Jack had quite a weekend. It all started Friday night about 3 a.m. with a screaming fit that brought us to our knees. Joe even woke up, which is not the norm, and took the poor screeching baby from me. He was grabbing at his face and ears and sounded like he was being stuck with a hot poker. We decided he must have an ear infection and called the doctor in the morning (luckily our doctor has Saturday hours) for a 9:30 appointment.

Nothing was wrong, thank goodness. Who knows why he woke up in such a state – she even said he’s not teething. (I’m not sure what explains him drooling constantly and biting at everything in sight, but that’s another story.)

For his rash she suggested bathing him in tepid water once a day and slathering him in cream afterwards to lock in the moisture. He’s getting more used to the bath these days, and even seemed to be posing for the camera here:



Our friend Kim got him a dragon towel and he really likes it:



After quite a busy morning, we headed down to Chandler so Jack could visit Grandma and Grandpa Adams. They took him to McDuffy’s to learn about off-track betting:



I think he won and was telling Grandpa all about it. Then he made a friend with Dillon, who is also right around 4 months old:



It’s funny to see babies regarding one another. They always look slightly confused. Is it a mirror? Is it an alien?

Afterwards Jack went for a visit with Great Grandma, who has a magic touch and can get him to sleep. We should bring her over at night!



When he woke up it was time to play with the Easter Bunny:



and his new fancy toy:



(Notice the phone book under his feet. No surprise, he can’t quite touch the ground. I still sit in chairs sometimes where my feet don’t touch, so I imagine this may be a life-long issue for him.)

He really liked the toy. He’s starting to grab at things and notice his surroundings a lot more. He could even move the pieces back and forth:



After a day with the family, Jack was pretty tired. He came home, ate some dinner and fell promptly to sleep! No crying, no fussing, nothing. Joe said to me “I think this is the first time I can remember having a quiet dinner in a long time.” It was wonderful.

I’ve gotten a few emails and comments about the whole sleeping thing. Many mothers have chimed in to tell me that I will never get a full night’s sleep again. And I know that is true to a degree, but I also know it’s not normal for him to wake up every 1 or 2 hours even when he’s not hungry. I don’t need ten hours of sleep like Kim gets, but I know I can eventually at least get 4 at a time.

My sister-in-law Anne, the supreme goddess of motherhood, did have some very sage advice to share, however.

“Jack is not a sleepy guy. I don't think he will ever sleep as long and as often as all your friend's kids. Sorry. I want to save you the frustration of trying so hard. It is a journey, not a race.”

It is a journey, and quite an interesting one at that. Thanks Anne. It helps to hear from people who have been there and know there is life on the other side.

This morning we hopped out of bed and drove up to Scottsdale to see Grandma Sandee. It’s Palm Sunday, so we took the little guy to church. Grandma held him while she sang:



He liked the first half with all the music people to look at, but when it got to the readings he started to fuss. I took him into the crying room and as soon as the minister started his sermon, Jack promptly fell sound asleep.

After another big day of visiting, he came back home, ate some dinner, and yes, fell back asleep. I am hoping for another good night. On that note, I will leave you with one last picture: