The 3 musketeers ! Aaaah....the comfort of familiarity :o)

JJ and his Buddy Blankeys ! What are Buddy Blankeys? They are a wonderful part of any child's life, from baby to toddler. Most children find comfort in a baby blanket or security blanket. JJ has 2 : One Baby Gap Blankie, with the Teddy Rattle in the middle, and another Mamas and Papas Bunny Rabbit with a tail and ears ! Actually it's quite useful as it gives babies a sense of sucurity when being away from parents or at night. It is a baby's most beloved possession. It is a substitute ME & DADDY—faithful, loving and accepting. Linus from the "Peanuts" comic strip is infamous for carrying around his security blanket while sucking his thumb. They can become tattered and dingy, but if washed, the children will get them dirty again. It is the texture and smell of the object, not the appearance that’s important.

Blankeys are not a sign of weakness. Instead, they help your baby learn about being apart from you. With a lovey, your baby can control her own comfort. It can help her find comfort anywhere, even if you aren't there. It will help her go to sleep when she's tired. It will reassure her when she's away from you. It will comfort her when she's scared or upset. It will help her remember the security of home when she's in a strange place. Think of a blankey as a symbol for you. It allows your baby to think, "I can't have my mommy or daddy right now. I have this instead. It reminds me of my mommy and daddy. It helps me remember that they love and care for me."

Comfort Habits: Security Blankets
Penelope Leach, Ph.D.
A security blanket, or "cuddly" can be any soft piece of material or toy which a baby, usually six to nine months old, adopts as his very own. Psychologists dignify these bits of blanket or worn, smelly teddy bears with the name, "transitional comfort object." They deserve the dignified name because cuddlies take on very real emotional importance for babies. They are their familiars -- the things that spell safety and security when you are not there. Babies use cuddlies in lots of different ways. If it's a toy, your baby may always lie on it in his crib, placing it so that his face against it. If it's a piece of material, he may tangle it between his hands and drop off to sleep, kneading it as he sucks his thumb. Whatever your baby does with his cuddly, once he's chosen it, it will be his most important possession. Try to insure against complete disaster by saving a duplicate. A newly adopted scarf could be cut in half. A soft toy could have another bought. If your baby's security blanket ever does get lost, producing the new one won't entirely prevent grief, because it won't look, feel or smell like the one that shared his crib for months, but it will be very much better than nothing.

Our Little Baby Boy, JAMIE IAN JONES

Its 3 am they're all asleep
And no one's here to see
As we rock slowly back and forth
My Baby Boy and Me.

His little head is feather light
tucked up against my chin
I hold his tiny hand in mine
and stroke his baby skin.

I love these quiet hours so much
and cherish every one
store memories up inside my heart
for lonely nights to come.


All too soon he'll be grown up
his need for Mummy gone
but until then I still have time
for kisses and for song.

Time for quiet hours like this
with him cuddled in my arms
where I wish he'd always stay
protected safe and warm.

And yet I know the day will come
when this tiny little hand
will be much bigger than my own
he'll grow to be a man.
But until then he's mine to love

with no one here to see
as we rock slowly
back and forth
my baby boy and me.

What a Baby costs :

How much do babies cost? Said he
The other night upon my knee;
And then I said: "They cost a lot;
A lot of watching by a cot,
A lot of sleepless hours and care,
A lot of heartache and despair,
A lot of fear and trying dread,
And sometimes many tears are shed
In payment for our babies small,
But everyone is worth it all.

For babies people have to pay
A heavy price from day to day -
There is no way to get one cheap,
Why, sometimes, when they're fast asleep
You have to get up in the night
And go and see that they're all right,
But what they cost in constant care
And worry, does not half compare
With what they bring of joy and bliss,
You'd pay much more for just a kiss.

Who buys a baby has to pay
A portion of the bill each day;
He has to give his time and thought
Unto the little one he's bought
He has to stand a lot of pain
Inside his heart and not complain;
And pay with lonely days and sad
For all the happy hours he's had.
All this a baby costs, and yet
His smile is worth it all, you bet."

Our Little Smiley !

This is a photo of Jamie, in the arms of Aunty Natasha.

The other photo's taken today, just after his feed and a little nap, and well-rested in his little bouncy chair. Isn't he just a charming, innocent looking little baby ??

Baby Face
(adapted from an old song)

Baby Face,
you've got the cutest little baby face,
There's no other who could take your place,
Baby Face,
my poor heart is jumpin'
you sure have started somethin'
Baby Face,
I'm in heaven
when I'm in your small embrace.
We didn't need a shove,
Cause we just fell in love,
With your sweet baby face!

FATHER-SON : A VERY SPECIAL, STRONG BOND

I can see the very special daddy-son bond in Ian and Jamie, but just want to share this video of a very ''special'' bond of a father and son. Very touching, very inspiring.Ver heartwarming. Love this video, could watch it a million times. Everyone should watch this ! Amazing what a daddy can and willing to do for his son. What else can I say...I am totally speechless.


