New Experiences

Hey Punkin! You're just getting so big - I can't believe it. And pretty darn cute, I must say! The past couple of weeks have been chocked full of new experiences (plus an old one). The 1st week of January you had your 6 month doctor's visit, and he said you had fluid in both ears which may or may not turn into an ear infection. Well, guess what happened that night - you got a fever - hello ear infection! So we're on ear infection #2. You may end up having tubes like your brother, but hopefully not!

The doctor also said we could start you on baby food. So we started you off with peas! You seem to like them. We've since tried carrots and green beans. So far so good!

And lastly, I think I mentioned earlier that you're getting a tooth. We'll you're getting TWO! And you can totally see them now. You look so cute when you smile with those 2 bottom teeth sprouting through! But it sure does hurt when you try to give a kiss and bite down on my cheek! Those are some sharp suckers!

So I think we're on our way to many more exciting events in your life! I'll keep you updated as they come along! Kiss Kiss from Mommy!

First Christmas!

Well Christmas has come and gone! You've had quite the December! We started off by going to the Opryland Hotel to see the lights. You were a trooper just hanging out in your car seat the whole time. I can't say the same for your brother, but I'm sure one day your day will come as well! But right now, you're an angel!!

In the middle of December, we had a visit from your Great Uncle Rob, Great Aunt Pam, Cousin Matthew and his little girl Ella. She just loved you!!! And you were so patient with her while she grabbed your chubby cheeks and held on! They were so sweet to come by and bring you Christmas presents since we were going to be spending Christmas in Franklin and miss seeing them over Christmas.

We also took you for your first visit to see Santa! Santa and his reindeer were in Brentwood, so we went out there to see him and get a picture. Of course, you did fabulous! You weren't scared or anything - you just sat on his lap and hung out. I wonder how many years we'll be able to do that!?

The week before Christmas you caught some kind of nasty viral infection. You had a pretty high fever for a couple of days. Since it was a viral infection, there was really nothing we could do for it, and you couldn't go to daycare. So you hung with me at my office for a couple of mornings. Daddy was able to come get you in the afternoons, but in the mornings you'd just pretty much sleep in my office, so it actually worked out. Luckily you got it out of your system before Christmas, so we could enjoy the holiday!

Before Christmas, Ryan made some cookies for Santa and you watched us in your high chair. Well, after we had finished making cookies Ryan was eating some of the leftover M&Ms. I turned around for one second to clean something up and when I turned around Ryan was trying to shove one of the mini M&Ms in your mouth!! Luckily I caught it in time! You just kept licking your lips like, Mmm that was good! In time, sweet Jake, in time!!!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Franklin at our house. KK & Granddaddy came up on Christmas Eve and we had dinner at our house with Uncle Jay, EP and Grant. It was crazy!!! There were so many presents!! Emme had made you and Ryan matching shirts so of course we had to put you in those for the special night! You got all kinds of cute baby toys and clothes (which you need so badly!!). Your brother loved playing with you and giving you hugs!! He's so sweet with you! Hopefully that won't change!!

Then on Dec. 26 we went to Little Rock. We got there just in time for Cookie Day! This is something that you don't really care much about now, but trust me, it will become one of your favorite days of the year!! Mommy's friends loved holding you and seeing how big you had gotten!! You got more presents from Emme and Papa, and then we went to Meemo and Beepo's so you could open presents there too! They loved holding you too! Everyone loves holding you!!

After a few days we came back to Franklin so we could spend New Year's Eve with the Clarks. Granddaddy and KK were kind enough to come back up here, so Mommy and Daddy could spend an adult night with the Clarks. But before they came to get you we had to get the annual group picture! This year was CRAZY with 7 kids!!! It took some wrangling but we managed to get a pretty decent picture of you all! We were pretty pleased with ourselves!

You're doing so many new things these days. You LOVE your exersaucer! You love it so much that Granddaddy and KK bought you another one for Christmas, so we could have one upstairs and downstairs! One day while I was wrapping presents I had put you in it, and when I looked back up at your a few minutes later you had fallen asleep in it!! I probably should have gotten the clue that you were tired, but you don't usually fuss in it so how was I to know!?!

You're starting to sit up on your own too!! You haven't totally gotten it down yet, but you can sit for a little while on your own, then you slowly fall to the side! But I'm always there to catch you (and I always will be!!).

And lastly, you're getting a TOOTH!! Finally! I'm glad to actually see the product of months of drooling! I knew it was coming soon with all of the bibs you're soaking! It's one of your bottom teeth, and I bet in a week we'll be able to see it a lot better and then I can get a good picture of it!

Well, that wraps up 2011 for us!! I can't believe you're already 6 months old!! Your 1st birthday will be here before we know it!!! But there will be lots more to tell before then! I love you sweet boy! Kiss Kiss from Mommy.

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!!!