A Report From the “Keeping Tiffany Honest” Watchdog Organization

On May 2, 2008, Tiffany wrote these words on her blog after I (Jordan) graduated from BYU. I have not modified the words, and they can be found in context on Tiffany’s blog. I present this as exhibit A.

“I'm glad Jordan is no longer actually attending BYU, hopefully the subject of BYU will not come up much in the future, because when Dad was trying to get Stadium of Fire tickets, and it was looking like he would not get them, I made a personal promise that if, oh if, Dad could get tickets, Please, that I would not ever, ever make fun of BYU again. (I know this is shocking, and it's not even that I wanted to see Miley Cyrus at all, it's that one of my life goals is to be the Stadium of Fire Super Fan when I'm 95, and though the committee that chooses such things--okay, it doesn't exist yet--might overlook the ONE time I've missed--yes, ONE time since the beginning of Stadium of Fire existence--and that because Darren would not let me go with a one-month old baby--oh, I would've gone--the committee would not overlook a lame excuse like ‘It was hard to get tickets. EVERYONE wanted to see Miley Cyrus.’
‘Miley who?’ they will say.
So you see, I had to make that promise, and Dad DID get tickets. So let's all agree to not talk about BYU anymore. It is a matter of eternal importance.”

I now present to you exhibit B: a quote taken from the comments section of the November 1, 2008 post on our blog.

“Hey Jordan--did you know that here in Utah we are all afraid to wear our red shirts? No one wants to get hit with a Max Hall pass.”

Exhibit C is the November 25, 2008 post on Tiffany’s blog. I will not reproduce it here because it shocks the human soul and is repugnant to the eyes and ears. If you desire to subject yourself to such things, you may do so to your own detriment and at your own risk. All you need to know for our present purposes is that it “makes fun of BYU.”

With the evidence now before you, I invite you to ask yourself, “Has Tiffany broken that personal promise she made but months ago in a moment of gratitude for the Stadium of Fire?”

And last of all, to Tiffany I say: I’m watching…

Looks Can Be Deceiving

The above picture may lead you to believe that the joy of solid food is back. Oh how far from the truth that assumption would be. This picture was taken after one of our alternative method feeding sessions. James was given a bowl (one that Jordan and I use--a grownup bowl) with some pureed sweet potatoes in it. He was, of course, first stripped down to his diaper. Then we let him go to it while he sat on my lap. As you can see, he painted a pretty picture on his face, but that's about as close to his stomach as the sweet potatoes got.

This is a rather difficult time. All I can say to anyone approaching the introduction of solid foods is to take it slowly. It doesn't matter how much they eat. Getting a half a baby spoonful each day for months and enjoying eating is much better than what can result when you try to urge them to eat just a little more (i.e. refusing to try anything and vomiting whenever food makes it into the mouth). Follow your child's cues. When he/she turns his/her head, let that be the end of the feeding. If anything, give the baby less than they may want to keep the desire alive.

This of course is just my experience (however an excerpt I read in a pediatric book today confirmed my sad mistakes). I simply feel the need to warn that I may possibly prevent anyone else from making the mistakes I did. I also feel that there is no need to rush thickening the cereal...I think that was what pushed James over the edge. Humans have their whole life to eat...no need to rush things. Make it a happy, fun, pleasant experience. Don't worry that they need to eat more. Trying to persuade to eat more seems only to lead to eating less. If only I'd known how important and fragile those first two weeks were.

The good news is that James is happy and healthy in spite of his distrust of anything but mother's milk. I am just thankful he doesn't have any teeth yet, because I have a feeling I might be nursing him a little longer than I'd planned. Hopefully there will be a great turn around when he can pick up the food on his own and get it to his mouth. His doctor provided me with that hope. So, hope I will that it turns into a reality.

Happy eating!

Our Frightful October

What? My baby is how old? I can't believe James is already 7 months old and that he is crawling! This is the skill he is currently perfecting. The boxes in the background are to keep him from crawling to and eating the doormat and the shoes that have been left by the front door.

James had his first big boy bath sans baby tub.

Super wedgie all night long? Poor James...
(This caption is Jordan's contribution to this post).

This is just cute.

Grrr...

Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

On the prowl...

Meet Igor.

Yikes Jordan...what's that on your eye? James sure got you good.

Biscuits? Maybe I'll try that recipe again sometime. I may have mixed the dough 13 times too many.

Photo Tag

How perfect--a Halloween picture. This picture was taken in October of 2005 when we were engaged. I dressed as a clown for the Halloween party at North Star Elementary during my practicum in 1st grade. Jordan, of course, is...scared.

I tag Tiffany, Beth and Dan, Scott and Jessica, and the Langstraats. You must post the fourth picture in the fourth picture folder on your computer.

