Summertime

Not NKOTB, Not Will Smith, but now presenting Joseph Dominic Conway enjoying the summer! Joseph now reaches for you to pick him up when he's upset, he points to his nose if you ask him where his nose is (sometimes he misses and hits the eye instead), he wiggles his body and shakes his hands in the air if you ask him to "shake it", and he loves to play with sticks, grass, dandelions, and anything else he can get his little hands on outside. We captured all of these moments in the slide show so you could see what we mean!

The Constant Ear Infection

Joseph likes to look at himself in pictures, and this is his fascination with himself captured on film the other night after a bath. Cute cheeks huh? But that is not the subject of this blog entry. The subject are his ears. It seems that he hasn't had several double ear infections, but rather one continuous double ear infection that started in March and is still with us today. We visited the doctor on Tuesday and he is now trying the third and final family of antibiotics to see if that will rid his ears of the bacteria. If not, then we try antibiotic shots. And if that doesn't work then we visit the Ears, Nose, and Throat doctor to find out if tubes are our only option. It actually sounds much worse than it is, Joseph is still mostly happy and it doesn't seem to bother him too much. And while we were waiting for the doctor I decided to find out his current weight (I couldn't resist the temptation) and he is a lean, mean 25lbs and 7.5oz. Recently he's decided that he's a vegan. He refuses all chicken and meat, and can't stand eggs even if they are disguised with cheese. In fact he's even been turning down waffles, pancakes, and toast. If it were up to him, he would live off a diet consisting of strawberries, pineapple, bananas, and snacks. Though he will still eat broccoli, peas, carrots, and beans. So no complaints from me yet. His eyes are still a unique shade of blue/gray (more gray than blue) with a thin ring of light brown around his pupil. His favorite word is "ball" and he is starting to learn "book" and "light", but only the first parts of those new words. He understands what you are saying more than you realize, and is his own way has started demanding to be read to. Still going to bed by 7 though....no change on that front! Though it is nice some evenings, especially when Jay wants to watch his Pittsburgh penguins and I am craving a dose of prime time television (can't wait for LOST!)

Sunny Days

We don't watch Sesame Street yet, but we do enjoy the sunny days outside! Though today Joseph seemed to get a bit over heated after an hour outside so we're spending the afternoon in the basement where it's nice and cool. I refuse to turn the A/C on since we'll be going from 80 back to 50 tomorrow. Since when did spring cease to exist?

Our First Slideshow

A friend of ours showed us how to do a slide show on the blog...pretty cool huh? Thought it worked well for the multiple tissue shots. When I updated the blog last week I had Joseph upstairs with me and he grabbed the box of Kleenex and went to town. While I am not correcting this sort of behavior, I did change my mind on the subject of throwing food. When we went out to dinner on Mother's Day I realized the error of my ways as Joseph sent his sippy cup sailing into the table next to us and laughed and giggled as he threw his penne on the floor. And so we now tell him "NO" when he throws things at meal time. This of course did not go over well with Joseph. For the first few days every meal was filled with tears and screaming, but now it's starting to get better. He knows that it is wrong to throw food but he tests his limits. He stares right at you with his hand held out to the side of this highchair with a piece of pancake or his sippy cup ready to drop....and then makes a deliberate decision to either do what is right and put the object back on his plate.....or do what is wrong and throw it to the floor. He is officially a toddler.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today has been filled with ups and downs for Joseph.....he crawls up the stairs, then he tries to crawl down....he has fun playing, then he throws a fit. It seemed his teeth were bothering him so Jay felt around in there and it seems one of his top canines is coming in. (I work for a dental benefits management company....I had to label teeth as part of my new employee training). It's been a big week for Joseph actually, he moved up to the first toddler room at daycare. They sit in little chairs at little tables to eat lunch and they only take one nap a day! I actually got to see him eating lunch the other day because we had a doctor appt (another double ear infection) and I wish I had the camera with me because it was quite cute....Joseph in his yellow smock sitting like a big kid and eating from a plate, chatting with his two friends beside him. In addition to some good habits he's also developing some bad ones....like throwing food and smacking people in the face (just Jay and I so far....he seems to think it's funny but when you say "no" or make a sour face at him he explodes). The throwing food I don't care so much about since Rosco is usually within 12 inches of Joseph at any given meal. All and all the week was actually great....Joseph was pretty happy after he started antibiotics for his ears and spent most evenings playing outside and chatting away. As for today I'm hoping the tylenol and orajel will do the trick and we can head out to dinner at my favorite Italian place. Shouldn't be crowded since when we eat with Joseph we eat at 5. (Prior to having kids I thought that only senior citizens went out that early!)

