Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Amazing Baby
It's as if Joey woke up over the weekend. All of a sudden he is laughing several times a day, rolling all over the floor and vocalizing like crazy. He is simply amazing.
I was sharing Joey's accomplishments this weekend with one of the partners at work and he simply said "wow...how old is he?" When I told him almost six months he responded something to the effect of "yeah.. that is when my kids started to roll too. He is developing normally." He said that as if it was a big surprise. My response: "Yeah...he is." But I am not surprised. Joey is an amazing baby.
Once he discovered he could roll easily from his back to his tummy, there was no stopping him. He did it all day Sunday. I could hardly keep him on his little jungle gym mat. So I spread out a quilt in front of it. Because of the cats I prefer that he not be directly on the carpet. But I could not keep him on the quilt either. He is rolling all over the place. He is also lifting his little butt in the air and moving his feet like he wants to crawl... Soon enough!!! Amazing Baby!
Check out the video. I wish it was better quality but unfortunately it is all I have for now.
I was sharing Joey's accomplishments this weekend with one of the partners at work and he simply said "wow...how old is he?" When I told him almost six months he responded something to the effect of "yeah.. that is when my kids started to roll too. He is developing normally." He said that as if it was a big surprise. My response: "Yeah...he is." But I am not surprised. Joey is an amazing baby.
Once he discovered he could roll easily from his back to his tummy, there was no stopping him. He did it all day Sunday. I could hardly keep him on his little jungle gym mat. So I spread out a quilt in front of it. Because of the cats I prefer that he not be directly on the carpet. But I could not keep him on the quilt either. He is rolling all over the place. He is also lifting his little butt in the air and moving his feet like he wants to crawl... Soon enough!!! Amazing Baby!
Check out the video. I wish it was better quality but unfortunately it is all I have for now.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Holy Cow!
Got Milk? Joey sure does. I think I set a new pumping record this moring... 18 ounces in 45 minutes of pumping. Usually my 30 to 60 minute pumping sessions yield about 12 to 16 ounces of milk. While breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world... pumping is not. I feel like such a dairy cow when I pump. Since Joey never really took to breast feeding, however, and I wanted him to have breast milk, I have been pumping since he was born. At first I pumped every 2-4 hours. Then it was every six hours. I am now down to every eight hours (3 times a day). I have been producing so much milk that we had to buy a freezer for it all that we keep in the garage. Now that it is just about full I am contemplating stopping (in about a month) and Joey ought to have enough breastmilk for another 3-4 months. It has been so difficult working full time, taking care of a baby and finding the approximate three hours a day to pump. It will be so nice to have that three hours back to spend playing with Joey instead.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Then and Now
Joey in his swing at four weeks old. Look how tiny he looks in there.
and now... at almost six months
And looking at me as if to say "piece of cake mom"
In his swing at four months old. Wish I had a current picture. He looks like he barely fits in there now.
Getting a bath in the kitchen sink at three weeks old.
Getting a bath in the kitchen sink at three weeks old.
Bathtime in the sink at grandma's house at two months old.
Getting ready to go into the bathtub now.
and in the bathtub now
Joey asleep in his bassinette that grandma made him at three weeks old
You have to see the whole thing it was sooooo cute!
and now... our big boy sleeps in his crib in his own room (all night long)
Joey playing on his floor mat at four weeks
and now... at almost six months
Joey lifting his head up off his pa pa's (my father's) chest, for the first time, at four weeks old
And now... look at him holding himself up to check out his new toy!
And looking at me as if to say "piece of cake mom"
It is amazing how much he has changed over the past five and a half months. We are so proud of how much he has accomplished in such a short amount of time. Joey you are amazing and we know that you are going to continue to grow and thrive and make us proud!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I LOVE that smile!
I miss my Joey so much when I am at work. The one thing that gets me through the day sometimes is to look at pictures. Especially when we have been quick enough to capture pictures of my little punkin smiling. It just warms my heart and helps me trudge on knowing that if I can just make it until later I will get to see that little smile again.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Making Impressions
Yes. Literally.
Joey went to an impression party with Jen this week. We ordered impressions of his hand and foot from foreverfootprints. The look on Joey's face when they were doing these impressions is priceless. I LOVE IT.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Almost Wordless Wednesday (Physical Therapy)
Joey has physical therapy once a week at Jen's house. He has been doing really well with it.
He works really hard!
He works really hard!
And sometimes gets a little wiped out!
On this particular day he fell asleep towards the end. Many thanks to Michelle Fannon, our wonderful PT who allowed me to photograph Joey's PT.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Raspberry King
A few weeks ago Joey added a new skill to his repertoire. I have finally caught it on tape.
