Finally!

He did it! He finally rolled from his back to his belly all by himself! He was enjoying a bit of naked baby time (well, diapered baby... I'm not that brave) on his play mat while I read him some stories. After the last story I gave him the book to hold and play with. He was lying on his back. Next thing I knew he had rolled to his tummy and was looking at the book! The he got pissed off because he was on his tummy, started yelling and rolled back onto his back!

I can see it now... I have visions of him going rolling across the living room floor as soon as he figures out he can get to things on his own! I'm just glad it finally happened. I thought he would skip this milestone for sure.... kind of the way I feel about crawling. I mean, he HATES to be on his tummy and LOVES to stand. I'm thinking he'll be one of those kids that goes straight to walking. God help me!

Hmmm... what else is he doing that is noteworthy? He's making all kinds of new, hilarious and LOUD sounds. He cracks us up every day!

He now thinks that Daddy is the funniest guy in town. All Dave has to do is walk into the room and JD is laughing at him.

He's still very squirmy and tries to get his hands on everything that he sees.

He's doing great with eating. He now likes peaches but hates bananas. I figured out tonight how to get him to eat bananas. I mix them with oatmeal cereal. I guess the banana taste by itself is too strong for him. I can't say I blame him. I've never been a fan of banana flavored stuff either!

He's also getting better at sitting on his own. I still have to stay pretty close but he's starting to get the hang of how to catch himself if he's going down.

His sleeping is getting better. I put him in his crib wide awake for naps and bedtime and he puts himself to sleep. He usually fusses for about 2 minutes and then he's out. Although, the past 2 nights he's woken around midnight or 1:00 AM and cried for almost an hour each time. We go in a regular intervals and get him calmed down but he screams when we leave. Dr. Ferber's book says to expect this around the time they're learning new things and I would have to classify rolling over as a new thing. I'm sure a couple more nights and he'll be back to sleeping soundly.

That's about all I can think of tonight. He's keeping us very busy and we're loving every second!

All in a day's work

My husband is a total project guy... it's what makes him happy. I'm not complaining at all. In fact, he's quite handy and most of his projects improve the value of our home! He's a pretty good guy to have around when you need something nailed, spackled or screwed.

His latest project is the shed/fence project. You've seen pictures of the fence. It turned out beautifully! He still has to install the 4' picket fence along the back side of the yard but he's now waiting for the cement to cure so the posts won't move.....so he got started on the shed portion of the project.

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! It's like God picked a day in May and decided to bless us with it in December instead. It was 76 degrees and sunny.... I sure hope that doesn't mean we get a 30 degree day in May! JD and I spent most of the day outside...when I got warm in my short sleeved shirt I changed in to a tank top! JD spent most of the time in the shade of his little tent or his stroller.... he actually took his afternoon nap in his stroller yesterday with all of the construction noise going on around him!

Here are a ton of pictures. I had to make them small because there are so many but if you click on one it will enlarge.

Sammy decided to help on Saturday. Dave completed the floor of the shed and worked on the fence posts.

It was a little cooler on Saturday but JD and I spent a fair amount of time playing in the yard!

End of the day on Saturday... I told Dave that it looked like he built a stage in the back yard. I don't think he thought that was funny.

Construction started bright and early on Sunday morning. Here are some pictures of the framing as well as JD sitting in his little tent! Our neighbor, Ray, helped Dave on both Saturday and Sunday....

The shed was framed by noon when Dave's friend Jeff came to play. He's a builder so progress was much faster after he arrived. When Jeff got there they made a trip to Lowe's and returned to put the siding on and work on the roof:

And here are a couple of pictures of the project around 5:00 PM when they decided it was time to clean up and call it a day:

All Dave has left to do is build the overhang over the door, put the shingles on the roof and paint! I'm sure the next project will be custom built shelves inside the shed, though. In case you're wondering, the purpose of the shed is to store Dave's yard chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, etc) so JD won't be able to get to them in the garage. He can easily put a lock on the shed and we won't have to worry about it.

Once again, I'm impressed by Dave's abilities... there's not really anything he can't do!

