rock of ages

well,more like pebble, really.

the weekend before i had to go out of town for work, we visited nana and papa for dinner. it was a nice time and we were towards the end of our visit when we suddenly caught aidan grinning mischieviously as he had something in his mouth. we didn't think anything of it since he had been helping himself to peanuts earlier. a quick sweep of his mouth with a finger didn't reveal anything was in there, but his binky was found near a scattered pile of decorative glass pebbles on one of the low tables.

naw, he couldn't have? could he?

it wasn't until monday, when i was in washington d.c./virginia that i got a text from paul around 10 p.m. "mom just called. aidan passed it-- all is well."

what a relief-- you think you can watch your kid's every move and then something like this happens. according to my mom, i swallowed a nickel at his age. luckily for both of us, we got through our experiences unscathed. you can bet that the counters are clear whenever aidan visits papa and nana's house from now on.

when i got home from my business trip, my mom (and aidan) gave me a present. here it is:

i knew that someday i would be a recipient of gifts made by aidan, but nothing that was actually "made" in aidan. ick.

hugs, not drugs

after a week of battling a bug, coughing fits, 10 days of antibiotics and passing a decorative pebble (more on that later), aidan is back in fine toddler form.

a couple of days ago, we picked up aidan from school as usual. on this particular day, he decided not to grab his coat and head out the door. instead, he ran around the room and decided to play peek-a-boo in the corner behind a stack of toddler chairs.

his playmate, lana (who we refer to as "aidan's girlfriend" because she appears to dote on him over the other boys) followed suit. while she was hiding, aidan looked around and asked "where's lana?" we pointed to the corner where he was previously and said, "there she is!"

aidan then walked over to the corner, and with arms outstretched, gave lana a big, cuddly hug which she seems to enjoy.

this was the first time i had ever seen aidan hug anyone that was not "family." it makes me wonder who else he's snuggling with during his school day. hmmm....

random pix with the new camera

we have a nice camera-- it's a sony that we like to use for special occasions and vacations. but, it's big and bulky, and i like to be able to point-and-shoot and take candids. so, i picked up a cute little canon that is smaller than my ipod, but fast and enables me to take pix without a flash.

i've been playing around with it over the last few days. here are a few pix of aidan being tossed in the air (as only a daddy can do), stomping on the last remnants of snow after last week's storm and scoring a basket with his new indoor hoops.

i'm hoping that having the camera more handy will encourage me to take more pictures of aidan and his antics, as well as whatever wierdness i run into during the ol' 9-5.

making room for "vocal"

every day after school, we get a report card from aidan's teacher telling us how he was, what he did, what he ate and what his favorite activity was-- it also tells us how many hours he napped. his standard report card usually shows that he has been happy, playful, cooperative; that he ate all of his meals; that he took a 2-3 hour nap and that he needs more wipes or diapers. sometimes we'll get a note that says he had fun with art projects or playing outside.

on this day, we got this:




the teacher actually wrote in "VOCAL." At the bottom of the report card, she commented that Aidan learned a lot of new words that day. We still don't know what words. I guess they'll come up in conversation one of these days. I wonder if he blurted out "fork?"

hatin' the high chair

i guess it was only a matter of time. aidan eats all his meals at school sitting at the table in his own chair-- why should home life be any different?

for the past week or so, aidan puts up a fuss when we put him in his high chair. he doesn't want to belted in. he doesn't want his tray attached. uh-uh. no way. get that thing away from me. nooooo!

so the other night, we set up the booster chair we usually cart around with us when we go out. it belts onto any chair or slides into any restaurant booth. it changes our seating arrangement somewhat because now aidan sits at the head of the table with paul and i flanking him on either side.

now who's in charge?

he managed to eat his dinner, but splattered pasta sauce all over the placemats. i'm going to have to pick up some plastic ones with numbers and cartoon characters or something.

this morning, he ate his breakfast at the table like a big boy and exclaimed "all done" after his last bite of cheerios and yogurt.

there goes one more piece of baby furniture to storage.

the "hard drop-off"

we just learned that term today when we attempted to drop off aidan at school today.

due to the snow, lot of kids hadn't made it in yet. he was exciting to go to school this morning, but somehow actually being there pitched him into a tantrum of toddler proportions.

