Another month older

 

My sweet baby boy is 4 months old. Oh how I love him. He is chubby, strong, curious and observant yet so content. His strength continues to surprise me. The other day I stuck him in the exersaucer simply because the lighting was good and I wanted to snap a quick picture. I came prepared with a blanket to tuck behind him for support but this boy was already working it like a pro. I don't know if pride is an emotion that's possible for a 4 month old to portray but I swear it was written across his face as he looked up at me. His eyes were wide, his legs pumping excitedly, drool pouring out of his upturned mouth and if he could talk I'm sure he would have said something like: "Look at me! Look what I can do! This is so awesome!"

At his 4 month appointment I heard these dreaded words from his pediatrician "I'm sending you to a specialist." Those words caught me a bit off guard because Jesse is a happy healthy baby from what I can tell, so it seemed a little out of left field. She then proceeded to explain that Jesse has a ridge in the middle of his forehead which could indicate that his skull could be sealing too quickly which in turn could inhibit brain growth. She reassured me that most likely it was nothing but she wanted to error on the side of caution and have us go to Children's Hospital to see a head specialist. Best case scenario it's just the shape of his head, worst case scenario he'd have to have surgery. Fortunately we did not have to wait long to get into the specialist and a week later we were off to Children's for Jesse's appointment. As we all suspected the Dr. reassured us that Jesse's head looked perfectly fine, his soft spots were still soft and the ridge on his forehead is just more obvious because he's nice and bald. I hope that this is the last time we have to go to Children's hospital, although I'm so grateful for the expertise so close at hand.

Random Stats:
Weight - 16.5 lbs
Height - 26 inches
Clothes - 6-9 months but more heavily on the 9 month end

 Likes:
Sophie the giraffe.
Watching Owen play
Anything that lets him stand

New skills:
Rolling over both ways...which is a blessing and a curse as now sleep is more easily interrupted.

One thing I will say about this kid is that while he loves to eat, I'm not so sure I love nursing him. Every 3 hours I feel like I'm entering a wrestling match with a portion of my body I'd prefer to not use in that manner. This kid stiff arms me and nurses with his head back...I kind of feel beat up by the end of the day. Good thing I love him to pieces otherwise the next 6 months could prove to be rough.

Little John

 Over the past year, I walked through a very sweet season of pregnancy with some dear friends. One pregnancy in particular was miraculous, that of Heather, my strong, beautiful friend and her sweet baby boy John. For me, Heather has been a life line in my journey with infertility because she has walked in similar shoes. There is something healing about having a person in your life who knows the same kind of pain you've felt, who has asked God the same questions, who has cried the same tears of frustration, sorrow and then ultimately of joy. My journey pales in comparison to hers for I was never told I'd never be able to conceive a child without the help of modern medicine, nor dealt with the toll IVF takes on body, mind and spirit, nor lost the last two babies medicine said you'd carry.
Last August, a miracle took place and Heather became pregnant without the help of any medicine. That last sentence doesn't even begin to express how amazing that discovery was. Have you ever been able to rejoice with someone over something truly miraculous before? It's like Christmas morning, your wedding day and the birth of your first child all wrapped up into one and even that doesn't really do it much justice. It is profound. It is awe-filling. It is powerful. I wish everyone could sit down and hear Heather and Chris' stories for though they are stories marked by pain they are more profoundly filled with God's provision, faithfulness and healing.



John is a happy healthy three month old and I had the pleasure of putting my little camera to work to capture this sweet miracle of a little boy. I look forward to Jesse and John being friends in the years to come. Seeing that all the other babies born at the same time were girls they're gonna need each other. 


Obviously not impressed with my prop idea...sorry John, I've got some learning to do :)

Enjoy it while it lasts buddy, you won't always be that happy about wearing a tie!

 

 

Lazy Summer days

Glorious sun drenched summer days that beckon you to dip more than the tips of your toes in the water and demand copious amounts of sunscreen applied to pasty white skin. Where sunglasses and sun hats, Popsicles and sandy beaches seem like they should be a daily occurrence. This is what summer should be.  Thankfully we've actually had a summer this year. Compared to other states and countries some might scoff at calling this summer but in comparison to the cold dreary year that was 2011 when summer didn't show up until September, 2012 is doing mighty fine. 

One of the fabulous parts of this summer has been the lazy summer days spent up at the cabin on Lake Roesiger. While it's a lot of work to tote two little people and all their gear up there its a wonderful spot to soak in these sunny days. Owen in particular has had a lot of fun testing out his fishing skills, "swimming" and spending countless hours on the beach with little more than a shovel scooping and dumping the sand and rocks into the water.

 

(Jesse 3.5 months)