Getting a Little More "Do-It-Yourself"

Since I've been able to focus just on family life and not worry about work, I have committed to doing better about cooking meals every night.

In addition to wanting to save money, and no longer having much of excuse since I'm home much of the day now, there is a real satisfaction that comes about from preparing a meal from start to finish, and serving it up, nice and fresh.

Especially with Michael taking more predictable naps, me being done with my first trimester slump, and Michael entertaining himself walking around the furniture, I am starting to get better at actually getting the meal shopped-for, pre-planned, and done at a reasonable hour so dinner is ready not too long after Michael is in bed, or sometimes, if Michael Sr is able to get home a little early, have a meal with all of us together.

It is very satisfying.

This is starting to lead to a bit of a shift in my thinking over all. For instance, I bought a potted basil plant at Trader Joe's for $2.99. It was a huge, fresh-looking, leafy basil plant for less money than a small bunch of basil that I could purchase at the store. I don't use basil that often, but when I do, I spend a good bit of money for a bunch, use a few leaves, and then the rest of the bunch doesn't last very long before wilty and becoming unusable. So, a fresh basil plant seems to be the perfect solution.

And the miracle is that I have had this plant for several weeks and haven't killed it yet! I've used it intermittently several times, and have really enjoyed going out to my porch, pinching a few leaves, and leaving the rest on the plant, nice and fresh for whenever I need them again. It's awesome!

This has led to a greater appreciation of my tomato plant, which, prior to this point, I have kept alive (barely) on my porch, but only water it when it is on the brink of death. I rarely give it a chance to develop much fruit. But since I have been busy watering my basil, I water my tomatoes too, and since then have gotten a ton of very tasty little tomatoes. These are so much better than the ones I get at the store! They are so full of flavor...I almost like my tomato plant now!

This, then, has led to a great admiration for people who grow their own fruit and vegetables in gardens. I really understand now why this is so satisfying, and I'm really starting to see why people get motivated to put in the labor required to grow their own gardens, or even raise their own animals for eggs, or cheese, or milk, or whatever.

I remember growing up we had fruit trees, and on the side of the house had mint leaves and also some berries. It was so fun picking them ripe fruit, washing them off with the hose and eating them right in the yard. And they were tasty!!

This, then, has led to a greater desire to support people who do this in the local area. Which has led me to visit the Farmer's Market down the street every Tuesday.

I stopped by last week with just a little bit of cash (I only brought a few dollars, to limit spending) and I was SO impressed by the low prices of the fruits and vegetables available. I bought some homemade pumpkin bread, and some plums and apricots. The fruit I bought was SO good, so flavorful and so much less expensive than at the store. And an added bonus is supporting the local farmers who are growing these themselves and selling them at really good prices. I admire those people who are doing it themselves, and that's how they make their living, or maybe even it is just a hobby to make money on the side. Whatever it is, I think it's really neat.

Anyways, tomorrow is Tuesday, and you better believe I'll be going back. I've actually held off buying more fruit at the grocery store so I can just stock up tomorrow. Maybe someday when we have a house, I'll get a garden started and be my own little Farmer's Market to feed Michael all the blackberries he can stomach!

You Can Say It Went Swimmingly....

Today was Michael's first swim class and overall, I have to say it went pretty well!

While we were waiting for class to start, Michael enjoyed looking at the pool and all the kids playing in it.

When it was our turn to get into the water, Michael took to it immediately, laughing and splashing. However, as we were in it for a couple of minutes, he became a bit more reserved and even started making noises of malcontent. Not crying, but definitely not laughing either!!

Michael was the youngest of the group, probably by about a year. There is one little boy who may be closer to him in age, but by and large, most of the kiddos were 2+. If memory serves me right, there are about 5 other kids in the class with their moms.

The lifeguard/instructor was really great and literally had the kids "plunge right in" to being in the pool. After the hokey-pokey, she came around and had each kid go under water for a brief moment. Most of the kids were not big fans, and Michael fit into that category. For the first time being underwater, who could blame him?

