Jonathan Day 69

The alarm went off at 7:00 AM and I went in and woke up JH.  He was in a relatively good mood and happily went to the potty.  I like the earlier wake-up because I get to spend some time with him in the morning snuggling on the sofa watching cartoons.  He is sitting with us much longer now.  He was always so busy before moving on to the next thing, but now it seems like if he's interested he is focusing better.  I'm the official feeder now because we get through meals much quicker, cleaner, and with little fuss.  Maybe it's because Da Da spends so much time with him that he looks at him more like a friend?  Who knows, I don't mind being the bad cop :-)

JH and Da Da went out and did yard-work.  Da Da planted trees (from saplings growing in the garden) while JH pulled the trees out of the pots and the leaves off the plants.  That didn't last long and JH was sent to the other side of the garden to move dirt from one bed to the other.  I went out on occasion to see the progress and it was pretty cute to see him with his plastic shovel moving dirt.  JH got to ride with Da Da on the tractor pulling a yard roller to compact the pad for the shed.  He was between Da Da's knees just talking and singing with a smile on his face.

I had lunch with them and then we tried to get JH to nap.  No luck!  He laid there in bed singing and talking.  After about 1 hour Da Da got him up and they went back to the yard.  Da Da also took him to the park and they played a counting game with the acorns that littered the play area.  It was in the mid sixties today so very nice outside.

We had dinner a few minutes ago and JH is doing his pre-bed potty as I write this.  Da Da asked him if he was done and he is yelling "potty no I go potty".  He's been in there for 10 minutes.  Apparently we have our 2nd poop of the day happening.  Rick came out saying how it's funny that I can't get him on the potty (he resists more with me) and he can't get him off the potty.  I can hear him in there playing with his cell phone.

After the last potty we sat and watched one last Yo Gabba Gabba (see pic above) and he was still and sweet.  Da Da and I put him to bed 5 minutes ago and he gave us our usual hugs and kisses and he's asleep.

Jonathan Day 68

We decided to set the alarm this morning since we have been sleeping until JH wakes and that child sleeps too late.  We all got up at 7:00 AM and watched cartoons for a a while before breakfast.  Da Da went out and watered the plants while I gave JH a banana and two waffles.  He loved the waffles!  I had to go in and work so JH spent about 20 minutes before Da Da came in and played with him.

Mid-morning a back-hoe came in to level part of the yard for a storage shed (workshop) we're having built.  With the basement emptied for a winter play room we needed to get something to store all of our tools and lawn equipment.  I really enjoyed sitting in my office watching Da Da and JH move all around the yard watching the enormous machine make mincemeat of the lawn.  We're having a 10x20 Saltbox shed built that pretty much matches the house (a Da Da requirement).  Once done Da Da will start building the walls and rooms in the basement.

At lunch we drove to MI City to finalize the plans and delivery.  We also grabbed lunch at an Asian restaurant.  The owner/server was very nice and made sure JH had apple juice immediately.  When I stepped away to use the restroom she asked Rick if JH was his brother and he said, "no, he's my son" and she asked who I was and Rick said "he is also his daddy" she said how nice, three generations.  Rick said, "no, he is my partner and Jonathan is our son".  Rick said she had a look on her face and smiled big as she finally got it!  I don't think we're the average family in MI City, Indiana :-)

When we got home JH was wound-up so Da Da ran him around the yard until about 2:00 PM and we put him down for a nap and he finally fell asleep about 2:30 PM.  I was in my office so when I walked out to grab a water at 4:30 PM and saw JH sleeping I knew it would be a long night.  Actually, it's 6:30 PM and he is being a perfect little man.  We'll keep him up until 8:00 PM night to make-up for the late nap.

After a few recorded Yo Gabba Gabba episodes We'll all be ready for bed.

btw - the chickens in the photo above are now in the freezer.  While they were being loaded in boxes to take to the "processor", JH was in his play car saying "bye bye chickens". 

Jonathan Day 67

Wow today was a day!

We all slept in until 8:00 a.m. Daddy and I are slowley recovering from our cold and JH just slept in. If it's not the roosters I have JH saying "good morning" in my ear through the Baby Monitor.

JH seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. He started off the morning with a wet bed and didn't want anything to do with our normal routine of potty and breakfast. Daddy noticed that he felt a litle warm so we took his temperature in hopes he didn't get the three day bug we had.

After a little alone time with Elmo in his room he warmed up nicely!

Daddy worked all day as JH and I played in the house due to wet grass. It's funny how childrens toys can even stimulate an adults mind. All three of us find ourselves from time to time either singing or humming the videos that we play for JH.

As the day progressed we knew JH wasn't going to lay down for a nap. So, we headed into town for a Walmart run. JH either screams joyfully "Walmart" or "home". As many times in a week we go to Walmart I can see why he thinks Walmart is home!

Later in the day we all went out back as Linda packed up the rest of our chickens and Daddy and I did a little yard work. Linda was wrestling with our three roosters to take in to be butcherd. It's better that it was Linda! As you can imagine if you know either Daddy or me you would know why. JH..."bye chickens, bye chickens, bye chickens......".

In for dinner and off to the tub JH went. JH has about 5 more minutes in the tub before bed.

Good night!

Jonathan Day 66

We slept almost 12 hours last night recovering from the bug we both had.  Luckily JH sleeps as long as he does so we all went to bed and woke up at the same time.  We think we'll do one more night of Nyquil just to be sure.

JH had to play inside for a good part of the day since we were both still feeling sick.  He didn't seem to mind watching his A B C Pre-School DVD several times.  I worked while Da Da tended to JH and and brought me cups of Tea.

At lunch we all went out on the yard while JH pulled the wagon around and to get some fresh air.  It wasn't too cold but just to be sure we put a hooded sweatshirt and a windbreaker over it.  It was probably in the 60s but the sun was shining.  I had to return to work while JH and Da Da continued to run around the yard.  Da Da made JH a grilled cheese and creamed corn and I stepped out to help him get through lunch :-)  For some reason JH will eat better/faster for me, while he gives Da Da more of a hard time.  Da Da is much better at getting him on the potty and quickly brushing his teeth.

