7.31.06 Vet Visit (Mommy)

Yes, I know it's not the vet!
'Lijah had his 6 month exam today. He is a whopping 20 pounds 3 ounces. "Is Mommy feeding you Crisco?", commented the nurse. 'Lijah hasn't gotten taller; he is still about 27 inches tall, but his head is bigger... 46 cm. 75-90 percentile in height, 90th in weight, and 95th in head size. I like to think that this means he is destined to be brilliant.
The boy got his shots (ouch), and a clean bill of health from the pediatrician. She was also impressed that we make our own baby food. "Whole foods are so healthy!", she cooed.
I was also feeling like the very superior parent when our son waited quietly on mom and dad's laps in the waiting room while a ton of other kids yelled and made noise. I know this doesn't mean we are better parents, since all kids are different and chances are that 'Lijah is just naturally sweet natured, but it sure made me feel good. Anytime I can feel good about how wonderful my kid is being I will take, thank you very much. But believe me, I know I sound sickening...
More news: 'Lijah is feeding himself his milk. Yes, after about 3-5 days of prodding, our son has just about mastered holding his own bottle. Next is a cup. He tried some diluted juice in his cup today and didn't spit it out, so I figure he liked it okay.
There is plenty more to ruminate upon, but I will save it for August.

7.29.06 No, I will NOT eat my chicky and squish!(Mommy)

Gosh dang my kid is getting smart! Picture it. I'm standing in front of my son, jar of food in hand, and his face is turned away from the spoonful of offending food that is being offered to his mouth. There is a backstory.
A few days ago I tried giving Elijah a can of food that was chicken with sweet potatoes. Yummy, right? Well, 'Lijah didn't seem to think so, but he wasn't objecting too much so I figured that was the green light. The little boy takes any kind of fruit offered, so I offered some applesauce in between bites of the chicken and sweet potatoes... and it worked! All the food went down smoothly, albiet messily. Day 2 and 3 of this treatment worked just as well.
And then he figured it out.
So I start feeding 'Lijah his lunch today. Homemade chicken with butternut squash. He's had squash before, so I figure he will like this too. The first bite goes down and he makes THE FACE. Undeterred, I offer another bite. My son, so personable, doesn't fuss, he doesn't cry, he just refuses to open his mouth and turns his head politely away. Great.
So out come the pears. He swallows these with gusto and I try the chicky and squish. He looks down at the spoon, looks up at me, and closes his mouth. The mouth does not open again until there are pears on the spoon. This goes on and on. A few spoonfuls of chicken and squash end up in his tummy, even more end up on his bib, and half of the pears are eaten.
I managed to trick him into eating what he needed to eat for the most part, but this is showing me things to come. He watched me very closely and when he saw that I was going for something he didn't want, he made it a lot harder on me to feed him.
Scary.

7.28.06 Damned Object Permanence! (Mommy)

There was a time, not so long ago, when you could take something away from our son and he wouldn't care. 'Lijah's undeveloped brain did not understand the concept of "Hey you took that from me and I'm going to get mad!". He also did not cry when we left his sight or left the room. All was happy and good..... then Grandpa Duane taught our innocent child "peek-a-boo".
This is problematic.
'Lijah now has what they call, "object permanence", which means that he knows that just because something goes away doesn't mean it doesn't exsist. So now if we take away a beloved toy or paper product that 'Lijah is currently infatuated with, there are whimpers, cries, and finally, screams.
I blame the grandparents.
Ya'll just HAD to play with him, and stimulate him didn't ya? It's all fun and games until you are left with the child that notices everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! Not only does he get upset if we take something away, but he also is getting some separation anxiety with the parents leaving the room or leaving his eye sight. Nothing gets by him.
In all seriousness, I have been noticing the object permanence since the beginning of our vacation. It's interesting to see his little brain grow. Before I know it he will be talking.
'Lijah is becoming an old pro with the solid foods, and has cut back drastically on the milk consumption which makes me feel better because I've never been thrilled with the idea of formula. Now he is eating our homemade, organic baby food, which seems more natural than formula, so I feel less guilty for not still breastfeeding. The little boy is eating solids at least 2 times, if not 3 times a day. He's a pretty good eater, as illustrated on the photo pages.
Just don't dare take away the food or milky, or he will make you regret it!