Thanks Amanda!

Oh The Joys of Solid Food

I have been eying the stuff Mommy and Daddy stick in their mouths and swallow for quite some time. The day finally arrived that I was allowed to partake myself, but to my dismay it was not the food that Mommy and Daddy had upon their plates. It was instead a glue-like substance called rice cereal. It was new, so I must admit I was interested at first. I ate it. The texture was different than anything I'd ever experienced. But, eating glue day after day with no variation gets old. Apparently, my gag reflex thought so too, because the last couple of times Mom and Dad have fed me, I've promptly gagged. Last week, Mom decided she'd try something new: oatmeal. She held it up on the spoon, I turned away...no more gluey muck...please give me real food. She managed to bring it just in front of my lips under my nose. I opened my mouth, but only to gag. I didn't even taste the stuff, but something inside said, "No." Mom and Dad have decided to give me a break for a little while...I think they're hoping that I'll forget or that my gag reflex will forget. Mommy says that my pediatrician told her to feed me cereals for 4-6 weeks before introducing any other foods. That's why I decided to post. My Mommy wants to do what the doctor says, but if she hears that there is another way from others, just maybe she'll try something else. If you know anything about starting babies on solid foods, could you, would you comment and tell my Mommy what she can do to overcome my gag reflex and bring back the joy of solid food? Thank you for listening. I look forward to the quick resolution of this very sensitive matter. --Sweet Baby James

A Blog of Gratitude

Things I am oh so very grateful for as a mother:

indoor plumbing
washing machines
clothes dryers
disposable diapers
stain remover
burp cloths
bibs
ceiling fans (James could watch our ceiling fans for hours...we pretty much have a "mobile" in every room he plays in)
carpet (less worry over head bumps and no mopping!)
bathtubs
baby towels with hoods
Boppy nursing pillows
washing machines
clothes dryers
bathtubs
running water
(did I mention some of those things already?)
hand sanitizer
refrigerators
baby smiles
owning more than one blanket and baby outfit and crib sheet...I think I'll be purchasing an extra mattress pad as well
black-out shades
car seat
Baby Bjorn
crib
a full night's sleep
picture books
dimples
laughter
having a front row seat to see the development of one adorable and fun little boy

Things James Can Do

A cute after (cold) morning walk face.

A cute after morning walk smile with both dimples!

"Read" his wordless book.

Wear his pants fashionably high.

Cuddle with Daddy while sporting a cute pouty face.

Look into the wind with joy.
(See the playa in the background? It is a natural phenomenon here...look it up.)

Sit up.

Grow long hair so that Mommy can play bathtub salon.

Eat fish.

Read upside down.

Turn his mobile on with his foot when he's done with nap time.

Chill.

Study the scriptures.

Unroll himself from his blanket.
(He now just wears a sleeper to bed to eliminate suffocation hazard caused by his new found mobility.)

Freeze.
(So that Mommy can't see him when he has unrolled himself from his blanket.)

Turn into a red marshmallow during Texas rainstorms.

Splash water all over his face in the bathtub. (If you look really close...)

Pretend to be a kitty cat, so that Daddy can relive childhood memories on his back porch in Lindon.

Smile big for the camera.

Pretend to be superman.
(His bib always seems to turn around backwards...)

Stick out his tongue one direction, while looking the other direction.

Roll. (He had been on his belly looking at his book).

Express elation upon accomplishing an impressive baby feat (rolling that is).

Stand with minimal support.

Swim indoors...on blankets or carpet.

Get his face stuck in a ring suspended from his bouncer.

Suck his thumb through the ring in which his face is stuck.

Look casual after managing to get his face stuck in the ring suspended from his bouncer.


Migrate across the room using the "rolling" method.
(He started out on his blanket.)

Thank You and I'm Sorry and Yay!

Thank you to all those who posted suggestions after my last post. James is doing better now. He can roll back on his own now. I also found some breathable baby bumpers that I will be purchasing.

I'm sorry that I have not posted for some time. I have been working on a slide show to tell the tale of the last couple of months. Downloading pics takes quite a while with our connection, so progress has been slow. I haven't been able to do it in one sitting. I will be posting it shortly. I will start posting current events in the meantime.

For those of you who are Utahns currently or who will be vacationing in Utah in December, we will be there for close to a month. Jordan gets a beautifully long winter break. We hope to be able to make lots of visits and play lots while we are back home.

Any Suggestions for Our Little Olympian?

