two

Two is tough. Temper tantrum tough.  Forgot how to sleep through the night tough.  "I can do it myself" tough. 

But moments like these make me remember that two is fun.

The "Mommy come play" kind of fun.

And "I eat like daddy" fun.

"Look at somping cool"  fun.

Pretend and puddles fun.

You get it...fun.

18 Months

I'm going to attempt to unpack my bacgs here and stay awhile.

Now that you are officially 19 months here I thought we should post about the past 18 months.

18 About 18 Months

1.  You re 32" tall and 25 lbs of pure fun.
2.  Excitement and energy run through every ounce of you.
3.  With the excitement comes exhaustion.  Mine.  Again, I don't know how people with 2 kids do it.

4.  You have 16 teeth.  You know how to use them.  On us.  It hurts.

5.  B/c of your new found love for biting, you have learned about "me time".  TIME OUT.  Generally you handle me time ok and we end with a hug, kiss, and a "sahrry' (sorry).

6. Sahrry (sorry), doggie, mommy, daddy, shoot, guys, gosh, peease, sank sue, yesssss, and bubbles are just a tiny sampling of your ever growing vocabulary.  And short sentences are your newest skill!

7.  Speaking of skills you have mad baseball, basketball, and golf skills.  Keep it up!  Mommy and daddy want to cash in your college fund for a really really fun trip in a few years!  Any kind of scholarship works for us!
8.  "Side" is your favorite place.  Unfortunately for you the mosquitoes love having you "side" too!  They see you as an all you can eat buffet.  After a few hours on your swingset, a lady asked me if you were healing from a bad case of the measles!  Nope!  Just mosquitoes, and a lesson learned, only go "side" with a can of OFF
9.  After all your sleep issues you have turned into a wonderful sleeper.  3.5-4 hour naps in the afternoon and 11 hours at night time.  I really cannot complain.
10.  You cough on command.
11.  You sneeze on command too.
12.  In true boy form, burping makes you laugh hysterically.  Thankfully, Grandma taught you "scues me"
13.  Yo Gabba Gabba and WonderPets are your favorite tv shows.
14.  According to you, DJ Lance Rock is "AWESOME"
15.  After another trip to MO, you are quite the traveling pro!  16 different planes, 8 connections, and countless flight attendants all crammed into 18 months.  (I think that's more trips than dad took in his first 18 years of life)
16.  You are obsessed with trucks, trains, buses, and planes.
17.  We are decking out your new room with all of the above items.  But not quite yet.  You still love your crib.
18.  Your newest trick is telling us about your poop, boogers, and pee pee.  YOU.ARE.ALL.BOY.

Thank you, Jack, for making the past 18 months the very best months of our lives.  Without you what exactly would we be doing with our time?

Love,
Mom and Dad

A Christmas Story...not for the weak

I don't have to tell you that Christmas Season is way over...but I'm going to.  Christmas is over.  WAY OVER.  Christmas 2011 is 294 days away.  And although we are in the middle of St. Patty's Day celebrating, shamrock buying, green beer chugging, and parade watching, I'm going to tell you a Christmas story.  Our Christmas Story.  One that would only happen to us.

Every year at the beginning of December the hunt for "the perfect tree" is on.  CDitty and I scour Hampton Roads in search of an 8 foot, VERY fat, very beautiful, totally awesome Frasier Fir. 
SIDE NOTE:  Christmas 2009 was a total exception.  We got a Frasier Fir off the SALE RACK!  $15 for a "fat" tree, completely dead on one side.  But that's a whole different Christmas story.  One that happened WAY before I was blogging.

Back to Christmas 2010.  Having virtually no days off together, CDitty and I bundle Jack up one cold December morning and head out to find "the one", the decorative centerpiece to Jack's first Christmas.  The pressure was on because my family would be celebrating Jesus' birth at our crib (pun 100% intended).  We were in luck...at our first destination there stood "the one".  Although it hadn't settled and it's branches were still up we knew this was it.  The tree.  Jack's first tree.  Excitement set in as we merrily hauled our purchase home and placed it out back in a water bucket.  A few nights later CDitty and I spent the evening stringing lights and strategically placing ornaments out of the reach of our precious 2 legged creation.  We marvelled at its beauty, high fived, and went to bed.

Baby Jack bundled up and ready to find "the one"

**DECEMBER 20, 2010**

CDitty and Jack were playing in the Living Room.  I come down and am immediately "attacked" by CDitty and Jack.  I fall to the floor while they "get me".  While down on the hardwoods I notice a ring of dirt around "the one".  Hopping up I put on my detective cap, run to the kitchen, and grab a wet paper towel.  This dirt...baby spiders.  Not 1 or 2, but hundreds upon hundreds of BABY SPIDERS. 

Go ahead and read that last paragraph again.  Now let me back up.  Our perfect tree is up, decorated, and in our house for almost 3 weeks before POOF hundreds of spiders.  We spun (pun intended again) ourselves into total panic mode, then frantic clean up mode, followed by pest control mode.  I'm sure after the shop vac, swiffer, wet paper towels,and pest spray if any spiders were alive they were wishing they weren't.

Like straight out of a comedy Chris and I frantically all but poured pest spray over our tree.  Seriously, spraying in each hole, up the trunk, through the branches, around the stand, even the majority of the beautiful needles were covered in pest spray.  We were shocked the tree survived.  Heck, we were surprised we survived.

Why didn't I take the tree down?  Because it was Baby Jack's first Christmas.  His first tree.  It was beautiful.  It was decorated.  We spent FOREVER decorating it.  My family from Missouri was coming in town.   All selfish reasons, but despite the spiders I REALLY REALLY loved our tree.

Spider removal took 3 days.  Although I'm sure we killed them all on Day 1 WE I forced us to spray for 2 more days "just in case".  Day 3 we put the skirt back on the tree, put the presents back under, and pretended we were never invaded by baby spiders.

