Kindermusik & The Jumperoo

Below you will find a video of the highlight of my day today.  Ari figured out what the Jumperoo is all about for the first time!  Oh, isn't motherhood just so much fun?  Yes, it is.  At least for now.  Please do not ask me that question in 16 years.  I might (just might) have a different answer.

We also went to Kindermusik tonight.  Another fun highlight of the day.  I think Ari liked it.  He actually participated (yes, 6-month-olds can actively participate in a baby class) and he never fussed. And I really liked it because, much to my delight, it wasn't a room full of only white kids.  I can already tell that's going to be a HUGE issue for me.  At this moment I can't really articulate all that I'm feeling about the importance of racial diversity in our lives, so maybe we'll leave that for another day when I'm thinking more clearly.

Ari also received his first shots in the U.S. yesterday, much to my dismay.  I was hoping to not redo the immunizations he already received in Ethiopia, but since it looked like he received them way too close together, according to his vaccination record, the doctor talked me and Roger into just redoing them.  She also thinks the vaccines over there are not trustworthy to be effective.  I'm really not thrilled about redoing them.  Yes, immunizations are necessary, but I feel like our country is a little overkill with all the vaccines.  I was really trying to stand my ground, but it's difficult to stand up to a medical professional.  Especially when one of her partners comes in the room and concurs the shots definitely need to be redone.  Sigh.  So the poor boy had some shots, and I think he was still a little "off" today as a result of it.  Or maybe he's teething.  Or maybe he needs to take longer naps.  Whatever it was, I hope he feels better tomorrow.  He still has a mild cough and rattly chest (that the doctor wasn't worried about), but his ear infections for now have cleared up.  I have a feeling he was sick for the majority of the first six months of his life, so I guess it's possible it may take some time for all of this respiratory yuck to clear up.

**Viewer's Note:  This video is ridiculously long because I can't bear to edit any of it out.  If you have much more productive things to be doing, feel free to quit watching at any point in time.  And also mute your sound so you don't have to listen to me babble on and on like the overly happy idiot I am right now.