Mmmmm...sweet potato - John's favourite 

Bathtime! Followed of course by a late night snack and bed.

Hope you all enjoyed our day!

I set John down to play with his blocks, while i plugged away at Mike's paperwork. It didn't take long for a little hand to start tickling my leg. I looked down and saw this... 

Today, table leg. Tomorrow, Everest. 

Those new pearly whites

What a smile!

Well, another day off for Mike, another day of no daycare tours.

We were supposed to go yesterday, but Mike, who can't ever say no to anyone but me, made other plans. About a month ago, a Jehova's Witness handed him a pamflet while he was on his way out. He was nice to her, so I guess she took it as a sign of interest. As a result, a couple of church elders turned up on our doorstep to save our souls.

Mike let them come in.

Wow.

I never realized how many bible passages there are outlining exactly why I'm going straight to hell. Not just non-Jehova's in general - me in particular. And they found them so fast; it's like they have that whole book memorized. So, I guess I'm doing it all wrong. You should have seen their jaws drop when I told them I don't believe homosexuality is a sin, and am a strong supporter of same-sex marraige. No everlasting life for me! To add insult to injury, they got Mike to read aloud many of the passages condemning me to hell. Nice. Mike, of course was in "polite" mode, so they still think his soul has a chance. They said they'd be back to talk to him again. Good grief.

They actually waved the bible in my face. Both of them at the same time. I wish I had a video camera to record the moment. They actually thumped their bibles too. I thought that was just a saying. It actually happens, at least when faced with a satan worshiping heathen like me. I bet they're very concerned for John's well-being. I wonder if he's on their prayer list yet.

Oh, apparently, the end is nigh. Thought I'd warn you.

Anyway. It was kind of fun to ruffle their feathers, but I think I'll find something more worthwhile to do for the next installment of Mike's conversion. He'll probably wind up joining just because he can't say no. (Unless it's me. No problem saying no to me. Maybe I'll tell him to join - then he'll say no.)

Anyway. So another day without daycare tours. Another day of growing waiting lists. Thankfully these aren't appointments - they have drop-in policies. You can check them out at any time, which is nice. You know the staff hasn't been warned, so you're more likely to see the real deal. However, we've kind of half decided that we don't want a cold, institutional centre after all. We're thinking we might explore the home childcare route. There's two licenced agencies in town, and the nurse pushed one way, way more than the other, so we're going to look into them too. It's easier to get a place in home childcare, and the thinking is, it will be more nurturing, because he'll be cared for by another mom. We'll look at both, though. We're still open.

John's doing well. We've started meat. It's so thick, it makes him gag, so I thin it out with a little water. Otherwise, it seems popular. He prefers beef to chicken so far. He's starting to eat a lot more these days. I'm pretty shocked how much food he can pack away now, especially considering he hasn't dropped a nursing yet. Still growing fast, I think. He's not chubbing up at all, but he feels more solid.

Anyway, I had better go. I have a bunch of political paperwork to do. It seems that party secretary actually means Mike's personal secretary. Hmm...I think I should inform Mike that if he goes Jehova's Witness, he'll have to give up politics and stop voting. I think that would end it right there!

The secret life of John

Caught red handed! This is what John does when he thinks I'm not looking. I set him down to play, I step out of the room for 30 seconds, and this is what I find - he's on the other side of the room, standing beside the bookshelf, scanning for something to destroy.

Awww..how could you ever get mad at a face like that?

My mom suggested to fill that bottom shelf with toys instead of yummy books - great idea! We'll definitely be doing that!

Well, today didn't go at all as planned. We were going to spend the afternoon visiting daycares. However, on the way to the last rhyme time class, we got a flat. One of us drove over a tack - Mike thinks he did it last night; I think I did it this morning. Regardless, it happened, but wasn't obvious until we got to the Early Years Centre. So, I had to turn right around and come home. It left us stranded at home for the day, so no daycares either.

