Jack Walks

And I missed it! While I was at water polo, Grandpa Matt was holding Jack's hands as he was standing between Matt's legs. Matt said that Jack "allegedly" let go, took two steps and fell to his bottom. Does this count if the parents don't see it? I think it does. Oh man! I am gone for 2 hours and this is what happens. At least he feels like he can take some chances with someone else watching him. That is great.

New Independence

It's not even July and I am celebrating Independence! Jack is growing into a young boy. He is not breast feeding during the day, Steve takes him for hours on end and it feels really good to be able to just relax without a constant buddy. Though now I am starting to savour those times with him when he hugs me or sits next to me to explore something like a whisk or when I get to feed him to sleep at night. He's getting more fun.

I turned 30 last week as well! It's quite an honor. I play water polo with these women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, have such great friends in their 30s, have an impressive mother and mother in law, and to be one more step closer to them is fantastic. I was saying all week that I have much more confidence than at 20 but the ability to make some seriously fun decisions about where my life will go. 

What topped off my birthday was a wine and cheese party that my husband surprised me with. I didn't think I wanted a party but to be surrounded by all these great people (and those who couldn't even be there) made me really happy and thankful that I have them as guides and companions in my life. 

That's a secret, I guess. Put yourself around good people and all the bad ones fall to the waist-side. Life is really too short to waist your time on the dark side. It's really going to be a good decade. (Now waiting for my other half to get there, hee hee hee!)

The Thinker

Time is flying by and all of a sudden, Jack will be 1 year old next week. He is doing so much. 

Physically he is crawling like a mad man and pulling himself up to stand. He is just now starting to be daring and let go to reach another chair nearby and stand for a couple seconds by himself. We just went to his first Gymboree class which was so much fun and met some new people and saw some old friends. Jack just loved following the kids around, meeting them, taking their eyes out of their sockets. The class is great because they are moving so much, singing, doing things together to help them walk and climb. He has 6 teeth with 2 coming in a little secretly this time. 8 in total by his birthday I presume.

Mentally he is a little engineer. Grandpa McGhee (AKA Opa) says that John was like him, always trying to figure out how things work. A couple weeks ago it was the light switches and now it is knobs. He loves to open and close doors.  Huge breakthrough was when he was closing the door yesterday to the bathroom and the cupboard door was blocking it. I asked him what could be in the way and what would he do and he closed the cupboard door and then closed the bathroom door. It was fantastic! He was really intent on figuring out how the fix that problem. 

He is still a big guy. I am not sure if any pounds are flying off of him but I am not worried. He might just be a tall boy. He goes to the doc in 2 weeks to see how he is doing and get a shot, eww. Dr. Nash is great for him though and great for me because he is so mellow. Maybe we can figure out what Jack's little rash on his cheeks are from.

In our house, Steve and I have had our 4 year anniversary. I got out my wedding dress to bask in it's beauty and then we gorged ourselves in a 4 course meal with wine. Yum. Steve wouldn't let me wear my wedding dress but I guess I can wait for our second wedding for that;) (We will be getting married again to each other. I will keep you posted.) 

Grandma and Grandpa Hough came to visit and loved playing with their little grandson. Jack's God Mum Anna and her hubby Ben visited from England. It was great to see our good frineds who live way too far away. I have been happy to get away on the weekend to get a massage here and there or do some Andria time. I have also been playing polo with my awesome ladies every week. I love it. It has been great to have the sun out and Jack napping so well (knock knock on wood.) I can finally do some email and blogging and whatever else I need free hands for. I also had a chance to wine taste with my uncle John who is such a great guy for showing us around a couple wineries. He is starting a great blog about wine and marketing which I hope to study more thoroughly once I get some time to go back into working. Check it out if you are interested. It is getting a lot of attention. http://thinkwinemarketing.wordpress.com

Pictures to come!

I forgot my pants!

Well maybe not my pants. Yesterday I got the crew all packed in the car, Charlie and Jack, and all that goes with them, drove to Grandma's to drop them off and go to water polo practice. I was cozy, in presentable clothes but as I hop out of the car, I look down and I have my slippers on. Ah the life of a parent. Now I can understand why I see moms out with the weirdest of things on. Thank goodness grandma's house and the pool were my only destinations.

Explorer Jack

Jack had his 10 month check up last week. All was great, and is still off the charts for weight. The doctor said he is just the size of a 18month old. The only problem we have with that is that people might start thinking you have a retarded child who doesn't talk and walk when he should. He said once you tell them he is only 10 months then you will see the "ahhh, okay" light bulb go off. Our pediatrician is funny and I can see his point.

