Happy Halloween

I think he is ADORABLE whether he is an Elephant or a Monkey!! :)

So much, so quick

It seems like everything is happening over night with this little boy!! I went into his room to check on him after a very LONG nap, and found him standing up in his crib. Then he let go of the rails and laughed as he fell on his bottom. He thought this was GREAT!! I, am still in shock!! I have lowered his crib awhile ago now, so at least that isn't a worry, but still. It seems like things are happening too quick. He does try to pull himself up on things around the house, but we don't really have much that is good for him to grab.

He also has finally started sitting up unassisted!!!! I was truly beginning to worry about this one! But now he'll do it for a short stint until something catches his eye across the room. Then we're off. He's also into EVERYTHING!! No room is safe. He loves to follow us into the kitchen, or follow me down the hall into the bathroom. I try to find creative ways to limit his traveling to within the living room, but he is QUICKLY becoming smarter then mom and outsmarting my little barriers. I wouldn't mind it so much if he wasn't sooooo fascinated with chasing Ezra in his house, the cat food dish, the rabbit's cage and outlets!! I just wish there was an easier way to keep an eye on him..then he could wander his little heart out. But his wandering is still very much army crawl style. I don't think we're ever going to officially crawl. He goes up on his hands and knees, then flattens himself out and takes off. But boy is he quick!!

This past weekend we went to NY to visit family and attend a Halloween party. We had to buy JD a new costume b/c his Elephant one didn't fit!! I was shocked that within a month a 12 month costume no longer fits my little monster!!! I may still try and get him in it for a few shots on Halloween..just not button everything. Instead we picked up a Monkey costume. Granted he was super cute in that one too, but HE seemed to enjoy the elephant costume better! :) But we went to the party and he pretty much konked out half way through...and regardless of all the screaming kids he was out! The party was right in the middle of his daily nap, so I am not too surprised. :) After he got to enjoy roaming rampent at Grandma's. His favorite toy was the dog's dish and it was hard to keep him out. At one point he played in the water dish and knocked that every where. And my silly little monkey...was he scared...NOOOOO..he thought it was great and was playing in it. Didn't bother him one bit that he was soaked!! Silly monster!!

On Sunday we stopped at Aunt Sara's before heading home. JD got to play there for awhile and enjoyed chasing around Sara's nephew Kyle. Kyle didn't want anything to do with JD....but that wasn't going to stop my little guy. If you run from him, he thinks it is a game. Poor Kyle didn't realize that point, and JD wouldn't leave him alone. :) It really was cute to see him interact with other children. He loves people, and I really need to find more ways to get him out and about with other children!!!

But for now. He's growing like a week and I can't believe that we're ending another month on the calendar!! Where has all the time gone!?!?!?

Playing in the leaves

JD has a new favorite thing to do. And it was because of this that we were able to master the art of sitting up! He was sooo in love with the leaves! He watched them fall and wanted to test out every single leaf!

Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday Oct. 10th, Aunt Sophie and I took JD to the Pumpkin Patch. We went to Keith's Farm and he went on the Hay ride out to the Pumpkin Patch where he got to pick his own pumpkin. :) He was soooo cute about it, and you could tell he was really enjoying himself. Even if it was super cool for this time of year. It definitely was feeling like snow in the air that day. We were so happy to have Aunt Sophie join us. I think that might have been what made the day the best part yet!! :)

Growing up way too quick

JD is just getting so big and so quick!!! I honestly don't know where the last 8 months have gone. It seems I blinked, and he grew up on me!! He's such a sweet, content and happy baby. I don't know how I got so lucky and so blessed with him!!!

He has started to sit up in the high chairs if we go to restaurants and he got his first pair of real shoes!! Why do they have to grow up!! I knew the chair was eventually going to have to start. Especially since he is no longer in his infant carrier, but moved into a big boy car seat! But he does it so well, and gets so excited to be able to sit there. He's also started working on chewing on some cherrios..so we have introduced a harder solid. *sigh* Can we freeze time now!

He is so cute and curious!! He's into everything!!! He loves to open the drawer on the entertainment center. Has to follow chords to see where they go. If we leave the room, well that just means he needs to follow so he can see where we're going. I found him watching daddy cook from the kitchen floor the other night. It was the cutest thing I could have seen.



Also, last weekend we had a great time going to the Pumpkin Patch with Aunt Sophie. She came down and picked us up on Saturday, and we went to Keith's Farm. There we got to ride the Hay Ride out to the Pumpkin Patch, and JD was able to pick his own pumpkin. He loves things that are orange, so we had a lot of fun going through there. I will have to get some of those photos up soon!!

We have picked up JD's costume for Halloween..and he's going to be an Elephant..and let me tell you, he is ADORABLE in his costume!! <3 We're heading to a family Halloween party next weekend, so you can believe I'll be getting TONS of photos of my cute little elphant!!!

