'Snow' Thankful

This morning Joshua went to the doctor's for his 15-month well-baby check-up even though he'll be 16 months tomorrow. It's hard to get in to see my two favorite doctor's and each time we wait a week, it pushes us back a week that has now turned into a month.

Joshua now weighs 22 lbs 10 oz (the 20th percentile) and is 31.75" tall (the 30th percentile). Dr. Tifft said he's 'all brains' with a head circumference of 18.75" (the 70th percentile). Joshua did NOT like his temperature being taken in his ear today, and it showed as 94.8 degrees. While the nurse thought it was probably the thermometer, she didn't take it again. Dr. Tifft seemed to think Joshua was doing well and gave me some things to work on with him. Then the poor Bean got three shots in his two arms. OUCH! He was so exhausted when we got home (he didn't sleep through the night again last night) but the electrician was here working so Joshua simply fell asleep in my arms only to be woken up by the noise. Finally after lunch he zonked out for a big boy nap and was much happier when he got up again.

I asked Dr. Tifft about Joshua's lack of sleeping...it's killing us both! (Last night Shawn was sweet enough to 'take one for the team' and rocked Joshua for a few hours so I could finally sleep since I had class the night before and was soooo beat from the many nights that Joshua's woken up screaming. I know people say not to go get him, but I waited almost an hour last night and finally couldn't take it. I tried giving him a little water, giving him the 'sniff' test to make sure it wasn't a dirty diaper, he didn't feel too cool...I just can't figure out why he won't sleep. It's not like he's sleeping a lot during the day or anything. I'm sure this will pass, too, which is basically what Dr. Tifft said.

After we got home from the pediatrician the snow started coming down. I don't think they were calling for anything but rain this morning, but these 'flurries' turned into a couple inches. When Daddy got home, I suggested we take Joshua out together to experience the glorious white stuff. Joshua cried as we bundled him up in the cute snowsuit lent to us by Cousin Grant. So, he was still not thrilled when we first got outside. After awhile, he enjoyed knocking the snow off our mini-trees, but not that much. He didn't want to walk around in his boots or do anything but be held, so we decided to come back in. Next time we'll have to rig up a sled of some sort to pull him around. I think he was too overwhelmed tonight. It was a busy day afterall!

Joshua has learned how to make his donkey sing and flap his ears and loves it. Cousin Jordon & Aunt Alicia lent us some new toys that Nonie brought over and Joshua is loving (thanks!). I'll end this post with a cute moment: today since Joshua was so cuddly after his shots, I asked him if he wanted a kiss from Momma. While he's been saying 'no, no, no' or 'sure' today he went 'eh, eh, eh' like I do when I'm trying to say "don't touch!" I cracked up! Silly Bean!

Baby Good 15 Weeks Gestation

Fetal Development:
If you have an ultrasound now, you may notice your baby sucking his/her thumb. The bones are getting harder each day. The baby's skin is very thin and transparent; you can see blood vessels through the skin. Lanugo, a very fine hair, covers the body and will continue growing on the baby until around the 26th gestational week of pregnancy. (Side note: when I worked at MM and Kristen told me about lanugo and how a baby gets rid of it in the womb...well, let's just say I'd get violently sick every time I thought about it. Then Joshua was born with his lanugo still in tact!)

Maternal Changes:
Your uterus will begin rising past your hipbones any time now. You can feel it about three to four inches below your navel. During your appointments, your care provider will be measuring "fundal height" to make sure your baby is growing consistently and adequately. Fundal height is the distance from the top of the uterus (fundus) to the pubic bone.

Boy or Girl? Should We Find Out?
If you have an ultrasound in the next few weeks, the technician may be able to make an "educated guess" at the gender of your baby.

Ideas for Dad:
Make sure you hug mom often. Research tells us that the more hugs mom gets, the more she'll hug the baby (and you too)!

Inspirational Thoughts:
A baby is someone just the size of a hug. ~Anonymous

Reflux Revisited

Yesterday, Joshua weighed in at 22.4 lbs, up an entire pound from last time he was there. Hooray! He also was very good for Dr. Devenyi, giving him a high five and smiling even when Dr. D was listening to him.

