Timing

yes. time flies by. and then stands still in the waiting. baby #2 due in 9 days. i thought for sure i'd be in labor by now...not my timing apparently! so no breath holding, just deep breathing and sighs.

since christian turned 2 our lives have gone through roller coaster loops. the month of april was our perfect storm of finishing the dissertation and going through the final stages of some possible job opportunities - which ultimately fell through! we are still recovering from that month. there were positives like being able to shift my work schedule in order to spend mornings with christian. tiring but fun - doing regular 'mom' stuff like going to the park and meeting other moms to chat while we chase our children and save them from each other.

may brought the dissertation defense, which dan passed with distinction! what a praise! and then the actual turning in of the dissertation (which didn't need any revisions!). my family had a mini surprise reunion for my mother's retirement. and then june came with the graduation of dr. koehler. and july a vacation to virginia beach, the retirement city of my parents.

through all of this christian has been growing leaps and bounds and we have been trying to mature right along with him, especially in terms of discipline, reproof - consistency, etc. he's such a personality at times so loving and cuddly and at times so annoying!!!! (his favorite response right now is a whiny 'no.' - awesome.)

we've been coaching him on his duties as older brother as we slowly add more and more infant things to his surroundings. but in speaking with other moms it's just going to take the baby being born for it really to sink in.

and so we continue to wait! i'm not overdue just ready due:)

and then what's next? after baby, my leave for about 12 weeks during which dan will apply again for academic positions around the country. there are actually openings despite the economy looking like a double dip whatever. and then we go through the whole process again - me working full time, dan fathering full time while seeking after the beginning of his career.

so i will try to post here to tell you how it's all going - this crazy season of parenthood.

Growth spurt withdrawal

So Christian has been on a growth spurt. It abruptly stopped earlier this week. He is sleeping a little better, but his eating has changed. He no longer likes solids very much and it's a fight for Dan to feed him even 4oz of milk with the bottle. Fickle little guy! Once we get in a groove he changes his rhythm. Not fair! Dan is struggling. He is coming up on deadlines and needs Christian to be more cooperative, but he's a baby! We don't want to learn these lessons now - just want things to work. I'm just glad it's Friday so I can be home to help out a little more.

Screeching, cereal, and plane rides...

Christian started to screech. Not just cooing anymore. We hope it's a sign he's developing verbal communication skills ;)
That's not all he's learned since rolling over three weeks ago. He's eaten rice cereal, flown on a plane, swam in a pool, dipped in the ocean, and is still learning to fall asleep by himself. It's such an amazing thing to see how fast he picks up on things, but at the same time one feels like it's taking time. You look for the next development and then suddenly it along with five other things have taken place.
To back up...
the rice cereal was almost a non-event. He accepted the spoon - indeed he had been eyeing us eating for awhile - and made faces at the food on it when inserted into his mouth. But he was still interested and even ate the whole tablespoon or whatever it was. Later that night in his crib, though, he was Mr. Grunters for a long time. And the following day, my husband told me, he had one of the most forceful poops of his life, pooping out of his diaper onto his clothes as well as on Dan's arm (he was holding him). So because of the possible digestive immaturity or sensitivity, we have yet to give him the cereal again. But perhaps tomorrow the bowels will cooperate.
Luckily the plane rides were short. The first was delayed and so we were able to fly with a sleeping child. Very cool. The return flight, however, started at nap time, which we missed because of the loading and taking off and cabin pressure, etc. He had a freakout, even though I tried to nurse him through it. Dan turned out to be the better comforter. When we were boarding, a couple with two children related their experiences flying with their kids. Apparently their son was not a pleasant companion his first two years of life. I can understand why. Adults aren't necessarily comfortable either on planes. The seat's small, the air smelly, the food nonexistent, the service getting less. Though it is still exciting to be flying over land - people, houses, cars, farms, cities, oceans...Another woman approached us when Christian was freaking out to say that the air blower - term? - that you can adjust helps babies get through the pressure cooker situation. I opened it as wide as it would go, but am not sure it did much. I think Christian just eventually cried himself to sleep.
I'm beginning to understand that Christian is a sensitive yet very good baby. You just don't really know what's normal - ever! But as his personality begins to shine through the babyness I think he is a lovey, sensitive boy - but one with some frustrations and tempers. Typical human perhaps. Typical relative of mine most likely.
More next time on family, finding a babysitter and cereal continued...