Normal

JP: "Can you just be normal for one minute?"

Pickle: "I don't even know what normal means!"

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to my First Born who turned 8 on March 30^th! If only I was as organized as I was when you were born 8 years ago, I would have completed this blog post on or before your actual birthday. A lot has changed in 8 years . . . we didn’t even have a blog 8 years ago. I may have been organized when you came along but I was not calm or confident in my parenting skills. I clearly remember my amazement when we drove away from the hospital (after nearly squeezing you to death with the car seat straps) thinking that they just let us take you. We didn’t have to pass a test or get certified in parenting or anything. You were ours to do with as we wished. And what did we do? We stared at you – a lot. You loved sleeping in your car seat and we could just set you down in the bucket and watch your sweet little peaceful face.

You were not an easy baby. Was this you or us? Looking back, it may have been us as we were so worried about messing you up that we might have been overbearing causing your unhappiness. Our biggest challenge was getting you to sleep. For the first two nights we had to hold you to sleep and then we figured out that you would sleep in your car seat and with Dr. Alexander’s permission we went that route for many more nights then I want to admit. First kids bring so many concerns and fears particularly regarding feeding and sleeping. There is so much societal pressure to give only breast milk and for 6 weeks we did only that but I know that what I had to offer was not sufficient. I know now that your unhappiness and unwillingness to sleep was because you were hungry. It was a little too obvious that once we started you on formula, you started sleeping much better. 

Dad was very concerned that your brain would not grow because you were not sleeping. We kept thinking we were going to “ruin” you by letting you cry. Well, we are 8 years in and I would say you are not ruined and your brain is bigger than the average kid. I guess breast milk is not the golden path to brain growth and those few nights we let you “cry it out” didn’t do any permanent damage. You are such a smart kid storing so many facts in that brain that I am constantly amazed at what comes out of your mouth. You know more at 8 then I know at 37 . . . so much like your Dad. It is very hard to put into words how proud I am of you. I know we are entering some tricky years as you are no longer a little boy. It is going to get harder to shelter you from the scary things in the world but I believe you are smart enough to handle them. You are such a sensitive and caring kid that I want to continue to hold you in close and keep the “real” world at bay, but I know it is time to push you out of the nest every so often for more learning opportunities.

I hope you continue to be my sweet little boy. Much love my son.

First Family Camping Trip

Before kids JP and I camped quite often . . . . we went for a long weekend in the Chiricahua Mountains or a week to Zion or just one night on our way to Colorado. Once The Boy came along we had big ideas of taking him in the tent and heading out on many adventures but we were just never sure of the right time or right age to start. Then Pickle arrived and things got crazier and then came New Kid and the thought of 5 of us in a tent was just plain scary. I would often lament our fear of family camping when talking with other parents and finally met my match in our friends Dave and Donnie. She would not stand for my tales of woe and kept gently pushing until we agreed on a weekend and then they booked the campsite and we were locked in for this adventure! They are well-practiced campers and integrated their boys right into the process so we were being led by masters of family camping.

So Easter weekend found us at Dead Horse State Campground in Cottonwood, AZ; a "high desert" environment with lots sand and scrub brush where the days were hot and the nights cold. We borrowed a 10-person tent that was nearly big enough for JP to stand. It was definitely large enough for the pack 'n' play which I think was key to getting New Kid to stay put at bedtime. The Boy decided he wanted to sleep in his own tent so he would not be bothered so he had our smaller two-man tent all to himself. Of course it was him that disturbed the rest of us including at 1:45am when he asked if he could get out of his tent. Me, "Um, no it is the middle of the night; please go back to sleep." He was also the first one up on Saturday morning dressed and unzipping his tent at 5:30am only to realize it was bitterly could outside of his sleeping bag.
Overall it was a very successful adventure! We now know it can be done and everyone had a good time and can't wait to do it again.