Inevitable Change

To be continued...

2008-11-13T17:59:00.009-06:00

Blogger has served us well, but we're moving up in the world. We got our own website! From now on, we'll be chronicling our adventures in the world of marriage and parenthood at

www.manualnotincluded.com.

(click the link to be redirected)

2008-11-11T06:24:00.001-06:00

WAZAAAP!

Sunday

2008-11-09T16:46:00.014-06:00

Being a wife, taking care of Jim-Jim, working full-time, and going to school have been challenging. I've had to learn to do things once and move on, to be very efficient at whatever I do. I work very hard when I'm at work but when I leave the office, I leave it there. I don't think about it again until the following morning. Sundays are my day to do school work. I study very hard on Sundays and when I finish what I need to do, I'm done until the following Sunday. After work and Saturdays are reserved for enjoying my precious family.

Jim's love language is quality time. He's had to make some pretty severe sacrifices so that I can finish my masters. After we get home from church on Sunday morning, I sequester myself in the bedroom with my laptop and my breast pump, and I study the remainder of the day. Jim makes sure the boy is taken care of and that I'm fed. Every so often, Jim feels the need to remind me that he's waiting out there and to hurry up with the schoolwork. Just about every hour he pops in with the boy, and they "help" me study by making sure I haven't fallen asleep in front of the laptop. I look above my laptop screen to find them peering over the edge at me, beckoning me to come play. This is a picture of Jim and Jim-Jim letting me know study time is over and play-time has begun.

I only had one chapter to read, a quiz, and a short paper to write this week, so I was able to go out and enjoy the gorgeous day with Lil' Bit and Bailey.
Thank you Bailey for your contribution to that final shot!

Oh crud, what now?!

2008-11-08T06:44:00.015-06:00

Let me preface this post by saying Jim is a stellar husband and father. I couldn't do this parenting thing without him but more importantly, I wouldn't want to! He's my best friend, and he keeps me laughing even when things get tough.

Jim and I are occasional readers of a blog called Looky, Daddy. http://www.lookydaddy.com/ This is an excerpt from Friday's post. The post goes on, but I was in tears, laughing so hard I think I peed a little, when I got this far.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower and then I'm going to bed."

"Can I ask you something first?"

My wife paused before she said yes. It is a natural side effect of our ten years of marrige."

Why was I laughing so hard? I call this pause my "Oh crud, what now?" moment. This is how my true-life version of that post goes.

"Kara."

What happens in my head: "Oh crud, what now?!"

What comes out: "Yes, babe? What do you need?"

Oh, that pause. That moment when you contemplate getting up and running rather than hearing what comes next. When being deaf seems more attractive than having your auditory faculties intact. I am very familiar with the pause. Is it bad that after 1 year of marriage we have a pause? We have experienced getting married, moving in together, finding out that we're pregnant, having a baby, and being forced to move yet again all within a year's time. Aren't the 5 leading stressors getting married, having a kid, moving, a job change, and death? Four out of five since we began dating 2 years ago...we've earned our pause!

Cheap

2008-11-05T17:24:00.009-06:00

We get the worst parents of the year award. Jim-Jim had his first school portraits taken, and we chose not to buy them. Cute as they may be, our computer is bulging at the seams with photos of the boy, so we decided to spend our money on something we don't have in excess.
We are the only parents who received 2 sets of proofs. They tried to take the first set of pictures at meal time without feeding him first. Ha! Good luck with that one! Does it look like the kid has missed a meal? There's a reason for that. He is the most even-tempered, laid-back kid...until it's time to eat. We'll blame it on low blood glucose.

Daddy Edit:
I think it was the background that I didn't really like. I mean, a Christmas tree is cool and all, but not as cool as those 80s school pictures we took when we were kids. Don't you miss those?

Time Change

2008-11-03T04:34:00.017-06:00

Fall back. Those words make my heart jump with joy! An extra hour of sleep! What could be better? Having Jim-Jim this year has made me aware that some don't honor the tradition of falling back, though.

People in AZ: Not pertinent but a fact none-the-less
The cat: Instead of screaming at us for half an hour at dinner-time, Chloe now screams at us for an hour and a half begging for her dinner.
My boobs: The female body is amazing! In addition to growing a human being, it has the ability to produce milk on a schedule. I pump at the same times every day so my body knows exactly when to produce breast milk, and this prevents me from walking around engorged all of the time. Unfortunately, due to the time change, my body is raring to go at 4:00am now instead of 5:00am. It sure does make for an uncomfortable last hour of sleep!
Jim-Jim: How do you tell an infant that he needs to stay awake an hour longer at night and sleep an hour later in the morning than his biological clock is telling him to do. A memo? A shaman? Morse code? We've been so rigid about his bedtime that the stinker is just doing what we've always made him do. If Jim-Jim came with a reset button, I haven't found it yet! And if not, he should! I'm going to ask for that model next time. Ah...who am I kidding? He could wake me up at 4:00am until he is 18 years old, and I'd still want another one just like him. He's such an amazing kid!

Skin and Bones

2008-11-01T11:31:00.018-05:00

To all who have commented on my boy's size, look at him now. He's just skin and bones!

Okay, okay...that was pretty corny. Remember that old adage about the apple not falling far from the tree? Please have mercy on my son when he makes a corny joke. Offer a sympathy laugh or a snicker or something! A smirk, maybe? He didn't get to pick his parents, and he doesn't have much of a chance with our DNA and Jim and me raising him. Nature AND nurture, he's getting it on both fronts! He's destined to be a goober!

More corniness for your amusement:

They finally caught the cat burglar
I've got mad ninja skills

Where'd my pee-pee go?! It was there the last time I looked!

Inner Child

2008-10-30T18:22:00.017-05:00

Liar, Liar,

Pants on fire.

Gonna hang your underwear,

From a telephone wire.

Okay, that's probably not how it goes. It's been a while since I've teased anyone, so I'm out of practice. I do know the rhyme involves a liar, pants, fire, and a telephone wire. The stuff in the middle is just fluff.

Jim and I arrived at Jim-Jim's daycare to pick Jim-Jim up (welcome to my life folks, 36% of that sentence was "Jim"). The toddlers were playing in the yard right by the entrance, so Jim and I tossed the ball back and forth across the fence with the 2-year olds. We were walking away when I heard the teacher calling to Naya saying, "Naya, Naya!" to which I channeled by inner 3-year-old and yelled back "pants on fi-ya!". It slipped out of my mouth before I could reel it back in! Nothing like taunting a 2-year-old on a Thursday afternoon to make my day complete.
The picture has nothing to do with the post. We are not delusional. We are aware that people don't come to this site to read about how big, bad Kara taunts little kids. Jim-Jim's the main attraction so enjoy your token picture of the boy:)

Winter is cold?

2008-10-29T11:03:00.012-05:00

I was pregnant last winter. For those who have yet to experience this, pretend you're in a room heated to 98 degrees, and you'll know what it feels like. I don't think I wore a jacket the entire winter. Every time I walked out of the house with my bare arms exposed in 40 degree weather, Jim would give me a look of disapproval (he REALLY wanted to tell me to put on a jacket, but he always gave his shoulders a shrug knowing how pointless it would be, and we would leave- he's become quite the pro at biting his tongue).

