Hello Friends,

 

I know many of you through working with my company, Telaeris. Others will know me during my prior years with Cubic Corp.  Or maybe it was from college, playing ultimate frisbee (disc, for those in the know), basketball, or even ballroom dancing.  I'm writing to you because I think what we at Telaeris are doing will be valuable and that you might be interested in following along.

We started Telaeris with a simple idea: use RFID technology to make businesses more efficient. Though we have expanded the technologies we use, the idea of improving productivity is still at the heart of what we do. There's a programming idea out there called D-R-Y. It means "Don't Repeat Yourself."   Improving productivity is like that. If you have to do the same thing over and over, make it as efficient as possible.  Get back to the important stuff in life. Create. Build. Play.

So in this spirit, we are re-launching our company blog at:   http://blog.telaeris.com

We will mostly be talking about productivity and sharing tips to make you more efficient.  How to not to get stuck or waste time on things that should be simple. We'll certainly talk about some of the technologies Telaeris knows, but we will also include lots of good stuff about building a business and what we are learning about marketing and sales. Things you might have had to learn from the school of hard knocks and wish you didn't. And boy, let me tell you, we have had our share of knocks.

We would love it if you would follow us. You can add us to an RSS feed such as Google Reader, or alternatively, follow us through one of the social channels: Twitter, Facebook,  LinkedIn, or YouTube. Anyone out there use Google Plus yet?

Lastly, if you have ideas or want to submit lessons you have learned, we would love to share those as well. Connect with us and we'll connect with you. Please pass it along to anyone that might appreciate it. And hopefully, we can make the world just a little bit easier for everyone.

    -- Dave

PS. In the next couple weeks, we will be releasing a free e-book called Productivity for People written by an uncle of mine who has since passed away. Even if you choose not to follow us, I'd highly recommend stopping by the blog to download it – it is really a great read!

David.Carta@Telaeris.com
Phone: 619-940-6533

Telaeris - Tracking Systems

Improve Your Efficiency

 

Sharing a room with brother

After a couple of escapades of climbing out of his crib, Andrew is slowly moving into the twin bed in Sam's room. On our recent trip to Tahoe and Oakland they did a great job of sharing a room (despite Andrew's falling off the end of the bed at Tahoe...ooops!). So, when we returned, we continued the momentum by giving Andrew a bed (with railings) in the room with Sam. He's been sleeping there every night since and though they talked for quite a while the first night, it seems to be working marvelously. Andrew just moves around a bit and then drifts off to sleep while Sam either looks at books or listens to music for a bit longer. They don't seem to bother each other in the mornings, though Andrew hasn't yet figured out he can come over into our bed once it's light, like Sam now does. I still put him to nap in his crib but will change that soon. Next we move his clothes downstairs and stop referring to the upstairs room as Andrew's and the downstairs one as Sam's. Sam is taking it all very well and seems to enjoy the company. Sam is excited to have his clothes move into drawers under his bed so he can get himself dressed in the morning and for bed. We are blessed to have two boys who enjoy each other so much.

Andrew at age 2

Andrew celebrated his second birthday at the end of October. Way to go, Andrew!

He continues to be an active, engaging, friendly and mischievous little boy. He adores his older brother and enjoys playing with any wheeled object. He's fearless when it comes to leaping onto pillows on the floor and enjoys climbing ladders of any height.

He is incredibly verbal and has been speaking in full sentences since about 22 months of age. Some of my recent favorite sentences are: "Mommy, I don't like my pillow" (said grumpily at the end of a nap), "Look, you don't have your glasses on" (said as I put him to sleep, wearing contacts), "Mommy, you don't like the skin?" (said to me as I zested a lemon for cookies).

Andrew is extremely good-natured, and whether he's meeting new people, being knocked about by Sam or brought along on errands, he's generally quite happy. He has continued to enjoy the co-op preschool he attends with Sam and likes playing with the other 2 year old siblings. He participates in in free play and snack time with the 3 year olds, so I suspect he'll be staying for all of circle time by the end of the school year.