After work we took a ride to the garden center so Da Da could get a replacement tree for the White Pine that is now a shade of dark brown in the front yard.  I pushed JH around in the cart and he identified every fruit and vegetable when I said what's this... I think that is coming back to bite me since all evening he asked what things were.  He pointed to almost every item in the living room and asked what it was.

While I cooked dinner Da Da put JH on the potty and when I walked in to check on him he had unrolled and entire roll of TP.  It was in a pile almost to his knees and he was just standing there looking at me and when I raised my voice he knew he was in trouble.  I felt bad but had to follow through.  I walked him to the corner and asked him why he was going to the corner and he said "toilet paper is for going poo poo" and cried and said sorry.  I really think this is one of the only times he really meant it and knew why he was sorry.

He didn't get a nap so when we put him to bed we got kisses, hugs, and a "gnight i love you".  I think he was as exhausted as we are right now.  I hope next time only one of us gets sick so the other can step in and give JH the attention he needs.  It's 9:15 and we're headed to bed, gnight.

Jonathan Day 65

Da Da and Daddy are both feeling a little under the weather.  I think spending more than 4 hours outside playing and pulling JH around the yard did us in since it's so cold here.   I'll try and add to this post in the morning if I'm feeling better.  

Maybe the picture above of JH pulling my niece Molly in his wagon will tell enough about the day :-)  We're getting JH ready for bed early so we can slam some Nyquil and get a good night of sleep.

Jonathan Day 64

I love the weekends!  I get to spend as much time with JH as Da Da does.  In fact, I get to spend more time because Da Da doesn't get more than an hour during the weekdays to himself.  We drove in to MI City to look at storage sheds so we can empty our garage.  The weather is shifting fast and we need to get garage emptied and that basement ready ASAP.

We got home and fed JH lunch and tried to lay him down for a nap but he wouldn't have anything to do with napping.  He sang and was looking out the window when Da Da went in to tell him to go to sleep.  Neil stopped by to tell us about a play set he and Linda saw at a liquidation center in MI City on Friday for only $25.  SO, we were back in the car and headed to MI City to see if it was still available.  Since JH was on his 5th song we thought what the heck, he's not going to sleep :-)

On our earlier trip this morning we bought him a doll from Yo Gabba Gabba at Big Lots.  On the way back to get the play set he was talking to the doll saying "no bubba bubba, say please"  He calls the show Yo Bugga Bugga.  We also play the CD of kids songs to get a break from Elmo and 100% of the time he identifies the song before the words start.  Da Da and I do most of the singing but he always follows each song with "again" or "songs again PLEASE"

Rick has friends in town that are riding in the Apple Cider ride here in Three Oaks and they are camping in our back yard tonight.  JH was the center of attention and all the ladies were eating him up.  He is such a ham and little ladies man.  JH is such a typical boy!  He flirts with women and mimics men.  If I sit a certain way he sits the same way.  If Da Da stretches, he does the same stretch.  Rick went to the local Wineries with his guests so I fed JH dinner.  He had Chicken, Hot Dogs & Beans, and Broccoli for dinner.  While I was feeding him I was asking him what he wanted next and he rotated through the entire plate asking for each item.

We watched three episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba and FINALLY Da Da got home :-)  We played for a few minutes and asked JH if he knew what time it is and he said "bedtime".  He was right!  Kisses, hugs, and an I'll see you in the morning and he was sleeping in 5 minutes.

Jonathan Day 63

I should have written this a few hours ago because this little boy has worn his Daddy to the nubs. He and Da Da worked outside most of the day while I worked.  Towards the end of the day I went out while Da Da mowed the lawn.  JH pulled his red wagon around that yard for more than an hour.  He went around and around the yard front to back.  He would say "come on Daddy" and I just followed after him.  Then he found the small hill next to the garden that Da Da has been chipping down over the last two years.  He went over it about 30 times.  I think it helped the effort :-)

Dinner was a disaster, he ate 3 bites of Turkey Meatloaf and decided he was done.  I have a feeling he will be ready for a BIG breakfast.  This morning I made pancakes with raisins and it was hilarious to hear him try and say pancakes.  He played after dinner and is on the potty as I write this. Just before Da Da took JH to potty he was holding his phone to my ear and saying "it's gramma, say hi to gramma" he did that about 3 or 4 times and then it was grandpa on the phone.

While watching Yo Gabba Gabba earlier he went and got a blanket from his room and covered me saying "nice and warm".  Then he said "daddy go to sleep" and said "arms up" and I lifted my arm and he tucked me in.  That's the way we put him to bed and down for naps.

We don't have many projects planned for the weekend so we're looking for fun and relaxation.

Jonathan Day 62

Today just felt different; it felt more right.  Silly that a little piece of paper can make us feel so much more secure.  JH got up with a smile and was a very good boy.  He and Da Da had to take the car in for its 5000 mile check-up.  We have had the car less time than we have had JH and it already has more than 5000 miles on it!  Yikes!  Good thing we got an extended warranty and maintenance plan.

Anyway, JH and Da Da came home about 12:00 PM and I was already getting their lunch ready.  JH ate a sandwich and peas for lunch and finished it all.  He loves his veggies!  We put him down for a nap and I went in and worked while Da Da painted the fireplace in the living-room.  Rick needs to be creative and I have a feeling every inch of this place will be painted during nap times.  JH slept at least 1 1/2 hours.  I think all the driving yesterday was too much for him (and us).

While I finished work he and Da Da went out and planted mums and some Hostas that we got on clearance over the weekend.  We got about $400 worth of plants for $23 :-)  JH and Da Da finished the day at the pumpkin farm so we can get the porch decorated for Halloween.   When they walked in I was talking to Aunt Suzie on the phone and JH had a 3x3 sticker of a pumpkin on his forehead.  It was really cute and when I told Aunt Suzie she did her usual cooing and awing :-)  She may come this weekend to spend some time with him.  We hope :-)

At dinner I had Yo Gabba Gabba on again and while cleaning JH up the show was ending.  Jack Black was a guest on the show and the were saying goodbye (not using his name) and JH said "Bye Jack".  He must have heard them say his name during dinner over our talking and feeding him.  He amazes us every day.  Da Da was changing some screws in the doors to try and get them to shut properly again.  He laid the old ones down and JH picked them up and said "one, two, three" and there were three screws in his hand.

