Time For Some New Duds...

As my mom noticed the other day when she was visiting, Jack takes his eating very seriously and it is starting to show. Our little sparrow is quickly growing out of his 0-3 months clothing and is well into 3-6 months onesies. Can you believe it? 
The transition to a new clothing bracket also means some new stylistic choices. Jack looks cute in just about anything (biased mama in the house), but he would look really cute decked out in a few of my faves: The Man in Black, The Boss, sparrows(!), a boombox and a nod to High Fidelity. 

Johnny Cash Onesie via SmokinChix, Bruce Springsteen The Boss Blue Onesie via SmokinChix

Sparrow Tattoo One Piece via Punk Baby Clothes, Boombox Onesie via via Punk Baby Clothes

My Cosby Sweater Infant Onesie via cafe press, High Fidelity Championship Vinyl Baby Onesie via cafe press

Cool Toy Tuesday: Wooden Teething Toys

Versions of Jack's favorite things that he can actually sink his teeth, er, gums into:

an acoustic guitar, his home state and keys (this boy LOVES keys)!

Oregon and Guitar Teething Toys via Little Sapling Toys 

Keys via MamaMade Them 

Dear Jack: Month 2

You’re the one I love…

June 27, 2011

Dear Jack,

Wow, today you are two months old! It seems like just yesterday you were being pulled (quite literally) out of my tummy and your cheek placed against mine. You have become the center of your daddy’s and my universe. When you are happy and alert, we just sit and stare in awe, goofy grins across our faces. I ask your daddy often, “Can you believe he is ours? Can you believe we made him? Can you believe he fit inside my belly?” Daddy just smiles, shakes his head and says quietly, “No, I can’t.” We have so much love for you it hurts (in the best possible way).

This month has been filled with visitors from near and far. During your fourth week of life we went to visit Mama’s school. You met the teachers I work with and they loved holding you! You were so amazing on your first outing that we even got to go out to lunch, it was a big day for us. That same week Grandpa Bob came out from Virginia to meet you for the first time; it was love at first sight. He was already excited to play soccer and go exploring with you.  Grandpa Jeff, Grandma Maralee, Auntie Andi, Auntie Erinn and Uncle Matthew came to visit during that same weekend. We took you out to McMenamin’s for dinner. It was great to have a night out with you. Everyone (but you, Mama and Uncle Matthew) enjoyed their yummy beers. You slept the entire time, it was fabulous, I felt like a great parent.  

When you were five weeks old, Aunt Becky flew out from Washington, D.C. to meet you. She loves you so much and had fun playing with you on the floor. During that same busy weekend, you attended your first graduation! Uncle Matthew graduated from high school. We were very proud when we watched him walk across stage through the emergency exit window, as you were not the happiest camper during the ceremony.

Our days this month were spent trying to find a rhythm and routine. We diaper you, feed you, burb you, put you to sleep and then start it all over again. Some days we get to go on trips. We went back to school several times, once to meet Mama's students and other times to get a little work done, you even went to your first union bargaining meeting (go teachers!). We also got to visit Daddy's work. The ladies he works with loved you and gave you lots of attention. You are content to sleep in the Ergo carrier during most of our outings and make it easy for me to travel with you. We took our first visit to the library and checked out eight books for read alouds, you got quite a few compliments from the librarians! 


Our days this month are filled with long walks (some days four miles, sometimes Mama is ambitious and we made it eight miles), alert times spent playing on the floor, anticipating Daddy’s arrival home from work and bath times.

You make the most amazing sounds. Your coos are an auditory delight, the best sounds I have ever heard. Jack, you have begun to smile too! You love funny sounds and just being close to our faces. When you lay on the floor you like to wave your hands and legs around, sometimes you even notice your hands. This makes us laugh to no end. Who knew these simple feats would provide your parents with hours of entertainment?

