First real vacation...I guess

So each year Jeremy and I take a vacation somewhere warm, usually it was either Miami Beach or Key West.  He has his february break from school and I just take the time off.  This year was a little different because we are a family now.  I am assuming in the future we will be taking some Disney Vacation or some exotic vacation with James, but Key West is a tad out of out reach for now.  Anyway we thought this year was going to be roadtrip.  We could really afford plane tickets anywhere and well I am not looking forward to flying with James and I didn't really want to change planes.  So the road trip we decided on was Kentucky, the perfect place for a gay couple and their adopted son right??  Well we went and spent the time with our wonderful friends Josh and Robbie and got to see Robbie's teenage son Zach (who blew right passed everyone in the house in including his father, grandfather and Nana just to pick up James and hug him.) This was a 15 or so hour long drive that we did, with an 11 month old.  The key was to leave at his bedtime, which worked out great since James sleeps well in the car.  So we drove and ended up stopping on the way in OH to visit with a Co-worker.  She watched  James for an hour while we rested our eyes.  Then onto Kentucky via some of the longest stretches of nothing through OH and Indiana.  Finally made it and started our vacation.  It was almost a nice little "staycation" since Josh and Robbie are great hosts willing to take time off of work and not really go anywhere.  Since they live in Kentucky and there are some pretty neat things to do in Kentucky we planned a few side trips.  

We spent a day at the Mommoth Cave National Park and explored a 2 hour tour of the underground caves, this was way cool.  James enjoyed the looking part but the guide was very chatty.  Some stops were a TAD to long, but overall it was great and a place we probably would not have gone to on our own.  

Also as strange as it seems we went to a Bourbon Distillery and this was neat and short and I would recommend it to anyone venturing near Kentucky or Tennessee.  

While we were there James also hit a few milestones including learning to climb up stairs.  Josh and Robbie have a great house for a kid who is learning to crawl, walk and climb.  They have nice wide carpeted stairs and also drawers that easily open.  James had a great time banging on tupperware and pots and pans.  He stood up for about 30 secs on his own before he realized the watch he was holding onto wasn't attached to anyone or thing.

Now I bet I know what you're thinking.  Kentucky is not the most gay friendly place in America, how did you get along.  Well We did get some stares from some people (mostly getting out of church and eating at restaurants, but no one said any nasty comments to our face and everyone overall was friendly.  We never got denied anything, and we did not get bad service.  No one came over to us and mentioned how gay people should not be married or raise children together.  This made me happy.  Maybe a little uneasy if I didn't know what they were saying not to us, but it was fun.   Next up, a year!

9 months...almost 10

SO I haven't blogged in a while about James and I have been meaning too, really life gets in the way and you can't find time to do things that you want, like go on the computer and write about your kiddo and all the changes in his life.  Anyway, since we last left James I believe he was just about scooting around and we were  at about 6 months old.  So this was way back in September.  He was just starting daycare and all that stuff.  Well he has been there for a little over 3 months now.  She couldn't be any better!
Onto James and his development over the last almost 4 months.  Since then he has been eating a lot more, eating solid food and eating almost anything we give to him, I think he has tried nearly everything we have given to him and has liked it!  His favorite I think is still sweet potatoes, and nearly every fruit.  He has even tried grapefruit and liked it.  This kid is great.  So he is cruising along furniture, pulling himself up to the furniture, getting into things, moving from room to room.  I am amazed everyday at the things he does.  At this point he is even standing up in his crib and opening the door.  The bad thing there is no room in HIS room to move his crib,  The next move is for him to go into the guest room and I am not sure if we are ready for that JUST yet.
So he also started sleeping through the night without a bottle, he is getting up every once in a while for a pacifier but he goes right back to bed.  We are gearing up for his 1st birthday even though it is nearly two months away but you can't be over prepared!
The big event and news is that the adoption was FINALIZED!  It happened on 12/12/12  so we will never forget that date!  It took all of 10 min and we couldn't have been happier with the process.  Everyone involved was great and everything happend fairly smoothly,  now to get his birth certificate and we will be all set!

6 months, and growing...a lot!

Our little guy is now a little older then 6 months old, how did this happen? Where did the time go?  Did I miss anything he has done? No well it all goes by so fast (as everyone has warned) and everyday brings something new.  It seemed like yesterday he was just a little peanut that we met in PA and now he is 6 months old, eating food and being messy and learning new things everyday.  Sometimes I wish things would hurry along like walking and talking (and sleeping lots) but these things will come in time and when they do I am sure they will be great.  For now I am enjoying the little milestones (or not) like sitting up and holding himself up on his arms.  Just yesterday it was 70 degrees and he was in shorts and 3 month clothes then one day he was too big for the 3 month clothes and now is in 6-9 month clothes, what happened?  The other thing I guess we weren't prepped for was the weather.  It was 70 degrees then one day it turned cold.  What  I didn't realize that day was James didn't have colder weather clothes that fit him!!  It was one of those things that didn't cross my mind because I just wear clothes from last season usually so I don't have to always buy new clothes!  This is going to fun since he is growing like a weed and seems to constantly need new clothes.  The good side is he doesn't care what he wears, and you know can can mismatch clothes and not care and well I don't care that much either if the socks don't match the shirt!  Plus as a boy the color choices seem to be limited to browns, grays, blacks, blues, reds and greens. They all match so its easy.  Occasionally an orange stripe will get thrown in but who cares, he spits up on them he isn't walking around yet, he is just 6 months old!  

recall on products or parents?

