hair

That Lo's hair has grown back a lot since we buzzed it a few months ago. Now when he wakes up from naps it tends to have matted, poking out parts to it, as shown below. Also, he likes to wave (hence the blurry hand in this photo).

Exploring

Not much to add to this cuteness, except to say that Lo's little antics like this box exploration make me laugh every day. I am finding a lot of joy in motherhood. Check out those teeny little curled up toes. (and do not check out all the stuff we have lying all over our living room floor).

Hmmm...I I just realized it appears I never dress this baby in anything but a diaper (and sometimes not even that much clothing).

You know it is summertime when...

You feel perfectly comfortable playing outside in nothing but your diaper.

backyard fun

Twice in the last two weeks, Jerry's coworkers have held bbq parties in their backyards. Lo enjoyed playing with the other kids and discovered fun yard toys, like trampolines and whatever that bean bag thing is. The bean bag hole is a typical Lo favorite these days, as he likes to put objects in and out of openings. I was laughing because he wasn't quite tall enough to reach in, but he stood on tippy toes with one foot lifting off the ground, and was able to reach the bean bags that had fallen in.

Beach Boy

We went to a little private beach near our home. It was our first time to see Lake Eerie up close. (yeah, we are slow at seeing local attractions). At first I tried holding him above the water so he could just look at it without getting wet (we hadn't brought swim suits).

Doesn't it look just like the ocean.

Lo was so mesmerized by the water, we had a hard time getting him to look at the camera. He kept whipping his head around to keep his eyes glued to the waves.

And like I said earlier, we did not intend to get wet beyond our toes. It may not be evident from these videos, but when Lo went into the water, it was because he slid himself in.

We'd like to go back again soon, and next time bring our water gear!

While I'm doing ho hum updating

Here's a new development from my neck of the woods (har, har, pun just came to me).

I was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The good news: it's not Grave's disease. But the bad news: my doctor is recommending surgery to remove the thyroid. Ugh. I am seeing a second specialist in 2 weeks to get a second opinion, because I tend to not trust doctors much. Either way, it seems I need medication every day for the rest of my life--hardly helpful to my self-reliance/food storage/emergency prep ideals.

More good news: we have great insurance. The last bill reminded me chemical testing had been about $1,000, but was 100% covered by the insurance. *sigh of relief* And as long as I don't get too choosy with the surgeon, thyroid removal should be pretty much covered as well. If I choose that option. This is sort of a bummer decision to make.

Language

Just a quick post to keep up with my "at least weekly for the grandparents" update goal.

The past couple days Lo's language somehow changed. His babbling used to comprise mainly repetitive sounds, but now is more like talking, with variety and intonation. He seems to know Jerry's name is "Dada" and says it excitedly when he hears the door open in the evenings for Jerry's grand entrance home from work. Also, when I am feeding him in the high chair, he has started repeating my question, "All done?" if he seems to want out. "Ah duh," is what it sounds like. First word(s)? We're pretty sure he's brilliant.

9 Month Report

There's plenty about parenting that leaves me feeling inept. So I try to celebrate the successes when they come around. Here's the mostly pros (and a few cons) to this new stage of Lo:

*Height: 30 inches
*Weight: 28 lbs.
*Head: 19 inches
All above the 90th percentile. Yeah, those aren't typos--he's still a really big kid. I'm trying to avoid getting all caught up on percentiles, but have to admit it reassures me that we are doing something right--or he wouldn't be growing like he is?

*Bites during breastfeeding at least a few times each day, giggling when I remove him from the breast and tell him "No." This fun phase began right after I posted my breastfeeding exultancy last week, so it must be a result of karma or something. Humbling to realize this nursing game is still a work in progress.

*He took his first steps last week! He has walked as many as 4-5 steps unsupported, and is an early bird on this milestone, though I still wouldn't call him a "walker" since he prefers crawling and furniture walking for the most part.

