Mini-update...
After seeing how cool the video monitor was at Nick and Rachel's, we finally sprung for one ourselves. It's not really the same since it didn't come with a cool hand-held video-display "remote." But the receiver plugs into the TV so we can watch Ryan on the big screen. Chris activated the picture-in-picture mode on the TV so we can watch our shows and Ryan at the same time. Tonight is the first night we're using it (it took a bit to mount it up on the wall). It has "night-vision" so we can see what he's up to even in the dark. It's really cool. The only problem is - it's a little creepy. Have you ever seen someone through night-vision? Their pupils glow. So, yes, Ryan looks an awful lot like a zombie on it. The camera has red LEDs (the night-vision part?) so he keeps looking up at the camera. It's freaky. It's fun to be able to see what he's up to, though. And he keeps pulling his blankie up to his chin, which is really cute to watch. The set came with two cameras so the plan is to mount the other camera on another wall. That way we can watch what he's up to while he plays in there during the daytime too. I think it'll give him a sense of freedom. It's a safety-proofed room so he'll be able to play but we'll still be monitoring to make sure he doesn't get into trouble.
On another note, he's gotten a lot more brave with his climbing over the last month or so. I blame our Gymboree membership. The kids are actually encouraged to climb all over everything. I'm tolerating the climbing since the other benefits outweigh that particular side-effect. He's meeting other kids his age and learning how to interact. He's actually sitting in my lap while we do the sing-along time now. He's babbling up a storm and interacting with everyone he comes in contact with. He's a very friendly baby and I think all the social stimulation is helping him adjust into toddlerhood. He seems a lot happier than when we were just sitting at home all day, day after day. Also, he's growing out of his separation anxiety for the most part. He hasn't cried at all the last couple of times we've put him into the nursery at church on Sunday. He still cries a bit when I first put him into the childcare at Jazzercise. But when I went to pick him up yesterday, he didn't want to stop playing with the other kids or leave the lady there. Today, though, he pitched an all-out fit when I tried to leave him in the childcare at the Women's League meeting. I think he just hates the worker in there. :oP She barely speaks English and she's always overwhelmed with the amount of children (usually 8-9 babies and pre-schoolers). I also happened to witness one of the children in there shove him last season without the worker noticing and correcting the situation (since she was attending to other kids). If he's getting bullied, it would further explain why he doesn't like being in there. I'm desperately trying to figure out a way to keep him out of that particular child care situation anyway. That's the longest he's away from me in a daycare-like setting (4 hours) and he's definitely not used to it. It's much easier when he's either with just an adult (like my mom) or with an adult and 1-2 babies tops. I hate to see him so miserable in there otherwise I'd just force him to adjust.
I guess that's all for now. My "mini" update turned out to be not so mini.
On another note, he's gotten a lot more brave with his climbing over the last month or so. I blame our Gymboree membership. The kids are actually encouraged to climb all over everything. I'm tolerating the climbing since the other benefits outweigh that particular side-effect. He's meeting other kids his age and learning how to interact. He's actually sitting in my lap while we do the sing-along time now. He's babbling up a storm and interacting with everyone he comes in contact with. He's a very friendly baby and I think all the social stimulation is helping him adjust into toddlerhood. He seems a lot happier than when we were just sitting at home all day, day after day. Also, he's growing out of his separation anxiety for the most part. He hasn't cried at all the last couple of times we've put him into the nursery at church on Sunday. He still cries a bit when I first put him into the childcare at Jazzercise. But when I went to pick him up yesterday, he didn't want to stop playing with the other kids or leave the lady there. Today, though, he pitched an all-out fit when I tried to leave him in the childcare at the Women's League meeting. I think he just hates the worker in there. :oP She barely speaks English and she's always overwhelmed with the amount of children (usually 8-9 babies and pre-schoolers). I also happened to witness one of the children in there shove him last season without the worker noticing and correcting the situation (since she was attending to other kids). If he's getting bullied, it would further explain why he doesn't like being in there. I'm desperately trying to figure out a way to keep him out of that particular child care situation anyway. That's the longest he's away from me in a daycare-like setting (4 hours) and he's definitely not used to it. It's much easier when he's either with just an adult (like my mom) or with an adult and 1-2 babies tops. I hate to see him so miserable in there otherwise I'd just force him to adjust.
I guess that's all for now. My "mini" update turned out to be not so mini.