I just got back from 3 days in Cedar City. I took Zaharah with me since she’s nursing. While I was gone Grandma Murphy told me that Sterling brought her Zaharah’s picture and often talked of his “baby.”
When I walked in the door, Sterling greeted me with an excited face complete with smile and then reached for the car seat where Zaharah lay sleeping. He “helped” me carry her over to the couch where I nursed her.
Sterling loves his little sister. It’s apparent in his desire to hold her every time I go into his room holding her when I wake him up from nap. It’s apparent in his gentle touch and plethora of kisses atop her head. It’s apparent in the way they gaze at each other when he “holds” her on his lap. What joy I feel when I get to witness these precious, loving moments!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tough as Bro
Sterling will try anything his brothers are doing. He wanted to go on all the rides his brothers went on when we recently went to Lagoon. And today, at the Handcart Days carnival, he wasn’t scared a bit about trying all the rides again. He often mimics his brothers so I have had to crack down strictly with his brothers about messing around at the dinner table because once Sterling is distracted he usually doesn’t eat anymore (although he’s still an incredible eater: he eats anything but salad and he eats soooo much!).
He still loves his three baby blankets. He doesn’t really snuggle with them, just likes to tag one of them along—like a favorite toy. But then he leaves them all around on the ground. I let him start this habit when we moved to Utah reasoning that his blankets gave him comfort when everything was changing and he didn’t have his daddy around. But now that Curtis is here and things are pretty stable, I am trying to get him to basically leave his blankets in his crib.
Sterling is quite attached to Grandma right now. He is so delighted every time she comes home. He loves the time she spends with him one on one on the couch just talking with him. She squeezes each finger at a time saying “I love you for-ever.” She has also taught him where different body parts are and how to say them. She isn’t concerned so much with his mental development as she is with having that time together when they are focused on one another. It’s so great to see them connecting so. She is out of town for a few days right now and called to say hi and that she missed her boys.
He still loves his three baby blankets. He doesn’t really snuggle with them, just likes to tag one of them along—like a favorite toy. But then he leaves them all around on the ground. I let him start this habit when we moved to Utah reasoning that his blankets gave him comfort when everything was changing and he didn’t have his daddy around. But now that Curtis is here and things are pretty stable, I am trying to get him to basically leave his blankets in his crib.
Sterling is quite attached to Grandma right now. He is so delighted every time she comes home. He loves the time she spends with him one on one on the couch just talking with him. She squeezes each finger at a time saying “I love you for-ever.” She has also taught him where different body parts are and how to say them. She isn’t concerned so much with his mental development as she is with having that time together when they are focused on one another. It’s so great to see them connecting so. She is out of town for a few days right now and called to say hi and that she missed her boys.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Climbing
Sterling has been climbing on and over everything. He has been able to climb into his crib for quite some time since the changing table is right next to it. He climbs up the changing table and then falls into the crib laughing. That action was very helpful when I was very pregnant and especially right after I had the baby and no one was here to help me lift him. But now he has started climbing out of the crib. He puts his leg almost straight up so that his foot is on/over the top of the crib (so his two hands and one foot are pulling up on the top railing of the crib). Then he pulls himself up and flops onto the changing table. So I move the changing table and now he has fallen onto the ground a couple of times----- hurt, yes but quite pleased with himself as he tries to run away from us. He amazes us every day with new words and new abilities.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Observant and Obedient
Sterling delights Grandma and Papa and I everyday with his discoveries and abilities. He knows what we’re talking about and communicates well back to us even though he doesn’t say many actual words. Sometimes I can tell him to do something without even gesturing and he does it. He remembers rules too (except when he chooses to test them).
For example, when we first moved to Grandma and Papa Murphy’s house in April, he decided to start carrying around his small, flannel baby blankets. I let him even take them outside because I figured it was giving him extra comfort during this big transition time away from daddy.
But lately it was getting ridiculous as he would drag it around everywhere in the backyard and they were getting run over by the cars in which he rides down the hill. So I told him he had to give me the blanket before he could play outside. He was really upset about this. When he would sneak them out, I would go retrieve them and he would throw a fit about it. But after a couple of days of this, he stopped taking the blanket out. He would head for the back door, turn around and hand the blanket to someone and then go out. We’re all very impressed.
Sterling says “doggy” now. Grandma and Papa have a very, very patient big dog named Tux. Sterling grabs him around the middle and lays on him and the dog just stands there. Sterling loves all the animals around the farm and likes to go with Papa to feed them and exercise his pigeons. He mimics Papa even when Papa isn’t doing it of hitting the metal poles outside with sticks and then looking up into the sky (Papa does this when one of his birds gets lazy during exercise time to get him flying again).
It’s a really peaceful life here with Grandma and Papa. I can see that Sterling enjoys it a lot.
For example, when we first moved to Grandma and Papa Murphy’s house in April, he decided to start carrying around his small, flannel baby blankets. I let him even take them outside because I figured it was giving him extra comfort during this big transition time away from daddy.
But lately it was getting ridiculous as he would drag it around everywhere in the backyard and they were getting run over by the cars in which he rides down the hill. So I told him he had to give me the blanket before he could play outside. He was really upset about this. When he would sneak them out, I would go retrieve them and he would throw a fit about it. But after a couple of days of this, he stopped taking the blanket out. He would head for the back door, turn around and hand the blanket to someone and then go out. We’re all very impressed.
Sterling says “doggy” now. Grandma and Papa have a very, very patient big dog named Tux. Sterling grabs him around the middle and lays on him and the dog just stands there. Sterling loves all the animals around the farm and likes to go with Papa to feed them and exercise his pigeons. He mimics Papa even when Papa isn’t doing it of hitting the metal poles outside with sticks and then looking up into the sky (Papa does this when one of his birds gets lazy during exercise time to get him flying again).
It’s a really peaceful life here with Grandma and Papa. I can see that Sterling enjoys it a lot.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Race Car Driver
Sterling goes down all the slides at the park by himself and gets into the baby swing in the backyard by himself too. I catch him on his way down Grandpa’s slide here, though ‘cause it causes you to fly off at the end.
He astounds us all as he simply does as his brothers do around the yard. His brothers race these carts/cars made for bigger kids down the pretty steep hill next to the house. I got a hold of a couple of smaller cars for Sterling but he doesn’t want to play with them, only what his brothers have.
At first he just pushed the back of the carts up the hill and then back down. Even that was scary for me since it would get going so fast and I was scared he would fall on his face. Then he tried getting on the cart, straddling it from behind and moving forward but it would always roll forward and he would fall and get hurt. I was hoping he’d give up on that task and take on the toddler cars. But he didn’t give up.
Finally he discovered on his own that if he pushed the cart all the way up the hill and continued to push it against the fence, it wouldn’t move from under him as he straddled it and got on. Then he turned the wheel, turning around and went down the hill.
The first time I saw him descend, I was couldn’t believe it. I’m still amazed when I watch him! As I proud parent I watched my brave, determined boy fly down the hill. I called everyone out of the house to watch him too. They were all amazed and a bit concerned too.
Today, relatives threw me a surprise baby shower and many cousins were out there playing on the hill. The carts are strong and big enough for adults so Aleta’s older kids were racing on them. They were worried when they saw Sterling push a cart up the hill and get on so one of them got on with him and went down. They were astounded later to find out and see him do it on his own. This tiny, baby boy just 1.5 years old, still unable to talk just-a racing down the hill at top speeds!
He astounds us all as he simply does as his brothers do around the yard. His brothers race these carts/cars made for bigger kids down the pretty steep hill next to the house. I got a hold of a couple of smaller cars for Sterling but he doesn’t want to play with them, only what his brothers have.
