Then & Now Tuesday

6 months. 1/2 a year. 0.5

Its hard to believe that our sweet baby boy is 6 months old already! Where has a HALF A YEAR gone? He is growing so fast and learning many new things daily. Looking at his pics, he is starting to look like a little boy to me and not a baby. I am also having people tell me that he looks like Momma more and not Daddy :) I tend to think he is a good mixture between the two of us. The past six months have been a definite learning experience for us, being first time parents, but we have loved every minute. WE LOVE YOU, our lil monkey and and look forward to the next six months and then some.

.6 months.
22.2 lbs (97%)
28 in long (97%)

.flash back.
at birth
8 lbs 3 oz
21 in long

6 wks
12 lbs 6 oz
23 in long

3 months
16 lbs 12.8 oz
24 3/4 in long

4 months
20 lbs
26 1/2 in long

hydro what?

When doctors use big words and start going into long explantions you really start to freak. Its like they try to confuse you so you wont worry as much but in fact it does complete opposite. Elias' pedi became concerned at his 6 week appt that his head was growing too rapidly. So at his 3 month appt we had to get an ultra sound done and do a consult with a pediatric neurosurgeon....the ultra sound showed that there is extra fluid around his brain which was causing his head to grow a little faster than it should. they havent been too overly concerned because his development has been right on track if not ahead for his age. the neuro in richmond WAS concerned with his sleep patterns. Elias at 5 1/2 months has yet to sleep through the night. In fact he wakes frequently through the night. And he wasnt napping AT ALL. While his naps have gotten better he still doesnt sleep through the night. I think it has been decided he just doesnt like sleep. The neuro here in Alabama has been very reassuring and doesnt seem to think anything is going on right now. More than likely he will be followed by the neuro until he is 2 years old to make sure nothing is going on with fluid. As of right now its not trapped fluid just extra fluid. Elias will just be the Kindergardner with biggest head :)

first zoo trip

We decided that it would be fun to take Elias to the Birmingham Zoo today. I think it was more fun for Momma and Daddy than it was for him, but he was a real trooper and we can't wait for him to get bigger to enjoy stuff like this more.:)

Then & Now Tuesday

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Amazing Momma's out there, whether it be your first or your 28th. I still am in misbelief that I am celebrating MOTHERS day for myself :) Thank you so very much Elias (and b) for giving me the best gift I could ever ask for...making me a mom. We celebrated very low key with a yummy dinner made by the hubby, cards from him and Elias. I love my boys :)

Auntie Em Auntie Em

Seriously, does all it always rain this much in Alabama? It seems like it rains EVERY freakin day. This past weekend I was watching TV with the Monkey when a special news report came on that said there was a tornado heading for the exact area in which we live. Ummmm....what!? I was home alone and had no idea what to do. I texted B to tell him about it. He asked me if I wanted him to come home. No silly, you cant be in your car durning a TORNADO! So I asked him what I was suppose to do. I've never done a torando drill. Fire drill yes, which btw when your in college your first year living in a dorm, those 3am fire drills BITE. Anyways back to the said tornado...b told me I needed to get into the middle of the house where there were no windows or the garage. Ok dumba$$, the garage has windows. And bugs. Ewww. I didnt want to wait the tornado out with bugs. So me and my little non tornado knowing self, packed a bag with all of monkeys essentials...a bottle, extra formula, bottled water, extra change of clothes, toys, blankets and of course my laptop and cell phone. After that I took monkey and myself to the middle of the house with no windows, which would be the hallway. And we sat and sat and sat. No tornado. No wicked witch riding her bike in the twister. No munchkins, except for the monkey that was laying on his blanket playing with this toys completely oblivious to his Mommas insanity. No yellow brick road. No oz. And no wizard that lives there. Just rain. And more rain. Finally after about ohhhh I'd say 15 minutes I realized how ridiculous I must look so I turned the TV back on. Turns out the tornado never touched ground. Thats possible? Now I kind of feel miss led and this so called tornado cried wolf.

