Jonathan Day 100

It is amazing that it has been 100 days and nights that we have been lucky enough to have Jonathan Harper in our lives.  It would be easy to write about all the cute Halloween things he said and did but I'm not going to do that.  We are so tired from driving almost 200 miles today that I am going to quickly reflect on the last 100 days.

• I would have never in 100 years thought that having JH in our lives would have made it so completely freaking awesome.

• I didn't know I had the capacity to love so much.

• I am the luckiest man alive to have JH and RV in my life.

• The difficult days/times mean so little because I know there are amazing things around the corner.

• I love my family and friends so much for welcoming JH with open arms.  

We are going to watch a little TV and get some much needed rest.   I'll write more tomorrow and get a good video posted too :-)

Jonathan Day 99

Another awesome day!  We got up pretty early since JH stayed on schedule and woke-up at his usual 7:00 AM-ET.  After breakfast we loaded JH in his stroller and walked to Target.  The best part about that was it was totally empty, no lines, no pushing, and no crazies.  Living in Uptown always guarantees some colorful personalities walking the aisles of the new Target.

The family all got to the condo around 10:00 AM as scheduled and we all went to Dim Sum.  JH was playing the drums on the table and poking Aunt Jo Jo with his chopsticks.  That only lasted a second and then he had none :-(  It's great having a kid that will eat Har Gaw and Chicken Siu Mai.  We hope to be feeding him sushi as soon as he turns three.  I read something on the internet saying that kids shouldn't have sushi until after three, and even then to limit it due to mercury levels.

When we got home we put JH in his bear costume so everyone could see what a scary bear he was.  He was cracking us up (see video).  After everyone left we loaded him up in the stroller and headed to the Rainbow Families event at The Center on Halsted.  It was pretty amazing to see so many families like ours interacting and the kids playing.  JH doesn't get to play with kids too often unless we happen to get lucky and meet some at the park in MI.  We met a couple that have a little girl the same age is JH.  They seemed to get along really well and we hope to have some play dates soon.

We dashed out a little early so we could keep our boy on his same ET schedule so dinner is over and we're looking forward to an early bedtime so Daddy and Da Da can relax after a very busy day.

Jonathan Day 98

We started the day at about 4:30 AM with JH announcing that his diaper was wet, in fact, it was "soaking wet".  We tried to get him to lay with us but he was a wiggle monster.  I put new sheets on his bed and turned on Peter Pan.  He watched while we did laundry and I made some omelets.  He can eat a Banana and Oatmeal 7 days a week so I try and shake it up a little.  An occasional Waffle or Pancake.

On our way to Chicago Da Da showed off his newest JH "teaching".  He asked JH how old he was and he said "I'm two", then he asked him what is name is and JH said "Jonatin Keynan".  I love to hear him say his soon to be name even if it's a little off.  On our way here he also kept saying "hi Chicago" and "hi truck".

Da Da and JH took a trip to the park while I worked and when they came back we all went downtown to pick-up my interoffice mail.  In just a few days I am able to select my 2011 benefits and both JH and Da Da will be on my health plan next year.   We have an appointment with an ophthalmologist next week at Children's Memorial Hospital.  With luck he'll only need a patch to correct his eye.


Later in the afternoon we took a 6 mile walk through the neighborhood.  JH was lounging in his stroller singing and talking to anyone that smiled at him.  It's getting close to dinner so I'm going to wrap this posting up.  The picture above is JH and Da Da looking out the window watching the activity on Lake Shore Drive and all the people walking around the park.

Jonathan Day 97

This morning was a good morning for us all. After breakfast Daddy got to work and JH and I headed into Benton Harbor to run a few errands.

When we got home is was lunch time. Then it was nap time, as usual not much of a nap.

A little play in the yard and some Elmo filled the rest of the afternoon.

Dinner was good. Daddy made JH a chef salad and he loved it! A little messy I must say but other than that it was successful and JH let me assist.

As JH was eating dinner, Daddy was in the kitchen making dinner for us. He was making a spicy curry dish. When Jon cooks we have the smoke detectors go off due to the intensity of the spice that comes out of the kitchen. Daddy started coughing from the spices and the smoke detectors all went off. The funny thing JH said "Daddy's choking" "Daddy's cooking again"! The things he says are priceless.

We're getting ready for bedtime and are all excited to be heading in to Chicago early in the morning. We'll be seeing Aunt Susie, Aunt Jo Jo, Uncle Dave, and Gramma K on Saturday morning. We're meeting for Dim Sum and JH loves his Dim Sum :-)

Jonathan Day 96

Totally awesome day!  JH woke-up in a great mood and ate a big breakfast and played.  Then he and Da Da went on their mega walk through town.  After the walk they went to the park and got home close to lunch time.  I sort of missed hearing they occasional screaming (in a good way) and laughing from my office.  I scored a great deal on Breaded Shrimp at our local market and remembered how much I loved them as a kid (and now).  SO, I bought a box and made them for JH for lunch.  He had carrots and about 5 fried shrimp.  I showed him how to hold them from the tail and dip in the sauce.  He is on this thing where he says "what is it" to EVERYTHING!  so he kept saying "what is it Daddy" and I would say the tail.  He would eat another, lay the tail down and say "what is it Daddy" and I would say it's still the tail.  Then he would laugh!

He napped today after singing in his room for about 75 minutes.  It was a difficult decision but we had to wake him or we would be up all night.  After the nap I finished up a few work things and snuck out for an hour and we all went back to the park.  He is so darn daring climbing higher and higher.  He gets caught in the rope wall and says "I need help" and we say you can figure it out, you do it....and he always does.  This child will be a problem solver when he gets older.

Dinner was homemade chicken soup again soaked in wheat bread.  He gobbled it up and wanted to try the brussel sprouts, white beans, and feta Da Da and I were having.  He liked them and kept trying to say brussel sprouts and finally settled on "salad".  The new funny phrase he is saying is "I said nah", and he says it to everything.

