Grandpa's House

9mo. Check-Up

Jonah passed his 9mo. check-up with flying colors! Today's tough question for Mommy: can he eat a cracker on his own? Maybe??? He's never had one! All his food comes in little bite-sized pieces. Maybe it's time to try.
Jonah got off easy this time - no shots! The bloodwork was postponed until next time. Strangely, because we live in an older home (with a potential for lead paint) the test is done later to make sure it picks up possible exposure.
The pediatrician also agreed with Dr. Dad that it would be best not to let the midnight feedings become a habit.  I thought it was just a growth spurt that Jonah has been looking for a midnight snack for the last week, and I certainly didn't want to let him starve!  Daddy was of the opinion that his own sleep was more important than Jonah's hunger.  Since it's been a full week, and he has the doctor's backing, I guess Daddy wins.
As a prize, the doctor made him a "sticky-stick". I thought he was being cute referring to a sticker, but he put two stickers back to back on a tongue depressor and Jonah LOVED it! It occupied him for an hour. So much for fancy toys...

Magnetism

I wouldn't have even given a second look to this toy I found at the church yard sale, except that Jonah's cousins have the same one. It's a magnetic farm set that makes noise when you insert animal pieces. It's my new favorite thing, since it keeps Jonah occupied while I cook dinner. I love the silly song it sings when you make a duck-horse or other mismatched animal. (Although, I'm quite sure that I would have taken matching very seriously as a kid.)
Instead of silly songs and animal noises, Daddy uses the toy to teach Jonah about magnetism. I laughed when Jonah tried sticking other toys to the fridge, like his lemon. Daddy pointed out that it wasn't so unreasonable, compared with half a pig!

The Deep Squat

Since he has enjoyed being in a standing position, Jonah hasn't quite figured out what to do when he wants something on the floor.  He's mastered getting to sitting, which is a small feat in itself.  Instead of standing and looking confused - or simply falling - Jonah will reach his target destination and plop himself down on his tush to play with whatever attracted his attention.  But then Mommy usually lets go and walking is over.  Boo.  So his new challenge has been to pick up the toy or object while on his feet.  Usually, this involves a bend at the waist, followed by a headfirst crash into the floor (unless Mommy is there to catch!).  However, today he mastered the "squat" to pick up his shovel and get back to standing without letting go of Mommy's hand or falling over!  He was so excited, he dropped the shovel a few more times to practice.

Game of Tongues

Jonah and I were playing tongues today in the pool. (He can curl his into a U, but Mommy can't!) He stuck out his tongue and wiggled it side to side. I did the same, then switched to up and down. Jonah tried again, and again his tongue went side to side. I think he was trying to move it like Mommy's, because he reached up with his hand to check what his tongue was doing!

9 Months!

Wow.  Time does go quickly!  Here is what Jonah is doing now:

School:  Jonah still goes to daycare 3 times a week, for a long 8:15 to 5:45, around Daddy's work day.  He seems to like school while he's there, but has had a touch of separation anxiety.  As soon as his feet touch the floor - before Daddy even lets go - Jonah will start crying!  This week, Jonah has had his first two "incident reports" which the teachers fill out for accidents.  The first was for a black-and-blue on his cheek... which has been there over a week (cause unknown).  The second was for a cut lip.  Poor baby!

Breastfeeding:  We breastfeed 5-6 times a day, 10 mins. each side.  Jonah gets a little distracted if the TV is on, Mommy is using the iPad, or other people are in the room.  In "public" situations, he doesn't like the cover much and usually pulls it aside so he can get air, view what's going on around him, and flash everyone.  I am committed to breastfeeding until 1yr, but I really hate pumping, especially at work (awkward) and at night (I'd rather go to bed).  And it's tough to pump 3-8oz. bottles during the day.  He sometimes still takes a third at school, so I make sure to pack one just in case.  So I recently started cheating and supplementing Jonah's bottles, 6oz. breastmilk and 2oz. formula.