Anyway, we'll have to go on Mike's next day off, which is Thursday. I feel bad that we missed the last Rhyme Time, though. John really liked that program, and we hadn't been able to go for the last few weeks because of all the colds going around here. Oh well. I'm sure he won't come back at me when he's a teenager with "remember when you wouldn't take me to baby rhyme time?" It's hardly the stuff of therapy sessions, and we have a good collection of kiddie songs he really enjoys, so it has a lasting benefit. Our days of endless Itsy Bitsy Spider are a distant memory! I just need to find something to keep him around other babies. He's developing a shyness lately, believe it or not. I guess it's that stranger anxiety thing rearing its ugly head. The baby who was so happy to sit on the nurse's lap and chew her ID badge, now won't leave my side, even though he can for the first time. He doesn't even talk much while we're out. The nurse was worried that he was so quiet, but he's still a very chatty baby when it's just us. Hopefully, it's just a phase!

Happy eight month birthday to John, by the way!!! Eight months today!!!

First word?

My little scholar

Mike thinks that John has said his first actual word. He's got his nose out of joint about it, because it happens to be Mama. Or, more often something like MAMAMAMAMAMAMA!

I don't think he knows that I am Mama. Based on how and why he uses it, loosely translated Mama means "Hey you! Pick me up!" We've been listening carefully for a couple weeks now, but he only uses it when he's upset and needs some issue dealt with. Like, he's tired of being on the floor. Or he wants to cuddle. Or he's hungry. Or he's woken up and wants us to come get him. He doesn't ever say it when he's content, so we're thinking it might actually be something, even if it is just "hey you! Fix this!"

He was so cute yesterday. I was building towers with his blocks. Usually, he just knocks them over and laughs. But yesterday, he actually tried to help me build. He picked up a block and was trying so gingerly to place it on top. However, he was holding it at a strange angle, so he couldn't put it down. He tried several times, but eventually gave up and stuck it in his mouth instead. It was pretty amazing to watch!

That dreaded time has come. Time to choose a caregiver for John. Oh, how I've been dreading this! But, time is running out, and those waiting lists won't get any shorter until we plunk our names down on one. We have a couple of tours lined up for tomorrow. I well up every time I think about it. I hope I don't lose it while I'm there.

I'm think I'm going to be one of those moms from hell, who stop in unannounced all the time and yell at the ECE people and demand a nutritional analysis for every snack. On the other hand, I'm mortified that he's not going to be ready for daycare. I only have three months to get nursing down to mornings and evenings, and get him eating table food. That seems so distant from where we are now. He's eaten a few little chunks of veggies, but he's still spoon-fed. He nurses about 8 times a day. Since the last round of teething he's gotten into the habit of being cuddled to sleep, and it's a habit I can't break. If I lay him down to sleep like we used to, he screams and reaches to be picked up. I have visions of him wailing through every naptime at daycare, because they won't be willing to rock him to sleep. It's going to be terrible for everyone. Actually, he'll probably love it, they'll think he's great, and I'll be the only wreck, blubbering in my cubicle, while he's howling with laughter on the other side of town. I don't know which thought leaves me more upset. Ugh.

My future (aka the things that will keep me up nights in 16 years.)

Got milk?

Oh sure, he looks cute and innocent now, all covered in yogurt. But he is a Walchuk, he is a male and he is Mike's son. Those three things make a lethal combination, when there are things like this in the world:

http://gprime.net/video.php/supersoakerflamethrower

http://gprime.net/video.php/gokartflip

http://gprime.net/video.php/idiottrucktrick

More of John's fan club

This is a picture of a picture, which shows my auntie Karyle and Grandma Phillips - obviously, they're the ones who made and sent the enbroidery for John's room. They sent this photo, so now he can see what they look like.

