My Future's So Bright...

I got to wear shades!

We bought Jack some cool baby sunglasses from mfs eyewear. They are absolutely adorable on him! He's one cool dude.

Jack had a play date over the weekend. His buddy is three weeks older than him and he seems more advanced for his age than Jack (it's always hard not to compare). I don't think Jack is behind or anything, I just think that his friend is ahead for his age. One difference though is that Jack sleeps through the night and his friend doesn't (his poor mommy). I guess I will take that. I like sleep!

I'm Obsessed

Thanks to Mary Kate at Our Journey , I found out about Picnik.com , a free photo editing web site (although you can pay for upgrading to premium services) that lets you do so many fun things with your pictures. As soon as I started using it, I was sending all kinds of cool edited photos to my husband and family. I am totally hooked!

Here's a couple of examples of what you can do:

The first photo to the right is the before picture and the photo below was made after messing around with some special "effects". I used the frames feature to make it look like a Polaroid picture, added a couple of cartoon-y characters, and also added my website URL for a watermark (which learning from Mary Kate , you can use to protect the photos on your blog.)

Here's another example of what you can do...

This is a family photo taken a little while back:

Below, here's what I did using the pencil sketch format:

Neat, huh?

You definitely should check it out and play with it. It's so much fun!

The Bachelorette

So, for all of you out there who watch the Bachelorette, what did you think of last night’s show?

Recap:

Last night we saw Jillian and the boys take a multi-day train ride through the Rocky Mountains, which I for one, would love to do. The scenery on the trip looked absolutely amazing!

Jillian first went on a one on one Robbie the bartender. She did not feel he was ready for the long term and gave him the boot. He was cute, but she’s right, he is probably too young and doesn’t seem quite like he knows what he wants in life yet. Later, Jillian had a date with Kiptyn, Michael, Wes, Jesse, Tanner and Jake where they went snowshoeing and hung out at a dream cabin. Wes let it be known that he is basically there for promoting himself (as if we didn’t know that). Tanner decided that he would put himself out there (as he thinks that he is too shy sometimes) and showed off his package (covered up though) in front of Jillian and the rest of the guys. I can’t help but laugh at him. Later in the hot tub (there’s always got to be a hot tub), she gave my man Kiptyn the rose.

Jillian had her second one on one with Reid, who the boys say is neurotic (and he is a little bit). They went snowboarding and she was impressed that he decided to snowboard when he did not know how (apparently he knows how to ski really well). They spent some time in an ice lounge and then cozied up together. She seems to like him and she gave him a rose.

Rose Ceremony:

Jillian pulls Michael aside as she’s not quite sure if he’s ready at his age for a lifetime commitment. He assures her that he is (and seems to be telling the truth). Jillian has already given out two roses and can only give three more. She gives the three roses to Wes, Jesse and Michael, which means that Tanner and Jake are out.

My thoughts:

I felt really bad for Jake (aka Mr. Perfect). My husband and I have said every time that we see him that he needs to calm it down when he’s around Jillian as it seems that he fell for her way too fast and seems as though he could be a pushover. He was laying his cards down way to quickly and that always scares women (and men) off. But, in his post interview, you can tell that this happens to him a lot and that’s really sad. He’s cute, super nice, employed, and seems as though he really would like to fall in love and get married. He’s the type of man that we women should go for and yet, because he doesn’t seem to have any bad boy in him, we don’t. It’s wrong that we women always complain about men being jerks, yet when the good ones come along, we throw them away. So, I felt bad for him.

I sooo wish she would have gotten rid of Wes. I cannot see what Jillian sees in him and it sucks for her that she doesn’t realize who he truly is. I really wish that Tanner would have whispered when he was leaving that Wes is the one with the girlfriend. He didn’t…but, in the previews for next week, it looks like Jake comes back to let her know. Yay! Usually I don’t like vengeance as it can look desperate, but I really don’t like Wes and think that him lying to Jillian is making her look bad, and so I hope that Jake tells her the truth and that she believes him. If she doesn’t, then something is wrong with that girl. If she really wants a long term partner, she has to stay away from the bad boys and if everyone is telling you he is bad and that he’s not there for you, then there is usually some truth to that. Sometimes you can believe what you hear.

