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May 31, 2006

Memorial Day Weekend

Iowa!
Great friends, great family, incredible heat.

Highlights:
1. The crush on my van has moved up a notch to love. I will never travel with children without it. John up front, Gus in the middle, Eli and I in the back.
2. Gus and Vince washing dishes together.
3. Meeting baby Greta, sweet sweet happy girl. Kisses to you! I loved hanging out with Lauri and Brian in Greta's room.
4. Walking in Iowa City.
5. Strawberry shortcake with honest-to-goodness shortbread. Kisses to Hans and Lisa for that...and for a lovely visit!
6. The slowness of it. Although the trip was short, the interactions felt so lovely and they lingered.
7. We discovered that our traveling cannot be sophisticated at this point. When Gus and Eli are happy, we're all happy.
8. We will try our damndest to not stay in the same hotel room again for a long time, particularly when Eli is suffering from Mama pizza belly. Bad Mama.
9. Gus and Maegan playing with water.
10. Playing with Mason, what a happy boy!
11. Relaxing with Matt and Anji, such a lovely time.
12. Alex's graduation party...how is it possible? The visit was way short but seeing my family was a treat.

Click on a pic to start a slideshow: "pictures, please"

Posted by janna at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)

channeling our inner viking

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Posted by janna at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)

Happy graduation, Alex

It was not so very long ago that I held you like you held Gus, Alex. How can you be 18 and a high school grad on your way to college?

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Posted by janna at 09:52 PM | Comments (1)

Robot

Gus made Eli into a robot. Again, who needs toys?

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Posted by janna at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2006

A night in the life

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Posted by janna at 10:41 PM | Comments (1)

Rubberband wrists & sumo wrestler legs

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Posted by janna at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

Do you really want to know?

When I go to pump at work three times a day, I have to go to a different floor. The only other time I go to this floor is for a random meeting, but that is rare these days. So, naturally, people have been noticing that I'm up there more.

Today, an unsuspecting fellow worker asked me, "What brings you up here?"

Ah, man. See, I know when I tell this guy why he is going to be embarassed, it never fails. I'm not embarassed, but I can't figure out what to say.

"Uh, I use the Mom's room."

"The Mom's room, what's that?"

And I'm stumped.

"Uh, I'm nursing,,, ah, ummm, I have a baby...pumping..." (what am I talking about??)

It took a few seconds and then a look of understanding and then a look of embarassment.

From now on? I had a meeting. That's why I'm up here.

Posted by janna at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006

three-month check-up

There were signs that Eli was growing...the all-night smorgasboard eating (as if I'm some 24-hour Country Buffet...shaved ham station and all)...the curled toes at the end of the 3-6 month clothing...the beloved rubberband wrists and billowy sumo-wrestler legs. We knew you had grown since last month, but wow:

at two months-
13 lbs
24 1/2 inches

at three months-
*drum roll*
15 lbs 6 oz (90-95th percentile)
26 inches (95th-97th percentile)

You, my son, are helping create the top of the curve.

All is good with everything else. When he did the tummy time test, we were secretly nervous because you don't really get as much as you should...we're protecting you from Gus wrestling (for the time being) and Zeppo pouncing. But Eli, you came out with an amazing pushed-up version of tummy time, one we had yet seen from you. Thanks for not making us look like total slacker parents.

Gus had his 2 1/2 year check-up, too, measuring in at 36 1/2 inches (whoo hoo, three feet!) and 33 lbs.

We are checked up, people.

Things that are new:

Gus is voluntarily throwing around the cutest "Thanks!" whenever we do something for him. "Thanks, Mama, thanks!" It's hypnotic, I will give you whatever you want.

Eli had a belly-shaking, shoulder-shrugging laugh come out of him tonight, all because I made raspberries at him. We have simple humor needs in our family. Totally cheap dates.

Gus can count to ten and is almost ready for 11 and 12, I can feel it. He can also do the ABCs. He knows all the basic colors, and he knows what the different color signs are when I sign them, although he's not signing them himself yet. His new favorite sign is 'wait', which he signs while waiting for his waffle to toast.