More family updates to be coming..and soon! :)

Happy Halloween

I think he is ADORABLE whether he is an Elephant or a Monkey!! :)

And we're off...

So, we have officially hit the stage where I turn my head for a second and do the "not where I left you" thing when I look back!! JD is off and on the go, go, GO!! We used to play contently on the living room floor, and that was all he would do. He did roll and scooch himself along the floor, but never went past the couches. Until now!!!! Yesterday he maneuvered his way around the couch and got into the dining room. So I moved the cats dish away...BIG MISTAKE!! Instead of being a deterrent..I increased his interest and he kept crawling to it. And then he heard daddy down the hall in our room..and well....let's say he and his rolling fish found dad!! He was sooo excited and proud of himself! Me...I'm a bit on the fence. I'm sooo excited to see him grow up and see how happy these things make him, but I want my small lil' boy back. The one I didn't have to watch like a hawk as much! He's also pulling himself up on the furniture. He's not totally mastered on that skill, but we're getting there. I am sure that once he does..he's going to be running in no time!!

We also have a new game going on in the morning. :) I can hear him chatting when I wake up, and instead of going in straight, I like to sneak in on my hands and knees and look in under the bumper. Then if he looks, I drop the bumper quick and give it a few seconds. Usually he laughs, gets excited and looks for me over the bumper. Well today that little stinker got me. When I first looked he was at the other end of the crib. Then I heard him rustling..thought he was just trying to get a better look over the bumper. I looked again and he was nose to nose with me, looking out under the bumper with this BIG GRIN!! Then he reached out and grabbed me. So...he one upped my game! It's so cute to see how excited he gets about it all.

Can we please stop time right now so I can just enjoy every second!! I feel like if I blink he'll be going off to college or getting married!!

sick!

So my poor lil' monkey caught dad's bug and is sick. :( He's got a steady cough, running nose and a fever. Other then that, I don't know...b/c he can't tell me if he has a headache or sore throat. He has been doing really well with it though. He still likes to play and smile..but takes more naps and wants a lot more snuggle time. Which I am more then willing to give him!!

He had a check at the doctor, and he thinks he's going to be fine. Just wants me to keep him updated and to keep an eye on him. He said he's be more worried about the side effects of the flu (such as respiratory illness, ear infection, etc), if it is that. So he made Sam go in and get all the tests for the Flu, H1N1 and also any of the viral diseases that are out there. We want to know what we're dealing with before it happens. :)

As for me. I'm getting sick from it all too. I def have a headache, sore throat, cough, fever, runny nose..you name it!! So I'm sure that lil' guy isn't feel too well. I'm trying to take it easy, but it's a bit hard when you have a sick lil' boy on your hands too. But...I did get to go get my new glasses. Now to wait for them to come in!! That will make me at least feel like I look less crappy!! LOL!

But we're slowly feeling better...and as I said. He's still happy baby!! Looks like he's getting over it better then Mommy and Daddy are!!

Cardiologist update

JD had his follow up appt for his cardiologist this morning. It wasn't a horrible appt, but it wasn't as good as we were hoping. We thought we were done with them, but we apparently are not. :(

To start...my lil' man is seriously on fertilizer or something!! :) He's 30 inches and 19lbs 11oz....this is up from 28 1/2inches and 18lbs 10oz last month!! Over a pound and 1 1/2 inches!! WOW

As for the rest of the appt. JD was a complete SWEETHEART and such an angel!! :heart He was in such a good mood and smiled and "chatted" with everyone. Everyone commented on how happy a baby he is and how handsome he is! As if this mom didn't know that one! ;) He had woman missing the elevators so they could sit and chat with him! He made so many new friends!

The first thing they did was his EKG, and he did really well with it. Much better than the last time. He didn't cry at all, not even when they pulled the tabs off him from the machine. He talked and babbled to the tech and Mommy. He is a wiggle worm though, so we had to work to hold his legs down. But the tech knew she was doing the pedi cardio so she had bubbles to entertain him with. He loved it, and really made a new best friend with her. So I think I am going to have to go get some bubbles, b/c he really loved tried to catch them.

So with all of this I was in such a good mood and so optimistic that everything was going to be great. They had mentioned last time they thought this would be his last appt since they didn't think we had anything to really monitor last time, they just wanted to follow up. Since they did hear the murmur, but thought it was just the baby murmur from the heart converting over from fetal blood movement to oxygen and all.

