Fair game

It was a good day. JHP went to school. Daddy went to work. Mommy had quiet time alone to do as she pleased. Then John and I went to the grocery store, where he was in such a good mood he sang out from the cart for no apparent reason. I told him he needed to keep it down as folks were likely trying to think and didn't need the distraction. Some lady must have heard me because she stopped us and told John that he was distracting her (with a big smile on her face!). He didn't get it, but I found it sweet that she took the time to humor ME. Dinner was a fine affair and we had plenty of time to play afterward.

One of the things that JHP loves to do if you lay down on the floor is sit/lay on top of you. While this is not the most comfortable for you after you've just eaten, it's most definitely fun times for John. And it doesn't matter if you are on your tummy or not. He'll stop what he's doing to come join you and bounce or wrestle or just lay his head on you. I had been taking pictures lying on my tummy when John realized that I was lying down. I handed the camera over and Daddy took these shots.

John likes to sit on your belly and then lean backwards between your knees, flipping his legs over with the rest of him following. He'll do this several times in a row until the flipper is tired. Tonight I managed to flip him over onto the floor before he leaned back. Oh - and the number stickers were ones we picked up from the little machine at the grocery store today. John wore them for a while and then handed them over to me for safe keeping.

-EBP-

Read more...

Stripped, almost

While I was still in bed letting my Tylenol take effect for the terrible headache I had, this is what Daddy found when he went to get John out of bed. He told me I really needed to come see and of course, I had to get the camera.

But not only had he tried to get his shirt off, he successfully got his pants off. And he wasn't the least bit concerned about it. He was in a great mood this morning and kept bouncing around the crib. I guess he was happy to be in his own (bouncy) bed.

While John napped, I put the Christmas tree together. It hasn't seen the light of day for almost three years. Two Christmases ago I was pregnant and didn't want the hassle and last Christmas, John was crawling and pulling up on everything. And we always travel. But this year, I figured I better put it up for us all to enjoy. When John got up and I went to show him what I'd done, he was pretty excited.

But not near as excited as when he discovered the On/Off switch. I can tell already that this will be a HUGE temptation for him and we will need to stay on top of him to teach him that he's only to turn it on and off when we tell him to do so. We'll likely get around to trimming the tree tomorrow or Tuesday.

Overall, the day was pretty good. JHP was in a good mood most of the day. He only fussed when we dropped him off in the nursery at church. They've had a turnover of workers and he's having to get used to new folks in the room. He slept well last night and at nap. And he was wired again tonight during bath and bedtime. Daddy said it probably had to do with the ice cream cone he ate after his dinner of rice and beans. Too much sugar, he said. Surprisingly, John ate the whole thing, minus the cone. He didn't fuss about going to bed. He just didn't fall asleep right away. Tomorrow it's back to our routine. It was nice to have Daddy around for such a long time, though.

-EBP-

Read more...

A new day, a new kid

This shows how much the day improved. I wasn't holding John. Jane is. And I wasn't taking the picture. Jimmy did. I wasn't even anywhere around. And there was no whining when I did show my face. It was lovely! It's amazing what a full belly and a good night's rest will do for a kid. He continued in his good mood from last evening. He only woke once, asking for his paapaa. Daddy found it for him and he laid down and went back to sleep. It was almost like a different child. I was most thankful that my family got to see the sweet little boy that is our son, instead of the PITA that he was when we first got there. Before the morning was over he was running around the house giving everyone hugs!

Jane, June, and John did find some time to decorate the driveway for Nana and Papa Jim. John's got some learning to do about the chalk. But he only broke two pieces. He was just too rough with them. We did manage to fit in a little visit to our friends Richard and Krishna (and their children Payne & Avery) before the normal Saturday lunch at Whataburger. It was nice to see them again. Then we packed up and hit the road. We stopped for some gas and by the time we made it to the Harbor Bridge, John was asleep. It didn't surprise me since he'd been yawning for a couple of hours already. He slept well - almost two hours - and was pleasant the rest of the trip, especially since VeggieTales was on the DVD player.

