James has entered a new stage of life- the communication phase- I like to call it. It has its ups and downs, and I am still learning how to best parent it. James now understands practically everything that we say or ask, but he hasn't learned how to communicate with words yet. With some things he doesn't need words because we understand him-
For example:
- If he wants to be held he will come up to me and just look at me or rest his head on me. I then ask him if he would like to be held. He nods yes. I tell him, "Say yes" and he just nods more vigorously.
- If he wants to go outside he brings me his shoes. If I don't respond or say "not now" he will bring me my shoes. He does say "Shhh" if I tell him to "Say shoes", but doesn't say it without a prompt.
- If he wants a drink he will sign "milk"- sometimes he means water, other times milk, and other times he gets his 'milk' sign confused with another sign and I dont know what he wants.
- If he wants to play with me he will bring me a toy (or book)
These examples definitely make it a lot easier to understand and communicate with James. It is nice knowing that if he is hungry he will tell me (even though he may be picky about what he eats), or if I get too wrapped up in cooking he will let me know...
BUT what has been hard is the fact that he can't talk. He understands everything and wants to communicate how he feels, but most of the time he can't say what he wants or feels... which leads to a frustrated little boy. When he is frustrated he usually whines, sometimes bawls, sometimes bites. Most of the time if we dont understand him or don't give him what he wants, he goes to the couch, puts his head in the cushion and sobs.
Some say ignore the behavior.
Some say timeout is the way to go.
Some say hold him until he calms down.
And sometimes you just want to give in so he stops crying.
Oh the joys of parenting.
I have so much more appreciation for parents... I wish parenting came with an exact instruction guide for each child.
They say that girls are easier because they learn to talk faster.... hopefully I have a least one girl! (Even though I think I prefer boys)
Wish me luck :)
9.29.2010
9.24.2010
Round 1- Success
The past week and a half I have had this due:
- 3 Essays
- 1 Quiz
- 3 Tests
And now it is complete and I can breath!
3 Essays- went well... I feel confident in what I wrote
1 Quiz- 100%
3 Tests- 86%, 90%, 93%
I thought I aced all of the tests as I was taking them but apparently not :( I am still happy with the grades though :)
.... And this doesn't include all of the assignments and tests Matt has taken this past week and a half... needless to say it has been a BUSY week, but it is amazing how easily things work out when you put the Lord, family and service (our callings) first!
WE ARE BLESSED!
- 3 Essays
- 1 Quiz
- 3 Tests
And now it is complete and I can breath!
3 Essays- went well... I feel confident in what I wrote
1 Quiz- 100%
3 Tests- 86%, 90%, 93%
I thought I aced all of the tests as I was taking them but apparently not :( I am still happy with the grades though :)
.... And this doesn't include all of the assignments and tests Matt has taken this past week and a half... needless to say it has been a BUSY week, but it is amazing how easily things work out when you put the Lord, family and service (our callings) first!
WE ARE BLESSED!
9.23.2010
Matt's Soccer Game
Matt is playing intramural soccer again, and so James and I get to support him at his games. This was one of Matt's first games. I wanted to take more pictures of Matt and his brother Stuart, but James kept wanting to get the soccer ball on the field (even though he had his own), so needless to say I only was able to get a few shots.
James and Matt playing soccer before the game. James LOVES kicking the ball!
He loved throwing the ball, running to it and kicking it back to the starting place.
Matt playing soccer- he had some awesome moves, I wish I would have gotten them on camera!
I am not sure why this picture looks a little wider, but it is really cute when it is normal :)
For our Family :)
Here are some pictures of James for our family that is away :) Enjoy :)
James loves sitting in the rocking chair by himself and he loves any gear that deals with sports. Anytime he sees a bat, soccer ball, football or small basketball he immediately gravitates towards it, no matter what else is available.
Another thing that James LOVES is baths. Whenever we mention the word he heads directly to the bathroom. After his bath he like to run around the house with his hooded towel and act like a snake (grandpa Shipley would be proud). He "Sssssss's" and attacks us (especially Matt).
James is playing with one of Matt's belts- he is in this phase (and has been for the past few months) where he likes things that he can do and undo, then do and undo. For example, he likes to buckle the belt and unbuckle it OVER and OVER again. He also likes to put things into containers and take them out again (toys, crayons in the box, etc.)
