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!