His future's so bright, he's gotta wear shades

What do you think of Jonah's sunglasses? We can't wait until we can go swimming this summer! Can we get rid of this dreary weather already?

Jonah's great aunt Hanne and great uncle Don sent him this hand crocheted outfit and blanket. I put it on him the other day and had a little photo shoot. (I am an awful photographer, but my subject matter is worth the attempt.)
Love that tongue sticking out!
Love that dimple! He got that from me and I believe I got it from my dad.

Here's our Easter picture at church. Jonah had a cute little sweater vest and he wore the shoes that have his name and birthdate embossed on the bottom. His great grandma Walker got him those. Jonah also turned 12 weeks on Easter Sunday. He has just about grown out of his 0-3 month clothes, but his feet aren't even close to outgrowing a size 1 shoe. Go figure.
Yes Laura, this is your dress. :) I bought an Easter dress from Target, but last minute that morning I thought it didn't fit right. I needed navy blue to match the rest of the fam, so I pulled this one out of the closet. It worked well. Hey at least the cardigan is new.

My birthday was earlier this month and Jeremy and I went here:
We both had one of these:And this:
Mmmmm...the memories of that meal still linger. That steak was melt-in-your-mouth good. And the creme brulee? Slap-your-grandma good. (Sorry grandma.) I would love to be able to make it at home, but me, with a blow torch? Even the kitchen variety...I would burn down my house...(for those who know that I kinda already have done that...HUSH!)

I had a great birthday. I still have a little bit to spend on a Gap giftcard and I am looking forward to it. My sis-in-law got me a ticket to see Legally Blonde at the Walton Arts Center. I am sooo looking forward to that.

I must run, Jonah is ready for bed! Good Night. I will be back sooner this time, I promise!

Back at Work

It has been quite awhile since I've posted. It's not just because I'm busy, it's because I don't have much new to report! It is busy around our house. I am often impressed with other moms who figure out how to sew, paint, scrapbook, etc. and take care of a baby! I haven't gotten that figured out yet!

Jonah is a little over 9 weeks. At his 8 week checkup he was 12 lbs 10 oz and 23 inches long! I think he is even heavier this week! He is a bona fide chubby baby! I love it. I definitely don't see the newborn baby in him anymore! He seems sooo much older than that! ha!
Remember how I said I was going to get more pictures of me and Jonah? Well, here's one. The only one we've managed to take! You think I could manage any more of a fake smile?

Last Wednesday was my first day back at work. I was a little nervous about that transition, but honestly, was so busy I didn't have much time to dwell on it! My mom and Jeremy's mom are watching Jonah for us. Saturdays are daddy days. I did not cry at all leaving him...I was a little worried I might! I was confident in who I was leaving him with and knew he would have a good time. I was a bit concerned because he hasn't mastered eating from a bottle. He prefers me. :) We started to give him a bottle once in a while when he was 3 weeks, like they recommend. He took it ok then, but since then, it has been hit and miss. One Saturday at home with Jeremy he took it like a champ, then the next one, not so much. Well last week was about the same way. The first day he really didn't take one until later in the day and then only ate a few ounces. Of course he marathon nurses when I get home. The second day he ate much better. The third day was a change of scenery with his other grandma and he didn't take much that day either. I read up on it and most places say not to worry too much, that some babies will reverse cycle. They will not eat much during the day and then make up for it at night when mom is available. Anyone have any ideas on how to get a baby to take a bottle better? I have tried 3 different bottles, maybe I should try more?

Anyhow, my week back at work was great otherwise. I dropped a day from my schedule so I am at home 3 days with Jonah and work 4. I enjoyed seeing my customers that I haven't seen in awhile. I love being busy, it makes the day fly by. I am also loving this spring weather. I'm slowly getting my running routine together. I can't wait to take Jonah with me some.
Look at that cutie! He is so smiley lately. I love it. Our little hog fan all dressed up for Will and Krissi's little girl's birthday party! Shout out to Aunt Kara for buying Jonah his longsleeved baseball onesie! I love little man clothes!
Here's Jonah's favorite time of the day. He is all smiles and laughs in the bath. He likes to sit caddywampus like this in his bathtub. He will appreciate this picture when I show it to his girlfriend when he's 16.

