A Walk in the Woods

Jamie, Nathan and I romped through the woods this morning. The air was more than crisp and frost still covered areas yet untouched by the sun. Nathan 'stole' my camera and took pics of everything one can shake a finger at. Below is a pic of the old diesel tank and then one of dirt tracks made from logging trucks. He's a pretty good photographer for being only 3.

Meet and Greet

Our plane rides were uneventful--nearly unheard of with a four and a half month old. Jack got to meet some new family members, including his goofy cousin, Nathan.

Meet and Greet: The Toy Edition

Grandma pulled out all of Nathan's old toys for Jack's play. New toys are always goods things!

Next Step: Driving

He thinks he can feed himself. The struggle begins...

Four Months and Growing

Jack had his four-month doctor's checkup today. The tiny little 6lb 8oz bundle we brought home in August has grown into a 15.6lb, 27 inch snuggly monster!

In the last two months, he has shot from the 25 percentile for height to the 97th. Wowsers! No wonder I want to cut the feet off all his jammies. He's outgrowing them in length too quickly.

This development is quite astonishing. I told Jamie that I didn't think the milkman was that tall. ;o) Jamie didn't laugh--even though he should have for the shear fact that milkmen don't really exist around here anymore...

Meanwhile, while we consider him to have a cute little Buddha-belly, he's actually only in the 50 percentile for weight.

Working Mom's Guilt

I blame myself. My pride in being a mom who doesn't rush her kid into the doctor at the first sniffle or sneeze, along with my over-the-top will-do attitude at work have kept me from doing right by him.


For the last week or so, Jack has had a case of the sniffles, which progressed to a case of the sniffles, coughs, sneezes, wheezes and phlemmies (another new entry in my personal dictionary). Using the humidifier, bundling him up and aspirating his nose were no longer viable options on Friday night into Saturday morning when the wheezing began.

Still hoping for the best and not knowing the full extent of the illness, I called the doctor's office to get a same-day appointment before the predicted ice storm. After taking his temperature in preparation for the call and discovering it to be 100.4 degrees, I reported all of the symptoms and signs to a questioning nurse, who in turn directed me to get him to the nearest emergency room "asap".


Armed with only ourselves--having forgotten the diaper bag in our haste--we arrived at OSF ER. To make a long story short--he has RSV. This is like a serious cold that can be potentially very dangerous, especially to infants 2-6 months old. The doctor also thought he could also have Fifth's Disease because of his rash--including the rosy cheeks (see pic). I think it's because we gave him a Johnson's vapor bath that morning. The rash began resolving by the end of the day.



If I weren't working so much--setting my alarm in the wee hours in the morning to manage multiple priorities, would I have acted with a little more urgency? Yes. Is that work's fault? Absolutely not. Everyone chooses his or her own destiny. My goal is to be a mom who provides--but right now I'm focused to much on providing in the material sense instead of tending to the physical. My self-worth should be measured by the width of my child's grin instead of the amount in my check.

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Tired Boy

Ah, the little milestones. They're enough to melt even the stingiest of hearts. Tonight Jack mastered the art of grabbing his own feet. It took some grunting and straining, but he performed the new feat during a diaper changing (a welcomed end to the usual grunting and straining on the table). He was quite tickled with the results of his efforts and so were we!

All that hard work (combined with an ever-increasing bad cold) tuckered the little lad tremendously. While playing with mommy on the couch, he dropped into a sudden sleep in the middle of a spirited babble.

Pausing to Enjoy

Sniffles, Sneezes and Snots

As you know from previous postings, Jack is beginning to drool. If this wasn't messy enough, he now has secretions oozing from his nose, too. Thus, we have been introduced to a new stage in parenting: nursing the weary and wounded.

Jack's little case of the sniffles started about a week ago. Poor little guy. We heard a modern-day old wives tale (ha, like that makes sense!): take the kid outside and let the cold air push all of the snot and crud out. Really? My first reaction was honestly one of disbelief--aren't we supposed to stay out of the cold in order to ward off a cold?

Well, we thought we had been doing everything right, but he still got sick, so we decided to give it a shot. Staying away from sick family on Thanksgiving, finding religion in a bottle of antibacterial gel and throwing menacing looks at coughing children in the store obviously didn't do the trick.

First, I held him in front of the open freezer door. All that did was make him blink at the luke-cold (a new word I just made up) and make me crave ice cream. Before I was able to accidentally freeze his little noggin to the inside of the freezer, Jamie suggested taking him out to the garage.

