I spent most of our week in Aruba trying to get Jackson to say "mama." It was a success, but hilarious to watch as whenever I asked him to say it, he would stick his bottom lip over his top lip like he was pouting.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Glorious Geese
On February 28, Jackson officially became a Glorious Goose as he transitioned to the big kids room. He had spent the previous week transitioning by spending a bit of time in both rooms. So far, so good, but there are some changes.
Glorious Geese rules
- There are NO morning naps. Don't even think about it, or you will flunk back to the baby room and spend your days eating mushed peas.
- There is an afternoon nap on a mat, and sleeping less than 2 hours is unacceptable. Ok, maybe not, but all the kids do nap together at the same time and if they wake up before the other kids, they must play quietly. I think their definition of quiet must be different than adults'.
- Parents must bring in lunch, which the child needs to feed themselves. There is no warming device for said lunch, so hopefully your child likes cold chicken and veggies.
- You will go to the gym twice a day. You will run around so much that you are so tired that you can barely walk back to the room unassisted.
- You will kick SNK's (Snot Nose Kyle's) ass if he even so much as looks at you wrong. Mommy and daddy fully support you.
- You will get along with Otto because his mommy is from WI and is a Badger and a Packer fan.
- You will dress up as requested, and in this case, for Dr. Suess's birthday!
The bottle factory is closed
While I was in Europe for work, the bottle factory closed. Hooray! Now the lunch factor is open. Boo!
I really hated working in the bottle factory - every night there seemed to be an endless supply of bottles, nipples and hundreds of bottle parts to wash, and then fill up in preparation for the next day. However, it was a straightforward, mindless process that probably took 5-7 minutes each night. Adam was a trooper and successfully transitioned Jackson from formula to organic whole milk.
Sidebar: I say organic because I think it's a bit taboo in these parts to give your child anything but organic dairy anymore for fear of all the crap that goes into the other milk. I even had a nutritionist at work the other day insinuate that it's unnatural for babies to drink straight milk, other than from their mother. Oy!
The lunch factory is worse than the bottle factory. Every night we are steaming veggies (yes, we are actually giving him real vegetables every single day now), cutting, chopping, defrosting, cooking, portioning.....the list goes on and on. It's a lot of work and requires far more thought than working in the bottle factory.
Every day Jackson goes to school with a protein (usually chicken pieces or turkey meatballs), veggies (carrots, squash, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes) and fruit (blueberries, grapes, kiwi). Thankfully he is a great eater and we continue to work to expand what he eats. At night he pretty much eats whatever we are eating. Needless to say, I will never beat this mama in a lunch making contest.
I really hated working in the bottle factory - every night there seemed to be an endless supply of bottles, nipples and hundreds of bottle parts to wash, and then fill up in preparation for the next day. However, it was a straightforward, mindless process that probably took 5-7 minutes each night. Adam was a trooper and successfully transitioned Jackson from formula to organic whole milk.
Sidebar: I say organic because I think it's a bit taboo in these parts to give your child anything but organic dairy anymore for fear of all the crap that goes into the other milk. I even had a nutritionist at work the other day insinuate that it's unnatural for babies to drink straight milk, other than from their mother. Oy!
The lunch factory is worse than the bottle factory. Every night we are steaming veggies (yes, we are actually giving him real vegetables every single day now), cutting, chopping, defrosting, cooking, portioning.....the list goes on and on. It's a lot of work and requires far more thought than working in the bottle factory.
Every day Jackson goes to school with a protein (usually chicken pieces or turkey meatballs), veggies (carrots, squash, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes) and fruit (blueberries, grapes, kiwi). Thankfully he is a great eater and we continue to work to expand what he eats. At night he pretty much eats whatever we are eating. Needless to say, I will never beat this mama in a lunch making contest.
I returned from my trip to find that Jackson had done some work of his own in the kitchen. Don't worry, sweetie, they were only wedding presents.
One year checkup
The day after we got back from Aruba (Feb 18), we took Jackson for his one year checkup. They should call it "mommy and daddy interrogation" because half of the time with the doctor is spent answering her questions. For example, when asked what Jackson eats, I was quick to say "Oh, cheese bread, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, bananas, blueberries" and her immediate response was "ANY VEGETABLES?" Oh right, those things. Yeah, not so great in that dept because that requires more work than just peeling or cutting. Right out of the gate, we were down 10 points.
