helping mommie with laundry

Sometimes he just gets tired of sitting in his exersaucer or on the floor with the same old toys, so I decided to try something new and let him hang out in the laundry basket while I fold and hang up. I think he enjoyed it, what do you think? :)

new foods

I think we've tried just about all the single ingredient baby foods, and now we are branching out into the (sometimes scary) world of the baby food combos. I haven't been brave enough to introduce him to any of the meat combos (mainly because just the sound of them makes me wanna throw up...imagine if you will, a baby food version of glazed ham and pineapple...GROSS!) but the veggie and the fruit combos are going over very well. Since he did so well with the little bits of finger food that I've given him (the toast and the cereal puffs are what's saving me at the YMCA,because once he gets upset, as long as he's got that to gnaw on, he's happy and they don't have to come get me....hopefully this doesn't mean I'm turning him into an emotional eater like Josh fears...) I decided to try peeling a grape and give him little pieces of it. Here is the face he made. I'm not sure that it's so much the taste that he's objecting to as it is the texture. He also had a hard time picking them up, regardless of which hand he used. I just thought these faces were funny...

An amazing, earth-shattering development!!

It's official...at this point in his development Baby Jack appears to favor....his LEFT HAND!! His lefty mommy is SO excited about this. I was the only lefty in my immediate family,and didn't really have many close relatives who were lefties (although several friends in high school who were fellow southpaws...) We'll see if it "sticks" I'd love to have another "wierdo" in the family besides me!!!

I discovered this amazing fact this morning while making a second attempt at giving Jack those little cereal puffs that dissolve in their mouths. He tried them a few weeks ago, and gagged on them, no matter how small they were broken, but today he did GREAT!! Every single cereal puff that made it to his mouth was from his left hand. He managed to pick a few up with his right, but would try to transfer it over to his left and get frustrated if he tried to eat with his right...

thanks to all the family and friends who put up with me calling or texting and lauding my lefty son. Thanks for humoring this stay-at-home mom and let me "update" you with the little tidbits of news.

Jack meets his Pops (again)!!!

What a fun weekend! We got to see "Papa and Nana" from TX again and get lots of lovin from them. After a late start on Saturday (due to a LOOONG nap), Jack got to go up to see Pops, who was moved last week to a "regular" room. After Pops woke up from his unsuccessful nap, he and Jack got to get reacquainted. They were really cute together. I'll try to get a cute video of them put up sometime soon as well. On Sunday after church (Jack stayed in the nursery while Mommie and Daddy went to Sunday school!! Yea!!) We went over to visit with Granny Ruthie and Mzee and Daniel and Grandma Mary. After another LOONG nap (these grandparents and great-grandparents are just wearing him out!!) WE went back up. Jack was a bit whiny, and quite verbose (I was afraid we were going to be asked to leave he was expressing himself so much!) but after a quick catnap in Daddy and Bertie's arms, he cheered up again. We had fun visiting with you Pops, can't wait to do it again soon!

Mommie and Daddy go on a date!

How wonderful! Our first time to be alone since Mother's Day weekend! I know that both Jack and I were more relaxed this time, since he slept the whole time instead of screaming the whole time! Thanks to Papa and Nana for keeping watch over him while we got to go to Cozymel's and enjoy some tableside guacamole and then a trip to Borders. It was so nice to go out as a couple and remember how to have fun without our baby! It was so relaxing.

Update on our house...again...

Still a source of frustration and prayer. I KNOW God is in charge of this situation, and His timing is perfect. I KNOW!!! Just keep praying for the Lord's will to be done, for us to not stand in the way of His will and for my anxiety level.
Our house is still on the market, but we are also looking into putting it up for rent as well. If anyone knows of someone wanting to rent (or better yet, BUY!) a nice 2 BR 2.5 Ba townhome in Bellevue, let us know. It's a GREAT deal, convenient to everything, nice neighbors, etc. It's only 4 years old, all appliances are included, and in really great shape! We LOVED living there, and if we could move our townhome to our current city, we'd probably still be living in it! It's layout would be great for roommates (each bedroom has it's own bathroom) and some of my favorite aspects were 1)the AMAZING kitchen and pantry and 2) the washer/dryer area is UPSTAIRS!! and 3) the closets are wonderful and spacious! Right now our's is the lowest priced one in the area, so as our realtor has pointed out...any buyer would have instant equity! Does this sound enough like a commercial yet? :)

more cousin fun

These just in from Granny Ruthie, more pics from our fun weekend with the Kise cousins! Jack likes meeting Baby Mercy, and Auntie Raychie loved rediscovering all her American Girl Doll goodies with Hannah and Hope. What a fun time with family!

He finally got some smoothie!