It's 6:15 PM and we're trying to decide if he stays up a few minutes later since he had a nap today.  I'm leaning towards NO since he just binged Da Da in the head with his toy drill.  He is all kinds of worked up :-)

Jonathan Day 95

We woke-up to a very windy morning.  The clocks were flashing so it was clear that at one point in the evening the power shut down.  During breakfast we heard the first of several weather warnings and it appeared the bad weather was coming our way.  Once we heard our town we headed for the basement.  JH played with a few toys we had down there and Da Da watched Weather.com on the computer we set-up a few weeks ago.  The intent was that he would watch his videos while we used the gym equipment.  So far we haven't had a minute to workout :-(  Anyway, it must have been almost 10:30 AM before we got the all clear.  We all went up and went potty and while I worked Da Da started JH's lunch.  During lunch we were sitting there and out of the blue he said "actually, Um..."  One of us must say actually enough that he is picking it up.

After an attempt at a nap JH and Da Da played in his room while we all waited for the sun to dry the yard.  Once it looked pretty dry JH and Da Da headed out for the yard.  I joined them after work and we picked up sticks and yard litter until dinner.  He's really good a helping us when we work in the yard.

Dinner was very easy as Da Da made JH one of his favorites; grilled cheese and ham (see video above).  Bed was really easy and 15 minutes after we put him down we still don't hear a word.

Jonathan Day 94

This morning was a wet morning. Not in the sense of a wet bed, but raining out.

JH..."wet..wet..dark out..wet". He knew that this would put a minor damper on our outdoor activities for the day.

Nonetheless, he woke up with a smile and had a little breakfast. After breakfast JH and I played in his room for a bit until the sun came up. Once we saw daylight JH SCREAMED "outside"!

So off we went. We hit the streets for our 4 mile walk this morning. Along the way JH called out each stop along the way and knew each place we were going. "Gas Station, Big C (lumber yard), Po Office (Post Office). He's quite the chatter box these days.

After our walk we came in and had a little lunch and JH attempted to nap. Not so much of a nap, but rather chatter and song time. After an hour and a half we went outside and played in the yard. As the afternoon came to an end Daddy came out and joined us in the yard. It's always fun when the three of us are out and about.

JH had a stuffed manicotti tonight for dinner. Daddy made it for dinner and thought that it might be a stretch for JH. JH loved it and gobbled it right up.

As I was getting JH ready for bed, we got our final potty in for the night. As I tried to get him up to wash his hands I kept getting a cry "poop...I gotta poop". Let's just say that after 4 rounds of up and down...someone didn't have to poop. Again...another stall tactic.

Other than that he went right to bed.

Jonathan Day 93

We all had such a good time last night with Kiki here.  JH took to her so well, she read to him, he watched TV on her lap, and he gave her multiple hugs and kisses.

This morning I heard JH and didn't hesitate to rollover and say "it's your turn" and went back to sleep.  In fact, I slept until almost 9:00 AM and got up to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast. JH played with Da Da and Kiki while I cooked and we all had breakfast together.  After Kiki left JH took a nap (not) and we did some laundry and got the house back together.  JH has a habit of taking more stuff from his room when we have guests to show them all his toys.

After lunch we went to the park and played.  There were other kids there but he didn't see too interested in playing with them and they kept to themselves as well.  He is getting really good at climbing.  I remember the first few times we took him there he had trouble getting up the steps to the slide so we had to shadowed him.  Now he is climbing on the rope wall higher than me and Da Da.  If he gets stuck trying to get down he says "I need help".

When we got home we put him in his room to watch Toy Story and we watched some recorded shows.  I went in after about an hour and he was in his closet with all the drawers out and his pumpkin filled with Kotex in his hand.  He held one up and said "blow my nose".  All his diapers were on the floor in his closet and he also had his snow boots on.

This is one of the first days in a few weeks that I am looking forward to 6:30 PM; he is wired and is onto everything and we're both exhausted :-)

Jonathan Day 92

What a great day!

We woke up to a dry bed. The Kotex is the key to a dry morning...okay, dry bed.

Daddy woke up first and got JH in his chair and breakfast started. I walked out a few minutes later and was greeted with a joyous "good morning Da Da". What a great way to start off a morning!

After JH was taken care of we had a little Saturday morning cartoon time and Daddy made Kiki breakfast. I love Saturday morning breakfasts. JH even got a second round of breakfast. Aunti Kiki shared her banana with him. JH was a bit shy but the banana warmed him up to Kiki quite quickly.

After breakfast Kiki brought out a gift for JH. JH was very impressed with his pumpkin antenna headband. The headband started out as everything but a headband but before we new it, it was on his head the right way. Attached is a picture of the fun JH had.

We all met up with Michael for lunch in town. After lunch all 5 of us headed into Mishawaka for some shopping. We all racked out at the Christmas Tree Store and of course JH wanted everything. We are in a stage right now where all JH says is "I WANT". Afterwards we headed to the mall and ended our trip at the mall with a round of Dairy Queen treats.

Dinner was a challenge. Aunt Kiki and I tried to give JH dinner this evening and the only thing he could SCREAM was "ice cream". He and Aunt Kiki were screaming back and forth..."ice cream" "NO" "ice cream"..... Needless to say JH passed on dinner this evening. When he gets hungry we will have dinner.

Okay....I'm off to brush some teeth and get a tired little boy to bed. More tomorrow!

Jonathan Day 91

TGIF

This has been a very long week.  We tried something new last night; we bought a pack of Kotex and put one in the front of JH's diaper.  He woke-up with a very heavy diaper but his sheets were dry.  It was nice to not start our day with a trip to the basement to wash his sheets.

The last several nights we have been telling JH that Daddy will give him a spanking if we have to go in to his room after we put him to bed.  He had been calling us for another hug, or a kiss, or  to blow his nose.  It got old very fast and with a good old fashioned threat, he has been good.