CLICK ON THIS LINK :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjPrL3n63yg&mode=related&search=

Here are the words from this incredible song, "I can only imagine"

"I can only imagine what it will be like,
when I walk by Your side...I can only imagine,
what my eyes will see,
when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your Glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus?
Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine,
when that day comes,
when I find myself standing in the Son!
I can only imagine,
when all I will do,
is forever, forever worship You!I
can only imagine! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus?
Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'?
Will I be able to speak at all?I
can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus?
Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!!

Only imagine!!!
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine,
when all I do is forever,
forever worship You!
I can only imagine."

BABY BONDAGE

For those of you yet to join us on the baby bandwagon, there is this crazy thing called the Moro reflex. It causes infants to flail their arms about wildly while lying on their backs. Supposedly it is some long held instinct against falling out of a tree or something. (Creationists take heed.) Practically, it means little Jamie (who has yet to take control of any of his limbs) often wakes himself up by punching himself in the face or head. Now he's scratched himself on his face without even knowing it.

Sometimes, if he's being left alone for too long, he'll startle us with his cry plus angry fists of primitive fury punching himself in his face. Pick him up ( comes free with some pinching ), feed him, burp him, rock him, get him down to bed and suddenly, 30 minutes later, you hear an angry "AYE!" and see a meaty baby fist punching out above the baby foldaway bed. Aaargh ! We are anxiously awaiting the day when baby Jamie and his extremities get on the same page and come to terms with each other. Until then, baby bondage :)

Shaken like a Milkshake !

Granted, our baby Jamie is cute ( :P) , but I can't stare at him exclusively all day long. There are so many things to do. And I'd like to have some time to read too ! Too engrossed in my reading, I'll cough or sneeze without any warning ( with him in my arms, hehehe ! ). Catching a baby off-guard with a violent noise or body reverberation is a risky gamble. If I am lucky, the only effect is his huge saucer eyes staring at me in terror with his hands flapping sideways. If not, I try to enjoy the half-second grace period of silence as his lower lip buckles in anticipation of the screaming and crying that are about to come. Earplugs, anyone ???

OUR SOCIAL BABY

JJ is starting to behave like a real ''little person'' ( as his daddy calls him ), and not just a little pooping, peeing, puking machine. He has become quite a social little being :-

* He likes to look at people
* He likes to look at his surroundings to make sure he has an audience
* He likes to interact
* He has started smiling at us ( especially his daddy )
* Sometimes, he greets people with his gaping little mouth

By the way, he has also started pinching people ( especially me ! )

BOTTLE, BATH AND BED

Another day draws to a close and our little, tiny, wee baby is ready for his trip to the land of nod. Well, ok, now that you mention it, he's not really so wee. He weighs about double his birth weight now.

Today he had his 6 weeks check ( and he is going to be 7 weeks this Thursday ), and the doc is very happy that all's well with him. He had just started to smile the last few days, and we're so proud of him ! Maybe he did do some talking too. ( or is it just my imagination ?? ). I just love all his baby babbles ! Blah. Blabberty blah blah bloo phlah phlah. Po paah poop. Mlah. Phflah blurp pflfffp. Doodie doodoo doodie. Gaaaaagaaaagaaaagoooooooogoooooo !

HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH, JJ ! It all begins with TUMMY TIME

Dr Paul Hauck says,

'' Hold your head up high, and you will be calm, confident and assertive, whatever happens to you ''.

JJ's finally managed to hold his head up without wobbling it ! Hurrah ! He did it ! ( of course, thanks to daddy's training- TUMMY TIME ! ). Now he realises that he can see so much from that point of view. It just amazes him ! So, don't stop, never give up, hold your head high and reach the top.

I admit I was unaware. Who knew head lifting required such consideration? According to the Northwest Arkansas Times, it says....

Me, I thought babies innately learned how to lift their heads on their way to crawling the way babies have done for centuries. No, no, fellow unaware people. The rate at which infants conquer head lifting and begin scooching their diaper-clad behinds across the floor is now a source of concern.

But don't fret. A solution exists, because we fix stuff that ain't broke all the time. The answer to delayed head lifting is tummy time, which The Associated Press calls the "latest infant-stimulation craze" this side of obsessive-compulsive parents incapable of contemplating that things really will progress without their intervention.

As the AP reports, parent-and-baby programs from run-of-the-mill public schools to impossibly chic and obscenely expensive, big-city private schools are "adding tummy activities to their curricula." Yes -- curricula. For babies but a few months out of the womb. Progress is so stimulating.

Tummy time apparently stems from a shift in how babies are supposed to sleep. After years of being told to put infants on their stomachs, parents are now advised to lay babies on their backs in order to decrease the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Studies indicate that that risk has fallen with the revised sleeping-position directive, but parents are worried because some babies might now be slower to develop the head lifting that leads to crawling.

