|
| Hi everyone. I've decided to move my blog from Xanga to MySpace. I just like the set up better and you will find that it's much easier to view pictures on that site. If you enoy reading my blog or would like to make a comment, go to www.lulubooker.spaces.live.com. See you all there! | | |
| I think my "poocious" little baby is an oddball. Not a surprise considering who he has for parents. Why do I think this, you say? My answer is three-fold: First, have you ever seen a baby that is so fat that even his eyes have rolls? I'm not kidding. I've gotten used to prying apart his skin every night when we bath him, but it gets a little scary when he looks like he got stung on the face by a bee and is having an allergic reaction. I am exaggerating slightly (obviously) but I did notice today that his eyes looked a little swollen when he woke up. And I ask the question I ask at least twelve thousand times a day: Is this normal? The second reason I love my little oddball is how incredibly jumpy he is! He is scared of the dog, the vaccum, any loud noise, etc. Today, I dragged one of my huge Christmas totes across the living room floor. It made a slight noise and Jonah started bawling in his exersaucer. What's up with that? It's so weird. If you make a loud noise or walk by him too quickly, he jumps! He hates peek-a-boo. It's hilarious to watch somone try to play it with him. If his little bottom lip doesn't curl downward, then he just stares at them like "What are you doing lady?" I love it! Thirdly, and this is my favourite, he's a little sucker! Now I know that most babies will root out food and suck. Pretty normal. But have you ever seen a baby who will suck on his mother's chin?! The other day I was nuzzling Jonah's face and all of a sudden I felt his super-suction-cup-lips attack my chin. As if that's not enough, he then starts sucking and gnawing desperately with his baby gums. It hurts so much but I can't pull away because I just think it's so hilarious. Last night Jon and I whipped out the video camera and spend twenty minutes taping our little chin-sucker. I think Jon felt a little left out because Jonah refuses to suck on his prickly face. When I woke up this morning (at 7:30 argh!) my chin still hurt! But it only served as a reminder of what a precious little baby I have. Not many things can make me laugh that early in the morning. No one told me how happy I would get over the smallest thing he does, no matter how odd. I love the way his little pinchers try to pick up everything in sight, including the pattern on the floor or the bedspread. I love that, no matter how aggitated he is, as soon as I play Beethoven's Rondo a Capriccio in G (Op. 129), he calms right down. (If I try to play Fur Elise or Sonata Number 2 he just keeps crying.) I love the way his right ear sticks out a little more than his left and the little curly-flip thing his hair does after his bath every night. But mostly, I love the way his face lights up whenever he sees me or Jon. He makes all the sleepless nights (and there have been a few) totally and completely worth it. 
| | |
| Our Jonah so so awesome! Today, we ate "big boy" food. That is, if you can consider rice cereal mixed with formala "big boy" food. When I first mixed it together and saw what a gloopy, slimy mess it was I was sure Jonah would spit it out the second it got into his mouth. If it got that far. I gave him a few ounces of formula to warm him up and propped him up in his high chair. It was amazing. He just looked at the spoon, dripping with ooze, and opened his mouth! He swallowed and opened up again. He ate five spoonfulls before he started turning his head away and pinching his lips together. I never knew I could be so proud of someone just for eating! But he is incredible! After his nap, Jonah I bundled up and visited Canadian Tire. Our shopping list: 2oz containers, baby spoons, and The Magic Bullet. Check it out at http://www.buythebullet.com/. This thing is awesome. I spent the rest of the afternoon making baby food while Jonah played with his toys on the kitchen floor. To be honest, I had my doubts about homemade baby food, but I found it was actually quite easy to make and you just can't beat it for cost and nutritional value. I actually had fun with it today, partly due to the Magic Bullet and partly because it's just fun to take food and mash it up until it's almost liquid. I made peas. Yum. I keep hearing about the effect that eating solids can have on a baby's sleeping pattern. So far, no change. Jonah is sitting beside me right now drinking a bottle in Jon's arms. (It's after midnight.) But there's hope. He is six months old today. I cling to the hope that he will be sleeping through the night in no time at all. He is already sitting up for longer periods, feeding himself his bottle, and lately he's been pushing himself onto his and hands and knees then rocking back and forth until his little arms give out and he falls into the mat. (For the umpteenth time.) I need to have another one soon. He's growing up too fast! 
Me and my strained peas!
First bite... yum...
Second bite... I think he likes it...
I'm full Mom!
