Quinn's hide and seek

Quinn's approach to hide and seek has always been "evolving" and we've reached new understandings of how the game works, but we still have some room to grow:) It used to be that Luke and I would be laying next to him in bed and he'd hide under the covers. Now, we use the two bedrooms upstairs and play in a modified fashion. There's counting now, which is a fun addition. Of course, Luke and i try to count to 10 and Quinn is more of the 1, 2, 3 kind of kid. Additionally, the hiding is still not the key element. Quinn always hides in the same spots and insists that we hide in particular places as well. For example, the other day we needed to hide next to the big bed in Mom and Dad's room. When I tried to hide in the closet I was reprimanded. Quinn likes very much to hide under his Star Wars bed, nearly every time. His feet hang out and he makes little effort to hide them:) He also chuckles and giggles throughout the script of what we say when we look for him, "Hmm, where is Quinn? Is he under the crib? Is he in the closet? (Then we'll open the closet and say "Boo") Is he next to his kitchen?" Then, we'll tickle his feet and he'll crawl out. While we're still visiting, Quinn will ask to do it again and he'll crawl right back under the bed to be found, sending Luke or I to the other room to count. Last night was a new fun twist on things in that Quinn and I would hide behind pillows we held up in front of ourselves while sitting on the bed. I was feeling particularly immobile with #2 and so hiding behind a pillow in front of my face- though it failed to cover all of me- seemed a reasonable idea. Quinn agreed. He also determined that if he closed his eyes, no one else could see or find him. So, at one point, Quinn was lying face down on the bed stuffing his little head into a pillow, legs kicked up and he believed himself to be invisible. My chuckles and joy at his antics are really one of a kind. We're on day 5 right now of the weaning and he is grumpier about it then before. But, he has gotten over both of those episodes, for which I am grateful. I know this is very difficult for him and certainly not easy for me to watch him to sad, but I think it's key for us to at least advance this work before #2 arrives. I am doing my best to be patient and understanding, comforting and loving, in the face of this major change for him. Last night he wanted to be "the baby" and so I said I would hold him for 3 minutes like a baby, but naturally, Luke ended up helping. He did try to sleep in the crib like a baby, but eventually wound up in the Star Wars bed with Luke. On one of my first wake-ups of the night, I saw Luke bound up in a blanket on the floor and Quinn pleasantly sleeping. Later, Quinn wandered into the other room and slept the rest of the night with me. This morning has been all about a painful leg cramp in my left leg. Good stuff.

Yesterday evening we went to Edgecumbe park, our park of choice in the area. Quinn did lots of swinging with Dad and then played on the slide. There were some older boys there who were serving as rather poor role models. At one point, Quinn approached Luke and I with a mouthful of sand. For whatever reason, he had determined that he was going to put his whole mouth in the sand. Uggh. The other boys were also all about climbing up the slides, a feat not so bad for them, but not a practice we want him to have. I hope that Luke and I will remember the impressionability of the young ones as Quinn gets older and more agile.

Luke is a really marvelous father. His ability to brush Quinn's teeth, to make him laugh uproariously, to swing his son back and forth in the towel after bed time, to take him to swimming lessons and help him evolve as a little fish, the Dad's class every Monday night.. he's a very good, very loving father. Quinn is a very lucky little boy. Granted, right now, the two of them are playing Star Wars Legos on the Wii and Dad can get impatient with Quinn's "focus", but that's because he's human:) Mixed in with his patient humor is sound encouragement:)

One fun thing from this week was the taking of video on Luke's phone. Quinn loved to watch himself chatting and would impersonate himself as he watched. Quite funny:)

I've fallen off the gestational diabetes diet in major ways in the past month or so. I am trying to regain some semblance of control this weekend by monitoring my breakfast and beginning to the day. I have added grapefruits to my food line-up in the hopes that it takes the edge off my recent sweet tooth. Even though fruit is still carbs, this is far fewer calories than the three Izzy visits we made this week. Bless Luke for being generous and supportive, even as my choices are not the wisest.

I am taking every day as it comes, one at a time and knowing that is how I have to proceed. I will deal with what comes when it comes and for not, I need to be good to myself and my family every step of this process towards my daughter's arrival. Having a girl the second time allows me the convenience to keep saying that Quinn is the best little boy this Mommy could have and similarly unbiased statements that esteem him. She is well entitled to be a terrific daughter and Quinn gets to be the superb boy. Good times for all.

Bath time is going brilliantly lately as Quinn loves to float on his back and stomach and do laps in the tub. Funny little swimmer. Love it.