Brrrrrrrrrrreakfast

Emphasis on the Brrrrrrr. We just got back from breakfeast at our neighbors, and it's a whopping -4 outside (which doesn't take into account the "arctic winds" the weathermen have been weathering about). Joseph doesn't seem to mind though and he continues to amaze us with his many developments.....he started waving goodbye, he claps and dances while sitting, and basically will mimic whatever you do. One night he looked at us during dinner and said "Ma ma". Though I'm sure he had no idea of the magnitude of his statement. But it was a distinct two syllable "Ma ma" as opposed to the usual "ra ra ra ra" or "ma ma ma ma ma". (I immediately tried to start teaching him "Da da" instead.) He's actually quite the talker now, and loves to listen to himself make noises and plays with his hand against his mouth to make all sorts of funny sounds. Sleeping however, does not come as quickly as it used to. One morning this week I walked into his room and found him sitting in his crib, happily playing by himself. Jay and I were so proud of our little man, and so happy over his newest achievement. But we soon came to realize that this meant that putting him down for a nap or bedtime was no longer as simple as it used to be. So sometimes he falls right asleep, other times he sits up and plays and then falls asleep in a hunched over face plant position, and for the past two nights he has actually freaked out after rolling on to his belly and then won't fall back asleep unless you stay in the room with him. I have now resorted to crawling out of his room on all fours so as not to wake the monster inside the crib. Yes, I'm now one of those parents.

Mobile Madness

Though not quite crawling, Joseph is defintely "mobile". He scoots, rolls, and slides his way across the room to get what he wants, which these days is his football. Our favorite move is when he gets on all fours and makes his way backwards across the floor, which you can usually tell by the look on his face, is not his intended direction. Couldn't quite capture that on film, but as you can see he also enjoys mealtime, though I doubt broccoli will always trigger such a happy reaction. But for now, it's apparently as good as having cake!

I'm Lovin It

Joseph's top two incisors were at last captured on film this weekend while he laughed hysterically at Jay and Rosco playing tug with a new toy. He's sporting quite the space between the two front teeth, which I have to say reminded me of my sister when she was little, but Jay insists that he had a big gap in his top baby teeth too. We went out to our first family breakfast that Joseph could actually partake in....enjoying his first Belgian waffle and sausage patty. And though as a parent I am not proud to admit it, he also tried his first McDonald's french fry today. You can imagine Jay's excitement. Joseph however ended up with some pretty upsetting gas. Coincidence? I think not. Though I still have very fond feelings for the fast food giant.

Joseph's First Set of Wheels

He can't quite push it around the room yet but he can sit on it and beep the horn. This week he tried lots of new food like broccoli, graham crackers, carrots, apples, raisin toast, and muffins. His teeth aren't bothering him as much, but he still hasn't found the perfect toy to put in his mouth and satisfy his chomping desires. His cold is getting better but he's still stuffy and coughy, and yesterday woke up with a new surprise - pink eye! Woo hoo!

On the floor with Dad

Joseph has still been able to play with daddy despite Jay's back troubles....they hang out on the floor and I try to disappear every now and then and return when I hear crying. Joseph's latest favorite thing is to stick his hands in your mouth and feel your teeth. Teeth seems to be his general theme lately, as his own two front teeth have caused a lot of unhappiness in our house and at daycare over the past few days but as of today his daily report listed "much happier" for mood instead of "VERY fussy". Both teeth have broken through the top of his gums and we are now eagerly awaiting their arrival front and center. He's also starting to move around a lot more...not crawling....but as you can see from his latest pose he no longer just sits on his butt. This past weekend I entered the room with a bottle, set it on the floor next to me, and before I could lift Joseph into my lap to feed him he had stuck his butt up into the air in a bear crawl position and tried to catapolt himself towards me, but much to everyone's sadness, fell right on his head. We tried to disguise our laughter.

9 Month Stats

Height: 31 1/4 in (100%)
Weight: 21 lbs 9 oz (70%)
Head: 45 3/4 cm (70%)
Teeth: 2 on the bottom already, and 2 more getting ready to break through on the top!

Joseph is 9 Months Old!

