Pictures of the Pumpkin Patch-October 19th

Picnic and the Pumpkin Patch-October 19th

Today we went to Tom Brown Park and the Pumpkin patch at the church on the corner of Capital Circle and Mahan. Jude had so much fun at both. First, we went to the park and went for a walk around the lake with Grandma Bobbi and Great Grandma Diane (G.G.). Daddy stayed behind and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. Then, when got back we ate and then went on the swings. Jude also went on the slide for the first time. He seemed to like it. He loves to swing too, he didn't want to get out when it was time to go. It was a little cold but Jude didn't seem to mind at all. This is the first cold day we've had this year. When we were finished at Tom Brown, we went to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkin. Jude was a little scared of all the pumpkins at first but after awhile he was ok. We took some cute pictures that are in the next post. He was so good today. He loves being outside. We picked out a good pumpkin and ate its seeds for dessert. It was such a fun day!

Jude's 1st Birthday-October 8th

Today Jude turned 1!! I cannot believe that my baby is 1 already. Time has flown by. The weekend before his birthday, Jeremy's mom and husband came up, Grandma and Grandpa, and we cooked out at Tom Brown Park. For his birthday on Wednesday, Jeremy and I opened presents with him and he got to eat a whole cupcake! He loved it. We have never given him sweets before so he was probably really excited about that. We got him a birthday candle that sings Happy Birthday and he loved that too. He got some great toys and some great cards too. He was reading his cards like books and he carried them around the house. He loved his radio that his grandma got him and his wind chimes that Aunt Karen and Uncle Chris picked out and mailed to him. Miss Donna also got him a snail that sings the ABC's and he loves that as well. I started to sing along with it and now every time he presses the button he looks for me to sing along. He is getting so big. He is pulling up on everything but he is not able to stand without holding on. He claps now and waves although he waves at himself since he holds his hand backwards. It is adorable. We gave him a blanket to sleep with tonight for the first time and he absolutely loved it. He pulled it up close to him and smiled and laughed. He didn't cry at all when he went down either. I guess all this time he was just waiting for a blanket...sad news. Atleast now we know. ;) Thanks so much to everyone who sent presents and cards, Jude and the rest of the Wolter family really appreciate it.

Another Little Wolter on the Way!

July 22, 2008

September 19, 2008

We were pleasantly surprised in June with another little Wolter on the way! I have been seeing Dr. Morales and Dr. Hume ( a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist) and everything is going great. I did have some spotting for about 5 days in July but that passed quickly. I have not had any other issues. I am seeing Dr. Hume just because Jude was premature, not because there is anything wrong with this baby. We found out on September 8th that we are having another boy! We are really excited. They are going to be so close in age that hopefully when they get older they will be good friends and good playmates right away. Jude loves having other kids around so I know he is going to be excited when the baby comes. I am due February 16th so I am currently 18 weeks and 6 days. I am definitely showing now so I have had to make the maternity clothes transition. ;) I have been feeling great, I just had a tiny amount of morning sickness (that happened at night) in the beginning but that was gone by week 12. I was pretty tired during the first trimester but that was about it. I am so glad that we kept everything of Jude's because now this baby can use all of his stuff. Jeremy and I have always wanted atleast two children so we couldn't be more excited. I have managed to only gain 2 lbs so far...which probably sounds bad but I wasn't exactly fit and trim before getting pregnant so that is actually really good. You gain the most during the second half anyways so I am sure I will make up for it. The baby is measuring perfectly for dates so he is doing great. I have a million US pictures because Dr. Hume's office gives me a ton of pictures. Jude had three and this baby already has like 12! I will continue to keep you posted on this wonderful new edition.

11 Months and 2 Weeks-September 21st

I thought since Jude has been doing some new things that I would go ahead and post before he turns one. Just in the past week, he has been able to get himself from the crawling position to the sitting position. He also pulled himself up to standing using the coffee table a few days ago. He is so cute when he stands up with his little legs and his big head. This weekend I baby proofed a little higher so we now have an empty coffee table. He was having a little too much fun pulling everything off of the table and basically destroying it. We put toys up there for him to find now so that he can keep exploring. He went to the doctor's office Friday and they said he was finally in the 5th percentile on the growth chart! No more montly weight checks! So, of course he has still been eating a ton and drinking lots of formula. He is still nursing 1-2 times each day but by 1 I plan on weaning him off completely. He loves going on walks and going on the swings at the park still. He still adores Eli and cracks up every time he plays with him or runs around him. He likes watching his Baby Einstein movies and his favorite right now is baby Neptune. They are perfect for taking a shower so that is his morning routine. ;) He loves his books and he will flip through the pages and carry them around the house with him. He also loves his new plane that Aunt Karen and Uncle Chris gave him. It makes noise and has lights so it is perfect. He still loves boxes too and we were pulling him around the house in one yesterday (the one in the pictures)and he was having a blast.