These were some of your amazing accomplishments this past month:

• You have been known to sleep for seven hours straight during the nighttime, daddy and I love this (note: this does not happen every night)!
• You started smiling when we smile and when you hear a funny sound.  You smile in your sleep and when you pee on one of your parents.
• Jack, you can turn your head from side to side with confidence to follow sounds and faces.
• You have noticed a few things about yourself: your hands exist and that you can control your leg movements.
• You stay alert and content for up to an hour at a time, most of the time with Mama and Daddy nearby, but sometimes even independently.
• Jack, your neck is so strong, you push yourself up into a baby push-up position a lot and you even rolled over once (from tummy to back)!
• You made your first communicative noises this month: ooo, aaa, waaaa, ma (this one means you are hungry).
• At your two-month well child visit you weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces (78 percentile), were 24.5 inches long (93 percentile) and took your first shots like a champ!

Some of your favorites from Month 2:

• The song, “Lo” by Flo Rida, is still in heavy rotation around these parts, it calms your crying within 30 seconds. Your daddy and I are desperately searching for a replacement tune.
• You love rattles! We have a wooden rattle that you are smitten with and some plastic keys  that seem to capture your attention. Mama also picked you up some sweet rattles that you wear as a bracelet. When you wiggle your little arms the rattle makes a noise, a lot of fun for you.
• Walking around the neighborhood is so calming to you. You used to fall asleep after a block in the stroller, but this month you have loved to take in the sights and sounds of St. Johns.
• Kya, the dog, makes you smile incessantly. When you are on the floor playing and her shadowy figure towers over you, you get the biggest smile, it makes our hearts soar that you two are becoming such good friends.
• You are such a wiggler, so Daddy came up with the nickname "Mr. Wigglesworth" for you. When he calls you this, you think it is the funniest thing EVER and get a huge smile on your face. Your smiles are fantastic!

 “The One I Love” by David Gray is the song I play a lot on our walks. It makes my eyes swell with  tears thinking about the immense love I have for you. In the past I had heard parents speak of the love they have for their children and I smiled and nodded, politely appreciating their sentiment. Now I get it, in a big way. Having you in our lives makes everything different. You make me want to be a better person for you and the world you will grow up in. I am so grateful you are the one I love.

I love you this much (arms spread as wide as they can be),

Mama B

Well Child Visit: 2 Months

Jack had his two-month well child visit yesterday and guess what? He did very well (hehe)! The doctor was impressed with his eye-following, neck-holding and sleeping-through-the-night skills (Jack was like, "You probably tell all the two-month-olds that.").

He was a great little patient: gripping Mama's hand for reassurance, peeing on the nurse and only a few tears during his shots (from him and maybe one or two from me). He is in the 78th percentile for weight and 93 percentile for height. Overall, he is a happy, healthy, engaged two-month-old; we couldn't be more proud!

Jack Milton, 2 Months
Weight: 12 pounds, 13 ounces
Height: 24.5 inches

Grateful Journal: June 24, 2011

In our class (I teach second and third grade), we keep grateful journals. A few afternoons a week we take the time to write down what we are grateful for and why. I find this makes us, students and teacher, take pause and find some good in the moment. It can turn around even the roughest of days for my young students, but also fills our classroom with gratitude. Some of my most special memories as a teacher are from grateful journal sharing. Kids can be so kind and forthright, they remind me to strive to be the same. Here is a peek at my grateful journal for the week (the home version):

 

1. Kya is one of the most loving dogs I've ever met (and she's not afraid to show it).
She has gently embraced the newest addition to our family with open paws, sweet, sweet girl, she is.

2. These little ears are in tune with so many exciting noises lately and they are pretty cute, to boot.

3. Rian doesn't understand why I don't just eat regular chocolate (i.e. in bar or truffle form).
Chocolate chips have been my favorite chocolate to sneak from the baking cabinet since I was young.
Forbidden chocolate is the best chocolate.

4. Flowers on the table in the afternoon glow make me happy.

5. Jillian Michaels, oh how I have missed thee
(you really didn't want to see a picture of me doing side lunges, did you?)!

Someone is excited...

because the cheeks he'd been promised, the cheeks that have been passed down from generation to generation, have finally arrived!

Couldn't you just kiss those sweet little cheeks all day long?

