Decisions decisions

Well after not posting for quite a while I've decided to no longer update my blog. I've become a little leary of some of the transparency that is needed to keep up with it. I am on facebook, which is more controlled. So if you'd like to know what's going on with us find me on there.

May Photos

April Photos

April Videos

March Pictures/Videos

First Big Outing

We went to the cirus today with several friends. Dexter had a good time when the cotton was in his ears. If it fell out he was twitching, jerking and writhing because of the noise. Thank you Kristi for supplying the cotton balls, it was a definate life saver.

I was a little disappointed by the obvious "sex appeal" throughout the performance. The lady doing the Afghan Dog performance was especially poignant. I thought it had a lot to do with her costume at first, but then I realized several of the other ladies were "dancing" as well. They could have taken out many of these elements and still had an amazing show. Everyone knows "sex sells" but directed at a crowd that young? I have not had the opportunity to watch many of the newer kids programs to know if this has been integrated into our culture at this young of an age. Many of the kids we went with were too young to notice any of this.

I'm assuming this is going to come up again in the future. So I guess my next question ... is this something we point out to our kids ... and then how do we continue the conversation from that point?

Standing, Standing, Standing on the Promises

Well not really standing on the promises, but Dexter is standing- with the assistance of something to hold onto. He enjoys standing in his crib and next to the couch (if we position him in advance). He will wobble around for quite a while before he topples over. It's quite comical when he's standing and gets so excited he forgets to hold on. Once he's down on the ground he is completely baffled and doesn't understand why the scenery changed so drastically.

Dexter has been sleeping SO MUCH lately & cranky too! We are expecting that a huge growth spurt is around the corner, some more teeth, and maybe some initiative towards learning how to crawl. This mixture has left the little man exhausted. For the past couple of nights he falls asleep on the way home from the sitters, is awake for an hour or two and then is out cold for another 12 hours (well I suppose he does wake up to eat). What a life... this kid has been sleeping for 15+ hours a day, every day this week.




Another new development is seperation anxiety. If we leave the room, or even appear to be leaving the room Dexter starts pouting and eventually it turns into all out crying. We have attempted to reassure him by talking to him as we're leaving the room. "Mommy is going to let the dog in. I'll be right back." and the conversation continues until we return. At this point we say "See that didn't take too long. Did it?" We've experienced the brunt of the anxiety at night. If Dexter awakens during the night for no apparent reason we go in to check on him. Of course we don't want to arouse him too much so we try not to talk to him. If we don't pick him up, or when we leave the room- you'd better be sure you have a set of earplugs. Someone is going to let you know he's is not happy, not happy AT ALL.



This has also started to rear its ugly head in regards to others. We recently took a car ride with several family members & Dexter did not like it when all he could see was Uncle Chad. We had to attempt a Chinese Fire Drill on the interior of the car- while driving down the road (don't worry, the driver stayed put).




It's unfortunate that we have to set up boundaries for our kids so early in life. On the other hand if we set up these boundaries in advance, or as they come up then we don't have the difficult task of trying to set them up after habits are already established.


What about you... what kinds of boundaries did your parents set up for you?

Backwards Progress

Seems kinda like an oxymoron doesn't it? Well it's true... Dexter is making backwards progress. He doesn't enjoy tummy time very much these days so we fully take advantage of it when he's in the mood. The other day he was on his tummy for quite a while. He scooted himself backwards far enough that he was no longer on the blanket.


We've been helping him stand beside things while he holds on and bears his own weight. He very much enjoys this freedom and at times gets so excited he forgets to hold on. He's taken a few spills, and cried a few times, but with the encouraging tone of mommys voice decides at the very least he needs to pout.


When we hold onto his hands from a lying position he's also started pulling himself until he's sitting. Since this revelation mommy & daddy have reluctantly decided it's time to drop his crib mattress down a level.

Feb Photos

Jan Photos

The "New Normal"

The new normal is beginning to work like a well oiled machine. Things are beginning to run smoothly, that is until Dexter decides to switch things up on us.

Dexter is growing like a weed and saying "Dadada" all the time. He is now sitting by himself, and "swimming" on the floor. He's not yet crawling, but we're anticipating that will come soon (James and I were both pretty early walkers, so we're expecting that's just around the corner too). He has his two bottom teeth (he got his first one on Christmas morning), and loves to eat his fruit and veggies, and just started eating meat. He recently started the chewing motion when eating (which is absolutely hilarious... the kid doesn't close his lips so food is always falling out), so he'll be ready for soft table food pretty soon. Dexter loves his puppy dog (he laughs and gets excited every time Dakota comes around) & enjoys showing the baby in the mirror his antics. Dexter is pretty mild mannered, and easy going (that's a HUGE surprise coming from the two of us, wouldn't you say??).