Winter has hit Dallas, and when I walked outside the morning after our first cold front I realized 40 degrees is cold! Jim-Jim has noticed the change in climate as well. He is really bad about crawling out of his blanket as soon as you lay him down for the night. After the first few days of Jim-Jim waking us up at 2 in the morning, we realized he's getting cold in the middle of the night (yes, it took us a while...we never said we were bright!). All we had to do to get him to go back to sleep was to put his blanket back on him. We've started putting him in footie pajamas, and he's sleeping like an angel once again. AND he's quite adorable if I do say so myself! Spoken like a true, proud mama:)

Date Night

2008-10-25T09:32:00.006-05:00

While Jim and I were dating, Friday night was date night. We always came together on Friday night to hang out, most often alone so we could get to know one another better. The rest of the weekend was reserved for including others but our primary focus on Friday night was each other. After we got married, Friday night became like any other night because we spent time together all day every day. Our married without kids Friday nights typically went something like this.

Jim: "What do you want to do tonight?"

Me: "Hmmmm...anything would be fine."

Jim: "Wanna grab dinner and watch a movie?"

Me: "Sounds great!"

We would proceed to grab dinner and watch a movie in our skivvies. Date nights were completely unorchestrated for the most part.

Since Jim-Jim has arrived, date night has been a distant memory except for that rare occassion when a miracle happens. We are lucky in that Jim-Jim consistently goes to sleep at 7:30pm so there's plenty of time for us to hang out after he goes to bed, but leaving the house is a rarity. Last night was supposed to be one of those rare nights. We bought concert tickets including valet parking (when Jim organizes something, he does it right:), and we arranged a babysitter to watch Jim-Jim.

Jim-Jim had alternate plans. This is a snippet of what Jim-Jim was acting like after he woke up from a nap.

Heartbreaking, isn't it? It was a triple threat: growing, teething, and a runny nose. We couldn't in good conscience send him off to a babysitter to handle him when we haven't even had to endure a night like this ourselves! We kept giving ourselves an ultimatum. "If Jim-Jim is better by 5:30pm, we'll go to the concert." That moment passed. "Okay, if Jim-Jim is better by 5:45pm, we'll go." That moment passed as well. We finally called the babysitter who was able to take the tickets off our hands, and we stayed home with our little Mann. We were back to grabbing dinner and watching a movie in our skivvies. An oldie but a goodie!

Why I donate milk...

2008-10-22T08:38:00.007-05:00

Jim-Jim has been cut off from the boob. He has bitten me one too many times, in spite of my trying to teach him that it is not okay to bite mommy's nipple. That's not a lesson I still want to be teaching after the boy gets teeth!

(Ha! I just had a flash-forward. I'm picturing Jim-Jim, 13 years old, reading this blog. "My mouth, Mom's nipple?! Ewwww!")

We have now resorted to pumping and bottle-feeding at all feedings. This was from the first pumping of the day. Moooooo! Enough said...

Picnic at the Airport

2008-10-22T08:19:00.007-05:00

Not to miss an opportunity to hang out with GrannySan, we loaded up our Jim-Jim supplies and headed to the airport for a picnic. We bought 3 burgers from our favorite hole-in-the-wall burger joint and ate them on the floor of the airport while Jim-Jim played on a blanket on the ground. We had such a great time catching up and letting GrannySan love on Jim-Jim, even if it was only for a 2-hour layover. On-lookers be damned (the people in the pic behind mom stared at us the ENTIRE time!), we're going to have our picnic and enjoy every minute of it!

Jim walked away to throw out our trash, and this is the face Jim-Jim made when he saw Jim walking back. I think the boy loves his daddy!

Half Tricks

2008-10-19T20:57:00.011-05:00

Alert Webster and Wikipedia, I'm creating a new term.

half tricks- the middle ground an infant reaches when he's on his way to learning a new skill

Not to be confused with a hat trick for all of you hockey fans. Hat trick=good, half trick=bad! Half tricks are no fun. Half tricks are annoying. Half tricks make mom crazy. The first half trick Jim-Jim learned was to roll over from his belly to his back. This is half-way to being able to turn over in both directions, front to back and back to front. Why is this no fun, annoying, and making mom crazy? He tended to do this half trick at 2 am, and he would wake mommy up because he couldn't figure out how to get himself back onto his belly in order to go back to sleep. Either Jim or I would have to get out of bed to turn him back over onto his belly. We would go into his nursery to find him rolling around on his back like a turtle, all four limbs flailing in the air. Jim-Jim spoiled us by sleeping through the night at 6 weeks, so having him digress at 3 months was torture!

The second half trick Jim-Jim learned was to hold his bottle. I guess I should say to try to hold his bottle. Oh, how he tried to be helpful! He knocked his bottle out of his mouth so many times while trying to hold it! Feedings that took 10 minutes began taking 20 minutes because Jim-Jim really wanted to get this down. The times that we were in a hurry, we had to restrain his arms to prevent him from knocking his bottle out of his mouth repeatedly.

I can gladly say Jim-Jim has turned both of these half tricks into whole tricks! He hasn't woken us up in the last couple of weeks needing to be turned over, and he's able to hold his bottle on his own now. Yay, no more holding the bottle with my chin while I reach for something! I'm sure we will go through many more half tricks before he masters all of the things he's going to be learning in the next few years. It's so exciting to witness the learning process and to watch him develop new abilities! Daddy's waiting impatiently for him to be able to hold a lightsaber!

Daddy Chimes In: Much to learn you have, young Padawan. Keep your hands out of the way you must, if to hold your own bottle you would like. Use the Force you must, if to accomplish your goals you are. Okay, enough Yoda-speak! We're proud of you, Bodie!

Fatigue

2008-10-17T21:27:00.012-05:00

It's been a tumultuous 2 weeks! The wreck, taking my exit exam for my masters, taking a mid-term, moving 3 days later all while working full-time and caring for Jim-Jim...I don't know how I made it through. An incredibly supportive husband is the ONLY way I was able to deal with everything! Friday finally arrived signaling that I can finally check out, and checking out is EXACTLY what I did!

Jim and I went to pick up dinner after work on the way to pick up Jim-Jim from daycare. As we were sitting across from each other in the booth waiting for our dinner to arrive, we began messing around. Never leave two nutty people alone in a booth to wait. Crazy things start happening! I yawned, and Jim stuck his finger in my mouth to ruin my yawn. To repay the favor, I stuck my finger in his mouth to ruin one of his yawns. Not to be bested, Jim pretended that he didn't care. I needed to make my "yawn ruin" better than Jim's "yawn ruin", so I told him, "I didn't wipe the last time I peed." Wait, WHAT?! That didn't come out the same way it sounded in my head! What was supposed to come out was, "I didn't wash my hands the last time I peed." Wouldn't that make me sticking my finger in his mouth doubly awful than him sticking his finger in my mouth? I thought so! Telling him I didn't wipe the last time I peed didn't have the intended effect. It just made him not want to sit anywhere I've sat!

My favorite part of the week was taking a walk with Bailey and my boys once we got home from work on Friday. Being with them makes everything right and all of the struggles meaningful!

Rambunctious

2008-10-17T09:09:00.007-05:00

The Boy turned 4 months old on the 12th of October, and already seems to be a nut! He's starting to become more curious about the world around him, and it's amazing to see the ways in which he chooses to interact with it!

Exhibit A
Kara and I were getting ready for work one morning this week. Jim-Jim was supposed to be asleep in his crib after his first feeding of the day. While in our bedroom, we hear a large THUD, THUD, THUD. Concerned, we rushed into his room to find this:

The stinker had rolled onto his back, placed his feet through the slats in the crib, and was banging his heels against the wall. WHAT IN THE WORLD?!? Where did this come from?