Well today they could still hear the murmur pretty loud, and they had hoped it would be softer or gone. GAAH But it's not!! Now they mentioned they think that it is a hole in the upper chambers after all. :( The good news on it though, is that they said they don't feel that it is life threatening right now, and they typically wouldn't do anything until a child reaches 3 or 4. So, we will continue going for EKG's and when he's 3 he has to go for an ultrasound of his heart. I was ok..until they mentioned the possiblity of surgery on it!!! :shock :crying

So, I'm sure that it is nothing to really worry about...it just was news I wasn't expecting to get. I was totally ready for him to be released from them, not to hear that my son may need surgery in a couple years to fix his heart! :(

All the fairs and end of summer

It's so shocking to me that we are rounding the corner of the end of summer. Where did all the time go!! It honestly still seems that we just finished spring. It's not that we got a huge summer. But the time is just flying!!! I had an even stronger wake up when I realized that my baby niece is heading off to her first day of Kindergarten tomorrow morning!! I can't believe she's that old...but also that school is starting! Yet another sign that the summer is ending and fall is on it's way!!

We ended the summer with some good old fashioned end of summer fun!! =D Sam and I took JD to the Middleboro Fair. It is a small little town fair, but cute. So JD got to pet some goats, sheep, cows, and chickens. He LOVED it! I'm not sure what he liked better. The fact that he could play with Gina, who is one of Sam's 4-Hers that he loves. Or that he could pet the chickens. His new favorite thing! :)

After doing that on Saturday, we headed out to NY to go to the Fonda Fair. It was celebrating the 168th year, and JD got to take part! We went on Sunday, which was the day mom was working the Beech-Nut booth. We wandered around, looked at all the animals, spent some time with Sara and then saw the fireworks! We also took some time to sit and watch the Big Rig truck pulls! JD really enjoyed the orange truck, and for what we saw he did a great job. :) We didn't get to watch the whole show b/c we were heading to catch up with mom to walk around. You can't get much more end of summer then that.

To finish off the Labor Day weekend, we went up to Ron's camp on Lake Sagandaga on Monday and had a small family picnic. It was much cooler, and you could feel fall in the air. JD got to swing on the swing there, and he loved it. Held it two hands and all!! It was sooo cute!!

Grandma had bought JD a Christmas present...but in Grandma fashion..JD got to play with it while we were there! :) She bought him a ride on Mickey clubhouse train. And he LOVES it. He stood for the longest time to play with it. He was hitting the buttons and giggling and laughing up a storm. I can't wait to bring it home from Grandma's this weekend. We were heading back in about 3 days, so we decided to leave it for that trip. :)

But now that all that is out of the way, I can smell the crisp fall leaves in the air and feel the changing of the weather. I love the fall, and look forward to JD getting to really enjoy his first one. We're going to go apple picking, and to the pumpkin patch..and of course do all the Halloween fun stuff and oh so much more!

We had such a busy summer. Going to the beach, to NJ, to Disney, the fairs, his uncle's camp...and so much more! :)

Here's to a great ending to the Summer and a wonderful beginning to Fall. :)

And we're up..

So the same day that JD mastered the rolling from front to back, he learned to pull himself up to standing. Then yesterday he was playing on the floor. I look down and he was totally up on his hands and knees! Oy!! He did the rocking motion for a bit and flattened out. But now he just keeps doing it. So I know it won't be long. So between the rolling and the up on his hands and knees. He's soooo proud of himself. Then when I let him pull himself up. You would think he conquered the world! Sooo cute!!

We did end up trying the turkey and rice, and it was a HUGE hit! :)

So, just a quick update to say all is still going well..and he's on the move. I'm sure soon I'll be posting that he is actually going somewhere..and fast! :)

what we're up to

So JD went through a point where it seemed he had completely stopped..if not had gone backwards with his development. Got a bit worried, but after talking to a few other mom's, realized their little ones were doing it to.

Not to worry any longer. Seems over night he has started to do everything! He now rolls officially from front to back and back to front without any effort. He also has learned that if he keeps doing it he can get around the room pretty quickly. Much quicker then his mini-crawling was getting him!

He also is sitting up pretty well, and standing when held. Then last night he pulled himself up on the crib rails, (We were sitting on the floor playing) and stood there all smiley at himself. Very cute to see him so exciting. Sometimes I think he's going to skip the official crawl stage, for he did it for a bit then stopped, and go right on to walking. But needless to say, Sam and I went out and got all the baby proofing things we needed to keep him from getting into too much trouble. Boy it amazes me how much trouble he can get into! :)

And food. We have moved on to eating a full jar of stage 2 for lunch and dinner now. He tried corn and pasta with veggie medley and loved them both!! The corn he went as far as to grab the plate and lick it to get the rest off! He also is trying to grab the food with his hands. So I am going to head over to the store tonight and pick him up some cherrios so that he can start havbing something to feed himself with. We've now tried all the fruits and veggies (and all the mixes) except for the meats. And tonight for dinner it looks like it is going to be Turkey and rice. We'll see how we handle that first taste of meats!!