He cried, but even that didn't last too long, but he was definitely a lot more unsure about the whole venture from that point on. Even though he wasn't crying, he clung to my shoulder and it was difficult to peel him off in order to do the next exercises! He wasn't upset, but he just needed that extra security, I think. I thought it was kind of sweet.

I have to hand it to the instructor. It must be hard working with a bunch of little kids who, every time you try something new, half of them wind up crying! But she was really patient, didn't force any kids, but at the same time really tried to get them out of their comfort zone, since that is how they learn.

The types of things the instructor had us do with the kids were having them hold on to the wall and walk their hands along it. Michael held on to the wall but didn't quite get the concept of moving along too well. After that, she had us put the kids out of the pool and then we encourage them to jump back in while we catch them. Because Michael was so keen on holding on to me, it actually allowed him to do this exercise pretty well! Everytime I peeled him off and sat him on the wall, he literally hurled himself into my arms.

At this point, he started to relax a little bit, and when the instructor came around and passed out rings, and ping pong balls for the kids, he started to feel more in his element. He liked it when I blew bubbles and started laughing a lot and tried to imitate that sound on the ping pong ball. Of course, the goal was to get him to blow bubbles in the water, but we'll take it one step at a time. I just was glad he was having fun.

We did a few more exercises, such as having them hold their arms out like an airplane while they "float" on their tummies and he liked that one alright while I held him and pushed him all along the water, but he did not like the backfloating!

After we got out of the pool and I bundled him in his towel, he was in such a silly mood and kept looking back at the pool and laughing, which, I'll interpret to mean, "Wait..are we done? I know I was kind of scared during it, but it was kind of fun, Mom!" When I got him home, he continued being really silly, laughing for no reason and wrestling with the towel. So that's a good sign!

We'll see tomorrow as we go into the pool whether he is excited or whether he gets upset "No! Not back here!" But I'm very optimistic because he did really, really well. Even though he was the youngest, all the kids cried at some point in the class, and Michael actually cried the least of just about all of them. Some of the kids were just upset the whole class long...so I'm very pleased with it. I went in anticipating he would be upset the whole time (just trying to prepare myself for the worst) and I have to say he did very well for his first experience at a new, and maybe even scary thing and we actually got a handful of laughs out of it!

Up, Up, and Away!

In photography, there are settings that allow you to catch a subject that is moving rapidly so it doesn't blur too much. Something about exposure, blah, blah, blah...

I haven't figured out that setting.

But I'm kinda glad I haven't.

4 Months BB (before birth) and 11.5 Month Update

It has been a busy week and a half! But a good one!

I'll start with Matthew...He has a name! Matthew Stephen Barber is the name of our second son. It suits him well, I think. In fact, Matthew has been at the top of our list for a while. We even contemplated naming Michael "Matthew" before he was born, but thankfully, we went with Michael because he is a baby Michael through and through.

In just the same way, Matthew seems to really fit him, or what we know of him, at least. While we were debating names, we both kept coming back to it, and each day would go by and both of us couldn't stop thinking of him as "Matthew" even before we settled on the name. One day, we just said we were ready to commit, and so it is, and it feels right.

Matthew is named after St. Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, typically identified as a tax collector who left that shady business to follow Jesus. He witnessed the deeds and teachings of Jesus, and he penned the first Gospel.

"Stephen" is also from the Bible. He was the first Christian martyr who instead of denying his faith in Jesus, professed faith in him, even though he knew it would mean he would be killed. He loved the Lord more than his own life. We read about his life in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

"Stephen" has significance because it is Michael Sr.'s confirmation saint (it is traditional for Catholics to choose a patron saint who they admire and ask for their prayers in a special way throughout life).

Further, the day that I found out I was pregnant with Matthew, I just happened to reading the Acts of the Apostles, and that was the passage I was reading. Even more so, that very same day, Michael was in Rome teaching a class, and he went to St. Stephen's church, which, since he is his patron saint, was a very special visit to make. (Yes, you read that right, Michael was on another continent when I found out I was pregnant and I had to wait 4 days before I could tell him, since I didn't want to tell him over the phone!).

So, hurray for Matthew! He's got a name, and is continuing to make his presence known. First off, by my stomach which all of a sudden got really big, seemingly over night; and secondly by his stronter kicks, stretches and rolls which I am feeling much more regularly now. I often get startled by the strength of his kicks and punches. Must run in the family.