JD's First Christmas

Sorry it has taken me so long to write this post! We have had such a busy week and I'm now in the middle of putting the house back together after the festivities. This is a long one so settle in and get ready for lots of pictures!!

Monday we had my parents as well as Kent and Sarah over for dinner. Kent and Sarah left on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with Sarah's mother in Texas so we wanted to spend some time with them before they left. We had an early holiday dinner (I even brought out the tablecloth and good china) and then a gift exchange. After JD went to bed we played a bit of trivia and had a few laughs... it was the perfect way to kick off Christmas week!

Tuesday night we were supposed to go to dinner at the Pippin's house but their daughter was running a fever that day so we stayed home and just kind of relaxed.

Wednesday night (Christmas Eve) my parents came back up for dinner. In my family we've always done "finger foods" for dinner on Christmas Eve so that's what we did this year. Everyone kind of "grazed" on the table full of food while Dave burned some fire wood in the back yard. For those of you who know Dave, you'll know he's a bit of a pyromaniac. When we go up to Pennsylvania during the winter he tries his best to burn ALL of his father's fire wood! It is also a tradition in my family, as it is in a lot of families, to open one present on Christmas Eve. Here is JD opening his very first Christmas present ever!

He got a fresh new pair of Christmas pajamas to wear to bed that night! He was mostly interested in the bow but once I ripped the paper a little he did an okay job of ripping it more! Once I got him changed into his new pajamas he got a bottle and then we sat in the recliner and I read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to him. Every year on Christmas Eve my brother and I would pile into my father's lap and he would read that story to us before bed. We also used to put out milk, cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer but JD is too young for that this year....maybe next year.

Christmas morning finally rolls around and I think Dave is more excited than anybody. At 7:00 AM he insists that we wake JD up. I told him that JD would probably wake up on his own at any minute as 7:00 - 7:30 is usually what time he gets up but Dave insisted. So, we went to his room and turned on the dimmed light. He gave a huge grin when he saw both of us and Little Buddy's first Christmas began.

First was the stocking. JD got a new sippy cup (we're trying to get him started on the sippy cup but he hasn't figured it out yet... we got him a new brand hoping he could pick up on this one), a toothbrush and toothpaste for infants (I'm going to try to start brushing his two teeth every morning and night... we'll see how long I remember), a couple of mesh feeders, some Stage 2 baby food (so far he loves the blueberry applesauce and the chicken and apple dinner) and some Gerber Puffs (kind of like Cheerios but they come in different flavors and they're shaped differently).

Next came the gifts. JD got a Musical ABC Drum from Uncle Kent, a Rock-A-Stack and an outfit from Sarah (and one from Grandma too...one for each house), some bibs and clothes from Nana & Poppy, a glitter filled ball, some books, a wooden name train and some finger puppets, also from Nana & Poppy and some ABC stacking blocks from Aunt Debby. Uncle Mike and Aunt Deanna even sent him a whole bunch of new Baby Einstein videos! Here are a few pictures from the morning:

After gifts we cooked breakfast and JD took a quick nap... then we headed to Pawleys for lunch and gifts with my parents. JD wore his special Christmas outfit that Grandma bought for him but didn't have it on long because it was in the 70's and he was getting hot. As soon as we got there we opened JD's gifts and took lots of pictures, of course, so we could change him into something cooler! From Grandma and Grandpa, JD got more books (which is great because we like to read to him and he enjoys looking at the pictures), a couple of stuffed animals, some pajamas, some large plastic beads that snap together (I had some when I was a kid too) and a plush "Baby's First Tackle box" (from Grandpa who loves to fish). Here are some pictures in his cute little outfit:

After an amazing lunch of prime rib, asparagus and scalloped potatoes Dave and I opened our gifts from my parents and I just couldn't help myself.... who could resist putting the bows on such a happy baby's head???

