Tummy Time

Birdman likes Tummy Time. For about a minute.

Then his head gets too heavy for his toothpick neck.

Here are some recent pictures from a few episodes of:Tummy Time with Junior Birdman.

PS: I think his eyes will be BLUE!!

The Loot

Birdman's first Christmas was exciting and fun! He tore into the packages with unabashed excitement. He ate candy like it was the last sugar on earth. He woke up early screaming Santa Claus is Coming To Town at the top of his lungs...

Not really. He actually slept in to a leisurely 8:30 am (due to the egg nog the night before) and then sat around with a cute expression as we opened his gifts.

Here is the damage:

Clothes and a Lightning McQueen from Grandpa and Grandma M., Books from cousins and Grandpa and Grandma J, A fancy 2 dollar bill, Additional Cash for his 529 savings plan from Aunties, Uncles, and Grandpa and Grandma K (college! never too early to plan), some sweet Teddy Ruxpin books and tapes for dad's old Teddy Ruxpin (Grandma J searched high and low for on the black market), some toys from cousins, and a Sweet Stokke high chair from us. He made out like a bandit.
Here he is sitting in his new high chair (he is still a few months off from using it regularly) And here it is pushed up to the table. Birdman told us he wanted it so he can sit at the table with us and use it for years to come. What a Smart Young Man.

He has a special message for everyone:

Merry Christmas,

Love Junior Birdman (we're working on his originality)

The First Run In

Saturday we took Junior Birdman to see Santy Claus at Macy's. It was a joyous meeting, as evidenced in the picture below.

Birdman whispered all of the desires of his heart into the bearded man's ear (mainly things about "more food" and "less work") and Mr. Claus responded with a Ho Ho Ho and Merry See You Next Year When You Know What The Heck is Really Going On.

8's

I got Tagged. finally!! I have been waiting and waiting for a tag. Hooray for tagging....

Here is my tag: Things of 8. Or as I have renamed the blog: Things of Eight That No One Really Wants to Know, But I am Telling You Anyway.

8 TV Shows I Watch
Disclaimer: When I was home with Junior Birdman, I watched a fair amount of the tube while he was sleeping....
1. The Office
2. I have a sick addiction to America's Next Top Model
3. I HAD a sick addiction to Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Mainly because Hello Sextuplets!!! Then I got over it.
4. Little People Big World (They are Little People in a Big World....the title alone!)
5. Cash Cab. I can't get enough of this one!!! I Love it!
6. Iron Chef. Wow. The Replays! The Secret Ingredient! The Judges faces!!
7. Ace of Cakes. I don't catch this one very often, but AM-A-Zing. I can hardly frost a cake..
8. The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Funny. Hilarious. Games. Dunking people in the Dunking Booth! Fun times had by all

8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. Dropped Birdman off at Day Care. (insert sad, forlorn sigh here)
2. Went to a presentation on an Electronic Document Management System. For Five Hours.
3. Went to the Doctor
4. Drank two pints of Chocolate Milk (not at the same time)
5. Made Quesedilla's out of the Taco makin's from Sunday
6. Picked Birdman Up from Day Care (Insert Joyful, elated, happy dance here)
7. Snuggled with Birdman after work and before dinner
8. Gave Birdman a bath and laughed because he only kicks and splashes with his right foot.

8 Favorite Places to Eat
1. Chili's...I don't know why, but I love it.
2. The Ram
3. Ono (Hawaiian and absolutely fabulous)
4. Rita's House or The Gilettley's House (not restaurants but some Kick @#$ cooks from Toronto/the mission
5. Texas Roadhouse
6. White Water Pizza
7. The Brick Oven Bistro (lovingly referred to as The Beanery)
8. George's Deli

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. Everyday: Holding Junior Birdman in my arms at the end of the day
2. Everyday: Seeing my Honey come home
3. Getting some Shut Eye
4. Paying off the car and student loan
5. Having a Conversation with my son.
6. My Anniversary!! Saturday!!
7. When My Brain will come back from being Pregnant
8. Building New Traditions

8 Things on My Wishlist
1. To Be A Great Mom
2. Gift Cards to Borders. Like Forever
3. New Shoes
4. To Be Content
5. Time to make Jewelry
6. Time with my little family
7. To remember every moment with Junior Birdman
8. 8 more wishes

8 people I tag...if you haven't already done it...
Mar, Kaintie, Tara, Ken, Becky, Rachael, Melissa, Anyone else who reads this???
If you do it, leave a comment on this blog that you did so I can read it!
Kisses....

