A Day in the Life of Nate

Our lives are about to be turned upside down in just a couple months, with the expected arrival of my sibling! So I thought I'd take a moment to make note of my usual daily routine, before the new little person arrives and disrupts everything! It's probably not the most riveting blog you'll ever read, but it's worth documenting, just the same.

On an average day, I'm up around 7:30 or 8am. My mom and I enjoy morning hugs and a bit of play time before munching on some toast and cereal for breakfast. After breaky, we play a little more and then once my room is all set up with my road rug and other toys I enjoy quiet play time while my mom has a shower. Then we cozy up on the couch for a little snack (half an apple for me, and a muffin & coffee for my mom) and watch a TV show... usually Wilbur and Berenstein Bears. Mondays we go grocery shopping, and Fridays we have regular playdates, but on Tue/Wed/Thu we try to get out to the park or go for a walk or visit the library. Then it's lunch time - my favourite meal of the day, between grilled cheese, spiderman noodles, pita pizzas and kraft dinner - and after that my mom and I play a little more before cleaning up all the toys in my room and cuddle together with a few books. Naptime is at 2pm, and I usually rest for 1.5 - 2 hrs. I have a hard time waking up from my nap (some might even call me grumpy!) so I get another little snack of a few crackers and watch a little more TV. This is when my dad gets home, and we get to run around together, wrestle and play some b-ball while my mom makes dinner. If I'm a good eater at dinner (this meal is a struggle for me - I don't like all the veggies we have to eat!) then we sometimes go out as a family after, either for a walk or to the park if it's nice out, or just to Superstore or Wal-Mart... I get to walk down the toy aisles without holding anyone's hand! Then I have quiet reading time on my bed for 10-15 minutes at 7pm, once I'm in my jammies and have brushed my teeth. I love quiet reading time - it winds me down from the day's activities. And then my mom or dad tuck me in and I'm asleep no later than 8pm! I love my daily activities; I'm a kid who thrives on predictability, so I sure hope the next little Baerg will let me keep my routine.

BBQ's & B-Ball

Warm & sunny spring weather has finally arrived (well, most days at least) and so we've been breaking out the BBQ any chance we get. I assist my dad by keeping him company on the patio - he lets me wear his hat and we munch on snacks together. I love it! I jump at the chance to be mommy's or daddy's little helper, so being the BBQ assistant has become my specialty.

My parents thought it was time to purchase a basketball hoop for my room, since I'm quite the fanatic. I love it so much, I used to ask people to make a hoop with their arms just so I could dunk. That became very tiring for anyone playing with me, so this hoop was a great investment for our family. My dad also introduced me to Michael Jordan. He's the greatest! We watch a special DVD my dad has on Jordan, and I can't get enough!

The Wonderful World of Make Believe

In the past couple weeks my imagination has taken over my world, and it's so much fun! I love pretend play, especially with my best bud monkeys, Petie and Cuddle Monkey! They are a part of all my activities each day, including some meal times (they share a chair at the table, and I give them some of my food), pretend bed times, when I read books, and play basketball and soccer. If someone else is playing with us like my mom or dad, I tell them what the monkeys should say and what they should do. Along with my imagination comes a great opportunity for me to play by myself for at least a good half hour each day. Between my Thomas trains, 'road rug' with toy cars and all my Little People characters, I keep myself quite entertained.

I'm also very into the alphabet lately. Although when I sing the ABC song, all the letters tend to sound like 'C'! And I love to count... but I prefer to only name the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6. I'm developing quite the singing voice. My current favourites are the ABC song, the Thomas song, the Doodlebops theme song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I'm working on a few others I plan to debut in the next few weeks. I also LOVE to dance! The music has to be very loud and upbeat. And then watch out - I've got some crazy moves.

Here are a few pics of what I've been up to recently.

Big Boy Bed!

I am officially in my big boy bed, and loving it! When I first saw that it was just my size covered in a big bright blanket, I was super excited about it, and pretended to sleep in it even though it wasn't time to go to bed. I was stoked to be able to sleep without bars! But when it was actually time to go to bed that night, I was quite upset. It took me a few nights to get used to the idea that this was my new bed, but now I love it and I'm so proud to show it off to all our visitors. I've slowly realized the freedom I have with my new bed, and I will often play and read books for up to an hour when I'm put down for a nap. And when I get up in the morning I just hop out of bed and play quietly for awhile. So I'm liking this change and all the freedom that it brings!

The Secret to Sleep

Ever since Christmas when I had that awful ear fluid build-up from teething, I just haven't been able to sleep properly. It's been a headache for both me and my parents! Two months is a long time to be overtired, and we were all about to pull our hair out. We think my sleep troubles began once I was taken off the medicine I was originally put on to get rid of the fluid, and because the medicine relaxed me so much I began to rely on it to put me to sleep. I couldn't rest properly without a shot of that wonderful Benadryl! Well, my parents had a revelation last week and they put me down for two naps in one day. The secret to curing an overtired toddler is extra sleep, and while the early bedtime they had previously attempted just wasn't quite enough for me, the double nap did the trick! Within a couple days of catching up on my sleep, I went back to my regular routine! We're all a happier bunch now. Next up on the slumber horizon: toddler bed!

Birthday Bashes!

Happy Birthday to me! It was my second birthday on Friday, and we had a busy time celebrating this weekend. The first celebration was a little surprise party at my friend Tydin's house Friday morning. We have a regular playdate, so I wasn't suspecting anything out of the ordinary... But there was an Elmo cake for me and a Pin the Nose on Elmo game for all of us kids! It was so much fun. But, just like my first birthday, I was not interested in sampling the cake.

The next party was at my Grandpa and Grandma Horban's that night. We got together with the whole family, as well as Sean & Wix, and enjoyed dinner together. Then we opened gifts - some clothes including a few Canucks shirts, a few items for my future 'big kid' room, a Harvey train for my Thomas train set, lots of books, mega bloks and play food. My mom made me a birthday trifle for dessert, knowing that I'd be hesitant to eat cake and hoped that a little fruit (my favourite!) in the dessert would entice me. It didn't work. I did however enjoy being sung to, and loved blowing out the candles.

And then we celebrated again the next morning at my Grandpa and Grandma Baerg's with a brunch. My Uncle Pat, Auntie Les and cousins Cooper and Mackenzie also came... I have a BLAST with my cousins! Having just turned two, I felt I was big enough to participate in the usual tackling and wrestling the boys enjoy. Lots of fun! I also opened presents there, too - an electronic reader, a hoodie, a Cars book and lunchbox, and some Hot Wheels! We then enjoyed Thomas cupcakes, which I actually tried! My parents were thrilled.

Big Changes Ahead

My second birthday is right around the corner, and while I'm very excited to turn two I've been told that there are several major changes that also lurk around that same corner. Now, for most toddlers the prospect of becoming a 'big boy' is an exciting time... most my age can't wait to be given that status. Well, I'm not one of them. Like my mom, I am not a fan of change. And becoming a big boy means too many big changes. I suppose I'll have to find the positives in these changes and try to have a good attitude. My least favourite change is that I'm gradually beginning to potty-train. That toilet scares me! Even with a special seat, familiar reading material and a stool brought in just for me, I do not want to sit on that thing for a second! But, I've discovered potty-training underpants, which is the silver lining. They are so fun to wear as hats! I also will be moving into a toddler bed, as soon as my sleep problems are over. I'm not sure how I feel about this change, but I do know that I get a bright new comforter for my bed. I'm stoked about that!