Over Thanksgiving break from school, Andrew became potty trained (woohoo!). Mom (or Dad) has to remember to take him to the bathroom frequently, but he goes without much fuss and remains dry in-between times. He particularly likes his underwear with the character Mater from the Cars movie. Mom just gets a kick out of the fact that his underwear is smaller than the size of one of her socks.

For Halloween this year, Sam was a road (his request) and Andrew was a street sign. We chose the sign "No Stopping Anytime" for him. That just about sums up Andrew at age 2.

Sam's Preschool

Sam, Andrew and I began a co-op preschool three weeks ago. Sam is enrolled, but Andrew is allowed to attend and can participate in most aspects. While his attention span is still a little short for circle time, he plays well around the big kids with the wheeled toys, sandbox, Legos and other areas. The first day that we went was a whirlwind of learning new things (all Moms work at a station and all the new moms have a lot of learning to do to keep the school running). However, Andrew jumped right in with two feet and LOVED playing there. At the end, I said it was time to go, and hoped to excite him with the prospect of a sandwich in the car (after all, ending at 12pm brought us to lunchtime and very close to his 12:30pm naptime). Andrew stubbornly told me, "No car, no sandwich, no home." He wanted to stay at preschool! I think since then he's started to realize that it's a place we will go back to frequently but most days when I announced we're going to preschool, he says "Yay!!" and claps his hands. :)

Who's boy?

At church the other day, Dave was holding Andrew and someone came up and said to Andrew, "Are you Daddy's boy?" Andrew replied, "No!" Then they said, "Oh, are you Mommy's boy?" Andrew's quick response was "No, Sam's boy"

Needless to say, Andrew adores his older brother and they have great fun playing together these days (when not being territorial about toys). When people ask him his name, his first response is still "Sam." We've gotta work on that one before he confuses too many more people... :)

Sentences

Andrew is now starting to string three words together, so I think we can officially say he's speaking in sentences at 20 months. First he put two together and said "Slow down" as his brother went careening around the house on a ride-on car. He also proudly says "big truck," not just truck.

My favorite, however, was his first three-word sentence: "Thank you, Mommy." Awww, now doesn't that just warm your heart?

"18-month" statistics

Andrew's 18-month doctor appointment happened when he was more like 19.5 months, but nonetheless, here are his stats:

Weight: 23 lb 14 oz (20%)
Height: 33.25 inches (68%)
Head circumference: 47.75 cm (44%)

So he's still a tall and skinny munchkin!

Seeeek!

Andrew is now 19 months old and he loves to play hide and seek just like Sam does. But he really only has one hiding spot - behind the blackout curtains in our bedroom. He tucks himself in and all you can see are a small bump and two little sets of toes peeking out. It is an ideal spot, though because you still get a great view out of the sliding glass doors and he'll hang out for a good 5 minutes at a time given the opportunity. The other day he even wandered downstairs by himself, brought a chair into the curtains with him and sat down. He cracks me up. :)

Gab gab gab

Andrew has been picking up words left and right and is turning into quite the talker. I've lost count of how many words he can say...at about 16 months Sam and I counted 30 words Andrew could say but now at 17 months, I'd guess he's up at 50 or 60 easily. Many center around food (yogurt, crackers, cheese, milk are favorites). He recently added "Grandma" and "Sam" to his vocabulary, though Grandpa and Aunts and Uncles are also called "Grandma." Refrains of "Mommy, daddy, mommy, daddy" are his favorite, along with shouts of "some" or "bite" if you are eating or drinking anything intriguing. Last month he started to throw tantrums occasionally, but either it didn't work or his communication has improved and he's less frustrated with getting his point across. Overall he's a happy, jovial toddler who is inquisitive, affectionate and clever.

the best thing about overalls....

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Andrew's 15 month stats

Weight: 21 lb 10.8 oz, 15%
Height: 31.75 in, 75%
Head circumference: 46 cm, 20%

No wonder I get so tired running with them in the stroller...kid weight alone is 58 lbs!

