Introducing "head of household," my toddler!
My toddler, Jack, is quite a little character. He was a colicky, unhappy, baby (trouble nursing, trouble sleeping, needed to be held all the time). I sometimes don't know how dh and I survived his first year. But, over time, Jack has become an incredibly active, spirited, funny, little guy with so much personality. He is relatively small in stature and has this little baby face with huge, shining eye, big cheeks, and a soft fine head of light-colored hair. He looks like such a little thing but when he opens his mouth, he always surprises people with how much he can express in his 4-5 word sentences and his engaging smile. He's a pied piper for adults--he just draws people in (and on those rare occassions on which he "fails", he'll make enough noise so that the person in question just has to pay attention).
Jack is very musical (he's always singing and drumming in rhythm) and loves a varied selection of adult music, thanks mostly to his daddy. He is not shy about requesting particular songs such as "Particle Man" by They Might be Giants, "Night Night Song" ("River of Dreams") by Billy Joel, or "Jack of Speed," by Steely Dan, or "Hammer Song" ("Hammer and a Nail") by Indigo Girls.
He is incredibly attached to daddy and is pretty securely attached to mommy and his nanny (who watches him 3 days/week) too. He's not a cuddly kid but finds creative ways to show affection and his feelings for us.
Jack is a PICKY eater--he's incredibly selective about what he eats. It's really hard to eat anywhere else, because we either have to pack Jack Food or think carefully about what on the menu will be acceptable to him. However, his quantities are quite large--we don't worry about him being malnurished. Jack has a lovey named "Bear Friend" who we nickname "Thread Bare". This poor bear is so loved (slept on every night and for every nap) that he threatens to fall apart any day. We live in fear of the day when we lose Bear Friend. I only wish he could be replaced (but alas, no luck--long story). We may have to try the repair approach. Edited to add: Jack also still uses a paci (which he calls his "baby" at night, for naps, and around the house when he is tired). This is a battle that hasn't felt worth fighting to us. Given that he now sleeps 11 straight hours at night (a true miracle), I wouldn't dream of doing anything to mess that up! More about Jack's sleep: he goes to bed at 7:00-7:15 p.m. and wakes up around 6:15 a.m. Nap lasts from anywhere from 1-2 hours (usually closer to 1), beginning between 12 and 12:30 p.m. Though not a wonderfully long nap, he goes down without a fuss and goes to bed almost eagerly at night. I nominate him for "most improved" sleeper. The story of where we started off sleep-wise? Too long for now.
Speaking of getting too long, this post is getting really long, so I'll stop for now. Can't wait to hear about the other toddlers and their antics. : )
Lisa
& Jack, 4/20/01
& Little Brother, e.d.d., 12/15/03