6 Months Old!

Jonah turned 6 months old on November 13th. He also had his 6 month check-up at the pediatrician which included his first vaccination (yikes!) We have chosen to postpone vaccinations and have also chosen to space them out over time as opposed to having several shots at one visit, in order to minimize the potential for adverse reactions. He did well and had no reaction to the shot (Thank God!) and the only thing alarming about the visit was his size....are you ready for this?

19 lbs, 10 oz. 95th Percentile
28 1/2" long 97th Percentile (same as last visit, which makes me believe that they measured him incorrectly last time)

He is ONE BIG BOY!

Additionally, Jonah is a milli-second away from crawling...lots of rocking, scooting, etc. but he hasn't quite figured out how to systematically move forward....although I am looking forward to this monumental milestone, I am partially dreading how this new found independence will wreak havoc on our lives!

The other big change recently has been Day Light Savings. Previously just a nuisance, this bi-annual change is now viewed with disdain and contempt for it's unruly impact on Jonah's schedule. His 7:30 bedtime had to be bumped back to 6:30, meaning that bath time begins at 6:00, meaning that I only get about 1 1/2 hours with him after work and before bed. This makes me sad because it really limits my QT with him, however, the fact that he is still able to sleep about 12 hours (only waking up once for a mini-bottle) and get up at 6:00 am, reinforces the fact that he NEEDS to go to bed that early and he is a happy boy for it.

We introduced solids just after 4 1/2 months and he eating well - he loves squash, sweet potatoes, peas and bananas. Not so crazy about carrots, apples or pears. We just increased his daily intake because my pediatrician thinks he needs more food...he is so lean and so energetic, he burns everything so more calories will help sustain him. I can only imagine what my grocery bills are going to look like in about 13 years!

Take a look at these muscles:

I'm Back!

I have been a slacker-blogger...and I apologize. SO much has happened since my last post that I almost don't know where to begin. October held all sorts of adventures for Mr. Jonah! We has two sets of visitors and, of course, his first Halloween!

Let's start with the visit from Misha and Tim over the weekend of October 17th. Jason had to fly to Wichita to stand up in his friend Chaney's wedding, so my sister and her husband flew up to keep me company and to squeeze the spit out of their nephew. Here are some pics from that amazing visit!





Next, over the Halloween weekend, Jason's BF, Craig and his wife Sarah came to visit us. This was their first time up to NJ and Sarah's introduction to Mr. Jonah. We had a wonderful time with them and are so grateful that they made the trip! Here is a pic of Sarah and Jonah spending some QT together.



Jonah's first Halloween was very eventful! I work at a school so we had our Halloween parade on Friday and my babysitter brought Jonah up to work and he got to participate in the parade in his costume. What was he? Nemo! The cutest Nemo I've ever seen! Thanks to my mom and dad who picked out the purchased the costume. My dad also picked out a super-cute outfit for him to wear in the days leading up to Halloween (Boo!)

Off the charts! Literally!

Today was Jonah's 4-month well-baby visit. It's two weeks late because he was in the hospital when his original visit was scheduled. So at 4 1/2 months he is 17 lbs, 10 oz (90th percentile) and 28" long.....literally, off the charts!!! Needless to say, I'm proud of my little man!

In other Jonah-News, he had begun to eat solids. The first foray into rice cereal wasn't well received, but when we mixed it with apples tonight - he did much better! I wouldn't go so far as to say that he actually liked it, but he didn't spit it all out, or gag incessantly!

He is still NOT sleeping through the night, however, he simply wakes up, alerts us that he is awake, sucks down a 4 oz. bottle and falls back asleep. Some nights it's one feeding, other nights it's two. The interruption in mine and Jason's sleep is minimal, so we're not complaining too much. Hopefully by 6 months, he'll be weaned off of the nighttime feedings.

He is still drooling like a madman, and chewing on EVERYTHING, but not actual teeth in sight.

Developmentally, the doctor said he looks great. He can almost sit up on his own, he can grasp objects with one or both hands (he can put his binky back in after it falls out), and he tracks beautifully - objects and voices. He is always whipping his head around when he hears daddy's voice in the other room!

ENJOY THE NEW PICS!!

My Birthday!!

My fabulous husband planned an amazing birthday weekend for me (with a little help from my mom)!Jason planned everything and all his selections were PERFECT!

