Crawling and Standing-- all in the same day!

Oh, boy! My baby. My little baby boy has finally started to crawl and stand up on his own. All on the same day! I don't know how I feel about this. Of course I am happy for him and super proud. But....what is happening to my little baby? He is growing up so fast. Even though lots of babies start crawling around the 6 month mark and my little lazy boy didn't start until 8 1/2 months old, I still kinda wish he wasn't. Yes, it's exciting. Yes, it's fun to watch, but this Mommy is in no hurry for her boy to grow up so fast. Below is a video of Jonathan crawling for the second time ever. He would not crawl for me, or for any of his toys, but he did crawl for a chocolate covered cherry wrapper. He is so my child :)

What's the boy up to now?0

Well, our little guy is 8 1/2 months old now and he is better than ever! He is such a joy and so much fun that each day holds new adventures. Although JJ isn't quite crawling all over the place, he can get from one side of the room to the next in a hot minute. This includes a half-second crawl, scooting, rolling and all other kinds of twists and turns with his little meatball body. This past week he is also starting to pull himself up pretty well. We expect that in the next week, he'll be in full crawling mode and pulling himself up with a lot more strength. His pediatrician told us due to his physique (short legs, big head), he'll be likely to start crawling later, if he crawls at all. He also was a back sleeper until 5 months old, so that also slows down the crawling process. Either way, I'm in no rush. I'll keep my little baby who I can carry around with me as long as I can!

He is saying "Dada" like crazy (ugh). No Mama yet, but trust me, I say "Mama" to him about 1,000 times a day. He laughs like crazy. Smiles a lot. He is wanting to be held a lot more now than ever before. He wants us involved in his floor play time and wants to be near us at all times!

He is on a pretty predictable schedule which is good for the both of us. Wakes up, bottle, cereal, play, nap, lunch, play time, story time, bottle, nap, snack, playtime, story time, dinner, bath, bottle, bed. He is sleeping an average of 11 hours at night and then naps anywhere from 3-5 hours a day, usually a 2 hour morning nap and a 3 hour afternoon nap.

JJ spent his first Thanksgiving at Andy and Jen's house. His Thanksgiving dinner consisted of Earths Best Organic Turkey, Cranberry, Apple jarred food (ack). I know some Mom's that have babies JJ's age gave their kids pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, etc, but Jonathan and I are just not rolling that way right now. There are two reasons for this. First: No need to rush the fatty, not-so-great food to him, after all, he is only 8 months old. Second: We're kind of freaked out giving him anything thicker than pureed baby food. I mean, I only give him about 6 puffs a day cause I have this crazy fear he'll choke! Yes, JJ, when you read this some day, it won't be a surprise to you that Mommy is a bit crazy and super protective.

Oh, Oh, OH!! I almost forgot. As of Saturday, December 4, 2010, at 8 1/2 months old, Jonathan is now sleeping in his own room. This was a really hard decision for us. Jonathan and I are very much "Attachment Parenting" type parents and were going to let him sleep in our room until a year old, but there were two reasons that made us decide to cut the umbilical cord and move our little guy out. First: We had our first fire of the winter season going on Saturday and our room had a pretty strong smoke smell. We have the carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and all was fine, but we just didn't feel comfortable letting him sleep in our room. The second reason: his pack n play looks SO uncomfortable compared to his crib. I mean, the pack n play "mattress" is pretty much a wood board with a padding. But the crib. Oh, that sweet crib is heavenly. So yeah, he is now in his own room. I must say, we are handling it so much better than we thought we would. Sure we miss looking down at him and seeing him. But we have a flat screen monitor next to our TV so we can still look at him and watch him.

Well, I think I've rambled on a bit more than I wanted to. I just want to conclude this entry by saying that every single day, I look at that adorable face and am totally amazed that we created him. We are so lucky and blessed to have him. He is our everything.

