Harry's Guitar Shop

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello little precious!  Today was a fun filled day.  We all got up and had some breakfast together.  Then, you and I went upstairs and played in the bonus room.  I put some CD's on and we listened to some music through all the speakers that daddy connected.  :-)  Daddy went outside and mowed the lawn.  It didn't take him long though.  Once he took a shower, we organized a few things around the house and then ate a quick lunch (left overs from last night .... yummy!).  

We ran some errands after that .... first we stopped at Lowe's.  There were a few things for the house that we needed.  For example, the hinges on the master bathroom door are rusted and squeak .... so we bought new ones and changed them out this afternoon.  Now, if something has to use the restroom in the middle of the night, the door doesn't squeal and wake everyone.  :-)  We also picked up some other odds and ends to help finish some projects around the house .... steel braided hoses for the washing machine (we don't want to leave the rubber ones on there), air fresheners, a plate holder so we can hang a decorative plate .... you ended up sleeping in the car seat during all of this.  :-P

From there, we took you over to Harry's Guitar Shop.  :-)  Daddy took guitar lessons here when he was smaller, and this is also where I took mandolin lessons and daddy took banjo lessons about a year and a half ago.  Once you came early, my lessons were cut short.  :-P  I haven't played the mandolin much since then, but I'm trying to find the time to get back into it.  Plus, you don't seem to mind when I hit the wrong notes.  ;-)  Daddy got some strings so he can change the ones on his guitar, and we also got hangers so we can mount the mandolins on the wall .... far enough up that your little hands can't quite reach them yet!  ;-)  Once you get bigger, I'll let you play them.  Everyone got to meet you there .... a lot of the employees have heard about you, but it was your first time in the store.  

We made a quick trip to AT&T (do they still exist by the time you read this?) and then Target on the way home.  Once we got home, Grandpa Jim came over to help take away cardboard that has been piling up around here.  He loaded it all in his truck to put in a recycling bin near his office.  He also got to play with you and give you a bottle.  :-)

I had a bad case of insomnia last night, so soon after, I fell asleep on the couch.  You played on the floor and daddy made a delightful dinner .... steak, potatoes, and veggies!  Yummm!  You have a wonderful daddy .... we're so blessed to have him!  :-)

The rest of the evening we all relaxed.  Daddy hung a few pictures on the walls and you continued to play with your toys and do some tummy time.  Oh, you also finished your container of bananas.  :-P

Sleep tight little man!

I love you very much!  :-)

~Mommy

Forty Three Weeks

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello little fellow!  Guess what .... today you are forty three weeks old!  Wow!  You sure are getting older.  Have you given any thought on what you want for your birthday?  Well .... keep thinking .... it's right around the corner.  ;-)

Today is "Friday the 13th" which a lot of people think of as having bad luck.  We had a pretty good day though.  :-)

This morning, you had your appointment at Level Four Pediatrics.  Remember we were referred there from the Special Infant Care Clinic at Wake Med this past tuesday?  We left early so we could run by the bank to make a deposit on the way there.  We got to the building in Cary about 20 minutes early, which was great since you apparently had filled your diaper on the car ride!  So, after a quick change we were all set for the appointment!  By the way, it is really hard to find changing tables in public restrooms!  I never noticed how rare they were before I had you, but now it seems that every time I need one for you, I can never find one.  I usually end up using the way back of the SUV as a changing table/area (which is what we did today!).  :-P

Well, the two ladies that worked with us were really nice.  One had a really cool accent ..... either Irish or Scottish.  :-)  They put a "sock" hat on you and took a few scans of your head for the shape.  Obviously they've seen head shapes that are more severe than yours, but they were concerned about your flat spot (back right) as well.  What we're going to do, is go back in two more weeks and see if you're correcting the shape on your own.  If so, you may not need a helmet .... if not, you'll likely be wearing a helmet for a few months.  So, in the meantime, you and I will continue to work on your tummy time and exercises to see if you'll correct on your own.  Oh, both ladies stated that you were cute and well behaved!  :-)

On the way back to Raleigh (the appointment was in Cary), you fell asleep in the car.  You stayed sleeping when we got back to the house, so I made a lunch and ate while you snoozed.  Once you woke up though, you took a huge bottle .... 8 ounces!  Wow!

We organized a few things around the house and ended up doing four loads of laundry this afternoon.  Oh, then I washed your scalp .... you have such fuzzy hair once it's washed!  :-)  You're babbling more each day .... I keep waiting for you to say "Mama."  :-)  And, you love to clap your hands!  It's so cute!  :-)

Uncle Brennan came over later in the evening and we all went out to eat at Red Bowl (Asian food).  It was good .... but you slept in your stroller the entire time!  :-P

This evening you played more on the bed and did tummy time before falling asleep.  Tomorrow's the weekend, so daddy has off and we can do things as a family!  Yippie!  

Sleep tight little miracle!  

