Jonathan's Journey: January 2009

Great Day for a Ride, and Other Adventures

When I woke up this morning, I asked if we could stay home all day today. That's my favorite thing to do lately! We did stay home, mostly, and we got a lot done. Well, Daddy got a lot done-and I mostly played-and Mommy did what she could, but let's focus on Daddy. He worked on The List that Mommy gave him to work on before the baby comes, which included changing the smoke detector batteries, changing the filter for the heat/air conditioning, anchoring my shelf and the baby's shelf to our walls, pruning trees, etc. Mommy was very happy.

We also decided to ride down to the park before my nap. It was a beautiful day. We heard the bees buzzing in the trees! They must have found some blossoms that we didn't know about. Mommy also wanted me to mention that we killed our first mosquito of the year today...in our house. Not very exciting news if you ask me. We hope you enjoyed your day as much as we enjoyed ours!

Not a Snow Day

It wasn't a snow day yesterday, but we did manage to stay home in our pajamas. Along with sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dishes, and laundry, I managed to have a great time with my Legos. Probably because Mommy was cleaning and I was playing. I did take a couple of breaks to help her.

In the evening, we had a special dinner out with Daddy and then went to Barnes and Noble to play with their train table. Soon our family will change, and it won't be quite as easy to do things like that together. We're trying to enjoy our family the way it is now even though we're excited about the new way it will be soon!

The Softest Place in the Whole World

That's what I told Mommy about this spot when I got it set up.

Lego Time

Here are some of the fun Lego times I've had lately.

Here my Lego guys are having a parade in front of the house that I built.

After taking this serious picture, I asked Mommy to show me what face I made.

Here's my real face, but I forgot my glasses. In this picture, you can see the house with a back yard and a shed in the side yard. Daddy helped with the shed.

Family Time on the Couch

Mommy has been showing me a lot of pictures of our friends' houses and yards while they're covered with ice. It's so strange for me to think about what that's like! I told Mommy last night that having all that ice would mean a snow day and time to play with teeny-tiny Legos, read books, have family time on the couch, and bond. She was surprised that I figured all that out for myself, but I did!

I think I'd like all those things, especially having Daddy home from work. We probably wouldn't like losing power and trees, though. So we are still thinking of our friends and praying for them, and despite losing a lot of trees and having some damage to their homes, it seems that they are safe. We're very thankful.

We're not having a snow day here, but I bet I can persuade Mommy to do some of those snow-day things. The trick will be getting Daddy to skip work and join us.

Ice

A lot of our friends who live far away are dealing with ice today. We are missing them and hoping that the ice doesn't cause too many power outages and other troubles. We miss winter weather, but maybe not this part. Here is a great picture of the ice that Jamey and Jack's mom took. We hope that everyone is OK! Stay home if you can!

Hiccups

Our baby gets the hiccups inside Mommy all the time, just like I did. Daddy came home for a quick lunchtime visit before naptime today, and while we were all talking about the baby's hiccups, he asked me if I had them, too. Of course, I didn't. I rarely get the hiccups. But, just by asking...Daddy gave them to me! We all got a good case of the giggles. Then, while Mommy read my naptime story, I leaned against her belly to feel the baby's hiccups while I had my own. Funny things happen in our family!

They Have Her!

Her parents are in Ethiopia and have her...you can continue following the story at Rocks in My Dryer.

"She Has a Story That He Has Replaced" (from Mommy)

If you haven't read Rocks in My Dryer yet today and have just one minute, click here. The story is short, but I was so touched by God's hand on this little girl who will soon come home from Ethiopia that I had to share the link with you. Maybe you'll say a prayer for her also.

Homework

I brought home some homework from Sunday school this week. On one side of the paper, I was supposed to put some things that I used to do, and on the other side, I was supposed to put other things that I do now that I'm big. I think my teacher wanted magazine pictures glued on, but I wanted to "use letters and numbers" with Mommy, so we did. You can look at each thing on the left and then what I do now instead on the right. I told Mommy what to write on each one except for the last one, which was Daddy's idea. I decorated the paper with green pen after Mommy was done writing. I thought you'd enjoy seeing what I do as a big boy!

Crib Time

Last January, when we were working on adopting a baby, Mommy washed the crib sheets. She decided that it was probably time to do it again this week.

It's funny that you have to take the mattress out of the crib to put sheets on it, but since you do, I got to try out the mattress. I'm too big to get in the crib, you see!

