Merry Christmas and Happy Shots!

A belated very Merry Christmas to all! This was Joseph's first Christmas of interest! He still wasn't too into opening presents, but definitely liked playing with the toys once we were finally able to get them out of the box. He got to have 4 days of Christmas...we started Saturday with the grandparents Patterson, Sunday with the grandparents McClain and extended family, Monday with the Nichols clan, and Tuesday back home where Santa made a stop. Here are a few pictures...

Opening presents at Grandmaw Mae & Grandpaw Jack's house...

Outside on a cold Christmas day with my new wagon from Santa!

The day after Christmas, Joseph had his 15 month check up. He's doing great, still growing well, at 90% or above in all categories (30 lbs, 34 inches, 19 inch head), and has met all the milestones as expected. Unfortunately he had to have 4 shots (3 immunizations plus his 2nd flu shot) which did not make the little man happy! One of the pertinent milestoness is 2 words besides mamma and daddy. Well...he's got MANY more than that! The boy will repeat almost anything, and has many words that he knows the meaning of, but still hasn't fully grasped what "no" means, even though he loves saying it. He's growing and changing so much, it's hard to believe. Smart as a whip, but I'm a little partial. He can moo, bah, and neigh like a barnyard full of animals! Very cute! I'll try to get video of that.

A few more pictures...

Eating black olives just like his dad, and hanging out with mom in our camo hats!

Long Time, No Blog

Ok...sorry about that. I just haven't been into it lately, especially since we've been so busy.


Busy, you say? What have we been up to? Well, Joseph has been busy being sick. It started 2 weeks ago Sunday (December 2nd) with a fever that got as high as 104.5, vomiting (only once, thank goodness), and periorbital cellulitis (say what? an infection under his eye as a result of the high fevers from the virus). His white blood cell count was at 20,000 when we took him to the doctor on Monday. Thankfully after blood cultures and 2 Rocephin shots, it was down to 9600 on Tuesday, so we started oral antibiotics. As we were nearing the end of 10 days of antibiotics, every orifice on his head started to drain, so we now doing antibiotic/steroid ear drops in both ears twice a day. How fun is that??? Back to the doctor today because the ear drainage is worse, and he decided to spike a fever during Jon's Christmas work party Saturday night.


So, throw the Christmas season, Jon having a big project due soon, and me getting a cold now into the mix, and we're running a little behind. The Christmas cards will get there when they get there, ALL RIGHT?? Nah, no big deal. They may be New Year's cards. Won't matter to me, I'm working New Year's Day!


But, on to the latest and greatest that the boy can do...


He's talking up a storm...will repeat almost anything you say, so keep it G-rated.


His memory is much better now. He remembers that he likes to read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?". At first, we thought it was great that when we turned to the page with the teacher, that he would say (in his own little language) "teacher, teacher". Well, now, when we get to the page with the goldfish (the page immediately before the teacher), he starts saying "teacher, teacher"!!! How smart is that!!!

He will turn his head to the side for drops to be put in his ears. Does this say something about how often we've had to do that??

He can make a selection between drinks. He will say juice or milk depending on which he wants. He's also saying a lot of other food words, including cheese, cracker and cookie. I think he's also tried to say fruit.

Pictures soon, I hope...

Anti-Atkins

Grandpaw Joe & Great-Grandpaw Wayne would be proud...

Joseph had a great first Thanksgiving (that he actually got to eat). We went to Memphis to spend the holiday with Aunt Claire, Uncle Phillip & Jordan-Claire. He did really well He ate like crazy. For Thanksgiving dinner, he ate turkey, sweet potatoes, corn pudding and 3 (!!!) rolls. He loved it. Except the cranberry and the coconut, which he took out of his mouth and handed back to me! He had a fun time chasing and being chased by his cousins, Dylan, Macy & J-C. He'll get to see all of them again at Christmas.

The No-Puking Zone

As mother and ruler of the Nichols domain, I hereby proclaim that all territories inhabited by the Nichols clan (be that car, hotel room, or house) are declared puke free zones. And if that doesn't tell you how our weekend went, nothing else will.