In true detective fashion I researched the daylights out of spiders and spider babies (thank god for google).  Chances are mommy spider laid her egg of approximately 500-1,000 (I repeat 500-1,000) spiders.  The tree was most likely sprayed with pesticide on a farm, cut down, hauled to Norfolk VA, purchased by us, decorated, and placed in our comfy house for 3 weeks.  According to google the baby spiders, not intended to hatch until the spring (warm weather), were tricked by our cozy house and surprised us December 20th.  Merry Christmas right?

I called and got our tree purchase refunded, but this Christmas story was definitely one to remember.  Going fake next year?  Not a chance.  I mean, seriously, what are the odds?

Post spiders

Here is a...

...a sneak peek into Jack's BIG BASH!

Does it get any cuter?

11 Months

Jack,

In just 6 short days you will be turning 1.  A whole year has flown by.  I'm scared to blink, I don't want to miss even just one second.  Scared when you are 16 I'm going to forget the scrunchy face you make when you think you're funny.  Or any other thing you do for that matter.  I'm not ready to let go of my baby, not ready for a toddler.  Good thing I have 6 more days.

January 9th you turned 11 months old.  This past month has been definitely one for the record books. 

Your first Christmas happened.  And let me tell you it was quite the event.  4 days of present opening and endless days of clean up!  Although I've never doubted it, Christmas reassured us that you are definitely loved.  NO. DOUBT. ABOUT. IT.



Christmas Day with my cousins

 Christmas Day you point at Gage and say, "Dog".  Although it sounded a lot like "GOG" I'll give it to you, your first word.

Christmas night ended with snow.  Lots of snow.  14" total when the storm was over.  We took you sledding.  Your hat was a little big and the snow was bright so I'm not so sure you thought it was nearly as awesome as we did. 

Sled Day!

December 29th you decided this crawling thing was totally overrated.  You had been "accidentally" walking for weeks, but today you took steps.  All by yourself.  Just like that crawling became a thing of the past and you became a mobile machine.

NYE 2011:  So fun.  We got dressed up (a little) and went  to Summer and Fresh's house.  2 words:  KID CENTRAL.  8 adults and 6 kids, wine, champagne, and food galore!  It was so fun!  You stayed up past your bedtime (until 9PM, crazy right?!?) And the fireworks and midnight didn't even wake you up.

2010 Babies and their Moms!  (Mia too!)

Grandma got sick on January 5th.  She was in ICU for quite a few days and the hospital for nearly 2 weeks.  Your dad took you to visit, but only stayed in the lobby.  No need to catch H1N1.  Luckily, GMA got to walk down to see you.  I know you missed her and she missed you too.

Stats:

• You had a serious growth spurt.  9 month pants are way too short.  9 month onesies fit fine in the body, but the arms are a tad short.
• Still a size 3 diaper.
• You still LOVE to eat.  We are getting more courageous with food and in torn you are getting more variety.
• Making sounds and "talking" are 2 of your favorite past times.  You make an elephant sound and roar like a tiger (we are training you well and plan on sending you to MIZZOU).
• If we could bottle and sell your energy I know we would be billionaires.  Once you learned how to walk you haven't looked back.  We.  Are.  Exhausted.
• 8 teeth.  We are teaching you how to bite into food.  Because again, you love to eat.

Six days until you are 1.  Six days until we have known you for 365 days.  For now I'm celebrating 11 months!

Love always and forever,

Mom and Dad

10 Months

Jack,

A few things about your 10th month...

• I gave birth to a weed.  Seriously you are growing WAY too fast!  We look at pictures from a few months back and WOAH!  That's not even the same kid is it?  Then we recognize your baby blues and very natural combover...
• You are still wearing a size 3 diaper (and will be for a long time).  Clothes, however, vary in size.  You are currently wearing anything from 9 months to 12 months.  Very few pants fit.  OshGosh has the adjustable tab waist and is the only brand that fits around your skinny belly.  At your 9 month check up you weighed 18lbs 7 oz (20th percentile).
• Despite your slender figure you eat anything and everything.  Your dad and I are convinced you have a tapeworm (and honestly would love for you to share). We feed you table food now, practicing picking up as much as possible.  Jack, you have mastered the pick up, just not the rationing it out.  Daddy and I have to remind you that 20 Cheerios in the mouth probably won't have the result you are looking for!  "Slow and steady"...definitely not your motto.
• You are a parrot.  Mimicking everything we do or say.  Consequently, we say and do some really funny stuff.  It's not uncommon to hear us ask you "How big is Jack", throw our hands up in the air and respond, "SO BIG" as you reach for the sky.  In your head I'm sure you are saying Santa says HOHOHO, a dog goes woof, a horn says HONK so lay off me people!  Can't you see I'm trying to shovel Cheerios in my mouth, not do tricks!!
• Walking is in our VERY near future.  You've mastered pulling up, walking around objects, and pushing your car.  Every once in a while you take a "shuffle step" to get from the coffee table to my leg, or the couch, or so on.  I'm not calling it walking yet, but you sure are close.  We definitely need baby gates...and get them up.
• Crawling is one of your favorite modes of transportation.  Second only to being carried.  You. love. contact.  Snuggling, being held, carried, you name it you like it.  for months now you let us know when you want up.  Throw your arms in the air and stare at us with those baby blues.  And man you can work it.  Those eyes are going to melt hearts someday...right now they melt ours.
• Napping.  Awful.  I hate thinking about it and you hate taking them...unless you can do it on me or dad, or Grandma.  Again, back to the whole snuggling thing.  The doctor says you are smart and playing us like a fiddle.  I agree, but it still breaks my heart to hear you scream in your crib.  Nights are a different story (FINALLY)!!  You sleep from 8PM-6:30AM, like clockwork.  HOORAY!  I think you are the world's EASIEST baby to put to bed too.
• 5 teeth and you know how to use them.  You bite.  Everything.  We are trying to remind you, no biting. Like everything you do, it is so stinking cute though.  Good thing you don't go to preschool, I don't think I could handle getting kicked out.  (I think you are just testing the waters and it feels good on those sore little gums)
• Speaking of testing the waters...you definitely know right from wrong.  In fact I believe you are going to think your name is Jack NO!  Lately before you do something you know is wrong you take a look over your shoulder to see if we are watching or not.  We are.  Trust me.  Remember that.