Soon Mommy will be rocking our baby here. She and I have been doing some reading in the glider, but it takes some creative sitting on my part since her belly takes up so much space.

And soon the baby will be sleeping here. At least, Mommy and Daddy hope it will be sleeping and not crying! But they tell me the baby will cry a lot.

Here's that crib when it was mine, soon after I was born in our old house. You can tell it was after I was born because my name was up on the wall. Before I was born, nobody knew whether I'd be a Jonathan or a Grace. Mommy nailed those letters up on the wall while I slept in my crib. Can you believe it? I got to have those cute animals painted on my wall, too, but Mommy didn't paint cute animals in our new house.

And here I am sleeping in the crib when I was two months old. A lot of my hair had already fallen out. Was I really that small?

Great Day for a Ride

A Post for Aunt Shari

Hello, Aunt Shari! Mommy and I just wanted you to know that we made the Sand Art Brownies you sent to me! They're in the oven right now, and they sure look good. I got really excited about all the kissies in there, which is what I call chocolate chips. We got to lick the spoon, and the batter was yummy. Thank you!

Now we're going to take off our aprons and learn about some more teen numbers...

33-week update (one more from Mommy)

Nothing new to report this week, which is great news as far as I'm concerned! I had my appointment today and everything was fine. I go back in two weeks. Jonathan has been coming with me since he has wanted to hear the heartbeat. We have just seven weeks left until the due date, and I'm thankful for every week the baby stays safe inside and keeps growing. And, as you know, he/she could be ready earlier or later than the actual date. We'll see.

I'm trying to get the little details taken care of while I'm feeling decent. The crib sheets, neutral size 0-3 mos. clothes, and covers for the car seat, swing, and bouncy seat are all washed. My bag for the hospital is mostly packed, and the car seat base is installed in the car. (I've had my first experience with LATCH now, and I learned that our car owner's manual recommends not putting a child in the middle of the back seat. I had no idea!) There are several other things that I want to do, but I'm pretty tired right now, so I'm not making as much progress as I'd like. I'm just praying for safety for the baby and peace for myself.

We Heart Canon (from Mommy)

You might recall that our camera started doing this before Thanksgiving. We figured it was inevitable based on the age of our camera and the number of pictures it had taken. (And the two times that I had dropped it.) Jeff and I decided that we'd give each other a new family camera for Christmas. Jeff found a fabulous deal on a new Canon for us and put it under the Christmas tree. Our five-year-old, beloved Canon Powershot A80 quit completely during Jonathan's birthday party. (Todd and Corinne shared their camera services with us! Thanks!!!) We love our new camera. It's lighter, faster, has more megapixels, and has a bigger display.

For some reason, though, I googled the problem with our old camera and found that some other people were having similar problems. AND, they had called Canon and gotten free help! I decided to call Canon, too, and that's why I'm writing this post.

The people at Canon were super helpful. I talked to two real people without delay who were both knowledgeable and actually addressed my problem. The second one emailed me a free shipping label so that I could send our camera to Canon and let them take a look at it. There was a possibility that our problems were due to recalled parts (yes, on a five-year-old camera.)

After I sent our camera to Canon, I got an email asking about my experience with their customer service people and how happy I was. I was very happy although I didn't know how the camera repair would turn out.

Just a couple of days ago, our camera arrived at our house, fixed completely, and free of charge!!! All the inner workings are fixed, and the outside is fixed, too. They replaced the front cover...doesn't it look nice? And there's something missing. Do you see what it is? It's the rubber band that had been holding the top cover on for years. They replaced the top cover, too. (The rubber band held on the top that popped off when I dropped the camera.) I can hardly believe it.

I can't believe the wonderful service we received from Canon at no charge. I thought that the least I could do in return was let my readers know what a positive experience we've had. We've been so happy with the quality of pictures our first camera has taken, which is why we chose a Canon for our second camera. But we had no idea that Canon would bend over backwards to take care of us. Thank you, Canon!

And, despite the speed and lighter weight of the new camera, there are some things I really love about the old one that I'm thrilled to have back: It runs on AA batteries instead of a specialty battery. The controls are manual dials on the outside of the camera. And, it has this flip-out screen, which is my favorite part. It makes taking pictures at funny angles or taking self-portraits of the two or three of us.

