Post-Fever Daycare Drop-Off

APL was sick yesterday. He had a fever of 101 and was very cute indeed.

This morning I took him to school, following his fever-induced 3-day weekend. Sometimes when APL is away from school for a while, the transition back takes time. So I was anticipating potential clinginess at drop-off.

I walked into the classroom with him in my arms and put him down next to me. There were 7 children in the room already. A few were sitting at a table. Others were playing quietly with toys. APL stood there, expressionless, scanning the room. One boy waved at him. Another smiled. APL just stared.

I didn't know which way it was going to go at that point. Was he going to walk out into the classroom and pick up a toy? Or was he going to turn and grab my leg and hold on for dear life?

He did neither. Instead, he was contemplative. He studied the room. He was centering himself.

And then, suddenly, after a couple of minutes of silent contemplation, he made his decision: APL threw his arms in the air, let out a shriek, and ran across the room at full speed - apparently his unique way of saying, "I'm here, brothers... Let's get this party started!"

VIDEO: APL's 10-Step Guide to "Bah Bah"

Click here to watch on YouTube.


Back up source is Picassa: (Choose HQ, Full Screen, Speakers Turned Up) Video link

Coming Soon: APL's Guide to Bah Bah (Bubbles)

BREAKING NEWS:

APL now high-fives and blows kisses!

APL Watching APL

APL Sleeps (Update: not quite)

I don't want to jinx us but APL seems to finally be sleeping through the night (I definitely just jinxed us). Almost every day over the past week he has slept from 9:00 PM to after 6:00 AM. This is a significant improvement for us, but will, almost certainly, end next time we enter another time zone (he is not good with jet lag).

It took almost 16 months for him to achieve meaningful and sustainable sleep consistency. Mind you, his more recent middle-of-the-night cries were only happening a few times a week. But even a "few times a week" is not good for mommy and daddy's sleep hygiene. On the other hand, a "few times a week" is much much much better than what we were enduring a year or more ago - when he would wake us up a few times a night. A few times a night is basically inhuman. Rogue nations do that kind of thing to prisoners they claim are not protected by the Geneva Conventions (enemy combatants?). But it's not called torture when it's your own child waking you up. It is called responsibility. It is called selflessness. It is called, "Suck it up, Daddio! We all go through that $^&#$ as parents. We just don't talk about it much so that people with actual lives are not scared babyless."

Oooop... He's waking up! Gotta run.

Update 7/09/09: I did jinx us. He was up last night at 2:00 AM.
Update 7/10/09: Up last night from 3:15 AM until around 4:30 AM.
Update 7/14/09: Up from ~12:45 AM until after 2:00 AM.
Update 7/15/09: Up at 1:00 AM and then again at 2:00 AM until about 3:00 AM.

APL's Discovers Sound Control and Words

APL is beginning to express himself beyond smiles and howls. Here are the sounds and words that we have so far deciphered:

10. Uh ohhh
9. Ah tooooo (sneeze imitation)
8. Bup bahhh (diaper - first syllable is high in pitch, second is lower)
7. Tuhh (his response when we say "un, deux....")
6. Moh (more - accompanied by the sign-language sign for more)
5. Bah bah (bubbles - both syllables low in pitch)
4. Peeeoow (in response to "Comment fait le chat?")
3. Vrooooom (when he plays with cars, etc.)
2. Hooooooo (when he plays with planes)

And the number one word that APL utters:

1. Mamamamamamamamama (mind you, we're not 100% sure about this one)



It was dark out but we did manage to record APL saying "bubbles" on July 4 at Zac & Kathy's BBQ: