I called RJ from work this morning and he greeted me with, "guess what LJ has done 6 times this morning?" I guessed, "Roll over!" To which he said, "Which way?" I posited, "Back to front"...knowing that we invariably put him down on his back. Then RJ questioned, "guess what LJ has done twice this morning?" (I'll cease the word-for-word replay) And, the answer to this question is roll over tummy to back. Turns out LJ was a rolling fool this morning. RJ got some video through the digital camera...one of the videos shows LJ flipping from back to tummy and then tummy to back sans assistance! This is exciting, but I admit I have a bit of trepidation. LJ is that much closer to full mobility. This means no more laying him on his play mat while I unload the dishwasher. This means we must "baby proof" the house. But, I suppose mobility, in its many forms, is a necessary skill to master.
Speaking of masters, RJ graduates on May 14th and, yes, he is going to walk the stage. This is great news for our guests that weekend. Not only do you get to attend SJ's graduation on Friday night, you can attend RJ's graduation on Saturday morning! Big fun!
Question:
What is the best candy bar of all time? (Not just what you have a hankering for every-now-and-then, but hands down, THE best candy bar...let's see if there is a clear favorite)
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Monday, April 25, 2005
Friends...
Note: I have decided that…if you have used your name on this blog, I’m going to use it when referring to you. It will keep everyone less confused. If you don’t want that to happen…let me know and I’ll take it off before anyone is any the wiser!
Our weekend visit went really well and I think I am safe to say…a good time was had by all! LJ went down for a nap around 11:45 on Saturday morning and Lena’s family arrived about 30 minutes later. We sat around and visited until little LJ woke up. Then we all looked at him for a few minutes…until Chrissy’s family arrived.
Once everyone said their hellos and the babies “got used” to everyone…LJ had a bottle and Annie ate her lunch. I think she ate peas and some kind of meat. Lena and I got lunch on the table and once the babies were finished we ate our lunch. Little Annie played in the jumpy seat (hangs from the doorway) and Chrissy was surprised she loved it so much. Apparently, she hadn’t been fond of one that she had at her house. After a while, LJ napped and Annie tried to nap, but decided there was too much else to do. We did much visiting and much talking about babies and children. There was lots of laughing!
Hands down, the most memorable moment of the visit was when Emma (who is 7, I think) went to the kitchen to get some milk. I saw her trying to lift the gallon and asked Lena if she is successful doing this at home. Lena said I needed to help her, but Emma had the milk out before I could get there. She was about to pour it into one of LJ’s bottles. So, I said, “ok, what are you doing there?” To which she replied, “I’m getting some milk for LJ.” Prior to this, LJ was acting hungry, but instead of feeding him, RJ and I kept making comments like, “are you getting hungry?”…“do you need some milk?”…etc. and this sweet, helpful little girl was going to get him some milk!
Finally, if you have not made any book suggestions, please post a comment under the previous post (suggestions from males are especially requested)!
Question:
What is the last movie you saw in the movie theater and should LJ rent it when he is of the appropriate age?
Our weekend visit went really well and I think I am safe to say…a good time was had by all! LJ went down for a nap around 11:45 on Saturday morning and Lena’s family arrived about 30 minutes later. We sat around and visited until little LJ woke up. Then we all looked at him for a few minutes…until Chrissy’s family arrived.
Once everyone said their hellos and the babies “got used” to everyone…LJ had a bottle and Annie ate her lunch. I think she ate peas and some kind of meat. Lena and I got lunch on the table and once the babies were finished we ate our lunch. Little Annie played in the jumpy seat (hangs from the doorway) and Chrissy was surprised she loved it so much. Apparently, she hadn’t been fond of one that she had at her house. After a while, LJ napped and Annie tried to nap, but decided there was too much else to do. We did much visiting and much talking about babies and children. There was lots of laughing!
Hands down, the most memorable moment of the visit was when Emma (who is 7, I think) went to the kitchen to get some milk. I saw her trying to lift the gallon and asked Lena if she is successful doing this at home. Lena said I needed to help her, but Emma had the milk out before I could get there. She was about to pour it into one of LJ’s bottles. So, I said, “ok, what are you doing there?” To which she replied, “I’m getting some milk for LJ.” Prior to this, LJ was acting hungry, but instead of feeding him, RJ and I kept making comments like, “are you getting hungry?”…“do you need some milk?”…etc. and this sweet, helpful little girl was going to get him some milk!
Finally, if you have not made any book suggestions, please post a comment under the previous post (suggestions from males are especially requested)!
Question:
What is the last movie you saw in the movie theater and should LJ rent it when he is of the appropriate age?
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Guests!
The Js are looking forward to out guests this weekend…LS’s Family and CP’s family. LJ loves guests and will be happy to share his toys with little AP. ES and HS can share them too, but they are much too grown up to be entertained by LJ’s toys. We’re planning a great lunch…a nice mixture of chicken, brisket, sausage, and ribs…I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat, so I said, “heck, let’s just get a little of everything!” I can’t wait!
Nothing new is happening here. I am counting down the days until solid food starts. We decided to wait until LJ is 6 months old. He seems to be doing just fine on breast milk alone, so the doctor says there is no need to rush. From what I read, if we wait until 6 months, we don’t have to start with rice cereal. So, the question is…what should be his first food. I’m leaning toward sweet potato. What was your child’s/children’s first food? Any wisdom as to things we should consider so far as the introduction of solid foods is concerned?
I’ll write a nice post about our weekend early next week.
Question:
What book(s) did you really enjoy reading as a child?
Nothing new is happening here. I am counting down the days until solid food starts. We decided to wait until LJ is 6 months old. He seems to be doing just fine on breast milk alone, so the doctor says there is no need to rush. From what I read, if we wait until 6 months, we don’t have to start with rice cereal. So, the question is…what should be his first food. I’m leaning toward sweet potato. What was your child’s/children’s first food? Any wisdom as to things we should consider so far as the introduction of solid foods is concerned?
I’ll write a nice post about our weekend early next week.
Question:
What book(s) did you really enjoy reading as a child?
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
LJ Says...
Dear Friends,
Since Mommy has decided to use this blog as my baby book, I would like to try something new. With each post (don't worry, Mommy isn't very good at posting too many times in a week...and this won't go on forever), I'm going to tell Mommy to ask you a question concerning something about which I am curious (see, Mommy won't let me end a sentence with a preposition!). There will be the regular post news, but at the end there will be a question. This question will help me get a better idea of what is going on while I am too young to understand it myself. It'll be fun for me to look back at this when I am older!
Love,
Little Baby J
Question:
How much does a gallon of gas cost where you live?
Since Mommy has decided to use this blog as my baby book, I would like to try something new. With each post (don't worry, Mommy isn't very good at posting too many times in a week...and this won't go on forever), I'm going to tell Mommy to ask you a question concerning something about which I am curious (see, Mommy won't let me end a sentence with a preposition!). There will be the regular post news, but at the end there will be a question. This question will help me get a better idea of what is going on while I am too young to understand it myself. It'll be fun for me to look back at this when I am older!
Love,
Little Baby J
Question:
How much does a gallon of gas cost where you live?
Monday, April 18, 2005
Rolling Over
Friday was a big day in the J house...LJ rolled from back to front...all by himself! I previously reported that he was exhibiting the skills needed to accomplish such a feat, but didn't desire to be on his tummy, so he never went all the way. Well, Friday morning, he moved his little arm and found himself on his tummy. He proceeded to pivot 360 degrees...not rapidly, but within the next 5 minutes on his belly. He is tolerating tummy time much better these days.
We dug out some of LJ's cousin DL's clothes...I remembered he had some really cute romper-type outfits and he was born in November, so I thought they should be about the right size for LJ. They fit (a tiny bit big) and are so cute! LJ looks adorable in them.
LJ hasn't been taking a two-hour nap since I wrote to you about that...I knew I'd jinx it. As a matter of fact, I am really doing a poor job of getting him down for his naps. I swaddle him, bounce him in the bouncy seat, and then pick him up to put him in his crib. All of this goes well, but as soon as I put him in his crib...his eyes pop open. Repeat. I know I am supposed to be putting him down while he is drowsy...so that he can put himself to sleep, but that would take too much work and we're not ready to invest the time needed to accomplish this. That, we will save for another day.
In other news, we had a fine weekend. RJ was out working on the back deck he is building and a man stopped to ask if we had any yard work for him to do. He and RJ negotiated a great deal for the man to grind down all the stumps in our yard. If you have ever been in our yard or if your children have every played in our yard...you know this is a great thing. All told, the man and his helper worked 4 hours and ground 20 stumps. This will make mowing the yard MUCH easier! And, children can run with wild abandon.
We dug out some of LJ's cousin DL's clothes...I remembered he had some really cute romper-type outfits and he was born in November, so I thought they should be about the right size for LJ. They fit (a tiny bit big) and are so cute! LJ looks adorable in them.
LJ hasn't been taking a two-hour nap since I wrote to you about that...I knew I'd jinx it. As a matter of fact, I am really doing a poor job of getting him down for his naps. I swaddle him, bounce him in the bouncy seat, and then pick him up to put him in his crib. All of this goes well, but as soon as I put him in his crib...his eyes pop open. Repeat. I know I am supposed to be putting him down while he is drowsy...so that he can put himself to sleep, but that would take too much work and we're not ready to invest the time needed to accomplish this. That, we will save for another day.
In other news, we had a fine weekend. RJ was out working on the back deck he is building and a man stopped to ask if we had any yard work for him to do. He and RJ negotiated a great deal for the man to grind down all the stumps in our yard. If you have ever been in our yard or if your children have every played in our yard...you know this is a great thing. All told, the man and his helper worked 4 hours and ground 20 stumps. This will make mowing the yard MUCH easier! And, children can run with wild abandon.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
All the Attention
What a big weekend! LJ's Godfather, MFK, came to visit...he arrived Friday night after LJ had gone to bed, but LJ was all smiles Saturday morning. We had French Toast Casserole**, eggs, and sausage for breakfast. Not too long after breakfast, RJ and MFK spent the afternoon doing "guy stuff"...this took them away from the house, so LJ and I had a nice afternoon together. Once the guys returned, I made some pizza rolls and stromboli*** and we had an early dinner. After dinner we went out to a local park...RJ and MFK threw the football as LJ and I watched. Every-so-often we'd have to do a head's up as disc golfers were teeing off nearby. That was fun, the weather was nice, and afterwards we got snow cones. That took 30 minutes, LJ was losing his patience, but MFK and I both ordered cherry-cola and it was GOOD!
Sunday we left to visit KK (LJ's Godmother) as she lives in the same town where RJ had an early doctor's appointment on Monday. We also picked my mom up at the airport and went out to dinner before dropping her off at her hotel (she left Monday for her week in Rome). RJ's visit to the doctor went really well. Everyone at this hospital was really nice, not in a hurry, but really nice. The doctor gave RJ some really good news concerning new research in the thyroid realm (this research indicates that RJ is, for all intents and purposes, cured and some of the testing he's had done in the past is no longer necessary). LJ was a really good little boy! I am still not used to all the attention this little guy gets (and brings to me and RJ in the process). People seem to love to see a baby...so many strangers come up to us, talk to us, and touch little LJ's hair or his cheeks...it is amazing! After RJ's appointment, we all went out for lunch and then we headed home. MFK left not too long after we returned home and this left the Js to recover!
The Js don't have any plans to go out of town anytime in the near future. We are looking forward to a day visit from CP's family and LS's family...and to the relatives who will be in town for SJ's graduation!
**French Toast Casserole is super-yummy and you must ask me for the recipe if you think it sounds good. As a bonus, it is easy to make and is great to serve when you have houseguests.
***The pizza rolls and the stromboli are both super-yummy and you must ask me for the recipe if you think they sound good.
Sunday we left to visit KK (LJ's Godmother) as she lives in the same town where RJ had an early doctor's appointment on Monday. We also picked my mom up at the airport and went out to dinner before dropping her off at her hotel (she left Monday for her week in Rome). RJ's visit to the doctor went really well. Everyone at this hospital was really nice, not in a hurry, but really nice. The doctor gave RJ some really good news concerning new research in the thyroid realm (this research indicates that RJ is, for all intents and purposes, cured and some of the testing he's had done in the past is no longer necessary). LJ was a really good little boy! I am still not used to all the attention this little guy gets (and brings to me and RJ in the process). People seem to love to see a baby...so many strangers come up to us, talk to us, and touch little LJ's hair or his cheeks...it is amazing! After RJ's appointment, we all went out for lunch and then we headed home. MFK left not too long after we returned home and this left the Js to recover!
The Js don't have any plans to go out of town anytime in the near future. We are looking forward to a day visit from CP's family and LS's family...and to the relatives who will be in town for SJ's graduation!
**French Toast Casserole is super-yummy and you must ask me for the recipe if you think it sounds good. As a bonus, it is easy to make and is great to serve when you have houseguests.
***The pizza rolls and the stromboli are both super-yummy and you must ask me for the recipe if you think they sound good.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
2-Hour Naps!
Little LJ has adjusted his nap schedule the last 3 days...and I've been loving it! He used to sleep in between every feeding, but about 4 weeks ago, he dropped his late afternoon nap. So, he was taking one morning nap, one midday nap, and one afternoon nap. Then, he'd be up for about 3-4 hours before bedtime. Well, Monday he started a new routine, but I've been waiting until it happened three days in a row before I allowed myself to believe it could be something somewhat permanent. Lately, he's been making either his midday nap or his afternoon nap 2 hours (one day 2 1/2) long!!!! YIPPEE!!! Do you know what this means??? It means that I can do a few little chores AND relax for a little while during the day. I can do sanity-saving things like...eat lunch without rushing! This is a really happy thing.
In other news, the weather has been beautiful and LJ and I have been enjoying it while taking our afternoon nap.
SJ, RJ, and I agree that LJ is exhibiting the ability (skill-wise) to roll from back to tummy, but he isn't interested in being on his tummy, so he doesn't move his arm for the finale. He is much more tolerant of tummy-time and even smiles as he lifts his head up. He is grabbing anything his little hands can find (including my hair and nose) and putting it in his mouth...if he can get it there.
In other news, the weather has been beautiful and LJ and I have been enjoying it while taking our afternoon nap.
SJ, RJ, and I agree that LJ is exhibiting the ability (skill-wise) to roll from back to tummy, but he isn't interested in being on his tummy, so he doesn't move his arm for the finale. He is much more tolerant of tummy-time and even smiles as he lifts his head up. He is grabbing anything his little hands can find (including my hair and nose) and putting it in his mouth...if he can get it there.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
I'm Not Making This Stuff Up!
So, my wrist/thumb on my right hand has/have been bothering me for a while now. When I say "bothering me" I mean painful, sometimes shooting pain, especially when I move it a certain way or pick up a certain ~16 pound object. What do you know? This ailment has a name...Mommy Thumb. I'm not making this up. It is also known as deQuervain's tendonitis, "an irritation of the thumb tendons that causes everything from mild soreness to an intense pain that radiates up to the wrists.” It is fairly common in new moms and comes from (supposedly) my picking up LJ by hooking my hands under his arms. So, RJ has me experimenting with different pick-up techniques and I am using Absorbine Jr. aka "the wonder tonic" several times a day. Lucky for me, RJ thinks Absorbine Jr. smells divine!
Monday, April 04, 2005
Yea! It is Over...
We made it through the weekend of the conference! Yea! RJ and I are on the planning committee for a conference on college teaching, so we are supposed to implement our plan as we attend the conference. It is usually a good time, but this year I have been dreading it...mostly due to the fact that I dislike disrupting LJ's routine (slight as it may be). Luckily, this conference is held about 45 minutes from my Mom's house, so there wasn't too much disruption. We stayed with her in the evenings and she kept LJ during the day. Worry #1...MILK - will I be able to bank enough; will I be able to excuse myself to pump often enough. Worry #2...SEPARATION ANXIETY - mine, not LJ's. But, it all went well. I did have enough milk, did pump as often as needed, and after the first day, had limited separation anxiety. LJ was his typical, well-behaved self and MawMaw had a good time playing and showing him off. She is now on her impromptu trip to Virginia prior to her planned trip to Rome. Rome should offer a unique experience considering current events.
