Thursday, October 16, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Dear Sawyer, 4 Months!
Someone is four months old!!! Four! Months! Old! WOW! In two more months you will be half a year old, and that just seems crazy to me. I know, you're thinking, good work mom, you can count, but you don’t know what it’s like to see yourself grow so fast! Maybe you do, but don’t care? I can’t believe I fall into the same ol’, same ol’, everyday, average mom who says time goes by fast. Time is going by sooooo fast! Geeze Sawyer, you’re mom is sooo just average. Dang it.
I realized this month how obsessed with your brain I am. I found a pretty good website (zerotothree.org) that has in depth scientific information about infant and child brain development. I can’t get enough of it. Your brain is pretty cool! Here is just a little from that site about synapses in your wrinkled brain:
Although all of the neurons in the cortex are produced before birth, they are poorly connected. In contrast to the brain stem and spinal cord, the cerebral cortex produces most of its synaptic connections after birth, in a massive burst of synapse formation known as the exuberant period. At its peak, the cerebral cortex creates an astonishing two million new synapses every second. With these new connections come a baby's many mental milestones, such as color vision, a pincer grasp, or a strong attachment to his parents.
By two years of age, a toddler's cerebral cortex contains well over a hundred trillion synapses. This period of synaptic exuberance varies in different parts of the cerebral cortex: it begins earlier in primary sensory regions, like the visual cortex or primary touch area of the cortex, while it takes off somewhat later in the temporal and frontal lobes, brain areas involved in higher cognitive and emotional functions. Nonetheless, the number of synapses remains at this peak, over-abundant level in all areas of the cerebral cortex throughout middle childhood (4-8 years of age). Beginning in the middle elementary school years and continuing until the end of adolescence, the number of synapses then gradually declines down to adult levels.
If not already, then soon, you will have more synapses going on than me or daddy… or any other adult for that matter. Pretty amazing huh?! A little too obsessed with your brain development, I took it upon myself to note where all the teacher resource stores are near here, and what toys are in your near future to foster your development. One day you are going to ask for a toy for the only purpose of it being fun. I hope by that time, you honed in on your persuasive speaking skills That, or got a job to pay for it yourself. Are you wishing you were born into another family yet? Haha, sucker!
More things that have gone on since I last wrote you? A lot I say! Beckham decided to join the world recently. Beckham is Daddy’s best friends baby and I’m pretty sure you guys will be friends. Well, I’m pretty sure you guys will have play dates, and you will steal his toys out of his hands because you are older, and probably be a little more aggressive, assertive and all that fun stuff I’m going to have to lovingly correct. But none the less, I’m sure you guys will be friends, especially when you guys get older. We also made friends with another couple who has a baby named Ethan. You are 2 months older than him and just had your first hang out time together last night. Aren’t you the popular tike?
Besides popularity, I have mentioned several times how strong you are, but you just have not been too interested in rolling over AT ALL. That is until the other week you were on your stomach doing your dreaded ‘tummy time’ when I noticed you were insanely close to rolling onto your back. I was soo excited! I ran literally 4 steps to grab the video camera, and when I turned around you were on your back! I’m with you ALL day and STILL manage to miss your milestones! That was the only time I have seen (or more correctly, not seen) you roll over. Today for the first time, you were pretty close to going from back to stomach. Your bottom half was rolled over, but you had no idea how to get your arms to cooperate. You were stalled for quite some time trying to figure it all out, and after about 5 minutes, you weren’t going to take it anymore. Mommy had to come to the rescue. I’m hoping soon you will have the rolling down, but when it comes to really being mobile, I will take a stab at it and say you will try to walk before you try to crawl. That’s just a guess, but I’m pretty damn smart, so… yeah, you will be a walkin man.
