Morning Chores . . .

What Parenting Has Taught Me - Year 1

1. I know nothing about parenting. I know what works for my baby; not your baby. Some of the stuff I read in parenting books before Justin was born did not work for him. For example - Justin did not like to be swaddled. No matter how tight we safely got the swaddle, he broke out by morning. I found advice in all sorts of places - books, parents, friends, and a LOT from my sister. I was grateful to have those resources. 

2. Moms can be really mean to each other. Here I was, pre-baby, pregnant, walking around under this happy little cloud thinking all moms were helpful and nice. They're not. Pick nice ones to talk to and avoid the rest. There are a lot of issues that are personal choices - Breastfeeding v. Formula Feeding (y'all know what that one did to me); Whether the baby sleeps in the parents room or his/her nursery; To pacifier or not to pacifier; Center Daycare or In-home daycare; Stay at Home Mom or Working Mom; etc. and some women will just FORCE THEIR ULTIMATE OPINIONS DOWN YOUR THROAT. I had to ignore them and realize that I had to do I thought was best and safest for my family, and learn how to give "the look" and walk away.

3. It seriously takes a village. I have the utmost respect for honest-to-God single moms out there. God Bless you women. I have a fabulous husband/Baby Daddy who is not afraid to change diapers or take Justin to Target himself, and who will play with Justin on Saturday mornings so I can sleep in. In addition - We both have families that ADORE our son and jump at the chance to watch him. We have had a good number of date nights to keep our own relationship healthy and to just have a break while knowing he is safe, cared for, and loved. I seriously cannot thank them enough. To do that ALL by yourself is amazing. 

4. I should be less judgemental. I think Annabanana slept in her carseat for the first two months of her life, and I was all like, 'Seriously M? Her carseat?'. And then my baby was born, and didn't sleep more than 90 minutes a time for a week, and I called my sister and was all, 'So, exactly how does this carseat thing work?'. Turns out, it didn't help JFrog sleep anymore than being in his crib (probably like the swaddle), but I learned my lesson. Whatever safely makes life easier for the baby makes life easier for the rest of us. I got a bunch of advice on everything from feeding to toys from M and it has made my life easier. Oh, and that screaming baby in the aisle in Target? Likely not the mother trying to ruin my shopping trip as I previously thought. More than likely the child is simply throwing a temper tantrum and she is trying to condition the behavior. 

5. You may not feel super connected to your baby at first, and that is okay. Every single sitcom that has had a childbirth on an episode has glamorized this phenomenon - Mother gives birth to baby that she has carried for nine months; Mother falls instantly in love with baby; Mother and baby skip off into field of daisies singing Kumbaya, forever one magical family unit. Just like that. That didn't happen for me. They say that for the mother, this connection happens at the moment of birth; but for the father it takes awhile - until some event happens that makes the man realize, 'This is my child'. I think that was the case for me as well. It was when Justin first started smiling, and he went from being a blob to "my baby", thinking that he may recognize me on some level more than "food", that the connection was formed. I do not think it is a bad thing at all. Call it hormones or whatever you like - that's the way it was for me and is for many women. 

6. Never say Never. I bought a video baby monitor. I said I wasn't going to - that they preyed on anxiety ridden parents who couldn't survive on just an audio monitor. To be truthful, we had an audio monitor, but when we moved it picked up a lot of interference. Also, when Justin moved into his own room, I wanted to be able to see him without getting out of bed - there ya go - I'm hypocritical and lazy :) Also, Baby Daddy has traveled since we got it and I feel a little safer knowing that I can peek on Justin anytime I want to make sure he is safe. AND - I waited until I found one on sale at 50% off :) It is easy to be smug when your baby sleeps five feet from you. 

7. No two babies are alike; Do NOT try comparing them. Annabanana walked at 10 mos. Justin wasn't crawling by then. Justin said Mama months before Annabanana. Justin weighs nearly 7 pounds more than a baby three weeks older than him. When they say that babies just reach milestones at different ages, and it is okay, IT IS OKAY. Leave it at that. 

Resolution Check-In

Now that our Handsome is a year old and more than half of the year has passed, it is time for a check in of our New Years Baby Resolutions. Seriously - when we made these, Justin was only 4 months old. Crazy. Let's get started shall we . . . 