I think he was happy to be home, but you could definitely tell he'd been couped up for a few hours in the car. He ate well. Then he spent some time running around the house and seemed to be extra wired during his bath. But he knew it was time for bed and submitted quietly. Let's hope familiar surroundings provide us all with a quiet, good night.

-EBP-

Read more...

The day after

Last night was not a better night. We were up and down between 1200a and 430a. Lots of crying and John ended up in my bed. I say my bed because Daddy had moved to the couch at midnight. I was so tired that even though I was up, shopping was the furthest thing from my mind. And getting John to eat this morning was a challenge. But we finally got him distracted enough, fed enough, and Tylenol-ed enough that the was mostly pleasant the rest of the day. He napped well and ate most everything we put in front of him. He hasn't eaten that much in a week or more.

My mom cleaned off the piano because it's moving. And Jane took the opportunity to play a tune or two. John had never seen a piano and since he likes musical instruments, I figured this would be a good experience. He was little slow to warm up, but I think he really enjoyed it.

And I think he enjoyed his musical partner, too.

The two peas. They like to sit together and watch TV. They watched some tonight as the adults ate and cleaned the kitchen.

And then things got really silly. John was in such a good mood that he laughed and played hard, even breaking a sweat. But he was ready for bed. Let's hope we all sleep well tonight.

-EBP-

Read more...

Happy Thanksgiving!

The day started WAY too early this morning. Last night John slept in our room with us and woke up about 500a. He realized that I was right there next to him and he started with the "Hold ME!" whine. At 500AM! I tried to keep him quiet and get him to go back to sleep. Even bringing him into the bed wasn't enough to get him to go back to sleep. At 700a, Daddy woke and took John out of the room so that I could get a little more shut-eye. But this set the stage for the day. We all had too much whine today. John didn't even make it until the big lunch before we put him down for his nap.

Here's the table set with our lovely centerpiece June and Jane made for us.

When it was "dinner time", which never really happens at dinner time on Thanksgiving Day, Jimmy, June and John sat at the table and snacked their way through "dinner". John ate a lot of peanuts. When Mom asked John if she could have a peanut, he readily gave her one. He always readily shares his food.

The rest of the evening was OK until it neared 700p. We decided not to prolong the agony and start the bath routine ASAP. And when it came time for Daddy to put him down for bed, John told Daddy, "sleep". So he put him down and that was that. Let's hope tonight goes better. If he pulls another 500a, I might just have to go shopping! But that's the only reason I'd be up that early to go shop Black Friday.

-EBP-

Read more...

Day 2 at Nana's

Once we managed to convince John that he could go outside if he actually ate his breakfast, the morning proceeded rather well. Daddy took John to the neighborhood park while I showered. A little later we spent some time outside, John enjoyed "sweeping".

And then Daddy found the basketball. John had great time chasing the ball around after Daddy made his baskets (or as was more often the case, didn't!). We ate lunch in and then John enjoyed a very nice nap. Jimmy, Jane, and June arrived while he slept. They all waited (impatiently) for John to wake. And when he did we all went outside again.

John N., Papa Jim, Jimmy, Jane, June, and John H. played basketball and occasionally made use of the tire swing. There was lots of laughing and silliness. John really seemed to be enjoying the family togetherness, when he wasn't realizing that he needed to be held by me. At times, he almost seemed torn between playing and being held.

We had pizza for dinner and John actually ate quite a lot compared to what he's recently been eating. He's played catch-up on BM's the last couple of days, which could explain why his appetite was greater tonight. Or maybe it was because he had an audience or some peer pressure by having June around. In any case, it sure makes mealtime easier.

-EBP-

Read more...

Road Trip

We got packed in plenty of time and set off on our trip at our designated time. Just in time for John's nap. He's already looking a bit zoned here, huh?

When John woke and we were almost half way to Corpus, we stopped at the rest stop and stretched our legs, among other things. John enjoyed the little play area. Then we were off again.

