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!