SICK, SICK, SICK

Whenever Jono shaves his Winter beard, he comes down halfway through to show me how cool he looks with a mustache. I'm always really impressed.

Jude in a Striped Shirt

Here are some photos I took of Jude in his red and blue striped shirt. I hope you like them.

We don't get out much right now.

900 Pictures of Jude Sitting

So I used to think it was lame when people would post 900 pictures of their babies that were pretty much the same photo -- the baby would just be in a slightly different position in each shot, or he/she would be opening their 17th first birthday present and dealing with the wrapping paper in a different manner than the 16 before it. I still think this sort of thing can go too far. While looking at these types of photos I would get really bored.

That's my disclaimer for the album I just posted. I have no excuse except that for some reason when it's Jude, each facial expression is hilarious and this or that angle makes his cheeks look just that much chubbier. (He's adding new ones to his arsenal by the day. I can hardly keep up.)

The only thing that makes me feel slightly less self indulgent is that most of our immediate family is almost as obsessed as we are, and they make up at least 50% of the people who check this blog regularly. So scoff if you must. I'm posting them anyway.

Don't forget to note how each expression is vastly different from the one before it - ha!

Baby Wearing

Jude is already a wee bit spoiled. He's so used to being held by everyone that he doesn't want to be put down. For a couple of days last week I was feeling exasperated because I couldn't get anything done. He would fuss in his carseat, fuss in his buzzy seat, and fuss in his swing. The only place he didn't fuss was in my arms. And as cute as he is, sitting around all day holding him was getting a little boring.

My saving grace: BABY WEARING. Wearing your child involves wrapping him up close against your body using a long bolt of cloth. I wrap the cloth around my hips, across my back and shoulders, and then tie it tightly around my waist. Then I form a pocket out of one of the sections of cloth and put Jude into it. I wrap him up tightly using the surrounding sections. He's snug as a bug, and we both love it. Jude because he is swaddled, secure and warm against his mom, and me because my hands are free and I can do things, plus I know where he is at all times (and can occasionally nuzzle the top of his down-covered head.) He usually zonks out within minutes of being put into the wrap, lulled to sleep by the warmth, my heartbeat, and the rhythm of my footsteps going up and down the stairs.

I think it's more hip than your typical baby carrier. (I told my friend Kristen it's really important I look hip while I'm home all day with the baby and the dog). I highly recommend these things to all new parents. Even guys look cool in them, trust me. I can't wait until it warms up a bit and we can actually venture outdoors in this thing. I plan on taking him on lots of hikes around town and through the woods in it.

Meanwhile I'll tromp around the house and look out the window occasionally. It was so cold last week that I literally did not set foot outside with Jude for about six days straight, except for one time when one of my feet touched the back deck as I took the trash out. Jono thought that was pretty funny. And it's definitely a first for me.

A Little Personality

As of this morning, this was his first smile captured on camera :)

First Incidence of Bedhead

Like a little plume of smoke rising from a campfire. It stood up like that all day long. Yum.

Bundled

When you're born on the cusp of Winter, you can expect to be dressed in a bear suit.

Glamour Shots

Jude had his first photo shoot with my friend/co-worker Lynell. Enjoy :)

Score One for Mom

In a previous post I talked about having a dry spell with getting smiles from Jude. That stage was short-lived. My little boy gave me four smiles in a row one day last week. Two were from behind his pacifier. I could tell he was smiling because of his eyes, and when I pulled out the paci, there it was. It doesn't get much cuter than a baby smiling coyly from behind a pacifier. Since then he's given me at least one every day, usually when I'm about to change his diaper. Taking care of him was rewarding before. Now I'm just plain overpaid.

I also overcame my apprehension and learned how to use a breast pump last week. Three whole hard-earned ounces!!! Not my favorite thing to do (I feel like a heifer), but worth it when I need a bit of freedom. I was fighting the idea for awhile because it seemed incredibly...unnatural, first of all, but also because I didn't want to mess up the supply-and-demand of my milk supply when it was still getting itself established.

My next big hurdle as a new mother: cloth diapering. Before Jude was born I often said I didn't even want to know how convenient disposable diapers were. But after consulting with a few other parents who use cloth, we were advised to use disposable for the first month or two because of the petite nature of newborns and the frequency with which they "squirt" (which is what we call it around here. Not pooping - squirting. Because that's what it sounds like.) Anyway, it's been nice while it lasted, but we're moving on as soon as our shipment of diapers comes in. We'll let you know how it goes.