This doesn’t have anything to do with you directly, but things that have gone on this month in general… A shark in Virginia got pregnant without a male to do his thing. She’s like the Virgin Mary Chick shark! I have already had discussions about Utah, their state bird, and Mormons with you, now let me just say, I think Virginia and West Virginia are two of the weirder States, and the whole shark thing happening there proves I am pretty much always right. Obama and McCain are at it, and soon we will vote for president in I think, one of the most passionate elections I have been alive through. Mommy got to see Barrack at her gym, isn’t mommy cool? Colorado drivers still suck. I found out one year ago this month that I had something brewing in my uterus. What else? Probably a lot, but the import part here is the, I’m usually right part, and the, I’m cool part… chew on that with your gums!
So, this letter is getting a little off track. More than anything, I want to say I love you even when you are crying. I love you even when you puke milk on me just as we are rushing out the door. I love you when you poop out your diaper and only manage to get it on my white tank top. All of which has happened numerous times this month! Really though, I just love you!
Happy four months kiddo!
I realized this month how obsessed with your brain I am. I found a pretty good website (zerotothree.org) that has in depth scientific information about infant and child brain development. I can’t get enough of it. Your brain is pretty cool! Here is just a little from that site about synapses in your wrinkled brain:
Although all of the neurons in the cortex are produced before birth, they are poorly connected. In contrast to the brain stem and spinal cord, the cerebral cortex produces most of its synaptic connections after birth, in a massive burst of synapse formation known as the exuberant period. At its peak, the cerebral cortex creates an astonishing two million new synapses every second. With these new connections come a baby's many mental milestones, such as color vision, a pincer grasp, or a strong attachment to his parents.
By two years of age, a toddler's cerebral cortex contains well over a hundred trillion synapses. This period of synaptic exuberance varies in different parts of the cerebral cortex: it begins earlier in primary sensory regions, like the visual cortex or primary touch area of the cortex, while it takes off somewhat later in the temporal and frontal lobes, brain areas involved in higher cognitive and emotional functions. Nonetheless, the number of synapses remains at this peak, over-abundant level in all areas of the cerebral cortex throughout middle childhood (4-8 years of age). Beginning in the middle elementary school years and continuing until the end of adolescence, the number of synapses then gradually declines down to adult levels.
If not already, then soon, you will have more synapses going on than me or daddy… or any other adult for that matter. Pretty amazing huh?! A little too obsessed with your brain development, I took it upon myself to note where all the teacher resource stores are near here, and what toys are in your near future to foster your development. One day you are going to ask for a toy for the only purpose of it being fun. I hope by that time, you honed in on your persuasive speaking skills That, or got a job to pay for it yourself. Are you wishing you were born into another family yet? Haha, sucker!
More things that have gone on since I last wrote you? A lot I say! Beckham decided to join the world recently. Beckham is Daddy’s best friends baby and I’m pretty sure you guys will be friends. Well, I’m pretty sure you guys will have play dates, and you will steal his toys out of his hands because you are older, and probably be a little more aggressive, assertive and all that fun stuff I’m going to have to lovingly correct. But none the less, I’m sure you guys will be friends, especially when you guys get older. We also made friends with another couple who has a baby named Ethan. You are 2 months older than him and just had your first hang out time together last night. Aren’t you the popular tike?
Besides popularity, I have mentioned several times how strong you are, but you just have not been too interested in rolling over AT ALL. That is until the other week you were on your stomach doing your dreaded ‘tummy time’ when I noticed you were insanely close to rolling onto your back. I was soo excited! I ran literally 4 steps to grab the video camera, and when I turned around you were on your back! I’m with you ALL day and STILL manage to miss your milestones! That was the only time I have seen (or more correctly, not seen) you roll over. Today for the first time, you were pretty close to going from back to stomach. Your bottom half was rolled over, but you had no idea how to get your arms to cooperate. You were stalled for quite some time trying to figure it all out, and after about 5 minutes, you weren’t going to take it anymore. Mommy had to come to the rescue. I’m hoping soon you will have the rolling down, but when it comes to really being mobile, I will take a stab at it and say you will try to walk before you try to crawl. That’s just a guess, but I’m pretty damn smart, so… yeah, you will be a walkin man.