She was also not pleased to see that Jackson had fallen below "off the charts" for weight. Apparently the fact that he is now walking and very busy wasn't enough of an explanation. She said that this would be monitored in case it falls any lower (as though the kid were at risk for starvation).
We were to also immediately begin his transition to whole milk (which we were planning, but just wanted to wait until after vacation was over) and because we're not entirely sure if he's allergic to eggs, he couldn't get his 1 year vaccinations yet. So now we have to get some blood work done to determine the egg allergy and then back for the shots.
And just as I was getting ready to turn Jackson's car seats to the forward facing position, she was quick to tell us that best practice is to keep him backward facing for as long as possible (typically around 2 years).
As for nuts? Well, it depends on the day and who you ask. She basically told us to go ahead and give them a shot given we don't have a history of nut allergies in our families.
We also go to the heart doctor in March for his one year check up to see if the little holes have closed up on their own.
Rough visit for mommy and daddy, but he's doing great!
She was also not pleased to see that Jackson had fallen below "off the charts" for weight. Apparently the fact that he is now walking and very busy wasn't enough of an explanation. She said that this would be monitored in case it falls any lower (as though the kid were at risk for starvation).
We were to also immediately begin his transition to whole milk (which we were planning, but just wanted to wait until after vacation was over) and because we're not entirely sure if he's allergic to eggs, he couldn't get his 1 year vaccinations yet. So now we have to get some blood work done to determine the egg allergy and then back for the shots.
And just as I was getting ready to turn Jackson's car seats to the forward facing position, she was quick to tell us that best practice is to keep him backward facing for as long as possible (typically around 2 years).
As for nuts? Well, it depends on the day and who you ask. She basically told us to go ahead and give them a shot given we don't have a history of nut allergies in our families.
We also go to the heart doctor in March for his one year check up to see if the little holes have closed up on their own.
Rough visit for mommy and daddy, but he's doing great!
12 month update
Weight: 25.6 lbs
Length: 29.5 inches
Visitors: G-daddy Phil came to visit at the beginning of February.
My Likes: I love electronics - iPhones, iPads, Blackberrys, laptops, pcs, remotes, microwaves, basically anything that has keys I can press, lights up and/or beeps. I love going into the bathroom or kitchen and pulling everything out of the cabinets.
My Dislikes: I don't like when mommy or daddy take their phones back from me. I really don't like stuff that sticks to my hands (like sand and frosting!).
Other milestones: I got my first stamp in my passport on my birthday when we went to Aruba. Mommy says that is the last time I sit on her and daddy's lap for a flight over 2 hours - I'm just a busy, busy man and it's hard to keep me occupied for that long!
Trips: We went to Aruba for my first birthday! Happy birthday to me.
Looking forward to in the next few months: The weather getting warmer so I can get outside and play with the sand and water table that Grandma and Grandpa Porter bought me for my birthday. 
G-daddy Phil came to visit
I'm running about a good month behind on my posts, so without further adieu, I give you Jackson and G-daddy Phil, who came to see us Feb 4 - 6 right before the craziness of February began. We did a whole lot of nothing, but did manage to make it to pajama breakfast on Sunday at Buckley's. Phil tried scrapple for the first (and I'm pretty sure the last) time.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Little Nest slideshow
Little Nest just sent me the slideshow from Jackson's one year photo shoot. I think it's only up for a few days, so catch it while you can here.
If there are any photos that you want prints of, just let me know.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Flirty Fellow
Today we took Jackson back to Little Nest for his one year photo session. Last time they dubbed him "Sweet Baby J" and this time? "Flirty Fellow!" Although he wasn't a crying mess like last time, he was more interested in trying to figure out how to get out of the studio than he was taking any pictures. And when we put three cupcakes in front of him? Well, he stuck his hands in them, but then tried to figure how to get the frosting off. I tried to get him to lick his fingers, but he really doesn't seem to like frosting!
