Justin, Justin, What Do You Read?

Here is Justin with one of his favorite books. He "read" it the entire time I was in the shower and still wasn't done with it. He was so cute that I decided to catch a cute clip. Of course by the time I get the camera and everything he was pretty much done. Oh well. He is still pretty cute.

HOW MUCH IS THAT TIGER IN THE HALLWAY?



Recently I decided that Justin "needed" a costume for his first Halloween. I came to that realization in Target when he started staring at a tiger costume. I showed him some other costumes too, but the tiger one seemed to be what caught his eye. It was on sale too, how could I resist? The sad thing is that the previous week I purchased him a winter coat and spent less on it than I did on the tiger costume. I anticipate that he will get more use out of the coat than the costume. (Thus far he has worn the costume more often. He thinks that the tiger baby in the mirror is adorable. I agree!)

In all fairness, his winter coat was under $10. It is a Carter's brand from last year and I got it on clearance at Ross. Somehow I thought it was silly to spend over $30 on a winter coat he will wear one season when I could get one for less. No point in getting a Halloween costume for him after Halloween. Though he wouldn't know the difference... Does it really matter when the pictures of baby's first Halloween are taken as long as he believes they were taken on his first Halloween?

It's Been Too Long!
October 2, 2007

Okay, I know it has been absolutely forever since I have written. I have a million excuses including that my computer was packed in China and took four weeks to get to Idaho and when it DID arrive I was in Los Angeles. Couldn't I use a different computer you may ask? Well, yes. That is why I have a million excuses. Some are better than others. Rather than get into that though I will post some pictures and tell the tale of Noodles, Rob, and Monster Baby's move.

We left China and arrived in Idaho after many, many hours of travel. Justin is a good traveler, but even so he requires a lot of extra gear to haul around. I didn't get to enjoy business class the way I would like to since I was holding him and trying to keep him happy or asleep for the majority of the time. The only bad time he really had was when we sat on the plane in Beijing waiting to take off. We were on the plane for almost 2 hours before we finally got to get off the ground. Since they kept saying five more minutes or ten more minutes I kept the poor kid strapped into his car seat which he hated.

Spent a little bit of time in Idaho. My brother, Nathan, came with his family. The three small kids were like toys for Justin. What could entertain better than a 6 year old, 4 year old, and a 20 month old? My sister, Meredith, was also here. Full house! Sometimes it was a bit overwhelming for Justin. Sometimes it was overwhelming for me too!

Then it was off to California. Visited some of Rob's friends in the Oakland area over the weekend. It was fun for me to finally meet them and Justin was a hit with their kids. We got to see the Oscar Meyer weinermobile too. What vacation would be complete without that?

From there it was down to the Los Angeles area. We got to see Rob's mom, his dad and stepmother, and his brother. LA area means a lot of time in the car! We also got to see our friend June (we knew her in Shenyang, China) one evening. It was nice to see her and catch up a bit. Justin got to go on his first zoo trip with us and Grandma and Grandpa Weber. He liked flamingos, monkeys, ducks, giraffes, and the other kids.

My sister, Meredith, got down to her new place in Santa Barbara while we were in Southern California. She has made the move from Brooklyn, NY to sunny California to work on her PhD at UCSB. We were able to spend some time with her and get her better settled in. Justin got to see the ocean for the first time. He LOVED it! We had trouble keeping hom out of the water. He loved the sand in all it's many textures and loved crawling towards the waves. World's biggest bathtub!




From California it was back to Idaho. We went for a walk on the famous Coeur d'Alene floating boardwalk and then to the city park. Justin liked the swings.

Rob had to leave after a week to go back to work. Justin and I will catch up at the end of the month. We miss him, but Grandma and Grandpa's house sure beats a hotel room!

Ducks and Popsicles

The baby tub was just too small for my poor Monster Baby. The way he is always trying to crawl or stand in the big tub just wasn't working for me. He was all over the place and it took so much energy to keep him from going under or hurting himself that I couldn't wash him. Target is the best! I ordered this duck tub. It will be great for our travels this summer too. My baby has a comfy tub that can travel with him.

The tub really comes in handy after Daddy has a popsicle. Guess who insists on sharing? Yep, Monster Baby takes over the popsicle and makes a mess. He sure does love it. Can you say sugar? It probably feels good on his gums too. I like him chewing on the popsicle instead of my shoulder. I have bruises that make it look like I have been attacked by a wild animal. I swear if these newest teeth don't come in soon I am going to go crazy!

Justin gets into EVERYTHING now that he is mobile. Nothing seems to be off limits if it is within his reach. He has even mastered the art of getting into the lower drawers. Fortunately, it takes awhile since they are heavy. That doesn't seem to be enough for my baby though. He has decided that since he is seven months old he should be walking. I have TRIED explaining to him that really he should be happy with crawling. He just won't listen. He tries to stand up in the middle of the room and is unsuccessful. He has decided that while continuing to practice this skill he should give in and use objects to pull up. He hasn't figured out that he needs to keep at least one hand holding on for support at all times since he hasn't figured out the whole balance thing yet. His quest for being upright has made my life much more difficult. I spend a lot of time being his spotter. Here is a picture of him two days before he turned seven months old. It was the second time he pulled himself up to the bed. He let go when he saw me with the camera. Oops! He fell to the floor with a very loud thud as the back of his head smacked down hard. I have accepted that it is a WHEN and not an IF that my Monster Baby will need stitches. I hope that it is not in China though. Not too much longer for him to hold out.