Bundled in his little winter hat, Jack was thrown over his daddy's shoulder for a short trip to the garage. (See pics!) The result? A deluge of snot shot out by the chilly air and a new method stored in our parenting repertoire.

One more thing...

Jack rolled over last Wednesday! He was on his back and then on his side. He slowly made his way to his tummy, trapping one arm under him. He sure hated it!

Belated Updates

Wow! Am I a slacker, or what? "Hi, my name is Jen. And it's been almost a month since my last blog."

Jack is growing like crazy. At almost four months, he is now sitting up assisted. He'll sit on our laps and talk and he loves to sit in his activity center and bang on the toy piano. It was so cute--at first he wasn't quite sure what to do, so we started hitting keys and then he hit one on accident. After that, it was a free-for-all. I can see the stickers on the piano not lasting long, with drooley fingers slapping them.

Speaking of drool--oh, my goodness! Jack is teething, so there is almost always a string of thick drool rolling down his chin. He's been sticking his hands in his mouth, so he's always covered in drool. Sometimes he'll get fussy due to the teething pain, but for the most part he's been doing great.

Last night he slept a full 8 hours straight. He has been skipping his middle of the night feeding on a regular basis the last few weeks. Even though he's been sleeping soundly, we've still been up, waiting for him to start howling for food. I'm sure we'll slowly adjust to having a long night's sleep--if that's even possible for parents. Well, maybe in 18 years or so.

Jack's been a social butterfly lately. I've taken him to two different little parties. He was extremely quite at both, but in a cheerful mood. He likes to watch other kids play. Last night Auntie Laura came over, and all of his attention was devoted to giving her the biggest, drooliest smiles and saying "agooo, goo-eeee, goow."

He is now learning more about cause and effect and the art of forecasting. He knows that if he reaches out to grab a toy, he'll get it; or, if he's bored, all he has to do is say "Ah! Ah!" and we'll talk to him. He also knows that if I start to make a kissy-sound, he'll be getting a big smooch on his cheek. He'll lean towards me and start smiling and squealing before I get to his face. I don't know if he's trying to or not, but many times I get an open-mouthed slobbery kiss back when he turns his face towards the kiss.

Right now, Jamie and Jack are dozing in the recliner. It's funny to see how their heads are the same shape and the pucker of their lips follow the same line.

Tonight we're feeding him his first meal of rice cereal. We'll see how that goes! I anticipate messy, with a chance of spitting.

Happy Halloween!

Baby Long Legs

At almost 10 weeks old, Jack had a big check-up this past week. He is now 11 lbs, 4.5 oz and 22.5 inches long! No wonder he's growing out of his 0-3 month clothes.

A Trip to Tanner's

Each year, Jamie and I go to Tanner's to get apple cider, pick pumpkins and visit the animals. Jack's first trip to Tanner's was memorable--for us, at least! Learning our lesson at the Morton Pumpkin Festival, we went late on a Sunday afternoon and avoided the crowd.

Jack's favorite part was the goats. We were surprised that he actually paid attention to them and knew that they were something he's never seen before. The two videos below are one right after another. The third pic is at the end of the trip, with Jack pooped-out and ready for a nap in the car.

Little Boy in Blue

Mornings at the Morss house are falling into a more predictable pattern. Jamie, at the end of his night watch, dresses little man and gets him ready for me to scoop up and take to Rhonda's. (Rhoda is his babysitter--I'll blog that, later).

Earlier this week, Jack was chatting me up before we left. His ooos, aaahhs, and a-goos are becoming more frequent and even more charming!

Moving on Up....

Last weekend we moved our little guy out of his bassinet in our room up to his big boy crib. He was getting too big, physically, for the bassinet and too old, age-wise, to be sleeping in the same room. It's been an adjustment for all of us.

To Jack, the crib is like a king-size bed. No pillows, no covers, no bumpers. Now that he can roll onto his side, I listen to the monitor anxiously for any signs of distress.

I take the 8 p.m.--1 a.m. baby shift and Jamie takes the 1 a.m.--6 a.m. shift, sleeping in the upstairs bedroom during our respective watches. Luckily after a few nights, Jack became used to his bed and we're all sleeping a little more peacefully.

I'll have to get a pic of him in his new bed.

Ouchies

A few weeks ago we went in for Jack's two-month immunizations. Four shots and a nasty-tasting elixer later, Jack had tears pouring down his face and my eyes were also welled-up.

