JoJo attended Grandpa's 65th birthday on Saturday. She also got to meet her Great-Aunt Pauline, who came all the way from New York for the party.

JoJo is a very confident walker, but she has also become more clingy lately, and she will not walk in a place with too many strangers or in a new place. At church, she refuses to be put down in the nursery, although this week she did allow it for a few seconds, until another toddler started to cry; then she was back in the arms for the rest of service. She also loves to tilt her head very far (see pic below) when someone is talking to her. At home, she'll put her head down on the ground and look backwards between her legs.

The best way to get a giggle out of her lately is to plop down on a bed or blanket - it's a game she learned down in California. Lately, it's the only way I can get a big laugh out of her.

She has been sleeping most of the night, although if she starts out in her crib, I will have to get her half-way through the night. I never thought I'd consider an uninterrupted night of sleep a luxury, but I do enjoy them when they happen.


Grandma surprised Grandpa with a big party.



JoJo grabbed a 4-square piece of my dark chocolate bar. This is the result!


With Great-Aunt Pauline. Notice the sideways head. I don't know where she learned that from.

Now that I'm back to work, JoJo spends most of her time with Sheryl. Jeanie has re-opened the daycare for the fall, but we're not using her yet.

JoJo spent another Tuesday will the cousins at Chuck E. Cheese, and this time she was willing to play on the toddler games, AND this time, the camera worked! Looks like she'll be going back to grandma's tomorrow for a few hours as well.

She did visit me at work this morning. After playing shy-girl for the first 45 minutes or so, she relaxed and walked around with daddy's pens, pulled books off the shelves, and even "talked" to some of the teachers that were walking around. Of course, I got nothing done work-wise, but it was a fun time nonetheless.

Another week has gone by... and we officially have a Walker! She has gotten more confident and more bold. She opened the cereal drawer tonight, grabbed a box (thankfully it was closed well), and walked up and down the halls shaking it proudly. It's the first time she has walked away from us - usually she only walks to get to a person. Her favorite toy is now the salad spinner, which she takes apart and pushes all over the kitchen floor. That and the fridge magnets almost allow me to make breakfast without interruption.

Other events this last week -

Thursday I took JoJo to the zoo for the first time. She nearly screamed when an otter approached her from the other side of the glass. After a while she got used to it, and at each display she wanted to kiss the glass. She liked the petting zoo, touching the sheep and goats, but she wasn't too impressed with the bears - I think they were too far away for her to care. The sea lions were fun because they kept coming up to the glass to show off, so she could anticipate them. The floor of the sea lion area was also wet, so her pants were soaked - something I noticed only after I had picked her up again!

She went with Grandma and I to see Jeanie, her daycare provider, on Friday then spent the rest of the day at Grandma's house.

On Sunday she was "promoted" from the infants room at church to the Walkers room! She still insisted on being carried by someone the entire time she was there, but I think she will stay in that room.

The pictures below are from an impromptu trip to Mt. St. Helens on Monday. We walked the trail at Silver Lake and Seaquest State Park.

Today she went to Chuck E. Cheeses and McDonalds with her nephews, grandma, and me. She did not want to sit on the kiddie toys. Instead, she ran between grandma and me, laughing and clinging to our hands and/or legs.

Today we went to the Salmon Creek trail and to the Ridgefield Preserve. At Ridgefield we saw some herons and some rabbits. JoJo is so observant - we'd stop on the trail and I'd say, "listen to the birds" (without pointing), and she'd immediately turn and point to the trees where the singing was coming from. After she grew tired of walking (the trail was too rough for the stroller), she sat down on the trail and started playing with clumps of grass, just pulling on them and laughing out loud. She also seems to know where blackberries come from because every time we passed a patch of blackberry bushes, she'd ask for some ("num, num"). I can tell she is full of berries when she starts playing with them, but then of course it's too late and her hands and clothes get all purple. Then she wants me to pick her up, so my shirt gets purple stains, too.

She also took a ride on my shoulders and seemed to like it. She leans down so she can see my face, then climbs back up.

Since I have only one week before I have to go back to work, I'm trying to spend as much time with her outside of the house as possible. It also frees Dr. Mom up to study for her exciting tests next week.

Here's another pic from the vacation. This is JoJo's cousin Kareena from North Carolina.

She's been a little cranky and clingy the last few days. I thought it was a separation anxiety or something like that. She wouldn't let me put her down and sit even two feet without crying, crawling over and clinging.

Last night we gave her some baby Tylenol, guessing that maybe her upper teeth were bothering her, as the 2nd one up there is just coming in. Within an hour, she was her old happy self again.

