Museum Mama

Visiting Santa

2009-12-11T21:17:00.006-06:00

Monday night Bobby and I took Jonas to the Infant and Toddler Services' Christmas event. Included in the festivities were free Christmas cookies (which Jonas was VERY fond of) and time to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus (which Jonas was ~~terrified~~ not so fond of). I don't have any Santa pics, yet, but will add them as soon as I get them.

New Trick

2009-12-11T21:00:00.005-06:00

Look who figured out how to get into the pantry. How can I be upset, he looks so proud of himself.

Poor Jayhawks

2009-11-07T20:50:00.001-06:00

After a disappointing loss by the Jayhawks this afternoon, I was a little surprised to find Jonas' Jay sitting like this. Looks like somebody was a bit embarassed by today's game.

Halloween Pics

2009-10-31T20:37:00.004-05:00

At some point my adorable baby that sat still for pictures turned into a squirmy toddler that is constantly in motion. With that in consideration, after several attempts, these were the only pics I could get of Jonas in his costume.

Mama Math

2009-10-07T12:59:00.004-05:00

Mouthful of cereal +
big sneeze =

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-03T13:52:00.022-05:00

Thank goodness fall is here! Even better, Mother Nature seems to have finally gotten the word by bestowing us with chilly days, suitable for the fall season.

We decided to take advantage of our free Saturday morning and head out to the pumpkin patch. Last year we stumbled upon a patch close to the Louisburg Cider Mill called Powell Pumpkin Patch. It's definitely a low thrill patch (not a lot of extras for the kids), which is part of why we adore it. We don't need much for Jonas to do and both times we have visited they haven't been overwhelmingly busy, so you can take your time strolling through the pumpkin patch choosing just the right one to take home. In our case, we got it narrowed down to five lovlies. They did have a couple of play areas for the kids made out of hay bales, but my finicky guy didn't want anything to do with the scratchy hay (hence, no pics of cute J sitting on a hay bale).

Three Peas In a Pod

2009-09-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

Weekend Summary

2009-09-27T21:33:00.000-05:00

Two birthday parties, a bachelorette party (okay, just Mommy attended this one), a trip to Deanna Rose, AND a visit with some special grandparents. Yup, I'm pretty sure this picture sums up our weekend. A lot of fun, but VERY tiring.

One-Year Pics

2009-08-24T21:00:00.003-05:00

My friend Ali recently started her own photography business. We were fortunate enough to have her take Jonas' pictures. You can see a sneak peek of the pics here.

Eye Clinic

2009-08-14T17:38:00.002-05:00

Jonas had his follow-up eye appointment today. He came out of it with a great report. So great that he doesn't have to go back until he starts kindergarten (that sounds SO far away, but I'm sure the time will fly). Since he had his eyes dilated, they gave him these glasses to wear:

A little reminiscient of Elton John, no? I was lucky to get this picture before he ripped them off and threw them on the floor. Such a stinker!

Knitting Books

2009-07-15T16:57:00.000-05:00

A boy after my own heart. I decided to spend part of a rainy afternoon flipping through a couple of my knitting books for inspiration. Apparently J has inherited his mama's love for the fiber arts (or he's REALLY smitten with the red-headed model). He snuggled up right next to me and wouldn't stop flipping through the pages of one of my books.

Out With The Old, In With The New

2009-07-05T21:39:00.008-05:00

We FINALLY got Jonas his new car seat a couple of weeks ago. (You know it's bad when the poor kid's feet are hanging over the end!) He's now cruising in a much bigger seat and facing forward, which has made car rides a lot more fun for both of us. Just to put into perspective how much he's grown, check out the pictures below. The one on the left is from Jonas first trip in his car seat (when he came home at 12 days old). The one on the right is Jonas' last time in his car seat (at 11 months old).

Looking back, I laugh at how many washcloths the nurse and I had to roll up and stick in various spots so Jonas wouldn't move around. Had he been a couple ounces lighter, his car seat would have been too big for him!

First Zoo Trip

2009-07-05T21:18:00.003-05:00

Okay, okay...so we have been having a little too much fun living life that updating the blog has fallen to the wayside. However, in the shock that has hit me over how fast Jonas' first year flew by, I have turned over a new leaf and am diligently going to do my best to keep up with the blog. I my humble attempt to make up for the last month, I present you with pictures of Jonas' first trip to the zoo.

I am fortunate enough to have some good friends that are moms and teachers, and some that are moms that stay at home. As a result, we've been lucky enough to have weekly play dates this summer. A couple weeks ago our playdate took us to the zoo. I was so excited because I LOVE the zoo and I couldn't wait to take Jonas and introduce him to the animals. Although, once we got there, he was just as content with watching the big kids run around and admiring the ceiling fans in the observation houses.

