Just Chillin'

For the Record....

Between the hub-bub of moving & preparing for Luke's arrival, I think I forgot to officially record that Jackson is potty-trained. He wears undies all day and only rarely has an accident. We do still put him in a pull-up at night, although he doesn't really need it since he wakes up dry every morning. I'd just rather be safe than have to change the sheets if he did have an accident. Plus he did poop in the night-time pull-up last week, so it's not a total waste of money to keerp him in them at night. For the record I would say that he's been fully potty-trained for a good month or so.

Makin' Daddy Proud

Bouncer Town

We took the boys to Bouncer Town yesterday. We went mostly because Mommy needed to get out of the house for a while but also because we needed to let Jackson do something different after daycare besides just come home. I find that he is in a much better mood when he is doing something fun, new, or different and I really wasn't in the mood for a fight about coming to the table for dinner.
Bouncer Town is part warehouse of inflatable bouncy slides and obstacle courses and part "Chuck E. Cheese"-like games - both of which are totally up Jackson's alley. I would rather take Jackson to this place 20 times before I take him to the dreaded Chuck E. Cheese. It's much cleaner and even better at wearing him out because of all the bouncing. $6 gets you all the bouncing you can take and then you obviously can buy however many game tokens you want so that you can go home with all the crappy toys you want! The have 5 bouncers that they occasionally change around, although there is always a "toddler" bounce area, 2 giant slides, and some sort of obstacle course bouncer. The 5th bouncer is usually just some random bounce house area for all ages.

Climbing the obstacle course.Playing his Daddy in air hockey - guess who won!First time in the carrier and........I think he likes it just fine!

Hey Grandpa...

... your "first mate" is dressed and ready for his first sail!

(Nearly) Naked Baby on the Floor

Visiting With Aunt Maureen

Luke's First Visit to the Pediatrician

The visit was mostly non-eventful except that it took forever, which is unusual for our doctor. The visit took a long time because they had to do the newborn blood screen and the nurse that had to do it was none too happy about it. I guess the screen is supposed to be done in the hospital sometime after 48 hours from the baby's first feeding. Well, we weren't willing to stick around the hospital after I had been discharged for 9 hours for the blood screen so we left the hospital before it had been 48 hours for Luke. We didn't think it was a big deal because the hospital said that we could just have the pediatrian do the screen on our first visit as long as the visit was within a few days. Sounded good to me, so we left. The nurse at the peditrician's office had a really hard time getting enough blood to come out of the heel stick though. After she later consulted the office's nurse practitioner, who had previously worked at Riley Children's Hospital, they discovered that the nurse wasn't using a long enough lancet. Poor Luke had been pricked in the heel about 4 or 5 times by the time they discovered this. His heel was a little black and blue the next day from all the sticking, but he seems to have survived the ordeal.

Neither One of Us Look Too Tired Here, So That's Good

This picture must have been taken after one of Chris's night-shift duties....

Bubble Machine

He got a new haircut just in time for his school pictures today and I think it looks good. He also got a new Diego bubble machine which he really had fun with. I'm just not sure why he insisted on enjoying it without pants while wearing the neon necklaces that he "won" at the bounce-house place.

So Far, So Good, So Sleepy

We've been home for about 26 hours now and all seems to be going well. Of course, I say that having only had to spend about 2 hours by ourselves because my parents have been here. Four-on-two is a much easier ratio than two-on-two in almost anything you do! We've been the beneficiaries of that favorable ratio and of my Mom's inability/unwillingness to relax at all, so now we have even less laundry and housework to do than when we left for the hospital! Not such a bad deal to go off for a few days and come home to a clean house and the best smelling baby in the world. :)
Thus far, Luke has been a typical newborn - nothing but sleeping, eating, pooping, and crying, but luckily for us none of these traits have shown up in any intolerable ratio. He's mostly an eater & sleeper. Here he is napping in the bouncer today...

Day One Photos

The newest Maples boy...

Hi Luke!

Jackson asked to "hold" the baby...

Maples: Party of Four

Jackson did really well with the introduction to Luke. At first, he was only interested for a few moments, long enough to look at him, then walk away. Then, Jackson just totally ignored him and would not respond to you when you asked him a question about Luke or about being a big brother. He quickly turned around once he got comfortable in the hospital room though. After about 5-10 minutes, he went back to being interested in Luke...wanting to hold him, see his feet, give him hugs and kisses, etc. So all indications are that everything will go well with the two brothers getting along...until Jackson has to start sharing his toys, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!

Of course, it can always be a different story when we get Luke home.....

