Sunday, October 16, 2011

The countdown is over...Jonah is ONE!!!

***I wrote this on his 1 year birthday, and remember falling asleep towards the end, saved it as a draft and well I am just getting around to posting it. 

A year ago today our lives changed forever, and we wouldn't change one second of the past year.  We are so blessed to have that sweet boy as our own.  He is so smart and bright and curious.  He wants to learn everything and is so proud of himself when he finally gets it.

His smile brightens my day everytime I come home.  No matter how hard of a day I have had, or how much traffic I drove through to get home, seeing his smile the moment I get home melts everything else away. 

It's amazing the things he does now on his own without needing our help.  He grows more and more independent everyday. 

What he's doing these days....

***WALKING.  That's right ladies and gentlemen, he is a walking toddler.  Took his first steps about two weeks ago and has just progressed from there.

***Stacking blocks.  Way to be advanced little boy!  Stacking 2 blocks is typically a 15 month thing and is pretty progressive in the realm of fine motor development.  The older toddler at his sitters helps teach him the ways of the world.

***Climbing stairs.  Like he has been doing it for years.

***Only getting the pacifier for car rides and sleeping.

What he loves:

*** His wooden blocks, he prefers the cylinders.

***The wiggles, and Mama loves them too, they make great babysitters.

***Food.  His favorites are: Mandarins, Peaches, Pears, Green beans, Carrots, Apples, Strawberries, Shredded Cheese and Veggie Straws for snack.

***Books.  He loves a children's picture dictionary, and his "Little Hands Love" and "Little Feet Love." 

***Trucks and cars.  Though not his favorite things to play with, he does enjoy pushing them around on the floor. 

***Animals.  This kid might just grow up and be a veterinarian.

*** Still loves his music table.

***Balls, Loves to throw them.

Jonah had His birthday party at a local Park in Henrico.  Of course Mama and Daddy were there, along with Papa B, Uncle Shawn, Uncle Grimace, Chase, Auntie Erin, Grandma and PawPaw, Chickie, Chansila, Jae, Leila and Jaedin, Casey, Michael and Emma, and of course May May.  Jonah had fun running around and playing with the ball.  There were some geese there that definately had his attention, however, they were so used to getting food from humans that they went in search of it by means of pecking at the hands of those near by (including Jonah's, no worries, they didn't get him).  There were tons of gifts and great food.  His party and cake were all Sesame Street themed and Jonah was all decked out in his Sesame Street shirt and Elmo Hat.  I think Jonah would agree that he had the best first birthday ever!

Monday, May 16, 2011

11 month tid bits

The official 1 month countdown has begun!  Watching a child grow really helps you understand how fast time really does slip by.  Maybe this is why some people have 6,7 or 8 children because that first year goes so fast they just want to keep reliving it.  Who knows.  What I do know is this...I have one of the cutest, sweetest and most precious boys in the world.  Here is what is going on with him these days....

What he is doing:

Still a lot of the same things motor wise.

***Crawling like a speed racer, Pulling up on anything stationary (and some things not stationary), and Cruising alongside anything he can hold onto.  He is transferring from one piece of furniture to another a lot more and every once in a while he will stand hands free for a few seconds until he realizes what he is doing and quickly holds on.  I'm not sure that walking will happen too soon, he just doesn't seem brave enough (or steady enough) to take some independent steps just yet.

*** Drinking from a sippy cup all the time.  He transitioned quite easily at home and not so easily at the sitters.  I tried to go cold turkey at the sitters and for three days he only drank half of his milk for the day, so we went back to one bottle at the sitters and the rest sippy cups and that went much better.  Hopefully we can phase out that last bottle this week.

***He is getting better at climbing and stepping up on to things.

*** He claps for himself and when you sing  "If you're happy and you know it" or the B-I-N-G-O song using his name instead of Bingo.

***Drinking Whole milk.  I started offering whole milk this past weekend, and since he drinks his breast milk from the fridge, the transition seems to be happening seemlessly.

***Talking more.  We have added Daddy and Book to our vocabulary.

What he loves.

*** Most of the same things from last month.

*** He loves to open and close any sort of door.  The swing gates, cabinets, real doors, and his little play door.

*** Bubbles.

*** The fish tank.

*** Sitting at the front door and watching the happenings of the critters who live outside.

*** Watching the digital picture frame

*** Playing in the back of Mama's truck and watching the big cars drive by.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

10 month tid bits

2 months to go until the big 1 year!!!  Cannot believe it.  He has changed in so many ways from that newborn little baby we brought home nearly a year ago.  Still a sweet boy though.  Anywho...here is what we are up to these days...