JD was in a great mood all day long. After Dave and I opened our gifts he took a 2 hour nap at my parents house and then we headed home. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Christmas this year. It's so much more special with JD around! I do have to say though, that we missed Dave's family immensely! For the past 7 or so years we've spent Christmas in Pennsylvania but decided to stay home this year now that we have a child of our own.... It looks like we missed out on a good time.... it's not often that Dave's father is photographed wearing a lampshade.... not to mention a lampshade with a Christmas elf hanging off of it!!

I hope everyone reading this was as blessed this Christmas as we were!

Spring Fever

Is it too early for Spring Fever? Yesterday was sunny and it was 77 degrees outside! Today is supposed to be a little cooler but tomorrow will only be 44.... it's supposed to be around 70 degrees on Christmas day! Oh how I love South Carolina winters!

Dave took advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday to work on the fence. He got everything done but the gate, which he will custom build, of course. Here are a few pictures of him and Debby working:

And JD had to help, of course! We covered him in sunscreen and he spent most of the day outside too!

6 Month Pro Pics

Dave and I took JD to The Picture People yesterday and had his 6 month pictures taken. He did so great and smiled the whole time!

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Updates and Pictures

Now that JD's tummy has settled down and we've had some laughter-filled days I am now trying breastfeeding again. I spoke with the specialist on Monday evening who said as long as I've been staying away from dairy and soy (which I have) it should be OK to see how he does. So far so good! He's only had one poopy diaper since he's been back on breast milk and there was no blood in it. I will continue to inspect every diaper, of course, and if the blood comes back or if he seems to be having belly pains again he'll go back on formula for good.

Speaking of eating, JD's diet is starting to vary. So far we've tried peas, pears, sweet potatoes and carrots. The only one I can get him to eat happily is the pears. I can get the sweet potatoes down but it takes some coaxing. He seems to be better at eating in the morning so I'm going to try squash for breakfast tomorrow.... normally I would do fruit in the morning and veggies at night but right now I'm inclined to say "whatever works!" Here he is sitting in his high chair playing with a couple of his spoons:

He is also getting better at sitting unassisted. Not so good that I can just leave him sitting on the floor, though. I still have to be close by to catch him when he inevitably goes toppling over to one side or the other. He still won't roll from his back to his belly but the doctor said it's no big deal and all it will take is time....

Finally, he wore his first pair of real blue jeans the other day... they're so tiny and cute! And, of course I love the onesie that says "All mommy wants for Christmas is a silent night".... speaking of, the sleep training is going well. I'm to the point now that I can put him in his crib wide awake at nap time and he puts himself to sleep. He cries for about 2 minutes and then just rolls over and conks out! He goes down pretty easily at night now but is still waking several times a night. Usually I can just give him his pacifier back and he goes back to sleep but I've noticed that he wants to eat at 1:00 AM and at 5:00 AM pretty much every night (last night it was 2:00 and 6:00 AM).... I'm in the process of reading a book now that will help us deal with the pacifier situation and the middle-of-the-night-feeding issue.... we'll see if Dr. Ferber's suggestions work!

In non-JD news.... Dave is almost finished building the fence in the back yard. Once that's complete I'll post pictures. He really is doing an outstanding job.... with a lot of help from his ever generous sister! Next project on the list: building a shed in the back yard to store all of Dave's yard chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, etc) so JD won't accidentally stumble upon them in the garage when he's older!

Christmas Pics...2008

We did a photo shoot a couple of weeks ago at home for our Christmas cards... now that the cards have been mailed I can post all of the pics. They turned out so great! There are a lot of them so I put them into a slide show! Enjoy!!

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Happy Half Birthday!!!

Today JD is 6 months old. It seems like just yesterday we found out we were pregnant! He has grown so much during the past 6 months! He is starting to get quite a little personality on him these days! In fact, he's actually a funny little kid... making Dave and I laugh several times a day with his new sounds and such! He finally found his feet and now when he's sitting in his bouncy chair he's always in this position:

Other new things include reaching for people... mostly me and Dave when others are holding him. He also has to get his hands on everything he sees... he's so adamant about it that he actually just dives forward when he wants something. We have to make sure we're holding him tight at all times because we never know when he's going to do it!