Cool Hand Luke

Luke William
9-12-02
6:49pm
9lbs, 12.6oz
21 inches
One of the two best things on the face of the earth.

S/He Should Be Here on 9/12/08

As long as this induction doesn't take 29 hours like Jackson's did, #2 should be born on 9/12/08. Here's to hoping all goes well....:)

Go Colts! And Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Jackson was really excited by the matching outfits. Actually, come to think of it, so was Chris. So sorry our Colts are gonna have to beat those Bears on your birthday Grandma! Hope your day was otherwise good!

Oh Dear, September is Here!

Birthstone: Sapphire










Flower: Aster








September is National Hispanic Heritage month.








Famous (and not-so-famous) people born in September:
1st - Gloria Estefan & Barry Gibb
2nd - Salma Hayek
3rd - Charlie Sheen
4th - Beyonce Knowles
5th - Bob Newhart & Raquel Welch
7th - Buddy Holly & Pat Laschober
8th - Patsy Cline, Peter Sellers, & Bill Laschober
9th - Hugh Grant, Otis Redding, & Colleen Maples
10th - Roger Maris & Arnold Palmer
11th - O. Henry
13th - Mel Torme
15th - Agatha Christie
16th - BB King & Lauren Bacall
17th - John Ritter & Anne Bancroft
18th - Ryne Sandberg
19th - "Mama" Cass Elliot & Jessica Falk
20th - Sophia Loren & Dr. Joyce Brothers
21st - Bill Murray & Steven King
23rd - Bruce Springsteen & Ray Charles
24th - Jim Henson
25th - Barbara Walters
27th - Shawn Cassidy & Wilford Brimley
28th - Ed Sullivan
30th - Johnny Mathis & Truman Capote

2008 is the Chinese Year of the Rat:
Being born a Rat is nothing to be ashamed of. In China, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. It is deemed an honor to be born in the Year of the Rat and it is considered a privilege to be associated with a Rat. Rats know exactly where to find solutions and can take care of themselves and others without problems. They use their instinctive sense of observation to help others in times of need and are among the most fit of all the Animal signs to survive most any situation. Being born under this sign determines many talents, as well as other characteristics that may not be so commendable. Rats are very lively and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They can be calm and perceptive, but sometimes their brains can cause a mental restlessness, tempting them to take on too much, only to discover they are unable to meet their commitments. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going. Add to their intelligence a curiosity and a bright imagination, and they seem as sharp as a needle. The sign of the Rat is the first sign in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation. Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the Animal Zodiac. Often, the Rat is lively and genial, and has a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. They are great speakers and intriguing conversationalists, and can generally find something to say on just about any topic or subject. Of course, there is always that renowned Rat lure that allows them to charm the pants off of people! To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive, and will go out of their way to be certain their loved ones are content. On the other hand, if the Rat does not like someone, he is considered fair game and can be used to achieve any and all of the Rat's desires. At the end of the day, though, the Rat is a loyal friend and will be there for his companions through thick and thin.
2008 is "The Earth Rat". The Earth adds solidity to the Rat's personality. An Earth Rat is conventional and a good achiever who likes to establish roots early in order to make a secure future for himself and his family. These Rats have the typical Rat ingenuity and mental capacity, but a strong sense of reality often alludes them preventing them from going after anything that could be impromptu. Earth Rats are honorable and love to be stabilized. Slowly and steadily acquiring wealth gives them a sense of inner peace. Although they are capable of being stingy with their finances, they do possess warm feelings for their family and friends.

Compatible Friends: Dragons and Monkeys
Mortal Enemy: Horses

Famous people born in the Year of the Rat:
Galileo
President Jimmy Carter
Mozart
Johann Strauss
Monet
Toulouse Lautrec
Charlotte Bronte
Shakespeare
Leo Tolstoy
Prince Charles
Al Gore
Samuel L. Jackson
Bono
Burt Reynolds

Mission Accomplished

Not only did the nursery get finished over the weekend, but we also met our other goal and got the rest of Jackson's room done too. We didn't have much relaxation over the long holiday weekend; we were busy beavers! I keep fooling myself and thinking that I'll have time to relax during maternity leave. What a joke! I mean, I still mostly remember what it is like since I did it only 2 years ago. All I can say is that denial is a powerful tool to help you keep going when you really don't want to!

#2's Nursery

It's not too exciting, but we like it! That giant Pooh Bear might just be the softest stuffed animal I have ever touched. My husband and societal pressures are the only things that are keeping me from stealing it from my unborn child so that I can cuddle with it at night.