We found the baby yogurt! Holy cow! What a hunt that took, and it only comes in the little wee containers. Get this - a whole dollar for every teeny tub! Youch! Mike figures it makes sense - it's just regular yogurt, but it's plain and double the fat of even full fat yogurt, so no-one would ever eat it themselves. It really is just baby yogurt, and babies are a pretty small demographic. Next stop is definitely a yogurt maker. I'm not paying a whole dollar for each little tub. That's just goofy. I got some chicken and beef to try as well. Should be fun. It looks really gross.

Everyone loves his new little teeth, but we're worried about the gap between them. Though, everyone we talk to says it's normal and fine. The nurse today even said that gaps are a good sign - perfectly spaced baby teeth would mean overcrowded and crooked adult teeth later on, so gaps now are a sign that things will fall into place later. She has a baby dentist as a guest speaker in a couple of weeks. We've agreed that if even he says it's fine, then we won't worry about it anymore.

We need a new program for John. Rhyme Time is ending and there isn't much else for kids his age. They started a Busy Babies program, with a bunch of soft gym equipment designed for crawling babies and new walkers. Maybe we'll start that now that he can creep about. Heck, maybe we'll just sign back up for Rhyme Time - he really enjoyed that one. I don't have much more time to do things with him anymore. Work is starting soon. After that, we'll be too busy for programs. That's such a sad thought, isn't it? It feels like I only have three more months to be a mom.

The John is coming, the John is coming!

Well this was unsuccessful. I was trying to get a picture of John posed on his tummy, but he wouldn't stop coming at me. I backed up, and here he has me backed into a corner.

Eek! He's got my foot! 

Ack! He's got the camera! This is John's first self-portrait!

I think we've got another growth spurt on our hands. John has been sooo hungry. He normally eats every two hours, but now he's actually getting a little jittery by the time the next meal comes along. Yesterday, I just took him to bed with me, and let him go nuts. He stopped eating five hours later. He was jittery again within an hour.

Even solids don't seem to fully satisfy. He likes to feed himself now - as in he likes to put the spoon in his own mouth. I put food on the spoon, and hand it to him. He eats off the spoon, then plays with the spoon. I repeat with another spoon, while he fiddles with the first one. Well, not this time. Yesterday he was so hungry, he was grabbing the spoon out of my hand, shoving it in his mouth with such zeal, you'd think I was starving him, then flinging the spoon back at me for instant reloading. It was pretty interesting. Time to start something with a little more substance I think. How full can you really get from milk and mangoes?

I guess we'll head out today on a serious quest for the elusive six per cent yogurt. I think its time has definitely come. Or maybe baby chicken? I don't know. A whole new food group. It's all very scary. We haven't even made much progress on grains. We tried rice and barley again, but both give him gas and weepy rashes. He can't even digest rice properly and I'm going to give him meat? What's wrong with this picture? Sigh.

He's still working on the creeping. He's getting very good. He's started pulling books from the bookshelves and eating them. Not sure how we're going to curb that one. It's his new obsession.

In case you didn't notice, we didn't go to the provincial convention in Ottawa last weekend. We were supposed to go, but thankfully Mike realized we could only scrape up enough for one convention this year, so he chose the federal. He's even humming and hawing about that one. He made me a deal yesterday that if I could get the house spotless by the time he got home from work, he wouldn't go and we could use the money for home improvements, including a new dining room table we found at Ikea. It's massive and it's wood - better than our tiny little faux wood-grain '70s arbourite kitchen table we have going on. And only $300. It would look pretty goofy with our mismatched collection of broken '70s vinyl/metal tube kitchen chairs we have, but it would be a step in the right direction. I was all set to clean, thinking about all the pretty paint colours I have chosen, and the new table, but Mike took back the offer at the last minute. I was so close to getting rid of those wretched royal blue walls! Damn you, Stephen Harper!

Anyway, John will be up soon, so I had better get ready for our Balkan yogurt quest. Wish us luck!

