For Real?

Just now I was reading an article about babies rolling over and I read this:

"...the average baby begins to roll at 7 or 8 months...."

and this:

"'Infants used to roll over from front to back at about 4 months,' Dr. Olson says. 'It currently seems more common to see this at 6 months There are no apparent consequences to this slight delay.' If babies aren't rolling over by 12 months, he says this should prompt some additional attention from the pediatrician."

(Here is the link to the article: Rolling, an Important Milestone)

My goodness! Peanut Butter Cup really is in a hurry to grow up! He rolled over from his tummy onto his back just a few days after he reached 3 months! And just over a month later he rolled from his back to his tummy (see previous post HE DID IT!). Next thing I know he's going to be walking. Slow down Little One, slow down.

Spring has arrived!

A friend of mine from college (Mikki) drove down last Thursday to spend a few days visiting with us (which is why I haven't posted anything recently). While she was here we were able to go out and spend some time with the horses. It was a beautiful day, so I was scurrying here and there taking pictures while Mikki was grooming and tacking Ice (our palomino Quarter Horse) and my husband held Peanut Butter Cup.

After Mikki finished with Ice I brought out my handsome boy, Titan (who'd worked himself into a frenzy while Ice was out of sight -- he was drenched with sweat), and worked with him for a while. Initially my goal was to get him out and groom him thoroughly, but after we came back and saw how worked up he'd gotten, I decided to see how he would do with being sprayed down (it's not his favorite thing -- the last time we did it last year he completely flipped out). He did pretty well, he was a bit nervous about it a few times, but I was eventually able to almost completely hose him down. When I was satisfied that he was cooled down sufficiently, I groomed him and spent some time on teaching him to ground tie (he doesn't understand the concept behind it just yet, ha ha).

Anyhow...back to my original purpose for this post! I wanted to share some pictures that I took while we were out there. I still wish I could have gotten all the snow that everyone else did (though we did get about an inch -- it was a historic 'snowstorm' for this area, ha ha), but since it isn't going to happen, I'm glad that spring has indeed arrived and is in full swing!

I know this isn't necessarily evidence of spring (though in some contexts it could be), but I couldn't resist adding this one to the bunch! My little Peanut Butter Cup showing off his new hat we got to keep the sun out of his eyes. :) I just think it's adorable.

Pictures of My Darlin'

I was able to clear off quite a bit of space on my hard drive the other day and after my camera battery had recharged I finished uploading the pictures of little Peanut Butter Cup from after he'd rolled over onto his tummy from his back for the first time. Now, several days later, I finally have a chance to upload a few pictures...that is unless the Wee One decides to wake up prematurely. :-)

Panda Bear (our insane cat that we will be finding a home for soon as he just doesn't really fit into our family and will probably do better elsewhere) is mad that my husband and I have Penny (our other cat) in the office with us -- with the door closed with him on the other side. So, why is Penny in here with us and Panda Bear not included, you might be wondering. Well, he attacked Penny, so we have them separated for a little while. However, he is mad now and (this is how smart he is) in order to get back at us he meows as loudly as possible at the bedroom door trying to wake up Peanut Butter Cup (tonight is the second time he's done it). The cat is vindictive and brilliant -- and he's been driving me nuts.

Anyhow, back to the pictures of my little Peanut Butter Cup...I just had to vent for a minute. The first few pictures were taken slightly earlier that afternoon...my husband and I were working on the yard so Peanut Butter Cup was in his jumper/play station thing in the shade while we worked (he was having so much fun! He LOVES to be outside). It was the perfect opportunity to take pictures because the lighting was perfect and I haven't quite figured out how to adjust the settings for indoor pictures to make them as good as I'd like (if anyone can give me any tips I'd be willing to give them a shot -- no pun intended. I've tried so many different combination of settings -- without much luck -- that I've been a little discouraged lately). The indoor pictures are of when he'd just rolled over. I just put the camera on auto at that point as I didn't want to miss the moment any more than I had already.

