Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wow, where does time go?
Well, I started this blog six months ago to keep up with all the things going on in the Mabry household, but I haven't posted a thing since April. I can't believe so much time has passed so quickly. Johnny's last major milestones I blogged about were rolling over and sitting up. Now the kid is literally running circles around the house. I have so much to catch up on!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Johnny's First Road Trip
We packed up and headed to Washington, DC over spring break to visit Johnny’s Aunt KK. My mom, Casey, Johnny, and I piled in our sweet Oldsmobile Ninety-eight and started our drive around 4:45 Friday afternoon, April 2. We made it as far as Morganton before we had to pull over to change a poopy diaper. I should have recognized this early pit stop for what it was: the foreshadowing of a long trip to come.
I figured we would arrive at the DC Days Inn by 1 am, but my calculation was off by a couple of hours. While we did exit the beltway at 2 am, we drove around and around trying to find our hotel, thanks to some misdirection from the hotel’s night clerk. We eventually got checked in and into our room around 3 am. We were all exhausted. Since having Johnny, Casey and I are usually in our bed by 8 pm and asleep by 9 pm. I know, I know, we are real party animals these days! Needless to say, we fell into bed, unpacking only our pajamas.
And what about Johnny? He did great on his first long distance ride. He did stay awake well past his 6:30 pm bedtime, finally going to sleep around 9 pm after our dinner at the Cracker Barrel in Blacksburg, VA. He slept until midnight, waking when we made a coffee stop but falling right back asleep as soon as the car was moving again. He stayed asleep until the next morning, even sleeping through being moved from the car to the hotel room. Score! My major concern about this trip had been that Johnny would not sleep and would be cranky the whole time. This scenario never played out. He slept snugly between his Nanny Ward and me each night and was a perfect angel everyday. I cannot remember even one cry. We know how fortunate we are, and we are so thankful for Johnny’s easy temperament!
Johnny’s Nanny and Granddaddy Mabry flew into DC Saturday morning, and the seven of us spent Saturday, Sunday, and Monday sightseeing and eating great food. We toured the major monuments and memorials, walked around the perimeter of the White House, admired the Cherry blossoms, listened to beautiful music in the National Cathedral, walked through the National Zoo, and rode an open top double-decker tour bus around the city. The weather was gorgeous and warm, perfect for sightseeing and touring.
We reluctantly left on Tuesday morning and arrived back in Marion around 8 pm. We were tired from the weekend’s activity, but it was a good kind of tired. Johnny’s first road trip was a success, and Aunt KK made Easter weekend memorable for all of us, especially my mom because this trip was her first to DC. Thanks, Aunt KK! Johnny is lucky to have such a cool aunt!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Roll, Johnny, Roll!
The wait is over! Johnny finally rolled from his back to his tummy yesterday.
We were on the bed getting ready for a nap when Johnny started twisting and turning on his back to reach for the pillows. He loves to play with the pillows on my bed. He pulls and tugs on them until they fall over, most of the time on top of him. After the pillows fall on him, he digs his feet in and kicks them off. Johnny can play this game forever. Before I knew it, he rolled over onto his tummy to better reach the pillows. He practiced his new skill over and over yesterday evening and this morning. He is fascinated by his new mobility.
I am amazed again, just like when he began sitting up on his own. I guess I will never get over how quickly he goes from not being able to do something to doing it. Watching his development is so exciting.
We were on the bed getting ready for a nap when Johnny started twisting and turning on his back to reach for the pillows. He loves to play with the pillows on my bed. He pulls and tugs on them until they fall over, most of the time on top of him. After the pillows fall on him, he digs his feet in and kicks them off. Johnny can play this game forever. Before I knew it, he rolled over onto his tummy to better reach the pillows. He practiced his new skill over and over yesterday evening and this morning. He is fascinated by his new mobility.
I am amazed again, just like when he began sitting up on his own. I guess I will never get over how quickly he goes from not being able to do something to doing it. Watching his development is so exciting.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Spoon Wars
Johnny loves to eat. The kid can seriously put away the groceries. Some of his favorite purees are sweet peas, squash, green beans, carrots, pears, blueberries, mangoes, and prunes. Surprisingly he likes vegetables better than fruits, but if he could talk, he would probably say he likes ice cream best.
