Jones: He Keeps Going and Going and Going and Going and Going and Going ... Or, How a Toddler Spends His Days

I know that it's obvious and a rather cliche thing to say, but I'll go ahead: having a child changes everything.  In particular, it really changes how you spend your down time.  Gone are the days of relaxing after getting home from work, cooking a leisurely dinner, maybe watching a movie ... nope, life with a child means that you are constantly going at all times.  This is not a complaint.  Alan and I love going with Jones, ninety-to-nothing, and we frequently remark to eachother, "What did we do before we had Jones?"  But all of that going makes it hard for you to do some things with any consistency (this, for me, would include cleaning the house, making hair appointments, and blogging, for starters).  I mean, look at all of the goings-on with this boy:

Going:  We are constantly going into the kitchen and seeing what we can find to do in there - usually this involves helping Mommy to rearrange and organize all of the kitchen drawers and cabinets:

Going:  We are constantly going into the kitchen and helping Mommy rearrange the furniture:

Going:  We are going into the kitchen and checking to make sure the doggy gate is secure:

Going:  More cabinet organization:

Going:  Helping Mommy take an inventory of what all cleaning products we are running low on:

Going:  bringing Mommy a wooden salad bowl from (you guessed it) the kitchen cabinet:

Going:  Trying to sneak some dog food (a toddler delicacy, apparently) from the spoiled labradors:

Going:  Throwing a fit when his attempt to sneak some dog food does not work out:

Going:  Testing the toilet paper for durability:

Going:  Rearranging the throw pillows in the living room:

Going, going, gone:

 

A Tale of Love and Loss or How Jones Had His First Oreo Eaten by a Spoiled Labrador

A Love Story, in Pictures:

Boy Meets Oreo:

 Boy Loves Oreo:

Boy Has Rival for Oreo:

Boy Tries to Hide Oreo from Rival:

Rival is Persistent:

Boy and Oreo are in Danger:

Boy Loses Oreo:

Lessons Learned:

• Oreo-love is fleeting.
• Eat dessert first (and quickly) - you never know what might happen.
• Labradors know and exploit the meaning of "like taking candy from a baby" (except, in this case, it's "like taking an Oreo from a baby")
• Mommy might take pictures of your love and loss, but she will also give you a consolation Oreo to make up for it (and put the spoiled Labradors outside so that you can enjoy said consolation Oreo in peace).

Bluffing About Questionable Information Can Often Lead to People Revealing Juicy Secrets

Jones is 13 months old!

At 13 months, Jones:

• Weighs 23 pounds and is 30.5 inches long - he grew an inch and a half in one month!
• Wears Size 12 months and 12 - 18 months
• Wears a size 4 shoe
• Is only taking one bottle per day, and everything else is table foods (favorites include vienna sausages - a new discovery for Jones and he loves them ... can't get enough; also chicken, spaghetti, tuna casserole, broccoli, pinto beans, ranch beans, Mexican food in any form (he loves the rice especially), turnip greens and spinach, corn, peanut butter and jelly, and Saltines). We nixed the morning bottle starting this month, and it hasn't been bad at all. I hurry up and change him and then hurry up and get him into the chair and eating his breakfast, and he's fine. My plan is to go the whole month with just a bottle at night, and then for month 14, eliminate the night bottle, so that he will be weaned at 15 months, per the pediatrician's instructions.
• Walks everywhere, all of the time - he's a toddler! He rarely crawls anymore ... I would put the ratio at 90% walking, 10% crawling, and that may be a little generous for the crawling. He is also starting to want to climb - he is constantly walking over to stuff, bracing his hands on it, and he'll kind of hike his leg up like he wants to crawl up onto whatever piece of furniture it is (or, out of the bathtub or crib). Lord help us when he puts it all together and masters that new skill.
• Favorite toys include the push-walker (he always goes over to the baskets with his toys in them and that's the one he is always trying to pull out), maracas of any kind (he loves to shake them), his talking dogs (the FP one and "Scout" the Leapfrog dog), the Fisher Price Poppin' Fun Elephant and the Fisher Price Poppin' Fun Dinosaur (he loves balls, and is learning to throw and roll them back and forth), and his shape-sorter elephant - he walks everywhere holding the shapes and waving them around and showing them to you. He loves to play peek-a-boo - he'll go hide behind a piece of furniture or a doorway and peek his little head around and then grin at you when you see him and say, "Peek a boo!". It's so cute, you could almost die.