Sadness...

It is SO hard being such a tiny baby....

Quirky, I am Not

So, my sister tagged me to write 6 quirky things about myself, and in my search, nay, my quest to find some quirky things, I have discovered that I am quirkily UN-quirky. My Husband and I were driving to Twin Falls, Idaho, and on the way I was brainstorming my quirks.

Unfortunately, the TWO things I came up with, my sisters have already listed as quirks on their blogs: 1) Before I go to bed, the covers, pillows, sheets, etc., all have to be perfectly made. And the Husband cannot mess up my side or I get very upset and I can't sleep well. and 2) When I take a shower I have to do the same things in the same order: Shampoo, Condition, Wash the Body, Wash the Face, Brush the Teeth, Rinse the Body, Rinse the Hair.

That is it. My two quirks> that apparently are shared in my family, so who knows if they are really quirks?

I tried for Days! I would walk up to my Husband and say "what about blah blah blah", and he would look at me with a bit of sadness in his eyes and say "Honey, that isn't that quirky" That must have happened twenty times.

He on the other hand, plenty of quirks. P-L-E-N-T-Y. I will share a few in this post:
1) He constantly checks to see if his wallet is in his back pocket. Not like one or two times a day, but constantly. When we go to the movie theatre, during the movie he will check upwards to twenty times to ensure it is in his pocket.
2) If he irons in the morning, and knows that he turned it off and unplugged it, he has been known, more than once, to drive home from work to double check that it is unplugged. Even if he knows.
3) He can quote the entire Wizard of Oz
4) If, when watching a movie, there is any dust on the TV or Lamp, etc, he has to get up and clean it, which leads to cleaning something else, and so on and so on...
5) Eats his potato chips with ketchup
6) Some fabrics have been declared "drying" by him....fleece, micro suede, etc, and cannot be tolerated.

So, there you go. Because I am unquirky, i.e, Boring, I had to cheat and use him.
I tag the two people that read my blog....

Two Months Old!

Dear Junior Birdman,
What a great month! You are getting so big. Gigantic is what I call you most of the time, because you seem so gigantic to me! When I hold you in my arms, Dad will look at you and say "he is getting so big". It is true. You are growing by leaps and bounds. Mostly growing in a Round way, around the middle area. You grow out of your clothes so fast! We bought you some "real pants", instead of the staple of your wardrobe: Sweat Pants with Elastic waistbands and we should have bought the next size up, because when we put them on you and buttoned the button, your pudge spilled over the sides in a newborn muffin top....it was cute! But also alarming that you are gaining weight so fast and furious. (We went to the doc for your two month check up: 90% for Height and 95% for Weight!)
You love to eat. You never miss a meal, that is for sure. And you go from zero to STARVING in five seconds. At night, if I don't feed you fast enough, you start freaking out sometimes, and won't settle down enough to realize that you can eat.....But, really, that is the only time you really "freak out". You started smiling this month!! We were so excited to see you move your smile from during your sleeping hours to actually smiling. At Us. While you are awake. It is the sweetest smile. You smile with your eyes, like your dad. You still laugh in your sleep, and I can't wait for you to laugh on purpose. You also started mimicking me a little bit, if I stick my tongue out, you'll do the same. You are sleeping better. 7 to 8 hours at a time. It is glorious. Now. When you first started sleeping for longer periods, I couldn't handle it. I kept waking up, checking on you, listening to you on the monitor, wondering if you were okay. In the last week or so, I have been able to sleep for longer periods and not worry about you as much. You met your aunts and uncles from the Kieffer side this month. Sadly, my grandmother passed away, and we traveled to Utah for her funeral. You were the star of the show, and I have fully accepted the fact that it will no longer be exciting for them to see ME, but you will forever be the excitement. That is okay, because they LOVE you. My cousin, Diana took some awesome pictures of our family, and of you...they turned out fantastic (some of her photos are featured here and her photo blog is here)/

Unfortunately, you also got your first bug while we were there. You got a cold and haven't felt good for about 2 weeks now. I totally freaked out that first night, worried to death about you, as you stopped breathing due to the snot build up. You still aren't feeling very good, and this cold has gone through the house. But, even though you are sick, you are still a happy, sweet baby.

