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Adventures of a spectacularly active, incredibly clever, and insanely adorable little boy.
Birth date: June 15, 2004
| july 15 - aug 14 2005< previous month | next month > Start at the beginning of Simonial Kagledom |
Fun Simon Stuff
see him age at a glance watch his 6-12 month music video (9mb) watch his 0-6 month music video (10mb) when did that happen? a timeline
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Archives by Age
The Thirteen Month Old
this month's photosAugust 12, 2005
Saying "good bye" to Grandmother, Grandfather, and Grandma Whee was a very sad event. Simon had taken to following Grandmother around as if they were appended leaving Mom and Dad completely free to wander aimlessly about the house, the beach, and even a movie theater. When it was time to go Simon acted like the good boy he is and fell fast asleep in his car seat for the two hour drive into Boston. Mom had secured them reservations at a very nice hotel attached to the airport and he woke up just before their arrival: in time to run through the large empty conference spaces, take a dip in the pool and the hot tub, and walk to the airport via the skyways (providing his first escalator experience as well as his first walk on a moving walkway which was great!). Later in the evening we indulged him with VH1 music videos from the 80's and his first small taste of dessert (apple cobbler) which caused him to cry because it was J U S T T H A T GOOD and we didn't feed him nearly enough.
Simon woke up screaming as he had the night before and the night before that and the night before that. We think the dreaded second molars are making their way up; he can't seem to keep his hand out of the back of his mouth and the drool is incredible. The airplane ride home was marked by bouts of yelling (on Simon's part) and shushing (on the part of his parents). Baby Einstein DVDs borrowed from a friend and the laptop came in very handy for about an hour of the trip and the Halloween video of an adorable baby laughing stopped him from crying and drew him into such fits of hysterics that the people in the rows around us couldn't help but turn and look at the crazy baby crying one moment and then falling over in his seat laughing the next. When not watching baby stuff, eating snacks, getting a diaper change, or flirting with the young women on the plane, Simon was consoled with Hava's secret weapons. Of course after a long flight and an hour waiting for baggage, Simon was ecstatic to find himself back in the Prius and couldn't really understand why Mom and Dad and the man in the first big yellow tow truck and then the man in the second yellow tow truck were spending so much time talking over the front of the car.
New things for Simon (learned or honed over the past week):
- he plays "ring around the rosey" (alone or with another) by spinning in a circle and falling to the floor (or squatting if he is feeling lazy)
- he has refined his flirting style so he now walks up to young women, gives them a big smile and says "Hiiiiii" (sometimes taking their hand)
- he is starting to take stairs (up and down) upright when a guide rail of the appropriate height is present
- he can point to several objects (like fans) when asked
- Grandmother taught him to say "mmmmMMMmmm!" when he is eating
- he starts running gags -- signing "all done" is, for some reason, VERY funny when used out of the high chair
- he has developed his own signs for "please sing me ..." ring around the rosey or itsy bitsy spider
- he flips through books and pretends to read them aloud
- he is obsessed with talking on "the phone" -- "the phone" is any object that even slightly resembles a phone from a remote control to a long piece of paper
- though he still eats crayons, he figured out how to work the etch-a-sketch quickly (drawing and erasing) and loves it
- he learned that grabbing and turning door knobs is what you do to open doors -- now he just needs to learn to pull the doors open (yikes)
- he still loves plants and stuffed animals more than anything else -- a stuffed plant might just be the ultimate gift
August 11, 2005
We're BACK! It was a great trip but we are all very happy to be home; especially after the screaming in the middle of the night (twice), the restlessness and yelling on the plane, and our new Prius running out of battery life in long term parking (she who left on the little reading light last week shall remain nameless). We'll post more later including all of the new things Simon learned in the past week (which is pretty remarkable) and we'll upload the remainder of the pictures. But for now just know that Simon has, amazingly, fallen asleep at his normal California nap time and we're going to enjoy the rest of our vacation (at least the next hour or so) in silence ...
August 7, 2005
Today Simon picked blueberries with Grandfather, eating them as fast as he could along the way. He then went swimming with Dad and Grandfather in the bay. How much did he love being in the water? So much that he kept attempting to make a break for it whenever Dad brought him back to the beach so his lips would turn a normal color and his body would stop shivering. We think this photo just about sums up his feelings for the Cape ...
August 6, 2005
Simon said "Happy Birthday Grandmother Jill!"