1. Watch our language - We don't want JFrog to become 'That Baby' - the one who drops the Fbomb at daycare. I would much rather hear 'Momma' before any other expletive (or dad for that matter ;) )


Technically 'Mama' beat out everything else (he really is a smart boy), but we could do a better job of this. Overall the bad words have decreased, and when one of us slips up (ahem, usually me), the other (ahem, Mitch) will gently remind (ahem, nag - and then let one slip himself).

2. Watch less television - We've been addicted to a few shows lately - one being Breaking Bad which focuses around a high school chemistry teacher who cooks meth. JFrog's medicine comes in bottles with syringes to measure out the appropriate dosage. Again, we hope he doesn't see one lying around and try to put it in his elbow


So, Breaking Bad is an incredibly fabulous, and incredibly non-kid-friendly, show. We are happy to report that our son has yet to react to any television show, and to be honest, really has not seen any TV of note. We don't watch any while he is awake, and he doesn't see any at daycare. We don't find ourselves to be crazy, TV-hating parents; we just don't get much time with Justin during the work week and would rather spend that time playing or going for walks. Around Tank's birthday I realized that he has no idea who Elmo, Big Bird, Mickey Mouse, or Spongebob is; and I am perfectly okay with that. 

3. Instill Appropriate Values in JFrog - the basics - that he should respect his elders, not trust strangers, not be prejudiced, and avoid scientologists, the french, and republicans like the plague


Possibly my proudest moment as a Mama came last week when Justin got the TV remote and turned from The Today Show (I really don't understand the hype around Good Morning America) to FOX News. Now, I know what you are thinking - something like "OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH MMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYY GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDD NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO". Trust me - that was my exact thought as well. But then - he pushed the mute button, and I realized that my baby is a liberal genius, and I was so proud :)

4. That we act appropriately financially so JFrog doesn't starve - We're hoping (jinx) to make a major purchase this year so we've been good at monitoring our budget. Plus, our little tank is already over 17.5 pounds (that's an average 'rate of gain' of more than 0.5 pounds a week - his grandpas will appreciate that terminology)


We bought our house in May and have yet to default on anything - yay! We are taking more steps to become financially aware and take control of everything financial, so we hope to continue this. Also, Justin is about 25 pounds, so we have obviously been able to afford his food. I consider that to be an amazing feat of greatness as well. 

5. Play nicely with Izzers - Izzers is not a fan of being grabbed by small children, as we learned with Annabanana (she only got a small handful), so we need to teach Justin early to 'pet nicely'. Annabanana is very curious and tries to catch Izzers - it's pretty cute.


This could use some work. Justin loves Izzers. He sticks his hand out to her; she licks it; he laughs; all is great with the world. Until he gets the crazy eyes that is, and with one loud shriek, he grabs for her tail with his chubby little hands and we have to pry her fur out of his hands. We'll label this one 'in progress'. 

6. Teach Justin while playing with him - Much of the first three months was spent trying to calm Justin when his 'colic flared' so we spent lots of time rocking. carrying, swinging, or trying to distract/stimulate him with lights and sounds. We now can actually play with him and it's been great! Hopefully we can help him develop many skills along the way.


I think not watching TV while he is awake has helped a lot with this one. We do all sorts of things - we play with his riding toys, have him walk holding onto our hands, play with blocks, read books, etc. It is so fun to see him make little connections in his mind and figure things out. 

7. Foster Justin's Sense of Humor - We need to teach him what is funny and what is not - for example - Making farting noises = Funny, Pulling Momma's Hair = Not Funny; Daddy's Dance Moves = Funny, Turning on the Waterworks while getting his diaper changed = Not Funny


Still needs work. He has replaced Mama's hair with Mama's glasses. The waterworks have stopped - though luckily he was never bad with that - he only erupted a dozen or so times. A good razzie will get him still, and if you need him to laugh, Aunt Issa can come up with something that will make him giggle. 