So was it missing Daddy, or was it her teeth? I'll let you decide; I know what I want to believe...

Below are pictures, as promised, from her California vacation, courtesy of Dr. Mom and one from Grandpa Dale. Enjoy!


She really can hold her own bottle, but she probably figures, "why?"


She's working on her poker face (and on learning how to shuffle)

JoJo returned today from California! She spent a week at Grandma and Grandpa Geldreich's house, with her aunts and cousins from mom's side of the family.

It's the first time since Christmas I've been away from her for a week, so she looked a little different when I saw her. Her hair had grown, so there's no more cute bald girl pictures! She has a tooth that's almost completely in on top and a second one that's starting to show.

When I picked her, mom, and Cedar up at the airport, she wouldn't stop turning around in her seat looking at and talking to me. I couldn't wait to get her home and hug her.

The number one question I was asked while she was gone was whether she'd be walking when she returned. Turns out she still prefers holding both hands, although if she has a toy she will walk with one. She can, and has, walked on her own. I tried making her walk with one hand today, and she cried, even after I took her second one. Then I had to ask myself, "why am I pushing her?" So I figured she'll walk on her own when she feels like it. That's fine with me because it gives me more time to babyproof the cabinets.

We took our usual walk to Gaiser Park, played on the swings and slide, and as is becoming the habit, she fell asleep just before we got home, so daddy had some reading time out on the porch while she slept in the stroller. It's amazing how quickly we get back into old routines....

Hopefully some pics will be available tomorrow!

Can you believe it's been a year already???




JoJo's birthday was a wonderful and LONG day.

She got a cold the day before, and we were all up until 4 am trying to help her fall (and stay) asleep. She awoke for good at 9, and we sang Happy Birthday to her. We spent the morning at home with mom.

Around 1 we set out for grandma's house to set up for the party. Since JoJo had not had a nap yet, she fell asleep in the car, and since I didn't want to wake her, I took out my book. A hour later, grandma came home and found us both sleeping in the car!

My whole family was there except Robert D. (at work) and Nana (sick). Joining us also was Phyllis Taylor and her granddaughter Briyanna. Bri is one month older than JoJo.

The party was fun, from JoJo covering her face with frosting to Nathan attacking the camera whenever I tried to shoot him to JoJo and Briyanna "trying" to play together - that is a work-in-progress. JoJo loves her presents, especially the little basketballs from the bath set given by Aunt Tina: She carried the red one with her all the way to the health club today and played a little basketball with mom this evening.

I received the pics from Dorothy today - I forgot my camera, but she brought hers.

I've been in more of a writing mood lately, so here goes.

One day until JoJo's first birthday (party at grandma's!), and we had three big events: Birthday pictures, a new crib, and mommy's return from California.

The times on the picture appointment were changed, and instead of 11 o'clock, after morning nap, our time was moved to 10, in the middle of nap time. The pictures turned out great, but the girls at Flash had to work extra hard because every time we got JoJo set up, she would either start crying or crawl/slide over to me. But, as usual, she looked very cute (www.flashportraits.com - search for my last name, password is her first name).

Mom returned around 8, and JoJo hasn't let her go since. She's walked to me, but she keeps going back, and she's smiling ear to ear.

The crib was given to us by Jon and Jenni Burgess, friends of my brother and his wife. JoJo has always cried when placed in the playpen I've been using as a bed, but she wanted to go into the crib and loved pulling herself up by the bars UNTIL she jumped up and down too much and the crib door bounced with her! It scared her so much she cried and wanted out, but she soon recovered and went back in (without as much bouncing!).


JoJo is also developing some fun food habits. As mentioned below, she has come to love blueberries. The last few days, however, she has started to eat the meat of the berry then spit the skin out. She loves pieces of chicken, bread, and chips, but she did not like the roasted garlic hummas that she helped herself to! Daddy was eating the hummas with pita bread, and all she was getting was bread, so she reached out and took some. She could not spit it out fast enough!

She has stopped protesting when I put her in the high chair, and she has gotten really good a putting her hands up to be picked up instead of whining (which is very nice!). We're working on "all done," "hungry," and other baby signs, but "pick me up right now!" is the only one she's caught on to.

Went to a funeral today for a co-worker's daughter, while JoJo hung out with Grandma and Nana. The daughter (40 years old) has a 4 year old daughter herself, so she recorded a video of her with the 4 year old so she (the kid) could remember her mother. I had never met the woman who died, so I was fine until that part. Then I thought of JoJo, and I got a little teary-eyed. I've been a dad for nearly a year now, and it is still sinking in how powerful an experience it is.

