THE ADVENTURES OF THE JAC ATTACK!

A Blog about a clever boy and a mom determined to out-smart him.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Be Careful Who You Sleep With

This post is not about the DC AIDS/ HIV statistics, though I continue to find them upsetting. (If you didn't know, it was recently released that DC has and AIDS/ HIV infection rate that matches that of West Africa.) This post is about sleep walking. When Jess married me he got a big surprise. I am a crazy person to sleep with. I frequently wake up in the middle of the night screaming from bad dreams - most of the time they are about snakes but once I even dreamed about sheep in my closet. I have also been known to walk in my sleep, rearrange pictures on the wall, unlock doors and go outside and participate in imaginary fist fights. Last night I dreamed that the baby was sleeping in our bed between us. I didn't want him in the bed so I picked him up and carried him to his crib. I was just about to put our sleeping baby in the crib when I woke up and realized that I was about to put our dog Roxy in the crib! I had thought she was the baby! It must have scared Roxy a bit too because she has seemed more content to sleep on her doggy bed on the floor lately. Jess never woke up through the whole thing. I think he is getting used to my craziness and I think that is good since he can expect to put up with it for a very long time.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

A Good Ending - to a Bad Day

Today Roxy jumped on my friend's two year old and I really thought she might bite him. I grabbed her just in time, threw her on her back and yelled at her. I was shocked and really upset. I have begun to notice that Roxy doesn't like kids. This is upsetting for two reasons. First I would never want a child to get hurt and secondly if Roxy can't improve her behavior she will have to go live with my mom in Texas. I got Roxy while Jess was deployed and she really filled my life with happiness. I am feeling really dismayed that it has gotten to this point. I was so upset I called Jess and picked him up for lunch. He gave me a pep talk and we both committed to a very strict doggy discipline program to help Roxy understand her place in the pack.

Roxy's bad behavior only added to my already bad mood. JAC has started waking up every two hours during the night again and I'm exhausted. I came home and knew I needed to do something to improve my mood so I decided to mow the lawn. From the outset this might not sound like fun but I find it very therapeutic to competently accomplish a task when I spend all day having no idea what to do with my screaming kid. Plus, I really didn't want Jess to have to mow the lawn on the weekend because he has been working really long hours.

Jess came home at eight and I know he had to be tired but he had stopped and gotten me a chocolate bar and a really sweet card. He also loaded up JAC in his back pack and took JAC and Roxy for a long walk. It was so nice to have 30 quiet minutes to crash on the couch and read my Newsweek. It made me really grateful for my husband who despite being exhausted himself realized that I had reached my limit. I can't help but admire him for that.

Monday, April 27, 2009

He Must Be Butter....

Because he's on a roll! JAC has really caught onto the rolling thing. While he was in Texas he learned how to roll in both direction and now nothing is stopping him. Every time I put him in his crib I come back to find him in a new spot. Today I put him down for a nap and he got really angry. I went to check on him and he looked at me, gave out a battle cry and then rolled away from me onto his face. I rolled him back on his back only for him to repeat the same thing six times before falling asleep.

I was intrigued by JAC's rolling abilities so after his nap I decided to test his capabilities. I put a soft blanket on the ground to prevent rug burn and then put him on his back with his favorite toys just out of reach. He would roll over until he could reach them. It took some effort but he got the job done and I thought it was hilarious. JAC also practiced his low crawl. He hasn't quite figured out how to do it but as a former Army member I applaud the effort.

I keep hoping that my blog will attract more mom readers but it has been a slow process especially since I don't really know but two other mom's of young children. Lately I've been needing some advice and I'm hoping some moms on the world wide web might have ideas. I keep needing to do some quick "dash in and out" type errands. Before JAC got so heavy I would just carry him in his car seat for quick trips to the dry cleaner, drug store etc. Now that JAC is bigger I have to take him out of his car seat, put him in a stroller, or baby sling, or backpack, execute the errand and then load him back in the car seat. The whole process seems to take forever and my quick errand becomes an hour long trip. I keep thinking there has to be a better way to do this. Does anyone have any good ideas?

Sunday, April 26, 2009

One Handed

I'm typing one handed so i hope the lack of punctuation can be forgiven. Jac has a death grip on my other hand but at the moment he's not crying and fascinated by the computer. he's getting two new teeth and i think they must be really hurting because he has been unusually cranky. Jess took his big test yesterday but we'll have to wait twelve weeks for the results. I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers about the test. I know it helped!