____

Baby Michael is growing and growing and continuing to delight us more each day with is personality.

He is cruising very well along the furniture and around his crib. He fortunately learned to sit down in his crib from a standing position which is a relief to us because he would get himself standing, not know how to get down and then cry and cry for us to help him. We would walk in his room to see him clutching on to the railing, half asleep, and desperate for help. So sad.

One day, I just walked in, took his hands and got him to bend his knees. I said, "Just bend your knees and sit" and that's all it took and he caught on. We practiced up and down and up and down in his bed for several minutes, and he squealed each time with delight at his new found skill, and since then, there have been no problems of being stuck.

Michael is also desperately trying to climb out of his crib. He toppled out of his crib once already when I had the gate down (it lowers down to make it easier to put the baby in, then you pull the side up and it latches in the "up" position). Well, I left it down intentionally because I was sitting right there in his room playing with him while he was in his crib. I had the video camera because he was being silly and I wanted to catch it on camera. He leaned over really far, but couldn't make it out. I put down the camera, and was still sitting next to his crib and the next thing I know, he comes tumbling out, heels-over-head. Fortunately, I caught the little butterball and he rolled right into my arms, so he never hit anything.

I was happy I caught him, and laughed at his falling out of the crib, and he was a little disoriented looking like, "what just happened?" or "how did I get out of the bed so fast?" Since his little gymnastic stunt, he frequently attempts an encore performance, but the gate is never down long enough for him to try. What a nut.

That same period of play, my hero-Mommy badge was revoked when I sat by while he bumped his head pretty hard on the base of the little swing in his room, causing a bruise to form under his right eye. I know bumps, scrapes, and bruises are part of the whole experience, but I feel bad about that one. Not much I could have done except hover over him all the time while he learns to get better on his feet, but still, it sounded like it hurt.

I scooped him up and held in my arms a boy with a face frozen in a scream that took about 10 seconds for the sound to catch up to it. I hate those. With the wind-up that long, you know the pitch is going to be a doozy.

When he finally got the sound out, I hurried him to the freezer to get an ice pack and a cloth and then sat him on the couch to put it on his face. Within about a minute, the crying had stopped, and he lay there on my lap looking up at me, playing with my necklace while I tried to soothe his face. It was both sad, but also kind of special since it is not often that he enjoys me "babying" him. He enjoyed it then, and I was glad he wasn't hurt too badly. Of course, I was wondering if this constituted a "head trauma" thatI should bring him to the doctor for, but after consulting with my sister, noticing he was perfectly fine and the drama lasted less than 2 minutes total, I decided against it, and I am glad I didn't panic. I know it's always good to be cautious, but I also need to learn to roll with the, well, not the punches, but the bumps, I guess.

Note: This picture is not from the "incident." I just caught him with his hands on his face days and days earlier, and it fits the story. I'm not a perfect mom, but I'm also not a monster to stop consoling my kid to capture the moment: "Hold on, Michael, Mommy's got to get this on camera to really involve the readers in what just happened!"

Michael is continuing to surprise me with his "reading skills." I still have to put quotes around it because I don't want to be too over-eager in overstating his abilities, but let me just report what happened and you, the reader can decide.

On three separate occasions, I showed him the word "wave" and without even saying the word, just looking at it, he waved furiously.

This has also happened, as reported earlier with the word "clap."

Today, he was looking at his reading book, turned to the first page and he just kept saying over and over and over again, "eye, eye, eye, eye!" Do you know what word is on the first page?

"Eyes."

Not a picture. Just the word.

Also a friend came to visit. She was sitting on the chair with her legs crossed and Michael was sitting on the floor, within arms reach of her foot (she didn't have shoes on) playing with his reading book. He flipped the pages sporadically and landed on the page which had the word "toes" on it. All of a sudden, he grabbed her foot and started laughing. I was surprised because it was kind of sudden. I look down and see that the page is open to the word "toes."

"Nah...that's just a coincidence" I said, not wanting to be one of those moms who attributes random baby acts to strokes of genius.