Here they are! Enjoy!

He loves to stick his tongue out currently! :-) 

So serious!

"Gotta jump!"

I wonder what he was thinking here.

I think here he was thinking about trying to roll back over onto his back again. :-)

Hope you enjoyed them! Have a good night everyone!

HE DID IT!

My little Peanut Butter Cup rolled from his back to his tummy by himself for the first time earlier this afternoon! He still got his arm stuck under himself, so I had to help him get it 'unstuck', but the whole rolling thing he did on his own. :-) Unfortunately he did it when I had my back turned (I was getting ready to feed him so I set him down on the bed...I saw him trying, but I didn't think he was going to get all the way over. Next thing I knew, he was on his tummy!) I'm so proud of him! It's bittersweet though;  the excitement I have for each new accomplishment he has is always mixed with thoughts of "Slow down! You're becoming less and less of my little baby. You don't have to grow up quite so fast." He's in too much of a rush to grow up and try new things however, so I just have to enjoy every precious moment of his adorable 'baby-ness' right now...while it lasts.

I was going to try to post a couple of pictures I took of him after he'd rolled onto his belly, but while I was uploading them to my computer I ran out of space on my hard drive with only nine pictures left to upload. Guess which pictures those were? If you guessed the ones I had just taken of him after he'd rolled over, you were correct. The irony. Then to add insult to injury, my camera battery died. So, I'm trying to make space on my hard drive so I can finish uploading them...after my camera battery recharges. Ha ha.

Some people are just rude....

Today I finally had a chance to call the health clinic on post to try to make an appointment for Peanut Butter Cup's 4-month well-baby appointment...I know, I know I'm late in getting to it considering the fact that he passed the four month mark over a week ago. I haven't had much of an opportunity to call recently...that and I'm not looking forward to explaining to his pediatrician why I have chosen to follow a delayed vaccination schedule (I've heard some negative stuff about this particular doctor :-( ).

Anyhow, so when I called to make the appointment this afternoon the guy making the appointments was rather unpleasant to deal with. It wasn't that he insulted me right to my face or anything he just wasn't very helpful. He asked for my last name, I gave it to him (and spelled it to boot!), then he asked for a 'last four'...this is where I got confused -- mine? My husband's (since he is the sponsor)? Or maybe my son's? I asked him for clarification and after about 10 seconds of silence he didn't even bother to respond and just moved on to another question. So much for him taking down the proper information. When he wasn't very clear on what information he wanted with another question (he asked for a first name without telling me who's name he wanted -- I know it probably should have been common sense that it was whomever the appointment was being made for, but after the last question I really wanted to make sure who's name he was asking for) I again asked for clarification. More silence.... Eventually he did actually respond to that question, but it seemed like it was begrudgingly. In the end he ended up making an appointment for April 8th, but after I got off the phone I started to wonder if he was confused as to when exactly my little Peanut Butter Cup was turning 4 months old (I told him it was on the 11th when he asked). It could just be that his assigned pediatrician doesn't have any openings until then, but my husband isn't happy with the idea of his appointment being delayed that long. Since he gets off work early tomorrow, he gets to call and deal with any cranky people that may be on the other end. :-) Hey, he offered. :-P

I just can't wait to leave this place and get back to Hawaii. In the meantime I'm praying that the appointment makers and pediatricians in Hawaii are more professional and courteous.

On a more pleasant note...Peanut Butter Cup had been jumping up and down in his play station/jumper thing for probably a good twenty minutes when out of the blue he stopped about fifteen minutes ago. I heard my husband chuckle and when I looked behind me I saw my little darling sound asleep in his jumper. For anyone who has had chicks before -- it was like when they run, run, run and just suddenly stop dead in their tracks and they are snoozing with their beaks resting on the ground. He's now awake again and sitting on my lap as his bedtime is in an hour and I don't want him napping when it is so close.

Well, I must go and get Peanut Butter Cup ready and settled down for bed now. Goodnight!