Monday, September 29, 2008
Steven and Uncle Andy
Steven and Uncle Andy definitely LOVE each other. With so many family members around last week, he had to fight for little buddy time. Here's Steven listening to his Uncle Andy read him a book before bedtime.
Helping Turn the Pages
Jungle Java
Yesterday Steven and I went to Jungle Java with the new Mocha Moms group that has started in our town. We arrived more towards the end because of a late nap, but I really wanted to go. I hadn't been able to make it to anything, and I wanted to meet some of the other moms. There was one mom that I knew from the Detroit chapter, so that was nice.
After everyone else left, Steven and I went back to the baby play area. I think Steven enjoyed playing on the alligator. . .he didn't want to look at me for any of the pictures. He was just way too busy having fun!
After everyone else left, Steven and I went back to the baby play area. I think Steven enjoyed playing on the alligator. . .he didn't want to look at me for any of the pictures. He was just way too busy having fun!
What I Found This Morning
Yep, that's him standing up in his crib! I had a hard time getting a good picture in between cries--he was more interested in getting out than he was having his picture taken. It also didn't help that he still has a mild cold and had a very runny nose.
This past week in PA, he learned so many new things. He can now pull himself up to furniture, crawl on his hands and knees, and is getting way too fast cruising around furniture. While he's at it, he can also bend over and pick up something off the floor without falling over. He also is now waving hi/bye consistently and enthusiastically. At one rest stop, Steven started randomly waving to everyone we passed :)
My life just got a whole lot busier since Steven can get from one place to another to another in a matter of seconds!
This past week in PA, he learned so many new things. He can now pull himself up to furniture, crawl on his hands and knees, and is getting way too fast cruising around furniture. While he's at it, he can also bend over and pick up something off the floor without falling over. He also is now waving hi/bye consistently and enthusiastically. At one rest stop, Steven started randomly waving to everyone we passed :)
My life just got a whole lot busier since Steven can get from one place to another to another in a matter of seconds!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Back in PA
Mark and I are back in PA after nice trip to Niagara Falls. We had a great time, but we were definitely ready to get back to the little buddy! We're staying here for a few days and heading home on Saturday.
It's been a good trip so far. The weather has been perfect. The wedding went well. The little buddy was the cutest ring bearer ever, of course :) I have so many pictures to share, but that'll have to wait. It's quite late, and I have a major work project that's due on Friday. I need to get moving on it!
I'm going to try to upload pictures to Facebook before I work on the project, so check them out there.
Monday, September 15, 2008
At the Apple Orchard
This afternoon Steven and I went to a local apple orchard with my mom and sister. Neither Steven nor I had been there before, but we had a good time. We started off with freshly made donuts, which Steven was really wanting. Instead, he had to settle for cheerios :)
After the donuts, we went to see the various animals. Here he is talking to the Emus.
After the donuts, we went to see the various animals. Here he is talking to the Emus.
Yelling to the Ducks
My Little Worm
Little Bumblebee (Don't you just love the tongue??)
The Scarecrow and a Black Cat
My Day So Far
**Update--It's 12:22, and he's still in bed! He's been awake for at least half an hour but is just playing with his aquarium.**
5:00ish--Get up with Steven who is wide awake and completely soaked. (Not surprising since he went to bed at 6:30 last night!) Mark had gone in and turned on his cd player, but it hadn't worked. I was surprisingly awake, so I got up with him when I heard him still crying a little bit later. (I slept in guest room to avoid Mark's germs, so I didn't have the monitor near me.)
5:15--Give the buddy a bath (he needed one anyway, and what else is there to do at 5:15??).
5:45--Put on Steven's ointment and powder, put creamy baby oil in his hair and on his scalp.
6:15--Give Steven an 8 oz. bottle with the sippy cup handles attached.
6:30--Complete meltdown since bottle was gone and is practically inconsolable.
6:45--Play with Steven while Mark (now awake) changes Steven's sheets.
6:55--Read books, sing songs, put Steven back in crib.
6:57--Little buddy stops crying and is fast asleep.
8:15--Going back to bed too!
I'm hoping he sleeps for quite a while and still takes his nap. I'm being optimistic, I know, but I can always hope, right?? I'll need his nap time to work on laundry and making lists for our big trip on Thursday.
There's so much to do before taking the little buddy out of town! (And even more so when leaving him with the in laws for several days--been busy writing instructions and bedtime routines!)
5:00ish--Get up with Steven who is wide awake and completely soaked. (Not surprising since he went to bed at 6:30 last night!) Mark had gone in and turned on his cd player, but it hadn't worked. I was surprisingly awake, so I got up with him when I heard him still crying a little bit later. (I slept in guest room to avoid Mark's germs, so I didn't have the monitor near me.)
5:15--Give the buddy a bath (he needed one anyway, and what else is there to do at 5:15??).