He continued flipping through the book, not bothering her foot. He flipped back through the pages, and we kept talking. All of a sudden, he attacks her foot again, laughing. I look at the book, and, of course, you can gues which page it was on. Yes. "Toes." Again, no pictures. Just the word.

So, you can be the judge. I just report the facts.

Anyways, I have been enjoying life as "just a mom." I am officially done with work, and have been primarily focusing on doing good "mom/wife" type things like managing finances, cooking meals, and ::cough:: "cleaning the apartment."

So, anways, life is great. Michael is busy as always on his dissertation, but is really, really close to finishing. Prayers are much appreciated for the grace of perserverance!! We are so proud of him!

Until next time!

Something Fun

Today I signed baby Michael and I up for Parent/Tot swim classes at the college across the street. I am so excited!!

Of course, understanding that maybe my thrill of having Michael splash around in a whole pool may not match up to his actual enjoyment of it (sometimes babies are hard to predict) but getting out of the apartment to do something together sounds like a blast!

Plus, I think Michael will look cute in something like this:

With extra puffy swim diapers on :)

Now, the only trouble is that I will also have to find a swimsuit for myself. Aye. I'm not a big swimsuit person anyways (can't remember the last time I wore an actual swimsuit vs. short and a shirt (but I'm a little worried about being encumbered with a heavy shirt when I'm going to be soley responsible for keeping Michael's head above water!).

So add my normal shyness of being in a swimsuit to a big belly and...yikes! It makes the prospect a little intimidating.

But they have cute ones at various stores...I especially like ones with more of a skirt or short type bottom than a bikini bottom, so I'll probably go for some of those.

But swimwear aside, I'm looking forward to our little mother/son bonding experience starting in July!!!

Baby Michael's Wishlist

Ok, maybe this is tacky, but I'm going to give a few "suggestions" for Baby Michael's birthday. I would feel worse about doing this, were it not for the fact that my suggestions are not really things to buy for him, but more along the lines of "please don't feel the need to buy him anything...no...really."

In discussing this important matter with my eldest son and asking him what he wants for his birthday, he promptly responded, "more space to crawl, Mommy!" which would definitely not be accomplished by a truck load of toys.

Secondly, it is his first birthday, which means he will have no recollection of it save what we have in pictures which will largely consist of 1) him eating cake 2) people smiling at him 3) him tearing and probably eating wrapping paper (which, if planned strategically, can be still accomplished by wrapping empty boxes and he would never know the difference!

Thirdly, and I think most moms would echo this sentiment, the amount of time Baby Michael plays with toys vs. the amount of time he plays with things which are not toys is quite striking, meaning, he can be entertained for 5 minutes with a toy, but for 50 minutes with things that are not toys at all!

Case in point: yesterday, Michael crawled into our bedroom and was entertained for nearly a full hour by 1) a water bottle 2) a receipt 3) the button to make the fan oscillate 4) the handle on our dresser drawer.

Now, if you want to wrap up any one of these items for his birthday, go right ahead, I'm sure it will be a very well-used gift. :)

Did I mention I think Michael can read? I think he can at least read the words "Fisher Price" "Leap Frog" and other such toy company names, and when he reads them he knows that this item is intended for him and therefore, not as interesting as items that are not intended for him.

Ok, I can't be so much of a stick in the mud that I put a ban on presents for baby Michael. But seriously, have you seen our apartment lately? It can't take many more gift-giving occasions!

I am very serious in saying that first birthdays do not require gifts. Period.

I am also very serious in saying that our apartment is small and we don't have room for very much, especially with a new tenant on the way.

I am also very serious in saying that the most elaborate baby toys mysteriously pale in comparison to the most simple non-toy for the sole reason that one looks like he should have it and the other doesn't.

But if anyone feels compelled to "do" something, I would like to share a few suggestions that he might enjoy.

1) Keep things new: buy a toy, but bring it down with you when you visit and take it when you go, so when you visit, that toy is always new. Which a) solves the space problem and b) makes the gift keep on giving. How many times has Michael been so occupied with Jack, Thomas, and Peter's toys simply because they were not his and they were new to him? Lots! Sounds crazy, but it's the birthday gift that keeps its newness!

