Happy 7 Months, John David!

Swinging at the park on his 7 month birthday

 

     These 7 months have flown by! I just THOUGHT Sara Beth's first year went by quickly. This is insane. I can't wait to see how John David's little personality develops as he gets older. He is such a cool little guy! Everyone he meets comments on his smile (and his hair. . . oh yeah, and how big he is). Here are his 7 month milestones:

• He finally learned to roll over! He can roll in both directions and is now much happier on his tummy. I guess being in control of your body makes all the difference in the world. He tries to get his knees under him and can spin himself around in a circle. Crawling is our near future, I think.
• He is super-sturdy when he sits now. I don't have to worry as much about him flopping over all the time. I do still put a pillow behind him just in case though. Our floors are hard!
• He is trying to pull up on things. He likes to pull up to his knees so he can reach a higher toy.
• He likes to stand up and can even balance himself sometimes.
• The babbling has started. What will we do when there are two kids talking nonstop at our house? He says "dada" and "yah".
• We started giving him solid food this month. I'm making all of his food, like I did with SB. It seems easier this time around. So far, he has tried sweet potato, squash, avocado, banana, apple, pear, red bell pepper, sweet potato greens, sweet peas, and carrots. I thought he would be a little chow hound, but he started out slow. Mostly, he just stuck out his tongue and licked at the food. He liked it much better when he could feed himself, but that was a HUGE mess. Just this week, he finally seems to be catching on.
• John David went camping for the first time earlier this month. We went to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas with some friends. He was surprisingly good the whole time. It was so cold that he did end up in my sleeping bag both nights. He slept great! Me. . .not so much. We did a lot of hiking too. He saw a cave and a waterfall.
• The weekend after Thanksgiving, we went to Santa's Wood Christmas Tree Farm to cut our own tree. This is our fourth year there. It's been fun to see our family grow up each year.
• John David is such a happy boy! But. . . and this is big. . .he is officially a mama's boy. He is attached to my hip. No one else will do, but mama. That is so sweet, but I get nothing accomplished these days. Good thing he's so sweet and precious and lovable and squeezable and perfect!
• The spot on his left cheek is not going away. The doctor said it was eczema, but I'm starting to doubt. We may end up taking him to the dermatologist before it scars his face.
• On our home scale, he weighs about 18.5 pounds.
• He is no longer sleeping through the night most nights. I don't know what's going on, but I end up feeding him even though I doubt he's hungry. It's the only thing that gets him back to sleep. :(
• His laugh is precious! He is very ticklish, but his best spot is high on his inner thigh. Sister loves to tickle him!

Tummy time is a lot more fun now that he is in control!

Hay ride at the Christmas Tree farm

We picked a winner! Here is our tree this year.

Jingle all the way!

First taste of sweet potatoes. . . not so sure about it.

Hiking around during our first camping trip

Petit Jean State Park

Watch out ladies!

Testing his legs

It's John David's Half Birthday!

My attempt at the 6 month chalk sign (eating pumpkins was much more fun)

JD on his half birthday: November 3, 2013

     Our sweet little guy is 6 months old! Well, he's actually 6 and 1/2 months old now, but his mommy is late writing a blog post, so let's pretend like it's really two weeks ago. OK?
     We've been busy this month, trying to take advantage of the cooler fall weather and all the activities that surround Halloween. John David tags along like a champ! He won't go to sleep in the Ergo anymore. This world is just too interesting! Big sister started preschool this month too, so we've spent a lot of time in the car, driving to and from Shreve Island Elementary School. Here's a run down of John David's 6 month milestones:
- He now has 2 little bottom teeth poking through. Teething has not been kind to him though. It seems pretty painful for him.
- Because of those troublesome teeth, he gnaws on everything! Watch out for your fingers, he bites hard!
- He sits up all the time and will play with his bucket of toys for long stretches of time now.
- No rolling over yet. Well actually, he finally did learn to roll over. That happened this week though, so it doesn't really go on this late 6 month post. ;)
- We visited the Dixie Corn Maze, the Asbury Pumpkin Patch, and the Fall Shreveport Farmer's Market this month.
- He was "Super John David" for his first Halloween. His little costume was hilarious! Our "Super family" had fun at our church's trunk-or-treat carnival.
- At his 6 month check-up, he weighed 17 lbs. 14 oz. (between the 50th and 75th percentile) and was 26 inches long (50th %). His head still measures in the genius range at 18 inches (90th%). Poor little guy had to get 4 shots and an oral vaccine that day. He ran a low fever and felt awful for the next couple days.
- His growing has slowed down a bit this month. I'm wishing I hadn't gotten all the 12 month clothes out. We are always rolling his sleeves and pants legs up.
- He makes some interesting new vocal sounds. They almost sound like words.
- He is still the happiest baby around! He gives out smiles to anyone that make eye contact.
- He is still Sara Beth's biggest fan. She pokes him and squeezes him and gets all in his face. Apparently, she is the funniest person ever!
- Our family joined us for John David's Baby Dedication at church this month. It's just a ceremony, but oh how I pray that God will guide us as we raise this little boy.


