Busy Life for 4 months!

Indiana was a busy guy today. He talked to my mom, and to one of the flags flying outside her front door. He went across the street and chatted with Becky, and with her older son, Brian Cody. For a twelve year old boy, he had a lot of patience with a strange baby sleeping on him! He smiled at the one week old baby kittens that Becky's mama cat has. He rolled around in the grass. When he got home, he played in his crib by himself for twenty minutes or so, then into his boat, and the into the swing for a nice long nap. Keeping up with him, I think i need a nap, too! I guess perhaps the dishes can wait, and the vacuum can be run this evening. Curling up in the recliner for a bit of a nap is just to tempting to resist.

Thru the garden Gate

OK, so normally I would NEVER post a photo that included myself. But, my mom took this one in her front yard, and I don't look near as bad as I usually do. We spent the morning with my mom, just sort of hanging around. He enjoyed some fresh air and green grass on his toes, as well as pulling up fist-fulls of yummy foliage and trying to stuff it in his mouth!

Big as a bear!

Indiana is really growing, getting to be as big as a bear!! We do not actually know height/weight, but he goes in for more shots on the 30th so we will be able to update you then. For now, he seems to be growing like a weed. At 4 months and 1 week he wears clothes from 6mo-12 mo in size, and has already "almost" grown into his size 3 shoes. Jessica gave him a cute pair of reebok shoes that light up when he steps. For now he mostly wears over-alls. He has a couple pairs of jeans, too. Nice easy mix and match stuff, though. His drawers are bulging with adorable things, thanks to all the friends and family who love him!

Baby Weight

I don't think this baby weight is ever going to come off. I exercise, i really do. I walk a little, and i lug around an almost 20 pound boy a lot. I got one of those "step thingies". I hate it. It stares at me from the closet. I try to keep the door closed, but my husband's socks are in a basket in there, and he cant close doors behind himself. So, when i get up in the morning, there it is... The "stepercizer" smirking at me. If it could talk i know it would make rude comments about my butt!

Forced Relocation

Forced Re-Locatoin is a reality. No, not in Gaza, in our home! At least Indiana doesn't seem to mind that he is still stuck sleeping in his play pen in the living room. The cooler weather should be coming next month. When it does, the air conditioner will go into his closet and he will go back into his crib in his room. For now his baby monitor is on an extension cord, and his favorite sleeping music is on the computer. (I can tell that his monitor is working, and that I'm on the right channel because i get to hear the music in our bedroom thru it!)

Credit where it is due!

Since i don't have a picture of Indiana ACTUALLY happy (well that's an exaggeration but ...) This doodle will suffice. Actually this post is a quick note to give credit to the great folks at www.hotavatars.com and at www.gifanimations.com for offering free doodles and pictures. I take full advantage of their stuff, and feel confident in fully recommending them as a great source of buttons, avatars, doodles, add-ons, and other fun things! If you know of other great SAFE sites for fun free animations, let me know!

Lazy Sunday

Today Chris finally got a day off! Hooray!! Indiana sure did miss his daddy. Now i KNOW the experts say that infants have no idea of object permanence and out of site equals out of mind, but i disagree. Indiana KNEW his daddy hadn't been home much, and today he clung to his dad. It was sweet, really. They grinned at one another, cuddled and babbled back and forth. You might notice that i didn't take any new cute pictures (for those of you keeping track, this was taken last week when i went walking with my mom). I tried telling Chris and Indy not to be cute because i loaned the camera to Kathryn, but they wouldn't listen, and now i can't prove it. David dropped by unexpectedly for a visit. We love visitors, especially when the house is clean. Indy was a doll and grinned at David, talking and squealing at the attention. He still loves everyone who pays attention to him.

Confessions of a Worrier

I admit it. I am moody. I am a worrier. I am a good wife and mother, that is WHY i am a moody worrier. Well, that is my excuse.

I worry about the silliest things. I worry about whether my floors will still be clean "enough" next week when Papa Harley arrives. (Papa Harley is better known as Jerry, Chris's dad). You see, i shampooed the carpets last week. Chris, who still believes in the housework fairy, says his father wont judge my wifeliness on the state of our carpets. I am not so sure.