Look Who's Walking

Joseph started walking with his toys this week, and as you can see, he's quite pleased with himself. Given his latest development he will be moving into the next room at daycare in a week, where the kids walk on their own, eat while sitting in a chair, and make the dreaded switch to one nap a day. (I don't think I'm ready for one nap a day, but that's part parental concern and part selfishness, the morning and afternoon breaks are kind of nice!) Last night we went to our first Brewers game of the season, and amazingly we stayed until the 7th inning without any fussing or crying (though he was visibly tired). He was still in bed by 8:30....but compared to normal that is a very late night for our little man. Not sure yet if we'll be paying for that today....he was a little fussier than normal this morning but calmed down by watching 20 min of Finding Nemo (just when I was getting into the movie he started crawling around again and pushed the power button on the DVD player and ended our cinematic experience). So today we're just hanging out at home, waiting for the supposed snow sprinkles to start. (a few words come to mind: insane, unbelievable, you've got to be kidding me....) Hopefully we'll be outside playing again by mid-week!

Snackin and a Rockin

Playing With Water

Which is much safer than playing with fire. The picture with Jay is an attempt after breakfast to get all of the bananas out of Joseph's hair. The funk that remained served as the "glue" to spike his hair. The picture with me was taken at Bubbie Sarah's swimming pool yesterday afternoon. I taught swim lessons when I was y0unger, and I thought the mechanism to shut your mouth underwater was instinctive, but apparently I was wrong. Two attempts and several mouthfuls later, Joseph was still gulping the chlorinated water. We'll try the repetitive counting method next time. Despite the dunking, he still seemed to enjoy chasing balls around the pool and watching his Aunt Gina blow bubbles. He's taking his morning nap right now, and then we'll head outside to play with Rosco and peruse the yard. He hasn't started eating sticks or leaves yet, so it's nice to just be able to set him down and let him roam. (Which is only possible due to constant poo removal and monitoring of Rosco's back end activity) I shudder to think of what could happen....

Joseph the Alien

Still lovin bath time...and movin up a size in towels! One change though, is that it seems Joseph has accepted that bath time does come to an end, and he no longer screams like crazy when you take him out and try to get his diaper on. A sign of maturity? Probably not....I'm betting he doesn't get as cold now that it's a little warmer. Or it's a fluke, as most things are. The other night while bathing Joseph tried to grab the bar of soap....and when I responded with "ah ahhhhh" he put on his frown, huffed and puffed a few times, and then burst into tears. Tears in the bathtub? (Not buying that shampoo anymore, talk about misleading your customers!) But last night when he tried the same thing and I responded with "ah ahhhh" and threw a bunch of other toys in his direction, and this time Joseph responded with only a momentary pause in the splashing instead of a fit. Maturity? Doubt it...but I will chalk it up to mastering the art of distraction and flagrantly abusing the methods of substitution!

And might I add....I had no idea until I did the spell check that "bath time" isn't one word! We're going to have to leave spelling and geography as subjects in the dad department. I'll stick to math and reading!

One Year Stats

Height: 32 1/4 inches (97%)

Weight: 24lbs 7oz (75%)

Head: 46 1/2 cm (50%)

Joseph's 1st Birthday!

Future Mailman in Training

It's the little things that Joseph enjoys most....pots and pans, the dog bowl, running water, and mail (as we discovered last weekend). It's warmed back up to the 50s again so Joseph had fun playing outside today at daycare, and he's made it through the week so far without a bottle. He's even learned to tilt his head back by himself to get the milk out of the sippy cup when he gets towards the bottom. Another week and I think I can officially pack up all the bottles!

Bathtime is still Funtime

As soon as he hears the water running, Joseph does his fast crawl to the bathroom and leans over the tub. (the other night he actually tried to catapult himself into the tub but I snatched him up as he was getting ready to dive head first into the water.) He also climbed up the stairway from the basement to the landing by the side door by himself last night (yes, I was right there in case he slipped), and he's drinking vitamin D milk, AND his third tooth on the bottom is now visible (plus the other four he has on top). Joseph's not such a little man anymore!

