life with baby

June 15: Bruises, Bubbles and Buddies

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On an everyday summer evening, such as June 15, I pick up Jameson from school (aka daycare) and bring him home to enjoy the last hours of sunlight before and after dinner.

(On a slightly atypical day, I pick up Jameson and find that he has an incident report. Obviously, we had one when he lost his tooth, but occasionally we get reports that he fell or otherwise injured himself.)

Conveniently right before his 18 month photos, he developed an egg-shaped bruise smack in the middle of his forehead.

That’s one heck of a mugshot! His teachers kindly iced it on and off throughout the day to reduce the swelling, and it wasn’t nearly as bad the next day as it first appeared.

 

Back to our now slightly atypical evening, Jameson usually plays before and after dinner outside if the weather is nice.

Recently, he has a new obsession with the empty bubble container. Neighbor Kelly was emptying bubbles into their bubble leaf blower for Lily, and Jameson insisted on playing with the empty container for the rest of the evening (and on into the following days).

…By the end of this weekend, he was able to screw and unscrew the lid perfectly.

Oh yes, on a typical evening, after dinner he may also have a different outfit on than before. Messy kid. Like last night, we had couscous. It was EVERYWHERE.

I call this his “lounge wear,” and we decided on this particular day to go on a walk with it on as well. (Here he is, showing us where his belly is at — and holding my work badge)

As luck would have it, Jameson’s friend Nathan from daycare was out as well. They live a couple streets over, and often play outside in the summer. However, Nathan was recently pulled out of daycare (just for the summer), so Jameson hasn’t gotten to see his partner in crime quite as much.

Jameson isn’t real shy about playing with other kid’s toys. Maybe a little shy about other kids, but the toys are a free-for-all in his mind.

Nathan has a big sister who was out too. She was wearing a helmet, so Nathan wanted to wear his as well. Too cute!

Nathan’s family just put in a new sprinkler system (just in time for this hot spell we are in!). Jameson, since his trip to the splash pad, is showing a lot less fear on that end and loves to put his hand in the hose, and the sprinkler system as well.

We were out a little late on this perfect summer evening, but that’s okay because it was filled with play time with friends!

And, I got Nathan’s mom’s phone number, a real milestone for this working mom! Now, one of these days, I have to actually pick up that phone to call…

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Splash Pad

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The weather is getting hot again: Sunday we were supposed to go to the zoo but it hit 90! So we hit the Splash Pad (free!) with JP, Lisa and Jonathan instead.

Since we were going to get wet, I opted not to bring my fancy camera and instead brought a new waterproof video/camera that Brian bought for my birthday.

I know, another camera? Is it really necessary? Brian but it refurbished though and for the splash pad, waterproof was necessary! The video worked decent: It was a surprise to see that the sound was picked up pretty well and the video was brighter than it appeared on screen when I was recording.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W7aq6Q2L8E]

The still photos the camera took though weren’t too impressive. The camera couldn’t focus on anything close up, and the colors seemed a little washed out. Lisa’s iphone took better color, but mine had better focus (when it was properly in focus and not too close). It also had a slow reaction and saving time, so you couldn’t take consecutive shots without waiting for a little bit.

Jameson had a good time. He doesn’t like the sprinkler at home, so we were a little concerned that he would be terrified of an entire playground of sprinklers, but he did really well. He wanted to stay near us while he explored, but he was fascinated with all the kids around.

He even had a girlfriend for a moment when we first arrived. She wanted to take him around!

Jonathan also had a great time. He didn’t have any problem going off on his own (trailed by mom and dad), sitting on water, and trying to take the big kids’ toys!

Finally Jameson tripped over himself and had had enough of the splash pad. We toweled the boys off and headed back for a cookout!

JP made steak and chicken with a tzatziki sauce on the side, as well as vegetables and a gourmet style rice. We tried to have the boys eat at the picnic table which was hit or miss. Mostly miss.

They aren’t quite ready for that yet. Jameson wanted a whole mushroom rather than his halves, and then he wanted a whole piece of chicken (they were in big cubes since JP put them on kabobs), but he really only wanted to eat on dad’s lap, which happened again, my lap this time, just last night.

I think we need to get him a chair that will allow him to eat at the table with us and retire the high chair soon!