| | |
|  | Currently Watching
Over the Hedge (Widescreen Edition)
By Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Avril Lavigne, Omid Djalili, Sami Kirkpatrick, Shane Baumel, Madison Davenport, Zoe Randol, Jessica Di Cicco, Debra Wilson, Sean Bishop (III), Jeannie Elias
see related |
Jonah has found his voice. Every day, from sun up to sun down, he sits in his excersaucer and screams. No, not really screams - hollers. He hollers on the mat and in the jolly jumper. The only place he doesn't holler is in the swing. Unfortunately, he is too heavy for it. Every time I put him in it, it shifts and groans, and the once happy song now sounds like a baby chime train wreck. I noticed yesterday that it wasn't swinging nearly as fast as it used to and the frame was starting to warp, so I figured it was time to put it away for the next baby. So sad. Especially since it was the only thing that gave me peace throughout the day! It's like he finally figured out that those noises bubbling out of his throat could be voluntary and now he's addicted. He can't stop. He's not angry or frustrated. One could even say that he's happy! A loud kind of happy. Is this normal? Can anyone tell me how long it will last? I am going crazy! I can't get anything done. It's so hard to concentrate with all that noise, but if I leave the room, I just feel horrible for ignoring him. And I also refuse to pay attention to him when he hollers for it. So I am stuck in this shrieking limbo. On a more fun note: a few days ago, Jon and I decided to weigh Jonah again and were surprised to find out the he has passed the 25lb mark. I guess we shouldn't have been since he's popping out of all his sleepers and since it takes an hour to bath him because we have to pry apart all of his baby rolls. For some reason, that was also the day I decided to read through our car seat manual again and was mortified to learn that he was supposed to move up to a "big boy" car seat at 22lbs! I have to admit that even though I was frustrated at the thought of spending another $200 on baby stuff this month, I was thrilled with the idea of a front facing car seat! I have a permanent ache in my arms from twisting and warping myself so that I can reach his mouth with the soother. Hallelujah, front facing car seat! So, Jon and I packed up the Turtle and headed to Sears. We got a great deal on a 3-1 car seat (infant, baby, and toddler-booster seats) and even picked up some fun plastic bowls and spoons for our next adventure (solids). On our way back to the elevator we happened to pass by the appliances. I've been looking for a new flat top stove (I hate cleaning the coils on mine - I spill a lot) for quite a while, but we haven't found one in our price range. Three hours, one new stove, and one new fridge later we left the store with Jonah sleeping in his car seat in a sligtly wet diaper. We installed the car seat (okay my dad did) which was much easier than the clerk at Sears had led us to believe it would be. Why do they make it so complicated? All we had to do was adjust the straps, belt the seat in, and clip it into the hook on the back ledge. We will take it to the fire department next Thursday to make sure it's in properly, but I think we did it right. And Jonah loves it. He can see what's going on in the world outside of the car! And he can see Mommy. I've discovered that is essential to a six-month-old. (Unless, of course, he can see the phone or the remote control; in which case I don't even exist.) Oh! The delivery guys are here! Here comes my new fridge... more on that later. I'll keep you posted on our quest to introduce Jonah to pablum. Cheerio! 
| | |
| Oh how fast they grow. Yesterday we brought Jonah to church and watched as he delighted and entertained everyone in sight. I can't believe the things he can do! Last week, he fed himself an entire bottle. Only poked himself in the eye twice. He can sit up for minutes at a time without falling over. Oh but the falling over is so adorable! He kind of rolls onto his belly with his arms pinned under his body and squirms and wiggles like a snake until he frees them. Then he pushes himself up as high as he can and does a baby push-up! Of course, it's only a matter of seconds before his little arms give out and he face-plants into the mat. But he just laughs and does it again. And again. 
Jonah doing a push-up.
I can't believe how mobile he's becoming already. He can't crawl yet but he pushes himself around backwards on the hardwood floor. It's amazing. A week ago Jon woke up with the baby in the morning (and let me sleep in!) and decided to put him in the mat when he left for work. This wasn't a big deal because I often leave him on the mat when I'm in another room. I mean, it's not like he can run away and he loves lying there playing with his toys. (Okay, eating his toys.) About twenty minutes later I heard him crying so I jumped out of bed and ran into the living room. He wasn't there. I ran into the kitchen. Not there either. Did he fall down the stairs?! No... phew... He'd stopped crying so I ran around hollaring "Jonah Turtle, where are you?" until I heard the unmistakable sound of his giggle. And that's when I saw him. He'd propelled himself backwards until he hit the wall and now lay on his belly under the futon, just grinning up at me like this was some kind of hilarious game. That was the last time we left him on the mat when there isn't someone in the room with him. 
Hiding under the couch.
I don't think anyone could have explained the paranoia that comes with being a mom. Is it just me? Every time I put him down for a nap or leave him in the exersaucer I find myself going over in my mind all the ways he's could hurt himself. He could choke, or fall, or bash his head on the crib rails. As if that's not enough I have to worry about SIDS. It doesn't matter how many times I turn Jonah onto his back, he always ends up sleeping on his belly. I have to continually remind myself that I can only do what I can do. I have to trust God with the rest. So I make myself wait to check on him and sometimes, after turning him over sixteen times, I just let him sleep on his stomach (shhhh.) I am also wishing someone would have told me how expensive babies are! I find myself squishing his fat, little bottom into size three diapers (and I will as long as I can) because I can get 156 for the same price as 120 size fours. I am looking forward to having him on solid foods so we can stop spending $100 a month on formula. Did you know that you have to upgrade the nipples every month or so? Yes! Every month I have to go out and buy 12 more nipples at $3.50 a piece! Not to mention soothers, whipes, creams, and baby shampoo. Of course as soon as I see that adorable face grinning up at me from his crib, none of it matters. Can't put a price on that face. At least he's started playing with some of the expensive toys his aunties and uncles bought him. His favourite these days is an Elmo Play Center from Zia Anita. He loves it because he can reach all the buttons with his feet and every time he does, he's rewarded with a song. An Elmo song. Imagine Elmo singing, "The lion is the king of the jungle and he goes ROAR" fifty-seven times a day. "The drum plays a beat - start kicking with your feet!" "Yellow! Like the sun, a school bus, and bananas!" Between Elmo, Baby Beethoven, and a miriad of other noisy toys the house is never quiet. Except at naptime. I think it's naptime now... 
Jonah sleeping on his belly.
Jonah and Zia Sarah.
Halloween Cheetah
| | |
|