Dr. Devenyi said that since Joshua is doing well on the Prevacid, it's time to do another surgery. What??? Actually, we kind of knew this was coming. If Joshua's taking his reflux medicine and doing well, then this surgery should show no signs of inflammation in his esophagus if he was accurately diagnosed. However, since Joshua's eosinophil count was 17 last time (and 15-20 is considered the 'gray' area of "is it reflux or is it allergies?"), he wants to confirm that his esophagus looks good. If it doesn't or there are still eosinophils, then the problem is not reflux, the medicine is not the way to go, and we would have to go through extensive allergy testing to see what's going on.

The surgery is scheduled for February 5, Grandma Ginder's birthday. Our follow-up appointment to find the results is February 13. Please pray for the Bean that this surgery goes as well or better than last time!

Why Must Weekends End?

We had a great weekend. I got a lot done Thursday when Nonie watched Joshua (thanks so much!) and we ate a nice dinner with them that night and visited. Friday was 1/11, and I watched Jen's kiddos so she could do some birthday shopping for Faith and then she watched Joshua so I could take mom out to lunch. Please continue to pray for her.

Saturday was Faith's "Princess Party" for turning 4-years-old (I'll have to download my pictures later). After we came home as Joshua napped, Shawn & I worked on cleaning our house. The dust left from renovations is never-ending. I dusted and wiped down our furniture, cleaned the bathrooms and did laundry while Shawn took out trash, swept the floors and vacuumed. We also started putting things back in order like re-hanging our curtains and putting back our plants in our new bay window. It's nice to have things a little more 'normal' now. The insulation guys called and said they may swing over today to start prepping for the job that they're scheduled to do tomorrow. The electrician comes back Thursday to finish up his odds & ends, and then we just wait for our cabinets to come in to get our new kitchen. Hooray!

Grandma & Grandpa Ginder and Aunt Erica stopped in Saturday night and we went to Panera for supper. Then Sunday, Shawn was on 'duty' for the A/V team. I was debating on whether or not to go to church by myself with the Bean (Shawn has to be there a few hours early on days that he's working). I prayed about it and decided to go, asking God to give Joshua patience and gentleness and me strength and wisdom. We got ready and headed to town. I prayed for a parking spot where I could pull in. I saw one immediately! Thank you, God! As I was carrying the diaper bag and Joshua two blocks over to the church, I prayed for angels to help me carry everything up the stairs. A gal from youth group came up and asked to hold Joshua and offered to carry him upstairs for me. Thank you, God! Shawn was up another flight of stairs, which wind around and always seem somewhat slippery to me. I prayed for another angel to tell him I was there with Joshua, just so he would know. Another youth sat right in front of me, and I asked if he would mind going upstairs to tell Shawn that we were there. He normally bounces from floor to floor and said "Sure! I don't mind at all!" Thank you, God! Then, Joshua was amazing the entire service. He danced to the music and didn't rootch to get down out of my arms and played nicely when we sat down and even did well when I took him down to the nursery. Thank you, God! Shawn came down when he was finished and stayed with Joshua so I could hear the last part of the sermon (there was only one nursery worker when we had first arrived and several children and I didn't feel right leaving him alone).

After church, we met Dan & Julie and their son Jude for lunch. Julie & I worked together at Masterpiece Marketing until she gave birth to Jude and is now expecting her second baby as well - she's due to have a little girl the end of February. I actually found out I was expecting Joshua just five days before she had Jude, and when we went to see her in the hospital I hadn't eaten and it seemed like it was 5,000 degrees and my friend Kristen who was also pregnant was asking all about her C-section. Well, I just about passed out right then and there, and Julie immediately guessed I was expecting. While we hadn't planned on telling anyone yet, I couldn't lie and there was no getting around it. :) I promised her that this time I wouldn't faint again visiting her in the hospital, even though I'm pregnant again. :) Her & Dan are a super fun couple (I stole this picture off her website), and we just loved Jude's "shark tales" hat that came had a fin on it and all. For not having napped all day, Joshua did really well in the restaurant, too. Thank you, God!

I was so full and so sleepy after a delicious lunch at Ruby Tuesday's that I went home and ended up taking a four-hour nap while Joshua napped & played with Daddy and Shawn watched football. Then we all spent time together last night before heading to bed. Thank you, God!

