More pictures, well that's what you want right? LOL

Happy family of 4!!
Daddy and his boys!
The boys in Joshy's crib
Night Night big brother!
Guess who loves his little brother???!!!

Joey pictures!!

Not ready to give up the crib for Joshy!
Big helper dragging his and Joshy's diapers out!!
Don't help me mom, I'm fine, I can do it myself!
Guess who made poopy on the toilet??? Yep that's right Joey did at 19mos of age!
Playing with my, I mean Joshy's, crib toy!!

Pictures of the two boys together

Joey's finally getting used to and loving his little brother. He's a very big help too with getting me diapers and picking up the pacifer when Joshy spits it out! He's a good big brother right now and I think as they get older they will be a wonderful brothers and best friends!

More pictures of the newest addition!!

Do you believe I got some pictures of his eyes open?? LOL Well that's my baby. He's under his birth weight in all these pictures so around 8lbs 5oz or less.

Joshua James is born!

These are all pictures from Josh's first 4 days of life!
Joshua James was born January 28th 2007 at 3:38pm. He was born via c-section at a whopping 8lbs 8oz and 22 inches long. His apgars were 8/9 even though he did have wet lungs at birth with hyperpnea (fast respirations) and required a few hours of NICU care to make sure he normalized on his own. He did great soon after arriving in the NICU which we were very grateful for. He was a little jaundice as you can see in the pictures but never anything that needed treating. He is a perfect little baby, he nurses like a champ and is very healthy now. He loves to cuddle and is an awesome sleeper! He's typically sleeping 6-8hrs at night unless I leave him alone in the bassinet then he's up every 3hrs like he should be! LOL He loves sleeping in mommy's arms and mommy loves having him there. Big brother Joey slept with mom the first 2 mos as well so it's all pretty typical in this house :)

Joey's had a rough time adjusting to his new little brother but I think a lot of it has to do with his health. The poor kid started a low grade fever on Christmas eve and has had it off and on ever since! He'll have a fever for a few days, no fever for a few then it's back again! I've taken him in to the dr and it's never his ears or throat or anything they just say it's a viral something or the other and we live with a few more days of fever and cycle keeps repeating! Well when you feel like crap you sure don't want to share your mommy with a baby right? But we're working it out pretty well and I think once these viral things go away we're going to have a great "brother" relationship.

More pictures

Guess who decided to climb into his hamper today?









You guessed it, the 19mos old birthday boy did! How in the world??









Here a 37w3d belly shot, wow that's one big Joshua in there!







Yeah I'm ready for him to come out as soon as those lungs are ready!

Amnio for Joshy update

I just got home from my amnio. Unfortunatly Joshy's lungs aren't yet ready to be in the outside world :( I'm so disappointed but a healthy baby is what's most important! So now I'm going to shoot for another amnio next week Monday 1/22 and go in that night for the induction having him born 1/23. He needs to go up 9pts to be mature so lets hope and pray that he does over the next week. I'm 37w3d so at the least he'll be 38w4d when he's born instead of 37w5d as this past plan would have put him.

Update on Joshy

Ok, here is the scoop on the newest member to be of the family. Joshua, due to his size and my medical issues will be born January 17, 2007! I went into the perinatologist today for an amniocentesis but had to postpone it. The Perinatologist didn't want to puncture me then wait nearly a week before I'm induced. I can't get into the hospital sooner than that :( So I go back again on Monday for the puncture. They are checking lung development. I will get the results when the doctor calls me...he gets the results in 2 hrs. Once it comes back that his lung development is good we're good to go. I will have one last ultrasound Tuesday morning. I will then spend the day getting Joey settled in with my friend who will be caring for him while we're at the hospital. I'll take him to his swimming lessons but not swim with him this time. Jim will pick me up at the pool and we will say good bye to Joey there and leave to check into the hospital at 6pm. They will start with cervidel that night and the pitocin will start Wednesday morning. Hopefully my body will cooperate and I will deliver later that day!
Joey's going to be a GREAT big brother!! We're so excited that we get to meet Joshy so soon now!

Pictures January 2007

Sorry they're all messed up, I'm still working on figuring this blog out!











Happy boy, look at all those teeth!










Big boy room










Toddler bed he's not quite ready for yet. He really loves his crib!










Here's mommy with the big pregnancy belly. Joshy is 36w and 8lbs here!








Sitting at the table like a big boy, love that PB&J!









Hey daddy I'll put this one away!












Helping daddy unload the dishwasher!










Side view of the bad haircut









Back view and side of bad haircut

Great strides!!

Joey has been doing just wonderfully the past few weeks. He's actually doing more and learning more really fast. I think it must be a growth spurt of his brain! LOL

He's not a big talker but out of the blue he shocked me with a 4 word sentence on Jan 4th. Joey and I had just gotten out of the shower and were getting him dressed. I stood him up to pull up his pants and he leaned into me (which is common) and gave me a big hug. As he did this I said "Ahhhh, I love you!" and out of the blue, clear as day, I'm not joking here...he replies with "I love you too"! OMG I was floored!!! Could have knocked me over with a breath at that point. What a wonderful wonderful sound as to hear your child tell you they love you.

It wasn't a fluke either. Later that same day we were out running errands, doctor appts etc and I was singing my "I love my Joey" song that I made up. When I was done I hear from the back seat "I love you mama"!!!
Then I think it was Friday night we were in the basement and daddy was up in the kitchen. Joey could hear him and wanted daddy to be down here playing. So of course when daddy can't hear him, Joey says up the stairs, "I love you"!! And Jim had so been wanting to hear those words and then he missed them :( Poor Daddy!

Few other things that Joey's just started doing: Washing himself in the shower. He takes my poof and will wash what he can reach which is almost everything! He even lifts his leg to the side of the tub to wash his lower leg and feet! It's so adorable. And yesterday in the shower after swimming he was washing his hair too, that was a first. He was rubbing in the shampoo!!

He's being a very big helper around the house. Daddy was unloading the dishwasher and Joey decided to help him. He's take out a dish or cup and hand it to daddy then go for another. Only problem was if daddy wasn't ready to grab the next item Joey would drop it on the floor! LOL

Joey is climbing up onto chairs and such very well now. Daddy was standing on a chair to re-install the door bell he'd taken down months ago (he was painting). Joey must have felt a little left out so he climbed up on the chair all by himself and stood there while daddy worked!

We were at McDonalds the other day in the playland. I think Joey took the other kids shoes out of the little cubby and I asked him to put them back and he did! Every last one of them had they're own spot. I don't know if the kids whos shoes they were could easily find their mate but at least they were in the cubby and not all over the floor right? LOL

Oh he's learned how to jump in his crib and actually get air between the mattress and his feet and it wasn't long, maybe a week or so before he could do that without having to hold on! He was jumping on MY bed this past Monday and his hands were free. Soon he's going to love going to someplace that has a bounce house.

And then there's a mommy update. We learned the hard way that pregnant hormonal women should NOT be allowed to go anywhere near their child's hair with scissors or clippers. Joey's been needing a haircut for the longest time but I just couldn't seem to get him anywhere to get it done. Finally after a little girl at McDonalds thought he was a girl and MIL called him Julie because of his long hair, I decided to just cut it myself. I was Just going to trim his "bangs" and the back, that was it but Joey wouldn't let me come near him with the scissors. He actually put his hands up into his hair an messed up what I'd combed! So my mind said "use the clippers, it won't be too short." I got out the clipper and put on the 1" thingy (what are those pieces called?) and started clipping. Immediately I knew I screwed up but you can't leave the kid with just one swipe of the clippers now can you? So through my massive tears I finished the top and that's where I stopped. I couldn't stop crying. Because of his light blonde hair it looked more like he was a kid who was just getting his hair and not one that was born with more than he now had! The Mullet I left on him just had to go but I was NOT touching his hair again! I called Jim at work and bawled how I ruined his son's hair. He was just releived that it wasn't anything major like Joey fell down the stairs and broke a bone or anything like that. In my mind at the time it was that bad and thinking along those lines did not help any!

After Jim got home from work we took him to the Hair Cuttery to let a professional fix it and cut my hair as well. Of course the girl who took care of us was pregnant too! I joked that pregnant women should not be allowed near scissors and hair! LOL She did a good job on us both though. Joey's now a full buzz cut and my hair is above my shoulders so I can wash and go since I'll have a baby to care for soon.

So that's it for Joey updates for now....