Chris tends to get ink from the presses on his shoes, and then trod upon the carpet when he gets home. He Often mentions how "neat" the UV ink his company uses is. How it has to go thru a special UV light to dry. He aint lying! When he steps in it at work, it stays wet and tracks all over our carpet when he gets home. Woolite double barrel carpet cleaner can be a woman's best friend.

I worry that I am becoming an old woman. Never before did I sound like an advertisement for household cleaning products. But then, never before did i need them this much, or use them this often. Maybe it's the fumes.

See, something else to worry about!

A Starr is not always a Ringo!

I play the beatles a lot, and i frequently cruise by Ringo Starr's home page. Spongebob is often found on our TV screen, and i frequently purchase Patrick Starr toys. Indiana seems to favor Patrick over Ringo.

No accounting for taste... Well, he seems to think Patrick tastes good. There is so much drool on my Patrick that I'm going to have to buy a new one!

Fantasy

I keep having this recurring fantasy. I know many of you stay at home moms (yeah that's PC for housewife) have had this fantasy. You know the one I mean... It's the one where i dream my husband comes home from work in a good mood, wants to go OUT to dinner, already has a baby-sitter lined up, and doesn't leave his smelly work socks on the bathroom floor when he is done showering. Its the one where he realizes there isn't a housework fairy and that i really do stuff when he is at work that doesn't involve blogging!

SPIDER!

Ok, so night before last, on the ceiling above Indy and I was the most hideous big evil spider ever. Of course, being the big tough mommie that i am i yelled for Dear Husband! "Hunnie," I shout "have you seen the fly swatter?" Now the fly swatter is off limits to me, seeing how Dear Husband likes to be the great white hunter in the family. So, he comes staggering out of the bedroom (yes i woke him up) "where's the beastie" he mumbles. I point to the huge hairy monster on the ceiling, and he pales. He really really really DOES NOT like spiders. Anyway, he swats this thing like he is Obi Wan, or Quan Jin, or whoever and the spider drops (dead presumably) behind my desk. He twirls his little plastic weapon and smiles as he stumbles back to bed. About ten minutes later, out from behind the desk crawls the BIG BAD spider. I didn't have the heart to tell him, so i just stepped on it. Sometimes, i can be a good wife.

Update on Zach

Zachary is up to seven pounds eleven ounces!

He was 7 lbs 3 oz at birth.

He is two weeks old and thriving!

Again, Gratz Jessica

We love you!

{another day or two and Zach will be as big as

Dakota (7-13) and Indy(7-14) were when they were born}

Alterations

I dont get much time to myself anymore, so i just decided to TAKE some. OK, i admit it. Dear Husband and Dear Son #2 are both asleep. So, I am taking this time to re-touch some of the photos from the last few weeks that were still sitting on the camera card. With a 64mb card, being down to only 30 pictures left, it was time to clean it off. "THEY" say that 4 month olds sleep about 12 hours per day. (i looked it up) What "THEY" fail to mention is that some little guys (like Indy) sleep those twelve hours in 20 minute increments, giving me just enough time to do half of the dishes before he is up and wants more attention. Sometimes, he can find his thumb and just sleep for hours. The last two nights he has actually slept thru the night, so i suppose i cant complain, although i still do. As for Dakota, i surfed on over to his blog and it appears he is all ready for another year of school. It is kind of neat to me that exactly twenty years after me he is attending the same junior high that i did. Scarily enough, some of the teachers that i had are still there. I hope noone notices the resemblence, or he might find himself serving some detention time that i had left over from all those years ago (hehe)! Oh, and the anime is somebody Dakota likes, who's name i cant spell or pronounce. Nor do i know what he/she is from. But, i found the pic and thought i would post it for him.

Trapped Tink

I am starting to feel like I'm stuck in a rut. Like a Tink in a keyhole!

I LOVE being an at home mom, don't get me wrong. Sometimes, though, it seems like the housework never ends and the baby never stops crying. I guess I am only feeling like this because Chris has been working 12-14 hours a day this week. He comes home tired, dirty, and hungry. All he wants is a bath, dinner, and a pillow. I don't blame him! He says he misses us. However, what it means for me is that the time i normally get a bath, and a break to maybe walk to the mailbox alone is history. I suppose Indiana will grow out of this stage soon, and Chris will get some time off soon. I hope i survive it!

My Handsome Husband

Chris sure is nice to look at!