they combined the kids that were there into another classroom other than his regular one until more kids came in. i think that's what set him off. he went running down the hall and we had to carry him back writhing and crying back to the room.

i came into the room just as i heard paul explaining to one of the teachers that aidan usually isn't like this; but he's been on a tear the last few days. the question she has asked (i learned later) was "is aidan usually a hard drop-off?"

i wonder what other daycar/school lingo the teachers use, particularly after the parents leave...

never say never

okay, so many months ago i said "ta-ta" to blogger thinking wordpress was oh-so-much better.

well, it wasn't.

the layouts were clean. the site was always accessible. but, wordpress doesn't allow you to use the cool badges and widgets services like flickr and shoutmix let you create (unless you're hosting your wordpress blog on your own server) which i wouldn't dream of doing.

so, now i'm in the process of manually moving over the posts i have on the wordpress blog because wordpress doesn't have a function to export posts into blogger. (but they do have a tool to import posts from blogger.) bastards.

i won't be able to move comments over, which sucks. sigh.

thanks for taking me back, blogger. i shouldn'ta left ya in the first place.

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.

A Christmas Baby Reunion

Last weekend, we had our monthly reunion with our classmates from birth class. All the babies are around 9 months old and in various stages of cutting teeth, crawling and pulling themselves up. Aidan is the youngest of the four babies by a little over a week. (And wouldn't you know it-- he cut his first tooth the next day. Maybe it was peer pressure, seeing that the other babies already had a few.)

You would think that meeting up at the children's area at Bellevue Square during the height of Christmas shopping would be a bad idea, but it worked out just fine. Paul, Aidan and I arrived first and found an empty bench and chairs for the rest of the group. After several minutes, the rest of the group trickled in. Since it was already well past noon and the parents were starving, we decided to go to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch.

When I think Cheesecake Factory, I think long wait, long lines-- and I expected as much with eight adults and 4 babies. But a 25 minute wait goes quick when you've got kids and parent-talk to keep you occupied. I was impressed by how kid friendly the Bellevue restaurant was-- there was a "parking area" along the side of the restaurant for strollers (and judging by the number of stroller there were, other parents already knew what a kid friendly place this was.) They offered our choice of high chairs and boosters. They even offered free bread and cut-up bananas for the kids. We were able to eat and chat and, as a nice way to end the lunch, a customer sitting at a nearby booth complimented us on how well behaved our babies were.

Well, almost. I had some spillage problems on my side of the table. I was mixing Aidan's formula and accidentally dumped water on the table. Then, Aidan made a reach for my glass of soda and in my attempt to get to it before he did, is spilled on my lap. All I can say is thank goodness for quick drying cargo pants from Lucy.

We then decided to stand in line for a Santa picture, only to ditch the idea when we found out it was $19.97 for one 5 x 7 and you had to come back in the middle of the week to pick it up? In this age of digital cameras and on-demand photo printing, WTF?!

So, instead we took advantage of the holiday displays around the mall and perched our babies on a sled. For FREE.


The day ended with a gift exchange. We put the babies around the pile of gifts, the idea being that they would "choose" one. Each of them gravitated to the gift "they" brought (after all, they've been looking at it all week at home) so we encouraged a little gift swapping. The babies are capable of ripping gift wrap paper, but not very fast. And, of course the first torn piece goes directly into the mouth.

So ends another baby reunion. Stay tuned for next month!

nine months and counting

It's hard to believe that Aidan is now a little over nine months old. He's really coming into his own and his personality is starting to become more distinctive with each passing day.

He crawls, he climbs. Last Sunday, Paul was sitting on our stairs checking his voicemail and Aidan was sitting on the floor in front of him. I was in the kitchen. Then I heard Paul say, "Hey, how did you get up here?" Aidan had climbed two stairs and I looked up in time to see him lift his right leg to place his knee on the next step. Aidan can climb stairs!

Goo Goo Eyes. Last week, my parents took Aidan to the mall and a little blonde girl took a shine to Aidan. She thought he was cute and started talking to him. According to my mom, Aidan decided to play shy and hide his face when she talked to him. He also developed a new smile that involves fluttering his eye lashes so his eyes go all squinty. He now uses this smile whenever he's trying to be charming or trying to distract you when you've caught him getting into something he's not supposed to.

