A time for Firsts

First food! About 5 days before his 6month appointment...we gave Seth his first food- rice cereal. He did really well. More on him that in him, but still...it's a learning experience. We put him in Keith's old highchair. It's the classic 70's version with the metal tray that your mom would warn you over and over to lift your arms up and out of the way so that your fingers would not get pinched as she slide the tray into its spot. And the print is also classic 70's with bright colored bunnys and poodles in a circus theme. We had to roll up blankets and tuck them in on either side of him to prevent him from slumping over because he was too small for it. Over the next couple of days, we experimented with making the rice cereal a bit runnier or a bit thicker, heat it up,etc....trying to make it somehow more edible. Yeah, he was soooo on to us. After about a week of that, it was apparent that he was not going to eat plain rice cereal anymore. So we started by blending in small amounts of pureed carrots and then squash. He loved them. We're hoping that this is an early indication that he is not going to be one of those picky eaters. I'd also like to think that somehow the fact that I ate such a variation of foods while pregnant with him, that he will be more opt to trying different things.

So for the past how many months...hmm maybe 2...Seth has been chewing on his hands, dribbling up a storm, and basically giving us all the signs that he was getting ready to teethe...but no. It got to the point where we would just thrown on a bib with every outfit so as to prevent his shirts from being soaked by the drool. Then.......one night...09 November...he started acting fussier than usual and chewing on his gum line. So we gave him a couple of doses of baby orajel throughout the evening and that seemed to solve the problem. Next day, 10 November ,he spent the day with Nana Alice. When Keith picked him up, Alice asked if he knew about Seth getting his first tooth?! So that day when I came home from work, Keith showed me our son's first small nubbin' of a tooth. It looked like 2 tiny sharp ridges busting thru his lower front gum. I was soooo proud I teared up and then ...a bit of fear took over....I am still breastfeeding...suddenly all I could think of was "please don't bite me."

Halloween

Ok, so there's a bit of a story surrounding Seth's costume this year. Keith's sister Christina sent us a bag of clothing, a johnny jump up (that looks like Tigger- so cute....has his tail on the child's butt side- sweet!) , and a pumpkin outfit- all items Oliver has outgrown. Well right then and there, Keith had planned on Seth dressing as a pumpkin. Me? Not so much....it just seemed so typical. Hey, nothing against other moms out there...I just wanted to dress Seth a little bit different- no peapod, hotdog, or dalmation. I had big plans....and I won't talk about that too much since it is his "definite" outfit for next year. Let's just say he'll be green and munching on cars. Ha! So back to the pumpkin outfit. Well...we went to this year's consignment sale at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Couldn't beat the admission price- a buck $. We went on Saturday so a lot of the sought after items like cribs, highchairs, and cloth diapers were wiped out. We did manage to find a few fun blocks, couple of books, and then Keith found the best item of all.....the skunk outfit! It was absolutely cute just sitting on the hanger. It was a fuzzy black outfit, puffy, white streak from head to tail, and simply the cutest thing. 5$. Well that was the moment Keith decided Seth was going as a skunk. We took him to the Commons (mall) on Halloween. All the stores pretty much close down while they pass out candy to the kids for a couple of hours. We like to go just to check out all the great outfits parents come up with and also to see what costumes are popular each year. No surprise that there were a lot of little girls dressed as Cheerleader Barbie, Hannah Montana, and princesses. For the boys..ninja, comic book heros like Spiderman and Batman, and pirates. We did spot infants dressed as lions, Carebear, and lambs....but none came close to how cute our little stinker was!

Seth also got to visit the pumpkin patch for the first time. We went down to the pumpkin field across for the Kent Dairy. It was a chilly day outside so we kept it brief. We'd dressed him in the pumpkin outfit which I thought was more befitting than Halloween. We took turns posing with him amongst the pumpkins and wooden cutouts of spooky cats and critters. Just so you know, we quickly put his jacket back on each time to ensure he was kept nice and toasty. We didn't buy a pumpkin this year since Seth's cousin Levi had given him a teeny tiny one while they were up visiting. Maybe next year we'll get one that he can finger paint.