What he is doing:
***Growing teeth.  We have both of our lower incisors.  They came in over the course of a weekend and well I am not looking forward to the other 18...Jonah is not a good teether.

***Talking~~~  We actually have three words!!  Duck, Cat and Dog.  All three are said purposefully when looking at said objects.

*** Pointing to body parts.  Not his own yet, but he can point to my nose and mouth when asked and has pointed to my ear once :)

***Walking.  Well not without help.  He does great when we are holding his hands or he is walking behind a push toy.

*** Using a sippie cup a lot more.  We can't convince him to drink from it completely, but he atleast drinks his milk from it about twice a day

***Dancing.  He has been doing this for a while, but its anytime music comes on he bounces his little butt and taps his left foot.

*** Throwing stuff.  Maybe instead of an offensive lineman we should be pushing for quarterback.  This kid is throwing everything.  We really gotta start working on throwing balls only.

***Learning how to put small objects into slightly bigger objects.  Seems like a simple task, but for the mind of a young 10 month old its quite a complex task.

***Biting the furniture.  I can't say I am proud of this.  Thankfully we do not have expensive furniture cause there are definately teeth marks in the side tables.

*** Learning the word "No".  It's frequently said around here, especially if the computers are out.  We have also had to tap a hand or two when No isn't cutting it.

***Climbing.  We become human monkey gyms when we are laying on the floor.  This also means he can climb onto the fire place.

***Tells us when he is tired. It used to be that he would just fuss when he was tired, and sometimes that was a guessing game as to what was wrong.  Now he comes and lays his head down on a blanket or pillow when he is ready for Nite Nite.

What he loves:

A lot of the same things.

*** Outside.  Now that the weather is nice he enjoys being outside whenever possible. 

***His farm, his racetrack, leapfrog table and anything that spins are still a big hit.

***Green beans, carrots and mandarin oranges are his favorites.

***The cats are never ending balls of fun to chase.\

***Chasing his soccer or basketballs.

***Playing football with dad and getting tackled by dad

***Blowing raspberries

***Pushing cars across the living room.  And actually watching real cars go down the street.

***Eating whatever Mama is eating

***People watching

***Elmo, Grover, Ernie, Special Agent Oso, and Mickey Mouse

***Books

***Opening doors

***His stackable rings

***Knocking down towers of things

Sunday, March 20, 2011

9 month tid bits

Time for another monthly update!  Feels like I just posted the 8 month one!  Jonah is SO much fun these days.  His personality continues to develop and blossom.  I truly think he is going to be a kind hearted boy when he grows up, with a side of rough-tough of course.

What he is doing:

***Crawling, pulling up, and cruising like it is his job. It's constant.  In the last week he has mastered being able to go from standing back to sitting without having to throw himself down.  He sits much more gentley now.

***Clapping.  He gets so proud of himself when he does this.  We are trying to teach him how to do "high five."

*** Lots and Lots of babbling.  His favorite sounds for now are "Ba Ba Ba Ba,"  "KKKKK"  and "Ga Ga ga" he occaisionally does "da da da" but definately no "ma ma ma" yet

***Feeding himself.  Now he has been able to feed him self for several months, but I'd say out of 10 puffs he'd actually get like 2 of them in his mouth.  Now that his pincer grasp is much more proficient, he can get about 8 out of 10 puffs in his mouth.  He loves to eat chopped up green beans and carrot slices.  Puffs also remain a fave.

*** Drinking from a sippy cup.  He LOVES water.  I have not introduced juice to him yet and really have no intention of doing so any time soon.  There is not much nutritional value to juice and really its just a ton of sugar.  So for now we will stick to ice water in a sippy cup.

*** Bangs his toys.  Its like a little Jonah Band in my living room some days.

*** He chases balls and any other toys that roll.

***  He cries when we tell him "No."  I know I am not supposed to laugh when I am supposed to be stern, but it really is just the cutest thing to see that little lip drop just before he starts to cry.

***  He comes to you when you ask him to. 

***  He cuddles a lot more.  I think he had been so busy figuring out how to become mobile that he was not interested in cuddling.  But now, I've got my cuddle bug back.

What he Loves:

*** Green beans.  Sheesh, I can't seem to keep enough in the house.  I put a few on his try and within seconds he has devoured them and is asking for more

*** Eating off of Mama's plate.  He could have just eaten half a can of green beanss and will still want whatever I am having.