He is in the bath now playing and singing.  Da Da is going in to clip his nails so it may get ugly fast.  Apparently his fingers are too puckered and Da Da is giving up.  I got him out of the bath and a few times ago I said I'll dry you off and you'll be nice and warm.  Now every time I take him out and dry him off he says "nice and warm" over and over.  While putting his diaper on after drying him he said "potty" so I stopped and took the diaper off and put him on Elmo.  He started balling!  Tears and gasps.  I kneeled down and kept saying it's okay, it's only potty and dried his eyes and the tears off his belly.  He was okay and I walked out and told Da Da he's all yours now.  Then we heard JH say "okay, I'll try".  Now Da Da is in there cleaning up after the 2nd poop of the day.  I had to do the first one so it's only fair :-)  While Da Da is putting his diaper on JH is pointing to Rick's freckles on his shoulder and saying "boo boo"  "Da Da has boo boo".

Skip to bedtime:
Da Da is on his 4th kiss and 3rd hug and I can hear JH saying "Kiss Kiss Kiss".  I got away with two and my usual, I'll see you tomorrow.

Jonathan Day 61

This has been one of the best days of my life!  I am officially and legally JH's Guardian.

After a sleepless night for both of us we woke-up very early to drive to Livingston County for our 11:00 AM court date.  Sherry met us there and after waiting about 30 minutes JH and I were in front of the Judge.  I was a little worried that things wouldn't go our way or something might happen like Sherry changing her mind.  None of that happened.  I was sworn in and had to tell the court why I wanted to be JH's guardian.  I am not an emotional person but sitting there telling the Judge how much I love this boy and watching Sherry across the courtroom crying did me in.

We left and immediately called Gramma(s), Aunt Jo Jo, Aunt Sue, Aunt Staci, and Uncle Mike.  Oh, and our attorney in Cook County.  On October 6th the motion for the adoption will be filed.  I know we have an amazing support system with all of out loving friends and family so keep the good thoughts and comments coming.  We need you all more than ever.

We got home and while I signed on to work and took a couple of meetings I sat in my office and watched Da Da and JH walking around the yard with JH pushing his car.  They fed the chickens, picked a few ripe tomatoes in the garden, and watered some new plants.  It was even better watching them tonight knowing that JH was legally ours!

We played and watched Yo Gabba Gabba and then we put him to bed.  He was fine until he tore a sticker in half that Da Da gave him for doing a good potty before bedtime.  Da Da went in and comforted him saying that he would give him a new sticker in the morning and that he should close his eyes.  I heard Da Da say "I love you, now close your eyes" and then JH said "okay" and did just that.

Jonathan Day 60

Today was an early day! We woke up and had a quick breakfast before heading into the city (Chicago).

Daddy worked all day and JH and I ran a few errands. As we were driving around the city JH was seeing so many things that he doesn't normally see up in MI. Everytime he saw something new we got a "WOW"! Very tall buildings, lots of cars, boats and the occasional passing elevated train. I think that JH was scared of the trains flying above our heads. Not something you see everyday in the country, that's for sure

As the day progressed we ended with take out Dim Sum. JH actually ate a bite or two of a few things. If daddy has his way he will be eating with chopsticks by age 3! After dinner we all took a stroll down to the park for a bit.

We just finished our showers and in pj's. As I'm writing tonights blog entry...he and JH are watching a show on the Nick JR. station and they are dancing along to the people on tv. Hmmm dancing or jumping around with their arms flaying all over. Either way...they are cracking each other up and making me smile as I type this entry.

Tonight will be an early night. We have a court date tomorrow in a small town about 2 hours south of Chicago. Tomorrow is the hearing that gives us full gardianship and custody. We will keep you all posted tomorrow as to how our day goes.

Until then...have a great night!

Da Da

Jonathan Day 59

This morning started in a whirl with gramma packing and Aunt Jo Jo cleaning the house while Da Da got JH fed and washed.  It was sad to see them drive-off this morning.  Having gramma here for a week was not only nice for us to get "things" done around the house, but it was great for him to really get to know his gramma.  This is also the most time I have spent with gramma and it was really comfortable and enjoyable.

Da Da and I took JH to the park after lunch and then we tried to get him to nap again.  I think he was still worked-up by having Aunt Jo Jo and gramma here over the weekend so he laid in bed and sang and sang and sang.  It rained here most of the afternoon, so Da Da had his hands full while I worked in my office.

At one point I ran to the grocery store to get some GREENS for dinner and JH was on Da Da's lap watching cartoons when I left and still there 30 minutes later.  We think he is calming down a bit and able to focus more.  While I'm typing this Rick just said "again, I cannot tell you how much I love him".  :-)  There is no question that this boy is so loved!  Both gramma and Aunt Jo Jo showered this boy with love and attention during their visit(s).

After work we fed him and Da Da actually read him a book for almost 30 minutes.  He was a little cranky but we got through the evening.  Tomorrow we're spending the night in Chicago and on Wednesday we have our court date so it's a big week!!

Jonathan Day 58

JPK: So what should we write tonight on the blog, what happened that would be interesting?
Da Da: We'll, I woke up to Aunt Jo Jo waking him up because she THOUGHT she heard him.  Little does she know Da Da has a baby monitor next to his ear.
Jo Jo: I did hear him, he was clearly talking in his room!
Jo Jo: I turned on the kitchen light and went in and said hi, it's Aunt Jo Jo and he smiled and said "Aunt Jo Jo".
Da Da: Then I said we need to get him on the potty AND his diaper was dry.
Da Da: Then I got him his banana
Aunt Jo Jo: No, I got him his banana
Da Da: No, I got him his banana and you made him an omelet
Aunt Jo Jo: oh yeah, that's right!
Gramma: I was awake and laid there thinking there are two of them out there, I'm staying in bed
Daddy: I turned over on my good ear in bed so I couldn't hear what was happening out there
Da Da: Then Aunt Jo Jo made us French Toast with the bread that we got at the farmers market yesterday.
Da Da: Might I comment it was fantastic, he's going to type that it was just okay.
Daddy:  Okay I'm sick of trying to capture all this!  They are all blabber mouths and I just don't type that fast.