Eating:  Jonah will eat anything we put on his tray that he can pick up and feed himself.  And he eats a lot!  (Grandmama was quite surprised!)  I often make myself a regular sized plate for dinner, and a good third of it is cut up for Jonah's tray!  Granted, a third of that ends up in his lap or on the floor.  We hardly try to spoon feed him, unless it is a few bites of potato between his finger foods.  A typical day includes: 6:30 breastfeed, 7:30 Cheerios and fruit, 9:30 fruit/puffs snack, 10:30 8oz. bottle, 1:00 lunch (leftovers), 3:30 8oz. bottle, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 breastfeed.

Sleeping:  Jonah is still a great sleeper!  He goes down for bed around 7:30-8:00 and wakes up between 6:00-6:30.  He has been up for a midnight snack, but only 3 times in the last month.  Naps are getting a little bit better, too.  He likes a morning nap 9:00-11:00 and a shorter and less predictable nap sometime in the afternoon.

Gross Motor:  Jonah has found cruising (with the help of an assistant's hands) the preferable method of moving over army crawling.  He has gotten very good at directing his steps and often has a very clear idea of where he wants to go.  He did 3 laps around the house with Daddy today and even broke into a run.  He can pull up to standing on almost anything and loves the independence and new vantage point.

Fine Motor:  Jonah loves to point, either to indicate in which direction to carry him or at things of interest, which we identify for him.  He also points at people, which usually elicits an "ET" touch of the fingertips in lieu of high fives.

Talking:  Jonah doesn't "talk" often, but he makes a good variety of sounds when he does.  No words yet, but I am starting to wonder if he is trying to associate sounds with objects, including "ma" for Mommy and "ba" for ball.

Activities:  Jonah loves anything with water best of all.  We got him a water table for the porch (which I hope to fill with other fun things, once he stops putting everything in his mouth!) and a splash pool for the yard.  He also loves spinning the letters or beads on his Zany Zoo.  The talking farm magnets are also becoming a favorite.  Jonah is starting to use toys as "tools", for example, banging his friend's xylophone toy with another toy to make a louder noise.

Diapers:  We are still using cloth at home, but sposies at school.  My favorites are the Swaddlebees OS AIO, followed by BG and WolbyBug pockets.  Dirty diapers are getting much grosser with all the solid food Jonah eats now!   I gave up on disposible liners after a bad brand experience (the diapers are useless with an impermeable layer on top!) We're doing the dunk and swish, until I stop being too lazy to install the diaper sprayer.  ;-)

Baths:  Jonah still loves the water!  He lays on his tummy and splashes both hands, getting water in his face until his eyes turn red, but it doesn't seem to bother him.  He also does "bobs" where he very rapidly raises and lowers his head.  Sometimes his face dips into the water, but he comes up smiling!  Now that he can pull up, Jonah has also found a fun game of getting up on his knees and falling forward with a big splash, like a big kid would jump into a pool, over and over and over.

Reading:  Jonah isn't too interested in any books that are not interactive.  He has definite favorites and will flip through a stack to pick out the book he wants.  Every book must have flaps, things to feel, mirrors, pop-ups, etc.  He will flip through the pages very quickly looking for an activity and throw the book aside if it doesn't interest him.  Favorites include "Pop Up Peek-a-Boo", "Feely Bugs" and "Who Lives Here?".

Social:  Jonah has enjoyed meeting new friends at school, and took great interest in the new babies.  He seems interested in new people and will wave, but then bury his face in shyness.  At playgroup, I think he's had enough of being picked on and is stealing toys from the other kids!

Grinding

With only four teeth (2 top and 2 bottom), Jonah has already figured out how to grind them! He manages to make quite a horrible sound rubbing them together. Maybe it's just because the teeth are new and feel funny. I remember running my tongue over the spot anytime I lost a tooth, braces changed, etc. Or maybe it's because I complain they are too sharp and he is kind enough to smooth them for me. Whatever the cause, I sure hope it doesn't become a habit!

