Casualties of War

I knew it was coming and was just a matter of time. Prior to Jax being born, our dogs, Eleanor and Ladybird have received our undivided attention. I call them my first born.


Eleanor

Ladybird

After Jax was born I wondered how these dogs would react to a little baby that radically changed the household dynamic. At first they seemed shocked and then curious. Finally they just gave the baby his space and would go to other areas of the house to find rest from the baby talk and crying. Well I guess that Ladybird has finally had it with Jax calling all the shots in the house and today she declared war.

The first casualty: Clifford the Big Red Dog Wubbanub Pacifier



I found her just now under the dining room table with him firmly in her mouth. She must have just got him though because she has them ripped all stuffed dog toys to shreds in less than a minute.

Here was the aftermath:

You can see some of the dog hair that now covers poor Clifford, but the picture doesn't do justice to the slobber that is also present.

She shows no signs of remorse and poor Jax has no idea what he is in for.

Fun with a Ceiling Fan

I just love Jax's face when he stares in amazement at the ceiling fan in our bedroom. We usually start the morning off with a feeding and then some play time in our bed under the fan. Today I actually got around to taking some pictures because his face is just priceless. I put the camera on sports mode and took these pictures in a total of about 5 seconds.

Two Month Check Up

So yesterday Jax turned two months old and today was his check up appointment, you know the one that comes with lots of shots! Poor guy. He was so happy at the beginning of the appointment and then it ran into his morning nap time. I took these pictures of him on my iphone prior to his shots.




Luckily he wasn't screaming for very long after the shots before he fell back asleep. I think the whole thing was much more traumatic for us than him.

So here were his stats:
weight: 11 lbs 6 oz 50 percentile
length: 23.5 inches 75 percentile

These are much lower than his 1 month check up and the Dr. said that this might be more of Jax's curve. So we might not end up with a NFL linebacker after all. The Dr. said she would like to see his weight match more evenly with his height so Operation Feed Jax will continue. Jasper is just convinced the kid is going to have his metabolism. Jasper is a bottomless pit when it comes to food and he never gains weight. I know, it makes me sick as well. So the Dr. said that he is right on track and a very healthy kid!

Two Months Old

Here we are again, another month has passed since Jax came into the world and what a fun (and exhausting) month it has been. I always hear that time passed so quickly when you had children and now I really believe it.

Jax,
This last month has been such an amazing time. We are starting to see so much more of your personality and we are in love with you more and more every day even though I never imagined it was possible to love you more than the day you were born. You are smiling and laughing more which we love. At first it was mostly at objects like your mirrors or the ceiling fan but lately we have been able to get you to smile at us especially if mommy talks in a really high pitched voice. You are in love with your play mat and starting to really notice objects around you. Mommy's favorite game is silly faces where we make faces at each other which usually gets a big smile.

The theme of the first month had been to get you to eat enough and that you seem to be doing. You are a very hungry baby and it is hard to keep up with the demand but we feel like we are closer to that now. The theme of this month has been to get you to sleep enough. You seem to be very concerned in what is going on around you and therefore you don't want to miss a moment. In the last few days we seem to be turning a corner though in getting you to take naps and I have promised to not let you miss anything exciting that happens.

You love going outside with your daddy and still aren't a big fan of kisses though your parents and grandparents just can't help themselves. While you might not like kisses you are a cuddle bug. You still like to be held most of the time (if you aren't on your play mat) and love being held close to us in a wrap. We try to enjoy every minute of this as we know that this might not always be the case.

This month has gone by so quickly again and while it is a little sad to realize that another month has already passed in the blink of an eye, we are so excited to see what this next month brings. We love you so much.

Love, Mommy and Daddy

We couldn't decide on one picture for this month so we included several. They give you a little more of his personality. :)

Jax's Favorite Things

Forget raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Jax has his own list of favorite things that we could just not live without right now.

1 & 2: The Sleepy Wrap and Wubbanub Pacifier



This picture captures two of Jax's favorite things: the sleepy wrap and the lamb Wubbanub pacifier. First, his Sleepy Wrap. I have posted pictures of Jax in his before because he is just so so happy in that thing. The Sleepy Wrap is like the Moby Wrap which is more common I believe. I used a Moby first, but this wrap has a fabric that has more stretch making it great for a sleepy newborn. Since Jax likes to be held often and face outward, this thing has been a life saver. Without it our house would be a disaster and my arms would probably look like I was competing in a body builder competition! (ok who are we kidding they would still be flabby, but there would be a lot more muscle underneath!). Jax is so happy in this wrap and it is many times the last resort when we can't get him to nap because he will usually fall asleep in this thing within minutes if I face him toward me.

Second, Jax is starting to absolutely LOVE his Wubbanub pacifier.

