Isaac rides off into the sunset

Pears are hysterical!

Say what?

In his monkey suit, waiting for breakfast

Cuddle Club

Every morning when Isaac wakes up, usually around 6 or 6:30, we change his diaper and then bring him into bed with us for 30 minutes or more. He doesn't go back to sleep, but instead nurses in between climbing on the jungle gym (otherwise known as mom and dad). When he's done nursing, he gets less climby and more cuddly. We tickle him and bite his toes and he just laughs and laughs.

The other morning, this cuddly play time turned into a conversation about Isaac being part of something called Cuddle Club. Basically, it's Fight Club, but way more adorable.

So here, lifted directly from the movie, are the rules of Fight---err, Cuddle--- Club. Say them out loud in whatever voice you use when you're talking for a baby. (You know you have one...)

The first rule of Cuddle Club is: you do not talk about Cuddle Club

the Second rule of Cuddle Club is: You DO NOT talk about CUDDLE CLUB

Third rule: If someone says stop or goes limp, taps out, the cuddle is over.

Fourth rule: only two guys to a cuddle

Fifth rule: one cuddle at a time, fellas.

Sixth rule: all cuddles are fully clothed. No funny business.

Seventh rule: cuddles will go on as long as they have to.

And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Cuddle Club...you have to cuddle.

That last one makes me giggle. Every time.

no creatures were stirring

It seems like I am always busy: working, cleaning house, cooking, etc. When I get a minute to myself I don't even know what to do.

Tim went down to campus to pick something up, Isaac is snoozing soundly, I have Chicken Strata in the oven since it was supposed to be our dinner and we ended up having dinner at the 'rents tonight. So I have 35 minutes in which to...read? clean? watch tv? take a mini-nap? do laundry? By the time I figure out how to spend my 35 minutes, it'll be over :P

Mmm...

Delicious!

young love

I think Isaac has his first little girlfriend :) There is a girl named Rosie at daycare who is only 5 days younger than him. She goes the same 3 days per week, and they always seem to be playing together. When Isaac gets his diaper changed (and can't play with her), she cries.

 

They wave at each other when we're leaving. And today he even waved when I set him in the highchair next to her. 1 ft away, lol. So cute. 

I think I can, I think I can

Isaac is determined to get this giant pan lid out of the cabinet

First day of daycare

went, to quote the staff, "perfectly". Here he is enjoying some French
toast. Looks like he'll be pretty happy there :)

look at the size of that boy's head...

..it's like an orange on a toothpick!

Isaac had his 9 month checkup today (barely made it before he turns 10 months!). He is 20 lbs, 4 oz and 28 inches long. That is the 45th percentile for height and weight. Percentile for head circumference? 75th. lol.

Also, we found out he has especially hairy inner ears. What a funny kid.

Sweet cheeks

From today's trip to the park with daddy...

Now where did I put that hammer?

At the doctors....again

Prescription eardrops didn't help much, still barely slept last night.
Back at the doctors to find out what is the matter with this kid.

At least he's feeling good enough to play in the waiting room...

Passed out

After jabbering away for over 45 minutes, this cranky guy finally fell
asleep. Hopefully it will be a long nap, he needs it.

Sad, sick baby

:(

And, it's not over...

Sigh. I spoke too soon.
Isaac had some interesting diapers Wednesday that I chalked up to
eating normal food again. That night, Tim got sick, but Thursday they
were both fine.

So, Friday Isaac went to Chrissy's, acted fine all day, but apparently
was still contagious (how?!) because Chrissy and Kaiya got sick on
Saturday.

In the meantime, Katie (our babysitter) and her family got sick, and
Katie (our niece) relapsed again. Isaac has been sick again since
Saturday (but no vomiting) this time, and we're headed to the doctors
this morning.

Hoping they can give us something for whatever this is, and we'll be
on our way back to normal.

