Bath time! (Part II)

Recently, we added a few new toys to Jonah's bath time collection.  I just had to share a picture of him with his new favorite:  his submarine!  We need to be careful when we bring this one out, because he launches for it with all the might his baby body can muster (and even once he has it in hand, it's an impetus for many a wild splash and dive).

This is by far the stillest picture I managed
to take of Jonah playing with his new sub.

We love this sub.  It's BPA- and phthalate-free and made from 100% recycled materials (recycled milk cartons, specifically).  That said, our enthusiasm is dwarfed by Jonah's.  I think, perhaps for his first birthday, we may have to get him the matching seaplane.

Sitting!

Jonah's sitting unsupported!

It's amazing to think that just a few short months ago, Jonah was still figuring out to support his own head.  Now he can sit happily for many minutes at a time without so much as lurching to one side or another!  It makes a great vantage point from which to explore one's toes, by the way.

Field Trips!

It's barely believable, given that it's mid-January, but recently we've have some daytime temperatures as high as 65 degrees. For a family of three just getting over our winter colds (and, therefore, beginning to feel a bit closed in), such weather provides a not-to-be-passed-up opportunity to enjoy a little bit of our great outdoors.

But, where to go? The park is probably pretty muddy from all the melting snow. The museums are all indoor excursions. Hmm... over the past month Jonah's interest in his two youngest housemates--our cats--has shot from virtually none to complete and utter fascination.  Maybe that means it's time to visit the zoo!

Yes, we took Jonah on his very first trip to the zoo last week.  There, playing to Jonah's tastes, we made a safari of exhibits featuring particularly large, active, or colorful animals. The flamingos were a hoot, for sure, with their bright pink parkas and loud, unapologetic squawks. The baby elephant and Jonah shared an obvious rapport. And, though the monkeys were disappointingly demure and the polar bears refused to take a swim through the underwater observation area, the fluorescent fish in the aquarium made for a fun finale.


Here are a couple of pics from our excursion:

There were two baby elephants at the
zoo (this is one).  Not as cute as Jonah,
but pretty cute nonetheless.

The ray and Jonah check each other out.

Earlier this month, we also took Jonah on a late-night romp through Phipps Conservatory.  Their winter light show closed shortly after Christmas, but we managed to catch it just before it ended.  Bright lights are always a hit with kids Jonah's age, and this experience was no exception.

Jonah and his dad check out
an outdoor light tree.

Inside the conservatory, we stopped for
a pic in front of the big Xmas tree.

So many new and exciting experiences, but this is just the beginning.  Looking forward to many more to come!

Bottoms up!

Over the past several weeks, Jonah's become increasingly fascinated by things we eat and drink. Though we're holding out on introducing him to solid foods until he's six months old (or as close as we can stand, which may not be much longer because we're very excited about it), a couple of weeks ago we did give him his first opportunity to taste water--and out of a glass! Despite never having tried water before, he was very insistent (read: grabby), and, now that he has tried it, he's even more so. Seems neither Bryan nor I can pour ourselves a glass of water without allotting Jonah his sip!

Jonah doesn't know it, but tonight he's going to receive a little gift: his very own sippy cup! Only water and mother's milk for now, but it's one more step toward his coveted independence!

A Little Person

I used to see other people's babies and think something along the lines of, "Oh, so cute! I bet he/she's a lot of fun for the first few minutes." I wasn't trying to be cynical. It just never occurred to me that babies had a whole lot going in the way of personality. As one friend laughingly described his newborn at the end of their first month, "She's like a lizard on a log." That was more or less my impression, too--before I had a baby of my own.

Jonah's personality--like most babies', I now assume--began to emerge almost immediately. His temperament was not identical to that of other babies whom I'd observed. His likes and dislikes were his own as well. And his personality has developed so quickly that sometimes I'm surprised to be reminded that, when other people see him, they still see a little baby. To me, he's a little person, a young--albeit very young--man.

I bring all this up because the other day I was reading some of the book Your Baby's First Year, developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a book to which I often refer to improve my idea of what to expect as Jonah grows, and I came across this passage (on page 277):

The more subtle aspects of your baby's personality are determined largely by her constitutional makeup or temperament. Is she rambunctious or gentle? Easygoing or easily upset? Headstrong or compliant? To a large extent, these are inborn character traits.

The answers to these questions immediately brought to mind a thought that's become all too familiar in the past few months: "Uh oh, I think we have a troublemaker on our hands!" Of course, the truth is a bit more complicated. Jonah, I'd say, can be rambunctious. He is not without his playful, energetic side, and he loves to babble and scream. But he can also be quiet and gentle, often inspecting his surroundings, or a single toy, with surprising intensity and meticulousness. Likewise, sometimes he seems easily upset. It's very evident that he's frustrated by his still developing capacity to (physically) manipulate the world around him, and, of course, when he's been stimulated to the point of overtiredness, his inconsolability can overwhelm. But more often than not he's easygoing. He seldom really cries, he appears to adapt easily to new environments and people, and, though he thrives on attention, he can play of his own fairly happily when necessary. All this bodes well for our future, I think.

On the question of headstrong versus compliant, though, we have a different story. That is, there is no question. This is a baby who, when he's decided on something he wants, really wants it. Not only that, but some evidence suggests that he's not unparticular about the way that he wants it. His daddy calls this the "just so" mentality. Jonah knows what he wants and he wants what he wants the way that he wants it. Among other things, this is a baby who wants to move, to get places and do things. He's not particularly temperamental, but he is determined and sometimes a bit singleminded (which can be confused as temperamental when it results in a lot of frustration). To a parent looking ahead, this headstrong quality (headstrength?) seems to spell trouble. But, for us, I have to confess, it also spells pride. If this little person does like some things "just so", I'd venture to guess that his mother's genetic contribution had something to do with that. And as to a general stubborn streak... well, that runs on both sides of the family!