Today Da Da and JH went back to MI City to buy more insulation for the storage shed.  I swear that thing is going to be nicer than our house.  They played outside most of the day while Da Da worked in the yard and JH "helped", Ha!  It's fun to hear Da Da out there (with windows closed) counting "ONE, TWO, THREE" to get JH to stop doing something bad or to come.

Lunch and dinner were pretty easy.  He is such a good eater and will pretty much eat anything we give him.  He ate carrots at both meals so it should be a good poop day tomorrow.  JH had a bath a few minutes ago and we're trying to get him to sit and watch cartoons with us.  The picture above was minutes before Da Da started playing This Little Piggy to get him to stop crying.  He is happy about 90% of the time and then there are the other times!  He cries for no reason and gets upset until we make him laugh, then he forgets and is how he is now.  Sitting on Da Da's lap getting his finger nails cut.  Perfectly fine just watching Da Da saying "thank you Da Da".

Today after work and before dinner I took JH to the park while Da Da worked on the shed.  There were two kids there (Matt 4 and Lucy 10), their mom sat on the phone texting the entire time and wouldn't even make eye contact or respond to my hello.  The kids played and I monitored encouraging them to take turns.  Matt was only about an inch taller than JH but was very vocal.  He wasn't too interested in playing with JH; he wanted me to watch when he went down the slide or climbed on the equipment.  I think I understand that since his mom couldn't care less about anything but the texting and phone calls.  He fell once and cried and she walked over and picked him up and sat with him on her lap talking on the phone.  JH was more interested in Lucy and was smiling and laughing at everything she did.  She was sweet and actually gave him a hug goodbye.

We're finishing our day with an episode of Backyardigans.  More tomorrow.

Jonathan Day 90

This morning was a wet one. I woke up to JH saying "SOAKED". Then the shuffle of Daddy's feet back and forth stripping the bed and getting JH to the potty.

When I walked out of the bedroom I saw JH sitting at the dining room table enjoying his daily banana.  Once he noticed me sneaking to the kitchen for coffee, JH bellowed "good morning Da Da"! I have to say I wasn't feeling so well this morning but when I got this kind of welcome it started the day of nicely.

Daddy jumped right into work so JH and I headed into Michigan City to get a few groceries for our weekend guest.  When we got back it was just about lunch time so we got ourselves cleaned up and ready for lunch.  After lunch JH ACTUALLY took a 1 1/2 nap!

This afternoon JH and I went out back to finish moving a pile of remaining mulch. JH loves when I get the tracator (tractor) out! For every wagon full I get JH gets to either ride on my lap or when empty in the wagon.

Dinner time! Tonight was a night of leftovers. As long as dinner has carrots in it, JH is happy.

We are just now all three settling down after a long day to some Yo Gabba Gabba. Bed is soon to come. I'm sure it will be a smooth transition.

Side note:

Ninety Days....WOW! It's hardly feels like this much time has past. Every day has been a growing experience for the three of us. We've built a solid home and have welcomed to our lives with open arms.  Both Jon and I can't imagine where our lives would be without JH a part of it.  We look forward to every day yet to come and the many years we have with each other.

Good night all!

Jonathan Day 89

We're happily back in MI until Halloween weekend when we spend it with Dug, Jamie, and the kids.  Aunt Jo Jo, Susie, and Gramma K will be there too :-)

Da Da said JH didn't go to sleep until almost 8:30 PM last night.  He used every trick in the book to stay up later.  Kisses, potty, nose blowing....

When I got home at 9:30 PM he was fast asleep and Da Da and I stayed up a few more minutes and watched the news before heading to bed.  JH woke-up at about 5:30 AM and I took him to the potty.  He was in a great mood and while sitting going potty he looked down and very casually said "oh, hi pee pee".  He is so darn funny!  While leaving Chicago this morning he kept saying "goodbye Chicago, see you later".

We got home pretty early and we're surprised by a mountain sized pile of fresh mulch dumped in our yard.  There isn't a tree trimmer for miles that Rick hasn't stopped and asked for their mulch "scraps".  I worked and watched Da Da pull JH in the tractor trailer filled to the brim with mulch.  At lunch JH was starved from waking up so early to get back up to MI.  He ate 1/2 a can of carrots (makes him poop), 1/2 can of creamed corn, and a turkey hotdog.  He napped and when we woke him he was sweet and happily played in his room while watching a new DVD Uncle Dug and Cousin Damian made him last week.

Linda and Neil also stopped by with a Garfield doll, a new bear, and a Tonka Truck.  All from Neil's sister Marsha and a neighbor we have only met once.  Marsha was visiting this last weekend and met JH for about 15 minutes and he must have charmed her :-) like he does everyone he meets.  We are so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives!

After work I made him a Boca Chicken and more carrots.  The carrots worked!  Da Da was on clean-up so it was a win-win for me :-P  We're watching Dino Dan and JH hasn't moved an inch in about 15 minutes.  I think it's going to be a good end to the day.

The picture above is JH sitting on a pile of carpet samples Aunt Staci got us for the basement re-do.

Jonathan Day 88

It's my turn to write the blog tonight but I have a condo board meeting that usually lasts until close to 10:00 PM.  In fact, the last two meetings went so late that Da Da was fast asleep by the time I got home.  SO, I will post a quick video of JH having some sugar free chocolate pudding today and say goodnight.  More from Da Da tomorrow.

Jonathan Day 87

This morning was a early morning yet again. JH knew we had a big day ahead of him!

After a little play and breakfast we all headed up to do our early voting at the local college. JH got a small taste of what civic responsibility is about.

When headed home and Daddy started his work day while JH and I played with some familiar toys and a walk around the block.