• Loves to be outside - he turns his face to the breeze whenever we're outside, and he always stays awake in the stroller now, because he loves seeing the great outdoors.
• Will say words, but not with any regularity. He will say "dog" every now and then, and if you ask him, "Where are the dogs?", he'll look around and out the back door into the backyard. He says "ma, ma, ma" and "da, da, da" with a certain amount of discrimination, but it's not all the way there yet. He will sometimes say "Bye bye" and he is really good with "uh-oh" (must hear that a lot at day care :o)). He will occasionally amaze you by repeating things - he repeated "the dogs are outside" for me and my mother the other day (I mean, it was garbled, but he was definitely repeating me), and I asked him the other day if he wanted this ("this" being an Oreo, which I held up for him to see), and he nodded at me and said, very clearly, "this." And, funny story: I was at my parents' place the other weekend and we were fooling with my dad's lancet device for pricking his finger for taking his blood sugar, and we couldn't get it to work. Either I or my mother, while messing with the thing, said, "Oh, right, you have to cock it back in order to get it to work." And right after that, clear as a bell, Jones says, "Cock!" Of course that's the word he picked out of that sentence.
• Knows and understands simple commands - "Give that to me." "Come here." "No." On the subject of "no" - he has thrown a couple of ring-tailed fits in response to being told "no" over something (usually "no, don't play with the wood blinds", "no, don't get into that cabinet with the chemicals", "no, don't try to get into the trash can"), but currently these only amuse me (although I hide my amusement from him and try to look stern). You can ask him, "Jones, where are the dogs?" and he'll look to wherever they are in the room (or outside, or wherever).
• All of this talk about dogs, you should've known:  Jones loves the spoiled labradors and they love him back.  It is so sweet, and they are so good with him.  Love:

 

• Has eight teeth, and more on the way!
• Is accident prone!  Poor kid is just getting beat up left and right - he fell pretty hard the other day on the concrete floor and had a big goose egg on his forehead; then, shortly after that, he fell into some cabinets at school and cut his chin.  Then, some time after that, he fell again at school and bruised his cheekbone up high - gave himself a little bit of a black eye.  I took him to the pediatrician the other day for a high fever he had been running for two days and we had to see  the on-call doctor, who is close to my age and has a little boy a couple of months older than Jones (and another on the way), and she looked at all of his bumps and bruises and said, "You look like my little boy."  We had a good laugh about the dangers of having a mobile toddler.
• Goes to bed around 9:00 or 9:30 (I think I'm going to try to get him going to bed earlier, for the better of everyone) and sleeps until I wake him up to eat breakfast and get ready for school, which is usually around 7:00.  He takes about an hour and a half nap at school, late in the morning, and then takes another nap late in the day, from about 5:30 to 6:30.
• Is into everything - cabinets, drawers, under the couch, under the entertainment center, under the table, in the bathroom unwinding the toilet paper, all over the house pulling stuff off of every surface, pulling on every electrical cord known to mankind, banging on every surface, especially doors - life with a toddler means you are on high-alert at all times :o).
• Still enjoys bath time, but he's wearing Mommy out because all he wants to do is stand up in the bath, and it's getting old.
• Hates having his diaper changed - he rolls over about 5 times throughout the process and we are all usually fed up with the whole ordeal by the time it's over. 

Don't Proffer Information About Valuable Family Heirlooms to Strangers

I took a few months off from blogging (accidentally), and during that time Jones had his first haircut! He was looking really shaggy, hair covering his ears, a parental negligence mullet in place, so we finally got it together long enough to go up to see my grandparents and let my grandfather, Papa, give his great grandson his first haircut. Papa owned and operated a barber shop in North Little Rock for years, and he's the best you'll ever see, and he did such a good job with Jones. It was a really special thing, Papa getting to give him his first haircut (he also did my first haircut, although I was considerably older than Jones, since I was a girl and therefore my hair got to grow out for a while).Our first obstacle was finding something for Jones to sit in - he's obviously too short for just a regular chair (the backs of all of the chairs, including his high chair, which we originally thought we'd use, come up over his head, making it impossible to cut his hair in one).  So, we improvised and put a portable high chair on top of some pillows and a stool (more stable than it sounds) and then belted him into place with a belt (donated by Grammy :o)).

Papa started out by showing him all of the tools he would be using:  the scissors, the clippers, the comb, etc.  He let Jones touch them and feel them.  Then he got busy chopping - I've never seen scissors fly so fast and so skillfully!  Periodically, Jones would turn his head and try to get a good look at Papa - as if to say, "Hey, what are you doing back there?"  Papa would always say something along the lines of "Hey there baby, it's just your Papa back here, it's just me, just cutting some hair."  He used a really calm, soothing voice, and it settled Jones down every time and he would turn back in the chair and look forward again (I was standing in front of him, providing a focal point/distraction to the business going on around his head).

This is about the point on the whole affair that Jones was starting to be over the whole experience.  He was starting to get fussy, so I started singing "Old MacDonald" while holding his hands.  Jones loves that song, and it will almost always work to distract him and get him to laughing and cause him to forget what he was so upset about.