Under the Weather...

Our final night in Buffalo last week was a rough one. Jonah slept poorly, and we realized in the morning that he'd been suffering from worsening congestion throughout the night. By the following evening--back at home, thankfully--his condition was considerably worse. I remember how months ago Bryan and I were confused about the differences between baby spit-up and baby vomit. Most of literature (read: online message boards) to which we'd referred simply advised, "When Baby vomits, you'll know." Helpful, right? Anyway, after months of uncertainty, now we know. Indeed, it was pretty unambiguous.

The next day, the vomiting had subsided but the congestion was worse and the diarrhea began. (At this point, I understand, you may be asking yourself why you're still reading this post, but I shall continue nonetheless!) Dutifully, we referred to our copy of the AAP's guide to infant care. Does the baby have a fever over 102 degrees? No. Can the baby breath through breastfeeding? So far so good. Has the diarrhea lasted more than a week, or is the baby showing signs of dehydration? No and no. Nothing in the book even indicated that we needed to call the doctor. But these checklists all came from sections on different symptoms: what to do if your baby is vomiting, what to do is he has a respiratory infection, what to do if he has diarrhea. We couldn't find any reference to what to do when your baby is dealing with all three of these problems more or less at once. WebMD didn't shed much light either: children may experience vomiting and diarrhea with their colds. Okay. So is it serious? Does "children" include 5-month olds?

Our instincts told us the Jonah was doing fine, in as far as viral infections go, and that his immune system was just leading him, albeit rather uncomfortably, through the course of his illness. Eventually, a quick cautionary call to the pediatrician confirmed that our instincts were sound. The doctor kindly helped us narrow down which symptoms would best aid us in gauging the seriousness of Jonah's condition. Thus reassured, we cinched up our tool belts and continued our efforts to make Jonah as comfortable as we could.

The thing is, when your patient is an infant, there really aren't that many tools at your disposal. There's infant acetaminophen for pain and fever and there are aspirators for congestion. We used both but sparingly, as their administration often seemed to cause more discomfort than it afterward relieved. There are baths, showers, and humidifiers, which we used liberally, but how many baths can you really give your kid in one day before the term "liberal" applies? The truth is that, despite these measures, we felt quite helpless. And Jonah was clearly extremely uncomfortable.

And getting worse, at least in some ways. The doctor had told us it might be time to seek outside help if Jonah started having trouble nursing due to congestion. And we very nearly got there. For a stretch, the only way Jonah was able to nurse was if I took him in the bath or shower with me and nursed him there. Not ideal, but it seemed better than the alternative, which was to take him to a hospital where he'd be poked and prodded and potentially everything but cured.

Anyway, we stuck it out, and gradually our efforts did begin to pay off. Today, one week since the onset, Jonah's still a bit congested but otherwise much recovered. And we, his parents, are a bit wiser for having had the unhappy experience of worrying over our child's first illness. It had to happen some time, I suppose. I just didn't realize it would be so hard--much harder than contending with a cold of my own!

Well, here's hoping this was our only cold of the season! (Yes, I am aware of how often kids contract colds, but I'm an optimist!) In the meantime, we're not going to let this one stop us from enjoying ourselves any longer! Here's Jonah, just today, sledding through the backyard. (We had to sneak in some sledding before the snow melts!) He lasted only about five minutes, but still...

Christmas Catchup

Well, hello, everyone, and happy new year! Thanks to the busy holidays, it's been a while since our last post, and that means that there's lots to share. First things first, though, and this time the first thing is a biggie: Jonah's first Christmas.

Living far as we do from family, our holiday was an extended affair. It began at our base of operations in the Burgh, where, in the couple weeks before Christmas, Jonah received his first slew of Christmas gifts. Big hits included the aforementioned Jumperoo, an evidently very chewable plush puppy from Mom and Dad, and--among my personal favorites--a handsome push sled sent by his great aunt and uncle.

Jonah tries out his new sled before the snow arrives.

Okay, so I can't tell what makes this stuffed animal a
puppy rather than, say, a rabbit or a sheep. But it's called
"Pudgy Puppy" and it's made by HABA, one of our
favorite toy manufacturers for their relatively
eco-friendly, baby-safe options.

Christmas itself we spent with family: lots and lots of family. It was a big year for Jonah's mama's side of the family, who traveled from a multitude of cities, states, and even countries to celebrate the holiday together in dear old beau fleuve. Jonah met a veritable ton of aunts, uncles, and cousins, which made for a dramatic--though not unwelcome--change from our typically quiet, sometimes a bit hermit-like, lives back in Pittsburgh. I'm certain Jonah's never been around so many people at once--not to mention so many doting ones! But he took to this new social atmosphere like an old pro, charming everyone first with shy smiles and, later, with unabashed grabs for their hair.

Jonah meets his great grandmother for the second time.

Our boy studies Stratego in preparation
for his turn against Uncle Steven.

Of course, it wouldn't be a holiday if we didn't overdo things at least a little bit, and after a few days of marathon socializing, Jonah began to show signs that he'd caught the knock-out cold virus that had been making its rounds through the rest of the family before our arrival. That, however, is a tale for another blog entry...