In other news, RJ admitted that he agrees that LJ's hair might need a little trimming. I seized on that and encouraged him to do it NOW (this conversation occurred during LJ's bath last night). So, we did cut it...a bit too short in the back and just right over the ears. We are sad and RJ and I had a nice discussion on decision-making. I knew that, if we didn't do it right then, I'd wimp out - and it really needed to be done. He knew that he'd like to spend more time thinking about it. Needless to say, it is done.
I have a couple of more thoughts, but I'll save them for a future entry.
In other news, RJ admitted that he agrees that LJ's hair might need a little trimming. I seized on that and encouraged him to do it NOW (this conversation occurred during LJ's bath last night). So, we did cut it...a bit too short in the back and just right over the ears. We are sad and RJ and I had a nice discussion on decision-making. I knew that, if we didn't do it right then, I'd wimp out - and it really needed to be done. He knew that he'd like to spend more time thinking about it. Needless to say, it is done.
I have a couple of more thoughts, but I'll save them for a future entry.
Monday, March 28, 2005
LJ's First Easter
Dear Faithful Reader: I'm sorry to have left you for so long. This has been a hectic week and I haven't gotten to the computer at my normal times. Please forgive me and continue to look for LJ's happenings on a regular basis.
LJ's first Easter was a great one! We left at 10:00 am for our trip to MawMaw's house. SJ rode with us and that was nice...someone else to talk to. LJ did fine, he napped and played with very little fussing. We stopped at a RV place on the way as we are looking for a travel trailer to buy. We'd like to find a nice used one, but that is proving more difficult than we thought it would be. We discovered that there is a Cracker Barrel "on the way" (ok it is a few miles out of the way...) so we stopped there to eat fish and chips. VERY YUMMY! We arrived at MawMaw's house around 2:30. We had a nice weekend with Bigbro and his family and LJ's cousin and Friday companion, SJ, helped him find his very first Easter egg.
We got home around 6:00 on Sunday and have been going ever since. Monday was the usual work stuff, but Tuesday we went up to Richard's brother's place as relatives from Pennsylvania were coming to visit. So, LJ got to meet his great aunt, great uncle, and several extended cousins. It was a great time and good food!
Tuesday evening, LJ's aunt M and cousin C came to visit and spend the night. We went out to eat and met up with SJ in the process. Then, M and C stayed with LJ this morning while RJ and I went to work. Since RJ went to work with the roosters (as I always do), he should get to come home early. But, it is almost 4:00 and he isn't home yet.
Tomorrow, we head back to MawMaw's. RJ and I have a conference (we are on the planning committee for this conference) this weekend and it is very near where MawMaw lives. She will keep LJ for us while we are at the conference and we will spend the nights with her. If she weren't available I don't think we'd be going as it is too difficult to leave a nursing baby with someone else for the night. I'm concerned about having enough milk for bottles as it is! We missed this conference last year due to my morning sickness (which, let's face it, doesn't only occur in the AM). It is hard to believe that at this time last year little LJ was on his way!
LJ's first Easter was a great one! We left at 10:00 am for our trip to MawMaw's house. SJ rode with us and that was nice...someone else to talk to. LJ did fine, he napped and played with very little fussing. We stopped at a RV place on the way as we are looking for a travel trailer to buy. We'd like to find a nice used one, but that is proving more difficult than we thought it would be. We discovered that there is a Cracker Barrel "on the way" (ok it is a few miles out of the way...) so we stopped there to eat fish and chips. VERY YUMMY! We arrived at MawMaw's house around 2:30. We had a nice weekend with Bigbro and his family and LJ's cousin and Friday companion, SJ, helped him find his very first Easter egg.
We got home around 6:00 on Sunday and have been going ever since. Monday was the usual work stuff, but Tuesday we went up to Richard's brother's place as relatives from Pennsylvania were coming to visit. So, LJ got to meet his great aunt, great uncle, and several extended cousins. It was a great time and good food!
Tuesday evening, LJ's aunt M and cousin C came to visit and spend the night. We went out to eat and met up with SJ in the process. Then, M and C stayed with LJ this morning while RJ and I went to work. Since RJ went to work with the roosters (as I always do), he should get to come home early. But, it is almost 4:00 and he isn't home yet.
Tomorrow, we head back to MawMaw's. RJ and I have a conference (we are on the planning committee for this conference) this weekend and it is very near where MawMaw lives. She will keep LJ for us while we are at the conference and we will spend the nights with her. If she weren't available I don't think we'd be going as it is too difficult to leave a nursing baby with someone else for the night. I'm concerned about having enough milk for bottles as it is! We missed this conference last year due to my morning sickness (which, let's face it, doesn't only occur in the AM). It is hard to believe that at this time last year little LJ was on his way!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Thunderstorms - Part II
Nope, LJ is definitely not afraid of thunderstorms. On Saturday evening, we had a doozy of a storm - complete with hail. SJ came over and played with LJ while RJ and I went to church. It poured rain and hailed for about an hour. LJ didn't get upset at all. After church, SJ stayed for dinner and told us all about her trip to London. It sounds like she had a great time...RJ and I are trying to figure out how to get over there. I think LJ would be great...once we got there...it is the plane ride that I'm not sure we want to tackle!