This doesn’t have anything to do with you directly, but things that have gone on this month in general… A shark in Virginia got pregnant without a male to do his thing. She’s like the Virgin Mary Chick shark! I have already had discussions about Utah, their state bird, and Mormons with you, now let me just say, I think Virginia and West Virginia are two of the weirder States, and the whole shark thing happening there proves I am pretty much always right. Obama and McCain are at it, and soon we will vote for president in I think, one of the most passionate elections I have been alive through. Mommy got to see Barrack at her gym, isn’t mommy cool? Colorado drivers still suck. I found out one year ago this month that I had something brewing in my uterus. What else? Probably a lot, but the import part here is the, I’m usually right part, and the, I’m cool part… chew on that with your gums!
So, this letter is getting a little off track. More than anything, I want to say I love you even when you are crying. I love you even when you puke milk on me just as we are rushing out the door. I love you when you poop out your diaper and only manage to get it on my white tank top. All of which has happened numerous times this month! Really though, I just love you!
Happy four months kiddo!
Dear Sawyer, 3 Months!!! You reap what you sew.
My Boy!
Dear Sawyer:
I am not good at making things. I'm not "crafty". I don't scrapbook, I don't knit, I'm not the person with the awesome personalized present. Speaking of presents, I suck at picking them out. Presents make me nervous. I'm only good at getting presents for people when there is no reason to give them a present. THAT is when you will get your best present, when the time isn't right. I can't pick those things out under pressure, no, no good at that. No, nooo good at crafty things. I wanted to start sewing. I wanted to sew you cool onsies out of old concert tee shirts. I took a sewing class with my friend and you know what came out of it? A pocket. A freaken pocket. I talked up this pocket to daddy just because I was excited to make something out of nothing, but really, it's pretty bad. You don't want me to make you a pocket! I will say however, I did the best damn job making you. You are sooo cute and perfect! I can't believe I had anything to do with something that turned out so awesome!
Here are some of your updates…
Lately your thing is to drool. You drool and drool and drool. I was thinking about bringing you to places suffering from a drought because your drool can fill not just pools but aqueducts. In 24 hours you will have a drought-ridden town flooded. How about that for your first public service opportunity? Soon after the drool thing came the discovery of your hands. HANDS! Connected to YOUR body! Hands that YOU move yourself! How is that for amazing?! These hands you decided are so great you will see if you can fit each one whole into your mouth. You first did this when we were at the grocery store! I started exclaiming loudly, "Yes, those are YOUR hands! Do you love them? Do they taste good? HANDS! YAY!" I was so excited by your find, I couldn't help but show it, while everyone in the produce section just kinda looked at me. What do I care, you found HANDS!!! As I type this, you are playing under this little floor mat play thing. You just swatted the lion so hard, he flipped around the bar that he is hanging from, and you got a kick out of it. I did too. Man, I love you and your hands!
You are also strong! You are the strongest little thing I have seen. You love to stand! You can stand for hours on end if I let you. You hold on to one finger from each of my hands and just stand up. You do this hip shaking move to keep your balance, but you are strong. Daddy now has you stand on the palm of his hand and with your awesome standing capabilities and him moving has hand back and forth to make up for your hip shaking, you just balance there. No one holding on to your hands! You stand there with your mouth open wide, looking out in the crowd like you are doing some trick on the promenade waiting for your fans to throw money in a jar. Now that I think of it, maybe it's time you start pulling your weight around here, I'll go get you a money jar!
