Don't feed Johnders

Jacqueline is a conduit of human food to Johnders. All toddlers feed dogs, right? Well what happens when Jacqueline has a snack. 

She hands part of it to Johnders. You catch her and you tell her to stop, "Don't feed Johnders." She looks at you and says "Alright." You emphasize "It's your food, not his." She looks you in the eye and very directly says "Okay."

Flirty Spice

That is Julia's newest nickname. We've noticed her flirty behavior before, but it really seems more prominent lately. Mostly it seems like she flirts with males more than females ... is that typical? The cutest thing is when she flirts with my brother. Joel has been staying with us the last few weeks. He's helping us organize and clean our basement in preparation of converting part of it into livable space for himself. Actually, it's a pretty nice area though the concrete floor and walls are chilly, but he's a guy and probably will be OK.

Anyway, Julia's flirtatious behavior is amusing to watch. She usually gets quite excited and waves at Johnders as soon as she descends the stairs; now she looks in the guest room and waves at Joel. It's quite adorable to watch. She truly enjoys looking at Joel, especially as she sees him playing with Johnders.

If you haven't looked at some of the recent photos on flickr, check them out. The ones our friend, Lisa Connor, the great photographer, took are incredible and show some of Julia's flirty qualities. : )

I'm 9 months old!

Today is 09-09-09 and I am 9 months old.

How cool is that?

I'm sure there are tons of couples getting hitched at wedding chapels in Vegas or families anticipating the arrival of a new baby... to have this date marking a momentous occasion.

Sometimes I cannot believe that I am 9 months old - well, really I hear my mom & dad say it often. I continue to grow (longer mostly, still light & lean) and explore my surroundings. I'm a master cruiser, especially enjoy moving around my crib and Pack-N-Play. My nickname is Spiderwoman - I climb up the sides all the time!

I am really enjoying food, too. I am "my mother's daughter" as the expression goes. Banana has been my favorite; slimy, but delicious. Then I tasted yogurt ... even plain soy is yummy. My taste buds are open to new discoveries. I've also tried sweet potatoes - YUM-O! Yesterday dad fed me some applesauce. Good stuff! Dad talks about the day when he can introduce me to "real" bacon... turkey bacon is not real to him.

I am talking as much as possible - the "b" sounds are fun! Babblish is what we call it. Cute, huh? : )

I also enjoy laughing, especially when my mom & dad start and then we cannot stop! My mom gets really tickled by my laughter. I know she misses me while she's at work all day. Thank goodness I have dad to keep me company until she comes home.

My best bud is Johnders. He loves to lick me, especially my face, but mom & dad don't like it. It really tickles! I like touching his face and there's all that hair to grab! We enjoy staring at each other, usually from the opposite sides of the mesh when I'm in the Pack-N-Play.

Until next monthiversary ... always ready for the next adventure!

P.S. I forgot that I can wave. I really get excited and wave to Johnders when I go up the stairs with mom at bedtime. I also get excited & wave when I see other babies, especially at Las Maracas - very family-friendly restaurant!

Sooo? How's it going..?

Filled with pregnant pauses, I get this question every time I talk to somebody about my career change.

Well...(insert pregnant pause)

It is going pretty darn good for me and I think for Julia too. I knew and I'm pretty sure Tara knew that this type situation works better for me than Tara. Why? (insert pregnant pause) Because I don't work well with narrowly defined schedules, I need room to grow, at least that's the way I like to think of it. Now, don't get me wrong. I've been as frustrated and thrown off as the next person when Julia changes her own schedule but my disregard for scheduled events makes it much easier to roll with the punches.

The stay at home thing is also hazardous for me b/c I am such a procrastinator. I can leave a task unfinished AND I can find excuses to do other things instead. A free flowing schedule like feed Julia after she wakes, try to get Julia back to sleep until she wakes again and repeat gives me a crap load of latitude. I can make the best of it but more often than not I make the least of it.

So far I have spent far more time in the kitchen than I ever imagined I would. If I'm not eating I'm feeding, if I'm not preparing I'm cleaning. I have been able to space out the house cleaning so I don't feel nearly as rushed on the weekend - this is probably the best thing so far. I hate cleaning and even more I hate having a deadline for it. Some cleaning I do more often...the floors. Johnders sheds constantly. I find myself dry mopping or vacuuming some floor in this house pretty much every other day. Outside...well its been too hot. I haven't done any additional gardening, I'm not ahead on any lawn or shrubs.

We've gone to the park, mostly Shelby Bottoms, a few times. Again, its been so hot that I can't take Julia, Johnders nor myself out in the heat for too long. We've been to the library once, Davis-Kidd once, we've gone to the grocery store umpteen times. We haven't hung out at any coffee shops yet nor have we done any children social activities yet. I've watched some but not an insane amount of TV.

I am not bored. I am not lonely. I quite enjoy my conversationless hours and the noisy baby (sometimes). I spend more time with Johnders - never as much as he wants but more - and I always excited to see Tara come home.

The family that Yogas together

Pigeon

Julia's newest is not surprisingly "Child" but I haven't caught her in the act yet, mainly b/c she is asleep when she is in this pose. She also likes "Happy Baby", especially when we change her diaper...I won't be posting those photos.