After we had breakfast we went to to the park and JH went crazy when Aunt Jo Jo and I got on the teeter tauter and started yelling "it's MY turn" so he sat on Aunt Jo Jo's lap and we all cracked-up.  We stayed at the park for about 30 minutes and decided to head over to the pumpkin farm close to the house.  JH brought Elmo and in minutes he dropped him in front of the Chicken Coop and none of us noticed.  We took pictures in front of the cut-out pig, cow, and donkey.  See Picture on Da Da's fb page.  We got in the car and JH said something about Elmo and Aunt Jo Jo and Daddy started running around the pumpkin patch to look for Elmo.  We told the old curmudgeon that runs the place and told him we lost Elmo and he said "who's that?"  We said he's a red doll and he looked at us like we were crazy and scratched his head.  Luckily we found Elmo a few minutes later.

Once we got home we jumped in the car (left the SUV with car seat) and Daddy and Da Da headed out for our 2nd outing away from JH.  We love him and miss him when we're not with him, but we took advantage of having Aunt Jo Jo and Gramma here to watch him.  After a trip to the hardware store and an Asian lunch, we decided that we wanted to head home and get some yard work done.  We cleaned out one garden bed and started burning the plants when we saw gramma and Aunt Jo Jo heading up the driveway.  They walked to town with JH and had ice-cream.

Skip to dinner.  Aunt Jo Jo made a pot pie with the crock-pot pulled pork that gramma made last night and it was fantastic.  JH had his dinner at 5:30 PM and I gave him the pot-pie filling and some carrots.  I was feeding him and when I got to the pot-pie filling he said "chewing" and I said no, I think you're done.  He said in a lower voice "chewing", I said in a lower voice, I think your done, he mouthed "chewing" and I lost it.  He is so darn funny!!

We put his PJs on and put him in his room so we could eat dinner.  He laid in bed watching Elmo and we noticed that he was falling asleep so we went in and kissed him goodnight and he got a 2nd wind so we went back to eat.  In less than 5 minutes he was standing at his door with only his diaper saying "jammies on" so Aunt Jo Jo went over and tried to put them on again and said "THESE ARE TOO SMALL", so okay, he may have been a little hunched over.  lol

We all kissed JH goodnight and he was sweet and even while we're all out here loudly  laughing and  talking he's fast asleep.

Jonathan Day 57

This was a lazy day!  We all slept until after 8:00 AM and JH had a bone dry diaper.  With gramma here I think we're keeping him up a little later so he has that last trip to the potty so it has been a low diaper change week :-)

Da Da finished painting the living room while gramma played with JH.  I think they watched his DVD that we bought at Big Lots for a buck a few times.  Funny that we buy him all these expensive educational DVDs and he likes a silly one about a clown and a puppet with zero production value.

After we cleaned-up from painting we all got dressed and went to two different farmers markets.  JH held my hand at the 2nd one and shuffled his feet in the sandy soil the whole time.  I doubt he even knew we were at a farmers market.  We stopped at the park on the way home and JH took his newest Elmo doll (thanks gramma V) with us.  He was pushing Elmo down the slide and then following.  The picture above is the two of them hitting the bottom of the slide.

We had a discussion on how clear we think his speaking.  Gramma thinks it's more that we spend so much time together that we're understanding him so well.  She said that at times she nods and says "yep" with a smile.  While driving we asked him if he was a good boy and he said "nope" and then we asked him if he is a naughty boy...and he said "yesss" with a sly smile.

Da Da and I ran to the store to get some Blueberries so gramma could make us a crumble to go with the shredded pork roast and cheesy mashed potatoes (we're FAT).  When we walked in JH was sitting on gramma's lap while she was reading him a book.  Amazed, Da Da asked how long he had been there and she said since you left 20 minutes ago.  This boy does not sit still for us EVER.

Dinner was fantastic and since it was raining here we had to play inside all evening.  He ran around with a long sleeve shirt, his diaper, and one hiking shoe.  When we tried to put the other one on he took it off, when we tried to take the one off, he put it back on the same foot.  He is a funny little boy!

We put him to bed and got our kisses and hugs I said I'll see you tomorrow and he looked at me smiled, nodded, and said "yeah".

Aunt Jo Jo is on her way to stay a few nights before she takes gramma home on Monday.  This is going to be a fun few final days with gramma.

Jonathan Day 56

Da Da and Gramma will be writing the post tonight.  I was stuck in my office for more than 10 hours today and didn't get to spend more than a few minutes watching cartoons with him tonight.  He was so sweet holding my finger while we were laying on his bed watching Mickey.

Da Da and Gramma:

Today has been a long but great day!  I finished the rest of the mulch (2 dump trucks worth) this morning while Gramma watched JH and Daddy worked.

Daddy continued to work as I started in on painting the living room and the two hallways.  It's such a great feeling to know that JH is in such great hands while I'm able to get some over due work done around the house.  I have to admit....it's such a great feeling seeing my mom (Gramma V.) walk down the driveway holding JH's hand, playing with him in his room and pushing in his stroller or wagon.  The love that JH brings to us all is so rich and pure!

We all had a great lunch....Gramma made some delicious sandwiches.  After lunch JH took a short nap and then JH, Gramma and I headed into Michigan City while Daddy staid home to work.  Today JH SCORED!  We went the the outlets and Gramma did a little spoiling today.

Today was a great day.  JH was a perfect little guy today and we never once had a outburst.  Dinner was a success and we are getting him ready for bed as I type this.

Gramma here!

Gramma is used to talking to two dogs and I'm trying to get adjusted to speaking toddler talk vs. doggie talk.

I think I let JH get away with a little bit more than Daddy and Da Da do.  Then again that's what grandmas are for.

After five days visiting I can honestly say that I'm tired of hearing the name Elmo, the Mickey Mouse Club House Video and songs in the car.  Especially when Daddy and Da Da chime in to the children's songs!

Tune in tomorrow for the next  adventure...Gramma

Jonathan Day 55

I'll go through the things that happened today after the good news!

I mentioned earlier this week that I stopped by the attorneys office where I will be getting guardianship of JH.   I thought it would be at least 4 to 6 weeks before we could get a court date but I received a call today that we have one Wednesday.  I'm so happy that I'll be able to add JH to my insurance next week.  People that have not met him don't know that he has sort of a lazy right eye.  It's something that we want to get corrected ASAP.

