Thursday, February 26, 2009

No time.

Here are the things I have to blog about when I have time to take a breath.

1. Baby food
sweet potatoes
plums
carrots
green beans
2. Practicum
3. Picture of Axl and Mckay
4. Axl's issues this week
5. ER visit (for me, not Axl...and no, it wasn't serious)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Pay it Forward


The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me during this year. When and What will be a surprise. There's a small catch though....Post this same thing on your blog and then come back and leave a comment telling me you're in. Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.

What to make...what to make...
it'll be good, promise :)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Axl is 5 months old today!

1 month old 10/19/2008
2 months old 11/19/2008
3 months old 12/19/2008
4 months old 1/19/2009
5 months old 2/19/2009
Things are still going by so fast! Nothing huge happened this month. It started off great with Axl not having to go to the neurologist because we figured out his arching was caused by reflux. He still takes Zantac twice daily and it seems to be working well for us. He started rice cereal this month and is completely obsessed. He eats 3 tablespoons twice a day, but is mad every time he realizes it's gone. He smiles literally all the time. We made it through our first sickness this month and that's what was hardest on both Tyler and me was not seeing him smile. Our old Axl is back now, though, and is grinning more than ever. He's now pretty ticklish and I can get him to really cackle sometimes. We're not swaddling him anymore and he wakes up more often but still does fairly well, eating 1-2 times in the night.

When I picked him up from Leighann's today she showed me that he really liked one of Xanthan's toys. Since he turned 5 months today, I used it as an excuse to go and buy it. It was a good purchase, though--he really does like it :)


Valentine's Day

We started Valentine's weekend off on Friday the 13th at a Valentine's Dance for our stake at the Alumni Building. Tyler and I were planning on attending, but also taking Axl. We were hoping for him to be much better than he was by then, so we decided we weren't going to go until my parents volunteered to come and stay with him while we had a night out. We really had a great time. Good food, good dancing, good friends.

Axl got the book, Who Loves You, Baby? for his first Valentine's Day from Mom and Dad.
He loves it!

Last year, during my first week of morning sickness, Tyler decided to make reservations at White Castle for Valentine's Day and surprise me. I remember him turning into the parking lot and me thinking, "you've got to be kidding me". Anyway...this year I was a little less frustrated with our repeat reservations--as I was kind of expecting them and we were accompanied by about 14 others. :)
Natalie and Rob Call
Elizabeth, Lyman, and Sara DarbyLuke, Kate, and Matthew Darby
Erin and John Carlson (sorry guys, this is the only picture I got)

Ian, Leighann, and Xanthan Mogenhan

Felipe, Cindy, Gabi, and Elena Diaz

Devin Anderson, Katie Long, Tyler, and Shamu
The food could have been better, but I think everyone had a great time with their Valentines!!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Axl's First...something.