The boy who refused to sleep. Around Thanksgiving, Aidan stopped sleeping through the night (we knew it was too good to be true!) His newfound ability and excitement to crawl and pull himself up, coupled with the beginnings of separation anxiety and doting grandparents that slept with him on the guestbed have resulted in a kid that wouldn't settle down to sleep. Back at home, he would fall asleep, only to wake up once we laid him down in his crib. The worst was the first night home when it took Paul almost three hours to get him to sleep. After a week of trying cry-it-outs, constant checking, back pats, back rubs and binky rescues, we finally got our one night of sleep-through. Of course, this went out the window when the big wind storm of 2006 blew in last night and kept waking him up. We've developed a new bedtime routine where at 8 p.m., he goes upstairs with Daddy, changes into his pajamas and gets a bedtime story. Sometimes he falls asleep while being read to; sometimes he gets one last nursing nightcap. So far, it's going over well. And, Paul and I get a couple hours of wind down time before going to sleep. Nice!

Nosy, no-napper. Aidan is very observant. He is a constant people watcher. He likes to stare at people's faces. When he's nursing, if he hears a noise he will stop and look around. If someone walks into a room, he has to see who it is. My mom and I tell him he's being "nosy" This nosy-ness also keep him from taking naps during the day. He refuses to take naps. He will wiggle around, rub his eyes, squeal and scream to keep himself awake. "What do you think you're going to miss, Aidan?" we ask him. Eventuallly, he collapses after sheer exhaustion. He'll give a short yelp as if to say "Fine! I give up!" before doing a face plant on your chest while you hold him.


Single, M, HWP. At Aidan's 9-month check-up the doctor announced that she couldn't find a thing wrong with him. (Yea!) He is height-weight-porportionate for his age. How we got a baby like this, we have no idea. But he's healthy and happy and on track and that is all that counts. I still think he weighs more than the 17.1 pounds they say he is.

Handling the family jewels. Yes, Aidan has discovered he has a penis-- or at least something grab-able down there. Lately, when Aidan is getting his diaper changed, he reaches down and grabs his little wee-wee like it was a little red clown nose. I hope it doesn't hurt, because he has quite a grip. Does this mean he's going to ask me about the birds and the bees soon??!?!



We are looking foward to the holidays and seeing how Aidan fares with the sights and sounds of Christmas-- and the joys of celebrating with all sides of the family! Hang on to your tinsel...

My First Christmas Photo Shoot

I've always wanted to create photo holiday cards, so with Aidan as our inspiration, Paul and I set-up a photo shoot in our living room. These are all the outtakes before we got the final shot we needed. Lucky for us, Aidan didn't mind dressing up under the hot lights to play baby supermodel.

A Thanksgiving Surprise

Thanksgiving started on Wednesday evening when Paul and I left work around 5 p.m. to go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go.

Okay, it was more like two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-5.

Thank goodness Aidan was already at my parent's house.

So, we got to my parent's house and unloaded the car. Just before we changed out of our workclothes and got ready for dinner, Mom and Dad announced that Aidan had a "new trick."

Mom set a baby bottle of diluted apple juice on the floor about four feet away from Aidan and said, "Okay, Aidan. Go get your juice."

Without much hesitation, Aidan did an awkward but very speedy crawl and got his reward. It was awkward because his right leg wanted to get up and walk while his left leg stayed on the ground and wanted to crawl. Not bad for his first time.

But it wasn't his first time-- he did it earlier that day when we were at work. One of the prices you pay when you work full-time. But, it was fun looking at Paul's face full of amazement, pride and surprise. It's hard to describe what it feels like to watch your child learn something new; it's almost like you are experiencing it along with them.

As I watched him snatch up his bottle and enjoy his baby cocktail all I could think of was how that was one more thing to be thankful for this year.

That-- and all the stuff on our living room floor at home that we are going to have to stow away to prepare for baby proofing.

"Mama"

Today started off like any other workday morning.

At 6:12 a.m., Aidan woke up for his morning nursing session. After a quick diaper change, he groggily managed to nurse for a good 6 minutes non-stop.

As he is apt to do, he takes a break, rubs his eyes, sighs and goes back to work. Or sometimes he looks around the room for a minute or two before remembering the task at hand.

