Since my last post...

Now Isaac is rolling both backward and forward YaY!! He's such a go-getter, for as mellow as he is - he's got that perfect mix of laid-back and take action, he's going to make a GREAT man. He's about 11 days away from 5 months old, and VERY cute. He smiles all the time, and laughs at the silliest stuff. Cam can make him laugh, well - Cam can make anyone laugh - instantly. Mason still wants to hug him a lot and he's just such an angel for me. Today, we were sitting next to Nick and Oceann, and every time Isaac looked at Nick he got a pouty face and almost cried. Aw Nick! Isaac loves you too - I think it's his hair though, Isaac isn't used to seeing such hair on a guy LOL. We took a trip to Ikea with Cam and David yesterday, and got Isaac his first tool-belt. It's super cute. It's so hot this week that we're spending days in OB until Vic and JoJo get their air-conditioner. Right now Isaac is sitting next to me looking a little goofy, sucking on his thumb, now on his wrist, head up and bobbing (he can half-way sit up), propped on a pillow watching me type. He's that kind of kid, love it!

VBS

Isaac is at his first VBS this week! He's in the 0-2 room, I think he's got a LOT of girl admirers, that's what I'm told anyway. They are counting his fingers and toes, naming his body parts, he's basically been the star of the day. I got to bring him into the sanctuary for music - I made sure to plug his ears with silicone - and he seemed to enjoy it, although it was so new to him - all that activity and noise (even though muffled), it was probably very strange to him. I sent Vic a pic of Isaac and he said "he looks freaked out". LOL he might have been a little freaked out. Anyway, he seemed happy while there, we had lots of fun dancing together. He got to sit with Dr. Liz for a few days, she and Isaac became fast friends. He was really good for her and she didn't put him down at all (at least not for the hundreds of times I poked my head in the room). Hopefully next year he'll be at the craft table making new friends and play-dough art for his mama.

July 31st, 2012

Today Isaac rolled over for the first time!! Around lunch time, I put Isaac in his crib on his back for safe-keeping, with his mobile turned on (he loves watching it). I went to the bathroom, came back in to get him for more fun time and I found him fully turned over on his belly! I was so surprised because babies usually do the half-roll thing for a few weeks, but he's not really been doing it that much - just sort of experimenting here and there. I thought we had a couple more weeks at least before he rolled over completely - I think this boy's gonna be trouble !! lol. So awesome, but I'm sorry I missed getting it on video - felt like having a party for him after tho.

Friday, July 20th

Today the water got shut off at Vic's house. So, I took Isaac to OB for some cuzin time at my house. He seemed to feel so at home, was soooo calm and just plain wonderful the whole day long. I think the ocean air agrees with him. He slept for hours, Nick put him to sleep for his nap-time. This made Nick very proud, and also made Nick realize "hey, babies aren't that bad - I could get used to this". THANK you Isaac! I may have grand kids yet haha. Really not a whole lot to report because Isaac did sleep so much. Oo accept that he got to see his first concert in the park with the Poulsons. When he woke up from a nap to find himself on the blanket in the park listening to a loud band he didn't know how to take it. Mostly he just stared - I wish I had gotten a pic of that. Then I took him out of his seat to dance a little and ooo he got a little nervous and worried, he had that look on his face. Hugging him tight helped, he's such a beautiful baby - the kind that little tricks of the mom trade work on and it makes you feel like you're a successful care-taker. He's a gem, I love that boy!

Day ?

Picking up writing on this blog again after a trip to Rosarito and our family reunion. The planning and family time / partying with cousins and just general mayhem of it all has kept me from keeping up with my daily writings so I'll just sum up the last couple of weeks and continue from here... The past couple of weeks have been important ones for little Isaac! He's learned that he actually has hands and feet, he's been grasping his toys and even can hold his baba for a second or two. He smiles when I present his toes for playtime, maybe cuz he loves his colored socks. He seems to be teething cuz he goes NUTS when he's busy chewing on something and he escalates it to a snorting biting frenzy... I have to distract him and find his binky to calm him. He took his first trip to Balboa Park, yesterday, and rode on the famous SD merry-go-round with auntie Lucy, we got to sit in the rocking bench thingy, he LOVED it! We had a picnic with Brit, Tori, Ses, and Cam - Isaac had a great time with his cuzins. Jason is visiting, I think it's his first time meeting Isaac? He's nick-named him I-Jason-LaFond. Hmmm, ??. Anyway, Isaac is growing by leaps and bounds, looking taller and chubbier by the day. Can't remember how we ever got along without him. :)

