Joshua Learning to Jump

Pics of Joshua

Here are some recent pictures of Joshua, including some of him sleeping and one of him with his daddy drinking. I have no idea when babies stop sleeping in the "bottom in the air" pose, so I take as many pics of this as I can. I love it.

Joshua Today

I am not as quick to post on the blog when I don't have accompanying pictures. And, since the camera is on the fritz, I have no new pics. But, Joshua is doing so many cool new things, it is time I blogged about the little man, with or without pictures!

He has really been trying to talk lately, and as of last count has a working vocabulary of over 25 words. He understands many more than that, of course, but those are the words he can clearly say and use appropriately. He is still really enjoying playing with balls - he can dribble the soccer ball across the room with no problem, and can throw a ball exactly where he wants, and quite a distance. He responds well to the word no, and is really good about doing what I ask - as in, "Lay down so I can change your diaper," or "Put up your pacy and turn off your sound machine," or "Close the door," or "Take off your shoes and put them in the closet." He delights in putting his puzzles together and can consistently do a shape puzzle - each time he gets a piece in correctly he claps for himself! He also LOVES babies. Amy's baby girl Allison - 6 mths old - was here the week before last and he wanted to so much to play with her. He would give her a pacy, or a toy, or anything he could find to put in her mouth. He would clap his hands and hold them out to her as if to say, "Come here baby, I will hold you!" And if she was on the floor on her blanket, he would lay beside her and inevitably would roll on her. He also loves the babies at the Make and Take play group we are in on Fridays. One particular baby, Karissa's little girl Keira, (I don't think she is 3 mths yet) he particularly loves. Yesterday Karissa let him "hold" Keira, and he loved it. He tickled her, played with her feet and hands, and laid his head on her chest. He doesn't have the best control, but he is so sweet and tries to be gentle. He is going to be such a great big brother!

Joshua also loves his bath, and will get into the bathtub fully clothed if I don't get to him fast enough. He doesn't like to leave the bath, however, and can only be consoled by looking at the crying baby in the mirror - then he laughs at himself and stops crying. He really enjoys toilets, particularly flushing them and flushing things down them. Luckily, so far he has only flushed toilet paper (lots and lots of toilet paper). We have begun locking all the bathroom doors, though. This does not make him happy. He is also a big fan of throwing his toys off the balcony. The balcony is just off the ground, and there is nobody under us, so other than the hassle of retrieving the toys it really isn't a problem.

While there are many, many other things our little guys is doing, that is a brief overview. He is such a sweet little man, and a ton of fun. Each day just gets better and better!

Things We Love...

I have recently been introduced to a beautiful device called the Swivel Sweeper. This product has changed my life. In less than 3 minutes, with minimal effort and inconvenience, my floors look nicely swept. The sheer joy I experience every time I use it has made me think about what products have made life easier, more enjoyable, and live up to their billing. I whole- heartedly recommend the swivel sweeper, and want to know what products have made my friends' lives easier. Brianna recommended the Swivel Sweeper (thank you!) and her friend Cathy recommended Downy's Wrinkle Releaser - which I have purchased and am dying to try out. Any other recommendations on products that make your life easier/ better?? I would love to know!

Floors!

The wood floors are being put in, as we speak. I am in my bedroom and Joshua is supposedly down for a nap. There is dust everywhere. We are having the floors put in the living room, dining area, and hallways. And with Mom, Dad, Amy and her girls (Abi and Ali) coming to visit first thing in the morning, there is no time like the last minute! Once the floors are finished - and they expect to be done in 4 hours believe it or not - then we have all the clean up left. But, the house is slowly starting to resemble a home! There is still way too much stuff - we are going to have to load up Joshua's patio just to clear out the guest bedroom for the next week, but...yahoo! It is all coming along nicely. We have a ton of work ahead of us.

Today's Doctor Visit

Good news on the baby front! We are all very healthy and doing great. The doctor said the baby is fabulous and all is well. We were able to see and hear the heartbeat - strong and right on track! As of right now, the baby is in the breech position, but the doctor is not at all concerned. (Joshua was, too, so I am not worried either.) Plenty of room and time to move around. And considering how often this baby is moving, I think all will be well. I had the rhogam shot and we were scheduled for the glucose testing and other lab work. So, thank you to those who were concerned and thinking about us while we were in search of a caregiver. Exciting times!

And yes, we found out the sex of the baby. The plan is to wait until we have the 4-D ultrasound, post that on the blog and let you see if you can tell from that and have another poll at that time. Then we will let you know if you were right!! I know, long and drawn out - but at least this time I was able to find out! I had to make a few concessions in order to get Brad to agree...