On a number of occasions when I've felt like I'm essentially at the end of my proverbial rope, I have asked myself, "Will this kid ever learn to just sit still?" The kid is Baylor. Both Jax and Baylor possess an endless amount of energy. From what I hear, that's "normal" for kids. If only I could figure out how to bottle that stuff!
Jax, however, can dial down the energy level when needed. For example, Jax can sit quietly and watch a movie, and he would spend hours playing video games, if we let him. Baylor only has two modes: GO, GO, GO and sleep. If he's a wake, he's moving, and by moving, I mean getting into everything!
Well, we have turned the corner. I have discovered a secret weapon that stops Baylor in his tracks...CARTOONS! Baylor actually sits down and watches cartoons now. This is big, people! He never showed interest in the t.v. before, even cartoons, but now, he stops moving, sits down, and focuses on the television. I know. I know. This is not something a good parent should be celebrating, but we are thrilled. It's so nice to not chase him every second of the day when he's awake.
Baylor really seems to like the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters, but Handy Manny is his absolute favorite. I know this because that show holds his attention the longest, and also because Baylor goes crazy when we see the Handy Manny tool toys at Target. We always stop by and say hello to the tools while big brother is checking out everything else.
It looks like I no longer have an excuse for not tackling the ever-growing list of household chores. If Baylor keeps this up, I may actually become an efficient person again!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Growing Up
Baylor is growing up...quickly! He's starting to demonstrate his maturity and desire for independence in little ways. For instance, he will fight you if you lay him down and try to change his clothes like a baby. He wants to stand up and step into his pants or shorts like a big boy, and he doesn't want your help when it's time to poke his little hands through the shirt arm holes. Nope, he's a big boy and doesn't need mommy's help getting dressed.
Plus, he desperately wants to feed himself. He does a fine job with finger foods, but still needs a little practice when it comes to spooning things into his mouth. The concept of holding the spoon horizontal and steady just doesn't register with him yet. Practice makes perfect though, and Baylor's hearty appetite leads to plenty of practice.
In all honesty though, Baylor has been a little finicky lately when it comes to food. There have even been a few days when he didn't really want to eat at all. I suspected that it had something to do with teething pains. Two more teeth have broken through his bottom gum. He now has 6 teeth on the bottom and four on top. At least, that's what I thought up until today when I realized he has a molar poking through his top gum. It's actually almost completely out! I can't believe I didn't notice. No wonder he hasn't wanted to eat. I remember Jax who was a drama-free teether had a terrible time with the molars.
Baylor also thinks he should be able to walk when we're out and about running errands. Seeing Jax walking beside the shopping cart or stroller doesn't help the scenario either. Baylor wants to do everything big brother does. Sorry, buddy, but you just aren't ready for that level of freedom yet. Actually, maybe it's mommy who isn't ready for that freedom.
Our little guy doesn't want to be left out of anything. If Baylor sees that we're getting ready to leave, he will run for the door. He basically stands guard in the hallway leading to the garage. You're not leaving without him. When you tell him, "Put on your shoes." he gets soooooo excited. That's the confirmation that's welcome to accompany you. Oh man, and when you don't tell him to get his shoes, he looks beyond upset. The tears definitely flow every morning when he's left behind as dad leaves for work, and big brother heads off to school. Baylor just doesn't understand why he can't go too. Evidently, being left behind with mommy is the end of the world.
Yeap, our baby is growing up. Baylor doesn't even look like a baby anymore. He's definitely a little boy. I knew the transition was coming, but today, it dawned on me that it already happened. It's over & done. I'll just remind self that they'll always be my "babies."
Plus, he desperately wants to feed himself. He does a fine job with finger foods, but still needs a little practice when it comes to spooning things into his mouth. The concept of holding the spoon horizontal and steady just doesn't register with him yet. Practice makes perfect though, and Baylor's hearty appetite leads to plenty of practice.
In all honesty though, Baylor has been a little finicky lately when it comes to food. There have even been a few days when he didn't really want to eat at all. I suspected that it had something to do with teething pains. Two more teeth have broken through his bottom gum. He now has 6 teeth on the bottom and four on top. At least, that's what I thought up until today when I realized he has a molar poking through his top gum. It's actually almost completely out! I can't believe I didn't notice. No wonder he hasn't wanted to eat. I remember Jax who was a drama-free teether had a terrible time with the molars.
