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May 25, 2004
Outside of doors
Sunday was our one day reprieve from rain and tornado warnings and thunderstorm warnings...until that night.... but before then we had an afternoon outside working on some new landscaping. Our little winter baby was wearing hardly anything, what a joy!
We're back on cereal. Gustav is not a fan, oh no. He's excited at first to have something in his mouth. When he realizes it's not a boob? Not happy. Cereal flying.
But you know what? What little we do get in him makes him sleep longer!
good night!
Posted by janna at 11:33 PM | Comments (3)
May 22, 2004
Gustav's unintentional first word?
This morning Gus and I were snuggling in bed. I was closing my eyes, still very tired, when suddenly I heard, "HI". It wasn't abhoueghiobjoicuoh-hi. It was just hi. I opened my eyes really fast, finding Gus staring at me with a huge grin. Of course, I said Hi back. I'm a social being, too, you know.
First word?
Posted by janna at 09:59 PM
May 21, 2004
Two shots... let's call it a day
Today Gustav had his monthly check-up. He's doing great... (drum roll please):
16 lbs 7 oz
26 1/2 inches
He grew an inch and 1 lb 9 oz! Not bad! His weight went down on the curve a bit, but it's no surprise since he didn't eat as much for about a week when he had a cough and stuffy nose. He's still in the 75th percentile for height. He was really talking and rolling. Gus was really taken with the doctor, always trying to make eye contact with him. Such a socialite, I love it.
Gus is napping on the couch. I put him down so I could take my bag off my back, and he stayed asleep. He's so precious...I'm just sitting here staring at him.
Posted by janna at 03:31 PM
May 19, 2004
Little boy, thank you for sleeping.
Ok, it's 11:30ish. Gus has been out since, oh, 8:30. This is a long time, compared to the past few nights. I must be jinxing myself.
Gustav was speaking volumes tonight. He starts out real low then goes real high, and it's really prolonged... ahhhhhhhh--eeeeeeeeahhhhhhyeeeeeeeeeeiiiii. You get the idea.
Check him out...
Posted by janna at 11:44 PM
May 17, 2004
...But he was STILL hungry
The onesie Gus had on today was perfect.
It was an Eric Carle one, with pieces of food lined in a row, each with a hole through them, the plump catepillar still needing and wanting more.
Gustav needs more...and more... and more.
We've started cereal again, this time with a double vengence. It's a morning and evening thing we'rer hoping for. Gus has been waking up a lot at night, hungry. He's eating 22 ounces at daycare. I'm sitting here during my 6th pumping session of the day, nodding off, willing myself to make more. I'm only to 17 total today, having used two for cereal this evening. In this state of dysfunctional awakeness, I am wondering why I can't just skip the cereal and puree a big turkey leg or porterhouse steak. Those would certainly help curb his appetite, at least for an hour, no?
This evening we went for a walk. Gus is no longer in his infant carrier since we had to buy him a real car seat. Tonight was the first time he just sat directly in his stroller. Gus loved it. I felt like he was a little boy, not a little baby. We have an amazing thing happening around our house. A cardinal pair have made a nest in a bush or tree next to our house. We're not certain of its location, but we see them all the time. When we came back from our walk, we had no idea that we had just walked into an incredible teaching situation. We first saw a baby cardinal on the basement window sill next to the sidewalk. We went in our back yard and saw the parents flying around on the other side of the house. We thought they were looking for the babe. I was willing them to see him or hear him on the other side. He was still when we came by. He looked at us, but did not move. The mama bird finally flew over and 'found' the baby. Or so I thought. Then I realized what was happening... there was a baby cardinal on each side of our house, each learning how to fly. Once the mama found the baby, he suddenly made squeaks, he flapped his little wings, he sprang a few feet into the air. The parents flew back and forth between each baby, each time coming close to the babe, squaking instructions, showing them how to do it.
They were learning to fly tonight. It was amazing.
The vulnerability of it...letting the babies out of the nest, because you have to, it's what you do. Not only do you give instructions, but you also teach by example. I tried to imagine what mama and papa were saying to each other as they passed each other back and forth over the house. 'Papa, you be on the lookout for cats, dive bomb them if you see them...' or 'Baby, you're so close, keep trying!'
I don't know if they fully flew tonight. It made me so nervous, I almost don't want to know.
Posted by janna at 11:27 PM
Dedication Ceremony Pictures
Blessed with earth...
Rev. Taylor conducted the ceremony
The family with Gus
Gus loved having time with Grandma Shirley
Posted by janna at 11:02 PM
May 14, 2004
Cutest, most scrumptious boy ever.
Posted by janna at 05:14 PM
May 11, 2004
Dedication Ceremony
What a beautiful day Sunday was. Not only was it Mother's Day (we had all the Moms together, and I got to say 'I'm not just a Mom on TV, I'm also a Mom in real life"), it was the day that we held Gustav's Dedication Ceremony at Unity Temple.
