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.