Jayden

2008-03-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here are our Easter pics. Kate's hanging out on the deck waiting.

She opened several eggs during the hunt. She also spills the candy out.
Finally, she got it and shook the eggs to hear them jingle.
Jayden's holding up his basket in the fellowship hall getting ready for the hunt at church.
Here are Jayden and Kate checking out their loot.

Jayden's sitting in the pew waiting before church begins. He had his grand debut with the children's choir today.

Train Show

2008-03-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

We went to a train show today in Greenup, Ky (on the W. Virginia border). We all got to ride a steam engine (kid-sized) and look at trains.

The engine on the left was handmade by one of the men in the railroad club.

Jayden waves while he and Brian are waiting for other "passengers" to board.

Below is the classic Kate look. She loves to scrunch her nose and giggle. She spent the whole day saying "choo-choo" and laughing. And then there's Thomas. He was the real reason Jayden went, and he loved screaming "go faster, Thomas" to the train as it "raced" 2 other battery-operated trains.

Feeling Better

2007-03-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

We put Jayden on acidophilus this weekend. It's a probiotic that will replenish the good bacteria in his intestines. He has to go for a follow-up Friday, so we will find out about the specialists then.

Kate's doing better, too. She's still doing her little breathing treatments, and she's not having as many coughing fits.

Finally Recovering - We Hope!

2007-03-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

I know I promised several people I'd post since Katherine's birth, but I haven't. We've been busy (hey - we have a new baby), and Jayden's been miserably sick. After only 9 doctor visits and one trip to the hospital, we think we may have a handle on it. He has a severe upper respiratory infection, but we think he's getting over now. He's on some pretty strong medicine now, but it seems to be working.

The current doctor said that we likely will need to go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor to get tubes. Plus we're looking at the possibility of him having his adenoids taken out because they're causing the problem. And he will get long-term allergy medicine. He's a pitiful little guy, but just as he's getting better, Kate's getting sick...

We had to go to the hospital with her yesterday. We were at the doctor because she was having trouble with breathing and coughing, and they sent us to the hospital for chest x-rays (checking for pneumonia) and an RSV swab. Luckily, she had neither. We have to do nebulizer treatments on her three times a day for the next few weeks to see how she gets.

Kate is here!

2007-01-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures of Kate. I'll post more soon. I'll send an email when the hospital photo is online.

Poop!

2006-10-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Jayden pooped in the toilet today! It's his first time going to the big boy toilet, so we're excited about it. The rest of the day didn't go so well, but we have him started on the right path anyway. He's now wearing Pull-Ups and prefers them to diapers although we're still going to put diapers on him at night. Our goal is to have him trained before the new baby arrives, so we have only 3 months left.

He's also talking much better. He says a number of words now, probably 30 or so, but he's still not consistent about them. Still he's picking up more and more.

Swimming!

2006-08-08T02:56:00.000-07:00

Jayden's been swimming like crazy the past few days. It's been miserably hot, so we've had his little pool out everyday. It's one of those little baby pools. Next year we're planning to get something bigger.

He's so cute out there in his little swimming trunks. He gets in and lays back on the pool. His favorite thing to do is to lie on his belly and try to put his head under water. He's seen big kids do it at the pool, but he's still a little scared. He also loves to splash us when we get close to him.

I'm glad he can have fun in this heat. We tried going to the park or just playing in the yard, but it's ridiculous out there. He was sweating before we even got started.

Nose is better.

2006-07-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Jayden's nose is much better. That's about all of the news I have on him today. It's been quiet around here. We haven't had a lot going on. We may go camping this weekend, but we haven't decided. I also thought about just going to a lake for the day on Sunday. Part of it depends on how the whole house-buying thing goes. If we're negotiating on the contract over the weekend, then we need to be available, and I'm not sure our cell phone will be a good idea.

A Couple of Pictures/ The Doctor's Report

2006-07-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Jayden's visit went well today. He got something to clear up his nose. He was 32 inches tall, and he weighed 21 pounds, 12 ounces. He doesn't have to go back until next January, and I figure that he and the baby will go at the same time.

Here are a couple of pictures of him.

Here he is with Brian at the local carnival. The carousel was about the only ride he was tall enough to ride, but he had fun.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese tonight. Jayden had a blast. This picture isn't very good. It comes free with one of the rides, but it was hard to get him to look into the camera. He rode all of the "Toddler Zone" rides and played some games. He had 110 tokens when we left. (He played one game and won the grand prize, so he got 50 tickets from that one.) We put them toward this little hammer filled with foam. We had to pay the difference since it was a 400-ticket prize. Still, he played with it the whole way home.

What's wrong with my nose?

2006-07-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Jayden's had what I think is a summer cold. His little nose looks terrible. He's not congested or anything. It's just his nose. It's actually started bleeding now from being so raw. He cries so hard when we try to clean it, and I feel so bad for him.

