Rain, rain, go away...

Normally, I love a good storm. I don't mind toting an umbrella, snuggling up with a warm drink in hand. I look to cold weather as a fun new opportunity for accessories of the scarf variety. I didn't even mind cleaning Stella for a full half hour when she decided a full body mud bath was in order.

But now... now I've had enough. Now that the rain is no longer outside but INSIDE our house. Soaking through our carpets, threatening our foundation and walls and carpet and carpet pad and my preserved wedding dress sitting in the back of the closet. Why? I have no freaking clue. The roof seems okay, but all the floors on the south side of our house are damp. So, more adventures in home ownership. THIS is why it's not good when San Diego gets seven inches of rain in like 10 days. We lack drainage of any kind.

I'm trying oh so hard to resist the urge to breathe into a paper bag. God has been really faithful to us and I'm sorry to say that my first reaction was panic and fear. But, I'm working on faith and patience and just riding this out. People across the world are dealing with so much worse. We're still warm and mostly dry, our cupboards are full of food, and we're all safe.

Of course, this would be easier if I had gotten more sleep. But the poor little boy is sick, resulting in much crying at wee hours. Some of it his, some of it mine.

Heartbreak.

I am a San Diego sports fan. I love the Padres, even with their bad decisions. I love the Chargers, even though their capacity for choking is staggering. After spending my college years in LA I picked up a preference for the Lakers but don't talk to me about the Dodgers.

So needless to say, I'm depressed. I don't want to listen to sports talk, I don't want to see the news, the front page of msn.com makes me angry. Woe to us oh San Diego sports fans.

On the bright side, we live in San Diego. Beat that fake New York, aka New Jersey.

SEVEN months!

Dear Carter,

If I had to describe your seventh month of life in one word, that word would be LOUD. You have really come to understand your vocal capacity and utilize it to the fullest extent. I mean this very literally: people stare at you. When I take you with me on errands you tend to start babbling, then squawking, then full blown screeching the likes of which isn't typically heard outside of the jungle. More than once over the last month people have heard you in the vicinity, stopped what they're doing and searched for the source of the noise, only to be shocked to see a very small child wailing and flailing in his stroller. I just shrug and smile. It's all I really can do. Our neighbors probably wondered why we got a pterodactyl for Christmas.

You're like a different baby at seven months old than you were a month ago. You're still a lot of fun and mostly loving life but with a whole new set of skills. You're sitting up really well on your own. We do let you fall now and then depending on what the landing surface is. You think it's particularly funny to topple over on our bed. Not sure why, but it just is. You're much better with your hands and have more coordination which leads to whatever you can reach making it into your mouth at unprecedented speeds. Several weeks ago you re-mastered the tummy to back roll and now you're like a rotisserie chicken making a break for it. You did decide to feud with the nap this month, but you'll soon learn that I am stubborn and don't give up easily. The nap and I are joining forces and determined to have victory. It's for your own good, I promise. I know you think it's better to be so exhausted that you're a whiny mess with bags under your eyes, but sleep is really the way to go.

You are such a little charmer. A few weeks ago I took you and Stella on a walk to the coffee shop down the street (really, this sounds much more quaint than our neighborhood really is). We were sitting outside while I was enjoying my tea and you were wildly flinging your toys about. I looked away for a few seconds and when I looked back I realized that you had a captive audience of businessmen. They were inside, on the other side of a big window. All five of these older men in suits and ties had their attention diverted completely to you. They were smiling at you and waving as you smiled right back, laughing and flailing your limbs at them. After their meeting wrapped up and they were leaving, they passed us and told me how adorable you are and how fun it was to see you interacting with them. My future looks troubling.

You and Stella are tolerating each other much better these days. I knew she would come around as soon as you were eating real food. But you think she's funny now. You positively SCREECH with laughter at her sometimes. She still scares you every once in a while but you don't seem to mind her piercing barks of protection or her inquisitive sniffing.

You have teeth! Plural! A few weeks ago your bottom front teeth popped out. Your right tooth was the first to debut, closely followed by the left three days later. I can tell there's more on the way any day now. And those little teeth? They're deceptively sharp. You've almost taken off a few of my fingers and one of your dad's, too. Of course, you think that's funny. You also think pulling my hair is funny. And so is gnawing on my face if I let you get close enough. Your new trick is grabbing my hair with both fists so quickly I hardly even know what's going on. While I'm distracted with the freeing of my hair you launch at my face. It's actually pretty awesome.

