Eating Words & Cereal

Well, I am eating my words. As soon as I posted my last blog entry yesterday, I heard a faint squeal which turned into a monstrous roar. It was about 49 minutes into Jack's afternoon nap and I thought we were in the clear. The intruder is usually very timely. Unfortunately, I was extremely wrong. And again, this morning's nap proved that the intruder is still lingering. After another day of "not so good" naps, I've decided to treat this 45 minute intruder as a hunger issue and see if that helps. Jack will be dining on rice cereal for 2 feedings a day as opposed to just one. Maybe with a full tummy, Jack can make it through the unfortunate visit of the intruder. Before his afternoon nap, Jack took a full liquid feeding and then I offered him a bowl of rice cereal. Initially, I was unsure if he would be interested because he normally does not eat solids at that time. Who was I kidding? Jack would eat a pizza if I gave it to him! So, of course, he ate the entire bowl. After looking very satisfied, we played together for a couple of hours, and then he settled in for his afternoon nap. He fell into a sound sleep as soon as his little head hit the bed. The verdict is still out on whether the additional solid feeding will be a success or not. I have my fingers crossed though! A well rested baby is a happy baby at my house!

Hello Nap! Goodbye Intruder!

Hallelujah! Today the clouds opened up and the angels sang...Jack slept through the intruder and woke up from his morning nap 1 1/2 hours later! It took 5 long, hard, grueling days, but that's better than 3 weeks. What a different baby too. Jack cooed when he woke up as opposed to crying. He smiled and played the morning through. As I type, he is taking his afternoon nap and snoozing through the intruder again...please, tell me I'm not going to eat my words! I think there are a lot of challenging aspects to parenting a baby. But, so far I have found sleep training to be the most difficult. The reward is priceless...a happy well rested baby and a happy well rested mommy. But, the road there hasn't been the easiest. Once you get the nights down, you want to rejoice and tell everyone you know, "my baby made it through the night". However, you're not finished...you still have to work on naps. And just as soon as the naps are established, well for us anyway, here comes the 45 minute intruder. I can see why there are so many books written on children and sleep....they are for babies and mommies who thrive on being well rested. I couldn't help but laugh the other day when a neighbor of mine called it "nap jail". I work so hard to get Jack on a good sleeping schedule and then I can't go anywhere! Yes, some days it does feel like I am in jail...but, for a very good cause...sweet dreams baby Jack.

Baby Blues

You wouldn't know by looking at these pictures, but it has been a rough week ...and it is only Tuesday. It all started with the infamous tooth. A little fussiness was nothing I couldn't handle, but then came the 45 minute intruder. Have you ever heard of it? If you haven't and you have a baby, you are VERY lucky! The name describes it perfectly. 45 minutes into EVERY nap the baby wakes and can not fall back to sleep. The cure? Well, not so fun. You must let the baby learn to fall back asleep on his own and yes, crying is included. The 45 minute intruder can linger anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. It shows up in babies between 5-8 months old. Okay, I did not ask for this milestone...two in one week was enough! Jack and "half a nap" do not mix well. Make that Jack and 2 "half a naps" and they REALLY dont mix well. I should have known on Saturday when his morning nap only lasted 45 minutes. I made excuses like, "oh, Grammy is in town, he wants to spend time with her" or " daddy put him down, Jack is use to me". When this continued through the weekend and still hasn't stopped, I finally had to come to terms with the fact that the 45 minute intruder has reared it's ugly head. So to sum up our week so far...Jack is fussy, overtired, moody, and smiles only if forced to do so. And yet somehow, I still love my little monkey to the moon and back. God knew what he was doing when he gave Jack those big "Baby Blues".

