Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year! The J-dog's first Christmas was full of travels, lovely sunny weather, lots of California family, oodles of gifts and lots of joy. As always, he was a perfect trooper on the trip, napping on cue and delighting in meeting lots of new people. And of course, of all the gifts we received this year, the J-dog tops them all.

The little guy is getting more and more mobile everyday. Sitting up is a breeze now, and though we still put a pillow behind him to catch him if he falls, he can now usually catch himself. The expression on his face when he realizes he is about to fall is priceless. And while he can't sit himself up yet, he can transition from sitting to lying on his belly. If he sees something that he wants on the other side of his play mat, he will roll from sitting onto his belly, and then either roll over several times like a log until he gets to it, or scoot himself forward like an army guy, pulling himself with his elbows and pushing with his knees. Still not exactly crawling though. But we are going to be buying him a play yard fence for the living room very soon. We did lower his crib mattress to the lowest setting because he is also just about ready to pull himself up to standing. He has been practicing in his little bathtub, where he grabs the front of the tub and pulls himself up, doing a naked imitation of Le.onardo DiC.aprio in T.itanic - "I am the king of the world!"

Although the little guy doesn't know it yet, I am getting ready to go back to work in just two weeks. I have very mixed feelings about it, but am lucky to have to teach only 2 days a week, so we can still have lots of good quality time on all those other days. We have hired a very nice and energetic young woman to take care of the J-dog on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now we just need him to master using his sippy cup so he can have formula a couple times a day (he still refuses to drink from a bottle, so we are moving straight to the cup). Though he still hasn't had more than a few sips in this manner, I assume that when I'm not around and he has no other choice, he will drink it. If not, he is a big eater and will survive on his formula mixed with cereal, veggies, fruits, yogurt, tofu, turkey, chicken and the like. I know that he will not starve. Wish us luck! (And if anyone has any suggestions to help with this matter, let me know.)

As I said above, I have very mixed feelings about going back to work. It is so strange to think that I have not been in the classroom since mid-April. In a way I do miss it, and I miss having a reason to get dressed up and leave the house. I miss my colleagues and having grown-up time. But all of that pales in comparison to how much I am going to miss the J-dog on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will have to leave right after he gets up in the morning, at 7:30, and won't be home until just before bedtime, at 6. I know so many people have to work that long every day of the week, and I am so lucky to have had the chance to stay with him as long as I have, as well as to have a two day schedule. Plus, it is only for a few months this time around, until early May, and then it will be summer again. We'll deal with the next semester when the time comes, but there is a good chance that some changes may be happening in our family. Good changes. But more on that later.

Once again, a wonderfully happy new year to you all. For those of you who are still struggling to reach your dreams, I hope this will be your year.