All in all..life has been good. Tomorrow JD is going to his first fair. I'm pretty excited to take him there. And since we know all the animals and thier owners, he'll get some one on one with those..and probably get cuddled by everyone. I'm looking forward to some good fair food! I honestly can't believe that it is the start of Autumn!! Where has all the time gone!! Can't wait to see JD enjoy the falling leaves, cooler weather...and of course...Halloween is just around the corner!! :-D

Now..off to catch the rolling baby I have, that just woke up from his nap on the floor! Updates to come more frequently! :)

6 months & Disney

Wow...soooo much to update here!!

6 month appointment

So, JD has officially turned half a year old!! It really is bittersweet to think that my baby boy is growing up. I honestly can not believe that it's been that long!! That just last summer I wondered if we'd be blessed to reach thos point at all!! He went for his appointment, and he's doing so well. The doctor feels that he is doing great with all his milestones and he is growing too well. :) He's 18lbs 10 1/2oz and he was 29inches!! The weight he's following right along his normal curve, at about the 70th percentile. But the height..he's not on any of the curve charts. He's going above the 95th percentile for that. So, I'm blessed with a very tall boy! :-D He's got a lot of tall people on both sides, so I am not surprised!

We also looked at his teeth, and he does have some! I thought I had felt the canine and incisors, but those typically are not the first to come. Leave it to my son to not be the typical kid. :) Those teeth I felt are the ones coming in. And..he's got a molar working it's way!! The 2 incisors and the canines have popped the surface, but haven't pushed any further through. But boy, that hasn't stopped JD from nawing on anything and everything!!

He got the 3rd round of shots, but those didn't do too well for him. That night we woke up with a fever of 101.9. He was doing well with it, and still wanted to play and all. I gave him some tylenol and put some cool clothes on his head to help bring it down. It slowly went away during the next afternoon. Thankfully! I was not in the mind for that one! Looks like a lot of the baby buddies from this time frame have had a rough go at that 3rd set of shots. Wonder if it's a bit stronger or something?

Disney

So right after his doctors appointment; Sam, JD and I headed out to NY to my parents house. Even though Sam wasn't going on the trip with us, he wanted to head out to say goodbye and things. We spent that afternoon relaxing and Sam left early that evening. Then Friday, August 14th, we flew out of Albany International airport at 7:50am. (This was after we had a very early morning and made it to the airport for 6am...since I had to do special boarding things with JD) Security wasn't so bad with him in Orlando. They were actually pretty reasonable and helpful and we got through pretty quick. The airplane ride was fine and JD had zero problems with the flight. He usually doesn't do well with pressure changes..and he slept and played the whole flight. :) So when we landed in Orlando at 11am, it was great to have a happy baby to enjoy the day with. We got the rental car and headed out to Daytona Beach to enjoy the afternoon before heading back to Orlando for the remainder of the trip.

We spent Saturday and Sunday at Sea World. The first thing we saw was Shamu show..and boy did JD's eyes pop when that whale jumped out of the water. I wish I had a camera to catch his look on that one. :) He did really well and enjoyed seeing most of the animals. Other parts, he just slept through. Not surprising with the heat being so high, especially with the humidity.

Sunday night we headed to our hotel in the Disney All Star Movie Resort. They had Mickey ears made out of towels waiting on our bed. Ron shared a room with JD and I. Then we went to Magic Kingdom for lunch with Cinderella and the Princesses on Monday and over to Epcot for dinner with the Princesses. We got back to our room, and housekeeping had put JD's Manatee and Elephant in the window looking out as if it was waiting for him. Very cute!

Tuesday we did Animal Kingdom...but it sadly rained. But we enjoyed it while we could. JD and I headed back to our room, and he crashed at about 5pm and didn't move until about 6:30am on Wednesday. So he was in need of a good sleep. Then Wednesday and Thursday we did Magic Kingdom, along with a small trip to Downtown Disney on Wednesday. We tried to see the Illumination parade on Thursday, but the weather wasn't looking well and they had to cancel it. Too bad, b/c the parade we caught on Wednesday afternoon totally made JD's day. :) But we did get back to our room to find Mickey (JD's stuffed animal from Grandma) waving at us out the window! Then Friday we spent a few hours over in Epcot before heading to Orlando International to catch our flight home. He did even better on the flight back to NY, and slept from the second we boarded until we landed! We did get a bit delayed due to a huge storm in Orlando, but we were in the air by about 7pm and arrived in NY around 10:10. So all in all it was good.

My parents brought JD and I back to MA on Saturday afternoon. So he had a great trip. He got Mickey, Magician Mickey, Shamu, Nemo and a Manatee on this trip..and boy does he love them all! :)

I was a bit worried about getting him to transition back to his crib after spending over a week in bed with me..but the first night he went in his crib and slept through the night, and has done it every night. So I guess we didn't have as much to worry about. :)

So far behind

I am so far behind in updating. I had a small situation with this, and now that I've adjusted to it. I'm willing to accept that some people are just plain rude and nosey (and VERY controlling!!), and will do whatever they want regardless of who they hurt and offend. Soooo..I'm just going to post away for those that I do care to share this stuff with. And this person (who knows that I am talking to them, so if you're confused..no worries! ;) )... they can realize they made this so!!!