4 months old

.4months old.
20 lbs (97%)
26 1/2 in long (87%)

.flash back.
at birth
8 lbs 3 oz
21 in long

6 wks
12 lbs 6 oz
23 in long

3 months
16 lbs 12.8 oz
24 3/4 in long

***technically the stats are for 4.5 months. we had to wait for an appt with the new pedi here in alabama. which btw we LOVE her. :)

ummm...hello?

So Elias' pedi called today. When i answered she asked to speak to my mom. So I gave her the number. Ha.

Alabama bound.

Elias and I are Alabama bound.

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Birthday Brendon!!!

lovebugs :)

3 months old

.3 months.
16 lbs 12.8 oz (97%)
24 3/4 in long (75 - 90 %)

flashback:
at birth
8 lbs 3 oz
21 in long

at 6 wks
12 lbs 6 oz
23 in long

Then & Now Tuesday

Sweet Home Alabama

Sweet Home Alabama is one of my all time favorite movies. Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas are just sooo adorable together and it is definitely a feel good movie. When B started with Red Robin he had goals. His first goal being a GM in two years of becoming manager. Two years was actually on March 1. He was offered a GM position in Charlotesville right after I found out I was pregnant but after discussion we decided he should turn it down because I felt like my job was going places and we wanted to be around family when Elias was born. A couple of weeks ago we were talking about his goals again and I told him that if they offered him a GM position he should accept it...no matter where it was. Boy am I biting my tongue now. THE VERY NEXT DAY his reginonal director asked him if he was still interested in a GM position. To make a long story short...we are moving to Birmingham, Alabama. B left today, and Elias and I will join him in a few weeks. I have very mixed emotions with this move. I love my husband and I want him to suceed at his job. This has been his goal since day one of management and he most definitely deserves it. He is the most hardest working and the most dedicated person that I know. BUT I love the life that we have built here in Richmond. I am really close with is family and I love that they get to see Elias grow up. We have also made some AMAZING friends here. A few that have kids very close in age with Elias and I want them to grow up together. I also want to be here for Chantel since Sean is leaving for deployment soon. Ulitimately I stand behind B. I love him and our goal is for him to go to the Alabama restaurant, clean it up then hopefully move back to the RIC area. Sweet Home Alabama to me has turned into Sweet Home Richmond. :)

Snow Day.

The weather peeps around here always over exaggerate when it comes to the weather. And people always buy into it. When they say to expect snow everyone and their momma runs to walmart and buys milk and bread cause they are scared to death they are going to get snowed in. So everytime the weatherman says its gonna snow I always laugh cause its always a light coating and thats it. Welll welll welll. This time they were not kidding when they said it was gonna snow. E was at Gamma and Gaps and by the time I got there the roads were covered. I was a little freaked to drive with him in the car so we decided to stay there and B would just come there after work. He got stuck on their road and Gap and Taylor and to go push him out. Fun Fun. So E experienced his first snow....he was NOT a big fan.

first date and an arranged marriage

Elias doesn't know it yet, but his marriage has already been arranged for him. It was arranged before he was even born :) Today he had his first official date with Miss Lily. She is 3 months older than he is to the day and Elias is already bigger than she is. She is such a petite little cutie pie. It is going to be oh so much fun watching them grow up together :)

brendon

Little Facebook survey

How much do you know your husband?

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Discovery Channel or anything I make him watch like One Tree Hill or Greys Anatomy.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
oil and vinegar

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
he picky with his veggies. no green beans or peas.

4. You go out to eat. What does he order?
some kind of fish and rice

5. Where did he go to high school?
Manchester

6. What size shoe does he wear?
10 1/2

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Mt Dew art bottles? I dont know what they are called.