I love you very much!  :-)

~Mommy

Bananas

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello little precious!  I didn't have a great day today because I was away from you for the majority of it!  I left for work around 7:30am and didn't get home until around 8:45pm(ish) because of a late work meeting.  We have quarterly Provider's Meetings at work every three months, where all the doctors from all the Wake Health Services offices get together and discuss things from their departments.  Also, the CEO is there to give us updates on the organization so we can disperse the information back to our sites.  We also had a guest speaker there tonight (from DOOK -- Ahhh!) to discuss medications associated with asthma patients.

Anyway, I was tired when I got home, but you were still awake so I could still play with you for a little before bed time.  :-)  That made my day!

You and Penny had fun today.  You two went to the park and used the swings again.  You took a nap for her.  And, you took a few swallows of water out of a sippy cup!  You're getting better with the sippy cups man!  Good job!  You still can't hold them yet (nor do you hold your bottles), but I can tell you're getting stronger.

After work, you had daddy time until I got home.  You two played together and you showed off your tummy time to daddy.  :-)  Daddy, in his excitement for bananas, went ahead and gave you bananas for the first time today!  Usually, I wait and finish off all the containers of a particular fruit or veggie over a few days so we can rule out any food allergies .... you still have another container of peaches, but your daddy went straight for the bananas since he likes them!  I never told you this before .... but I do not like bananas!  :-P  You daddy loves them.  Ew!  When I was pregnant with you, I had to eat them to help with the night time calf cramps (the doctor told me to increase my potassium).  So, whenever daddy would eat a banana (which felt like every hour!), I would eat a quarter of it.  :-P  Anyway, you ate them all up which proves you and daddy are related!  :-P

Tomorrow we go to Level Four Pediatrics for a consultation concerning your plagiocephaly.  So, get some extra sleep .... I think the appointment will take an hour.

Sleep tight little man!  :-)

I love you!

~Mommy

Elmo Hat

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello little miracle!  We were able to spend some time together this morning before Penny got here.  You took a bottle before 7am, so we were playing downstairs once Penny walked through the door.  :-)

Here's what you two did today:

8:30am:  sleeping

10:15am:  walk to the park

11am:  floor time

1pm:  sleeping in crib - you fell asleep by yourself

2pm:  floor time

Penny bought you something for when you go outside .... it's an elmo hat!  It has extra protection on the sides to help block out the sun.  You wore it today when you two walked up to the play ground/park this morning.  :-)  Also, Penny hung up a finch feeder on our back deck.  She has finch that fly around her house and deck.  She hasn't seen any here yet, but once we put the feeder out, we'll see if any will fly around here too.  ;-)

You finished your container of peaches today.  You still have one more left to finish though.  

When I got home from work today, I gave you a little bottle after dinner and you fell asleep briefly in my arms.  Daddy tried to cut your nails.  We also ate some ice cream while you slept.  :-)

This evening you had a lot of play time and tummy time on the bed.  It's been one week of you sleeping through the night!  Keep it up man!  Daddy and I are so proud of you!  By the way, I always give you a "goodnight" kiss on your forehead once you fall asleep.  I'm sure that's been helping you.  ;-)

Mimi and Grandpa Mike flew to France today.  They'll be gone until around the 22nd.  Uncle Brennan and Aunt Katie are watching their cats while they're gone.  I'm sure Mimi was happy to spend some time with you yesterday before they flew out.  :-)

You fell asleep in my arms while I was feeding you barley for dinner tonight.  You were so cute!  You were smiling while you were sleeping and even made a little laugh at one point.  We've started a new thing at night of wiping your little teeth down before you go to bed.  We want to make sure you stay healthy .... and that involves your teeth too!  :-)

Tomorrow I have a meeting after work, so I won't see you for the majority of the day.  :-(  I hate being away from you!  Daddy will be here after work though, so the two of you guys can have some boy time together.  :-)  Save a smile and kiss for me!

Sleep tight!

I love you!  :-)

~Mommy

Plagiocephaly

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello cutie pie!  :-)

Today we had an early start .... your SICC (Special Infant Care Clinic) appointment at Wake Med was at 8:15am.  So, I got you ready early, packed the diaper bag, gave you breakfast, and then left the house by 7:30am.  :-)

At the appointment, the doctor was really impressed with your tummy time and sitting.  :-)  You now weigh 17 lbs 11.8 ozs and you're 26.75 inches long!  :-)  They (doctor and physical therapist) could see definite improvement with you turning your head to the left.  They are still concerned with your plagiocephaly (the way that your back right side of the skull is flat .... this distorts your head on the right side if someone looked down on your head from up top).  We have an appointment this friday at a place in Cary for a consultation on possibly putting you in a helmet to correct the shape.  So, we'll see what they say.  