Updates to follow!

BTW - I WON!

growing up too quick

I honestly feel that JD is getting big so quick. I actually sat down today and cried and wished I could freeze time, and even go back. It has all gone by so quick, and I don't feel I wrote down enough memories or took enough photos. I wish I could bottle the way he smells, and just find a way to keep the way he feels. I know it's every mother's wish. But it hit me so hard today!!

I think what is hitting is that I'm loosing all of those original baby coos. :( JD has started to do his b's, d's and blowing raspberries. He even called ba-ba today, and he does seem to have the association down for his bottle. He's also been working on his ma-ma. It really is bittersweet for me. It all started last Friday (7/31) and it's just getting more and more. He's so intent when he watches you talk and will try to mimic. He also loves to grab your mouth while your talking to feel how it works. It's really cute! But I wish I had video's of his coo's. I tried to get them with the camera, but he always shut up when it was around. I know I'll remember them in my mind, just like I still know exactly how Loud used to talk to me. But I still wish I had it to listen to again!

And if starting to talk wasn't enough, my little wiggle worm is starting to move all over the floor on his own. He got up on his hands and knees once, but has decided to bulldoze (head down and use his feed to push forward) is his favorite way right now. But he can sure get himself around that way!!

Then last week we started to introduce the sippy cup, and JD took to it soooo quickly. He grabbed the handles from me, stuck the tip in his mouth and started drinking...like he's done it a million times. I was shocked..and a bit saddened. Hahaha. So, he gets his daily juice, that the doctor ordered, in his sippy. And he loves to see that orange cup coming. I wanted to move his juice out of his bottle so that he could know that bottles are for his feedings and his sippy is his juice. Then when we get to about a year, we'll add milk and water to that and wean off the bottle. *sigh* Sad to think we're half way to that point already!!

We've also finally moved JD to his crib in his room. We stated the transition on Saturday, and he took immediately to it. I think he was a bit ready for it too. Sam snores and I tend to move a lot, and I think we kept waking him up. So I put him down with his mobile, and he did well. He loves to watch the mobile...so he does that till it stops and then just puts his head down and out he goes. Because no matter what I do, that boy will not sleep on his back, and I feel he's fine on his tummy if that's what is best for him. I still check repeatedly on him. :) He has been doing much better with sleeping in there too. We're even starting to lose that middle of the night wake up, so I think this was a great move.


And the hardest thing for me to realize is that in 5 days he's going to be a half a year old already!! Boy has it all gone by so quickly!!

Vacation to NJ

Family photo on the board walk of Ocean City, NJ

The NJ trip was interesting, to say the least. It had it's good points and it's bad points. But I believe that happens with any trip that you take!

We traveled late Tuesday night and arrived in Ocean City, NJ around 4am. Sam's brother Ben was up waiting for us, and helped us bring everything into the house. Once everything was in the house, I got JD back and kicked everyone out of our room so that I could get him down. I've come to learn that JD doesn't sleep in the car. So the trip was long for us all, but he was very well behaved throughout the whole thing! Even I was getting cranky after 6 hours of driving. I was amazed at how much traffic was still in NY city at 3am!!

Wednesday morning we got up and went for an early morning walk over to the farmers market with Sam's parents. We picked up some fresh fruit and some flowers. On our way back to the house, we ran into Sam's grandmom. So JD finally got to meet his Great-Grandmom. It was such a sweet moment,and you could tell she really was happy to see him. She couldn't stop gushing about how handsome and big he was. Melts my heart that I was able to get some good photos for JD to have. I hope he gets to continue to spend time with her so that he can have memories to go with them.

That afternoon we headed off to the beach, and JD loved it!! The water was a nice temperature too, so I let JD put his toes in the surf. We had a beach hut, so we were able to stay out for a bit. JD took his naps right on the beach and we enjoyed spending time with the big Fox clan. It was a bit overwhelming for both of us since there were so many that wanted to meet me (since they hadn't come up to our wedding, and then to meet the baby!) That night we went to dinner at one of Sam's dad's brothers rental house. (They do the big family dinners) After which, we headed up to the boardwalk with Sam's brothers Pat and his family, and Benny with his girl friend. We went to get ice cream and uncle Pat gave JD his first taste of vanilla ice cream. Boy did he love that. Following that, we hit the beach at sunset, so that the boys could play Frisbee with Zoe and Joe. (Pat's 2 children) That day went great, and we ended it with JD going to bed like an angel and we got to play games with the brothers.