5:45--Put on Steven's ointment and powder, put creamy baby oil in his hair and on his scalp.
6:15--Give Steven an 8 oz. bottle with the sippy cup handles attached.
6:30--Complete meltdown since bottle was gone and is practically inconsolable.
6:45--Play with Steven while Mark (now awake) changes Steven's sheets.
6:55--Read books, sing songs, put Steven back in crib.
6:57--Little buddy stops crying and is fast asleep.
8:15--Going back to bed too!
I'm hoping he sleeps for quite a while and still takes his nap. I'm being optimistic, I know, but I can always hope, right?? I'll need his nap time to work on laundry and making lists for our big trip on Thursday.
There's so much to do before taking the little buddy out of town! (And even more so when leaving him with the in laws for several days--been busy writing instructions and bedtime routines!)
Updates
It was a very busy week last week. Fall Bible study started up on Tuesday, and after a lot of debating, I decided to go. I still don't have a car, but my friend offered to pick me up on her way. I'm so glad I went--this seems like the perfect study for where I am right now.
I don't remember the exact title of it, but it is Beth Moore's study on the fruit of the spirit. The overall theme is living beyond yourself, and boy did I have the opportunity to practice that this week! I got some bad news at work this week, and after crying, stressing, praying, and feeling sick to my stomach half the week, God has worked things out better than I thought possible. The entire time I just kept going over in my mind what we had talked about at Bible study.
This week I also helped my parents with their moving sale. We had timed it to be the same weekend as their subwide sale, but we weren't seeing the usual signs up. They've been really late at getting them up in the past, so we didn't think too much of it. We double checked the sub calander, and it was listed for the weekend. However, when it was Wednesday night and there were still no signs, my mom called the person in charge. It turns out it is next weekend, despite what the calendar said. The person in charge didn't even realize that the calendar said it was this weekend!
We had it anyway since most of the stuff was all ready and I'm out of town next weekend, and it went really well on Thursday. My mom hates having garage sales, so I did a lot of the set up and all of the pricing and was there most of the day on Thursday. The weather was absolutely perfect.
Friday and Saturday were a different story though. Friday morning I called to see if I could wait and come over after Steven woke up since his schedule had been thrown off by being woken up early several times during the week. They said it was fine, and actually called a few hours later telling me not to bother even going over. The forecast wasn't great, and they ended up closing down at noon.
Well, it rained on Friday, and it poured all day Saturday. We had even more rain today. As a result of all the heavy rain, my parents didn't even have the garage sale on Saturday. Hopefully they'll have it one day next weekend to sell a few more things, but I'm not too optimistic.
In the meantime, Steven was coughing and sneezing constantly and waking up with a runny/crusty nose. He wasn't really fussy, though, and it pretty much stopped on Saturday, so I'm not sure what that was all about. I'm just thankful it didn't turn into anything more.
Mark, on the other hand, is sick. He felt it coming on on Friday, and he felt the same yesterday. But this afternoon he came and told me that he felt like he had been hit by a truck :( Mark gets these horrible colds a few times a year and then passes them on to me half the time. (Last time I got it from the little buddy--the only time he's been sick.) It's miserable, and I can't afford to get sick since we're going out of town for a week this Thursday.
I'm making him wash his hands constantly, and for a while, I had him carrying around a hand towel to sneeze into. (You haven't seen a sneeze until you've seen Mark sneeze, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone!) Steven and I are keeping our distance and praying that we don't get it.
I'll fill you in on the details of our trip and mini-vacation (without the little buddy no less!) later. It's quite late here, and since the little buddy went to bed at 6:30ish instead of 8:30, I think it might be an early morning :)
I do want to clarify one thing from a previous post though. My dad resigned because he felt that the church was no longer a good fit for my family. It had nothing to do with wrongdoing on his part (such as an affair or embezzelment or anything horrible like that). In not giving details, I left it too open to speculation and just wanted to clarify that.
There's a church that my dad's been in contact with, and he had a phone interview with them on Friday after working with the church's head hunter for the past few weeks. The interview seemed to go well, and hopefully we'll hear something back from the church this week. Thanks for continuing to pray for my family during this transition.
I don't remember the exact title of it, but it is Beth Moore's study on the fruit of the spirit. The overall theme is living beyond yourself, and boy did I have the opportunity to practice that this week! I got some bad news at work this week, and after crying, stressing, praying, and feeling sick to my stomach half the week, God has worked things out better than I thought possible. The entire time I just kept going over in my mind what we had talked about at Bible study.
This week I also helped my parents with their moving sale. We had timed it to be the same weekend as their subwide sale, but we weren't seeing the usual signs up. They've been really late at getting them up in the past, so we didn't think too much of it. We double checked the sub calander, and it was listed for the weekend. However, when it was Wednesday night and there were still no signs, my mom called the person in charge. It turns out it is next weekend, despite what the calendar said. The person in charge didn't even realize that the calendar said it was this weekend!