So this morning we had to wake JH up again.  It's amazing that this boy sleeps 12 hours with no problem at all.  We all had breakfast and I went in and worked while Da Da and gramma played with Jonathan and then got ready for an outing to Mishawaka.  They shopped, had lunch, and did the usual Home Depot stop.  Da Da had to get measurements for the doors he will be adding to the new basement walls he is building next week.

When they got home he walked in with the new hat and elmo doll that gramma bought him.  He is a SPOILED boy :-)  Seriously, I am a bit worried that he knows that he is the center of our world and is losing some of his sweetness.  He used to ask for a hug after we dressed him or got him off the potty and now when we say hug, he says "no".  If we say "okay, no hug", he screams "hug hug hug".  At bedtime he used to ask for a hug and kiss and now when we go down to hug and kiss him he turns over and says no.  We say "okay, no hug and goodnight kiss" and he cries and begs for a hug and kiss.  I know, I know, he's 2 and we have only had him 55 days.  Rick and I love him so much and want him to develop in a positive way.  I'm sure we worry too much and take the bad days too seriously and the good days for granted.

Tonight we had so much fun with the hat gramma bought and the hat Da Da bought for me.  He had gramma's hat on and put my hat on top and said "it fits now".  We all cracked up!

While Da Da was trying to get him to go potty (poop), he was in the bathroom cracking up.  This is a child that says "no" 100 times a day and when he was crying in the bathroom Da Da asked him if he was a naughty boy he said "yes" he said, then he asked him if he was kinky (read earlier post), and he giggled and said 'yeeeees".  He cracks up when he hears the work kinky!  Who knew?  If Da Da didn't have a kink in his neck last week that the word would have never brought us all so much laughter.

Today was a good day!  I'm looking forward to the weekend when we'll have Aunt Jo Jo and gramma here.

Jonathan Day 54

Wednesday:

List of things that happened today -

• all woke-up late (after 8:00 AM)
• had breakfast
• Jonathan took poop #1
• Gramma played with JH in the yard 
• Gramma, Jonathan, and Daddy picked the remaining green beans from the garden
• Da Da continued to move mulch
• Daddy worked, and worked, AND worked
• Daddy made a Zucchini Parmesan (Thanks for the idea Aunt Sue)
• Gramma canned 3 quarts of the green beans we picked earlier
• We all ate lunch and JH would NOT nap
• Jonathan took poop #2 (it was a good day!)
• Daddy and Da Da took JH to the park
• Gramma napped :-)
• JH ran his toy car into Da Da with vigor and on purpose
• Daddy put JH in the corner until he would apologize
• Three trips out of the corner and he just could not get the words out
• JH in a very measly (almost a whisper) voice apologized to Da Da
• we all had dinner and JH had a bath
• JH went to sleep in about 2 minutes
• Gramma, Da Da, and Daddy are all relaxing and having a pre-bed drink :-)

Jonathan Day 53

Tuesday:

As soon as I said I was all caught-up on writing the posts I fell behind again.  Tuesday was a busy day!  I was able to jump right in to work because gramma was here to help Da Da with JH. They gave him breakfast and got him ready, and before I knew it JH and gramma were hitting the streets.  She took him for a walk, played with him in the yard, and fed and changed him all day.  It was great for Da Da too because he had a mountain (not kidding) of mulch that he talked the county tree trimmers into dropping on our front lawn.

We tried to get JH to nap but there was too much fun happening, so at lunchtime we drove  to MI City to do some shopping for groceries.  We invited Linda and Neil to dinner (supper) and gramma does not do half assed cooking.  She made about 35 pieces of chicken on the Weber (she prefers charcoal grilling) and a caterer sized tray of cheezy potatoes, a pea salad. and a giant tray of a peach cobbler.  I forgot to mention when we were shopping gramma asked JH what a chicken does and Da Da said "MOM NO" and we looked at each other (JH's chicken impression includes blood curdling high pitched screams) while everyone in the check-out looked our way.  Immediately  we were able to get him to do the dolphin and a piggy.

Dinner was great.  We put JH down at about 7:00 PM since he didn't get a nap and he fussed for a few minutes.  Gramma likes to look in on him and at one point she came out and said he's sleeping.  We had dinner outside on the patio since it was such a beautiful night and we don't think we'll get many more before the cold comes.  Once the bugs started biting L&N headed home and we came in with the intention of having a glass of wine and watching TV. Not so much, we all decided we were wiped.  Showers, teeth, and bed.

It's not after 7:45 AM-ET and JH is still sleeping.  Btw, so is gramma, I think she understands why we are always so tired :-)

Jonathan Day 52

Monday:  I think I'm back on track with my posts now.

Last night we stayed at Rick's parents and slept in the living room on an air mattress.  We did the same thing the first night JH was with us but this time he slept on the sofa and we took the floor.  Last time we were worried that he would be frightened so Da Da slept with him while I stayed up all night long looking down at him roll all over the bed.  I remember 52 days ago moving him from the bottom of the air mattress back up to the top to lay him next to his Da Da because he was/is such a wiggle worm.  Last night he laid there on the sofa blowing kisses and giggling for about 30 minutes.  I finally reached up, took his hand,  and asked who he was blowing kisses at and he took my arm and said "Da Da and Daddy".

We woke up very early and hit the road to take JH to his Dr appointment and to see our Livingston County attorney.  Both went really well.  JH needed three shots and while Sherry held him I was behind her holding his hands and kissing his forehead.  It's an amazing thing being a Daddy!  We went back to Sherry's after and JH got to play with his cousin Dominick for about 30 minutes.  Back in the car and off to MI.  Ugh!  We spent at least 8 hours in the car today and it was too much for all of us.  Jonathan was really good and that DVD player saved us all.

We're home now and we have gramma V with us and JH went to bed about an hour ago.  Gramma just peeked in and stood there for a few minutes looking at him :-)  After she closed the door she said "he is so damn cute all I want to do is go in there and pinch his cheeks".  There is so much love in this family!!

This is going to be a great week having gramma here and we're looking forward to having more visitors.  JH needs to spend time with all the amazing people that are in our lives!!