JJ's first Fall

Jonathan really enjoyed sitting outside on top of the leaves. At first he thought it was fun to rip the leaves apart untillllllllllllllllll he realized "Hey, I can put this in my mouth".

8 months old

JJ has been with us for 8 months now and I can't imagine my life without him. He has been the greatest gift and blessing that we will ever receive. He is so sweet and easy going. Raising him so far has been very easy for us. He is easy to transition into different situations and tolerates change well. I am 99.9% positive that our next child will not be as easy as JJ, and that's OK, but did he really set the standards high :)

It's so crazy that 8 months ago, we just welcomed our little man into our world and now I don't even remember what life was like before him. To celebrate his 8 month birthday, here is a picture of me holding him for the very first time....

JJ meets Santa

We are fastly approaching Jonathan's FIRST Christmas and I am SUPER excited about it. Last weekend Daddy and Mommy took Jonathan to meet Santa and get his picture taken.

Jonathan said his first word!!!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it wasssssssssssssss..............

Fall 2010

Jonathan and his new friend Julia go trick-or-treating around the different businesses in downtown Brunswick.


At a Halloween Party at Beans, here is a picture of my friend Sheryl's kids, Rett and Georgia.

Aodhan and JJ hanging out at our house. JJ cannot wait for Aodhan to get a tad big bigger so they can really play!

Hello again :)

Jessica and I at Summers End Pumpkin Patch. An awesome time was had by all.

The Fitch Family!

Hanging out with the Fitches at Chloe and Drew's T-Ball games. My bro-in-law Andy coaches both teams!

JJ showing off his GAP gear. I entered him into the new baby face of GAP photo contest. Fingers crossed!

Auntie Robyn and Uncle Bryan came out to visit us and we went to Brunswick Railroad Days. Love those faces!

The next day we spent another day out at Brunswick Railraod Days with our friends Jessica, Joey and their baby Aodhan.

JJ's cousin Gabrielle got him this adorable M&M onesie.

This was a few days after Labor Day. Jessica and I spent the afternoon at Brunswick Crossing with other parents and kiddies from Story Time at the Library.

JJ's first bath in a sink! This was given to him by his Grandmom.

Goodbye Summer :(

Since I quit my job during maternity leave and am a full-time SAHM, JJ and I had lots going on this summer. We went to Bethany Beach, DE, Wildwood, NJ and Corolla, NC. We went on play-dates, story time at the library, walks, playgrounds, Mister Don at Beans in the Belfry, Greenbrier State Park, trips to the pool, South Mountain Creamery and many other mini excursions. JJ has proved that although he is still a small baby, he can hang out and go along for any ride we want to bring him on. I will definitley miss all of the fun summer stuff that we have done, but am looking forward to the fun fall festivities that we have planned. Apple picking, pumpkin patches, hay rides, here we come!

Mmmmmmmmm, yummy!

JJ has shown that he likes to eat just like his Mama! So far he has had peas, squash, and sweet potatoes. Tonight we are going to start him on carrots and I'm sure he'll love them too. Here is a picture of JJ showing off in his new high-chair.

Chicken Little!

Ok, so I know I am way ahead of the Halloween game. After all, we got JJ's costume in AUGUST, but I couldn't resist to see my little man in his chicken costume.

JJ goes to Cape May

JJ attended his first wedding in Cape May, New Jersey on 9/18/2010. My cousin Stephen and Chuan got married on the Spirit of Cape May. It was a beautiful wedding, although JJ slept through most of the ceremony and part of the reception.

A week in Philadelphia

JJ and I spent last week in Philadelphia and it was AWESOME! We spent so much time with family and friends and even attended a baby shower! My cousin Kelly is having a baby boy due in October so JJ went to his first baby shower. I kept imagining what it would be like to be there permanently and I loved the idea of it. So many family members and friends within blocks of one another. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. As much as Brunswick is growing on me and it's such an awesome place to raise a family, Philadelphia will always be my home. Here is a picture of JJ sitting on his Pop's lap.