He likes to look in the mirror and recently he tries to take the mirror off of the wall and look behind it to see what/who is there.
James loves to be in the bathroom with us- he LOVES to brush his teeth (but doesn't like for us to brush his teeth... which makes it hard since he doesn't do a good job on his own), he likes to watch us brush our hair and then brush his, he ALWAYS wants to flush the toilet and pull the toilet paper, and he likes to watch Matt shave.
So basically we have the cutest little boy ever!
So basically we have the cutest little boy ever!
Do you know what is behind YOUR dryer?
A few weeks ago we went down to southern Utah for a family reunion (see last post for more details) and I accidently left a load of wash in the washer... yuck! Typically I would have gotten the clothes out, and then rewashed them, but I was in a rush so I just stuck soap in and started it up.... bad idea. I guess the clothes were stuck to the washer so well that when the water from the washer needed to drain, it couldn't.
As most people know when the washer goes through one cycle, it fills and empties the water multiple times....
So.....
we ended up with a wet floor and a paniced Stephanie.
Luckily I had caught the flood pretty early, so there wasn't that much water on the ground.
And luckily the washer doesn't have carpet under it (linoleum instead).
Well, to make a long story short, everything was fine and it was an easy fix. We decided to move the washer and dryer and clean the floor just to make sure that mold wouldn't grow.
In the process this is what we found:
Do you know what that is???? Here is a closer look:
IT'S A BIRD!!! When we removed the silver duct, this is what we found in the entrance to the back of our dryer! If you look closely in this picture, you can see the beak and everything!
I have no clue how long it has been in there... this is the first time that we have cleaned behind the dryer in two years.
And no it didn't stink! Here is another picture when we put it in the trash next to Matt's hand (so you can get a comparison for size purposes)
So- I will ask the question again-
As most people know when the washer goes through one cycle, it fills and empties the water multiple times....
So.....
we ended up with a wet floor and a paniced Stephanie.
Luckily I had caught the flood pretty early, so there wasn't that much water on the ground.
And luckily the washer doesn't have carpet under it (linoleum instead).
Well, to make a long story short, everything was fine and it was an easy fix. We decided to move the washer and dryer and clean the floor just to make sure that mold wouldn't grow.
In the process this is what we found:
I have no clue how long it has been in there... this is the first time that we have cleaned behind the dryer in two years.
And no it didn't stink! Here is another picture when we put it in the trash next to Matt's hand (so you can get a comparison for size purposes)
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND YOUR DRYER????
9.07.2010
Mauger Family Reunion
This past weekend we went to Summit, Utah for a family reunion- the family is Matt mom's side. I have over a hundred pictures from this past weekend, so here are a few of my favorite :)
NOTE: Andrea- In one picture James is wearing the suit that your mom bought him- he looksa adorable and we love it! Thank you!
2nd Note: There are too many pictures to comment, so if you have any questions, just ask!
NOTE: Andrea- In one picture James is wearing the suit that your mom bought him- he looksa adorable and we love it! Thank you!
2nd Note: There are too many pictures to comment, so if you have any questions, just ask!
9.06.2010
12 Months!
Well, as most people know, James is 1 year old! He is such a joy to be around, even if the whining phase has started. He is such a funny character and has such a lovable personality.
Everyone that meets him always asks, "Is he always this happy?" or "Does he always smile and laugh this much?". He still loves to cuddle with you when he wakes up and when he is tired or sad. He loves walking, and he has the bruises to show it! He NEVER crawls anymore, and he learned early to stand up on his own without leaning onto things.
His FAVORITE thing to do is put things away- he loves picking up objects, whether they be his toys, shoes, leaves, ANYTHING and putting into to something- the trash, a random box, under the couch, in my purse, in his toy box, etc.
He is such a BIG helper when it comes to cleaning toys away, but thanks to him I have lost my iPod several times just to find it tucked away in a secret corner.
He loves eating by himself. He has started using a spoon and usually will eat about 5-7 spoonfuls and then plays with the rest of it (usually it is either yogurt or applesauce). He doesn't like plain chicken, but likes chicken nuggets. He doesn't like sweets (like cake, donuts, cookies, etc.) as much as he likes green beans.