So many changes in our little man between 6 mos and 9 mos! Sitting, rolling around, eating with his hands, clapping, mimicking and of course growing (we'll have our latest stats later this week from the doctor). This weekend Joseph has rolled over onto his tummy in his crib more than a handful of times, and each time I've come into his room to rescue him after listening to his squeaks and squawks over the monitor over his displeasure with trying to sleep on his belly. Yesterday I was petting Rosco, and after Joseph watched me intently for a few minutes, he swatted my hand away and started petting Rosco in the exact manner that I was (as opposed to his usual attempt to grab a fistful of Rosco's ear or hair). And sometimes when you clap your hands or stick your tongue out, he'll do the same thing right back at you. As far as food goes he's starting to enjoy finger food more, so we've started whole peas and are going to try some bananas this week.
Regarding the pictures, I did in fact have Joseph all dressed up in a very nice preppy outfit from babyGap, but of course that was pointless because even though he did not spit up all over it (I had a HUGE bib on him until we sat him down in front of the camera) none of the poses with clothes were all that great, and since he had so much drool on his collar halfway through I decided to go naked for the rest. The amount of drool coming out of the little man's mouth these days is incredible. Today within 30 minutes he'd soaked through his shirt so I have now resorted to putting bibs on him while he plays.

Step on a Crack, Break Daddy's Back

Well we assume those weren't the thoughts going through Joseph's head before Jay starting having his recent bout of back trouble. Seems Jay's vertebrae aren't lined up the way they are supposed to be so he's on bed rest and off little man duty for the next week or two. Hopefully Joseph inherited mamma's vertebrae. ;) Joseph's still loving bathtime, and playing with all of his new toys that are now the dominating decor in our house. He continues to drool like crazy and chew on everything he can get his little hands on. He's fascinated by buttons or strings that hang off your clothes and will chat your ear off all day long with his "ra ra ra" and "ma ma ma" sounds. He's still sleeping 11 or so hours a night and napping off and on during the day. We head to the doctor on tuesday for our latest stats....judging by the strain on my biceps and the tightness of his size 3 diapers I'm going to guess that he is closer to 25lbs than 20....we shall see!

Don't Forget to Hang Up Your Sock...

It's the Simple Things...

It's the simple things that Joseph seems to appreciate most... a diaper placed on his head, the cardboard tube from the inside of a roll of paper towels, and a nice big box. Yes, a box. One that he can sit in and be amused with for minutes and minutes on end. Next we'll be taking out the pots and pans or maybe some laundry for him to play with.

Gifts, gifts and more gifts!

These must be the thoughts running through Joseph's head for the past few weeks. Let's hope he doesn't go through withdrawal come January. ;)

Check out my chompers!

Still just two on the bottom but they are easier to spot now....he chomps on just about everything...toys, food, and your fingers if you are silly enough to stick them in his mouth. This week he's been showing us how to clap and has turned into a bit of an early riser . Jay woke up with him just after 5 this morning, so they are both enjoying their afternoon naps right now. I bet Joseph will wake up first. ;)

So Much Funukah

Joseph opened his very first Chanukah present the other night, and loved every minute of it. It seems that wrapping paper resembles the paper that they put down at the doctor's office and as soon as he heard the first crinkle he was fixated. Now we know the gifts don't matter....it's all about the paper. Though he does seem to enjoy his toy drum. (That's right, I bought him a toy that makes noise. What was I thinking?)

Tis the Season!

Joseph had his picture taken with Santa at Walmart after Thanksgiving....amazingly the first photo taken turned out great! (Santa said he wished he had a picture of us...apparently it was quite comical watching the seven of us jump and dance around) This week Joseph mastered the sippy cup at daycare, though he seems to enjoy chewing on it more than drinking from it. And he loves eating food with his hands...mainly puffs so far but we also tried grapes and will start stocking up on peas and lima beans and all that fun stuff next time we hit the store. Apparently I loved lima beans (though I have no recollection of this) and the only memories I have of peas are my mom discovering one evening after clearing the table that I had been putting them in my mouth and spitting them out in my napkin. I then had to change my methods, and resorted to swallowing them whole to avoid the yucky mushy flavor.

Rub-a-dub-dub Little Man in the Tub

Joseph has changed quite a lot over the last week...he seems more like a toddler than a baby! He now sits up in his bath and plays with his hands, leaning forward and grabbing his duck (he used to just lounge back and kick). You can sit him down on the floor and let him play, you can see his two bottom teeth when he smiles, he grabs his puffs with his hands and puts them into his mouth, he's learning to drink water from a sippy cup at daycare, he makes artwork with his hands, and he is a chatterbox at meal time. He's turning into a JD! (seemed wierd calling an itty bitty baby that before).

Joseph's First Thanksgiving Meal

Well he didn't eat any turkey but he did enjoy some potatoes, yams, and pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, though oddly enough he still seems to prefer food out of a jar. (FYI, Rosco also had a hearty helping of pumpkin pie, and let's just say thank goodness there were 4 of them!) Joseph's also been trying puffs with his lunch every day....he loves moving them around his tray and when he can't figure out how to get them into his hand and then to his mouth, he just bows his head and attempts to slurp it up with his mouth. (He also tried to do the same thing with a drop of formula the other day....quite amusing).