Late update

John modelling a new sweater from Grandma and Grandpa W, sent with some Malkins jam and tub toys. It's from a town down the road, but they seem to have stolen our town's mascot, Max, shown beside John in the flesh. (That was one of the first things Mike ever bought for me - every girl dreams her guy will get her a Max.) Even John can see the brazen thievery of our hometown's image. Or maybe that serious look is just him thinking how he's going to get his teeth around those antlers.

Sorry I've been such a lazy poster lately. It's been a tough slog with the flu. That's the third one for me this winter. It's been terrible. I'm feeling much better now, though. John has spent a lot of time in bed with me this past week, so I could get more sleep. I'm sure he's starting to wonder why life has become so dull. Adrian is still sick, too. He came home from TO and asked to go see a doc. We all went, and while we were there, Mike told me to get seen too. We're both fine - just a flu, nothing more. He's allowed to drug up, though, so life is good for him. I'm allowed...Tylenol. Woohoo. Why is it that doctors try to pass off a relatively limited drug as a magic cure-all when you're pregnant or breastfeeding? Are there decongestants I'm allowed to take? Why, yes there are, but the doc wouldn't tell me which ones. "Tylenol is better," he says. Funny. I didn't realize Tylenol is a decongestant.

John was spared, thank goodness. Not even so much as a sniffle. He's doing very well. Literally bored to tears, but he's well. He's been dressed in pink frilly clothes for the past few days while I get up enough oomph to do the laundry. He's pretty cute as a girl. He has these adorable little pink flowered sweatpants. Even I'm not mean enough to post a picture. Though I may take one and stash it away in case, down the road, he brings home a girl I really, really despise.

What else? Not much. Been sick and stuck in bed. That about sums it up.

Things are business as usual for Mike. The managers had a big meeting, but no news from it yet, which isn't a good sign. Work-to-rule has been lifted, so he's taking overtime shifts again. So far, that's about it.

Who has four teeth?

I have four teeth!

Well, you can't see them yet with a camera, but they are there! The second top one broke through just a couple days ago.

Sorry for no posts in a while - the flu has been making its way around. The one Mike got WAS different from the others, and I got it too. It was a miserable, feverish, achy muscle, don't make me get out of bed kind of flu. I got it, but John seems to have been spared - knock on wood. The only thing worse than having this flu would be to have to take care of a baby who feels this cruddy while feeling this cruddy myself. The worst of it seems to have passed, but I have no voice today. John was looking at me pretty strangely while I made a lot of weird, raspy noises this morning.

His creeping has become very good, unfortunately. He can cover a lot of ground fast just slithering along. His destination is often a pair of ankles. Usually mine, because I have yummy tassles on my slippers. Other destinations include dust. I can vacuum, and think that the room is clean, then set him down and within minutes, he'll have found a dust ball. It's like a sixth sense for him. Oh, that and dropped food. Once he can actually eat everything, it'll be like having a dog in the house.

On the strike front, things have taken a unique, and scary twist. The parent company has bought all the shares of Mike's company. In the bulletin, it said that all the employees will be brought into the parent company, and a new company will be formed. We aren't really sure what that means. Layoffs? Who knows. We have a feeling it might mean that Mike's company will in fact be shut down, and replaced with the piece rate contractor the parent company has formed. What happens to the hundreds of workers now absorbed into the parent company is anyone's guess. Or it may mean business as usual - just a different name n the top of paycheques. Who knows. Negotiations have been suspended until tomorrow. Should be an interesting discussion once everyone gets back to the table. I'll keep you all posted.

*******************************************************************************
STRIKE UPDATE

OK, I actually went and read Mike's bulletin myself. Mike's company will be morphing into a new company, and all the current techs will be transferred into it, NOT the parent company. No less unsettling than a whole new company moving in, swarming the area with large numbers of bargain-priced techs, but it makes more sense at least. However, the union says it's a positive thing and Mike got a message from his manager that, although he has no details right now, his understanding is things will be business as usual. My question is, why do it if nothing will change? A lot of money just changed hands - no company would do that without some gain to be had.