Andrew at 15.5 months

Andrew's climbing is starting to mellow out a bit as he approaches 16 months. He is now quite steady on our couch and understands not to roll off unless there are pillows under and he is playing 'leaves' with his brother. He adores doing anything his brother does and also going for long walks around public places. Occasionally he looks back for Mom or Dad, but generally he just keeps going. He's a fairly good eater and has taken a recent interest in milk, much to his Mom's delight. He is happy-go-lucky by nature but will let his brother know if there is something that he really doesn't want taken away. Andrew and Sam enjoy laughing with each other and Andrew seems even to enjoy the little 'wrestling' matches they have on occasion. It's not exactly a fair fight yet and Mom often intervenes to prevent perceived threat of injury, but Andrew could care less about possible danger. He has an increasing passion for buckles and doesn't let an unbuckled buckle pass him by. He loves bath time and also his swim lessons, even if he's often shivering by the end (he needs more body fat!). Andrew continues to delight us in new ways every day and we are blessed to have him in our lives. As Sam says when he hugs Andrew: "I love you soooo much Andrew."

The climber is back

Early on Andrew worried me with his climbing ability, then it tapered off. Well, in the last week Andrew has mastered going up and down stairs safely, climbing onto our couches and just now, climbing onto our dining room chairs. I even tried to push the chair all the way under the table to make it difficult (or so I thought). He still climbed up and just stayed low under the table on the seat. Crazy! He seems to have a fairly good sense of balance and how to avoid falling, but he's not quite 15 months old. I can feel my gray hairs forming as I watch him run along our couch.

Quite a talker

Andrew is very adept at repeating what we say and his vocabulary seems to grow each day. He's had "mama" down for quite a while but also says (in his own way): daddy, bye-bye, night-night, this (a favorite word), all done, Sam, ball, phone, trash (this is quite a favorite), shoe, sock, cup, bag, sit, spoon, raisin, down, dog. It seems to be a lot for a 13.5 month old, even if his diction isn't very clear and is just so fun to hear.

Andrew's 1 year stats

Weight: 19 lbs 13.6 oz (15%)
Height: 29.5 in (45%)
Head circumference: 45.5 cm (25%)

Further supports his recent moniker of "Little one" around our house.

Talking

Andrew began talking at 11 months and has continued to add new words each week. His first official word we understood well was "Stop." Hopefully not indicative of his future relationship with his brother, he did indeed pick it up from Sam who enjoyed saying "Stop, go, stop, go" at the time and frequently tried to prevent his brother from stealing toys by saying "Stop, Andrew." This word was quickly followed by "mama", "dada", "night-night" and "ball." Most are not intelligible to anyone but his immediate family, but he is speaking!

Comprehension

Andrew is now 10.5 months old and it has become obvious over the last couple of weeks that Andrew can understand nearly all that we say. Okay, maybe not our debates about health care reform, but simple directives and sentences dealing with physical objects or actions. It's amazing to see that even though he can't talk, he understands our words.

What he's like at 10 months

Andrew is now walking everywhere he can. He still frequently drops down on his bottom for a sit, but will walk up to 20 or more steps unless something interests him along the way (which it often does). He's just starting to sleep from 7:30pm to 6:00am (with a little encouragement/ignoring from Mom) and babbles away quite happily. I really thought I heard him try to repeat "Night night" and "All done" last week, so I don't think words are too far away. He's got four teeth and loves to eat. The more solid the better and finger foods are a big hit. His latest sound is smacking his lips, which he will repeat back and forth with me with glee. He's made the leap into the "big boy carseat" (one we can't carry him around in) and has yet to make transitions from asleep in car seat to asleep in crib (unlike his brother Sam who can be carried in and fall back asleep). He's as strong and squirmy as ever and also incredible good natured. He's generally relaxed and likes following his Mom and big brother around the house. He's experimenting with biting toes (other people's, not his unfortunately) and loves to wave around his index finger. Fascination with other people's faces continues though exploration through tongue is abating. He's a master at drinking from a sippy cup with a straw though he still breastfeeds 4 to 5 times a day. He likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. Just kidding about that last part, he prefers Merlots.

He's walking!