Speaking of powerful, I arrived at Grandma's around 4:30 PM to a quiet house. Grandpa napping in his recliner, and Grandma and JoJo power-napping on the porch swing:

No pics today, just some fun observations. WARNING: Potty talk ahead!

I never thought I'd see the day that I wanted to see a poopy diaper, but it happened this week. What do you do when the baby is eating and eating, but nothing's coming out? From Sunday afternoon until Tuesday morning, nothing (very little). I considered breaking out the castor oil again (see Archives from last July!), but then it finally happened - twice in the same morning, and life is back to normal. Yeah!

Fresh from her Hummer rides with Christian in Bend, JoJo went to grandma's house on Monday and rode on the dolly with Matthew holding her, grandma or Nathan pushing. She loves to ride, especially in shopping carts at stores.

The heat has been getting to her a little bit. She was very cranky Tuesday afternoon before going to grandmas. She slept a lot more than usual, drank everything she could, and was still sweating a lot, so we played in the indoor pool for a while (commonly known as the bathtub). She splashed around with the foam letters and numbers and had a great time in there.

JoJo spent Tuesday night with grandma, and she loved it! She ate a lot, played with the boys (Hudson seems to be her fav), and slept alone in her crib - she doesn't do that much at home, but we're working on it. When I went to pick her up after a fun day of housecleaning, working out, and giving blood (aphoresis), she was very excited and didn't want me to put her down.

Her favorite summer food is turning out to be blueberries, or maybe it's just because we have so many of them growing in the yard. She loves to be carried out to the blueberry / raspberry area. She points at the bushes and says, "na," which is her new way of saying she wants things. This is much better than whining, so I highly encourage it. She loves people food now, berries, bread and butter, etc., although she has been known to down a jar or two of baby food in one sitting!

Next week is her first birthday!

Two videos from this weekend.

Too many things have happened since the last entry. Mom became a Doctor! We visited Scottie in Bend! We saw Chris play football! And... JoJo took her first steps!

We spent most of the graduation ceremony playing in the lobby!

With Dr. Mom! (Notice the dress is gone! Put that together with "why was Daddy's shirt wet?", and you'll figure it out!)

With Dr. Mom and Aunt Cari

Marti with Dr. Mom - Marti will graduate next year.


JoJo wasn't too impressed with football camp at PSU!

Sitting with Christian in Scott and Amanda's front yard.


In Tumalo creek with me!

Riding with Christian in his toy hummer.

Another pic with daddy. JoJo's typical pose - elbow on daddy's shoulder, body half-turned out.

JoJo and Christian sporting their swimwear at Tumalo State Park.

She only walks a few steps, and only from mom to me (so far). Otherwise, she loves to climb up something (or body) and stand up, looking very proud of herself for a few seconds before either face-planting (into a person) or sitting hard on her bottom. Good thing it's a padded diaper!

So, enjoy the pics, and I'll try to post more frequently.

Another Youtube video. Sorry for the creepy breathing...

First June post.

JoJo is running around the house, with one of us holding her hands above her head. She won't walk one handed, and if we let her go, she'll stand for a second or two before sitting down. She took a running step or two going from a chair over to Sheryl today. Her first steps?

Today was her last day at Jeanie's for the summer; she'll go back in August. Jeanie was a Godsend, and I know JoJo will be happy to see her again.

JoJo loves eating the berries from the yard. She sometimes forgets to swallow them, as I realized when I gave her a 3rd blueberry to eat, only to see the last one unbitten in her cheek. Participating in the snacking seemed more important than the actual eating...

It's been a few weeks.

As you'll see in the pics below, JoJo made her first trip to Phyllis' cabin. She was a little disconcerted, but she loved hanging out with the Girl Scouts at the Stirniman's cabin across the lake.

JoJo also had a rush trip to Urgent Care for a rash that covered her body. It turned out to be Roseola, a common baby condition that usually appears in rash form only after a few days of fever. No fever, but the rash sure did cause a scare. Because of the danger to pregnant women and other babies, she stayed home all weekend and skipped church (so did Daddy!).

Otherwise things have been good. The days are getting hot enough that she runs around in just a shirt and a diaper, wearing her orange foreign legion hat outdoors.

You'll also see JoJo being held below by one of my former students - Alicia (formerly Ferrall) M. (no clue how to spell her name Italian last name). Alicia lives in Connecticut now and stopped by on pool night with her brother.


Alicia


She loves books! Every librarian's dream!

Little Miss Curious also loves shiny metal objects, like the camera!


In the rocker at the cabin

From the back porch of the cabin. Yes, we're blocking the view, but hey, she's cuter than the grass and trees anyway.