Lately Johnny’s mealtimes have been messy. No, messy is an understatement. Mealtimes have become all out warfare. Johnny has recently realized he is quite dexterous, and he loves to practice batting, swinging, and flapping his little arms. He can grab just about anything within his reach. And boy is he quick! Those tiny arms and hands present a real challenge when we are trying to feed him.
Johnny gets so excited when it is time to eat. We bought a high chair for him, but he prefers playing with his toys in the high chair and eating in his infant recliner. As soon as we put him in his seat, he begins to kick his legs and shriek. He proceeds to whine, and eventually cry, if we do not get the food to him fast enough for his liking. It is when we begin to feed Johnny that the real fun ensues.
Most days I have to change Johnny’s clothes after each meal. Putting a bib on him really makes little difference in how dirty his clothes get while he is eating. He seems to wear as much food as he eats these days. This is not due to our ineptitude at feeding. Casey and I are actually fairly accurate at getting the spoon to Johnny’s mouth with little spillage. Well, we used to be.
Achieving spoon to mouth now is like completing an obstacle course. We dip out a perfect spoonful, steady our arms, steel our nerves, grit our teeth, and dodge two waving, slapping, grabbing, Mr. Miyagi-wax-on-wax-off hands. The food usually ends up flying off of the spoon and onto his clothes, the seat, the floor, and any other nearby object. He sometimes manages to get food all over his face and hands and in his hair and eyes and nose and eyebrows and anywhere else those little hands may roam.
Yesterday I decided something had to be done. Even though Johnny’s food-covered face is really cute, scrubbing stains out of all those little outfits is not so cute. I read in a magazine to give Johnny a spoon of his own to hold during mealtimes in order to deter him from grabbing my spoon. Ha! All this accomplished was making my job more dangerous!
Needless to say, Johnny loved having his own spoon. He brandished his spoon like a sword and sent food flying when he smacked my spoon. He put his spoon in his mouth, which would not have been a problem if he had waited to cram it in there after I removed my spoon. He poked himself in the eye and cried. He threw the spoon in the floor and cried.
In the end giving Johnny his own spoon turned out to be more of a hassle and a mess than just feeding him, but it made for some really sweet pictures and some fun mommy-baby time.
Lately Johnny’s mealtimes have been messy. No, messy is an understatement. Mealtimes have become all out warfare. Johnny has recently realized he is quite dexterous, and he loves to practice batting, swinging, and flapping his little arms. He can grab just about anything within his reach. And boy is he quick! Those tiny arms and hands present a real challenge when we are trying to feed him.
Johnny gets so excited when it is time to eat. We bought a high chair for him, but he prefers playing with his toys in the high chair and eating in his infant recliner. As soon as we put him in his seat, he begins to kick his legs and shriek. He proceeds to whine, and eventually cry, if we do not get the food to him fast enough for his liking. It is when we begin to feed Johnny that the real fun ensues.
Most days I have to change Johnny’s clothes after each meal. Putting a bib on him really makes little difference in how dirty his clothes get while he is eating. He seems to wear as much food as he eats these days. This is not due to our ineptitude at feeding. Casey and I are actually fairly accurate at getting the spoon to Johnny’s mouth with little spillage. Well, we used to be.
Achieving spoon to mouth now is like completing an obstacle course. We dip out a perfect spoonful, steady our arms, steel our nerves, grit our teeth, and dodge two waving, slapping, grabbing, Mr. Miyagi-wax-on-wax-off hands. The food usually ends up flying off of the spoon and onto his clothes, the seat, the floor, and any other nearby object. He sometimes manages to get food all over his face and hands and in his hair and eyes and nose and eyebrows and anywhere else those little hands may roam.
Yesterday I decided something had to be done. Even though Johnny’s food-covered face is really cute, scrubbing stains out of all those little outfits is not so cute. I read in a magazine to give Johnny a spoon of his own to hold during mealtimes in order to deter him from grabbing my spoon. Ha! All this accomplished was making my job more dangerous!
Needless to say, Johnny loved having his own spoon. He brandished his spoon like a sword and sent food flying when he smacked my spoon. He put his spoon in his mouth, which would not have been a problem if he had waited to cram it in there after I removed my spoon. He poked himself in the eye and cried. He threw the spoon in the floor and cried.