Here is also a (not so flattering) picture of me with Muzz in our matching pants/shorts.

Eating and Playing

Well, guess my baby has a bit to learn about eating. He has the wrong end of the spoon in his mouth. I guess that is the least of our eating problems for now. Food gets everywhere. He seems to take delight in spraying me with whatever it is he is eating. He looks so nice and clean in the before picture. That never lasts long.

Here is another pic of him playing with his toy train. It is the coolest toy. Rob and I enjoy it almost as much as he does.

Justin Cares for Baby Bob

Here is Monster Baby tending to his very own Baby Bob. Baby Bob makes a rattling sound when you shake him. I wonder if my baby would make a rattling noise if I shook him. Baby Bob sets a bad example of shakng babies. Other than that, Baby Bob is a good example for Justin. He doesn't cry or get into things he shouldn't. he doesn't seem to be reaching any milestones though...

Crawling and Sitting

July 6, 2007

This is the date when I decided that Monster Baby could officially crawl. When he can get away from me and into the next room on his own there is no "maybe" about whether or not he is moving. Here are a couple of crawling clips, neither is very exciting. My baby does not cooperate.

July 12, 2007

This is the day I decided Monster Baby could sit. Funny since babies should sit well before they crawl. Sitting doesn't get him anywhere, so he really isn't interested in it. It took awhile to get him positioned. I had to get him sitting first. He kept arching his back and trying to get out of the sitting position until I collected a half dozen toys to distract him. I don't know what the official sitting criteria is, but today he managed to sit for over 10 minutes. In my book, that counts and isn't just a fluke. Note the empty coke bottle in the picture. It is one of his favorite toys.

Last (and probably least) is a clip that was made trying the quick capture feature on youtube. I will have to try again sometime and see if there was some sort of problem because the quality is REALLY poor. It does show off his cute laugh though.

Happy 4th of July

Poor Rob had to go to a work related 4th of July "party" today. Justin and I got to hang out at home. We did get some pictures of Dad and Justin in his 4th of July outfit. Aren't my guys cute?

I have some statistics from Justin's six month check up. He is 8.1 kg (about 18 pounds: 60th percentile) and 69.5 cm (about 27.5 inches: 80th percentile)

Rob and I both weigh more than we would like. We won't share those numbers with you though.

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...

Is this supposed to be good?

Sunday was Justin's first attempt at solid food, if you can call 1 part rice cereal to 4 parts breast milk a SOLID food. We got it all on video, unfortunately we are continuing to experience technical difficulties getting our camcorder and computer to talk to each other. These pictures will have to do. He didn't dislike eating, but seemed a bit confused by the process or the taste or something. When he tired of the whole spoon thing, I put the rest of the cereal in his bottle. That seemed to be a hit. It was the first time he ever held a bottle, not that he gets a lot of opportunity. We'll see how he does with the cereal by the end of the week.

Still Not Crawling

Sorry the light is poor. It makes it hard to see very well. (I need to have Rob check out why I can't get the camcorder hooked up to the computer. It should work better than the digital camera for video clips.) There isn't much to see though. Justin gets camera shy and doesn't like to perform. Rob is trying to coax Justin with a favorite toy. Justin really wants to crawl, but he gets frustrated easily. He seems to get frustrated even faster if he knows Mom or Dad is there and could be helping him (or feeling sorry for him). I look forward to him succeed so he isn't so cranky. Of course that will make my job even harder. This Monster Baby doesn't believe in sleeping. At least right now he can't get very far when I put him down.

Here he is again. I thought that the cow would motivate him. As you can see he gets distracted by the things around him-- the blanket, his hands, his spit, the light on the camera... Maybe he would have been better off with clothes on. He loves being naked (or mostly naked). That is entertaining in and of itself.

Baby Sitting

Justin is slowly working on sitting unsupported by anyone or anything. He still leans forward quite a bit and can't maintain his position for very long. It isn't something we have been trying to get him to do really and he isn't as interested in sitting as he is standing (with his hands being held) or trying to crawl. I think he looks cute. He did pretty well for the video clip, especially since it is on a bed and not a hard flat surface. In the first picture I think it looks like I superimposed his head on a body.







In keeping with the theme of baby sitting, Justin had his first non-family member babysitter yesterday. Seth watched Monster Baby so Rob and I could go out to dinner without carrying around a tired, cranky baby. Two hours away from him was kind of nice. Fortunately he was well behaved and slept most of the time for Seth. He did, however, wake me at 4:30 this morning. Guess he missed me. Here he is with poor Seth who humored me and let me take a picture.