A Couple of Buckeyes

Joseph hung out with Jay in the man room yesterday while I did some shopping. He spends a lot more time awake now, playing with everything and watching everyone. His first tooth is showing when he smiles and the second one is definitely close behind. (He woke up screaming at 10:30 the other night and low and behold there it was, the second tooth!) I meant to buy him some of those gerber graduates puff things that are crunchy but melt in their mouth (so I'm told), but as usual I forgot. I'm pretty sure that half my brain came out along with the placenta and everything else when Joseph was born. ;)

Joseph and the Cookie Monster

Joseph is having fun playing with his toys sitting up, and has a particular fancy for his new friend....the cookie monster. They have a lot in common really: they both sit on their butts, neither of them have very good balance, they both have big eyes, they both laugh a lot, and they are both hard to understand at times.

Happy Halloween!

Daddy's little monster posing for a picture on Halloween while Rosco ran around all crazy-like due to the ball I was taunting him with in my hand while holding the camera in the other. This is the magic I use to get smiles in our pictures. According to Joseph's teachers at daycare he had a fabulous day yesterday, even more so than usual. He didn't cry or get frustrated at all, and played happily with everyone all day long and just rubbed his eyes when he got tired. We think it might be because I started making bigger bottles (which was not intentional, I only did so because his bottles spilled on the way to daycare and there was only enough left for two big bottles instead of three normal ones). So now he's gulping down 8oz bottles, and eating solids three times a day. He can also sit on his own for 5 minutes (or basically until he tries to reach for something) and I think he's even really getting teeth (when I put my finger in his mouth I feel a jagged hard surface along his bottom gums...can't get a good look as he FREAKS OUT whenever I try to open his mouth for a peek...but I'm pretty sure this is teeth this time). And would you believe the little man actually stayed awake until 7:30? I hope it becomes a trend so that once the time changes we can still keep him awake past 6:30!

This is what Joseph looked like before Rosco ran past him.....

Joseph and the Pumpkin Patch

We celebrated Halloween on Saturday by dressing up as a frog and visiting the Barthel Fruit Farm. Though his grin wasn't as big as usual, we did capture a few good photos as Joseph gazed around the pumpkin patch and apple orchard. He was fascinated by the dirt and vines on the ground and the bails of hay stacked up in the fields. Next year maybe he'll be awake late enough to stay up for trick-or-treating!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Listening to a story

Sucking on my toes

Slurping on my hands while eating

Trying to hold my bottle

Playing with Rosco

Sitting up (not quite on his own, but close)

Interacting with the other babies at daycare

Watching TV (typically football or jeopardy)

Going for walks in my stroller

Dancing around the room with mommy or daddy

Splashing around in the bath

Eating oatmeal, yogurt, mangos, green beans, or chicken with apples

So that's what a pink eye looks like

Yes, our home has been breached by pink eye and we are banned from daycare and the office. Joseph doesn't seem too bothered by it, but he is sleeping a lot more during the day. Though right now he is awake and trying to type with me.

A message from the little man:
2jjx 3 mr

To many windows are popping up so I'm going to have to end the fun. And yes, I will clean the keyboard now that we're done.

Our Little Pumpkin

Our little pumpkin posing in the front yard. His tummy is all better and he's back to eating all the usual fuits, veggies, cereal, and yogurt. The doctor says he can eat just about anything as long as it's mashed, with the exception of nuts and seafood....and apparently pizza. Jay tried to give him some Di Carlo's pizza sauce last night and he spit it right back out.

6 month stats:
Length: 29 in (99%)
Weight: 17lbs 10oz (50%)
Head: 43.5 cm (45%)

Six Months Old!

We went to the mall today and had Joseph's six month pictures taken...after 3 hours and two attempts we did end up with a few great shots (above and to the right). As I was putting him onto the boppy I hit his forehead with my knee, so we had to get this one in sepia so that you can't see the big red mark I made between his eyes. The colored one to the right was before the knee debacle.
Joseph's tummy is better so as a special treat after his pictures he got to enjoy some peach yobaby yogurt, and wow does he love it. (we tasted it and can understand why, because compared to all that other mush this stuff is delicious).

Latest developments....

