We're Back...

We've been out and about for the last week, but we are back and I'm back to work for the Fall 2006 Semester.

Last Saturday, August 5th, we went to visit some moms and toddlers from my online "mommy message board". There are several of us who live within 3 hours of each other, so we get together every so often. It was a lot of fun and LJ had a great time playing with the other kids his age. The message board is for moms of kids born in November 2004, so all the kids are LJ's age. There were lots of toys and there was lots of room, so the kids had a really fun time playing together and the mommies had a fun time talking with each other.

After that we headed down to spend the rest of the weekend with SJ (our niece and LJ's cousin and first "Friday Companion"). She was kind enough to keep LJ for us while RJ and I celebrated our anniversary. We had a nice visit, swam in SJ's pool, ate out, watched Dora, named her frogs and fish (although I don't know if she'll keep the names), and other fun and relaxing things. Monday, we headed home to get reading for phase 2 of vacation.

Tuesday, we got the travel trailer out of storage and spent the rest of the day packing it for our trek to Mount Nebo State Park in Arkansas. We chose this location in hopes that the weather would be a tad bit cooler than it is here. According to the literature, "the temperature at the top of Mount Nebo is ten degrees cooler than Dardanelle (the city at the bottom of the mountain)". It must have been boiling hot in Dardanelle. While it was hot, it wasn't humid and there were no mosquitoes, so we felt pretty good. It took us a bit (say 3 hours) longer to get there than we thought it would, so it is a bit (say 3 hours) too far to go, but we liked it very much so we might just have to put up with a drive that is a bit too far.

We were 1 of 3 families at the campsite, so we pretty much had the park to ourselves. One was in a tent and one was in a pop-up. It is likely that there are more trailers there because you are warned not to take a trailer more than 24 feet long up the mountain. Our trailer is 21 feet long - and warning bells were going off in my head as we were going up the mountain. There are several switchbacks and "hair pin turns" that are rather steep in grade. At one point, they were one right after another and it was a bit scary. RJ had a great time analyzing our ascent and how he would do it differently next time. At 2 points, we lost traction on the back tires of his truck and (he tells me this later...I mean, I realized we lost traction, but I didn't know what he was thinking until he told me) he wasn't sure we would make it up. RJ says if it had rained or been wet at all, we wouldn't have made it. I guess it is a good thing we arrived on Wednesday because it did rain enough to wet the road on Thursday and Friday.

We spent our time relaxing, swimming at the pool, and riding bikes. We bought a bike trailer for LJ - one that RJ attaches to his bike and LJ sits in it as RJ rides him around. We weren't sure the LJ would like it, but he climbed right in and stared chanting, "CHOO CHOO" over and over again. I think he liked it just fine!

And, here we are back to the grind...laundry, grocery store, work, etc.

We Be Chillin'

The title, while grammatically incorrect, is a reference to 80s rap - but, I think it should be You Be Illin'? Anyway...

August 1, 2006 - a day that will live forever in the memory of the J family - the day the central AC was powered up! Get excited people - this is a MAJOR milestone for this house. Do you have any idea how nice it is not to have the window units making their horrible racket? Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to hear the TV without having to decide between TV and AC after LJ has gone to bed? Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to sit on the back porch in the afternoon and not feel as though the sun in boring through your skin? Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to turn on the oven and not think about how many degrees this is going to set you back? Do you???

It was a long road and a tough one to travel. It turns out there is a lot more to installing central AC then I ever imagined. There is a lot of electrical work that has to be done. City Code says that there has to be all kinds of things that we didn't have, receptacles in the attic, lights in the attic, drains from this to that, etc. There are all kinds of calculations to be performed, checked, and rechecked before you go ahead and drill holes in your ceiling and in the side of your house. Never mind that the HVAC industry seems to be operating in the Stone Age (I noticed this and RJ informed me just how un-21st century the industry is)...for example, you use tape to secure the ducts to the vents. Tape! The same technology I use to wrap Christmas presents (ok, ok...that RJ uses to wrap Christmas presents) is the technology used to hold this whole AC system together. Granted, it is advanced tape, but it is still tape. Oh, and you think you are buying the AC unit and that is all you need - ha! If you think that, you are a rookie (as was I). Sure, you need vents and ducts you say. True, but you also have to construct many many many boxes out of fiber glass board-like stuff and you have to TAPE all these boxes together and make all kinds of things poke out of these boxes. Make boxes? Crazy, if you ask me.

But, you know what the most amazing part of this whole process has been...how unbelievable smart and capable RJ really is. He did it all - with help from his brothers and his father - and he knew how to do it. There is some serious electrical and plumbing work involved...RJ figured out what he had to do and then knew how to do it. Then, there is the whole HVAC component - RJ knew how to do it. He and his brothers would talk about this, that, and the other - and I'd be so impressed at how much they know about something that is not their occupation...not even close to their occupation. It is just so amazing how much LJ's father knows - I hope that LJ will take an interest in learning from his father.

Next order of business - take the window units out of the windows and look at a view we've not seen!

New Toys

LJ and I had a little extra money to spend, so we took a trip to the toy store. First of all, LJ can spot Dora and Diego from a mile away. He was saying "Dora" and over and over, so I'd look around and there would be a tiny key chain with Dora on it...how he spotted it I'll never know. Later, he says "Dora" again...I look around and can't find her anywhere. He keeps saying it, so I look harder this time - she is on an old, half-deflated, Mylar balloon wedged in a light on the ceiling. Wow! I've gotta hand it to LJ and his super-Dora vision.

I was happy to see that they now have a selection, albeit very limited, of Diego things...backpack, lunch box, action figure, animal rescue center - but, we did not buy any Diego paraphernalia. I went with a purpose and only got side-tracked by one thing.

My purpose

To buy a wooden train set like the one LJ played with and Aunt ML's house. LJ seems to really like trains lately and I thought he might enjoy having a set with which to play. We brought it home, but waited until he went to bed to set it up. This morning, we told him he had a surprise in the playroom, so he ran out, saw the set and yelled "choo choo" with much excitement!



The Side-tracker
I thought LJ might enjoy a Viewmaster, so that he could see Dora, Diego, and other cool things in 3-D. Have you tried to find a regular, run-of-the-mill, plain-ol' Viewmaster lately? It is impossible. They are all projectors or you insert some thing in it make it animated - really high tech stuff. I found a "gift set" which includes a plain Viewmaster, but has some extra disks...and, it is Dora. Can't go wrong, right? Well, there is only one and from the looks of the box, it has been submerged in water and tossed around the storeroom a few times. But, I decide to buy it anyway. I get to the register and say, "I don't know what happened to this" - she rings it up and it costs 1 cent! Fantastic! I was so excited...1 cent. LJ kind of gets what he's supposed to do, but this morning, he realized you can take the disk out. He disappeared with it for a while...I found it in the DVD player, but I think that is pretty smart actually.


Water Babies - he didn't get upset on Tuesday...until I put him underwater. He only stayed upset until I got the water out of his eyes. The rest of the class, he had a great time. RJ took him today and they played in the baby pool. From what I hear, LJ liked that - he could walk the whole time, but he did fall as he walked to the deeper water and became more buoyant.

Water Babies 2006

Today was the first day of Water Babies for the 2006 summer season. As you might recall, LJ was a regular fish in the water last summer. He enjoyed our classes so much. Knowing how much he also enjoys his bath, this summer looked to be rather enjoyable.

LJ didn't care for it too much - at first. We have the same teacher as last summer and she did recognize LJ...who could forget his adorable face? We have a 16-month old boy and a girl who is 2 1/2 in our class as well. The other 2 kids loved it from the first minute in the water. LJ clung to me like never before and shook is head saying, "nooo, nooo" for quite a while. We started out by singing some songs which at some point involve splishing, splashing, blowing bubbles, and/or jumping into the water. When the singing began, LJ started to cry. The only way LJ would not cry is if I did not sing, did not move, did not participate in any way. If I stood perfectly still, he wouldn't cry...he'd just say, "nooo" every so often.

Once singing was over, the teacher got out the toys. The 16-month old and LJ played together...LJ would throw the ball; the other boy would get it and would throw it back. You realize that we mommies are holding the babies at all times, right? This game of catch seemed to loosen LJ's tensions, so I tried to turn him around so that he would be facing out. After prying his hands off my neck, we managed to get it done and...LJ discovered it wasn't so bad. Then, I threw the ball way out and told LJ we needed to go get it. I put him on his belly and skimmed him through the water to get the ball. He enjoyed this very much. Eventually, he even put his face in and blew bubbles like he does in the tub.

So, it ended on a positive note, but I expect that tomorrow there will still be some misgivings at the beginning.