Yay for great customer service, and thanks again, Canon!

What a Morning

Our playdate plans didn't work out this morning, so we made our own fun at home...in our pajamas. (This keeps happening more often, doesn't it? I think a playdate in our pajamas would be just perfect...)

Anyway, along with housework like laundry and vacuuming, Mommy and I did a couple of pages in my activity book about 14 and 15. I have no problem counting, but sometimes I have a hard time naming the symbols that stand for the numbers, especially the teens. I also don't care about writing them, but we practiced that anyway! Here I am playing a computer game about 11-20...a special treat that only happens now and then.

Then, the deal was that I could play Legos with Mommy if I put away some other toys. When the baby comes, we'll only be able to do Legos while the baby sleeps.

Here's a house I built all by myself. The forklifts that Daddy built like to park on top. Mommy was pretty impressed by my little house.

Mommy got a little carried away and decided to build a pyramid. She used almost all the Duplos and Legos that we had left. I got to help. Mommies still like to play, although they'll never admit it.

Last but not least, I got to watch three little Sesame Street movies on the computer. Here's the best one. Bud Luckey, who also did work for Pixar, is responsible for it. Pretty neat. Enjoy, little buddies!

Parrot Parrot

Since Mommy and Daddy got back from Hawaii, I have been a gecko 99% of the time. Tonight, though, I became a parrot. Actually, everyone in the family was a parrot tonight.

Here I am with the smallest parrot, the one Aunt Amanda gave me. I named it Parrot Parrot.

We spent a lot of time snuggling with Parrot Parrot tonight and looking at all his parts to make sure he's healthy. (And he is very healthy.) Then we all went back to being geckos again.

A Little Correction

Well, "the book" says I'm 8 mos. pregnant, but that may be confusing if you haven't been reading pregnancy books lately. So, to clarify/correct, I'm in my 8 month. Still due March 9. :)

A Quote from Mommy

I'm taking over Jonathan's blog for just a moment because this was too quotable to keep to myself! Keep in mind that I am officially eight months pregnant today.

We were in the cafe at Ikea and I was standing in line with Jonathan to pay for my Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes. There was a good-natured, grandpa-type behind me who jokingly asked if I needed some extra meatballs for the baby. Then he said, in his European accent (French?) "You are carrying very high!"

"I still have a couple of months left," I replied.

"OH!!!" he said, obviously surprised. "I once knew a man who could look at a woman's derriere and tell whether she was having a boy or a girl!"

How, exactly, does one reply to something like that?

I laughed, paid for our meals, and made a quick escape to our table.

What We've Been Up To

Last night, Mommy and Daddy had something grown-up to do, so I got to go to Uncle Todd and Aunt Corinne's house. I had a great time playing with them and with Uncle Todd's Hot Wheels. We also played a card game together. Aunts and Uncles give me a lot more attention than parents do! I visited with Copper and Kitty, their dogs. I gave some of my celery to Copper at dinnertime, and I learned that I shouldn't do it again. I also learned that I can't bonk Kitty very hard. Maybe if my parents would get me a dog, I could learn important lessons like that sooner.

Today, Mommy and I went to Ikea with Aunt Amanda. After all the walking around and looking at everything, we were surprised to find that the big shelf we wanted was not in stock. Mommy was not amused and is not in the mood for another trip to Ikea when the shelf comes in. Thank goodness we got to spend time with Aunt Amanda and get treats at Starbucks, so the day wasn't a complete loss.

After we got home, we decided to relax by putting on our swimsuits and taking a swim in the tub. All the time with family and all the swimming made me really tired and ready for bed. Who knows what adventures tomorrow holds!

Helping Un-Decorate

We finally took down our Christmas decorations. Apparently, we can think about Jesus and talk about him all year, but we can only celebrate his birthday once a year. Who knew!

This is where the candy canes go after I take them off of the tree.

And here is how I help dust. I can dust anything I want if it's wood, and boy, do these chairs get dusty!

I Did it Myself

I refuse to sing the song, but I do know my alphabet and put my train alphabet puzzle together myself. Maybe someday I will sing songs by other people, but for now, I just sing things that I make up. Who cares what the child development books say, right?

Another Reason to Love Legos

Lou and Lionel gave me a gift card for my birthday and Christmas, and we used it to buy baseplates for my new, big-boy, teeny-tiny Legos. The great thing is that the baseplates (and new Legos) work with my Duplos from last year, which I still love. I was very excited to make a "house restaurant" on my new "floor" last night. I can build just about anything now! (If you want to know where we found a great deal on the baseplates, just let my mom know.)