I start my Internal Medicine rotation tomorrow so I am preparing for that. I will have long hours again but after that, we have Thanksgiving vacation and Christmas vacation! Woo hoo! Jeremy is enjoying his program and he is starting to flesh out some research ideas. Jude still loves Donna and he has never cried when we've dropped him off. I really think it's been good for him to socialize with other kids. These past few months have been so fun with him and I can't believe he is almost 1. Time flies...

11 Months Old-September 8th

Jude is growing so fast! So much has happened this month. In the beginning, Jude had to see the doctor for a sick visit for the first time. He had an ear infection. That was not exactly a high point or anything, I just thought that only having to go to the doctor once for a sick visit in his first 11 months was pretty good. ;) Jude has also begun to sit up on his knees to explore areas a little higher than before. His new favorite toys are boxes. Shoe boxes, big boxes from the mail, any kind really. He loves getting in them if they are big enough and pulling them around if they are small. He is really good at entertaining himself now, he just crawls around and plays with all of his toys. He usually has two toys in his hands at all times while he is crawling around the house. It is adorable. He is still eating really well and he eats everything we do still. Jude got two more teeth in this month and he now has his middle two top teeth in to go with the bottom. He looks like he might have my gap. ;) He is making all sorts of sounds now and he can say mama and dadda. I don't think he knows what those words go with but he does say them. He also says other syllables that don't really make words. He shakes his head no and will repeat you when you do it. He also will mimic actions that you do like raising your hands. He is a lot more vocal now and there are times when he will just let out a really loud noise just to try out his voice. That is always nice when we are out to dinner somewhere. He chases Eli around the house and Eli is always on the go as to avoid him. He loves to eat Eli's food when we are not looking so we have to keep it up whenever he is crawling around. He loves going through the kitchen cuboards as well. He is still taking his 2 naps a day and sleeping through the night. He is so much fun and we are really loving being parents. He keeps us thoroughly entertained. Everyone always says it's not funny when it's your kids doing it but I still laugh. I know that is probably not the best thing to do but he's just too funny. He has begun to understand when we are being happy and when we are trying to discipline him though and he is very sensitive about us telling him no. Before he used to just laugh at us but now he sticks out his bottom lip and starts to cry if we tell him no. He loves taking baths still and he can now really play with all of his bath toys. He is always trying to crawl around though so it's a full time job trying to keep him from falling over. He is also pulling up on things and loves to look out our french doors as you can see in the pictures. He is such a happy baby, always laughing and smiling. Of course he has his moments but overall, he is such a joy to be around. He definitely consumes our time but we love it. They are only little once and they grow so fast so I want to spend as much time with him as possible.

I have been doing my OB/Gyn rotation and I have been sleeping at the hospital two nights a week. I absolutely love it though but I just wish I wasn't away from Jude so much. Jeremy has been helping so much even though he just started his PhD program this month too. Jeremy has had to quit some of the other projects he was working on, such as working for our church, so that he can have time to work on his school stuff and still be home some. We were both able to get some scholarships this year so that has worked out well. We are both pretty busy but we don't feel overwhelmed. We can't imagine life without Jude so we are so grateful to have him. It is such a priviledge to be parents and it gives us such a new perspective on life.

Jude at 10 Months-August 8th

Jude is now 10 months old! This month he has been getting so much better at crawling. He can crawl really fast now. There are moments when he attempts to crawl on his hands and knees but I think he realizes how much quicker the army crawl is and he reverts back to that method quickly. He is playing well with all of his toys and they keep his interest for much longer periods of time. He is eating so well...Donna cannot believe how much he eats. We send 4 bowls full of food and snacks with him and there are days when he actually runs out of food. He eats everything...we haven't seen him turn down anything yet. He definitely feels heavier now. He is finally getting into 6-9 months clothes although shorts and pants still don't fit unless they are really small because he has such a small waist. He still loves going to his child care and he has so much fun watching the four other boys that are there. He now takes 2, 2 hour naps during the day and sleeps from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. That is awesome!! He goes down now without being rocked or anything. He might cry for a few minutes but he usually falls right to sleep. Jude has had a few little upper respiratory things (colds) but nothing major since starting child care. It has been so nice only having 5 kids total and it being in a house where Jude can feel comfortable and crawl around everywhere.

