Catching Up

Hey punkin, I haven't been the best about updating this. It's been a little crazy at work for Mommy, and then when we get home it's just one thing after another. One of these days I'll get back into a routine of more frequent blogs, but I am jotting down everything that happens along the way, so when I finally get to the blog, I don't forget anything!! (You're probably think, "I really don't need to know all this!" but I just want you to know I'm not slacking on purpose!!)

At the beginning of November, we celebrated Ryan's 3rd birthday! Emme made you and Ryan matching shirts - you guys looked so cute! There wasn't a whole lot for you to do at the party, so you got to spend some good quality time with the grandparents!!

November was a pretty good month except for your ear infection! I sure hope this isn't the beginning of something regular. Knock on wood - you haven't had one since the first one, so I'm hoping it was just a fluke. But you took it like a champ! That was a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving so luckily we were able to enjoy the holiday pain-free!

Right before Thanksgiving, Mommy's friend Lisa came to visit with her family on their way to Arkansas. Her girls LOVED holding you. You on the other hand, didn't seem to thrilled about it. Poor thing, it was the end of the day though, so you were tired and just wanted to eat and go to bed!!

For Thanksgiving we went to Ripley and then to Little Rock. You were a trooper just going along with everything we did. Poor thing, our ride home from Little Rock ended up being an 8-hour trip, but you slept quite a bit of that trip, so it was pretty painless!

Then in December we went to the Christmas parade in downtown Franklin. It was SO crowded when we got there that Daddy dropped Ryan and me off close by so we could watch the parade, and you and Daddy got to park the car (probably a mile away!). But you guys didn't make it before the parade started, so we were all separated during the parade! But from what Daddy tells me, you guys had a good time watching the parade with just you two. You needed some Daddytime anyway!!

Well, I think our nursing time is over. You're drinking more and more these days, and I definitely can't keep up so I've given in and stopped nursing. I've put off stopping for so long because I know it's so good for you, and I feel guilty not doing it, but we've done it for almost 6 months now, and I think you're just fine with formula. Mommy just has to get over her own guilt!

You're just growing so fast, I can't get over it. You're almost sitting up on your own. You can hold yourself up while sitting for a little while but then you just kind of topple over! It'll be no time before your sitting on your own!

Have I told you before what a happy baby you are?! You just smile all the time! Even the doctor noticed what a happy baby you were at your last visit.

Well, I think we're caught up! There will be lots more to tell with Christmas around the corner! Until then, Kiss Kiss from Mommy!!

Fall Festivities

Hello my little pumpkin! We've been doing all kinds of fun fall activities lately with the gang. Our first fall activity was going to the pumpkin patch at Gentry Farms. You went on your first hayride! That's about all you were big enough to do there. Next year you'll be walking around, and it'll be a totally different story!

Next was Ghouls at Grassmere at the zoo. The kids get dressed up and go to the zoo at night to do some trick or treating. Your brother was a shark, and you were a bat. We actually let Ryan pick out your costume and that's what he picked! It's not exactly what I would have picked for you, but you sure did look cute anyway! You were so good just hanging out in your car seat!

Next weekend was your school's Fallfest. Every year they have a big festival at the school where all of the kids dress up in costume and play games and eat. Well, your bat costume was cute and all, but it was a bunting-type costume (which mean it didn't have legs), so holding you and strapping you in the car seat was difficult. So you wore your pumpkin pajamas instead. You and your Daddy hung out most of the night while Ryan and I played some of the games. Then we switched and you and I stayed inside while Ryan and Daddy went to the bouncy house outside. But you were just as good as you always are!

The next day was Pumpkinfest in downtown Franklin. Again, you pretty much just hung out in the stroller! Pretty soon that's all going to change, I know!

You're growing so fast. For some reason, it seems to be flying by! You're already eating cereal! I must say though that you're not the cleanest eater ever. If I don't make it thick enough, it's usually sprayed all over me by the end of the feeding! But you do seem to like it!

