Baby's First Fever

imsick
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Saturday morning Desi woke up feeling a little hot -- but we weren't sure. It had never happened before! Nate left to go teach his class and baby and I went through our morning routine, some play, a hearty breakfast, bathtime and then "down-tempo" time leading up to morning nap. He fell asleep about 10am, which is his usual time. While he slept I commenced on ambitious cleaning -- I hadn't felt like cleaning for awhile (I recently had strep throat). Nate returned from his class about 12:30 and Desi was still asleep. He averages anywhere from about 45 minutes to 2hours. Nate soon left again to do some Home Teaching. I occasionally watched the clock but mostly hurried and scurried to get things done. When Nate returned from Home Teaching and Desi was still asleep (3 1/2 hours!!) we knew he was probably sick. When he finally awoke he was burning up! Nate snuggled with him on the couch while I quickly went through the baby book on what to do. We took his temp -- poor guy -- and he was @ 102.4. We then gave him lunch, pushing the liquids. He ate normally (a lot) and then an hour or so later we took his temp again and it was @ 102.8! We gave him childrens tylonol. There were no other symptoms, he was very docile, cuddly, not fussy at all. I have to admit, I enjoyed his new cuddly personality!! When I'd pick him up and he'd immediately hold me tightly around the neck and rest his head on my shoulder; sitting down and I'd hold him in my lap and he'd relax and snuggle back. I think perhaps he learned a bit about the value and comfort of a snuggle. Desi and I ended up missing church on Sunday. He slept for only 45 minutes for his morning nap and about an hour for his late afternoon one. His temperature was steadily going down and his spirits and physical activity up! He even helped me bake some bread. This morning he seemed back to normal and ready to give his daddy a good challenging game of "lets throw the cup" from his highchair!
view photos (http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=etiqe5t.7cw69lt9&x=1&y=ul9c7s)

desi&jonathan

playingwithjonathan2
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

We went over to Jonathan's yesterday about 4pm to play while Emma went to an audition. The boys had both just taken a 1 hour nap so I felt they were both in good shape to play. We started out in the kitchen with an egg carton full of cheerios. Jonathan was sitting quietly munching; Desi was grabbing handfuls, knocking them all over the floor and shoveling them into his mouth -- eventually he began to walk all over the carton too. After a bit of that (!) we made our way into the living room where they maneuvered up&down on the stairs (it's a bit sunken), played with toys and sat in the window sill. I thought I'd grab a minute at the computer to check email. Meanwhile they had moved back up into the foyer where Jonathan has a big cardboard box cut into a little house with windows and a door. I heard screams. Oh Desi! Not sure what happened but Jonathan was in tears and Desi was in earnest to comfort him, leaning in with kisses and an aggressive-comforting arm. I could see he was sorry but Jonathan didn't want to be near him at all!! I really had to wrestle him outta Desi's tough love embrace and we moved off to the couch. Jonathan was soon happy again with more cheerios before him. Whew! It's still just extraordinary and new to me -- my baby's little socialself -- I honestly don't know what he will do or how to encourage or discourage effectively. It's very strange. I understand that we, as a family, are quite physical in our affections. Plenty of wrestling tussles and embraces, we can't keep our hands or lips off this baby! He spends most of his energies trying to get out of our embraces! But with increasing frequency, when he's with other children, there seems to be this magnet where *he* wants to touch, embrace, kiss and connect into their space and its startling -- for me and the object of his affections!

Warming Up

thisisabigball2
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Yesterday was our weekly PlayGroup. We got there about 15minutes before everyone else started showing up. I found a basketball and starting showing Desi some moves (no one else was watching!!) then I gave the ball to him saying it was his turn. He'd give it right back to me so he could watch me dribble, shoot, and carry on foolishly. When he finally wanted to try, he threw it then had to chase after it... and keep chasing because he kept kicking the ball unintentionally forward before he could get his hands on it. It was only when he got the ball up against the wall could he pick it back up again -- he was going from one end of the gym to the other trying to get this ball and play with it. Very tiring!

More pics here: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=etiqe5t.59ehqju5&x=1&y=-o4ydiq

Cupboard Explorations

desi&thebeans
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

DPJ has found a new frontier -- the cupboard! He has enjoyed helping me for some months now unpack the groceries and take a few bites here and there while he works (e.g. unpeeled bananas, green peppers, loaves of packaged bread) and last weekend he began dragging around a bag of 6 or 7 seven cans then sat down to help me put them in the cupboard and suddenly he climbs into the cupboard after them and eventually began throwing them back out to make more room!

more pics here: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=etiqe5t.4vsc9plp&x=1&y=5l9sky

I'm tough!

i'm tough
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

I had to do a whole series of photos for Auntie Hailey with Desmond Jones in his Harley Davidson lounge wear. HA!

vvvrooommm!