Today, at 6:22 a.m., my baby stopped nursing, looked me straight in the eye and said, "Mama."

Not, "mamamamamamamama." Not, "dadaadadaadadadad." Not "damamdrrrrrgrrrrrammamamadadadamaga."

"Mama"-- just like that. With just one word, he told me "I know who you are and I can say your name."

Being Mama is good.

"zuuuuKINI!"-- and other words we say to get our babies to laugh

In case you didn't recognize the word in the title, that would be "zuchini," the vegetable. But said in just the right way, it can make a 7-month old laugh like mad. Here's another one-- "spaaaaaaaGETTY!" (a.k.a, "spaghetti!") Picture six parents huddled with cameras in front of these little guys yelling these words at them. No wonder the kids look bewildered.

That's how we got this picture (and a lot of others) when we visited Fairbank Farm last weekend. It was Baby Reunion #7 with Aidan's baby classmates from our birth class. Every month us parents meet up and see how our babies are growing, swap baby stories and catch up with what's happening in our lives. It's always a good time and it's comforting to share our gripes and successes with each other. A lot of our friends have kids that are either way younger or way older than our kids, so for some of us, this is our only way our kids socialize with kids their own age.

I highly recommend Fairbank Farm for an outing for the littles ones. Kids 10 months and younger are free. They are only open in April and October, but admission is only $2.50 and you get food to feed the animals. Besides pigmy goats, geese, chickens and other fowl, they also have pigs. There was one sow that just had a a bunch of piglets. They were all piled on top of each other in a little pen with a heat lamp attached. Mama Pig was in a separate pen. One of the moms commented that if that was her, she'd be a little pissed that she was separated from her babies. I'm thinking Mama Pig was getting a break before the next multi-feed.

We dressed the kids in costumes for the first time and surprisingly, they didn't pitch a fit. Some babies don't like to be enclosed in hats and hoods. Not these kids. They took it all in stride. We are already looking forward to the babies' 1st birthdays (all in March) and have already planned our next monthly get together.

seven months, one week, two days

That is how old Aidan is today.

I've had a hard time keeping up with the blogging and the photo posting on his website. So, I'll attempt to rundown his milestones in this post. He does something new every day and while I want to document these happenings, I'm leaning towards enjoying the moment and taking it in instead of grabbing the camera to catch it in pixels.

So, here goes:

• Solids. Aidan continues to like solid food. So far, he likes rice cereal, apple sauce, carrots and sweet potatoes. He recently added oatmeal and apple juice (albeit diluted with water) to his repertoire. He didn't like peas much; but I didn't think to warm them up a little the first time he tried it. (The scrunched up look on his face was priceless, however.) So, we will introduce peas again this week. The weeks to come will bring bananas, peaches and white grape juice.
  
  
• Sitting. Aidan has been sitting up on his own for a while now and can play on his own, but he prefers to have company. He doesn't realize the strength of his grasp, as evidenced by the little round bruises on my upper arm that measure the exact circumference of his fingertips.
  
  
• Scooter. Aidan hasn't crawled yet (he doesn't like being on his belly and doesn't get the whole get on your knees thing), but he likes to scoot backwards on his rear.
  
  
• Pull ups. Aidan can pull himself up in his crib. Ah, the end of life as we know it is near.
  I keep hearing stories of babies that skip crawling and just start walking one day. I think Aidan might follow in those footsteps. We better get on the baby proofing project pretty quick. Eek.
  
  
• Mommy, come get me! Aidan continues to be very good natured and mild mannered with other people-- be they friends, family or strangers. However, he is starting to display a little separation anxiety. It starts out with his smile slowing turning into a deep frown, a quivering lower lip, a flush of red on his face and a large tear rolling down his cheek before turning into a loud cry. It doesn't happen a lot-- just when he is in the arms of someone he hasn't seen in a while or hasn't seen before. With a little warm-up ( and a cuddle with mommy) he's good as new.
  
  
• Laundry?! The other day, Paul was putting away the laundry and put Aidan on the bed amongst the clothes and the plastic hangers. Aidan LOVES hangers. He thinks they are the greatest toys/teething rings ever. We've decided that he doesn't need toys-- just boxes, hangers and wrapping paper amuse him to no end.
  