However, Thursday everything went to the wind. Sam thought I was being crazy with some of my rules with the baby. My big one is that children can not hold him if they are standing or on the couch. While we were getting ready for breakfast, I look over and Sam's father had handed my son off to Sam's niece. I looked at Sam to fix it so it didn't make a scene. But he told me I was over-reacting!! I was livid. I couldn't believe he would flat out do that. Especially when certain things were done for his safety. We had a pretty mean blow out, so I took JD and locked ourselves into our room. It was a rainy day, so it proved to be a long one anyways. Sam just didn't get the point. I went out to speak with Zoe and explain that it wasn't her fault. It was that some things need to be followed and her Uncle Sam was not following them. Well I sadly got my point across that evening during the family dinner. That night was held at our house, and one of the cousins has a baby boy that is a month older than JD. Zoe was holding him (thankfully on the floor) and he pitched himself forward and smacked his head on the floor! The baby wasn't hurt, just stunned. But it definitely woke Sam up! Pat looked at Zoe and explained that that was why I had the rule to hold him while sitting on the floor. B/c babies wiggle a lot and are hard to keep still. Imagine if that baby had been up any height! That night Sam apologized for what he had done, and we moved past it. After the dinner, we headed off to the boardwalk again to have ice cream and play some mini-golf. So, all in all it was another great evening.

Friday was another sunny day, so we were able to head back to the beach to enjoy our last day at the shore with the family. We stayed for that evenings dinner and a last walk on the board walk. Then about 8:30 we left and headed home. JD did well again in the car, even if he didn't sleep. The traffic home was a lot worse then on the way down, but we hit NY city around midnight on a Friday night, so I was surprised.

All in all, it was a decent trip. But boy were we all glad to finally be home!!


And here are all the photos! Well some of them!

Our room - don't mind the mess, we had just got there!

Our own bathroom in our master bedroom


Meet Great-Grandmom for the first time!

Toes in the sand and water!

Hanging in the surf with Mom! <3> Playing in the sand with Uncle Ben

The beach and dunes at Sunset!

The lights of the boardwalk from the beach at sunset

JD's first try at ice cream!

And the culprit who gave it to him - his Uncle Pat!

All the grandchildren who made it to the shore. Sam's in the - 4H shirt of course!

My favorite photo of all. I snapped it at just the right time, b/c it wasn't staged. JD's great-grandmom just leaned over and kissed him!! <3>All the Great-Grandchildren! And JD liked his cousin Jack!

JD was laughing..I thought it was cute!

The 4 generations of Fox's: Great-Grandmom, Daddy, JD and Grandpa

Everyone loves JD cuddles!! <3> JD and his Great-Grandmom

JD and his cousin Joe playing on the floor of our room

We went swimming

Ok, so JD went swimming, I sat and watched! :) At first he didn't like it, but that was because Mommy was holding him. But once I let him lay down in his little pool, he was so happy. He started splish splashing. He's my little fish. But He's also my little beach bum. I'm looking forward to taking him down to the beach and let him play in the sand and see if he likes it as much as his baby pool. Probably not, b/c Mommy won't let him do his own thing there!! ;)

So cute photos!!

He's my little GQ baby. I put on his swimsuit, and he laid back with his arms behind his head!!

Mommy, I don't know if I like this. Let me gooooooo!!

Ahh.. Much better. Splish splash, giggle!!

Day 2 out in the pool!

Ahh..this is the good life!!

Mommy and JD lounging in the sun. Ok, so I was trying to copy him. Didn't even realize our legs were up together too!! :) <3

Daddy and JD splish splashing!! <3

latest crazy idea

I think I may have officially lost it!!

I have given in and told Sam if he still wanted to go to the family reunion in NJ, we could see if we could make it work! AM I NUTS!!

These things are huge! But I'm so nervous to think about this. I had many reasons to not want to go the first time. There are like 50+ people at this thing! (Sam's dad is 1 of 7) JD hasn't had all his shots, and I'm petrified he's going to catch something from these people! Also, it's held down at the Jersey shore, and JD can't use sunscreen yet!!

So why did I cave. I thought about it, and realized that Sam was not going to get a vacation this summer. And for some reason, I felt bad.

But yesterday I thought about it, and sent a nice e-mail off to his parents to see when this thing was to figure things out. I was hoping it would happen after his next pay check so that I could look at rental cars and a hotel. Nope, it's starting today and goes through next Saturday! But of course, I had already mentioned the idea to Sam, and now he's all gung-ho for this..and won't listen to me about any of it!

So, if he can get the time off. We're going to be heading down there next Tuesday night. Then heading back that Friday night or Saturday night!

The only good thing coming out of this. I get beach time, and JD gets to finally meet his Great-Grandmom!!

