What MDO loves about Miles

Miles came home from MDO the week before Christmas with a note detailing what his teachers love about him most.  They did this for all the kids, but of course we assumed that it was easiest to do for Miles. 

A few of the things they love are:

1. How you help pick things up when we drop them and give your friends their pacifiers and special blankets when they leave them behind.
2. Your giant smile and job of playing.
3. The way you have always bounded right in without fear or worry even from the first day of school.
4. Your excitement at watching the big boys and girls play on the playground through our window.

Love, Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Niger

Why I don't take the Ferry to/from Work

Every once in a while, people ask whether I take the ferry to or from work.  It seems like it would be the fastest way to travel since it's more of a direct shot than using the bridge.

The past few weeks, traffic on LA-1 and the bridge has been absolutely miserable.  One day I was sitting in traffic seriously contemplating trying to get a job at BASF since it's on the same side of the river as my house.  That's really not a reasonable option so I'm trying to vary the other factors (route, timing) and see how that helps.    Yesterday I had to run in to Plaquemine after work, so I figured it was a good time to try the ferry option. 

Side note: I've taken the ferry before and my major complaint then was having to drive on River Road (east bank) for what felt like forever.  Also throw in the fact that there's a bike training route on that stretch of River Road and people like to drive >60 mph and it makes me very nervous.

I planned to take River Road into St. Gabriel (to shorten my River Road driving) and then Hwy 30 back to Bluebonnet. Here's my timeline:

4:20, leave work and go into Plaquemine to run my errand.
4:38, in line for the ferry, towards the back of the line (about 5 or 6 cars could get in line behind me and not be blocking LA-1)
4:39, Ferry has docked and starts unloading... this is looking promising.  I had pretty good timing.
4:43, Our side starts loading.
4:51, Ferry leaves the west bank, I'm #2 in line for the next boat.  (D'oh, this isn't working out as well as I hoped)
I pass the time listening to Sirius radio, jamming to horrible summer hits that I love, and blowing bubbles left over from Koubi's wedding.
5:20, Ferry returns and docks on the west bank.
5:27, I'm on the boat.
5:34, Boat is on the river.  We're travelling down-river, so this trip is quicker than the east - west one.
5:40, Ferry is docked and offloading. 
5:44, I'm off the boat and on my way home. 
As I said above, there are bikers and people that want to drive a lot faster than I do. They pass me, I pass the bikers.  I missed the first turn option (Bayou Paul Ln.), so I had to go a little further to LA-74.
5:54, I'm on Hwy 30
6:04, I'm at Burbank and Bluebonnet. 

Verdict:  I like the River Road to St. Gabriel route better, but taking the ferry is still WAY longer than just driving the bridge.  I estimate I would have been home (at least) by 5:30 had I gone to the bridge.  And that's with running my Plaquemine errand. 

I still think taking the Ferry is fun, and wouldn't mind doing it in the middle of the day, or when there's less traffic.  I did look for property for sale while driving, but didn't see any.  Wouldn't it be awesome to live on River Road right near the Ferry?  Then I would take the ferry everyday!

Monthly Pictures Catch-Up

6 Months Old


6 Monts Old -- Eating his first food!



7 Months Old



7 Months Old -- Looking cute in his football jersey



8 Months Old

8 Months Old -- Food Truck Round up at Tin Roof



9 Months Old



9 Monts Old -- Playing with Honey in Destin



It's been a while...

It's been a few months since my last post.  Months have come and gone. 

Miles is now 10 months old.  Some milestones since February:

He's crawling, babbling, and pulling up on anything that will stand still long enough. 

We went to the beach in May to celebrate a marriage between one of our favorite cousins and her awesome groom.  It took a little while for Miles to get used to the sand, but after he realized he could throw it around with a shovel, he couldn't get enough of it.  He got to spend a lot of time with all of his cousins.  Unfortunately Jeff's parents couldn't join us, so Paul, Christy and David got a last-minute invitation.  It was a lot of fun to have all the boys together.  

Miles (finally) popped a tooth at about 9.5 months.  I think he's got ~2.5 now, two on the bottom and an almost-tooth up top.  They're pretty difficult to see and he's not very willing to show them off just yet.   

He will now drink a bottle of only formula.  I'm still pumping once a day at work and nursing in the morning and before bed (though I think he's trying to give up the bed-time nurse).  I think Beau would just like to wean totally, but I'm still hesitant to give it up. 

