It's hard to believe it, but our little guy turned 4-months old today! Where has the time gone? We've been having a ton of fun with Jude as he has become more and more social.
We took Jude to the doctor today for his 4-month check-up and were a bit shocked to learn that he weighs just 10 lbs. 5 oz. (slightly less than Jonah weighed at 2 months), and measures 23 3/4 inches (exactly the same as Jonah did at 4 months and in the 10th percentile). (See what Jonah looked like in the post we wrote when he was 4 months old!). Developmentally, Jude is where he is supposed to be, but we'll be watching his intake and growth a bit more closely in the coming weeks.
Jude at 3 months.
We get lots of smiles, laughs, and jabbering from Jude now, and it is
fun to learn more about this little social guy. He is almost always in a
good mood and is a pretty easy-going baby. He enjoys playing with the toys in his
little activity gym and on his bouncy chair, and enjoys - for the most
part - his tummy time, where he is working very hard to roll over (and
has come very close to success). We'll try to post some video of these activities in the coming days. Jude loves to eat his hand and lately
has been seen frequently sucking on either one of his thumbs. We have
introduced him to the Bumbo for short periods over the last few weeks, and he does really
well in it, just hanging out and enjoying the activities that are going on around him.
Of course, it's interesting to see the interaction and interplay between the two boys as well. Every "toy" that comes back out for Jude has to go through rigorous Jonah testing first, as was the case with the Bumbo:
This sure is a different experience!
Hey - wasn't that my chair?
I can still fit in this! This is MY chair!
In terms of the personal dynamics between the two boys, it has generally been sweet. This evening, Jonah was concerned that Jude was trying to eat his burp
cloth and tried to pull it off of my shoulder so that Jude wouldn't "eat" it. I explained that Jude
wasn't trying to eat it, but that sometimes the burp cloth got in the
way of his hand getting to his mouth. It was nice to see Jonah exhibit
some concern for Jude. And then Jonah tried to get Jude to laugh by
making up his own "baby talk" and blowing raspberries at him.
Unfortunately, it didn't work in this instance, but it was so much fun to
watch Jonah take an interest in and watch out for Jude. There are still times where he has fits and asks us to not bring along Jude, or tells me to not nurse Jude because he would rather I do something else, but overall, Jonah is a good big brother.
I follow a lot of art and education blogs and browse Pinterest from time-to-time, searching for various activities that I think we'll enjoy doing at home with Jonah. Recently, I came across a couple of ideas that focused on resist painting and thought it could be a fun, educational, and seasonal activity we could engage in with him.
The essence is that we used painter's tape as a resist on paper and canvases. Jonah doesn't yet have the dexterity to do this on his own, but we quickly ripped and placed the tape for him and he went at it with his paintbrush (and hands). The first weekend, we made snowflake scenes on art paper; the second weekend, we made Valentine-themed messages on canvas. I'm not sure whether it was the additional experience, the novelty of the canvas, or the slightly smaller size of the canvases, but he was much more enthusiastic about it the second weekend. We actually had to tape off a few more canvases while he was working to satisfy his creative binge (note to self: time to stock up on more multi-packs of canvases at Michael's).
Sticking out my tongue always helps!
The project was a great opportunity to work on a number of skills and introduce some new concepts, including use of a paint brush, color mixing, negative space, resists, different media (canvas versus paper), pulling tape off of canvas, and the concept of Valentine's Day.
Jonah's idea of color mixing right now is quite interesting: he pretty much just pushes all of the paint around until it becomes mostly the same color. When we encouraged him to use a particular color and mix it on the canvas, he would go around and get a dot of each of the colors from his palettes (paper plates), such that he was never really adding just one color to his canvas. The results are great, but the process is not at all like how we as adults might have gone about it. I know it's important to remember that!
Intent on his painting, with that tongue still out.
Additionally, he has really started to use the brush quite well, moving it around on the paper and canvas in broad strokes. However, during each session, he eventually found his hands to be the most compelling canvas, painting the left one thoroughly (and well up his forearm as well). When we painted canvases, he also actively used his hands as a brush at points to distribute the paint.
