1.31.10: Dear Miri: GET BETTER!

Hi guys! A.J. here.
This picture is old, but it one of my favorites of me and my girlfriend Miri.
She isn't feeling very good right now, so I wanted to post this and tell her that I hope she feels better very very soon.
Or maybe she read my post about wanting to be Doogie Howser and now she is doing the whole hospital thing to try and be smarter than me!
Whatever the motivation, Mama and I are hoping Miri is all better very soon so we can hang out together again!

1.29.10: My REVENGE

Hi guys, A.J. here!
Today I want to talk to you about a very serious subject.
My mama and that silly camera.
I think I've been a pretty cooperative subject for several months now but a kid can only take so much.

So, effective immediately, I am declaring war on the camera!!

That thing will be mine!


Now I just need to figure out what to do next.

1.28.10: Mama Knows Best?

My dear sweet baby A.J.,

Your mama is here to hijack your blog for today. I edited these pictures this afternoon while you were in your room *not napping.* I was listening to you on the monitor even though I really didn't need it. I could hear what you had to say quite clearly through the closed nursery door. You may not have any words yet, but you know how to get your point across. You started with, "Hey mama. I miss you. Please come play with me." and when that didn't elicit the desired response you changed to, "WOMAN WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?? DON'T YOU HEAR ME IN HERE??? I AM NOT HAPPY!"


What you don't know is while you were in there crying, I was out here shedding some tears of my own. This is the hard part of being a mama. A big part of me wants to run in and scoop you up and rock you in my arms until you fall asleep. I want to sniff your hair and listen to that cute little sleepy sigh you make. But the other part of me knows that if I do that I'll have to hold you for the whole time you are napping because you'll wake up when I transfer you to the crib. And then we'd have to start the whole nap routine all over again. So I let you fuss for a while, listening as the frustrated cries of an overtired baby quiet over a few minutes and then....silence.

(Until of course the mail truck drives by, Walker barks, and you are once again screaming. That's the way our life goes I'm afraid.)

So I guess the reason I'm writing this today is to let you know that I'm trying really hard to be the best mama I can be for you. Sometimes that means I have to make you take the icky medicine. Sometimes that means I can't let you eat bananas at every meal. Sometimes that means I have to let the doctors poke you. And sometimes that means you need to put yourself to sleep at naptime.

Bear with me baby boy.
I'm doing the best I can.
Love,
Mama

1.27.10: My Plan to Become Doogie Howser

Hi guys! A.J. here!
It's time I let you all in on a little secret.
Mama thinks I am going to be the pilot of Air Force One, but I have other plans. I am going to be a doctor! And since that's my goal, I've decided it makes sense to make frequent trips to the hospital. It will give me a leg up when it's time to go to medical school right?

Today's emergency room adventure was the result of breakfast. Mama made me cereal and bananas which I've had lots and lots of times before (mmmm bananas!) but this time she mixed the cereal with formula which she normally doesn't do.

(Are you seeing where this is going?)

Well, the formula has milk in it and apparently I am ALLERGIC TO MILK!!!

Mama has some benadryl on hand this time and gave me some as soon as my lips started getting puffy. Then she called the doctor to see if I needed to go to the hospital. The nurse said because my mouth was all swollen they needed to see me at the hospital just to be safe. So Mama loaded me in the car and called Daddy on the way.

We had to stay for a couple of hours so that the doctors could make sure I was breathing okay and so that they could make sure the medicines they gave me were working. Now that I have had two ER trips for allergic reactions, I have to go back to the pediatric allergist for more tests. If you're keeping track that would be the same pediatric allergist who told Mama there was no way I could be allergic to milk when she took me to see him back in October. If you know my mama you know that she's just a little bit mad about that and is going to have to try very hard to be polite to that doctor when she sees him.

So there ya go. Just another day in my life.
Let's all hope I outgrow this allergy thing because Mama says ice cream is really tasty!

1.26.10: Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

Hi guys! A.J. here.
Today was just one of those days.
Mama says I woke up on the goofy side of the crib.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!
It just makes it a little hard for Mama to take pictures of me when all I want to do is squint my eyes and stick out my tongue.

So this is what you get today. Goofy, nutty, A.J.

1.25.10: My New Favorite Toy: The Spoon!

Hi guys! A.J. here!
Today was a big day for me! Mama decided that since I like to hold the spoon so much, I could try feeding myself. Let me tell you it was really fun! I mean, I didn't actually get to eat very much, and I kind of knocked the bowl full of applesauce and cereal off my tray and into Mama's lap and the floor. But overall, it was a pretty good time.

