Jilian Is 2-Months Old!

I know, I'm two (now 3!) days late, but better late than never, right?

On Friday, March 20, 2009, our little Jilian Cate turned 2 months old!

Her 2-month stats are as follows:

Weight: 10 lbs.
Length: 22-3/4 in.

We have been given a petite thing! Actually, she is in the 25th percentile for weight, and the 65th for length, so talk about long & lean, huh? Maybe she will be the flyer when she becomes a cheerleader instead of the base like her muscular mother always had to be!

Even though her doctor told me that comparing a girl and a boy is like comparing apples to oranges because they are on two different growth charts, I just can't help it...
At 2 months, Jaydon was in the 65th percentile for both weight and length. At 2 months, Jacoby was in the 50th percentile for length, and 75th for weight. She is 2+ pounds less than both of her brothers, and almost the same length as they were. Basically, we are going to have one average to above average child, one short and stalky one, and one tall and skinny one. Too funny!
They are all healthy, and that's all that matters.

Jilian has rolled over a few times now. I have yet to see it - great mother that I am! I just come into a room after being gone all of 2 minutes and she's on her back. I need to turn the video camera on and just let it roll and then maybe I'll catch her in action!

She is still quite the snuggle bug and loves to be warm. She will go to sleep anywhere...which is a TRUE blessing!

She has been smiling at us more often. She loves to stare at her daddy. (Maybe because she has to stare at her mother's un-made-up face all day long.)

She makes a few noises here and there.
Her cry is changing, and we can now tell when she is hungry vs. tired vs. colicky. This is nice!

Her eyes are still blue - although yesterday, they looked a bit green when we were outside. Today, they are blue again. We haven't figured that one out yet, so we'll just let nature take its course.

These first two months have been quite joyful, and we can't wait to see what she does in the next few! (Although if she stayed like she was and never grew up, I would be just fine with that.)

Happy Belated 2-Month Birthday, Jili!

Jilian on March 20, 2009Don't you just love the hair bow and matching panties?

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Jaydon was on Spring Break this past week. It was nice having him home - REALLY, it was! He got to spend a couple of days with his great-grandparents - Papa Doyle and Grandma Rogers - which he loved. He planted tomoatoes and did some garden stuff at their house. Then he went to Market Street a couple of times with them. I'm glad he can do things with them and they can still enjoy him.

I started this blog on Sunday, and it's now Monday.

Tomorrow, Jacoby gets tubes put in his ears. Jeremy and I decided it was time - 5 ear infections from the time he was 4 months old, until now, (he is 14 months old) is plenty! The poor baby fusses and whines like you wouldn't believe. Part of that is teething, (he's getting 3 more molars all at once!) but part of it has to be his ears. Hopefully, this is the cure! I just can't imagine the pain he must feel 24/7.

Jaydon also had tubes, but not until he was 2½. We decided to get Jacoby's done earlier because we have been doing research and too many ear infections can lead to partial/full deafness which in turn can hinder speech. We don't want another child with delayed speech, so we are just being proactive....and hopefully help Jacoby feel better all at once.

His surgery is at 7:30 - we have to be there at 6:30.

Please keep us in your prayers tonight and tomorrow!

I had 3 million things to blog about, but I have been trying to finish this for days, and can't seem to think of everything.

I've written enough anyway...

PS: The dress below is from "Addy's Closet". She wore it to the birthday party we went to on Saturday. "Aunt Ally" should LOVE the over-sized bow on her head. LOL. Oh - and "Aunt Andi", the ONLY reason she is wearing an UNDERSHIRT is because it was WAY windy on Saturday and we were outside for the birthday!
Will one of the West girls let me know who it belonged to? I am in LOVE with it, and I swear I can't find anything cute for Easter! The reason I think it may be handed down a time or two is because it's a 6/9 month, and it already fit her, so I'm thinking it may have been washed a time or two. (or 8!) Also, you just don't see cute things like that...ever!
I regret not waiting and putting it on her for Easter! ...and if you think that one is cute, just wait until you see the 53 others!

SO precious!

Cute Smile!

Ready to fight!

Ridin' Dirty

As some of you may or may not know, I started watching Ava on Monday. She is Ameet & Amanda's daughter who will be 3 months old this coming Sunday.

Amanda had to return to work, so lucky her to have me - the BEST person ever with kids - r.i.g.h.t? (No I'm not tootin' my own horn, or fishin' - I only speak the truth. Ha!)

Ava is a bundle of energy. That little girl can go, go, go! Her mannerisms and movements remind me of a 6-month old! She only wanted to "power nap" until this week. Auntie Jessica cured her of all power naps. She is now napping twice a day, and her afternoon nap has been 2+ hours daily. She and I have bonded very quickly, and now it's almost like having the twins I always wanted with her and Jilian under the same roof.