On the house front, virtually nothing has changed. 

I completed a project refinishing a couch table that I bought for $37.50 at an estate sale last year.  Beau and I ordered a new couch from La-Z-Boy.  A Memorial Day Sale gets us everytime... It's a 3 cushion, sleeper sofa.  We've always wanted a sleeper sofa with plans to eventually put it in the office (where ever that happens to be). 

I finally picked out drawer pulls and Beau installed them last weekend.  They're perfect (even though they were a little annoying to install). 

The next big house project is still undetermined.  We keep throwing around ideas but have yet to settle on anything.  I think the next project will be to clean out Kristen's room, which has become my dumping ground for all things.  My grandmother is moving out of her house and into an assisted living complex and I've recieved/taken a lot of her artwork (in addition to anything that I have a memory associated with).  All of it has ended up stacked against the wall in Kristen's room waiting for a new frame and a permanent home.  The only challenge of reframing everything is the high pricetag...

Monthly Pictures

This will be a repeat for anyone who's in my circles on Google Plus (but really, who minds looking at cute pictures of my kid over and over?).

3 months old and outraged.



4 Months old and sitting all by myself.


5 months old and ready to drive


I'm supposed to chew on this, right?


Mom's not very good at getting the medicine in my mouth.

I'm a happy boy most of the time.

MAC 5 Months

Miles turned 5 months old on Wednesday. We celebrated his first Christmas and New Years.
Our Christmas wasn't very Christmas-y this year. Mostly due to Miles being sick with ear infections for over a month, Beau getting some virus that effectively incapacitated him for 10 days and me getting a version of the virus that put me out of commission for 2 or 3 days. I didn't have the time, energy or desire to decorate. I did put up the Christmas tree, but had my mom finish decorating it while she kept Miles one morning.
Miles health recap: the amoxicillian only cleared up 1 ear, so we tried a 2nd antibiotic (omnicef) for about 6 days, at which point we realized he was still feeling horrible so we brought him back in and the doc prescribed augmentin. The augementin finally kicked both ear infections (confirmed on Dec 23... who knows what we would have done if he was still sick). In retrospect, we think Miles had some version of the virus too. Every time we would pick him up, move him or touch him he would scream. He ran fever and was inconsolable for a couple of days.
Beau health recap: The virus showed itself in Beau with muscle weakness in his arms, fever, and general achey-ness (I have no idea how to spell that). His hands and arms were so weak he couldn't open the 2 liter of coke. Big thanks to Pippi, Honey and Shelley for spending time with Miles so that Beau and I could recuperate.
Jenny health: The virus showed up in me by throwing up (while at work). I left work at lunch got home and went to bed. I ran the highest fever I have since I was in high school -- 101 degF. Everyone I talked to asked "are you pregnant?" Terrified that I might be, (thanks to all the girls I know who got pregnant while breastfeeding) I took a pregnancy test. *Sigh of relief* NEGATIVE. 12 months apart is a little too close for comfort.





5 Month Milestones


LSU embarrassed themselves in the national championship game laying down a big goose-egg vs. Alabama

We're finally back on some sort of schedule after all the sickness.
Miles is beginning to consider sleeping through the night. He's doing 4 or 5 hours at a time.
He rolls over sometimes when put on his tummy (but really he's done this since he was a month old).
He loves playing in his over-stimulation-station (exersaucer).
He's gotten VERY interested in Izzy. He watches her and reaches out for her when she comes to smell him. Izzy is very good and lets him grab her face without any protest.
He's getting interested in food. I'm planning to delay solids until 6 months, but he's tasted some things.
He's working on sitting up without help. He's not too good at it yet. He always tips over to one side or the other.
Anything and everything gets put in his mouth.
He recognizes faces and people. I love it when he smiles when I walk in from work :)

**EDIT 1/9/12** I started writing this post a month ago, sooo Miles is actually nearly 5 months old now.**

Miles is nearly 4 months old and I haven't posted his 3 month pictures yet. I'm not even sure I've taken them...

In the last month he's started really smiling and laughing.
He's basically outgrown his 3 month footie pajamas.
He's doing well sitting up with assistance.
He had his first encounter with the fabled "pink stuff"* thanks to a double ear infection.
Tigers have completed their first ever 13-0 season

*Apparently the amoxicillin we got was dye free and thus not pink. What is wrong with this world?!

since apparenly I fail at finishing posts, I'm just going to post this then I'll eventually follow-up with pictures.