We have been trying to capture Eddie laughing on video for some time now, but every time we pull out the video camera he suddenly stops and turns into a deer in headlights. Finally on Sunday night though, Kristen was able to get him going, and I stealthily manned the camera off to the side so he wouldn't notice me. As luck would have it, we managed to capture a good cross section of his laughter styles which we present now in this comprehensive guide.
12.23.2008
12.15.2008
Snow Day
Saturday was the first big snow storm of the winter... and it didn't really end up being all that big! But we took advantage of the blizzard-like morning and sent Eddie out to play in the snow. Eddie still does not own a coat, but we did borrow a fabulous blue fleece suit from one of Dave's sisters. It is almost too small, but it does keep him nice and warm, so I didn't feel bad about plunking him down in the snow for a photo-op.
Here is Eddie with his smiley Mama (that's me). I tried setting him down to sit in the snow, but he was like the kid off A Christmas Story -- his outfit was too bulky to allow him to sit, so he tipped over with his arms straight out, like this:
It was really windy and when snowflakes would blow into his face, he would make this face.
Eddie's first snow angel.
12.09.2008
Eddie Claus
Dave's sister Cheryl found a baby-sized Santa suit somewhere a few years ago and it has been making the rounds in the Barton family ever since. Whichever baby happens to be appropriately sized during the holidays gets a chance to wear it. Since Eddie's cousin Trevor would probably bust it at the seams and his other cousin Sarah would drown in it, this year was Eddie's year. So, we dressed him up and took some photos in front of our Christmas tree. Here are a few of our favorites:
After that, he got sick of wearing the hat and tried to pull it off, but only succeeded it pulling it down over his face. Sorry... no photos of that.
Eddie's big cheesy grin
Holding his favorite holiday decoration -- a sock reindeer
The "are you talking to me?" face
If you zoom in on these last two, you can see Ed's reflection in the ornament. Nice touch, Dave.
After that, he got sick of wearing the hat and tried to pull it off, but only succeeded it pulling it down over his face. Sorry... no photos of that.12.03.2008
Seven Months Old
Today is Ed's 7-month birthday! In honor of his birthday, Eddie got to have a flu shot!
Eddie seems to be getting friendlier every day. He likes to yell at other babies, but it's a nice yell, not a mean one. This morning while waiting outside the library for the doors to open, Ed was entertained by a little girl who ran around in circles just to make him laugh. My visiting teacher has twins that are just older than Eddie, so we hang out a lot. Eddie likes spending time with Stella and Luca... especially Stella because she is currently a bit more active and tries to steam-roller him. I'm hoping that hanging out with Stella will inspire Eddie to learn to roll.
That's right, Eddie still doesn't roll. He rolled over twice (once in the video that made the blog and once a couple of months later). He still hates tummy time and I think he could roll if he wanted to, but he doesn't even try. He just lays there and screams until I pick him up. He prefers to sit.
He is very good at sitting now. There is the occasional mishap. For instance, one day, Eddie was sitting on the floor just wearing a onesie. All his toys had gotten away from him, so he discovered his thigh. After squeezing it and looking at it for a minute, he decided it was time to put it in his mouth. So he bent in half and was concentrating so hard on getting his thigh in his mouth, that he tumbled right onto his face and ended up on his tummy. You can imagine his confusion, but not even he can resist those chunky thighs. He also enjoys using his feet to play with toys, even if his hands are available. This is usually how his toys get away from him because he just can't quite grip them as well with his toes.
He's now eating baby food three times a day. He seems to like all kinds of fruit and most of the veggies. He's not too sure about mangoes yet. I've even given him some pureed chicken, which he loved. That's what he had for Thanksgiving. It looks disgusting and smells disgusting, but I guess it tastes good (no, I didn't give it a try). I have tried giving him things that are a bit more solid, but they make him gag a lot.
One thing Eddie dislikes is the vitamin that I have to give him every day. At first, I tried mixing it in with his morning cereal, but then he stopped eating the cereal. So now I give it to him before he eats his breakfast. I use the full dropper, but I bet about half of it oozes back out of his mouth when he grimaces because of the nasty flavor. Then his breakfast helps to get the icky taste out of his mouth.
He is one funny kid who likes to yell and blow raspberries and contort his tongue. He says "mamama" and "dada," but I'm not sure if he means it.
Eddie seems to be getting friendlier every day. He likes to yell at other babies, but it's a nice yell, not a mean one. This morning while waiting outside the library for the doors to open, Ed was entertained by a little girl who ran around in circles just to make him laugh. My visiting teacher has twins that are just older than Eddie, so we hang out a lot. Eddie likes spending time with Stella and Luca... especially Stella because she is currently a bit more active and tries to steam-roller him. I'm hoping that hanging out with Stella will inspire Eddie to learn to roll.
That's right, Eddie still doesn't roll. He rolled over twice (once in the video that made the blog and once a couple of months later). He still hates tummy time and I think he could roll if he wanted to, but he doesn't even try. He just lays there and screams until I pick him up. He prefers to sit.
