a preview to the terrible twos

It started last Friday with Aidan not quite his easy-going self-- and he suddenly became a drooling machine. Teething, Part II.

When he first started teething at 4 months, he whimpered and cried, but he was easily comforted with a teething ring and a little extra cuddling.This time around, Aidan knows how to voice his discomfort. Not related to the teething (but the timing sucks) are his temper tantrums. If you don't pick him up right away or he's not able to do something his way, he cries and screams. He'll usually stomp off to a corner or around the dining table to "cool off" and then he comes back, pouting. His latest dramatic trick now has him dropping his head down on folded arms on one of the stairs or leaning up on the garage door with hands covering his weeping face. It lasts less than 20 seconds and then it passes.He should audition for All My Children.

It is hard to watch your child in pain. Because of the teething, he would wake up every 1.5 hours. Paul and I haven't pulled late night duty in a long time and man, talk about painful. 

Aidan LOVES to eat, so it was heartbreaking so see him take a bite of bread, only to cry out in pain because his gums were so tender.Children's Tylenol is a good thing.

I'm happy to report that today, he was in much better spirits-- almost the Aidan we know and love. He ate his yogurt and toast with vigor this morning. He napped twice today. He played and had fun at Robbie's 5th birthday party and managed to have some cake. It was a good day. 

And now, he is asleep-- hopefully for the night.A couple we met at the birthday party today have a 5-year-old girl and a 6-month old boy. We were talking about Aidan's 'terrible two' preview. They said by the time the two's came for for daughter, the 'terrible' stuff was old hat (guess she began her terror early.) They said what people don't tell you about are the Threes-- the kid takes on an attitude, making the two's a breeze.

I can't wait.

what aidan says

momma/mommaydaddy/dad-dee
papa
nana
lolo (comes out "no-no" cuz he hasn't gotten his "L's" down yet)
lola (comes out "oh-wa" cuz of the "L" thing)
banana (nana)
apple (sounds like "bappo")
bagel
more
please (sounds like "preas!")
thank you (sounds like "tat too")
potty
up
down
cool
vacuum
cooking (emphasis on "king" so it sounds like "co-KING" Sometimes is sounds like he's saying "cocaine." Yikes.)
ding (as in "why buy a mattress anywhere else-- ding!")
eat
boobies (yes, those kind)
no
yeah! (like his papa says)
mower

back from the beach

Last week, we were in Cannon Beach for our annual family vacation. Our week-long stay includes the following tried-and-true traditions:

1. We don't get out of the house (usually) until after Noon.

2. We go the Cannon Beach Bakery for coffee and an assortment of yummy pastries. At least once during vacation, Bill will pick up pastries on his way back from church and Paul and I will pick up pastries if we are up and about in the morning. (Easy to do when Aidan gets up at 5:30 a.m.) We end up with doubles of everything. This year, it happened twice!

3. Bill makes amazing french toast using Cinnamon Bread from the Cannon Beach Bakery.

4. We go to the beach (duh). We walk to Haystack Rock and checkout the sea life at low tide. This year, there weren't as many star fish. And, we had two days where we didn't have any wind at all.

5. This is the one week where bacon and eggs are consumed like no other.

6. We visit Paul's favorite Oakley premium dealer, Cleanline Surfshop. They came through for him this year, sending him they're entire inventory (2) of Art Chantry Hi Jinx Oakleys. (His previous pair was stolen. A long, sad story.) They also sent a free t-shirt. Check 'em out-- they are nice people and the owner is cool.

7. We visit the Nike Factory Store in Seaside at the outlet mall. For some reason, that is the only place I can find shoes I like.

8. If it is rainy, we see a movie at the little cineplex in Seaside. This year, Paul and I got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

New this year:

1. Aidan played on the beach for the first time. (He was only 4 months old last year and he was covered up from head to toe because he was too young for sunscreen.)

2. We watched a lot of Disney Playhouse. (Aidan is beginning to slowly watch things other than commercials.) Little Einsteins. Higglytown Heroes. Choo Choo Soul. And, of course, The Wiggles. Hey Baby. Doodlebops creeps me out. Mickey Mouse's voice is irritating. Oh, but this is about the kids, huh?