In the end giving Johnny his own spoon turned out to be more of a hassle and a mess than just feeding him, but it made for some really sweet pictures and some fun mommy-baby time.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Look Who's Sitting Up!
Johnny accomplished the big milestone of sitting up by himself this week. I could not be more excited for him! I snapped some pictures of him trying to balance on his bottom with my boppy around him on Monday and Tuesday. He toppled over each time I took his supports away.
The whole time we were playing and taking pictures I kept wondering when he would be able to sit on his own. Like every mother, I worry about his development. Then, on Thursday afternoon, my fears dissipated. I watched in sheer amazement as Johnny sat up completely unassisted for more than ten minutes. He played with toys I had scattered around him. He looked up at me and smiled. He leaned over and grabbed toys and then pulled himself erect again. He batted his arms and shrieked and laughed and never lost his balance. How does that happen? It is as if babies finally master things overnight!
A new mother's learning curve is steep, and I have certainly come to expect the unexpected. The most important lesson I have learned this week is to relax. I am not going to obsess over milestone charts anymore. I am going to appreciate the individual pace at which my son develops. Even though I was astounded when Johnny rolled from his tummy to his back at three months old, I am still waiting four months later for him to attempt the more difficult flip from back to tummy. I have been worrying he will never do this, and he may not. And so it seems he has mastered sitting up before rolling over. What of it? Nothing, I have decided! All that matters is Johnny is happy and healthy.
The whole time we were playing and taking pictures I kept wondering when he would be able to sit on his own. Like every mother, I worry about his development. Then, on Thursday afternoon, my fears dissipated. I watched in sheer amazement as Johnny sat up completely unassisted for more than ten minutes. He played with toys I had scattered around him. He looked up at me and smiled. He leaned over and grabbed toys and then pulled himself erect again. He batted his arms and shrieked and laughed and never lost his balance. How does that happen? It is as if babies finally master things overnight!
A new mother's learning curve is steep, and I have certainly come to expect the unexpected. The most important lesson I have learned this week is to relax. I am not going to obsess over milestone charts anymore. I am going to appreciate the individual pace at which my son develops. Even though I was astounded when Johnny rolled from his tummy to his back at three months old, I am still waiting four months later for him to attempt the more difficult flip from back to tummy. I have been worrying he will never do this, and he may not. And so it seems he has mastered sitting up before rolling over. What of it? Nothing, I have decided! All that matters is Johnny is happy and healthy.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
How the Worst Day Became the Best
I am only human. I am only human. I am only human. These are words, a mantra in no perfectionist’s lexicon, mine included. I am super-woman; hear me roar. Show me a task I can’t master, a problem I can’t solve, a mountain I can’t climb . . .
But there is one tiny glitch. It has been plaguing me since middle school.
S – C – A – T – T – E – R – B – R – A – I – N
Let us reminisce. In 1993 Canton Middle School had A and B elective days. For instance, on A days I had PE, and on B days I had French. I was studious, and I never forgot to do my homework. I prided myself in doing the absolute best in school I possibly could. My problem was I could never keep up with which elective day it was. I would leave the house on Monday morning thinking I had French only to realize once I got to school that I needed gym clothes for PE. I would call my dad, and he would drop my clothes off for the fortieth time that school year. He never fussed at me nor complained about my “forgetfulness” as he called it. It was a different story with my mom. I am sure she badgered me about keeping up with dates and events precisely because doing so was (and as you will see, still is) a weakness of mine. Unfortunately, all the nagging in the world has done nothing to alleviate my scatterbrainedness . . .
Let us flash forward to yesterday, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, seventeen years since my middle school days. The day began like any other. Casey and I lay in bed at 6 am listening to Johnny stir and then babble pleasantly for ten minutes before whimpering for us to come and get him out of his crib. This is one of the sweetest and most dear parts of our day. Casey brought Johnny into our bed, and we snuggled him between us for a few minutes before Da-da had to get ready for work. I continued on with the morning routine of feeding, bathing, dressing, playing with, and eventually putting Johnny down for his morning nap.