7.27.06 More Changes (Daddy)

Elijah's Dad is troubled. I'm not going to try and skirt around the truth, as this blog is also meant to be a history for us to look back on. Elijah's Dad is feeling down, the brain isn't working right and things are feeling too hard. Too many things are feeling too hard. I'm even being forgetful, which isn't me at all. I'm very tired and I recognize that I'm not feeling like myself. Actually, I'm getting the feeling that I've been unconsciously out-of-sorts for a VERY long time (years maybe). I'm going to be seeing someone to help me out, as this just isn't right. Elijah senses it too, I'm sure. In the past Becca has blogged about Elijah's psychic connection with me. We kinda confirmed that again tonight, but with actual feedback. I looked at Elijah 5 separate times. 2 times I just looked at him and thought nothing while looking at him. 3 times I looked at him and said his name in my head. Each time I said his name he looked at me. Mom just sighed and kept asking "did you do it again?" Yep, I did. So, Elijah is definitelly sensing my mood and state of being if he can sense my saying his name. I'm having to let go of many things I don't want to let go of, but I just haven't had the mind lately to do anything. I have wanted to play with Elijah, and I did today, but only for about 8 minutes and I just felt mentally exhausted. I know he misses it because he usually looks at me with a smile. Lately, however, it has been more of a stare. That makes me sad.

We've been giving Elijah a sippie cup and working with him on the use of it. Mommy has actually been doing much of it because Elijah hasn't really wanted to make the transition. He loves his current bottle and doesn't want to change. Often times when we put something different in his mouth he just moves his head away and screams at us. There have been many times that he has taken his new sippie cup but we've placed a nipple on the top rather than the regular sippie cup nub. The sippie cup nub really angers him. I haven't really been able to understand his being upset, it always sounds like he's screaming. So, I've been defaulting to Mommy more. I'm told I should be doing this anyway, as I've been trying to do too much, but I don't want to end up being one of those laxidasical fathers we always hear so much about.

There is one truth here though, which I can't ignore, Mom is built for this. I learned one thing about Becca today that I hadn't known. . . Becca kisses Elijah on the cheek or forehead when he is stressing her out in order to relieve her own stress.

I can only look up to her. I have an amazing family and boy do I love them all.

It is hard being back from vacation because I loved being in Jersey (even though the humidity was horrible) and Portland (even though they had near record heat). I think the part I loved most about the vacation was spending time with both families. My family and Becca's family really seemed to hit it off. I wasn't really surprised at that, as we both kinda knew things would go smoothly. What amazed me was - we were right!! Even my parents had a good time, my Dad especially, it being his first time on the East Coast. I'm betting they'll skip the red eye next time. I hope they do, as it kills you for about a day+. My Mom went into New York with Becca and me, and she . . . definitely seemed interested in her surroundings. Apparently there are lots of girls wearing thin white dresses with dark underwear. I didn't notice that, I was more focused on figuring out where the street vendors were (PRETZELS!!!). There was a lot of learning to be done while we were on vacation with Elijah. Not all of it was easy learning either, and some of it was probably affected by paragraph one. What was the most memorable thing that I can think of happening on vacation? I have to say it was Elijah beginning to step. Dang it Dad, you have placed my 6 month old sone on a path to walking. You better be around to help baby proof our house.

Speaking of "our house", we secured a realtor while in Portland (during our vacation). We are now on the path to be living back in the NW by August/September of 2007. All 3 of us are really excited about that.