Sent from my iPhone

Feeling much better, thank you

After his first bout of stomach flu on Sunday/Monday, Isaac is pretty
much back to normal again.

Reading with Daddy before heading to Katie's this morning...

Snoozing with Daddy

Put down the duckie!

Ever since his bath last night, Isaac hasn't wanted to give up this rubber duck bath toy. It made me think of the Sesame Street bit w/Ernie and Mr. Hoots: Put down the duckie

Guess who?

Nope, it's not Isaac. Look again. Apparently I served as an incubator
for a tiny Timmy clone.

The zoo is exhausting!

Zzzzzzz....

Nice to mole you...

...meet you. Nice to meet you, Mole.

I won!

One of the blogs I subscribe to in my Google Reader, Simple Organic, recently had several giveaways for various prizes. I entered the drawing for some all-natural wood toys from Wee Organics, and found out this morning that I won!

 

We will receive a duck pull toy, which I'm sure Isaac will love in a few months when he is starting to toddle around. We will also get a rattle, that we may keep or I may save for a baby gift for one of the many babies we will meet later this year.

Cheap baby toy

Yup, that's an egg carton.

I guess he doesn't mind it after all...

I didn't think Isaac would tolerate being in the playpen because he's
so active now. But I left him in there while I finished getting ready
this morning, and returned to a pretty happy baby. (that's our old
cable remote--batteries removed--that he's playing with)

Is there something on my face?

He sure does love his rice krispies....

church and such

We had a long weekend filled with lots of food and family. Monday comes too soon.

Our niece Katie was baptised yesterday, and all the Chicago and Georgia relatives were in town to attend and celebrate. Of course, Isaac is 2 months older and has not been baptised, which makes me feel like a bit of a heathen, but whatever. I was raised Baptist, and (ironically enough) they don't baptise babies. I fully support anyone who does it, but for my own kid, it would be a bit strange I think.

 

It was the first time Isaac had been to church, and he did pretty well. He loves music, so he was pretty happy during the worship portion. Once the message started, I was trying to rock him to sleep, but he just kept pulling my shirt down, lol. Not church-appropriate. I kept him happy for a bit with a continuous stream of Rice Krispies but eventually had to go out in the lobby until the message was over.

 

Through all of this, he has been working on getting at least one top tooth. I feel it poking through, but can't see it yet. Hopefully it will make an appearance soon because he has been pretty miserable around bedtime. He's actually been getting excited when I get out the Tylenol. (Although the sugary grape flavor probably doesn't hurt...)

So proud

Of his toast-eating skills ;)

Baby's first flapjacks

On the move!

Isaac turned 7 months on Monday, and apparently decided that 7 months was too old to not be crawling...

He started crawling just before bedtime, and got in a lot more practice the next morning. He is still not going very far, but he is definitely better at it just since Monday. Here's a short video from Tuesday morning, I'll try to take another one in the next few days:

http://qik.com/video/7762684

(And for all the Facebook people, yes, you already saw this. Anytime you see a note from me, it is actually auto-feeding from my blog. FYI. Sometimes I post something on Facebook and then realize that my non-facebook family may want to see it too. Imagine that!...someone who isn't on Facebook....lol)

Be honest

Is my shirt too low-cut?

Sir Talks a Lot

http://qik.com/video/7656864

He's been on the floor spinning in circles for over 20 minutes now. He started whispering yesterday...saying "Da da da" as quietly as possible. Silly baby...

Baby-free tomorrow

Tomorrow night, Isaac will spend his first night away from home, at my mom's house. I'm sure it will go fine, but it will definitely be weird without him.

I'm torn between wanting to just veg out, go to the movies, etc, and wanting to get things done that I normally can't do easily with a little one around. Probably I will do a little of both though.

Things on the agenda?
*Laundry!
*Thin out some of our crap (sort through papers, books, etc. I want clean countertops)
*Finish my pantry project that I started yesterday. The contents of our pantry are currently overtaking the kitchen table
*Make some food ahead (brown rice and shredded chicken for freezer, maybe a big batch of pancake mix)
*Make these cookies: Clean Eating's Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mmm...almond butter. Maybe these should go higher on the list...