We went to the doctor today for his 6 month shots and he did very well. He cried out after the third shot but calmed very quickly. He now weighs 17 pounds, 7 ounces... is 26 inches long and his head is 17.5 inches around.

We took a diaper in to be tested for blood (since he's been on formula the stool has been too dark to actually see blood) and FINALLY it tested negative! The pediatrician did say that he's having a hard time believing that breast milk was the ultimate cause of it and thinks we should try him again on breast milk once his tummy is completely calmed down.... I have to say that I totally agree. If he gets worse again while on breast milk we'll go back to formula and I'll stop pumping....

The other issue we discussed is sleep training.... now that JD doesn't seem to be in almost constant discomfort because of his belly the doctor says it's time to let him cry it out at bedtime so he can learn how to put himself to sleep. So tonight we'll put him down drowsy but awake and let him cry... checking on him at 5 minute intervals but not picking him up. The doctor says we should do this in the middle of the night too. I am NOT looking forward to it but I know it has to be done if I ever want to sleep again!

Dave and I plan to take JD for his 6 month pictures sometime next week... I'll be sure to post those as soon as they're available!

Dave has joined the ranks of the baby wearers! JD is just now getting to the stage where he'll tolerate being in the front carrier so Dave zipped him up and we all went and hung out in the back yard. I thought this was too funny!

We now have the Christmas tree up and decorated. JD loves it and tries to grab something off of it every time we walk by. This is a picture of the ornament I bought for his first Christmas. I was having a hard time finding something Christmas-y. Everything I found that said "Baby's First Christmas" was babyish and didn't look festive at all.... When we went to see Santa there was a kiosk nearby in the mall doing personalized ornaments so I had this one personalized for him. I think it's super cute!

Medical update: The doctor finally called me back today. I told him that JD hasn't pooped in 3 days but the few days prior there was still blood in the stool. He's obviously very hesitant to schedule JD for the scope because his response was that we need to get him pooping again and I should give him Gerber Apple Prune juice. He said JD may be straining and that's what is now causing the blood... whatever! So Dave is stopping at the store on his way home from work and we'll give JD some juice. Maybe the blood will be gone once we get him regular again....

Santa

My mom and I took JD to see Santa for the first time today. He did well. He wouldn't smile but at least he didn't scream!

Dave and I have decided to schedule him for the scope. There was a tiny bit of blood in his stool again today. We figure that we'll be able to cancel it if we change our minds between the scheduling and the actual procedure. I called the doctor today but he didn't call back this evening. I assume we'll hear from him on Monday evening....

Quick Update

Sorry I haven't posted an update in a while.... JD hasn't pooped so there really wasn't anything to write!

He finally pooped this evening and there was a tiny bit of blood. Dave and I are a little torn as to what to do. I know that if I call the doctor tomorrow and tell him there's still blood he'll schedule JD for a scope. While it would be very nice to get a definitive answer, the thought of putting him under to have the scope done is very scary! On the other hand... if there is something wrong with his colon and it gets worse because we elected not to have the scope done I would feel incredibly terrible!

We're going to talk about it and think about it tonight. I think if it was a bunch of blood there would be no question.... the fact that we only saw a speck tonight kind of makes us question the necessity of a scope. But then again, the blood has been here for over 3 months now... but then again, but then again.... there are so many variables to consider!

Another Update...

I spoke with the doctor this evening. He focused primarily on the sweet potatoes, which I kind of thought he would.

I told him the only ingredients were water and sweet potatoes... no additives, no preservatives. He said it would be unusual for sweet potatoes to cause blood in the stool but told me not to give them to JD anymore. He said that if I wanted to give him solids to get a sweet potato and make my own. I think I'll stick to the formula and see how it goes.

The doctor said that if there is still blood tomorrow to call him back and he would schedule JD for a scope at a children's hospital in Columbia.

Here we go again!

The blood is back. He's had 2 diapers today with blood. The only thing we changed was giving him a few bites of Gerber organic sweet potatoes this morning. I asked the doctor if this was OK last night and he said we could give him solids as long as they don't contain milk or soy.... the ingredients list said "sweet potatoes, water" so they should be fine!