So before we even left the boundaries of Little Rock for our weekend trip to Springfield /Branson, MO, Joseph puked in the car/carseat. Lovely, huh? We thought he was just a little bit car sick from the stop-and-go driving of running errands around town and eating too soon before we left. Well, he puked again (big time on this one) on just the other side of Conway. We couldn't get the car pulled over fast enough! It was horrible and smelled bad and we put him back in his car seat naked (diapered, but naked). At this point, we considered coming back home, but said, nah, we'll be allright. Boy, were we wrong!

We went on to Branson, did some shopping at the outlet mall, and then headed to Springfield to check into the hotel. I had started feeling bad, but didn't think it was much to be worried about. And then I puked...and puked...and puked. Saturday I woke up feeling better, but very weak. Maybe Joseph's wasn't motion sickness. We (very slowly) walked around the Bass Pro Shop and neighboring Wonders of Wildlife museum as well as the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield. Joseph felt great and had a good time. He LOVED the fish at the museum. He was determined to catch them as they swam by!

Woke up Sunday morning, and guess who was sick?? The remaining member of the trio! Here it is Sunday night and Jon hasn't puked yet, but all the other signs are there. So, we had a long ride home ( I drove if that tells you how sick Jon was), but we're here now, and all alive for the moment. Joseph and I are fine now, so hopefully Jon's turn will be short-lived as well.

Here are some pictures...much more interesting than our tale...

Joseph's injury pre-picture day.

We'll see how the photos come back.

From Wonders of Wildlife...

crossing the rope bridge looking down at the birds looking at the beaver

These videos are actually better than any of the pictures from the aquarium.

Just a cute video to add on...Ride 'em Cowboy!

Picture Day

Today is picture day at school for Joseph. In true form, he took a tumble yesterday and has some major scrapes on his forehead and cheek. I asked the photographer to try to get his non-injured side, but we'll see! I'll post some pictures later.

Lots of Fun!

Busy! We've been going like crazy!

Last Wednesday, we went to Boo at the Zoo...Joseph had a great time watching the other costumed kids roaming around, but wasn't interested in wearing his own costume.

Thursday through Sunday, we were in Northwest Arkansas. We all had a great time, and Joseph did really good, with the exception of not sleeping during the day. We got in some hiking at Hobbs & Devils Den State Parks. Joseph had a really great time with Grandpaw Jack and Grandmaw Mae. He really enjoyed the fountains in the atrium of the hotel...thank you, Embassy Suites.

We visited Boo at the Zoo again on Tuesday night and Joseph LOVED the carousel. They've refurbished the old "Over the Jumps" carousel which has stationary horses and a moving track. Very neat. You can't tell how much he liked it from the video, but as we were trying to leave the zoo, he kept walking back toward it and pointing.

Today, he had a Halloween party in his class at daycare. He still wouldn't wear the dog costume, but enjoyed the snacks!

On thre road again...

The family is headed to NW Arkansas with the Patterson grandparents in tow. Jon's got his state architecture conference this week, so here we go! Hopefully Joseph will handle the drive ok. Here's hoping he sleeps.

Tonight we're going to try to go to Boo at the Zoo. Joseph is going to be a puppy for Halloween, if he'll wear the costume. Look for pictures of that later.

His most recent fun has involved the ride on toys he got for his birthday...

A Busy Schedule

With Mom off to Atlanta, Joseph and Dad headed down to Warren for the weekend. And, what a busy weekend...

Joseph got a haircut...

He rode the bulldozer...
Got in some deer hunting...

And ate some fries!

Sure he's cute, BUT...

Okay...I'm thinking one of 2 things...either we are cursed or Joseph is the walking plague. He now has (drumroll, please) chickenpox!!! From the vaccine that is supposed to prevent chickenpox. We are of the small percentage who got it. Just like we are of the small percentage who continue to get ear infections after having tubes placed. Oh, did I mention that one of his ears is draining again?