Note: This post will be very boring and probably shouldn't be read. I'm just going to use it as space to document Axl's first sickness. It's been pretty tough on us all but I think we're kicking it.
Saturday February 7th: Starts coughing.
Sunday 8th: Continues coughing. I'm embarrassed and a little ashamed we brought him to church because I don't know if he really feels bad and hope the other mothers aren't thinking I'm an idiot and am going to get their babies sick.
Monday 9th: Axl goes to Leighann's as per usual and has a fairly good day. She said he took a really long nap but didn't seem sick at all.
Tuesday 10th: The cough is worse, but I take him to Leighann's anyway because Tyler reminds me that when we have colds it is worse in the morning after sleeping all night and that he will probably continue to be better throughout the day. She texts and says she can feel his cough in his chest so I call the doctor, make an appointment, leave school and go pick him up, and take him to clinic. We see some random resident because Dr. Wigglesworth is only in on Wednesdays. I decide I will probably switch doctors soon because it's not very ideal to only be sick on Wednesdays. :) Random guy says it's just a virus and not to worry about RSV because RSV is just a virus like a cold and to just make sure he doesn't have trouble breathing. this is kind of unsettling. also--I'm a terrible mother and left Axl's bear at Leighann's house. Tyler keeps Axl while I go to the mall and buy another one as I had been planning to do this for a while as he has developed such an affinity for it.
Wednesday 11th: My mom comes to our house to keep Axl while I go to school. Continues coughing and low-grade fever comes back that stopped Monday.
Thursday 12th: Natalie keeps Axl and says he literally slept all day. She said she would estimate he was awake for 45 minutes. Still giving Tylenol for fever. Still coughing--now it sounds like a dry cough and he starts to act like it hurts pretty bad, maybe his throat.
Thursday night he wakes up with a bloodcurtling scream and refuses to eat; we hypothesize this is due to throat pain. Now we're giving Tylenol for fever and pain.
Friday 13th: Axl sleeps in until about 11. Is awake for about an hour and goes back to sleep. Sleeps virtually all day again. Whenever he wakes up I try and feed him but he usually falls back asleep on like the 3rd suck. I pump a bottle to give and he takes that without falling asleep. We had planned to take him to the Valentine's dance with us this night but he is feeling too bad. My mom and dad offer to come watch him so we can go. She reports that he didn't cough much but was very lethargic.
Saturday 14th: I stay with Axl in the morning while Tyler does eBay. When he gets home, he keeps him in the afternoon while I run errands. It seems he is much better until about 2 in the afternoon when he starts to feel bad again. We still take him to our (now annual) White Castle Valentine's dinner when we probably shouldn't, but he gets some good cuddle time in with Natalie (he really loves her--he had been really fussy but sat with her just fine and quiet in the restaurant). Things get a little out of hand when we try and transfer Axl from the carseat to the crib when we get home. He gets really worked up and seems to be having a little trouble breathing but most likely just because he is so upset. Tyler gave Axl his first blessing. He slept soundly after that until about 5:30.
Sunday 15th: Won't nurse in the morning so I take a pumped bottle to church. He takes some of it very slowly. We leave after sacrament. He seems to steadily be feeling better. No fever today.

Here are some pictures I've taken throughout the week. Falling asleep everywhere.

Friday, February 13, 2009

'nother tag!

...from Erin. Here 'goes.

1. Real name: JoAnna Cooper Hamilton, before marriage it was JoAnna Marie Cooper
2. Nickname: JoJo (babies' name of choice), Mama J (Tyler's favorite), Janna/Yanna (this one's from my mom)
3. Status: Married
4. Zodiac sign: Virgo

5. Male or female: Female
6. Elementary: Bourbon Central Elementary School
7. Middle School : Bourbon County Middle School
8. High School: Bourbon County High School
9. College: University of Kentucky
10. Hair color: Brunette
11. Long or short: LONG. I hate it.
12. Loud or Quiet: eh..usually quiet...I'm a little anxious-feeling most of the time.
13. Sweats or Jeans: SWEATS!
14. Phone or Camera: umm both.
15. Health freak: I like to think so but I have too many indulgences and not enough will power.
16. Drink or Smoke: No.
17. Do you have a crush on someone: Tyler, my husband. :) And Jack Black.
18. Eat or Drink: Eat.
19. Piercings: Ears
20. Tattoos: No
21. Music: I like it all. I like people with interesting voices.
22. Comedies or Horror: Comedy, but I do like scary movies.