7.26.06 6 Months... where did they go?(Mommy)

My little bundle of perfection is 6 months old today. There are a ton of new things to tell, I haven't blogged in weeks, it seems.
The Highchair:
'Lijah has a highchair. Oh what fun. Feeding time is much easier when you have the correct apparatus. He seems to like it, if you can really know what a 6 month old baby likes. We have been making a concerted effort to feed him real food more often now, as well as trying to get him to hold his bottle and/or cup. I think that it might be a little early for it, but I have seen 'Lijah, on more than one occasion, reach for his bottle/cup and try to hold it up himself. He is not there yet and after a few precursory sucks he will yell at someone to help him.
The Acrobat:
Anyone who has spent more than a few hours with Andy and Elijah together knows that Dad and Kid share a muy especial relationship. This comes with all the trappings of being thrown around in true "guy" style. I'm over being scared for my precious baby, and am now amused when my son gets tossed around. 'Lijah likes it; the proof is in the pudding. Dad now will sit the boy on his outstretched hands and the boy will throw himself backward while Dad swings him between his legs. Often Elijah will chuckle or giggle in anticipation as he slowly uncurls his turso to drop backwards into the oh-so-fun swing. Not afraid of anything as of yet!
The Fits:
Forget terrible twos, our child is learning to show us when he is pissed off. One particular instance I can reference was when we were at Marilyn and Cheri's house. Dad was working and 'Lijah was playing with a balloon that Marilyn and Cheri had gotten reinflated specifically for our son to play with. On the bottom of the ballon was a weight covered in some blue shiny stuff that 'Lijah just fell in love with. Unfortunately that blue stuff kept breaking off and getting in someone's little mouth, so the evil Mommy had to take it away. Boy was he MAD. He yelled quite a bit. He was given other things to play with but he was still pretty mad. He was then put by himself in the bedroom to work it out since breakfast was being eaten and Mom was not having it. He yelled, not cried, for a good amount of minutes. He understands no, we think. He doesn't like "no", we are sure.
In unrelated fodder, our vacation was mighty enjoyable for all. As with Andy, I really loved seeing my parents get together with Andy's folks. They all really got along very well. It is nice seeing my parents enjoy spending time with in-laws their age and knowing that the families are coming together. All of the grandparents are united in their love for our little boy and so the conversation, (Although never dull with Barbara and Duane around!) never lagged. Honestly, it felt like they all had known each other from the start and that the bond kept going from there. I can truely say that my family loves my new family and that they are happy to have all of them as a part of our crazy Meyers tribe.
And now for the sappy stuff that I'm not really good at anymore. (Feels like I have been disconnected from my emotions for years and they are just starting to emerge again.) I feel like I have 2 additional parents, the sister that I always asked for, and a whole new extended family. I have never felt so welcomed from a group of people like I have from Andy's side of the family. And now that I'm not pregnant and crazy 80% of the time, I can really let down the walls and get to know them all better. I'm really happy that I have found the in-laws I have always wanted. I actually have been tempted to use the words "mom and dad" in reference to Andy's parents, but again, I'm not good at the sappy stuff. I didn't marry just Andy, I married his whole family too and I hope they will see that I take that commitment as seriously as I take marriage.
Okay, it's getting late and I need to go and spend some time with said husband. Good night.

7.23.06 Home (Daddy)

We are home again and there isn't any milk in the fridge. We'll be updating you all on the whole of our trip and posting some new photos as soon as we have another free moment. Photos of what? Well, we have photos of Elijah eating his first rock at the West Coast Great Grandparents house! Yup.

7.16.06 Reunion (Daddy)

What a little hole I came from. My 10yr. reunion was yesterday and it kinda blew. Care to guess how many people were there from my class? Seriously, guess. . . There were about 30 people in my graduating class - 4 people showed up to the reunion. No one really seemed that interested in talking with the three of us (Rebecca, Elijah and me) so we left after Elijah finished his last bottle (about 2hrs. after we got there). We were told we could bring food to this "reunion of 4" so we did, but felt a little strange actually making our fancy hogie sandwiches there because the other people that were there picked up Burger King. Ick.

