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.

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.

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!

LJ and the Number 2

When LJ wants to tell you he has or wants 1 of something, he holds his finger up like this:

When LJ wants to tell you he has or wants 2 of something, he holds his fingers up like this:

and we laugh everytime!

LJ-isms

LJ talks - A LOT - and he says some pretty funny things sometimes. One of my favorites has to do with potty training. LJ is flat-out not interested...not only is he not interested, he just plain won't do it and we are not compelled to force him into it right now. On top of that, everything we read says that you don't want potty training to be a battle of wills. Add to that, everyone who has recently potty trained a child has told me not to sweat it - when they are ready - it'll happen really quickly. We are, however, trying some tactics. We've put a glass jar of M&Ms on the bathroom counter and told LJ that he can get candy by 1) sitting on his potty without his diaper (1 piece), 2) going pee-pee in the potty (2 pieces) or 3) going poo-poo in the potty (3 pieces). We figured LJ would at least want to sit on the potty ALL THE TIME. Nope...not interested. In fact, LJ tells us, "I not want candy". Whenever we change his diaper, we tell him, "if you'd have gone pee pee in the potty, you could have had 2 pieces of candy" - or whatever the situation dictates. Whenever we ask him why he doesn't want to go to the potty - he says, "be-cause, it makes me sad". ???? I have no idea what this means and he can't explain it, so I'm pretty sure it is just something he's heard me say (when he misbehaves sometimes, I tell him it makes me sad - depends on what he's done).

Whenever LJ does something that I don't want him to do and I ask him why he did it - his response is, "be-cause, I said no". ???? Once again, this is something he's heard me say, I'm sure...sounds like me anyway. I write "be-cause" because LJ separates it out like this and it sounds hilarious!

In other news, RJ and I were very busy this past week - with a professional conference we have been planning. 75 people came from all over the state and some from other states. This is 35 more people than came 2 years ago when we hosted this conference. It was successful, but tiring and we are glad it is over. Now, I can actually be on maternity leave - I have been working from home quite a bit as the conference required my attention. Luckily, Jfer was able to babysit both boys with no problems (although, I think she is sure she isn't interested in being the mother of 2 for a while) as LJ was supposed to go stay with Aunt M and Uncle B, but they had to cancel. He was disappointed, but got over it quickly as Jfer managed to play with him quite a bit and keep PJ content.

PJ is doing just great. He has a touch of baby acne right now, but is still as cute as ever. We are debating the pacifier again. He gets rather grunty in the late afternoon and night - and once he passes his gas, burps or other things of this nature, he'll settle a little. I let him suck on my finger sometimes and this seems to help him. So, we're trying to decide if we want to give him a pacifier. We'd like to restrict it to night/bedtime only as we think we'd have issues with LJ if he sees PJ with a pacifier...we'll let you know what we decide.

2 Week Stats

PJ had an appointment with the dr. this morning. He was a very good boy and didn't even get too upset with the heal prick for the PKU test. His stats: 11 lbs. 4.5 oz. and 22 inches long. So, he's eating well and growing just fine. We knew this as he's had the proper number of wet/dirty diapers a day - but, I can tell you that you stop counting these things and just "ballpark it" with the 2nd child. (Chrissy, I'm still keeping my nursing log, so I'm not totally relaxed with #2)

While we went to the dr., LJ went to the neighbor's for a play date. There is a 4-year-old girl who lives behind us and LJ loves to go play with her. I don't know that they "play" together too much, but she has a Dora doll house and this pleases LJ immensely. He still has to spend time in the naughty chair on a daily basis, but he seems to be adjusting to PJ just fine. I think his naughty chair time is a combination of his age + our cracking down on behavior and less a product of PJ.

LJ still naps from about 1:00 until 3:30 or so every day. PJ usually sleeps a bit (sometimes a long bit) during this time as well...so I'm able to get a few things done. Yesterday, I even fell asleep for a while myself.

All-in-all, we are doing great!

1 Week

Tomorrow will mark 1 week since PJ joined our family - for the most part it has been pretty darn good! He is a fairly easy baby so far - he nurses well (although he and I are working diligently on his latch...he doesn't want to open his mouth very wide and this is causing some problems), he isn't too fussy (except late in the afternoon, as was LJ at this age), after the second night home from the hospital, he started going back to sleep easily after nursing at night (knocking on wood). All-in-all, we're managing fine. RJ and I are on rotation at night. He is up with PJ, if he's fussy, until 3:00 am (I still have to get up to feed him though - but RJ sits with me and we hang out and watch TV) - and then I'm on duty if PJ is fussy from then on. This has worked well so far. We've all gotten out of the house a few times and it hasn't been overwhelming - I haven't tried it by myself yet. I have to say, if I had known then what I know now - having just LJ to take care of when he was an infant wouldn't have caused me so much anxiety!

LJ seems to like PJ quite a bit. When PJ cries, LJ says, "its ok, its ok" and he tries to share his toys with PJ. Sometimes, he'll lay a book on PJ's lap so that he can look at it. I think they'll enjoy playing together...one day! LJ likes to have PJ hold his hand and so far there haven't been any malicious actions toward the new addition. LJ's behavior - well...he's been in "boot camp" the last two days. He has to "mind mommy and daddy" or he goes to the naughty chair - on the first offense. He was going crazy - I'm sure PJ is an adjustment for him, but everyone who has come to visit has giving LJ a gift - and this has gone to his head! One day of boot camp made a noticeable difference, so we're hoping this is short-lived.

I'm doing well - as well as can be expected for someone who had a 10 pound baby! This time around, I'm not experiencing the 'baby blues' so much - I get emotional about 1x a day and it is usually when I'm having to put LJ in the naughty chair. I know he is likely misbehaving to get attention and that makes me feel badly for him, but I also know that, in the long run, he'll enjoy having a brother. I've been very happy that RJ has been home from work all week - he's been working from home a bit and he'll be going in for a couple of hours a day starting Thursday...but, I've really enjoyed having him home.

We are grateful to have such great family and friends...people have been so kind to wish us congratulations and tell us how adorable PJ is ;-) It was so nice that my nieces SJ and JJ came to stay with LJ while we were in the hospital - it is hard to imagine that they are so grown-up as to come to my aid when needed! SJ - LJ has loved his chocolate cake - you did a great job with it!

The Story of PJ's Birth

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 - Happy Birthday PRJ!

I woke up around 7:00 am and got LJ out of bed and watching Curious George on tv. I wasn't feeling well - I'd had a sinus headache for the past 2 days and it was starting to get old. I was also having some contractions, but I'd been having them for an hour or two here and there the past couple of days. I just didn't feel good and I started to cry (this happens when I get sinus headaches - it is actually good because it gets the pressure out of my sinuses) - RJ suggested I stay home from work, but I thought I'd rather go and have the distraction. But, I piddled around waiting for the contractions to ease up and they never did. We timed them and they were 7-12 minutes apart, but they did not ease up (in fact, they got worse) with walking. Around 8:30, I called the Dr. to see if I could reschedule my 2:00 appointment that day for earlier. I got in at 9:00. So, we put the hospital bag in the car (just in case) and took LJ to the neighbor's house.

Dr. examined me - said I was 4 cm, but the head was right there, so she'd call the hospital - go there. I got checked in - had the best nurse EVER. The dr. said she'd come break my water at lunch time, if it hadn't broken on its own. I decided that I'd wait for the epidural until then, but instructed the nurse that, when she saw the dr. with the hook in her hand, the anesthesiologist better be on his way! At lunch time, I was at 5cm - dr. broke my water and I got my epidural after suffering through only 3 contractions after my water broke. 2 hours later, the dr. called and told the nurse to check me and hook up the Pitocin. The nurse checked me - I was fully dilated and ready to push. So - NO PITOCIN - YES!!!!! The nurse had me push once and then said - to stop, the dr. needed to be told to come now - I was 2 -3 pushes away. The dr. took 25 minutes to get there, so I just laid there ready to have this baby, but waiting for the dr. We were talking, and every time I'd laugh, the nurse would say - "don't laugh - it is making the head come out more" - she, of course, loved that I had such a good attitude throughout the delivery. ;-) The Dr. arrived; I pushed 2x and out came PJ. The 2nd push, the dr. told me to stop as the shoulder was coming out really quickly, but I tore anyway - you were expecting this with a 10lb baby, right?! The tear isn't too bad though. The dr. and nurse both said that PJ was a BIG baby, but - I guess we're so used to seeing LJ that an infant looks small to us. They were right - 10 lbs even. 21 1/4 inches. Brown hair - lots, but not as much as LJ had.

I think the delivery went as perfect as it could have for me...I went into labor on my own, I had no Pitocin, I got an epidural for what I think would have been the pain I have no interest in experiencing, it went rather quickly, and PJ is a healthy baby BOY (which I secretly wanted - now that LJ has a brother, I can be happy with a girl or boy next). I'm feeling fine - sore and tender, but fine.

We'll send a picture soon!

Still Waiting...

Over the weekend, it seemed that going to the hospital was imminent, but as we got to Sunday night, it seemed like just another end to the weekend/beginning of the work week.

We went to do yet one more batch of laundry at the Laundromat...still waiting for that part to come in. Estimates show it'll likely be here no later than Wednesday. This is good as the "fun" of going to the Laundromat has worn off.

I'm having contractions, but nothing regular and very few "painful" enough to fit the "real labor" category I've heard about. I can tell you this - getting to 3cm without Pitocin is 100% preferable over getting there "naturally". That Pitocin is wicked stuff and I'm glad not to be on it right now. Come Friday, with no active labor, they'll hook me up, but I'll also get my epidural, so I won't mind it so much (I suppose).

What is with all the girl predictions?!!?

The Dr. Says...

I am dilated to 3cm, but she couldn't feel the head down there (although she says the baby is head down), so...we scheduled an induction for next Friday should things not happen on their own between now and then. I'm to see her in the office on Wednesday, should things not happen on their own between now and then.

My joy of getting to 3cm is somewhat muted. The Dr. days I can have my epidural...just as soon as they get my IV in and get my lab work back (apparently, they won't take my chart's word for it that my blood type is what it is...they type it again to be certain - READ: they don't want to incur any liability by trusting a chart)...uhm - if things progress quickly, this could be a lot of time passing before I get my epidural. I'm not happy about the prospect of 1) not showing up to the hospital until I'm having contractions which are 5 minutes apart, 2) them having to do some stuff before I get my epidural and, therefore 3) getting to even more uncomfortable and painful parts of labor before that dude shows up with the sweet elixir of pain relief. But, what can I do about it? I suppose I could go the hospital now and REFUSE to leave, but somehow, I bet they've dealt with that kind of woman before.

LJ is doing well - he talks about the baby all the time, so I hope he really is ready to be a big brother. We are having a cake (with Dora decorations - thanks Aunt K) and LJ and the baby will exchange presents when we get home from the hospital...surely that will buy a few moments of love!

Ok - guesses as to weight (I'll tell you that the Dr. says, "this baby is not small"), length, gender...

Updates - (and Easter, Part 2)

Easter, Part 2

Easter weekend was rather cold (as it was for most dedicated readers of this blog) and we had sleet on Saturday. But, we trudged outside on Sunday and LJ did a great job of finding the 6 plastic eggs the "Easter Bunny" hid for him. Church wasn't too much more crowded than a normal Sunday (at least not in the cry room) and, despite answering, "No" when asked if he loves Jesus - LJ had a great day. He understands that Jesus loves him, so we're working on his loving Jesus.

Updates

Due date - April 21, so 5 days. We do have the cradle set up (this is new to #2, we did not have a cradle for LJ) and the non-gender-specific baby clothes washed. I have not packed my hospital bag - I will...soon. We made it through the weekend and RJ being away at a wedding (best man duties). We even made it through a last minute change of plans that left me at home - alone - with LJ for several hours both days RJ was gone. Thankfully, Aunt K and Uncle R were in town and provided me with the support I needed for "just in case" I have to go to the hospital.

I have been having some contractions, but nothing regular and nothing unbearable. I go to the dr. on Friday and we'll see how I'm progressing. My dream is to get to 3 cm just living life, to make it up to and past the due date, to go in to be "induced" to hasten the progress, but since I'm already 3 cm - to immediately get my epidural. Ah - what a dream!

Oh, but - the washing machine is broken. The repair has required RJ to take it totally apart to diagnose the problem. He has ordered the part and we are waiting for it to come in...then RJ has to put it all back together again. So, with LJ - I wanted to go past my due date to attend a concert...with this one, I want to go past my due date so we can make sure the washing machine is operable before bring another "dirty clothes maker" home. My how things change! Today, Jfer was over as RJ and I both had a meeting to attend a meeting. We went ahead and took our clothes to a Laundromat that has a restaurant connected...with a light board that shows when your washer/dryer is finished. We washed, dried, folded our clothes and ate lunch within an hour and 1/2...pretty good deal!

Easter 2007 - Part 1

Last weekend, we decided to be brave and attend the city's Easter Egg Hunt. It rained on Friday night, so we thought that might dampen the crowd, but I'd hate to have seen how many people would have shown up had they not decided the soggy ground was too much. It was crowded. We got there in time for the egg hunt - which was divided into "classes" and LJ's class was 3 and younger. This hunt amounted to a huge bunch of eggs in the middle of a small field with all kids 3 and younger (and their parents) surrounding he pile. A horn blew - from a fire engine, think - and the mass started to gobble up the pile of eggs. After about 5 seconds of trying to work their way to an egg, RJ decided to abandon the idea and we headed over to tour the fire truck...no one was over there since everyone was worker their way toward each other while picking up the big pile of eggs. LJ loved the fire truck - he got to get in it and sit in the seat and climb all over the place. He also got a red fire hat and he has enjoyed wearing that - and taking it places with him. He had no interest in the ambulance and refused to set foot in it. After touring the fire truck, we got cotton candy - which LJ enjoyed very much...at 10:30 am...and it was off to have his picture taken with the Easter bunny. I told LJ that every picture of me with the Easter bunny or Santa or any such figure, shows a little girl crying, but we could give it a shot. We are now the proud owners of a picture of a little boy, not only crying, but lunging to get out of the Easter bunny's lap. For some reason - hormones, I'm sure, this caused me to tear up as well. Nothing like crying, not being able to stop, and not really knowing why you are crying.

After the Easter celebration, we headed over to the open house of a local animal clinic - and when I say animal clinic, I mean ALL types of animals, small, large, exotic, etc. This place was PACKED, but LJ enjoyed petting different breeds of dogs, a goat, a chicken, and a kangaroo. He proudly exclaimed, "I pet a goat" for many days to come.

By this point, I was exhausted from all of the walking around (which really wasn't all that much for normal human standards, but for 37 weeks pregnant and puffy - it was a lot) - my feet hurt and I wanted to go home and collapse on the couch...which I did. Our neighbors had invited us over for dinner that night, so we went. It was fun, but difficult to chase LJ around an unfamiliar environment while we were trying to eat. At his own home, he knows the limits - somewhere else, not strapped in, he is going to test. He talks about their girl all the time, yet - when they are around each other, they don't really play together...she's 4. But, she does have a baby sister who is 4 months - now LJ thinks all babies live next door. He is in for a shock.

On Tuesday, we took LJ to Big Brother Day Camp at the hospital. It is a one-hour tour which shows him where I'll be when I deliver - they let the kids play with the bed...up, down, etc. They also get to look at the babies in the nursery. It winds up with a video (rather silly, if you ask me - the "funny guy" is just silly) which "teaches" you how you can help with the baby. They showed this video in the staff lunch room, so there are tables with salt, pepper, Tabasco, etc. all around. The other kids sat on the floor and stared at the video...LJ - he wanted to sit at the table...and try to get the salt, pepper, Tabasco, etc. Plus, there are kids around - why watch TV? So, he'd crawl up to a kid and say, "hi". They wouldn't respond, so he'd say, "hi" again. I don't know why a child wouldn't say "hi" back? LJ did get a back pack with some stuff in it and he looked so cute wearing his back pack and walking around the hospital.

I'm growing more uncomfortable every day, but health-wise I'm fine...still puffy, but everything else looks good, so there are no worries.

Swelling Same - Blood Pressure OK

I admit it - last week I had a panic attack on Wednesday. I just felt like my heart was thumping really hard in my chest, so I wanted to take my blood pressure, but I had no way to do so. This caused me to semi-panic. Plus, I was pretty tired, so that didn't help with the anxiety. RJ came home at lunch time (I was supposed to go "guest lecture" in someone's class and didn't feel up to it, but it is known that RJ and I are both versed in said topic, so no one minds who they get when they book one of us - so I asked RJ to go instead. Standing and talking for 2 hours seemed like more than I could handle - LJ sounded easier to me that day) - and I told him I was worried. Eventually, he went out and bought a blood pressure monitor. That day, my top number was mostly in the 140s, but my bottom number was in the 80s or lower. So, what the heck do you do with that? Seriously, which number matters more? If I go by the top number, I'm hypertensive. If I go by the bottom number, I'm normal. After resting all during LJ's nap, the top number was in the 120s and the bottom number normal. Thursday, my swelling seemed to be down somewhat and my BP was a tiny bit high, but not too high for me to worry.

Then came Thursday night...

I woke up for my 4th trip to the bathroom at around 3:00 am. I couldn't fall back asleep and I just didn't "feel right". I felt like there was a lot of pressure in my head and the baby was flutter kicking - which this one doesn't seem to do...this one is a "roller". So, I get up and decide to go check my BP - it is 148/87 - ok, I've been resting for 5 or so hours...I can't really get more rest than this and my BP is elevated. What the heck? I get a drink (of water) and wait about 10 minutes and take it again...127/65. Ok, at this point, I've decided there is no use. I don't know what to do with this information anyway - so why have it? and I go back to bed.

I saw the dr. the next morning. She said that taking my BP is fine, but only worry (and call her) if the bottom number is above 90 3x in a row. Ok, now I know what to do. In waiting for her to come into the exam room, I had the need to go to the bathroom (I had already left my urine sample) and on that trip I peeked to see if my sample was still in the "wall safe". It was, with the dip stick already done. So, I matched the green - protein test and the blue - glucose test to the colors on the bottle of chemicals and already knew that I had neither in my urine when she told me. See, I could be a doctor! Or, I could at least do that urine test. All of this to say, she didn't seem any more concerned than she was earlier in the week, nor did she seem any less concerned. She just seemed concerned that I was panicking.

You know, I think I'm more worried about this pregnancy than I was with LJ. You would think it would be the other way around. But, with LJ, I had no idea what to expect, so for all I knew, everything was normal. This time around, if it isn't like it was with LJ, I think something is wrong. Think how I'll be at the hospital!

So, for now - I'm just trying to rest and WOW am I tired today. I don't know why it is like this some days, but today is a day that I have little energy. I don't know if LJ senses this and that is why he is being rambunctious or if he is being normal and it just seems rambunctious to me? RJ is on his way home from an overnight bachelor party. He is the best man, so he had to plan it and go. We've known this for a long time and I'd mentally prepared to be at home - 37 weeks pregnant...with a 2 year old and on semi-bed rest, but you can't mentally prepare for such a physical impossibility!

Many of you have sent e-mails to me - expressing your empathy, sympathy, directives to rest, etc. I appreciate them all and I do plan to reply...but my leisure time on the computer is compromised as I must rest while LJ is napping - and LJ's nap time is my leisure computer time. So, I'm not ignoring you - I just have to rest!

Dr. Threatened Bed Rest...

Medical information follows, so don't read if you don't want to know!

Well, it wasn't really too threatening, but...

In the last few days, my ankles - and then hands - and then, yesterday, face have been (what I consider) alarmingly swollen. So, I decided to go ahead and see the Dr. even though I have an appointment on Friday. I wanted to be assured that my blood pressure is not high and that there is no protein in my urine (these are symptoms of preeclampsia). My blood pressure is a bit high for me - I'm usually 110-120/70-80. Yesterday, I was 130/90. The Dr. said she wouldn't worry about it until the bottom number is 100 - that would be too high for me. No protein in my urine - yea! But, I've gained much more weight in 2 weeks than is "possible" and she agrees that I am pretty swollen...which for sure indicates fluid retention.

Through some discussion, in which I convinced her that going to work in the morning is much less physically stressful than being home with a 2 year old, we came to compromise. I can still go to work in the AM - unless my blood pressure rises. When I'm home in the afternoon and LJ is napping - I have to lay down the whole time - on my left side (this allows the kidneys to process fluid more efficiently - so they say). I had to promise to call if I get a headache, see flashes of light or get dizzy. If my condition doesn't worsen, she'll go with this "schedule", but if it worsens - she says we have to get a sitter and I have to stop working.

OK, so - this is kind of the worst thing that's happened while pregnant...I'm not sure how serious it really is. Since my blood pressure is ok and I don't have protein in my urine - I'm thinking it is "ok", but I need to take it easy.

Yesterday, this worked fine - LJ napped for 3 hours, but played in his crib before and after sleeping for about another hour...so, this netted me 4 hours of laying on my left side. He's a good sleeper...thank goodness! My swelling did go down. But, with a trip to the library and the pharmacy, I was swelled up again. At the pharmacy, by blood pressure was 112/72 - who knows how accurate that is, but it can't be THAT inaccurate, right?! My pulse was 76...this is high for me - my pulse is usually 50 - 60, but I was having to keep LJ from putting things from the shelf into the trash can, so I imagine this might raise my pulse.

This morning - puffy feet, puffy hands, puffy eyes.

Daylight Savings Time (and more)

We've officially lost the hour - the hour "they've" decided to take from us earlier than usual this year. Sure, it is great that LJ slept until 8:00 this morning, but since it was really 7:00 - it is no big deal. One good thing is that LJ seems to know when it is "light enough" to call for us, so maybe he'll sleep until 7:30 or so...for this week. Then he'll adjust and it'll be back to normal I'm sure. It is nice that DST ushers in Spring Break this year...it makes the change much less pronounced.

Speaking of Spring Break - we have a few projects lined up. First, we need to complete "the move". I believe that will begin to happen today. (Yesterday, RJ worked on a car) This part of the move will be a big mess as we have to take everything out of our closets, RJ has to build some shelves and decide on the way to maximize space in the closets, then we have to put things back in the "appropriate" closet. LJ will love the activity and it is likely that there will be articles of clothing we will never see again as LJ will "put them away" somewhere.

We were going to put a fence up between us and our neighbors (that is sure to make a statement) - who are college students...the 4th group to live there since we moved in. The fence is designed to be 1) a visual block so we won't see their slovenliness, 2) a noise block and 3) a trash block as they aren't real good at not putting trash in their yard?! But, this project will not happen this week as it will take 14 days for the fence materials to come in - once they are ordered...and they are not ordered. Along this same line - we are going to fashion a sort of "storm window" which we hope will help with the noise...not only of the neighbors, but of the trains that come through all the time.

There are other projects, but I won't bore you with all of those details.

I am not sleeping well, cannot get comfortable most of the hours of the day and night, am tired and puffy, and have heartburn all the time, but - hey this is par for the course at this point, so everything seems to be normal.

LJ loves his new shorts and t-shirts which I bought at the re-sale shop. I think we are finished with the heater this season as we've had our AC on for about 2 weeks now. It is pretty warm outside, so I decided I'd better get LJ his "summer" wardrobe while I still can. We went to the "new" park yesterday. The "old" park was very crowded, so we went to the park at the school near our house...very fun and LJ ran himself to tired-ness...which is a good thing for a 2 year old!

Mission Complete

We did it. We moved rooms over the weekend. RJ and I are now in the room connected to LJ's and our room has become the guest room/part play room. We put some of LJ's toys in there and he has been playing with them. Now, that room awaits LJ's crib and rocking chair, but that won't happen for a couple of weeks. First, RJ has to do some closet remodeling and we have to move our closets over. Plus, we are all still getting used to going into the correct room for the correct reason. I haven't accidentally gone to our old room after one of my many middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom, so that is good! We can hear every little sound LJ makes though - he currently has a bit of a cough and he wakes up anywhere from 5:30 - 6:30 in the morning...and coughs, sings, and otherwise entertains himself until 7:00 - when he's allowed to get up. Of course, he can't tell time, but he really doesn't call for me until close to 7:00 - and, if he's awake - I don't make him call for me to come...I go in at 7:00 to get him. I guess we've trained his internal clock well?!

#2 is causing me lots of heartburn lately. When LJ was born with so much hair, many people asked me if I'd had a lot of heartburn with him. I did not know this, but it is apparently an "old wives' tale" - heartburn during pregnancy = baby with lots of hair. I don't recall having A LOT of heartburn...certainly not as much as I've had this time around. So, if there is any truth to this, this one will have shoulder length hair at birth. Hmm...in trying to find an interesting link to this myth, I've discovered that studies have been done that show it just might be true...I guess I'd better practice my braiding.

People are starting to voice their opinion regarding gender - so, if you care to weigh-in - be my guest!

8 Weeks Until...

...the newest baby J is supposed to arrive. I think this time will go quickly as the whole pregnancy has gone quickly. Sure, every day seems to last forever as my body is in pain, I waddle everywhere I walk, and this one seems to be a gymnast. I don't recall LJ moving this often or with this much fervor while on the inside. When it is 10:00 pm and I'm trying to sleep - this one is doing Mary Lou Retton's floor routine from the 1984 Olympics. This frightens me - what is this child doing awake at 10:00 pm?! I'm thinking this is a girl and she's already causing me a lot of trouble - can you tell, I'm frightened of girls? They seem so high-maintenance!

Plans:
We have a few things to buy - and they are more expensive than not. For example, we need a crib. LJ still sleeps in his crib (which is a loaner from my sister...actually, it may be a keeper because I don't think she is having anymore children). We have zero plans to transition him to a bed...he likes his crib, he doesn't try to climb out, and the last thing we need is a 2-year-old who is able to get out of bed whenever the mood strikes. We are going to move LJ to our room and we are going to move to the "guest" room - which adjoins LJ's current room. I think the first thing we'll do is move us to the guest room. LJ think of our current room as "mama and dada's room", so we'll disassociate that first. Then, we'll move LJ into our old room. Once this is all accomplished (which I want to have him moved into his new room a good 4-6 weeks before the baby arrives - so he doesn't feel like he got moved because of the baby...which *is* why is got moved, but I'm sure it causes some adult psychosis to be the oldest and feel like you were pushed around due to a younger sibling...as the youngest, I have no experience with this, but judging from others...I'm thinking this might explain a few things...just kidding), we will be able to purchase the new crib and get that all squared away.

Now, if only doing were as easy as planning...

The Great Negotiator

LJ has really sharpened his negotiating skills - I'd say this has all transpired over the past 2 months. It all started when he decided he didn't particularly care to ride in a cart at any of the stores we frequent. At first, it was the typical, "nooooo, no cart", but he'd eventually relent (with the help of some redirection, "here, play with mama's keys") and all would be fine. I suppose it is our fault for giving him a taste of freedom as we started letting him hold a hand and walk from the car to the carts. With #2 on the way, I decided it is important to get LJ to the point where I can depend on him to walk while holding my hand…without trying to escape.

LJ quickly transitioned from accepting his fate to starting the negotiations much earlier in the process. In the car - on the way to the store - we started hearing, "no cart, hold mama's hand" or "no cart, hold dada's hand". When all of us are going to a store for one or two items, we grant his request, but I've held firm to "at the grocery store, you have to ride in the cart"...I've even gone so far as to tell him, "the grocery store MAKES us use a cart". He rebels a bit at first, but once I give him some grocery item and ask him to put it in the cart, it is all fine. It is funny because his protests aren't in the form of crying - he actually says things (I can't understand them) in a very inflective tone.

In the past week, these negotiations have taken a slightly different turn. We no longer hear, "no cart, hold hands" - instead, as we reach our destination, LJ folds his hands and says, "I pray mama" or "I pray dada". See…now he can't hold hands because he is praying. He's a smart one, isn't he? Of course, I try very hard not to laugh. I’ve told him that many people pray holding hands, but he didn't really go for that one. Dada trumps it all and tells him, "well, since you are busy praying and you have to hold hands to walk, I'll just have to carry you." I imagine that LJ will quickly figure out that praying doesn't get him what he really wants in this situation, but I'll have to let you know what his next attempt is...

Airplane!

RJ works on a lady's car on a somewhat regular basis and, as with all mechanic work, this lady pays him, but she almost always brings something for LJ. This is a very nice thing to do. LJ is probably getting conditioned to believe that everytime he sees this particular car in our driveway - he is going to get a gift.

Indeed, LJ received a new toy over the weekend - and he LOVES this thing. I present the Take-a-Part Airplane:

Igore the "click to enlarge" words - it won't enlarge if you click it as I took this picture off of the internet.

LJ's plane is red with blue wings, but other than that - what you see is just like his. The drill takes 2 batteries and then it works just like a real drill. There are 3 different bits and using 2 of them (I have no idea why they included the 3rd) you can take the plane totally apart. LJ is really good at taking the plane apart, but he needs you to hold the parts together as he screws it back together.

He wants to "play airplane" all the time.

What is truly wonderful is that when he wakes up in the morning, it is like he's discovered the plane all over again. He starts playing with his toys and then he sees his airplane and I hear him shout "AIRPLANE" at the top of his lungs. He'll come to find me and say, "Airplane - Mama - Airplane". What a joy that must be!

Too Close?

Do you think LJ sits too close to the TV?

Just when you think your child is old enough to leave unattended for a few minutes while you do something in another part of the house...You come back through the living room to find this. I told you, he loves Diego!

Not to worry, he doesn't usually sit this close...and his vision seems fine thus far. I think he was helping Diego do something -as Diego does ask for help frequently.

New Tradition

It seems we have inadvertently started a new tradition in the J house. 2007 ushered in the "we celebrate every birthday with cake" tradition. It all started on January 4th as that is Uncle Bri's birthday. We told LJ, "today is Uncle Bri's birthday" to which he responded, "CAKE". Of course, we thought this was very cute and decided that we would have chocolate cake (from Jack-in-the-box) in honor of Uncle Bri's birthday. We never finish a whole cake in this house, so we thought it more prudent (because I don't need cake sitting around for days before we throw it away) to buy a piece of cake instead of make a whole cake.

January 6th rolls around and we told LJ, "today is Aunt Mary's birthday" to which he responded....yep, you guessed it "CAKE". We tried to tell him that Aunt Mary will eat cake, but we won't eat cake. He keep repeating - throughout the day - "Aunt Mary's birthday - CAKE". Aunt Mary is a fan of cheesecake and, in my pregnant state - that sounded pretty good. I figured LJ won't really like cheesecake, so maybe this will get him off of this whole kick. After dinner, we went to the store and bought a small frozen cheesecake. It seems that LJ does indeed enjoy cheesecake just as much as any other cake, so we have not dissuaded him from the idea that we must celebrate everyone's birthday with cake.

As I look at my calendar, I see the next birthday to come is his Godmother KK's. KK, what kind of cake will we need to eat in your honor?

How Often to Clean the Fridge?

I remember that my mom used to clean out the fridge about once every six months...and I was involved in this process as it was a "chore". When I say "clean out", I mean - take out all the food, throw out some stuff, take out the shelves and drawers, wash them down, and wash out the inside. Very thorough. I also remember thinking this was a royal waste of time because it was never very dirty. Conclusion: 2x a year = too often.

This house is the longest I've lived anywhere since I lived at home. While in college and single, I'd live in a place 2 years - maximum, so this "cleaning the fridge" thing hasn't been a thought in my mind since the days of living at home...it would naturally get cleaned every year or so as I would prepare to move and wanted to be sure to get my deposit back.

This past weekend, I discovered that every 5 years is not often enough. Let me tell you, it was disgusting. There are the spills about which you know - and you clean those up as you see they have occurred. But, there are also spills about which you have no idea. How does something spill and the only evidence you have is under the drawer at the bottom of the fridge? This spill goes undetected for...well, perhaps 5 years. Luckily, it is all food and it isn't too tough to clean up, but still. So, as a part of our weekend of organization, I thoroughly cleaned the fridge and it looks wonderful. I love opening it and seeing everything so neat and clean. At this point, there are no bottles and/or jars that contain inedible yuckies and all the shelves and drawers are spic and span. I really had no idea how disgusting the fridge had become. If you have been to our house and thought, "wow, that is one horribly dirty fridge" - thank you for not saying anything to me about it.

Part of the fun of cleaning the fridge is that I got this groovy thing called the Can Around (canaround) for Christmas. You put it in your fridge and it helps you keep the jars and cans organized around the back and edges of the shelves. I'm thinking about getting some for the pantry (I know, I know - those of you who have seen our pantry can't believe how much food is in there) to help organize the shelves.

In other news from our organization weekend - while LJ was visiting Bri and Me...