Eli is kicking up a storm and is starting to grasp things. In fact, he grasped my arm skin yesterday like it was a blanket ouch.

Eli is still waking up several times during the night, but he obviously is needing the extra calories.

We've started a new mantra for Gus, which is said in a very melodic way: "No pinching, only kissing!"

Posted by janna at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2006

Keep trying

Tonight was a small lesson in what mixing it up can do for you.

Gus has long hated having his hair washed. I realize hate is a severe word, but I believe it to be precise in this situation. We try to do the job as quick as possible with as little water in his face as possible. Tonight was different. My hands suddenly became crazy-moving spiders that jumped out of the water, quickly washing Gus' hair.

I was shocked. Gus was laughing hysterically, wanting more. More hair washing. For the first time in his verbal life. It reminded me that I should not be so quick to label things permanently. He is only 2 1/2 years old, it's not like he's never going to eat potatoes nor get his hair cut. Right?

Posted by janna at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)

May 18, 2006

snugglebunny

Eli is asleep on my lap. I could stare at him forever. John and I were saying tonight that the time seems to be going so quickly, especially when we see how much Eli has grown.

Eli will be 12 weeks old on Monday. He's doing really well at daycare, and we think he's finally on a bit of a schedule there. He was drinking 12 oz while at daycare the first week. Then it was 15. Now it's 18.

I'm barely keeping up...as one of the women at daycare said, Eli is GRANDE!

He is so smiley and talky and wide-eyed and and and just fabulous.

Posted by janna at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2006

sleep aides

As a child, I slept with a sweet teddy bear that had a wind up mechanism in its back. It played the most precious music-box rendition of that song that starts with "Go to sleep..." That teddy bear is sitting on the bench in Gus' room. What does Gus sleep with, then?

Let's look at last night as a precious example:

A small tractor. A measuring cup (1/4 cup, I believe). AND a small ceramic bear that you can moisten and leave in brown sugar bags to keep the sugar soft.

He would not let me take them out of his grip.

What's up for grabs tonight? The salad spinner? Oh right, that's in the bath toy basket, along with the ice cream scoop.

I'm so totally serious. He bathes with it every time. Salad, anyone?

Posted by janna at 08:15 PM | Comments (1)

May 15, 2006

Thank you for making me a Mama

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Posted by janna at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

May 09, 2006

Where is the camera when you need it?

I confess: I watch American Idol.

Gus was watching with us tonight. As the sole female singer crooned her last song, Gus swayed along. It was "I can't help falling in love with you."

Suddenly, with tenderness, Gus approached the TV and KISSED Katherine McPhee's face. He stepped back and then moved in for kiss number two! I know he wasn't just kissing the TV, he was kissing her face!

So young, so suave...

There were two other moments yesterday and today that I'm glad weren't captured on film, but of course I'm going to write about them.

Yesterday, as John and I were eating dinner at the table (Gus had already eaten), Gus came over to me with the cookies we had given him stacked in his hand.

"Look, Mama, I have dinner, teuw (too)!"

This morning, as we were going back to our garage, Gus lingered in the backyard (which is fenced, important to note), as John and I put all our stuff in the spacepod (aka. taxi cab, aka. van). As Gus stood in the middle of the yard, I watched him through the garage window as he yelled at the top of his voice, "MAMA, WHERE --- ARE --- YOU ??????

Great. Now I'm the Mom who let's her kid watch bad TV, eat cookies and then abandons him in the morning. Where's my Mom of the Year award?

Posted by janna at 08:13 PM | Comments (1)

May 07, 2006

Eli's ten weeks old

Ten weeks. That's 2 1/2 months. Eli, according to clothing manufacturers, you *should* be wearing 0-3 month clothing. Can you explain to me, then, why it is that I tried to put a brand new pair of pajamas on you last night that were 3-6 months in size, and once your feet were in I couldn't pull them up over your shoulders? They were new pajamas.

You are a long boy. LONG. And it doesn't look like you will be slowing down anytime soon. Maybe you're trying to catch up to Gus sooner rather than later, so you can start tickling HIS face as he does yours a gazillion times a day. Gus loves to shower attention on you with kisses and loving words, but the hand... he can't keep it away from your face. It's impossible to be upset with him because most of the time he says something like, "He's cah-uuuuuuteeee!" (=cute) He loves you. Love bites. Love bleeds... Def Lepard knew. You'll know it, too.

Your smiles and coos are to die for. Heart-melting. It's creations way of making sure we stay deep in love with you, for how can we deny undeniable cuteness? We're drawn in forever. You've got us for the long haul. It seems like you're starting to mimic us a bit more, for when we say coo, you say coo, too.
In fact, John said it sounded like you said 'haiku', so we've decided you've said your first word at the age of 2 1/2 months.

Sleep. Well, in order to keep in the 75th-90th percentile for height, you've got to eat. A lot. All the time. But you've got to sleep to gain energy, too, so you're definitely doing more of that. I still need to watch what I eat, and try not to eat too much of anything untested, and that allows you some straight hours of sleep. I'm thinking your longest stretch to date is 4 hours. Gus seems to be sleeping better, too. Perhaps he's used to your waking up now. Whatever the cause, we're thankful.

You're settling into daycare now, with Gus' help. The new way to soothe Gus when we drop you off is to have him take the milk and put it in the fridge. He is so proud to be such a good helper, carrying three bottles by himself nonetheless. Speaking of milk...you were drinking three, and on Friday you drank four. Don't scare me, my love...I'm still pumping more than you eat during the day, so I'm freezing some milk, but there may come a day when you eat me out of house and boob. I'm up for the challenge.

This you should know, we love you so, and are so thankful that we've had ten amazing weeks with you. What will you do next??

Posted by janna at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)

Outside of doors

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Posted by janna at 10:59 PM | Comments (1)

May 05, 2006

Laughing

Shannon was visiting last night (what a treat!), and I was apparently a bit enthralled in my conversation with her, when suddenly I looked down at Eli. He had been nursing, I thought, but had stopped. He was staring at me with thie HUGE open mouth grin, and when I said hi to him, he made the cutest little laugh sound. So we kept going... at one point, I said, "I love you, Eli!" and, on cue, he did the cooooooo... you know the one, the heart-stabbingly, I could die now becuase I've witnessed ultimate sweetness coo.

Here's a sample...
"You are SO funny, Mama!!"

Posted by janna at 07:01 AM | Comments (1)

May 03, 2006

Reddish hair, perhaps?

For at least a day or two before it falls out?

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Posted by janna at 09:28 PM | Comments (2)

May 02, 2006

Us at Millenium Park 10 days ago

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Posted by janna at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)

When to cry UNCLE

How do we do all the things we need to do? I'm seriously looking for advice...this is not just some blogged rhetorical question.

Ultimately, folks, I ask this question because I'm 31 and I have pimples. Pimples have returned to my face ever since I started preparing myself to go back to work. It's not the work itself that is stressful, it is the logistics and juggling of all the things that fall in the 16 hours a day that I'm not at work.

I need these pimples to go away because I now have a toddler who asks if I have an owie and tries to pick at my face (yes, I've created a monkey).

I'm trying to create some new habits to help things along, but the are yet to be habitual...like making sure the kitchen sink is cleared before going to bed. Washing the pump bottles, and Eli's bottles and sterilizing them all. Setting a load of laundry to start in the middle of the night so it's ready to dry in the morning. But when do you clean? When do you shower? When do you just chill out? How do you do stuff so that you're not freaking out in the morning when you're trying to leave at a certain time?

How can I just have the time to enjoy John, Gus and Eli? I know stuff can wait, but it has to be done eventually lest I be turned in for some decluttering show.

UNCLE!

Posted by janna at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)