Mmmmm so good

My little guy is already 4 months old. I can't believe how fast time flies. To celebrate his birthday last night, we decided to give him his first taste of solid food, that is if you categorize Rice Cereal as a solid. He didn't quite know what to think of it at first, but after a lot of practice was able to eat a whole tablespoon of the tasty treat.

Today he went for his check up and his pediatrician gave him an A+ on his report card. Little bug is now 15.2 lbs and in the 50th percentile in every category. Its amazing that he has nearly tripled in size in 4 months. Jamis was not too excited about his vaccines today though. When the nurse was giving him his oral Rotavirus vaccine he threw up EVERYWHERE. This wasn't a typical baby spit up, this was a "get the mop and bucket" occasion. Poor little bug. And to make matters worse he got two shots afterwards. I wish I could've bought him an ice cream for being so brave.

A few thoughts

I'm not a huge TV watcher, we have like 3 channels, but I tend to keep it on a lot during the day for back ground noise. To my dismay, Jamis has discovered the TV. He will twist around anyway he can to see it and just stare. This really bothers me. I refuse to have a child that learns to be glued to the boob tube. So, I rediscovered the wonders of books on CD. So far I've "read" 2.5 books this week. I love it. I get the benefit of an adult voice in the house and I'm learning. Right now I'm listening to a book by Caroline Myss called, Invisible Acts of Power, Personal Choices That Create Miracles. I highly recommend it. She digs down and really analyses generosity. Different types of generosity, what moves people, what holds us back. I find it fascinating. What really hit me the most was that some of the greatest forms of generosity are invisible. For example, not judging people, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Did you ever think of this as generosity? I know I typically meet someone and completely "figure" them out in the first few minutes. Several times in the past few days I've been shown that the category I internally put someone in, was completely wrong. It goes to show that you really can't judge a book by its cover. The book has also brought to my attention the thing that holds me back from most from generous acts is fear. So many times I know of a possible solution to someones problem, but don't say anything for fear of rejection or appearing as a "know it all." Spreading the gospel is a perfect example. So often I don't step out of my comfort zone to welcome someone new; new to church, the neighborhood, my gym class. I let fear shut my mouth and end up leaving someone feeling that they don't belong. I know when I'm the new person, the best thing in the world is that person that welcomes me, invites me to sit with them, or gives me the scoop to help me feel apart of my new environment. Its a huge self-esteem boost for me and makes being the new kid tolerable. This book has really got me to look deeper at myself, my thoughts, my actions, and even more so the lack there of. Just a thought for the day.

What would be a post without some Jamis pics.

EYE EYE Captain

Welcome to the first annual Griner Motherboy Extravaganza (for those of you who are not familiar with the great show Arrested Development, I pity you). No boy can call himself a man without having a Sailor Suit. Jamis was particularly excited to have one to call his own and wore it with great pride. What a handsome devil!




Be ready for the soon to come Easter Suit. Oh, the anticipation...

Rainy Day

With rainy days comes board babies and cabin fever mommies. To pass the time the past few days, I pulled out one of Jamis's "older" toys he has yet to discover. He loved it and I was so proud of him sitting in a chair like a big boy.



Learning to love books can never start too early.

Q & A

Q: What does it take to wear Daddy out?
A: Getting off a 30 hour shift.

Q: What does it take to wear Jamis out?
A: Playing with daddy for 30 mins.

Q: What does this mean for mommy?
A: One long hot shower, eating lunch with two hands, and three uninterrupted phone conversations.

Baby J, Baby J, Where are you???

All day I've been on a mission to find my sweet little baby.

"Baby J where are you? Are you my baby?"

"No, I'm a big boy just hanging out in my room."

"Baby J, Baby J where are you? Are you my baby?"

"No, I'm a big boy just soakin' up some rays."

"Baby J, Baby J, where are you? Are you my baby?"

"No, I'm just a big boy riding my hog"

"Where, oh where, could my baby be?"

"Oh, mom, your so silly""Think about it mom. Just cause I'm growing up, doesn't mean I'm not your baby anymore."

"I'll always be your baby."

It's amazing how fast time flies and how quickly my baby is not so slowly becoming a big boy.

1 month
2 months
3 months

1 month

2 months

3 months

This past week it seems as though, Jamis has grown a ton. He is so aware of his surroundings and has become quite proficient in communicating his needs. He knows his hands are his and he controls them. He knows when I'm not paying attention to him. He knows that when I hold him a certain way, he is going to get a bottle. He know that when he is on his changing table, he is going to be cared for. He knows that his binky is not his bottle and he pulls it out. Its so much fun, watching the lights come on inside him. Lately his favorite thing is to watch Max, our dog. Max has always acknowledged him, but has really showed little interest until now. Max finds Jamis's toys fascinating. On Friday we took Max to the dog park. Usually Max runs and plays with anyone and everyone. This time though he would not leave the bench Jamis and I were on. Every time a dog would approach us, Max would growl and bark and chase the dog way from us. He would then come back look at us, lick us, and sit down again in front of us. It was so cute. I've never seen Max so protective. A boy and his dog. No greater love.

Since becoming a stay-at-home mom has proved to be hazardous for my waistline, I joined a gym and Jamis and I have become quite the loyal customer. During my workout Jamis gets to have his workout in the play area swing. Now I am one of those moms who didn't want to buy all the latest and greatest baby gadgets (maybe because Devan is always telling me, "the pioneers didn't have.....) so I never got a swing. I have come to see the errors of my ways. Jamis loves the swing. He smiles, he laughs, he sleeps. Now I just feel like a bad mom for depriving him of this enjoyment. So while I search for a mechanical swing, Devan has become the human swing. Jamis doesn't complain. To ease the abandonment tantrum we have every time Mommy is not in direct eye contact, Jamis has joined me in the bathroom for "getting ready" time. He has a good time playing with hair bands and clips and sometimes finds himself hog tied. Hey any attention is good attention right?