Sunday (and Saturday too), LJ would NOT nap. He wasn't upset (unless we were trying to make him take a nap)...he just didn't want to take a nap. I didn't think this would be good for him...he's a baby for goodness sake. And, he's far too young to be making these kinds of decisions. So, RJ and I tried to put him down several times. See, we were also trying to not swaddle him for his naps. By the end of the day, we gave up, swaddled him, and he took a nap. Apparently, he is not ready for the non-swaddled sleep. Last night, he slept from 8:30 - 6:00. He woke up at 2:00, made some noises, but went back to sleep. Same thing at 5:00. I only wish I could get back to sleep so quickly!
Today, it is storming, so LJ and I sat out on the front porch and listened to the rain. We also watched cars go by and I told him what make and model they were. I figure RJ will be glad about this...if I got them correct. Then LJ started to show signs of sleepiness, so I swaddled him and he is now napping.
This week we are looking forward to going to MawMaw's house for Easter. It will be our first over-night stay besides M&B's wedding...but that was staying in a hotel...this is our first stay in a house. Be careful, if it goes well, we may be coming to visit you next!
Sunday (and Saturday too), LJ would NOT nap. He wasn't upset (unless we were trying to make him take a nap)...he just didn't want to take a nap. I didn't think this would be good for him...he's a baby for goodness sake. And, he's far too young to be making these kinds of decisions. So, RJ and I tried to put him down several times. See, we were also trying to not swaddle him for his naps. By the end of the day, we gave up, swaddled him, and he took a nap. Apparently, he is not ready for the non-swaddled sleep. Last night, he slept from 8:30 - 6:00. He woke up at 2:00, made some noises, but went back to sleep. Same thing at 5:00. I only wish I could get back to sleep so quickly!
Today, it is storming, so LJ and I sat out on the front porch and listened to the rain. We also watched cars go by and I told him what make and model they were. I figure RJ will be glad about this...if I got them correct. Then LJ started to show signs of sleepiness, so I swaddled him and he is now napping.
This week we are looking forward to going to MawMaw's house for Easter. It will be our first over-night stay besides M&B's wedding...but that was staying in a hotel...this is our first stay in a house. Be careful, if it goes well, we may be coming to visit you next!
Friday, March 18, 2005
LJ's First St, Patrick's Day
Ok, I admit...we don't really do anything for St. Patrick's Day. We don't even make sure we are wearing green, but as it turns out, LJ was wearing green. RJ was not, so I put some green (lime scented) lotion on my hand, found him, and pinched him! All in good fun. Let's see, what did we do on this day? I made a pound cake...yes, from scratch. It is a little dry, but put some butter on it, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and that takes care of that problem. RJ sketched out plans for a porch on the back of our house...to keep the sun from oppressively beating in the windows in the afternoon. LJ hung out, ate, slept, and played.
Wednesday, we took LJ to his first sporting event. The ladies and the men are in post-season basketball, so we caught the end of the ladies' and the beginning of the men's games. He seemed to like it all right.
This weekend we plan to do regular stuff...laundry, clean up, etc. RJ will probably work on that porch.
LJ has been waking up once during the night...that hasn't been too much fun. We are hoping it is a growth spurt or something of that ilk.
Wednesday, we took LJ to his first sporting event. The ladies and the men are in post-season basketball, so we caught the end of the ladies' and the beginning of the men's games. He seemed to like it all right.
This weekend we plan to do regular stuff...laundry, clean up, etc. RJ will probably work on that porch.
LJ has been waking up once during the night...that hasn't been too much fun. We are hoping it is a growth spurt or something of that ilk.
Monday, March 14, 2005
LJ's First Visit to Grandma & Grandpa's House
Note: Please excuse my misplaced modifier in the title of the previous post. LJ's visit to the doctor did not last 4 months as you may have been lead to believe.
This is the first day of Spring Break here...don't you miss Spring Break? A whole week! Actually, the students have a whole week...we have Friday off. But, RJ and I took off today and we plan to go visit LJ's Aunt MJ and Uncle BJ this afternoon. Yesterday we took a longer car ride and went to visit LJ's Grandma and Grandpa (RJ's parents). This was LJ's first visit to their house and RJ stood him up on the ground when we arrived. You know, touch the earth kind of thing. I think this is the first time little LJ has touched the ground (outside) with his little feet. We had a nice visit...uncle BJ was there too...and got home in time for dinner, bath, and bed.
LJ has been a little fussy...while eating...and has been putting his hand up to his left ear. He isn't fussy when he's doing that though. We thought, "Could he be teething?" and put some baby Oragel on his little gums. This seemed to do the trick for the fussy-ness while eating, but who really knows. According to the book, this would be a little early for teething, but not impossible. I don't like the holding his ear thing, but I don't know how much stock to put in that. It is just this past week that he has been grabbing at toys (with purpose...oh, and they go straight to his mouth...ha!), so I can't see how he's refined this skill so much that he can think, "hmmm, pain...I must touch it with my hand." He may just be tired when he's doing that...he's started rubbing his eyes when he's tired. This is good...I can't miss that cue, so I get him down for his naps a little sooner.
Hope you treat yourself to a Spring Break soon!
This is the first day of Spring Break here...don't you miss Spring Break? A whole week! Actually, the students have a whole week...we have Friday off. But, RJ and I took off today and we plan to go visit LJ's Aunt MJ and Uncle BJ this afternoon. Yesterday we took a longer car ride and went to visit LJ's Grandma and Grandpa (RJ's parents). This was LJ's first visit to their house and RJ stood him up on the ground when we arrived. You know, touch the earth kind of thing. I think this is the first time little LJ has touched the ground (outside) with his little feet. We had a nice visit...uncle BJ was there too...and got home in time for dinner, bath, and bed.