Here are the initial shots that they posted on their blog. Plese feel free to post a comment - we'll get a free photo (which isn't cheap with these guys) if we have 10 or more comments. Stay tuned for the rest of the photos!
Here are the initial shots that they posted on their blog. Plese feel free to post a comment - we'll get a free photo (which isn't cheap with these guys) if we have 10 or more comments. Stay tuned for the rest of the photos!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Aruba Recap
Our trip to Aruba was awesome! Here's a quick rundown of highlights:
Thursday, Feb 10
Jackson's Birthday! After about a 5 hour flight, Adam, Jackson and I arrive in Aruba late afternoon to find it deliciously warm, sunny and inviting. We rented a car and Adam quickly became a pro at navigating Aruba's streets, even though there are no street signs to be found (and about 3 stop lights and 300 roundabouts on the island). We check into the condo, which is better than described and has a perfect view. We take a walk down the street and promptly find a bar on the beach for our first drink, while Jackson sleeps off his jet lag (just kidding, Aruba is only an hour ahead of ET). Then on to a great dinner of tapas overlooking the beach.
Thursday, Feb 10
Jackson's Birthday! After about a 5 hour flight, Adam, Jackson and I arrive in Aruba late afternoon to find it deliciously warm, sunny and inviting. We rented a car and Adam quickly became a pro at navigating Aruba's streets, even though there are no street signs to be found (and about 3 stop lights and 300 roundabouts on the island). We check into the condo, which is better than described and has a perfect view. We take a walk down the street and promptly find a bar on the beach for our first drink, while Jackson sleeps off his jet lag (just kidding, Aruba is only an hour ahead of ET). Then on to a great dinner of tapas overlooking the beach.
Friday, Feb 11
G-Pop and Grandma Honey had arrived late the night before, so spent the morning getting situated, went to the grocery store and then headed right across the street to Eagle Beach. Jackson wasn't crazy about the sand, which he was really experiencing for the first time. We tried to take him into the water, but he wasn't really crazy about that either. Of course this changes by the end of the trip! Later we hopped in the car and drove up to the California Lighthouse for the sunset. Really pretty and really windy up there! We stopped for dinner at a Thai restaurant - a first for Aune and Pop. Then back to the condo so we could properly celebrate Jackson's first birthday - complete with a vanilla cupcake and chocolate frosting - that he had absolutely no interest in! We found out later it was the chocolate frosting he didn't care for, but he will eat a cupcake for breakfast, no problem.
Saturday, Feb 12
We hopped in the car again and headed to the northern side of the island to see some rock formations (which we happened upon by accident), the natural bride and Gold Smelte Ruins. The coast over there is much more rugged, but was great to see how powerful Mother Nature is. Then it was back to the beach by our condo for sunset and then mommy and daddy headed out to a great dinner solo.
Sunday, Feb 13
As it turns out, Adam's cousin Julie from MN was in Aruba at almost the exact same time as us, so we headed to her hotel and hung out with her for the afternoon. They had a great beach as well that was a bit calmer than ours, so Jackson went in (without swim clothes since we figured he probably wouldn't want to go in) and was really pretty great about it.
Monday, Feb 14
We drove about 30 mins through the rain to the southern tip of the island to go to Baby Beach. After spending a fair amount of time wondering if we were actually going to find it, we did and it was just in time to have lunch, let it stop raining and then grab a palapa. Aune and Adam snorkeled, while Jackson and mommy walked the beach (again, a first for Jackson to actually want to walk along the beach). Mommy and daddy got out again for a nice Valentine's dinner, even though I was starting to come down with a serious head cold.
Sorry, don't have time to finish posting pictures before I head to the airport for Germany. Will update this post when I return!
Tuesday, Feb 15
In the morning Aune and Pop went on a snorkeling sail while we hung out on the beach with Jackson and then we all went to the beach for an incredible sunset.
Wednesday, Feb 16
In the morning, everyone (minus sicky poo mommy) headed to the National Park in the afternoon and saw the interesting coast and went into the caves. They said it was really neat! Adam and I went on an afternoon snorkeling sail with Julie and her friends. Adam did some snorkeling while I just enjoyed being outside.