8 1/2

LJ outgrew his shoes in fewer than 3 months. This is depressing as his shoes are rather expensive. He now wears an 8 1/2 - ok, 8, but we bought 8 1/2 to try to get an extra bit of life out of these new shoes. We decided on one pair of sandals to get him through the summer...

I hear that when kids outgrow their shoes quicky it is a sign that they are about to have a growth spurt as they grow from bottom to top. I'll let you know.

This is all I have time to update today - RJ and I are about to blow insulation into the attic. I will be feeding insulation into the machine while RJ is in the attic (whew, I'm glad that I'm not in the attic - it is hot up there) directing the insulation where he wants it to go. This is a VERY good thing as we are 1) getting closer to finishing all the prep work and about to install the central AC, and 2) it is VERY hot in July and we could really use the insulation. We're not sure how cooperative LJ will be, but we always have Go, Diego! Go! to entertain him...LJ doesn't really care to pay much attention to TV, but if Go, Diego! Go! is on - is holds his attention for the full 30 minutes. I have several recorded for times just like these!

Fun, Work, Sick

LJ and I went to visit my sister and her family (the Ls) for a long weekend while RJ, his brother, and his parents had a long work weekend.

LJ and I had a great time! He got to play with his cousins and his aunt and uncle, go to a fun park, walk 1/2 a mile, "play on" the slip-n-slide (it took him a while to warm up to it), play with the dog, play in the backyard, etc. He was a very good boy and didn't get into any trouble while he was in this new environment. I got to "play with" my sister and hang out with my niece and nephew. I even got to listen to the High School Musical Soundtrack about 4 times and I spent our last afternoon watching High School Musical. It made listening to the soundtrack a whole new experience for me. The best part is that my niece acts out the dialogue and dance scenes - complete with costume changes.

You would have to ask RJ for the details of his weekend. I'm not sure I'd understand it all if I heard it all, but we have our 1949 electricity updated and this is a good thing.

Today, LJ is sick. Runny nose and a likely low-grade fever - we haven't gotten the thermometer out. I've been trying to get the humidifier to work all day and LJ is in a foul mood.

Why does it seem we always have to pay when the routine is altered at all???

The Naughty Chair

You may call it "time out", but those of us who've watched The Suppernanny call it the "naughty spot" - we call ours the "naughty chair". I cannot take credit for this, RJ came up with it and I have to admit, I never thought it would work. I figured LJ was still too young to sit somewhere if he didn't want to sit there, but I was wrong.

Things were getting exasperating for a while...LJ climbing onto the dining room table...LJ climbing up to where the M&Ms are...LJ using the piano bench to grab things on top of the piano...LJ climbing onto the computer chair and up onto the desk...LJ opening the refrigerator for "sheese"...you get the idea. Figuring he was too young for a "naughty spot", I could see spanking in our future - not that I'm against spanking as a remedy for naughtiness, but I don't want it to come to that if something else is effective. And, the naughty chair is effective - so far.

This morning LJ wanted more milk. I was in the middle of spooning oatmeal into a bowl, so I said, "just a second." LJ did not care to wait "just a second," so he took matters into his own hands and opened the refrigerator himself. He does this one time a day, so he knows the consequence, but sometimes I see that look in his eye that tells me that he is just going to make sure that is still the consequence. Sometimes I don't see that look and I guess his young mind has forgotten there is a consequence? Whatever the reason...off to the naughty chair he goes.

Most of the following procedure is what RJ developed and then shared with me so that there is consistency. I've added my own flair where appropriate...

I lead him over by the hand, lift him up and tell him to sit. He fusses at first. Sometimes he full-on cries. I leave the room because we think he should sit in the naughty chair in solitary. Then he starts saying, "no, no, no" to himself and I stand in the other room smiling and trying not to laugh. It is so cute to hear him reprimanding himself. After 2 minutes or so, I go back in, ask him if he's ready to be a good boy - he usually nods and says, “yes.” Then I tell him "only mommy and daddy open the refrigerator. LJ should not open the refrigerator. Do you understand?" To which he usually nods and says, “yes.” Then I say, "let me give you a kiss" and he moves forward to kiss me and then I say, "I love you" and give him a hug.

For the next few minutes, my heart melts as LJ makes amends. He either follows me around and pats my leg every so often as he talks to me in words I don't understand, but that he says with great inflection...it sounds loving - OR - he goes and plays by himself as if to put some space between us so we can all just forget about the action that led to the naughty chair. Either way, he is a very good boy for a few hours following a naughty chair episode.

I can't believe how easily the naughty chair works. There really isn't any big fuss - sometimes he'll whimper a little the first few seconds he sits in the naughty chair, but that transitions to, "no, no, no" and then he just sits there quietly (or talking to himself) until I come get him. After that, he doesn't open the refrigerator anymore - that day. I'm sure the naughty chair will cease to be as effective at some point, but for now - I have to give props to daddy.

Flew the Coop

The baby cardinal flew the coop on Thursday. We saw the mama and daddy showing the baby how to fly and flying cover as the baby flew from tree to tree in our backyard. I haven't seen any of them since. This was the day after the BigBro and his family flew the coop. They stayed with us for several days last week while J*fer attended her freshman conference and registered for her fall classes. We are glad that she arranged her schedule so that she can be LJ's new Friday companion.

LJ had a WONDERFUL time playing with his cousins, but I'm sure his cousins were glad to get home and not have to wake up at 6:00 every morning! We had a nice Father's Day which we celebrated by grilling enough food to last us for most of their visit. We ate ice cream, rented a movie, went to a movie, and I got a pedicure - since I had cousins here to baby sit and all.

Now we are back to our normal routine, I have one more week of school and RJ is back to working on the AC!

Baby Cardinal and The Tomato Plant That Ate The Js

There has been a flurry of activity outside our dining room window. About 4 weeks ago, we noticed a nest in our bush. We were delighted to discover that it is a cardinal nest and not the nest of a boring sparrow or mourning dove like we usually get in our hanging baskets. The was only one egg and the momma cardinal is a big scared-y cat - she flies off if anyone so much as walks through the dining room. The egg hatched earlier this week, so now when the momma comes to the nest we see a little beak open up and chirp in hopes of food. Every now and then, the daddy cardinal comes to visit and he is brilliant red and very handsome. LJ doesn't care too much about these birds, but RJ and I are enjoying them.

Also about a month ago, we noticed a "weed" in our bed of Lantana (this bed also holds the bush that is currently hosting the cardinal family). Being the lazy gardener that I am, this weed continued to grow until we started to think it resembles a tomato plant (as it has little yellow flowers). We scratched our heads and wondered how a tomato plant could take root in our lantana bed - perhaps a bird brought a seed to this location? We certainly didn't plant it - I don't even like tomatoes! Well, this plant has grown and grown and grown - it has taken over the lantana bed. It is huge - it has lopped over the edge of the bed and is about to start climbing up our dining room window. It produces tons of grape-sized tomatoes that RJ and LJ pick and eat on a daily basis. Production has outpaced their consumption.

I'm hoping that Aunt KJ will enjoy these tomatoes during their visit this week...I know Uncle RJ doth detest tomatoes as much as I, but KJ loves all things fruit and vegetable.

The New "It" Fashion Accessory

In case you didn't get the memo...

Wearing a bib around your neck all day is the newest hip thing to do.

LJ likes to rummage through his diaper bag (which we should call his diversion bag - we rarely change his diaper when out, but this bag holds all the toys and books that we hope will divert his attention while in church or at a restaurant). To be truthful, he now likes to throw the diaper bag off the side chair, thus clearing this chair. Then he climbs up onto this chair and sits there acting as though he has no other plans. Sooner or later, the wheels start turning in his head, he starts to look like someone looks when an idea pops into their head, then he quickly stands, leans onto the side table next to the side chair, whips the lid off of the glass dish that holds the Almond M&Ms and shoves as many M&Ms in his mouth as he possibly can. I've secretly watched him do this. Lucky for me, there are enough distinguishable noises associated with this operation that I can usually get there before he gets the lid off the M&M dish. It is pretty funny to watch a child look at you as you enter the room and move so quickly to shove as many pieces of candy in his mouth as he possible can.

Ok, back to Bib as Fashion Accessory. In rummaging through his diaper bag, he's found his travel bib. He now demands to wear this bib all day. He picks it up and tries to put it around his neck, but he can't fasten it, so it won't stay. This causes him to say "uh-oh" and to continue saying "uh-oh" until you fasten it around his neck. So...he does wear this bib around the house all day. When it is time to eat, he takes the bib that we keep on the high chair and wants that to be around his neck in addition to fashion-accessory bib. This is really pretty funny. He insisted on wearing fashion-accessory bib while on our walk yesterday. So, I'm walking the neighborhood, pushing a stroller which contains a child wearing his bib. Now, when I see parents with kids wearing strange clothes, I'll think differently as to why that may be. RJ said that LJ wanted to wear his bib to story time yesterday, but RJ said, "you can either wear your bib or go in the truck". LJ chose the truck - he has his priorities. He also chose going outside over wearing his bib, so I'm just going to have to make the bib an indoor fashion-accessory.