Joseph seems to have a stomach virus...on Monday morning we awoke to the sound of him playing in his crib and a stench so horrible that words cannot even begin to describe. At some point in the night Joseph had puked and pooped, soiling his sheets and Pittsburgh Pirates pajamas (apparently he wasn't too pleased with how they ended their season. He had also pooped his Steelers outfit Sunday afternoon which shows what he thought about their loss). Good news is that we got the stains out of the jammies and the shirt (who knew carrots and sweat potatoes were so dangerous), bad news is that he's still not fully recovered. Though he hasn't thrown up since then, he still has an explosive butt twice a day. We were greeted with yet another stench this morning and for the first time had to give him a bath as the result of a massive cablosion. Of course it didn't bother him at all, he was playing in his crib as usual and welcomed the opportunity to play in the water before heading off to daycare. We're not sure if it's just a regular virus or symptoms of teething, but other than being a bit more needy he seems fine. No temperature or anything. This morning I took a closer look at his mouth and it seems I'd been looking in the wrong place for teeth! I thought they'd pop right out of the top of his gums but low and behold there along the front of his gums were two white objects about half way up the gumline! This may also explain why he only eats an ounce or two out of the bottle, but still will eat his cereal, as I'm told the bottle can bother them while teething. So we'll be buying some yogurt this weekend for him to try so we can still make sure he's getting enough in that belly of his. We go to the doctor on Tuesday for his checkup and will make sure everything is ok!

Bare Naked Baby

Joseph is now a "big" baby. He graduated from the little baby room to the big baby room at daycare, he's wearing 6-12 mos clothes, and he's taking baths without the infant seat. His first bath "tub" experience this week was pretty cute, it was fun to watch him kick and splash around while Jay was washing him. We discovered something else that Joseph enjoys too, even more than water time, is play time with Rosco! One evening I was sitting on the front step with him while Jay was playing fetch with Rosco and Joseph started laughing hysterically every time the dog ran by. In fact Rosco grew tired of the game before Joseph did. When Rosco collapsed in utter exhaustion on the front lawn, Joseph just stared at him and gave him the chin nod a couple times as if to say "that's it, that's all you got?". He's also been reaching out and grabbing more for things lately, he can pull on his toys that are attached to his car seat and make them buzz, and he pets the big brown play object with his hand every time it walks by. Rosco rewards this behavior with huge sloppy kisses that Joseph seems to enjoy (just like his dad). I personally think it's disgusting (don't ever walk up to me and lick my face, it does not make me smile or giggle).

Our Little Buckeye

It's officially fall and Joseph is quite stylish this season. In addition to all of his studly sportswear we have some pretty cute outfits and costumes to wear for Halloween thanks to all of the grandparents. In anticipation of the eventual plummet of temperatures here in Milwaukee I've also been doing some shopping, and I've learned from my friends that online is the way to go (at least for Joseph's clothes, I'm not sold yet as it relates to my own wardrobe). You can still find bargains and for most places if you google coupon codes you can get free shipping or an additional 10% off just about anything. Some of you may be thinking "welcome to the Internet Jessica" while others may be wondering "why wouldn't you just get off you butt and go to the store?" While I do still enjoy a trip to the mall, when time is tight it's just so much easier to do it from my couch at home (again you're thinking "welcome to the Internet Jessica").
My favorite online find is Piperlime, a shoe store that is actually part of the Gap family. They offer free shipping and free returns all the time and I'd been hearing so much about Robeez that I decided to order a pair for Joseph in hopes that we would be able to keep his feet covered as it got colder. And though they are a bit big on him now, I have to say I think all the hype is true (I ordered the 6-12mos size and am trying to resist the temptation of ordering the smaller size. Though my brain tells me that he will grow out of them soon the shopper in me says "buy them you fool"). They stay on his feet and I don't think he'll be able to pull them off like he does his socks.
Now, shouldn't Piperlime or Robeez offer me something in return for my unsolicited advertisement?

Bear Down

Since Joseph kicked off the football season in Steelers attire, yesterday he sported his Bears outfit in style. Though he loves tv he didn't catch much of the games yesterday as he slept the majority of the afternoon and night. It appears as though he has a tooth pretty close to the surface of his lower gums so maybe we'll have a first tooth soon! Foodwise he's been enjoying rice cereal, oatmeal, beans, peas, and now carrots...next up is squash!

A House Divided

Joseph experienced his first football Sunday in high definition last weekend, and while he didn't stay awake for all of the games he did see the Steelers claim victory and the Bears bow their heads in defeat.

Joseph's First Vegetable!

Joseph before green beans....

Joseph during green beans....

Joseph after green beans...

Sleepy in Seattle

Joseph made his longest journey thus far this weekend, out to Seattle to visit our friends the Remfreys. He made his way to some of the most scenic spots in town, though we couldn't keep him awake long enough for this beautiful view from Kerry Park on Queen Anne hill.