Snapshots: A Week in the Life of James (8)

Time is flying by! James is 2 months old and is bringing us so much joy every day! He is smiling a lot and something that is new this past week is he seems to be more aware of us and will smile when we make eye contact. He is still sleeping on average 7 hours each night. He made his first road trip this past week when we went with Tyler on his campus visit to Ave Maria, FL. James did pretty well in the car and this was just the first of many trips yet to come!

Day 50: September 23

"Perching with James"

Day 51: September 24

Daddy giving James an oil massage before bed

Day 52: September 25

How cute is he?! That was a new expression

Day 53: September 26

He loves bath time with daddy

Day 54: September 27

Tired guy after a long day at Epcot

Day 55: September 28

Video chatting with Grandma and Grandpa Rosser

Day 56: September 29 
"Captain Cutie"

And for the video this week James has a lot of smiles for his grandparents! We love and miss you!

Octahedron Mobile

This past weekend we switched things up in the Montessori room. We now have the octahedron mobile above James's movement area. James is 7 weeks and he can now see in colors and focus more clearly on three dimensional shapes.

It is amazing how difficult it is to slow down, especially in our society. So I find myself really enjoying the moments when I take the time to stop what I'm doing and just watch James. I see how he focuses more on objects. I see this especially when I am holding him close to my face and he gazes for a long time into my eyes. I wonder what he's thinking!

Snapshots: A Week in the Life of James (7)

Day 43: September 16

Bath time cutie

Day 44: September 17

James loves this picture painted by his Great Grandma Maxine

Day 45: September 18

Just chillin' waiting for daddy to come home

Day 46: September 19

Look who is happy it's Friday!

Day 47: September 20

First ride at Disney for both of these guys-Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Day 48: September 21

Ready for Sunday Mass with mom

Day 49: September 22

For the video this week we captured James's movements on his mat.

From Farm to Table

Last weekend we went to the Winter Garden farmer's market and decided it would be fun to get different vegetables to use to make our own pizza. We made pizza last spring and it brought us back to our blissful days in Italy because it tasted like the delicious pizza we ate when we were in Rome. Thin, crunchy crust, fresh tomatoes and basil, you get the picture.

We borrowed a Pizza and Wine cookbook from Tyler's parents and also took their pizza stone (we'll have to make you pizza next time you come to visit!) and last night we mustered up the energy to create a beautiful and delicious masterpiece with fresh ingredients from the farmer's market.

I made the dough during the day because it had to rise a few times. It was very easy because all I had to do was mix the yeast, water, flour, and salt in a mixer, let it rise for one hour, and then break it into individual balls and let it rise for 45 minutes. We put the left over dough in the freezer and already have plans to make a BBQ chicken pizza in the future.

Then came the sauce. We used tomatoes from the farmer's market and pureed them and then added olive oil, oregano, and sea salt. How easy is that? The fresh tomatoes spelled amazing and the olive oil gave it a beautiful color (maybe I've been watching a little too much food network...)

I rolled out the dough and then we strategically arranged it on top of four spatulas. Why the spatulas, you might ask? Well, this is where a pizza peel would come in handy but we had to make do since we forgot to get one. Last spring when we made the pizza we ran into the problem of how to transfer an already assembled, uncooked pizza, to a hot pizza stone already in the oven. Well, it was quite a mess but we managed somehow. So this time we thought the spatulas would help and it worked much better, but we'll have to get a pizza peel to make it even better for our next pizza making adventure.

Then came the fun part: assembling the pizza. This is where Tyler comes in, he is the pro at chopping vegetables and designing the pizza. Tyler sauteed small red potatoes from the farmer's market in olive oil to cook them to a nice soft texture. Next he sauteed mushrooms and chopped up a yellow and orange bell pepper, also from the farmer's market. We had saved a few strips of bacon from our breakfast last weekend and we used a mix of mozzarella and shaved Parmesan cheese. The pizza looked amazing even before it went into the oven.