Exhibit B
We have a pretty unique changing table. K and I shopped for quite a while looking for one that we really liked. We finally came across a corner changing table; this table allows Jim-Jim's feet to face us, helping changes go much more smoothly. Anyway, hung over the changing table are a couple of fabric shoe racks, the type that can be hung from the back of a closet door to provide extra storage. These allow for quick access to things like Tylenol, thermometers, and stuffed animals.

Jimbo has begun to take notice of these hanging racks, and has started reaching for them and playing with them while being changed. It's like he just has to check them out. This week, he grabbed one with his hand, and then raised his feet to it, as if to push it out a bit for further inspection.

This boy is going to be into everything very quickly. I think we may need to babyproof sooner rather than later. Our prayer is that we will be able to channel this natural energy and dexterity into something constructive!!

Bluetooth

2008-10-15T04:45:00.018-05:00

Yes, folks. The title of this post is "Bluetooth", not "Blues Clues". As I am writing this post, the melody of "Rock A By, Baby" is reverberating in my head, and I know the day is impending when I will be talking about a cartoon animal. For today, it's Bluetooth.

We were running errands in our rental car, and I caught a glimpse of the stereo system and noticed we have Bluetooth. Incidentally, we've been driving the car since our wreck 2 weeks ago, and I am just now noticing the Bluetooth buttons.

Me: "Wow, Jim! We have Bluetooth!"

Jim: "Go ahead. Push one."

What Jim intended for me to push...

What I pushed...

His point in asking me to push one of the Bluetooth buttons was to show me that the buttons aren't linked to anything. Not surprisingly, nothing happened when I pressed "1", either. After we finished staring at each other like the other person was crazy, we cracked up laughing! We've been married a little over a year, and we still have a little work to do on the whole communication thing!

Like Father, Like Son

2008-10-05T12:31:00.005-05:00

I have a feeling there will be many posts with that title! Big Jim and little Jim both love to ride in the car. Windows down, breeze blowing, radio blaring, engine revving...nothing else makes them happier!

Vertical Stripes, Please!

2008-10-04T10:49:00.012-05:00

Chunky, soooo big, like a six-month-old, hasn't missed a meal, thunder thighs. Those are just a few of the words I've heard that are used to describe me. If the joy of eating is hereditary, then it was definitely inherited! I think people's judgments aren't fair, though. How is a little boy supposed to look his long, lean self if little boy onesies are only made with horizontal stripes. Haven't they heard that vertical stripes are more flattering?! The clothes make the mann, so I'll take some vertical stripes, please!

Jim-Jim

MY POOR BABY!

2008-10-02T05:13:00.003-05:00

You may not know this, but my Jeep is one of my prized possessions. My truck and I have been through a lot together, and it's pretty high on my "love scale". Even so, yesterday's wreck was an amazing display of God's protection over us. The fact that a) Jim-Jim wasn't with us, b) nobody was hurt, and c) we were able to keep from hitting anyone else proves to me that God was watching over us!

Poor Justine. She did a wonderful job protecting us yesterday. I hope and pray that she comes out of this OK. She's been so good to me!

Update: Justine wasn't totalled! She's in the shop now, and we should get her back in about ten days or so. In the meantime, I've been given a behemoth Jeep Commander. I can't wait to get my girl home!

Rush Hour

2008-10-01T19:58:00.023-05:00

I'm not talking about the movie, I'm talking about our lives. Jim and I were driving home from work during rush hour when a delivery truck to the left of us didn't see the cars in front of him slam on their brakes. The driver finally realized what was going on, and his course of action was to swerve into our lane. Unfortunately, we both didn't fit in the lane at the same time. He hit us on the driver's side and nearly spun us around.

Thanks to Jim's quick thinking and manuvering, he was able to pull us out of it. Let me tell you, there were about 5 moments after the truck hit us that I thought we were certainly going to flip over or end up in another lane that was full of cars! If any decision was made differently, this story would NOT have the same ending. If Jim had turned the wheel left instead of right, we undoubtedly would have flipped and taken a bunch of cars down with us. God had his angels watching over us and the other drivers on the road! Jim and I were talking about it after the adrenaline had finally simmered down, and we decided that the truck hitting us was probably the best thing that could have happened. At 60 mph, if the truck had slammed into the cars in front of him that had stopped, it would have caused a multiple car pile-up and many more serious injuries. Minus a little soreness, we're fine. When thinking about it that way, we don't mind taking one for the team!

The car was "drivable", and we made it home in time to get our other car and go pick up Jim-Jim from daycare. We are so thankful Jim-Jim wasn't with us when it happened as the truck hit his side of the vehicle. You no longer need to read the blog to keep up with the Manns, just watch the 5 o'clock news!

Things that make you go, "Hmmmm...."

2008-09-28T17:42:00.037-05:00

The mind of an infant is pretty simple. Feed him, change him, love him...it's not complicated. Satisfy their basic needs, and they're content. The older Jim-Jim gets, the more complicated he has become, though. As he's grown, he's become more complex and is expressing a wider array of emotions. He's recognizing when we're not in the room, and he lets us in on his displeasure. He's also expressing excitement about things that are about to happen. I take Jim-Jim in the bathroom while Jim prepares the bath water, and the boy gets so excited I can barely contain him! He has recognized that running bath water means he gets to kick, kick, kick.

Jim-Jim is also developing better motor control, and this is leading to actions I just don't comprehend. We set Jim-Jim in his bouncy seat, and he constantly lifts his right leg in the air. Never his left, always his right! Is he working out his abs, needing to ask a question but didn't get the memo that you raise your HAND, requesting a pair of socks, or lifting his butt cheek so he can fart inconspicuously? Your guess is as good as mine! Maybe babies aren't that simple after all!

The sight of him...

2008-09-28T17:03:00.011-05:00

Jim-Jim and I watched our first A&M game together on Saturday. I got a little overzealous and dressed my 3 month old son in a 12 month A&M outfit. I think Jim-Jim looks great in maroon, but his daddy has a differing opinion!

Jim: "It's just not right when the sight of my son makes me want to puke!"

There's a little history behind those words. He grew up in a world where LSU and A&M were rivals, so it goes against every fiber of his being to see his son with an A&M emblem on his chest. I think he looks great as an Aggie! You be the judge...
Jim-Jim didn't quite make it until the end of the game to see the Aggies win.

Nine

2008-09-26T13:51:00.007-05:00

Our little motor boat loves nothing more than to kick, kick, kick! Bath time is one of our favorite times. It's something Jim-Jim and daddy do together that they both thoroughly enjoy. Jim-Jim is such a nut about playing in the water! He vacillates between being uber serious (as he is in the video) and cracking himself up while he's kicking. Watch out Michael Phelps!

Thank you Jim for your amazing editing skills! Jim-Jim thanks you as well for not displaying his man-parts for the world to see! You are absolutely brilliant, and I am extremely lucky to be married to a tech geek....I mean nerd...I mean geek:)

Kara

Oh, no he didn't!

2008-09-25T19:35:00.013-05:00

Anthropomorphism is attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate objects. Jim-Jim isn't an animal nor is he inanimate, but he's not very adept at verbalizing his feelings and I sometimes find myself imagining what he's thinking. When I saw this scenario playing out, I heard Jim-Jim's voice (or what I imagine his voice would sound like:) saying, "Oh, no he didn't!"
And Lydia with the save...

