Squash!

Snow baby!

We live in Arkansas? More like Siberia!

It has snowed {hard} pretty much all day. I am pretty sure today was as as close to a blizzard as I have ever seen here. The wind was blowing so hard and it is SO cold! In fact I wanted it to stop so I could take Stratton's picture in the snow but it never let up!! Maybe I will get some pics tomorrow. We didn't get much ice, thank goodness! But the roads were plenty slick. I didn't go to work, the schools were out and just a general rule I use is if the schools are out, I am not getting on the roads unless it's absolutely necessary! Jarrod had to go to work, he sat at the substation in Jonesboro all day, well almost all day. He was on his way home at 5:45pm and got a call that they needed him to take the bucket truck to Wynne! So, he turned around and went back to the substation reloaded trucks and got on the road. about halfway there he got another call. . .they wanted him to go back to Jonesboro and wait!? What?! So, he is back at the substation waiting to see what they want him to do, if anything. It's 8:30pm, so he has been on the clock for 13 1/2 hours . . .getting paid time and a half. . .so it isn't SO bad, but I know he is ready to come home, especially since they aren't doing anything I bet they are bored! They still don't know about tomorrow, either. I just checked the Entergy website a few minutes ago and it didn't look like there were many outages, so hopefully the guys won't have to work (or sit and wait) tomorrow, too!

[Taki wanted outside SO bad, but this is as far as she made it before turning around!]

Seriously?

This time last year . . .to the day, we were in the middle of an ice storm, I was probably at Uncle Brian & Christina's house playing farkle (or getting beat at farkle is probably more correct) by candle light! Ha! It was so cold and our house is all electric so I spent the days with the Gibson's while Jarrod worked! We were out of electricity for 3 days, which was not bad considering some people were out for weeks and even months!

Well, guess what? Looks like we might get a milder repeat of last year starting tonight! At least they are forecasting more snow and less ice in our area this go-around! Jarrod was put on a crew and told to pack for 4 days. He has to go in to work tomorrow even though he usually doesn't work on Fridays. They have established crews all across the state already, I think it's all a little overkill, but I guess they want them to be prepared! Hopefully he won't have to travel anywhere! But, it looks like the worst of the ice and stuff will be around the Memphis area, including Wynne, which is close enough that he could possibly be sent there to work if it got bad enough.  I don't mind being "snowed" in, but I don't want Jarrod to have to be out in the dangerous conditions driving and working. I guess that is just part of his job and I should get used to it, but you know me. . . I am a worrier! 

 

Issued by The National Weather Service
Memphis, TN
11:33 am CST, Thu., Jan. 28, 2010

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT CST FRIDAY NIGHT...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT CST FRIDAY NIGHT.

* THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR 4 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION. ISOLATED LOCATIONS MAY RECEIVE AS MUCH AS 10 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION.

* WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN LATE TONIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. LIGHT SNOW AND FLURRIES MAY OCCUR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.

* ROADS AND BRIDGES MAY BECOME SLICK AND DANGEROUS. GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS MAY CREATE DRIFTING SNOW AND MAY DROP WIND CHILLS INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS FRIDAY NIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

I'll fly away. . .

Here is Stratton "surfing" or "flying. . . "

I want that camera!!

I let him have it for a second and then took it away. . . So we are starting to notice that when Stratton eyes something you have he will reach for it, however if you don't let him have it or take it away he gets cranky! In his defense he was hungry and that probably didn't help any!

Finally, a tooth!

I knew it had to be coming soon! Stratton has been drooling buckets lately! He came home from staying the weekend with Jarrod's parent's with a little cold, but I didn't think much about it, after all babies get on average about 8 colds in their first year? Well Monday he was a little fussier than usual, but again I thought it was just from him feeling bad from having so much congestion. I actually felt in his mouth Monday morning, and didn't feel anything.

Tuesday after I dropped Stratton off at Kayce's and was just about to work my cell phone rang, and it was Kayce. She said "Did you know Stratton is getting a TOOTH?!"  Nope. I was so excited to see him later that afternoon and see the tooth for myself! It's just a little bitty white spot right now. . . . .