Prayer Requests:
My friend and co-worker just had her baby Friday. He had a slight raise in his white count levels and was put on an antibiotic to fight infection. I believe they have discovered a hole in his heart and are considering transferring him to Arkansas Childrens Hospital. I haven't gotten an update from them yet, but I read up on that condition and it sounds like it can be repaired and full recovery expected. I know this is a stressful time for them and I pray for a quick diagnosis and treatment and a peace that passes all understanding for them.

And also pray for MckMama and her baby boy, Stellan.

Diggin a ditch, some visitors and Idol

It doesn't seem like much has been going on lately, but the week has flown by, so I guess its been pretty busy.

Since the sell of some of our land, we have to move our water line. We require about 1300 feet of water line to get to our house from the road. So Jeremy spent Saturday and Sunday digging the ditch. What a great couple days to choose! It was freezing and snowing all day Saturday and pretty cold Sunday, but the majority of the digging is done! Poor guy, the weather is supposed to be great this weekend, but I have to work Saturday, so he has daddy duty. (I hate when people call it babysitting, it's his child, and I don't pay him!:))
I headed to Sam's on Saturday to get some stuff for the salon. I bundled Jonah up and set out. Ok maybe he didn't love the hat when I first put it on.

And then he fell asleep. I love dressing this kid up. He did so well at Sam's. I put him in the snugli and he slept the whole time. I wrapped a blanket around him and put the cutest mittens on him.
Monday my bff, Natalie came up with her two kids, Parker and Maggie, from Bryant to see us. They got here around 3:30 on Monday afternoon and we set out to Mad Pizza for dinner. I had baked potato pizza. It was interesting. It was fun for me to get out of the house some and hang out with my friend. If I hang around the house for too many days in a row...I get blah. I don't even know it...it sneaks up on me.Anyway, they all spent the night with us. There's a pic of the kids in their pajamas. We woke up Tuesday morning, got ready, and headed to the mall. No, we did not make it into many stores. Did we care? No. Didn't have much money for clothes anyway and I'm hoping to lose a few lbs more. We hit the candy store and the play area and it was fun. I am so ready for spring. It makes me feel better to see spring clothes out in all the stores. I get excited when I think of taking Jonah swimming at Mimi's pool. I hope he likes the water. He loves the bath, but that water is warm!

Here's Natalie and I after a long day and a nap.I almost look as tall as she is! woohoo. My hair does look like I've got it styled in a butt-cut though. I don't. The gray roots are kickin though. I am gonna color it myself tonight, hopefully I'll feel like myself again after that. Maybe.

Did yall watch American Idol last night? Who do you think is going thru? I like Lil Rounds of course. How could you not? The Puerto Rican guy (cannot remember his name??) was great and it was so sweet when he said he was so emotional he couldn't think in English. I also liked the girl that they kicked off and called back. She hit a few bum notes, but overall did well, and has an interesting voice. I am ready to see who they will wildcard back into the competition. I hope they bring Anoop back. And maybe the tatooed girl who did the funny twisty dance constantly. Do yall know who I'm talking about? Who are your picks for this week and wildcard?

More pics and an award!

Here he is snoozing in his snugli- the front/backpack. He really likes it. He gets to walk around with me while I'm putting away dishes or trying to get ready. Last night Jeremy and I made an outing to WalMart. We either had to both push a cart or one cart and the stroller. We went with the stroller and the cart. Jeremy got the stroller. We didn't get past the produce section until Mr Jonah was done with the carseat. (Not a fan of the carseat.) So Jeremy took him out and carried him around and just pushed the stroller the whole time. Next time I am proposing we/I bring the snugli. I think he would be just fine in it while I shop! I have a sling and he doesn't seem to like it yet. I think its because he's laying down in it and his face is kinda covered up. Maybe I don't have the right one? Any suggestions?

Aunt Kara bought Jonah a baseball onesie for Arkansas Baseball season! Its so cute and fits perfectly! Thanks!
Jeremy was working nearby our house, so he came by for a quick lunch. Those are my guys!
Here's my baby boy napping yesterday. I realized I hadn't taken many pictures in the last week or so. I don't have any pictures of me and Jonah together since the hospital really! So I am going to work on that. Usually when I'm home I'm dressed in pajamas or loungey clothes. I don't get to fix my hair as often as I'd like, so I usually don't volunteer for many pictures.