It Has Come to Our Attention...

that our poll about whether the baby is a boy or girl has not worked right. The votes don't "stick" all the time. So, we're starting over with a new poll, and we hope you'll jump in and vote over to the left. Of course, the votes won't change the baby, because I'm already sure that I have a little brother. But, it's still fun to see what everyone thinks. Great Grandma and Aunt Amanda think it's a girl. I think they're wrong. Mommy and Daddy are just thankful for a baby. What do you think?

Just Playing

Mommy broke the news to me today that, after the baby comes, we won't go to BSF anymore. Apparently you have to be a big kid to go. That's hard for me to understand. I said, "What would happen if the baby came to BSF?"

The good news is that staying home will give us more time to just play. I find lots of fun things to do at home when I have the chance.

Here I am parking all my Hot Wheels which are now the "farm cars."

And here I am playing inside the castle.

I decided that my dinosaurs needed to live in the treehouse, too.

I found a special place for each one. It's a good thing all my animals know how to get along!

Works for Me: Managing Baby Stuff

Jonathan's mom here! If you know me, you know that organizing is not my forte, but I do give it my best shot! So, I have three tips that have "worked for me" that I'd like to share with you. I hope they are helpful to you and your family!

1. Use a clear, over-the-door shoe organizer to store and sort tiny baby things. I made one of these for Jonathan's nursery before he was born using Butterick 6869, and you can also purchase one by Googling "clear over door shoe organizer." I like the clear pockets so I can see exactly what I have. From tiny socks to diaper ointment to Snappis to tiny shoes, it's so nice to get what you need easily without having to search the top of the changing table or the inside of a drawer or basket. Here are two: the one I made for Jonathan, and one I made for a dear friend using a crib sheet from Target's Dwell Studio Circles to match her nursery. (There was lots of fabric left over to do other crafty things!) If you have a sliding door for your baby's closet instead of a regular one, you can use Command Adhesive hooks to hang your organizer on the front of the door.

2. Use document boxes to sort your baby's outgrown clothes. (Used copy paper boxes from your school or workplace are great, too, and are the same size!) They are small enough to carry easily, they stack well, and they are easy to open up and see what you have. With our firstborn, I sorted his outgrown clothes into "boy" and "neutral" boxes by size. And when I've found a deal on something I couldn't pass up for a "someday" baby, it's been simple to put my special find in the appropriate box. Now that we are (finally) getting ready to welcome a second baby, it has been super easy to get out the clothing I need, even though we don't know the baby's gender.

3. Wash baby's socks in a zippered lingerie bag. Just keep the bag in baby's hamper, put the socks in the bag when they're dirty, wash with the rest of the laundry, and you'll never waste time searching for tiny socks that the dryer ate again!

For more great tips, visit WFMW!

You Can Never Have Too Many

Today's Quote

"You know, when the baby wasn't here, you and Daddy would be the bread, and I would be the sauce for a family burrito. All stacked up."

The Latest from Mommy

I had my 31-week appointment today, and all is well. I'm very thankful! My blood pressure is staying low, and the baby is head-down, which I suspected. We have just two months before it's time for the baby to come! We are excited and nervous and thankful for every week that he/she stays inside to "percolate." I've been trying not to worry about pre-eclampsia with this one, although it is definitely on my mind. That's what I had with Jonathan, but it didn't show up until two days before his due date, and he and I were fine.

My apologies to you if I owe you an email. Our internet access has been sporadic at best for the past two weeks, but I'll work on catching up.

And, as for the refrigerator...we (finally) had a repairman out today. I'll spare my kind readers the details, but it looks like it can be repaired, either here at our house or at the shop. On Wednesday, we'll have a working refrigerator: either ours or a loaner from the shop. We are very anxious to have cold food and to be able to plan meals again!

Changes on the Way... (from Mommy)

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know that our blog address will be changing in a couple of months or so. In our almost four years of blogging, we've used up 94% of our space here to post pictures and videos. So, we'll need to move to a new spot soon! Feb. 26 will be our fourth anniversary of blogging here, and sometime around that date, or around the date of our baby's arrival, we'll announce our new address. We hope you'll follow us to our new spot!