We joined Unity Temple a couple of months ago. It's a Unitarian Universalist Church. Both John and I were not and have not been church-going folk for a long time, for many reasons. After we moved to Oak Park, we wanted to visit the Unity Temple that was a creation of Frank Lloyd Wright, and we thought the best way to visit was to actually come to a service. The service really moved us and tapped a nerve in both of us. It's a socially-conscious environment, where defining and exploration of your own spiritual path are encouraged, whatever it may be. We started going on a regular basis after Gus was born, and every Sunday we were left with spiritual and intellectual food to nibble on for the week. We liked how we felt there, and we wanted Gus to be exposed to the community and the different ways people define their religious and spiritual beliefs. After we joined, we decided to have a dedication ceremony for Gus. It was an opportunity for us to publicly dedicate ourselves to his well-being, and it was a way for the community to do the same for Gus, as well as for us.
My Mom, John's Mom, Grandma, Alison (his sister) and Emilio (soon-to-be brother-in-law) and Kye made it to the ceremony. It was so touching. I am so glad we did it.
The ceremony consisted of the congregation welcoming Gustav into the community, a reading (we chose to write a letter to Gus), and a blessing by the four elements: earth, wind, water and fire.
Here's the letter that we wrote to Gus:
-----------------------------
Dear Gustav,
We're so happy you're here with us. Exactly one year ago we found out that
we would be parents. From that point we tried to imagine life with you in
it. Now it is impossible to imagine life without you.
Since your arrival, the lessons you have taught us are profound and deep:
When you look at trees and stare in awe, you teach us that there is magic
in the world around us.
When you greet a stranger with a huge smile, you teach us to keep an open
heart and mind.
When you master a new skill, such as rolling or grasping, you teach us to
appreciate our abilities.
When you shout with a joy that seems to come the core of your being or cry
out of frustration, you teach us how important it is to express how we
feel.
When you fall asleep in our arms, you teach us to slow down and find
comfort in the quiet.
We need to look at the world like you do, see it as a place of
possibility, remove our misconceptions and set ways and celebrate daily.
We will work to create a positive, secure environment for you, where you
feel free to explore, question and learn. We know that Unity will be an
extension of that, and that is why we are here today. We are thankful to
have found a community where all of us can grow.
Gus, we are better people for having you in our lives. We love you very much.
Love, Mama & Papa
-----------------------------
During the blessing with the earth, Gus was blessed with some soil on his head. A nice dollup. He was so chill the whole time, even when Rev. Taylor was holding him. It was amazing.
We loved spending time with Alison and Emilio, such a treat to see them again after our trip to Cincinnati a few weeks ago. We can't wait for their wedding in July!
I always hate it when my Mom goes home. It is inevitably hectic right before she leaves and I miss her immediately. We'll see her soon, though...
I'll put pictures up soon!
Posted by janna at 12:26 AM
May 08, 2004
5 months old!
One year ago this Mother's Day weekend we found out we were going to have a baby. Now we have a five-month old. It was funny, really. We had only been in this house for ten days. My Mom was in town. I somehow convinced myself that a lack of period simply meant too much stress...you know. big move, work, I had been really sick. I had convinced Mom amd John of this, too. So when I came out of the bathroom that Friday night, crying and nodding, both John and Mom were more than confused. I kept saying, "I'm freaking out!" Not exactly the most profound, but it summarized perfectly the rush of thoughts and feelings that come over you in that moment. It was an amazing time.
To remind us of his changes...
12.06.03
01.06.04
02.06.04
03.06.04
04.06.04
05.06.04
Posted by janna at 10:46 PM | Comments (2)
May 02, 2004
Gus crawled!
In my dreams, that is.
It felt so real: I was sitting on the couch, John puts Gus on the ground and suddenly he was crawling, much to everyone's surprise. He crawled to me and pulled himself up. I was amazed, and then went into a panic when I realized there were little beads and other things on the floor...choking hazards. I was thinking, I'm not ready for this yet!
And we're not. Our sockets are exposed. I leave my hair bands next to the bed on my stand. The toilet seat is just waiting to be raised. The 409 sits exposed under the sink (Although, Gus, you can find the Swiffers there. Feel free to afix those to your hands and knees as you roam the floor. You'll probably be hitting places I don't even think exist, and that is precisely what scares me.).
There is one thing Gus is doing now...coughing. A lot. It is getting better but I must say this was the first time since having Gus where I've really felt worried and questioned if I was doing the right thing. He hasn't had a fever, and our doc prescribed some meds to loosen it all up. Now that we're consistent with the meds, it seems to be helping.
One of the best moments of the weekend was Gus trying out his new bouncy swing seat. Oh my. I was first truly exposed to the wonder of the bouncy seat when Matt & Anji brought the then seven-month-old Meagan to visit last August.
When I saw the joy on Maegan's face, I became an instant fan. A week after their visit, Matt & Anji & Maegan sent us a bouncy seat of our very own, just waiting for Gus to arrive. We finally could try it out...and we saw joy! Thanks y'all for letting me have my very own joyous bouncy baby. Gus loved it!
John's high school friend, Alvin, came into town last Wednesday and met Gus. We were so glad to see him. Alvin has the best laugh...
Gus is almost five months old. It's shocking to me. Next Sunday is Mother's Day. That is the weekend last year that we found out we were pregnant. The moms are coming into town, as are John's sister, Alison and her fiance, Emilio. We're having a dedication ceremony for Gus at the Unity Temple on Sunday morning... more on that later!
Posted by janna at 11:13 PM