Even though the weather was so-so, it was still a fun time. You can see more pictures of our trip on my Flickr.

crib notes

A few minutes ago, Aidan climbed out of his crib for the first time ever. We are still amazed.

We just got back from vacation. We figured he would have a little trouble getting to sleep since he's been sleeping in a twin bed (with a bed rail) for the last week. He was fast asleep when Paul put him in his crib, but he woke up soon thereafter. We decided to let him cry it out for a few minutes before going up and checking on him.

As we sat downstairs in the living room, we noticed that his crying seemed to get not just louder, but closer. We quickly went upstairs to discover that he had climbed out of his crib via the bar stool which he used to shimmy down to the floor. He was crawling around near the closed gate at the top of the staircase crying.

We've removed the breathable bumper around the crib (Paul thinks he used it to give him a boost.) And, we've moved the bar stool and the steps I use when I place Aidan in the crib. Tomorrow, we'll trying lowering the crib to the last notch left. However, I think it may be time to turn the crib into a daybed for our new-found daredevil.

the camera puts on 10 pounds AND a few years

Last weekend, we had our first family portraits taken-- it was a gift Paul gave me for my birthday. I'll post some of the proof shots soon, but I just had to get this one up. This is Aidan at 15 months-- he looks like he's FOUR.

ah, independence day

This year, the 4th of July was truly a day of independence for me and Paul. My parents offered to take Aidan for the holiday so we could enjoy the holiday on our own.We did things we haven't done in a long time.(Get your mind out of the gutter!)We "slept in" 'til 7 a.m. (When your kid gets up at 5 a.m., believe me, this is sleeping in!)We ate out Tuesday night. We ate out Wednesday night. I didn't have to feed anyone but myself.We saw TWO-- count 'em-- TWO movies in an actual movie theatre with big screen, big chairs and sticky floors. And one of the movies opened just one day ago!The first move we saw was, ironically, "Knocked Up." Very funny movie. Yet, smart. It was weird to watch a movie about babies and to go home without our baby. (Yes, of course we missed him!)The second movie we saw was "Transformers." A movie based on toys from Hasbro? Umm, yeah. And, it was surprisingly good. It was what you'd expect a summer blockbuster to be. There was an actual storyline within all the explosions, contorting robots (excuse me, "auto bots") and I remembered who Optimus Prime was.So, now it is 10:55 p.m. and the neighborhood fireworks are going off. I'm all for fireworks displays, but I really don't like fireworks going off so close to my house. I miss Aidan and I'm looking forward to coming home from work tomorrow afternoon and seeing his sweet little face. But I'm glad he's not here, having to put up with all this fireworks crap. Some of us have to work tomorrow, people!

the word most wanted

On Thursday, June 21, 2007, Aidan uttered the word his Daddy has been waiting to hear for months.No, it was not "Daddy."It was "Oakley." This was the day after it was announced that Oakley was bought out by Luxxotica, the maker of Ray-Bans. There's a lot of Oakley fans that are already forecasting doom and gloom for the future quality of their beloved sunglasses. Maybe Aidan's saying "Oakley" is a sign of good things to come?

happy father's day!

you know you're tired when...

you try to flush the toilet with the light switch.

(Hey, it was 5:30 a.m. and Aidan woke me up from a sound sleep and a wierd dream. At least I didn't put my pants on my head.)

roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight

On Wednesday night, I got a chance to see The Police in concert at the Key. They haven't been in Washington since 1983 when they played the Tacoma Dome. I couldn't go then. No way mom and dad was going to let their 14-year-old go to a concert alone. It was an incredible concert.

I did have a bit of mommy guilt as Aidan had been battling a cold, but he was in good hands. Thursday night, he couldn't settle down for bedtime. Paul did his usual storytime routine and Aidan got his nightcap of lactose free milk, but the kid wasn't interested in sleeping. Paul let him play a bit and then put him in his crib. Of course, cries and screams ensued.