After lunch we headed to Jonathan's first doctors appointment since he's been with us. The pediatrician gave us a raving report. He's a VERY happy and healthy little boy. It was very funny that both Daddy and I were a bit overwhelmed with this since we've never done this kind of thing before. We asked more questions than the doctor was probably anticipating and of course I came in with a list. JH was a cool as a cucumber! He did everything as the doctor asked....sit, lay down, reflex test ect. This doctors appointment made Daddy and I realize again how very much JH is apart of us, how much we love him and would do for him.

We came home after the doctors appointment and Daddy got back to work. JH and I watched a few rounds of Backyardagains. When Daddy finished his work day we ended our afternoon with a 5 mile walk. We walked down to a new falafel restaurant, then over to the new Michaels Crafts and then back home.

Daddy and I are beat!  JH is slowly winding down and bed is right around the corner.

Attached is a video that we took at JH's doctors appointment this afternoon.

Jonathan Day 86

This morning we woke-up pretty early so we could make it in to the city to meet Aunt Jo Jo and Damian at the Chicago condo.  We got here and as soon as we pulled up JH started saying "Auntie Jo Jo", we think he thinks she lives here and we visit her.  The last several times we have come in either Jo is here or comes soon after we get here.  Jo and Damian brought JH a play kitchen, a Home Depot workstation, and a pile of DVDs.  Gotta love garage sales (thanks Jo) and Uncle Dug who recorded about 100 hours of education DVDs and childrens movies.

We went to Chuck E Cheese and played games and had pizza.  Damian and JH had a great time and I think Da Da liked playing the games too.  It was nice that after about 30 minutes JH was following Damian around.  It's great that he has cousins close by that he can play around.  After lunch we went to Lincoln Park Zoo and walked around the petting zoo.  Damian kept zooming in front of the stroller screaming and JH was belly laughing.  No matter how many times Damian zoomed JH would laugh.  After, we took them to the park and they crawled all over the jungle gym.

After a quick run to Target and a goodbye to Jo and D we are all nestled in the condo playing with JH's new toys.  He and Da Da are having a run in over the Microwave in his kitchen.  JH keeps taking it to the sofa and shoving it off.  We're struggling with teaching him to be nice to his toys, and plants, and Da Da and Daddy :-)  He can play a bit rough at times and gets easily excited and there is often toy carnage.

We'll be here for a few days since we have his Dr appointment tomorrow and my condo meeting on Tuesday.  It's nice to hear the hum of the traffic on Lake Shore Drive.  It's also nice to make sure we can be here for more than just one occasional night since the home studies will be starting soon.

More from Da Da tomorrow.

Jonathan Day 85

Today was a great day!

We woke up a bit earlier than usual this morning. 5:15 a.m. to be exact! JH was up and at it this morning. After his potty and diaper change this morning I tried getting him to fall asleep a bit longer by putting him back in bed with Daddy and I for at least an hour or two. Needless to say, JH won, it lasted 15 minutes! So Daddy took JH out to get breakfast started.

About an hour or so later Aunt Staci woke up and came out. JH of course welcomed her with " OH Aunti Staci, Aunti Staci". As if he didn't know that she was in the next room.

Breakfast was good...Daddy made one of his weekend specialties, blueberry pancakes! After breakfast we all got ourselves pulled together and headed to the pumpkin farm and looked for some Honey crisp apples for Aunt Staci.

Afterwards we headed to the outlets for a few good deals and ended up leaving after an hour an a half with nothing. We all racked out at JC Penny though. You have to love Doorbuster Sales!

We ended our day in the yard playing for a few short hours before Michael and Janine came over. We had planned an afternoon/early evening dinner. JH was having the time of his life playing soccer in the back yard with Aunt Staci and Janine. A bit later Michael jumped in and was teaching JH how to bounce the soccer ball off of his head.

WOW...what a day for JH. Poor boy was exhausted! After dinner, I brushed his teeth and got him ready for bed. Michael, Janine, Aunt Staci, Daddy and I went in and put him to bed. It was a chain effect, and JH was giggling. After our final good night Daddy and I walked out and JH was sound asleep.

In summary it was a great day and we enjoyed our company and look forward to seeing them as well as others soon.

Jonathan Day 84

I was on point last night for the calls for water and nose blowing.  The first one was at 3:50 AM.  I went in after I heard in a very low sweet voice "blow my nose".  I went in and helped him blow his nose and told him it was the middle of the night and we needed to go back to sleep.  He said okay and by the time I finished going potty I heard "water", so I went in and gave him a sip of water.  I had to finish that visit with a stern warning that he needed to go back to sleep.  I think it was a few hours later that I heard him chattering again.  I turned over to my bad ear and all the chattering went away :-)

Da Da got to get JH on the potty this morning and start breakfast while I slept in a few extra minutes.  By the time I dragged my behind out of bed JH was finished with his Banana so I popped a few blueberry waffles in so Da Da wouldn't have to sit and feed him.  There are a few things that he is able to feed himself without too much of a mess like waffles and pancakes.  After breakfast I went to work and Da Da cut the grass while JH played in his room.  I kept the monitor in and listened to him talking and singing the whole hour.

After Da Da and JH played in the yard we all had lunch.  I went back to work and Da Da and JH hit the yard again.  It was nice to see them playing from my office window.  I could tell Da Da was super excited to get the delivery of our new storage shed today.  He kept walking around the pad, stepping off where a deck and plantings would go.  At about 4:00 PM we expected the shed so I went out and we kicked the ball around the front yard, while Da Da stood at the street like a kid waiting for Santa.  Finally at about 4:15 PM we saw the truck coming!  JH was mesmerized at the process of dropping this giant 10x20 building on a similar sized pad.  It looks great and we're all excited to get the garage empty so we can move on to finishing the basement.

His dinner was pretty rushed since we're getting ready for a visit from Aunt Staci tonight.  In fact, JH gets to stay up an extra 2 hours so she can see him before bed.  We're all looking forward to having her visit.  We need some variety in our day to day lives.  Guests are always a welcome change.

