Christmas Tree

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Groen family went to Wheatfield to buy Christmas Trees.

Thanksgiving Day

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Well since Douwe is walking, I am now officially nursing a toddler. We both are quite content with that status. He eats three regular meals in his chair at the table, drinks juice and has munchy snacks here and there, but when the dr's office asked: "Is he on 1%, 2% or whole milk?" The answer was "Mother's milk". Since I've always nursed "on cue", or as is now more accurate, "upon request", there is not really feeding times to drop, but he definitely forgets to ask some days what with all the exploring and walking and playing that can be done now. I never imagined I would nurse an older baby, but so far I highly recommend it. This article from La Leche League's website is seeming to be matching up with our reality: Benefits of Breastfeeding a Toddler. Very few sick days, and mild ones at that, a calm, easily comforted toddler who shows more signs of independence every day but still loves to snuggle, and a mom who is still benefiting from the mellowing effects of prolactin.

I wouldn't consider myself a breastfeeding activist, but I am definitely interested in encouraging more moms to resist the false conventional wisdom that withholding the breast at younger and younger ages is a sign of progress for the amazing species of mammal called homo sapiens.

Snacktime

This is Douwe with his church friends Rebecca, Levi and Gracie, (and Adam, too, who was somewhere else right now). They were treated to a donut hole by Mrs. Abbott. Douwe enjoys toddling around with these children while we are in the worship service.

Chicago Children's Museum

Douwe and I took a field trip to the Children's Museum on Navy Pier. He spent his whole visit in two different exhibits, both built for age 5 and under. I just sat and watched him happily enjoy the following adventures: eating a pretend meal for about a half-hour, walking back and forth over a challenging (for him) sloped "bridge" about 30 times, and taking a wet drippy net from the stream to shake it off on a tree stump about 50 times. He loved it here, so we'll have to go back on another cold day.

"Twin" for a day

My sister found a matching set of this outfit at a resale shop, with cousin Liam wearing the other one. We took Douwe and his three cousins to get a Christmas photo for Grandpa and Grandma, it will be so cute!

Fall Flair

For those of my blogging friends that haven't been to our house or haven't been for a while, here is a few pictures of our living room. I spent time last week tinkering with the decorative things and making it more fall-like. We also rearranged the room so that there is a fun play space for little ones behind the couch. Don't worry, that glass coffee table now has a bumper pad around the edge and normally is covered with a table cloth, transforming it to a perfect race-track, forest, or corn field for the trains, cars, animals, tractors and combine harvester that usually are strewn across it.

Fourteen Months

Douwe reached a sort of "golden" milestone, fourteen months old on November 14th.

He has been walking for about 4 weeks now, likes to use a fork (but can't pierce the food himself), begs to go outside all the time, hates putting on a winter coat. He is doing ok with his orthotic shoes which must be worn 24/7. He is cutting teeth #9 and #10. He is much slimmer, has held at about 24 pounds since earlier this summer and seems to be getting taller. He does not really cry long when I leave him, just plaintively repeats, "Mama? Mamamama? Mama? Mama?" turning his palms up questioningly. He loves his stacking/nesting blocks, and the toy that blows balls through a tube and up in the air. He talks with his own words but we usually can understand him because of his inflections. He gets very excited to see schoolbuses, trucks, stop signs, dogs, buses.

I find it humorous how he treats his books. There are about 30 great options to choose from but only 8 he will allow to be read. Let not those 8 become arrogant though or think they are inherently superior, for suddenly two days later, 1 of the favorites is arbitrarily swatted away to the reject pile and a formerly rejected book is now one of the chosen few. First 100 Things that Move and How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? are getting the top billing at the moment.

A memorable day

Douwe's a bit tired this morning, as he ran around with Rudy the dog till 10:30 last night while we watched the election results come in at our friends Ralph and Lynn's house. Lake County, IN's support of Barack Obama painted Indiana blue this election, and Douwe may someday be proud that he helped canvass by stroller a couple afternoons this September.

It is an exciting time to be a Chicagoland resident!

Douwe and Cousins

Douwe enjoyed a visit from his three cousins, the Builder, the Princess and the Pumpkin.