We did get the guest closet cleaned out and organized. We took several boxes of clothes to Goodwill - where we were turned away. I was shocked, but they had received lots of stuff recently. I refused to take these boxes home again, so we tried a couple of other places, but they were closed. Finally, the Goodwill store in the adjoining town accepted our donation (it is a new store). Then we took 3 boxes of books (from my English lit. grad school days) to Half-Price Books where they gave us more money than I expected to get. Little did they know - I just wanted to get rid of them, so as long as they didn't tell me I had to take them back home - I would have accepted anything. I might have even paid them something. The stuff we kept was organized more neatly into boxes and RJ built some shelves in the closet on which to put the boxes. Now, you can actually find stuff in there! And, we rearranged some things from the guest room into LJ's room and vice-versa. Now the back part of the house is uncluttered and looks pretty nice. It makes me happy.

We did not get to the garage, but that may not be such a big deal. You'll have to wait for a future post to find out why.

"Nice Ball Mama"

We've finished all of traveling this Christmas - I think it was hardest on me and I am becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. There is no disguising that I am pregnant now and my backside seems to be in a competition with my front to see which can be the most huge. Not a pretty picture.

I was in the shower the other night and looked down and thought - for the first time this pregnancy - "wow, I really look pregnant". After the shower, I went out to show RJ this newly discovered belly and he commented on it in an appropriate way. Then, LJ came in, came up to me, patted my belly and said, "Nice ball Mama"!

In between the travelling, LJ has been enjoying his Christmas gifts very much. RJ likes to put the unwrapped gifts back under the tree, so everyday, LJ has had fun getting them out and playing with them. His biggest gift was a play kitchen...

Reports on the Internet said that it takes 2 hours to put together - of course, RJ did it in a little over an hour. I helped by reading the directions and telling him what to do next and handing him the appropriate fastener. The kitchen resides in our kitchen and LJ has played with it a lot. It came with a baking set...

LJ has spent more time putting those cookies in the refrigerator, taking them out - putting them in the oven, taking them out - putting them in the bowl, taking them out - and starting the whole process over again. This is great!

His Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents were very generous with him and he has many fun things to play with...he "mows the floors in the house", plays with his "tow car car" (car car = truck), enjoys "cutting and washing his play food", and he received many things Dora and Diego which is ALWAYS a big hit. Plus, he got to see so many relatives and play with many cousins - which he loves in a big way.

We had a most excellent Christmas and hope you did too.

This weekend, LJ is at Bri and Me's as RJ and I have plans to clean out the closets and tackle the garage. We hope to sort into "throw away", "give away", and "try to sell" piles. Then, we will THROW AWAY and GIVE AWAY and store until we have a "garage sale" next month. In general, I don't like to have garage sales, but...why not set the stuff outside and see if someone will buy it and THEN give away the left overs? Maybe we'll make enough money to buy some new stuff to fill our closets?! Just kidding - these closets are being cleaned so that we can switch rooms with LJ in preparation for a new person who will accumulate their own stuff - which we will have to find a place to keep. It is a vicious cycle.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

LJ is napping, RJ is wrapping gifts - after his morning of shopping for "incidentals", I just made peanut brittle and we are all looking forward to Mass later this afternoon. After Mass, we will come home and I'll make dinner - this year, we are having stuffed shells, peas (I'm sure LJ will be thrilled), and apple cobbler. We are hoping LJ realizes this is the last night of chocolate from the "cal" (Advent calendar) and won't be too distraught when there is no chocolate tomorrow night. He has been very good about not opening the presents under the tree, but he talks about them all the time. Tomorrow, he will finally be able to open them - and I hope he isn't too disappointed. I know he'll like most of his gifts, but the potty and pull-ups may not be met with favor. Every time we ask him if he'd like to sit on the potty (we have a seat the fits on the big potty), you'd think we were cutting off his toes with a butter knife. We thought that he might do better with his own potty which sits on the floor - we'll see how he reacts tomorrow.

After Christmas morning here - we are headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas with RJ's family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LJ's First Trip (Without Ma-Ma & Da-Da)

When I write Ma-Ma and Da-Da it is because LJ calls us what sounds like Ma-Ma (like a little Italian boy would call his mommy) and Da-Da (like "day day") - where he got this pronunciation, I don't know. But, he says a lot of things that I'm not sure from where they come. Like blanket = "gwee" - which sounds a lot like how he says "green"... a word with which "gwee" would make sense. This causes some confusion when we are in the car, stopped at a light and LJ says, "gween" - I often think he is saying "gwee" and I tell him he can't have he blanket in the car. Then I realize he is saying "green" and I kind of feel badly for telling him no to something about which he didn't even ask. But, that is how it goes...

The time had come that I was OK having LJ spend a weekend away from home. He had spent a weekend away from us, but that was at his home and it was out of necessity (RJ and I had to go to a conference for work). RJ had been taking LJ up to "Bri and Me's" (as LJ calls them) one morning a week and LJ had been really enjoying his playtime in the country. So, he is really familiar with that environment and with being around Bri and Me. Plus, LJ is to the point where, when he does something he isn't supposed to do - he pretty much comes and tells you about it. Like if he puts something in his mouth, he comes over to you and shows you what he has in his mouth. When he sees a snake in a book, he shakes his finger and says, "no, no, no". These things make me feel as though he has a small level of accountability, so that - along with the excellent supervision provided by Bri and Me made me feel no qualms whatsoever about LJ spending a weekend at their house. Plus, I knew he would just LOVE it.

RJ and I took him up there after work on Friday, December 1st - Me was a little concerned that LJ would not like it when we left without him after dropping him off, but I really didn't think he'd mind in the least. Sure enough, we got a wave as we were walking out the door and that was it. RJ and I came back to town and went out to eat - it was great...we could talk about whatever we wanted, uninterrupted - and we could take as long as we wanted.

Saturday, we slept late - OK, for me that was 7:30, but when I woke up I didn't have to watch Dora first thing. I actually read the paper and drank coffee without having to say, "be careful, this is mommy's hot coffee". I went to get my hair cut and RJ went to the junk yard to look for parts for a truck on which he's working and then we went Christmas shopping and out to dinner. We did talk to Bri and Me and they said everything was going well. LJ had woken in the night and called for Ma-Ma and Da-Da and Bri went in to comfort him. But, he seemed to want Me, so she came in and that was fine. Me sent us pictures to show what fun they were having playing outside most of the day.

Sunday, we slept late again and then went to brunch where I ate the most delicious migas I've ever had. When pregnant and when not pregnant - I love spicy food and these migas were soooo good. I've been wanting them ever since. I think RJ spent the rest of the day fixing the garage door and I can't remember what I did, but we left around 3:30 to go get LJ. When we arrived, he was playing outside with Bri. When LJ saw our car he started yelling Ma-Ma Da-Da and running toward the car. This is just the reaction to warm our hearts - he is such a compassionate child!

It is apparent that he had a great time and I think it is safe to say that Bri and Me enjoyed their time with LJ as well. Me made a CD of the pictures they took and she called later in the week to inquire when he could come again - they are experiencing withdrawal. We are figuring out when that time will be!