I have been on my pediatric rotation this month. It has been fun but it has been pretty long hours so I definitely miss Jude and Jeremy. Jeremy has been helping so much, I don't know what I would do without all of his help. Jude seems to be very happy though and he doesn't seem to be phased by my absence which definitely helps with the emotional aspect. One day I will have a normal schedule...or so I hope. ;)

9 Months Old-July 8th

Jude is definitely in exploration mode. He is crawling all over the house (still in the army style of course) finding tiny things on the floor and trying to stick his fingers in the outlets. We have finally finished baby proofing from the floor to about 2 feet up so that should do for a couple more months hopefully. He absolutely loves Eli and he laughs at him every time he sees him. Eli actually lets Jude pet him for a minute or two before he relocates. Jude is finally taking naps well although they are not very long. He is also continuing to sleep through the night which makes a world of difference. He loves going for walks in the stroller and in his sling. He still hasn't gone through the stranger anxiety phase so I am wondering if he ever will. He is starting to handle going out to eat a little better. He is now eating three meals a day of regular table food so we basically feed him whatever we eat. He is continuing to gain weight. The doctors make us take him in once a month to check his weight since he has also been below the chart in weight.

I started third year on June 30th and he started child care on July 1st. We all really like the lady who is watching him and he seems to love her. He never cries when we drop him off and he enjoys watching the other kids that are there. The child care is helping him to take longer naps. He is just so much fun! He now entertains himself with crawling around and playing with all of his toys. Jeremy and I have been able to have a little more time to get things done now so we are feeling great!

We brought Jude home to Titusville to see the family and to celebrate the summer birthdays. It was so great to see everyone. Jude had a blast. He loved seeing Red, Great Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Irene's dog. Karen really loved taking care of him and she was a huge help. I don't think I watched him for more than 2 minutes during the entire birthday celebration! We had so much fun and we can't wait to go back.

As for the pictures, the first one is of Jude's first experience with blueberry pancakes, which he loved. The second one is of him and Mommy at McClay Gardens on mommy's birthday. The third one is Mommy, Daddy, and Jude at McClay Gardens. The fourth one is at Great Grandpa Jerry's and Grandma Irene's for the summer birthdays. The last one is Jude eating baked ziti. He is too cute!

Jude at 8 Months-June 8th

This month Jude got his first two teeth! They are the bottom middle ones. His smile just cracks me up now! He had somewhat of a rough time getting them in but it was over in a couple of days. He also sat up on his own for the first time this month. He is getting so big! I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is sleeping so much better at night and he is so much fun to play with. He is really interested in his ExerSaucer toy and any of his toys that make noise. He is doing the army crawl where he drags most of his body by moving his arms and he also does a little kick off with his left foot. It is adorable. His spitting up is getting less and less. He also seems to be getting some more fat on him. Watching him grow is definitely the highlight of mine and Jeremy's life.

The first picture is from Jude's dedication that we had at our church. The next three pictures are from the trip we took to the beach with Grandpa Gary, Grandma Veronica, Aunt Karen and Uncle Chris. We had so much fun! Jude relentlessly attempted to eat the sand and he loved falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.

Jude @ Tom Brown

Jude and Jeremy went to Tom Brown together...

Month 5: Rolling over and Holding His Head Up

Jude is growing so fast! He is now 5 months old. He rolled over to a head up position Friday night, March 14th while Sarah and Matt were there. We gave him a standing ovation and he got a little scared. ;) Of course, we didn't get it on video tape though. We will just have him re-inact it. He loves his new ExerSaucer that is in the pictures. He just stares at all his toys and then tries to eat them all. He is now eating peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, and rice cereal. He likes them all but his favorites seem to be anything sweet: carrots, pears, and sweet potatoes. His hair is coming back in blonde which is what happened to Jeremy and I when we were little. We had such a great Spring Break. We went down to Titusville to visit my family from Saturday to Wednesday and then my friends Ashlee and Kristin came up to meet Jude! Also, Jeremy's dad and Terry came up for the weekend. It was great to see everyone. I am now entering into the homestretch of second year...the good being that it's almost over, the bad being that it is going to be the most study intensive time. But, God is faithful so I am not worried...in my weakness He is strong!