2) He loves pictures of people! Give him a photo of yourself, or make a little album of pictures of you, and your family so he can flip the pages himself and get to know you. He loves the pictures on the wall and we introduce people by name to him when we look at your pictures!

3) We love Mass intentions! Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! Offer it for his holiness, vocation, etc.

4) A little weird, but practical: a baby toilet seat that fits on top of a regular toilet (not unlike this one). We have baby book that suggests getting them aware of the toilet at a very young age (9 months is her suggestion...he's already a little behind, which is why we need the adapter..ha! I kill me with double-entendres!).

5) Cars are good toys, and in moderation, easy to pack away.

6) Big sized blocks/legos are good too (safe from being swallowed by him or baby brother!)

7) Not quite sure what I'm thinking of specifically, but religious-y type items that would be good "entertainment" for Mass but because they are religious in nature are spiritually edifying. Laminated holy cards that he could handle/bend/ (chew, even? Is that sacriligious?); medium sized crucifix (plastic may be best for now, and given his father's history of throwing them, maybe with a string?); Do they make Bibles for babies which may have some interactive component?

8) Push-car toy for when he can walk, especially for use at the park (this may require some coordination so we don't get multiples!)

9) I am a fan of books for babies.

10) And, in my opinion, one of the best gifts that doesn't cost much and is meaningful to him is he LOVES visitors! So don't buy a gift, but come for a visit. It's funny to say since we have family visiting most weekends of the month, so I'm certainly not saying this because he's not getting visitors, but really, playing with people is the thing that makes him the happiest, so it's the perfect gift! Don't feel like you have to do anything more!

11) Write a story about things that happened during his first year of life, either things about him, things in your life, or things in the world. How neat would that be for him to look at years later!

12) A little loaf of bread (banana, cinnamon, etc), or a roll, scone, etc for his breakfast snack following his birthday. He LOVES bread!

So, I'm trying not to be curmudgeonly at all, and I don't want to be all "bah humbug" about his birthday, and I don't want to take the fun out of buying a gift for his birthday, but in knowing him, knowing our space situation, knowing that the value of a person's gift has nothing to do with money, and that he will have no memory of his first birthday presents at all, I'm just making a few suggestions to help if anyone is wondering "what to do" for his birthday, but also again stressing the point no one has to do anything!! Trust me, Michael knows he is abundantly loved :)


Ok, I hope this helps. I feel better.

11 Month Update

This is the last time to celebrate just a "month" because next time, Michael will be a year old!

How can it have been a year already?

How can it only have been a year? Wasn't Baby Michael always a part of our lives (of course, he was for 9 months before he was born too...but it seems that he has always been!)

Everyday is something new for our little (but not the littlest anymore!) man.

Each morning now we are greeted by him standing up in his crib ready to go.

The process of him learning that skill was fun. He started by pulling up to kneeling, and surprising himself with it.

Then, as he was kneeling, he fumbled with his feet for a while and got himself to a wobbly stand, and really surprised himself and me!! He was pleased with my reaction and knew he needed to try for it again!

He then attempted it again and again until finally, it seems to be a pretty normal skill for him (but I still theatrically applaud him for being such a big boy. I wonder, should I encourage this behavior?!)

Not only does he stand up in bed, but he can get to standing pretty much anywhere that is strong enough to support his many attempts at it: his musical table. Imagine my surprise when one minute he was kneeling at it, I looked down to finish making his dinner and then look up to see him standing, beaming proudly waiting for me to theatrically applaud (which I did).

He also surprised me yesterday by pulling up to stand on the couch, and then today on a box of diapers!

So, he is firmly in the world of the vertical I think (well, as long as he has something to hold!).

He is now getting really adventurous with this too. Today, when he was standing leaning on his box of diapers, he moved to the wall, put both hands on the wall and kind of wobbled for a few minutes wondering what to do next. He dare not let go of the wall, but wasn't quite sure how to move!

By the time we had moved over to the couch, I was able to entice him with the glowing screen on my computer and he was able to move from one end of my (very) small couch to the other to tap on my keyboard. It took him several minutes, but he did it!