Cool Toy Tuesday: Magnetic Blocks

wooden blocks + magnets = genius toy for little hands  

Tengu Blocks via Oompa

A Case of the Mondays...I Wish It Was Sunday

As a teacher I usually dread Sundays. The last day of the week means a lot of energy spent anticipating the new week ahead: grading homework, getting my own homework done (teachers take a lot of classes on their own time, Fox News failed to mention this when they started the war against our nation's teachers a few months back, I digress...), catching up on phone calls, packing lunches, lesson plans, you get the idea.

Jack and maternity leave have changed my Sunday tune a bit, much less, "dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnn" and much more Velvet Underground.

I am beginning to really enjoy Sundays. Now they are all about spending time with family, laughing, noshing, listening and sharing our little boy.

 

...'Cause that's my funday, my I don't have to runday...

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to our most amazing dads, Grandpa Bob (aka Dad-to-you) and Grandpa Jeff (aka Kepi)!

        

A very special shout-out to the best new dad on the block (and beyond, of course).

Rian, you are the most wonderful middle-of-the-night-diaper-changing, stroller-pushing, chocolate-chip-pancake-making, guitar-strumming, problem-solving, smile-inducing, loving dad!

We love you right up to the moon, happy first Father's Day!

Acoustic Saturday

 

Jack meet Mr. Acoustic Guitar. Mr. Acoustic meet Jack. We are hoping Rian's guitar playing replaces Jack's love of Flo Rida and Kris Kross, fingers, well um, crossed (pun noted). On the playlist for this rainy Saturday: Misfits, Social Distortion and a mean rendition of "The Ants Go Marching". When Rian stopped playing, Jack let out a loud wooooohhhh, translation: Encore!

 

          This was one captivated baby.

Dear Jack, Month 1 (belated)

To make you feel my love…

May 27, 2011

Dear Jack,

You are one-month-old today, where did the time go? It feels as though we just left the hospital and nervously sat you on the floor of our old farmhouse to meet Kya, the dog, for the very first time. You have filled up our lives, in the best and most exhausting ways possible.

The first two weeks your daddy and I spent time just getting to know you and your needs. Your daddy is such a natural father. He held you constantly and even took extra “baby shifts” so I could rest and recover. You were so fragile and sweet. It was a surreal couple of weeks. We learned to tell the difference between your cries and gave you calm, reassuring words to help you through your first days and weeks. There is a lot of light, noise and activity to adapt to when you are new to this world, you handled the transition beautifully.

So many people came to welcome you here in your first few weeks of life. Grandma Maralee, Grandpa Jeff, Grandma Laurinda, Auntie Andi and Uncle Matthew were waiting for you at the hospital as you were lifted from my tummy. They all got to hold you in their arms when you were so fresh and were instantly in love. They came to visit you in the hospital several times; it was hard to stay away from you. Auntie Erinn rushed up from college just to hold you while you were still in the hospital, she loves you so much! Mama’s good friend from work, Roxanne, came by on your first day. Her eyes filled with tears of joy upon seeing you. Our good friend, your Auntie Nicki (who stayed with Kya, while we stayed with you), came by to hold you and couldn’t believe how special you were! Mama’s best friend since high school, your Auntie Colleen, came by with a basket of our favorites (specifically, chocolate and orange juice for Mama) and lots of love the first night we brought you home from the hospital. Another good friend of Mama’s from work, Rachel, came by a few days later with flowers and the sweetest words upon seeing you.

Your second week brought even more visitors. Your Oregon grandparents, aunties and uncle came by a lot in the first two weeks; they could not get enough of Baby Jack. Great-Aunt Lisa and Cousin Brigitte drove all the way up from California (and back again in two days) just to see you. Your mama's heart was so full from this gesture of love. My boss and friend, Deb, came by to welcome and hold you. Her first son came into the world much the same way you did and weighed almost as much as you, I really appreciated hearing her story as I was trying to sort through all of my feelings about your birth. Another good friend of mine from work, Tracy, came by to say hello to you too. Her daughter is just seven months older than you (to the day); we have hopes that you will become great friends!

While we had a lot of visitors, we also had a lot of time to enjoy our new little family. Your daddy and I found that partnership took on a whole new meaning since your birth. I relied on your daddy so much those first few weeks as my body was still recovering from surgery. We took (very short) walks, got hot chocolate, rocked you and spent lots of time cuddling as a family.