He went to bed really early tonight. I'm not sure why, but he wanted to go to sleep about 7:45, so we let him. He was wandering around in circles, rubbing his eyes. I think he may be getting teeth. (You'd think he has them all already, but he only has 12 of them. Twenty more to go!)

He has a pediatrician's appointment tomorrow morning. It's for a well-baby check-up, but we'll ask about the nose while we're there. I'm curious to see if he's grown any because I don't think he's gained much weight. Other than that, I think he has a shot or two to get, and that's always fun.

Movie Night

2006-07-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

We decided to reinstitute Family Movie Night tonight. Before Jayden was born and when he was younger, we always ate pizza or something like that on Friday night and watched a movie. It's been pouring rain all day, so we decided to do that again tonight.

We went to Blockbuster and rented Madagascar. We got Jayden in his pajamas and all washed up. Then we made some popcorn, got drinks, and sat down on the couch. Jayden thinks he's really big when he gets to eat popcorn from his own bowl, so he was grinning and looking at us like it was the best thing in the world.

We watched the previews, and that went well. He was excited until...Alex the Lion came on screen. He screamed. Then they went to Marty the Zebra, and he seemed okay. But when Alex came back on, Jayden started screaming again. He jumped up and started hugging me. He had these huge tears rolling down his face. It was so pitiful!

We turned off the movie and watched the penguin special feature they have on it. He liked that, and then he went to bed. We watched the movie. I'd seen it, but Brian hadn't. I guess next week we'll get something less scary for him.

Camping & Measles

2006-05-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back from the camping trip. We decided Friday late to leave on Saturday. By the time Brian got home from work and we drove up there, it would have been dark already. So we stayed Saturday and Sunday nights. Jayden had a blast until late Sunday evening.

He started running a fever Sunday. We thought he got too hot during the day because we went to a colonial village, and he walked around. His temperature was 102.4. We've been giving him Tylenol every 3-4 hours, but it got up to 104 tonight.

We called our doctor's office and their voicemail sent us to the University of Kentucky's children's hospital. We talked to a nurse there who thinks Jayden has the measles. He has little red splotches that started this afternoon in front of his ear and are now on his arm and back. We're just watching right now. We gave him a sponge bath, and we're trying to keep him drinking. If his temperature goes up that high again, I'm taking him to the emergency room. Otherwise, I'll call the doctor Tuesday and see if we need to come in.

So, I'm tired from being up with him all night last night, and I know that I'll be up and down tonight, too. I have some pictures from the trip. I hope I can post them sometime this week.

2006-05-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I know it's been forever since I've written. I've just been really down, and the blogs haven't been on my priority list. Jayden is growing so quickly and learning so much. He now "talks" all the time. We're beginning to pick out things he says. He often says "there you go" and "diader" (for diaper) and those types of things. He also looked for "De-ddy" everyday about the time Brian's supposed to come home. Of course, Brian's working long days now, so he's not getting home on time.

Yesterday, Brian went in at 6. Jayden was asleep when Brian came home from work for lunch, and then he didn't get home until about 7:30. Jayden spent the half hour before Brian got home at the window. As soon as Brian pulled up, Jayden started yelling "de-ddy, de-ddy." He was giggling and waving his little twig arms. He was so cute!

Swimming Pool

2006-05-01T03:40:00.000-07:00

Jayden's loving his swimming pool. The little swim trunks we got him are very cute. They're red with a little white stripe down the side, and he looks adorable in them. They come almost down to his ankles, but he likes to "swim" in them.

He's been busy. He now has "conversations" with us. He will go on and on, and he responds every time you ask him a question. A lot of phrases are starting to make more sense. Yesterday he said, "look, Dad" when he was trying to show Brian something. He seems to be catching on to a lot of words now.

He is throwing little fits, though. I know it's his age, but it's frustrating. If you take anything or won't let him do what he wants, then he cries and shakes his little baby fists. We just say, "no" once or twice, and he usually stops crying. That's how I know he's not upset. Thirty seconds, and he's over it.

The Vet

2006-04-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

We had to take Asia to the vet last Thursday. When we got him in, the vet tech held Asia down while the doctor looked at him. Jayden's little lip started quivering as soon as they starting examining Asia. I tried to tell him it would be okay, but he wasn't having it.

When they actually started working on Asia, every time Asia would yelp, Jayden would cry. It was so pitiful. He got so upset about his kitty getting hurt. Then Asia really started howling, so Jayden poked the vet tech. Asia howled again, and Jayden poked her again. I told him that he can't do that, but he was so upset. He cried and cried until they left. Then he hugged Asia and petted him.

Easter Weekend

2006-04-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

Jayden had a great time Easter weekend. He enjoyed playing with his cousins. He thinks they're cool because they're bigger than he is, and they can do more stuff. He would just watch them in admiration and then try to join in while they were playing.

He didn't quite get the Easter egg hunting, but he did okay with it. He did find eggs. He would pick them up and put them in his mouth. Then he would toss them. We just had to make sure we caught them before they hit the ground.