*Still no ASL signing from that Lo, despite me being pretty consistent at signing "All Done" and "More Food" during feeding times over the past couple months. I expect he'll come around on this type of communicating soon enough. He waves "hello" and "goodbye" sometimes without prompting.

*Loves every kind of food. We mostly still let him gnaw on chunks of regular food (MESSY as can be), though I spoon-feed him a few spoonfuls of cereal or puree at mealtimes. We go through about 6 spoons with every feeding, because I let him take the spoon if he ever tries to put it to his mouth himself. Then the handle gets goobery from his baby hands, so I just let him keep that spoon and use another one...and then the cycle repeats itself again and again. I don't mind, since I figure it is helping him move toward eventually using utensils effectively on his own.

*Scribbled on our wall recently with a colored pencil. (an area larger than my hand--totally noticable--eek.)

*Loves to play hide-and-seek type of games. See video below:

*He is really aware of the concept of "familiar" vs. "unfamiliar." This leads to him loving anything new, like the scab he just discovered on my ankle...lol...he kept trying to grab it, just because he knew it was out of the ordinary and therefore irresistibly interesting. The downside of this type of brain development is that he gets fearful around unfamiliar people. The most recent two times we left him with a friend (the temple trip a few weeks ago, and my doctor appointment last week), he cried pretty hard. But I know he'll get over it in a few months probably, and just shows he is becoming more aware of the world around him and his place in it.

*We got his 9 month photos last week from JCPenney, but I can't figure out how to get them on the blog. Seems like I was able to use the "share feature" before with Olan Mills. Hmmm...I'll keep trying I guess. The 9 month handsomeness includes his lustrous hair, which has grown so long now it needs cut again, and his toothy smile (5 teeth now).

We love our Lo!

Troublemaker

Lo is at that "helpful" stage. Last week he discovered some caramel ice cream topping (it pains me to admit we have such a product in our home). Before I discovered him, he managed to dump out a puddle of it in front of the pantry and then track the sticky stuff all down the hallway. I think a steam vac rental is in order. This is the cupboard he is actually allowed to play in. It lets me get some kitchen work done as he unloads every pot, pan, and tupperware container we own.

Yeah, that's probably a knife he's grabbing as I try to shoot this photo. We've had some close calls with him unloading dangerous utensils, so the dishwasher is now off-limits.

And the toilet paper roll...don't get me started. We've barricaded that with a laundry hamper.

I know the official week has ended...

...But I wanted to do one last addendum to the World Breastfeeding Week post. My friend has given a great post on the subject and I felt like it was important to pass it along because it could prove helpful. Check it out. I feel enlightened.

Makin' the rounds

The luxury of living this close to a billion church sites is that we get to see them gradually, spread over the space of a year or so, instead of cramming tours into the usual day or two most patrons take. After 7 months of living in the area, we finally made it out to the Kirtland Temple. Our friends Jonathan and Sunny were in town, so we got to go with them. They are basically our favorite people. Lo eating grass. My most memorable part of the tour had to be during the movie when our precious son got himself stuck under a seat, and even Jerry attempting to lift the seat could not free that crying Lo. (the chairs were conveniently linked together). Maybe I'm not explaining very well. Anyway, it was mildly embarrassing but I can smile about it now. Jonathan and Sunny. Aren't Asian/Caucasian couples the cutest.

Jerry looks like he's wearing some kind of period clothing, but it's just the mei tai. I really felt the Holy Spirit when we sat in the temple and our guide explained how angels had walked the aisles, roof, etc. during the dedication, and the Savior appeared in vision here. This is a special place, where God restored power on earth to link families together for eternity.

After the temple tour we ate lunch at McDonalds...and won the "bad parent of the day" award by giving our baby those infamous fries. His first time eating french fries--and of course he became instantly addicted.

