Ready for Kindergarten!

That's right, it's come around again. The winter session of Ready for Kindergarten. If you haven't already please check it out. It's a free tool for parents of children ages 0-5 in the Kennewick School District to educate yourself and your little one and get them kindergarten ready. Each class session you'll get some educational toys (FREE!!) some literature and some clever ways to teach your children how to use those toys in fun and educational ways. Not to mention that by attending you get signed up with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which means a free childrens book in the mail once a month! What are you waiting for, take a look.

Ready for Kindergarten!

Don't pass this resource up.

As an expecting parent many of my friends told me about Ready for Kindergarten. I didn't think much on it or even look into it until Christopher was about 3 months old. I've been involved ever since. Ready for Kindergarten is a free (to Kennewick School District residents, $40 to those outside of the district) program for parents with children between the ages of birth to 5. The parents go to an hour and a half long "class" 3 times during the school year, Fall, Winter and Spring. In these classes you learn methods to teach your child skills they should be learning at their age, you get toys/books for your child to utilize in learning these skills and you get to be a part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library getting a new age appropriate book for your child in the mail every month you are in the Ready! program (free!) I suppose what I'm saying is if you have a child in that age range and would love a free tool to help you educate your child and get them ready for schooling this has been great. Christopher loves going to the mailbox to check for his new book, we come right in and read it everytime it shows up. He also loves the toys he gets from the classes, a couple of them are his favorites. I know its helped give me direction as far as what he should be learning. The classes for this year start in October so take a look and give it a try.

The little Mr.

Christopher is getting so big. He's now just shy of a year and a half. He's got a great personality and manages to amaze us everyday in some small way or another. Just this morning when I picked him up out of the crib he pointed at a book and said "Moo!" (It was his Mr. Brown can Moo! book.) When he looks out the window across the street he points at the neighbors house and says, "Katie,"(he's next door playing with her right now) he knows which house is hers. He's up to a 3 word sentence on occasion, is signing and saying at the same time and even counted to 3 last week without prompting... although that is a wonder yet to be repeated.

He got to go swimming in a big people pool for the first time on the 11th, and he took to it like a pro. He loved being able to float and kick and not touch the bottom ( I didn't have a floaty for him so had my hands on him the whole time.) Christopher didn't want to get out of the pool at all, he kept trying to climb back in no matter how many times I thwarted his efforts. I'm encouraged to maybe get mommy/kiddo swim lessons now that I know he enjoys the water so much, I put it off as I wasn't sure how he would react to so much water.

Another great development, Christopher and Maddie (the dog.) Christopher is now able to be out in the yard playing, with the dog in the yard at the same time. She is no longer so out of her mind excited that she knocks him down when he's out there or running up to him so fast that he gets scared. In fact he will take her toy from her (she's gentle and doesn't mind,) and throw it in his pool, when she comes and gets it and lays down again to chew on it, he'll get out of the pool and start the whole cycle over again, it's very cute. So they are playing together and so far all is well. I'm no longer nervous about their interaction, I never worried that she would bite him but I was a little concerned with how over exuberant she gets when playing. She did step on him once and had him screaming bloody murder, more because he was scared then because he was injured.

He still has only 4 teeth, but I'm sure someday more will pop through. He still in 12 month clothing, which is fine... I get more use out of what I have. It's nice not going through clothes like crazy. He eats everything you put on his plate and has a very healthy appetite. He has a well check coming up and I'll be able to tell you exactly how much he's grown. We're both just so proud of him and he truly is our little star.

Bittersweet

Christopher is growing so fast. I suppose he would now be classified as a toddler, being as that's what he spends most of his time doing, toddling around. He's using signs, talking, eating more and a larger variety of foods. He's still in 9-12 month clothing and only has his bottom two teeth, but he doesn't let his size slow him down or his lack of chompers stop him from eating anything.

We reached a bittersweet milestone however. I took a weekend hiatus to prepare for a week long one coming in July and I decided if Christopher did well with Adam over the weekend and didn't seem to miss nursing much than I would wean him. We were down to one session a day as it was, nursing just when he woke up in the morning at 6 a.m. or so. I've had awful hives the entire time I've nursed, they started as soon as my milk came in and have not gone away. After consulting with 3 doctors or so we've come to the conclusion that I'm allergic to the hormone breastfeeding produces. I enjoy the half hour or so in the morning when he's just cuddling with me and was a little worried I'd have a hard time giving it up. I was pretty sure Christopher would be ok, he's never been "boob crazy," tugging at shirts or demanding it, it was really just food to him and not so much of a comfort thing.

Well, he did great with Adam and took to getting whole organic milk instead of breastmilk just great. I wasn't having any engorgement issues and was doing well with the transition emotionally, so we weaned him. I'm proud to say I nursed him for 14 months. I know many moms who didn't choose to continue it that long and I know many who, had they had the hives I have would certainly not have gone as long. So, I pat myself on the back for a job well done. It's been a week, I still have hives. I'm hoping they will go away, if they haven't within a month which I believe should be enough time for the hormones causing them to subside, then I will have to consult a specialist and maybe go get some allergy testing done. They truly do make me miserable and I can't see having them for much longer being as I've put up with them so long already.

Away We Go!!!!

Christopher decided to brave the walking world last night. That's right, he took his first few steps. His legs were way to tired after that to attempt any more, although he sure tried. Here is a brief clip of his short adventure (redundant, I know.) Luckily he chose to take his first steps when daddy was home. That's one I'm sure he didn't want to miss. He has also managed to get his first tooth, just barely breaking the surface but definitely there. Christopher is just trying to accomplish as much as he can before his first birthday rolls around, and he's doing a great job of it.

4 Months Old!!

Today Christopher had his 4 month well check. The Dr. said he's doing great and is reaching all the developmental milestones he should be. He received a couple of vaccinations and since he was already grumpy before they were administered it just made him mad to be poked... mommy also left the pacifier in the car which, lesson learned, is a no no on shot day. Luckily Chris seemed to poop out a pacifier when I tried to put him in the carseat and it saved the day, keeping him quiet until we got to the car.

Christopher's new growth stats as of 7/16/07:
Height: 24.75 inches (39.84 percentile) Which is up from 23.25 inches at his two month.
Weight: 15.375 lbs (57.30 percentile) Which is up from 11.09 lbs at his two month.