The homemade pizza dough, rolled out to about a half inch thick, cooked beautifully on the pizza stone. It came out crispy and brown and all the fresh ingredients were beautiful. Tyler topped the cooked pizza with cut up arugula which gave the pizza a finished look and also added a nice flavor. And finally, because everything in Italy is finished with this ingredient, Tyler sprinkled a small amount of olive oil on top.

We devoured the pizza and thankfully had enough dough and vegetables left to make a second pizza that we'll have for dinner another night. We love to cook together and enjoy the process of making the food about as much as we enjoy eating the finished product!

Alert Time in Montessori Room

I wrote last week about James's Montessori infant room and am excited to share some pictures and videos of him hanging out in his room. When we put him on his blanket next to his mirror and mobile we call this his "uninterrupted alert time" and depending on how he's feeling sometimes he's content to stay there for 5-10 minutes. I'm sure as he gets older he'll enjoy more time. 

James at one week

At two weeks is when we first saw that James noticed the mobile. He would just stare at it and then continue to turn his head back and forth looking both ways.

James at two weeks

Tummy time at two weeks

Around three weeks is when he would stare for longer periods of time at the mobile and in the mirror.

James at three weeks

And the past week or so we've noticed he is more aware of his room because he'll look at the mobile and mirror but spend time just looking around at the wall or ceiling.

James at six weeks

We plan on switching to the next mobile this coming week and will be excited to see how James notices the change!

Snapshots: A Week in the Life of James (6)

We can't believe James is already six weeks! What a joy it is to watch him grow and develop. He is much more alert these days and has started to smile more!

Day 36: September 9

Alert time with his mobile

Day 37: September 10

Swaddling during naps helps him sleep better

Day 38: September 11

Hanging out with his friend Gianna

Day 39: September 12

Rockin the cloth diapers

Day 40: September 13

First time at Walt Disney World for both of these guys

Day 41: September 14

Going on a walk with mom and Frannie

Day 42: September 15

 Here is a video of James having some alert time in his room. 

Our Good Sleeper

Our little sleeper!

Every new parent is told in so many words to "enjoy their sleep now" before their baby comes because it's a fact of life that having a baby equals less sleep in some way or another. Thankfully little James is a good sleeper so our adjustment to sleeping less hasn't been as drastic. For some reason I am hesitant to tell people how much James sleeps at night. Maybe it's because he is sleeping more than the average baby for his age, I'm not sure. When he slept for 3-4 hours at three weeks old we were thrilled to not be getting up every hour and a half. Then at four weeks he started sleeping for 6 hours a night and since our pediatrician said since James has passed his birth weight we don't need to wake him up at night to feed him, we let him sleep! So up until last night James was sleeping consistently for 6-7 hours a night. Wow, I know! But last night beat the record and he slept for 9 hours straight. I still can't believe it. He's only 6 weeks old. Every night I tell myself that he might wake up during the night and that would be okay. So we'll see how this continues!

For those parents reading this who are getting a little jealous since their little ones didn't sleep through the night at 6 weeks, let me just say there is a down side. We've decided our little guy must be an extrovert because he loves to be awake during the day. I guess it makes sense. He sleeps all night so during the day is when he needs to eat and wants to be awake. I'll just say even though the days are difficult when he doesn't take more than a 30 minute nap and wakes up if I try to put him down, and he wants to eat whenever he is not sleeping for those 30 minutes, we can't complain about anything!

Showers of Blessings: {four}

It's time again to share a few blessings from this past week!

-one-

Look at the beautiful flowers Tyler got me! I was having a rough day (lack of sleep mostly) and it was while Tyler was out of town for his Alabama campus visits. So around 11am I got a phone call from the flower company asking if I was home for a delivery. Red roses are my favorite! Thanks my wonderful husband!

-two-

Speaking of Tyler's work trip to Alabama, it was such a blessing that God gave us the grace to get through the week. Both for Tyler and for me. He visited Auburn, Troy, and UAB and had very productive visits but it was exhausting with all the traveling. And I experienced what it is like to take care of James (and Frannie, haha) all by myself for two nights and three days. Let's just say I am so thankful that I don't have to do this on my own all the time. But God gives us the grace for the moment and that is a blessing!