The chewing motions of his lips look so cute to me. Make sure to watch the video three times in a row like I just did in order to fully appreciate the chewing. =)

Our Little Yao Ming

I started to think our Lo was some kind of prodigy basketball player, until I read in my pediatrician's book that a ball is a favorite toy for almost all babies. But anyway, we're still doing our part to brainwash him while he's young:I found this basketball hoop out by the dumpster at our apartment complex. I wheeled it home using the stroller as a cart device. Yes, I'm proud of my inner freegan tendencies.

Jerry has been waiting for this moment forever--father and son shooting hoops together!

World Breastfeeding Week

To celebrate world breastfeeding week, our local Le Leche League group offered free tickets to the zoo. I was gratified to see a breastfeeding tent set up there, and nursed my baby alongside some other moms and babies. The special event had the slogan "human milk for human babies." There are baby koalas at the zoo right now, and I assume they are drinking koala milk. =)

Here are some fun breastfeeding facts, interspersed with photos from our zoo trip: 1. Birds don't nurse their young. Just mammals. BTW, this owl is almost as adorable as my Lo.

2. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding up through age 2 years and beyond. Check it out. Why does the American Academy of Pediatrics only recommend breastfeeding for the first 12 months of life? Just curious.

3. Moms who breastfeed get more sleep. It's a hormone thing.

4. Breast milk cures cancer. 'Nuf said.

5. My child still nurses every 2-3 hours round the clock, with the frequency contributing to my abundant supply.

So. Breastfeeding. We've had our ups and downs over the past nine months, including two cases of mastitis and the occasional clogged duct, antibiotics for both of us, a week-long stay in the NICU, moving, traveling, nursing strikes, and so forth--but I have never supplemented with a drop of formula because I believe whole-heartedly in the benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby. I am also fortunate to have had a husband and friends/extended family who are knowledgeable and supportive of my commitment to breastfeed. I feel more and more convinced that any woman has the capacity to breastfeed (with a very small percentage perhaps needing to supplement), but lack of knowledge combined with unfavorable circumstances sometimes lead to early weaning. I hope every woman who wants to can breastfeed for as long as she and baby want to, without recrimination or shame.

I've had this project on my list for a few months: The matching baby/daddy ties. You know how neckties have that skinny "mini tie" that gets tucked in back?

It can be tied onto a broomstick handle, cut, and then sewn with an elastic neckloop to make a baby tie. I'm totally not explaining this very well. But I'm sure you can all google somewhere to find a tutorial. Sorry--short on time or I'd look it up and do the link myself. Anyway, wanted to get this posted:

Cutest thing ever. The best part is that Jerry still gets to wear his tie, because we had some gold satin silk Jerry's mom sent from Hong Kong (I finally got around to using it, thank you!) and we replaced the smaller back portion of the tie with this fabric. So it is still long enough for him to wear. We'll have to get a picture of the two boys wearing their matching ties together--they did wear them to church, and I was so vain about it.

Books, books, books

So I started a reader's group. During our meeting earlier this month, we voted on books for the upcoming year. I served booky cake, which was I think my first attempt to make a cake look like something other than cake, so please don't make fun of its floppy sides and uneven frosting. If you really want to mock/admire a cake, please try something here. The top book (er, I mean, cake) is Oliver Twist, my main nomination for the book list. The second book (cake--sorry!) is the Work and the Glory, a series I've recently gotten into. There was loads of this sweetness left over, so I unfortunately snacked on it daily for about a week straight before I finally threw away the rest. Hate to throw away food. But then, cake is hardly qualified as "food." More "junk" than "food" to begin with, right?

Here's what we will be reading for about the next year, if anybody is interested in joining us:
Rainwater, by Sandra Brown, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, The Candy Shop Wars, by Brandon Mull, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin, Hannah’s List, by Debbie Macomber, A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, The $64.00 Tomato, by William Alexander, Fearless, by Max Lucado, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer, The Soloist, by Steve Lopez.

I'm more excited about some of the titles than others of course, but figure it is good to get outside my typical rut of reading and look at some suggestions from what others have liked. I think we have almost every major genre represented here. Cool.