His Eleventh Month

These days Jude spends most of his time vertical. He pulls up on anything he can get a good grip on. He is off playing with his sisters most of the time but still has plenty of time to snuggle with his parents. Thank goodness. 

Asleep while watching sports. He can't handle the stress of the playoffs.

He is eating much more these days, peas, sweet potatoes, and watermelon are a few of his favorites. We still haven't got a full nights rest and not sure when we will. 

Nyah is already talking about plans for his first birthday party. She seems to be excited that he will finally be a solid age she can hold onto and tell people, instead of a month. 

Elsa has created her own name for him, "Eensa." We aren't sure if she is mispronouncing a word or this is some Spanish word she has picked up or what, but she consistently calls him this and uses it as a term of endearment. Pretty cute, Elsa loves is her little Eensa.

Oh how we love this little guy. It's unbelievable to watch him grow into such a handsome, peaceful little boy.

Look how much he's grown.

One month

Two months

Three months

Four months

Five months

Six months

Seven months

Eight months

Nine months

Ten months

Baby Blues

With the variable temps around here, hints of fall, and the upcoming holidays, it just seemed like it was time. Time to put some blue jeans on our baby boy. 

And he immediately looked about eighteen. 

Eighteen, dressed, and ready to kiss us goodbye and head out the door to hang with friends, or whatever it is guys do. 

Definitely not the look I was going for. 

Please note, his shirt is not dirty. I just slipped it over his head prior to taking these photos. This shirt is just evidence of how intensely he is teething. The drool, it's coming in buckets.

And in all matters concerning dressing a boy, well maybe its because I have been drowning in pink, princess, and purple dresses for so long, but I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of the boyness of this guy and the clothing that comes with it.  

There is just so much to love about our little buddy. I could seriously go on and on...

His Fourth Month {With Video}

Its time. I can't believe it has taken me this long to get a video of Jude up on the blog but I just reserected the Flip Video from the move and had George charge it up at work. I love the Flip Video but it isn't too compatable with my Mac. Oh well. On to the good stuff.


Jude is almost four months old, where has the time gone? Yes, I am posting this five days early but I typically post his monthly updates a few days late so I thought I would change it up a bit. Plus the World Series is on so I am bored out of my mind.


This month Jude has really come into his own, showing his sweet personality more and more. I'm not bragging, but this boy loves his Momma. The girls were really into me too while I was nursing them, but the way Jude looks at me is like something I've never quite experienced. It is precious. It is love and I feel the bond forming. Momma's boy for sure.


He is starting to notice his sisters more and more and follows them while they are performing their antics. The boy has constant entertainment.


Jude is trying his best to sit up and launches himself forward when sitting on our laps, keeping us on our toes. He still despises his car seat and eats more than I think possible at times. After finishing a "meal" he will chill out and then start rooting around again or begin to fuss. I always try a few tricks but usually just give him what he wants which is more milk. And he will consume another entire "meal". He eats. A lot. Such a growing boy.


I am running on a few hours of broken sleep lately. Poor guy caught his sisters' runny noses. It always seems to linger a little longer with him. Seeing a baby with a runny nose is so sad since they are predominant nose breathers and frustration is the result when they can't accomplish this. So he has been waking up a lot at night when he can't breath. I am just trying to hang in there until sleep returns, I know this will pass soon.


So without further ado, here is our little buddy, our stud muffin, the baby bruder, our most precious boy. But brace yourself because there is a whole lot of cuteness going on here.

The Baby Book

I have been working feverishly this rainy, dreary morning updating Jude's baby book. I don't want to forget a single thing, something I am actually do quite well. 

I think baby books are so important and necessary for children. I know I record every detail of our children growing here on this blog, but I think there is something so special, so comforting about holding, in your hands, the record of the start of a life, smelling and turning the pages, watching ones story unfold. It's almost the prologue to the lives we live.  


I never had a baby book and there was a time I really wish my Mom or Dad had made one for me. They were too busy doing things like working to provide for us and other minor stuff to have the time to record my early years. There came a time in my life (probably during those brutally awkward teenage years) when I would have loved to look at my past, see the looks on family and friends faces as they embraced me for the first time, and visualize how my life unfolded prior to my most vivid and clear memories. I sometimes feel the same way since having children of my own. I often wonder how much I weighed at birth, since I just had a ten pound baby.


And there is the inevitable temptation to compare. For instance, without the girls' baby books, I would have never known that at 2 months, Nyah only weighed 13 lb. 4 oz, and Elsa was 14 lb. 3 oz compared to their brothers who weigh in at 15 lb. 13 oz on his two month visit this Tuesday. They didn't weigh as much as he does now until they were 4 and 5 months, respectively. See isn't that fun? Well, maybe only for a mother (and grandmothers), but whatev. The records seem to show the term "little brother" will only be a numeric formality for these siblings.  