At first he just pushed the back of the carts up the hill and then back down. Even that was scary for me since it would get going so fast and I was scared he would fall on his face. Then he tried getting on the cart, straddling it from behind and moving forward but it would always roll forward and he would fall and get hurt. I was hoping he’d give up on that task and take on the toddler cars. But he didn’t give up.
Finally he discovered on his own that if he pushed the cart all the way up the hill and continued to push it against the fence, it wouldn’t move from under him as he straddled it and got on. Then he turned the wheel, turning around and went down the hill.
The first time I saw him descend, I was couldn’t believe it. I’m still amazed when I watch him! As I proud parent I watched my brave, determined boy fly down the hill. I called everyone out of the house to watch him too. They were all amazed and a bit concerned too.
Today, relatives threw me a surprise baby shower and many cousins were out there playing on the hill. The carts are strong and big enough for adults so Aleta’s older kids were racing on them. They were worried when they saw Sterling push a cart up the hill and get on so one of them got on with him and went down. They were astounded later to find out and see him do it on his own. This tiny, baby boy just 1.5 years old, still unable to talk just-a racing down the hill at top speeds!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Very Meticulous
Sterling is a creature of habit. You can count on his repetitive ways. He always waves before leaving somewhere. Usually as a way of asking permission, so it seems. So I have to be careful about waving back if I don’t want him to go far. Sometimes he waves to let you know he’s leaving the room, other times to let you know he’s headed outside.
He also picks up after himself and others. After a bath I lay him down on the carpet wrapped in his towel and massage lotion on him and get him dressed. When he’s all ready, I stand him up and say “go play.” But he first bends down and picks up his towel, handing it to me. And his lotion, handing it to me. And whatever else I have laying around. He’s a big helper.
He continues to be a big eater but not as dramatic as 6 months ago. He also eats fast. After he is done he signs “all done” and scoots his chair back. I wash him off and return to the table to eat (I like to take my time at the table eating). He then climbs onto the bench and proceeds to pick up everything on the table and hand it to us. He knows we clear the table after we eat! I just need to teach him that it’s after all of us are done eating.
Every night before bed I have his brothers clean up the toys from the day’s playing times. Sterling is a big help especially if you sing the clean up song.
He seems to really like songs. He looks at you and smiles when you sing. His gibberish is often melodic as he’s playing. After scripture time in the morning on my bed with his brothers, I sing the gather-in-a-circle song for family prayer. He also moves fast to get into place during the song and has me hold him up to the edge of the bed in front of me.
After family prayer at night he initiates kissing everyone around the circle. And he loves to cuddle with his blankets in his crib. He’s a joy to have around.
He also picks up after himself and others. After a bath I lay him down on the carpet wrapped in his towel and massage lotion on him and get him dressed. When he’s all ready, I stand him up and say “go play.” But he first bends down and picks up his towel, handing it to me. And his lotion, handing it to me. And whatever else I have laying around. He’s a big helper.
He continues to be a big eater but not as dramatic as 6 months ago. He also eats fast. After he is done he signs “all done” and scoots his chair back. I wash him off and return to the table to eat (I like to take my time at the table eating). He then climbs onto the bench and proceeds to pick up everything on the table and hand it to us. He knows we clear the table after we eat! I just need to teach him that it’s after all of us are done eating.
Every night before bed I have his brothers clean up the toys from the day’s playing times. Sterling is a big help especially if you sing the clean up song.
He seems to really like songs. He looks at you and smiles when you sing. His gibberish is often melodic as he’s playing. After scripture time in the morning on my bed with his brothers, I sing the gather-in-a-circle song for family prayer. He also moves fast to get into place during the song and has me hold him up to the edge of the bed in front of me.
After family prayer at night he initiates kissing everyone around the circle. And he loves to cuddle with his blankets in his crib. He’s a joy to have around.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Following Brothers’ Leads
Sterling mimics his brothers so much now too (as well as his parents). Myles taught him how to put his pointer finger to his mouth and say “Shhhhh.” They do it over and over to each other and clap in-between each time. They get so excited that it isn’t’ very quiet.
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