Friday, April 24, 2009

A JAC Attack Adventure

The weather here is finally beautiful and I decided it was time for JAC, Roxy and I to get out of the house. Before I left for Texas I bought a backpack to put JAC in. I tried it out but he seemed too little to hold himself steady. While I was in the DFW airport I met a cool family with the exact same backpack and their son who was a couple months older than JAC loved riding in. Since JAC has gotten so much bigger I decided it was time for a second try on the backpack. I loaded him up, leashed Roxy and we were off for a trek around our neighborhood. JAC seemed pretty content and we strolled around the block, saw a couple of cool firetrucks and kept walking. I noticed the backpack seemed a little crooked and looked back. JAC was happily hanging off to one side admiring the view. As we walked further I heard a funny sound. JAC spit up off the side of the backpack and I narrowly missed getting baby puke on my back side. I secretly wondered if this wasn't JAC's method of protest. I reached back to give JAC a little pat and he immediately started leaning over and sucking on my arm. Next we made a quick stop by the house and I adjusted the pack so JAC would sit up higher. I thought perhaps a better view would entice JAC to sit up straight rather than leaning off towards one side. No Luck. Half way through the next block I heard and noise, looked back and saw JAC leaning over to one side chewing away on the edge of the backpack. This continued for a couple blocks and then things seemed to get quiet. Roxy and I kept on walking for about half a mile. The sun was great. Everything was in bloom and we even saw a baby bunny in a neighbor's yard. I decided to make one more quick stop at home to adjust the backpack. I walked in the front door and looked in the mirror. JAC was leaning off to one side snoring away. He was out cold! Apparently riding in a backpack is exhausting. I unloaded him and put him in his crib for a nap. This day is too pretty to miss so when he wakes up I think we'll go for a jog but this time we'll use the stroller.

Baby JAC Updates

JAC and I have been in Texas for the last two weeks and it seems like JAC changed a lot in those two weeks. JAC went on his first plane trip. I was pretty apprehensive. I didn't want to be the person on the plane with the baby who screamed for three hours straight. I shouldn't have worried too much. I had my whole church small group praying for us and JAC did great. On the way there JAC never slept but he also never cried. He seemed mostly content to bounce on my knee and look out the window. JAC slept the whole way home and I was especially thankful because we had to wait 45 minutes on the tarmac for a gate to open in DC.

While we were in TX JAC seemed to grow an inch. He also started getting his first two teeth, learned to roll over in both directions and has huge amounts of personality now. He laughs and he'll make this funny yelling sound when he's trying to talk to you. He has also been exhibiting more sneaky behavior. He hates going to go to bed and starts crying the moment he is put in his crib. When we would go check on him he would stop crying, smile, laugh and hold his arms out to be picked up. It is very charming and very hard to resist.

JAC and I had a great time. I think JAC was especially happy to meet his Aunt and Uncle and I really enjoyed meeting my brother's girlfriend Lindsey. Lindsey and I spent an evening together building a fence for my mom's dog "Sweetpea," and I'm pretty sure that means we're now best friends. Other highlights of the trip included catching a opossum (a sure sign you're in Texas), doing some heavy duty Easter Shopping, and meeting my new baby cousin Phoenix. It is hard for me to pick a highlight of the trip but I think what I enjoyed the most was watching my dad play with baby JAC - he's hilarious with him, and running a 5K race with my mom. I grew up running with my mom and it was really fun to jog through town chatting and looking at old houses.

Despite all of our Texas fun JAC and I were both really glad to be home. It was awesome to see Jess again. Two weeks is a long time and I was missing my friend. Jess couldn't believe how much JAC had changed and JAC keeps changing. When we got home from the airport we put JAC on the floor so he could wiggle. He immediately grabbed his feet and started rolling around. We both thought it was very amusing.

I'll end this post with few unrelated random thoughts. While we were in Texas my older brother proposed to his girlfriend and she said "yes." I am happy Lady will be joining our family and I'm looking forward to the Miami wedding. ( I am going to have to go to work on my beach body) I am starting school in two weeks and I am excited. I feel like this is a dream come true and I can't wait. If anyone knows someone looking to make a little extra cash by babysitting on Fridays send me a note. Finally Jess is taking his Fundamentals of Engineering exam on Saturday. The test is hard and Jess has spent many hours studying. I am asking everyone to pray for him on Sunday. I have great confidence in his abilities but I have even greater confidence in the power of God.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

In a Rush!

I am rushing around while JAC takes his nap. Today we are going to embark on a grand adventure. We are flying to Texas to see my parents. I am really excited but I have to admit I'm feeling a little apprehensive. I've never flown with a baby and the logistics of this operation are a big endeavor. My suitcase is currently full of diapers and baby formula. In between all of that I shoved my blow drier - essential of course - a few pairs of my clothes and I stuffed JAC's clothes in the shoe compartments. I am choosing to remain optimistic and praying that the plane won't be full and JAC will sleep the whole time. When I return in a couple of weeks I let everyone know how it went. I hope all of my friends and family a great Easter!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Today

Today I packed up all of my work suits in my suitcase. I'm taking them to my mom who started a new job today. As I squished them into the suitcase I gulped hard. Lately I have struggled with my identity and having a profoundly lost feeling. I am in some kind of in between stage of life. I am not pregnant. I packed those close up and gave them to a friend a few months ago. I am not young, hot and trendy. The twenty extra pounds I need to lose and the fact that I gave my cocktail dresses away a week ago confirm this. The Army uniforms are packed away and my favorite black dress is going on loan to a friend. Somehow I thought that I would embrace a new identity as a mom but after almost four months of motherhood I feel like I don't fit into this state of being either. I feel like I am treading water or directionless in a neighborhood of identical houses.