My mom flew into Jersey and watched Jonah on Saturday and Sunday so that we could go into NYC overnight! We stayed at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel on the 23rd floor overlooking Central Park (see pic above). We had lunch at Sarabeth's Cafe - amazing vegetable fritatta w/ pumpkin muffin; wine at Clo, dinner at Rosa Mexicana- tableside guacamole, falutas, sangria and puerco pibil; and a night cap at Whiskey Park. ....and the ultimate ending: WE SLEPT, and SLEPT and SLEPT! Ahhhhh! My first full-night of sleep and first time I have slept-in since Mr. Jonah arrived!

We had brunch at Rue 57- mimosas and eggs benedict- and walked around Central Park on Sunday - it was a beautiful day and I think we managed to walk-off at least 1/2 of the calories we consumed the day before! We did some shopping, but generally just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company. Then I got to spend a little time with my mom before she had to fly back to Michigan - which was the proverbial icing on the cake!

On Friday, my co-workers celebrated with a huge bouquet of flowers, chocolates, gifts and ice cream cake from Carvel! Yummy!

I received cards and packages from friends and family and lots of texts and Facebook messages - all of which made me feel so special and loved!!

Sick Child: Episode 1 of ?

(Jonah in his mini-hospital gown!)

We had our first run-in with the dreaded high fever! Jonah spiked a 101.5 temp Sunday morning which eventually got up to 103.9! He was admitted to the hospital Sunday night around 11:00 pm and we were discharged today (Tuesday) at 11:00 am.

RESULTS: He has a non-specific viral infection which is causing his one and only symptom: a fever! He was fussy and lethargic, but that was about it.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?: He doesn't have a bacterial infection so he cannot be treated with antibiotics. He also does not have pneumonia, an ear infection, a UTI or meningitis. All of this is VERY reassuring!

So, we are home now, monitoring his fever and letting him rest - he is just exhausted! Jason and I did pretty well - no panic attacks or freak-outs. I think we knew he would be okay, judging by his disposition and lack of scary symptoms.

So, for anyone who would like to know more about fevers, I feel like I am now an expert! Here is a little info from "What to Expect: The First Year"

"In response to invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, white blood cells in the body produce a hormone called interleukin, which travels to the brain to instruct the hypothalamus to turn up the body thermostat. At higher body temperatures, the rest of the immune system is better able to fight infection. Viruses and bacteria grow best in cooler temperatures, so a fever actually makes the body less hospitable to infection. Fever may also lower iron levels while increasing the invaders' need for that mineral - in effect starving them. And when it's a virus that has launched the attack, fever helps enhance the production of interferon and other antiviral substances in the body. When a person's body temperature suddenly rises a couple of degrees above normal, he or she often feels, paradoxically chilled. The chilling serves to encourage a further rise in temperature in several ways. The involuntary shivering that usually occurs signals the body to turn its thermostat up still another notch and prompts the fever sufferer to take other measures that raise the body temperature: drink hot liquids, throw on another blanket, put on a sweater. At the same time, outlying blood vessels constrict to reduce heat loss, and body tissues - such as stored fat - are broken down to produce heat (which is why it is important to take in extra calories during a fever). An estimated 80-90 percent of all fevers in babies are related to self-limiting viral infections (they get better without treatment). "

More Pix

Here are the rest of the photos from Jonah's 11-week photo shoot in Michigan:

say "I love my feet"

This was the finishing touch on Jonah's room that I finally got around to completing!

Jonah has discovered his feet! He went from barely noticing them to having them in his hands (and mouth) every chance he gets! It is the damned cutest thing ever. What else is new? He is super-duper-drooly face. I understand that this is the pre-cursor to teething (yikes!) We need to keep him in a bib 24-7 otherwise his clothing get soaked along with the front of my shirt while I hold him. He is also standing beautifully with barely any help. He will even stand at the coffee table without us holding him. He is also chatting up a storm! He is saying "mmmmm" and "bbbbbbb" and "thhhhhhhhhh" all of which we are attempting to transform into actual words. Of course there is documenation of all of these developments below!

He's been doing great at the sitter's house while I've been back at work. We're both feeling more structure and organization now that our days have schedules. His sleeping, on the other hand, needs a little more work. His body clock can't quite make up it's mind about when it's supposed to wake up, so although we were down to one nighttime feeding a few weeks ago, we're back to two.... but we're trying to work on that!






The Incredible Hunk

Drooly Face!

Playing with my feet!

Standing Tall!


p.s. Sissy, if you are reading this, the title of this post is for you....do you remember where it's from?