We had it anyway since most of the stuff was all ready and I'm out of town next weekend, and it went really well on Thursday. My mom hates having garage sales, so I did a lot of the set up and all of the pricing and was there most of the day on Thursday. The weather was absolutely perfect.
Friday and Saturday were a different story though. Friday morning I called to see if I could wait and come over after Steven woke up since his schedule had been thrown off by being woken up early several times during the week. They said it was fine, and actually called a few hours later telling me not to bother even going over. The forecast wasn't great, and they ended up closing down at noon.
Well, it rained on Friday, and it poured all day Saturday. We had even more rain today. As a result of all the heavy rain, my parents didn't even have the garage sale on Saturday. Hopefully they'll have it one day next weekend to sell a few more things, but I'm not too optimistic.
In the meantime, Steven was coughing and sneezing constantly and waking up with a runny/crusty nose. He wasn't really fussy, though, and it pretty much stopped on Saturday, so I'm not sure what that was all about. I'm just thankful it didn't turn into anything more.
Mark, on the other hand, is sick. He felt it coming on on Friday, and he felt the same yesterday. But this afternoon he came and told me that he felt like he had been hit by a truck :( Mark gets these horrible colds a few times a year and then passes them on to me half the time. (Last time I got it from the little buddy--the only time he's been sick.) It's miserable, and I can't afford to get sick since we're going out of town for a week this Thursday.
I'm making him wash his hands constantly, and for a while, I had him carrying around a hand towel to sneeze into. (You haven't seen a sneeze until you've seen Mark sneeze, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone!) Steven and I are keeping our distance and praying that we don't get it.
I'll fill you in on the details of our trip and mini-vacation (without the little buddy no less!) later. It's quite late here, and since the little buddy went to bed at 6:30ish instead of 8:30, I think it might be an early morning :)
I do want to clarify one thing from a previous post though. My dad resigned because he felt that the church was no longer a good fit for my family. It had nothing to do with wrongdoing on his part (such as an affair or embezzelment or anything horrible like that). In not giving details, I left it too open to speculation and just wanted to clarify that.
There's a church that my dad's been in contact with, and he had a phone interview with them on Friday after working with the church's head hunter for the past few weeks. The interview seemed to go well, and hopefully we'll hear something back from the church this week. Thanks for continuing to pray for my family during this transition.
Friday, September 12, 2008
September 8, 2008
We are pleased to advise you that the final adoption order concerning Steven James C---- was signed by the Court on this date.
The Court has sent a Record of Adoption to the Department of Public Health in the State of Michigan and authorized an issueance of a Certificate of Birth for the adoptee in the new name, if one has been requested. You will be hearing from that agency in the near future.
Steven James C---- has now become your heir, acquiring the full rights of natural children in relation to their parents, including the rights of inheritance. As you know, you also now assume all of the obligations and duties of natural parents.
The Family Division of The Judisical Circuit of Michigan joins me in extending congratulations to you and Steven James C---- and best wishes for a happy and successful future.
Very sincerely,
Judy A. H-------
The Court has sent a Record of Adoption to the Department of Public Health in the State of Michigan and authorized an issueance of a Certificate of Birth for the adoptee in the new name, if one has been requested. You will be hearing from that agency in the near future.
Steven James C---- has now become your heir, acquiring the full rights of natural children in relation to their parents, including the rights of inheritance. As you know, you also now assume all of the obligations and duties of natural parents.
The Family Division of The Judisical Circuit of Michigan joins me in extending congratulations to you and Steven James C---- and best wishes for a happy and successful future.
Very sincerely,
Judy A. H-------
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Little Lobster
Backstory: When Mark was little, he was never afraid of monsters under the bed. Instead, he was afraid of lobsters under the bed because they could crawl out at night and snap off your fingers. He succeeded in getting his younger brother to share this fear.
I found this out not too long ago, and I obviously had to share it with a few friends. My friend Katrina followed up by buying Mark a lobster claw oven mitt so he "could bite back." Now I tend to gravitate to lobster items, although Steven doesn't have a stuffed lobster yet.
I was at a mom-to-mom sale yesterday and was looking for a halloween costume for the little buddy when I found this. It was way too good to pass up (and at $4 a pretty good deal!). As you can see, he's not too sure about it. . .maybe because we all were laughing at him :) Have you ever seen a cuter lobster?!
I found this out not too long ago, and I obviously had to share it with a few friends. My friend Katrina followed up by buying Mark a lobster claw oven mitt so he "could bite back." Now I tend to gravitate to lobster items, although Steven doesn't have a stuffed lobster yet.