Elijah is being pretty cranky, but we REALLY think he is teething now. For real this time. His gums look a bit white and Orajel and baby Tylenol seem to help with his crankiness, so we think he's in a little bit of discomfort. He is really enjoying spending time with his Grandpa D and is really loving their dog Milo. For the first time yesterday he got up on his hands AND his knees at the same time. He didn't move forward and didn't stay up on his knees very long, but he is just that much closer. He is kicking his feet more often and loves being in the water. We have also heard "Mi" (the beginnings of milk) more than once now. We also thought we heard him say "hi" yesterday. That is one we hadn't really thought about but we really do say "hi" to him nearly every time we see him. Today he'll see his Great Grandpa Tony and his Great Grandma Maxine, Great Aunt Jane and Great Uncle Larry. That should be a hoot.

7.14.06 Back in Oregon (Daddy)

We are back in Oregon. We apologize for not blogging more frequently but we were just a tad bit busy while we were in Jersey. All of us had a great time. Carmela, Duane, Becca, Elijah, Barbara, Tom, Dave and I had a ton of fun. Yes, there were a few life moments that caused some stress but that happens everywhere and with everyone. Elijah did great. He got his ass spoiled off and got more attention than he has ever had before. Elijah even started to walk while we were away! No, he didn't start walking on his own, but he did start putting one foot in front of the other as if he was walking. It was clearly an intentional motion. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. He was usually heading for something. It has become apparent to every single person in the family that Elijah is VERY VERY smart. He can't yet add 1+1 but, as my Dad says, "that boy's wheels are really turning". One example - in the pool. I was in the pool, I sat him up on the ledge and then coaxed him to fall back in the pool so I could catch him. I ended up pulling him back in by his hands and smiles ensued. So, I did it again. This time (only the second attempt) he immediately reached out for my hand with his hand. Everybody was watching and I must have heard 5 "wow, look at that" comments. This boy is so quick to catch on with everything. Speaking of the pool - he LOVES IT!! He smiles and smiles and KICKS his feet!!! The kicking part really surprised us. I have been saying "kick" nearly every time he kicks his feet normally. I said "kick kick kick" while in the pool and the feet immediately started moving, as did he (we had him in a floaty doughnut). He didn't propel himself across the pool, but was definitely able to move himself in the water. The smile on his face proved that he was incredibly happy with himself.

We got to take my Mom in to New York, we had Pizza, pretzels, ate at Carnegie Deli and in Little Italy. It was humid the entire time but a great time was had by all. Elijah is still spending time with his West Coast Grandparents (East Coast Grandparents are jealous). In a couple of days he'll be in the arms of his Aunt Cheri and Aunt Marylin. First, however, my 10yr. high school reunion.

7.8.06 My son the soccer player (Mommy)

Kick, kick, kick.... This is my son each morning in his crib while he wakes up, while he sleeps, while he dreams, while he cries. Is it a twitch? Is it a tic? Some sort of obscure neurological disorder that will eat away at his little brain? I've done some brief research on what his little left leg kick could be and have retreived nothing. The fact that Elijah likes to kick his little legs, particularly his left one is amusing to both of us, the parents. We're not sure why he does it, or if it is problematic, but it sure does make us smile at night or early morning when he hear him from down the hall, through 2 closed doors. He sure is getting more and more active. Pretty soon we won't be able to keep up with him!