One of my favorite times of the day with you is the morning, when you are taking your morning nap. We cuddle and I look at you and you are so peaceful. I can't imagine that you were in my belly. Life with you feels natural. Perfect.

Love,
Mama

Favorite Baby Stuff: Installment #1

I am working on the 2nd Month of Junior Birdman's life update, but it is still in the making. Instead, I will share with you a few of my favorite things for babies:

#1: The Miracle Blanket

This blanket is the ultimate swaddler. We did okay with receiving blankets, but this blanket makes it so much easier. Birdman likes to be swaddled at night, it helps him sleep. And this blanket has flaps for his arms, a pouch for his feet, and extra material that goes all around his middle. I LOVE this. After he puked on it on the second night home, and we had to do the laundry in the middle of the night, we went and bought a second one. Since Week 6, Birdman has been sleeping about 7-8 hours per night! This blanket makes the whole swaddling process So Much Easier. Instead of the blankets coming loose, we strap him into this little straight jacket, and he loves it...and we love it too. And he sleeps good. And we love it even more because of that.

#2: The BOB

I love love love this stroller. It has the smoothest ride, mad shocks and is fun to take out and use. I can take it anywhere, to the mall, outside, hiking (if I wanted to)...but it is amazing. The front wheel unlocks and swivels, so I can take it inside stores with the greatest of ease. It has a big shade, and an attachment for our car seat. I went on a walk with another mom the other day, she had a Travel System Stroller, and I was really glad that we purchased the BOB. It is Awesome....folds down a bit big, but it is easy to fold and unfold and it is fun fun fun.

#3: Diaper Caddy
I Love this diaper caddy. We tote it all around the house. Since we two levels at our house, it is nice to be able to tote around all of the things we need from upstairs to downstairs. It has a little drawer that we keep his fingernail clippers, nursing pads, thermometer etc. in.

#4: The Sleepy Wrap

PS: This picture is not of me.....

Of all the carriers that are out there: Slings, Pouches, Bjorns, etc. I LOVE this one. I have a sling and a Bjorn, but the Sleepy Wrap is so comfortable. It doesn't hurt my back, and I am comfortable going "hands free". And I get a lot of compliments on it. I was a little apprehensive at first, because it is a long piece of material I have to wrap around my body like I am a mummy, but I think it is the best thing out there. Junior likes it too. He usually falls right asleep on our little walks.

Darn you Bulb Syringe!!

This is the bane of my, Junior Birdmans, and my Darling Husband's existence right now....Junior Birdman is fighting off a cold, and I have to suck the snot out of his nose every five minutes. And he yells and screams and it makes me so sad....

Our Tiny Pirate: tRiCk Or TrEaTiNg footage!

Our tiny Pirate

aaaarrrrggghhhh...remember when I was a waitress and I would tell the patrons Pirate Jokes, in hope to get bigger tips...well, that never happened, but Gram was a little Pirate for Halloween...and I very handsome one at that....and scary....aaaarrgghhhhh....

One Month Old

Dear Junior Birdman....

I know, weird that we call you that. We have called you that since you first came home....you know, like "Where's Junior Birdman?" "Oh, he's in his room, reading a book" or "Hey, have you seen Junior Birdman?" "Oh, he's online again, researching colleges"...

I want to start documenting your progress by the month. So, I am late for this month...but I regret not doing more documentation when you were in my belly, so I really want to make up for it here.

Being your mom has really been amazing. And crazy, different, insane, and rewarding. I remember saying in my Prenatal Water Aerobics class: I can take such good care of him now, inside my belly, but when he comes out, what the heck do I do? Well, I quickly found out that the answers are inside. And it just comes naturally as I look at your sweet face.....