Thursday, Feb 17
We all made the trek back home on Thursday after having spent a fabulous week in Aruba. It's easy to see why 83% of visitors return again. All my pictures can be found here.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Open letter to Jackson
Dear Jackson,
How much can change in a year?
The last time I wrote you an "open" letter, it was on January 24, 2010 and I was still calling you Peanut. Now you've graduated to "Booser" and you carry around blankets called "Giggles" and "Mr. Peepers." A year ago tonight, I was preparing to go to the hospital in the morning, in the midst of a blizzard, and deliver you. Tonight I am preparing for us to take your eighth flight tomorrow morning to the sun and sand in Aruba, both a celebration of your first birthday and of daddy and I actually surviving one year of parenthood. As a side note, one year ago tonight, daddy was watching an episode of CSI and there was a girl who got a "Jackson" tattoo on her neck, sealing the deal in his mind that you were in fact going to be a boy.
And then you arrived, at 8 am on 2.10.2010 crying like a little kitty cat to Sheryl Crow singing "Soak Up the Sun." Then, you had dark hair, olive shaped eyes, darker skin and looked like the nurses gave us the Chin's baby by accident. Today, you are blonde haired, blue eyed and fair skinned spitting image of your daddy.
You wanted to be held constantly, fed by your mommy and to sleep on a chest, any chest you could find. Now you have appointments every 30 seconds around the house - first the pantry, then the filing cabinet, then underneath the sink, don't forget to go bang on the door, where is my iPhone, let's climb up the stairs while mommy and daddy aren't looking.
And so as we embark on your second year of life, I just wanted to let you know that even though you have changed so much over the past year and changed our life, the one constant is that I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
Besos,
mommy
How much can change in a year?
The last time I wrote you an "open" letter, it was on January 24, 2010 and I was still calling you Peanut. Now you've graduated to "Booser" and you carry around blankets called "Giggles" and "Mr. Peepers." A year ago tonight, I was preparing to go to the hospital in the morning, in the midst of a blizzard, and deliver you. Tonight I am preparing for us to take your eighth flight tomorrow morning to the sun and sand in Aruba, both a celebration of your first birthday and of daddy and I actually surviving one year of parenthood. As a side note, one year ago tonight, daddy was watching an episode of CSI and there was a girl who got a "Jackson" tattoo on her neck, sealing the deal in his mind that you were in fact going to be a boy.
And then you arrived, at 8 am on 2.10.2010 crying like a little kitty cat to Sheryl Crow singing "Soak Up the Sun." Then, you had dark hair, olive shaped eyes, darker skin and looked like the nurses gave us the Chin's baby by accident. Today, you are blonde haired, blue eyed and fair skinned spitting image of your daddy.
You wanted to be held constantly, fed by your mommy and to sleep on a chest, any chest you could find. Now you have appointments every 30 seconds around the house - first the pantry, then the filing cabinet, then underneath the sink, don't forget to go bang on the door, where is my iPhone, let's climb up the stairs while mommy and daddy aren't looking.
And so as we embark on your second year of life, I just wanted to let you know that even though you have changed so much over the past year and changed our life, the one constant is that I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
Besos,
mommy
Aruba, ho!
We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for Aruba. While great in it's own right, it's even better because it's Jackson's FIRST BIRTHDAY! No big birthday parties for this kid - he's all about the surf and sand and making up for the fact that he was born one year ago in a blizzard.
So, we will see you when we return (or more likely after mommy returns from her business trip to Europe and has time to upload photos).
So, we will see you when we return (or more likely after mommy returns from her business trip to Europe and has time to upload photos).
Talking to myself
On Sunday, when G-daddy Phil was in town, we took a short drive to Buckley's Tavern for pajama brunch. Jackson had his very own short stack! On the way home, I was sitting in the backseat with him and captured him talking to himself in the mirror, until he realizes he has an audience.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Mommy daycare
This week has been a bit of a challenge with Adam in CA all week and a nice little snow storm that closed day care at 3 pm yesterday and had it opening late today. I was up at 6 am this morning shoveling. I can't remember the last time I spent an hour shoveling (maybe never) and I certainly wouldn't be sad if I never had to do it again! I've managed to snap a few shots on my phone that I've been sending to daddy so thought I would share.
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