Wishful Thinking

2008-09-20T20:04:00.026-05:00

Despite our most sincere and heart-felt hoping/praying/wishing on a star, Jim-Jim woke up at his usual time on Saturday morning...6:00am. I have vague recollections of the days when I would sleep in until noon on Saturday mornings. It's impossible to lament my past when I'm able to hide behind the lens and capture the fun Jim and Jim-Jim have catching up from a week of being apart. It's so much fun watching them bond, knowing they're going to be such good buddies!

He looks like ________.

2008-09-18T20:11:00.008-05:00

Question: What does Kara hear when the statement begins, "He looks like _____".
A. Jim
B. His daddy
C. Your husband

Answer: All of the above!

Fall weather has arrived, so I can finally take Jim-Jim out on a walk in his baby Bjorn without wondering when I get back who sweated more, him or me. We went for a walk this evening and ran into three people that we know in our apartment complex who all stopped me so they could see Jim-Jim. Fill in the blank with A, B, and C and those were the remarks I heard! I promise I did carry him for 9 months, and 50% of his DNA came from me! He's getting so big (see the picture below) and changing all the time, and I keep hoping something will show up that even slightly resembles me. So far I've come up with his fingernails and his eye color, which we all know can change until the baby is 9 months old so that's not even a shoe-in. I once had his ears, but those popped right on out there just like his daddy's. I may not have much physically, but at least I can say the boy has my personality!
It's really hard to tell from the picture how much he's grown because I have the water a little higher than usual. He's become such a water nut, and he loves to kick, kick, kick! (video coming soon) Jim-Jim loves baths because he loves the water, and I love baths because they wear him out before he goes to bed:) He's now 3 months old and 18 pounds, and we're having an amazing time getting to know him!

Kara

Plan, meet monkey wrench. Monkey wrench, meet plan.

2008-09-17T11:10:00.015-05:00

I'm not quite sure I would be able to point out a monkey wrench in a wrench line-up, but I am very familiar with the concept! Jim is in Canada this week. It's probably our least favorite thing when he leaves, but we manage and we make up for the sleepless nights that come from sleeping apart by sleeping in extra long on the weekend (we're hoping/praying/wishing on a star that Jim-Jim's plans involve sleeping in, too!) The only kink we had to deal with during this trip is that I am finishing my masters, and I have class on Tuesday nights. Jim-Jim is low maintenance so I figured I would bring him to class with me. It's a televideo course with the professor lecturing from Houston, so I could sit in the back of the classroom with Jim-Jim and no one would be the wiser. Monkey wrench = exam! My first exam fell during the week that Jim is gone. How awful would I feel if Jim-Jim were to cry while everyone is taking an exam?! Time to come up with a plan B...
We asked our Bible Study group if anyone would mind taking care of him and an amazing couple offered to help out (thanks Hillary and Brad!). They picked Jim-Jim up from daycare and let him hang out at their house until I could get there after my exam. He was a perfect gentleman (minus one very ripe diaper!). Jim-Jim must have had tons of fun, too, because he fell asleep during the car ride home, and he didn't wake up the rest of the evening! We all survived our first babysitter experience with flying colors (AND I aced my exam:)

Compromising Canine

2008-09-10T10:51:00.006-05:00

There comes a time in one's life when a decision needs to be made. What's more important? My beliefs or what I want? I can tell mommy and daddy are trying to pay more attention to me, but the more attention they give, the more I crave!

I hate, hate, hate the bathroom! I tolerated the place while mommy was pregnant because she needed my help in taking care of the growing baby, but it is now a place of doom once again. A place where they throw me in the bathtub and douse me with water and shampoo. A place to be avoided. You can tell by the photo which won, my belief that the bathroom is to be avoided or my desire for attention. Yes, that is me sitting between mommy's legs while she potties. Call me weak in my convictions if you want, but I'm brilliant! I have figured out that this is the one place mommy goes where she NEVER takes Jim-Jim. Her hands are free to love on ME! Well, until it's time to wipe...

Bailey

Bridging the Generation Gap

2008-09-07T13:54:00.005-05:00

As Kara mentioned, there are so many things that will be different about Jim-Jim's life than ours. For instance, Jim-Jim will never know a time before HDTV. He will never have to rely on outdated encyclopedias for report information, because he'll be able to Google anything he can think of. He will grow up thinking that the ease with which we catalog our lives through digital cameras is the only option.

With all of these differences, there are some things that stand out so strongly in the minds of his mother and me that we intend to introduce them to his consciousness. One of these is Star Wars. The original Star Wars, episodes 4-6, not some Jar-Jar-infected snore-fest. I want him to grow up knowing the age-old struggle of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, Rebel Alliance vs. Empire. I fully expect his first word to be "Vader", which would be completely fine with me, though I have reservations about his mother's feelings on the matter. She'd probably prefer any number of choices before that.

The way I see it, this is something that he and I can share, something that we have between us. His mother has breastfeeding, I have Star Wars - that's fair, and I intend to hold on to it as long as possible! God forbid he ever become a Trekkie....

Milk. Does a Body Good. Pass it on!

2008-09-06T13:55:00.008-05:00

Does anyone remember that slogan from 20-some-odd years ago? Jim and I frequently talk about what knowledge and adventures we want to "pass on" to our son. It saddens us that he won't know what we're talking about when we refer to Punky Brewster, Thundercats (ROAR!!!), Snorks, The Flinstones, Saved by the Bell (NOT the college years)... How many times are we going to hum the theme song from the Smurfs while Jim-Jim stares at us blankly, thinking how old and irrelevant his parents are? Some of my fondest memories from childhood come from running around in the middle of the night with all of the neighborhood kids playing night crawlers. I'm new at this mom thing, and I'm aware that times have changed but are kids allowed to do that anymore...to run around the neighborhood in the middle of the night playing night-time hide and seek? Aren't there curfews and pedophiles that prevent it?

There are some things to which Jim-Jim won't get out of being exposed. Star Wars is mandatory! Jim has been talking about introducing Jim-Jim to Star Wars since the minute we found out that we conceived. The second is Curious George. Jim has long been a fan of Curious George and has a Curious George stuffed animal that is older than I am. Jim-Jim now has one of his own (thanks Gran!), and we hope that he grows as fond of it as Jim did to his. AND we hope Bailey doesn't find it and decide it's a dog toy as most of Jim-Jim's toys that end up on the floor will become!
Kara

Current pictures have been uploaded to the "Growing So Fast" album to the right.

Start 'em young, Raise 'em right

2008-09-01T05:58:00.007-05:00

This is for all of the Cajuns I offended in my previous post when I commented on their inability to speak phonetically. Consider this my penance:) And for daddy- Happy Anniversary!
Does it still count even though I couldn't resist putting Jim-Jim against a maroon background???

Kara

Best Laid Plans

2008-08-31T08:57:00.013-05:00

The Omen: A smirk. We were making a pit stop in Natchitoches (pronounced Nak-a-dish...I know, those Cajuns are crazy!) on our way home to LA , and I had a conversation with a woman in the rest room (yes, I talked through the stall door with a woman who was peeing). She informed me that the gas stations in DeRidder were running out of gas. Huh? For a category 1 hurricane? When I walked out of the bathroom, the lady I had talked with whispered to her friend that we were headed to DeRidder, and her friend smirked. A subtle smirk, but a smirk that said, "Those poor schmucks!" Jim and I discussed whether it was wise for us to continue, but we were SO CLOSE to home, and we'd been looking forward to this trip for such a long time!

