New Adventures Everyday

I'm beginning to understand what people say when they talk about each day is a new adventure. It certainly is with Gideon. He's so curious about everything now. And when he masters a new skill (such as sitting up) that's all he wants to do. He loves to pick up and grab and play with things. When you're holding him, he even likes to grab cheeks, lips and noses. He's learned to give kisses (you know, press his slobbery open mouth against your cheek) and he loves eating solid foods. He's loved everything we've tried so far (peaches, peas, prunes & squash) and even grabs the spoon and tries to stuff it in his own mouth. Peas, are so far the favorite. He gets very excited between each bite.

He's just so busy that I honestly have to keep an eye on him all the time. He can't crawl yet, but he's learned how to scoot around pretty well and he can roll all over the place so he doesn't stay in one place for very long. Plus, he tries to sit up and pull himself up. It's crazy! He's growing up way too fast!

Since he still topples over a lot and I can't always be there to support him, we've devised a makeshift playpen that lets him sit up and play on his own from a laundry basket and a pillow. He seems to enjoy it.

Our new duckie bath tub. This is really, really, really fun! And he even has som bath toys to play with in here. Thanks aunt Mimi! We LOVE it!

Last night for the first time he spent the entire night in his crib in the nursery. See I guess I'm paranoid. Or selfish. Up to this point we've always put him to bed in the bassinette in our bedroom. Even though he's gotten really big for it, I could never bring myself to actually put him to bed at night in the crib. His room downstairs just seemed so far away. He's taken naps in the crib before, and even started out the night in the crib, but when we went to bed, he was always safely ensconced in his basinette barely a step and a half from our bed. But last night I forced myself to put him to bed in the crib. It's better for him, he needs to start learning that's where he sleeps.

I'm not sure why I was paranoid about not hearing him. We do have a baby monitor, but even without that, I've found that in the middle of the day with the neighbors mowing their yard and the radio on, I can still hear him from anywhere in the house. But I was paranoid about not hearing him, so I slept downstairs in the guest room.

I realized two things as I lay awake last night in the guest room. 1. The bed in that room makes my back and neck ache (something I'm paying for today.) So we extend a sincere apology to all of you who have been forced to sleep on that horrible lumpy mattress. We'll try and rectify that situation in the near future. Thanks, the Management. 2. It's not that I'm paranoid about not hearing him when he's in his room and I'm up in mine. The truth is I can't stand the thought of being so far away from him at night. Is that crazy?

It was so hard when he woke up at midnight. I just wanted to pick him up, and carry him upstairs and settle into our old habits. But somehow I knew that wasn't what either of us needed. So I changed his diaper and gave him a bottle and left the room. (We usually rock while he eats at night and then I put him back to bed when he's asleep.) He of course did just fine. Better than me. I cried when I went back to the horrible lumpy bed (only part of which was caused by the bad mattress.) He woke up again (as usual) around 4:00 and I forced myself again simply to change a diaper and then hand him a bottle and leave.

I finally allowed myself to pick him up when he woke at 6:30 because that's our cuddle time. Usually he wakes up between 6 & 6:30 and I get him out of bed, lay him across my chest and we both doze off for another hour or so. Then when he wakes up an hour later, he's up for the day. And I wasn't about to give up my snuggle time with my baby boy.

Tonight I keep telling myself I'm going to sleep in my bed while he sleeps in his, but truthfully I don't know if I'll make it. I don't know how much I like this crib idea anyway. Sure the basinette was so small he couldn't move or even stretch out in it. But the crib just seems so huge. He rolls all over the place & this morning I found him with his head against the end & one arm sticking out the side. Guess I'll have to break down & get the bumper pads put on.

We went to the mall today because we kept hearing from people that our picture was in the photographer's display by Sears and Old Navy. Turns out, there are two pictures of the munchkin. Pretty cool, huh?

But even cooler than that, when we got there, we found that Aunt Skye also has a picture in the display. That was a fun surprise.

While at the mall we hit some clearance sales and got mom two new pair of shoes and the munchkin lots of new clothes. Thanks Nana!