Mom and dad's room

Just because Indiana has his own room and his own play pen, doesn't mean he doesn't prefer hanging out on our bed! He likes to be propped up on the pillows and watch the television from the comfort of the middle of the bed. Occasionally he will sleep there, too. Usually we TRY to have him sleep on his own, but there are times when we fall asleep after our early morning feeding, and he just gets to stay where he drops. Sometimes that means in his swing, or on my lap in the recliner. More often it means in the middle of the bed with his feet on his dad.

Carrots

Chris got home late from work (11pm!), so instead of sitting on his dads lap for his spoon feeding practice, he sat in his stroller (we haven't gotten his high chair yet). He had some carrots. I forgot to put a bib on him. As soon as i realized it i had to wash his shirt in the sink so it wouldn't stain!

He really is a good eater. He enjoys every food we give him. I think he will probably be easy to wean from the bottle when the time comes, because usually after eating out of the spoon (no matter how small the amount) he doesn't want to take his bottle back.
Currently his diet includes carrots, sweat potatoes, peaches, pears, bananas, applesauce and rice cereal baby foods. He also enjoys "otter pops", fudge-bars, dill pickles, and watermelon.

New Look

We decided to "freshen up" things around the blog today.

We got a new look, and some new features.

Be sure to Check out the new additions to the sidebar.

As always, let us know if we missed something!

New Comfy

Indiana got a new feather comforter. The one he was using was WAY WAY to big (king size) and we had to fold it and be creative in how it hung over his play pen. This one is twin size, so i just fold it in half and it fits great. He loves the soft, sinking in cofort that surrounds him. It really makes him sleep better. When fall arrives and he goes back into his own bedroom with his crib, this new comforter should fit well in there, too. He spends a small amount of time every day laying in his crib and sort of playing around, so that he doesnt feel disconnected with it. I want him comfortable in it, so that when he moves back to sleeping in it, he will be able to transition smoothly. I think the comforter will help there, too. He will be able to take the familiar comforter with him from playpen to crib.

Splash!

Sometimes you are the penguin on the left. Sometimes you are the penguin on the right.



It seems like after almost 13 years with one, and almost 4 months with the other that i would get the hang of this mom thing one of these days. I still don't know what some of Indiana's screams mean, and i surely don't know how to communicate effectively with Dakota. The only thing i really know is that i love both of them, and i cant imagine living without them.



Dakota has grown into such an incredible young man. How do i tell him how proud i am of him without patronizing or embarrassing him? He is such a great young man. i am proud he is my son, and glad that i know him. Indiana is a little screamer. I love him, i get no sleep, i give him all that i can and more. i never really thought that i would have another baby. Indiana is lucky. Dakota broke me in pretty well, and he is a good big brother. He will be a good example for Indy as he grows. 12 and a half years is a big difference, but i think my boys can overcome it, and i hope one day they will love one another as much as i love them.

Relaxin'

Relaxing in the swing is nice for mommies nerves!

Crying loudly and passionately for 45 minutes at a time is brutal on my mommie!!

But, i love to sit in my swing and chew on my fists.

All Smiles!

Indiana enjoys his saucer so much. Especially when daddy is home and watching.

Jessica came by with friend Anna and baby Zachary. She brought some clothes for Indiana and some other things for Aleah. Aleah is a cousin (shirt tail sort of cousin) to Indiana. Indiana's aunt Tami (my sister) is cousins with Aleah's grandma. So, go figure the relationship there. At any rate i am hoping to introduce the children soon, so that Indiana will have another little friend! It is never to early to get a good friend base that will last his whole life.

Truffle Shuffle

We are having a

goonies kind of day!

Go Ducks!

Indiana's duck gear finally fits well.

His dad wants to buy him that horrible orange and black OSU beaver junk, But he looks so GOOD IN GREEN!!

Letting off steam....

So, today my son came home from his grandma donkeys house smelling like a cigarette. I have talked until i am blue in the face about this with her. I don't know what to do. Suggestions that do not include capital punishment are welcome (since i have already thought of capital punishment). Here's the deal: My mother in law is a smoker. My 4 month old son wheezes and has trouble breathing if she smokes around him, or holds him when she smells of the stuff. When my wonderful husband was visiting her today she must have held him tight because i had to give him a bath when he got home to get the "ode de la cigarette" out of his hair, and had to seperate his clothes so the scent didnt invade his bedroom. HELP!! im at my wits end.
And she doeesn't seem to notice the problem, even after a million (ok thats an exageration) attempts to get her to realize that Although i dont care what she does to herself, NOONE is endangering my sons well being if i can help it. Do i just not let her see him anymore? Is that fair to my son? I am going crazy about this.

