6.26.06 Five Mumfs(Mommy)

Today is 'Lijah's 5 month birthday! Yay! So here are his current stats:
Weight: 18.5lbs.
Length: 27 and something in.
Head Circumference: 44 cm
My child is in the 95th percentile in everything. He is HUGE. 'Lijah got his shots as well. One on each chubby little thigh. With the first one he didn't cry at all. but with the second one he looked up at me with the thrust out quivering lip and tears welled up in his big baby blues as if to say "Why, Mommy, why?" But as soon as I scooped him up he was fine and back flirting with the nurses. He's a tough little trooper.
So now we know he's healthy. Was there ever any doubt?

6.22.06 All by ourselves (Mommy)

Andy is off in Portland yet again and the boy and I are here in sunny Las Vegas, awaiting his return. The boy, I'm sure, will be bored with Mom in about a day because I just don't do all the fun stuff that dad does. I'm the one he goes to for the kisses and cuddles, and Dad is the one he wants when it is time to play or be tossed in the air.
So here we are. I'm on a diet, trying to rid myself of the last 10 vanity pounds so that when we are in Jersey I can eat and not end up not fitting my clothes. 'Lijah is sleeping, he has been sleeping a lot today. We're kind of just relaxing here, which I'm sure Dad envies right now. 'Lijah is still in his jammies since I decided to give him mashed bananas and didn't want to fool with a bib over his regular clothes. He gave up on eating (Yes, it does happen!) and conked out. So this just tells you what kind of a laid back day we are having.
'Lijah seems to have some receptive language with signing. (Meaning he understands signs, but isn't signing them back yet.) He gets really quiet when I sign that I'm going to change his diaper or that I love him. So now I think it's time to add a few more things to the repetoire. Probably "eat", "sleep", and possibly "play". He seems to understand "change" (for changing his diaper) and he definitely gets "milk". In fact, he will sign that with both hands and then get really mad if it doesn't come right away. Gee, I wonder who he gets that from?
Hee hee.
On a more philosophical level, it just seems to be striking me more and more that my son is this little person who is literally and physically a part of Andy and I. It blows my mind. His personality is coming across more and more and he is getting bigger and bigger. It's so hard to grasp that this was the quasi-parasitic creature kicking me from inside. When I was pregnant, although I felt a definite connection, 'Lijah was this unknown entity. Now he is this brilliant, adorable creature, and I don't know where the heck he came from! Luckily he keeps us so busy that I normally don't have time to think like this!
And now I must sign off to wake up the sleeping child; it has been much to long and I want him to sleep tonight.

6.18.06 Quick Sleeping Update (Daddy)

We're over the middle-of-the-night feedings. Elijah is doing well. He does wake up in the early morning around 3:30, or 5:30, but he usually goes back to sleep after a couple minutes. By "usuallly" I mean most of the time. If he has something in his crib that he can grab, he'll shove it in his mouth and then go "ahhhh, errrrr, ulllllll, grooooo, lllllllaaa" repeatedly for 30+ minutes. So, we have to make sure he doesn't have anything within reach when he wakes up. Mom tried a blanket over him to keep him warm - didn't work. Mom tried his little dog toy to keep him company - didn't work. This just reinforces Mom's statement that Elijah is "a verbal child." Yes he is. We just close both bedroom doors and go back to sleep. It is working out pretty well.

6.18.06 Fathers Day 1 (Daddy)

This is my first Father's Day. Not a bad day, but I haven't actually taken it as easy as I probably should. I guess I haven't learned that yet. Today started with me going out to Trader Joes to get groceries to cook myself breakfast. Those who know Becca know she really isn't a breakfast person (which bugs me by the way. Elijah is going to eat breakfast). All Rebecca knows how to cook for breakfast is pancakes (or so she says). So I went out and got myself some Challah bread (no, we're not suddenly Jewish, but might convert for the bread) so I could make my famous french toast. The recipe isn't really a secret, but dang it is good. I do add cinnamon though. Sorry Mom, I am now a french toast snob too. Rebecca did help me in the kitchen as I brewed some espresso for the both of us and worked on breakfast, so I can't say I did it all myself.
After breakfast, and for most of the rest of the day I've been cleaning off and on. Off and on is defined by the needs of my son, Elijah; as one might assume. I cleaned the cat box, I cleaned the dog kennel, I mopped and swept. Oh, and the best part about today is the malfunctioning freezer in our kitchen. Ya, the freezer in our kitchen has quit working. Luckily we have a second fridge/freezer in the garage, so all our frozen stuff is out there. If I were really a Dad I'd have that thing apart already, but those who know me know I'm more technial minded than mechanically minded. Interesting how that turned out since my Dad is a mechanic. So with all that I've been doing, I haven't yet cleaned myself. I guess that is my one Father's Day gift to myself. . . dirt.
Although today really hasn't been a reflection of real relaxation, I am enjoying the day. Becca is slow roasting a roast for dinner, and she is going out in just a few minutes to get me some sort of "Dad gift." I do plan to take a respite from the cleaning and other household duties very soon. That's right, we'll be going to Walmart to buy cat litter and Swiffer cloths. I'll finish off the day though with a movie and a blood orange martini (or two). And of course, I'll have to pick out a nice bottle of red wine to go with our roast for dinner. Not a bad day at all, I'm with my family.