He has digressed a little bit when it comes to talking- he used to say Mama, Dada, Ba (ball), baba (bottle) and a few other words but now it is mostly "Ugh" while pointing to an object, with an occasional "mama" when he is crying. He does use a little bit of sign language which helps out a lot- he knows milk, drink, eat, more, all done and shakes his head yes or no to almost any question we ask him. It is the cutest thing to see him shake his head yes because his entire body shakes.
At the doctors appointment he weighed in at 23 lbs. 10 oz. He head circum. was off of the charts (about the 120%), but the Mauger side has always had big heads, so that isn't a surprise. Overall though he is in the 67% for boys his age, which we are happy about.
He sleeps from about 9 pm - 7 am, and then takes two naps, one from 10-12, and then other one usually from 3-4.
He LOVES LOVES LOVES going outside. Whenever I ask him if he would like to go outside, he shakes his head Yes and gets a HUGE smile on his face. I then tell him to bring me his shoes, and one at a time, he gets his shoes from the basket and lets me put them on him.
He loves to explore everything, so we always have to keep the bathroom and bedroom doors closed. We had to put a lock on our oven, our cabinet under the sink, our pantry, and our entertainment center. He is allowed to explore the other kitchen cabinets that have his bowls in them, pots and pans, tupperware, etc.
He is such a good listener- if we ask him to go get something or to go find someone, he listens.
James has learned to throw his food when he is all done eating. He will do the sign language for "all done" and then will continue by throwing his food off of his tray- that silly guy! In Texas he would feed the dog Einstein.
He loves eating by himself. He has started using a spoon and usually will eat about 5-7 spoonfuls and then plays with the rest of it (usually it is either yogurt or applesauce). He doesn't like plain chicken, but likes chicken nuggets. He doesn't like sweets (like cake, donuts, cookies, etc.) as much as he likes green beans.
He has digressed a little bit when it comes to talking- he used to say Mama, Dada, Ba (ball), baba (bottle) and a few other words but now it is mostly "Ugh" while pointing to an object, with an occasional "mama" when he is crying. He does use a little bit of sign language which helps out a lot- he knows milk, drink, eat, more, all done and shakes his head yes or no to almost any question we ask him. It is the cutest thing to see him shake his head yes because his entire body shakes.
At the doctors appointment he weighed in at 23 lbs. 10 oz. He head circum. was off of the charts (about the 120%), but the Mauger side has always had big heads, so that isn't a surprise. Overall though he is in the 67% for boys his age, which we are happy about.
He sleeps from about 9 pm - 7 am, and then takes two naps, one from 10-12, and then other one usually from 3-4.
He LOVES LOVES LOVES going outside. Whenever I ask him if he would like to go outside, he shakes his head Yes and gets a HUGE smile on his face. I then tell him to bring me his shoes, and one at a time, he gets his shoes from the basket and lets me put them on him.
He loves to explore everything, so we always have to keep the bathroom and bedroom doors closed. We had to put a lock on our oven, our cabinet under the sink, our pantry, and our entertainment center. He is allowed to explore the other kitchen cabinets that have his bowls in them, pots and pans, tupperware, etc.
He is such a good listener- if we ask him to go get something or to go find someone, he listens.
9.02.2010
Emotional.
Right now James is sleeping and I should be:
1. Doing the dishes
2. Cleaning the living room
3. Making the bed
4. Reading my class textbooks
5. Working on YW stuff
BUT instead I have been looking at pictures of James for the past hour. I can't believe that he has been in my life for a year, and like many can predict, I have so many mixed feelings. I am so proud of all of his accomplishments and how independent he is becoming but I am so sad that it is going by so fast. I can't describe how much I love his personality and how his face lights up whenever he sees me, but it is also so difficult to handle his newly acquired tantrums. He is getting so big and I feel so overwhelmed with what I have to be for him:
A teacher- someone who teaches him his letters, numbers, colors, body parts, how to be reverent, how to pray, how to read for more than 5 minutes, how to use a spoon correctly, etc.
A 'discipliner' (even though I don't think that a word)- someone who completely ignores his tantrums and praises him when he is not throwing a tantrum. Someone that tells him what is dangerous even though he cries because he wants to play with it, someone who will spend 20 minutes cleaning toys up with him when it would only take her 20 seconds.
A Nurse- someone that holds him when he falls down while walking, someone that knows how to handle his teething symptoms, someone who helps him brush his teeth even though he wants to do it himself.