He is very good at sitting now. There is the occasional mishap. For instance, one day, Eddie was sitting on the floor just wearing a onesie. All his toys had gotten away from him, so he discovered his thigh. After squeezing it and looking at it for a minute, he decided it was time to put it in his mouth. So he bent in half and was concentrating so hard on getting his thigh in his mouth, that he tumbled right onto his face and ended up on his tummy. You can imagine his confusion, but not even he can resist those chunky thighs. He also enjoys using his feet to play with toys, even if his hands are available. This is usually how his toys get away from him because he just can't quite grip them as well with his toes.
He's now eating baby food three times a day. He seems to like all kinds of fruit and most of the veggies. He's not too sure about mangoes yet. I've even given him some pureed chicken, which he loved. That's what he had for Thanksgiving. It looks disgusting and smells disgusting, but I guess it tastes good (no, I didn't give it a try). I have tried giving him things that are a bit more solid, but they make him gag a lot.
One thing Eddie dislikes is the vitamin that I have to give him every day. At first, I tried mixing it in with his morning cereal, but then he stopped eating the cereal. So now I give it to him before he eats his breakfast. I use the full dropper, but I bet about half of it oozes back out of his mouth when he grimaces because of the nasty flavor. Then his breakfast helps to get the icky taste out of his mouth.
He is one funny kid who likes to yell and blow raspberries and contort his tongue. He says "mamama" and "dada," but I'm not sure if he means it.
11.28.2008
Family Photo Shoot Outtakes
If you're a follower of The Dave & Kristen Show, you know that in October, we had some family photos taken in Cedar City with the Andrews clan. At the time of that post, we only had seen what the photographer had re-touched and posted to her website. When we saw my parents again for Thanksgiving, they gave us a copy of all the photos. Here are a few of the particularly funny ones of Eddie. Enjoy!
Eddie was in a remarkably good mood considering his lack of nap that day, but we did push our luck a bit.
Ed's excited face.
Eddie's true personality.
The results of telling a 3-year old to "put your arms around them." Clearly, not the best idea. Luckily, the babies didn't get mad and we got a good shot of them.
11.19.2008
Whiz Kid
WARNING: If you are made uncomfortable by diaper changing stories, skip this post. That's all it is... one, big diaper changing story.
A couple of weeks ago, Dave and I had an appointment late in the afternoon, so I had been trying to keep Eddie awake as long as possible so that he would fall asleep in the car and stay asleep while we were out. I had determined that I needed to leave the house at 3:45 to pick Dave up from work and get to our appointment on time. So I distracted Eddie every way that I could until finally at 3:30, I could distract him no longer. Of course, as soon as I started feeding him, I caught a whiff and knew I'd have to change him before we left.
So he ate and ate. He'd fall asleep and I'd prod him back awake so that he'd keep eating until just a couple of minutes before we needed to leave. Finally, it was diaper-changing time.
What you must understand is that when Eddie is rudely awakened, a lot of times, he won't cry because he's too confused. Instead, he'll stick his arms and legs completely straight and shake them like crazy... all with a horrified look on his face. That is what happened this time as I began changing his diaper.
I calmed him down a bit and then pulled the old diaper off. I turned to roll it up and when I turned back to put the new diaper in place, I saw his arms and legs shaking like crazy once again. I look at his face to offer some comforting words, only to find...
Pee.
All over. Apparently while I was looking the other way, he had managed to pee in such a perfect arc that he soaked down his head and nothing else. Sure, there was a bit splashed on the changing pad and maybe a drop on his shirt, but the majority was on his face. I can still see his horrified, confused eyes peering at me through tiny pools of urine. That's right... he had peed right in his eyes.
It took a second for my brain to process what had just happened, then I quickly sat him up to drain his eye sockets and wiped his face down with a wipe. Unfortunately, I had timed it all so well that we had to leave. Luckily, Eddie was not permanently traumatized and was well hydrated that day. Eddie and I can now fully understand why someone would actually buy something like a "Wee Block."
A couple of weeks ago, Dave and I had an appointment late in the afternoon, so I had been trying to keep Eddie awake as long as possible so that he would fall asleep in the car and stay asleep while we were out. I had determined that I needed to leave the house at 3:45 to pick Dave up from work and get to our appointment on time. So I distracted Eddie every way that I could until finally at 3:30, I could distract him no longer. Of course, as soon as I started feeding him, I caught a whiff and knew I'd have to change him before we left.
So he ate and ate. He'd fall asleep and I'd prod him back awake so that he'd keep eating until just a couple of minutes before we needed to leave. Finally, it was diaper-changing time.
What you must understand is that when Eddie is rudely awakened, a lot of times, he won't cry because he's too confused. Instead, he'll stick his arms and legs completely straight and shake them like crazy... all with a horrified look on his face. That is what happened this time as I began changing his diaper.
I calmed him down a bit and then pulled the old diaper off. I turned to roll it up and when I turned back to put the new diaper in place, I saw his arms and legs shaking like crazy once again. I look at his face to offer some comforting words, only to find...
Pee.
All over. Apparently while I was looking the other way, he had managed to pee in such a perfect arc that he soaked down his head and nothing else. Sure, there was a bit splashed on the changing pad and maybe a drop on his shirt, but the majority was on his face. I can still see his horrified, confused eyes peering at me through tiny pools of urine. That's right... he had peed right in his eyes.