FIRSTS:
23. First piercing: My ears--my mom's decision as I was only a baby. I appreciate this now because I can literally go years without wearing earrings and they don't close up!
24. First best friend: umm..probably Katharine Norman. She lived in my backyard.
25. First award: hmm...not sure at all on this one.
26. First crush: Someone who worked with my dad, he will remain nameless, ha.
27. First Boyfriend/Girlfriend: First boyfriend would have probably been Eric Hash.
28. First pet: Lacey, Shantilly Lace, the Yorkshire Terrier.
29. First big vacation: We went to Disney World when I was little too young to remember. but I do vividly remember this larger than life stack of disney stuffed animals that I got to pick one out of.
30. First big birthday: My mom was way into birthdays! One year she planned an auction for a group of my friends with play money, another year it was at a roller skating rink with a barbie cake...where the cake was actually her dress...this was before anyone else was making them, another year we had a bonfire cookout...that was only a few.
31. First Car: '93 Gold Saturn with a sunroof. I hated it, but now I miss it a little.
32. First Favorite Song: Hard Candy Christmas....ahahahahhahaha.
33. First phone: hmm...I don't remember exactly. I was in high school, though, I think a sophomore.
34. First Surgery: Wisdom Teeth. Not sure of my age.
35. First time on an Airplane: Going to Utah, summer after my 1st grade year.

LASTS:
36. Phone Call: Well, I've been trying to call my mom all morning to talk about Axl cause I'm worried, but the last person I actually talked to was Heather about not being able to run today.
37. Instant Message: umm...probably 8th grade, ha.
38. Text Message:My mom. We report our weight/losses gains for weightwatchers every friday.
39. Song you listened to: hmm...the last CD I actually decided to put in and listen to was Enya.
40. Time you cried: um, yesterday at Natalie's while looking through Branson's scrapbook for the first time.

CURRENTLY:
41. Getting on your nerves: Axl's cold.
42. TV: Nothing right now. Last night was Grey's and Private Practice.
43. Drinking: nothing, just ate a bowl of cereal with milk.
44. Hair:up.
45. Wearing: robe and socks.
46. Eating: done with my cereal.
47. With: no one
48. I'm about to: work on this house.
49. Listening to: Gabi and Cindy play outside.
50. Plans for today: Get my life in order before having dinner and dancing with my two favorite boys in the whole wide world.

YOUR FUTURE:
51. Want kids: have one, want more.
52. Want to get married: wish I could do it again...the same man of course, but it really was a special day--I love my mom.
53. Careers in mind: Elementary School teacher.
54. Place of Residency: I'd love to live anywhere.
55. Car or Truck:
I'm really liking trucks these days.

WHICH IS BETTER:
56. Shorter or taller: Taller
57. Romantic or spontaneous: Romantic
58. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive
59. Serious relationship or casual dates: Relationship
60. Trouble maker or hesitant: definitely hesitant.
61. No one knows what 61 is supposed to be.

HAVE YOU EVER:
62. Lost glasses/contacts: lost my reading glasses
63. Ran away from home: No
64. Hold a gun/knife for self defense: no.
65. Killed somebody: No
66. Broken someones heart: not sure, but I think I may have at some point or another.
67. Been arrested: Almost, ha.
68. Cried when someone died: Yes
69. Kissed a stranger: my first kiss was some really cute rando on Carolina Beach in like 7th grade.
70. Had someone ask you out and you said no: I don't think so.
71. Laughed until you cried: Yes
72. Met someone who changed your life: Yes
73. Fallen in Love: Yes
74. Found out someone was talking about you: Yes
75. Been Cheated on: Yes
76. Cheated on anyone: I would probably consider this a yes, but not my husband, ha.
77. Lost someone special: Yes
78. Broken a bone: my shoulder and many fingers.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
79. Yourself: Most of the time.
80. Miracles: Yes, I should probably have in my car accident.
81. Love at first sight: Yes
82. Heaven: Yes
83. Santa Claus: I will when Axl gets old enough to know what's going on.
84. Holding Hands on the first date: Sure
85. Kiss on the first date: sometimes.