When I was done eating, and Mama was done cleaning up the floor, it was pretty obvious that I was going to need to take my clothes off. The bib didn't do too much to contain my mess!

So, Mama stripped me down and hung out with me on the floor while Daddy got my bath ready. As you can see, I really like playing with Mama's glasses!

1.24.10: Did Ya Miss Me?

Hi guys! A.J. here!

Sorry I had to go away for a couple of days.
My Mama and Daddy have been very busy the past couple of days so I wasn't able to get them to help me update this blog.

We've had a pretty good weekend around here. My tummy is still not quite right, so I get to eat lots of bananas. Doctors orders! That picture up there shows you how excited I am about those bananas!

Saturday was a really fun day for me! I got to see my Miss Amanda! Miss Amanda came to take care of me while Mama and Daddy were working at the bridal show.

Wasn't their booth cool? I just don't understand why they didn't put any pictures of *me* in the slideshow. So anyway, they went to the show and I stayed home with Miss Amanda and showed her all of the new skills I have since the last time she came to visit. I also showed her what an awesome napper I am, taking two 2 hour naps while she was here. I think Mama might be a little upset about that because she says I never nap that long for her!

And since I slept so well for Miss Amanda yesterday, I decided that I didn't need to sleep too much last night. I'm not sure why but Mama didn't seem too excited to wake up with me at 4:30 this morning. The good part of waking up so early was that we got to go to early church. Mama likes early church because I am at least 60 years younger than most of the other attendees and those older people seem to really like me. They don't even give me any looks when I make noises.

So that was my weekend.
Have a great week everyone!

1.21.10: Toys We Love: Moose

Hi guys! A.J. here!
I am happy to report today was a much better day than yesterday.
I am still feeling a little under the weather, and would like to apologize to everyone at Hobby Lobby for the very stinky diaper I made while Mama was shopping this morning.
But the good news is I SLEPT last night...for 10 whole hours!
(and I took a nice little nap while we were out running errands)

I want to tell you today about my friend Moose. He is currently my very favorite pal.
We roll around on the floor together and I like to take him everywhere I go, even to church!
The main reason I love Moose is because he has lots of spots for me to chew on. I find his purple ears especially tasty and his legs make a fun crinkle noise when I gnaw on them. Moose also has a couple of rings on his tail that are very easy for me to hold on to.

I think everyone should have a moose just like mine!

1.20.10: A Pretty Crappy Day

Disclaimer: Mama says I'm not allowed to say crap or crappy. In fact, I often hear her say things like, "Oh Crap...A.J. you're not allowed to say crap..." But today she's making a "crap" exemption because it truly is the best word to describe our day.

That picture above is me at the doctor this morning. Mama brought me in after I did more than my fair share of pooping yesterday. We're talking like a dozen dirty diapers yesterday people! And then this morning I had 4 gross ones before 9 am! It didn't help of course that Mama was sick too, and Daddy was out of town for work. So Mama thought it might be a good idea to check in with the doctor.

It turns out I lost 7 ounces in the past week due to all of my diaper activity. The doctor wasn't too worried though. In fact, she told mama that I should eat lots and lots of bananas until my belly is better. Sweet! A medical excuse to eat my very favorite food!

And when we got home the day, quite literally, got crappier. Walker decided my messy diaper smelled interesting and while Mama was in the other room taking care of me, he decided to investigate. Mama made this picture black and white to spare you guys a little. Trust me when I tell you it was ***guh-ross!***

See, that's my "Eww gross!" face.
Mama says she is going to bed early and hopes tomorrow is much less crappy!

1.19.10: Rolling is my favorite mode of transportation

Hi guys! A.J. here!
You should have seen the look on my mama's face right before she snapped that picture.
I believe her words were, "How in the world....."
If you've been to my house before you can probaby tell where I am.
That's right. I was under the end table!
Mama left me in the middle of the living room floor so she could go use the bathroom.
When she came back, here I was just hanging out.
I know everyone keeps talking about how great it is to crawl and walk and stuff, but really I think rolling is a very effective mode of transportation!

1.18.10: A Lesson in Napping

Hi guys! A.J. here.
Mama is always trying to drill into me the importance of naptime. To be honest, I think it's kind of over rated. I mean, I am sure I am missing out on all sorts of fun things when Mama takes me into that dark bedroom and puts me down in the crib. In fact, sometimes I get quite loud in expressing my discontent about naptime.

But this afternoon, I missed out on my afternoon nap because we were at the grocery store and I was too entertained by the bumpy cart ride to sleep. As a result, here is what I looked like at 5:00 tonight:

Yes, I was a little tired. And a little crabby. And I really just wanted to snuggle with Mama so I missed out on my normal fun evening activities. Maybe I'll take this lesson into consideration tomorrow when it's nap time.