Maybe we should have warned him "Just be careful what you wish for, you just might get it!" I think this is a case of too much of a good thing! I think it's adorable how Jack is "sharing" the smoothie with Daddy. Enjoy! We sure did!! :) I think this is one of my personal favorite videos yet!

yummmm, toes...

while we were hanging out at the hospital waiting room this weekend, it was Jack's dinner time. I was feeding him some "big boy food" and Bertie started playing footsie with him (since his seat was situated on the floor). He decided that since his toes taste SOO good, maybe he should try nibbling on someone elses...don't worry, we stopped him before he got them in his mouth...even though I'm sure Bertie has very clean feet... :) Gotta draw the line somewhere...

as promised...

another hairstyle photo session after a bath...he's such a silly boy (with silly parents)

Thanks

Thank you for voicing your opinions...especially about something so very important like our child's silly hairdo's...just thought you'd like to know that the winning style was.....A TIE! 50% liked wild and crazy and 50% liked Dapper Dan man. Thanks to the 12 people who were good citizens and voted. Apparently as a group you feel the same way we do, that he looks cute no matter how his silly parent's choose to do his hair....my next try will be a "faux-hawk" whaddaya think of that?

"Don't you feed that child?"

Yes, obviously he is well-fed. He's definitely not starving or wasting away(although you might wonder when he get's so impatient to nurse or eat his solid food..he wants it NOW!) He's still very much into exploring with his mouth and "eating" his toys ALL the time. This is a crocodile bath toy...he must've been really hungry that day...

Fun on the Farm

We got to visit this weekend with Mommie's sister Amy and her husband Jeff and their 4 kids. Jack had never met his cousins before, and he had a lot of fun watching them play. We got to visit Granny Ruthie and Mzee's farm. What a gorgeous day! Even though it was warm and sunny, there was a magnificent breeze and they brought a canopy for shade. It was PERFECT. We got to sit and visit and meander down to the river and play. We also got to eat hotdogs and fly kites and rockets. Poor Daniel...the rocket blasted off beautifully, but it caught a breeze and flew into one of the only 2 trees within 500 yards...what rotten luck! We had so much fun enjoying God's creation and all the hard work of Granny Ruthie, Mzee and Daniel (and many others) on the farm.

Lunch with Papa John

We got to do Lunch with Papa John on Monday. Jack got to sit in a "big boy" high chair (and not his normal baby carseat). He really seemed to enjoy seeing so much more of the hubbub of the restaurant. I was even able to feed him his baby food in the high chair, although it was quite a challenge, since he kept turning his head towards the action, and away from me. He was SOOO well-behaved this afternoon, we've decided that he's quite an "observer" and needs to take it all in and feel comfortable before expressing himself (hmmm....who does that sound like?) He only got the slightest bit fussy up at Papa Johns house when he started to get sleepy, but as soon as I got him in the car....zzzzzz......I feel so blessed that he is such a great baby and such a great car rider!
Thanks for lunch Papa John!

Daddy's boy

As much as I like to claim he's a Mommie's boy, he sure loves his Daddy too! We were apart from Daddy for a few days this week, and when we got back with him again, Jack (and Daddy) just lit up! It was really sweet. I just love how he's snuggling with Daddy (and no, he's not picking Daddy's nose, it's just the angle, although Jack really does seem to appreciate noses!)

Standing firm (kinda)

He sure thinks he's big stuff! He's gotten much more interested in locking his knees and standing lately. His waist doesn't always know to stay stationary, and he hulas around a lot, and he doesn't quite see the need to pull up, but he sure loves to stand and see the world from a different perspective! Sometiems when I try to sit him down, he refuses to bend at the waist, and it's like trying to lay down a little board, which I take as a message "no mommie, I wanna stand up some more"

Look Mommie, no hands!!

As I mentioned before, ever since getting his 2 teeth, he's very interested in exploring with them...including biting and gripping whatever he can get hold of...I thought these pictures are funny!

oh no, separation anxiety....

we have turned the corner into the unpleasant world of separation anxiety. While I suppose it should make me feel loved and wanted and needed (and it does!) it's also a bit puzzling. I had hoped that since he had been staying with grandparents, going to the nursery at church and childcare at the Y since he was little bitty, that maybe, just MAYBE, it wouldn't happen. Perhaps it wasn't helpful that lately while he's been teething I didn't take him to childcare, in fear that it was a REAL fever, not knowing it was just teething...but I would hate to leave him knoewing how miserable he was (and going to make the childcare workers miserable too...) Yesterday at the Y I could hear him starting up before I even left the childcare area, and they very nicely allowed me 10-15 minutes before they came to get me...but I just feel bad knowing he's so upset that whole time, and probably upsetting other kids too.
I've noticed at home, lately he gets whiny if I'm out of his sight, but will stop whining as soon as I'm back in his field of vision. I've also seen that he doesn't necessarily want me PLAYING with him, or even interacting with him...he plays very well be himself for pretty good stretches of time, he just wants me nearby. It's just a little disappointing, because I'm really trying to get into shape and lose some pre-baby weight, and having that 30 minutes or so at the Y or at church are so nice for my mental health, but he doesn't agree. :) I love taking him for walks around our neighborhood or up to town, but its so blasted hot these days.
Anyway, can any of you mommy's out there offer any advice or wisdom? Anything that did work or didn't work to ease the pain of separation anxiety...I know, I know, this too shall pass, but it won't pass as quickly as teething did....will it?

whaddaya think?

which hairstyle suits him best? "Wild and Crazy Head" or "Dapper Dan Man"?