Say My Name

LJ has said his first name other than mommy or daddy and it is...Unka Wich-ad. Yep, his first name to say was that of Bigbro and LJ has said it several times. We think he's also tried to say Unka Bwi-un, but that one wasn't so clear. We're pretty sure though. Needless to say we've clapped and praised every time and LJ revels in the glory. He's still pretty stingy with his words though.

We had a very enjoyable Memorial Day weekend visiting Unka Wich-ad and his family. J*fer did graduate - good job! I haven't been to a graduation that finished so quickly...1 hour was all it took from start to finish and yes, they called everyone's name. It is so nice to visit cousins because they do such a good job playing with LJ that it is like a vacation for me and RJ. We can relax because there are many people who will help occupy LJ's attention.

And, let me tell you - LJ is getting to be some kind of climber. I was blow drying my hair and I keep the bathroom door open so LJ can run back and forth (he likes to check in every so often). Well, it was awfully quiet for a while, so I peeked out into the living room. LJ was on the dining room table having a ball. He had pulled out the chair, climbed onto the table and apparently knew better than to make any squeals of joy lest he lose his position. I'm sure he was very proud of himself. Since then, he's been climbing his way into many a mess.

We spent Memorial Day itself with Unka Bri-un and Aunt MJ. There was work done on the AC!

Summer school started this week, so I'm busy again, but only until the end of June. We've signed LJ up for water babies again this summer and we have plans to take him to toddler story time at the library starting next week!

Busy, Busy, Busy

For someone on "vacation", I sure have been busy. Of course, LJ keeps himself - and me- busy as it is!

Last week, J*fer came to stay with us for a few days. That was great fun as she went on many walks with us and stayed home with LJ two of the 3 nights she was here. The first night, RJ and I went to see a movie...we decided to see RV in light of our travel trailer. If you like potty humor, you'll love this movie. I'm not a big fan of potty humor, so it wasn't the type of hilarity and hijinks that make me laugh, but it was nice to get out. The second night, Uncle R was here and he and J*fer stayed home while we went to a "work" picnic. It was really nice to have visitors and LJ got to spend time with his future Friday companion.

LJ had a well-visit to the dr. today. No shots - he's current until he's 2. He weighs...35 pounds and is 34 inches tall. I'm waiting for the day that he stops gaining weight and just gets taller. He has been sleeping a lot lately, so I'm thinking...growth spurt. Oh, and he has all 4 of his molars poking through (refer to teething chart if you'd like an illustration). All-in-all a super-healthy little boy.

He was the delight of the nurses at the drs. office. See, we don't let LJ hang out in the waiting room with all the sick people. No, RJ let's him run around outside while I wait with all the sick people. Once they call LJ, I poke my head out and call them in and then we go straight back to the room. Well, today when I called them in the nurse said, "oh, he is the little boy playing outside - he's soooo cute." Then, when the dr. came in the room, she said, "the nurses came and got me and told me that I had to look outside at this cute little boy playing and once I saw him I said, 'I know that little boy', so you had the whole staff admiring your child today."

Wherever we go, LJ provides happiness...aren't you glad you know him ;-)

Word Count

I had a GREAT Mother's Day and I hope that all you mothers and Godmothers out there had a great one too. It was cool and rainy with rumbles of thunder and lightening, so when LJ took his nap (and RJ took one too), I curled up on the couch, opened the window and read my book. Pure heaven! The guys treated me to some nice gifts and an afternoon of window shopping at the kitchen and bath stores. A delightful day.

LJ is not much of a talker, which is odd because I'm sure he is extraverted. But, he's been stingy with the words. He has to have 3 words by the time he's 18 months (which he was yesterday) so that "the state" doesn't worry - and he does have 3 words. He has more actually. His words have to do with labeling right now - no 2 word sentences or anything like that. If he sees something that he knows the word for, he'll say it.

In alphabetical order, LJ's words are:
Cheese
Church
Dada
Dog
Duck
Gogi - we don't know what this is
No
Shh - and he puts his finger up to his lips
Shoe
Truck
Yes

If I forgot some, I'll add them in the comments section.

Summer Draws Near

The last 2 weeks have been kind of busy. Here it is - the end of the semester again! With the end of the semester comes lots of work, but it is over now. I'm off (except for a meeting here and there) for about 3 weeks...until summer school starts. That means more time at home with LJ. Hopefully, that means getting into a routine where we walk in the mornings! LJ loves our walks, but it has been getting a smidge too hot in the afternoons, so transferring those walks to the mornings should suit all involved.

Summer Project: Central AC! I know, I know - we've been saying this for years now. But, we have the unit (keep quiet all you who know we also have another unit that we bought, oh....3 years ago, but decided that unit is not the way to go) AND work has started. I try not to think about all the little details that go along with this project and plan to just smile and be thankful when it is installed. I'm imaging the day we turn it on for the first time...this will be the same day that we program the thermostat. That seems like it is going to be a really great day. Imagine, we can come home from being out of town this summer - and we can have programmed the thermostat to crank up the AC hours before our arrival. The house won't be 90 degrees...if that isn't heaven on earth, I don't know what is.


MJ, LJ, and RJ (after RJ installs the central AC):

Getting Taller

LJ can now reach door knobs - and can grip them with his whole hand. He also has advanced fine-motor skills. We know this because RJ and I have both been locked in the garage in the past 10 days. The garage is really no place for LJ to go (our garage is not one that holds cars...it holds everything needed to fix cars, houses, etc.), so whenever one of us has to go into the garage (to put laundry in the washing machine, for example) we say "I'll be right back" and we go take car of our garage business.

Last week, RJ told me that LJ had locked him in the garage. This means that LJ reached up and turned the little locky-knob on the door. To my knowledge, we do not own a key to the door that separates the garage from the kitchen, but this is not a problem because you can just open the garage door and walk around to the front, unlock the front door and come inside. It worked just this way for RJ because he had his keys in his pocket.

It did not work this way for me. I went out to switch the laundry and LJ locked me out. I did not have my keys in my pocket. I could hear LJ in there turning the door knob back and forth. So, I am pleading and encouraging him to turn the little knob. He keeps trying, but he isn't having much luck. I'm beginning to search my brain for what I will do. Should I go to the neighbor's house to call RJ? But, that means I'm leaving LJ unlistened to for several minutes. Should I try to open a window somewhere? I doubt there are any unlocked. And, if LJ sees me outside, he'll probably throw a fit that I'm outside and I didn't take him with me. Plus, this will lure him away from the door and I'm not sure that is a good idea. I'm in a garage full of screw drivers, saws, and other such supplies...should I try to pick the lock? Saw through the door? All the while, I'm mindlessly saying, "turn the little knob, the little knob - turn it." Finally, I say, "turn the little knob toward the TV" and VIOLA! LJ unlocks the door and I walk in.

RJ thinks it was probably a coincidence. I think LJ totally understood me and followed my directions. Don't doubt for a minute that he doesn't know where the TV is!

Oh, and we now have a remedy for this predicament. I can't tell you what it is - this is the internet you know!

Driving

LJ's first car - the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe - courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa! Of course, LJ loves it. It has taken him a while to decide that moving in the car is ok. Up until yesterday, he'd keep one leg out the door just to be sure it wouldn't start moving. Now, he's all about getting in and holding his feet up so that someone can push him.

We had a very eventful weekend. Saturday, RJ's family came for a day trip and LJ enjoyed (as did we) having Grandma, Grandpa, and his uncles and aunt here. Sunday, we went to visit CP and AP who are at CP's parents' en route to their new home town. That was great fun also as LJ got to play with AP - well, mostly he played with her toys and enjoyed chasing the cat around. Now, we are settling in to the last week of school and trying to get back into the normal napping routine.

In teething news, you'll be happy to know that LJ is cutting both #4s on the top. These are his "first molars" and according to the chart (see post dated Thursday, March 23) he should have cut these at 14 months. Really, he should have all his teeth except for his second molars (which come in, coincidentally at 24 months) and his first permanent molars (which come in at 6 years). Why do I obsess about this? Because this is a lot of teething left to do!