What will this look like when I get the tape ripped off?
When it came time to pull the tape (resist) off of the paper and canvas, we found that we couldn't really let him help with the paper artworks, as the paper ripped away a bit. However, he was able to help remove tape from the canvases (for as long as it kept his interest), and it was fun to watch his reaction as he saw the clean, white canvas beneath.
The snowflake works are now hanging in the playroom where we can see them every day. For Valentine's Day, Jonah selected an artwork to send to each of his grandparents; Ben and I got to keep three of them and I know we will treasure them!
The finished works of art!
Early stages of covering the paper, with tape still visible.
Painting his hands instead of the paper. Caught in action.
It's amazing how much something as simple as bathing can evolve as a part of the routine and how quickly it can do so. I'd forgotten what it was like to bathe a newborn and how challenging I find it to support his head while cleaning his back side. And how little time it really takes to bathe a newborn, as they aren't yet into playing, stalling, or pitching fits. Or that they might actually dislike the bathing process.
Jude was not happy about his first bath at home. We did it in the spare bathroom in a small tub that came home from the hospital with Jonah, and I made it as quick as possible. Jude screamed and cried the entire time. Jonah had to be present to witness it, but he spent the entire time washing his combs in the sink nearby, which was both a help and a hindrance. I secured privileges of the first bath at home because Ben had those privileges with Jonah. Fair is fair, right?
Who cares that my brother is screaming about a bath right next to me!
We only did one sponge bath like this at home before graduating to the baby tub in the tub. And ever since that time, Jude has pretty much unilaterally LOVED his bath time. He can be crying up to the moment you put him in the tub, but once he hits that water, he just chills out. Of course the poor kid gets absolutely no privacy because big brother has to come along to check out what is going on (he might miss out on something) and to take advantage of the additional opportunity to play with his bath time toys.
Jude's first bath in the "big" tub.
Jonah's interest in Jude's baths has its perks: while Ben has traveled in the last couple of months, I was able to bathe Jude and manage Jonah by taking advantage of Jonah's desire to help. Suddenly I couldn't remember how to draw a bath and needed his assistance in the bathroom. He came running, happy to show me, and I closed the door behind us so he was effectively corralled. He played fairly innocently alongside the tub while I was able to take care of business, and he took care of emptying the little tub while I got Jude dressed. The downside, of course, is that Jonah can get in the way as you try to get Jude in and out, and he also gets himself in little predicaments (falls) between the toilet and tub as he moves all over in his imaginative play. (He also unapologetically walks all over your legs.)
Jonah playing with his duck boat while Daddy bathes Jude. Typical scene.
Baths with Jonah are now all over the place. He used to consistently LOVE his bath time, but lately he has been throwing fits about it: sometimes because he doesn't want to take off his clothes, sometimes because the water is too "hot" (it's not), and sometimes because who knows why. Invariably, the days when he throws the biggest fits about getting in, he then throws the biggest fits about getting out. Sigh. The joys of parenting a 2 year old.
This does not qualify as a fire truck in Jonah's view.
We do still have a lot of fun during our baths. Lately, the Matchbox cars have taken much of the focus during bath time. But we've also gone through periods recently where other activities took precedence, such as writing and drawing in the tub with the washable crayons he received as a gift. Requests could be very specific, such as a certain number of tractors, trucks, cars, buses, etc., or very generic, such as "write something." Ben is a much better artist than I, so I can't say that I loved the "drawing" phase, particularly when Jonah provided commentary to me that my artwork was not up to stuff. Take, for instance, the fire truck I drew here. Jonah informed me that it was NOT a firetruck. Sorry - I'm already insecure enough about my drawing abilities. I don't need that from a kid!!! I do credit this interest in drawing and writing with his knowledge of all of the letters of the alphabet. We practiced them in the tub (which he enjoyed immensely, honestly), and we occasionally practiced a few words as well.
