It has been busy, busy, busy! Ardie has been with us for a few weeks now & he is starting to open up more. He is so used to sleeping with us he can't imagine any other way to sleep. After my husband takes him out for a walk early in the morning, Ardie can't wait to return to bed to snuggle with me. We found out he can bark. Usually he barks when he sees his own reflection in the window at night. He was so quiet for the 1st two weeks at our house we thought we couldn't bark. I was surprised to find out he likes to roll on his back with his feet up in the air when he's feeling happy, especially after waking up or after eating. Ardie attempted to chew on a boney & squeezed a squeaky toy a few times, however, no real play yet.
On September 6th we drove to Pyallup & bought another doggie - a 6-month-old toy poodle we named Spike. He is black now, however, will turn gray as he grows up. Spike is a typical puppy - playful, high-energy & mischievous. Ardie has been jealous of Spike & marking in the house occasionally even though he knows how to use the doggie door well. I have to be on a constant urine spot watch so I can clean up before any major damage is done. One of Ardie's spots hasn't been found until the next day, so now we have a yellow spot on the hardwood floor in the dining area. Thankfully, the buyers of our house intend to redo the floors so it is not a problem. Ardie has been growling at Spike at various occassions such as when Spike is jumping on or in front of him while greeting us home or if Spike gets too close to Ardie in bed. It seems Ardie is so afraid to lose our affection, he is overprotective. Hopefully, Spike & Ardie will become friends in time.
My Mom has really been enjoying her visit & time with baby Gerritt. We had Gerritt's crib in our bedroom for the 1st week after her arrival to give her time to recover from a long flight & a time-zone change, however, we transferred his crib back to his room upon my Mom's insistance after that week. My Mom wanted as much time with the baby as she could get including taking care of him at night.
Gerritt is changing every week. He is trying to stand up more frequently while holding on to the furniture or our arms. When he wants to eat he opens & closes his mouth rapidly until we get the hint. If one of use is eating something, Gerritt crawls up to us & watches us intently as if wanting a bite. Gerritt has mastered the sippy cup & drinks water regularly. He still falls asleep with a bottle of formula, so we need to transition him to a full-time cup soon. Gerritt is trying to talk more saying new words like ba-ba (grandmother in Russian), bebe (baby) & ba (sobaka or dog in Russian).
He loves bath time: splashing in water & playing with bath toys. He is such a fun baby! He loves to play with us (especially acrobatics - being thrown up in the air, being turned upside down for a few seconds, & spinning while being held close), to read books & to look outside the window (he almost jumps out of our arms if he sees a car or truck passing by). We've been playing the game of hide & seek for a few months now. Now Gerritt often initiates it by putting a blanket on his head & then taking it off suddenly while awaiting our response. When I leave to go somewhere or when my husband is coming home from work, Gerritt loves to look for us from inside the house. Whoever is outside usually hides below the window only to reappear suddenly. Gerritt's laughter can be heard even through a thick window glass. Gerritt also loves to play with the doggie door. He usually sits by the door waiting for Spike or Ardie to go inside. When one of the dogs attempts to go in, Gerritt puts his hands through the door scaring them off. That makes Gerritt laugh. He often teases Spike with the dog bone until they pull it back & forth for a while. Watching Gerritt play puts smiles on our faces daily.
We are starting to discipline him. When he does something we don't like (e.g., getting into the garbage container or attempting to spill dogs' water dish), we say, "No, Gerritt!" He'll usually look at us & crawl away to do something else. If he persists, we say the same in more serious tone of voice, "Nooooo, Gerritt, noooo!" That's his least favorite part. As soon as he hears the long "Nooooo" he starts bawling, like his whole world has come crashing down. We feel sorry for him, but it is so funny at the same time! Usually once Gerritt starts crying one of us holds him & we redirect his interest elsewhere. Whenever Gerritt does something new (like touching a new object or opening a new set of drawers), he looks at us for approval. If we don't say anything or say "It's OK, Gerritt", he continues. He is such a smart little boy...
No comments:
Post a Comment