Next, he went from the couch to the adjacent recliner...so he's starting to get braver!

When he falls, even if he doesn't bump anything (just gets frustrated) it's always several minutes of him recovering, so hopefully he'll learn to toughen up a little bit, but he always pulls through and tries again.

He claps his hands (which has always been one of my favorite things babies do!). He knows the word "clap" by sound and has on an occasion or two even looked at the word "clap" and done it. Coincidence? Learning to read? Well, since I'm the mom and I'm entitled to think my kid is smart, I'll think the latter, but I won't fault you if you think the former...for now (but I'll have you know I will appeal to baby Michael's Mumma and aunt Noree' as a witness that he did it at least once!)

He picked up "rolling" his arms from playing Patty-Cake (hmm...never actually spelled that out before). It's cute!

He definitely has his father's love of music as evidenced by his "rocking out" every time Daddy Michael plays the guitar. He is really entranced by it and hits the car (sometimes even in rhythym), tries to strum the strings, "sings," and bounces up and down. Way, way, way cute.

I'm working really hard to get away from "baby food" and give him "real food." It's a tough move. When I give him "baby food" (meaning food I don't have to prepare more than opening up a jar...thanks Gerber for accomodating my laziness!), I know how much he eats and am always satisfied it feels like enough. When I break up pieces and put it on his tray, some of it ends up on the floor, some on his chair, some in his bib, some in his hair, some under his chin, some in between his fingers, and finally some in his mouth.

He's been spoiled by pureed food and by being spoon-fed. Food I know he likes, he'll turn his nose to if he has to put it in his own mouth. I kid you not, I've even taken some of his food from his tray, but it on a spoon and put it in his mouth and he'll eat it. Doh.

I mean, he's not a picky eater, but I think he really liked the smooth texture which I've really been straying from lately, so I'm not convinced he is feeling as full at the end of each meal. It's a learning curve for him and me, I guess. Though this has me tempted to start his brother off on non-pureed foods and induct him into chunky(but mushy)food-dom right out. Well, I've got a while to decide.

He loves cheese, chicken, beef, sausage, plums, apricots, yogurt, lasagna, orzo pasta with sauce, quesadillas, peaches-on-a-spoon, pototoes, eggs, and anything resembling bread.

He, so far, hates ground beef (snob!), peas that I blend or just put on his tray, sweet potatoes (which he totally used to love!), spaghetti-os, and mac and cheese that's not blended into goo.

Anways, we'll see as I think of new ideas and he gets used to big-boy food how things go. I just never knew worrying about getting your kid the right nutrition could be so stressful! Those baby food jars spoiled me because looking at the ingredients, it looked like everything was good for them, all blended into one nicely-looking and decently tasting medley!

Michael's personality and inter-relatability is really really fun. He actually communicates that he wants to play, be silly, make faces, or even just be left alone to do his own thing. He can just give a look which gets me laughing, which gets him laughing, etc.

He knows he is the center of our little world and exploits it shamelessly.

___

Baby Boy is doing well too, though I swear those two are already conspiring. Michael gets me all tired out during the day, and then as I lay my head down to go to sleep, that's when his brother has to get some attention. He takes FOREVER to settle down sometimes. He definitely lets me know when he doesn't approve of my sleeping position and is relentless until I accomodate his comfort. I just wonder what he's going to be like when he can really get kicking and shoving in there!

Of course, he's our little boy too and already taking his place in our family. I must watch his little video 20 times a day. I wonder what he'll look like, be like, how he'll be similar to Michael and how he'll be different. I wonder how Daddy Michael will survive with two boys clammering for his every bit of attention, and how baby Michael will adjust to the newest member. I laugh a lot because as Michael is crawling through the apartment, if something is in his way, he doesn't just go around it, or even just get it out of his way, he attacks it until it flies so far clear of his path it's outta sight, outta mind. I think about how he'll be with a baby brother...oh heavens!

So we are blessed abundantly as we celebrate 11 months with our little boy, and the joy and thrill of getting to do it all again soon!

P.S. Sorry for the super-abundance of bath pictures, but we think they are cute!