Baylor also thinks he should be able to walk when we're out and about running errands. Seeing Jax walking beside the shopping cart or stroller doesn't help the scenario either. Baylor wants to do everything big brother does. Sorry, buddy, but you just aren't ready for that level of freedom yet. Actually, maybe it's mommy who isn't ready for that freedom.
Our little guy doesn't want to be left out of anything. If Baylor sees that we're getting ready to leave, he will run for the door. He basically stands guard in the hallway leading to the garage. You're not leaving without him. When you tell him, "Put on your shoes." he gets soooooo excited. That's the confirmation that's welcome to accompany you. Oh man, and when you don't tell him to get his shoes, he looks beyond upset. The tears definitely flow every morning when he's left behind as dad leaves for work, and big brother heads off to school. Baylor just doesn't understand why he can't go too. Evidently, being left behind with mommy is the end of the world.
Yeap, our baby is growing up. Baylor doesn't even look like a baby anymore. He's definitely a little boy. I knew the transition was coming, but today, it dawned on me that it already happened. It's over & done. I'll just remind self that they'll always be my "babies."
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Little Laugh
Jax and I shared a laugh while shopping at Target today. He was sitting in the "cargo" area of the shopping cart, as I was scanning the shelves for the perfect multi-vitamin, and we were casually chit-chatting about all sorts of nonsense. Mainly, I was reassuring him that we would be visiting the toy department. He always obsesses over this when we're at Target. We ALWAYS visit the toy department. So, I have no idea why he obsesses. NEVER EVER have we skipped the toy department!
Anyway...I was seriously focused on the task at hand, finding a good vitamin, and didn't look over at Jax when he said, "I'm a mom!" I just sort of chuckled and said, "Oh yeah! How'd you pull that off?" Then, I realized that the 2 college-aged guys standing next to me also looking for the ideal vitamin, were giggling. Naturally, I glanced over at Jax, and there he was with my purse proudly slung over his shoulder. Again, he repeated, "Look! I'm a mom!" I just smiled, finally catching on to his joke.
I glanced back towards the 2 guys who were still giggling like school girls, and they looked me in the eyes and said, "If only it was that easy, right?" EXACTLY, if only it was that easy.
Anyway...I was seriously focused on the task at hand, finding a good vitamin, and didn't look over at Jax when he said, "I'm a mom!" I just sort of chuckled and said, "Oh yeah! How'd you pull that off?" Then, I realized that the 2 college-aged guys standing next to me also looking for the ideal vitamin, were giggling. Naturally, I glanced over at Jax, and there he was with my purse proudly slung over his shoulder. Again, he repeated, "Look! I'm a mom!" I just smiled, finally catching on to his joke.
I glanced back towards the 2 guys who were still giggling like school girls, and they looked me in the eyes and said, "If only it was that easy, right?" EXACTLY, if only it was that easy.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
One Last Hoorah
We had two big trips planned for Summer 2009. One at the beginning, Vegas for Uncle Al's 21st birthday, and a second trip at the very end of the season, Palm Beach for Labor Day weekend. I must say the beach trip was pretty much the perfect getaway. All we did was relax! Those that know me, know most trips involve an itinerary and tons of activities. This trip, I told my Type-A personality it was time to chill, and that's exactly what we did.
We checked into the resort early Friday afternoon and were thrilled to discover our room was everything that we had hoped for, a spacious 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom suite complete with a kitchen and our very own washer & dryer! Instantly, we knew we were going to enjoy our stay!
Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Guest Room
Guest Bath
Oh, and The View from the Balcony
We spent a lot of time on that balcony!
With Baylor busy "building sand castles," and Jax off "snorkeling," the older boys spent some time tossing around the football. Although, eventually they did attract Baylor's attention. He wasn't going to miss out on any of the fun.
What started out as a game of "keep away" with Baylor running back & forth between Daddy and Uncle Al, quickly turned into catch with a very excited 15-month old. He so badly wants to be one of the guys!
Very quickly, we realized that Baylor is the exact opposite of Jax when it comes to football skills. Jax has quite an arm, but Baylor can't throw worth a darn. HOWEVER, the boy can catch! I guess that will work out well when the boys start playing ball. Jax can be the quarterback, and Baylor can be a running back or a receiver.