Hammering!

Today was much better! Not as busy. Indiana had a great day yesterday, so he has been in a great mood all day. Chris and Indiana and I went and picked blackberrys for about an hour, then took the berries to my moms so she could make me PIE!! I love pie. When we got home, Indiana played with his hammer, and his frog in his crib. As I write this he is sleeping peacefully in his swing (knock on wood). Nice relaxing Saturday. Only two weeks more until Papa Harley comes to visit!

Busy Day

Yesterday we had such a busy day that I didn't have time to post anything new...


Indiana borrowed Jengibre's stroller, and we all (my mom, me, Indiana and Jengibre) went on a little over 2 mile walk. Mom usually walks about 5 miles per day but she took pity on me, and we only went down to the new housing development and back. Indiana liked the ride (he slept most of the way) and Jengibre, although a little put out at having to hitch a ride in the bottom basket of her own stroller, seemed to not mind the long walk. Jengibre has lost a lot of weight, and is looking really good! When we got back from the walk we went across the street. Becky and her boys and the day care kids played with Indiana. Later in the day Becky took him to her house and he napped with her so I could have a break! He enjoyed his nap, and woke up a fairly happy baby! Just before his daddy arrived to pick us up after work, he settled in again for a nap, this time with his favorite frog. My mom reinforced a few of the seams that were coming apart. So, thankfully Indiana's favorite frog is as good as new again. All in all it was a nice day for me. Between my mom and Becky, Indiana was entertained pretty well most of the day. He can be a handful sometimes. But he is worth it!

Finger Paint Party

We had a BALL!! Kathryn and I fingerpainted, and Indiana rolled around in the paint (then got a quick bath). We cut out sponges for shapes, and used several different colors of paint on bookstock paper that Chris brought home from work. We took off the door handle, measured, cut and taped the paper... Then when all done, we used a multitude of multi-colored push pins to anchor it to the door. Cut out the door knob hole, and reinstalled the doorknob. The result is a mess of riotous colors and fun for Indiana's bedroom door. Welcome to the Temple of Doom!

A Visitor!

Aunt Kathryn came by and spent time with Indy. He shared his lunch with her, post eating. Then he sat on her lap and soiled his diaper! He loves his aunt. Hehe! Actually he enjoyed her visit and kicked and cooed at her thru most of the visit.

Boba Fett

Indiana has discovered his daddy's toy collection! He also discovered that Boba Fett tastes good!! Indiana is finally getting interested in toys of all shapes and sizes. Most of them get scooped right into his mouth, but a few get searched over with his hands and discarded. Boba Fett had to be PRIED out of his hot little hands!

standing around

Indiana is getting really good at standing
with just hand holds for help.
He takes little steps back and forth between
his dad and I across the bed, or across the floor
as long as one of us holds his hands.
He is still scooting, and is working on crawling, as well.

Off Topic!

Tomorrow night, Aug 10th at 10pm Oregon Public Broadcasting will be showing a program about the one and only time the beatles visited Oregon.


This is my favorite band, ever. When I was pregnant with Indiana I would put the headphones on my belly and play the album "Beatles One". In the delivery room, we used that music to relax me. I urge everyone to check out the show. It was created by a man from Salem, who used memorabilia and interviewed people who attended the concert. I have heard that there wont be any actual Beatles music due to the price of royalties.

John Deere

My mom bought Indiana his own Garden Tractor! She plans on having a BIG helper in the yard in just a few more years. The tractor is pedal powered with controls to raise and lower the bucket, as well as dump it! For now he likes sitting on it in the sunshine.

Background Music

I figured out how to get background music check out my site its the link that says "duck-ota sprints"

Rash, Sigh.

Went to the doc today. McQuilan saw him at 8pm. (clinic hours) 16 1/4 lbs !! Indiana has developed a yeast infection under his arms! So we picked up some lotrimin, and he gets two applications of it per day for a week. The doc thinks that it was caused by sweat from the heat of going out of the air conditioning apartment into the horrid heat wave we have been having. Thankfully it isn't uncomfortable, just looks bad. It seems to be spreading to his left cheek, so no pica today. When he feels better we will get more up!