He isn't great about keeping a pacifier in his mouth yet but this one he can grasp so it stays in better. Also as you can see in the picture, I tuck the lamb part in the wrap and it stays put so I am not constantly picking up pacifiers from the floor (early on I even found one in Ladybird's mouth!).

3: Bath Time



The kid still lives for bath time. The evenings are not the best time of day for Jax as he is usually tired and cluster feeding. However he can be screaming at the top of his lungs and has soon as this kid hits the water all is calm in the house. He is very zen during bath time, and very happy. I hope that once he outgrows this sink tub and we transition to the bathroom tub he still likes bath time this much.

4: Mirrors



Distorted mirrors to be exact. I have no idea why but Jax will go crazy when he sees one. He can be upset and when I place him on his play mat that has this mirror and his face will fill with delight. Another toy of his has a distorted mirror and I thought it was just because it was cheap. However while Jax will look in a regular mirror, the distorted ones are his preferred type. I guess the toy manufactures were one to something. So weird.

5: Rice Sock


Speaking of weird, do you see that object across Jax as he is sleeping? That is a men's athletic sock filled with rice and it made the list at number 5. I spent countless hours researching thousands of baby products while pregnant to find just the right gear for Jax's arrival. I never came across this one. I actually just took this picture of Jax as he is sleeping right now (when else would I be able to blog?) and he cannot usually fall to sleep without this sock across his belly. This sock was actually made during our labor class. The instructor had us make them and said that you can microwave them to use as concentrated heat during labor. Well I didn't use it much but now it is the must have in our household. Jax likes to be help closely which is why he loves the wrap as it is tight fabric holding him against us. This sock with rice is just heavy enough to give him that comfort and recreate that pressure without being too heavy. We don't heat it up, just put it across his stomach after putting him down to sleep and he is happy.

6: Ceiling Fans



This was was much less surprising as I have always heard that babies love ceiling fans. This is the one in our bedroom and the only reason I have time to get dressed in the morning. I can put Jax underneath and he is perfectly content watching the blades go around while he smiles and laughs.

and 7: Changing Pads



They aren't just for changing dirty diapers. In this house they are the place of lots of playtime as well. This is the changing pad we have set up in the guest bedroom downstairs. Jax loves to be on the changing pad and will laugh and wiggle around for a very long time after a diaper change. He is so happy on them that sometimes I will put the pad on the floor and read stories to him on the pad.

So there it is. I am sure this list will be subject to change many times in the months and years to come. For this 8 weeker though, these items are our favorite things.

Happy Baby

There is nothing cuter than a smiling baby. I was able to capture some of that cuteness today on camera while Jax and I had play time. Enjoy. :)







I should note that about 40 minutes after these pictures were taken Jax was screaming at the top of his lungs. He can seriously go from happy to upset instantly. I wish I knew what was going on in that head of his sometimes.

Also this picture was taken yesterday because I just loved these pjs that Jax was finally big enough for.



Could he be any cuter?

Happy Father's Day!

What a wonderful day we have had yesterday. Jax was so excited that it was Father's Day that he decided to wake up for a feeding at 3:30 a.m. and stay awake for an hour or so. Deciding that this was a great time to start celebrating, I let Jasper take over after the feeding and hang out with his son while I went back to sleep. :) We had such a great day as both sets of grandparents came over for dinner as did Jax's Uncle Kevin and Megan. Jax seriously will never want for attention! Here are just a few of the hundreds (no joke) of pictures I took today.

Jasper and Jax getting some quality father and son time in yesterday morning while reading some UofL sports blogs.

Playing with Uncle Kevin




Passed out on me while everyone ate dinner.

The Dads and kids




We had a fantastic time and Jasper made a great meal (yes I am a horrible wife who let her husband do all the work preparing a meal for father's day). Jax was exhausted by the end and this is a picture Jasper took with his phone about five minutes after everyone left.


Jasper and I are both so lucky to have such wonderful dads to celebrate yesterday. Now seeing Jasper as a father is one of the most amazing experiences. Jax is one very lucky kid.

A Hard Day's Work

Jax and I had a very busy day today. He had his first trip downtown to visit his daddy's office! Jasper was of course very excited to take Jax around to meet everyone. Jax also wanted to dress to impress with a tie since he hopes to work at Jones Ward in 2036 after graduating law school. :) Here is Jax with his dad in Jasper's office.

After making the rounds at Jasper's office, Jax and I headed a couple of blocks over to my old office to see everyone there. Jax seemed right at home at my office and we decided it is because I spent so much time there while pregnant and he must be used to everyone's voices!



As you can tell Jax slept through much of this visit.

Overall a very successful trip. I have always been excited about the idea of bringing Jax downtown for lunch with his dad and then visiting fun places like the Science Center and the Louisville Slugger Museum. Hopefully this is the first of many trips and Jax and I will take downtown.