Month 4: Cereal, Peas, and Trying to Roll Over!!

I can't believe how fast time is flying...it seems like everyday when I come home from school that Jude has grown so much! It has been so much fun having a little one around, he makes life so much more enjoyable. The weather has been beautiful here so we have been able to take lots of walks at Tom Brown Park and also around Southwood. Our stroller broke but the company is sending us a new one right away so I highly recommend Chicco. ;) We don't have to send the old one back or anything.

Jude has made so much progress during this past month...I don't even know where to begin. For starters, he is now eating peas and rice cereal. He loves them both! He had a doctor's appoitment on February 14th and he received his second round of immunizations. Dr. Sowande told us that he could start eating solids since he was holding his head up so well. He is completely on track with everything developmentally and he was in the 50% percentile for height and head circumference. His weight was a little low but Dr. Sowande thought the measurement might have been wrong because he is clearly not too skinny. ;) He is now 25 inches long and they said he weighed 12.5 lbs. He is getting so big!!

Jude is also trying to roll over. It is so fun to watch him get halfway and then scoot around because he just can't quite get enough momentum to roll completely over. I am sure it will happen any day though. Four days ago he was able to roll halfway over but he landed on his arm and he could not figure out how to get it free!

Jude loves his toys now and he is extremely fond of his jungle gym. He lays on there for 30 minutes at a time just looking at his animals. He actually started grabbing at them a few days ago. He has been putting his hands in his mouth non-stop for the past couple of weeks and he has been drooling alot. Dr. Sowande said that he could be experiencing pain from his teeth trying to come in although we may not see them for awhile. He has been a little more fussy than usual so that's what we think it is.

He has been sleeping well in his crib. We got a CD player for his room and put his lullabies on and that seemed to do the trick. We also took Barb and Dave's advice about giving him a bath before bed and I also nurse him in the rocking chair. He doesn't cry at all when we lay him down. I know that people say you just have to let them cry but if Jude is ever crying, he does not stop so I know that something is wrong therefore I don't let him cry it out too much. He is still able to hang out by himself and sleep in the crib for atleast 3-4 hours at a time without me so I don't think I've spoiled him. ;) Every baby is different so I think you just need to stick with what works for you...try things out and if they don't work, try something else!

I hope you enjoy these pictures...I still can't tell who Jude looks like so if you have any idea, let me know! ;)

Hard Times: The Loss of Raddle

I know this blog is supposed to be about Jude...but I thought I would share a little something about my family's dog, Raddle, that just passed away on Sunday, February 10, 2008. She was the most loving dog I've ever known (sorry Eli) and she was such a great companion. She went with my family everywhere and did everything with them. Raddle was extremely well behaved and good natured. She touched the lives of everyone she came into contact with. Her loss was unexpected and has been devastating for everyone who knew Raddle. Even though my family got her when I was already in college, I considered her my own. I know that my heart is extremely heavy since her loss so I can only imagine how my brother and sister must feel. She was a their sister and their friend. Also, my mom and dad have to be taking it hard. Over time the pain will subside and our tears will come less frequently but as of right now, we are all grieving her loss. She was such a huge part of our lives and although time will heal the hurt, she will never be forgotten.

Month 2: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!!

This picture is from Thanksgiving break when Jude finally got to meet Uncle Chris and Aunt Karen. It was great getting to spend time with family. Jude did well on the ride there, he pretty much slept the whole way down and back up. We only had to stop a couple of times to feed him but otherwise it was a great trip.


This is Jude when he turned 2 months. I cannot believe how much he grew in such a short time. Christmas vacation was so great. It was awesome being able to stay home with him during the day. We were able to spend some much needed quality time together. It was the first time that I was able to play with him without having school in the back of my mind so that was extremely enjoyable.

Here's Jude in the middle of December. He's just hanging out on his boppy pillow, looking around. Over the month of December he became so much more alert. He also began entertaining himself for a few minutes at a time which was so nice!

Here's Jude wearing his First Christmas Outfit! He looks so precious. It was so fun having him on Christmas morning even though he did sleep through most of it. I guess he was tired from having been up all night. ;) Jude got so many great presents from the family. I can't wait until we can start playing with all of his toys!!