All in all, it was a great trip! We can't wait to go back again, hopefully with Daddy!

Spring Surprises

2009-05-27T13:42:00.006-05:00

The weather was so beautiful last week, that Jonas and I spent several mornings (and afternoons) working in the yard. Since it's our first spring in the house, we are constantly being surprised by the new blooms that we find. (I just hope my brown thumb won't kill them all before next spring.)

Big Boy Bath

2009-05-27T13:21:00.004-05:00

Jonas is getting much better with sitting up on his own. As a result, last week we decided to try a bath in the big boy tub. Just like everything else, I realized we should have tried it MUCH earlier. As soon as he touched the water, his legs and arms were in constant motion. Perhaps giving him the middle name Michael awoke his inner Phelps. We shall see.......

Please excuse the gratuitous booty shot, but I couldn't resist.

2009-04-28T20:13:00.005-05:00

Think this is amusing? Take a look at the picture when it's flipped. I can''t decide which I like more, his crazy hair or the huge grin on his face. :)

Definitely on track to becoming some type of aerial acrobat or vampire. Hey, chicks dig vampires, right?

Easter Pics

2009-04-20T14:21:00.003-05:00

Lazy Sunday

2009-04-05T14:12:00.009-05:00

Passing the time on what turned out to be a pretty dreary Sunday:

Nothing beats lounging in bed on a rainy day. Especially when you have a snuggly friend to share it with.

Catching up on a little reading.

When there's nothing left to do, Daddy's always good for a few giggles.

From Mother to Son

2009-03-24T21:16:00.004-05:00

From one of my favorite blogs of all time (yes, Bobby, I'm mentioning my virtual bff, Vickie) this goes out to all the preggie girls in my life: http://vickiehowell.blogspot.com/2009/03/family-follies.html

To Teethe, Or Not to Teethe?

2009-03-16T13:01:00.004-05:00

Well, after months of drooling madness and several people telling me Jonas is teething, I think the kid is finally cutting his first tooth. He woke up last night crying and completely inconsolable. Bobby and I were stumped. I finally took a look at his lower gums, which were red and swollen. Fortunately, we already had baby Oralgel in the house, due to my misdiagnosis a few months ago. A little bit did the trick! The kid was instantly quiet. Today he's been gumming the heck out of anything and everything that's been put in front of him. No sign of the actual tooth, but I'm positive I'm not wrong this time. :)

** There must be something in the air, because our friend Conrad is starting teethe too!

Puppy Love

2009-02-20T20:49:00.005-06:00

Lately Jonas has showed a huge fascination with the dogs, especially Bacchus. And I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. Every session with the two ends with Bacchus whimpering for help as Jonas has one of his body parts in a death grip. However, five minutes later, Bacchus is back in his face checking him out. No doubt, these two will be stirring up trouble together before long!

Wind Farm

2009-01-30T13:49:00.008-06:00

Bobby and I came across a wind farm as we were driving out to western Kansas last week. With those of you unfamiliar with the I-70 drive across Kansas, it's pretty flat and lacking in landmarks. It's pretty comical when out of nowhere these HUGE turbines start popping up in this one particular area. The pictures really don't do their size justice. The blades alone tend to run 65 to 130 feet in length with a tower that stands anywhere from 200-300 feet tall. Needless to say, they are the true gentle giants of the plains.

Had we not had to complete a five hour drive that day, I would have been content pulling over and spending the day watching them in action. I know it sounds crazy, but they have this soothing effect. Kind of like watching clouds pass by.

6 Months

2009-01-05T22:07:00.003-06:00

Today Jonas had his 6 month check up (I can't believe he's already 6 months old!). This has been his best doctor's appointment by far. His doctor was so impressed with how well Jonas has been eating, that he finally gave us the okay to take him off of Neosure (his preemie formula) and put him on plain old Similac. HOORAY! All the worries we had in the beginning of this kid gaining weight are starting to seem light years away. Not to mention the fact that Neosure is the most expensive formula out there, so I can't say I'm too disappointed that we don't need to buy it anymore.

I decided to go ahead and have Jonas get his flu shot with his immunizations - even though he doesn't need it. (When he was at Children's Mercy, I made him promise he would never get sick enough to go to the hospital again, since he caused enough worry his first couple weeks of life. I just hope he keeps up his end of the deal.) Actually, he was already getting three shots, so I figured it was better to throw on one more today instead of going through the whole ordeal again. Aside from his initial shrieks, the kid perked up within minutes and has slept most of the evening.

