I realize that these pictures are all pretty much the same, but I couldn't decide which one I liked the best. Monster Baby actually took a nap today so I found him even cuter than usual. Is it because when he naps he is in a better mood and acts cuter? Is it because I am better rested and am less annoyed? Maybe he just was cuter today.

Who's Got the Remote?

Justin somehow manages to get to things when no one is watching. We just can't catch him in the act. He can be fast if it means he can get something he wants that we don't want him to have. He has even demonstrated that he can get over to the bedroom dresser and open it! Here he is getting to one of his favorites--a remote. Of course since I am right there he complains and moves slowly, hoping for my help.

You are speaking English?


In China I have found that just because someone says they speak English is no guarantee that they do. Sure the WORDS might be English, but together they don't necessarily make much sense. The same is true for printed materials.
I ran across this site while looking for something on the web. I had a few laughs. Enjoy!

http://www.pocopico.com/china/chinglish.php

Q: Can My Baby Crawl?
A: I don't know-- what do you think?


Well, tomorrow Monster Baby will be six months old. Happy Half Birthday to him! I may just make a cake for the occasion, even though he can't have any. After all, I can have some. (I have lost 33 of the 55 pounds I put on while I was pregnant so I deserve cake! Even if I gain back two pounds I suppose I am doing okay even though I feel like a whale still.)

Anyway, besides marking the need for another round of shots and the start of taking fluoride drops, six months is the age estimate I gave for Justin to be crawling. So, is he crawling?

Answer: I don't think so, but...

So when does crawling actually occur. Justin is not racing across the room at the speed of light, or even at the speed of a two legged dog. He IS moving though. He usually goes backwards instead of forward. That's not his goal, so does it count? He can get on his hands and knees and rock back and forth and then lunge his body forward, often landing on his face. Does that count? He can also get on his hands and feet and then pull his feet back in and fall forward. This again is often on his face or, if he loses his balance, over on his back. So does this count? This morning while I was in the shower I watched him get up on his hands and knees and fling himself forward a total of at least a foot and a half. Does this mean he can crawl?

I don't know what to put on his baby calendar. Can I say that he can crawl yet? When exactly is the day crawling begins? At least I know yesterday was his first solid poop. Rob thinks that deserves a mention on the calendar, but the calendar didn't come with a sticker for that first. I doubt Hallmark has capitalized on that event either.

Crawling or not crawling, one thing is for certain-- Justin can move. He has perfected the art of moving on his hands and knees in a circle and/or rolling to get to something he wants. It seems the less we want him to get it, the faster he can move. It is only going to get worse from here.

Here is hoping that I can catch him crawling before he enters kindergarten. He is a sly one when it comes to the camera! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the footage I did manage to capture. In the first clip the best part is before his dad removes the infant gym. After that Monster Baby's distraction increases. In the second one is kind of fun to hear his squeal.

Justin and the Jumperoo!

Here is Monster Baby in the incredible jumperoo. It is in the kitchen and he is often put in it while I am working on dinner. I LOVE how easy it is to get him in and out of. Now many of the reviews on amazon.com have negative things to say about the toys that are attached. (1) who is dumb enough to buy a jumper for the toys attached to the tray? (2) my baby didn't read the reviews and he LOVES the toys. Go figure. I give him other things too, but he really likes the toys that it came with. For awhile he didn't even realize he could jump in the jumperoo because he enjoyed the toys so much. I tried to catch him jumping, but once again my Monster Baby refuses to cooperate and when the camera came out, the jumping ceased. Oh well. I still like the jumperoo.




Rob and I tried to get Monster Baby on tape doing his pathetic backwards crawl. It is funny to watch. Justin gets upset as he finds himself slowly getting further and further from his goal. But in true Justin form he didn't want to perform. He wouldn't even do his cute back and forth rocking. Sorry for the video quality. Still don't have the computer and the video camera happy together. The camera doesn't do so well in poor lighting and our place has poor lighting, especially in the familiy room.

Guess who loves the remote?

Poor Justin!

He ALMOST has it. He should be crawling before six months if he keeps this up. That gives him until the 22nd. Will he make it? Here are two clips. It's been awhile. My hard drive is sick so I haven't been doing much with the computer lately.

SWIMMING BABY

Eating with Elmo

I think Monster Baby enjoys the spoon more than the rice cereal, but that's okay. He is getting his bottom two front teeth. Poor thing! Not sure if "poor thing" refers to him or to me though. Not so helpful tidbits about teething I have learned:

1. Your child may drool more and you should wipe his face frequently to remove drool. (MAY drool more? We could fill a pool with my baby's drool. To keep his face drool free I would need to hire someone 24/7 to keep after him.)
2. Some babies have no problems, some have irritability on and off and some are cranky for weeks. (Can you guess whose baby falls into category 3?)
3. Your baby may have disrupted sleeping and eating patterns. (Sigh! We were just GETTING our sleeping and eating patterns down a little better. That's all out the window now.)
4. Give your baby something to chew on. Make sure he can't choke on it and never tie a teething ring around his neck. (Now why would he want anything designed for teething when he has his dear sweet mom?)
5. It doesn't last forever. (Just seems like it.)

Of course nothing really answers my questions of exactly how long can I blame Monster Baby's sleeping and eating problems and fussiness on teething? I can feel his teeth poking through and they are nasty sharp little buggers. I can't really see them yet, not that he lets me look very well. At least I don't think he is old enough to milk it for all it is worth...