Tuesday, March 13, 2012

9 months...really?!?!

So, I'm just pretty terrible at keeping my blog updated.  I really thought I would be blogging day and night once Jonah was born--I think I had lofty expectations of my time management skills!  Oh well...

So Jonah had his 9 month check-up on Friday, February 10th.  Because he has been getting his vaccines on schedule, he didn't have to have any shots this visit.  However, that doesn't mean it was a needle-free appointment.  They pricked his finger to "draw blood" so they could check his blood levels.  It's really a pretty awful method of collecting blood, but I guess that's what you have to do with the babies.  They pricked his finger and then squeezed it while raking it over the edge of a teeny tiny vile.  They had to rub it over the edge like 25 times to get enough to fill it up.  Fortunately, our little Jonah boy has always been a champ with these things.  He just watched them do it--didn't phase him a bit.  We had to wait until the next day to get results from his blood test (more on that in a minute).

After Jonah dropped a little on the growth charts at his last visit, I wasn't surprised.  I mean, what are the odds that David and I would actually have a kiddo who was going to grow up to be 6'4"??   I figured his 6 month visit was the beginning of a "slowing down" trend and we would watch him kind of move toward the 50th percentile curve.  Before I report these, I have to admit that they didn't give us a print out at this visit so I'm trying to remember these off of the top of my head.  They may be off just a little, but it's close!!

Age: 15 days
Age: 9 weeks
Age: 4.5 months
Age: 6 months
Age: 9 months

Weight: 8.9 pounds 87th Percentile
Weight: 12.9 pounds 87th Percentile
Weight: 14.8 pounds 46th Percentile
Weight: 16.8 pounds 49th Percentile
Weight: 19.4 poinds 40th Perceintile

Height: 21.7 in 98th Percentile
Height: 25 in 99th Percentile
Height: 27 in 97th Percentile
Height: 27.3 in 87th Percentile
Height: 30 in 90th Percentile

Head Circ: 14.5 in 73rd Percentile
Head Circ: 15.3 in 30th Percentile
Head Circ: 16.5 in 39th Percentile
Head Circ: 17 in 43rd Percentile
Head Circ: They didn't tell us

Hopefully, I'll remember to ask for a print-out at his 12 months and I can confirm all of the above.  But I do remember, for sure, that he was back in the 90th percentile for height...so crazy?!? Maybe we have a first baseman on our hands!!  I'm just so glad he's a growing, healthy boy!

Now, back to his bloodwork.  Dr. B called us Monday morning to let me know that Jonah came back a little anemic.  He also said that it didn't look like he had an iron problem, but rather that it looked like his levels were low because of an infection.  Jonah had gotten over RSV (praise the Lord that he had a mild case and recovered with just rest and tylenol--no breathing treatments or other medications needed) a week or two before his check-up, so Dr. B wanted to wait 4 weeks and then check again.
We went back on March 8th.  Nurse Judy called the next morning and said that everything looks good--NO WORRIES!!! That was such a welcome phone call!  I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm a little bit of a worrier ;)

So overall, we have a healthy, happy, handsome and tall little boy!  Here's a little bit about Jonah's favorites at 9 months:

Girlfriends: Cozette, Harper and Matea (but Matea was his first-lol)
Foods: Pretty much any fruit or veggie pureed, cheerios, puffs, Mum Mums, Yogurt Melts, and Annie's organic Honey Bunnies, not a huge fan of pieces of fruit or veggies yet.
Activities: Army crawling EVERYWHERE using his big toes to push off, jumping in his Baby Einstein jumper, waving with the 3rd grave wave to everyone, clapping, posing on his side propped up on one elbow, putting toys in things (a pot, a basket, his car toy), playing in front of the mirror, swinging, talking all of the time!!
Sounds to make: duh duh duh duh, mmmm, and the silliest sound ever where he flicks his tongue against his bottom lip and uses different inflections like he is having an entire conversation with himself or the dog.

