Funny Boy

Here's Joel with Dr. DaSilva. This was the doctor that delivered Joel.

Joel is more alert now and while you can't hear him he was carrying on quite the conversation here. His noises are really cute. He doesn't talk a lot but when he does he goes on for awhile.
This is one of Joel's new favorite places. He loves his swing. Sometimes he forgets that he likes to be in it and so he fusses for a little bit and then will relax and usually falls asleep. I like that because then I can get stuff done.
This is Joel's Obi Wan pose. I had to take the picture quick and get him out of the towel because he doesn't like to be cold so as soon as he gets out of the bath he likes to be swaddled so he stays nice and warm But he looked so cute all wrapped up in this towel- I couldn't resist.

One Month

So here's a picture of Joel on his one month birthday. It cracks me up how he really looks like a little man when he gets all dressed- okay so when I actually dress him. This is one of the outfits that "Auntie Kim" gave him. We went out to lunch with some of the girls from work and I got so many compliments on how cute he was- which of course I think but I am his mommy. Of course he was an angel and slept through the entire trip. I swear that carrier has magical powers.

Joel has started to find his voice and will makes sounds other than just crying. Some of them are very similiar to crying but it's fun to listen to him. He is such a happy baby. A lot of times I'll have him propped up on his boppy while I fold laundry and he will just watch and babble and sometimes smile. It makes folding laundry pretty entertaining. It's probably a good thing he makes laundry more enjoyable because he's a spitter and so I end up doing a lot of laundry. (This is where I thank everyone who gave us bibs. They have become my lifesavers so I don't have to change his ENTIRE outfit and he doesn't have to smell like sour milk!) Sometimes I am quite surprised at how far he can spit-up. Everyone warned me of the spraying you can get when you're changing little boys diapers so I was pretty prepared for that- but the spit-up is quite another story. But it's all part of the experience right?!

Catch Up

I have no idea where the time has gone and it's hard to believe that Joel will be one month old on Thursday! While our days are pretty uneventful it seems like there's never enough time to do everything I intend on doing. (This is where I apologize profusely to all of you who have left messages or sent emails or cards etc that I haven't responded to! I am so sorry!)

Joel is getting big quick. We haven't taken him to the doctor recently so I'm not sure how much he's grown but I can tell he is growing. He's feeding about every three hours and will stay awake for at least an hour or so in between- sometimes longer. So that is getting fun. He likes his bouncy seat although usually he has to get past the fact that he's awake and not being held. Then he's okay being in there for awhile. He's also loves his carrier. We put him in it and he will almost always fall right to sleep- usually before we're even in the car.

He's also getting quite the personality. He's starting to smile a lot. It melts my heart when he is all snuggly and looks up at me with a big smile. I know it's cheesy but it really makes it all worth it. He's pretty easy going. When he does start to get fussy I turn on the radio and dance around the apartment with him. I'm not sure if he likes it or if it frightens him but he stops crying either way. I just have to make sure the blinds are closed or the neighbors might think I'm a little loony.

Tj is still staying pretty busy. It's the busy season so he flies quite a bit and the days he doesn't fly he is in the office. It's a good thing he likes his job and the people he works with so much. Once he's home he tries to spend some time with Joel. He's taken over the nighttime bathing duties. He's better at it than I am- I haven't mastered the art of the perfect bath temperature. I usually make it too cold and then Joel screams the whole time! So Tj takes care of it and it gives him time with Joel.

Rough Night

So last night we had our first rough night. Now I don't know if it Joel just had a bad night or if it was because we were on our own since Tj's mom left yesterday afternoon but either way it made for a L-O-N-G night.
It started at midnight when Joel woke up for his feeding. He'd been a little fussy earlier in the evening but I didn't think anything of it. So I feed him, burp him and get him down and he starts to doze off and then he spits up all over! So now he's upset. I clean him up and try and get him to go back to sleep but now he thinks he's hungry. So I try to feed him again and he eats a little bit but goes right to sleep. So now I have to get him to burp half asleep- it took forever!
Anyhow, long story short take that routine and repeat it several times between midnight and 4:30 am. Literally I think I got maybe an hour of sleep.
Needless to say we slept in this morning and we've been trying to stay awake as much as possible so we don't repeat last night!
Speaking of he just woke up from his nap.