Today Jack has amazed me. Yesterday he was super clingy and drove me crazy, not able to do anything. Today I tried to let him explore everything. I vacuumed and he crawled around me as I did. When I stopped, he pushed the vacuum back and forth like I did. Same with the broom. He also gave me a kiss with an open mouth and blows kisses by saying "ba" instead of mwoah. He has been crawling like crazy and now pulls himself up on anything and makes a walker out of chairs, toys, Charlie. Today he let go and was standing for a couple of second by himself. Woah! This is the first of his independant high up life. Let's clear the second shelf of stuff off! He can now get to it. All in one day. He is a busy boy.

With my new computer, pictures and videos will be on line soon! For now, here is Jack in his first bike helmet and first snow. Not an infant helmet, no, he has outgrown that one already. He is in a toddler one already, Big Heed!! The second is our trip to Tahoe with the local McGhees. The last two are of naked time before bed. He has no modesty (maybe that's us).

Christmas!!!!!

Last time on Jack: well that was some time ago. He is getting seriously busy.

Jack is crawling on his tummy like a champ these days. With one arm as balance and the other to pull him like he is going under barbed wire in boot camp. Dr. Jim says that that is called crawling and he has yet to creep with the tummy off the ground. This boy's tummy is sizable so I think we should give him some time for that. He is flying with the crawling trick already. We are now baby-sizing our house.

More impressive is how he cal crawl and then tuck his leg under and push himself back onto his bum. He'll crawl, sit to inspect something he has come across, then continue along the floor with thing in hand or it being tossed to the side. He loves Charlie his "dig" and now tries to climb over him. Charlie is okay with most of it but moves when he is annoyed.

Things that amuse him are fake coughs, I think because he does fake coughs and knows we are onto him, attacking our hair, tickles in his rib and pudgy thighs. He is kind of sneaky and laughs when we catch him at things. He also is keen to wave at you if you do it first, except with Opa McGhee which he just does whenever he sees him. I think he does a little wave when he wants more of something.

We think he repeats words like momma and dada when we say them but we aren't sure yet.
Check our pictures for more updates and movies for his first Christmas. He asked if Santa was real already and we told him to just believe. Inquisitive kid. He hasn't spoken again since. :) Jack also wanted a Red Rider Beebee gun but was told that he'll shoot his eye out. He got a play structure. Just as usefull right now.

8 Months

Was month 7 that hard? hmmm. As you might have seen, you can follow my Twitter updates on the right of my blog or start Twitter yourself and we can update each other from our phones! How totally awesome! Or maybe thats TMI! OMG!!

Sorry it has been a while since the last post but for an update: we were packing and preparing to be in Australia for 3-6 months. While dropping our dog off at Grandma's a week before leaving we were told that we weren't going to go to save costs and so then we had to undo it all. And then the holidays came. So I guess that's why. I only just realized this now as I am typing.

Jack has been entertaining through it all. He discovered the world and is inspecting it thoroughly. He is a pro roller but is now sitting which takes a load off of me holding him (at 28 pounds. Yes, that's a lot). He plays on the floor by himself for minutes on end! He loves the book Where is Baby's Belly Button because we play peek a boo out of it. Now he recognizes signs and things with big print. He is also crawling on his tummy. He pushes with his feet and kind of wiggles to get where he wants to be. He used to only push himself backwards.

He also learned how to wave to Grandma Mary Margaret. This week he learned high five from his Abuelo and now tries to give people in stores high five and waves and smiles. He is a ham. He had a line of ladies waiting to love him when we were Christmas shopping the other day. He is the Gerber Baby to everyone. It is amazing to see this little blob turn into a charming little man with convictions and a sense of humour. He laughs at random things but always at baby pictures and his dog. He is also eating a lot of pureed things and Cheerios. He loves his food.

I am back to playing water polo with the amazing ladies. This is one of those things that you can't put a price on. The time spent for me, with a supportive group of ladies who have been through it all and love to help each other, swimming my heart out, tyring not to drive our coach crazy. It's great. At the same time, Grandma and Abuelo get thier time with him. I am lucky.

We have a Christmas tree which is so awesome. The first in our place. I am cozy. Time for bed before the baby wakes up again.

Computer for infants

My friend told me about http://kneebouncers.com where the baby can press any button on the keyboard and the screen will do something. Jack likes "jump and float" and talks to each character that pops up. He figured out that if he pushed a button, someone would pop up! Well, he is advanced;)

Happy Early Halloween! 6 month Jack McLantern

Jack is almost 6 months and last time I checked 22 pounds. He is a sturdy baby. He has been so much fun with all of his giggles, babbling, rolling, bouncing and grabbing.

