Who is ready for CAR"B" Trip?

 Evidently Team Jeffreys.  I LOVE road trips, always have, always will.  I also love road trip snacks.  Since you can't guarantee cajun boiled p-nuts on the side of the road anymore, you have to make your own snacks to go, ESP when rolling down back roads....(Tennessee bi-ways, ha sorry, I'm sure that is stuck in your head now).  Loading up this evening and heading out to Jason and Jonah's first Anderson side family reunion.  Let the fun begin! SOOOO Excited! Pics to come, but until then,  allow your mouth to water.  At least they are all "Clean" right?  PS - the homemade protein bars on the left there - new addiction.  Even Jas approved.  Happy Labor Day Ya'll!

"I Belong with You...You Belong with Me...."

"You're my Sweeeetheeeeeeart"  Yesterday I mentioned singing with Jonah on the way to school in the mornings, NON kid friendly songs.  So after listening to this song this AM, I thought I would go ahead and write about it.  The very first day I ever brought you to school Jeez, we listened to this song by the Lumineers.  I wanted you to know that I was NOT OK with bringing you to school....that I knew I belonged with you and you with me....and of course, you are my sweetheart on top of that.  I have never cried so hard in my life, maybe since then I have, like when I wiped out my phone ;)  But probably not even this much.  I am not going  into detail on this post about these difficulties everyday, because this is not a sad post, it's a music makes us happy post.  But from that day forward we listened to that song every single day on the way to school, and you would smile a "I know mommy, it's OK, God's got this" smile and I would smile right back in hopes that you knew I believed this too.  Then, I would drive off and pray my heart out with tears flowing down my face, that God really did have this. A prayer that I am sure every mommy across the world that was doing the same thing, was also praying.  OK sorry, back to happy music.  You already have such a diverse love for music as does your mommy and daddy.  I was actually working on your "hospital playlist" the Sunday that I went to the hospital and obviously didn't know that I was going to have you.  I had previously talked to Dr. P the week before about bringing music in and he of course said absolutely.  Daddy wasn't surprised- I made play lists for EVERY occasion.  B/c there is one.  So this may have been the most important one I was ever working on to date.  More important than the playlist for the AL National Championship game.  Well, of course I didn't have it done, which was ok.  Lucky for me, Dr. P had his ipod and led your life off with some Coldplay, and it was perfect.  In your first few months of life, Coldplay would actually calm you down.  Another one of your favorites is "Fly me to the Moon" By Frank Sinatra.  I would take your hand in mine and dance you around the house and sing this to you.  You smiled so big, you love to dance.  And then, I would picture us dancing to this at your wedding one day for our Mother/Son dance. And ask you "I wonder if you will step on my toes then?" Because right now you never do :) 
So I hope your love for music continues to grow....and expand. Music has always made my heart smile and I hope it does yours too.  Whether it is Run DMC "It's Tricky" or The Lumineers, sing your heart out Jeez.

A boy and his truck, with his deadlifting shoes

I snapped this pic yesterday as Jeez was just rollin' his dump truck back and forth.  Made me smile and think, out of all of the toys kids have these days it really is the classic dump truck that is so much fun.  And balls right?  Jonah is definitely all boy when it comes to his favorite things.  Trucks, trains, and balls. Oh and slamming cabinet doors but that doesn't count.  With these 3 he can take on the world right now.  These and his chucks right? Seriously though.....how cute are those shoes?  Even though the 2nd pic below is when he should have been wearing his deadlifting shoes. :)

12 1/2 months

9 months

This is the day.....

This is the day that the Lord has Made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24
So after a few days of sulking in my PWO sorrows, I come into work with a positive mind and outlook.  I just know that somehow someway I am going to have WAY more in my "Jonah" folder than I ever even remember putting into it.  Well yes and no. Yes, I do have a lot saved around here but no, I don't have any of my precious Jonah videos. But.....thanks to the awesomeness of my co-workers, they do!  Obviously I don't have time to post them all or write about each one of them at this moment, but this one was worth posting asap.  I would sing this OR "Rise and Shine and Give God the glory glory" Each and every morning to Jonah when getting him up.  He was exactly 3 months old in this video and it still makes my heart smile so big watching this.  I LOVE how he just lights up.  AWWWW my little sunshine, thank you for being such a happy baby.  I once wrote in a note on my phone that I think you see angels.  And sometimes when I would get you out of your crib while singing to you, you would look over my shoulder.....at the angels of course ;)

If You're Happy and You Know It.....