Life Changing!

Wow, what a month it's been! I can't believe how your entire life can change so completely in such a short amount of time.
So as most of you know Joel Thomas was born May 22 at 5:38 pm. He weighed in at 8 lbs 7 oz with a whole head of hair. He really is a beautiful baby! It was love at first sight and it's been pretty amazing. He is such a good baby. He rarely cries- usually when he's hungry or being changed. He's now starting to smile and it's so cute. He's pretty gassy though. It just makes me laugh when such a loud noise comes from such a small person!
After Joel was born my mom came out for about a week and a half which was great. Joel may be a fairly easy baby but he does like to eat. So mom did the cooking and helped keep the house running and took care of a couple of the late night feedings so I could get a couple hours of rest. The rest of the time was spent catching up, running errands and hanging out. (Thanks again mom!)
Then when she left Tj's mom came out for a week. She'll go home tomorrow. But she basically picked up where my mom left off. I don't know why everyone thinks having a baby is so difficult. Ha ha ha. Just kidding. While I have gotten more sleep in the last couple of weeks than I probably will get in the next several months there's something about getting it in two hour increments that is just not completely satisfying. In fact I was trying to remember the last time I slept through the entire night. I think it was sometime in January or maybe it was December. It's hard to remember any more.
But really having Joel in our home is amazing. I didn't know what to expect before he was actually here but it's better than I could have imagined. He's a wonderful boy and watching Tj with him has been a lot of fun too. Tj's already got him into watching sports- they've been watching the NBA playoffs together. The funny thing is Joel is always wide awake and alert while he's with Tj. At least for awhile. I feel pretty fortunate.

The Countdown is On!

So I went to the doctor again today. She said that everything looked good. The progress is slow though- I was only slightly more dilated this week than I was last. We also made the decision to go ahead and induce if he isn't here by next week. So the plan is this- he can come on his own schedule anytime this week. If he's not here by Tuesday night I have an appointment Wednesday at 6 am and then he's being evicted!
It's kind of a relief to know the end is in sight. I'm still really excited for him to come already but having a deadline will make the waiting more bearable. So I'll go ahead and probably work through next Tuesday. Then I'll have my 12 weeks of maternity leave which will start on Wednesday. Of course he could throw us for a loop and come anytime between now and then too. So even all these plans could be adjusted. One thing I know is that I can finally countdown the days of being pregnant- and for that I'm grateful!

Day Out!

So today has been a really fun day. We slept in and then we got ready and headed out to Deleon Springs. (There are so many springs around here I get them confused. Anyhow it was Deleon not Blue springs.) Once we got there we found out that the wait for the pancake restaurant was two hours. So we bought some snacks and sat out by the springs.
It was pretty relaxing and today was the perfect day for it. It wasn't too hot and there was a nice breeze going. After we finished our snacks we decided to look around the visitor's center there which was pretty interesting.
Then we decided to rent a paddle boat and boat around the springs. It was amazing! We saw THREE gators. I could have probably lived without seeing them. Especially one of them. We didn't notice him until he started swimming away. We must have disturbed him with the paddle boat because he was only a few feet away when he started swimming away. It was closer than I would have liked to be but he seemed more bothered by us than the other way around. I can't believe I live in a place where we see gators on a relaxing paddle boat ride!!!
Anyhow, we finally got to eat and it turned out to be really good. I'm not sure if that's because we were pretty hungry by then or if it was by it's own merits. Either way we'll probably go back. We'll just make sure we're early.

Friday- Again

So it's Friday again. We're getting ready for Date Night if I can ever wake Tj up. He has fallen asleep and he can't get up. Okay that was really lame. Anyway, yeah I'm waiting for him to wake up and debating whether I should do call ahead while I wait because I'm really starting to get hungry! (Which in turn means I'm gettting grouchy and irritable- thus meaning I'm not going to be a very good date.)

I think this weekend is going to be pretty low key. I think we're going to go to Blue Springs tomorrow morning for breakfast. Blue Springs is a National Park that has natural springs that's about 20 minutes or so from us. On the weekends they serve breakfast where you buy the pancake mix and they supply the griddles and you make breakfast there at your table. It sounds like fun. So I think we may meet some people from Tj's work and do that tomorrow morning. Then it's back home to do a pick up of our home and work on 'Thank You' notes.