  
• Social butterfly. Aidan continues to visit with his fellow birth class babies every month (Us and three other couples struck up a friendship and have met up regularly since our first "reunion" in April). Next month, we will have the babies in their costumes and hope to visit a pumpkin patch. Aidan also attended the baptism of my godson and welcomed his 3-week old cousin, Nicholas, today. It's nice to see that Aidan likes to socialize and be in the thick of things, however, this often leads to not so good...
  
  
• Napping. We are thankful that Aidan sleeps through the night (with an occasional yelp that a quick binky in the mouth always fixes). However, the kid doesn't want to nap during the day. If he does nap, it's in spurts of 30, 45 or 60 minutes. If you're lucky. The longest nap he's ever taken recent was just shy of three hours. He used to sleep for hours upon hours as an infant. Now, he squirms and rubs his eyes to keep himself from falling asleep during the day, sucumbing only when he is cuddled and bounced by someone on the exercise ball.

So, that's month 7 of Aidan's life so far. Who knows what I'll be writing about next month? (Hopefully, I'll be blogging a little before then.)

that's a nice stroller you have there

It's funny how having a baby will get you to have conversations with total strangers.

Recently, we were at the Seattle Outlet Mall (in Marysville, which is at least a 30 minute drive from Seattle in good karmic traffic). On those trips, I always go Carters and Osh Kosh to shop for clothes for Aidan who is growing like a weed. I usually have Aidan in the stroller and he is usually still asleep from the car ride. The stroller is a Graco and it has a nice turning radius, but it's a little tricky to open the store doors which usually open out towards you (and you have to be far enough away from the door to give clearance, but not so far away that you can't reach the door.) I have short arms-- that's my problem.

So my first brush with niceness was a woman who held the door open for me so I could get the stroller over the threshold "bump" and into the store. The wierd/nice thing was she wasn't even going into the store-- she just helped me out as she was walking by. Talk about your random acts of kindess. I told her "thank you" and mentally sent her good vibes for the rest of her day.

Then, when I was in the Osh Kosh store, a sales gal complimented me on our stroller. Turned out that she had the same one for her 5 month old son. This led to a nice 10-minute conversation about how her baby didn't seem to like being in the stroller at all and how Aidan seemed to be pretty comfy in it. She was a little embarrassed and apologized for taking up my shopping time, but I could have talked to her all afternoon; she was really nice.

At Safeway the other day, Paul, Aidan and I were in the baby food aisle selecting next week's new food introduction. There was a petite blonde with her adorable baby girl who was lounging in the cart. The cart had one of those snuggly coverings that protect babies from germy carts. She was looking at Aidan as she lay crosswise in the lap of luxury. We struck up conversation with her mom, exchanging the "s/he is so cute, how old is s/he" opening lines. Turns out that her daughter is a month younger than Aidan, but 22 pounds-- at least 6 pounds more than Aidan and a month younger! The mom jokingly called her baby a little monster, but she felt bad because her baby wanted to be picked up all the time but she was so big it was difficult to do so for long periods of time. It seems that all the baby girls I've met are bigger than the baby boys I know-- well, at least bigger than Aidan. I'm pretty sure that this will all even out around puberty. And if the last month of successful solid food introductions are any indication, Aidan could be at 22 pounds in a couple of months. In any case, we were "shopping buddies" for the rest of our shopping trip because we kept running into each other in the aisles and ended up checking out at the same cashier line.

At least once during a shopping trip or errand, we can count on conversations and shared observations with other parents of babies or well wishers. I like to think of these interactions as God's/Mother Nature's/Karma's way of letting us know we're doing okay.

germ swapping

It was only a matter of time. Aidan got a little cold from a baby friend and, sure enough, he gave it to Mommy and Daddy.

He got through it like a trooper. A runny nose for a day and a half; a cough; a sneeze. He was better in two days. Babies have super immune systems.

Paul and I must have gotten the adult version-- the kind that lingers as a sore throat for a couple of days, trying to decide if you're going to have post nasal drip or a deep, hacking cough at night. Paul and the former, I got the latter. Fun times.

We are trying hard to wash our hands and keep coughs and sneezes at bay when we're with Aidan, but when you nursing and he wants to cuddle cheek to cheek, it's difficult. We may be playing hot potato with this cold all winter. And, cold and flu season is upon us and our side of the building has already had its share of sickies that still come to work even if they are sick. Why, why, why? Please, do us all a favor and stay home. I cringe at my desk listening to my cube neighbors hack, cough and blow. You are spreading your germs on the copy machine, the door knobs and the in/out board. Ick.