Both were taken just after a bath.

Lately he's been cracking me up with his tongue...ever since getting 2 teeth he's very interested in exploring them with his tongue, thus the tongue is sticking out all the time. :)

Picnic on the grounds

This was Jack's first picnic on the grounds at Clearview, and boy did he have fun! He got to share his toys with Hannah and Ian and he tried his very hardest to get a taste of the bbq chips in daddy's chip bag...by the time he was done with it, I think they were only crumbs left. What a fun time to spend with our Clearview family. It's really wonderful that no matter how long we've been absent from our Sunday School class, when we return, we feel like we never left at all (granted, lately we've been there a lot with all our trips back and forth to visit with Pops and Bertie and family summer celebrations, etc.)

Many thanks to Heather and Allison for letting me snatch these pictures off their blog and to Sharon for sending me some pics too...I'm pretty good about remembering to take pictures at home when there is no one else to visit with, but when I get caught up talking to people, I don't think about pictures at all, until the event is over.. :( I'll try to do better.

wow, what a lapdog!

yes, that is our 40-something pound sweetie being a car riding lap dog. This isn't her usual way to ride in the car....although because of her slobbery afffection for Jack, she ALWAYS rides shotgun, and never in the backseat with him. We were on our way to Nashville/Franklin for a long weekend of being adored by all the grandparents, and our car was PACKED! Who would've guessed that for 3 nights we would need that much STUFF! Babies really do need a lot of gear. We left just enough room for Maggie, and then Bertie asked us to stop off to borrow the aerobed so she would have a place to sleep, since she generously let us have the master bedroom. Between the deflated aerobed in the front seat, and the overzealous ninnies who were setting off fireworks a day early in the daylight...maggie wasn't her normal happy camper self, so for the last 10 minutes of our trip, she got to be a lapdog and hang out the window.

His first steps....

not really.... He and Daddy are just being silly again, as usual. He sure does seem proud of himself. Since he has a diaper on, it's not considered streaking, is it? :) There at the end when he's wriggling his body around, we call that his hula hoop move.

Happy 7 months Baby Jack

Well, lots of new things have been going on the past few weeks. He's sitting up like a champ now! We went to a picnic at Clearview today and he sat up and socialized almost the whole time. He weighs about 21 pounds, as my best guess, which means he is 1 pound away from growing out of his infant car seat. It's time to go find a "big boy" convertible car seat for him. I was looking at them online, trying to compare all the bells and whistles, trying to find the balance between best value and safety (I figure, they all must be fairly safe, but do you really want to go with the cheapest one out there when it comes to something like this...) It's a bit overwhelming. :) He's wearing 12 month clothes, and I'm making plans to go to a big consignment sale here in town later in the month to start looking for 18 month cool weather clothes. He's definitely becoming more social, especially around the ladies! He's ok around men( besides that he LOVES when his Daddy comes home) but he really comes alive when he's flirting with women...of ANY age! :) He's been sleeping through the night now for about a month, with probably about one night a week being an anomaly and we have to go in to tend to him. The biggest news, as the fans of our blog would already know, is that he's already got one tooth, and another one ready to pop out too.
He was REALLY fussy in the car this afternoon, (my fault, I misjudged when he was going to be hungry/sleepy again and the travel time to get to where we could tend to his needs...) and to try to soothe him I let him nibble on my finger...I mean BITE! He has quite a bit of jaw strength and that little tooth is SHARP! I think I may still have bite marks on it...I just hope he doesn't start to do that while nursing. For several reasons I'm not eager to stop, not the least of which is that I'm not sure we could afford all the formula it would take to feed him!! :) He's becoming very curious, often wanting to reach for, grab and chew on whatever he sees us using...which is not always a good idea. Right now he's not too upset when we take whatever it is away, just persistent, but I have a feeling that he will start protesting soon when he doesn't get what he wants. :) Thank you to all who faithfully send prayers up for Baby Jack and who love him (and us) enough to check up on him with his blog! We love you too!

the drooly monster is back...

ok, no one ever told me that babies would get 2 teeth in less than a week. I just assumed that we would get a week or 2 or more in between...but the drooly monster has other ideas. So, we went 2 days in between teething sessions when he was happy, DRY and fever free....at least SO FAR this one is less traumatic...maybe because we know better what to expect and what to do or not to do, maybe because he's a little more used to the discomfort. Who knows. All i know is that he's got 2 teeth on the bottom now...my little baby boy is growing up! So long cute little toothless grin!

Sitting in the Grass

This was his first time to experience grass. We were in Pops and Bertie's backyard and at first he wasn't really sure what to think about it, but later he relaxed. What a fun way to spend the 4th of July!