As we were driving along, the sun started to shine through the clouds such that you could see all the rays. It was pretty cool.

We arrived and John was happy to get out of the car. And aside from his fear of the little dog, John was in a good mood the rest of the evening. We went to eat some Mexican food and John was just acting plain silly. I was so thankful that he was happy and not fussing.

-EBP-

Read more...

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh, my!

Since Daddy was home and it was going to be a beautiful day, we took the opportunity to go to the zoo today. It was John's first trip and I think he enjoyed it. He liked the giraffes the best, I think, as he could easily see them. The cats were all sleeping, but we did see the tiger and lions. And he really enjoyed running from exhibit to exhibit in the primate area. That's what he's doing here, watching some play.

We watched the back end of an elephant get a bath. But when they came out of the bath house. John was a bit scared and wanted to be held. Of course, it was at the end of our trip. So, maybe that had something to do with it. We didn't see the whole zoo, but we did buy a membership. So now we have no excuse not to go back real soon.

One of the things they have at Hermann Park is a little trains that runs through the park. As we waited for the train to come back to the station, he played with the chains and talked with Dad.

I think John did enjoy the train ride. It was a lot to take in and he was mostly quiet throughout. As we were walking back towards the car after it was over, he said "train ride" and we had to explain that our ride was done, but we could come back another day. I'm sure we will.

Bath time was another crying jag tonight. Imagine that.

Tomorrow, we will travel to visit my Mom and Jim for Thanksgiving. It will be a full house since Jimmy, Jane, and June are coming on Wednesday. For TG dinner, there should be 12, including Aunt Charlotte, Uncle John, Aunt Betty, and Uncle Ed. It should be fun!
-EBP-

Read more...

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good: We got ready in plenty of time this morning to spend some time outside enjoying the weather (and taking pictures, of course!). My favorite four...

The Bad: Dropping John off in the nursery at church has become an event the last couple of weeks. He knew what was coming as soon as we hit the doors this morning and wasn't so excited about it. And so he cried quite loudly when we left him. When we picked him up. they said he didn't cry long. And he was happy to see us. Although I think he was even more happy about the freedom. He practically ran all the way to the truck.

The Ugly: John was still in his bed when SNBNA arrived for dinner about 530p. He hadn't gone right to sleep when we laid him down for his nap at the usual time. And he'd been up early this morning and hadn't really slept well after that. So when Daddy went to get him up, lots of crying and whining ensued. And even Mommy wasn't enough to fix it. It's difficult enough to deal with this attitude when it's just us, but when you have guests, well, lets just say, it wasn't the most pleasant evening for Daddy and me. It's hard to even carry on a conversation when JHP's carrying on like he was. After couple of trips to his bedroom to let him calm down, he did finally eat some dinner and pull out of his funk. The rest of the evening was OK.

You know, JHP's been being a butt to his Daddy. It's bad enough that most evenings John has to be enticed into even giving Daddy a hug when he gets home. And all he wants to do is cling to me. Daddy isn't good enough to meet John's needs when it comes to holding most of the time. He wants Mommy. We are both tired of it. I know if hurts Daddy's feelings and it wears me out. Tonight, John made another move that really upset Daddy. He was sitting in my lap and Daddy offered to hold him. John said no. And then Stephen offered to hold him. OK was the response. I know Stephen was just trying to run some interference, which was successful, but it didn't help matters. I suspect that John sensed that Daddy was trying to help me (like he always does) and that Stephen was just an innocent bystander with no emotional involvement. How can I show my son that Daddy is just as good as Mommy without leaving for fours days again? I know it's just a phase, but when will it be over?

-EBP-

Read more...

Happy boy

Today was a good, busy day. We started out bright and early going over to see Jimmy, Jane, and June at their house and that was followed by a good birthday party at our friend G's house. He turned three this week. John enjoyed seeing his cousin, but didn't enjoy the big puppies so much. And he had so much fun at the party he didn't want to eat really or leave. But a nap was overdue by the time we got home. We all enjoyed a nice quiet afternoon.