Update on Joshua

So, Joshua is going to be a huge baby, just because I guess! No gestational diabetes, my repeat test was even better than the first! He's healthy and even with as huge as he is right now (over 5 1/2 lbs) he's still moving and groovin all over the womb. While my due date isn't until Feb 2, 2007 I will be having him in January. There was no doubt about that even before we figured out he's big! I was to be induced around 39weeks just to make sure he comes before week 40. Well now that he's so big there is a possiblity that he'll be induced even earlier. No earlier than 37 weeks as that is considered full term but any time after January 12th would be fair game.
I see the OB next Thursday after Christmas then weekly there after. I'm having non-stress tests done every other week and growth ultrasounds have been every three weeks. Maybe more will be done as we get closer to the full term time. My OB is still out on his medical leave but the OB I found to replace him is very nice and I'm comfortable with him taking over my care. My perinatologist is very involved so I'm being watched closely. Oh I found out at my last appointment they have technically labeled Joshua as LGA which is large for gestational age!
Funny when Joey was IUGR intra-uterine growth restricted! I guess there's no argument from me how no two pregnancies are alike, even with the same parents!
So far, so good! Thanks all I can ask for. God has blessed me and my family very much and for that we are truly thankful.

Pictures November and December 2006

My little climber especially loves the tight spots and the high spots as well!


He loves mommy's belly and reclining in the chair with the phone.



The snow was great, can't wait for more to play in
and the musical doggy from St. Nick was a great hit!

Lots going on the past month

Wow I didn't realize how long since I've update on here! Sorry to you all who check frequently. Time sure does fly when you've got children, something you never quite understand until you're in the right shoes! LOL
Well we managed to get through Thanksgiving. It was very nice and even if I do say so myself, the food was wonderful! I may not be able to make chicken and rice but I sure can roast a flavorful and moist turkey and my sweet potatoes are awesome!
On December 1st the Midwest was hit with a great snowstorm. Here we managed the most in the state with an official total of 17 inches! You know Joey was only 2 inches more than that at birth! LOL
I took him outside the day after and he just loved it. He's always loved the snow but this is the first chance he's gotten to play in it. In the past, since he was little, he only got to stick his face up in the air and feel the flakes fall on his face. This time he got to hold it in his hand and attempt to stand in it. Do you believe he is wearing his INFANT snow suit? LOL He's still such a shorty that in length he still can wear that thing. It's not really suitable for walking it but it did the trick and kept him warm.
He will be 18months old on Friday. I can't believe it's been 18 months since his birth. So much has happened, he's grown and developed right before my eyes and yet I feel like I missed it all! He has his pediatrician appointment in the morning. His only shot this time is his flu vaccine and then he doesn't see the doctor until he's two and no more shots until next year's flu shot!
Yesterday I went in to get Josh checked out by the perinatologist. Josh is doing extremely well. He's gaining weight the way Joey should have but didn't! Acutually I'm a little concerned that he's going to be huge! 21 days ago he was 4lbs 0oz, yesterday he was 5lbs 7oz. If I go to my due date of 2/2/07 I'm estimating 8lbs 5oz at least! That's a huge difference between Josh and Joey who was only 3 days early and 6lbs 13oz. Can you all say WOW big Joshie??!! LOL
The perinatologist and I discussed that maybe I have gestational diabetes. I had my 1 hour glucose test done at the usual time around 26 weeks and it was normal but on the high end. It was 133 with 140 being the highest it goes. So I called the new OB I will be seeing this week (my OB is on medical leave and will probably miss Josh's delivery) and told them that I would like a repeat test to make sure. It's important to know so they can watch Josh after he's born and make sure his sugar levels don't bottom out right after birth. I hate that if I am diabetic they may have to give him a bottle to keep his sugars up. I would hate for that to ruin my breastfeeding ability. Though I did allow Joey to have the pacifier during his circumcision and it didn't ruin his breastfeeding so we will just have to see. I'll do whatever I have to in the best interest of my children.
We'll have our little Joshie in about 7 weeks if not sooner!!!

Well the site won't let me put up any pictures for some odd reason. When it's working correctly I will get them up. I do have quite a few!!

Pictures missing from previous post

I don't know why it didn't add these on, I guess I can't have more than a few per post? And as you can see they all got mixed up but I'm sure you can tell what's what! LOL

Pictures of the boys

I had another 3D ultrasound yesterday so I have a couple pictures of Joshua and some pictures of Joey from this month. I'm posting quite a few face shots....Joey's fat lip he received while tripping in the driveway. I'm not sure if he hit the cement or the sippy cup in his hands but it bled pretty good. I couldn't find the camera so I didn't get a pic until the next day and it looked so much better!
Chocolate all over his mouth, have him some M&M's and they were melting all over the place. I guess their motto is only for people who don't squeeze the M&M's in their hands! LOL
I babysat for Joey's little second cousin the other day. He did very well having the baby in the house though he did regress in wanting to sit in the bouncy seat!!
Last but not least, today he is 17mos old and for his "birthday" his cousin Colin gave him a quick little Mohawk! Very cute, Colin's just lucky he didn't shave the sides of his head. LOL

Enjoy!!