Goodnight Saigon

The boy has the whole crib to stretch out in, but this is how he sleeps. He doesn't even fit across the crib, but that's the way he likes it. Maybe he's trying to curl up in a ball? And you'll notice a different blanket. We had to retire the Nana afghan until we can get it repaired; there were just too many pulls and I was too worried about him strangling or cutting off the circulation to a hand or foot. I'm sure he'll be happy when he can get it back.

Through My Own Eyes

Sometimes I wonder what the world looks like to him. Down on the floor, always looking up. But he couldn't be more precious.

Storybook Children

Joey "discovered" a new favorite book today. It's called That's Not My Puppy. It has all different textures (which are the reasons the little mouse knows that's not my puppy). Here his ears are too shaggy.

On this spread, he finds his puppy, and his nose is squashy. Which is funny to me, because of course the nose is soft, but not really squashy. Oh well. It's a book he doesn't eat, at least not most of the time, so we'll take it.

We also took a second go at the puffs. It didn't end well, but I think that was more due to his sore throat and maybe eating one too many, and not Joey's inability to figure them out. I still think he might be dissolving them more than chewing them, but we're on to actual solid foods! I'll try Cheerios again when he's safely recovered from his cold/allergies and I don't have to worry about gagging.

In this shot, he's attempting to put a puff in his mouth. His dexterity with these tiny things aren't great, and it doesn't help that if his hands are even slightly wet (which they almost always are from him putting his fingers in his mouth), the puffs stick wherever they happen to be. But he's getting better already, and he'll be there before long. And I think he drank a bit from the sippy cup. I only put juice in there, so he knows he gets a treat if he gets any.

It's Catching Up

I'm a few days behind, so apologies for the mass posting. I think this picture is either from Tuesday, or possibly Friday before our big adventure. Let's just assume it's Friday morning. While Joey was taking his morning nap on Friday, I was checking email and Twitter. Next thing you know ...

We're in the airport! Yes, you heard me right. I found a Tware on United for $111 roundtrip from Chicago to Philly, and how could I pass that up? So away to Pennsylvania we flew. Joey's such a pro at it by now. He'll be ready for transcontinental before long.

If you check out my sister's blog, you'll see lots of great photos from the weekend. (Her husband got her an AWESOME camera for their anniversary or some other special occasion, so we used that for the weekend.) I did manage to snap one of Joey with Nana on my camera, so here you go.

Oh, and needless to say, we were sick by our last day there. Just like last time. This time, though, it's not just congestion. Joey also has a cough, which is just heartbreaking to hear. And maybe post-nasal drip, or the cough just really irritates his throat, because he doesn't like eating his cereal. (Actually, he gags on it, which is again, not a happy sight.) At least he's sleeping better at night, which means he's not as lethargic as he was on Monday. Pretty happy most of the time, which is good, because he's never really been a fussy baby, and my heart couldn't take it anymore.

There's No Place like Home

I've been travelling a lot this week and am currently visiting with my family in Pennsylvania. Check out my sister's blog for some cute pictures of Joey and his cousin Shae (and miscellaneous other relations).

Happiness for Dogs

So I had to command the dog to sit and lay down. No, she did not want to be there. But at least she doesn't snap at Joey. Just a few more weeks until he's dropping Cheerios everywhere, then they'll be best friends.

Not sure how I got them both to look at me, but somehow it all worked out.

Our own little Jr. Rockasaurus. Thanks, Aunt Rachel, for the cool onesie!

Electric Mayhem

Yes, I realize that the title of this blog violates my own "rules," but it was too perfect to pass up. Joey and I were visiting Daddy at the bar tonight, and Joey was a natural on the mixing board. It's Daddy's dream come true!

Magic Carpet Ride

Some minor news around here. We bought a new area rug for the living room today. The idea was to have something soft for Joey to crawl around, and to encourage him to move his legs. (On the hardwood, as you have seen, he can easily slide his body along with just his arms.) So far, he seems to like it.

And he still likes my sneakers. Boys will be boys.

Friends in Low Places

Joey and I spent the afternoon (and night) with our good friends the Rileys. Kristopher and Kennedy are a month older than Joey and crawling around everywhere. They would hardly sit for a picture! Hopefully Joey picked up a few pointers and will be picking up his butt to crawl around in no time at all.

The three of them sure had fun together - even if it doesn't look like it! They all played really well with each other. Joey put his hand out one time to touch Kristopher's face, and Kristopher opened his mouth to eat Joey's finger! Gently, of course.

These kids are going to be holy terrors by the holidays. And the parent-kid party is going to be crazy!