New Title - New Look

I still owe you a post on LJ's first weekend away from home (without Ma-Ma and Da-Da), but I thought I'd give you the "and more" I promised.

So, here it is...we are publicly announcing that there will be another Baby J come April 2007. Now you will have to endure tales of pregnancy and you have no idea what a relief it will be to vent, er...I mean share the joy of all the great changes that occur in these 40 weeks. We are on week 22, so you have 18 to tag along with me.

Such news calls for a new "look" for the blog, but I have to tell you that it was very difficult for me to decide on one that I feel captures the essence of what I try to share. This will do for now. I direct your attention to the picture on the right...I am now so brave as to include a picture of the back of LJ.

Check back often in the next weeks as I have many stories that encapsulate the great fun that it is to have a 2 year old in the house...and much more time in which to craft them.

Thanksgiving, First Weekend without LJ, and More

Busy-ness and laziness ensue! End of the semester = much work to do and a lot of it is on the computer. Yes, I've entered the 21st century and my students now turn in their assignments via the internet. It is great...no paperwork, but it means I spend a lot of time at the computer - which means I like to take a break from the computer - which means the blog went on the back burner. But, I am back and I promise juicy morsel for your blog-ready pleasure! The J's hosted a nice crowd for Thanksgiving 2006! LJ's Uncle RJ and Aunt KJ along with the J'fy cousins, Aunt ML and Uncle CL along with the L'ft cousins and MawMaw...made for a nice crowd and lots of fun. Everyone had arrived by noon on Thanksgiving Day and we first feasted on deli meats and cheeses, chips and dip, deviled eggs, and KJ's cheese ball. Then there was playing outside, visiting, and football watching (and napping for LJ) until the big dinner.

The Menu:
Fried Turkey
Ham
Garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes
Sweet potato casserole
Green bean casserole
Cranberry sauce
Homemade croissants
Pumpkin pie
Pecan Pie
Homemade whipped cream

My Menu Analysis:
Fried Turkey - cooked too long? It was black when it came out of the fryer...but, it didn't taste bad and the dark meat was yummy (I prefer dark and didn't even taste the white).

Ham - regular ol' ham

Garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes - a bit salty, but yummy

Sweet potato casserole - sooo good! I loved it and I will make it again. Yum!

Green bean casserole - made by J*fer and did not disappoint...excellent!

Cranberry sauce - from a can, as requested...what can I say?

Homemade croissants - MawMaw, Aunt ML and I did a great job and they were loved by all. Children snuck them off the baking sheet and one child hid under the table to eat the contraband (yes, it was my child)

Pumpkin pie - a Thanksgiving staple provided by the J'Fys

Pecan Pie - RKJ says she'll never eat it again...now that she knows what goes in it

Homemade whipped cream - light, fluffy and sweet...as always

I was exhausted at the end of the day and declared there would be no more cooking after breakfast the next day...which consisted of Betsy's Beautiful Breakfast (yummy egg casserole), French Toast Casserole and BACON! Friday after the above mentioned breakfast, we commenced with the Annual Thanksgiving Throw Down. The football game between the Jos and the NoJos was as fiercely competitive as ever. RJ painted a field complete with end zones, yard markers, and a turkey in the middle. The cousins had fun painting the end zones for each team...Jos = Anyone with the last name J'Fy and the NoJos = anyone without the last name J'Fy. It was a tough battle, but with LJ's expert distraction and some last minute scoring by the NoJos - the NoJos cinched the victory. This provided a nice prelude to the other exciting victory that college football provided. Due to the "no cooking rule" I enacted, we ate wings from a famous wingery and burritos from a locally famous burrito-torium for lunch. Dinner = Thanksgiving leftovers. Saturday saw the goodbyes of the family guests - after the J'Fys had a bit of car trouble. We rested and I started to feel as though I was for sure coming down with a cold. I am still stopped-up, but I haven't felt badly for about a week.

Sunday, we went to visit RJ's side of the family and partake in their Thanksgiving leftovers - and then we started the last week of classes for the Fall 2006 semester.

The First Weekend without LJ and More will be the topics of posts later this week...I don't want to give you too much to think about at one time!

Happy 2nd Birthday - Nov 14th, 2006

Tomorrow LJ will be 2 years old. I can't believe it. I was putting some things away yesterday and found some leftover newborn diapers...I can't believe LJ was ever small enough to wear them. But, he is growing up - luckily, it happens gradually, so I don't notice it unless something like a birthday or newborn diapers remind me.

We celebrated with RJ's side of the family yesterday. I billed it as "LJ's Birthday Party". Every time I asked LJ what he wanted for his birthday, he'd say, "cake". I'd ask him what else he wanted, he'd say, "cheese". One time I asked him if he wanted cheese cake and he said, "Noooo" - so he didn't think that sounded too good. His daddy made him a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting - it was goooood!

Whenever I'd ask LJ who he wanted to come to his birthday party, he'd say, "Dora" - so I worked hard to collect Dora party supplies. It was no problem as Dora is EVERYWHERE as discussed in previous blog entries. The trick was collecting these things on the sly so they would be a surprise to LJ.

We put LJ down for his nap on Sunday and then continued the preparations for the lunch the adults were going to have while he slept. Hamburgers, brats, baked beans, chips, queso, veggies, dip, potato salad...the works! After a long lunch, we cleared the table and set up for LJ's Dora party. I bought a white plastic table cloth and put Dora stickers all over it. Then set the Dora napkins, Dora plates, Dora party hats, Dora center piece, and Dora cups on the table and hung the Dora party banner over the door. We put the chocolate cake on the table - no Dora decorations on it and went to wake up little LJ. I don't normally wake him from a nap, but he had been sleeping 3 hours and he's been taking long naps lately (growth spurt?) and the guests were anxious to see the birthday boy. LJ was sound asleep, but he finally woke up and was so excited to see everyone - including Dora!

LJ enjoyed the cake and really loved peeling the stickers off the table cloth and putting them on his clothes. He blew out his "2" candle like a professional and did a great job opening his gifts...and then playing with his gifts. He was happy to have people there to play with him! He thanked everyone with a hug and a kiss and was sorry to see them leave. We left the decorations up so when he came out this morning, he was delighted to see Dora, Diego, and Boots all over again. I'm sure he'll have a great day playing with his toys.

Tomorrow, mommy and daddy will give him the birthday gift we found and we'll have to eat more cake!!