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Guess What?

I got an award!


Bloggers who show great attitude and gratitude. What you have to do...upon receiving The Lemonade Award, you pass it on to other bloggers who you think show great attitude and gratitude.
Catherine gave me a blog award! Yea! She is my husband's first cousin's wife...or really we're cousins-in-law? She really knows how to turn lemons into lemonade! She has a positive outlook and a faith in Jesus all can see. Thanks!

Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Nominate 8 other blogs which show great attitude and or gratititude.

3. Link to the nominees.

4. Let them know by leaving them a comment.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your reward.

I nominate:

Natalie
Kristen
Bethany
Katie
Sara
Jen
Jenna
Mary Kate

25 Random Things

Ok I've seen many of you do this post...and I never did because I didn't think I could think of 25 things! We'll see how I do:

1. Jeremy and I were talking about it the other day and I was amazed to realize we've been together 9 years. Two years dating and 7 years of marriage in May. Crazy.
2. I love Law & Order CI and SVU, The Closer, Bones, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Apparently I only like crime or medical dramas. What does that say about me?
3. I'm a hairstylist and really want to color my hair auburn, but I'm too scared! How many times have I convinced customers not to be scared to do something different, but I'm too wimpy to!
4. I have more gray hair than someone my age usually has. It is heredity...I got it from both sides of the family. But my brother is 4 years older than me and barely has any gray at all. NOT FAIR.
5. I was a competitive gymnast as a child. I quit when it stopped being fun.
6. I would love to perform on Broadway...if only I could sing better!
7. Jonah was born two days after my brother-in-law's birthday and two days before my niece's birthday.
8. I ate eggplant Parmesan and Mexican food for dinner the two nights before I went into labor.
9. I worried before Jonah was born that I would be a bad mother because I can't keep plants alive and the only two pets I've ever had have met unfortunate early deaths (that broke my heart).
10. I love food and love to cook. If I could, I would go to culinary school.
11. I love to travel, but it doesn't look like I'll be going far for a year or so...but he's worth it!
12. I prefer to keep in shape by running, but am finding my motivation hard to come by since Jonah's birth.
13. I am still good friends with girls I have known since 5th grade. My family moved a lot during my early elementary years, so I never had a friend since birth, but these girls are close enough!
14. I find brushing my teeth to be a total bummer of a chore. I only do it because I have to and because of morning breath. If it wasn't socially unacceptable and my teeth wouldn't rot, I would consider not doing it.
15. I love ice cream, french fries, fried chicken, cookies, and ranch dressing. These things God himself sent to earth for me. :)
    
16. If Jonah had been a girl she would have been named Clara May.
17. There's nothing better than a just bathed baby and nothing sweeter than a yawning baby.
18. I love coffee, but have gotten out of the habit of drinking it every day because of being pregnant and now nursing. I miss it!
19. I have a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the U of A. Two years after I graduated I decided to go to beauty school and the rest is history!
20. I've only had two cars in my life. I drove the one I had at 16 until I was 23 and still drive the one I got then. (It's paid off....fingers crossed that it lasts a little longer!)
21. I have a sister and two brothers. Our birth order is boy, girl, boy girl. I am the youngest.
    
22. My sister was 12 when I was born and I was 12 when her daughter was born. She got strange looks when she would babysit me and I got the same looks when I would babysit her daughter. People really thought at 12 we were the mother!
23. When I was a teenager I thought I would move to New York City and work as a magazine editor. I never imagined that I would live on some land in the country with a farmboy who wanted cattle and horses, but here I am! And I love it!
24. I got very close to going to the University of Missouri Columbia for journalism. I decided on the U of A pretty late in the game. I know it was God's will, because I met my husband while I was in college, got married two weeks after I graduated, and have stayed in NWA since.
25. I love to sew, but am still a beginner. My mom leads me through everything I sew. I have really enjoyed her living close to me because I get lessons on all those things (sewing, cooking, making pie crust, etc) that I didn't pick up before I left home for college.
    

Good Food and Selling Some Land

Great Grandma Walker and Jonah.

