Cheerleader

Hi, tonight you came you to soft ball to watch dad embarass himself in our first playoff game. We lost by 5 runs but had a great night. Seeing you and your mama helped my batting average but as soon as you left I hit an infield fly. You weren't too happy to be away from your bed and were giving your mom a hard time. She attempted to feed you a wonderful feast of sweet potato and oatmeal but nothing would make you a happy camper. Hopefully you'll enjoy the next game a little more.

Love B.

Six Months

Earlier this week as we basked in the heat and endless prairies that are Saskatchewan, you turned six months old. I think you've travelled more in these first few months of life than I did for the first 18 years of mine. I expect one morning to wake and find you covered with travel stickers that have been slapped on you marking your time at each holiday destination. Sure, you may not have those exotic stickers adorning the trunks of 1920s travellers to Europe who may have returned home with images of Paris and London stuck to their baggage. But, baby, you got better. Buck Lake. Drumheller. Elbow. These are the bright lights and big cities that most other six-month olds can only dream of.


The world is your oyster. Or at least your sweet potatoe. This past month you've started eating solid foods. Let me rephrase that. You've started accepting solid foods into your mouth and then bllaaabbbbshhbbbing it all over your face. The last few days you have sharply protested being placed in your high chair with the tray covering your legs because...I shudder to believe we've even done this to you...because it DENIES YOU ACCESS TO YOUR FEET FOR MORE THAN FIVE CONSECUTIVE SECONDS. Eating oatmeal and applesauce is not enough for you. You need to simultaneously have food, your thumb, and a minimum of four toes in your mouth at any given sitting to avoid a meltdown no one has seen since denying Mel Gibson a martini.


You continue to amaze your dad and me with how adaptable you are to new situations. You readily explore anything new. Generally by shoving it in your mouth. You win people over time and time again with that infectious, coy little smile of yours. I've never yet seen you not smile at someone who took the time to talk with you, pinch those enormous cheeks or tweak your sausage toes. Time and time again we hear how happy you are and how easy going you are. These people obviously have not seen you once you've decided it is time for your bottle.


Jack, you are an amazing gift. For every month you've grown, you've helped me grow immeasurably more. It has not been easy for me to be a mom. I'm not a natural and I'm nowhere near perfect. But my love for you knows no bounds. As tired as I am each day as we put you to bed, I can't wait to see you again in the morning. As hard as it is to do the same things over and over each day, I can't wait for the next day to do it all over again with you. In just half a year, you've taught me more about myself than I've learned in the last five. You've made me a more patient, more loving, more understanding woman. All that in just six months? Just imagine what you and I will achieve together in the next six.


Love,
Your Momma

Not So Much the Lady's Man

You love the girls, but they just don't love you back, Jack. We've already covered off your cousin Alyce who is usually too busy to give you a second look or if she does look at you it's usually because she is trying to stab you in the eye with her finger. And now, little Ava. Just two weeks your elder, I think she's already looking for older men. Try as you may to capture her attention, she just shuns you in favor of a rattle. Oh, my sweet son. It is only the beginning of a lifelong struggle with the other sex.

But, I appreciate how at such a young age you've already mastered sign language to explain just how you feel about the whole situation.

Love,
Your Momma

Welcome Home Little Man

This past weekend was the first time in six months that I was left home alone. Tabitha took Jack up north to Buck Lake for 5 days and it was very strange to come home to an empty house. I don't think I realized how much I enjoy waking up to the sounds of little man gigling and babbling and tucking him in at the end of a busy day. It seems like a long time since I've heard Jack laugh and am really looking forward to seeing him tonight. I hope he had fun up there but I'm glad he's back along with my wonderful wife. See you soon.

Love pops.

Once, Rice, Three Times a Baby

Yesterday was your first day trying out solid foods. Or, what The Establishment calls "solid foods". Really, it is just nasty old rice cereal made so runny it might as well be milk. But you get to eat it with a SPOON. Apparently if the food enters your mouth via something other than a nipple, you are on the road to solidified food eating. When you look back on this moment at the ripe old age of 17 and shoving your fifth hamburger with extra cheese and double bacon into your mouth, this little foray with rice cereal won't seem like such a big deal, I'm sure.

You took to the gruel extremely well. I think you've been patiently waiting for this moment for some time. It's like you've known for a month now you could handle the stuff and were just waiting for us to get on with the program. No gagging, no choking, no horrific fits of screaming bloody murder. Just you, your over-moisturized rice flakes, and pure happiness.

Love,
Your Momma

The Joys of Bachelorhood

Jack and I are solo tonight. Tabitha is heading out for some much needed girl time and I hope she has a wonderful time. I can't wait for Jack to be old enough to enjoy these nights where we're left to fend for ourselves. Tonights menu was BBQ chicken pizza and I wish I could have shared some with the little man. Instead he was stuck with another bottle of delicious formula. He'll be moving onto solid food soon and I'm sure he's not going to miss the formula.

So, Jack, I apologize for waiting so long to write something here. I can't believe you've been with us for over 5 months. I don't remember what life was like without you. I've always liked mornings but I love them now as we often wake up to you talking and laughing away until we come get you and are blessed to see the biggest smile in the world. However, the smile doesn't last too long as we usually try to feed you quickly but you still lose your mind until you get a nipple is in your mouth. Then it's all smiles again. You're en excellent sleeper and love your bed. Tonight you wanted your bed so badly we didn't even get through a story. You just keep moaning and grunting as I tried to read Where the Wid Things Are. I interpreted this "as get out of my room this exact instance" so we'll continue the story tomorrow night.

Hope you have a great sleep and I'll see you tomorrow morning for another walk with our infamous hound named Theo.

Love pops.