I feel great today, even though I'm anxious about school starting. Today is my first day back for the semester and my first time teaching advertising. I'm also nervous because one of my classes is in an entirely different building that I have to find, along with the room. And, I have to make sure my keys work, etc. Oh well - I know God will take care of that stuff, too. This afternoon Joshua has a follow-up appointment with Dr. Devenyi (the reflux doc) and then Nonie's coming to stay with the Bean so I can get to Millersville early.

2008: The Year of New Beginnings

Last Sunday, Pastor Mark & Abby preached on 2008 being the "Year of New Beginnings." Last year was the "year of completion" so new beginnings is appropriate. They read this scripture passage from the New King James version:

Matthew 13: The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Parable of the Tares Explained

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Pastor Mark said that we would see miraculous healings this year...immediate deliverance. He gave his testimony of falling at his daughter's house over their Christmas vacation and really hurting his shoulder. The day before he was going to go to the doctor's office, God healed him in his sleep. I thought about the dermoid cysts I was diagnosed with and the next ultrasound showing NOTHING!

In his sermon, he talked about how we had to wait for deliverance until we had matured...if you tried to pluck the tares too quickly, wheat would be gathered as well. He said that this is a year of maturity where God will move swiftly and quickly to gather the THINGS out of the kingdom that offend and cast them into the fiery furance. So, we should look for healing and deliverance, as well as some pain as God works in our lives to make us more holy. This year has already started off wonderfully with Joshua walking and good news regarding his insurance and other things we've seen that we just say "That's God." The sermon was very, very good and I'm looking forward to this year as God continues to make us more like Him.

Some highlights

Our contractor & his crew have been here all week finishing up our house. The electrician should finish the final odds & ends tomorrow, and other than the kitchen we should be completely finished. We also have the insulation crew (separate from the contractor) coming Tuesday & Wednesday of next week. I'll be glad when everything is done so we can get our house back to a sense of "normal."

On Tuesday, we were without electric for the whole day as they switched out our panel. So, Aunt Erica & Grandma Ginder offered to let us 'crash their party' at Lois' house. Grandpa Ginder dropped them off here before heading to a meeting and the four of us drove to Paradise in my ride. Missy met us for lunch at Country Garden, and I thought Joshua was pretty well behaved for not sleeping the night before. He enjoyed all the attention and the food and the company!

Joshua & I have also been enjoying this Spring-like weather. It was in the mid-to-upper 60s this week, so we took a walk outside around the neighborhood (Joshua slept in the stroller) and have lavished the fresh air.

On Monday, Faith & Emma & Daniel came over to play while Jen went to Grace's school in the morning. All four of them were dancing in my family room when Faith hit the music button on one of Joshua's toys. It was so cute! Joshua definitely needs time around other kiddos so he learns how to share, etc. He's so cute, yet so spoiled. :)

Baby Good at 14 Weeks Gestation

Our baby is a whopping 3 1/2 inches long and is 1 to 2 ounces. S/he begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements. The eyes and ears continue to move and develop, the neck is still getting longer, and the baby's chin no longer rests on his/her chest. The hands are becoming functional, and the baby is beginning to learn to move/use them (probably more reflex than anything). At this point, our little one is receiving all of his/her nourishment from the placenta.

Bean in a Bucket

Our little climber climbs into everything, including his toy bin. The only problem is that once he's in, he can't figure how to get out without toppling it over. While we try to help him out, if he's not done being in there, he just hops back in. Oh, silly boy!

This is Joshua playing in the bucket Grandma Good got him for Christmas. He's in his PJ's because it was almost bedtime when the picture was taken. Speaking of bed, Joshua has decided against sleeping again for some reason. He still hasn't gotten his one-year molars, so I don't know if it's teeth or if he's not feeling well or if he just thinks he doesn't need to sleep. The other night he SCREAMED the entire night long, even when I was holding him which is very out of character. I'm feeling like I'm walking in semi-zombie mode now. Three days of not sleeping through the night is taking its toll on me. Please, Joshua, sleep for eight hours straight! I was very sad when I thought of going through the sleepless nights with the new baby. I know they're worth it in the end, but that makes you feel so bizarre when you don't rest. I asked Joshua if he was ready for some breakfast this morning, and he said "sure!" Sometimes he doesn't respond and other times he does. It's so cute. He wasn't too 'sure' about the peaches I gave him with his cheerios and milk this morning. I thought they were delicious! Oh well.Today Joshua is spending the day with Nonie. I had a dentist cleaning/checkup this morning (which everything looks good -hooray!) and then my plan is to try to catch up on Millersville work since classes start Monday. But, I had a couple writing jobs come in and now I'm taking a quick break to blog. My eyes are also getting very heavy, so I may try to take a power nap. Or exercise. Probably the nap...anyone shocked?

