Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To School He Goes

Last week, this precious baby started school.

Last night, Vince and I went to parents night.  It was an opportunity for all the parents to be given the same information at the same time for the 2012-2013 school year.  We also got to see Jax's classrooms and some of his projects.  He has already studied his fingerprints and filled out an "all about me" project and drawn a picture of his family complete with a heart scar for Hoss and crazy hair for me.  His classes include the usual core classes as well as Spanish, Art, Music and Computer Technology.  Needless to say he is in his element and loving it.  I'm sure there will be lots of Jaxisms to come, but my favorite so far is from his Spanish class.  

If you know Jax at all, you know that he makes anything into a song.  Counting in Spanish is no exception, so, to a rhythm all his own (but pretty catchy), he now counts...Uno, Dos, Tres, ROCKO!  He can count to ten so far, but who really cares once Quattro has been replaced with ROCKO?!

Here's the obligatory front porch "First Day of School" picture 

And here are the outtakes...

Awww. Snap!  Buckle up St. Nicholas, here he comes!!

  

Something's A Little Fishy

Last Friday was Vince's birthday and he took the day off of work.  Mom and Dad, a.k.a. GrNanny and Granddaddy, took us to the Aquarium.  Jax, Hoss and I had never been.  It was a gorgeous day and GrNanny snapped this family picture while Granddaddy was buying the tickets.

We headed into the River exhibit first.  Now let me just say that I had a completely different expectation of our Aquarium in my head. If you're from Chattanooga or have been to our zoo, that's what I was expecting, but on an aquatic foundation.  Not to knock our zoo, it's just not in the same ballpark as the aquarium.  Right off the bat we stumbled into Ranger Rick's live show.  There was a really cool gecko that we got to touch.

And a legless lizard that we could have touched but chose not to.  I don't care what you call it, it looks like a snake to me. (Don't look JeanJean)

Jax jumped right in the middle of things, literally by climbing inside this fish tank.

We watched a demonstration about hedgehogs...

Watched otters playing - they were pretty cute

and we saw lots of catfish, poison dart frogs, giant turtles and small ones too.  Mom and Vince even touched some fish in one of the exhibits.  Jax was not so sure about that.

After the river exhibit, we headed to the ocean exhibit.  I think I could have stayed in there all day long!  There were beautiful stingrays, macaws and macaws on the top floor in the tropical exhibit.

Next came the penguins.  Oh my goodness.  I really could have watched them all day.  Their exhibit was being cleaned and they would line up to be sprayed with the hose, then jump in the water, swim back to the other side of their enclosure, hop out and get in line again.  They were a hoot and have so much personality!  I swear they were posing for pictures too.

Then came the rest of the ocean, you know, the giant sea turtles, sharks, giant crabs, and myriads of fish. It makes me wish I snorkeled, but my one attempt at snorkeling left me traumatized and half drowned while my mother and brother just about had heart attacks from laughing at me.  Another story for another day...I love the pictures of Jax next to the walls of fish.  It really puts their size into perspective.

There is also an amazing jellyfish exhibit, but my pictures don't do them justice.  The last exhibit is the under sea caverns.  This was Hoss' favorite part.  There was a lot he couldn't see because it was higher than the stroller, and he did enjoy the walls of fish, but I think you can tell by the look of awe on his face, that being surrounded by the fish was his favorite part.

After the aquarium, we grabbed some lunch then headed home for a nap.  That night we met up again with GrNanny, Granddaddy,Aunt Audi, Uncle Bubba, Honest Mike and Connie for a birthday dinner at Amigos.  Vince and Jax call each other Amigo, so when I asked Jax what we should out on Daddy's cake, he said, "the three amigos".  So, that prompted a theme for the night.  Mexican food and an Amigo cake by Christie Turner.  Yum!  Nobody made fun of me for cutting small slices of cake this time.  In fact, no one came back for seconds because I got it right the first time.  When your piece of cake is bigger than your plate, it's a Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Vinnie!

He'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain When He Comes

A couple of weeks ago Jax got invited to go ride the Missionary Ridge train by his cousin, Baby Jim.  Now, Jim is two and a half, so not really a baby, but that's what Jax calls him.  I suspect Jax will call him that when Baby Jim is 45, but that will be between them.  He's truly adorable though.  See?

So, on a rainy (torrential downpour) Saturday morning in July, Jax and Vince met Baby Jim and his mom and dad at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum to ride the train.  Jax had never been to the museum or on a train ride, so it was all a first for him.  

They got their tickets and checked out some of the trains on display while waiting for their train to arrive.

Finally it was their turn to board.  The conductor came around and checked their tickets and they were off! Jax thought it felt funny when the train started to roll, but soon it was second nature and they were having a blast.   

The conductor told the history of trains and Chattanooga during the ride.

He reminds me of somebody, but I can't quite put my finger on who it is.  Maybe if I "lay a finger aside of my nose and give a nod..." it will come to me.  Or maybe that will tickle and make my "belly shake like a bowl full of jelly".  (Not one comment J.R. Fitch!)  Either way, Vince said the conductor was amazing and the narration part was really informative and interesting.  Both of my boys really enjoyed the ride and talked about the facts for days afterwards and still do when we cross railroad tracks or see a railroad trestle or hear a train or read a book or eat chicken or wash our hands or , well, they really don't need an excuse to talk about trains.

One part of the trip Jax talked about the most was the tunnel.  It is as long as three football fields and completely dark.  "I mean it, Mom.  No light at all. I was only a little afraid, but not really, but a little".  When they went through the tunnel on the way back to the depot, the boys got the best of their fears by using Vince's flashlight app on his cellphone.  

At the halfway mark of their journey, they got to watch the engine being turned around at the roundhouse.  Once they were headed back, they kicked back and enjoyed a lollipop, 'cause, you know, that's what cousins do.