8. What kind of sandwich does he like?
we get jersey mikes and split and turkey sub...but thats my choice:)

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
pizza

10. What is his favorite cereal?
he doesnt really eat cereal, but he will go through stages. right now its reeses

11. What would he never wear?
jean shorts.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
cowboys, red sox, va tech

13. Who did he vote for?
thats his business.

14. Who is his best friend?
seany

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
i tend to think im perfect in his eyes :)

16. What is his favorite color?
red or blue

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Yellow with Chocolate Icing.

18. Did he play sports in high school?
hockey.

19. What could he spend hours doing?
call of bootie

20. What is one unique talent he has?
he is extremely intelligent and i swear knows EVERYTHING. ticks me off. haha.

Phoenix and Brodie

Elias is soooo excited about the birth of two new friends :) BOTH born TODAY!

PHOENIX ALEXANDER JAEGER
9 lbs 13.9 oz
22 in long

BRODIE CASH DAY
9 lbs 4 oz
21 in long

Congrats to Steph and Amy & Drew!
We can't wait to meet your new baby boys!!!

Uncle Sean and Auntie Chantel

Its funny how you become friends with someone and how you just know that you will always be friends. Sean and Brendon have been friends long before both became married men. And Chantel and I became friends because our hubbys were best friends. (even though the two of us are convinced we know them better then they know each other but that could be a whole seperate post in itself.) I can honestly say that Chantel is one of my closest friends that I have and I do not know what I would do without her. After Elias was born Brendon and I realized what amazing parents the two of them would be. They are so AWESOME with him. Unfortunately they are not sure if its in the cards for them to become parents themselves and that breaks my heart. When we were pregnant B and I had discussed on a few occassions what would happen to our child if something happen to us. Without argument or even second thought we knew that we would want Sean and Chantel to the ones who would take care of our little lovebug. We had planned on asking them the day he was born (and until now I had no idea that B told Sean while they were outside smoking their cigars) but it was never the right moment. The right moment came yesterday when went to lunch together. I made them a collage of pictures of Elias and them together (as well as a little one for Sean to take overseas) and a card.

Ps. they said yes of course. (after Telly cried and Seany made sure he would be called THE Godfather. Ha.) We love you guys and couldn't imagine anyone else taking this role! Elias is soooo lucky to have you in his life.

2 years...

Two years ago today on a snowy night in February I married my best friend. I can't believe that all that time has passed, and that we are now a family of THREE :) I love you Brendon! You are my favorite and I look forward to the many more snowy nights to come! Happy Anniversary!!!!

fishies.moon.stars.dirt.pinkyswear.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

mama mia

. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
no but welcomed

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
yes we had been married for over a year

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
shocked at first and nervous. then soooo excited.

4. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26 when i found out i was prego. 27 when he was born

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
i started having the worst heartburn and my booobs hurt sooo bad.

7.WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
my sister. then b. shhhh dont tell.

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
not at first. but brendon did. it didnt take too much of a twist to the arm.

9. DUE DATE?
December 19th, 2008

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
No but i got sick some in the afternoon with a migraine

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
fruit lots and lots of fruit in the begining. then in the end CUPCAKES.

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
we kept the name a secret and there were a few people that went a little overboard with trying to guess even after we had told them we wouldnt tell them even if they got it right. just got irritating with my raging hormones. also certain people who wanted to have their baby EARLY.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
boy

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
ummm only for a moment.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
30

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
3. this babe was very spoiled

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
nope.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
St. Francis

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
14

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
b

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
brendon, dr paoloni, my awesome nurse amy and a few other nurses

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
after 6 hours of labor i decided to get an epi. im not going to lie though, it wasnt really the pain i thought it would be. it was more uncomfortable than anything

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
8 lbs 3 oz

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
december 19th, right on his due date.

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Elias Knight Jewell

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR CHILD TODAY?
he was 7 weeks on friday

6 weeks old

Elias had his 6wk baby well visit today. Drum roll please.......
12 lbs 6 oz (75-90%)
23 in long (75%)


flashback:
at birth
8 lbs 3oz
21 in long

***he also got his first round of shots today. i made daddy hold him. ha. he did sooo well. he whimpered but thats about it.