Clap your hands *insert Jonah clapping and smiling!!  Sure enough on the way to school this AM, I just broke out in song (a daily occurrence) only usually it's not necessarily kid-friendly.  Hey, I didn't say it was inappropriate, just not necessarily a kid-song such as this classic.  Don't get me wrong, I've sang to Jeez kid songs since before he was even out of my belly.  In fact, Jas thinks I make up songs (I like to eat, eat, eat, ayples and buhnaynays, or apples and bananas) because that's how many random kid-songs I sing around the house.  OK side tangent sorry, back to this AM.  As I sang, "If You're Happy and you Know it Clap your Hands"  I looked in my rear view and there was Jeez just a smiling and clapping.  He has done this before but I'm always sitting with him doing the motions during the song.  This time it was all him. He was feeling happy so he went with it. No mommy instructions needed.  And guess what?  Now I have a blog that I get to write down this story and smile about it.  So now I'm happy.....and just may be clapping my hands.  Or maybe shouting hoo-ray b/c let's be honest, that's every one's favorite part.
PS - This was Jonah's first day in his new big boy car seat. Went with the Britax Boulevard.  I'm gonna take his clapping and smiling his way of saying thanks guys, I love it.  

A moment in the present

I don't want all of these first few weeks of entries be about me trying to make up for lost documentation so right now this is what is going on.  Mommy is enjoying some blogging peace and quiet while this little guy is catching up on some much needed zzzz's.  In his slimfits. In the swing that he is too big for, but he loves it, just like I love looking at him sleeping so peacefully. So right now in this moment all is right in the world. This isn't just any sleeping pic, this may be going down as the worlds longest weekend nap, so BAM it was blog worthy...Going on 2 hours 20 minutes, and counting.....
PS- check out that sweet little left hand signing "I LOVE YOU"  ;)  Love you too little angel.

A few firsts

I totally know this blog, for the beginning at least, will be so out of order, but that's ok because at least it is here right?  It will probably be alot of throwback and forths, which will just make it all the more exciting :)
So before someone comes and steals your baby book or I lose your journal in a fire, or another phone gets wiped out, ok forget the last one because I'm pretty sure after yesterday I will never try to update anything on my phone alone again without an apple rep. from corporate headquarters next to me.  Ok, a little dramatic but you get the point.
So....here are some firsts:

• Your first smile:  1st day we ever laid eyes on you, guess you were happy you won and got to come on out early
• Your first tooth:  Bottom left at 8 1/2 months
• Your first word: Da da
• You started sitting:  Really not solid on this until close to 7 1/2 months.  You were a weeble wobble that totally did fall down forever
• Started crawling:  Took about 2 crawls before you were 9 months, but seriously after your 9 month check up you came home and were crawling everywhere!  I think you heard Dr. Roberts ask us this question and wanted to let us know, oh yeah, I've got this guys.
• You stood up:  9 1/2 months, but stood up on your own without pulling up to a stand, June 2, 2013.  I watched you from the kitchen as you got in your famous yoga downward dog and just stood up from there for about 10 seconds and then never stopped.  You LOVED standing.
• Started solid foods:  6 months, first food avocado, but honestly you didn't really like solids until about 6 1/2 months.  Now you eat everything but green peas. Which I don't blame you on those
• You clapped:  8 months
• Waved goodbye:  11 1/2 months.  
• Slept through the night:  3 months old
• Slept in own room for the first time:  The night you came home, 13 days old
• Laugh:  You probably laughed before this, but the day I wrote a story about it was December 8, 2012 -You definitely had "giggled" but one day you were laying on our bed and we were tickling you and for some reason we started singing "Al-le-lu-ia" And you started cracking up.  Like deep belly laugh over and over.  You have the sweetest laugh and I was so happy your daddy and I shared this moment together.  Prolly was my bad voice, but it did get you going
• Rolled over:  First time was the first week we brought you home....OBV this was just a little super Jonah moment b/c you didn't do it again until....well, that was one of the milestones that got taken with the PWO (Phone wipe-out) 
• First time I felt you move when prego:  Week 16-17.  By the time I was 18 weeks you were moving ALL. Of. THE. TIME. Oh and haven't stopped since :)
• First 5K:  Mayor's cup, April 27th, 2013.  We ran with Aunt Kate and we won 1st in our age group. By "our" I mean mommy's, but obviously you were the real champ there.  Since I don't want to do many blog posts without a pic or two, b/c how exciting is that?  Here are 2 from that fun day.

First time you walked:  11 1/2 months.  This one deserves its own entry, but I'm going to have to do a little inspector gadgeting on this to find the video that went with the PWO.  But you actually took your first two steps in your crab baby pool.  Which was smart honestly.  You know how the bottom of baby pools are, good and grippy.  What better surface to start on?  After that, we came inside and you just started stepping. This was on a Sunday and by Wednesday, you were everywhere.  I believe I counted 22 steps that day in our bedroom.  You also obviously learned the cabbage patch around this same time b/c that is what you did with every step you took.  It was quite impressive. You are definitely my child learning how to walk and dance on the same day.  Those are both basic life skills that are totally equally important.  