Brian's parents have a black cat, and so do we. While we were outside Friday, Moonshadow came wondering over. Jayden got all excited and said, "hey, Lanlo!" It was funny, but I had to break it to him that it wasn't Orlando. Of course, Moonshadow took off when Jayden got near, so he never caught her.

He missed the cats so much. When we got home, he was mostly asleep. He got so excited and then ran around chasing all of the cats once he came inside. He loves them so much.

Pictures of the Little Man

2006-04-18T03:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Jayden the night we got home from Georgia. I'm not sure what he's eating, but I think it's one of the boulders from his bulldozer.

Here he is getting a kiss from his dad.

Jayden loves the cats, as you can tell. This is Asia letting Jayden use him for a pillow.

Jayden and Brian are walking into Brian's grandparents on Easter Sunday. Isn't he cute?

Jaydens Everywhere

2006-04-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a nice day, so we went to the park. Jayden had a good time playing on everything. He'll even go down the slide by himself now, which makes him think he's so cool. Anyway, when he was playing, I said, "Jayden, come here."

He started toddling over, and this little girl about 3 came, too. Her mom started laughing and said her name's Jayden, too. Then we went to Pizza Inn tonight, and the boys at the next 2 booths both were named Jayden! Brian said, "Great. He's going to have 18 friends named Jayden."

I said, "sorry son. If I'd known, I would have named you Igor."

Anyway, Brian's parents called Wednesday night and wanted to know if we wanted to go to their house for Easter. Apparently Heather and Jeff went to Las Vegas and sent Gavin and Logan to Brian's parents for a mini-vacation. So we're going there Friday.

I got stuff for Easter baskets for Gavin and Logan because I didn't know what they'd have. I'm sure Brian's parents got them a basket, but I can't take Jayden's basket and not give them anything. I also got some plastic eggs and candy to go in them. Jackie got some regular eggs, and the boys are going to dye them Saturday. I got some cardboard to make these little bunny ear headbands with the boys. I figure it will be something to keep them occupied Saturday afternoon.

We got Jayden's Easter outfit tonight. I tried to find a link to it, but I don't see it online. It's a lime green sweater with a white shirt underneath. It has navy slacks to go with it, and we got him a pair of navy shoes. He'll be stylin', of course. It's similar to this outfit.

He's hit a growth spurt. He's grown about 2-3 inches in the last couple of weeks. Some of his pants that were too long are just the right size now. Plus, he's lanky and like a little monkey trying to wrap his arms around us.

Paola and Willie

2006-04-11T04:23:00.000-07:00

Jayden stayed with Paola and Willie last night while we went out. He was there a total of four hours. They don't have any kids, so they hovered over him. When we got there, Paola had changed him into his pjs and was lying down with him. He was almost asleep but not quite. He fell asleep on the way home.

She said he was very good and didn't fuss or anything. I'm glad about that because it was his first time staying with anyone. They have a little sausage dog, who Jayden apparently chased around their house.

When we first got there, he just looked around. They have beautiful cathedral ceilings and hardwood floors, so he kept picking up his foot and putting it back down. Then he just started walking to each doorway around the living room and looking in at the other rooms.

He was so tired that he didn't even stir when we got home. He just went right back down and slept the whole night.

Quick Picture

2006-04-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick picture of Jayden trying to grab the camera from me. I have some more to download. I'll try to do that sometime this week.

Hugs and Hugs

2006-04-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

Jayden's been a hugging little man the past couple of days. He's precious because if he wants to hug you, then he will run to you and almost barrel you over while he puts his little head down into your chest. Then he puts his skinny little arms around your neck, intertwines his fingers, and lays his head on your shoulder. It feels so good to get a hug from him because it's just so sweet.

Today, Brian's getting off work at 4. We're going to meet so that we can get our hair cut. Then we're going to go to the outlet mall in Georgetown. They don't have a lot of stores, but they have a Van Heusen, Rack Room Shoes, and Dress Barn. I think they have an Osh Kosh, too, but I can't remember. We should be able to pick up a few pieces.

Sleeping Through a Tornado

2006-04-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had tornadoes last night. There were a couple in Frankfort. We got some really heavy winds (more than 70 mph) and a bunch of hail that beat against the house. Jayden slept through it all.

At one point, we were going to go get him and bring him downstairs because we thought we may get more of the wind and possibly even the funnel cloud. When I went upstairs to check on him, he was sound asleep. He was lying on his tummy all stretched out literally sleeping like a baby.

We didn't get anything more than tree limbs down and the back porch furniture blown around at our house. Other parts of the state got hit much harder, but it looks like everything's okay now.

Jayden's Girlfriend

2006-04-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

After church today, we went to the park to play. There was a set of twins there - Morgan and Madison. Jayden and Morgan hit it off. She came over to see him, and he gave her a hug. They played in the leaves together and climbed around on the playground equipment together for a while. They were so cute! They kept smiling at each other and putting their little heads down.

Jayden's speech is picking up a lot. He can say "A-za" for Asia, one of the cats. He recognizes all of the cats now because we can say, "give Cali a treat," and he'll go to Cali and give her a treat. He also says "here you go" when he's handing anybody something. He runs it all together like it's one word, but he knows he says it when he gives something to someone. So he's definitely learning a lot.

Several people recently at church and in the store have commented on how well he walks. He has a good handle on himself. He rarely falls anymore; he can balance himself if he starts to stumble. He's even started running a little bit when we chase him or when he's chasing one of the cats.

We've had a quiet weekend. He's still a little icky from all of his jaw teeth, so he mostly wants to lie around.

Vacuuming

2006-03-29T04:16:00.000-08:00

Jayden picks up on things so quickly. While I was vacuuming, I pulled the extender attachment off the vacuum. When I turned off the vacuum and started moving the furniture back, Jayden came toddling in the kitchen. He picked up the attachment and started running it along the baseboards making a sound like a vacuum cleaner. He did that all around the room and then brought the extender back to me. I was cracking up, and he was so proud of himself.

Jaw Teeth

2006-03-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

Jayden is getting four jaw teeth! He's getting one on top and bottom on both sides of his mouth. They're probably a day or two before coming in. He's been a little feverish and really whiny, so I gave him Tylenol last night. He slept much better. Then I gave him a little today before his nap. He seems to be resting well, which is good for both of us. It's weird because he doesn't have his canines yet, so he'll have a gap between the teeth he has and the ones he doesn't have yet.

Mustard

2006-03-27T04:12:00.000-08:00

We went out to eat Saturday when we went to pick up the car from Lexington. We went to Max and Erma's; it's similar to Applebee's. After we got through eating, we were sitting and talking, and Jayden wanted to get up. We let him sit at the table with us, and he grabbed the mustard bottle. He threw it to Brian like it was a ball. He was so funny because they he would pump his little fist and clap for himself. Brian would hand him back the bottle, and he would do the whole thing again.

"Di-pah" and "Wan-wo"

2006-03-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

This morning when I got Jayden up, he grabbed one of his diapers from the trunk, handed it to me, and said, "di-pah." I was so proud - his first 2-syllable word!

Then this afternoon, he was playing with one of the cats. Her name is Orlando, but we usually call her Lando for short. He said, "Wan-wo."

I wasn't sure what he said, so I said, "tell Lando you love her."

He grabbed her tail and said, "Wan-wo!"

I'm glad his language skills are picking up. Maybe he'll talk to us more.

Jayden The Thug

2006-03-24T03:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we went to this little store here that's kind of like Cato. When we were in the parking lot, these two guys came out and got in their car. They had rap music playing loudly. Jayden stopped in the middle of walking and started dancing. They started cracking up.

It was so funny because he puts his hand in the air and waves it around. He looked like this dorky little white kid trying to be cool. He had on this outfit we got that was a little polo-type shirt, navy blue shorts, and suspenders. He's such a thug!

What's in that little head?

2006-03-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

Jayden's getting 2 more teeth! These grueling nights are wearing on me. I feel like the walking dead today. Brian stayed up with him until 2 last night so I could get a couple of hours of sleep. Then I got up with him starting at about 2:15.

At one point, I made a pallet on the floor and put him down with me. He stood up with his eyes closed. He would put his feet shoulder-width apart, bounce between them like a Sumo wrestler, grin, shake his head, and lie back down. He did that about 10 times before I started rocking him so that he would go back to sleep.

He never got to sleep hard, and he got up at 7:00. He had an hour nap this morning, but he did go to bed early. We usually have 2 or 3 bad nights per tooth, so I'm hoping we're not in for 6 bad nights! I think I'll cry.

Milk

2006-03-22T03:56:00.000-08:00

We're moving Jayden over to cow's milk. We've been moving him slowly, but it's working. He's been on half soymilk, half regular milk for about a week now. Today we're going to 75% regular milk. If it doesn't cause him any problems for several days, then we're going to switch over. He's had a couple of little cartons of milk. We went to Frisch's to eat (like Shoney's), and he had a little milk there out of a big boy straw. He did fine with that, so we're hoping he'll make the transition okay. Plus I've made pudding with regular milk, and he gobbled that down. I think it was just a weird coincidence before that he got sick both times we tried him on milk.

Not Much To Report

2006-03-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

There's not much going on here today. Jayden's napping, and I'm working.

Here's another picture of Jayden.

Easter's Coming

2006-03-20T03:24:00.000-08:00

We picked up a few things for Jayden's Easter basket yesterday. We got him a plastic Easter bucket with little chicks on it because we thought that would be easier for him to carry around. We also got some grass for it, which will probably be eaten.

We got him one of those bendable bunnies with the long plastic arms and legs and a little rabbit-shaped cup with a straw. He learned how to drink out of a straw last week, so we thought the cup would be fun.

