4 Months!

Whoa. We have been busy, busy bees lately so this will be a bit of a hodge-podge for life as we know it at 4 months old.

Jay went to the doctor for a check up and shots--at 26" long he weighed 17 pounds, 12 ounces! He is in a size 3 diaper, rolling over from his back to his tummy like a pro and supporting his chest off of the floor after he rolls over. He has not rolled over yet in the bed (sigh of relief) but will roll on the floor, while playing on our bed, on the couch and tries to roll while in the bouncy seat and in the bathtub. I am afraid he will get too adventurous soon, but am glad to see him growing and hitting these milestones.

He still adores the changing table and bath time. The high chair is moving up the list as well--he is learning that the high chair means a meal and provides a great vantage point to observe the dogs.

On his 4 month birthday we went to Breakfast with Santa with my friends at the Junior League of Tuscaloosa. Jay was not feeling great when we got there (just a little gas, but it happens at the worst times!), so I did not get many photos--let's hope the professional who took the Santa picture got some good ones!

Mimi was also here for about 10 days to help babysit since Mommy had to work so much the middle to end of November. We had a great visit!

Jay is officially 4 months old now and has the pictures to prove it. He is very curious about the camera, phones and really anything new, he is quickly learning how to attack new things.

We also started "real" baby food instead of just rice cereal. He seems to like it, although we have only tried one thing so far.....SWEET POTATOES--here was the best "discovery" face he gave us during his introduction to sweet potatoes.

Then we celebrated Jay's 1st Thanksgiving by watching the Macy's parade, National Dog Show and going to eat at Gina and Chris' with the Wests, Myers and Uncle Johnny and Aunt Shirley, Gina, Chris, Isabella and Lucy. Here are a few random shots of the day. (Yes, we had 3 Thanksgiving outfits.)

This Thanksgiving was so special because we have our own little family now and so much to be thankful for. It seems like everything has more meaning now that we have Jay in our lives. I spent a good part of the day reflecting on the memories we have of this year and the love we've shared.

We're so thankful for our family and friends who have helped surround Jay with love and security this year. I am also grateful for the people who helped to shape Joseph's life and my own. We love sharing this with our friends and families, but I was sad to think of the ones who are not here to share it. I know Jay has a number of angels in heaven who proudly look after him and smile on these holidays--I just wish they were still with us here so I could see their faces when they beamed knowing the joy Jay has and we have with him everyday.

Ready, Set, GO!

So long easy infant days of my tiny baby staying put......

Jay is rolling over today. Actually, the first three were last night right as I got home from work. Mimi and Daddy were standing over him while he was on his tummy after the first one. We put him on his back again and he promptly rolled over again and again. This morning he was back at it the first chance he got. So, just 3 days shy of his 4 month birthday our little bitty baby is taking the first steps toward mobility! Where has the time gone!??!

Where has the time gone?

It has been a few weeks and oh what a few weeks it has been!!

Briefly...
Mimi came to visit and I forgot to take a single solitary picture. Joseph was out of town and Mimi came to be an extra pair of hands for me so we spent 4 or 5 days relaxing and spending lots of time spoiling Jay, I'm not sure why I never pulled the camera out and I am sorry.

Jay officially turned 3 months old!!  He loves his hands and fingers and is getting really great at picking up toys. Here are some highlights about Jay at this age-
* Sleeps through the night from about 11-8, someitmes we do 10-6:30, but I have to wake him up.
* Takes 5- 7ounce bottles at day and has a rice cereal dinner before bottle number 4. Occassionally his schedule varies a little and he will take 6 bottles, but that is pretty rare.
* Loves to stand up in your lap and jabber, talk, drool and shout to hear his own voice echo.
* Loves his bath, changing table and dressing and undressing.
* Is learning how to balance when seated.
* Will mimic vocal sounds and match your pitch and volume.
*Is obsessed with his hands and watching them work, starting to discover his feet and will soon likely be fascinated with them as well.
*Has discovered shadows and is lots of fun to watch while trying to grab them.
* Grabs hands and toys, his pacifier and plastic links, mostly favoring his LEFT hand.
* Smiles at mommy, daddy and his family-recognizes mommy and daddy's voices and will look for us when he hears us.
* Recognizes the sounds of the dogs (footsteps and panting) and will look for them--he knows to look down at the floor for the dogs.
* Visually recognizes a bottle, so don't leave the empties sitting around.
*Nicknames abound but the most commonly heard is Turkey and all versions of it- Turk-Turk, Turkey Man, Mr. Turkey, Mr., Turkey Bird and on and on. This has nothing to do with Thanksgiving approaching-mommy and daddy have been calling him that since he was about 2 or 3 weeks old.
*We are quickly outgrowing size 2 diapers and have moved into 3-6 month clothes and packed away all of the 0-3 month.