Since Jonah's been born, Jeremy and I haven't seen his grandma much. We, of course, have been busier than usual! :) So she invited us over for dinner Monday night. You do not turn down a Grandma Walker meal. We had roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, corn, rolls, and blackberry cobbler! So good. She got some good Great Grandma-Jonah time in. He was asleep almost the whole time we were there. We passed him around several times and he barely opened an eye. Of course, he was awake later that night for mommy! :) He slept until about 11 pm and then was awake until almost 3 am. He was a bit fussy, his belly was hurting him some.

Speaking of, I read up on the evening gassy, fussy baby thing. They said basically that its very common for young babies to fuss in the evening. They gave lots of ideas for calming baby. I also read that they haven't proven that baby gets gassy from foods mom eats. They said its very rare for a baby to have a reaction and it would be because of a food allergy more than likely. Breastmilk is produced by what is in mom's blood and not her gut, so really food shouldn't cause gas in the baby. Go figure. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. They said babies get gassy and fussy because of their immature digestive system, too much air in the tummy from nursing, pacifiers, crying, and maybe even the need to be held and coddled. This is all from www.kellymom.com. Also apparently its common for babies to cluster nurse in the evening. I know my Jonah does that some nights. I feel like its impossible for him to still be hungry, and maybe he is hungry and perhaps he just needs to nurse to soothe. I felt much better reading all this, so I thought I would share for those of you out there who are moms to babes about Jonah's age.

I am happy to say we closed on the sale of our land yesterday. We sold 6.5 acres to a nice family. We still have 4.5 acres with our house and we were pleasantly surprised how much that was when they marked it off. They are going to build a house and have a horse or horses (I'm not sure how many.) I loooove horses, so hopefully they wont care if I pet them through the fence. Ha! My husband laughs at me because I run out here on our road and stop from time to time and talk to and pet all our neighbor's horses. We have lots of neighbors with them. They're so sweet! Anyway, the sale of our land came just at the right time with the new baby and all the expenses that come along with him. The Lord had a plan all along!

Hope you're enjoying your Wednesday, can't believe the week is already half over!

Valentine's Day update

Happy Valentine's Day! Jonah spent the evening with Mimi and Grandpa while we had a date night for Valentine's Day. Look at the cute bears that Jonah got from Mimi and Grandpa.
I think he was really interested in that little dog!

Of course he's a dog person! He got that from his momma and daddy! ha! Jeremy and I headed to Noodles. We got there at 5 p.m. and the foyer was already packed! The other restaurants we passed on our way there were packed too. Olive Garden had people sitting outside waiting for a table already. And it was cold last night. I'd rather eat at McDonalds on V-Day than wait outside for an hour. Anyway we did wait at Noodles, but only about 25 minutes or so. And we got to sit while we waited. Inside. My kind of dining. :)

We left there and headed to Old Navy to spend a gift card that Jonah received. He got a pair of jeans and a pair of khaki pants. He just has to grow a little bit more so he can fit into them. After that we went and got my pedicure! It was wonderful and I was in serious need! Jeremy just waited for me and played on my iphone. It was nice to get to hang out with him and get my toes done at the same time.

Today I got brave and let Jonah nap in his crib. I got the monitor up and running and he did great. I may put him in there at night soon. I've been keeping him in a bassinet in our bedroom or sleeping with him on the couch all night long. Maybe those days are over! Maybe. Then we tried out our baby backpack. Well he was in front, but he kinda whined a little bit at first, then fell asleep in it. So maybe that counts as him liking it.

I head back to work Saturday for a day. I will work this Saturday all day and then I'll be off again until Saturday March 7 when I'll do the same thing. Then back to work for good the week of March 17. It has gone by so fast. Going back to work will be a real transition time. I am used to working late most nights. I'm not sure how I will feel trying to work those late hours! I'll be missing my boys at home. I know Jonah will be in good hands with my mom and MIL tag-teaming his care. I worry more about Jonah being spoiled! :)

I have a question about nursing. What foods have you found have made your baby fussy? I am trying to figure this one out. Jonah will have days it seems like his belly hurts him and days he is completely fine. I don't think its a reflux thing, I think its more air in his belly or a food I'm eating that doesn't sit well with him. I thought it was milk at first, but I've had days that I've drank milk and it doesn't bother him...hmmmm... And have I mentioned how much I really dread pumping! It is a good thing to be able to do that. It is nice to have the milk stored and be able to be away from baby for a few hours if need be, but it is a chore to me. Total chore. Of course I'll keep doing it, but I'll keep not liking it too. I better get used to it because I'll be doing it a lot at work!