I recently looked through my fathers baby book that his mother so diligently kept. It was very detailed and equally as fascinating to see facts about the start of my Dad's life, to touch his wee little foot prints. The footprints of someone I could never imagine being small.


Nyah's baby book is nearly complete, just one more birthday to record (woah), then the rest is up to her memory. Elsa's is a work in progress and Jude's, well his is still pretty thin, but I am working on it (today). Jude's also gets pretty detailed about the family tree which I must interrogate my mother in law about the next time we meet. Get ready Chris! But I am always up for learning more about the history of my husband and in turn, our children.

I have dreams that I will someday give each kid their baby book when they are expecting children of their own, if they decide to take that path in life, and look and laugh and predict how their new creations will turn out. 


And hopefully they will carry on the baby book tradition because no matter where life takes you, one must never forget where they came from.

A Favorite Baby Item

One of my all time favorite baby items I have discovered with the birth of Jude are these blankets by Luna Lullaby. I wish I had them with each of the girls. I have mentioned before that I am not into all of the crazy contraptions that are invented for babies but these blankets are a must have. 


Oh the softness, the stretchiness, the hugeness makes this the ideal blanket to achieve the perfect tight swaddle resulting in a calm baby. Something I am really into. 


Oh, and the prints are precious. I went with rocket ship bundle well, because I can since we have a boy.

I originally heard about these blankets from blogger, The Pioneer Woman, who I love to check in with periodically for new recipes, photography how to and inspiration. Her beautifully taken photo tutorial of recipes not only make everything look delish but they are super easy and over the top tasty. So she recommended these cotton muslin blankets and I went with it and I am so glad I did. 


These blankets are light weight, perfect for summer (or island living, if you are into that type of thing) and become softer with each washing. Love, love, love. And Jude is pretty into them also. And lets face it, if he's happy, I'm happy.

He's Here!

We are happy to announce that George Jude arrived just before noon on Friday, all ten pounds and 23 " of him! We are blessed beyond words to welcome this healthy boy into our family. 


This is the only photo I have of him because I forgot the cord to download pics at home. So more photos and secrets to birthing a ten pound baby with no epidural soon to come.

Oh, and the sisters are smitten with their baby bruder.

30 Weeks

Here we go, week thirty, which means ten more weeks until we get to meet our little man. Thirty weeks also means people are really starting to notice and can hardly help from commenting, especially here on this island where having babies is a big, special ting. 

Most of the comments range from, "Wow, you aren't very big for almost eight months" to, "Holy shit, are you having twins? How do you breath? Are you okay?" And only as Cruzan woman can, the most common comment, "You're fat!", my favorite, by the way, especially when it  comes from the mouth of a not so thin woman. I have learned to get over the fat comments though and realize this is not the mainland of the image obsessed, but the land of goodness and johnny cakes.

My favorite part of pregnancy is the connection people feel with you, men and woman alike. I have never experienced such kindness as when I am pregnant. All want to guess the sex by my appearance and the roundness of my belly or the way I am carrying. Most guess boy which is cool because with the girls, everyone without a doubt knew at first glance that I was carrying a girl. Some want to rub the belly which I welcome. Why? For one it feels good (I am weird, yes) and secondly, I think the baby deserves all the love he can get. Transfer all the good energy you can to the little guy. We thank you.

Mothers and grandmothers love to talk about their experiences, which I could chat about forever. In St. Croix, many of the older woman can still boast that they gave birth to a brood of six or ten and I bow to their expertise. The group of broad chested cops I walked by yesterday all wanted guess how many months I was and make jokes and laugh together. Seriously, you all care? How awesome. 

The most precious baby spectator I have discovered though is Nyah, who has taken an almost protective roll to her, "Baby brudr". She often discusses his birthday, "Is it today?" and has become an expert in feeling his movements. If she doesn't feel him move after about five-seconds of resting her short fingers on him, she concludes, "He is sleeping, shhh". The best feeling though, hands down, is when she engulfs herself around the bump that is him and rests her head in the most loving hug. 

Someone once told me that babies bring the love. It's so true, there is nothing more beautiful or universal.

Prepping

This week, I have just started to think that I should prepare for the new baby. I haven't done anything, seriously. Its real and I need to get with it. I don't want to fit the stereotype I have heard so often about how the last or in our case, third child, is allowed to do whatever and is all but neglected. 


I understand where this stereotype comes from. With practice makes perfect, or makes one more relaxed and confident and for us at least, by the time the third child arrives, I think (I hope) we will know what to expect, minus his little personality quirks. So what's the need for all the fuss and stress?


