It is finally below 100 degrees - whoop!
There are cupcakes left over from RJ's b-day - whoop! whoop!
RJ is going to finish the bathroom (you won't believe how good it looks) - whoop!
RJ is going to think about getting started on the central A/C (this is a start) - WHOOP!
LJ has a babysitter Saturday night (RJ and I are going to a film festival) - whoop! whoop!
Hope you have a great weekend!
LJ is still napping, it is 4:30, and I'm about to go cut up LJ's cheese for his snack, un-pause 90210 and start watching.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
I'm Still Standing
LJ has started to “cruise”. If at all possible (and, I have to tell you, sometimes he seems to do the impossible), LJ will use furniture, people, standing objects, etc. for support and will try to “walk” rather than crawl. We hear this is the precursor to walking, but who knows when he’ll decide to venture forth unaided? He has “stood” unassisted several times, but I don’t think he realized he was doing it.
He is also getting into more “trouble” these days. He is into everything and gets more frustrated now. If he can’t get a toy to do something he desires, he cries at it. He has started to “yell” at me too. Instead of just crying, he yells in his baby vernacular and I don’t really know what he’s saying, but I can tell he’s giving it to me. He does say “mamamamama” during these times, so I think he is actually talking to me. Yesterday, he was pretty mad when going down for his afternoon nap. We had the most trouble we’ve had in several months…I think I’ve been taking it for granted – how easily he’s been going down for naps and bed.
A top tooth has come through and another is on its way, so it won’t be long before LJ has four teeth total. We have started brushing his teeth as a part of his night time routine and he seems to really enjoy that. No tooth paste – just the brush.
My favorite thing that little LJ is doing has to do with his stuffed dog, “Plopper”. He knows who Plopper is and if you say, “Where’s Plopper?” LJ will look for him, crawl to him and give him hugs and kisses. Sometimes LJ will bring Plopper to me or to RJ so that we can give him hugs and kisses. He certainly has affection for Plopper…so much so that Plopper is taking a tumble through the washer and dryer while Little Baby J is napping.
He is also getting into more “trouble” these days. He is into everything and gets more frustrated now. If he can’t get a toy to do something he desires, he cries at it. He has started to “yell” at me too. Instead of just crying, he yells in his baby vernacular and I don’t really know what he’s saying, but I can tell he’s giving it to me. He does say “mamamamama” during these times, so I think he is actually talking to me. Yesterday, he was pretty mad when going down for his afternoon nap. We had the most trouble we’ve had in several months…I think I’ve been taking it for granted – how easily he’s been going down for naps and bed.
A top tooth has come through and another is on its way, so it won’t be long before LJ has four teeth total. We have started brushing his teeth as a part of his night time routine and he seems to really enjoy that. No tooth paste – just the brush.
My favorite thing that little LJ is doing has to do with his stuffed dog, “Plopper”. He knows who Plopper is and if you say, “Where’s Plopper?” LJ will look for him, crawl to him and give him hugs and kisses. Sometimes LJ will bring Plopper to me or to RJ so that we can give him hugs and kisses. He certainly has affection for Plopper…so much so that Plopper is taking a tumble through the washer and dryer while Little Baby J is napping.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
21SS
The J family has taken possession of a 2006 Rockwood Roo 21SS Hybrid Travel Trailer! It is SUPER COOL!
We left for the first leg of our trip last Friday at 8:30 am. Around noon, we arrived at my sister ML's house - where LJ and I would stay while RJ and "the guys" (MK, MK, and BJ) drove to Ohio to secure the new purchase. BJ arrived not too much later and the MK's arrived around 3:30. The guys took off around 4:00, leaving LJ and me to have a wonderful weekend with the L family.
LJ was a perfect angel the entire weekend. I think the L family thinks he never cries, never whines, and is never in a bad mood. Seriously, he was that good. LJ's cousins camped out on their parents' floor, so LJ and I each had our own room. This was very nice and allowed me to get much better sleep than I would have without my own room. CL and DL entertained LJ all weekend and LJ really seemed to enjoy his time with them. CL is in Kindergarten, so I learned a song about "yellow" and have been singing it ever since. She also likes to tell you what letter words start with and she is very skilled at this. I threw her some curve balls though...like what does “write” start with...and she seemed to take it pretty well! We went to DL's first flag football game and he chased down a break-away run and kept the other team from scoring a touchdown. It was very exciting!
I kept in touch with RJ throughout his trip with a check-in in the AM and a check-in in the PM and it sounded like he was having a good time, but was getting very little sleep. Going to get the trailer was not only a fun adventure, it saved us about $1000.00 over having it delivered...even with the current price of gas.