For dessert, we had a tasty but terrible-looking apple tart that I made.

The recipe calls for puff pastry dough, but Brian and I bought phyllo dough instead, which was not an adequate replacement.

It’s very easy to make: 2 granny smith apples, cored and cut into slices; 1 puff pastry dough, rolled out and sprinkled with 1/8 cup of sugar. Make a 1 inch border and poke fork holes in the middle all around. Put down apples, sprinkle with another 1/8 cup sugar. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

It tasted great, but we’ll try the correct dough next time. It was a touch hard to eat.

After dinner, we let the boys play (both sets: JP & Brian went off to brew beer). We were home by 9, and Jameson didn’t want to get up the next day. For once, we tired him out instead of the other way around!

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Hiking Kendall Lake

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Saturday, we decided to go hiking around Kendall Lake.

This was our second hike with Jameson in his baby backpack; the first hike was just a little over half a mile as a test. The hike around Kendall Lake was pretty mild with just one larger hill and was one mile around.

The lake has a lot of life. At first it seems muddy or dirty, but that is because of all plant life growing in it. It was teeming with fish, and we saw evidence of beavers on the stripped trees along the path right next to the lake.

Jameson enjoyed himself. He likes to sip water during the hike and drank almost the whole cup by the time we finished.

It’s nice to be able to get up and go with Jameson now. We simply toss his small diaper carrier holding a couple diapers, wipes and mat, and some water and off we go! Well, after applying a bit of sunscreen too. I think Jameson does have a bit of a tan, but no burns, which is important.

The trail is very dynamic! We went through a tunnel, in and out of woods, and around cattails and streams.

Jameson would reach out to touch some tree bark every two or three steps. Brian has shared a memory with me how his grandfather used to take him to the woods behind his house and collect bark; we didn’t do any collecting here since that is bad for trees, but it is fun to show Jameson these textures and how fun nature is.

Jameson is becoming very observant. At home, he will spot the smallest ants on the pavement, pointing at them and avoiding them. I think he saw the fish we pointed out to him in the lake for sure! I’ve shown him little toads and daddy-long-leg spiders in our yard as well.

After our hike, we stopped at a farmers market for fresh zucchini on the way home. We also treated ourselves to garden herb sausage from Bluebird Meadows Farm after tasting a wonderful sample as well as some Ohio City Pasta, which is always excellent.

It was a perfect, relaxing Saturday and exactly what we needed after the wedding events last weekend! We needed time to unwind, mow the lawn, do some laundry and take a hike.

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Popsicle Summer

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It’s only June and the grass is already dried out and sharp. We have gotten some early hot, dry weather this season!

But, it’s perfect for popsicles:

I attended a free Lightroom webinar session a couple weeks ago and got a few tips and tricks from it. It was mostly an intro course, but I felt like I learned somewhat. At the end, they had a discount code for their shop at Pretty Presets (it was a free webinar remember).

My photos in the evening are mostly outside now. And since I take a lot of evening photos because I work most days, I felt like it was a smart investment to purchase some sunlight and color enhancing and adjusting presets for Lightroom.

I went ahead and purchased their Spring Color, Flare & Haze Collection, and I’m really happy with it. The key to presets though is knowing how to tweak them to your needs, which they showed in the webinar. I’ve never used the gradient adjustments in Lightroom, so this has opened up a whole new world.

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life with baby

Swimming Lessons?

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We tried to get Jameson and Lily to play in the pool and sprinkler on the unseasonably hot days we had a couple weeks ago, but no dice.

Jameson tested the water, but it was too cold.

We plopped him on the side, but he wasn’t too sure.

I won’t name names, but somebody threw him in, thinking he might get used to it and appreciate it on a 90 degree day…

…He didn’t.

Daddy rescued him from the pool. Looks like that’s it for swimming lessons this year!

P.S. Yesterday I discovered there is a new swimming lesson facility opening up toward the end of the year! It is geared toward kids with warm, clean water and small class sizes. I am actually looking forward to having something to do with Jameson this winter when it’s not as nice outside!

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Camel Rides and Ice Cream Fun

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Saturday, we went to the zoo with JP, Lisa and Jonathan. The boys had a blast, but the parents even more so!

