I just read my last entry about trying to get Jaxson to eat table food and had to write something really quick ... but it will definitely be quick because I have to get up at 5 a.m. and I'm exhausted.
Jaxson is on table food just fine now. He's still a picky eater, but nothing like he was in the beginning. He's completely off of baby food and has been for months now. He's completely off of formula and the bottle (as children should be at this age) ... but he still takes a pacifier, especially when he sleeps. Actually, it's been more frequent than that lately because he's teething and, if he doesn't have a pacifier to chew on, he's chewing on his fingers, which become raw ... and blah, blah. lol.
My newest issue (although it's been an issue for two months now) is Jaxson's expressive communication. Namely, his speaking. He's so smart. He knows exactly what I'm saying to him, follows directions very well, and does what I ask him to without much difficulty. Buuuuut ... we cannot get him to speak! I can't say I've tried everything because, honestly, I don't know what everything is! It's starting to worry me the older he gets. He'll be 17-months-old in three days and he still doesn't have any "real" words! He has his "mamamamamama" when he wants me (although it's not consistant) and he has his "mymymymymymy" when his cup is empty, or when he see's it on the counter and he wants it. I've ordered a few books and DVD's to try and help me get him speaking, but it's starting to bother me. I would really like to get this little issue under control and soon that I can concentrate on something else in his development. Okay ... I just had to get that off of my chest.
I told you this would be short, but at least I wrote something! XOXO all!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Oh, what a day ... and its only just begun!
11:00 on a Thursday morning and already I am wishing it was bedtime -- don't ya just hate days like that?
This morning, my darling boy and I got up early (too early for my taste, but Jaxson dictates - lol) ... got Daddy's lunch packed and sent him off to work ... then went to the grocery story in order to get it out of the way before everyone else decided to do their shopping. But the strangest thing happened: the moment I walked in the door, it was as if my mind evaporated and I had no idea what in the world to buy!! So I stuck closely to the 10 or 20 items on my list and got outta there. Lately, I've been suffering from the "bored as h*ll with my life" syndrome. I believe we all go through seasons; seasons where our lives are everything we could ever want them to be, and seasons when our lives just suck. My son has absolutely nothing to do with my mood these days ... in fact, he's one of the only things that gives me reason to smile. And the changes that he is going through - that rapid transition from an infant to a toddler - amaze me more and more every day and give me such joy.
You see, I'm not a perfect Mother - nor do I pretend to be. I get impatient when Jaxson is screaming at the top of his lungs for something as simple as my wanting him to sit in his highchair long enough to eat one jar of babyfood ... I tend to raise my voice when he is misbehaving - not terribly loud, just loud enough to get his attention ... and yes, I spank my son when he's really getting out of hand or refuses to listen. Given, he is only one-year-old, therefore it's not a bend-you-over-my-knee sort of spanking -- just enough of a swat to get his attention and let him know that I'm serious.
When I look back on my childhood, there are many things that my Mother and my Grandparents (they shared the very large burden of raising this girl) didn't do that I believe are very important in shaping and molding this young person into a responsible, respectful, and productive member of society. And more and more lately, the older my son gets and the more independent he becomes, I find myself critiquing every little thing with thoughts like, "am I doing this right?" "should I have done that differently?" "was I too stern/not stern enough?" But in the midst of all this overthinking, a quote comes to mind that I've heard several times: "we're not perfect; we're parents!" Amen to that.
So, the current issue/topic with Jaxson these days is this: getting him to eat table food. He'll eat any jar of Gerber 3rd foods you want to feed him, but give him a Gerber Graduates meal for toddlers - anything with texture that he has to touch with his hands - and he is not having it. I know it's one of those things that takes time ... I have to remind myself that, at one point, he wouldn't drink out of a sippy cup, he wouldn't sleep in his crib, nor would he eat babyfood period. It's just one of those things that, as parents, causes us to worry ... I just have remember that he's not missing out on anything, nor is something wrong with him, because he's not quite ready to eat "big boy" food; he'll be ready some day.
Next, the current issue/topic with Mommy is my abs. They have been giving me a lot of concern lately! lol ... who else knows what I'm talking about?! My pregnancy was hard on my body, thanks in no small part to the 60 lbs I gained (eeek!). So, I've been doing a lot of research on how to get my abs back to where I want them. I've read everything from crazy diets, lifestyle changes, specific workouts/workout methods, skin brushing (who knew?), and tummy tucks (outta the question!). So, needless to say, I've settled on working specifically on my transverse abdominal muscles, which they say act as a gurdle for us ladies ... they are the deep abdominal muscles that lie below that six pack we all want. I'm going to document my journey to the perfect stomach once I get more of a plan laid out.
Well, I have to say I feel better ... I love blogging. It is SO therapeutic, even if I am the only one who's reading it.
Happy Thursday!
..xoxo..
This morning, my darling boy and I got up early (too early for my taste, but Jaxson dictates - lol) ... got Daddy's lunch packed and sent him off to work ... then went to the grocery story in order to get it out of the way before everyone else decided to do their shopping. But the strangest thing happened: the moment I walked in the door, it was as if my mind evaporated and I had no idea what in the world to buy!! So I stuck closely to the 10 or 20 items on my list and got outta there. Lately, I've been suffering from the "bored as h*ll with my life" syndrome. I believe we all go through seasons; seasons where our lives are everything we could ever want them to be, and seasons when our lives just suck. My son has absolutely nothing to do with my mood these days ... in fact, he's one of the only things that gives me reason to smile. And the changes that he is going through - that rapid transition from an infant to a toddler - amaze me more and more every day and give me such joy.