I'm going to wrap-up so I can go get the adults dinner ready and maybe a bottle of wine opened too :-)

Jonathan Day 83

Last night was a rough night.

The bug has hit our house! JH has been struggling with a little cold for a few days now and now Daddy caught it. JH was up every hour on the hour needing fluids or his nose blown and Daddy was up and blowing his nose every few minutes, Needless to say, it was a sleepless night for us all.

I have Daddy quarantined to his office and JH at the other end of the house. I hope that I stay well to take care of these boys!

Breakfast was good...JH had an appetite this morning. We played in his room for a good chunk of the morning and even got in a few readings from the books we received. JH is starting to have the patience to sit more than two minutes these days. I have to admit it's refreshing!

We had lunch and JH gobbled it right up. Both Daddy and I are trying to be a little more creative with meals. Today I made a can of chicken and rice soup. I added sliced carrots and torn pieces of whole wheat bread. It was a hit! We've had problems with Jonathan not liking soup because it was to runny. Problem solved!

This afternoon was a lot of rest and play in the house. Kinda cold and damp out so I thought we should keep our activities indoors for another day or two.

Dinner was a repeat of lunch. He again gobbled it up and was left asking for more. Popsicle for desert. As you will see from the photo attached...JH's new word is delicious.

Bedtime is around the corner. Gotta go and brush JH's teeth and a shot of cold medicine.

Jonathan Day 82

It was Da Da that had to get up when we heard JH yelling "wet" this morning.  Luckily his bedding wasn't wet, just his diaper.  He was in good spirits and we got ready early so we could head in to St Joe to go to the Social Security office.  I had to give them paperwork to show that JH is now under our care.  If we tried to do what we did today in Chicago it would have been an all day affair.   We were in and out in 30 minutes.  I worked while Da Da and JH watched cartoons and played in the house since it was raining here again.

Lunch was easy because when we asked what he wanted he said "mac and cheese with corn". He ate it up and we shuffled him off to bed for a nap.  He never stopped chatter and singing so after about an hour Da Da went in and put on Luna and Molly.  It's a DVD that we got him about a month ago that he wants to watch all day long.  I laid down with him for a few minutes and he kept hugging me and I must have made a sound that he thought was like a puppy.  I was just kind of cooing at how sweet he was being.  After that he kept petting my hair, hugging me, and saying "nice puppy".

After work I was too exhausted to cook so we went out for dinner and JH wasn't on his best behavior.  He kept whining and wanted everything and then didn't when we gave it to him.  Before the food was delivered I handed him a sugar packet to keep him busy and played with it for about 5 minutes until he dropped it and lifted his arms and said "all gone, no more, oh well".  It was very cute.  When we got home and out of the car we walked towards the house and JH looked back as we passed through the garage door and said "goodnight outside".

We put him to bed at about 6:45 PM and Da Da got the first kiss and hug while I was finishing up cleaning the kitchen.  I heard JH saying Daddy so I went in and gave him his kiss and hug.  Before I got up I asked him if he would be a good boy, not fuss, and go to sleep for Daddy and he nodded.

Jonathan Day 81

Today has been a beautiful Fall Day!

We woke up around 6:30 this morning. JH started the morning off by saying "WET". So up we were!

While having a little breakfast JH was commenting on how dark it was outside. As the morning grew it started getting lighter and lighter. As I was getting JH his morning banana I heard "it's smoking"! We had a cool night last night so there was a lot of low lying fog and frost on the ground. It was cute! Every other bite was..."smoke".

After breakfast JH and I took our 4 mile walk into town. The temperature was nice and brisk and the leafs were slowly falling from the trees. As we were walking I asked JH what color is that tree. He looked puzzled and said "GREEN". I said "no it's not green it's red". Then I realized that on our walks we would point things out and say what color is it. I guess all of my conditioning of the green tree stumped him. It was truly a great day for a walk.

We came back and played in the yard for a bit before Daddy called us in for lunch. Daddy was impressed with his new creation of turkey hot dogs, macncheese and a can of creamed corn. We are trying to get more creative with our lunches. As a snack I gave JH a few bites of pumpkin ice cream. He loved it and kept saying..."delicious".

Later in the day JH and I walked out back and played in the yard for a bit. Shortly thereafter Daddy wrapped up his work day and was joining us. It was such a seasonably great day that we drove around admiring the changing of leaves.

Dinner time. We found out that Jonathan really enjoys chicken Boca burgers. Boca burgers are a vegetarian patties. Usually we have a little hesitation with dinner, not tonight!

We've had a hard time teaching JH when it's appropriate to say I'm sorry. A few words that we just couldn't get him to say. As of a few days ago he's starting to say it and this evening he was pushing his shopping cart with Elmo in it. He accidentally tipped the cart and sent Elmo flying. It was a true accident and before we new it JH was saying "I'm sorry Elmo". We immediately gave JH positive reinforcement for his actions towards this accident.

We are wrapping up our night with a few more minutes of play...then off to bed we go.

Jonathan Day 80

As you have probably already figured-out, Da Da and I are taking turns writing the blog.  I work so much closed up in my office during the weekdays that I don't always reflect the day.

A few "good news" things I don't think I've mentioned:

• The motion for the adoption was officially filed 10/6
• JH was added to my insurance and is covered on my plan as of 10/1
• We found a pediatrician in Chicago and have our first appointment next Monday

All through the night we heard JH sniffling and breathing sort of heavy.  At about 1:00 AM we got the call for "blow your nose", Da Da was on duty last night and went in at least 4 times until JH finally got us up at about 6:00 AM.  He was sneezing and coughing most of the morning.  Da Da ran to MI City to get some medication that would ease his symptoms.  They got home just after lunch and Da Da had given JH the dose before they left the parking lot.  JH was very sleepy and mumbly but there wasn't a sniffle or sneeze until just a few minutes ago.  