Good Job, Contractors!

On Friday the contractors were here again working. Joshua LOVES to watch the guys work, and they all are super friendly to him. The one guy is a newly wed who told me that when his wife starts talking kids, he buys her a cat. :) Joshua was watching him putting up trim and then started wildly clapping. I said, "is Jason doing a good job?" and Joshua shouted at him "Go-gah!" sounded very close to "good job!" Jason laughed and said, "Thanks, buddy!" Joshua kept clapping for him every time he put a new piece of trim up. It was soooo cute!

Every time one of the guys went to leave the house, Joshua said "BYE!" and waved. Mostly it was Ken who kept coming in and out as he was working on the trim for our new bay window. Ken has a 3-year-old son and 1-and-a-half-year-old niece who lives with him, so he seems to understand kids. He'd say "bye" back and smile and wave each time. He also said "hi!" to Joshua, but Josh was only interested in him leaving. I think Joshua will be sad when they're done and all their equipment is gone, but I'll be glad to not have to worry about making sure he's not getting into things. And, I'll be super glad to have our house fixed up! :)

Hats Off to the Bean!

Joshua is learning lots of new 'tricks.' Every time he hands me a toy, I put it on my head and say "a hat!" Then I tell him that Momma can't find the toy and ask him to point to it. He laughs hysterically, which keeps this silly game up. Well, now he's starting to put on "hats" himself. He's sooo cute in them! It's hard to capture on camera, though.

Joshua is saying more words or at least repeating them. When he was at my mom's the other day, he pulled off his shoe and said "uh-oh!" She told him that if he brought the shoe to her, she would put it back on his foot. He picked it up, took it to her and said "SHOE!" Good boy, Bean!

Joshua loves to grab phones and remotes and almost anything electronic. Is he his Daddy's boy or what? But, he also gabs all the time, which is definitely more my personality than Shawn's. He also loves to be held and walked around still, even though he's not as much of a cuddlebug as he once was. But, last night he was so tired he fell asleep in my arms so I sat there for a little over an hour just enjoying watching him sleep peacefully.

I'm working with Joshua on colors, animals and sounds. Every once in awhile, I'll ask him to grab me something "orange" and he'll do it. But then again, every once in awhile he grabs the wrong thing, too. So, I don't know if it's luck or if he's retaining any of it. We'll also say "which animal says 'who who'?" and he'll point to the owl every time. He doesn't know many of the animals, but he does know some. He loves the barnyard magnets Grandma got him for Christmas. When I say "vroom, vroom" he gets a car. I know he knows more and more of what we're saying. It's so fascinating to watch him learn and grow!

Ultra Good News from Our Ultrasound!

Today we had a higher level ultrasound scheduled since I'm considered "high risk" because Joshua had health issues in the womb. When we specifically requested Dr. Bayliss since we were so impressed with him before, we were told that they don't schedule you with a certain doctor. I prayed and prayed that we would see Dr. Bayliss since the other guy didn't seem to know anything about lung issues...and my prayers were answered!

Mom was gracious enough to come to our house at 8 am this morning so Shawn & I could both see the ultrasound and ask any necessary questions. Our appointment was for 8:30, but they didn't take us back until after 9 am. The ultrasound tech told us that they had brand new equipment that was state-of-the-art. Dr. Bayliss said these machines had only been introduced to the world within the last month (and to their office within the last week or so) and they give much clearer images because they are considered to be more digital. The tech told me she didn't see any dermoid cysts but said she would "send in the troops."

