Visiting Joy and Frank

Well we got our new power cord so pictures are back. We visited Joy and Frank Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, our longest car ride so far. The ride over went well but on the way back we were about 4 hours into the trip when we stopped and he was so happy to be out of his carseat. He kept smiling. Then when we got home he was so happy, he smiled and smiled and smiled. He would look up from eating and just smile. I am glad his reaction was to be happy to get out of the car rather than be grumpy that he wasn't out sooner.
We had a nice visit with Joy and Frank. Layden was of course universally loved and admired. Joy very much enjoyed the visit and is talking about making him a skunk skin cap, I think that would just be the cutest thing, little stinker. Oli, Frank and I shot clay pigeons. I amazed myself, actually hitting not just some but more than half. I guess that would be explained by the lovely spread the shot makes. It was pretty fun. Then we tried out the bows but I was not so good at that, Oli was pretty good but my bow is a bit strong. It takes all my concentration just to pull the string back.

Intermission - update

Due to power supply complications (I tripped over the adapter cord and busticated it) we have 2:35 of battery life left to last until we get the new one. So if pictures are few and far between you know why and who to blame.
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The cord has yet to ship and is predicted to arrive between the 6th and 10th.

Three Months

You turned 3 months old today, and you are getting to be such a big boy. This month you completed the roll over combo, back to front and front to back. Luckily you mainly seem to accomplish this by accident and don't seem to have realized that this rolling over thing is a powerful tool in becoming mobile. You have discovered your feet but you don't seem to think they are all that interesting yet and for the most part you ignore them. Toys on the other hand are starting to be exciting. Sadly your hand eye coordination does not live up to your interest so you do not have as much fun as you would like to. Occasionally the toys even fight back and you smack yourself in the head with them. You have also punched yourself in the eye on numerous occasions and always maintain very firmly that it is not your fault and we had better find who is responsible. You enjoy it when I read books to you, scrutinizing the pictures and following my finger as it points at them. Strangely enough you even seem to enjoy it when I sing to you. Shocking, I know, and later on you will probably deny it vehemently.
Your daddy and I can tell already that your childhood will be rather interesting. Mike Gonzales has sent your daddy (and you by proxy) stuffed representations of Mad Cow, Ebola, Black Death, Sleeping Sickness, the Common Cold, and Flesh-eating disease. On their web site they also have such choice diseases as The Clap and Syphilis. We can see getting you those and then having it backfire when you bring one for show and tell at the preschool and explain to all of your little friends what The Clap is.
You get sweeter and sweeter every day if that is possible. Each morning you wake up and feel the need to tell me all about your interesting dreams. Each day you repeatedly practice whatever new sound you happen to have discovered at the top of your lungs, which is surprisingly loud.
You also discovered pinocle while visiting the Olsons' and we can tell you are going to be good by how serious you are about it. You are also sticking anything that you can get the aim right on into your mouth, introducing concerns about sterility. Before we didn't worry too much because you just didn't have the skills to get anything other than your hand into your mouth. You will try and shove the whole fist in, even using your other hand to help shove it in.

Do not expose child to open flame

CAUTION: These diapers, like almost any article of clothing including cloth diapers, will burn if exposed to flame. For your child's safety keep the child away from any source of open flame.

This is a caution that appears on the diaper package. I hope it isn't really necessary for all parents.

Layden had a rough time today while I was away at my office hours. Cried the whole time, poor Daddy, he had been up almost 24 hours. It took me a good while and a lot of breast milk to get him fully settled down.
Today we went for a drive. Took the back roads and ended up down at the river. Took a few pictures. Got a good one of a kestrel. Tried to get some good ones of pheasants but they persisted in hiding behind a bush. Sadly no other real good photos but it was a nice drive, no one else on those roads, nice and curvy and not too many potholes.
Oli took this picture of a crocus by our mail box today. Spring is finally on the way. Hopefully it won't drag its feet. I am looking forward to being able to go on more walks with Layden now that the weather is warming up and hopefully it won't be raining so much.
Layden is starting to enjoy his toys more though is still not coordiated. He also enjoyed having me read him a story. He looked at the pictures and would follow my finger as it pointed.

Wimps

Today we took a little trip to look for a Johnny Jump-up for Layden but didn't meet much success. The one we found had an excessively strong spring, Layden wouldn't have weighed enough to make it bounce. It is also for 4 months and up, so a little early. Tomorrow we head up to Post Falls to meet the Olsons for lunch. We would go up earlier for Brita's solo but it is at 10:10 and I just don't think we will be able to make it up that early. Layden is enjoying having so many people willing to play with him. Juncle and Grandpa are wimps and don't change diapers, they don't even check.

Ooo Toes

Grammy and Grandpa Wells and Uncle Jake (or Juncle as he would like to be called) are visiting this weekend. They just got here and Grammy is enjoying herself immensely. Lucy is also visiting. So far animals have had mixed reactions to Layden. Lucy seems to like him and can become concerned if he cries a lot. Koira felt most comfortable when she could pretend he wasn't there. She sniffed him once and gave him a wide berth whenever possible. Jetta on the other hand has responded with animosity.Layden is getting more and more talented everyday. I'm not just saying it because I'm the mother, I have heard it from less biased sorces that he is the best baby ever. So there. Today he rolled from back to front. This completes the second half of the combo roll. Once he learns to do this reliably he will be able to travel. He also has recently discovered his toes. Every once in a while he catches sight of them and then bends all of his will power to bringing his hands in contact with his toes. He also plays a bit more with other shiny objects that come into his view, though the majority of his movements still amount to flailing. He has a Baby Mozart dvd that he quite enjoys and actually captures his attention for almost a half hour.