Day 5

Today Isaac firehosed his own face. He's done it before, Vic's facebooked it - but I hadn't experienced the wonder that is stray pee from Isaac personally until today. It startled him, and almost landed in his left eye. Almost, thank God. Side note - the dog pooped spaghetti noodles, freaked me out - texted Vic & JoJo about it, so it's been a pee/poop day for me. He is such a GREAT boy, not just good, I'm in complete heaven. Mason is doing lots of funny weird stuff to make Isaac laugh. Cuzin comedy, it works. But it's stuff like beating his chest like a gorilla, jumping up and down while making funny noises and faces, hitting the top of his head and knocking himself over... Well, got some good video anyway. Isaac's been sleeping a lot, I'm also wondering if he's drinking enough milk - 3 oz every 3 hours does not seem like enough to me. But I can't get him to want more. I'll talk to JoJo about it today. He's peeing and pooping ok so I guess I shouldn't worry. I'm used to fat babies who eat all the time, my bad. I'm so lovin my job - Isaac is completely worth getting up at the horrid hour of 6am and crashing and burning around 3pm, I can't wait till this gig becomes full time. yay!

Day 4

Completely uneventful day - I suspect many of our early days will be like today. No news, but that can be good news, right? One thing I want to note is how Isaac sees a face - could be any face, on a toy, my face, Mason's face, etc... - and if he's in the mood, he'll giggle or at least smile. Just the shapes of a face will make him smile all goofy. I love that.

Day 3

Today was spectacular! I'm tellin ya - all it takes is his mom's previous nights night shirt to keep the boy supremely happy. I'ts like crack-cloth. Any time he makes even the slightest fuss, I just put that right next to his cheek and you'd think I shot him up with morphine or something. I'ts like the proverbial music soothing the proverbial savage beast. He's such an angel, I'm in love of course. I miss him very much when I don't get to be with him. I don't know how I'll get my Isaac fix whenever our situation changes and I'm no longer needed (awwwww waaaaa!!!) but it'll happen some day so I need to mentally prepare myself now. Anyway, I digress and this is not about me. Pretty much went normal all day - nothing really to report. Except for one ghastly projectile spit up that caused a clothes change. OOOO ya, I got my first laugh today! I found his tickle spots, right under his ear lobes at the top of his neck. If you lightly tickle and at the same time coochie coo him he laughs. I told JoJo that I found tickle spots and she knew exactly where I meant - she had already found them too, long ago I'm sure. He's a joy, I love his easy-going nature and his chill calm cool laid backness. So, Isaac was super quiet, Tori came by for time with him (she somehow found Vic's house - probably had her baby radar out, she's just like her mama), Seslie and JoJo came home so we all got to chat, then Bob came to pick us all up. Right in the middle of Mason and Seslie playing "house" and "mom and dad with babies" and "zombie chasing Seslie". We ruined all their fun taking Mason home, we'll be back tho, God willing.