The finished product!  He's not as upset as he would have you believe, he was just tired of being held captive while so much was going on around him and he was sleepy (we headed home right after this and he was asleep by the time we got down my grandparents' driveway).  He looked so handsome!

We've had one other haircut since the first one (also administered by Papa) and it went well too.  His hair grows so fast!  I was hoping that it would turn thick and wavy (Alan had the cutest thick, wavy hair when he was a baby), but I think he may get stuck with my hair (fine and straight), but at least he has good natural highlights - he's almost turning blond! 

Walking and birthdays and haircuts ... he's a big boy now!

Don't Let Your Troubles Get in the Way of Enjoying a Leisurely and Delightful Lunch

In case you have burning questions about the minutae of my life ...

1.  What time did you get up this morning?  6:30

2.  Diamonds or pearls?  Diamonds are a girl's best friend
3.  What was the last film you saw at the cinema? True Grit ... we never go to the movies, and I don't know why, because we always enjoy ourselves ... and the Russellville Picwood Theatre is like, the place to be in Russellville on the weekend.

4.  What is your favorite TV show? Murder She Wrote ... I love old-school TV:  The Cosby Show, Designing Women, The Golden Girls, Bewitched (don't you love how they're always having cocktails in that show?  Seriously, watch it and see how many times in the episode Samantha and Darren are mixing up a toddy ... oftentimes in the middle of the day) ... whatever happened to quality TV like that?  When I was growing up, my favorite channel was Nick at Nite, and my favorite show was the Dick Van Dyke Show, which I still love, but which you cannot find on TV anywhere.  Lately, we don't watch that much TV and when we do, it seems like we are watching Nick Jr - I can handle/tolerate The Backyardigans and The Fresh Beat Band, and Olivia, but I am not a huge fan of Dora or Diego ... I guess we'll see if my tolerance gets heightened or lessened as the months go by and Jones gets more interested in cartoons (he doesn't really care about them or watch them right now, especially since they got rid of the moose that used to host that channel - that was his favorite part).
5.  What do you usually have for breakfast? Oatmeal or one of those Jimmy Dean smart-breakfast-sandwich things, the ones that are under 300 calories (they are so good).  And almost always milk to drink (I love milk.  Love it).  I like to mix it up every now and then and have Lucky Charms.  And if I'm in a hurry and can't eat at the house, I take Pop-Tarts to work and eat them there.  Now that Jones is off the morning bottle, I usually eat whatever he's having - like, he'll eat part of the oatmeal, I'll eat what he doesn't finish, I'll eat the remainder of the biscuit he doesn't eat, stuff like that.  I usually don't have to eat his leftovers on the days when we have Nutrigrain bars for breakfast (he loves those things - eats every last bite) and on days when we have pancakes (although those are rare and are usually on the weekend).

6.  What is your middle name? Michelle

7.  What food do you dislike?   Cauliflower

8.  What is your favorite CD at the moment?  Weezer, The Blue Album - always a classic.

9.  What kind of car do you drive? 2008 BMW 328i - I love my car, consider this a PSA for BMW:  I got in a wreck a while ago that was totally my fault (I pulled right out in front of a guy (didn't see him, truthfully) and he nailed my passenger side rear quarter panel - it was pretty bad from a damage standpoint, but it's been fixed up by our expert body shop and you can't tell there was ever a thing wrong with it), wherein a Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup truck with a brush guard whammo'd me (through no fault of his own), and my car did so well, I actually had a moment where I was like, "Did he hit me?"  because the car absorbed the impact and everything.  I already loved my car, but I love it more now.  It's also a great car for tooling around town with Jones - I feel safe in it, it's just the right size for the two of us, I can get in and out of parking spots quickly, and get him in and out of the car quickly.  So, all around:  love my car.

11.  What characteristic do you despise? know-it-all-ishness ... I'm trying to put into words that attitude some people have that is just so patronizing and condescending, like they know how to do everything, you know nothing, and the kind of person that always has something to say on every topic, and they're always right, etc - you know what I'm talking about?

12.  What is your favorite item of clothing? Green Patagonia pullover
13.  If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?  Back to Jamaica. 
14.  Favorite brand of clothing?  Banana Republic

15.  Where would you retire to? Grammy & Papa’s house in Scotland, AR

16.  What was your most memorable birthday? 16th, I guess ... my parents hired a limo to take me and my friends to dinner in Little Rock, so that was pretty cool.  My 23rd birthday was good too - Alan bought us a cruise as my birthday present :o).

