Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas!! JD loved opening presents, although I think he liked the paper more than the presents!! His face was priceless when he came down the stairs with Daddy to see the toys and stockings Santa brought. :) I love having a little baby to share the magic with. He is just wonderful!!

JD is doing well pulling himself up to the standing position. He loves standing and holding onto things. I know that means he is going to be mobile soon, though! He is already crawling (but only backwards!) and rolling all over the place to get what he wants. His new "thing" is biting my chin when I ask him for kisses! It's so cute. His personality is really starting to show and seems a bit fiesty (like mommy), but so sweet (like daddy). He is such a joy!!

As always, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to make comments. :) One of my New Year's Resolutions is to update the blog at least once a week, so check back for updates on our family! We hope you have a happy and healthy 2007!!

new video and pics

Happy Boy!

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Also, take a look at some new pics!!

Yes, we're still alive!

I've been horrible at keeping up with the Blog! JD is sitting up now and can completely roll over from side to side - all the way across the room!!

Here are some new pics of our little peanut!!

Fall pictures

There are LOTS of new, great pics on our website. Check them out!!

update :)

Well, since school started, I've been very bad about updating!! Things are going well. :) We went to the cider mill and to pick apples today. It was great! He was SO cute!!!


As far as our normal life goes (normal?? haha) JD is loving going to Grandma's and Kira's every day. They both take wonderful care of him! We are so blessed to have the set up we do and not to have to worry about our child care situation.

I have started meeting with Emily every other Monday night for a "Mommy's Night Out" and that has been great! I am looking forward to meeting her tomorrow night at Starbucks and then strolling around Target! :)

Other than that, nothing much is new! Hope all is well with everyone! Send me an e-mail and let us know what's going on in your family! xo

our sweet baby

JD is feeling much better!! We are trying another formula to supplement. We'll see how that goes. I can't believe he's already 4 mos!! Time sure flies!! Is he not the cutest?! :)

sick baby JD

So yesterday was my first day back to school. I love my class, but it's so hard to be away from my sweet baby. I was doing pretty well until my mom called and told me that JD was having an allergic reaction to something. He was throwing up and covered with a whelts. I immediately called the DR and my dad took him in. She ended up concluding that he had "contact dermatitis" which basically means that he had a rash because of something he touched. It pretty much went away by the time he went to bed Tues. night. I had to cuddle and nurse him pretty much the whole evening, but that's ok because I missed him and I was so worried about him.

Today he did great all day. My mom only fed him breastmilk that I had pumped because she wasn't sure if maybe he was throwing up from the formula we had been supplementing? After school I went to Kira's to feed him, and then I went to church. John picked him up and fed him about 8 with a bottle of formula. Well, I got home at 9:30 and read JD a book. While I was reading he started throwing up......and throwing up....and throwing up...SIX times total. I am so worried about him. I think it must be the formula because he had just had that??? I am going to call the pediatrician in the morning, but please pray.

Going back to work has been rough on me, and this is making it even harder. I need some peace of mind. We are going to try to supplement with a different formula tomorrow and see if it will work. I sure hope so because at this point I'm not pumping enough breastmilk to feed him on that alone. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, any prayers would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Love this picture :)

I'm missing my baby more than ever now that I've returned to work. I keep looking at this picture and smile. He's so great. I'm SO blessed with a wonderful husband and son. :)

He's getting big!

Topping the scales at 12 lbs 6 ounces - our little man!

Bumbo Chair

He loves it!! haha

wedding pics

Thought you all would enjoy a picture of our little stud!! For more pictures from Jeff and Eve's Wedding, click HERE!

2 month checkup

JD had his 2 month check-up today with Dr. Hall. She says he is looking good! (Like we didn't already know that!) He is 10 pounds 9 ounces now and over 23 inches long! He had his 4 shots today, which made him (and mommy) sad!

I can't believe it's already been 2 months since he was born. How crazy. He is such a miracle and I love him more and more every day! I can't wait to see what the future holds. :)

e-i-e-i-oooooo

JD is singing with me now!! He loves Old MacDonald - he sings right along! Of course all I can make out are the vowel sounds, but it is soo cute!!! As soon as I figure out how to upload a video of it, I'll put it on here.

new pics

talking to himself!