So, James has started using his crib like a gymnasium. He grabs a slat and pulls while pushing against some slats with his feet, which results in a back to tummy roll. The only problem with this feat is that he can't get out of this position, which scares him, so he cries. He usually does it at the end of naps, but last night he did it in the middle of the night. Is there some way to keep him from doing this...from getting stuck? I've tried bumpers. I experimented two days ago and it seemed that he might not be able to grab the slats if there were bumpers, so I put them on. But then last night he rolled and got stuck and his face was up against the bumpers, so I am afraid he could suffocate. So, no more bumpers. Has anyone ever run into this with their babies? Any suggestions? Please post a comment.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I'm sorry we have been lacking in the posting arena. I was so proud of myself when I did those three posts in a row. I thought I was surely getting into the blogging groove and would be a faithful blogger from then on. Not to worry though, I have made a goal to do at least one post a week. Hopefully by publicly sharing my goal I will be more inclined to follow through.

All is well in the "Giant Side of Texas." I find myself occasionally producing a slight drawl as I speak when talking to someone with a Texan accent. We are assimilating well. Before we moved, we regularly heard from those who had visited Lubbock that the people are soooo nice. It is so very very true. Here are a couple of examples of Lubbockan kindness:

Exhibit A: James and I were out on a walk the other day (I was carrying him) and a man in a truck stopped and asked if we were going very far. He was of course alluding to his being able to give us a ride if needed.

Exhibit B: Jordan, James, and I were on a walk and a teenager riding along on his skateboard looked up as we passed and said "How're ya'll?" I responded and then asked "How are you?" Then he responded. I don't know that I've ever seen that happen before.

Exhibit C: Without fail as we are out on walks people we don't know wave and greet us...even when they are driving in their cars with their windows rolled up. Cars have always seemed to be some sort of bubble that the outside world can't penetrate. But not in Lubbock.

Exhibit D: Our first Sunday here a woman in our ward wrote down her phone number and told us to call if we needed help in any way: babysitters, mechanics, etc.

Exhibit E: Our first week here a couple in our ward had us over for dinner.

These last two instances lead me to my next item. I am so very grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since moving, we have seen the beauty of the organization of the Church. On our way to Texas, we called the nephew of the couple who bought our condo who happened to be a Texas Tech law student. We told him which ward we would be in when we got there. He then found our bishop's phone number for us. We called our bishop who called the Elder's Quorum President who got some people together to help us move in the next day. It was so neat. We were coming to a city that we had never before been and where we knew no one, but there to greet and help us when we arrived at our new apartment were members of our ward. It was a wonderful blessing. I am grateful that we have family wherever we go.

I must go make dinner. Soon to come: Pictures and events of the past 2 1/2 months.

Sweet Baby James

Swaddle Me

James loves to be swaddled. By day 5 of his life, he would put his arms straight at his sides when we put him on his swaddle blanket. He sleeps so very well swaddled. So...Jordan swaddled me one afternoon when I was feeling tired so that I could sleep well. Thanks hubsand!

One afternoon, James became tired while both of his swaddle blankets were being washed. I wanted him to be able to sleep well and not jolt himself awake, so I had to think creatively. I decided that a long sleeved footie pajama would do the trick if I just didn't put his arms through the arm holes...

As you can see, James outsmarted me...He has very good arm control.

I don't know why I even dress him...I think he's ready to dress himself...

I, however, would not allow myself to be defeated. I went back to the closet and acquired a sleeper that has elastic at the bottom--a sleep sack if you will--and put it on him over his pj's. At this point, he had one arm through the sleeve of the pj and one still tucked inside. After putting the sleep sack on him, I cleverly tied the sleeves in a knot, so that he couldn't proceed to dress himself as he had previously.


The above picture is James after a nice long nap. He slept quite well and didn't get his arms through the sleeves. He did, however, manage to push the once tucked away hand up out of the neck of both pj's. He is such a clever boy. I determined from this experience that I am grateful that I have my swaddle blankets.

If you are interested in some good 40" x 40" blankets that can grow with your baby because of their size, go to www.bbsleepsolutions.com. The blankets come with instructions for doing the "burrito"--James was sporting the "burrito" in an earlier post. bbsleepsolutions is a baby sleep consulting company. The program is great. I was introduced to it by a friend who had a baby sleep party at which the founder came and taught us about how to help our babies sleep well and also how to swaddle. I bought one blanket at the sleep party and the second at a sleep party that I held. If you are looking for a good sleep program for your baby, I highly recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D. and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D. The bbsleepsolutions program is based on these two books. James is a great sleeper and a very happy baby. He is already sleeping through the night. I am grateful that I learned about sleep before he arrived.

Thank you to Dr. Karp and Dr. Weissbluth for the wisdom shared in your books, to Jamie Kent of bbsleepsolutions for giving me the practical knowledge I needed to help my baby sleep, to Crystal Odom for inviting me to the sleep party, and to my dear Dr. Beth for first introducing me to both sleep books.