We love everything about you Baby Jack.  You never cease to amaze us.  Where in the world would we be without your smiling clapping, "SO BIG", chunky legged self?




We had to give you a distraction...



...because you wouldn't stay still
MUST.LOOK.OUT.WINDOW.

9 Months

Dear Jack,

This letter is for you, but this month it isn't about you.  It's an introduction to a man you will never meet on this earth.  About a man you probably met up there before you were born.  It's about a man I want you to know, even if it is only through words, stories, and pictures.

To most he was Charles.  To some GaDoc, The Bank, and Doc.  To 3 people he was Dad, and to one, best friend and husband.  To me, he was perfect.  A perfect mix of loving, caring, hardworking, and smart.  He was interesting, passionate, talented, and stubborn.  Funny and witty.  Gentle, yet stern.  He was the love of G.G.'s life, the father to your Nana, and my Grandpa Doc.

A million stories and tales run through my head when I think of him.  Where do I start?  How do I summarize, and what if I forget something?

55 years ago he met your G.G.  On their first date he asked her to marry him.  He sent her love birds, wrote her letters, and 6 short months later they were married.  He worked hard.  Pursued a career in medicine.  Spent countless hours at work, all to put food on the table, horses in stalls, and smiles on the faces of his  kids at home.  From him, you can learn a lesson or two about hard work.

Grandpa doc was interesting.  He had hobbies and tools galore.  Whether it be canning or creating model airplanes his passion for these hobbies never wavered.  I hope you are as passionate as he was. 

Although I truly believe you two met before you were born I wish, Jack, that you could have met him on this earth.  I can almost picture his hands holding your little body and I can imagine you tapping his belly or pulling on his suspenders.  I know each development you make would blow his mind.  He was fascinated by things like that.  Jack, he would have adored you, you would have worshiped him.  I'm certain of it.

Your dad and I promise to tell you stories, show you pictures, and remind you of who your Great Grandpa Doc was.

Today you turn 9 months old.  Today your Great Grandpa Doc would have been 80.  Happy Birthday Jack..  Happy Birthday Grandpa Doc.

Love,

Mom and Dad

My Little Rooster

Back in February I gave birth to a little baby rooster boy.  We named him Jack and love him to pieces....even at 5AM (if we are lucky).  Sunday we dressed our (almost nine month old) baby boy up as a rooster.  He loved it.  I loved it.  Each and every time I looked at him I smiled, no more than smiled, I laughed.  He was the cutest darn boy rooster I've ever seen.

Not quite sure about this getup...

My GG loves it

Boo!!  Ahh!!!

My girlfriend, Stella, was a duck

I think she's funny

We jammed with the "Bat Ballerina"

All this partying really wore me out

Happy Halloween 2010!! 

I have total blogging anxiety

So I am going to break the ice with diarrhea of the mouth (or fingers in my case)...

For months before I even met Lindsey I stalked read her fabulous blog. I raved about her funny posts, called my husband at work to read snippets of her stuff, and let myself get so lost in her blog I was totally convinced we were friends. Her hilarious random stream of consciousness inspired today's post. Also, I'm convinced the best way to get back into the swing of blogging, is to dive right in. So here goes...

We picked my car up from the impound lot the other day. It had been there since last Friday. Apparently whoever stole the car was SHORT and preferred driving while leaning back so far I'm not quite sure how he (or she) could see over the steering wheel. Backtrack, our car was stolen a couple weeks ago. FROM OUR DRIVEWAY. Who does that? And the kicker? Chris' car was parked behind it. Awesome. Not only did they steal our car, but they drove through the grass to get it out. Who steals cars anyway? Anyway, they still have a key to it, so we can't bring it home. There is tons of body damage, a window is busted out, and the worst part? They sat on one of Jack's baby blankets. The sight of this poor swaddle blanket all crunched up on the drivers seat instantly brought tears to my eyes. Perk? Somehow we managed to get a PS3 in the backseat. The cops said it's ours, now only if it works.

I need new shoes. Unfortunately, I have a closet full of shoes, but none seem to be perfect. I need a few of the basics. FLATS. TONS OF FLATS. I only have a pair, and they are yellow. Not very practical huh? Boots. I love boots. Especially flat boots. I need a new pair. Black ones. I have 3 pairs of brown, tons of winter black clothes, and nothing to pair them with! Ugh. The options are endless...unfortunately for me (and the bank account) my favorite pair cost $1,000. Won't. be. buying. them.

Speaking of boots. What is wrong with our weather? Who wears a tank top the last week of October? Oh this girl. And not to mention Jack has been in short sleeved onesies all week long. 90 degrees the other day? 80 today? I'm starting to believe in global warming and starting to be depressed that it might be too warm for Jack to dress up on Sunday. Total. Depression.

He's going to be a rooster. Total cute. Well it will be if I can dress him up in it. Or if he will keep the hood on (total doubter). He won't let us keep anything on his head. Not even the hooded towel when he gets out of the bathtub He yanks at it and grabs it; frustrated as they come. What am I supposed to do when it is freezing outside? Let the poor child's ears freeze? We like to run in the mornings (like might be a stretch..need to is more like it) and without a hood/hat on Jack's ears may fall off come January. Any suggestions?