Afraid that he'd associate the shots with me, I kept my mouth shut during the pricks and stings and comforted him after it was all over. His legs were tender for a few days.

Three Against Four

As members of the minority, Jamie, Jack and Finnegan ban together to show their solidarity. They usually sleep in shifts, but, as is the case for most men, they fell victim to the recliner while watching tv.

Jack is now famous for his ability to sleep with his eyes shut--a useful skill that he'll need twenty-five years from now. He begins with the rolling of his eyes and then stares off into the distance until we lightly close his lids.

Kitty Naps

Charlotte, under the guise of protecting Jack from the Itsy Bitsy Spiders....

Future Conductor

Small, But Mighty

Jack's new sleeping pose, when he falls asleep in the Itsy Bitsy Bouncer. Itsy Bitsy spiders, beware.

Game Time

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World--The Pumpkin Festival Edition

Last Saturday we packed Jack up and headed out to the Morton Pumpkin Festival. The weather was just right; and since Jamie and I had gone last year and enjoyed some of the little activities, we thought we'd wheel Jack around the event for a little family time.

Why did we think this was fun last year? We were jostled from tent to tent and seemed to always be heading down the wrong way, against the surging crowd of festival-goers. We quickly decided to get the heck out and headed for higher ground. The fam was much happier eating at Steak 'n Shake than standing in a quarter-mile line for some pork chop sandwiches and pumpkin chili.

Yikes. The world is a much scarier place when you have a little one. Every bump to the stroller in Target seems like a personal affront. As if Peoria's drivers weren't already inane--they've now become insane ever since we've had Jack as our backseat driver. Each face in a crowd is a potential kidnapper.

Makes having a social anxiety problem seem a little less like a problem--it's seems like natural protection against the world out there. Still, while my issue is genetic, I don't want Jack's to become learned. We trudge solidly ahead, visiting the mall for some walking, Jack strapped firmly in his stroller and Xanax stashed in my purse.

Catching On...

Jack has been fine-tuning, or at least using, his motor skills. He's quite adept at grabbing his binkie out of his mouth and swinging it about in a fit because it's not in his mouth, but, since he is still a lil' itty-bitty one and also doesn't know cause-and-effect relationships, he can't get it back into his mouth. Mommy to the rescue!

Lazy Sunday

Jamie and all of the kids enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon, snoozing on the couch and watching sports.

We met up with Jamie's nephew Justin, his fiance Chrissy and their son Jace, who is almost two, at Old Chicago. It was Jack's first time 'out to eat' and he slept through the whole thing.

This Party is So Not Hot

Newborns are supposed to--in so many words--have a "party (potty) in their pants" quite regularly, or at least prolifically. Jack is what we'd call a "Party Pooper"--or more accurately--a "Party Non-Pooper". Measures are being taken...

Before mixing a doctor-recommended dark Karo syrup and water concoction to hopefully take Jack on a one-way ride down to Turdtown, I actually saved a formed stool out of his diapies (yes, that's diapers) last night in case I had to show any evidence. It's currently in a plastic bag on the top shelf of the fridge, next to the milk.

Yum-O!

P.S.--apparently, according to spellcheck, "pooper", "Turdtown" and "diapies" are not recognized as official words in the English language.

Patty Enjoys Tummy Time, Too

While Finnegan enjoys laying on our laps, weaseling up onto Jack, the girls keep an ambivalent distance, sometimes pausing to sniff lil' dude if he's sleeping in his bouncer.

All of the cats have confiscated Jack's toys as their own. Patty, our 8 year-old kitty, performed a double-taboo today: jumping up onto the table to lay on Jack's tummy-time mat. Of course, I reinforced the behavior by first snapping a picture before shooing her down.

So, Finn loves himself some Jack. For that reason, we're extra cautious about letting him around Jack, unsupervised. A well-meaning cuddle could be smothering if not caught in time. We let Finn on our laps to sit next to Jack while we feed or mug on him, but if we're not immediately next to him, Finn isn't allowed to touch him. Finn seems to have taken on a role of protector, though. As he lounged in the sun next to Jack's bouncer today, he swatted a curious Emily (our 2 year-old) away as she tentatively sniffed Jack's sleeping face.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Jack loves the Itsy Bitsy Spider Bouncer that his Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Derek gave him. (High-pitched mommy voice not included.) Even without the play thing attached, the bouncer is a good way to get a tired baby to settle down for a nap. Hope the video works!