The Plan for the weekend:

Let Nana spoil Jim-Jim as only a grandma can do

Take Jim-Jim swimming for the first time in Gran's pool

Play with our nieces and nephew

Visit old friends

Eat Gran's pecan pie

Eat shrimp etouffee

Eat shrimp etouffee left-overs

Pack up shrimp etouffee and take it back to Dallas with us (it's really THAT good:)

What actually happened:

Arrived Friday night at 8:30pm and visited briefly before turning in for the night

Spent some time with family on Saturday morning

Prepared the house for a hurricane

Helped load sandbags for members of the community

Left 22 hours after getting there due to impending evacuations

Who knew that category 1 hurricane Gustav would gain intensity and speed becoming a category 5 hurricane? I feel like we got to LA, blinked, and we were gone again. It was just what we needed, though, and some good things came of our trip. We were able to retrieve the top of our wedding cake so we can celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary on Tuesday, we now know that we are capable of taking a long trip with Jim-Jim, and we were able to visit family even if it was brief. We really needed that time with family! Jim and I feel like an island here in Dallas because the closest immediate family we have is 6 hours away. We feel isolated and alone, and technology only goes so far in bridging that distance. We pray every day that God will take us closer to family. I want my son to grow up knowing his Gran, Nana, GrannySan, PawPaw, CoCo, aunts, uncles, and cousins. For now, we will enjoy the precious few moments we do get to spend with them and look for opportunites to make it happen, even if it means driving 300 miles only to leave less than a day later.

Kara

Wanted: Personal Trainer

2008-08-28T05:27:00.009-05:00

After visiting Jim-Jim, my mom said, "The way he moves around now, I have a feeling he's going to put that energy and his curiosity together for some fun exploring times!" Our baby is a mover and a shaker! My mom has raised 4 children, and SHE was shocked by how animated he is. From the time he was 4 weeks old, we had a little treasure hunt every morning to search the crib for him because he was NEVER in the same place we laid him when we went to bed.
I can see his little infant mind working when I put him to bed:
Mission #1: Kick off my sheets
Mission #2: Make it to the stereo
Mission #3: Take over the world
The first picture is where we place him in his bed every night, and the second picture is how we find him every morning, with his head pressed against the stereo that plays white noise and his arms and legs flailing.

He doesn't cry...he just MOVES, and I have no doubt he would end up in Austin before stopping if the crib railing wasn't there to prevent it! I'm thankful he's such a happy, smiley baby or that energy would be spent making our lives miserable! We're going to have to hire a personal trainer just to keep up with our little monster once he becomes mobile!
Kara

Happy Monday

2008-08-24T20:24:00.008-05:00

People don't like Mondays. I've only been on this Earth two months, but I know enough to realize Mondays are hard. Mom and dad groggily move about the house in the morning (I get fed 15 mintues later because mommy sleeps in and daddy threatens to call in sick), and my girls at the daycare usually show up late. I take care of my girls, though! They get a plate full of deliciousness and a note that says, "Happy Monday! Love, Jim-Jim". Tasty treats make Mondays more tolerable!
Jim-Jim

A day in the life...

2008-08-22T20:20:00.020-05:00

by Kara Mann

Act I
Scene: 7:45pm at the Mann's apartment, Jim-Jim sleeping, Jim out getting dinner for the family, Kara typing an email

[sound of phone]
Kara: [picks up phone] "Hey, baby"
Jim: "I'm here at Jack in the Box. What would you like to drink? Fanta orange or a chocolate shake?"
Kara: "Ooooh, Fanta orange!" Begins salivating in anticipation of her tasty beverage.

Time passes.

Jim: Enters with dinner. "Hi, honey." Sets dinner on the coffee table and attempts to place the drinks in their repective spots.

[Crash!]

Fanta orange flies everywhere, soaking Jim-Jim's bouncy, soaking Kara, and soaking the carpet!

Exit Jim in a huff

Act II
Scene: 8:20pm at the Mann's apartment, Jim-Jim sleeping, Jim out getting a drink for Kara, Kara cleaning up Fanta orange while Bailey licks Fanta off the carpet

Enter Jim triumphantly carrying a 2-liter bottle of Sunkist orange.
Jim: "I'm sorry, baby, but I fixed it." Jim pours Kara the largest glass of Sunkist orange imaginable, smiling.
Kara: "That's okay. Oh, crud! I can't drink Sunkist! It has caffeine in it."
Jim, panic-stricken, examines Sunkist bottle closely.

Exit Jim in a huff

Act III
Scene: 8:45pm at the Mann's apartment, Jim-Jim sleeping, Jim out getting a drink for Kara - again, Kara typing this blog, laughing at her simple husband.

Enter Jim with grocery bags full of 2-liters of Fanta orange and other accoutrement. No words are exchanged, just a glance at each other that says "Are we going to get to eat now?"

Jim unloads the groceries and pours Kara a big glass of Fanta orange. Jim and Kara finally sit down and eat cold French fries and hamburgers.

Husband Law 1: Sunkist orange has caffeine!
Husband Law 2: Next time, just get the chocolate shake. She'll drink it, and like it.

There's Gold in Them There Hills!

2008-08-19T15:59:00.010-05:00

The hills that I'm talking about aren't the hills where 300,000 people flooded in 1849 in the search for gold or the ones that are alive with the sound of music. The hills I'm referring to are the hills on my chest that have more recently resembled mountains since the birth of my son. Jim-Jim is a big eater, but he can't keep up with his mommy! I make much more milk than the boy can eat, and I've been stock-piling my breast milk in the freezer since the day we came home from the hospital.

It wasn't always easy, though. I had to work really hard to build my milk supply by pumping every hour that Jim-Jim wasn't eating so my production would increase. The motivating factor was the fear that once he went to daycare he wouldn't have enough milk to sustain him, but I believe I over-shot the mark. The simple solution would be to pour the excess down the drain, right? True, that is an option, but I can't bring myself to do it! Breast milk takes a lot of work to maintain, and, in essence, is the only thing keeping my son alive. For these reasons, I've grown somewhat attached to my breast milk, and the mere thought of pouring this liquid gold down the drain after hours spent pumping makes me queasy. With so little room left in the freezer for frozen pizzas, I figured out another option. Breast milk donation!(http://www.nationalmilkbank.org/) They send me a pump, collection supplies, and postage, and I send them my frozen breast milk to help premature and critically ill babies. We're both winners! They have breast milk to help sick babies, and I have more room in my freezer for frozen pizzas! I asked Jim-Jim, and he said he doesn't mind sharing.

Breast milk fact #1: Donor milk is dispensed only by prescription to babies with medical and nutritional needs.

Breast milk fact #2: To buy an ounce of breast milk can cost $5/ounce and it's not always covered by insurance.

Breast milk fact #3: 2-4 ounces of breast milk can support a preemie baby for a few days.

Breast milk fact #4: The complexity of human milk is that it contains over 100,000 unique biological components that provide nourishment and disease resistance in babies.
Thanks for sharing, Jim-Jim!

Kara

Let Me Digress

2008-08-16T19:59:00.008-05:00

I am aware that most people visit this site to follow the development of the newest addition to our family but this is a family blog, and we had 2 children before Jim-Jim miraculously joined us. Bailey has aired her thoughts on the blog, but Chloe remains to be mentioned. Chloe is a big-boned girl. Once Jim and I moved in together after getting married and our family became blended, I invoked a rule that Chloe needs to once again attain her feminine figure. She was feminine but "blob" is not the figure I had in mind. Moreover, cats have a propensity to develop diabetes and buying insulin for a cat was not on my list of things to do. Chloe went from being free-fed to being fed 1/4 cup of food twice daily. Was she happy about this? Absolutely not! She has voiced her concerns to the point that she has driven Jim and me to our breaking points! There's nothing worse than a cat's meow grating on your nerves first thing in the morning, reminding you that she has been deprived of food ALL night. Luckily, we reached our breaking points at different times so the one who still had willpower to resist the demands of the cat bolstered the will of the one who was prepared to cave. Look at the fruits of our labor!

Extended Family

2008-08-16T07:44:00.010-05:00

I am lucky enough to work with a bunch of women who get along amazingly well considering the amount of estrogen permeating the halls. We enjoy each other and share our lives with one another. They have supported me and been a source of encouragement, advice, and gifts at showers (thanks everyone!) throughout my marriage and the birth of my son that have happened within the last 10 months. My mom came from New Mexico to visit (I'm not fooling myself...we were NOT the main attraction), and she brought Jim-Jim up to my office for lunch on Friday. The first woman took hold of him, and I didn't see him again for 30 minutes. He was brought to my office after all of the women had gotten their baby fill, examining him, cuddling him, sniffing him (you read me right, I can't tell you how many women I've witnessed sniffing my child!)... One thing about family is that they can be brutally honest, and "extended" family is no different. Before Jim-Jim was returned to me, I heard chattering in the office halls and one comment stuck out to me. "Kara needs to have another baby so she can have one that looks like her." I couldn't help but laugh! Yes, folks, my child is a carbon copy of his father, and I wouldn't know he was mine if I hadn't carried him for 9 months! I think he's a lucky boy, and he's going to be a heart-breaker when he's older!

Kara

He Speaks!

2008-08-13T18:48:00.009-05:00

Throughout the pregnancy and the first month of his life, Jim-Jim wasn't really real to me. Is that a horrible thing to say? It may be, but it's the truth - I knew I was a father, but it never really hit me, you know?

This past weekend, Jim-Jim started really connecting with us, seeming to react to us, to notice us for the first time. It finally clicked for me: I'm a father. My love for my wife has borne with it a lifelong commitment, both to her and to a wrinkled, toothless little man (Mann?) that did nothing but cry, eat, and poop for two entire months. Then, all of a sudden, we blink and you're a person.

They always talk about how quickly your children morph from infancy to adulthood, and I'm sure someday, sooner than I'd like, I'll turn around and he'll be gone - I'm hearing strains of Jim Croce already. Of course, there's always that chance that he'll be one of those kids that never leave, which at this point sounds kinda nice.

While putting together this video, Kara and I noticed how much I sounded like my dad. I know that he would've loved to meet you, Body, and I know he's proud of all of us! I pray every day that I become a tenth of the father my dad, your namesake, was for us. I love you, Jimby, and I can't wait to see you mature into the man that God wants you to be!

Love,
Dad

What's her name?!

2008-08-09T17:56:00.009-05:00

Lip stick on his collar, the scent of perfume on his clothes... If I didn't know better, I would think my son was cheating on me! Every time we come home from an outing, he smells like another woman. Last Sunday after picking him up from the church nursery, it was Poison. After Bible study Friday night, he came home smelling like a mixture of Freesia and Pleasures. It was Sunflowers this morning after having breakfast with a couple who were a second family to me when I was growing up. Saturday and Wednesday nights are bath night and by the time we get to that point, he smells of a fragrance shop. I feel so blessed that God has put so many people in my son's life who enjoy loving on him!

Kara

The picture is of Jim-Jim getting dropped off in the church nursery for the first time. A few more current pictures have been added to the "Growing so fast" album to the right.

8 Weeks

2008-08-07T04:46:00.015-05:00

One day I'm going to wake up and go to Jim-Jim's crib to find him hanging his college diploma and introducing me to his fiance! The boy is growing tremendously fast! Once you have a baby, everyone feels the need to warn you about how quickly they grow and change, and I am now a believer. The first 2 pictures below have been previously posted, and I've posted them again as a reference. The 1st is of Jim-Jim at 2 weeks and the 2nd is at 5 weeks. The 3rd picture is new- it was taken last night at 8 weeks. Jim-Jim asked me to tell you to please excuse the pot-belly. Mama fed him 5 ounces right before this picture was taken so he was feeling a little bloated.

For those who want an update, Jim-Jim is doing amazingly well. We have been blessed with such an easy-going baby! He has taken to day care well and seems to be thriving there. Jim and I have noticed that once we get him home from day care, we typically never hear him cry the whole night, even if he gets a bath. We put him in the crib around 7:30pm, and he puts himself to sleep. He's been sleeping anywhere from 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours each night since he was 6 weeks old. I've been pushing him towards the 8 1/2 hour mark this week. A wise woman once told me that once he proves he can go a certain amount of time without eating at night, hold him to it (Thanks Lydia:). Twice this week he woke up at 1:30am. I rocked him for a few minutes and put him back in his crib without feeding him, and he slept until 4am- 8 1/2 hours. Now we just need to stop waking up:) He's starting to interact a lot more lately. He loves to smile and release what sounds like a laugh when his daddy makes funny faces. It's beautiful to see them together...but scary to think another Big Jim is going to be running around (they are going to be exactly alike!!!) I can't wait to see what the future holds for him!

Divine Intervention

2008-08-02T04:57:00.006-05:00

My maternity leave ended and I started back to work this week, so Jim and I were finally able to carpool and get some much needed quality time. When riding home one day, I was expressing to Jim how much I dislike pumping my breast milk at work. Not only is it difficult to find time to do it and awkward having my boob exposed on the job (albeit while I'm alone in my office behind closed doors), but the one time I decided to wash my pump supplies in the kitchen (I typically use disposable pump wipes) a doctor walks in and says, "Ah, you've been pumping." to which I responded, "Yes, I have." [awkward silence ensues] Jim's response was to tell me that I just have to find time to do it and make it happen. His lecture ended when I shot him a look that said "Okay, Captain Obvious, you grow some boobs and attach suction cups to them every 2 hours and then we'll talk". We haven't even been married a year, and he's getting pretty good at recognizing that look:)

One perk of once again carpooling is that we are able to pray together before he drops me off and we start our days. This was Friday's prayer:

Me: "Lord, help us have wonderfully easy days that go by quickly, and help me find the time to pump this morning even though I have a hectic schedule."

Jim interjects: "And Lord, help Kara realize how important it is that she pumps and provides milk for our son, and that she makes it a priority in her day." (stifling laughter because he knows he's instigating!)

Me: And dear Lord, help Jim realize that he's given this to You, and he shouldn't take it back. He needs to know that You have his best interest at heart, and You're going to take care of this so he NEVER has to mention it again!"

Does the prayer still count if you're using God as a mediator???