After about five minutes, I decided to go up and calm Aidan down. Usually, we pat his back and avoid picking him up. This time, he was too upset so I picked him up and and rocked him in the glider chair. I tried singing the marching ant song. No dice. Hey Jude. Same thing. Since I had The Police songs fresh in my head (I sang with everyone else at the arena after all), I started singing "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," and "Every Breath You Take." He began to settle. Then I began the next song:

"Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light

those days are over, you don't have to sell your body to the night

Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight

Walk the street for money, you don't care if its wrong or if it right..."

Sound asleep in less than two minutes. All I had to do was sing about a prostitute. At least I didn't sing "Murder By Numbers."

lock down

We've been a little lackadaisical (read: lazy) about putting cabinet locks on our cabinets. Aidan has never been interested it them and we don't have knobs, so they are harder to open for little hands.

Not anymore. He's mastered the art of opening drawers and cabinets. He's pulling heavy Calphalon pan covers out of the drawers. Our child appears to be freakishly strong.

So, here is a video of a defining moment in the McJannet Household. Click on the "view show" button to check it out.

this song may lull you to sleep, too

Part of Aidan's sleep routine now includes singing him a song that, as I understand it, was sung to many McJannet children and grandchildren. His Papa Bill sang it to him when we were in Ireland last March. It's sung to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" -- I am pretty sure we have taken creative license with the lyrics! Depending on how tired we are when we sing to Aidan at night and how high we count up. (You get the gist once you see the lyrics), the words are sometimes never the same as the last time we sang it. I'm sure Paul uses words I don't and vice versa.

Numbers after 10 are the hardest. The highest I've counted is 13. I pretty much say, "I don't know a word that rhymes with 13, and they all go marching down..." Usually, I just start at one again until he finally drops off to sleep. Any suggestions?

Here's the song:

The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah

The ants go marching one by one, one of them stops to chew some gum

And they all go marching down... to the earth... to get out... of the rain, dum, dum dum, dum ,dum dum dum...

And so on.

Two by two: one of them stops to tie his shoe

Three by three: one of them stops to take a pee

Four by four: one of them stops to lock the door

Five by five: one of see a big beehive

Six by six: one of them stops to buy some Twix

Seven by seven: they hope they all go to heaven

Eight by eight: one of them always cleans his plate

Nine by nine: their looking good and their feeling fine

Ten by ten: when their done, they'll do it again

aidan at 13 months, 3 weeks, 6 days...

Aidan continues to be a sweet, good natured little boy. It's hard to list all the new quirks and development milestones he's had so far, but I'll give it a try.

He's all ears. Aidan will always grab your left ear if you are holding him. It's a comfort thing. When I cradle him as he drinks his milk, he will invariably reach up and grab my ear. Every time. Any one. Poor Paul-- his ear gets the worst of it. Aidan practically hangs on to his earlobe. Sometimes its red after a prolonged Aidan session.

Happy feet... and arms... and legs... This kid seems to run and walk non-stop. He likes to be chased around our ottoman, dining table and kitchen. He likes to climb up on the sofa and jump on the cushions. He likes to climb pillows, often using his face (you have to see it to know what I mean.) He loves to climb up and down the stairs. He likes to run out of the door of stores. Even when he's tired and it's nap time, he still tries to run around. He's like a wind up toy that slowly loses its tension, eventually falling down because he's run out of energy. Plop.

He loves to laugh. And, he likes to make other laugh. He'll make faces. He'll make funny noises and then crack himself up. He loves to be tickled and tossed-- his laughter ranges from giggles to deep down belly laughs. It is the best sound in the world, particularly after a long day at the office.

Get down with your bad self. Aidan loves to dance. It happens so spontaneously that I forget to grab the camera when it happens. I finally captured it here. He dances to the music from his toys, a greeting card that plays "Walking on Sunshine" or his crazy singing duck. We always cheer and clap when he dances-- it's something we want to encourage. Sometimes, we dance with him. Um, it's quite a sight.

Please, Sir, I want some more. Aidan loves to eat. He no longer eats baby food-- he's all about solids and he has no problem eating what we're having for dinner. Even when you think he's full, he wants more. If he's done eating, he wants some of your food. Sometimes he'll check out our plates to see what he can get. He's grasped the concept of the fork and spoon, but he prefers his hands. He will take a piece of food in each hand and alternate hands to mouth. He is a frickin' machine. Thank goodness he burns it all off with his running and jumping!