I thought he would pass out when we put him down for his nap but no luck.  Da Da went out and did some yard-work while I monitored from my office and all I heard was singing and chatter.  I think Bo Bo the Bear must be very tired of those same nap songs and stories :-)  After about an hour I heard Da Da say "I see Daddy put you down for your nap and didn't put pants on you".  Yep, I forgot and since I don't do it all the time I forgot when we don't put pants over his diaper he either shreds it by pulling little pieces off or just takes it off.

He has been so active for a sick boy.  There isn't an item in this living room less than a pound that he hasn't handed to us several times.  "here Da Da" "here Daddy"...

He just walked up and asked very clearly, "what are you doing Daddy" and sat on my crossed leg and said "giddy-up".  Not the easiest thing to focus on writing with an unwelcome passenger :-P  Da Da put on The Backyardigans so I'm hoping that helps.

JH wouldn't eat dinner but after talking to Aunt Jo Jo this morning we're not too worried.  She said we shouldn't force him to eat but make sure he drinks plenty of fluids.  It's hard to believe he's sick since he seems to have more energy than usual.  Maybe it's because we haven't taken him outside or to the park today (based on the advice of Gramma V and Aunt Jo Jo).

If he's not better in a few days it will be a VERY long week.  

Jonathan Day 79 - 1/2

Okay, we just experienced the cutest thing ever!

We were just wrapping up our evening when we heard JH crying...we thought okay, let's do what Grandma V. suggested, let's put JH on the potty.

Half asleep I asked him...do you need to go to the potty? JH said "POTTY"! We walked to the bathroom. JH was veering back and forth, left and right all the way there. He sat on the potty and said potty and he went!

He then got up and said Daddy as he somewhat pointed to Jon and then turned to me as I picked him up to put back to bed. On the way there I got a hug and a sleepy kiss good night.

Awwwww....Jon and I now know what being a father is. This was such a great night for us....our hearts have gone to sleep with the little boy in the other room!

Jonathan Day 79

This morning we woke up to "soaked, soaked, soaked"! So off went the baby monitor and in for the rescue I went.

Not only did we wake up to a wet bed, the humidifier was empty and making a weird noise. We were all half asleep and low lighting when I picked up the tray that the humidifier sits in. "OOOOPS"....the tray was full of water and every step to the kitchen went another splash of water ALL OVER JH's bedroom, a splash in the hallway and a huge splash in the kitchen. As I'm not to thrilled over the mess that was continuously happening before my eyes....all I hear is "wet, wet, wet" all I could say was yes Jonathan "wet"! Of course I started laughing at the end of this stressful moment. JH's pure innocence just made me cave in!

After all of this Daddy made a great homemade breakfast of blueberry pancakes and turkey sausages. We like weekends because daddy goes all out on breakfast.

Then off to Mishawaka we went. Home Depot, The Christmas Tree Store, The Mall, Chinese Buffet and ended our trip with Target. By the end of our shopping day Daddy and Da Da were exhausted. JH truly takes after me....he can shop all day long. If he had his way we would have hit a few more stores. I think he's very stimulated by the store displays and aisles of nonstop merchandise.

When we got home we all went out in the yard and kicked JH's soccer ball around. As Daddy and I walked around the yard looking at some of our completed and our pending projects, JH was content playing on the pad for the new shed. He was playing with the garden hose and pressing the nozzle and the little water that was coming out fascinated him. As a car drove by they honked twice and JH dropped the hose and ran full blast out of the rocks and headed to Daddy and Da Da in tear. Eyes wide open, chubby little legs rubbing together and arms flailing about. "Scared, Scared, Scared" JH cried. In the midst of the run that seemed to be an hour he lost his shoe! Daddy and I laughed so hard at the simply priceless moment.

A few minutes after everything was calmed down, I did a nasty little Da Da trick. JH was back in the rocks playing peacefully. I turned to Daddy and said watch this.... I screamed "BEEP, BEEP" and JH came unglued all over again. The funniest part is that my scream of beep beep was as scary as a real car horn. When all was said and done Daddy and I got hugs and a kiss.

Okay, enough yard. We came in and had dinner and are in the process of getting JH ready for bed. I'm foreseeing a easy transition to bed this evening. Good night!

Jonathan Day 78

4:50 AM we heard JH saying "go potty, go potty" and I jumped.  The best part of that was his diaper was bone dry and he went a ton of #1.  I kept telling him it was the middle of the night and he needed to go back to sleep but since I put him in our bed that only lasted about 5 minutes.  Da Da had a finger poked in to his ear and I got a sneeze on the back of my neck.  We got up and while I made a cup of coffee JH watched Backyardigans.  After about 10 minutes Da Da came out of the bedroom and we had breakfast.  I guess in a house this small Uniqua singing about a Tea Party was too much for Da Da to stay sleeping.

Today was a big day for us because we had a 9:30 AM play date planned!  Rick has a friend, that has a sister, that lives in the area with a 2 year old girl (Madeline) and a 3 year old boy (Micah).  We were so excited that we got ready early and headed to the park with a towel in hand to make sure the equipment wouldn't be too wet.  The last few times we went the slide (JH's favorite) was all wet and we couldn't let him play.

When Lindsay and the kids arrived we knew immediately that it was going to be a great morning.  Lindsay was so sweet and engaging and Micah started interacting with JH right away.  It took Madeline about 15 minutes and before we knew it she was tangling with the boys.  In fact, Rick started calling her a tornado and that fit.  She was not letting two tough boys keep her away.  The picture above is of them all sliding one after another.  We were calling it a Kid Pile and then they started saying "kid pile" when they went down the slide.

Lindsay, Rick, and I all talked for about 1 1/2 hours while the kids played and kept us involved in the occasional "watch me" or us making sure they didn't climb that third rung on the big kid slide.  This was the first time we have had an opportunity to have JH play with kids close to his age.  It went so well and we're looking forward to getting together again this next week.