Jonah is one happy, analytical, sweet-spirited, laid back little boy.  I could not imagine what our life would be like without him.  He is the greatest blessing in the entire world!!  We love him more than we could have ever imagined.  I hope he always knows that he is loved beyond belief!!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Halloween+Thanksgiving=Lots of orange things

     I never realized how orange life becomes during the months of October and November.  I mean seriously.  People wear orange, people eat orange, all you see is orange.  From the leaves changing colors, to "Welcome Fall" signs with pumpkins on porches, to the desserts and casseroles covered in cheese (definitely not complaining about that)...it's just a lot of orange.  Throw in the all of the construction I drive through each week on 114, and I swear, it's the only color my brain recognizes these days.  It's a good thing I LOVE fall and everything it brings! 
     We had a pretty great October! Jonah didn't go trick-or-treating, but he did have his picture taken looking adorable in his penguin costume. I am so thankful that I have such a great friend, Jessica, who takes Jonah's pictures and edits them for us!! Here is just a small sample of some of the amazing pictures she took.








     Are those not the cutest pictures you have ever seen in your whole entire life?!?!?!?  UGH!!!! 

For Thanksgiving, we were blessed to have a pretty low-key holiday. That is exactly what we needed. My sister got married the weekend before Thanksgiving, so we spent that weekend in Lubbock. For Thanksgiving David's mom and dad came to Dallas, which means we ddin't have to make back-to-back road trips to Lubbock--HOORAY!! We had the most delicious meal at David's Aunt's house in Dallas. Oh man, it was great-the best pork tenderloin ever!! We have so much to be thankful for. It has been a tremendously difficult past few months, with trials and tribulations that I still haven't come to see the "good" in, but I'm choosing to believe that God is good (this will probably be a blog title in the near future). And I am thankful. I am thankful for my husband and my sweet baby boy. I'm thankful for my mom, my brother and his family, my sister and his family and the family I married into. I am thankful for 28 years with greatest daddy in the world. I am thankful for OCH and the co-workers I have been blessed with. I am thankful for our small group--I don't know what we would have done with them. I am thankful for Jessica and Clay Hooten. I am thankful for The Village Church. And I am thankful for each and every friend God has blessed me with. Being thankful is something I strive to be better at--so many beautiful things flow out of a grateful heart. I'll stop rambling now and post some pictures.










  

Saturday, December 10, 2011

The many faces of Jonah eating...

I had to take a second to post a few pictures of Jonah eating...especially some of the early pictures from before he figured it all out. He has LOVED everything from the first bite, except green beans. I had to mix those with a few different things before he started taking them down regularly. And now that he is more active and wanting to "help", he is really good at smacking the spoon just in time to send it flying all over his face. Here's a sample of some of the "funnier" moments...

This was his very first time to try solids...YIKES!!


But it got better...


 Now Jonah LOVES solids...

Whoopsie, Mom...

 Sweet potato boogies...yum.

 Are you seriously trying to hide green beans in my sweet potatoes???

I'm not dumb, mom.  I KNOW what you're doing, and I want no part of it.

6 months and counting...

6 months? 6 MONTHS?!?!?!  Seriously, Jonah, how in the world are you 6 months old already?  I love that almost everytime we run errands, someone stops to look at you and tell me how cute you are or how sweet you are.  Inevitably, the conversation turns to how I should treasure each day because "time goes so quickly".  Obviously, time going quickly is a common problem amongst parents everywhere.  I use the term "problem" loosely.  You see, I LOVE watching you grow up.  I love watching you learn new things, explore your world a little bit more, and change a little each day.  But at the same time, I can't help but be a little sad each time we leave one phase behind for the next.  I just love each second with you, and hate to think that you are no longer the 8 pound little boy who is sleeps in the bassinet next to our bed.  You no longer need to be swaddled up all nice and tight to sleep.  You are growing up so quickly it seems crazy. 
    Now, you can sit up all by yourself to play.  You see a toy (ie. remote control, iPhone, spoon), and will lunge out of my lap to get it.  You see yourself in the mirror and will smile and talk to that handsome baby you see.  You light up when you see me or your daddy.  You make a crazy range of noises from the deepest growl to the highest-pitched squeal (I mean, seriously, you can growl SOO deeply). You are trying SO hard to move forward on your belly, but you're still in backward mode.  You love watching your friends play, especially Matea. You still go to anywhere momma takes you and go to anyone momma hands you to without being phased a bit.  You eat a TON!!  So far, you love oatmeal, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas and acorn squash.  You aren't crazy about green beans, but you'll eat them (especially if I mix it with a little apple).  You are the sweetest little boy in the world.  You aren't a big fan of sleeping right now.  Momma's hoping it's just a phase and soon you'll be sleeping a little better!  But no matter how little you sleep, you still make me the happiest mommy in the world! 
     At your 6 month well-check, you were a champ as usual.  Dr. Benzick said you're still trying to be one of the tallest kiddos in his practice right now, even though you've slowed down a little bit.  After Dr. B checked you out, the sweet nurse came in to give you your shots.  She asked you not to get mad because she already felt like C-R-A-P (yes, she spelled it out), and she was sorry she had to give them to you.  I told her not to worry, you forgave easily.  You proved your mommy right.  You cried for just 3-4 seconds and then cuddled up next to me and gave the nurse a little smile.  You seriously are just precious! Here are your stats at 6 months:
Age: 15 days
Age: 9 weeks
Age: 4.5 months
Age: 6 months