I am a new parent I admit I don't know everything.  I gladly admit that everyday is a new learning moment for me.  The one thing I feel I do have a grasp on is when something is MY fault and when something is the fault of a poor design.  When I put my child into a product or even on a raised surface he is not alone, ever.  The reason is because he is a wiggly, moving, bouncing, rolling, drooling child. If he was as limp as a rock and had no movement what so ever I think I would be more concerned with that then why a product is designed poorly.

I give you exhibit a.  This is an ACTUAL warning label from the Bumbo which is a hard foam seat which a baby sits in.  If I could draw your attention to the fourth line which reads "NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY UNATTENDED."  Wait maybe for a min or so?  No just don't leave your baby unattended plain and simple.  There is a recall because babies wiggled and fell out of this seat.  Let's look at the warning clearly printed on the seat itself (its actually printed in two different places) "AS THE SEAT IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE TOTALLY RESTRICTIVE AND MAY NOT PREVENT RELEASE OF YOUR BABY IN THE EVENT OF VIGOROUS MOVEMENT."  Is it not clear or is it just me?  I read this as, "Hey your baby can get out of this thing, just don't leave him unattended."

Here is an example of some definitely unsafe toys (it will take you to a clip on Hulu just so you know) Watch it, it's funny.

End of parental Rant.

Orange foods...5 months

Squash

So here he is just 5 months old and trying to use a spoon.  James is getting really big!  We have mastered 4 different green foods; peas, beans, spinach and avocado.  We moved onto orange foods and he has done really well.  We are on the third orange food and he has had no problem with the other two.  I realize they are more sweet then the green foods.  I just have a feeling that he is just loving food.  I am going to be trying new veggies as we go and not move onto fruit until we have mastered some yummy new veggies.  I really want my kid to love veggies and healthy food. I realize biologically he is not my child but I am raising him and he is my child in my heart and soul.  I want him to reach for the healthy snacks for and ask me for veggies and fruits as snacks before he asks for candy and fast food.  At times there will treats and we will get there when the time comes but I want to raise a kid who knows healthy vs non-healthy.  I was raised on garden veggies and fresh fruit and I know the difference between the two.  Whether I eat healthy that is a choice that I make everyday.  I try best I can to eat healthy maybe 90% of the time, but I slip occasionally.  I want him to know that an occasional something bad for you is okay, and it is a treat not something you eat everyday.  Well for now we will stick with pureed veggies and go from there!  

...greens...

So as I am typing this I feel like it is an instruction manual.  I mean I have nephews, I have been a teacher of small children, I even have many classes in undergrad that I learned about early childhood lifespan, but I feel a lot of that was taking care of other peoples children, not mine.  So now I am writing my own chapter of the parenting book, or I should correct it and say Jeremy and I are writing the chapter together.  The past two weeks have been cereal, cereal, cereal, rice and oatmeal.  Now it's time for the veggies.  Conflicting information I am finding though, fruit first? veggies first? will he like the veggies if you start with fruit? will he eat anything else if you give him fruit first?  I have one person saying applesauce first to get him used to eating, and then someone says no do sweet potatoes, no do pears because they are better for digestion.  Well I say pishaw!  We are doing veggies: greens, yellows, oranges.  THEN fruit light to dark.  The only hole I see in this logic is what is considered a "green veggie."  I have read peas, beans (both are legumes not necessarily a veggie.  When I think green I think Spinach, broccoli, kale, collards.  They will come but not right now I guess.

  So here he is happy as a clam with a face full of peas!  Day one down and so far a lot better then the cereal. I hope because these things actually taste like something and not just bland old cereal.

Here we grow again!

SO here we are in month four aren't we stinkin cute???  James is growing like a weed and we couldn't be happier.  This picture was taken last week in his new outfit from Uncle Dom and Aunt Carrie, fitting since I grew up in Maine and I love Lobster, let's hope my love of Lobster transfers to James!  Anyways the summer has been way hot and I feel bad for the little guy hangin out in just a diaper, not loving the heat, he wasn't eating very well for a spell.  I think it all had to do with the heat but still as a new parent I was concerned!  One concern was that he fit so nicely in 3 month clothes when he was only 2 months old and then at 4 months the 6 month clothes were way to big!  Is he not growing? What is going on?  Then he started fitting in them and the world is right again.  James is a happy baby and so easy going we couldn't be luckier.  He is back to his healthy appetite and at his 4 month checkup was given the okay to start solids!  Yay rice cereal! 

Which brings us to the next picture. Yup Rice face.  This was the first day on rice.  He was curious, he took the bite and then took another and another.  The first day he nearly finished the bowl! I was a tad surprised.  Then the next day a different story, but were persistent and he ate the rice for 5 days. Then came the Oatmeal cereal, woo doggies same thing, didn't love it, but ate it.  I think he is ready he is ready for some real food.  We are going with the Barley next and I am sure he is not going to like honestly because it's barley...who likes barley??  A confession that I must make is that he already has tried some veggies, and honestly didn't spit them out and in fact was a little happy when I gave it to him.  Good thing it will be on the menu soon.  Avocado!  Do I have a little primal dude on my hands?  Avocado! This is one of my FAVORITE foods!  I am hoping he will like anything we give him, but if he doesn't like some "odd" foods, I won't push the subject. As long as he tried different foods and doesn't whine when presented with something simple and easy I am okay.  I realize as a family we eat some strange foods that I didn't even eat as a kid so hopefully he will follow suit and just try them.  I know I was a good eater as a kid and I believe Jeremy was too and we were exposed to a wide variety of foods, and now our variety has been expanded even more!  Only time will tell and we will keep at it hopefully winning the battle as parents!


On a different note: sleep...Ferberizing starts next week, I realize its a controversial topic, but daddies gotta sleep and James gotta learn to sleep better! I'll post more on that as it unfolds...