Sometimes we sing and use the toys as a part of the fun. For a while, Jonah was very much into the "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" song, and we used it to work on counting/numbers and just having fun in general. I caught it on video one night in December (though it wasn't Jonah's best performance on the counting side):
Now, we can't play with the little frog without Jonah stealing it and having to squirt us. He still can't quite figure out how to fill it (and it does tend to "stick" in the collapsed position, so no additional water will enter it without coaxing). It's hilarious when he has to stop squirting you to ask you to fill the frog and then immediately expects you to give it back so that he can get you wet.
So many fun times and memories have been made at bath time! We very much look forward to seeing the two boys interact together and have fun in the tub, but expect that is still some time away. In the meantime, separate back-to-back baths it is!
Just a quick post tonight before bed before I forget some of the things Jonah said and did today.
He's been very sweet lately, saying things like "Thank you, Mommy, for making oatmeal for breakfast," and "I love you, too" when we tell him we love him. Tonight, he told Mommy that "in the morning I am going to eat the yummy oatmeal she made for breakfast." (It is a cranberry-apple baked oatmeal, and he's right... it is very yummy).
For dinner we made up some beef with broccoli with rice. Of course Jonah had no issues with the rice, but he adamantly refused to even touch the beef and broccoli. When we had this same dish in the past, he liked it. This time around, though, he wouldn't even put a piece of beef in his mouth. He got very upset, but I was able to calm him down to try to get some more information. I asked him what he didn't like about it. Silence. Was it the color? Did he not like the brown? Yes, that was it.
So I offered to color the meat red. Would he eat it then? He said he would, so I grabbed a little ketchup and "painted" a piece of beef. He ate it, saying he thought it was really good. With this in mind, I thought we'd see about getting him to eat some more, so I offered to "paint" the rest of his beef with our "special red food paint" (I wanted to be careful about this and hope it doesn't come back to bite me the next time we do an art project with paint!). I even colored some of the broccoli red, and he ate that with "yummy" comments. In the end Jonah ended up eating a pretty good meal, even if it was a little colored with ketchup. Funny that brown isn't an issue when it is shaped like a cookie or cake!
At least Jonah ate, and even though he did, I'm sure he will still be hungry for Mommy's oatmeal in the morning.
We're still playing catch-up here. I can't believe that Christmas was over a month ago already, but it's too cute not to document some of our experiences with the man in the red suit this year.
As in the past, we took the boys to see Santa at the mall. We went on a Friday early in December, taking advantage of the fact that I was home on leave to avoid the longer lines of evenings and weekends. Jonah had been very excited about Santa; this is the first year that he really seemed to engage in and understand the concept of Christmas and this mysterious man named Santa. Ben and I were able to use the concept of staying on Santa's nice list to our advantage, prompting good behavior and a listening boy on a number of occasions. Before visiting Santa, we had asked Jonah what he was going to tell him that he wanted for Christmas. This changed a few times over the course of a couple of weeks, but then fortunately settled into a pretty consistent response of "an orange convertible and lots and lots of garbage trucks."
Our experience at the mall was a positive one. Jonah sat on Santa's lap without issue and Jude, innocent babe that he is, didn't mind one bit. Santa definitely got a chuckle when Jonah made his request. How many little boys ask for lots of garbage trucks? I suppose there must be a good number of them as you can find several different models in stores and online.
Baby Jude is bored by Santa.
The following Saturday, we went to Cranky Al's, our favorite bakery in the old neighborhood, to see the Santa they had there. It's been a bit of a tradition for us, and we weren't ready to give it up. Leading up to the trip, we were getting some sense that perhaps Jonah wasn't feeling as keen about Santa as he had for his first visit. Trying to get him out the door with statements about going to see Santa were met with "I don't want to see Santa" responses. While we waited in line, Jonah was more interested in placing his order for a doughnut than in getting to the front of the line to see Santa. In the end, it took a lot of bribing to get him to stand next to Santa (Jude, of course, slept through it). Santa's elf even gave him a jingle-bell hat in an attempt to make him happier, but Jonah wasn't really having any of that either. What happened between his first visit with Santa and this one? I can't say, but a doughnut made everything better.