Baby Talk. Aidan has a language all his own-- it sounds like a lot of babbling and oohing. He also likes to sing to himself. Sometimes his singing resembles a baby wolf howling. His repertoire of words include, "hi, ma, dada, and ba (for banana)." He has a good ear for mimicking-- once, when playing "I'm gonna get you" with my dad, Aidan said, "ahmgungetchu!" He hasn't said it since. His version of saying "Please" is clapping his hands when he wants a bite of food. It used to be at least 3-4 claps; when he's impatient, you're lucky if you get one, insistent clap.

Growing like a weed. Aidan is wearing a mixture of 9 month old pants, 12 month overalls, and 18 months tops. He no longer clears the dining table-- he's grown a couple inches in a short amount of time. It's getting harder for me to hold him because he's getting long and heavier. And wouldn't you know it-- he wants me to carry him now more than ever. Ugh.

Tantrum Boy. When Aidan can't make something do what he wants, he yells and throws things. His latest quirk is slapping the floor. He picked this up from my mom. One day, Aidan tripped and fell. My mom said, "Bad floor!" and slapped the floor. Yesterday, he got his fingers caught in a desk drawer. Once free, he bent down, slapped the floor and said "UGH!" It was hilarious. He has also acquired universal toddler move-- the limp noodle. When he doesn't want to be put down on the floor, he goes limp and throws his head back, which means you have to hold him otherwise he will whack his head on the floor. Smart kid.

So, that is my Aidan update for the month. Every day is different and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

"how did you know i was a baby?" and other kid questions

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, so Aidan and I sat outside on the lawn a while. I have to watch Aidan like a hawk because it's not enough to pick up things and feel them in his hands-- he has to taste what he picks up, too. Food, food dropped on the floor, grass, rocks, dirt... he is determined to use all five senses to explore his world. Can you imagine what that must be like, to experience things for the first time with five senses you're just getting a handle on?

Soon, we were joined by one of the neighborhood boys, Angelo. Angelo is 5 years old. We've known him since he was two. He used to run around in his footed pajamas and come over to see if Paul could come out and play. Angelo and his brother, Michael, would "play" with Paul by "helping" him mow the lawn or pull weeds. This was before Aidan was born and I can remember watching how patiently Paul would answer the boys' questions. It was a good indication of what a great dad he would be.

Angelo likes to ask a lot of questions. He almost speaks in a stream of consciousness kind of way:

How old is Aidan? 13 months? How old is that? A year? Aidan is a funny name-- why did you name him Aidan? Uh-uh, my name isn't funny. How come he likes rocks? Eww! Laurel he put a rock in his mouth! Why did he do that!?!? All babies do that? I didn't do that. I wasn't that small. Everyone isn't a baby. How do you know I was a baby? You didn't know me that long ago. I'm going to lie down on the grass. It tickles! I haven't been in your house in a long time. Can I come in? How come? Chores? What's that? I'm going to try sitting in Aidan's carseat. No? Why not? Okaaay. Bye.

Whew.

i'm outta here

good -bye blogger. thanks for the memories.

you can now find me blogging at http://mrsmcj.wordpress.com. Thanks for the memories, Blogger, but moving our corporate blog to another platform at work has exposed your inadequacies and now I’m movin’ it all to WordPress. I was able to import all my Blogger entries to Wordpress in a matter of minutes (I did have to relink some pictures, that wasn’t a big deal.) All my comments came over, too. Pretty cool.

So, c'mon over to my new blog.Hopefully the new digs will spark my creativity and get my blogging back on track.

KCQ, come on over to Wordpress-- give me a call and I'll help you make the move.

quack quack quack quack

What can I say? My baby's got moves...

where did my baby go?

He went and turned into a toddler. Sigh.

The picture on the left is Aidan just moments after he was born. The picture on the right is Aidan the day after his 1st birthday party. The physical changes are pretty obvious, but you can't see how he's able to run around the kitchen and living room; how he likes to babble and tease; how he likes to dance to "Walking on Sunshine" and the quacking duck his Ninang V2 gave him. His hair has grown and his standard-issue wrinkled infant face has turned into the smiling, expressive Aidan face we have come to love.