A cuddle partner- someone who will hold him when he is tired or just waking up, someone who will hold him when he meets new people, especially men, someone, only by the name of MOM, who he wants to hold him even when there are half a dozen other people who could hold him.
A cook- someone who will come up with an assortment of healthy food options to give to him on a tight budget, someone who is willing to have their meal rejected by him because he wants a different meal (even though he usually loves that meal)
A good wife- someone who he sees loves his daddy and is doing nice things for him, someone that doesn't get frustrated or raise their voice at daddy but instead gives daddy hugs and kisses.
An adventurer- someone who will take him out into the world to see and experience everything good that the world has to offer, someone who will have fun with him at the park, someone who will teach him what the fruits are called in the stores and what the animals are at the zoo
I love being a mom, but I definitely feel overwhelmed at times with everything that I want to be for my little guy. To add to that, I also want to be an A+ student, an excellent YW President, a good friend who actually talks and hangs out with her girlfriends, and most important, a good wife.
Lately I have found myself especially lacking in the latter category. I guess with all of the pressure I am feeling, the person that I take it out on is Matt. We do have a great relationship, and we try never to go to sleep upset at each other, but I have noticed myself expecting too much out of him and I always seem to want him to do things on my schedule. I am sorry. From this point on I am going to try to be better to him and I think by doing so (hopefully), everything else will fall into place and I will feel less stressed.
I still need to blog about James' birthday party and his 12 month stats and accomplishments, but for now I will do the list of chores at the top of this blog :)
Thanks for letting me vent :)
1. Doing the dishes
2. Cleaning the living room
3. Making the bed
4. Reading my class textbooks
5. Working on YW stuff
BUT instead I have been looking at pictures of James for the past hour. I can't believe that he has been in my life for a year, and like many can predict, I have so many mixed feelings. I am so proud of all of his accomplishments and how independent he is becoming but I am so sad that it is going by so fast. I can't describe how much I love his personality and how his face lights up whenever he sees me, but it is also so difficult to handle his newly acquired tantrums. He is getting so big and I feel so overwhelmed with what I have to be for him:
A teacher- someone who teaches him his letters, numbers, colors, body parts, how to be reverent, how to pray, how to read for more than 5 minutes, how to use a spoon correctly, etc.
A 'discipliner' (even though I don't think that a word)- someone who completely ignores his tantrums and praises him when he is not throwing a tantrum. Someone that tells him what is dangerous even though he cries because he wants to play with it, someone who will spend 20 minutes cleaning toys up with him when it would only take her 20 seconds.
A Nurse- someone that holds him when he falls down while walking, someone that knows how to handle his teething symptoms, someone who helps him brush his teeth even though he wants to do it himself.
A cuddle partner- someone who will hold him when he is tired or just waking up, someone who will hold him when he meets new people, especially men, someone, only by the name of MOM, who he wants to hold him even when there are half a dozen other people who could hold him.
A cook- someone who will come up with an assortment of healthy food options to give to him on a tight budget, someone who is willing to have their meal rejected by him because he wants a different meal (even though he usually loves that meal)
A good wife- someone who he sees loves his daddy and is doing nice things for him, someone that doesn't get frustrated or raise their voice at daddy but instead gives daddy hugs and kisses.
An adventurer- someone who will take him out into the world to see and experience everything good that the world has to offer, someone who will have fun with him at the park, someone who will teach him what the fruits are called in the stores and what the animals are at the zoo
I love being a mom, but I definitely feel overwhelmed at times with everything that I want to be for my little guy. To add to that, I also want to be an A+ student, an excellent YW President, a good friend who actually talks and hangs out with her girlfriends, and most important, a good wife.
Lately I have found myself especially lacking in the latter category. I guess with all of the pressure I am feeling, the person that I take it out on is Matt. We do have a great relationship, and we try never to go to sleep upset at each other, but I have noticed myself expecting too much out of him and I always seem to want him to do things on my schedule. I am sorry. From this point on I am going to try to be better to him and I think by doing so (hopefully), everything else will fall into place and I will feel less stressed.
I still need to blog about James' birthday party and his 12 month stats and accomplishments, but for now I will do the list of chores at the top of this blog :)
Thanks for letting me vent :)
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