All of this after going to another 1-year old's birthday party on Saturday and exposing how many other kids. Thankfully we decided not to go to church on Sunday, so hopefully we saved exposing a few kids in the nursery!

What fun! Thankfully, he feels great and thinks this is all fun playtime at home with Grandmaw Mae. We may trade out later in the week for Grandmaw Naoma. Little bugger.

Talking up a storm

Joseph's vocabulary is really expanding, and that's only counting the words we can understand. He's jabbering all the time, and I'm fairly certain he means something with most of the noises he makes. Actual words we've gotten are dog, doggie, duck, and ball. He's been saying da-dee, and has now actually rewarded me with mom-mee, said in exactly that inflection. Reports are also coming in that we THINK he has said cow, Jack (as in my dad), and he gives the intention of saying thank you. He responds when we hand him something and the tone and cadence makes us think that is what he means. My little boy is growing up!

Oh, & he's still SO cute! Here are some pics and video. We're trying for ball in one of the videos.

Where's that doggie?? And check out my new shoes!

Say "Ball"!

Doggie!

More Birthday Pictures

For more pictures from Joseph's birthday, go to:

http://www.babiesbridesbutterflies.com

Click on

• Galleries
• Children
• JJ

Enjoy!

Stats

Here are Joseph's stats from his 12 month doctor visit...

Weight: 27 lbs (90-95 %ile, average size of a 21 month old)

Length: 32 in (95-95 %ile, average size of a 17 month old)

Head: 19 1/4 in (> 97 %ile, average size of a 26 month old)

Weight : Length 90-95 %ile

He's just a BIG guy! But those averages match up with the size clothes he's wearing!

Developmentally, he's doing great, meeting and exceeding all expected milestones. And, he's SO cooperative for the exam. Plus the doctor says he's cute! She seemed quite surprised and happy when we told her he was completely off the bottle! I'm guessing that is a common problem with most of her patients.

When Joseph's birthday party pictures are posted, I'll put the link on the blog!

The Birthday!!

Well...it finally arrived, and we survived. The party was a big success with a good turnout. The cake was EXCELLENT! Joseph had a great time and brought home some good loot...thanks everybody. Here's some pics.

Almost there...

Joseph & dad checking out the giraffes at the LR Zoo.

Counting down the days to THE BIG DAY! Joseph's birthday is Saturday, in case anybody out there didn't already know that! It seems like he is doing so much more every day! He's saying "dog" now, along with alot of other things we can't recognize. His walking is getting so much better. He is able to walk with toys, pick them up if he drops them, and keep on going. That sixth tooth has finally broken through, and he's eating almost completely by himself now. He's eating very little baby food, and we've completed the switch to whole milk.

The transition to whole milk and sippy cups happened a little sooner than I expected, not how I wanted, and much smoother than I ever could have dreamed. Joseph got "hand, foot & mouth" which means he had/has sores in all of those areas, plus the diaper area. That being said, he wouldn't suck a bottle or nurse. So even though we were down to nursing only twice a day, that also stopped because it was too painful for him. He wasn't very effecient with an open cup yet, but we were able to keep him hydrated with lots of high liquid fruits and yogurt! All the sores are MUCH better now, and he's drinking well out of a sippy cup, so we switched to whole milk. Yes, a little before his first birthday, but as a dietitian, I'm allowed to make that call! :)

This past weekend was beautiful, so we visited the LR zoo. Hopefully, this weekend will be just as pretty since we've got a BIRTHDAY PARTY!! I hope the boy likes cake!

See you all there...

I wanna go live with the gorilla baby!

(His name is Mosi, and he's about 1 month younger than Joseph!

I sometimes see the resemblances)

Look at the boy go!

Here is some video of Joseph walking...I hope. I've been having problems posting!

Pictures Only

Catching up on some pictures...

Only 1 Month To Go!