It took a second for my brain to process what had just happened, then I quickly sat him up to drain his eye sockets and wiped his face down with a wipe. Unfortunately, I had timed it all so well that we had to leave. Luckily, Eddie was not permanently traumatized and was well hydrated that day. Eddie and I can now fully understand why someone would actually buy something like a "Wee Block."
11.13.2008
Eddie Versus Bulb Syringe
I know we are very, very lucky to have such a healthy baby and I'm extremely grateful for that. Eddie has made it 6 months without getting sick (if you don't count that unfortunate jaundice episode in his first week of life). Today, however, that all changed. Eddie has his first cold.
For months I have dreaded the inevitable sickness that is guaranteed to come to every kid, and now it has struck in the form of a runny/stuffy nose. I think a stuffy nose is one of the worst things for a baby like Ed. After all, it makes it impossible for him to breathe while eating. That means that the snot-sucker is essential, no matter how hated it is.
This morning I discovered the wonders that saline can work on a stuffy nose. I didn't have any on hand that is safe for a baby, so I made some with water, salt, and baking soda. Eddie has quite the aversion for any foreign objects coming in contact with his nostrils, and he has now learned how to thwart my efforts by pushing my hands out the way. I'm working on devising a system to pin both arms down, hold his head straight and still have at least one hand left for the saline squirting and snot-sucking. Sounds like a three person job, doesn't it?
I'm hoping that with the help of the saline, bulb syringe, and humidifier, that Eddie will manage to not snort himself awake 5 times tonight like he did last night. I think he just needs to learn to breathe through his mouth. But what do I know?
For months I have dreaded the inevitable sickness that is guaranteed to come to every kid, and now it has struck in the form of a runny/stuffy nose. I think a stuffy nose is one of the worst things for a baby like Ed. After all, it makes it impossible for him to breathe while eating. That means that the snot-sucker is essential, no matter how hated it is.
This morning I discovered the wonders that saline can work on a stuffy nose. I didn't have any on hand that is safe for a baby, so I made some with water, salt, and baking soda. Eddie has quite the aversion for any foreign objects coming in contact with his nostrils, and he has now learned how to thwart my efforts by pushing my hands out the way. I'm working on devising a system to pin both arms down, hold his head straight and still have at least one hand left for the saline squirting and snot-sucking. Sounds like a three person job, doesn't it?
I'm hoping that with the help of the saline, bulb syringe, and humidifier, that Eddie will manage to not snort himself awake 5 times tonight like he did last night. I think he just needs to learn to breathe through his mouth. But what do I know?
11.10.2008
Baby on Board
Riding in the car is one of Eddie's least favorite things. Now that he no longer falls asleep every time the car starts moving, longer rides have become quite problematic. We are often faced with the dilemma of whether we should pull over so one of us can get in the back seat and attempt to comfort him (usually in vain), or if we should just reach our destination as quickly as legally possible. Through some unpleasant experience, here are a few ironclad rules we have learned to live by:
5. All car rides are 20 minutes too long.
4. Once baby begins to scream, you will to hit every red light...
3. ...and they last twice as long.
2. The car in front of you will drive at least five under the speed limit, no matter how much you flash your brights at them, or how close you tailgate.
1. After screaming for the last 19 minutes, baby will finally wear himself out and fall asleep five blocks from home.
5. All car rides are 20 minutes too long.
4. Once baby begins to scream, you will to hit every red light...
3. ...and they last twice as long.
2. The car in front of you will drive at least five under the speed limit, no matter how much you flash your brights at them, or how close you tailgate.
1. After screaming for the last 19 minutes, baby will finally wear himself out and fall asleep five blocks from home.
11.03.2008
Six Months Old
Today is Eddie's half birthday! It baffles me to think that he has really been with us for six whole months. In honor of his six-month birthday, here are a couple fun facts about Ed:
1. He can now sit up unsupported... but I never go far (more than a foot away) because he tends to topple sideways onto his face or backwards. He gets better at it every day and really doesn't seem to mind toppling. I'm just a worrier and don't want him bonking his head as long as I can reasonably prevent it.
2. He is learning to clap this week. He loves it when I bang his hands together, but usually they are fists. I have tried to convince him to open them up, but he never went for it. Now he seems to be learning it on his own. Today at the doctor's office, he gave a good clap for the nurse.
3. His favorite thing to say is "mmmboo." It worked out great for Halloween, but I'm hoping for more new noises. Maybe by Christmas we'll get him saying, "ho ho ho."
At his appointment with the pediatrician today, we found out that he now weighs 17 pounds 15 ounces. He is 26.8 inches long. That means he's pretty much right in the middle of the range.
1. He can now sit up unsupported... but I never go far (more than a foot away) because he tends to topple sideways onto his face or backwards. He gets better at it every day and really doesn't seem to mind toppling. I'm just a worrier and don't want him bonking his head as long as I can reasonably prevent it.
2. He is learning to clap this week. He loves it when I bang his hands together, but usually they are fists. I have tried to convince him to open them up, but he never went for it. Now he seems to be learning it on his own. Today at the doctor's office, he gave a good clap for the nurse.