I've also added some formula into your diet. I can't quite keep up with your milk intake, so we're having to do a little supplementing. It's actually been a good thing though. You see, you weren't the most "regular" person. When you were just drinking breastmilk, you'd poop MAYBE once a week. It was very disturbing to me that you could do that, but the doctor seemed to think it was OK. But once we started formula - watch out! It's like we pulled the plug! You poop multiple times a day and not little ones either. Poor Daddy has to soak your clothes along with Ryan's now. He's become the poop master! (Aren't you glad we talk about your pooping habits!?!)

You're also rolling over and laughing! You're very ticklish and I love to tickle you and make you laugh. Your smile is just so precious!!!

There's much more to tell, but I'll save it for another post. Until then, Kiss Kiss from Mommy!

Awwww!

I don't have anything to say. I just wanted to share this picture with you because it warms my heart! Your brother loves you so much, and you sure do love it when he kisses on you!!! I love you sweet boy!!

Daycare Begins

Well, we're about three weeks into daycare and everything seems to be going great. I think you love Miss Jennifer as much as Ryan did, so that puts me at ease when I have to leave you there all day. But of course, one week into daycare and you already had a fever! But hey, it's building up your immune system, right?! Other than that, it's been pretty smooth. Supposedly you get passed around a lot between all the teachers because you're just so darn cute!! I totally agree with them!

I think we've gotten into a pretty good sleeping/waking pattern with school and work. You wake up one time in the middle of the night for feeding, and then I wake you up around 5:15 to feed, so hopefully you'll go back to sleep with your daddy, and I can get ready for work. For the most part, it's worked out pretty well. We'll have to readjust when you start eating cereal in the mornings, but I'll worry about that when the time comes!

You're getting so big! I've been putting you in the Bumbo so I can actually get some things done and you seem to like it. Pretty soon you'll be crawling and walking! (Well, not too soon, I hope!).

We took another weekend trip, this time to Pickwick Lake. Your cousins Bonita and Jimmy have some condos there, and Uncle Jay likes to go there for his birthday. So we all went for the weekend. We tried to have a picnic but it was SOO windy and chilly that you and I pretty much stayed in a little shelter area the whole time. But it was a good weekend overall!

Guess what you found - your thumb!! It's the cutest thing to watch you suck on it. One day last week on the way to daycare, I heard you sucking away on something and I looked back and you were chowing down on your thumb. Then when I picked you up from school, one of the teachers commented about how you sucked your thumb all day! Who knows if it will last, but I think it's so cute!

That's all I've got right now! We've got lots of fall things planned in the next couple of weeks, so I'll update you on those! Kiss Kiss from Mommy!

More Summer Activities!

You are such a busy 2 month old! You've already been to the zoo, the Greek Festival and to see Thomas the Train, and you can barely lift your head up! Now, at most of these things you're either asleep or safely in the Baby Bjorn, but hey, you were there!

You took your first trip to the zoo a couple of weeks ago. We thought we were playing it safe and going first thing in the morning so it wouldn't be too hot, but as the morning progressed it got HOT! That did not make for a comfortable feeding for you. I was sweating and the only place to nurse was outside, so needless to say you were miserable! But other than that, I think you had fun!

Then we went to the Greek Festival with Emme and Papa and Ryan. You hung out in your stroller, but again, you had a blast! (Do you believe me?! Blast may be a slight exaggeration, but hey, you didn't scream!)

Then we went to see Thomas the Train. Again, hurray for the Baby Bjorn. You pretty much slept the whole time, but at least you looked cute in your train onesie that Emme made you!

I don't have any new tricks to report. I try to work on tummy time with you, but you still just like to lay there with your head down. You're really not interested in looking at anything except the back of your eyelids!

The dreaded day comes next week when I have to go back to work and take you to school. I am NOT looking forward to that at all. I really love hanging out with you during the day. My favorite part of the day is when you are awake and I try to make you smile! Your dimples are just the cutest things in the world!! And my second favorite part of the day is when we take naps together :)!!!

I'll let you know how school goes. You're going to have Miss Jennifer (Ryan had her when he was an infant too), so I know you're going to be in good hands! Until then, Kiss Kiss from Mommy!!!

What I did over summer vacation!