The flu spreads....

No picture today - Mike took all my batteries to use in his work equipment, so I can't download the camera. I'll get them back soon, don't worry. I know where he lives.

We're all sick. Mike called in sick this morning and probably will again tomorrow, and Adrian has barely left his bed all week. (I did offer to take him to the doc, Mom, but he says it isn't needed - he feels he's improving.) I'm just hoping it's the same cold, so John and I won't get sick yet again. I don't think we'll be so lucky, though. Adrian came home with this one, and gave it to Mike, so I think it might be new.

John's top tooth broke through today! You can't really see it very well, but I can feel it - just a tiny ridge so far.

He's learning how to cruise - it's so cute. He'll stand up, holding onto our headboard, and inch along our mattress. He's become very good at creeping. He followed me to the bathroom today, and later tried to follow me to the kitchen, but only made it halfway before melting down.

Our Parentlink class this week was all about making babyfood, so the city sent a dietition. I already know how, but it was good to have someone trained in diet to ask questions. Turns out I shouldn't be giving him any water after all! No water until he's about a year and a half!!! It was a relief, because he's just not getting this whole cup thing yet, even though the other nurse said to start giving him water at six months. I was worried he'd dehydrate, but turns out he'll be better off without it.

She showed us the babyfood textures we should be aiming for, as our babies get older. John should be starting chunkier food now. She showed us a lot of nifty little gadgets for making food. One was this tiny little food processor - only $8. I think I'm going to get one - it was pretty cool and did a really good job of making the chunkier food.

It was a really useful class, but John was completely miserable the whole time; she kept making babyfood, including all his favourites, like banana and sweet potato, and setting them on the table in front of him. He found it a little frustrating, to say the least.

Anyway, I've got him climbing all over me right now, driving me batty, so I'm going to take another crack at putting him to bed. He's become quite the contortionist.

Just say No to Cheerios

John sleeping beside flowers - posted to celebrate our above-freezing, return-of-spring weather.

We thought we'd give John a thrill today, and let him try Cheerios. Most of the online moms of 7-month-olds say they give them to their babies, no problems.

It was love at first sight. He spent ages pushing them around his tray, picking them up with his thumb and fingertip, smashing them together. It was all great fun - until he tried to actually eat one. I modelled correct Cheerio eating for him several times, stressing the chewing action. He couldn't quite follow along - he liked to play with them, but couldn't physicaly pick one up and place it in his mouth. So, I put one in the palm of my hand for him, and he instantly bent down and slurped it up with his mouth.

He looked completely confused for a second, and I repeated the chewing motions in front of him. That was when all of the colour drained from his face. He turned as white as paper, but with bright red circles around his eyes. His mouth was wide open but he was completely silent, except for the frenzied banging on his tray. "My God," I thought. "He's choking!!" I called for Mike, in case I needed him to call an ambulance. Luckily, I had read the choking chapter of my book, so I knew what to do. Sure enough, the Cheerio was stuck in the back, so I scooped it out with my finger.

It was by far my scariest mommy moment yet. It was pretty scary for him too. He was shaking, and as soon as he caught his breath, the arms shot up for a cuddle. I would have obliged right away, but in the panic of the moment and the shoving of fingers down throats, John had thrown up his entire dinner. There he was, with his sad puppy face, and his arms reaching for me, but he was covered head to toe in curdled milk. It was all over his face, his hands; it was dripping on the floor. Obviously we did have a long, long cuddle after that ordeal, but needless to say, we left his clothes out of it. And the Cheerios? They're banished to the top shelf. John's going to be eating purees until he's two.

He can crawl! (Kind of, a little)

Ha! Fooled! As my parents discovered, John likes to grab the spoon while he's being fed. It grew from just curiosity into a game - he laughs hysterically if you try to take the spoon back. I challenge him to grab the spoon, while he's already got one in each hand! Ha!

