11 months with Baby Jax

What a fun month this will be!  We are planning to take Jax to a pumpkin patch, dress him up for Halloween, and finish prepping for his first birthday party.   I really can't believe it has been almost a year since he came in to our lives.  We love watching him learn and experiencing new things with him.

Here are your monthly highlights:

• You are still wearing 12-18 month clothes.  We have a lot of nine month pants that I can squeeze you in to, and a lot of 18 month pants that I have to roll up a ton.  Hopefully you will grow a bit more, so they will fit better.
• Finally, you are sleeping great!!  Someone told me 10 months was her children's magic number for her kids to sleep through the night.  Well, it seems that was your magic number as well.  You go down for bed around 7:30pm and usually sleep until 7am.   You have been taking a morning and afternoon nap, both of which last about 1.5 hours.  You are such a happy boy (and I'm a happy mama) when you sleep well.
• You have four teeth now.  We just love your "fangs" on the top.
• This month you started pulling up on everything, and love to walk with a walker someone loaned us.  When mama is trying to cook dinner, you want to be right there with me.  You pull up on my legs and follow me around.  Sometimes you will let go for a few seconds, but then fall to your bottom.  You think it's the funniest thing, and will do it repeatedly to make mama and daddy laugh.
• You love to eat!  I rarely hand feed you anymore, because you love to do it yourself.  For breakfast we enjoy eggs, toast, and yogurt.  For lunch sometimes we will have soup, pb&j, or leftovers.  For dinner you usually eat whatever mama and daddy are eating.  You are a bit more finicky about "green" things.  I try make you a smoothie most mornings, where I can mix in a handful of spinach without you knowing.  We are still nursing three times a day, but you have been weaning well on your own.
• You understand the word "no."  Sometimes, to get your attention, daddy will clap when he says "no."  Now, when we tell you "no," you will clap your hands and make an angry face.  You also understand when mama says "clap your hands," and you will start clapping your hands.
• Just this month you have started a perfect little frown face.  It's cute right now, but not the best way to greet friends or family. 

We love you Jaxson Ryder and you bring us much joy each day.

(and it is so hard to get a monthly picture of you with the sign!  Almost every one came out blurry because you are always on the move these days.)

10 months with Baby Jax

We are in the double digits now and the countdown to one is even closer.  I really can't believe I'm starting to plan the first birthday party for my baby.  It seems like I'm writing these posts once a week.  Time really needs to slow down.

Here are your monthly highlights, Bubby:

• We won't go to the doctor again until your 12 month check up (!!), but you are definitely looking very tall.
• You are wearing 12 month clothes.  All of the fall/winter clothes we have for you are 18 months, so hopefully they will fit.
• This past week has been awesome for sleeping.  I recently told daddy that I could not do it anymore.  Getting only three hour increments of sleep through the night was not cutting it for me, and I knew I'd be a much happier mama if I got some more rest.  We decided to really buckle down and help you sleep through the night. It must be working, because the past few nights you have slept from 8pm until almost 7am, and Mama feels so much better.  Thank you!  You still love sleeping on your tummy too.
• You are usually an excellent napper.  Your go down for your morning nap around 9:15am and your afternoon nap around 2:15pm.  When it's nap time we close your blinds, turn on your fan, and you're out as soon as I lay you down.  One nap usually lasts two hours and the other only 45 minutes.  We are trying to work on making that one longer, because you wake up kind of cranky.
• Your bottom teeth have come in really well and you are starting to get two more teeth on the top.  The new top ones are not in the middle, but off to the side.  I can't wait to see your smile when the top ones finally poke through.
• You like to blow raspberries and crawl around with your tongue sticking out.
• Speaking of crawling, you have the most unique crawl.  You always keep one leg bent, and kind of scoot along.  It doesn't seem to slow you down at all.  You love for people to crawl around and chase you.
• You keep trying to pull up on things, but don't have complete confidence or strength yet.  You have started pushing up on your hands and feet.  It always makes mama nervous, because you try to do it on the wood floor and have toppled over a couple times leaving a nice little bruise on your forehead.  
• We spent a week at a beach house in Hatteras with Mimmi and Pops this month.  While you didn't seem to enjoy sleeping in a different bed, you loved everything else; the ocean, your baby pool, swinging on the porch, exploring around Hatteras, and especially the extra attention.
• You are eating three meals a day now.  No more purees and mashed up food for you!  You want what mama and daddy are eating, and have become very skilled at picking up pea sized pieces of food.  Now for most meals, I try to fix something that we both will enjoy.  You recently learned how to use a straw, so sometimes we will have smoothies for breakfast.  You also really enjoy eggs.  Lunch is a bit harder, because you don't seem to like cheese or deli turkey, so a sandwich is out of the question right now.  I keep offering to see if one day you will change your mind.  Fruits are definitely one of your favorite things.  You will eat all veggies, but often not very willingly.

