Do all toddlers make up their own sound effects? Is it a boy thing only or what? Jonas is just so funny, for a few months now he will push his tractor walker around and make these grunt like growls. Now, with the Tonka truck he received from his Uncle, he makes more sound effects...the other day someone gave him these little cars and again he is pushing them around the house with such focus and of course making all these sound effects. I didn't teach him the sounds. And the only thing he really watches on TV are nature shows - you know the ones with the narrator...he loves those!
We spend alot of time outside in the garden or at the ocean. The other day Jonas went and 'helped' Grandpa J plant some trees; he also helped Grandpa J bring a big log to the mill on the excavator - helping with Jill's cabin! Jonas was not afraid in the least, in fact, he was totally excited!
Jonas still loves to have many books read to him and reread each day. We do word books and shape books and also longer story books which he can usually sit through. We try to get to the library every other week to pick out new books in the children's section. Everyone just loves to see his big smile and babble talk as he walks around the library. We still have our own favourite books and I am patting myself on the shoulder for buying so many kids books at garage sales before Jonas was born. We are slowly making our way through them and probably will be for years and years to come.
We've been cross country skiing together a few times this year - I pulled Jonas around on the sled whereas Jordan had him in the backpack. We are planning to do some snow camping in the next month or so.
Until Jonas started taking his first steps at 11.5 months, we had been easily successful with alot of diaper free days (cloth for outings and plastic at night). But then Jonas started getting really upset on his little potty so my reaction was to put it away and not let him get too worked up over it. After a month or so we bought a toilet insert and instead of saying 'potty' we said 'toilet'. It worked a few times and then, again, he straightened his legs and got mad. And then after rereading the diaper free book again (certain parts) I decided to take his little potty out of storage and just put it in the living room instead of the bathroom. I thought maybe the bathroom was upsetting him... So here we are now having him pee (sometimes) in the potty in the living room. He still gets mad at times and I have to distract him by reading to him. If he continues to get mad I guess I will have to stop again and try again later. It will be easier in the summer when he can be outside more and bottomless. Any suggestions?
I have slowed down abit with my Physiology and Anatomy course. Its a huge amount of information to take in and I have decided to take the course in the prescribed 10 month part time format. That's a little more do able. But at the same time I have moved ahead with working toward my Doula certification in order to build up on labour and postpartum experience before I go to UBC.
I don't know if any of you have read either of Ina May's books, Spiritual Midwifery or Guide to Childbirth, but after reading these books again, now that I have had the experience of childbirth, I can really understand the books and all they encompass. I had no idea before having Jonas, how truly awesome and liberating and empowering giving birth can be. Its amazing. Its been 13 months since I had Jonas and when I go through the whole labour in my minds eye, I am still able to see some things so clearly, but the most clear of all is my feelings of the whole event and just being so deep inside of myself and working with my body. And then all the laughter that erupted from me the moment that Jonas came out, that feeling is still so close and so clear. I think that all of this is coming up because of all the studying I am doing in prep for the Doula course coming up. At my birth I had 2 midwives and a student midwife. It was perfect in that I felt supported and well taken care of.
I think that I would definitely have a doula the next time I give birth, unless, of course, there is another student. The midwives main concern is the health of the baby and mother and then of course they are incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. Whereas the father is there to support the mother and to witness the birth of his child. When the midwives are busy with the clinical aspects of the labour, or the father is away on the phone, in the bathroom or eating or else in a position of fatigue or not knowing what to do while the mother is having a particularly hard contraction, the doula can support the father and or mother. She can share knowledge, help with massage or just anything that is needed for the mother or father in any aspect except clinical and decision making. She is the rock that is there to see the mother and father through to the birth and beyond. The doula will also write a birth story as well. I have all the notes that the midwives took during labour and delivery and I have my fragmented memory and Jordan's as well, but its just not the same as a full run down of events from clinical to emotional. And it is definitely an event that I would never want to forget!
We spend alot of time outside in the garden or at the ocean. The other day Jonas went and 'helped' Grandpa J plant some trees; he also helped Grandpa J bring a big log to the mill on the excavator - helping with Jill's cabin! Jonas was not afraid in the least, in fact, he was totally excited!
Jonas still loves to have many books read to him and reread each day. We do word books and shape books and also longer story books which he can usually sit through. We try to get to the library every other week to pick out new books in the children's section. Everyone just loves to see his big smile and babble talk as he walks around the library. We still have our own favourite books and I am patting myself on the shoulder for buying so many kids books at garage sales before Jonas was born. We are slowly making our way through them and probably will be for years and years to come.
We've been cross country skiing together a few times this year - I pulled Jonas around on the sled whereas Jordan had him in the backpack. We are planning to do some snow camping in the next month or so.
Until Jonas started taking his first steps at 11.5 months, we had been easily successful with alot of diaper free days (cloth for outings and plastic at night). But then Jonas started getting really upset on his little potty so my reaction was to put it away and not let him get too worked up over it. After a month or so we bought a toilet insert and instead of saying 'potty' we said 'toilet'. It worked a few times and then, again, he straightened his legs and got mad. And then after rereading the diaper free book again (certain parts) I decided to take his little potty out of storage and just put it in the living room instead of the bathroom. I thought maybe the bathroom was upsetting him... So here we are now having him pee (sometimes) in the potty in the living room. He still gets mad at times and I have to distract him by reading to him. If he continues to get mad I guess I will have to stop again and try again later. It will be easier in the summer when he can be outside more and bottomless. Any suggestions?
I have slowed down abit with my Physiology and Anatomy course. Its a huge amount of information to take in and I have decided to take the course in the prescribed 10 month part time format. That's a little more do able. But at the same time I have moved ahead with working toward my Doula certification in order to build up on labour and postpartum experience before I go to UBC.
I don't know if any of you have read either of Ina May's books, Spiritual Midwifery or Guide to Childbirth, but after reading these books again, now that I have had the experience of childbirth, I can really understand the books and all they encompass. I had no idea before having Jonas, how truly awesome and liberating and empowering giving birth can be. Its amazing. Its been 13 months since I had Jonas and when I go through the whole labour in my minds eye, I am still able to see some things so clearly, but the most clear of all is my feelings of the whole event and just being so deep inside of myself and working with my body. And then all the laughter that erupted from me the moment that Jonas came out, that feeling is still so close and so clear. I think that all of this is coming up because of all the studying I am doing in prep for the Doula course coming up. At my birth I had 2 midwives and a student midwife. It was perfect in that I felt supported and well taken care of.
I think that I would definitely have a doula the next time I give birth, unless, of course, there is another student. The midwives main concern is the health of the baby and mother and then of course they are incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. Whereas the father is there to support the mother and to witness the birth of his child. When the midwives are busy with the clinical aspects of the labour, or the father is away on the phone, in the bathroom or eating or else in a position of fatigue or not knowing what to do while the mother is having a particularly hard contraction, the doula can support the father and or mother. She can share knowledge, help with massage or just anything that is needed for the mother or father in any aspect except clinical and decision making. She is the rock that is there to see the mother and father through to the birth and beyond. The doula will also write a birth story as well. I have all the notes that the midwives took during labour and delivery and I have my fragmented memory and Jordan's as well, but its just not the same as a full run down of events from clinical to emotional. And it is definitely an event that I would never want to forget!
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