Maybe.
But probably not.

1.17.10: Life Behind Bars

Hi guys, A.J. here!
No cute picture of me to share today. Instead I thought I would show you how mean my parents are.
Sure, they appear great on the surface, but need I remind you about the great Halloween Costume debacle of 2009? Mama showed her evil streak in the form of a banana I had to wear on my head.
Now, it's even worse! They're keeping me behind bars!!
They *say* they're concerned for my safety now that I'm rolling all over the floor and trying my hand at crawling. I'm pretty sure they just put the gates up to keep me from having any fun.
It's not easy being a 7 month old!

1.16.10: Movin to the Country...

I'm gonna eat me a lot of peaches.

Hi guys, A.J. here. I'll be honest. I don't really know what the title means. We're not moving to the country. But Mama fed me peaches for the first time this morning and all day she's been walking around the house singing, "I'm movin to the country I'm gonna eat me a lot of peaches." and "Peaches come in a can, they were put there by a man in a factory downtown."

All I know is that my peaches did not come from a can, and they were put in my mouth by my mama not by some man in a factory. And I LIKED THEM! And, most importantly as far as my mama is concerned, I did not swell up like a balloon or break out in hives. No peach allergy in this house. You know she's a little crazy about this allergy thing now. I think she might be reading food labels for me until I graduate high school.

In case you were wondering, which you probably aren't, sweet potatoes and peaches make the contents of my diaper turn orange. I think Mama finds this a little disturbing.

1.15.10: Caption This Photo

A. What?? Mama has updated this blog every day for more than two weeks and hardly anybody leaves comments??
B. What?? Daddy is making pancakes and sausage for breakfast tomorrow and I don't get any??
C. What?? Mama rented UP from the redbox this morning and she's not going to watch it until after I'm in bed??

Happy Friday everyone! Here's to a "balmy" weekend in NE Wisconsin. I think we're going to get close to 40! Break out the shorts and fire up the grill.
Okay, we probably won't do either, but it's possible it will be warm enough to take down the Christmas lights.

1.14.10: Just an Ordinary Day, Except for the Part where I Crawled

Hi Guys! A.J. here.
After such an eventful week, I am happy to report today was pretty boring.
It was the normal Thursday.
Mama got up and showered while Daddy was still home to watch me.
Daddy left for work and I hung out on the floor with Mama.
And then, I crawled.
Well, sort of.
It was more of an army crawl with my legs dragging behind me, but Mama was still very excited.
I don't have the heart to tell her that I have no intention of doing it again any time soon, especially if she has the camera nearby.

Speaking of pictures, that's me up there after my bath all wrapped up in my monkey hooded towel. Tonight I decided that bathtime would be even more fun if I wasn't the only one getting wet, so I did lots of kicking and splashing and got Mama soaked too.

Like I said, just an ordinary day.
:)

1.13.10: About Last Night

Hi Guys! A.J. here! Sorry about my, um, absence yesterday.
Now that I am feeling much better, I can give you the lowdown on what happened.
See that picture up there? That was *supposed* to be the picture Mama shared last night.
That would be me, sitting up like a big boy!

But just after that picture was taken, dinner was ready.
So, Mama put me in my high chair so I could watch them eat.
And Daddy asked if he could give me a new treat, a "biter biscuit."

So while the grown ups dined on garlic chicken, I gnawed on this little cookie thing. It was quite fun actually. I got to put my two teeth to work and make a bit of a mess in the process. Before I knew it, Mama and Daddy were done eating and it was time for my bath.

That's when I started feeling a little funny. My eyes got really itchy and I started rubbing them a lot. At first Mama and Daddy just thought I was really tired (it was almost bed time after all). But when they got me out of the bath they realized something was wrong.
My mouth started getting really puffy. And then my cheeks and eyelids got really puffy.

Daddy finished getting my dried off and into my jammies while Mama called the nurses line.

Daddy took this picture while we waited for the call back. You can see I wasn't quite looking like myself. Then, the nurse called back, asked some questions and told Mama that I needed to go to the hospital so they could give me special medicine for my allergic reaction. (Mama note: the nurse also said I should ride in the backseat with A.J. to make sure he kept breathing in the car. Way to freak a Mama out!!)

This is the picture Mama says "breaks her heart" Daddy took it right before we left and I was *trying* to smile at him, but my lips wouldn't work right.

So, we went to the hospital and everyone was really nice there.
The nurse even gave me a plastic syringe to play with.
Mama called it a souvenir, and then I poked my eye with it and she took it away.