Physically he is rolling from front to belly to front again. He is also sitting by himself for about a minute when he leans off to the side and finds something to play with, or arches his back, or leans onto his tummy like a cobra pose. He is also spotting things and reaching his arms out to grab them. I noticed yesterday when people would hold him, he would reach his arms out to me when he was done. It's wild to see these things come out of a child from nothing. He also enjoys the exersaucer and jumper thing. He squeals with delight! I love it because it gives my tendinitis a rest:)

Mentally and socially he is developing by constantly watching what is going on around him, smiling at every person he passes and giggling when they talk to him. He is saying dada and only mama when he gets frustrated. (No link to either of us yet). He is waking up like crazy and more fussy I think due to some teeth pain that might be coming. We'll see!

He is eating! His favs include avocado, rice cereal, and sweet potato. He is not too keen on the oatmeal and multi-grain cereal but who is, really. He has time for that later. It is so fun to see him explore the word of taste! His first tastes of life and the start of great food. He, as expected, is a good eater. It's fun ot see his dad be able to spend this time with him too.

We are getting ready for our trip to Australia now and getting excited! We will be on the plane for Halloween. What will the plane trip be like with a baby? 2 hours is nothing but 14? Keep posted to find out more.

I Know Everything and Nothing

I have just realized that we all go through life knowing nothing and then thinking we know everything. When we are kids, we don't know everything and we don't care because being a kid is fun. Then pre-teen adolescence and teen years, we know everything. College, nothing. Graduate and get a job, everything. Have a child, nothing. (Retirement, everything? Not sure yet. I haven't gotten there)

I see it in the children playing in the water fountain when their moms tell them to be careful. The either do what she says or don't because they want to do it so badly, not because they think they know it all. Then in the teens when they walk around town with their friends. They know it all, or at least they have to try and act that way. The college goers just have a deer in the headlights look (or maybe that's just a hang over). I notice this in the young twenty somethings without children. They know how to stop my child from crying when we are in public and are disgusted that I don't. I am sure they will understand in their next step, or at least see it in their close friends' struggles. Having a kid, I am not sure I will ever know enough.

Jack at 4.5 months

He is amazing! I always thought this was funny when parents thought that these little things were so amazing but it is when just yesterday they were blobs in a car seat! Jack has done so much in these past weeks:

*He is rolling over like crazy! Sometimes to his own frustration. I don't think he wants to be on his belly so often but he can't remember how to roll back onto his back. He also was waking himself up at night by rolling onto his belly and not liking it, banging his head on the crib, so we got those wedges on either side of him and he's sleeping better.

*Yesterday he had his first "solid food" of rice cereal while we ate dinner. He loved it! He's an eater (as we all know from his 20 pound girth).

*He is playing in his exersaucer and jumpy thing in the doorway. It's fun to see him enjoying himself without needing me. He is a real explorer. He also loves watching the trees outside the living room window.

*He is learning how to take naps. We all know how cranky we get when we don't get sleep. Well, Jack was starting to miss his naps and be real fussy toward the end of the day (Steve gets home and I do the quick hand off). So we are "Ferber"ing him, letting him try and find his own ways to sleep, even if he has to cry a little- it's tough. Dr. Ferber is a sleep specialist and he has some great ideas on sleeping. It makes us all happier and healthier.

Next up is sitting! I get all excited about his develpments but will be running much more when he starts running, I am sure.

Fluids

I know this sounds gross and it kind of is. These days I don't know where some of these liquids come from that are on me. In my hair, on my shirt, even on my pants or on the top of my foot! It could be from Charlie (he drools a lot), it could be from Jack (he drools a lot too), it could be spit up, it could be worse, #1 or#2! Having kids humbles you.

Oregonian

A typical year usually includes a trip to Oregon to visit my good buddy Christina and brother-in-law John, and their kids. It's always a great place to be. There is so much beauty and land to hike on and explore that you can hardly believe that any one person deserves to enjoy that beauty. Everything is so full of life. Even in the winter, the snow is abundant and coats every top of the tree or house with innocence and simplicity.

This trip was a little more interesting with a little one. Steve and I rented a car because we were not sure how we would fit 3 kids in car seats in one car. As it turns out, Christina and I did on our was to a walk, along with 2 dogs. It was awesome. It's interesting being an aunt turned mom because you can longer be at your nieces and nephew's disposal. Play time has to be after a feeding or diaper change.

This was one more week of Steve's paternity leave so Steve got to hang with the boy as I played with Patrick and got to know the little charmer girl who will be 1 soon. They were a blast and we miss them already. Though we can hike here, it's no where close to the same as the mother load of nature up there.