You're an experienced eater now (of course, your DNA predestined you to that). We gave you sweet potatoes as your first real food and you loved them. You ate the entire jar and would have kept going if I'd cracked open a second jar. You've also tried carrots and squash (loved) and a few green veggies like sweet peas and green beans (merely tolerated). You made the most horrible face and your facial expression pleaded with me to stop forcing you to eat it. You really like fruits, especially plums but you've also tried apples and pears.

You celebrated your first Christmas a few weeks ago. You didn't quite get it, but there were a few things that you really liked. You loved the shiny bows and you liked to stare at the lights. Since you started rolling like a maniac right about the time we put the tree up you loved to roll yourself over and just watch the lights fade in and out. You also tried to grab the ornaments, so because of your persistence and Stella's hurricane tail the bottom few feet of the tree were sparse with completely unbreakable ornaments. We cherished the time with you and I can't wait until you understand the meaning of Christmas and the importance it holds in our lives.

You also rang in your first New Year! You and I celebrated by sleeping. Dude, midnight is super late when you have a small infant who demands your attention bright and early. We used to be a lot cooler than we are now, but you know, I wouldn't trade life with you to be young and hip and unfettered even for a moment. There were some challenges in our life this month. When I felt like the world was raining down on me, I snuck in to your room and gently lifted you into my arms and just held you. You would snuggle into my arms and nuzzle my neck and that was enough to make everything okay again. That will always be enough for me. Your dad and I are just so blessed to have you in our lives. And I promise to stop sneaking into your room by the time you're 18.

Love,

Mama

Breaking news!!

Carter has a TOOTH! Last Tuesday Carter's first tooth busted through! And he's got two more right behind it, explaining his fussier demeanor, whining, and general difficulty sleeping. I kept saying all I wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth, knowing that his teething was putting a serious damper on my generally happy baby. Close enough.

6 Months!

Dear Carter,

It’s been six months since you entered our lives. Sometimes it feels like it’s been just a brief moment since you’ve joined us, and other times I can’t remember our lives before you. Your father and I are pretty proud that we’ve kept you alive for a whole six months without any major incidents, which is more than I can say for some of the houseplants we’ve previously had in our care.

You had a busy month little boy! The highlight: FOOD! Well, kind of. We started feeding you cereal in addition to milk. I really wanted to hold off until you were 6 months old to start solids, but you were having none of that. You were more than ready to start. The first time we fed you I’d say you got down about 90% of it, much more than I expected. You actually grabbed the spoon with both hands to shove it in your mouth faster. Now when we put you in your seat to eat you flail your arms and kick your legs wildly. I’m pretty sure you know what’s coming and you’re excited about it. You are a Jobin, after all. You also thought the whole process was hilarious. The first time we fed you, all you could do was laugh. I’m not quite sure what was so humorous, but before long we were all laughing. Who knew cereal was so funny?

We survived your second cold, complete with mama’s second cold of November as well. You are such a trooper. I never imagined I would willing extract snot from someone’s nose, but that’s how much we love you. We just want you to be able to breathe (and subsequently, sleep). Hopefully all these little illnesses are making you stronger and you’ll grow up to have an immune system like your father. You’re not sleeping as well as you used to, which has left us a little haggard and worse for the wear this month. Yet there’s part of me that enjoys your late night feedings. I know my days where you will cuddle in my arms are numbered and I’m trying to enjoy every moment of you needing me.

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving with you a few weeks ago. This presented just one more glorious occasion for me to dress you up in some cute clothes. I had picked out a sweater and matching hat with sweet little elephants on it, but your dad told me it was too pastel and Eastery. You’re very lucky to have such a caring daddy looking out for your wardrobe choices. You were still pretty dang cute, I must say. You and your dad wore matching outfits (even though I’m told boys don’t wear outfits). Next Thanksgiving will be much more exciting for you. This year you really didn’t get to try much. That didn’t stop you from trying. At one point you managed to squirm out of my lap and grab on to my plate with both hands. It didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to, but it was a great picture. Next year you’ll understand the joys of turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce and most importantly crescent rolls and pie!