Thank You:
On another note, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of the people who have sent things to Elijah. We have been pretty bad about sending thank you notes or giving a phone call, but we want everyone to know each gift and thoughtful note has been very very much appreciated. Elijah has some great toys and some nice clothes (although all the nice clothes seem to get tighter on a daily basis). Learning how to be a parent and also find time to make sure all the other details are taken care of isn't an easy task. I don't yet know how some of you have done it, but someday I'm sure I will. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you. We are all very thankful.

6.18.06 Beasty Boy(Mommy)

Music soothes the savage beast... or at least seems to soothe the baby boy. 'Lijah will fuss and fuss, all attempts by the parents yeilding nothing, and then when the music comes on, he will quiet down for at least a few blessed minutes. Ahhhhhh..... peace at last, until he decides he's mad about something else. This boy gets frustrated very easily, and he feels very comfortable verbalizing his dissatisfaction to anyone around. He grunts, whines, caws, cries out, and a bunch of other noises that are beyond description. Such a verbal child; where oh where does he get it from? (People who know me are chuckling, I'm sure!)
We have plenty of things to keep the boywonder busy; lots of products that amuse and delight. I just wish those said baby products came with tiny headphones for the infant user. We have some great stuff to keep the boy occupied and most of it has music to go along with it. Some things play nursery rhyme songs, others classical music. The music comes on when the baby presses something, rewarding his toil. That's great, but why must manufacturers use such tinny sounding music? Ruins classical music, in my opinion, and Elijah prefers regular real music to any of the tinny stuff. (Good boy!) I think it would be great if toy makers would put in real music recordings, not this synthesized crap, especially since innocent parents like myself and Andy are at the mercy of such aural atrocities.
-rant over-
ANYHOO! Elijah is changing so much. He is now rolling over, but not consistently. He can now roll over from his back to front and the other night he rolled over from his front to back! (The front to back roll may have been a coincidence, but a thrill none the less...) Our genius can also sit pretty darn well unassisted. Sure, sure, those muscles will buckle a bit after a few minutes and he will be face forward into the floor, but with a little encouragement, he can lift his torso back up and sit for a minute longer. (This usually results in him sitting straight up with both arms extended out for what appears to be balance.) He is getting better at not toppling over when we sit him unsupported, and I am thinking that we might, just might, be able to sit him in the seat in the shopping cart at the store. So convinced of his ability am I, that 'Lijah and I trekked out to our neighborhood baby store and picked up one of those shopping cart seat covers. ('Cause those seats are like a breeding ground for germs, and maybe I'll get over it one day, but that day is not today!)
Currently, my little beast sleeps peacefully in his oh so adored swing. Angelic once more, and peace reigns again..... aaahhhhhhh.
Happy Father's Day everyone!

6.14.06 Busy (Daddy)

Well, it didn't take long, I'm very busy again. Busy enough that I'm thinking I can't get everything done when I'm supposed to. Juggling everything is once again a challenge. Luckily Mommy is home for the summer so I get a little break. It almost feels like it happened as soon as she finished with school. Really, it did. I'm off to Portland next week too, so lots to get done before then. I just wish I was meeting more people rather than working with the same people over and over again.

We did have a good time in L.A. with the East Coast Grandparents. We'll see them again in July. Elijah really changed a lot during those couple days. He is still changing. There is lots of yelling and groaning and general discontent. Wonder how long this will go on.

I wanted to mention a couple of things that Elijah did while we were in L.A.
a. 'Lijah was sitting on the bed in the hotel, propped up with a pillow, watching TV. I turned around and looked at him. He promptly looked at me. I said in a fairly straightforward voice "you're cute." Immediately the lower lip came out and he started to cry. He didn't cry very long, but I guess he wanted to take advantage of the "cuteness" while he could. Guess Daddy shouldn't say "cute".

b. We were in California Pizza Kitchen, the boy didn't want to be in his carseat, so Mommy was holding him. With all the grabbing he's been doing it is hard to know what he'll go after and what he won't. He was facing the table, Mommy's Pepsi nearby. He reached out for it quickly and slapped it over, spilling it everywhere. Lesson learned.

Last night Elijah woke up and yelled twice but went back to sleep. He ate at 8:30pm last night and his next feeding was 7:15am this morning. We could have fed him when he woke up but each time he quit crying before we got to his room. Wonder if that will happen again tonight. That is another sign, however, that he isn't starving and is just fine to go through the night.

One final thing - it is nice to have Mommy home. I haven't seen much of her yet this week, but the extra time is definitely precious.