This month you have made a lot of progress....like, learning how to eat. Wow that was painful. But I think we have a hang of it now, and it works pretty good! If I don't immediately read your hunger cues and take care of business, you freak out. You get that from me. So I totally understand why hunger=total freak out. You LOVE your food. Which is definitely reflected in the fact that you are chubbing RIGHT OUT. You wore Newborn clothes for the first few weeks. Then all of the sudden you started gaining weight and busted out of those. You are definitely getting Roundish! At your five day check up, you weighed 8 lbs. One Week Later: 8 lbs, 13 ozs. 13 ozs. in ONE WEEK. It is expected for newborns to gain 6 ozs a week. You are totally The Newborn Valedictorian of Weight Gain.

And you follow us with your eyes now. It is fun to see you interact with us a bit, since most of the time you are sleeping....

Sleeping: You do that really really well. You are a NOISY sleeper. So LOUD. Grunting and groaning and sighing. We swaddle you at night, and my favorite part of the morning is when we unwrap you and you take ten minutes to stretch. You throw your little arms above your head and S-T-R-E-T-C-H your little heart out. We used to take naps together in the morning on my bed for a few weeks, but I can't nap anymore because you are so loud....sometimes I put my hand on your belly so you know I am close and you usually quiet down. I like to think it is because you know I am there, but I think it just distracts you from whatever you are dreaming about and grunting at.

You hold your head up like a champ. If I hold you upright on my chest and you aren't feeling restfull, you will hold your head up and look at me, or look around.

You like Tummy Time. You like to eat. You like to be cuddled. I love Cuddling you and couldn't put you down for the first week I had you all to myself. I just sat on the couch and cuddled you. Your little chair or swing didn't see much action that week. I barely got a shower.

Your grandparents LOVE YOU. On both sides. They love to hold you and kiss you and love you. Your Grandma and Grandpa Kieffer came to visit after you were born and they couldn't get enough of you! How can you blame them? Grandma Jensen loves you so much and misses you and Grandpa Millard just holds you and looks and looks and looks at you....You are definitely the star of the show and I have learned, it isn't about me any longer.

You are the best baby. I am so excited to be your mama. And, as I keep telling you "Mama Loves You".

Love,

Mama

Welcome Junior Birdman

Well, he came. It was awesome. It has been awesome. It is awesome. Five weeks later, I am totally in love with the little guy.

I don't know how anyone gets anything done. I just want to stare at him and cuddle him EVERY SINGLE MINUTE....

We affectionately refer to him as Junior Birdman. I don't really know why, exactly, but that is what I will refer to him on this website, as to protect his anonymity. You know, from stalkers and the like.

Here are some pictures:

Right after they yanked him from my belly...

A few hours old, after his first bath....

At home, a few days old...

One week old...

Two Weeks Old...

Now he is chubbier...more on that tomorrow.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

It is This Thursday. That is D Day.....

We went to the doc today. I am at 4 cm. Which is great, but come on baby, L-E-T-S-G-O Let's Go Let's Go! I had a minor breakdown this weekend about him not coming.

Now, I know you are thinking, as is EVERYONE "you aren't due until tomorrow" And that is why I promptly punch you in the nose.

Three weeks ago, I was at a 2 and the doc said, hmmmm, I bet you won't make it 2 weeks.
2 weeks later she says (on Thursday) wow, you are at a 3.5, I bet you won't make it past the weekend.
It is the anticipation and excitement and let down that is killing me. Because I thought for sure he would be here by now. Especially with medical expertise backing that up!

That and everyone at work saying such helpful things like "WOW you are STILL here?" and "I didn't expect to see you here this late" and "How are you feeling, besides Huge". Well, I will tell you how I am feeling: Like filliping the bird to anyone that says things like: "Oh, with a boy, you could have two more weeks" or "I was stuck at 2 cm for like 3 or 4 weeks" or "I thought you would have been done by now" or "Have you dropped? I don't think you have", or the sweet old bag in the elevator that asked if I was having twins. Twins. I took her cane and hit her in the knee.

Anyhoo, we scheduled an induction on Thursday if nothing happens before then. I would be totally freaking out if I didn't have that bright spot of hope in my life....