This week JD has started looking at himself and talking. He was talking a little bit at the end of last week, but it has been so much more obivous this week. It is so cute. When I put him on the floor in his play gym, there is a little mirror over his head that he sees himself in. He laughs, giggles, and talks to himself. It's great!! :) He is also reaching for objects now. When we go for our walks, he reaches to touch the star that makes music. In his bouncer, he has started to reach for the fish and the bubbles. And in his play gym, he loves to bat at the bird and make it move. He is growing and learning so much. I just love it!

pictures on the web

So, I'm going to try to keep pictures on here to a minimum because I have created a new place to share my photos online. http://public.fotki.com/melis9701/ is the new online photo album. I will be moving all my pics from yahoo photos to the fotki albums soon. I already moved some pictures of JD, if you want to take a look. :)

relaxin' in the tub

Last Thursday, on JD's 6 week birthday, I gave him a bath. He was so relaxed and looked soo cute, I just had to take a picture!! Looks like he's going to love taking baths like his daddy does! :)

Father's Day Smiles

What a great day we had! After church at SOTL, we went to John's parents house for lunch. We spent a few hours there and then went to my parents for dinner. At my parents we took a few pictures of our smiley son! He is laughing and giggling now. I just love it!!

Happy Boy!

Here are the latest and greatest of our little guy!! Isn't he adorable? :)

Floating!

Daddy and John took a bath tonight. Daddy called me in because our little JD was floating! It was so cool!! Daddy was holding John's head and neck, and the rest of his body was floating. He was kicking his legs every so often. I couldn't help but laugh! He just loved it!! He's going to be a swimmer like his daddy!! :)

sleepyhead!

John sleeping in on his one month birthday! :)

Smiley!

Today we saw that cute little smile we've been waiting for!! JD amused his cousins and smiled at David, then showed off his cute gums at Grandma Daisy, and tonight to daddy! He's such a cutie!! I can't wait until he smiles right at ME!! :)

JD's First real bath!

On Saturday, JD's cord fell off, so last night we decided that we would give him a bath. John hopped in the tub with him. It was so cute. JD liked the warm water some, but he wasn't sure exactly what was going on! He played for a bit with daddy before we washed him up. He was very excited when we cuddled him up in his ducky towel!! After the bath, I rubbed nighttime lotion on his arms and legs, nursed him, and put him in his crib. I wanted to start teaching him that bathtime means bedtime. He did pretty well sleeping in his crib. He went for a few hours until that little tummy was hungry again! :)

night with Grandpa

Last night, my mom and I went to celebrate with Evie for her bachelorette party! John had to coach, so JD stayed with Grandpa D. until John got home! I fed him right before we left, in hopes that he would not be fussy for grandpa! It seems as though he was still hungry after we left, so grandpa warmed some milk that I had pumped for JD. He ate 3 more ounces! Then he fell asleep and slept for 5 hours!!! He must have had a full belly!! :) I was worried about him taking a bottle - no worries there! He loved it!! John fed him again right before my mom and I got home and he slept pretty good last night - only getting up at 3:30. I love our little hungry boy!! :)

Today we are going to Evie's shower at the country club. I am taking JD so that I can feed him before and after the shower easily. I just haven't been able to pump enough to leave him for the day. I think it will be fun for him to meet the ladies, too. During the shower he is going to go to lunch with my dad, Jeffrey, and Dan (Eve's dad). It will be 3 men and a baby!! Should be fun for them!!

baptism

On Sunday, May 28, we had John Daniel baptized. He was so sweet during the service. He woke up for a few minutes when Pastor Linda was baptizing him, looked around for a little bit, and then fell back asleep. He slept the entire rest of the service! We celebrated afterwards at the lake with our family. It was just great! Check out the slide show! :)

Busy week #2

Daddy returned to work on Wednesday. It was a bit hectic in the morning with just JD and I here at home. Kira came over to visit with us. JD was just perfect while she was here. On Thursday, JD and I went to the DR. He is 7 lbs 14 oz and 21.75 inches long now. She said everything looks good! He's a growing boy!! After the DR we went over to church to meet with Pastor Linda. Everyone enjoyed seeing him, especially Lei who held him for awhile. He just slept soundly in her arms! On Friday, JD was a little fussy, so we stayed home and pretty much he just ate the whole day!! This weekend we spent at the lake for the most part. We had JD baptized on Sunday (see above). It was a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and the end to a busy week! :)

Slide Show of our Little Peanut!