I tried my best to smile at all the people who were taking care of me, but again my lips weren't quite working right. The good news is, everything else seemed to be working fine. I was breathing okay and I didn't have any other problems except for all of the swelling on my face.

The doctor gave me a couple of medicines in my mouth, and a shot that he told my Mama was going to probably keep me "up all night." Mama told him at least we would have a good reason for being awake as opposed to other nights.

But you know what? That doctor underestimated the power of my normally scheduled bedtime. Epi or not, it was past my bedtime....

I fell asleep in Daddy's arms and Mama used the cell phone to take my picture
Daddy transfered me to the bed until we got our discharge orders.
And then, we went home...by way of Dairy Queen.
After a diaper change and a snack, I was asleep in my crib by 9 pm and Mama and Daddy went to bed soon after.

So, that's that. No more biter biscuits, or wheat anything for me.
And now Mama and Daddy have the benadryl on standby for any future foods that might make me swollen and itchy. The doctors say I am more prone to this because I am "Eczema Boy"

Mama says she hopes the rest of the week is a lot more boring!

1.12.10: Rough Night

No witty words from A.J. tonight.
Just his tired mama typing with one hand while holding a sleeping little dude in the other arm.
We just got home from the emergency room after a certain little monkey man had a bad reaction to a teething biscuit.
You can see some of the swelling in the cell phone pic above.
It had already gone down some at that point after a shot and some oral meds.
More details tomorrow.
For now...bed!

1.11.10: Seven Months

Seven months. It is hard to wrap my brain around the fact that A.J. is getting closer and closer to being one year old. Soon he will have been on "the outside" longer than the length of my pregnancy.

Our days fly by and I am so incredibly lucky to be able to spend almost every day watching A.J. grow up. Sure, there are days where adult conversation is hard to come by. There are days when all I want is to sleep past sunrise or to take the kind of long hot shower that steams up the mirrors and uses up all of the hot water. But even on those days, I am blessed to be A.J.'s Mama.

Here are a few "stats" I want to remember as A.J. turns 7 months:

• 16lbs 1oz (11th percentile)
• 26.75 inches (63rd percentile)
• Head circumference in the 81st percentile
• two front bottom teeth, with two top teeth working their way down
• Moved to his crib full time on 12.28.09
  
• bed time is 7pm. Depending on the night we are up once, sometimes twice. Wake up is between 5:30 and 7am.
• two naps a day on good days. Some days no naps. Some days lots of cat naps in Mama's arms.
• turning into a tummy sleeper.
• talks himself to sleep and wakes up babbling until we go in and get him from his crib.
  
• two meals of solid foods a day.
  
• Tried avocado, brown rice cereal, banana, pears, applesauce, prunes, sweet potatoes.
• Favorite food is bananas, followed closely by anything mixed by bananas
• Least favorite food is prunes.
  
• Still nursing 5-7 times a day.
  
• Loves to jump in his jumperoo.
  
• Pushes up and is attempting to army crawl.
• Moves across the living room by rolling FAST.
  
• Loves to stand with assistance.
• Able to sit unassisted for short periods of time but has no interest in doing so.
  
• Experiencing a little separation anxiety. Likes to know where Mama and Daddy are when he's with someone else.
• Smiles at everyone.
• Loves to laugh.

Mama loves you sweet boy!

01.10.10: A.J. Meets THE SNOWMAN!

Hey guys A.J. here!!
What a weekend I have had! Mama and Daddy took me to see an 18 foot tall snowman!
Now that is something you only see in Wisconsin!
This snowman is so famous, he even has a facebook page. According to the facebook page the wind blew Frosty's hat off right after we left. It's a good thing we weren't there when that happened. A baby could get hurt with a hat like that flying around!

Mama was a little worried about having me outside in the cold, but I loved it! I giggled when the wind blew and I thought it was hysterical that Mama was running with me to get me back in the car. The only downside was having to wear socks on my hands because I apparently don't have any mittens and the snowsuit I was wearing didn't have mittens attached.

Meeting the giant snowman is exhausting. I think I'll spend the rest of the afternoon napping!

Happy Saturday!

Just a few seconds of my favorite sound ever: A.J. giggling. Apparently Daddy is a pretty funny guy.

A Special Request from Grandma Joan

These pictures are from December but never got posted to the blog. Here's a look at A.J.'s first SNOW DAY:

With Mama as the snow was starting to come down

With Daddy at the beginning of the snow storm

Family Portrait!!

All bundled up with Mama the next morning.

Not sure what to think of this white stuff

There was enough snow on the patio table to build a snowman bigger than A.J.