After the park we stopped at the Post Office and headed home.  Whenever we turn on our street JH says "almost home" and when we pass Linda and Neil's house he ALWAYS says "hi Linda and Neo".  JH really worked up an appetite at the park and ate and adult portion of homemade chicken chili mixed with Mac & Cheese.  We're running out of meal ideas :-)
He actually took a pretty long nap and then we decided to take him for a walk to town to get ice cream.  Both places that normally sell ice-cream didn't have any today.  Good thing he doesn't hold disappointment.  He forgot what we walked to town for in about 2 minutes.

We played in the yard for a few minutes after a ride to visit our friend Michael and his dog Thumper.  Thumper was all over JH and we all thought it was pretty funny when JH would say "get down Thumper"  Not that clearly but I'm not sure I can re-create how he said it.  Dinner, bath, potty, and bed with no issues or crying.

Jonathan Day 77

Today was an early day!

JH was off to an early start this morning which means that Daddy and Da Da were as well. Three cups of coffee and I still wasn't quite where JH's energy level was.

After breakfast, JH and I were able to convince Daddy to join us on a walk into town and grab the mail.  About half of our normal walk. Since it was an early morning Daddy could fit it in before jumping into his work day.

JH joined me in the yard. We had a morning of playing in the yard, a few rounds in his wagon and of course the good ole car. We have about an acre and a half of land and trust me there are very few places that JH doesn't explore.

Had a little lunch and a very short attempt at a nap. Since a nap wasn't going to happen we went out back and winterized the garden. Everything Da Da was doing or did....JH undid! After a discussion with Daddy at lunch about putting a deck onto our new garden shed....JH and I were off to the local landscaping center. So we got 2 new 6' Autumn Blaze Maple trees. They already started turning their fall color of red. All JH could say was "RED,RED,RED,RED....."!

Later in the day the trees arrived and Daddy ended his work day. GREAT TIMING! JH wanted to help me dig the holes and as much as I wouldn't have minded, holes would have never been dug. So Daddy came to the rescue and had JH help him in the garden. They worked very closely to put fresh mulch in the garden beds.

All in all a very early day filled full of outdoor activities. Needless to say, we are all exhausted!

Dinner was effortless, a bath and off to bed JH went. Sweet dreams, our normal double fisted kisses, hugs, I wuv you and good night and before long....silence.

Have a good night all!

Jonathan Day 76

3:00 AM I heard "sock, sock, my sock, oh there's my sock".  6:00 AM I heard singing and chatter.    I believe we'll all be going to bed early tonight.

We all got up very early, had breakfast, and took a three mile walk around town.  I usually don't get to join in since we all sleep so late.  It was a perfect chilly morning and on our way to town we saw two Peacocks in full bloom across the street walking around one of our neighbor's yards.  JH apparently had seen them before and started yelling hello; he only says the last syllable in words so use your imagination at what he was yelling.  Ugh!

After we got back I went to work and JH and Da Da hit the yard for some play.  At lunch time we went to a local burger place for a change.  We usually eat all meals at home unless it's the weekend and we're shopping or in Chicago.  When the hostess sat us he looked up at her (she was about 19 years old) and said "thank you Jo Jo" and then looked at us and laughed.  He totally knew she wasn't his Aunt Jo Jo but was playing with us.  He cracks us up!!

We got home and he immediately fell asleep.  Da Da cut some large tree branches while I continued my workday.  Okay, any of my co-workers should ignore this next part :-).  At 3:00 PM I had my last meeting so I joined them in the yard and was put to work.  JH helped Da Da move the wood pile from the back of the property closer to the house, while I sawed some large fallen trees.  That much physical work kicked all our behinds.  JH finally sat in his wagon and started his chatter.  When I was done I moved him out and laid in his wagon while he tried to pull me.  No luck!  He eventually laid on me for about 10 minutes while we watched airplanes and the clouds move.  He kept turning over and hugging me.  Usually he only wants to be held or hugged when he wants something :-)  This time I think it was actual affection.

Dinner was fast and uneventful.  After we watched two episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba.  He says "yo bugga bugga" and he KNOWS that it's Yo Gabba Gabba but does it so we say, no it's Yo Gabba Gabba.  Bath, potty, and his usual River Dance around the living room.  He does this thing where he dances around on his tip toes so we call it his River Dance.

He was great when we put him to bed but he's in there crying so I'm off to one more round of hugs, kiss, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Jonathan Day 75

Today JH was quite the helper!

We started the morning off by waking up in the right side of the bed. Had a little breakfast and JH helped me finish washing the windows. JH likes cleaning and now says fall cleaning. Every time I went for the Windex...there it was in his hands. I realize he was simply picking everything in sight, but I would like to think he had my back. :)

After washing the remaining windows we said goodbye to Daddy and went for our four mile walk. It's been a few weeks since we hit the streets. It was fun for JH and a workout for Da Da! Every other word was what he saw; tree, BIG truck, school bus, Po Office, etc.

We joined Daddy for a little lunch and then JH was down for his afternoon nap. Okay, not nap, time alone in bed to sing and talk to himself. For some reason he's just not napping lately.

After JH's nap we went outside to do some yard work while Daddy finished his work day. We got on the lawn tractor and mowed the lawn, rolled the new shed pad and cleared some brush. JH constantly says "my turn" or "help Da Da". As I was picking up old bricks there was JH right by my side doing the same only in smaller scale. After trimming some old bushes, JH started snapping the small twigs in half and putting in the wheel barrel.

He has a great work ethic at such a young age. What ever he sees other doing he wants to do as well. If he gets in a pickle he simply stops and says "do it"! Then he does it again and before you know it he does it himself. He's quite the problem solver.

Well as usual the day must come to an end. After Daddy finished his work day he came out and played in the yard with us for a bit. Then we came is and got cleaned up/baths before dinner. Mmm peanut butter, raspberry jelly and sliced bananas on whole wheat! Dinner was a success.