After what seemed like a full 4-quarter SEC game, someone called a time-out. The point of the trip was to relax, after all!
I'd say the strangest occurrence during the trip was when we stumbled upon a beached mermaid with lots of facial hair. Aunt Kelly couldn't resist posing with her/him. That's definitely not something you see everyday.
Jax seemed equally puzzled, but never one to miss an opportunity, he thought it would be funny to pinch the mermaid's nose.
Baylor is such a sweet kid! He seemed genuinely concerned for the mermaid. He sat there for the longest time, as though he was trying to figure out how to free this poor mermaid that looked strikingly similar to Uncle Al.
Unsure of how he could help, he leaned over and gave the mermaid a kiss to make it better.
Then, he grabbed part of the mermaid's shell bikini top and ran off. Maybe he's not as sweet as we thought!
We spent every day on the beach and every night at the pools. Yes, pools...plural. There was the infinity pool overlooking the beach. Plus, there was a second lagoon-style pool with a waterslide. I tell ya, we were living a rough life! Of course, it would have been sad if the pools at the resort weren't even as nice as the poolS at home in our neighborhood. I'd say they were comparable.
The trip was just about perfect. If I had to complain about something, it would be the sad outcome of the Georgia-Oklahoma State football game on Saturday. Had the Bulldogs been victorious, I think the weekend would have been perfection. Oh well. I guess life ain't perfect!
We checked into the resort early Friday afternoon and were thrilled to discover our room was everything that we had hoped for, a spacious 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom suite complete with a kitchen and our very own washer & dryer! Instantly, we knew we were going to enjoy our stay!The Living Room
Kitchen Master BedroomMaster BathGuest RoomGuest BathOh, and The View from the Balcony We spent a lot of time on that balcony!
Some may think it's silly that we take trips to the beach when we basically live at the beach, but every area of Florida has different sand, different water, and a different vibe. It's fun to see how others live. In Palm Beach, the water is clearer than at home, and we had the added fun of snorkeling around a reef located just off shore. 
The water conditions made it a little tough to reach the reef on Saturday. Uncle Al actually swallowed a bit of water during his first attempt and ended up attracting the attention of the lifeguard and most of the beach goers. Luckily, there was no water rescue, and his second attempt was a success.
Those of us that were a little less adventurous, stayed closer to shore where we could play in the waves and lounge on the beach.
As usual, Baylor seemed to prefer playing with the toys on dry land, and Jax preferred to stay in the water away from the dirt (also known as sand). He's never been a fan of dirt, but tolerates it briefly when building sand castles.
The water conditions made it a little tough to reach the reef on Saturday. Uncle Al actually swallowed a bit of water during his first attempt and ended up attracting the attention of the lifeguard and most of the beach goers. Luckily, there was no water rescue, and his second attempt was a success.Those of us that were a little less adventurous, stayed closer to shore where we could play in the waves and lounge on the beach.As usual, Baylor seemed to prefer playing with the toys on dry land, and Jax preferred to stay in the water away from the dirt (also known as sand). He's never been a fan of dirt, but tolerates it briefly when building sand castles.With Baylor busy "building sand castles," and Jax off "snorkeling," the older boys spent some time tossing around the football. Although, eventually they did attract Baylor's attention. He wasn't going to miss out on any of the fun.What started out as a game of "keep away" with Baylor running back & forth between Daddy and Uncle Al, quickly turned into catch with a very excited 15-month old. He so badly wants to be one of the guys!Very quickly, we realized that Baylor is the exact opposite of Jax when it comes to football skills. Jax has quite an arm, but Baylor can't throw worth a darn. HOWEVER, the boy can catch! I guess that will work out well when the boys start playing ball. Jax can be the quarterback, and Baylor can be a running back or a receiver.
After what seemed like a full 4-quarter SEC game, someone called a time-out. The point of the trip was to relax, after all!I'd say the strangest occurrence during the trip was when we stumbled upon a beached mermaid with lots of facial hair. Aunt Kelly couldn't resist posing with her/him. That's definitely not something you see everyday.
Jax seemed equally puzzled, but never one to miss an opportunity, he thought it would be funny to pinch the mermaid's nose.