LJ has been a little fussy...while eating...and has been putting his hand up to his left ear. He isn't fussy when he's doing that though. We thought, "Could he be teething?" and put some baby Oragel on his little gums. This seemed to do the trick for the fussy-ness while eating, but who really knows. According to the book, this would be a little early for teething, but not impossible. I don't like the holding his ear thing, but I don't know how much stock to put in that. It is just this past week that he has been grabbing at toys (with purpose...oh, and they go straight to his mouth...ha!), so I can't see how he's refined this skill so much that he can think, "hmmm, pain...I must touch it with my hand." He may just be tired when he's doing that...he's started rubbing his eyes when he's tired. This is good...I can't miss that cue, so I get him down for his naps a little sooner.
Hope you treat yourself to a Spring Break soon!
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
LJ's 4-Month Visit to the Doctor
LJ’s stats:
Height – 27 inches (this is “off the chart” – above the 100th percentile)
Weight – 15 pounds 3.5 ounces (this is in the 50th percentile – meaning “average”)
Head Circumference – 17 inches (this is in the 75th percentile)
As a parent of an infant you are very excited about these visits as they show you how much your baby has grown. You even place bets on what these statistics will be…for weight anyway.
RJ – 16 pounds 2 ounces
MJ – 16 pounds even
SJ – 16 pounds 4 ounces
And the winner is:
JJ – 15 pounds 14 ounces
So, LJ is a long baby of average weight…sound like anyone you know? Who LJ happens to look more and more like everyday? So far it appears that little baby J is taking after his father in all things looks-related.
LJ had 4 shots today and he was a little trooper. She had the first needle in his leg and was putting the second in before LJ started to howl. He only cried at the time of the injections…after that he was smiles again. He’s a tough kid!
I’ve decided that I am going to try to teach LJ some sign language…just little things like milk, pain, love, etc. The theory is that infants are capable of communicating before they develop language skills, so if you teach them so signs, they can communicate with you long before they can say the words. It is worth a shot! I ordered a little book that has 60 signs in it…all American Sign Language, so it’ll be useful in the future as well.
Height – 27 inches (this is “off the chart” – above the 100th percentile)
Weight – 15 pounds 3.5 ounces (this is in the 50th percentile – meaning “average”)
Head Circumference – 17 inches (this is in the 75th percentile)
As a parent of an infant you are very excited about these visits as they show you how much your baby has grown. You even place bets on what these statistics will be…for weight anyway.
RJ – 16 pounds 2 ounces
MJ – 16 pounds even
SJ – 16 pounds 4 ounces
And the winner is:
JJ – 15 pounds 14 ounces
So, LJ is a long baby of average weight…sound like anyone you know? Who LJ happens to look more and more like everyday? So far it appears that little baby J is taking after his father in all things looks-related.
LJ had 4 shots today and he was a little trooper. She had the first needle in his leg and was putting the second in before LJ started to howl. He only cried at the time of the injections…after that he was smiles again. He’s a tough kid!
I’ve decided that I am going to try to teach LJ some sign language…just little things like milk, pain, love, etc. The theory is that infants are capable of communicating before they develop language skills, so if you teach them so signs, they can communicate with you long before they can say the words. It is worth a shot! I ordered a little book that has 60 signs in it…all American Sign Language, so it’ll be useful in the future as well.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Advice Please...
RJ and LJ are still sleeping (at 8:45 am), so I have a few minutes (or maybe many minutes...who knows?) to ask you something that RJ and I have been wondering...
How can we make sure that LJ is a kind little boy (and grown up)? He is very cute, but this may come and go. He has a pretty nice temperament right now. It'll break my heart if he is a little meany. So, is there something we should be watching for? Some moment we need to seize? Some infant behavior we need to recognize as the precursors to meany-ness? I know it is too early for this now, but we really want him to be a nice person.
Any thoughts?
And it is now 8:50 and I hear RJ and LJ, so I did have only a few minutes.
How can we make sure that LJ is a kind little boy (and grown up)? He is very cute, but this may come and go. He has a pretty nice temperament right now. It'll break my heart if he is a little meany. So, is there something we should be watching for? Some moment we need to seize? Some infant behavior we need to recognize as the precursors to meany-ness? I know it is too early for this now, but we really want him to be a nice person.
Any thoughts?
And it is now 8:50 and I hear RJ and LJ, so I did have only a few minutes.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
2-Day Delay
I've decided that babies (LJ anyway) have a 2-day delay in "reacting" to things that I would think would really get them out-of-kilter. We had a great weekend with my brother's family. Great = visiting, hanging out, laughing, and eating. Maw Maw arrived on Sunday and took us all out to lunch...yum! All of LJ's cousins wanted to hold him and play with him and LJ didn't really get fussy at all...even though he missed most of his naps in the process. Each night, I'd go to bed and think, "well, he didn't really nap today...what's going to happen tonight...is he 'overtired'?" And, he would sleep until his normal time, wake to eat, and then go back to sleep...until 9:30 or 10:00 (this is amazing too). So, on Sunday I decided...no big deal...LJ reacted fine...and then there was last night (and thus the 2-day delay theory). We made great strides to have LJ ready for his last nursing session before bed by 8:00 - to coincide with The Amazing Race. That went well and LJ was off to sleep by 8:30. He woke at 11:30...RJ got him back to sleep. He woke at 12:30...RJ tried, but decided LJ was hungry. He nursed...went back to sleep. He woke up at 3:30...at which point we put him in bed with us. He slept "all right" until 6:30...RJ fed him a bottle as I was getting ready for work. As I left, RJ was trying to get LJ to go back to sleep. So, I'm thinking it is a 2-day delayed reaction to his eventful weekend. I have to come up with an alternative to the growth spurt theory!