-three-

When my parents were here last week we went to the Basilica of Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando and found these beautiful babushka dolls in the gift shop. I love babushka dolls and these will be perfect for when James gets a little older. And they are one of the first materials we've collected for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd which we hope to start with James when he is older!

-four-

And finally I want to shout-out to our girl Frannie. She is such a blessing to us and we couldn't ask for a more patient and loving dog. Especially with our little James. Frannie never barks (unless we put her in our room when guests are over and she is afraid of missing out) and is only really excited when it's time to go outside. Other than that she is chill and is great company for James and me during the day.

Montessori Infant Room

Ever since I was in second grade I wanted to be a teacher. I loved all my education classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as I worked toward my degree in elementary and early childhood education. However it wasn't until after I graduated and taught for a semester as an early childhood special education teacher that I felt there was something missing in my knowledge of teaching. I loved working with the children but was overwhelmed by the paperwork and felt the majority of my time was spent on testing and on the computer rather than with the children. 

I was introduced to the Montessori method of education while living in Ave Maria, FL right after Tyler and were married. I had briefly heard the name Montessori in one of my classes in college but didn't know anything about the method. I applied for the assistant teacher position in the preschool room and ever since then my love for Montessori has grown!

Tyler and I are reading Montessori from the Start and the authors talk about Maria Montessori's belief that "the human infant is born an incomplete being whose unique task is to finish its own formation," and that "education must begin at the child's birth." (p.3) We have been researching how to use some Montessori principles with James and are excited to continue to update you on our journey!

So far we have designed his room to fit his needs now and to prepare for each stage of his development. 

James' bedroom designed after the Montessori approach

The room is simple and everything has a purpose. As it says in the book, "If we want to give our babies an optimal environment, we need to think through the purpose of all that we give to them."(p. 45)

James currently sleeps in a bassinet in our room but when he gets older he can sleep on his floor bed. This will allow him to visually explore his room before he is able to physically move about. "A child-bed prepares the baby to move about in her room just at the time that her brain is ready for more information to be absorbed through her senses. Thus she can provide for her own needs and continue her own learning." (p.44) When James is able to scoot and crawl he will be able to get out of bed by himself and start playing in his room. When that time comes we'll either close the door or put a gate by the door and ensure that everything in the room is child-safe.

There is a mirror beneath the window and this is where James spends some of his awake time every day. The purpose of the mirror is to help James begin to visually focus his eyes and develop his sight. "The mirror...further enhances her sight by showing a different or "mirror" image of the room. The baby also sees her own image reflected and begins to connect her movements with the reflected movements of the child in the mirror." (p.44)

James having tummy time in his room by the mirror

By the mirror there is a blanket on the ground and a mobile hanging above. Like the mirror, the mobile also helps James to visually explore his world. "The baby gradually develops focus on a moving object, tracking of an object, and perception of color and depth." (p.44) In the Montessori method there are specific mobiles and they are used in a specific order. After a few weeks the mobiles are changed. "Babies seek novelty to learn something previously not known by them about their world. (p.45) My friend Casey made the first mobile for us, called the Munari mobile, which helps the baby perceive basic shapes without worrying about colors yet. In a few weeks we'll change to the Octahedron mobile which is three octahedrons of colored metallic paper. Casey also made that one for us so after that we're on our own and I'm excited to make the others!

The Munari mobile

Also in his room is a low shelf with three cubbies. This is more for when he is older and can explore his room and choose materials to work with. The objects will be rotated so as to not become boring as well as to help James learn more from them. "When a familiar object is re-presented a few weeks later, the infant will look at it on a different level because her brain has progressed and she is ready to take in more information. In this way, the infant knows the objects more deeply each time they go away and come back." (p.46)

Soon I'll share some pictures of James hanging out in his room and enjoying the mirror and the mobile. Ever since I learned about the Montessori infant room it's been my dream to have one and it's such a joy to be able to implement what we're learning!