Kara

Picture by Jim...thanks a lot babe >:(

Home Pooper

2008-07-29T18:55:00.007-05:00

My little mann has been going to day care for 2 days, and it's already apparent that he's a home pooper. While I was staying home with him during my maternity leave, I would place him in his vibrating bouncy seat first thing in the morning as soon as he woke up before I changed his diaper. Why before I changed his diaper? As soon as his butt felt the rumble of the bouncy seat, he made some rumbles of his own down below. He doesn't go #2 at night, so his first order of business in the morning is to clear himself out in a flood of feces.
The first day we picked Jim-Jim up from day care, we read the daily report and saw that he had not pooped at all that day! That was unusual, but even more intriguing was that he pooped as soon as I picked him up out of the car seat and sat on the couch. Fluke? I think not! The same exact thing happened today when I got home. No poop at day care, an eruption when I picked him up out of the car seat. I foresee many uncomfortable rides home ending in a race to the bathroom in our future!

Kara

I miss me, too.

2008-07-26T11:46:00.008-05:00

Jim and I were laying in bed one night, and he said, "I miss you so much." I was a bit confused by his statement. Other than when he goes to work, we spend every waking and sleeping moment together. He has even been able to work from home on many occasions, so he could spend more time with Jim-Jim and me. In trying to figure out what he meant, I thought about our life before Jim-Jim. We carpooled to work together every morning and spent the last few minutes before he dropped me off praying for our day. We enjoyed the 30 minute commute because it gave us time to connect before we went our separate ways for work. We even made the decision to place Jim-Jim in a daycare in Lewisville, so we could still have our time alone together on the way to Dallas in the mornings. All of that has stopped since we've had the baby. Before Jim-Jim, we began our Saturday and Sunday mornings sleeping late and groggily waking up next to one another. We would roll out of bed around 9:30 am or 10:00 am, and Jim would make breakfast. Jim-Jim has completely altered our weekend routine. We no longer wake up next to one another on the weekend. Jim-Jim's natural rhythm has him waking up around 6:30 am. The one who took the late feeding sleeps late while the other takes care of the boy when he wakes up. It's an unsettling feeling because waking up alone is what happens when you're single, not married. After thinking about all of this, I realize I miss him just as strongly!

Not only do I miss Jim, but I miss myself! I would describe myself as someone who loves playing sports, loves the outdoors, and thrives on being around other people. The pregnancy and post-operative care has turned me into someone I don't recognize. My doctor cut me off from all physical activity during my pregnancy (except for walking but I walk all day at work and that's the LAST thing I'm going to do when I get home...especially since my ankles are non-existant by the end of the day!) and after the c-section. The active person that I once was has become sedentary. I have also been socially deprived. The contact with my patients and coworkers was taken away when I went on maternity leave, so I talk to a little baby all day who has yet to talk back. Who is this woman?

I'm sitting here typing at 6:30 am on Saturday morning while Jim sleeps in the bedroom and Jim-Jim sits in his bouncy seat on the floor next to my lap top. I look over at Jim-Jim, he makes eye contact, and gives me the widest toothless grin. It's in this moment that I realize whomever it is that I'm sacrificing for this little guy is totally worth it! There will come a time when I get to play sports and coach Jim-Jim, and Jim and I will continue to be creative regarding how we incorporate our quality time. But for now, Jim-Jim needs me to be someone I don't recognize so he can become whomever it is that he's going to be. It is only temporary, after all!

Kara

Sit. Stay. Good Dog!

2008-07-25T08:18:00.007-05:00

We admit, you've been treated like a dog since we brought Jim-Jim home. You don't get to lay on my lap as much as you were accustomed to, and you may not get fed at the exact same time every day, but cut us some slack. Your baby brother has turned our world upside down! We're so proud of how patient you have been with Jim-Jim and how concerned you are about him when he cries. Bailey, if you stick around we'll let you sniff as many butts as you like.

Kara and Jim

That was MY belly!

2008-07-24T17:19:00.008-05:00

I worked so hard! I cuddled that baby and kept him warm for nine months. Every time my mom sat on the couch or on the bed, I lied across her belly. I protected her when the UPS man came by (I think he started knocking and leaving packages by the door to avoid me). Shoot, I was the one who told her she was pregnant! My constant need to be by her side (even in the bathroom where I normally REFUSE to go because that's where I get baths) prompted her to Google "dogs predicting pregnancy" before she had any indication that she may be pregnant. She found out that we canines are pretty talented and can smell the hormone change in a woman when she gets pregnant. And how do they thank me? By replacing me! Do I get to lay on my mom's belly anymore? No, it's now occupied by this squirmy little baby that smells funny if you ask me! Do I get to sleep by mommy? No, the bed is now raised so high to create storage space that I can't even jump up! I just have one thing to say: Dog for sale! I like long walks, lots of treats, cuddling, and smelling other dog's butts.

Bailey

Again?!

2008-07-19T16:01:00.006-05:00

I'm pregnant. Okay, pull your jaw off of the floor. I'm not really pregnant, but I do have a 1 in 200 chance of becoming pregnant. Since I am breastfeeding, the doctor prescribed a special type of birth control (yes folks, we learned our lesson;) that won't affect my ability to breast feed. Being the nerd that I am, I read the prescription insert from beginning to end prior to beginning the prescription. It stated that 1 out of 200 people get pregnant while taking the pill perfectly. Perfectly means that the pill is taken at the EXACT same time every day without missing a day. Those who don't take the pill perfectly have a 1 out of 20 chance of getting pregnant! Let's put that in perspective. I go to an amazing church that has a congregation size of 20,000 on a given weekend (http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/). We'll assume half of those are women of reproductive potential. That means that 50 of those women would get pregnant while taking the pill perfectly while 500 of those women would get pregnant while taking the pill imperfectly (they don't even have to miss a day!!!). That many babies would overwhelm the children's ministry! So I set my alarm on my cell phone as a reminder and hope for the best. What it boils down to, though, is that if God wants us to have another baby we will, and we will feel so blessed that God has trusted us to raise another one of His children. But feel free to call me at 1:00 pm to remind me to take my pill!

Note: The ultrasounds are of Jim-Jim when I was 8 weeks, 10 weeks, and 12 weeks along. How Jim-Jim got from there to in my arms is truly a miracle and God's handiwork!

Kara

Bodily Functions

2008-07-17T12:39:00.008-05:00

"Use a tissue", "Cover your mouth when you cough", "Say excuse me", "Spray or light a match". Moms have been repeating these phrases for centuries, nagging their offspring (and husbands at times) to hide/excuse their bodily functions. Pregnancy changes many things, and how we respond to our bodily functions is one of them.

The paradigm shift began immediately when I got pregnant. The gastrointestinal system of the pregnant body moves at a snail's pace, and constipation results which is incredibly uncomfortable! Luckily, I only struggled with this for a few weeks at the beginning of my pregnancy, but as a result every bowel movement was something to be celebrated. I would come out of the restroom and say, "I pooed good, baby!", and Jim would respond, "Yay! I'm so happy for you!". I'd like to say this stopped after my issues resolved but we still celebrate a good BM:)

Fast forward to post-delivery. I had a c-section which required me to fast prior to having the operation. After delivery, they kept me on a clear liquid diet (juice, ice chips, popsicles) until I passed gas. I think their expectations were a bit high. You deprive me of food before I come in and you deprive me of food after the operation is completed, but somehow my bowels are supposed to be functioning? Every nurse/doctor/family member upon entering the room would ask me if I'd passed gas. I'd never talked about my toots (or lack thereof) so much in my life! I went in on Thursday evening and wasn't able to order real food until Saturday morning! I reached a point where I was ready to start claiming other people's farts so I could eat! Needless to say, when I did finally pass gas I let everyone know! The conversation went something like this: "Baby, I tooted!" to which Jim replied, "Yay! You can eat!". I'd like to say our exuberance at farting ceased after my first meal, but to this day we get excited about a toot. If Jim toots, I say, "Yay! You can eat!" and vice versa. So, if you're in our vicinity and we randomly start talking about eating, walk away:)

As excited as we get about our own bodily function, Jim-Jim's take the cake! Why is that? We know that every toot or burp he releases is one less thing he has to cry about! Jim-Jim will be lying on one of our tummies when we're sitting on the couch together, and we'll hear him pass gas (either avenue is acceptable). We lock eyes, smile, and then high five all while congratulating the boy. Notice I said we have to lock eyes before celebrating. It takes that split second for us to look into each other's eyes and decide whether it was the boy or our significant other. We either point at the kid or smirk as if to say, "Oh yeah, that was me". In either case, a high five results:)

Jim-Jim, enjoy this time of freedom with your bodily functions because before long I will be saying, "Use a tissue", "Cover your mouth when you cough", "Say excuse me", "Spray or light a match". You will have to wait until your wife gets pregnant before you can start publicly celebrating your bodily functions again!