I Zerbert You!

Last Friday night, Paul and I were on the floor playing with Aidan. He wasn't much interested in his toys--mostly, he was wiggling around and trying to climb on Paul who was sitting cross-legged. I was lying on my side with my leg resting on Paul's knee.

Aidan made a dive for my shin with his mouth open, finding another victim for his teething gums. Instead of chewing, he puckered his lips and blew, making a surprisinging large, juicy zerbert. I was so surpised I laughed; Paul thought Aidan farted. (He has been eating sweet potatoes lately.) With this kind of reaction, Aidan continued to zerbert me a couple more times before he got bored.

Paul and I zerbert Aidan all the time when we change his diaper and/or clothes. I guess it was just a matter of time before he turned the tables on us!

son, patience is a virtue

It's a given that adults deal with situations that frustrate. It's natural to be feel impatient, especially when you are surrounded by fast food, fast internet, instant messaging. But babies don't have to deal witih that, right? Their world is as wide as their arms can reach and whatever mommy and daddy can provide is good enough, right?

Wrong.

At 6 plus months, Aidan is frustrated. At around four months, he hated being on his belly. Not even 10 seconds would pass and he would be screaming and then crying until you picked him up. But, tummy time is important so we kept encouraging him and after a long while, he finally took to it. Fast forward to now-- Aidan is trying to crawl. He finally gets the idea that you have to be on your knees, but he's developed this habit of crossing legs at the ankles (when he reclines, sits, you name it) and he doesn't realize that just won't do if you want to crawl.

He keeps trying. He'll be sitting or on his back when all of a sudden, he's on his belly and gets into position. He gets on his knees and pushes up-- but he doesn't yet get that you have to push up on your hands and straighten your arms. He keeps his head on the ground and grunts. Then screams. Then cries in frustration. All we can do is cheer him on and them watch him fall to his side so he can do his signature rollover.

Out loud, I encourage him to keep trying--- "you don't have to do it all today, Aidan!" But in my head, especially after he's nursed and I'm holding his sleeping form in my arms, I think ,"Slow down... don't be in such a hurry to grow up!"

When Mommies Attack

When I started this blog many months ago, it was a result of going to a seminar and building one for work. I thought it would be a fun way to keep friends and family updated on my pregnancy and some of the trials and tribulations experienced as a first-time mom. In the back of my brain, I knew that having a blog meant everyone with access to the world wide web would see these pictures and ramblings, but that didn’t bother me at the time. There are millions of blogs out there about parents and their babies—why would anyone not known to or related to me even bother?

So, imagine my surprise when I received a flaming email from Ricki (who I don’t know) early this morning.

“i was into your blog until you started getting all my kid is better than yours.”


What the hell? If you know me (which Ricki obviously doesn’t) I’m not that kind of person and I have never written anything that says that. I can see now where she might have picked up this tone—my post about Aidan’s high fivin’ was meant to be tongue in cheek, but I guess that didn’t come through. (I mean really, high fivin’ is hardly a skill and he hasn’t done it since!)

In any case, Ricki continued her virtual tirade insulting me, my child, my husband and working mothers. She continued to say that her being a stay-at-home mom to three boys made her a “real” mom and then she cast a “pox” on me and my family.

Oh, she also called me a cow and attacked my ethnicity. Nice.

There were more insults and unsolicited, fragments of so-called mothering advice, but really, it was just mean.

I naively thought motherhood was this universal club where other moms shared knowing looks and supported each other, whether you chose to stay home or not. I’m lucky to be surrounded by friends that are moms (stay at home and working) that share advice and do not judge because our parenting styles and decisions are different. I’m sure in a perfect world, all moms would love to stay home with their babies, but a lot of them can’t. I’m one of them. I think when it comes down to it, parents want happy, healthy kids and they will do whatever it takes to attain that in order to raise them into kind, happy, productive adults. As long as that is the goal, does the “means” matter, as long as no one is getting hurt, taken advantage of, etc.?