When Dr. Bayliss came in, we were relieved and all but clapped to see him. He told us that it was absolutely ridiculous that the first ultrasound showed "dermoid cysts" since dermoids can't be diagnosed via ultrasound - they're only diagnosed when they're under the scope. So, he said if anything we were just looking for cysts at this point. And, he said there were no cysts on either ovary. He said cysts are not something that 'come and go' they are something that 'stay and grow.' So, he's confident that I don't have any cysts. Something that he thought they might have seen that showed up lighter on the screen was actually a blood vessel.

Dr. Bayliss also told us that it's too early to see the lungs clearly, but taking measurements today would show whether or not we had a "likelihood" of gestational problems. The measurements he took were reassuring that everything should be okay. However, CCAMS have nothing to do with these measurements, but he did have one family with three children with CCAMS, so he's not convinced that it isn't something hereditary. He just thinks more research has to be done.

He also told us that women who experience preeclampsia have a 25% chance of reoccurance so he suggested I take a calcium supplement and one low-dose aspirin a day in addition to my prenatal vitamins to decrease the risk. I questioned him on the aspirin and he told me about every study that's been published and the findings - most of which is slightly over my head, but basically that he's a doctor who knows what he's talking about and studies the latest research, etc. I completely trust him - he's even well-known and respected at CHOP.

The baby looked bigger on screen than what I was expecting and the wand was higher than I was expecting for how far along I am. It was sooo cool to see the baby and his or her little arms and legs and head and nose, etc. I loved it. I can't believe we're going to have another baby in six months! It's hard to fathom.

Dr. Bayliss also cracked a couple of jokes while we were there (calling himself Dr. Phil since his first name is Philip and also telling me he took too much blood and would I like the extra back, etc.) and also asked us about how Joshua was doing. We just love Dr. Bayliss and don't think much of his partner, so I felt really blessed that he did our ultrasound. We scheduled our next one for Feb. 15 (we should know what we're having then, hopefully!!!) and he wants to do another one six weeks later (if all is well with that one) to closely monitor the lung development of our next child. BUT, so far everything looks very good and very healthy with this one and I don't have any tumors on my ovaries. Praise GOD!!!!!

2008 Starts Out Great!

We celebrated New Year's Eve at Nonie & Poppy's house again this year and had a nice time. I was sooo tired by the time we went downstairs to see Dick Clark (or what's left of him) and the ball drop in Times Square. Afterward, we left and came home to sleep. But, we didn't sleep in New Year's Day because Joshua was up bright and early. When he napped, so did Daddy and I went to my sister's house for pork & sauerkraut. Yum!

Today I got a lot accomplished in the hour that Joshua napped (I think he's transitioning down to one nap a day now). I finally called about Joshua's insurance benefits, and he's been approved to have this secondary insurance until he's 18 years old!!! Hooray! I also found out that my ultrasound that's scheduled for tomorrow has been approved by the insurance. Another hooray!

I made a few other phone calls and did some other things and it just felt productive. This morning I actually woke up before Shawn was up and finished the laundry, did some cleaning and started reading for school before Bean woke up. Some days I feel like I can't get anything done, but today I played quite a bit with Joshua and still got some important things done. I've read a little over 50 pages of the 800+ of the advertising book, but I think I'll be able to wing it and get everything done for the semester I need to. Tonight to celebrate my good day, Shawn & I went to Ruby Tuesday's since we had a coupon and my mom watched Joshua. It was nice to get out and be able to talk about our house plans and finances and other adult things without interruption, and it was also nice that the restaurant was basically empty so we were in and out in 45 minutes and back to get the Bean, who played nicely for Grandma and continued to walk at her house.

Today was definitely an 'up' day, even though Joshua's got a bit of a cold. Hopefully the rest of 2008 is this good or better!

WOW for Walking!

We've got a walker!!! Today, January 2, 2008, was Joshua's first day of walking. He didn't try to get down and crawl but took steps to get from piece of furniture to piece of furniture. So, there are only a dozen or so steps in between but this is definitely walking; no question about it. He'd clap for himself as I clapped for him. When our contractor stopped by tonight, Joshua walked from me to him. When Shawn got home, Joshua walked from the dining room into the kitchen and turned the corner. He's fallen more than a few times, and he's crawled a couple of times but for the most part he's walked today. Hooray!!!