Mote, Mote

LJ asks to watch Dora ALL THE TIME. No joke, he talks about her as though he expects her to walk in the room any minute. Now, I'm not that concerned because he doesn't watch Dora THAT much, but it does get tiring to have to talk about her as though she is real. He loves her though. Sometimes, he says, "Dora" and hands me or RJ the remote and says "mote, mote". If we don't seem to be using it correctly (meaning, to turn on Dora) or if we say, "we aren't going to watch Dora right now", he'll try to push the buttons to make it all work. The odds are slim that he'd actually get Dora on the TV.

Last night, he wanted to watch TV and we said, "not now" and he tried to use the remote. When that didn't work, he picked up RJ's fingers and tried to use them to push the buttons...as if LJ doesn't have the "right fingers", but Daddy does! It still didn't work, but this was hilarious. With this new information, I wonder how LJ thinks the remote works now?

1, 2, 3...

Last Sunday was my day to sleep late...which means I slept until 7:30, while RJ got up with our alarm clock (LJ) at 6:15. When I came out at 7:30, RJ told me that he had exciting news...LJ had counted to 8 earlier. It went something like this:

RJ was changing LJ's diaper (we are no where close to showing interest in potty training) and LJ pointed to his PJ top and said, "car". To which RJ said, "there isn't just one car on your shirt, there are three." And then LJ counted all the way from 1 - 8 all on his own! RJ was very impressed and I was too, but since I hadn't heard it myself...well, I guess I didn't show the appropriate amount of jubilation.

Later in the day, I asked LJ if he wanted to count to ten and then I said, "one" and he repeated. I said, "two" and he repeated - and then he took over from there and counted all the way to 10! It was VERY exciting to hear!

LJ has books that reinforce counting and Dora is always counting things on her adventures, so we are perplexed as to where he learned this. But...he has always said, "two, two, three" when 'counting' so for him to go all the way to 10...well, we just had no idea he had that in his head! Who knows what else is up there that he just won't share?

Cuspids

LJ is finally getting his cuspids...all 4 of them at once it seems. If you refer to the teething chart posted much earlier, you will find that LJ *should* have gotten them between 16 and 18 months. I believe the bottom 2 are supposed to precede the top 2. But, here he is - 23 months old and just now getting his cuspids. According to the chart, he should have gotten his 2nd molars in by now, but I'd imagine those will be late too...surely you must have cuspids first? He has gotten his teeth in the correct order, just no where near the correct time frame.

He is handling it all very well - if you count waking up way too early (5:45 this morning) and being a bit more cranky than usual.

Happy Bithday Daddy!

Today is Daddy's birthday! I'm so excited because Mommy made chocolate cake. It is sitting on the kitchen counter right now. I want to touch it, but I've been a good boy and I haven't tried...yet. Mommy also made Rice Krispy Treats - yummy! We went out yesterday and bought Daddy 2 presents. Mommy let me pick out one all by myself. I hope Daddy likes it. I would like it. This morning, Mommy got out the crayons and paper and let me color a picture for Daddy while she got ready for work. Then, when it was time to wake-up Daddy - I took him my picture. He loved it! Now, I just have to wait for dinner time so I can have some of that chocolate cake!!!!

Love,

LJ

Hi - from LJ

Mommy says that I need to get on here and tell you what is going on with me. We have all been sick. Daddy and I had colds that lasted a while, but Mommy had a cold and a stomach virus. She was really sick for lots of days. She was very sad and begged Daddy to just drop her off at the hospital. Daddy didn't do it though. Instead, he made her eat ice even when she didn't want to eat it. I love ice, so it is strange that Mommy didn't want it. We are all better now, but Mommy and Daddy seem to be working all the time to catch up from the time that Mommy was so sick. I got to watch a lot of Dora, Diego, and Blue's Clues. I like Blue's Clues. My cousins and Aunt KJ and Uncle RJ came to visit. That was fun. They are fun to play with. I am talking more, but I don't sleep as much as I used to. I have to go play now.

Love,

Little Baby J - LJ

4:30 am Playfest

I know some of you out there have experienced this, so I need you to tell me that there is nothing to worry about, no irreversible bad habits are forming, and that this will pass - got it?! Or, you can tell me the truth ;-)

The past 2 nights, LJ has woken up and played at about 4:30. He has the Ocean Wonders Aquarium thingy attached to his crib and he plays it non-stop. He turns it on and on and on and on. The big blue button activates the music, bubbles and lights. If you hit the blue button again, it goes off...or it goes off after 5 minutes - which is when LJ hits the blue button again, and again, and again.


We can hear it, but we have the volume low enough that we can go back to sleep. Anyway, he doesn't call for us and he doesn't cry - he just plays. Come 6:30 - he does call out...that is our normal awake time anyway. I suppose I should just be grateful that he doesn't demand our attention at this time! He seems in a fine mood all day, so he isn't a crank for getting less sleep. He goes down for his nap ok, but he hasn't been sleeping as long as usual (2 hours instead of 3) AND today, he slept about an hour before I started to hear the tell-tale sounds of the aquarium.
I'm starting to have dreams with that freakin' music!

Should we take action or let it ride?

No Boundaries

First, thank you for your patience. School started this week and we are adjusting to our new routine. As always, it'll be fine, but it always takes time to get into the groove.

LJ opens doors now. He has been demonstrating this ability for about a month. He's very proficient at doing it. Oh, and he can unlock them too. Really, this leaves us with 2 choices: 1) figure out a way to reconfigure the knobs so that he can't open them, or 2) discipline and an every-watchful eye. So far, we're going with #2...and it works, pretty well.

The first time the opening of doors was alarming was when we'd just returned from our camping trip. We had tuned into "Dora" and thought LJ would be engrossed (as he always is) enough that RJ and I could go unpack the trailer. As RJ and I are gathering the various items in the trailer, LJ appears in the doorway. This means that he, opened the door to the garage, foraged his way through the garage (not a task just anyone can tackle), and luckily, checked in at the trailer before heading off to some undesirable location. He had broken Dora's spell. With a chorus of "no, no"s, we corralled him back into the house with admonitions concerning the opening of doors.

Since then, we've had to be on our toes so far as the doors go. Blink and LJ is through the hall door and into his room trying to coax blanket and paci through the slats in his crib. There have been only a handful of sessions in the naughty chair that have resulted from door-opening behavior.

Last week, I was blow-drying my hair and LJ was curiously not wreaking havoc in the bathroom. I went to check on him and he was playing with his Legos - what a sweet child. About 3 minutes later, LJ appeared at the bathroom door with a laser level in his hands - offering it to me in hopes that I could "make it work". I knew that he must have been in the garage - AND, I had LOCKED the door. I walk into the kitchen to find the door wide open (such a newbie to this game - he didn't even try to cover his tracks) and there were several glass jars with various fasteners in them neatly lined up on the floor. I'm sure LJ had a great time arranging all of this and I hope he thought of it fondly as he subsequently spent time in the naughty chair.

He hasn't opened the door to the garage since.

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.