I'm way behind on my posts-- and there is so much to tell. But it's hard to stop and type on a computer when I'd rather play with my son and create more memories. Who has time to write it all down?

planes, trains and automobiles-- and other ways to travel with your toddler

We are back from a week-long trip in Ireland and man are my arms tired.

[Ba-dum-dum]

Actually, they are. Try hauling a 20-pound toddler around from terminal to terminal while your husband carries three carry-ons and tries to steer a umbrella stroller all at the same time. And the security checks-- we've been scanned so many times I should be nuclear. Luckily, we got the fast-track on our way to London. The security folk saw Aidan and let us cut in front of the line. And those lines are LONG. (Especially if you accidentally go to the wrong terminal and have to go through security check TWICE!) It also helps that Aidan is cute and likes to flirt with the lady security people.

We went to Ireland for my brother-in-law's destination wedding. It was a wonderful, intimate gathering of 20 people in Waterford, Ireland. They were married at the Waterford Castle where we also stayed for a couple days. You can check out pictures from our trip on my Flickr badge.

It turns out that Aidan is a good traveller. He didn't have the ear pressure issues everyone warned me about (during take-offs and landings). He slept for most of the flight to Ireland. Kudos to British Airways for being kid friendly. They welcomed us onboard and said not to worry if Aidan cries when we take off-- it's good for his ears, they said. We were seated in the bulkhead of the plane so we had more leg room on the plane and could take advantage of the bassinet so that Aidan didn't have to sleep on our laps for the duration of the flight. They gave Aidan a "Sky Fliers" backpack with a toy and a story book about flying on a plane. They heated his bottles for us. And, the guy and gal that had the grand fortune to sit by Aidan the potential screamer/crier turned out to be really nice and helpful. Thank goodness Aidan rewarded their kindness by not having a meltdown.

Travelling with a child is stressful, even under the best of circumstances. Truth be told, Paul and I each had our "what the hell were we thinking" moments when Aidan was getting agitated. Try riding in a car with a toddler who is crying and no toy, treat or songs will appease him. We ate out a lot and eating with a toddler is a challenge-- you have to make sure they are fed and entertained while you try to enjoy a nicely prepared meal and participate in dinner discussion. The best meal we had was at the Unicorn Pub in Dublin. Aidan was asleep the whole time and we got to enjoy a wonderful Irish breakfast without having to hurry up or pick up things off the floor.

In any case, we survived the trip. Coming back was exhausting-- the luggage, the checking in, the security checks. We got to our gate only to board a shuttle on the tarmac and be transported to a plane in the back 40 of Heathrow. Just a few minutes after being served dinner, we hit a bit of turbulence and the plane steward made us wake Aidan from his bassinette so we could strap him to our laps using the baby seatbelt. Paul was pissed. Somehow, we managed to eat dinner by balancing our trays precariously on the unused bassinette. Aidan ended up with some crumbs and penne bolongese in his hair, but he was asleep so no harm done.

When we finally did get home, we had to go through passport check, customs and get our luggage, only to have to put it all back on a conveyor belt and take a tram to the baggage claim terminal. Ugh. Then, while Paul was taking our luggage off the carousel, they decided to switch it on so he had to toss what luggage he had in his hand to get the others before they carouselled away. Fun times.

"What if Scott were to tell us that he was getting married in a few months in Ireland (knowing what we know now.) Would you still want to go?" Paul asked me. We were at Heathrow trucking it to the next gate with hot water for Aidan's bottle and panini sandwiches in hand.

Call me crazy-- I would do it again. Ireland is beautiful and the people are friendly. But for our next big holiday, I think a five-hour flight to say, Hawaii, would be much better.

happy birthday, aidan and kohl and gabi and kylie

I have no idea where he learned to eat cake. I swear. He's never had it before.

Last Saturday, our baby reunion friends got together to celebrate our babies' birthdays-- all are March babies born on the 2nd, 4th, 11th and 12th (Aidan is the baby of the babies). We started out a the baby gym for a little exercise and play and then on to the Olive Garden for lunch. Let me say that the waitstaff at the Everett Olive Garden were really gracious-- two of them attended to four adults who were in turn attending to four hungry babies! Luckily, the babies were in good spirits and made it through lunch, birthday cupcakes and presents.