What's he up to now?

Wow, from the time we left the OBX until now (almost a month), JJ has changed SO much. He is so much fun and is really showing his own personality. A personality that is sweet, calm, laid-back and SUPER funny. So what has he been up to you may ask? Well, here we go...

1. Sitting up unassisted.
2. Eating rice cereal
3. Sleeping on his stomach or side and sleeps every night between 11-13 hours straight.
4. Naps in his PNP, goodbye swing!
5. Laughs and smiles for a good reason.
6. Wearing his jean diapers. Yes, he poo's in blue :)
7. Oh, he now mimics people went eating, especially Aunt Libby when she eats french fies :)
8. He rocks himself back and forth when sitting on my lap. It's SO cute.

Rice cereal!

JJ had rice cereal for the very first time! I think we made it a bit too chunk for him so his first try he wasn't that into it, but now that we know the consistency that he likes, he is digging it for sure. We will try a vegetable on his 6 month birthday which is coming up this Saturday! Can't wait!!!

Here is a video of him eating his very first spoonful of rice cereal...

Teething ring or hand? I can't decide!

Daddy and JJ giggle time!

Kiss and laugh time!

I kiss, he laughs.

Sitting up!

I kind of don't know what happened. He just started to sit up on his own without me supporting his back. Obviously I wouldn't walk away from him because it's so new, but he can sit up for at least 10 minutes on his own without getting tired/falling over. So proud of him :)

Busy summer!

We have been all over this summer. From Bethany Beach, DE, to Wildwood, NJ, and our last beach trip was to the OBX (Corolla, NC). JJ went from instantly falling asleep in the pool to staying alert and awake :) We had a great time with friends and lots of other babies. JJ was the youngest one there so he got to learn from all of the kiddies. Here is a picture of some of us (a few peeps and kids are missing). Oh, and the day after we got back, JJ started to completley sleep through the night, cutting out his 4/5 a.m. bottle all by himself AND I have put him on a strict 2 nap (sometimes 3) a day schedule. So far, so good! All I need to do now is get him to nap in his crib or pack n play and wean him off of his swing that he loves so much.

Fun video slips of JJ!

Here are a few clips that I took of Jonathan.

FIVE MONTHS OLD TODAY!

The Stenger's come to Brunswick

JJ and I spent the day with Mandy and Lucy. We went to the pool, Lucy played at the playground and we had a fun lunch at Beans in the Belfry. Here is a picture of Auntie Mandy with her favorite little girl and her favorite little guy. I'd like to note that JJ's head is bigger than Lucy's head. Thanks for the company ladies!

One of his first bath's...

I found this video I sent to my mom that we took during one of JJ's very first bath's. Remember, his very first bath he SLEPT through the whole thing. I can't believe how big my peanut is.

Rolling, rolling, ROLLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE DID IT! Yesterday, Wednesday, August 4, 2010, JJ ROLLED OVER!! I am so happy that Jonathan was here to see it. We had JJ on a blanket on top of the dining room table and we put him on his tummy. He worked and worked and grunted and fussed a little and eventually he rolled over. Jonathan and I jumped up in delight, we hugged one another, I teared up, ran and got my phone and immediately called my mom. We then put him back on his tummy and he rolled over again. And now just to confirm this is the real deal, I put him on his blanket this morning and he rolled over twice. YAYAYAYAY! We are so proud of you baby boy.

We got ourselves a swinger!

Jonathan and I took little J to a park/playground a few minutes down the road and had him test out the swing. He really liked it! He looked like a little butterball in there.

Even Mommy joined in for the fun...

What's new?

Well, what's new with JJ you may ask? Here are a few things he is doing:

He has discovered his feet and LOVES to pull on them.

He screams. Really. LOUD. Thanks, Mom.

He can hold on to his toys and pass over to the other hand.

His hair is growing in like crazy this week.