Father's Day

After 26hrs of travel and a 13hr time change, Daddy was still a little jet lagged, so we were very low key.  Saturday was full of napping club (even Daddy slept!) and today was pretty much the same.  We made a quick visit to see Pop-pop and Great Grampy and spent the rest of the day enjoying family time on the couch.  :-)

Mortal Enemies

We went to my company summer picnic and had a lovely time showing off our walking.  Jonah climbed the deck steps (much to Mommy's surprise!) and followed the other kids right to the pool edge, where Mommy intervened and spoiled his fun.
One might think Jonah is too young to make mortal enemies, but here it is:  Dana held Jonah for a short while to give me a break, but we didn't immediately notice her 2-yr-old son, Theo, silently watching.  When Theo noticed this injustice, he broke into a screaming fit.  As soon as his Mommy picked him up, Theo calmed and stared Jonah down with the evil eye!  Jonah, on the other hand, smiled and waved back, happy to have his own Mommy and completely oblivious.  But from Theo's perspective, they will never be friends!

Pull-Up!

For the first time (that I saw) Jonah pulled all the way up to a stand!  He used his favorite apparatus - the full laundry basket!  Way to go, Jonah!

Teasing Mommy

At dinner, Jonah made a "joke" by teasing Mommy.  He held out a piece of noodle for Mommy.  Usually I lean over to pretend to nibble it and we both laugh.  But this time, just as I leaned over to nibble at it, he pulled it away with a big laugh!  He did this a couple times, enjoying his joke.

As Jonah finishes eating, he becomes less concentrated about maneuvering food into his mouth and starts slapping the tray. He also does a very effective windshield wiper motion with both hands, so that the remaining food flies everywhere.  So I move the tray to the footrest to catch the spilled remnants wiped from Jonah's lap.  Well, Jonah got all excited to see a whole "new" batch of noodles and veggies appear on his tray.  He leaned all the way forward to reach down and start eating the discarded food!  He must have forgotten that he was already full.

Splash Pool!

Every baby needs his own pool, right?  After watching Timmy open his birthday presents, I literally ran straight out to get one for Jonah.  We found this great little (but not too tiny!) inflatable pool big enough for Jonah to splash around (a little bigger than the tub) with wide tubes that he can climb/pull up on without letting all the water out, and an inflatable bottom for cushiony comfort.

I set it up during morning nap and let the water warm in the sun.  When Grandmama took Jonah outside in the afternoon, he was immediately interested.  He leaned to splash his hands and struggled to climb right in.  Naturally, he ended up soaked so we just took off his wet stuff and let him go to town!  The air had grown quite a bit cooler, but it felt like bathwater, so Jonah didn't mind.  He splashed with great enthusiasm as if to share the joy of being wet with Mommy and Grandmama.  Perhaps next year (next week?) we can try the slide and sprayer features, too!

This week, the role of single-Mom will be played by...

In the wee hours of the morning, Daddy hopped a flight to Japan, leaving Jonah and I to fend for ourselves for a whole week!  I do not envy single Moms... the thought of getting through just 7 days without Daddy is a bit frightening!

We're off to a good start - it was cousin Timmy's 1st birthday, so we spent the afternoon with extended family.  Aunt Cheryl was very thoughtful and held Jonah so that he couldn't see me (the only way he can enjoy being anywhere but Mommy's arms, so it seems!) and I could get a break to eat my lunch.  She also scooped up all the misc. items we left behind and ran them down to the car just before we drove away!  What would I do without someone looking after us?

Standing!