I don’t think I’m different from any other mother that revels in the little, ordinary milestones that babies do—probably not a lot blog about it. I could blog about sleepless nights, worrying about whether he’s nursing enough, how tired I am at the end of the day—but why waste time complaining when I can talk about the small “unordinary,” fun things that my kid is doing?

Since I can blog, I do because I want to share this news with those who care. If you don’t care, don’t read my blog.

Ricki, you are very lucky to be able to stay home with your boys and they are lucky to have you. I truly hope you and yours never experience the feelings of intolerance, judgment, and downright meanness your email inflicted on me.

rice is nice!

Aidan had his first taste of "solid" food on Saturday. We obviously don't have to worry about this kid's appetite-- this is Aidan's "I want more" face. You'll get this face when he is "presented the boob" or food (his or yours) is anywhere within arms reach. Sometimes he makes this face when he wants to be picked up by me or Paul. It's hilarious.

The signs that your baby are ready for solid foods include sitting up on his own (check), interest in what you're eating (double check) and not being totally satisfied after nursing (um, kinda.) Aidan was ready three weeks ago according to what you read, but we opted to wait after his six month appointment with baby doc to get some tips on how to introduce solids.

Or, maybe he was just reveling in the fact that he now uses a high chair positioned at the head of table?

So, rice cereal has been a success. Next installment-- applesauce. Yum!

has it really been six months?

where did the time go? aidan is now six months old!

when i was pregnant, every parent i talked to would say, "enjoy it-- time flies.. have your camera ready because he's going to change a lot..." they weren't kidding.

here is a little pictorial showing a little of the month-to-month change stuff we were warned about (thanx to Nynz for pointing me towards slide.com):

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

high fivin' fil-am guy

Last night, Aidan gave his Lola Ely a "high five." Then he gave me one. Then he gave Daddy one. I can't describe how awesome it was to watch his little brain process the words "high five" and then, watching his little hand raise up to meet yours in response.

My child is a frickin' genius.

Then, he showed how he is learning "close...open." I think every Filipina mom teaches their baby this. Basically, in a sing-song voice, you say "close...open" while you close and open your hand and then your baby's. My mom has been diligently singing this to Aidan since he was an infant and last night, he did a little close-opening himself.

My child is frickin' amazing.

Aidan turns 5 months old this Saturday. I can't wait to see what he shows us next.

BTW, the photo above is Aidan and me before his christening last Saturday. He's reaching for his Tito/Ninong Larry's camera.
(Or, maybe this was a preview of the high-five?! )

my first mother's day

For Mother's Day, Paul cooked yummy French Toast for breakfast and I got to enjoy the morning with my two favorite guys. Aidan gave me a red tote bag (actually, I picked it up at Costco the day before and claimed it as Aidan's gift to Mommy) and Paul and Aidan gave me a Willow Tree figurine of a Mother holding her Baby. I love this artist's work and love the fact that my 1st Mother's Day is symbolized by this figurine. :)

After breakfast, Paul and I got the digital camera and, since Aidan was in a good mood, took the liberty of balancing items on his head and taking pictures. You can see them all here. Ah, one of the perks of parenthood-- creating images to show to his future prom date.

Later, the Ruelos and McJannet familes came over for a BBQ, featuring Paul's new gas grill! What an upgrade from our old grill-- bigger, better and pretty. Paul put it through its paces-- we confirmed that it can cook steak, chicken, salmon, shrimp and vegetables all at the same time. Sweet!

Before we had Aidan, get togethers with our families were relegated to holidays and birthdays. Now, we see our folks all the time as they crave time with their first grandson. It's a nice change and I'm enjoying watching our parents turn to goo when they are around Aidan.

oh, baby!

Wow, has Aidan's changed or what? Just look at the previous post (okay, its been two months. I've been a little busy.) In that picture, he is a mere one week old. As of this post, he is a lean, mean 9-weeker.

I say "lean" because he is in the 10 percentile for weight. How Paul and I got a lean baby is beyond us, but he happy, healthy and on track and that is all that matters.

The last two months have been a blur. He changes daily-- from the faces he makes to the small, developmental behaviors he is beginning to exhibit. I'm going to try and summarize the last two months so we can get this blog up-to-date.