7.7.06 Jersey (Mommy)

A feeling of utter relaxation came over me as we drove to my parents' house from the airport. I am on vacation. Ahhhhh.
We had a good flight, thanks to the alcohol that we smuggled on board via an iced tea bottle and water bottle. 'Lijah imbibed with a plantain chip and piece of dried mango to chew on. I think I am seeing the beginnings of teeth under his lower gums!
One thing I have been meaning to blog about is 'Lijah's feeding system. We have a handsfree bottle for him so that we can feed him and get things done. It is a Podee handsfree feeding kit and it is wonderful. Not only can we get things done, but 'Lijah is eating sitting up and therefor having less gas. This is a good thing all around. We get comments on this where ever we go. Kim knew what she was doing when she gave us this at my shower!
So now that 'Lijah has been eating independently (as much as possible) we have been starting to introduce a sippy cup. For now he views it as a toy and something to yell at. He as gotten some milky from it but hasn't connected the idea of a cup to the idea that he can get milky from it. So it will be interesting. The boy will learn to use a cup. We hope. There will be frustration; his, mine, and Andy's. There will be yelling; mostly his and Andy's. There will be tears; mostly his and mine. Our boy is growing up, whether I like it or not.

7.7.06 Jersey (Daddy)

Well, we are now in Jersey and the relaxation will start very soon. Actually I feel like it has started already, which is a really good thing. We all did fairly well on the 5hr. plane ride. Elijah didn't sleep much today and we're not sure exactly why. We can only assume he was mesmerized by the extra pressure in his ears while cruising at 35000 feet. I know I sure was.
My parents are going to arrive early tomorrow morning and will be their first time meeting Rebecca's parents. Should be a solid hoot the whole time they are here. I'm really curious to see how everyone interacts. Both families are very near the same age so let the discussions of gas that used to be $.59 and $.47 Hershey bars commence.
Sunday we will have a little "shindig" celebrating Elijah's introduction to the rest of the family and my marriage to Becca.

It is really going to be a lot of fun - baby sitters galore!!!!

7.6.06 Phrases (Daddy)

I've been saying some things I never thought I'd ever say.
- Elijah, here, eat your blanket
- Elijah, if you drop your nipple again we're taking it away
- Elijah, you cannot eat your cell phone!
- Elijah, please don't suck on the floor!

7.6.06 Grabby (Mommy)

Barbara asked me today if Elijah was into grabbing things yet. Uh, heck YES! This child will reach out for and grab anything he sees. No longer just a passive observer, 'Lijah needs to be in the thick of things. He sees it, he wants it, he reaches for it, he grabs it (if he's lucky), and it goes straight into his mouth. We have to be really careful now with our stuff lying out and about because our little beast will covet it.
A new development in 'Lijah's vocal expressions is this screeching in a high pitched squeak. We don't know why, we don't know what it means or what he is trying to tell us. But what we do know is that it is annoying. The boy will just randomly squeal loudly. Usually at inopportune moments too. There is nothing we can do about it right now. He doesn't have a clue as to what he is doing. To him, it is just a cool new noise that he can make. To us, it is reason to look for his volume control. Alas, we have yet to find it.
The little boy's hair is growing back and it's growing back blonder. He still has a bald spot on the back of his noggin from sleeping on his back and such. He also has a patch of his original birth hair underneath the bald spot. This didn't bother me until some real "mature" person made fun of it, calling it a mullet. (I mean, what kind of person makes fun of a baby?!) I was mortified, but tried to laugh it off. And now I want to cut it, but I'm sure the rest of the world won't be as critical of a baby's hair, so it stays. It's funny how I see my son as an extension of myself to the point of getting offended by stupid comments directed at him. While I'm sure it's fine and good to jump to the defense now, someday I'm going to have to realize that he is NOT an extension of me, that he is his own person. That will be a hard day. Thank goodness it's not here yet. Right now he is MY baby, MY little boy, MY darling child that I made with Andy. It still blows my mind sometimes if I think about it too hard.
We leave for New Jersey tomorrow. It is always a little bittersweet being back home. There are so many memories and I'm trying hard to make new ones with my new family. I'm excited to show my son where his mom grew up and had adventures. Everything in Jersey is tinged with the past, no matter how much I move on, so I may be clinging to my son and husband a whole lot to remind me that I have something so much better than I did before.