8. Raise a Gentleman - I refuse to believe that 'Boys will be Boys', and will do my best to raise Justin to be kind, courteous, and an all-around little Gentleman


Well, he has yet to open the door for me, and sometimes will fart at the dinner table, so we have some room for progress here. However, he doesn't smack Annabanana when she takes his toys (which happens often :) ), so that is a plus. 

12 Months: OMG

(Editor's note - Baby Daddy is psuedo-ghostwriting this post, so he apologizes if this post does not meet your usual expectations...)

Wow my darling boy - you are seriously a year old. It seems unreal. At the same time, it seems like yesterday and yet so long ago that we brought you home from the hospital. I never realized how much you would turn my life upside down, but I couldn't be more grateful for the change. You are by far the best part of my life! Here is the update from your twelfth month. (this paragraph by Baby Mama)

First, we'll start with this month's chair photo. As you can see, we haven't regained the patience to sit in our chair for the Mommarazzi, but we did not crawl off this time ;). In fact, we did our first successful dismount from the blue chair afterwards. Mama was so proud.

In other movement news, Justin is perfecting the art of shuffling from shelves to furniture to pieces of technology he shouldn't mess with. We have crawling mastered, and have attempted to stand a few times without any support.  Before long Baby Mama and Daddy will be chasing Justin as he's motating on two limbs instead of four.

Tank got to leave state lines for the first time in his 12th months with us, as we went to the Twin Cities to visit friends, go to the Como Zoo, and buy shelves to store all of Justin's stuff. He did really well, rode in the car without much fussing for 3.5 hour each way, slept well in his pack and play, and didn't try to eat Winston (Boge's cat). All and all, a very successful first trip.

The zoo's fun and all guys, but really, it's 90 degrees out and you want to go through The Jungle exhibit? Do you know how curly my hair is going to get?

Told you.

Justin's sleep habits have become much better in the last month. He typically gets 10 hours in at night, and usually takes a nap during the day. Both Baby Mama and Daddy are jealous of how well he sleeps.

NOM NOM NOM

As you can guess by the nickname Tank sticking, Justin is not picky when it comes to eating. We've stopped giving him purees (which just seem soooo yummy. . .  er, wait), and we seem to have stopped pretending to be a furry tailed animal at the supper table - both of which are pluses. Juicy fruits (mandarin oranges, watermelon) appear to be favorites, while Tank will doze over you to get at some ice cream.

Everyday I'm shufflin'

Justin has his one-year appointment next year, so we'll have updated height and weight then, but we're pretty sure he's still on the upper end. He is wearing size 18 month tops and 18-24 months pants, though we have to roll them up 2-3 times because they're too long :) He wears a size 4 diaper during the day and a size 5 nighttime diaper at night. 

This picture doesn't make one think of trouble the next 18 years... no sir.

Justin loves his bath time. We've had to stop him from catapulting himself into a bath a couple of times, and have to close the bathroom door when it is not bath time to keep him from going in. We have yet to see how long he'd stay in there before wanting to come out, but our guess is that we could use a sun dial and be okay.

Here Dad, I'll help set up the stuff that Momma wants up in less than 48 hours ;).

Health wise, we made it through the first year without a fever, and made it through the 12th month without any doctor's visits, and without the nebulizer.

Oh man, I am so high up right now. Must. Hang. On.

Guys, I don't know about you, but I should be moving right now.

Justin has really started paging through his books this month, and will sometimes sit with you long enough for you to read to him.

Return of the Super Dude!

Thanks for visiting! ;)

11 Months

My darling, handsome boy . . . This monthly post is way way late - you are almost halfway to 12 months (eek). Daddy just returned from a two week trip overseas and I was too busy washing your bottles and making sure your cute little booty was freshly diapered to post this earlier (or I was sleeping . . . )

It is so, incredibly hard to believe that you are almost a year old. I already find myself looking at your "old baby photos" thinking, "my gosh - he really was that small once". But, like, always - you just keep getting more and more fun as I get peeks at your growing personality. And, without a doubt, I can say that you have gained my stubbornness. Lucky you :) Here is what you are up to - and I'll try to save all the developments that have occurred in the last two weeks for your 12 Month post. 