3. His favorite thing to say is "mmmboo." It worked out great for Halloween, but I'm hoping for more new noises. Maybe by Christmas we'll get him saying, "ho ho ho."
At his appointment with the pediatrician today, we found out that he now weighs 17 pounds 15 ounces. He is 26.8 inches long. That means he's pretty much right in the middle of the range.
10.27.2008
What a Swinger
This past weekend, we traveled to Cedar City to visit with my family. On Saturday, we had family pictures taken up Cedar Canyon and then we went to the park so the kids could play.
Riley and Eddie when we first arrived at the park.
Eddie looking tiny in the park swing.
As you can see, he liked it a lot. He got quite angry when we took him out.
10.19.2008
Mmm... Prunes Are Good!
We recently discovered Eddie's love for prunes. He gets so excited when we give him some that he waves his arms around and kicks his legs like crazy. Here is today's prune feeding, for example:
(For the record, Eddie was wearing a diaper under that bib...)
He happily awaits the next bite.
He gobbles it down with only half squishing back out for another try.
But all good things must come to an end.
(For the record, Eddie was wearing a diaper under that bib...)
10.15.2008
Sitting Up... Almost
Like I already mentioned, Eddie likes to sit up even though he's not good at balancing himself. If he's concentrating on something by his feet (or on his feet), he can usually stay up by himself for 5 or 10 seconds. Otherwise, he almost always tips backwards. Today to allow myself the freedom to read the mail, I propped him up with blankets and let him play for a while. Most of the time he looked like he was using all his abdominal muscles to hold himself up like this:
I also think he might be learning how to smile for the camera because nearly every time I'd go to take a photo, he'd get a cheesy grin like this:
However, I don't want anyone to be misled by these amazingly cute photos. Even though our child is ridiculously cute, I would say that at least half of my day is spent dealing with this:
I also think he might be learning how to smile for the camera because nearly every time I'd go to take a photo, he'd get a cheesy grin like this:
However, I don't want anyone to be misled by these amazingly cute photos. Even though our child is ridiculously cute, I would say that at least half of my day is spent dealing with this:
10.10.2008
This Week in Eddie
Nothing monumental has happened in the past week, but I thought since it's been an entire week, I ought to share a few photos I have taken of Eddie.
Eddie loves to sit up, even though he can't balance himself for longer than 2 second at a time. Here I am helping him out with my legs. This photo also shows off his new robot jammies.
He has also recently realized that he is flexible enough to grab his own toes and put them into his mouth. Socks really get in the way of this, but it's getting so darn cold that I'm letting him lay around without clothes on less and less.
Today I laid him on his little activity mat and he used his feet to push the overhead arches down so that he could grab one of the supports and chew on it. Pretty clever if you ask me.
Eddie loves to sit up, even though he can't balance himself for longer than 2 second at a time. Here I am helping him out with my legs. This photo also shows off his new robot jammies.
He has also recently realized that he is flexible enough to grab his own toes and put them into his mouth. Socks really get in the way of this, but it's getting so darn cold that I'm letting him lay around without clothes on less and less.
Today I laid him on his little activity mat and he used his feet to push the overhead arches down so that he could grab one of the supports and chew on it. Pretty clever if you ask me.
10.03.2008
Five Months Old
Eddie is five months old today! In honor of his almost half-birthday, here are some fun facts about Ed:
New Things
Sucking on his lips and/or tongue. I'll hear all sorts of slurping and think he's sucking on his hands, but no... just his lips.
Squealing. I particularly enjoy the squeals that are so high-pitched that only dogs can hear them. Otherwise, they hurt my ears.
Dislikes
Riding in the car. Often I will be struggling to get him to take a nap, so I'll strap Eddie into his car seat and we'll go somewhere (usually the library or the store). This used to work like a charm to get him to sleep, thus allowing me to browse the library shelves or get my shopping done. Now he'll sometimes stay happily awake for the whole trip (thus not taking a nap) or he'll scream the whole time and look at me like he was betrayed. There is no happy medium in this situation.
Citrus fruits. I myself am not the biggest fan of citrus fruits, but whenever I happen to enjoy a half glass of orange juice, I am always in for trouble. I have stopped drinking it altogether. What didn't occur to me is that Key Lime pie has limes in it... so I ate some one night last week. The next morning I basically got showered in spit-up. It was a lovely way to start the day.
Crowded restaurants. I think this one boils down to over-stimulation. Restaurants are too crowded, too hot, and too noisy for our boy. More often than not, one of us ends up holding him (or standing outside the restaurant holding him) while the other eats.
Letting Mommy and Daddy sit down. Eddie loves being held while the holder is standing. If he's not asleep when you sit down, he will freak out.
Likes
Eating with a spoon. So far, his favorite veggie seems to be green beans. He grimaced at squash and was a little unsure about sweet potatoes.
Being naked (or nearly so). We recently discovered that, though Eddie is ornery in the evenings, if we take off his clothes, he will be happy as a clam. But as soon as we put on his pajamas, he's back to being ornery.