 

Jonathan Day 51

Sunday-

We arrived at gramma and grandpa V's house just in time for lunch.  It was great seeing JH light-up when he saw them (and visa-versa).  We ordered pizza and ate out on the deckj since it was such a beautiful day.  Jonathan played on his purple dino while we all talked.  Then Daddy broke-out a new bubble gun we got yesterday.  He chased the bubbles trying to pop them like gramma did.  He was very cute.

After a nap grandpa took the racing lawn tractors out so we could take photos of JH on them with grandpa.  Finally, Pete got to take the tow things he is most proud of and get them in one photo.  I'll post one of them once we get back home and Da Da can download them.

Dinner and a bath by gramma and we were all out by 8:00 PM.  Today we go see Aunt Sherry and one of the attorneys to get the ball rolling :-)

More later.  I'm running a day behind :-)

Jonathan Day 50

The guest poster will be Aunt Suzie.  Daddy gets a free day from writing YIPPEE!!!

Take it away Aunt Suzie:
This morning started out with a shy boy for about 45 seconds.
Then he was off and running!
We had an early appointment at the vets office and then we went shopping.
Jonathan was a perfect little boy in the car. He is so silly.
Anyone visiting will have to request he do his impression of a dolphin.
It's priceless.
If I had to describe this child in a word....it would be wonderful. He's full
of wonder and love for his family. He runs to Grandma and digs his head into
her belly and asks for her to pick him up. Of course she can't resist him.
Molly was a huge hit with him too. He took to her like bees to honey.
I have never regretted moving to Iowa...but now  that I have an opportunity
to spend time with him and I can't....I feel some regret.
I am hooked on that little boy. I can't imagine life without him.
Sigh

Jonathan Day 49

We woke-up on Friday morning and started moving and shaking.  Da Da got Jonathan fed and bathed while I worked and started packing the car between conference calls.  Da Da kept asking Jonathan if he remembered who we were going to see and he kept say "gamma and grampa".  He has been to Rick's parents house several times now so he has them down.  We show him pictures and he always identifies gramma and grandpa V (and great grandma ) with no issues. 

We hit the road around noon and were off to see Aunt Suzie and Uncle Dave in Iowa.  The drive was okay and having the DVD played saved us.  JH didn't get a nap before we left and we hoped he would fall asleep on the way.  Not much happened other than some funny conversations that I just can't remember.  My brain is mush from hearing Elmo and childrens songs for 5 hours. 

15 minutes before we pulled in the driveway we looked back and he FINALLY went to sleep.  The picture above is of him sleeping with his leg crossed like a perfect little gentleman.   I had to play the stinky feet game with him to get a laugh after we woke him up.  He is very cranky when we wake him.  When we walked in it looked like Toys R Us!  Aunt Suzie has been doing some shopping :-)  He has a purple dinosaur that we'll be taking home.  I'll post a picture next week of JH going to town riding his dinosaur.

Bed was easy for all of us since we were all so exhausted.

Jonathan Day 48

Not much interesting that happened today.  Jonathan and Da D did their walk, went to the park, and played most of the day.  I worked and tried to join then for meals but it was a busy day for me.

After work we drove to a small town about 60 miles away to pick-up 4 cabinets for the basement.  We got a great deal on CL and only paid $50 for all with a counter top that fits on three of them.  The 4th is a large tall pantry type cabinet.  Once we get the basement finished we'll use these for Jonathan's toys and art supplies.  Rick wants to make a space that JH can be creative and not have us worry about paint spills.

The only thing that I can remember that was funny was while we were driving back I said something that made Da Da say "Shut Up" in a no way kind of way.  Our little parrot repeated "shut up" at least 50 times.  We tried pointing out Elmo, the tide and true "Hi Truck", singing ABCs, and it just didn't stop him.
We really need to BOTH be aware of the things we say in front of JH.  I said a semi-naughty word in front of him today and he repeated it a few times.  I didn't react so I think he was just trying it on for size :-)

We could not get that child to nap today again so bedtime included about 20 minutes of crying.  Rick went in and comforted him and told him we have a big day tomorrow.  We're driving to Aunt Sue and Uncle Dave's for two nights (Gramma Rosie will be there too) and then picking up Gramma Deb to spend a week with us in MI.  We're all looking forward to spending the next 7+ days with people we love and love Jonathan as much as we do :-)

Jonathan Day 47

Our normal day starts with hearing JH on the baby monitor either saying "wet" or a booming "good morning", this morning we heard our three very large roosters crowing below our bedroom window.  We're not sure how they got out but it wasn't fun herding them 200 ft back to the chicken coop.

JH started as usual with a banana and by the time we settled down from the rooster fiasco he was done.  He finished his banana and pushed the plate away and said done.  We asked if he wanted oatmeal and he said "NO" so all he had was a banana.  He didn't seem to be upset so Da Da put him in his room to watch Wonder Pets while he painted the dining room and I went to work.  After about an hour Da Da cleaned up and took JH to the park.  They met a mom and dad there with 3 year old twins.  They were really nice so Rick asked them how they have been socializing them and the mom gave him some really good options in the area.  Finally he met someone that lives in the area that was responsive and nice.  We mostly meet very nice people at the park from Chicago that are visiting the area.  There have been one or two locals that were very cold. Not sure if it's the two dads that has put them off.  Not that I care :-)

After lunch Da Da put JH down for his nap and finished the dining room.  He only need to roll out the walls.  It looks really great!! JH woke-up and we took a quick trip to the market to get some things for dinner.  I had a few more meetings and when they were over we played outside for a bit before driving to a town about 20 miles away to get some free rocks.  We found someone on CraigsList that was giving away boulders and while JH sang in the backseat of the truck Da Da and Daddy lifted about 800 pounds of rocks and that was only 5 rocks.  

Dinner was one of the best we have ever had.  I made a greek lemon chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli.   JH wolfed his broccoli down and immediately wanted "moooore please", Da Da kept directing him to the chicken and potatoes and there was no arguments or NOOOOO responses.  He ate his entire dinner and while Da Da was giving him yogurt (helps him poop) for desert, he was telling JH he had a kink in his neck from lifting the rocks.  So JH was repeating "kink" and giggling and Da Da said that he had a kinky neck and JH was belly laughing.  It was hilarious!!  Something about the word kinky was cracking him up.

