I have NO dada

Jarrett says plenty that makes us chuckle. I've definitely had my share of belly laughs with that kid around. Sissy is just learning to string words together into phrases so that's just adorable in itself. She's trying. Back to what prompted this post- my Dad reminded me the other night that I should be documenting the funnies. I'm going to share a few of my fave kid quotes before I'm too old and senile to recall them.  These will likely all fall under "you just had to be there..."
We'll start with some J-isms:
Water-fawdal - the water that comes out of any faucet
"Mommy, wet's go" - said to me one night when I was taking too long in Target and the first of many toddler commands
"I MEED it"- what he thinks to be magical words if we say no
"Baaaa baaa black sheep- have you any NO?"
-Herrod said "NO BABY BOYS!" (First time we realized he's really listening in Sunday School)
Why did he say that buddy? "He was grouchy.."  Deep- I'm sure Herrod was always a little grouchy?
-J: "mommy, you have something for me?" "What do you need buddy?" "Well, what do you have?"
And when he woke up in the middle of the night gagging and we ran in w/ a bowl, swiftly catching his upchucked dinner. He promptly waves his arms Around and yells "I did it!!! I did it!" I said "here lets make sure it's all out..." Holding the bowl out again that he pushes away and says "no! No, fank you!" (Manners matter!)
- I was in the bathroom and heard under the door "do you wanna build a snooowmaaaaannn?"
Then as we were going to the drive thru as Zaxbys for our typical Wednedsay night ritual he realizes that when Daddy took the car seats out that he'd put his back on the passenger side, which meant he couldn't chat w/ the window guys. Sissy was chatting it up and having a great time as they told her how cute she is. On the way home J is pouting and saying he's So mad at Dada for moving his seat- and then out of nowhere he says "I have NO dada"

Eliza is our little firecracker but underneath it all she's a little sweetie. She has a buddy at daycare named Liam and as we'd started teaching her to say Bye when she leaves somewhere out of nowhere one day she said "Bye 'Miam!"
-when driving around in the car the kiddos used to get in an argument about whose Mommy I was... So J would say "MY mommy" and Eliza would respond "Mah-my!"
-when we bring food to the table, she'd notice the steam and say "eeeee hot"
-one night she laid by me on the floor in the playroom and said "nigh nigh"
-'mon mommy! (When she decided it was bathtime)
-she loves "mimmy" (Minnie)
-we were watching Frozen one day and in the scene where Elsa is in her room and is surrounded by ice Eliza observed "Elsa in time out!"
-Then there's the way she cracks me up when she says "NO mommaaaay!" Like a valley girl.

sweet little memory makers.

6 months?!?!

HA!  I'm not going to waste more than a sentence's time on how pathetic I am at this whole blogging thang... here we go.  So, Jarrett is 6 months old. Yes, I know.  BUT, I've been documenting with pictures rather than writing (...that's a good thing) and I've been posting everyday on facebook. Take that. However, I realized today when I was uploading 948 pics into iphoto that I may want to do more than just snap photos.  Jarrett is definitely eye candy (I'm not bragging, it's just true), but what are our thoughts on all of this!?  Plus, Jarrett has reached a pretty significant milestone...but more on that later. I'll start from way back when since I have more than a few months to cover.

I admit that I felt more than overwhelmed the first few (okay 4) months.  I had to swiftly put my pride aside during week 1 and accept help from my parents in the form of frequent visits and my mother practically living here the first 3 weeks. FYI- Sleep deprivation is NO JOKE. I wasn't eating the first week and that HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN MY LIFE.  Fast forward to my 6 weeks checkup (ps- it blew my MIND that I wasn't going to be "checked on" until 6 weeks... really?! I'd given birth to a 10 lb-er and I knew that was no joke... what else weighs 10 lbs? a printer, a microwave, a small television, a bowling ball, a lamp... but more on that in "birth story" that will hopefully be completed soon)  when the nurse asked if I'd felt depressed/anxious OUTSIDE of the first 2 weeks.  Apparently the first 2 weeks are a given.  Got it. AND why are you asking me this at week 6?  Glad I'm ok....  Anyways, Phil and I quickly discovered that we not only have an amazing baby, but also a very forgiving baby.  He forgave/continues to forgive us for: putting his diaper on too tight, putting his diaper on too loose, buying newborn diapers, feeding him with a level 2 nipple instead of level 1, not feeding him enough at first b/c we just KNEW he couldn't be hungry YET, for pissing him off and making him move his left arm that he didn't even know existed at the time, not packing a change of clothes for his first day at daycare, and for often thinking we have a baby.. we can't do "that" anymore. He has repeatedly proven us wrong, especially when it came to his arm.