Sunday will be pretty boring around here. We'll call our moms and maybe have a roast dinner. Then it's just a matter of getting ready for the week ahead.

Things on the baby front are pretty stagnant. I'm trying not to be frustrated. My new mantra is "He will come when it's his time to come." In the meantime I'm trying not to focus on the discomforts of it all. It was funny at the doctor's appointment she suggested Tj could give me a foot massage. I almost laughed out loud- she obviously doesn't know Tj. I am considering treating myself to a pedicure if the baby isn't here by next week. I guess we'll see. My feet need some serious attention and I need something to look forward to!

Another week down- another to go.

So we went to the doctor today. Things are about the same as they were last week. I'm dialated to about a 2 1/2 maybe a 3. But it doesn't feel like things are progressing. I don't feel really any different this week than I did last. It's a bit frustrating- but what are you going to do?!

So in the meantime I'm trying to keep myself busy. Work is going well. The girl that is going to fill in for me while I'm on maternity leave is pretty much trained and has basically taken over the position. So now I'm tying up loose ends and helping some of the people in the department with special projects. I finally got my hair trimmed last night. It was tempting to go for a drastic change but I have worked for a year to grow it out. So I settled for a trim.


I did get the final word on my grades for this last semester. I got an A in my Federal Government course- political science class. So I have a 4.0 grade point average at DBCC. It's quite an acheivement. I'm taking the summer and fall semesters off but then it looks like I'll probably be back in class next spring.

Patience?!

So I think I'm officially over being pregnant! The aches, the pains, the peeing 40 billion times a day, the exhaustion. Yeah, it was fun for the first 37 weeks. Now I'm ready for him to just come already! I don't think I've ever been accused of being a patient person but apparently he's already working on teaching mommy patience.


I'm really getting anxious to meet him! It's pretty crazy to think that there really is a little person inside just waiting for the right moment to arrive. And it's even crazier to think that he's a mix of Tj and me. I'm really looking forward to him being here and finally having him in our home! But apparently he's on his own time table and mommy's excitement isn't going to rush him.


This has been a good weekend though. Tj didn't have to work and so it was really great to be able to spend time with him all weekend. We had date night Friday night and then just had a nice weekend hanging out. We finished putting the baby's room together and cleaning out the clutter that had started to build up again. He had a meeting tonight and then it's back to the grind starting early tomorrow. He gets to fly again tomorrow.

Tj's flights are getting more interesting lately with the possibility of labor starting while he's in the Bahamas. So his boss, my friend at work- Anny, and my friend/neighbor Kimberlee are all on babywatch. While I still have three weeks there's always the chance that he may come early and so if he comes while Tj's on a flight we have our back up plans ready to go!

Nesting?!

So between school, work, Young Womens and every day life my house has become an absolute trainwreck! I'm not sure if my cleaning spree today qualifies as nesting or if I've just reached my breaking point! Either way I have cracked down on my housework and mostly my laundry. One thing I'm forcing myself to do is fold the laundry as it comes out of the dryer so I don't end up with a pile o' laundry that sits on my couch for a month. (Not that that has EVER happened.) I've also done an upkeep clean of the bathroom. (It's amazing how quick it goes when you don't have to scrub TONS of grime off everything! I think I've had a lightbulb moment.) Now it's on to the kitchen. Fortunately it's mostly just dishes, unfortunately it's mostly just dishes.


Anyhow, this last Wednesday we had a combined Young Men Young Women activity at Brian and Terry's house. They are always just generous hosts and so gracious letting us use their home for our youth pool parties. The kids have such a great time and Brian is such an amazing chef. They always seem so eager to let us have the pool parties there. It really is an amazing set up. It was nice to have such a low key activity and to just be able to visit with the youth and watch them. The youth in our ward are really amazing and so funny! I'm always so surprised at how well they all (including the young men and young women) get along. It was a nice evening.

Here's a picture taken from the patio looking out over the river. We've lived here for almost 4 years and every once in awhile you still get that realization that this is home. Wednesday night looking out over the river was one of those moments. Four years ago that thought would have likely put me in tears- funny how time changes your perspective.

