This blog entry is dedicated to Auntie K...
The J's took their first overnight trip since PJ joined the clan...and it worked so well that we have 2 more planned. June 21st we loaded up all of the "stuff" that you have to take "just in case" when you have an infant. For example, we had to have the bouncy seat - just in case. You'll be glad to know we did not take the swing. We decided to leave a little after the start of nap-time in hopes that the kids would sleep in the car - ha ha ha. Once we were within about 20 minutes of our destination, they fell asleep, so not much of a nap that day. We checked into our hotel and decided it was worth the tip it would take to have the bellhop carry our luggage for us...yep, it was THAT kind of hotel (but I know how to get some discounts). Our room was a "suite" - actually, it was an all suite hotel - so there was a small living room and a bedroom (separate from the living room). This is what we needed - LJ slept in the living room, RJ and I slept in the bedroom and PJ slept in his car seat in the "bathroom" - it was the dressing area outside of the bathroom and was rather large, for those of you who care about these things.
We set everything up and decided to try for an early dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant - which was right by our hotel. Dinner went perfectly, LJ was in a good mood and PJ slept through it all. After dinner, we decided to take LJ for a swim in the hotel pool. Well, RJ and LJ swam while PJ and I sat on a lawn chair. LJ thought this was great fun (except when RJ made him go under water) and he decided we need a pool in our backyard (I agree). LJ kept calling the town "zoo town" and the hotel room "our's new place" and he liked our's new place very much. We all slept well that night - including PJ who only woke one time to eat.
The next morning, we ate breakfast and headed to the zoo. It was hot and it was humid and many of the animals were not around. It was kind of disappointing. We did see a rhino, a tiger, a giraffe, and some other animals, but LJ wasn't that interested. He really seemed most interested in pushing the stroller in which he had been riding until....we got to the "children's zoo" and then he was most interested in playing on the playground. This, of course, we can do at home, but I've learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Anything that can wear a child out physically, is a welcome thing. So, he played on the playground for a good bit and then we went to ride the carousel. LJ wasn't too interested in sitting on his "horse" (which was really a monkey) by himself, but RJ convinced him and once the ride started - he liked it a lot.
The morning at the zoo ended with the purchase of a "zoo plate", a zebra magnet, and a pressed penny and a ride on the "train" around the park that surrounds the zoo. This was probably the most fun - even though I started to get a headache from the gas motor fumes coming from the train's "engine". PJ napped in his sling the entire time as I fanned his face and tried to get some air circulating around him. There came a time when I started to wonder if he was suffering from hyperthermia, but he seems no worse for the trip to the zoo. We went back to the hotel to pack up our's new room and take one last dip in the pool before heading home. We got home around 3:00 (LJ fell asleep in the car around 2:30) and we put LJ in his crib and left PJ in his car seat to sleep.
Whenever we serve LJ some food on his zoo plate, he says, "oh, you gave me my zoo plate" and when we ask him what his favorite animal was, he says, "the zebra" - sometimes he says, "cheese", but we're not sure what that is about.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
PJ's 2 Month Check-up
The stats are in...
At 2 Months (8 1/2 weeks):
Weight - 15 pounds 1.5 ounces
Length - 25 inches
For comparison purposes - at 2 months, LJ was 13 pounds 7.5 ounces ands 23.5 inches...and we all know how big he is at 2 years 7 months, so heaven help us. One day, these boys are going to be teenagers and they'll be eating us out of house and home (I think that's the saying). As it is, LJ doesn't really at all that much, but he's a milk-drinking fool.
PJ has started (3 nights in a row) to go from 8:30ish to 3:00ish at night before requesting more nourishment (knocking on wood here) and then waking again around 6:00. I can stave him off until 7 or 8 before eating (by laying with him on the couch or putting him in his swing), but since I started work today - I fed him and put him back to sleep after that. He wakes at 6:00 as he often makes a dirty diaper and for some reason, he wants company as he does this. Perhaps he knows that, if he has company, he'll get a fresh diaper and who wouldn't prefer to sleep in a fresh diaper?!