Yes, I run. Sometimes. I love it, hate it, and everything in between. The part I love most is watching Jack grin and chat with himself while in the jogger. He loves to run too. The part I hate most is...the running. I'm not a natural runner. I struggle to breathe, my legs itch, my feet get achy, the list goes on. But a workout is a workout right? Why can't weight just fall off of you? Why can't we all burn calories just sitting around? That would be lucky. Currently I'm the luckiest gal around. I breastfeed. I pump. I nourish my child with my own body. And I burn calories while doing it. Tons of calories. I read somewhere (probably wikipedia or some yahoo forum) that for every 1 oz of breast milk you burn 20 calories. Hooray! Every morning at 5AM I wake up with my boobs in my chin, hard as rocks, and throbbing to let loose (sorry dad, Steve, and any other male figure that didn't know that happens), I hook myself up to a machine, put my head in my hands 1/2 asleep, and burn calories. Approximately 160 to be exact. It's awesome. I've done a full workout without ever leaving my room. Not to mention just 1 short hour later Jack is up and wanting breakfast..woohoo another 80 calories or so!!!

I have so much more to share, but hopefully this got me in the swing of things! I'm not so nervous any more! And I feel the creative juices STARTING to come back. My cousin said once I start sleeping through the night my creativity will go away...I didn't believe her, but I think she was right. I'm working on it, I promise.

I'll be writing again soon. Again, I promise.

Love,

LDial

PS This picture is totally unrelated, but totally adorable.  I mean I think he's cuter than the Gerber babies.

MISSING

Dear Blog,

I'm so sorry I've been missing since the end of August.  I desperately want to write more than just monthly love letters to my child.  But I haven't found any free time!  Good news is when I do find the time...watch out!  I've got tons to post.  I've done a 1/2 marathon, traveled across the country, went to a concert, my baby learned to crawl, he learned to pull up, and tonight...we're going to let him CIO.  Wish us luck!
xoxo.

Love,
Mom

While I was pregnant...

I was writing emails and updates to my friends and family that aren't here in Norfolk. It was a great way to keep them updated, but today I was reading through them and realized, "Hey what a great way for Jack to read about himself prior to life in the real world!"

Here you go...

9 Weeks

As you all know Chris and I have had a really big year so far....new store, new house, and now...NEW BABY!
Yes you read that right...Chris and I are having a baby! We are a little over 9 weeks along, went to our 2nd doctor's visit yesterday and the baby is doing great, very healthy, and growing! =) Our due date is 2/20/2010! We were surprised to say the least, but really happy and looking forward to what's in store for us! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers; we are both extremely excited and very nervous as I'm sure all first time parents are! We can't wait to introduce you all to our new addition in early 2010!

12 Weeks

Chris and I had a doctor’s appointment today! We are officially 12 weeks and 2 days!!! WOOHOO! The baby is the size of a lime and getting reflexes this week! For the first time when I push on my stomach he/she can feel it! =) I've gained a little weight and my boobs are ALREADY a cup size bigger!!! It's crazy...other than that I've felt completely normal. There are times where I don't really believe I have a baby growing inside of me! Then I look at my belly and my boobs and I'm reminded!
The visit was supposed to be a short one today; we were just getting a "tummy check" and hearing the heartbeat on the Doppler! We heard the heartbeat, it was incredible! 160 bpm...sounds so fast, but it’s just because her/his heart is so little it's having to work like crazy to do its job!!!
WELL...
We met with the midwife in our group and she was not busy this morning so she asked us if we wanted pictures!! DUH...so we packed our stuff up and went into the ultrasound room! He/she finally looks like a baby!! The other ultrasounds have made him/her look like a kidney bean. The pictures this week were breathtaking. I have been having days with panic moments where I'm scared to death to become a mom, but today I felt this eerie sense of calmness. Cheesy? Emotional? Maybe, I'm going to blame it on the hormones...but I really felt happy-peaceful today. The little rascal was acting all sorts of crazy in there today! He/She kept jumping around like a little Mexican jumping bean! The midwife said it was because I had just eaten and he/she was happy to be getting nourishment. It was so fun. The best baby doctor visit to date...


16 Weeks

We had our 16 week check up today! =)

Normally at this check up you have blood work done to check for any possible problems. However, because they were a little worried about my cervix they opted to do an ultrasound!! We met with the ultrasound tech, she lubed my stomach up and we were ready to go...We knew there was a possibility we could tell the sex this week. Sex organs are visible starting at 14 weeks, they are just very small! The tech wasn't confident we would be able to see anything. She kept saying that they baby would have to be lying just perfectly to be able to tell ANYTHING. We laid there (ok Chris sat) fingers crossed and hoped she would be able to tell. Apparently we have a future exhibitionist on our hands because he (yes you read that right), was spread eagle and showing all of his goods!!! =) Once I figure out how to scan anything I'll email the little picture of him...you can't miss it even if you don't know what you are looking for!!!

Introducing...Jack Christopher Dial...our little heartbreaker! =) It was incredible! Just the sight of our little boy brought tears to my eyes. I'm sure Christopher was having visions of footballs, baseballs, and any other sport! We cannot wait to meet our little guy in just 5 short months!

On a much more boring note, my cervix looks good. Everything is where it is supposed to be and I'm gaining a little weight. I have only gained a total 3 pounds since finding out we were pregnant, but I'm telling you it feels like much, much more!!

I wanted to send a short email to share our excitement with everyone! We cannot wait to start decorating and buying! It's very very exciting!

20 Weeks

It's officially on...BUMP WATCH 2010!

I'm 20 weeks along! Life is good, I'm feeling great, and literally eating for 2! My only issue right now is my back. Apparently Jack is comfy and laying on my sciatic nerve. My lower back is achy...but anything for your kid right?!? I can feel him moving around! He's not kicking yet, but just casually swimming back and forth!

We went to the doctor this morning and got our last ultrasound for quite some time! Jack is weighing in at a whopping 13 oz! He was lying around feet up, hand behind his head. Really showing mom and dad how rough life is on the inside. On another very cool note, we were taking a look at his face when he yawned! It was so funny, cute, adorable, handsome, and alienish all rolled into one single action! You read that right, I think our baby sort of looks like an alien right now! Especially on an ultrasound picture! The picture only shows his eye areas, mouth area, etc. I know you all understand that when I call my child an alien I mean it in the most loving, endearing way possible! I digress...