Pumpkin patch fun with friends

Trick or Treat!

One day!

Dixie Corn Maze: Just so you know. . . tractor cow trains are not very appropriate for babies



Mama's pumpkin- picked straight from the vine

Baby Dedication October 13, 2013

John David is 5 Months Old (better late than never)

     Life has been busy, busy, busy lately. So busy, that I haven't sat down to write John David's 5 month post yet. He's 5 1/2 months old now, but I figure better late than never. I love to look back on these monthly posts to see how much he's grown.

At 5 months old, John David. . .
- is sitting up! He started showing off his new trick on his 5 month birthday.
- drools a lot and puts everything in his mouth. There is major teething going on right now. A bottom tooth is just beginning to pop through.
- has outgrown most of his 9 month clothes and is now wearing 12 month clothes.
- weighs about 17 pounds. He's still our big boy!
- is still not interested in rolling over. I think he will walk before he decides that rolling over is worth his effort.
- has a tight grip. He grabs onto anything he can (especially our hair).
- likes to copy sounds. It's hilarious to watch him copy the way Adam laughs. The dinner table is a fun place at our house.
- has a favorite book. His favorite book is Little Blue Truck by far! He giggles, smiles, tries to grab the pages, and kicks his feet.
- went on his first family vacation (to Las Vegas to visit our friends). He did great on the plane ride!
- has spent a lot of time with Mommy at physical therapy sessions. I've been trying to get my knee back to 100%, so he has to come with me most of the time. The PTs carry him around or I play with him while I do the exercises.
- has the best smile EVER! He is a very happy baby and smiles at everyone he meets.
- loves his sister! He lights up when she talks to him.
- gets called "Little Man", "Bud", or "Buddy" more than his actual name. He is finally starting to recognize and respond to his name now!
- sucks his thumb constantly.
- doesn't like laying down anymore (unless he's sleepy). He much prefers sitting up in the Bumbo chair or trying to balance on his own.
- still sleeps soundly through the night.

Here are a few pictures from this month. I wish I had more to post, but my computer is broken right now so I only have the pictures that were on the camera card. Maybe I'll add a few more when we finally cough up the money to get it fixed. Hmm...

Celebrating 5 months while we were in Vegas

Meeting Luke Herbeck. I wonder if they will be good friends like SB and Owen.

Such a good baby! This is what he did on his first flight.

John David is 4 Months Old

     Where did the time go? Four months already? That's a third of a year! Too fast! Too fast! Our little man is doing so good. He is growing up strong and healthy and big. At his 4 month check-up with Dr. Ritch yesterday, he weighed 16 pounds 1 ounce which puts him in the 75th percentile for weight. The nurse measured his length as 24 3/4 inches (50th percentile), but I think she made a mistake or something. I KNOW he is longer than average. He is wearing 9 month clothes for goodness sake!
     As I looked through our pictures, I realized something. . . we didn't do anything worth writing about this month. There was A LOT of staying inside and playing in Sara Beth's room because it's too hot outside. Ooo fun! Oh well. Here are John David's milestones for this month.

At 4 months old, John David is:
- able to grasp toys and put them in his mouth.
- drooling constantly! I guess the teething process has begun, but if he is anything like his big sister, it will take many more months before his first tooth arrives. For now, we just have to change his clothes every half hour or keep a bib on him.
- loving looking at his reflection in a mirror.
- loud! He has found a new voice this month. The sweet little coos were replaced by what sounds like fussing. His face looks happy though. Strange...
- tired of laying down all the time. He much prefers to sit in his Bumbo seat and watch whatever is going on. He'll watch Sara Beth play for a long time.
- getting better on his tummy. His neck is getting stronger and he is able to lift his head much higher than before.
- trying to learn how to roll over (sort of). His cloth diaper makes it hard for him to practice, so he has been spending lots of time sans diaper lately. It's his favorite time of day!
- a morning person. He wakes up so happy every morning. He gives some big smiles!
-still sleeping through the night (about 12 hours). That has not been the case for the last 3 nights, but we're hoping it's a short phase.
- a pro at taking his pacifier out of his mouth. He takes it out, studies it carefully, and then attempts to put it back in. He's had a few successful attempts, but usually gets a little help from us.