Oh boy, what have I done!!

home schooling

I have decided that I'm going to homeschool!! And yes, I have determined that already! :rolling I mentioned it to someone, and they were like, you're researching that ALREADY. But I wanted to check all the requirements for my state and such. :D So, yes, I've been doing tons of research on it! :)

Sam and I had talked about it while I was still pg, and we agree we think for us it's the best choice. :) Sam and I are VERY science oriented people, and schools don't focus on it anymore! :( I went to school for teaching, and got so dishearted that the science program was a 1/2 hour lesson maybe once a month! I think you can do sooo much with it. And I can see how you can teach reading, writing, math and so much more with it!! My other disheartenment comes from all the schools around here strictly teaching to tests now. B/c with the federal standards of schools not receiving funding if they fail these tests. I want JD to learn to learn, not learn just enough to pass tests. And, if he finds something that really gets his attention, I want him to be able to enjoy researching it. Not having it brushed aside. :)

Not that schools aren't ok, and I know most will do this. :) Just for me, I can't think of anything better for us. I just have to make sure we find enough social events for him. :)

But this way, when one of the animals on Sam's friends farm is having babies, we can go there as a lesson. He can go to all the different events at Audubon and the library. We know he's going to be doing 4-H with his dad, and I'm looking at starting up a Pagan Scouts troop for him. It's like boy/girl scouts, but not the christian focus that they have. :) So I know he's going to get out and meet people.

I just hope that he enjoys it. and, if he decides he wants to try public school, we'll look at it again then. :lol

Peas

I don't know if I failed tonight and did the wrong thing or not. But I did what I thought was best. LOL. So I guess that can't be totally failing, right??

We had our first try at peas tonight. And let me tell you, it did NOT go well at all!! I think he has a texture issue, and the peas are a bit thicker. Like the cereal/oatmeal he won't eat! But I thought we'd try peas for dinner. He's been doing so well with everything, so I was NOT prepared! His first reaction was to make a funny face at me. But he does that every time we start something. Then a couple bites later, he stuck his tongue back out at me. Then for the next 3-4 bites he literally SPIT it at me!! I also could tell it wasn't his choice of food since he hid from the spoon and didn't try to grab it like he always does. Usually he opens his mouth wide for his bites, yells at me that I'm not going fast enough and grabs at the spoon.

So, I decided it was better to not fight the battle, and headed to the kitchen to get the left over banana from breakfast. (My kitchen and dining room are connected, and it's literally about 2 steps from my chair to the fridge!) I got up from my chair, watched JD put his hand in his mouth and forcefully got himself to vomit up all his peas!! A 5 minute interlude to clean up the peas, and he was eyeing the jar of bananas. So I opened it and let him have a taste (just to make sure he didn't have an upset stomach which caused the peas) and he licked the spoon clean and did his normal grabby action for the spoon. He actually did this really cute beckoning the spoon to him motion. Not that he knew he was doing it, I found it cute. So, I guess that showed he didn't have an upset tummy. Just really didn't want those peas!!

But now my fear is that I failed. Should I have not caved and gave him some bananas after his very forceful hatred of the peas. Should I have pressed the pea issue. Gaah, I don't want him to hate them, but I also don't want to force him to eat something he apparently hates. I still have nightmares of being stuck at the dining room table all night because I refused to eat my potatoes! I wasn't allowed up until I ate them, even if they got ice cold! I swore I would never do that to JD!!

And it's not like he does it for all things. I know some things say to start with only veggies, then move to fruits, and so on and so forth. But I've been mixing things up. We've had:
Green beans
Squash
Carrots (which we have learned causes hives!!!)
Sweet potatoes (which we don't like...but we tolerate...much better then the peas that is!!!)
Mommy's mashed potatoes!!
applesauce
bananas
Mango
rice cereal and Oatmeal

And really, the only extreme negative reaction was to the peas!! Even the cereal and sweet potatoes he tolerates and will eat his whole meal. This was a no-go!!

So did I fail!! Gaah, I don't know! I know I'll try again and not totally remove it from his diet, but by caving and giving him something else, did I do anything.

Oh, this mommy thing can be really difficult!!

5 months

I can't believe it!! John-Douglas turned 5 months on Saturday. Where has the time gone already. It still seems so unbelievable. I truly have been blessed!! In one sense I can't believe how quickly the time has been flying, but in another, I can't believe there ever was a time he wasn't here!! And every day I think I've reached my fullest height of love for that boy, and every day I find I love him even more.

I think back and realize how much we've been through. There was a time before him, there were 6 we lost, and a time when we didn't even think we could have children. I'm still so dazed at how quickly it's all flown by. I still remember the day that I got that positive pregnancy test for him a little over a year ago!! And all the stress and worries about him throughout it all....but now he's here healthy and the sweetest, happiest baby...and a whole new host of stresses and worries develop! :)

A mommy's work is never done!!