You’re doing lots of funny things lately. I cannot even begin to describe how much rolling there is. You’re still refusing to roll from your tummy to your back though. You’re very proficient at rolling from your back to your tummy. That takes literally 2 seconds. Then, about 5 seconds after that, you get mad and begin to fling your limbs in the air. I don’t think you’re going to crawl anytime soon because you’re too busy flailing your limbs instead of utilizng them in any type of useful fashion. You also hate to bend your elbows. You must keep your arms straight at all times. If we bend them for you, you immediately fling them back to the straight position. When we hold you on our hips, you look like you’re trying to fly or something. You’re still a big fan of your tongue. Your chomping has intensified. I’m expecting your teeth to sprout any day now. I’m a little concerned you’re going to chomp your fingers off when you do have teeth. You also have this new cough/laugh noise that sounds like a machine gun. You will go on making that noise for 10 minutes, sometimes longer. I’m not sure why you like it, but I think the sound is funny to you. And in all seriousness, you are LOUD. You’re just a tiny little person with a huge capacity for a noisemaking.

As we decorate and get ready for Christmas, your fascinated by all the lights. You do not care for Christmas songs though. In fact, when I sing certain ones you immediately tear up and start wailing. Someday we’ll show you the video. It’s almost unbelievable. I sing, you cry. Your dad raps, you laugh. And on and on.

As we prepare to celebrate a little baby who came to change the world, we are so incredible thankful for our little baby who changed our lives forever. We couldn’t imagine the world without you little one.

Love,

Mama

We have a 6 month old!

And he's still big, but slowing down.

He's weighing in at 20 pounds, 14 ounces and 28 inches long. His head is still massive, 46.5 centimeters.

And I'm completely exhausted right now. I love December, I love Christmas, I love my family, and I enjoy my job, but right now it feels like all the things in my life is demanding everything I have.

I have a 6 month letter, I'll post it eventually. But this is all I have time for now. More to come... assuming I don't fall over and sleep for several days.

Two in one.

Some "two in ones" are good... cookie dough and ice cream in one carton, shampoo and conditioner in one bottle, a phone and an mp3 player in one handy device, etc. Two rounds of sickness in one month is the bad kind of two in one. Both times Carter started off sniffly, gave it to me, got worse, and Seth was spared. That baby is a trooper though. He wakes up coughing and sputters when he's eating and is so stuffed up but really doesn't seem too bothered by it. I don't get it... hopefully we're all building immunity for later on in life.

[(sick mama + sick baby) * 2] to the power of thanksgiving = misery

Five months!

Five months!

Your exuberance for life has exploded this month. They don’t call it the four month wakeful period for nothing. You’ve started waking up throughout the night again. Don’t get me wrong, I love every minute I can hang out with you, but I would actually prefer to spend our time together during my waking hours. When you do wake up, you’re not terribly interested in going back to sleep. You’re so much more aware of the world and want to spend as much time as you can taking it all in.

You continue to be huge. At your doctor’s appointment this month the doctor called you a “big ol’ moose.” Your dad couldn’t be more proud. You’re off the charts for height and head size (which you get from your dad. You and your dad both owe me for that one!). Your weight is around the 90-95^th percentile. A few weeks ago we took you in for your 4 month check up and you’re measuring in at the average size of an 8 month old. You’re outgrowing all of your 12 month clothes. I was hoping to wait until Christmas to get you more clothes but you may be running around naked by Christmas if I do that. On a sad note, you had to get your next round of shots at that appointment and you spent the next 24 hours sick and miserable. There are few things that make me as sad as seeing you sick. The one positive thing that came out of that is you wanted to be cuddled. You’re getting so active and alert that you’re not as content to snuggle with your mama, so I’ll take the cuddling where I can get it.

Your time is spent exploring the floor and your toys these days and especially flinging your limbs. You are really into grabbing anything and everything. You especially like faces. If it’s your dad’s face and he’s wearing his glasses, JACKPOT. You also do this new trick I call “the vampire” where you wrap one arm around my shoulder and throw the other one around my neck and attack my neck. I adore that. Recently you’ve started constantly rolling from your back to your stomach. Then you realize you’re on your stomach (which you don’t really like) and get upset and forget how to roll back over, even though you’ve been rolling from your tummy to your back for a good four months now. You often throw your head into the air and fling your arms behind you and lift your legs in the air like shamu or a seal skimming across an icecap. It is so stinkin’ cute! However, the back to stomach flipping/squawking does make for a really difficult nap time. I have found you in all kinds of crazy positions in your crib this month. The other night you rotated yourself 180 degrees and wiggled into the corner. That is so not how we put you in there.