Happy Easter

Me and My Dog

Joseph is playing more with Rosco these days, and was ecstatic this morning to see that there were new furry friends to greet him....not sure who he likes more....the big white german shepherd or the little walking rag doll. (we made it to Winona before the big snow storm hit)

Awwwlllllll Better

Joseph is back to his normal happy, sleep-thru-the-night self (gotta love drugs....the cure for the common ailments). He stayed awake until almost 7pm tonight, crawling around and banging away on the piano. He's even been uttering what sound like real words, the most impressive of which is his exclamation of "Awwwlllllll Doooonnnnn" after he appears to be finished eatting and we prompt him and ask several times "All Done?". We sound a bit overly eager repeating the same phrase over and over, but we love hearing his almost perfectly intelligible response.

Double What?

Ok....I've learned my lesson. I thought I'd adjusted to mommyhood, come to terms with not needing to go to the doctor for every cold, and become quite the expert on caring for a baby. And today the universe put me back in my place.

Double Flippin Ear Infection!

Good thing the nurse persuaded me to take Joseph to the doctor when I called to ask about the snot oozing out of his eyes.

Home Sick

This picture was taken before the virus invaded our home on Monday. The smiles have mostly vanished though they are starting to appear again in small pockets today in between doses of grape flavored tylenol. It's the first cold that has actually put Joseph into a horrible mood and caused his temperature to go above 100. Seems to be a popular bug as it was going around the office and the neighborhood before it hit us....Jay has been in the clear so far but minus the temperature I have the same congestion that the not so little man does. So he and I have stayed at home the past two days, spent some time watching baby einstein videos (had to bust out the big guns), and Jay has been getting up with him at night. We have high hopes of going back to daycare tommorrow. ;)

Gettin In To Things

Joseph discovered his thumb this weekend, only when we tried to take a picture of it he stopped sucking and started smiling. I guess I've trained him right! He's spending more time in the kitchen with us, and now that we pick Rosco's water bowl up off the floor, Joseph's new favorite cooking activity is to bang on pots and pans with wooden spoons. It may sound annoying but we are actually the ones who have taught him this trick. We prefer loud clangy noises as opposed to high pitched screaming or a baby soaking wet with dog drooled water. Downstairs he's started admiring both the dog cage and the dvds, and is trying to figure out how to crawl up the stairway. In one of his attempts to escape last night we thought we saw him stand for a few seconds while pushing himself up on the bottom stair and today he actually stood himself up when Jay and Rosco came back inside from a walk! Jay's been practicing with him off and on ever since. We're so proud....and.....SCARED.

All Smiles

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

Joseph now crawls on hands and knees, forward and backward, and pulls himself up to knee-standing position. The other morning he found a piece of dog food on the kitchen floor and I caught him just as the disgusting morsel was about to enter his mouth. He then diverted his attention to the long dangling phone cord a few feet away so we were able to escape the "mommy just took something away" tantrum that would normally have followed. Last night Jay kept Joseph amused with a different activity every five minutes until about 6:20, when we had to cave and put the little man to bed. We're hoping that when we spring ahead in another month we're able to push bedtime past 7 oclock. We're also hoping to do away with bottles (WOO HOO!) and we're down to our last two cans of formula (WOO HOO with a cha-ching $!)

5 New Phrases to Describe Joseph

1) Attitude - well no surprise on this one, it was bound to surface at some point! Joseph does not react kindly to having anything taken away from him, and we've used "substitution" as our main form of combat in this regard. Wiping his face, hands, or nose will also set him into a fit of rage.

2) Separation Anxiety - not exactly anxiety....but at times he does get upset if you walk away from him and for the first time at daycare this morning he actually got upset when I left. (I think it's determined by his mood, because he only does this when he's tired or has just gotten upset about something else).

3) Socialite - the little man does enjoy going out on the town, interacting with people, looking around at things, and playing with other kids. He's very easy to take out to dinner at this stage, so we've been doing it quite often. (Though we're on a ticking clock while we're out as he is ready to pass out by 7)

4) Food Lover - he just can't get enough of it! We made homemade mac n cheese for him, he's had pancakes, meatballs, gnocchi, and has experienced an endless variety of other foods....and I swear he can pack in as much as a 10 year old. Which is probably why we couldn't get a pair of his pants to snap the other day.

5) Mobile - he may not be doing it in the most elegant manner, but he is definitely crawling. It doesn't always look like crawling, but he can move from one end of the room to the other in a matter of seconds.

Hmmmmm.... if you change "separation anxiety" to "extrovert" or "doesn't like being alone" I think this description may actually fit me. (except that I generally stay awake past 7 and do not object to washing my face).

Happy Valentine's Day!

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!