RANDOMNESS:
86. Righty or Lefty:Righty
87. Last time you saw your Dad: I can't remember exactly. I think it was when he came and picked me and Axl up for the doctor during the ice storm.
88. Do you like the snow: Yes, to look at. I hate walking on the snow.
89. Whats your favorite season: Fall and Spring
90. Can you swim: Yes
91. Ridden a horse: Yes
92. Ridden a bike: Yes
93. Photogenic: Sometimes--I can take some really bad ones, though.
94. Have siblings: 1 older brother.
95. Beach or Mountains: BEACH!
96. Hot or Cold: Hot, but I do really hate both. There should be a "comfortable" option

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now: I love it when Tyler is home.
98. Are you seriously happy with where you are in life: I wish I had already graduated.
99. Do you believe in God: Yes
100. Post as 100 truths and tag at least 5 people.

**I tag Robin, Marissa, Chelsea, Natalie, and Loretta

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Photo Tag

Tag

Erica tagged me! These are the rules...
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on the computer
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc)


This wasn't as fun as I wanted it to be, ha. This is a picture of Axl a couple weeks ago, that you've all already seen. He had just gotten coordinated enough to grab toys. :)

1. Loretta
2. Mariah
3. Natalie
4. Rachel

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Your opinion

Tell me what you think happened while I was downstairs folding a load of laundry.


When I left, he was completely centered on his back under the toy. We have never seen him roll from back to tummy.
How did this happen??

Night Owl

Fairly consistently, Axl has been going to bed around 8-8:30 and sleeping until anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30 when he wakes up to eat and then going back to bed until 7:30. One night, he even slept until about 5:45 before waking up.

This past Wednesday night was a very different story. Axl had a normal day and went to bed around 8:30. As I slipped into bed at 10 I heard him starting to fuss a little, my reaction to which is usually just to sneak in there really fast and pop his yummy back in before he wakes himself up. I tried this, but when I got in there he definitely still looked asleep but his cry was escalating really fast and he wouldn't let me put his pacifier in his mouth. By then, Tyler was coming in the other door and said he thought he must be having a bad dream and just needed to be woken up. He picked him up and tried to wake him but he just screamed and screamed and screamed. He finally woke up but he still just screamed. Inconsolable. I tried to feed him and he wouldn't eat. He didn't arch his back or anything to make us think his stomach hurt. This went on for about an hour. Tyler finally got him calmed down while holding him but anytime you laid him down the screaming started again. When he was calm he still had a little pouty frown and breathed really heavily. He laid down at 12:30 but woke again at 2:30 and ate a little but the screaming started again. At this point we gave Tylenol and Mylicon to try and knock out whatever was bothering him. It again took two hours for him to calm down at all.
This time I thought I should take his temperature. I started, him screaming all the while, and it got to the point where he was screaming so hard he wasn't breathing and his face was turning red. I was going to try and finish taking it, but Tyler yanked him up off the table--thermometer in bum and all. Even in the mess, it was cute to see Tyler genuinely concerned. He's just usually really even keel and doesn't show much emotion, but you could really tell he was worried about the little guy. I almost called the doctor at this point but Tyler again got him to stop crying around 4:45 and sat with him in the living room while he slept until 6 when we had to get up and get ready for work and school. We laid him down then and he slept until 7. When I got in the shower I just sat down in the floor...We were SO tired. The next day he seemed to do fine with Natalie, but she said he slept a lot.


So...the conclusion is that he is teething. It is a little early, but what I've read has pretty much convinced me. There is a little lump on his bottom gum that wasn't there before, the slobber doesn't stop, and he's sticking blankets, rabbit ears, anything he can get his hands on in his mouth. He has had a low grade fever since that night. :( We're just continuing to give Tylenol when he needs it and most things are going fairly smoothly. We've had one rough night since then, but other than that we have it under control, I think.


And to top it all off...we have to stop swaddling tonight. He's getting pretty close to rolling from back to front and that is when the doctor said to stop. Wish us luck.

BabyLegs!

Yes, Tyler is mad at me for buying them and putting our son in them. No, I do not care.
They are practical..sometimes he wears gowns to bed and in the morning his little legs need a little toasting!

...and I personally think they are adorable!