When it was time for Daddy to go back to work, you and I cried. Well, you cried for any number of reasons, I cried because I did not want your daddy to leave. Life did have to move forward, your daddy went back to work and guess what? You and I did fine. We filled our days getting to know each other and looked forward to each evening and the weekends with your daddy. Your daddy even arranged for Auntie Andi to come and hang out with us for a few days. She was an amazing help during your third week. She came over early in the morning and stayed to cook us dinner at night. I will forever be grateful for her kindness and generosity as we were settling into our new life as parents.

These are some of your amazing accomplishments this past month:

• You were born (this is big)!
• You lifted your head at 45 and 90 degree angles, using your arms and neck to push yourself up when on your belly.
• You made some noises that were not cries.
• You learned how to put your hand in your mouth and sometimes use that to sooth yourself.
• You learned to fall asleep when listening to music, strolling in your stroller or driving in the car and can sleep through Kya’s barks.
• You had your first visit to the pediatrician. You were such a great patient, letting the doctor touch you, listen to your heart and lungs and weigh you. We love your pediatrician, she confirmed what we already knew, “He’s perfect.”

Some of your favorites during month 1:

• Your daddy found out really quickly that music soothes you, specifically rap, bad 90’s club mixes and heavy metal. Your favorite song by far is “Lo” by Flo Rida. It is so inappropriate for a baby and you will not be able to listen to it as soon as you are old enough to understand the words, but you LOVE it and it puts you to sleep.
• You loved to be swaddled. There are these magnificent little “swaddle suits” that we wrapt you up in and you slept so soundly, just as if you were back in Mama’s tummy.
• Baths! You loved your first bath. We poured warm water on your head and tummy and you were in heaven. You grew out of the kitchen sink after your second bath. We cannot wait to take you swimming!

This month was all about adjustment, adjusting to a life as parents, your adjustment to a life outside the cozy womb and our adjustment as we make our way through the world as a new little family. My heart has made the biggest adjustment of all. I did not know I could love someone so deeply. When you rest your precious little head on my shoulder and I can feel your hand falling limp on my back, I cannot imagine a world without you in it. Mr. Bob Dylan’s words float through my headphones on our daily walks, “I could make you happy, make your dreams come true, nothing that I wouldn’t do, go the ends of the Earth for you, to make you feel my love.” It’s true.

I love you this much (arms stretching to the moon),

Mama

From Here to There

It is hard to believe that we are here. Just a few short years ago (okay, twelve) I was hanging out in my overalls (yes, yes, I was) deciding whether or not I should go knock on Rian's dormroom door.

Ten years and the overalls trend passed. Rian and I finally tied the knot. We stood on the beach on a beautiful Oregon Coast day and exchanged our vows. Under cafe lights there was laughter, drinking and dancing with our closest family and friends. It was a wonderful milestone in our lives.

Just a few months passed and we were handed the keys to our first house. We signed 500 pages of paperwork at the title company and got to work on a few simple painting projects (note: the stairs below did not work out exactly as planned, as evidenced by the blinding blue paint). New paint, holidays and lots of frisbee throws with Kya helped to create a lovely sense of permanence within the walls of our little farmhouse.

But now...now we are here, or rather there. We have a child now. Life is heavier, in the best way. Jack arrived and he changed everything. The moment his cheek was placed against mine he made me feel the magnitude of parenthood, the beautiful weight of just how precious life is. He has brought us there, here.

 

We are so grateful to be in this new place with this fresh person, to relish in every discovery, every turn life has to offer, to fill up our home and marriage with love for him and each other.

 

Welcome to the world little boy, we are so glad you are here!

A Whole New World

Yes, yes I did. My first blog post and the title's namesake is from a ballad featured in a prominent early 90's Disney movie, apologies readers (and Peabo Bryson). Sometimes a girl just wants to have fun(ahhhhhh, cannot stop).
 
I am embarking upon the journey of motherhood to the awesome Jack Milton and want to document it to keep the friend/family group in the loop (rhyming and apparently parentheses are a must on this blog). There will be candor about parenting/life and lots of photos of the most adorable boy ever (you have been forewarned and I am totally biased). More to come my loves...

P.S. Isn't that the sweetest face? Love him.