I was afraid of how hot it was expected to be over the weekend, but Saturday morning was relatively cool. Most of the animals we out and about, and while we didn’t drop by the bears this time, we did stop at the aquarium and playground.

The meercats were back in their habitat by the elephants!

Oh, and this time we had Jonathan and Jameson pose at the head shot photo spot; and Lisa was hilarious and wanted one of us as well. Oh yes we did.

I played around with aperture a lot at the zoo that day; the shaded daylight was perfect for photos.

Does anyone know what this guy is? I don’t remember, but he lived near the giraffe and zebra habitats. The framing in the front with the leaves really attracted me.

We also tried this monkey bench pose again. Can you believe it’s only been a month since we last took that photo? He looks so much older this month. Must be the new hairdo. Or hat.

Jonathan really got into it. He posed right up next to the monkey, laying his head on the statue and hamming it up for the camera!

After seeing all the animals in the central part of the zoo, we went up the long ramp to the aquarium.

Look how classy we are!

Yes, they posed for that on purpose, and yes, I did just post that on my blog. But oh, more embarrassment is to come!!

We spent a little time at the playground, playing on fake animals and Jonathan, of course, loved the slide.

We stopped for lunch, and everyone ate well. Jameson enjoyed his bologna, cheese and fruit and Jonathan had vegetable cream cheese on crackers

Note: this is a great idea which we will have to try to get vegetables and dairy in him at the same time as crackers which are always a hit!

Jonathan also gobbled up a peach, and was upset when it was gone, running over to the trash can to try and get it back.

And then… Lisa and I decided to ride some camels. Yes we did.

We did stand in line with all the kids and ride the camel. Yep.

And back to business, we hit up some more of the indoor exhibits. The monkey in this habitat stared straight at us. It seemed a little sad, but I think it was just feeling left out because two monkeys right past it were play wrestling like maniacs!

Our last stop at the zoo was the rainforest exhibit, which is always fun for Jameson. We put away the stroller and let him walk around.

We found that if he holds both our hands, he’s less apt to run amok. It helped that everything was exciting at the rainforest, and we consistently went the same direction he wanted to go.

After the zoo, we decided to stop for ice cream. Brian has been having weird cravings for pizza rolls and Blizzards, so this ice cream stop was a bit of a compromise.

It was so messy. Jameson had no idea what to do at first.

I am pretty sure that we will need to alternate who gets to have their ice cream and who watches Jameson next time. Up and down on the little benches, wiping ice cream everywhere, dropping his cone and then eating mom’s. Jameson was crazy.

I do think he liked the cone better than the ice cream itself though. He ate almost all of mine.

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Sweet Sunday

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Without any ado: Happy Birthday Mr. Husband, sir. Together we make 60 years now of wisdom and awesomeness. 🙂

And now, Sweet Sunday.

JP, Lisa & Jonathan came over last Sunday for a small get together. We had ribs, beans, coleslaw and potatoes. Fresh salad greens from the farmers market the day prior.

And a whole lot of fun!

These were some of my most successful outdoor photos yet. I love the pictures of Jonathan, splashing away in the water table. They’ve both tried to climb up in it, so this weekend we are thinking of breaking out Jameson’s water bounce house since it is expected to be so nice and warm!

Jonathan adored the slides, over and over. He didn’t mind going too quickly down the slide. Jameson is quite a bit more hesitant on the slides now, wanting to hold mom or dad’s hand.

Jameson seems to be our climber, and Jonathan, the daredevil!

The boys are interacting quite a bit, though it takes just a little while for them to warm up to each other. Meanwhile, Jameson sees Lily nearly every other day during the week, and they are becoming quite familiar with each other. He gave her a “hug” the other day, by laying his head against her chest. He was too shy to wrap his arms around her like he does mom and dad!

New words this week is saying “Hi” and “Bye Bye” He could say bye bye over and over and over, it’s a new favorite word. At school, they are learning to sign “water” (how appropriate!)

 

In a bit of related, but unrelated news, our play equipment is all in the front yard, due to what’s going on in our back. Our HOA (Home Owners Association) sent us a rather formal, scary note about removing “unsightly objects”.

I don’t know about you, but I think those photos don’t lie. The play equipment doesn’t seem the least bit “unsightly” to me.