4 Months Old

You know the old saying "they grow up so fast" ....so true. Seth just turned 4 months on the 2nd. Seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital (can't believe they let us), we were beyond sleep deprivation working thru his colic, and most of his newborn clothes were so big for him.
He's been making what we call owl sounds, starting to hold his head up more (still hates tummy time...and let's you know it), taking slightly longer naps than his usual 10min., and grabbing his feet. He's also starting to slowly warm up to the idea of bath time. And he's beginning to figure out different cries for angry, tired, hungry, and angry. Ah the angry one- he likes to throw his arms and legs straight out and ball his little fists.
So he had his 4month well baby check up today. He's 24 1/2 inches long, 12.1pds, drooling and chewing on a lot of stuff (even though doc says he's not teething). She suggested a few books for us to read to try to help with his lack of sleeping. Needless to say we went out and bought one. Ha ha.
In celebration, we went to the Evergreen Fair...that an to try to make him forget he just got stuck with needles for his needed immunizations. He seemed to really enjoy being outdoors and being in his stroller....as long as you kept moving. We checked out all the livestock, watched the lumberjack show and pig race, and of course had to have a bite to eat. There was so much to choose from....even a booth that offered a bunch of fried foodies like twinkies, alligator, and such. We passed on that one and instead indulged at the Purple Cow (ice cream). mmmm.
There were plenty of painted board cutouts where you could stick your face into it and take a pic ie. aliens, family, baby chicks,etc....all too tall to try to put Seth into....but another time.
The day was so memorable....and as a finale- Seth slept for 6 hours that night. yeah!

Blackberries

Today I did some blackberry picking- not the electronic type, the actual fruit one. You know the one that involves hours of being constantly stuck by thorns, under the hot sun (since this is the best month to pick them), and eventually...berry stained hands. Well, I came prepared. I packed a ladder, rubber gloves, and enough plastic containers should I manage to pick a gagillion berries. Well...several sweaty hours later....I washed my bounty to find I'd only picked 25 cups worth. Which means I'll need to pick a lot more before mom and I will be able to make jam. So Ill just freeze the little lovelies until Jam Day. Ahhh nothing like free fruit. Sorry no pic for this event...although I'm sure the image of my pasty white legs poking out from my cargo shorts, the sun beating down on me, and sweat from brow to pinky is a site none should witness. ha ha ha.

My Birthday

My birthday. Well here it is....39. The year you celebrate/embrace the fact that you'll soon be leaving your 30's and heading to the Big Four O. Or you can do it my way.....stare blankly into space for long durations at a time wondering how you got to where you are now, what am I doing, and ....wait...what was I even thinking about? ha ha ha.
Years ago I started a list. No- it's not a Bucket List. I came up with it well before that movie was even a thought. Each year I've added a new experience, place I've visited or ...something I've accomplished. The goal has always been to push myself, go outside my comfort zone. Each year when my birthday comes up....I try to come up with something to try to add to the list. This past year one of my biggest achievements was added to that list- giving birth to Seth!
But what to do on my birthday? Keith managed to come up with a game plan at the last minute...trust me...it was last minute. In fact he was purchasing the tickets for the event the night before My Day. He purchased us tickets to see the Dockyard Dirty Dames- the roller derby team. We thought the website said something about no kids under 13 so we enlisted Granny Brown to watch over Master Seth. It quickly became clear to us that we must have misread this since toddlers, newborns, and school age children started arriving by the car load. ha ha. While there we ran into Chris. He was gracious enough to explain to us the rules and logistics of the sport. Gone are the days where the ladies were allowed to shove, elbow and pretty much pull hair. Now a days...only hips and shoulders are utilized. Boring? Nope. These women have endurance, determination...and did I mention endurance? And you have to love the witty names they've come up with. Hmmmm. I could be WadeAMinute, 2SpeedyforU, 99RedBalloons, and the ideas are endless. If you haven't been to a game- Go.