Jonah has always enjoyed a good stand, but today he has been doing an exceptional job of standing on his own (holding on) today!  I've placed him beside the couch or ottamon before, but both are up around his shoulders.  Yesterday he grabbed onto the side of the full laundry basket, about waist height, and stayed there for quite some time!  Today we went to play group and found some toys that were sized for standing, so he could hold on with one hand and play with the moving parts and buttons with the other hand!  He was so proud and excited to be able to do big-boy standing play.  He kept busy for a good half hour with very little intervention except when he got over-excited and let go.  :-)

Jonah's still working on pulling himself up.  He can get to sitting if the right object is beside him (Mommy's legs work well), but it is only a short time before he gets himself to his feet!

Picking up Jonah from School

I don't usually pick Jonah up from school, since I have the longer commute.  Daddy is only 3 miles away, so he gets both pick-up and drop-off duties.  Still, there are occasions that require me to get Jonah and I enjoy seeing his classroom and teachers.
On some of the early pick-ups, when Jonah was only 4mo. old, I had this irrational fear that I would step into the room and wouldn't be able to pick out my own baby!  Surely if he changed outfits during the day, I would be at a total loss.  (I swear I have a mild case of congenital prosopagnosia.)  Fortunately, there always came some moment of recognition on both out sides, which helped confirm that it was Jonah.
Now that Jonah is a little older, I find him far more distinguished than as a newborn, so I can walk in with more confidence.  He also gets very excited and will come crawling across the room and over obstacles (tumbling wave mats) to get to me.  My favorite is when I held him on my hip and he raised one arm to wave to his classmates with a huge smile, as if to say, "Later, I'm out!"
Today, I wasn't feeling so hot in the morning, so Daddy took Jonah to school and I stayed home to rest.  I decided to pick Jonah up in the mid afternoon and drove over to school.  When I arrived, I found that Daddy hadn't left the carseat!  So here's the dilemma, do I a.) go visit my son but leave him, or b.) run away as if I was never there?  I decided on choice c.) peek in the door to see what he was up to.  He spotted me immediately - probably before I saw him! - and the gig was up.  I went inside and held him and apologized to him and the teachers that I couldn't bring him home right now.  He was very upset when I walked out the door without him!  I nearly cried as I sped to Daddy's office to retrieve the seat from his car.  (The correct answer was b.)

Harvard Reunion

Some of Daddy's friends came to stay with us during the Harvard 10-year reunion this weekend so Jonah got to have a sleepover with Craig and Zach the last couple nights.  Today Jonah came to campus for the mid-day family clam-bake so Daddy could show off his offspring to his other classmates.  :-)  As Pop-pop would say, now he can say he "went to Harvard!"

Jonah hasn't tried shellfish yet, but the sweet potato and chicken are among his favorite.  I did contemplate that if he were to have an allergic reaction, amidst a field of doctors and parents (possibly with an epi-pen) was not a bad place to try!  Nevertheless, we didn't want to risk it quite yet and possibly spoil Daddy's fun.

Jonah had a great time dancing to Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi and Rihanna.  He probably would have had a blast in the wading pools of oatmeal and bubble if we let him, but we didn't know any other kids there.  So we did adult things instead...

We did what any good parents would do with an 8-month-old... we took him on a brewery tour at Sam Adams!  Well, in our defense it was out of the hot weather and sun.  There were big shiny things to look at, so Jonah was all set.  All the Harvard crew had a nice beer tasting while Mommy tasted a root beer and Jonah Cheerios.  I think out of the whole room of tasters, Jonah liked his best!

Jonah spent the evening with his Uncle Kevin and Lindsay while Daddy and Mommy attended the class of '03 soiree.  I expected dancing, but the dance floor was inconveniently located inside a dorm common room, while the bar and DJ (thus all the guests) were outside on the quad.  It cooled down and turned into a pleasant event, despite the detestable lack of chairs.  We plotted a new fungible chair business around a cramped cocktail table and wrestled extra chairs away from reluctant volunteers.  The most entertaining part was the extremely varied interpretation of "creative black tie" which ranged from a tank top and bootie shorts to a leather tailcoat.