John made a breakthrough last night! He rose up on all fours and crawled!!!! It was only for a few steps at a time before falling down, but it was pretty exciting to watch. Mike was home, so I called him in to see. He looked so proud. He can also creep on the hardwood all of a sudden, which is very, very scary. We put him on the floor while we watched TV. He knocked an empty pop bottle off the coffee tale, and started chasing it around the room. He'd bat it, creep up t it, bat it again, and so on. It kept him entertained for a good half hour. I guess we really need to babyproof.

Still no teeth, but they're both coming through at the same time. He has tooth buds about to break through for each, but his gums keep swelling to swallow them up. Poor little guy.

The flu is better, I think. He seemed to be doing well yesterday, but then threw up again this morning, so who knows. He's active and alert, with no fever, so I'm thinking he's probably feeling better.

He slept through the night last night! He hasn't done that in months! I wish I had slept all night. I went to bed late, and still woke up at 3, as usual. I think, at least I hope, it was the additon of lunch yesterday. I've been trying to add breakfast for a while, but it has been a dismall failure. He's only up for an hour or so in the morning, and even if he is willing to eat, it's rarely more than a couple spoonfulls. Lunch works out much better for him. I'll try it again today - hopefully this is the secret to speeping through the night again. I haven't had a good night's sleep in ages. Probably why I've been so sick.

The flu returns

Not the greatest picture, but it's the first one I've been able to get of John's attempts at crawling - normally he stops and smiles, or turns toward me when he sees the camera.

Yeah - crawling is still beyond his reach. He's got a unique style going. Doesn't get him far, but he's working on it. He can creep pretty well now though, which is exciting. He kind of slithers along on his belly - sort of looks like a soldier crawling through a combat zone. I can put a toy on one side of the carpet, sit him down on the other, and he can now get down on his belly without smashing his face on the floor, and slither to the toy. Couldn't have done that even just a week ago. Yesterday, in the time it took me to fill a glass with ice, he turned 180 degrees and crept about four feet. I think he would have gone further, but his chest was off his play rug by then, and he was flailing wildly trying to get a grip on the hardwood. We're petty sure he was trying to follow Mike.

I gotta say, that $20 rug was one of the best investments we've made in him - it has furthered the cause of freedom by leaps and bounds, even though he can't get beyond its boundaries. It's so sad that he's confined to a 4-by-6 area of the house, but frankly, it's probably just as well. Eventually, he'll be so good at scooting around that the surface won't matter. Until then, it's nice to know where he is.

He's got the cold back again. Fun, fun, fun. He's a big snarly grump. Well, John's version of snarly grump, I guess. He's not as bad off as last time - no cough. The fever is very, very mild. I don't even think it counts as a fever. Just a runny nose and the runs, same as last time. Oh, and he's throwing up, which is a fun new twist. I'm more worried about dehydration this time, because of that and the teething - he doesn't nurse for very long, because his gums hurt. No sign of it so far. I sure wish he were as sleepy as last time - I could use the rest myself.

His gums are soooo swollen right now. I feel terrible for him. I saw a little white lump there this morning - I don't know if it's officially broken through, or if it has a layer or two of skin to go. He wouldn't remove his thumb long enough for me to look.

John the Tory

His new outfit from his Aunt Pam. I hear my brother thought it was too preppy - we'll have to pair it with the shades when we go out to make it a little cooler. People often ask me if he knows what the camera is for. This photo is a perfect example of how he does. He was actually upset, but flashed me this big grin when the camera appeared, only to go back to upset as soon as it was put away.