A couple of stats from today:
Weight: 15 lbs. 12.8 oz.
Length: 26"

Jonas' First Christmas

2009-01-05T19:24:00.005-06:00

Just a few pictures of our Christmas angel (Hey, better late than never!). I hope everyone's holidays were as enjoyable as ours were.

I know he doesn't look real excited, but the kid loves books

Mommy's favorite gift of all

2008-12-21T14:10:00.002-06:00

This morning Bobby shuffled off to work his last Chief's game of the season. Those of you that know him know the boy LOVES his football, but with the crummy season the Chief's have had this year, and with the below zero wind chill, he was less than enthusiastic to go stand around outside, even if he gets to watch the game from the sidelines (can you blame him). You should have seen him bundled up (I didn't get a picture, not that he would have let me if I tried), he looked like the little brother from A Christmas Story.

I'm hoping he makes it through the day, poor baby.

A Kid's New Year's Eve

2008-12-17T22:21:00.019-06:00

In Kansas City and looking for something fun to do with the kiddos during winter break? Check out Wonderscope's New Year's Eve event, Wonder Eve. A day stuffed full of activities such as Gymboree and Starlab, as well as family filled entertainment will be offered, including a magician, juggler, storyteller, as well as singer Jim Cosgrove. If that isn't enough, they'll even have FREE pizza, so you can play the WHOLE day - nonstop. :) To top things off, Wonderscope will be premiering their brand new water exhibit, H2OH! Waterplay fun in the middle of winter - no swimsuit required (although, you'll want to roll up your sleeves :))! Having already seen this baby in action, I promise it's a "splashing" good time (hee, hee).

Best of all, it's all offered during the day. So, you'll still have the evening to celebrate with the adults (if you still have the energy).

For more information, click here.

Guess who's eating cereal?

2008-12-05T14:54:00.005-06:00

Move over Mikey, there's a new kid in town. I think the look on Jonas' face sums up how he felt about his first experience:

Our attempt last night produced a lot of goofy faces (from Jonas) and more output than input of cereal. However, he's catching on to the spoon much better than he caught on to the bottle. When I tried again this morning, he ate most of what was in the bowl!

O Tannenbaum

2008-12-05T09:23:00.004-06:00

We finally found time in our hectic schedules to get our Christmas tree up. I was so excited because this is the first tree we've had for YEARS (there was never enough room in our apartment). It just doesn't feel like Christmas until all the decorations are up and the tree is lit. Ahhh, let the holiday season begin!

4 Month Checkup

2008-11-07T16:47:00.009-06:00

Ouch!!!

Jonas had his 4 month doctor's appointment today. Aside from having to deal with the horrible shots, he seemed to handle it in stride. Dr. Bush was amazed with how much weight he has been packing on and even remarked that he almost didn't recognize him from the last appointment. He now weighs 13 lbs. 6.4 oz., which puts him in the 24th percentile for his age group. This is HUGE, considering that when he was born, he was in the 2nd percentile and at his last doctor's appointment, he was in the 7th percentile. We're keeping him on his "protein shakes" until he's at least 6 months. (It's actually Neosure formula, which has extra calories for preemies so they can "bulk up.)

Whatever doubts the doctors had early on, I think it's safe to say the kid has now figured out how to eat. Hallelujah!

4 months and counting!

2008-11-05T13:57:00.016-06:00

I made a goal that I would take Jonas' picture every month next to his teddy bear. Even though he's small for his age, this has helped me see that he really is growing every day. Below are the pictures I've gotten so far:

3 weeks old

(What a little peanut!)

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old
(Finally, a smile!)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:45:00.010-05:00

I debated getting Jonas a costume this year, since he was too little to go trick-or-treating. However, I knew that years down the road I would regret not having pictures of him in some cute getup. Anyway, I couldn't resist this adorable monkey costume when I saw it. Based on the pictures, I think Mommy was a little more excited about it than Jonas was.

My attempt at pumpkin carving. I must say, they didn't turn out that bad:

The birth of a blog

2008-10-29T17:15:00.001-05:00

It's official! I have joined the "blog-wagon."

I've honestly wanted to start one of these for over a year, but kept putting it off. I had a hard time convincing myself that people would actually be interested in reading my ramblings. Of course, that was before I had a kid. The moment the baby was born, I knew the rest of the world would want to spend every waking moment admiring all the adorable things he does (which is EVERYTHING, of course!) as much as I do. For the minority of you that don't agree (which is pretty much everyone, excluding grandparents), have no fear. I can guarantee that not every entry will be about the most recent grin, burp, or diaper the baby manifested all by himself (rolling of eyes and skeptic comments kept to yourself, please). Above all else, this blog is to show life, as it happens, the way I see it. Unfortunately, when you have a newborn along for the journey, it's hard to see much else. Buckle up; it's going to be a bumpy ride!