After Johnny was snoozing, I treated myself to a ten-minute facebook fix and made a mental note to check my work email, which I do not do very often now since I am still on maternity leave. I needed to double-check the time for my meetings at the county’s Central Office the following two days. As McDowell County’s teacher of the year last year, it was my duty to chair the committee for this year’s teacher of the year selection process.
I had arranged for Ann, my mother-in-law, to keep Johnny while I worked on Wednesday and Thursday, but I could not remember what time I had to be there each day. I opened my email with the intention of jotting down the times and calling Ann to let her know when I would drop off Johnny.
My reminder email read “8-3 on Tuesday, March 23 and 11:30-5 on Wednesday, March 24.” I jotted the times down and went to peek in on my sleeping baby. Just as I touched the doorknob, my stomach sank. Tuesday? Did the email say Tuesday? What is today? Today is Tuesday! I am the chair of the committee, last year’s county teacher of the year, and I am at home at 10:45 on a day when I should have been at work at 8. How humiliating! All of this internal dialogue took place in less than a second, and then I dashed back down the hall to the computer. I looked at the note I made myself last week, the one reminding me of the meetings. Oh no! Just as I feared! I wrote down Wednesday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Wednesday. This is the story of my life . . . and this is only the beginning of the day’s drama.
I frantically called Ann who was at school teaching her ninth grade World History class. When I got no answer after a few tries, I called the school to have her paged. Busy. Hang up. Dial again. Busy. Hang up. Dial again. Busy. This pattern repeated for ten minutes until I called Casey who was also at school teaching his eighth grade Health class. By this point I was in a tizzy to say the least, so as soon as Casey answered, I told him I had really messed up, only I didn’t say it quite so politely. And who hasn’t said a “bad word” in front of his or her significant other? No big deal, right? In my case, wrong! Very, very wrong! Casey said he accidentally pressed a wrong button when answering the phone, and every kid in his class heard my profanity. That wrong button was apparently speakerphone. Beautiful, just beautiful!
In the end Ann saved me. She got a substitute teacher to come in for her, and she left work to baby-sit for me. Not all women can honestly say they have a great mother-in-law. Not all women can get along well with their mother-in-law. I am so fortunate. I can say and do both. I have a gracious, loving mother-in-law who adores her grandson. Yesterday is not the first time she has rescued me, and I am sure it will not be the last. I will remember these times when my son is married. I will know how to be a good mother-in-law because of Ann.
The title of this post is “How the Worst Day Became the Best,” and barring Ann's rescue, I have written only about the worst so far. So what about the best? After coming home and while on the verge of angry-at-my-stupid-self tears, I was feeding Johnny his dinner of sweet peas and carrots when he said “Ma-ma.” I looked at Casey and said, “What did he say?” Then, as if to answer my question, Johnny looked at me and said, “Ma-ma.” I could not hold back the tears any longer. I cried because I was embarrassed over my mistake. I cried because my pride was bruised. I cried because I inconvenienced my mother-in-law. I cried because I am not perfect, which I already knew but has never stopped me from trying to be anyway. Most of all, I cried because my heart was so full of love. I know Johnny probably does not know what “ma-ma” means yet, but I do not care. It does not change the sweetness of hearing him say it. I have been waiting for this moment ever since Johnny said “da-da” over a month ago, ever since I found out I was pregnant, and it could not have happened on a better day. I wish I had the words, but they exist only in my heart.
And that is how the worst day suddenly became the best day.
But there is one tiny glitch. It has been plaguing me since middle school.
S – C – A – T – T – E – R – B – R – A – I – N
Let us reminisce. In 1993 Canton Middle School had A and B elective days. For instance, on A days I had PE, and on B days I had French. I was studious, and I never forgot to do my homework. I prided myself in doing the absolute best in school I possibly could. My problem was I could never keep up with which elective day it was. I would leave the house on Monday morning thinking I had French only to realize once I got to school that I needed gym clothes for PE. I would call my dad, and he would drop my clothes off for the fortieth time that school year. He never fussed at me nor complained about my “forgetfulness” as he called it. It was a different story with my mom. I am sure she badgered me about keeping up with dates and events precisely because doing so was (and as you will see, still is) a weakness of mine. Unfortunately, all the nagging in the world has done nothing to alleviate my scatterbrainedness . . .