Get on the Floor

We were, of course, playing on the floor today. (And after a comment by a great friend, I cleaned the living room. Not quite as well as I should have, but definitely everything is a lot cleaner than it was yesterday.) Anyway, I thought I'd get down on the floor with Joey, and get a bird's eye view. He's adorable from down there, too.

He loves the camera and can't figure out why Mommy won't let him eat it. That doesn't stop him from reaching out to get it. Or is he reaching for Mommy? We'll never know.

He was also playing with his rings a little later in the day. That last face, though, is the smile that can only be brought out when Daddy comes home from work. He really does love his Daddy.

Movin' Right Along

Yesterday was a good day. Actually, an extremely productive day. Joey took two naps, which was excellent. I was able to finish printing all the programs and menu cards for my sister's wedding, and get a little cleaning done. (Mind you, only a little cleaning, but I take whatever little victories I can get.) I think this picture below is actually from Tuesday (just comparing the outfits), but I thought it was time for a mother-son photo op. I do love the timer feature.

Joey's been getting around really well these last few days. Pulling himself along on the hardwood floor, getting into all the cables we have under the tv stand. He loves exploring. And shoes. And he just loves that when he gets where he's going, he looks up, and there's almost always a smiling face - and he just beams back at you.

In this clip, he's going after the tv stand, and then my shoes (again). I thought it would be fun to set it to some music. Enjoy! (Don't worry - he doesn't really hit his head on the tv stand - it just looks like it.)

I Get Around

Joey's getting around a little better every day. He's not quite crawling yet, but he's getting closer. More like pulling himself around with his arms. And you'll absolutely love the leg kick when he's stretching to reach something he really wants (in this case my sandal).

He's already getting into everything. We're going to have to move stuff around soon. And get him a carpet so he's not scuffing his knees and elbows on the hardwood floors.

More

I almost forgot! If you look closely (or just click the picture to enlarge it), you can see some of the top teefers coming in! Still only three on the top - the right center one hasn't cut through yet.

Trouble on the Horizon

So Joey's not crawling yet, but he's definitely figured out how to get around. I turn my back on him for a second to check email, and look at him. Trying to crawl up the toy box.

And he can almost get in there! Just not great at pulling himself up yet. But give him time.

My friend Jamie, whose twins are a month older than Joey, already has one crawler. And she's warned me that her two favorite phrases now are "No, Kennedy" and "Kennedy, no!" We're not there yet, but soon.

The little bugger's cute, though. And makes you forget about all the trouble he's going to cause. Or does he make you wonder what new trouble he's cooking up in that little head of his?

Video Bargainville

As promised, here's the video from yesterday. (Sorry it took so long for me to post.)

Stand

As Dora would say, "We did it!" We decided to get Joey a pool. Of course, we didn't get it until after 3, so it was definitely not going to be warm enough for Joey to go swimming. But we got him this awesome wading pool (or is it a lap pool?) that will definitely provide refreshment for years to come (or as long as it lasts).

Since we weren't swimming in it, we decided we'd see how he'd do standing next to it. As you can see, he loved hanging on and standing up by himself! (And yes, he tried to eat this, too.)

Daddy had so much fun helping Joey stand, and just loved holding him when he needed a break.

Even Busza got in on the action, cuddling with the boy. He's just so nommable!

PS - There will be a video of all the standing that was happening today. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Just waiting for it to upload to Vimeo and then you can decide for yourself.

King of Good Intentions

Today started out with a great plan. I got up with Joey, and then when he went down for his morning nap, I was going to run all my errands. I made it to Costco to try to print out my sister's rehearsal dinner invites, only to find out they don't read .png files at the computers in the stores. So I'll upload that tonight and pick up the sample in the store tomorrow. The good news is that I had planned it so that all the stores I had to hit where within a half mile of each other, so I didn't really go that far out of my way. I hit Target and picked up baby food and printer ink, and then to Nordstrom Rack to return some shoes I got for my niece that didn't fit. And since Old Navy was right there, I figured I'd stop in and see what they had. Picked up another hat and a swim shirt for Joey. The only trick was to get home before Joey woke up and before I ran out of gas. (My light went on as I was getting to Costco.) Mission accomplished.

As I was driving home, I was thinking to myself what a gorgeous day it was, and that we haven't had many of these days, and wouldn't it be great to go swimming. Instead of calling my mother-in-law immediately to see if they had any plans (they have a few pools in their complex), I thought it would be better to check with my husband. Got home, he was up, and completely on board with going to his parents. We called a few times, and nobody answered, but we figured, "how long could they really be out?" So we futzed around a bit, and just before Joey should've been ready for his afternoon nap, we headed out. By six o'clock, with no in-laws and no afternoon nap, we called our favorite Indian place for carry-out and headed home.