As I type tonight's entry Daddy is in the bathroom trying to get JH ready for bed. I have to say watching the whole procedure and JH's curiosity is priceless. 15 more minutes and off to bed we go!

Jonathan Day 74

It was a really great day.  JH and Da Da went to Mishawaka in the morning to return the size 3T winter coat we bought for him last week.  After we got home we tried it on him and quickly realized it JUST fit.  So since he has gained 4 pounds and grown more than 1 inch since we got him we got a 4T just to be sure.

They had lunch at the mall and Da Da said JH kept taking his shoes off and a few times Da Da had to backtrack to find his shoe(s).  He is so funny in the car, five minutes after we get in we start hearing the Velcro.  We got him some shoes with laces and I started tying them around his ankles since the double knots don't work.  He figures-out  how to get any shoe off his feet.  I'm tempted to start using duct-tape :-P  Now, we tell him if he takes his shoes off we'll go home and not get to go the the park, or store, or to eat.  We have only used it once and it worked.  The thing about JH is what works today usually fails after a week or so.

In the afternoon I was able to step away from work for a bit to play with JH in the yard while Da Da cleared more brush.  We have reclaimed almost 100 ft of weeds and small trees over the last year.  We had no idea that there was a concrete foundation buried under trees and weeds.  Once we found it last year we cleared it for the chicken coop.  Now Da Da is planning a garden shed on the remaining foundation.

Dinner was a breeze and he watched almost 40 minutes of TV laying on me or sitting on my lap.  He was busy playing with the books Gramma K sent him in the mail today.  She found these indestructible books that play music when you push a button.  JH's favorite is The Muffin Man.  We put him to bed early and he didn't make a peep since he didn't nap today.  He was pretty exhausted from pulling the wagon all over the yard.

New things he is doing:
If we ask him to do something and follow it with okay; he usually says "okay daddy"
He said my last name very clearly today
He says "my turn" about 100 times a day
 

Jonathan Day 73

I think I picked-up a nasty "kid" bug while we were all at the Center on Halsted Sunday morning.  I have been sick since the ride back to MI on Sunday afternoon and Da Da has had to take care of JH on his own.  It was a very long day since the last thing I heard on the monitor this morning was "soaking wet".  Yep, when I woke-up an hour later the bed was stripped and Da Da was feeding JH breakfast.  Luckily it was a slow work day, so I had an easy day and I'm hoping for a full recovery by morning.  I slept during their dinner so if there was anything interesting that JH did, Da Da will need to fill in the blanks.

I hope to have more tomorrow and have fingers crossed that Da Da doesn't get this bug!

Jonathan Day 72

Today was a slow day on our end.

After a weekend out and about in Chicago and having Aunt Jo Jo visit, it came to an end.

JH had a restless night last night. So that means I didn't sleep very well either.

We all woke up to JH talking and wishing us all a good morning. It's amazing how great of a mood he can be in when he wakes up on the right side of the bed.

We all enjoyed a cup of coffee in hopes to catch up to the energy of JH. After a little breakfast, Aunt Jo Jo had to go home. We then left for Michigan shortly thereafter.

I think running the city in the rain took it's tole on daddy and da da! Daddy isn't feeling so great and has all of the signs of the flu while I'm feeling sluggish and a slight headache.

It was so nice getting off of our exit. As soon as we hit the ramp, JH says "home"!

I have to say it feels nice to get away but even better to pull up the drive and see the house and all the fall decor.

It was a very low key day other than the ride home. Spent a little time outside, dinner, bath and off to bed JH went.

Jonathan Day 71

I'm a day behind :-(

JH woke-up VERY early and luckily Aunt Jo Jo was there and got him on the potty and gave him breakfast.  After we all got ready we loaded JH in the car and drove down to the Center On Halsted (It's a GLBT based community center about a mile from our house), we would have walked but it was pretty cold yesterday in Chicago.  They had an organized family play time in their children's play room.  Unfortunately, we were the only ones that showed up :-(  We thought it would be nice to see if there were other families like ours in the area.

After he played in a very well equipped play room we all headed to Jewel so Aunt Jo Jo could make us all some treats.  We dropped them off and Da Da and I went to a movie in Evanston.  After a relaxing movie we stopped and had Dim Sum.  It was a perfect day!!  When we got home we all walked to Target to get him out of the house.  It had rained all day so Aunt Jo Jo had to play giddy-up most of the afternoon until she finally got him down for a nap.

We rushed home and met our friend Jeff at the condo so he could meet JH and then we went out for dinner and a few drinks.  Jo expected us to get home late and toasted :-).  We walked in at about 10:00 PM and sat and chatted quietly until we heard JH laughing in the other room at something we said.  It was nice because we got him to potty and then we're able to get our nightly hugs and kisses.

We're so lucky to have family that steps in now and then to allow us to have a night out :-)

Jonathan Day 70

Today has been amazing!  We got up early and got ready to drive into Chicago to spend the weekend.  JH had waffles and a banana, and actually ate the entire breakfast by himself.  We usually help feed him because the carpet in our dining room has an oatmeal/banana film on it.  As soon as I loosen the pursestrings a little Da Da will be laying tile in the dining room :-)

We drove to the city singing songs the entire way.  After each song JH says "again please".  We still are amazed that he identifies the song after only about 3 notes.  He would be a natural on that 1970s game show Name That Tune.

Jo arrived a little after noon and JH, Da Da, and Aunt Jo Jo headed to the petting zoo.  Da Da or Aunt Jo Jo will need to fill in the blanks until they stormed in at about 4:00 PM while I was wrapping-up my work day.  Da Da and I walked down Broadway to Ceasers (Mexican food) and each had a mega Margarita and some chicken tacos.  After we walked to World Market and jumped on a bus home.  Jo was putting JH to bed when we walked in so we got to give him kisses and hugs goodnight.

We're all sitting here enjoying the buzz of LSD (Lake Shore Drove) and a glass of wine.