Bed was okay.  He has started fussing a little when we put him down the last few night because he wants multiple hugs and kisses (to stall) and we stop at two each.  

Jonathan Day 46

I'll start with some good news.  I heard from my attorney today and there are several things happening that sound promising.  I will be obtaining legal/full guardianship (currently have standby guardianship) in the next week or so.  Then in early October the adoption process can start.

The morning started great and Jonathan and Da Da took their 4 mile walk around town while Daddy worked.  After they got home we did a few minutes of play outside and then Da Da took Jonathan to the park.  Apparently it was a very good visit.  When it was time to leave Da Da asked Jonathan if he knew what time it was and he said "time to leave?" and with no effort at all they left and came home for lunch.

After a nap we all went outside while Da Da planted the acorns that they picked up at the park JH pulled his wagon around the yard.  He hit one of the yard lights with the wagon and I told him to not do that since he might break the light.  He did another round around the yard and looked at me right in the eye and ran over the light.  It fell apart and he did his surprised look with a HHHHHHHuuu.  The same way he does when he tosses his shoes or toys over his baby gate and makes his surprised look and sound.  I asked him to say sorry to Da Da for breaking his light and he just looked down and folded his arms.  I asked again and he said "NO", so I asked him to say sorry or we would go in the house.  He is one stubborn little boy!!  We went in the house and stupidly I put him in his room where he immediately started playing with his toys.  After a few minutes I went in and asked him if he was sorry for breaking Da Da's light and he nodded.  I asked if he could say sorry to Da Da and he said "sorry Da Da" and then held his arms up and said "outside".

Da Da is now negotiating dinner with him and the grilled cheese with turkey seemed to be a hit.  Next are peas and carrots and as far as I can tell there is only one more bite left and he's done.  Normally we all have meals together but Daddy and Da Da opted to have a curry later with a glass of wine.  When I make a Thai curry the air is so spicy we all cough.

JH is just finishing his pudding and Da Da is over there laughing and snapping photos of his little chocolate mustache.  I'll post a pic tomorrow.  The picture tonight is of JH pulling his wagon around the yard.

Jonathan Day 45

Ugh, I have 320 more days to write these notes.  Most days I like writing about the day and the funny things JH said or did.  Today isn't one of those days.  I am not feeling well and it seemed like the day lasted 48 hours.  I'm going to finish watching Mad Men and it's off to bed for me.

Goodnight.

Jonathan Day 44

Today kicked our asses!  We all woke-up and Jo made us breakfast and immediately took care of all of Jonathan's needs.  Rick and I hit the basement and spent 4 hours emptying and cleaning.  We worked really well together getting all the junk out so next week Rick can get it painted and also get some walls built.  We'll have a large play area, a gym, and a computer table.  That way when Daddy and Da Da are staying fit, Jonathan can ride his bike and play on the computer.

After Jo gave Jonathan lunch she laid him down for a nap while we cleaned-up.  He was still singing to himself while we were eating the lunch Jo made for us.  I think it might have had something to do with her playing the guitar for him earlier.  She said he was in his closet while she was playing and she could see (under the door) him tapping his foot while she was singing.

Finally we decided that he wasn't going to nap so we got him up and took Oakley to the dog park.  He loved running around and playing with all the dogs and falling in the dirt.  After the dog park we came home and Da Da immediately jumped on the tractor to cut the grass.  Jo, Oakley, Jonathan, and I walked in to town to get ice-cream.  I pulled Jonathan in his wagon and Jo walked Oakley.  He started to get a little cranky as we got close to town.  It was a little warm so we stopped to get Oakley a drink of water and after giving Oakley a drink Jonathan started yelling "DRINK".  He wanted to drink out of Oakley's bowl.  After the ice-cream and a drink for Jonathan we walked home.  I think all of us were exhausted at this point.  Da Da was still cutting the lawn, Jo's feet were so sore she had to take her shoes off and walk on the grass, Jonathan was trying on Jo's shoes in his wagon.

Once we were all back in the house and got JH on the potty, he was DONE.  He cried, laughed, and cried again.  None of us had the energy to think about cooking so we went to a local Mexican restaurant that we have been wanting to try.  While Jo was getting his shoes on him he ran by Oakley and Oakley growled at Jonathan.  I wasn't there but Jo said JH turned, looked at Oakley and growled back!!  That boy learns fast.

It was nice to have Jo with us at dinner since JH was so crabby.  Foolishly, I thought she could help.  As JH says, "NOPE" :-).  Actually, dinner wasn't that bad for a group of people that were worn to the nubs.

Something I keep forgetting to mention:
JH has been making this sound that we call his Dolphin.  It's so funny and he does it for people now and they crack-up!  Jo said we need to video it because it sounds like a Dolphin.  We'll add that to our to-do list.

The pic above was taken about 20 minutes ago and JH is laying at the foot of his bed with his hiney up.

lat thing, he cried for about 5 minutes when we put him to bed because Daddy and Da Da stopped at 3 kisses and hugs goodnight.  So much love, even for a crabby boy.

Jonathan Day 43

Awesome day!!!!  We woke-up at 5:00 AM with Jonathan itching and blowing his nose with no tissue attached.  We think he may have allergies and need to get a humidifier ASAP.

Jo left soon after we all woke-up and Da Da and I washed the wet sheets and guest bedding.  After a quick breakfast we walked down to a park 1 block from the condo to let Jonathan burn off some energy.  We were the only ones there and after about 5 minutes a guy on a cell phone standing near the park started swearing and sort of yelling.  Da Da had enough and we loaded Jonathan back in the stroller and headed back to the condo.