I am trying to remember that treading water builds strength and endurance for future endeavors and right now even though I want to scream I'm building lung capacity for something worth screaming about. This weekend my Algebra books came in. When JAC is asleep I'm teaching myself Algebra in hopes of taking CLEP tests for some of the college courses I need to complete as prerequisites to apply for a Physical Therapy program. I have a long road ahead of me but somehow having something to dream about keeps me breathing instead of sucking down water.

I'll end this post by saying how proud I am of my mom. She started her new job today and I know she's going to be great at it!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Parenting Failure

As part of my resolution to get out and do cool things with JAC and instead of sitting at home I decided we should go to the Cherry Blossom Parade. Jess and I both love parades and I thought JAC would too. I woke up and hurried around the house packing us up. We loaded up, drove to the mall, parked and jumped on the metro. This was JAC's first metro ride and I found that I have a lot to learn. JAC was in the stroller so we had to take the elevators and as it turns out metro elevators are very small and hidden away in strange dark corners of the metro stations. Do to the Cherry Blossom festivities the metro was an insane crush of people. There was actually a long waiting line to use every elevator. I also found you can only take a stroller through certain metro toll lines and there was a long line for each of those as well. I had also forgotten that the metro is very jerky and I spent most of the ride feeling motion sick and an old lady had to remind me that our stroller had a break because it almost rolled down the metro car.
When we finally made it to the National Mall I was exhausted and we were greeted by West Texas style gail wind. It was very cold. I was chilly in my light sweatshirt but poor JAC was only in a t-shirt body suit. This morning I had put him in his special cowboy t-shirt body suit because I thought it was festive. I through a couple blankets in too but they were no match for the cold wind and within minutes JAC was shivering. I was proud of him because he never cried but I could tell he was miserable. After a quick stroll around the block I felt horribly guilty and put us back on the metro to go home. I felt like a horrible parent and now we're both home and I have a huge headache.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

A Connelly Zoo

JAC is fast asleep and I am finally enjoying a quiet moment to myself. We have had a really busy week. My grandparents came for a quick visit and we had a great time. I am always amazed at how effortlessly my family loves little JAC. It is such a gift to have so many people who care about me care about my son too. Their visit was a whirlwind but I think the highlight was definitely the Cherry Blossoms. On Sunday after church Jess drove us all down past the Tidal Basin and we parked near Haines Point. For the next few hours we walked around admiring all the flowering Cherry Trees and seeing the monuments. It was so beautiful that we all agreed to forgo lunch and keep walking. Even JAC seemed to like it and slept most of the time. Around three we were all tired and starving. We packed up and went in search of food. Over a very late lunch and some Sangria, we all admitted the Cherry Trees were absolutely lovely - like a painting or a picture from a book.

After all our company left I spent most of the next day moping around. The house seemed lonely and I missed having people to talk to and extra hands to help with JAC. The weather was cloudy again and JAC seemed particularly needy. By the time Jess came home I was really grumpy. In the middle of the night I woke up with my classic nightmares and Jess had to convince me there weren't men in the ceiling trying to get me. I woke up the next morning with a revelation. If JAC was going to be cranky I'd like to be out somewhere cool with him. We were going to start taking field trips. I took a quick shower, did my hair, packed us up and took us to the zoo. We had so much fun. JAC slept part of the time but he also spent a good bit of time looking around. I almost think he his happier when he is out and about because later this afternoon when he started getting really cranky I took him and Roxy out for a long run and they both acted like they loved it. I ran an old route I used to take Jess on when I wanted to rub it in that I was in better shape than he. The route has some killer hills and I took a lot of pride in my hill running ability. Today, I had to swallow my pride. It was great to be out running again but those hills were killer. I'm pretty sure I was practically walking for part of the run.

JAC has started a new phase of his babyhood. It seems like just when I get things figured out something changes. He has decided that he hates bed time. It doesn't matter if he is exhausted and falls asleep in my arms, the minute I put him in his crib he starts screaming. This is no ordinary screaming. It is full blown yelling to the point where he can hardly breath. I've been trying to wait him out as the pediatrician suggested but he can be pretty determined. Most nights it takes over an hour to get him to sleep. Luckily, once he goes to sleep he has been sleeping up to 7 hours and that is really nice. This morning he woke up at four. I stumbled into his room and looked in and he was smiling and laughing. He wanted to play. He was making funny sounds and kicking. It was pretty cute and I have to admit that if I have to be awake at four in the morning that is a really nice thing to wake up to.

Finally JAC continues to be extra sneaky. He hates to be strapped into his car seat. Today he started fussing and I went back to check on him. He gave me a big smile and then let a huge blob of white baby spit come flying out of his mouth. Luckily I dodged just in time but I think he was trying to help me understand how he feels about his car seat. -hehe.