Shopping

LJ is always ready to go somewhere in the car. Which is nice because we can say, "let's go in the car" and he walks right back to the door to the garage and tries to open the knob. It will be a matter of 2 months before he can actually open doors by himself, but that will be the subject of another post. Back to shopping...he will sit in the cart at the grocery store or the hardware store or wherever and is perfectly content to look around and babble about things. He especially loves to see other kids and if there is a baby in a cart and we get close enough, he'll reach out to touch the baby and say, "ooohhh". At the grocery store, he wants to hold and inspect everything before I put it in the cart, but once he's finished, he reaches back and drops it into the cart. So, with some strategic item placing, I can get home without smooshed bread. He's even gotten very good at entertaining himself (ok, I turn the TV on, but ssshhh...don't tell anyone) while I unload the car and put away the groceries.

LJ also LOVES to put things in and on top of things that have wheels and he likes to then wheel this stuff around. So, I've been thinking he would like one of those pretend shopping carts. With a mere mention to his Aunt MJ, he is now the proud owner of a shopping cart and he is enjoying it very much!

Some "Firsts"...

Tap Tap - is this thing on? Is anyone still out there? I know, I know - it has been 2 weeks since the last post and I fear LJ has lost his readership? But as his mother, I'll find a way to lure you back!

Saturday, March 25th marked a first for us - and one I never thought we'd (by we, I mean I) do. LJ and I met up with some of the moms and babies on my message board. A mom who lives a little under 2 hours from us offered to host a gathering and, in total 8 moms and 8 babies born in November 2004 showed up. There are about 150 moms on my message board, but we live all over, so to have 8 make the drive was really neat. The kids played outside (I can't say with each other, but around each other) and then ate lunch and played inside. It was nice to find out that these people really exist and that this message board isn't some elaborate plan to steal my identity.

Friday, March 31 marked yet another first for us...RJ and I left LJ for the weekend. We had a conference that we had to attend (as we are on the planning committee for said conference), so this dilemma has been looming large all year. My mom and my sister came down (along with LJ's cousin CL - my sister's daughter) to spend the weekend with LJ. I wasn't worried about his safety or about him missing us...I knew he was in good hands. Nonetheless, when RJ and I pulled out of the driveway, I had to fight back the tears. Luckily, we were so busy most of the weekend, that I didn't have time to think about it and every time I called the report was that LJ was having a great time! So, that hurdle is over...I don't imagine sending LJ off to spend the weekend somewhere else for a while. Mostly because of all the stuff we'd have to pack up to take to that place...right now, it is much easier to leave him at home - where all his stuff is.

I have come down with a cold...a pesky cold with low-grade fever. RJ was taking the day off to finish working on his truck (we've been a 1-car family for over a month now), so he took LJ up to Aunt MJ and Uncle BJ's for the day (as this is where he's working on the truck). I haven't had a whole day alone in the house in over a year. I've taken a 2 hour nap and am starting to feel better - and that is why you are getting this update!

Night Waking - Teeth

LJ has been waking up a couple of times throughout the night (which has become unusual unless illness is involved) AND he's been waking for the day very early again. The later I attribute to the fact that the time change is looming ahead of us. Whoever invented daylight-savings time did not have young children. Actually, the time change should help...it is getting lighter earlier and I think that is why LJ has been waking up earlier. When we "spring forward" that should take care of that AND when he wakes at 5:45 - it'll be 6:45.

We finally got our explanation for the waking throughout the night as LJ is sprouting a new tooth. It is about time...he's had the same 6 teeth for a long time now. Currently, LJ has both of his central incisors (#1) on the top, both of his lateral incisors (#2) on the top, both of his central incisors (#1) on the bottom and is cutting the right central incisor (#2) on the bottom. According to this chart LJ *should* additionally have his left lateral incisor (#2), the cuspids (#3) and first molars (#4) on the bottom and the first molars (#4) on the top. But, he didn't cut his first tooth until he was 9 months old, so he's slow to cut his teeth. There is no reason to be concerned, but he still has over half his teeth to get, so more teething bouts are in our future!

Honey, Sandy, and the Frog Chair

LJ has had a very nice Spring Break because, with the exception of Wednesday, both RJ and I have been home this week. This means lots of play time and lots of time outside. He loves outside – so much so that one of his words is “shoe” (it sounds like “shh”, but we are pretty sure he is saying “shoe”). Shoes mean he is going outside - in the house he goes barefoot – so he is fascinated with shoes. He puts them on his hands and walks around with them…doesn’t matter whose shoes they are. He brings you your shoes when you want to put them on (it is not always your shoe and it is not always a matching pair). He tries to put his own shoes on and when he gets frustrated, he brings them to one of us.

One of the highlights of Spring Break 2006 was a visit from Grandma, Grandpa, Mom Mom (LJ’s great grandmother), Aunt H (LJ’s great aunt) and Uncle B. They came over for the day on Thursday. LJ went down for a nap around 11:00 that morning and slept until 2:00…this was a rather long nap, but that was OK with me. The family visitors arrived around noon, so they had to wait two agonizingly long hours to see little LJ. He seemed happy to see them all, especially because Uncle B brought him two dogs! No, not real live dogs (thank you for not bringing him a real dog Uncle B!), but two stuffed animal dogs. Blond Labradors – just like the one in LJ’s favorite commercial. We named the bigger dog Honey and the little puppy Sandy. LJ already knows them by name and will go find whichever one you ask him to find. He hugs them and lies on the floor with them. These dogs have been a big hit. LJ was also very excited to see Mom Mom’s walker. He wanted to push it all around – and he did. Mom Mom has a cool flashlight hanging from one handle and Grandma showed LJ how to use his thumb to turn it on and off, on and off, on and off…! There is a basket on the front of Mom Mom’s walker and LJ enjoyed putting things in that basket. I’m telling you, LJ LOVED this visit.

I’ll report one final favorite of LJ’s…he has a new chair with a frog on it. We bought it around Christmas, but “some assembly” was required, so it has been sitting in “the playroom” since then. RJ decided to assemble it and, of course, it is a hunk of junk and required so sanding, gluing, and additional screwing to make it sturdy enough. LJ was interested in all the tools RJ used to assemble the chair and this slowed the process a bit. Once RJ finished it, LJ sat right down on it and has been the king of the living room ever since. LJ usually finishes his dinner before RJ and I, so we take him out of his high chair and tell him to go play. This works with varying success, but usually ends up with him begging for us to pick him up and then he lunges at whatever he sees on the table. Since the new chair has been assembled – I turn on Wheel of Fortune or Lingo and LJ sits in his chair and enjoys the sounds and the clapping…he claps right along! This chair is great!

Who Barks Like a Seal?

...LJ - and it is sad to hear. Sunday morning I was awakened by what sounded like a barking seal. Turned out it was LJ, in his crib, barking and gasping for air. He sounded congested, but no runny nose and he seemed to act pretty normal, so...?

RJ got home in the early afternoon (he'd been out of town celebrating the end of MK's bachelor-hood). Knowing that MK is LJ's Godfather, I am certain that nothing inappropriate happened! I suppose we all have different definitions of "inappropriate"…but we chose the Godfather of our child with the idea that we shared a similar definition of "inappropriate"?! But, I digress...

LJ got worse as the week wore on with the depths of his illness hitting him on Wednesday and Wednesday night. Runny nose, congestion, coughing (which he doesn't know how to do, so it just hits him sometimes and it is very sad to see), and what must be a sore throat. He would not eat or drink much at all. He wouldn’t even take Tylenol – which he usually loves. We were starting to get concerned that he might get dehydrated so we were seriously looking for tears each time he cried (as the lack of tears means you need to get to the hospital).

The dawn of Thursday (after RJ had been up with LJ all night) showered LJ with a thirst that had been lacking as LJ drank 6 ounces of milk and I sighed with relief. LJ then took a 3 hour nap and woke in much better spirits. His nose was significantly less runny and he had a much better appetite.

What really lifted his spirits was a visit from his Aunt MJ and Uncle BJ. They came over for lunch and Aunt MJ brought LJ a new "house" she had made for him. A while back, she made a house out of a cardboard box and LJ loves that thing - even though he is getting too big for it. So, she built him a new house out of a slightly bigger cardboard box, but she went all out decorating this thing. She put a door with a handle in and she printed out pictures of LJ, family, and animals and hung them all around inside. Man, this kid LOVES this house!

New Shoes

LJ got new shoes today. This was kind of emotional for me as he has outgrown his first pair of shoes. Anything that reminds me that he is growing up is an emotional thing for me. I’ve decided that I have to get over this though…I mean this will continue to happen for the rest of his life, so I need to learn to cope with it now. I tried to cope by using my favorite coping mechanism – denial, but I was, shall we say, denied (ha, ha, ha). I thought, “We’ll just buy the same shoe, but in a bigger size and then it’ll be like his foot never grew at all.” Smart, huh? Turns out, his first pair of shoes was a “cruiser” and they only go up to a certain size. His size only comes in “walker” shoes, so I guess the manufacturer decided that, by the time your feet are as big as LJ’s, you really should be walking.

Perhaps you remember seeing his first pair of shoes in an earlier blog, but in case you don’t remember…
Here is his new pair. They are size 6 ½ W. The W stands for wide and this accounts for our inability to find shoes at a place like Target or Wal-Mart. No, LJ’s feet are wide and we have to go to THE shoe store to buy them (READ: they cost more than you think a shoe of this size should cost). His feet kind of look like miniature Paw Paw (my father) feet.
We think a pair of sandals are in order for the upcoming (who am I kidding, it was pretty warm on our walk today) warm weather. This pair seems nice, but we have decided it is better not to buy two pairs of shoes at one time. We need time to recover from the shock.



Sandals or not, you will all be glad to know that LJ’s feet are in well-made shoes and that we are making sure that he has no impediment in his motor development.

Must Love Dogs

LJ is fascinated with dogs. Seriously. Every time he hears a dog bark, he points his finger in the air and says, "wha". He does the same thing with the train and other loud noises. The difference is, when he sees a dog he goes crazy pointing and babbling. When he sees a train, he cries. There is a commercial on TV, I'll call it his new favorite, that comes on right after the opening credits of 90210.

Which reminds me, it seems Kelly Taylor aka "Jenny Garth" has been replaced by Gina Kincaid aka "Vanessa Marcil" as the 90210 girl who gets the most smiles during the opening credits. For those of you unfamiliar with Gina, I present the following...











Now, back to the dogs.

This is a commercial for ordering your dog's heartworm medicine over the phone and having it delivered right to your door. The commercial stars a golden lab that looks up at the phone number on the screen at the end the commercial. This sends LJ right over the edge...he is giddy with happiness every time he sees this dog. Sometimes, he comes over and hugs me when it is over.

I can only imagine what would happen if we actually gave him a dog.

I rented Benji for him to watch...just because there is a dog in practically ever scene...LJ wasn't that interested in Benji.

Does anyone know when the next dog show is on TV? I think that would entertain LJ for a while.

15 Months

Today marks 15 months that LJ has been a part of our lives! In celebration...

LJ had the well-visit to the doctor that most 15-month-old children seem to have. He weighs 31 pounds and some-odd ounces and, the first time around, he measured 31 inches. We watched the nurse measure LJ and it was obvious that she did a haphazard job, so we measured him again once she left the room. They keep the measuring tape in the top drawer, so we do this all the time. According to our measurements…which are taken the same way (lay LJ down on the table, mark the top of his head, stretch out leg, mark bottom of foot, pick LJ up, measure between the lines), LJ is 33 inches. This is a rather big difference and moves him from the 50th percentile to the 97th percentile. He needs credit for these inches as his weight puts him in the 97th percentile. He is starting to look a little leaner in the belly area. LJ received 4 shots at this visit…one of them the dreaded DTP…which includes tetanus. This is the one that causes crankiness for a couple of days and it did not disappoint.

LJ says, “Will you be my Valentine?”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Camping

The Js embarked on the first camping trip in their travel trailer. It has taken us a while to prioritize this trip – and this is the first weekend we have had it planned and no one got sick (thus, preventing us from going). We decided to go to a state park that is about an hour from our house and we decided to make this our destination whenever we are just going away for a weekend trip. This way, we can get there quickly after work, know what to expect when we arrive, set everything up, enjoy ourselves and get home in time to get everything put away on Sunday. This just sounds smart, doesn’t it?

Friday, we left the house around 5:30 and LJ pretty much fell asleep within 20 minutes. A nap at 6:00 pm just won’t do…so, we stopped to pick up dinner and wake him up. This seemed to work well, but we didn’t end up getting to our campsite until about 7:15. Once we got everything set up it was 8:30 and this is a good hour past LJ’s bedtime. He was tired and went to sleep rather quickly…

...and then woke up every hour from 9:00 – 3:00 that night. This was not desirable. Whenever RJ would go to him, he’d pick LJ up and he’d go back to sleep right away, but still – this was not desirable! Sure, LJ was in a new environment and I’m sure this contributed to the insanity, but I think it was mostly a function of his not going to bed at his normal time. Anytime we try to get him to stay up a little later…it always comes with the consequence of a terrible night of sleep. It is just not worth it. I think people think I’m crazy to be so religious about his bedtime, but a parent knows these things and strives to avoid terrible nights of sleep.

Needless to say, we were all exhausted on Saturday. LJ would not nap in this strange environment, so resting was not an option. LJ wasn’t too grumpy with his lack of sleep, but I can’t say that RJ and I weren’t! Actually, tempers were rather subdued considering…! We went for a hike – about 3 miles…half of that I carried LJ (all 30 pounds of him) on MY back in the backpack. It wasn’t so bad and LJ seemed to love it. Then we got an ice cream bar from the park store and LJ had a good time getting bites of that. He thoroughly inspected every inch of our campsite and loved it whenever he’d hear a dog bark.

We decided to go into town to have dinner…I didn’t feel like cooking and LJ was starting to get grumpy at that point. Within 1 minute of leaving the park, LJ was asleep. So, we drove around for 20 minutes to let him get a cat nap and then we woke him to go into the restaurant. He woke up in a fine mood and that cat nap made him pleasant while we ate dinner. We got back to the campsite and everyone was in bed my 7:30. LJ slept fine that night and RJ and I were happy to get almost 12 hours of sleep ourselves! Actually, RJ had a tummy ache in the middle of the night AND he had to go outside to switch propane tanks. It got rather cold because the heater had stopped heating…it was out of propane.

Sunday, we got up, ate breakfast, and packed up. We were home by 11:30 and LJ slept the whole way home. This gave us time to unpack everything and take the trailer back to storage, and still have time to get everything in order for this week.

All-in-all, I give the weekend a 60% on the enjoyable scale. It was our maiden voyage, so we learned a lot about what the processes are, etc. That information is very valuable, so a 95% on the value scale. I think the next camping weekend should earn a higher percentage on the enjoyable scale!

Fear of Trains...

Through effective communication and thoughtful consideration, RJ and I have figured out why LJ is so disturbed by the train all of the sudden. The “all of the sudden” part is what is so puzzling. If you’ve been to our house, you know that a train blows its whistle at least 10 times a day and throughout the night…so, LJ has to have heard the train before this week. Now, whenever he hears the train, he points his finger in the air and gets a very concerned look on his face. The other night he actually buried his head in my lap until that train passed. Last night, he heard the train while he was in the bath tub. He grabbed my arms and wanted to get out…making me very wet in the process.

Turns out, RJ took LJ with him to an auto shop last week. This auto shop is right next to the train tracks. While there and while outside (I think) a train came by…blowing its whistle and looking all big and scary. Now LJ has a visual (way up close) of what it is that makes this noise that he hears. According to RJ, he did not like it and started to cry. This explains why the sound is frightening him “all of the sudden”.

He’s going to have to get used to it because there are few, if any, places to live in this town where you can’t hear the train…and we aren’t planning to move! Surely, with enough instances where the train does not come roaring by so closely…he’ll figure out that there is nothing of which to be afraid?!

Popper Proficient

This one's for you KJ!

As I sat making the grocery list, LJ was playing in the dining room. He likes to look out the window in hopes of seeing the "stray" dog that roams our neighborhood. This dog has been picked up by animal control several times (twice due to my call), but within a couple of days is back on the streets. I can only assume the dog has an owner who picks him up when called, but obviously has no fence. This pleases LJ very much.

Ok, I'm off topic.

LJ likes to carry things around as he wanders around the house and yesterday he was carrying the popper that the Jfys gave him for his first birthday. He carries this toy around a lot, but he doesn't use it for the manufacturer's intended purpose. Sometimes he tries, but he holds it too upright and then it doesn't push well or make the noise. Like I said, I was in the "playroom" making the grocery list and I heard the popping noises that are the tell-tale sign that the popper is being used for the manufacturer's intended purpose. WOW! This is a big deal, so I run to the dining room and there's little LJ pushing that popper. Of course, I gave him more praise then Einstein probably got from anyone in his life, but it was a red-letter day for us.

Later, when talking to LJ's Aunt M, who spent Saturday with LJ while RJ and I both had to work - I found out that she had worked very hard with him...trying to teach him to use the popper. It worked...LJ did not master it on his own, so instead of this being a demonstration of his ingenuity, it is a demonstration of how well he learns and takes direction.

Face Forward

Yesterday marked the first day that LJ has faced forward in his car seat. I believe the "rules" are that the child must: be 1 year old, weigh 20 pounds or more, AND must be 29 inches tall. LJ met all of these on November 14th (his first birthday), but as you recall - he and T-Bone had just been in an accident and LJ didn't seem to mind riding facing the rear. "They" say rear-facing is safer and you should keep them that way as long as you can. This makes me wonder why everyone (minus the driver) doesn't have their seats facing the rear of the vehicle...if it is safer and all? Anyway, LJ wears shoes with increasing frequency and that was making things a little too cramped for his legs when facing the rear. So, I switched him...yesterday.