As of right now I'm waiting for the doctor to call me back. We're going to Debby's house for dinner tonight so I'll post the doctor's response when we get home....

The Latest

I heard from the doctor this evening. He seems to think that JD is cured and we should continue giving him formula. He said we could try breastfeeding again but I said no. While I would LOVE to nurse him again I just don't want his belly to start hurting again.

I did tell him that I've seen the blood come and go and I'm not 100% convinced that he's completely better yet. He simply said to call him if we see blood again. I know what you're all thinking... this is great, I don't have to restrict my diet any more and I don't have to pump any more. Well, since I've seen the blood come and go before I will stick to my current eating habits and pumping schedule for another 2 weeks. If there is no more blood in his diaper in the next 2 weeks I will stop pumping and let my supply diminish. Then I can eat whatever I want.... I have a feeling I'll gain back some of the weight I've lost!

If this formula is the key and he does well for the next handful of months, the doctor wants to see us again in April. He said we could try introducing milk and soy again as babies usually grow out of this intolerance....we'll see!

He Sits!

He did it! He sat on his own! Lately he's been more stable but when I would let go he would always lean to one side or the other in a couple of seconds. Dave and I were playing with him yesterday and he was actually able to hold himself in a sitting position for a minute or two! He's far from being able to sit for any period of time and his balance is still off so if he goes for a toy he's going to fall over... but it's a start!

Yesterday Dave and I got all the Christmas stuff out of the attic and started putting the lights on the house! This is my favorite time of year..... I love Christmas lights and I love my husband even more for climbing ladders to put them up. Every year Sammy gets up on the roof to make sure it's being done correctly:

And this year JD got to help with the lights too! Below is a photo that Dave "played" with in Adobe Photoshop. JD really was standing on the ladder but Dave's hands were "deleted" so it looks like he's doing it on his own..... funny!

Today I have to call the specialist and tell him how our formula filled weekend went. JD pooped only 3 times since Wednesday night (not very much for him). The first two diapers had a lot of blood in them and then he went 40 hours with no poop at all. When he finally did go there was no visible blood. That sounds great right? I'm trying not to get my hopes up. We've had strings of bloodless diapers before only to be followed by more belly pains and blood in the stool. I will call the doctor and let him know all of this. He'll probably tell me to keep him on the formula and see how it goes.... but he may not. Maybe he'll tell me to try breastfeeding again.... I'll update again when I hear from him!

Go Tigers!

Today is the Clemson - Carolina game.... South Carolina's biggest football rivalry! As you can see from the picture above, we're pulling for Clemson! It's where Uncle Kent went to college!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful this year! Most of all I'm thankful that JD is here and we get to snuggle him every single day! He is such a joy (even though he's a little pitiful right now) and we're so blessed to have him!

I'm also thankful that I have such a supportive and understanding husband. This past year could have easily put a strain on our relationship but it didn't... it made it stronger. It's nice to know that he'll always stand beside me no matter how hard life can be. I'm also thankful for our incredible families, our health, our home, Dave's job and, of course, Sammy!

We had a wonderful day down in Pawleys with my entire family. Luckily my brother and his family were able to make the trip from Georgia to be with us today. Dave got a little target practice in before lunch and then we feasted! Here are a few pictures from our day:

JD enjoyed listening to Grandpa play the harmonica!

We borrowed this doorway jumper from our neighbor and JD loves it! We brought it down to my parents house and he wouldn't stop jumping long enough for me to get a picture...that's why this one is so blurry! I think a jumper like this might just have to go on Buddy's Christmas list!

Time to eat! We had so much wonderful food and, honestly, even tough my diet is severely restricted right now, I don't feel like I missed out at all! My mom did an excellent job of coming up with a menu full of yummy food that I can have!

Daddy gets a little excited at the dinner table.... apparently one turkey wasn't enough!

JD with his cousin Brad.... and with his cousin Josh!



JD's family from Georgia... Josh, Brad, Uncle Merv and Aunt Angie!