With Nyah, I was thrown numerous baby showers where I received beyond the amount of gifts one human deserves, from overly generous family and friends, picked from a mega baby store using a small hand held scanner. I had everything for her, wipe warmer, special pillows for nursing, special medical kits, special blankets, you name it. 


When Elsa came along, I had luckily saved everything from Nyah and was able to reused it. I obviously didn't ship the big stuff, like obnoxious swing, exersaucer, etc but that was fine. I didn't miss any of it and realized I didn't need any of it. The purpose of all the stuff seems to be just to make one small moment in the mothers life and small stage in the child's life easier and then to take up a lot of space. 


Elsa, from birth, has lived a contraption free life, minus a swaddling blanket. She has always been left to her imagination and allowed to lie, roll, sit, scoot, crawl and walk to her hearts delight without being confined to a piece of plastic. Our major investment with her were some mega padding puzzle like pieces for the hard tile floor which we are still using in the girls play area. We child proofed the house and set her free. She walked early and is extremely independent, has killer concentration for her age and enjoys playing alone, preferably looking at books. So this is the route we will take with the little guy, a plastic contraption free life. 


I have a carrier, swaddling blankets, co sleeper (in fact, haven't even put it away), the girls bedding is cobalt blue, everything is gender neutral so other than clothes, which my generous friends have totally hooked me up with, we might be set. I think. I hope. Bottles? Nope, breastfeed and try not to leave baby much. Cloth diapers? I just might go there this time, oh yeah, we got a washer and dryer. Booyah. Yup, it's the little things in life.


What I have been doing most of all to prepare little dudes arrival is reading. Lots. I totally engulfed myself with reading when I was pregnant with Ny. I wanted to know all there was to know about natural child birth and breastfeeding. None of the woman in my family knew much about these topics, in fact, I think my poor grandmother was knocked out for her "births". So since I really had no one to bestow this important womanly wisdom on me, I hit the books, naturally. My all time favorite book and the one I credit with teaching me the most was, Spiritual Midwifery, written by the badass midwife, Ina May Gaskin in 1976. 

If you are pregnant and have any interest in the beauty of child birth, you gotta read this book. 

A little crunchy and hippyish (some of the woman have harry arm pits) but it tells the birth stories of hundreds of women written by the mother herself, father, friend, or midwife who attended the birth. The numerous stories of how the mommas repeatedly had uncomplicated, untraumatic birthing experiences was so enlightening and get this, the majority of them did it on a farm. No hospital. They all did it, without drugs, without C sections. And they survived. The statistics are amazing, at times unbelievable. 


It's empowering and I credit this book with giving me the confidence to relax, trust my body and embrace the life changing labor and delivery experience I had with Nyah. The woman's stories in the book helped me realize that delivering a baby is normal and something I am perfectly capable of doing and in fact was born to do. It is a nice way to counter the horror stories so common in our culture today. 


Couldn't resist including a picture of the little beauty who changed my life in more ways than I can count.

So, I have picked up my treehugging tendencies again and ordered Ina's newest book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. 

Love it, so far. Haven't finished it yet but enjoying more inspirational stories along with more technical info of how to get 'er done in the delivery room. 


And there you have it, the most important item I have purchased thus far in preparation for baby boys arrival. Also, now accepting, in advance all good vibes anyone wants to send this way for a quick and peaceful delivery of a healthy baby. By far the best gift we could receive as we prepare ourselves and our lives for the newest addition.

And how could I forget a photo of the precious Elsa Christiana who brings joy and light to our lives daily.

Welcome to Our World Blue

We loaded the first bunch of hand-me-down boy clothes into the house yesterday. It makes it all so real. The blue clothes looked beautiful to my eyes yet so foreign. It will be a welcome change from the tutu, pink and purple, baby doll, purse world we live in now. We have tried not to push the girly stuff but it ends up in the house somehow and the girls love it. Welcoming a little dude into our home will bring a needed change in pace and color to our lives.  


What would we do without hand me down clothes. We live for them and I am pretty sure it is all the girls wear (besides the gorgeous clothes my family and friends give). Why not? The clothes never look shabby but I don't see the point in spending tons on clothes that are going to get stained beyond recognition and rapidly grown out of.  I am always amazed and thankful by the generosity of people, especially when a new precious life is looming.


Glad we (actually, I) have a few more months to prepare for the handsome little man's arrival. Will mothering a boy be different? Showering babies with an abundance of love is all I know so hopefully it's how its done. 


Nyah is beyond excited, she assess my belly each morning and says something along the lines of, "He's growing, my baby brother is growing", or "Can he come today?". She will be a great sister to a little brother.


Now we just have to be patient, hurry up June.