I caught his while he was crying, poor baby!

Laying in the floor watching Wheel of Fortune one of his favorites. . .hey it's educational! But, I think he likes Vanna!

Stratton and his gal pal

Sunday night after church we went to eat at Chili's with the Simmons Family. Olivia is 3 months older than Stratton (yeah, I know they look the same size. . .) and we are hoping that they are going to be good friends [actually, I don't think they are going to have a choice as much as we are with them!] Ryan & Erica are some of our best friends in Jonesboro and along with Olivia they have a little boy, Carson, who is three and he is the funniest little boy! Ryan made a comment about S and O dating. . .I was like, "Uh, I don't think they are going to want to date each other they are going to be more like brother and sister!" . . . I took a picture of them because S is just now getting used to sitting in a highchair and this was the first time they got to sit by each other at a restaurant. Olivia was still eating her supper, hence the food on her face . . .

So, about a minute after I took this picture, Olivia leaned over and poked S in the eye and made him cry! I mean he screamed and threw a fit! I think he got his feelings hurt more than his eye hurt. I tried to put him back in the highchair later and he started to cry again, I think he was scared of her for a little while after that! I wanted Ryan to remember that SHE made him cry first! So, next year when he is pulling her ponytail it's just payback! Ha!

a special message from Stratton. . .

 

Sickness and Storms

This past week has gone by so fast! I worked on Monday, MLK day, and my mom was off so she kept Stratton. I think that Jarrod and I either had a stomach bug or ate something because we were both sick Tuesday night & Wednesday! But luckily whatever it was didn't last long and we were both much better by Thursday! We did have some thunderstorms this week and for some strange reason Tuesday night Stratton woke up crying around 2:30am when it was thundering . . .I think he must have had a tummy ache or he was scared . It was a cry that I had never heard before and once I picked him up he went right back to sleep! You know, we haven't had any thunder in a couple months, so I bet the loud unfamiliar sound just scared him. I was up with him for about half and hour then he finally calmed down and I put him back in his crib and he went right back to sleep. Wednesday night it stormed pretty good, and the thunder was really loud, louder than the night before. It woke me up and I just knew Stratton would wake up, but he never did?

He is still drooling like crazy! Poor thing he constantly has a wet shirt front and as you can see from the pictures below he drools on everything! I keep thinking he is going to get a tooth, but nope, not yet!

[playing in the floor]

[the boy LOVES his feet]

["surfing"]

We mastered squash this week! We mixed it into his cereal and he seemed to really like it! We started sweet potatoes yesterday and he did fine with those too. I will be glad when he can eat more foods. When Jarrod and I eat he watches every bite we take with the saddest most pitiful looks you have ever seen. Sometimes he'll even start moving his mouth around like he is chewing. . . it's too much for me sometimes! It makes me feel so bad! Poor baby!

From what we can tell he still has no desire to crawl. He likes to "surf" on his belly, he will put all his weight on his stomach and his arms and legs are in the air. . .pretty funny. He really doesn't like to be on his stomach much, he'd rather be sitting up so he can see what's going on! And he can't quite sit up by himself yet. . . just a few seconds and then he topples over. But he is still sitting well in a highchair and we took him to Walmart last night and he did great sitting up in the shopping cart!

Jarrod took Stratton to Searcy today. He is going to stay with Jarrod's parents this weekend! I am looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday! Especially since Jarrod is planning on getting up and going hunting in the morning. . .ahhh the bed all to myself!

Look a likes. . .

Up until now I didn't really think that Stratton favored Jarrod or myself more than the other. He is a good combination of us both, well that was until I stumbled upon the picture below in my photo files on my computer this morning . . . .I threw the only picture baby picture I have of Jarrod in just so you can judge for yourself. . .

[Christina]

[Stratton]

[Jarrod]

Still not convinced??. . .put your finger over my eyes in the top picture and your other finger over Stratton's in the second picture to where you just see our nose and mouth. . . it's creepy IDENTICAL! Don't get me wrong Stratton is WAY cuter than either of us were!! I honestly think he looks more like Jarrod when he is serious or sleepy, especially in his eyes (he no doubt has Jarrod's eyes) but when he is smiley and happy like above it's hard to argue the resemblance to his mommy!