***  His leap frog musicial table.  Best $8 I ever spent (bought it at a consignment sale for a a steal...its normally like $40).  He plays with this thing all the time!

***  His computer.  While he loves this thing and its a great tool for distraction, he still loves Mama and Daddy's laptops better.

***  Climbing up on the ottoman's

***  His big wooden activity block.  Another great consignment sale find.  These things sell in the stores for about $50, I got it for $20.  He loves it, because it has TONS of things that spin and flip, and anything that spins and flips automatically gets his attention.

***  His race car track.  Again the center of it spins...so well there you go.

***  Books and reading.  I love story time too.

***  Swinging.  We have taken him to the park a few times and he is all grins when he is in the swing.

*** Elmo.  Still his favorite.

***  The kitty cats.  He has always been fascinated by them but there must be a little something else about being able to chase them that makes the kitty cats just a little more exciting.

Stay tuned...more to come!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

8 Month Tid Bits

8 Months...I'm loving this stage.  His face just lights up as he learns and discovers new things.  I am still hopelessly in love with his gummy smile and am secretly hoping that those pearly whites will wait a little longer to come in. 

So what he is doing....

***HE IS ON THE MOVE!!!!  Crawling like a champ.  And if there is a computer or cell phone on the floor he is a speed demon.  He is so funny to watch, his hands plop down like hammers as he propels himself forward.  He stops a lot and goes up on hands and feet with his little butt way up in the air.  Silly boy is trying to stand up.

*** Pulling up.  He has gone from all fours to up on his knees a few times and up to his feet once. (It's a good thing I went to babies r us and spent $250 bucks on gates this morning!  We have also covered the brick fire place with those silly foam covers, atleast they come in brown now.

***Eating table food.  He still gags on a few things but he is enjoying the wider assortment of tastes that have been introduced to his mouth.

***Babbling tons.  I still have yet to hear the "Ma" sound, but we get lots of "ga", "ka" and a few "da's".

What he loves:

*** Most recently he is interested in the Speedway with cars and a spinning track.  I think he could care less about the cars and much more prefers the spinning center.

*** The comcast remote.  Now don't be fooled, this is not the comcast remote that we use to change the channels....its his very own Comcast remote.  He took interest in ours a few months ago, and instead of wasting money on a toy remote that he would never play with, I found an actual comcast remote on ebay and bought it.  Now I'm looking into buying a lap top and a cell phone (not really!)

***  Still a fan of Sesame Street and Elmo is still his favorite.

***  His tower of colored rings

***  The wire maze

***  Audrey Cat

***  The farm animals that make noise when you touch their bellies.  Thanks to the $1 bin at target

***  His cloth book

***  Hangin out on the couch with his dad

***  Swinging at the play ground

***  Music

***  People watching, put him in a crowd and he is happy as a clam

Tis the season to be Wheezin...

RSV found us this week.  :(  Thankfully he doesn't have it too bad.  Sure his lungs are singing a little squeaky tune, but all in all he is still my happy playful guy.  And most importantly still sleeping through the night.  He does look super cute in his mask though.  Surprisingly I actually didn't bring it home to him, he caught it from his three kiddo daycare.  So for now its nebulizers and bulb suction every few hours! 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Talking to myself

Ever seen someone in a car talking with no one else in the car and chuckled a little bit at the crazy person talking to themself?  Well most likely that person either has a hands free cell phone, or theres a little person somewhere in the car.  I am totally that person.

I talk to Jonah all the time.  We talk about the cars on the road, to what I'm going to eat for lunch that day.  As we are strolling through the grocery store, I ask him to help me choose certain items to buy.

As we were walking through Stony Point Mall today, I was just chatting along with him and realized that I must have looked pretty silly, but then quickly decided that I simply didn't care.  I love talking to Jonah and he seems to love listening...and occaisionally talking back :)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Let's Eat!

Having been someone who has struggled with weight all of her life, it has always been very important to me to ensure that my children do not go through that same struggle.

Jonah is going to be a challenge!  He Loves to Eat!  Now obviously I am the one offering him stuff, but I feel that I should let him try things rather than withhold them from him in fear of him being overweight later. It's all in moderation right? But here is a list of things he has tried, some he loved and some he hated.