We had a great first Halloween with our little MONKEY!

Then, on November 1--mommy returned to work. After trying daycare for about 4 hours we decided the best thing to do would be for Jay to join his cousin Davis and let Dede (Joseph's mom) keep him while we're at work for now.

I have more pictures to upload from another camera...I promise more pictures coming soon!

Wednesday Nap Time Project

Jay is 3 months old today! Yipee!!

I thought it would be fun to put together his exer-saucer while he is napping so he can play with it today. A birthday gift of sorts.

Then I opened the box....

Whoa. Wish me luck!!

It's tough waking up with an Elephant on your head.

Hi, chair!

Jay is 12 weeks old today and the time continues to fly by!

In preparation for this momentous day and all that comes with it we set up the high chair a little over a week ago and began practicing sitting in it--here was the first practice session--

Clearly, he was unsure at first. When the big day arrived I was so glad that we had conducted the practice sessions! I was so excited to wake him up this morning to try out eating from a spoon for the first time--I got him up a little before 7 and we were all set for breakfast. From the first bite everything went well. A little drooly, and at a nice slow pace he ate every last bite! Here are a few photos Joseph took to commemorate the occassion-

It wasn't neat, but I didn't want to fuss with him too much. I think we will work on neatness once we have mastered opening and closing his mouth at the appropriate times.

Happy 12 Week Birthday Baby Jay! Here's to many more memorable meals we will share as a family!



B-I-G Fella

Just a couple of pics from earlier this week. He had on an outfit that really made him look like a big fella.

While Mommy was taking pictures, Jay caught a glimpse of his hand and needed to check it out really well.

10 days to 10 weeks

Just as a comparison I thought I would take some photos to document how much Jay has grown. The 10 Day Old photos are from his newborn shoot (scroll down for more about that). The photographer for the 10 week photos was yours truly so they are nowhere near as beautiful nor are they edited, but it is fun to compare to see how much Jay has changed.

10 Days....

10 Weeks....

 

10 Days....

10 Weeks....

10 Days....

10 Weeks....

See how the wrinkles have given way to rolls? Can't wait to compare these to 10 months. (Wait a minute, yes I can--time is going too fast already!)

Have you seen his newborn gallery?

Baby Jay Newborn Gallery

You can see that Miriam did a wonderful job getting some cherished photos of Jay during his first few days. Miriam will be taking Jay's 3 month pictures very soon and is a native Nashvillian, like me. She is a professional photographer who shoots in Tuscaloosa/BHM as well as Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Did I mention what a great gal pal she is to me as well as a remarkable woman of God?

Miriam's Website

Falling in love(y)

Jay has a few loveys (lovies?) that were given as gifts at showers or after his arrival. Off and on over the past 10 weeks I have offered him a lovey during playtime, car rides or times when he seems to want a little something to do with his hands.

Consistently over the past week or so he has always had a lovey with him, sort of as an afterthought on my part. Last night we were up and down, up and down--not needing a bottle or a diaper change just needing a little cuddle then back to sleep. I realized at about 4 a.m. that perhaps Jay needed a little love from a lovey (i have not put him to bed with a lovey at this point)--to provide a soft nuzzle while he drifts between wake and sleep--so I went to his "toy box" and placed a lovey in his hand....then I snuck in to take this picture nearly 5 hours later....

So there you have it. My son has found his first love outside of his family. I am happy he is so sweet and peaceful and can comfort himself this way. I know we are fortunate to have a baby who is so easy on his all-too-new-to-this parents and am so thankful that he is healthy and happy. I am also just a wee bit jealous of that tiny blue bear. Good thing that lovey can't prepare a bottle or change a diaper or we might have some competition on our hands.

Another week in the books...

Yesterday marked the end of a great week for us, here are some of the highlights...

We went to Jay's 2 Month check up to learn that he has grown 3 inches (now 24" long) and weighs 11 pounds and 7 ounces. After having a round of various vaccinations Jay ran a fever for about 48 hours and felt pretty puny for the first time. I am SO glad that I am still on maternity leave and could be home with him. Let's just say that I think I cuddled the fever away.

Jay also got a new tummy time mat-here is a picture from the first use, approximately 90 second into tummy time.

He has improved through the week and now waits 5 or 7 minutes before falling asleep on it. They definitley did not warn me about that on the package, but I think it is hilarious!

We also had a great outing as a family on Sunday--Jay's first trip to church. It was a proud moment for us as parents to bring Jay into church for the first time. Not that we were there to see anyone in particular, it just really touched my heart to bring this precious gift we have been given into God's house for the first time. Jay did a wonderful job--he was lulled to sleep by the music and had a brunch bottle during the sermon--AMEN!

After church we took a few pictures at home to mark the occassion, someone got a little fussy!