Weight: 8.9 pounds 87th Percentile
Weight: 12.9 pounds 87th Percentile
Weight: 14.8 pounds 46th Percentile
Weight: 16.8 pounds 49th Percentile

Height: 21.7 in 98th Percentile
Height: 25 in 99th Percentile
Height: 27 in 97th Percentile
Height: 27.3 in 87th Percentile

Head Circ: 14.5 in 73rd Percentile
Head Circ: 15.3 in 30th Percentile
Head Circ: 16.5 in 39th Percentile
Head Circ: 17 in   43rd Percentile


I feel like a bad mom for what I'm about to admit, but we somehow forgot to take your 6 month picture.  HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU FORGET TO TAKE A PICTURE AT 6 MONTHS!!  Ugh--I can't believe it. I'm sorry, sweet boy. I'm considering taking a picture now (the day of your 7 month pictures) and just pretending.  I don't know.  We'll see.  But one thing is for sure.  I have loved every second of the past 6 months with you.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  I cannot imagine a world without you in it.  You are a gift, Jonah.  A gift that has changed my world.  I love you so much!!  I'll go ahead a post a picture that was taken just a couple of days before you turned 6 months!  You were getting ready to eat dinner!!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Jonah and Mommy...

Dear Jonah,
I wanted to write down a few little things, like songs and nicknames, that you and I share just between us.  I love our little moments together and I want to be able to remember some of the things we did.  I'm sure it's not that interesting to anyone else, but when I look back in a few years, I don't want to not be able to remember. 

Some of the songs I like to sing to you:
1. Jesus Loves Me
2. Jesus Loves the Little Children
3. Mary had a Little Lamb
4. Hush Little Baby
5. To the tune of "Oh My Darling" : Jonah Baby, Jonah Baby, you're my sweet Jonah Boy.  You are precious and I love you, Jonah Baby, Jonah Boy.
6. To the tune of "Frere Jacques": I love Jonah, I love Jonah. Yes I do. Yes I do. He is my favorite boy, he is my favorite boy. Yes he is. Yes he is.
7. To the tune of Jingle Bells: Sh Sh Sh, Sh Sh Sh, etc.  Don't judge me, it works!

Some of the nicknames I have call you:
1. Jonah Baby
2. Jonah Boy
3. Jonah Stink
4. Stinky Stink ( I probably call him this more than anything, lol)
5. Babycakes
6. Sweet Pea
7. Baby J

Some of my favorite things you do with momma:
1. I love when you smile at me, and bring both fists up to your mouth when you see me.  It's like you get so excited, you don't know what to do with yourself.
2. I love it when you put a hand up on my neck or chest when you're nursing.
3. Some of my favorite moments are when we sit in the rocking chair, read a book, and then pray for all of your friends and family.
4. The big grin you give me in the morning when you wake up.
5. When you babble MAH, MAH.  I know you don't know what you're saying, but I will always remember that you made the mmm sound before the ddd sound!!

Jonah, you have been more of a blessing to me than I could ever put into words.  You have brought more love and joy to me than I could have imagined.  You came into my life at the most perfect time. God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, knew that with great loss, I would need great love.  You, my sweet boy, are great love. You have changed me in ways I can't even comprehend sometimes, and to say that I am grateful for you doesn't even scratch the surface.  I pray that you know how vast our Father's love for you is, and that you know Him early and well.  I also pray that you always know how much you are loved by your mommy.  You are such a beautiful and precious little boy!

                                                                                                           Love,
                                                                                                               Mommy

Jonah: months 2-4

In July, Jonah spent a little more time in Lubbock. My brother, Summer and Caedan were able to fly down to spend time with the family. It was so much fun to spend time relaxing and hanging out together. We usually only see each other on either Christmas or Thanksgiving, so to have a middle-of-the-year visit was awesome! The family went swimming at my mom and dad's next door neighbor's house on 7/14/11. 
Jonah had to stay in the shade because it was still a million degrees outside!  He didn't seem to mind though!