Pictures from this Past Week

Not much has been going on in our house this past week or so. We are still working on establishing more of a routine which is hard to do when we feed Jax on demand and he doesn't take naps at the same time of day. We are doing well though and loving every minute with this little guy. I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures from the past week or so.

I love this picture of Jax with his Mikey from last weekend. He is starting to smile more and more which is so much fun to watch.


One thing that Jax LOVES is his moby wrap. Since his idea of fun is having Jasper or I bounce him around the house facing outward while singing, this thing has become very handy and also allows me to at least get some stuff done during the day. Jax was so happy to have his dad walking him around the house that I had to get a picture.
Of course by picture I mean I turn into the paparazzi and take hundreds. This is how Jax let me know he was done with the pictures. Little does he know this is one of my favorite of his faces (when I know nothing is really wrong) as I think it is hilarious.


Finally I came downstairs to this the other night. The dogs have been so great with all the madness that is Jax. I think Ladybird just misses cuddling with us in our laps. She gets as close as she can. So cute.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Picking Teams

As most of you know, while Jasper and are similar in many areas, one of our biggest differences revolves around college sports, particularly college basketball. I grew up a Kentucky fan and Jasper is HUGE Louisville fan. Luckily that has not been too detrimental to our marriage ans I have always been the bigger person and have cheered for Louisville all but that one day a year when they play Kentucky. :) When we began discussing future children, the question always lingered "will they be a Kentucky or Louisville fan?" There are already both red and blue outfits in Jax's closet waiting for him to pick his team. Well this weekend we might have had a preview to where he is leaning.

At the mall Jasper spotted former Louisville coach Denny Crum and immediately stopped him to ask if he could get a picture of him and Jax. Coach Crum was very nice and agreed so Jasper went about getting Jax out of his car seat. Let me tell you about Jax and his car seat ... he LOVES it. He falls asleep in that thing within minutes every time. Getting Jax out of the car seat is another story. He always wakes up immediately noticing that he usually has a wet diaper, screams for it to be changed and them wants to be fed. As Jasper was getting Jax out of the car seat for a picture I simultaneously started scanning the stores for the nearest decent restroom so I could change and feed Jax while also smiling inside thinking of a picture of a screaming Jax with Denny Crum as proof that Jax was a Cats fan. Instead however Jasper got Jax out of the seat and I got this:



Jax didn't let out even a whimper and seemed perfectly content. Oh well, I can at least enjoy the fact that Jasper happened to have his alma mater and Louisville Big East Rival on his shirt that day.

One Month Check Up

We had our one month check up on Friday, a little past one month because of our Dr's schedule. Of course I had to take a picture of him on our way to the Dr. :)



What did I learn at this appointment? Jax is a growing boy! He has grown a whole two inches since birth to make him 23 inches. I swear those two inches are all in his legs, they are getting so long. That puts him in the 90th percentile for height. As for weight he is 10 pounds 5 ounces. He is still "off the charts" compared to other babies his age for weight, but he is closer to the charts than he was when he was born!

Everything else looked great and the Dr was very happy with his neck control and strength (especially how strong his kicks are). Seems like we have a healthy boy!

On a side note, Jax has loved his moby wrap since birth but now he has graduated to a new position given his good neck control. Check him out!

Memorial Day Fun

Last weekend we enjoyed Jax's first holiday with a very busy weekend! Jasper had a good friend that was getting married in Cape Cod (congrats by the way to Doug and Angela!) and we thought that if Jax came a few weeks early we might all be able to attend the wedding. As Jax was late and 1 month old however, I knew we were not ready for any traveling. Jasper went to the wedding though because he didn't want to miss Doug's big day. Not wanting to miss out on the Memorial Day fun, Jax and I decided to make our first trip as well, to E-town to visit Madre and Papa Bear!

I think I packed more for this 2 night trip than I did for our Honeymoon in Italy and that was after you consider that my parents already had a pack n play, swing, changing pad and table, bouncer and lots of diapers and wipes (not even including so many toys for birth through 5 I think)! I joked with Jax that they wanted him to visit so bad they would get anything at this point and that if he wanted a car for his 16th birthday this might be the time to ask.

We had so much fun though and Jax got to visit with uncle Tyler, both great grandparents and his great aunt Linda and cousin Becca! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend.










We took a four generations pictures for a frame we gave Nana.



Afterward Mom and I saw this as my Dad and Nana were walking away. I hope that Jax and I are always as close as these two are, so sweet.




Nothing says Memorial Day like hanging out by the pool and taking a nap!


As much fun as we had over the weekend, Jax and I were very anxious to get back home when Jasper did. Jax missed his Dad and this picture was taken within about an hour of us all getting home.


Life is good.