My Jelly Book

Recently one of my long-time friends came into town for a friend's baby shower and she asked me if I had started a "jelly book" yet. I couldn't even fathom what that could be, so I asked. She told me that you just get an empty book/journal that you keep in your kitchen - where most of life seems to happen - and when your kids say things and do things that you want to remember, you just jot it in the book. Often it'll be stained by jelly or coffee or whatever piece of life is happening at the moment....but you'll have it written down and eventually have a treasured collection of amazing moments you may accidentally forget otherwise.


I just loved that concept. (Thank you Mary!) I found an old journal of quotes I began keeping years ago, and designated that as my Jelly Book. My first entries will be sure to include:

1) Four year old Hunter's first meeting with Gianna. He sat down with Gianna on his lap, unwrapped her blanket, looked at her feet, looked up with wide eyes and exclaimed, "Hers got hand feet!"

2) Ten year old Annabeth's announcement that, "Gianna is so sweet, that if I had a cup of coffee right now, I'd just have to dunk her right in it."

3) When Gianna was a week old and my friend, Rose, came to visit for the first time she was overcome with emotion and just kept thanking God for His goodness. Holding this little five pound answer to prayer, Rose said through her tears..."Oh my gosh! I haven't even finished thanking God for IAIN yet!!!" - Me neither, Rose.

I look forward to pages and pages of Jelly Book entries.

P.S. Oh, by the way, the grunting has returned. Aaaagh.

Sam Houston State Park

We are so fortunate to have a beautiful State Park not even five minutes from our home. We took Gianna there for the first time this weekend for a long walk, which she happened to sleep through.

The park was full of people enjoying the spring-like weather. It was a lovely afternoon. Gianna will have many memories there as she grows up.

Grunting Update: Almost completely gone! Hallelujah! Still gently grunts herself to sleep which is complelely tolerable and mildly amusing. More later.

Bring it on!

This morning, after sleeping for almost 12 straight hours, praise the Lord, Gianna created a new game for her Mommy & Daddy. Since she can't talk yet, we've named it "Bring it on!"

Here's how it went down:

I was holding her and doing all my little songs and noises that mommy's do and Gianna would squeal and giggle and laugh. And then she would immediately stop, whip her little head around to look at Iain, almost demanding a "performance" that would compare.

Then, Iain would do his daddy thing (which is hysterical because everyone who knows him will know that he is typically not that animated) and she would giggle and squeal, stop abruptly, stair at him, as if to say, "Is that all you got?" Then, she'd whip her little head around to me with a look as if to say, "Can you beat that?" "Bring it on!" We were even more tickled than she was.

Grunting Update: First, let me clarify for those who said, "Oh, I guess she's found her voice." or "Well, they do tend to babble at that age" that we are NOT talking about babbling here....or cute little baby sounds. This child sounds like an 18 wheeler with no muffler, a bull-dozer trying to move a granite pile or a pitt bull who's being taunted. It's gutteral, loud and grating. Aaaagh!
(Now granted, if this is the worst we have to complain about at this stage - and it is - we are extremely fortunate and we know that. :)

All that said, the grunting still occurs, but is thankfully subsiding. She mostly uses it now to grunt herself to sleep. I'm sure she's just saving her energy for her next trick. :) Can't wait. More later

Grunt-a-thon Day 5

Lawdy, Lawdy! We've made it through five days of 12 hours a day of grunting. Nothing's wrong.........she just happens to like the sound. I can tolerate a lot - but I had to put myself in time out a few times yesterday - just to keep my sanity.

We went to the doctor today for a well-baby check-up and immunizations. All is well. Gianna performed beautifully for the doctor and she even gave her a little taste of her new method of communication. "Oh, looks like we have a grunter." she said. I begged her to tell me that this was a phase and will pass very quickly. Hmm....no luck.

Oh, and the sweet potato weighed in at 13 lbs 12 oz. A long way from the 5 lb 3 oz that she weighed at birth. We get to start rice cereal now. Wooo Hooo!

Grunt-a-holic

Okay, for 4 days now....Little Miss Sunshine has discovered she can grunt and has chosen to do so for her main method of communication for 12 hours a day. Oh my goodness! I thought I was going to lose my marbles yesterday.

The good news is that her grunting motivated her dad to clean out the garage - I'm sure partly because it was pitifully disorganized and partly because he'd rather be anywhere than near the grunting.

Heaven help us all. :)