We call him the Raspberry King now!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Momma Has To Work
It's hard to believe that it has been two months since I returned to work. While it has been VERY hard, it would have been much harder (if not impossible) had it not been for the fact that I work for the most wonderful people and had the fortune of finding the most wonderful babysitter for Joey.
I want to thank the partners at Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff for being so patient and understanding and for making the transition back to work as smooth as possible. I know that my maternity leave (and the extra month I took off due to Joey's hospitalization from March 27 through April 11) was not easy on the partners and the other lawyers in our small firm. And to some extent my pregnancy was difficult as well because I had a rough pregnancy and was not able to work the same number of hours I had become accustomed to working over the past few years. But they have been very supportive, like family to me, and have been so great. When I returned to work on May 4, 2009 they let me move into a much larger office where I am much more comfortable pumping breast milk for Joey. While I am still tired and getting used to being a working mom, getting back to work has been much easier than it would have been had I worked anywhere else. I feel blessed to work for such wonderful people and I cannot begin to thank them enough for all that they have done for us.
I also want to thank Jen Varanini Sanchez. While getting back into the groove at work has been very difficult, I cannot imagine having returned to work if I had to leave Joey with anyone else. I met Jen through the Down Syndrome Information Alliance (DSIA) in the days after Joey came home from the hospital. I contacted the DSIA looking to connect with other parents with babies with Down syndrome and Jen called me to tell me about her son Joaquin and to offer support. We ended up meeting for coffee. During that initial meeting I mentioned that I was not thrilled with the idea of leaving Joey at Merry Hill when I returned to work. He is such a good baby, does not cry much, and I was really afraid that he would not get enough attention there. Much to my surprise and good fortune, she e-mailed me a few days later with an offer to babysit Joey when I returned to work.
Things have worked out so wonderfully. I am comforted by the fact that Joey is in such a loving and nurturing environment while I am at work. As demonstrated by some of the posts on Jen's blog, I know that Joey is getting loved on by Jen and her family the way we would be loving him if we could be with him all day long. It melts my heart when I see the way Jen's three boys have accepted Joey. He even gets his physical therapy while he is at Jen's house. I do not know what I would do without Jen and I cannot thank her enough.
Thank you so much AKK and Jen for helping us get back to living a somewhat normal life. I say somewhat because life with a new baby has been a definite adventure, even without all of the difficulties we have had and does not yet feel normal. I just feel so very blessed and know that things will continue to get better and better, as I adjust to my new role as a working mom, thanks to the great support network that I have found in all of you!
I want to thank the partners at Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff for being so patient and understanding and for making the transition back to work as smooth as possible. I know that my maternity leave (and the extra month I took off due to Joey's hospitalization from March 27 through April 11) was not easy on the partners and the other lawyers in our small firm. And to some extent my pregnancy was difficult as well because I had a rough pregnancy and was not able to work the same number of hours I had become accustomed to working over the past few years. But they have been very supportive, like family to me, and have been so great. When I returned to work on May 4, 2009 they let me move into a much larger office where I am much more comfortable pumping breast milk for Joey. While I am still tired and getting used to being a working mom, getting back to work has been much easier than it would have been had I worked anywhere else. I feel blessed to work for such wonderful people and I cannot begin to thank them enough for all that they have done for us.
I also want to thank Jen Varanini Sanchez. While getting back into the groove at work has been very difficult, I cannot imagine having returned to work if I had to leave Joey with anyone else. I met Jen through the Down Syndrome Information Alliance (DSIA) in the days after Joey came home from the hospital. I contacted the DSIA looking to connect with other parents with babies with Down syndrome and Jen called me to tell me about her son Joaquin and to offer support. We ended up meeting for coffee. During that initial meeting I mentioned that I was not thrilled with the idea of leaving Joey at Merry Hill when I returned to work. He is such a good baby, does not cry much, and I was really afraid that he would not get enough attention there. Much to my surprise and good fortune, she e-mailed me a few days later with an offer to babysit Joey when I returned to work.
Things have worked out so wonderfully. I am comforted by the fact that Joey is in such a loving and nurturing environment while I am at work. As demonstrated by some of the posts on Jen's blog, I know that Joey is getting loved on by Jen and her family the way we would be loving him if we could be with him all day long. It melts my heart when I see the way Jen's three boys have accepted Joey. He even gets his physical therapy while he is at Jen's house. I do not know what I would do without Jen and I cannot thank her enough.
Some recent pics of Jen sent me of Joey in the park.
Thank you so much AKK and Jen for helping us get back to living a somewhat normal life. I say somewhat because life with a new baby has been a definite adventure, even without all of the difficulties we have had and does not yet feel normal. I just feel so very blessed and know that things will continue to get better and better, as I adjust to my new role as a working mom, thanks to the great support network that I have found in all of you!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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