He is still showing signs of teething, but no teeth just yet.

He loves to smile and talk.

He can now be put on his tummy and lift up his head without getting angry (YAY!)

He is now noticing the cats and watches them with a very curious look on his face.

I'm sure there is more, but that is all I can think of right now.

Beach bum!

JJ has had a very busy July. We spent two consecutive weeks at the beach. First with Grammy Fitch in Bethany Beach, DE and then with Grandmom and Pop in Wildwood, NJ. Grandmom got JJ a really cool UV protected beach tent which we used on his first trip to the beach. Because it was so hot we didn't stay too long, but if he is anything like his Mama, he will LOVE the beach. If he is anything like his Daddy, he will NOT love the beach. Only time will tell. We spent the week in Bethany Beach hanging out at the house, going for strolls to the downtown area and pretty much just relaxed. We took the ferry from Bethany to Wildwood and that was pretty exciting. JJ was pretty intrigued by the water and he loved the vibration and movement of the ferry. Wildwood was very exciting for JJ because he went into the pool for the very first time! The first time he went in we were at my Aunt Bern's pool at the Mali Kai. In her pool I just sat in the baby pool with him where he just chilled out as I held him. No fussing or crying at all, he just laid back and enjoyed the water. The second time my Mom and I took him in our pool at Champagne Island where he really seemed to enjoy the water. I think this is because I was in 4 1/2' and I walked around with him while his body was submerged (minus face of course). My mom passed him back and forth and he just laid back with his eyes closed. I am pretty certain he thought he was back in the womb. The third time he went in was the BEST because his Uncle Mark held him at first and he instantly fell asleep. That is right, JJ fell asleep while in the pool. And it wasn't just any ordinary pool. This pool had a Deejay playing, lots of people and noise. Jonathan was full out sleeping, mouth open, heaving breathing and all. When Mark passed him back to me for me to hold him he didn't even wake up! I think it's safe to say that he is a water baby. Now I must disclose that both of these pools were heated, so we shall see how he reacts to non-heated pools.

It was so great to have family time for 2 weeks. I was so upset and sad when we had to leave that I cried like a big baby to my Mom. I just wish we could always be with them and see them every day. JJ's Pop (Vince) even shed some tears as well, he didn't want to see us go. Ok, I lied, he didn't want to see JJ go.

JJ is proving to be such a sweet, happy, pleasant baby. He laughs, giggles, coo's, talks and now SCREAMS! My mom, who is notorious for her infamous scream was doing her scream with JJ all week and now he won't stop! At one point I had to leave the room today because the noise was hurting my ears!!!

Oh, a family friend, Kitty, threw a BBQ in JJ's honor. How cool is that?? This 4 month old is more popular then I will ever be :)

Here are some pictures of our 2 week vacation. I'd love to write more, but I have piles and piles of laundry to wash, mail to go through and a house to clean.

And they said I wouldn't last long...

JJ decided pretty much from day one he'd rather eat from a bottle then from me, so I have been pumping my milk and storing it. I have been pumping since day one and the child has NOT had a single ounce of formula. I just have to throw out there how PROUD of myself I am. It's hard work, time consuming, sometimes frustrating and annoying, but totally worth it.

SLOWWWWWWWWWW DOWN!

Ok, what's new this week?

JJ is showing signs of teething, he is sleeping 8 hours straight, eating and going back down for another 2-3 hours (WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO). He is starting to LAUGH, he is able to bat at his rattle to make it spin around. He is VERY serious when he does this. I must get it on video camera because the concentration and focus is hilarious. He is so much more aware of his surroundings and is truly showing his personality. I say he is going to be very chill and laid-back like daddy, but a blabber mouth like his mommy.

Ok buddy, you have been changing a lot lately. Why don't you take a break, slow down and let me enjoy this. You are growing so fast. I love you.

The most amazing grandmother in the world!

