Playdate!

Lot 187

"Seriously, Mom?"

Little Jay got so many compliments on his outfit!

Today we enjoyed getting out and "playing" with some other moms and kids. I did get my prerequisite pumpkin pictures and I am so relieved. The three of us went to see our house lot. The plumbing is being put down and the foundation will be poured soon.

Today it took me about 1 1/2 hours to change the sheets on my bed because I was having so much fun with the little guy. It is endlessly fascinating to roll around with him and try to make him laugh. And so bizarre when he will shriek in terror for no apparent reason and then go back to a state of contentment.

It was a good day.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The expression says it all!

Me, Mamaw, Jay, and Dad

True fall weather has finally arrive to middle Georgia, and I believe it's here to stay. J and I are going to a playdate tomorrow with our MOPS groups, which has been thankfully moved indoors. However, that means no hayride! And no pumpkins! How will I live without a pumpkin patch picture? Will they revoke my mommy license?

Though day to day life may seem repetitive at times, J more than makes up for it. He loves to be "flown" around and picked up by his ankles. That was his dad's doing, of course.

Something that I have realized about being a new parent is, and this is very profound, no two babies are alike. Really. I have about 4 baby books such as Your Baby Week by Week, Focus on the Family, Caring for your Baby and Young Child and Babywise. And though time tested principles have proven helpful, such as the wake-feed-sleep philosophy of Babywise, it is just not the Gospel truth. Every day is different. And even though we are still working towards sleeping through the night consistently, this does not mean I am a failure. Or that there is anything wrong with J. And rocking him to sleep works for us. So there, all you experts! Can you tell I'm a little sensitive?

I end with some more pictures from this last week. Enjoy, my readership of 4!

The J-Boy: Fall Highlights

Since I now live away from immediate family, I thought it would be nice to post some pictures of the little guy.

What you lookin' at, fool?

What I was really thinking: Get my baby away from those stinking llamas!

The GA "National" Fair

What is this woman doing to me?

J-boy in his bouncy seat (Thanks, Ms. D)

J-Boy Trivia:

1. My nicknames are (this week): Beauty Boy & J-Man

2. I have SERIOUS intestinal fortitude.

3. I have worked my way up to sleeping until 6 a.m. and back down again until 7:30 a.m.

(Yes, Lord, make it so!)

4. I am the love of the love and the bug of the bug. (It makes sense to me and Mom).

5. I have acid reflux and dry skin. High maintenance.

6. The nursery ladies say I'm good looking. So it's objectively quantified.

7. I can somehow worm my way down to the foot of the bed and get my arms out of a Velcro-ed swaddle without breaking the Velcro bond.

8. I have excellent taste in music.

9. I enjoy web chats with my grandparents.

10. I get excited when I see Daddy come home.

I'm just crazy about this little guy.

Smaller town life

We recently moved to a smaller town in Georgia. As much as I will miss premium shopping around every corner, great restaurants, and first class cultural events, I really have become spoiled to a slower pace. It takes 3 minutes for me to get to my tutoring job. We went out for my birthday to Outback. It took less than 5 minutes, and we had so much time before the movie, we could come home and chill. My mother in law watched the baby all day while I went to the spa and shopping, and I could be home in time for each feeding. The best thing is the openness of the people we meet. The owner of the spa I enjoyed attends my new church. She waited to meet up with me to say hello at church the next day. Both the owner and the receptionist gave me hug when I left. Last week, a gentleman about my dad's age complemented J and gushed about being a parent. He said your children will become the people with whom you most want to spend time. And one street in a subdivision we looked in had a street called "Andy Griffith Way". Just a little Mayberry, I guess.

Window on the World

Since I have moved to a new town and become a mom, the Internet has become my connection to the outside world and my link to a social circle. Honestly, facebook is my addiction. I may have to "fast" from it because it's my only hobby right now! Day to day life right now is feed J, play with J, put J down. Repeat every 3 hours. Do dishes, fold laundry, play on computer. I am on my own because A-train (husband's nickname) is out of town this week. Very quiet. I did prop a chair by the front door like my mom did when our dad was away. I guess you do become your mother.

I'll have to set goals for my week because I could easily stay in my pj's until noon everyday and watch bad daytime television until my eyes glaze over. I did call the MOPS contact in our area to sign up for membership. I am really looking forward to any type of socialization with women my age. I don't need many friends nearby, but I do need one.

Well, it's time to engage in real life, i.e get dressed and pick up.

MAY