We'll probably get a chocolate bunny and some Peeps when it's closer to time. I just didn't want to get them yet.

I guess we're going to go to the church Easter egg hunt and then do a little one just for us. We can do it in the backyard, and he'll have fun.

Marker Mania

2006-03-17T03:50:00.000-08:00

Jayden got a highlighter yesterday. I had been doing some schoolwork, and he picked up the highlighter I was using. He figured out how to open it and thought it made great lipstick. He wrote on his legs, stomach, and arms, too. It was really funny. When we fussed at him, he just smiled. He got a good bath, but he still has some marker around his knees.

Nursery

2006-03-16T03:30:00.000-08:00

We had supper at church last night, and then Jayden got to go to the nursery while we went to the prayer meeting. He's so funny about the whole thing. We went in, and he got all excited. I wrote his name on a sticker to put on his back and had to chase him down to put it on him. Then he turned around and waved bye and ran to the corner with the toy cars.

When we went to pick him up, he kept ducking between us and giggling. He got mad when we caught him. He kept reaching back for the room while we were leaving. I told him we'll come back Sunday so he can play more.

There were only about 6 kids in the 1 & 2 year old room last night, so he had plenty of room to play. When we got there, he was sitting in a circle with two other boys and one of the ladies who keeps nursery. They were throwing a ball back and forth.

More Pictures

2006-03-15T03:51:00.000-08:00

I have two more pictures of Jayden. We took the first one on Monday and the second one yesterday.

Here's Jayden.

He's getting another new tooth! This one is on the right side right next to his front teeth, which is good because he already has two other teeth on the left side. He still only has three on the bottom.

Pictures

2006-03-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't figured out how to do pictures here yet. Here are 2 pictures from Jayden. We finally got the camera working again, so I have a million to go through.

See pictures here.

Entertaining Family

2006-03-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

My in-laws came up today (Sunday) with Brian's brother and his girlfriend. They're moving to New Mexico at the end of this month. Jayden entertained everyone. He shared his range of vocal skills, which made everyone laugh. He also rode around on his little four-wheel car he got for Christmas. He played with a bunch of his toys. I realized that Brian and I really spoil him and dote over him because we get so excited when he plays. I think everybody else thought we were nuts.

He's learned to build towers with his wooden blocks. He builds them up about five blocks, which takes him a long time because he's very methodical about it, and then he knocks the tower down. Then he starts the process over. He thinks it's great fun, and so do we.

The Little Helper

2006-03-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

I have been making my bath and body baskets this week. Yesterday we worked on the bath salts. Jayden thought that was wonderful, particularly since they turn colors when you put in the food coloring. He loves to "help," but it gets so messy! He also likes to help with other household chores, like sending out mail. He thinks that's really cool and that he's such a big boy. I try to let him help me as much as possible. Maybe it will be this fun when he's older.

Poop in the Tub

2006-03-09T03:45:00.000-08:00

Well, Jayden did it. Yesterday he used the bathroom in the tub. He freaked out. (So did I.) I have to say that it's one of the grossest things I've ever had to do. The funny part, though, was that he kept yelling and pointing at it while I was trying to clean it up. Then he would run in the kitchen, peek at me from the door, come back, and start pointing and yelling again. "Thank you, Jayden. I realize there's poop in the tub."

Terrible Twos Hitting Early?

2006-03-08T03:44:00.000-08:00

Jayden and I went out yesterday, and he really acted up. When we were in Wal-Mart, he got mad because I wouldn't let him topple a Roman vase. I told him that he had to get back into the cart and tried to pick him up. He made himself go limp and laid out in the floor. I pretended to walk away, and he started running to catch me. So in the end, he wasn't all that upset.

Then we went to Jo-Ann Fabrics. There were a ton of people in line when we were checking out. When I was writing the check, he grabbed a huge bag of party mints off the rack and started walking off. I said, "Jayden, come back."

As soon as I got "Jayden" out of my mouth, he started running. The women in line were cracking up. I caught him and brought him back to the counter where I had to hold a very wiggly Jayden while I finished writing out the check.

One of the women said, "Oh, Mom, let him get the mints. He wants them."

They were all cooing at him, and he, of course, was just grinning. After all, he is adorable.

Better Night Last Night

2006-03-07T03:08:00.000-08:00

Jayden slept better last night. I think that he's feeling much better now. I'm pretty sure he's feeling crummy because he's getting a new tooth. He's gnawing on everything. He's so funny that it's hard to get frustrated with him. Yesterday he would just lie his little head on my shoulder and slough around. I try to be comforting, but I will admit that it's not one of my stronger points. Still, I hug him, and it makes us both feel better.

Another Long Night

2006-03-06T04:28:00.000-08:00

Jayden got sick last night. The poor little guy just isn't feeling well. We all had to get up when he got sick to change his bed sheets and his clothes and mop him up. I gave him a little juice to soothe his tummy. Then he thought it was play time, so it took forever to get him back to bed. We're both exhausted, but he's out like a light.