How did one year go by so fast? Of course, the topic of conversation was when everyone was going to have their "next" baby. Paul and I are in the "if it happens it happens" camp. Everyone hopes not to be pregnant during the summertime. Everyone wants their pregnancy to be the same the second time around. If only!

a milestone for mommy

During my lunch hour I went to Target and bought pantyhose.

And that is all I bought.

Yea for me!

paying it forward

Today, we McJannets met our friends the Lees to help them register at Babies R Us. They are expecting their first child this summer. A year ago or so, our friend Shari did the same for us, helping us maneuver around the aisles and extolling the virtues of the Diaper Champ over the Diaper Genie. If you've never been to a Babies R Us before, it can be pretty intimidating. To have someone take you around to show you what you really need isn't only a time saver-- it is a sanity saver.

We were there for about two hours. Paul and I took turns pointing out things for Jae to scan. Aidan was a trooper, needing only to be picked up and held every once in a while. It felt a little strange (but oddly comforting) being the "experts" in recommending car seats, bottles, pack-n-plays and diapers when it wasn't all that long ago that we didn't have a clue.

We noticed that it didn't take long for products we have now to get better. Like, the pack-n-play and strollers that now have wipes dispensers built onto them. Or the new ways they package newborn starter kits with bottles and warmers-- we coulda used that! Oh well. Maybe for the next baby. (Ha, ha.)

It was a fun time and it felt good to lend our friends a hand. They are so excited and happy; it made me recall those pre-baby parent feelings again-- that "can't wait-I can't believe we're really going to be parents-are we really ready for this" anticipation.

We've got a walker, people

Aidan took his first unassisted steps on Valentine's Day! He took four steps towards Mommy and six steps towards Daddy. He did this in front of an audience of his Nana, Papa, Great Grandma and Great Aunt. We clapped. We cheered. He looked at us like, "What's the big deal?"

I'm sure other parents felt the same pride when their babies began to walk. Paul mentioned that he felt a little emotional and I got a tear in my eye-- pride, seeing the look of realization and surprise on Aidan's face, and realizing that my baby is growing up.

Walking toddler. Life has changed as we know it.

I wonder what Aidan has up his sleeve for St. Patrick's Day...

happy valentines day, aidan

Dear Aidan,

Today is your first Valentine's Day! You are only 11 months old, so you don't understand the hoopla surrounding this day. This morning, while we were opening each other's Valentines day cards and gifts (thanks for my card, by the way!) you were content crumpling up the red envelopes strewn all over the dining room table.

Valentines Day is a special day in our household. Not because of the flowers, the candy and the gift-giving (ignore those commercials, Aidan, no one really wants the Journey Diamond Necklace or the stuffed animals-- but girls want flowers. Remember that.)

It is a special because Valentines Day 2000 is when I realized your daddy was someone I wanted to get to know better (months before, your daddy asked me out and I said "No" because I was wary about dating someone I worked with.) Remind me to show you the valentine card he gave to me. A week later, we went on our first date (February 23rd-- now you know where Daddy's hockey jersey number came from.) Eighteen months later, your Daddy asked me to marry him and less than three years later, you were born!

Someday too soon, you are going to get caught up in trading valentines with your schoolmates. You will share your heart with your first crush, your first love-- and you'll experience your first heartbreak. While I don't look forward to your feeling the sting and ache that love can sometimes bring, I can't wait for you to experience the kindness, friendship, passion and comfort of real love. I am fortunate to say that I have this with your Daddy not just on Valentines Day, but every day. That is my Valentines wish for you today and always.

Love, Mommy

P.S. When you're ready for wooing tips, ask your Daddy. He's good at it. ;)

Aidan? Where are you?

This is one of Aidan's favorite games:


"Aidan? Where ARE you?" [You call out for him in a sing-song voice and pretend you don't know where he is. He could be sitting right in front of you or several feet away out of sight.]

"Where's Aidan? Where did Aidan go?" [At this point, Aidan is looking at you and smiling. He may watch you looking for him. You are pretending to look under the sofa, toys, pillows, etc.]