Baylor is such a sweet kid! He seemed genuinely concerned for the mermaid. He sat there for the longest time, as though he was trying to figure out how to free this poor mermaid that looked strikingly similar to Uncle Al.
Unsure of how he could help, he leaned over and gave the mermaid a kiss to make it better.
Then, he grabbed part of the mermaid's shell bikini top and ran off. Maybe he's not as sweet as we thought!
We spent every day on the beach and every night at the pools. Yes, pools...plural. There was the infinity pool overlooking the beach. Plus, there was a second lagoon-style pool with a waterslide. I tell ya, we were living a rough life! Of course, it would have been sad if the pools at the resort weren't even as nice as the poolS at home in our neighborhood. I'd say they were comparable.
The trip was just about perfect. If I had to complain about something, it would be the sad outcome of the Georgia-Oklahoma State football game on Saturday. Had the Bulldogs been victorious, I think the weekend would have been perfection. Oh well. I guess life ain't perfect!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Back to the Grind
For Jax, that meant school and day 3 of swimming lessons. He's really making progress! Today's lesson was at the old YMCA because the new facility was hosting a swim meet. We watched the team practice for a few minutes after last week's lessons, and Jax said, "I want to do that!" Hopefully, he'll get to that point one day. Then, I can proudly boast that he followed in Mommy's footsteps.
I was the definition of a proud momma today, armed with my camera. I was definitely eager to document Jax's progress, and the weather FINALLY cooperated. Sitting on the lounge chairs prior to the start of the lesson, we had a little practice shoot.
Before we knew it, the instructor was calling everyone over to start the lesson. Baylor thought "everyone" included him. He made every effort to work his way into the group, but Mom & Dad kept interfering with his plans. Next year, Baylor...I promise.
Jax is a dedicated student. He practiced his strokes every day during our Labor Day weekend getaway, and today, he seemed very eager to show off his skills. Jax doesn't do anything half-heartedly. He's on a mission to be the star student.
First, the kids worked on "floating like a star" with their arms & legs extended. Last week, Jax would tense up any time he thought his instructor might let go, but today, he actually floated on his own for all of FIVE seconds. Baby steps!
After everyone practiced floating, the class moved on to a new exercise designed to make them comfortable and excited to go under water. The instructor held a broom handle upright under the water. The kids would take turns retrieving a ring that was slipped around the broom handle under the surface of the water.
Jax was definitely excited to finally take his turn.
Oh, and here's Jax shooting me the "Mom, you're embarrassing me" look. I guess he was tired of his paparazzi mommy.
The lesson's big finale involved a sing-a-long. The kids would sing a little song, and at the end, the instructor would point to one of the kids. The chosen child would then jump into the pool and be caught by the instructor.
Jax was the last man standing, but I don't think he would have wanted it any other way.
All eyes were on him in the end!
I was the definition of a proud momma today, armed with my camera. I was definitely eager to document Jax's progress, and the weather FINALLY cooperated. Sitting on the lounge chairs prior to the start of the lesson, we had a little practice shoot.
Before we knew it, the instructor was calling everyone over to start the lesson. Baylor thought "everyone" included him. He made every effort to work his way into the group, but Mom & Dad kept interfering with his plans. Next year, Baylor...I promise.Jax is a dedicated student. He practiced his strokes every day during our Labor Day weekend getaway, and today, he seemed very eager to show off his skills. Jax doesn't do anything half-heartedly. He's on a mission to be the star student.First, the kids worked on "floating like a star" with their arms & legs extended. Last week, Jax would tense up any time he thought his instructor might let go, but today, he actually floated on his own for all of FIVE seconds. Baby steps!After everyone practiced floating, the class moved on to a new exercise designed to make them comfortable and excited to go under water. The instructor held a broom handle upright under the water. The kids would take turns retrieving a ring that was slipped around the broom handle under the surface of the water.Jax was definitely excited to finally take his turn.Oh, and here's Jax shooting me the "Mom, you're embarrassing me" look. I guess he was tired of his paparazzi mommy.The lesson's big finale involved a sing-a-long. The kids would sing a little song, and at the end, the instructor would point to one of the kids. The chosen child would then jump into the pool and be caught by the instructor.Jax was the last man standing, but I don't think he would have wanted it any other way.All eyes were on him in the end!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Going for Gold
He did it! Jax has mastered (with the use of a floatation belt) the doggie paddle! He believes he can swim, and I believe there is hope that one day he might not sink to the bottom of the swimming pool. A natural Michael Phelps he is not, but depending on what news article you're reading, that might not be such a bad thing!
