NaBloNoNo

While the rest of blogland was busily posting once a day, OLP became officially known as OLB. Maybe I'll try NaBloPoMo next year.

Everything is fab in the house of Pi. The first Christmas tree that he is mobile enough to "enjoy" (read: destroy) is up with lights, but we are still working out our ornament strategy. Pi and I had a very nice conversation last night about gentle touch on the tree, only touching the tree when Mama and Daddy are nearby, and not pulling on the lights. Retention quiz upon wake-up this AM.

Tantrums abound as he realizes that we control most of his daily activities and he lacks the full communication ability to negotiate. Diaper changes, where once fairly pleasant, now resemble the tenth circle of hell. There have been some memorable Hat and Coat Battles (both putting on and taking off), but the absolute worst tantrums come when he is forced to go inside the house. We had our first snow of the season recently, and we took him out in 15-degree weather to experience it for the first time. He was completely bundled up, but it was really too cold to be out for any length of time. After thoroughly investigating the snow - he scooped it up onto his mittens and then shook it off vigorously, saying "uck! uck!" - we decided that he was turning into a popsicle and it was time to come inside. Suffice it to say that frostbite and hypothermia would have been preferable to Pi.

Pi says about 30 words now (and I have once again earned a Worry-Lympics medal in the Unnecessary Freakout category), including "snow", which is one of my favorites - the way he says it is just too cute, and a brand-new one that he busted out on me yesterday when we were watching Caillou (my least favorite of the PBS Sprout shows - so annoying). Caillou and his grandpa were at an apple orchard, and as they picked apples from the tree, Pi pulled his bottle out of his mouth long enough to declare "App-po!" We have a picture book with a green apple in it, but I never thought he'd actually say the word for the first time while looking at red animated apples. The connections in his little brain never cease to amaze me. Of course, we had "App-pos" for every meal yesterday, because he asked for them by name!

The other day he started rythmically banging on the couch with his little hammer and screwdriver, over and over and over again, and then he would turn away, bend at the waist, and then collapse forward onto the couch. Lather, rinse, repeat. Of course, after I freaked out about repetitive movements = behavioral disorder (God, I'm such a dork), Smitty solved the mystery. We have these Time Life DVDs of the old Muppet Show (yes, we watch a lot of television, and yes, I freak out about that from time to time too) and Pi loves the episode that Harry Belafonte hosts. Turns out he was imitating the drum duel between Harry Belafonte and Animal - Harry plays a big kettle drum and Animal has his Electric Mayhem kit, and they spar with increasing intensity until finally they play a cool jam together with a big finish. Harry turns to the audience, bows, and then he and Animal both collapse forward onto their drums.

After a bit of nasal congestion that flummoxed Pi when he tried to suck his thumb and made both of us quite sleep-deprived, we seem to be fully mended. I realized after over eight glorious hours of sleep this morning that I hadn't heard a peep out of Pi all night, which is unusual even when he's completely well. He sleeps through the night about 90% of the time, but moans and groans and flips around in his sleep, and our bedroom is right next to his so we can hear everything. After a completely silent night, I (sing it with me now) freaked out, went to check on him, and of course he's happily snoozing away, thumb firmly ensconced in mouth. He's such a dear, my Pi.