6 month checkup & shots

We took Stratton to his 6 month appointment today...I can't believe I just typed that! I am still getting used to the fact that he is SIX months old!. . .Anyway, he did great (as always) he did cry a little when they gave him the second shot, but who can blame him?! They also tried to check his hearing again but S wasn't having it! He did not like her sticking that thing in his ear. He would shake his head back and forth and wiggle all around, till she finally gave up! They aren't concerned about it or anything, but since he was premature they have to do a follow up and they have to be able to document a normal reading, but so far he has given them fits every time they try! The nurse and Dr. B both commented on how LONG he was! I was actually a little surprised, I thought he would have weighed a little more (he feels MUCH heavier when you are holding him, or maybe that's just me!) I think he might be slowing down a bit. He only grew about an inch and gained a couple of pounds in the past two months. I hope he slows down a little, I am tired of having to buy all new clothes every month!

His weight: 19 pounds (80th percentile)

His height: 28 inches (95th percentile)

His head circumference: 17 inches (50th percentile)

We will probably start on some "real" solid foods this weekend! I am anxious to see what he thinks about them! I guess we will start with some veggies. . .let's hope he doesn't take after his daddy and hate veggies! All he has ever had is formula and oatmeal, so I am curious about what he will think about some different textures and tastes!

I took these right before we got the shots. . . he was SO sleepy!

Six months? Seems more like six seconds!

Can you believe my baby is 6 months old today? It's just not possible! It seems like just yesterday I was looking in his sweet little face for the first time, overwhelmed, wondering how in the world we were going to get through the first week and what was I going to do with a baby?! I knew nothing about taking care of a baby!  Now here we are 26 weeks later and we have adapted and somehow merged into a functioning family. . . our life has changed dramatically, and yet it seems so normal.

Happy half birthday Stratton!

A fun new toy!

We finally found a Johnny Jump Up! I think Stratton likes it! I hope it will be a good thing to put him in while I am cooking supper or doing the dishes. Maybe it will keep him occupied for awhile! The cat was teasing him, she would sit just beyond where he could get her. . . she better watch out, one of these days he will be able to chase her!

 

A couple of easy weeks

So, the week after Christmas Stratton and I stayed home for the most part. It was too cold to get out and do much. It was nice to stay in our PJ's and lay around the house all week! Friday, Jan 1st,  we did go to Little Rock with Margie and got Stratton a new car seat! A big boy car seat! It is still rear facing for at least a couple of more months, he is about too long to be rear facing! Then we had dinner with Terry and Margie before heading back to Jonesboro. Jarrod took my dad and his dad to the Liberty Bowl game in Memphis on Saturday (part of their xmas gift) and my mom came to J'boro and we did a little shopping.

Then I went back to work on Tuesday, Jan 5th and worked Tuesday and Wednesday, then it snowed Wednesday night and Thursday so we didn't go anywhere on Thursday. It was pretty and didn't melt away right away like it normally does because it was SO cold! It was way too cold to take Stratton out in it, I just shot a couple of pics from the door! Jarrod rented us some movies and we stayed on the couch all day!

[back yard]

[front yard]

 

[laying by the warm fireplace!]

Friday morning we went to Wynne, Jarrod and I both had appointments to get our teeth cleaned and we HAVE to take Stratton so that my mom can carry him around and brag about him and so the girls at the office can see him. . . Then we ate lunch and Stratton and I went back to my office while Jarrod ran some errands.

 

Saturday Jarrod went to Searcy to visit with some buddies from college who were in town to duck hunt, and Stratton and I stayed home. Then my parents came up Saturday night and we went to eat with them and then we went to Target and they bought a new car seat for their car. And Stratton went home with them since my mom was off on Monday, so I could go to work.

[comfy in the big bed watching Baby Einstein]

[waking up from a nap in our bed]

They brought him home tonight and we went to Cracker Barrel for supper. Stratton got to sit in a highchair and did great! He sat there and talked and jabbered and played with bear. He was such a good boy!

He is growing way too fast!