We could always use some more fluff...

Chubby Cherubs Cloth Diaper Naturals is offering a chance to win a $425 cloth diaper package! Requirement: just share the giveaway info on a social network page like a blog (check!) or Facebook (check!). Couldn't hurt to try, right?

Package includes:

10 Chubby Cheeks Diapers (Available in Neutral, Boy or Girl print/color combos.)

12 One-Size Soakers

3 Doublers (3 Pack)- 9 Doublers Total

2 Cloth Wipes (8 Pack)- 16 Cloth Wipes Total

1 Cloth Wipes Solution (NH Milk & Honey Bun Drops or NH Green Tea & Honey Bun Drops)

Become a fan of them here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chubby-Cherubs-Cloth-Diaper-Naturals/336981221948
or visit their website: http://www.chubbycherubsclothdiapernaturals.com/

We currently only have 12 daytime diapers and 3-4 nighttime diapers, so this would be a big help! We just took a 5 day road trip and had to use disposables on our trip, since we only have enough cloth dipes to last us about 2 days.

He's still happy

...even when he's been tossing his cookies all day.

He was crying shortly before this picture was taken, but the triple
play of nudity, a mirror, and a warm bath won him over.

(After a whole day of constant major spit up and very little sleep, he
finally slept after this picture was taken. Whatever it was seems to
have resolved itself now.)

Powering down.

Backyard fun without a backyard

Simple Elements for Backyard Fun – Even Without the Backyard

I was taking Isaac for a walk the other day and we went past another house that Tim and I had considered buying. It is just a block from our current house. Everything is exactly the same, except this house has a large yard.

Why did we decline to put an offer on it? Because it is on a corner, and we wouldn't have been able to fence in the yard. Nevermind the fact that we haven't fenced in our current yard. We were focused on what was best for the dog, and not future babies.

Fast forward nearly two years, and we have a baby, but no dog, and the world's tiniest backyard. So even though we have our own house, many of these things still apply to us. Ultimately, if we end up staying in our house long term, we need to be creative in finding ways to enjoy the outdoors that don't involve running around in the backyard. Because, well, we don't really have one.

(I love our house, but man, passing a larger, but unfenceable, yard up because of a dog? Not one of our finer decisions....)

This thing's broken

I put it my mouth, but no food is coming out...

Professional 'nana eater.

reading on a rainy day

Even at just 6 months old, Isaac loves to read. I think we will start adding books to his bedtime routine soon. Today, Green Eggs and Ham. Tomorrow, Tolkien....

Eh?

Speak up, I can't hear you!

Big guy!

First ride in a shopping cart. (and first time wearing his Star Wars
shirt that I bought when I was newly pregnant. Size 12 months...what a
chunker!)

Pampers Sustainability: Myths and Facts About Sustainable Diapers at Pampers.com

Pampers Sustainability: Myths and Facts About Sustainable Diapers at Pampers.com

This irritates me. Isaac has had 1, maybe 2 diaper rashes in 6 months with cloth, and they were minor. How can disposables be better for the environment when they are sitting in landfills? That's like saying we should just use disposable dishes because when you factor in the water to wash regular dishes, well, its a tossup. Ridiculous.

Seriously, I don't know anyone who uses disposable diapers who would claim that they are better for the environment. It is a convenience thing, not an environmental choice. We do 3-4 loads of diaper laundry per week, and usually things like crib sheets, messy clothes, and burp clothes get washed with the diapers. Those are loads that I would have to do anyhow, so the diapers *maybe* add 1 extra load per week on top of the messy baby laundry we would be doing anyhow. I guess since babies add 3-4 loads of laundry per week, they are bad for the environment too, right?