Let us flash forward to yesterday, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, seventeen years since my middle school days. The day began like any other. Casey and I lay in bed at 6 am listening to Johnny stir and then babble pleasantly for ten minutes before whimpering for us to come and get him out of his crib. This is one of the sweetest and most dear parts of our day. Casey brought Johnny into our bed, and we snuggled him between us for a few minutes before Da-da had to get ready for work. I continued on with the morning routine of feeding, bathing, dressing, playing with, and eventually putting Johnny down for his morning nap.
After Johnny was snoozing, I treated myself to a ten-minute facebook fix and made a mental note to check my work email, which I do not do very often now since I am still on maternity leave. I needed to double-check the time for my meetings at the county’s Central Office the following two days. As McDowell County’s teacher of the year last year, it was my duty to chair the committee for this year’s teacher of the year selection process.
I had arranged for Ann, my mother-in-law, to keep Johnny while I worked on Wednesday and Thursday, but I could not remember what time I had to be there each day. I opened my email with the intention of jotting down the times and calling Ann to let her know when I would drop off Johnny.
My reminder email read “8-3 on Tuesday, March 23 and 11:30-5 on Wednesday, March 24.” I jotted the times down and went to peek in on my sleeping baby. Just as I touched the doorknob, my stomach sank. Tuesday? Did the email say Tuesday? What is today? Today is Tuesday! I am the chair of the committee, last year’s county teacher of the year, and I am at home at 10:45 on a day when I should have been at work at 8. How humiliating! All of this internal dialogue took place in less than a second, and then I dashed back down the hall to the computer. I looked at the note I made myself last week, the one reminding me of the meetings. Oh no! Just as I feared! I wrote down Wednesday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Wednesday. This is the story of my life . . . and this is only the beginning of the day’s drama.
I frantically called Ann who was at school teaching her ninth grade World History class. When I got no answer after a few tries, I called the school to have her paged. Busy. Hang up. Dial again. Busy. Hang up. Dial again. Busy. This pattern repeated for ten minutes until I called Casey who was also at school teaching his eighth grade Health class. By this point I was in a tizzy to say the least, so as soon as Casey answered, I told him I had really messed up, only I didn’t say it quite so politely. And who hasn’t said a “bad word” in front of his or her significant other? No big deal, right? In my case, wrong! Very, very wrong! Casey said he accidentally pressed a wrong button when answering the phone, and every kid in his class heard my profanity. That wrong button was apparently speakerphone. Beautiful, just beautiful!
In the end Ann saved me. She got a substitute teacher to come in for her, and she left work to baby-sit for me. Not all women can honestly say they have a great mother-in-law. Not all women can get along well with their mother-in-law. I am so fortunate. I can say and do both. I have a gracious, loving mother-in-law who adores her grandson. Yesterday is not the first time she has rescued me, and I am sure it will not be the last. I will remember these times when my son is married. I will know how to be a good mother-in-law because of Ann.
The title of this post is “How the Worst Day Became the Best,” and barring Ann's rescue, I have written only about the worst so far. So what about the best? After coming home and while on the verge of angry-at-my-stupid-self tears, I was feeding Johnny his dinner of sweet peas and carrots when he said “Ma-ma.” I looked at Casey and said, “What did he say?” Then, as if to answer my question, Johnny looked at me and said, “Ma-ma.” I could not hold back the tears any longer. I cried because I was embarrassed over my mistake. I cried because my pride was bruised. I cried because I inconvenienced my mother-in-law. I cried because I am not perfect, which I already knew but has never stopped me from trying to be anyway. Most of all, I cried because my heart was so full of love. I know Johnny probably does not know what “ma-ma” means yet, but I do not care. It does not change the sweetness of hearing him say it. I have been waiting for this moment ever since Johnny said “da-da” over a month ago, ever since I found out I was pregnant, and it could not have happened on a better day. I wish I had the words, but they exist only in my heart.
And that is how the worst day suddenly became the best day.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Spring, Lake Tomahawk, and Gelato
Yesterday was a glorious spring day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the house of Mabry was basking in the nice change of weather. It has been months since we have been able to take Johnny outside without bundling him Eskimo-style, so Casey and I were excited to have such a warm, sunny day to play outside together.
We decided to get out of Marion for the day, so we headed to Black Mountain, one of our favorite towns in Western North Carolina. Before we were married, we met for “date night” once a week in Black Mountain because it was halfway between my apartment in Asheville and his in Marion. The downtown is charming and quaint, and we have never tired of browsing the shops or eating in the locally owned restaurants. We especially love The Verandah and Ole Guacamole. I would be remiss if I failed to mention my personal love affair with Dairy King’s “twist,” a cake cone of the most delectable swirl of chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt.
We were not the only ones who decided to stroll around Black Mountain’s Lake Tomahawk. The trail around the lake was teeming with moms, dads, and grandparents pushing strollers and chasing kids, people walking dogs, and young boys fishing and riding bikes. Johnny screeched and cooed as we made our way around the lake, taking in the all the sights and sounds. He is such a curious baby. He leans forward in his seat to get a good view of all that is going on around him. He is interested in looking at people, especially other babies.
Casey and I took Johnny out of his stroller to make some pictures. He is such a little ham, always smiling for and looking directly into the camera. Here are some of our favorite shots.
We were worried Johnny might get sunburned at the lake, so we headed downtown. We strolled around and casually chatted with other people, mostly answering questions about Johnny. People are always surprised by his age because he looks so big. He is twenty-nine inches and nearly twenty pounds at seven months old. He is a friendly baby with a ready smile for anyone who peers into his stroller, and he has already mastered the art of flirting.
Casey and I were disappointed Dairy King was not open yet, so we looked elsewhere for our ice cream fix. I introduced him to gelato from the Chocolate Gem. We each had a small cup of chocolate and mint. We recently discovered Johnny also loves ice cream, and we give him a few tiny bites every now and then. Casey let Johnny taste his gelato, and he was like a little bird opening his mouth again and again to show his daddy he was ready for and wanted another bite.
Yesterday was perfect, our first spring day spent outdoors as a family. Sometimes I cannot believe this is my life. I have the most amazing husband and the sweetest son. I am looking forward to all of the other “firsts” we three will experience together in the future.
We decided to get out of Marion for the day, so we headed to Black Mountain, one of our favorite towns in Western North Carolina. Before we were married, we met for “date night” once a week in Black Mountain because it was halfway between my apartment in Asheville and his in Marion. The downtown is charming and quaint, and we have never tired of browsing the shops or eating in the locally owned restaurants. We especially love The Verandah and Ole Guacamole. I would be remiss if I failed to mention my personal love affair with Dairy King’s “twist,” a cake cone of the most delectable swirl of chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt.
We were not the only ones who decided to stroll around Black Mountain’s Lake Tomahawk. The trail around the lake was teeming with moms, dads, and grandparents pushing strollers and chasing kids, people walking dogs, and young boys fishing and riding bikes. Johnny screeched and cooed as we made our way around the lake, taking in the all the sights and sounds. He is such a curious baby. He leans forward in his seat to get a good view of all that is going on around him. He is interested in looking at people, especially other babies.
Casey and I took Johnny out of his stroller to make some pictures. He is such a little ham, always smiling for and looking directly into the camera. Here are some of our favorite shots.
We were worried Johnny might get sunburned at the lake, so we headed downtown. We strolled around and casually chatted with other people, mostly answering questions about Johnny. People are always surprised by his age because he looks so big. He is twenty-nine inches and nearly twenty pounds at seven months old. He is a friendly baby with a ready smile for anyone who peers into his stroller, and he has already mastered the art of flirting.
Casey and I were disappointed Dairy King was not open yet, so we looked elsewhere for our ice cream fix. I introduced him to gelato from the Chocolate Gem. We each had a small cup of chocolate and mint. We recently discovered Johnny also loves ice cream, and we give him a few tiny bites every now and then. Casey let Johnny taste his gelato, and he was like a little bird opening his mouth again and again to show his daddy he was ready for and wanted another bite.
Yesterday was perfect, our first spring day spent outdoors as a family. Sometimes I cannot believe this is my life. I have the most amazing husband and the sweetest son. I am looking forward to all of the other “firsts” we three will experience together in the future.
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