The Muppets

Keith, Seth, Alice (Keith's mom), and I went to Jim Hensen's Muppet exhibit at the EMP on the very last day it was showing. I wasn't so sure we were going to be able to see it since Keith recently had surgery and was having difficulty standing for long durations and still medicated. He was quite the trooper and lucky for both us there were plenty of rest stops since I was packing Master Seth around and Keith needed to rest periodically. We made it thru most of the exhibit before meltdown #1 occurred. I believe I was outside the Rock-n-Roll exhibit when meltdown #2 occurred and finally meltdown #3 occurred somewhere between grabbing a quick bite to eat and the Space influence on LP covers exhibit. Seth not Keith...hee hee exhibit.....The major disappointment? The 2 balcony hecklers (I'm spacing on their names) and Miss Piggy, from the Muppet Show, weren't there . Hmmmm. Just didn't seem right without them. Ahhhh...the Muppet Show and Sesame Street....good times.

Festival Training

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to attend any festival/fair out there so as to preview potential outings for Seth. Where once I would of wandered thru (leisurely) checking out all the arts, crafts and foodie attractions...now my eyes are constantly drawn to kiddie rides, interactive booths, and the availability of "mom I have to go now" locations. And of course, I'm having to do this at a break away speed while packing Seth kangaroo style in my Baby Bjorn (2nd hand- can't afford the off the shelf price) carrier.

Kent Cornucopia Days--basically every 5th booth is a repeat of something previous...ie those "leaf free" gutters you've been just anxiously awaiting to replace....hahaha Oh and the kiddie/food section is so far off the beaten path that you'd have to repark the vehicle in another sector of the city in order to experience it all. In 80+ heat, no shade, and with a baby in tow- on foot was not an option.

Taste of Tacoma- Again 80+ weather, very little shade, and basically every 5th foodie booth repeated itself. Now if you are kid free...you could of enjoyed the various live bands blasting their sounds at full concert noise level, wandered (or stumbled) from the Wine Garden to the Beer Garden, and sampled your way around the site. Since only 3 or 4 token kiddie rides were offered, parking was $10.00 (don't even think about parking in a nearby neighborhood since the local residents love to put up No Parking signs on their curbside, but are more than happy to allow you to park on their lawn for $5 to $7 dollars- don't figure) and the "carnival" attractions mean you'll be shelling out $20.00 to win your kid a $2.00 stuffed toy....not impressed.

Fort Nisqually- great for both adults and kids- bonus that the kids will be LEARNING something from the hands-on exhibits and one on one interactions they'll have with the personnel performing reinactments of the pioneering time period. FYI- be on your toes....the gentleman at the general trading store will offer lots of dialogue, demonstrate hand trading signals, and then quiz you to be sure you were listening extremely intently. Yikes! ha ha

Sumner Days- Very nice. They had plenty of booths offering.....(gasp!) homemade items. Yep- no flipping them over to find they were manufactured out of this country....actually made by someone's hands here...and local. And one side street just for kid's activities.

Our favorite so far....Puyallup Meeker Days. Booths offering local goods, plenty of blow up rides/toys to keep the kids entertained (and hopefully wear them out), great selection of foodies, and a live play performance of Alice in Wonderland that encourages both vocal and physical involvement from the audience.

A blog is born....

Welcome to our blog. Since "Mommyhood" occurred 3 months ago, I've become a email abuser- sending weekly updates and pics of our son Seth to everyone I know. Ok and there may have been occasional/weekly updates during the 9 months leading up to his birth. Oh yeah, and maybe pics sent out of me transitioning from newly prego, slightly prego, slightly more prego, now I'm showing, check out my bump, the bump is growing, look at the size of this basketball, and can you believe I'm almost ready to give birth, and finally the overdue and their going to induce me one. Ok, I may be guilty of all the above. However, in order to keep my friend poole from dwindling any further and ensure our name isn't scratched from the family tree, Ive created this site. ...so that you have the choice. Yes you. If you choose to check in on us out of deep concern, friendship, love, and utter curiosity...you may. Or maybe you're looking for a few laughs, want to compare your kid to my kid in a healthy way that doesn't provoke a "my kid is better than yours because their on the honor roll... blah blah blah and here's my bumper sticker to prove it", or maybe ...just maybe you're looking for someone to finally make a positive contribution to the gene pool....well then...look no further.
Oh and it would be completely rude of me to not thank Shanna and Christina for being the driving force behind this creation. Friends- they always figure out a polite way of pushing you in the right direction and saying it in a way that almost leads you to believe you thought of it yourself. Ha!

Jennifer, Keith & Master Seth