Brita's Birthday

Big weekend behind us. Layden, Dieter and I made the trip up to Sandpoint for Brita's 13th birthday on Friday. We were a surprise. First Dieter surprised her, telling her he was picking her up in their mom's car because his was acting up. Then Layden and I were a surprise when she got home (Layden of course being the exciting part of the surprise). She even got surprised with an ice cream pie. Her comment was "This is a surprise isn't it?". We played a lot of pinocle with Jens and Brita. Dieter even got 1000 aces. Layden did pretty well on the car ride. Both trips he was a little fussy the last 30 miles or so, but not bad.
We got home about 4:30 yesterday and at 5:30 Lisa called: "Where are you?" "At home." "Why aren't you here?" "Huh?" (I am so articulate) "Remember dinner 5:00?" "Oops, I thought that was next week." So I made it over there by 5:45 so now Liz and Mark say that won't accept having a baby as an excuse for being really late anymore since I made it in 15 min. We had some yummy zucchini pasta casserole and Layden got a little stuff white tiger and a superman cape, it is a bit big but very cute. Lisa and Magnus have a few cats and one of them, Jetta, Lisa, Jamie and I got as a kitten when we were living together. Jetta, sees Layden, slinks up, sniffs him and in general seems very unsure of what to think. Then she starts growling, I have never heard a cat growl like that before, but Jetta is a bit strange anyway so I am not too surprised.

Tracking

Layden is getting to be such a big boy, comparatively anyway. Oli was sitting on the couch holding him and he tracked me back and forth across the room. He kept his eye on me. He has already learned to keep his food supply in sight.
It is looking not too bad for Oli getting a job in the Bremerton area. He got a call from Aerotek today, they have talked to one of his references and will be getting ahold of his other references and calling him back on Monday. Hopefully everything will work out. If any one has experience buying a house and has some tips that would be great. Both of our parents haven't really ever bought a house. I don't want to get too enthusiastic yet but things look good.
Bruce is back home with us. He got taken out of the fridge and is all thawed out. I think he actually managed to grow, impressive since he didn't have anything to eat for a few months.
Next weekend my parents and little brother will be visiting. If Layden could understand I am sure he would be very excited. The next Sunday we will be going to a potluck for everyone from our child birth class. We can have a cutest baby contest and we all know who will win. It will be interesting to see other babies the same age as Layden and hear how the whole birthing process went for every one else. In terms of the "natural childbirth" class I pretty much failed, induced, epidural, c-section. But I still got the prize so I am OK with that.

Two Months

Well you are two months old now, actually you've been two months old for a bit now. You have grown up so much in just a month. You recognize me and your daddy when we walk into a room and you smile at us, which may be the sweetest thing ever. You arms move with a little more purpose now, rather than just flailing about randomly. It is so endearing when you hold onto my finger while you nurse. You have discovered how to rollover from your front to back and now we live in fearful anticipation of the day you learn to roll from back to front. Then we will be in trouble. You talk and talk and talk now and you smile when we talk to you. You also enjoy watching TV, it would seem that we are raising a little couch potato. You have been sleeping much better this month. You usually make it from around 1 am to 7-8am each day then a diaper change and sleep til 11 or so. It is great.
You are getting very big. 13 pounds and 24 inches long, you are quickly growing out of your clothes. Your neck is so strong you impress everyone and trick them into thinking you are older.

Adaptation

I went through Layden's clothes today and sorted them all out by sizes. Good thing I did because I found a good few that will fit him now and with the way he is growing who knows how long that would last.
Our friend Josh from Yakima stopped by today with one of his frat brothers from EWU, Rick or something. Apparently it is a med tech thing, not a Pullman thing to be passive aggressive with the emphasis on aggressive. Maybe it is the lack of recognition and total misunderstanding for what they do. The most frequent guess is: You draw blood, right?
I realized today thatI have gotten used to having Layden around. I no longer think about what it was like before. I guess it is just too wonderful having him to think about spending my time any other way. I have also adapted to having tasks interrupted at any moment and am getting very good at typing with one hand.

Goo

Layden is doing well and does not seem to have minded his shots too terribly much. He as been a little more fussy and taking more naps but all in all not much change. He is enjoying his little chair and so am I. I can actually get some dishes done on a regular basis, they aren't so bad when it is one dishdrainer full a day.
We were supposed to be seeing the pictures we had taken last Friday but when we arrived at 11:00 this morning (about 2 hrs of sleep for Oli) we discovered that when the photographer scheduled us he forgot to put it in the calendar so we had to reschedule and will be going in next Tuesday afternoon.
I watched the new version of Pride and Prejudice today and I have to say I liked the BBC version much better. Not much of a surprise, you have to give up alot when going from 5 hrs to 2. It lost a lot of the humor and just wasn't the same, less depth or something. Also, the new Mr. Darcy just isn't as good looking, since you spend a good bit of the movie looking at him this is an important factor.
Layden and I took a nice walk up to the park today, though it had to be cut a bit short because he got hungry. He is becoming more and more his own person with his own personality, rather than just a generic baby. Last night he was having a bit of trouble getting to sleep so I started singing Müde bin Ich and he started smiling and spent the whole time looking at my face. Babies really know how to turn one's insides into a puddle of goo resulting in a physiological chain reaction that ends with your heart in their tiny fist and the rest of you wrapped around their little finger.