Dear JJ,

Some day you will read this blog/electronic journal and there is something I want you to know (although I am sure you know this by now). Your Grandmom loves you so much. She loves you more than anyone else in this entire world. Right now you are only a little over 3 months old and your Grandmom has done so much for you. From painting and decorating your nursery, to putting your crib together, to buying you 90% of your clothes, but most importantly, loving you as much as Mommy and Daddy do. One day you will be a parent and experience the immense love for your child(ren), but I want you to know that she loves you just as though you were her own child.

I always have known how lucky I am to have the most selfless, giving, and loving mother in the entire world; and now you have her as your Grandmom. I am pretty sure these pictures say it all.

Motor Mouth

It's no secret that Jonathan is the quiet one, I am the chatty one and JJ is the Motor Mouth.

New things to do!

This past week or so, Jonathan has been doing new things that to most of you, may not be a big deal, but to me, it's maj! Things that Jonathan Jr. has been doing this week:

1. He now grabs on to my shirt when he eats and he just holds on tight. I find this terribly sweet and adorable.


2. He is getting much better with lifting his head during tummy time. Tummy time is NOT his favorite thing to do, but as long as I let him do a little bit throughout the day and then Daddy and I have him work on it during the evening, I am sure he'll be lifting the head that ate MD, DE and PA in no time.


3. He most definitely follows me when I walk around the room, he will twist his body, turn his head and look around for me (or Daddy).


4. He LOVES to be "naked nakedz" as I like to call it. And when the opportunity arises he shakes what his mama gave him.


5. His hair is changing from brown to platinum blond and I'm pretty certain his eyes will stay blue. He will be a blond bombshell, just like his mama.


6. He "chatted" with his Grandma the other night. I held the laptop up above his face so he could look up at her face (via Skype) and while she was talking to him he was talking back, staring directly at her face. Thank God for Skype.


7. This may sound silly, but for a month now I have been teaching him his ABC's and his vowels. When he gets fussy, singing the ABC's immediately soothes him and when I say A, E, I, O, UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU he mimics me and tries to repeat it back. Seriously. No joke. Ask Jonathan he has witnessed it many of times. The child, at 3 months old is trying to say his vowels.

HAPPY THREE MONTHS OLD BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you so much Jonathan. Happy 3 month Birthday baby boy.

A baby that is changing by the day...

Dear JJ,

Please take your time growing up. Mommy is in NO rush to have you crawl, walk, talk, etc. I Cherish every single day with you and I want you to stay my little cuddly baby boy forever. With that said, here is what JJ has been up to:

1. JJ has been sleeping through the night for awhile now. He has been going 9 - 91/2 hours between bottles, he will wake up to eat, go right back to sleep for another 2-4 hours.

2. The other night I decided to not swaddle his arms, just wrap the swaddler around his waist and see how he does. Well, being the smart and amazing baby that he is, he had NO problem with it. It was like he hasn't been swaddled these past 3 months and it wasn't a big deal to him at all. I'm so happy because I was starting to worry how I would wean him from being swaddled.

3. JJ made his first real laugh to today ON FATHERS DAY while Daddy was giving him a bath. Daddy was laughing and JJ laughed back. I'm smiling right now from ear to ear.

My son is wonderful in every way. He is my world and I am so lucky that he chose me to be his mommy.

One night swaddled!

Next night, arms not swaddled!