Exercise

We have to get our exercise! Indiana is learning to love his jumper. He likes to stand up in it and spin himself slowly in circles, looking all around. He hasn't really got the hang of "jumping" yet. hehe. Today was a nice day. We did a lot. My mom came by, and we all went to Staples. Later, Chris's mom came for dinner (corn meal battered cat fish!!). She had spent the day helping Gary clean his house and re-arrange his furniture. He wouldn't stay for dinner... Which was okay, more catfish for me. Jessica called to tell us all was well with her new little one. Indiana just did Indiana stuff. He played with his dad a lot, and in his saucer, as well as his jumper. He watched me do my house work, and tried to help his dad make dinner. He is getting so vocal, talking all the time. We made the appointment (last Friday) for his next round of shots at the end of the month. I am looking forward to the doctor giving us an accurate weigh in. He seems to be growing by the ton everyday!

Indiana & Zachary

Indiana got play time with his new best friend today.

Jessica will be taking Zachary home from the hospital tonight.

Welcoming a new baby!

Now, that we have had overnight to rest and think about it: It is great to see Gary so proud again. I know how hard it was for him to lose Hannah. Although Zachary will never replace his lost granddaughter, a new grandson goes a long way to helping the wounds heal. Indiana, although a little jealous at the hospital that his favorite girl couldn't hold him (she was busy with her own) did seem intrigued that her tummy wasn't way out front! He talked to the new baby. And drooled at it, in his own fashion. I know that although she is young, Jessica is going to be a great mom. I am so proud of you, Jessica. Welcome to the world Zach!

Happy Birth Zachary!

Welcome to the world Zachary David Douglas Stephens! Our girl, Jessica Marie Stephens welcomed her first son into the world at 7:12 pm on Aug 5th 2005. He's a beautiful dark haired dark eyed angel. Seven pounds - three ounces, ninetenn and a half inches of humanity! Jessica did great and both are in wonderful health. We are so proud of you, Jess! Congratulations, honey. Thank you for letting me be a part of your experience. I am humbled.

Going to Town

Indiana all dressed up and ready to go to Town! We are heading over to Wal-Mart in Lebanon. They just opened a super wal-mart there. It is time to buy more diapers and wipes and although costco is cheaper for diapers, they don't have the wipes we use.
All of his cover-alls fit now. They are 12 month size, but so is he! He will be four months in 10 more days. He is around 17 pounds now. But we don't have an exact weight. I think I'm going to make Chris stand on the scale with him at my moms since she has digital.

Gary Visits

Indiana LOVES company especially when it is someone who pays him this much attention.

Gary and Indiana coo at each other and entertain each other. Makes my life easier, because they distract one another while I cook lunch, or straighten up the house!!

Blog Explosion

I joined Blog explosion. its a fun site. if you blog, i recommend it. (there is a button on the side bar). You can join in blog battles (where you put your blog against someone elses) or just surf other peoples blogs. other people can visit yours too! So, i lost my first and only battle, but thats ok. I will keep blogging about Indiana for those of us who care!!

"Uncle Nimh" and Big Brother

"Uncle Nihm" and big brother showed up today!

Jimmie and Dakota came by and hung out for a while.

Indiana loves his big brother.

He also seems to love Jim, spending a good ten minutes talking smiling and drooling at him.

I don't think Indiana will ever be able to drool as much as Dakota,

but he is sure is trying.

It was fun to have four handsome guys in the house!!

Again with the template.

We had template problems again. I changed it again to repair the problem. Once again, I hope you enjoy the new look. If I lost a link, or you have a good idea for one to add, feel free to comment on this topic, or any other. And, again, don't forget to sign the guest book. Thanks for your patience!

Getting ready for bed

Sometimes it is easier to get him to sleep for the night than others. Sometimes he drifts off peacefully, other times, like tonight he HOWLS until you just cant take it!

Off Topic, patriotism.

I know that the patriotic theme is off the Indiana topic, but Chris and I have several friends serving in the military, and we wanted them to know they have our love and support. We love you guys. Thank you. (Take a look at the link here... I lifted it from mom's site, it is worth reading thru.)

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/THISWILLMAKEYOUPROUD.HTML