SJ has offered to have some cousin time with LJ this week, so we are taking her up on her offer. She suggested we see "Hitch" and we have heard that it is really funny...so that is what we are doing this afternoon. RJ is going to take off early today and we are going to a movie. How decadent! I hope I'm rested enough not to fall asleep during this one. If you recall, I fell asleep during "Ocean's 12", but if you've seen it, that may make sense to you.
So far as I'm concerned...things are going well. I've managed to lose enough weight to fit into jeans a size smaller. Just one more size to go. This is nice, but causes a problem as I only have 1 pair of pants (jeans) this size...I had 2 of the larger size *sigh*. But, what can you do? I had to take some measures to lose weight...breastfeeding has not "melted away the pounds" as it apparently does for so many. I didn't really expect it to...my metabolism has never been like that. The only thing I've really done is to stop eating with reckless abandon every day of the week. I haven't been exercising or greatly limiting my calories. Every breastfeeding mom will likely tell you that one of their fears is that their milk supply will decrease, that this will be unknown to them, that the baby will secretly be starving, and that once they realize their supply is low...it will be too late to do anything about it. This is why the weight loss is such a tricky issue. Or, maybe this is a rationalization on my part?
RJ is doing well...he longs for the day when he can get some work done around the house. By this I mean...in the garage and outside. It has rained here every 2-3 days for about 6 months...so the grass is growing (and the weeds too), but it is always too wet to mow. Our yard looks like a jungle. I told him that one day...LJ will take longer naps a couple of times a day and we'll both be able to get more done. I'm not sure he believes me, but he is ever hopeful!
SJ has offered to have some cousin time with LJ this week, so we are taking her up on her offer. She suggested we see "Hitch" and we have heard that it is really funny...so that is what we are doing this afternoon. RJ is going to take off early today and we are going to a movie. How decadent! I hope I'm rested enough not to fall asleep during this one. If you recall, I fell asleep during "Ocean's 12", but if you've seen it, that may make sense to you.
So far as I'm concerned...things are going well. I've managed to lose enough weight to fit into jeans a size smaller. Just one more size to go. This is nice, but causes a problem as I only have 1 pair of pants (jeans) this size...I had 2 of the larger size *sigh*. But, what can you do? I had to take some measures to lose weight...breastfeeding has not "melted away the pounds" as it apparently does for so many. I didn't really expect it to...my metabolism has never been like that. The only thing I've really done is to stop eating with reckless abandon every day of the week. I haven't been exercising or greatly limiting my calories. Every breastfeeding mom will likely tell you that one of their fears is that their milk supply will decrease, that this will be unknown to them, that the baby will secretly be starving, and that once they realize their supply is low...it will be too late to do anything about it. This is why the weight loss is such a tricky issue. Or, maybe this is a rationalization on my part?
RJ is doing well...he longs for the day when he can get some work done around the house. By this I mean...in the garage and outside. It has rained here every 2-3 days for about 6 months...so the grass is growing (and the weeds too), but it is always too wet to mow. Our yard looks like a jungle. I told him that one day...LJ will take longer naps a couple of times a day and we'll both be able to get more done. I'm not sure he believes me, but he is ever hopeful!
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Thunderstorms
Apparently, LJ is too young to be scared by thunder and lightening as we had a pretty big storm last night. Actually, it was around 5:00 am. I was surprised that we had not heard from him before this. LJ was in bed and asleep by 9:00 last night...RJ and I were 30 minutes behind him! LJ slept right through the storm...not a peep out of him. I, of course, was wide awake...when I finally fell back to sleep...I dreamed LJ was drowning. Go figure! When I left for work at 7:15...LJ was still asleep. RJ says he woke up pretty quickly after I left, but that was an EXCELLENT night for us!
Our current afternoon routine (I'm not 100% sure what goes on here in the am!) goes something like this. LJ eats. This takes about 30 minutes. Then we read a story. Right now we are reading Bible stories for children. Let me tell you...even though they are for children...Cain still kills Abel...Joseph's brothers still sell him into slavery, etc. You can’t change what happened, but this does seem like a lot for a child to think about…of course, LJ is just looking at the pictures and listening to the comforting voice of his mommy. At the conclusion of the story, we change into a clean diaper and then...TUMMY TIME! Sometimes we are rewarded with a roll over, but mostly just high-head holding. I have run the camcorder for several of these sessions just in case, but all this means is that we have several minutes of LJ on his tummy. Tummy time lasts about 5 minutes and then we have "other" play time. After an hour or so of this, LJ is ready for a nap. This nap lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to the all-time record of 1 and 1/2 hours...this was set yesterday (I was in on an hour of this!). Once LJ awakens, we start the whole process over again.
This weekend LJ's uncle (bigbro), aunt, and many cousins are coming for a visit...I'm sure he'll be a good boy...as usual!