WOW! 11 months old! I'd better get those birthday party invitations in the mail! Joseph is doing great after having the tubes put in last Friday. He had a good weekend with Mom and Dad, good daycare days so far this week, a visit from Grandmaw & Great-Grandmaw Wednesday, and dinner with some of our friends from college Thursday!

It's really amazing what all he is doing now compared to 10 months ago! He's walking, when he wants to, and the other person is who he wants to play with. He's also playing with his toys, and not just messing with them, but actually playing in the way they are intended to be played with. He's starting to bounce balls, and put them through the correct holes, as well as rolling his cars along on the wheels. Of course, he continues to eat just about anything we give him, with new favorites of goldfish crackers and Mom's chicken salad. And, he still loves pulled pork from Mom & Dad's favorite, The Whole Hog Cafe! But, his ALL TIME favorite is whatever he finds on the floor and puts in his mouth!

We're trying to go for a short walk daily, and he rides so well in his stroller. He loves watching everything we pass along the sidewalk. One thing that is not going so well, he seems to be getting tired of his car seat. Thankfully, we'll be able to turn him forward-facing in a month, so that should help.

Here are some pictures, and hopefully, a video of him walking...

Tubes

Joseph now has tubes in both ears. We had the procedure this morning and everything went fine. It didn't take long at all, and he stopped crying after we got home and he was able to nurse. Now's he playing and getting in trouble as usual. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Broken Record

That's exactly how I feel right now. Joseph is sick, AGAIN!! He was scheduled to have his ears rechecked this morning for any signs of remaining infection, and now he's coughing like crazy. So, it's just as well that we already have an appointment. But, he's at daycare! I can't keep taking time off work! Besides, I'm coughing too! That seems to be all that it is for now, but we'll see.

He did have a very fun weekend in Warren, and enjoyed the swimming pool very much. Hopefully he'll get to go swim a few more times before summer is over.

I'll try to get more pictures up soon.

Only 47 days til THE birthday!!

My Apologies

So...I'm not doing so great with updating the blog, huh? The Monday after I said Joseph had finally whipped those ear infections, guess what?? He woke up with fever, so back to the pediatrician. Right ear infected again, left ear looked clear. 10 more days of antibiotics, he's now on day 9, almost done. But, since then, he's been great. He went back to daycare the very next day and did well all week, for what was an unusual week for us. I was working the weekend, so he actually went to daycare the days I was off, to give me a break! He did really well, although he got a good bump on his head from the toy shelf and got bit by another child (didn't break the skin).

While I worked the weekend, Joseph was home with dad and they had 2 really great days, including a trip to their favorite store, Home Depot! We also got to have dinner with some friends and their 2 year old son, Josh. They came back to our house and the boys had a great time playing together. Josh is also the friend with the recent Gymboree birthday party that Joseph went to. He's got another tooth breaking through, and the gum is swollen in the same spot on the other side (top, just to the side of the front 2). Let's see, what else has happened...he went with me to a baby shower for some friends, is eating lots more, continues to flirt with all the pretty girls, especially the waitresses, and seems really close to walking. He's taken some wobbly single steps, but that is all so far. He loves rummaging around for his toys in the baskets, as you'll see in the pictures below.

Lots of progress for our now 10 month old! Here are some pictures...

Catching Up

Can I do almost a month's worth of posting in one? Sure, why not...

Here goes...

It looks like Joseph might have finally whipped that ear infection, but only after a round of shots (1 shot per day for 3 days). He started back at daycare on Monday which was rough after being with grandmaws for a week. He is doing great now, waving, clapping, even starting to take a few steps but can't actually be classified as walking yet. We've had a great day off today, having lunch with dad, running errands, and a little retail therapy for mom. Here's a ton of pictures to get you caught up...

The Fourth of July (wearing our "Special Delivery" outfit, a gift from Dr. Tompkins)

Enjoying some tasty toast! The boy loves to eat, anything & everything...

A visit to the Little Rock Zoo

Taking a swim in the big pool at Grandparents Nichols

And, finally, worn out from all the fun...