I've gained 7 lbs since my last visit (oink oink). That puts me at 10 lbs for my entire pregnancy! There was no lecture about eating more this time...just lots of "good jobs" and "oh you are finally showing"! Chris and I put up the occasional high five, but nothing new, they think we are nuts.

While she was taking a peek at Jack she measured my cervix and I passed with flying colors! After today's visit they are treating my pregnancy as "normal". No more extra ultrasounds or sneak peeks. I'm going to be honest here...although I'm extremely excited be healthy, I'm slightly bummed! I liked seeing Jack every 4 weeks! I can totally see why Tom Cruise bought an ultrasound machine when Katie was preggo. If I was rich I think I would do the same!

24 Weeks

We are officially at 24 weeks and 3 days...but who's counting?

We had our 24 week check up today! It was extremely uneventful. Weight check, blood pressure, and belly check. The doctor sent me on my way! I'm measuring small, which apparently means absolutely nothing at this point. The doctor said I could be carrying a small baby OR because I'm tall I'm "hiding" a big baby well! Like I said at this point means nothing...

The coolest part of the past week has been watching the development of my stomach. Not only is it growing (4 lbs in 4 weeks...ehem), but Jack is finally making it move! Chris and I can stare at my stomach for hours and watch it jump around! It's very strange, but in a cool, incredible, amazing miracle kind of way! Jack is also developing a little pattern. He is very active between 8:30 and 9 pm and again first thing in the morning! Supposedly he will become more patterned as the weeks go on. I cannot wait!

The most difficult and painful part of this entire pregnancy has been the emotional stress I've put on myself about vaccines. I opted to receive the seasonal flu vaccine, but after tons of tons of research, debate, thinking, and prayer I've opted out of the H1N1 vaccine. You should see the disapproving looks I got at the doctor today! I think our file has been blacklisted. I'd like to apologize to Jack in advance if the nurse "accidentally" squeezes him a little hard when I'm delivering, or the doctor "drops" him on the floor (I kid I kid)...but seriously I felt like I was being put in timeout with the looks I received today. Maybe I am being a little dramatic, but after making this decision I was a little sensitive. They still tried to change my mind and I went home with even MORE literature to read. I almost declined the literature (stating that I've killed nearly an entire rainforest in articles I've printed out and filled almost our entire dvr with informative shows), but decided if I wanted to stay somewhat in good terms with the Dr. I would just smile at take it home! =)

Chris and I have done almost all of our registering and picked out a crib, bedding, etc! This part of the process is so overwhelming and EXTREMELY exciting! It makes things 1 step closer to being real.

28 Weeks

Goodbye 2nd trimester...HELLO #3 (and final)!!

We have reached 28 weeks and 3 days to be exact. It has been a very fun adventure and in just 12 short weeks we will be starting a new and bigger one!!

28 weeks feels similar to the other weeks with just a few minor inconveniences differences:

1. I've lost the majority of my stomach muscles I had pre Jack. I can very much see why pregnant women "roll" out of chairs, off couches, etc.
2. I'm housing a future MMA (mixed martial arts) star. No more little flutters or love taps. He's full fledged kicking in there! It's fun to watch!
3. The bathroom. a.k.a. my hangout. Jack must be so comfy sitting right on my bladder because I hang in the bathroom as often as Zach Morris and the gang hung at "The Max" (I know bad joke...)

28 weeks began with a Dr. visit! This is the gestational diabetes testing week. This morning I drank a small bottle of liquid orange tic tacs with my breakfast. The directions say you must drink it all in 5 minutes. The competitive side of me raced the clock and finished it in 2....That drink didn't stand a chance. My awesome chugging skills may or may not have something to do with my 4 years spent at MIZZOU. They then do a finger prick at the Dr. Office. I passed with flying colors! Hooray!! My weight gain these past 4 weeks was 6 lbs. 20 lbs in 28 weeks....Oink oink MOO! Jack is still measuring on the small side of normal. This still doesn't mean a single thing. And hey, I'm not complaining!

The biggest development is our choice in hospital. We believe we've decided on a hospital. Although there are 2 great hospitals with 10 minutes of us our doctor prefers one over the other. Unfortunately, that hospital's anesthesiology department does not work with our insurance group. The other hospital in town does. So we broke the news to the doc today...we are still not interested in the H1N1 vaccine and we this we would like to deliver at the hospital further away from you. (Sorry Jack if we didn't have you dropped on your head with the vaccine, we most certainly do now...but look on the bright side kid at DePaul it's covered by insurance!)

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! Ours was awesome. Lots of family and really good food. I'm sure the massive weight gain had a little something to do with the massive amounts of food ingested last week....but it's for the baby right?

31 Weeks

Hello week 31! You look pretty similar to the last few! Lots of bathroom breaks, tons of kicking, & and overall feeling of...LARGE!

We started our week with a trip to the doctor. Very uneventful. I have had a 5 lbs weight gain. Now tipping the scales 25 lbs heavier than I was in May. Not loving that stat considering by my calculations I should only gain 30 lbs the whole time. REMINDER: We have 9 weeks left!! But the doctor likes my weight gain and my blood pressure. TRANSLATION: Quit reading the Internet and go to Med school if you want to self diagnose.

I am measuring small again, so next time they are wanting to do an ultrasound! They want to weigh him and make sure he's growing enough. I can't wait for the pictures! She checked my stomach and pushed around for a few minutes to see if there was any explanation to my measurements. Apparently, she thinks he's laying form Left to Right across my stomach and is fairly stretched out. Possibly causing the "lack of bulge". My response, "Trust me doc there is bulge. Tons of bulge. Must I remind you I've gained 25 lbs???"

Nothing too exciting to report, no drastic changes (Have I mentioned 5 lbs?) I hope everyone has an awesome Christmas! We are really excited to celebrate in Mid-MO for a few days! Have a very Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brings everyone what they want!!