Sounds like Pampers is just trying to cover their ass from the recent speculation that the DryMax formula is causing terrible rashes and even boils on some babies' bottoms. (http://www.examiner.com/x-1320-Motherhood-Examiner~y2010m5d6-Parents-link-Pampers-Dry-Max-diapers-to-rashes-and-chemical-burns)
It really doesn't even matter if the claims are true or not, the public perception of Pampers is not so great right now. And when it comes to business, perception is infinitely more important than reality.

It's been a long day...

Up at 8:30, emergency bath by 9:30, fell asleep only to be woken up
15 minutes later to go to the doctors to get two shots.

Exhausted.

first Mothers Day

This Mother's Day agenda was our usual...brunch at Jason and Missy's house for my mom, and dinner with Tim's family. Other than the kamikaze bird that flew into our car on the freeway, it was a good day. The major difference from last year being, of course, that Isaac is here! And I'm not pregnant. Thank goodness for that -- I just want to enjoy him for a while before we introduce anyone new.

 

On Children
 Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

But, can I eat it?

That's the $64K question

Mom Brings Baby on Bus in Suitcase

When I googled "baby suitcase", this was the second result. Jeez. After reading the story, its not as bad as it sounds (at least the suitcase wasn't zipped up!) but wow.

http://cbs11tv.com/local/DART.baby.bus.2.1581576.html

Squash is hilarious

A laugh riot.

Why, hello there!

Weight Loss Challenge, week ?

Tim just brought home donuts, and I ate two. Sigh.

I purchased a gym membership last week but haven't even found baby-free time to go yet. (They do have a daycare center, but its $5 a pop, and they won't even change a diaper....they call you over the loudspeaker to come do it. Even church nurseries -- which are free! -- will change a diaper....)

Any chance the challenge was to lose as little weight as possible? I might still win.

Maybe if Isaac wakes up from his nap soon, we'll go for a long walk before these thunderstorms arrive.

chompers

A month or so ago, we were eating burgers and Isaac was staring us down. He is so interested in everything we eat now. We told him that he was too little for burgers, and that he could have a burger once he had some chompers. He must have decided to hurry it along a bit, because he seems to be getting his two bottom teeth right now.

Friday night, we saw the tops poking through his gums, and felt them. I swear. But Saturday morning? They'd retreated! Could barely feel them, couldn't see them.

(Later in the day though, he bit my finger and almost drew blood. They're back!)

Pear face.

Shoes!

Can I eat these things?

Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool...

shootin' some b-ball outside of the school.

Background check

I took this picture out our upstairs window the other day, because of
the enormous bumblebee. What I didn't notice until later? The stuffed
dog on top of my neighbor's car. (Stuffed as in toy, not
taxidermied....thank goodness)

What?

I like peaches, ok? Is that a crime?

He loves grandmas

Even when they're not his...

One of the workers at the Church of the Messiah rummage sale

Does that come with a side of bacon?

Good morning.

Spring Cleaning begins today

--"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" -- William Morris

With the questions from this post in hand: 10 Questions to Help You Declutter, I am going to start a massive overhaul of all of our stuff. We have a lot of stuff. Now, it may take me a long long time to actually finish this so called "Spring Cleaning" (it may even be next spring), but I am going to start, at least. My goal is to get rid of (at least) 10 things per week until we've pared down to just the essentials.

First stop? The kitchen. Could be interesting...

Carrot Conundrum

Post-carrot crying. He was not a fan...

Parents Magazine Cover Contest

I entered Isaac in the Parents Magazine Cover Contest. If we were to get picked for the top ten, they fly him and I out to New York for a photo shoot. If we buy an extra plane ticket for Tim, we could have a nice little vacation...

Check out the gallery here:

http://www.parents.com/photos/photo-contests-1/2010-parents-cover-contest/1764600044/

I might be biased, but I think he's cute enough to win ;)

Can a Mom Leave Her Kid Alone at the Library for Three Minutes?