Now that I've rambled on and on, I will go. We are going to Great Grandma Walker's house for dinner tonight. That will be some good food. Have a great Monday!

Week 3 of Jonah's life

Look at my little man all dressed up! Ok he's not so dressed up, but he's stylin' in his tie. We've had some late nights with Mr. Jonah. He sleeps well during the day and then it seems like some nights he gets a tummy ache and can't really sleep until, oh, 1, or 2, or 3 a.m. I understand that's just what it's like having a newborn. I think I have just started to wonder if I am doing something wrong. Then I tell myself you can't expect your 3 week old to be on a schedule! That will come later! (Please tell me I'm right!) The day before yesterday, Jonah nursed a lot all day long and didn't sleep well. I could barely put him down all day long. Then yesterday he made up for that lost sleep. He slept so well that I was afraid we'd be up all night. He did wake up for a couple hours later in the evening around 10. I think it was around midnight when he fell asleep again. I missed pumping last night because I was just too tired to do it at midnight. Anyway, he slept until my husband was up getting ready for work around 5ish. I was pumped! 5 hours! People talk about their babies sleeping through the night and I was starting to think my Jonah might not do that for awhile. But to me 5 hrs straight is heaven. He had been waking up every 2 hours or so from the start of the previous feeding...which is really about 1.5 hours of sleep in between. So I was pretty pumped this morning! It may not happen again for several weeks, but at least I know its possible!

How could you not love this cuddly thing? I fall more and more in love with him every day. There's nothing sweeter than listening to those cute sounds he makes while he's feeding or watching him smile while he sleeps. We got his newborn pictures taken last Monday evening. They turned out so well! Check out the proofs here. Amber Lanning took them for us and she has a little preview on her blog too. How do you choose which ones to buy?

So what are you guys doing for Valentine's Day? I think the hubby and I might make it out to eat. Jonah will be staying with his Mimi for the first time. I asked for a pedicure for Valentine's Day so maybe I can sneak that in too while we're out. I don't even know where we'll go to eat, because we haven't made reservations and I'm sure it will be hard to get into restaurants. Is there anywhere any of you suggest? I can't wait to dress up Jonah in his heartbreaker onesie for V-day. I'll be sure to take pics!

Now that it's a little easier to get out and about with the baby, I hope to have many more pictures! There's just only so many pics you can take in your house on the couch! Speaking of being on the couch...I am almost ready to get my rear off of it and get back to running. Hopefully sometime next week I will motivate myself to do just that. Things are a little different on this ole body so we'll see how well I can get to moving. Have a great holiday! I can't wait to hear about your V-day!

Happy (Belated) 2 weeks Jonah!

Sunday was Jonah's two week birthday. We celebrated his second week of life with a lovely ice storm that claimed our electricity. Of course most of NWA was in the dark, not just me, but we just got power on Sunday evening. So ours was a little slow getting turned back on.

In the meantime, we spent a few dark nights with Jeremy's parents. Luckily Jeremy was able to borrow a generator from his boss and we had heat, the blower from the wood-burning fireplace, and some lights. We then relocated to my mom's house, who only lost electricity for about three hours Tuesday night. I felt bad because she has two dogs who are like her kids and I wasn't quite sure about a newborn and a couple dogs, but my mom kept them penned up. She didn't complain once about it. I figure we'll introduce the dogs and Jonah at a later time. So we just got back into our house Monday night.

The most annoying thing about the electricity being out for almost a week? We lost everything in our fridge and freezer. It was full of food. My mom had just gone to the grocery store for us. We had tons of leftovers from the lovely people who brought us dinners. Its all gone. On the upside, I do have a very clean refrigerator now.Look at that face! We can't decide who he looks like. At times I think there are qualities that look like me, or really my brother in his baby pictures. Then he makes a face or purses his lips a certain way and he looks like his daddy. We looked at some hospital pictures of Jeremy when he was a newborn and there is a striking resemblance to Jonah. So we'll just call it even?