"I can't find Aidan! Aidan, where ARE you?" [By this point, Aidan lets out a squeal and cruises over to you. He will climb up on you (have your back to him and be on the floor looking around) and he will pat your back or grab your shirt.]

"Oh, THERE he is!" [Aidan laughs and snuggles up to you.]

I have found this game to be a great tool to get him away from an area he shouldn't be in (like the kitchen or near my plants).

Moved by music

When I was about 4-5 months pregnant with Aidan, I was driving home from work and changing the radio stations in the car. Marvin Gaye's song, "Let's Get It On" was playing. Less than a minute later, Aidan moved in my belly. It was his first dance move.

Fast forward to Aidan's baptism. He was five months old. During the service, he sat in awe as he watched the musicians sing. He didn't move a muscle until they stopped singing.

I love that Aidan likes music so much, from the playtunes that come out of his toys to the jingles on t.v. He loves the Kia commercial where the salespeople on the floor sing "So Long, Farewell" from the Sound of Music. No matter what he is doing-- playing, crawling, tossing his shoes, drinking from his bottle-- he will stop and watch this commerical. Sometimes we will sing the song to him, but he doesn't give us the same attention as he does the professionals on t.v.

Lately, Aidan will sing while he plays. You can't make out any words, but he definitely hits high and low pitches, oohs and ahhs-, ba-ba-bas, da-da-das, ma-ma-mas-- and a raspberry or two thrown in for good measure. Sometimes, he will dance and bounce in place. Or, wave his hand and turn his head from side to side in time with his music.

Is this a hint of musicianship to come or just a phase? Only time will tell.

aidan turns 10

...10 months that is!

Aidan seems to come up with something to surprise us everyday-- it's hard to remember everything, but here goes:

A good appetite. With the exception of peas, there isn't a food that Aidan won't eat. He is now a fan of the Gerber line of finger foods-- biter bisquits, zwieback toast, veggie puffs. He still only has one bottom tooth, but he manages to turn a hard biter bisquit into a handful of mush.

Besides including Aidan at dinner time (I used to nurse him before dinner and then feed him solids after we had our dinner) we've started feeding Aidan at the same time as our dinner (Paul and I take turn feeding him between bites.) Aidan seems to like being part of the dinner routine with Mommy and Daddy. I've also started giving him some of my food at dinner-- just small samples to introduce his palate to new tastes. So far, he's had spaghetti noodles, teriyaki, rice, and corn mush from Chevy's. Aidan's doctor suggested we start feeding him cheese and yogurt, so that will be next on his menu.


"No Fear" Factor.On weekend mornings, Aidan wakes up around 5:30-6 a.m. to nurse. (His stomach hasn't learned how to sleep in yet.) He tends to fall back asleep after he is done, but if you put him back in his crib, he wakes up. So, I bring him to our bed and we usually can squeek another precious hour and a half of sleep. But when he wakes up, watch out! He likes to climb over our heads to reach for the wrought iron headboard of our bed. We have to grab his feet otherwise he will slip between the space between the headboard and the mattress. We've tried "blocking" the headboard with pillows, but he just uses the pillows to climb up higher, balancing his little pajama-covered feet precariously on the edge. He has also learned to work his way sideways to get to my nightstand where there's all sort of fun things that can go into his mouth.

Maximus rides again.Aidan's newest "thing" is riding his "chariot" (a plastic push cart that resembles a mail carrier's cart. He will pull the plastic pieces of mail and throw them to the ground. He pries the doors off and then climbs in. Then, we'll push him around the living room and kitchen. Sometimes, he'll lift one foot as if to test his balancing skills.

A little less baby, a little more toddler.This weekend, Paul and I went through Aidan's chest of drawers to get rid of the clothes his outgrown. A lot of stuff had to go-- most of it was 3-6 month size! Some clothes were never worn; there were a number of footed pajamas he was unable to wear because it we were in the midst of the dog days of summer-- too hot. Some of our favorite outfits no longer fit him. Aidan is pretty long-limbed, so 12 month clothes are already his minimum size. We are also starting the weaning process, so he nurses in the morning and at bedtime. He just doesn't like nursing during the day-- he is easily distracted, isn't interested, and shows this by biting (ouch). Strangely enough, he never bites in the morning or at night time. Aidan is doing well with solids, so my commitment to nursing for one year is coming to a close. I didn't think I'd even last a month!