Tune in later this week for a recap of our first overnight trip - which included a trip to the zoo!
At 2 Months (8 1/2 weeks):
Weight - 15 pounds 1.5 ounces
Length - 25 inches
For comparison purposes - at 2 months, LJ was 13 pounds 7.5 ounces ands 23.5 inches...and we all know how big he is at 2 years 7 months, so heaven help us. One day, these boys are going to be teenagers and they'll be eating us out of house and home (I think that's the saying). As it is, LJ doesn't really at all that much, but he's a milk-drinking fool.
PJ has started (3 nights in a row) to go from 8:30ish to 3:00ish at night before requesting more nourishment (knocking on wood here) and then waking again around 6:00. I can stave him off until 7 or 8 before eating (by laying with him on the couch or putting him in his swing), but since I started work today - I fed him and put him back to sleep after that. He wakes at 6:00 as he often makes a dirty diaper and for some reason, he wants company as he does this. Perhaps he knows that, if he has company, he'll get a fresh diaper and who wouldn't prefer to sleep in a fresh diaper?!
Tune in later this week for a recap of our first overnight trip - which included a trip to the zoo!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Battle for the Crown (medal - actually)
A bakery/restaurant known for cookies had their Annual Cookie Eating Contest and we decided that LJ should compete. We wanted him to enter last year, but the timing of the contest did not fit our busy social calendar. We feared that last year was LJ's year to win as this year, he savors his savories more - and this is not a good strategy for an eating contest. I spent many days explaining that, if he ate one cookie, he'd get another and then another - so he should eat them really quickly. When we'd ask him how many cookies he could eat, he'd hold up his hand and say, "2", but we thought this might be OK for his "2 and under" bracket.
LJ's flight chowed down at 4:00, so we woke him from his nap and then headed out with the J'fy family in tow. LJ chose chocolate chip as his cookie of choice and milk for his drink. There were 6 competitors total, but only 1 of them looked like she might provide competition (as she, like LJ was clearly more toddler than baby) - all of this contingent on the whims of LJ's eating mood. It could go either way - he could really get into it, or he could altogether refuse to eat even one bite. I, being a legal guardian, sat next to him at the table and chose 3 cookies when the man with the tray came around. Then, the announcer said, "one bite out of a cookie equals a whole cookie". Hmmm...how to interpret this? The man with the tray asked if I was sure I didn't want anymore - so I took 2 more. Then I asked the counter assigned to us..."should I encourage him to eat a whole cookie - or just to take a bite and move on to the next?" She shrugged and said, "I don't know" - she did not offer to find out. I asked the man with the cookie tray if he was going to be close by so we could reload and he said he would. I was still unsure how to proceed. I didn't want to be "wasteful" or come across like a pushy stage mom, but I didn't want to be a chump either.
The announcer said, "go" and the competitors had 6 minutes to eat as many cookies as they could. I started by encouraging LJ to pick up a cookie and take a bite...which he did. Then I encouraged him to pick up another cookie and take a bite...which he did. He had soon taken 1 bite out of each of the 7 cookies on his tray and our counter had counted them all - and the other toddler-girl was up to 8. So, with the cheers from the J'fys and my competitive streak kicking in - I called for more cookies and got more involved. I was now handing a cookie to LJ, telling him to take a bite and put it down - over and over. He started to slow down a bit around 13, so I told him to drink some milk - which he did...he kind of started laughing, but quickly regained his focus as a true cookie eating champ would. The announcer kept announcing totals, but I couldn't tell who's totals they were, so each announcement pushed me into overdrive - handing LJ cookie after cookie. When all was said and done - the counter had counted 22 cookies from which LJ had taken a bite. Toddler-girl - 20. LJ was victorious!!! He is the Cookie King! For his efforts, he won a medal which proclaims that he is the Cookie King and with this medal, he can get 1 free cookie a day for a YEAR! Wow!