Happy Anniversary

Today Clay and I celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary. Wow!, a lot has happened since we met ...new jobs, a new house, and of course a new addition to the family. What was I doing two years ago today?... marrying the love of my life amidst a hurricane, trying to dodge wind and rain to have my dream wedding outside. The wedding did not go exactly as planned, but the rest of my life has so far. As a toast to that memorable day,
I want to tell you the Top 10 Reasons I'd Marry Clay All Over Again:

10. He comes from a wonderful family

9. He loves my family (including Cosby) like they were his own

8. He has the most kind heart of anyone Ive ever met

7. He is so humble

6. He brings me back down to earth when I need it

5. He is a sports fanatic...I love a guy's guy

4. He rubs my head at night before I go to sleep

3. He always ask me where his things are and doesn't mind that I always know the answer

2. He is a FABULOUS daddy

1. He works extremely hard so that I can stay home with the love of my life junior

At our wedding, when I didn't want to hear it, someone said to me "It's suppose to be good luck when it rains on your wedding day". Now, looking back, I can honestly say, "I think they were right"!

Grammy's Visit

Grandma's are the BEST! I can say this because I speak from experience. When you're hungry they feed you, when you're tired they make you rest, when you're sick they make you well, and when you are happy they make you even happier. Jack got a dose of Grandma goodness this weekend. Grammy and Aunt Linda came to visit us from Florida with gifts in hand. In just a few short minutes of cuddling, playing, and Grammy talk Jack forgot all about his tooth troubles. He smiled, squealed and gave a look as if to say, "I've missed you, where have you been?". Mommy and Daddy got a mini-vacation without even leaving town. Diapers, feedings, and play time were in Grammy and Aunt Linda's hands this weekend. We even got to go to a "grown up" dinner all by ourselves. Jack was given undivided attention at his beckon call and, boy, did he eat it up! Our weekend started with a wonderful outdoor dinner in downtown Roswell on Friday night. The weather was perfect again and Jack seems to love being outside. He was passed between Grammy and Aunt Linda and, for the first time in a while, Mommy and Daddy got to eat uninterrupted. Saturday morning we all strolled to the neighborhood tennis courts to watch Daddy duke out a match. It was a long game and after a tie breaker it did not end the way we had hoped. After Jack's morning nap we all went to lunch together and then browsed the shops of Roswell. Saturday evening was the real treat. This is when we got to have our night out and Jack got to have Grammy all to himself...bed, bath, bottle, and Grammy...who could ask for more? On Sunday we said our goodbyes after brunch as Grammy and Aunt Linda loaded their car to drive back to Florida. As they backed out of the driveway, all I could think is ...."any interest in moving to Georgia?" If not, at least, we all hope they will visit again soon.

Tiny Tooth Trouble

If you had asked me yesterday what I thought about the 5 month stage, I would have said, "It's Fabulous!". He is eating cereal, sitting up, and we found his first tooth coming through on his bottom gum. I was so excited...2 huge milestones in one day! As soon as I saw and felt it I screamed for Clay, "hurry, come quick, guess what I found?". Clay stuck his finger in Jack's mouth, after washing it of course, and rubbed his bottom gum. As soon as he felt the bump of a tooth he was as thrilled as I was. Of course, it was time for more pictures. Unfortunately, it's hard to get a good shot of such a tiny tooth..so you will have to take my word for it or click on the picture to zoom in. Well, this morning my excitement was crushed. Jack woke up at 7:22 am as opposed to 7:30 am, which I realize is not that big of a deal. However, the real issue is how he woke up...CRYING! I went to check on him and he was not happy Jack. He had a runny nose, drool pouring out of his mouth, and tears flooding...a sight only a mother could still love. Is this teething? I thought we were scot free because the tooth already pushed it's way through. Someone please help. What should I expect? So, today, I suppose I will spend Jack's nap time in the index of all of my parenting books looking up teething. And I will be happy to take any advice offered by family and friends. Grammy is on her way up for a visit this weekend, maybe she will have some words of wisdom!