Day 2

Isaac is a very quiet and good little boy today. It's his very first trip to High Tech High. We're going to see cousin Nick's "POL" (presentation of learning). Isaac gets to ride in the Ingalls caravan for the first time, Uncle Bob cleaned it pristine the night before just for him - so he'd have a clean and comfy ride. Funny how having such a precious baby in the car makes you drive ever so much more careful. I feel like I'm playing that game we play at Easter in Gram's back yard, the one where you put an egg in the spoon and run to the finish line. I got my egg in the back seat, and I'm running slower than the speed limit cuz I don't want to win, I want to be safer than usual. It's weird because I have my mom's race-car gene, so I really do have to restrain myself. Anyway, Isaac doesn't cry in the car either, JoJo had mentioned he might. We get to the POL and Nick's teacher, Miss Jaimee, is alllll over him. He wins her over, so he has a future ally at High Tech should he ever attend. Nick aces his POL, Isaac is very proud. Or maybe he's pooping - the serious look on his face could be either. As we're driving home, via the taco shop for bean burritos and carne asada fries, Isaac poops for real. I know this because I could hear it all the way from the front seat. I drive a Grand Caravan, so it's no small trip from the back to the front - that boy knows how to project. Nice... Cameron is being a good cousin and taking care of Isaac in the back seat, making sure he has his pacifier and teasing him so he can get good video footage. After we get home all is quiet and routine, baba, diaper, sleep, baba, diaper, sleep... etc etc till JoJo gets home. Love it.

Day 1

I'm going to try to blog - at least a little - every day I'm with Isaac. So here goes... This morning we arrived around 7am, usually very early for me (my brother knows I'm no morning person). But for time with Isaac!? you kidding? Of course I'll get up at any hour of the day. I'm excited - and very hopeful. I'm hoping he'll like me, I'm hoping I won't mess something up or not be able to figure him out, I'm hoping all goes well. Ok, well - he cried for about 2 hours after JoJo left, off and on. And when Isaac cries - it's exactly the opposite of his smiles, which are glorious. OMG, that boy gets AnGrY! When he cries, there's no gray area, he's either in or out. He always sounds like he got hurt when he really gets going. I love this about him - he commits himself and goes for it. I kiss his forehead and cheeks while he cries, I'm hoping it doesn't make him even more angry, but secretly I'm hoping he's easily teased and I'm laughing a little inside. He's just so dramatic haha - like my brother. I think he just wants a boob, pretty sure that's it. He seems to get pretty mad whenever I try giving him his pacifier or bottle, and there's no consoling him at times. He misses his mama I'm sure. Funny cuz I think he sensed her leaving, I'm pretty sure he knows what's up. Smart kid. I'm no dummy either, I find one of JoJo's shirts, a worn one from her laundry basket (sorry!), and put it next to him - he LOVES it. He's pretty gosh darn quiet the rest of the day. He finally starts napping soundly, before that shirt next to his face he was cat-napping and restless. I'm so excited I found his thing - a solution, my success for the day! Yay! Isaac poops big time, up and out of his diaper, I have to bathe him and change his clothes. I think he's getting back at me - maybe for figuring him out? Or for making weird and bizarre faces at him all day. He's pleased I think, his success for the day. JoJo comes home early, no doubt because she misses him (and I'm sure a little worried - what good mom wouldn't be?). We agree it's going to take some time and adjustment, but she's no amateur (Seslie went to day-care too). I'm seriously excited to come back and can't wait for another day with Isaac.

Intro

Eyes on Isaac. Tori named our blog - she's very clever. I really wanted to capture my time with Isaac so that I could share it with his mama, JoJO. I admire JoJo, she's a wonderful mother. She makes me want to be a better one too. She's had to make a very tough choice recently, to go back to work and sacrifice some time with her newborn - for the better of her family as a whole. JoJo and Vic, my bro, are just sorta starting out. They have one other child, a beautiful and glamorous daughter Seslie, a big house and car payments, school, bills... the usual. She's to be admired, I promise you. I love her. And I love her kids. O ya, and I love my brother too. I've been waiting for SO long to see my brother's son. Ever since Victor was a very little boy I have been dreaming about what his boy would look like. I think I've always wanted a repeat of the Victor days - Vic was such an awesome baby, I can't say that strongly enough. No bias behind that statement, everyone who experienced Vic as a baby was enamored and awed and instantly fell in love (JoJo's mom says the same thing about JoJo, I believe it). People who remember know I'm not embellishing. Isaac is living up to my dreams for Vic's boy, and Seslie is such a beautiful daddy's girl, I'm just so happy for this family! So, I hope this blog brings them a little joy and gives JoJo *somehow* a little of that time back, even if it's one-dimensional and not all-inclusive.