Our current afternoon routine (I'm not 100% sure what goes on here in the am!) goes something like this. LJ eats. This takes about 30 minutes. Then we read a story. Right now we are reading Bible stories for children. Let me tell you...even though they are for children...Cain still kills Abel...Joseph's brothers still sell him into slavery, etc. You can’t change what happened, but this does seem like a lot for a child to think about…of course, LJ is just looking at the pictures and listening to the comforting voice of his mommy. At the conclusion of the story, we change into a clean diaper and then...TUMMY TIME! Sometimes we are rewarded with a roll over, but mostly just high-head holding. I have run the camcorder for several of these sessions just in case, but all this means is that we have several minutes of LJ on his tummy. Tummy time lasts about 5 minutes and then we have "other" play time. After an hour or so of this, LJ is ready for a nap. This nap lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to the all-time record of 1 and 1/2 hours...this was set yesterday (I was in on an hour of this!). Once LJ awakens, we start the whole process over again.
This weekend LJ's uncle (bigbro), aunt, and many cousins are coming for a visit...I'm sure he'll be a good boy...as usual!
Monday, February 21, 2005
LJ's Baptism
The big day was this past Saturday and as Fr. R said, LJ "is now a Christian." All is well that ends well and this ended well. I didn't even get stressed when LJ's Godfather called from about 30 minutes away at about 10 after 11:00. The baptism was scheduled for 11:30, so this presented a small problem. Fr. R said it was ok and we waited. We waited so long that people arrived for a baptism scheduled for noon. So, LJ had about 30 people celebrating with him! He was a good boy and didn't cry when Fr. poured the water over his head. We do that every evening during his bath, so it wasn't a shocking experience for him.
After the baptism, everyone came back to our house and we had a big lunch...fajitas from a local catering place. They always send enough food to cover twice as many people as you told them you would have, so we have TONS of leftovers. The RJ and I will be having fajitas for dinner all this week (and I guess LJ will too...indirectly).
LJ didn't roll over for any of his guests, but he rolled over for RJ this morning. We had some tummy time after lunch today, but all I got was some very high head lifting. We'll try again after his midday snack. He's just waking up from his nap now!
After the baptism, everyone came back to our house and we had a big lunch...fajitas from a local catering place. They always send enough food to cover twice as many people as you told them you would have, so we have TONS of leftovers. The RJ and I will be having fajitas for dinner all this week (and I guess LJ will too...indirectly).
LJ didn't roll over for any of his guests, but he rolled over for RJ this morning. We had some tummy time after lunch today, but all I got was some very high head lifting. We'll try again after his midday snack. He's just waking up from his nap now!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
LJ's First Valentine's Day
LJ's First Valentine's Day was just like every other day in LJ's life. I might have eaten some almond m&m's, so he "ate" some processed candy. Does this count? We didn't even dress him in red. Daddy came home with some pretty flowers that night and I asked if we could go to Target. There is no one at Target at 8:00 pm on Valentine's day...I must remember this for next year. If only I could wait and go to Target only once a year. After that we went to a famous burrito establishment where I ran into a student from 2 years ago. She, of course, thinks LJ is adorable! As if she could say anything else. And that was LJ's first Valentine's Day. He was so worn out that he feel asleep (solid) without his bath...and woke up at 4:45 to eat...just that perfect time where it doesn't do me any good to try to go back to bed.
So, I got up at 4:45 on Tuesday. I left for work about 40 minutes earlier than normal (6:30) and there were kids waiting for the school bus...couldn't have been more than 10 years old. What is going on that kids have to wait for the bus at 6:30? That is terrible. These kids aren't on some rural route that takes an hour to get through either...they are not too far from our house. RJ tells me that, as a child in the country, he was the first to get picked up in the morning and the last to get dropped of in the afternoon. So, he had to ride the bus almost an hour each way, every day. This makes me sad (in a good way...) to think of him as a little boy, riding the bus all over the county roads. Ok, back to me. I have little sympathy for my students who complain about how late they stayed up...studying for a test...and how tired they are. Yeah? Well, you could have studied earlier if you wanted...or you could have decided not to study at all. I HAVE to get up as another human being's life depends on me. So, save the drama for your momma!
LJ sleeps in his crib now...that transition has transpired. He wakes once in the night to be fed. When that one time is...your guess is as good as mine. It is usually between 4:30 and 5:30. We decided to put him to bed earlier in the hope that he would wake up earlier, so I could feed him earlier, so that I could go back to sleep. He was in bed by 8:30 last night...and woke up at 1:30 to eat. I did get to go back to sleep, but that was a little earlier than I expected. And, he was up for the day at 6:45 am...poor RJ!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Batteries
It seems that almost everything baby related requires batteries. All different sizes too. I not only have to keep a stock of the usual AA, but now AAA, D and the almost-never-used C! These toys, vibrating chairs, musical thingies, etc. eat batteries at an alarming rate (especially if you forget to turn them off as you move your wee-one away from whatever it is). But, here is the most frustrating part...all the battery covers are screwed to the toy, so you must have a Philips screwdriver that is easily accessible. We keep ours on the dining room table along with all the other stuff we need to have accessible, but don't have a regular place for...oh, and the stuff we don't need accessible, but for which we don't have a regular place (and that folks, is a run-on sentence). And, why is it that some things include batteries and some don't? Here's my favorite though...one musical thingy came with batteries, but the instructions say, "For best results, replace the included batteries with new batteries." WHAAAAT? Did they decide, "hey, we have some old batteries laying around, we'll just throw them in, but we'd better tell the consumer that they won't last very long?"
LJ is fine and enjoying all his battery operated thingies...the ones that have working batteries anyway!
LJ is fine and enjoying all his battery operated thingies...the ones that have working batteries anyway!
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