Snots and Otis. When Eddie was born, Jeremy, Natalie, Dax, and Riley gave him a stuffed brown dog named Snots (in honor of Dax and Riley now having a Cousin Eddie). Eddie loves the dog, but he pulls his hair out and ends up with brown fuzz between his fingers. Otis is what I dubbed his little orange octopus toy one day when I was getting a little loopy and naming all his toys. For some reason, as soon as he sees that octopus, he gets all excited and shakes his arms and legs. Perhaps the tentacles are just the right size for chewing on.
The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss. Even though The Sneetches is quite the long story, Eddie will usually sit through it and sometimes even cough-laugh at Sylvester McMonkey McBean and his star-off machine. This book also features the wonderful stories The Zax, Too Many Daves, and What Was I Scared Of. I'm hoping that by reading him all these books now, he'll grow up to have an amazing vocabulary.
"When He Comes Again" from the Children's Songbook. Now I am not much of a singer...especially when singing a capella, but Ed loves this song. He can be all sorts of mad at me and I'll sing this song and he'll just hang out until it's over, then he'll start screaming again. Unfortunately it only has one verse (that I know of) and isn't all that long... so sometimes we just sing it over and over and over again. I've tried other Primary songs, but this one is the clear favorite.
New Things
Sucking on his lips and/or tongue. I'll hear all sorts of slurping and think he's sucking on his hands, but no... just his lips.
Squealing. I particularly enjoy the squeals that are so high-pitched that only dogs can hear them. Otherwise, they hurt my ears.
Dislikes
Riding in the car. Often I will be struggling to get him to take a nap, so I'll strap Eddie into his car seat and we'll go somewhere (usually the library or the store). This used to work like a charm to get him to sleep, thus allowing me to browse the library shelves or get my shopping done. Now he'll sometimes stay happily awake for the whole trip (thus not taking a nap) or he'll scream the whole time and look at me like he was betrayed. There is no happy medium in this situation.
Citrus fruits. I myself am not the biggest fan of citrus fruits, but whenever I happen to enjoy a half glass of orange juice, I am always in for trouble. I have stopped drinking it altogether. What didn't occur to me is that Key Lime pie has limes in it... so I ate some one night last week. The next morning I basically got showered in spit-up. It was a lovely way to start the day.
Crowded restaurants. I think this one boils down to over-stimulation. Restaurants are too crowded, too hot, and too noisy for our boy. More often than not, one of us ends up holding him (or standing outside the restaurant holding him) while the other eats.
Letting Mommy and Daddy sit down. Eddie loves being held while the holder is standing. If he's not asleep when you sit down, he will freak out.
Likes
Eating with a spoon. So far, his favorite veggie seems to be green beans. He grimaced at squash and was a little unsure about sweet potatoes.Being naked (or nearly so). We recently discovered that, though Eddie is ornery in the evenings, if we take off his clothes, he will be happy as a clam. But as soon as we put on his pajamas, he's back to being ornery.
Snots and Otis. When Eddie was born, Jeremy, Natalie, Dax, and Riley gave him a stuffed brown dog named Snots (in honor of Dax and Riley now having a Cousin Eddie). Eddie loves the dog, but he pulls his hair out and ends up with brown fuzz between his fingers. Otis is what I dubbed his little orange octopus toy one day when I was getting a little loopy and naming all his toys. For some reason, as soon as he sees that octopus, he gets all excited and shakes his arms and legs. Perhaps the tentacles are just the right size for chewing on.
The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss. Even though The Sneetches is quite the long story, Eddie will usually sit through it and sometimes even cough-laugh at Sylvester McMonkey McBean and his star-off machine. This book also features the wonderful stories The Zax, Too Many Daves, and What Was I Scared Of. I'm hoping that by reading him all these books now, he'll grow up to have an amazing vocabulary.
"When He Comes Again" from the Children's Songbook. Now I am not much of a singer...especially when singing a capella, but Ed loves this song. He can be all sorts of mad at me and I'll sing this song and he'll just hang out until it's over, then he'll start screaming again. Unfortunately it only has one verse (that I know of) and isn't all that long... so sometimes we just sing it over and over and over again. I've tried other Primary songs, but this one is the clear favorite.
10.02.2008
Zoobie Doobie Doo
Today Eddie experienced his first zoo adventure. He and I went to Hogle Zoo with Cheryl, Zach, Sarah, Christie, Josh, Neil, and a few of Josh's friends. Eddie squealed at me the entire way to the zoo, then fell asleep about 2 minutes before we arrived.
He woke up in time to look at the elephants. Really I looked at the elephants and he looked at all the crazy kids around us. Obviously he's not old enough to be too interested in large caged animals.
He broke down about the time we arrived at the giraffes. That's right, just before the huge hill. So I was lucky enough to get a workout carrying him while pushing the stroller up the hill to see the tiger. Eventually I got tired of lugging him around, so we went to sit by the carousel to wait for the others to see the camels and gorilla.
He woke up in time to look at the elephants. Really I looked at the elephants and he looked at all the crazy kids around us. Obviously he's not old enough to be too interested in large caged animals.