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/03/30/can-a-mom-leave-her-kid-alone-at-the-library-for-three-minutes/

Well sure. Should she? It depends.

As a community member and parent, I say ok. If your kid is well behaved, old enough to know their name/address/phone, knows not to talk to strangers, knows who to ask for help, etc, then, ok. My niece Caitlyn is 5, and I would say she is perfectly capable of spending 3 minutes alone in the picture book room without getting into trouble or being abducted.

But...

Well, as a librarian, this bothers me.

We are not your babysitters. Nor are we your security guards. We do what we can, but we certainly can't watch out for everyone and everything all the time.

Even if there is no one else around for the librarian to help, there could be at any moment. The phone could ring, she could get called away. It's not fair to ask her to watch your child, and then get annoyed when she says that she can't be responsible, because it is, after all, a public place.

You wouldn't go into a supermarket and ask the cashier to watch your kid while you shop, right? Because she has work to do.
And watching your kid is not part of her job description.

Boy, that is one fat baby...

At the doctors for a recheck. 15 lbs, 10.5 oz!

Goodbye swing, hello saucer

Eureka!

You should see the other guy!

Weight Loss Challenge, week 1

Nearly one week down, 9 weeks to go.

I better kick it up a notch for the next 9 weeks because week 1 has not gone that smoothly. Not that our team is going to win anyhow, but I'd like to not be the one to drag us all down...

Seeing Katie this week decreased my motivation a little bit, because Katie...well Katie is already the weight I'd love to be. Maybe even skinnier than the weight I'd love to be. And she's doing the challenge too. So if she thinks she needs to lose weight, then I must be a fat cow, and instead of motivating me to do something about it, it makes me want to go eat ice cream and hide in bed all day. Sigh. (Nothing personal Katie).

And even if I had been motivated to go to the Y for open gym tonight, I completely forget it was even a possibility because our air conditioner broke, and it fried my brain. We went and hung out at the in-laws house tonight to escape the sweltering heat in our house. It wasn't supposed to get fixed until at least Monday, but then I was pathetic and played the baby card. They're now coming tomorrow morning before 10:30. Fingers crossed that it is an easy fix and can be done quickly.

Now off to pump before bed, and then get up bright and early to greet the AC repairmen. Then, at 11:30, a much needed haircut! Pictures will follow soon after....

What's the rumpus?

You eat FLIES?

Send in the broccoli

Isaac slept soundly last night from 7 until just after midnight. Right when I was getting ready to head to bed, he woke up. I fed him, he went back to sleep (very briefly), woke up again, cycle continued until 5 am. He seemed hungry but wasn't desparate, and didn't cry when I tried to put him back to bed..just talked and grunted. He kept smiling at me when I would go back and check on him. He finally went back to sleep at 5 once Tim gave him a small bottle of formula, so I got maybe an hour and a half of good sleep last night.

 

I had worked until 9, so I think he was just pleasantly surprised to see me and wanted to hang out :) 

A friend told me that she once read something about babies waking up in the middle of the night, and the advice was to send in the broccoli (dad) instead of the cookies (mom). Because why would a baby want broccoli when they know they could have cookies? Not that Isaac doesn't love Tim, but when he knows I'm there -- especially when I wasn't there before bed -- he justs want to hang out and snuggle. Very sweet, but boy am I sleepy today.

 

But, Isaac has been sleeping in a Pack N Play in our room, so its sort of hard to convince him that Dad is the only one around when he can clearly see that I'm in the room. The only thing that has been preventing me from moving him to his own room at night, is the lack of shades. So, I took some time over my lunch hour today to buy a roller shade for the large window in his nursery. We will put those up tonight or tomorrow and start transitioning him to his crib instead of sleeping in our room. Hopefully that will help him sleep better and longer at night.

 

And then, when he wakes up in the middle of the night, I can send in the broccoli in order to bore him back to sleep ;)

Smoothies@Graeters