Every day gets better with you. You become more fun, have more personality, more tricks up your sleeve, and more poop in your diaper. Speaking of poop, you think yours is sooo funny. Whenever I open your diaper and yell "GROSS," or "NASTY", or, "That came out of YOU? SICK!", you just crack up. You also think it's funny when you fart loud, or when I say I see your buggers. You are such a boy! My favorite thing though is that we are reading every day. You like books! You already have a favorite. You love this fabric book that makes crackling noises, it has a mirror and a little bear that squeaks. You open the pages and put the page up close to your face, like you are an old man who forgot his glasses in the car. You read that one a few times a day. Our routine is, I read you a few books in the morning and one or two before bedtime. You lay in the crib and smile as I read to you. I hope that contributes to some awesome dreams! You also really like Dr. Seuss, but who doesn't???
Sawyer, you and daddy are the best things that have ever happened to me. I feel soo lucky to be his wife and your mommy. You guys are better than all the pockets in the world!!!
Your mamma!
Dear Sawyer:
I am not good at making things. I'm not "crafty". I don't scrapbook, I don't knit, I'm not the person with the awesome personalized present. Speaking of presents, I suck at picking them out. Presents make me nervous. I'm only good at getting presents for people when there is no reason to give them a present. THAT is when you will get your best present, when the time isn't right. I can't pick those things out under pressure, no, no good at that. No, nooo good at crafty things. I wanted to start sewing. I wanted to sew you cool onsies out of old concert tee shirts. I took a sewing class with my friend and you know what came out of it? A pocket. A freaken pocket. I talked up this pocket to daddy just because I was excited to make something out of nothing, but really, it's pretty bad. You don't want me to make you a pocket! I will say however, I did the best damn job making you. You are sooo cute and perfect! I can't believe I had anything to do with something that turned out so awesome!
Here are some of your updates…
Lately your thing is to drool. You drool and drool and drool. I was thinking about bringing you to places suffering from a drought because your drool can fill not just pools but aqueducts. In 24 hours you will have a drought-ridden town flooded. How about that for your first public service opportunity? Soon after the drool thing came the discovery of your hands. HANDS! Connected to YOUR body! Hands that YOU move yourself! How is that for amazing?! These hands you decided are so great you will see if you can fit each one whole into your mouth. You first did this when we were at the grocery store! I started exclaiming loudly, "Yes, those are YOUR hands! Do you love them? Do they taste good? HANDS! YAY!" I was so excited by your find, I couldn't help but show it, while everyone in the produce section just kinda looked at me. What do I care, you found HANDS!!! As I type this, you are playing under this little floor mat play thing. You just swatted the lion so hard, he flipped around the bar that he is hanging from, and you got a kick out of it. I did too. Man, I love you and your hands!
You are also strong! You are the strongest little thing I have seen. You love to stand! You can stand for hours on end if I let you. You hold on to one finger from each of my hands and just stand up. You do this hip shaking move to keep your balance, but you are strong. Daddy now has you stand on the palm of his hand and with your awesome standing capabilities and him moving has hand back and forth to make up for your hip shaking, you just balance there. No one holding on to your hands! You stand there with your mouth open wide, looking out in the crowd like you are doing some trick on the promenade waiting for your fans to throw money in a jar. Now that I think of it, maybe it's time you start pulling your weight around here, I'll go get you a money jar!
Every day gets better with you. You become more fun, have more personality, more tricks up your sleeve, and more poop in your diaper. Speaking of poop, you think yours is sooo funny. Whenever I open your diaper and yell "GROSS," or "NASTY", or, "That came out of YOU? SICK!", you just crack up. You also think it's funny when you fart loud, or when I say I see your buggers. You are such a boy! My favorite thing though is that we are reading every day. You like books! You already have a favorite. You love this fabric book that makes crackling noises, it has a mirror and a little bear that squeaks. You open the pages and put the page up close to your face, like you are an old man who forgot his glasses in the car. You read that one a few times a day. Our routine is, I read you a few books in the morning and one or two before bedtime. You lay in the crib and smile as I read to you. I hope that contributes to some awesome dreams! You also really like Dr. Seuss, but who doesn't???
Sawyer, you and daddy are the best things that have ever happened to me. I feel soo lucky to be his wife and your mommy. You guys are better than all the pockets in the world!!!
Your mamma!
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