He broke down about the time we arrived at the giraffes. That's right, just before the huge hill. So I was lucky enough to get a workout carrying him while pushing the stroller up the hill to see the tiger. Eventually I got tired of lugging him around, so we went to sit by the carousel to wait for the others to see the camels and gorilla.
Then we watched everyone else ride the carousel.
On the way out, we stopped at the giant elephant for a photo-op. Ed wasn't too interested, as you can see.
9.30.2008
Just Like Daddy
We like to make stupid faces and noises at Eddie because they make him smile, but this was the first time he actually mimicked one of us instead of just laughing at us. Apparently Eddie wants to be just like his daddy... because he wouldn't do this when I tried it later. I cut out the sound and added fun music just so you don't have to listen to me chuckling through the whole video. Enjoy!
9.25.2008
Puny Pals
Heather, one of my good friends from Price, recently moved to South Jordan with her husband and son. This is great for two reasons:
1. She's only 5 minutes away now, so we can hang out.
2. She has a baby who is just 7 weeks younger than Eddie so they can be friends.
Of course, when you're only 4 or 5 months old, being friends isn't really the same as when you're 23. But we still take advantage of the situation. So here are a few pictures of our cute boys, Eddie and Taylor.
Enjoying joint tummy time (Taylor likes this a lot more than Eddie does)
Even though they're 7 weeks apart, they're still nearly the same size
1. She's only 5 minutes away now, so we can hang out.
2. She has a baby who is just 7 weeks younger than Eddie so they can be friends.
Of course, when you're only 4 or 5 months old, being friends isn't really the same as when you're 23. But we still take advantage of the situation. So here are a few pictures of our cute boys, Eddie and Taylor.
Enjoying joint tummy time (Taylor likes this a lot more than Eddie does)
Even though they're 7 weeks apart, they're still nearly the same size
9.21.2008
The Adventures of Frugal Fanny
Dave's sister Cheryl has an over-producing peach tree in her backyard and decided to use some of the peaches to make baby food. She kindly gave us a bag full of frozen pureed peach cubes. This inspired me to start making baby food for Eddie. It's actually really easy to do. I must give credit to one of my new favorite websites: www.wholesomebabyfood.com. This website has instructions on how to make all sorts of baby food, as well as age recommendations for each type of food.
During our last grocery-shopping trip, I bought some pears and mangos (since they were on sale) and I spent about 30 minutes yesterday preparing the food. All you have to do is cook the fruit or veggie somehow (steam, boil, bake, or roast), then puree it until it's baby food consistency. Then you freeze it in ice cube trays so you have handy serving sizes. You can keep homemade baby food in the freezer like this for months! I never thought baby food was expensive until I did some calculations. One tiny jar is 40 cents at Wal-Mart, but I spent about $3 on pears and mangos and made about 40 ice-cube size portions. Perhaps this makes me a "Frugal Fanny," but there are worse things. I just hope Eddie likes mangos...
During our last grocery-shopping trip, I bought some pears and mangos (since they were on sale) and I spent about 30 minutes yesterday preparing the food. All you have to do is cook the fruit or veggie somehow (steam, boil, bake, or roast), then puree it until it's baby food consistency. Then you freeze it in ice cube trays so you have handy serving sizes. You can keep homemade baby food in the freezer like this for months! I never thought baby food was expensive until I did some calculations. One tiny jar is 40 cents at Wal-Mart, but I spent about $3 on pears and mangos and made about 40 ice-cube size portions. Perhaps this makes me a "Frugal Fanny," but there are worse things. I just hope Eddie likes mangos...
9.17.2008
The Airing of Grievances (Eddie-Style)
I felt kinda bad for Daddy, since not very many people took up his offer to air their grievances, so I decided to make my own list. It took me a little while since I had to learn how to read and write first. Here goes.
1. People who can't tell that I'm a boy
Mommy and Daddy dress me in obviously boy clothes in an attempt to avoid this problem, but it doesn't always work. Honestly, how many girls do you see wearing shirts with skateboarding monkeys on them? I know I have beautiful porcelain skin like a certain teenage vampire, but come on. Plus, if I were a girl, I would be wearing a headband featuring a flower the size of a cantaloupe.
2. Clothes that advertise my lack of size
I'm aware I'm not as large as say... Daddy... but do all the clothes my parents buy have to feature the word "lil" or "little" on them? I've got "little captain" pajamas, a "lil buckaroo" onesie, "little monkey" overalls, "little cutie" burp-cloths, and the list goes on. Didn't you people ever listen to Yoda?
3. Strangers who use me as a conversation starter
No, I'm not grumpy, I just don't like to share my perfect smile with strangers in Wal-Mart, the doctor's office, the elevator, the parking lot, etc. Mommy should just attach a sign to my car seat that says, "Yes, I'm a boy and I am 4 months old. I am aware that I am very cute. You really don't have to tell me about your grandchildren. I'm sure they're almost as cute as I am." That would save a lot of awkward conversations.
4. Mommy and Daddy's dinner time
Why is it that every day around 6:00 PM, Mommy and Daddy don't want to pay attention to me? I keep yelling at them, but all they do is hand me a toy and go back to shoveling food in their mouths. I usually win about halfway through though, and one of them is forced to abandon their dinner and pick me up.