My favorites are Reid and Kiptyn and I am still rooting for Kiptyn to go all the way. He was my choice from the first time they showed him, so I’m glad he’s still there. On Deanna’s season though, Jason was my pick from the first time they showed him, so my judgment may not always be the best. Hopefully Kiptyn doesn’t end up being like him.

By the way, they keep hinting that later in the season about somebody not being able to “perform” in the bedroom physically, but I think they are just messing with us. I mean, really, would she let it be known on TV if she was going to go that far with someone. Seriously doubt it.
Well, Tanner is out. No more talk of foot fetishes, which made me laugh, so I’m going to miss that. Jake, you are sweet and you will find someone, just don’t push too hard to find it. Wes, I hope you go home soon. Jesse, I’m not sure about you yet. You seem cool. Michael, you are fun and sweet, but you are probably a little too young. Reid and Kiptyn, I hope you are the two that make it to the end.

Some of Jack's Firsts

Well, there's a reason they call it Hotlanta. It was darn hot this weekend and so we decided it would be a perfect time to get Jack into the baby pool I bought him a couple of weeks ago. We went over to my moms house so that she could see his first time too. Jack looked so cute in his little surfer shorts with his big belly hanging out!

By the way, it was Father's Day. Jack, you have the greatest father in the world!

Jack got used to the water pretty fast. He's always done well with baths, so I figured he would probably be ok, but you never know if babies are going to start screaming when you put them in water.

Look at those baby rolls...CUTE!!!

I'm glad that Jack seemed to like the water and have fun. I should have bought some water toys for him to play with in there, although he can't quite sit fully unassisted yet and those will probably be more useful then.

A couple of weeks ago, we gave Jack rice cereal for the first time. Now, I'm not sure if any of you other mothers have tasted this before giving it to your child, but I'm surprised Jack did not call social services on us for making him eat this stuff. It tastes like wallpaper paste mixed with metal particles. It's absolutely gross and Jack agrees:

Needless to say, I couldn't keep the rice cereal in his mouth for too long. Why do the manufacturers of rice cereal or doctors even recommend it if its not going to go down the babies throat??? I assume that it's easiest on their stomachs and so that is why you should start off with that, but my child is clearly not pleased with it!

After a few rice cereal feedings, I decided that I wanted to try something that Jack actually might eat. My husband and I decided that we wanted to start Jack on a few different vegetables before starting him on fruits in hopes that it might allow him to get used to liking vegetables before giving him something sweeter. So we chose squash, which apparently, is actually a fruit (stupid us), but used more like a vegetable because they are not sweet. I have always thought of squash as a vegetable though, so I am going to keep on thinking that.

Here's the first attempt:


"Mommy, if this tastes anything like what you have given me so far, I'm going to be really upset"...

"What the heck...I'm going to vomit"...

"Why do you all hate me so much???"...

So clearly, I thought that he didn't like it. It was written all over his face. He was mad, so we then fed him his bottle and decided to try again afterwards. Well, after the bottle, look what happened...

He actually liked it and wanted to keep eating it! I guess I made the mistake of trying to feed him the new food before his bottle and he just wanted the bottle first. It went fine after the bottle. Yay! I'm so happy that he likes squash. That's my boy!

Therapy Thursday

Like many couples, my husband and I would both like learn how to communicate more effectively with each other. As I mentioned in my confessions, I need to learn how to control my anger (not in general everyday life as I tend not to be an angry person for no reason, but rather in arguments). When I want to talk to my husband about my wants, my feelings, or something that is upsetting me, I start off calm and I mean to remain so. The difficulty is that my husband is not as comfortable with relationship talks and can sometimes pull away and not be open to talking to me. I realize he is not as comfortable as me but when he retreats and tells me that he does not want to talk about it and keeps putting the issues off, I start to build up resentments because I cannot get my feelings out. So, when we start a conversation at a later time, those resentments are there and when I see him retreating, I get angered more easily.

