The Halloween Season Continues...

Sydney loved her mini monster mash last weekend. It really helped her to get in the spirit, and get prepared for her very first big trick or treat experience tomorrow (it is like stretching before the big race). And tomorrow she will take on the real Halloween.

This Halloween she will battle ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and a host of other characters for the desired booty of the day…candy. And that means a variety of tasty treats…not to be confused with that small random percentage of the population that gives out raisins for their treats…I’m mean seriously…who does that? I’m not judgmental, but if your plans are to hand out raisins this year, don’t. Turn off your light and let trick or treaters move to the next house so they can get the candy they desire. That is why they worked so hard on their costumes. Sorry, got a little off track and began to project from my own past. Anyway, Sydney believes (as an officially adorable Tinkerbell) she can compete with the masses and hold her own in this competitive environment. She also gains support from her BFF Maggie, who in cooperation hope to raise the cuteness factor so that others are left to sulk in their wake…whaaahaaahaa!!!

I tried to think of some scary topics to include in this Halloween edition of Sydney’s blog. While I was very tempted to use some very graphic pictures of a few terrifying diaper incidents through Sydney’s first 10.5 months….I thought it may be unsuitable for the viewing of younger people. Plus, I have to keep these hidden away until Sydney decides she needs to date…then Hello Facebook, Myspace, and all other forms of electronic media!!!

In other news, we have scheduled Sydney’s H1N1 vaccination appointment. Although we haven’t seen her consorting with pigs, packages of bacon, or full or half racks of ribs, we wanted to take precautionary steps and keep her healthy this Fall and Winter. Although, knowing that we have three parrots at home, I wonder if we should also try to protect her from avian flu as well???

Sydney has continued to work very hard on her clapping. She can do it with ease now, and as a result has moved on to more challenging endeavors, like the high five. She actually caught onto this with little trouble, and at times gets so excited she uses both hands. Her parents are proud that she excelled in this area, and naturally gives ‘ten’ when it has not been taught yet.

As the sadness of the first Halloween passing will surface, there can be no time for sadness, longing, and wallowing…as it can only means one thing…the coming of the Holiday season!!! Although, we do hope to have a few additional Halloween pictures added to this blog next week....if you dare to return!

Tip #16: Tantrums
When your child screams bloody murder in a crowded place and all glances turn your way, play it cool and ask nearby bystanders if they know who the parent of the lost child is.

In the Dead of Night...

Without mistake, it was a very dark and eerie night...one that forced the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end...accompanied by an icy chill that runs then length of your spine. This combination of things could mean only one thing....HALLOWEEN!!! Ok, really it was in the middle of the day…and it wasn't very scary, unless being around a bunch of infants in cute costumes scare you (in fact, the costumes don't take on a scary form until they are teenagers...the age when they try hard to get a reaction by adding plenty of blood and mangled parts to their outfit).

The babies' Mini Monster Mash was great fun! Nine babies and sixteen adults gathered for this festive event. There was a lot of crawling, picture taking, food, and good conversation…the perfect definition of chaos, but also the perfect recipe for a great time! All in all, we had the company of a love bug, lady bug, two bumble bees, a lion, two flowers (flora unknown), a skunk, and a pixie.

Unlike the first two gatherings where we were able to line up the babies and take a few quick pictures…with their new found mobility and independence, it was a task that would not be accomplished at this event. To adjust to this new challenge, we were able to get each of the mothers to wrangle their kids and produce a new and fun group picture. Each of the babies were also proud and happy to demonstrate new unique skills and growth…from talking to walking, to showing off new pearly white teeth. Each was a fun little bundle of energy, talking, playing, and sharing toys. We had a great time and hope everyone else did, too :)

For Sydney's part, she got to be Tinker Bell. Her dad was able to acquire her costume in California when attending a work conference. Fortunately, TSA security did not ask him to remove the little pixie outfit and try it on for the return flight. She looks forward to reprising her role this coming Saturday on Halloween!

Tip #15: Halloween

For parents that have children 6 months to a year old, Halloween is a unique period. Many parents at this point are not giving their child any sugar, or only a very limited amount. The realistic outcome is that new parents will end up with all of the tasty treats acquired this year. So…if you are a fan of chocolate and candy, by all means use the cuteness of your child to solicit and secure as much loot (candy) as possible. Remember, this will likely be the only year that you will benefit from a healthy collection of treats, as next year they’ll be more than happy to keep it all for themselves.

Home Front...All Sectors Secure!

The upstairs gate and the downstairs gates are finally in, and secure! They have passed the 'Sydney' test...as she rattled them with all of the force her strong little arms could muster. And she has duly annointed them...of course by licking each individual bar. My thought was that if she couldn't get through the gate with her brute force, that perhaps she believes she can lick her way through the bars. Let's hope they serve their intended function.

Sydney has continued to practice her standing, and her walking. With the assistance of her borrowed radio flyer push wagon, she is becoming faster and faster. She can also stand for 10-20 second on her own; I'm sure will be walking, running, and skipping in no time.

Sydney had a busy social week. Friday night Sydney got to spend some quality time with her friend Maggie. She had some great convos and shared some fun playtime. Later, Sydney was even fortunate enough to take Maggie's ride (walker) for a spin. She thought that was a great time. Saturday night Grandma Gloria and Cousin Thomas watched her for a few hours, so they got to talk about upcoming events, like Thanksgiving and Christmas plans. And on Sunday, Sydney got to spend time with YaYa Sherri and Uncle Alex. Sydney even got to talk to Nana Donna over the telephone...what great times. What more could a ten month old fit into the weekend?!

Sydney looks forward to carving pumpkins this week with her parents. It's an experience she's never had, and she's excited that the upcoming event features so much of her favorite color!...and that's orange, of course!!!

In other random infant news, Sydney has become very proficient at clapping, and pulls out her new ability when she is very excited. She has also begun to eat pretty much whatever lies on her parents plates, in addition to her continued bottles. So, tonight, she gladly consumed some teriyaki chicken!

Tip #14: New Financial Investments
Having a child can be an expensive endeavor. But, if you play your cards right you can actually make some small financial gains. Having a child opens up your mind to a world of products that may have been previously hidden. You may come to realize that investing in some of these baby products, like Neosporin (what mom doesn’t carry this product with her???), may pay nice dividends in the long run. You might as well see a small return on your investment.

First Step??? Not Quite Yet...But So Close!!!

It seems almost overnight Sydney has made leaps and bounds in her path toward walking. She has spent the past week pulling herself up on items and giving her balance some extensive practice. She is on to this next skill set, as her crawling has reached it's full velocity (do they make baby speed bumps for the home?).

To aid in the next step, which ironically is in Sydney taking her first step, friends Bryan and Luci were nice enough to lend Sydney a little Radio Flyer wagon that she can push and practice her walking. Really it acts like a baby walker. At first Sydney was skeptical of the contraption and approached with many reservations. Well, that inital trepidation is gone. She now stands up, grabs the handelbar, and is off like a bolt of lighting. I'm sure there will be some signifcant wear in the carpet prior to her first unassisted step. We can only hope the sparks generated from the speed of her accelerations do not cause the carpet to catch on fire.

This new form of mobility has ensured we continue fortifying our defenses in off-limits areas. I am looking into GPS tracking devices that can be placed on the baby, and will let the child know (through electronic digital voice), that she has entered an unauthorized area, and that her compliance with immediate withdrawl is necessary. So far I haven't found anything, but I'll keep looking.

On the food front, Sydney has expanded her menu greatly, and now enjoys many of different offerings when out to dinner with mom and dad. Although she hasn't tackled her first 20 oz. steak yet, she generally tends to get little morsels from both her parents plates.

On the social front, Sydney got to spend some time with Kate and Lily on Friday, both fellow birthing-class classmates. She looks forward to having them over in a few weeks with the rest of the motley crew for a 'Mini Monster Mash' halloween party. Those parties can go late at night and get a little out of hand, but hopefully the Five-O won't be called this time. Last time none of them could comply with the officers request to 'walk in a straight line.' The officer didn't seem to accept the fact they couldn't walk yet as a very good excuse. Perhaps this time, with the aid of the Radio Flyer, she'll stay on the right side of the law!...haha!

As far as other social events, on Sunday Sydney also got to visit with Grandma Gloria, as well as Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Pagels. She got to show off her new talents! Sydney also got her 10 month pictures with Rebecca this weekend. We can't wait to see the pictures...Rebecca does such a great job capturing amazing images. We thought It would be fun, now that Sydney is almost an old 10 months old, to show a picture from when she was in the hospital. She's come a long way!!!

Tip #13: Teething
If your child has begun to sprout teeth, he or she may have a painful and difficult time. To help with the process, there are a number of products available on the market. In fact, if you visit the pet aisle of your local supermarket you can find a variety of rawhide bones and other chew toys that are perfect for such an event. You will also find these aids are available at a much more affordable price.

Prevention Continues

It really seems that Sydney has reached the stage where our focus is squarely on prevention. Now that she is mobile, we have to prevent her from falling down the stairs, climbing up the stairs, opening the fridge, pulling out drawers, staying out of the cupboards, staying out of the animal’s food and water dish, not touching cleaners and chemicals….ahhh, so much proofing to do. Might be easier to raise her in an empty storage unit until she turns six, or simply bubble wrap her until then. But, as she gets older she’ll learn what is safe and what is not…or more than likely she will also learn what to touch when she is in a bad mood and wants to get a reaction.

Past generations have really relied on experiential learning. If you pick up a fork or knife, stick it in an electric socket, and get a good zap...well, that'll teach ya!!! I'm not saying some of that old school parenting didn't work...in fact if the electric dishcharge from the outlet didn't kill you, it was very likely you wouldn't have attempted it again. Today, it's a different story. We try to be more proactive and preventitive. I'm sure 'nurturing' and 'tough love' both have good qualities.

In Sydney news, she continues to get new teeth in, both on her upper and lower levels. It's amazing how quickly they start to trickle in. Behaviorally, Sydney has also begun to realize that she gets a more favorable reaction from the cats if she slowly tries to pet them, instead of yanking out clumps of hair (I know...picky cats!). Although, typically when she gets within a foot of them she usually screams from the excitement. This is not really a stealth approach, and usually causes them to leave the scene.

Tip #12: Baby Schedule Training

During pregnancy, ask your wife to randomly set the alarm each night. At first you will likely sit up straight in bed each night and wonder what is interrupting your beauty sleep. But with repetition, soon your body will become conditioned and will even begin to react on its own accord. After birth, screams and cries will trigger your body into action. The clear benefit here is that this conditioning will enable you to check on the needs of your child without having to reach a full waking and conscious state.