Sitting Pretty

Or should I say handsome? It is official...Jack can sit up on his own! The reason I say official is because he has actually been attempting this skill for the last two weeks. However, Clay did not want me to take a picture because-one...he could only do it for about 1 minute on his own and according to Clay "that doesn't count" and two...for fear he would fall and get hurt. I think today I can call it official because he can do it as long as the toys in front of him interest him, so about 6-7 minutes. I decided to take him out and about to show his new talent off. We can't go too far from home because we are still working on his new schedule. We actually even skipped Gymboree class today, until we get the new nap time down. So instead we went to Target. We can always find something to entertain us there and Jack could practice sitting up in the buggy. We even got to use our new seat cover...Jack loved it! No more car seat in the buggy..I feel liberated!! I think I might be the only Mom who has actually taken a picture of their child in the Target parking lot, but...a first is a first, isn't it? We strolled through Target and did our shopping just like the big kids do. I will admit by the end of our visit, Jack was sitting slightly slanted instead of upright. I tried to prop him up with a rolled up burp cloth. When that didn't work I knew it was time to head home and nap time was looming anyway. A baby can only show off for so long.

Three Ladies, Two Babies, & A Belly

Today Jack and I went to the Virginia Highlands for lunch. We met pregnant Karen, Donna, and baby Patterson. For the past month we have been meeting them once a week, alternating houses. It's kind of like a play date, except Patterson and Jack aren't quite old enough to play and Karen's baby, Wesley Kate, isn't born yet. Never the less, we still meet, I get to talk to adults and Jack gets to do "Jack things", like squeal, grab everything in sight, squirm, and basically make it hard for me to eat. I took a picture of the three babies that attend, (it is above), I think Wesley Kate will like to know that she was invited before she was even born. Won't be long though...7 weeks and counting! Patterson is also younger than Jack, he is 8 weeks old. Yes, Donna can still enjoy her lunch. Patterson hangs out in his car seat, mellow as can be....just wait Donna...it won't be long for you either! During the course of our lunch, a table was knocked over, one diaper was changed, drinks were mixed up, a cardboard coaster was chewed on, and we were asked by a random man if Patterson was a year old. He actually seemed shocked that he didn't guess right, amazing, huh? After a lovely outdoor lunch we did a little outdoor shopping. The weather was absolutely perfect...fall is in the air. I love fall weather for the most part, the only thing I truly hate about it is that it means winter is to follow. But, back to my shopping...Donna was very good, no purchases on her part. Karen bought some wooden letters of Wesley Kate's initials and I....well, we won't discuss that, in case my husband reads this:) Jack was exhausted afterwards and took a "not in his schedule" nap on the car ride home. I guess we'll start all over tomorrow training Jack on his new schedule...back to square one!

New Schedule

Well since we have entered the world of solids, we decided it was appropriate to extend time between feedings and wake time. Over the past month or so we have been slowly stretching feedings from 3 hours to about 3 1/2 hours apart and wake time to about 1 hour 45 minutesish. Today, we decided to dive right in and go for it! We stretched feedings to four hours apart which changed nap times slightly. UH OH...have I ever mentioned Jack is a slave to his nap schedule? Add that with the fact that his favorite thing to do is eat and we had a very CHALLENGING day. The only place he wanted to be was in my arms or at least have me an arms length away. So, needless to say, I didn't get much done today. We went from the jumpy seat to the activity center to the stroller to the play mat and then started all over again. Anything to keep his mind off of food and his crib. All in all, I think the new routine is going to work out well once we both get use to it. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Cereal Sunday!

We started solids today...rice cereal. I'm not really sure why it's called a solid. It was quit runny and very messy, but oh, so fun! I was fully prepared for anything. I put on junky clothes, Jack wore an old onesie and the biggest laminated bib I could find. I strapped him into his high chair, (for the first time), and we were ready to EAT. The box said, "don't get discouraged if the baby spits the food out, keep on trying". Well, one try with Jack and he was in heaven, this is the "best thing I have ever had" kind of heaven. It's almost as if he was thinking...Finally Mommy! I couldn't even get the next spoonful to him before he would squeal in demand for another bite. By the end of the bowl half was in his tummy and the other half was on his face. I couldn't resist taking about a hundred pictures of him. But, instead of smiling for the camera, he wanted more. Unfortunately, the bowl was empty. No problem for Jack...he'll just eat the bowl. Without a seconds warning he reached out his pudgy little hand and had his empty blue bowl up to his mouth. I suppose that was somewhat satisfying for him because he gnawed on the bowl for at least 5 minutes. Then he began to alternate between the spoon and the bowl. He was very content and luckily for me he completely ignored my photography session. And I ignored the fact that he has absolutely no table manners...we'll save that lesson for the next rice cereal feeding.
When it was all over I took a long lovingly look at him. How fun it must be to be a baby...people think its cute when you eat, when you get messy someone cleans you up, and you don't always have to use table manners! Jack looked up at me and gave me a huge smile. It was almost as if it was his way of saying thank you. It's like he knew that had I had the daunting task of clean up ahead of me!