Birth Announcements: Coming to a Mailbox Near You

I finally finished Jack's birth announcement and will be printing and sending them in the next few days! The announcement looks a little grainer here than it's actual print version.

Pee Pee Le Pew

So little time to blog! Staying home the past few weeks has proven definitely harder and more stressful than going working full-time. But, it's been more enjoyable in a way, too. Jamie and I have found that talking about quantity and quality of burps and soiled diapers has in a strange way made us a stronger team. Recently little Jack has had a bought of gasterial-intestinal difficulties. I'm not sure if they're normal (considering his parents' experiences) or whether they're indicative of some illness. All I know is that they're rank and they turn an otherwise angelic faced baby the little cutie to a full-fledged, eye-popping, red and green-faced monster.

Trying to determine what I could do to soothe his little tummy, late one night/early, early one morning, I carried the screaming lunatic into the computer to look up "passing gas" and "constipation". I found that a reason to worry would be if the poo was the "consistency of peanut butter" or thicker. Yikes!

Frantically, I tried to remember exactly what his previous dirty diaper looked like and almost tore into the Diaper Genie pail to examine the contents and compare to the Jiff we had in the pantry. Luckily, little man's fussing was too extreme to allow me to take up that mission, which was soon forgotten once Jack (and I) fell peacefully asleep.

A Visit from Grandma and Aunt Dayna

Grandma and Aunt Dayna traveled this week from Oregon to visit Jack. It was a busy week--cuddling Jack, cooking dinners and cleaning the house. Thank goodness for the extra help! Below, Grandma feeds Jack and also gives him a bath.

It was hard to see Grandma and Aunt Dayna go!

Tummy Time & The Cats' Meows

The vocab we use around the house has expanded in the last year. In preparation for Jack, I began to read about developmental milestones a few months ago. "Tummy time" is our new phrase--one that we try to use in practice every day.

The pics show our first attempt at tummy time, which I think only Finnegan the cat enjoyed. While Jack stressed out over being placed in a new, unfamiliar position, and we stressed out over Jack's discomfort, Finnegan reveled in being able to get up close and personal with the strange creature who is now the main focus of his owners' attention. (Pics make it look like Jack is dangerously close to the edge of the table, but he really wasn't--plus, he was locked down by my hand.--a disclaimer for my mom.)

The four fur-babies were hesitate for a few days after Jack's arrival. Jamie brought home one of Jack's hospital hats for the cats to sniff before Jack got home. Emily is as aloof as ever--no surprise, and Finnegan is predictably interested and involved. Patty and Charlotte don't mind sitting with us as long as Jack is not crying, and Charlotte boldly laid on the same bed as Jack when he was fussing through a diaper change.

All in all--milestones for baby, parents and kitties.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Jack in the Tub

Now that Jack's umbilical cord and circumcision ring have fallen off, he's freed from the sponge baths and is onto bigger and better things--a full-on bath. The first two pictures below hide the fact that he actually likes his bath. He finds the warm water very soothing! Mom and Dad like the results--a sweet smelling baby boy!

Unhappy Feet

The wonders of pregnancy don't stop at the birth itself. Postpartum is also a time to discover the amazing things your body can do--or become. Although my legs and feet showed signs of swelling before Jack's birth, nothing prepared me for the crazy sausage legs upon I now hobble.

I can't really say that certain parts of my legs are swollen, since right now my leg looks like one big stump--no differentiating the parts. I can make out a 'cankle' (calf-ankle). According to the dr., swelling should diminish soon.... All definitely worth it, of course!

Jack and Mommy Milestones

Jack had his first dr’s appt. today. He is at his birthweight—6 lbs, 8 oz. His cord and circumcision look great. No jaundice. Healthy eating habits. Wonderful outlook!

I pooped for the first time since last Thursday!

Back Blog: Home, James!

After four days in the hospital, the doctors and nurses deemed us fit to bring Jackson home.

Recovering from a c-section, I can’t lift anything over 10 lbs, drive a car, climb stairs, move around too much, etc., for the next two weeks. Lucky for me, my husband in an ANGEL. He does everything for me--things that would send any husband screaming out of the house. He's my dream!

Jamie--a.k.a.--"Daddy"--shows his enthusiasm in his Heisman trophy pose. Dad and son look too much alike--it's adorable.

I couldn't resist throwing in the "yawn" pic. It's too cute!