J got his first two teeth today - bottom front. He also has become quite mobile for not really crawling. He has rather good upper body strength, since he is pulling himself around, with a little help from his feet. He does get on his knees and rock, though.

The three of us got ice cream tonight. E had three days with no time outs, so we went out for ice cream. She has been very compliant and helpful, too. While at the ice cream store, we also got to look at the animals. They have some fowl, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, bison, elk, ponies, a llama, and of course cows. We didn't see the ones that the farmers feed all the strawberries to that make the strawberry milk, though. E likes the animals.

We also bought 3 gallons of milk and a half & half. The milk will last us less than a week.

Today, I spent my morning with E. Just the two of us. J was sleeping. We played and were silly together. It was a special time. She is getting to be more and more independent. "I do it myself." Wanting to do things herself and being able to help around the house. She likes to hear music and has requested I sing some songs. She has a Bible song CD that she assumes is the music of choice for all in the car. She requests songs from it, too. "In my heart" = "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart"; "Children" = "Jesus Loves the Little Children"; "Bones" = "Dem Dry Bones"; "Noah" = "Who Built the Ark" to name a few. The sad part is I know the track number for each of her favorites songs. And although she hasn't requested it, she can be heard singing "happy day" over and over again from "Oh Happy Day," while she is playing. It is simply amazing how much repetition does not phase a child.

J has been eating solids (if you can call them that) for a while, now. Oatmeal, rice and mixed grain cereal, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, applesauce, bananas, pears have all passed over his taste buds. Carrots will be next.

His favorites are applesauce and pears. They come in handy when trying to feed him his least favorites. Scoop a little squash, scoop a little applesauce, feed the boy. Scoop a little squash, scoop a little applesauce, feed the boy.

I make most of his food, but we do have some jars for the occasional ease-of-use feeding. I can't remember back to when E was 7 months and how often I was nursing her. I still nurse J four times a day, but I think we just decided to cut out the bedtime feeding. I am not sure who will miss it more, me or J. I am reluctant to cut back on the nursings, because I will miss that closeness with him, he is so adorable when he nurses, and he just loves to nurse. He doesn't really take a bottle from G or me, so we have to figure something out when he looses a nursing at a meal.

J has started scooting. He uses his arms to pull and sometimes uses his feet to push. He does get on his knees and rock. He can almost get himself into a half sitting position. But if he gets to upright, he isn't very stable.

After I nursed J this morning, I put him on the floor. Since he has become mobile, the bed is not a safe place for him. He likes to be on his belly, which I was hoping wouldn't be a problem. I was wrong. The boy spit up about four times. I can't sit him by himself yet, since he still flops over. He won't stay on his back.

So, I after number four, I decided he could sit in his swing while I finished gathering dirty clothes for laundry day. E likes to play with him and did so while he was in the swing. She started the swing swinging, got his some toys and a blanket. She turned on his music and left the room, shutting the door. She then informed me that J was taking a nap.

When I was finished gathering clothes and ready to head down stairs, I went to get J. He was, in fact, taking a nap. My plan was to give him some cereal, then put him down for a nap. E thought otherwise.