Sweet sleeping boy

Mommy and John David practicing our surprised face

Everything looks different when you are sitting upright

A rare afternoon outdoors

Can you get more handsome than this? Ready for church.

This is his morning face.

Enjoying diaper-free time

Love him!

Summer Fun

Sara Beth and Tristen have been friends since birth. It's one of those forced friendships that actually worked out. I love seeing them hang out together! Here are pictures from our day at Riverview Park.

Aw! So sweet!

Love this one!

Come on, Tristen.

We weren't having quite as much fun as them. 

Now T is enjoying himself.

Look Mommy! I got water in my eyes and I didn't even cry!

Train-watching break

Cutie pie!

John David was happy to get some attention from Tristen's brother, Sawyer.

Sitting on the water jets is always fun.

John David is 3 Months Old

     What can I say about our big boy? For starters, he is BIG. . . weighing in at 15 1/2 pounds! He's really not that chubby (although SB loves to talk about how cute and chubby he is), but he looks like a 6 or 7 month old already. He is an amazingly good baby!!!! Seriously, he really is. During the day, he eats, plays for an hour and a half or so, then starts to get a little bit fussy. I put him down in his crib and he naps for a while. Repeat several times throughout the day. When it's bedtime, I change his diaper, dress him in pjs, lay him down in his crib, turn out the lights, and he sleeps for 12 hours. I'm not kidding! No rocking, singing, or shushing (is that a word?) required. I'm sure it can't last forever, but right now it rocks!

     John David is precious. I mean, seriously, I'm smitten with him! That smile. . . that squeal. . . his crazy mo-hawk hair. . . those chubby little feet. . . his sweet personality. . . the way he lights up around Sara Beth. . . I could go on and on. Happy 3 months, Little Man! 

At 3 months old, John David. . .

• sleeps all the way through the night every night! Sometimes I have to wake him up in the morning if we have plans. Other times, he wakes on his own, but even then he never cries. I just notice his legs kicking or hear faint grunting noises coming from his crib.
• is grabbing and holding on to his toys.
• looks at his hands like he has just discovered them.
• sucks his thumb (noisily).
• can "stand up" (not on his own of course).
• likes to squeal and coo like crazy! I wonder if SB will let him get a word in edgewise when he gets older.
• tolerates tummy time. Like his sister, he is not a big fan of it. Poor thing! His head is big and heavy. How can we expect him to hold it up longer than 30 seconds at a time?
• stayed in the church nursery for the first time last week. He did great! His teachers said he was an easy baby. I've let him stay in child care while I work out too. I'm a worry wart about it, but at least I can see him through the window while I work out.
• wears 6-9 months clothes. Yes, you read that right!

Snapshots from this month:

Sciport fun with Nana

Just one of Sara Beth's babies

Working on his grip

Tummy time

Loves to sleep and loves his thumb

These two are a perfect pair!

Sara Beth's Storybook Birthday Party

     Okay. I realize this post is about 2 1/2 months late, but at least I can use giving birth as an excuse, right?
Never-the-less, I had to document Sara Beth's 3rd birthday party. It was too cute and perfectly suited to her! So, here it is. . . Sara Beth's Storybook Party!
     Sara Beth loves books. She loves going to the library. She loves to pretend.  So, I had to seize this opportunity to throw a storybook birthday party for her! The decorations were easy: stacks of books, bunting banners from book pages, and a book page wreath (because I just couldn't throw away the leftover book pages). Both the food and the activities were based off of books that she loves. Everyone seemed to have a good time even though our house was a little bit cramped. Sara Beth received lots of new books to read and fun toys to play with. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate our sweet little girl who is growing up way too fast!

I loved the invitation! I can't decide whether the library card or the little story was my favorite part.

A few of the kids' activities: Make a picnic lunch for Red Riding Hood's Grandma, Make Max's crown, play dough cupcakes and a tea party with Miss Spider

Some of the party food

The birthday girl and her family

Make a wish!

Nothing like riding your new scooter in your birthday dress.

Reading books with Nana and Nonni--- it was a storybook party after all!