When I was told that my baby had suffered a "birth injury" due to shoulder dystocia and that his left arm could possibly take anywhere from 6 months-2 years to function at all, I fell apart. My baby is perfect, and he's cute, and he trusts US. Enter Phil.  Phil started, from day one, "pestering" Jarrett into moving his arm,  and it is now at 6 months considered fully functional.  A few days ago, he reached over his head with his left arm and grabbed a container of wipes and started thrashing it around like it was a burp rag.  I'd say he's good to go.  I remember the first occupational therapist on day 6 (of his life) telling us that it could take up to 6 months before we saw full use, and it felt like forever away.  But, we're there and he's fine.  God answered our prayers, and our son's arm is fully restored.  I remember my MIL telling me that she'd prayed to God that if he needed "human help" that he could take the strength from her left arm and give it to Jarrett's.  I think we all felt/feel that way about our "little" man.

Here's Jarrett, at a few minutes old, struggling to use his left arm. I'm very much in love with this video b/c I only learned of its existence 4 days ago.  It is a huge reminder of how far he has come and almost makes me want to go wake him up and smother him with kisses.  almost.

and here's Jarrett at 2 1/2 months old...modeling some CK and a perfect double arm raise 

and here we are yesterday, using both arms to prop up... rawwwrrrrr. baby dinosaur.  and linebacker.

we love this kid to the moon and back.  So proud of you, Jarrett!!  I promise to document how rad you are more frequently over the new few months.  

he's here... (he's been here for about 2 weeks...)

So, I guess I'm not a "real" blogger yet... I was so going to stay on top of this and document every cute little thing Jarrett does.  However, that would mean that I would be blogging 24/7.. he's just that cute.  Our little guy was born on January 12 at 3:23.  He weighed 10lb, 4oz and was 22 inches long. One of the nurse informed me that I'd "given birth to a toddler."  Phil likes to say that Jarrett "walked over to the ink pad" when they made his first footprints. Yesterday at his checkup we found out that he now weighs 10lb, 6 oz, and is 22 1/2 inches long.  He's a beautiful growing boy!  We start our official physical therapy treatments on Monday (he was born with a "birth injury" to his left shoulder).  However, he has already been doing his arm lifts and and pulling that cute little left hand up to his mouth, so he's making a lot of progress already! We are so thrilled with that and know it is an answer to prayer.  I'm currently working on my "birth story" and it will definitely be a novel by the time I'm done.  For now, I'm ending with one of my new favorite bible verses that has been on my mind since meeting our miracle from God-

1 Samuel 1:27-28: "We prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted us what we asked of Him.  So now we give him to the Lord.  For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."  

the waiting game...

I'm more than excited to meet this little boy that is super active this morning.  Just FYI- his little booty is sticking out of my stomach as I type, and it couldn't be cuter.  We've made it to 37 weeks, also known as "full-term" (according to at least a few researchers definitions...I choose to ignore the ones that say 42 weeks- yikes!).  Now that work is over for the year, I'm actually able to sit and reflect on what is really going on. I've been thinking today about how incredibly blessed and lucky we are that we've had no complications.  His heartbeat has always been healthy, his ultrasounds have always registered on the "bigger than average" side, and he is still happily incubating.  I keep thinking every minute...this baby is coming, and none of us know when.  I've never been one to love surprises because I like to be in the know... but this is one surprise we couldn't be more excited about.  We know it's all in God's hands - he's brought this miracle into our lives and he already knows everything there is to know about him.  We get to sit back, be surprised, and raise this precious gift from God.  I can't think of any better gift than that!