Nieces and Nephews

The cutest things that my nieces and nephews have said:

Gabrielle age 5:
"Can Jack be my boyfriend? Not to marry or anything, just to be my boyfriend."

Olivia at age 5 or so:
Andria -"Olivia, how do I print this?"
Olivia- "I think you go to print.com."

Patrick age 4:
After seeing Incredible Hulk, with jaw to the ground:
"Awesome!"

Australia

New news: Steve and Jack and I get to go to Sydney, Australia for 3 months for Steve's work. WooHoo! We've always wanted to go there. I bet we could get some great weekends in there. Taste some serious wine. Check out a dream of a place in New Zealand . Scuba dive ("Are you for scuba?")


If you have suggestions for places to see in Australia or Sydney, let us know!

4 Months: Livin' Large & Sleeping-ish

Jack will be turning 4 months this Saturday and last weigh in showed about a week ago showed him as 18.03 pounds. Yeah, he's a big boy. We have him in 6-9 , month clothing now. Though it seems to not phase many mothers who have had similar stories, it amazes me (and tires me out from holding him!)

There are, of course, the amazing things that he does. He rolled from him back to his belly a couple times, once ending in a little accident. Yes, bad mom. No more couch lay downs! He loves his tummy time. He loves to bat at things with his arm and looks at them as he does it. He loves his new friend Sophie the giraffe which I recommend to any parent.

He also giggles when tickled or attempt to tickle. He knows what we are going to do before we do it! He laughs when I make sounds with my tongue.

A cool thing for Steve and I is that he is sleeping for longer amounts of time. Now I say this with a grain of salt as tonight it will probably change now that I wrote this. But my friend Amy told me to try and feed him when he's good and hungry (like 3 hours in between feedings) and put him down at 9 or 10. It works for most nights and we sometimes get 6 hours of sleep before he wants to eat again. It feels good and normal, even though that sounds crazy to a person who has not gone through this. Oh the humanity. I love sleep and so does Jack. Now he is getting naps during the day down. I also started reading How to Solve your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr. Ferber. This was recommended by my doctor and my friend. It's supposed to help you understand sleep patterns, even if you think you don't have a problem, per se.

I will try to write more so I can remember all these cool things he is doing. He's amazing of course and does so much. In the meantime check out our photos.

3 Months for Jack

Happy 3 month Birthday Jack! He has done such great things in the 3 little months that he has been in this world. He has found the cure for parkinson's, set up adoptions for millions of children all over the world, and brought aid and medicine to the people in the world that do not have access to it.

Okay well maybe not that scale of wonderfulness, but wonderful to me none-the-less. He has flipped over from his tummy to his back a handfull of times, he has gained the same amount of weight as most 4 month olds (he's up to 15 pounds now), his expressions and smiles have made many laugh, he is practicing all of his vowels and some consonants as he talks away and he spits up more.

Only big fusses have been a bought of over heat as we rolled in to Southern California. He has trouble burping sometimes that makes him look like he's pushing all the time. Otherwise, he a bundle of fun.

More pics to come on the blog but in the meantime, check out the links on the right of this blog for our albums. Steve is working hard to get our Europe trips up as well.
Jack sends out his love by saying "GOOO!"

7 weeks for Jack!

After a positive check up for me from the doctor last week, I got to return back to the pool with Jack in tow. Coach Andrew kept an eye on him (an ear actually) as Jack slept in him stroller next to the pool. It was great.

Jack is enjoying his baths a little (I can't wait to get him in the pool in one month), growing like crazy (12 pounds, 3 ounces), eating well and sleeping longer! I am excited about the 5 hour sleep times. 2 hours is getting a little tough:) Jack is getting to be a little chubster. He is starting to smile in a reaction to our voices. Steve and I were hanging out with Jack yesterday and he giggled! It was adorable.

It is still a little weird being responsible for a human life, but it feels so good. I am surprised at how much time it takes to raise a child. Feeding every 2-3 hours is tough. He doesn't even walk yet!

My Birth Story

Finally I am back online! It only took 3 weeks but here I am. This is the story of how the birth of Jack Brian McGhee went down. I may be graphic so this is your fair warning.

Three weeks ago, on Tuesday, I was at Target, picking up the last finishing touches for Jack's room and doing some touch up paint.

At 2:38 A.M. on April 9th, Wednesday, I felt a huge rumble in my tummy like I had eaten some serious fettuccine the night before and then some kind of trickle on my leg. Weird. I though before that my water may have broken but it was a false alarm. It is rare for your water to break before you go into labor anyway. So I went potty and waited and it happened again. We called the doctor and he said to call the hospital and go on in.