I just don't know about this guy...
Trying out the elf's hat...
My doughnut! Awesome!
Jonah with Santa at day care, 2011.
Jonah's final experience with Santa was at daycare. We rearranged our schedule so that Jonah would be at daycare on the day of Santa's visit. Last year, Jonah didn't want anything to do with the Santa at daycare, and it is our understanding that this year, he sat on his lap for this photo, took the candy cane from him, and would then have nothing more to do with him. Wouldn't talk to him. Nothing. Poor kiddo. At least he mustered a half-hearted smile.
Jonah with Santa at day care, 2012.
I wonder what next year will bring. I doubt Jude will be sleeping through the experience at that time. Will he be afraid of Santa? Will Jonah conquer his fear? What will be on their Christmas lists next year?
Continuing the arts and crafts theme, Jonah and I had a good time at the end of November making Christmas trees out of sugar cones, white chocolate, and a variety of decorative toppings, including miniature M&Ms, coconut, and sprinkles. I'd seen the idea on Pinterest or on one of the blogs that I follow and thought it was a good seasonal activity for his current skills and abilities.
In an attempt to rein in the messiness, I plated the various toppings and let Jonah roll the ice cream cones in them, as the white chocolate itself was relatively hot and I wasn't sure he was able to handle spooning it on the cones. He enjoyed rolling the cones for a while, but the sugary foods soon won out (and stuck to his hand as he touched the white chocolate). It quickly became an opportunity to eat as much sugary stuff as possible, which is fine for a "special treat."
At first, Jonah tried to be sneaky about eating the toppings. Which is pretty hilarious. There is nothing "sneaky" about a 2.5 year old. (He currently likes to "hide" right in plain sight of us.) But I pretended to ignore it for a while. Eventually, he didn't try to hide it and his face and hands became increasingly covered with the sweets. The nonpareils were especially bad for sticking to his hand and he resorted to shoving his entire hand in his mouth to eat them. What a mess he was by the end, and what a great time we had!
I'm not eating this coconut, Mommy!
I put our trees on a small table near the front entry, amidst some stuffing arranged to look like snow. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of this (or I can't find them right now), but it was nice to walk by the trees every day and be reminded of our fun time together. I think this is a project I'll keep on the list to do again in the years to come!
In our house, we are big fans of Antoinette Portis' book, Not a Box, which illustrates imaginative play and all of the things that a simple box could be imagined as. In early November, just after Jude was born, I received a huge box from Amazon filled with my subscribe and save shipment of diapers, wipes, etc. While the box was sitting empty in the hallway, Jonah stepped inside it, and an evening of pulling him around the house in his new "car" ensued. What fun!
To help reinforce the notion that the box could be a car, I suggested that the following day we paint the box and that Jonah should think about the color he wanted to paint it. In the end, he settled for pretty much all of the colors of paint, which was just fine. I moved our rolling cart from the center of the kitchen and rounded up one of our drop cloths to protect the floor. Jonah had a good time using the paint brush and liked walking around the box to work on painting different portions of it. I had a difficult time keeping him from painting the bottom of the box, which I'd placed up on the floor (only really a concern because we were going to drag the complete box around the house as a car again), and Jonah had a hard time concentrating on any one section long enough to cover it completely with paint. Unfortunately, I realized too late that we never got a photo of the "completed" car.
Getting paint off the plate, er, palette.
We had a great time and I wish I could have given Jonah more painting opportunities while I was on leave. It was simply too difficult to know when I might have to drop everything to address Jude's needs, and Jonah is incredibly messy when it comes to paints (and doesn't yet understand our desire to keep paint off of things). That said, I look forward to more and more "not a box" experiences, as Jonah is really beginning to show a lot of imagination in his play (we've taken advantage of this to some degree with his eating as well - last night, he ate spoonfuls of Thomas, Percy, Harold, Tractor Mac, Plane Jane, etc.).