On this day, one year ago...

This happened.  Yep, Jeez got to come home  All 5 lbs 4 oz of him.  We thought he was HUGE after watching him grow in the NICU for 13 days.  What a celebration this was!

There are actually some things I have written down in your journal that I have been writing for you, and have debated copying over into this blog.  I still don't know which ones will make the cut and which ones will remain exclusively between me and you. Like your birth story.  Even though your daddy and I feel like those are the coolest pictures ever in life...not sure the whole world would.  But I do want to say a few things about your NICU life as you and I both knew it.  Rewind again:  You came 5 weeks early, actually the day after we attended childbirth class, so we guess you were paying attention as well and figured we now had it all figure out *insert sarcastic laugh.  Bottom line you didn't want to miss another moment of life and you know what? I'm happy about that because I wasn't ready (looking back, hindsight is fun b/c you can change your feelings right?) to not spend another day without looking at you in person. So...the NICU. We were never sure just how long you would be in there b/c that's sort of an unspoken rule in there.  Let's not throw out false timelines, which I get, but at the same time can be very hard for someone, or a family of someones, this includes you, that doesn't what we are working with.  If you tell us we can get it done if we  do A. B. and C. well then, absolutely we will get it done.  That is life drive right?  I feel like your daddy had been talking to you about this for a while before you even made your debut.  Wake up everyday and be a champion right? But we didn't know.  Anything.  We had never had a baby obviously but even more so, who has a baby that is in the NICU?  As many scenarios that had run through my head about how your birth would go down, this was definitely NOT one of them.  Everyone I knew gets to shower, ok not all of them, that's just justifying to myself why I look so aweful in our hospital pics from the beginning :), have their baby, stay a few days, and take them home when they leave.  NEVERRR did I imagine getting discharged without you in my arms able to take that first photo getting in the car to the carseat that of course had been installed for weeks because we were prepared.  Not us. Not the Jeffreys. We were ambushed....but ambushed by the greatest blessing in the world, which leads me to continue on to tell one of the greatest stories of just how awesome God is and how his plan is always the best.

You ended up being a resident of the NICU for 13 days.  The nurses and Dr's were amazing and you didn't have one setback. You didn't actually digest any formula they gave you before mommy's milk came in but once you were on breastmilk, you didn't skip a beat.  I had NO idea that when you had a preemie, the content of your milk actually changes b/c your body knows this baby came early..and needs extra fats, proteins, etc  Once again, how awesome is God? Exactly.  Our very first nurse was Wanda and August 13th was the first time that I got to hold you.  I could barely walk but I felt like I could have sprinted down there to get my hands on you.  Daddy wheeled me down there and you looked so peaceful.  Wanda let us do what they call "Kangaroo care" which is actually supposed to help preemies develop faster.  Here is the first time I held you...

You just snuggled right up with your face near my heart and I knew right away you knew who I was.  You knew that heartbeat, the only person in the world to hear it on the inside and now on the outside.  We just sat like this forever and continued this kangaroo care for the first few days of your life.  That was "our time"  You moved from an open crib, to an incubator, to another crib before getting dismissed.  We started you on a feeding tube, but you quickly moved to a bottle.  The highlight of our day was holding you and feeding you.  We would bring books to read to you and "On the Night you were Born" was your favorite.  We worked hard to be there at all times and when we were at home I would call in the middle of the night to see how your feedings were going, and then wake daddy up to tell him that you had digested your food and even made a poop ;)  But the one blessing I want to point out from you being in the NICU is the way it brought your daddy and myself closer in our Faith and closer to each other than I ever even imagined was possible.  We blessed your food daily and prayed with you all of the time.  We received prayers from all around the world from those that already loved you so much. And with that faith and our love, and God smiling down and saying "Thank you Jonah, for you have already accomplished your first mission in life on the outside world, for your mommy and daddy are now "ready" - One day the nurse just said "Are you ready to take Jonah home?" And after a minor freak out moment of I don't know are we? We absolutely were.  So there it is....August 25th, 2012, exactly one year ago today, the day that we walked your into our home and it was never the same.

Why stop now?