His victory was heavily celebrated with pictures, pats on the back, atta-boys, handshakes, and footage on the evening news. We got to bring the "one-bite missing" cookies home and it turns out he really took one bite out of 27 cookies. It also turns out that there is a Cookie Queen, so toddler-girl also won a medal. Knowing this, LJ could have coasted as he was the only boy competing...so, Cookie King was his the whole time. But, we all know he is the Cookie Champion.
RJ, Jfer, Bekah, and I decided to enter the "who can eat 4 cookies the quickest" contest since no one else had entered. By the time the contest started others had entered, so we were not assured the win we thought we had in the bag. Alas, none of us won, but when the winner shoved the last morsels in his mouth, Jfer and I had 1/2 a cookie left and RJ and Bekah each had a whole cookie left. These were large cookies and we all felt rather uncomfortable afterwards.
We have video of all of the above, so should you find yourself at our house - I suggest you ask to watch - it is all rather amusing. If you come to our house soon, you can have a cookie with 1 bite missing as you enjoy the footage.
LJ's flight chowed down at 4:00, so we woke him from his nap and then headed out with the J'fy family in tow. LJ chose chocolate chip as his cookie of choice and milk for his drink. There were 6 competitors total, but only 1 of them looked like she might provide competition (as she, like LJ was clearly more toddler than baby) - all of this contingent on the whims of LJ's eating mood. It could go either way - he could really get into it, or he could altogether refuse to eat even one bite. I, being a legal guardian, sat next to him at the table and chose 3 cookies when the man with the tray came around. Then, the announcer said, "one bite out of a cookie equals a whole cookie". Hmmm...how to interpret this? The man with the tray asked if I was sure I didn't want anymore - so I took 2 more. Then I asked the counter assigned to us..."should I encourage him to eat a whole cookie - or just to take a bite and move on to the next?" She shrugged and said, "I don't know" - she did not offer to find out. I asked the man with the cookie tray if he was going to be close by so we could reload and he said he would. I was still unsure how to proceed. I didn't want to be "wasteful" or come across like a pushy stage mom, but I didn't want to be a chump either.
The announcer said, "go" and the competitors had 6 minutes to eat as many cookies as they could. I started by encouraging LJ to pick up a cookie and take a bite...which he did. Then I encouraged him to pick up another cookie and take a bite...which he did. He had soon taken 1 bite out of each of the 7 cookies on his tray and our counter had counted them all - and the other toddler-girl was up to 8. So, with the cheers from the J'fys and my competitive streak kicking in - I called for more cookies and got more involved. I was now handing a cookie to LJ, telling him to take a bite and put it down - over and over. He started to slow down a bit around 13, so I told him to drink some milk - which he did...he kind of started laughing, but quickly regained his focus as a true cookie eating champ would. The announcer kept announcing totals, but I couldn't tell who's totals they were, so each announcement pushed me into overdrive - handing LJ cookie after cookie. When all was said and done - the counter had counted 22 cookies from which LJ had taken a bite. Toddler-girl - 20. LJ was victorious!!! He is the Cookie King! For his efforts, he won a medal which proclaims that he is the Cookie King and with this medal, he can get 1 free cookie a day for a YEAR! Wow!
His victory was heavily celebrated with pictures, pats on the back, atta-boys, handshakes, and footage on the evening news. We got to bring the "one-bite missing" cookies home and it turns out he really took one bite out of 27 cookies. It also turns out that there is a Cookie Queen, so toddler-girl also won a medal. Knowing this, LJ could have coasted as he was the only boy competing...so, Cookie King was his the whole time. But, we all know he is the Cookie Champion.