5. The hypnotizing/brainwashing effects of my "dealie whirler"
For those who are unaware, my "dealie whirler" is a toy that Mommy and Daddy put me under, and features all manner of twirling, whirling lights, colors, shapes and sounds. Try as I might, once it starts, I cannot look away. I'm worried if I stare at it long enough, I might just forget all my recently acquired reading and writing skills. Mommy and Daddy don't care though, they are too busy playing Ticket to Ride for the umpteenth time.
1. People who can't tell that I'm a boy
Mommy and Daddy dress me in obviously boy clothes in an attempt to avoid this problem, but it doesn't always work. Honestly, how many girls do you see wearing shirts with skateboarding monkeys on them? I know I have beautiful porcelain skin like a certain teenage vampire, but come on. Plus, if I were a girl, I would be wearing a headband featuring a flower the size of a cantaloupe.
2. Clothes that advertise my lack of sizeI'm aware I'm not as large as say... Daddy... but do all the clothes my parents buy have to feature the word "lil" or "little" on them? I've got "little captain" pajamas, a "lil buckaroo" onesie, "little monkey" overalls, "little cutie" burp-cloths, and the list goes on. Didn't you people ever listen to Yoda?
3. Strangers who use me as a conversation starter
No, I'm not grumpy, I just don't like to share my perfect smile with strangers in Wal-Mart, the doctor's office, the elevator, the parking lot, etc. Mommy should just attach a sign to my car seat that says, "Yes, I'm a boy and I am 4 months old. I am aware that I am very cute. You really don't have to tell me about your grandchildren. I'm sure they're almost as cute as I am." That would save a lot of awkward conversations.
4. Mommy and Daddy's dinner time
Why is it that every day around 6:00 PM, Mommy and Daddy don't want to pay attention to me? I keep yelling at them, but all they do is hand me a toy and go back to shoveling food in their mouths. I usually win about halfway through though, and one of them is forced to abandon their dinner and pick me up.
5. The hypnotizing/brainwashing effects of my "dealie whirler"For those who are unaware, my "dealie whirler" is a toy that Mommy and Daddy put me under, and features all manner of twirling, whirling lights, colors, shapes and sounds. Try as I might, once it starts, I cannot look away. I'm worried if I stare at it long enough, I might just forget all my recently acquired reading and writing skills. Mommy and Daddy don't care though, they are too busy playing Ticket to Ride for the umpteenth time.
9.14.2008
Rice To See You
At Eddie's 4-month check-up, the pediatrician gave me the okay to start him on solids whenever I thought he was ready. Well, I didn't think he was ready until my gallbladder was gone, so on Wednesday after I had been home from the hospital for almost a day, my mom and I decided to give rice cereal a try. He really liked it, even if he couldn't keep it in his mouth very well. He got frustrated after a few minutes because he was hungry and it just isn't as efficient as his normal eating method.
On Saturday, Dave and I decided we finally needed to buy a high chair so that we would have a suitable place for all this new eating Ed would be doing. After a trip to Babies R Us, we came home and set up his stylin' new Graco Contempo High Chair. I mixed up some rice cereal and Dave got his camera ready to document the moment. Apparently I made the cereal a little too runny because Eddie thought it was great to get the spoon into his mouth and then blow, spraying both of us with cereal. It ended up in his eyelashes and hair and all over my arms. Eventually he settled down and ate, though he still hasn't figured out exactly how to keep the food inside his mouth. He doesn't seem to mind though.
On Saturday, Dave and I decided we finally needed to buy a high chair so that we would have a suitable place for all this new eating Ed would be doing. After a trip to Babies R Us, we came home and set up his stylin' new Graco Contempo High Chair. I mixed up some rice cereal and Dave got his camera ready to document the moment. Apparently I made the cereal a little too runny because Eddie thought it was great to get the spoon into his mouth and then blow, spraying both of us with cereal. It ended up in his eyelashes and hair and all over my arms. Eventually he settled down and ate, though he still hasn't figured out exactly how to keep the food inside his mouth. He doesn't seem to mind though.
9.04.2008
Four Months Old
Eddie is now four months old! I took him in this morning for his check-up and thought I'd report on his progress. This time he only cried a little bit when they measured his head, but it was enough that they weren't sure if they got an accurate measurement. If they did, then his head's a little small for his body (29th percentile). He weighed in at 15 pounds 1 ounce, which keeps him in the 52nd percentile. He is now 26 inches long, which moves him to the 86th percentile (he was 70th percentile two months ago). So he's long and just keeps getting longer!
He is a healthy boy and the pediatrician said I can start him on real food whenever I think he's ready (yeah, like I know). I guess that means we'll need to buy a high chair. Fun times! He does still hate tummy time, but luckily the doctor said not to worry too much about that. I'm sure Eddie will be very glad to not be subjected to such torture every day.
He is a healthy boy and the pediatrician said I can start him on real food whenever I think he's ready (yeah, like I know). I guess that means we'll need to buy a high chair. Fun times! He does still hate tummy time, but luckily the doctor said not to worry too much about that. I'm sure Eddie will be very glad to not be subjected to such torture every day.
