r.i.p. broken blankie, chewing and TEETH

Got some catching up to do.  I've been jotting things the kids are doing on a post-it note!  Time to share.  I'll start the with

1.  86 Broken blankie.  I still can't believe it.  We had been talking to Noah about broken blankie and letting him know that the end was near.  I certainly am not in the business of taking away a kid's blankie, but it had traveled through several dangerous stages (last year I was afraid that it would strangle Noah during the night because it had gotten so stringy.  Looked like a bunch of little noose knots to me.)  The last stage was bacterial.  I had knotted the blanket (well, a stretch to call it a blanket, really.  I'd say it was several odd lengths of yarn knotted together.  Any pattern/knit was long gone.) and Noah would suck and chew on the knots making them smelly and wet.  Perfect breeding ground for oh so many icky things.  I couldn't stand to snuggle with him at night because all I could smell was that blanket.  It had to go.  More about broken blankie here and here.

Noah with his new blankie

And it did go.  Nana Paula sent a beautiful new blanket in the mail and Gene didn't hesitate.  "You know what this means!" he said, and boom.  Noah tossed broken blankie in the trash.  I had thought about saving it for.....well, I don't know - posterity?  A time capsule?  His baby book that I haven't written in for 3 years?  We didn't.  All we have are memories.

2.  Speaking of chewing on broken blankie, the chewing continues.  Noah is a chewer.  When he doesn't have blankie, he chews on the necks or sleeves of his shirts.  He doesn't seem too anxious, just loves it for the comfort.  It's very destructive - he chews holes right through the shirt, and the shirts come home from school stretched, wet and mangled.  It's October and we've already said goodbye to two pairs of mittens - he's chewed through the thumbs.

We've got a new plan - I've ordered a chewy necklace in the mail for Noah to chew on instead of the shirts.  He seems excited about it - picked out the one that is yellow with a pineapple scent.  I hope this does the trick!  Auntie Lisa got him some beautiful new school shirts that I am not going to put on him until his gets this licked.  Chewed.  Whatever.

Check out those new Halloween PJs from Auntie Lisa & Uncle Mark!

3.  TEETH!  Check out Mr. Eli.  No teeth for 10 months and then 4 all at once.  The first was on the bottom and then it's partner right beside.  A couple of days later one on top came out and then it's partner.  We had a feeling that they might come all together.  Of course he's just getting used to the idea of teeth, but I think he likes them.  He's not really interested in being spoon fed anymore.  LOVES to feed himself.  These days his favorite items are bananas, waffles, green beans, pasta (especially tortellini) and french toast.  He goes crazy over cheesy breadsticks.  I've never seen anything like it.  He ate 3 one night.

He's walking like a drunken sailor.  Wobbling around and now can climb up all of the stairs.  Of course he can't get down (well, he's taken the fast route a couple of times down a few stairs and landed on his head) but he loves to climb and goes nuts when he gets to the top just like he summited Everest.