Here's Caedan "showing me his muscles"!!
 We had no idea how special this time together really was that day.
 When I woke up, Papi came over to watch  me so momma could get in the pool for a little while.
 Poor Caedan, your daddy shoots you in the face...and laughs about it.

 I love these two:
 Sweetest little smile in the world
 That night, we all sat outside on mom and dad's porch. What I wouldn't give to be able to go back and truly indulge in every second of our time together.
Jonah also did a little swimming of his own while we were in  Lubbock.  I am a firm believer that you should never go swimming without a buddy, so who else would we invite but our friend Sydnee!  How precious are these two??
Sydnee had had a little more practice at the whole swimming thing...
 That belly kills me every time...lol

 Jonah, we don't stick our tongues out at our friends!

Jonah's 4-month check-up was a little later due to circumstances that will be covered in another blog when I'm up to writing about it.  Anyway, he went in on September 30th, so he was actually 4.5 months old.  He took his vaccines like a champ, as always!  I had a couple of questions for Dr. B at this visit.  I asked about the rash he was getting on his neck from the constant drooling.  Dr. Benzick said Jonah's actually looked really good, and that we should keep doing what we're doing: keeping it clean and dry and maybe add a little baby powder if we wanted.  I also asked him about Jonah's eyes.  I had noticed shortly after his 2-month appointment, that Jonah's pupils don't dilate symmetrically.  Dr. Benzick said it could very well be Jonah's "normal".  He said we wouldn't worry about it until he turned 6 months.  If it was still obvious then, we might pursue a pedi ophthalmologist just to make sure that everything's ok.  He seems to be just fine, so I'm not too worried about it.  Jonah had also been running a low-grade fever on and off for a couple of weeks.  He didn't have any other symptoms, so Dr. B said it could just be him fighting off an infection.  As long as his fever doesn't get too high, we should just give him Tylenol and watch for any other symptoms.  The last thing we talked about was STARTING SOLIDS!!  Dr. Benzick thinks it's time to start Jonah on some solids based on his growth and development.  So that's our assignment between his 4- and 6-month visits.  Here's his stats:
Age: 15 days
Age: 9 weeks
Age: 4.5 months

Weight: 8.9 pounds 87th Percentile
Weight: 12.9 pounds 87th Percentile
Weight: 14.8 pounds 46th Percentile 

Height: 21.7 in 98th Percentile
Height: 25 in 99th Percentile
Height: 27 in 97th Percentile

Head Circ: 14.5 in 73rd Percentile
Head Circ: 15.3 in 30th Percentile
Head Circ: 16.5 in 39th Percentile

So, our boy is still super-tall, but continues to be long and lean!  Some of my favorite things he does now:
1. He smiles a lot!
2. When he gets done yawning, he makes this  "Hmmm" sound, and it's adorable!!
3. He gets this really intense look on his face with his lips pursed and his eyebrows creased and he kicks his legs one at a time (like he's marching) while smacking his belly with his arms stiff.  My sister calls him "Stampy" when he does this!
4. He can roll from belly to back, and occasionally from back to belly.
5. He reacts to and smiles at toys that play music or light up (especially the little frog on his carrier).
6. He talks a lot...sometimes it's more like yelling.  It cracks momma and daddy up!







We sure do love you, little boy!!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Jonah: the model

Just in case you don't know, my precious friend, Jessica, has a sister-in-law who is an incredible photographer!! Her name is Shanna Ingram and she is currently based out of DFW. You can see her work at http://www.shanrenee.com/ She will travel, and has taken pictures of some pretty momentous occasions for me! She took amazing bridal portraits, so when she offered to take pictures of Jonah, I jumped at the chance!! Here are a few of my favorites:

Who doesn't love a baby in his hutch??



 Isn't this the cutest yawn-face you have ever seen??
 So what, I need my paci every once in a while...
 A momma has never loved little fingers as much as this momma loves those:




 Look at those baby blues...He's going to break hearts (while having nothing but the utmost respect for young ladies, or he'll be in big trouble!!)


 He has always had crazy-active toes.  When he was nursing, he used to extend his big toe back and push it right into my side...I love those moments.
 Toad belly:
How handsome is my hubby?? 

 A girl has never been so blessed...
My cup runneth over...



 So he was a little too big for the basket...lol
 Here we are.  The Forbess Family of Four (ok, so it's 3 and a dog).