Simon's parents have been too busy enjoying their vacation to spend time with the laptop. Simon has been a dream baby 99% of the time...
Simon at the beach (low tide).
He had heard that his parents were planning to wake him at 4:30 AM before their trip so he decided to have a jump start and wake up at 1 AM (on the positive side, tooth number eight made its way through). Hava convinced him to go back to sleep around 2:30 AM but she never made it back to slumberland so it was a very long day. Alas, Simon slept about an hour of the flight from San Francisco to Boston and played happily in his own seat (which was frighteningly close to being booked until the moment we borded the plane). He cracked up only in the last 30 minutes of the flight when being awake practically all night long and missing his morning nap finally took its toll. He didn't scream but he did "UHHHHHH! UHHHHHH!" very loudly and squirm unhappily as Hava held him close and fed him liquids for the descent.
He completely conked out in the backpack while we picked up the rental car and slept an entire 30 minutes of the two hour drive to the Cape. Nevertheless, all this lack of sleep caused him to go to bed early for the night and he has been on East Coast time ever since. What is particularly amazing is that Simon loves the porta-crib and hasn't missed a single nap since we arrived. He is probably completely worn out from following around all the various Kagles, handing Grandmother all of the toys and Grandfather all of the books from the bookshelves, one by one. He seemed a little stunned but thrilled by cousins Brad and Jeff and their endless energy and cool toys. He thinks Grandmother is just about the funniest person alive especially when she makes his sign for "all done" and when she falls after "ring around the rosey."And, of course, we've had a great time at low tide playing in the sand and warm water.
Simon at the beach (low tide).
Simon, so happy with the sand and snails that he can barely contain himself.
August 2, 2005
Too late; the crankometer is on the rise so no more babies for us! We hope it is teething that kept Simon howling all night long and not an attempt to drive his parents INSANE. Guess what treat we have for you tonight little Simon ... a 4 AM wake up call complete with a long flight followed by an extended car trip BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
July 31, 2005
Just a brief note to let you know why the crankometer is stuck as low as it can go. Simon has been amazingly uncranky over the past couple of days. This morning he slept in an hour and a half to *gasp* 7:20 AM (probably the longest on record without being sick) and he napped for OVER THREE HOURS IN A ROW this afternoon. This evening he charged into the bathroom at "boobie time" and Hava asked "boobies or bath?" and he, very clearly, said "BATH!" (and meant it). Matthew thinks this counts as our very first conversation. Not only that but it looks like the boy might be thinking about weaning himself just like the Mommies in Las Madres said he would. Finally, an hour ago Simon went to bed on time without complaint. Since low indicates that we can't imagine why we only have ONE child to provide us with cheerful interludes in between excellent sleep patterns, we have decided, just to make the grandparents happy, to adopt right away (before the rise of the crankometer changes our minds). Of course since this past year has taught us that we are really not baby people (we love toddlerhood despite the crankies) we've decided to take on an older child and avoid the sleep deprivation and constant pumping. Connor (below) is a few months older than Simon and absolutely as sweet as can be. If his parents agree (and really, why shouldn't they?) he'll be ours. What could be better than getting a really adorable kid from a loving home?
July 31, 2005
Travel distraction for the one year old; a collection of objects.
A mini collection from the one-dollar section at Target (each worth at least 15 minutes of entertainment).
A "space coaster" with a suction cup bottom (our most extravagant travel purchase). Will it stick to the airplane window? Will it stick to the tray table?
Puppies Playhouse. Though the name is enough to send any English major into fits of hair-pulling madness, the other night Simon put the three dogs in and took the dogs out for at least 30 minutes and it squishes flat so it is classified as a "must bring".
Three of Simon's favorite books which were taken away from him last month so they would be extra interesting (they are also mini books -- great for stuffing in a pocket).
A new cell phone which makes noise (probably only worth five minutes of entertainment) and a photo album chock full of Simon photos!
The most important travel distraction will of course be the laptop with Simon's videos and a slide show of pictures of himself. Simon thinks he is hysterical; nothing holds his attention longer than watching himself. We may borrow a couple of Baby Einstein videos as backup but since Simon still hasn't seen videos or television, he isn't likely to watch very attentively. Oh and, of course, the snacks ...
New things for Simon ... Friday he had his first "children's meal" at a restaurant: mac and cheese and corn on the cob. Having never had corn on the cob before he was a might bit confused until we held it up for him to bite and then he couldn't get enough. He is really good at letting us know what he wants these days; he points to where he wants to be, he points Mom into the nursing chair and then hands her the boppy pillow when it is that "special" time of the day, he fiddles with the backpack carrier when he wants to go for a walk, he points to the boom box when he wants music and points again with a sweeping of his hands if he wants the song changed. He sings the chorus to three songs at this point: Dayanu, Violin (They Might Be Giants), and "The Hoppity Song." He sweeps both hands across his tray and tries to say "all done" when he is finished with his meal. On the language front, he continues to prefer to speak Simonese instead of English but the occasional "real" word does make it out now and again. You can tell it is a real word because he suddenly gets really quiet and whispers the sounds like "outside", "all done", "I love you", "thank you" ... Then again, he still won't call Hava "Ma ma" and laughs defiantly yelling "DA!" when she asks. He also now yells out a constant "Da da da da da da" from the crib when he doesn't want to nap (instead of just hollering random angry sounds). Here is the great thing about not saying "Ma ma"; Hava can turn to Matthew and say "he wants you."
A mini collection from the one-dollar section at Target (each worth at least 15 minutes of entertainment).
A "space coaster" with a suction cup bottom (our most extravagant travel purchase). Will it stick to the airplane window? Will it stick to the tray table?
Puppies Playhouse. Though the name is enough to send any English major into fits of hair-pulling madness, the other night Simon put the three dogs in and took the dogs out for at least 30 minutes and it squishes flat so it is classified as a "must bring".
Three of Simon's favorite books which were taken away from him last month so they would be extra interesting (they are also mini books -- great for stuffing in a pocket).
A new cell phone which makes noise (probably only worth five minutes of entertainment) and a photo album chock full of Simon photos!
The most important travel distraction will of course be the laptop with Simon's videos and a slide show of pictures of himself. Simon thinks he is hysterical; nothing holds his attention longer than watching himself. We may borrow a couple of Baby Einstein videos as backup but since Simon still hasn't seen videos or television, he isn't likely to watch very attentively. Oh and, of course, the snacks ...
New things for Simon ... Friday he had his first "children's meal" at a restaurant: mac and cheese and corn on the cob. Having never had corn on the cob before he was a might bit confused until we held it up for him to bite and then he couldn't get enough. He is really good at letting us know what he wants these days; he points to where he wants to be, he points Mom into the nursing chair and then hands her the boppy pillow when it is that "special" time of the day, he fiddles with the backpack carrier when he wants to go for a walk, he points to the boom box when he wants music and points again with a sweeping of his hands if he wants the song changed. He sings the chorus to three songs at this point: Dayanu, Violin (They Might Be Giants), and "The Hoppity Song." He sweeps both hands across his tray and tries to say "all done" when he is finished with his meal. On the language front, he continues to prefer to speak Simonese instead of English but the occasional "real" word does make it out now and again. You can tell it is a real word because he suddenly gets really quiet and whispers the sounds like "outside", "all done", "I love you", "thank you" ... Then again, he still won't call Hava "Ma ma" and laughs defiantly yelling "DA!" when she asks. He also now yells out a constant "Da da da da da da" from the crib when he doesn't want to nap (instead of just hollering random angry sounds). Here is the great thing about not saying "Ma ma"; Hava can turn to Matthew and say "he wants you."
July 29, 2005
Quite a while ago the spy agency in the unit below ours figured out that we were wise to their presence (could it have been that every time we passed we declared "here's the CIA?"). In any case, they moved out and we get a kick out of thinking their departure had something to do with us; how boring our wire taps came to be (they did, after all, send "Rocco" the plumber up that time to "check our water lines"). We are just not spy worthy people. For goodness sake, if they really wanted to know what we were up to they could have just come to Simonial Kagledom for a read. Anyway, this morning, in fact all day, the interior of the unit is being demolished to make way for new, less furtive, tenants (one assumes). So this is what it sounds like in the Kagle Abode: BANG! BANG! *striiiiiiip* RIP RRROOOAAWWW REEEEEEE! Thankfully, Simon determined that these sounds are in the normal everyday acceptable range and he went down for his first nap without complaint.By the way, we realized last night that we really do need two full carry on bags full of food, diaper supplies, and in-flight entertainment so imagine a diaper bag around Hava's neck in the image below.
Next in Simonial Kagledom .... Travel Entertainment or, How to Prepare to Keep Someone Who Needs to Move! Move! Move! to Sit Still for Seven Plus Hours.
