cave time

Dennis is becoming more and more like his Daddy. Today he needed some alone time and he crabbed at me for the longest until I put him in his crib and went away and left him alone. Then he was happy as a clam. I know he wasn't sleeping because I could hear him on the baby monitor chatting away. My assistance was required when he (accidentally?) THREW his Froggy onto the floor and then wanted him back in the crib with him. I heard a little voice say "Froggy?" just before I heard major crying, so I went in and rescued Froggy from his terrible fate and handed Dennis back his best buddy. He immediately laid down and rolled over, clutching his frog to his chest, and he even pretended to go to sleep. When I left the room, I could hear him talking again. It was a party of one--I wasn't invited. David needs cave time, too, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Dennis did let me play with him this afternoon, and when the phone rang, he screeched at me for answering it (and diverting some attention from him?) until he figured out that it was his Daddy, and then he was all smiles and wanting to talk on the phone. We played with his blocks and with his animal train, and we read his Cookie Monster's Cookies book that has buttons for him to push that add sound effects to the story. When his Daddy was on speakerphone, I mentioned the irritability issue, and David asked if he was hungry. Dennis heard this and said "EAT! EAT!" and headed for the bedroom door. I asked if he wanted a snack, maybe some cheese, and he walked to the kitchen chanting "EAT CHEESE! EAT CHEESE!", and eat cheese he did, but I also added some dry cereal pieces to his snack, which he's eating in the picture.

We discovered a new favorite song. I began to sing the alphabet song to him while he was playing with his blocks and he began crying! Perhaps I need singing lessons? So I switched to "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands..." which he loved and clapped madly and sang gibberish syllables along with me between clapping sessions. We never really got to "stomp your feet". And yes, you're welcome, no thanks needed for me putting that song in your head for you to keep thinking about in all its irritating repetitiveness.

When David got home, Dennis ran to the door and yelled "Da-da" and gave him a hug, and then repeated the performance. David said it was a very nice thing to come home to. Then he tried to get him to give me the same treatment, and he at least said "ma-ma" a few times, but no hug. I got some hugs earlier, though, for when I sang the aforementioned song, he was so gleeful that he practically jumped in my lap to help me clap my hands to the song. He attacked me with happiness--imagine if you will a sweet, slobbery baby bear hug/tackle. I loved it.

He went to bed so early tonight. We had intended to play with him and wear him down for two more hours before putting him down, but he was so sleepy after dinner. He had eaten himself into a stupor, pretty much, and when we went to his room, he grabbed his frog and walked over to the crib and stayed there. So we let him go to bed with the intention of letting him nap and maybe playing with him later. It is now later, and we tried to rouse him an hour ago, but he gave me one of those nasty Daddy looks and rolled over to go back to sleep. Looks like it'll be an early morning here. Ugh. I suppose he's still exhausted from his big weekend and has important beauty rest to catch up on... I can only hope that beauty rest is at least 12 hours tonight! 6 am is EARLY! And for you 8 to 5'ers, I'm sorry, but Dennis has me on a different schedule, and we usually sleep til (gasp!) 8 am. But not tomorrow I'm sure. So I'm going on to bed very soon!