The last two weeks have been a rollercoaster! I've been elated, in love, happy, sad, worried, upset, good, great, annoyed, etc. Its a tough thing, taking care of this little guy, but I wouldn't have my life any other way. I am trying to take it all in. Slowly burn a memory in my head of how he is right now. The outfit he's wearing in the picture is the first thing Jeremy and I bought him. We had just found out we were pregnant and wanted to buy something. I had waited 2 years to even browse through the baby section. Of course we had no clue he was a boy, so we needed something unisex. This duck outfit was the closest we found to working for both genders. (I think it is so hard to find unisex stuff these days.) He's gotten some good wear out of it because it is a newborn size and is one of the few things that fit him right now.

Which reminds me: we went back to the dr last Monday for a weight check. Jonah was up to 7 lbs 5.5 ozs! He had been down to 6 lbs 7 ozs. at his two day visit the prior Thursday. So my piglet gained almost 15 ozs in about 4 days or so. We go tomorrow for his two week checkup and I think he'll be over 8 lbs. for sure. Once my milk came in (almost 5 days after he was born!!!) he has been a good eater. So PTL for that!

MOM Question:
Do you ever let your baby sleep on his/her stomach? I let Jonah when I'm there to monitor him and make sure he's breathing fine...but he sleeps soooo much better that way. Plus he can pick up his head very well and turn it to the other side. I'm too scared to let him sleep that way at night, but when I put him down on his back he wakes right up. We're not getting much sleep that way!

I hope to be better at posting in the next week. Thanks for keeping up with us!

Happy 1 Week Birthday Jonah!

Jonah will celebrate his 1 week birthday at 6:13 p.m. tonight! What a crazy week it's been! Jeremy has to go back to work tomorrow and I will miss the help and the company. Jonah has a weight check at the doctor tomorrow morning, so I'm praying he's beefed up a little. Then he gets his newborn pictures taken Thursday. I can't wait to have those done.

This is not even a week's worth of diapers! That is what we've gone through since Tuesday afternoon! Wow! I knew they went through a lot, but that puts in into perspective to me!
There's my sweet boy getting his first sponge bath. I was washing his hair!

Lil Jonah is Here!

Jonah Russell Woody was born January 18, 2009 at 6:13 p.m. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and 20 inches long.

Here is his birth story:

Saturday was my last day at work. After work I rushed home to make some mexican food for a fellowship the young adults were having that night. I was pretty tired already and my feet were pretty much done in for the day, but I had a good time at the fellowship. I had a few strange feeling twangs of pain in my lower abdomen that night while we were there. Jeremy and I left around 10 or so.

We got home and got settled in for the night. Jeremy fell asleep on the couch and I checked my email, etc. That whole time I was having contractions, but they weren't intense and I figured they would go away later. Well...off to bed we went and I was still having the pains every 10-15 minutes or so. I decided I would start writing down the frequency of them just for fun. I never went to sleep. They were getting harder and closer together. So I got out of bed and decided to finish packing up my hospital bag because I had read somewhere that if contractions go away when you get up and walk around then its false labor. They weren't going away, but I was still not believing it! I packed all my stuff and finally woke up Jeremy and told him to get his stuff together just in case they get worse and we have to go to the hospital. So he got up, packed, and took a shower.

We convinced ourselves around 3:30 am that it was time to head to the hospital and see if they kept us. We got there around 4:30 am and got checked into triage. They check out how dialated you are then you wait for an hour and see if you are progressing. I was a 1.5 and to me that was already some progression! This nurse told us the chance it was false labor was pretty good. So I was still not expecting to stay. More than an hour went by and finally she came back and suggested I walk around for 30 minutes before she checked me again. So I walked around and that seemed to do the job, because I was a 3. She then decided to admit me!

By the time I was at a 4 or so they sent in my epidural. It was great, at first. They started Petocin and I was at a 5.5 in no time. My epi wasn't being as effective for all of the pain by that time. I felt the downward pressure of every contraction. I hit a 7 in no time, but hung out there for awhile. Probably a good thing because it gave my two best friends, Natalie and Kristen, and my sister, Laura time to make it up here from Bryant. At one point, my petocin iv came undone and I slowed down for awhile. Then when it was back up and running we were on the road.

