Funny how things work out

In August of 2008 I compiled two lists, one of things I want to do "some day" and one of things I want to do "right now."

I have not done any of the things on my "right now" list, which were mostly things I was passionate about at the time — becoming a postnatal doula, planting a garden, going to church. Things I thought would be easy.

I've accomplished quite a few things on my "someday" list, though. I've begun volunteering. I've bought a house. And, while I'm not rich, I've managed to pay off enough debt and take on enough freelance writing assignments that Isaac and I are comfortable.

So it's funny that I have yet to do any of the "easy" stuff, but the things I thought would be unattainable for at least 10 years... well, they weren't.

Going to start working on my lists for 2010 now...

What a difference a year makes!

Then:


Now:

Isaac dancing/pooping

He is so going to hate me when he is a teenager.

Things Isaac says

NUH! (No.)
Da ta (Thank you.)
Uh oh!
Brrr!
Mama
Dada
Nana (John's mom)
Isaac (Pretty clearly, actually)
Dah (Dog)
Dah (Elmo)
Duh (Duck)
Duh (Duh. I was shocked the first time I heard him say this. I mean, repeat me saying this.)
Hi!
Bah bah! (Bye bye!)
Ah da da (I love you)

Ladies' man

Daycare has been a struggle for us. He cries when I drop him off, cries when I pick him up and, depending on how long his nap was that day (usually about 30 minutes; definitely not long enough) he cries in the evenings, mostly I think out of sheer exhaustion.

All that, however, might be changing. Isaac has a girlfriend.

Yesterday, his teachers told me he was holding hands with a little girl named Malana. Then, he walked over to her, kissed her on the cheek and did a little happy dance.

I teased him about it most of the evening, and this morning, I asked him if he was ready to go to daycare, and he said yes. I asked him if he was going to see Malana, and he said yes.

When we got to school, he started pointing to the door and saying, "Uh uh uh," which is what he says when he wants something. When we got to his classroom, he let me take off his coat and was generally happy until, looking around the room, he noticed Malana wasn't there yet.

THEN, he started crying and didn't want me to leave.

Malana's mother was bringing her to school as I was leaving, so I'm sure he cheered up pretty quickly.

Love,
The Former Most Important Woman in Isaac's Life

Isaac has a brother!

Heh heh heh. Scared you, huh?

I am in no way, why or how in a position to have another baby. I'm really in no position to have a dog, but we have one anyway.

I always assumed at some point, probably in the spring, I would get Isaac a dog. He loves them. LOVES them. Every time he sees a dog — even a picture of a dog — he points and yells, "DOG!"

When I heard from a professional acquaintance on Twitter (actually, my boyfriend heard and suggested to her I might be interested) she was trying to help her husband's coworker find a new home for his 2-year-old dachshund, I was intrigued.

When I heard said dachshund was already fixed, housebroken and crate trained, and when I saw how absolutely adorable said dachshund was, I knew I was done fer.

The family offered to bring him over for us to "look"at last weekend — I say "look" because I knew once I saw him I would want him to be ours — and it really was love at first sight. He is such a good, sweet dog. He's a licker, though, and I guess the wife wanted to get rid of him because she didn't like how he licked their 8-month-old. They have another dog, a 6-year-old of the same breed, and I think she just felt a little overwhelmed with the two dogs and a new baby.

We love Max. Maximus is his name. He took to me immediately, and now I have two little animals chasing me all over the house. He's still a little skittish around Isaac, but I'm sure the two boys will be used to each other in no time.

I maybe shouldn't have picked the weekend after I got into a car accident to also take on a pet for the first time, but, as you already know, I'm a little crazy. I like to bite off more than I can chew.

So, yeah, the wreck. I was driving my co-worker and my boss to lunch last Friday, when a woman, who was talking on the phone and not paying attention, realized she needed to turn left, crossed three lanes of traffic without looking, and slammed into my front passenger's side door. No one was hurt and, thankfully, she has insurance, which is covering the cost of my repairs and my rental car. It's just been kind of a pain in the tookus. When it happened, I was shocked. I'd never been in an accident like that and had no idea what to do. The woman said I was in her blind spot, but I was in front of her. Over and over I observe people driving like complete morons simply because they're in downtown and apparently don't think the same traffic rules apply.

Other than that, we are doing great. Isaac is finally, after more than a month, getting used to day care. He's beginning to interact with the other kids and play with the toys there. He still cries when I drop him off, but he doesn't wail like he used to. And he doesn't cry when I pick him up anymore. He used to, when he saw me in the afternoons, run to me crying. Yesterday he ran to me, but I almost detected a smile on his face!

He is growing so fast. He's such a fun and funny little boy (I know. Little boy. Not baby. So sad). He says "I love you" — sort of. My dad always says "I love you" in sign language — the long version where first he points to his eye, then crosses his arms over his chest and then points to you.

So now, when you tell Isaac "I love you" or ask him to say it to you, he taps his chest with his hand and says, "Ad da da." It melts your heart.

He learned over Thanksgiving weekend to say no. He'd always shaken his head for no, but all of a sudden he's saying, "NuUH," with his voice getting really high and loud at the end. I know I'm going to regret saying this, but it is so darn cute.

Other than that, he's not talking much. He'll repeat words you say or copy your inflection, but he doesn't have much of a vocabulary yet. His favorite things are dogs, Elmo (also a dog, in his opinion), music and books.

He loves music, and he sings and dances to any tune, even commercial jingles. I've been playing Christmas music in the car, and I always hear him in the backseat singing. It is so sweet. He's also quite a good dancer, always making up new moves that make mommy laugh. And books. Man, the kid loves books. He'll go to his bookshelf and very carefully choose the book he wants to read. (The ones he doesn't want to read go on the floor.) He'll point to the ottoman (where I usually sit when I'm in his room), instructing me to sit down and read to him.

He still sleeps with me and probably will until he's 12, but I've just come to accept that. And now with Max in our bed, too (I know, I know. I'm a total softie), it's a little crowded. Crowded, but comfortable. And we're very happy.

(And I promise to update this more than once per quarter.)