6.10.06 Vacation? (Mommy)

Mommy missed her guys sooooo very much! It was really weird being by myself in the house. I had never been truly alone before. I know what you are thinking, "But when you were pregnant you spent time alone without Andy..." No no no. Being pregnant meant I was never truely alone; I always had the boy with me in some form.
I was so happy to see my guys last night. I had spent the entire day moving from one classroom to another and needed to be with my family. So now, here I be, sitting with my boy. He is inhaling the milky like it is going out of style. Yesterday he had 8 or so feedings! He must be going through some sort of freak growth spurt.
'Lijah has been grabbing at things and wanting to hold things and wanting to help feed himself. He is also interested in signing. I have been trying to teach him some new signs, and he just gets really quiet and alert when I do it. It seems like he is trying to figure out just what Mommy is doing. He is a smart little thing. God, I love him so very much.
Well, I am going to stop writing to I can love up my son and husband once more.

6.9.06 In L.A. (Daddy)

Dang L.A. sucks - really bad. Sorry for the "s" word but there is no other way to describe this city.

The boy and I arrived here yesterday, right about 5pm, and spent the next couple hours with Barbara (before she and Tom had to go to a large convention dinner that ran out of food and beer). The drive out here wasn't bad and 'Lijah did pretty well in the car. He did get mad at his carseat a couple times and he quickly grew tired of being unable to shove his rattle completely down his gullet. After his patience ran out each time he fell asleep and Dad just drove. We stopped in Baker for lunch at Jack In The Box. Dad had a chicken ciabatta. 'Lijah had milky and napkin. Just for the record, Gas was $3.74 in Baker, but the town is in the middle of nowhere.

Elijah is enjoying visiting with his East Coast Grandparents. Granny Barb is especially fun. 'Lijah is being extensively stimulated and played with. Barbara, 'Lijah and I actually went to the Museum of Contemporary Art here in L.A. and boy did the boy like that. He smiled at all the black and white images and black and white videos and loved some of the colorful "Combines" in the museum. Barbara said his favorite was the one with the goat and the tire. I can see why, goats and tires provide endless weeks of fun. I enjoyed myself too, but always wish I had a personal chef to follow me around in museums - I get crazy hungry. I crave lemonade and pretzels usually.

So, all in all, the trip out here was pretty easy. We had the music up (Rock Kills Kid, Keane, David Gray, James Blunt, some random stuff too) and the A/C and cruise control on and avoided all the jack a$$es driving 100mph on their way back home to nasty L.A. Mommy gets picked up tonight from LAX a little after 8pm. We miss Mommy.

6.8.06 L.A. (Daddy)

Within the next couple of hours I will be on the road with the boy, headed for Los Angeles. Elijah is already wanting plastic surgery. . . joking.

Actually, we are driving 4 hours to see Granny Barb and Grandad Tom. They are in L.A. for a conference (or something as equally fun) and being only 4 hours from their grandson means we're going on a road trip. I'll have Elijah's little dog and the audio CD it interacts with (which reminds me, I should get that on the iPod). I'm not looking forward to the lenghty drive, and don't know where I'll be stopping to play/interact/feed 'Lijah, but I'm positive the 4 hour drive will quickly turn into 5+ hours. 'Lijah didn't have a good day yesterday. He's getting more active. He's now doing thigs like reaching for the face of whoever is holding him and reaching for the things that you have (my coffee cup this morning). So, he is very hard to satisfy. He yelled each time Mom left his sight yesterday evening. This makes me wonder how he'll be during the drive and if I'll get any quiet time. There is a reward at the end of the road = Barbara. If she wants to take him, she can have him. Mom and Dad definitely need a break.

So, I'm closing the laptop lid, taking to kid to the shower and packing the rest of the suitcase. I'll update you all again when we get to L.A. Presenting "Road Trip 1". Where is Tom Green when you need him?

6.1.06 Signing (Daddy)

If you haven't caught up from May, you'll want to read the last couple days.
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This is one of those things you at first think is coincidence but later realize, as often as it is happening, it can't be. Elijah is very subtlely signing "milk" to us. We've been going through the motions on a nearly constant basis (with and without the bottle in hand). During the last week or week 1/2 we've been seeing the hands come up and reach outward, as is supposed to happen. Here is a video example of what the sign looks like: See Video.
'Lijah has been doing nearly the same thing but without the coordination to really open and close his hands clearly. It has been more of an outward hand motion, hand partially open and arm moving up and down a little. The reason I mention this today is his opening and closing his hands is getting clearer. He still gets frustrated when he isn't fed immediately, but Rebecca and I are both working with him to try and get him to tell us he wants "milk". Many times, even this morning, he just sat there in his swing with his hands at his side. He squirmed and pouted and cried a little, but as soon as I'd go to him and do the sign he'd quiet down. I still didn't give it to him but let him sit there for a few minutes trying to get something out of him. I stood in the kitchen while he stared at me quietly. I then performed the sign again and this time he put his hand out and moved his fingers a little. I promptly went over and gave him his bottle. Neither of us knows if this is the right way to prompt him to do the sign, but we know he knows what we're doing now (the smiles speak for themselves) so coaxing him a little doesn't seem like a bad thing.

Interestingly, when signing, he seems to use his left hand most of the time. Great. . . our kid may be backward. . . ;-)