Here's John sporting his new bib. This one has short sleeves. He's been asking to try feeding himself wet stuff more and more. So I figured this wouldn't be a bad investment. And I think he kind of likes it or at least the idea of a new bib.

John was in a good mood this evening. We talked with MawMaw and PawPaw on the computer. They even read some books together. And we read a ton more books later on, too. Although we met a little resistance when it came time for the bedtime routine, there was no crying and no desperate need for the paapaa before it was lights out, as has been the case the last several nights. He had a great time in the bath and performed some funny balancing acts for the camera, including the inadvertent slide down the back of the tub twice. You'll have to check the out WebAlbums for the complete set.

-EBP-

Read more...

Funny

Eyelash check! Yep, they are still just as long as before. And notice the little bruise on his left cheek. He got that this morning as he was trying to help put away some things we bought at Target. He tripped and fell. At first, I thought we might have another black eye on our hands as he hit in about the same spot at the last time. But it didn't look all the bad after his nap.

We actually completed both his ABC and number puzzles today. Lately he's been more about dumping them out and not putting them back together. Let's just say Daddy and I have been getting lots of practice on our numbers and letters. But today I worked with him to stick with it and get the letters done. And then he wanted to do the numbers. But after he'd dumped them out, he said, "Momma do it." Sneaky me asked for help and he ended up doing it himself.

He wasn't quite himself tonight. He'd slept late this morning and napped OK this afternoon. But tonight he was just kind of a space cadet. Just to give him some relief if he is teething, we gave him some Tylenol. And then the crying began when it was time for a bath. We managed to escape a repeat of last night.

I forgot in all the crying last night to tell the story here of something that had happened at dinner. I had made a small cake earlier in the week and a couple of nights this week, we gave John a small piece after dinner. Last night after he'd finished his piece, he asked for "more cake." So I cut him a another sliver and placed it on his tray, cutting it into 3 pieces. He kept saying "big". So I asked him if he wanted me to cut it more and he said yes. So I did. And then he proceeded to eat the 5 goldfish pretzels left on his tray and ignore the cake. When he told us he was all done, I chastised him a bit about asking for more and then leaving it. And then I said this, "Can you tell me why?" His response, "Why." John N and I busted out laughing. And then JHP said, "Funny!" and started to laugh himself.

-EBP-

Read more...

Talk to the (turkey) hand

Today MDO was a half day (in honor of being out all next week, too) and they had a little Thanksgiving Feast to celebrate. I showed up a bit early and forgot my camera. It honestly didn't occur to me to take some pics of the event. They had decorated the tables and each kid had this cute little headband on. John even asked me to take a picture when I got there. He knows me so well. I made him pose in his headband when we got home so that I would have something to show you. He looks so cute in it.

One of the projects they did this week was to make a hand into a turkey. Then the teachers laminated it for use as a place mat. I'm amazed that John's turned out so neat. And he thought it was cool, too. He kept wanted to hold it and look at it.

This evening was pretty good except that John didn't want to get with the program and brush his teeth. Then all he wanted in the bath was the paapaa. He didn't want to be cooperative when it came to getting dressed in his PJ's and by that time, I'd had enough and excused myself not so nicely. Daddy ended up putting him to bed. But the evening and my absence (I think) had taken it's toll. John cried hard when Daddy left him in his bed. Then I returned after five minutes of crying. I didn't rock him but I picked him up and held him. But he still wasn't happy when I put him down. Daddy went back 5 minutes later when John was still crying. Same response when Daddy left. Rocking him each time would quiet him, but putting him back in the bed would start him crying again. I went in 10 minutes later and rocked him. Finally after this last time I went in, he only cried for about 5 minutes when I left and we haven't heard from him since. I hope this is not the start of a new phase with regards to bedtime. We've had it so good recently since all we normally have to do is rock him a bit and put him in his bed.

-EBP-

Read more...