Here's to Gram and Thursday: L-E-T-S-G-O!

Smugglin Pumpkins

My sister asked me if I was bigger in the belly area than when she was visiting in July.

I should say so....

Oh and another thing....

Feel a bit weird about riding around with an empty carseat in my car.
So, in order for that carseat to be filled, here are Things I've Been Doing to Get This Kid Moving:


1. We went on a long #$% walk the other day along the lovely Boise Greenbelt. Most of the reason it ended up being about two miles, is we were looking for a bathroom, and instead of turing back, said to ourselves: There has to be one around this bend. There was, a mile later.....so more walking, I think...right?


2. Sitting on The Ball. Rumor has it this will help. So far, I have just been bouncing around.


3. Eating Spicy Foods. Do Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings count?

4. Getting a Pedicure. I got a sweet gift card to a local spa and am going to get the Deluxe Floating Feather Pedicure. Here is the Divine Description:

Deluxe Floating Feather® Pedicure: 75-minute treatment. This ultimate pedicure starts off with a relaxing foot soak and includes nail grooming, cuticle maintenance, and oil massage of the cuticles. An exfoliating scrub is rubbed on the feet and the calves followed by an extended foot massage. The feet are then dipped into a paraffin wax followed by a foot mask. This refreshing treatment is finished with a polish application.
Sounds Divine to me. I will let you know how that goes!

5. I finished things at work that were hanging over my head. FINISHED I said. The stress should be gone, no? PS I even went into work late today. And left early (mainly due to paint fumes and did not want to get the child high before he even comes into this world).

6. There are "other" ways, but I will not post about them, as I know you are all innocent. Not saying we have tried them or anything, just sayin....

Any ideas out there??

Is he ever coming???

That is my question for the day.
I don't think he is.
I think I am stuck being pregnant for the rest of my life.
And huge.

Ankles: What the hey?

We went to a concert last night.

Great music.

Lots of standing.

Lots.

During this pregnancy, my ankles and feet have stayed REALLY close to regular size. Surprisingly.

Then this week, they decided to start to swell a bit here and there. Then last night, post-concert they looked like this:

Please notice how my knees are "normal". Then my ankles are like twice the size. That is exactly what it looked like. My shoes BARELY came off. With a bit of Pam. And a bit of tugging.

Pregnancy PERKS

There are a few perks to being pregnant.

I read in a magazine that one lady told her husband that the smell of dishwashing detergent made her sick while she was pregnant, so she couldn't do the dishes. I haven't gone that far.

A few perks:

• Everyone thinks you look cute, even though you resemble a whale


• You can wear the same clothes in a week, because everyone understands that you just don't want to buy that many prego clothes


• People look at you and smile


• Sometimes they hold the door for you, or carry heavy things for you, or offer you a chair, or water. Only offer you water, and no one else in your group. Ahh the joy!

But the best perk? Chili's Salsa.

After swimming class, sometimes I cruise by Chili's and get some chips and salsa. I don't know where else you can get a bag of chips and some salsa for $2.99. Plus, I LOVE the stuff. I just get it to go and then pig out. A few times that I have called, I have asked for extra salsa, and said "it's because I am pregnant and I LOVE it. I will even pay more for extra salsa". They usually just give me an extra tub or two.

On Monday when I called, I said, I am pregnant and I love the stuff. This was the conversation that ensued between Andrew, the Holder of Salsa, and I:

-I Love your Salsa. I am pregnant and I need an order to go. Stat.

- Oh great. That is so awesome. Babies are great. How far along are you?

-About 32 weeks. Now...about this salsa thing....

-Wow. My wife had a baby last year and she loved Chili's Black Beans and Queso Dip. We have an 8 month old. She is the cutest thing and so much fun....

- Cool. Wow. Back to me and my needs. I LOVE the salsa and can't get enough. I need some to go, but can I get extra? Like a LOT of extra? And a Straw. Or just a straight IV into my arm?

-Of course, crazy pregnant woman.

This is what was waiting for me when I arrived:

Yes, each tub was individually labled for each month:

Viva la Chili's!

Gigantic Proportions

I have reached a milestone. Hugeness