RJ, Jfer, Bekah, and I decided to enter the "who can eat 4 cookies the quickest" contest since no one else had entered. By the time the contest started others had entered, so we were not assured the win we thought we had in the bag. Alas, none of us won, but when the winner shoved the last morsels in his mouth, Jfer and I had 1/2 a cookie left and RJ and Bekah each had a whole cookie left. These were large cookies and we all felt rather uncomfortable afterwards.
We have video of all of the above, so should you find yourself at our house - I suggest you ask to watch - it is all rather amusing. If you come to our house soon, you can have a cookie with 1 bite missing as you enjoy the footage.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Sleep, PJ, Sleep
On all accounts, PJ is another "easy baby". He isn't fussy for no apparent reason - so long as we stick to our routine, he isn't too fussy at all. He is smiling now - and cooing. This is fun and we often have nice "conversations" that must be pleasant as he smiles throughout. I think he is a "mama's boy" as I seem to be able to comfort him more quickly than anyone else. I suppose this is only fair as LJ was definitely (and still is) a "daddy's boy".
As you know, I have kept a nursing journal (which is nothing more than the date, the time of nursing, and how long said infant nursed on each side) for both LJ and PJ. This provides much information for me to analyze and I do analyze it frequently. At this point in LJ's life (and you can see this yourself if you look through the Dec 2004 archives of this blog), he was sleeping 5-7 hours straight at night. PJ sleeps 3 - 5. We are eagerly awaiting the 6, 7, or 8 hour stretches, but they don't seem to be coming.
Swaddle - check.
White noise - check.
Pacifier - not good at taking it.
I mean, not good at it at all. He'll suck on my finger and love it, but the pacifier - he keeps opening his mouth wide as if he's trying to show me that he's ready for a good latch. If I did present a milk-producing pacifier...he'd refuse it once the milk started flowing, so he isn't hungry...he's just showing me that I don't have to worry about nipple confusion because he wont' let himself be confused. We've even tried different types of pacifier...not working. This is probably for the best as I can only imagine the issues we'd have with LJ if he ever saw PJ with a pacifier.
All-in-all, PJ is a good sleeper, so we can't complain - I'm just saying...LJ was sleeping longer by this age.
As you know, I have kept a nursing journal (which is nothing more than the date, the time of nursing, and how long said infant nursed on each side) for both LJ and PJ. This provides much information for me to analyze and I do analyze it frequently. At this point in LJ's life (and you can see this yourself if you look through the Dec 2004 archives of this blog), he was sleeping 5-7 hours straight at night. PJ sleeps 3 - 5. We are eagerly awaiting the 6, 7, or 8 hour stretches, but they don't seem to be coming.
Swaddle - check.
White noise - check.
Pacifier - not good at taking it.
I mean, not good at it at all. He'll suck on my finger and love it, but the pacifier - he keeps opening his mouth wide as if he's trying to show me that he's ready for a good latch. If I did present a milk-producing pacifier...he'd refuse it once the milk started flowing, so he isn't hungry...he's just showing me that I don't have to worry about nipple confusion because he wont' let himself be confused. We've even tried different types of pacifier...not working. This is probably for the best as I can only imagine the issues we'd have with LJ if he ever saw PJ with a pacifier.
All-in-all, PJ is a good sleeper, so we can't complain - I'm just saying...LJ was sleeping longer by this age.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
The Eat-Tree 3000
Here is LJ's first invention - "The Eat-Tree 3000"
As you can see, he has attached the paddle from my mixer to his fork. He says the paddle looks like a tree. He sometimes watches a cartoon called "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" and there is a character (Widget) who invents things...the name always ends with "3000".
This kid is going to be our meal ticket (to continue the theme) one day!
As you can see, he has attached the paddle from my mixer to his fork. He says the paddle looks like a tree. He sometimes watches a cartoon called "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" and there is a character (Widget) who invents things...the name always ends with "3000".
This kid is going to be our meal ticket (to continue the theme) one day!
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