2007 Reflections

I remember someone at our worship conference in January 2007 calling this the year of completion. On the seventh day, God rested. I think we saw 'completion' in many different ways this year. We saw an end to the earthly life of Jamie, Grandpa Kennel & Uncle Vernon and with that an end to their sicknesses and ailments. I'm believing that 2007 was an end to all of Joshua's sickness, too. We have some follow-up doctor's appointments scheduled, but I see Joshua growing and thriving now.

This was a big year for Joshua. He got his first teeth, started sitting up on his own, began crawling, started cruising, learned how to eat solid foods, stopped drinking from a bottle, started 'talking' and many other amazing accomplishments. Last night as I was rocking him to sleep, I was in awe at how big he is now. His cheek was resting on my shoulder and his head was above it, yet his feet (even though he was curled up) were still off the edge of the chair. This is a far cry from the 3 lb 4 oz baby I once held...I'm so grateful for the Bean.

This year, Shawn & I found out we're going to welcome another child into the world. We also started renovating our house, which will hopefully be finished in early 2008. We also took a step of faith and purchased our first investment property this year. Together we've experienced great joy, great sorrow, shear exhaustion, moments of triumph, moments of laughter, moments of tears, and every emotion in between. Thankfully, we've experienced these things together as a team. I'm so thankful for my amazing husband.

As I reflect on this past year, I have to thank the Lord for his unending faithfulness. He has provided us with a job for Shawn & side jobs for me that have worked out well so I could stay home with Joshua. I never imagined I'd be able to stay home and take care of our little boy, and God has faithfully provided for our family. I'm thankful for my teaching opportunity at MU and for being able to write, which I truly enjoy. I'm thankful for our home, for our little family of three and a third, our extended family, our friends and our church. As I was singing Joshua to sleep last night and praising God, I realized that most of all, I'm thankful for a Creator who loves us, has our best in mind, who called us by name, who has chosen us, who has told us we don't need to worry because He will take care of us, and who has given everything so that we might have eternal life and abundant life here on earth. I have wonderful memories from 2007 and look forward to an incredible 2008...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Boisterous Bully???

Yesterday in church, Joshua made his friend Austin (who's Bean's age) cry. We always sit in the back row of church - which makes for a quick escape when necessary - next to my friend Jasmine and her son Austin and their entire family. Austin & Joshua normally have fun together, playing with each other's toys and enjoying each other's snacks.

Yesterday, however, Joshua pointed at Austin and shouted in a very loud voice "BAH!" Poor Austin burst into tears and went running to his aunt since his mom was on the worship team. I felt so bad. What Austin didn't know was that Joshua was doing that in his honor. I'm not sure what "BAH!" means, but Joshua says that when he sees our Christmas tree light up or anything else particularly pretty or intriguing to him. But, I can see where Austin's feelings got hurt by his friend pointing and shouting at him. I apologized for making him so upset - poor little one!

Joshua was very offended that his friend ran away from him crying and he tried to follow him, shrieking. I picked up the Bean and tried to explain that we don't shout at people, and that we don't scream in church in general. There's so much to learn when you're only one!

The "After-Bath"

After Joshua's haircut, he went straight into the tub. He put all three of his "football frogs" in a row on the tub and then laughed at them. My favorite thing that he's doing now is saying "bye-bye" as he waves. Anytime we grab his coat, our keys or go to the leave the room, he says 'bye!' and starts to wave. When he was talking to my mom on the phone the other day, she said "bye!" and he started to wave. I went to the gym the other afternoon and as soon as he saw me coming to the KidZone, he looked at the worker he had been playing with and waved and shouted "BYE!" as he came over to me. Soooo cute! He also says 'no, no, no' altogether in a little scolding voice, and of course "more, more, more!" to food. He's getting more of the 'r' sound on his 'mow' and there's no mistaking what he wants. We walk hand 'n hand now, but he still drops to his knees when we let go. I can just tell it's going to be soon that he takes off. Literally...now he RUNS with his walker toys. Silly Bean!