He seems to lean back a little more this way - which should prove better for car napping. He appears to enjoy being able to see the driver so well...just turn your head at a stop light and there he is...smiling at you. At first he had his legs crossed, but once he realized he had room he reached his little feet out and started rubbing them on the seat in front of him. I wonder how long it will be before he starts kicking it?

Our Weekend

Well, we were supposed to take down Christmas decorations and, in general, find a place for all the stuff that seems to come into this house, but...

RJ got sick :-(

We think he had the flu...but we don't know. He's feeling better now, but Saturday and Sunday, LJ and I had to entertain ourselves (and take care of daddy). In fact, LJ started to miss his daddy so much that he wrote him a note on his new Magna Doodle (you know, the one he sat on...)




Yes, the Christmas decorations are still up. But, we stopped turning on the outside lights on January 6th.

Sit On It

LJ is a big fan of sitting on anything that he thinks looks like it can be sat upon.

Sometimes he makes an error in judgment.

It was understandable when RJ bought attic stairs and housed the box in the living room (we won't say for how long)...I mean, that was a big box and LJ was able to climb on top of it and crawl around. Then, he started to do this with smaller boxes...and yesterday, he sat on his Magna Doodle. It is the travel size. We just got it yesterday.

So, it appears that LJ is moving away from tasting everything as his means of exploration... and is now testing said things for their ability to be sat upon.

LJ's New Year's Resolutions

LJ rang in the New Year with some of his many cousins...actually, LJ did not stay up until midnight, but his parents did! This is an improvement over last year, I believe. I didn't think I'd be able to make it until J*fer volunteered to watch LJ while we continued sleeping - if we'd stay up until midnight. How could we refuse an offer like that?! So, we played games and then flipped between Dick Clark and Regis. I must be getting old because the music on both these shows was terrible...and I think it is the currently-hip music.

LJ has several resolutions this year:

Start talking
Get rid of the crawling callouses on his feet
Grow taller and not just wider (from front-to-back, not side-to-side)
Get Mommy to go for a walk more days than she doesn't
Go to the park more often
Learn to use a fork and spoon
Continue to be a happy boy!

Merry Christmas!

RJ is wrapping presents for me, so I have been sent out of the room! Yea! Computer time with ZERO guilt. LJ is fast asleep and MawMaw is watching The Amazing Race rerun on Game Show Network. MawMaw arrived around 12:30 today and we’ve been going ever since. Out to lunch, LJ’s nap (which is one of the few times this week he’s taken an afternoon nap), getting ready for church, preparing dinner (which was breakfast – Denver Frittata, Bacon, Biscuits and Cinnamon Rolls for dessert – YUM!), eating dinner, making cookies, wrapping presents, and now, updating the blog. Until tonight we had no presents under the tree…we were afraid LJ would unwrap them, but now they are there – waiting for a family to wake up tomorrow! After our immediate family Christmas, we’ll head to LJ’s Aunt M & Uncle B’s house and spend the day with RJ’s family.

LJ went to bed without a fuss and boy, will he be surprised when he wakes up tomorrow…

Merry Christmas from the Js!

Glitch in the Matrix

As LJ sits guzzling his milk – and I do mean guzzling…he sucks down his morning 6 ounces in less than 2 minutes…and rarely stops to breath, I’m pondering what has happened to our “easy to put to bed” baby. On Sunday night, LJ screamed as RJ put him to bed…and that resulted in an hour and a half of work for RJ before LJ succumbed. Monday’s naps went fine and Monday night was normal. Last night (Tuesday) there was more screaming, but RJ got him to sleep within 30 minutes. BUT, last night was punctuated with a 2:00 am and a 4:00 am scream fest. RJ got him quieted down within 5 minutes, but – what the heck?! (See, I told you, RJ is the night time guy, so when he was sick last month…I missed that contribution!)

I’ll admit that we had gotten out of the habit of a bath every night – remember, baths were making him scream. Tuesday night, we did give him a bath and he went to sleep fine. It was probably a fluke, but hey, if I had to wear the same PJs every night to get him to sleep easily – I’d do it. So, we’ll start there…reestablishing a routine that includes a bath. We still had a routine, it just didn’t include a full-on bath every night…some nights it was a sponge bath.

Could he be teething – those 1 year molars?
Question – do all the other teeth have to be in before the molars come in?

Could it just be a phase?
Question – did your children (or children you know) go through entire phases where they didn’t go to bed? I have the feeling I’m not going to like the answers I get to this one.

Could he need fewer hours of sleep? I’m sure he won’t need a total of 15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period forever (including naps, this is about how many hours he gets).
Question – wouldn’t he cut out a nap instead of shorten his night sleep?

More Christmas Preparations

As you know, last weekend was devoted to decorating for Christmas. I’m pleased to report that LJ has not gotten into any mishaps with the additions to the décor, nor has he insisted on too many situations in which he is told, “no, no” and sometimes forcibly moved to a more appropriate location.

With the decorations up and the Christmas music cycling through the CD player, I was able to turn my attention to holiday eats. This starts with making the spiced apple cider that will then be available for warming in the microwave throughout the Christmas season – check! Then I moved to making sure I had all the ingredients to make peanut brittle – check! Finally, I stocked up on the sugar cookie dough and decorations – check!

This weekend I have been making peanut brittle as I have several batches I must prepare for distribution to the neighbors (and for us to have plenty to eat too – good thing I have a dentist appointment in January!). RJ and I have a system that involves his coming in at the last 5 of the 295 degrees and stirring vigorously as I put in the final 2 ingredients…oh, and then he pours the sugary treat onto the prepared surface for cooling. (It is possible that I watch too much Food Network as I think you might actually care about the cooking of peanut brittle.) I have also baked the first batch of sugar cookies and they are ready for us to decorate tonight (after LJ is fast asleep). I’ll save the second batch for closer to Christmas.

So, where is LJ during all this baking…well, I try to squeeze it in while he’s napping. Yesterday, it didn’t work out so well as he woke up at about 220 of the 295 degrees. He played in the kitchen a little, but he could hear RJ rummaging around in the garage for tools to work on a car in the driveway. This made LJ want to go into the garage, but I could not oblige him as I was trying to get to 295 degrees. Eventually, I had to pick him up or chance suffering the permanent scarring that some say comes with not doing so after a certain amount of whining at the legs of mommy. LJ was all too interested in the peanut brittle I was stirring, but I managed to balance him on one hip, stir the peanut brittle, and keep him away from what was probably now 270 degrees of boiling sugar. It is a good thing I am tall!

Saturday night, we had a babysitter over while RJ and I went Christmas shopping and out to dinner. It was a leisurely shopping experience and we purchased a modest trio of age-appropriate toys for LJ’s Christmas.

I am finished with work for 2005 and shouldn’t need to return until mid-January, so look for more frequent updates on this, your favorite blog about LJ.

Goodbye Balls - Hello Bows

We've decorated the house for Christmas - and we've had to make a decision. Do we decorate as always and incorporate LJ into our lives or do we decorate for a toddler and skip the "no, no" all the time. We decided on the later. So, goodbye silver, gold, red, and blue balls - hello red bows. Goodbye train around the tree - hello tree skirt. Goodbye inappropriate decorations that contain small parts and choking hazards - hello everything placed outside of LJ's reach.

It hasn't been so bad - I think LJ is slightly afraid of the tree. He went to bed one night and woke up with a big tree in his living room. He points at it a lot and says, "ohhh..." and when he touches it, he does so quickly and pulls his hand back right away.

And....

This week, he has started walking more than crawling...heck, sometimes he is practically running. So, he is officially a toddler!

Hungry & Sleepy

Last week LJ was not only starving ALL THE TIME, but he was sleepy ALL THE TIME too. Of course, I was paranoid that he was getting sick, but that never seemed to happen. Then I decided this could be a growth spurt (and here we are full circle...growth spurts were a hot topic in our lives this time last year). This poor child could not get enough to eat, but at some point I have to say, "Look, your tummy just isn't that big. You can eat more later, but this is enough for right now." Then he'd cry and crawl over to the table and try to reach his Cheerios. If he couldn't reach them, he'd lie on the floor and wail. So, I'd decide he was tired and put him down for a nap...and sure enough, he's sleep for an hour or more. LJ's clothes still fit, so he hasn't grown at an alarming rate, but I'm expecting to notice a difference.