Roswell Arts Festival

Today we went to the Roswell Arts Festival in downtown Roswell. We met the Cox's...Erin, Michael, and baby Nate. Nate is now 13 weeks old. I think he and Jack will be good buddies when they are old enough to realize it. When we arrived we were starving, so we enjoyed some good ol' festival food...hot dogs, fries, gyros. Needless to say, we promised ourselves a healthy dinner after a not so healthy lunch. Jack was eyeing my hot dog...I think he is ready to start solids. With a full stomach, Erin and I were ready to shop. After about ummmm......I'd say 10 minutes of shopping we were asked by the husbands, "what exactly are you two looking for?" Isn't that a man for you? Haven't they ever heard of browsing, why does shopping always have to have a purpose with them? Ignoring their comment, we browsed on. We each found adorable baby burp cloths. I got Jack one with monkeys all over it...you know he is my "little monkey". Again, we were asked by the husbands, "don't we have enough of those?" My answer was, "apparently you forgot how much Jack spits up and obviously you don't do the laundry". With that, I was given the go ahead. The rest of the afternoon was spent looking at art work, feeding Jack, and stroller napping. We did see several weenie dogs...it made me miss Cosby. I think he would have enjoyed the festival. I'll have to remember to bring him next year.

Five Month Birthday

Happy 5 Month Birthday Jack!...is there even such a thing? At the Cibula house there is. We started the day with a song, of course, it was Happy Birthday. Then we ate, got dressed, and went on a stroll through the neighborhood. It was an absolutely beautiful morning, not nearly as hot as it has been. Cosby even enjoyed it today. This is actually how we celebrate every morning, not just Birthday mornings (minus the song). After Jack's morning nap, we went to our Gymboree class. We go every Thursday at 12:00. Today Jack focused most of his attention on the other babies. Sometimes I wondered if he even knew who brought him there. We sang more songs, had tummy time, did a baby massage, and played with Gymbo (the puppet). After all the excitement, we were both worn out. Jack took his afternoon nap and afterwards helped Mommy with dinner from his Jumpy Seat. At first the Jumpy Seat was just a seat. But, today it turned into something much more exciting...Jack actually started jumping over and over and over again! I think he was saving this new talent for his 5 month birthday. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of Jolly Jumping Jack! My exhausted baby spent the remainder of the evening in Mommy or Daddy's arms before retreating to a well deserved bed time.

The Other Baby

Clay and I decided we needed a new camera with a baby in the house. Our little digital just wasn't catching Jack's smiles fast enough. So, for our anniversary present to one another we got one of those cameras with the big lense. You know, the kind that look semi-professional. Well, here I am at 11:00 at night trying to figure out how to use it. Since Jack is off in dream land, the other baby, Cosby, has become my subject. The great thing about Cosby is he doesn't move and lets me experiment with him. As you can see he is half asleep. However, I'm kind of impressed with my shot..is it me or is my camera just that good? We'll test it out on Jack tomorrow. Good night!

Welcome!

Dear Family and Friends,
As a new stay at home mom, I find myself very busy. Much more busy than I was when I was "officially working". It's a wonderful kind of busy though. The kind that I find myself stopping and thanking God that I get to change diapers and do laundry and cook dinner for my wonderful family. (as you can see my first picture is of the two loves of my life) Unfortunately, there are days that I think of so many people, but dont have time to see them or call them. So I thought I could give blogging a try in an effort to "keep in touch". I am going to make every effort to post a couple times a week. With Jack growing so fast, I will always have something to say and photos to share. Please visit often and see what the latest is with The Cibulas!