James has been busy cutting & splitting, and working on his lathe. He's really taken to that thing and is super excited about making another Bat for Softball Season. He recently broke his chisel rest and is trying to figure out how to fix it or purchase a new part. He made his mom a coat rack for Christmas, which she was estatic about (He cut the tree, fashioned the board, routered out a part where he installed cut pieces of slate, used the wood burner to make some trees & used the lathe for the coat hooks). It turned our pretty cool (I'm waiting for mine). He just purchased a piece so he can make small bowls. The handle on our woodstove recently broke (it was ceramic) so me made one out of wood- it looks really nice.

My most recent hobby is making Dexters baby food. I have enjoyed researching preparation techniques and different storage methods. Making vegetables has become mundane so I started meats recently. The pot roast I made last night for Dexter was delicious & every time I warm up chicken for him I take a few bites for myself. Making his baby food has taken time and we've had a definate increase in the amount of dishes, but it's a lot easier to do than I thought. I just steam some green beans (or another food) while I'm making dinner for James & I. By the time our dinner is done I have them pureed & in the fridg cooling. Once I have a little more time I transfer them to serving size portions and into the freezer. They remain there until Dexter's ready to eat them.

So that's our update. I started taking a few videos again, so I'll try and post those soon.

Fun Facts

My name is Dexter James



Dexter- origin English, meaning Dyer of cloth, Additional info-'Dexter's Laboratory' is the name of an animated children's television show - the lead character is boy genius Dexter. Fans of the cartoon Felix the Cat will remember, his genius nephew Poindexter.



James- origin Hebrew & English, meaning supplanter (one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another) Additional Info- There are many saints called James, the most famous being Saint James the Elder, one of the Apostles. As a common name it has many namesakes, such the fictional British spy James Bond ("007"). The name has been used for royalty: James has been the name of two Kings of England.



I guess the meanings are pretty bland huh??



I will start kindegarten in 2014, will be old enough to drive a car in 2024, and will graduate high school with the class of 2026.

Tickled Pink

Dexter continues to surprise us with new things. He has two teeth and is now saying what we think is "Dada" although it sounds more like "Ah dada". We're trying to teach a few basic signs: milk, more, all done, help and please. He's used the "all done" a few times, so we're sure the rest will come soon. The kid loves to eat and throughly enjoys lunging at the spoon when we give him solids.


He had a pretty good cold not too long ago which meant many long sleepless nights for all of us. The cold progressed and after a day of non-stop crying and a temperature it was time to visit the Dr. On the way he took a nap and was a very pleasant with the Doctor... who said "It seems that he's playing and very happy. He just has a cold." That night and the next day was the very worst of this entire episode. We scheduled another Dr. appt, and found the source of the problem... and ear infection. He is now on anti-biotics, is sleeping much better and has regained his ravenous apetite.

Today as I was getting ready for work I set Dexter in front of the mirror. He has always enjoyed seeing the baby in the mirror but today was especially funny. He proceeded to laugh & giggle, and make all kinds of gestures trying to get the baby to respond to him. Of course, the baby did respond to this process continued for a while. When Dakota heard what was going on he decided to join in on the fun, which was even more comical. Dexter absolutely loves his puppy dog so when he saw TWO of them he was tickled pink!

Found my Voice

Yesterday Dexter was extra chipper! Through the entire night and again in the morning he decided squealing was the latest and greatest thing (lucky us). We haven't decided if he's extra excited about something or if he is just practicing his falsetto.

Dexter loves to eat and continues to grow. He is really enjoying eating solids and often times lunges at the spoon for more. We have found he doesn't necessarily like to try new things and makes some very comical faces (we'll have to stop laughing before he catches on). After a few meals however he decides it's okay and easily gets used to the new tastes and textures each new food offers.

Dakota (our dog) and Dexter have only recently acknowledged each others existance. Dexter loves to pet Dakota & has started grabbing his ears (when they're in reach). The dog on the other hand has started to sniff Dexter and has even given him a few kisses. Dakota has been such a sweety and very tolerant of the ear grabs... so far. I think Dakota would feel better if we could somehow communicate to him that Dexter will soon become his very best friend and allie. Dexter will be entertaining Dakota with hours of playing ball, feasting on many dropped food items, and of course playing on the floor (which Mommy & Daddy don't always enjoy). We are very thankful that the introduction of Dexter has gone so smoothly, and hope it continues on this path.

December Photos

For some reason I couldn't upload the videos- I guess it was taking too long. I'll have to do those later... so be sure to check back.

The Shinabery Family 2009- Lee & Mary, Andy & Michelle- Kody, Travis, Ryan & Tirsa, Ben & Angela- Levi, Luke & Lydia, Joe & Allison- Reuben, James & Stephanie- Dexter, Mike & Cara- Brooke