Joey was all ready to go swimming. He looked so cute in his trunks and swim shirt. I think we'll put it all back on tomorrow and maybe just get a little pool for our own backyard. Or stop by our friends' house and borrow theirs. There's always next weekend for the big pool.

The Grass is Green

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. And after the coldest July 8th in 118 years, we needed it. After our afternoon nap, we went outside to play with the dog. Joey hung out in his stroller for a bit, and absolutely loved watching Ginny run after her fishy.

Yes, I know he's not centered in this picture. Sometimes the composition isn't always just about him. I wanted to make sure my mom got at least a glimpse of all her hard work. The annuals have really come in nicely in this little garden. It's absolutely beautiful to walk out on the deck and see the purples and pinks and reds and oranges. And there's finally a bud on the rose bush they planted this spring.

We also went out and played a bit in the grass. Joey is absolutely intrigued by the green stuff. I imagine he's thinking, "it's kind of like Mom's hair, but not really." He could've played out there for hours, but I needed to get dinner started. And now it's time for bed. Sweet dreams!

Dressed to Kill

For those who are curious (and I was one of them), we tried on the outfit Joey will be wearing in my sister's wedding. The pants are a little big, but otherwise, he's ready for GQ!

And have no fear. He might not have shoes (still deciding) and will eventually end up barefoot, but we already have black socks for the big day. Might just pick up some black shorts for the reception (in case it's too hot).

Is It Safe

After brunch on Sunday, we went to Joe and Gloria's for a wonderful rib dinner. They gave Joey this caterpillar rocking chair for Christmas, and I think he's actually starting to enjoy it. Needless to say, every time he's on it we find something else that makes noise. The antennae, the feet. I'm sure the seat makes noise somehow, too, we just haven't figured it out yet.

If you want to see him in action (sort of), click here. After all the excitement, Daddy and Joey decided to take a nap. Well, Daddy did. Joey wanted more of that bottle, first!

We played a bit in the ExerSaucer this morning. Yes, I know, this outfit is getting too small for him. But I'm doing the one thing I told everyone not to do and trying to stretch the 9 month clothes for just one more appearance. After this, though, I think I'll put them all in storage.

And I promise tomorrow I'll post at least one picture where Joey's smiling.

Another Boy

We went to brunch yesterday with the Schulers. Table for seven, please. Four chairs, two high chairs, and a spot for a carseat. I think the rest of the restaurant was a little scared. Aside from a minor meltdown by the two-year-old, they were all very well behaved. Joey got to sit in the big-boy chair again, and little Sammy (who's not so little anymore) "stopped by" to chat. It was so cute. They were both grabbing at each other's faces and trying to figure out who this other baby was.

Aren't these two adorable? Big sister Annabel loves to hold Sammy. Uncle Joe assured us that his lap was getting a little warm with the two critters sitting there.

Just Chillin'

We kept it pretty low-key today. I mean, it was only 70 degrees outside and overcast or raining. Once again, they had warmer (and nicer) weather in Fairbanks, and once again, I'm not really complaining because when you don't have central air, this is perfect July weather. We had fun playing with Joey today. Here's one of Joey and his Daddy.

And of course one of Joey and his Mommy.

He was fussy again today, mostly towards the end of the day. I'm hoping another week of this teething stuff, and then we'll get at least a short break. Although by the time these three come through enough that they don't hurt, I'm sure the fourth will be breaking through. Oh well. He still has the sniffles, but no sign of that fever, which is great. No other developments, so I'll leave it at that and go enjoy the rest of my Fourth.

Rubber Duckie

If you've seen Joey in action, you know that he loves to kick when he's hanging out on his belly (and his back). Well, that love for kicking translates very well into the bath tub.

He did practically kick all of the water out of the tub, but that's what bath time is for, isn't it?

Joey is also getting some of his top teeth, which has been trying on all of us. It started out with the outer incisors, but now I can see that he is also getting at least one of the inner incisors (front teeth), and probably both. Can you imagine cutting four teeth at once? Poor thing! Fortunately, we can still make him smile (occasionally), but the poor guy's been so fussy and crying in the middle of the night. The good news is he should be done with all of this in time for the wedding, and shouldn't start cutting any more teeth for at least another month. (He was relatively late to start the bottom teeth, but then almost immediately started cutting the top ones, which seem to be more painful.)

Oh yeah, and he's still constantly playing with his feet, if not actually eating them, and he's gotten very good at pulling his socks off! But he's still our Snuggle-saurus.