July 27, 2005
It's time for that annual trek across the country. A trek which used to be the most relaxing event of the year; anticipated, visualized, unfailingly perfect; then we had a kid. This year we have a slightly better idea of what to expect than last so we're deep in preparation. Let's make it fun. How many bags DOES it take to get two adults and one toddler non-stop from San Francisco to Boston?
Here are our characters:
Here are the bags:
The plan is for luggage to be checked, the car seat bag with the car seat to be on the plane, one backpack will carry all of the diaper bag supplies, food, clothing, laptop, etc. and the other backpack will carry Simon to the gate (when the mini backpack attached will be zipped off to bring aboard more toddler in-flight distractions, aka toys).
We expect to look something like this ....
Here are the bags:
The plan is for luggage to be checked, the car seat bag with the car seat to be on the plane, one backpack will carry all of the diaper bag supplies, food, clothing, laptop, etc. and the other backpack will carry Simon to the gate (when the mini backpack attached will be zipped off to bring aboard more toddler in-flight distractions, aka toys).
We expect to look something like this ....
July 26, 2005
Matthew may be a Stay At Home Dad but he is anything but SAHD as the acronym implies. In fact he's never been quite so popular with chicks and dudes of all ages. Yesterday he hosted the weekly Las Madres sit-and-play where Moms and their toddlers stop by for a play date and a couple of Moms leave for an hour or so to enjoy themselves toddler free. Perhaps it's because he's the only Dad or maybe it's because he is who he is but the toddlers have quite a thing for Matthew; Simon tolerates sharing Dad for a while but there is a limit to sharing one of your most prized posessions. Hava came home near the end of the play date to see Matthew bounce two toddlers, one in each arm, and then the boys took turns riding the Matthew rollercoaster and swinging from their ankles.
July 25, 2005
Simon was up (and screaming) between 12:45 AM and 4:45 AM. Apparently he is working on new additions to the following chart:
Since tooth number 7 was so easy to get in, tooth number 8 is causing all sorts of trouble; more for Hava and Matthew than for Simon who is apparently happy to stay up all night as long as he isn't alone in his crib. Unfortunately, Simon is still unable to sleep anywhere but his crib (with the exception of falling and staying asleep in a fast moving automobile) so bringing him into bed with us didn't help. We sincerely apologize to the Kagles of Cape Cod who will soon experience how unhappy a sleepless cribless Simon can be. You might wanna run to the hardware store quick and sound proof the walls ... Seriously, we expect a few completely sleepless nights will follow as Simon is forced to choose between a porta-crib and a bed. We find it helpful to turn on a light every now and then to remind ourselves that he is very very cute ...
Since tooth number 7 was so easy to get in, tooth number 8 is causing all sorts of trouble; more for Hava and Matthew than for Simon who is apparently happy to stay up all night as long as he isn't alone in his crib. Unfortunately, Simon is still unable to sleep anywhere but his crib (with the exception of falling and staying asleep in a fast moving automobile) so bringing him into bed with us didn't help. We sincerely apologize to the Kagles of Cape Cod who will soon experience how unhappy a sleepless cribless Simon can be. You might wanna run to the hardware store quick and sound proof the walls ... Seriously, we expect a few completely sleepless nights will follow as Simon is forced to choose between a porta-crib and a bed. We find it helpful to turn on a light every now and then to remind ourselves that he is very very cute ...
July 24, 2005
Simon's seventh tooth arrived yesterday (bottom left) with the least amount of fanfare yet. Yesterday was also the day we decided it was time Simon had his first real haircut.
Simon didn't like the idea very much ...
but he enjoyed the play area after ...
Hava had her hair cut as well (but not at the kid place and not for $16).
Simon didn't like the idea very much ...
but he enjoyed the play area after ...
Hava had her hair cut as well (but not at the kid place and not for $16).
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| Before | After |
July 21, 2005
Hindsight is 20/20.
So we tried milk again this morning and a few minutes later Simon gagged. After a little web sleuthing we feel a bit foolish.
Here are the facts:
- A rash appeared on Simon about an hour after he started drinking the water out of the water exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum. Suspicious? VERY.
- That night Simon spit up in his crib for the first time in many many months after drinking milk. Suspicious? Not entirely but it gets worse.
- Simon's rash consolidated into a big red blotch on his neck and he started vomiting whenever we gave him milk products. Suspicious? Kinda sorta.