Which leads to walking. Which leads to talking. Which leads to memorizing multiplication tables and the first foreign language by 2.8 years. Which leads to introductory karate and ballet and piano lessons by 4.3 years. Which leads to honor roll in kindergarten at 5.5 years and then the best science project ever and student government and a semester abroad and band and gymnastics and, and, and -- right up to admittance into the most selective schools by 17.1, maybe 16.8 for early-admittance achievers.

So, you see, head lifting must, absolutely, no-doubt-about-it occur on time. Schedules to keep and goals to achieve, people. Experts recommend several sessions of tummy time per day. Except there's a problem. Some babies don't like all this tummy attention. They squirm, they shriek, they scream. They downright protest. Doesn't matter how many attempts mom makes at tummy time or how dutifully she times each session. One suspects babies instinctively know that which their parents can't grasp because, well, where would they fit in -- that most non-tummy-time infants will catch up on all development skills by 18 months. Now it's tummy time, next it'll be some in utero must-do and then it'll be some pre-conception gotta-do, because, honestly, who wants a normal child who progresses at his own rate.

CRY BABY !

Our baby cries in the rainy morn,
because that's what he knows to say,
his discomfort disturbs my very thoughts,
his wails cover the sound of rain.

Why does a baby cry
As he enters the great unknown,
Joins that magical game called life?
Is it the pain of parting
From the loving womb
That’s been his home
And only friend?
Or does he sense what’s in store
For him and his kind
In a world too full
To give its best?
Does he feel the burden
Of his ancestors’ tears
And the tears of children
Still to be born
As they learn there’s no life
Without fears?
Does he cry for the poor
Who must fight for their bread,
Or the rich whose possessions
Are a burden on their heads?
Or is it just a cry
Of momentary need
From one who really doesn’t know…

Is it wind, or is it baby's first real smile? The tension mounts!

12,13,14082006 : Is this the special moment that we were waiting for ?? Is this his first smile ??? Suddenly, my baby has changed from an eating, pooping, burping, vomiting, crying machine into an eating, pooping, vomiting, crying machine who smiles. And that, my friend, is the first breakthrough. Payback time. The 'definitely not wind' smile is easily the most rewarding part of the whole endeavour so far. My baby's happy! I'm doing something right! The fact that he's smiling at a wall, or the carpet, is a small trifle.

Where to '' pack '' a baby for a weekend away from home ??

Wriggly wiggly wormy

My little Cuddle Bug has turned into a Wiggle Worm. When I try to force it, he stiffens up his entire body and slides right out of my grasp. There's no time in his '' busy '' schedule for cuddling, and he's always busy looking out for feeds and charging at the bottle when he senses that it's near.

He does make two exceptions though (and only two) :

1. Feeding time : he becomes the most affectionate and content little boy on earth. Time pauses as he looks into my eyes, smiles up at me with the corners of his mouth, and snuggles up to me so sweetly. And in no time he is struggling to be freed once again, with milk pouring, dribbling, leaking out from the corners of his mouth to his neck to the bib and finally wetting the collar of his vests.

2. Naptime and Bedtime : He curls into me, resting his head on my shoulder and blowing his sweet baby breath on my neck. The weight of his head, his sweat, his drool making everything so real -- while at the same time his soft breathing and relaxed muscles are like the dream-version of a little baby Care Bear lying ever so peacefully on my shoulder.

I linger during those times when he falls asleep in my arms. I can hold him for as long as I want when he is sleeping, so I take advantage of that and I don't put him down right away. I pull him close, breathe in his scent, steal a few kisses, stare at his face - trying to memorize exactly how it looks today because tomorrow it will be different.

I am painfully aware that the two chances I still get to cuddle with my son will one day be gone too. That day is approaching too quickly, I'm afraid. I better enjoy this while it lasts.

JJ'S SCARED ABOUT SOMETHING !

JJ, what is it that scared you ???? Daddy's here to save you ! Here's SUPERDADDY to the rescue !
Is it a bird ??? Is it a plane ?? No, it's SUPER DADDY ! IT'S IAN JONES !!!

TO MY DEAREST DADDY
by Jamie Ian Jones

Even tho' I am little,
and can't express myself with words...
Even tho' my thoughts
for now remain unspoken...
I really want you to know
that I love the way you look at me,
for I feel very safe,
and I love the way you smile at me,
and talk to me.

You always know how to make me happy
by doing little things for me.

BEing your baby is so much fun,
and you're the BEST DADDY
in the whole wide world.

I LOVE YOU, DADDY !

X-Y-Zzzzz.....Zzzz.......

Lullaby and Goodnight....JJ's sleeping happily on his daddy's lap.

Tiny fingers, tiny toes,
Little itty, bitty clothes,
Teddy bears and smiles of joy,
Oh gosh ! You're our cute little boy !




10 tiny fingers that always want to play,
That never stop exploring the wonder of today,
10 tiny fingers that from the very start,
Will reach out for tomorrow,
Yet always hold your heart.

A daddy is someone who carries photos where his money and cards used to be.