JD's stats

Birth - 6lb 15oz and 19inch

1 week - 6lb 15 1/2 oz and 19 1/4 inch

1 month - 8lb 14 1/2 oz and 21inch

2 month - 12lb 1 1/2 oz and 23 1/4 inch

3 month - 14lb 12 1/2 oz and 25 inch

4 month - 15lb 9 1/2oz and 26 1/4 inch

We haven't done the 5 month ones, and since he won't be going to the doctor who knows what the next level will be. But I'm tempted to at least measure him...b/c he has to be close to 28inch by now!

Family visit

Snell and Fox family weekend in NY

July 9-11th

So this past weekend saw us taking a trip back to upstate NY to be with family. I wish the trip was planned on happier notes, but the weekend before my Great-Aunt Shirley passed away after a long battle with kidney failure, among many other health issues. I know she's finally back with my Great-Uncle Harold and my Grandma O. Grammy and her are probably enjoying a nice long chat at the "local" bingo hall!

However, the rest of the visit was much enjoyed and much needed. It's been to long since I've had time with my mom and my niece. It also was a much needed visit to my very trusty and local Golden Retriever, who is very sick and may not be making it through the summer. We spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning with Grandma Snell. JD loved it. He spent the whole time giggling and laughing, and had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa. He really loved to laugh at Grandpa, and I think it's just because he knows that's what he'll look like one day. :) Thursday morning was the funeral, and then Grandma had to go to work for the rest of the day. How else are we going to get all that great Beech-Nut food she brings him home! That night we took a trip to the store for a new toy for JD, but they didn't have the one we needed! So Friday after work, we headed off to Albany to find the much needed Jumperoo replacement!

Grandma Snell, Mommy and JD

Grandma Snell, JD and Cinnamon

A very happy JD sitting on Grandma's lap

Grandma and Grandpa Snell - Feeding JD his bananas!


The Park

On Friday afternoon we decided a trip out was needed to relax and ground us. So we took a trip to the very small Tribes Hill Park to let JD have a try on the swings, and Mommy and Daddy decided to get a little goofy. It was a blast, and relaxing! It was a bit sunny when not under the trees, but being under the trees brought out the mosquitos, so sadly our trip was shorter then we would have liked. After JD and I went for a nice walk through my very quiet neighborhood. It was a very peaceful afternoon, and definitely made me miss being home!!

Even Mommy's can be kid's at heart!! So much fun!

But only b/c Daddy ran to this while I was walking down from the car! I love my big kid!!

Aww..look, time went backwards... This is what Daddy looked like 30 years ago! JD trying out the pony too! Notice how he held on like a good boy! :)

JD trying out the baby swing!!

At first he wasn't sure if he really liked it, but after a cafeful examination of it, we got a big grin!!

Mommy and JD on the big kid swing

Daddy and JD on the big boy swing

Cousins

Another very exciting part of the trip was spending time with my adorable niece, Kimberlee! She really is my sunshine!! She loves her baby cousin, and I can already see he's going to adore her too! She was such a great helper! From helping feed, to picking out his clothes, and even "babysitting" while JD rode with Grandma and Grandpa to breakfast while I drove in a separate car!

Kimberlee entertaining JD when she first got there!

Kimberlee feeding JD

Kimberlee, JD and I on Grandma's couch

So absolutely precious!! My sunshine and my handsome Prince!!

My precious Sunshine and I! <3

Sunshine Love! <3

Cinnamon and I

Kimberlee, JD, Cinnamon and I




The Fox's

After a much too short visit with Grandma and Grandpa Snell, we headed off to Sam's parents for a few hours before heading back home to MA. Sam's niece and nephew (Zoe and Joe) were up from VA, and they got to meet JD for the first time. We spent the afternoon hanging around. Sam played a few different games with his niece and nephew, and then we all played a game of 'Who Knew.' After dinner we headed home.

Grandma and Grandpa Fox, Daddy and JD

Home Again

Our trip home was thanfully uneventful. We thought we were the only ones happy to be home. But JD had a much more relaxed atmosphere about him once he realized we were home. He was good on our entire trip, but I could tell he missed being home. He had a rough time sleeping, and by the ends of each of our 4 hour drives, he definitely was ready to be out of his seat. Unlike other babies who sleep in the car, he stays awake and gets grumpy!

Home was good to see though. We walked through the door, and all 7 of our babies were waiting for us. Giving us much love for the remainder of the night, just to remind us that they love us and not to go away again. I also made sure I put together JD's new toy as soon as we got home! JD wasn't tired, so we tried it out. My son is so big, I can't believe it! Then we finally went to bed, where Ezra joined us like he usually does! And I am sure my son missed his kitty!

JD trying out his new Precious Planet Jumperoo! I think he likes it!! =-D

Goodnight! <3>