Hmm, what else? Aidan likes to sing and wave his hands. Sometimes he'll do this when he's playing on his own. He also loves to laugh-- the tricky part is what makes him laugh today doesn't always work the next day.

It will be interesting to see what Aidan comes up with in the coming days.

Aidan's first mug shots

For Aidan's first passport.

Biting the hand that feeds him

After months and months of teething and drool, Aidan finally cut his first tooth a little over a month ago. He has one single bottom tooth. When he lets me, I'll take a peek inside his mouth and see several other teeth that seem to be ready to pop, but they just hover there, just beneath his gums.

Not having teeth hasn't stopped him from enjoying what the Gerber folks like to call "finger foods." Melt in your mouth veggie puffs, zwieback toast, biter bisquits-- Aidan can obliterate them with just his gums. He's the jaws of life in miniature. Lately, I've been feeding him some of my food at dinner. So far, he's had plain spaghetti noodles, rice (which he mostly just plays with), teriyaki beef (he LOVES that), corn mush from Chevy's and salmon. So far, he is an adventurous eater. I hope this continues!

You wouldn't think that one little tooth could do any harm, but think again! Aidan is still teething, so to soothe his gums any bare finger, forearm or other available body part will do. I've committed to nursing Aidan for a year-- that's only two months away and good thing because guess what else Aidan's likes to bite. (ouch). The other night, we were all playing on the floor. Aidan crawled up to Paul and pulled himself up. He then took a nose dive into Paul's chest and managed to bite Paul's man nipple! "Now you know what it feels like!" I told Paul. But, he had the benefit of cotton fabric to lessen the full effect.

Aidan has also left his mark on his crib (his crib rail is riddled with tick marks and scrapes) and the end of our dining table (where his high chair is) is also marked with his scrapes. He likes to gnaw on our end table in the living room (his fave spot) but we're not worried about it because is metal.

All this destruction and he only has one tooth!

it's times like these that make you forget that he kept you up all night

Day 1 of 2007

Happy New Year, folks!

The McJannets have survived their first holiday season with baby. It only gets better from here, right? (All the parents of toddlers are saying "HA" out loud about now.)

This year we went to FOUR family gatherings with upwards of 40 people at one of them. Aidan was Mr. Social Butterfly. He played with his cousins and charmed the great aunts. He must have had his picture taken hundreds of times with great aunts and uncles he's never met before-- but he took it in stride and smiled in his "My First Christmas" outfit and Santa hat. He napped between parties (man, I wish I could have done that) and attempted to catch a few Z's at our last gathering of the evening, but who could sleep soundly when you've got a rousing game of charades downstairs?

Paul and I were pretty much exhausted by the time we got to his parent's house. Aidan, fueled by his naps, was wired. We didn't get to bed until 2 a.m.!

It was that night that we decided to take it easy and stay in for New Year's Eve. We were invited to watch the fireworks from our friends' condo in Queen Anne, but the thought of getting stuck in Seattle traffic with a baby at 1 a.m. was too much for us. We're not really partying folk anyways-- when we used to live in Eastlake, we'd watch movies (actually, Paul would watch the movies and I would fall asleep) just step outside and take in the fireworks. Then we'd go to bed while everyone else whooped it up.

New Year's Eve day was spent putting up baby gates at the foot and top of the stairs because Aidan has become quite the stair climber. The problem is that he is less proficient going down the stairs and when you're not looking, he will do it whether you are there to catch him or not. I am not in any hurry to see him walking. I'm still getting used to this stealth crawling he's doing.

He got loads of toys for Christmas, but his mainstay favorites continue to be our metal end table (which he likes to teethe on and hang on to) and an empty Huggies diaper box he likes to smack his hands on.

In less than three months, Aidan is going to be a year old? How the heck did that happen?

I'm looking forward to the antics the little guy has in store for us this year. And I resolve to post about them on this blog.