Jaxson you are such a sweet boy, and everyday you are looking less and less like a baby.  We love having you a part of our family.  Mama is so grateful she gets to spend all day with you reading stories, singing songs, and playing with toy balls (your favorite toy right now).  Definitely the highlight of our day is when "Da-da" walks in the door and we get to spend time together as a family.  We love you Jaxson Ryder.

  

9 months with Baby Jax

9 months. Dang. I feel like Jax is quickly becoming a little boy, and he is definitely not a newborn anymore (sad face, for sure). But as the months pass by, our little guy is bursting with such personality and we literally say it a million times a day, how much we love him. Each month has brought us a new milestone that we, as new parents, just can't get enough of.  And, this month has proved to be quite eventful.

Your monthly highlights:

• We visited your doctor for your 9 month checkup and you weighed in at 18.12 lbs (25th percentile), and measured 28inches long (75th-90th percentile). I knew you were looking quite long.
• While you don't seem like a huge baby to me, you are wearing mostly 12 month stuff now. 
• Your hair is still light, with a slight strawberry tint to it.
• You still don't sleep through the night. The doctor reassured me that this is normal for breastfed babies.  You may go a couple days of sleeping 8+ hours, but you don't want mama to get too comfortable with that routine, so you have to change it up. Also, our little side sleeper has turned in to a stomach sleeper.
• Every day this month we thought you were going to crawl. You would lunge forward into position, but then quickly sit back up. Well, yesterday, the day before your 9 month celebration, you did it! You crawled! In a very interesting way, but you still moved several feet forward. Mamas really going to have to start baby proofing now. Like, for real.
• On August 1st, I glanced at the baby monitor and noticed you were sitting up in your crib.  Guess it's time to lower the mattress, so you don't decide to escape from your crib one night.
• At the doctor, I asked him when we should expect to see some teeth. He joked and said "tomorrow." Well, you started crying when Dr. D was checking your ears and I spotted something on your bottom gums.  Two teeth!
• You have started this new scrunchy face, and it's just perfect.
• You caught a pretty nasty cold this month and it broke mama and daddy's heart to see you so pitiful. A 5 day fever, major cough, and snotty nose defiantly did not help with sleep, but thankfully you are feeling much better now.
• You are becoming increasingly interested in solid foods. You usually eat some applesauce with plain yogurt and a dash of cinnamon in the morning, then a rice cracker later in the day, and a very large puréed dinner (black bean and sweet potato, avocado and banana, and green beans, or whatever crazy concoction mama mixed up for you). Sometimes if you are still hungry after 5 ice-cube-sized purées, you eat an entire banana or avocado. You also love to chew on pizza crust whenever we go to Ynots. We were eating dinner all together, but lately you will turn your nose up to your purées if you notice mama and daddy's food on the table. We tried giving you some bite sized pieces and you seem to really enjoy feeding yourself.
• Last but not least, you have started clapping (especially when daddy walks in the room).  It started out with shaking both of your hands up and down, but after a week or so, you now can put your hand together and clap.  

We love everything about you Jaxson (and we still just want to "eat you up!").

8 months with Baby Jax

These months seem to keep going by faster and faster.  I remember so clearly being pregnant last Fourth of July, and this year I have a little 8-month boy.  Jaxson brings us so much joy each day and we can't remember what life was like without him.

Here are your monthly highlights Bubby:

• We are guessing you are around 20lbs and you seem very tall.  Your 9-month appointment will be in August.
• You are in mostly 9-12 month clothes.  Just last week, I put you in some 18 month shorts, and they fit!  You did have on your bulky cloth diaper and maybe they were cut smaller, but I was still so surprised they didn't swallow you whole.
• Your hair is filling in nicely.  It is making you look more and more like a little boy, not a baby.
• You still take 2-3 naps each day, and enjoy having your blanket with you for naps.  We start your bedtime routine around 7:30pm and you go down really well.  For a while you were waking up many times through the night, and often leaking through your diaper.  Well, Granny got you some overnight diapers and they seem to be doing the trick; the past few nights you have only gotten up once around midnight.  
• You love sitting up on your own and playing with toys.  I have noticed a few times where you will lunge forward into the crawling position, but then you slide down on to your tummy.  You haven't shown too much interest in crawling and I'm wondering if you may just go straight to walking, because you just started trying to pull up on things.
• We are continuing to introduce more solid foods to you each day.  You usually have applesauce in the morning, sometimes a rice cracker mid-day, and then your big meal at dinnertime with Mama and Daddy.  You are an excellent eater and will eat anything I have prepared for you.  I am starting to add more seasoning and spices, and you seem to enjoy the extra flavor.  You also LOVE drinking water from a cup or water bottle.  You have learned how to use Mama's Camelbak, so we are on the lookout for a water bottle just for you.
• Just in the past few days, you have started to say "Da-da."  We don't know if it is directed at Daddy, but it is a definitely a new sound of yours.
• This month you have experienced all kinds of outdoor water activities.  You seem to really love swimming and being around water.  You even went down a couplet slip-n-slides and had your first boat ride.    
• You have the sweetest demeanor and never fuss unless you are tired or extremely hungry.  Everyone in the church nursery comments on how you enjoy looking at all the other babies, and are content to just take it all in. 

We love you Baby Jax!

7 months with Baby Jax

This is crazy.  I'm writing my little guy's 7 month post.  Well, I feel like this past month has been a month of "almosts."  Jax is "almost" sitting up on his own (he is pretty good at it until he becomes a bit too overzealous in reaching for his Sophie giraffe),  he is "almost" army crawling (he can go in a circle, but hasn't figured out how to go forward), and he "almost" has a full head of hair again (the peach fuzz is starting to fill in the bald spots).  I keep telling everyone it gets more and more fun each day.  He is learning in leaps and bounds and it's so fun to watch this first hand.  The Lord has truly blessed our little family of three.

Here are your monthly highlights, Bubby:

• At your 6-month appointment on May 12th you weighed 17.1 lbs (50th percentile) and measured 27 inches (75th percentile).  Doc said you looked great.
• You are now wearing 6-9month clothes and some 12 month outfits.
• Your hair is finally starting to grow back in (slowly but surely), and the new hair seems to be very light.  There is still a reddish tint in your hair.
• Sleeping at night has been going much better.  You go to bed around 7:30pm and wake up twice during the night to eat.  You start your day around 7:30 in the morning.  Napping is going great! You usually take one long (2 hour nap) and two shorter (30-45min) power naps.  For naps, I simply lay you down and you put yourself to sleep.  I have noticed you like to put things over your face, so I have to watch on the monitor to make sure you don't pull your blanket completely over your head.
• You are still perfecting sitting up on your own, and you can army crawl in a circle very well.  This month we also started having you sit in shopping carts.  Not having to carry the carseat everywhere has made it so much easier!  You love to people watch while you are in the cart.
• You eat some solid food about once a day now.  You are really good about eating almost anything, but we tried sweet potatoes for the second time and you turned your nose up to that.  Broccoli wouldn't be your preference, but you love avocado and banana together.
• Everyone comments on how you are such a good baby.  You are really laid back and don't mind being passed around to family and friends.  

6 months with Baby Jax

I really can't believe I am typing this post.  My baby is halfway to a year old!?!  This past month, Jaxson's personality has really blossomed.  He is such a happy and laid back baby (most of the time), and if we can get the sleeping-through-the-night thing down, well, we will just be one "big happy family."  Really we already are a "big happy family," with little Jax a part of it.

Here are your monthly highlights, Baby Boy:

• We have your 6-month appointment coming up, where we will get your exact height and weight, but I think you are at least 18lbs by now.
• You are in between 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes.  It just depends upon the brand.
• You are pretty much bald on each side and the back of your head, but you have a nice little tuft of hair on the top.  You're just hipster with a nice pompadour.  It is still light, and I am wondering what color it will be when it all grows back in.  
• Sleeping has been the biggest issue.  The past two weeks you have decided to wake up every hour and a half.  Mama and Daddy knew we had to do something.  The past few days we started a new plan of attack action, and now you are just waking up at midnight and 4am to eat.  Mama's a much nicer person when I get a bit more sleep.
• You are working on sitting up.  Probably within the next month you will be able to sit up on your own with ease.
• This month, we started introducing a few solid foods.  So far you have tried sweet potato, banana, avocado, and some cantaloupe.  I wouldn't say you really have a favorite, but you definitely enjoy trying things and are very interested in whatever Mama and Daddy are eating.  
• You have finally figured out how to use your jumper, and that is by far your favorite toy right now.
• Sticking out your tongue is your newest trick, and sometimes you will even blow raspberries.
• Mama and Daddy love to see more of your personality coming out.  We can now tell when you are sad, upset, happy, excited, or just being whiney.  