Off to West Virginia

This past SaturdayJonathan, JJ and myself spent the day in West Virginia with some of the Yost/Emig families. My cousin Glen and his partner Mark have a beautiful home located on a resort called "The Woods"in West Virginia, about 17 miles from Martinsburg. Glen and Mark generously rented two big houses right next door to one another so both families were right next to each other. We ate (a lot) and played board games. JJ got passed around and even took a very short cat nap IN A CRIB for the VERY FIRST TIME! I was so excited and sad at the same time. My little boy is growing up!! But don't get it twisted. He still sleeps in his bassinet when home and will for at least another 2-3 months. Mama is not ready for her baby boy to go into his own room. Anyways, the resort was beautiful! What an amazing getaway that is only 1 hour from our house. There are pools, spas, restaurants, beautiful grounds, tennis and other fun stuff to do. Jonathan, JJ, Anne, and myself took a ride to Berkley springs after lunch and walked around their downtown area. We got some lattes and walked around the natural springs where families were standing and playing in the springs. Jonathan and I did dip our feet in which was very refreshing. The next day (Sunday), my Aunt Patsy, Uncle Rick, Grandma Yost and her friend Anne stopped by our house on the way back to New Jersey so my Uncle Rick can evaluate all of the painting that he agreed to do this coming September (I was lucky he agreed to paint the house BEFORE he saw the house). Aunt Patsy has been to our house before, but it was really nice to have my Grandma see where we live. This coming weekend JJ is going to go to his FIRST Italian Festival at MDG. MDG (Mother of Divine Grace) is where I went to catholic grade school. The festival is a big deal in my neighborhood and I know there will be LOTS of friends and family anxiously awaiting his arrival. After all, he is cutest baby boy in the entire world. Ok, so here are some pictures of JJ getting ready for West Virginia and some pictures with family.

Sleeping through the night?!?!?!

This picture above is JJ in his coming home outfit that my mom got for him. It was super big on him 2 1/2 months ago, but now looks great on him :)

It is ALL about the tube socks.

Well, this week has been WONDERFUL. JJ has consistently been sleeping through the night. His schedule is this:

Last bottle between 9-10 p.m.

Wakes up for next bottle between 4-5 a.m.

Falls right back to sleep after bottle

Wakes up again 3-4 hours later for another bottle

Bring him downstairs, he finishes bottle and is black to sleep for another 2-3 1/2 hours

After his morning nap I keep him up for as long as he will let me. During this time we sing and play, I walk him around the house sometimes stopping in the dining room for a quick photo shoot and then he goes back to sleep. He naps off and on until 7:00 p.m. and then is up for a good 2-3 hours. During this time we do tummy time, play mat time, bouncy seat time, singing, bath, bottle and back to bed again. It's nice to finally have some kind of routine with him, it makes getting stuff done around the house a lot easier. Here are some pictures I took of JJ this week.

Thank Heaven for little boys!

Mouth meet fist. Fist meet mouth.

B is for BOB!

Daddy got JJ this onesie from a little shop in downtown Frederick. He looked adorable in it.

Our first conversation!

This morning JJ had A LOT to say. I wish Jonathan was here so we could have gotten it on camera :( JJ was sitting on my lap just cooing and talking and smiling away. Now, he has been cooing and smiling and "talking" for a hot minute already, but this morning it was all at the same time for about 5 straight minutes with no break. I'm pretty sure he was telling me that he is excited that Daddy has a three day weekend coming up. It's funny, each thing he does gets me so fired up and excited. Yesterday was the first day I think he really discovered his feet. While in his swing he would lift up his legs, look at his feet, bring them up in the air towards his mouth and open his mouth. He didn't get anywhere near his mouth, but when he does, it will be ok because those piggies are always clean since Mommy has them in her mouth throughout the day :)

Does he REALLY need to go in his own room?

I know at some point JJ is going to have to sleep in his own room. I am not looking forward to it at all and am enjoying him being right next to me. I am not sure if it's my separation anxiety or not being able to attend to him within a second, but I just don't want my boy in his own room. Perhaps it is just another sign that he is growing up which is making me hesitant? Sigh. I have been trying to make it a point a few times a week to bring him up into his nursery so he can get familiar with the room and his crib. He LOVES his crib thanks to his Grandmom. My mom pimped him out with the Cadillac of cribs. Here is a picture I took the other day of him hanging out. My guess is he will be in our room until he is 4 to 5 months old unless he grows out of his bassinet earlier.