Chocolate
Cheetos
Cheese puffs
Reese Peanut butter cup
Onion
Pickle
Steak (I just let him suck on it)
French Fries
Apple slice
Clementine
Banana
Yogurt
Pasta
Macaroni and Cheese
Avocado
Bread/rolls
Oatmeal
And of course all the baby purees and puffs

I guess he gets his love of food from his mama.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

7 month tid bits

My little man is growing and learning so much these days!  I love watching him explore his environment and watch his Mama and Daddy try and teach him new things.  He is so inquisitive and curious about everything.

What he's doing these days:

Trying to crawl!  He gets up on all fours and rocks back and fourth.  You can see it in his face that he wants to take off and go so bad but his little body just won't go where he wants it to.  Jonah and his Daddy practice crawling every night though.  I'm sure we will regret pushing him to be mobile when he is getting into everything!

Playing with toys with a purpose.  Though most of his toys are rattles and the like, things that taste great but don't have much functionality, Jonah does have some that tickle his brain.  One in particular is that classic toy with the curvy wires and little trinkets that you slide through a winding maze of colored metal.  I love watching him trying to figure out how to slide the toys.  He mostly just spins them on the wire, but he is trying :)

Rolling around everywhere.  I leave the room for a second and when I come back he is several feet from where I left him.

Taking Baths in the big boy tub!  He is just too big now for the little blue tub.  He seems to like the change and still splashes like its his job.

Blowing raspberries.  C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y.  Truly its all day.  He is so proud of his raspberry blowing capabilities.  Funny thing is that he figured how to blow raspberries months ago, but in the last three weeks ago its as if he rediscovered some awesome new skill.

Dancing!  Give em' a beat and he'll shake his feet!  As soon as the music starts he starts shaking his leg and bobbing his body. 

Eating all kinds of yummy things.  I let him taste a lot of what we are eating.  Whether its putting some sauce on my finger, or giving him a small piece of noodle.  He gets to try a lot.  Some of his faves are cheetohs and cheese puffs. Oh and let's not forget the hershey chocolate bar!

Babbling.  Lots of goos and gahs.  An occaisional da da da.   No ma's or la's just yet.

What he Loves:

He still loves the same style binkie that he enjoyed as a newborn.  Thankfully he uses it mostly when he is tired or ready for bed.  Hopefully when we transition him to using it only for naps and bedtime at 1 year he will do ok.

His yellow bear and his Hokie.  He rubs them on his face as he is drifting off to sleep at night.

His feet.  Though poor guy got blessed with short little legs and he can just barely get those suckers in his mouth.

All of his toys.  He tends to go for his keys, his barbell rattle, his winnie the pooh rattle, his soft book, his turtle rattle and his singing puppy dog that his Grandma and PawPaw gave him.

Having his back scratched.  I stumbled upon this by accident, but he always seems to get real still and peaceful when I scratch his back.

Sesame Street.  As soon as the theme song comes on, he eyes dart towards the screen.  He seems to love Elmo too.

It's been an exciting month and I can't wait to see what he learns in the next month!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Thank goodness that's over...

Once your darling little sweet pea let's you experience the freedom and pure bliss of sleeping through the night, it is cold blooded torture when something comes along and takes that from you.  Most recently my freedom was taken by my sweet boy's first ear infection.  For nearly three weeks, and three rounds of antibiotics, he was waking up for AN HOUR in the middle of the night.  We take our last dose of medicine tomorrow morning and we are three days into back to wonderfully sleeping through the night.  I could not be happier.  And most importantly, he's happier :). 

Thursday, January 6, 2011

A year of firsts...

First Christmas (and a white one at that!):

Jonah woke up at his usual time, around 6 and ate just like every other day.  We decided that Derek and I would open our gifts first, then we would let Jonah open his.  Of course, Jonah had to help daddy open his gifts...the paper was delicious!

And the ribbons were his favorite.
Jonah didn't care much about the snow that showed up Christmas Day...but it was still beautiful.


First Ear Infection :(

So much for Breastfeeding preventing ear infections.  Poor guy hadn't been sleeping well the week before Christmas, but I chaulked it up to him possibly teething since he acted fine during the day.  Two days prior to the holiday he was refusing to nurse, so I brought my light home and checked his ears.  Bingo, that was his problem.  Unfortunately we went through our first round of antibiotics, and it didn't work, so we are on our second round.  Cross your fingers!

First New Years:

Completely uneventful.  Jonah was in bed by 8 and Mama and Daddy were in bed by 10.  Good thing 2011 didn't care that we were sleeping and still showed up.  I am excited for 2011 and all of the new milestones and learning adventures that it will bring for my little man.