He's also become a climber in the last few days to week or so. He climbs up, Up, UP everything! Today he figured out how to move our popcorn tin over to the couch to climb onto it to climb onto the couch and started climbing up the back til I grabbed him and tickled him all over, saying he's too smart and too fast for us. He loves climbing up the fireplace, entertainment center and anything else that looks high. He was standing on top of two boxes Daddy had in the office before they toppled. He didn't seem to mind, but it gives me and Daddy a heart attack. He's also getting into everything. He's figured out how to lift the lid of the toilet seat and would love to splash in the water, if we'd let him (which we don't, of course). He can open our new closet doors to pull things out, and he's just about figured out how to turn knobs to open doors. Every once in awhile he's coordinated enough to turn and push at the same time. He loves to turn TV's off and on and look into things...just to explore. Shawn and I are learning how to be consistent ourselves and with each other's standards on what we allow him to explore just to learn and what's off limits no matter what. Parenting is the hardest job in the world, but by far the most rewarding. When I see his little cheesy grin, or he snuggles up for a hug, it's all worth it. There's so much more he's been doing and learning...I really must post things sooner as I think of them or see them. Well, it's time for bed so we can get some much needed rest before church tomorrow morning. Good night!

Baby Good Turns 13 Weeks Old

The following information is taken from StorkNet's Pregnancy Week-by-Week Guide:

Fetal Development:
As our baby continues to develop, the vocal cords begin to form. The face is looking more and more human each day as the eyes begin to move closer together instead of being on the sides of the head and the ears move to a normal position. It would be possible now to determine the baby's sex by looking at the genitals if we could only get close enough. (We usually can't "guess" via ultrasound until around the 16th week.) The intestines move farther into the baby's body; the liver begins to secrete bile and the pancreas begins to produce insulin. A very busy week indeed!

Maternal Changes:
Welcome to the second trimester! This is the most comfortable and enjoyable stage of pregnancy. Most of the difficult early symptoms are over (or soon will be), and your tummy isn't getting in the way yet. If you're still feeling tired, listen to your body and REST. It's working hard right now!

As your uterus stretches, you may feel some abdominal achiness. The ligaments that hold up your uterus stretch to accommodate your growing uterus. This is called "round ligament pain".

Locks of Love

Joshua's first haircut took place Saturday, December 29, just after 8 p.m. I have his first little 'locks' saved in a plastic baggy. Here are some before pictures...

We started by putting him in the bathroom sink so that he was up high enough and we could keep him steady. What does he do first thing? Turns on the water, of course! BEAN! He then reached for the soap and anything else that he wasn't supposed to have, so I quickly grabbed his nearby bath toys and other things to keep his mind and hands occupied. He did NOT like the haircut. I think it must have tickled because he kept moving his head like he does when we tickle him. He did pretty well overall, and he sat still more when I praised him and told him just how handsome he looked and what an awesome job he was doing sitting still for Dad-da. I think Shawn had the hardest time around Joshua's ears. He started with actual scissors and when the Bean kept moving, he went straight for his shaver/clippers. Here's the after pictures...

After we were all done (other than a pile of soft hair to clean up), I got a little teary. My baby is growing up so fast...he looks like such a big boy now! And so handsome!

The Day After

Yesterday was Jamie's burial or 'interment' at National Indiantown Gap Cemetary. I was amused by the processional to get there - the funeral director in the lead car didn't wait for traffic lights or anything; he just waved his flag and took up the intersection and we all followed. After we got there, Pastor Titus Kauffman from Petra read a few scripture verses, the color guard fired their guns, a man played 'taps' on his trumpet, and two active duty military men did the flag ceremony that they gave to mom. It was quite nice and made everything more 'final.' Afterward, Shawn & I drove back to the house so we could get some work done before we met Mom, her friend Connie, and my sisters and Mike at Isaacs for lunch.

Nonie came to pick up Joshua in the morning so we could go, which was very nice of her. We picked up Joshua, and she said he was very good all day. He took two longer naps and played nicely, which is always nice to hear. Jordon stopped by while we were there, and he was snapping pictures with the new kid's camera we got him. I'm so glad he's enjoying it.

Last night we made left overs for dinner, I talked to my Dad on the phone and we had a little time to play and relax from a busy weekend. It was a sad day today that Shawn had to go back to work after having the time off for the funeral services, which I really appreciated his work being so understanding about. I'm glad that he's only gone today and tomorrow before being home on Saturday. I miss him!