Ok, so who says you can't post more than one blog entry a day?  Since I am the soul provider of this blog, not me! Not the "un"super mom today.  Trying to move myself back in the running of "mom of the year" And after today, I have quite a ways to go.  So, to prove to myself that I have kept something up for Jeez over this past year, here are Jonah's growth stats from his pediatrician, Dr. Roberts, who was his Dr. up until 9 months, and now we are seeing Dr. Gambrell.  Side note on Dr. Roberts, she was my saving grace after having a preemie and going into his 2 week check up as a clueless first time of not only any baby mom, but a preemie mom.  WHO KNEW that there were so many special "nursing, pacifier, let's not burn too many calories, have to wake your sleeping baby (see throw all old school advice out the window) rules with a preemie.  This was prolly' (one of my fav. made up words that has a story behind it, but get used to seeing it) my first slap of reality that A. I really AM a mommy now  B. It's up to ME, as a Mommy, to make the final shot calls, and C. This $hit is for real...excuse my language on the 3rd, but all you mommy's out there know...that is exactly what you were thinking too.  Looking back now, if it wasn't for Dr. Roberts and a select few other "coaches" in my life, I would have never made it through this first year, well......not the way I wanted to anyways.  That statement will lead me to another future post. Not tonight. We have stats to fill:

• BIRTH:  4 lbs 12 oz - 17 3/4 inches    - Jonah, you were 5 weeks early, so I could write that you were tiny, but that would be stating the obvious
• 2 weeks:  5 lb 4 oz - 18 1/2 inches
• 2 months: 10 lb 2 oz - 21 1/2 inches
• 4 months:  12 lb 13 oz - 24 1/4 inches
• 6 months:  14 lb 12.5 oz - 25 1/4 inches
• 7 months:  15 lb 13 oz - 25 3/4 inches - let me state in my own opinion the height measurements are never accurate...you were squirmy mc squirmerson, so give or take ehhhh let's say an inch ;)
• 9 months:  18 lb 2 oz - 26 1/2 inches
• 12 months:  20 lb 8 oz - 28 1/2 inches - which now puts you in the 37% for weight and 7 % (no shocker here) for height.  Side Stat:  You were .01% for both at birth.  Pretty safe to say you are a bad A$$   have done well catching up :)  

So look...just like that. A little mommy juice and a blog entry of true life, I kept up with something, stats later- I can go to bed now and sleep a little more peaceful.  Maybe this blog is going to be a little more therapeutic than I thought.  Did I spell that right? Oh wait, it's my blog so it doesn't matter.  Night.

Can't wait another minute....

What can't wait another minute? This blog.  This blog that I have only been talking about for years and not actually writing.  The one where I was going to start documenting mine and Jas' blissful marriage and all of the fun adventures we took together so I would have all of this in one place.  And then there was Ellen.  Yep - Ellen Degeneres that is.  Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love Ellen and would love to be on her show.  Her talk show and The Amazing Race, those are the two I will star in/on one day....Back to Ellen.  Well, first let's fast forward, but wait look back? Ahhhh so much to blog about now b/c I've waited.  Since I hadn't started one while Jas and I were enjoying our lives as Fun Team Jeffreys, party of 2, I was going to start blogging about our journey to have Jeez.  Which would have started with my journey on the path of bathrooom/bladder hell. Or humor I should say.  Either way all of that led me to finally become blessed with carrying a little one.  I know what you are thinking, your bladder problems got you prego?  And in a roundabout, future blog spoiler alert, doppleganger post, you could say that. But, we are firm believers that everything happens for a reason, and truly know that God has had us on the right path from the moment he put us on this Earth, less than 24 hours apart from each other.  From the day we said I do on St. Patricks Day, in NOLA, from the moment our lives were changed forever with the greatest blessing he bestowed on us, the birth of Jonah Presley Jeffreys, August 12, 2012, and everything in between.  I am now making up for lost time. Because time doesn't wait, it absolutely flies by. The next thing you know your phone is wiped completely out and there goes every documented picture, milestone note, video, etc. that you feel like you have ever "documented." Because life is too busy as a parent to be the scrapbooker, up to date journal keeper, photo book maker....you get the point, so we just do the best that we can do right? Well it seems that my best is now gone.  Not even in "cloud" land.  So as sad as this first blog entry is, it's the day that changed my world forever and finally got me up and running because well?  It can't wait another minute.  Not anymore.  Not for Jeez' sake or his mommy's.  His mommy that feels like the worst mommy ever.  I am hoping this blog will turn that feeling around after I get on the ball and get some life stories going, because who doesn't love a good blog?  I am not saying mine will be good, I'm just saying it's mine, and to me that is enough to be good.  So now that Jeez has just turned 1, better late than never right?  And exactly.....can't wait another minute.  Or he will be 18 and won't have any of this out there to go back and read.  And that is enough to make mommy cry.  Or cry more I should say.....So here goes nothing, or everything I should say, as I begin....Journaling for Jeez.
And for my first pic....since I need to get in the habit of posting, is our family pic for the big 1st birthday, that happened to get stored on the computer b/f the wipe out.