While we were at Wake Med, Mimi came here to let the washing machine delivery guys in.  They took out the broken machine and replaced it with a new one .... and this one works!  Woo hoo!  We did the first load of laundry at the new house when daddy got home so he could see it too!  You watched the machine spin all the clothes around while daddy held you!  :-)

Mimi got to play with you for a little bit once we got home.  She and Grandpa Mike fly out to Paris tomorrow, so we won't see them for about 10 days.  

This afternoon, we took a quick trip to Target for some groceries.  Then, you took a little nap this afternoon.  We cooked dinner before daddy got home.  :-)

You tried peaches for the first time today .... and you gobbled them!  

I gave you a nice bath this evening and your hair got all fuzzy and cute!  ;-)

Oh, when on your tummy, you're starting to push up on your knees now to try to crawl forward.  You haven't actually crawled forward yet, but you're at the beginning stages.  :-)

And .... you fell asleep with your head to the left this evening!  Woo hoo!  :-)

Tomorrow I head back to work, so Penny will be here to watch you.  Save a smile and kiss for me!

Sleep tight little one!

I love you my little Joshua!  :-)

~Mommy

Washer and Dryer

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello little fellow!  How are you?  :-)

This morning you took a pretty big bottle .... 7 ounces of formula when you woke up!  Whoa!  Afterward, you took a little nap.  :-P  I ran your bottles and vacuumed the downstairs.  :-)

You were a little mellow during your physical therapy appointment this morning with Eliza.  You surprised us both with your sitting .... you sat by yourself for over 40 seconds!  Wow!  You are really progressing with your sitting!  You didn't roll during this appointment, and you haven't really rolled since last week.  We'll keep working on that.  :-)

After Eliza left, the Sears delivery guys came with our washer and dryer .... but, the washer doesn't work!  It doesn't turn on!  Geez!  We tried different outlets and reset the breakers to make sure it wasn't the outlet.  But, it's definitely the washer!  So, I called the company, and a new washer will be delivered tomorrow morning, and they'll take away this one that doesn't work.  :-P  You have your Special Infant Care Clinic appointment tomorrow morning at 8:15am, so Mimi is coming to the house to let the Sears people in for the new washer.  

I noticed that you're ticklish on the back of your neck .... it's so cute when you giggle!  You'll tuck your head down and laugh if tickled!  :-)

You played with your toys and did tummy time for the rest of the afternoon.  Uncle Brennan and Aunt Katie came over to visit with you for about an hour.  They were at the beach last week so they haven't seen you in a while.  

We made dinner this evening .... chicken, veggies, and couscous .... we used some of the hot sauce in the welcome packet from Falls River (from saturday).  It was good .... and daddy liked it!  :-)

This evening you fell asleep on the bed with your toys and doing tummy time.  Daddy and I woke you up to change you and to give you one last bottle with 4 tablespoons of rice cereal.  You finished your peas today, so you'll get to start something new tomorrow!  :-)

Well, sleep well tonight .... we see the neonatologist and physical therapists at Wake Med tomorrow morning for your Special Infant Care Clinic appointment.  We'll see what they say about your head shape.  

Sleep tight!

I love you!  :-)

~Mommy

Roosters, Horses, and Peacocks .... Oh My!

Dearest Joshua David~

Hello cutie pie!  What fun we all had yesterday at Alicia's wedding!  :-)

This morning you woke up and played with your toys and did tummy time as daddy and I packed a few things.  We went downstairs to the wonderful smell of a brunch being cooked by Aunt Martha (Kevin's aunt at the Peacock Inn).  She made waffles, bacon, biscuits, a hashbrown casserole, eggs .... yummm .... everything was so good and daddy and I ended up eating way too much!  ;-)  Stephanie, Kevin, and Kevin's dad, aunt, and uncle were all there for brunch.  You played and did tummy time as we ate, but then they all played with you once the meal was over.  :-)  You giggled a lot and liked seeing and meeting all the people.  

The Peacock Inn is located in Newton, NC on a farm.  After we ate, I put you in the carrier and Stephanie and Kevin took us down to see all the animals.  You got to see cows, goats, dogs, a donkey, a mini pony, roosters, horses, and some peacocks!  This was the first time you've seen some of these animals.  :-)  You ended up falling asleep in the carrier, but then you woke up once we were back inside.  Stephanie also gave us a tour of the Inn.  :-)

You played and we visited more.  Then, after another bottle, we hit the road back to Raleigh around 1pm.  We were back home around 3:40(ish)pm and you slept for most of the ride.  

Once home, we changed you and you had a bottle.  You ate some oatmeal and peas.  Then, we all took a quick trip to Target for some wipes (for your little bottom) and more fruits for you to try.  :-)

This evening, we all relaxed from being in a car all day.  You played more and eventually fell asleep on the bed.  Tomorrow, the Sears delivery guys are coming so we'll have our washer and dryer!  Also, Eliza will come over for your physical therapy appointment!  I know she'll be impressed with your tummy time!  Daddy and I are so proud of you!  :-)

Sleep tight my little Joshua!

I love you!

~Mommy