theo's room

back in the day i posted about jude's nursery, so i thought i'd keep things even steven and do to it for my baby theo as well.

we are not really into the idea of redecorating the entire nursery (that is, buying new stuff) just because there's a different baby in it... but i did want the room to have theo's unique flavor (ha). what you'll see in the room that is uniquely his are the curtains, his newly painted side-table (it was one my grandparents' received at their wedding), a few art prints I already had on hand, and his mobile.

i picked the curtain fabric but sewing machines make me hyperventilate, so Auntie Jessie did a phenomenal job making them for me. i love them. the room was a bit austere before, and these are just fun.

i made the mobile (say, what) out of stuff i had lying around in the basement that was waiting to be re-purposed: a "crown" of twigs i unfastened from an old Pier One lampshade, and globe lamp covers from a broken strand of lights. i hung the resulting contraption from a potted plant hanger and BAM. free mobile. easy, too.

Gwen Frostic prints (a Michigan-based artist and naturalist)

 

The old side table, painted by Mom

"Global Babies" was a fave of both my boys :)

The re-purposed mobile

Theo's baptismal bib

That's pretty much it. Theo might be in this room longer than Jude was, so I hope he likes the color scheme. Gender neutral is how we roll :)

Arms and Legs

This is me. I have arms and legs now. And I really love what he's done with my mid-section.

Jude generally refuses to draw or color by request, so I have to catch him at it and snap a quick pic before he erases what he has done. Sometimes he does this in frustration because it doesn't look how he wants it to, and other times he senses how much I want to keep it, so he erases it quickly to tease me. Stinker.

Suddenly he can write his name now too. I knew he was capable of the J and the U because he had formed these two letters with play-doh when he was two. But I'd never seen him write the whole thing out.

Lately he's developing some new abilities that I haven't noticed until he's all the way there. It's strange. This didn't happen so much when he was my only.

Theo has not escaped my being in a sleep-deprived fog either, Both of his new teeth had poked through his gums last week before I even noticed he was teething.

Sorry, sweet boys. I now understand when mothers of grown children can't remember who did what when, or why.

Easter and My Birthday

Playing catch-up: first egg hunt, and my birthday.

I turned 32 on April 11. Jude helped with the festivities!

Zero to Six

It's safe to say I've missed a few monthly updates on Theo.

So, finally, I present to you... Theo's first six months :)

We went from crying issues to feeding issues to sleeping issues and back again. What we have now is a sweet baby boy with looking-glass pools for eyes. He has a dimple on his upper right cheek, a cleft in his tiny chin, and fuzzy hair that stands on end. He still doesn't sleep (much), but apparently this lies within our genes. He is forgiven.

To save time, I'll speed through these first few months.

ONE MONTH: Small (Five Pounds +!). Slept Lots. It Was Christmas.

 TWO MONTHS: Crying. Lost weight. Food Sensitivity. Chiropractor. Medication. First Smiles.

THREE MONTHS: Pumping Lots to Chunk Him Up. Turned a Corner.

FOUR MONTHS: Rolling Over. Thrush Treatment. Hair Starts to Float Off Head.

FIVE MONTHS: Standing. Delighted Shrieking. Totally Crappy Sleep Patterns. His "Tuft" Appears and His Mullet Shrinks.

   

 SIX MONTHS: Rice Cereal. Better Sleep. First Two Teeth (At Once). Floaty Hair.

I have a good feeling about this month. He's been a challenging little guy, but he is the sweetest thing, and we've had many good moments. The other day I put his little bare feet into the grass for the first time. He also reached out to stroke a dandelion gone to seed. This is one of my favorite things about motherhood - watching them discover these simple experiences most of us don't notice or savor any more.

Theo is constantly seeking me out with his ginormous eyes. He just started reaching for my face whenever he needs some comfort. He also likes to pinch, scratch and slap me now, but it is all affectionate. When I read to him, he alternately looks at the book, then me, even though our heads are less than an inch apart lying on the bed. When I take him out in public, people ooo and aahh over his eyes, his legwarmers, his hand-knit booties. Theo dresses to impress.

Here are a few extra shots I couldn't help but include. Wired, perpetually flexed baby, anyone?

 

Seidman Park

One of our most loved places, since we discovered it in our college years, is Seidman Park. Naturally, it is one of the first places we've taken our boys for hikes as babies. (Here's a link to Jude's first hike at Seidman.) On Sunday it was Theo's turn for his first hike in the woods, and an opportunity for the rest of us to remember what it's like to be outside without our extremities going numb.

Jude is obsessed with blowing on dandelions, so we spent a good amount of time waiting for him as he tromped off the trail to pluck one and blow on it until every last fluff-topped seed was gone. Even the shot I took of Jono and Jude sitting on a branch in the middle of the stream, you can see he has a dandelion and is still going at it.

Theo was game for a tromp through the woods, and after the thrill wore off, he cat-napped in the carrier. (It's the only kind of nap he takes - light and short.) Nothing says "special occasion" like a hat with bear ears on it, in my book.

The woods were beautiful and full of spring green. Jude was thrilled with the trail and the fresh air, and we're excited to make a habit of this now that it has warmed up a bit. Cabin Fever season is officially over :)

Tea Party (the good kind)

Sometimes Jude and I have tea parties in the morning.  We have a good time dunking the tea bag, putting a wee bit of honey in our tiny cups, and then sipping our apple-cinnamon chamomile tea.  It's lovely, and Jude likes that it's a special thing between him and mama, of which there have been fewer since Theo arrived.

 

My mom brought the tea set home from China for me. It has pictures of tiny Chinese children playing games and having picnics together, and it's perfect for mornings at home with a little boy.

One of these days I'll try to whip up some scones. Just kidding. Not happening.

Waiting for Grandma and Grandpa

This is what he does, every time they come over.