I am not quite sure how to deal with this. I would like to not hold on to previous anger and just deal with things in the present time. But how is that possible? I feel that my husband would like me to forget any previous “issues” we have had and not bring them into the conversations we have now, but how can you not be affected by the way things have happened before if they have not been resolved? How can we find a way to talk constructively (which for me means not getting angry and for him, not retreating and thinking that I am trying to criticize?). I think this is one of the hardest parts of marriage. Luckily, I have a husband who is open to working things out and I think we can find ways to improve our communication. Our relationship overall is pretty darn great, but I know that it I am going to have to make some changes within myself and not just expect him to...and I am going to give it my all, so we don’t keep going in circles.

Jack at 5 Months

Jack, you are five months old today...

• You are getting better at sitting every day. You can hold your own for a little bit in the tripod position.



• You are incredibly strong and pull at everything, including my hair (please stop doing that because I have too little hair as it is).

-- You love standing on your legs and act like you are "the man" for doing it.

• -- Your only other food besides formula that you have had is rice cereal, which tastes like wallpaper paste (as mommy and daddy know as we stupidly decided to taste it). Hold on one more month or so baby, then you will get the good stuff...like sweet potatoes, bananas, and squash (not sure if you'll like the squash).



• If we try and put a cookie in front of your mouth to see if you will suck on it, you turn your head every time. Yet if we put a scoop of formula in front of your mouth, you chomp down on it. I am perplexed by this. You obviously can't be my son if you don't want cookies!



• You are trying your hardest to move/crawl when you are on your belly and pushing yourself up. You grunt a lot since you cannot make that happen yet.



• You are about 17 lbs, 5 oz and 26 3/4 inches long. You are in the 77th percentile for weight and 89th for height. You're still a big boy!



• You're just about to grow out of a size 2 diaper.



• You have sprouted a little more hair (or fuzz as we like to call it). You are still pretty bald though.



• You have learned that the pacifier is supposed to go in your mouth and you try on your own to put it in there (you have only done it correctly once and I was very proud).



• There are times when we can get you to hold your bottle for 30 seconds to a minute. We know it's just a fluke when you do, but it seems like you want to.



• You love to play peek-a-boo.



• You still sleep through the night...for the most part. We have our days when you are up four or five times and we cannot figure out why.



• We feel no teeth poking through yet, but swear you are teething (indicated by the massive amount of drool and overwhelming need to put everything in your mouth).



• You are a mellow baby and many people comment on how good you are.



• You are still the cutest and sweetest baby in your mom and dad's eyes and we still can't believe how much we love you!

Friend Makin' Mondays...On a Tuesday

Every Monday over at Kasey's All That is Good Blog, she gives directions for Friend Makin' Mondays which includes a different activity to be done by readers on their own blogs to get to know their fellow bloggers. Usually, it is anything from answering questions, sharing pictures, and things that help everyone to get know each other and support each other better. I have seen this on a couple of blogs and have decided to join in...albeit a day late...

Today's task is confessions:

1. There is a candy jar at work with bite size candy bars and I usually eat anywhere from 5-10 a day. I think I eat probably the equivalent of 3 full candy bars on a daily basis. This does not help me lose any of the pregnancy weight and probably why I have been stagnant with the weight loss.
2. I have not told any of my family (including my husband) or close friends about this blog yet as I am afraid they will judge me for it.
3. I miss the freedom I had before I had a child. I would not trade my baby for anything though.
4. I feel that I do not read or watch enough educational books or programs and fill my brain with too much useless knowledge...but that this is all my brain can handle right now.
5. Related to number 4, I watch way too much reality television.
6. Like Kasey , I was engaged once before the current hubby. While I will always have fond memories of that man, I do not regret ending the engagement as it has brought me where I am today.
7. I need anger management. I do not handle arguments well as my husband can attest to.
8. Even though I have a great life and a pretty good self esteem, I often feel that people are more "with it" than I am and have more exciting lives.
9. I tend to space out. I was given a most likely award by my cheer group in high school called most likely to space out.

Ok everyone. I have confessed, now it's your turn. Go here for the rules.