Kara

Rubber Ducky

2008-07-16T20:56:00.008-05:00

The idea for this post began as a way to show how much Jim-Jim has grown. In fact, Version 3.0 and Version 4.0 enjoy their bath time so much we don't even use the bath support anymore. I just pulled it out as a frame of reference for his growth. The first picture is of his first real bath when he was 2 weeks old. The second picture is of his bath tonight at 5 weeks old. Look how much he's grown in 3 weeks!

This post also serves to show how much of a pro Jim-Jim has become at taking baths. I think it's imminent that we're going to have a pool in our backyard, or we will be visiting our city pool often. He's quite the water rat! He and daddy have such a good time taking baths! Does anyone know any good pool contractors? Also, can you tell where Jim-Jim got his toes? I'll give you one guess...
Side Note: Jim-Jim, you're welcome for preserving your dignity by not posting your man-parts for all of the world to see. You can thank me by putting me in a nice home one day!

Kara

FREEDOM!

2008-07-12T15:13:00.005-05:00

William Wallace shouted, "Freedom!" on the battlefield when he was fighting Edward I of England for Scottish Independence in the movie Braveheart. I am not Mel Gibson, and I would not get paid millions of dollars to yell this phrase, but I almost shouted, "Freedom!" with the same fervor in the aisles of Walmart while shopping for snacks for Bible Study. You see, for the first time I was able to leave my apartment without Jim-Jim, and I didn't have to worry about what time I had to return home. On the only other occasion when I left Jim-Jim at home with his daddy, I had to return home within an hour and a half because I was carrying the only source of milk on my chest. This time limit shackled me to my apartment on numerous occasions. Thanks to Medela and their wonderful breast pump, I was able to stock up a hefty supply of breast milk in the freezer and effectively remove the shackles off my chest. This newfound freedom brought such a wave of emotion that I would have yelled in the condiment aisle of Walmart had I not been worried about getting thrown out and cutting my cherished excursion short. Thank you Medela for freeing me!

Kara

Baby Steps

2008-07-10T17:43:00.005-05:00

Ah...I see Jim-Jim blogged a little. His post is reassuring. Why? It suggests he wants me for ME, not because I have a pair of milk jugs attached to my chest!

This blog isn't about Jim-Jim walking as the title suggests (c'mon...he's only a month old!). One of my favorite times is in the middle of the night after I've nursed Jim-Jim, I rock him and watch him fall asleep. Once he's entered a deep state of sleep, his face becomes very animated and he cracks the most precious smiles (see picture #1). In fact, I wait until I've seen two good smiles before I attempt to lay him in his crib. Now, he's giving these same precious smiles when he's awake (see picture #2). Why is this important? It's progress. It's a sign that we may not always be waking up 2 times a night for an hour each to nurse, and we won't always be changing the vilest of diapers. Keep taking those baby steps, Jim-Jim!

Kara

Little Boys Get Lonely, too

2008-07-10T17:14:00.006-05:00

This morning, my mommy decided to take one of the few opportunities she gets to get a quick shower, so she put me in my vibrating bouncy chair to wait. The past couple of days I have been suffering through a growth spurt, so I am really not a happy camper right now. She stepped out of the shower to the sound of my screams. She's such a wonderful mommy that she quickly threw on a robe to come calm me down. As soon as she sat on the couch on front of my bouncy chair, I quieted and stared at her with my beautiful eyes. She thought it very interesting that she didn't even have to pick me up to calm my screams! Being a lover of the sciences, she decided to test this to see if it was merely coincidence (the scientific method says that results have to be reproducible). Leaving me in my bouncy chair, she went off to do whatever mommies do after a shower. As soon as she got to the bathroom, my wails pierced the air again. She came into the living room and once again my cries quieted as soon as she sat on the couch in front of my bouncy chair. You can see in the pictures how content I was when she came back in the room, BOTH times. Scientific method or not, my mommy now knows that little boys get lonely, too!

Jim-Jim

Yes, yes...I am very well-spoken for a 4-week old :)

This Little Piggy...

2008-07-07T09:51:00.006-05:00

Disclaimer: No pigs were harmed in the making of this child.
From the moment Jim-Jim arrived in this world, our child has snorted like a pig. Besides being hilarious, it's a wonderful barometer for the intensity of his desires. Jim and I listen to the baby until the porcine-esque snorts erupt from his snout, and then we know he means business! This little piggy wants milk!!!
Kara

From the mouth of babes

2008-07-06T15:24:00.009-05:00

We had a family reunion for Jim's side of the family over the 4th of July weekend. Several of the clan had congregated in the hotel room to wait for Jim's mom and Grandma to arrive. Great grandma hadn't yet met Jim-Jim, so I rushed to nurse the boy so great grandma could spend as much time doting on him as she wished. Anyone who has breast-fed knows that this is a process that can't be rushed, but I sure tried. While great grandma was cuddling Jim-Jim, he became very fussy due to my failed attempt at getting him to finish quickly. I told everyone that he wasn't done eating and Carter, his sweet little 4-year-old cousin, looked me in the eye in all her innocence and said, "Aunt Kara, do you not have any more milk in your nipples?" Her candidness at this biological function left me speechless! What will she come up with next???
Kara

Can I have some fries with that shake?

2008-07-05T18:10:00.010-05:00

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death." Anais Nin

Such a simple concept but so difficult to embrace! It is tempting to reach the status quo and become content in remaining there. I'm no different! In the snow globe of my life, I would elect to have the snow neatly shoveled off of my driveway with an average-sized snowman adorning my yard. When living a Christian life, you don't have the luxury of electing the status quo. Change is inevitable! God is the master of my snow globe domain, and He's given it a powerful shake! I've been enjoying watching the snowflakes fall where they may, knowing that the snowflakes aren't haphazardly falling but are being placed by divine hands.

The adventure began when God led me to my soul mate, a man I would marry in September 2007. We decided that God would be in charge of our birth control, and we found out quickly that God is pro-life! For the first 9 months of our marriage, my body was responsible for nurturing a human life within itself. There is nothing like a new marriage and pregnancy hormones to make life interesting! Jim-Jim arrived June 2008 and has completely altered our world! Jim and I were standing over his crib one evening and discussed that Jim-Jim has only been in this world 3 weeks but we can't imagine a time when he wasn't here. That snowflake fell into his crib and took our hearts with it. I have never fallen in love with something so completely and so quickly! Especially something that only eats, sleeps, and poops!
Kara