Yesterday was a stressful, but all around interesting day. We had a very bizarre political meeting, which John wasn't meant to go to. We had hired a sitter, but cancelled her at the last minute, because we weren't planning to be there long, if at all, but still wound up being the last people to leave. The meeting was pretty stressful - one of the board members is trying very hard to push us out. He wanted Mike's position as CFO, and hauled out the constitution, which stated that an out of riding member can't hold an executive office. It all blew up in his face, because by the end of the meeting, not only was Mike CFO, I was secretary. It was all done democratically - I think it speaks volumes that, knowing that there would be big problems, the board still chose an out-of-riding CFO over this guy. I don't think we will be around for long - the regional chair was there and apparently he's going to "deal with this" today. But hey, for at least one glorious day, I'm the riding's secretary.

But anyway, back to John. He was there for yet another political meeting. We really need to get him an "I'm a Tiny Tory" T-shirt. He goes to so many of these things. (Tiny Tories was a name originally considered for the Conservative Youth wing.) John was very quiet and content - the Tylenol was a factor, I'm sure. No new teeth yet - these ones are painfully slow.

Nearly every meeting we go to, someone nabs him - he often circulates the room that way, as he's passed from person to person. This was no exception. It's alright - I know where all these people live, so they can't get far. At the end our candidate's wife took him. By this time he was yawning, so she started whispering something in his ear. Within seconds, his head was slumped and his eyelids were drooping. It was amazing. Oh, how I wish I knew what she was saying, but she wouldn't tell me. She handed him back to me, and he instantly woke up and started fussing. Figures. Is there some secret meeting where this stuff is taught? Some dark little hall with secret handshakes, where wizened old grannies pass on the secrets of whispering a baby to sleep? If so, please, please tell me where! I can rock and shush him to sleep, but it takes a few minutes. He was nodding off within seconds. Just amazing.

He's actually been in a rock-me-to-sleep phase for the past few days. He won't let me just put him down and rub his back anymore - nothing but rocking while cuddling will do. (Except the whispering, of course, but I don't know how to do that.) I'm sure it's teething related. I sure can't wait for these teeth to finish moving.

The flu has returned - for me at least. Hopefuly, John will be spared this time. Teething and the flu. Wouldn't that be fun.

Where's the beach?

My cool dude in his cool shades from Gran and Gramps P

Why am I a different colour?

These are probably the last photos that will be taken with two teeth. One of the upper teeth is about to break through, and the other isn't far behind. Probably by tomorrow or the next day, he'll have three teeth.

It's causing some distress for my little guy. He only smiled once yesterday, and it was when the Tylenol bottle appeared. I don't give it that much, but obviously enough that he knows what it's for.

We went to Baby Rhyme Time yesterday, but it wasn't very fun for anybody. His gums seemed fine in the morning, so we headed out armed with teething keys and a teething ring, but no Tylenol. What a mistake. He started to fuss about 10 minutes in, so out came the keys. Another big mistake. They settled John down right away, but within minutes, he was swarmed by babies, all wanting his keys. He had to play tug-of-war with several of them. The one-year-old sat and pointed at them for the whole class. After a few minutes of fending off clutching, grabbing babies, and avoiding the glares of the other moms, I put the keys away. Another mistake. Within minutes, I had two babies crawling all over my bag, one emptying it onto the floor, in search of the keys. I felt so terrible. And so did John - his gums were really, really sore, and he was starting to fuss up again. So, I slipped the keys out again, to keep him quiet, and spent the remainder of the meeting shooing away babies. At the end, I set the keys on my bag to put John's sweater on, and the one-year-old grabbed them and took off!!!

Those keys were the cause of several tantrums at baby rhyme time - very few of them from John. I guess I violated an unwritten rhyme time code by bringing an outside toy to class, because all the moms were glaring. Or at least that's how it felt. I explained that he was teething, and his gums were really sore, and they seemed to sympathize. The instructor said she had no idea, because he was so quiet. He seemed pretty upset to me. I guess it's all relative. Maybe what's cranky for John is normal for another baby. I just hope I never have one of those other babies!

We skipped parentlink today, which I think was the right choice. He was so miserable the whole time we were out yesterday, and the instructor mentioned that noises can seem really loud and grating to a baby who's teething. Some quiet time at home is probably a good idea until he's feeling more like himself.