A Sleepless Night

2006-03-05T03:43:00.000-08:00

Jayden didn't sleep well last night at all. He was up and down, up and down. I slept in the room with him for a couple of hours, and Brian's sleeping in the room with him now. There's nothing wrong. He's not even really waking up. He just wants some comfort. It's exhausting.

"Whoo" "Whoo" and "I Wub You"

2006-03-04T03:43:00.000-08:00

Jayden has learned to make an owl sound. It's really cute. He's just been walking around making his mouth into a little circle and saying "whoo!" He likes to do the circle with his mouth. It's cute to watch him try to imitate the way our mouths move to say things.

When Brian was leaving for work yesterday, he waved bye to Jayden, and Jayden said, "I wub you." Of course, Brian thought that was wonderful. We weren't sure what he was saying because Jayden babbles so much, but later I said, "Jayden, I love you." He looked up and said, "I wub you." I don't think he knows what it means, but he gets that he should say it back and that we say it when we're leaving. It warms our hearts, so it works for us.

Optometrist

2006-03-03T03:09:00.000-08:00

Jayden went to the eye doctor yesterday. I was really curious as to how they would check his eyes. Dr. Munsun had him look at little stripes and solids on fans. If his eyes focus on the patterns instead of the solids, then he can see well. Apparently he has very good vision at this point.

She also dilated his eyes. Let me tell you how much fun it is to keep a 13-month-old occupied for 30 minutes in a waiting room. He was everywhere! Luckily for him, all of the women in the office thought he was cute. They kept saying, "oh let him do what he wants."

I was thinking, "he'll destroy the place if you give him 5 minutes." He grins, and then everybody thinks it's okay to let him go.

He was pretty well-behaved, though. He was intrigued by all of the doctor's equipment, so he was very good during the actual exam.

Toddler Bed

2006-02-24T04:40:00.000-08:00

Jayden is technically in a toddler bed. Right now, it is a mattress on the floor. :) Brian broke the latch on his crib. We didn't want to buy a new crib at this point, so we pulled the front rail off. We bought a convertible crib, so that's no big deal. Jayden just kept falling off the bed.

Yesterday I took apart the crib and put his mattress in the middle of the floor. There are blankets on either side of him, so it's okay if he rolls around. He seemed to sleep much better last night than he was on just a pallet we'd made. Plus, there were no "thunks" in the middle of the night. We're going to get toddler rails, but we thought we'd start with this first.

He thinks that he's so big now. He climbs on his mattress and rolls around giggling. I even spied on him and saw him grab a book and take it back to his mattress. Of course, that made his Mommy proud!

We've Been Gone.

2006-02-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't written for a while and much has happened in our lives. We went down to Georgia to stay for three weeks. Jayden had a great time. He got to see all of his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and he really loved the company. He's such a little ham that he enjoyed having everyone doting over him.

He's running around now - not just walking, but running. He keeps me incredibly busy. We've started doing little projects weekly. Last week we made a nature scene picture, and this week we made sock puppets. I made a stage for him out of a cardboard box, and he's had fun getting in it and playing with the puppets.

He's 30 inches tall now and weighs 20 pounds. He's a little man, but his doctor says that he's perfectly sized. He also is eating "real people" food these days. He's a good eater, which is great because Brian and I make a lot of non-American foods. So far he hasn't met a spice he didn't like, and we're hoping it stays that way.

We went to an event at the library yesterday. He's signed up for a 6-week Mother Goose time. It's a little weird how much the mothers invest in what their children can do. They all want to show everyone what they've taught little Johnny. I feel very differently about Jayden's intellect. He's a problem solver, and we let him figure things out for himself. Everything we've read says that is the best option for allowing his mind and creativity to develop, so that's what we're doing. These kids have memorized things their parents taught them, but watching them play, I realized that they don't do anything for themselves.

There was only one other kid there, Benjamin, who was like Jayden. The two of them hit it off immediately. I liked his mom, too. She looked pretty eccentric, and she seemed to think the other mothers were as full of themselves as I thought they were.

Jayden had fun, though. He doesn't care for the forced activities, but he does like the books they read and the stuffed animals they had. Of course, his favorite was the group play time with blocks. He jumped right into that.

Sickness

2005-12-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Jayden went to the doctor Monday. He weighed in at a whopping 18 pounds, 14 ounces. Really, he's pretty small for his age - 10 months. He's only 29 inches tall, but his head circumference is 18 3/4 inches. I love him so much. He's precious.

He's asleep right now because he's sick. The doctor said he has a touch of an ear infection, so he's taking an antibiotic. Plus, he seems to have gotten a little cold, and I've given him something for that. He's running a low-grade fever, and he's exhausted. I hate to see him sick, so I hope he's much better soon.