Updates :)

On Thursday we went to see Grandmother over in Birmingham. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon with her. She sure loves John Daniel! We took her to Peabodys for dinner and after enjoyed cake and ice cream back at her place. After we left there we went over to see Auntie Duke. She loved JD, too!! It was a bit of a long day for both JD and mommy, but it was nice to see both of them!!

On Friday we went shopping with Grandma Daisy in the morning to find an outfit for JD to wear under the Christening Gown that Grandma B made. We don't have much time, since the baptism is May 28! In the afternoon we had a few visitors. Kathy came over to see JD and brought the cutest music box. After, Melissa and Madeline came over and brought dinner and lots of goodies for JD! Melissa went on a shopping spree and found some really cute boy clothes. Madeline gave JD her favorite book! It was really nice to visit with them. :)

On Saturday, Dallas came over to visit with us. JD slept for a couple hours while Dallas held him, and she and I had a chance to catch up. It was really nice to see her!

first few days home

The first few days home have been wonderful! We arrived home on Saturday evening. John had class, so baby John and I didn't come home until after he was done. My parents came over with a stork for our front yard. It's so cute! They took pictures of us entering our house as a new family. It was great. We then enjoyed our first sleepless night! I had to supplement with formula in a syringe until my milk came in. That was a little hard, but definitely worth it, because we wanted John Daniel to gain back the weight he lost in the hospital.

On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day with both families. John's family came over after church and then my family came over later in the evening. It was nice to spend time with them all. They loved on John the entire time. He definitely loves being held!

Monday we had our first check-up with Dr. Hall. John has gained 4 oz back! That is great news. Also, my milk has come in, so we don't need to supplement with formula any more. That is great, too!! Much easier to feed at night when I don't have to warm up formula. Christine and her family came over on Monday night to visit for a few minutes. Little David hadn't seen John Daniel yet, so they visited for a little bit.

Today we spent time at home. I'm starting to get a little stir-crazy! I think we may go for a walk tomorrow at the mall! :) We rented a few videos and enjoyed one of them tonight as a family. We also gave JD his first bath at home. He didn't like washing his body so much, but loved when we washed his hair! What a cutie he was! He was very sleepy tonight, but crashed right after his bath. I rocked him for a few minutes and he was ready for his cradle.

I am so in love with John Daniel. I love being a mommy! All in all it has been a wonderful first few days home!! :)

cutie!

Our little cutie!

It's a BOY!

John Daniel
born 5/11/06
8 lbs 2 oz
20 inches long

more contractions! :)

It's about 1:20 am on Thursday, May 11. My contractions are about 6 minutes apart now. I've been trying to sleep some, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen tonight! I think I will wake up John soon so we can head to the hospital. It looks like John's sister might get a baby niece or nephew for her birthday!! Keep us in your prayers!!! :)

contractions

I am having contractions about 10 minutes apart and have been for a couple hours. Maybe it will be tonight!! I can't wait to meet this little peanut!! :)

Due today!!

Well, I just got home from the DR....I'm dialated to 2.5........a little progress there, I guess! :) She stripped my membranes (took her hand and went around the baby's head to detach the placenta from the wall of my uterus). Let me tell you how GREAT that felt!!! UGHHHHHHH Anyways, I'm really crampy now........I am going to go walk up and down the driveway. If my contractions start to get strong, I'm going to call John and have him come home. Maybe today is the day?! She also said that if I don't have the baby by next week, they'll induce on Wednesday. KEEP PRAYING!!!

false alarm #2!