This week has returned to a more normal eating and sleeping pattern. I don't know how long of a delay there is between eating/sleeping and perceptible growth, but if I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Thanksgiving 2005

The Js had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday and it was a great way to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for in 2005. LJ's MawMaw arrived on Wednesday followed closely by my brother and his family. We set up the travel trailer in the backyard and LJ's cousins had their own place to stay. This was nice in that everyone had a bed and the cousins could stay up late, sleep-in, take naps, etc. LJ had a great time playing with all his relatives and managed to get in all his naps too.

We ate tons of food - I'd say bacon was the favorite...we managed to eat bacon just about every morning!

We watched football...and I was relieved that the score was as close as it was.

We played football - the semi-annual Thanksgiving Bowl. The non-Jfys/former-Jfys vs. the Jfys. In the final play (as the game was called due to darkness) the non-Jfys won (that is my team!).

On Friday, my sister and her family arrived and we had a birthday party for DL. He turned 8 yesterday. We ate some more, played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey (which was not as hilarious as it was 2 years prior), and then ate some more. What a great day!

On Saturday, after the bacon and after a lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers, we (RJ, KJ, RJ and I) went to a movie while the cousins entertained LJ. J*fer was in charge as we are hoping she'll be able to arrange her class schedule so that she can be LJ's Friday companion next year. She did a fantastic job, but unfortunately the movie we intended to see was sold out and we had to settle for a choice made on the fly. It was BORING. This seems to happen to us a lot. We have the opportunity to go to a movie and we end up seeing a dud. Oh well.

The Jfys gave LJ a corn popper (you know, the kind LJ pushes and it pops) and I think LJ will love it when he is walking a little better. People ask me if the noise will bother me...so long as LJ is entertained and not clawing at my legs, his toys can make all the noise in the world! The Lfts gave LJ a little walker and he seems to enjoy it. I can't decide if was ready to start walking more anyway or if the walker has given him more confidence, but his walking has picked up in the past 2 days. He'll walk about 10 steps in a row and then he'll either lose his balance or he'll decide he wants to get there more quickly and he'll crawl! If you hold his hands and walk with him, you're committed to doing that for a while. He'll get pretty mad if you stop before he is ready.

The J family had a great Thanksgiving and hope that you did too!

What a Week...

Last week was perhaps the most horrific week I've known on the home front. You think I am being dramatic, but it was pretty bad. RJ was very sick most of the week and LJ had a cold/ear infection. The congestion and pain kept him up most of the night and RJ (the night-time go-to guy) was down for the count.

So, this left me.

I am not good without some sleep. I am not good during the night. I am a day person. The night depresses me. I am not as good as RJ at getting LJ to sleep when he doesn't feel well. There were nights when RJ had to get up (even though he didn't feel well) to help me. I'd get LJ to sleep in my arms and when I'd try to put him down, he'd scream. If I tried to just sit down, he'd scream. There were many times that we were both crying together. Interestingly, LJ would stop crying as soon as I'd start. RJ took my crying as a signal that I was losing my mind and would get up with him for a couple of hours. Finally, RJ and I had a talk, the result of which made me decide that I needed to change my attitude about the night. So...

We pulled out the sofa bed on the back porch, left the computer on (so that the slide show screen saver was on - LJ loves to look at our family pictures), put the TV remote next to the sofa bed, and prepared for the night. Sure enough, LJ woke up at 10:00 and I was on. I picked him up, we propped up on the bed and he watched the slide show and fell asleep. My mistake - I tried to move him to his crib. He screamed. So, we came back out, but at this time he was wide awake. We watched the slide show, I watched Melrose Place on the DVR, we read books, etc. Then, he tired out again; I rocked him to sleep and tried to sit back down on the sofa bed...screams. RJ woke up and rescued us (it was 1:00). He got LJ to sleep and in his crib by 2:30. We all slept until 5:30, when LJ was up again. I did not cry this night, so I considered it a success...the power of positive thinking.

LJ is on the mend...he's slept like normal the last 3 night and we are thankful. RJ is also on the mend and for that we are thankful - just in time for Thanksgiving!

LJ has started to scream when put in the bath. He used to love his bath and would eagerly chunk his toys in when bath time came. Now, he clings to us and tries to pull himself out. Did this happen to your children or any children you know? What did you do?!

Happy Birthday LJ!

Here it is...the day LJ was born. He wasn't born until 3:52 pm, and at this time last year I had not had my epidural yet...but these are trivial matters.

LJ started out the day by waking at 6:18, but he did let me rock with him for about 20 minutes...while I patted his back and he rested his head on my shoulder. This doesn't happen very often, so I treasured the moment. After he'd had enough of that, I made him is milk. In the morning he drinks 6 ounces (out of a sippy cup) of a breast milk/whole milk mix. He seems to tolerate the whole milk well and is readily accepting it now, so the weaning process has begun. For breakfast, LJ had bananas, cream of wheat and cinnamon toast and now he is playing before his morning nap - which should commence within the hour.

Oh, this morning he took, what I would call, his official first steps...there were 3 of them and he looked like Frankenstein's Monster, but they got him where he wanted to go...from the ottoman to the couch.

So, why am I home? RJ is sick. Has been all weekend. And when I say sick, I mean sick. 102 fever. He was so desperate; we got a baby sitter and spent 3 hours in the walk-in clinic yesterday. That's all I'll say...it isn't my illness, so I'm sure there is some privacy law that I've already violated in recording what I have. But, this gives me time to make LJ's birthday cake this morning.

(I see Lena and KK did this on the previous post, but...)

Please comment if you want LJ to know that you wished him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

One Year Ago...

One year ago tonight, the Js were attending a Lyle Lovett concert...and wondering if we'd make it through before Little Baby J made his appearance. Of course, we didn't know Little Baby J would be a boy. We didn't really have any idea what was ahead of us! It was an exciting time and, looking back, we didn't have any clue how fun, hard, fulfilling, tiring, hilarious, agonizing, amazing, and spectacular the last year would be. We were just happy to be able to attend this concert! I've been reading the early entries - pre-LJ - and it seems like it is impossible that a year has gone by. My baby is about to be 1!

T-Bone

Friday morning - I was excited because I did not have any meetings at work. See, Friday is the only day I don't teach, but it is usually filled with meetings. This past Friday was a rare gem. So, I was being rather leisurely in my morning routine. Decadence of all decadence, I turned off my alarm and let LJ wake me...which he did at 6:45. RJ took him out for garage sales - their Friday morning ritual and I lollygagged while drinking tea, watching news, pumping milk, etc. Toward the end of my lollygagging...as I was transitioning into serious primping for work...I felt insanely nauseous. If I didn't know better, I would think it was morning sickness all over again (but, we know that morning sickness is not confined to the morning...oh, aren't you glad I was blogging during LJ's first trimester?!). I decided I needed to eat some toast and that made me feel well enough to continue. As I'm about to get dressed, the phone rings...

I answer it and it is RJ on the line. He asks me how I'm doing and I reply..."you know, I thought I was going to hurl earlier...I felt really sick." To which he says, "LJ and I are both fine, but we've been in an accident." All calm as can be...so, I ask where they are and head off to go meet them. I did get dressed first...and they weren't far away. All the way there I was thinking things like..."ok, he said they're fine, but there could be blood, so don't freak out if there are cuts"...AND..."I don't know how bad the accident is, but RJ would have driven home if it were a fender-bender"...AND..."My feeling nauseous earlier really isn't a big deal goof-ball, but hey...what if I felt sick right when the accident happened? What if I have an insane amount of mother's intuition?!"

When I got to the accident site, things were pretty much wrapping up. I saw RJ's truck...smashed in from the front...he obviously hit something head on. But, I didn't see the other car. The accident happened on a busy street near our house and in front of our neighbor’s mechanic shop. I went to RJ and took LJ from him...there was no blood on either of them. Then I saw the other car...a KIA SUV...hit dead-on on the driver's side. Her side-impact airbags had deployed. Both vehicles were hooked up to tow trucks, the policeman was finishing up talking to RJ...telling him who to call and when to get the report, that the other driver's insurance was up-to-date, etc. We went over to the other driver...she was not hurt and she seemed concerned that LJ was all right. She had a pink slip in her hand, so this gave me a clue that she might have been at fault. Mind you, I still have not heard what happened yet.

Once we left the scene, RJ filled me in...

He had been southbound in the inside lane of a 4 lane road with a turn lane. There was a truck with a trailer (also southbound) in the outside lane (on his right). This truck was stopped and wanting to turn right onto a side street. The KIA was wanting to turn left onto the road (to go north on the street on which RJ was traveling south). RJ thinks the truck with trailer made her feel like she had to get going because it was waiting for her to move so it would have room to make the right turn (these trucks with trailers need a lot of room I guess). So she pulled out and RJ slammed on/started pumping his brakes and tried not to hit her right in her door, but did just that. Apparently, in the biz...this is called T-Boning someone. Hence...T-Bone! Yep, RJ has earned himself a new nickname...and you have to say it like Krueger on Seinfeld...T-BOOONE.