I was at a mom-to-mom sale yesterday and was looking for a halloween costume for the little buddy when I found this. It was way too good to pass up (and at $4 a pretty good deal!). As you can see, he's not too sure about it. . .maybe because we all were laughing at him :) Have you ever seen a cuter lobster?!
He Sat Up!
Yesterday morning, when Mark when to get Steven from his crib, he found him sitting up. That's the first time he's gotten himself into the sitting position. He was sitting up again when we went in after his nap and again this morning.
The crib was still on the top mattress setting, so yesterday Mark lowered it to the lowest setting. The bumper for the front crib rail is in the wash, which explains why his legs made it through the slats again. I think he's pretty proud of himself!
The crib was still on the top mattress setting, so yesterday Mark lowered it to the lowest setting. The bumper for the front crib rail is in the wash, which explains why his legs made it through the slats again. I think he's pretty proud of himself!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Feeding Myself Breakfast
This morning I let Steven feed himself his breakfast. It drives Mark crazy, so it made sense to do it while he was at work. We started off with mashed sweet potatoes, which he absolutely loves.
Then we added cottage cheese.
I think he likes it!
Listing the many reasons why he loves it.
Next we went in the tub, but not before he peed on the bathroom floor :( He's perplexed by the bubbles--never seen them before!
Finishing the bath in the kitched sink (which he peed in too). We had to evacuate the tub after he decided to fill his pants, forgetting that he didn't have any on.
Who, me?? What did I do?
Now Steven is at my parents' house (Thank you, Mom and Dad!!) so I can get a few things done this afternoon. My main project was to work on a scoring/grading project I'm working on for school. (At $35 an hour, I need to get it done and my time sheet submitted soon!) However, I now have some major cleaning to add to my list :(
Caught!
I know I can, I know I can!
Oh, hi momma.
Back to Business
You can't say no to this face, right? (Wrong!)
I think I'll do it again anyways.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Learning New Things Everyday
Today we had three firsts. One cool, one not so cool, and one other.
1st--he very determinedly crawled across the kitchen floor and grabbed that cat's food dish. I'm just thankful it wasn't the water dish!
2nd--he "chased" the cat. She just sat there until he finally got close and then left :)
3rd--this is the cool one. I usually just read him books at naptime and bedtime, but today I got on the floor with him and read him two books. He loves turning the pages, but he wanted to go play with something else. I put him down and played with him. A few minutes later, he grabbed the book and tried to crawl in my lap. Of course, my heart melted and I was more than happy to read it to him. It was so cool!
1st--he very determinedly crawled across the kitchen floor and grabbed that cat's food dish. I'm just thankful it wasn't the water dish!
2nd--he "chased" the cat. She just sat there until he finally got close and then left :)
3rd--this is the cool one. I usually just read him books at naptime and bedtime, but today I got on the floor with him and read him two books. He loves turning the pages, but he wanted to go play with something else. I put him down and played with him. A few minutes later, he grabbed the book and tried to crawl in my lap. Of course, my heart melted and I was more than happy to read it to him. It was so cool!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Getting Into Trouble
Last week I took all my books off it, moved his books to the middle shelf, and then loaded the bottom shelf with board/plastic/cloth books that he wouldn't be able to destroy as easily.
Well, today Steven pushed his play table up against the bookshelf. I looked up just in time to see him straining to pull a book off the second shelf. I'm having a hard time deciding where to put his play table because he either uses it as a walking toy or walks along it to get to another piece of furniture. Either way, it means that he will probably get into something he isn't supposed to.
Well, today Steven pushed his play table up against the bookshelf. I looked up just in time to see him straining to pull a book off the second shelf. I'm having a hard time deciding where to put his play table because he either uses it as a walking toy or walks along it to get to another piece of furniture. Either way, it means that he will probably get into something he isn't supposed to.
Oh, I think I'm going to have my hands full with this one :)
So Serious
We planned on going to the zoo today, but Steven had different plans. He woke up ready to go at 6:00 a.m. For some babies, that's standard, but not for him. Mark kindly got up with him and let me sleep in. After about two hours Steven was ready for his nap, and he slept until after noon. His schedule was completely off, and that meant ours was too. We needed naps too!
When I went to get him around 1:00 (I always let him play in his crib until he gets fussy), I found a very serious (and very wet!) little boy. I sat him up and took off his pjs, and I still can't figure out what he was thinking at the time. I'd hardly describe him as serious little boy, but he was that way the entire day!
When I went to get him around 1:00 (I always let him play in his crib until he gets fussy), I found a very serious (and very wet!) little boy. I sat him up and took off his pjs, and I still can't figure out what he was thinking at the time. I'd hardly describe him as serious little boy, but he was that way the entire day!
Maybe he's thinking, "Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to wet my bed again."
Sometimes I play peek-a-boo with him through the crib slats, and we were doing that this afternoon. I can't remember if I got him smiling, but he was enjoying it.
Look at those beautiful brown eyes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