Well, I thought that yesterday was going to be the day. I was shopping and suddenly felt like my water had broken! It wasn't a huge gush, just a trickle, but I just wasn't sure! So, I called labor and delivery and they said to come in. I felt kinda silly when she took the test and it came back negative, but it turns out that I have another yeast infection - no ruptured membranes! UGH Oh well. At least we know. Needless to say, we spent a few hours getting monitored. I was having some contractions about seven minutes apart, but they were weak, and I am still dialated to 2. Looks like we'll have a baby another day!! Keep praying!! Tomorrow is my official due date and I have a DR appointment, so we'll see what she says then. :)

crummy

I hope we're getting close to the birth of this little one, because I'm really starting to feel crummy. I swear that if the baby grows any more, the skin on my belly is going to rip apart!! This morning I didn't want to get out of bed at all. I've not felt that way since I've been pregnant. John let me sleep another hour or so, and that made me feel a little better. I just pray that this baby comes soon. I want to be a mommy!! :)

Cinco de Mayo

Here we are - five days until this peanut is due! I was a busy girl today in hopes that my activity would get something moving inside! No such luck yet! I cleaned the garage some, wrapped all the birthday and mother's day presents for mom, Jane, and Sarah, did two loads of laundry, wrote some thank you notes, and worked on putting up the Pack and Play for the baby. I even managed to fit in a few episodes of The Baby Story on TLC! :) I am going to rest a little now. I think that would be a good idea!! I'm thinking pizza for dinner - very easy! lol Keep praying!! :)

39 weeks - update

I went to the DR today...still dialated to 2. I was really hoping that it would be more, but no such luck! I had a non-stress test done after my appointment just to make sure the baby is doing well, since he/she is so low and not moving as much as before. Turns out that everything looks good! My doctor is on call this weekend (Fri-Mon), so maybe the baby will come then. We'll see! I think tomorrow I am going to vacuum out my car and clean out the garage - maybe the activity will help things along?! I keep praying that this little peanut comes soon - I'm ready to meet him/her!!! :)

birthday wish

Will my birthday wish come true?! We'll see!!!

Who's reading?

So, nobody ever comments, but lots of people say they read this blog. You can comment people!! hehe When you don't, it's like I'm talking to myself - and that's no fun!! :)

busy weekend

What a busy weekend this has been!! I thought with all the activity, something would happen with this little peanut!!! :) Saturday Jeff graduated from University of Michigan. I am so proud of him. He is now on to dental school at U of M. He's going to be a great dentist!!

Saturday night we had Ryan and Emily over for dinner. It was fun to see them and chat about our babies!! Ryan and John put the carseat in my car. It's weird to look back there and see it!! I can't believe there will be a baby in there so soon!!!

Today we went to church at Shephard of the Lakes, then to breakfast. I came home and took a 3 hour nap and then we went to dinner at the Real Seafood Co. in Ann Arbor to celebrate graduations for Jeff, Eve, and Leigh Ann (Eve's sister). Today I had a bunch of random contractions, so when we got home from dinner, John and I decided to walk around our hilly sub. Certainly that would bring on more contractions, right? ONLY ONE!! haha OH well. Looks like our little peanut is quite comfortable inside right now, so we'll keep praying!! :)

update - 38 weeks

I went to the DR today - I'm dialated to 2. It looks as though my last day at school will be this Friday the 28th. It's kinda bittersweet. I definitely need the rest because my back and my feet hurt so much when I'm teaching, but I am going to miss school. I just keep thinking that my life will be so crazy once this little one arrives, it will be good to get a few days of rest in before that happens!! I wonder now if the baby will come before my birthday (Tuesday). We'll see!! Keep praying for good health and a good delivery! :)

Can't sleep!

Well it's just past 4:15 am and I can't sleep!! I have tossed and turned all night and just can't fall asleep for more than 30 mins at a time. UGH Maybe God is preparing me for motherhood? haha I know I'm going to be tired tomorrow, but I just couldn't lay in bed any longer. SO I'm in working on stuff for church and of course posting on here.

I hope this baby comes soon!! I have definitely dropped in the last few days. My belly is so much lower and more crampy. We took some pictures the other night. I can't believe how big I am!! I swear my belly is going to rip if the baby grows any more!!! Thank you for all your prayers. Keep praying. Hopefully I'll have a baby picture to post soon!!! xo

My dream was wrong!

As you may remember, I had a dream that we had a little boy on April 22. WELL April 22 has come and is almost gone and no sign of baby coming out any time soon!! In any case, for all of those of you who are faithful blog readers, I just thought I'd let you know that our little peanut is not here yet!! Keep praying!!! :)

Pi Phi Girls

At my shower (34 weeks)

no baby yet!

I've received a bunch of e-mails because I haven't updated the blog. No baby yet!! Stay tuned. :)

walkin' :)

Today I had a few more light contractions - probably still Braxton-Hicks. So, tonight John and I decided that we would walk up and down the driveway 20 times and see if anything happens! We just finished and other than feeling TIRED and HEAVY, nothing more has happened. Oh well - at least we got some exercise!! :)

updates

At my appointment on Wednesday, the Dr said that I am still only dialated to one. She said that now that I am past 36 weeks, the baby's lungs will be developed, which is great! On Thursday at school, I lost the "plug" so the baby could come any time now! However, I have read that it may be weeks after losing that, so we'll see! It would be nice to have an Easter baby!! :)

False Alarm #1 :)

Well, I almost thought it was going to happen today!! I was in the DR office for my weekly appointment and she thought I was dialated to 3-4 cm and I was having some mild cramping, so she sent me over to the hospital. They monitored me and the babe for awhile, did another exam, and found out that I am only dialated to 1. SO, false alarm #1! haha I'm sure there will be more, but it was a little exciting!! I'm taking the day off tomorrow to rest so I'm up to speed to go with my youth from church to Acquire the Fire tomorrow night.

We started our childbirth education classes tonight. It was pretty informative. We learned a lot about early labor and relaxation. It will definitely be helpful!! On Tuesday we took the breastfeeding prep class. That was certainly helpful, too! Now that we have learned some more info about this little baby and what will likely happen, I am feeling more comfortable about being a mom!

I keep praying that our little peanut is happy and healthy until he or she (I think it's a he) enters this world!! :)

A Great Weekend!

Saturday was such a great day! John and I went for the Birth Center tour at the hospital Saturday morning. I am so glad we went, even though I did get a little emotional when she was showing us around the delivery rooms. I do feel more comfortable and now I know where we will be spending the first few days with our little one when he/she comes! Will it be soon?

Saturday afternoon Christine and Eve had a shower for me with my college and work friends. It was so fun. It was very relaxing because it was at my house. I got to show everyone the nursery. (It looked great because my family helped make sure it was perfect on Friday night.) We received so many wonderful presents. I am so lucky to have such great friends. Sarah made the cake which we are still enjoying!!

After the shower John and I went over to Target to purchase our stroller and car seat because our other choice at Babies R Us has been discontinued. We chose one that is black, silver, and purple. I really like it!! It will be great for either a girl or boy and won't show much dirt! Am I thinking like a mom now, or what?! :)

On Sunday after church we went to Babies R Us and exchanged the car seat base Lucy gave us for a silver one, since we changed the color of the car seat! We also purchased our Pack N Play and the monitors with money from the shower and the gift certificate from the boys swim team. When we got home John put it all together and it is now living in my trunk just waiting for the little peanut to arrive!! I am even more excited now!!

A few shower pics...

Daisy, Melissa, and Kathy

Daisy, Melissa, John, and Jane

The awesome little nutbrown hare mobile my dad made for the baby!

Great nutbrown hare pictures for the walls from the Dewey girls! :)

Baby Shower!

Yesterday was a great day! My mom's friend, Kathy, had a shower for me at Oak Pointe Country Club. It was so nice! Our baby is lucky to have so many people that care!! We received a lot of adorable clothes and other things we definitely need!! Last night mom, dad, Jeff, and Eve came over and we put all the fun gifts away in the nursery. My mom took all the clothes and blankets home to wash, so they're ready for this little peanut when he/she decides to meet us!! I am getting so excited!!! Can't wait for the other shower on April 1. It is going to be so fun to show everyone the nursery. It looks so good!!! :) When I get some pictures from my dad from the shower, I'll put them up on here.