First things first - you will notice a difference in this month's photo - you are not sitting in the chair. I put you in the chair, but after 5 pictures, you went exploring at the edge and fell out. I got just enough of you to cushion your fall, but fall you did. I knew that if I put you back up there, you would fall again, so I just went with this one. You are so, so very curious - everyone mentions that you look and observe everything. You love to be around people - shops, restaurants - anywhere you can explore and observe :) (Daddy says you get this from my love of people-watching). 

Shortly after your 10-month milestone, we celebrated your Daddy's first Father's Day. You were incredibly thoughtful, getting Daddy a handsfree headset for his cell phone, and making him comic book coasters. Well, to be honest, Mama did most of the crafting, you only did the heavy lifting and decoupaging ;) 

Ooo - a new chewtoy 

You have honed your crawling skills and are now quite speedy when you want something - usually the baby gate blocking the stairs. You can pull yourself up easily and shake it in a very dramatic fashion (this flair for the dramatic obviously comes from Daddy). 

Must . . . get . . . Laptop

Freedom!!!

A major, major milestone happened for your Daddy this month - you played with a ball - no, not those balls - an actual sports ball! A baseball to be exact. I don't understand what about this makes his heart go a-flutter, but it certainly does :) You have made him quite proud. (As long as you don't hone your skills at an Iowa rival school - you know, Purdue(??)). 

And for my next trick . . . I will grab this ball . . . 

. . . and Daddy will smile. I have them trained sooo well. 

Sleep - You had an off-again-on-again sleeping month. Daddy reports he was up some nights, not others . Mama mostly slept unless Daddy didn't feed you before changing your diaper (you get a little fussy - again, the dramatic flair). 

Talking - You added 'Baba' to your vocabulary this month. I have absolutely no idea what it means, but it is so fun to listen to you - I swear you know exactly what you want to say and are so confused that we cannot understand you. 

Food - I am sure you tried new things this month - but the report is that we try to give you new foods whenever we have them, and you eat them. Really, you eat anything and everything. I especially enjoyed giving you steak and potatoes for the first time. As the children of cattle farmers, you can imagine our excitement . . . 

OMG STEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Lady - stop taking my picture when I'm eating (I mean . . . squirrelling)

One funny note - you squirrel away food in your cheeks sometimes, just like a hampster (or squirrel, I suppose). I am not sure if the pieces are too oddly shaped or small to chew, but you have been known to projectile sneeze hamburger pieces thirty minutes after dinner is over. 

You started to think of Izzers as a playmate this month. You often stick out your hand to get her to lick your fingers, and then giggle hysterically when she does. You also try to grab her hair, which she does not find endearing, and thus runs away. We are working on 'petting nicely'. Isabelle will not growl or show any meanness to you, which we adore. She may not poo outside when she's supposed to, but as long as she remains a wonderful playmate and pet of yours, we will love her :)

We took you out and about this month, first to the annual celebration our hometown puts on each year. 

Nom Nom Fingers

And, of course - how could you forget the 4th of July at the cabin? 

Is this lady ever going to leave me alone?

Nope, handsome. No I will not. 

The Last First

It hit me last week that this Fourth of July would be Justin's last 'First' holiday. *tear*. Each year we trek down to the lake at which my aunt and uncle (two sets actually) have a cabin to join in their festivities. There are boat races, golf cart parades, and really good fireworks among the normal - laying on the beach and chilling in the cabin. I spent much of my summers growing up here and it is one of my favorite places :) I was pretty excited to take Justin for his first time.

This is how we started - Mama and Baby on a sheet on the beach after we SLATHERED him with sunscreen inside. Note the sippy - gotta stay hydrated. 

The PAPA-razzi came out. He now smiles whenever he sees the camera.  

More sippy - wouldn't want to lose any water in the twenty minutes that Mama let him be outside. Seriously, the baby's skin is as fair as mine - oh, maybe he gets that from me?

Everything was all good until he realized how fun it was to drag his fingers through the sand . . . 

The water was fairly warm so I put him on the sand where the waves would wash onto his legs - he thought it was pretty cool. 

Still trying to figure out his 'good side' - I think damn handsome wins for both :)

Summertime

. . . means letting yourself go a little crazy once in awhile. Or letting your Mama go crazy. . . same thing.