I brushed my teeth, Steve gathered up our packed bag, and we strolled on to the hospital. It was so quiet and calm on the streets of Walnut Creek and in the parking lot of John Muir. I was finally starting to feel contrations and I practiced breathing through them, though they had no great deal of intensity yet. The security guy welcomed us and we went up to the third floor. The lady had me fill in a small sheet with my name and some other little info (we had pre-registered online which helps make a smooth check in). She put us in a room and Steve and I napped for an hour or two before things started happening.

When I awoke the nurses just checked in and we went through a series of contractions and relaxing. My friend Christie was on her way to be my support gal and my mom and step-dad were on a plane from southern California. It seemed like everyone got to me at about 10 or 11 A.M. Everyone was so good at holding my hand while I breathed through the contractions. I was lucky enough that the breathing worked! No back labor or anything crazy to deal with. I was super sensitive about smells. Any whiff of food that I got was totally annoying to me, probably because I wanted to eat something so bad and hadn't eaten for 24 hours. Even if there was food on the other side of the room, I could smell it and it had to go. We watched the events of the Olympic torch running through San Fransisco that day as a good distraction.

At about 2 to 3 P.M. the contractions started getting more intense and I asked everyone but Steve to clear the room. The T.V. had to be turned off. I was ready to have this baby but my body wasn't quite ready. The nurse (one of the many I had seen that day, who were all awesome) had told me not to push as I needed to be dilated about 1-.5 cm more. My body was realing and longed to just push this baby out. The nurse called the doctor to come and he wasn't coming. I think she just told me he was coming to pacify me a little.

At 4:00 I didn't think I could handle this feeling of pushing any longer and could barely even breath through it as my air wouldn't come in. 4:30 she checked me and I was very close, and I asked her (in a very demanding way) to call the doctor and see where he was. She found him at his office, right across the street and he came over for sure this time. I couldn't wait. I heard him in the hallway and was about to yell for him to get in the room, but tried to remain civil. When he walked in to the room, I don't think I even greeted him. I just asked, "Can I push yet?" He said to go for it and I did.

Thanks goodness for swimming because that put me right in pushing shape. He noticed my strong pushes and asked me to stop so he could get his stuff in order to help me deliver. I started pushing at 5:00 and with 3 series of contractions, about 4 pushes each one, he was born at 5:17 P.M. It was amazing. At one point Dr. Katz asked me to stop pushing and feel the head crowning. Then as the Dr. was pulling out Jack's shoulders, he told me to look down at this huge headed baby all covered in goo. I couldn't believe that that being had come out of me.

When they took him out, he was paced on my chest and we just cuddled. He was covered in waxy vernix still and all purple from the trama of birth. I was elated and Steve was right there holding onto us both. The umbilical cord was clamped after a few minutes and Steve cut it. It was a free baby. I had my body back! Well, kind of.

They took him to the little center to get cleaned up as I got stitched up a little. I tore and so they did a little of an episiotomy which is not very common these days. I fed him and then I fed me. That meal was so great tasting after not eating for so long. Steve got to hold him for sometime while they were waiting for the stitches. My parents came in once the mess was cleared and got to see their grandson.

They transfered us to the smaller post pardum room, ate again, and then went to bed. the nurses were very good at helping me take care of my wounds and helping in breastfeeding. We stayed two nights and went home on Friday to a clean house and flowers everywhere, thanks to my mom and step-dad.

I couldn't complain one bit about the delivery at that hospital and the care given to us afterward. I have to say that I was so lucky that no complications arose and I got to do everything naturally. I am amazed that most people do this voluntarily. I feel as if I am a member of a club now. I have endured the hazing of birth and still to come: childhood, then adolescence. Eeek!

All is well in this third week and getting the hang of breastfeeding. Jack loves to sleep so I have to make sure and wake him so he gets enough feedings. He is definitely the son of Steve. He has cute red hair and fare skin. Lett's hope he got my melatonin! Check out pictures on our galleries and I will try and post some soon here on the blog. More adventures to come.

Baby's Room

Steve and I have been working hard on the baby's room and with only little detail touch ups, we have it ready to go. It's so exciting! And don't worry, the paint is water based Benjamin Moore, zero fumes. It does have a smell to it but it's supposed to be safe.

The days after the belly picture was taken, at 35 weeks, I went to the doctor and she said that I was dilated already at 2cm. That is a little surprising for my first baby. The lungs haven't developed fully yet, so I cannot do much activity for 2 weeks. Then he can come out!

I am feeling tired often so I do a little chore, then rest. It's crazy building a baby. So tiring!