We put Jonathan down for a nap and waited for cousin Nina and our friend Staci to get to the condo so we could have lunch and take a walk.  Jonathan was a little bratty at lunch but a 15 minute nap will do that to a 2 year old.  We all left the condo and headed down to the Gap to take advantage of  Groupon that Daddy bought last week.  Nothing really great so we kept walking down to Cost Plus and STILL nothing that we wanted.  Eureka!  TJ Maxx was the ticket today!  We all found so much good stuff that we had to use the stroller to carry our stuff back 2 miles north and we took turns carrying Jonathan.  Nina found some beautiful outdoor lanterns reduced from $99 reduced to $10!!!  When she carried one over and told us the price Da Da said "SHUT UP" so Jonathan kept saying "shut up" "shut up" in his sweet voice until we tried to make him stop and then he kept yelling "SHUT UP".  All of a sudden we saw Elmo run across the aisle at TJ Maxx and Jonathan forgot about shut up :-)

After our 4 mile walk we said goodbye to Nina and Staci we made a dash to MI.  Jo was here with Oakley when we arrived and it was amazing to see my boy again!  Oakley has been great with Jonathan and is sitting next to me right now looking at me.  He is so happy with Jo and looks great!  She has taught him to sit, shake (he did that with me too) and lay-down and lastly to roll-over!  It's so cute!  When Oakley was my dog the rule was that he wasn't allowed to have people food.  Now that he is my nephew, I fed him almost 1/2 a roasted chicken :-P

Jonathan gave us all kisses goodnight and went to bed at 7:00 PM with a smile on his face.  Jo and I talked about how amazing it is that both Jonathan and Oakley are such special boys.

Jonathan Day 42

Today Aunt Jo Jo will write the majority of this posting.  We started the day with a happy boy and after breakfast we it the city to meet up with Aunt Jo Jo:

We hooked up at the condo in the early afternoon. Dada and Daddy walked in sporting Jonathan in an awesome 3 wheel luxury stroller. He was all smiles when he saw me and actually let me take him out and hold him right away...No shyness with Auntie this time! It was very cool...

We walked down to Target to pick up a few things and were of course entertained by Jonathan almost the entire walk... just when we thought it was only us who thought he was hysterical while making dolphin sounds, doggie sounds, cat sounds and so on, a man rode the elevator on the way up to the condo and was also entertained by Jonathan. As he got off laughing he said "He's Great"...although we already knew it, I have to admit it was sweet to hear a total stranger say that! I'm very proud of my sweet, polite, well behaved nephew!

Jon and Rick went out for dinner. It was their first time alone without their son since they have become parents. I sort of redirected JH after they left, thinking he may cry....WRONG...he was all about playing with Auntie. However, during dinner he did say "Where Dada? Where Daddy? I said "They went to eat"...he said "Eat eat eat" and I responded with "are you ready for your applesauce?" He said "APPLESAUCE a few times and from that point  it was finish up with dinner and play play play! I had a couple hours of alone time with my nephew and it was awesome. He climbed on me...rode me as a horse, tickled his face with my long hair, rolled summersalts down my legs...you get the picture. By the time Daddy and Dada came home he was wound up like an 8 day clock. To my surprise, after all of the hello and then goodnight hugs and kisses he did settle into bed effortless...

This family is filled with love, structure, laughter,love, teamwork,consistency,love, fun,healthy eating, love and balance....Lets face it....The Dad's got it going on!!! As for the little one...Auntie is in love!!

Jonathan Day 41

This morning I didn't wake-up to the usual "wet", I woke up to Da Da getting sick in the bathroom.  Rick was sick most of the day (a Flu bug) so I was on my own getting Jonathan changed and fed this morning.  I usually am cooking his breakfast while Da Da is getting him changed and put in his booster chair.  I handled it waaaaay better than I did a month ago when Rick had to leave us for a few days to attend his grandmother's memorial service.

After lunch and a nap Da Da started feeling better so we played a little and then Jonathan had to be put in jail (we call his room with the baby gate jail up).  He played, sang, and once or twice called out to me to say hi.  I told him Da Da wasn't feeling well and Daddy had to work.  He smiled. repeated the word work and went back and played.

At the end of my work day we took a quick trip to MI City to hit the outlet malls.  Daddy had a Banana Republic coupon that was burning a hole in his pocket :-)  We ended-up finding amazing deals on kids clothes at other stores.  We actually got a very cute pair of overalls for $2.38 reduced from $39.  If I only shop the clearance rack for me, the rule is we only shop clearance for JH.   At least until he goes to school and starts picking his own clothes.  My hope is that he'll understand early that anything you see on the rack at full price will be on clearance in no time at all.

He ate like crazy at dinner and is playing with his computer as I write this update.  We're meeting Aunt Jo Jo tomorrow after work in Chicago.  Rick and I get to go out while she babysits.  That way we can all go to the zoo on Saturday and back up to MI for Sat night.  Being in the city is fun, but being here in MI is so much more comfortable for all of us.  Jo really takes care of us when she visits and cooks and more importantly CLEANS.  I find that I only get to clean the house when he is napping and if I am not buried with work.  We have still gone 41 days with no toys in the main living part of the house and JH helps us clean his room before naps and bed.

Enough for today.  I'm off to play until bed-time in 45 minutes.

Jonathan Day 40

How did I go 48 years of my life and not have known how amazing it is to be a daddy?  I know it won't all be this great and believe me, it hasn't all been great.  Having Jonathan ask for a hug after doing something like getting him dressed is amazing.  Today he was full of hugs and they were long hugs.

We just put him down to bed and he asked for at least 3 kisses and hugs goodnight.  The only way I made it out of the room was by handing over the kisses to Bo Bo.  There is nothing more in the world that I want more than for this little boy to have a smile on his face every night.   There may be naughty moments during the day and drama right before bed but for 40 nights there has been a smile at bed.  I looked back at my writings and he stopped fussing after about day 5.  That means for more than a month he has had a smile on his face at bedtime.

It was a low-key day and we didn't stray too far from home other than the post office and the park this morning.  Jonathan is getting a little too brave for us at the park and wanting to play in the 5+ section.  He loves watching the older kids and mimicking them.

After lunch he napped and we had to play indoors all day since it rained here in the afternoon.  He didn't seem to mind since he had Da Da to climb all over and abuse.  I worked most of the day in my office and when I came out in the afternoon, Jonathan doing the Hokey Pokey and Da Da was filming him.  These are the clips we'll make sure we save and show him when he's a teenager.  Be home on time or we'll YouTube you dancing in your room!!!

Last thing, I think he is either starting to form more full sentences or we're better understanding what he is saying.

Last last thing, I love when he says "ooof" it's a toddlers version of an old man (me) getting up from a chair.

In the picture above I was wiping his table in his room and he wanted to help.  He took the paper towel from me a wiped down all his toys.