34 Weeks

Wanted to send out a quick update email. The Dr. visits are getting closer and closer, but I don't want to overload you all with updates either! We had our 34 week checkup on Friday. Everything was great; my weight gain was 2 lbs (27lbs total)! However, I was measuring very small so they ordered an ultrasound for this morning.
We went in for the ultrasound this morning with hopes that we were/are hiding a big baby very well. But to our surprise we have a very small baby. He's in the lower 10th percentile for weight. This isn't too concerning, they just want to find out why he's so small. We did get to see he has a head full of hair! Obviously can't tell what color, but I'm guessing brown. (Hoping for blonde)
What we did find out was that I'm not producing very much amniotic fluid. Apparently I'm lacking quite a bit. They are a little concerned with this so I have to go back tomorrow for a NST (stress test) on Jack. I'll tell you what he doesn't look the least stressed in there! One hand was on his head and the other hand was resting between his legs. Yes, typical guy. Picture man on couch watching football...that's what the ultrasound looked like! I also am being sent over to Maternal Fetal Medicine for a 4D ultrasound and some extra testing on his blood flow. They want to make sure he's getting enough blood in there! =) For now they've made me promise I will eat anything and everything I want (ice cream & carbs included)and try to drink 4x the water I was already drinking (I'm on bottle 4 for the day). We will be doing biweekly stress tests and ultrasounds for the rest of the pregnancy. Which brings me to the next part...they told me this morning I wouldn't carry him full term. They are going to induce me early. How early? Right now it's just a week early, but they are going to play it by ear. They think even though he is a small baby he might be able to get more nutrients on the outside rather than the inside!

35 Weeks

35 weeks along and Jack is officially a honeydew melon. He is growing like a weed...before I know it I'll have a little pumpkin in my stomach! I've gained 2 more pounds...obviously no trouble eating here! However, according to the DR. Jack's tummy is "tiny". Doc says you can help fix that with a healthy diet of ice cream and carbs (in addition to what I'm already eating!!). Christopher wants to know if that diagnosis applies to husbands. My amniotic fluids are still really low...translation...drink a minimum of 64 oz of water daily...translation...LIVE in the bathroom.

We've been a very busy family since learning I'm low on fluids and not sharing nutrients very well! Jack and I now go 2x a week for Non Stress Tests. These are tests that hook you up to monitors to watch his heart rate and your contraction rate (ahem...boring...ahem) They take anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour and a half. Depends on what Jack's doing! They want to make sure he's not stressed out with the level of fluids in there. We've had 3 already and the results are in...NOT STRESSED YET! In fact at the first one he was sleeping! Seriously how stressful can life be in-utero?

We also had an appointment at Maternal Fetal Medicine. This was a really cool and very informative ultrasound! They spent nearly 1.5 hours testing him, my blood flow, fluid levels, and weighing him. He weighs almost 5 lbs (in the 16th percentile). The blood flow is great, fluid levels are still low. We got to see his heart (all four chambers), his kidneys, bladder, stomach, and lungs. Not to mention all of his fingers, toes, eyes, etc. He's a perfect little (emphasis on little) boy! =)

I have another NST (non stress test) on Friday. Tuesday the 26th we have another ultrasound to check on his fluid levels as well as an NST. We are going to continue with this pattern unless anything changes! Right now they are planning on inducing me 2/15. If they determine it needs to be sooner I'll let you all know! Keep your fingers crossed I get to keep him in there that long! =) I need to work and finish his room!!!

Speaking of his room...it's almost finished!

36 Weeks

Not feeling very creative today. This is going to be a boring update...but an update nonetheless right?
We've made it to 36 weeks! Major changes since last week...can't breathe, can't breathe can't breathe. Jack is currently resting 1 of his oh so cute feet in my rib cage. AWESOME. We've had a few chats about it, but apparently he's comfy in this resting spot so he's not planning on moving any time soon! Lying down is quite possibly one of the only comfy positions to be in. I keep reminding him that selling homes from a reclined position probably wouldn't go over well with my company. And if he wants to eat, be dressed, go to school, etc. he REALLY needs his mom to be able to sell homes right now! =)

We are technically at 36 weeks and 3 days. Jack is weighing in at a whopping 5 lbs 12 ounces! =) This is 12 ounces of growth since 2 weeks ago! The doctors are very happy with this news and quite surprised. They didn't think he would grow this quickly! My fluid levels are still low, but not too dangerous. They have my drinking MASSIVE amounts of water and trying to lie down whenever possible. He has passed his last few stress tests with flying colors (thank goodness)!

The doctors do not want me to carry him full term. They have decided to induce me at 39 weeks. We go into the hospital on 2/14 and should have a little Jack by 2/15! =) The only reason this date would move up is if my fluid levels dropped drastically. No need to count, that's 20 DAYS AWAY...I repeat....20 DAYS AWAY. Yikes! Everyone keeps asking if we're ready. What's really meant by ready? Are you ever really ready? I guess, no we aren't ready, but we are very excited and can't wait to meet him!

In a nutshell, today's doctor visit was a good one! No bad news, nothing scary, and overall he's doing just great!


4 Days Before Jack’s Birthday

Jack is READY READY READY. I noticed in the past day or so that he's moved down in my belly, but I didn't realize how far.
Here are my stats:
I'm 4 cm dialated and completely thinned out. No baby yet, but apparently literally any day now! I'll let you all know once we know more! =)

Very excited to meet little baby Jack!

6 Months

Dear Jack,

You are 6 months old! 1/2 of 1 year! We are incredibly in love. Over the past 6 months you have changed so much, so often, and so quickly! I'm having a hard time remembering life with you as a newborn (eat, poop, cry, sleep...ah yes I guess I haven't forgotten).

You are 16 lbs 11 ounces, 27 inches tall, and your head is 43 cm. "Tall and slender, just like mom and dad". Obviously Dr. Fink hasn't seen mom or dad without clothes on. You're right on track with weight and height, nothing to worry about. Dr. Fink said breastfed babies tend to level out their pounds as they become more active.