Other than the new teeth, and the fussies they bring, life is chugging along as usual. Mike has been around quite a bit, because he's still not allowed to accept extra shifts. He ties up the computer all day, which is why I haven't been posting much lately. I'll try to sneak on a little more often.

As an aside, it turns out that blueberries don't make blue poop after all, which is really disappointing. If blueberries can't make blue poop, nothing can. Maybe I'll get him some beets, to see if I can at least turn it red.

Mr. Blue

That's my mom's hand, feeding John his first taste of blueberries.

Mmmm....I love the blueberry stuck on his teeth.

Blueberries are a hit! Good thing - I made lots. I'm anxiously awaiting his first blue poop. I keep checking, but it hasn't arrived yet. Forget the movies - forget going to dinner - coloured poop is the best entertainment in town. Don't worry - I won't post a picture.

My Mom and Dad headed back home yesterday. It was sad to see them go - most people have family around all the time, and I can see how that would make having kids more enjoyable. Not that John's not enjoyable - it just gets lonely down here, when none of our friends have, and many don't even want, kids. It's nice to have people around who are as excited about him as we are.

Still regretting not flying home when John was first born - I'm back to work in four months, it doesn't look like Mike will have a chance to go, and he won't let us go without him, now that John is more fun to be around. He's already feeling a little shafted that John is going through what he calls a "Mom phase." I'm the preferred parent right now - even when Mike holds him, he still watches me. He's nervous that if he's not around every day, John might forget about him.

I forgot to mention - I had John weighed at our last Parentlink class. Nearly 21 pounds, though that was fully clothed.

Making a splash

John with some of his new tub toys from Great-Grandma W. He also just got a new outfit from his Aunt Pam, which I'll get him to model, along with another new toy from G.G. W.

His cheeks are kind of looking yellow - must be all that carrot and squash and sweet potato he's been eating. It seems almost everything he eats is bright orange. I made him some blueberries to get a new colour in there and so my parents have more choice on what new food they want to feed him tomorrow. Better break out the full-body bib if they choose them.

Busy baby

Ahh...memories. He was about two or three months old here.

The flu is all gone, so John and I are back to his regular social calendar. Rhyme Time was yesterday, but it was a rocky reunion. Several new babies have joined that look the same size as John, but are older. They were all crawling, and John was getting very frustrated because he couldn't join in.

He gave it a valiant effort though. He pushed so hard to get to the little girl next to us that he fell flat on his nose, setting off quite a tantrum. He did get up on all fours and manage to move a few inches in a crawling-like action though, which was pretty exciting for both him and me. I think it's because he had the traction of carpet, instead of sliding around on hardwood. To help him out at home, we got him a little area rug with a rubber back, so it won't slip around under him like a blanket does. It seems to help.

Today was Parentlink, which he enjoyed much more. Lots of cool toys to play with, without the peer pressure. The guest speaker was another nurse - she was really impressed with how far John could push up on his chest. She said we must do a lot of tummy-time to get strength like that. I just smiled and nodded - I didn't have the guts to admit I let him sleep on his tummy. I tried the back thing, but it just didn't work. Though, now that he can choose his own position, he often sleeps on his side.

This session was all about spoiling (more specifically, how it's not possible.) The nurse says I'm doing things right, because he doesn't cry to get what he wants anymore - it's mostly little noises and a lot of body language, which tells her I've been responsive to all his needs. She used him as the example for the class - we watched for his cues, and she quizzed the moms on what they meant. She said we're very lucky, because his cues are very clear to read.

It turns out he has some separation anxiety issues, though - she asked if he cries if I leave the room, which he often does. She said it's a normal phase, and shows that he's bonded to me, so it's not all bad, and gave me some information to help him work through it.

A dietition is coming in a couple weeks for a hands-on babyfood-making workshop. Can't miss that one.