Andrew started officially walking around 9.5 months old (a week ago or so). He's toddling around, quite bow-legged and with little baby steps. Generally he strings together 6-7 steps before plopping down to investigate something. However, today he seemed determined to chase me around the upstairs. Not long before he'll catch me...

Andrew's 9 month stats

Weight: 18 lb 2.2 oz (20%)
Height: 29 in (75%)
Head circumference: 44.5 cm (30%)

Better view up here...

Andrew has been practicing standing up without holding onto anything all day. He gets quite the proud smile once he stands up and has been experimenting with lifting various toys with him. Several times he's looked like he really wants to walk once standing, but hasn't quite managed it all the way yet. A few steps have been seen here or there, but nothing we can officially call walking yet. Maybe tomorrow...

Clapping

Andrew did some clapping today. At least, baby-style clapping where he just bashing his hands into each other. He's also getting much more balance and sometimes cruises along furniture while barely touching it. Last week he took a couple of steps to his Aunt Amanda but seems hesitant to really break out fully on his own.

Two teeth

Andrew popped out two teeth last week after gnawing and drooling everything in sight. All considering, he remained quite happy, but now we need to watch out when he tries to bite. Luckily many times he's just trying to give us a wet, open-mouthed kiss.

What he's like at seven months

Andrew turns seven months in a few days and is getting around really well now. He crawls everywhere (living room, under the dining room table, into the bathroom, kitchen) and pulls up to standing whenever given the chance. His favorite is pulling up on the couch, but he'll also pull up on the coffee table, dining room chairs, Sam's toy car, kitchen drawers, the Rody bouncy horse, the dishwasher, his brother...anything he can hold onto. He also just started saying "Guh guh guh" which Sam loves to repeat back to him. He's a smiley, happy baby though stranger anxiety is starting to set in slowly. So far he's "eaten" rice cereal, oatmeal and potato. I'm not sure if he really eats them or just swishes them around and spits them out.

Happy baby!

Andrew is such a happy camper - just look at this kids million dollar toothless grin!

6 month stats

Andrew just had his 6 month check-up and is doing just fine. Here are his stats:
weight - 16 lb 10 oz, 35%
height - 26 in, 35%
head circumference - 42.5 cm, 25%

Weekend of Firsts

This past weekend had a number of firsts for Andrew. He is just growing so quickly and he's only 6 months old!

1. First time pulling up to stand on his own.
2. First time crawling across a grassy field.
3. First bath with his brother.
4. First time sitting in a high chair
5. First time seeing his dad play grass ultimate. (I just hope I can still play when he gets old enough!)

We'll post pictures soon.

Dave

New joys

We've been a bit concerned that Andrew's getting a few more knocks to the head and sore knees from learning to crawl in a house with hardwood floor. Sam got to get through the crawling stage while we were at a carpeted rental and Andrew is quickly able to move off our 6 foot square rug. However, today I noticed that he has a new joy available to him that his brother didn't - drooling on the hardwood floor and then finger painting with the drool. Let me tell you, he found it entirely engrossing for many minutes.

Sitting up

A week after he started crawling, Andrew is sitting up on his own. He can get into a sitting position and out of it without assistance and only sometimes falls over. This means he's now fully free-roaming! I am writing this as I work at my desk in the kitchen and he has been crawling around the floor in the living room visiting with his toys and now he has crawled over to me in the kitchen to visit. We're back to gating the stairs again and keeping a close eye on everything on the floor!

Officially crawling

Andrew started officially crawling last Saturday, April 18th. While he can alternate his knees to move himself forward, he mostly likes to perch up on hands and toes and lie on his side and scoot around. He now explores all over the living room and targets any of Sam's toys left on the floor. It's provided new inspiration to his brother for cleaning up.

Like stealthy tumbleweed

Sam and I are eating lunch at our dining room table and Andrew is playing on the floor. He's getting better and better at rolling as a means of locomotion and I looked over and he was rolling from his car seat to the blanket and then the table like a piece of tumbleweed blowing by. I have to keep a careful eye out on what's lying around now!