Theme Songs & Other Happenings

Do you have a theme song? You don't?! Well let's find one for you. A theme song is the song that you would like to play in the background every time you walk through a door. It should be something catchy and something that announces that you have arrived! Wanna know what my theme song would be? The song that I would love to play when I walk into a room?

'Eye of the Tiger'.

Ohmygosh I love that song.

But on to why I'm really here. Joshua has chosen a theme song. You don't believe me? Seriously, he has. He approved it and everything. When I played it for him, he laughed. And when I played it for Ben, he agreed that this should be Joshua's theme song. Wanna know what it is? Just have a listen...

Yep. It's perfect for him. Because apparently our child doesn't need sleep. And doesn't think that we need it either. Despite our best efforts, he is still up 2...3...4 times a night. One morning this week, he thought that 3:30am was a perfectly acceptable time to get up and stay up. For the day. Allllll day. It was a good time. Even a nightly dose of Benadryl (his doctor & neurologist recommended it for a variety of reasons) doesn't keep this kid down. It's getting tiring. Literally. But, I have to believe that it will end at some point. I mean, it's not like there are 10 year olds who don't sleep through the night, are there? One year down, nine to go. Just gotta be strong enough to make it. *cue Jamie's theme song*

In other happenings, we're driving a rental car for the next who knows how long. It's a cute little Chevy Cobalt. It's not a bad drive, but it can't get out of it's own way when you step on the gas. It makes me miss my Subaru. Where is my Subaru you ask? Well, it's tired too. It worked really hard yesterday at protecting it's most precious cargo and now it's going for a rest. We were heading home from my mom's house when we were hit by a 23-year old running a red light. No one was hurt (other than his ego when I took him down a few pegs for hitting me with a baby in the car!) and he drove his car away from the scene, but my car had to be towed because the side airbag deployed, neither passenger side door could be opened and the front axel is bent up. Joshua was checked out by paramedics and was completely unharmed thanks to his carseat. I am stiff and sore today and have a little cut on my foot where I got it stuck on the pedal trying to brake, but otherwise unharmed as well.

We have some visitors this week! Auntie Gina and cousin Elise are here visiting, and Auntie Jodi and Tio Jay are here as well! It's a party every day!

Finally, here are some of Joshua's newest accomplishments! He loves to play peek a boo...with him being the peeker!

He has also been practicing his sitting and is starting to be able to catch himself when he starts to fall! He is consistently sitting for a few minutes completely independantly!! He's also been working on being on all fours. He's starting to try to push up onto hands & knees, and with a little help, he can do it. Once he's in place, you can actually let him go and he will stay up for a minute or two! It's all very exciting. :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Ben!
You are an amazing roll model for our son, a wonderful provider, and a tireless worker. You are so very patient with Joshua, and I know that you will always be his biggest fan (next to me, of course!).
Because you show him love through your actions,encourage him in everything he does,and never stop cheering him on, our son will grow up knowing that he is loved unconditionally, believed in completely, and that he can do anything he puts his mind to. And that is what makes you a fantastic daddy. :)

Next, He'll Be Asking For The Keys To The Car

There are a few reasons I hadn't cut Joshua's hair yet. One was kind of selfish...I didn't want to lose his curls! I mean, look at them! After a bath, his hair was in ringlets! But between baths, his hair got kind of long and shaggy and got in his eyes. The other reason I didn't cut it was because I was really afraid that cutting his hair would make his head look smaller. :( But the time finally came when Ben said that I had to cut his hair. And he was right. So off to our hairdresser (by 'our' I mean the lady who has done my hair, my mom's hair & my sisters hair for 20 years) we went.

Josh sat on Ben's lap and got to wear a cool cape.Then the massacre began! Just kidding...it wasn't a massacre at all! Marylou trimmed, and snipped (I have the curls in an envelope...don't worry)and Joshua didn't make a peep. Probably because I had the camera out and was snapping pictures to keep him entertained! Well, either that or because he was so busy flirting with the ladies.

And then...it was over. And my baby had turned into a little boy. I didn't think it was possible for him to get more handsome, but you have to admit, he looks awfully good as a little boy! Maturity suits him, I think. :)

So we waved goodbye to all of Joshua's new girlfriends and headed home.
Next, it's off to preschool...then to high school graduation...then he's off to college. Where does the time go?!

A Lesson In Perseverance

Remember how Joshua had that little oral aversion? You know...the one that made it really really hard for him to put anything in or near his mouth?

Well it seems he's getting over it! He's putting EVERYTHING in his mouth lately (except his toothbrush which he still won't let near his mouth). If it's food and you're putting it in your mouth, he'd like a little too please. Of course mama's still kind of strict with what goes in for fear of what will eventually come out, and because while he may want to try it, it doesn't mean that he can handle the texture of certain things...but we'll get there eventually! He's on a roll so far.

He eats bumpy (keyword: BUMPY) ducks...
And graham crackers (that CRUNCH)...And daddy's pancakes on Saturday mornings...And even watermelon...ON A FORK!Granted, there are dangers with eating things. Graham crackers can be kind of pokey in the soft parts of your mouth...And sometimes you can't fit a whole pancake in your mouth...Sometimes watermelon can be kind of cold at first...Or even a little bit sour!But Joshua is learning that it's exciting to try new things...And as long as he keeps trying new things, eventually he'll find new favorite foods!

Watching Traffic

We live on a pretty busy street. This is both good and bad. It's bad because the sound of the traffic can keep Joshua awake. Of course, the sound of a mouse sneezing two counties away does that too...but I digress. The reason that all the traffic is good is that traffic is great for keeping Josh entertained. See, he LOVES watching traffic. Trucks are his favorite, but school buses and UPS trucks send him right over the edge.

The best thing of all, though, is when Daddy pulls in the driveway.

Isn't that funny? Joshua doesn't let on if he can tell a cow from a monkey. You can ask him where the cow is or where the monkey is and he won't tip his hand. But he can tell the difference between just any old black truck and daddy's truck in a heartbeat.

ps...Gina's wedding was beautiful...if you want to see pictures, go HERE. Joshua is waking up and I don't have any more time to tell you about it. But it was an adventure. :)

Catching Up...

Joshua has picked up a few more tricks in the past few weeks. Here's one of them....

TAADAAAAAA!!!! He is now a master roller!! He can roll independantly (and does it all.the.time) to both the right and the left, although he prefers going to the right. He has rolled from tummy to back a few times now, but nothing consistent enough to say he's mastered the skill.

The trick that led up to rolling from tummy to back was this little gem...Look at that extention and form! I give it a 9.7. He'd have a 10 if his elbows were just a litte bit straighter. :) That's usually how we find him in his crib in the mornings. He loves to peek over the edge to see who's coming to get him.

He has also fallen in love with standing in the exersaucer and will jump in it if you ask him to. :)

Finally, here's a trick that Ben has picked up. Hmmm...that sounds kind of sketchy, doesn't it. Well, you know what I mean. :) Multi-tasking indeed! Joshua loves mowing the lawn with daddy. The wind in his face, the bugs in his teeth...it's all good. And since safety is key, Ben goes slowly and holds on tight and they both wear hearing protection.

This weekend, we're flying to California for Auntie Gina's wedding! It's going to be a really exciting weekend...and all too short I'm afraid. We get to see Auntie Jodi and Tio and Auntie Gina again and Joshua is going to meet Uncle David and Elise and his great grandma Sharp as well as his Papa and Grandma Carol! I can't wait to see my dad and Carol again and to meet my little neice! I'll post pictures when we're back. :)