Upon screeching tires and thudding impact, LJ burst into tears...RJ thinks the loud noise scared him. RJ pulled out his cell phone and made his first ever call to 911. RJ says that LJ was just staring up at him with tears streaming down his face and screaming sobs coming from his mouth...he was probably wondering why daddy was not comforting him and why, in the midst of no comfort, daddy was playing with LJ's favorite toy (the cell phone). Fortunately, there was a policeman behind him (the accident was not too far from the police station) almost immediately. The other car had slid across the intersection and was on the other side of the road...she is lucky she wasn't hit again on her way over. RJ unbuckled LJ and they cautiously exited the vehicle and walked across the street. The other driver was fine, but was crying and wanting to know if the baby was all right. After all was said and done, we did take LJ to the doctor...just as a precautionary measure to make sure everything seemed fine.

So, T-Bone's truck is history...he was looking into buying a new truck anyway, this makes the decision for him!

My mother’s intuition nausea occurred approximately 7 minutes prior to the accident, so I guess it was just garden-variety nausea and not some super-great 6th sense.

Hope you had a less eventful end of last week!

Love,

MJ, LJ and T-Bone

The End of Daylight Savings Time

In the week preceding the time change, be it fall back or spring forward, I start the routine of saying, "this is what it'll look like at (insert time here) next week." The time change is always something to which I look forward. Now that there is a toddler in my life, the end of daylight savings time is something that I feared. Feared is a strong word, but it accurately expresses my emotion. Sleep is a tenuous thing with a toddler. Many things can disturb the routine...teething, over stimulation, "growth spurts", and other seemingly small events. I can't imagine that gaining a whole hour would not have an affect. LJ usually goes to bed by 7:30, but this will be what he's previously known as 8:30, so he should be tired and this would be good. BUT...think about the morning. He usually wakes up between 6:30 and 7:30, but this will now be 5:30 - 6:30...not good. But, LJ seemed to get through the transition without a hitch. He went to bed a little later the night of the switch and slept all the way until 7:00 (8:00 in the time to which he was accustomed). The next day he refused his afternoon nap, but I wasn't home (RJ was), so I didn't have to suffer through that one. Obviously, this led to an early bedtime, but he slept until 7:30 the next morning and all has really been fine since.

I (and I think RJ agrees) am having a tough time with the time change. It gets dark so early and I get tired when it gets dark! I'll be really tired and I'll look at the clock and it is 6:45...WHAT?! I still have at least 2 hours before I can go to bed! I'm exhausted at the end of the day!

Is daylight savings time really necessary?

Give the Cup to Mommy

We thought we were such good parents, or LJ was such an obedient boy, or some combination of the two.  When we first started to give LJ water in a sippy cup, he’d drop it off the side of his high chair when he no longer wanted it.  We “worked” on this and thought he understood “give the cup to mommy” as eventually he started handing it to me when he was finished.  Well, that is so over.

Now, LJ doesn’t just drop the cup off the side as though he is musing the effects of gravity…no, he throws it and he puts some english on it too.  There is no in-between time either.  He’s either drinking from his cup or chunking it.  Where did the comprehension go?  Was it ever there?  Were we just fooling ourselves into thinking that he was “obeying” us?  Is this a boy thing or a toddler thing?

On the off chance that he just wants to test me, I’ve decided to stop reacting to it.  Maybe with no reaction from me, he’ll decide it isn’t worth it.  I am contemplating not giving him the water cup once he chunks it…unless he points at it on the floor and screams (which he does a lot now), but then I think of how thirsty I would be if I were eating what he’s eating and I cave and offer him a drink.  For a brief moment we share a connection as I provide for his need, then he rips the cup out of his mouth and wildly throws it to the floor.  And, you know how I feel about that.

Now THAT Was Funny!

Well, I don’t know what is going on with you Little Baby J fans…the 90210 pictures were funny (I thought), yet no comments?! What does a blogger have to do?!

I’m home early today so that RJ could attend a meeting this morning. So, I’m catching up on some home things while LJ is taking his morning nap. Just thought I’d check in (oh, and chastise you for not commenting in a L O N G time)!

Have a most excellent weekend.

Feel the Music

Little LJ is a dancer. If he hears music, he's dancing. It started with a side-to-side motion with his head and upper body, but now he bounces his knees and grooves to the tune. I have to say, we didn't teach him this and we don't dance around the house...he just picked it up. I guess dancing is a natural thing that humans just "do". Oddly, he even dances when RJ or I are singing...so he can tell that we are not just talking (neither of us sing well). This is amazing.

His favorite "songs" to which to dance:
The 90210 Theme
The Melrose Place Theme

I also have to add that, LJ watches the TV while dancing to these theme songs and I think he is clearly enamored of Jennie Garth. When her picture comes on, he looks at me and smiles really big. Maybe he thinks that it is me on the TV...not that I look like Jennie Garth, but he is only 11 months old. I am relieved that he does not do this when Tori Spelling is on...she looks a little odd to me.

Oh, and don't worry. He really only watches the opening credits to these shows...after that, he is playing. I realize there will come a time when I will have to watch these shows without him as he will reach the age of more understanding. Until then...dance away little LJ!

For those of you who did not follow 90210 and/or Melrose Place, I present the following:

Jennie Garth (on the right) (That's Tiffani-Amber Theisen on the left AKA Valerie)













Tori Spelling
















So, now you are in "the loop"!

Splish Splash

LJ has graduated to the bathtub. Yes, he is almost 11 months old and he has just started taking a bath in the bathtub in the last few days. See, things were working out just fine when we bathed him in his little tub in the kitchen sink. He’d play with whatever toy we put in his hand and RJ would scrub him clean all while standing up relatively straight. So, why mess with a good thing? The good thing had been getting more complicated. It started with a little thing – like LJ wanting to play with the sink stopper. Big deal…we let him play with it. Then LJ wanted to play with the dish brush. We let him play with that. We’d chuckle as LJ would play with the squirt hose…”oh, isn’t it hilarious how he puts that in his mouth?! He’ll sure be surprised it he actually sprays it while it is in his mouth” – ha, ha, ha! All the while, the adults are sparing themselves the agony of having to crouch over the edge of the bathtub. We decided we’d need to transition when LJ turned on the garbage disposal. It was no big deal…it’s not like he is sitting in the sink. He’s in a tub which is sitting in the sink. But, LJ was getting to nosey for the kitchen-sink bath, so we switched him to the bathtub.

LJ loves his bath! He chases his rubber ducky around and dumps water out of his cups. He doesn’t cry at all when I pour water over his head to wash and rinse his hair. He really couldn’t be more pleased. I, however, am fed up with the bat mat. We haven’t had one before, so I bought the one with 21 suction cups…guaranteed to stick to the bottom of the tub. Whatever. It looks like LJ is on a flying carpet. I’m constantly trying to shove those suction cups onto the bottom of the tub.

With the new bathing location come two changes to the night-time routine. First, LJ takes his bath at 7:00 and is in bed by 7:30. We’d been thinking he needed to go to bed a bit earlier anyway and with the need to be in a better mood for the bathing experience, we moved everything up ½ an hour. Second, I am doing the bathing now. Previously, RJ had bathed LJ almost every night. I’d step in on a handful of occasions – usually when RJ wasn’t at home, but RJ bathed LJ for 11 months! He still gets him ready for his bath and puts him in his pajamas, but I do the playing and scrubbing. I guess we are starting a new era in LJ’s life!

Lazy Weekend

The Js had a pretty lazy weekend, but that is good. We haven’t had a “break” for a while. Needless to say, the bathroom did not get finished, but to be finished, RJ is down to painting the doors and baseboards. That is pretty darn close!

Saturday night, LJ had a babysitter. She got here in time for us to make it to church before heading out to the film festival. The festival itself was about how we imagined it would be, so it did not disappoint. But, one of the films was replaced by another as the rights had been sold or something to that effect. This other film was 80 minutes – replacing the 35 minute originally slated for the last slot of the evening. RJ and I had to leave early as we told LJ’s sitter we’d be home by midnight. Frankly, I was pooped anyway! LJ was his usual great self and the sitter said it was the easiest babysitting job she’s ever had.

The next morning, we went out for breakfast and then all seemed pretty tired. So, LJ went down for his nap and then RJ and I went down for ours. The entire J family napped from 9:30 – 11:30 on Sunday! Then we decided to go to another church’s bazaar for lunch – we had yummy bar-b-q. That afternoon we just lazed around and played together.

It was a great weekend.

LJ has started standing without holding onto anything…not for too long, but he did it several times yesterday. Walking seems to be on the horizon!

Looking Forward to the Weekend

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.

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.

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!