In case anyone asks, here's what you can tell them you did over the summer when you were only a couple of months old!!! First, you went to your first Williamson County Fair. Your view was really only that of my chest, but hey, you were there! (And I must say, I'm getting SO much usage out of this Baby Bjorn! Ryan didn't like it all, but you would stay in it all day if I let you! You're actually in it right now as I type this!). You actually went twice and you slept every time. Next year, you'll be walking around, and it'll be a whole different experience (for us all!!).

And yes, I do eat with you in the Baby Bjorn! Eating a funnel cake with you strapped to my chest took a lot of skill! I only had to brush powdered sugar off your head once or twice!! :)

Then you took your first (of many to come) visits to Arkansas. Granddaddy and KK drove us to Memphis where we met Emme and Papa and did the trade off, and then we rode with them to Little Rock. It's gonna be a LONG time before Mommy's brave enough to travel by herself with you AND Ryan! You did pretty well. We had to stop to feed you a couple of times, but otherwise you behaved yourself nicely! Good job! You got to meet your family that you hadn't met before and they all loved you. While we were there, you gave your first smile, and just as I thought, it was to Ryan!! But I was not nearly as hurt as I thought I would be. I was so happy to see your smile, I don't care you were smiling at! But most importantly, I'm just so happy to see that our brother makes you smile!!! Now I'm just waiting to hear your laugh!

On our way back from Arkansas, you went to your first birthday party! Abigail turned 3 and had her birthday party in Munford. So we made a detour on our way back. And once again, you spent the entire time in the Baby Bjorn! Emme made you and Ryan matching shirts - be prepared, there will be many more of that to come!

We're working on one of your milestones now - moving you from Mommy & Daddy's room into your crib. We have our good days and our bad days! Last night was not one of our better nights! Sometimes I can put you down, and you'll just go to sleep on your own, but last night was not one of those nights. Every time I put you down you cried. So you and I spent most of the night in the rocking chair together! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it was a fluke!

I'll keep you updated you on how things are going! Until then, Kiss Kiss from Mommy!

Welcome to the world!

Welcome to the world sweet Baby Jake! I know I'm a little late getting this started, but you'll come to find that that's the case most of the time. So you're forewarned!

I guess I'll start with your amazing entrance into the world. Just a little background - you were due July 8 and Mommy was scheduled for a c-section on July 1. On June 24 at 4:30am, I woke up with some really strong pain which I thought was gas! I went to the bathroom (TMI?), but that didn't help. The pains kept coming about 3 minutes apart. So I woke your dad up and told him I thought you were coming. We started to get everything ready. Your dad called Uncle Jay to come over and watch Ryan. Well, the contractions were so bad and so close together that there was no way I was going to be able to make it from Franklin to Nashville, so your dad called 911 for an ambulance. So the ambulance and fire truck came (yes, sirens and all!). They got me on a stretcher and put me in the ambulance. Your dad was going to follow behind us in the car. Well, just as we were about to drive off, I had a strong contraction and felt like I needed to push, so I did! And something came out! I yelled to the EMT guys that something had come out. So one of them looked and said, "We have a head!" So they got your dad and he got there just in time for me to push again and you came out! Yes, right there in the ambulance in front of our house!! They gave your dad a scalpel and he cut the cord. They wrapped you up and we headed to the hospital in the ambulance! It was a crazy morning! But thankfully we were all OK and nothing was wrong. When we got to the hospital, the doctors and nurses were so amazed by what happened! You were like a little celebrity that day!

But it's been smooth sailing ever since then (knock on wood!). You're a good sleeper and a good eater. And you've got quite a fan in your big brother. He adores you! He loves to kiss on you and give you your paci every time you cry! I have a feeling your first smile is going to be at him and not me (and I'll only be slightly crushed if that happens!!).

You took your first trip a week or so ago to the Morris family reunion. You did great! Everyone loved seeing you and they were all so impressed with your arrival into the world! You've definitely made a name for yourself already!

Right now, there's not much to report on your achievements, but I'll definitely report them as they come. I can't wait to watch you grow! It's going to be so much fun!!!

Until next time, Kiss Kiss from Mommy! I love you!!!!