 

P.S. This weekend is going to be packed with fun! We are planning a zoo trip with JP, Lisa & Jonathan tomorrow morning; and celebrating Brian’s birthday with family on Sunday! And Monday? It’s expected to be hot, so it might be a great time to bring out that water bounce house (which should be big enough for adults too, no joke, I’m excited!).

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Baby in a Backpack

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Let’s pretend for a minute that Jameson is still a baby.

Brian and I used to go hiking (not real hard-core hiking; much more low key with some hills). We didn’t go much at all last year, except we did go back to the falls where we were engaged. So for Christmas, I Jameson got Brian a baby-toting-backpack. We got ours in black, on a super sale from Zulily (invitation link).

We used it for the first time on Saturday, and it turned out rather well. We went on a relatively short hike (little over half a mile) to a new trail we hadn’t been to yet.

I love how this photo is just out of focus. It feels very soft. I don’t often keep out of focus photos, but this one spoke to me.

Jameson did really well. He drank his water the whole time, without complaint. He was a little concerned when we first put him in it, signing “all done” over and over, but once he was in it and moving and looking around, all was well.

As for Brian, he was happy with the backpack but said he needs to get used to the weight. We are excited to move on to longer trails soon!

Saturday evening, we hung out with the neighbors and met another couple and their 7 month old son from elsewhere in the neighborhood.

They were very nice, and it was great meeting someone else from our development. Since we are just three houses on a hill, we don’t often interact with many others.

We had a great cookout, and Jameson insisted on trying corn on the cob since Lily had some. Monkey see, monkey do. And likewise, when Jameson wasn’t sure how to eat it and tried stabbing it with his fork, Lily did the same with her fork.

Jameson even had his first real popsicle on a stick! He loved it and ate the whole thing.

We played cornhole later that evening, and Brian and I lost 3 times to Kelly and Curtis. I guess we’ll I’ll need to practice more this summer!

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general life, life with baby

Bittersweet

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It was an outdoor weekend: perfect weather for it! And it was a bittersweet weekend.

It started out somber, of course. Brian’s grandfather’s funeral was Friday morning and calling hours Thursday afternoon and evening. He lived a long (91 years!) full life, the last of his siblings to pass away. We feel fortunate that he was able to meet Jameson twice.

Brian’s grandmother passed away several years past, and the service this time was similar to hers. The tough part was actually the military honor and playing of Taps at the end. It was beautiful and terribly heart-wrenching. He was a veteran of WWII.

We opted to leave Jameson at daycare for both calling hours and the funeral; I left to pick Jameson up Thursday before the second set. It was better that way since he wouldn’t understand or tolerate the sitting and standing (and lack of toys). While I’m sure he would’ve lightened the mood, it would only have been for a half hour before he became antsy, I’m certain!

 

But on that lovely Friday evening, Brian got out the “bounce house” for Jameson to try the very first time. Lily wasn’t happy about it (she may not remember, but she did go in it at her first birthday part last year). The pump does make a pretty loud noise though.

Jameson wanted me to go in with him every time, which after some 10 or so times got a little old.

By the end of the weekend, he finally did go in and through it all by himself! (With close watching by mom and dad, since the activity is for ages 3 and up)

We meandered (well, Jameson ran over) to Lily’s house for a while. She had all kinds of great toys for him to play with.

She has a Cozy Coupe (he does too, but he didn’t know it yet *wink wink*) and he spent time going in and out of that. And letting dad drive him up and down the sidewalk.

It was a great way to end the day that started out so sad.

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Backyard

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A couple weeks ago, we broke out Jameson’s new Sand and Water table. We purchased this one, with its classic lines and roadways, and nearly complete positive reviews. We’ve only filled it with water, but the children have enjoyed it a lot as just a water table!

Jameson and Lily love to laugh at (with?) each other now. One will start, and the other will squeal with them. Their laughter is catching for us too!

Jameson and Lily don’t seem to mind being soaking wet.

It’s so fun to watch them together and interact. When we say “hold Lily/Jameson’s hand!” they do! They also blow kisses to each other now.

Lily is a good influence on Jameson; he’ll sit still some when she’s around showing him what to do.

However, I’m sad to say that the backyard we’ve enjoyed so much already this summer is pretty well gone. We hauled all the outdoor toys into the front yard this weekend.

Details to come!

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