Speaking of breastfeeding, you still love it. Secretly, so do I. Really though you love eating of all kinds! You typically only nurse in the morning and evenings unless I'm home with you all day. Then I think I like you to nurse more than you like to nurse. As long as it's food you don't care where it comes from. You eat an assortment of foods too! New foods this month are: zucchini, green beans, peas, prunes, corn, bananas, peaches, apples, and pears. Guess what? There isn't a single food that you turn down. This makes me happy; eating your vegetables makes dad happy.

You are working on 2 teeth. We can feel them in your gums, but they are yet to poke through. This causes you lots of pain and causes us lots of sleepless nights.

Nights. You are still waking up in the middle of the night. We've tried everything to get you to stop, well almost everything. We won't let you Cry It Out. I'm just not ready for that yet. So until then, we groggily stumble into your room, give you a bottle, and put you back to bed. I guess it's really not so bad. Plus, we love how you snuggle in your rocking chair half asleep.

Bathtime. We have a great time bathing you. You have an even better time getting bathed! Splashing is your #1 game. Dad looks like he's been swimming with his clothes on by the time the 2 of you are finished. Your second favorite bathtime activity? Chewing on a washcloth. In turn, bathtime requires 3 washcloths, one for you, one for soaping up, and one to cover you up. Oh your 3rd favorite activity? Peeing EVERYWHERE.

Speaking of peeing, you wear a size 3 diaper and have for sometime now. Actually, I'm assuming you will for awhile as well.

You love to stand. More specifically you love to stand AND move. If you had the body control I'm convinced you would walk. Forget the crawling. But since I mentioned it, you are not too far off. Every so often you push up on all fours and wiggle around, but you can't quite figure out what's next. I'm ok with that, we haven't finished babyproofing yet!

Generally speaking you are a happy baby. That makes mom and dad happy parents! So thank you. Thank you Jack for such a great month and a wonderful 6 months. We really are blessed with the world's best gift. Thank you for making us smile. Thank you for making us laugh. And even thank you for keeping us up at night. Most importantly thank you for making our family of 3 a perfect family of 4.

Love always and forever,

Mom and Dad

Exactly...

Exactly 6 months ago you came into our world and changed our lives forever. Changed our lives for the better. You made us a perfect family of 4.

6 months is:

25 weeks

181 days

4341 hours

260,638 minutes

15,629,024 seconds

We cannot imagine a second without you, Jack. From the minute you took your first breath and wailed your first cry we were hooked. We love you buddy. Happy 1/2 birthday.

Love you a million times infinity,

Mom & Dad

5 Months Old

Dear Jack Dial,

You are 5 months old. How did this happen? Where in the world has time gone? We no longer refer to your age in weeks (and haven't for sometime now). You are so smart, so strong, and most definitely our absolute favorite person in the world. There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank the big man upstairs for blessing our lives with you.

Last month was definitely one for the record books. Talk about a whirlwind. On top of our trips, parties, celebrations, and visitors you managed to teach yourself a few tricks. So where should I start?

4 month check-up. You are 15.2 lbs & 24 1/2 inches long. So big! You were on your best behavior with Dr. Fink. He even mentioned how alert you are! He noted your active eyes! Of course there were nasty shots and a nasty syrupy vaccine, but you were a trooper.

You rollover. All. the. time. It is your favorite trick. And guess who taught it to you? Grandma. Well you learned it at her house anyway. Front to back still "tricks you up" (love you Val), but back to front? You're an old pro!!

Trips. You are quite the traveler! Dad and I loaded up BOTH cars with baby gear and headed South. The Outer Banks. We spent 1 awesome week with my family. The weather was HOT, but the company was fantastic. I couldn't have asked for better. You were so busy playing and being LOUD! G.G. is convinced you are going to sing opera (Secretly I'm hoping for more mainstream, sell out concerts, cds, etc. Hey a mom can dream right?!?)

You were baptized. It was beautiful. You were handsome. We are proud. G.G. thew you a party at the club! We had fun, stuffed ourselves, and you were well behaved. We couldn't have asked for more. One VERY special note: You wore your dad's baptismal gown. How very special.

As I've mentioned in previous posts. YOU.LOVE.FOOD. Love is the understatement of the century. You think food is the cats meow. And now you really eat! Cereal, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes (or is it sweet potatos? Help! Dan Quayle?!) No surprise here you love it all.

Last, but not least you found your feet. AND you think they are awesome. Your main goal is to get them in your mouth. However, because of your love of food (see paragraph above) you are about 2 inches shy of your goal. So many more things happened, I just touched on the high points! We love you and I know you know it. You are so fun. Every day is a new adventure, full of excitement and joy. Full of laughter and fun. You complete us and make us who we are today. We love you a million and one times over.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Vacation

OBX

We leave tomorrow for a week in the Outer Banks. We've been going down to Avon for years and years now. However, this year it won't be as much relax on the sand in the sun as it as been in years past. No, Jack isn't walking or running around yet, but he does require A LOT of sleep.

Anyway, CDitty and I were making a list of things we needed to pack. AND SERIOUSLY Jack's "stuff" is a page long. Swing, Pack n Play, jogger, Bumbo, you get the picture. I think we might need a UHAUL.

SIDE NOTE: I officially bought a one piece swimsuit. TOTAL MOM.

Life Lessons

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. " Anonymous

This picture truly takes my breath away. Baby Jack is really looking at Granny, listening to what she has to say.

This is probably Life Lesson #1 of many. If Baby Jack is smart he'll listen. Granny has years of life lessons under her belt and honestly they are each as fabulous as she is.