For more photos -- visit our hosting site: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=etiqe5t.4vwl1jfh&x=1&y=75hg70

vvvrooommm!
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Desmond and his Dad -- sidebyside

Desmond with Dad on bus
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

This was taken over the holidays by Grandpa Simkins. Desmonds little face reminds me so much of a picture of Nathan we have from when he was younger, perhaps 3 or 4 years old. I've tried doing various tricks on the computer to get them side-by-side to post but it hasn't worked out so i'm posting them seperately.

In these two pictures both of them have this semi-grin with their tounges thrust out a bit. Their eyes look very similar too.

Desmond P. Jones

Nathan P. Jones

This is a picture of a picture through glass -- the best I could do! It's a bit blurry but hopefully you get the idea.

desi&jonathan

desi&jonathan
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Last monday after playgroup Desi and I went back with Jonathan and his mom Emma to their apartment. They had recently returned from their 3 week holiday and the boys were happy to play together again. Jonathan had recently discovered his deep window sill and invited Desi up to join him.

Earlier, at playgroup, Emma suddenly shouts to me, laughing and points to the boys... Desi was nearly on top of Jonathan had him grasped in a headlock, with Jonathan face first on the floor. We were laughing at their babyways! Especially after DJ released JD and he wasn't crying... seemed to think it was fun! A few minutes later I was fortunate to catch Desi again throw his arm around Jonathan and plant a kiss right on the side of his head!! His first puckered kiss. Now that I know he can kiss I ask for mine... still waiting.

Desmond reading with Gram

Desmond reading with Gram
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Holiday Revisited

Two sleepy morning faces enjoying a quiet reading moment. Desi loves to read books and he was happy to have more voices to read to him.

I have thankfully received more pics from Grandma and Grandpa Simkins which they took while here for the Christmas holiday. I had unfortunately not taken many at all so I was glad to receive these.

BabySeal

babyseal
Originally uploaded by globalgirl246.

Desi was really putting on a show on this morning -- picture if you can a loud roaring seal and this was about what he sounded like. Grandpa had the camera out and took many photos.

click here for more photos: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=etiqe5t.3vu9gsot&x=1&y=nzu6xo

and here are the other Christmas 2004 photos: http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?showSlide=true&Uc=etiqe5t.cr4yc4zh&Uy=vsyzik&Ux=1

Baby Contemplations

Happy New Year. I've been wanting to record here, perhaps selfishly, for sometime some literary leaps of genius from D.H. Lawrence which I read initially 5 or 6 years ago and recently felt a pull to revisit while in the new flush of motherhood. I think these passages -- written by a man (!) who had no children (!!) -- are so remarkably beautiful and embody the poetics of creation.

Dawn and sunset were the feet of the rainbow that spanned the day, and she saw the hope the promise. Why should she travel any further? ... the child she might hold up, she might toss the child forward... she forgot that she had watched the sun climb up and pass his way, a magnificient traveler surging forward. She forgot the moon had looked through a window of the high, dark night and nodded like a magic recognition, signalled her to follow. Sun and moon travelled on, and left her, passed her by, a rich woman enjoying her riches. She should go also. But she could not go when they called because she must stay home now. With satisfaction she relinquished the adventure to the unknown. She was bearing her children. If she were not the wayfarer to the unknown, if she were arrived now, settled in her builded house, a rich woman, still her house was full of the echos of journeying. She was a door and a threshold, she herself. Through her another soul was coming, to stand upon her as upon a threshold, looking out, shading it's eyes for the direction to take...

She was absorbed in the child now... she was willing to postpone all adventure into the unknown realities. She had the child, her palpable and immediate future was the child. If her soul had found no utterence, her womb had...

The baby was complete bliss and fulfillment. Her desires sunk into abeyance, her soul was in bliss over the baby. Her imagination was all occupied here. She was a mother. It was enough to handle the new little limbs, the new little body, hear the new little voice crying in the stillness. All the future rang to her out of the sound of her baby's crying and cooing, she balanced the coming years of life in her hands, as she nursed the child. The passionate sense of fulfillment, of the future germinated in her, made her vivid and powerful. All the future was in her hands, in the hands of a woman. She seemed to be in the fecund storm of life, every moment was full and busy with productiveness to her. She felt like the earth, the mother of everything.

~ D.H. Lawrence, The Rainbow