Your legs are still quite strong and your balance is getting better but luckily (for us) you haven’t gotten down your muscle control. We are in so much trouble when you do. You’re sitting up supported by your arms and only occasionally faceplanting. All you want to do is stand. Getting you to bend at the waist takes some convincing. Putting you in your swing, strapping you into your car seat, and keeping you in the bathtub are all daily challenges. When you’re not standing, you’re kicking. Bath time is hilarious. We don’t really know if you’re annoyed or happy or quite angry, but you’re expressing something or maybe just trying to splash out every single drop of water.

We suffered through our first household illness this week. It started with you getting a little sniffly and sneezing last week. Then I got it. When mommy gets sick, it’s game over. Friday morning we hung out with your grandma and everything was fine but by mid-afternoon I was very miserable. I had to tough it out until your dad came home. We laid on the floor together, you playing and rolling, me just trying to breathe and make sure you didn’t roll out the door. By Friday night I was really quite sick and I spent the whole weekend that way. I tried to keep my distance from you except to feed you and it was so tough! In addition to being miserably sick, I was just as miserable to be missing out on a weekend with you. But that misery was nothing compared to the screaming resulting from clearing your nose. Oh THE SCREAMING! You can’t yet blow your own nose, so we have to hold you down and use a bulb aspirator which is a crazy contraption that sucks the snot out of your nose (just one of the many joys of parenthood). You ha-aaa-aa-aaa-ate it. And I absolutely hate doing it. I usually do the sucking and your dad holds you down. We try to make it this fun game and use upbeat tones but it doesn’t work. You will have none of it. The screaming that comes out of you doesn’t even remotely resemble a human, and it’s especially troubling coming out of a small infant. You fling yourself wildly trying to swat away our hands. It’s seriously like trying to tackle a windmilling octopus.

Oh and you prefer rap music. We’ve tried all kinds of music and dance parties with you and your preference is hip hop. Gettin Jiggy Wit It is your favorite song, which you’re not allowed to listen to by the way. Don’t tell your dad, but you like country too. Classical, eh, not so much. You do seem to like it when I sing to you. I mix it up, lullabies and classics and some personal favorites. Jack Johnson, John Mayer, the occasional DMX on the more challenging days (Y'all gon' make me lose my mind up in here, up in here). You’re not allowed to listen to that either.

We celebrated your first Halloween a few weeks ago. You were dressed like a tiger, in honor of your auntie Anna and the RIT tigers. We spent part of the night at the Harvest Festival and you spent the time in a kangaroo pouch strapped to your dad. You tried to eat the pouch the entire night and loved your new vantage point. Again, much cuteness abounded. I went pretty low key this year and got some tiger ears, so together we were the mama tiger and the tiger cub. And your dad was the kangaroo.

You are loving life baby boy. And we are loving life with you. You have filled my heart in ways I didn’t know possible.

Love,

Mama

Catching up on my lunch break

Every day I really did think about what I was thankful for. So here's a little catch up:

11/14: I am thankful for working phones! Especially since I don't have one. I'm carrying around 3 right now and none of them really work right. Long story, hopefully it will be fixed soon, but it's really showcasing my dependence on my phone. There's a reason they call it a crackberry.

11/15: I am really thankful to have all 4 of my grandparents. I know that's a huge blessing and I don't want to take it lightly. My goal this thanksgiving is to get a picture of Carter with all 4 of his maternal great-grandparents.

11/16: My car. We've had our Pilot almost a year and I still love it. It keeps us safe and cozy. It carried across the desert and back, transported us to the hospital and home with our little bundle, and I'm sure it will take us on many more adventures.

11/17: Schwans. Last night was a rough one for some reason. I was so physically exhausted and the thought of making dinner was too much to bare. And just then, the doorbell rang! Dinner came to us on the most perfect night for it. And the Light Vanilla Caramel Brownie Ice Cream was a nice plus too.

In other catching up news... Carter's Five Month letter coming soon!

Oh I love technology.

But not as much as you you see.

Seriously though, I love that I can use technology to talk to those I love. I can skype with my sister from thousands of miles away from my own couch. And for that, I am thankful.