17.  Favorite sport to watch?  College football - Razorbacks first, SEC after that.

18.  When is your birthday? August 6

19.  Are you a morning person or a night person? Night

20.  What is your shoe size?  8

21.  Pets?  2 Spoiled Labradors - Augie (black) and Layla (yellow) and Clyde, The Bad Cat, a domesticated short hair tabby.

22.  Any new and exciting news you 'd like to share with us?  Not at the moment.  It's business as usual around the Ward household.

23.  What did you want to be when you were little? Ballerina

24.  How are you today?  Fine.  My neck hurts, so I'm contemplating whether I should scoot over to USA drug and look for some sort of back/neck pain reliever.  I am also wearing a very comfortable dress, and I feel pretty cute, so that always makes a day go better.
25.  What is your favorite candy? Cadbury mini eggs ... I've been hoarding them since they came out for Easter, since that's the only time of year they're available.

26.  What is your favorite flower?   Daffodils

27.  What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?  An as-yet-to-be-determined day in September, which will be the first day of whatever week we decide to go to Florida for a vacation.

28.  What's your full name?   Jill Michelle Ward

29.  What are you listening to now?   Air conditioner running, traffic noise, general office sounds.

30.  What was the last thing you ate? Reuben Sandwich

31.  Do you wish on stars?  Sometimes…

32.  If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Yellow

33.  How is the weather right now? Hot ... too hot for May.

34.  The first person you spoke to on the phone today?  Jessica - had to call my doctor-friend to inquire after the symptoms and treatment for hand-foot-and mouth disease.  This is because I'm pretty sure Jones has contracted it.  It's been going around Russellville (per the pediatrician on our last visit) and when Alan got to daycare this morning, there was a sign on Jones' classroom that said there had been a confirmed case of hand-foot-and mouth disease in his class.  Now, you have to know that yesterday, when Jones got home from school, I changed his diaper and noticed that there were little red bumps/spots on his bottom.  I assumed it was heat rash.  You should also know that this morning, while I was putting his socks and shoes on, I noticed two blister-type bumps on his left foot, and one blister-type bump on his toe on his right foot.  I puzzled over these, and so did Alan, and so did my mother, but we all just decided it was just something from running around barefoot at school.  Now, fast forward to Alan arriving at daycare and seeing the note.  So, yeah, I called up my BFF to confirm that he probably does have it and ask her what to do about it. (answer:  not much.  Tylenol and wait it out.  I feel like that's the answer to pretty much everything that a baby catches during the first few years of his life.)

35.  Favorite soft drink?  Classic Coca Cola

36.  Favorite restaurant?  Hugo's
37.  Real hair color? Dark Brown

38.  What was your favorite toy as a child?  My Little Ponies
39.  Summer or winter?   I'll cheat and say Fall ... Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons, to be precise.

40.  Hugs or kisses:  Hugs
41.  Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

42.  Coffee or tea? Iced tea, hot coffee (with lots of cream and sugar - right now I am really loving that Almond Joy flavored creamer - it smells like summer to me (that's weird, but that's what I think of whenever I smell it))

43.  When was the last time you cried?  When Lt. George Kirk saved the lives of 800+ people including his son, James T. Kirk, on the USS Kelvin by sacrificing his own (so, the last time I watched the 2009 Star Trek movie).  I would cry everytime I see that very, very sad ASPCA commercial, or the one about the polar bears and the melting ice caps, but we are all trained in our household to immediately change the channel when either one of those commercials come on.  Too sad.

44.  What is under your bed?  Dog hair and empty water bottles.
45.  What did you do last night?  Went for a walk/stroll, ate dinner, played with the J-Man, bathtime, bedtime, then bedtime for me.

46.  What are you afraid of?  Not having the courage or ability to overcome adversity, conflict, confrontation, or some other difficult situation when it arises.  Also:  frogs.

47.  Salty or sweet? Salty (despite my admitted love for Cadbury Mini Eggs).

48.  How many keys on your key ring?   4

49.  How many years at your current job?   5 ... feels like 500 ...

50.  Favorite day of the week?  Friday - it's so full of the promise of good things to come!
51.  How many towns have you lived in? 4

52.  Do you make friends easily? I think I get along well with people, but it takes me a while to really accept someone as a friend, like a real friend.  But I'm a friendly person :o).

53.  Favorite all-time movie?  I can't pick just one, sorry:  The Philadelphia Story, Out of Africa, Star Trek (2009), You've Got Mail, and When Harry Met Sally immediately pop to mind ...

54.  Favorite all-time song?  You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones

55.  Favorite holiday?  Christmas ... I really like the anticipation and lead-up to Christmas.  There's just so much excitement and hope and joy around (most of the time ... as long as you're not at Walmart), it's wonderful.

And now, just as reward in case you made it all the way through that long, random, pretty much pointless post, some videos of Jones walking: