The last day of September....

It feels like it's been raining for 40 days and 40 nights. I'm sure after 3 weeks of drought, that a few people were praying for rain. Be careful of what you pray for.....you just MIGHT get it. I'm not in the camp that prays for what they want, I'm more comfortable in the prayer of gratitude camp. Nothing beats a troubled mind like a through review of the things in your life to be thankful for- starting with INDOOR plumbing and HOT water that comes straight from a small metal devise in the centrally air conditioned and centrally HEATED house that you live in. I could go on and on about all the things that I am grateful for, but I'm sure we would part ways down the gratitude line. Live happy! Be GRATEFUL!

WOW!

Tj was astounding today. Good humor - good eater - took naps - sits very well, all the usual stuff, but his understanding of his toys and what he could do with them kept him occupied. He seems to have grown in physiology 50 years. Before he would play a few short minutes with the object near him or handed to him. For some reason I just gave him his toy [shoe box size] and it enthralled him. Tj's brain took a huge leap toward child and away from "baby". Ann and I were amazed at the skill he acquired in one day. Speaking of Ann...she phone interviewed VERY well for a position in Charlotte NC. Friday is a conference interview. Keep your fingers crossed.

yesterday & today

Well yesterday was catch up on "normal" life. Tim is working one hour overtime some days, so my day job is one hour longer. I would stay and visit with Tim till 5pm, but he was there to take care of TJ. Now I am out of there as soon as Tim gets home so I can start recharging my batteries for the next day. There was no recharging last weekend when Tim and Ann left after work Friday and came home @ 6:30 pm Sunday. They took an anniversary weekend in Charlotte NC. There is a pretty good reason that mother nature [god] doesn't give infants to single 60 year old women....... [even 60 year old woman with a 60 year old man]...... we don't have the stamina a younger woman has. My right [non dominate] wrist hurts and I figured out why when I tried to hold TJ under the arms to facilitate his dancing to the music....oh my g _ _. I told you 60 year old women are fragile. While I was at Target tonight, I purchased a wrist brace....hoping that it will help the situation. TJ ate like a lumber jack today.

Autumn

There was a big pink/orange full moon low in the sky at 6:50 this morning. It reminded me of harvest moon except I thought harvest moon was in October. It doesn't FEEL like fall - it's 90+ degrees today. Thank goodness it's not humid and that it cools down at night now. We set a lot of high temperatures records this summer and it was HOT ---- HOTTER than usual. There is NOTHING you can't find on the Internet. Well, except for some good tips............like putting a ice cube into a baby bottle before you put it in the refrigerator for later, freezing baby yogurt is like ice cream, teaching baby to hold/drink from a cup [not sippy] in the bath is less messy, when changing a diaper...putting clean diaper under dirty diaper keeps baby's bottom off surfaces, an inch of water in the kitchen sink is enough to make baby smile and splash, giving baby a wet baby wash cloth while feeding him/her helps keep the food mess down. I'll keep posting new hints as I think of them. Enjoy LIFE!

Happy Anniversary

Tim and Ann are going away this weekend to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They asked me if I would take care of TJ while they rest and play. Of course I said yes and I'll watch him at my house because I want to sleep in my own bed. TJ is back to waking up once or twice during the night, but he goes to bed at 8pm and gets up about 6am. TJ and I have been spending a couple of hours at my house so it won't be too strange for him. And in about 3 weeks Tim and I will fly with TJ to Michigan to attend a family wedding. Our family can't wait to meet him. I'm sure we won't lack people that want to hold, feed and change him. It will probably feel like a vacation for Tim and me. TJ is so animated, that I'm always surprised when he wants to stop playing and take a nap. My days are zooming along. Happy baby...pictures on facebook.com.

Discovery......

As you know, every day is about discovery when you are over 4 months old. But even a 60 year old feels alive and invigorated by learning something new. I try to discover SOMEthing new every day. Watching TJ discover new things [everything is new to him], is like rereading a favorite book. Yesterday it was watching him try to hold running water in his hand. Today it was learning that balls come in very different sizes. Some how TJ communicated to me that he wanted to catch the medium size ball 'in the air' instead of 'catching' [two hands on ball] it from a rolling position. TJ sits so well that we have much better playtime. The fun has begun.

Flu shot

Target had a big ad for flu shots-no appointment $ 24.00. Dr Angell told me to get a flu shot this year because I am taking care of a baby. I didn't get a shot last year, not even the swine flu shot. I didn't get the flu either. It makes me very happy that the swine flu scare was not any where near the epidemic that 'they' were fearing it would be. I bought myself a rare treat [for getting poked in the arm] - fruit snacks. I love the intense flavors in my mouth and the chewiness of the treat. I could have bought an entire 1/2 gallon of ice cream for the cost of a box [10 small bags] of fruit snacks, but that would have clashed with the double chocolate cheese cake that Ann baked yesterday! NEVER have I had such delicious chocolate cheesecake. Well I've eaten four of the 10 bags of chewy treats; that is enough reward for getting a very large needle poked into my arm. Ouch!