Her body movements may be that of a 6-month old, but her bowel movements are that of an adult. Let me explain...

Ava is breastfed. We all know how that works - no explanations necessary.
Ava's grandparents are visiting from India for a couple of months (give or take). Apparently, Ava's grandma has been cooking up a storm (..and Aunt Jessica has YET to eat any of this yummy food?!?!) and Amanda is enjoying it in large quantities. Well today, Ava'd had enough. Before she even had her first feeding early this morning, she had already gone #2. At this point, I already knew - without a doubt - that this was going to be a stinky day.

By 12:00, that little body had exploded FIVE - yes y'all, FIVE - times! Two of those times, she went right through her heavy duty Pampers straight onto her clothes! NICE!
We aren't talking five little ones, or one LARGE one, and then 4 leftovers. NOPE! This was five separate, heavy duty, 30-year old I'm hungover poopers!

She was great though, and it didn't phase her. Usually she fusses when her backside gets dirty, but I guess it must have been nice to release those lethal toxins.
I think it worried her mommy & me more than anything. Obviously, no more Indian food for mom! (Again, that extra plate that should be mommy's can come over here to Aunt Jessica's any time since she STILL hasn't had any of the food!)

So to celebrate her day of pooperness, I made it official. She "RODE DIRTY" in true Chamillionaire fashion, and I just had to take a picture...(Click to enlarge!)

How cute is that?

So to you breastfeeding mommas out there, don't expose your babysitters to the same gaseous explosions! Ban the Indian food today, and just send it my way - YUM! :)

...and here are a few pictures of my little angel because my blog wouldn't be complete without them...

BFF's..Ava's already giving Jilian the "talk to the hand" and looking away. Jili must have pissed her off!
They told me today that they can't wait for their first sleepover...Lord help me now!

Cutie pie!

Hangin' Out...

I love the shadow in this picture...and her baby blues, too!

Talk to y'all tomorrow for Jilian's 2-month update!

Keep Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

A "Dang, You Are Good" kudo to whoever can name the artist from my title. (I KNOW all of you and what you listen to, and I'll KNOW if you Googled your way to the kudo, so don't test me!)

Okay, back to business...

My now 8-week old daughter rolled over - twice yesterday - from tummy to back! I swear we hardly put that child on her stomach. She's a strong, petite little thing.

The first time, Jaydon comes into my bedroom and says, "Uh Mom, I think we have a problem. Come look!" I hurry into the living room and don't notice anything. "Son, what's the problem? Did the spaceship launch into our living room? Is the house on fire? Who fell down? What is it?" He immediately points to the floor, and I still don't notice anything. (Have I won the Best Mommy award yet?) "Honey, Jilian is fine. OH, OH, OH - Jilian rolled over - SWEET! Now let me finish folding laundry."

Okay, so I really didn't say that last part about the laundry. (Maybe I did in my head.)

I'm really proud of her - really, I am - but it's amazing how different it is when it's your third child. With the first one, you brag, brag, brag. With the next one, it's cute, and you still brag a bit. (In my case, I bragged a lot with this one too because there is a 5+ year difference between my first two children.) The third time around, it's just part of growing up.

Don't get me wrong, ANY milestone is a great indication that your baby is healthy and doing well, but it really is different the third time around. You almost want to stop the hands of time and not allow them do cute things any longer.
...and speaking of growing up, my friend, Rae Carol, wrote a sweet post today about her daughter's 18th birthday.

Way to go, Jilian Cate!
All of the "J's" are so proud of you for rolling over! One day, Jaydon will be able to tell you that he was the first one to notice.

Wait, how could I forget to COMPARE the 3 kids? DUH!

Jaydon rolled over at: 3 months, 2 weeks
Jacoby rolled over at: 3 months, 1 week, and 4 days (This is the post where he rolled over.)
Jilian rolled over at: 8 weeks exactly.
I thought the boys rolled over early, but she beat her brothers by 4 weeks. She IS a girl though, and I hear they do things more quickly. We shall soon find out as she grows up. (Against my will!)

The polka dotted dress below was picked out by Jaydon. He put it in the cart at Wal-Mart before I could say no, and insisted that it was the most beautiful dress made JUST for his sister. How could I say no to such a sweet boy? (Since I'm a WM virgin, please help me out. The dress is a 3-6 month, and my petite girl weighs all of 10-ish pounds and will be 2 months old on Friday. {We find out her weight on Friday.} Do their clothes run small, or are they just like everywhere else where it depends on what you buy? Input appreciated!)
A strange coinky-dink, too. I read a lot of blogs at night, and one of the women had a post today about HER daughter in the same dress. HERE is her post with her cute little miracle in the same attire. (She has a NICE camera like Andi. We are still wanting a camera - it just might be later rather than sooner.)

It really is a cute dress though - especially since it was only $4! The matching panties were cute too.

Tootles!

Look at that smile! Don't you love her shoes, too?

Wal-Mart

I've been told a time or two (or 58!) that I'm hoity-doity.
Maybe it was the mother who never allowed me to wear anything but Z. Cavaricci, Guess, Pepe, and Girbaud. (My now 51-year old mother is still a fashion whore! If she read what I was about to write, she would get a wrinkle and disown me.)
...and you'll want to pull out a bottle of purple White Rain, your old NKOTB tape, a crimper, and a scrunchie while you read this.

Maybe it was because I lived in Bedford where if you didn't own a pair of Cole Haans, (I did - and they were real!) a D&B purse, (I did - and it was real!) or a Starter Adidas jacket, (I did - and yes, it was real!) you got made fun of and called a nerd. (I was still a nerd...OKAY, and I still got made fun of!)
Maybe I was just trying to keep up with the Jones's. (...or an array of other hip chicks from junior high - whatever their names were.)

The day my father came home with some sweats from Wal-Mart so I could throw on after gymnastics practice...I about walked out of practice with those Cole Haans, and Adidas jacket and NOTHING else.
Cold - what cold? I am NOT wearing Wal-Mart sweat pants! I will walk home in the 39º weather. Sheesh - I've got my D&B, Adidas, and Cole Haans. Who needs sweats, DAD?

Times have changed y'all. I now shop at Wal-Mart, and I LOVE it.

I mean really, who could turn down a place where they massage your feet, check your eyes, cut your hair, rotate your tires, fill your prescriptions, and feed your family all in one?

I haven't found much for me, but my little 7-week old has Mr. Walton smiling from heaven. Nobody has ever made Wal-Mart look so good!

I found the CUTEST outfits for her. I bought one in every color. Yep, I did! (You know that when you find something you like, you also buy it in every color so stop reading this and thinking that I'm an idiot.)
$6 per outfit and let me tell ya that she has gotten complimented on EVERY one. You can even mix-and-match. (I don't recommend this. It just looks like you forgot to finish your laundry.)
$6 folks! Who am I to question Mr. Walton's (R.I.P) prices? He was a billionaire for a reason!

So of course, here she is modeling for you:


Yep - the cute hair bows are also courtesy of WM...you know you want to enlarge these and stare at her all day like I have!



I couldn't keep changing her or she might never allow me to dress her in WM clothes again, so the rest of the outfits are being modeled by the island in the kitchen... Cute, huh?

Oh - and for that lady who thinks that my daughter ALWAYS wears hair bows...


How 'bout THEM apples?
NO HAIR BOWS!

Hoity-doity is a thing of the past. Out with the old, and in the with the new.

Wal-Mart rocks!

...and for anyone who disagrees, Charlie has my back!
(He's the 83-year old greeter at my neighborhood Wal-Mart. Watch out for that cane boy!)

Pictures Galore

I. AM. IN. L-O-V-E...

Yes, with the pictures, but more so with the lady who took them.

You see, she is a good friend who I love dearly. She is the most patient woman I have ever met. (West girls, don't take her glory away - let's be nice to each other JUST this post please.)

She was here at our home for 2+ hours shooting away. We had an extremely uncooperative little girl who didn't like to be unclothed. She's VERY used to her mommmy bundling her up, and let's just say that the little snuggle bug became a roaring dragon! The photographer didn't let it get to her - she just kept taking pictures like the professional that she will one day become.

She has now taken pictures for me on three occasions, and each time, she gets better & better. You aren't going to believe by looking at the pictures below that she is an amateur. Yes, she does this for fun! She doesn't like to get paid for her work, and she really enjoys doing it.

She also must have spent a minimum of 24 hours editing the pictures for me. She claims that she was mainly editing "background issues", but I had to remind her that no matter what anybody says, 4-week old babies aren't exactly "supermodels"!

This woman went out to Target the night before to buy props for our photo shoot. Sadly, we didn't even get to use everything. She took time out of her busy life to make sure that I would love these pictures - and I did...x10,000!

Anyway, at no charge to our family, she made a lifetime of memories for us. As I looked through the pictures, she brought out emotions that I didn't know I had. The dinner we bought for her & her family will NEVER be enough for what she did. The next time she takes pictures, she WILL be getting paid.
I just wanted everyone to know how grateful I am to her - not only for her wonderful work, but for her friendship.

Thank you, Andrea Linder, for your time, patience, and creativity.
You totally rock my socks!

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Please comment on the pictures. Pick your favorites, and let me know. Constructive criticism is also greatly appreciated. Remember that you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

...and now without further commentary from my busy mouth, here is my blue-eyed angel at 4-weeks of age, and her good-looking older "bubbas"...