Restful weekend

After returing from 5th grade camp, this was just the weekend I needed! I got a massage on Friday afternoon, which was fantastic!! Yesterday I was so lazy, I didn't even get out of my jammies all day!! I think I may have rested too much because I didn't sleep very well last night, but I did take a nap after church today. This little baby inside me still is moving around quite a bit. I'm getting excited to see if they will in fact do an ultrasound at my appointment on the 24th. I think it would be great to see this little one again!! Other than conferences on Tuesday, this week should be good for me. John and I switched our Lamaze classes, so we will begin on April 6 and go for four Thursdays. I hope we're not pushing the date! Oh well, nothing we can do now. Hopefully they'll teach us all the important info at the first class - just in case!! :)

31 week appointment

I went to the DR today. He said that I am measuring about 3.5 weeks bigger and they will most likely do an ultrasound at my next appointment to measure the baby. We may have this little blessing earlier than expected!! That is very exciting!!! We'll see! :)

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya, Tomorrow...

My mom and I went to see Annie tonight. It was great!! When she was pregnant with me, she went to see Annie at the Masonic Temple and I was dancing all around in her belly. SO, she wanted to take me and see if the same thing happened with our baby. It did!! We had front row seats right by the orchestra, which the baby loved!! It was a great musical and it was nice to spend time with my mom. :)

Book Shower!!!!!

Today was my baby shower at school. It was so nice. They had cake and water. Pattie made the cutest table decorations. They were stuffed animals with diapers and little sayings with bows on them. She also decorated the table with die-cut flowers. She is so creative! The staff gave us a gift card to Target and lots of people gave us books! There are so many fun ones. I can't wait to organize them all on the book shelf! John came over for the shower, which was great. I am so excited!!

new belly picture!

We took some new pictures today. I am 27 weeks, 5 days along. This little jumping bean is so active!! He/she is getting bigger every day! I can't wait to meet our little baby!! We arranged the nursery last night. It looks so cute. We're not sure what we're going to put on the walls yet - maybe a mural or maybe just some framed photos? We're not sure. I was thinking about writing a quote from the Guess How Much I Love You book, but I'm just not sure that I love that idea yet. We'll see. :)

praise music and more

Well, I'm certain that our baby loves God, for every time we're at church, singing, or playing praise music, he/she is super-wiggly inside me!! This weekend at Spring Hill, when we were singing in the auditorium, you would have thought that the baby was going to wiggle right out!! He/she LOVES praise music. I suppose that is a good thing!! I am getting more and more excited every day. I can't wait for our little miracle to arrive!!!!

My mom and John have almost finished painting the nursery. My mom just needs to finish the crown moulding and it will be done. I am so excited to put everything in place once they finish. Our Little Nutbrown Hare is going to be so loved!!

I am going to take my Glucose Test on Wednesday. I hope it all turns out okay. I went to the DR on Friday and everything still looks great! Baby is measuring a couple weeks bigger, but who knows what that means? Probably that we're having a big baby!! haha

That's about it for now...keep praying for our little miracle!

hiccups!

I was on the way to John's meet today and suddenly felt the baby "kick" over and over again for about five minutes. I got out of the car and walked around and it stopped. I think the baby got the hiccups!! It was cool. I wanted the baby to do it again, but it didn't! I'm sure it will happen again soon, though. It was pretty fun!!

My parents and John and painting the nursery this weekend. It is going to look so nice. I am so excited. The baby bedding came in on Tuesday and looks just awesome on the crib. It will be perfect for either a boy or girl. It is so sweet. I can't wait for our little nutbrown hare to come!!! Only a few more months!! YAY

24 week appointment

Went to the DR today. Dr. Uhle measured me two weeks bigger than 24 weeks. So that means we are having a big baby or I will deliver early - hopefully!! :) Our little peanut is growing like crazy. It is about as big as a large sweet potato! He/she is still moving around lots - especially in the evening! I will take more pictures soon because my belly is getting larger and rounder by the day. :)

nursery :)

When I was in Washington DC this past weekend, John put up the crib and glider. They look soo good!! It is crazy to stand in that room and think that in just a few months a little person will be living there!! I am super excited. I can feel the baby all the time (especially in the evening), which is really fun!! My belly is even bigger than that picture from a few weeks ago, so this little "sweet potato" must be growing like crazy!! :)

Popping Out!

Well, at 22 weeks I officially feel huge! I know it's going to get worse over the next few months!! During the last few weeks, Baby has been very active. Even keeping mommy up at night doing flip turns!! We're getting more and more excited about this little blessing as each day passes. I can't believe I'm already more than half-way done with the pregnancy. I just can't wait to hold Baby in my arms in a few months!!!