NINE months!

9 Months old!

Playing in his room

Getting into something he shouldn't be getting in to!

Watching Sesame Street! :)

Jonah had his 9 month check up last week before we left on our trip for Maine. He did great! He got 2 shots, a fingerstick, and a TB skin test. He didn't even cry for the fingerstick or TB skin test,.... but he did cry for the shots. I can't blame him though! Shots hurt!

Jonah is trying to stay on top of the growth chart.... at least in the height category. He is 31 inches tall, which is above the 100th percentile! Wow! We're gonna have a bball player for sure.. or at least that is what his daddy is hoping! Jonah now weighs 20lbs 8ounces, 50th percentile, so he is just about average in weight. The pediatrician said it well... he's perfectly proportioned.. who doesn't want to be tall and thin??

Above are a few recent pictures of Jonah. You can check him out now that he's 9 months old. He is growing so quickly! Its amazing how much a baby changes and grows in their first year.

He's getting into everything! He's crawling, cruising! He loves pulling out all the DVD's from the entertainment center and loves getting his hands on cell phones and remote controls. He also has two teeth on the bottom!

Giveaway

Check out this giveaway....
http://uberchicforcheap.blogspot.com/2009/09/sh-sh-shade-giveaway.html

I know I want to win!

Are you kidding me?

Well, my love for NYC may be short lived. Not really, but today we went out and about and being in the crowds makes me not **love** this place. Well, its not even so much that there are lots of people (although I would rather not be in large crowds of people) its the way that individuals in the large crowds of people act!

We went down to Macy's today. That was the first mistake. The problem is Macy's has great deals on baby clothes, especially when there is a sale. Going to Macy's on a sale day with a baby stroller, 2nd mistake. Going to the world's largest department store on a sale day with a baby stroller... HUGE mistake! Anyways, the Macy's in NYC, if you have not been to it, is QUITE large. It is indeed the world's largest department store. It is multiple, multiple floors... 10, I think. The store itself takes up nearly a whole city block. There are a bzillion people in the store at any given time, especially on the day there is a one day sale, especially on the weekend.

The main problem that we have is that at Macy's we MUST take the elevator to get from one floor to the next. There are escalators and I am sure there are stairs somewhere, which if we had to we could use, but carrying a stroller with a baby in it up to the 7th floor of a building is not the easiest thing to do. Anyways, Mark and I both get BEYOND aggravated because all the bzillions of people that are also at Macy's think that they MUST take the elevator too... when in fact, they do not. The escalator is right around the corner,, and c'mon, how much effort does it take to ride up an escalator? This is soooo frustrating b/c there are like 10 elevators and when one is opening up for people to get on, everyone rushes over to it. Most of the people rushing over to the elevator are able bodied people WITHOUT strollers who could easily take the escalator, but choose not to. These people do NOT care that we have been waiting and waiting and waiting for an elevator and just run over in front of us and get on the elevator. Smiling at us as the door shuts and thinking... guess y'all can catch the next one. When, what they don't realize(or maybe they do) is the exact same thing will happen with the next elevator. We really have had people cut us off, cut in front of us to get on the elevator with absolutely no regard to the fact that we have no other option but to take the elevator. Why? why? why? do these people do this? Is it really that hard to take the escalator?? Does this happen anywhere else in America or is it just in NYC? Where are these people's mothers that should have taught them to be a little more courteous? Seriously, its maddening! Today I had a lady come into the elevator while I was trying to get off with the stroller and block my way so that I couldn't get off. I had to restrain myself from running over her with the stroller. Isn't it common courtesy to let the people off the elevator before getting on? When people are acting this way... I often think to myself... 'Are you kidding me'? I just can't believe that people act so selfishly and without regard of others. At the same time, I try to let this be a reminder of how much the world, the people of NYC need God's love. If I do not show God's love to them by being courteous as He would be, how will they ever see or come to know God's love. Every chance to display God's love counts.

Sorry to ramble on about this. I just had to vent b/c it was a very frustrating experience. Note to self... do not go to Macy's on the weekend with a stroller.

I will be back to my normal self soon and post happy, enjoyable things about Jonah and our fun times together. Thanks for letting me vent though.... and please remind me never to return to Macy's on the weekend with the stroller.

I <3 NYC.

Some of you are probably surprised by the title of this post...
The surprise you have is probably due to the fact that generally, love is not the sentiment most prominent in my vocabulary when refering to how I feel about NYC. Its not that I hate NYC, its just that most likely if given several options of places to live, NYC would probably not be my choice. However, today I do feel love for NYC.

Being in this city on September 11 brings out emotions for those that were here on that dreadful day. It stirs my heart to think of what even the average New Yorker went through that day... not to mention those that had a family member or friend that was killed in the tragedy. I cannot imagine being here on that day and I am thankful that I was not. I was reminded today of the magnitude of how many lives were taken by the selfish terrorists. I had the TV on the channel that was televising the Memorial Service.... I'm not exactly sure how long it took, but I do know that the reading of the names of the victims lasted several hours, Jonah had a nap in the middle of it, and when he woke up, they were still reading names.

Its hard to understand why such a tragedy happens. I don't think I will ever understand why things like that happen or even why a single murder happens. What a tragedy like this does help me understand is that all people need God's love. I desire to be an instrument of God's love and for that reason, I <3 NYC.

Tales from Jonah's crib

Lately, it seems as though Jonah thinks his crib is more of a playpen than of a place to sleep, a place to get his beauty rest, his much needed slumber.

Ever since we started having him sleep in his crib, from about 4 months on, (before that he was in a co-sleeper beside our bed) the usual routine was that after we laid him in his crib at night, he might fuss or babble a little and then fall off to sleep. He has really been great at going to bed and such a good sleeper. We are so blessed in that way!

Yesterday when I laid him down for his nap, I figured he'd follow his usual pattern. This was not the case.... Jonah did babble and talk a little after I laid him down, but then things got quiet, so I figured he was asleep. I was wrong. I went to check on him a few minutes later and this is what I found.....

Now I know for sure that we need to lower the crib mattress to the lowest setting! Jonah sure was proud of himself for this milestone! :)

Today I was able to successfully get him to fall asleep in his crib for his nap without dealing with him trying to stand up and play. I guess he was tired. I had to keep a close eye on him after I put him down for his nap though because we still hadn't lowered the mattress. This is what I found today...

Aren't those toes precious?

Jonah always has a way of making me smile.

This evening after I had given Jonah a bath and gotten him ready for bed, I sat him on the floor for a minute to go grab something before nursing him prior to putting him to bed. I noticed that he immediately started trying to pull himself to a standing position using the couch..... and he was successful! Again, he was quite proud of himself!

Its silly, but these accomplishments by my baby boy make me feel like he's not such a baby anymore. I'm sure he will be running through the apartment before I know it. I'm doing my best to savor every moment with my little (not so little anymore) bundle of joy... such as the cuddles he gives when he wakes up, the many smiles, the giggles and day to day fun. Just in case any of you were unsure.... I LOVE being a momma.