March 12-April 12: Month 1

Got milk?
I'll be honest-- the first two weeks were hell. I was recovering from my C-section. My hormones were having a hey-day with my body. We were all getting used to our new roles of Mommy, Daddy and Child. Visitors came and went. It was quite a whirlwind of activity and when you're only getting 4 hours of sleep a night, everyone starts sounding like the adults in a Peanuts cartoon-- "hwah, hwah, hwah-hwah-hwah.."

And the crying! Is he hungry? Is his diaper wet or poopy? Does he have gas? Is he in pain? You wish your baby could just say,"Please change my diaper, I believe I've had a bowel movement." It would make life so much easier. If you think about it, the baby must be just as frustrated with us as parents as we are with baby-- "Can't you people figure it out? I'm sitting in my own excrement for Pete's sake!"

We opted to breastfeed Aidan. You hear all the good things about it (good for baby, cost effective, encourages bonding between mom and baby, etc.) No one (and I mean NO ONE) tells you how rough it is the first couple of weeks. Since I had a C-section, that automatically delays your milk coming in. So, you get to worry whether he's getting enough to eat. Lactation consultants tell you not to feed him formula because it is bad, bad bad. Breastmilk is best, yada yada yada.(The lactation consultant at the hospital is the worst.) Yet the nurses are happy to give you some formula for you in the hospital. Even though it is normal for babies to lose weight in that first week, as a first time parent, you still think that your baby is wasting away to nothing. Despite the gestational diabetes and the fear that baby would be too big, Aidan was a little tyke at 6 lbs, 12 oz at birth, whittling down to 6 lbs. 2 oz by the time we left the hospital three days later.

When my milk finally did "come in," poor baby couldn't get his mouth to latch on so our favorite nurse introduced the nipple shield. Hallelujiah! Baby can eat now. Whew.

But, I still worried. Was he getting enough? How long should he feed? Am I making enough milk? Will this ever get better?

Basically, the first month was a pattern of eat, pee, poop, sleep. Repeat. Not necessarily in this order, however. And, sometimes he would multitask. He would pee or poop while he ate. Or, ate while he slept. Industrious little guy.

Oh, and props to Papa Paul for being encouraging and for changing the first meconium-filled diaper.


Sleep-- or lack thereof.
So, baby was feeding every 2-2 1/2 hours. If he was sleeping, I had to wake him up to feed. Eventually (and he still does this at 2 months) he cries or wakes up from a nap at just about three hours to eat. He has developed his own internal feeding clock.

For the first month, we had Aidan sleep with us in our bed. It's just easier to plunk your baby next to you rather than go through the exercise of putting him down and having him cry for you two minutes later. I've discovered that this is a "dirty little secret" new parents have. Usually, you meet new parents, talk about the vital stats of your baby's birth and then, in a hushed whisper you are asked "Do you sleep with your baby?" Once you admit to it, the asking parent gives you an enthusastic "We do too!"

Now that we have Aidan, it feels like doors have opened that were not available to us before. Our neighbor's son turned 3 and we were invited to his birthday party. (Before Aidan, we were the only couple without kids in the cul-de-sac.) Folks at work that I only gave a passing "hi" to are now great sounding boards for kid talk and are very supportive. It's nice!


April 12 - May 12: Milestones

The instructor for our parenting and birth class put together a reunion at Third Place Books-- and only four couples plus me and Aidan showed up. (Paul had a hockey tourney.) It was nice to see everyone, but a strange to see all the gals sans pregnancy bellies. There were two boys and two girls represented. Aidan was the smallest baby, but the most alert as he stared and studied all the faces with those big brown eyes of his. It was nice to compare notes on sleeping through the night, nursing, labor, etc. There was a couple there that was at the hospital the same time we were there. She was two weeks overdue, but had her baby before I did! We compared notes; they were not thrilled with the post-partum care and we both agreed that the lactation consultant left a lot to be desired. All of us are meeting up again in a month to have our own little parent group.

Aidan now coos and laughs and clearly recognizes Mommy and Daddy. It's nice to finally have an interactive child-- this is the baby we signed up for! As I suspected, Paul is a great daddy-- he makes Aidan laugh and, typical Dad, he likes to be more physical with Aidan as far as picking him up and lifting him above his head and making plane or car noises. Aidan loves it.

He's growing out of his newborn clothes so fast! And, he no longer fits in newborn diapers. It's true, babies grow fast.