Aced!

I got my final grade for my Psychology class today. I got an A! I am pretty excited about it especially with everything that has been going on this semester. My grade hasn't been posted for my political science class. I also got my preliminary results regarding my transfer credits. There weren't as many as I had hoped so if I want some of the other ones to transfer I may have to fight for them. I'm not sure I have the energy right now. We'll have to see.

I'm Ready

So school is finally done. I took my psychology test on Monday and my political science test on Tuesday. I haven't gone and checked to see if grades have been posted but I'm hoping to walk away with at least a B in both classes. Right about now though I'm just glad to be done all together! It's a relief not to have those to worry about any more. I am sad to see my close relationship with Wendy's and Taco Bell come to an end. They have been good to us the last several months when I didn't have time to cook. But I suppose now I can re-establish my relationship with my kitchen. I know my stove has felt quite neglected. Additionally I think my laundry is looking forward to finally being folded instead of being in limbo on the couch. Maybe, just maybe I'll get my house pulled together before the baby comes.


Speaking of the baby. I went to my Doctor's appointment today. Things are going well. He is head down and fairly low which she said is a good sign. I have been having small sporadic contractions which she said is normal and also a good sign. And finally she checked for dilation (not sure if that's the actual word for it but I'm going to run with it) and I'm 2 cm dilated. I'm not sure that means a whole lot but I was happy to hear that there is some progression. So I'll go back next Wednesday and we'll see how he's doing. So far it seems like things are at least on track. I've told him that he can break his lease early but come May 27th he's being evicted! I guess we'll see. In the meantime I'll keep y'all posted.

Essentials- Check!

So I finally have all the essentials. The crib is set up in the nursery (also known as the office) and while the nursery set has not come in yet we have received some fitted sheets so it's just a matter of making the bed. We also have the pack and play which we can set up if we decide to bring him into our room. We'll have to see how it goes. And then today my friend Whitney and I went and picked up the carrier/stroller combo which also has the carseat base. It's exciting, that was the last of the essentials!


Anyway, we made a morning of it since we had to travel to Altamonte to pick up the stroller. We had so much fun walking through Babies R Us. Then it was off to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch! Yummy, I forgot how good Sweet Tomatoes is. Then it was off to the mall to check out some of the cute baby stores there. We had such a good time! I'm in the process now of washing some of our purchases.


Now it's off to do grocery shopping before I need to pick up Tj from work. I feel productive. Tonight I'll work on thank you notes, finish this laundry and study for the last two tests I have this week. So I'm off!

Hobbit Feet?!

So it's finally Friday and I couldn't be more glad that the work week is over! I woke up this morning with my feet already swollen. I joked with Tj that my feet look like hobbit feet. He said that hobbit feet are all hairy so my feet weren't hobbit feet and that I should find consolation in the fact that at least I can still see my feet (even if I have to bend half way over to do so).


Tj got to fly again today. It made for a long day but I think it was worth it. He'll fly the next three days straight and then hopefully get some time to recoup. He loves it and even if he's worn out at the end of the day there's nothing else he'd rather be doing. It makes me worry seeing him working so hard but he loves his job. What more can I ask for?!

I'm a follower

Almost everyone I know has a blog and I figured I should follow. Baaaah Baaaah- yeah I'm a sheep. No, but really with us being in Florida I'm really bad about keeping in touch with people. Plus I think most of my family and friends are tired of the stupid mass mailers we send out. And now with our son due in about a month I figured this way people can see what's going on with us here. So yeah. Like I said before we're expecting our son (still nameless) on May 27th. Things are going well so far. I'm still working which is basically the only thing that gets me out of bed most days. I have officialy swollen like- well I can't think of anything to compare myself to. I joke with Tj that my feet look like yeast rolls before they're baked. It's pretty pathetic. But really I can't complain. My pregnancy has been pretty low key and it will all be worth it when little Rosen shows up. At least that's what I keep telling myself. I've been in nesting mode overtime lately. I think we're just about ready to have a baby in the house. This weekend I'll go and pick up the car seat and stroller and then we'll have all the essentials. It's all becoming so real!!! I can't believe it.