Every day gets more fun with you Baby Jax.  We love you!

5 months with Baby Jax

Can we please slow down time, just a bit!?  I have no idea how my baby boy is already 5 months.  It really is going too fast.

Drew and I are amazed every day at how Jaxson's is literally learning before our eyes.  With all of the interaction and responses to sensory, raising him definitely gets more fun with each passing day.  He is no longer a tiny newborn, sleeping 90% of the time and eating the other 10%.  We can now make him laugh, have him grab things (like mama's hair and daddy's beard!), and he "talks" to us throughout the day.  We love having him around.

Here are your monthly highlights, little man:

• At your 4-month check-up (March 12th, 2014) you were 15.2 lbs (50th percentile) and 25.5in long (50th-75th percentile).  Currently you have no wrists or ankles.  We simply cannot wait for you to have some little tan lines from your baby rolls.
• You can still fit in some 3-6 month clothes, but mama went ahead and pulled out the 6-9 month stuff and it is just a tad loose on you.
• Your hair is still getting lighter and your eyes are a pretty slate blue.
• Sleep.  Ah, sleep.  One day, mama hopes you will figure it out.  You were consistent for a while with waking up at midnight and then 5am, which was perfectly fine with mama.  Lately though, you have wanted to wake up every 2 hours, not to eat, but just be soothed.  We are not really sure what is going on.  What makes up for it is, you are so good about going down for naps and bedtime (around 8pm).
• You love to grab anything that is put in front of you.  With the warmer weather, you have also enjoyed going for runs in the jogger with mama.
• We can tell you are getting stronger and trying to sit up on your own.  Probably a few more weeks and you will be there.
• You love to smile and laugh.  You are very ticklish too.
• Your personality is really starting to emerge.  You started a new thing where you will shriek when you are doing something you really don't want to do.  Mama has also noticed you are much more well-behaved around anyone besides your parents.  Little stinker.
• Food has become quite interesting to you as well, and you love to watch mama and daddy eat.  We are trying to wait a little bit longer before actually introducing some avocado or sweet potato, but we did give you a piece of celery to gnaw on at dinner time.  You loved it!  Hopefully this means you will enjoy all vegetables.  

4 months with Baby Jax

Here is our monthly post again.  4 months with our baby boy and I'm realizing more and more each day that when people say "it goes by fast," they are right.  It goes by so fast.  I'm really trying to learn to savor every moment; even the moments of waking up at 2am because baby boy is hungry.  He is only going to be this little once.

So today, March 4th, we are actually celebrating two things.  Of course, Jaxson is turning 4 months, but also one year and one day ago, we found out about our little guy with a positive test.  A year ago, we were overwhelmed with gratefulness to the Lord for blessing us yet again with a baby, and couldn't stop imaging what our life would be like when he/she arrived.  Well, now we are still overwhelmed with that same gratefulness, and thank the Lord that we get to live every day with our baby boy as a part of our family.

Here's to 4 months Bubby!

Your monthly highlights:

• You have a doctor's appointment coming up where we will find out your exact height and weight, but I'm thinking you are at least 15 pounds by now.  I just love your chunky thighs and your belly rolls.
• Your wardrobe is all 3-6 month stuff, but I have noticed some of the 6 month sleepers are getting a bit too short.
• Continuing to lighten up, your hair is almost the same color as mama's, and your eyes are such a pretty blue.
• As far as sleeping through the night, you are not doing so well.  But that's ok.  You give us about one 4-5 hour stretch and then wake up every 2-3 hours to eat or be soothed.  You have gotten very good at going to bed and taking naps, so that makes up for your 2am wake-ups.  We usually start your bedtime routine around 8pm, and then you go to sleep by 8:30pm. You still love to sleep on your side.
• The floor gym at our house is becoming kind of boring to you, but you love the new one that Mi-mi bought you.  You have started grabbing things, so now you can hold toys and love to put them in your mouth.
• You enjoy tummy time much more now and can easily roll from tummy to back.  You have been trying hard to roll from back to tummy, and can do it with a little help.  Standing up, with help, is definitely one of your favorite things to do.
• You are still a little chatter box, although we have noticed it takes you a little while to warm up around new people and places.  Once you feel comfortable you start talking up a storm.
• We love seeing you smile and love hearing your little laugh, which has become a more regular occurrence.

Jaxson, it has been so fun to see your personality blossoming.  You are really laid back, just like your mama, and definitely a night owl, just like your daddy.  We are grateful to have you a part of our family.

3 months with Baby Jax

Another month down.  Seems my blogging is following a monthly post trend.  It may be like that for a while, because the only "project" we are working on right now is Baby Jax.  I do have a few house projects on the horizon, so once we start those I will have something else to blog about ;)

Can't believe you are already 3 months sweet boy.  I really do believe every month gets better with having you a part of our family.  You already bring us so much joy and we can't get over this feeling of just wanting to squish you (can other parents relate?).

Here are your monthly highlights:

• At your 2 month check-up on January 13th, you weighed in at 12.4 lbs.  This put you between the 25th and 50th percentile for weight.  You are in the 75th percentile for height at 23 1/4 inches long.
• You are wearing all 3-6 months clothes now and some of the 3 month onsies are getting snug.
• Everyone keeps noticing how you hair is getting lighter and lighter.  Your eyes are still such a pretty gray-blue.
• Sometime mid-January you began consistently sleeping 8 hours at night.  Mama was so excited you were finally in that routine.  Unfortunately you decided we shouldn't get too comfortable with that schedule and have started waking up again in the middle of the night.  I'm hoping you are just going through a growth spurt.
• You still love you floor gym and will play there independently for a long time.  
• Another first for you: your first snows. We spent a few minutes outside and you simply thought it was too bright and too cold on your face.
• On January 18th, you gave mama and daddy quite a scare.  You weren't eating well and just wanted to sleep all day.  When you woke up from your nap laughing hysterically we definitely knew something was not right.  Your temperature was 101.4 (a high-temp for your age and size). Per doctor's orders we had to take you to the ER where you went through several tests (like a champ!) and they decided you were fighting something viral.  You ran a low-grade fever for a couple days, but quickly returned to your usual self.  We are praising God for restoring your health.
• You have become quite the talker.  We are convinced you can say "I love you," which we practice every day. 
• You really love to be around a lot of activity and still don't mind being passed around at parties and other events.
• Your hands and feet have just recently become very interesting to you.  

Jaxson you are such a sweet, patient, and happy (as long as you have a full tummy!) baby, and we are so thankful for you.  You are truly a blessing to our family.

2 months with Baby Jax

Babies sure do take up a lot of time.  But really, I don't mind at all.  I could spend all day staring at my little guy.  So when I'm not staring at Baby Jax, doing laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, or learning how to be a wife and a mom, I'm finding a little time to write a blog post (but only once a month, it seems).
*update: this post has taken me almost 3 days to write

Baby Jax we love you more and more every day.  You are truly a gift from the Lord.  A small part of me wants you to grow up, because experiencing all your "firsts" is just so fun; but a very big part of me desperately wants your growing up to slow down because I know your sweet baby coos, chunky thighs, and gummy smiles will be gone before I know it.  It is so amazing to watch you grow and learn, and I am trying to savor all of it.

You have certainly been busy during your second month of life outside the womb.  Here is bit of what you have been up to:

• We recently weighed you at home and the scale read close to 11.5 lbs.  You seem to be getting really long too.  We will know for sure how much you have grown at your upcoming 2 month appointment.
• There is no way I can squeeze you into your newborn clothes anymore.  My heart ached just a bit when I put you in a 6 month sleeper and it didn't swallow you whole.
• Your hair seems to be lightening up.  We are wondering if someday soon we might have a blue-eyed blondie.
• You are doing better with sleeping at night, usually waking up every 4 hours to eat.  One night you gave us a 6 hour stretch.  I keep hoping that will become more regular :)
• You now sleep in your own room at night.  Some of your naps are in your crib or in the mamaRoo, which you love.
• Your new favorite toy is your floor gym.  You will happily play there for at nearly 15 minutes at a time.
• Just the other day you laughed when Mama was tickling you.  You have definitely become more interactive this month and love to "chat" and smile with Mama and Daddy while laying on your changing pad.
• Your grandparents have already started spoiling you, and even though you didn't really know what was going on, you received tons of gifts for your very first Christmas.

Baby Jax, we love you and have absolutely loved this second month with you in our lives.