Baby Jack, you don't know Granny (GG) very well yet, but let me fill you in. She is incredibly inspiring. 55 years ago she married Grandpa Doc, the love of her life, and they started a family. While he was working she raised 3 kids, each 18 months apart. Never once did they reuse a bath towel or sleep on unpressed sheets. She managed to have dinner on the table and a martini in Grandpa Doc's hand every single night. She cleaned house, hauled horses, arranged scavenger hunts, and tucked each child in every single night. But despite all of her super human feats she is most inspiring because she instilled generosity, love, kindness, and humility in each of her 3 kids (your Nana included).

Listen closely to what she says. She has countless stories and adventures to share. If Granny invites you over for lunch, dinner, or even a snack NEVER turn it down. I promise it will taste better than anything I will ever cook.

She likes to have fun, play games, and be around family. It's perfect because you are one of the bunch! In fact, you make her sparkle. You light up her eyes! Your stories rival hers and she is more than happy to listen.

Life lesson from mom, try to remember every life lesson from Granny. If you only remember 1/2 of them you will have learned a lot.

4 Months Old

6.9.10

Dear Jack,

4 months old. 4 whole months! I cannot believe it. So much has happened this past month! I want to freeze time, but in the same moment I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

You are a growing machine. Every single day you look bigger than the day before. We cleaned out your "baby clothes" because you officially wear 3-6 months. And no surprise here, you have a closet full of this size too! If I had 1/2 the wardrobe you do I would never be stressed about what to wear.

You are officially a size 2 Swaddlers! Size 2: 12-18lbs. We haven't weighed you in a month, but I'm guessing 15 lbs. You feel like 100. My arm muscles are awesome. Thank you.

In the past month you have made us smile more times than should be legal. It's awesome. Your smile melts our hearts. Your laugh makes me laugh, and when you "talk" we know exactly how you feel.

I have a feeling you are going to be a ham. Center stage. (Just like your dad). You want all eyes on you. ALL. OF. THE. TIME. And since we are wrapped around your pudgy little finger, we happily oblige. You most often take center stage to present a monologue only you can understand, but that we completely get.

Sleeping still isn't your favorite event. In fact for 2 nights straight you let us sleep for 7+ hours. Thank you. I think you new we really needed it.

Since you are a little bigger we have been able to take you on quite a few adventures! Although you won't remember them, we will...fondly.

You took your first dip in the pool. GMA let us go to her condo and swim with you! I think you thought it was a big bathtub. You kicked, kicked, kicked and seemed to really enjoy yourself until you got tired and had a meltdown. Don't worry we took pictures.

You went on your very first road trip. We made a quick trip up to DC for a baseball game. This meant a 3.5 hour car ride, the Metro, the game, and spending the night in your pack-n-play. You were such a trooper. I think you really liked the game (especially the lights). The Nats won & we totally messed up your sleep schedule.

There was 1 scary time this month. Our trip to the CHKD ER. Hands down the scariest night of our lives. But have numerous tests you were fine, just a nasty viral infection. It was heartbreaking.

Just recently we got a jogger. And we use it. I know you love seeing the neighborhood. (2 miles of it anyway). We need the exercise, you like the sight seeing, it's a win-win.

You have been the light of our lives, the wind in our sails, and the most wonderful blessing for 4 months. We cannot imagine a single day without you. 4 months = 120 days and we've loved each and every one of them. We are 2 very lucky people.

Love always and forever,

Mom and Dad

PS It is ok to sleep for long stretches at night. I swear you aren't missing a single thing. Pretty please?

The Aspirator

A mother's best friend. A baby's worst nightmare.

Baby Jack has been snotty for the past few days. He seems to be feeling fine, just can't quite breathe with his paci in (See Post below about Jack's love for the paci). When he can't have his paci, he can't sleep, when he can't sleep we can't sleep, you get the picture.

The answer to snotty nose, no paci, sleepless nights? That's right folks, the good ole aspirator.
It's like straight out of a horror movie for Baby Jack.
Let me set the scene: Baby Jack is snorting, paci falls out, crying ensues. Then, "The Villain" (dad) comes in with the blue bulb in one hand, burp cloth in the other.(insert scary music) He then sneak attacks the snorting baby trapped in his crib. The Villain proceeds to hold said baby's head still while sucking every last ounce of snot out of his nose. Baby then WAILS like you've never heard wailing before. Finally villain leaves and Goddess/Hero/Beauty of the night (mom) comes in to save poor baby from THE ASPIRATOR. (insert beautiful sounds of the harp) Goddess/Hero/Beauty of the night, rocks WAILING baby back to sleep.

Everybody Poops

Except my child. Seriously, there have been days (that feel like weeks) that he doesn't poop. Lots and lots of gas, but no dirty diapers. UNTIL, The Big One. We measure those days in wipes. Example:
Me: Jack pooped today
Christopher: Oh yeah?
Me: It was a 5 wipes poop

Last night was the mother of all. I lost count at 6 wipes and 3 diapers. Seriously, the kid wore 4 diapers in the span of 20 minutes. Thankfully Chris was there to hold the new diaper under him while he kept going and going and going. His rearend was like a commercial for the Energizer Bunny. As I'm sure you can all imagine, I'm dramatically squealing "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh" and Chris is calmly saying "Really? Do you need to panic?" YES I NEED TO PANIC, the kid has poop squirting out of him and we are "catching" it in a diaper THAT IS NOT ATTACHED TO HIS BODY! Seriously though, it was really funny.

Serious note, he really doesn't go. Hardly at all. I've called the doctor and have been told that many strictly breastfed babies don't poop very regularly. They've even heard of babies that have gone 18 days without a dirty diaper! Our record is 6....and I was panicking all 6 days. Can you imagine?

Jack + The Paci

Baby Jack is in love. True love. Mad love. Makes mom & dad crazy love. With what? His Paci. I now have a love/hate relationship with the paci. 99% of the time I love it. It's that 1%...the middle of the night...the up every hour searching for it that I hate. The past 3 nights have been challenging. Jack discovered how much he really truly loves his pacifier. And he really truly does not want it to fall out of his mouth. EVER.

On a side note....do I really need to go to bigger pacifiers after 3 months? Any mom know this answer?