8.28.2008
Bumbo Bum
Many of you loyal readers may remember my insane pregnancy dream involving the Bumbo. If you don't, check it out here. Well, I am happy to report that Dave listened to my instructions and didn't put our naked newborn in the Bumbo. But now, Eddie is big and strong enough (and clothed enough) to sit in it for a little while before he gets mad.
In other news, as I was looking over the photos I took of Eddie yesterday, I realized that he does look a little bit like me and decided to whip up my own comparison shot to compete with Dave's (try not to be too impressed with my skills in Photoshop).
Of course, the resemblance might be attributed to our pudgy cheeks.
In other news, as I was looking over the photos I took of Eddie yesterday, I realized that he does look a little bit like me and decided to whip up my own comparison shot to compete with Dave's (try not to be too impressed with my skills in Photoshop).
Of course, the resemblance might be attributed to our pudgy cheeks.
8.25.2008
Just Some Photos
Here are a few photos we took of Ed this past week that I wanted to share.
Pretending to be an Orioles fan
Sporting his new jeans
Using Drag-aroo (half dragon, half kangaroo) as a pillow
8.18.2008
My Alarm Clock
Eddie is a morning person. Lucky for me, he has started sleeping through the night almost every night. That means that by 6:30 or 7:00 AM, he happily wakes up. Most mornings, I wake up to hear him in his room jabbering away and doing his little cough-laugh. He is content to just lay there in his crib, kick his blanket off, and blow spit bubbles. Then when I walk in, he greets me with a huge grin. It's a nice way to start the day. If only naps went as smoothly!
8.13.2008
Tyrannosaurus Ed
Yesterday, Eddie and I participated in an outing with the Barton cousins to the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. Apparently every Tuesday in August is $2 Tuesday, so we (and every other mother in Utah and Salt Lake counties) decided to go see the dinosaurs yesterday. I knew I was in for something special when it took me 10 minutes just to get from the beginning of the I-15 off-ramp to the end. Then I pulled up to the museum to find the line of mommies and strollers stretching around the building.
Once we got inside the building and everyone took their potty breaks, we got into the exhibits. It was crazy in there. Just our group had three strollers and 8 older (by older, I mean ages 2-9) kids with us. So the four adults spent the time trying not to lose the children, and the children spent the time trying to get lost. Amidst all the chaos, we did manage to see some dinosaurs, which were pretty cool. Eddie was a little over-stimulated and while he was in his stroller, he just kept looking at me and half-heartedly crying. I ended up carrying him through a good portion of the exhibits and pushing the stroller one-handed.
It was a fun trip and I would recommend the museum to anyone who likes to look at dinosaur bones... just don't try to go on $2 Tuesday. My favorite part was the Supersaurus, which was ridiculously huge (hence the name). Eddie's favorite part was getting some peace and quiet at his Aunt Cheryl's house after our excursion was over.
Once we got inside the building and everyone took their potty breaks, we got into the exhibits. It was crazy in there. Just our group had three strollers and 8 older (by older, I mean ages 2-9) kids with us. So the four adults spent the time trying not to lose the children, and the children spent the time trying to get lost. Amidst all the chaos, we did manage to see some dinosaurs, which were pretty cool. Eddie was a little over-stimulated and while he was in his stroller, he just kept looking at me and half-heartedly crying. I ended up carrying him through a good portion of the exhibits and pushing the stroller one-handed.
It was a fun trip and I would recommend the museum to anyone who likes to look at dinosaur bones... just don't try to go on $2 Tuesday. My favorite part was the Supersaurus, which was ridiculously huge (hence the name). Eddie's favorite part was getting some peace and quiet at his Aunt Cheryl's house after our excursion was over.
8.11.2008
Thumbing His Way
At first I was hesitant to give Eddie a binky because I didn't want to have to go through the trauma of getting rid of it at some point. I caved the first night we were home with him and he wouldn't stop crying at 1 AM. Ever since then he has been a binky-boy. Mr. Binks has gotten us through a lot of rough times and after seeing the struggle that Rob and Kirsten had trying to get their thumb-suckers to give it up, I was happy to have a binky-boy. When Eddie discovered his hands a few weeks ago and that he had control over them, he started sucking on his fists, which I thought was harmless enough. Within the last two weeks, Eddie figured out how to get his thumb out of his fist and realized that it is the perfect size for sucking.
We've tried to discourage him by removing the thumb and replacing it with the binky whenever possible, but he doesn't go for it. As you can see in the photo, he passed up a perfectly good binky for a chance to suck his thumb instead. Of course, he's still working out the kinks. He hasn't quite figured out what to do with the rest of his fingers while his thumb is in his mouth, so sometimes he stabs himself in the eye. You would think that would make him like the binky more. It certainly never stabbed him in the eye.
We've tried to discourage him by removing the thumb and replacing it with the binky whenever possible, but he doesn't go for it. As you can see in the photo, he passed up a perfectly good binky for a chance to suck his thumb instead. Of course, he's still working out the kinks. He hasn't quite figured out what to do with the rest of his fingers while his thumb is in his mouth, so sometimes he stabs himself in the eye. You would think that would make him like the binky more. It certainly never stabbed him in the eye.
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