Afterwards, they headed to Famous Dave's for some BBQ (BBQ loosely translated into cousin lingo means chicken fingers).  It was a beautiful way to spend a rainy day and it was a beautiful break for Mommy.  Hopefully one Saturday soon we can return the invite and have another adventure with Baby Jim.  Thank you for inviting us!!  

Sittin' up all by Myself

This has been a busy week!  We had therapy two days and a cardiology appointment one day and on Thursday Aunt Nelda and Kate came over to play.  Kate was visiting from Franklin, TN and she and Jax have a blast together.  They threw water balloons, played indoor soccer, played outside some and ate pizza.  Aunt Nelda and I visited and played with Hoss.   After he had eaten a little baby food and been allowed (by me, don't ask) to fall out of his highchair and consequently checked all over (I could have used a cardiologist for me. He was fine.) it was time for Hoss to go to bed and have his regular feed.  Usually I plug his tube in and turn on his lullabies and as he begins to get a full tummy, he's like everybody I know after Thanksgiving dinner...OUT like a light!  Lately, he has begun to roll and squirm around in his bed and manage to get his tube to play with.

Thursday afternoon when I put him down, he was so sleepy that I was sure he'd go right out even though Kate and Jax were still in the house playing and making some noise.  After about 10 minutes, I could still hear him making noises and babbling.  He didn't sound upset, but I still decided to check on him just to be sure.  I headed back to his room expecting to find him still lying in roughly the same place I had laid him down, plugged him in and tucked his blanket around him.

Here is what I actually found!

Yep, he had figured out a new way to get to his tube!  I was so excited!  Ms. Kilbrey, his physical therapist has been working so diligently with him to get him up off his back.  He's been able to sit up for a while once we got him in that position.  He's never been able to sit up by himself.  Now we just have to get him to realize he can use his hands as well as his core muscles to keep himself from careening to the floor.  Sitting up is all fun and games until you crack your head open when you don't "stick the landing".  Today, however, we are enjoying this little victory.  

Don't Tell Me I Can't Eat

Hey everybody.  Hoss here to update you on my progress with eating.  You see, they told my Mom that I aspirated and so I have this feeding tube.  I keep having swallow studies, but they keep showing that I still aspirate.  Not as much, each time is better, but Mrs. Denise keeps telling Mom to steer clear of liquids, just in case.  I've never had pneumonia and aspirating can really cause that in kids like me, so why force the issue until I can learn how to swallow properly.  But Mom keeps wondering how I'm supposed to learn to swallow if I don't ever practice.  So at my well check up last week (I weighed 16lbs and 8oz and was 27 inches long) Mom talked to Dr. Peep about how to go about practicing.  I've been practicing with baby food for a while now, 8-10 bites at a time two or three times a day, but no liquids practice.

Dr. Peep and Mom feel it is reasonable to go ahead and try some liquids since I have not ever developed pneumonia with the things I have been eating.  Dr. Peep said that teaching a kid to eat who has been solely dependent on a feeding tube can take an act of Congress.  In other words, it don't come easy.  He assured her that we would both certainly get frustrated with eating food before I was truly eating.  But, since Mom's goal is to get the feeding tube O.U.T. she decided to jump in with both feet.  Also, I have a cardiology appointment next week and they will do a chest x-ray so we will know if my aspirations are setting me up for pneumonia or not.  On one hand, I hope my lungs look as good as always, but can you imagine how much she's going to push me if I'm still all clear?

First she started me with bananas.  Now keep in mind I've tried lots of things, but just a few bites.  Bananas were the first food Mom decided to substitute for a feeding.

Take that aspirations!  I ate the whole tub!!

Next she worked in some higher calorie foods that I just adore!  I can't get enough of Turkey and Rice, Chicken and Vegetables or Vegetable Beef.  I really love the more savory type foods, but that makes sense.  That's what Mom craved when she was pregnant with me.  Heck, she ate so much Japanese food I'm surprised my name isn't Toyota!  You can see I REALLY enjoy my meats!

Mom's also introducing some non baby food things, like yogurt.  My big brother Jax loves yogurt and it's supposed to be good for you, so why not.  Guess you could say it's a hit as well.

Most recently, she's been feeding me in more of a traditional meal setup.  You know, more than one thing at a time.  I think she needs to work on her combinations a little bit (tonight it was strawberry banana yogurt with sweet potatoes and corn...I would be rolling my eyes if I knew how) but it's good for me to have different textures and temperatures.  So far, I don't seem to have any real aversions, thank goodness.

We've also been working with a sippy cup.  Shhhhh, don't tell anyone, but she puts chocolate milk in my sippy.  I know that will stop once I get the hang of it, but for now, I've got her convinced that I need that extra treat to get me to drink.  Today, Mom took the handles off my sippy cup and it made it more like a bottle.  Very quickly I figured out how to hold it myself and even can put it in my own mouth.  I mostly am chewing on the nipple rather than sucking it, but that's ok for now.  I don't get tons of milk to swallow at one time that way.  Sometimes I cough a little like it's trying to go down the wrong pipe, but mostly I swallow it.  Yumm!!

I'm telling you what, I am so proud of myself!  Sometimes I kick my feet and flail my arms and hit the spoon headed towards me and sling baby food all over me and Mom and the kitchen.  She doesn't care, it'll all clean up when we're through!

I'm also developing my own cues for Mom.  This is my, "No Thank You, I've Had Enough" face.  Sometimes she doesn't get them the first couple of times I show her one, but eventually she catches on.

I guess that's all for tonight.  I best get to bed, after all, who lets a baby stay up past 9:30?  Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!  But if they do, hit 'em with a shoe and tell 'em I don't want to sleep with you! Thanks Uncle Gil!