7.3.06 Day after the big two eight(Mommy)

The days have been flying by, what with Andy being incredibly busy with work and me being at home enjoying the boy and trying to inhale as much of him as possible. We are all very excited about our upcoming family vacation to the East Coast and then the West Coast. It has been very long in coming.
We tried to make Andy's birthday a fun thing, rather than and "Oh-my-God-I'm-getting-old" thing. Yes, Andy did get his breakfast- waffles. We also went to see the new Superman movie with our friends, the Archuletas. After that we went to get Chinese food and hung out with the Archuletas just munching on cake. Elijah and I have more plans for the Dad, he just doesn't know what they are or when they will commence. I'm trying to drag his birthday out as long as possible.
'Lijah is getting interesting. Last night at dinner he was his usually fussy in the evening self, so Dad and I sat him down between us so he could be in the middle of all the action. He pestered Andy for a good 30- 45 minutes with leaning up against him and trying desperately to eat Andy's shirt while he was trying to eat his dinner. And then, to add insult to injury, when Andy finally took me upon my offer to move the baby to the other side of me, he sat still like a semi-perfect angel. (giggle) This is just further evidence that he views his dad as a giant toy and his mom as something less entertaining. Andy was not amused.
So here we are, just trying to muddle through until we get to board the plane for a grueling 5 hour flight with a baby. We are all ready for a little down time.

7.2.06 (Daddy)

I've been wanting to blog for a while now. I actually blogged on my flight to Portland on June 22nd but Becca overwrote it and I haven't had the time to write it again. Actually I don't even remember everything I wrote. Oh well I guess.

It is now July and I am now 28yrs old. Elijah isn't even close to being as old as I am (haha). Seriously, my biggest gripe is I'm now VERY close to 30. I remember my Aunt Jane's 30th birthday (does she?). It was a big deal, or seemed like it anyway. I was a bit younger then so could be forgetting the specifics.

In 5 days we will be on our way to the East Coast. I'm really looking forward to this trip. Becca and Boy will be coming with me, as will my parents one day later. This will be my Mom and Dad's first time meeting Rebecca's parents and will also be their first time in New Jersey. Yes, we are taking them in to New York. My Mom needs a good hot pastrami sandwich. My dad needs a good dose of largest city in the world culture. I'll enjoy watching him on the subway. "Penny, sir?" Maybe he'll move there some day.
After Jersey the three of us are then flying to Oregon for my 10yr. high school reunion. That should be a bundle of fun. Then I have to work another few days in Portland before we head home on July 22nd. Yep, we're going to be gone for most of the month. I'm actually happy about that, as the temperature in Vegas is showing no signs of heading under the 100deg mark.

So what has Elijah been doing? One of the things I wrote about that was subsequently deleted was Elijah spending time in his chair. We used to be able to sit him in his chair and he'd be cozy and happy. Well, he's still cozy but now that he's sitting up we can't just set him in the chair without some sort of backup plan. He'd topple over and land on his head if he were ever to fall too far forward. Our answer? Recliner. The foot rest is the just in case, and since the back reclines it is harder for him to sit upright. He's now more likely to fall back against the chair than hit his head on the floor. Yay, we can be lazy parents again.

The boy is also starting to scooch a bit. We are actually having dedicated belly time sessions. He is best at it in the morning. He can't really move himself very far yet, but he is kicking his legs hard (as if he were in water). It is helping him move forward little by little. He's moving enough now that when we place something in front of him he can move far enough forward to grab hold of it. He then sucks on it, of course. Happy as a duck in water he is.

He hasn't changed a whole lot in appearance over the last month. So he is still cute. Lately he is enjoying being tossed in the air and getting held upside down. Seems the little boy in him is emerging more and more. Great. . . what next?