The Little Football Fan

2005-11-21T04:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a little tough watching football this season with Jayden. Of course, he always wants a nap or to be fed at crucial moments in the game. Then, on top of that, he cries when we cheer. He's getting better about that, but the first couple of weeks of the season were rough. Every time we would cheer, clap, or yell, he would get upset. We would have to smile and tell him it was okay so he would realize we weren't angry.

When the Bengals had an interception last night, Brian started screaming. We realized that Jayden was getting upset, so Brian started doing the riverdance which was funny even for an adult. Jayden started laughing so hard, his little shoulders were shaking. He even snorted! Brian kept dancing throughout the game, and Jayden kept cracking up. We're hopeful we don't have to be the entertainment next year.

Weekend With Daddy

2005-11-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Jayden has spent most of the weekend playing with Brian. I had to work on accounting, which requires my full concentration, so Brian kept Jayden occupied. That's no easy task. He's so busy that he can zoom through the house in no time making a mess. They played upstairs a lot so that the noise doesn't filter down to my office as much. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad Jayden has us both here so that he doesn't get tossed aside while one of us is working.

A Marathon's Next, Baby!

2005-11-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

Jayden's walking now! He's been walking with support from me to Brian and back for a while. Tonight, he let go and started walking on his own! He took two steps with his right foot and fell, and then he got up and took four steps! We're so excited! It's so much fun watching someone try to determine how to make his legs move as he wants them to. I'm so happy, and I'm hoping that he progresses along quickly to taking a larger number of steps.

He's 10 months old today.

A Little Ham

2005-11-17T03:44:00.000-08:00

Jayden loves attention. I read that all babies crave attention but that we learn to drop that part of ourselves as we age. He's at the point where he knows exactly what to do to get other people to talk to him. He flashes his little grin and giggles. He knows that gets them. Then he'll yell. It's his version of talking really, and people love it, especially when he changes his voice from a low roar to a high-pitched sigh. They're amazed that he knows how to alter his voice. Ha, ha. Little do they know he's been doing that for months.

I'm very proud of him. I read that by the end of December, he should be able to recognize one command accompanied by a hand gesture. He already knows several without hand gestures: "no," "come here," "we're done," and "go to Mommy/Daddy." It's a small accomplishment, yes, but at nine months, it's all I have.

Cali

2005-11-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

Cali is a cat. She's also Jayden's best friend. She's loved him since the moment we brought him home from the hospital. Yesterday, she almost found herself homeless.

She has developed a habit of sleeping in Jayden's crib. I know that makes a lot of people cringe, but we feel okay with it. He's big enough to move around now, and she doesn't lie down on him, so we figure they're okay.

Yesterday afternoon, he wanted to take a nap. I put him in bed, and Cali woke him up. I thought, "okay, he must not have been that tired." About 20 minutes later, he kept fussing and acting like he was sleepy. So I put him down again. Cali did the same thing again!

He was crying because he really was sleepy, and she kept flopping on him and purring. I was so mad at her! Getting Jayden to sleep can be a chore, and if you miss your one opportunity, then it's gone. He's not tired anymore, but he's cranky.

I told Brian that I'm going to start locking her in the bathroom when I put him down. She keeps doing it. At night, she'll come in and meow at his crib and wake him up. That cat's driving me nuts!

Good Boy

2005-11-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

When I get frustrated with Jayden, I try to remember that he really is a good little guy. He's very well-behaved for a nine-month-old. I am afraid that if we had more children, which looks less and less like a possibility, that I would be overwhelmed by a baby who may not be as well-behaved as Jayden. He rarely cries, and when he does, there's a reason. I still don't quite get the parents who say, "she was crying for no reason at all."

Maybe our kids are just different, but Jayden doesn't do that. It may be hard to determine why he's crying, but there's always a reason for it. He doesn't even cry when he has a dirty diaper or wants a nap. He will grunt about his diapers, and when he wants a nap during the day, he just comes over and climbs in my lap. He'll put his precious little head on my shoulder, and I can take him upstairs and put him in his crib. He'll go to sleep on his own.

He fights Brian more at night. I don't know if it's because Brian will let him get up or because he knows that night-time sleep is longer. Still, he doesn't like the go down for the night. I dread it everyday and am secretly glad that it's usually one of Brian's jobs.

Am I A Good Mommy?

2005-11-14T04:10:00.000-08:00

Nobody really prepared me for all the questions that would come with being a Mommy. I look at Jayden everyday and wonder whether or not I'm good enough for him.

I got up late today. I was sick during the night and up for an hour, so when 5:00 rolled around, I wasn't ready to get up. I slept until 6:45. Now Jayden is up in the kitchen playing with Brian. There's no way I'll get enough work done. Then I'll try to work while Jayden's up, and he'll cling to me. Then I'll start questioning myself all over again. Working at home is difficult, but they don't tell you that. It's hard because there's so much guilt. I hope I'm making good decisions for him.