You see, I'm not a perfect Mother - nor do I pretend to be. I get impatient when Jaxson is screaming at the top of his lungs for something as simple as my wanting him to sit in his highchair long enough to eat one jar of babyfood ... I tend to raise my voice when he is misbehaving - not terribly loud, just loud enough to get his attention ... and yes, I spank my son when he's really getting out of hand or refuses to listen. Given, he is only one-year-old, therefore it's not a bend-you-over-my-knee sort of spanking -- just enough of a swat to get his attention and let him know that I'm serious.
When I look back on my childhood, there are many things that my Mother and my Grandparents (they shared the very large burden of raising this girl) didn't do that I believe are very important in shaping and molding this young person into a responsible, respectful, and productive member of society. And more and more lately, the older my son gets and the more independent he becomes, I find myself critiquing every little thing with thoughts like, "am I doing this right?" "should I have done that differently?" "was I too stern/not stern enough?" But in the midst of all this overthinking, a quote comes to mind that I've heard several times: "we're not perfect; we're parents!" Amen to that.
So, the current issue/topic with Jaxson these days is this: getting him to eat table food. He'll eat any jar of Gerber 3rd foods you want to feed him, but give him a Gerber Graduates meal for toddlers - anything with texture that he has to touch with his hands - and he is not having it. I know it's one of those things that takes time ... I have to remind myself that, at one point, he wouldn't drink out of a sippy cup, he wouldn't sleep in his crib, nor would he eat babyfood period. It's just one of those things that, as parents, causes us to worry ... I just have remember that he's not missing out on anything, nor is something wrong with him, because he's not quite ready to eat "big boy" food; he'll be ready some day.
Next, the current issue/topic with Mommy is my abs. They have been giving me a lot of concern lately! lol ... who else knows what I'm talking about?! My pregnancy was hard on my body, thanks in no small part to the 60 lbs I gained (eeek!). So, I've been doing a lot of research on how to get my abs back to where I want them. I've read everything from crazy diets, lifestyle changes, specific workouts/workout methods, skin brushing (who knew?), and tummy tucks (outta the question!). So, needless to say, I've settled on working specifically on my transverse abdominal muscles, which they say act as a gurdle for us ladies ... they are the deep abdominal muscles that lie below that six pack we all want. I'm going to document my journey to the perfect stomach once I get more of a plan laid out.
Well, I have to say I feel better ... I love blogging. It is SO therapeutic, even if I am the only one who's reading it.
Happy Thursday!
..xoxo..
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Inaugural Post
As I sit here contemplating exactly how to start this first blog, I am listening to and watching my amazing child squat in the floor by his Daddy's favorite chair ... taking a poop. Why can I reveal such intimate (and gross) details here? Because we are all Mothers! Pooping is a prominent part of our daily lives. Holla if ya hear me!!!!! ;) Well, I'll give him a minute before I clean that up, LOL.
First things first. If you don't know me, my name is Ashton West. I turned 24 on July 26th ... I am one credit hour away from being a Senior at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with intentions of graduating as a Certified Elementary School Teacher on or before December 2011. I am currently unemployed while I finish my degree and stay home with my perfect and wonderful son Jaxson, who turned one-year-old on July 15th. I have had the joy, pleasure, and privledge of staying home with him (short of attending classes for a few hours a week) since he was born. [PAUSE ... that stinker is starting to stink up the whole living room ... ]
Aaaaaand, five minutes later, we're clean again. So, as I was saying ... I stay-at-home with Jaxson instead of working thanks in NO small part to my wonderful Husband Robert. We have been married for two years this past June. We have definitely had more than our fair share of ups-and-downs during the past nine years of our on-again-off-again relationship, but I can honestly say that I love him more now than I did as a love-struck 15-year-old high school sophomore ... something many people are never lucky enough to experience.
Well, it looks like this first blog is going to be much shorter than I had originally planned -- Jaxson is going through that phase where he wants Mommy's undivided attention 23 1/2 hours out of a 24 hour day ... it's very flattering and kind of amusing when he's pushing me around the kitchen just so I'll pick him up, or when he starts whining the moment I walk away from him or head in the opposite direction ... oh, the life of Mother.
More later!
..xoxo..
First things first. If you don't know me, my name is Ashton West. I turned 24 on July 26th ... I am one credit hour away from being a Senior at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with intentions of graduating as a Certified Elementary School Teacher on or before December 2011. I am currently unemployed while I finish my degree and stay home with my perfect and wonderful son Jaxson, who turned one-year-old on July 15th. I have had the joy, pleasure, and privledge of staying home with him (short of attending classes for a few hours a week) since he was born. [PAUSE ... that stinker is starting to stink up the whole living room ... ]
Aaaaaand, five minutes later, we're clean again. So, as I was saying ... I stay-at-home with Jaxson instead of working thanks in NO small part to my wonderful Husband Robert. We have been married for two years this past June. We have definitely had more than our fair share of ups-and-downs during the past nine years of our on-again-off-again relationship, but I can honestly say that I love him more now than I did as a love-struck 15-year-old high school sophomore ... something many people are never lucky enough to experience.
Well, it looks like this first blog is going to be much shorter than I had originally planned -- Jaxson is going through that phase where he wants Mommy's undivided attention 23 1/2 hours out of a 24 hour day ... it's very flattering and kind of amusing when he's pushing me around the kitchen just so I'll pick him up, or when he starts whining the moment I walk away from him or head in the opposite direction ... oh, the life of Mother.
More later!
..xoxo..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)