Enteritis is usually caused by eating or drinking substances contaminated with bacteria or viruses. The symptoms can begin soon after exposure, or there can be a delay of several days. Risk factors include recent family illness with intestinal symptoms, recent travel, or exposure to untreated or contaminated water. Symptoms usually resolve in 1 to 3 days without treatment.Oops.
July 20, 2005 UPDATE
Just so none of the grandparents are overly concerned ... Matthew called the advice nurse this morning who advised that Simon be taken off of all dairy products and, since that time, he has been holding in his liquids and solids. It may have been an overdose of Cheddar cheese which set him off -- he seemed to have a Cheddar allergy a while back but, in the last week or so, has been consuming it without any problem. Yesterday he might have exceeded his Cheddar tolerance. Does anyone know what the difference is between Cheddar and other cheeses (Swiss, Gouda, Gruyere, and Mozzarella)? The Cheddar he ate was mild, organic, and had no artificial colors ... In any case, Simon appears to be back to his normal active conversational self.
July 20, 2005
Vomit, vomit, vomit and vomit; that's what we're offering at the Kagle abode today.
After having a great time at a local park, we put Simon in his high chair for dinner and the excitement began. Nothing went in but everything came out. Kids don't actually digest food completely until they are much older than Simon so, as the evening progressed, pieces of Simon's lunch covered more and more of Hava, the floor, the rocking chair, Hava, pillows, blankets, Hava, and towels (but Hava definitely caught the brunt of it). This morning he ingested milk and a bowl of plain yogurt about thirty minutes before out-gesting. We suspect that this illness is a parting gift from the Children's Discovery Museum; it wouldn't be the first time. It is fairly impossible at this point to keep him from putting things in his mouth and, until that stops, we expect the vomit to continue on a semi-regular basis. Never fear! Just because Matthew didn't "catch" any vomit doesn't mean he didn't get a part of the action. He graciously accepted his new role as Head of the Kagle Vomit Cleaning Department.
July 18, 2005
There are some of you out there (you know who you are) who think we are a little obsessive about keeping to Simon's schedule, in particular his naps. Ya wanna know WHY? Yesterday was the perfect example ... We took the wee Simon to the Children's Discovery Museum. He was having so much fun that we decided to stay "just a little longer" before dragging him out. Because we were late with the nap, Simon wouldn't nap at all. Because Simon wouldn't nap at all he was a little, shall we say, out of sorts, until he completely passed out at 6:50 PM. Because he was so far gone, we had a good time playing "dress the sleeping baby"; nothing was going to wake him. Because he passed out before his large glass of milk, he woke up hungry at 3:20 AM. Because it was a little odd to be awake at 3:20 AM and it was a little odd to get his cup of milk at that time, he had trouble falling back asleep and actually spit up in his crib for the first time in a long while. Because he had trouble falling back asleep (and was particularly fragrant), we took turns cuddling and playing with him until 7 AM when we all started the regular morning routine. Matthew wanted the crank-o-meter flag to be set to red this morning but Hava explained that the crank-o-meter reflects the emotional state of Simon, not Matthew, so it remains at yellow until further notice.
July 16, 2005
Oh what a lovely day to read a good book. It is hot here; fry an egg on the walkway between our condos hot; so hot that after our walk to the book store in downtown Mountain View early this morning to pick up the NEW HARRY POTTER, we tried our best to stay in air conditioned spaces the rest of the day. Hava went off to Sheila's baby shower marking the first time she has gone out on a weekend without Simon or Matthew (errands withstanding) in thirteen months. Simon taught Matthew how to behave in Parent Tot Swim and introduced him to all of his wee friends and their parents. We took some fabulous obligatory punk shots of Simon in the bath this evening. Now back to reading ...
July 15, 2005
Happy thirteen months to Simon! Can you guess what we're getting him for the occasion? Here is a hint (and no we're not staying up late because that would just be silly).
We've decided that even if it turns out that Simon is a mudblood wizard, we wouldn't be able to send him off to boarding school. He is just too sweet (the crankometer hasn't moved recently because he has been just that good). Of course, we may feel differently when he is eleven.
We've decided that even if it turns out that Simon is a mudblood wizard, we wouldn't be able to send him off to boarding school. He is just too sweet (the crankometer hasn't moved recently because he has been just that good). Of course, we may feel differently when he is eleven.