Joy

2005-11-13T04:14:00.000-08:00

Jayden is so amazing! I love watching him learn so much. Brian watched him most of the day yesterday so that I could work, but we had a good time reading books together last night. He just watches the book very intently and then touches each picture. It's really funny to watch.

He's up now. I know that he's been up a bit. I heard him playing in his crib about 6:30. I was tired, so I didn't get up. He was babbling away to his stuffed animals, so I let him go. Even when I went to pick him up at 7, I don't think he was ready to hang out with me. He still wanted to linger and play with his friends. I hope that someone gets him a doll for Christmas because he really likes to pretend that he's talking to his animals. He had two bottles the other day pretending they were talking to each other. He would shake one when it was talking and then let the other one talk. Then he would poke one with the nipple from the other and go back and forth. I'm so glad that he has a wonderful imagination. So many children today don't seem to have any at all.

Echoes

2005-11-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Jayden loves to hear himself echo. It's so funny. He will yell into a bucket or bowl and then laugh when he hears his voice come back. We were in a building with a strong echo, and he kept squealing at himself. It's so fun to watch him get joy from something that simple. He gets the most precious little smile on his face and just giggles and giggles. I love those moments.

Teeth and Sleeping

2005-11-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

Jayden's getting his second tooth. It's peaking through! We're really excited about it, but he's having trouble sleeping. He does that little thing where he's shaking his head and biting down during the night. He's not even awake, but if we give him a little Orajel, everything's better, and he settles down.

He fell asleep at the Christmas celebration we went to last night. They had a Christmas tree lighting and some other stuff, but he was completely uninterested. He did like the horses drawing the carriages, so he watched for them. It was too cold out for him. We need to get him one of those wooly hats with the straps under it so that his little ears will stay warm.

Little Path of Destruction

2005-11-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised at how much Jayden can get into. Like right now, he's pulling pens out of my pen holder while simultaneously helping me type. Everyday I feel like I'm running after a tornado trying to clean up. I've given up on picking up things as he takes them out. I just wait until he goes to bed at night and spend 15 minutes clearing the day's disaster zone. Now I know how FEMA must feel.

Jayden's Tooth

2005-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Jayden has one tooth now. It's on the bottom in the front. The other front bottom tooth looks like it's trying to come in, too. He's so cute. He keeps clacking his tongue now that he has his teeth. He just sits and does that - trying out his new tooth.

He can eat a few things now - Cheerios mainly. He has a Club cracker here and there, too. We're trying to move him to more table food even though I know the AAP says you shouldn't do it until they're one. He's ready to eat people-food, though, and besides that, it's expensive to buy baby food! I'll be glad when he moves to regular food so we can cut down the cost.

Tired

2005-11-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

I'm exhausted. Jayden is a handful. Keeping up with him gets so difficult. He doesn't sleep that much - especially for a baby. Just yesterday, someone said, "Nine months. So he's just eating, sleeping, and using the bathroom?" Oh, no. We have to hog-tie so he'll eat. Changing his diaper is a wrestling match. According to the books, he should be sleeping about 6-7 hours more everyday than he does.

I love him so much. When he gives me a little smile or giggle, I forget that I'm a walking zombie because of the frustration of his schedule. I love to watch him learn new things, but he does that so quickly. He looks at something for a minute, turns it over, and then figures out how to open it, play with it, etc. Then he's off to the next task.

Right now, he's playing in my day planner, which will mean a disaster. It's just that he's done looking at the picture of himself sitting on my desk. So he's just opening and closing the planner and then turning a couple of pages. Oh, well, maybe it'll teach him organization.

I'm Almost Walking!

2005-10-31T08:53:00.000-08:00

Jayden is getting so big! I've been shocked at how fast he has grown. I can't wait for him to be a big boy and learn to walk and talk, but I'm secretly (well, not anymore) sad about it. We are not sure that we are having another child, not sure that we can now because of my blood pressure, so that means that Jayden may be it. This may be the one year of babyhood we get.

I love to rock him. He never goes to sleep, but I think about how soon he will be too big for his Mommy to hold him. I never imagined that I would feel this way about him.

He can stand on his own now, and he took one step yesterday! Brian and I were folding laundry, and he was standing between us. He took a step and came to me! We were thrilled, but he wouldn't do it again. I'm sure he's thinking, "geez, do something once, and these people won't leave you alone."

We're also moving him to table food. He's only 9 months, but I want him to learn to feed himself. In the mornings, he gets sqished banana and Cheerios. He mostly pours them out, but he does manage to eat two or three pieces of cereal.

I wanted to link to an article I wrote about him, so that you can all read about what he's taught me during these first few months.
http://www.babyproductdepot.com/2005/10/being-jaydens-mommy.html

Welcome to Jayden's Blog!

2005-07-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Jayden's blog! Since we live away from family, we thought that it would be best to show you all what Jayden's been up to online. We'll post pictures and good stories about him shortly.

Brandi & Brian