Downward Facing Dog

Johnders is also fond of "upward facing dog"

Partnership

According to the doctor on her 2 month appointment, Julia was failing to thrive in the weight-gain category - she's gained 1 lb in six weeks and she should have gained about 2 lbs, if I understand correctly. I'll deal with all the emotional components later but the practical end was the Dr and a lactation specialist came up with a couple of game plans to help Julia get to her benchmark 1 week later (gain 6 oz) which she exceeded by 2 oz! The gameplan is for Tara to feed herself and the baby and do little else for the next 10 days or so. Which means either the house isn't clean and food is not cooked or I do it. We chose the latter. With a whole lotta help from friends I am picking up the slack.

What does that mean? It means I don't stop moving. Its only been a couple of days but damn! Here was my President's day looked like:

8am - change & feed Julia
feed Johnders, nurse Johnders (he came up a little gimpy Sunday evening) & show him some love, eat
feed Tara while Tara pumps.
drive to/from doctor's office
change Julia, prepare lunch while Tara feeds Julia
wash dishes & eat
feed julia
fold laundry
prepare dinner, change julia
feed johnders, eat
clean bathrooms (while the women goes to a La Leche Meeting)
laundry, dishes
feed julia
1am - change julia, go to bed

Today I am at work and I can't help wonder how Tara is managing and therein is the rub. I have been surprised to hear how complimentary, genuinely pleased and maybe even surprised that I am willingly pitching in at all, let alone that much.

But seriously what else am I supposed to do? Why would I respond otherwise, why would I not do whatever is in my power to help the woman I asked to share my life with and the child we created together? Is it that hard to understand that feeding a baby is serious work? The way I see it is right now Tara is responsible for 99% of Julia's physiological growth (the other part coming from exercising, kicking, crying, etc). Her muscles and organs need food to become stronger and more efficient. Tara is her sole source of food. Tara needs food to maintain her metabolism so that she can pass on the good stuff to Julia. That means Tara is working hard (invisibly, I might add...it looks like she's just laying there) but I can tell how hard she is working.

Is this a representation of the 21st century man? Am I redefining manliness or masculinity as being able to feel the tenor of a situation and then respond in a determined, serious yet compassionate and understanding manner. At the very least Tara and I vowed to each other, and yes, we did it before God, community and government, to "have & hold, through good times and bad". Why are people so surprised to see this happen? Why is it so difficult to do this, if you aren't doing it?

A Big Thank You

I've only talked a little about Johnders so it is at this moment I want to thank the people who dumped him at a La Quinta Inn in Alabama. Tara and I couldn't have asked for a better precursor to Julia and now that Julia is here we couldn't ask for a better family friend and protector.

Misery Loves Company

For anyone who has been paying attention to my blog entries you might have noticed that I haven't written much in the last few weeks. Actually my sister said something about there not being anything new; it's nice to be missed : )

I was sick, very tempted to get some traditional meds so you know I was really miserable.

It's not really surprising considering the time of year and change in weather as well as my vocation. Germs have been flying around. Combine that with a month of little sleep created by this heartburn phenomenon (oh my goodness!), then this congestion that happens in the 7th & 8th months [maybe next month, too : ( ] and constant trips to the bathroom. Plus I got the flu shot which is recommended for women who are pregnant and I always get the shot because of having asthma. Voila, a cold is in the making! Then I got a vicious cough which is not good with a large belly, especially when the baby decided to start a full-court press on my chest. It was not good times. I missed work most of last week which is difficult for me to do, but I had no choice - I wasn't going anywhere.

Funny side story:
My co-worker was out 2 days for a conference and then discovered she had pink-eye. Thankfully I didn't see her until after she started treatment and was permitted to return to work. I told Jai that if I'd gotten pink-eye after all of the other ailments, I would have said "take me to the hospital and take this baby out now. I am DONE!"

Fortunately I have a wonderful husband; Jai continues to pick up the slack, keeps the house running and takes care of Johnders. I feel blessed to have an equal partner who loves me and the baby dearly.

I discovered some natural remedies that really work and saved me.
1. licorice (liquid extract I put in my water) - helps with congestion AND heartburn
2. papaya extract (yummy chewable tablets) - helps with digestion AND heartburn

I felt so much better today. We went for a walk at Shelby Park, ate dinner out and saw a movie. I told Jai we have to take advantage of any burst of energy! I anticipate a return to exhaustion soon enough. There is limited time to do anything we want to do before the baby's arrival really changes our lives forever.

Baby Gates are up!

YEAH!!!! Finally the gates are up!

Some of you might be wondering why now, seems so soon - the baby isn't even here, much less crawling. Well, we have a dog. For the past year we've closed doors to barricade areas of the house from Johnders' natural curiosity and exploration. However, we don't have a door to the staircase. This leads to the upstairs which is the Forbidden City for Johnders. Thankfully our friends, Kathy & Brian (Johnders' foster family before we "adopted" him), loaned us a baby gate. We used it to bar the stairwell ... with a glitch ... it doesn't fit exactly and going up & down the stairs has been a chore.

After much cajoling and fascinating discussion about the eventual need for a baby gate at the bottom and top of the stairs (I could be sexist and say "Men!", but I think it's more ignorance) Jai found what we liked AND installed a pair of black metal gates that coordinate nicely with our iron rails. We're getting used to the latches and by the time the baby is crawling around we'll be pros at opening and closing them and keeping everyone safe. Actually I enjoy the one at the top of the staircase because of my frequent trips to the bathroom during the night! : )