It seemed that I was dialating properly, but Jonah wouldnt drop low enough to deliver him. There was talk of a c-sect when this happened and Jonah's heart rate dropped a little. They stuck an oxygen mask on me, turned me on my side, and somehow Jonah turned enough to get his head engaged properly and we were ready to go.

The doctor had warned me that it would probably be a lot of pushing before he was here. My sis was in the delivery room with me and so was Jeremy of course. It was nice to have someone on each side of me cheering me on. So the three of us pushed this baby out in a little more than an hour. We had a waiting room full of people awaiting his arrival. So many friends and family stuck around all day, that the doctors and nurses kept coming in saying our crowd was growing.
Introducing Jonah! He is the new man in my life!
Here's a proud daddy!

Our new little family!

So many people have reached out to us this week and have sent us flowers, gifts and food. We have meals coming every day and Jonah is loved by so many. Natalie and Kristen went to my house the night after Jonah was born and cleaned our house from top to bottom and cooked us several meals to put in the freezer. I thank God for such close, nurturing, and fun girl friends. They are absolutely irreplaceable. It was so nice to come home to such a clean house. I didn't even want to bring our bags in to clutter it up any! What a load off! I had planned to finish the cleaning the few days I would have off of work before my due date. Jonah had different plans! He came the evening of my last day at work! I got my wish didn't I? I was able to go into labor on my own!

Jonah's first week of life has definitely had its ups and downs. Learning how to nurse him, change his insurmountable amount of dirty diapers, and figure out his sleep patterns has been and will continue to be a daily challenge...one that I wouldn't trade anything in this world for. Thanks to God for the love of family and good friends and for their supportive words and advice. I thank Him everyday for our miracle.

1 week left!

38 weeks 5 days belly shot!

I went to the dr. early this morning only to find out that, yep, you guessed it, nothing has changed. He said that he thought that maybe Jonah would sneak on by his due date. I think so too. He is happy as a lark in there apparently. I am going to start some serious praying for some kind of progression! I predict that I will have him on the 23 or 24 of January. I am working through this Saturday. I am pretty busy at work this week, so at least it will make it go by faster, but it will be tiring. By the end of most days, I want to cut my feet off. Especially if I've walked that morning. At least if Jonah is a little late, I will get to have a few days off work before his arrival.

Our final baby shower was this weekend at our church. We are so blessed! We received a lot of great gifts to finish up our necessities.
Here is a glimpse of the gifts before I unpacked them. In this pic, several of the gifts have been consolidated together. It took me about two hours to sort through them all at home. I finally got everything put away, washed, and organized.
I received these cute hooded bath towels with Jonah's name on them! Love them! Isn't the whale most appropriate?Jeremy's Grandma Walker made this quilt for Jonah. Jeremy got his love for farming from his grandparents. He and his cousins grew up working and playing at their house. Jonah got his middle name from J's grandpa, who passed away 3 and a half years ago.
I love how she signed it! My last grandparent died when I was 8 years old, so I think it's really neat that Jonah has a great grandma! Jonah will miss out on getting to know his Papa Chandler (my dad, who passed away in 2002) but he's lucky to have two grandmas, a grandpa, and two great grandmas that will love him to pieces!Check out this stool. It is the cutest thing! My friend, Krissi, had her sister paint it for Jonah. I love it. The paisley is soooo cute. Here's the bottom of the stool with the cow print!
Don't you love it? Such a good idea. Krissi said she liked having a stool to use while nursing. I can see how that would be very comfortable.

Here's my latest craft project. All I did was sew on the fabric and ribbon then have them embroidered, but it was fun.

Of course my collection would not be complete without some western print burp cloths. I love the font that they used to embroider. Its called 'boys are gross'...that doesn't seem appropriate to use, but it was a good pick.

I must get to work on cleaning up my house, because I am fading fast this evening. The last two nights I have woken up at 4 a.m. wide awake and I can't get back to sleep for at least an hour or two. I think God is trying to prepare me for some midmorning feedings to come. Jonah was awake both times. I will leave you with this oogy skin picture of my belly! Enjoy! Ha!Enjoy it in there, lil guy, cuz it won't be long...