The Tripod

Jude starting moving on his own for the first time yesterday. I wouldn't call it crawling exactly, more like "tripoding". The fastest he moved was when the neighbourhood cat came to our back door. He scooted so fast over to the door, good thing he has no idea how to open those sliding doors or he would have let that cat in!

Simple Joys

I've always tried to appreciate the simple joys in life. Things like crunchy autumn leaves, hot chocolate, a delicate flower growing out of the sidewalk crack. You know, things that just put a smile on your face. What is even better than coming across a simple joy is watching Jude take such pleasure in the simple things around him which often result in a squeal of delight from him, accompanied of course by a hand clap. Here are a few things from the past few days that have brought joy to Jude: the neighbour mowing the lawn with a push mower, the neighborhood cat that comes to our back deck and walks back and forth in front of the glass door, any ball, when I toss and catch things in the air, dogs, kids in the park, spraying water, when we pass people on the sidewalk, when the neighbour kids stop to play with him, bicycles and of course when Dad comes in the door after work. Thanks Jude for pointing out all the awesome things in life that we big people tend to overlook.

Yeah for Yogurt!

Yup - he ate some and asked for more, halleluiah!

Food Fight

So the food battles with Jude continue. It started out from the day we brought him home - no latching, 8 hours of screaming, finger feeding, etc. Things only got worse despite many visits to the lactation consultants and physiotherapists for my shoulder/neck that was thrown out of whack by my valiant efforts to feed my little dude. After more than two months of round the clock breastfeeding, herbal supplements by the truckload, drugs, tubefeeding, pumping, cleaning the tube and pump equipment, repeat, repeat, repeat, oh and throw in a tongue clipping for our poor little hungry guy I was forced to throw in the towel and tearfully feed my little guy formula. Once his little body finally adjusted to formula, and he began to act a little more like a sane baby and I thought that was the end of the food battles.

Well, guess again! He now refuses solids - homemade, storebought, smooth, chunky, finger foods, doesn't matter. Oh, except for cheerios (actually 'toasted cereal o's). Those he will eat one by one, followed by a cute little hand clap for each and every cheerio that he manages to get in his mouth! Oh Jude you can be very difficult, but so so so adorable!

Geocaching

Geocaching is this navigational game where you try to find these different locations by gps. Kurt had heard of this old bridge that was a geocach out in the Minesing Swamp, along the Nottawasaga River that he really wanted to find. So, this past Saturday we went geocaching. After scrutinizing a few maps Kurt figured he knew where it was, and off we went in search of the old McKinnon bridge. Turns out there was a trail, but the grass was about knee high, or higher. We kept at it even though the trail was so faint. If the trail didn't run alongside the Nott we probably wouldn't have continued for fear of getting lost, that and Kurt had spent so much time on google maps trying to find this elusive bridge. Eventually we found it -hooray it really does exist!

Auntie Naomi

We were so lucky to have Naomi come to visit for a few days before school started again. Jude sure got spoiled by her as she lavished all her attention on him - carrying him, reading stories, feeding him, playing with him, making him giggle, etc. I don't know too many eleven year olds who want to be woken up at 6 in the morning to cuddle with a baby, but she was a keener! Thanks for the fun and helpful visit Naomi!