Yesterday's lesson did not play out as I had hoped. For one thing, it was pouring down rain. Evidently, I am a dedicated (or crazy) parent because Jax was 1 of 3 students that bothered to show up. If that's not dedication, I don't know what is! Because it was raining, I have no pictures. No sense in ruining the camera. I'm sure there will be at least one sunny day over the course of the next 2 weeks.
Luckily, Jax didn't seem to mind the rain drops. Why would he? Either way, he was getting wet. Baylor didn't mind the rain either. He discovered that puddles are almost as much fun as the pool. Although, every now & then Baylor would make a mad dash for the pool, thinking that I wasn't looking. Sorry, buddy, you'll get your chance, but for now it's big brother's moment in the spotlight.
I was quite impressed with how well Jax followed the instructors directions. First, she worked with kids to make sure they were comfortable putting their faces in the water. Then, they moved on to practicing the arm and leg motions, kicking & "scooping." Finally, they took turns swimming laps while wearing floatation belts. It wasn't really a race, but Jax with his competitive personality made it into one. He swam two laps, down & back, in the kiddie pool while Baylor and I cheered & clapped with excitement. It was clear, Jax was going for gold!
Yesterday's lesson did not play out as I had hoped. For one thing, it was pouring down rain. Evidently, I am a dedicated (or crazy) parent because Jax was 1 of 3 students that bothered to show up. If that's not dedication, I don't know what is! Because it was raining, I have no pictures. No sense in ruining the camera. I'm sure there will be at least one sunny day over the course of the next 2 weeks.
Luckily, Jax didn't seem to mind the rain drops. Why would he? Either way, he was getting wet. Baylor didn't mind the rain either. He discovered that puddles are almost as much fun as the pool. Although, every now & then Baylor would make a mad dash for the pool, thinking that I wasn't looking. Sorry, buddy, you'll get your chance, but for now it's big brother's moment in the spotlight.
I was quite impressed with how well Jax followed the instructors directions. First, she worked with kids to make sure they were comfortable putting their faces in the water. Then, they moved on to practicing the arm and leg motions, kicking & "scooping." Finally, they took turns swimming laps while wearing floatation belts. It wasn't really a race, but Jax with his competitive personality made it into one. He swam two laps, down & back, in the kiddie pool while Baylor and I cheered & clapped with excitement. It was clear, Jax was going for gold!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Jinxed
I think we're either cursed or jinxed when it comes to swimming lessons. A few of you may remember my rant when Jax's first session was cancelled because he was the only kid enrolled. Well, we decided to give lessons another shot, and enrolled him in a different program offered through our local YMCA.
Yesterday was the first day, and history pretty much repeated itself. We showed up with an overly eager and excited 4-year old that couldn't wait to get in the pool, only to learn that they had just cancelled the lesson due to weather. I immediately looked up at the sky, certain that they were kidding because it was bright & sunny. Sure enough, waaaaaaaaay off in the distance there was ONE small black cloud. I think cancelling was a bit of an overreaction.
Luckily, they were simply cancelling yesterday's lesson. We broke the disappointing news to Jax, but promised that we would return the next day (today) and start fresh. So, of course, Mother Nature is now on a mission to make a liar out of me. Today, the sky is filled with evil black clouds and logically, the lesson has again been cancelled.
Will the third time be the charm?
Yesterday was the first day, and history pretty much repeated itself. We showed up with an overly eager and excited 4-year old that couldn't wait to get in the pool, only to learn that they had just cancelled the lesson due to weather. I immediately looked up at the sky, certain that they were kidding because it was bright & sunny. Sure enough, waaaaaaaaay off in the distance there was ONE small black cloud. I think cancelling was a bit of an overreaction.
Luckily, they were simply cancelling yesterday's lesson. We broke the disappointing news to Jax, but promised that we would return the next day (today) and start fresh. So, of course, Mother Nature is now on a mission to make a liar out of me. Today, the sky is filled with evil black clouds and logically, the lesson has again been cancelled.
Will the third time be the charm?
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