The guys pulled up to the driveway around 2:30 on Sunday afternoon and I saw the trailer for the first time. My first reaction was, "it looks just like the brochure"...which says good things about the brochure and thus, I was not disappointed as my expectations had been properly set. We went inside and it was hard to get a good feel for it because it was "turtled" (not expanded at all) and it was HOT and the newness was making my eyes water. But, all in all, I could tell I was going to like it. We left to come home and pulled in around 8:00 pm. Towing the trailer did not seem bad and I was not nervous about having it back there. I remember dad towing many things as a child and being somewhat stressed by the possibilities of what might come undone, what might fly off, what might wobble, etc. This seemed very easy and none too precarious. I was very pleased.
It wasn't until last night that I got to go into the trailer and really look around. The side slides out and opens up a ton of floor space. The couch and dining table are in the slid out part. We didn't put the two bunk ends down, but RJ says we'll do that tonight. There are cool cubby storage places all over and it is just super cool. I'm sure you will want to go camping with us!
We left for the first leg of our trip last Friday at 8:30 am. Around noon, we arrived at my sister ML's house - where LJ and I would stay while RJ and "the guys" (MK, MK, and BJ) drove to Ohio to secure the new purchase. BJ arrived not too much later and the MK's arrived around 3:30. The guys took off around 4:00, leaving LJ and me to have a wonderful weekend with the L family.
LJ was a perfect angel the entire weekend. I think the L family thinks he never cries, never whines, and is never in a bad mood. Seriously, he was that good. LJ's cousins camped out on their parents' floor, so LJ and I each had our own room. This was very nice and allowed me to get much better sleep than I would have without my own room. CL and DL entertained LJ all weekend and LJ really seemed to enjoy his time with them. CL is in Kindergarten, so I learned a song about "yellow" and have been singing it ever since. She also likes to tell you what letter words start with and she is very skilled at this. I threw her some curve balls though...like what does “write” start with...and she seemed to take it pretty well! We went to DL's first flag football game and he chased down a break-away run and kept the other team from scoring a touchdown. It was very exciting!
I kept in touch with RJ throughout his trip with a check-in in the AM and a check-in in the PM and it sounded like he was having a good time, but was getting very little sleep. Going to get the trailer was not only a fun adventure, it saved us about $1000.00 over having it delivered...even with the current price of gas.
The guys pulled up to the driveway around 2:30 on Sunday afternoon and I saw the trailer for the first time. My first reaction was, "it looks just like the brochure"...which says good things about the brochure and thus, I was not disappointed as my expectations had been properly set. We went inside and it was hard to get a good feel for it because it was "turtled" (not expanded at all) and it was HOT and the newness was making my eyes water. But, all in all, I could tell I was going to like it. We left to come home and pulled in around 8:00 pm. Towing the trailer did not seem bad and I was not nervous about having it back there. I remember dad towing many things as a child and being somewhat stressed by the possibilities of what might come undone, what might fly off, what might wobble, etc. This seemed very easy and none too precarious. I was very pleased.
It wasn't until last night that I got to go into the trailer and really look around. The side slides out and opens up a ton of floor space. The couch and dining table are in the slid out part. We didn't put the two bunk ends down, but RJ says we'll do that tonight. There are cool cubby storage places all over and it is just super cool. I'm sure you will want to go camping with us!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
NSV
That stands for Non-Specific Virus and that is from what LJ is slowly recovering. Let’s backtrack to last Thursday and I’ll document the specifics of this non-specific (read: we’re not sure which - of the gabillion viruses out there – has inflicted LJ) infection.
Thursday
LJ took a 3 hour nap in the AM and then seemed to want to nap again rather quickly upon waking. I took him up to work to bring RJ some lunch and he (LJ) was not his normal magnanimous self. When we got home, I put him down for his afternoon nap and he slept 3 more hours. I thought this odd and wondered if he was going to outgrow his clothes while he slept (you know, excessive sleep can indicate a growth spurt). Excessive sleep can also indicate an illness. Upon waking, LJ felt hot to the touch, so I took his temperature…axillary, of course (I can easily add the 2 degrees necessary to approximate the rectal temperature, thus allowing all involved to avoid the discomfort of the rectal method). 102.5 (that's 104.5 rectal)– this is not good and I’m sure LJ feels terrible. His appetite was not compromised and that night we gave Tylenol and went to bed…expecting a terrible night. Surprisingly, he slept well and the next morning he appeared to be fever free.
Friday
I stayed home…you know, a sick baby needs his mother. LJ seemed ready for a nap rather early and did not seem interested in checking in with all his toys. Instead, he crawled into my lap and just sat. This is unprecedented. So, he went down for a 2-3 hour nap and upon waking, the fever was back. With the fever came loss of appetite. We repeated the process from the day before and once again, LJ spent a lot of time sleeping or in my lap. He even slept on my chest while I lay on the couch. Unprecedented.
Saturday
LJ had a fever upon waking, so we called the doctor and went in on Saturday morning. After a very thorough examination, we heard the diagnosis – NSV. Nothing too harmful - let it run its course. Sounds good to us…no ear infection and no antibiotics…great. So, we were prepared to let it run its course. And, then the diarrhea started. Not too bad though…remember, he’s lost his appetite, but we are trying to stress fluids. Saturday night, he slept fine, but his toys were starting to miss him.
Sunday
No appetite, no fever, yes diarrhea. LJ did play more and seemed to feel better, so his toys were very happy. Through all of this, LJ has been sleeping like a champ…but on Sunday, he did not want an afternoon nap. We figured he was finally feeling better and wanted to catch up with the happenings of his toys.
Monday
LJ woke around 6:30 (not unusual) with a rash all over his body. Looking back, I saw this rash on his neck the night before, but thought it might be from his clothes or water accumulating under his chin – he’s skilled with the sippy cup, but sometimes he doesn’t swallow it all real well. This rash is a new symptom, so we decide to head back to the doctor. RJ has to take him alone as I am in class all morning. Let me just tell you, when women see a man (without spouse) bring his child to the doctor…they do a lot of looking. Of course, both the J men are rather dashing, so that may explain it. The same doctor evaluated LJ and solidly concluded…NSV. A rash is not uncommon with NSV and he confirmed that it is not chicken pox or measles or any SPECIFIC virus (read: virus they’ve bothered to name) and to let it run its course. The doctor congratulated us on not being parents who don’t feel good unless we leave with a prescription. I told RJ to make sure to tell the doctor that we do not need a prescription unless he thinks it necessary…we just don’t want to mess up by not taking our baby to the doctor when we should. Doc said that if we had seemed unrelenting on Saturday, he would have gone ahead and prescribed penicillin. Then, LJ would have presented with this rash and we would have had to assume that he is allergic to penicillin…you have to err on the side of caution. Then, he would have had to live his whole life without access to penicillin. He says he sees college students all the time…they think they are allergic to penicillin because they had a rash after taking it when they were a kid. He thinks, they likely aren’t allergic to penicillin…they are the victim of the overuse of antibiotics in non-bacterial situations. I found this fascinating as RJ related his visit to me.
Monday Night
This needs its own title as LJ slept HORRIBLY last night.
Tuesday
Today, he seems to be all right. His appetite is back. His diapers seem less loose. He still has a rash. No fever. But, he took a 3 hour nap this morning and is working on 2 ½ hours this afternoon.
With the one horrible night I am instantly thrown back into the worry of, “Will he sleep tonight? Please let him sleep tonight!” Just like that. That is an emotion I have not felt for at least 2 months.
Thursday
LJ took a 3 hour nap in the AM and then seemed to want to nap again rather quickly upon waking. I took him up to work to bring RJ some lunch and he (LJ) was not his normal magnanimous self. When we got home, I put him down for his afternoon nap and he slept 3 more hours. I thought this odd and wondered if he was going to outgrow his clothes while he slept (you know, excessive sleep can indicate a growth spurt). Excessive sleep can also indicate an illness. Upon waking, LJ felt hot to the touch, so I took his temperature…axillary, of course (I can easily add the 2 degrees necessary to approximate the rectal temperature, thus allowing all involved to avoid the discomfort of the rectal method). 102.5 (that's 104.5 rectal)– this is not good and I’m sure LJ feels terrible. His appetite was not compromised and that night we gave Tylenol and went to bed…expecting a terrible night. Surprisingly, he slept well and the next morning he appeared to be fever free.
Friday
I stayed home…you know, a sick baby needs his mother. LJ seemed ready for a nap rather early and did not seem interested in checking in with all his toys. Instead, he crawled into my lap and just sat. This is unprecedented. So, he went down for a 2-3 hour nap and upon waking, the fever was back. With the fever came loss of appetite. We repeated the process from the day before and once again, LJ spent a lot of time sleeping or in my lap. He even slept on my chest while I lay on the couch. Unprecedented.
Saturday
LJ had a fever upon waking, so we called the doctor and went in on Saturday morning. After a very thorough examination, we heard the diagnosis – NSV. Nothing too harmful - let it run its course. Sounds good to us…no ear infection and no antibiotics…great. So, we were prepared to let it run its course. And, then the diarrhea started. Not too bad though…remember, he’s lost his appetite, but we are trying to stress fluids. Saturday night, he slept fine, but his toys were starting to miss him.
Sunday
No appetite, no fever, yes diarrhea. LJ did play more and seemed to feel better, so his toys were very happy. Through all of this, LJ has been sleeping like a champ…but on Sunday, he did not want an afternoon nap. We figured he was finally feeling better and wanted to catch up with the happenings of his toys.
Monday
LJ woke around 6:30 (not unusual) with a rash all over his body. Looking back, I saw this rash on his neck the night before, but thought it might be from his clothes or water accumulating under his chin – he’s skilled with the sippy cup, but sometimes he doesn’t swallow it all real well. This rash is a new symptom, so we decide to head back to the doctor. RJ has to take him alone as I am in class all morning. Let me just tell you, when women see a man (without spouse) bring his child to the doctor…they do a lot of looking. Of course, both the J men are rather dashing, so that may explain it. The same doctor evaluated LJ and solidly concluded…NSV. A rash is not uncommon with NSV and he confirmed that it is not chicken pox or measles or any SPECIFIC virus (read: virus they’ve bothered to name) and to let it run its course. The doctor congratulated us on not being parents who don’t feel good unless we leave with a prescription. I told RJ to make sure to tell the doctor that we do not need a prescription unless he thinks it necessary…we just don’t want to mess up by not taking our baby to the doctor when we should. Doc said that if we had seemed unrelenting on Saturday, he would have gone ahead and prescribed penicillin. Then, LJ would have presented with this rash and we would have had to assume that he is allergic to penicillin…you have to err on the side of caution. Then, he would have had to live his whole life without access to penicillin. He says he sees college students all the time…they think they are allergic to penicillin because they had a rash after taking it when they were a kid. He thinks, they likely aren’t allergic to penicillin…they are the victim of the overuse of antibiotics in non-bacterial situations. I found this fascinating as RJ related his visit to me.
Monday Night
This needs its own title as LJ slept HORRIBLY last night.
Tuesday
Today, he seems to be all right. His appetite is back. His diapers seem less loose. He still has a rash. No fever. But, he took a 3 hour nap this morning and is working on 2 ½ hours this afternoon.
With the one horrible night I am instantly thrown back into the worry of, “Will he sleep tonight? Please let him sleep tonight!” Just like that. That is an emotion I have not felt for at least 2 months.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
LJ Loves...
I think the blogger world demands that instead of "LJ Loves" it should be "LJ HEARTS"...or maybe it isn't the blogger world, but a personality attribute that many bloggers possess?!
At any rate, I present you with a current list of LJ's favorites:
Sleeping through the night - 10 1/2 - 11 hours...we couldn't be more pleased
Taking good naps - AM and PM around 1 1/2 - 2 hours each
"Talking" to the bears in his crib before he goes to sleep and after he wakes
Eating - and he must have whatever we are eating...he knows the difference and won't tolerate it
Eating cheese - yes, I must list this separately, he loves it that much
Drinking water - he probably sucks down 12 ounces a day (he's very skilled with his sippy cup)
Putting things on top of other things - it doesn't always work, but he likes to try
Turning the pages in his books - he "talks" like he's reading them
Listening to his favorite book "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You" - I do a superb job with the sounds
Crawling rapidly to RJ or me when we come home from being away
Giving kisses - sometimes on the mouth; sometimes they are more like a lick
Climbing up and over or up and onto things
Looking at himself in the mirror
Opening the mail box
Saying "hi" on the phone - but not always...I guess he has to want to talk to you!
At any rate, I present you with a current list of LJ's favorites:
Sleeping through the night - 10 1/2 - 11 hours...we couldn't be more pleased
Taking good naps - AM and PM around 1 1/2 - 2 hours each
"Talking" to the bears in his crib before he goes to sleep and after he wakes
Eating - and he must have whatever we are eating...he knows the difference and won't tolerate it
Eating cheese - yes, I must list this separately, he loves it that much
Drinking water - he probably sucks down 12 ounces a day (he's very skilled with his sippy cup)
Putting things on top of other things - it doesn't always work, but he likes to try
Turning the pages in his books - he "talks" like he's reading them
Listening to his favorite book "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You" - I do a superb job with the sounds
Crawling rapidly to RJ or me when we come home from being away
Giving kisses - sometimes on the mouth; sometimes they are more like a lick
Climbing up and over or up and onto things
Looking at himself in the mirror
Opening the mail box
Saying "hi" on the phone - but not always...I guess he has to want to talk to you!
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